Week Five

Making it Easy for Mom

I’m just a mom on a budget, trying to keep my family healthy.

"In 2001, Newsweek reported that six million kids in America were seriously overweight.  We have tripled that number in a decade, and the numbers are now surpassing twenty million.  Yet for all the media attention, visibility, discussion, and weight loss programs, even Michelle Obama can't put the genie back in the bottle."  Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

Lustig, Robert H., M.D. (2012) Fat Chance:  Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.  New York, NY:  Penguin Group.

Weren't we just saying last week that our children today are facing so many issues.  Could our fat intake be directly related to our brain's ability to function?  We have eliminated foods that contain real, natural fat, and look where we are,  sick, overweight, and miserable.  Wouldn't it be nice to look AND feel good?  What if the combination of real food with fat, not eating sugar, good sleep and supplementation could help our children, and us, to be emotionally stable, educationally ready to learn, and happier people.  Wouldn't that be fantastic?  Only you can make that change.  Perhaps it's time to explore adding real fat into your diet.   

Book Recommendation: Brain Building Nutrition:  How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical, and Emotional Intelligence

Schmidt, Michael A. PhD. (2007)  Brain Building Nutrition:  How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical, and Emotional Intelligence.  Berkeley, CA: Frog Books.

I've mentioned often how important fat is in our diet.  Brain Building Nutrition:  How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical, and Emotional Intelligence,  is an incredible resource for anyone looking to  nourish their brain so it can function at its best.  Our brains need specific types of fat to be able to achieve the highest standard of ability.  Schmidt explores the impact of fat in our diets related to bipolar disorder, age-related memory loss, reading and learning problems in children, and intelligence in children.  The book opens with a quiz to check your fatty acid intake levels.  It's simple, but accurate.  

Brain Building Nutrition helps to steer the reader in the direction of good fats and good fatty acids.  Do you remember when I said last week to buy fresh fish not farmed?  This is based on the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.  We eat fish to get omega-3 fatty acids, but when a fish is farmed, the fish eats grains, usually GM (genetically modified) grains full of omega-6 fatty acids.  Essentially you are missing out on the true benefit of fish.  We are eating too many omega-6 fatty acids in everything we eat.  Therefore our natural balance is a mess.  This book will also teach you the factors that might be blocking your ability to make your own brain fats.  The Appendix is an amazing resource to show you a step by step process to heal and recover your brain's ability to function at a peak level.  

So get reading, and start watching the physical and mental changes in yourself.  It won't take long for you to be convinced we need good fats too.

Something my kids have taught me this week:  For some unknown reason, I don't ask my kids for much help around the house (perhaps I am a controlling perfectionist?).  In fact, my son recently told me, "boys don't clean", and I realized that I am not doing him any favors by not showing  him how to help.  So we created an age appropriate chore chart.  And the best part?  They get stickers for their sticker charts if they do their chores without attitude or being asked.  Another situation where everyone wins!  

Brain Power:  Game: What am I going to say?  I must give credit here to the kids because they created this game.  We play it a lot to help my four-year old with her speech, remember "fwen"?  Basically you say two words out loud, and then you ask which word am I going to say, and you form your mouth to the beginning sound of the word, but don't say it.  For example, you can give the words cat and mouse.  I bet you are saying the words right now, aren't you?  Notice how differently the shape of your lips and mouth begin for each word.  It's fun, and I'm sure creates all sorts of good connections in their brains.   

Methods to get your kids to eat new foods: I received a question asking about how to get your kids to try new veggies.  The key word here is try because once they have tried them, about 10-13 times, they will eat them because they like them.  They might not like every veggie, but they will find some to be delicious.  I have found that giving the raw version of the fruit or veggies is the tastiest, and let's be honest, easier to prepare.  On top of that, the raw version is almost always the most nutritious way to eat veggies and fruits.  Okay, drumroll please...I bribe my kids.  Isn't that what all good parents do?  Here is strategy four of six. 

Method 4:  Let them pick:  Just as I mentioned before, when you allow your child to control the situation, he or she is more likely to eat.  Perhaps you could put 4-5 kinds of veggies on a plate and have your child pick one or two.  If he or she is still resistant, remind them that you are not leaving the table until you pick and try one.  If that threat isn't going so well, switch to bite for bite.  But stand firm.  

You might also want to leave out veggies and fruits in an area they can walk by and pick one without being told to do it.  In the picture shown, you see my "play date snack holder".  When we host a play date, I fill it up with healthy choices and just leave it out.  On this occasion, my kids decided it would be "green day", and yes in the bottom right hand cube, those are the amazing kale chips.  Many times parents say to me that their child has never tasted broccoli or carrots or whatever is in the holder.  Simply by leaving it out and not giving other options, kids eat.  Positive peer pressure also helps in this situation. 

And for the record, the kale chips were the first item devoured.  

Featured Food:  Chile Cheese

Chile Cheese

Or at least that's what we called it growing up.  This can be a dip or a sauce to put on top of food.  We use it on eggs, meat and potatoes, or tacos.  What you do is cut up one yellow onion, 3-5 jalapenos (with seeds to make it spicy, without for  a milder taste), one large tomato, and 2 cloves of garlic.  In a pot put some olive oil and fry up your onion, garlic and jalapenos.  When the onions are transparent, add enough gluten free flour to give everything a light coating of flour.  Next slowly add water to make it saucy not thick, but not too thin either.  Let that simmer for a few minutes.  Check that it isn't too thick.  Then add as much shredded cheese (we use cheddar or a Mexican blend) that your heart desires.  Also add some salt to taste.  And then throw in your cut up tomato.  Let that all simmer for a bit, and there you go, Chile Cheese sauce.  

Snacks:  
-Fruit
-Organic Cheese Sticks
-Olives
-Nuts

Grocery List:  This is based on a family of four.

Produce:  This week I will be buying apples, bananas, pears and clementines.  I get organic apples and pears.  The bananas and clementines are conventionally grown.  Do you know how to tell the difference with the stickers on your produce?  If it begins with a 9, then it’s organic.  If it begins with a 3 or 4, then it’s conventionally grown.  If it begins with an 8, then it’s a GMO.  Costco, as much as I love them, has a lot of produce that is genetically modified.  At Costco look above the produce at the sign, if there is no sticker on the produce.  The number on the sign will tell you how it was grown.  

-1 bag of organic apples
-1 bag of organic pears
-2 bunches of bananas
-1 bag of clementines
-2 large boxes of either organic spinach, organic lettuce or one of each
-2 red onions
-10-15 avocados (good fats!)
-3 yellow onions
-3 large tomatoes
-2 organic cucumbers
-2 organic bell peppers (whatever color for salads)
-3 bunches of organic green onions
-2 limes
-4 organic baking potatoes
-3-5 jalapenos
-Bunch of organic garlic
-Bunch of fresh organic cilantro

Meat:
-Bacon, sausage or both to add to your morning eggs
-Lunch meat
-2 lbs grass fed beef stew meat
-Rotisserie chicken for Tuesday night’s dinner (best to get on Tuesday)
-1-2 lbs of grass fed ground beef
-2 organic or free range chicken breasts

Cold Stuff:
-Organic Cheese Sticks
-3-4 dozen cage free or organic eggs
-Van’s frozen waffles
-2 large bags of mild roasted green chiles
-Tub of cream cheese
-3 bags of organic mexican shredded cheese
-1 box of organic butter
-Small tub of organic sour cream
-1 container Organic Valley heavy cream
-1 loaf of Udi’s gluten free bread

-Bag of organic cheese sticks

Dry Stuff:
-Olives
-Nuts for snacking
-Mary’s Gone Crackers
-Can of organic corn
-1 box organic chicken stock
-1 package of corn tortillas
-Bag of almond accents
-Canned salmon (for Friday’s lunch, one can per person)
-Package of tortillas (if you want)

-Can of almonds

-Container of olives from the olive bar

Check your pantry:
-Olive Oil
-Coconut Oil
-Gluten free flour
-Salt
-Pepper
-Garlic Powder
-Onion Powder
-Paprika

Breakfast:  At this point I hope you agree with me that a breakfast filled with protein is a wonderful way to start your day.  Your blood sugar is balanced and you feel great.  So, let’s keep it up.

Option 1:  Eggs with veggies, bacon or sausage, or an omelette is great too.  I put secret things in the center of the omelette.  The kids think it’s fun.  You can cook your eggs in butter or try coconut oil.  We use organic, cold pressed coconut oil.  Costco has huge tubs for $15.00.  That is a great price and it tastes great too.  

Option 2: Protein shake or Van’s waffles

Monday:
Breakfast: Option 1

Lunch:  Salad with meat and/or hard boiled eggs
You can choose what to put in your salad, spinach, avocado, red onion, etc..., but also add your hard boiled eggs, and some lunch meat.  Top it with some shredded cheese.  If you like almond accents, add a few of these too.  Eat some fruit too.  

Dinner:  Green Chile Stew
I first have to apologize if you aren’t from TX or NM because you can’t get our Hatch, NM green chiles.  You’ll have to improvise.  Or if you know my Mom, she has a hoarder's stash in the garage freezer. She might share. Start with 2 lbs grass fed beef stew meat.  Brown your meat with 1-2 cubed yellow onions.  When the meat is browned and the onions are transparent, add about 3 Tablespoons of gluten free flour.  Let that brown and coat your beef and onions.  Then add water until it is soupy.  You want it thick, but not too thick.  Then add salt, pepper, a bag of mild roasted green chiles, and 2 cubed tomatoes.  Let it cook for about an hour.  You can also put it in the crock pot on low.  

Make some avocado cups and fruit too.

Tuesday:
Breakfast:  Option 1

Lunch:   Eat some leftover green chile stew.  It tastes even better day two.  

Dinner: Rotisserie Chicken Salad
I love the Costco rotisserie chicken.  They have no MSG, no preservatives, and no hormones.  While they aren’t organic or free-range, they are the best I’ve found.  So we usually just cut up the chicken and put it on top of a big salad.  I like it with spinach and lettuce mixed, tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, bell peppers, and avocados.  You can make your dressing with fresh squeezed lime and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to your liking.  Very easy dinner, huh?

Wednesday:
Breakfast:  Option 1

Lunch:  Meat roll-ups
Use about 5-6 pieces of meat and roll each one up with some cream cheese.  Sometimes I put green onions in the cream cheese too.  I like to eat these with Mary's Gone Crackers.  Make sure to eat some fruit too.  

Dinner:  Meat, Potatoes, and Corn (and make some Chile Cheese too)
This is a recipe from week three.  I feel like a Wednesday is a good day to make something we already know.  I brown about 1-2 lbs of ground beef.  In a separate pan I fry in a little olive oil with about 4 peeled, cubed brown baking potatoes.  I season the potatoes with garlic powder, onion powder and salt.  Then when everything is cooked, I combine the meat and potatoes together and add a can of organic corn.  I top this with some chile cheese.  I also cut avocados in half (we eat them plain and scoop them out with a spoon) and cut up some fruit.  Perfectly balanced, healthy, fast meal.  

Thursday:
Breakfast:  Option 1

Lunch:  Make a burrito out of the dinner from last night.  Or just put some in a tupperware and eat it without the tortilla.  

Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas
Okay boil 2 chicken breasts and then shred them.  Season the shredded chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.  

Then make your sauce.  Take about a half a stick of butter and melt it.  When it’s melted add about 3 Tbsps of gluten free flour.  Let that brown.  Then pour in ⅔ of a box of chicken stock.  Add about 1 cup of sour cream.  Season this sauce with paprika, salt and garlic powder.  Add one half of your bag of green chiles to this sauce.  Let it all simmer.  

In a separate pan, put a little olive oil and fry up the shredded chicken with one cubed onion and half the bag of green chiles.  Then add some heavy cream to make it creamy, but not soupy.  Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Next warm up your corn tortillas either in the microwave of the oven.  You just want them to be warm enough to be flexible without breaking.  Then roll up each tortilla with the chicken mixture and some shredded cheese on top.  You will put them in a large pyrex.  Once all your enchiladas have been rolled up, pour the sauce mixture over the entire creation.  I always add another layer of shredded cheese on top.  Cover the pyrex with tinfoil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  

When you take them out of the oven, top with fresh organic cilantro.

Make a salad for the side, and some fruit for dessert.

Friday:  We are Catholic, so no meat during Lent on Fridays.  Also we fast on Fridays, so there will only be one real meal at lunch.
Breakfast:  Option 2

Lunch: Canned Salmon Salad Sandwich
Costco has cans of wild Alaskan pink salmon.  I use one can for each person.  I mix it with cream cheese, green onions and almond accents.  I season it with salt and pepper.  Then I put it on a sandwich with Udi’s gluten free bread.  You can add some spinach on the sandwich too.  

Dinner: Salad
A great time to use up all your veggies and lettuce.  Pour some nuts and avocados on that salad too.  You can also add a hard boiled egg and some cheese.