New years resolutions are passe, goals for life are the future. Since going sugar free over 18months ago I've not resolved to quit anything but change life choices for the better. Each day I learn something new often that's from my children. Having them has been the most significant change & growth in myself. When I reflect upon the last year I see significant growth in myself in health & knowlege, thankfully not in girth (for the second year in many I did not gain any weight).
Change for the better. Having worked in implementing change for most of my career, I believe the best way to manage it is baby steps. Not necessarily for myself as I love change, but most are fearful & won't embrace unless spoonfed. So for anyone thinking they can't cope with behavioural issues from self or kids or suffering ills then consider that food might have an impact - start with eliminating one thing at a time. So start with just eliminating artificial numbers or sugar.
So for me I would like to try some new things this year; sourdough baking, healing to increase food tolerances, & test running a Thermomix would be good! (just to make life a little easier with cooking from scratch). Along with my own experiences, the kids will be starting kinder & school respectively, so that will be more knowledge for me along the way aiding their journeys into the new. I love seeing them grow & am always looking for them to get the best out of opportunities, hence wanting them to be free of the effects certain additives or foods can cause them to not enjoy life to the full.
Its increasingly hard for others to accept that there are effects from natural foods, even when living with it on a daily basis for a few weeks. People expect reactions to be instantaneous like allergic reactions. With intolerances, they can take days (or weeks) to appear. Its only after months of diarising I have been able to prove repeat symptoms or trigger. I'm also mindful of every food that passes our lips or chemicals we encounter.
The holidays were a 'good' time to continue learning about effects of food, using it as an opportunity to further challenge certain food groups & foods. When I say 'good' yes we had a good time, but tongue in cheek some effects were not good in company of guests or tired parents. Salicylates are a no-no for myself & son, & amines in moderation for my daughter. I seem to be able to tolerate some salicylate or symptoms are not so visible, but long-term this is such a hard group to avoid as it contains so many otherwise healthy vegetables, nuts & oils. Hence wanting to see if there are ways to re-introduce certain foods with assistance.
Preservatives however are something I do not want to reintroduce & because of them I have not actually eaten bread now for 6 months as all packet gluten-free bread contains them & other unsavoury ingredients among the list of foods we are avoiding. The kids are restricted with one bread from the bakery thats preservative free & so far seem to be ok on wheat, though long-term I would like them to eat less wheat. I've tried gluten-free packet bread mixes before with varying success but never had the guts to try making a loaf from just basic ingredients.
Over the Christmas holidays I was shown how to make sourdough bread (with rye culture & wheat flour - both of which I'm intolerant to) & came home full of vigour to start my own culture with a gluten free alternative... which I did. However my baking attempts since have been failures. I'm on a learning curve though & todays loaf was finally edible (Quinoa & White Rice Flour). I bought various gluten free flours today to further my experiments.
The culture was so easy to establish I don't know why I was hesitant to even try... I think fearing it would become mould or poison us could have done that. But so far I've kept it healthy looking & smelling, feeding it regularly. Todays loaf was the first I made using the full amount of culture (200g) without adding any regular yeast & the first loaf thats not been a complete un-risen brick. I'm using the basic recipe & method from Toxic Oil which differs from what I was shown, but given I didn't take notes & had had a few drinks I can't recall the quantities. I do recall it was pliable whereas the ones I've made are sloppier & it doesn't say to even knead. I'm thinking I need to make the mix more drier & attempt folding so will research further & discuss with a friend who makes sour dough regularly (though not gluten free). The fun & frustration always comes when using non-wheat flours.
Upon a a little research I did encounter this sourdough blog & a lovely little story about a young boy asking about allergy safe foods for himself. It touched me as I now hear both my children turning & asking me if something is ok for them to eat, or telling other adults they need to check whether it has salicylates or additives in. It amazes other adults they are so aware & that both my 3 & 5 year old can say salicylate let alone know approximately what they are. My children don't have allergies per-say they are intolerances, as not immediate or life threatening, but same necessity I make sure they are aware of the effects & to eventually learn to know for themselves what they are putting into their bodies - which after a trip to emergency ward each for swallowing foreign objects you'd think they'd know all about the dangers of that!
Some people think that anything in a supermarket is food & can be readily consumed, however we are finding out that there is so much artificial chemical in "foods" purely to increase shelf life or be more appealing. I'm glad my eyes have been opened & wish to impart that same inquisition to my kids to make their own discoveries & take charge of their health & well being. I do fall into that parent-trap of treating them like little adults at times when it comes to their understanding, but also break-down answers into small simplicities when questions or the vague looks arise. I baby them in many ways but also want to prepare them to fend for themselves in time & by having appropriate adult conversations with them empowers them ... plus it makes them enjoyable people to converse & be with all day long. Never one to goo-goo ga-ga, we've had full on chats (even if one-sided early on) since they were born.
Whilst baking oat bars & anzacs today, my son asked why I hadn't put nuts in the oatbars as I had the last time & only in the anzacs we made afterwards. I explained this was because my daughters daycare centre (like his kinder) had children that were allergic to nuts & could put them at risk of their throat swelling & inability to breath. He took this in, giving me an example of a friend who is anaphylactic & asked if they would die, so that led to discussion of epi-pens & notifying an adult if a friend was in need of help. He then asked about what would happen to him if he had penicillin (he's heard me tell the doctor that he is allergic), so I explained the difference of a rash appearing & how it would be itchy & we'd stop taking it, so no he wouldn't die from it. Deep deep things on that boys mind, but he takes it all in his stride. Last week the discussion was all about drowning after he overheard a little girl discuss it with her mummy next to us on a cafe. A year ago we didn't talk about even animals dying, they were merely asleep... though he eloquently pointed out that the path or road was a silly place to sleep as they might get trod on or run over by a car.... hmmmm.
We went for blood tests last week to determine any mineral deficiencies which could be causing or adding to our intolerances. En-route we discussed what would happen to the blood to test it & that he would grow more back, so it was ok to give some. What I hadn't forewarned was that a needle would be used or not to look, thankfully he was busy chatting up to the entry point... when he decided to look & let out a yelp, thankfully the needle was then in & he admitted didn't hurt, so the tears subsided immediately. I can never look, I felt sick when I saw it going into him. He was so brave & clearly interested in the whole process. When we got our results this week he was equally interested in what the doctor was explaining though am sure bamboozled by all the jargon... no doubt I will get those words quizzed upon me in weeks to come as he processes. We are low in a couple of minerals/vitamins & I will use a magnesium supplement, nutritious foods & sun to assist increasing. We have also started a daily probiotic which I add to yogurt or fruit & have noticed benefits already.
