Day in the Life | Week 6

Summer slacking on the blog, sorry.  I have spent weeks getting this post down.  Silly.  I've been struggling with mom guilt lately in the nutrition department and I have finally found some peace and a solution.  But let me share how I got here...
I spend a lot of time reading nutrition guru's information and have a few boards and FB pages I belong to where a lot of information gets thrown around.  It's here that I sometimes walk away feeling like a bad mom.  Or I have jealousy of what another mom portrays her family's nutrition to be.  She gets asked a question and responds that her child has never even had that.  Ugh, well mine just did yesterday, guess I have failed.
I don't know about you but when going down this journey of nutrition you are so overwhelmed with all of the information.  All the things that are so horrible for you and what they are doing to your body.  You can feel flat out depressed about it.  You love your family so much you want to protect them from every bad thing.  I am not saying this is wrong but when you start to idolize nutrition it's gonna steal your peace and it's not what God wants for our lives.  Good intentions can end up ruling your life and stealing your peace.  Many people at this point say "forget it, I can't control what they eat," or "this is so hard I could never keep up with all this baking and reading labels", or how about "they have been healthy up to this point so, I'm done". 

Please don't listen to those messages though! That isn't where you want to be.  You did not end up on this path by accident.  You knew that change needed to happen and it does have to happen if you want health for yourself and family.  I want to encourage you to shoot for any changes you can do now.  I also challenge you to research why you are making the choices you are.  I am discovering daily that there is no "right way" to do nutrition.  Just because one guru says "never eat fruit it has too much sugar" doesn't mean that is an accurate statement for everyone.  Some people don't have damaged metabolisms and can handle it ok.  You will find an expert on both sides of the fence.  Can I ask you to pray over it?  Really, pray for what God tells you? He blesses the air we breathe so asking him to bless our food is also necessary.  He will!

Well I have found a solution for my family.  We are following the 90/10 rule.  I can control 90% of what goes into my kids bodies at home.  I choose what kinds of foods to have in the house, buy, and prepare.
10% is going to be somewhat out of my control.  We have a social life and I won't lie that I don't want to end up in the boat where my kids feel "deprived"(I hate that term though, because I truly don't believe they feel that way) of certain foods so that when they do go somewhere they gorge on non nutritious foods.  If we are at a picnic and my kids want some GMO, soybean oil filled Doritos I'm not going to tell them "no".  Are they gonna have the whole bag, I don't think so :-)  I feel good though that I have begun to educate my children as to why we don't choose those things on a daily basis.  I also am quick to point out the tummy ache that often times comes along with an overdose on sugar and junk :-) I try to make sure their plate consists of mostly good but sampling some foods we don't have at home isn't going to steal my peace for the day. 
I don't budge on wheat because you know I think it's the devil :-) but more importantly my kids feel sick from it.  Jon, has a true intolerance to it, so letting him have that would just be ignorant.   He knows how sick he gets though so he will ask if something has wheat in it or not.  I love that he has taken his health into his own hands.  His little brother follows right in his footsteps asking the questions. 

 

DAY IN THE LIFE

9 am
Donuts for breakfast, yes please.  What kid doesn't like waking up to these in the morning. We were lucky enough to eat those with a big glass of raw milk.  Because I'm a short order cook, eggs were also on the menu. 

12 pm
I need to grocery shop desperately and we are headed to the park so I throw some eggs on the stove for hard boiled eggs to go with our fruits, veggies and Jacson's chips.  I also throw in juice boxes.  You know, the occasional  picnic treat :-)
'Speaking of grocery shopping...the new Whole Foods in Maple Grove is amazing.  It's a good thing I have a food budget or I'd be in BIG trouble!

3 pm
Boys are all napping and so I'm going through some text's.  I have to share this one (this is from a friend who started her family wheat free when experts recommended medications for their sons learning)...

 

Was just reading this and thought of you.  Thanks again for opening my eyes!!  A side note Alex's MAP test scores at start of the school year around 20% for both reading and math end of year (wheat free eating) 80+% well over the avg.  Matt and I were so happy I think I even cried!   Lots of love and blessings to you and yours - hope your summer is off to a good start.  

 

 Isaac up from his nap and loving a strawberry push pop.  Bought them on Amazon and just used fresh strawberries and some Swerve.

 

6 pm
Grassfed hot dogs and parmesean green beans from CSA for dinner (these beans are a must make and super easy).  I can't tell you how relieved I was when my boys gave me a thumbs up on the hot dogs we got.  They were made with our beef and have the casings on the outside.  Nitrate free and definitely not like the Applegate ones they were used to.  Yay, they will be eating all the packages :-)

Best and Worst

Worst part of my day today was feeling the sadness of one of my boys being gone. We lost our 14 1/2 year old lab mix this past week.  Bear was one of our boys and I am missing him being at my feet constantly.  He passed in his sleep and we didn't have to make the decision on when to end his life.  For this I am grateful.  He was one of our "kids" before we had kids.  Watching my other dog Parker lay by his grave has been heart wrenching.  He is too, missing his best buddy.

 

Best part of my day today was the gorgeous weather.  It has been so beautiful lately and I thank Jesus for the blessings.