We recently joined a family music class for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. The class is fun, and I'm really happy with the program, the structure and the teacher. I'm also really happy with the class rules. Well, one class rule in particular: no food or beverages in class.
This makes my life so much easier because I do not have to spend the hour keeping cereal, crackers and string cheese out of H's reach. I do not have to find a way to politely decline when other moms generously offer to share their snacks with my daughter. We can just enjoy the class. I love it!
Almost everywhere else we go is a different story, though. Last month we attended a few Mommy & Me events at The World Forestry Center, and snacks were provided. I'm sure most moms totally appreciate the free munchies, but for me it is troublesome. Kids run around with little cups of Cheerios and puffs, and I am constantly intervening as H reaches for their snacks (not because she is hungry, but because she wants what they have). I didn't intervene fast enough on every occasion, though, so much to my chagrin my paleo baby has eaten a Cheerio or two. C'est la vie, but I don't want this to become a regular thing. I started bringing my own snacks for her after the first incident, and that helped. Still, it doesn't take away her curiosity about what her friends are eating and it doesn't change the fact that we are going to have lots and lots of experiences like this in the future. Experiences where people offer her food and we have to turn it down. Experiences where she gets a hold of some processed food items. Or experiences where I have to be "that mom" who won't let her child eat the party food. I just wish the practice of non-stop snacking among kids wasn't so prevalent, and I wish more places had no food or beverages policies. I mean, is there really any reason why a child can't go 45 minutes without a snack? I think not (unless the child is truly hungry, in which case perhaps the parent could take them aside and give them something to eat?). But I highly doubt this is going to change in my favor, which means I just have to continue to be hyper-vigilant and I also need to carry patience and grace with me at all times.
Now, on to another topic. Grocery budgets. Or lack thereof. We spend a lot of money on food. A lot. Today I went to the store and spent $144. Some of it was not food (like a mother's day card for my mom and some sunscreen), but it is still a lot -- especially considering that I spent $72 on groceries on Sunday and will probably need to go the store again before the weekend is up. Sometimes I cringe when I swipe my debit card, but then I quickly remind myself that quality food is so, so important. I've noticed that there seems to be an expectation among a lot of people that food should be cheap, and that it is somehow an accomplishment to leave the grocery store having spent as little as possible. While I realize that many families need to be very, very careful about the amount of money they spend on food and other necessities, cheap food is not the answer. I remember seeing a meme on Facebook that said something like "you are what you eat, so don't be fast, easy or cheap." So, so true! I pay $4 a dozen for farm-fresh eggs, and we easily go through four dozen eggs each week. I know I could spend 50% less (or more!) by buying eggs at Winco, yes, but those eggs are not the same as the farm-fresh eggs. They are often pale, small and flavorless. And they tend to come from corn-fed chickens that live in substandard conditions. Their nutritional profile is very sad. Not the type of eggs I want to serve to my growing toddler (or myself!). I personally believe that quality food should be a priority in the budget, even if the budget is $200 a month for the whole family. I'm not saying that everyone should spend and prioritize the way I do, but I think it would be so helpful to public health as a whole if we could somehow move away from the mentality that food should be cheap. Of course, this is a complex issue and I am not even scratching the surface. I'm just stating my thoughts!
A blog about paleo pregnancy ♥ raising a paleo baby ♥ motherhood ♥ staying fit ♥ health ♥ writing ♥ life in general
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Diapers, weaning and sleeping through the night
Hi! I am in the process of trying to get back into more of a groove with blogging, so today I am leaving a mess in my kitchen and forgoing the laundry folding in order to write a quick update. I might regret this later, and I know for sure that H and I are going to need to leave the house as soon as she wakes up from her nap so I don't have to look at the mess. But for now, I'm just going to turn my chair away from the dirty dishes and do my thing. Hopefully I can finish this with a few minutes to spare.
Here are few things that have been happening around here ...
I am a cloth diaper failure. Well, not entirely. We are using gDiapers, but with the disposable inserts rather than the cloth. We started out with Thirsties, and I did not love them. So, when H outgrew the newborn size I invested in lots of little gPants and gCloth instead. Not long after (this was when she was about 9 months old), she got a rash. A really, really bad rash followed by a yeast infection and then a bacterial infection. It was awful! Poor girl! We wound up trying out the disposable inserts while we were fighting the rash. It finally went away. When we switched back to cloth, the rash returned. After a few rounds of this, I decided to just quit messing around and forget about the cloth altogether. She hasn't had a rash since. This scenario is not what I had hoped for, but I'm happy with the solution we found. When/if she outgrows her current little gPants, I'll probably just use regular disposables until she is potty trained (because I don't really want to invest any more money into a diapering system).
Sleeping through the night = love. It seemed to take forever, and at times it felt like I would never get a full night's sleep again. But sometime in January, H's sleep patterns started to improve drastically and she started to sleep through the night pretty regularly. Then we went out of town for several days. Regression. Ugh. Desperate, I pulled out my aromatherapy book. The book suggested putting a drop of geranium oil plus a drop of chamomile oil in a bowl of warm water under the child's crib every other night until sleep improves. A complete miracle! She's been sleeping 11 or 12 solid hours each night for two months now. It. Is. Amazing. I love aromatherapy!
Weaning. We did it. We officially stopped breastfeeding last Tuesday, the day before H turned 18-months-old. The weaning process was seamless in a lot of ways. I didn't really push it, I just kind of let nature takes its course ... slowly dropping the last few feedings as time went on. For several weeks, we were down to bedtime and wake-up only. At some point she stopped expecting to nurse at bedtime so I casually let it go. No big deal.
When it came time to drop the morning session, I decided to take One Fit Mom's (always excellent) advice and gave her a heads-up that she wasn't going to be getting milk in the A.M. for very much longer. One day, she suddenly seemed more interested in breakfast so we skipped it. I thought we were done, but no -- the next morning she was frantic for milk. We did every other morning for a while, and I kept telling her we were almost done. Eventually, we were down to once every third day. Last Tuesday, though, I decided to just close the deal. I knew that if she could go three days, it wasn't really necessary. Admittedly, the next few mornings were difficult. Carl had to get her up and take her downstairs for breakfast before she saw me, but she was not happy about it. And as soon as I walked in the room ... major tantrum. I felt terrible, knowing how significant of a change this is for her. We got through it with some extra cuddles and lots of distractions (shoes and sunglasses always cheer her up). Anyway, in some ways it is sad and hard to believe that this stage in her life is over. But I am truly thankful for a successful breastfeeding experience.
Now, on to potty training ...
Here are few things that have been happening around here ...
I am a cloth diaper failure. Well, not entirely. We are using gDiapers, but with the disposable inserts rather than the cloth. We started out with Thirsties, and I did not love them. So, when H outgrew the newborn size I invested in lots of little gPants and gCloth instead. Not long after (this was when she was about 9 months old), she got a rash. A really, really bad rash followed by a yeast infection and then a bacterial infection. It was awful! Poor girl! We wound up trying out the disposable inserts while we were fighting the rash. It finally went away. When we switched back to cloth, the rash returned. After a few rounds of this, I decided to just quit messing around and forget about the cloth altogether. She hasn't had a rash since. This scenario is not what I had hoped for, but I'm happy with the solution we found. When/if she outgrows her current little gPants, I'll probably just use regular disposables until she is potty trained (because I don't really want to invest any more money into a diapering system).
Sleeping through the night = love. It seemed to take forever, and at times it felt like I would never get a full night's sleep again. But sometime in January, H's sleep patterns started to improve drastically and she started to sleep through the night pretty regularly. Then we went out of town for several days. Regression. Ugh. Desperate, I pulled out my aromatherapy book. The book suggested putting a drop of geranium oil plus a drop of chamomile oil in a bowl of warm water under the child's crib every other night until sleep improves. A complete miracle! She's been sleeping 11 or 12 solid hours each night for two months now. It. Is. Amazing. I love aromatherapy!
Weaning. We did it. We officially stopped breastfeeding last Tuesday, the day before H turned 18-months-old. The weaning process was seamless in a lot of ways. I didn't really push it, I just kind of let nature takes its course ... slowly dropping the last few feedings as time went on. For several weeks, we were down to bedtime and wake-up only. At some point she stopped expecting to nurse at bedtime so I casually let it go. No big deal.
When it came time to drop the morning session, I decided to take One Fit Mom's (always excellent) advice and gave her a heads-up that she wasn't going to be getting milk in the A.M. for very much longer. One day, she suddenly seemed more interested in breakfast so we skipped it. I thought we were done, but no -- the next morning she was frantic for milk. We did every other morning for a while, and I kept telling her we were almost done. Eventually, we were down to once every third day. Last Tuesday, though, I decided to just close the deal. I knew that if she could go three days, it wasn't really necessary. Admittedly, the next few mornings were difficult. Carl had to get her up and take her downstairs for breakfast before she saw me, but she was not happy about it. And as soon as I walked in the room ... major tantrum. I felt terrible, knowing how significant of a change this is for her. We got through it with some extra cuddles and lots of distractions (shoes and sunglasses always cheer her up). Anyway, in some ways it is sad and hard to believe that this stage in her life is over. But I am truly thankful for a successful breastfeeding experience.
Now, on to potty training ...
Friday, April 12, 2013
Baby Boot Camp
Carl was out of town most of this week, which made it difficult for me to make it to the gym. I have a babysitter twice a week, so that helped. Still, by this morning I was like "OK, I need another workout." Twice a week is not enough for me. Going to my gym wasn't an option, so I decided to go to Baby Boot Camp instead.
We have been to Baby Boot Camp a few times, and I really like it! Before H was born, I totally pictured myself attending regularly. What could be more convenient than a workout that included my baby (it is a great excuse buster, actually)? I even won a month of unlimited classes in raffle, which was a huge incentive to try it out. Unfortunately, it didn't really pan out for me because H's schedule didn't jive with the class schedule. By the time she started to become a little more predictable in terms of sleeping, it was almost wintertime (in other words, too cold for me to exercise outside) and my shoulder was injured. As much as I liked the classes, it just didn't seem meant to be.
Until today. I'm really making an effort in my life to look for opportunities (Baby Boot Camp) rather than dwell on obstacles (inability to make it to any Friday classes at my gym). Today offered the perfect chance to put this into practice. Off to Baby Boot Camp we went (we paid the $15 drop-in rate).
The workout was tough! Perhaps it was because my workout yesterday was so taxing (18 minutes of kettlebell get-ups, plus a 12-minute AMRAP of four mini rope climbs, a 400 meter run and 20 squats) but I was having a hard time keeping up with most of the other moms. We started out with some running, then moved on to a bunch of stair climbing exercises, followed by burpees, squats, bicep curls, more running and lunges. The class ended with some core work. The hour went fast, but I was ready for it to be over. So was H -- she had had enough of the stroller (although, she did surprisingly well for the duration of the class -- probably because there were so many other babies for her to look at). Between yesterday's workout and today's Baby Boot Camp class, I suspect I'll be sore tomorrow. Ouch!
Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that working out and running with a stroller is no joke! I have a 22-pound toddler, a stroller meant for running and maybe (maybe) five pounds of stuff along for the ride. Other moms are pushing double strollers with two kids strapped in plus diaper bags, yoga mats, toys and more. And guess what? They are kicking my behind! It is humbling, and it seems to me that (in conjunction with a healthy diet, because we all know that a lean body starts in the kitchen) a person could get into pretty good shape by doing these workouts regularly. I've decided that I need to attend Baby Boot Camp once a week whenever possible because it challenges me in a different way.
We have been to Baby Boot Camp a few times, and I really like it! Before H was born, I totally pictured myself attending regularly. What could be more convenient than a workout that included my baby (it is a great excuse buster, actually)? I even won a month of unlimited classes in raffle, which was a huge incentive to try it out. Unfortunately, it didn't really pan out for me because H's schedule didn't jive with the class schedule. By the time she started to become a little more predictable in terms of sleeping, it was almost wintertime (in other words, too cold for me to exercise outside) and my shoulder was injured. As much as I liked the classes, it just didn't seem meant to be.
Until today. I'm really making an effort in my life to look for opportunities (Baby Boot Camp) rather than dwell on obstacles (inability to make it to any Friday classes at my gym). Today offered the perfect chance to put this into practice. Off to Baby Boot Camp we went (we paid the $15 drop-in rate).
The workout was tough! Perhaps it was because my workout yesterday was so taxing (18 minutes of kettlebell get-ups, plus a 12-minute AMRAP of four mini rope climbs, a 400 meter run and 20 squats) but I was having a hard time keeping up with most of the other moms. We started out with some running, then moved on to a bunch of stair climbing exercises, followed by burpees, squats, bicep curls, more running and lunges. The class ended with some core work. The hour went fast, but I was ready for it to be over. So was H -- she had had enough of the stroller (although, she did surprisingly well for the duration of the class -- probably because there were so many other babies for her to look at). Between yesterday's workout and today's Baby Boot Camp class, I suspect I'll be sore tomorrow. Ouch!
Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that working out and running with a stroller is no joke! I have a 22-pound toddler, a stroller meant for running and maybe (maybe) five pounds of stuff along for the ride. Other moms are pushing double strollers with two kids strapped in plus diaper bags, yoga mats, toys and more. And guess what? They are kicking my behind! It is humbling, and it seems to me that (in conjunction with a healthy diet, because we all know that a lean body starts in the kitchen) a person could get into pretty good shape by doing these workouts regularly. I've decided that I need to attend Baby Boot Camp once a week whenever possible because it challenges me in a different way.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Weekend recap
This past weekend I did something that I rarely, if ever, do ... I set aside household responsibilities and just went out and had fun! It was totally spontaneous and totally low key, but will probably turn out to be one of those weekends that I remember for years to come. Now, the laundry is stacked up and I spent all of Monday working my way through a sink full of dishes. But it was so totally worth it.
The weekend began late Friday afternoon when the three of us decided on a whim to go watch two of our friends do their workouts for the Crossfit Open. I wanted to support the two of them and I also wanted to see if anyone in the group could do a muscle up. I saw one guy do about five or so. It was ridiculous! The fact that somebody has the strength and speed to do a muscle up is impressive, but I don't really see the point in doing that exercise unless you want to kill your shoulders. Anyway, moving on to Saturday (before this turns into a post about the stupidity of certain types of workouts and coaches/organizations who encourage irresponsible physical activity) ...
Once a month, we all head down to the Pearl District to our favorite salon so Carl can get his hair cut. We've both been going to Urbaca for years, and we absolutely love the fabulous people who work there. H digs them, too, and she lights up whenever we walk in the front door. Usually we go out for brunch afterwards, but this time was a little bit different. Carl had go to Forest Grove immediately after his haircut for a memorial service (a 67-year-old friend of ours passed away after a long illness), so we drove down separately. H and I stayed downtown for a little while. First, we hit up Penzey's (I needed garlic powder and my beloved Sunny Spain Seasoning). Then, we dropped into Local Choice Market for pastrami (one of H's favorite snacks) and coffee (I could not resist). While we were there, we spent some time chatting with the market's community relations manager and she offered me a free ginger shot from their juice bar to try. Apparently it gives some people quite the boost of energy. I like ginger, so I decided to be adventurous. No extra energy for me, but it did burn my lips. Something to try once I suppose, but I would never go out of my way for a ginger shot.
This is where things got really crazy for me. I went out during H's naptime (and she skipped her nap in lieu of a visit to the library and duck pond with Carl)! Usually I insist on staying home. Not for her sake ... for my sake. Nap time is generally my only opportunity to get things done around the house, to complete my physical therapy exercises and to take my own nap. I cherish this three-hour block of time, but figured an afternoon away from the house would do me some good. Besides, a friend of mine was hosting a get together that involved swapping beauty products and I thought that sounded like fun. So I went! It was super fun, and I came home with some new mascara. Woo hoo!
Back at home, our fridge was totally empty to we decided to go out to dinner. Hillsboro's dining scene is very unfortunate (horrific chain after horrific chain), but we'll go to McMenamin's now and then. They are pretty good about all my special requests, and I love their wine. H and I shared buffalo short ribs with broccolini and kale. My exposure to buffalo has been pretty limited, so I wasn't sure what to expect -- but we loved it and I am hooked! On my list this week: try to find a good local source of buffalo. It will be a nice change since we really only eat beef and chicken around here.
One day spent mostly away from home made me crave another day spent mostly away from home, so on Sunday we packed up the baby and ventured off to the Better Living Show at the Portland Expo Center with our friend Carla. We briefly perused the home-related exhibits and entered to win a Chevy Volt, but I was mostly interested in the wellness exhibits and the wine and chocolate samples. I think we spent two hours in that section, and much to my surprise H slept in her stroller for a good chunk of time. I bought three cute non-toxic candles, a copy of The Chinook Book and a jar of creamy red pepper spread made out of sunflower seeds. Crazy delicious! The product is imported from Germany, and while it is produced by a vegan company that makes a bunch of soy-based vegan junk they also make this totally paleo spread. The person working at the booth told me the product would be in New Seasons within a couple of months. Yay!
Overall I loved the event, but I did find it a little disheartening (though not surprising) that so many vendors were peddling products sweetened with agave. I guess it isn't the agave itself that bugged me ... more so the fact that they considered agave some sort of healthy alternative to plain old sugar. Vendors seemed surprised when I turned down their agave-sweetened kibbles, and some even tried to give me "more info on its healthfulness." Sorry folks, agave is not good for you! If you like it and choose to use it for that reason, fine. But if you are using agave because you think it is some kind of health food, well, think again.
After we left, we decided to head over to Hopworks in Northeast Portland for a late lunch/early dinner. H ordered sliders and fresh orange slices. I ordered tequila lime chicken and pear cider. Carl had an espresso burger and fries. We really liked the place and would totally go back. Nice service, a great menu and appropriate for kids but not "kid friendly" (to me there is a difference, and "kid friendly" is not our cup of tea). Why don't we have restaurants like this in Hillsboro??! Sigh.
Update/correction: We actually went to Hophouse, not Hopworks! Thanks, Carla!
We finally returned home around 6pm, and spent the evening doing mostly nothing. I attempted to do the dishes, but eventually gave up and went to bed early. The weekend was a nice change of pace, and I'm hoping for a repeat sometime soon. Even if it means more laundry and dishes on Monday!
The weekend began late Friday afternoon when the three of us decided on a whim to go watch two of our friends do their workouts for the Crossfit Open. I wanted to support the two of them and I also wanted to see if anyone in the group could do a muscle up. I saw one guy do about five or so. It was ridiculous! The fact that somebody has the strength and speed to do a muscle up is impressive, but I don't really see the point in doing that exercise unless you want to kill your shoulders. Anyway, moving on to Saturday (before this turns into a post about the stupidity of certain types of workouts and coaches/organizations who encourage irresponsible physical activity) ...
Once a month, we all head down to the Pearl District to our favorite salon so Carl can get his hair cut. We've both been going to Urbaca for years, and we absolutely love the fabulous people who work there. H digs them, too, and she lights up whenever we walk in the front door. Usually we go out for brunch afterwards, but this time was a little bit different. Carl had go to Forest Grove immediately after his haircut for a memorial service (a 67-year-old friend of ours passed away after a long illness), so we drove down separately. H and I stayed downtown for a little while. First, we hit up Penzey's (I needed garlic powder and my beloved Sunny Spain Seasoning). Then, we dropped into Local Choice Market for pastrami (one of H's favorite snacks) and coffee (I could not resist). While we were there, we spent some time chatting with the market's community relations manager and she offered me a free ginger shot from their juice bar to try. Apparently it gives some people quite the boost of energy. I like ginger, so I decided to be adventurous. No extra energy for me, but it did burn my lips. Something to try once I suppose, but I would never go out of my way for a ginger shot.
 |
| Looks like a shot shot, but it is just fresh-pressed ginger. |
This is where things got really crazy for me. I went out during H's naptime (and she skipped her nap in lieu of a visit to the library and duck pond with Carl)! Usually I insist on staying home. Not for her sake ... for my sake. Nap time is generally my only opportunity to get things done around the house, to complete my physical therapy exercises and to take my own nap. I cherish this three-hour block of time, but figured an afternoon away from the house would do me some good. Besides, a friend of mine was hosting a get together that involved swapping beauty products and I thought that sounded like fun. So I went! It was super fun, and I came home with some new mascara. Woo hoo!
Back at home, our fridge was totally empty to we decided to go out to dinner. Hillsboro's dining scene is very unfortunate (horrific chain after horrific chain), but we'll go to McMenamin's now and then. They are pretty good about all my special requests, and I love their wine. H and I shared buffalo short ribs with broccolini and kale. My exposure to buffalo has been pretty limited, so I wasn't sure what to expect -- but we loved it and I am hooked! On my list this week: try to find a good local source of buffalo. It will be a nice change since we really only eat beef and chicken around here.
One day spent mostly away from home made me crave another day spent mostly away from home, so on Sunday we packed up the baby and ventured off to the Better Living Show at the Portland Expo Center with our friend Carla. We briefly perused the home-related exhibits and entered to win a Chevy Volt, but I was mostly interested in the wellness exhibits and the wine and chocolate samples. I think we spent two hours in that section, and much to my surprise H slept in her stroller for a good chunk of time. I bought three cute non-toxic candles, a copy of The Chinook Book and a jar of creamy red pepper spread made out of sunflower seeds. Crazy delicious! The product is imported from Germany, and while it is produced by a vegan company that makes a bunch of soy-based vegan junk they also make this totally paleo spread. The person working at the booth told me the product would be in New Seasons within a couple of months. Yay!
Overall I loved the event, but I did find it a little disheartening (though not surprising) that so many vendors were peddling products sweetened with agave. I guess it isn't the agave itself that bugged me ... more so the fact that they considered agave some sort of healthy alternative to plain old sugar. Vendors seemed surprised when I turned down their agave-sweetened kibbles, and some even tried to give me "more info on its healthfulness." Sorry folks, agave is not good for you! If you like it and choose to use it for that reason, fine. But if you are using agave because you think it is some kind of health food, well, think again.
After we left, we decided to head over to Hopworks in Northeast Portland for a late lunch/early dinner. H ordered sliders and fresh orange slices. I ordered tequila lime chicken and pear cider. Carl had an espresso burger and fries. We really liked the place and would totally go back. Nice service, a great menu and appropriate for kids but not "kid friendly" (to me there is a difference, and "kid friendly" is not our cup of tea). Why don't we have restaurants like this in Hillsboro??! Sigh.
Update/correction: We actually went to Hophouse, not Hopworks! Thanks, Carla!
We finally returned home around 6pm, and spent the evening doing mostly nothing. I attempted to do the dishes, but eventually gave up and went to bed early. The weekend was a nice change of pace, and I'm hoping for a repeat sometime soon. Even if it means more laundry and dishes on Monday!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Coffee is a real problem
Daylight savings time is torturing me today, and there is nothing I would like more right now than coffee. No coffee for me, though, because I am on a self-imposed coffee strike. Instead, I'm sipping green tea (and water, of course). Green tea is tolerable, but not quite the same. I want espresso.
So, what is the big deal? Why shun coffee? Sadly, I am pretty convinced that coffee is right up there with sugar on the "things I need to stay away from" list. I've learned the hard way (over and over again) that it makes me feel terrible. When I am drinking coffee everyday, I experience terrible joint inflammation. Particularly in the morning. I wake up and my knuckles are visibly swollen. Sometimes I feel like I can't even open my hands all the way, and some of my rings don't fit. I always blamed sugar for this (and before paleo I thought I had arthritis), and while I am sure sugar plays a role the coffee is most definitely a co-conspirator. Coffee also gives me dry, dull skin. I feel like I look older when I'm drinking it too much. Older and tired! When I'm not drinking coffee, these symptoms are non-existent.
I am not thrilled with this discovery. Coffee is a big part of my life. Carl and I love going to coffee shops together. We collect coffee-brewing systems. We sometimes have long conversations with baristas about bean origins and roasting techniques. We consider it a culinary art form and we like participating in the culture that surrounds it. For these reasons, it would be really easy ignore the truth. But I just cannot do that to myself. I've worked really hard to get where I am today in terms of health and fitness, and I don't want coffee to spoil it.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember this post in which I questioned the paleo-ness of coffee and wrote a little bit how I felt (great!) after 10 coffee-free days. At that time, however, I wasn't really all that interested in reigning in my coffee consumption. I wanted coffee more than I wanted the benefits of life without coffee. Now, I've flip-flopped. Or, more accurately, I am in the process of flip-flopping (some days are easier than others). To be perfectly honest, I've come to the realization that coffee is somewhat of an addiction for me. The more coffee I drink, the more coffee I want. I'm trying really hard to get a handle on this, but I fear it might be an all-or-nothing thing for me. I do OK if we don't keep coffee in the house, but if we do it is all over. I cannot resist my French press.
So anyway, this is where I am at now: I recently went another 10 days without coffee. On Saturday, though, I made the (very mindful) decision to order a small, decaf Americano. I made sure to savor it. I felt fine Sunday morning, but only because it was a one-time thing. The only issue was the desire to drink more coffee. I didn't, but I wanted to. Just like I want to right now. I would like to make coffee a weekends-only ritual ... I'm not sure if it is possible, but that is my goal. I'm also considering experimenting with organic coffee to see if that makes a difference. I've certainly tried organic coffee before, I have never made sure my coffee is organic. Conventional coffee has a lot of pesticides/chemicals, so maybe that is contributing to the problem?
I would really love to hear feedback from others about this topic! Is there anyone else out there who experiences similar issues when you drink too much coffee? Do you think it is caffeine, or the coffee itself (for me, it is the coffee itself). Thoughts? Opinions? Please leave a comment so I know I'm not alone in this.
So, what is the big deal? Why shun coffee? Sadly, I am pretty convinced that coffee is right up there with sugar on the "things I need to stay away from" list. I've learned the hard way (over and over again) that it makes me feel terrible. When I am drinking coffee everyday, I experience terrible joint inflammation. Particularly in the morning. I wake up and my knuckles are visibly swollen. Sometimes I feel like I can't even open my hands all the way, and some of my rings don't fit. I always blamed sugar for this (and before paleo I thought I had arthritis), and while I am sure sugar plays a role the coffee is most definitely a co-conspirator. Coffee also gives me dry, dull skin. I feel like I look older when I'm drinking it too much. Older and tired! When I'm not drinking coffee, these symptoms are non-existent.
I am not thrilled with this discovery. Coffee is a big part of my life. Carl and I love going to coffee shops together. We collect coffee-brewing systems. We sometimes have long conversations with baristas about bean origins and roasting techniques. We consider it a culinary art form and we like participating in the culture that surrounds it. For these reasons, it would be really easy ignore the truth. But I just cannot do that to myself. I've worked really hard to get where I am today in terms of health and fitness, and I don't want coffee to spoil it.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember this post in which I questioned the paleo-ness of coffee and wrote a little bit how I felt (great!) after 10 coffee-free days. At that time, however, I wasn't really all that interested in reigning in my coffee consumption. I wanted coffee more than I wanted the benefits of life without coffee. Now, I've flip-flopped. Or, more accurately, I am in the process of flip-flopping (some days are easier than others). To be perfectly honest, I've come to the realization that coffee is somewhat of an addiction for me. The more coffee I drink, the more coffee I want. I'm trying really hard to get a handle on this, but I fear it might be an all-or-nothing thing for me. I do OK if we don't keep coffee in the house, but if we do it is all over. I cannot resist my French press.
So anyway, this is where I am at now: I recently went another 10 days without coffee. On Saturday, though, I made the (very mindful) decision to order a small, decaf Americano. I made sure to savor it. I felt fine Sunday morning, but only because it was a one-time thing. The only issue was the desire to drink more coffee. I didn't, but I wanted to. Just like I want to right now. I would like to make coffee a weekends-only ritual ... I'm not sure if it is possible, but that is my goal. I'm also considering experimenting with organic coffee to see if that makes a difference. I've certainly tried organic coffee before, I have never made sure my coffee is organic. Conventional coffee has a lot of pesticides/chemicals, so maybe that is contributing to the problem?
I would really love to hear feedback from others about this topic! Is there anyone else out there who experiences similar issues when you drink too much coffee? Do you think it is caffeine, or the coffee itself (for me, it is the coffee itself). Thoughts? Opinions? Please leave a comment so I know I'm not alone in this.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
My pre-paleo diet
The other day I got to thinking about my pre-paleo days. Specifically, my pre-paleo diet. I thought my choices were so healthy, but I was very misguided (thanks to the years and years I spent taking advice from mainstream nutrition experts). Now, I don't even want to think about how terrible I would feel if I returned to my old ways for even a few days. Low fat, high carb, constant calorie counting, guilt, etc., etc. Ugh. I feel like paleo has given me so much freedom. Maybe it sounds a little kookie to say that my previous eating habits had me in chains, but it is true.
This is what I used to eat on a typical day ...
For breakfast, cereal with non-fat milk. I preferred Honey Nut Cheerios, Puffins or Peace Cereal's Vanilla Almond Crunch. Every now and then I would throw on half of a sliced banana. You know, to give me a jump start on getting in my five servings of fruit and vegetables.
By 10am, I was usually famished. My typical morning snack: string cheese. And almonds. Many, many almonds. I had zero portion control. But it didn't matter because the almonds gave me protein and healthy fats, right? Hahaha!
Lunch was sometimes better. Sometimes. Salad with lots of veggies and protein, with olive oil, lemon and sunflower seeds. But that was on a good day. Most of the time, I went for a turkey sandwich. The sandwich consisted of one slice of whole grain bread (I tried to make sure the bread didn't surpass 140 calories), a couple of slices of deli turkey (at least I was buying the natural turkey!) and two wedges of Laughing Cow Cheese. Oh, and I cannot forgot the chips! Kettle Chips. Exactly 15 of them, because that it what the bag deemed to be a serving. For dessert, I usually had an apple. Unless there were low calorie ice cream or fruit bars in the freezer. In that case I would ditch the apple and go for the frozen treat.
My afternoon snack habits were hit or miss. If I had a work deadline, things often got crazy because I used the kitchen as a procrastination tool. Oh, I'll just have a few more chips. I haven't had enough calcium today ... that lowfat yogurt looks good. I need a cup of tea (two teaspoons of sugar won't hurt me). I better finish these blueberries before they get rotten. Peanut butter is good source of protein so I'll just eat it from the jar with a spoon. I might be exaggerating some, but you get the point. Non-deadline days were totally different, though. If I snacked at all, it was a couple of carrot sticks. It is probably worth mentioning that I always had a really hard time staying awake after lunch. Long naps were not uncommon.
If you can believe it, dinner was probably my worst meal of the day. Yep, worse than what I've already described. A couple of nights a week I did some serious cooking. I made stew or stuffed chicken breasts or something we called tuna rice muffins (essentially mini tuna casseroles baked in a muffin tin). I guess those nights weren't so bad. The other nights, though? They were pathetic. I made stir-fry a lot because it was quick and easy, but I usually picked out the meat and just ate the rice and vegetables. Or, I boiled some pasta and tossed it in olive oil, Parmesan cheese and maybe some frozen broccoli. Sometimes I made a Crockpot meal that consisted of chicken breasts and three varieties of Campbell's soup. And sometimes I skipped dinner altogether, because I was too tired/lazy/busy to cook. I always added up my calories and I usually counted fat grams. It's quite sad, really. I was depleted and deprived, and I didn't even know it. I thought I was doing the right thing because the Today Show told me I was doing the right thing. But in reality, I was way, way off.
I'm so relieved to have this chapter behind me, and even though I do have my 'off' days they never look anything like this. Ever. I mean, I would seriously rather fast for an entire weekend than eat Laughing Cow Cheese or pour Campbell's soup into my Crockpot. I love that I no longer need to count calories or fat grams, I love that I am finally giving my body real nourishment, I love that I can eat eggs and butter for breakfast at 8am and have plenty of energy to make it through a really tough workout four hours later. It's a really great feeling, and I'll never turn back.
This is what I used to eat on a typical day ...
For breakfast, cereal with non-fat milk. I preferred Honey Nut Cheerios, Puffins or Peace Cereal's Vanilla Almond Crunch. Every now and then I would throw on half of a sliced banana. You know, to give me a jump start on getting in my five servings of fruit and vegetables.
 |
| I used to always start my day with cereal. |
By 10am, I was usually famished. My typical morning snack: string cheese. And almonds. Many, many almonds. I had zero portion control. But it didn't matter because the almonds gave me protein and healthy fats, right? Hahaha!
Lunch was sometimes better. Sometimes. Salad with lots of veggies and protein, with olive oil, lemon and sunflower seeds. But that was on a good day. Most of the time, I went for a turkey sandwich. The sandwich consisted of one slice of whole grain bread (I tried to make sure the bread didn't surpass 140 calories), a couple of slices of deli turkey (at least I was buying the natural turkey!) and two wedges of Laughing Cow Cheese. Oh, and I cannot forgot the chips! Kettle Chips. Exactly 15 of them, because that it what the bag deemed to be a serving. For dessert, I usually had an apple. Unless there were low calorie ice cream or fruit bars in the freezer. In that case I would ditch the apple and go for the frozen treat.
My afternoon snack habits were hit or miss. If I had a work deadline, things often got crazy because I used the kitchen as a procrastination tool. Oh, I'll just have a few more chips. I haven't had enough calcium today ... that lowfat yogurt looks good. I need a cup of tea (two teaspoons of sugar won't hurt me). I better finish these blueberries before they get rotten. Peanut butter is good source of protein so I'll just eat it from the jar with a spoon. I might be exaggerating some, but you get the point. Non-deadline days were totally different, though. If I snacked at all, it was a couple of carrot sticks. It is probably worth mentioning that I always had a really hard time staying awake after lunch. Long naps were not uncommon.
If you can believe it, dinner was probably my worst meal of the day. Yep, worse than what I've already described. A couple of nights a week I did some serious cooking. I made stew or stuffed chicken breasts or something we called tuna rice muffins (essentially mini tuna casseroles baked in a muffin tin). I guess those nights weren't so bad. The other nights, though? They were pathetic. I made stir-fry a lot because it was quick and easy, but I usually picked out the meat and just ate the rice and vegetables. Or, I boiled some pasta and tossed it in olive oil, Parmesan cheese and maybe some frozen broccoli. Sometimes I made a Crockpot meal that consisted of chicken breasts and three varieties of Campbell's soup. And sometimes I skipped dinner altogether, because I was too tired/lazy/busy to cook. I always added up my calories and I usually counted fat grams. It's quite sad, really. I was depleted and deprived, and I didn't even know it. I thought I was doing the right thing because the Today Show told me I was doing the right thing. But in reality, I was way, way off.
I'm so relieved to have this chapter behind me, and even though I do have my 'off' days they never look anything like this. Ever. I mean, I would seriously rather fast for an entire weekend than eat Laughing Cow Cheese or pour Campbell's soup into my Crockpot. I love that I no longer need to count calories or fat grams, I love that I am finally giving my body real nourishment, I love that I can eat eggs and butter for breakfast at 8am and have plenty of energy to make it through a really tough workout four hours later. It's a really great feeling, and I'll never turn back.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Roasted Brussels sprouts
I'm not sure how or why I wound up giving them a chance, but I am so glad I did. Now, we eat pan roasted Brussels sprouts at least once a week (while they are in season, anyway). I like them best served alongside burgers with mustard and pickles.
I don't really have a recipe per se, just a method of preparation. I experimented some before I got this down. I tried roasting them in the oven, for example, but ultimately this yielded the best results. Give it a try, but don't forget to keep your own preferences in mind. Whatever you do, though, do not skimp on the butter!
 |
| Pan-roasted Brussels sprouts: our favorite side dish. |
1. Wash and dry Brussels sprouts (I do about 30 at a time).
2. Trim ends and cut sprouts in half.
3. Add two tablespoons of pastured butter to a 12-inch non-stick pan. Heat at medium high until pan is hot and the butter is melted.
4. Add half of the sprouts to the pan, along with salt and pepper to taste. Roast until they are dark and somewhat caramelized and tender, stirring occasionally. Depending on how they look, you can also add a bit of olive oil the pan during this process.
5. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate. Cover the plate with foil to keep them warm.
6. Add more butter to the pan and repeat with a second batch.
That is all! Super easy!
Do you like Brussels sprouts? Do your children like them? How do you prepare them?
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