My BFF since kindergarten came through for us again. She sent her weekly supper meal plan. Sounds delish! (Thanks again, Friend!)
We had a great week. Kinda Mediterranean.
Monday:
Cesear salad and dressing made totally from scratch.
Ginger Tilapia
Spinach
Rice noodles w/ fresh mozzarella and olive oil
apple slices for the boys
(Her picky eater said it was the best fish he ever had!)
Tuesday: Not at home.
Wednesday:
Ginger Salmon
Steamed carrots
Roasted asparagus
chocolate muffins w/ pureed spinach and blueberries added to them. They were fabulous!)
Thursday:
The rest of the cesar salad
Greek chicken--(Chicken stuffed w/ pureed sauteed onions and garlic mixed into thawed frozen spinach and feta cheese w/ an almond flour and butter crumb topping on chicken then baked in oven.)
Mac n cheese w/ pureed carrots and sweet potatoes added to it.
Friday: Not at home.
What a great week! I'm so proud of myself, but I don't mean to gloat. I just had
so much fun cooking, and when everything is from scratch its amazing how rich
and wonderful the flavors are. I even pureed the anchovies for the Cesear
dressing, whoa!
Well, my mouth is certainly watering, and I am super impressed! She is a fabulous cook. This gives me hope. By the way, I think another take-away from this is that she cooks healthful things when it is under her control. It's not a law that she has to eat all organic stuff. They are a really busy family so they are not at home every night and can't do "this" all the time. She said in her daily diet log that she keeps things on hand that would be considered convenience foods, but they are really just quick bites to eat like a handful of berries, dark chocolate, or whatever. There are really no "expectation" on how to do this "right." She also said that when they eat out, she just doesn't over do it. She lives life and good food is a part of it, but nutrition is not her life. I love her balance.
Nutritional Nugget: Diverticulosis/itis
Diverticulosis is the condition of having diverticula which are little pockets that protrude through week areas of the gut. When these pouches get inflamed or infected, it is called, "Diverticulitis." This is a common condition. The severity of pain in the belly associated with diverticulitis varies, but none of it feels good. I've had several patients over the years to be hospitalized with the pain, but I would say most people can get it fixed with a regular doctor's visit.
We don't really know what causes this disease, but the theory is that a low fiber diet is the culprit. This disease is more prevalent in countries with good ol' processed, low-fiber foods. We don't see it much in countries that have a high fiber diet. Lack of exercise may also increase risk of getting this, however this is not proven. What we do know is that constipation is not good for this disease. The straining may even be a causative factor in developing diverticula.
Because the cases of the onset of diverticulitis are so different, it is vitally important that a doctor be involved in the treatment. Usually, (I said, "usually"...please don't take what I'm about to say and treat yourself!) if a a person has diverticulosis, a high fiber diet with regular bowel movements keeps everything clean and pain/infection-free. They may restrict things like nuts, seeds, popcorn, or hulls. A doctor may even suggest higher fiber for someone with diverticulitis, but usually they recommend the bowels rest. This would mean a liquid or low-residue diet until the gut heals. Antibiotics will also probably be prescribed. Then after the infection is cleared up, they will probably suggest increasing fiber and water to a certain amount of fiber like a minimum of 25 grams a day, but probably more. Probitotics may help get the good flora in the gut established again after the bout of antibiotics. (Antibiotics kill the good guys too.)
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