Food and Learning Go Together

First week of groceries!

Peach-Mango and Raspberry
Leaf Tea Gelatin

We are officially one week down and in our second week of Paleo living! I'm still not certain as to whether we are going to be lifers, but we are learning SO MUCH! About our eating habits, about what we put into our bodies, and even some delicious new recipes that we never would have tried before!

Did You Know?

...that Italy, the land of pasta, has one of the highest rates of Celiac Disease (gluten allergy)
...that soy can affect estrogen levels in the body (take it easy there, vegetarians!)
....that gluten is in A LOT of things... soy sauce, hot dogs, make-up... for real.

What We've Learned So Far...

• Romaine lettuce leaves make for a surprisingly delicious replacement for bread on a sandwich. Seriously. I am addicted to this. 
• Cauliflower Rice is REALLY good. Who knew, right?
• Since taking artificial dyes out of our diet a couple of years ago, I have been really missing my occasional bowl of Jello. Guess what -- it is just as easy to make with a packet of real gelatin and some of your favorite real fruit juice. Any kind! Try it out. And it is really good for you!
• I have incorrectly fallen for the American taboo that every other part of the animal, aside from the traditional meat, is "gross" and bad for you. It seems like every other country is out there utilizing and eating the rest of the animal, while we shun it. I have tried organs and even bone marrow in other countries and was surprised at how much I liked them! Bones and organs are particularly healthy for you! Try bones in the form of gelatin (see above), bone broth (super easy and delicious), or bone marrow (trying this out soon!). Jeff loves liver because he ate it as a kid. Me? Not so much. This is also something I have committed to trying out soon.
• Probiotics are all the rage. Yup. Fermented things are good for your gut! As much as I hate to admit it... sauerkraut is good for you! I am not a fan, but have only ever tried it out of the jar. I made my very first batch yesterday. I will let you know how it tastes in about two weeks! This also means that my love of pickled beets, okra, cucumbers, etc, is well-grounded. My mom and sister will be happy to hear that!



Homemade Sauerkraut



Yum

• Gluten is a filler. Everything with gluten in it does a great job of stuffing you to the point of bloated discomfort. Not true with a simple meat/veggies/fruit diet. We have felt full after every meal, but never uncomfortably so. As you read above. Gluten is in A LOT of things. That's because it makes an excellent filler.

Our Biggest Challenges in Week One...

• Snack time. I miss my almost nightly bowl of cereal or glass of chocolate milk. While there aren't many alternatives for cereal, there is actually some really delicious dark chocolate almond milk to get me by!
• Expense. Almond flour, coconut milk, organic produce... not cheap. I can see why this, plus convenience, ranks at the top of the list of why people eat a diet of mostly processed foods. When Jeff and I were first married and struggling to get by, it was tuna casserole, ramen noodles, and hamburger helper most nights! That was also a time when I was having some serious stomach issues and vicious GERD flare-ups. Anyone see a correlation there??



Blueberry Crumble




Beef Lettuce Boats

• Convenience. For me, I'm the one trying to chop up fresh veggies and prepare these meals with a one-year-old running between my legs, going through my kitchen cabinets. For Jeff, he eats out a couple of times a week for work and it is just convenient for him to eat what everyone else is having!  

We were lucky enough to get to borrow the book Practical Paleo from a new friend and we have been following most of the 30 day meal plan recipes. Really, there have only been about two recipes we've tried that we didn't care for. The rest has been so good! My recipe stash is definitely growing. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the diet.

Bennett trying his first kale chip!

On the more normal side of things, my next term of classes starts up today! One of them is Young Adult Literature and I have to read Divergent and The Hunger Games for class. Tough stuff, right? ;)

This Paleo Thing

So, we are typically healthy eaters in our household. We try to steer clear of overly processed foods, we grab a fast food meal as little as possible, we have switched to all whole milk, and we try to buy organic and all-natural food as often as we can afford it. As much as I love baking, I've even tried to add in a bit more whole wheat flour and I completely stopped buying icky margarine and now suck it up to buy the better (best deal I can find) real butter. I have been trying to make the switch to completely real, unprocessed foods slowly. It certainly has it's difficulties. With a busy schedule, traveling, holidays, and events like the Superbowl... I have actually backtracked these past few months. We have a couple bags of potato chips in the pantry that I bought for the youth Superbowl party that didn't get eaten. We have been slowly trying to eat them so as not to waste money, but next week, they are officially going into the trash!

Bennett's scowl

 Another difficulty of mine has been getting Jeff 100% on board with me. His argument being that it is just impossible and too expensive. There aren't exactly a lot of coupons for organic produce. While I was frustrated with his hard-headedness, I admit that I had my doubts as well. Still do. Well, Jeff took a quick trip to Denver last weekend to stand in one of his good friend's wedding as a groomsmen. Much to my surprise, Jeff comes back raving about this thing called the Paleo diet that his friend described to him - much more strict and even more rules than my "real food" diet I was trying to talk him into.

**Short note here: I use the word "diet" in terms of the types of food within our daily lives, NOT a quick fix way to lose weight.**

Honestly, I had heard about this Paleo/Primal diet before, but quickly dismissed it as silly, impossible, and just flat out too hardcore for me. I mean, come on... dairy-free AND gluten-free? Not fun. The rest sounds like a fairly easily transition for us (especially the meat and cooking in lard part!). But no traditional pizza or a delicious bowl of cereal (my go-to snack)? Sure, there are Paleo recipes that try to replicate these, but that just isn't the same! Right? As someone who studied anthropology, it actually makes a lot of sense and the "hunter-gatherer" diet theory is something I have always used to backup my stance regarding processed foods.

So, here's the deal. The nitty gritty. The ultimate leap toward being defined as what my friends have coined as "crunchy granola" (I'm not that big a fan of granola, so this joke totally went over my head the first time they used it on me). Jeff and I have made a commitment to trying this Paleo thing out. We are going to challenge ourselves to stick to a strict Paleo/Primal diet, completely gluten and dairy free for approximately 30 days. I say "approximately" because I am visiting my family in Houston for a week in March and Jeff will be heading to Africa for a quick trip. We've agreed to try and stick to a healthy diet as much as possible while traveling, but no guarantees there...

Why? This is the most important part. To be healthy and to feed our bodies and take care of them as closely to how God intended. More specifically? Jeff is prone to mid-section chunk that he can't get rid of no matter what workout plan or fad diet he tries. He also gets sick and fatigued easily (at least compared to some). His purposes are overall health, a healthy body mass, and increased immunity. Mine is a little more varied. I am only 28 and have been having joint problems since high school. This is, in part, due to sports, but the inflammation and achy body makes me feel ancient for my age. Also, in college, after months of feeling awful and many tests, I was diagnosed with GERD. I have been able to balance it out mostly with a healthy, less greasy and processed diet, but it is something I still have to deal with. Also, due to family history, I am at risk for lupus, heart disease, and diabetes. Because of my joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, and tendency toward hypoglycemia, these are things my doctors test for and keep an eye on regularly. Another issue that has caused me a lot of frustration has been unexplained infertility. It took us almost four years of actively trying before we were able to have Bennett! That seems silly for a healthy, young couple. And since Bennett's birth, my hormone levels have been completely off-balance, my cycles are irregular, and the doctors now believe I have PCOS and hypothyroidism. I do admit that I have not been taking care of myself as well as I used to since Bennett was born. My focus is on him 24/7. I make sure he has a balanced meal and eats his veggies while I just gobble down whatever I have time for or is on hand. I HATE having to take medications, so my ultimate goal is to get my body back to a healthy balance and stay far, far away from drugs!

After everything that I've read, I am very interested in this experiment to see how my body will react to a gluten-free diet. Our plan is to see how we feel throughout the 30 days and then just go from there. Perhaps we will hate it. Maybe we will include gluten and dairy back into our diet afterwards, but in smaller portions. Like I said, it is an experiment. We are trying to learn more about our health, our body, and especially the food that we put into it to fuel us. I have learned so much over the past several years in regards to eat right and eating "real food." This challenge will hopefully add to that knowledge.

If you are wondering or are concerned, we do not plan to impose this strict diet upon Bennett. He will still eat what we eat, but he will stick to his balanced meals that include wheat and milk right now. He loves PB&J on whole wheat bread. And his whole grain crackers. And even cottage cheese! So he will still have his stash of organic graham crackers at his disposal and get whole milk (we may throw in some almond milk) with most of his meals, but he will also try out some of our new food!

The cutest dude in a Broncos jersey on Superbowl Sunday

If you have already gone on this journey, have tips, or some great Paleo recipes that you have already put to the test and need to share, please let me know! I've already received some support and great encouragement through Facebook, so thank you! If you are interested in giving this Paleo thing a try, take the challenge with us!

We are starting next week, after I make all the meals I already had planned (and bought groceries for) up until Friday. I have a yummy stay-at-home Valentine's Day meal planned for my two loves so that will be one of our last indulgences (I'm making lava cakes for dessert!) before we have to figure out this whole Paleo thing for a month.

In other news... the Olympics make it next to impossible to focus on my last week of homework. Down to just two more BIG papers due on Saturday. Must... stay... away... from... televised winter sports...

No comment on the Superbowl game...

As mentioned above, Jeff was in a wedding in Denver last week. He will be traveling to Africa next month for a mission trip with the church. I really wish I could go with him, but finances and a one-year-old put restrictions on your life. Maybe next time... Bennett and I are going to spend a week in Houston with my parents and I'm going to take Bennett to his first rodeo! And I'm finally going to get to visit my little sis and her college campus!

Bennett just cracks us up. His thing is still scowling at us, but because everyone laughs at him, he does it all the time! It's funny to watch him try and hide his smile when he does it. He's climbing onto the couch... lifting up our shirts and trying to blow on our bellies... which he loves pointing to his belly button and patting his own belly. My mother taught him how to shake his finger and say, "no, no, no," so that is his new thing and it's hard not to laugh at him! He also says "tyty" for this plastic tiger toy my sister got him for Christmas. In fact, the whole lot of his animal collection have become "tytys." He also tries to mimic me when I make puppy or monkey sounds and he sounds so adorable! The cutest thing is the attachment that just sprang up to his teddy bear we made him before he was born and took all his monthly pictures with. He loves that thing! He calls it "ted" or "a-ted."

Also, please pray for our adoption process. Ethiopian adoptions have become unstable and the system over there corrupt. The government is considering ending all foreign adoptions and our adoption agency here in the states is treading lightly when it comes to partnerships with orphanages because of the corruption. We started the process in 2011 with an expected wait of 2-3 years. They are now estimating a 4-6 year wait, with no guarantee that the country will remain open for adoptions in the future. We feel like this is something we have been called to and are frustrated with the hassle of trying to bring a child home to a loving family. All we can do at this point is pray, wait, and cross our fingers that the Ethiopian government keeps adoptions open and cleans up the adoption process.

Thanks for reading and Happy Valentine's Day! :)