Okay so I have to start out with apologizing for being off the grid so-to-speak with my posting. I feel terribly neglectful. But sometimes life just gets in the way. And in this case, I've had a HUGE learning curve of a dietary hurdle to get over.
My littlest one recently was diagnosed as being allergic to wheat, gluten, and Amaranth of all things. Combine that with my husband and eldest kid who have oral allergies to many raw fruits, veggies and nuts... and you have the combination for dietary insanity.
Of course, I LOVE raw foods and things that are lightly cooked and taste fresh and light. Hubby prefers everything being cooked REALLY well, especially due to his food issues. Yeah I saw him once after he had too hoppy a beer. He looked like he was wearing bright red lip liner or had kissed a cheap hooker. I can understand why he avoids certain foods.
But then mix that with an almost 4 year old who has been used to eating grains like pastas, tortillas, and whatnot, and ask her to eat foods that are nowhere near her comfort zone.
Then to top that off, I have the elder preteen who has now decided she only likes eating junk and pushes all the good stuff off her plate and only eats the less-nutritious parts.
Let's just say I wanted to run my family over with a bulldozer for a few days there.
But I'm okay now. I think.
What I do realize is that I have to start writing down what we CAN all eat, not so much what we can't. I'm getting lost in the can'ts. And what better place to write something like that down... than here! Where you can all benefit from my insanity.
So here goes.....
Fruits:
• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries
• Cherries
• Citrus
• Dates (not raw)
• Grapes/raisins
• Pineapple
• Pomegranate
Veggies:
• Beans & Peas
• Beets
• Bell peppers/peppers
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Celery (only as mire pois)
• Chard
• Corn
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Kale
• Olive oil
• Onions
• Pumpkin
• Seaweed
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet potato/yams
Nuts/Seeds (none raw):
• Almonds/almond flour/almond milk etc
• Chia
• Coconut flour/milk/shredded etc
• Flax
• Hazelnut
• Hemp
• Millet
• Pecans
• Pistachios
• Pumpkin seeds
• Quinoa
Beans/Legumes (soaked):
• All beans
• All lentils
• Chocolate (minimal for me)
• Split peas
Grains (limited):
• Rice
Animal Products:
• Eggs
• Gelatin
• Honey
• Meat (hubby and eldest only)
• Milk (not for me)
• Yogurt (not for me)
This is by no means the end of the list. But this is what I have (off the top of my head) so far.
I can't call this a Paleo diet because there is rice and quinoa. It's not Primal either. We can't really eat very much processed food just because of the nature of the beast I'm dealing with. I guess it's just a whole-food based diet, with some limitations. But boy would it be easier to be able to define the diet and find others who are eating exactly the same and have amazing recipes for it. Don't get me wrong... I have found many amazing recipes that cover all our bases. But sometimes just defining something makes it easier to deal with. And the fact that I have to cook every meal from scratch can be exhausting......
I do have to say though, I have been enjoying all the "close-to-the-source" foods we've been eating so much more of. In fact, I've been juicing every day, sometimes twice a day. I feel great! Even when I'm exhausted, I look way better than I used to.
Before this dietary change, I used to have a grey pallor when I was tired. But no more. I suspect I am also gluten/wheat intolerant. I tried eating some a few weeks into our new diet, and it made me feel terrible, and I got all congested. So no problem... I'll stay off it. It's not that hard since the whole family is doing it.
Okay, mind you, the hubby and eldest have not committed fully. They "cheat" outside of the house. But hey, whatever. I still think they'd feel TONS better avoiding all wheat and gluten, but I can't force them... even if I really really want to.
