January 23, 2022

              

Hello everyone, anyone and 

probably no-one!






Change is the only thing that is constant!

 

There has been a huge amount of life that 

has gone on with me in the last 6 or so years!  

I honestly don’t remember where I was when I stopped 

keeping my blog updated.  I can go back and look at the postings but, well, you know how it is.  

 

So, call this a reboot of Kat’s Ride of Life, or maybe we can call it Kat’s Ride 2.0, or oh!  

I know!  We can call it Kat’s Ride of Life Continues.  Yeah!  That’s it!  

That’s what I will call this blog from this day forward!

 

So much has changed since September 9^th, 2015.  Our entire life changed that day.  

Doug, my husband, was very badly injured while at work.  Doug worked at CSX Transportation, 

here from out aka:  the Rail Road or RR, as a Carman.  He’d been with the RR for

 at that time 41 years or so.  Due to his injuries, Doug was forced to go on Disability with the RR 

and eventually “retire”.  He could never go back to his tools, his activites were severly limited.  

 

We had to sell our Harley’s.  Doug could no longer hold up the Ultra Classic and I didn’t ride

without Doug, so that meant my Sportster had to be sold as well.  

We waited two years to see of things would change but no, no way.  

 

We no longer were able to go on rides with our “friends” in the CMA 

(Christian Motorcyclist Association) and honestly felt like, pardon the pun, third wheels if

we went to the meetings.  While being kind, people would say, “Well, you don’t have to have 

a bike to be in the CMA!”  and they honestly meant it, but that didn’t help our feelings any.  

 

One day I was riding by a store in Newnan, GA and saw the name was, “Treasures, Old and New”.

I was intrigued and we stopped in to check it out.  What a great day that was!  Doug and 

I walked around, looking at the vintage and antiques mixed in with other types of merchandise, 

set up in booths.  It was glorious!  I saw several vacant booths and made the comment to Doug,

 I wonder what the rent is for one of the booths.  

 

Well, never do that around Doug!  The next thing I know a young lady was there at my elbow, asking if she could help me with my questions.  I kid you not!  The next thing I knew I was signing a rental agreement!!!!  

 

Kat’s Cherry Picks was born.  I moved into 2 small booths near the center, back of the store. 

I had a lot of things to put in it.  My feature was Vintage with a mix of new items. 

Doug and I had once sold things at flea markets, mainly knives and trinkets.  We used our RV 

and traveled from here at our home in Georgia to Alabama, Florida and several other states.  

It was so much fun but it had been quite a while since we’d done anything like it.  

 

Want to hear more?  

Keep checking for the next installment of “Kat’s Ride of Life Continues.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Healthy:  How Did She Do It?

"No Change Without Challenge!"

     This is something my youngest daughter said to me one morning as we were working out at Atlanta Fitness.  We were doing "core" exercises and all I could do was complain.  Not much has changed.  I still complain and whine when I am working out.  Probably always will.  Ha!

      There are good days and bad days for an over-weight 58 year old woman when she begins her journey to health.  The good days out number the bad days and thank goodness for that or I'd have given up way yonder back in May or June 2015.  

     I began this journey with INTENTION on April 10, 2015 and I (to quote a great American singer, Tom Petty) WON'T BACK DOWN!  Intention, that word is one that means that you intend to do something, say something or create something.  It applies to me in this instance in all of those categories.  I INTEND to get healthy, I INTEND to get control of my life back from disease and pain, I INTEND tell the devil to go back to the bad world from whence he came!

     I began this part of my journey when I was up one morning, bleary eyed and had fallen back into my old habits, drinking my 2nd cup of coffee and reading Facebook.  A dear friend, Bridgette Holmes, had just posted, "All Sparked up and ready to go to work!" and was talking about how much energy she had.  So, I messaged her and asked, "What is this Spark you speak of?"  She told me about AdvoCare and their product line.  We made a date for the next day to meet for lunch at my house and she would bring a sample for me to try. 

                                                                                                             

     Oh my goodness!  Spark is an AMAZING product!!  I love it!  I tried it the next morning and that, as they say, is how it all truly began.  I called Bridgette and told her that I wanted to purchase some Spark.  A few days later, I realized that I would not just be limited to Spark, I wanted to purchase more of the AdvoCare line.  I became a Distributor as well as a user of this great product line!

     On April 9, 2015, I weighed 228 (at least that is what I "think" I weighed, never really knew for sure) and was a raging diabetic, hypertensive and had very high cholesterol levels.  I was headed for the cemetery!  I couldn't walk a mile never mind even thinking about running one!  On April 10th, I drank that first Spark and never looked back.  That isn't to say I don't have my "days" of not wanting to deal with eating correctly or working out, but they are few and far between.  

     On May 6, 2015, I ran my very first 5k!!  I weighed in at 180 that day.  You can see in the before photo just how bad I'd gotten.  In all honesty, that was not even my top weight.  I had lost about 20 pounds after that picture was taken.  The "current" photo was the day I ran the 5k. 

     With the help of God, my family (my daughters and husband, by the way, are ALL on AdvoCare products now!) and AdvoCare, I am getting to my goal!  I am getting healthy and the by products are losing weight, gaining strength and feeling good about myself again!

So, this blog is now a true testament to my journey back from horrible health to good health.  I'd love to have some company!  Won't you come along?

Blessings~ Kat

A question of .............

I voted today. 

I experienced such an interesting feeling following my experience voting. 

I asked my husband Doug, "Have you ever felt like no matter which way you vote, you're sealing the fate of this country and no matter which ones of the candidates win, it isn't going to end well?"  

I am going into my prayer closet this afternoon.....I may never emerge.

This voting session is to determine the candidate for President of the United States from each party.  Republican and/or Democrat those are your choices.

With all the rhetoric and foolishness that goes along with this process, it is difficult to decide which is better.  Honestly, I'm not sure.  I hear so many different opinions on TV, the Internet, in conversations with friends and even in the gym when I'm working out there are the "loud speakers" sharing their thoughts and opinions for us all to hear.  This one says that one is a crook, the other says the other one is a liar and fraud.  This one is a bigot and is a racist.  Sigh......what a mess we are in today people!

My suggestion is we all get on our knees and pray for guidance in which way to vote this primary and in the electoral race to come in November.  

I don't like any one of them completely and it is foolish to think I would, but there is one that I feel has the honest to goodness love of this country and her people in his heart, that wants to do no harm and only the best for all and that is who I am voting for.  

I won't ask you to vote for my choice, all I do ask is that you do vote.  It is not a privilege, it is a requirement if you want the best for our country and our lives.  

Now put this phone, laptop or what ever method you might be using to read this to sleep and get to the polling station!  

Blessings y'all ~

Kat

 

Is it worth it?

Today I was thinking about my journey with Diabetes.  

The beginning, the middle and the under control!  

In the beginning, 1993, I was tired all of the time.  Sick at my stomach, dizzy (more than the usual! :D ) and going to potty way more than I should have been.  I couldn't figure it out.  Nothing had changed, my eating habits were the same (bad) and I wasn't gaining weight (so I thought) so what was going on?  I had three children, two under the age of 3 years at the time and was working outside the home as well,  so that is what I thought was the problem.  Exhaustion. 

Doctor visit, total shock.  I sat in disbelief as my doctor explained that my Blood Glucose Level was "off the charts."  This would explain all my "symptoms".  

So began the merry go round of different pills, diets, constant recriminations and in my own mind total disgust.  

I knew NOTHING about Type 2 Diabetes.  I received NO EDUCATION from my doctor.  Just a diagnosis.  This was before the days of internet at our house.  So, I was off to the library to read up on it.  Lordy!  Have you ever looked at the massive amount of information that is "available" to us about all the different diseases?  Most is so general as to be really no information at all.  "This disease can be controlled with diet and exercise."  Not all together true.  I left the library more , if possible, confused than ever.

The pills I was taking, Metformin and another that has since been removed from the market as it caused heart attacks and kidney failure,  were helping some.  I had also "tried" to eat better.  Exercise, ummmm, no.  Who had time???  I wasn't checking my levels, I wasn't told to, so I didn't.  I was totally ignorant and totally trusting of my doctor.  That was my mistake, just one of many past and to come.  

The one thing I remember most that my doctor said was, "You absolutely do not want to have to go on insulin!  If you do, you will never get better.  It will eventually kill you."  Well, yes, that was PARTLY true.  The part about Diabetes, left unchecked will eventually kill you!

This rocked on for several years.  My diabetes was steadily getting worse.  My doctor would give me the occasional informational brochure about how to get it under control.  

Now, I am NOT blaming my doctor for my having Type 2 Diabetes.  I totally get that it isn't always avoidable, sometimes genetically we are prone to get it, but I DO hold that doctor accountable for not recommending me to an Endocrinologist!  I didn't even know that they existed!  I honestly think I was being used as a sort of  Guinea Pig, as my doctor kept giving me different drugs that were "new".  One was a type of inhaler that delivered "insulin" via the airway.  You put a cylinder into a device and took three big breaths as you pushed the dispenser button.  I didn't do well and after about a month my pharmacy company informed me that it was off the market due to severe compilations!   

  

By this time our household had reached the point that we had internet access and I began to see that I could learn much more about Type 2 Diabetes there.  But, even then, I found mostly urban legends and much misinformation about it.  Then one day, I happened upon an article about the research going on concerning Type 2 Diabetes and the effects on the body, the mind and the families of those suffering with it.  WOW!  What an eye opener that was!  It was informational, I could totally relate to every symptom, every after effect of the pills I was taking and the thoughts I was having!   

The article recommended that every person with Type 2 Diabetes should be under the care of an Endocrinologist.  So, I go to my doctor and ask to be referred to one.  She did not encourage me to do so.  In fact, I got the distinct impression that she was offended that I'd even asked!  I let it go.  Foolishly, I still believed that if it had "Doctor Of Medicine" on the diploma, they knew more than I did.  That might be true, but they sure don't know it all!!  I should have insisted, but I didn't.  That is on me.

The most informational thing about that article was, a website for people with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes!  Imagine that!  I spent 4 hours reading that website from page one to the last page!

In 2003, I went on insulin.  At first just the long lasting type.  Injected at night, then the short acting that you have to inject before eating.  I was also testing my BGL only once daily.  I was terrified!   

Fast forward to June 2011, my new doctor, told me that my diabetes had reached the "danger level".  I went for my "usual check up" and she said that I more than likely would not see Christmas that year if I didn't get "pro-active" in my care of my diabetes.  I also had (since pregnancy with my 2nd child) high blood pressure and my cholesterol was ridiculous.  She said, "Kathy, you are literally a ticking time bomb."  Now let me tell you.  That was a wake up call like I'd never had.  But even then, I was not referred to an Endocrinologist.  I was given "more" pamphlets and diet guidelines, yes they were better than the old ones, but I didn't honestly pay much attention to them.

I joined a gym, I began to honestly watch my diet and I did very well.  I lost some weight, not much because I found that when you are on insulin it is extremely hard to lose weight.  But with exercise and better eating I saw some results.  My insulin requirements began to drop.  I felt so good, so much better than I had for years!

And then.....

I honestly do not know why I "fell off the wagon" but I did.  This "new" lifestyle was so difficult for a carb junkie like me.  It wasn't that I didn't have support at home.  Doug, God Bless Him, was always supportive.  If I did it, he did it.  BUT, men lose weight so much faster than women because their bodies do not need the fat as much as women do, due to our privilege of being able to have babies!  I saw him losing so much weight (he did need to lose some though, he deals with high blood pressure too) and I don't know, it just was discouraging to me.  It wasn't his fault!  It was me, my stinkin' thinkin" was me letting the doubts and self recriminations win.  I  was being good, not eating breads, sweets, my beloved Diet Cokes, and still nothing.  So why suffer?  It wasn't fair!  Everyone else that was fat and ate what they wanted didn't have to take shots, not eat what they wanted and they did fine!  Ha!  That was wrong!  But, it was how I felt.

November 2014, I had to go to a new doctor, my last one had been shipped to Japan.  She is a doctor in the Reserves and decided to go full time.  So, I began the shopping process for a new one.  I found Dr. Primrose (Piedmont Medicine) and she is the one that realized just where I WASN'T in my dealing with Diabetes!!  She asked me at my first visit why I'd not been under the care of an Endocrinologist.  I couldn't answer that one.  She told me that I must do so immediately and referred me to Dr. Rene at Endocrine Consultants, PC.,  in Newnan, GA.  

A NEW ERA!

I met Dr. Rene on December 8, 2014.  My life changed immediately!  She got it!  She saw to it that I got it as well!  She explained things that I had literally NEVER heard before!  She also told me that I would be meeting with a Diabetic Educator for a one on one education there at her office.  

My educator's name is Lonya.  She is AWESOME!!  I met her on December 22nd.  By this time I'd gone full bore on the recommendations that Dr. Rene had given me on some print outs.  What to eat when....what not to eat all all....what types of exercise I should do......the sleep I needed to get and when/how to take my insulin.  I was scared, I don't mind telling you.  And it was working!  When I met with Lonya the first time I'd already lost 8 lbs.  By only changing my diet!!  I wasn't exercising at all.  

Lonya explained carbohydrates and their effect on me.  She taught me how to count them, how many to have at every meal and when to use them to level my BGL's up or down.  She taught me how to administer my insulin, when to and when not to!  Things I'd NEVER been told!  Even when I went on insulin, I was shown how to give myself the shot, but that it it!  She explained how the insulin worked to help my body process carbs, deal with the sugar levels in my blood stream and WHY I was having issues with being.....Insulin Resistant!  My head was spinning when I left there was so much NEW information in there.  But there was NO question that was wrong, never once was I made to feel stupid because I didn't know these things already.  She could see that my attempts at  self education resulted mostly in wrong information.  She could also see the fear had kept me from search to deeply.  I thank God daily for Dr. Rene and Lonya!  

Monday, February 8, 2015.  I went for my 2nd visit with Lonya.  As a result of changing my diet, diligent monitoring of my BGL, and taking my insulin as I was supposed to do (which I had NOT been doing before Dec. 8th) I had lost 12 MORE lbs on top of the 8 I'd already lost before,  making a grand total of 20 lbs!!!  Lonya and I were High Fiving all over that office!  

AND, the best part?  The LOWERING of my insulin levels!!!!!  I finally am seeing the benefits of the correct way to take my insulin, watch carbs and get a little exercise.  

I tell you all of this to say just this:  

Is it worth it???  YES!!!  

If you don't believe me, try and prove me wrong!!

Blessings~

Kat

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6:25-34 (NKJV)

Worry.  

The dictionary defines it as:  “ give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.”

We are not expected to do as the animals, glean from the earth and flitting about place to place, taking, as we need.  We are to plan, plant and gather.  We all do, to one degree or another, depending upon our work.

He gives us example in the birds and the flowers of the field.  They lack for nothing and worry not about the lack they may or may not suffer.  He assures us of His over look and care of our needs, physical and spiritual. 

These verses are not about the physical need of our bodies so much as they are about trust, trusting in Him to do as He has promised.  These verses are about basic FAITH.

FAITH:  

Hebrews 11:1 ~~  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Through this Faith, I know that my God is in control.  I know that He will watch over me and mine.  I know that He will keep all things that Satan means for evil away, turning them to good. 

How do I know this? 

Faith.

Why do I have faith?  Because even though I do not physically see God himself, I see His fingerprints everywhere. 

I suppose, if it comes down to it, things I see reinforce my Faith! 

Father God,

You are Most Holy, a loving, giving and wondrous God. 

Thank you for the things you do for me and mine.  Thank you for the blessings we receive everyday, the Love you have for us evidenced by your Son’s Grace.

In the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit ~  AMEN

Blessings to you and yours~ Kat

Oh!  The things you will learn…….

Good Morning Beautiful!  

We are you know, beautiful in His sight.  No lie of satan can ever change that.  

I am on week 6 of Breaking Free Bible Study by Beth Moore.  Oh my goodness!  It has been an amazing, terrifying, learning, eye opening AND freeing journey to date!  I can only imagine what will be the outcome and I am totally looking forward to it.  

Today's homework lesson is titled:  To Live Happily Ever After.

First let me say that when I saw this title, I laughed out loud.  Yea right!  I thought.  Well, I know better, that was satan's lie coming out as he whispered it in my ear.  You see, I know, that I know, that I know, I WILL live happily ever after.  Maybe satan forgot that I have the rule book, that also has the end results of his games in it.   

One of our reference points for this homework session was James 1: 2 - 4.  BUT, I as usual got lost in reading.  Reading the scriptures for me is like eating boiled peanuts, I just can't stop once I start!  One chapter leads to another and then another and pretty soon, I've read way more than I intend to when I started out and have to go back and read the focus scriptures again. Anyway, I wound up at James, Chapter 5.  It got me to pondering… …  but that is another subject for another day. 

James 1:2-4 (ESV)

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Footnotes:

1. James 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoimay refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God's family, the church; also verses 16, 19

Oh my goodness did this one speak to me, yes of past issues, but more to the point for today's issues.  
I understand that I must rely on God's wisdom and do indeed trust Him.  I must remember that it is not my work to change someone, but to be steadfast in my own walk in order to be an example to others.  

This study has been eye opening in many ways as to who I am today and in who I am becoming.  I thank God daily for women of the word like Beth Moore, that haven't let satan win and in healing, are answering God's call to lead others into healing.  I thank God for our Study Leader, a Godly woman, that leads our group while learning as well.  For opening her home to us, feeding us physically and allowing God to use her home as a table for God to feed us spiritually.  For my fellow group members, that with me are walking a sometimes painful journey and are willing to share that they might help others.  

I know this study will be a changing force in my life and I thank God for the courage to go through it, because I know that He sees me as beautiful and worthy.  

Blessings ~ Kat

Happy Monday Y'all !

I used to look at the pictures on Facebook of "It's Monday" and laugh.  This morning I could have posted one of my own!  


Today started with an unsettling discord. Crazy alarms going off at the wrong time, forgotten items and return trips, 1 cat wanting to go in and out every five minutes, the other cat racing around the house like it was running from the devil.  Rereading an email that makes no sense at all, spilled coffee, quiet time disturbed…..

BUT, 

God gives me peace above it all. I refuse to allow satan to win my mind, time and patience. 

God showed me something this morning. A beautiful sunrise!  What a gift.  

That crazy alarm going off at the wrong time, got my mind to going. 

The forgotten item and return trip, gave me an opportunity to pray with someone I love dearly. 

The cat unable to decide to go out or stay in, gave me the opportunity to watch a sunrise after refilling that spilled coffee with a nice creamer added. 

Rereading that email, encouraged me to pray for the sender, that they find peace in their heart.

As I sit here writing this, I am remembering those friends that have gone home to the Father, praying for their families and friends for peace and comfort.

Thank you Father God for the gift of knowing those who are with You now, and I pray that during the coming days, their families and friends are comforted knowing Your arms are around them. In the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit ~ AMEN

Blessings~ Kat

Comfort Food?  YES!

Wait a minute!

How can I have things like Drop Biscuits and SawMill Sauage Gravy and still maintain a "wheat free" diet??

Well, I've told you already, but I'll tell you again!

Pamela's Bread and Pancake Mix!

It is wheat free, glutton free and tastes WONDERFUL!

I made these today to take to Sunday School and they were well received.  The photo you see is all that was left!  There were 24 drop biscuits and 1 1/2 quarts of Saw Mill Sausage Gravy.  YUM!

What started this all off was yesterday morning as Doug and I were enjoying our breakfast of …..WAFFLES…. I asked Doug if he would like me to try the biscuits and gravy idea.  He was all for it!  So, here you see my creation.  Perfect for a Sunday morning "brunch".

I am NOT affiliated in anyway with Pamela's company, I am just so very grateful to have found something that we can make that isn't to complicated and expensive.

Doug has been sharing this new eating program with his co-workers and they've been asking questions.  He in turn calls me and asks for the answers.  It is so neat to share this with our friends and family, but our family, mostly our daughters, haven't come around to our way of thinking on this.

I have an idea for supper on Monday night.  I think I'll make Spaghetti.  I have some gluten free noodles but I'm thinking of using my Spaghetti Squash instead.  We've done that before and really enjoy it.  And, I plan on making some Garlic Drop Biscuits to go with it!  Yum!

I told Doug yesterday that I wanted a Bread Machine.  I put it out on my page on FaceBook and within a few minutes a dear friend replies that she has one and would be glad to give it to me when she returns home from her vacation next week.  I could wait!  But, Doug couldn't!  So after much prompting, off we went in search of a bread machine.  I found a nice one at WalMart (yes, I know I said I hate that place but the one  in Peachtree City is clean and not as crazy as most) and brought it home.  I just put in a mix to enjoy tonight.  Doug, bless him, is about to perish for a sandwich!

"But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."  Matthew 4:4

Blessings~ Kat

Valentines Day 2014  

A sweet (pardon the pun) holiday.

Like most "holiday's" a trumped up commercialized reason to spend money.  I enjoy them, these "holiday's" but the aren't Holy Days.  Did you know that the word "holiday" actually means "Holy Day" ?

To quote a friends oft used phrase, "I said all that to say this", every day with my love, is Valentine's Day.

Sappy, right?  Yeah, but true.

He asked me a week or so ago, "What do you want for Valentine's Day?".  Now don't go off on him, we've been married for 37 years!  The man is no fool, he knows to avoid crisis, ask questions!   

My response?  "Baby, every day with you is Valentine's Day, so why should this one day be any different?

Now I know you all are looking at this quite differently than I am.  You're thinking in terms of "gifts", goodies as it were.  Okay, I have a question for you.

How do you top this:
I want a Kitchenaid Mixer, you know the ones that cost $399,00?  He says, "Mama, if you want a mixer, go get it."
I say something is pretty, he says, "get it!".
 I say, in passing, "that would be nice for the house."
Next thing I know, we have it.
The man is way yonder to good to me in the "stuff" or "gift" department for 365 days a year.  You just can't top that.

 So, "goodies or stuff" is not what Valentine's Day is all about to me.

Doug riding The Dragon Tail August 2012

To me, Valentine's Day is a day to smile at young love, trying to get it right.  A day to smile at the memories of youth.  And especially a day to look up in prayer at God on his throne and say, "Thank you Father for this wonderful man in my life." and let him hear you do it.

Now children, get about it.

Blessings~ Kat

I can has Waffles!?!

As you know, I've embarked on a healthy food plan.  

The first thing you should do when you begin a new food plan is purge your pantry!  

Purging our pantry is never a fun job!  It can be painful giving away, or in some cases throwing away, perfectly good food.  

I know some people that give themselves "time to use up all the stuff in there" and folks, that just doesn't work.  You never finish so you really never start!  I have found the best way to do it is to just do it.  Start at the top and work your way down.  

Here we go:

• 1.  Gather boxes or bags to put the items that you are giving away into.  Food banks will love you.  Just make sure that the items donated to them are in date and unopened.
• 2.  Drag your trash can closer to the pantry so you can toss the item in and not have to stop and ponder it.
• 3.  I found that the best way to do my purge was to set my timer for 15 minutes and my iPod on my favorite playlist.  Then just get to it.  Don't think about it to hard, reading the ingredients will take you a minute but don't stop!  Check the ingredients against the list you printed from the link below:     http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/docs/Wheat_Allergy_Read_Label_Travel_Cards.pdf4.       When the timer goes off, step back and look at the pantry shelves.  You'll be pleasantly surprised by how neat and tidy it looks and not as bare as you thought it would be. 
• 5.  Take a 5 minute break.  Drink a glass of water or just sit and look at your pantry and envision how great it is going to be having it neatly arranged and not be a mine field any more!
• 6.  Continue by restarting the timer for 15 minutes after your brief break.  Keep repeating as   many times as necessary to get the job finished.  

Now, what on earth are we going to cook???  I know just how you feel!  I asked the same question.  That afternoon, after finishing up my pantry purge, I went shopping at my favorite store.  Kroger!

They have a great "healthy alternatives" section.  I want to share a really wonderful find with you!!

Go to this website:

 http://www.pamelasproducts.com

There you will find so many great products!  I bought mine at Kroger.  They have a lot of the items on her website in stock.  I have only tried the Baking and Pancake Mix pictured but I LOVE it!  

I enjoy making Waffles.  Up till now I'd used another baking mix (I won't name it, you may have a box in your pantry) and I enjoyed them.  After using Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix I would never go back to the other one even if I could!  The waffles were so light and fluffy!  They had a wonderful tastes and texture.  I did enhance the recipe slightly by adding a few drops of Vanilla Flavoring to the batter but that is the only thing I changed.  Delightful! 

I made them for breakfast the Saturday after I purchased the mix and my husband, Doug, so enjoyed them that he was excited this past Saturday when I suggested them again.  

The link above has so many interactive pages, recipes, videos, products and useful information that you will enjoy cooking again.  If you're like me, you can get overwhelmed by all the "new" information about cooking without wheat products, and you just might not be inclined to do it.  Believe me when I say,  it is so very much worth it.  Not only for your own health, but your families health as well!

God's Blessings be unto you all as you go about your day.  May He place your angels on high alert to keep you and yours safe out and about through out this day and on.

~ Kat 

Two Weeks In!

I'm two weeks into my "KNF" lifestyle!  If you've been following me, you'll know that "KNF" stands for "Kat's New Frontier".  It's a new day, a new way and a new mindset!

Wheat is a leech!  It will show up in the craziest places!  Places you'd never dream of.  Even in trace amounts it does its evil deeds.  It causes us to crave more and more.  Much akin to an opiate drug like heroin or meth.  Once ingested it creates a need for more.  It creates cravings for starches.  Believe me, I know this to be true.  

The interesting thing is, much like the drugs I listed above, if you've been off of wheat for anytime at all and ingest something with it in it, the reaction is immediate!  You will find yourself going to the kitchen looking for that "something" to snack on!  I did it, I know this to be true.  But, I was able to resist the urge and get right back on the right track.  

This is one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I quit smoking on November 21, 1987.  That wasn't easy, but it was no where near as hard as this has been.  The first week I was enjoying the fact that the cravings hadn't really begun, I suppose my momentum was greater then.

As the week began last Monday, I found myself thinking about foods that I would no longer be able to eat.  It was that old, devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.  Cliche I know but there it is.

This was a battle that went on for a couple of days.  I honestly felt like I was being targeted by demons sent to address the problem of someone that was kicking back.  But, with the help of God's love, Angels guarding and Prayer, I made it through that issue and have had no more real problems.  

Sunday was a test!  It was our Annual Congregational Meeting and following that was a Pot Luck Dinner.  I was very nervous!  That had the possibility of a field of land mines!  

If you know me at all you'll know that I am a carb junkie of the worst order.  Cakes, cookies and pasta were tops on my list of favorite things.  Especially the homemade kind.  Sigh…….

So, I cooked two lovely beef roasts, Green Beans and took them.  I figured that if nothing at all I could eat what I brought knowing I'd be okay.  

The ladies of Mount Pilgrim didn't fail in their usual lovely dishes.  Pasta, cookies, pies, cakes abounded.  BUT, I was able to avoid those dishes and had a helping of my roast beef, green beans and several other items that I know had no hidden torpedoes in them in the form of the dreaded Wheat.  

I didn't have any of the homemade Key Lime Cake, although the smell was heavenly, I avoided the pumpkin pie and it is one of my favorite things.  I did have some sweet potato soufflé for my dessert.  It was lovely!  

I was dreading my first Pot Luck Dinner for the obvious reasons and with the help of my Father God and His crew, I did great!  The scale told the story yesterday morning as I showed a loss of 1 1/2 lbs!  Whoooo Hooooo!

One other thing I have noticed is I'm beginning to WANT to exercise!  I am getting restless.  Up to recently, I was totally content to snooze in my recliner and now know that my blood sugar level was the main reason for that.  Not the case now!!  

This morning my BGL was …… 101!!!  Yeah!!!!!!  So excited for this benefit of going wheat~less!!

If you are at all considering trying this life style, I whole heartedly recommend it!!  There is nothing to buy, you don't even have to buy Dr. William Davis' book if you don't want to, although I do believe it has helped me to understand the real magnitude of just what the food industry is doing to us in the name of the almighty dollar bill.  Simply stop eating ANYTHING with ANY wheat in it and increase your intake of WHOLE foods.  That is all.  

There are no vitamins or supplements to buy, no meetings to go to, no energy boosters to drink, no new kitchen appliances to purchase and best of all there WILL be new clothes to purchase cos you WILL lose weight as a by product of this new lifestyle of eating!  Your family and you will be healthier.  Your personal expense will drop as you drop meds due to being healthier.  

Go to the link below and print out this great sheet that details the HIDDEN NAMES OF WHEAT.  Cut it in half, the sheet has two copies on it and post it on your fridge.  Be sure to carry a copy in your grocery shopping list book so you can refer to it when doing your shopping.

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/docs/Wheat_Allergy_Read_Label_Travel_Cards.pdf

I will be giving my finds to you here of the wonders of wheat~less eating.  I have found a great deal of goodies to help me and my husband as we travel down this new learning path.

I'll be checking in soon!

Praying God's Blessings to you all!

Kat