"everything in moderation" I know better.

You know the biggest thing I hear is "everything in moderation" when people think I'm being too strict or "obsessive" about this diet. It REALLY bothered me at first, I had another post about it earlier on. Then Jordan and I, a couple weeks into this, broke down and had one cheat. At this point, all I had read from Dr. Fuhrman was his "Eat To Live" book and "Disease Proof Your Child". I pulled out all the stops. I cleaned the house, of all the SAD foods. I donated things to neighbors, and 100% cleansed the home of anything not on his plan. I spent time restocking slowly since we are so broke, by purchasing common ingredients that show up in his recipes a lot, one or two at a time as I could afford it, BEFORE I purged the house of the other food. So that when the day came to begin, all that was there were the healthy foods, and plenty of ingredients to make new things. Now a couple weeks in, Jordan and I had our cheat, and made sure it was outside of the home, like doc Fuhrman suggests he says never bring it into the home. Then a couple days later after the kids were in bed we had another breakdown and went to the store. This time we brought it into the home. The problem was we didn't want the kids to see it so we couldn't go out and cheat during the day, because the kids are so young, 2 and 3, and have done so well with this diet we don't want to ruin anything for them or create in them the emotional battle with food Jordan and I have. ANYWAY as this worked its way downhill, us cheating at night but eating right during the day, for Jord it turned into him cheating at work, not eating well during the day, waiting for the kids to go to bed and cheating at night. He suddenly lost his belief he could do it, and I started to feel that way right along with him. Yet somehow we both knew we never wanted to go back to the SAD permenantly and we needed intervention with ourselves immediately.

So in desperation for some support, I joined the forums on Dr. Fuhrmans website and bought a Gold membership. Its only 10 bucks a month and I can post on the forums and talk with other members and have access to his HUGE library of recipes posted by him and other doctors, chefs, as well as members. ALSO a MAJOR plus is I can view the "Ask the Doctor" forum where members that have Platinum memberships can post questions for DR, Fuhrman himself and his doctors that work in his clinic. Dr. Fuhrman  responds to the majority of them himself I would say as far as I have noticed, and though I can't POST in this section without the higher membership there are so many I so far have searched and found answers to all of my questions Ive had.

So success, my determination and motivation returned. and I started eating the right way again, but yet I found it a THOUSAND times more difficult without Jordan on board so I would cheat at night after the kids go to bed with him. Because I was getting depressed and frustrated, Jordan began feeling that way himself. He went online and found another book by Dr. Fuhrman Called "Eat for Health." He said this presented a more gradually journey to eating this way and that if I would order it he would follow that plan. So I hopped online and ordered it for him.

Here is the GIST of it. Doc F was smart to write one like this for people who are the "everything in moderation" responders. I mean lets break down that response really. Would I be doing this diet, if I did not read over 10 books now laying out on the line the scientific research and studies that have gone on to prove that these foods are the leading causes of our heart disease and cancers that are killing 80% of americans?? No. So when we say, "everything in moderation" and my response is...well then you are saying "cocaine, but in moderation.....smoking....but in moderation...." that response is FAR from overreacting, when the SAD (standard American diet) has been scientifically proven to be the #1 cause of all non smoking related cancers, heart disease, diabetes, MS, Alzheimers, the list goes on and on and on. BUT to go back to why this approach is GOOD.

Jordan is a VERY picky eater. He is a cheese monger lol. His taste buds have been over salted, over sugared, and over deep fried so that only fattening slabs of meat and butter and cheese and sugar taste even close to anything edible to him. So when you choose to switch over to a diet like this. Whole foods have a much more subtle taste and you can only appreciate those and LOVE the food, after your taste buds have "learned" to love them. Its not like people in the various regions of the world all have DIFFERENT taste buds from each other. Our taste buds are simply taught to enjoy the foods in our own cultures. The people studying these things have all found, including Doc F, that our taste buds need to try something....at LEAST 12-15 times before we will actually begin to PREFER that new flavor over the other things in your diet. So his approach in this new book is steps....starting with simply adding a 1/2 pound of veggies and a 1/2 pound of fruits to your diet everyday. I wont go through all the steps, but this is the way we are going to go with Jordy for now. The steps make a TON of sense. They are about learning to Chew your food better until every bite is liquefied. He says when we eat salads 60-80% is undigested because we don't break down the cell walls in the food well enough. One reason Green smoothies are super duper awesome blossom:)


SO after rambling and rambling here is the reason for my post. When switching to a diet like this you can choose to do it one of these two ways. You can go all out right off the bat and make the permenant change. You will go through a few weeks of some uncomfortable symptoms of detox, and cravings, but they will subside much faster, and ALSO you will likely begin to enjoy the food MUCH quicker and prefer it to the SAD far sooner than the other way because you are stripping your taste buds of the OVER salting and sugaring and greasing fatting. I've read testimony after testimony of bloggers on his forum, reporting their results and I've experienced it for myself. It works. I know the other way works too, and the detoxing is slower and less uncomfortable, the only reason that I think it might be the wrong approach for someone like Jord is he is SO bothered with eating things he doesn't love 100%. So I think it will be difficult for him to continue to force the veggies and soups down while continuing to cheat and therefore never RE-sensitizing his taste buds. I know that no matter the cheating or not, as long as he DOES force himself to eat the healthy foods, his taste buds will acclimate and he will no longer have to force himself he will enjoy them, but the cravings wont go away. And THAT battle will have to be fought in the "all out' mode whether its now or later. There are tons of people on Doc F's site, who get on and tell their story, and they mention they have been nutritarian for YEARS (someone who eats to maximize nutrients per calorie) and they say they still crave sweets because they never fully cut them out in the beginning and RE-SET their taste buds. When you go through and truly cut  them out, and after a long time has gone by eat a donut say, it will taste wayyyyy sweet and you likely wont have any cravings again for it. If you do they will subside nearly immediately within a day or so. you HAVE to reset. now or later. I am choosing now.

I've told Jord he can cheat outside the home, but that he cant bring any of it home, and he wants to do the "eat for Health" slower step method .I will support him in that.  I'm going back to all or nothing. I believe it needs to be that way in the beginning and I don't care what crap I get from people about it. THOSE people don't have to watch their 2 and 3 year old refuse every single thing you spent hours and money you have very little of  making, and throw it in the ground, and cry that they are hungry and pull on my heart strings....all because they got a fried food from somewhere else the night before and they don't want the healthy foods this morning. YES it only lasts a meal or maybe 2 at the most now days they don't hold out near as long as they used to (when we began the strike went on nearly 2 weeks eating tiny bits of things)  they are learning to recognize we just don't have that stuff in our house and they don't strike as long.  But even for that morning, it fills me with panic, and heartache for their hunger, frustration at cleaning up food off the ground, frustration that I got angry at them for throwing it and they are now in time out and crying, and now I'm in my room with the door closed crying and on my knees praying for strength to continue so that my children wont fight the battle later that Jordan and I are fighting now.  So the next one of you who tells me "everything in moderation" well I'm just going to smile and nod. I have to learn a more positive inner response for people who just don't understand. I cant feel bitter and that "implosive" feeling every time someone close to me lectures me or tries to show me that I'm being too radical.  I hate that word. Do we try our hardest to keep ALL the commandments, even though we sometimes fail and repent? or is that too radical? I don't think so. We try our hardest , to live the way our knowledge we continue to gain teaches us is the best. we fail, and we get up and try again and we never quit. The savior forgives, we forgive others, and we forgive ourselves. I cant go back and UN-read the book of Mormon, I cant change that I know my savior lives, and so I cant release myself from my obligation to always give my best effort to living ALL of the commandments All of the time, to my best ability, and use the atonement to make up for where I am a weak stubborn imperfect human. Why do I include my testimony? Does this seem random to you?? Well it isn't. General conference gave me all of the strength and comfort I prayed for, and guess what I was praying about? nutrition and our family diet. You didn't hear anything about nutrition? I did. It was a tender mercy from the lord, straight from him to my heart to tell me the burning desire that has been lit in my heart, is good and right, and to keep going.

I can't un-read the china study, or the worlds healthiest foods , or prevent and reverse heart disease or all of Dr. Fuhrmans books and all of the blogs and testimonials. I cant change what I know. And because of that,  I can't release myself, from my responsibility to teach my children and apply the knowledge with them at home. I can't find any excuse in my heart to release myself from my responsibility to get healthy lose all the weight, and show those around me the life long happy effects of being healed from the inside out through diet. This is why when I do stray, I am anxiety ridden, and full of nerves and depression and anger. Because I KNOW better. The same thing happens when I stray from the gospel, if you have never strayed I guess you don't know. But when I am being lax, and not reading like I should and not investing in my relationship with heavenly father through prayer, I am a wreck. I know better.


Lastly especialy after bringing the gospel into it, because it is so tied to it for me, the last thing I have to be very careful of, we find BIG time in the gospel too. Living the way you feel is right, being an example, without judging or criticizing or making others feel badly for not being in the same place you are. This life is a journey. We all read, and learn and become better and work on different things at different times in our lives. I have begun to realize that people most often say to me "everything in moderation" to help themselves not feel guilty for not wanting to eat the way I am trying to. That is not wrong, they SHOULDNT be made to feel guilty for that. All you should ever do is live the way you feel is right, and it will show on the outside how happy it has made you, and healthy in this instance, and others will see that and desire it. Of course after reading the books and continuing everyday to read more and more, JUST like with the gospel, the more you know the more you want to share, the more you want those you love to experience the happy benefits. That will come with time. But for now I have to find a way, to answer questions, without everyone getting so defensive of their own diets. People ask because they are interested. But no one wants to be preached to they should read the books for themselves if they are interested in change. After all that's what got ME interested, knowledge. It truly is power. I feel like when I refuse my children things, that all the other children around them are eating, I cant avoid the parents getting offended. I don't know how to avoid it. We all want what is best for our children, and we get easily offended if we think another parent thinks they know better or thinks our way is wrong simply because we all care about our children. The other side is the parents feel badly for my young children. I need to simply bring things the kids can have that I have made for them, like a chocolate date ball or something, so that they wont feel so deprived. Like I said a small cookie at an event doesn't hurt them. its the main part of the meal I don't want them eating usually and how do you not offend. sure just stay away, but that's not the life I want for my children obviously. One of the best parts of this culture is the deep family ties, and the wonderful get togethers and meals we share and events we celebrate with each other.  And its not occasionally its all the time. So If I give in and they can have some junk food at EVERY little sports game or birthday or family dinner...they will be eating it far more than occasionally. I don't know the answer, I am going to post on the Fuhrman forums and see what success other parents have had with that. Im sure thankful for that support line. WELL worth the 10 a month and if I had the money I would even do the 50 per month to be able to post in the ask dr. Fuhrman forum. But having access is good enough for me right now.

I just ordered "super immunity" of doc F's ....Im excited to have a new one to read I am getting to the point where when I finish one I am sad and already ancy for another

onward ho

Broccoli Lentil Soup and a new way of thinking

I made this because it includes so much of Livies two favorite things lentils and broccoli. Livy will eat just a giant bowl of lentils cooked in Vegebase all by themselves at night and the same with broccoli so I was excited to see if she liked it. Noah likes it even more than her it turns out but it went over well with both of them and it is super filling.


So this soup is JAM packed with nutrients. And I think that is why I will make it again in the future it was really filling, and you know that you are spending your calories with the highest nutrient dense foods possible so there is no guilt.  Holy crapper it is so thick in the end because there is so much in it. While I was making it I was saying under my breath I would never make it again after every ingredient I had to prepare and add because there is so much in it. But it was Yummy and turned out worth it.

This way of eating is becoming like Dr. Fuhrman said it would as you practice it. We have by FAR been by NO means even close to perfect, except really with the kids because we have more control of their diet for now lol. But just training my brain to look at the food I am putting in my mouth, and wondering if I am totally wasting calories or if I am getting the most "bang for my buck" nutrient wise. It really does just take time and practice like he says! He so smart:) When I know that the bulk of my calories for the day ( at least 90%) are coming from the most nutrient dense possible, meaning highest amount of nutrients packed into each calorie, I don't feel guilty having a little bite of something not really nourishing. But I am looking at that food appropriately now. Instead of seeing BULK as the best way to get calories into my kids, I see the "meat and potato" approach for what it is, mainly empty macronutrients, just fillers in my kids belly, devoid of micronutrients and phytonutrients and yes sure keeping them "alive" but not improving that life at, not helping the body have the nutrients it needs to properly get rid of waste and build up and handing them a possible disease ridden painful future,

The more people that ask about this diet, and I watch their response, the more motivated I am and determined, and even proud to be a nutritarian. Healthy food is not addictive. If the most fit and trim person, says there is no way they want to give up sweets or junk food, you tell me that is not an addiction. To live the SAD (standard American diet) is to live with food addiction. I for one don't want to be controlled by food in ANY way EVER again. When my ENTIRE day brightens up, at the thought of that pint of icecream at home in the freezer, and some Better Cheddars and my Thursday night t.v shows to watch with them, that is power taken from me. That is food addiction. That is a chain to this world I would rather live without.

The thing I cant wait for the MOST, is when this diet is so second nature, and we've been doing it long enough our cravings and addicitons to different foods are totally gone, and the kids are happy and prefer the healthier food, which is already happened a lot for them, and we can eat when hungry, be satisfied and look forward to every other activity and uses of our time this world has to offer. That might seem to someone else weird to even think about, but because I have to learn and entire new way of cooking and thinking, my days are consumed with new recipes, food chopping, cooking and shopping for food and FEEDING the kids lol. I do it happily don't get me wrong, I am truly enjoying this. I love filling my little book with new recipes, following new blogs and reading along the forums on dr. Furhmans websites. But it is still a GIANT battle with the kids. They have been gone from me for 3 days now while I work for Jord at the shop and I have no idea what next week will hold with the kids and their attitude towards food. I only know I am filled with optimism today. I wont let food be a bad experience with them next week. It is inside my head the real battle exists, I feel about to implode when I start worrying they are refusing things and hardly eating. But I have to remember I just had their wellness visits and their pediatrician said they are a perfect picture of health. Both of their BMI's are exactly in the middle range, they haven't been sick once all winter except for a little runny nose. Life is good. I am so glad to have such a wealth of knowledge about nutrition today. I just finished Dr. Fuhrmans Eat for health. I think the only one of his I haven't read is the "super immunity" so I shall get online and order it right now! wee haw I am loving learning this stuff.

so on to the recipe haha
Broccoli Lentil Soup

 

 

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

 

Ingredients:

8 cups water

2 cups carrot juice, fresh or bottled

1 pound dried lentils

2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped

4 cups chopped broccoli

2 onions, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 small zucchini, chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 yam, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's Riesling Raisin Vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup raw cashews or 1/4 cup raw cashew butter

Instructions:
Place all ingredients except yam, vinegar and cashews in a large soup pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Add yam and simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat. Add vinegar.

Remove 2 cups or more ( I suggest you double that) of soup and puree with the cashews in a food processor or high powered blender. Stir back into soup.

Breakfast (or anytime) Apple Cinnamon Butternut Soup

YUM, this is by far my favorite Soup of Dr. Fuhrman's so far! I didn't grab a pic but I am making it again tonight and I will make sure to take one! I'm pretty sure I will be making this really often its super yummers and the kiddos loved it too.

Winter Butternut Soup

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen butternut squash

2 medium apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

4 cups (packed) kale, tough stems and center ribs removed and leaves chopped or frozen, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's Pomegranate Vinegar or other fruit flavored vinegar

5 cups carrot juice, fresh (5 pounds of carrots, juiced) or refrigerated

1/2 cup unsweetened soy, almond or hemp milk

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:
Place squash, apples, kale, onion, vinegar and carrot juice in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until kale is tender.

Puree 1/2 of the soup with the milk and cashews and hemp seeds in a food processor or high-powered blender. Return blended mixture to soup pot. Add cinnamon and nutmeg.

This soup is great anytime. It makes a quick and delicious breakfast. Make it the night before, refrigerate, and then reheat before serving.

Getting kids to just TRY

So doc fuhrman mentions in "disease proof your child"which that you should have fruit and  veggies and dip out on the table throughout the day and they would just disappear. I thought ya right. But getting so frustrated with them throwing everything on the floor they dont like while in their high chairs....I decided to get this little dish and give it a try......turns out he is right!  When they dont feel forced they do get up and try.. and EAT....on the first day doing this i had to refill this thing 3 times! They didnt eat much st meal time but who cares its getting them to try things!

Also I found this blog and the lady was talking about turning your kids into taste testers. Every book I have read so far lists these crazy high numbers for how many times you need to taste something before your taste buds are used to it and you will start to prefer it. Im going to go with 15....because that's the one I see the most. With adults fine...easy...if we want to teach our taste buds to PREFER healthy things then just tell yourself you will try each thing a minimum of 15 times before you judge it. But how do you get a 2 or 3 year old to try something again they tried before and didnt like .....not impossible. She suggested making it a game. She says in her house they have a one bite rule With everything, always. She says to tell the kids they are taste testers and tell them they are allowed to spit it out after they analyze with you....is it crunchy? Sweet? Salty? Do u like it? Even ask them to rate it...and write down the results and watch how their preferences change over time.  So far so good With Livy .....ya she always spits it out so far.....but the important thing is they taste it...because its tasting....not swallowing....that trains the tastbuds. She also made the food suggestion of switching foods often not having the same thing every day so your kids will learn to enjoy variety and not refuse new things later in life. Goos advice! I will find her blog again ans post the link I really enjoy all of her advice even though she doesn't eat according to this diet the kids/food advice is awesome!

The negative calorie effect....and banana walnut dressing

<p>So I learned today about the negative calorie effect in dr. Fuhrmans new book eat for health which im LOVING. Man alive I love this man im so thankful he is following his true calling in life because surely he was sent here for this. ANYWAY lol....so the negative calorie effect means that a vegetable you are consuming contains LESS calories than the amount required for the metabolic processes to digest that veggie. Like green vegetables.  So this means you can eat huge portions of these and still lose weight because your body has to burn excess fat to meet its basic metobilc needs to digest the bulk of the food you are eating! That is an amazing concept to me!  In all of his books he has been saying all along the salad is the main dish ...eat more salad eat more greens.....turns out that's why you actually can lose wieght by eating MORE......you film your stomach to the max with these nutrient dense low calorie foods....burn excess fat just to metabolize them....and cram more cancer/disease fighting nutrients into your body than you ever have before.  Im going to started fresh with this concept and more salads....my goal is going to be two a day....like he says...one before lunch and one before dinner .....but I gotta tell you I just ate my lunch salad and I couldn't possibly have anything in addition to it lol. I shredded up some romaine and baby kale ....strawberries oranges raisins shredded carrot and raw sunflower seeds.and sone lentils I had cooked...and made his banana walnut dressing and YUM YUM!

Here is the easy peazy recipe!

Dr. Fuhrmans banana walnut dressing/dip

2 bananas
2 tablespoons walnuts
2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 cup fruit type vinegar....(I have peach so I used that and YUM)

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth and creamy;) took 60  seconds total to make seriously

Our First Bi-monthly Healthy Sisters day! Date-Nut Balls, Healthy Chocolate nut dip

How much fun is Healthy sisters day!! I'm so excited to share my new lifestyle and swap recipes with my favorite girls on the planet!!

Today we did Dr. Fuhrmans Date-nut pop ems

Combine in your food processor or High powered blender
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds

then mash
6-8 Fresh medjool dates

I keep my dates out because we use them way quickly and dont need to refridgerate, so mine dont always need a fork used, I just mash with my fingers, then pour on your ground nut mixture and knead in until well combine. Form into balls and consume liberally:)

we added 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to make chocolate date balls and YUM and the kids all enjoyed them! It was really fun to watch Wendy's kiddos try them very leary....decide they didnt like them, and then come back for more. The after taste is really yummy so you do find yourself deciding, yes I shall have another!




We also made
Dr. Fuhrmans healthy almond chocolate dip

I made this on Easter, a much simpler version from his other book "Eat to Live" and all the kids gobbled it up. so i will post that recipe first, and then the version we made at Wendy's house I got out of his other book "eat for health" it has a lot more ingredients and is far more nutrient packed! however both are great for you! you can also substitute raw cashews for the almonds, Im excited to try that.

simple Almond Chocolate dip

1 1/3 cup raw almonds
1 cup vanilla soy/hemp/almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP natural non-alkalized cocoa powder or raw carob powder
2/3 cup pitted fresh medjool dates (I always use a little more than the recipe calls for)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy in a high powered blender. adding more milk if necessary.

More nutrient dense version

1 1/2 cup whole raw almonds or cashews
1 cup vanilla soy/hemp/almond milk
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries or blueberries
2/3 cup pitted dates
3 tablespoons natural non alkalized cocoa powder or raw carob powder
2 tablespoons Goji berries if desired
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 raw beet or 2 tablespoons beet powder

Blend nuts and milk until smooth in a high powered blender, add remaining ingredients and blend again. can be eaten as a pudding, or a dip for fruits and vegetables

my kids love love this and if i set it out with a fresh fruit and veggie tray it is always gone quickly during the day, and the date nut balls as well!