Why I'm not getting any thinner

The salt makes you want the sweet makes you want the salt. It's a vicious cycle.

Week 2 of the Detox

Now, that's a lot of green!

Detox Day 22

I've made it to day 22 of the Green Smoothie Girl Detox!  22 days of no sugar, no meat, no dairy and nothing processed.  Until now I don't think I've ever gone 22 days without chocolate and it's really not as bad as I thought it would be.
In this last phase we still drink a lot of green smoothie every day ( 2 to 2 1/2 quarts), but she is also adding in solid and cooked foods.  My favorites this week are guacamole and tortilla chips made from organic corn tortillas and a black bean, tomato, quinoa salad with dressing made of lime, olive oil and maple syrup.  I've also found a new breakfast of millet and blueberries flavored with fresh orange juice, coconut milk and sweetened with real maple syrup that I will eat again after the cleanse.
It's been nice to kind of reset.  The best part about it is that I feel great and I have NO GUILT about what I'm eating.  Before, I knew that I needed to be eating better, but I wasn't.  Now I know that I'm giving my body time to detoxify without having to work at cleaning out all the junk I was eating (sugar, salt, pesticides).  I have lots of energy and I've lost between 6-7 lbs and haven't had any sugar cravings.  About halfway through I was really craving Japanese or Mexican food and I really wanted something crunchy and salty, but that passed.
So, 4 more days and then I have to decide how much of this I want to keep up; what parts of it I want to incorporate into my life.  If you're looking to do a detox she is doing it again in January.  If you do it when she does, you can have access to a forum for questions, answers and motivation.  She also sends a daily email with a video on things like skin brushing, changing your fat set point, essential oils, supplements, etc.  Or you can just buy the manual and do it on your own.  I couldn't have done it on my own though.  It was really hard at first.  I had 3 family members and 2 friends doing it with me and it was essential to have someone to call or text when things got tough or just to know that someone else was doing it too.

Green Smoothie Girl's Detox

        Last week I started the Green Smoothie Girl's 26 day detox.  Each phase of the detox has a different objective or focuses on a different organ to cleanse.

Phase 1 gradually reduces the calories you take in while keeping the bulk, then reduces the bulk in days 5-7.  You are resting your organs from heavy digestion and detoxing the colon. Your caloric intake dips down during the cleanse but never long enough to put your body into starvation mode.  You do lose some weight, but that's not the point of the detox. 

        One phase is the kidney cleanse and then liver and gall bladder.  Lots of watermelon. Then smoothies, green salads, veggie juice, or anything you've liked that you've eaten in the cleanse so far.

       The last phase adds foods back in like more grains in the meals (guacamole, salads, soups).
       Today is day 5 and I will be drinking 3 quarts of green smoothie.  These smoothies aren't sweet at all.  But I am so excited to finally start adding fruit back into my diet.  We just finished 4 days of absolutely no sugar, not even from fruit. In 4 days I've lost 4.8 lbs.  I think day 3 was the hardest for me.  Headaches and weakness, but today I'm feeling good.

Calling All Chubbies!

 I saw these on Facebook today.  Times have changed!  I don't think the little girl looks all that chubby. Do you? What would they say if they could see us now?  

In the 50's they must have eaten a lot healthier than we do now right? We didn't see June Cleaver with a gallon mug of Diet Coke or feed her kids Lunchables, but we'd have to go back in time a lot further to get back to "real" food.  

Lane Bryant 1952 catalog.

Here are some interesting 1950's food facts:

1950- Gerber started using MSG in their baby foods to make them taste better. (They stopped in 1969)

1952 brought us Cheez Whiz.

1953- Swanson sold the first TV Dinners

1954- Marshmallow Peeps were born.

1955- Green Bean Casserole was invented by Campbell's Soup Company.

1958- Frito Lay acquired the rights to "Ruffles Potato Chips" and Nissin brought us Chikin Ramen.

Chocolate Banana Green Smoothie

2 cups spinach -packed
1 cup Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
1 cup strawberries - frozen
1/2 banana - frozen

Blend.   Makes 1 chocolatey banana smoothie.  This is my 8 year old's favorite smoothie.
Thanks Jacque, for the recipe.

Broccoli Cashew Quinoa

Last night I tried a recipe from Green Smoothie Girl's book 12 Steps to Whole Foods.  I'm looking for more meatless dinners that my family will actually eat.  I think I found one here.  Only one kid refused to try it! :)

Broccoli Cashew Quinoa

1 TB coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped*
2 cups vegetable broth
1 TB white wine vinegar (I used red because I didn't have white)
1 TB agave
2 TB fresh lemon juice
1 Cup quinoa, rinsed well (soak for a few minutes, then drain with a fine strainer).
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
freshly ground black pepper
1 Cup cashew pieces, toasted in oven

Heat coconut oil over medium heat and saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable stock, vinegar, agave, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Stir in quinoa and salt, then put broccoli on top. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat when broccoli is tender. Add the ground pepper and cashews and toss.

*The one change I would make to this recipe is the sun-dried tomatoes.  I would use 1/4 cup. Original recipe called for 1/2 cup.  The sun-dried tomato taste was a little too strong for me.  The kids picked them out and asked why there were raisins in the dinner. So next time, I'm doing 1/4 cup and chopping them much smaller.  I think you still need them, just not so much.

Nutrients in
Quinoa
42.50 g (42.50 grams)

Nutrient%Daily Value

manganese43%

tryptophan21.8%

magnesium20.9%

folate19.5%

phosphorus19.4%

Calories (156)8%

Healthy Smoothies and Juices for Kids

       Looking for some good and healthy smoothie recipes?   My friend Amy Roskelley sent me a copy of her book 201 Healthy Smoothies & Juices for Kids.  Her recipes use fresh ingredients and no added sugar.
       I don't have a juicer yet, so I've only tried her yummy smoothies.  I usually make the same 2 smoothies over and over again, so it was nice to get some ideas for something new.  I love to look through recipe books, but my favorite thing about this book is that on each page, below the recipes, are tips to save time or money, advice for getting picky eaters to eat healthy, interesting nutrition facts, and ways to make healthy eating fun for kids.
       If you know me, you're welcome to borrow my copy.  If you don't you can pick one up on Amazon.  You can also check out her website at superhealthykids.com
       I just added a new recipe link to the Healthy Recipes page - Spicy Beans with Coconut Milk.  So tasty.  Thanks to Julie at Salads and Such.  

Kefir

photo: Keeperofthehome.com

My latest healthy change: adding Kefir to my diet.  Water kefir to be specific.  I ordered the grains online and rehydrated them and I've been growing them for about 3 weeks.  Kefir is a probiotic drink that is loaded with healthy bacteria and yeast strains.  It's good for digestion and strengthening your immune system.  To make water kefir you culture the "grains" in sugar water at room temperature for 24-48 hours, then strain out the grains, flavor and drink it.

My 2 youngest like it mixed with cranberry or orange juice. I've been using it in my smoothies in place of the water or mixed with juice.  I can't handle the taste of it plain, but my husband will drink it straight.  The 3 older kids won't even try it.  (They've had it in smoothies but don't know it.)  I've also cultured the grains in coconut water and that works too.

A couple of sites with good information on Kefir and how to make it:
Yemoos.com 
CulturesForHealth.com 
KeepOfTheHome.com
 I'm still a beginner, so if any of you experienced kefir people have any tips or recipes, please share.

Insuring Health vs. Health Insurance

Regardless of whether we are required to purchase medical insurance, know that we can only buy real health insurance in the produce section of the local supermarket.

Certainly, some aspects of medical insurance coverage are in need of reform.  But a much greater need exists – the need for Americans to reform their health by reforming their diets.   -Dr. Joel Fuhrman

I really believe this!   Type II Diabetes is a life-style disease.  Heart disease is preventable and reversible.  Cancer risk is also largely tied to lifestyle. The American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that about one-third of common cancers could be prevented by following a healthy diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Why don't more people do something about it?  Why are Americans so unhealthy?  Are people really so uninformed?

Is it that: 

A)  They think these diseases just happen and there's nothing they can do about it?

B)  They truly don't know what a healthy diet is?

C)  They've decided that it's just too hard to eat healthy food?

D)   All of the above. 

If your answer was A,  You might want to read The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell for research on the connection between what we eat and disease.  I found it very interesting and I wondered as I read it why I'd never heard this stuff before!  Another one that's an easier read is the Culprit and the Cure by Steven Aldana.

If you answered B, you should read Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat For Health or Eat To Live.  His focus is on eating the most nutrient dense foods possible and he tells you which foods those are.  I also follow his blog diseaseproof.com

If you answered C, there are a bunch of people who blog about following a healthy diet and they have some great recipes.  Some that I follow: are Green Smoothie Girl, My Green Diet, Unconventional Kitchen, Super Healthy Kids, and WHOLEmade.  It's not hard to eat healthy.  It's kind of fun trying new recipes and using new ingredients.  It also makes it easier knowing you're not the only one.  Healthy eating means different things to different people.  I take what I want from these blogs and ignore the rest.  You do what's right for you, right?

If you're answer was D (like mine) you've got a lot of reading to do!

 

Trying something new - Jicama

I tried something new last week.  Jicama.  I had no idea what it would even look like when I went to find it in the produce section. It's not pretty, but in the right recipe, it wasn't bad at all.
I tried this recipe for Jicama Salad With Mango and Dried Blueberries from Section89.com.

picture & recipe from section89.com

 I also ordered Green Smoothie Girl's Twelve Steps to Whole Foods Manual.  I needed something to get me motivated again.  I've been wanting it for a while.  It's working.  I'm back to eating almost 100% good real food.  That 3 pound weight gain I mentioned a few months ago turned into 7 pounds.  But after a week of good eating it's back down to 3 pounds.  When I'm eating right my body naturally drops the weight, I have more energy and I feel so much better.

ps.  If you have any more jicama recipes, send them my way.

Seasoned Popcorn

1 cup popcorn (unpopped) I use organic
2-3 TB  pure extra virgin Coconut Oil, melted
3-4 TB nutritional yeast (I buy this from Winco or Good Earth in bulk)
"healthier" popcorn salt*

1 large paper bag

*to make "healthier" popcorn salt, just blend Real Salt or Himalayan salt into powder in your blender. It sticks to the popcorn so much better.

Pop the popcorn in an air popper 1/2 cup at a time.  Pour it into the paper bag.  Pour in the coconut oil (trying not to get it all over the bag) and sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and popcorn salt.  Shake and serve.

Two years ago I quit eating microwave popcorn. I love popcorn and I missed it, but microwave popcorn contains the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (linked to liver and prostate cancer) and diacetyl (used as a flavoring agent which  causes the lung disease bronchiolitis obliterans in the popcorn factory workers who breath it.)  I'd rather not eat chemicals on my popcorn.  I started eating it plain which was just, well, plain.  I'm so glad I found this way to make it.  The bag is essential, I've tried it in a bowl and it doesn't work as well.

I've heard that most corn grown in the US is genetically modified, so I buy organic popcorn in bulk at the health food store.  I get the nutritional yeast there too.  Nutritional yeast can be a good source of vitamin B12.

This popcorn doesn't contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils either.  Coconut oil is one of the good fats.  Some people take coconut oil as a supplement


This recipe makes a A LOT of really good popcorn.

Yellow Daal and Naan - My 1st Attempt at Indian Food

     I tried Indian Food today for the first time tonight.  I made Yellow Daal over rice and some Naan (Indian flatbread) to go with it.  Yellow daal (also spelled dhal) is a thick lentil stew made with yellow split peas.  It was hard to find a recipe with ingredients that I'd heard of, but this one was simple and familiar. I also steamed some veggies just because I knew someone would refuse to eat it and I wanted to have something on the table that everyone would eat.

     I found a Naan recipe online, but it was cooked on a grill.  I didn't want to fire up the grill in the backyard, so I went with the griddle.  They look like pancakes in this picture, but they were actually super good.  Everyone liked the bread.  I really liked the daal and so did my husband and 3 of the kids.  The 2 others we had to promise that if they took one bite, they'd never have to taste Yellow Daal again.  One ended up liking it, the other is too stubborn to admit it even if he did.

Next time I want to try making the naan with whole wheat flour and I'd probably not cook the daal as long or maybe add less water.  It ended up the consistency of mashed potatoes, but the flavor was good.  Not bad for a first try!  The leftovers will make a great lunch tomorrow.

Benefits of Eating Raw

    
      Raw foods come to us with the living enzymes necessary to facilitate the digestion and assimilation of the nutrients in foods. Cooking kills all enzymes, as well as most vitamins, and alters the minerals and proteins in such a way that they are less usable to the body. Because the cooked food is not accompanied by the enzymes necessary for digestion, it places more of a strain on our digestive system and many of the nutrients that are left after cooking are lost in this process (besides those lost through any refining or processing).

       Raw foods are also the most nutritionally dense, because all of the original vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and fiber are in their unaltered forms and completely available to our bodies. A raw food offers up to three times the nutrition of the same cooked. Since true nutrition is concerned with feeding our cells, it is important to provide them with the living nutrients of raw foods. Life can be sustained on cooked foods, but cells are not replenished and replaced in an optimal way. On raw foods you will find that you eat less, yet your body will operate more efficiently with what you provide.

       Also because raw foods are easily digested, less energy will be expended on the process of digestion and be available to you. Most people who add more raw foods to their diet are surprised by the increase in energy they experience.  (The above article is from Simplynaturalhealth.com)

A couple ways to add raw foods to your diet:

Smoothies-  Green smoothies are best.  Start small by adding just a handful of spinach to your favorite fruit smoothie.  It won't change the color or taste if you use just a handful.

Try putting baby carrots or some other sliced vegetable on the table while the rest of the meal is still cooking.  I've noticed that we will eat more vegetables if there isn't anything else available right then.

Salads or coleslaw are always easy.  I always have the ingredients on hand for a fruit or green salad so I can have a salad for lunch or with dinner most days.

Anyone else out there trying to get more raw foods in?  How do you do it?

Black Beans & Rice w/ Chicken and Apple Salsa

I made this for dinner last night.  I grilled the chicken on my George Foreman for the rest of the family, but I skipped the chicken and put the apple salsa right on top of the beans and rice.  They wouldn't try the apple salsa, so there was plenty left over for my lunch today.  Yummy!
Here's the link to the recipe over at ourbestbites.com.

Tacos and Chili

I made tacos last night.  That means tonight is chili - with the leftover taco meat.  And we always have leftover taco meat because our grass fed beef is packaged in 2 lb sections.  Who really eats 2 pounds of hamburger in one meal?  Not us.
So, I made tacos.  Since I'm eating hardly any meat these days, I filled my corn tortillas with garbanzo beans heated with a little water and taco seasoning instead of beef.  The rest of the family ate theirs with beef, but they snacked on the rest of my garbanzo beans.  So that's progress.
Tonight though, I will be eating meat.  I'm making chili and corn bread.  Sometimes I hesitate to post recipes because people come here looking for healthy recipes right?  And sugar is not healthy. There is sugar in my corn bread. There's butter in there too.  But remember the 80/20 rule?  I eat healthy food most of the time and that works for me.  So if you're looking for 100%, this is not the blog for you.
Here's the chili I'm making tonight:

Crockpot Chili  -or Slow Cooker Chili if you want to be politically correct
2-3 stalks celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 lb ground beef (optional)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp cumin
1 large clove garlic
2  (8 oz) cans of tomato sauce
1 or 2 cans* diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 or 2 cans* of beans, rinsed and drained (I used Great Northern and Black Eye Peas)
1 cup water
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
A little salt and pepper

*When I make this for my family of 7, I do 2 cans each of beans and tomatoes.  Otherwise, just go with 1 can.

Fry up the beef, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. (If you're using leftover taco meat, or omitting beef altogether, then stir-fry the vegetables and seasonings.)  Pour into slow cooker and add remaining ingredients.  Cook on high at least 3-4 hours.  Or on low for longer.

And, if you feel like making some really good Corn Bread.  Try this recipe, but substitute whole wheat flour for the white.  It's my favorite.

E-book Winner!

Congratulations Tarynn!  You're the winner of the Good and Easy Eats e-book.  Please send me your E-mail address at GoodrealfoodBlog at gmail dot com.  (If I don't hear from Tarynn by Sunday night, I'll pick another winner.)

If you didn't win and would like to purchase Good and Easy Eats, you can buy it here for only $4.99.  It will also be available on Amazon.com in the next couple weeks as a Kindle book.

e-book Giveaway: Good and Easy Eats

It's give away time!  Good and Easy Eats, an e-book by Kim Wilson, is a collection of simple, family pleasing recipes that are actually good for you.  I chose a few recipes to try this week: Potato Corn Chowder, Seasoned Popcorn, Carmel Corn, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Meltaways, and Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I also followed her instruction on how to cook beans from dry to put in my chili.  It's true, I've never cooked beans before.  I never even liked beans until this year, so I needed instructions on how to cook them.


The Seasoned Popcorn was delicious.  That one will be a favorite for Friday movie nights at our house.  The best recipe I tried was the Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  I didn't think it was possible to make a cookies without sugar or eggs and have them turn out good.  I hesitated to try them because I didn't want to waste my honey on a batch I'd be throwing away, but they were delicious!  I'll make them again and again.

Good and Easy Eats is not just a recipe book. It is filled with helpful information on stocking a basic pantry, menu planning, making the transition to wholesome foods, how to decide what to buy organic, baking tips, salad making tips, how to cook beans from dry and other useful information.  There are also links throughout the book for more ideas and recipes.  For those of you who avoid wheat, all of Kim's recipes are gluten free, but she gives you an alternative if you don't have gluten issues.

If you would like to enter to win a free copy of the e-book Good and Easy Eats by Kim Wilson, please leave me a comment.  One winner will be announced on December 9th. The e-book will be available for purchase on December 10th.

Quinoa. It's What's For Lunch

Mexican Quinoa Salad from mygreendiet.com

My lunch was good today, so I thought I'd share it. It's Mexican Quinoa Salad from Mygreendiet.com.  You can find the recipe here.  I followed her recipe, except that I used regular tomatoes, cut down the cumin, and then I added a cup of frozen corn. Next time I think I'll add some red wine vinegar or something.  I'm not a fan of cumin, so when I cut that down it needed a little something else. If you like my Cowboy Caviar recipe, you'll like this salad.

I want to try some more quinoa recipes, so if you have any favorites, send them my way please.
 

What's Wrong With People??!

I wish someone could explain to me why people get so bothered when someone chooses to eat differently than they do.

I buy my bread at a bakery outlet. I've been going there maybe twice a month for more than a year. They lady who works there has always been polite and sometimes even friendly. Lately I've been bringing my 4 year old Grace with me.  She's always made it a point to talk to her and last month she gave Grace a small package of expired Zingers.  When we got in the car we talked about healthy food and "sometimes" food.  The thing that made the biggest impression on Grace was the lady's stained crooked teeth.  She made the connection in her mind that treats from the bakery outlet make your teeth brown and rotten.

And just so you know, we'd already been to the credit union and the pharmacy that morning and they'd given her suckers at both places.  I know they're just trying to be nice.

The next time we went to the bakery outlet, the lady offered her some donuts.  Grace politely said "No, thank you."  And the lady was saying "It's ok! You can have them.  You can eat them later!"  Grace again said "No thank you".  Then the lady said "Why!?"  And Grace said "I want to be healthy."  The lady did not handle it well. It was weird.  Like she'd been personally offended.  (side note: I should be grateful she didn't say anything about the teeth!)

So this week when we went the lady was smug and snotty.  She didn't say a word to Grace or even look at her. When she rang up my purchases said in a real snotty voice "Do you want a Ding Dong?", holding out 2 of them in her hand.  She didn't even look up.  It was so rude!

This kind of thing from strangers is one thing, but sometimes I get it worse from people who are supposed to be my friends.  It's not like I go around making comments on what everyone else eats.  I eat the way I want to and teach my kids what I know and hope one day that it will catch on.