Nurturing Thursday is the heart child of Becca over at On Dragonfly Wings with Buttercup Tea. It’s a day, a moment, to “clearly accept ourselves with an open heart … to treat ourselves with the same kindness, caring, and compassion we would show to a good friend…”
Seriously. Nurturing our self is something we should take very seriously. Many of us were not nurtured as children, many have not been nurtured as adults. Time, now, to nurture our very precious self and to nurture those within our circle of life. Each one of us needs some of that, ya know?
Seriously. 30+ years my sweetie has been on high blood pressure medication. This morning his BP was way, way too high. Again. 30+ years of medication, of adjusting, of changing, and this is the best the doctors can do. Well, that, and suggest he have surgery to remove his adrenal gland, and maybe both, since one of them as a teeny tumour inside it. Seriously?
My sweetie has a science background and we are both Certified Health Coaches. We have spent the last year, pretty much, researching, reading, researching, reading, attending classes, researching, reading………We are convinced there is a way to solve this problem once for all, naturally. And wonder of wonders, the doctor that replaced our elderly Scotsman, is younger and is trained in nutrition as well as a natural health. She rocks! So, onward we go.
Seriously. Beginning tomorrow we are following, for six weeks, two healing modalities, that work together, have been used together and which, we are convinced, will yield the results we are looking for which is normal Blood Pressure without medication. Seriously! So this is my nurturing agenda for the next six weeks because it involves a lot of work such as fresh juicing every hour. He is putting himself into my health coaching hands and will be, along with everything else, writing in a journal for the first time in his life, listening to visualizations, going for a short walk each day, and so on and so forth. I haven’t decided yet, but I may blog about this journey on my crowingcronebewell site. You’re welcome to join along there if you like. Tomorrow would be the first post, yes, I think I will do this as a record for us, if nothing else.
So that will be, me, nurturing my sweetie for the next six weeks. But what will I do to nurture me? Well, one thing that comes to mind is that I am on the hunt for making some gluten-free bread that can be used to make a sandwich or to toast and have with a cup of tea once in a while. And it ain’t as easy as you might think because I don’t want to include sugar, or xantham or guar gum or milk or eggs! But I really, really, want a slice of bread once in a while. So I’m going to have some fun finding a recipe, creating a recipe, that works! And when I do, you can bet I’ll be celebrating that.
A little different post for Nurturing Thursday today as it’s all about me, me, me!
Take care of your self, please do!

Feb 08, 2013 @ 21:20:34
Ingredients
6 very ripe bananas (medium-large)
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups oat flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two loaf pans. In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork until they form a slightly chunky banana paste. Add melted coconut oil and incorporate. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
In a separate, medium-sized bowl combine oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk together until completely combined.
Add the dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time, mixing until barely combined each time. After all of the dry ingredients have been added fold in the nuts.
Scrape batter into prepared loaf pans and bake in 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into center of loaf. Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting, lest you run the risk of an extra-crumbly bread.
(You may substitute applesauce for the eggs in the recipe)
Feb 08, 2013 @ 21:53:33
This sounds super delicious. Thank you. A red letter day as I think this is the first time, ever, you’ve left a comment on my blog, dearest of girlfriends!
Feb 08, 2013 @ 11:41:14
Blessings on your journey to health.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 10:52:58
Good luck with your Sweetie! I will be interested in seeing if you can get the BP down naturally.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:15:11
Well, others have done so I’ve decided now it’s our turn.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 05:43:30
I can see it now … the success of the treatment. Then the book. Then the tours. The fame!
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:15:33
oh yeah, right there!
Feb 08, 2013 @ 05:11:55
I think we have been so turned and turned about with what we should and should not eat our bodies have no idea what to do with itself. I think food is important, Man has always eaten wheat in one form or another the problem is that most commercially made wheat products have so many extras added just in case. What you need is a steady change that you both can live with. It is no point in throwing all bread products out if you crave bread once in a while, because your body is actually telling you something. There is something in that bread that you need that day. but eat it sparingly. Eat vegetables, fruit, rice, nuts, seeds, and everything else sparingly. Some people naturally have higher blood pressures than others, it might be worth your husband coming of the medication under medical supervision to see if his blood pressure changes at all. Good luck with it all.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:17:21
I hear ya! There’s just too much crap in store bought bread, here anyway. We eat a great variety of foods, nothing that comes in a box, and plenty of foods that are alive! It sure is a learning curve this paying attention to what we put into our body.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 02:29:12
Nurturing…in and out, all around…. : )
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:17:47
kinda like the wheels on the bus!
Feb 07, 2013 @ 23:08:24
Take care of yourself, please, Joss. Like in the plane, traveling with a little one — put on your own mask first so then you can take of the “little” one.
My heartfelt wishes with you both, and if you’ve got it on the be well blog, I’ll be there with you. xoxoxoxo
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:18:16
Thank you. I’m holding this reminder close to my heart and awareness.
Feb 07, 2013 @ 22:23:19
It will be very, very interesting to follow this journey, and see how it goes.
Feb 07, 2013 @ 22:20:27
You’re the sweetest….and a very wise woman, too.
Feb 07, 2013 @ 20:46:02
Ssounds wonderful
Feb 07, 2013 @ 20:41:08
Joss, what a wonderful idea; Thursdays are stressful for me because of my work schedule, but now I’m inspired by your efforts – many thanks for sharing.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:18:51
I’ll just keep the nurturing coming your way each Thursday, how’s that?
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:43:04
Sounds great!
Feb 07, 2013 @ 20:31:31
I would enjoy a good piece of toast too….we are gluten free and really enjoying the difference….keep us posted on the recipes and thank you for Nurturing Thursday!
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:19:31
Allow me to brag and say I had a delicious slice of gluten free bread, toasted just a couple of hours ago. yum.
Feb 07, 2013 @ 19:48:11
All the best to you and your husband on this journey. I look forward to reading about it! I just made some gluten free corn muffins this afternoon. They are great and would make a great breakfast, but they do have egg whites(from my own chickens) and honey in them.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:20:12
I’m so hesitant to use corn in any way. Canada has the highest percentage of GMO corn anywhere!
Feb 07, 2013 @ 18:25:56
Taking the time to take care of ourselves makes a world of difference to us physically and emotionally.
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:20:39
and boy is there a price to pay when we don’t!
Feb 07, 2013 @ 17:15:23
Hi Joss so happy to hear that you are finding a new path with persistent health issues for your sweetheart! Here is a recipe for a gluten free bread that I have taken a liking to for 2 reasons: 1-it’s quick, 2- it’s tasty
Originally developed as a ‘mug bread’ to cook in microwave but I don’t own a microwave so this is my adaptation.
1/4c fresh ground flax seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp melted butter
1 egg
that is the basic recipe and you can add a little sweetener & cinnamon for a breakfast-y bread or (as I prefer) add some chopped garlic and fresh rosemary on top for a yummy faux-coccia.
Mix up the ingredients and place in muffin cups or a small pan. I usually double the recipe and cook it right in the small cast iron skillet that I melt the butter in so I don’t have to grease the pan. Hope you like it
*anna
Feb 08, 2013 @ 20:21:10
Thanks for this. Will try it when my bestie is here for a visit next week.