Hello!
My name is Amber and I’m the author of this here fine blog called The Tasty Alternative.
let me tell you a little about myself.
In a nut shell…
I have Crohn’s Disease, and therefore most of my blog is dedicated to diet & food and holistic healing (related to Crohn’s and other health issues). My son and husband suffer from eczema and so this is a frequent topic you’ll see here including diet and homemade holistic remedies for this skin condition.
In more detail…
In 2003, at the age of 26, I developed my first Pleural Flare, was misdiagnosed for months, and in 2004 diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. You can read more about my health and healing journey here. The Crohn’s diagnosis left me with a weakened digestive system and compromised immune system; I also discovered along with my previous lactose intolerance, other food sensitivities to gluten, cane sugar and soy. I also suffer from characteristic lupus flares (isolated to the lungs and heart) along with the common “butterfly rash.” In the face of disease, I began studying alternative healing, alternative eating and holistic living in order to manage my symptoms and to live a positive quality of life…and never looked back. I made a drastic lifestyle change in order to manage this disease and made a commitment to myself to heal from within by changing my diet, by taking herbs, vitamins, supplements, and concerted efforts toward decreasing stress. I have since become an alternative food junkie and find genuine happiness in providing healing, nourishing food to my family and friends. I have created a holistic approach to living which incorporates taking care of my mind/body, my family and the environment.
When I’m not cooking you can find me playing with my awesome kids, working in the garden, or watching a comedy with my husband (or a Sci-Fi flick if he wins the coin toss). I have a propensity toward perfectionism but a flair for being a goofball- a nice balance in my opinion. I try not to take life too seriously and find great pleasure in being silly and having fun everyday…and laughing as much as possible. I’m the proud mommy of two fantastic kiddos and married to my best friend, who happens to be the best husband in the world. I work three days during the week doing child and family therapy and every other weekend at an inpatient mental health hospital. I live in gorgeous Northern California with my family and enjoy hiking, gardening, camping, snowboarding, playing guitar, dancing, and EATING (of course, I love food even though most food does not love me).
More on my professional experience. I am so very proud and honored to work in the field of social services. I’m a L.C.S.W. (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and have worked in many different areas within the field, including child and family therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, transitional housing, domestic violence, drug and alcohol, inpatient mental health, foster care, and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders). I began working in the field of social services in 1999. In 2001 I became a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) and specialized in working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In 2003 I graduated with my Masters degree in Social Work and began my journey as a psychotherapist. Becoming a L.C.S.W. is a dream come true for me and I’m continually inspired by the individuals and families I’ve had the great pleasure of working with.
Hi Amber,
You’re really inspiring; thanks for keeping up with this beautiful blog. I’m a student at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as well as in graduate school to be a LPC. Like you, I began my journey in 2002 when I was desperate for ways to heal my depression, brain fog, anxiety, and digestive problems. Commercial practices (medication and psychiatry) didn’t work so I researched holistic methods, which led me to the sneaky son of a gun, Candida. Ugh. You know where I’m going with this. Anyway, it’s been a long road, speckled with progress and pain but I finally feel like I’m getting somewhere. Thanks for keeping us all motivated! (and I’d love to Skype sometime!)
Thank you for the sweet comment! That made my day. So glad to hear you are making progress with your health. It’s still up and down on my end, but I take it one day at a time. Good luck and keep up the good fight!! 🙂
Hello,
I just want to make sure I’m on the correct site. It looks a little different. I am looking for a body butter recipe that I found a while back. The lady was making it for her son who had a skin condition, I believe it was eczema. Is this the correct blog? Either way I am enjoying it.
Thanks
Well, perhaps? There are many sites out there. I did do a blog redesign a year ago. To aid in your search, below is a link to all my lotion recipes. Hope this helps. Good luck!
https://thetastyalternative.com/homemade-lotions-and-beauty-products/
Hi Amber,
You’re really inspiring; thanks for keeping up with this beautiful blog. My son is 35 years old he is a Proffesor of nanobiotechnology at RMIT university,Melbourne. He is diebetic paitent from 2011 when I was desperate for ways to heal my depression, brain fog, anxiety, and digestive problems. Commercial practices (medication and psychiatry) didn’t work .Please Guide me. Thanks for keeping us all motivated! (and I’d love to Skype sometime!)
Thank you for your kind words. Good luck to your son on his healing journey.
Hi can you tell me what oils you used to help you with Chrons Disease? I am currently wanting to help someone who has this Disease. I would like to see if a Rollerball blend would work?
Hi Jennifer,
I am working on a post with some of my favorite Crohn’s remedies, and a few doterra oils are in there. So keep an eye out for that really soon.
Thanks.
Hi Amber,
Love your blog! My name is Tara and I want to reach out to you about possibly writing a recipe for Steve’s Paleo Goods. I believe our products align perfectly with your blog content and interest in the health and Paleo community! 🙂 In addition, your readers can benefit from expanding their options for clean eating.
Who are we?
We’re a small company out of New Jersey that specializes in providing nourishing snacks for even the most hardcore athlete. Our delicious treats are all handmade in small batches using the best quality ingredients. We freshly craft our own protein bars, USDA-certified jerky, dried fruit (psst the strawberries are super addicting!), grain-free granola bars, sauces and much more.
And when you eat our snacks, there is no need to worry. We keep it natural –
• No gluten
• No dairy
• No soy
• No artificial preservatives
• No added sugars
If you’re still chewing on the thought of trying out our snacks, let me make things easier for you. All we need to know is where to ship your sample to. The rest is on us. You can check out all that we have to offer at http://www.stevespaleogoods.com!
One last thing, if you’re interested in ordering some of our snacks in the future, I want to let you know that 15% of all profits goes to support Steve’s Club, Steve’s national training program for at-risk youth. This cause is what made me fall in love with Steve’s Paleo Goods in the first place. Our company is based on helping at-risk youth realize their potential through fitness, nutrition, and leadership skills.
I look forward to hearing back from you and I’m happy to answer any questions you may have!
All the best,
Tara
Hello Tara. I will check out your products. Thank you for reaching out.
Hey Amber!
My name is Kinsey Van Druten. I am the Nutritional Consultant for Immuno Laboratories in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are widely recognized as one of the leading food and environmental allergy testing facilities in the world. We offer the Immuno Bloodprint which has been helping people “Eat Well, Feel Well and Live Well” for years. Our blood test can help identify food intolerances or hidden food allergies that may be the cause of chronic conditions such as arthritis, A.D.D. (and hyperactivity), autism, chronic fatigue, diabetes, I.B.S., migraine headaches, otitis media, and more.
The reason I am reaching out to you is to offer you the chance to personally get a feel for our test in hopes to share with your readers! As you know, kids, teens, and adults suffer from underlying food sensitivities they don’t even know they have; or better yet, choose not to associate “x” food with “x” symptom. Our goal is to find each client’s unique food sensitivities so that they are able to find recipes specifically tailored to them for their body and not because it is “vegan,” “paleo,” or “gluten-free.” Kids in particular, are more susceptible today than ever before with developing food allergies. How much easier would it be for the busy moms who read your blog to know exactly what they should and should not be packing in their children’s lunch?
If you would be interested in finding out first hand your own food sensitivities, please send an email subjected “The Tasty Alternative” with your contact information to info@immunolabs.com.
We look forward to serving you and your readers!
Thanks. I will look into it and see if it’s a good match.
Hi, do you have weekly recipes via email?
Hi There Pam. The best way to receive weekly updates via email is to subscribe. HERE is the link. Thank you.