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Blended layers of kiwi, mango and strawberry. No sugar added and artificial colors. They are making two little boys very happy!

My food experiment- Week 1

I have been dealing with one of those aging things. In the past few years my joints have gotten more and more swollen and stiff. It has gotten where I am in constant pain. I have been taking ibuprofen on a daily basis for several years but it's hard on my stomach. So I did a little research. I don't like the idea of spending the rest of my life on prescription meds that may help the arthritis but have just as bad or worse side effects. After reading a few books and some web searching I kept finding people saying that a plant based diet can not only help arthritis but cure it. One testimonial said a woman was completely pain free in 2 months and off her meds as well.

Now you have to know a little bit about me to understand that giving up meat and dairy is an extremely radical notion. I grew up on cattle ranch and I'm descended from a long line of ranchers and farmers. Beef, chicken and dairy products are the only food groups in my family. Well almost... they like dessert too. Anyway to consider going to a plant based diet is not only a huge challenge on relearning how to prepare meals but could be considered treason among certain members of my family. But I have gotten so tired of hurting all the time, it affects my entire life, that I decided I would give it a try. The first thing I did was to go off the ibuprofen. Within a day the swelling increased. By the end of the week my hands and feet were in constant pain and the swelling in the joints had tripled. I was having a hard time making a fist. I really had no idea the inflammation had gotten so bad. I guess it was the real thing that pushed me off the cliff to try this radical experiment. Or at least radical for me.

I discussed the idea with my husband because he has to live with me. We have always agreed that we want to stay healthy and avoid spending the rest of our lives on medication. So he agreed to encourage me in experiment as long as I didn't make him change his eating habits. I figured if it didn't work I wasn't out anything except for the cost of food. But unlike some new drug I wouldn't have to worry about dangerous side effects or spend tons of money. We figured it couldn't hurt to try.

I started my new plan last Monday. I decided to treat it as an experiment so I made a journal, wrote down my weight and measurements. And wrote about my physical pain. Then I took myself to the strore and bought some more of those veggie and fruit kinds of things. I have been reading The Engine 2 Diet and The RAVE Diet. Basically they are alike in urging one to avoid all processed and refined foods, meats and dairy products. The Engine 2 Diet suggested that one could still eat fish or chicken in the first week.  Strangely enough I never really felt too hungry. I tried to follow the meal plan as close as I could although I made quite a few substitutions due to availability of products. I did eat chicken three times and I had a diet Coke once.  Sunday morning was my biggest downfall. On Sundays my husband and I go on a date to McDonalds while the boys are in Sunday School (this is often the only time we ever get away alone), and let's face it there aren't many good options at Mickey D's. I had a plain biscuit and real Coke. But I had gone an entire week without failing up so I'm not beating myself up.

Definitely the biggest challenge for me was thinking of what to eat that wasn't to far out there while still cooking regularly for my family. A friend cautioned me not to try meat or cheese substitutes for awhile, until the taste for the real stuff was off of my tongue. That made sense to me, besides tofu meats or soy cheese are not appealing to me at all. And portobello burgers still seem way to far out for me. But since I already make my own wholewheat bread I just added more to my diet as well as lots of veggies and more beans. I have been eating whole grain cereals with rice milk for breakfast and it's ok. Not great, but edible.

So what did I learn in Week 1? 

1. Surprisingly I miss dairy much more than I miss meat. The one thing I would crave was a piece of cheddar cheese.
2. If I balanced the grains, beans and produce I never felt hungry. A couple of times I felt kind of shaky between meals but those were meals that were pretty light.
3. Eating lots of different textures seem to be the key.
4. My homemade chive vinegar is perfect on a green leafy salad.
5. I was amazed to find that I had more energy through the day. I am less sluggish in the afternoons.
6. The stomach pain that I have had for nearly three years is not quite as bad. Some nights I have laid there in pain all night. It hurt again some last night but it wasn't as bad.
7. In our little town eating out could be a problem. :)
8. If you're going to use a cookbook for this, buying a digital copy isn't the best idea. I need one that I can mark up, take notes, bookmark, etc. So I may be purchasing a print copy of The Engine 2 Diet soon. I don't think I'll tell my family about the title of his new book, they may disown me.
9. Do I feel better? I think it's too soon to tell. My joints are still really swollen but I don't think my hands and feet are hurting quite as bad. So we'll keep on with the experiment and see how it goes.
10. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

A Fine Testimony

I have been thinking a lot lately about the testimony that we leave behind. Do people think of me as a person who trusts God and lives in such a way? I'm not really sure they do. Oh yeah, I have those good moments but I also have many moments where I do not live as if my life is transformed by the God of the universe. And neither do my children. In fact I have been very saddened by choices some of my children have made and are making currently.

Today a friend shared this blogpost on Facebook. It is about one of the young firefighters who died in Arizona. She wrote about a man who was a fine man of God, who lived his life in a way that directed others to God. I think this has to be such a comfort to his family. Losing a child has to be so incredibly hard, I don't mean to dismiss the pain of the loss, but having children who walk away from God and everything they have been taught is another form of loss. I know that they can always turn around and come back to a faithful life, but there will always be the scars of the sin in their lives and it will be there for the rest of their lives. As a mother this grieves me terribly.

Musing

If one was going to decorate their bathrom in a western theme...this is the perfect sink. I love the barbwire!

 

 

 

 

Happy Flag Day!

It's easier for me to remember when Flag Day is because it also happens to be my son's birthday. Take a few minutes and reflect on what the flag stands for. Many people have fought and died, not for the flag itself but for what it represents. And that is something to celebrate!

A little something that I made this week...

I am a big fan of Ree Drummond. You know who I mean right?

Oh wait, I mean The Pioneer Woman! Ah, now you know who I mean.

I have read her blog since the early days before she was even famous. And I have loved her since the first post I read. But what I really love are her recipes. I don't think I've tried one yet that we didn't like. I mean there was her chicken spaghetti that practically has my guys licking their plates, and those twice baked potatoes that my son-in-law loves, and her iced coffee that I practically lived on last summer. So when I saw her make Strawberry Oatmeal Bars on her tv show I knew I had to try them. They are kind of like those Nutri Grain bars only much better. Oh, and I used homemade jelly, so I'm sure that made them even better. So if you're looking for something to make for your kids for a snack, or want to have something they can just grab for breakfast try these and I think you will not be disappointed.
Go HERE for the recipe

School Is Out Already?

I am still a bit in shock at how quickly the last few months have gone by. I haven't posted since mid-March. Right after my last post life got a little crazy and I just have had a hard time composing my thoughts much less writing them. My mother in law took a turn for the worse and we went home to see her. I think that is the last time all eight of her kids were together with her at the same time before she died. It was a bittersweet day because we could tell the end was near, and she was not herself, but she was very pleased to have all of her children there with her.

While we were there we got word that a young woman from our church was killed in a car accident. I have been friends with her mother since we were in first grade. It's hard to watch people grieve the loss of their child. And it reminds one that all life is fleeting and we need to savor each moment.

A week later we were at another funeral, this one for my mother in law. I have wanted to sit down and write out what she meant to me. But the words are stuck in my heart right now and haven't quite made it out. She was a good woman and not only loved by her family but her friends and neighbors.

And then there have been national tragedies such as the bombing in Boston and tornadoes in Oklahoma. These are emotional, gripping events that sweep us up and twist us until we feel like a dish rag wrung up and left in a corner.

So, I have been in a bit of limbo. I was reminded to make the moments count. I have been trying to spend more time with my kids and less time on my computer. I have been trying to do things that count, not count the things that I do. I have been praying for my children and my grandchildren that they will learn to love Jesus and not the world. And I have been crying over the poor choices that they make and the poor choices that I have made.

Now school is out and my boys will be home all day, so I will probably have even less time to write. But I will be here working in my garden, playing with the kids, hopefully encouraging them to read more and want to learn more. Most of all I want to set the example that life is to be lived, not just viewed like a television.

I hope you all have a memorable Memorial Day and that you take time to really make your day count.