A Healthy Smoothie for IBD, Crohn's and More

I originally posted this recipe over on Babiekins Magazine blog, but I wanted to make sure to document it here with my recipes, especially under the "Cooking for Crohn's" series. We all love a good smoothie, but let’s admit it, sometimes we get carried away with adding too much fruit and juice and not enough other goodies. Our family has been making smoothies for years and we have finally created a few recipes that are a win-win when it comes to balancing taste and healthy ingredients. This is a personal favorite. I originally created this combination of ingredients for my son, who was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, but found that it’s a perfect fit for all of our palates.




Strawberry, Banana, Mango + Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 cup strawberries
1 cup mangos
1 handful of organic spinach
1 TBS coconut oil
1 scoop Green Superfood drink powder
1 scoop Organic Plant Protein Powder
1 tsp L-Glutamine powder
1 packet probiotics (we use VSL#3)
3 cups pure coconut water (we love raw coconut water)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined.
Serve and enjoy!

** When adding supplements into your diet it is very important to speak to your physician or pediatrician about those supplements and the correct doses. Probiotics and L-Glutamine are great supplements, but please consult your physician before using.

** We do follow the SCD and Paleo diet for our son's Crohn's Disease but please note that not all ingredients listed above are SCD legal. They are, however, ingredients that my son can tolerate.

A Natural Rhythm + FabKids

In our backyard there is a thin strip of dense woods. During the winter months and early times of spring you can see through the bare forest and you can see that the ground is still covered in raw dirt. You can see that behind the woods is a steep hill that will eventually become filled with ferns and you can see the remains of a fort in need of some children's love. Eventually the trees slowly begin to blossom and fill out. The dirt covered ground becomes camouflaged in vines and bountiful green over growth.

Our living room windows open up to this natural setting. Not a day goes by when the kids don't jump on the couch, sometimes wrapping themselves in soft wool blankets, to look out and see what they can spy for the day. Sometimes it's a plump red robin gathering twig and twine from our back porch. One day we sat, watching her for minutes and minutes, as she was determined to take apart a cloth tag from one of patio chairs to use in her nest.

We have watched deer prance through our backyard and little fawn graze in our garden (needless to say, we moved the garden). And as of recently, we observed a den of fox with seven small kits for several weeks, by far the most amazing experience thus far. I admire my children's passion and excitement for nature and hope that, as a parent, I can foster those instincts and help them develop over time.

We are surrounded by nature; it will inevitably integrate its way into our daily schedule and lives. It could be as simple as rolling around in the grass and gazing at the ebb and flow of the lustrous clouds floating by or it could be watching wild fox jump and play just a few feet away from the porch. We have embraced these opportunities and I've tried my best to turn them into daily lessons.

I'm hoping by the end of the summer our nature journals will be overflowing with drawings, notes and our abundant experiences. We are blessed to have fallen into a natural rhythm of life.

*This post is sponsored by FabKids and Jessica's dress and leggings are ℅ FabKids

FabKids is JustFab's fashion club, started by a team of parents including mom and actress Christina Applegate. FabKids is a convenient way for busy parents to shop. It's an outfit club -- so parents get monthly selections of super affordable, high-quality fashions personalized for their kids.

Check out more of their summer trends, for boys and girls, at Fabkids.com

Thank you FabKids for working with Yellow Finch. One of my personal attractions to these pieces, besides how cute and trendy they are, is the fact that you can mix and match each piece. They are well crafted, versatile and affordable. And the fact that this dress is made for twirling is a plus!

How to Make Simple Lavender Essential Oil Bath Salts

After a crazy long week we are jumping for joy over here that it's the weekend. We had a serious case of the flu traveling around our home and I think we finally shooed it out the door for good. I'll gladly spend this friday night tucked inside our home, snuggling with the kids, catching up on laundry and cleaning. Although, I am secretly counting down the minutes until bedtime so I can turn down the lights, grab my new book and soak the long week away in a nice hot bath filled with salts and lavender.

Since the days of college I have enjoyed using essential oils, but I admit that phase quickly washed away. Since this fall, however, I have turned to many different avenues to heal our son and essential oils has been one of them. I mostly use them in a diffuser, in our baths and for cleaning products. I have used them for tummy aches, headaches and muscle pain and hope to share more of these remedies with you.

At this point, I am using a mix of different brands, but I hope to settle with one brand in particular here soon. I admit, I'm torn between Young Living and doTERRA. Any suggestions??

/ Simple Lavender Essential Oil Bath Salts /

1 mason jar with lid
Enough epson salt or Dead Sea bath salt to fill the jar
15 drops of lavender essential oil

Add the salt to a large mixing bowl. Add the drops of oil and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight mason jar.

Enjoy in a warm bath!