I had grand plans of cooking all afternoon yesterday, and sharing recipes with you today for fun, healthy snacks that are gluten and sugar free.
Then I got sick on Friday and had a miserable weekend! I didn’t do any cooking at all, for which my family was very thankful, since they didn’t really want me to share my germs with them.
So instead, I’ll just give you the link to my new cookbook, Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Cooking, and I’ll be back to share some yummy recipes with you some time this week, when I’m not likely to sneeze into my mixing bowl.
Also, don’t forget to visit and encourage the others who are making a change for one month for their health!
Seven is giving up sugar!
Jen is drinking green smoothies every day.
Michelle is cutting out meat, soda, fried foods and sweets!
Jackie (sorry I missed you the first time around!!!) is walking for an hour every day!
Ange (no blog) is doing a candida cleanse.
We can do this for one month! And if not, it still makes some good blog fodder!
I am the only healthy female in my family. My mom and sister both have asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergies and fibromyalgia. My sister, who isn’t even 30 yet, also has rheumatoid arthritis, low blood pressure problems, vertigo, is borderline diabetic and has a whole host of other disorders commonly occurring with rheumatoid arthritis.
I want to stay healthy.
We’ve been told that whole grains are healthy for you, and I’m sure they are for a lot of people. Maybe even for me. But there are a lot of people out there allergic to wheat or gluten. Depending on the researcher, the number varies from 1 in 200 people to 1 in 3 having Celiac Disease! Megan recently did an interview with someone whose entire family except her husband has Celiac disease, which is actually what reminded me that I’ve been putting off this experiment for a long time because it’s just so much work! Celiac Disease has also been linked to both autism and miscarriage.
I’m a mom. I’m tired. All the time.
That’s normal, right?
But what if it isn’t? I already know that my body does much better with protein than it does with carbs. Carbs make me crave more carbs, while protein satisfies me.
So that’s why I’m conducting an experiment. Obviously artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup are bad for you, and I hope to continue avoiding those even after this month. But going gluten free is just a test for me to see how my energy level and mental clarity fare on a different diet.
And all I have to lose by doing it is weight, right? And I have plenty extra to spare!
I’m going to go gluten free, and cut out artificial food coloring and high fructose corn syrup. Starting Monday until the end of March. To see if it makes a difference in our health.
I’m going to be strict with myself, and try to be strict with the rest of the family, but Easter is coming. I’ll let the kids keep whatever they get from family in Easter baskets, but at home I think we’ll experiment with making some of our own treats.
They’ll probably get more excited over that than they would a bag of jellybeans, anyway!
Jen is thinking about committing to drinking green smoothies for a month (I’d love to see the recipe, I’m curious about what they are!), and my friend Angela (not a blogger yet…hint…hint) said that if I do this, then she’d do a candida cleanse (which sounds really, really strict) with me. Anyone else want to make a change for one month to see if it improves your health?
I’ll post my progress (and my failures, since I have very little will power) and you can blog about your progress or just share your progress in my comments. If you do join me and blog it, then make sure you leave a comment so I can come visit you! I’m sure there won’t be enough of us for a Mr Linky, but I’ll post links to anyone who wants to make a change for one month for our health on Monday, as well as my plan and some of the resources I’m using.
After I find the resources I’m using.
Maybe I’ll do an official post each Monday to check in. Ooh…I think I’ll go make a button for it right now…
That was fun. Buttons make me happy.
And can I just add-I can’t really believe I’m going to do this, and I’m nervous that I’m going to be a big fat failure at this. But hey, that’s why I’m sharing it with ya’ll! To give me a little more accountability. I can’t quit completely after three days if I think all two of you who are joining me will be checking up on me, now can I?
I got interested in healthier foods when I was pregnant with Chloe. For the first time in my life I was really struggling with my weight, although as a teenager I was convinced I needed to lose 10 pounds.
If only I knew then how fit I was…
Two of the changes that I have made, but not been very strict about are cutting high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes from our diet.
Ok, I guess it’s more like they’re changes I’d like to think I’ve made, but all I’ve really done is become aware of the fact that they are in practically every food I give my children.
Another change I’d really like to make is to try a gluten-free diet. None of us are allergic to it, that I know of, but I have read that gluten is linked to a number of health problems.
Of course, I’ve been thinking about going gluten free for about a year now, and not done anything about it except subscribe to one gluten-free blogger.
So I’m thinking about giving myself a one-month test. Maybe if I commit to it, and blog about it, for one month then I’ll actually do it. Because if one of my children were allergic, I could make the change overnight.
But just to see if it makes a difference in the way we feel? Well, I just don’t have all that much will power.
What about ya’ll? Are there dietary changes you’ve been wanting to make but haven’t quite gotten around to yet?
One thing I haven’t written about very much here is my “crunchy” side- the side of me that loves all things natural and organic and wants to do my part to be responsible with our resources.
Ever since Jen posted about The Story of Stuff, I have been thinking about the changes I have made and the changes I want to make in my stuff.
Then, I was challenged today by Megan’s post Another Way, in which she resolves to buy used clothing for her children instead of new.
I won’t even tell you the amount of money I just spent on clothes for Chloe minutes before reading her post! I have always appreciated when people hand clothes down to me for the kids. But I have never once gone to a store to buy clothes that weren’t new. And here is where the snob in me comes out- if there were a really cute consignment boutique or something around here, I could totally see myself shopping there. But not a Goodwill or thrift store. I don’t even want to go in one!
Another place my inner snob shows herself?
My haircare products.
I have been wanting to make the switch to shampoo bars in order to save on the packaging. But I have been too scared of having bad hair. I have already made the switch to a natural deodorant from Lush that has no packaging, but ignore all the shampoo bars when I shop there. If I don’t see them, they don’t exist and I don’t have to make the change right?
But just check out the amount of plastic bottles I have out (not counting any hiding in cabinets!)
My shower:
Kids’ Bath:
My bath (even though I love Lush bath bombs and bubble bars, I still keep these around):
That’s a lot of packaging, ya’ll.
So, I sucked it up and went shopping. I know that there are people who use vinegar and baking soda and things like that to wash their hair, but I hate the smell of vinegar. Unless it is a good balsamic and I’m dipping some hot, crusty bread in it. I however, am neither crusty nor hot (although I am working on losing weight and being hot)! And that snob in me protests that if I don’t use expensive packaged hair products that you can only buy from a salon, then my hair will most assuredly be crusty. So I bribed myself with some new bath bombs and got two shampoo bars while I was at Lush. I ordered a Godiva bar and an Ultimate Shine bar (If you order two shampoo bars, they give you a free tin to store them in).
Coming soon: The Big Shampoo Bar Test. We’ll see how those solid shampoos compare to my favorite Redken All Soft.
If you have time, head over to Jen’s place to read about her story of stuff and watch the video.
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