Update on Our Diet

I've received many questions about our special diet. We are doing well. We got back chocolate on Valentine's Day. We saw very little reaction. However, we really overdid the chocolate consumption and Tom Sawyer had trouble going to sleep. So far we have not been able to eat out with much success. Tom Sawyer has had accidents almost every time we have eaten out, even though we thought the food was safe. Also, Goldilocks's eyes have turned purple and grey underneath whenever we have eaten out as well. Still, I think we are seeing an improvement in behavior with both Goldilocks and Tom Sawyer. They get through the day without seeming quite so irritable. I am able to push them just a bit harder to get through things that before would have been asking too much of them. However, there is still a lot to work on in their behavior.

Basically, we eat an abundance of fruit with homemade hash browns, garbanzo bean biscuits or an egg for breakfast. For lunch, we eat lots of salads (lettuce, nuts, veggies without dressing or a little organic mayonnaise) with rice/rice cake/or homemade french fries. Sometimes, we have rice cake sandwiches with organic lunchmeat and fruit. Dinner consists of organic meat/veggies/rice or rice noodles. Snacks can tend to be the hardest thing of all. Filling them up seems to be a real problem. I've found that something either chewy or that they can suck on seems to be more satisfying to them. They like homemade popsicles, fruit, raisins and peanuts, popcorn (however, I am not sure whether or not Tom Sawyer should be having corn), and store bought gluten-free pretzels. They also love organic dried fruit bars. For dessert, the kids love Rice Dream ice cream; homemade chocolate Rice Dream fudgesicles; homemade gluten-free blondies; store-bought, gluten-free cookies; and organic jelly beans. Luckily, they were used to only getting ten M&M's before for dessert, so they are happy with 10 to 15 jelly beans for dessert now. After all, organic candy is expensive! 

In fact, eating this way is indeed expensive. We are hoping to offset the cost of this diet by planting a really good garden this year. We also hope to purchase a freezer and buy a half of a grass-fed cow. With the leftover space in the freezer, we can freeze veggies from our garden. We also plan on going berry picking and making refrigerator jam. I am not ready to learn how to can food but find that jams and sauces last long enough in the fridge. My kids could eat homemade jam and applesauce straight from the jar. 

Well, that is where we are now. We are pleased with the diet so far. I can't wait to see my dh's cholesterol results next month. I hope they will have improved. We are all feeling healthier. Having Tom Sawyer be dry at night is so worth the effort of learning a new way of eating. If I have not answered somebody's question, please ask again. I'll answer you if I can.

Blessings, Dawn