The Sunshine Vitamin, Thanksgiving... and so much more!

It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas at the Schwarz home!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, regardless of how different it was this year. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family in Iowa (I always love going to spend time with my parents), and then hosting Darek's family (minus Uncle Mark) on Saturday. We definitely missed having Uncle Mark with our crew for the long weekend, and are holding onto hope that we can be together during Christmas instead. I know there are many disruptions and changes to the way we typically do things this year, but I have decided to choose joy, hope, and peace instead of worry, discouragement, and anxiety. 

I choose to enjoy every moment with my children at home, even when things feel stressful for a moment. 

I choose to find the joy in being home and having a little more down time to read a Christmas story to my kids before bed each night, instead of being in a stressful rush to get them tucked in.

I choose to find peace in each day, taking time to complete my morning devotions (which sometimes spill over into the afternoon if I'm really honest), instead of stressing about what I am going to accomplish or how I can get everything off of my list each day.

I choose to let go of things that do not go as planned, instead of allowing them to cause stress and tension in our home.

I choose to find the good in others, especially when I encounter someone seemingly angry or overwhelmed.

I choose to thank God for each new day, His hedge of protection over my family, and a heart willing to be changed, shaped, and even broken when necessary for the things that matter to God.

I choose to eat according to the plan laid before me in an effort to live a full, healthy, long, God-honoring life. 

(Primal Kitchen Dressing)

Speaking of eating, I was finally able to meet with a Naturopath and discuss my case, my current plan, and modify a few things in my diet that were not necessarily helping me. It was a beneficial meeting, and I am already feeling "better" overall in my energy and general well-being. I will admit that I was a little skeptical at first, but so far what I am changing is actually helping. My mom sent me a new cookbook called the Essential Alkaline Diet cookbook, and I must say that 95% of the recipes inside are exactly what I CAN eat! I typically read through a cookbook and tag the pages of recipes I can eat or am interested in, but this time I am only tagging each section because most of the recipes are interesting to me and I plan on trying them. :-) That is a rare find in my opinion! Hooray!

I am continuing to take most of the supplements previously recommended and will be interested to see how / if my bloodwork changes based on my removal of a few, but changing certain things in my diet. My next follow up is in January. I also received an email from a friend who is part of the VITAL study, with a link to interesting findings on Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin). Here is an interesting excerpt from that study: "

Vitamin D

Cancer. During the trial, 793 cancers occurred among the 12,927 participants assigned to vitamin D, as compared with 824 cancers among the 12,944 participants assigned to vitamin D placebo, a small but nonsignificant reduction. Supplemental vitamin D also did not reduce the occurrence of breast, prostate, or colorectal cancers. However, there was a suggestive 17% reduction in cancer deaths, which became a 25% reduction in analyses that excluded the first two years of follow-up. Excluding early follow-up is a common practice in analyzing data from trials of dietary supplements and cancer because effects of nutritional factors on risk of cancer, a slow-developing disease, typically become clear only after several years." 

-Brigham and Women's Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School

  Click Here to read the entire findings page. 

The human body is really fascinating!! To think that God designed us in such an amazingly complex way, despite all of the science and synthetic "fixes" we have come up with, our bodies are able to heal naturally with the proper nutrition. It really is mind boggling! This is not in any way to say that medicine does not work or that I do not believe our healthcare system is beneficial. I DO believe that there is a place for medicine in our lives! I just do not believe it should always be our first or only option. 

It is my hope that I can pen a short letter, write a paper, or create a video to our healthcare system leaders, health insurance executives, and other leaders in our local healthcare community sharing my story and experiences and pleading for more options and coverage of natural health services. There is a great deal of focus on "preventative care" but supplements are not covered by HSA funds (I'm sure do to lack of regulation on the supplement industry), even if "prescribed" or recommended by physicians. There are also proven, effective "vitamin infusions" (costing ~$100-$200 each) that are not covered by health insurance, however chemotherapies alone (costing thousands of dollars per pill or infusion) are covered! I do believe our system has guidelines in place for our protection, but bureaucracy has gotten in the way of positive and effective, COST SAVING and LIFE SAVING change. 

Okay, I'll get off of my soap box for now. :-)

I am grateful for the connections I have made especially through my journey in healing. It is my prayer that God would use me to be a light for the world, and a voice for truth. Sometimes God allows us to go through difficulty so that we can help others down the road in their time of similar trouble. May I let that light shine!!

"If God said it, He meant it. If God promised it, He will do it. Christmas proves our God is faithful." - Proverbs 31 Ministries

May we all find peace in our hearts this Christmas season and find ways to serve those in need. 

~Until next time,

Steph