Diet change, here we come...

So I have been trying to find a diet or nutrition plan that would work for me AND that I could feed to my family. I am responsible for feeding 3 other people besides myself so starving myself or eating only diet shakes and diet foods IS NOT an option. A few months ago a mom at my daughter's preschool told me about a book she was reading and implementing into her life. It is called Wheat Belly and is a very awesome concept concerning the link between wheat products and weight/health issues. I began using some of the ideas in the book by applying them to my own diet and saw almost instant results. My weight decreased by 17 lbs in about 3 weeks, I started having more energy, and was able to focus better. I haven't been to the doctor yet to get my cholesterol levels or blood pressure checked but my sugars improved. No matter how great this diet was and how wonderful it was making me feel, I still had to separate it from what the rest of my family ate. My goal in this journey is to be able to make a diet change that benefits ALL members of my family and to hopefully show others that it is relatively easy.

I grew up eating foods that were not exceptionally healthy but they were all we could afford. Hotdogs, baked beans, Hamburger Helper, etc...typical '90s foods; not to mention the local favorites of South Jersey: hoagies, pizza, and real Philly cheese steaks. I still crave and love all of these foods but after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives I find it difficult to justify eating these foods now that I know somewhat of their effects on my body. The premise behind this documentary is to show the benefits of eating a diet consisting only of whole foods and plant based products. This plan is doable for me and my family. It is a way to incorporate healthy living into life lessons that (hopefully) my children will carry with them forever.

Even though I am wanting to better my health and lower my weight the real reasons I am choosing a better nutrition plan are my girls:

My four year old, M, is a big fruit and veggie eater anyway so this diet plan won't be too big of a shock to her. However, she is also like her Daddy, she loves bread, meat, and cheese. With this diet all animal based foods are a no-go; that includes any and all meat, eggs, yogurt, milk, cheese, and any other dairy products, and oils. I am confident that she will take to this change quite well but may throw a bit of a fit when I tell her that ice cream and candy are not part of the nutrition plan.

My one year old, B, is a sweet girl and a VERY big eater. She rarely touches veggies and fruit (except for bananas). Her favorite foods include hamburger, chicken, tilapia, and yogurt. Cheerios and Kix are also a main staple of her diet. I am hoping the transition away from all these things won't be too difficult (but I know in my head that it will be).









My main opponent in taking on this diet change may be my husband. We talked a bit about it already and he vowed to give up eggs and cheese to help lower his cholesterol but everything else stays. He is definitely a 'meat and potatoes' type of guy so I know this change will be hard for him as well. I am planning on changing the foods gradually. I still have several pounds of ground beef and chicken in the freezer that need to be used as well as some yogurt and cookie/cracker type product. I am not one to waste food so my plan is to just eat these until they are gone and not buy any more.

Planning weekly menus seems to be the key in sticking to this diet. I am currently working on a few menus and researching recipes. I am saving the recipes according to their type (i.e., breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) on Word documents so I can reference them anytime and make my menus using these lists. My first meal (breakfast this morning) was a pretty easy one; although while I was cooking it my oldest was whining that she didn't want to eat it because it was yucky. I made oatmeal (with water, not milk) on the stovetop and added a bit of honey, some chopped hazelnuts, unsalted sunflower seed kernels, flax seed, dried cranberries, and a splash of coconut milk for flavor. I gave a small amount to M and told her to give it a try. Of course she refused but I just sat there eating mine and feeding B hers. I guess M saw how much we were enjoying it and next thing I knew her bowl was empty and she was asking for more! I think we can do this!!!