Help
With Your Rule
Nutrition & Diet & Meal Planning & Finding Time!!
Dear Holly,
Your book is such an inspiration - thank you!
Planning & preparing meals is a major stumbling block for me in my MROL. Everything seems to need to be planned around them in our household or things just fall apart. I noticed on your blog that you have eliminated dairy & wheat from your diet. I recently discovered that a lot of my kids' problems, as well as my own, are related to similar intolerances. I have always been bad about over-using convenience foods & fast foods & such. However, now I don't just want to change, but need to for my family's sake.
It is very hard to find more time to cook from scratch and even harder to find well-balanced meals the kids will actually eat when trying to take out our problem foods - so many of our favorites and our comfort foods contain wheat or dairy. And 2 of my 5 kids are very picky eaters. None of us are big veggie eaters. Additionally, we were told that it would be better to increase our variety to avoid developing more food intolerances. How did you manage & can you recommend some good ideas or resources for us? Thanks & God bless you!
Labels: 5th P Provider
posted by Holly at 10:39 PM
20 Comments:
Boys! I relate to your question! :-)
I have compared my work with our nutrition/food intolerances/diet the past 4 months to being dropped in the middle of Bolivia and given none of the same food stuffs and told to fix supper. It has been a culture shock I have not fully worked my way out of yet. I am still working and learning - and my family has suffered from my gluten-free bread experiments... I've ignored the occasional groan, appreciated their tolerance, and now am getting scared as my husband had a little 'honest chat' with me the other day about how 'bread' is not what it used to be !!! :-) Poor Philip.
My first comment then is, this is not going to be a fast process. And that is an understatement. And I myself have had to resign myself that it could very well take me a year or longer to find the familiarity and habits I need to develop before all this feels normal, balanced and 'good'.
That being said though!!! All is not so bad. :-)
I am trying to find the foods I can bake and recipes I can make, for I just can't afford to buy all the GF stuff from the store. So, it is taking me longer. For recipes from scratch, I am using celiac.com stuff and various internet sources for ideas, of which there are gazillions, but also - this takes time.
Secondly tho, there is one book I have 'Wheat Free, Worry Free" which has some non-baking recipe/meal/snack ideas and she doesn't like to cook - but its no more than a chapter or two - the rest is about her experiences and helping to understand gluten-free living. But looking over her lists of what you CAN eat (if I could afford it) woudl make me not notice a GF diet.
That being said, I am now on wheat bread 'once' every 3 or 4 days and seem to be able to tolerate it. And that is because I have been trying to follow a rotation diet. I have been pretty strict with this, but am weakening a bit now. It is pretty difficult to follow a complete rotation diet, for you couldn't use yeast every day if you did. And dairy is difficult to supplement, altho we are using some soy and calcium supplements in addition to some cow milk and cheese now. And I love the taste of goat cheese, as a spread, a mozza and a parmesan. I also find raw veggies for snacks - or veggies with a goat's cheese sauce (light) helps non-veggie people like veggies! Realistically, veggies I think are what helps us stop being picky eaters!
Hmmm- the book I have used re rotation diet has been "Is This Your Child" by Doris Rapp which has extensive food groupings. But this won't give you mealplans and recipes. Contacting whatever clinic she was in might provide a cookbook - but basically it is difficult.
Anyway - to make a long story short - this is what I have been working toward in order to simplify - and this is because we all have basic intolerances, nor serious allergies - so this fits my unique family:
I have divided up the nights into beef/pork/chicken/fish nights. I have divided up potatoes/rice/rice pasta/quinoa nights.
I have divided up breads into a wheat/gf rice bread/buckwheat & tapioca bread rotation and we eat breads mostly at lunch. I rotate cows milk, goats cheese and soy milk. Breakfast is usually soy egg nogs and veggie juices or rice-based oatmeal granola bars or some rice cereals or bread or GF pancakes.
And this is what I am doing- rotating what I can - based on the notion that intolerances develop from over-exposure.
To date, after my 3 month gluten and dairy free, I switched to a rotation diet and I still feel much better than I did, altho am still dealing with some allergens (possibly my dust allergy) and am working toward a plastic-free kitchen (I'm 90%) and a reduction of toxins by using natural cleaners etc.
All in all, I am feeling better. I have noticed an improvement with the kids, especially my youngest's Math skills...!!!!
So , All I can say is - this is a cultural revolution. You might as well take it slow. Look for rice products initially to fill in. Get a good bread maker and experiment with some of the GF recipes (I bought a Cuisenart and it works great for GF breads).
And realize all these changes are going to take time, and - if over the course of a year, you slowly work on them - then 1 year from now, you will be glad you moved in this direction.
Adopt the tortoise from the Aesop's fable as your mascot, and start plodding. Perhaps other readers may have some suggestions too???
This may be a silly question, but what do you put your leftovers in if not plastic?
Not a silly question at all!
Well - I have reverted to what I remember doing as a kid: I cover things with wax paper; use glass bowls for leftovers; use tinfoil if necessary; and wrap meat in butcher's paper for the freezer;and store other things in paper bags. It is not as convenient - guaranteed ( I can NEVER remember how to spell garunteed????? )
But for us - if it is true that allergy symptoms are the result of a cup overflowing, then any way in which I can reduce what's in the cup - helps... So while my efforts aren't perfect or complete, they are 'contributing' to a more healthy lifestyle and reducing toxin loads on our liver and systems.
I have several friends with these diet issues, and they all recommend the "Sue Gregg Cookbooks" available from www.suegregg.com. She gives alternatives for many things (dairy, wheat, etc.) so you cook
from the "same recipe" but adapt it with substitute ingredients for your particular allergy or intolerance, etc. I found one of the books (the Breakfast cookbook) via inter-library loan to see what everyone was raving about, and learned so much from it and loved the recipes (so far, we don't have any allergies,etc), that I bought the whole set! It has been a great $80 investment in my family's health! There is Main Dishes, Soups & Muffins, Meals in Minutes, Lunches & Snacks, Breakfasts, Desserts, Master Index & Meal Planner. You can also request a "Taste and Tell-Introduction to whole foods" sample recipe book for free. There is also a wealth of nutritional information in each book; I love to read these books "for fun!" I have also learned a lot from www.urbanhomemaker.com
Like Holly said, it takes at least a year to change your eating habits, diet, and menu plan to where it is not time consuming. We changed to a more "whole foods" diet....and it definetely took at least a year. And, i didn't even have allergy issues to deal with. I just committed to making one new recipe a week and adding it to the repertoire if we liked it. And, i tried to commit to perusing my recipe books and learning new nutritional information for at least 30 minutes a week. And, that was with 3 children under the age of 3! It's a slow process, but taking baby steps WILL eventually get you there. Your time and energy will definetely pay off!
I guess it's just like our Mother's Rule - baby steps eventually get us where we want to be ... slow and plodding, but effective :-)
Thank you so much for all the helpful & encouraging information! I will look into all the recommended books! I like Sue Gregg's idea of taking familiar recipes & adapting them since those things I've experimented with so far were just too different from what our taste buds are used to.
One of the more maddening aspects of trying to "clean up" our food supply is how quickly it starts to appear as if nothing is safe. For the most part, I have tried to stick with those things that are generally agreed upon.
Still I wanted to share that as far as plastic goes, I also have stopped using it for the most part - but I do still use the containers some in the fridge & freezer for leftovers. A woman on one of the message boards I frequent has a husband who works in the plastics industry. Interestingly, he would not let her use any kind of plastic in relation to cooking. Which makes sense since the warmer plastic gets, the less stable it is. My understanding is that in cooled and cold conditions, plastic is very stable.
On the other hand, I do not trust aluminum foil for several reasons - not the least of which is that it corrodes very easily, particularly the more acidic the food is, even if it's not touching it, because the condensation of refrigeration builds up on the inside surface.
I have pulled leftovers out of the fridge several times that I had to throw out because the foil had developed small holes in it. If you're going to use it, I would put it around something wrapped in wax or parchment paper or something that puts a waterproof barrier between the foil & the food.
Even aluminum cookware that has no coating (ie. layered stainless steel not the controversial non-stick) is known to leach aluminum into the food. They just can't agree on whether it's a serious problem or not. IMO, for what it's worth, can't trust it.
Meanwhile, I will try to advance on this road with patient& prayerful baby steps. Thanks for the help!
A friend of mine whose children are seriously allergic, has been trying to follow all the 'new norms' re wheat, dairy, plastic, toxins, foil, teflon, organic vs pesticide , etc... and when she walked out of the grocery store the other day was upset because she literally couldn't follow what she knew to be best and still shop at a normal grocery store! 95% of the food is, in one of the above ways, compromised .
We live in a plastic and toxic society, no question. And we wonder why cancer rates are soaring - approximately 1 out of every 2 people in Canada get cancer...
Does anyone have solid sources on the plastic/tin foil problems? Sounds like it would be worth researching, although I'm not sure I'm ready to dive in and ditch them all at this point. Just when I begin to work on one big change, another topic comes up, I want to discern where this falls on the priority list, but never know what sources to trust. Any internet suggestions? Thanks so much and God Bless.
At present, I am relying on internet research - or should I say, compiling internet research and seeing where there are contradictions etc.
I also have Doris Rapp's "Our Toxic World" - it's just that I find her totally repetitive - the book is disorganized and exceptionally wordy - so I can't really recommend it. I chuckle at Philip and tell him I would never have gotten away with writing like that for Mother's Rule!
You may also want to look for buying clubs to get healthy foods in bulk and at a better price. I just joined one called United Foods Buying Club.
http://www.unitedbuyingclubs.com/
They have a few warehouses that serve different regions of the US. The prices are better than in the store, but of course you do have to buy in bulk. Our club had a $10 fee and has no minimum order. The only thing you have to do is show up to help unload the truck.
I don't know that we have any severe issues related to diet, but my thinking was, why wait? I've known a few friends that have gotten sick and then totally changed their lifestyle. I'd rather take those baby steps now.
I also researched organically raised beef and found a source in central Missouri that delivers to the St. Louis area. The stuff is out there, so to all who are interested, definitely keep taking those baby steps. I have always struggled with that, but it feels good to be doing it in this area.
Johnna
For anyone who is living gluten free, I've found this recipe for GF All Purpouse Flour to be a lifesaver. I make muffins, waffles and Toll House cookies with it. Pancakes are a little thick, and my cakes have been pretty dense, but it helps:
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons Tapioca starch
3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons Potato starch
1 1/2 Tablespoon Xantham gum
shake it up in a big container (oops, I've been using plastic!) and use cup for cup with its wheat counterpart. A word to the wise-- you can't make a roux with this. I've tried and its hideous. :)
Thanks Ane- I am gonna try this!
Holly
HI
I wanted to encourage you all. I have six young kids. I have had to put one son on a gluten, and corn free diet. Another child has to have gluten, corn and dairy free. It was very hard last year when I started. I felt overwhelmed and frustrated. I have to say that it has taken time, but I feel more confident. I learn more everyday. I do have days when I wish we could call off meal time.....nothing to make that will fit the diet.
Here are a couple things I have found: Danna Korn wrote a great book about kids and Celiac. She was able to explain that the first year or so is hard. It is a bit of a grieving process. She also has some great ideas for snacks and stuff. Not too many recipes, if I remember. Also, I have not had much luck making regular recipes GF(gluten free). I will try the books suggested above. I have had some real disasters making the gluten/corn free bread and gluten/corn free birthday cakes. The premade food that got me through at first was Enjoy Life. It is free of 8 common allergens. They have a variety of products. Pamela's is a brand of mixes. The pancake mix makes the best chocolate chip cookies....recipe on the bag.
God bless you all.
Hi,
I would like to recommend to everyone interested in learning nutrition and how to cook to read "Nourishing Traditions," by Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation. You can also learn more from the Weston A. Price foundation web site. This book is a cookbook and a nutrition information book. It is based on the research done by Dr. Weston Price (a dentist who travelled the world in the early to mid 1900's to reseach cultures untouched by Western food.) Dr. Price found groups of people who had no cancer, heart disease and other modern diseases as well as perfectly formed jaws and healthy teeth. These groups of people had maintained a traditional diet and had not adopted modern foods and processed foods. Also for those struggling with dairy and wheat, these people consumed raw dairy products and soaked their grains. Grains have traditionally been soaked to make them easier to digest. Another good book to read with similar information is a book by Dr. Rubin Jordan called, "The Maker's Diet." One more thing for those of you interested in eating soy products, I highly recommend you read about the possible negative effects of eating soy and the history of soy as a food. (There are articles and a book on this on Dr. Mercola's website)
God Bless,
Pam
Hi Pam -
Thanks - I have Dr Price's book on my reading list for this summer ( or fall or winter!!!) I may look into the cooking book too -
Blessings
Holly
Hi, Holly!
I LOVE your book!!! I have read it 4 times (I think) and loaned it out a couple of times, all within the past 13 months. (My husband bought it for me for Mother's Day last year.) I'm still in the "where do I start???" portion of developing my mother's rule, so I'm heading to the last few chapters of your book again as I try to prioritize and get a grip on the daily must-do's. Part of my delay has been the result of the pregnancy process (as baby #3 turns three months next week) and the fatigue, etc. that is a part of that, and part has been in focusing effort on learning to make a GFCF diet palatable... I went gluten-free about 6 years ago, and last summer, I discovered that I had many other food allergies (including yeast). I also discovered that my second child needs a gluten-free, dairy-free diet (and something else needs to be cut from his diet, I think, but I'm not certain what... his eczema is back with a vengeance!). A friend of mine is in the process of writing a book on how to implement a rotation diet, and an accompanying cookbook, and she has been helping me some. I have also searched the web and found some recipes on vegan websites. I have to be careful with those, as well, though, because I cannot tolerate legumes... Anyway, if you can tolerate dairy and eggs, the recipe for "MaCheBe" on celiac.com is pretty good for breadsticks. I have had to play with amounts, because it was too wet, then too dry, etc., and it's been awhile since I made it, since my son can't have dairy and that's who I was making it for... I also found the recipe for "Wacky Cake" (a dairy-free, egg-free chocolate cake) to work fairly well with a gluten-free flour mix, but I'm still working with how much to beat the batter. Most of the time, the cake is pretty good, maybe a little chewy, but really moist (almost damp) on the outside. (Maybe I'm not baking it long enough.) One time, I had it come out perfect, but I don't know what I did different... Figures... Anyway, I started out using Bette Hagman's GF All-Purpose Flour Mix (2 parts white rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca flour), and now I'm using the "Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour Mix" made by Authentic Foods. It does contain cornstarch, though, so if you're corn-intolerant, try substituting potato starch for the cornstarch in the recipe that Anne submitted earlier in this thread.
My mother-in-law just gave me a copy of Roben Ryberg's "Gluten-Free Kitchen" cookbook. (She founded "Miss Roben's" AllergyGrocer.com, but sold the company several years ago.) My mother-in-law has played with a few of the recipes in it and has said that the Snickerdoodles, the Crispy Sugar Cookies, and the Rolled Sugar Cookies recipes all rate 5 stars for taste, although the Rolled Sugar Cookies dough is very tender and you should make small cookies with it,and the Crispy Sugar Cookies recipe makes a terrific Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with the addition of chocolate chips (and nuts, if desired). I will be testing out some of the bread and cake recipes soon. I'll try to remember to update you on my successes. In the meantime, you can contact me directly at "shancarter" at "sbcglobal.net".
I have The Gluten Free Kitchen too - and I love the basic white bread, the bread sticks (which we make GF hamburger buns out of), the pizza crust, the Red Velvet chocolate cake, and many other recipes. The neat thing about that book is you can eliminate the yeast since it is not the rising agent - only for taste. And we substitute water or soy milk for any dairy. It is a big hit in my house.
We also use Bette Hagman's GF Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy - altho I use the other one more. I like Hagman's Lite Bean Flour - it has become my family's favorite GF bread - and stays fresh like wheat bread.
I also want to reccomend "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. Our family has multiple food intolerences including dairy, and we have had much success with this book. We are taking it very slow which is a great piece of advice. God Bless!
JMJ
Greetings in The Spirit!
We are a family of seven and after reading all the posted comments on MRoL re: Nutrition & Diet, I readily concur that dietary changes to help our families/family members with allergies can be challenging and the best advice is to research, find alternatives, try and test, and above all, to take it slowly and build in what one can as one can, prayerfully. I'll share our experiences below if you will muddle through some problem analysis and life changes with me. At the end, I offer the names of Dr. Jeniece Schaller and Mrs. Margie Hasley, two wonderful women who helped our children with allergy identification and reversal, immune-boosting, and healthy eating!
One of our daughters had been having gastro-intestinal pains/problems from ages two through nine (and really from birth but I didn't see all the signs of wheat, gluten, yeast, and protein, etc. allergies until we went to see an N.D. rather than our M.D.). We. too, searched and searched and did the gluten, wheat, corn, and cornstarch, and additive and dye-free diet! It was challenging but we managed like this for over one year while we "peeled the onion" of our daughter's gastro problems.
After our M.D. referred us to the pediatric gastro-intestinal M.D. and after all the horrid and nasty testing protocols (e.g., upper GI, etc.) the Ped. Dr. said, "She doesn't have any of the bad diseases--cancer, Celiac, Chron's, etc. so my suggestion is for you to take your daughter to an Alternative Medicine doctor, suggesting acupunture etc.
Well, after one of our other daughter's had had a triple infection (she was "bit" on her face by our violin professor's cat, and "gently bit" at that in that it was a superficial bite on her cheek) and needed to be hospitalized with antibiotic drips (as she started with medium then high fevers coupled with stomache aches) and surgical lancing and draining of an inflamed neck lymph gland, we decided to take her to a doctor of Naturopathy for healing and cleansing to build up our daughter's immune system after her hospitalization and treatment for the tri-infections. Wow! We learned a lot after our initial discussions with Dr. Jeniece Schaller (great chair-side manner with adults and kids!). Although our insurance did not cover the expense (Yes, unfortunately, most insurance companies still consider alternative medicine "outside of the healing paradigm."), our daughter regained a cleansed body (after all the potent antibiotics and invasive infections) and a healthy immune system with renewed energy, vim, and vigor (our daughter had many pains and aches and low energy during her illness).
We thought to take our daughter with the gastro problems and allergies to Dr. Schaller and systematically we began to "peel away at the onion." Dr. Schaller analyzed our daughter's body functions utilizing her biorhythms, making a list of viral/bacterial/allergy/organ/tissue problem "flags" which came up and then we began a journal of this daughter's diet and nutrition, writing down what she ate at each meal and any reactions and we studied the pH and color of her urine and the color and texture of her B.M.s and their regularity. At the end of our first visit, we came away with the analysis of the Body Scan and a small bagful of supplements to address our daughter's gallbladder, liver, and gastro-intestinal system to begin a cleansing protocol so as to lay the groundwork for reversing allergies (about 50 of them came up!!!). Although this was time-consuming and labor-intensive, we journaled for a two-week period initially and at intervals thereafter and set a priority for reversing allergies three at a time.
To actually reverse the allergies, our daughter saw (and now sees once a year for a "tune-up" for her allergies, systems, and organs), Mrs. Margie Hasley ("Dr. Mom," is a Total Body Modification specialist who had studied with a Chiropractor on the East coast who practices TBM and now she practices part-time from a chiropractor's office once a week).
Within a one-month period our daughter w/the allergies was no longer crying after she ate certain foods nor crying herself to sleep because she had a stomach ache. We continued the allergy reversals and after a six-month period our daughter's G-I system and key organs had been cleansed and boosted back into equilibrium and she was as happy as could be and eating healthily without having upset stomachs. We purposefully researched and prayed about our new diet. And the "Nourishing Traditions"/Sally Fallon diet won hands-down in our family's diet and nutrition regimen.
We continue to use the Sally Fallon diet when we are home and when we have access to all the healthy ingredients. But when we go away on a trip we are mindful of staying away from "bacteria-laden" food/salad bars and we take our yogurt and acidopholus and fresh lunch meat and yeast-free bread w/us when we travel (Whole Foods makes a delicious Rustic and Sourdough breads which are yeast-free and before we were over the wheat allergy (mom and other kids in the family have it, too) we would buy the Alvarado St. Company wheat/gluten/yeast-free bagels and tortillas. And when at home or away on travel, if we feel that we are potentially over-loading on wheat/yeast/gluten, we look for a "whole foods" type of store and stock up on a few fresh wholesome items to get the body into equilibrium again (Trader Joe's (cheaper here in the Northern VA area) and Whole Foods carries Superfood Green drink and Chocolate Brownie Organic ZBars made by CLIF Kids (marketed as a baked whole grain energy bar with no trans fats and no fructose corn syrup and 12 vitamins and minerals and 3 grams of fat (5%) and 3 grams of protein. They still have soy lecithin but not the soy protein (which unfermented creates toxins in our bodies!). And Standard Process (through Dr. Schaller's) offers a great nutrious food bar in two flavors--Peanut Butter and Cherry Chocolate.
Happy dieting & nutrition for your wholesome families and happy living!
with God's Peace and Blessings,
Maria Sanchez-O'Briens
Dr. Schaller, M.S., N.D. resides in Northern Virginia and has a practice in Annandale, VA, (near I-395).
Being a Doctor of Integrative Medicine she affords one an array of natural healing protocols, working with one (and one's M.D. if necessary) to help one's body attain a healthy equilibrium and diet and nutrition.
Dr. Schaller's address is at 6375 Little River Turnpike, Suite 312 (look for the Atrium window
in the middle of the strip mall). Her phone nos. are
703-916-8116 (office) and FAX at 703-690-8119 and 571-216-5557 (cell).
Mrs. Margie Hasley resides in Northern Virginia and her work address is 6924 D. Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 22003
703-642-5930
I was reading through the comments posted and am so impressed at all those out there who want to change their childrens' diets to include healthier foods. Could I recommend a book that I have been using since my first child was born? It is called 'Eat Right For Your Blood Type'. When we were living abroad a homeopath introduced me to this 'diet' - not as a means to loose weight, but to get rid of my acne. I had suffered with this for many years. I was also trying to get pregnant and had been unsuccessful. Well, my acne cleared up and after few months on this diet - I became pregnant.
I followed the diet with both my children and am happy to say that they have never had any allergies or any infections - and no antibiotics. With everyone else around me talking about what antibiotic or puffer their children are on it really confirms that it must be the food that we are eating that causes so much of the inflamation we are experiencing now. It is incredible to see my 22 month old son asking for flax seed oil and pumpkin seeds. These are recommended by the book as his 'super foods' and at such a young age both my daughter and son seem to know what is healthy for them. From the initial weaning period if I was to give them something that wasn't on their blood type diet, a 'harmful food', they would spit it out or turm their head away. I believe that as babies they knew what was good for them and what wasn't. My husband is following this diet as well and he has lost weight and has so much more energy. The diet basically has to do with choosing the foods that are right for your blood type. I was very sceptical at the beginning and thought that I ate healthily, but realized soon enough that many of my small complaints (gas, pms, acne, tiredness, bloating, weight gain etc)were realieved when on this diet. I also, have not had the health issues that I once had since converting to this kind of eating. And don't get me wrong - my husband and I are real foodies, but their is so much variety to the things that you can make once you decide to follow this diet that you will never regret it. Would love to hear from anyone else who has had success with this way of eating.
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