Decision time

After having done a TON of research on links between overall general health, specific health concerns, specific physiological problems, specific behavioral issues, and developmental delays, my family and I have made a decision about how we're planning on addressing these issues in James.

This new diet is fail-safe. It has the backing of the best doctors in the world and shows results quickly. It emphasizes eating Whole grains (including but not limited to: Oats, Barley, Spelt, Quinoa -pronounced KEEN-wa -whole red wheat, and a host of others that I just can't think of), lots of vegetables and fruit as organic as possible making sure to eat VARIETY!!!, very little refined sugar if any at all, red and white meats sparingly but legumes in abundance. This diet we have all known about for years but for whatever reason, most people do not live it.

I am, of course, referring to the Word of Wisdom.

After doing research about the Gluten-free, Casein-free diet and learning about the food encouraged to be eaten and the foods that are "off limits", I realized some things.

1. We buy bread at the store. This bread- even if its "whole grain"- does not have incredibly important ingredients found in homemade bread. By homemade I mean grind-the-wheat-to-make-my-bread kind. The extra ingredients found in store bought bread are there to preserve freshness for extended periods of time (baking, shipping, clerical, storage, put on shelves, purchased, home for 1 week and its STILL not bad yet?) and are not great for your body. If your body happens to be a little autoimmune deficient, it is worse.

Solution: Make my own bread!

2. Vegetable and Fruit just aren't what they used to be! How sad. Veg and fruit are two of my favorite things to eat! But studies suggest that the pesticides and other growth chemicals sprayed onto earth foods, as well as leached into the soil, are SUPER toxic. Especially in potatoes, apples and bananas, and lettuces.

Solution: grow some of my own fruit and veg. Buy the rest organic!

3. Meats don't have to be the only place to get protein. Beans and Legumes are the BEST source of fiber, protein and vitamins. They store for years and never loose their "punch!". They are plentiful and CHEAP! to both purchase and grow. Besides, who doesn't love beans and rice?

Solution: beans, beans, the magical fruit. NO, really.

4. Dairy? Who needs it?

This was a heads up to me. Lord knows I LOVE cheese and a cold glass of milk after a brownie... But the body doesn't need to collect calcium from cow's milk or cheeses, yogurts or creams. These things are for FLAVOR- not necessarily for nutritional value. 

Your body will MAKE calcium from the vitamins, proteins and amino acids it already has at its disposal. You want good calcium? Eat collard greens. They'll also give you folic acid in SPADES.

Solution: we are cutting dairy out of our daily intake. The only exception is butter -when I want to bake. No cow milk- rice perhaps- cheeses, yogurts (unless they are pro-biotic) and creams.

I'm still in the process of putting up reminders to myself about this "new" diet. We expect a miracle from the Lord so we'll do things His way. I am only trying to be obedient here but I have a strong faith that if I do what the Lord asks me to, I can ask him for miracles. James talking will be my miracle and it may only come one step at a time (like so many others) but it WILL come- especially if I am obedient.

 

oh, I also intend to lose weight.:)