Wait! What? Mick's up with a Fad?

Those who know me know that I do not like to go with the norm... not punk style... just unique.  If something is a fad, I stay far, far away.  

Recently, I was chuckling at my kidderz and their uniquenesses.  They don't purposely do things to rebel against society, or at least I don't think they do.  It's just part of them.  

What do you think of as a pasttime for a nice winter day?

For example, one unseasonably warm and gorgeous day this winter, my son said, "I'm going to go string up my hamock."  He was curious at my amusement.  What struck me so funny is that I don't know anyone else who would think, "go string up my hamock," when saying, "what a beautiful day it is."  Some may want to go lay in their hamock, but to him, the "hike" accompanied by the process of stringing up a hamock is the attraction.  

Similarly, I like the adventure of being my own person.  Tell me I'm following some trend, and I actually take it as an insult.  

That's why my heart was saddened when it finally hit me that I'm doing a typical thing for people my age... the over-forty crowd.  We've lived (and eaten) the way we want to for quite a few years (most-likely because we've gotten married and comfortable), and now we woke up to the fact that we won't live forever.

It becomes a time of looking seriously at taking care of ourselves, to improve our quality of life, to "be there" for our kidderz and grandkidderz, to ward off chronic disease and the "c" word, and to look better and feel better about ourselves.  

                      Those of you who have started this change early in life... 

                   Good on ya!  

                      It's best to start early and kick all the bad habits 

                    before they become so ingrained that you feel like 

                    you've punished yourself for the life you lived.  

                      For those of you who are closer to my age
                     (and maybe even in an older generation)... 

                  Don't think it's too late!  

                     The way we've lived in the past does not have to be who we are.  

                     (That goes for spiritual lives, as well as the physical and mental.)  

                     It doesn't have to define us.  

Oops.  A pep talk popped in.  

Now, back to the fad idea.

As you can tell from the above statement, "it finally hit me," I was not in this health kick for the trendiness.  It was to be a lifestyle change to improve my hubby's quality of life (and as a bonus, my own) and teach my kidderz the better way to live and the right choices to make.  However, the fact that some people look at it as a fad has discouraged us as a family.  We are now working our way back to what we know to be truth and health.  

Please don't let this be a passing fad for you.  Please don't just be "in a phase" at this particular point in life.  

Realize how important it really is, if you want to be the best you can be for your family, for God, for your friends, for your employer, for keeping your job, and for yourself.  

Don't worry.  We won't be part of a fad for long.  It'll blow away eventually, but we know what really works, and we'll be all the healthier and stronger for it.  We might not be "in style" any more, but we'll be wiser.  

In the words of Dave Ramsey:  

"Live like no one else,

so that later you can live like no one else!"

~

“Enter through the narrow gate. 

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, 

and many enter through it. 

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, 

and only a few find it."

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Mick’s up with Accountability

As we look at our stress levels and attitude toward each day’s events, let’s also look at who we hang around.

Dave Ramsey says in his lessons in Financial Peace University:  If you want to be rich, talk to rich people, and do what rich people do.

Why don’t we look at that for our health and wellness, too.  Doesn’t it make sense to seek out people you want to be like?  I’m not saying you should be judgmental and snobbish.  We certainly are placed in people’s lives to make a difference, for the glory of God.  However, you can’t constantly give without refueling… and how you refuel is important.  We can view this in a spiritual sense as well as in a health sense.

Think about it.  If weight loss is your goal, but you are regularly joining in get-togethers with friends who eat out constantly… and not healthily… then isn’t that going to have a negative impact on your health?

That’s why it’s always helpful to have an accountability partner… again, spiritual and wellness.  You know how difficult it is to “diet” and cook healthy meals at home, when the rest of the family is still eating the same stuff you are all familiar with… the stuff that you now realize is keeping you from being fit.  It’s not easy stepping out of that comfort zone with your family… so you can imagine it seems almost impossible to make the necessary changes without the support of your family.

Bring somebody along on the journey with you.

I explained this concept to my 8-year-old daughter last month.  After spending time with friends, I asked her if she noticed how addicting the munchies seemed to be to those we were with.  She did.  I then pointed out what ingredients made up the munchies, and I asked her if she thought those were what we like to include in our foods.  She knows they are not.  I asked her if she thought the friends seem to be a healthy bunch.  She understood that they are not.  I then explained that, just because the munchies had the word “veggie” in the name, the friends thought they were healthy.  To them, healthy and tasty meant they should eat more!  By not paying attention to the ingredients, the friends got pulled into thinking they were eating something good for them, and they allowed themselves to get hooked on the taste.

The moral of the story is:  Just because the name sounds healthy, and just because your friends are eating it, does not mean the food is guaranteed to be a healthy choice.  As I’ve said before, look at the ingredients, and know what you’re looking out for!  If you’re hanging around people with similar health goals, you can help each other out, and you won’t get drawn to bad eating habits… at least not without facing your accountability partner.

Seek out an accountability partner today!

…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

~

Do You Have a Mick’s up with Sugar Addiction

When our family began living our new lifestyle of health and wellness one year ago, I knew I’d be the one with the most difficulty.  That surprised my husband, who we always teased as being the big sugar fiend.  However, I knew cutting out sugar all together would not be easy for me.

Why did I think it would be so difficult for me?  Being the person in charge of grocery shopping and kitchen organization, I can easily hide things from the rest of the family.  They don’t have to know when I’m eating something sugary.  I know what’s best, and I love them and want the best for them, so I guide them in doing the right thing… but if my craving gets too bad, I can sneak a treat.

The crazy thing is: it’s not such a treat. 

Have you ever noticed that?  You really, really want that sugar, and so you convince yourself you can have it and it’ll be awesome… but after the fact, you wish you hadn’t done it, and you wonder why you thought you couldn’t live without it.

Through posts from glutenologist Dr. Osborne, I ran across some links today that I hope will be very helpful to those of you who struggle with sugar addiction.  You aren’t sure?  Take a test for Self Diagnosis Quiz - Sugar Addiction?!!

If you have decided it’s time to do something about it, CONGRATULATIONS!  Actually taking a step toward breaking that addiction puts you in a rare category.

“One of the most important things about breaking a sugar addiction is learning how to think differently about sugar and how you resist temptation in your life.  Because if you get off sugar but don’t know how to stay off it, that is something that can be very frustrating.” (Samantha Taylor - Sugar Addiction Specialist)

So, how did we do it?  How did we cut our sugar addictions?  We had to be extreme.

All sugar and grains were eliminated from the house… and no longer purchased.  We no longer consumed sugar of any kind.  I was very strict about this for the first 30 days, because we wanted to set a solid foundation for our new lifestyle.  I personally felt it would be foolish for us to ease into it, because we would be wasting money on some things that go totally against our goal, while we also spent lots of money on other things that took us in the direction of our goal.  I would not allow that contradiction in the house… nor in the budget.  (If you follow Dave Ramsey’s advice to pay for groceries with cash and the guidelines of a budget, you find yourself less likely to spend it on indulgences, thus helping in dropping that sugar habit.)  Another reason I had us go “whole hog” into the new lifestyle of no sugar is that I know if I don’t make myself do it like that, I’ll never do it.  If the temptation is nearby, I don’t have the willpower to say, “No!”

After a while, of course, the family started wondering if they’d ever taste anything sweet again.  That’s when I started getting wise to the healthier sweeteners and what recipes are out there to assist in healthy eating.  Plus, we have learned to plan ahead, so we can splurge on sugar once in a while.  We have to remember to use some constraints, or else we’re tempted to go overboard.

It is a matter of the mind.  Do what it takes to make yourself stop eating sugar, even if it’s checking into Sugar Addiction Solution.  Getting off sugar is worth it in the long run.  I can’t even express to you how much it is worth it!

Don’t let yourself believe you’re too weak to succeed.  You can do it!

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)

~

Have You Gotten a Mick’s up of Chiropractic

You might have gathered by now that I am very thankful for chiropractic care.  I never used to know why chiropractic is so good for me, but I just knew I felt better and was healthier when I received regular care. 

I am so thankful my parents became friends with a chiropractor so many years back, which first introduced us to this form of healthcare.

I’m thankful I found a wonderful office through the yellow pages and got back into regular chiropractic care, when I was pregnant with our first child, after I discovered chiropractic is excellent for pregnant ladies.  I was no longer in pain, regained comfortable sleep during those crucial months, improved my attitude, and later had a healthy baby because of chiropractic.

It is amazing to me the gifts God has given chiropractors:  the skill to be able to feel each bone in the spine and know it by name; the precision for moving the proper bone in the necessary manner; the understanding of where each nerve leads and what it helps, as well as what is hurt when it is not able to function properly; the compassion to care for each patient and their needs; even the knowledge of all other bones in the skeletal system, so as to aid in supplying answers for bewildered patients.

If you have not yet discovered the world of chiropractic, I urge you to do yourself a favor and look into it.

Listen to what Dr. Patrick Gentempo, owner of the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance, says: “Now that this whole wellness revolution has come into this world, chiropractic is expanding and growing because we've had such great training….  Chiropractic is proactive,” meaning we take the approach of, “Let's not wait for you to get sick and then do something.  Let's keep you healthy.”

As we enter into the more stressful holiday season, it’s good to contemplate what that stress is doing to us and what we can do to handle it in a healthier way.  Dr. Gentempo continues on to say, “Everybody knows that lifestyle stress adversely affects your health.  How stress is processed and managed is through the nervous system.  What's between stress and illness?  The Central Nervous System.  You live your life through your nervous system.  What chiropractors do is evaluate your nervous system, see how stress is affecting that, and if it’s causing disturbance in how your nervous system functions, we want to release those disturbances so your body can heal and regulate.”

Is chiropractic a lifetime commitment?  Dr. Gentempo explains, “Chiropractic doesn't treat conditions...  It gives lifestyle support to help better address whatever your challenges might be.”  This question is like asking, “Once you go to the gym, do you have to keep going back?  Once you eat healthy, do you have to keep eating healthy?”  As the doctor says, “If you want a healthy lifestyle, chiropractic is a critical component.”

Many thanks to Conway Family Chiropractic for encouraging me to use their video in my blog.  This is a great summary of what chiropractic is and why we need it.  Enjoy!

Remember, don’t stress this holiday.  Read the Proverb below.  If you find yourself stressing, be sure to see your local chiropractor!

 

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

 

~

Mick’s in Groceries

Are you a Coupon Queen? I know some ladies who are great at couponing, and can probably be titled Coupon Queens. I’ve never achieved that status. I tried once, but failed. I discovered I was buying things I wouldn’t normally buy, just because I had a coupon. Nowadays, we buy “out-of-the-ordinary” items that are almost never put on sale and rarely put on a coupon. That’s OK, though. That is a sacrifice we are willing to make. I know: It sounds crazy to most. We are choosing to spend more on food that is nutritious and will enhance wellness, so that we spend a lot less on medicine to mask illness… and, boy, does it feel great!

Here’s a typical day in the life of our grocery shopping.

Weekly:
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk
Granny Smith Apples
Berries
Bananas
Almond Butter
Smucker’s Simply Fruit
Butter
Raw Milk Cheese
Grass-fed Beef
Ground Turkey
Organic Free-range Chicken Breast
Free-range Eggs
Spinach
Mixed Greens
Broccoli
Feta Cheese
Organic Cream Cheese
Ezekiel Bread
Applegate Sliced Turkey
Veggies: Beans, Peas, Lima Beans
Cucumbers
Stonyfield Whole Milk Plain Yogurt
Coconut water and/or Naked juice for kidderz lunches
(We mostly drink water at our house.)
Splurge item: SoDelicious coconut ice cream!
 
On-hand, not purchased weekly:
Bolthouse Honey Mustard Dressing
Bolthouse Raspberry Dressing
Bolthouse Ranch Dressing
Garlic
Onions
Peppers: Green, Yellow, Red
Crushed Tomatoes
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Coconut Oil
Protein Powder for shakes/smoothies
Raw Nuts: Almonds, Pecans, Cashews, Pistachios
Dates
Red/Pink Salt
Fresh-ground Pepper
Xylitol
Stevia
Almond Flour and/or Meal
Coconut Flour
Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
 
I got an awesome deal on eggs this week! My brother and his wife raise chickens, and they are sending some eggs to us, by way of our parents. Yay!! (Aren't big brothers and parents the best?!)

Keeping it simple is the key!

Have fun experimenting with nutrition!

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.”

Numbers 11:5 (NIV)

 

~