natural « Embracing My Inner Hippy

{October 7, 2010} An Update for My Loyal Readers

I’ve been told that I’m long overdue for an update. So here it is. I’m in my 8^th week of eating a plant-based diet. I’m doing OK. I’m starting to miss certain things, like being able to enjoy a nice night of take out with my husband or simply a buffet at a friend’s wedding. I’m finding that certain restaurant commercials on tv make my mouth water. It’s not really any specific food I crave (sometimes it’s ALL the foods!) but it’s more the idea of them. I then remind myself that I’m doing this for my health – it’s my drug of choice, so to speak. I want to get my Crohn’s under control in any way I can that does not involved chemical medications. However, lately, I’ve been experiencing some additional manifestations of my Crohn’s Disease. This is very disheartening. I really was sure that changing my eating this dramatically would make a big difference. Perhaps, it has. Perhaps, if I continued eating the way I was, I’d be having a full-blown Crohn’s flare up, rather than just little bothersome manifestations. Who knows? So I’ve decided that in one more month’s time (which will make for 12 complete weeks of eating a strict vegan diet) I will go to my doctor and have my blood drawn and tests run on my blood to measure my Crohn’s Disease activity. This should give me a good indication as to how my newly acquired diet has affected my health, if at all. After that, I will continue keeping a plant-based lifestyle at home, but will allow myself a meal out at a restaurant once a week with my husband (or a night of take out!) This will still involve me eating healthy for 96% of the time (figuring that I’ll eat 21 meals in any given week). Plus, it will help me tame the cravings and let me enjoy much-needed alone time with my man. It will also reinforce my middle ground resolution. (See my last post for more on that). So, there you have it. Nothing fancy, just a quick update to all of my loyal readers – especially to you, Nate.

{September 7, 2010} Week Four

So I’m into my 4^th week of eating a plant-based diet. The first three weeks were pretty easy. I had no cravings and was satisfied. Now that I’m in my 4^th week, I’m finding it more difficult. All of a sudden I’m missing cheese and fast food. Also, my mom has been doing this diet with me and she’s decided that after next week (when she completes her 4^th week) she is quitting and going back on Weight Watchers. I feel a little disappointed and isolated. Out of everything I’ve read, I’m convinced that a plant-based diet is the healthiest for me (and for most people). The research is there in black and white. But I feel like I need the support of another person eating the way I do. Right now, I’m cooking two separate dinners – one for me and one for Mango. But it hasn’t bothered me since I’ve had my mother’s support. Not to mention, this diet involves a lot of cooking and preparation. My mom has been doing a lot of it for both of us. Miss Tangerine is very mobile and I hardly have 5 minutes to myself, leave alone time to constantly cook. If my mom stops this diet, and I’m the only one around eating this way, I’m not sure how I’ll found the time to prepare all of my meals (and still cook for my husband). I’m feeling a little disillusioned. Therefore, I’ve decided to make two lists – a pro list and a con list.

The Pro List:

This way of eating is very healthy, especially for my Crohn’s Disease. I believe this is the only way to go about it treating my Crohn’s without having to take medications.
I have way more energy since eating this way.
I’ve lost 6 pounds in 3 ½ weeks.
I’m not hungry.

The Con List:

It’s a lot of cooking and preparation
There aren’t restaurants in the area where I can eat – so my husband and I can no longer enjoy our weekly dates at restaurants.
I miss cheese.
I miss being able to share ice cream or snacks with my husband.

So there you go – 4 pros and 4 cons. Any advice?

{August 21, 2010} Day Six and Still Kickin’

I’m in the middle of my sixth day of eating clean. I feel great! I already have more energy and feel happier! I haven’t been hungry at all, nor have I felt any deprivation.

Today, I attended my first social event since I began my new eating style (I hate using the word “diet”). It went very smoothly. There was tons of food and I scouted the table and sought out the fruit salad. I had 2 huge helpings of that and a bottle of water. I didn’t miss eating all of the “junk” out there.

If you had told me last year, that I’d be eating a vegan lifestyle, I would’ve laughed at you. But after reading the many books that I have read on the subject, I feel like it is the only way for me to eat. The China Study and the Rave Diet both showed me all of the studies done that proved eating this way can reverse most diseases including heart disease and cancer and does wonders for autoimmune diseases (one of the main reasons why I decided to go this route in the first place). They also showed studies and had statistics showing just how much animal protein and especially dairy makes people sick (I’m not talking about stomach ailments, but heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.). But the best book I have read thus far is “Skinny Bitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. The authors really dug into the politics behind our food and conveyed a lot of wonderful information. They did this while being a little crass at times and well “bitchy”, but in a humorous way. However, the overall message was serious and based on truths cited from many reputable references. The book was really eye-opening for me. I highly recommend it – even if you have no desire to eat a plant-based diet.

At first, when I was thinking about eating in this manner, I worried about things that most people worry about when they think “vegetarian” and “vegan” and that is will I get enough protein without eating meat? Will I get enough Calcium without drinking milk? And will I get enough vitamins in general? And the answer to all of those questions is “yes”, “yes, “and “yes”. All the books I have referenced in my last several posts all have solid medical studies that prove that the answer is yes. As long as I eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and grains, all of my dietary needs will be fulfilled. Even with me be a lactating woman, I will still be getting all the nutrients both Tangerine and I need. In addition, this diet is perfectly healthy and preferable for children as well. Again, many studies have proven this and a great book that goes into more depth about it is Disease Proof Your Child by Joel Fuhrman.

Though, thus far, I’m really enjoying my experience, I have to admit that on the evening of Day 3 (shortly after I posted my last blog entry) I ran into a couple of bumps in the road. The first was that I was struggling to make two different dinners (one for me and one for my husband, who has not jumped on this bandwagon yet) while attending to my active toddler. Somehow, in the middle of the confusion, I slightly burned my husband’s dinner. Luckily, he’s very sweet and understanding and wasn’t too upset about it – especially since this was the first time I’ve burned a meal in the 3 years we’ve been married (I didn’t burn anything in the year we lived together either). The other road bump that night, was that I put a little too much garlic in my dinner (which was whole wheat pasta, stewed tomatoes and chopped spinach) and had a bit of tummy ache that night.

All in all, I am enjoying my healthy eating journey and am excited to experience new adventures of this healthy lifestyle every day.

{August 18, 2010} Day Two Completed and Nearing the End of Day Three

So far, I’m loving this “diet”. I was afraid that I would be hungry all of the time (especially since I still nurse Miss Tangerine constantly). But quite the opposite – I’m only eating half of my meals and saving the rest and eating them later.

Granted, I’m only on my third day of this new way of life, but so far, I haven’t had any cravings. I already feel heathier, lighter and enlightened.

My biggest challenge and “pain” is that I have to cook two separate dinners – one for me and one for Mango. He is not on the plant based band wagon by far.

I’m still toying over whether or not to include olive oil and other healthy oils in my diet or not. Two of the books I’ve read, advocate for no oils at all (The Rave Diet and The Engine 2 Diet). While other books I’ve read, including The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and Disease Proof Your Child by Joel Furhman all use healthy oils in their diets. So far, I’m staying away from the oils…but I’m still conflicted. I’d love to hear what some of your thoughts about this are, and why.

I’m looking forward to Day Four tomorrow – bring it on!

{August 17, 2010} Day One Completed

Yesterday was my first day on my new adventure of plant based eating. It was a very unusual day. We had to put down a much loved family dog. Therefore, I wasn’t in the mood for doing a lot of food preparation. My breakfast consisted of a bowl of Arrow Mills Organic Spelt Flakes with almond milk. Lunch was organic raw almond butter on Ezekiel 4:9 raisin bread. For an afternoon snack I had chocolate Juice Plus+ Complete (a Juice Plus smoothie which I made with almond milk and ½ of a frozen banana). Dinner was 3 soy dogs in whole wheat buns and a bowl of steamed broccoli. Dessert was organic unsweetened applesauce.

I’m planning on a grocery store run today so I can stock up on some more vegetables. I’m still not in the mood for doing a lot of cooking today, as my heart is still heavy. However, I’m committed to this healthy lifestyle and so starting it during a difficult time will only make it that much easier to do (I hope) when things have calmed down.

Some of my readers have mentioned a concern for iron in a vegan diet (or lack of it). Iron, is not just found in meat and eggs. It is also found in green leafy vegetables. I probably can’t eat enough green leafy vegetables to satisfy my iron need – especially on a daily basis. But that’s where Juice Plus+ comes in. Juice Plus+ is 17 fruits and vegetables in a capsule. There are 16+ published peer reviewed studies done on it. If taken consistently (every day), there will be no anemia. A good friend of mine, who also follows a vegan diet, doubled up her Juice Plus+ (on the advice of her ob/gyn) while pregnant. She didn’t take any prenatal vitamins nor any iron supplements. Her iron levels were perfect during her entire pregnancy and postpartum period! To learn more about Juice Plus+, please message me. Day Two, here I come!

{May 16, 2010} My Body – My Beauty

As a woman, I’ve pretty much struggled with my body image most of my life. I have a feeling that most women reading this are nodding their heads in agreement – that they too, have struggled most of their lives as well. How sad is that? We can blame it on the media and the distorted image of beauty that they propel. We can blame it on peer pressure. We can blame it on genetics. We can even blame it on that extra helping of dessert. The cause is not so much important as the solution or rather the resolution.

I’ve always carried extra weight around my middle. That’s just where my family and I carry our baggage. Self consciously, I would always suck in my belly. In other pathetic attempts, I would hide myself in huge tops. I felt inferior to those thinner than me.

Even when I began dating my husband and realized that he thought I was beautiful and loved me exactly the way I was, I still felt like a failure.

Quite honestly, the more I felt like a failure for not falling into society’s ideal of the perfect body, the more I sabotaged myself by emotionally eating. It would temporarily quiet down my feelings of inadequacy.

Then I became pregnant and a lot of wonderful things began happening. My body inside and out was changing as I began to help G-d prepare this miracle for the world. As I realized all that my body was doing, something else changed – I started looking at my body in a new light and started seeing something that was beautiful! As my stomach continued to round, I embraced the changes and often stared at my naked self in the mirror.

After Tangerine’s birth, I continued (and still continue) to love my body. I realize that I carried something so special, something so rare, and something so miraculous inside. I am now, with that same body, nourishing the life of my beautiful daughter.

Is my body perfect? Hardly. But I’m now embracing my imperfections as something so natural and so beautiful.

I continue to exercise and try to eat as healthy as I can. But I no longer hide behind tents – I wear tops that fit me. Most times, I don’t even suck in my belly (some habits are hard to break all together).

When I do start to have a negative feeling about my body image, I just look at my daughter and realize just how beautiful we both are.

So what’s the resolution to poor body image? Is it go out and have a baby? Only if that’s the point you’re at in your life and it’s part of your plan. The real resolution is to realize all that your body can do – even just eating, sleeping, breathing, and circulating blood. We’re all natural and authentic. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than that. Each perceived “flaw” makes us unique. That mole on a cheek, that quirky smile, the droopy breasts and even the flabby stomach – it’s all a part of who we are. It all tells a story. It doesn’t change who we are on the inside. If we embrace ourselves – all of ourselves, how much happier we’ll all be. I hope I can impart this message to my daughter. I hope she learns to love herself and her body. She is a creature of G-d. She is beautiful. She will always be beautiful.

{March 20, 2010} I’ve Changed the Rules

There is a saying that “A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t. A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change and she does.” Well, I’ve changed. Or at the very least I’ve changed the rules. Flash back to 2005. Mango and I reconnected after several years, hit it off and started dating. My diet consisted of tons of diet soda, lots of coffee with tons of Equal, high processed and chemical-laden “sugar free/low calorie/fit into my points*” food. I wore expensive high-heeled Coach shoes and other similarly expensive named brand shoes, carried the latest Dooney and Bourke bag, never left the house without my Dolce and Gabbana shades. My face was always fully made up, I always was fully accessorized, and of course my hair had nothing less than a ¼ of a can of hairspray in it. I wore expensive perfume and used luxury scented bath lotions. I was your average raised in the 80’s gal. I was this way all through our courtship and even for almost 2 years of our marriage. Then something changed. Tangerine was born. I began reading and researching absolutely everything. I read both sides of the coin and read testimonies of moms and dads that had “been there, done that”. I felt that gentle parenting/attachment parenting was the only way to parent. So I adopted a lifestyle that includes baby wearing, co-sleeping and extended nursing. I try to be as chemical free as possible and eat organic as much as we can afford. I no longer wear lotions or perfumes. My “bag” is a diaper bag with my wallet thrown in. And shoes are my sneakers so I can run around while wearing my babe. I have a thriving and content almost 9 month old girl. I’m happy and thriving as well. I feel good about my parenting choices and feel that my daughter feels the security that comes along with this style of parenting.

Well, Mango doesn’t fully agree. He’s afraid that Tangerine will always be “attached at my hip” and clingy. He told me that I need to “cut the umbilical cord”. He wants to know when Tangerine will sleep through the night so that we can move her to her own room. He wants to know when I plan to wean her. He wants to know when I’ll stop wearing her. He basically wants to know (though he didn’t say it in so many words) when I’m going to stop parenting like this. I was blindsided by his words. Though, I should’ve seen this coming. Mango married a completely different woman – the woman he dated and married may have breastfed, but only for a short time. She may have brought the baby in bed but only for the first few weeks. She may have worn the baby in a sling, but again, just while the baby was tiny. But what was this “new” woman doing? WHO was this woman? Clearly, I had changed. Or at the very least I changed the rules. So, what now?

I know that my decisions are not “mainstream” and not how Mango’s friends parent. And yes, their children “are just fine”. But I believe that what works for some families doesn’t necessarily work for all. I really and truly believe that attachment parenting and all the things that go along with it work for us and are right for Tangerine.

Mango is an amazing person. He is so loving and giving. He’s funny and sarcastic. He’s extremely smart and is knowledgable on a whole range of subjects. He is one of those people you just love to be around – just being in his company makes you happy. Take all of those wonderful qualities and multiply them by about 100 and that’s how Mango is as a husband. Then multiply that again by about 1000 and that’s the kind of dad that Mango is. He wants the best for his family. He sacrifices every single hour of every single day of every single week. He works two full-time jobs. Both are manual labor jobs (i.e. physically strenuous) and affords him very little time to sleep, less time with his family and virtually no time for him chill, play video games, hang out with friends, etc. So having him read some of the information that I have read that convinced me to parent the way I do, is just out of the question. I try to tell him that Tangerine will not be clingy – that studies have proven (and real life families have shown) that children who co-sleep, were worn and were breastfed for an extended period of time are actually extremely independent and confident. I try to explain how Tangerine will not always be attached to my hip. I want him to see what I see, and know what I know. But how do I do this?

I know that he wants to be (and should be) involved in all the parenting decisions that are made regarding Tangerine. I truly believe that if he read what I’ve read and saw some “end results” from other families, that he, too, would be convinced. I know that he only wants what is best for our daughter, that we both do. But how do I make him “come around” when I’ve changed the rules? How do we reach a compromise when I’ve changed?

I love Mango very much. I love Tangerine more than life itself. But I also don’t want to leave my husband out of the picture. He’s far from being a bystander, yet I know he feels that way. How do I include him without compromising what I feel is best for our daughter?

I’ve certainly changed. But can I change the rules so that they work for all three of us?

{February 22, 2010} “The Financial Balancing Act” or “Organics – To Buy or Not to Buy?”

Thank you to my readers, for all of your comments to my last two blogs. I really appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

Friday night, we added another dog to the family. A dear friend had to get rid of her 14 year old Husky Strawberry. Since we already have a (very hyper) 4 year old Husky Jicama, I figured, why not take in this old girl?

Well, Strawberry is a love. However, she’s definitely an “old lady” – she moves very slowly and is deaf. She’s so calm in comparison to Jicama and the two of them get along very well. Jicama even seems calmer since her arrival. There is only one little issue – she is totally incontinent. She has been peeing ALL over the house. So, the first night, Mango just grabbed a bottle of chemicals to clean it up - an old bottle that we had lying around under the sink.

In my previous life of “whatever goes”, I never would’ve given it a second thought. But now that Tangerine is in our lives, I give everything second and third and fourth thoughts! Since it was evident that this peeing situation wasn’t going to be a once or twice event, I knew I had to do something to protect my baby from the smell and use of chemicals and at the same time also save my carpet!

So Saturday morning I ventured into our local health food store. As I walked in, I breathed in the sweet smell of, well, nothing! No chemicals, perfumes, etc. And it was wonderful! I smiled at the clerks who were all decked out in organic cotton T-shirts and jeans. I felt a little self conscious as I realized I was wearing my genuine blue leather jacket. However, I soon felt right at home as I picked out some natural hand soap, organic oats and organic sweet potatoes to make food for Tangerine, and browsed several other all natural products. How nice to see products with ingredient lists I could pronounce! I then checked out the pet section and found the perfect natural odor and carpet cleaner – “Bac-Out” Foaming action stain and odor eliminator made by Biokleen. It’s completely natural, non-toxic and biodegradable. You can find out more about this product from the company’s website http://biokleenhome.com/. For our purposes, it is great. Our carpet is NOT stained – yay! And even more important is there is no harsh smell from the product – it’s just a very light citrus smell…basically what you’d smell if you squeezed a lemon.

When I came home, Mango wasn’t too pleased with the $7.99 hand soap I purchased or the fact that this cleaner cost $10.99. He’s not wrong. I’m unemployed and he works his tail off between two full time jobs and we’re barely making ends meet and then I spend “all this money”. But at the same time, I’m doing this for the health of our daughter and our family. Research is constantly emerging at how all of these chemicals (even the ones that say “safe for children and pets”) are dangerous to our health. They cause allergies, asthma and even cancer! The only sure way to protect oneself is to use natural and organic products.

As the mom, I feel it’s my duty to read up on the latest research and make sure that my family is eating healthy and using the healthiest products. So how do I balance healthy and safety with cost? How do you do you it? Please share some of your thoughts and ideas. I’d love to hear your experiences and how you balance it all out.

{February 14, 2010} Hello World!

Welcome to my blog. For the sake of some anonymity, I’ll refer to myself as “Apricot”, my husband as “Mango”, my daughter as “Tangerine” and my dog as “Jicama”.

I’m a 34-year-old woman and this is my first attempt at a blog. I’m also a new mom who has been blessed with a beautiful daughter who is almost 8 months old.

I’ve always thought of myself as an average American woman. I went to college, graduated and started working in corporate America. I’ve always enjoyed all the luxuries that life and living in the U.S. has had to offer – tv, computer, cell phone, iPod, video consoles, etc. I have a shoe collection that would rival Imelda Marcos and have a closet full of clothes. Since middle school I’ve helped deplete the ozone layer with my mandatory daily use of massive amounts of hairspray. Life was pretty good.

Then in June 2009, I gave birth to the most wonderful baby ever. And my whole world changed. Life was no longer “pretty good” but absolutely amazing. Not only was Tangerine born, but a mother was born that day as well. My heart swelled so much – I never knew I could feel so much love and emotion. With each day, it continues to expand and love her even more. Along with this new found love, I started reading and questioning everything. I started to think about more than just myself and my comforts.

I want to do everything in my power so that Tangerine has a healthy and wonderful life. I slowly have started to embrace my “inner hippy”. I exclusively breastfeed my daughter. We enjoy co-sleeping. I wear my babe every chance I have. Even though finances are very tight, I am now a stay at home mom. (Much love and appreciation to Mango who works 2 full-time jobs so that I may stay home and raise Tangerine.) I have slowly started buying organic products for the family (when we can afford it) and I use exclusively organic fruits and veggies that I mash-up for Tangerine to enjoy.

The things that were once so important to me (like not leaving the house without make up on) have taken a back seat. Along with my love for my daughter, I have a newfound love for our earth, nature and the simple things.

I’m not saying I’ve giving up everything – I breastfeed T in one arm and type on my laptop with the other! On inclement days when I cannot walk outside, I put on “Nick Jr.” for Tangerine and walk on my treadmill. But I’m not the same person I was a year ago.

A few weeks ago, Mango’s best friend’s daughter turned a year old. We went to her birthday party and as usual, I wore my little Tangerine. However, since we actually were “going out” I decided to put on make up, skinny jeans and cute little boots, and not my usual attire of t-shirt, sweats, sans make up. Mango turned to me and said, “Your boots say “Yuppy” but your wrap says “Hippy”. That statement describes me very well at this point in my life.

I’m embarrassed to say that some of my current beliefs were things that I scoffed at about others in the past. “They co-sleep? The entire family? Pft.” Or, “They prefer only wooden toys and organic cottons for their little ones (as oppose to mass-produced plastics made in other countries with high levels of lead, BPA’s and various other contaminants) ? That’s so silly.” I apologize for any ill thoughts I’ve ever had towards others with “different” ideas. I have become open to so much more in life now – ideas, beliefs, parenting styles, etc.

I want my daughter to be a good person. She will get that (I hope) from me setting a good example. Though, I might not believe the same as the next guy, or my parenting style may differ, I try hard to not be judgemental because one of the lessons that I wish to pass on to Tangerine is to be loving and accepting of everybody even if they are different from you. Plus, as I’ve learned, you never know when things you “poo-pahhed” before will be something you embrace later on!

I think I’ve rambled on enough for now. Thanks for reading and please comment and share your thoughts.

In the coming weeks, I plan to start to teach myself how to sew, do some meditating and start “signing” with Tangerine. I hope to blog about it all.

Email Subscription

Archives

Blogroll

Follow “Embracing My Inner Hippy”