Food for thinking

I wanted to share some lasting truths I've learned. A good bedtime routine with kids starts with a good dinner, preferrably prepared fresh with lots of vegetables that everyone is helping to chop. A good dinner starts with a clean kitchen. Nobody wants to cook or eat in a messy kitchen, but, there's just no avoiding eating if you want to live! And eating vegetables if you want to live long and well.

I just watched the first episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on hulu.com. It was good! I think I saw him on Oprah or some other talk show years ago, so I'm surprised the people in the show are so resistant to him. But, it's hard to change an institution like a school and it's hard to change lazy eating habits.

The timing is just right, because I'm starting a food revolution in my home, too. One son suffers from chronic constipation, so I took him to a nutritionist to find out why. He asked us what we eat and he told me that my son is 'starving,' nutrionally speaking of course, not in terms of quantity of food. We eat a typical American diet of processed and sugary foods, with fast food at least twice a week.

He suggested I read, "Gut and Psychology Syndrome," by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. So, I ordered it and have gotten up to chapter Five. What it comes down to so far is that all diseases start in the gut, and the gut affects the brain. And pretty much anyone who has ever taken anti-biotics will have an unhealthy balance of good and bad bacteria in the intestines, leading to all kinds of problems. Even if you haven't taken antibiotics because of an illness, you're likely getting them from the meat you eat, unless you know it's organic or cage free or whatever. Antibiotics kill good and bad bacteria, but don't affect Candida, but with the good bacteria gone then it flourishes and can grow roots through the wall of the intestine, causing leaky gut, letting toxins or undigested food get into the bloodstream. This is how food allergies or intolerances develop. Doctors used to prescribe a Candida killer after every round of antibiotics, but about 10 years ago they stopped doing that. Candida also thrives on sugar and wheat.
But, if you get the good bacteria back, and get the Candida in check, then food intolerances might go away.
It's very interesting. I think everyone should read it.

So, I'm on board with Jamie. It's time for a food revolution in America.

Funny Big Girl

Not to be outdone by her 13 year-old second cousin that created a Bananagrams grid using the word "antidisestablishmentarianism," my 15 year-old created this grid. (She had to turn a couple of 'u's sideways to have enough 'c's.)

She did have a little pile of leftover letters, so she doesn't get full points for using all her letters. Oh, and as for the crazy background that it is on, she chose that rug, too.

Funny Little Girl

My six year-old posted a clock on the door of her room and said that no one can enter when the long hand is between the two lines on each side of the six.



Her birthday is about half a year away, but she sure talks about it a lot! She decided to make her own birthday card, but on her first attempt the letters wouldn't all fit on the page, so this time, she had me write "Happy Birthday" and then she decorated it.

It's nice to have a kid who knows how to plan ahead!