Yup, you read that right. The words "favorite" and "fat" are purposely put next to each other! I know that all of us children of the 80s were brought up in a world where fat was the devil and the root of all health problems known to man. Hopefully, you've been aware of the growing literature out there that is debunking all these theories and basically showing how when we started taking the fat out of everyone's diet, we all started getting fat!
If not, you can read it here some day! I want to get all my thoughts out on that topic but I've got to sift through a lot of what I've read to write something nice and succinct. Again, this is a blog in progress and right now I don't have too much time to do my research. Especially when my baby girl is teething and going through a growth spurt and is waking me up at nights and starting my days around 5:30. I really hate teething. I always tells new moms that people warn you about the sleepless nights, they warn you about the crying baby you have to figure out how to soothe, but they don't tell you jack about how much teething is going to impact your life!! And there are sooooooo many teeth. And it sometimes takes weeks for one to make its way out. The worst. But I digress.
My favorite fat in the world is coconut oil. First off, you can cook with it and you can use it on your body. I love products that have dual purpose function! I remember when I was first introduced to coconut oil years ago the big pitch was how it had a high heating point, and thus didn't break down like other oils when you cooked with it. Olive oil has a low heating point and actually can become rancid if cooked under too high a flame. This was a good reason to use it, but then I learned about all the health benefits and I was sold for life.
Here are just some of the ways coconut oil can improve your health:
It's anti fungal: Not only does this mean it can help with topical issues (yeast or any other type of fungal infection) but it actually helps fight against candida in your body. Candida is a fancy word for yeast. Many people have an overgrowth of yeast in their bodies (yours truly included!) that can be catastrophic to their health (fatigue, choric pain, sinus issues, depression, mood swings, and digestive disorders just to name a few). In studies they actually found that coconut oil can help fight the Candida species.
It's anti-inflammatory: Coconut oil can be used on cuts or even burns. It can also help in lowering a fever.
It's a sunscreen: Coconut oil has actually been proven to block some UV rays. My old chiropractor up in NJ (who first introduced me to coconut oil) said how the people living in the Philippines, and other island countries where coconuts are bountiful, would just spread some coconut on their bodies to protect themselves from the sun. They also ingested so much coconut that their bodies literally built a skin that was less sensitive to the rays and didn't need to put anything on to prevent burns. I've read that some parents who feed their kids a lot of coconut oil notice they really don't need much sunblock to protect them from the sun.
Honestly, the list goes on and on (and on and on and on). Here are two links that will give a lot more information and places you can use coconut oil in your daily life.
13 Evidence-Based Medicinal Properties of Coconut Oil
101 Uses for Coconut Oil
How do I use coconut oil?
Well, first and foremost, I cook with it. I use it for everything. Yes, there is a slight coconut flavor added to the food but overtime that flavor fades and it really isn't too strong. The Hubs cannot tell the difference when I cook with olive oil and coconut oil most times.
I pour it in my kids bathtubs (especially in the winter) to help moisturize their skin.
I used it when my Little Peanut got cradle cap. I massaged it into her scalp, let it drive for 10 minutes, and then used a comb to take it off.
I used it on my nipples when I got thrush during the first few months of nursing my daughter. Sorry if this is TMI, but this is the direction this blog will go sometimes!
Where do you find it?
You can find it at a Whole Foods or whatever health food store is in your area. You can order it online too. I have always just bought whatever brand is on sale that is raw and organic. But I am thinking of joining the Amazon Spend and Save program and using Tropical Traditions - a trusted source amongst health enthusiasts. I can buy it in bulk and save money. The more I am diving into this nutrition pool, the more I think I'll be using coconut oil.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
First Bump in the Road
Well I started to introduce fruit into my diet this month. Nothing crazy. Half an apple here, a handful of blueberries there, finishing off a kiwi that my kids didn't eat. I got a little nervous the first time I put apple in my oatmeal because I felt a little shaky a few hours later. It's tough to describe, but I start to feel really jittery and almost tingly through my body. Before I went strictly sugar-free, I only used to feel this after some chocolate late at night and I'd wake up pretty rattled at 2 or 3 AM.
Then a day or so later I noticed that I had some blueberries and wanted to dive into the container and eat every last one of them. It was a really strong craving.
I've also been waking a bit at night and having a tough time falling asleep.
All of these incidents I was taking in stride and trying not to fixate on. I also reminded myself that my Little Peanut has been waking up really early to nurse (gotta love those growth spurts!) and that maybe this had me out of whack.
Then today, as I was out at the playground and then back at my house getting the kids ready for naps I felt the all too familiar sensation of my blood sugar plummeting. I got really dozy and felt like I had no energy and wanted to collapse. It's a different feeling than just being tired from lack of sleep or the daily grind, it's a feeling that my body chemistry isn't right. Basically, it sucks.
I'm trying not to get too disgruntled. I'm going to go off fruit again for a bit, not sure for how long. Then I'll try adding it in even slower. Maybe have a really small serving only once every couple of days. I have to remember that when I was off fruit those first 31 days I wasn't really missing it. My cravings really were dying out and it wasn't like I was dying to have that apple on the first day. I introduced it because fruit is good for you (although some of the reading out there suggests fructose can be quite damaging) and it does open up my options a bit. Maybe I'll just try to put something that has a pretty low glycemic index (pear, berries) in a mostly veggie smoothie once a week or so.
Eh, we'll see how it goes. But for now, ciao fruit.
Slow-Cooker Recipe #1
I made this last night and it was delicious. The Hubs has always been super supportive of my new way of eating, but I know he sometimes misses the days when we used to order out from a sub shop every week. So when I saw this recipe for Sausage and Peppers I had to try it for him. And it was delicious! He got it on a nice, thick Bratwurst roll from Trader Joe's and I melted some cheddar on top for him. I ate mine without all that gluten and dairy. I paired it with a sweet potato and some broccoli. It would taste great with rice, the tomato sauce it cooks in is a tasty little gravy. My Little Peanut loved it, she especially loved slurping up the peppers and onions. As for the Music Man...the food strike continues!
This came from a blog called Pass the Sushi. Cool name. I'm not sure how sugar-free her options are but I think she's a graphic designer and her talent shows in her food photography. I totally admit to trying this out solely because of the picture she put up. My mouth was watering just looking at it!
This came from a blog called Pass the Sushi. Cool name. I'm not sure how sugar-free her options are but I think she's a graphic designer and her talent shows in her food photography. I totally admit to trying this out solely because of the picture she put up. My mouth was watering just looking at it!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Project: Toddler Food Camp
We're on day 5 of Toddler Food Camp. My Music Man is only being offered real food options (or things that are as close as I can get!). No teething biscuits, no fruit/veggie packets (we've been living on the Pur Oraganic pouches. I have no problems with them, but it's not helping him get over his texture problem), or other type of snacky food inside of the house. I'm still putting some of these things in his school lunch, because my first challenge is to teach him that in this house he sits at the table with no TV on and eats a real meal. If he doesn't like it, then that's his choice. I am trying to give him a ton of options, and hopefully I'll figure out some food he likes in the coming weeks so I can always put at least one thing on the plate that I know he can eat.
We're doing this because the food issue has just gotten out of control. I started giving my Music Man table food around 5 1/2 months. I made all of his purees and for the first 7-8 months of eating he gobbled pretty much anything I put on a spoon for him. Meat, fruit, veggies, whole grains...everything a whole foods mama would want their baby eating. I made kale purees, chicken and peas, lentils and tomatoes, pears and apples, anything and everything I could think of. And he inhaled it all!
Then it was time for him to feed himself. And to start offering table food he could pick up and eat (no more purees). And it's been down hill ever since...
I fought the good fight the first year. Did everything I could to sneak veggies into pancakes, paired foods and textures the best I could, cooked him about 20 different things a week at all his meals. Then I got pregnant, and he got more defiant (he was closing in on that magical second birthday when your angelic little baby turns into an independent toddler with some rage issues...at least mine did!) and I couldn't fight the fight as well. Then my Little Peanut arrived and forget it. I was just happy if he ate anything. Now I never truly caved and started giving him junk food or anything. But it was a lot more processed stuff and very carbohydrate-centered. And as this fall and winter have progressed we found ourselves with a boy who would basically eat oatmeal, PB and J, hot dogs, and rice. That was it. Oh, maybe an occasional apple slice and nut butter.
Meal time became such an ordeal and was causing me so much stress that I decided to pull the plug and play a little hard ball. I was also wracked with guilt because he got sick a LOT this fall and winter. I know, I know, he started preschool and it's normal for kids to get inundated with germs their first go around. But I also know he has no nutritional base to help his immune system work. I didn't breastfeed him for very long (he was on purely formula by 4 months and that still makes me sad) and although I give him raw milk, which I think is the best milk for nutritional value, I feel like I am failing him by not giving him the best foods available.
Now food camp is in full swing. It's actually going better than I expected, but it's taking a lot of time, planning and cooking. This is also why I had to wait this long, I knew I couldn't do this while still caring for a newborn waking up three times a night. But as of today he has eaten some chicken, sweet potato, mini-pizzas with sausage on homemade "dough", burrito type sandwich with rice, refried beans and cheese, some avocado and blueberries. He's also tried a strawberry smoothie with homemade almond milk and a quinoa/oatmeal porridge. It hasn't been all fun and games. He has full blown boycotted two dinners, a lunch and has had two pretty pathetic breakfasts. But it's more progress than I thought.
We're doing this because the food issue has just gotten out of control. I started giving my Music Man table food around 5 1/2 months. I made all of his purees and for the first 7-8 months of eating he gobbled pretty much anything I put on a spoon for him. Meat, fruit, veggies, whole grains...everything a whole foods mama would want their baby eating. I made kale purees, chicken and peas, lentils and tomatoes, pears and apples, anything and everything I could think of. And he inhaled it all!
Then it was time for him to feed himself. And to start offering table food he could pick up and eat (no more purees). And it's been down hill ever since...
I fought the good fight the first year. Did everything I could to sneak veggies into pancakes, paired foods and textures the best I could, cooked him about 20 different things a week at all his meals. Then I got pregnant, and he got more defiant (he was closing in on that magical second birthday when your angelic little baby turns into an independent toddler with some rage issues...at least mine did!) and I couldn't fight the fight as well. Then my Little Peanut arrived and forget it. I was just happy if he ate anything. Now I never truly caved and started giving him junk food or anything. But it was a lot more processed stuff and very carbohydrate-centered. And as this fall and winter have progressed we found ourselves with a boy who would basically eat oatmeal, PB and J, hot dogs, and rice. That was it. Oh, maybe an occasional apple slice and nut butter.
Meal time became such an ordeal and was causing me so much stress that I decided to pull the plug and play a little hard ball. I was also wracked with guilt because he got sick a LOT this fall and winter. I know, I know, he started preschool and it's normal for kids to get inundated with germs their first go around. But I also know he has no nutritional base to help his immune system work. I didn't breastfeed him for very long (he was on purely formula by 4 months and that still makes me sad) and although I give him raw milk, which I think is the best milk for nutritional value, I feel like I am failing him by not giving him the best foods available.
Now food camp is in full swing. It's actually going better than I expected, but it's taking a lot of time, planning and cooking. This is also why I had to wait this long, I knew I couldn't do this while still caring for a newborn waking up three times a night. But as of today he has eaten some chicken, sweet potato, mini-pizzas with sausage on homemade "dough", burrito type sandwich with rice, refried beans and cheese, some avocado and blueberries. He's also tried a strawberry smoothie with homemade almond milk and a quinoa/oatmeal porridge. It hasn't been all fun and games. He has full blown boycotted two dinners, a lunch and has had two pretty pathetic breakfasts. But it's more progress than I thought.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Reason #1 I Am Doing This: Anxiety
I am an anxious person by nature. Or nurture. Whatever your theory is, I've got anxiety. I've experienced the butterflies in my stomach, nausea, and shaking hands over all of life's stressors (big, small, nonsensical) for as long as I can remember.
When I was a little kid I remember being so nervous for tests at school. Really nervous. I was anxious about calling my friends up on the phone, to the point of a panic attack happening inside of my body. I had a lot of fears about lots of things - some normal for kids my age, some a little more out of the ordinary.
As I got older the nerves and worrying got even worse. I was wound up so tight in high school. My entire being would feel like it was shaking and panicking if I thought I was going to be late for anything. Even for the movies! My stress for tests and sports games increased. At the time, I really didn't think anything of this, but in my 20s I started to analyze what my childhood was like and I realized how much of it was spent feeling nervous and anxious. And I was still feeling that way, through college and most of my 20s. When my life felt really out of control I would get huge headaches and feel a tension coursing through my entire body. I'd be ready to blow up at a moment's notice if something didn't go my way. I know we all have stress, and maybe some of you think this is totally normal. But I will say that most of what stressed me out really wouldn't have been a big deal to other people. My life has always been fairly cushy, I've been very fortunate to not face too many hardships.
It wasn't until I started seeing a therapist that I really analyzed and looked at these behaviors from an objective point of view. I won't go into all those details on this blog (I'll leave some of my life private!) but I definitely felt an improvement in how I handled situations and dealt with my anxiety.
Then, in 2009 I went off sugar, dairy and gluten for three weeks. As I've mentioned before, my hunger levels improved and my energy went up but the most surprising and encouraging effect was my anxiety levels. They plummeted I found I could go through my day and face all the obstacles that life throws at you (missing a green light, having an argument with someone, not finishing a task) without getting worked up. I also was really optimistic...about everything! My relationships, my past, my future, my goals, challenges, etc. It was as though the sugar was rushing through my body and making me go at warp-speed and clouding my brain. Now I know that it was indeed partly due to the sugar...most of the research I've done states that sugar can cause symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Now that I am a month into this year, once again my anxiety levels are dropping. And for this stage in my life, being a stay-at-home mom with two little kids, my patience levels have tripled. I won't lie and say I haven't ever snapped at my toddler this month, but those incidences have been few and very far between. I've even gone through days where I've been up most of the night and they've woken me up at 5:15 and I'm able to make it through all the twists and turns without feeling the tension in my body or the need to explode. My outlook on everything has improved as well. And I KNOW this is because the sugar is out of my body.
So this really is the number one reason I am doing this. I like who I am when I don't have sugar in my life. I don't particularly like the Brooke that is wound up, snappy, and incapable of dealing with anything that isn't perfect. And I look at my kids and want them to have a mom who is calm and patient (most of the time). I don't want to create an anxious environment in this household for them. And lucky for me, I am married to THE calmest man on the planet. And that is not an exaggeration. Between my therapy, spouse, and diet I am really confident that my 30s and beyond are going to be a bit chiller :)
* I definitely don't want it to seem like sugar was the only reason I am anxious and now that it's gone I'll never be anxious. Anxiety is part of me, always has been and always will be. And I attribute a lot of my improvements to the therapy I did and having a really fantastic husband to support me and model calm behavior for me. BUT, I really do think having sugar in my body makes it more difficult for me to remain calm. And I think without it, I'm less likely to hit the tipping point. We're made up of a body, mind, and soul. And sugar has a huge impact on my body. So taking that part out of the equation makes it easier for me to be the whole self I want to be!
When I was a little kid I remember being so nervous for tests at school. Really nervous. I was anxious about calling my friends up on the phone, to the point of a panic attack happening inside of my body. I had a lot of fears about lots of things - some normal for kids my age, some a little more out of the ordinary.
As I got older the nerves and worrying got even worse. I was wound up so tight in high school. My entire being would feel like it was shaking and panicking if I thought I was going to be late for anything. Even for the movies! My stress for tests and sports games increased. At the time, I really didn't think anything of this, but in my 20s I started to analyze what my childhood was like and I realized how much of it was spent feeling nervous and anxious. And I was still feeling that way, through college and most of my 20s. When my life felt really out of control I would get huge headaches and feel a tension coursing through my entire body. I'd be ready to blow up at a moment's notice if something didn't go my way. I know we all have stress, and maybe some of you think this is totally normal. But I will say that most of what stressed me out really wouldn't have been a big deal to other people. My life has always been fairly cushy, I've been very fortunate to not face too many hardships.
It wasn't until I started seeing a therapist that I really analyzed and looked at these behaviors from an objective point of view. I won't go into all those details on this blog (I'll leave some of my life private!) but I definitely felt an improvement in how I handled situations and dealt with my anxiety.
Then, in 2009 I went off sugar, dairy and gluten for three weeks. As I've mentioned before, my hunger levels improved and my energy went up but the most surprising and encouraging effect was my anxiety levels. They plummeted I found I could go through my day and face all the obstacles that life throws at you (missing a green light, having an argument with someone, not finishing a task) without getting worked up. I also was really optimistic...about everything! My relationships, my past, my future, my goals, challenges, etc. It was as though the sugar was rushing through my body and making me go at warp-speed and clouding my brain. Now I know that it was indeed partly due to the sugar...most of the research I've done states that sugar can cause symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Now that I am a month into this year, once again my anxiety levels are dropping. And for this stage in my life, being a stay-at-home mom with two little kids, my patience levels have tripled. I won't lie and say I haven't ever snapped at my toddler this month, but those incidences have been few and very far between. I've even gone through days where I've been up most of the night and they've woken me up at 5:15 and I'm able to make it through all the twists and turns without feeling the tension in my body or the need to explode. My outlook on everything has improved as well. And I KNOW this is because the sugar is out of my body.
So this really is the number one reason I am doing this. I like who I am when I don't have sugar in my life. I don't particularly like the Brooke that is wound up, snappy, and incapable of dealing with anything that isn't perfect. And I look at my kids and want them to have a mom who is calm and patient (most of the time). I don't want to create an anxious environment in this household for them. And lucky for me, I am married to THE calmest man on the planet. And that is not an exaggeration. Between my therapy, spouse, and diet I am really confident that my 30s and beyond are going to be a bit chiller :)
* I definitely don't want it to seem like sugar was the only reason I am anxious and now that it's gone I'll never be anxious. Anxiety is part of me, always has been and always will be. And I attribute a lot of my improvements to the therapy I did and having a really fantastic husband to support me and model calm behavior for me. BUT, I really do think having sugar in my body makes it more difficult for me to remain calm. And I think without it, I'm less likely to hit the tipping point. We're made up of a body, mind, and soul. And sugar has a huge impact on my body. So taking that part out of the equation makes it easier for me to be the whole self I want to be!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
"International" Cuisine #1
I say "international" a little loosely since most of these meals are pretty standard American ingredients paired with different spices. But I don't really travel much, so using spices from around the world is the closet I can get to experiencing something new these days! This was a hit with the Hubs and my Little Peanut. Music Man wasn't feeling it. But we are in the middle of an intense food boot camp with him so time will tell.
This recipe for Pakistani Kima is so easy, and it really is tasty. Took very little prep time and cooked up with little effort. This may even make its way into my rotation for house guests. It's from the blog Whole New Mom, which is another one of my favorites. It's so easy to eat healthier and find super simple recipes with all these fantastic Mom Bloggers. I'm currently working on some of my own recipes (or adaptations from other recipes) and hope to add some of my own creations to the blogosphere one of these days!
Enjoy the Super Bowl tonight! The Hubs and I are spending a quiet evening alone at home and are both looking forward to it. We should get a few hours of football, commercials and Beyonce when the kids go to bed. But no Super Bowl treats in this house! I spent a long time meal planning Friday night and realized that I had forgotten the Super Bowl. So what is on tonight's menu? Roasted salmon, asparagus and zucchini pancakes. Not the typical chicken wings and pizza, huh? But we're used to not following tradition with two in diapers! Maybe next year we'll indulge in a great American gluttonous tradition...
This recipe for Pakistani Kima is so easy, and it really is tasty. Took very little prep time and cooked up with little effort. This may even make its way into my rotation for house guests. It's from the blog Whole New Mom, which is another one of my favorites. It's so easy to eat healthier and find super simple recipes with all these fantastic Mom Bloggers. I'm currently working on some of my own recipes (or adaptations from other recipes) and hope to add some of my own creations to the blogosphere one of these days!
Enjoy the Super Bowl tonight! The Hubs and I are spending a quiet evening alone at home and are both looking forward to it. We should get a few hours of football, commercials and Beyonce when the kids go to bed. But no Super Bowl treats in this house! I spent a long time meal planning Friday night and realized that I had forgotten the Super Bowl. So what is on tonight's menu? Roasted salmon, asparagus and zucchini pancakes. Not the typical chicken wings and pizza, huh? But we're used to not following tradition with two in diapers! Maybe next year we'll indulge in a great American gluttonous tradition...
Friday, February 1, 2013
February Goals
As I embark on this second month of sugar-free and gluten-free eating, I'm going to set some goals for myself. One challenge to being a stay-at-home mom is creating some sort of order and purpose to your day to day existence. May sound a little dramatic with words like "purpose" and "existence" but if you've ever done this before, you can relate. It's easy to drown yourself in a world of diapers, nap schedules, temper tantrums, and play dates. Then add to that list the tasks of laundry, cooking, and cleaning and your entire life becomes on blur of mommyhood. I understand that this is normal and the way it's going to be for awhile. I do accept that, but now that my little one is almost 9 months old and sleeping pretty well at night I do find there is some space freeing up in my brain to focus on something other than nursing and getting the stains out of my son's shirts. Not MUCH time, but a little.
So with this time, I can't do much because I can't really physically be anywhere or be a reliable person for anyone other than my kids. But, I do have access to my kitchen, the grocery store, the library and the internet. That's all I need to get cracking on this year of healthy living and self improvement!
I'm breaking my goals into 3 categories:
1) Goals for my sugar-free/gluten-free year
2) Goals for my blog
3) Self improvement goals
GOALS FOR MY SUGAR-FREE/GLUTEN-FREE YEAR
This month I just want to keep trying to get through each day eating sugar and gluten free. It's still early, so this is enough. The only difference this month is that I'm letting myself have some fruit and dairy. I'm going to do fruit first for a week or so, and then add the dairy. That way if a food makes me feel a little strange I can pinpoint who the culprit is. I'm going to continue to try and meal plan every week and work to make sure there is always something readily available for when I get hungry.
GOALS FOR MY BLOG (February)
I'm trying to be more organized with the blog. Having topics for set days, trying to sit down at naptime to start blogs and finish them up when I go to bed. I also want to start putting some actual information in here regarding nutrition. I'd like to get one fact-based post a week. I know they will take more time since I'll have to sift through everything I've learned over the past few years and write a little more efficiently (I have a feeling my rambles could go on for pages and pages). But eventually I want to start a health coaching business and I want a place where I can easily access a lot of the information I learned from my online program and from my own research. And I've got a ton of books on hold at the public library about some of the newer theories and ideas out there about food. It's time to dust off the cobwebs and get this brain thinking critically again!
SELF-IMPROVEMENT GOALS (February)
I'm pretty busy between being a mom, writing this blog, and taking care of the kids and house. There isn't a lot of time for myself. So this month, I'm rolling one of my jobs into my self-improvement goal. Parents have to feed their kids. And my son has proven to be quite challenging this past year. He will be 3 in May and the Hubs and I have decided that we are done being short-ordered chefs and jumping through hoops to feed him. And I am sick of giving him food that I know isn't giving his body the nutrients it needs. This month starts the long and grueling task of getting him to eat real food. We are serving him what we are eating, and if he doesn't have it, then he goes to bed hungry. This is going to be brutal. But we have decided it's a necessary step for a brighter future for all of us. He has barely eaten a thing today and will most likely not eat for a few days. Then I'll have a hungry and cranky toddler on my hands. Should be interesting....
So with this time, I can't do much because I can't really physically be anywhere or be a reliable person for anyone other than my kids. But, I do have access to my kitchen, the grocery store, the library and the internet. That's all I need to get cracking on this year of healthy living and self improvement!
I'm breaking my goals into 3 categories:
1) Goals for my sugar-free/gluten-free year
2) Goals for my blog
3) Self improvement goals
GOALS FOR MY SUGAR-FREE/GLUTEN-FREE YEAR
This month I just want to keep trying to get through each day eating sugar and gluten free. It's still early, so this is enough. The only difference this month is that I'm letting myself have some fruit and dairy. I'm going to do fruit first for a week or so, and then add the dairy. That way if a food makes me feel a little strange I can pinpoint who the culprit is. I'm going to continue to try and meal plan every week and work to make sure there is always something readily available for when I get hungry.
GOALS FOR MY BLOG (February)
I'm trying to be more organized with the blog. Having topics for set days, trying to sit down at naptime to start blogs and finish them up when I go to bed. I also want to start putting some actual information in here regarding nutrition. I'd like to get one fact-based post a week. I know they will take more time since I'll have to sift through everything I've learned over the past few years and write a little more efficiently (I have a feeling my rambles could go on for pages and pages). But eventually I want to start a health coaching business and I want a place where I can easily access a lot of the information I learned from my online program and from my own research. And I've got a ton of books on hold at the public library about some of the newer theories and ideas out there about food. It's time to dust off the cobwebs and get this brain thinking critically again!
SELF-IMPROVEMENT GOALS (February)
I'm pretty busy between being a mom, writing this blog, and taking care of the kids and house. There isn't a lot of time for myself. So this month, I'm rolling one of my jobs into my self-improvement goal. Parents have to feed their kids. And my son has proven to be quite challenging this past year. He will be 3 in May and the Hubs and I have decided that we are done being short-ordered chefs and jumping through hoops to feed him. And I am sick of giving him food that I know isn't giving his body the nutrients it needs. This month starts the long and grueling task of getting him to eat real food. We are serving him what we are eating, and if he doesn't have it, then he goes to bed hungry. This is going to be brutal. But we have decided it's a necessary step for a brighter future for all of us. He has barely eaten a thing today and will most likely not eat for a few days. Then I'll have a hungry and cranky toddler on my hands. Should be interesting....
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