the amazing test

This is my amazing test to see if I should eat something.

Amazingly simple and easy.

Ask myself these two questions:

1- Is it amazingly nutritious?

2- Is it amazingly delicious?

Answer key:

1- 2 yeses- go ahead and eat it.

0 yeses- don't eat it.

Here are a couple of examples of two yeses:

Salad from my favorite Pho Green Papaya in West Valley and the Ichi Roll (far right) from Red Ginger Bistro.  Amazingly delicious and nutritious.  Bonus:  It is beautiful.  I love beautiful food.

Went to brunch with some favorite friends at Bakers de Normandy in Holladay, again.  I am not a breakfast fan, but for this place I make an exception.  I have loved this place ever since my mom would bribe us to go to piano lessons with a pastry from here.  They have the best eggs benedict.  This place is so cute and so tasty.  

It gets one yes for amazingly delicious.  So, it is worth it.  

These are some appetizers from Luganos in Millcreek.  That appetizer in the back?  Who knew Prosciutto, arugula, "torched" pears, marscapone, and 12 year balsamic could be so amazing?  I didn't.  But now I do?  It gets a big fat yes.

See that little bowl of while soup?  That is the best.  It is tom ka gai from Thai Orchid in Holladay.  I have had this at many a Thai places.  And this is by far the best.  By best I mean not too sweet.  Though this meal doesn't fit all my rules.  The soup's amazing flavor gets a yes for this place.

This is the very ugly smothered pork burrito (with cheese no onions) from La Puente.  There are several around the valley.  Nutritious?  No.  Delicious.  Yes.  So I let myself indulge.  Especially when I start craving it.  There is nothing I can do but go get one.  You should have seen me beg Karl to meet me there for lunch one day.  

Here are a couple of meals that were not worth it.  The flavor, the nutrition value and especially the way it made me feel.  The machine gun sandwich from Bruges Waffles and Frites... though it was kind of exciting to eat a giant sausage sandwich with fries in it.  My body just kept telling me no with every bite.  I will stick to the "frites" and their amazing sauce next time.  And maybe have a bite of someone's waffle with chocolate, strawberries and creme fresh.  

This pesto pasta from a super cute little cupcake place in St. George looked so good on the menu but was too bitter and bland when it came out.  Not worth it.

You would think this tower of chocolate cake from the Beehive Grill in Logan would be delicious but it wasn't.   We took a few bites, boxed it up, hauled the box home, put it in our fridge, and then threw it out a few days later.  Very good at denying that this just wasn't worth it.  

There you have it.  My test and few photos to illustrate my point.  I would also like to point out that there is a serious aspect of social eating.  I am a huge social eater.  But the question, "Is everyone else eating it?" just does not sound right, does it?  

whole wheat bread recipe

There is so much to say about the benefits of whole grains. Before I get into it, I wanted to post  my bread recipe.  My friend, Kristi, came over for a bread lesson a couple of weeks ago and I have been meaning to get the recipe to her.

Whole Wheat Bread

4 c. warm water

2 T. Saf Yeast

1/3 c. honey (or agave nectar)

4 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. Vital Wheat Gluten (or 1/2 c. white flour)- can get it at a Bosch store or Macey's

1 T. salt

1 1/2 T. Dough Enhancer- can get it at a Bosch store or Macey's

1/3 c. canola oil (or soy lecithin)

additional wheat- usually 4 to 5 cups

This is my wheat grinder.  My mom bought it for me 5 years ago and it is still going strong.  I even melted the lid one time and called the manufacturer and they were so nice and sent me another one for free, plus a free cookbook.  It is the only one I have used so I can't really compare it to others on the market.  For bread, I use a medium grind at medium speed.  

Here is my line up of refrigerated stuff.  They all live on the same shelf.

Lecithin comes in liquid or granule form.  They liquid is more like a goop and is stickier than honey.  The granules are easier to work with.  This is supposed to help the bread hold together better and keep it moist longer.  To be honest, I don't know if it makes a huge difference.  Oil works fine, but I bought this stuff so I am going to use it.

Put three cups of the water into the mixing bowl.  Add the Vital Wheat Gluten (or white flour) and the four cups of flour.  Mix on high for 15-20 minutes with the wire whisk attachment.  

This develops the gluten in the bread.  I learned this from my friend, Victoria, who bakes a ton of bread.  By developing the gluten with 1/2 the flour in the beginning, this method has saved me time and saved my mixer.  I almost killed my KitchenAid when I used mix all the ingredients first and then try and develop the gluten.  I was kind of hoping it would die so I could get a Bosch.  But it won't die.  If I had a Bosch, I would be able to mix more and not have to cover my mixer with a towel.  If I don't cover it when I I mix this stuff, it ends up all over the place.  I learned the hard way.

 

While the gluten is developing... measure 1 cup of warm water in a liquid measuring cup.  Add the 1/3 cup honey.  

I impressed Kristi with my water displacement measuring skills.  Honey is a pain to get out of a measuring cup so I just add it to the water until it measure 1 1/3 cup.

Stir and let it sit.

Prepare four bread pans by spraying them with baking spray.  

I started out making bread with metal pans but was always looking for ways to make the crust not so crusty.  Then, I started using glass.  That was better.  Then I picked up this Le Creuset pan at TJ Maxx and that was even better.  Finally, my sister in law gave me a cast iron pan for Christmas.  I was so excited (and rude) that I asked for another (at the time, she was working at a store that sold them).  Those are my favorite.  These bake up a tender crust, not a bitter, tough, crust.  

Prepare an area to shape and cut the bread.

I wash off the counter and then pour and olive oil puddle about the size of my hand.  Using olive oil instead of extra flour makes it so the crust is less tough (can you tell I am not a whole wheat crust fan?. I also get out the scrapers.  The white one bends and I use it to pull the bread out of the bowl.  The metal one I use to cut the bread and scrape the gunk off the counter when I am done.  

By the time you have prepared the pans and the counter, the flour/water/gluten mixture will look and sound different.  It will look less like cake batter and more like a big ball of gum.  Amazing, right?  The gluten is what makes a chewy bread.  You can slice it and make a sandwich and it won't crumble.  

If your yeast was good and the temperature of the water was not too hot or cold, your yeast/honey/water mixture will have grown to look like a big foamy root beer float.  

When the gluten is developed (the dough will be good and gummy, you can't over mix this) add the the yeast mixture and mix. 

Make sure to cover the whole thing with a towel or plan on wiping down your cabinets. 

Switch to the dough hook and add the salt and Dough Enhancer.  Slowly add 4 to 5 more cups of flour.  Depending on the humidity of the air and how much water you started out with, it will take more or less additional flour.

When the dough pulls off the sides of the bowl, it is ready.

Dump the dough onto the counter.  Shape the bread to make a smooth, flat, ball.  Cut into four equal pieces.  Flatten each piece and roll into a loaf.  Place smooth side up into a pan.  Place each pan in a large plastic bag (I got these at the Bosch store).  

Set on the counter to rise.  I put it on the (not turned on) stove because the stone counter tops are cold.  

When the dough has risen to about 1/2 inch above the edge of the pan, it is ready to bake.  It will take about 40 minutes.  

Place the loaves in a COLD oven.  Close the oven and turn it to bake at 350 degrees.  Set the timer for 38 minutes.  

I learned this method at my local Bosch store and for a bread rising phobic like me it works perfectly.

When the timer goes off, you will have perfectly baked bread!

Remove from the pans and let it cool on a rack.  

When we were dating, I was talking about the awesome 70's band and asked him, "Do you like Bread?"  He answered, "Yes, it's my favorite grain product."  He loves bread so so so much.  He also likes Bread but he REALLY likes bread.  Maybe I wouldn't go through the trouble if he didn't love it so much.  At any given time during the day or night, I can hear the door to the toaster oven open and shut... Karl making himself a piece of toast.  

From start to finish the process takes about 2 hours.   But the hands on time is only about 30 minutes.   I make four loaves at a time and it doesn't last us a week.  I only eat about 3 slices every batch because I don't think my body loves bread.  

I have been experimenting with ground flax seed.  1/4 cup was too much and weighed the bread down.  2 T. worked fine.  

I know I probably didn't explain everything very well.   So, if you have questions, ask away.  If you want a lesson, you are welcome to join me for my next batch.  

healthy food and my reality

A couple of unrelated photos:

The kids are at a great age.  I took them to (the night formerly known as) enrichment and had them bring toys and books and videos and they camped out in a room while I helped out with the dinner.  I told Eva to pack some stuff and this is how she packed it.  

Samuel was eating lunch outside.  Lunch obviously had some apple slices in it.  He used them to make some boats for his pet worms in the back of his Tonka truck.

Okay.  The topic.

My home is no health food Utopia by all means.  I post these things to share the things I have learned, the changes we have made, and changes I hope to make.  

I know it isn't easy.  I know first hand that it isn't easy.  

Here is my day in food:

Cut up some fruit and eat it in the car.  I am late, of course.  

Meet my friend, and take a class and make a cute Black Apple doll.  Took longer for me to make it than I thought it would (I am still not done, have to fix the handicapable arm).  That means we didn't have time to eat lunch.  That means I was starving and far from home.  Poor me.   That means I hit the nearby cafe and try and find the least bad thing.  I end up with a bowl of Italian Wedding Soup.  

Run errands and am soon starving again.  Even with my almonds, fruit juice and fruit leather (that I keep on hand.  Uh, can you guess who is pregnant?), that soup didn't hold me over for long.  

Finish errands, stop at the Asian store for the best potsticker/ gyoza/ dumplings ever (well, outside of China, New York and Los Angeles).  They are in the freezer section and my mom said these beauties in a mysterious unmarked bag are made in LA and then shipped here.  Get some bok choy (my first time buying it) and oyster mushrooms (also my first time).  The dumplings are made with white flour.  But remember what I said, only eat it if it is totally worth it.  I always serve them with brown rice.  

Rush home.  Start making dinner.

Get a text from Karl (who had taken the kids to Home Depot):

I promised the kids a treat.  Sam wants McDonald's.  Eva is flexible.

I respond: 

I am making dinner

Karl:

Ok (and comes home)

The soup was good.  The kids tried the bok choy and mushrooms.  Didn't like them (remember, expose them 12 times) but did eat the tofu and drank the broth. The potstickers like always, were awesome.  

Was cleaning up the bok choy that I didn't use and found a tiny caterpillar.  Looked closer and found another.  Yep.  That is AFTER we all had big bowls of the soup.  I was trying to be adventurous and buy a new veggie.  I am so grossed out.  This is worse than finding half a worm in a apple.  I am mad, too, because that soup was good and I made enough for leftovers.  I am grossed out and mad.  And I'm telling you, I would never find a caterpillar (at least a distinguishable one.  Ew) in processed bag of Cheetohs or in a Happy Meal.  And if I did, I would have someone to get mad at and then maybe I would be rich.  

Karl and the kids still had their heart set on a treat.  Samuel doesn't want ice cream.  I go downstairs to the stash and get him a Kinderegg.  He takes it.  

I have a headache.  Maybe from my day of starving.  How wimpy is that?  Sorry, starving kids in India.  

They leave. Here are our texts (my thoughts are in parenthesis):

K- Sam is returning his treat for something else.  Guess... (what kid in their right mind returns a Kinderegg?)

C- Gum?  Please not a giant slushee vat of corn syrup and red 40 (they like Slurpees, big ones)

K- Nope, a Happy Meal (after I spend all that time making the healthy meal). At least we have gotten then to think of it as a dessert...

C- Leave it to you to negate my healthy food efforts.  Maybe you should take them to Walmart (I like Walmart as much as I like McD's) and buy them a bunch of plastic toys, too.

K- Great idea.  Will make sure they soft pliable plastic made by a 12 year old Bangledeshi child and I'll have them chew on them all they way home.

C-You know why Samuel asks you?  He knows he can get you to give in.

K-It was his choice of treat.  He ate the hamburger and some of the fries (remember, this is right after his big dinner.  This kid eats so much!).  Didn't want the milk (good because he is allergic).  Not great for him, but there is worse (true).  We have cut down a LOT and the kids have been pretty good about it but a break now and then in nice, in my opinion (true).  We were talking about it most of the day... (I totally understand obsessing about food and not stopping until I have it).

C-It's fine.  It's funny.  It's my reality.  I am going to blog it.  Then I'll feel better (and I already do!)

K- I think it's funny that McDonalds is his choice for a treat.  You actually should feel pretty good about that.

C- (Even though I get his point, and he is right and I do feel a tiny bit good about it, I say...) I would not feel good if he thought a beer was a treat.

K-True.  My point is that a lot of people think of McDonalds as food.  Our kids think of it as a dessert.

C-  I know you have a point.  BTW if/ when he asks for a beer one day you better say no.  

K- Lol

Karl came home and was proud that they chose regular milk over chocolate.  I was a brat and instead of being proud I pointed out that Samuel is allergic to milk.  I also told Karl that he gets to clean up the big huge booger (he has the grossest hugest most disgusting boogers because of milk) that Samuel wiped on the toilet (12 inches from the roll of toilet paper.  We have told him countless times to just use the toilet paper.  But he seems to prefer to smear them on the side of the toilet.  Gross, I know).  Usually I make Samuel clean it up.  I think the new rule is that whoever feeds Samuel the milk (and gets to appear as the good guy to Samuel) gets to clean up his giant booger smears.  

There you have it.  Real, huh?  Real and gross and funny.  If you are afraid to come to my house now, I understand.  I am tempted to not come here anymore.  Still figuring out a good balance with the food thing.  I actually think my family has been really great about it.  And if this was Karl's "thing" you better believe I would be taking my kids out for shakes (but not big slushee vats of high fructose corn syrup or McDonalds, I quit doing that way before this health movement of mine).  That's just how we roll...

and thank goodness there is always tomorrow.

Oh, and I feel compelled to share that as I finish up this post I am also finishing up the second half of Karl's chocolate cashew shake.  And the only justification I can give is that in my former days this would have been my very own shake and I would have eaten the whole thing. 

Okay, I stopped eating it. I thought about it and I was finishing the shake because it was easier to eat it than to walk over the fridge and put it away.  Nice Karl, he put it away and admitted he gave the rest to me because he didn't want to keep eating and he didn't want to walk over to the fridge and put it away, too.  Funny.  I am not a lost cause, after all.  A little bit lazy, maybe, but I still like healthy food best.

sweet recipes

My parents have always said that it isn't good to eat too much sugar.  Leave it to me to wait until I am a mother of 2 1/2 to listen to them.  I seriously didn't think there was anything wrong with it.  No kidding.  


I also want to say that I have amazing friends.  Some of them I get together with and I feel like I  just left some amazing conference on how to live a better life.  Your comments are also inspiring me.  Especially since I know how hard change is.  It feels so good to know that ya'll are along for the ride in some form or another.  I am one of those people that don't like to do things alone, I'll do it, but it is so much more fun with other people.  


On to recipes...
(and Kristi, I promise I will post the whole wheat bread one soon)

This first recipe we have loved long before I learned about sugar.  I found it when I was looking for a recipe for pumpkin pancakes.  I made the pancakes, but this, by far, was the best part.  It says that it is from the 1882 Aleksander House Bed & Breakfast.

Honey-Pecan Butter

1/2 C. pecans

1/2 butter (I use Earth Balance since I am trying to cut back on dairy)

1/4 C. honey

Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes (if you have a toaster oven, 1/2 C. fits perfectly).  Chop nuts in a food processor or blender.  Beat butter and hone until smooth (I just take the the nuts out and then put the butter and honey in the food processor.  No use in getting the mixer dirty, too, right?).  Stir in pecan.  Makes one cup.

I LOVE this on a slice of toasted whole wheat bread.  It is a total treat.  It is also great on whole grain pancakes and hot rolls. 

This second one is great to have ready for a snack.  My kids love them, I love them, even picky-eater cousin asks for them.  

This one is from A Messy Cook via Recipezaar.  I'll put it here in case you don't feel like clicking this link to get the recipe.  

35 min | 20 min prep

24 muffins

• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
• 2/3 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1 cup honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 cup hot water

1. Stir together dry ingredients.
2. Beat oil and honey together; add eggs and beat well.
3. Add bananas and beat to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, alternating with hot water; mix well after each addition.
5. Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and test done.
6. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

These are the muffins that are in the cute foods a few posts ago.  My friend gave me a butterfly and flower mini cake pan thing for my birthday and I love it.  It makes these muffins all that much more tasty.  But even without the cuteness I think these taste great.  The best thing to do is to not expect them to taste like the white wheat flour buttery banana bread that you are used to.  I keep them in covered cake stand and put them in lunches, dish them out for snacks, and since they are in sight, the kids ask for these.  If you are dying for chocolate, add some dark chocolate chips, they will still have a lot less sugar than many treats.  

***I wouldn't go as far as to consider these health foods.  But, they are healthiER.  Remember, the subject is still sugar.  Just like any treat, I don't try and push these things on my kids.  Treats should sell themselves, right?***

honey, honey

Okay, when I heard the suggestion of cutting out sugar, I asked, "What can we eat?"  The answer was:

Honey

Xylitol

Agave Nectar

Maple Syrup

Fruit and fruit juices

Evaporated cane juice (sparingly)

Stevia (still learning to like this one)

***I am just going to stay away from sugar substitutes.  I do understand that some people have their reasons for using them.  But since one of the points of us staying away from refined sugar is that it is so processed, well, that would make Nutrasweet, Splenda, etc, even worse.  There are many many studies and facts about why these are not okay.  The way they were developed, the way they got FDA approval, the way get pulled because it gets linked to to some sickness, the way that it gets banned in Europe but we still drink it here by the gallons, you can find all that info if you do a little search.*** 

 Besides tasting like chemicals to me all I need to remember is how I was doubled over in pain one night in high school and it didn't go away until I finally realized it was because of my Fresca phase.  I was like, "Oh, my stomach hurts.  Maybe a drink will make me feel better.  Oh, my stomach hurts even worse.  Where is my Fresca?  Oh, that and how and how when a friend of mine has it her body treats it like arsenic.  Yep, arsenic.

If something contains other than the super processed, ultra white, completely void of any nutrients whatsoever, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, it will list it as so.  It was hard to figure out and find at first, I had to a lot of reading and searching.  But it was not impossible.

There can be arguments about any of these being good for you but I kind of look at it as a "good, better, best" kind of thing.  It is best to cut it all out.  But not for me, not my kids, not my sweet tooth... but it is better to use sweeteners that have some type of nutrients in it.  These nutrients are a plus and a possible negative.  Refined sugar has every sort of color and nutrient completely processed out of it so it is a negative and a negative.  

Now, my kids have sugar, but not half as much.  I consider this good.  In his prayers, Samuel prays that his mom will let him have sugar.  This is not good.  I don't want the focus to be on the deprivation.  They have sugar at school, at friends' houses, at restaurants, when the bank teller gives it to them, when they find it (they can find it anywhere), when husband or grandma gives it to them, when I get sick of saying no... but I will just try to cut back where I can.  I know that the less I use sugar as a crutch, the more healthy foods they will be eating.  My mindset needs to be that sugar is a treat, not a staple.  

Here are a few of my tips (though I am obviously still learning):

-Fruit.  I try and cut up a bowl of the good stuff in the morning and just have it out for anyone that passes by.  It is sweet, it isn't processed, and full of good stuff.  Tonight we had three cousins over.  Usually, the movie menu would be popcorn, m & m's, 1 more type of candy, and root beer.  But tonight it was popcorn, apples (cut like fries), mangoes, grapes, and water. Guess what?  No one (except Karl.  Sorry, Karl!) missed the sugar.  Cousin A asked for more apples and Cousin B asked for more mangoes.  

-100% fruit fruit leather.  Costco has a big box of them.  They are compact, I can keep a few in my bag and hand them out whenever my kids need a quick snack.  Target has some tasty fruit treats, too.

-Nuts.  Yes, I know they are not necessarily sweet but sometimes all we need is something to munch on.  

-Raw honey.  It has so many health benefits.  At any given time you can find Karl and my dad spouting off great honey facts.  It is funny, but true.  I can use honey for baking, too.  I have a couple of recipes that I really like.  One if for whole wheat honey banana muffins and the other is for whole wheat honey brownies.  

-The health food store (for us it is Good Earth, Sunflower Market, Whole Foods, and Harmons has a pretty decent selection).  I found replacements for some of our staples where we wouldn't miss the sugar at all like mandarin oranges without gross syrup, ketchup, mayo, etc.

-Xylitol.  It is good for your teeth.  It is in Trident but if you want gum without artificial colors you have to get it at the health food store.  At Good Earth I found a pretty good selections of gum and little candies.  

-Plan ahead.  Most of my sugar purchases and consumption occur when I am starving or my kids are starving or just out pure habit.  That means I had to think about where we were going and what we would eat ahead of time and pack some fruit and snacks so we wouldn't have any emergencies.

-Fruit sodas and fruit juices.  My kids think a juice box (we call them squeezies) are a treat.  When I am craving something sweet, sometimes I will drink a fruit soda, like a can of Izzy's soda.  It is make from water and fruit juice and I love them.  Just make sure they are 100% fruit.  

-I try to have the mentality that sugar is for social and celebration.  That way I don't have to feel like my kids are missing out and I am not inconveniencing anyone.  Since I know that I am the one giving them the most sugar I will cut it out as much as I can at home and I think I will make a huge difference.  And now, maybe sugar will be special instead of a daily staple.  If my family wants a special treat, or we are at a party, or someone's house, we will eat sugar and enjoy (I may cringe inside but I will won't let anyone see).  If my kids want an afternoon snack I will do my best to fix them something with nutrients, fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole wheat bread, etc.. 

But sometimes there are times that I just want a treat.  And this is my last tip (yes, there is a end to this post).

-Be a treat snob.  If I have a choice between some mediocre cookies at the church party that someone picked up at the grocery store and waiting and trying some dessert at a fabulous Italian restaurant... just wait.  If I have a choice between stealing a handful of waxy, holiday shaped chocolates from the kids' stash or waiting and getting a V Chocolates chocolate covered strawberry... just wait.  You get my point, right?  I try and point it out to my kids.  Do you want this (mediocre treat) right now or would you rather have that (great treat) later tonight?  In the past we would have had both (and right now, my kids still want both).  But sometimes holding out and waiting for something I really love prevents me from mindless sugar eating.  And it makes the good stuff taste all that much better.  I will always try new stuff.  It is a hobby of mine.  If I love it, eat more.  If I don't, leave it.  Here is the shocker for me, sometimes, even I really loved it, one bite was enough.  

Do you want recipes or should I just move onto my soap box labeled "Whole Grains" next?

sugar, sugar

By the time I hit Jr. High, and started choosing what I eat for lunch, the "fat free" craze was going strong.  Yes, I heard people say, "but it still has calories," but I was too busy chewing to care about calories.  If the box of cookies said it was fat free, well, then, that meant I could eat the whole box.  Tootsie Rolls, Red Vines, Fruit Snacks, cinnamon bears, Mentos, Skittles, anything made by Snackwells in that green box?  Health food in my mind.  Some of the friendships that I formed during my college years were formed while eating excess amounts of sugar.  Double (yes, double) Snickers shakes in the dorms, Nutella and Hob Nob parties in Russia (yes, parties just to eat Nutella and Hob Nobs), Taro (yes, taro) ice cream bars in China... I love those friendships and I love sugar.  Karl and I were talking about this and we think I actually kind of converted him to candy.  When I met him, he was a track running, soft drink avoiding, cauliflower and banana eating kid.  He had a few favorites but I opened up a whole new world of sugar.  And he is a fast learner, I tell you.

Obviously, I survived but I think it might be because my mom, even though she worked full time, was  making healthy dinners from scratch to nourish my body and make it strong enough to handle my sugar crazed ways.  I know that as soon as I was not eating my mom's food, my sugar crazed ways caught up with me.  

But, I don't think I ever thought about sugar as a culprit until now.  I was trying to cut out high fructose corn syrup (because Dr. Oz told me to)  and was then looking at sugar at the new good guy.  I was buying Jones soda instead of  A & W and the Malt O Meal fake Frosted Mini Wheats instead of the real ones for that very reason.  

BUT, here are some things I have learned about sugar:

In the last 20 years Americans have increased sugar consumption from 26 to 135 pounds a year.  I even found one article that says the average is up to 175.  Whatever the case.  That is an insane amount.  I realized how hard it is to get away from sugar when we tried to cut it out for two weeks.  Not just candy and obvious sweets but breads, salad dressings, mayo, ketchup... most processed foods have added sugar.  


There are so many obvious health detriments (diabetes, obesity) linked so sugar, yet we still keep over eating it.  This article was just in the paper and it talked about the link between sugar and heart disease.  I had no idea.  I ran into tons of statistics about obesity.  Some of the most alarming were that 2/3 of adults in this country are overweight or obese.  That means that only 1/3 of the adults are a healthy weight!  Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year.  The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. This isn't just about looking cute in a swimsuit, is it?  


80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
***I want to make a note that this, as Karl's very not obese and very healthy eating diabetic cousin pointed out that it is TYPE II diabetes that is diet related. Not Type I.***
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
26% of obese people having high blood pressure


Here was another article in the paper the same day.  It talked about how over a quarter of Americans are too fat to fight for our country.  Whoa.  Sure hope nothing big happens.


I am not looking down on anyone.  I am just so surprised.  Did everyone else know this already?  I was so ignorant.  These statistic are surprising to me.  


But I was thinking about my kids.  Adults basically make their own choices.  Kids?  Well, it is my job to take care of my kids.  The latest statistics I could find were for 2006.  17% of kids age 6-11 were overweight.  I am sure it is higher now. Another said 16 go 33 %.  Those numbers make me sad.  I remember when I taught school, obviously after PE there was a noticeable difference, but simple things like hurrying down the hall were so much harder for the kids that were overweight.  It broke my heart.  There are enough hard things in life, walking down the hall should not be one of them.  Childhood obesity usually starts at 5 or 6.  That is when children's nutritional needs change.  At this point it is much less about just getting fat and calories into them and more about getting nutrient dense foods into them.  That means parents have to make the change because we all know that kids aren't going to start asking for more vegetables and less sugar.  We have to do it.


And what does sugar have to do with weight?  There is a whole lot of science behind it but all I needed to hear was this:  On my last post about healthy food, my friend commented that she cut out all sugar for 5 months.  The results?  She lost 25 pounds.  25!  No insane pills, shots, chemicals, miracles... Amazing, right?  There is a whole lot of science behind why this happens, something about how sugar basically overwhelms our body and we can't process it fast enough.  So fat happens.  But it isn't just the fat, it makes us sick, too.




By now you know I am no scientist and Itried my best to understand and this is what I can say, there are all these  complicated processes that include things like our liver, insulin levels, acidic environment, white blood cells... that in the end suppresses our immune system.  I was so surprised to read about this (in several different places, Google it, there are so many articles about this). It seems to make sense, though.  And here was me, "Oh, you don't feel good?  Here, have a Sprite/cup of sugar."  


About 4.2 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon.  I went downstairs and found a box of Toy Story fruit snacks that survived the purge.  13 grams for one package.  That is 3 teaspoons of straight sugar.  "Here kids, I need you to be quiet while I get this done, have 3 teaspoons of sugar and try to be good, okay?"  


My focus was on my kids (since I am a lot cause.  Just kidding.  My eating habits have changed drastically.  Perfect timing since I am not building a baby and  my baby is what I eat, right?).  So I was looking at how much sugar they should have.  The American Heart Association recommends 3 teaspoons.  That is right, one little bag of Toy Story fruit snacks.  But that would mean that they didn't have anything else with sugar the ENTIRE day.  The reality?  Kids are averaging 21 teaspoons a day.  That is 7 tablespoons.  That is almost 1/2 a cup!  Funny thing is, my first instinct is to say, "Good thing my kids don't have that much sugar."  But, if I add it up, I am sure they do.  So wrong of me to think that way.


We can actually be addicted to sugar.  I have felt it, I know people that are, and validations above all validations (right?)... I Googled it.  There are so many related articles about what it does and how to cut it.


The best thing we did was to cut it out for two weeks.  Knowing that it was only for two weeks.  Two weeks is doable.  Two weeks was enough to become aware.  Two weeks was enough to learn that I am capable of saying no.  I said no to teachers, friends, in-laws, my husband, my kids... everyone.  I never knew I had the strength.  I am a wuss most of the time.  It took a lot of courage for me, but I had a purpose and I did it.


Next, how I dealt with all this sugar love.