Avoiding Burnout

This post is a result of several conversations I've had over the last few weeks. Conversations about soaking nuts, about following certain diets and cleanses, about how to help your children get on board with healthy eating, and about comparing ourselves to what other people are doing. I have heard many women say it is just too hard... that no one can do it all... and, is it even worth trying if I can't do as much as Supermom on the next blog?

I've been thinking about what our family does health-wise (for particulars, read this past post)... and why we do it the way we do. I'll step out on a limb here today and share my thoughts with you.

Health Matters. Life is such a gift. Each day is a wide-open opportunity to do something big. Being a good steward of our health, our life-ness, is very important. I mean, why not be fueled-up and strong for accomplishing great things... us as moms AND our husbands and children. Let's live big, bold lives!

But, realistically speaking, can we eat everything healthy all of the time? Maybe if you are superwoman. Or maybe if your family is still very young. Let me explain...

We used to eat 100% healthy all the time. It was hard work. Very hard work. I only had two children and was not yet homeschooling. I prepared everything from scratch, soaked all our grains and legumes, even our nuts, made lacto-fermented foods, and the list goes on. But I saw two things happening.

First, we were causing some minor divisions between ourselves and family and friends. You see,
some people just didn't feel like they could prepare food "good enough" to have us over. And some people felt belittled by our health-fanaticism, even though I don't think we ever pushed our thoughts on others. (We're actually very introverted people and avoid conflict like the Black Plague... or H1N1.)

Second, I was starting to really burn out. All that time in the kitchen. Always thinking days and weeks ahead in order to have everything prepared. And, I was about to deliver my third baby. Homeschooling was really picking up with Rainbow... and soon Spiderman would follow. There was less time in my day for food. Have you ever experienced burnout? Both with the thoughts of all that has to be done and with future thoughts of everything just getting busier?

Those two issues were big on my mind. But so was health. Wellness was still a major priority for our growing family. I wanted to give my children every bit of the gift of health as possible. I had to bring some reconciliation to the mental discord... how could I balance it all?

Fast forward... we now eat a very bold 95% perfect. And I still consider us very healthy. Everything we eat at home is on target with our health principles. (Eat what God made. Eat it as close to how God made it as possible. Everything in moderation.) But we do leave the house. And there are times I cannot take all the food we need with us.

There are times that we have to let our ideals go a bit. Like, for example, at a basketball banquet where the menu is pizza and cake. If we were fanatics we wouldn't go. But a basketball banquet is a monumental event for a young boy! Or, if we were extremely fanatical, we would go and take our own food! I can't imagine how that would make my children feel...

So, we attend and allow our children to eat two pieces of pizza and a piece of cake. (And serve a big Greek salad before we leave as an appetizer to fill a good portion of their tummies!) We teach moderation. That it is okay to have an occasional small-to-medium portion of otherwise unfavored foods. However, we do not use a basketball banquet as an excuse to load up a plate of desserts or drink massive quantities of soda pop.

Same thing with our weekly church pot luck. We simply do not make a big deal of the food. Our children know that they are only allowed one small dessert. And we have seen them make very wise choices about their food selections. (I get food for my younger girls.) In doing so, we are teaching some very valuable life lessons. As soon as you have liberty, you don't just let all your self-control and wisdom fly out the window. I seen my children exercise good personal decision making skills. That gives me hope for the future.

We have decided to not let our food choices create social divisions. Honestly, I don't think the small percentage of less-than-nutritious food is going to ruin our vitality. For the vast majority of the time, we eat nutrient dense foods. We also take high quality supplements. The occasional unhealthy compromise won't be our demise. However, inability to be temperate might. Children (and parents) need to have enough strength to exercise moderation.

And about the burnout... I realized somewhere around the time Witzy was a baby that I simply couldn't do everything. (I still try.) I needed to cut myself some slack. And it was much better to have a happy mommy than to have a mommy who stressed over every meal. So, we eat as best as we can with the time and money resources we have. And that is that. No fretting over what we can't do.

I would like to encourage you... whether you are new to the health game, whether you are a long time health nut (respectfully said), whether you are still searching through diet options... but especially you mom's with growing families... Do your best. But don't stress over the rest. (Have I told you how much damage stress can do?)

For your health, for the long-haul,

The New Little One

This picture was when The New Little One was just four days old! Yep... that was last Wednesday. And today he is ten days old. He was born on 12/27 and weighed 7 lbs 13 ounces. Time really flies with a newborn. Everything this last week is a blur. Except one thought that shines out perfectly clear. We are thankful for this precious baby!

Do you like birth stories? Would you like to hear how he came into this world? If I share how The New Little One came into our lives, I'll have to back up to my other deliveries. Would that be okay?

Rainbow was breech until 37 weeks when we turned her by using slantboard exercises. We kept her head down until 38 weeks when she was born in a very quick, uneventful, natural home-delivery. It was just what I hoped for -- a completely unmedicated and intervention-free birth. And the fact it was just 2 1/2 hours was nice too.

Spiderman was head down until I had dilated to at least 7 cm. I remember being checked at that point and his head was still pressing down on my cervix. However, after that point he flipped completely and his feet were presenting. We transferred to a nearby hospital. His labor lasted 20 hours and ended in a c/sec because he was a "double footling breech."

Witzy was breech until about 39 weeks. We turned her using slantboard exercises again... very uncomfortable at that stage of pregnancy! But, we kept her down for a few more days and she was born in another completely natural home-birth at 39 1/2 weeks.

Tickle... can you guess? Yep, she was breech until late in pregnancy when, this time, we turned her by seeing a chiropractor who performed the Webster Technique. So much more comfortable than the slantboard! She was born after my due date, but we were able to keep her head down until her completely natural home-birth.

And now The New Little One. This little guy preferred to lie transverse. His head was perfectly at home under my right ribs with his feet under my left. Yes, it looked like a tire around my front and not at all like a pretty little basketball! We did slantboard. We made trips to the chiropractor. He turned head down. He turned back to transverse. We did it all again. He turned again. And again.

At 38 1/2 weeks, we turned him for the last time. I was much more comfortable with him in this position. You see, with him lying transverse, it put dramatic strain on my hips. (I'm not a very big person... just a bit over five feet tall.) The last month of my pregnancy, I could only move with great pain... so I was pleased to have some measure of relief and some nights with some sleep during the last week. He stayed head down through Christmas... until...

Labor. I was checked at 8 1/2 cm and his head was still pressing down on my cervix. I went through another 1/2 hour of contractions, but I noticed that they were spacing out. Something was different. I was checked again, and I was complete. But, there was no longer a head presenting... it was an arm! Yep, he decided to lie transverse again.

But, all of a sudden my water broke. And with the flood came his entire cord and his arm too! It was all pushed back in. His heart tones were distressed, and I was rushed to the hospital for an immediate emergency c/sec. I rode the entire 45 minutes in an ambulance in a position that would keep the baby up high and off his cord... with no fetal monitoring (something ambulances are not equipped with) and no way to know if he was okay.

As soon as we arrived, the fetal monitoring started again and I heard my baby's heart tones in the 120s. That was the last thing I was aware of before going under. In just a few minutes he was in our world, but he had to spend the first six hours of it in the NICU... and it took about that long for me to come out of the stupor from the general anesthesia, even through I vomited from it for an entire 24 hours!

So that is his birth story. We are thankful to have him home with us, alive and well.

During this unexpectedly longer road to recovery, I am praying about how I need to be redeeming my time. What does this next season of my life look like? What will Health Begins With Mom look like? I'm excited to see how things unfold! Stay tuned...

Friend Makin' Monday -- Just for Fun

I thought I would participate in this blog carnival, just for fun. You might not ever wonder about the Amy Ellen who writes the posts for Health Begins With Mom... but just in case you do... here twenty somethings about me:

1. Do you cook every night?

Pretty much. I try to cook enough during the week for leftovers on the weekends, but we rarely eat out. I am the sole cook in the house, although I have a nine year old helper.

2. What kind of laundry detergent do you use & why?

I use Shaklee Get Clean laundry products because they are non-toxic and realio, trulio work. With my four children, I have not met a stain I couldn't remove in the three years of using Get Clean.

3. Do you do laundry every day or loads at a time?

I do two or three loads on Tuesdays and two or three loads plus sheets on Fridays. Not everyone's sheets every Friday, but half one week and the other half the next. Call it a sheet rotation plan.

4. How often do you eat out per week?

Ummm... we don't. When we have the occasional gift card or for my birthday we go out, but it's definitely not a per week thing.

5. Where do you usually eat out?

My fave restaurant for my birthday is Carraba's... and my dad took me there this year! I also like to get burritos at Moe's on occasion. It's not totally healthy, but it is fresh and much better than some eat out options.

6. What is your favorite retail store?

Honestly, I can't associate anything retail with favorite. I just don't shop. But I love a good bookstore, just for a quiet afternoon.

7. What's your favorite thing to drink?

Hmmm... I love limeade, but hardly ever drink it. Remember my limeade fiasco? I mostly drink water and pregnancy tea (which I'll post a recipe for later this week).

8. Do you take vitamins? What kind?

Well, you all know I take Shaklee vitamins. I blogged about why in my three part "What Is Health Anyway?" series found on the left sidebar.

9. What percentage of the household chores to you do?

I actually only do about 30%. My children have really gotten efficient at our daily chores. We work at the same time and get a job done really quickly.

10. Do your children do chores?

Well, I answered that already. It took a lot of time and patience to work with them in the beginning, but it sure is paying off now! It's paying off for them too, in dividends of good attitude and diligence.

11. Do you go to church?

Yes, I go to a really great family integrated church. I am so thankful for it! Here's a website if you wonder what a family integrated church is.

12. Do you have a housework schedule?

Yep. It works like clockwork, but keep in mind it has only been minorly tweaked a few times over the last four years... so it's basically habit. I wrote specifics about it in the comments on this post.

13. Do you keep a working budget?

My husband keeps the budget, but I am in charge of the grocery budget. Yes, I work the budget.

14. What do you do at night as a family?

We eat supper together. My dear husband, Greatest Dad Ever, plays with the kids while I clean up. Then we have family worship time... sometimes it's simple like just singing and praying together. Sometimes my dh leads us in Bible Study. Sometimes we go over the outline from Sunday's teaching at church. We are usually reading a family read aloud at this time too. Currently we are reading George Mueller's autobiography.

15. How do you prepare yourself for a new week?

I have a homeschool planning time on Sunday afternoons where I write in my homeschooling journal, think over the week, put books on hold. At this time, I can plan for other things that need to get done too. I think about the children's training and if I am connecting with their hearts... things like that. It helps me start the week with more than just a to-do list, but a proper perspective on what really matters in our house.

16. What do your mornings look like?

Up at 5:30. Exercise. Quiet Time. Getting myself ready for the day. Meal prep in the kitchen while Rainbow serenades me on the piano and the children get themselves ready for the day.

17. What time do you get up in the mornings?

I already answered that. :)

18. What time do you go to bed at night?

I have been conditioned to think of 10-10:30 as my bedtime. BUT I need to change my thoughts and put myself to bed by 9:30. I feel like I should stay up longer, but this pregnant body needs more sleep! I need to make a bigger effort to get to bed by 9:30. Really, I do.

19. How do you manage all of the paperwork that floods into your household?

Not very well. I keep a stack of "deal with asap" papers by my computer. And a stack of "deal with later" papers on my desk. But I don't always look to see what is in the stack. Paperwork is not my friend. I do keep a filing system. But my husband is much better at keeping on top of things than I am.

20. How do you keep your household organized?

OOOh. This is a big question. Everything has a place. Everything goes in its place. If it doesn't have a place, we come up with a good place for it or get rid of it.

Happy Monday,

Disappointing News

I write this post with disappointment in my heart. We have just a week and a half of summer left! During that short time, we will be taking an out of town trip, finishing up our summer lessons and getting ready for the next school year. I have a lot of planning to do! And I have a few big projects I started this summer that I really need to complete before school begins. And this weekend is Spiderman's birthday!

My top priority is my children - their hearts and their minds. I need to start off the school year with a plan and in a hopeful state of mind. In order to do so, I need to take a break from blogging. I wish I could do it all and blog too. Really, I do. But, I have to be realistic. Lord willing, I will be back once school is underway. I still have so much I want to share about how we can bless our families with greater health...

If you've been a long time reader, know that I really appreciate your comments and your participation in this blog. I look forward to reconnecting when I return.

If you're a new reader, I apologize for the pause. Please enjoy the archives while I'm away. I look forward to getting to know you soon!

On a side note: Our children need attentive parents. They need parents who will really listen, who will ask the questions that probe their hearts and take the time to hear their responses. Our children need quantity time, not just compartmentalized quality time. I talk about the amazing position we are in as mothers, mostly in reference to how we can bless our families with health. But, more importantly, we have been put in a position to nurture our children's hearts. Let's not miss the precious opportunity!

Peace and joy,

Tips From My Kids!

This summer morning turned out immensely better than I could ever have planned for. We have been quite busy so far... so much so that we haven't really had any no-account time. But this morning, I took my cup of NutriCafe and a camp chair and sat out under the canopy of trees we call our "woods." Rainbow and Spiderman were playing a game of stick hockey with bamboo poles and a tennis ball. They creatively made goals out of found logs. It was blissful to sit and watch their joy.

Then Rainbow got whacked with the pole on her knuckle. No serious wound, but she was out of the game for a while. She came and sat down next to me. Spiderman followed, having no one to continue the game with. The little girls were collecting rocks around us. Like I said, this was the kind of morning I couldn't have planned. I just talked with my kids...

After a while, I thought about blogging. I was thinking of what I might write to encourage you today. I decided I would ask my kids. I said, "If you could give one health tip to the moms who read my blog, what would you say?"

Spiderman, who will be seven this month, abruptly said: "Don't eat candy; eat grapes or granola bars instead."

Rainbow, who is nine, thought about it all morning. At lunch, she said: "If you want to help your children be healthy, you can feed them lots of carrots for their eyesight and eggs so they will be smart." (You can read the reasoning behind eggs in this previous post.)

Witzy, who is just four, hummed her little Five a Day song from Signing Times Volume 6. I would love to post a video of it today, but it is not available for public use. Rachel Coleman sings this incredibly catchy song teaching little ones to count to five while they add up their fruits and veggies each day. "Any way you slice it, or dice it, or peel it, it's gotta add up to five a day!" Very cute song... so worth checking out the dvd.

So there you go. From my kids... if you want to help your kids be healthy, teach them to choose their foods wisely, making sure to include at least five fruits and veggies each day. Make it a game... and enjoy the adventure!

By the way, have you ever tried Dragon Fruit? If you haven't, be on the lookout for it. This is just the type of adventure your children will love. Even if they don't love the fruit itself, it is such a thrill to see its scaly pink outer skin and then reveal the beautiful black and white speckled flesh inside.

Enjoying the journey,

Why I'm Thankful For My Hair

I know this seems like an odd topic for a post. But, let me tell you, I'm thankful for my hair. It can get rather frizzy. And a surprising amount of grey is sprouting. But I know how it feels to look in the mirror and have the horrifying thought that I may not have hair in a few months.

Four years ago my hair had gotten so thin that my ponytail was the thickness of a pencil. I kept it long so that I could wrap it around the crown of my head to cover up some especially thin areas. Seriously, I looked in the mirror and thought, "If I keep losing my hair at this rate, I won't have any in a few months." It fell out in such quantities that it looked like a rat on the shower floor each time I washed my hair. Sorry for the awful mental picture. It was awful!

I was at a total loss. I was following all the health advice and taking all the right vitamins. Or so I thought. You can read more about what changed here. But, the point of this brief blog post is to say that I am truly thankful for my hair. It's not glamorous, but it is there... and lots of it!


By the way, in case you were wondering, I don't pluck out my grey hair. I am pleased to keep every strand... even the grey, which grows mostly along my hairline in the front so you can't see it in this snapshot.

The News.

I apologize for my unplanned absence yesterday. You see, I decided it was the Annual Reorganize the School Cabinet and Bookshelves Day. Once a year, I like to take everything out, pull the furniture away from the wall, vacuum and dust thoroughly, remove the accumulated pencil and crayon marks, file the past year's school work, and create a refreshingly orderly room in which I can plan the next school year.

So, once I got started yesterday, there was no stopping! Well, I did have to take a few intermissions BUT I was driven. And things are mostly put back together today. I would post a picture of the end results, but I can't figure how my homeschooling organization fits into a health blog... except to explain my temporary disappearance.

Besides organizing... I seem to have caught the bug because I redid the pantry this morning too... I have another newsy tidbit to share with you. I am expecting our fifth child! Yep. I am close to the end of my first trimester.

How have I been feeling? Hmmm. I am thankful to be functional. I know that there are many women who are completely offset by extreme nausea in their first trimesters, and sometimes throughout the whole pregnancy. With my pregnancies, I have varying degrees of "morning sickness" all throughout the day until about week 12. This time around is no different.

There are a few very specific things I have noticed really help ease the queasiness. First, I must faithfully take a B Vitamin soon after I wake up, with a protein-type snack. Doing so solves a lot of problems before they start! I take a sustained release B Complex (part of this product pack) that supplies my body with more B vitamins every hour. This is so much better than just taking a large amount all at once. I can tell a big difference when I haven't taken it! And a big difference from when I used to take a different B Vitamin.

I also have stopped exercising. That sounds so contrary to normal health advice. I will get back to my normal exercise routines in my second trimester! With my first two pregnancies, I had to stop exercising in my first trimester in order not to lose too much weight. With my next three (this one included) I have had to stop so that my blood sugar doesn't drop too low. I have found that if I exercise, I can not regain my blood sugar stability -- even for a few days. It leaves me shaky, dizzy and nauseated. So, it helps me to take it easy in the first 12 weeks... not that I can totally slow down with four other children to run after!

I do sip peppermint and ginger teas. And I do occasionally use a Stomach Soothing Complex for a greater burst of these helpful herbs. Other than that, my best strategy is to eat small snacks throughout the day.

Cravings? This is laughable... with Rainbow, I craved cheese. We were vegans at the time, so the occasional cheese was a major treat! With Spiderman I craved hamburgers. I thought about them way too often. But, after one Wendy's burger, I was done with that! With Witzy, I don't remember a craving. With Tickle and this baby, I crave chicken fingers... hello Chick-fil-a! It's a good thing we don't live very close to a Chick-fil-a so that I have to eat healthy food instead. But, I do have plans to go with a friend next Tuesday. (Can't Wait!)

Because pregnancy is at the front of my mind, I plan on posting some of my thoughts on healthy pregnancies over the next few months. This blog isn't going to turn into a pregnancy blog, but I think expanding that topic would be helpful. I'll still keep up with my regular health posts, tips and recipes, so thanks for coming back to read... where would I be without readers!

And, here's a question for you: The question I hear most from pregnant women is "what do you do for morning sickness?" I would love for you to comment with your thoughts on the topic. What do you do to ease nausea? Do you have healthy ideas or remedies that you can share? Thanks for your comments!

13 Healthy Things I love

All the posts I have spinning around in my head are weighty... so today I'm going lite! Here are the 13 healthy things I am glad to make a part of my regular life:

1. Strawberries, which I have already written about...

2. Blueberries, so good for our brains... and which I'll write about in July when we pick enough to stock up our freezer with the wonder food.

3. Sleep. Yes, sleep is a good thing to make a regular part of your life! The recommendations are 7.5-8.5 hours. I find that if I aim for 8, I get about 7.5, which serves me well.

4. Walking. I love to exercise, even though I don't always wake up early enough. But walking is my favorite... such an invigorating exercise for my body, mind and spirit... I think I'll go for a walk this evening, if it is not raining.

5. Chicken. Well, I have to qualify this one... healthy chicken is a good thing, and one of my very favorite foods! I've posted about chickens here.

6. Avocados... and for me to post any more about these fruits would be overkill. You can read my post here.

7. Vitamins. Yes, I really love my vitamins. They have changed my life.

8. Beans. Wonderfully full of fiber and nutrients... nothing like a good bean burrito. Yes, you can soak them overnight with water and a few tablespoons of yogurt to neutralize the components that cause digestive trouble.

9. Kale. Yep, this might be my favorite green. It holds its shape without wilting too much, doesn't have the film like spinach and is packed with calcium, iron and vitamins.

10. Non-toxic cleaning products. I can really tell a difference in our home...

11. Almonds. Might be a perfect food.

12. A big plate of raw vegetables with lemony hummus for dipping. Nothing like a fresh take on lunch!

13. Chocolate Cheesecake. Hee Hee. Cheesecake can be a really healthy thing, part of my passion for living :-)

Freezing Strawberries

Strawberries, wonderful strawberries! Strawberries are an example of God's rich love toward us. Not only do they contain a whopping amount of Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and plenty of fiber, fresh picked strawberries are bursting with sweet flavor! They are a perfect food...

I usually stick to my topic on this blog, but today I am going to indulge in a bit of personal story as well. I took my children strawberry picking last Friday morning. We were "scheduled" to leave at 7:16... only we had a protein shake splatter on the kitchen floor... and then we had a person-in-charge (would that be me!?!) realize she had forgotten to dig up containers in which to bring the strawberries home... and then, when all were buckled into the van, we discovered that the three children not in diapers were so eager to get the day started none of them had used the bathroom...

We left late. But we were still in good spirits. It was a beautifully overcast spring morning. The children selected Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major for the car ride... perfect selection for heightening morale and camaraderie. They felt ready to conquer the world... or at least a few rows of strawberry plants. Here are my littles with the bounty:

Yes, that's right. My kids picked nine gallons of strawberries in less than one hour. I can't really say that Tickle helped to pick the berries, but at least she stayed close by and didn't prevent us from picking! Witzy was primarily my bucket carrier. Now, these kids may just look like normal children to you, but they are superstars to me :-) I am so proud of their cheerful efforts last Friday. I thought about rewarding them with Chick-fil-a or Ice-Cream... but then I thought how perfect ripe strawberries are. They were very pleased to be rewarded with the fruit of their labors, a much better choice!

Here they are again. This picture shows a bit more of the farm with the strawberry rows stretching back into the horizon.

So when I returned home, I really had my work cut out for me! Nine gallons... and the sooner fresh-picked strawberries are frozen, the more nutrient content will be retained. We didn't freeze all nine. It was more like 7 1/2 since we ate MANY and gave a way some too.

I divided what I had to freeze into three batches. The above picture is my setup... I washed and cut the stems off of them and then set them in a single later to dry. (There is a third towel with strawberries to the left of the picture.)

Once I finished 1/3 of the berries, I let those dry completely, poured them into bags and sealed them for freezing. In this manner, I divided the work into three sessions AND the strawberries had a chance to dry completely which is very important. Freezing wet strawberries will cause them to stick together in one frozen clump and they are more likely to get freezer burn.

At this point, I had finished 2/3 of the berries. I included my beautifully stained tea towels in this photo only because last year I was scared that I had ruined them and was pleasantly surprised at how easy the stains came out. This year I am not fazed, I will soak them in Nature Bright again... along with all the children's beautifully stained clothing... and they will be as good as new!

After washing strawberries during "rest time," in the late afternoon before our take-out supper, and again after cleaning up from supper, I was very glad to be finished! I let the last batch dry until bedtime and then bagged them up for the freezer. One problem... this year, because I was taking pictures, I did not put the bags directly into the freezer once filled. I kept them all out for this picture. Silly of me... because condensation accumulated in the bags... the very moisture content I was trying to prevent! You can see the condensation in some of these bags. I let them air out again as much as I could, but it would have been best to put them directly in the freezer. I'll know for next year... and so will you!

One other note on freezing strawberries: I find it just as easy to twist the stems off the berries while rinsing them if the strawberries are very ripe. If they are not red all the way through, twisting the caps off leaves a bit of the stem attached. I cut part of our nine gallons and twisted the other part. I don't know if I will notice any difference between the two when I use them over the next year... in smoothies, mostly.

A Day in the Life

The Family Meal

I am looking forward to writing this post. I have had it in my head for a while, but have been waiting for the right time. Today is the day. You see, on this Friday afternoon, after the week I've had, there is simply no way I can even begin to write something even quasi-intellectual. Today I will write about what we eat in a normal day.

Breakfasts usually consist of a combination of the following foods: smoothies, yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, eggs, toast and real milk. We also have pumpkin bread, banana bread or some kind of muffins, but not as often as the children would like. More times than not, we have smoothies with granola sprinkled in and a boiled egg on the side. I make sure to give my children protein EVERY morning. It's good for their growing bodies and their budding brains. While the children eat an egg on most days, I have a protein shake. On the weekends, I try to make special things like waffles, pancakes or omelets.

Lunch has to be simple in our house. There is so much going on in the day, we have to basically do lunch without thinking. We alternate between cheese toast or sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches. I try to keep homemade bread on hand, but we will eat whole wheat pitas if we need to. We fill out the rest of the meal with fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples, oranges, carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, sugar snap peas... every simple fresh food. I try to keep these things washed and ready in the fridge so that Rainbow or Witzy can easily put them out for everyone. I usually make the sandwiches while I make breakfast, so often I can have one of the girls put out lunch entirely on their own, while Spiderman serenades us on the piano. If the children are unusually hungry, we have popcorn, nuts and raisins or non-GMO corn chips (occasionally). This fare is so simple, if we are on the run, we can just eat it in the car.

On weekends, I try to make something different for lunch. We eat quesedillas, grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup, veggie and hummus stuffed pitas, salmon salad, something fresh and yummy.

Supper. I like simple. I like quick. But healthy isn't always simple and quick. It is nice to have a stash of recipes that are healthy, simple and quick. The rest of the time, my strategy is to have a plan and be diligent to follow through with the plan, even if I'm worn out come supper-making time. (Remember Phil. 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.) Here's my plan:

Monday - Cook a crock pot chicken. Serve the chicken with lots of vegetables and a Frugal Meal Extender. Save the stock for another supper and half of the chicken pulled off the bone for another supper too.

Tuesday - Tuesday is a busy day, full of activities. On Tuesdays I make something quick with a salad. Homemade Pizza. Salmon Broccoli Pasta. Baked Fish. Quiche. My version of Fried Rice.

Wednesday - Wednesday is our Frugal Food Night. I will be posting about this in the near future. This night is usually Beans and Rice, Black Bean Soup, Beans and Cornbread or some variation on these incredibly frugal whole foods.

Thursday - I use the second half of the chicken to make something that will last for two meals. I guess the key to making 1/2 a chicken stretch is to double all the vegetable ingredients.

Friday - On Fridays I usually make something with beef (or lamb or bison). We really like Pakistani Kima, from the More With Less cookbook. I also make Sally Fallon's meatloaf or chili, taco skillet, burritos, or when my children beg enough, a whole food version of "Hamburger Helper."

Weekends - Leftovers. I purposefully cook enough during the week so that I can take a cooking break on the weekends.

I am always on the lookout for new meal ideas. If something strikes my fancy, I'll see if I can tweak the recipe to make it fit our diet choices. So, even though I have this "outline" I am not tied to it! I do make a meal plan every week and shop with my list in hand. This way, I have everything I need for all the meals. And, since we keep a lot of fresh produce, I can't skip cooking or the food would go to waste!

Another weekly event is a baking night... or so I try. I usually make a 1/2 gallon of yogurt on Monday or Tuesday morning. Then, usually on Wednesday night, I will bake breads, muffins, power bars, granola, tortillas or other goods. Knowing this night is coming, I can set things out to soak and I can make sure to have all the ingredients I will need. I do not bake everything each week. The strategy is to make 2-3 batches of each item when I make them. This way I am only baking 2 or 3 things per baking night. That seems to keep things manageable for me (and my girls!).

I hope you have enjoyed this mindless post as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Please comment to share what meal strategies save you time and keep you cooking healthy foods.

Photo Credit: Allposters.com

Who Am I?

The most bizarre thing happened to me over our Spring Break. Well, I'm sure there are weirder things, but this was really amazing to me. Someone who found my blog using a search engine emailed me a question. Long story short, I found out that she lives just around the corner from me. Imagine that!

A cyberspace friend turning out to be a real-life neighbor sent my mind swirling. Who am I? Does what I write on this blog accurately represent who I am? If someone met me in real-life, would they recognize me as the same person who authors this blog?

Who am I? I am an introvert relying on the grace and strength of the Lord to be used as an encouragement in other women's lives. If you saw me at a library storytime, I would smile at you and your children. It would take several storytimes for me to strike up a conversation... unless you did first, in which case I would probably seem pretty friendly while inside I would be praying earnestly for words.

I'm glad to be back into the blogging world this week. My prayer is that you find encouragement here at Health Begins With Mom. I hope to reply to some of your questions this week, post a great recipe and start a new topic called "Simple Changes." I'm excited about this one. I know that "healthy" can seem so daunting... like climbing Mount Everest. While some health changes I write about are big (like baking homemade bread or cutting out boxed cereal), I want to share some simple changes too... small things that add up to big results.

Low-Tech Week

My dearest readers,

This week is Spring Break for our family. It could also be called a "low-tech" week since my husband and I will be offline. We will be using the break for family activities and projects... lots of joyful time with our dear children.

For those of you who have been reading my posts since I started last Thanksgiving, I truly appreciate your constant support. Your comments and emails encourage me so much!

For those of you who are new to my blog, I am posting a few favorites you can read while I am low-tech-ing it this week:

• Investing in Your Health
• Inspiration When You Want to Give Up
• Keeping Perspective

Also, if you have not yet read my "Wondering Where to Start" posts, check out the list at the top left of this page.

Off to cure my spring fever... peace and joy,
Amy Ellen

On a Personal Note

Do you ever find yourself cutting corners on your own health while still making maximum efforts for the rest of your family? That is exactly where I found myself this week.

You see, I thrive on a protein shake for breakfast. On the mornings that I drink a protein shake, I can tell a big difference in my day. I am less forgetful and edgy, more energetic and creative, and am truly able to better nurture my littles.

Going without my protein shake for a while, I saw a change in my metabolism too. Did you know that when we skip meals, our bodies will naturally curb energy consumption just in case the fuel might be needed later. Consistent, light meals are the best way to keep our metabolisms at their peak.

Protein shakes take about three minutes to make. Simple enough, right? So why have I been cutting that corner? I have been eating a few bites here and there while I make breakfast and do lunch and dinner prep. In my mind I'm saving time because I'm not sitting down to eat. I get some extra time to work, and then I sit down to do Bible Time when the kids are finishing up their food. While the few moments of extra work time seem profitable, I am really doing myself (and my family!) a disservice.

Have you heard the southern slang cliche' "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? I've never really liked the phrase, but honestly, I can see it bears some truth. If this mama isn't being healthy, it really effects her family.

I have started being disciplined about my breakfast again. It is worth 3 minutes! Are there areas of your health-life where you might be cutting corners? It all comes back to "Health Begins With Mom!"

Sunday Night Meals

When I was growing up, my parents always fed us popcorn for supper on Sunday nights. There may have been several reasons for our family practice. But, I really only remember one. I remember my parents saying it was good for us to not be full -- that millions of people around the world would go to bed feeling hungry.

Sometime in the beginning of our marriage, my husband and I adopted this practice as well. We made just popcorn for a few years, but with pregnancies and such, we added a smoothie to the menu. For the last six or seven years, we have had popcorn and smoothie on Sunday nights.

It is certainly nice to have a night free of cooking and clean up. And, this simple meal really helps the weekly budget. But more than that, we are teaching our children a concept that is often missed here in America. We don't have to be full.

I don't know if this practice would fit your family. I share it because I can see how it has benefited my children. We all do well with a weekly reminder that we eat to live rather than live to eat.

On a side note: we also have a Frugal Dinner night on Wednesdays. This meal consists of beans, rice or cornmeal in some very simple arrangement. Including the leftovers, this meal usually costs around three dollars for our family of six. We're saving money that can be spent wisely elsewhere, but we are also teaching our children that not every meal has to be totally scrumptious and filling.

From a Concerned Greenie

I'm seeing more and more commercials for Clorox Green Works products. They are advertised as 99% natural and biodegradable. Hmmm. Am I the only one concerned here? Do we want to be buying "green" products from a company that produces mega tons of hazardous household chemicals each year? Wouldn't it make more sense to buy green cleaning products from a company known to be environmentally friendly for the entire fifty years of their existence? Or, think about this... Even if the Green Works products were safe for our health and the environment, wouldn't the sheer volume of plastic bottles going to landfills be a bit contradictory? Wouldn't "green clean" include minimal packaging and concentrated products?

A Morning in Ethiopia -- Dabo Kolo

We do things a little different on Fridays. Monday through Thursday we pretty much stick to our rigorous academic schedule (smile), but on Fridays we take the day for more adventuresome educational explorations. We do science projects, art projects, cooking projects. We read magazines and tons of library books. We listen to Bach and Chopin, very loudly. We watch Moody Science Videos and all sorts of other YouTube performances. And, we do Geography, which is always an adventure.

One Friday, we learned about children in Ethiopia from the Kids of Courage magazine. That was a day never to be forgotten by my littles, for we found their very favorite recipe. Dabo Kolo is a thrill for children to make AND it is healthy! Making Dabo Kolo has become a much anticipated event in our home. I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do!

The ingredients are really simple to put together. First, choose a recipe reader.

Stir together:
2 c. of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sucanat
and a nice pinch of cayenne (the original recipe called for 1/2 tsp. but that was WAY too much for my kiddoes)

Add: 1/4 c. EVOO (that's extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 c. water

Knead this until it forms a smooth ball. We use our mixer so this is super-simple.

Then, as if measuring out things isn't fun enough, comes the thrilling part. Roll the dough into long snakes. With a platic knife (or with fingers), cut (or break) the dough into 1/2 inch long, bite sized pieces. Oh, the kids have a great time with this!


Cook in an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat until light brown on all sides. This is the parent part in our house. After I put a layer of the pieces in the skillet, I let them brown on the bottom. Then I flip and stir them around until they are browned on all sides. I remove them to a plate and start with another layer.


I always recommend multiplying recipes... you know, some for now, some for later. But, with this recipe, you may want to start with just one batch until you get the hang of stirring them in the skillet. Caveat: when you do make two batches, it doesn't mean you'll have some left over. They disappear FAST. Here, the littles are just waiting for the Dabo Kolo to cool:

My Personal Health Journey

I think it is time for me to share about my personal health journey. Would you like to know a bit more about me? Personal stories can get long. I'll try to keep mine to the point. But I hope that the portion I share encourages you to make good health choices... choices to give your body the nourishment it needs to keep you well.

I haven't always been well. In fact, I started my independent life with a very skewed picture of what health is. I realio trulio thought that Snickers were healthy because they were packed with peanuts. And I realio trulio thought that Tang was the same nutritionally as Orange Juice. I was a total sugar and caffeine addict, squeezing in foods laced with these stimulants at every meal. At the same time I also practiced disordered eating. I went on and off starvation diets so that my body was deprived of any consistent nourishment.

Eating like that took its toll on my body. My immune system was shot and I succumbed to all sorts of viruses. My bones and teeth were demineralizing. I had fractured bones and holes in my teeth to prove it. At 20 years old, I had joint pain, cysts and crazy allergic reactions to very odd things. I'm keeping it brief here, so I won't go into all details. Suffice it to say, I was a health-wreck. And believe me, our physical health dramatically effects our emotional health!

After a very scary wake up call, I began to wonder why my body was deteriorating so fast. I found What the Bible Says About Healthy Living and bought it on a desperate whim. All that Dr. Russell said was shockingly opposed to my previous thoughts about nutrition. Yet it all made perfect sense. I began immediately to change my eating habits. And, I noticed improvement in my health.

Fast forward four years and two babies later. I began to lose my hair. The majority of postpartum women go through a shedding time a few months after delivery. I considered this as the cause for my hair loss. But I kept losing hair. I was losing it in gobs. And I noticed that I wasn't really recovering from my c-section. I continued to be greatly fatigued. My muscles felt like lead. My brain was in a perpetual fog. I lost my ability to follow conversation and to stay awake as long as my children. And I kept losing my hair!

I saw doctors, doctors and more doctors... both allopathic and alternative health practitioners. I had tests, tests and more tests. Every doctor could tell me what it wasn't but none could tell me what it was. Even the holistic therapies made no noticeable difference. This debilitating fatigue lasted over four years. I lost 75% of my hair volume. Meanwhile, I was still eating an impeccable diet.

During those years, I had also been taking various health food store vitamins... at no small cost! I read about vitamin deficiencies but thought that couldn't be my problem since I was taking expensive supplements. I switched them out from time to time, but never saw any improvement.

Fast forward to my introduction to Shaklee. It was actually the toxin-free cleaning products that first drew my attention to Shaklee. Since I was very health-conscious, I wanted our kids to grow up in a safe environment and I decided to give Shaklee's Get Clean a try. Then I began learning about their supplements and what makes them unique. I didn't think they could be that much different than my other supplements. But I gave them a try as I did everything else that had the potential for healing.

This brings me pretty much to the end of the story. Within two weeks of starting Shaklee's multi-vitamin and B Complex, my hair stopped falling out and I began to feel alive again. Within two months I was daring to call myself normal. Could it be that I, who was so well-nourished, was vitamin-deficient? Could it be that my body was displaying signs and symptoms as a call for nourishment above my stellar diet?

In looking back, I can see that my body was so seriously depleted from my years of negative nutrition that, after two babies, my systems began to shut down. I may have been getting a dosage of nutrients from my food sufficient for the day, but NOT to make up for lost ground. And I may have been getting some help from the supplements I was taking, but I have learned a lot about why the vitamins I was swallowing were not being used by my body... I'll have to post soon about how to read vitamin labels.

I'm not claiming that vitamins will heal all diseases. I'm just sharing my story and saying that maybe, just maybe, your body is where mine was in crying out for good nourishment.

A thought to consider: Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling said, "Recommended daily allowances only give levels of vitamins and minerals that will prevent death or serious illness from vitamin deficiency. To get real health benefits from vitamins, you need to get more than just the minimal recommended amounts."

Another important consideration: "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 (KJV)

(By the way, I would much rather write then publicize my blog. Marketing isn't a strongpoint of mine. So, if you have enjoyed reading my posts and you know other women who might benefit from the content... would you mind passing along my link? Thanks so much for helping me!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful holiday! I hope that you are enjoying your family today. I am! I have a quick comment about thankfulness. You know, thankfulness does a heart good. Ours and our children's. While we invest our time and our thoughts in laying healthy foundations for our children's future, we also need to invest in their hearts. I encourage you to be thankful. Speak about the things you are grateful for. In doing so, you'll nurture your children's hearts and lift yours up in the process!

Happy Thanksgiving from me...

Here's My Setting

If you want to know exactly what this blogging experience is like on my end, this is the picture: Rainbow is making very imaginative people using play dough. She is also humming the Christmas (already!) music we listened to while making lunch. Spiderman is outside, raking the fallen leaves off his bike trail through the woods. Witzy is using cookie cutters to make lions and tigers and bears with her play dough. Tickle is still napping. And there you have it... It is a very beautiful fall afternoon and I have my laptop facing the window so that I can see Spiderman and the richly decorated leaves on the ground all around him.

It will take me a bit of time to get all my preliminary thoughts onto this blog. Please come back again to hear how you can make a healthy difference for your own family. I hope that my experience and my insights are an inspiration to you. Bit by bit they will come out on this blog. In the meantime, introduce yourself to me! I'd like to meet you...