For the second weekend in a row we traveled. I had a trial run on the first weekend, so this wasn't so bad figuring out what to pack. Jeannette ate her brown rice cereal with milk for breakfast and today she had brown rice with non-dairy butter, raspberries and chocolate coconut milk for lunch. On the car ride, she had some popcorn for a snack. I brought alone one single serving size bag of M&M's for her to eat. Won't kill her..right? She gets bored easily and when that happens, she eats. I always have to be prepared for her hungry cravings.
When we got there, we went out to dinner at a local Greek/Italian restaurant. I wasn't sure what she was going to have. I ended up ordering a grilled chicken sandwich and splitting that with her. I took half and cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. She seemed to be okay with that, but was still hungry. I allowed her to have 2 bites of Jarod's pasta (that happened to be saturated in butter. I hate that. Half the time I have to drain the bowl onto a plate b/c there is so much melted butter).
For breakfasts I brought her brown rice cereal, so she had that. While she was eating that, my friend walked in the kitchen with a bag of fresh bagels. Jeannette just gave me that "look". It was the pitiful puppy dog, lower lip sticking out, look. I said that she could have a small bit. She had 1/4 of 1/2 of a bagel with a little cream cheese. I explained again that she can't have too much of it because we wouldn't know how her body would react. She said she understood.
For lunch she had her standard rice cakes with soy nut butter and carob chips. I also gave her a chocolate brownie (her special brownies that we made at home). For dinner Jeannette had her special spaghetti sauce with brown rice pasta. After reviewing the day, there was a lot of brown rice foods going into that girls stomach.
On Sunday I made Jeannette pancakes. Again, like last weekend I didn't bring syrup, so I used their Log Cabin. It's interesting to find that a lot of homes prefer the processed, fake syrup over the pure maple syrup. I know I did for the longest time. The one thing I don't understand is why she can have pure maple syrup. The carb and sugar count are sky high. I read that it could be reintroduced in the 3rd phase, but I don't understand why and I still haven't found that answer.
Tonight for dinner, our friends ordered crab legs. I know that she's only supposed to eat crab on an average of once a month, but these were "special" occasions. It's not like we eat crab all the time at home. It just seems like we do because of the past couple of months. She ate a few crabs, but didn't overdo it. I melted some of her non-dairy butter to use.
We headed home on Monday and I wasn't really sure what we were going to do about Jeannette for lunch. We ended up stopping at a Chick fil-A. I knew McDonald's was out as well as Wendy's and Burger King (we never eat there anyway). I ordered her one chicken strip meal which came with fries and lemonade to drink. I didn't want her to have their chocolate milk and she doesn't drink soda. I could have done water, but I didn't. I don't know why I didn't. I knew that this meal was bad enough, but I just let it happen. I took the chicken and picked the breading off as best as I could. Prior to her eating the chicken, I made her eat a rice cake with soy nut butter first as I preferred her to fill up on that then the chicken. When we got home, after we unpacked, it was time for dinner. She ended up eating brown rice pasta with butter. I gave her some coconut ice cream for dessert.
All-in-all it wasn't a horrible weekend. Again, traveling can be tough and I thought we did pretty well considering. It was hard to also keep our supplements and food contained, but we did the best we could without intruding.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Introduction back to bread
(May 26, 2011)
Today Jeannette ate pancakes again for breakfast. I was back into giving her the liquid multi-vitamin. She hadn't had it in 10 days because of the antibiotic. That multi-vitamin has so many restrictions that I just didn't want to deal with trying to figure out how and when she'd be able to take it. Based on the directions, I would have to show up at school everyday to administer the stuff. Because it had been awhile, I forgot that she was supposed to take that first, then drink a whole glass of water BEFORE she had breakfast. She corrects me and says that I did it wrong. She was supposed to have the multi-vitamin first. Gesh! My 7 year old knows her medications better than I do.
For lunch today, I packed her a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, raspberries, and chocolate coconut milk. Today was the first day that she has had regular bread since this whole transition. I was a little nervous about giving it to her, but I thought it was worth a try. This bread that I found is called Smart Right Wonder Bread. Yes, it still has sugar, and it does have yeast, but it also has 5g of fiber per 2 slices. Even most wheat breads I find are only 1-2g fiber per two slices. Even Hungry Girl (a web-site I visit to get great low-fat, better eating ideas....http://www.hungry-girl.com/ ) promotes this bread. I heard that although it's "white bread" now, they are coming out with a wheat version. I also gave her jelly today. A double whammy! It probably wasn't the best idea, but I also wanted to see if I could re-introduce jelly. It's homemade elderberry jelly. I'm hoping because it's homemade that the sugar content is not through the roof as in store bought jelly! I could be wrong.
Today Jeannette ate pancakes again for breakfast. I was back into giving her the liquid multi-vitamin. She hadn't had it in 10 days because of the antibiotic. That multi-vitamin has so many restrictions that I just didn't want to deal with trying to figure out how and when she'd be able to take it. Based on the directions, I would have to show up at school everyday to administer the stuff. Because it had been awhile, I forgot that she was supposed to take that first, then drink a whole glass of water BEFORE she had breakfast. She corrects me and says that I did it wrong. She was supposed to have the multi-vitamin first. Gesh! My 7 year old knows her medications better than I do.
For lunch today, I packed her a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, raspberries, and chocolate coconut milk. Today was the first day that she has had regular bread since this whole transition. I was a little nervous about giving it to her, but I thought it was worth a try. This bread that I found is called Smart Right Wonder Bread. Yes, it still has sugar, and it does have yeast, but it also has 5g of fiber per 2 slices. Even most wheat breads I find are only 1-2g fiber per two slices. Even Hungry Girl (a web-site I visit to get great low-fat, better eating ideas....http://www.hungry-girl.com/ ) promotes this bread. I heard that although it's "white bread" now, they are coming out with a wheat version. I also gave her jelly today. A double whammy! It probably wasn't the best idea, but I also wanted to see if I could re-introduce jelly. It's homemade elderberry jelly. I'm hoping because it's homemade that the sugar content is not through the roof as in store bought jelly! I could be wrong.
Antibiotics and Probitics
Since Jeannette has been on antibiotics, I've been trying to pump her with probiotics. I'm still trying to get her to drink this one probiotic. She turns her face up at it every time I pull it out! I keep telling her that once this is gone, we'll go back to the powder in the yogurt. I just know how important it is to be taking probiotics while on an antibiotic. The one thing that I've learned is that our primary care physicians should know that antibiotics, not only kill of bad bacteria, but good ones as well. Why wouldn't they recommend a probiotic? It doesn't hurt anything. It can only help! Now I know! Definitely have a probiotic along with the antibiotic and make sure the probiotic is taken at least 3x's a day.
Do you sometimes have breakfast for dinner? Because I can't get my daughter to get ready for school fast enough, I don't have time to make her eggs for breakfast, so I try to get her to eat them at other times. And those times happen to be at dinner. I also do that when I just can't think of anything else to serve. There is this one restaurant that we go to and I've asked them in the past if they could make Jeannette scrambled eggs. I've explained her food restrictions and they were more than accommodating. So I was making her eggs one night and she says to me, "mommy, I like the eggs at that restaurant. They make the BEST scrambled eggs! No offense mom, but they're better than yours!" I just had to laugh!
For breakfast, one day this week, I served her pancakes. I think she was just excited to not have to eat brown rice cereal again. I had made them over the weekend and froze the rest. I wanted to have another option during the school week besides just brown rice cereal. I'm getting tired of serving it as much as she's getting tired of eating it.
Do you sometimes have breakfast for dinner? Because I can't get my daughter to get ready for school fast enough, I don't have time to make her eggs for breakfast, so I try to get her to eat them at other times. And those times happen to be at dinner. I also do that when I just can't think of anything else to serve. There is this one restaurant that we go to and I've asked them in the past if they could make Jeannette scrambled eggs. I've explained her food restrictions and they were more than accommodating. So I was making her eggs one night and she says to me, "mommy, I like the eggs at that restaurant. They make the BEST scrambled eggs! No offense mom, but they're better than yours!" I just had to laugh!
For breakfast, one day this week, I served her pancakes. I think she was just excited to not have to eat brown rice cereal again. I had made them over the weekend and froze the rest. I wanted to have another option during the school week besides just brown rice cereal. I'm getting tired of serving it as much as she's getting tired of eating it.
Back Home
This weeks menu is no different than any other week....Dang it!!! One night she had soy noodles. I hadn't given them to her in awhile. They have this slimy texture to them. She doesn't love them, but it's a way around the "pasta" issue. They are called Tofu Shirataki noodles. They come in spaghetti size and fettucine size. She likes the spaghetti size better. You have to drain all the liquid and rinse the noodles thoroughly. After that, you can microwave them or boil them. The important thing to remember to do is to try to dry them as completely as possible. This helps eliminate the slime factor. When smothered with marinara sauce, it's a little more edible. When it's only served with butter, it's a little tougher to eat. She's gagged once or twice. Bless her though for eating them. I honestly don't know how she does it. I just know myself, and there is no way in hell I'd be eating half the stuff she's eating. I just couldn't do it. I know I'm the one that has control over her eating. I just don't have control over myself. Yes, I'm the one that controls the food I buy and the food I eat, but I just don't have it in me to police myself. Maybe I have a yeast problem too. Maybe that's why I can't stop eating sugary foods! If I had to, could I detox myself?
One night when I made her shake, we had a little incident. I think she was coming to the end of her rope with these shakes. Sometimes when I make the shake, I put in the chlorella. I don't always put it in because it turns the shake a funky brownish/green color. It's very unappealing. Well, she complained that she couldn't drink it because of the color. I'm not sure if it even tasted different. Honestly, I haven't even tried these shakes. I'm too chicken to try them. I'm afraid I might throw up! Anyway, while she was supposedly drinking this shake, I ran upstairs to do a chore. When I left the kitchen she had drunken 1/4 of the shake. While upstairs I heard the water running in the kitchen, which is unusual. I knew right then and there what Jeannette was doing. She was dumping that shake down the kitchen sink. When I got back downstairs, the shake was almost gone. Now I was only gone for 5 minutes. In all the days and weeks that that girl has drunken these shakes, she has NEVER finished it in 5 minutes. If she expected me to think she drank that thing, she was sorely mistaken. When I asked her about it she said, "I don't know what you're talking about." When I asked her again and told her I heard the water running, she just stared down into her remaining shake. She wouldn't even look at me. I asked her to finish her shake and then go to her room. Can I prove it? No. Is mother's intuition usually right? Yes! But you know what? I would have done the same thing if I had to drink those horrible things.
One night when I made her shake, we had a little incident. I think she was coming to the end of her rope with these shakes. Sometimes when I make the shake, I put in the chlorella. I don't always put it in because it turns the shake a funky brownish/green color. It's very unappealing. Well, she complained that she couldn't drink it because of the color. I'm not sure if it even tasted different. Honestly, I haven't even tried these shakes. I'm too chicken to try them. I'm afraid I might throw up! Anyway, while she was supposedly drinking this shake, I ran upstairs to do a chore. When I left the kitchen she had drunken 1/4 of the shake. While upstairs I heard the water running in the kitchen, which is unusual. I knew right then and there what Jeannette was doing. She was dumping that shake down the kitchen sink. When I got back downstairs, the shake was almost gone. Now I was only gone for 5 minutes. In all the days and weeks that that girl has drunken these shakes, she has NEVER finished it in 5 minutes. If she expected me to think she drank that thing, she was sorely mistaken. When I asked her about it she said, "I don't know what you're talking about." When I asked her again and told her I heard the water running, she just stared down into her remaining shake. She wouldn't even look at me. I asked her to finish her shake and then go to her room. Can I prove it? No. Is mother's intuition usually right? Yes! But you know what? I would have done the same thing if I had to drink those horrible things.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Same ole' - Same ole'
Not much has changed in what Jeannette is eating. It's the same thing day in and day out. I still try to introduce different things, but nothing seems to have stuck. I still go back to the question of how long is this supposed to take for her to change her palate? Months, years? I just don't see it happening. I still struggle with the fact that she can't eat certain fruits that she used to like to eat: bananas and oranges for example. Because they are so high in sugar, she shouldn't eat them. I also keep arguing back in forth in my mind about these fruits. She's not getting enough nutrients from anything else, so why can't I feed her a banana? Is she never going to be able to eat a banana or orange again in her life? Will we have to be tiptoeing around everyday about food?
Changing Your Diet
I've finished reading the book, The Candida Cure. This book is such a wealth of information. I am being educated on so many levels. At this point the information I'm giving is not current to where we are in Jeannette's diet. There is a slight time lapse, but I feel like people need to know this information. The more knowledgeable we are on this subject, the healthier we will all be. So that is why I continue to quote excerpts from her book.
When on the Candida diet, you will need to eliminate all sugars, dairy products, and refined carbohydrates. What's left? Not much! In addition, for the first one to three months, you will need to eliminate all yeast and wheat products. Even though these items don't feed the yeast, there can be some sensitivity to them. If you have a mild case of Candida, which I just found out is the case with Jeannette, you can expect to feel better in 30 day and hopefully fantastic in ninety days. I have to say that Jeannette is feeling better. She says she feels better, she has more energy and friends of mine are noticing the changes. When a 7 year old can express how she feels, that speaks volumes to me! I can't even imagine how she must have felt before.
The other important thing to remember, is that diet alone will not eliminate the Candida. The antifungal medications need to work consecutively with the diet. I'm not going to post anything about the antifungals because there are a few and that's something that should be discussed with a physician. Jeannette was put on the Diflucan.
When on the Candida diet, you will need to eliminate all sugars, dairy products, and refined carbohydrates. What's left? Not much! In addition, for the first one to three months, you will need to eliminate all yeast and wheat products. Even though these items don't feed the yeast, there can be some sensitivity to them. If you have a mild case of Candida, which I just found out is the case with Jeannette, you can expect to feel better in 30 day and hopefully fantastic in ninety days. I have to say that Jeannette is feeling better. She says she feels better, she has more energy and friends of mine are noticing the changes. When a 7 year old can express how she feels, that speaks volumes to me! I can't even imagine how she must have felt before.
The other important thing to remember, is that diet alone will not eliminate the Candida. The antifungal medications need to work consecutively with the diet. I'm not going to post anything about the antifungals because there are a few and that's something that should be discussed with a physician. Jeannette was put on the Diflucan.
We head home from the beach
For breakfast Jeannette had pancakes and bacon again. I again had to use the Log Cabin syrup. Because the kids were up so early, by the time 9am came, Jeannette was ready for her second breakfast. She now had 3 slices of cinnamon/truvia toast.
We didn't have grand plans today. We ended up going to play putt putt indoors. After our game, the kids were complaining about how hungry they were. We talked about where we could stop to grab something to eat. I didn't want to be the sour puss in the group, but trying to find something for Jeannette to eat when we're out, on the fly, is nearly impossible. I just couldn't think of one place that we could stop where I would be able to find something for her to eat. Nothing! All the fast food places are not Candida friendly. Go figure. We just went back home so that I could fix her something there. For the second day in a row, she had a soy nut butter rice cake with carob chips on top along with her chocolate coconut milk.
Last night, my friend made his special brownies. Because they were sitting out visible, Jeannette was eyeing them and I could tell she wanted one badly. She got so upset that she started crying. I felt so bad for her. I told her that if she finished all her lunch, then I would give her a tiny sliver of a brownie. It was a very tiny piece, but satisfied her craving. After lunch, Jeannette was complaining of her tummy hurting, so we just stayed at home while the other kids went out for another adventure. Was her tummy hurting because of the crab last night, or the hush puppy, or the brownie that she just had.
It was now close to 4pm and we hadn't left for home yet. Jeannette was getting hungry, so I gave her some brown rice cereal and without thinking about it, I poured the hemp milk on it. She knew immediately that she didn't like it. She said, "mommy, I don't like it, but I'll eat it anyway." What 7 year old kid says that? I threw it out and gave her a fresh bowl which she ate plain, with no "milk." A little while later, I made her supplement shake. That was a pain. When I'm at home, it's easier because I have everything laid out on the counter and I can just grab and mix. Here I had to fish around for everything in the bag. I couldn't just dump all my paraphernalia out on the counter and leave it there for three days.
We ate dinner with my friends before we drove home. She made corn on the cob, crab cakes, tomatoes, squash and rolls. When we sat down to eat I wasn't sure what my kids were going to do. My son totally shocked me and ate two whole ears of corn. He did try the crab cake and had a few bites and was done. Jeannette isn't supposed to eat corn, but she wanted to try it again, so I let her. She had one bite and didn't want anymore. She did try the crab cake and had a few bites. After we ate, we got on the road.
We stopped once for a break. For some reason when we stop at a convenience place, we always end up walking out of there with candy or a slurpee. In this case, we couldn't do the slurpees. I told my son he could pick something else out. Jeannette and I looked all over the store trying to find something for her. Nothing! I decided to buy a mini bag of M&M's and I told her she could have a couple handfuls of them. She seemed to be okay with that. So as we're driving along, I give her a 7 year old handful of M&M's. That accounts to about 6 M&M's. She has tiny hands. I tried to stretch out the handfuls to make them last longer for her. She only had one more handful.
All in all, it could have been a worse weekend food wise. I felt like we did alright. It was a challenge at some points, but instead of blowing her diet completely, I was able to manage the indulgences throughout the weekend. It certainly is a challenge to travel with a child who has so many food restrictions. It's not easy to just run to the grocery store either when traveling. I have no idea what stores will be around or if they will even carry what I need. It takes major preparation ahead of time and constant vigilance throughout the trip.
We didn't have grand plans today. We ended up going to play putt putt indoors. After our game, the kids were complaining about how hungry they were. We talked about where we could stop to grab something to eat. I didn't want to be the sour puss in the group, but trying to find something for Jeannette to eat when we're out, on the fly, is nearly impossible. I just couldn't think of one place that we could stop where I would be able to find something for her to eat. Nothing! All the fast food places are not Candida friendly. Go figure. We just went back home so that I could fix her something there. For the second day in a row, she had a soy nut butter rice cake with carob chips on top along with her chocolate coconut milk.
Last night, my friend made his special brownies. Because they were sitting out visible, Jeannette was eyeing them and I could tell she wanted one badly. She got so upset that she started crying. I felt so bad for her. I told her that if she finished all her lunch, then I would give her a tiny sliver of a brownie. It was a very tiny piece, but satisfied her craving. After lunch, Jeannette was complaining of her tummy hurting, so we just stayed at home while the other kids went out for another adventure. Was her tummy hurting because of the crab last night, or the hush puppy, or the brownie that she just had.
It was now close to 4pm and we hadn't left for home yet. Jeannette was getting hungry, so I gave her some brown rice cereal and without thinking about it, I poured the hemp milk on it. She knew immediately that she didn't like it. She said, "mommy, I don't like it, but I'll eat it anyway." What 7 year old kid says that? I threw it out and gave her a fresh bowl which she ate plain, with no "milk." A little while later, I made her supplement shake. That was a pain. When I'm at home, it's easier because I have everything laid out on the counter and I can just grab and mix. Here I had to fish around for everything in the bag. I couldn't just dump all my paraphernalia out on the counter and leave it there for three days.
We ate dinner with my friends before we drove home. She made corn on the cob, crab cakes, tomatoes, squash and rolls. When we sat down to eat I wasn't sure what my kids were going to do. My son totally shocked me and ate two whole ears of corn. He did try the crab cake and had a few bites and was done. Jeannette isn't supposed to eat corn, but she wanted to try it again, so I let her. She had one bite and didn't want anymore. She did try the crab cake and had a few bites. After we ate, we got on the road.
We stopped once for a break. For some reason when we stop at a convenience place, we always end up walking out of there with candy or a slurpee. In this case, we couldn't do the slurpees. I told my son he could pick something else out. Jeannette and I looked all over the store trying to find something for her. Nothing! I decided to buy a mini bag of M&M's and I told her she could have a couple handfuls of them. She seemed to be okay with that. So as we're driving along, I give her a 7 year old handful of M&M's. That accounts to about 6 M&M's. She has tiny hands. I tried to stretch out the handfuls to make them last longer for her. She only had one more handful.
All in all, it could have been a worse weekend food wise. I felt like we did alright. It was a challenge at some points, but instead of blowing her diet completely, I was able to manage the indulgences throughout the weekend. It certainly is a challenge to travel with a child who has so many food restrictions. It's not easy to just run to the grocery store either when traveling. I have no idea what stores will be around or if they will even carry what I need. It takes major preparation ahead of time and constant vigilance throughout the trip.
The Beach
This morning I made Jeannette pancakes. I brought the gluten free box mix and made them with hemp milk. I didn't have pure maple syrup, so I had to use Log Cabin. I didn't really want to use that, but there were no other options. I also had packed some of her bacon and she had that with the pancakes. We planned on going to the beach, so I had to pack a bunch of different things for her to eat at the beach.
We spent a majority of the day at the beach. When the kids got hungry, we broke for lunch. I made Jeannette 2 soy nut rice cakes and then sprinkled carob chips on top. She was only able to eat one and saved the other for later. The hardest thing about the beach is all the delicious, horrible, fatting, greasy foods that are readily available. My favorites are Thrasher's fries, funnel cakes and ice cream. The benefit of Jeannette being on this diet is that I wasn't able to go out and eat all that junk. For that, I am thankful.
For dinner, we went out for crabs. We went to our favorite crab place in Delmarva, called The Old Mill. It has all you can eat crabs along with other fried foods: fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried clams, corn on the cob and hush puppies sprinkled in powdered sugar. That's what the three of us got. The last time we got crabs, they ate 2-3 clusters each. I thought I would have gotten my monies worth. Unfortunately, I didn't. I knew the kids wouldn't eat the corn, clams, and shrimp. The only thing Jeannette wanted to eat was the hush puppies. She says to me, "I wish I could eat one. I know I can't, but I wish I could." I decided to let her try one and she had a few bites. I didn't pay attention and before I knew it, she had eaten the whole hush puppy. If that was the worse thing she ate all day, then I was not going to beat myself up for that.
We spent a majority of the day at the beach. When the kids got hungry, we broke for lunch. I made Jeannette 2 soy nut rice cakes and then sprinkled carob chips on top. She was only able to eat one and saved the other for later. The hardest thing about the beach is all the delicious, horrible, fatting, greasy foods that are readily available. My favorites are Thrasher's fries, funnel cakes and ice cream. The benefit of Jeannette being on this diet is that I wasn't able to go out and eat all that junk. For that, I am thankful.
For dinner, we went out for crabs. We went to our favorite crab place in Delmarva, called The Old Mill. It has all you can eat crabs along with other fried foods: fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried clams, corn on the cob and hush puppies sprinkled in powdered sugar. That's what the three of us got. The last time we got crabs, they ate 2-3 clusters each. I thought I would have gotten my monies worth. Unfortunately, I didn't. I knew the kids wouldn't eat the corn, clams, and shrimp. The only thing Jeannette wanted to eat was the hush puppies. She says to me, "I wish I could eat one. I know I can't, but I wish I could." I decided to let her try one and she had a few bites. I didn't pay attention and before I knew it, she had eaten the whole hush puppy. If that was the worse thing she ate all day, then I was not going to beat myself up for that.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Liver and Gallbladder
Lastly in regards to body functions is the gallbladder and liver. These guys must effectively excrete chemicals and toxins from the body and with the Candida cleanse, years of toxins will be stimulated to release from your body. I didn't know this, but the bile, stored in the gallbladder, helps break down fats. Over time this can become thick and muddy after eating lots of cheese, trans fats and sugar. - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch.
Just the thought of this and picturing this in my body wants to make me do the cleanse. I know people do these cleanses all the time, so maybe I should give it a try too.
Breakfast was the usual brown rice cereal and with organic 2% milk. What's interesting is that a week ago I bought regular oatmeal. I usually bought the dinosaur oatmeal from Quaker, but made the decision that it had too much sugar in it and I didn't want my son to eat it anymore. Jeannette would be able to eat this kind of oatmeal I bought, and it would be better for all of us. Well, this morning I made my son the regular oatmeal. I did put in some brown sugar to sweeten it a bit, but I'm sure it was much less than the dinosaur oatmeal. Well, he decides this morning that he doesn't want it anymore. I guess the more healthier kind is just too bland for him. This is my 10 year old, bland eater boy I'm talking about. Oatmeal couldn't be more bland. Oh well, strike that off the list for him now.
We were heading out of town so I had to pack the kids their dinner. I knew that eating on the road, especially with Jeannette's diet, was going to be hard. I made some pasta last night, so I put the pasta in a heated thermos. I buttered it already and all she had to add was the parmesan cheese. After awhile, the kids got hungry, so they had some popcorn which I popped earlier. I knew they'd be hungry in the car.
Getting ready to go out of town is really a challenge. I had to make sure I had all her supplements packed as well as the magic bullet I use to make her shakes. Then I have to make sure I have all her snacks, soy nut butter, bread, butter, hemp milk, etc. I had 2 whole grocery bags full of extra food. It's not easy having to pack for someone with special dietary needs.
Just the thought of this and picturing this in my body wants to make me do the cleanse. I know people do these cleanses all the time, so maybe I should give it a try too.
Breakfast was the usual brown rice cereal and with organic 2% milk. What's interesting is that a week ago I bought regular oatmeal. I usually bought the dinosaur oatmeal from Quaker, but made the decision that it had too much sugar in it and I didn't want my son to eat it anymore. Jeannette would be able to eat this kind of oatmeal I bought, and it would be better for all of us. Well, this morning I made my son the regular oatmeal. I did put in some brown sugar to sweeten it a bit, but I'm sure it was much less than the dinosaur oatmeal. Well, he decides this morning that he doesn't want it anymore. I guess the more healthier kind is just too bland for him. This is my 10 year old, bland eater boy I'm talking about. Oatmeal couldn't be more bland. Oh well, strike that off the list for him now.
We were heading out of town so I had to pack the kids their dinner. I knew that eating on the road, especially with Jeannette's diet, was going to be hard. I made some pasta last night, so I put the pasta in a heated thermos. I buttered it already and all she had to add was the parmesan cheese. After awhile, the kids got hungry, so they had some popcorn which I popped earlier. I knew they'd be hungry in the car.
Getting ready to go out of town is really a challenge. I had to make sure I had all her supplements packed as well as the magic bullet I use to make her shakes. Then I have to make sure I have all her snacks, soy nut butter, bread, butter, hemp milk, etc. I had 2 whole grocery bags full of extra food. It's not easy having to pack for someone with special dietary needs.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Skin
The best way to detoxify your lymph and skin is exercise. Exercise, water and proper nutrition are also important for constipation. Jeannette has no problem with exercise. She gets plenty of that. It's the water and the nutrition that are the issues.
This morning, guess what Jeannette had for breakfast? Yep! Brown rice cereal and water. Whoopie!!! Are we predictable or what? For lunch I packed her cinnamon/truvia toast, raspberries, chocolate coconut milk and one of those vegan chocolate chip cookies. For dinner tonight, we had leftover chicken. The kids baulked about it and said they were tired of chicken. I was eating raw broccoli with ranch dressing, so I had the kids try that. They didn't like it. Jeannette finished her chicken, drank her shake and had 2 black bean brownies for dessert. Again, she's not loving them, but wants to eat them. Tonight in Jeannette's supplement shake, I added two more supplements. They're called juice plus. The doctor recommended that I give these to her along with everything else. The other day when we met, I expressed my concern about her not eating the things she should, and not by lack of trying. I was concerned of her weight dropping and her not getting the proper nutrition. He said that the juice plus should help. Juice plus provides nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains. It helps deliver key phytonutrients, supports healthy immune systems, protects DNA, and more. I liked the idea of fruits and veggies in the form of a pill. I'm going to start taking them as well. I know it's not to be substituted for the real thing, but for my 7 year old and for me, it's a good supplement.
This morning, guess what Jeannette had for breakfast? Yep! Brown rice cereal and water. Whoopie!!! Are we predictable or what? For lunch I packed her cinnamon/truvia toast, raspberries, chocolate coconut milk and one of those vegan chocolate chip cookies. For dinner tonight, we had leftover chicken. The kids baulked about it and said they were tired of chicken. I was eating raw broccoli with ranch dressing, so I had the kids try that. They didn't like it. Jeannette finished her chicken, drank her shake and had 2 black bean brownies for dessert. Again, she's not loving them, but wants to eat them. Tonight in Jeannette's supplement shake, I added two more supplements. They're called juice plus. The doctor recommended that I give these to her along with everything else. The other day when we met, I expressed my concern about her not eating the things she should, and not by lack of trying. I was concerned of her weight dropping and her not getting the proper nutrition. He said that the juice plus should help. Juice plus provides nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains. It helps deliver key phytonutrients, supports healthy immune systems, protects DNA, and more. I liked the idea of fruits and veggies in the form of a pill. I'm going to start taking them as well. I know it's not to be substituted for the real thing, but for my 7 year old and for me, it's a good supplement.
Lungs and Breathing
Did you know that 75% of the toxins you eliminate will leave your body through your respiration? That's why deep breathing exercises are so important. -The Candida Cure
We all should stop and do this 2-3 times a day. It also brings us more aware of where we are and what we're doing and it also allows us to slow down. I know I don't do this enough, and certainly my 7 year old doesn't. How do I get her to slow down enough to do that? It's just another thing to add to the regimen.
After last night's fiasco, I didn't want her to eat too much today. She had her standard rice cereal and water. For lunch I gave her brown rice and water. This meal sounds like something that would be served in prison. Bland and boring. I thought the rice would help sooth the tummy. For snacks, she had popcorn, tollhouse crackers, raspberries and her supplement shake. I wasn't sure about the popcorn, but I thought the crackers might help her tummy too.
Today I had a follow up appointment with Jeannette's alternative medical doctor. He's still concerned as to why she's still getting the UTI's. He's quite stumped, as am I. He said to go back on the U-tract/Mannose supplement. He said that it's not a harmful supplement to be on long term. I'm not comfortable with her being on anything long term, so I have my doubts, but she was off the U-tract for a week and then gets another UTI? But what about from Jan-Mar? She wasn't taking the U-tract then and didn't have an infection, so what the heck? Again, I'm stumped. So back on the U-tract she goes.
For dinner tonight, she had leftover chicken with ketchup and parmesan cheese. She also had another brownie. Again, she wasn't loving them, but ate them anyway.
Tonight I was reading the cookbook from the Meal Makeover Mom's and there was one sentence that stuck out at me. Janice said that she goes by the 90/10 rule. If her children are eating healthy 90% of the time, then she's not going to sweat the other 10%. That is so true. If I can get to that comfort level, I think I'll be fine. We're definitely moving in that direction.
We all should stop and do this 2-3 times a day. It also brings us more aware of where we are and what we're doing and it also allows us to slow down. I know I don't do this enough, and certainly my 7 year old doesn't. How do I get her to slow down enough to do that? It's just another thing to add to the regimen.
After last night's fiasco, I didn't want her to eat too much today. She had her standard rice cereal and water. For lunch I gave her brown rice and water. This meal sounds like something that would be served in prison. Bland and boring. I thought the rice would help sooth the tummy. For snacks, she had popcorn, tollhouse crackers, raspberries and her supplement shake. I wasn't sure about the popcorn, but I thought the crackers might help her tummy too.
Today I had a follow up appointment with Jeannette's alternative medical doctor. He's still concerned as to why she's still getting the UTI's. He's quite stumped, as am I. He said to go back on the U-tract/Mannose supplement. He said that it's not a harmful supplement to be on long term. I'm not comfortable with her being on anything long term, so I have my doubts, but she was off the U-tract for a week and then gets another UTI? But what about from Jan-Mar? She wasn't taking the U-tract then and didn't have an infection, so what the heck? Again, I'm stumped. So back on the U-tract she goes.
For dinner tonight, she had leftover chicken with ketchup and parmesan cheese. She also had another brownie. Again, she wasn't loving them, but ate them anyway.
Tonight I was reading the cookbook from the Meal Makeover Mom's and there was one sentence that stuck out at me. Janice said that she goes by the 90/10 rule. If her children are eating healthy 90% of the time, then she's not going to sweat the other 10%. That is so true. If I can get to that comfort level, I think I'll be fine. We're definitely moving in that direction.
Keep Things Moving
Did you know that having a bowel movement 2-3 times a day is normal? Well, not my daughter. She's lucky if she has one once a day. It's important to stay hydrated and even if you are consuming enough fiber through fruits and vegetables, it's recommended to add a fiber supplement in the form of organic ground flaxseed. Flaxseed helps you eliminate each day, but it also removes the toxins that have built up in your colon walls. -The Candida Cure
I just listened to a podcast by the Meal makeover moms and they did a whole segment on flaxseed and wheat germ. They had some good recipes that I want to try. I've also started grinding my own flaxseed and freezing it to keep it fresh. I'll grind up about a cup at a time, then freeze it. When I'm ready to use it, I take it out and add it to smoothies, muffins, cookies, baked goods and it can also be used for breaded chicken. Anyway I can get more fiber and good omega's into my kids bodies, the better.
This morning, Jeannette had her standard brown rice cereal for breakfast. For lunch she had 2 rice cakes, soy nut butter, carob chips sprinkled on top, raspberries and chocolate coconut milk. For snack she had popcorn, Nut Thin almond crackers and she tried some mozzarella cheese. The nut thins are gluten free! yeah!! She tried them and liked them alright. I also figured I could start to reintroduce organic dairy. She tried the cheese and said she liked it, but wanted me to buy the mozzarella cheese sticks that you can peel away at.
For dinner, I made spaghetti squash. We baked it for an hour in the oven. My husband and I had a different kind of sauce, while she had her special sauce. Our sauce had meatballs in them, and she wanted to try one, so I let her. She said she liked them a lot, so I let her eat one and then a half of another. I don't know if she was extremely hungry or not, but she scarfed down dinner and wanted seconds. I shouldn't have given her seconds. She also had her supplement shake. Well, while she was sleeping, she vomited. What a mess that was to clean up. There was chocolate and red sauce all over her bed, the floor and herself. I have no idea what her body reacted to. My daughter NEVER gets sick like that and I can count on one hand the amount of times that she's vomited. I was stumped. Could it have been the cheese from earlier, the meatballs because she doesn't normally eat meat, or a combination of everything and eating too much? I just don't know.
I just listened to a podcast by the Meal makeover moms and they did a whole segment on flaxseed and wheat germ. They had some good recipes that I want to try. I've also started grinding my own flaxseed and freezing it to keep it fresh. I'll grind up about a cup at a time, then freeze it. When I'm ready to use it, I take it out and add it to smoothies, muffins, cookies, baked goods and it can also be used for breaded chicken. Anyway I can get more fiber and good omega's into my kids bodies, the better.
This morning, Jeannette had her standard brown rice cereal for breakfast. For lunch she had 2 rice cakes, soy nut butter, carob chips sprinkled on top, raspberries and chocolate coconut milk. For snack she had popcorn, Nut Thin almond crackers and she tried some mozzarella cheese. The nut thins are gluten free! yeah!! She tried them and liked them alright. I also figured I could start to reintroduce organic dairy. She tried the cheese and said she liked it, but wanted me to buy the mozzarella cheese sticks that you can peel away at.
For dinner, I made spaghetti squash. We baked it for an hour in the oven. My husband and I had a different kind of sauce, while she had her special sauce. Our sauce had meatballs in them, and she wanted to try one, so I let her. She said she liked them a lot, so I let her eat one and then a half of another. I don't know if she was extremely hungry or not, but she scarfed down dinner and wanted seconds. I shouldn't have given her seconds. She also had her supplement shake. Well, while she was sleeping, she vomited. What a mess that was to clean up. There was chocolate and red sauce all over her bed, the floor and herself. I have no idea what her body reacted to. My daughter NEVER gets sick like that and I can count on one hand the amount of times that she's vomited. I was stumped. Could it have been the cheese from earlier, the meatballs because she doesn't normally eat meat, or a combination of everything and eating too much? I just don't know.
Cleansing the Body
One way to cleanse the body is to drink red clover tea. This herb helps move the detoxification process along more quickly. Do not drink this if you have a grass allergy. It doesn't contain caffeine.
During the detox process and while you're drinking the tea, you could potentially feel worse. You might have fatigue and headaches. This means the toxins are coming out into the bloodstream. Usually the symptoms pass within a couple days to a week. - The Candida Cure
This morning while at my parents house, Jeannette had bacon and pancakes for breakfast. Again, it's the gluten free pancake mix used with hemp milk. For lunch she had cinnamon/truvia toast. When I went to get the kids, and while on the way home, she kept complaining that she was starving. When we got home, I gave her 2 of the pancakes leftover from breakfast.
For dinner we had chicken and salad. I picked fresh lettuce from our garden and made sure the kids tried it again. Jeannette ate her chicken without complaint. It helped that she was able to dip it in ketchup and parmesan cheese. She tried the lettuce and didn't like it. Well at least she tried it. For dessert, I gave her one of the brownies I made yesterday. I asked her if she liked them. She said she liked them okay. She said they were worse then the other brownies, but she would still eat them. Huh? Is that desperation for dessert or what? I do agree, the brownies weren't all that fantastic, but when made the correct way with semi-sweet chocolate chips and regular sugar, I bet they would be fine. I'll try to make them again when we've moved past phase 3.
Tonight I started to catch up on the Jamie Oliver show. I watched it last year when he was in Huntington, WV and now he's in LA. He's catching a lot of grief and he's really struggling there. I like the show because he really doesn't beat around the bush as to what our children are being served in public schools today and it's really disturbing. I've joined his campaign and I hope he really does make a difference. I had my kids watch it with me. Jamie Oliver also showed how different parts of meat are processed. That was really disturbing. I found out how ground beef is made and that grossed me out. I was explaining to my son what Jamie Oliver was doing and how the ground beef is made. It's like what he did last year and showed everyone how chicken nuggets are made. I haven't bought a McDonald's chicken nugget since. He totally turned me off them, and for that, I'm truly grateful. I wondered how much it registered with my kids. Well, apparently not much because after the show was over, my son turned to me and said, "So when are you going to bring in McDonald's for me?" Uh! Never?!!
During the detox process and while you're drinking the tea, you could potentially feel worse. You might have fatigue and headaches. This means the toxins are coming out into the bloodstream. Usually the symptoms pass within a couple days to a week. - The Candida Cure
This morning while at my parents house, Jeannette had bacon and pancakes for breakfast. Again, it's the gluten free pancake mix used with hemp milk. For lunch she had cinnamon/truvia toast. When I went to get the kids, and while on the way home, she kept complaining that she was starving. When we got home, I gave her 2 of the pancakes leftover from breakfast.
For dinner we had chicken and salad. I picked fresh lettuce from our garden and made sure the kids tried it again. Jeannette ate her chicken without complaint. It helped that she was able to dip it in ketchup and parmesan cheese. She tried the lettuce and didn't like it. Well at least she tried it. For dessert, I gave her one of the brownies I made yesterday. I asked her if she liked them. She said she liked them okay. She said they were worse then the other brownies, but she would still eat them. Huh? Is that desperation for dessert or what? I do agree, the brownies weren't all that fantastic, but when made the correct way with semi-sweet chocolate chips and regular sugar, I bet they would be fine. I'll try to make them again when we've moved past phase 3.
Tonight I started to catch up on the Jamie Oliver show. I watched it last year when he was in Huntington, WV and now he's in LA. He's catching a lot of grief and he's really struggling there. I like the show because he really doesn't beat around the bush as to what our children are being served in public schools today and it's really disturbing. I've joined his campaign and I hope he really does make a difference. I had my kids watch it with me. Jamie Oliver also showed how different parts of meat are processed. That was really disturbing. I found out how ground beef is made and that grossed me out. I was explaining to my son what Jamie Oliver was doing and how the ground beef is made. It's like what he did last year and showed everyone how chicken nuggets are made. I haven't bought a McDonald's chicken nugget since. He totally turned me off them, and for that, I'm truly grateful. I wondered how much it registered with my kids. Well, apparently not much because after the show was over, my son turned to me and said, "So when are you going to bring in McDonald's for me?" Uh! Never?!!
Fudgy Brownie and Grab-and-Go Granola Bars
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
3 T canola oil
3/4 C granulated sugar (used xylitol substitute)
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t peppermint extract, optional
1/2 t baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I used carob chips)
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil or coat an 8x8 in. baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa, powder, vanilla, peppermint extract as desired, baking powder, and salt and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are incorporated.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares.
Grab-and-Go Granola Bars
1 C quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1 C spoon-size shredded wheat cereal
1 C walnuts
1 1/2 C dried fruit (choose one or more: raisins, cherries, apricots, cranberries, prunes)
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 large eggs
1/4 C honey (used Raw honey)
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (used carob chips)
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil or coat an 8x8 in baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped (the fruit should be the size of a dried pea or lentil).
3. Whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add the oat mixture and chocolate chips and stir to continue.
4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan, and flatten gently with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula.
5. Bake about 18 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing into twelve 2x2 1/2 inch bars.
Week 5 - Day 7
(May 14, 2011)
This morning, my husband made Jeannette scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. She had an activity today, so she needed the extra protein to keep her going. The kids were going over to my parents house tonight, and my dad suggested making pizza for them. So I went out to the store and bought an Amy's gluten free, dairy free pizza for Jeannette so she could eat with them. For lunch, Jeannette had 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter and some carob chips sprinkled on top. I tried to get her to drink her water, but she didn't. I just can't seem to get her to drink enough water. It's still such a challenge.
While I was at the store buying her the pizza, I stumbled upon a liquid probiotic that I thought would be good for her to take. Seeing as she's supposed to be increasing her intake of the probiotic and it's hard to do that in powder form, I thought she would be able to take this easily. It was strawberry flavored and it looked decent. I also bought her some red clover tea to try. Based on this book, it says to drink the tea a couple times a day. It says it's safe for kids, so I thought I would try it. Lastly, I found some vegan chocolate chip cookies. They're supposed to be dairy and gluten free. They looked like something she would be able to eat.
Before the kids headed to my parents, I made a few recipes from a cookbook I bought; No Whine with Dinner from the Meal Makeover Mom's. I made the grab and go granola bars, and fudgy brownies (recipes below). The grab and go granola bars called for cranberries. She's not really supposed to eat the cranberries b/c of the sugar content, but they add a bit of sweetness. Instead of chocolate chips, I used unsweetened carob chips. This was one recipe that I felt I could adapt for Jeannette. The fudgy brownies I also made, I adapted. These brownies called for black beans. It also called for unsweetened cocoa, so I thought that would be okay. Instead of sugar, I used the xylitol as a sugar substitute. The brownies came out just as the kids were leaving to go to my folks, so she didn't get to try them.
On the way to my parents, I made Jeannette drink her supplement shake so my parents wouldn't have to worry about it. My dad made her the pizza and he said that she didn't really care for it. She ate the first piece without a problem, but the second piece she had a tougher time getting down. She did eat some raspberries though. It's the first time she's had raspberries in 5 weeks. I was glad they gave them to her. For dessert, she had some of her special fudge.
This morning, my husband made Jeannette scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. She had an activity today, so she needed the extra protein to keep her going. The kids were going over to my parents house tonight, and my dad suggested making pizza for them. So I went out to the store and bought an Amy's gluten free, dairy free pizza for Jeannette so she could eat with them. For lunch, Jeannette had 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter and some carob chips sprinkled on top. I tried to get her to drink her water, but she didn't. I just can't seem to get her to drink enough water. It's still such a challenge.
While I was at the store buying her the pizza, I stumbled upon a liquid probiotic that I thought would be good for her to take. Seeing as she's supposed to be increasing her intake of the probiotic and it's hard to do that in powder form, I thought she would be able to take this easily. It was strawberry flavored and it looked decent. I also bought her some red clover tea to try. Based on this book, it says to drink the tea a couple times a day. It says it's safe for kids, so I thought I would try it. Lastly, I found some vegan chocolate chip cookies. They're supposed to be dairy and gluten free. They looked like something she would be able to eat.
Before the kids headed to my parents, I made a few recipes from a cookbook I bought; No Whine with Dinner from the Meal Makeover Mom's. I made the grab and go granola bars, and fudgy brownies (recipes below). The grab and go granola bars called for cranberries. She's not really supposed to eat the cranberries b/c of the sugar content, but they add a bit of sweetness. Instead of chocolate chips, I used unsweetened carob chips. This was one recipe that I felt I could adapt for Jeannette. The fudgy brownies I also made, I adapted. These brownies called for black beans. It also called for unsweetened cocoa, so I thought that would be okay. Instead of sugar, I used the xylitol as a sugar substitute. The brownies came out just as the kids were leaving to go to my folks, so she didn't get to try them.
On the way to my parents, I made Jeannette drink her supplement shake so my parents wouldn't have to worry about it. My dad made her the pizza and he said that she didn't really care for it. She ate the first piece without a problem, but the second piece she had a tougher time getting down. She did eat some raspberries though. It's the first time she's had raspberries in 5 weeks. I was glad they gave them to her. For dessert, she had some of her special fudge.
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