Four Benefits to a Low Sugar Diet

Over the last 4 months or so, we have altered our way of eating which involves decreasing the amount of sugar (and refined carbohydrates) from our diets.  The kids have reduced theirs by about 40%, Gary and I by about 70%.  This is: refined sugar, most flours, potatoes, corn, regular bread, wheat & corn pastas, and white rice.  If you are looking for a larger list of high glycemic foods, they are here. 

Why did we do it? The reason for me is that I wanted to lose my tummy fat.  However, there were so many more benefits that came from it.  

Here are four benefits that I noticed:

1.  I lost 16 lbs (so did Gary) so far.

2.  I have way more energy.  I am up until 11:30 pm each night (and up for the day by 7 am) no problem.  I don't hit that `low' each day that I used to around 4 pm. 

3.  My hormonal headaches have really decreased in strength and length.  I'm still waiting to see if this continues but if so, it's totally worth it!

4.  I used to have to take a melatonin to go to sleep about 3 times a week.  I haven't taken one in probably 3 months!

If you try this, the first month of detoxing from sugar is not fun.  I'm just warning you :)  I still allow myself some cheats.  Just yesterday, I had my first ice cream cone in months and it was worth it even though my stomach got a little upset.  Gary has always had digestive issues but has noticed things have improved dramatically.  We're not sure if it's the low sugar or gluten but it's definitely welcomed.

Above is my breakfast about 75% of the time (although I don't use a green Menchies spoon).  Did you know that 3/4 of a cup of plain Greek yogurt has 16 grams of protein?! I use the Kirkland brand from Costco.  Another great source of protein would be to have eggs for breakfast. 

I know that with Christmas just around the corner, the amount of sugar is rampant (and soooo tempting!), so it might be difficult to start now.  Let me know if you have implemented any changes, I'd love to hear about it.  

I promise not to be all `Get rid of sugar!' ish all the time, I'm just excited about it right now :)

Love,

Louise

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful For:

1.  The joy on Koen's face when he showed us that he had the class bear for the weekend.  He was so incredibly happy.

2.  Gary's supporting me in how we eat.  I know I've said things like this before but it's not easy to make a change on your own.  Even if Gary isn't eating `on plan' as much as I am, he has still made so many changes and I'm proud of him!  Here's a picture showing all the inches he lost so far...(about 15-20 lbs).

3.  A nice weekend away.  I am very thankful that we have a place to go to if we want to get away and not spend $$$.  Thanks dad!  The kids LOOOOOOVE the quad.

4.  A dad that's relatively healthy.  He has nine lives:)  Thankfully in order to fly you need to maintain certain physical standards so he is forced to stay in shape and eat somewhat healthily. 

5.  A series that Gary and I enjoy watching together on Netflix!  I wonder what real lawyers think about it but we like it! 

6.  Community on facebook.  This boggled my mind, but I posted a picture of a sweater wondering if I should keep it or not.  I had over 60 responses!!  Thanks, friends.  I have some good ones.  In case you are wondering, the majority said `keep it' but you know what? It wasn't me!  I don't usually do `trendy' because I need something to last 5+ years :)  I returned it.

7.  Giveaways!  I love being able to do giveaways.  The two winners for the Google Chromecast Streaming Media have been selected!! 

8.  Those that fought to keep our country safe.  We went to a Remembrance Day ceremony but were one hour early by accident and the kids couldn't handle the wind/cold so we came home after 45 minutes.  We had our 2 minutes of silence at 11am.  {Koen may have said, `What's silence?'}

  

9.  Moments when these two play nicely.  Unfortunately it is when they are playing the `Throwing Game' on the bunk beds (throwing stuffed animals).  So far, no one has been hurt. 

10.  Babysitters/drivers.  Whether they are paid or volunteer, I'm thankful for those that we can call.  It is probably one of the most stressful things for me parenting wise because I don't have a lot of people who have the freedom to babysit at any time (who I know/trust) so I am thankful for each person who has helped drive Kai to climbing, do daycare when I work random days, babysit when we go out etc. It's been a bit wilder with our foster training/basketball season so I'm thankful it's worked out.

{Gary and I had free tickets to the Lions Game because they lost their other game back in August.  Well, it ended up a bit pricier with parking and the skytrain but it was fun for us.  It was our first sporting even without kids, how is that even possible?!}  

I hope you had a wonderful week so far!   I won tickets to Max & Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite for tonight so Nya and I will have a fun date :) 

Love

Louise

Green Lake Family Time

We had a weekend free, which rarely happens, so we decided to head up to Green Lake (near 100 Mile House) where my dad has a house.  It's a special place to us as we spent time there with my mom and dad, it's where Gary and I got engaged,  AND where we got married!  It's easy to vacation there because it's a house with ample bedrooms and a big kitchen :)

Along the way, we stopped at one of our favourite spots; Alexandra Bridge.  It's about 1/2 hour past Hope and it's a picnic area.  You walk 15 minutes down a path and end up here.  Isn't this bridge gorgeous?

Next time I'll take a tripod.  Balancing the camera on my camera bag didn't work very well :)

The whole drive up was beautiful as it was clear, sunny, and full of beautiful coloured fall leaves.

My dad had flown up to Green Lake for the weekend so he spent some time with us.  He took the kids quadding which gave Gary and I some down time!

On Sunday we went to 100 Mile House Baptist Church.  I met up with another blogging mom there with her husband and 5 adorable kids.  So fun to see people in real life :)  

Then we checked out Centennial Park in 100 Mile House. It was cold and Nya was a tad grumpy, but once we got going they all had fun.  I love the trails there, they are so pretty!

Koen was very excited to have his class bear for the weekend.  He wanted to make sure that he took Olaf quadding.

I was able to relax and read!! So nice.  Our kids are great ages for travelling and just hanging out.

This is the view from the deck.  Pretty nice, hey?

Kai and Opi put together a model airplane.  Kai thought it was great practice for a career in engineering :)  A while back we thought up some jobs for people who love math and that was one of them.

We had a nice relaxing weekend and I'm thankful for a place to go to! Thanks, dad.

I hope you all had a great weekend and are able to set aside some time tomorrow to remember those who have lost their lives serving our country.  

Love,

Louise

Foster Parent Training

We started the process of becoming foster parents in the spring and I posted about it here.  We are now almost halfway through our Foster Parent Mandatory Pre-Service Training.  Once a week, we meet with about 10 other couples who are on the same journey from the Delta/Surrey/Langley area.  The social worker teaches us from 6:30-10 pm as much as she can and answers our questions.  So far we have talked about the following topics; Foundations, Trauma, Attachment & Grief.  Still to come are; Partnership with Birth Families, Parenting Permanence, Protocols, Placement & Support.

By December we will be ready to start our home study process and that will take several months.  The greatest need is for families to foster teenagers so any parents willing to do so will have their home studies done first.  We are planning to foster younger children (2-8 years old) so I'm not sure how eager they will be to get to us.  There are about 800 children in the foster system in Surrey and about 400 foster families.

Once we have completed our home study (6 interviews and a giant report), we should be ready.  They put a lot of thought into the placements, especially if it's your first time, so I'm not sure how long it will take.  They want it to be a good fit for both the child and our family.  Could be the next day, could be a month or more.  Right now I'm anticipating March 2015.

I asked the social worker about what I can and cannot post in regards to fostering.  Sharing about this process is totally fine.  Once we have a child though, I will not be sharing information about when the child arrives, age, gender etc. I am allowed to share my feelings on fostering in general but nothing specific.  I completely understand but it will be hard for me.  I love processing here.

{This video was on facebook a while back.  We watched it in one of our classes. }

We've prayed for our child a little bit more lately, whoever he/she will be.  The most common reason children end up in foster care in our region is due to neglect (lack of adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision etc often due to addiction).  I'm not sure how I will be able to handle the emotional aspect of this journey but with most things in life, even if something is difficult, the good outweighs the bad.

Please let me know of any questions you might have and I will gladly try to answer them. 

Love,

Louise

Thankful Thursday

Thankful for:

1. Breathing aids for Nya.  After two ER visits (one via ambulance) we knew that she struggled with breathing when she got any kind of cold.  Like her brother Koen, she will have a cold for a month at a time.  I am so thankful that I can give her these puffers so that she has an easier time breathing.  It allows me to go to sleep with way less worry.  My doctor said that the official diagnosis for asthma doesn't happen until they are 6 or so, but she likely has it.

2. A husband who errs on the side of humour.  He knows how to drive me nuts and the idea that he is the `Boss' of our business would do that.  That is what his computer name is on our network.

3.  A marriage that is so much better than it was a year ago.  So worth it to work on it, you guys. 

4. A husband that works out.  He does this about 4 times a week.  I think it's great for our kids to see and I love that he takes care of himself especially since `someone' is turning 40 this year :)

5. Sweet moments with my boys.  Kai is definitely a mini adult and we often treat him that way.  We can have adult conversations, he understands  most concepts and generally he is pretty good at expressing his gratitude towards us.  I love that he is a great example for Koen in this way.  If there was a love language called `Bug everyone' that would be Koen's.  Koen grabbed my hand and said, `Mom, we have something to show you' and I anticipated a huge mess or something inappropriate.  It was a sweet message saying that they loved me. 

6.  Goofiness.  Although Koen has an excess amount of it, he make us smile.  I had no idea he had his stickers under his shirt until he was getting ready for bed.

7.  Traditions.  When Gary texts me that he's heading home, we will head outside and ride our bikes (okay, I sit on the steps watching them) so that we can welcome them when they get home.

8.  Good books to read.  Reading this one right now.

9.  Special blankets for each kid.  They all have a `Bubi'.  This is Nya's.  I love how these comfort items are so helpful.  Comfort whenever they need it and we're not around (like at night!).

10.  Koen's reviews.  We watched our fist Christmas movie, which by the way, can be difficult with kids of all ages.  We watched this one and while Kai gave it an 8/10, Koen gave it a 4/10 because he thinks any yellow Veggie Tale character is a mango and he just wanted to eat them not watch them. If you have not entered to win a streamer yet, please do so here!  We are really enjoying it!

I hope that you are having a good week.  Please let me know something that you are thankful for today!  

Love, 

Louise

Five Healthy Snack Ideas

First of all, thank you all for your support and encouragement on our healthier way of eating and the awesome results that we've seen!  I received a few emails about what meals and snacks look like so I thought I would share some of our most common ones.  This post is about snacks.

First of all, make sure that your meals are protein packed to keep you full longer so that you don't need to snack all the time.  Secondly, the big thing to remember is to separate fats and carbs, you don't have a snack (or meal) that is high in both.

These are my favourite snacks:

1.  Cucumber.  I peel and slice it and eat a whole one as a snack.  Once it's cut, you can't help but eat the whole thing!  Another great option is a green pepper.

2.  Granny Smith Apple.   You might think that eating a lot of fruit is good but there is a lot of sugar in fruit!  Safer ones are berries and apples.  Some of the highest sugar ones are; bananas, grapes, mangoes and cherries.

3. Nuts.  Almonds would be better but I'm allergic to them so I usually choose cashews.  I have a container in my purse at all times.

4.  Hard boiled egg.  High protein.  Another high protein one that we enjoy is a turkey pepperoni stick.  They are high fat though so don't eat with carbs.

5. Brown rice, Quinoa & Flax cakes.  Sometimes I crave carbs and these do the trick! There are many types of quinoa crackers out there too and we got these at Costco.  Just don't eat these with anything fatty.

And for those days when you just really need some chocolate?  I find that two squares of 85% chocolate does the trick :)  The higher the cocoa %, the less sugar there is.  This is usually my dessert.

What's your favourite healthy snack?

Have a great day, friends!

Love,

Louise

Weight Loss Update

Back in September I posted about the 9 lbs I had lost.  Now, I've lost an additional 7 lbs.  I have 3 lbs to go before I just want to maintain my weight.  It's the weight I was when we got married and it's where I feel my body should be.   I've never been thin and it's not `me' to be so.

You guys, it's so, so easy or I wouldn't do it.  I'm almost always full because of the protein and I have way more energy from detoxing off sugar.  In the book it mentions that if you are on this plan, then you will have a flat stomach when standing up, and I thought, `There is no way!  I have had three huge pregnancy bellies and diastasis (separation of my abdominal muscles).'.  Well, it's not perfectly flat but wow, the difference is amazing.  I no longer look pregnant.

Besides my jeans fitting so, so nicely, I really notice the change in my face.

I'm not trying to tell you to do this plan but if you are looking to make a change, I recommend it.  For a long time I said `I love carbs (bread, baking, cookies!) and desserts so much, I'm not willing to change my diet'.  But now, I am willing because it works, it's easy, and I love the results.  I'm on it about 85% which is why it's happening slow and steady (Halloween did not help!) Gary's on it maybe 65% and he's noticed a lot of changes too.  When he allows me to take a photo of him, I will show you!

I REALLY don't like this before picture (tell me it's the angle?!) but I just want you to see the difference of `just' 16 lbs.

In this post I talk about the plan if you are curious.   I share this because I love recommendations from others and I definitely recommend reducing sugars (refined, potatoes, white rice, bread) and increasing proteins if you want to feel better and lose weight.

Finally, people have asked me `Are you going to stick with it?' and my answer is `Yes!'.  I think once you make a healthy change, you will just make it part of your life.  It's not hard, I do allow for `cheats' and I feel so much better.  It's like when I used to smoke. Yes, I used to which is so embarrassing.  I was not a heavy smoker but had a few each day.  I quit about 15 years ago and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  I still think about it DAILY but I know I'm much better without it.  It's the same with sugar--it's not good for you.  It feels good going in but doesn't beneift your body.

So, that's where I'm at.  I would encourage you to examine the amount of sugar in your life whether you have weight to lose or not.  Thoughts?

Love,
Louise

Four Great Recipes to Make from One Pumpkin

With Halloween now being over, we were able to turn our decoration into food. We had carved some of our pumpkins but left a few on our porch whole in order to make purees on November 1st. What can you do with a giant $3 pumpkin? A lot.

1.  Roast pumpkin seeds.  

When cleaning out your pumpkin just save the seeds! They make a great snack that helps to regulate your blood sugar levels, boost your magnesium and iron, and provide you with ample fiber.  

 Roast the pumpkin at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and then make it into a puree by removing it from the skin and blending it.

{Nya loves her job of pushing the button}

2. Use the puree to make Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles.  

The house smelled so good.

Koen and Nya took turns stirring.  Gary has way more patience than I do for having more than one kid working with him in the kitchen! 

3. Curried Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk. 
If you want to be fancy, top with a dollop of Greek Yogurt and some roasted pumpkin seeds.  

Kai Bear really wanted to have some pumpkin scones.  I haven't done as much baking lately because we're really trying to reduce our sugar. So, look what I found...

4. Skinny `Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones .
It smells delicious but definitely tastes `healthier' with the whole wheat.  The icing is full of sugar and flavour so the kids gave it a score of 10/10 overall. 

I asked Kai for his thoughts on it and he said, "If this was all I was allowed to eat for one year, I don't think I would ever get sick of it!".  Thanks for your review, Kai.

If you are wanting a Starbucks type scone with full fat/sugar, maybe try out this one; Spiced Pumpkin Scone Recipe.  I haven't baked this one but the reviews look good.  

We also measured out 1 cup bags of pumpkin puree and put them in our outdoor freezer to use at a later date.

 Do you have a favourite pumpkin recipe?  Please share the link to it in the comments as I'm roasting another one as I write this.

Love, Louise