What's on the menu??

After doing all the reading that I've been doing online, and thinking through what my family enjoys eating, here is what I've decided I wanted to eliminate FIRST, in my baby steps toward a "cleaner" diet for my family:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup

Do you have ANY idea how many products that sweetener is in??

I didn't.

So I started looking through my cabinets and refrigerator.

It was everywhere.

Here's a partial list of where I found it hiding at my house:

Certain brands of store bought bread (every brand that I had, of course)

Go-gurt yogurt

Graham crackers

Heinz and Hunts Ketchup

Almost all brands of salad dressings (italian, french, etc.)

Ice cream

Premium (brand) Saltine Crackers

Many brands of store bought cereal

Seasoned bread crumbs (such as Pepperidge Farms!!)

Hotdogs

Here is another comprehensive list of products containing this ingredient:

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/06/09/foods_and_products_containing_high_fruct

2. Artificial Colors particularly Red #40, and the Yellows

I found this hiding in several unexpected places:

Nacho Cheese Doritos

Our jelly

Hawaiian Punch (this was not a surprise, but I didn't usually have this anyway)

Almost all cake mixes

Crystal light drink mix

Candy

3. MSG

(Monosodium glutamate....a flavor enhancer most notoriously used in Chinese food)

Here's where I've found this:

Some of those mix-it-yourself salad dressing mixes (in the packets) such as

Hidden Valley Ranch and that Italian Dressing in the glass shaker

Cream soups such as Cream of Mushroom

4. Reducing milk intake

For right now, I don't think I'm going to completely eliminate all dairy products.

We all really like our cow's milk ice cold!!

But we do like that Silk Chocolate Light Soy Milk.....yummy when processed in the blender with coffee ice cubes!!!

I'm allergic to almonds.....so don't start with the almond milk.

I have reduced our cow's milk consumption down to 4 gallons a week though. That's about 1/2 gallon per person a week at my house. (Probably a little more for those little people who

sneak in the fridge and drink out of the milk leaving their gum behind to turn the rest of the milk all "Minty" tasting....EWWW!!)

5. Using organic (less processed) sugars

I've been buying the organic cane juice crystal sugar from Costco instead of regular

white granulated sugar. Nobody knows the difference.

I try to stay away from brown sugar if I can and we've been sweetening our oatmeal

with pancake syrup (sugar free for the diabetic).

I'm also trying to sneak honey in where I can since my children aren't huge fans of it.

6. Much less convenience, high saturated fat laden snacks

I used to try to make it easy on myself and get those mini donuts really cheap at the outlet

store for Sunday morning breakfast.

Not anymore.

Too much high fructose corn syrup. Too much high saturated fats.

No more goldfish, or packaged snacks. Too much processing, too many chemicals, too much salt

.

No more hotdogs.....at least not on a regular basis. We used to eat them every Wednesday because they are cheap, quick, and everyone likes them!!

Here's what we do eat.

4+ pounds of fresh strawberries a week

10 pounds of apples a week

(Around) 5 pounds of little clementine oranges a week

Torilla strips from Costco with Hummus dip

Peanut Butter and "Schmucker's" low sugar concord grape jelly

on Nature's Own 100% whole wheat bread

Homemade casseroles and pasta dishes

Salad with homemade salad dressings

Hard boiled eggs (cage-free, hormone free chicken)

Cheerios

Home-made "instant" oatmeal

Rice chex

Homemade pancakes

Ground turkey

Chicken tenders

Raw baby carrots

Protein bars

Tomorrow I'm excited to share the AMAZING, very surprising benefits my husband and I have noticed since leaving out the above ingredients from our diet. I didn't notice any big changes until about 2 weeks into this, but they have been so good, that I won't be going back.

I'll also be sharing some of the recipes we are leaving behind and new ones we are enjoying!!

Stay tuned!!!

A great video that speaks to a better diet for the ADHD brain!

This is a great video that speaks clearly about how certain foods affect the functionality of an ADHD brain.

http://newideas.net/adhd/adhd-diet

Going through "the CHANGE"....

Don't worry. This isn't "the change" you might think of that usually begins to torment women somewhere around 50 years of age. Hopefully, that is still way off in my future.

But I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, along with a ton of reading online, about the nutritional benefit of changing the way my children are eating. Though Grant is still doing pretty well on his 3mg. daily dose of intuniv, he still struggles in a lot of areas. We still have emotional meltdowns (though they don't last nearly as long or are as frequent as they were before intuniv), and he still can be very touchy and very disrespectful to my husband and I. I'm not looking for a magic cure here, but I know we still can see more positive changes that do not require medication. I'm beginning to see that managing the hyperactivity, the volatile anger, the impulsiveness, the ugly side of ADHD has to come from a multi-faceted approach. We have experienced the benefits of changing up several things in our family dynamic, but we still have more progress to make. Some of the things we have done include:

**Getting an official diagnosis from a trained physician who knows what he's looking at when he sees a child with multiple issues challenging him/her.

** Completely ditching the homeschooling curriculum we used for several years, and going with something totally new to all of us. We were using ACE (which is a nightmare for the ADHD child) and have loved every minute of Math-U-See, and Shurley English.

**My husband made a concerted effort to move from a night shift to a day shift. This has allowed much more interaction with Dad as well as setting aside his day off (Monday) as our "Funday" where we incorporate a lot of field trips and just plain fun without a schedule. This has done a lot (and I believe will continue in the future) to build a great rapport with our children when many days we are correcting, and correcting, and correcting.

**Modifying the way we discipline our children. We've learned that spanking our ADHD son only causes him to escalate in his emotions. It has lost much of its effectiveness and only causes him deep, deep anxiety. Not just the normal "I don't want a spanking" kind of thing, but throwing chairs, screaming, mouthy disrespect that only escalated. We've learned what his "currency" is and that calming down in his room before having something of value (i.e. Xbox time or computer time) taken away for a time speaks so much louder to him than spanking ever did. Plus, we've found that reminding him of what we expect of him BEFORE we get in a public situation really helps him behave better.....especially if we express to him that we noticed his good behavior and especially if there is an unexpected award to go along with the praise!!! WOW!!

**Being willing to try some medication for him to see if it would help him gain some inner control and take that edge off of his anxiety so that he was calm enough to LEARN when we tried working with him. We needed him to be able to listen to US and not have his brain going crazy wild. He has had no side effects except for feeling sleepy some days in the afternoon. No loss of appetite, no crazy mood swings, no head or stomach aches. He has been taking intuniv now since January.

**I've noticed that he does indeed do pretty well on a rigid schedule. He gets bored when we let things slide and relax, and then he starts bugging people. He is constantly looking for something to be moving or playing with. If I have it all laid out for him, it seems to help him know what the next thing is and how long before it is coming.

We have noticed a tremendous change in our son since implementing all these changes, but I know there is still more that we need to try. I've been hearing on the ADHD forum, that has been a tremendous support to me, that some people have found unexpected, surprising benefits of making some changes to their diets. Here are some of the things I've been reading that have gotten me to thinking:

The fact of the matter is what we put in our bodies affects our mental state. Our bodies and minds are bio-chemical machines running on the fuel given to them. Diet is not a cause of ADHD, but diet can and does affect our child's mental state, and they have enough going on up there that they don't need to try thinking through dairy and sugar clouds.

http://www.4-adhd.com/article2.html

My son starts getting distracted from lack of fuel and begins to become more emotional about 3 hours after his last meal. The longer he goes from that point, the worse it gets, and nothing is going to help him when he's at that state. There are a number of arguments about whether medication is the way to go with ADHD children. I leave that between you and your doctor. What I will say is if his meals are not regular and balanced, and if they are absent of foods that are nutritious but more difficult to prepare, medications are not going to matter.

http://www.4-adhd.com/internet-addiction.html

New scientific research proves children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) function better if they spend part of their day outdoors in nature.

The research results were very specific. In order to improve ADHD symptoms, the children in the study had to be outdoors in a natural setting.

http://www.4-adhd.com/greentimeadhd.html

Finding Out if it is ADD ADHD or Food Allergies

What NOT to eat for TWO WEEKS: the first step in this ADHD Diet

First, let's find out if there are food allergies causing the ADHD symptoms or behaviors. Eliminate these foods for two weeks, then get ready to add them back in to the ADHD diet...

• NO DAIRY PRODUCTS, especially cow's milk.

  This is the single most important restriction. The American Pediatric Association estimates that a significant percentage of all children are allergic to milk. Instead try Almond milk, Rice milk, or Better Than Milk. And drink lots of water instead of milk for two weeks.

• NO YELLOW FOODS. Especially Corn or Squash. Bananas are white, but don't eat the peel. About 1/1000 people have problems with the stuff that makes these foods yellow in color.
• NO JUNK FOODS. If it comes in a cellophane wrapper, don't eat it. Stop eating junk food and your brain will work better. Junk foods tend to be very high in sugars and carbohydrates, and our brains get fuzzy and our kids get more hyperactive when sugars and carbohydrates are eaten together.
• NO FRUIT JUICES. They have too much sugar. One small glass of apple juice has the sugar content of eight apples. Later on you can have juice, but for now if you have to have any juice just dilute it with water 50/50.
• CUT SUGAR INTAKE BY 90%. If you can, cut it down to zero. Sugar is in just about everything, but give it a try. Do your best to reduce your sugar intake without going crazy.
• CUT CHOCOLATE BY 90%. No more than a single piece, once a week.
• NO NUTRASWEET. None. Period. Never. It's bad for you. It is bad for your brain.
• NO PROCESSED MEATS and NO MSG. Only get meats with labels that say, “Turkey and Water,” etc. If the meat has chemicals listed that you can't pronounce, don't buy it and don't eat it.
• CUT FRIED FOODS BY 90%.
• AVOID FOOD COLORINGS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. See if your child is sensitive to any particular colors, such as Reds, Yellows, etc. For now, though, avoid all if possible.
• AVOID FISH. We hate to say this, as there used to be so many benefits to eating fish, especially the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) or Omega Oils. But the problem these days is that the mercury levels in most fish is simply too high to be either safe or healthy. Mercury is the second most toxic metal on earth, and is a terrible neuro-toxin. Until we clean up the oceans and the rivers of mercury, just don't eat it. Sorry.

SUMMARY: Just eat foods that God made for a while. Eat like people did in the 1940's, or the 1840's. Go to a used book store and get some good old cook books for recipe ideas. There really are about 10,000 meals that you CAN eat. Just not much in the way of “fast foods” or “convenience” foods.

http://newideas.net/adhd/adhd-diet

Here are some more links also:

http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/adhd_diet.htm

http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/adhd_recipes.htm

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1659835,00.html

http://blog.naturalremedies4add.com/2009/02/02/high-fructose-corn-syrup-horrible-for-addadhd/

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/9-ingredients-to-avoid-in-processed-foods-1268429/

http://www.nativeremedies.com/articles/adhd-feingold-diet.html

So, I've begun to wonder how in the world I should go about experimenting with a different approach to the foods we eat. Where do I start? I certainly agree that our bodies are very chemically based. Our bodies were designed by the amazing Creator God to chemically transform the food we eat into energy that keeps every system in our bodies functioning. So it makes sense that the better and more nutritionally sound the food, the better our bodies can work the way it was designed to.

I also am learning that the ADHD brain operates and responds to stimulus differently than what is usually considered "normal". Sometimes I wish Americans would really think through what "normal" is and if that's really how we want to box everyone in, but that's another soapbox discussion for another time. The Lord God created all species of every living thing as well as non-living with great complexity and variety. What would this world be like if we all looked the same or thought the same or reacted the same or behaved the same? Anyway, because we are looking for a more focused, clear, sharp, fully functioning brain in our children which facilitates better interpretation of their environment as well as the ability to control impulsive behaviors, I'm researching what others have found to be the most helpful in achieving these goals in the areas of smarter nutrition.

This week I'll be talking name brand food items that we have eliminated as well as things we have added in their place. Come on back tomorrow!!!

An update on Ashlyn's Type 1 Diabetes

Yesterday was Ashlyn's regular 3 month visit at the endocrinologist's office. We had a great visit.

She is still on manual injections to control her blood sugar levels, and she usually has to test her BS levels 4-5 times a day.

Her carbohydrate to insulin ratio is currently at :

Breakfast 1:7

Lunch 1:6

Dinner 1:7

She takes Humalog as her short acting insulin at mealtimes and uses the pen.

Her long acting insulin, Lantus, is taken only at bedtime.

She is currently on 18 units daily, and takes that by syringe.

Her endocrinologist mentioned today that he wants her to get prepared to move to the pump. We just so do not want to do that. She doesn't want it and I don't want to have to keep up with it. I hope he doesn't demand this of us, or treat us like we're idiots for wanting to stick with the insulin delivery system that we are most comfortable with and can keep good control of her BS levels with.

Her A1C level was 7.7 today!!!

That's a great number, and one we've been camping out on for nearly 6 months now!!

For those not familiar with this diabetic lingo, the A1C number gives you a ballpark figure

of your blood sugar levels for the last 3 months.

Last month she had her bi-annual visit to the dentist. She had a giant cavity on one of her childhood molars, but the dentist wasn't about to go to the expense of filling it since it was loose and on its way out anyway. That puppy came out in church yesterday morning.

She also had her very first visit with our ophthalmologist last week. She had been doing funny things with her eyes all-of-a-sudden, and couldn't tell us why. She would turn her head and look out the corners of her eyes, or would tilt her head down and look out the tops of her eyes. She never scratched at her eyes or complained they were itching even mildly. We waited for about a week after she stopped doing this, but then she started up again. Our eye doctor did a very thorough exam and found nothing wrong with her eyes except for some new allergies that were bothering her. Some eye allergy drops will fix the itching that was making her feel like she had to look out the corner of her eyes. Her vision is perfect and he even said she has absolutely no prescription whatsoever!! He dilated her pupils to get pictures of her retinas so he would have a baseline idea of what her eyes look like normally in case there are any changes related to her diabetes. He also showed us pictures of the diabetic eye of a person who was not in good control of their blood sugar levels. Some pretty scary stuff!!

This week I will be talking at length about some dietary changes that I have made around our house in hopes of better managing more of Grant's ADHD issues. One of the surprising, unexpected benefits has been the enormous change in Ashlyn's blood sugar levels. In the last 2-3 weeks since making some of these dietary changes, her blood sugar levels have almost always been in her normal ranges (80-150) where before we were chasing down high levels (225-400) almost EVERY time she tested. I'm so excited about that and hoping that at her next endocrinologist visit in late August, we'll find her A1C level even lower!!!!

Thoughts on Mother's Day

I thought I might share with you some places I've visited this week that have encouraged my ponderings on this great calling of motherhood. Some of these sites have some really fun ideas of things you can make with your children. "Annies homepage" has tons and tons of links to loads and loads of different things pertaining to Mother's Day.

My heart was particularly burdened this week for the precious lady in the very last blog I've listed here. She was 20 weeks pregnant with her second baby and lost that baby last Saturday. This was her second time losing a baby at 20 weeks. How difficult this Mother's Day will be for her. Maybe you'll want to wander over to her spot and encourage her anonymously?

I hope that tomorrow you'll savor the day if you're a mother, and encourage those mothers around you that have helped shoulder your own load, as well as love on your own mother or the person who "mothered" you. Enjoy!!!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

III John 4

http://www.executivehomemaker.com/2010/04/mothers-day-activities-for-the-kids/

http://www.annieshomepage.com/mothersday.html

http://sahmissionary.blogspot.com/2010/04/practical-vision-for-young-moms-3-cs.html

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/05/10-point-manifest-for-joyful-mothering.html

http://thehomespunheart.blogspot.com/2010/05/gift-of-motherhood-giveaway.html

http://ladyofvirtue.blogspot.com/2010/04/life-on-fringe.html

http://mybatesmotel.blogspot.com/

Updating our family pictures

Spring in Texas means several things.

Wild storms, beautiful sunshine, allergies,

and

bluebonnets.

See.....here in Texas,

the bluebonnet is the state flower

and only pops out for a few weeks in March or April.

You never know exactly when you'll start seeing them or how long they will last.

The previous winter's precipitation affects how thick and beautiful they are and with the heavy snows we received this past winter, the bluebonnets were especially grand.

You start noticing them in little patches along the road, here and there,

and before long,

they are splashed in huge purplish swaths all along the highways and open fields.

Rumor has it that it's against the law to pick them.

So we always see people stopped along the interstate,

climbing the embankments,

taking pictures of their children.

Since it had been 2 years since our last set of family pictures, I thought it might be fun to try

to get some new ones done in 2010. Usually we have family pictures made at the end of the year so we can use them for Christmas photos. But this year I suggested to my husband that we try to get them made while the bluebonnets were out. This is also the same time that we are celebrating our wedding anniversary, and most of our children are having their birthdays.

This year, the week of our birthday bash was perfect especially because we were

also on spring break from school.

Another reason I thought we might try to get our family pictures made early this year is because our favorite long-time friend/photographer is due to have her 6th baby in September, so I was thinking it would be nice to get them done before she has her baby.

We asked her if she could help us find a great place for pictures this year,

and she didn't let us down.

The best place to get pictures with the bluebonnets is usually along the

embankment of the highway somewhere.

They blanket up behind you and are just glorious.

The trick is always finding a place where there isn't much traffic,

and where these wildflowers haven't been trampled by previous hunters

of good portrait locations.

We think our friend found an amazing spot.

May is building her house.....

May is building her house. With apple blooms

She is roofing over the glimmering rooms;

Of the oak and the beech hath she builded its beams,

And, spinning all day at her secret looms,

With arras of leaves each wind-sprayed wall

She pictureth over, and peopleth it all

With echoes and dreams,

And singing of streams.

May is building her house. Of petal and blade,

Of the roots of the oak, is the flooring made,

With a carpet of mosses and lichen and clover,

Each small miracle over and over,

And tender, traveling green things strayed.

Her windows, the morning and evening star,

And her rustling doorways ever ajar

With the coming and going

Of fair things blowing,

The thresholds of the four winds are.

May is building her house. From the dust of things

She is making the songs and the flowers and the wings;

From October's tossed and trodden gold

She is making the young year out of the old;

Yea: out of winter's flying sleet

She is making all the summer sweet,

And the brown leaves spurned of November's feet

She is changing back again to spring's.

~~Richard La Gallienne