Two Months In: How are we doing now?

It's been about two months since we started the Whole30 challenge. You may be wondering how things are going now.

First of all, we are so grateful that God has freed us of so many food idols. We were soda guzzling, fast-food burger chowing, sugar inhaling folks and all of that has changed.  We haven't had a single soda in these last two months.  We actually don't mind drinking unsweetened iced tea (which, previously, we felt unsweetened tea tasted like pond water).  And while there was a huge struggle in the first few weeks to do without bread, rice, and queso, it's actually become no big deal.  At some point, the focus shifted off what we couldn't eat because those things no longer held us hostage.

Since completing the Whole30, we have allowed ourselves little treats, but those treats have left their own little treat behind- one that's not very enjoyable.  On a trip back to Brandon's hometown in Louisiana, we had a link of boudin (contains rice) which caused Brandon to gain 15 pounds in one day. (Once it passed through his system, the 15 pounds disappeared.)  No kidding.  And rice is actually the one grain that causes the least issues. Corn causes us all to break out in bumps and hives, some worse than others. (Although, I, Mandy, admit my favorite treat is to have some corn chips with guacamole. I just have to put up with itchy legs for a day or two.)

When you see that these foods really do cause pain, inflammation, bloating, stomach cramps or other less desirable digestive issues, rashes, brain-fog, and a variety of other ickiness, it's really not that difficult to steer clear of them.

Last week, we went to a Mexican restaurant where our youngest (Molly Jo, 14 months) had a few bites of a flour tortilla which caused her to feel very sick and.... puke all over her bed in the middle of the night.  The good news is that she felt much better and slept through the rest of the night!  I had a few bites of the fried flour tortilla bowl my salad came in, and I was nauseated for several hours following. Yuck.

Molly Jo has been far less fussy, probably because she's no longer consuming those organic Wheat-O's that seem like a good baby snack, and likely because my breast milk is no longer tainted with gluten, dairy, and other foods that didn't go over well in her system.

All of our children pretty much follow a Paleo diet. We do allow them little treats, like basic rice crackers with their tuna salad.  At first, we allowed them to have grain and dairy "treats" at our weekly potlucks, but their systems were screwed up the rest of the week, so we have definitely reigned that in.  It is tough for some children to adjust, and, of all our children, Keagan (5) has had the most difficult time adjusting.  It's mainly because he's old enough to pick his own food from the potluck buffet but not old enough to really think things through.  Our older two can process, "Well, this probably will make my stomach ache later, so I think I'll do without."  If they are tempted by it, they will ask us first, and we can help them make that decision.  (Sometimes we all want someone to make that decision for us, right? Sometimes it's nice for someone to say, "No, I think it would be best to choose something else.")  Keagan is doing much better, and no longer asks one-thousand-times for things he cannot have. Now it's more like a dozen times, which is far less grating on the nerves. Ha!

Mother's Day 2013

I confess, I (Mandy) held on to some items when we went on the Whole30 because I figured they would do in a pinch.  I mean, one day when I'm exhausted, those frozen corndogs will come in handy.  Do I really need to throw out this enchilada sauce that has all kinds of weirdness in it? I ended up loading up a good bit of thing, intending to donate them, but... the box of canned good are still sitting in my car because I just can't fathom giving such crap to anyone!  It's not real food!

So, obviously, we are doing quite well and enjoying this lifestyle of eating.  In fact, as we suspected, this diet paved the way for yet another pregnancy (this always seems to happen when I am grain-free, dairy-free, and legume-free)!  We are expecting our 6th child in January 2014!  Eating this way has also caused me to go through pregnancy relatively morning-sickness free (as I believe I wrote about before).  Having gone through three pregnancies with HORRIBLE all-day, keep-nothing-down "morning" sickness, I know what a blessing it is to not be hanging over a toilet throughout the day or always searching for the best place to throw up when we're out running errands.  (And, for the record, Whole30/Paleo has not negatively affected my breast milk supply at all. The key is keeping hydrated, which, yes, I do have a hard time doing now that I am both pregnant and nursing.)

I (Brandon) always feel inspired to keep going when I look in the mirror and see the progress I've made. It's like, "Hey! I'm pretty stinkin' skinny!"   (Mandy here: Seriously, he'll come out of the bathroom and say, "Who is that handsome man?")

Everything actually tastes more flavorful when it's not wrapped in bread. Hamburgers are far more delicious without bread. I don't miss the bun at all. I'm not really missing cokes at all, but sometimes I want a little something sweet to drink so I go for some orange juice.

People offer me stuff and I think, "I don't eat that stuff. It's bad for me," whereas before I would have felt like it would be a sacrifice to turn it down.  For example, turning down a coke and going for water in the beginning was a sacrifice. Now water is my first choice. No big deal. No internal wrestling or feeling deprived.

I like that our kids are learning better habits and making better food choices.  We're no longer telling them about good habits and then having a bunch of cheats which say we don't really mean what we say.

A week ago I went on a 36-hour fast to break my plateau. I have been on fasts before, but usually, within the first five hours I was crumbling. I was hostile, cranky mess... just ask my wife. (True story.)

This time, I was able to go 36 hours without feeling moody, extreme hunger, or obsessive cravings and the mental gymnastics involved with that.  I am no longer completely controlled by food.

Before, I was addicted to breads and such, so these things made my blood sugar rise and fall, rise and fall. Fasting was a horrible experience then because my body was experiencing such lows during that time, just aching for another high, another hit... like a drug!  Now I feel steady and clear-headed when I fast. (Although, in the last hours, I was feeling a little "high" in a totally different way, and I was starting to feel hungry.)

Pretty soon I'm going to have to buy a new belt.  I've had this one since junior high, so it's going to be tough parting with it! It's very well broken in by now!

Paleo Berry Breakfast Cake

Today is our oldest's 10th birthday.  We can't believe the's that old. I mean, who said she could hit double digits? Not us, that's for sure.

Here's Mandy's dad, experiencing grandparenthood for the first time!

Mandy with Merikalyn (M + Erika = Lyn)

To celebrate her birthday, I (Mandy) decided to throw together a quick recipe that could very well be a breakfast treat (treat, not daily thing) or a dessert.  I altered a coffee cake recipe and came up with this.

What you need:

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup honey (depending on how sweet you want it. I used 1/2 cup.)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut cream*  (You want to make sure there is plenty of moisture because coconut flour really soaks it up and it can be too dry if there is not enough liquid. I used 3/4 cup one time because I was a bit too liberal with the coconut flour, and the next time I used 1/2.)1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup arrowroot flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5-8 strawberries, sliced  or a cup or two of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

* You could use almond or coconut milk, and it will be good, but the richness of the cream makes it all the more better. I used almond milk for the strawberry cake and coconut cream for the blueberry, and the blueberry was SO MUCH TASTIER.  If you don't have coconut cream on hand, you could also use So Delicious Coconut Creamer (even the flavored ones), or.. add regular dairy creamer if milk isn't an issue for you).

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter an 8×8 baking pan.

2. Combine honey, butter, eggs and cream/milk in a bowl until well combined. My honey is thick, so I melted the butter just a tad, added the honey to it, and then melted them together a little bit longer.

3. Combine arrowroot flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir well. (I used my mixer to make sure there were no lumps.

5. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly.  Then place a layer of sliced strawberries down on top of the batter before adding the other half of cake batter.  If you are using blueberries, pour in ALL of the batter and put the blueberries on top (they will likely start sinking to the bottom anyway).

Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned and no longer jiggly in the middle.

ENJOY!

Happy Birthday Merikalyn!

*Note: This recipe was a HUGE hit at our church potluck brunch this morning.  Even people who are not gluten-free or Paleo asked for the recipe. It really tastes like it's made of wheat flour. It's so delicious! 

Paleo Babies, Toddlers, & Big Kids

 I thought I'd share the journey our children have been on since we started the Whole30, since we often ask if our children are doing the same thing.  In case you didn't know, we have five children, current ages almost-10 (only a little over a week until her birthday!), 8, 5, 2, and 1.

Truth is, when we first started out, we didn't want to restrict our children to the same diet, but we felt it would be beneficial for them to cut out wheat and dairy, especially since four out of five of our children have obvious reactions to dairy (typically in the form of diarrhea).

Most notable is the rash on my oldest daughter's hands.  The tops of her hands have been scaly, rough, and red for months now.  At first we thought it might be the soap we use to wash dishes, so I changed the soap. Maybe the hot water was drying her hands out? We bought gloves. Since removing dairy and wheat from her diet, her rashes have almost disappeared. When we did allow the children to have a little cheat when at a birthday party (white flour buns for their hotdogs), the next day, they all had complaints of tummy aches and feeling generally icky.  Plus, Merikalyn's rash seemed to be just a little bit worse.

As time has gone on, we have come to see that having our children on the Paleo diet isn't really restrictive.  They are really enjoying the food they eat, and our older two have been very interested in why we eat the way we do.  In fact, they love informing random people about the Whole30 challenge and the Paleo diet.

On the other hand, there is our five year old, Keagan, who often asks, "Is the diet over yet?" to which his older brother replies, "It's never going to be over, dude!"

What has been the biggest challenge for the kids?  Well, our family had gotten into the habit of grazing.  It's not an exaggeration when I say we were having snacks at least five times a day.  Our mostly-plant-based diet was not filling them up, and they always seemed to be hungry.  If the younger ones (Keagan, 5, and Evangeline, 2) did not like what was for lunch or supper, they would wait fifteen or twenty minutes and ask for a snack, which they would receive.

We had also formed this lovely response every time we left the house, "I'm hungry!" because I had gotten into the habit of stopping for some sort of treat every time we ran errands.  Sometimes it would be a Happy Hour half-priced drink at Sonic, other times it would be lunch at Chick-fil-a.  So it became the expected thing- we would stop by some restaurant every time we went out, which, of course, was not good on the budget.

Snacking caused our grocery budget to be ridiculously high.  We wanted to give our children healthy snacks when we were at home, so most snacks consisted of mandarin/cutie oranges, apples, bananas, or other fruits. Every now and then they would have fresh bread, pretzels, crackers, granola or other grain-based snacks.  When I started breaking it down, I realized I was spending about $100 a week just the snacks we had at home.  That's an unbelievable amount.

Most people think Paleo is so expensive because of the meat, but we were eating mostly whole foods before we took the challenge plus a minimal amount of meat and spending what felt like a fortune.  I rarely escaped the grocery store without spending about $275 per week.  (And, we ate out several times a week as well!)

I felt like we were spending a lot, but, I know, I have five growing children, so I figured I'd better just get used to a higher grocery bill.  

The writers of the Whole30 book, It Starts With Food, recommend cutting out the snacking, so I went for it. And I cut out my children's snacking as well.  Eventually, we found that we definitely needed a small snack between lunch and supper, but one snack a day was a far cry from the five or more we were accustomed too.

At first, I felt like I was starving the children, and I probably was. The younger ones had learned they didn't have to eat a meal if they didn't really want to, and could enjoy whatever snacks (fruit) they wanted to later, so it took a bit for them to learn that they had better eat the meal set before them because there wouldn't be a snack for them later.  The older ones struggled with the snacking habit, just as I did.  We all wrestled with stomach pains, but the older ones were able to understand that we were in the process of retraining our bodies.  We would all go drink a glass of water and move on.

We usually include the kids in the meal-prep process, and some times they make the entire meal themselves. I have found it really helps to have children assist in the meals, especially if it's something they aren't particularly fond of.  Just the pride and excitement in having made it might be enough to have them actually eat it without force feeding.

We almost always sit at the table together as a family, which I believe is very important. Do not make a habit of sitting in front of the television or eating while working.  Sure, maybe on a special or rare occasion, but, again, not regularly. 

Sometimes we change it up and eat outside. We may eat on the picnic table or set up folding tables and chairs outside, especially when we grill.  The kids love it and it's less kitchen clean-up.  Little things like eating outside are very exciting for the kids and create wonderful memories.

Dinner time is a great time to talk about what kids have done that day and what they have learned, as well as to teach them about the food we are eating- where it comes from, how it's prepared, what it has in it and what it doesn't have in it (hopefully it doesn't have chemicals and sugar!).

We do allow our children a little grain treat now and then.  Sometimes its in the form of a WASA Rye cracker, or maybe it's a small slice of cake.  (Usually I make healthier versions of cake or donuts using Spelt flour and natural sweeteners if there is a birthday party planned, or I'll bring Lara bars for them to have instead.)

I always keep snacks in my purse in case we get caught up in running errands and are not home in time for lunch or dinner, or maybe we go to a potluck and there isn't much for us to eat there.  These snacks usually include Lara bars, Applesauce pouches, nuts, and little packages of almond butter. 

Overall, our children are adjusting well.  The key has been to explain why we are eating the way we do.  They have become a bunch of label readers. They are often checking out what is in products, which I love.  And, when Keagan wants something that is not on the approved list, his brother and sister will often coach him through it, explaining why it's not good for him.

Banana and Egg "muffins, a boiled egg, and grapes for breakfast

All of the kids are feeling so much better, and when we do allow treats, we always remind them that they will probably feel icky afterwards. Often they will pass on the "treat" (at least the older two will).  Our baby, Molly Jo, loves meat, fruits, and vegetables, so she's done really well.  She's no longer having those screaming fits because her tummy hurts, which is a major plus!

* Remember, if you live in another country, you will not be able to compare the grocery prices because they are often drastically different.

*We typically shop at H-E-B (a popular grocery store in Texas), Kroger, and Sprouts with the occasional trip to Whole Foods in Houston. We do not shop at Walmart because their foods are highly processed and their meat is over-priced, and, most of all, we loathe their business practices.

Conception, Pregnancy, and Nursing

Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and thought, "Wait... that's me?  When did I get that big?"

This was one of those pictures for us:

This photo was taken at a family reunion in the Spring of 2009. At the time, we had three children and had experienced at least one miscarriage. (Maybe two by this point.  We had four miscarriages that year.)

A miscarriage does crazy things to the body.  First of all, the whole body doesn't always recognize that you are no longer carrying a wee little child.  Hormones are going crazy, and the whole system seems off.  Even if you hadn't gained much pregnancy weight yet, the hormonal issues can cause a gal to gain something similar to the Freshman 15. And, on top of that, there's the emotional eating.  Before I knew it, I had packed on 25 extra pounds.

This picture caused me to analyze my diet. Several months later, I decided to take the leap and go Raw Vegan, a diet I was fairly familiar with and had "tried" before. I stuck to it for several months, following our third miscarriage, because I knew I needed to reset my body. I was pretty sure my diet was the cause of our infertility problems.  I did go on to have another miscarriage while I was a raw vegan, but that was not due to my diet, but rather due to a drug I was given in the hospital for some kidney problems I was having.

By December, we were pregnant with our fourth child, Evangeline.  I've mentioned before how vegan and vegetarian diets didn't work for us because we were never full and still had some issues, but the wonderful thing about being a raw vegan was that, similar to the Paleo diet, grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and processed, chemical junk was totally absent from my diet.  For the first time in my child-bearing life, I had a very smooth pregnancy.  With the first three, especially the third, I had been so terribly sick the first 20 weeks I could hardly function or keep any food down.  It wasn't just "morning sickness", it was "life sickness".  It was enough to make me wonder if I could even handle another pregnancy (but, you know, those little boogers are just so stinkin' cute that I felt it was worth it).

My last two pregnancies (Evangeline and Molly Jo) have been so wonderfully smooth.  When I found out I was pregnant with Molly Jo, I was actually doing a juice fast and was about to transition into a raw food diet again. I had issues with anemia (as I have had with all my pregnancies), but I realize now something about the raw food diet was allowing me to skip over the miserableness of nausea and the worst bits of pregnancy (sickness).  I have found that other women are experiencing the same thing, not because they are raw vegans, but because they have at least removed grains, dairy, and sugar from their diet (many of them have removed legumes too).

This tells me that the Paleo diet, and even the Whole30 challenge, are safe for most pregnant women.  I am currently breastfeeding and have not experienced any negatives. My baby is actually healthier and feeling much better now, which is a huge blessing.