I realize it has been 6 years since this day.  Many people have forgotten that we even had a son before our other 2 sweet children.  But, I can't forget, I still feel the hurt, the pain, the anxiety that went with our particular situation.  I still remember the doctors visit, the ultrasound when the nurse did not say anything or point the monitor in our direction.  I still remember the doctor telling us the condition that he had was one that was gradually making him die inside my belly and that he would not survive much longer.  I remember Wayne and I having to make this tough decision that I can't believe I had to make.  Crying and throwing up in the parking lot of the doctors office....and then the day came, the horrific day, and I will spare you many details, but then he arrived, dead in my arms, but so alive in spirit, I could feel it!  And...I held him, and although deeply hurting inside, I remember feeling peace too!  It was so strange.



He was our first child.  I had no idea at that point if I would be blessed with more children.  Although assured by the doctor that this was a mere fluke.  He had what was called Potter's Syndrome (I found comfort and met some great women on the link provided) which is a condition when something during the formation of the baby the kidneys never develop.  Rare condition, but yet so real to me knowing that a human can survive with only 1 kidney but not 0.  So we delivered our sweet son, and walked out with a box full of treasured material, but yet I never imagined I would leave the hospital empty handed.  I agree with a sweet friend of mine, who lost a son on the same day, said there is a numbness that God uses to protect our heart from some really deep hurt.  The numbness lasted at the funeral home, then signing the papers at the funeral home, but then the day came to pick up his remains and I remember I couldn't do it.  I couldn't see the funeral home or step inside even to pick up my own son.  My mom volunteered to do it, and I was so grateful.  I remember the day like it was yesterday when she pulled in the driveway.  Throughout this whole experience, I was never angry at God, definitely upset because I missed him, I wanted to get to know him and it was frustrating but never angry.

Fast forward six years later.  I have two beautiful children, healthy as can be.  Lively, full of spirit, and some amazing qualities that I just tear up thinking about.  I didn't know why all of that happened on February 21, 2007, but I remember trusting God with my whole heart that He would use it to do something amazing.  I remember asking specifically for it, because the hurt was so deep, that if something good didn't come of it, I would have felt it was for nothing.  The hard part is not knowing what good will come of it, and maybe never knowing.  It is this thing called having faith that there is something far greater than we could ever imagined with the story.  That was what kept me going, persevering  and continuing to believe, that there is a bigger picture, that I may not understand, but I have to trust the one true God to make use of it.  My pain from missing him is still there, but I admit time does heal the broken heart.  That experience, has made me who I am today, who I am to my children, to my husband.  I am more compassionate to loss, more loving to other mommies who lose babies, and I have a strong desire to share our story when God sees fit.

This is our daughter sitting by the stone that we got our son when someone gave us a dogwood in his memory.

I look back at how God  has used our story, and some I have no idea and will never know (its ok with me), but one of the ways is our daughter, who would not be here if our sweet son had made it.  Her life wouldn't exist.  You see, we conceived her on his original due date.  And...I know God has a purpose for her life! God has also put so many women in my life to connect with on this level, and I cherish those relationships like family.

Oh how I miss Jacob.  I miss holding him, and I miss his sweet fingers on mine.  But his little life made an impact.  And, I pray the story will continue to bring God glory!

For his birthday I decided to make a free print  in honor of his life and a friend of mine's two sons.  I don't make prints normally...so you won't see a blog full of them or an etsy shop, but please feel free to download this print as a birthday present from me!

Guest Blog Post by:  Elizabeth Haen 

2011 was a tough year for our little family, my 3 year old daughter, my husband and I.  We spent the year waiting.  Waiting for the baby we were hoping to adopt, that is, waiting for to be approved, waiting for the phone to ring with opportunity, waiting for either the phone call to scramble to the next step or the email that always started with the same d*mn sentence (So and So has chosen a family and unfortunately it wasn't yours…blah, blah, blah…it didn't really matter past the first sentence), waiting for babies you already loved and thought you would raise to be born, waiting to recover when you learn you won’t, waiting to feel like you can face people again, waiting to start the whole process over again, waiting to find out if the ending to your story was a happy one. 

Is it possible to eat dessert and not feel guilty?  Recently I was challenged by a client of mine who I had to limit sugar and sweets to her diet asked the question, "do I have to not have dessert for the rest of my life?"  Well...its  a great question, and the answer is no - so I wanted to find some tasty recipes that should appeal to most so that when you are trying to lose or maintain weight these will be an enjoyable treat!

Most of these are low GI but if you are diabetic or have medical issues pertaining to glucose sensitivity, please ask your doctor or nutritional professional.

Oven Fried Bananas!

Strawberry Clouds

Almond Stuffed Pears (YUM!)

Flourless Apple Cranberry Crumble

Low GI Carrot Cake

If you try any of these...PLEASE let me know how they come out!

I had a couple of wonderful grandmas.  One could cook pretty good southern food, the other was an amazing Polish cook who baked like a mad woman.  Both loved the kitchen and had crazy talents in that area.  I was blessed to at least be in their presence while they cooked, but even more blessed when they wrote their recipes down.  I'm sure it was difficult for them to do because they knew everything by heart!  It was awesome!  Do you have any wonderful "Grandma Recipes" to share?

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!  Of course you know they are the healthier type of southern recipes and within Glycemic Impact eating.

1.  Sausage and Peppers



2.  This is a slight variation to my Grandmothers meatballs - but it is because I like lower fat meats.  We used bison instead of the ground chunk.  Love this recipe!  So easy and everyone loves it.

I wanted to write about freedom today.  Its inauguration day of the 44th president of the United States and a day that also marks a time in history when Martin Luther King Jr., a pastor and advocate for the civil rights movement gave a very profound speech about freedom for all people.  I love the word freedom.  I take advantage of it every day.  I live in a country where I can go outside in peace, that my kids that even though exposed to the fall of the world, can still ride their bicycles without fear.

I know we are a divided nation, and right now, freedom can take on so many meanings.  Especially when we feel that some of our freedoms are being taken away.  But, as we move forward in this nation, especially as a believer in a Jesus that gives more freedom than we can ever imagine - we must believe that freedom begins with our heart.  Jesus must be the foundation of where freedom really comes from.  Otherwise we are bound up more than any government, job or other worldly restraints.  I am hopeful, that as a Christian, we can be a huge influence on this country, more than any government leader, or Hollywood star.  That we can teach freedom the way that Christ intended it from the very beginning.  That freedom would be a love language instead of a right that we have.




I am so glad that they sing this song on most days like today.  It is a beautiful hymn written by a seminary student, Samuel Francis Smith and was performed for the first time for an Independence Day celebration for children, at Park Street Church in Boston, MA.  There are 5 verses, written by the original author, I challenge you to read them all.

God is always at the center of real freedom!  We take him out, and freedom loses its power.  As we charge forward as a country, I am challenging myself, to remember that any idea, belief, or government initiative that takes God out, is not Truth, and defies the opportunity for the freedom that is so graciously offered to us.  I challenge you to do the same if you too are a believer in a great and mighty God that extends freedom to each of us, freedom that we really don't deserve but is God's love language to us all the time!

1

My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims' pride,

From ev'ry mountainside

Let freedom ring!

2

My native country, thee,

Land of the noble free,

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills;

My heart with rapture thrills,

Like that above.

3

Let music swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees

Sweet freedom's song;

Let mortal tongues awake;

Let all that breathe partake;

Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

4

Our fathers' God to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing.

Long may our land be bright,

With freedom's holy light,

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God our King.

5

Our joyful hearts today,

Their grateful tribute pay,

Happy and free,

After our toils and fears,

After our blood and tears,

Strong with our hundred years,

O God, to Thee.

WhooHoo!  I am so excited to announce our local weightloss challenge competition.

I have numerous people asking me how do I do this, how do I sign up!  Great questions!  Now, I get to answer them.

The starting point is to email me!  We work with a proven weightloss solution that tries to regulate your bodies natural metabolism.  We do it through developing new habits, looking at your body composition (everyone is unique), behavior modification, and lots of support!

The competition is 6 weeks, in the beginning, we will measure inches, and weight.  The person who has the most dramatic weightloss will win the top prize, AND ALSO, the top 10 people will be entered FREE for the 12 week Corporate National Challenge for 50k!  So this local challenge is to help you jump start your weightloss goals.


Step 1:  Email me!  info@asimplebite.com - we will schedule a time for you to come to my office to weigh, measure and get you started!  This cash prize is for local or Charlotte area only...BUT the national competition is for anyone, that will start in March.  Must register with me by January 31!

Step 2:  There is a $20 subscription fee - which includes either a book OR 8 weeks of our online innovative system - its great because I can see what your doing, setup your menu plan, etc.

Step 3:  Find an accountability partner - someone who will do this with you!

Step 4:  Every 2 weeks, you can either schedule a weigh in and measurement session with me, or you can do this on your own.  It must be entered and logged in either the book or the online management system.

Step 5:  If you have a hard time losing - we will help you!  Don't get discouraged.  Most of weightloss is learning how your body functions.  Remember, as we age, as we have kids, etc.  our body is changing, so you may not lose the way you once did.

That's All!  Questions:  info@asimplebite.com

Start date of competition is:  Feb. 5th, game on!

Looking forward to giving that $500 away!

I wanted to talk about Leptin this week because it is a very large hormone that most of us don't realize we have.  But, with a good number trying to lose weight in January, it is a very good hormone to understand.


It has been labeled before as the obecity hormone, and it is true.  It is the hormone that the brain uses to tell your body when your hungry, how much you should eat but MORE IMPORTANTLY it is the hormone that tells you when to STOP eating!  I love how WebMD Dr. put it:  "Leptin is the way your fat cells tell your brain that your energy thermostat is set right," Lustig says."Leptin tells your brain that you have enough energy stored in your fat cells to engage in normal, relatively expensive metabolic processes," he says.


However, when people go on a diet, the amount of Leptin produced becomes less, because most people begin to eat less resulting in their fat cells losing some fat.
The simple truth is that there are certain Leptin thresholds that occur, which are different person to person.  You can only have so much and you can only have so little.  When you are over weight you typically will produce high amounts of leptin therefore resulting in what is called Leptin resistence (its when your body is so used to large amounts of Leptin that it no longer responds to it properly).  The same happens when a person starves themselves or is too thin your body simply does not respond the way it was intended to respond.

So why this information??  Its January!  Everyone is trying to spring forward on some kind of healthy resolution.  If its weightloss great, if its just to be healthy great!  I love them both - but its my job to help educate you.  There are plenty of marketing tactics out there - that's their job is to market to you, their customer or prospect.  However, as an educator and professional its my job to teach you what you need to know so you can make good decisions.

IF you have not identified yourself with what is called Leptin sensitivity - than great!  Your body is wonderful it is producing leptin as it should and things are where they should be.  However, if you feel when is available and you are nibbling all day, you crave breads, pastas, pastries, chips or other foods in these catagories.  Or, if you feel bloated or gain weight around your waste.  These are all signs, but you can easily check with your health care professional about your specific situation.

There are several supplements that can help you they help with Leptin Sensitivity, manage hunger, etc.
LeptiFit:  Contains LeptiCore 600mg, Green Tea Extract at 150mg, and L-Theanine at 150mg Servings are 30 and price is:  $56.20 (Studies have shown that you do not need this much LeptiCore to get the same results as others that have less)

Life Extension Integra-Lean Irvingia:  Silica, Integra-Lean Irvingia, Gabonensis Proprietary Extract 150mg Servings:  60 Price:  $90.30

Sensa Weightloss System:  Green TEa Leaf Extract, Garcinia Cambogia Fruit Extract, Acai Berry 4:1 Extract, Pomegranate Fruit Extract, Mangosteen Fruit Extract, Pyruvate, Inositol, Choline, Bitartrate, PABA (Para-Amino Benzoiz Acid), Uva ursi (Leaf), Citrus Bioflavonoids, Bio Perine Fruit Extract, Turmeric Root Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Polygonum cuspidatum Root Extract, Vanadyl Sulfate, CoQ10 - Servings:  Month 1 and 2 Shakers Price :  $89.99  

Nutrilite Carb Blocker:  Kidney Bean Extract 500mg, Soybean Extract 300mg, Parsley Concentrate 30mg Servings are 30 Price is:  $42.85 (The problem with this one is that it is a carb blocker, which is never recommended)

Alli:  Orlistat 60mg (Carb blocker which is never recommended)

TLS Core Fat and Carb Inhibitor:  Chromium 100mg, White Kidney Bean Extract 8:1 445mg, LeptiCore Propietary Blend 300mg, Green Select Phytosome, Green Tea Decaffeinated Extract 150mg. (This is the one I recommend to my clients with Leptin Sensitivity because it supports it, helps manage hunger, stimulates fat burning, inhibits amylase enzyme and slows the absorption of carbohydrates but does not block them and it is not meant to be long-term, it is there to stimulate a process that is just off balance until it gets balanced again.  I also love that it has Chromium in it, which an added bonus).  Servings: 60 Price: $69.95

I know this is a lot of information, but if you want more detailed information please email me at info@asimplebite.com  I would love to answer questions or point you in the right direction.