I bid you good luck......:)

                                                                              
So, here we are again.  I am not sure of how much more I can blog about, before I really start to sound like a health nut over here.  I assure you though, I am NOT a health nut I struggle right along with everyone else, however when one looks in my shopping cart at the grocery store, then they may think otherwise.

I have come to that point where this will be my last and final blog on nutrition. (unless I come across anything so crazy and neat and nutritious that I must tell you about!!)  I will move on to....... well I'm not sure, I guess more mommy things.

I do hope that you take, what little wisdom I shared, with you throughout each meal.  There are no magic words.  There is no counting points.  There is no counting calories.  It isn't about  having a frozen dinner for lunch and then a salad for supper.  It isn't about starving yourself to get into that size 7.  It isn't even about losing weight. (this is an added  bonus to what you are doing)  It is, however, about counting the good, and always making sure it outweighs the bad.  It is about counting the nutrients, and always making sure it is more than the junk.  It is about always drinking enough water in a day to wash out the bad toxins your body is holding on too.   It is very much about portion control.  Your stomach should be as big as your fist, so don't eat a whole cake and expect that to go well.  Put in good and get good out...... good energy, good attitude, good weight, good skin, good hair, good teeth.  Everyday isn't going to be sunshine and rainbows; but let me tell you, I am having  a lot more sunshine than I use to, and that's good enough for me.
 

I crave foods with the rest of you, but it is so much easier now to fight it.  When my body isn't use to getting that sugar, or greasy fatty food,  then it makes it so much easier to say, " no".  Also knowing what all that grease is going to do to you helps me say, "no" as well.

I cannot say it enough, KNOW YOUR FOODS!!  Know what is in them, everything down to the spices.  What is it going to do for you.......... How is it going to help your body function? What part of your body is it going to help function??    What do you need to eat more of in order to solve the way you are feeling??  Is what your eating going to benefit you in some way?  If the answer to this question is  "it isn't" then don't eat it...

There are so many great cookbooks out there.  Do some research and find one that works for you.  Want to get more veggies in your diet but you really don't like the whole idea of eating them??? Well I have a son just like you.  His speech was delayed, and he just wasn't where he should have been for his age.  I was the mother who had no idea what her kid was saying.  I mean really, you have to know how frustrating that is.  As a mother, watching your son get angry because he knows what he is saying why don't you??!!!

  I took notice to what he was eating and there were weeks that went by that he wouldn't touch a single vegetable or fruit on his plate.  I searched out the cookbook called, "Deceptively Delicious."  Each recipe has pureed vegetables or fruit in it.  My son ate them up.  He didn't even know what was in it.  It was about a month into this "experiment" other people started to understand my son.  As a mother that is huge.  He still isn't where he should be but he is making great progress.

These foods where put here for us from the beginning of time.  They are what was intended for us to eat.  If God had intended for us to eat nothing but hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and chilly cheese fries, then I really think that those foods would one, not give us bad things like, heart burn, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and clog our arteries,  and two,  I think that they would have been included in that Garden.   

So please,  eat as "natural" as you can afford,  I know it is costly, but make cuts in other places.   I have three kids with one income and we homeschool.  One, now maybe two, of my kids need medicine and see a specialist on a regular basis.    You don't have to tell me about being broke.   I am, however, very important in my kids eyes, and here lately, I have become very important in my own eyes as well.  I will not neglect my body and buy the best laundry detergent out there because it makes lots of bubbles and my clothes always smell fresh (which might I add, use to be on the top of my list)  Instead I save money by making my own laundry detergent.  It doesn't make a lot of bubbles and it isn't as fresh as Gain, but I have a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent that cost me $20.00 to make and will last me for 9 months.

We are all here for a reason, a purpose if you will.  If you neglect your body and it's needs, how will you ever complete that purpose?  Your life is a gift.  A gift that can be taken way at any given moment, due to wrong choices.  There are choices like, getting into your car and going to town at the wrong time.  Or choices like eating a deep fried stick of butter vs. eating a meal packed full of everything your body needs.  Some choices we have no understanding on how it will all end......but others we do......please make the right choice....you won't regret it....

Dinner time!!!!!

Hello again, :)  Did you think that I had forgotten about you??  Well now remember, I am a full time mommy here so I had a busy few days.  I am back to walk you through your mid afternoon snack and dinner time, but not before I tell you the health benefits of shrimp and mushrooms.  So here we go...

Shrimp

* Ladies listen up here.  If you add shrimp to your diet then you can lessen your P.M.S symptoms such as bloating, irritability and depression. 

* If you are determined to loose a few pounds than shrimp is your food.  It is packed full of vitamin D, vitamin  b3 and zinc.  Zinc has been shown to circulate the body's leptin.  Leptin is a hormone that plays a key role in regulating the body's energy, fat storage and appetite.  Insufficient leptin levels are believed to be the primary cause of food cravings, over eating or obsession with food.  I have noticed this in myself.  I don't think about food so much in a day. 

* Iodine in shrimp help the thyroid to function properly.

* That little item that gives shrimp their pink color can protect the skin from premature aging.

* The zinc in shrimp helps the body to produce new cells (hair cells and skin cells) and maintains the oil secretion glands in the scalp making your hair shiny.  It is a good sorce of copper that aids against hair loss, contributes to hair thickness, and intensifies hair color.

* Shrimp is loaded with selenium.  Death rates from cancer are sufficiently lower in areas where selenium is abundant in the soil.  It is believed to decrease tumor growth by boosting the immune system.

* be careful though because shrimp is high in cholesterol, but it is suggested that the cholesterol in shrimp may not be that bad for you.

Now lets move on the the mushroom, shall we.....

* Mushrooms are full of lean proteins and the fiber and certain enzymes in them aid in lowering your cholesterol

*  They are very effective in preventing breast and prostate cancer

*  They are a great food for diabetics, with no fats, no cholesterol,  very low carbs, high proteins, vitamins and minerals, a lot of fiber and water.  They contain natural insulin and enzymes that help break down sugar  or the starch of food. So mushrooms are a must for diabetics...

* They help the liver and the pancreas function normally

* The lean protein in  the mushroom is ideal for loosing fat and building up muscle

* Now comes the best news for those of us who cannot eat dairy.  They are the only vegetable that has  vitamin D and they are rich in calcium, (good for bones) Iron, (good for anemia) Potassium (good for lowering blood pressure) and copper ( an antibacterial)

So did you change your mind about these two foods?  I hope so because they have some great benefits.

Now let me move on to your snack.  I don't know about you but I tend to be very tired around 2:00 in the afternoon to 5:00 in the evening.  So around 2:00 pm I will mix up my protein shake and drink it.  It gives me that extra boost that I need, AND it fills me up and stops those afternoon munchies :)

Dinner time.  Now if you have read my first blog about the weight loss, you will notice that I included a link to a web site to read about your blood type and what foods work best for you and your metabolism.  I am forever in debt to the woman who gave this link to me.  What a blessing it was. 

As I read it, I found that my body and metabolism needs fish and chicken lots of fruits and veggies.  So dinner time is when I enjoy my fish and chicken.   I know it may seem boring to only have fish and chicken in your diet.  I actually couldn't stand fish.  It was something I just didn't have a taste for.  I would have rather had a steak before I ate fish.   That is until I stated reading about all of the health benefits of fish. (which will come in another blog)  I have been at this new way of eating since the last week in October and today I looked in the freezer and was upset because I was out of Salmon.  I, for the first time in my entire life, was craving Salmon.

So I am going to tell you how I make my salmon.  I take one or two tablespoons of butter in a pan and melt it on the stove, (now being lactose intolerant I only use one tablespoon  and it seems to be fine for me, I don't dare try anymore)  Then I just pore in some honey, (I never measure anything but I would say it was about 1/3 cup, if I had to guess)  Then I sprinkle in some dill, (ugh....measurements....probably a teaspoon) and I just cook it long enough so that the butter melts and I can mix it all together.
 I then put my salmon on the good ol' George Foreman grill, and just brush that honey mixture on top of the salmon as it cooks.  When it is done  ( it should fall apart with a fork) put it on top of some brown rice and poor some more of your honey mixture on the salmon and brown rice. (in my picture I had mashed potatoes, (don't judged, they are full of cauliflower puree so even they are packed with nutrients)  complete with steamed veggies, and that is whats for dinner!!!

Again I encourage you, if you haven't gone to that link yet please do.. You could be eating right, but it may not be effective because you are not eating right for you.  All of these foods work for me, but may not work for you.  Know your body. Be in tune with it.  Know what foods make it happy.

We are living in a world full of sickness, illnesses, and diseases.  I wish that I had all of the answers on how to cure all of these things, but I don't.  I do know, that from all of the reading I have done, and the difference in how I fell now compared to 3 months ago, that it does matter what we eat.  It does make a difference in the way your body functions.  Like I have said many times already, when God created man, he gave him a place full of everything he would ever need.  When man sinned they were cast out of that special place, never to return, but to WORK  the land for their food.  Food today comes too easy.  We don't even have to get out of our cars anymore. They are pumping animals full of hormones to make them bigger faster; but it isn't doing great things for your body.    Be picky about what you are putting into body.  Go ahead and ask your husband next time the oil needs changed in the car if you could use "cooking oil" instead and see the look he gives you.  Oil is oil right???   Wrong...

  I am not saying go buy a tiller, some overalls,  and a pitch fork and get to farming.  I am simply saying,  know what is in the food that you eat. Take the time to prepare it yourself.  I mean really, let's think about this for a minute.  We are paying for meals, prepared by people we don't even know.   Most of them are not wearing hair nets or gloves. Who knows what they touched before they picked up your bun, and then they wrap up it in a paper and throw it in a  bag and hand it to you.  I mean if I am going to have someone watch my children, I need a list of references, referrals, a background check, a drug test, a DNA test and dental records.....but we are feeding our kids with food that is prepared by someone, who we don't even know their name, or if they even washed their hands that day.......hmmm

                                                                              

Lunch time!!!!!

Well I hope that after reading yesterdays blog you are encouraged to keep making healthy choices.  So we have lots of fruit for breakfast (fresh not canned)  some oatmeal packed with fiber by adding pumpkin or sweet potatoes.  We had some sunflower seeds, radishes, maybe some almonds or walnuts for a snack.  We now move on to "lunch time"!!!  Yay it is finally here.  What do we eat for lunch and why!!??

Well here is a picture of one of my lunches.  I cannot have bread.  For years lunch to me was a sandwich and chips, or (if I was trying to be healthy) just a salad and water.  So with my new way of eating I have had to think outside of the lunch box.  Lunch to me is just another opportunity to fuel my body with what it needs. 

You will notice I  have some shrimp and some mixed veggies on my plate.  I don't have this everyday for lunch. 

Why just today I had this for lunch.  Brown rice with sauteed mushrooms and green peppers on top.

                                                                                 



Lunch is a great time to start working on getting those vegetables in.  I would like to now take the time to discourage you from buying those frozen dinners.  You know the ones that if you eat them .....then you are going to be thin in no time!!  You will consume more nutrients if you make your meals yourself.   At least by doing this, you know what is in them.  I know that there are a lot of working (outside of the home) ladies/ men out there and you are saying,  "um there is no way that I have time to prepare this for lunch"  Remember what I said before about how being healthy takes time.  You can't eat fast food and expect it be healthy.  You have to put in the time.  So I am about to tell you how easy this is.

First things first, buy some brown rice, and make a big pan of it, and keep it in the fridge.  This stuff packs alot of fiber, and will keep you fuller longer.  Use it in place of your sandwich and processed meats and cheese.  Need something crunchy to eat with your hands for lunch??  Why not add some more nuts or raw veggies.    So you have rice and veggies and you say, "um I need my meat!!!"  I usually buy some chicken breasts and cut them up in little cubes (nuggets if  you will) and season with Olive Oil (because it is excellent for the digestive track) salt and pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and put it in a pan and cook it until it is done.  If your not a meat person, leave it out.  I personally  would love to take meat out of my diet but with my food allergies, it has to stay in.  Throw in some green peppers , and chopped up mushrooms and let it cook  for a few minutes more  and "BAM"  its done.  Make plenty of different sauteed veggies so that you can mix it up a little bit.  One day use shrimp instead of chicken.  Use a red pepper instead of a green one or use both.  Don't like mushrooms???  Well if you knew what they did.....you just may change your mind.  You could even take some of those almonds or sunflower seeds and throw them on top for a little extra crunch!! 

The thing is, if you take one day a week and do the preparation for all of these meals you can throw them together in no time. I bet you are just dying to know what all of these foods do for you.  Why are you eating them??  Or, I guess, why am "I " eating them.  Stay tuned, I will let you in on that secret tomorrow.  There are some very neat things to know about shrimp and even mushrooms.

On a personal note, I would like to tell you why this is something that I have developed a passion for.  Not just because my health took a nose dive and I realized my family and I deserved better, but, remember how I said that we are to be examples for our kids??  Well I have one, maybe two kids now that need to be on a low fat no fat diet.  They have a disorder where their body doesn't break down and store fat properly.  It won't effect them now, but as the years go by and that fat starts being stored around their hearts, livers, and kidneys......well....we are talking about something a little more serious.  If I don't teach them how to eat right now......and they developed poor eating habits......well.......... I would never forgive myself.  This is the best gift you can give yourself and your family.   Your doing a good thing...

A little encouragement....

                                                                                 

I am back!!!!  Did you miss me??   Did you make it through yesterday without me???  I am sure you
did fine.   I left you last with a lot of information on the wonderful vitamins that are essential in your day.  Well they are essential in mine.  I hope that you can find what is "essential" in yours. 

I know probably at this point your fighting a huge battle in your head.  You are walking past donuts, and cakes and even brownies.  You want to eat that fried chicken that looks sooo good to you,  and who could pass up a free double cheese burger from McDonalds that some random person just handed you, just to watch you fail.

I have spent a few days telling you how certain foods are going to help you.  Let me just take this blog to encourage you.  I know that at this point it seems hard.  And maybe you are still saying, "I will start tomorrow"  I am telling you, do not wait until you get sick to start eating right.  Why not be the best you can be, right now.

  Now, with my "life style" change it is easy for me to say "no" to places like McDonalds, because I cannot eat bread, I cannot eat cheese, I cannot eat dairy, and  I cannot tolerate greasy and oily foods.  So for me, this change in my life, and the way that I am eating may just be easier for me than it is for you.  But that doesn't mean that I wasn't hungry, or irritable, or hurting when I first changed my eating habits.  I just didn't have a choice.  I couldn't go back.  I had to fight through it.    The food that these restaurants offer, literally makes me sick.  So it is very easy for me to say "no".  But I hope that after reading this blog it will make it easier for you to say "no " as well.

So, here is a little game that I played.  It's called, "look at yourself through the eyes of your children"  That is exactly what I did, as I was being carried away on a stretcher and put in the back of an ambulance.  My kids sat and stared at me, with confusion.  All the way to the hospital all I could think about was.  "I didn't want my kids to see that,  I didn't want them to see there mommy needing help"  I am their "caregiver" and I couldn't do my job.  Not really a proud moment for me.   I couldn't do my job because I was too busy being "tired" and filling my schedule up with everything else, except for the needs of my family and more importantly the needs of me.  We had so much going on in our day, homeschool, soccer, church activities,  I didn't have time to make a healthy meal.  All I had time to do was go through McDonald's and grab a quick dinner.   The truth is, that I didn't MAKE the time in a day to prepare a healthy meal.

 For one year I sat around this house, accepting my weight, accepting my tiredness, and watching my kids have fun.  I couldn't play with them, I was too tired, and depressed and I hurt too bad.  I wasted one year.  One year that I will never get back. 

A wise women once said to me,  "you wouldn't take your kids to just any doctor would you??.  You would take them to the best there is.  So why wouldn't you do the same for yourself,  You are just as important in their eyes.  They need you?"    Look into your kids eyes.  You are EVERYTHING to them.  What would they do without you??   Now, none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow, but what if that "tomorrow" was taken away from you because of selfish choices.  You ate what you wanted to eat because you wanted to eat it.   Maybe instead the thought needs to be.  " I will eat, what I am suppose to eat, and do everything in my power to be healthy so that I can fulfill my purpose as a mother/ father.   Those babies are gifts!!!  When someone hands you a gift like that, a gift that needs you in every aspect of their lives.....why would you neglect your own life and your own health, and risk not being there for that gift, in every way that you can .......they need you......give them your best.....:)    You are worth fighting for.................

What a Pill..............

Well, have you mastered the art of breakfast yet???  Now, we move on to your mid morning snacks.  These are so easy.  I always snack on sunflower seeds, (not the kind in the shell because that is just gross to me, spitting those shells in a bowl or a cup.....well just spitting in general shouldn't be allowed)  I get mine at Walmart, in the produce section, there is a display of different kinds of seeds and nuts.  They have walnuts and almonds as well that are really good.  I also enjoy a good bowl of radishes.  That's right I put "good" and "radishes " in the same sentence together.  That was not a mistake.  Let me let you in on another secret. The good things about radishes. 

* They are very good for the liver, and a good detoxifier too.  Since you are "detoxing" anyway this would be a perfect snack for you to eat right now.

* They increase urination, therefore cleaning out the kidneys and urinary system, so they are a must for kidney health.  And because they increase urination this means that you are getting rid of some inflammation. If you are like me, that is some serious pounds that will be falling off!!

*  They are very filling, and are a good choice for those who are determined to loose weight

* Again, another one of those cancer fighting veggies!!!!  That is always a good thing!!

*This is a big one for this time of year,  Radishes are an anti-congestive, they relieve congestion of the respiratory system including, nose throat, wind pipe and lungs due to cold, infection, allergy or other causes

*  Apart of all of the rest, radishes are a good appetizer, mouth and breath freshener, laxative, they regulate the metabolism, improve blood circulation, they are a good treatment for headaches, acidity, constipation, nausea, obesity, soar throat whooping cough, gastric problems and gallbladder stones.......please tell me now.....why have you NOT eaten any radishes today?????

I know that "snack" time for me use to consist of a bag of chips and a pop, soda, bubbly beverage...(whatever you call it)   So find something healthy to replace those chips, something that is cut into pieces, that you can "snack" on to satisfy that "hand to mouth" motion that comes with snack time but change the bag of chips into something that your body needs  and PLEASE  get rid of the bubbly beverage!!!!  Replace it with water!!!!!  Find a snack and know exactly how it is going to help your "engine" run!!!    If it is just just going to clog up your carburetor ....then trust me you are better off without it.  (sorry for all of the car examples........... my husband is a mechanic!!)

Now if you would,  take notice to the picture at the top of the "page".  This is everything vitamin  wise that I take every day.  Let's face it people, we are not 13 anymore.  We need help!!!  I take a multi vitamin, just for that extra "help"  Now please if you think you have a slow metabolism and you see the vitamin with the "motabolism boost" on it.....do NOT buy it.  That "motabolism boost" is caffeine and you don't need it!!!   I also take an Omega 3-6-9.  I do not take the full dosage just because my diet is made up of a lot of fish, so I am already getting a lot of omegas.  I take one. You are suppose to take two.  Omegas are great for digestion.  Since this is where my problem was, most of my supplements are focused just on that.  I also take a probitic.  Now folks here is where I need your full attention!!!!  As I say to my children, "eyes please"........ Probiotics are the "good bacteria"  yes they are found in that little yogurt commercial were women just meet on the street with perfect strangers to discuss their regularity......I'm guessing this has never happened to you???......until now....so how regular are you???. (please answer that quietly to yourself.)  Now the amount of probiotics in those little yogurt cups can take up to seven days to work, OR you can take a probiotic, in the pill form and get faster results.  Mine is made up  of 14 billion live bacteria.  Sounds huge but that is about normal.  Now lets talk about this for a minute, shall we.?  Anytime you take antibiotics you are killing the "good bacteria" in your body.  It's kind of like a layer of slime that protects your organs and helps your digestive system to function normally.  This "good bacteria" doesn't replace itself, so it is very important that you put it back into your body.  Now I do not buy the ones on the shelf at the local drug store and I will tell you why.  I have always heard that they must be kept refrigerated because the bacteria is "live"  If not refrigerated then it serves no purpose.  I get mine from the local nutrition store where they are shipped cold, stored in the refridgerator there, and then are brought home by me.  Then put in my refrigerator.  Some people like to take them only when they are put on antibiotics, I (due to my digestive issues) take one a day.  They won't hurt you.  They are a "good thing" :))  I also take a B6.  This is something I started taking when I was pregnant with my third child because............well.......there is not a pleasant way to say this other than.........when you are pregnant........you have a choice, you can either take Imodium.....or  ..B6.....are you seeing where I am going with this????  Well it helped immediately and so I just continued to take it.

I do drink a protein shake everyday.  This one is wheat free, dairy free, and egg free,  I mix it with soy milk and frozen raspberries.  I take this because of my food allergies, I needed to find another source of protein.  This is also a great snack in the afternoon, when you just want something sweet. It is quite a treat for me because I cannot have chocolate anymore.  It satisfies my sweet tooth AND it fills me up with all of the good vitamins and fiber that is in it!!

So there you are, another step down.  You have your breakfast, and your snack and maybe some vitamin shopping to do.  Again, let me remind you, I am in no way a doctor.  If you feel like maybe you need help and all of this is not going to help you, please go see someone.  I am simply just telling you what helped me.  We are all different individuals with different needs.  The most important thing is to know your body.  Be in tune with it!!  Observe how it responds to this change.  It will fight you at first.................but believe me...........it will thank you later!!!

Until next time...........Happy snacking :))
                                                                               

it's all about the pumpkin ......

Hello again. I hope you are enjoying our journey.  I left you in the last blog with two different fruits.  Now, I really do hope that you had the good sense to eat more than pears and pineapples today!!!  I am throwing out information that I know, and that I have read from various magazines and such, in hopes to help you on your journey.  Don't feel like you have to eat everything I tell you about and don't feel like theses are the only things you need to eat.  I will let you in on a little secret.....I don't count any of my calories, and I don't know my fat intake.  I know the benefits of the food that I am eating out weighs any benefits (or lack there of) of what I use to eat, which was mostly drive thru.  So I guess I don't feel the need to mess with all of the counting and points......I've never really been good at keeping up with numbers anyway.

I would like to encourage you to take this one meal at a time.  That being said I don't mean eat a healthy breakfast and then eat a large pizza for lunch.  Please try to make good choices through out the day but tackle one meal at a time.  Remember this is a life style change.  You are changing habits that you have had for years.  It won't be easy. 

I would like to introduce you to the pumpkin.  These things are not just for Jack-O'-Lanterns.  Pumpkin is something we ,most always, have around our house.  We try to stock up in the fall to get us through a whole year.  They are high in vitamin A, an essential vitamin for vision. So again this is  another fruit that protects against macular degeneration  They are also high in fiber, and you guessed it, another one of those fruits high in anti oxidants.......eat all of these to protect you from flu season!!!    It is so worth it not to buy this stuff in a can!!  You can make it yourself and I am about to show you how!.  I am about to share with you another secret.  If you use this kind of pumpkin in your pies, you will be the hero of Thanksgiving!!!

So here is a small pie pumpkin and you start off by cutting it all up like so......

I cut the top off just like you would a Jack-o'-lantern

See where that beautiful finger is pointed??  This is the part of the pumpkin that you will be eating

cut off the layer of "goo" and then us a veggi peeler to take off the skin, cut it in little squares and put it in a pan to boil

                                                                              

put it on the stove to boil until it is tender and you can stick a fork through it

when it is done put it in a food processor, or a blender

Now I measure it off in containers of 2 cups.  Most pumpkin recipes call for 2 cups of pumpkin, then I freeze it.




So there you go.  It may seem like a lot of work that  you are not willing to do, but I am telling you if you want to be healthy then you must do the work.  You can't get healthy fast, it takes time.  Time to do the research, time to prepare the food, time to exercise.    These three containers of pumpkin will make 6 loaves of pumpkin bread, or 3 pumpkin pies ,or make oatmeal with pumpkin in it enough to feed a family of 4 for 24 days.  That being said, here is a recipe that I use for Oatmeal with pumpkin in it,........



1Cup of nonfat skim milk,  (us lactose intolerant people use almond milk or soy milk)
1/4 cup of firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of pumpkin puree  (you can even use sweet potato if you want to)
1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
1 cup of oats

add all ingredients except the oats into a pan and let it come to a small boil, then add your oats.  My kids like a little syrup on top too.

add this to any fruit you want and you have completed a healthy breakfast full of vitamins and anti oxidants to get you through the day!!!  Well until snack time, and that is where I am going to leave you today.    I have been taking pictures of my food, here and there.  I am getting quite a collection.   I cannot wait to share with you.  One step at a time, one fruit at a time , one veggie at a time and you will be on your way to a more healthy you!!!  Don't give up.  You will feel soooo much better.......I am living proof of that!!!!  

                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                        

Fruit ...........it's what's for breakfast!!!

Okay, so here we go.  We are about to start out on a journey together that, I really do hope and pray, changes the way you look at food, and increases your health in the new year to come.

I know this is a mommy blog.  I am suppose to blog about all things "mommy"  but , if you will allow me, I want to take some time here and help all of us mommys be in better health so that we can be better mommys.

I am in no way shape or form a doctor, or a registered nutritionist.  I am a mommy of three who had a recent scare with my health and I made a huge dramatic change in my diet that had some really positive effects.  As we start this journey, and I let you look into the window of my kitchen and peek onto my dinner plate,  I want to encourage you to change one very important thing about the way that you think about food.  Say it with me,  "I must eat for fuel, not for fun", because I am telling you in all honesty, it won't be fun for the first two weeks.  You will feel very hungry and angry maybe even have some headaches.  This is your body detoxing and your mind telling you that you cannot do this!!  I am encouraging you now to fight that battle in your mind.  Take over your thought process.  Gain back control!!  Believe me if I can do this I have faith in every one of you!!

I have thought of several ways to start this blog out.  Should I just keep a daily blog of what I eat, so that you can "eat with me "  or , should I just throw out random information out there?  Should I just tell you everything I know in one blog???  I think that I have decided to do all of them except for the last one.  I have decided this may take several blogs before comming to completion.

There are so many ways that you can look at this but I am pleading with you, do not look at as a "diet" something temporary that will get you to the weight that you want to be at, and only then will you "live a little" and have that donut.  Look at this as a "life style change"  A new life.  Every morning we get to wake up, God gives us another chance.  Another chance to "get it right"  I mean really lets think about it.  The way that I use to eat, by all rights, I shouldn't be here today.  I know that I am not alone here!!  Most of us eat more fast food cheese burgers then we care to admit, but for some reason our heart keeps beating and God gives us another day.  So lets take this day and do it right....:)
So I have said it before, "if it wasn't in the Garden of Eden, then chances are God doesn't want me to eat it".   So what do you eat then???  Well here is what I eat for breakfast and why.  It is very important to know "why" .  Know what is in the foods and how it can help you .  How is it going to "fuel" your body.  Your body, like an engine, is composed of so many different parts and they all need just the right "fuel" to run properly.  I know that I am getting my "fuel" because I am a mommy of three little ones and I have all the energy I need to make it through the day and then some and I have little to  NO caffeine in my diet.
 
Right, okay, got off subject, (I told you I have a passion for this so my thoughts seem to carry me away) so, Yes,............. what I have for breakfast and why......I have one pear and about a cup full of  fresh pineapple,  and a glass of green tea. 

Pears, lets talk about them for a minute.  They are full of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C.  If consumed regularly, they may decrease the risk of macular degeneration (which causes you to loose your vision and since my Grandmother had this, I  try to do anything that I can to prevent it in my future)  They protect women from post menopausal breast cancer.  They help the body to retain calcium, and for someone who is lactose intolerant that is huge!!   This fruit  aids in helping to lower your blood pressure and lowering your chances of a stroke.   They are good for colon health.  They act as an instant sorce of energy.  They help in reducing cholesterol levels and also drinking a glass of pear juice helps in decreasing a fever.  Pears are useful in treating colitis, chronic gallbladder disorders arthritis and gout.  The foliate in pears helps prevent neural tube defects in babies.  So now you can see why I grab a pear every morning and say "pears are essential in a woman's diet, I must eat one"

Now lets talk pineapples for a minute shall we :))  This fruit I LOVE,   and not just for the taste but for the benefits as well.  It is a wonderful fruit to eat if you have "digestion issues"  heart burn, acid reflux,  the enzymes in pineapple actually break down protein helping to ease digestion.... so why not start your day off with it....... right!!!?  Among that it also aids in reducing the swelling of arthritis and gout, even a soar throat and acute sinusitis.  Eating pineapple can also reduce the recovery time for injuries and surgeries as it helps to speed up the tissue repair  associated with general surgery.  It is very affective in treating anemia and can be used for throat infections and bronchitis.  It helps in reducing blood clotting and aids in removing plaque from the artery walls.  Pineapples are also good for building up healthy bones and they are a cerebral toner; it combats loss of memory.

If that isn't enough food for you and you think that this amount of food cannot possibly get me to even the car first thing in the morning, then might I add a suggestion.  Oatmeal!!  If you don't like the texture (like me)  then blend it to a fine powder, and then make it.  I put pumpkin in mine just a quarter cup with some pumpkin pie spice.....I will save the benefits of pumpkin (and when I say pumpkin I mean not from a can)  for another day and another blog.  I think I have put enough information in this one to keep your mind going for a little bit!!  :)

I hope that I didn't bore you too much with all of this.  Like I said,  God gave us these wonderful fruits and veggies and it wasn't so that we could buy them........... and then watch them rot on the counter,............. then collect fruit flies.......... and then throw them away :))