Healthy Eating

I have been a little hesitant to mention the health problems I have been having because I don't want anyone to think I need or want a pity party.  The only reason I am mentioning them now is because I have found something that has really helped.

A couple of years ago my husband trained for and ran his 1st marathon.  (He has since run 3)  The man/really great friend who trained him gave him the book, "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  My husband promptly put it on the book shelf and never thought about it again.  In April I was looking in my hubby's office and saw this book that I had never seen before.  I picked it up and started reading.  Three days later I had finished the book and resolved to follow it's healthy eating program.

Why did I need this book?  Because when I was pregnant with my 4th child I had a miserable pregnancy and about half way through stated having complications wiht my heart.  My son was born prematurely and was in the NICU for a week.  The OB Dr. and the Cardiologist both thought it would get better once the baby was born.  It did get a little better, but not much.  Then when he was a couple of months old I started waking up to my hands being so swollen and stiff that I could barely use them.  After a few more months,  I was so weak and tired all the time that doing anything was difficult.  I went to my Dr. who ran a gazillion tests and sent me to a Rheumatologist who also ran a gazillion tests.  The end result, I have hypoglycemia and sero-negative arthritis which may or may not turn into Rheumatoid Arthritis (my mom has RA).

So, I started a special diet for my hypoglycemia and started a series of different meds to try and help my joints to stop hurting and being so swollen.  Several weeks later and I wasn't feeling ANY better.  And that's when I found this book.

The very simplified version of what Dr. Fuhrman says is that our bodies are made to process fruits and veggies much better than meat and dairy.  If we feed our bodies what they process better, then they will function better.  Makes sense right?  He also says that once our bodies are getting what they really need from the foods we eat, then they can start healing themselves.  On his diet TONS of people with Type II diabetes have been able to completely come off of their insulin.  People with hypoglycemia have a full recovery from their symptoms and people with Rheumatoid Arthritis don't have to take their medicine anymore.  He also found a significant decrease in multiple types of cancer among people who are eating a plant-based diet.

We were by no means "meat eaters".  We do eat meat occasionally, but not a ton.  However, we were definitely dairy eaters.  We also ate a ton of casseroles and even though I was cooking our meals at home, they were still very processed.  Following this plan was definitely a pretty drastic change in our eating habits.  I figured it was worth a try.

We have been eating healthy for one month now and have noticed some pretty big changes.  It was not easy going at first.  We have eaten more salad and fruits and veggies in the last month than I think we have in the last year.  Some of it was quite tasty and some of it was barely palatable.  What changes have we seen?  Well, my hypoglycemia is completely gone...GONE!  I can go several hours between meals without getting the shakes and without feeling like I am going to throw up or pass out.  My arthritis pain isn't gone, but is completely manageable.  I don't have to take my medicine anymore and it only takes a couple of minutes in the morning for my hands to stop being stiff and achy.  One more big benefit that I didn't really NEED, but do really LOVE.  I have lost 8 lbs. and my husband has lost 15.  We also both have more energy and don't feel as tired.

The down side?  My kids haven't loved it.  Dr. Fuhrman has a set of books that have other menu plans and recipes in them and he has a kid's book.  I bought all of those as well.  After a month, we have decided that we need to find a middle ground.  I can't make separate meals for us and the kids every day.  So, we are going to keep eating LOTS of fruits and veggies, but we are also going to add a little bit of meat and dairy back into our diet.

I absolutely recommend these books, but you do have to be committed to doing them, or you are wasting your money.

Crochet Baby Blanket

When my sister had her baby she asked me to crochet her a blanket.  She had a little girl and wanted something pretty.  She also asked me if I could make it white so that she could use it on her blessing day at church.  I found a couple of stitches and combined them together to make this blanket.  It is just the right size for a newborn and is nice enough to display or put away in a hope chest.  I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

It is made of 100% cotton yarn. It can be used as a christening blanket, or a blessing blanket, as a baby shower gift, or as decoration. It measures approximately the size of a receiving blanket. It is made from a smoke-free, pet-free home.

Like the blanket, but wish it was a different color or made of something other than cotton yarn? Contact me and we can create something new for you. If you are interested in this blanket, or getting a customized blanket, you can find my store at http://www.pumpkinpatchdesigns.etsy.com/.

Thanks for looking!

Delicious Hummus!

This hummus is delicious.  We use it regularly for dipping and in sandwiches.  My husband and eat pita pockets (the recipe is on this blog) with hummus spread inside.  Add a few slices of tomatoes and some chopped romaine lettuce.  So YUMMY!

Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained (save liquid)
3 Tbsp tahini (tahini is a sesame seed paste and can be found in the ethnic section of your grocery store)
5 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 - 3/4 cup bean liquid
1/4- 1/2 tsp cumin

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Use just enough bean liquid to get it to the consistency you want.  It should be like a semi-thick spread.

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

I got this recipe from Tammy's Recipes.  I looked at a TON of pita pocket recipes and this was by far the best.  Her directions are straight forward and easy to follow.  I double the recipe and freeze half of them.  My kids love these and always ask for sandwiches on "pocket bread."

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

Yield:
8 whole pita pockets (or 16 halves)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup gluten*
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Add the gluten and 1 cup of the flour, along with the yeast, and stir to mix. Add remaining flour and knead to make a soft dough. (Add additional flour if necessary during kneading.)

Alternately, if you have a bread machine, you can put the ingredients in the pan in the order listed and use the dough cycle. Skip to step 3 if using your bread machine! :)

2. Put your dough into a bowl, lightly oil the top, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise, until almost double (about an hour). I like to turn my oven on for a minute or two, then turn it off, and let the dough rise in there, since our house is cool.

3. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6- or 7-inch circle.

4. As you roll the rounds, set them aside on a lightly floured countertop or table, and cover loosely with a towel. Let rise for about 25-35 minutes, until slightly puffy. (The rounds will still be thin though! :D)

5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place 2 rounds, side-by-side, onto a wire rack, such as is used for cooling things. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffy and just slightly browned. (If bread is too browned, it will be dry and not pliable.)

6. Remove rack from oven and immediately wrap/layer pita breads in a damp towel, to soften. Continue baking the remaining breads, layering them between damp towels as soon as they're baked. Allow breads to completely cool.

7. Cut pita breads in half, or split the top edge, and fill as desired. :)

8. Store pitas in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge for a few days, or place in the freezer for longer storage. To re-warm pitas, wrap them in a damp towel and then wrap in foil. Place in a warm (200-250 degree) oven for about 20 minutes.

Additional Notes:
*May use whole wheat bread flour in place of the whole wheat flour and gluten.

Preparation Time:
30-45 minutes (faster using bread machine!)

Cooking Time:
4-5 minutes

Happy Birthday to my LOVE!

My husband's birthday is a few days after E's birthday.  I asked him what kind of cake he wanted.  He said, "I don't know...J, what kind of cake do I want?"  J thought about it for a minute and said, "STAR WARS!"  Pretty funny since he has never seen Star Wars.

So, I sat down with J and the computer and we looked up Star Wars cakes.  He decided Dad needed an R2D2 cake.  We got the idea from here.  It took 2 cake mixes, a lot of frosting, and a LOT of time, but it turned out great.  I think I might have to try my hand a fondant if the cake requests get much more detailed.  If only fondant didn't taste disgusting...

Happy birthday Love!  Thanks for working so hard for us and for being such a great husband and father.  We love you!!!