I made salsa using onions & jalapenos from our CSA (community supported agriculture - we get 5-6 lbs of veggies each week, locally & organically grown).
I jarred up some cucumber & dill from our CSA to make pickles. I've never made them before so we'll see how they turn out later this week!
Josh grilled deer burger steaks (from a deer he killed) for dinner & I roasted some squash, carrots, & onions from the CSA.
In the oven I have a gluten free blackberry crumble baking, using the blackberries that Elliot & I picked on Friday with his friends Claire & Will (& my friend Amy).
I also have some pesto in the fridge from last week's basil. YUM!
It's been fun to experiment with the veggies we get each week & find new ways to cook them. I also enjoy making pesto & salsa (& eventually tomato sauce, once we start getting tomatoes) each week, in hopes that I can perfect a recipe. Cooking is an escape for me - just me & the food, chopping away & getting to see the result each time is somewhat therapeutic these days. Not to mention, I love feeling good about what we're eating. Less & less chemicals in this house!
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Food
This blog is written by a woman who went to our church when we were in college. She just wrote this post about how her family is changing their diet & how they are starting to view food & health. It is pretty much the way we are changing now too. Check it out!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Juice!
Josh & I received a juicer as an early Christmas present from Josh's parents. There are a lot of kinds of juicers out there, & after doing some research, we decided on the Omega J8006 because we wanted to be able to juice both vegetables and fruits, & wanted it to be easy to use & to clean. Why get a juicer at all, you ask? Josh & I watch a lot of food documentaries & have learned a lot about how we should eat to be healthy. It sounds simple, but really, who does it well? Josh & I do not take in enough, or enough of a variety, of fruits & vegetables. It's hard to do! A juicer makes it easy. You can make any combination you like - I'm currently drinking apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach, & blackberries. The sweetness of the fruit is important. I'm certain I wouldn't drink it without!
Also, Elliot is a super picky eater. Unfortunately we can (very) rarely get him to try anything new, & what he chooses to eat is extremely limited. But throw some spinach, kale, or carrot in some juice & he'll drink it right up! This was a huge factor for us. We use healthy foods & vitamins to boost his immune system, & this helps with the healthy foods part.
I've already used it four times this week. Three times were some mixture of fruits & vegetables, & once we made orange juice. Yum! No more bottled stuff for us. It's really easy to use, & I'd even say fun! I feel healthier already. :)
Also, Elliot is a super picky eater. Unfortunately we can (very) rarely get him to try anything new, & what he chooses to eat is extremely limited. But throw some spinach, kale, or carrot in some juice & he'll drink it right up! This was a huge factor for us. We use healthy foods & vitamins to boost his immune system, & this helps with the healthy foods part.
I've already used it four times this week. Three times were some mixture of fruits & vegetables, & once we made orange juice. Yum! No more bottled stuff for us. It's really easy to use, & I'd even say fun! I feel healthier already. :)
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Bye bye bread! Bye bye cheese!
When Jack was about 3 weeks old, I decided to sit down & do some research regarding some strange signs he was exhibiting. I knew that the pain he was experiencing when he ate wasn't normal, as well as the wet sounding burps with no spit up. I discovered he had silent reflux, but I did not want to have him put on medicine. I read that almost all babies with reflux have an intolerance to something the mom is eating (or to their formula) so I decided to cut out dairy, which is the most common culprit. Three days later, he had a really bad day, & I realized I had eaten a lot of bread that day, so I cut out gluten as well (which is the second most common culprit). That removes a lot from your diet, folks! However, about 48 hours after removing gluten from my diet, he stopped showing signs of reflux & his demeanor continued to improve over the next few days. A lot of his gas went away as well. I'm really thankful to have found a natural way to make him feel better, even if it means giving up a LOT of delicious things!
I use almond milk in my cereal, & found coconut milk ice cream to be a good treat. There are a lot of gluten free products available, including sandwich bread, brownies, crackers, & more. You can tell they aren't the same as their gluten-filled counterparts, but it's easy to feel fulfilled & not deprived for the most part. I think the hardest part is eating out. Most of what is available at restaurants isn't something I can order, & it means not getting some yummy things that I used to get, like breakfast tacos or the occasional Krispy Kreme at MOPS (yummmm...). But I like being somewhat forced to eat healthier. Removing gluten almost guarantees healthier dinner recipes & snacks. My gluten-free granola has more nutritious grains, & dairy substitutes often have less calories. No more saucy casseroles, no fried stuff, etc.
Josh & I have slowly been refining the way we eat for a long time. Pregnancy always messes us up since I tend to eat a little more hormonally for nine months, but now we're getting back on track. As much as I don't think I would have ever chosen to do so voluntarily, I can now see going gluten-free as a lifestyle. I wouldn't mind using alternative milks long-term (I've never been a milk drinker anyhow), but I would like some cheese back in my life! (I plan on trying to eat some dairy in a couple of weeks to see if that affects Jack or not, since I'm not entirely sure it is necessary to remove from my diet like gluten is.) I'm certainly not suggesting that gluten is evil or that milk is bad, but it might be something we choose to limit, if not cut out of our diet long-term.
I am interested to see how I feel being gluten-free for a few weeks. I know a lot of people report feeling better not eating it. I'm sure part of it is that the diet removes a lot of the yucky stuff (like fried foods) which always makes me feel better! We also plan to eat less meat (& what we eat is organic, grass fed already) & more vegetables & snack on fruit instead of processed foods. You know, the obvious things - but aren't they so hard to actually do?? I don't mean to sound like we eat horribly. We don't. We eat a lot of organic & natural foods, no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils, etc. But we definitely want to cut out most of our processed foods & eat more whole foods.
I'm also hoping this Jack-led-diet helps me lose the rest of the baby weight. Let's be real, that would be a great perk!! I lost a lot in the two weeks following Jack's birth, but still have some work to do. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to the gym in a couple of months when I'm more comfortable leaving Jack in childcare.
I use almond milk in my cereal, & found coconut milk ice cream to be a good treat. There are a lot of gluten free products available, including sandwich bread, brownies, crackers, & more. You can tell they aren't the same as their gluten-filled counterparts, but it's easy to feel fulfilled & not deprived for the most part. I think the hardest part is eating out. Most of what is available at restaurants isn't something I can order, & it means not getting some yummy things that I used to get, like breakfast tacos or the occasional Krispy Kreme at MOPS (yummmm...). But I like being somewhat forced to eat healthier. Removing gluten almost guarantees healthier dinner recipes & snacks. My gluten-free granola has more nutritious grains, & dairy substitutes often have less calories. No more saucy casseroles, no fried stuff, etc.
Josh & I have slowly been refining the way we eat for a long time. Pregnancy always messes us up since I tend to eat a little more hormonally for nine months, but now we're getting back on track. As much as I don't think I would have ever chosen to do so voluntarily, I can now see going gluten-free as a lifestyle. I wouldn't mind using alternative milks long-term (I've never been a milk drinker anyhow), but I would like some cheese back in my life! (I plan on trying to eat some dairy in a couple of weeks to see if that affects Jack or not, since I'm not entirely sure it is necessary to remove from my diet like gluten is.) I'm certainly not suggesting that gluten is evil or that milk is bad, but it might be something we choose to limit, if not cut out of our diet long-term.
I am interested to see how I feel being gluten-free for a few weeks. I know a lot of people report feeling better not eating it. I'm sure part of it is that the diet removes a lot of the yucky stuff (like fried foods) which always makes me feel better! We also plan to eat less meat (& what we eat is organic, grass fed already) & more vegetables & snack on fruit instead of processed foods. You know, the obvious things - but aren't they so hard to actually do?? I don't mean to sound like we eat horribly. We don't. We eat a lot of organic & natural foods, no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils, etc. But we definitely want to cut out most of our processed foods & eat more whole foods.
I'm also hoping this Jack-led-diet helps me lose the rest of the baby weight. Let's be real, that would be a great perk!! I lost a lot in the two weeks following Jack's birth, but still have some work to do. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to the gym in a couple of months when I'm more comfortable leaving Jack in childcare.
Monday, June 22, 2009
my legs are jello
You know Shred Level 2 is hard when Jillian says, "I want you guys to feel like you are dying!"
Aaaand that is precisely how I felt!!
Aaaand that is precisely how I felt!!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I heart Teavana!
So I started the shred again on Monday (my knees took a beating in Italy because of the cobblestones so it took a couple weeks to get them back in decent shape) after a 3-week break... although it takes some motivation to get going, my body feels so much better when I do the workout. So I'm glad to be back at it. I never moved up past level 1 because I wanted to be able to do the whole workout without struggling at all, but I think I'll be able to move up to level 2 next Monday. Ooh, I wonder what it will be like!
Josh & I were at the Galleria in Houston on Saturday & we wandered into a store called Teavana. I have recently decided to make myself like hot tea (I have also made myself like salsa, avocado/guacamole, red peppers, sweet potatoes..) so although this store would have never interested me before, we wandered in & started trying some teas they had available for sampling. One of them was DELISH! We talked with the women who worked there & eventually bought some, the flavor we liked, which was a blend of two different teas... anyways, we now love this store! AND we have one in SA, WHOOO! I also bought myself some peppermint tea this week. This is all a smidgen of what God continues to do in me regarding health... maybe I'll blog about that soon.
& yes, I will blog about Italy... it is on my to-do list now, which means, I mean business, it will happen!
Josh & I were at the Galleria in Houston on Saturday & we wandered into a store called Teavana. I have recently decided to make myself like hot tea (I have also made myself like salsa, avocado/guacamole, red peppers, sweet potatoes..) so although this store would have never interested me before, we wandered in & started trying some teas they had available for sampling. One of them was DELISH! We talked with the women who worked there & eventually bought some, the flavor we liked, which was a blend of two different teas... anyways, we now love this store! AND we have one in SA, WHOOO! I also bought myself some peppermint tea this week. This is all a smidgen of what God continues to do in me regarding health... maybe I'll blog about that soon.
& yes, I will blog about Italy... it is on my to-do list now, which means, I mean business, it will happen!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Shredding & Italy!
I don't get much done when I'm not busy. My to-do list is small this week, so somehow I end up being really good at pushing things off to another day. I should get everything done then enjoy my rare spare time. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow.
Update on my shreddage: I'm seeing lots of new definition in my arms! I have never had much upper-body strength, it's all in my legs, so I'm enjoying these new biceps that have arrived! Also yesterday was the first day I was able to complete the whole workout without stopping or putting down the weights. Yay for strength & endurance! I got my mom & sister doing it too, & did the workout today with Haley. The shred has spread.
We leave for Italy soon...! I need to start getting things together. I'm looking forward to seeing amazing sights (especially the Roman ruins, & thinking of the Christians Paul was writing to... so cool), drinking some yummy Italian coffee (I was reading that they don't drink cappuccinos after lunch, so if you order it you scream TOURIST... as if we won't already do that), & of course eating Italian food! We should do enough walking that we won't come back looking like blimps. Just kidding... even on vacation I need to keep my mind on Jesus & what He would have me eat. Luckily I have a built-in accountability partner, & Josh will be able to keep me in check.
I took an architectural history class my senior year & learned about a lot of the buildings & churches we will see over there... bummer that I don't remember much at all. Nor did we have a book in that class.
Anyone reading this been to Italy &/or have some tips???
Update on my shreddage: I'm seeing lots of new definition in my arms! I have never had much upper-body strength, it's all in my legs, so I'm enjoying these new biceps that have arrived! Also yesterday was the first day I was able to complete the whole workout without stopping or putting down the weights. Yay for strength & endurance! I got my mom & sister doing it too, & did the workout today with Haley. The shred has spread.
We leave for Italy soon...! I need to start getting things together. I'm looking forward to seeing amazing sights (especially the Roman ruins, & thinking of the Christians Paul was writing to... so cool), drinking some yummy Italian coffee (I was reading that they don't drink cappuccinos after lunch, so if you order it you scream TOURIST... as if we won't already do that), & of course eating Italian food! We should do enough walking that we won't come back looking like blimps. Just kidding... even on vacation I need to keep my mind on Jesus & what He would have me eat. Luckily I have a built-in accountability partner, & Josh will be able to keep me in check.
I took an architectural history class my senior year & learned about a lot of the buildings & churches we will see over there... bummer that I don't remember much at all. Nor did we have a book in that class.
Anyone reading this been to Italy &/or have some tips???
Thursday, May 7, 2009
30-day Shred
So, one of the women on staff at the church gave me a workout video that she had told me about the previous week. I thought, "eh, I'll check it out." The only workout videos I had ever done were butt-lift videos (with Paige freshman year) & tae-bo, back when that was popular, & I hated that. But I was going to give it a chance.
Who knew you could get such a workout in 20 minutes?!
Jillian Michaels, the hard-core trainer on The Biggest Loser, is who made this video, called "The 30-day Shred." It is basically 3 circuits of - 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, & 1 minute of abs. There are 3 levels so you can move up to the next level when you want to; I have been doing the video since Sunday & I'm not seeing that day coming anytime soon!! The first two days I was SO SORE. Now just my calves are sore. It's pretty intense. Josh is doing it too, & it's hard for him as well!
I'm going to update you on my progress occasionally. I won't do 30 days straight, I will probably skip Saturdays, & we do have a trip coming up soon (!) that will get in the way. But this is a good workout regardless; I probably will still do it from here on out (although not every day), especially if I don't feel like going to the gym. My goal is to build strength & muscle, to tone, & to hopefully help lose a couple of pounds of fat (those last few pounds I gained after getting married are hard to get off!).
You should get shredded too (mainly so I have someone else to be sore with)!
Who knew you could get such a workout in 20 minutes?!
Jillian Michaels, the hard-core trainer on The Biggest Loser, is who made this video, called "The 30-day Shred." It is basically 3 circuits of - 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, & 1 minute of abs. There are 3 levels so you can move up to the next level when you want to; I have been doing the video since Sunday & I'm not seeing that day coming anytime soon!! The first two days I was SO SORE. Now just my calves are sore. It's pretty intense. Josh is doing it too, & it's hard for him as well!
I'm going to update you on my progress occasionally. I won't do 30 days straight, I will probably skip Saturdays, & we do have a trip coming up soon (!) that will get in the way. But this is a good workout regardless; I probably will still do it from here on out (although not every day), especially if I don't feel like going to the gym. My goal is to build strength & muscle, to tone, & to hopefully help lose a couple of pounds of fat (those last few pounds I gained after getting married are hard to get off!).
You should get shredded too (mainly so I have someone else to be sore with)!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Food & Jesus
I really love food. You probably know that. Unfortunately, I love it so much that it really is a struggle to me. God has revealed that to me several times in my life so far. I also struggle with keeping myself at a healthy weight (as in, I gain weight easily, but I have not been overweight for almost 6 years) so oftentimes, when I am failing in the food area, I notice because I am gaining weight (even tho I work out at least 4 times a week).
A lot of people don't understand having a spiritual struggle with food so I'll try to explain. My flesh often desires unhealthy food, or more food than I need, or food just because it tastes good even though I'm not hungry & don't need it, & I sin when I indulge my flesh by allowing myself to have those things when I know I shouldn't. I'm not saying all unhealthy things are bad (at least not in moderation) but when something has control over you, besides Jesus, it is sin. It is really hard for me to say no to a cookie when I want it.
I mentioned God has revealed this to me before, yet it's still a problem. In the past I would realize food had control over me, so I'd make a plan, or RULES - only one sweet a week, count calories, etc. I'd do okay for a while then I'd fail, & stop altogether.
This time, a few weeks ago, I can't say what happened differently, but I realized that I couldn't make rules, or bind myself to calorie limits, in order to have self-control over food. God showed me that I needed to pray before I ate. Not "thank You Lord for this food" prayers but, "God, I'm hungry, what do you want me to eat?" prayers. & that I needed to hear the Holy Spirit tell me when to stop eating (instead of waiting until I'm stuffed), & stop. & for the past 2 1/2 weeks, my eating habits have changed. I don't plan ahead for my meals or snacks (except dinner), but in the moment, I ask God what to eat (& it's amazing how He does NOT say, "chips" or "tater tots").
He gave me a desire for oatmeal. I have NEVER liked oatmeal. I tried liking it for a week in college & it did not work. But I have eaten it almost every day for the past couple of weeks! I now eat what will benefit my body, not necessarily what I "feel like" eating. Yes, I have had freedom to eat a cookie now & then (about one, once a week) or maybe dessert at Life Group, BUT I have also had the discipline to say no when I did not feel that freedom.
My body has felt better. I haven't had stomachaches (which I get fairly often), except when I have failed to ask God before I ate & I indulged (then repented). AND, I have even lost a couple of pounds! I don't say this to suggest some kind of "God diet," but to say, God knows what our bodies need. If we ask Him & obey, He will show us how to take care of ourselves as His temple. That's what He desires! & He desires for us to be so in accordance with His Spirit that we obey in every little thing, even what we eat.
I have so been encouraged in this. Please pray for me! This is a lifetime deal where I will always need to seek the Spirit & obey regarding food. & it carries over to every other part of life! If we followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every area of our life, we'd be in good shape (figuratively speaking, altho I guess literally as well :-) ).
A lot of people don't understand having a spiritual struggle with food so I'll try to explain. My flesh often desires unhealthy food, or more food than I need, or food just because it tastes good even though I'm not hungry & don't need it, & I sin when I indulge my flesh by allowing myself to have those things when I know I shouldn't. I'm not saying all unhealthy things are bad (at least not in moderation) but when something has control over you, besides Jesus, it is sin. It is really hard for me to say no to a cookie when I want it.
I mentioned God has revealed this to me before, yet it's still a problem. In the past I would realize food had control over me, so I'd make a plan, or RULES - only one sweet a week, count calories, etc. I'd do okay for a while then I'd fail, & stop altogether.
This time, a few weeks ago, I can't say what happened differently, but I realized that I couldn't make rules, or bind myself to calorie limits, in order to have self-control over food. God showed me that I needed to pray before I ate. Not "thank You Lord for this food" prayers but, "God, I'm hungry, what do you want me to eat?" prayers. & that I needed to hear the Holy Spirit tell me when to stop eating (instead of waiting until I'm stuffed), & stop. & for the past 2 1/2 weeks, my eating habits have changed. I don't plan ahead for my meals or snacks (except dinner), but in the moment, I ask God what to eat (& it's amazing how He does NOT say, "chips" or "tater tots").
He gave me a desire for oatmeal. I have NEVER liked oatmeal. I tried liking it for a week in college & it did not work. But I have eaten it almost every day for the past couple of weeks! I now eat what will benefit my body, not necessarily what I "feel like" eating. Yes, I have had freedom to eat a cookie now & then (about one, once a week) or maybe dessert at Life Group, BUT I have also had the discipline to say no when I did not feel that freedom.
My body has felt better. I haven't had stomachaches (which I get fairly often), except when I have failed to ask God before I ate & I indulged (then repented). AND, I have even lost a couple of pounds! I don't say this to suggest some kind of "God diet," but to say, God knows what our bodies need. If we ask Him & obey, He will show us how to take care of ourselves as His temple. That's what He desires! & He desires for us to be so in accordance with His Spirit that we obey in every little thing, even what we eat.
I have so been encouraged in this. Please pray for me! This is a lifetime deal where I will always need to seek the Spirit & obey regarding food. & it carries over to every other part of life! If we followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every area of our life, we'd be in good shape (figuratively speaking, altho I guess literally as well :-) ).
Thursday, March 20, 2008
juice & Disney World
I'm pretty simple when it comes to what I buy to drink around the house. Water, Diet Coke, orange juice, & coffee. But I have really enjoyed the Pomegranate Blueberry V8 Fusion lately. I was disappointed with the strawberry banana, it seemed too watery to me, but the pom-blu is a good flavor, plus it's healthy! I'm pretty picky about my veggies so this is a good way for me to get those veggie nutrients.We got back from Disney World on Tuesday! It was so fun, I just love going there, & I was so sad to leave. That place just makes you happy. Magic Kingdom is my favorite of course, & we went to Hollywood Studios & Epcot as well. Here are a couple pictures.
Beautiful Cinderella Castle
Joshie & I in front of the Epcot ball
The Disney princesses dancing around in front of the castle
That's all for now. Josh & I are going to take Sage to the dog park then get Enchanted to watch! & tomorrow is our annual fun day... I'll tell you about it next week!
C
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