Coconut Ghee & Green Pasture

I was very excited last week to see a giveaway at Real Food Whole Health.  You, anyone who would like, may have a chance to win a gallon size container of Coconut Ghee!  I thought to myself as I read their descriptions “what a fabulous product”.  I think I should enter.  My perfectionist / ever researcher brain said “You should try to find it on the web, it might be easy to get, find out more information”.

So I did --- I was Amazed at what I found!

This product is manufactured by a small family owned business / farmer right in my own state!!!  Just around 3 and a half hours away, near where my father was born!

I was totally inspired by what I read on their website.  Green Pasture, was formed by a husband and wife near O’Neill, Nebraska.  They “provide high-quality sacred-food oils just as they were made prior to the industrialized food and farming revolution”.  Just what we are looking for!

It really started to make my mind wonder… old habit I know.

It hit me that they are making things the old way in an area that my family comes from.  My father is from rural Nebraska only a short drive from this farm.  Certainly some of the same resources were available to his grandparents. 

This is food made the old way…  Food that my Dad’s grandmother, Grandma Rose, made (the woman the whole family talks of so lovingly).  No one can make the recipes like she did.  Sometimes I wonder about her recipes and why they don’t taste to the grandkids like they remember.  Is it that the ingredients really are not the same as what she used?  I’m sure processing has changed them in ways that affect the texture and taste.

I continued to think some more.  This farm is making things that my mother’s grandmother and mother would have used.  Things like cod liver oil, high vitamin butter oil and some newer things as well.

I am really excited to share my newest discovery and I enter to win my gallon.  Will you?

Social Eating - Gluten Free, Casien Free, Artificial Free

As usual we had a jam packed weekend. This weekend more so than our previous ones made me take a step back and think. Maybe because I am trying to pull together a plan of attack for our “Full Force Ahead” approach, I noticed some big changes that we are going to face. Also, I noticed some reason that might have contributed to why it was so hard for us the first time. Why we have only been able to dabble in this for the past year and a half.


My Lovely Daughter and Mother

Friday and most of Saturday we spent at the Metro Omaha Swim Team completion. Our oldest daughter was competing for her senior year. Her last year swimming has been a big deal for her and us. I planned a head a small bit and took some snacks, drink, and some fruit for our youngest son, who came with on Saturday. After each meet we have gone out to eat with the team (or a small group). Thought one… We won’t be able to do this – or won’t be able to order much.

Thought two… We go out to eat way too much; a few times a week. This weekend we ate out Friday night, Saturday lunch and night, Sunday morning at my parents, and Sunday night at a friend’s house. We will be stopping this, both hubby and I feel that to be a good thing. Not only will we be eating healthier, controlling what is in the food, but it will also save us some money. That saved money will intern give us more to spend on that better food – that is more expensive. Why?!? Why does the food that is better for you have to cost more! Separate blog…

Thought three… Food is a big deal! Food is a really BIG Deal!! Really, Really!!!

When we (our culture and family) gather together we always have food around. Having a food allergy makes this difficult for many people. We have always been sensitive to our friends that have allergies to nuts, milk, and soy. A true allergy / diagnosis is different from a sensitivity or desire to eat better. You actually have a doctor telling you to avoid this, a possibility of hospitalization if you come in contact with the offending food.
We don’t have this – for any number of reasons… This makes it harder to tell family and friends that we have to restrict what we are eating. It makes it harder for us to dictate to family and friends at all these gathering that we cannot share in their foods. This makes it harder for us to go out, or to a friend’s house, for dinner with people we want to spend time with.

Thought Four... We will have to have to either host the dinners, making them something that we can eat, or bring food. Bringing the whole main dish and a few sides, a mobile picnic of sorts, seems like so much work. I am terribly nervous about this one.

Thought Five… Date night… Should we the parents be restrictive on what we eat when we are out? Well of course we want to eat food that is better for us to, but a great dinner out is so nice and so relaxing… but, geez, where do the children get their sensitivities form? I wonder… So, how do we have a nice romantic dinner out with this new diet? I see some research ahead.

I start this week contemplating these things, finding new alternatives for our eating out fun, and thanking God for these realizations.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

"Restrictive Diet May Reduce ADHD Symptoms"

While researching and talking to doctor, therapists, and everyone I can think of about eliminating these foods from our diet many people talk about the lack of research.  I have heard about the lack of research, about the lack of good research, that it is not scientific, this is not a panacea, and countless other comments.  A few people have asked me to send them something if I find it useful or interesting.  While the doctors and therapists seem willing to tolerate your trial, they don't seem to support or encourage it either.

Well there is new hope at our house...

While at work I ran accross this article.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/news/english/649603.htm

The irony of it all - or divine intervention I prefer.  Saturday we watched the movie "Food Matter"; another of those food documentaries that talk all about how bad we are eating and what it is doing to us.  My husband acknowledge again, yes we do need to eat better, I'm trying he stated.  We talked about the plan of what we could do - you know that plan to plan stage.  Well, I came into work on Monday and there was this article so I shared it with my sweet husband.  He and I met and over lunch we agreed that this is something that we could do.  Finally!  We are here again, he is really, really willing to go with this full all the way.  He is going to be supportive!  I am totally psyched!!!!

He went on to tell me all about how he has been giving the children some fruit and other good things for breakfast and not doughnuts.  He has been getting them up and taking them to school for awhile since I head out to work before everyone is up.

We talked about making this a realistic goal, and maybe modeling our elimination on what was done in the study.  The new study showed that a large portion (78%) of the children that participated in the study had improvement in their behavior "reduced symptoms"- isn't that what we are looking for?  When these problematic foods were reintroduced to these children their symptoms came back - Wallah!  Really?  What a great study, lets bring on more!

Next things to do...
1. Decide what to do about the food we have now?  Processed - garbage?  Cream soups - save?  My list will go on and on.  I have decided this time not to let this get in the way of planning for the next step.  I can always just move the items to a separate shelf and know that we can deal with them later.
2. Create our meal plan - real simple, like really, really simple.  Meat or protein, vegetable, vegetable, rice, pears, water - for our first week.
3.  Find things for lunches.  What will our children eat for lunch, ideas about things that are easy and nutritious and appealing to children.
4.  Resign myself to move slowly - and not be mean to my sweet hubby :)