A Day in the Life of a PANDA
PANDAS, Kids, Holistic Approach Andrea Jones PANDAS, Kids, Holistic Approach Andrea Jones

A Day in the Life of a PANDA

Here are a few things I have learned: The conventional approach of PANDAS seems simple. IVIG to get rid of the autoimmune response, antibiotics to kill the strep, sometimes antidepressants or SSRI's. But NOTHING to reduce brain inflammation (other than ibuprofen which simply tackles symptoms not the underlying cause). Nothing to address gut health, which is severely impacted due to microglial activation and cytokines gone haywire. Nothing to support the regeneration of neurons that have been damaged by the "fight" against the basal ganglia. Addressing each of these underlying causes is PIVOTAL in healing from PANS/PANDAS.

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Fall-Inspired Apple & Sweet Potato Hash
Recipes, Nutrition, Hormone Health Andrea Jones Recipes, Nutrition, Hormone Health Andrea Jones

Fall-Inspired Apple & Sweet Potato Hash

Is it really fall if you're not enjoying the combined robust flavors of apple, sweet potato and spices? Just thinking about it has me reminiscing about pumpkin patches, leaves crunching under my feet, and a warm mug of spiced cider in my chilled hands. Not only is this recipe chalk full of hormone supporting nutrients, it is delicious AND satisfying!

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Does Your Food Make You Angry?
Kids, Nutrition, Special Needs Parenting Andrea Jones Kids, Nutrition, Special Needs Parenting Andrea Jones

Does Your Food Make You Angry?

I had been reading and researching like crazy how gluten affects your thyroid because the gluten protein is almost identical molecularly to the thyroid hormone, and so your body begins attacking your own thyroid which can lead to thyroid disorders, etc. I decided after having such a negative response to gluten upon reintroducing it, that we would just cut it out altogether.

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The Most Painful Part…
Healing Emotions, Mindset, Healing Andrea Jones Healing Emotions, Mindset, Healing Andrea Jones

The Most Painful Part…

The pain that this belief brought up was indescribable and the tension grew as I continued to fight when God was asking me to surrender and I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I began to have to look at my belief about who God is… is he kind? Is he for me even in this? Where is he when I’m being crushed? Does he even see how much this is costing us emotionally, spiritually and financially?

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Immanuel
Healing, Healing Emotions, Mindset Andrea Jones Healing, Healing Emotions, Mindset Andrea Jones

Immanuel

I began to ask the question: If God is with me, then what is He doing right now that I can begin to keep my eyes on?

If God is with us, then what does he want to BE for me right now that he could not be at any other time?

And within those questions, God became real to me in depths I didn't even know I needed him.

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Rewrite Your Shame Story: An Infidelity Story with Amy Ganz
Healing Emotions, Healing, Shame Andrea Jones Healing Emotions, Healing, Shame Andrea Jones

Rewrite Your Shame Story: An Infidelity Story with Amy Ganz

Very few details were spared in this episode, and yet none of it was at the expense of her ex. Amy shares candidly of her experience of walking out shame and the recovery because she knows that talking honestly with vulnerability about the process is ultimately what pulled her out. “I remember just like this sinking feeling in my stomach that I was like, I'm going to hear something really bad. And I don't know what it is. But I just feel like it's gonna be really, really bad.”

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Taking Care of Your Physical Health as a Special Needs Parent

Taking Care of Your Physical Health as a Special Needs Parent

When I first landed in the “special needs parent” category 5 years ago, I had no clue just how long and hard the journey would be. We received the diagnosis of PANDAS in June of 2018 and really didn’t know if or when our daughter would recover.

I knew that taking care of my physical health was important, but trying to find the time to eat right, move my body and get good sleep felt impossible with the constant demands of therapy appointments and behavior management.

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Rewriting Your Shame Story: Infertility with Bree Keel
Infertility, Healing Emotions, Shame Andrea Jones Infertility, Healing Emotions, Shame Andrea Jones

Rewriting Your Shame Story: Infertility with Bree Keel

No one wants to walk the road of infertility. Its not something that I would wish on my worst enemy, and yet, some of us find ourselves walking that road without a road map or the right shoes to travel the journey.

After the disillusionment and numbness wears off, so many women find themselves trying to grapple with overwhelming grief, shame and anger because of the journey.

As a woman who suffered through 3 miscarriages, my journey of “infertility” and shame looks different from those who could never get pregnant, and it looks different from those who could get pregnant but never carry to term.

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Coconut Yogurt Chicken
Recipes, Nutrition Andrea Jones Recipes, Nutrition Andrea Jones

Coconut Yogurt Chicken

Warm, delicious, easy to whip up recipe. Sometimes you just need an easy button for a family dinner... right? And I don't know about you, but when it comes to curry- I can definitely overcomplicate and ruin a recipe... and there is nothing quite as bad as a ruined curry dinner, amiright? Well, this recipe is gonna solve that issue for you!

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4 Reasons Your Hormones are Misbehaving

4 Reasons Your Hormones are Misbehaving

When I graduated nursing school with my bachelors of science in nursing, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about the human body (insert laughter here because that thought is just RIDICULOUS). I had a very medicalized perspective of physiology. What I mean by that is if you have a problem, you fix it with medication. I had very little concept of the body's innate ability to heal itself (again... ridiculous), and thus really had no grid for what I could do to make myself feel better.

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Preparing for Summer Naturally - Without Breaking the Bank!

Preparing for Summer Naturally - Without Breaking the Bank!

While my husband and I were on this journey of learning how to prepare food in a way that actually nourished our bodies, my eyes opened to the other areas in our lives that were less than healthy for us, and were actually harming us! When I learned about the dangers in most mainstream sunscreen (see HERE), I decided I would spend the extra money on a tiny tube of non-toxic sunscreen recommended to be my my naturopath.

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