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How the Recipes & Remedies Devotional Cooking & Wellness Journal Was Born
The recipes in this journal (book) are the meals and beverages I made, ate and drank while writing the book, Take Me To The King: A Forty-Day Consecration Journal (when I was not in the hospital). I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2010. I was further diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder in 2011. After a November 2011 hospitalization, I was prescribed a series of medications between then and May of 2013.
I was taking the then-current prescription on June 1st, 2013 I took it intermittently for the first three or four days. Thereafter, I did not take it. I am not recommending that you disobey your doctor’s instructions. I am saying that I had a desperate situation that I believed in my heart, only God could fix. At some point, I had to take my faith in hand.
One of the most disturbing problems for which I was using the then-current medication to remedy, was the fact that I regularly had difficulty sleeping – chronic insomnia. I would sometimes have two or three consecutive days without sleep. It was disrupting my memory, my thought processes, and my overall health. I started reading about my various conditions. I learned that severe insomnia is one of the leading causes of schizophrenia – and I had already been hospitalized once with hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms. Worst of all, I was also battling demonic oppression because of my fallen spiritual condition. I began praying that God would give me a natural sleep remedy from His healing hands. I did not want the destructive insomnia, or the side-effects of the medication, or the loss of mental acuity that aided the enemy to sway a weak mind.
I addition to the foregoing, a side-effect of the medications that was helping me to sleep was that I had gained close to seventy pounds. When I entered the hospital that frightful November evening, I weighed close to 150 lbs. Before penning the journal, I tipped the scale at over 225. I started having heart problems. I would wake up in the morning with the feeling of a severely dry and scratchy throat. This happens when you cannot keep your mouth closed while sleeping, breathing through your mouth instead of your nose. Sleep apnea and congestive heart failure (present in my familial genealogy) are linked to this breathing disruption; and they worsen with obesity.
Whilst I progressively gained weight, I began developing symptoms that were worse than my insomnia. Also while taking the medication, I had recurring acid reflux. During the night, I constantly had the feeling that I was near vomiting. In the mornings, my stomach would be painfully swollen with gas. I finally stopped taking the medication on nightly basis. I used it only in extreme cases, when and if I had not slept in more than two consecutive days. I kept praying for God’s natural sleep remedy.
During a random shopping trip on Wednesday, June 5th (I had less than ten dollars to spend), I found a book in a thrift store. My mother was kind enough to purchase the book for me. It was, “The Ministry of Healing” by E.G. White (Harvestime Books). I was excited!
On the night of Friday, June 7th, I felt a wave of restfulness come over me. This was the same feeling that I usually experienced after taking my medication. It was a peaceful winding down of my over-active mind, which allowed me to sleep. Prior to taking any medications, I did not have that feeling. I could not get to sleep when I tried to rest. It would take several days of pure exhaustion, and then I would have to sleep for several hours to re-charge – like a whole day. I would not be able to do anything else productively.
On that Friday (June 7th), I was able to rest through the night un-medicated, sleeping about seven hours. Previously without medication, I would wake up after two or three hours and also have difficulty getting back to sleep, staying awake most of the night, every night.
During non-fasting hours, I ate mostly fruits, fruit juices and water for the first week. I sometimes (and very rarely ate chicken, vegetables, and an occasional sweet treat (not a full serving)). However, everything started tasting like a bitter bowl of salt. I started asking God what to eat. He led me to talk with my Dad (a nutritionist in his own right). I began reading about natural foods and how they related to health, wellness, and the scriptures.
That is how Revelation Remedies and Recipes: Food Fit For The King was born. Every meal was made for my son and or myself first, before adding it to the journal (book).
Each Revelation Recipe (with the exception of one smoothie drink), contains absolutely no added sugar, salt, other additives, or preservatives. These are nature’s absolute best combinations, according to the revelations received on this journey by inspiration of God who is the creator of body, soul, spirit, and every good thing for the health and nourishment of our bodies. I quickly learned to eat only the elements discovered herein, as wavering from these resulted in adverse effects. I praise God for teaching me and giving His good food to help me be in good health even as He prospers my soul!
Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers 3 John 1:2
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Copyrighted © 2013 by Shenica Graham | Blog Books
Shenica Graham is the author of RMC online and the Seeds of Promise series. Read her devotionals and go behind the music at wiseeku.wordpress.com. Subscribe to her Examiner column on Spiritual Living. Download her music app. Become a sponsor.
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