Make Your Own Organic Yogurt!

Making your own yogurt is not only good for your digestive system, but it is also great for your budget. I was spending $40-$60 a month on premium organic yogurt. With the current economy, I realized that I had to find a better way. Now that I make my own yogurt, I have cut my cost in half!

As I mentioned earlier in "Bikini Belly: The Fringe Benefit of Healthy Digestion," nurturing the digestive system is key to achieving optimal health. The live cultures and enzymes in yogurt help to protect the digestive system by fighting off "bad Bacteria" and creating an environment that allows you to absorb the nutrients in your food.

A healthy digestive tract fosters physical and emotional well-being. Healing the digestive tract is one strategy used to treat depression, ADD, Anxiety, Autism, and Fibromyalgia.

Recipe for Home-Made Yogurt:

8 cups organic whole or 2% milk
1 packet of yogurt starter culture (or 2 TBS yogurt)
Yogurt Maker

Pour 8 cups of organic milk into a stainless steel pot.
Turn the heat to medium high.
Use a metal spoon to stir constantly.
Bring the milk to the boiling point (it will start to rise up the sides of the pot).
Let it boil for one minute and remove from heat.
Let the milk cool to very warm temp (a little hotter than baby bottle temp).
Pour mixture into glass jars and place in the yogurt maker for seven hours.
Refrigerate one hour before eating.

I Hate Multi-Level Marketing!

I have been roped into several multi-level marketing schemes over the years and have regretted it each time.  From kitchen ware to essential oils, to chocolate, they all make me so mad!   The cost of the items are so heavily inflated that you are manipulated into selling the product just to be able to afford them!  If that is not bad enough, shipping charges are usually ridiculous!  I have sworn off all MLM's. 

Without changing my opinion, I trust Nature's Sunshine.  They are honest and straight forward.  There is no manipulation involved.  I have accepted them because they have excellent quality nutritonal products at very reaonable prices.  Shipping is just a few dollars and my products arrive in just a couple of days.  I signed up in order to save even more money on my supplements and recieve rebates on my purchases.

To find out more information, please visit my website http://www.desinou.com/

Bikini Belly: The Fringe Benefit of Healthy Digestion

I will never forget what a twelve year old boy once said to me: "When are you going to have your baby?" My response: "My baby is two years old!" I was not fat, but I had to admit that I looked like I was two months pregnant!

A bloated belly is often caused by inflammation of the gut. It happens as an allergic reaction to foods like dairy, processed foods, sugar, wheat, and other grains. The bloating occurs as tissue becomes inflamed because the victim lacks the enzymes required to digest the offending food items. You may have experienced the sensation when your pants feel tight after eating a plate of spaghetti and garlic bread.

Eliminating the offensive foods was an important first step in healing my digestive system. The other fringe benefit, was that I lost 20 pounds! I replaced the cereal and milk that used to be my breakfast with a protein shake. I found that eating protein first thing in the morning kept me feeling full. I stopped craving breads and sweets through out the day! Here is my shake recipe:

1 cup plain organic yogurt
1/2 cup organic blueberries
1tsp flaxseed oil
1 cup plain almond milk
1 scoop Protoclear protein powder (GMO free)

Combine ingredients in a blender and enjoy!


In addition to eating foods that do not contain sugar or wheat, I also help my digestive tract to heal by taking a digestive enzyme (Food Enzymes) with every meal. The enzymes help to make sure that I am absorbing the nutrients from the foods and vitamins that I consume. Finally, I take pro-biotics to encourage the growth of good bacteria. All these things combined promote healthy digestion. The fringe benefit is that I could wear a bikini if I wanted to.

Please visit my website for more resources and information: http://www.desinou.com/

Fibromyalgia Fourty: Younger Now Than at Thirty

How can it be that I look and feel younger in my early forties than I did in my thirties? When ever I mention that I have a daughter in college, people usually seem surprised. Even my high school friends on Facebook usually remark that I don't seem to have aged much.



I usually explain that I am younger now than I was five years ago. In my thirties, I was almost debilitated with arthritis, muscle pain, and chronic fatigue. I had to manage my work with only two hours of energy. Sometimes just getting showered and dressed took so much strength that I had to lie down again before I could leave the house. If that was not bad enough, I was constantly plagued with infections: pneumonia, bronchitis, strep throat, sinus infection, kidney infection. The people at the Walk-In Clinic knew me as soon as I walked in the door. The doctor or nurse practitioner would prescribe anti-biotics every time I returned to the office. It had become a revolving door.



After many months of chronic infections and anti-biotic treatments, my immune system got so weak that I developed a re-lapse of Mono (I had first contracted it when I was 15 years old). The doctors told me that I would recover from the Mono in a few weeks. They told me to rest and that nothing could be done for me. After six weeks passed, my symptoms of Mono had not improved. Doctors did blood tests that revealed that I had an arthritic auto-immune disease. They referred me to a rheumatologist.



It took two months to get an appointment with the rheumatologist. I was losing hope and was very worried that I would not be able to care for my three children. I prayed for God to step in and help me carry this burden. By His Grace, I was led to answers that helped me heal. I was in a bookstore and a title caught my eye: "Adrenal Fatigue" by Wilson. The book was like reading my own diary! It made perfect sense. I learned that my body had become over-loaded with burdens caused by stress and environmental and dietary toxins. I learned that a powerful solution was to eliminate sugar, wheat, and corn based foods.

The same week, I saw a new dentist who happened to have Celiac disease. My new dentist cared me as a whole person. He said that I looked like a "tired Mom," and he challenged me to eliminate sugar, wheat, and corn for one week. When I returned to his office two weeks later, he almost did not recognize me. My gray-toned skin had turned pink! I had more energy and I felt much better. The rapid improvement in the way I looked and felt convinced me to stay on course.



Five years later, I still avoid sugar, gluten, and corn. I continue to improve and have become very passionate about holistic health. God has brought several healers to walk with me through this journey; including nutritionists, chiropractors, herbalists, and even intergrated medical doctors! I pray that this Blog will offer hope to other people suffering from Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Depression, and a host of other auto-immune diseases. I will continue to share what I learn on my journey. Please visit my website for more information and valuable resources: http://www.desinou.com/