This has been a big week in the Smith household. I've decided to put my Music Man on a grain-free, dairy-free diet and have already seen huge improvements in his behavior and overall development. I know most that read this will think I'm nuts (and I know the Hubs and any other family member I've divulged this to are rolling their eyes at me) but I'm a Mama on a mission and I don't care! I've got him off his raw milk but am considering putting him back on that soon to see what happens. Raw milk is a great source of nutrition and a lot of people can enjoy it without any repercussions. But NO MORE GRAINS! More on this later.
I have decided to go full-blown Paleo. And tomorrow I am starting the 21 Day Sugar Detox put on by Diane Sanfilippo. She is the author of my new bible, (yikes, sorry for the comparison on this incredibly holy day but that's how strongly I feel about it!) Practical Paleo.
I started this year wanting to live sugar free and have had many ups and downs. Also, a lot of ah-ha moments and the biggest one came this past week with my first real introduction to the Paleo lifestlye. I had been eating sugar all along in the form of oats, millet, quinoa and rice. So I'm off on a newer version of my journey and tomorrow the first true detox begins. I plan on documenting as much as I can and I MAY even try to upload some pictures of what I'm cooking in the kitchen. Whoa, I need to take a deep breath just typing that. Pictures mean you really ARE trying to blog!
I'm also considering sharing this once private blog to my Facebook universe. I think I need the added motivation and if anyone out there is thinking about making a change in their diet or lifestyle I feel like they should know that a certified health-nut is just a message away!
So enjoy your Easter feasts. I've been working this weekend on two ham roasts, a Paleo French Toast Casserole, and a chocolate and bacon dessert. My last hoorah with a little natural sweetener and then back to the detox regiment tomorrow!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Stir-Fry Recipe #3
I love this stir-fry recipe. It is extremely easy and tasty and just like any stir-fry, you can whip it up in minutes.
I got this recipe from a blog called Simply Recipes. This is actually a great place for beginner cooks to start. She has a LARGE pool of recipes and isn't quite as strict as I am with her ingredients. I'm sure you can find dishes with plenty of cheese and some wheat and sugar in them. But she still cooks with plenty of healthy, delicious ingredients.
The farm I get my meat from actually sells their steak already cut in strips so my prep time is cut in half with this dish. I serve it over rice, but not for long! I will probably just increase the veggies and serve it as is in our new Paleo household!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Cabbage
Cabbage is certainly in season right now. I try to eat seasonally to take advantage of the produce at their peak season. This is when the nutrients are the most dense and the food is the most flavorful. For most people, including myself, I only associate cabbage with St. Patrick's Day. While my family never really celebrated this holiday with a specific cuisine, I have on occasion tried cooked cabbage in March and was never really a big fan. But this was years ago and now that I'm eating a cleaner diet I felt that my taste buds should be re-introduced to this nutritious food.
Cabbage is a member of the cruciferous family (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale and Brussels sprouts are some of its relatives) which is an all-star sub-category of vegetables. They are most famous for their cancer fighting abilities, due to their huge amounts of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. There are numerous studies published that link these power veggies to reducing cancer risks in patients. Cabbage in particular has an enormous amount of Vitamin C, as well as a good amount of fiber, B complex, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
The cruciferous family should be a regular sight on your dinner table, but if you have thyroid issues you may want to take caution. I dealt with a small thyroid issue during my second pregnancy and my research taught me that these vegetables also have goitrogens in them. What they heck are those? Basically, it's a substance that blocks the formation of the thyroid hormone. It really shouldn't be an issue for anyone with a normally functioning thyroid, but if you have any of those issues, maybe don't pile them on your plate alllll the time. I also think I read that if you cook them this will break down the goitrogens but I am not positive on that one.
As always, I sure as heck am no doctor! Do your own research. There are rare cases when food does not act as medicine, but for the most part you can't go wrong eating directly from Mother Nature's supermarket.
Now when I made cabbage a few weeks ago, I tried a recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I used red cabbage (which isn't as sweet as green cabbage) and I really liked it. It's key to really dress up red cabbage to help with its sometimes bitter flavor. Also, the red color may dwindle when cooked (to almost a blue tone!) so be sure to cook with some sort of acid (either vinegar or lemon juice) to help retain its more appetizing color.
Red Cabbage with Orange
1 medium red cabbage
1 small onion, chopped
grated rind of 2 oranges
juice of 2 oranges
1 t salt
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 T raw honey
3 T whey (or raw wine vinegar) *I used white wine vinegar.
4 T butter
Marinate all of these ingredients over night (except for the butter). Melt butter in a large frying pan and then add the cabbage mixture. Bring it to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and let it cook for about an hour. I actually think mine was done in about 40 minutes. You want to wait until the cabbage is tender and the liquid has pretty much evaporated. I left mine a bit crunchy but cook to whatever consistency you find appetizing.
This recipe falls under the "has potential" category. I really liked it a lot, and so did my Mom. The Peanut ate some of it, but the Music Man wasn't feeling it, and The Hubs said it tasted "interesting." He will never admit it, but I know "interesting" is not a good reaction from him. It has a pretty strong citrus flavor, which is not his thing. It's one of those dishes that tastes great if you combine it with other things on your plate. I served it with chicken and I believe asparagus. I mixed it with the chicken and I could see using it as a topping on other meats, like a turkey burger. I also used it cold the next day on a salad and I felt it gave my sometimes boring green salad a really nice punch of flavor.
I think I will try making it again, but I have to give some thought as to what I pair it with.
Cabbage is a member of the cruciferous family (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale and Brussels sprouts are some of its relatives) which is an all-star sub-category of vegetables. They are most famous for their cancer fighting abilities, due to their huge amounts of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. There are numerous studies published that link these power veggies to reducing cancer risks in patients. Cabbage in particular has an enormous amount of Vitamin C, as well as a good amount of fiber, B complex, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
The cruciferous family should be a regular sight on your dinner table, but if you have thyroid issues you may want to take caution. I dealt with a small thyroid issue during my second pregnancy and my research taught me that these vegetables also have goitrogens in them. What they heck are those? Basically, it's a substance that blocks the formation of the thyroid hormone. It really shouldn't be an issue for anyone with a normally functioning thyroid, but if you have any of those issues, maybe don't pile them on your plate alllll the time. I also think I read that if you cook them this will break down the goitrogens but I am not positive on that one.
As always, I sure as heck am no doctor! Do your own research. There are rare cases when food does not act as medicine, but for the most part you can't go wrong eating directly from Mother Nature's supermarket.
Now when I made cabbage a few weeks ago, I tried a recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I used red cabbage (which isn't as sweet as green cabbage) and I really liked it. It's key to really dress up red cabbage to help with its sometimes bitter flavor. Also, the red color may dwindle when cooked (to almost a blue tone!) so be sure to cook with some sort of acid (either vinegar or lemon juice) to help retain its more appetizing color.
Red Cabbage with Orange
1 medium red cabbage
1 small onion, chopped
grated rind of 2 oranges
juice of 2 oranges
1 t salt
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 T raw honey
3 T whey (or raw wine vinegar) *I used white wine vinegar.
4 T butter
Marinate all of these ingredients over night (except for the butter). Melt butter in a large frying pan and then add the cabbage mixture. Bring it to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and let it cook for about an hour. I actually think mine was done in about 40 minutes. You want to wait until the cabbage is tender and the liquid has pretty much evaporated. I left mine a bit crunchy but cook to whatever consistency you find appetizing.
This recipe falls under the "has potential" category. I really liked it a lot, and so did my Mom. The Peanut ate some of it, but the Music Man wasn't feeling it, and The Hubs said it tasted "interesting." He will never admit it, but I know "interesting" is not a good reaction from him. It has a pretty strong citrus flavor, which is not his thing. It's one of those dishes that tastes great if you combine it with other things on your plate. I served it with chicken and I believe asparagus. I mixed it with the chicken and I could see using it as a topping on other meats, like a turkey burger. I also used it cold the next day on a salad and I felt it gave my sometimes boring green salad a really nice punch of flavor.
I think I will try making it again, but I have to give some thought as to what I pair it with.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Mind...BLOWN!!
So this past weekend I got an email from my local library telling me one of the zillion of books I have on hold was available. I saw that it was a Paleo book but didn't run to pick it up. Although I hadn't read any of the research, I wasn't completely sold on this way of eating. I'm not sure why, but I was dragging my feet.
I should have SPRINTED to the library!
Holy tomatoes, has blown my mind. I have never seen such an extensive, easy to use, volume of a book that is essentially based on everything I believe! And it's from 2012 so all the research and studies are current. Just in the first few pages alone I am seeing statements written that I have only seen on my online health blogs (like that cholesterol is not necessarily linked to heart disease). She's got raw milk in here, fermented foods, healthy fatty oils, pages on digestion, blood sugar levels (my hot spot) and it....is....just....amazing!
Here's the book:
Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo (aka, my new hero)
I think I may be purchasing this one.
And then to add fuel to this exciting fire, Diane was one of the first guest speakers on this week's Healthy Life Summit. I found out about this week-long free online conference with some of the world's leading health experts through all of the blogs I follow. If you have some time it's definitely worth a listen. So I listened to Diane talk about her Paleo lifestyle as well as her 21-day sugar detox as I cleaned up the dinner dishes and put all the of the toys away. Loved every second of it, and this has really opened my eyes.
I was never really living sugar free because I was still consuming grains and legumes.
I always knew this in the back of my mind, but I didn't want to do it. I think a few years ago when I first went sugar free I did have some grains, but I mostly ate vegetables and meat. I definitely have never felt as good as I did that spring of 2009. Part of the reason I started including natural sweeteners back into my diet this go around was because I wasn't feeling much better. I know that the external factors definitely play a part in it (stress, lack of sleep, emotional ties to food, etc) but I actually don't think I was doing my body any good eating the oatmeal, rice, millet and quinoa on a daily basis.
And so....I am going to get back on the saddle. There are two ways to approach this:
1) Begin a Paleo lifestyle. This means I eat meat, vegetables, some fruit, and can have the occasional natural sweetener (yippeeeeee!!!)
2) First do the 21-day Sugar Detox and then transition into the Paleo lifestyle. This means no natural sweeteners and only green apples and underripe bananas as my fruit for three weeks.
I'm not sure what option I'm going to do, but I do know I'm going to give one of these a try. But like everything else, I don't think it's best for me to plunge into this immediately. I'm going to take a month to dive into this book, search online, and get myself prepared so I can have the smoothest transition possible.
Now before you go rolling your eyes and saying things like, "Ugh, Brooke is crazy. Just aimlessly jumping from one fad to another. She just needs to chill" hear me out. Because this is the look The Hubs gave me this weekend as I was sitting on the couch drooling over this book.
First off, this isn't a stretch from what I'm already doing. The bulk of the book is about eating healthy fats (check), high-quality meat (check), cutting out processed foods (check) and avoiding all refined sugars (half check). The difference is that she includes whole grains and legumes in her "refined sugars" category. And the more I read....I am agreeing with her. Remember how I'm always saying that real food should spoil and not be able to sit on shelves for months at a time? Well, dry grains and legumes sit on those shelves so they have always been confusing me.
Secondly, even though I am eating a clean diet and nothing processed and no gluten and very little dairy, I am still suffering from some issues:
- Blood sugar ups and downs: I never quite kicked this over the past month or so. And it's getting a little ridiculous. If I eat breakfast I almost feel faint a couple of hours later. I can literally feel the dips in my body as the day goes by. She devotes an entire portion of the book to blood sugar problems.
- Digestion: I don't want to divulge too much here, but let's just say my trips to to the toilet aren't "normal." And I'm noticing a lot of build up of gas and just odd things going on in my tummy. Again, an entire chapter devoted to digestion in the book.
And lastly, I actually don't think this will be as difficult as no sugar completely (even though I wasn't doing that!). If I can have the occasional grain-free muffin sweetened with honey or molasses, I don't think I'll feel like I'm missing out on much. We'll see how it goes when I actually start doing it, but that's my gut feeling.
I have a busy month with The Hubs traveling, people visiting, and a trip up north so I think I will wait until that blows over so I can have a solid block of time at home to give this a whirl. Until then, I'm going to be trying out different recipes and trying to have as many grain-free days as I can.
And I'm going to dissect this book and all things Paleo and share them with you! Oh happy day! :)
I should have SPRINTED to the library!
Holy tomatoes, has blown my mind. I have never seen such an extensive, easy to use, volume of a book that is essentially based on everything I believe! And it's from 2012 so all the research and studies are current. Just in the first few pages alone I am seeing statements written that I have only seen on my online health blogs (like that cholesterol is not necessarily linked to heart disease). She's got raw milk in here, fermented foods, healthy fatty oils, pages on digestion, blood sugar levels (my hot spot) and it....is....just....amazing!
Here's the book:
Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo (aka, my new hero)
I think I may be purchasing this one.
And then to add fuel to this exciting fire, Diane was one of the first guest speakers on this week's Healthy Life Summit. I found out about this week-long free online conference with some of the world's leading health experts through all of the blogs I follow. If you have some time it's definitely worth a listen. So I listened to Diane talk about her Paleo lifestyle as well as her 21-day sugar detox as I cleaned up the dinner dishes and put all the of the toys away. Loved every second of it, and this has really opened my eyes.
I was never really living sugar free because I was still consuming grains and legumes.
I always knew this in the back of my mind, but I didn't want to do it. I think a few years ago when I first went sugar free I did have some grains, but I mostly ate vegetables and meat. I definitely have never felt as good as I did that spring of 2009. Part of the reason I started including natural sweeteners back into my diet this go around was because I wasn't feeling much better. I know that the external factors definitely play a part in it (stress, lack of sleep, emotional ties to food, etc) but I actually don't think I was doing my body any good eating the oatmeal, rice, millet and quinoa on a daily basis.
And so....I am going to get back on the saddle. There are two ways to approach this:
1) Begin a Paleo lifestyle. This means I eat meat, vegetables, some fruit, and can have the occasional natural sweetener (yippeeeeee!!!)
2) First do the 21-day Sugar Detox and then transition into the Paleo lifestyle. This means no natural sweeteners and only green apples and underripe bananas as my fruit for three weeks.
I'm not sure what option I'm going to do, but I do know I'm going to give one of these a try. But like everything else, I don't think it's best for me to plunge into this immediately. I'm going to take a month to dive into this book, search online, and get myself prepared so I can have the smoothest transition possible.
Now before you go rolling your eyes and saying things like, "Ugh, Brooke is crazy. Just aimlessly jumping from one fad to another. She just needs to chill" hear me out. Because this is the look The Hubs gave me this weekend as I was sitting on the couch drooling over this book.
First off, this isn't a stretch from what I'm already doing. The bulk of the book is about eating healthy fats (check), high-quality meat (check), cutting out processed foods (check) and avoiding all refined sugars (half check). The difference is that she includes whole grains and legumes in her "refined sugars" category. And the more I read....I am agreeing with her. Remember how I'm always saying that real food should spoil and not be able to sit on shelves for months at a time? Well, dry grains and legumes sit on those shelves so they have always been confusing me.
Secondly, even though I am eating a clean diet and nothing processed and no gluten and very little dairy, I am still suffering from some issues:
- Blood sugar ups and downs: I never quite kicked this over the past month or so. And it's getting a little ridiculous. If I eat breakfast I almost feel faint a couple of hours later. I can literally feel the dips in my body as the day goes by. She devotes an entire portion of the book to blood sugar problems.
- Digestion: I don't want to divulge too much here, but let's just say my trips to to the toilet aren't "normal." And I'm noticing a lot of build up of gas and just odd things going on in my tummy. Again, an entire chapter devoted to digestion in the book.
And lastly, I actually don't think this will be as difficult as no sugar completely (even though I wasn't doing that!). If I can have the occasional grain-free muffin sweetened with honey or molasses, I don't think I'll feel like I'm missing out on much. We'll see how it goes when I actually start doing it, but that's my gut feeling.
I have a busy month with The Hubs traveling, people visiting, and a trip up north so I think I will wait until that blows over so I can have a solid block of time at home to give this a whirl. Until then, I'm going to be trying out different recipes and trying to have as many grain-free days as I can.
And I'm going to dissect this book and all things Paleo and share them with you! Oh happy day! :)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Reason #7: Calling all Oprah fans!
Ok, so by now I think I've documented quite a few legit (I think) reasons for why I eat a very clean diet that is free of MOST sugars and gluten. And really, this last reason isn't anything new.
I like myself and I like my life when I am eating healthy and taking care of my body.
It seems simple, but for so many of us taking care of ourselves is difficult. It shouldn't be, but it is. There is so much pressure to succeed...be the best mother, be the best employee, be the best friend, family member, whatever. If you're not doing something productive every moment of the day then you are lazy. If you're not taking advantage of every fun activity available to you than you are wasting your life. We all live by deadlines and expectations that make us feel rushed, drained and unfulfilled. Well I shouldn't say "all" because there are people out there who are extremely content and living well-nourished fulfilled lives but unfortunately I think the bulk of our society is feeling a little stressed out.
I watch TV and see all of the commercials for energy drinks and fast food chains or meals you can zap in a microwave or health claims on foods that can't even claim to be "food." I'm to assume that people are eating this stuff and can't help but think there is a link between what we put into our systems and how we live our lives. I saw something on Facebook the other day that resonated with me: "You are what you eat. So don't be fast, cheap, easy or fake."
Now believe me, I KNOW that telling people to make all of their food and eat 95% of their meals at home is unrealistic for a lot of you. I'm no dummy. I stay at home with my kids and I devote a lot of time to my food. It's a choice I have made, and I feel lucky every day that I can spend time doing something I love. I do wish I had time to do other things, but food and health are at the top of my list and always will be. My house doesn't look great, my kids aren't always clean, and most days I leave the house without deodorant, brushed teeth or clean hair while wearing a T-shirt from 2006 and ripped jeans. This is one of the prices I pay for spending so much time peeling vegetables and cooking porridge.
But a big benefit is how much better I feel about myself when I have good food going through my system. And I honestly feel joy when I see my kids eating healthy food. I love spending time writing this blog and sharing my thoughts about all of these subjects. And I'm excited to some day turn this into a career for myself. I'm still very nervous about how that will all turn out. Right now, my loose time line is to start up a health coaching business by January of 2015. I'm not sure what direction I will take, but I do know by then I will need to seriously consider taking the plunge into the very scary unknown.
I also find that when I am eating well, I put more energy into trying to improve myself in other areas. I watch a lot of Oprah - I'm a sucker for her Super Soul Sunday series! I read her magazines, I try to stop and take deep breaths. I engage in deeper conversations with my friends about life, dreams, goals and do a lot of reflecting. For the most part, my head feels like it's on straighter, my thoughts feel more centered, and my emotions are more in check. Food truly is medicine, not of just the body, but of our mind and spirit as well. And with that, I'll end this series before I start writing about my animal spirit or sacred contracts.
Now it's time to brainstorm a new series of posts for every Monday. My options are:
1) Eating Well on a Budget
2) Spice/Herb Profiles (adding spices to your cooking will really open up those taste buds and make you excited about different ingredients!)
3) Breakfast Ideas
I'll choose one by next week. Stay tuned!
I like myself and I like my life when I am eating healthy and taking care of my body.
It seems simple, but for so many of us taking care of ourselves is difficult. It shouldn't be, but it is. There is so much pressure to succeed...be the best mother, be the best employee, be the best friend, family member, whatever. If you're not doing something productive every moment of the day then you are lazy. If you're not taking advantage of every fun activity available to you than you are wasting your life. We all live by deadlines and expectations that make us feel rushed, drained and unfulfilled. Well I shouldn't say "all" because there are people out there who are extremely content and living well-nourished fulfilled lives but unfortunately I think the bulk of our society is feeling a little stressed out.
I watch TV and see all of the commercials for energy drinks and fast food chains or meals you can zap in a microwave or health claims on foods that can't even claim to be "food." I'm to assume that people are eating this stuff and can't help but think there is a link between what we put into our systems and how we live our lives. I saw something on Facebook the other day that resonated with me: "You are what you eat. So don't be fast, cheap, easy or fake."
Now believe me, I KNOW that telling people to make all of their food and eat 95% of their meals at home is unrealistic for a lot of you. I'm no dummy. I stay at home with my kids and I devote a lot of time to my food. It's a choice I have made, and I feel lucky every day that I can spend time doing something I love. I do wish I had time to do other things, but food and health are at the top of my list and always will be. My house doesn't look great, my kids aren't always clean, and most days I leave the house without deodorant, brushed teeth or clean hair while wearing a T-shirt from 2006 and ripped jeans. This is one of the prices I pay for spending so much time peeling vegetables and cooking porridge.
But a big benefit is how much better I feel about myself when I have good food going through my system. And I honestly feel joy when I see my kids eating healthy food. I love spending time writing this blog and sharing my thoughts about all of these subjects. And I'm excited to some day turn this into a career for myself. I'm still very nervous about how that will all turn out. Right now, my loose time line is to start up a health coaching business by January of 2015. I'm not sure what direction I will take, but I do know by then I will need to seriously consider taking the plunge into the very scary unknown.
I also find that when I am eating well, I put more energy into trying to improve myself in other areas. I watch a lot of Oprah - I'm a sucker for her Super Soul Sunday series! I read her magazines, I try to stop and take deep breaths. I engage in deeper conversations with my friends about life, dreams, goals and do a lot of reflecting. For the most part, my head feels like it's on straighter, my thoughts feel more centered, and my emotions are more in check. Food truly is medicine, not of just the body, but of our mind and spirit as well. And with that, I'll end this series before I start writing about my animal spirit or sacred contracts.
Now it's time to brainstorm a new series of posts for every Monday. My options are:
1) Eating Well on a Budget
2) Spice/Herb Profiles (adding spices to your cooking will really open up those taste buds and make you excited about different ingredients!)
3) Breakfast Ideas
I'll choose one by next week. Stay tuned!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Beets
I was looking back at some old posts and realized that I never documented how things went with introducing new veggies to the household. I had worked on four recipes for the following vegetables:
Cabbage
Artichokes
Beets
Parsnips
Turnips
Rutabagas
The verdict? Two successes, one with potential, and one failure. Not bad. I really didn't have my hopes too high so I was pleased.
The big winner of the weekend, at least for me, were the beets! Absolutely delicious. My mom liked them, the Peanut loves them, and I can't get enough of them. The Hubs had a work dinner that night and hasn't tried them yet (I'm sure he's losing sleep over that one), and I haven't been able to get The Music Man to try them either.
Before I talk about how I prepared them, let me give you some nutritional background on the glorious beet:
Beets date back to the Middle Ages and are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorous. They also have plenty of carotene, B complex and Vitamin C. I'm attracted to them for the minerals. The more I read, the more I realize how much of our population is deficient in iron and magnesium. These are tough minerals to find in foods, and food is how you will absorb them the best. The beet is an all-star because it is so heavily concentrated with this good stuff, so much so that a lot of natural vitamins and supplements are derived from them. And all of these healthy minerals and vitamins are in the leaf tops as well, so be sure to buy them whole to get the most from this amazing superfood! My beginning goal is to have beets at least twice a month, but I want to eventually get to a place where I cook them once a week and use them sporadically throughout the week.
I looked to my book Nourishing Traditions for a starting point in preparation. I also went online for some cooking tips and this is what I ended up doing:
Take the beet and slice off the green leaves on the ends. Save them because you will wilt them later and toss them with the beets. I chopped off the hearty stalk and just saved the leaves but I actually think the stalks are probably good for you.
Chop off the long stems at the other end of the beet and discard. Then wash them pretty good. But don't go crazy because you'll peel off the skin anyway.
Drizzle olive oil over the beets and then wrap them up in aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet. This is for easy clean up. Beet juice stains and everything you use while preparing them (your knife, the baking sheet, the fork you use to pierce them) will get nice and red-purply.
Roast them in the oven.
Now time and temperature will vary. Food is best slow-cooked but sometimes you don't have the time for that. Sally Fallon suggests 2 hours in a 250 degree oven. I did 350 degrees and it took a little over an hour. When you can pierce them easily with a fork they are done. And like most root vegetables, the softer they feel when pierced, the more tender and delicious they will be.
Once done, use a fork or spoon and just push the skin off of them. It will slide right off. Slice up the beets and then sautee them with their greens, garlic, and some butter. Add salt and pepper to taste and you've got one great side dish!
Use the left-over beets in a salad. They taste great cold or warm. My Peanut eats them for breakfast with her egg yolk and some avocado.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Starting Habits Young
I recently came across an article on Facebook:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/02/20/why-is-everyone-always-giving-my-kids-junk-food
The writer does an excellent job of conveying something that has been puzzling me every since my Music Man started entering the outside world that is our American society:
Why does everything we do with our kids have to be linked to food?!? And more importantly, why junk food??
Now I understand birthday parties. I realize that I'm a little extreme in that I didn't bake a cake for him for his 1st or 2nd birthday. I also have never taken him Trick or Treating, more so because he really didn't understand the concept. But I also never offered him candy during these times because quite frankly, he wouldn't have known if I had done it. Especially during his first year or two. I figured Halloween would be a tough enough battle for me once he was old enough to enjoy it, so why give his body crap now?
I understand that kids do a great job of negotiating and begging for sweets, and that controlling the amount of sugar my kids eat will be a battle for me at times. But when they are babies and toddlers, and we are truly molding the expectations and habits they will form for the rest of their childhood, why are we pushing the sweets on them? Who says that you "have" to give a 15 month old a chocolate bar because it's Halloween? Why does my 2 year old receive Valentines at school that have candy bags attached to them? And why does he come home with green frosting on his lips because it happens to be St. Patrick's Day?
I am not judging anyone who gives their kids sweets. I completely plan on giving my kids desserts and treats. But from my kitchen and cooked with the ingredients I select. And when we're out and about I will definitely allow the occassional treat (and I also know when they get old enough it's all out of my hands and I just hope I've given them enough knowledge to make mostly healthy choices). My beef is with the "public", as in his preschool or any other area with kids' activities, inundates him with sugary stuff just because that's what they feel they are supposed to know. And I am beyond perplexed when they offer it to kids who honestly wouldn't care one way or another if there was candy.
In our country, SO many people struggle with weight. And for a lot of us, it's an emotional connection to sweets that makes it difficult for us to resist them. Or sends us straight to the ice cream container when we're in a bad mood. I do believe there can be a positive emotional connection between us and our food - I actually agree with Michael Pollan when he says one of our problems is we have widdled food down too much to a science and forgotten what it meant to savor and enjoy it the way that other cultures do (but that is for another post). But we don't give our kids a shot in heck to create a positive relationship with food if we are constantly bombarding them with sweets during "celebrations." Again, I get it. Birthdays are a big deal. The holidays are a big deal. If in your house, Valentine's candy makes or breaks you, then go for it! Just stop assuming that I also want to do that with my own child.
Here's my perfect example of how something we do with our kids translates to the real world and then I'll stop this vent: My son's preschool does something called "Donuts with Daddy." I don't know the specifics because it is for the other kids, but I assume it is a special day once or twice a year where Dad actually comes to their schools. Now I'm sorry, but don't you think a 3 or 4 year old would be content enough to just have DAD be there?? His mere presence in their school, showing him the class, and sharing his/her favorite story with him would make the day unbelievably special for any child. Why must we pair an absolute piece of garbage food with this event? What does this remind me of? Donuts and bagels every Friday at the school I used to teach at! Donuts and coffee in the break room at the office I used to intern at! Sweets around every corner at any business in America! And we wonder why a report just came out that our obesity rate is still rising and that heart disease is taking more peoples' lives every single day?
It starts at the beginning folks!! You do not need sugar and treats to have fun! That doesn't mean it isn't fun to eat something sweet every once in awhile, but I hate that we look at it the reversed way. Kids are amazing beings in that they can find fun in a cardboard box, or with a leaf that's flying away, or a red crayon and a piece of paper. It's because we start them so early on this junk food/candy link to events that by the time they do reach grade school they are expecting it.
Once I get through these last 18-24 months of babies and diapers I really think the first thing I want to accomplish as a health coach is trying to get my voice heard in these preschools. There have got to be other mommies out there who agree with me on this. In the words of Barney Stinson, "Challenge accepted!"
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/02/20/why-is-everyone-always-giving-my-kids-junk-food
The writer does an excellent job of conveying something that has been puzzling me every since my Music Man started entering the outside world that is our American society:
Why does everything we do with our kids have to be linked to food?!? And more importantly, why junk food??
Now I understand birthday parties. I realize that I'm a little extreme in that I didn't bake a cake for him for his 1st or 2nd birthday. I also have never taken him Trick or Treating, more so because he really didn't understand the concept. But I also never offered him candy during these times because quite frankly, he wouldn't have known if I had done it. Especially during his first year or two. I figured Halloween would be a tough enough battle for me once he was old enough to enjoy it, so why give his body crap now?
I understand that kids do a great job of negotiating and begging for sweets, and that controlling the amount of sugar my kids eat will be a battle for me at times. But when they are babies and toddlers, and we are truly molding the expectations and habits they will form for the rest of their childhood, why are we pushing the sweets on them? Who says that you "have" to give a 15 month old a chocolate bar because it's Halloween? Why does my 2 year old receive Valentines at school that have candy bags attached to them? And why does he come home with green frosting on his lips because it happens to be St. Patrick's Day?
I am not judging anyone who gives their kids sweets. I completely plan on giving my kids desserts and treats. But from my kitchen and cooked with the ingredients I select. And when we're out and about I will definitely allow the occassional treat (and I also know when they get old enough it's all out of my hands and I just hope I've given them enough knowledge to make mostly healthy choices). My beef is with the "public", as in his preschool or any other area with kids' activities, inundates him with sugary stuff just because that's what they feel they are supposed to know. And I am beyond perplexed when they offer it to kids who honestly wouldn't care one way or another if there was candy.
In our country, SO many people struggle with weight. And for a lot of us, it's an emotional connection to sweets that makes it difficult for us to resist them. Or sends us straight to the ice cream container when we're in a bad mood. I do believe there can be a positive emotional connection between us and our food - I actually agree with Michael Pollan when he says one of our problems is we have widdled food down too much to a science and forgotten what it meant to savor and enjoy it the way that other cultures do (but that is for another post). But we don't give our kids a shot in heck to create a positive relationship with food if we are constantly bombarding them with sweets during "celebrations." Again, I get it. Birthdays are a big deal. The holidays are a big deal. If in your house, Valentine's candy makes or breaks you, then go for it! Just stop assuming that I also want to do that with my own child.
Here's my perfect example of how something we do with our kids translates to the real world and then I'll stop this vent: My son's preschool does something called "Donuts with Daddy." I don't know the specifics because it is for the other kids, but I assume it is a special day once or twice a year where Dad actually comes to their schools. Now I'm sorry, but don't you think a 3 or 4 year old would be content enough to just have DAD be there?? His mere presence in their school, showing him the class, and sharing his/her favorite story with him would make the day unbelievably special for any child. Why must we pair an absolute piece of garbage food with this event? What does this remind me of? Donuts and bagels every Friday at the school I used to teach at! Donuts and coffee in the break room at the office I used to intern at! Sweets around every corner at any business in America! And we wonder why a report just came out that our obesity rate is still rising and that heart disease is taking more peoples' lives every single day?
It starts at the beginning folks!! You do not need sugar and treats to have fun! That doesn't mean it isn't fun to eat something sweet every once in awhile, but I hate that we look at it the reversed way. Kids are amazing beings in that they can find fun in a cardboard box, or with a leaf that's flying away, or a red crayon and a piece of paper. It's because we start them so early on this junk food/candy link to events that by the time they do reach grade school they are expecting it.
Once I get through these last 18-24 months of babies and diapers I really think the first thing I want to accomplish as a health coach is trying to get my voice heard in these preschools. There have got to be other mommies out there who agree with me on this. In the words of Barney Stinson, "Challenge accepted!"
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Slow-Cooker Recipe #2
I've got something cooking away in the slow cooker right now and I just tasted it and am giving it my seal of approval! Yet another Mexican inspired dish. But you really can't go wrong with them:
Slow Cooker Tomatillo Chicken and Black Bean Tacos from The Perfect Pantry.
I didn't have any black beans, so I used one can of northern white beans and one pinto. Any combo would work. I also didn't use the 2 T of brown sugar. I used 1 T of Sucanat. I'm going to serve it with wheat tortilla for the Hubs and alongside rice for me and The Music Man. I'll let the Peanut eat some of the chicken, but right now I avoid legumes and grains with her. I want to wait as long as possible for her digestive system to develop before I give her anything tough for her tummy. At least 18 months and maybe 2 years depending on things are going.
Slow Cooker Tomatillo Chicken and Black Bean Tacos from The Perfect Pantry.
I didn't have any black beans, so I used one can of northern white beans and one pinto. Any combo would work. I also didn't use the 2 T of brown sugar. I used 1 T of Sucanat. I'm going to serve it with wheat tortilla for the Hubs and alongside rice for me and The Music Man. I'll let the Peanut eat some of the chicken, but right now I avoid legumes and grains with her. I want to wait as long as possible for her digestive system to develop before I give her anything tough for her tummy. At least 18 months and maybe 2 years depending on things are going.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Great Snacks for Kids
This past weekend my Music Man went on an eating frenzy. He ate all three of his meals and even asked for seconds on some of them. He ate oatmeal, home made pancakes, avocados, cheese quesadillas, chicken, meatballs, rice, sweet potatoes, hummus. strawberries, bananas, and kiwis. Still nothing green, but leaps and bounds above what he was eating less than two months ago. I had mentioned that we had laid down the hammer and told him he would be eating our food. The success has happened quicker than I thought it would. I finally have a few staples that he will eat and I'm going to move into the next phase of dishes (and preparing vegetables in a more tasty manner) over the next few months.
Something I did to make this transition smoother was to create some healthy snacks that I could use as "bait" to get him to eat my food. Once I found some that he liked, I could tell him he could have these snacks if he ate some avocado (or chicken, whatever). Sometimes he still needs the incentive, but in the beginning I really needed these to get the ball rolling. I know some parents don't believe in bribing a kid to eat food with other food, but I figured since I was bribing with items I thought were good for him (fruit or these snacks) that it wasn't too bad.
Here are the links to some snacks I have prepared (all can be made in big batches and frozen)
Energy Balls
He loves these. Will eat about anything to get them. They are basically nuts and dried fruit. All things I am fine with him eating. Super simple to make.
Super Bars
I actually haven't tried these in awhile. He liked them a lot in the beginning but then lost a little interest. But again, oats, dried fruit, nuts. I think I replaced the brown sugar with either honey or Sucanat (a sweetener made from whole cane sugar that still has all of the natural molasses. Nothing added, nothing taken out).
PB & J Bars
These are a grain-free version of a classic. He used to love these but I have to negotiate a little these days. Which I cannot understand for the life of me. They are delicious.
All of these snacks are grain-free and made with natural sweeteners. They do take a little time, but like I said, you can make big batches and freeze. And they all travel well and can be put in kids' lunch boxes.
Something I did to make this transition smoother was to create some healthy snacks that I could use as "bait" to get him to eat my food. Once I found some that he liked, I could tell him he could have these snacks if he ate some avocado (or chicken, whatever). Sometimes he still needs the incentive, but in the beginning I really needed these to get the ball rolling. I know some parents don't believe in bribing a kid to eat food with other food, but I figured since I was bribing with items I thought were good for him (fruit or these snacks) that it wasn't too bad.
Here are the links to some snacks I have prepared (all can be made in big batches and frozen)
Energy Balls
He loves these. Will eat about anything to get them. They are basically nuts and dried fruit. All things I am fine with him eating. Super simple to make.
Super Bars
I actually haven't tried these in awhile. He liked them a lot in the beginning but then lost a little interest. But again, oats, dried fruit, nuts. I think I replaced the brown sugar with either honey or Sucanat (a sweetener made from whole cane sugar that still has all of the natural molasses. Nothing added, nothing taken out).
PB & J Bars
These are a grain-free version of a classic. He used to love these but I have to negotiate a little these days. Which I cannot understand for the life of me. They are delicious.
All of these snacks are grain-free and made with natural sweeteners. They do take a little time, but like I said, you can make big batches and freeze. And they all travel well and can be put in kids' lunch boxes.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Reason #6 for a Whole Foods Diet: I LOVE FOOD!!
I realize I missed last week's Monday post about why I am doing this. And I'm going to change the "this" from sugar-free year to eating a whole food diet. And by this I mean, eating REAL food. Trying to eat very little processed food, cooking most of my food, and staying away from refined sugars, gluten and nasty vegetable oils.
When I tell people that I am cutting out processed foods from my diet (and sugar, which most read as - dessert) I am shocked when people say they couldn't do this because they "like food too much." I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that stuff you are eating is not food. I don't want to come across as preachy, because I think everyone has the right to put whatever they want into their mouth. I just ask that you don't fool yourself into thinking it is food. Like I have written before, if it can sit on a shelf for months (or years) at a time, it isn't food. If it is neon green or hot pink or turquoise, it most likely isn't food.
I love food. Love, love, love it. I think it's safe to assume that we all do since we need it to survive. I haven't met anyone who doesn't have foods that make them happy, or favorite foods, or doesn't comment on the smells of a kitchen with dishes warming in the oven.
But when you start eating real food, and getting your taste buds back in order after years of tricking them with artificially flavored things, you will fall in love with food all over again. I know I did. And to my surprise, I love making food. I love turning something simple, like a zucchini, into a delicious pancake with onions, garlic and seasonings. Or plain oats into a warm porridge with spices and fats to make a stick to your ribs type of breakfast.
Something I need to work on is just how much I'm loving my food. While I do believe a lot of my false hunger and cravings is due to the sugar going through my body, I also do admit that I have formed some pretty bad habits. Habits that are incredibly difficult for my to break. Three habits that I need to work on over the next few months are:
1) Eating my kids' food. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's tough not to pick at left-overs on a tray. Or the few spoonfuls of something still sitting in my frying pan that they don't want to eat. Even though it's good food, too much food is not good for you. And since I'm not training for a half marathon or doing three sessions of yoga a week or entering a gym anytime this year I have to be more conscious of the amount of food I am eating. And I found even when I was feeling good with the absence of sugar a month ago, I was still eating my kids food because it was there and it looked good.
2) Eating while I cook. Similar issue. The food is there and I want to eat it. There's no need to "taste" to make sure a dish is good when I have made it 20 times before. I basically eat an entire mini-dinner while I am preparing it and then sit down to regular portion just 30 minutes later.
3) Snacking. Especially in front of the TV. Especially during nap time. I feel like a broken record writing this one. But it has been an issue since my son was born.
I don't have a game plan yet but I know there has to be a way to curb these habits. Because going off of sugar wasn't solving them.
When I tell people that I am cutting out processed foods from my diet (and sugar, which most read as - dessert) I am shocked when people say they couldn't do this because they "like food too much." I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that stuff you are eating is not food. I don't want to come across as preachy, because I think everyone has the right to put whatever they want into their mouth. I just ask that you don't fool yourself into thinking it is food. Like I have written before, if it can sit on a shelf for months (or years) at a time, it isn't food. If it is neon green or hot pink or turquoise, it most likely isn't food.
I love food. Love, love, love it. I think it's safe to assume that we all do since we need it to survive. I haven't met anyone who doesn't have foods that make them happy, or favorite foods, or doesn't comment on the smells of a kitchen with dishes warming in the oven.
But when you start eating real food, and getting your taste buds back in order after years of tricking them with artificially flavored things, you will fall in love with food all over again. I know I did. And to my surprise, I love making food. I love turning something simple, like a zucchini, into a delicious pancake with onions, garlic and seasonings. Or plain oats into a warm porridge with spices and fats to make a stick to your ribs type of breakfast.
Something I need to work on is just how much I'm loving my food. While I do believe a lot of my false hunger and cravings is due to the sugar going through my body, I also do admit that I have formed some pretty bad habits. Habits that are incredibly difficult for my to break. Three habits that I need to work on over the next few months are:
1) Eating my kids' food. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's tough not to pick at left-overs on a tray. Or the few spoonfuls of something still sitting in my frying pan that they don't want to eat. Even though it's good food, too much food is not good for you. And since I'm not training for a half marathon or doing three sessions of yoga a week or entering a gym anytime this year I have to be more conscious of the amount of food I am eating. And I found even when I was feeling good with the absence of sugar a month ago, I was still eating my kids food because it was there and it looked good.
2) Eating while I cook. Similar issue. The food is there and I want to eat it. There's no need to "taste" to make sure a dish is good when I have made it 20 times before. I basically eat an entire mini-dinner while I am preparing it and then sit down to regular portion just 30 minutes later.
3) Snacking. Especially in front of the TV. Especially during nap time. I feel like a broken record writing this one. But it has been an issue since my son was born.
I don't have a game plan yet but I know there has to be a way to curb these habits. Because going off of sugar wasn't solving them.
Back in the Saddle
Back to blogging!
I had a bit of a set-back over the past 10 days or so. Without going into too much personal detail, I found myself overwhelmed. Two kids has really been a difficult transition for me. I feel as though I'm still working through the transition of just BEING a parent (even after nearly 3 years), but the two has just zapped me. Never having time to myself or a consistent schedule is something I find stressful. After my son got through his newborn phase and we had lived in Charlotte for a few months, I found I could get into a small routine. Music Man was a tremendous sleeper. He took long naps and always slept through the night. He used to sleep in until at least 7 almost every single morning. Two years ago I actually had the energy to wake up around 5 or 5:30, take the dog for a walk, do about 20 minutes of yoga, make my breakfast and watch a little news before my day with him began. I laugh thinking about that now! There is NO WAY that could happen with my life right now and that has been a tough pill to swallow. I have always known that my life would never return to what it was with just one kid, but like most things in life, you have to live it to really let it sink in.
Three things are keeping me from getting into any flow:
1) My daughter is not my son. I know, shocker, right?!? But I think most parents take a little time to fully realize this. After all, he's the only kid I knew right? So I had certain expectations and parenting methods in my brain. I am nursing her (I didn't make it very far with my son) and this requires me to be accessible to her three times a day. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing compared to the first six or seven months, but still, it's been ten months now and I have never spent more than 3 hours away from her. Until today though! My sitter came in the morning and I won't return to my house for 3 1/2 hours! Hence why I can finally devote a little attention to this blog. It also took her a long time to get into a nap schedule, and she doesn't sleep in large chunks like her brother did.
2) My son is no longer a 10 month old baby. He's an emotional, moody, unpredictable toddler. I never know what I'm going to wake up to in the morning. Now, he was also a moody baby, but with a baby there are so many less variables. First of all, they don't have a lot of choices. They can't express their opinions that clearly (which is a both a blessing and a curse) and you can easily pick them up and move them from point A to point B. They eat what is put in front of them, and with my son, he liked his routines. I was lucky in that he could entertain himself for a long time, and he loved doing the same sort of activities all of the time. My toddler...is a whole new can of worms. Anything sets him off. Going somewhere takes 20 minutes of strategically placed wording and tone and risk/reward choices that will somehow convince him that going out to the playground on a warm, sunny day is actually a GOOD idea. We are constantly arguing over how much TV he will watch, what he will eat for lunch, how close his sister can stand next to him (usually not within 10 feet), and when and where we can change his diaper. The overall day is absolutely stressful.
3) Two is more than one. Rocket science, I know. But the fact of the matter is, I am now juggling two balls instead of one. And although that is easier than juggling four (cannot even imagine that!), I do have to focus a lot more. And they tag team me. I swear, it's like little kid ESP or something. My daughter took months and months to start sleeping late in the morning. She doesn't wake before 7. Once she started doing that, my son (who rarely ever woke early) has been up by 6 almost every morning. Sometimes sooner. Luckily he stays in his room, but not all of the time. And he's also cranky in the morning most days. And now that my daughter is finally napping on a schedule, I should be getting a 90 minute break from the two of them in the afternoon. But nope, Music Man doesn't like to nap for me (will do anything when Daddy's home on the weekends!), so my weekday afternoons are spent negotiating how long he needs to stay in his room and telling him he can't walk through the hallways singing at the top of his lungs while his sister sleeps.
This is just one of the things on my mind these days, coping with this new role as a mother of two. I do try to remind myself that we have come a long way from the summer, where I never got more than 3 hours of consecutive sleep and my son cried all day long and I would flip out on him almost once a day and then feel guilty about it for a week. We are past those days and that is awesome, but the grind still gets to me.
Add to that me trying to eat sugar and gluten free and cooking all of our meals and I just couldn't cope. I found myself eating fruit and feeling guilty. Eating large portions of lunch and dinner and feeling guilty. Snacking through the day and feeling guilty. Gaining five pounds and feeling guilty.
And then I had some sugar.
Way to bury the lead, Brooke! Yup, off the band wagon. I have been eating some honey. I had some grain-free pumpkin bread last week that was sweetened with honey. Had it during a difficult moment where my head felt like it was going to implode and my patience with everything was razor thin. Then I started adding honey to my oatmeal in the morning and this was partially due to allergy season. Every year since I moved to Charlotte I have gotten allergies right as spring is moving in. And every year I eat some local honey and the pollen that those bees eat gets into my system and I build up an immunity and my allergies go away. I was on the fence as to what to do this year but I decided to just eat some honey.
Now the first thought that crossed my mind was:
FAILURE!
But thankfully, I was able to stifle that thought really quickly and actually show myself some much needed compassion. I started to feel so stupid (especially about this blog), thinking that all of my writing about how bad sugar is and how I absolutely cannot have any and about my addiction was going to seem like such a joke if I couldn't stick to my goal. Then I started thinking clearly. First of all, I only need to answer to myself in this world. This blog was meant to be a place where I could vent and share the ups and downs I have with healthy eating. Honestly, I don't know if I can go an entire year off of all sugar. I am proud that I have yet to eat any refined sugar or gluten. I do know that my body doesn't do as well when I have things like honey and maple syrup and fruit floating around in there, but I also know it's not doing nearly as much damage as white sugar and gluten. And avoiding these things is pretty difficult but I think I can do it. And if I don't, I'm not going to beat myself up.
This "Sugar-Free Year" is just as much about my own total health journey (mind, body and spirit) than simply not eating sugar. I always knew I had an emotional connection to food, and I want to spend the remainder of this year figuring out ways to curb this. I honestly think more of the problem is my connection to food (as in its relationship to my stress levels) than about what I am putting in my mouth at the time. I need to figure out a way to comfort myself and accept myself and be happy with how I am living my life. When I can find some coping skills that don't center around self-sabotage and guilt I really think my eating will just work itself out.
And as much as I preach about kale and organic meat, the true health threat to everyone is stress. You can have the cleanest diet on the planet, but if you're stressed out it won't do you any good. Stress attacks everything good going on in your body. They have actually found that people who eat clean but are stressed out are unhealthier than happy, content people who don't have the greenest stuff entering their system. And trying to keep up with this very demanding goal was starting to add stress to everything else that was already stressing me out. So I'm releasing my reins a little and allowing some natural sweeteners in my life. This is actually great news for my readers, because there will be more recipes that you would enjoy, ha!
So this is still technically "sugar-free" since most websites just count refined, white sugar as sugar. Many people do great with natural sweeteners (they do not spike your blood sugar the way refined sugar and artificial sweenteners do). And they actually have some health benefits, which I will post soon!
I am grateful that I was able to see that I needed a breath and could get my head on straight and work through this past week. Now I'm back on the horse and looking forward to sharing my healthy lifestyle with everyone again!
I had a bit of a set-back over the past 10 days or so. Without going into too much personal detail, I found myself overwhelmed. Two kids has really been a difficult transition for me. I feel as though I'm still working through the transition of just BEING a parent (even after nearly 3 years), but the two has just zapped me. Never having time to myself or a consistent schedule is something I find stressful. After my son got through his newborn phase and we had lived in Charlotte for a few months, I found I could get into a small routine. Music Man was a tremendous sleeper. He took long naps and always slept through the night. He used to sleep in until at least 7 almost every single morning. Two years ago I actually had the energy to wake up around 5 or 5:30, take the dog for a walk, do about 20 minutes of yoga, make my breakfast and watch a little news before my day with him began. I laugh thinking about that now! There is NO WAY that could happen with my life right now and that has been a tough pill to swallow. I have always known that my life would never return to what it was with just one kid, but like most things in life, you have to live it to really let it sink in.
Three things are keeping me from getting into any flow:
1) My daughter is not my son. I know, shocker, right?!? But I think most parents take a little time to fully realize this. After all, he's the only kid I knew right? So I had certain expectations and parenting methods in my brain. I am nursing her (I didn't make it very far with my son) and this requires me to be accessible to her three times a day. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing compared to the first six or seven months, but still, it's been ten months now and I have never spent more than 3 hours away from her. Until today though! My sitter came in the morning and I won't return to my house for 3 1/2 hours! Hence why I can finally devote a little attention to this blog. It also took her a long time to get into a nap schedule, and she doesn't sleep in large chunks like her brother did.
2) My son is no longer a 10 month old baby. He's an emotional, moody, unpredictable toddler. I never know what I'm going to wake up to in the morning. Now, he was also a moody baby, but with a baby there are so many less variables. First of all, they don't have a lot of choices. They can't express their opinions that clearly (which is a both a blessing and a curse) and you can easily pick them up and move them from point A to point B. They eat what is put in front of them, and with my son, he liked his routines. I was lucky in that he could entertain himself for a long time, and he loved doing the same sort of activities all of the time. My toddler...is a whole new can of worms. Anything sets him off. Going somewhere takes 20 minutes of strategically placed wording and tone and risk/reward choices that will somehow convince him that going out to the playground on a warm, sunny day is actually a GOOD idea. We are constantly arguing over how much TV he will watch, what he will eat for lunch, how close his sister can stand next to him (usually not within 10 feet), and when and where we can change his diaper. The overall day is absolutely stressful.
3) Two is more than one. Rocket science, I know. But the fact of the matter is, I am now juggling two balls instead of one. And although that is easier than juggling four (cannot even imagine that!), I do have to focus a lot more. And they tag team me. I swear, it's like little kid ESP or something. My daughter took months and months to start sleeping late in the morning. She doesn't wake before 7. Once she started doing that, my son (who rarely ever woke early) has been up by 6 almost every morning. Sometimes sooner. Luckily he stays in his room, but not all of the time. And he's also cranky in the morning most days. And now that my daughter is finally napping on a schedule, I should be getting a 90 minute break from the two of them in the afternoon. But nope, Music Man doesn't like to nap for me (will do anything when Daddy's home on the weekends!), so my weekday afternoons are spent negotiating how long he needs to stay in his room and telling him he can't walk through the hallways singing at the top of his lungs while his sister sleeps.
This is just one of the things on my mind these days, coping with this new role as a mother of two. I do try to remind myself that we have come a long way from the summer, where I never got more than 3 hours of consecutive sleep and my son cried all day long and I would flip out on him almost once a day and then feel guilty about it for a week. We are past those days and that is awesome, but the grind still gets to me.
Add to that me trying to eat sugar and gluten free and cooking all of our meals and I just couldn't cope. I found myself eating fruit and feeling guilty. Eating large portions of lunch and dinner and feeling guilty. Snacking through the day and feeling guilty. Gaining five pounds and feeling guilty.
And then I had some sugar.
Way to bury the lead, Brooke! Yup, off the band wagon. I have been eating some honey. I had some grain-free pumpkin bread last week that was sweetened with honey. Had it during a difficult moment where my head felt like it was going to implode and my patience with everything was razor thin. Then I started adding honey to my oatmeal in the morning and this was partially due to allergy season. Every year since I moved to Charlotte I have gotten allergies right as spring is moving in. And every year I eat some local honey and the pollen that those bees eat gets into my system and I build up an immunity and my allergies go away. I was on the fence as to what to do this year but I decided to just eat some honey.
Now the first thought that crossed my mind was:
FAILURE!
But thankfully, I was able to stifle that thought really quickly and actually show myself some much needed compassion. I started to feel so stupid (especially about this blog), thinking that all of my writing about how bad sugar is and how I absolutely cannot have any and about my addiction was going to seem like such a joke if I couldn't stick to my goal. Then I started thinking clearly. First of all, I only need to answer to myself in this world. This blog was meant to be a place where I could vent and share the ups and downs I have with healthy eating. Honestly, I don't know if I can go an entire year off of all sugar. I am proud that I have yet to eat any refined sugar or gluten. I do know that my body doesn't do as well when I have things like honey and maple syrup and fruit floating around in there, but I also know it's not doing nearly as much damage as white sugar and gluten. And avoiding these things is pretty difficult but I think I can do it. And if I don't, I'm not going to beat myself up.
This "Sugar-Free Year" is just as much about my own total health journey (mind, body and spirit) than simply not eating sugar. I always knew I had an emotional connection to food, and I want to spend the remainder of this year figuring out ways to curb this. I honestly think more of the problem is my connection to food (as in its relationship to my stress levels) than about what I am putting in my mouth at the time. I need to figure out a way to comfort myself and accept myself and be happy with how I am living my life. When I can find some coping skills that don't center around self-sabotage and guilt I really think my eating will just work itself out.
And as much as I preach about kale and organic meat, the true health threat to everyone is stress. You can have the cleanest diet on the planet, but if you're stressed out it won't do you any good. Stress attacks everything good going on in your body. They have actually found that people who eat clean but are stressed out are unhealthier than happy, content people who don't have the greenest stuff entering their system. And trying to keep up with this very demanding goal was starting to add stress to everything else that was already stressing me out. So I'm releasing my reins a little and allowing some natural sweeteners in my life. This is actually great news for my readers, because there will be more recipes that you would enjoy, ha!
So this is still technically "sugar-free" since most websites just count refined, white sugar as sugar. Many people do great with natural sweeteners (they do not spike your blood sugar the way refined sugar and artificial sweenteners do). And they actually have some health benefits, which I will post soon!
I am grateful that I was able to see that I needed a breath and could get my head on straight and work through this past week. Now I'm back on the horse and looking forward to sharing my healthy lifestyle with everyone again!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Short Hiatus
I'm taking a breather from the blog this week. Just a lot going on and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Hoping to get some inspiration through the rest of the week and I plan on hopping back on the blog horse. So to my 3 readers out there, I'll be back soon!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Looking for new veggie members for my club...
My mom's in town this week and many times when I have an extra set of hands to help with the kids I use that time to experiment a bit in the kitchen. And this weekend is all about vegetables. I am need of variety, big time. I also am trying to decrease the amount of meat and grains I eat and in order to do this I need to start stacking my plate up with veggies. And not just lettuce and carrots, but real nutrient dense vegetables that can satisfy me.
For a person who prides herself on healthy eating, I am the first to admit that there are many foods out there that I have never tried, or given a real effort to cook myself. So I took out my Nourishing Traditions book and am tackling some new foods over the next few days:
Cabbage
Artichokes
Beets
Parsnips
Turnips
Rutabagas
The root vegetables (parsnips, turnips, rutabagas) are about to go out of season. They are fall and winter vegetables and the temperatures are starting to rise here in Charlotte (finally!) so I wanted to take advantage of them before spring officially arrived. I will just slow-roast them with some seasonings. I'll also probably add acorn squash and sweet potatoes to the mix to help with the bitterness associated with these foods. I have cooked them before, but I can count the number of times on one hand...more like two fingers.
Cabbage is available year round and it's in the grocery stores a lot with St. Patrick's Day right around the corner. I know cooked cabbage is a staple Irish meal, but I've never really eaten it. The odds are stacked against me since both my mom and the Hubs admitted they do not like cabbage when I announced during dinner last night that some new dishes would be coming their way. Let's hope Sally Fallon's "cabbage with oranges" dish helps their tastebuds choke it down tonight!
Beets are ridiculously good for you. Ever since I started down this path a few years ago I have seen the word "beets" and the phrase "regular part of your diet" pop up countless times. It is chock full of nutrients (in particular, magnesium, which is something I feel both myself and the Hubs are lacking). But I have yet to cook them. So I'll be oven-roasting the beets and wilting their greens tomorrow night.
Artichokes have always intimidated me. I know they are good for you, but I try to avoid canned foods due to the scary BPA lining and it seems they always popped up in the canned version in recipes. The most common place I see them are in a low-quality spinach artichoke dip at chain restaurants. I'm no stranger to these, the Hubs and I used to order this every single time we went out to eat before I started changing my diet. Even after I stopped getting it, he used to get it and eat the whole thing himself! But those days are gone. Hopefully his clear arteries and sharp mind will thank me when he's in his 70s. Anyway, back to artichokes. They just look difficult to cook (like I said before, I fall prey to the "cooking is so difficult!" mentality as well). And I have no idea what a freshly cooked artichoke even tastes like. I bought two at Whole Foods and I'm going to try this slow-cooker recipe I found. You stuff the artichoke with sausage, cauliflower, mushrooms and green onions. Not really avoiding meat by doing this, but I have a feeling I may need to transition to this taste slowly.
So that's what's on the table for this weekend. I chose Sally Fallon's book for most of these recipes because she really does believe in letting the food shine on its own. Just cook, season with spice, and add some fat (either in butter or coconut oil). I'll be thrilled if we can at least choke down three out of the four. My gut is telling me these may not go as planned. Vegetables can be a little tricky and it may take a few tries to get the seasonings and cook times correct.
For a person who prides herself on healthy eating, I am the first to admit that there are many foods out there that I have never tried, or given a real effort to cook myself. So I took out my Nourishing Traditions book and am tackling some new foods over the next few days:
Cabbage
Artichokes
Beets
Parsnips
Turnips
Rutabagas
The root vegetables (parsnips, turnips, rutabagas) are about to go out of season. They are fall and winter vegetables and the temperatures are starting to rise here in Charlotte (finally!) so I wanted to take advantage of them before spring officially arrived. I will just slow-roast them with some seasonings. I'll also probably add acorn squash and sweet potatoes to the mix to help with the bitterness associated with these foods. I have cooked them before, but I can count the number of times on one hand...more like two fingers.
Cabbage is available year round and it's in the grocery stores a lot with St. Patrick's Day right around the corner. I know cooked cabbage is a staple Irish meal, but I've never really eaten it. The odds are stacked against me since both my mom and the Hubs admitted they do not like cabbage when I announced during dinner last night that some new dishes would be coming their way. Let's hope Sally Fallon's "cabbage with oranges" dish helps their tastebuds choke it down tonight!
Beets are ridiculously good for you. Ever since I started down this path a few years ago I have seen the word "beets" and the phrase "regular part of your diet" pop up countless times. It is chock full of nutrients (in particular, magnesium, which is something I feel both myself and the Hubs are lacking). But I have yet to cook them. So I'll be oven-roasting the beets and wilting their greens tomorrow night.
Artichokes have always intimidated me. I know they are good for you, but I try to avoid canned foods due to the scary BPA lining and it seems they always popped up in the canned version in recipes. The most common place I see them are in a low-quality spinach artichoke dip at chain restaurants. I'm no stranger to these, the Hubs and I used to order this every single time we went out to eat before I started changing my diet. Even after I stopped getting it, he used to get it and eat the whole thing himself! But those days are gone. Hopefully his clear arteries and sharp mind will thank me when he's in his 70s. Anyway, back to artichokes. They just look difficult to cook (like I said before, I fall prey to the "cooking is so difficult!" mentality as well). And I have no idea what a freshly cooked artichoke even tastes like. I bought two at Whole Foods and I'm going to try this slow-cooker recipe I found. You stuff the artichoke with sausage, cauliflower, mushrooms and green onions. Not really avoiding meat by doing this, but I have a feeling I may need to transition to this taste slowly.
So that's what's on the table for this weekend. I chose Sally Fallon's book for most of these recipes because she really does believe in letting the food shine on its own. Just cook, season with spice, and add some fat (either in butter or coconut oil). I'll be thrilled if we can at least choke down three out of the four. My gut is telling me these may not go as planned. Vegetables can be a little tricky and it may take a few tries to get the seasonings and cook times correct.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
It IS easy being green!
I just saw The Muppets movie the other day so Kermit's on my mind. I absolutely loved the Muppets as a kid and really enjoyed the movie. Now the green I'm talking about isn't our favorite frog, it's the super-powered, medicinal, delicious green vegetables that we should all be eating every single day (if not meal)!
If you're trying to make some small changes to your diet, adding more vegetables will serve you well. I think we all know they are good for us, but our society doesn't seem to give veggies the proper attention they deserve. I plan on doing some veggie profiles with this blog (I seem to have a lot of plans...hopefully I can execute them eventually! But I won't beat myself up about it, this year is all about baby steps). For now I'll give you some tips to incorporate more of these nutritious building blocks into your diet. Vegetables can be intimidating for people new to a healthy way of eating, so this is a list of ways to "sneak" them into your meals.
I don't like to break food into meal categories. I feel like you can eat any type of food at anytime of the day, but I know most people look at me weird when I dish out my dinner for breakfast so I'll try to categorize these tips into the three meals we are accustomed to:
BREAKFAST:
1) Add them to your eggs in the morning. Eggs are such an awesome food. They are a fantastic base for a myriad of flavors, and their already mushy texture allows you to add all sorts of things that blend well as you're chewing. On any given morning I put onion, peppers, mushrooms, a dark leafy veggie (kale, spinach, chard, collards...), broccoli, and/or zucchini into my scrambled eggs. Or I fry up some eggs and serve them next to quinoa or rice that has been combined with the above veggies. If I have left-overs from the night before I throw them in. That's actually usually better because they are already cooked (saves time) and are already drenched in either butter, olive oil, or coconut oil, mixed with garlic, and seasoned with herbs and salt and pepper.
2) Add a heaping spoonful of cooked sweet potato or some sort of winter squash (acorn or butternut) to oatmeal in the morning. These root veggies pair well with cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and apples. And those are usually what you'd put in your oatmeal anyway.
LUNCH:
1) Salad....duh! We all know salads can give us our vegetables, but few of us put anything in besides lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. Now lunch is a meal that I struggle with a lot. But something I have started doing to incorporate a little more variety to my diet is making grain-based salads. I use quinoa or millet and then add things like zucchini, broccoli, asparagus (usually cooked) and then use some sort of a vinaigrette for a punch of flavor.
2) Cut-up veggies with hummus or guacamole. This is something you can add as a side. Carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes are obvious choices.
3) Stuff your sandwiches with vegetables. Whether you like wraps or thick-cut bread make sure whatever you are eating has vegetables stuffed in. You can buy a lot of vegetables pre-cut or shredded and this makes it even easier. Shredded carrots, broccoli slaw (they have this at Trader Joe's), peppers, cucumbers and celery add a really nice crunch to a normally mushy sandwich.
DINNER:
1) Add dark, leafy greens to pasta sauces. And while you're add it, add broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peppers, whatever. This is a great way to introduce yourself to some vegetables you may not be too fond of or familiar with (kale, collards...). Pasta sauce masks the flavor a bit and food sticks to slippery pasta on its way down so you don't have to adjust too much to the textures. This is how I first started eating kale years ago.
2) Add to soups. If you ever make a soup like chicken noodle, or some sort of stew, just add greens to it. Again, the flavors of the soup will mask the bitter taste of the greens, and they will just slip down your throat with the broth.
As you get more comfortable with vegetables and get used to the bitter taste of greens you'll start to enjoy them on their own as well. And then some day you may even make yourself a kale, celery, cucumber and parsley green drink and enjoy it!! The ultimate right of passage to health nut : )
If you're trying to make some small changes to your diet, adding more vegetables will serve you well. I think we all know they are good for us, but our society doesn't seem to give veggies the proper attention they deserve. I plan on doing some veggie profiles with this blog (I seem to have a lot of plans...hopefully I can execute them eventually! But I won't beat myself up about it, this year is all about baby steps). For now I'll give you some tips to incorporate more of these nutritious building blocks into your diet. Vegetables can be intimidating for people new to a healthy way of eating, so this is a list of ways to "sneak" them into your meals.
I don't like to break food into meal categories. I feel like you can eat any type of food at anytime of the day, but I know most people look at me weird when I dish out my dinner for breakfast so I'll try to categorize these tips into the three meals we are accustomed to:
BREAKFAST:
1) Add them to your eggs in the morning. Eggs are such an awesome food. They are a fantastic base for a myriad of flavors, and their already mushy texture allows you to add all sorts of things that blend well as you're chewing. On any given morning I put onion, peppers, mushrooms, a dark leafy veggie (kale, spinach, chard, collards...), broccoli, and/or zucchini into my scrambled eggs. Or I fry up some eggs and serve them next to quinoa or rice that has been combined with the above veggies. If I have left-overs from the night before I throw them in. That's actually usually better because they are already cooked (saves time) and are already drenched in either butter, olive oil, or coconut oil, mixed with garlic, and seasoned with herbs and salt and pepper.
2) Add a heaping spoonful of cooked sweet potato or some sort of winter squash (acorn or butternut) to oatmeal in the morning. These root veggies pair well with cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and apples. And those are usually what you'd put in your oatmeal anyway.
LUNCH:
1) Salad....duh! We all know salads can give us our vegetables, but few of us put anything in besides lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. Now lunch is a meal that I struggle with a lot. But something I have started doing to incorporate a little more variety to my diet is making grain-based salads. I use quinoa or millet and then add things like zucchini, broccoli, asparagus (usually cooked) and then use some sort of a vinaigrette for a punch of flavor.
2) Cut-up veggies with hummus or guacamole. This is something you can add as a side. Carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes are obvious choices.
3) Stuff your sandwiches with vegetables. Whether you like wraps or thick-cut bread make sure whatever you are eating has vegetables stuffed in. You can buy a lot of vegetables pre-cut or shredded and this makes it even easier. Shredded carrots, broccoli slaw (they have this at Trader Joe's), peppers, cucumbers and celery add a really nice crunch to a normally mushy sandwich.
DINNER:
1) Add dark, leafy greens to pasta sauces. And while you're add it, add broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peppers, whatever. This is a great way to introduce yourself to some vegetables you may not be too fond of or familiar with (kale, collards...). Pasta sauce masks the flavor a bit and food sticks to slippery pasta on its way down so you don't have to adjust too much to the textures. This is how I first started eating kale years ago.
2) Add to soups. If you ever make a soup like chicken noodle, or some sort of stew, just add greens to it. Again, the flavors of the soup will mask the bitter taste of the greens, and they will just slip down your throat with the broth.
As you get more comfortable with vegetables and get used to the bitter taste of greens you'll start to enjoy them on their own as well. And then some day you may even make yourself a kale, celery, cucumber and parsley green drink and enjoy it!! The ultimate right of passage to health nut : )
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Prep-ahead Meal #3
Chicken nuggets!!
This post is definitely for the kids, but these babies are awesome for kids of all sizes. I'm not talking the Tyson chicken nuggets that came from chickens kept in decrepit conditions or are full of nasty oils and fillers and preservatives. I'm talking about quick, super simple, homemade nuggets. I got this recipe from my gal the Whole New Mom. I've made them three times and make double batches to freeze. Music Man, Little Peanut, and Mama LOVE them. The Hubs eats them and says they are "good" which I take as a positive sign from him. Here's the recipe:
Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets
They really are tasty. And they have the awesome fat coconut oil in them so they pack an extra boost of healthy goodness. I've paired them with rice and a green vegetable, or sweet potatoes and cut up avocado. These have turned into a dish that the Music Man will eat on his own without negotiations. Not always, but I've seen it happen!
This post is definitely for the kids, but these babies are awesome for kids of all sizes. I'm not talking the Tyson chicken nuggets that came from chickens kept in decrepit conditions or are full of nasty oils and fillers and preservatives. I'm talking about quick, super simple, homemade nuggets. I got this recipe from my gal the Whole New Mom. I've made them three times and make double batches to freeze. Music Man, Little Peanut, and Mama LOVE them. The Hubs eats them and says they are "good" which I take as a positive sign from him. Here's the recipe:
Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets
They really are tasty. And they have the awesome fat coconut oil in them so they pack an extra boost of healthy goodness. I've paired them with rice and a green vegetable, or sweet potatoes and cut up avocado. These have turned into a dish that the Music Man will eat on his own without negotiations. Not always, but I've seen it happen!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Reason #5 Why I Am Doing This: I like the company I'm in
I think sometimes you can judge someone by the company they keep. I also believe you are what you eat. So when you combine those two ideas, I like to think that what food I choose and who I buy it from says a lot about the person I am and the person I want to be.
Clearly I choose the food I eat because I think I will be a healthier person for it. And by healthy I don't mean skinny. There are plenty of people out there who are sick and skinny. I'm not referring to those with illnesses or diseases, but there are a lot of people who are skinny and malnourished, skinny and tired, skinny and eating foods that are destroying their insides. I want energy, a clear mind, and an overall "good" feeling in my own skin. I'm starting to find more of a correlation between not just the physical impact of food, but the mental and spiritual aspects as well.
Case in point: the book I am reading about animal ethics has me looking at my food sources with a much larger magnifying glass. My research over the past few years has shown me that factory meat is not in the same realm as my local farm's meat when it comes to nutrition. Eggs in a carton in the grocery store offer a fraction of the vitamins, protein and other essential nutrients that a farm fresh egg does. But now there's more to the story for me. Now when I look at a piece of commercial, factory produced chicken I think about the backstory of that bird. Of the suffering it went through, of the horrific conditions it lived in and the unethical treatment it may have received. It literally makes me gag and I don't want to eat it. I can take this to produce as well. I think about all of the chemicals put on those plants and then those chemicals going into my kids and suddenly the food doesn't seem appetizing.
In my dream world, where I have an abundance of time and money, I wouldn't buy anything from a grocery store. I would only shop at my farmer's markets, grow some of my own food, and make almost everything I could from scratch. There's something about having a truly personal connection to my food that feels good. I thoroughly enjoy going to my farmer's market and talking to the farmers about how they picked the vegetables that day or how the lack of rain is really hurting a particular crop. I like talking to my meat gal about what cuts she'll have in weeks to come, or why the ground beef selection is low this month. I'm not totally naive, I know that farmers are human and can lie and maybe some do to try and make a buck, but a lot of these people invite you to their farms to check out their methods. This level of transparency makes me feel better. Most factory-based meat plants do not let anyone in their doors. That alone makes me feel safer putting my "food faith" in the hands of my local farms.
I don't see my dream world coming true anytime soon so I do shop at grocery stores. I try to choose the ones that are the most in line with my food philosophy: eating food that is as close to its natural form as possible. For me in Charlotte, these stores are Whole Foods and Earthfare. There are numerous products in these stores that I don't think are particularly healthy or smart choices for people. But you can find some top notch companies who are doing their best to help people living in this modern society achieve their food and health goals based on a more traditional approach of eating. Many of the products in these stores are made from high quality ingredients and are minimally processed.
Quick update: I'm doing pretty well with my shakes. I've made a few and like having them to sip on throughout the day. I'm still struggling with my fruit intake and overall food consumption.I am actually researching magnesium supplements to see if they will help me with some of my health troubles. I try not to get too caught up in all the supplement advice out there (if you listen to everyone you would be taking 100 pills a day!), but magnesium has been on my mind for awhile now and it feels like the right time to take some action. I'm actually sitting at Earthfare now typing this while my sitter watches the kids and I'm going to head into the health section to investigate some options. Going to see if I can get the Hubs to take something as well. That will take some persuasion. I may have to sneak it in like I do the liver : )
Clearly I choose the food I eat because I think I will be a healthier person for it. And by healthy I don't mean skinny. There are plenty of people out there who are sick and skinny. I'm not referring to those with illnesses or diseases, but there are a lot of people who are skinny and malnourished, skinny and tired, skinny and eating foods that are destroying their insides. I want energy, a clear mind, and an overall "good" feeling in my own skin. I'm starting to find more of a correlation between not just the physical impact of food, but the mental and spiritual aspects as well.
Case in point: the book I am reading about animal ethics has me looking at my food sources with a much larger magnifying glass. My research over the past few years has shown me that factory meat is not in the same realm as my local farm's meat when it comes to nutrition. Eggs in a carton in the grocery store offer a fraction of the vitamins, protein and other essential nutrients that a farm fresh egg does. But now there's more to the story for me. Now when I look at a piece of commercial, factory produced chicken I think about the backstory of that bird. Of the suffering it went through, of the horrific conditions it lived in and the unethical treatment it may have received. It literally makes me gag and I don't want to eat it. I can take this to produce as well. I think about all of the chemicals put on those plants and then those chemicals going into my kids and suddenly the food doesn't seem appetizing.
In my dream world, where I have an abundance of time and money, I wouldn't buy anything from a grocery store. I would only shop at my farmer's markets, grow some of my own food, and make almost everything I could from scratch. There's something about having a truly personal connection to my food that feels good. I thoroughly enjoy going to my farmer's market and talking to the farmers about how they picked the vegetables that day or how the lack of rain is really hurting a particular crop. I like talking to my meat gal about what cuts she'll have in weeks to come, or why the ground beef selection is low this month. I'm not totally naive, I know that farmers are human and can lie and maybe some do to try and make a buck, but a lot of these people invite you to their farms to check out their methods. This level of transparency makes me feel better. Most factory-based meat plants do not let anyone in their doors. That alone makes me feel safer putting my "food faith" in the hands of my local farms.
I don't see my dream world coming true anytime soon so I do shop at grocery stores. I try to choose the ones that are the most in line with my food philosophy: eating food that is as close to its natural form as possible. For me in Charlotte, these stores are Whole Foods and Earthfare. There are numerous products in these stores that I don't think are particularly healthy or smart choices for people. But you can find some top notch companies who are doing their best to help people living in this modern society achieve their food and health goals based on a more traditional approach of eating. Many of the products in these stores are made from high quality ingredients and are minimally processed.
Quick update: I'm doing pretty well with my shakes. I've made a few and like having them to sip on throughout the day. I'm still struggling with my fruit intake and overall food consumption.I am actually researching magnesium supplements to see if they will help me with some of my health troubles. I try not to get too caught up in all the supplement advice out there (if you listen to everyone you would be taking 100 pills a day!), but magnesium has been on my mind for awhile now and it feels like the right time to take some action. I'm actually sitting at Earthfare now typing this while my sitter watches the kids and I'm going to head into the health section to investigate some options. Going to see if I can get the Hubs to take something as well. That will take some persuasion. I may have to sneak it in like I do the liver : )
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Smoothies
I've been struggling getting veggies into my diet lately. While I am cooking greens and eating sweet potatoes for dinner like a champ, I am struggling at lunch time. I do like salads but I'm not finding the motivation to prep them and eat them for lunch. I think I need warmer weather to get into that mode and this 2013 winter in Charlotte is actually quite rainy and chilly. I've been staring at my Vitamix for quite some time and decided today to put it to work.
I treated myself to a green juice at a local grocery store down here while my in-laws were helping me with the kids. I basically copied it this morning:
3/4 cucumber
4 pieces of celery (with leaves)
big handful of parsley
big handful of spinach
1 yellow apple
splash of water
Delicious. And the best part was, I had some leftover from breakfast and I sipped on that while I was feeding my kids their lunch. I think I've killed two birds with one stone here. I find that when my kids are eating I am picking at their meals. I'm sort of hungry for my own lunch but can't really sit down and enjoy a meal. So if I start making more smoothies in the morning I can sip on them with the kids. That will get me through to nap time where I can actually sit down and have my own lunch. So more vegetables and a possible solution to my overeating problem. There's also the emotional component but baby steps!
I did have to cook up a couple of eggs this morning because I was still a little hungry.But there are so many other smoothies with nut butters, avocados and/or milk that I'm sure I can find something that fills me up.
I'm feeling rather optimistic about this. See how it goes....
I treated myself to a green juice at a local grocery store down here while my in-laws were helping me with the kids. I basically copied it this morning:
3/4 cucumber
4 pieces of celery (with leaves)
big handful of parsley
big handful of spinach
1 yellow apple
splash of water
Delicious. And the best part was, I had some leftover from breakfast and I sipped on that while I was feeding my kids their lunch. I think I've killed two birds with one stone here. I find that when my kids are eating I am picking at their meals. I'm sort of hungry for my own lunch but can't really sit down and enjoy a meal. So if I start making more smoothies in the morning I can sip on them with the kids. That will get me through to nap time where I can actually sit down and have my own lunch. So more vegetables and a possible solution to my overeating problem. There's also the emotional component but baby steps!
I did have to cook up a couple of eggs this morning because I was still a little hungry.But there are so many other smoothies with nut butters, avocados and/or milk that I'm sure I can find something that fills me up.
I'm feeling rather optimistic about this. See how it goes....
Friday, March 1, 2013
Fat
It may seem that with a no-sugar, no-gluten diet that I adhere to the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. This couldn't be further from the truth. My addiction problems and emotional attachment to food are the reasons that at this moment in time I have had to follow strict guidelines when it comes to my own choices. So when people ask me about what changes they can make to their diet I think they are surprised when I tell them to start small.
Just to be clear, I have wanted to live a healthier lifestyle for years, probably close to a decade. When I first moved into a house with the Hubs I had all these visions of cooking our meals and always making healthy choices. I knew in my long-term health would be better if I ate well but I didn't always make choices consistent with the vision. In fact, I'd say I pigged out on just as much greasy food and take-out as most people. I love desserts and often had treats, and at the holidays I joined the ranks of my fellow Americans and put on extra pounds as I gorged on chocolates, cookies and pies every day from Halloween through New Years.
And even when I saw Michael Pollan on the Oprah show in 2009 and was pregnant with my son I did not drop all the junk cold turkey and start blending up green drinks and snacking on carrots. It was a slow, slow journey over the past four years that have brought me to this point. Filled with highs and tons of bottom-of-the-ice-cream-container lows. I truly believe we fail because we set out goals that are impossible and also dive into excretions of self-improvement without knowing all the facts, or even knowing ourselves all too well. My goal this month is to share some beginning steps that I took and think are extremely beneficial to starting on the healthy track.
I'm going to start with fats.
Fats are perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of our diet. And with good reason. The information out there about fats is very conflicting and there are also so many different types of fats and fats are hidden in items and the focal point of zillions of studies.
I'm actually going to be referring a lot to a woman named Nina Planck in this series on fats. She wasn't one of my "they" in my previous post, but she's a product of the Weston Price/Sally Fallon philosophy. She has a wonderful book called Real Food: What To Eat And Why and also is an excellent source for any woman looking to have a baby. I referred to her book a lot while I was thinking about baby #2 and ate a lot of her foods while the Little Peanut was brewing inside my tummy.
Fats are extremely important. Without boring you too much with a lot of information, just go back to your old high school biology classes and recall that all of our cell walls are made of fat. And a large chunk of our brains are composed of fat. So if you're looking to make a change in your diet and want to pinpoint where you should really work to use quality ingredients, fats are an excellent place to start. Who wants their cells walls and brain made up of low-quality, inferior fats? Not me!
Here's a super quick lesson on the different fats. First off, all fats are made of hydrogen and carbon. The fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. All fats technically have all of these components, but they are classified by the predominant fatty acid.
Saturated: beef, chocolate and butter
Monounsaturated: olive oil
Polyunsaturated: corn oil
Another thing to know about fats is how they withstand to heat (this will come in handy later). Basically, the more saturated a fat, the more sturdy it is and the less likely it will be damaged by exposure to heat. Unsaturated fats spoil more easily when exposed to heat and become rancid. Rancid isn't good.
A trans fat (a term that I think most people are familiar with since the FDA required that boxes label trans fats on boxes back in 2006) is the byproduct of a process called hydrogenation. My first tip for anyone trying to live a healthier life is AVOID ALL HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS.
A hydrogenated vegetable oil is what you get when you blast an unsaturated fatty acid with hydrogen in order to make it more saturated and stable. You essentially change a liquid fat into a solid one. This process destroys anything beneficial the unsaturated fat had and also forms what we call a trans fatty acid. Tons and tons of research (dating back to the 1950s) link trans-fatty acids to an increase of heart disease. Why did it take nearly 60 years for the government to mandate they be listed on our food? Well that's a by-product of food politics and big business and I'll hopefully explore that on this blog in the months to come. But for now, please know that trans fats are no bueno. Seriously, bad, bad, bad, bad! Here's a list of all the terrible things trans fats do to us from Nina Planck's book:
They lower your HDL (the good cholesterol)
Raise LDL (the bad cholesterol)
Raise L/(a) - promotes atherosclerosis and clotting
Reduces blood vessel function
Promotes diabetes, hypertension and obesity
Damage cell membranes
Create free radicals (and that is linked to cancer of all types)
Interferes with the conversion and use of DHA and EPA (the ridiculously important omega-3s)
Just to name a few….they are bad. Period. Avoid them.
So what are they in?? Well, luckily, trans fats have been taken out of a lot of processed foods but don't be fooled into thinking those packages with the big "NO TRANS FATS!!" exclamation are good for you. Technically speaking, a food company can still put "no trans fats" as long as there isn't more than 0.5 grams of trans fats in the product. And that is 0.5 per serving size. So you tell me the last time you actually ate a serving size of potato chips. Or a serving size of Oreo cookie. It's OK, no one's watching, you can be honest with yourself.
What do you look for on the label to let you know if there are nasty fats in there that you shouldn't be eating? Anything that has the word "hydrogenated" in it. And quite frankly, that is going to be a lot of your name brand snacks on the shelves of most grocery stores. Because one of the big reasons the food companies started using these hydrogenated oils is because a hydrogenated oil has a longer shelf life. You've made it more "stable" (forget the fact that you've made it into something bad for you, as long as it's stable that's all we care about). It's difficult to turn a profit on food that spoils quickly.
Which leads me back to my boy Michael Pollan. What was his eater's manifesto? Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants. The "eat food" part is a HUGE step. Because I promise you, anything you are getting that's in a box or is cooked with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils is not food. Food is supposed to rot. When you are eating food you are eating something that was once alive and thriving in mother nature. When you eat something that can sit on a shelf for months (or years) then you are not eating food. For the most part…we can talk about bulk grains and canned goods another time. But hopefully you get the picture.
So this first, small step towards eating better is actually quite a big one. If you do some more research on hydrogenated oils and trans fatty acids I promise you that you will not like what you find. And if you have children, you will definitely think twice about the groundwork you are laying down towards their overall health. I plan on adding a lot more information to this topic as the month goes on (there's a TON to sift through!) but google trans fats and hydrogenated oils and see what pops up.
This month I'll show you a list of ingredients to avoid if you wish to live without these nasty oils in your body. You can take this list and use it as a step towards better health!
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