Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Post veggie week weigh in
Week of eating low fat, mostly veggies
Me- UP 2.4
Nick - UP 2.0
Bob - UP 0.4
I read something last week about new research showing a breakfast of mainly fat, like bacon and eggs, speeds the metabolism and helps weight loss. Going to give this a try, because low fat, high fiber is DEFINITELY not working. For any of us.
Me- UP 2.4
Nick - UP 2.0
Bob - UP 0.4
I read something last week about new research showing a breakfast of mainly fat, like bacon and eggs, speeds the metabolism and helps weight loss. Going to give this a try, because low fat, high fiber is DEFINITELY not working. For any of us.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Non scale victory..sideways
Eating healthy has many advantages- improved health, weight loss, disease prevention and so forth. There is another that is not discussed often, and that is the ability to isolate the affects of bad for you things. Such was the case here this morning.
Nick is autistic. Not so severe that he will ultimately need to be institutionalized, but to a level that makes his life rather atypical. Personally I choose to see it as being differently abled instead of cursed. One very big "thing" with Nick's particular gift is a totally abnormal reaction to textures- and this was the biggest factor in his weight problem. For years the only things he would eat was plain white pasta, white bread with crusts removed and peanut butter. While these substances are far from balanced nutrition, in his body they also converted to chemical compounds called opiates. The affect was keeping him in a drugged like state, and it was a great challenge. I was able to break the cycle with essential fatty acid supplements, THEN a strict diet that included a wide variety of foods , probiotics, cheleation, energy medicine and more. Result has been a nearly normal kid who is thriving. Years before this, we had heard of The Feingold Diet , tried it and noticed that anything with red or yellow dyes seemed to set off different odd behaviors. Red dyes were avoided, and between this , the diet and other practices, things have been so normal that you can easily forget the rules.
With the recent episode of the killer tooth ache, it was discovered that chewing gum helped ease the pain. Same with popsicles. So being good parents, we bought them and it helped to get through that episode. Gum has been one of Nick's favorite weight loss aids- a good thing. But....
Over the last few days I have been noticing different problematic things returning. One was a sudden declaration that certain veggies were yucky ( including his beloved cherry tomatoes) and "stimmy" behaviors. Not good. Yesterday evening I set out an institutional pack of Trident Layers gum- strawberry, his favorite. This morning we woke to find that he had eaten six packs. Wrappers and all. And he was acting really odd. His clothes seams were bothering him, his fabric comforter was "too itchy", his toenails were annoying and he tried to pull them off, he started smacking his head, waving his arms like a flapping bird ( a stim) and more. The ONLY thing that he ate was the darned gum. I grabbed the empty box and saw the culprit- loads of red dye ( not to mention whatever dyes were used on the individual stick wrappers) and several other chemicals for flavor and so forth. Kicking myself for not even thinking about this !
Then I realized something- our diet has been so clean for so long, it was very easy to identify the problem . Much better than years earlier when we were just overwhelmed with the challenges of having a Nick, too little money with too much month and feeling completely alone with all of this . We had heard that we were just bad parents, ,irresponsible, dreamers and so many things that we simply stopped looking for support outside of each other. Because I accidentally read about essential fatty acids and autisim, change became possible, life became so much better and we are healthier. Because of all of this, a minor setback was easily identified. Nick will be fine- certain detox procedures will happen, we will all be more vigilant about those things you never think about, and things will be better in a while.
The scale may not be moving down in a rapid pace, but life is better, healthier and greatly improved. To me , that is worth infinitely more than any number.
Nick is autistic. Not so severe that he will ultimately need to be institutionalized, but to a level that makes his life rather atypical. Personally I choose to see it as being differently abled instead of cursed. One very big "thing" with Nick's particular gift is a totally abnormal reaction to textures- and this was the biggest factor in his weight problem. For years the only things he would eat was plain white pasta, white bread with crusts removed and peanut butter. While these substances are far from balanced nutrition, in his body they also converted to chemical compounds called opiates. The affect was keeping him in a drugged like state, and it was a great challenge. I was able to break the cycle with essential fatty acid supplements, THEN a strict diet that included a wide variety of foods , probiotics, cheleation, energy medicine and more. Result has been a nearly normal kid who is thriving. Years before this, we had heard of The Feingold Diet , tried it and noticed that anything with red or yellow dyes seemed to set off different odd behaviors. Red dyes were avoided, and between this , the diet and other practices, things have been so normal that you can easily forget the rules.
With the recent episode of the killer tooth ache, it was discovered that chewing gum helped ease the pain. Same with popsicles. So being good parents, we bought them and it helped to get through that episode. Gum has been one of Nick's favorite weight loss aids- a good thing. But....
Over the last few days I have been noticing different problematic things returning. One was a sudden declaration that certain veggies were yucky ( including his beloved cherry tomatoes) and "stimmy" behaviors. Not good. Yesterday evening I set out an institutional pack of Trident Layers gum- strawberry, his favorite. This morning we woke to find that he had eaten six packs. Wrappers and all. And he was acting really odd. His clothes seams were bothering him, his fabric comforter was "too itchy", his toenails were annoying and he tried to pull them off, he started smacking his head, waving his arms like a flapping bird ( a stim) and more. The ONLY thing that he ate was the darned gum. I grabbed the empty box and saw the culprit- loads of red dye ( not to mention whatever dyes were used on the individual stick wrappers) and several other chemicals for flavor and so forth. Kicking myself for not even thinking about this !
Then I realized something- our diet has been so clean for so long, it was very easy to identify the problem . Much better than years earlier when we were just overwhelmed with the challenges of having a Nick, too little money with too much month and feeling completely alone with all of this . We had heard that we were just bad parents, ,irresponsible, dreamers and so many things that we simply stopped looking for support outside of each other. Because I accidentally read about essential fatty acids and autisim, change became possible, life became so much better and we are healthier. Because of all of this, a minor setback was easily identified. Nick will be fine- certain detox procedures will happen, we will all be more vigilant about those things you never think about, and things will be better in a while.
The scale may not be moving down in a rapid pace, but life is better, healthier and greatly improved. To me , that is worth infinitely more than any number.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Opo Squash
I almost forgot to post an entry ! We have been in the middle of some before school cleaning and playing silly games on facebook here. Walks between the rainstorms , moving of furniture to vacuum , getting some final details ready for this years homeschool ( our last one- I cannot believe it) , and turning the waiting time with some silly facebook games into creative exercise. You would be surprised how many wall push ups and weight lifting reps you can do while waiting for espresso on Cafe Life !
Dinner last night was a new to me veggie- Opo squash.
It goes by several other names I believe ( Asian Squash for one) , and it tastes something like a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini meeting a refreshing lemon ice. I saw it advertised in the store flier, did some recipe digging on line and bought a couple to try. To really experience what this veggie tasted like, I decided to serve it like Zuchini Carpacio- sliced raw, lightly salted and peppered, drizzled with olive oil , fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Simple, seasonal and very yummy ! We had this with a Tomato Caprise Salad on Earth Grain Deli Thins and a salad made with romaine, arugala, melon, tomatoes and a sprinkling of rosemary roasted nuts. Simple, easy and delicious !
Dinner last night was a new to me veggie- Opo squash.
It goes by several other names I believe ( Asian Squash for one) , and it tastes something like a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini meeting a refreshing lemon ice. I saw it advertised in the store flier, did some recipe digging on line and bought a couple to try. To really experience what this veggie tasted like, I decided to serve it like Zuchini Carpacio- sliced raw, lightly salted and peppered, drizzled with olive oil , fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Simple, seasonal and very yummy ! We had this with a Tomato Caprise Salad on Earth Grain Deli Thins and a salad made with romaine, arugala, melon, tomatoes and a sprinkling of rosemary roasted nuts. Simple, easy and delicious !
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Salad
Salads , which appear to be healthy, can be a bigger calorie hit then a cheeseburger and fries.One reason is the inclusion of high fat cheeses and so forth in an attempt to give them flavor. Problem is, fat does not bring out flavor, but instead bully all other flavors in a dish with a heaviness and salt. They bring a lot of extra calories to the party in the process. The addition of cheese and other such things is a time saving move to bring on the flavor. If you decide to take a little extra time, you can bring out the flavor of simple vegetables through roasting , and when placed warm on a bed of lettuce, you never miss things like cheese !
One favorite meal here lately is Grilled Meat and Roast vegetable salad
I took a zucchini, a white eggplant, fennel, leeks, asparagus, mushrooms, assorted peppers and placed them on a cookie sheet, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and roasted them at 375 or 40 minutes. When they were almost done I grilled a sirloin steak ( any meat, fish or tofu would work- I imagine this would be awesome with grilled salmon) and sliced it into strips. On each plate I placed a handful of cut romaine /arugula mix, topped with a portion of roast veggies andgrilled meat. A yummy, healthy and low fat meal .
Monday, August 2, 2010
The first harvest
I mentioned that I was going to need to decorate with produce, and yesterday that happened ! I do not garden right now, but when the flood of seasonal produce happens, I get kind of giddy! Call me weird, but I absolutely love the smell and look of the produce department when it is filled with so many fresh, vibrant things. Then if you add the nuddgings of a spiritual tradition that celebrates the rhythms of the earth through it's plantings and harvests, it becomes a lost cause. Yesterday I figured if it was good enough for Van Gough, it was good enough for my table. May I present my centerpiece, called Still Life with Eggplant
It actually serves a couple of purposed- it looks pretty, it holds the overflow that will not fit in the fridge at the moment and it will save me a few steps. I have no kitchen table, so all food prep( and school work, craft work, eating and what not) happens on our dining room table.Yesterday was a holiday, and the activity focus was to connect with the earth, celebrate accomplishments and spend time as a family. Your family is your primary community, your children are your harvest, and to get out into nature is the best way to connect with it. We went for a walk in the woods- I finally got to use my trekking poles there and both Bob and I got to wear our Trim Fit shoes. ( I am not buying a pair for Nick- he has some foot issues and I am afraid he will roll off of these and break an ankle). Lots of heavy growth this time of year- right between berries and fall leaves.
Echinachia
Goldenrod
Giant Ragweed - the Hay Fever sufferer's friendWe walked till the mosquitos noticed our presence and decided we were their holiday meal. Both Bob and Nick have an allergy to these beasts and every bite swells up to the size of a lemon, and makes for several days of unpleasantness. We have tried all kinds of insect repelents, chemical and herbal, but they still get bit, so in the mosquito months we have to limit our outdoor activities to not so buggy times. Happily , Nick's reactions to the beasts are getting much better.
We shifted our walking to indoors for a while and then came home to play rounds of Wii Sports.More games of skill, and lots of laughter ! Eventually the day rolled around to dinner- which was one of the simplest and most seasonal kinds of meals you could think of
Tomato salad with fresh mozzarella and Parmesan Garlic Bread. The salad was so simple , it did not even need a recipe ! Take a mess of tomatoes , assorted kinds if possible, cut into wedges, sprinkle with salt to make em sweat. Then add fresh chopped basil, fresh chopped oregano, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze. Toss and eat. With the fresh mozzarella and bread, it becomes like a de- constructed pizza. We served it with a glass of Sangria - I rarely ever drink because both beer and wine give me instant heartburn. The meal was extremely simple , but so good we all just relished it. It does not get better than this ! If you have an abundance of tomatoes, give this one a try! The combination of tomato, basil and balsamic is better than candy !
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