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I think I'm going to find myself in trouble as I try to manage two blogs, both about the Challenges in my life. This one really about my Challenges, those of the 30-day-at-a-time Variety. The other about life, mental health, motherhood. But both about my life and its daily, regular, struggle-filled challenges. 

So, what now? How do I go about combining the Blogs so that I'm only writing one? Yes, well. That is the problem. And for now, the solution is that I'm going to redirect all of my awesome, supportive, peruse-me-on-a-regular-basis readers to my Tumblr blog: If I'm Being Honest ...

I hope to see you there ...

It's On!

This family will be UN-inflamed in no time. 

Today's pantry and refrigerator "re-org" (as we call it in the non-profit world) is going to turn our kitchen into a Maya-friendly place. I give the boys until Sunday before they are begging me to go buy chips. 

I should start by telling you that one of my anti-snacking tips is that I only buy snacks the kids like that i DON'T so that I can't graze throughout the evening or on the weekends. Now, because I need to restock with anti-inflammation and gluten-free foods, my kitchen will be filled with EATS I love to eat. So now I'm going to have to find a new way to avoid snacking. :-/

Some of what's about to go down ...

• Trading Fruit-By-The-Foot for DRIED FRUIT
• Trading traditional pasta for QUINOA, QUINOA PASTA & WHOLE WHEAT PASTA
• Trading coffee for TEA
• Trading ice cream, cookies, candy for DARK CHOCOLATE
• Trading Fiber One & granola bars for HOMEMADE OATMEAL SNACK BARS
• Trading breads for WRAPS

 

...and Maya's personal nightmare ...

• Trading Homemade Cupcakes for HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKES

I am determined to make this easier on Maya than it feels like it will be at first glance. And, I'm determined to make yummy foods that make her feel better and, if I do it right, have NO ONE missing the old food. 

I will be sure to share recipes I've made and the kiddo reviews on them. 

Please RECIPROCATE. 

Anti-Inflammatory Meal Planning Creates Inflammatory Reaction

You'd think I'd told the kids they would be eating cardboard for meals. Yeezus Christ. 

So, my research of Anti-Inflammatory Eating has turned up a lot of great suggestions. And a lot of CRAP. 

WebMD.com and May0Clinic.com - which have become my new bible over the last couple of weeks as we sift through the trudges of learning about my 9-year-old's new health issues - have the best resources. Actually, what I like about both is that they link to other great resources instead of re-creating things they don't already own. I like the little people getting the credit. In any case, according to both, everyone in my house will benefit as we begin this new diet. Most notably, my body-image conscious high schoolers will benefit from the lower-case 'd' "diet" as though it's a Capital-D "Diet." 

Most of what I've found likens this to a cross of the Mediterranean Diet (great!) and eating Gluten-Free (...okay!). What does that mean? Oh, you know, eating really similarly to how we eat now, and changing a few of the items to a gluten-free version. I wish I had video-taped the reactions of the kids, tho. Actually, what I wish is that I had just changed the food in the house and the meals that I cook without saying anything because no one would have noticed. And anything that didn't taste good I could have tried to excuse as bad cooking technique. 

But the jig is up now. And I'm committed. I've tried to explain it as they will see a rise in energy, a decrease in body mass, lean muscle, lower fat. Probably see the scale move downward. These are all their goals already. And mine too, true enough, but I don't need convincing -- I'm on board. 

So, the food supply at the house and the meals we make as family will be a full-blown following of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. I want to be sure that Maya can eat meals and snack freely without having to think too hard about it. This whole thing has been hard enough, scary enough, confusing enough, emotional enough, that I'd like to make her lifestyle change as trauma-free as possible. 

Now, does that mean no one can ever eat anything outside of this plan - ever?? Of course not. I'm just not footing the bill. Yup, that's how I parent. 

What the boys buy with their money to stock the pantry with, is up to them and their bank accounts.  What they eat when they are at school, a restaurant, with friends, with their girlfriends or when they take their own selves to the store is all good. 

There just won't be anything on supply from my wallet that doesn't meet the Anit-Inflammation criteria. 
They will appreciate it, they will eat it, and they will like it! <-- Did those threats ever work in parenting? My kids just roll their eyes and "guh-nore" me, as Kira says. 

So this mostly means eating whole food, no processed grains, no wheat, no sugar. Basically, it's eating healthy. What? CURSES!!!

If you're interested in following along, or trying it yourself, here is the best all-in-one-place guide I've found: Anti-Inflammation Food Pyramid & Guide

Okay, off to prepare tonight's meal of cardboard and chalk. *eye roll*

UnChallenged - or is it HyperChalleneged?

This has been a particularly CHALLENGED time in my life. There are days where I feel the hits just keep coming. There are days where I feel the ultimate relief has come along. In either case - in both cases - I'm certain of one thing: I am in need of a reset. 

To that, I have decided one week into this month's Challenge, that I need to stop and reboot. I'm in a life-place that requires a little more introspection before moving forward. It isn't the right time for me to "not eat out," "only wear 10 items of clothing the whole month," or "job 10 miles every day before the sun rises." Tongue-in-cheek a little of myself there, but the truth is I need a little bit more basic level Challenge. 

Since Memorial Day weekend, I have been in an almost-constant state of emotional taxation. There have been work issues, relationship issues, family issues, mental issues, health issues, children's health issues, issues with my friends and their lives ... it seems that just as I'm rounding the bend on one, the next is upon me. I have felt at my breaking point at a couple of key moments, but I know in all truth that I am stronger than that. I won't break. But in order not to drag myself through dirt and strife and turmoil, especially unnecessarily so, I must reset. So ... 

For the rest of this month, my Challenge is to put checks next to each item on my RestMyLife To-Do List.

• Find and hire a financial manager so that I can begin to make some financial  plans (home ownership, big-girl traveling and teenage automobile purchases);
• Begin our family on an anti-inflammatory diet to improve the health of my middle child given her recent health concerns;
• Set some goals for myself for the next year and determine what I need to do to get there and then get to gettin';
• Figure out where we are going to be living when this lease is up in the next couple of months and then get that all in order; 

Etc., but you get the point. 

Now, where is my pencil ...