Finding your Self Worth

Autoimmune disease. Millions of people are affected by this condition, and the numbers just continue to grow. I imagine, since you are reading this, that you are one of the millions affected by an autoimmune disease. 

Approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected–some 30 million people–are women.

Each autoimmune disease is different, but they all take a toll. It takes a physical toll, but it can really affect your mental game. Have you noticed more depression, loneliness and grief since your diagnosis? If so, you are not alone.

But how can you find your self-worth when you have an autoimmune disease?

First, find a support system. This can be different for everyone. For some, your support system may be your spouse or your family. For others, you may need to look outside the box. Find a group to participate in on Facebook, or join a forum that discusses issues related to your specific autoimmune disease.

Second, find things to be grateful for. Keeping a daily gratitude journal can show you how many things you have to be grateful for, despite your autoimmune disease. For example, here's my gratitude for today. I am grateful for:

1. Warmer temperatures outside. (It's been a rough winter).

2. That our new business has been successful this year.

3. The ability to take care of my family despite disability

Keeping a list of at least three things you are grateful for on a daily basis can really help you find your self worth, despite whatever autoimmune condition you may be facing.

Third, find a hobby or a purpose. It could be as simple as crochet or cooking, or you could even start your own blog like I did. A lot of people suffering with autoimmunity are forced to quit their jobs and depend on disability benefits or other income. This can be so discouraging and can really rob you of your joy and self worth. 

Do you have valuable things to give? Knowledge, especially about your specific disease. You can start sharing with others what you have learned, and what keeps you going. 

My joy is found in building websites and maintaining blogs like this one. For example, I mentioned that we started a new business in my gratitude list. We started a custom furniture and metal fabrication company called Carbon and Grain, LLC. 

My autoimmune disease has taken some of my physical ability, so I won't be building or delivering furniture. But I was able to find a way to contribute despite my disability, I built the website for our business. This gave me a sense of worth in our new company.

It may take a bit of brainstorming to find your hobby or purpose. What are you good at? What do you already know how to do? What have you been dying to learn how to do? Make a list and start narrowing down your options.

Keeping your self worth is so important. I hope these tips help you find and keep your sense of self worth despite dealing with an autoimmune condition

It's a Crazy Life

It has been a crazy couple of months! Life has been anything but chill lately. My husband and I bought a house, and while that should be one of the most exciting things in your life, it has been a headache! We bought a short sale and quickly discovered what an oxymoron that is! Short sales typically take about 90 days from start to finish, ours took 117 days! Our entire summer has been consumed with buying this house, and due to some water damage that happened during the 117 days we immediately had to remodel the kitchen!

The moral of the story? I haven't been keeping up with anything I should be, let alone juicing or blogging. Our kitchen has been out of order for over a week now, which means we are eating the quickest easiest food possible, and a lot of times that has meant takeout. I am definitely feeling the effects. Bad diet combined with stress is a horrible combination for MS. I am definitely ready to jump back on the healthy bandwagon and get on track!

I did want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support! I have gotten some amazing responses through this blog and I am more than appreciative, so thank you for writing and thank you for reading!

Juicing without a Juicer

So recently I dropped and broke my juicer, it was a very sad moment. I have had this juicer for about 8 years, but hadn't really used it. Finally when I realize how much I need to be using this machine to juice instead of collect dust I break it!

Not having the money to buy a new juicer immediately I had to find another option. I found a video on YouTube called juicing without a juicer, he uses a blender and then strains it through a paint strainer bag. A lot of 'professional' juicers would tell you this ruins the juice, since the blender heats it up. Since the juicer I dropped was a centrifugal juicer I didn't really see the difference. Plus I was using a Ninja blender, which means the motor is on top of the blender instead of underneath, and I thought maybe that would help keep everything cool and raw.

The first time I tried juicing with my blender I did it just as the video showed, I added water to the mix to help get things blended. I hated the extra water, it really ruined the flavor of the juice. So the next time I tried it, I added my veggies in a certain order and it minimized the need for extra water. I added the cucumber first, cucumbers are so full of liquid. Then I added the kale leaves that I had ripped into a smaller size. Next were the apples, to help weigh down any kale leaves that weren't blended yet. The result was a juice very similar to the juice that came out of my juicer. I didn't have a paint strainer bag or a nut milk bag so I decided to use an old t-shirt. It worked perfectly!

Norwalk Juicer

So I am still on the hunt for a new juicer. I want to make sure I am buying a juicer than can hold up to daily juicing, and multiple daily juicing. There are so many kinds of juicers and opinions on which ones are best. A friend of mine suggested getting the Norwalk juicer, which is recommended in the Gerson Therapy, but these juicers are $2,500.00!! A little bit out of my price range.

The Norwalk juicer did get me thinking though about looking at masticating juicers instead of a centrifugal juicers, my biggest reason is because they do a better job with leafy greens. I want my juices to consist of a large amount of leafy greens! I think I have finally decided on the Kuvings multi-purpose masticating juicer. It's at a reasonable cost, on Costco's website anyways, and it has great reviews.

The other upside of buying the juicer through Costco is that they make returns super easy. I don't want to drop a ton of money and have something go wrong, I think half of all the reviews I have read on any juicer show that all juicers have unexpected malfunctions! What were your deciding factors when you bought a juicer? Did you get a centrifugal or a masticating juicer?

Best Ever!

I had the best visit ever with my ND today. I entered my appointment a bit apprehensive, I had been doing extensive research online about alternative therapies and supplements for my condition and symptoms, and I was worried to tell her about all of the new things I was trying. I guess it's the preconceived notion that all doctors hate patients who research their symptoms online, even a dentist I worked for hated it when patients came to him, telling him what the problem was and what the solution needed was. Well I was far from the truth on this idea.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, "you're taking the initiative with your own health!!" I was so shocked that everything I was doing was spot on for me, and with some tweaking I was even able to eliminate a couple of other things I had added into the mix. I think it is the first time she has been ecstatic with me, normally I am getting a lecture about my daily water intake, which has gotten a lot better by the way. I guess I tend to forget the major differences in attitude between medical and natural doctors. But this is why I love my ND. I do have a special connection with her though, she is also a midwife and delivered our bouncing baby boy almost a year ago in our home.

I came home feeling better in all senses of the word. Not only had we made some progress with supplementation for my symptoms but I had made her happy and in turn made myself feel good about what I was doing for myself. She applauded the juicing and added that since I am always in need of protein I could add sprouts to the mix to aid with this. Compliments AND suggestions, I now feel empowered to continue on this journey of sacrifice and reward.

Hungry for Change

Have you guys seen this trailer? I am so excited to watch this documentary, plus I love Joe Cross! Watch the video and follow the link to sign up for the free worldwide screening online!!

If Nothing Changes, Then Nothing Changes

It took me a while to realize how self destructive I had become. I knew the things I needed to change, like my daily intake of massive amounts of sugar. I didn't want to change, wasn't willing to make the sacrifice. Well I have to say that juicing has changed my life! I am only drinking one juice a day, and not even making the full recipe, and I am seeing wonderful results in my attitude and physical symptoms!

I saw a quote the other day online that said, 'if nothing changes, nothing changes.' This hit me like a ton of bricks! Wow, this is me!! I am not willing to change simple things, but I am complaining about my pain and lack of mobility daily! So that's when I finally decided to change! And I am feeling better, the changes were worth it!

Now I'm not saying I have completely quit sugar cold turkey, but I am definitely eating a lot less than I am used to. And I cannot wait to be able to do the full on juice cleanse.

For more information about the beginning of my journey check out the beginning of this blog at http://juicingmyms.wordpress.com/