our healthy change

We decided to eat healthier as a family. I got some healthy cookbooks and I've been researching about what I consider "healthy" for my family. I want high fiber/low glycemic index so we don't get the sugar crash and cravings but instead feel fuller longer; whole foods with lots of vitamins and minerals and good oils and fiber, etc. because they are unprocessed and have more vitamins and good stuff and less of the calories, sugars and bad stuff; lots of vitamins and minerals, but I'll take some fat and calories if it has good vitamins and minerals, for example avacados; and no fast food, fried food and really high bad fat food. I don't want to do artficial sweeteners in place of sugar, and I don't want a ton of reduced-fat/light stuff- for example instead of sugar-free syrup on pancakes, we'll put mashed up fruit with maybe some truvia in it on our pancakes, and instead of sugar free cookies we'll make fruit smoothies. I read about sugar and sugar replacements and talked to my Dr. about it today. Here's a good article, the best one I saw about it: sugar info article
I did get some truvia to try though, because it's all natural and has no glycemic value. It's for drinks, yogurt and fruit. I did get some sugar-free popsicles though for a once a week treat or if other kids are getting treats they can have those. We don't mind light mayo, skim milk, light sour cream, and light balsamic vinagrette dressing (and we're trying low-fat cottage cheese). I'd rather have less of the regular stuff or replace it with something else that's natural. So, I told the boys if we can not eat sugar for 4 weeks, Todd will take them camping. They are really excited about it and we threw away their Easter candy and all the junk food in the house. I am so proud of them. They even came and told me today that a neighbor was giving them some popsicles and they asked if it was sugar-free. She said it was, so they ate them. Hopefully after going non-sugar for 4 weeks we won't crave it, and then we can just have a rare sugar treat after that. Right now we have a treat every day--I am REALLY bad right now, craving sugar like an alcoholic craves alcohol! It'll be a hard 4 weeks for me but I know it will be better after that.

I went to the store and I was so happy because my cart was full of fruits and veggies and whole grains and lean protein and whole foods. For snacks we can have fruits, vegetables, olives, grape tomatoes, whole wheat bread, sunflower seeds, walnuts, unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon, whole wheat bunny crackers (from the health food store, the kids loved them!), cottage cheese, yogurt, edamame, black beans (Todd makes yummy black beans!) or popcorn with cinnamon or the butter spray or nutritional yeast. I want to learn how to jazz up fruits and veggies and things (Kerry said she'd help- she's an amazing cook), for example I really liked a recipe I tried for a wheat pita with hummus and tomatoes, and I think something else but I can't remember, but it was really good. But that's also why I got some good cookbooks. I made my menu based on those cookbooks. For breakfast I read that it's best to have protein and complex carbohydrates to keep you full and keep your blood sugar even.

We're also going to do more exercise. We decided that the boys have to try one sport we sign them up for each year, but that they can pick which one they want to try. They can also ride bikes, jump rope, jump on the trampoline (once we get that up), ??. We do a "chicken fat" song in the morning as part of school that has them do sit ups and push ups and then we put on the Carmen "run for your lives" song and they run around for a little bit. I have to be strict about our 30 min. a day screen time rule, sometimes I don't pay attention to the time.

I'm definitely not going to be a health nazi, but more at first, but we decided that Sunday dinner can be whatever we want it to be. I asked Dr. Young if I should portion the kids' food and that's all they can have, and he said definitely no. I think that if all they have is healthy options and low- glycemic/high fiber foods they should naturally regulate themselves. Kids also have growth spurts where they need to eat more sometimes.

Those are my thoughts right now. I wanted to write them down:).

P.S. But some things I don't know about: banana bread? blueberry muffins?vanilla soymilk? will those send the blood sugar crashing? do I need to make a wheat blueberry muffin or something? What about pretzels?
Keri's healthy banana bread and other recipes- thanks!
info for vanilla soymilk and anything else
blueberry muffins- I guess I'll just move it from the breakfast category to the treat category
pretzel info