Foods for better health

No sugar
No aspartame
No dairy
No eggs
No gluten
Reduce red meat consumption
Reduce saturated fats

Fats:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Rich in Omega-3 & Omega-6 oils

Sweeteners:
Stevia, honey, coconut sugar (limit all sweeteners though)

Nuts and seeds:
Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Pistachios, & Walnuts. Chia seeds (black and white), salba seeds, sesame seeds & flaxseeds

Protein that is OK:
Chicken & Turkey (white meat) and oily fish

Substitutes for diary:
All nut milks, rice milk & some coconut milk

All fruits are OK (reduce fruit consumption as too much fruit means too much fructose consumption)
All vegetables are OK. Concentrate on greens, colored vegetables and also make sure you use sulfur-rich greens (dark green leafy vegetables)

Grains that are OK (Gluten-free ONLY):
Quinoa (high protein grain)
Rice (whole grain brown rice is best, but other is OK)
Oatmeal (certified gluten-free)
Corn (so tortillas are OK as long as you make sure the corn used is not genetically modified)

DREAMS

Are you where you thought you would be after you graduated from college or even high school?  Some people make drastic decisions and even bad choices and somehow their lives have spiraled out of control and there seems to be no hope in sight.  Living with a disability has been challenging for me and sometimes for my immediate family members.  Did I make a choice that led to this debilitating condition?  There is no known cure for MS.  There are drugs to help with the symptoms but that's it.  I have been able to keep a positive outlook most days.  But then there are those days where "the bear eats me" as they say.  Some of my friends and I have often asked ourselves what could we have done differently to have a life that is happier or more fulfilling?  Or maybe this is the path that we must take in order to get to the life that we want.  It may not be within the time frame that we hoped but it will arrive.  It will arrive..

Life

This month I have lost 2 classmates to blameless crimes.  It was just their time to go.  People prayed for me because of my illness and it seems like I have outlived quite a few people.  When we are teenagers we feel as though we are invincible and we will live forever.  Losing classmates like this makes us reevaluate our lives and our way of thinking.  The small things are not as important as we make them out to be.  Even the fact that we may not feel as though our lives are moving in the right direction.  At least it's moving.  As long as you have breath you can make a difference.  It's not over until we are gathered around you saying how great you WERE.  Until then, make us realize how great you ARE.

Vicci Martinez

She is an awesome singer.  One of my favorites.  She reminds me of Melissa Etheridge.