So what the heck are we eating?

After yesterday's post, you probably think we are eating like bunnies. Nope, not really. Just really different than your average American. I am taking the best from each diet and trying to meld it into the best for all three of us.

With all the reading I have done, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), the Body Ecology Diet(BED), Gluten & Casein Free (GFCF), and Traditional Foods (TF) all seem to have a few things in common; mainly the need for probiotics, fermented foods, and decreased sugar intake, be it natural or manufactured. SCD allows for only carbohydrates as monosacchariedes, which limits you to fruit, honey, homemade yogurt, nuts and veggies. BED limits fruits to lemons, limes and black currants initially as you "detox", but allows carbs from seed grains like Quinoa, millett, and amaranth, though they need to be soaked and prepared for adequate absorbtion and decreasing phytic acid. This essentially holds true for TF as well, though there is greater focus on meats and fats, with the rejection of potatoes and beans. GFCF stays away from wheat and dairy, but mom's using the diet to treat yeast in their kids often have to curtail fruits and add supplements, specifically probiotics, to achieve the results they want.

Throughout these four diets, their goal is to restore intestinal health and balance by feeding it the appropriate foods, and starving off the bad bacteria and yeast (Candida) that may be interfering with your health. I've read that slow weight loss and carb cravings are symptomatic of Candida. I've also read that probiotics can help refluxing infants. This is why I am thinking food and going this route may not only be better health wise, but also "heal" what's wrong with each of us.

The big guy's diet is essentially BED, so no fruits, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes. I am trying to do the food combinations correctly, but I am so used to having our big protein at night with a veggie and a starch, so this needs more attention. I can't do BED full on because the yeast die-off could negatively affect my breastmilk, so I still eat fruits, just not in abundance. I just avoid unnatural and processed sugars, save the occasional dark chocolate craving (which inevitably gives me a headache later). We have yet to tackle the fermented vegetables. Its only been a few weeks so give it some time and we will get there.

Our plates for dinner are usually 1/2 salad, 1/4 veggie or veggie/starch combo, and 1/4 protein. I am using recipies I find on WHFoods.com so I can get nutrient packed meals every time we eat. The 15min stir-fry chicken and Mustard Chicken(at right) are really good, though I tweak the recipies a bit so they fit within BED. The salads are dark, usually made with herb greens or spinach, topped with peppers, carrots, cukes, red currants, and pine nuts. We've tried to switch to grass fed beef, fresh caught fish, and vegetarian & humane chicken and eggs. I've even tried bison, and its yummy! The baby likes it too.

I am trying to use some different yet palatable vegetables, and expand beyond the staples of broccoli, carrots brussel sprouts, asparagus and sweet potatoe. I've added beets, bok choy, turnips, kale, and parsnips to the rotation, all of which the little guy loves to eat, the big guy though, thinks they taste like dirt. I really love the beets, and they are on that NYT list of 11 foods we should be eating. I coat them with avocado oil, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, and roast in the over for an hour. I love the sweet, earthy flavor and peeing pink for days is just hilarious. The baby loves beets, though I do suggest if you are feeding a baby beets, it should be a naked dinner! The bok choy is a water packed celery-like veg, just yummy and sweet to snack on, and great in stir fry.

The biggest staple we have expanded is Quinoa. I have been eating this for over a year but never forcing it on the hubster. Now, I am figuring out creative ways to make it a little more flavorful, and yes, forcing it on him. I use it for an oatmeal substitute for breakfast, by cooking it with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and Stevia, then adding a little hemp milk to finish it. I made our starch side dish with it, and add onion, peas, carrots, celery, edemame and scallion. I've also purchased Quinoa pasta, and made an attempt at shells'alfredo, making my sauce from coconut cream, garlic and onion. The pasta does have a weird texture, but its ok. Next, I'd like to try the Quinoa stuffed peppers. I have never soaked it before now, but I intened on using this TF method of preparation going forward for this, and millet.

Like the grains, nuts are soaked and I am finding people really like how these are coming out. I've tried almonds with just a tad of salt. They have a calmer, meatier flavor after being soaked and then roasted. By far my favorite have been the raw pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight in saltwater, then roasted with garlic powder. Even hubby was asking for more! I have almonds with garlic powder in the oven as we speak, hoping those turn out just as good.

Because I am almost positive that our son, still nursing, has an allergy to casein, I've had to find a replacement for milk. I tried soy, too beany. Rice bindsme and the little guy so I didn't bother with rice milk. What I did find though, and LOVE, is hemp milk. Its creamy, somewhat nutty, and sweet, with tons of calcium. We use it in our breakfast quinoa as I mentioned above, in our scramby eggs, and I drink it straight. In additon to milk, there are hemp seeds, which are absolutely delish and taste similar to pine nuts. I use them in our stir fry, coating fish or chicken, and sprinkled on salads. I've been known to spoon it right out of the bag too. Ok, shovel.

BED suggests using sea vegetabls (aka seaweed), as its a great source of iron, magnesium, B6, B12, and iodine. I have tried both the Kelp and Laver from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, available at Whole Foods. I haven't really tried making much with these, as I am happy to eat (ok chew on) them straight out of the bag, and the one Kelp & Kale salad I attempted to cook failed miserably. I will try the recipie for making "sea chips" soon, and will let you know how they turn out.

We've also upped the coconut in the house, using coconut oil for cooking, using the cream for deserts, and soon, I am going to try my own homemade coconut kefir.

And then there's LIVER!!!! Though not a lot, I have started to use liver in my and Chase's cooking. I made a TF bone broth and added cooked, crumbled liver to it. The baby really likes the crumbles and broth taste. Doing the crumbles makes it seem more like ground beef than liver, somehow in my head that makes it more apetizing. I have also frozen tiny pieces of raw liver in the freezer, and pop them like vitamins once a day. Its a strange feeling 20min later, and a bit of a head rush, but I do feel good after all those vitamins.

In regards to supplements, we've both added a probiotic, and he takes a digestive enzyme before dinner. I am taking 1 tbsp of Cod Liver Oil in the morning and drink a green goo slime drink in the afternoon. I don't dare ask the big guy to try these yet, he's not ready to "go there". I wonder if I can sneak the CLO in his eggs on the weekends though. Hmmmm....

So thats it. That's what we are eating. I guess it really is easier to say what we aren't eating, which is milk, cheese, potatoes, rice, wheat, bread and ice cream.