The sweatshirts were quickly ditched!
This boy used to be in OT once a week! SO proud of him for finishing....and a little bribery goes a long way. aka chocolate milkshake smoothie! :)
Anyway, all drama aside, we had a GREAT time. The kiddos did great and we had a really, really fun family morning. And after getting home, I kind of started diminishing the accomplishment....because I didn't exactly run fast...but a phrase came to mind that a friend passed on to me a while ago. Give yourself some Grace. God is Good. Five months ago I couldn't even feed myself. God is Good. And I read something important in a book called Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full by Gloria Furman. Though it was speaking specifically about parenting, it applies in so many ways. "If we want to give grace to our children, then first we must be willing to receive it ourselves from God." (p. 63)
So, I am going to receive His Grace and say a big 'ol yippe! We did it! We ran a family 5K. :)
And before I mention a few more specifics about my cancer battle plan, can I emphasize again that in this pursuit of what is sometimes called 'clean eating' let's have grace. For each other and ourselves. There can be a lot of judgment in the area of health and wellness, but let's not forget the grace that has been lavished on us folks, and remember the reason behind 'eating clean'.
I love this quote framed in my friend's kitchen.... I think I have mentioned/posted this before, but I wanted to include it again.
"O God, bless this food which has been set before us. May it nourish our bodies to make us stronger so that we will be more fit to serve Thee. In God's name we ask it. Amen. "
Since the last post so many have been SO encouraging! Thank you for cheering me on. To say it means a lot is a huge understatement. Truly, thank you for the encouragement, friends.
And some are curious about more specifics so I'll keep sharing with a few caveats:
1) I am learning as I go. If you have stuff to share with me, awesome, please do! If you have seen something counter to what I share, please let me know! As I mentioned earlier, I pray all the time for discernment between the real deal and quackery.
2) I am not a scientist. Nor do I hold any fancy schmancy degrees. I simply research, listen and read as much as I can and rely on the research of those with the degrees. Just because I do something and it works for me, I can't call it 'evidence-based', which is the gold standard. But I can tell you the positive effects of what we do - how I feel, how much energy I have, how my tastebuds have changed, and the lack of negative effects.
3) I don't ascribe to a specific diet. I am not on a paleo, whole-30, vegetarian, raw, atkins, ketogenic, or calorie counting diet. As far as diet goes, we simply eat nourishing foods that are as close to it's original source as possible. Hope that makes sense and answers some questions about 'what kind of diet I follow.'
That said: a few things regarding my last post about sugar. This one relates to my kids: in our home, we've cut out sugar. I don't cook or bake with sugar (white refined sugar). Our kiddos aren't big enough to cook for themselves yet so they have to eat what I make. Trust me, that does NOT mean my kids are angelic little eaters who say, yes, more kale, please. But as their tastebuds have changed, they do appreciate how sweet fruit and berries are! And there are so many, many dessert recipes out there you can make with alternate sweeteners. But on the flip side, when they are at school I have zero control over their snacks so they still do eat sugar. It is what it is. And when we go to a birthday party, they do have cake. :) I don't love the selection of treats and snacks offered, but I'm okay with those treats because it is more along the lines of an occasional treat vs having sugar with every single meal. Hope that makes sense.
As I mentioned earlier: I'm not on a specific diet, other than a 'kick-cancer's-@ss-' diet. Let's start with the macronutrients: 1) protein 2) carbohydrates and 3) fats.
Regarding protein, it is hugely important as the building blocks for our body. It helps our body heal and repair and grow. We need protein. Simple as that. But there is a difference in quality of protein. We choose grass fed local beef over conventional beef for a few reasons. Grass fed beef has higher levels of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which has been shown to fight cancer. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500874
"CLA has been shown in numerous animal studies since 1994 to promote health and fight disease. From cancer fighting to weight loss, CLA is being touted worldwide as a ‘must have’ in your diet for optimal health today and into tomorrow. CLA has also been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2010.)" http://draxe.com/cancer-fighting-cla-higher-in-grass-fed-beef/
Grass fed beef also has a higher ratio of Omega-3's and less hormones (cancer cells thrive in an environment with excess hormones like estrogen).
"Another benefit of omega-3s is that they may reduce your risk of cancer.
In animal studies, these essential fatty acids have slowed the growth of a wide array of cancers and kept them from spreading.5 Although the human research is in its infancy, researchers have shown that omega-3s can slow or even reverse the extreme weight loss that accompanies advanced cancer.6 They can also hasten recovery from cancer surgery.7 Furthermore, animal studies suggest that people with cancer who have high levels of omega-3s in their tissues may respond better to chemotherapy than people with low levels.8 Omega-3s are most abundant in seafood and certain nuts and seeds such as flaxseeds and walnuts, but they are also found in grassfed animal products.
The reason that grassfed animals have more omega-3s than grainfed animals is that omega-3s are formed in the green leaves (specifically the chloroplasts) of plants. Sixty percent of the fat content of grass is a type of omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic or LNA" http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp
Another 'plus' is that "CLA reduces body fat but not body weight in healthy exercising humans of normal body weight.". http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11725826
On the flip side, the jury is still out on the effects of consuming meat and whether or not it raises your risk for cancer. Some say yay, some say nay. I haven't come to a conclusion yet, so in the meantime, we consume meat in moderation and also focus on consuming complete protein from plant sources (hemp hearts, chia seeds, quinoa are all great options!). To be more detailed, as a family of seven, our meat consumption for one week includes about 1 1/2 lbs of grass fed beef, one whole organic chicken and wild caught salmon. Obviously, different folks in our family eat different amounts based on needs (i.e. Rich eats more meat protein than I do!), but this has become a good balance for us.
You can get grass-fed meat, free range poultry and wild seafood from a local farmer (we split half a cow with another family) or these great sources: U.S. Wellness Meats http://grasslandbeef.com/, Wise Choice Market http://www.wisechoicemarket.com/, Tropical Traditions http://www.grassfedtraditions.com/grass_fed_beef.htm, Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=279.
Hope that helps for now, and I'll discuss more about carbohydrates next time!
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