Mar. 27, 2007 - Eat Well, Live Well
My sister-in-law, a Type 1 diabetic since childhood, recommended a great book to me called Eat Well, Live Well by Pamela Smith.
"It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon, You're tired and hungry. It's true- you didn't eat breakfast. You weren't hungry then. and that cup of coffee and doughnut gave you enough pep to last until lunch. You had a big salad then. Pretty healthy - all that green stuff, even if you did pour on the dressing. So why are you starved? And where have your energy and concentration gone?" Book Excerpt
The first week on the "diet" my SIL noticed her blood sugar levels even right out - this was motivation enough for her to keep following it. She has been following the diet for 10 months and lost 30 pounds. She has also begun moderate exercise and has really been pleased with the changes in her body. (Go Bonny!)
After SIL mentioned the book a few times I decided I could at least read it. I was happy to see this "diet" consisted of foods I already use often like Whole Grain Bread, plain yogurt and low fat cheese. I could start immediately without having to run to the store. At my next grocery shopping trip, I stocked up on other foods I wanted to have on hand.
Reading through the book a couple of things really stuck out - 1. You need to eat often throughout the day to keep your blood sugar level and avoid food cravings. And 2. Always eat a carbohydrate with a protein (don't worry - if you don't know what is what, she will tell you). Eating this way boosts your metabolism and gets your body burning calories while eliminating the sugar "highs" & "lows". I had been struggling with low energy level and sweet cravings and reading this book showed me why I felt this way! After following these principals for the past 3 weeks, I can definately agree that this regular eating will boost your energy and change your eating mindset.
You eat small portions 6 times a day! She goes through a list of "10 commandments for eating" which I agree with and already understand. There is a Weight-Loss plan for woman and men as well as a Maintenance Plan. It's more of a guideline to teach you about portion sizes and good food choices. I have kept this page propped open on my counter for 3 weeks now just so I can refer to it quickly and stay motivated to eat correctly.
I'm sure you could find this book at your library or through inter-library loan. (Always my first place to look for books!)
I do have more "Baby Steps for Healthier Eating" to share in the future. I just haven't had much spare time to blog these days. Anyway, I'm planning to post about "Choosing the Right Oil" in the near future and share my experience with Coconut Oil along with another super resource for eating well.
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Jan. 30, 2007 - Baby Step # 2 to Healthier Eating this Year
Did you read my 1st post about striving for a healthier diet for my family in 2007? This is something I’ve been working on in my household for the past few years. I hope you’ve been successful in eating more fruits and vegetables each day. We mommies have to be creative sometimes, don’t we? Maybe you have already started to see a few benefits such as more energy, brighter eyes and less sickness this past month. Well, its time to take another baby step forward…are you ready? The next baby step for healthier eating I’d like to suggest is to remove all foods containing artifical colors (food dyes) from your diet. The first I knew about food dye being harmful to a person was when my own mom became allergic when I was a teen. She would break out in hives after she ate foods containing Yellow 5 or 6. She has since become sensitive to several food additives. When I became a mom, and especially when we found out our 2nd child had food allergies, I started reading and researching how certain foods can effect the body. At the bottom of this post are some links with more information about the dangers/side effects of consuming food dyes. I realize that the FDA has approved the dye that is in the food sitting on the local supermarket shelf. Still, doing my own research and reading other people’s negative experiences has convinced me that I need to keep these foods out of my home. I also believe that since I am chief cook of my household it is my God given responsibilty to learn more about the types of foods He would have me feed my family. I don’t go crazy about it. I don’t ban my children from having an occasional treat offered by a friend or relative. (Occasionally you could even "catch me" with a handful of artifically dyed M'n'M's!) I would "guesstimate" we are 90 - 95% free of food dyes. I avoid buying those foods, especially when there are brands or flavors that do not contain dye. If you agree with me, and have already removed these foods from your diet, don’t stop reading… your not off the hook! I have a challenge for you at the end of this post! Here are “foods” which I avoid that typically contain artificial coloring and are easy to spot: (There are many reasons, other than food dye, to avoid these as well!) * Colorful, packaged breakfast cereals * packaged gelatins and puddings (I’ll post a dye free “gelatin jiggler” recipe soon) * most soda and other sugary drinks, fruit punch & juices * Popsicles and some ice cream * Candy and gum You may be surprised to find artifical coloring in some of these foods/medicine: Processed Cheese Flavored yogurt Cake and muffin mixes Flavored chips “cheese” crackers and other dry snacks Pickles Children’s multi vitamins Cough syrup and other liquid medicines ___________________ (add your own, I’m sure I’ve forgotten some) (You will need to check the ingredient labels to see if your favorite brands contain artifical coloring.) I recently read Dr. Sears book “The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood”. Even Dr. Sears has something to say about our kids consuming artificial coloring -- check your local library for a copy. Here are those links I told you about. Read them over and decide for yourself. They give much more information than I can give you:. Adverse effects of “inactive” ingredients: http://www.feingold.org/effects.html Allergicchild.com/ food dye intolerance: http://www.allergicchild.com/food_dye_allergies.htm Food Intolerance Network/ sympton fact sheets: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factsheet.htm If you or your children suffer from eczema, asthma, sleep disorders, bronchitis, hyperactivity, allergies & rashes or even stuttering, I would urge you to atleast investigate these links (and search on your own) and see what they have to say. They cover not only food dye but many artifical food additives/preservatives. OK… so your with me. You have already rid your home of this stuff, some of which I hesitate to even call food, and your wondering now what? This year I’m going to start eliminating other products I use in my home that contain dyes. Things like shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, soaps and laundry detergent. I don’t think I’ll have to spend extra money to do this. Most big manufacturers now offer products for “sensitive skin” that are easy to find. They also make colorless products like clarifying shampoo or plain white soap. Some would argue even these have chemicals that we shouldn’t be putting on our skin but I feel that this is a “baby step” in the right direction. If your striving to consume healthy things for your insides, then consider what your putting on the outside too. So that’s the next step. Let me know what hidden, artifical dye’s you find lurking in your cupboards. Toss them out and find a suitable replacement. It may be inconvenient at times not to reach for that pre-packaged goodie but our little ones are trusting us to give them foods that will strengthen them and help their bodies thrive. Choose, instead, the fresh produce that God designed our bodies to run on. Keep up the good work -- We can do this!
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:4
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Jan. 2, 2007 - Baby Steps to Healthier Eating!
Last year began with me on a mission --- changing our bad eating habits! I have been able to make some positive changes and I hope to add more throughout this year. I am going to share 10 easy things that you can do to start your family on the road to healthier eating... but... I'm not going to share them all at once.
Easy does it.
Let's take it slow and just make one change at a time. It takes 30 days to make a new habit so over this next year perhaps we can wean are ourselves from some of the bad and eat more of the natural foods God has intended for our bodies to run on. Gradual change is less stressful and "easier to swallow" so to speak. Hopefully you will get less resistance from your gang than if you were to go "cold turkey"!
There is nothing radical, I promise. Nothing you have to consult the family physician for. Just small changes that can make a big difference over time. I'll share what we have done in my own family to be successful and I'll share where we are still struggling too. Let's keep it real!
Ready to start?!!
This one is easy. Increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake. That's it! Just get more fresh fruits and veggies down each and every day. You can't eat too many. Our morning snack break is fresh fruit -- always. That's your choice... fruit or fruit. Freshly blended smoothies made from frozen fruit and juice count. Be sure to have a few choices on hand. Eat that already ripened pineapple first and save those green bananas or long lasting apples until later in the week when you need to get to the store. Occasionally I resort to canned peaches packed in their own juice if I'm fresh out of fresh produce! And don't get stuck in a rut -- there is so many delicious fruits, try to buy what's in season to get the best flavors and prices.
Maybe your family already eats plenty of fruit. Let's work on veggies next. We have a hot vegetable or salad each night at dinner. But that's not enough!! I'm trying to now have a salad AND vegetable with dinner. Tonight, instead of salad, I put out baby carrots and green pepper strips with dip. I'm pretty sure the majority of vegetable hating kids will eat raw veggies with their favorite dip if their hungry enough! You know the best time to put this out? About 4:30, when the smell of dinner has begun and they are starving - let them munch on raw vegetables until dinner. It would not really bother me if they didn't eat supper if I knew that they filled up on veggies before hand! I have a 21 month old that I'm careful about serving raw vegetables too because they can be a choking hazard. He does really slender strips. For the little ones, be sure to pull the strings from your celery too!
Doesn't matter how many servings your getting now - just increase your servings of fruits and vegetables and definately "strive for 5" (as they say) a day.
Let's encourage each other. Please let me know what works in your family!
~ "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man
who trusts in Him"~
Psalm 34:8
