Layers of Lies

While it seems wrong to complain about losing four pounds, that’s sort of what I’m about to do.  You may already know that last week our family finished the 10 Day Pledge from 100DaysOfRealFood.  In short, it’s a commitment to eat and prepare dishes/snacks made from whole foods – only whole grains (no white or partial-white flours) and no refined sweeteners (choose honey or real maple syrup instead).  There are more details, if interested, and I’ve posted all about them previously. 

We did successfully complete the pledge, and I’ve decided to continue.  My family will still make their own “out & about” choices, but the whole foods offerings at home are here to stay.  Here’s why - - - the results are disturbing.  We are eating LESS food and are hungry LESS often, because whole foods take longer for your body to breakdown and utilize than processed/packaged foods.  Our energy levels are more constant and my sleep seems more restorative.  I’ve lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks without concern for portion size, without exercise (that WILL come), and without being hungry.  We’re eating butter on our homemade whole-grain bread, pouring half & half on our oatmeal, and making Alfredo sauce with heavy whipping cream for our brown rice pasta.  Of course, we’re eating lots of fruits & vegetables too. 

Isn’t another decade of greater obesity, higher cancer rates, more heart disease, etc. enough to convince people that something’s NOT right?  Isn’t it obvious that there are layers and layers of lies regarding nutrition in our American culture?  I suppose truths have always been out there, but - for me - they sure have been hard to find. 

Here are a few blogs/websites that have helped me sort through the mess of information. 

• Deliciously Organic
• Heavenly Homemakers
• 100 Days Of Real Food
• Real Milk

Wanting to be equipped with more knowledge, and not just my own opinions, today I started reading “Fateful Fork” (here’s a review) – (here’s the table of contents).  It’s been helpful and revealing – timeless nutrition facts that sort through fads, and expose motives of corporate profitability.  

There IS a small and growing national movement (backlash?!) towards and demand for simple whole foods, and I’m glad to finally be part of it!  My depth of understanding is still slight, but I’m confident we’ve finally found the correct path – REAL WHOLE FOODS. 

10 Day Wrap Up

Our family just completed the 10 Day Pledge from Lisa at 100 Days Of Real Food.  We only have good things to report.

• Staying full longer - So less snacking
• Nutrient & fiber rich foods take longer to digest
• More energy (Cassie & Tami)
• Less stomach issues (Cassie)
• Lost 2.5 pounds during our pledge (Tami)
• Since there was absolutely NO exercise, it must be the diet change
• Had fun cooking healthy recipes, having people rave over them, and then telling them what they're eating is HEALTHY! (Jaycie)

As stated in an earlier post, we've decided to continue our commitment to "whole food" eating.  Though I thought we were preparing & eating fairly healthy foods before, I didn't realize how often we turn to processed foods for snacks and packing lunches.  I cleaned our our pantry this week and donated multiple bags of 'convenience' and canned foods to our local food bank.  That left me with plenty of room to store my bulk whole grain purchases - which I've been shuffling from here to there, all around the other packaged foods. 

It's easy to be skeptical, but surely you've got 10 days to try it for yourself, so go ahead!!  I'll be looking forward to hearing your evaluations, and if you need any recipe recommendations, be sure to scroll down through my blog pages -- all ten days worth of menus are there.

Day 10 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

As our 10 Days are coming to an official end, we're looking forward to continuing it with a little wiggle room here & there for homemade junk food! 

I've found that most of our favorite recipes can be easily adapted to keep out refined sugars, fats and flours.  Laura, at Heavenly Homemakers has put together a marvelous post with lots & lots of informative links about adapting your recipes for healthy living!  And she created this handy print out to keep in your kitchen!

Tomorrow I'll post an evaluation and wrap up of our pledge. 

Wednesday's Menu
Breakfast:

• Homemade Granola
• Homemade Yogurt

Lunch:

• Leftover Salad
• Bean and/or Fish Tacos
• Both proteins are leftovers

Snacks:

• Cherries
• Pudding Popsicles

Dinner:

• Breakfast Skillet
• Ours will have a couple less ingredients 

Day 9 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

These arrived yesterday and we had the YUMMIEST banana, almond butter and half & half popsicles for dessert - actually, Mark had two!  Yes, they're a bit indulgent, but based on reviews, they'll last a long time and the "push up" design is brillant!!  No more messes, or popsicle sticks that come out WITHOUT the popsicle."  Today I'm filling up our empties with orange juice concentrate, homemade yogurt & vanilla extract - creamsicles!

Breakfast:

• Breakfast Cookies
• Leftover from Jaycie's double batch on Saturday.

Lunch:

• Leftovers
• A bonus that comes from cooking a great dinner every night!

Snacks:

• To Be Determined

Dinner:

• Steak Salad
• Soy Ginger Marinade
• Homemade Dressing (not sure which recipe yet)

Day 8 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

We lost sleep last night due to a runaway cat.  We've got a house full of guests coming tomorrow night.  My kitchen is ripped apart because I'm cleaning cupboards - sorting through what's good to keep and what just contributes to poor choices for our family.  All that being the case, our menu today is easy, and I'm not feeling much writing creativity. 

Monday's Menu:
Breakfast:

• Homemade Plain Yogurt
• Homemade Berry Sauce
• Homemade Granola

Lunch:

• Leftovers from Saturday & Sunday

Snacks:

• To Be Determined

Dinner:

• Chicken & Wild Rice Bake
• Broccoli

Day 7 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

Last night, while Jaycie was mixing our breakfast cookies for this morning, she asked about when we were going to be done with "this."  I assumed her between-the-lines point was "I'm tired of this whole food thing and want some 'real' cookies", so I answered accordingly.  However, Jaycie corrected me and said, "No mom - I don't think we should stop.  I like it."  Woo hoo! 

Our plan IS to continue.  I'm seeing just how MUCH we've relied on processed food, and emptied out a cupboard last night in preparation for doing it a whole lot LESS.  This pledge has definitely inspired some excellent creativity from our ladies ~ Avila & Jaycie made frozen banana sticks - 1.5" sections of ripe bananas on a popsicle stick, dipped in our CRAZY GOOD chocolate sauce (reduced cocoa to 3/4 c.), rolled in pecans and shredded coconut.  This "whole food" philosophy may not be so hard after all!!

Sunday's Menu:
Breakfast:

• Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies
• Milk

Lunch:

• Panini Cheese Sandwiches
• Tomatos

Snacks:

• Leftovers from Saturday
• Apples

Dinner:

• Brown Rice
• Pinto Beans
• Homemade Salsa
• Sharp White Chedder Cheese

Day 6 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

This week we sprouted alfalfa seeds!!  I can't believe how ULTRA easy this is!

The GARLIC TWIST is my absolute favorite kitchen gadget right now!  Soooo LOVE it! 

Saturday's Menu:Breakfast:

• Pina Colada Smoothies
• We added a banana for a little more sweetness

Lunch:

• Tuna Lettuce Wraps w/ sprouts, of course!

Snacks:

• To Be Determined

Dinner:

• Baked Fish
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Green Bean Salad

Day 5 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

Our pledge is going along much more smoothly than anticipated.  There hasn't been a single "blah" meal, and many have been ultra delicious, so it's hard to complain about that.   Menu planning, I'm sure, has been the key to success.  One thing I "think" I'm noticing is that we're all snacking less between meals.  The whole grains / whole foods definitely seem to "stick with you" longer!

Here's a super helpful and ultra easy way to determine whether your grocery store produce is organic, genetically modified, or conventional.   Unlike the tomato stickers below, that begins with the number eight, you won't always see the "Grown From Genetically Modified Seeds" statement.

For Example:
A conventionally grown banana would be: 4011

A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011

An organic banana would be: 94011

Friday's Menu
Breakfast:

• Two loaves Whole-Wheat Banana Bread
• One with walnuts, one without
• Milk

Lunch:

• Apples
• Almond Butter
• Triscuits

Snacks:

• Hard-boiled Eggs
• Fresh Raspberries
• Cooked Brown Rice

Dinner:

• Cornmeal-Yogurt Biscuits
• Using freshly ground wheat berries and corn to make the flour and meal, thanks to the Christmas present Mark got me.
• Chili
• No recipe, but the pinto beans are soaking and I'll throw it together when we get there!

Day 4 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to whole food eating. I'm recording our journey here.

There's a ton to learn about whole grain - and supposedly whole grain - products.  Especially, how MANY products will say "whole grain" on the package, and while there are SOME whole grains in the product, the list of other ingredients often includes products that are NOT whole grain.  For example, check out this "Whole Grain Barilla Pasta."  51% of the pasta is made of whole wheat -- the other 49% isn't.  Yes, it's "better" than usual pasta, but it's still not the WHOLE GRAIN product that it seems to represent..

Thankfully, Lisa, at 100daysofrealfood.com has compiled a marvelous & informative post that I'm using as a "cheat sheet."  

It's a good thing we're doing this over the summer -- my kitchen is pretty messy and/or full right now.  Alfala seeds are sprouting, yogurt is making, almonds are waiting to be "buttered", extra dirty dishes due to more homemade options, and a bit of extra clutter, too.

Thursday's Menu:
Breakfast:

• Homemade yogurt & frozen berry smoothies

Lunch:

• Egg salad
• Homemade mayonnaise (couldn't find recipe online that used 'on hand' ingredients, so I adapted and it turned out all right!)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 t. dry mustard
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. minced garlic
• 3/4 c. grapeseed oil
• Triscuits (Actually meets the 10 Day Pledge Rules - 100% whole grain and less than 5 ingredients!)

Snacks:

• Fresh strawberries
• Homemade chocolate syrup - decrease the cocoa powder to 3/4 cup.  So YUM!!

Dinner:

• Stuffed Zuchinni
• Green salad w/ leftover homemade dressing

Day 3 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating. I'm recording our journey here.

Avila was over at a friend's home yesterday and when it came to snack time she shared about our eating pledge.  They worked with her and came up with some good choices!  What completely surprises me is that I haven't instructed the girls about what they HAVE to do, but rather shared with them what I'm doing.  Turns out they just WANT to do the pledge, too!

So far, our pledge has been pretty easy to keep.  Of course, it's summer and we've got more time than usual for food shopping, preparation, cooking and eating.  Once school starts back up, that could be our downfall.  However, I'm hoping that the next month of "practice" will help prepare us gain some skills and ideas that will make healthy eating a bit more "natural" for us!  Ha!!

Wednesday's Menu

Breakfast:

• Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
• Homemade Yogurt
• Berry Sauce (Leftover from yesterday)

Lunch:

• Tomato, Cucumber, Feta, Onion Salad
• Leftover Chicken
• Leftover oranges
• Leftover whole wheat crepes w/ almond butter

Snacks:

• Raspberries
• Fresh Coconut

Dinner:

• 100% Whole Grain Brown Rice Pasta
• Alfredo Sauce
• Asparagus
• Salad

Day 2 of 10

You've found our family in the middle of a 10 Day Pledge to "whole food" eating.  I'm recording  our journey here.

Yesterday, Michelle and I drove to Ramona Family Naturals.  It was smaller than I'd hoped for, but the man who owns it is REALLY nice and they were playing Third Day music, so I'd like to give them some of my business.  Nevertheless, the 30 minute one-way drive can hardly be justified on that alone.  Which is exactly why I'm ULTRA excited that Michelle spotted a meat/butcher store that we decided to check out --- WINNER!!  Bisher's Quality Meats.  The personal help was great, since I'm a bit "meat challenged."  We asked lots of questions - to Daniel, the butcher, & people waiting in line!  Good prices (rivaling Costoc on some items) & high quality (exceeding Costco on some items) have compelled me to plan a monthly trip with my menu ... and stop by Family Naturals, at the same time!

Tuesday's Menu:
Breakfast @ 4:00 a.m.:

• Rolled oats
• Honey
• Pecans
• Banana
• Whole Milk

Breakfast with Family:

• Greek Eggs
• Fresh Cherries
• Raw Skim Milk

Lunch:

• Whole wheat crepes
• Berry Sauce
• Fresh Strawberries

Snacks:

• Fresh Cherries
• Fresh Strawberries

Dinner:

• Apple-Chedder Salad w/ Sweet Cream Vinaigrette
• (Using honey instead of sugar to toast pecans)

Cassie threw together a fantastic 'whole foods' omelette for her afternoon snack.  Also, when a friend brought chocolate muffins to summer school, she declined!  I'm not forcing her, honestly - That's why it's post worthy!

Day 1 of 10

Today our family begins the 10 Day Pledge - a mini version of 100 Day of Real Food.  I've worked hard over the weekend to create our menu and stock up on appropriate groceries.  That being the case, our first couple of days should be a breeze!  Of note, we will be eating less meat than normal simply because I haven't found any great deals on organic options.  While shopping at Costco, I purchased

• Two whole fresh organic chickens - $22.63
• Three pounds fresh organic ground beef - $13.99
• 3.5 pounds fresh organic chicken breasts - $21.50
• Ouch!

Those won't all be consumed during these 10 days, but it's easy to see how meat could break our budget.  While there's plenty of assurance this healthy eating can be done on a tight budget, I'm handicapped by being a newbie and not yet knowing all the best resources.
Monday Menu:
Breakfast:

• Homemade plain yogurt
• Maple syrup (for sweetener)
• Homemade granola (without the brown sugar)
• Frozen blueberries

Lunch:

• Apple
• Almond Butter

Snacks: (I'm used to eating lots of small meals, so my list can get long!)

• Banana
• String Cheese
• Almonds
• Milk

Dinner:

• Best Whole Chicken - Crock Pot
• Green Beans with Brown Butter and Pepitas
• Fresh Oranges

10 Day Pledge

Tomorrow, I begin a 10 Day Pledge.  It's the beginner's version of the 100 Days of Real Food Challenge.  In short, I'm making a personal commitment to eat and serve our family meals that are only whole/non-processed foods.  Everyone else will still be making their own snack (there's plenty of processed stuff in our pantry, unfortunately) and outside-the-home food choices, but they're all mostly on board.  Cassie, especially, has some semi-chronic stomach problems, so we're eager to determine whether this change will provide a simple cure for her.

Here are the rules ~
What you CAN eat:

• Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry
• Lots of fruits and vegetables
• Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese
• 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains
• Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)
• Only locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken (preferably in moderation)
• Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!
• Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn
• All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation

What you CANNOT eat:

• No refined grains such as white flour or white rice
• No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda
• Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label
• No deep fried foods
• No “fast foods”

The only rule I think will be a problem is the locally raised meats.  Until I'm able to determine what local options there are or are not, I'm going to include organic meats (even if not local).  Costco and Henry's have some offerings - Costco having the more economical, but less varied ones.  Tomorrow a friend and I are taking a field trip to Ramona Family Naturals to check out their store and raw milk products.

For the next 10 days, you can track with me on my blog.  There will be a daily list of foods consumed/prepared, along with possible struggles and/or complaints therein.  Afterwards, I'll wrap up the pledge with a personal evaluation and any differences worth noting.

Keeping Rest Without Legalism

Today, Saturday, is my "sabbath" day.  A day of resting and letting the Lord tend to what must be done in the world.  A day for extra long Bible reading.  A day with lots of space to stop (whatever it is you're not doing) and pray.  A day to play.  A day for creativity -- knitting, of course!  A day for unhurried conversation. 

I don't claim to know the mind of God, and I've often been proved wrong when trying to interrupt what I do 'know.'  Nevertheless, I believe God's commands are still best -- all 10 of them, even the Sabbath.  For some reasons, that I do not clearly understand, most Christians either forsake it or don't think it's still relevant.  God has written His law upon my heart, and although I might be interpreting it incorrectly, my heart convicts me that resting is STILL in God's best requirement for me ... on a set aside day.  Sabbath, as given to the Israelites, was from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.  Emperor Constantine decided the Christian Sabbath should be on Sunday, so that's the most immediate heritage we have.  Whatever the details, some of which I've decided are legalistic arguments, resting for 20 minutes here or there over the week and going to church on Sunday, for me, are different than a day of resting. 

How have you reconciled the Scripture with your living?  I'm interested in knowing.  In understanding.

(Oh, I want to thank MorgueFile.com for free photos to use on my blog.  Check them out!)

Benefit Shared & Multiplied

My lovely and oldest daughters, Cassie & Jaycie, worked ultra hard this week to get AHEAD of their summer school schedule, thus earning today OFF.  Of course, since they don't have to go to school, that means I don't have to drive them there.  The benefit of their extra work is a blessing to me, as well!  Thank you, ladies, for earning me a day off, too!!

Wouldn't it have been great if my body had slept in a little longer (7:15 a.m. just doesn't seem late enough)?  Nevertheless, at 9:13 a.m. (as I type this) the house is still fairly quiet, and I like that!

Since I get to stay home today, my list of "around the house" tasks today include

• Cleaning our master bathroom.  I still can't figure out WHAT happened to my favorite product - Shower Power.  We used to be able to purchase it in stores - lots of them! - but now it's only available online, for a much higher price.

• Making homemade yogurt - I've done this quite successfully for some time overnight in the oven, but recently purchased the EuroCuisine Digital Yogurt Maker.  My first couple of batches have been much too tart, so I'm making some adjustments and trying again.  Once the quirks of your unique ingredient (starter, milk fat content, thickener) and method (heat, hours) combination are worked out, then you're set ... but I'm not quite there yet with this new machine.



• Study session with my Investigation: Jesus teaching partner, Sue. 
• Knitting on a secret project (here's a super tiny sample photo)

• Undoubtedly, the girls will continue their "Harry Potter Marathon" which was begun last night. I'll definitely sit down here and there to join them, in preparation for the last release next week.
• A spaghetti dinner - youth fundraiser - at the church takes care of our dinner plans.
• Oh, I've already got my Bible reading done!
• Of course, exercising is nowhere on my list.  Just can't ever seem to get everything right!

Tomorrow is my Sabbath day, and as was the case way back when, preparation the day before (today) is still key to ensuring and protecting its successfulness!