The Family Menu

Sometimes all the good intentions and motivation in world fall avail when it comes to feeding the family.   I can't tell you how many times I've heard tells of defeat from people when one person in the family wants to change their ways and the rest of the family doesn't.   "When Mom goes on a diet, we all do."  " I want to eat more salads, but all they'll eat is macaroni and cheese."  "I hate spending so much time in the kitchen then nobody will eat it."

I do not believe in short-order cooking.  It is our practice that we eat what the cook made or we don't eat. But I also believe there is hope for the downtrodden and a way to marry healthful intentions with less motivated eaters.

Consider slightly changing the menu instead of going all or nothing.  Maybe just expand the menu a bit.  There is always room to add more vegetables or throw on a salad.  Even if only the healthy eaters eat the extra veggies, at least it makes more of a variety for everyone.  If there is a vegetarian in the house, there is no need to make two separate meals,  just expand the buffet.  Beans are an easy, fiber-filled, staple to add to the meat and potatoes.   Add a salad for more variety.  Keep different vegetables, dried fruit, or nuts for example so everyone can dress up the salad to taste.

Feeding kids can be a challenge.   It is unproductive to get into a power struggle.  Just continue to offer.  Eventually their taste buds come around.  We do have a one-taste rule at our house, but if they don't like it they don't have to eat it.  On average, it takes a picky eater seventeen times to begin eating the new food.  It also helps if the adults at the table also "try" a bite.  They're watching you!

And of course, it is always dandy to hide the veggies in other dishes.  The Deceptively Delicious cookbooks by Jessica Seinfeld are just dandy.    Basically hiding puréed vegetables in other dishes is easy, delicious, and nutritious.

Planning for meals is a big deal to keep discouragement out of the kitchen.  When hectic nights come along, it is easier to grab a frozen pizza or chicken nuggets and fries than to cook a wholesome, less processed meal.   Why not plan for quick-fixes when those times arise.   When making a family favorite recipe, make two and freeze one.  Keep some frozen vegetables in the freezer to pop in the microwave.  No mess.  Lots of nutrition.   I am for whole grain rice, but it takes a while to cook. For those busy nights,  use those ten minute brown rice boiling bags.   Stir fry a little frozen vegetables to add on top.  Maybe even keep some grilled chicken pieces to throw in if you have one of those families that only consider it supper if there is meat in it.

With a little creativity and planning, meals can meet everybody's schedules and taste buds.  How do you feed the family without the feud?

Nutrition Nugget
We eat about three times more sodium than needed in America.  If choosing a processed food,  look on the label to see the amount of sodium.  It is good to use the percent daily values to grade the sodium.  If the DVs in bold are above 20,  it is considered high in that nutrient.  If it is 5 or less,  it is considered low in that nutrient.   Try not to get items with a sodium above 20.  If it is a canned items such as green peas or beans,  rinse the food before cooking and add fresh water.  This will help to reduce some of the sodium.

Snowball Effect

"Know Thyself"   That is one of those philosophical cornerstones that chapters are written about in personal development classes, but it sure is Truth.  Knowing myself and working with myself without expectation not only helps me enjoy my journey, but effortlessly delivers me where I want to go. 

It's hard to strap on the running shoes and crave vegetables if the most energy one can muster is to pull up the covers and lift the TV remote.  Sometimes it takes an unexplanable motivation from within to take the first baby step.  Healthfulness is like a snowball effect.  Get that ball rolling and keep it moving until it is so huge it rolls itself without any effort from you.  The first step to gathering up the snow is knowing thyself.  I know areas in my thinking and habits that keep me snowed under instead of treading the high ground.  This is how I've started rolling the ball.

Even if I don't feel like it, I put on my exercise pants all the way down to my running shoes.  It takes very little motivation for me to put on my favorite tennis shoes ever.   Once they are on, I am more likely to exercise.   The next baby step is that I purpose in my heart to do the exericise of my plan.   I found a "plan" on the internet that suits me and my personal goals.   I still can't or don't make it a law/rule/expectation.  The plan isn't even a goal.  It serves me as a guide.  I adjust it so it fits me. It only adds to my life.  If I experience any negative emotion about it, then I need to readjust my thinking.   I remind myself,  "It's only 15 minutes."  Or  two miles, or whatever it is.  Baby step out the door.  The snowball has grown.  I actually look forward to the yoga pants, tennis shoes, breathing the crisp air, and the freedom I feel as I go.  

I also decided to take some supplements to help with my energy level.  I can tell they do make a difference.   I visited the health food store to determine what was best for me.  I make sure it is natural stuff and I prefer ones that do not contain caffeine or anything else of that sort.  In the past, I might have big ideas to take a bunch of vitamins, but that gets boring really quickly.   I end up with a cabinet full of pill bottles and less money in the pocket.    I baby step by attachng a new habit to an established one.  I take my vitamins with a tall glass of water before my coffee as my first baby step of the morning.  

Choosing freedom foods for especially breakfast and lunch helps keep  my energy level up to keep on rolling through supper.  Avoiding sugary, high fat, and processed foods is best.  Drinking water when I feel I'm beginning to wilt really helps as well.  

I still have a problem going to bed on time, but getting plenty of good quality sleep helps too.  I bought some herbal teas to enjoy before bedtime.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have get me some breathe right strips or something because apparently I'm a snorer.  If I purpose in my heart to get into bed at a certain time, I will.

All these things are just baby steps that come naturally with the proper perspective.   These are my baby steps that come from knowing myself.  What are things you do to keep get your ball rolling?


Nutritional Nugget:

Five More Tips To Add Fruits and Vegetables From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

eatright.org

1. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat  frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.

2. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.

3. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.

4. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.

5. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce.

Freedom Food

"You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up.  Ironically this is not far from the truth."

I love this Matrix quote, and it is so fitting to how I feel right now.  I've felt like this before in other areas of my life.....like the veil  is fixing to pop off.  I feel a freedom approaching.  Because I know it is there for me to wake up to, I can accept where I am now.  I am content.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm referring to as freedom foods.  It makes sense to me in my little mind.  They are the foods that promote freedom from flesh.    I'm tired of  the real me hiding behind a body that is still too heavy.   Instead of viewing foods as something I can't have, I now see foods as something that will help me get free from this body that is weighing me down.

It isn't a bunch of rules as much as it is a perspective.  I've lost my feeling of deprivation that I used to have when on a diet.  I've lost (and still losing) a feeling that I must lose weight to become somebody.     I've lost some (and still losing) some of this fleshy flesh that makes me feel tired, or feel awkward if I can't find just the right size on the jeans rack.  I'm separating from all those things of bondage.  I feel like Neo.....accepting what I see because I know I'm waking up....fixing to break free from an illusion.

Freedom foods help me to do just that.   Instead of seeing high calorie foods as something I can't have, I see more healthful foods as eating freedom.  It is an easy choice for me to make now.  Sweet tea or water?   Lunch at the buffet or the salad bar?  And what for a quick breakfast?  Hardee's or a slice of toast and a piece of fruit.  Which foods bring the freedom?  All foods fit,  but I can guarantee I won't feel like I'm walking in freedom about an hour after I've eaten a greasy sausage biscuit.

I'm free to eat all things, but which foods promote my freedom?  Which foods remind you that you are free?


Nutritional Nugget:

Five More Tips To Add Fruits and Vegetables From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

eatright.org

1. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.

2. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.

3. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.

4. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.

5. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.

Exhaling

The last couple months, my job as a dietitian has been the priority of my life.    I've had to rearrange and quit some jobs in order to make time for more important things like sleep and family.   Friday was the last day at one of my jobs so the past month I have worked extra hard and long trying to make the transition more tolerable.  Because of that, I have put my weight loss journey on the back burner which is exactly the wrong thing to do.  

See, this journey is not as much about weight loss as it is about health and freedom.  I spent less time on exercising, making healthful choices, and getting enough sleep and added an abundant of stress to my daily routine.  I actually had the thought a few times, "I bet this is what death feels like."  Just  yucky.    I know I am more sensitive to the pressures I placed on myself just because I'm more familiar with what it is like to rest.   Thank God for right-minded friends who we're praying for me when I wasn't in my own right mind in dealing with my work.  I know it is silly to exalt an occupation to such a high level for a time, but that is what I did.  Now is the time to reconnect, remember, and rejuvenate.

I know it's the season to eat turkey, candy canes, cookies and milk,  but lately, I've been pondering on what I will call freedom foods.  I once went on a diet just before the holidays many years ago when I thought I was a cow (and wasn't).  And because I wasn't right-minded about eating and weight back then, I gained about 15 pounds.   I actually paid money to gain 15!  The average holiday weight gain is 7 pounds. This is not what I had in mind in striving to be above average.  

 
I no longer feel deprived or any of those other emotions I attached to eating food,  but my flesh feels yucky from treating it so poorly while I adopted some not-so-healthy thinking styles the past few months.   Even though the habits were still lingering in my body this morning,  the voice of LIFE on the inside was thankfully a little louder.  I just had to pick which one was my voice.  I could have sided with the ego....take a lazy day in the name of "recuperation."  But instead, I put my shoes on and went for a nice walk/run.  I feel like a new person because, well, I AM a new person.   

I love what my good friend said the other day.  She wasn't talking about weight loss, but it is a good sound proverb of Truth for every area of life that went something like,  "I won't get wiser, but the junk will come off so I can see more clearly."  That is the God-Almighty Truth!  I've already got all the life, wisdom, and skinniness inside.  It's just time to slough off the junk to expose my true self.

I love our respiratory system.  I find it so interesting how a healthy body  involuntarily breathes in a substance to sustain life then exhales to rid our body of waste.  As I walked/ran this morning, I can tell you I was very aware of my respiratory system since it had been a little while.  As I ran, I allowed that cool, crisp air to cleanse my soul as I inhaled. As I exhaled, I released some of that old crud I have been hanging on to.  I found that I did not have to breathe in more life, I already have that. I was simply aware that things I did not want were leaving my body and only the good remained.  I didn't have to give a name to the waste or think about what it was for this  exercise to be affective.   I just allowed it and could feel the stress leaving my body.   It sort of felt like taking off work clothes after a long day and putting on some yoga pants.  But if I was going to name the stuff that came out, I could probably guess that I was exhaling Stress, Self expectation, Thoughts that I am not enough, Thoughts that I must DO to become, and an abundant of sadness from the recent events in the news.   

I know I still have junk to slough off, but I do feel better now. I am excited for some time to have a re-run tomorrow.  I am thankful I listened to the voice that mattered and not a a voice of laziness.  Thankful I'm  breathing.

Enjoying the PENT-house

I love THINKING lessons. I have a new favorite science game that exercises the brain. One of the tips it gave me to improve brain health is to avoid thoughts of obligation, encouraged having a  lighthearted attitude, and an enjoyable life. Cool ‘eh?!? I loved this! Just another confirmation of the way of thinking I believe we were made for.

I love the word, “Repent.” I’ve learned that “-pent” is the same meaning where we get the word “penthouse.” “Repent” means to “return to the high way of thinking.” My poor little flabby brain was weak because I of how I believed in the past.  I believed, "I am what I do."   So happy to “return to the high place.”  The High place is seeing things from the perspective that God sees.  Sounds really noble, but it is really difficult.  To see ourselves the way God sees us takes great humility.  Humility is always thought to be lowly, but remember in God's Kingdom, everything is topsy-turvy!  The high place IS humility.  To believe about ourselves who God says we are returns us to his way of thinking.  I am so glad his ways were higher than my ways and his thoughts were higher than my thoughts.  I'm so thankful he lifts me up to see things from his pent house.  Too good.  Just too, too good!

For brain and body health, I cast out thoughts like the following:

• That I’m worth less because of my physical appearance.
• Cast out regret for “letting myself go.”
• No “If Only…” self talk.
• Not allowing myself to feel overwhelmed because I get bogged down with how I need to improve.
• Opinions of others thinking I’m less than.
• Put pressure on myself to get results.

Thoughts like these have done nothing but delay my journey.

I will change my way of thinking, return to the high place, and see me for the real me.
 
Nutritional Nugget:

Five More Tips To Add Fruits and Vegetables From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
eatright.org

 
1. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.

2. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.

3. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.

4.  Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.

5.  Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.

And With a View of Journey's End

It is nice to be in a place on the journey where the only reasons I eat are because  I need nourishment and just for the pure, simple pleasure of it.

Enjoying life… What a concept!

The goal and place of rest is to have no consciousness of fat or food. Food adds to my enjoyment of life, but it is not my life. 

The “nucleus” of chaos, confusion, and distraction is a sly little temptation that says, “If you are _____, then _____.” It’s a sneaky one this thought. If you are somebody, then PROVE it by losing weight, exercising, eating better, etc. etc. etc.  Becoming and doing sounds so noble to those who are still sleeping. No wonder it was a snake who brought this temptation to Adam.

 There is no magic formula, but these are things I think about that keep me from following into a food trap and the lie that I am only valuable if...

• Remind myself daily that I’m worthy of health.
• I’m worth taking a walk/run in the morning.
• Going to bed at a decent time to get enough rest is good for me.
• Buying more whole and healthful foods at the store is what I really want, and it is okay for me to have what I really want.  Then I make plans of how I want to eat it.

• Drink water and more water.
• Write down foods I eat and monitor my calorie intake on paper to give me a proper perspective. 
• Patience with myself.
• No pressure or expectations on myself to get results.
    I'm good enough, smart enough, and dog gone it, people like me. 

This journey has been more about skinning up the insides and it is exciting to think how the physical will follow.  When I’m distraction free, I feel like I’m already at the end of this journey and this is what it feels like.

• No more fear of failure.
• No eating for stress or comfort.
• No eating for boredom.
• Habits are changed.
• Pressure-free eating.

At the journey's end, food adds to my enjoyment of life. I can’t remember the pangs of being fat. It feels like “that wasn’t so bad.”  Remembering being fat as if it was just a dream and never a reality.

I lost another 3 pounds.

Nutritional Nugget: 

Five Tips to add more fruits and vegetables from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

eatright.org

1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.

Eating In The Pressure Cooker.

I found another one I meant to post in June....

I was doing well and enjoying my new healthful habits. I was exercising more, sleeping better, choosing more healthful food choices, and losing weight. Then I went through two weeks of stress because of my job. It’s routine that the inspectors come at least once a year to sniff out deficiencies and help us become more excellent, but that doesn’t make it any less stressful. I know that one day, I’ll be able to walk through times like these without pressure at all. Currently, I am not there, and I’m just fine with that.

Not only was the stress dreadful for my brain and body, but the schedule that went with it was hard on my diet and exercise regimen that I so enjoyed. I was thankful for the lessons on patience that I have learned. I allowed myself to “get through it” without putting added expectations that I MUST lose weight this week. I still made good choices when I could, but I just maintained my weight during this time.

I’m finally back to life as usual and once again enjoying sneaking in exercise and monitoring my diet to help me lose weight. I was happy to see how kind I was to myself. I’ve come a long way. I used to think it was the right thing to put pressure on myself.  Now I see the LIFE in resting.  I’m very excited to get back dropping the poundage.

Oh and by the way, I was deficiency free!   (It never pays to worry.)  

Bread of Life.

There is no flaw in you.  Can you believe that?   It's TRUE!

Nutritional Nugget

Raw eggs are yucky. I know Rocky did it, but not only is it a big salmonella risk, but raw eggs bind up a B vitamin called biotin. I’m in favor of cooked eggs!