One Week Down

Update: It's been one week since the experiment began, and I have to say that it's going very well. Heath loves the "diet." I know it's because I'm preparing all the meals for him, and he doesn't have to lift a finger. I am preparing breakfast for all of us before work, usually hot cereal. I am also preparing lunch and something for Heath to take to work with him. It does take a little extra time, but no more than 25 minutes in the morning. I have peace of mind because I know that my family is well fed.

Groceries: I have devised a plan where I write out one week of meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I recently got the new 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. I also use the Healthy Cooking for Kids cookbook by Shelly Null. There are so many interesting recipes in both these books, and I won't need to stray from them for quite a while. I am also surprised that my grocery bill isn't skyrocketing like I thought it would. There are some extras that I am now purchasing:

organic cane sugar, organic confectioner's sugar: I have learned that regular granulated sugar is processed using animal bones. Gross.

Seventh Generation Dishwashing detergent: Heath raised an interesting point about eating healthy but not paying attention to the chemicals that your dishes are washed in...case in point. Switched to a better for the environment/better for the body detergent. Will soon be switching to a friendlier form of cleaning solutions for the house, more than likely.

Goal for this week: Getting as much sun as possible now that it's starting to get nice outside. I have been weaning down my Vitamin D3 to 4,000 I.U. starting today, because the best sources come from the sun. I am amazed at all the research that I find that supports how vital Vitamin D is to our health. Especially the little ones. Below is a link that has a lot of different information about Vitamin D3. There is also a handy guide to decipher how much one should be taking, if not in the sun daily. If in the sun, make sure you expose face and hands to the sun for about 10-15 minutes daily. This needs to be sans sunscreen, because sunscreen blocks some of the rays necessary to absorb Vitamin D. Just a small detail: Laila has been taking Vitamin D all winter long. She has been sick one day. And that was a small cold which she fought off quickly. And yes, she goes to daycare.

Link: http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm

Day 3

Sample day:
Breakfast- raw fruit salad with cinnamon on 6 oz strawberry soy yogurt
Snack (optional)- 1/4 c almonds, 1/4 c raisins
Lunch- whole wheat bagel sandwich with hummus spread, 3 slices avocado, 1/4 c sprouts, raw spinach, 1 c raw bell peppers, 1/2 c Kashi organic crackers
Dinner- black bean quesadillas, avocado on side, mixed raw bell peppers, 1 1/2 c jasmine rice
Dessert- 1 orange, 1/2 c fresh pineapple

This is what I ate today. I didn't eat the snack, but left it optional for Heath and Laila. I have been eating early, and not eating anything past 9 pm. I think this is working out the best, because I have been waking up feeling very refreshed and not bloated. I have had a lot more sharpness of mind during the day. I am not counting calories, and I don't eat until maximum fullness.

I must admit that this is the first time I have ever eaten raw bell peppers. I bought 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, and 1 green pepper. I didn't know how good they tasted! Laila even ate them, and wanted more. I read that kids will eat them if they are presented in different colors; my kid is proof of that.

Supplements: Laila takes a children's multivitamin from the health food store, and D3 (1,000 I.U.), plus a probiotic for kids. The days we don't eat a good source of omega-3 fats, we take Carlson's fish oil. 1 tsp for me, 1/2 for Laila. I also take 5,000 I.U. of D3 (with calcium), and a probiotic. I am hoping we can discontinue the D3 for most of the summer, once we are outside more and can get it from the sun.

Tidbit: Laila has dealt with eczema in the past, and I have found since she started the fish oil that it has ceased to exist.

Goal for the week: I don't want to throw out food at the end of the week. I read an article about how much food Americans throw away, and it was not cool. I know that the further we get into this journey, I will get used to how much we all eat every week. This should help me avoid throwing out any produce that has gone bad.