Regardless of what the title sounds like, this is not going to be a mushy, romantic post; or even a cute one about my kids. I’m still working on that food one from yesterday. It’s bugging me, and if I don’t just get it over with, then it will bug me until I do.

I’m still frustrated over yesterday’s screw up. It happens too often, and the most frustrating part is that I don’t even know what keys I’m hitting that cause it to do that. It’s something that makes the page go back a couple of times to the previous pages that I’ve been on. FRUSTRATING!

So, it’s Valentine’s Day! How’s YOUR day going so far? Any big plans for tonight? My day is going okay so far. I’ve been feeling quite nauseated the past few days. That is not fun! Jon’s delivering flowers today (he did yesterday as well). It’s immediate cash, and that’s always nice to have. Not that he’s not busy enough with his own work, but sometimes the cash flow is not always consistent, and it’s nice to get a little bit of cash in hand. This means that he was gone before I had to take the kids to school, and that meant that we had to walk. YUCK! At least this morning it wasn’t raining. Yesterday it was, and I hate walking in the rain. But this morning, I got the joy of walking home and dry heaving most of the way. This normally wouldn’t be a HUGE issue as I dry heave a lot. The problem is that I had just eaten 2 eggs and toast, and that would be a nasty mess to barf up. Fortunately I made it home (it’s only a 7 minute walk) but when I got home, one of the kids had turned the heater in the house all the way up, and the house was crankin’ hot. I adjusted that, and not understand why my father had a little sign taped to the wall beside the thermostat that read, “DO NOT TOUCH THIS THING EVER!”

Can you imagine if I had been gone for a couple of hours? UGH! The house would have been freakin’ hot, and all that money we would have wasted. I don’t even want to think about it.

Wow, I’ve manged to blather on for a while about not much, and still not talked about what I really want to. Maybe the truth is that I really don’t want to….hmmmmm…..have to think about that for a sec. Oh, my day! Nope! We have no big plans. Like I said, Jon is delivering flowers today, and he will probably be late tonight, and so we have NOTHING planned. I’m really not too upset about that, because if neither of us are planning anything, then no one feels bad. Although, he’s probably going to do something sweet for me, and then I’ll feel bad for doing nothing for him. So, now I have to think about whether I’m going to do something or not. I guess it depends on how tired I feel. Whatever! On to the food…..

We are trying to eat less unhealthy food; and more healthy, natural food.

We are basically eating less dairy and wheat, and no sugar. In addition, we are cutting out (at least trying to) processed foods.

The reasons behind this are that dairy and wheat are some of the most common triggers for allergies or problems. Not to mention that the commercial dairy is just gross. They are double timing the cows now a days (milking pregnant cows) and this results in excess estrogen in the milk. Not to mention the steroids and other hormones and antibiotics that are used. Seeing as you can get calcium other ways – that is what we are trying to do. Seeing as wheat is a common trigger, and most of the wheat has been wrecked anyways, by processing it until it’s a nice light, white, fluffy powder that has had all the goodness taken out of it – we are just trying to avoid it as well.

As I’ve found over the past couple of months, unless you are willing to go to a natural diet, it’s really hard to get away from those three things. Wheat, Dairy and Sugar are in almost everything packaged.

By natural, I mean most foods in their natural state. It’s means that you have to plan and organize what you are going to eat, and you can’t just live moment to moment, and grab something quick and easy. If you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s actually not that difficult to do. Maybe that’s just me, but I haven’t found it to be a HUGE LIFE ALTERING MONUMENTAL step that has taken over my life. It was easier than that.

There are quick and easy things to eat that require almost no effort like fruits and veggies that you can just eat raw. Planning for meals takes a bit more effort, but once you start making leftovers it becomes a whole lot easier to just heat something up and be on your way.

I’m surprised at the difference that this way of eating has impacted Jeremy. Not that I really should be, but maybe I should say that I’m pleasantly surprised at how quickly it seems to have made a difference. Not a night and day difference, but little things. Maybe things that only we would notice, but good things none the less.

I don’t know how to organize everything that I’m thinking about this topic, and so am just throwing things out there at random. I apologize for this. I did this yesterday as well, and thought that because I’d had a chance to already think through and write out some of what I was thinking that I might be a little more focused today. Doesn’t seem to be the case….

Back to the wheat thing…..I am using a combination of kamut and spelt flours to make and bake stuff with. For certain things, the kids don’t even notice a difference, and then with others they get all grossed out. I’m not sure how much if this has to do with the taste, or with them just knowing that it’s made from something different than they were used to.

For example, I made tortillas, and they ate them like they were candies. I also made a banana bread with just kamut, and again they loved it. The cookies….not so much, and the pancakes they complained about as well. Again, I’m not sure that they aren’t just being kids, and knowing that I “might have” made them differently makes them taste bad in their little sugar pickled brains. Who knows! I do figure that because this is how I’m making them from now on that eventually they will get used to them, it won’t even be an issue. Until then I get to listen to them whine….so much fun!

I’m finding the hardest time to come up with decent tasting healthy alternatives to cereal’s and snacks.

I think that a big part of this is moving past the mind set that it should come in a package. One of the blogs I’ve read has posted a recipe for the granola she makes for her kids for breakfast. I need to go back and find it. I wondered it I got the kids involved in actually making it with their own grubby little fingers if that would make it more exciting. Other than that, we’ve been eating quite a bit of oatmeal. Fortunately they LOVE oatmeal, but because we’ve said no more brown sugar, they would rather eat it plain than even try it with honey on it. Soon, we’ll have berries out, and they can berry away to their little hearts content.

I have been buying Cheerios, Rice Krispies, and puffed rice. They still want the sugar cereals though, and that’s hard….putting up with their begging, that is.

The snack issue seems to be my biggest hurdle. They will eat fruit and veggies no problem, but want that extra something in their lunches. Like pretzels or snack mix or something else packaged. I’ve been offering unsweetened applesauce, and organic corn tortilla chips (you can get a big bag at Costco for a decent price). Sometimes I pick up a decent turkey peperoni that Costco sells. It’s got no extra added chemicals, no MSG, it seems pretty good. They like that kind of stuff. They are happy with popcorn, and nuts. I’ve been making those peanut butter balls, and those seem to have gone over well. So, I do have a variety of things. I think that the biggest thing will be changing the kids mindset from packaged to not packaged.

Now, I’m not all out there. We don’t have enough money in our grocery budget to buy organic groceries. I do buy my produce at a farm market, but they probably still spray it with chemicals and pesticides. I’m doing the best I can with what I have available to me at this moment.

I’m trying my hardest to be the healthiest, and the teach my kids to be and eat the healthiest that they can be. Will they whine and complain? YUP! For sure they will! But then again, they whine when I make them go to bed on time as well. I’m the parent, and it’s my job to set them up to succeed in their lives. I want to give them the best chance that they can have. If I can teach them to make good decisions in ALL AREAS of their lives, then I’m doing the best I can.

With the increase in obesity, illness and disease since we (the human race) started eating a predominantly “white” diet (white flour, white sugar, white processed everything) it makes sense to instill good eating habits early on.

While I’ve done an okay job at it up until now…..now that I know more, now that I have more information for myself, I’d be irresponsible if I didn’t teach them more about what I know now.

Now, having said all of that (which to be honest doesnt even start to touch on what I really think about everything – I’ve just scratched the surface ’cause there is too much for right now) I don’t want to be a wacko! I don’t want to never let my kids have another candy. I don’t want to start wearing only natural plant fibers for clothing, and eating only foods that we’ve grown in our backyard garden. I’m not talking about swinging the pendulum so far over to the “granola” side that I or my kids can’t function in the real world. What I am talking about is balance. My balance may be a little different than yours, and I’m okay with that. I never worry about what my kids eat or don’t’ eat when they go to someone else’s house, or over to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the weekend. The reason for that is that they eat amazing when they are at home which is probably 95-97% of the time. The other little bit of time….who cares. That’s not what defines them. That’s a one time deal, and won’t affect their long term health.

I don’t like to deal with the fallout from Jeremy on a SUGAR HIGH, but I know that today is Valentine’s Day, and he will most likely eat too many candies, and cupcakes and come home wired after school. and he will probably crash by about 5pm. I know to expect it. That makes it just a little bit easier. But because that’s the exception rather than the norm…aside from a little whispered reminder not to eat too much candy today ’cause it will make him sick (to which he replied, “I know! I know! I won’t!”) that’s the end of it. I don’t worry too much! Well, that’s not entirely true. I worry way too much, but about everything to do with my kids. I just want to do the best job I can……I don’t really think that’s wrong!

Having said that, if I am with them when we are at a party of place where there are an abundance of “NO NO” foods! I will be aware of what they eat, and suggest that they eat a carrot stick instead of the 15th piece of candy; or once they’ve eaten all the icing off their cupcake, I will suggest that they have a strawberry instead of finishing the cupcake. Little things like that. It’s not a big heavy, NO YOU CAN’T have any more, just a suggestion, and most of the time they are making the choices for themselves.

I think that’s all (HA HA HA) I’m going to say about this for right now. I have to go and figure out what I’m going to do today. If I’m to keep up my bathroom cleaning streak, then I have to get them done today. All I really want to do is take a nap. I might do that too.

Hope you have a very pleasant Valentine’s Day. Oh, and what are your thoughts food choices, healthy eating and children?