My kids have always eaten a mostly organic 100% gluten free diet, with a varying low to moderate amount of gluten free processed foods such as snack bars, pretzels, macaroni and cheese, and other "kid food" items. With autoimmune disease in our family I've been pretty obsessed with feeding them a healthy diet, focusing on their gut health with probiotic foods and going the natural route on everything I can.
I've been very careful to avoid soy, non organic corn and other GMO foods. We limit canned foods or choose companies who do not use BPA. I try to make my own pancakes and bread products when possible and I'm always sneaking superfoods into their meals without them knowing.
But in the last year or so my capacity to keep up with cooking a healthy diet has been much lower, and the amount of processed items, non organic dairy, and other not so nutritious foods has significantly increased in their diet. During the first four months of my pregnancy with Mathew I lived on english muffins with sliced tomatoes and my kids ate pancakes, yogurt, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and whatever Ryan was able to make them when he finished with work. Luckily he was still working at home during those months or I am not sure we would have all survived!
It wasn't long after I started feeling better that I found out I had gestational diabetes. Following the required diet meant most of my kitchen time was spent making food for myself so that I could manage the condition and protect my baby. So the kids continued to eat a lot of easy processed items. The microwave (which had been out in the garage rarely used) moved back into the kitchen and became my best friend. I told myself I would focus on keeping myself and the baby healthy, and once he arrived I would get the kids back on track. But life happened again.
Mathew arrived in the middle of august, two weeks before Lucas was to start our first homeschool year as a kindergartener. At three weeks old, the colic started. And I officially lost control of everything. I'm not sure how I managed to feed, bathe and clothe my kids (and myself for that matter) during those first few months. But we all survived.
Now it's six months later and the colic is over. Mathew is still high maintenance but is happy as long as he is hanging out on my hip. We've found a routine with school. I'm getting a few minutes to cook during the day and I'm ready to get us all back on track.
So, without shocking the badonkies out of the boys, I'm going to phase out the junky foods and replace them with whole (real) foods.
My plan is to replace most of the grain filled products they have been eating with paleo versions - pancakes, waffles, bread, etc. But I will still allow them to occasionally eat brown rice pasta and fermented or sprouted gluten free grains that I prepare myself. My primary goal is for them to make the switch to whole foods, and since they do not have the food sensitivities that I do, I don't feel that they need to be 100 percent paleo at this time. As far as dairy products go, I will eliminate the processed yogurt and string cheese, and allow grass fed dairy or goat/sheep milk cheese and yogurt. Here's the run down. :)
Yes Foods:
Organic and/or grass fed or pastured beef, pork, and poultry
Wild caught seafood, shrimp, canned tuna
Grass fed yogurt and cheese (occasionally)
Goat or sheep milk yogurt and cheese (occasionally)
All Fruits and Veggies
Nuts and Seeds
Gluten free whole grains (if sprouted or fermented)
Organic Pastured eggs
Brown rice pasta (occasionally)
Organic popcorn (occasionally)
Sea Vegetables
Cultured Veggies
Natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup
Coconut oil, ghee, grass fed butter, pure olive oil
No Foods:
Anything processed or packaged that has more than a couple ingredients or contains any unhealthy oils, added sugar, stabilizers, or preservatives of any kind.
Up next... my autoimmune protocol!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Breakfast and snack ideas for our paleo transition
I'm hoping to make this transition as smooth as possible over the next few months for both myself and the kids. I know Ryan will be fine with what ever we do and he can eat pretty much anything and be happy, so I'm focusing mostly on my autoimmune protocol limitations and foods the kids will be happy to eat. Here's my initial plan.
Breakfast for me:
1. Home made pork or turkey sausages (cooked ahead of time and frozen) with sweet potato, root veggie, or winter squash hash (also cooked ahead and frozen) with sauteed greens (cooked a couple times a week and kept in the fridge) and low glycemic fruit like berries or green apple.
2. High protein smoothies with healthy fats, gelatin, chia, sunflower or almond butter, greens, and other yummy ingredients as tolerated and allowed on autoimmune protocol. There are good recipes in the 21 Day Sugar Detox cookbook and I plan to pin a bunch on my paleo pinterest board.
3. Bone broth soup with ground meat and slow cooked veggies.
Breakfast for the kids:
1. Paleo pancakes with pumpkin or other veggies/fruits added in.
2. Overnight hot cakes - I'm allowing soaked/sprouted/fermented gluten free grains for the kids during the transition to paleo.
3. Chicken apple sausages and fruit and greens
4. Paleo granola (I like Against All Grain) with almond milk or grass fed yogurt or goat milk yogurt - also allowing this high quality dairy as we transition to real foods.
5. Protein packed smoothies with nut butter, gelatin, chia, greens, fruit, etc.
6. Oven fries with bacon, avocado, ketchup.
7. Breakfast burritos w/scrambled egg, bacon, potato, grass fed cheddar on coconut flour tortilla.
Lunch and Snacks:
1. Raw veggies and dips
2. Sliced fruit with dip
3. Smoothies
4. Trail Mix
5. Gelatin fruit snacks (home made)
6. Kale chips
7. Olives and salami
8. Frozen berries w/coconut milk
9. Chia pudding
10. hard boiled egg
11. meat rollups w/pickles and mustard
12. applesauce and a handful of nuts
13. sauerkraut or cultured veggies
14. coconut milk yogurt
15. organic popcorn (kids only) and nuts
16. goat milk yogurt with honey (kids only)
17. pancake sandwich
18. Chopped salad
19. Tuna salad w/lettuce cups
20. Egg salad w/carrot scoopers
21. Ants on a log (celery w/nut butter and raisins)
22. Banana w/nut butter and coconut shreds.
This list is a work in progress so I'm planning to add to it as we find more good ideas.
Breakfast for me:
1. Home made pork or turkey sausages (cooked ahead of time and frozen) with sweet potato, root veggie, or winter squash hash (also cooked ahead and frozen) with sauteed greens (cooked a couple times a week and kept in the fridge) and low glycemic fruit like berries or green apple.
2. High protein smoothies with healthy fats, gelatin, chia, sunflower or almond butter, greens, and other yummy ingredients as tolerated and allowed on autoimmune protocol. There are good recipes in the 21 Day Sugar Detox cookbook and I plan to pin a bunch on my paleo pinterest board.
3. Bone broth soup with ground meat and slow cooked veggies.
Breakfast for the kids:
1. Paleo pancakes with pumpkin or other veggies/fruits added in.
2. Overnight hot cakes - I'm allowing soaked/sprouted/fermented gluten free grains for the kids during the transition to paleo.
3. Chicken apple sausages and fruit and greens
4. Paleo granola (I like Against All Grain) with almond milk or grass fed yogurt or goat milk yogurt - also allowing this high quality dairy as we transition to real foods.
5. Protein packed smoothies with nut butter, gelatin, chia, greens, fruit, etc.
6. Oven fries with bacon, avocado, ketchup.
7. Breakfast burritos w/scrambled egg, bacon, potato, grass fed cheddar on coconut flour tortilla.
Lunch and Snacks:
1. Raw veggies and dips
2. Sliced fruit with dip
3. Smoothies
4. Trail Mix
5. Gelatin fruit snacks (home made)
6. Kale chips
7. Olives and salami
8. Frozen berries w/coconut milk
9. Chia pudding
10. hard boiled egg
11. meat rollups w/pickles and mustard
12. applesauce and a handful of nuts
13. sauerkraut or cultured veggies
14. coconut milk yogurt
15. organic popcorn (kids only) and nuts
16. goat milk yogurt with honey (kids only)
17. pancake sandwich
18. Chopped salad
19. Tuna salad w/lettuce cups
20. Egg salad w/carrot scoopers
21. Ants on a log (celery w/nut butter and raisins)
22. Banana w/nut butter and coconut shreds.
This list is a work in progress so I'm planning to add to it as we find more good ideas.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Survival mode at 6:30am.
I don't have a lot of brain cells in the morning. Especially when I've been up seven times with the baby and only had about 3 hours of broken sleep. So I need a good plan if I'm going to feed my kids, husband, and myself a paleo breakfast every morning. Otherwise my morning starts off like it did today...
6:30am: Baby wakes up. Screams bloody murder. I drag myself to his room to nurse him for the fortieth time in the last twelve hours. (at least it feels that way). I'm super thirsty and I'm starving already. While I'm feeding him I hear the big boys doors slam and I know they are up and begging to play iPad. I change the baby's diaper and come out to find them in the living room watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates. They are STAAAARVING. I put the baby down next to them hoping he will be entertained for a few minutes and duck into the kitchen before he can see me walking away.
Lucas wants oatmeal so I start boiling water. We have gluten free instant oatmeal packets in the pantry. His favorite is apple cinnamon so I pull that flavor out of the box and dump it in a bowl. I also grab a mug and put a tea bag in, thinking I will swipe some of the water when it's ready.
By now the baby is crying so I pick him up and head back to the kitchen one handed.
Nathan wants waffles. I have a stash of gluten free vans waffles in the freezer so I grab two and put them in the toaster, and start warming up some frozen blueberries in the microwave to put on top.
The water boils, I pour it in the oatmeal bowl and my mug. The waffles pop up and I pour the blueberries on top and add a drizzle of maple syrup.
By now the baby is yelling in my ear and pulling my hair. I put him in his high chair with a spoon and a cup to play with. I call the kids to the table and dispense their vitamins.
I am now ridiculously hungry. I take a drink of my tea and start to think of what I can fix for myself but hear Ryan getting out of the shower and realize he is almost ready to leave for work. If I want a shower today, I have to take it now. Shower.. or breakfast? The baby is yelling again so I take him out of his high chair and head back to my bedroom where I hand him to Ryan and claim my 5 minutes for a shower.
Fast forward about 10 minutes. I've showered and thrown on clothes. Ryan is heading off to work. I grab the baby and I run outside to watch the boys chase his truck half way down the street. By the time I corral them back in the house, my tea is cold and I still don't know what to eat. The boys need to do their morning routines and start school work, the baby is ready for a nap, dishes are waiting to be unloaded and put away, and laundry needs to be started. I take a deep breath, ask the kids to start their routines, take the baby to his room and rock him for nap time, and make it back to the kitchen where I find Nathan sitting on the floor staring at two pairs of pants and still in his pajamas. I send him back to trade a pair of pants for a shirt and start looking for food again.
Lucas comes out ready to start school work and I know I have limited time before the baby wakes up. So I grab the first thing I can find. A gluten free bagel toasted with butter and jam. I eat it in about seven seconds, at which point I hear the baby crying.... and so we start our day.
There are so many things wrong about this morning that I don't even know where to start. It's rushed, I'm running on empty, I'm giving my kids way too many sugars and carbs first thing in the morning and not balancing with any protein, I'm not taking care of myself, we are not eating together as a family, I could go on and on. I'm not proud of this. But this is how it has been for the last six months with our little guy joining the family. It's a season though, and I know things will get easier. But I'm ready at this point to make a lot more effort towards fueling our bodies right. Here's to a sucessful transition!
I actually do have a plan now for breakfasts and snacks for myself and the kids but I've rambled way too long already. I will get to it in the next post. :)
6:30am: Baby wakes up. Screams bloody murder. I drag myself to his room to nurse him for the fortieth time in the last twelve hours. (at least it feels that way). I'm super thirsty and I'm starving already. While I'm feeding him I hear the big boys doors slam and I know they are up and begging to play iPad. I change the baby's diaper and come out to find them in the living room watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates. They are STAAAARVING. I put the baby down next to them hoping he will be entertained for a few minutes and duck into the kitchen before he can see me walking away.
Lucas wants oatmeal so I start boiling water. We have gluten free instant oatmeal packets in the pantry. His favorite is apple cinnamon so I pull that flavor out of the box and dump it in a bowl. I also grab a mug and put a tea bag in, thinking I will swipe some of the water when it's ready.
By now the baby is crying so I pick him up and head back to the kitchen one handed.
Nathan wants waffles. I have a stash of gluten free vans waffles in the freezer so I grab two and put them in the toaster, and start warming up some frozen blueberries in the microwave to put on top.
The water boils, I pour it in the oatmeal bowl and my mug. The waffles pop up and I pour the blueberries on top and add a drizzle of maple syrup.
By now the baby is yelling in my ear and pulling my hair. I put him in his high chair with a spoon and a cup to play with. I call the kids to the table and dispense their vitamins.
I am now ridiculously hungry. I take a drink of my tea and start to think of what I can fix for myself but hear Ryan getting out of the shower and realize he is almost ready to leave for work. If I want a shower today, I have to take it now. Shower.. or breakfast? The baby is yelling again so I take him out of his high chair and head back to my bedroom where I hand him to Ryan and claim my 5 minutes for a shower.
Fast forward about 10 minutes. I've showered and thrown on clothes. Ryan is heading off to work. I grab the baby and I run outside to watch the boys chase his truck half way down the street. By the time I corral them back in the house, my tea is cold and I still don't know what to eat. The boys need to do their morning routines and start school work, the baby is ready for a nap, dishes are waiting to be unloaded and put away, and laundry needs to be started. I take a deep breath, ask the kids to start their routines, take the baby to his room and rock him for nap time, and make it back to the kitchen where I find Nathan sitting on the floor staring at two pairs of pants and still in his pajamas. I send him back to trade a pair of pants for a shirt and start looking for food again.
Lucas comes out ready to start school work and I know I have limited time before the baby wakes up. So I grab the first thing I can find. A gluten free bagel toasted with butter and jam. I eat it in about seven seconds, at which point I hear the baby crying.... and so we start our day.
There are so many things wrong about this morning that I don't even know where to start. It's rushed, I'm running on empty, I'm giving my kids way too many sugars and carbs first thing in the morning and not balancing with any protein, I'm not taking care of myself, we are not eating together as a family, I could go on and on. I'm not proud of this. But this is how it has been for the last six months with our little guy joining the family. It's a season though, and I know things will get easier. But I'm ready at this point to make a lot more effort towards fueling our bodies right. Here's to a sucessful transition!
I actually do have a plan now for breakfasts and snacks for myself and the kids but I've rambled way too long already. I will get to it in the next post. :)
Thursday, February 13, 2014
10 Ways to Feed Picky Paleo Kids (and their parents)
Okay, I did my research (can you say pinterest addict?) and pulled together a bunch of ideas for dealing with picky eaters and combined them with my own ideas for a successful transition. There are about a billion pins on pinterest on this subject and I spent way too long weeding through them for ideas that would work for us. But now I have a plan for success!
So... how are we going to stick to our real food paleo lifestyle and make it work when we don't (yet) love meat and veggies and are still craving our favorite grains and dairy products??
Here's our plan:
1. Make the food fun! This one is for the kids especially. Use cookie cutters for fun shaped veggies or lunch meats, build snowmen out of meatballs, make faces on our plates (olive eyes, carrot mouth, etc), use silly names (ants on a log, broccoli tree), and actually let them play with their food.
2. Make the food flavorful! Plain meat and veggies is less than appealing. Make it cravable! Dip it, dunk it, dress it or douse it in something delicious. Because I'm not going to eat it if it doesn't taste good. If it's boring I will choose something else and so will the kids. Buy or make up some spice seasoning mixes (lots of good ones in my paleo cookbooks). Try a ton of different dressing recipes. Make new dips every couple days and try them with different types of veggie sticks or fruit or plantain chips or sweet potato chips or kale chips. Crunchy snacks, salty goodies, etc.
3. Drink it. Smoothies, fresh juices, kefirs, teas, hot drinks, lattes, shakes, etc... There are tons of amazing paleo drink recipes available. Elana's Pantry has some delicious ones, The Spunky Coconut does as well.
4. Get the kids involved in the kitchen. Have them help me with dinner and lunch each day. Get them their own kitchen tools like knives and cutting boards and colanders. Have them look at cookbooks with me and plan some meals. Let them crack eggs and measure and pour and stir even if it is messy and even if it takes ten times as long to get it done. Teach them to serve food, to warm things up in the toaster oven or stove top, etc.
5. Have a plate to share. This idea was in Sarah Fragoso's Everyday Paleo Family cookbook. Have a plate on the table with a new food or two that everyone can try instead of putting it on everyone's plate.
6. Don't insist that they (or you) finish their food or eat anything specific. Don't make it into a battle. Choose what will be served, and let the picky eaters decide if or how much they will eat. Just don't become a short order cook and make them something different an hour after dinner is over if they did not eat. Put the plate in the fridge till later if they don't want to eat at meal time. Let the kids serve themselves.
7. Put dessert on the table at dinner with the rule that everyone needs to eat a healthy balance of protein and veggies before they get dessert. Or the rule that everyone must try each food on their plate. Choose nutrient packed desserts that are low in sugar and high in protein and good fat so that it can be a healthy part of the meal rather than a binge after dinner. Or choose a simple fruit or applesauce with cinnamon, frozen berries with coconut cream and honey.
8. Don't buy it if it doesn't fit with the plan. Simple, right? If you shouldn't be eating it, it shouldn't be in the house!
9. Food prep ahead of time - stock the fridge with chopped veggies, olives, pickles, hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, paleo approved lunch meats, pepperoni, salami, etc. Fill the freezer with frozen veggies, home made burger patties, sausages, meatballs, bone broths, soups, paleo sandwich breads and muffins, and anything else the family loves. Home made fast food is easy food, so if it's already made and in the fridge or freezer it's going to be the first thing anyone grabs when they are hungry.
10. Menu plan ahead of time. Just like the food prep, this sets us up for success. A menu plan and shopping list ensures that we don't get to 5pm and wonder what to make for dinner.
I'm going to get started on all these ideas ASAP and I will report back on each of them and note what works and what doesn't. Cause I'm obsessive compulsive like that. :)
So... how are we going to stick to our real food paleo lifestyle and make it work when we don't (yet) love meat and veggies and are still craving our favorite grains and dairy products??
Here's our plan:
1. Make the food fun! This one is for the kids especially. Use cookie cutters for fun shaped veggies or lunch meats, build snowmen out of meatballs, make faces on our plates (olive eyes, carrot mouth, etc), use silly names (ants on a log, broccoli tree), and actually let them play with their food.
2. Make the food flavorful! Plain meat and veggies is less than appealing. Make it cravable! Dip it, dunk it, dress it or douse it in something delicious. Because I'm not going to eat it if it doesn't taste good. If it's boring I will choose something else and so will the kids. Buy or make up some spice seasoning mixes (lots of good ones in my paleo cookbooks). Try a ton of different dressing recipes. Make new dips every couple days and try them with different types of veggie sticks or fruit or plantain chips or sweet potato chips or kale chips. Crunchy snacks, salty goodies, etc.
3. Drink it. Smoothies, fresh juices, kefirs, teas, hot drinks, lattes, shakes, etc... There are tons of amazing paleo drink recipes available. Elana's Pantry has some delicious ones, The Spunky Coconut does as well.
4. Get the kids involved in the kitchen. Have them help me with dinner and lunch each day. Get them their own kitchen tools like knives and cutting boards and colanders. Have them look at cookbooks with me and plan some meals. Let them crack eggs and measure and pour and stir even if it is messy and even if it takes ten times as long to get it done. Teach them to serve food, to warm things up in the toaster oven or stove top, etc.
5. Have a plate to share. This idea was in Sarah Fragoso's Everyday Paleo Family cookbook. Have a plate on the table with a new food or two that everyone can try instead of putting it on everyone's plate.
6. Don't insist that they (or you) finish their food or eat anything specific. Don't make it into a battle. Choose what will be served, and let the picky eaters decide if or how much they will eat. Just don't become a short order cook and make them something different an hour after dinner is over if they did not eat. Put the plate in the fridge till later if they don't want to eat at meal time. Let the kids serve themselves.
7. Put dessert on the table at dinner with the rule that everyone needs to eat a healthy balance of protein and veggies before they get dessert. Or the rule that everyone must try each food on their plate. Choose nutrient packed desserts that are low in sugar and high in protein and good fat so that it can be a healthy part of the meal rather than a binge after dinner. Or choose a simple fruit or applesauce with cinnamon, frozen berries with coconut cream and honey.
8. Don't buy it if it doesn't fit with the plan. Simple, right? If you shouldn't be eating it, it shouldn't be in the house!
9. Food prep ahead of time - stock the fridge with chopped veggies, olives, pickles, hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, paleo approved lunch meats, pepperoni, salami, etc. Fill the freezer with frozen veggies, home made burger patties, sausages, meatballs, bone broths, soups, paleo sandwich breads and muffins, and anything else the family loves. Home made fast food is easy food, so if it's already made and in the fridge or freezer it's going to be the first thing anyone grabs when they are hungry.
10. Menu plan ahead of time. Just like the food prep, this sets us up for success. A menu plan and shopping list ensures that we don't get to 5pm and wonder what to make for dinner.
I'm going to get started on all these ideas ASAP and I will report back on each of them and note what works and what doesn't. Cause I'm obsessive compulsive like that. :)
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
I'm Picky. And so are my kids.
I have a confession.
I don't love meat. Especially beef. And I'm not really a chicken fan. I like ground turkey, and I like pork sausages, and bacon. But the rest.... I could live without it. I don't really love vegetables either. I eat them. I have some favorites. I even will say I like them most of the time. But I don't LOVE them. I don't crave them. There is nothing that gets me excited about eating them or cooking them.
My favorite foods are things like cheese and spinach quesadillas, bean tostadas, stuffed artichokes, gluten free pasta with lots of romano cheese and butter and herbs, gluten free english muffins with sauerkraut, toast with tomatoes and mayo, grilled cheese sandwiches, bagels with cream cheese, pork tamales, scrambled eggs and omelets with toast, chips and salsa, bean dip, mexican rice, bean and cheese burritos, muffins and breads, cereal with milk, brownies, pancakes and waffles, home made oven fries, nachos, stir frys, garlic shrimp with rice, and so on... Oh and did I mention I love coffee? Loaded with cream and sugar of course. It's just not good. Anyway, you get the idea... Bread. Snacky foods. Carbs. That's what I love. *sigh*
My kids are picky too. One in particular would like to live off of yogurt, waffles, pasta, french fries, and string cheese. With a little ice cream thrown in there too. For veggies he eats pickles. Occasionally cucumbers. Olives. And sauteed spinach. Go figure.
I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have to retrain myself and my kids. Luckily the baby is just beginning his journey with food so hopefully I can keep him on the healthy track for awhile. But the big boys... Oy.
So. How on earth are we supposed to willingly switch and stick to a diet where we don't get to eat our favorite foods? Even if I know how beneficial it will be? Even if I know how much better I will feel and how much more energy the kids will have?
I'm searching for the answer here... and I'm realizing this has been my problem all along, and probably why I've failed every time I have tried to change my diet. Eventually the prepared foods sneak back in when I'm tired or busy with the kids. If I'm trying to be good and not eat what I make them, I end up starving myself till I can't go any longer and then breaking down and grabbing the first thing I find just so I don't pass out or freak out all together. It's even harder when I'm nursing the baby because I am hungry ALL THE TIME.
Sorry. I'm babbling.
Bottom line is I don't have an answer. Yet. But I have some ideas that I think may help.
I don't love meat. Especially beef. And I'm not really a chicken fan. I like ground turkey, and I like pork sausages, and bacon. But the rest.... I could live without it. I don't really love vegetables either. I eat them. I have some favorites. I even will say I like them most of the time. But I don't LOVE them. I don't crave them. There is nothing that gets me excited about eating them or cooking them.
My favorite foods are things like cheese and spinach quesadillas, bean tostadas, stuffed artichokes, gluten free pasta with lots of romano cheese and butter and herbs, gluten free english muffins with sauerkraut, toast with tomatoes and mayo, grilled cheese sandwiches, bagels with cream cheese, pork tamales, scrambled eggs and omelets with toast, chips and salsa, bean dip, mexican rice, bean and cheese burritos, muffins and breads, cereal with milk, brownies, pancakes and waffles, home made oven fries, nachos, stir frys, garlic shrimp with rice, and so on... Oh and did I mention I love coffee? Loaded with cream and sugar of course. It's just not good. Anyway, you get the idea... Bread. Snacky foods. Carbs. That's what I love. *sigh*
My kids are picky too. One in particular would like to live off of yogurt, waffles, pasta, french fries, and string cheese. With a little ice cream thrown in there too. For veggies he eats pickles. Occasionally cucumbers. Olives. And sauteed spinach. Go figure.
I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have to retrain myself and my kids. Luckily the baby is just beginning his journey with food so hopefully I can keep him on the healthy track for awhile. But the big boys... Oy.
So. How on earth are we supposed to willingly switch and stick to a diet where we don't get to eat our favorite foods? Even if I know how beneficial it will be? Even if I know how much better I will feel and how much more energy the kids will have?
I'm searching for the answer here... and I'm realizing this has been my problem all along, and probably why I've failed every time I have tried to change my diet. Eventually the prepared foods sneak back in when I'm tired or busy with the kids. If I'm trying to be good and not eat what I make them, I end up starving myself till I can't go any longer and then breaking down and grabbing the first thing I find just so I don't pass out or freak out all together. It's even harder when I'm nursing the baby because I am hungry ALL THE TIME.
Sorry. I'm babbling.
Bottom line is I don't have an answer. Yet. But I have some ideas that I think may help.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
I don't want to feel "meh" anymore.
"Meh" is sort of like okay, but not great. It's merely surviving and going through the motions. It's trying but not committing 100 percent. It's feeling good enough to get up in the morning and get on with my day but by afternoon feeling pooped out and not having the energy or mental stamina to be fully present with the kids or cook a healthy dinner.
I feel "meh" a lot. I'm pretty used to it.
Celiac disease. Candida overgrowth. Leaky gut. Food allergies. Gestational diabetes. Anxiety. Mood swings. Rapid heartbeat. Stomach aches, cramping, burning, gurgling, and pain. Nausea. Fatigue. Spaciness. Balance issues. Vertigo. Stuffy nose. Runny nose. Extremely dry skin. Eczema patches. Dark circles under my eyes. Screwy hormones. Receding gums and tooth pain. Sugar cravings. Headaches. Blah, blah blah.
That's my list of complaints. And I'm only 34 years old.
I feel like I'm an old lady. If I don't fix this, if I don't find a way for my body to heal, I'm going to have a new list in a few years with a lot more autoimmune problems and I'm not going to have the energy or ability to keep up with and care for my kids. And that scares the badonkies out of me. I want to feel good and have a long healthy life so that I can play with my grand kids one day.
Sometimes I think my kids are feeling a little "meh" as well. I see the difference in them on the days and weeks when I am not feeding them like I want to. Their energy, their moods, their sleep, their skin and their eyes... I can see the little effects on their body when we have too much take out or gluten free mac and cheese. It's been hard throughout my last pregnancy and the first six months with a high maintenance baby to feed my big boys and myself the right foods, and I've taken a lot of help from the frozen aisle at Whole Foods. I'm not proud of it, but I've been in survival mode and I did the best I could. Time to forgive myself and move on. Time to do a better job.
I feel "meh" a lot. I'm pretty used to it.
Celiac disease. Candida overgrowth. Leaky gut. Food allergies. Gestational diabetes. Anxiety. Mood swings. Rapid heartbeat. Stomach aches, cramping, burning, gurgling, and pain. Nausea. Fatigue. Spaciness. Balance issues. Vertigo. Stuffy nose. Runny nose. Extremely dry skin. Eczema patches. Dark circles under my eyes. Screwy hormones. Receding gums and tooth pain. Sugar cravings. Headaches. Blah, blah blah.
That's my list of complaints. And I'm only 34 years old.
I feel like I'm an old lady. If I don't fix this, if I don't find a way for my body to heal, I'm going to have a new list in a few years with a lot more autoimmune problems and I'm not going to have the energy or ability to keep up with and care for my kids. And that scares the badonkies out of me. I want to feel good and have a long healthy life so that I can play with my grand kids one day.
Sometimes I think my kids are feeling a little "meh" as well. I see the difference in them on the days and weeks when I am not feeding them like I want to. Their energy, their moods, their sleep, their skin and their eyes... I can see the little effects on their body when we have too much take out or gluten free mac and cheese. It's been hard throughout my last pregnancy and the first six months with a high maintenance baby to feed my big boys and myself the right foods, and I've taken a lot of help from the frozen aisle at Whole Foods. I'm not proud of it, but I've been in survival mode and I did the best I could. Time to forgive myself and move on. Time to do a better job.
Monday, February 10, 2014
I'm going to change my life
Ok. Here we go. I'm going to change my life. My families lives. We can do this. I can do this. My health and the health of my family are my number one priorities. This is my focus for the rest of this year. I need to put aside everything else and focus on this one hundred percent. Yes. I can do this. Even though I have a six month old who will not be put down. Even though I am homeschooling a preschooler and a kindergartener. Even though I don't have a house cleaner or a chef or someone to do the laundry. Even though I am subsisting on about 5 broken hours of sleep a night and I cannot even have a cup of coffee. I'm going to invest in a new slew of addictive iPad apps for the big boys, strap the howling baby on my back, and make this work. If someone asks me to take on a project, organize a party, join a new club, read a new book.... I'm probably going to say no. Maybe later. Because this I'M GOING TO FINALLY FEEL GOOD thing is going to work!
I am going to take all the knowledge that I have accumulated over the last six years of health obsessed research and somehow pull it to the surface of my brain and allow myself to use it with confidence to HEAL myself and allow all of us to reach a new level of health and vitality. Foods, supplements, holistic medicine like herbs, homeopathy and essential oils. Every book I've read, every recipe I've wished to try, it's all coming together right now.
I will not accept failure as an option. I will not be ashamed or embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing my new lifestyle with family or friends who may not agree or understand. I will say no each and every time I am offered something that does not fit in my healing plan, and I will walk away from people and situations that do not support my goal. Sounds harsh. But this has always been one of the hardest things for me. I like to please people. I like to fit in. But I will stand in the spotlight with beet red cheeks if I have to because I want to get well.
My goals:
1. For me to follow the autoimmune paleo protocol without cheating, while nursing the baby and feeding my family healthy whole foods. To eliminate my sugar cravings, anxiety issues, and constant upset stomach. To feel healthy and alive.
2. To transition my kids (who are already gluten free) from a standard american gf diet to a whole (real) foods paleo-ish lifestyle that includes tons of fresh veggies and high quality proteins, learning where food comes from and helping to grow it, learning to cook with me in the kitchen, and learning to listen to their bodies regarding the food choices they make.
3. To make cultured foods (kefir, kombucha, cultured veggies) a part of our lifestyle and include them in our daily meals. I miss making water kefir and sauerkraut - time to get back to it and expand this area to include lots of other fermented foods.
4. To spend time outside with my kids every single day. For them and I to get exercise every single day even if it's just walking, biking around the block or yoga I do in the house.
I could write a lot more goals but I think I need to stop here and keep it simple-ish. I go overboard way too easily. You know... like I decide to start a new blog about my paleo journey. :)
I am going to take all the knowledge that I have accumulated over the last six years of health obsessed research and somehow pull it to the surface of my brain and allow myself to use it with confidence to HEAL myself and allow all of us to reach a new level of health and vitality. Foods, supplements, holistic medicine like herbs, homeopathy and essential oils. Every book I've read, every recipe I've wished to try, it's all coming together right now.
I will not accept failure as an option. I will not be ashamed or embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing my new lifestyle with family or friends who may not agree or understand. I will say no each and every time I am offered something that does not fit in my healing plan, and I will walk away from people and situations that do not support my goal. Sounds harsh. But this has always been one of the hardest things for me. I like to please people. I like to fit in. But I will stand in the spotlight with beet red cheeks if I have to because I want to get well.
My goals:
1. For me to follow the autoimmune paleo protocol without cheating, while nursing the baby and feeding my family healthy whole foods. To eliminate my sugar cravings, anxiety issues, and constant upset stomach. To feel healthy and alive.
2. To transition my kids (who are already gluten free) from a standard american gf diet to a whole (real) foods paleo-ish lifestyle that includes tons of fresh veggies and high quality proteins, learning where food comes from and helping to grow it, learning to cook with me in the kitchen, and learning to listen to their bodies regarding the food choices they make.
3. To make cultured foods (kefir, kombucha, cultured veggies) a part of our lifestyle and include them in our daily meals. I miss making water kefir and sauerkraut - time to get back to it and expand this area to include lots of other fermented foods.
4. To spend time outside with my kids every single day. For them and I to get exercise every single day even if it's just walking, biking around the block or yoga I do in the house.
I could write a lot more goals but I think I need to stop here and keep it simple-ish. I go overboard way too easily. You know... like I decide to start a new blog about my paleo journey. :)
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