You might say I was forced to CHANGE. I'm talking my diet, my routine, my whole life because of an on-going health concern. No, it wasn't a life-threatening disease, but a chronic condition most of us have never heard of: pelvic congestion syndrome. I won't dwell on the details (google it if you must), let's just say the pain became so severe last year, I couldn't take care of my babies, my hubby or my business like I wanted. This was a HUGE problem for me, being somewhat of a perfectionist (that's not you, I know!) I just thought I could push through the pain, that it was my cross to bear in life...until the time I spent in bed went from a few hours to a few days at a time. Doctors didn't have a whole lot of answers or options for me, aside from surgery. Then, a friend of mine referred me to a health and wellness doctor who explained that my diet was making my condition worse. Not that I was eating poorly, in short...I just needed to add a ton more leafy green vegetables, minimize my gluten and sugar intake, get more rest and reduce my STRESS level...much easier said than done!! As for my routine, for 5 years I have been shuttling kids back and forth to two different schools, first in North Carolina and then here in Virginia, staying home with my youngest and building my Etsy shop, all with a husband who travels for business and little family close by. None of this is hard, but it becomes taxing when your body isn't working the way you want! Add in the kid's after school activities, craft fairs, AND trying to hang out with my other SAHM friends, the strain began to eat away at me, literally. I dropped about 15 pounds in less than a year, which would have been awesome, if I wasn't so small that friends wondered if I was ill and said I looked emaciated...not exactly the look I was going for! As much as it pained me, I realized I needed to change my priorities and my routine and heaven forbid, ask for HELP!
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| Old World Chicken and Vegetables from the Crock Pot |
Are there stressors in your life you need to face? Do you need to ask for help from loved ones? I hope you resolve to do what you need to do to create a sense of peace, happiness and balance in your life in 2013 :)Thanks for popping in to read my blog, here's the Old World Chicken and Vegetables recipe:
Ingredients
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt divided
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cut-up whole chicken
6 ounces uncooked egg noodles
1. Combine oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper in small bowl; mix well.
2. Place bell peppers and onion in slow cooker. Top with chicken thighs and legs, sprinkle with half the oregano mixture. Cover; cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours. Stir in ketchup and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Just before serving, cook noodles following package directions; drain. Serve chicken and vegetable over noodles. For gluten free, serve over spinach.
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