Living Gluten Free... Or at least trying to!

Hard, but not impossible, eliminating gluten from everyday diet can be quit the task.

After numerous years of trial and error with my son's digestive system, we've finally discovered that he is in fact gluten intolerant.

It was really hard at first to convince a 10 year old child that he cannot eat his favorite bread and peanut butter anymore, in fact most cereals are out too. The only way I noticed that made an impact was by letting him eat a little once in a while and getting him to realize on his own that gluten gives him a mean belly ache. Little by little after every gluten meal, I would hear “ohhhh I'm not eating pizza again” or “oh no more hamburgers”. Of course everyday I would try a new recipe that would bring him the same joy as eating his old favorites. At first rice pasta was seen as disgusting, but then when I served it for everyone and didn't tell him, well we all started liking it! I also keep a batch of gluten free crepe batter handy for a fast substitute to bread. Ham and broccoli or spinach and cheese toppings rolled up in a crepe, is not only fast but also more nutritious than the average sandwich.

A few interesting points I've learned about gluten in the system and this can be true whether you are intolerant or not.

• Excessive gluten (keep in mind in our Western Culture it is used in a whole lot of food) can lead to fatigue
• Constant fatigue can lead to laziness.
• Laziness can lead to inactivity.
• Inactivity can lead to depression.

What an awful vicious cycle! And I must say I noticed it within my son's attitude.

We are now well on our way to a gluten free diet, and well hey! It's not so bad after all...

sources

http://glutenfreeworks.com/gluten-disorders/gluten-sensitivity/

http://www.naturalnews.com/031660_gluten-free_diet_health.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten

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Quinoa, alternative baby food cereal

Quinoa, the sacred food of the Incas, once referred to as the "Mother Seed".

It is in fact part of the same family as beets chard and spinach. Very nutritious, gluten free, and a delicious alternative to rice, pasta and potatoes for supper.

Quinoa is high in protein (12 to 18%) and like oats, it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source, unusual coming from a plant.

It is also a great source of dietary fiber and phosphorus. As if that wasn't enough, it is high in magnesium and iron as well.

It's also easy on the stomach making it great as a starter baby food cereal/vegetable.


FOR BABY FOOD:

Cook quinoa according to package instructions.

It may be a little bitter for Baby so try pureeing it with any other fruit or veggie you have on the menu.

My Baby's personal favorite? Pears and quinoa... I even make a little more for myself. 

Bad soft drink / bad soda pop

I will never forget the first coca-cola my son ever got.He was 6 years old and we were on vacation in Orlando Florida.

We were sitting outside a McDonald, waiting for a taxi to get us to a Science Museum called Wonder Works (a great, cheap place to visit if ever your in Orlando)

He sipped on my coke that I had dragged outside. Honestly usually I choose orange juice (in fact McDonald diners happen like once a year), but on this particular day I just craved a coke! (hey it can happen)

So without me noticing he sipped up the entire cup ! (And we all know that McDonald sizes are just out of wack!)

The taxi took for ever , or so it seemed... Because suddenly my (usually) well behaved son was running everywhere in a parking lot.

Seriously “like if he just got really high, and was totally out of his mind!!!”

He was so fast and out of control, a car almost hit him! And I'm quite a fast reacting person!

He heard nothing I said, and I had to physically hold him tight, until that taxi finally arrived!

Then in the 20 minute taxi ride, he was jumping up and down in his seat! He's never done that on any occasion before!

I remember apologizing to the driver, and told him it was due to the first soda pop he just drank!

The taxi driver was surprised, he says his kids drink that stuff all the time !!! And he agrees they're all hyper...

He calls that normal!

I associated this behavior with the soda...

And then I actually tested my theory a week later again, before the end of my vacation.

So within about 5 minutes of soda ingestion he becomes insanely hyper (where nothing can even be said to him, because he just doesn't listen) then as the energy level rises, mother stresses, child keeps acting up and anger develops... Finally within about a half an hour the energy level drops, mother is now fully stressed and angry, and child is starting to calm down... Only to get a “downer rush” …

Where suddenly nothing pleases the child, and an all around bad attitude develops, finally a few hours later, this soda leaves the body, and lets my child come back to normal...

Few...

This had brought me to better understand the huge problem we have with all these hyperactive kids!

Even my child found the “high” too much, and since I brought it to his attention that it was the soda doing this to him, he hasn't since asked for more...

Since that day, everywhere we go, even if soda is included, he politely says :

“No thank you, I'll take some water instead”

3 easy recipes to feed the brain in the morning

Feeding the brain...
The way we are able to process information partially relies on what we eat.
The brain needs certain nutrients to make neuron transmission possible.

These are NOT found in "Fruit Loops" !

These are found in naturally Omega rich foods.
Not just Omega added foods (like eggs and milk now has added Omega)

The easiest way to incorporate this into your diet is by adding seeds...
Most of our foods nowadays have no more seeds (seedless grapes, oranges)

There's fish too, but with our polluted water ways, I stick with seeds... Besides fish is not always a child's favorite either ;)

I have a constant variety in my fridge ... Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds... and lets not forget what we call "grains" are in fact seeds too.

Here are my simple tricks in getting the seed into your child's mouth !

Recipe 1 An apple a day keeps the doctor away ;)

1 Sliced apple
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
a dash of cinnamon
a little bit of honey

That's it , put the apples on a plate and sprinkle on the rest...

WOW !
How easy was that !!!

Recipe 2 Smart Smoothie!

1 avocado
250 ml milk (or the amount of liquid wanted)
a few ice cubes
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (or any other ground up seed, if the seeds aren't crushed it will feel like there's full of pits in the smoothie, you want to be grinding these seeds, coffee grinder works well)

Mix all up in a blender... And VOILA!

Recipe 3 Eggs for the brain

1 large organic egg
a drop of milk
sprinkled with any seed, and a tiny bit of maple syrup

This can be made into a simple omelette,
letting the child believe it's a crepe!

And again... almost as easy as pouring a bowl of "Lucky Charms"
The difference?

Your child isn't wasting energy and brain power getting rid of preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors (which are all essentially chemicals).

Instead the brain can actively concentrate and learn !

The importance of breast milk... Something's we cannot repair later on ...

Ah , the eternal fight over breast milk...

It's quite simple, when you think...
We are mammals, hence where "Mamma" comes from...
We have milk, why spend money on something we have?

Unless, for some medical reason the mother can't produce milk...

My son was born 14 weeks prematurely, and my body only gave milk for 3 days. I tried a multitude of natural products to increase milk production, to no avail.

The birth of a human determines a lot of things in it's life...
One of them is the "gut flora" (microorganisms in the digestive tract)
This will determine future digestion, and therefor it will have an impact on the future health issues of your growing child... All the way to adulthood.

My little guy is 8 years old now, and has digestive problems since he made the switch from diapers to toilet !

No doctor has been able to help, and I even got some lethal advice at one point... Mineral oil was "prescribed" by his pediatrician to help pass feces... I visited her every 2 weeks... and yet the only change (at that time a 3 year old toddler) was loosing a good (worrisome) amount of weight.

I later found out that mineral oil cotes the stomach and therefor, food just "passes through" ... It was like I was starving my baby !

I found a herbalist, and her "Marshmallow root powder" helped immediately.

Nowadays, he's been complaining about stomach cramps.
And being put on a 2 year waiting list to see a gastro intestinal specialist, is the response I've gotten from our lovely health care system.
Being able to do more... I didn't just sit back and wait ... I researched again...

So now he's been on probiotics for 4 weeks.

He even comes home from school and takes it himself, because he is so happy that it works.

I don't know yet, how long it will help... Through trial, error, and time we can find solutions.
Whereas "waiting for a doctor's appointment" ... well... nothing gets done.

I do know, through much research that most "premies" have some digestive problems, and that brings me to understand the importance of breast milk!

Remember, it's your decision, and it's one that you cannot go back on ...

"Parentability"

The ability of being a parent, or maybe...
The able parent ...
Perhaps,
The parent who is able
...
The parents ability...

Caring for our offspring...
Includes changing our abilities.

Welcoming advice and information...

I welcome you here.
Where I will share the knowledge I have gained through being a humble parent and a student of life
;)