Today I feel like sharing and blabbing. Here goes the blab.
About 5 years, I decided to make some serious changes in how I eat.
Eating healthy can be expensive. But let me say this: It is so worth it.
6 years ago, I was wearing size 12 in jeans. Some people may not recognize me if they saw old photos. I was a huge carb eater. I felt like a slug.
Something had to change.
I read my patriarchal blessing. It gave me all the answers I needed. I prayed and studied. And by study, I mean I read my scriptures, sought revelation, and read loads of books on health and nutrition. My brain felt overwhelmed. I decided to allow the paleo lifestyle into my life.
Oh my gosh. The paleo diet was my answer. I felt so good, so happy, so energetic. People wondered what was up. Why was I always so annoyingly happy all the time.
I call the paleo diet the Happy Diet. It really makes you nonstop happy. Kind of like when you run, you get lots of serotonin and you feel so good. The paleo diet does the same thing, without the run.
Why does the paleo diet make you feel so great, you ask?
There is alot of detail I would need to go into. Too much. To sum it up, you are eating no sugar. None.
I don't like to get into too mant health topics. Many people don't care to hear about it. It can be controversial, much like politics.
Many people are aware that carbs are sugar. Depending on the carb, refined, simple, or complex, carbs all break down into sugar.
Here is an example. Refined sugar or simple carbs like white bread, white rice, refined corn products, and many crackers, all break down to sugar. It's similar to eating a candy bar.
Complex carbs are whole wheat flour or brown rice. This breaks down much slower, but still ultimately breaks down to sugar.
Sugar overload causes issues with one's health.
All things in moderation.
I am not bold and I don't like to talk about nutrition unless someone invites me to discuss it with them. My hope is that people educate themselves.
During my pregnancy, I ate very low carb. Excluding Sunny's weight and water, I gained a total of 7 pounds, that's it. This frustrated my doctor. She ordered me to see a nutritionist. I said no thanks. In fact, I rejected half the things she recommend to me.
My body felt good. Like super good. I ate well, avoided sugar, and felt amazing. At 39 weeks I had energy that suprised people.
Sunny was born healthy. A bit moody, but healthy.
Trying to avoid treats this time of year is so hard. (Sorry about that cookie post) Trying to eat perfect with a family and budget is so hard. I get it. But if you want to make lifestyle changes, you can do anything you set your mind to.
What if you lack support? Say you husband and kids don't want to eat the way you do. Make modifications. If you have tacos for dinner, make yours a lettuce wrap. Same goes with hamburgers or hotdogs.
I eat carbs, but I don't eat many. With a family and child, it is hard to not. Moderation is important.
In our home, rather then avoid carbs all together, we reduce them and try to avoid simple sugars completely. We are not perfect, but I try my hardest to do my best. Like my cookie recipe the other day. In moderation.
Enter this salad. Low in carb. It was my lunch today. Yum!
Look at the gorgeous colors. So healthy and hearty. I use imitation lobster or crab. Much cheaper.
Here is an example of low carbs in our home during the day.
Breakfast: scrambled eggs, banana, sausage or hard boiled egg. Green smoothie.
Snack
Celery sticks and peanut butter
Carrots, cucumber in ranch dip for Sunny
Lunch: avocado and sharp cheddar (sunny can eat aged cheese, but I can't)
Apples, pecans and cashews, chicken nugget or fish stick. Peas, oranges, and any other fruit in season. Sometimes a sandwich on homemade whole wheat bread.
Dinner: butternut squash chili or Speghetti squash with meat sauce. Or we will have tacos or Speghetti depending on whether carbs were eaten at lunch.
1 1/2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Honey
1 T. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Poppy seeds
1/4 c. Chopped green apple
1/2 c. Thinly shredded red and green cabbage
1 T. Parsley or cilantro
1 package of imitation lobster or crab. Or use the real stuff if you can afford to.
In bowl, combine first three ingredients and whisk. Stir in seeds and everything else. Mix and serve. Serves 2-4
Source, louiskemp.com
