I AM SO HAPPY! I'm starting to see the effects of healthy, whole foods eating on my kids. They haven't completely bought into the whole thing and they'll still have treats here & there, but if we don't have crappy food here, they can't eat it, and it's making a difference.
The first thing is, my 15-yr old son has lost 15 pounds since November. I'm thrilled. He had a check-up with our pediatrition then, and he was very blunt in telling him he needed to stop gaining weight (he was over 200 pounds). I have never made an issue about his weight and don't believe in "diets", but our lifestyle change with eating is working! Ha ha ha. Diets? Who needs diets? Ya-hoo! Can you tell I'm more than happy?
Tonight was another exciting discovery. My kids' tastes are changing! We had birthday cake & ice cream for my 2nd youngest's birthday, and most of them couldn't finish the cake. THEY SAID IT WAS TOO SWEET! That is seriously unheard of in this home! That makes me so happy. Eventually we'll phase into healthier sweets for b-days. It feels cruel to not give them cake & ice cream... eventually they'll get used to my sweets, I'll find a great grain-free cake they'll like, & we'll transition to my way).
Last year five out of the seven of us were overweight... now I'm at a healthy weight (along w/my two youngest), my husband has lost 25 and counting, and my kids are on the right track. I'm hopeful that our whole family can be at healthy weights over time. I don't necessarily want my kids to lose weight... at the least I'd be happy if they can maintain their weight as they continue to grow, and then they'll grow into a healthy weight.
Showing posts with label whole foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole foods. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
New Meal Plan with the Fam
Well, overall the new GAPS meal plan is going pretty well. I met a little more resistance from the kids than I thought I would, but I have to remind myself that change is always difficult, especially when it comes to food.
Monday was my shopping and prep day, so we didn't officially start this until Tuesday. But I did make a family night treat from my meal plan. It was Sesame Seed Candy, and I think it turned out really good. Surprising to me, the kids didn't really get into it. Even Jimmy said he thought it tasted weird at first, but then the flavor grew on him. We'll definitely try this again. I think that they'll like it better next time. It's really easy to make.
Sesame Seed Candy
1 1/2 cups hulled sesame seeds
1/2 cups honey
1/4 tsp Real salt
Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil.
Toast the sesame seed in a stainless steel skillet over med-high heat, until golden & fragrant. Stir every 20-30 seconds, more at the end.
Add honey, and continue on med high heat until the mixture thickens, another 3-5 minutes. Pour onto the greased cookie sheet and allow to cool for a minute. Score with a knife into bit sized pieces and allow to cool another 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Break apart bite sized pieces and allow to harden, or roll into balls. Store covered in the fridge.
I'm still supposed to be off of sugar, but I'll admit I did have some of these. I figure I'll add in some healthy snacks here & there. My next doctor's appointment is in November, they'll be testing my blood again then. If it shows that my candida levels haven't gone down much, then that will be a kick in the pants and show me that I need to be strict with myself for the long haul.
On Tuesday our menu was:
Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables (vegetables means lots of onions & then chunks of avocado on top. They weren't so sure about all the onions...)
Lunch
Large green salad, with Egg Salad on the side. (The kids are still eating school lunch. I told them I'd make school lunch to send with them, but they haven't taken me up on that yet :)
Dinner
Meatloaf (healthy version not on the diet, but wanted to use up from my freezer. I also had some separate for me that are gluten-free).
Green Salad, topped w/cucumbers & tomatoes.
Snack/sweets: Crackers (Mary's Gone Crackers from Costco), or left over sesame candy
Here is today's menu:
Breakfast
Pumpkin Coconut Flour Waffles (They LOVED this! I made the batter the night before, so this morning was smooth sailing as I got everything ready).
Lunch
Green Salad + Garlic-Spinach Artichoke Dip & veggies (This dip turned out SO good! It's very basic: mayo, spinach, garlic, artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese. Yum!)
Dinner
Roasted Pepper Soup, Baked Stuffed Eggplant, and Deviled Eggs (Now THIS will be the test! I think they'll be picking around at this. I'm excited to try it, though).
Snack
Trail Mix (Includes: "Crispy" walnuts- you soak them over night, then dehydrate them in the oven all day at the lowest temperature. They become extra crispy- yummy!; banana chips- I'm dehydrating some right now. We'll see if they're ready by this afternoon... I might have to make some lara bars and save this mix for another day; coconut flakes).
Monday was my shopping and prep day, so we didn't officially start this until Tuesday. But I did make a family night treat from my meal plan. It was Sesame Seed Candy, and I think it turned out really good. Surprising to me, the kids didn't really get into it. Even Jimmy said he thought it tasted weird at first, but then the flavor grew on him. We'll definitely try this again. I think that they'll like it better next time. It's really easy to make.
Sesame Seed Candy
1 1/2 cups hulled sesame seeds
1/2 cups honey
1/4 tsp Real salt
Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil.
Toast the sesame seed in a stainless steel skillet over med-high heat, until golden & fragrant. Stir every 20-30 seconds, more at the end.
Add honey, and continue on med high heat until the mixture thickens, another 3-5 minutes. Pour onto the greased cookie sheet and allow to cool for a minute. Score with a knife into bit sized pieces and allow to cool another 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Break apart bite sized pieces and allow to harden, or roll into balls. Store covered in the fridge.
I'm still supposed to be off of sugar, but I'll admit I did have some of these. I figure I'll add in some healthy snacks here & there. My next doctor's appointment is in November, they'll be testing my blood again then. If it shows that my candida levels haven't gone down much, then that will be a kick in the pants and show me that I need to be strict with myself for the long haul.
On Tuesday our menu was:
Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables (vegetables means lots of onions & then chunks of avocado on top. They weren't so sure about all the onions...)
Lunch
Large green salad, with Egg Salad on the side. (The kids are still eating school lunch. I told them I'd make school lunch to send with them, but they haven't taken me up on that yet :)
Dinner
Meatloaf (healthy version not on the diet, but wanted to use up from my freezer. I also had some separate for me that are gluten-free).
Green Salad, topped w/cucumbers & tomatoes.
Snack/sweets: Crackers (Mary's Gone Crackers from Costco), or left over sesame candy
Here is today's menu:
Breakfast
Pumpkin Coconut Flour Waffles (They LOVED this! I made the batter the night before, so this morning was smooth sailing as I got everything ready).
Lunch
Green Salad + Garlic-Spinach Artichoke Dip & veggies (This dip turned out SO good! It's very basic: mayo, spinach, garlic, artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese. Yum!)
Dinner
Roasted Pepper Soup, Baked Stuffed Eggplant, and Deviled Eggs (Now THIS will be the test! I think they'll be picking around at this. I'm excited to try it, though).
Snack
Trail Mix (Includes: "Crispy" walnuts- you soak them over night, then dehydrate them in the oven all day at the lowest temperature. They become extra crispy- yummy!; banana chips- I'm dehydrating some right now. We'll see if they're ready by this afternoon... I might have to make some lara bars and save this mix for another day; coconut flakes).
Friday, October 7, 2011
GAPS Diet
Have you ever heard of the GAPS diet? I hadn't a month ago, but the more I hear, the more intrigued I am. Here is the first video of six that give background and explain it. I recommend watching all six videos. They talk about autistic children, but it also applies to children with ADHD, and other behavioral problems.
I have a son with ADHD, and we face challenges every day in working through it. I have a nephew who is autistic. If this works, then why doesn't everyone do it? In first looking at the diet, it's overwhelming! It is a lot different from how we normally eat, and takes a huge lifestyle change. I asked my son if he knew that eating the way I do would help him be able to concentrate and not take his medicine anymore would he do it? And he said no way. That surprised me, because his ADHD causes a lot of stress. He loves his treats, though, and it seems like torture for him to take them away.
The more I read about GAPS, though, the more convinced I am that we need to do this as a family. I found a blog called Health Home Happy, and there is so much great information! My favorite resource is the monthly GAPS diet meal plans with shopping list. I had been using a similar service, but the food wasn't healthy, so I cancelled. I loved the convenience of having it all planned out for me, though, so I'm really glad that I found a resource for this.
The GAPS diet is very much like what I now eat. There is an even more restrictive diet that is necessary for those who have severe issues, which is called the GAPS introduction diet. You're supposed to do that for one to six or more months, depending on the severity of the problem. It helps heal the gut, which is the basis for these mental problems. Then you would do the regular GAPS diet that isn't as restrictive.
I've ordered the meal planning for one month, and am going to try it for my whole family. My husband is ready to hop on board & eat healthier, too, so this will be a way that we can all eat together rather than me with my meals separately. I think this will be a good starting point for us, and then maybe in January I can start the Introduction diet with my hubby & a few of my kids. I'm pretty sure I'll need that more intensive program. OKAY! Monday we're in!
I have a son with ADHD, and we face challenges every day in working through it. I have a nephew who is autistic. If this works, then why doesn't everyone do it? In first looking at the diet, it's overwhelming! It is a lot different from how we normally eat, and takes a huge lifestyle change. I asked my son if he knew that eating the way I do would help him be able to concentrate and not take his medicine anymore would he do it? And he said no way. That surprised me, because his ADHD causes a lot of stress. He loves his treats, though, and it seems like torture for him to take them away.
The more I read about GAPS, though, the more convinced I am that we need to do this as a family. I found a blog called Health Home Happy, and there is so much great information! My favorite resource is the monthly GAPS diet meal plans with shopping list. I had been using a similar service, but the food wasn't healthy, so I cancelled. I loved the convenience of having it all planned out for me, though, so I'm really glad that I found a resource for this.
The GAPS diet is very much like what I now eat. There is an even more restrictive diet that is necessary for those who have severe issues, which is called the GAPS introduction diet. You're supposed to do that for one to six or more months, depending on the severity of the problem. It helps heal the gut, which is the basis for these mental problems. Then you would do the regular GAPS diet that isn't as restrictive.
I've ordered the meal planning for one month, and am going to try it for my whole family. My husband is ready to hop on board & eat healthier, too, so this will be a way that we can all eat together rather than me with my meals separately. I think this will be a good starting point for us, and then maybe in January I can start the Introduction diet with my hubby & a few of my kids. I'm pretty sure I'll need that more intensive program. OKAY! Monday we're in!
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