Day 313 in a Year of my Life

Election night.  Pfft.

As you know, I have cut refined processed sugar from my diet.

My obsessive thirst for information regarding sugar has led me to many and varied web sites.  Naturopaths, Wellbeing and Health groups, University Studies, Medical Facts, Scientific studies but these are the things that play on my mind the most, and help make the decision to cut sugar much easier.

Natural sugars are rich in vitamins, nutrients and phytonutrients and are actually good for you.  Raw honey, pure maple syrup and palm sugar are examples of natural sugars.

Refined sugar has been stripped of all it's positive health benefits.  It goes through a bleaching process using 'lime' and 'carbon dioxide' and then further purified and whitened by filtering through a beef bone char.  This process removes even more minerals.

Brown and raw sugar that you buy at the supermarket is simply white sugar stained with molasses.

Other names for sugar that you might find on food labels are

• Cane sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• High fructose corn syrup
• Maltodextrin
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Saccharose
• Treacle
• Xylose

and there are actually a lot more names, but these are the most common.

The top side effects of sugar intake are

• Digestive problems
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• High Blood Pressure
• Low immunity
• Poor memory
• Tooth decay
• Depression
• Headaches

There are actually more than 90 side effects.

Common foods high in sugar content

• Sugar
• Soft drinks
• Dried fruit
• Flavoured yoghurt
• Cereal
• Fruit juice
• Spaghetti
• Salad dressings
• Frozen dinners
• Baked beans

It seems that the world of science and medicine has made a mistake.  They've been telling us for years to 'cut' the fat out of our diet if we want to lose weight, when in actual fact, fats (even saturated fats) CANNOT add fat to your body unless you combine it with sugar.

Sugar, on the other hand, even without combining it with fats, WILL add fat to your body.

Also, a new study at the Mayo Clinic shows that people over 70 with a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates have an almost 4 times higher risk of developing cognitive impairments like Alzheimers, Dementia and Depression.

Sugar creates an acidic environment in your body which lowers your immune system considerably and that's what makes it perfect to develop the side effects mentioned earlier.

Oh I could go on and on - but I don't want to bore you any more than I already have.

I'm pretty sure that Adoring Husband has skimmed over all of this information, as he drinks his chocolate milk, eats his chocolate peanut clusters and chocolate ice creams, and is probably rolling his eyes and thinking 'here she goes again'.

I started this change on 20th August and I've already noticed changes in my body.  Aside from the weight loss (3.5kgs so far), which was inevitable, my digestion has settled down remarkably.

In my own bed, I sleep more soundly (but not at the Chicklet family house it seems).

I don't feel hungry.  Eating real food, instead of processed food, is more satisfying for longer.

Even more surprisingly, I don't crave sugar!  My sugar input prior to this, was getting out of control, with ice cream, chocolates, lollies, cakes/desserts, cookies and soft drinks.

The other day, I bought a very large slab of my favourite passionfruit fudge, which I divided in half and shared between Vegan Chickie and BGWLBH.  I didn't eat ANY of it and it didn't even bother me!

I feel good.

Tomorrow I'll share the fritter recipe from yesterday's post (as requested by two of you).

Tonight, I'll share two family photos ...

Today, I'm grateful for weekends relaxing at home and doing whatever my little heart desires.

Nite all.

Day 312 in a Year of my Life

I have Adoring Husband on a mission.

To find a good food dehydrator that's not 'over the top' expensive.

He does the research online, checks out all the reviews and compares prices.  He's good at that.  It's one of his many talents.

I appreciate his efforts, because it's not something that I care to spend my time doing, but at the same time, I want to know that I'm getting a good deal.

I would also like a cheese maker - I haven't discussed that with him yet.

There are so many different things that I want to try now that I've opted to remove processed foods from my diet, as well as refined sugar.

I have found amazing 'raw food' recipes, home made probiotics, different fermented foods (kombucha), the value of coconut oil for almost everything, the idea of 'activating' nuts before using them (I eat a lot of nuts - as snack food and in my cooking), preserving fruit and vegetables and making my own fish, chicken, beef or vegetable stock.  The list goes on.

As I try each new and interesting recipe or process, I will take photos and share the good stuff on here.

I've got so much on my list to try, I'm not sure where to start.

I'm liking the look of these Quinoa Fritters with dipping sauce ...

I hope to try them tomorrow.

Today, I'm grateful for a great week on the Sunny Coast with the family and now to be home safe n sound.

Nite all.

Day 311 in a Year of my Life

This is a short post because I just wanted to share this story and it deserves a post all on it's own.

Fred moved me to tears.

A Letter from Fred - *OFFICIAL DOCUMENTARY* Oh Sweet Lorraine



Today, I'm grateful for love.

Nite all.

Day 310 in a Year of my Life

Another full day of dinosaur loving!

Here is a snippet of yesterday's dinosaur picnic - it got much more crowded after this photo was taken ...

... and here is my little piece of perfection eating strawberries with chocolate philly ...

Only two more sleeps (or so Adoring Husband advised me this evening) and it will be the end of my Chicklet time for another few weeks.  As always, it will be sad to say goodbye, but I'll be back!

I'm looking forward to spending time in the kitchen, because I've discovered lots of new recipes that I want to try .. so many, that I'm not even sure where to start!

That's the fun thing about changing the way you eat.  Suddenly you find a whole new set of recipes that you never considered before.

I've found so many different pages on facebook, that are full of helpful advice, interesting information about different foods and how they are beneficial to your health and tons of recipes, with links to where to find the best organic ingredients.

I'm so hungry (pardon the pun) for all of this information and I'm really enjoying the learning process.

So, aside from seeing AH,  that's what I'm looking forward to when I get home ... and sleeping in my own bed.

Today, I'm grateful for 2 hour nana naps to help me re-energise for more Chicklet fun.

Nite all.

Day 309 in a Year of my Life

Chicklet prefers to eat white food .. cucumber, rice crackers, apple, banana, nuts, potato (in hot chip form), yoghurt, pasta, rice etc.

Carrots and strawberries are the exception.

I found this today ...

So white food is a pretty good preference.

Today, we fed the ducks down by the river.  We bought a new dinosaur.  We danced with the dinosaurs and I buried Chicklet, at her insistence, with dinosaurs, over and over and over and over and over again.

Today, I'm grateful for quality time with my Chicklet, even though she is beginning, at day 5, to become overwhelmed with my presence .. every visit, she is able to cope better, for longer periods, so one day, I hope that she will cope well enough to come visit us for a week or two at a time without any adverse affects.

I didn't get a chance to look at the photos yet.

Nite all.

Day 308 in a Year of my Life

It's hard work keeping up with a 2 year old.

Even harder keeping up with an Aspie 2 year old.

Every waking moment is packed with action, activity, movement, words, questions, requests, negotiation and then some.

I am not exaggerating when I say 'every waking moment' OR 'and then some.'

Every time I visit, my admiration for Vegan Chickie and the Bare-chested Chef increases.

They have no support network down here and are managing the daily demands without respite.

Even though I get down here every 6-8 weeks, the break that I provide is only in short bursts of 3 or 4 hours, due to Chicklet's needs and demands.

Physically, mentally and emotionally draining, handling this, day in and day out.

Is it any wonder that they are susceptible to every cold and flu germ that they come into contact with.

Vegan Chickie, especially with her broken sleep EVERY night (a common Aspie trait is very restless sleep) and comforting Chicklet back to sleep frequently.

I don't know how she does it.

Yet they both watch her every move and listen to every word that comes out of her mouth as if she is magical.  They give her every ounce of energy and love and happiness that they can muster and she really is thriving.

I come here for a few days at a time and am absolutely exhausted when I go home.

Not that I am complaining.  Not for one minute!  I love every minute that I'm here and spending precious time with my little sweetie possum.

She is an absolute joy for me and a constant source of both amusement and amazement.

The most wonderful little person in the world and I am so glad that she is a part of MY world.

I did take photos today, but haven't looked at them yet.  I might get a chance tomorrow.

Another big babysitting day tomorrow.  It's the Bare-chested Chef's last day off work before I head  home, so we need to make the most of it.

Today, I'm grateful for picnics in the lounge room that include me, Chicklet and 50 dinosaurs.

Nite all.

Day 307 in a Year of my Life

Father's Day is very busy down this neck of the woods!

All along the esplanade, between the road and the water, there is well maintained lawn, trees and gardens.  A few random bench seats.  A few random picnic tables.

Today, just about all the available shaded spaces on the lawns were filled with families celebrating Father's Day.

Portable folding chairs as far as the eye could see.  Blankets lay on the ground, in the middle of circles of chairs with food a drink spread across for Father's Day picnics.

Kids were running, skating, cycling, skateboarding, scooting, kayaking and swimming all along the water's edge.  Pets were happily playing and running alongside them.

There were sand castles being built, kids climbing trees, photos being taken, laughter ringing out and children squealing, mostly with delight.

Such a nice atmosphere.  It reminded me of my town at Easter, with the big fishing competition on.

Chicklet and I spent an hour walking along the waterfront and taking in the sights and sounds today.

We had a great day together, while Mama and Dadoo took a break and enjoyed some time together over lunch and a movie.

This is a photo that I took of Chicklet yesterday to put in the flickr challenge for a portrait showing 'joy/delight'

I'll try for some more shots tomorrow.   She doesn't like the camera much, so it's hard going, trying to get her to look 'at' the camera, let alone 'smile'!

Today I'm grateful for the new game, created by Chicklet, which she so aptly named 'dinosaurs stomping into the lagoon at great speed'.  This involves dropping every one of her 50-odd dinosaurs down my shirt while chanting 'dinosaurs stomping into the lagoon at great speed!'.  Thank goodness I wear loose fitting tops!

Nite all.