Monday, May 21, 2012

I had 119 page views yesterday!!!! That is crazy!!!! I got some feedback from my blog yesterday, most of it was positive and affirming....I especially liked the information my friend Rachel King posted on my link, I remember how healthy her family ate and they were all very healthy strong people, and their table always looked like a Sunday dinner, but it was healthy, whole food :) I also want to say that even though I make extra effort on many areas of my kids life, such as, when I drank pop, I didn't give it to them cause I wanted better for them, and honestly, I think we gauge our success by whether or not we did better than our parents....even though I am very strict about sugar, and I insist that my kids try veggies, I don't make them eat them all, but I make them try them at every meal, but Caroline's go-to dish is Macaroni and Cheese....she loves it, on any given day for any meal, if you ask her what she wants to eat, she will tell you, Mac n Cheese.....Do I let her eat it, yes, I do....I have tried making homemade, I have tried healthier versions, I have tried adding protein, or veggies, but the truth is, she loves just the generic, plain variety....do I let her have it every day? NO....she may get it once a week, and the is the compromise I have made....kinda wish I hadn't started her on it, but it use to be one of my weaknesses, too....since the cleanse, I really don't enjoy it, but I do include a protein with the mac n cheese, and I give her a proper portion size, if she asks for more, she gets a piece of fruit or something healthy instead of seconds, I say this to say that I don't think you have to turn your kids world upside down, just set some boundaries and include healthy choices daily, and also get rid of some of the bad choices....I had a dear friend make some comments about the choices she has made/allowed for her kids, and one of the things she mentioned was that everyday her kids get a "fun" snack and a "healthy" one.....what confuses me, is what makes the one that's bad, "fun", and why can't the "healthy" one be a fun snack, too??? My kids love to eat applesauce, and string cheese, I also let them have graham crackers (half of one sheet) they like to eat nuts, and raisins....also, she mentioned how "expensive" it was to cook a healthy meal for her family of 8, but I got to thinking about this awful myth that goes around, and in one area it is true, if your buying specialty foods that mimic the unhealthy ones.  I am not in favor of going into debt for "healthy" food that really isn't any better for you than the unhealthy variety......the truth is, even a "healthy" cookie still has more sugar in it that a person needs, and your life would be better without it :) Back to the MYTH....on the other hand, it is not true that eating healthy is more expensive, for instance, you could eat a pound of potato chips, and it would leave you wanting more, and you would spend what, $3-4 on it, or you could eat a pound of green beans, and you would feel full and satisfied and you would spend 1/2 that amount....healthy food fills you up and keeps you going, so you need less of it, but junk food will leave you with sugar spikes that will only increase your cravings for more, it is a vicious cycle....I remember when I have tried in the past to eat healthy, I would buy enough food for the week, but I always bought too much, and I ended up wasting it....I still struggle with it, I will go to buy zucchini, and instead of buying 2 smallish ones, I will buy 4, and 2 is more than enough, it is pretty deceptive how far veggies will go....My friend, Rachel King, has a great mom,(she is also my sister's mother-in-law) who works hard to provide healthy meals for her family, and my sister told me today, that she adds veggies to meals in place of all those extra carbs....so I encourage you friends, to go to the store or the farmer's market and try to makes something that has more veggies than anything else, and see how much it cost, and how filling it was :) I made a delicious meal tonight that had about 2 lbs of chicken thigh, 2 1/2 lbs of asparagus, and 1 lb of a frozen veggie blend of green beans, wax beans, and baby carrots....I cooked it all together and added the lemon pepper Philadelphia Cooking Cream....it was delish, and it will feed my family of 4 for 2 meals :) and my kids ate all of theirs (Josiah with some coaxing)....so my point is that if you want to make healthy changes, then do it, and if you are happy with the choices you make, then don't make excuses for why you don't change....I think you will be surprised at how much your kids will adapt to the changes, if they realize that it is not optional :) I am still trying to tweak my diet and exercise to get optimal results, so hopefully we will start seeing some number changes, SOON!!!! Also, for the last 2 days, I have been a "dolphin" in my fitness routine :) I am only 3 animals from the top spot...the Cheetah....I don't know that I will ever make it there, but it feels really good to see that my fitness level is increasing, and that my desire to workout is also increasing....but I have to say, when I am sitting on the couch all comfy and cozy, it takes A LOT of will power to get up and start working out :) To each of my friends out there, whatever your fitness level or eating habits are, I love you, and I want to inspire people to make important changes in their lives, because it is good for you, and the ones you love....change can be hard but there is always a pay out for those who stick with their good choices :) Thanks for reading my blog :)

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