Happy New Year!! I know I am late in wishing everyone a happy new year. I for one am glad that January is over. I hate January. Its cold, its dark and its the longest time before the next Christmas. I have been trying over the years to see January not as a bleak dark month, but rather a time for rebirth, for self improvement and a time to learn and grow. Over the last couple of years I have started a new journey each January that usually ends in February. Last year, I decided that I wanted to be more social and entertain more so I decided to become a Pampered Chef consultant. Then I got pregnant, and the morning sickness left me unable to even look at the food in the catalogue let alone prepare it. The year before last, I decided exercising every day would be my project, my husband and I fired up the ninetendo wii every morning at 5am. That went well until we decided we wanted to sell our house and move south...You get where I am going with this?
This year's "project" is once again on health and wellness. This time the focus is on nutrition. Four weeks ago my family--some by choice and some against their will--embarked on a "Clean Eating" journey. "Clean Eating" is a book by Tosca Reno, that I admit we are following. I don't want to sound like a commercial for the book, but Jeff is down 15 pounds and I am down 10. While we are following the meal plans in the book, I don't think the book has any real secrets. We all know that french fries, cheeseburgers and donuts are bad, as are refined sugar, flour,etc. Basically natural is good, processed is bad. This is the basic theme of the book, along with eat 5-6 small meals a day and combine complex carbs and lean protein at every meal. I don't really think a book is needed to tell you that information. So then, if its common knowledge, why is it so hard for people to loose weight?
Then answer is I don't really know. I am sure it is different for each person. Change is hard and old habits really do die hard. I don't think its a lack of knowledge that trips us up, I think its more how to actually apply that knowledge in our lives. When I first thought of doing this blog I wanted it to be like that movie where the woman made all of Julia Child's recipes and blogged about it--Except I wanted to blog about my experiences in healthy cooking (Now I realize that I don't want to limit myself to just diet and nutrition). I am a person who doesn't make spaghetti because its too labor intensive. I don't know what part of the fennel I am supposed to cook, or which part of the bok choy to sautee. I am learning, mostly by trial and error and it is paying off. So I hope that you will join me as I mess up recipes, eat sardine and spinach salads and share these experiences with you.
As for my kids--no I don't make separate meals for them, they eat what we eat, sauteed spinach and all. (Actually tonight's supper was pork tenderloin with baked sweet potato and pico de gallo) They only eat about at quarter of what is on their plates and they have each lost a pound or two. I should point out though that they only ever ate a quarter to a half of what was on the plate before, so don't worry my kids won't starve. Well actually they might just be stubborn enough to starve, but I am pretty sure I and sauteed spinach will win--after all where do you think they got their stubbornness from?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Dental work +3 cying children = a LONG night....
"Someone get me outta here!!" Thats the current refrain coming from my son's bedroom. He is in bed. well he is supposed to be in bed, but I have a feeling that he is lying naked on his bedroom floor because he refused to put his pj's on. So rather than fight with him, I did what any good parent would do and threw him in his room, threw the pjs at him and told him to get in to his bed. Thats when daddy and I were treated to this lovely chorus of "Get me outta here". Sigh.
My Stellz is also in bed, crying cause she wants daddy. I told her daddy isn't going to save her and if she doesn't stop Pink Bear (her prized possession) will go bye-bye. Now I am listening to Stella crying and Jonas yelling. Not to be left out my little Sophie has decided to throw one of her random screaming fits. On occasion my Sophie bear takes a notion to just start screaming for no apparent reason. She will scream almost incessantly for anywhere from 1-3 hours, then just as randomly stop and be fine and happy for days. She still manages to sleep 8-10 hours a night so don't feel too sorry for me.
By now you might be wondering how it all disintegrated into this. Well, it started around supper time. I had 2 cavities filled this morning and when the freezing wore off, it was very painful. Still have that prickly feeling that you get when you hear fingernails on a black board. That meant that daddy had to take over the supper making duties. Now normally Jeff plays with the kids while make dinner, and let me tell you the kids were not happy with this role reversal. Strike one. The kids did not get their usual daddy attention. They did however have plenty of time to destroy my rec room, make screeching noises, and use the couch as a trampoline.
Daddy made a wonderful supper and my starving family sat down to eat. (We had haddock with sweet potato risotto if you are wondering). Why were we starving? Well three weeks ago we decided to follow a menu plan based on the principals from a book called "Eat Clean" in other words, we decided to eat little or no processed foods, whole grains and tons of fruits and veggies, protein shakes, etc. It is not calorie reduced, it its just combining lean protein with complex carbs at every meal and eating six times a day. Anyway, my kids had somewhat of a revolt and mostly refuse their snacks and suppers. I was hungry because of my dental work I couldnt eat all day so instead of five meals I had one and a protein shake. Hungry parents=grouchy parents and hungry kids=misbehaving kids. Strike two.
After dinner plain yogurt with bananas was served. My kids love this because we let them cut or mash the banana in the yogurt themselves. Also they might have still been hungry because they only eat the meat part of dinner. Now here is where I believe the evening went to hell in a hand basket. Jeff was cleaning the kitchen, I was busy on the computer. We were once again letting the children fend for themselves. Unfortunately, we failed to notice that the kids were pretending to be cats and eating their yogurt with their faces. As you can imagine, this resulted in a huge mess. Strike three.
When asked to clean up the mess, my wonderful children called me a "bossy freeloader" and ran away. Perhaps it was my pounding headache, my hunger, or the sight of the mess, but I lost it. I yelled so loud that I hurt my throat. Thats when we decided it was bedtime. Bedtime in my house is around seven thirty or when I can no longer stand the sight of my kids. So off we went to wash hands and brush teeth and get ready for bed. I got so angry with them that I ended up sending them to bed and skipping the teeth brushing and hand washing, Now I have dirty, tired children with rotten teeth. And you know what? I don't care. All I know is I need to not be around them right now.
Well what do you know? In the time it took me to write this the little monsters have gotten quiet, well except for the youngest monster she is still screaming her head off. I am hoping this means the little boogers have gone to sleep and are not just taking a break from the yelling. Sigh. It is going to be a long night...
My Stellz is also in bed, crying cause she wants daddy. I told her daddy isn't going to save her and if she doesn't stop Pink Bear (her prized possession) will go bye-bye. Now I am listening to Stella crying and Jonas yelling. Not to be left out my little Sophie has decided to throw one of her random screaming fits. On occasion my Sophie bear takes a notion to just start screaming for no apparent reason. She will scream almost incessantly for anywhere from 1-3 hours, then just as randomly stop and be fine and happy for days. She still manages to sleep 8-10 hours a night so don't feel too sorry for me.
By now you might be wondering how it all disintegrated into this. Well, it started around supper time. I had 2 cavities filled this morning and when the freezing wore off, it was very painful. Still have that prickly feeling that you get when you hear fingernails on a black board. That meant that daddy had to take over the supper making duties. Now normally Jeff plays with the kids while make dinner, and let me tell you the kids were not happy with this role reversal. Strike one. The kids did not get their usual daddy attention. They did however have plenty of time to destroy my rec room, make screeching noises, and use the couch as a trampoline.
Daddy made a wonderful supper and my starving family sat down to eat. (We had haddock with sweet potato risotto if you are wondering). Why were we starving? Well three weeks ago we decided to follow a menu plan based on the principals from a book called "Eat Clean" in other words, we decided to eat little or no processed foods, whole grains and tons of fruits and veggies, protein shakes, etc. It is not calorie reduced, it its just combining lean protein with complex carbs at every meal and eating six times a day. Anyway, my kids had somewhat of a revolt and mostly refuse their snacks and suppers. I was hungry because of my dental work I couldnt eat all day so instead of five meals I had one and a protein shake. Hungry parents=grouchy parents and hungry kids=misbehaving kids. Strike two.
After dinner plain yogurt with bananas was served. My kids love this because we let them cut or mash the banana in the yogurt themselves. Also they might have still been hungry because they only eat the meat part of dinner. Now here is where I believe the evening went to hell in a hand basket. Jeff was cleaning the kitchen, I was busy on the computer. We were once again letting the children fend for themselves. Unfortunately, we failed to notice that the kids were pretending to be cats and eating their yogurt with their faces. As you can imagine, this resulted in a huge mess. Strike three.
When asked to clean up the mess, my wonderful children called me a "bossy freeloader" and ran away. Perhaps it was my pounding headache, my hunger, or the sight of the mess, but I lost it. I yelled so loud that I hurt my throat. Thats when we decided it was bedtime. Bedtime in my house is around seven thirty or when I can no longer stand the sight of my kids. So off we went to wash hands and brush teeth and get ready for bed. I got so angry with them that I ended up sending them to bed and skipping the teeth brushing and hand washing, Now I have dirty, tired children with rotten teeth. And you know what? I don't care. All I know is I need to not be around them right now.
Well what do you know? In the time it took me to write this the little monsters have gotten quiet, well except for the youngest monster she is still screaming her head off. I am hoping this means the little boogers have gone to sleep and are not just taking a break from the yelling. Sigh. It is going to be a long night...
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Welcome!!
A big warm welcome to everyone reading this!!
I have finally joined the world of online bloggers...I have always wanted to write a blog, and now that I am doing it, I am thinking it is more difficult than it looks. I will warn you now that spelling and grammar are not my strong suits (just ask my husband who has a laugh each week reading my grocery lists) and it is getting worse the older I get. So no laughing about my spelling. Come with me on my journey to be healthy, happy and wealthy. Well, scratch the wealthy part, I will settle for happy and healthy. I am happy that you have decided to share in my journey and I hope you will feel free to share your journey through your comments and postings. I guess first a little introduction is in order...
I live in a frozen city approximately 700km north of Toronto. When you say you are going south, you are probably going to Mexico or Cuba. When I say I am going south, I am usually going to Toronto. We freeze in January and usually swelter in July. However, this is my home and I love it. Maybe not love exactly, more like a lukewarm like. We don't have the amenities that you have in the south, but we have places to eat out and shop and a movie theater. There is not that much to do, but we find ways to amuse ourselves.
Which brings me to my kids. I have three beautiful children. My son, Jonas is 5 and very creative. He enjoys pretend play that usually involves whatever is going on in his life. For example he enjoys pretending he is the school principal and sets up my living room as the "office". As the principal, he make the "announcements" He also gets his little sister to help pack because they are moving to the new school--an event that actually happened this year a new school here opened and all the primary schools merged. My son also does not miss a beat, and unfortunately for me gone are the days when I could sneak a cookie at the counter while his back is turned. Whether or not I should be eating a cookie in the first place is a blog for another day.
Next is my two year old daughter, Stella. Not really sure what to say about her. She is two and smarter than me. She is independent stubborn and definitely spirited. She is a joy to be around (when you are not her mother) and tends to spread sunshine wherever she goes. At least that is what people tell me. For me, I just hope I can keep up to her, never mind ever getting one step ahead. Tonight for example, she went to bed, but refused to wear a pull up. I of course want to encourage her, so she put on her underwear. Not even 20 min later, she called out for me, telling me she had to go "poo" so we went to the bathroom where she sat for 30min before I realized that I spent the 30 min with her talking and basically giving her attention. So what did she learn? She can always get out of bed to go the bathroom and mommy and daddy will sit with her. I should point out that she has been dry all week and the last few mornings has been waking up dry as well. She plays me like a well worn fiddle and I fall for it every time. Yeah mom, I know you told me so.
The newest addition to our family circus is 3 month old Sophie. So far she is a great baby, although she seems to have the mind of a teenager already. She likes to stay up until two and sleep until 10 or 11. Its great in the mornings, but not so great when I am exhausted and trying to get to bed early. I am very lucky that my Sophie has a sunny personality and is happy most of the time. She is so easy going that on occasion I have forgotten to feed her, then couldn't figure out why she was so fussy. Today Sophie had some tummy time, and Jonas decided it was time for her to crawl. He cheered her on and waved toys in front her. Sophie did manage to shuffle a little bit, but her path was blocked by her big sister who was not happy with the attention her little sister was getting.
Finally my partner in crime, my wonderful husband, Jeff. We have been married for 12 years and if its one thing I have learned in that time its that marriage is a bloodsport, not for the faint of heart. We are committed to each other cause there is no way I would let him leave me with all these kids. Really though, if I may get gushy for a moment, he is my life, my love my best friend. We laugh everyday--it keeps the tears away.
So that is me in a nutshell--and that is how I feel sometimes a nut in a shell, well at least like a nut. This is where my journey is leading. Come along--I guarantee it will be a hell of a ride.
I gotta go, my kids are calling ( Actually its only Sophie but she is pretty demanding)
Bye for now
I have finally joined the world of online bloggers...I have always wanted to write a blog, and now that I am doing it, I am thinking it is more difficult than it looks. I will warn you now that spelling and grammar are not my strong suits (just ask my husband who has a laugh each week reading my grocery lists) and it is getting worse the older I get. So no laughing about my spelling. Come with me on my journey to be healthy, happy and wealthy. Well, scratch the wealthy part, I will settle for happy and healthy. I am happy that you have decided to share in my journey and I hope you will feel free to share your journey through your comments and postings. I guess first a little introduction is in order...
I live in a frozen city approximately 700km north of Toronto. When you say you are going south, you are probably going to Mexico or Cuba. When I say I am going south, I am usually going to Toronto. We freeze in January and usually swelter in July. However, this is my home and I love it. Maybe not love exactly, more like a lukewarm like. We don't have the amenities that you have in the south, but we have places to eat out and shop and a movie theater. There is not that much to do, but we find ways to amuse ourselves.
Which brings me to my kids. I have three beautiful children. My son, Jonas is 5 and very creative. He enjoys pretend play that usually involves whatever is going on in his life. For example he enjoys pretending he is the school principal and sets up my living room as the "office". As the principal, he make the "announcements" He also gets his little sister to help pack because they are moving to the new school--an event that actually happened this year a new school here opened and all the primary schools merged. My son also does not miss a beat, and unfortunately for me gone are the days when I could sneak a cookie at the counter while his back is turned. Whether or not I should be eating a cookie in the first place is a blog for another day.
Next is my two year old daughter, Stella. Not really sure what to say about her. She is two and smarter than me. She is independent stubborn and definitely spirited. She is a joy to be around (when you are not her mother) and tends to spread sunshine wherever she goes. At least that is what people tell me. For me, I just hope I can keep up to her, never mind ever getting one step ahead. Tonight for example, she went to bed, but refused to wear a pull up. I of course want to encourage her, so she put on her underwear. Not even 20 min later, she called out for me, telling me she had to go "poo" so we went to the bathroom where she sat for 30min before I realized that I spent the 30 min with her talking and basically giving her attention. So what did she learn? She can always get out of bed to go the bathroom and mommy and daddy will sit with her. I should point out that she has been dry all week and the last few mornings has been waking up dry as well. She plays me like a well worn fiddle and I fall for it every time. Yeah mom, I know you told me so.
The newest addition to our family circus is 3 month old Sophie. So far she is a great baby, although she seems to have the mind of a teenager already. She likes to stay up until two and sleep until 10 or 11. Its great in the mornings, but not so great when I am exhausted and trying to get to bed early. I am very lucky that my Sophie has a sunny personality and is happy most of the time. She is so easy going that on occasion I have forgotten to feed her, then couldn't figure out why she was so fussy. Today Sophie had some tummy time, and Jonas decided it was time for her to crawl. He cheered her on and waved toys in front her. Sophie did manage to shuffle a little bit, but her path was blocked by her big sister who was not happy with the attention her little sister was getting.
Finally my partner in crime, my wonderful husband, Jeff. We have been married for 12 years and if its one thing I have learned in that time its that marriage is a bloodsport, not for the faint of heart. We are committed to each other cause there is no way I would let him leave me with all these kids. Really though, if I may get gushy for a moment, he is my life, my love my best friend. We laugh everyday--it keeps the tears away.
So that is me in a nutshell--and that is how I feel sometimes a nut in a shell, well at least like a nut. This is where my journey is leading. Come along--I guarantee it will be a hell of a ride.
I gotta go, my kids are calling ( Actually its only Sophie but she is pretty demanding)
Bye for now
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