The last two weeks have been kind of eye opening to me. I've been happy- like REALLY happy, and it's awesome! I love it! Last year at this time I wasn't happy. For no reason, really. My life is good, with it's normal ups and downs. I'm very blessed. So then looking back to last year, why wasn't I happy?
I'm very confident that my change in mood this year is because of my dietary changes. I had a follow-up visit with my doctor last Monday and told him how happy I am. He says it is because I am no longer in adrenal fatigue. Sweet! I still have ups and downs for sure, but on a whole, I very happy. Yeah!
Well, what I'm learning is that not everyone is happy for you when you're happy (GASP!). Maybe it's worse when you share it online to strangers. Maybe they think you're bragging or something? I shared my happiness in an online forum after Valentine's Day, and didn't get a positive reaction like I thought I would. I just thought they'd be happy for me.
On Saturday I came across a lecture on youtube (HERE) that is AWESOME. SOOOOOO good! I LOOOOVED it. It's by Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at University of California San Francisco, and he talks about how sugar should be considered a poison, and should be considered addictive like drugs (alcohol, tobacco, etc). He backs up his info by research, and it is wonderful! (You need to listen to this if you can make the time.... it's over an hour and a half long! I just put it on and listened while I did dishes & cleaned the kitchen).
I was so excited about it that I posted the link on facebook. Later that evening someone wrote a post scolding me for being judgmental, telling me they'll eat their way, and I can eat my way & just leave them alone. I was so surprised! (Yes, I did unfriend this person.) I was so surprised that my sharing the link would be offensive to one (some?).
After thinking through it more, I think I figured it out. A few days earlier I shared a cartoon I thought was funny- A fat & skinny bird sitting in a parking lot with the McD's arches in the background, and the fat bird is eating a fry. The skinny one says "You gotta start eating out of a different parking lot" (or something like that). I thought it was funny, because I never eat there anymore. But in hindsight, I can see how that would bug someone, especially those who eat there (hmmmmm... millions served?).
So I'm a little gun shy of posting on the internet now. These experiences will help me be a bit more cautious, and yes, hopefully less judgmental. I'm just so excited about the changes that I've gone through, and my better mood, that I want to shout it out to the world. I'll just be more careful how I do it now.
Have you ever been misunderstood on the internet?
Have you noticed a mental lift by which foods you eat?
Are there any books/shows/people (etc.) that have influenced your way of eating?
Monday, February 20, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Finally! A YUMMY grain-free pancake!
Up to this point the only grain-free pancake I've been using is a coconut pancake, that is mostly eggs with a little bit of coconut flour mixed in. They're not really that good. They're flat, and they taste a bit like sandpaper. I've tried adding a little milk & some almond flour, but not much improvement. I've just put up with them, because I've figured they're better than no pancakes.
This morning I decided to try a recipe I found on the plantoeat.com blog: Moist and Cakey Almond Flour Pancakes. They based the recipe on one they found on elanaspantry.com: Pancakes Revisited. I mostly followed the ingredients on the first recipe, but it is helpful to look at both and see the differences.
The pancakes were AWESOME. So good! Definitely a keeper. Today I made regular wheat/white pancakes for my kids, but I'm excited to try this new recipe on them next week. I think they'll really like it.
2/20/12 UPDATE: I made the pancakes today for my kids, and YEA! They were a hit! I used coconut oil instead of butter because I was out, and I had a harder time flipping them than I did with the first ones I made. I had to wait longer for them to cook so they were firm enough to flip, but then by that time they were almost black on the one side. They still tasted good, but they didn't look so great.
This morning I decided to try a recipe I found on the plantoeat.com blog: Moist and Cakey Almond Flour Pancakes. They based the recipe on one they found on elanaspantry.com: Pancakes Revisited. I mostly followed the ingredients on the first recipe, but it is helpful to look at both and see the differences.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups almond meal
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Butter or coconut oil for frying
Directions
- In medium bowl mix dry ingredients. In a separate, small bowl mix wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Set batter aside to set up. (*in the elana's pantry recipe they recommend 15-20 minutes!)
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Once heated up add 2 tablespoons or so of batter to the pan to make each pancake. The pancakes should be no wider than 2 inches or they will not hold together well. The batter is fairly thick so you can spread it out a bit to thin out the pancakes.
- Cook until bubbles start to form in the pancakes and underside has browned. Flip and repeat. Serve with butter, syrup, jam, or other favorite topping.
The pancakes were AWESOME. So good! Definitely a keeper. Today I made regular wheat/white pancakes for my kids, but I'm excited to try this new recipe on them next week. I think they'll really like it.
2/20/12 UPDATE: I made the pancakes today for my kids, and YEA! They were a hit! I used coconut oil instead of butter because I was out, and I had a harder time flipping them than I did with the first ones I made. I had to wait longer for them to cook so they were firm enough to flip, but then by that time they were almost black on the one side. They still tasted good, but they didn't look so great.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Killer Smoothie!
This morning I made the best smoothie! The bad part is that I don't use a recipe, and I just throw things in. I'll try best to estimate amounts. Here are the ingredients:
frozen bananas (2)
frozen spinach (big fist full)
frozen strawberries (about 4-5)
1/4 cup canned coconut milk (full fat, of course!)
fresh pineapple- about 1-2 cups
2 cups water
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. SO good! Now I'm just freezing to death. I already get chilled from my 5A.M. run in 20 degree weather, and the cold smoothie does me in! But it's worth it.
frozen bananas (2)
frozen spinach (big fist full)
frozen strawberries (about 4-5)
1/4 cup canned coconut milk (full fat, of course!)
fresh pineapple- about 1-2 cups
2 cups water
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. SO good! Now I'm just freezing to death. I already get chilled from my 5A.M. run in 20 degree weather, and the cold smoothie does me in! But it's worth it.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A Few Dollars Saved
I'm certainly not writing as much as I need to. Maybe I'll start to write short daily entries and not avoid it because I'm worried about it taking too much time. I am making some progress on saving money, though. Here are a few ways that I've been able to save money over the last month:
WalMart price matching.
I had heard of this, but didn't realize I could take advantage of it where I live. Our WalMart is only a few months old, and I thought we could only price match products from the other couple of groceries in my area. A few weeks ago I found out they'll match the prices of stores within 30 minutes of us, so that opens the door wide open to great deals! I just go to my favorite $ saving site, www.pinchingyourpennies.com, and I can print out lists of all the best deals on everything. This is especially awesome for produce, meat, and produce, which you don't often find coupons for.
Truthfully, I'll still try and support my little-guy stores when possible. But I have to cut costs somehow, and this is one of the way. I saved about $40 on my last grocery visit over what I would have spent elsewhere.
Honeyville Grain
I bought some bulk blanched almond flour from Honeyville Grain.com, and I LOVE IT. It's so good.
I bought 25 pounds, and split the order with a friend. They were having a site-wide 20% off promotion, so we each paid about $50 for 12 1/2 pounds, or $4/pound.
Amazon.com
In December I splurged and bought a Prime membership for Amazon.com. I LOVE shopping on Amazon. I find it odd that the prices change around so much, but sometimes you can get really good deals on things. I LOVE that I can order it from home, and then in TWO DAYS there it is on my door step. This is such a time saver, especially since I don't have good selection where I live and what is here is usually marked up in price!.
Another thing that has helped: I was more strict with my Dave Ramsey envelope system in January, and plan to keep doing so. A few other projects I have in the works: making my own laundry soap & packing my kids' school lunches! Organization- that's the name of the game.
WalMart price matching.
I had heard of this, but didn't realize I could take advantage of it where I live. Our WalMart is only a few months old, and I thought we could only price match products from the other couple of groceries in my area. A few weeks ago I found out they'll match the prices of stores within 30 minutes of us, so that opens the door wide open to great deals! I just go to my favorite $ saving site, www.pinchingyourpennies.com, and I can print out lists of all the best deals on everything. This is especially awesome for produce, meat, and produce, which you don't often find coupons for.
Truthfully, I'll still try and support my little-guy stores when possible. But I have to cut costs somehow, and this is one of the way. I saved about $40 on my last grocery visit over what I would have spent elsewhere.
Honeyville Grain
I bought some bulk blanched almond flour from Honeyville Grain.com, and I LOVE IT. It's so good.
Amazon.com
In December I splurged and bought a Prime membership for Amazon.com. I LOVE shopping on Amazon. I find it odd that the prices change around so much, but sometimes you can get really good deals on things. I LOVE that I can order it from home, and then in TWO DAYS there it is on my door step. This is such a time saver, especially since I don't have good selection where I live and what is here is usually marked up in price!.
Another thing that has helped: I was more strict with my Dave Ramsey envelope system in January, and plan to keep doing so. A few other projects I have in the works: making my own laundry soap & packing my kids' school lunches! Organization- that's the name of the game.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Where's the Beef?
Today I'm looking for beef bones. Ones to make broth with. Grass fed beef. Mmm..hmmm... Expensive!
I'm looking at prices to see if this is even feasible with my family. I know the argument that investing now in your health will prevent high costs later, but that same argument can be used for a lot of things. Buy good quality now so you won't have to buy it again for 10 years instead of 1-2 years for cheap.
The fact of the matter is, money is money. If it's not there, it's not there. I don't want to go into debt to live a healthy life. So now, the research. I really want to make this work.
Know of any inexpensive pastured beef/chicken/pork, including bones? Let me know. I'll be searching today.
I'm looking at prices to see if this is even feasible with my family. I know the argument that investing now in your health will prevent high costs later, but that same argument can be used for a lot of things. Buy good quality now so you won't have to buy it again for 10 years instead of 1-2 years for cheap.
The fact of the matter is, money is money. If it's not there, it's not there. I don't want to go into debt to live a healthy life. So now, the research. I really want to make this work.
Know of any inexpensive pastured beef/chicken/pork, including bones? Let me know. I'll be searching today.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time to Revisit GAPS. No, Really!
You know how I was so excited for my gluten-free oats to come? Well, guess what? Stomach pain. It's not terrible, but enough that I know it's irritated. I've thought about writing posts a few times this past few weeks after different foods cause me stomach pain. The oats- dark chocolate- soy sauce (DUH- I forgot it has WHEAT in it!)- and more that I can't think of right now.
I'm glad that I can tell when food is affecting me. My stomach is saying "enough is enough", and I really need to soothe it and let it heal. I went back and looked at the foods that are acceptable on GAPS. I've been on a more restricted diet long enough that it doesn't seem that overwhelming to me. Here is a description of the foods allowed (taken from the GAPS diet website):
The best foods are eggs (if tolerated), fresh meats (not preserved), fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, garlic and olive oil. Apart from eating vegetables cooked, it is important to have some raw vegetables with meals, as they contain vital enzymes to assist digestion of the meats. Fruit should be eaten on their own, not with meals, as they have a very different digestion pattern and can make the work harder for the stomach. Fruit should be given as a snack between meals.
It is very important to have plenty of natural fats in every meal from meats, butter, ghee, coconut (if tolerated) and cold pressed olive oil. Animal fats on meats are particularly valuable. Fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir) are also a very important part of this diet in addition to homemade meat or fish stock. It is recommended to take a cup of warm meat or fish stock with every meal as a drink as well as soups and stews made with the meat or fish stock. The stock, kefir and fermented vegetables will over time restore the stomach acid production, which will improve digestion.
It is best to avoid processed foods (any packet or tinned foods). They are stripped from most nutrients that were present in the fresh ingredients used for making these foods. They are a hard work for the digestive system and they damage the healthy gut flora balance. On top of that they usually contain a lot of artificial chemicals, detrimental to health, like preservatives, colorants, etc. Try to buy foods in the form that nature made them, as fresh as possible.
Notice there are NO grains listed? Yeah, NO grains. The last time I did it I did allow myself Buckwheat, Quinoa, and brown rice. Nope. Not this time. I'm planning (HOPING) to follow this strictly. I just really hope that it won't mess up my running schedule. I found a new running group that I'm running with on Mon/Wed/Fri, and I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I can't even tell you. I've been wanting to find an early A.M. running group for so long, and they're about my pace. We do 4-5 miles each time, which is perfect. I hope that when I get rid of all grains it doesn't mess up my energy. I started to do the Intro to GAPS diet back in October, but gave up after a few weeks. I got really nervous because I was losing a lot of hair. I went to a GAPS meeting last night at a local health food store called Real Foods. A lady named Melissa Washburn presented info about GAPS. She and her family have being doing GAPS for 2 years! It was great to light the fire under me again, and get me excited to try it again. I'm still debating on doing the GAP Intro, or just starting off with the regular GAPS that is more lenient. I think with the stomach pain when eating and the food sensitivities that I need the Intro.
Now the biggest question for myself: Am I ready to tackle this with my family? I think it would benefit all of us. I'm going to research a bit more & see if I can find others with large families and/or older kids, and see how they approached it. It would my life easier in that I wouldn't be preparing 2 separate meals. On the down side I'd have to win the battle with my kids, and try and help the see why it is so important. Hmmmm. A lot to think about. I'm for sure going to start it for myself the first week of February. I think Jimmy will want to do it with me, even if I don't tackle it with the kids.
I'm glad that I can tell when food is affecting me. My stomach is saying "enough is enough", and I really need to soothe it and let it heal. I went back and looked at the foods that are acceptable on GAPS. I've been on a more restricted diet long enough that it doesn't seem that overwhelming to me. Here is a description of the foods allowed (taken from the GAPS diet website):
The best foods are eggs (if tolerated), fresh meats (not preserved), fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, garlic and olive oil. Apart from eating vegetables cooked, it is important to have some raw vegetables with meals, as they contain vital enzymes to assist digestion of the meats. Fruit should be eaten on their own, not with meals, as they have a very different digestion pattern and can make the work harder for the stomach. Fruit should be given as a snack between meals.
It is very important to have plenty of natural fats in every meal from meats, butter, ghee, coconut (if tolerated) and cold pressed olive oil. Animal fats on meats are particularly valuable. Fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir) are also a very important part of this diet in addition to homemade meat or fish stock. It is recommended to take a cup of warm meat or fish stock with every meal as a drink as well as soups and stews made with the meat or fish stock. The stock, kefir and fermented vegetables will over time restore the stomach acid production, which will improve digestion.
It is best to avoid processed foods (any packet or tinned foods). They are stripped from most nutrients that were present in the fresh ingredients used for making these foods. They are a hard work for the digestive system and they damage the healthy gut flora balance. On top of that they usually contain a lot of artificial chemicals, detrimental to health, like preservatives, colorants, etc. Try to buy foods in the form that nature made them, as fresh as possible.
Notice there are NO grains listed? Yeah, NO grains. The last time I did it I did allow myself Buckwheat, Quinoa, and brown rice. Nope. Not this time. I'm planning (HOPING) to follow this strictly. I just really hope that it won't mess up my running schedule. I found a new running group that I'm running with on Mon/Wed/Fri, and I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I can't even tell you. I've been wanting to find an early A.M. running group for so long, and they're about my pace. We do 4-5 miles each time, which is perfect. I hope that when I get rid of all grains it doesn't mess up my energy. I started to do the Intro to GAPS diet back in October, but gave up after a few weeks. I got really nervous because I was losing a lot of hair. I went to a GAPS meeting last night at a local health food store called Real Foods. A lady named Melissa Washburn presented info about GAPS. She and her family have being doing GAPS for 2 years! It was great to light the fire under me again, and get me excited to try it again. I'm still debating on doing the GAP Intro, or just starting off with the regular GAPS that is more lenient. I think with the stomach pain when eating and the food sensitivities that I need the Intro.
Now the biggest question for myself: Am I ready to tackle this with my family? I think it would benefit all of us. I'm going to research a bit more & see if I can find others with large families and/or older kids, and see how they approached it. It would my life easier in that I wouldn't be preparing 2 separate meals. On the down side I'd have to win the battle with my kids, and try and help the see why it is so important. Hmmmm. A lot to think about. I'm for sure going to start it for myself the first week of February. I think Jimmy will want to do it with me, even if I don't tackle it with the kids.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I Miss My Oats.
I've gone mostly wheatless when I cook for my family, so it takes more creativity in deciding what to cook for them. Breakfast is usually rotated between oatmeal, scrambled eggs, yogurt and fruit, and coconut flour crepes.
Today was oatmeal day. I haven't been eating oatmeal because although it doesn't have gluten, it is commonly cross-contaminated with gluten as it is processed with the same equipment as wheat. I decided to give it a try, because it looked so good. I was hoping that people didn't know what they were talking about & it would only affect those with celiac's, not just the gluten intolerant like me. Result: stomach pain. Shoot- they were right. I'm glad that I'm in tune enough with my body that I can tell that it's reacting to it.
As a kid I HATED oatmeal. I liked oatmeal cookies and granola bars, but not the cereal. It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I figured out that I actually like oatmeal, I just can't stand the mushy "instant" quick cooking oats that my mom used to serve. Once I figured it out, I bought "old fashioned" oats, and have enjoyed eating oatmeal. Today I've decided that enough is enough. I'm going to give in and buy gluten-free oats.
I'm being stricter with my budget this month and trying to bring it down from the crazy amounts it got to (I'm too embarrassed to say right now... once it's under control I'll let you know how I did it :), so I searched around for the best deal. I didn't want to spend hours at it, so in my 30 minutes of research I've decided that AMAZON is the best deal.
First I looked to glutenfreeoats.com, giftsofnature.com, glutenfree.com, and glutenfreemall.com. They were all pretty similarly priced ($9-$16 for around two pounds), but then you have to add on the shipping: anywhere from $7-$16!
On Amazon, I can get the same products, but avoid shipping costs through Amazon Prime or do the subscribe & save, in which I'll save 15% on the order, plus free shipping.
I ended up buying four bags of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats with ship and save for $4.64 per 2 lb. bag. I will need to double check my local health food stores & see if they can compete in price. I'll shop locally if they're within a dollar. I still need to go to Azure Standard and see what their price is on gluten-free oats. The only problem with that is they deliver monthly, I would have to go pick up the order in Utah County, and they charge a delivery fee that would make it less of a good deal. I want my oats now, but will do some more research on it for next time.
Do you like oatmeal?
I love it now- I hated it as a kid.
Do you like to shop online?
I LOVE it! I live in a smaller city that doesn't have a lot of good shopping options. I love having things dropped off at my doorstep. Very convenient!
What is your favorite thing to buy online?
Anything and everything.
*What about you? I'd love to get your comments.
Today was oatmeal day. I haven't been eating oatmeal because although it doesn't have gluten, it is commonly cross-contaminated with gluten as it is processed with the same equipment as wheat. I decided to give it a try, because it looked so good. I was hoping that people didn't know what they were talking about & it would only affect those with celiac's, not just the gluten intolerant like me. Result: stomach pain. Shoot- they were right. I'm glad that I'm in tune enough with my body that I can tell that it's reacting to it.
As a kid I HATED oatmeal. I liked oatmeal cookies and granola bars, but not the cereal. It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I figured out that I actually like oatmeal, I just can't stand the mushy "instant" quick cooking oats that my mom used to serve. Once I figured it out, I bought "old fashioned" oats, and have enjoyed eating oatmeal. Today I've decided that enough is enough. I'm going to give in and buy gluten-free oats.
I'm being stricter with my budget this month and trying to bring it down from the crazy amounts it got to (I'm too embarrassed to say right now... once it's under control I'll let you know how I did it :), so I searched around for the best deal. I didn't want to spend hours at it, so in my 30 minutes of research I've decided that AMAZON is the best deal.
First I looked to glutenfreeoats.com, giftsofnature.com, glutenfree.com, and glutenfreemall.com. They were all pretty similarly priced ($9-$16 for around two pounds), but then you have to add on the shipping: anywhere from $7-$16!
On Amazon, I can get the same products, but avoid shipping costs through Amazon Prime or do the subscribe & save, in which I'll save 15% on the order, plus free shipping.
I ended up buying four bags of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats with ship and save for $4.64 per 2 lb. bag. I will need to double check my local health food stores & see if they can compete in price. I'll shop locally if they're within a dollar. I still need to go to Azure Standard and see what their price is on gluten-free oats. The only problem with that is they deliver monthly, I would have to go pick up the order in Utah County, and they charge a delivery fee that would make it less of a good deal. I want my oats now, but will do some more research on it for next time.
Do you like oatmeal?
I love it now- I hated it as a kid.
Do you like to shop online?
I LOVE it! I live in a smaller city that doesn't have a lot of good shopping options. I love having things dropped off at my doorstep. Very convenient!
What is your favorite thing to buy online?
Anything and everything.
*What about you? I'd love to get your comments.
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