Detoxing As A Family

Detoxing As A Family

I know… we aren’t calling New Year New Rules a “detox” per se, because it’s FULL of food.  But it’s the best way to articulate a carved out period of time in which we rest our bodies of the gunk.

You might be curious about how a detox goes when you're the chef of your kitchen and cooking for a family. That was my biggest concern when I did my first program {with Katie Jasper Health} about a year ago. Making one dinner is hard enough, but one for the "detoxer" and one for the hubby and kiddos? See ya later.

In my mind a detox meant less food, complicated tofu filled meals, and maybe some gross "detoxifying" drinks like the Master Cleanse {yup, I've done that}. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my first detox was really nothing like I imagined.

The detox was simply removing foods that caused inflammation and replacing them with foods that nurture, heal and help detoxify. The recipes were delicious, and 90% of the meals we ate as a family! Whew.  Great news this round... EVEN more family friendly {and some more "meat" for the fellas... good meat that is}.  NYNR.

Having two little ones with sensitive systems and food allergies, I actually felt great about giving them food that eliminated common allergens and gave their little systems a break. And my husband was happy to report that he had more energy and lost an easy 10 pounds over the two weeks. It felt like we all "won," and I loved knowing exactly what my girls were eating-no funky, hard to pronounce ingredients!

Here are some helpful hints that I've made note of over my last few detoxes:

1. Be prepared to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Make an event out of it! Bring the kiddos in and let them help however they can.

2. Share what you learn! I am not kidding when I tell you that my three year old knows {and loves knowing} why kale is good for her. Make eating healthy food cool, think "jumping higher and running faster." If you're excited, they will be too. And yes, this does work on husbands.

3. Make larger portions for dinner, so that you have leftovers for lunch. I am okay spending more time in the kitchen around dinnertime, but lunch needs to be quicker at our house.

4. Reward your kids for trying food they might not normally eat. We served up some banana soft serve after a couple dinners that our girls were hesitant to try.

5. Have an easy back-up plan for a dinner you think they might not like. At our house "lettuce boats" are our go-to's. Wrap turkey, carrot shavings, avocado, hummus and some balsamic vinegar in a romain leaf...voila! Easy, healthy and quick!

I hope your detox leads to more healthy, happy, quality family time spent in your kitchen! What a great way to start off your year :)  I can't wait for NYNR!

Love - Anna

To CSA or Not to CSA?

To CSA or Not to CSA?

Excuse the crummy title, but that really is the question. 

Have you joined a CSA or know people who have? Joining to a CSA has long been a subject on our full plate of "Should We's?" We try to eat lots of veggies at our house and between vegetable packed meals and juicing, we can burn through more money than I care to spend for one week's worth of groceries. Let me get real here for a hot second and tell you that there are also many weeks where I intend to cook and juice much more than life actually allows, which means I end up throwing an embarrassing amount veggies away (of course I do this while the hubby is gone...I think he literally sees me throwing bags money away when this happens, while I just see my over-achieving meal planning in the trash). But, I digress. 

If you haven't heard of a CSA before, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In a nutshell, you support local farms by becoming a member and buying a share of the anticipated harvest. Once the harvesting begins, you pick up your weekly share, which is usually at a designated drop-site or from the farm itself. What you can get will vary farm to farm and there are also different types of purchasing options. Options range from fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers to honey, eggs, dairy and meat products. Some CSAs even provide working shares, where you get reduced membership fees in exchange for work--is it weird that this sounds amazingly appealing to me? It could be partially due to the idea of being child-free while doing the work :)

Anyhow, the reason this decision sits on the back-burner is that there are A LOT of factors to consider. The season usually starts off slow, then picks up big time in the last half. I have heard many stories of having huge amounts of veggies in the fall, like "coming out of your ears" amounts, so I would definitely have to sharpen up on my vegetable storing knowledge. Also, if there are any sporadic travel plans for us, it's usually in the summer, and that could be a challenge to foresee when joining in the spring. Last, I love the farmer's markets in the Twin Cities, and I wonder if we would be less compelled to go?

I know, I know, first world problems, right? Before I wrap up, I want to touch on some great reasons to subscribe to a CSA with a link to some great local-ish options:

• Nothing sounds more wonderful than knowing exactly where my fresh produce is coming from and exactly how I am voting with my dollar (I love transparency, it's so hard to come by)
• Eating local, organic and in-season is made easy with the weekly box of goodies 
• Reduce your carbon footprint
• Fun events at the farm and the education piece for our children during these event.
• If you use all or most of your deliveries, you will save money...and who doesn't love that?!

I think I just sold myself on this. I guess the good old pro's and con's list really does work!

Here is a link to some CSA farms in the Twin Cities area or with drop-sites near you:

http://www.wedge.coop/local/csa-farm-list

If you have any thoughts, please share,

Anna

What is Oil Pulling?

What is Oil Pulling?

What sounds better than vigorously swishing oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes? What's that you say? Everything? Well, if you can get through the first two or three attempts, you might come to find that you love it {that's my story, anyway}. 

Oil pulling is an old Ayurvedic practice in which you pull oil through your teeth (think along the lines of a really thorough swishing). I had never heard of it until I stumbled across a health and wellness blog that recommended oil pulling as part of a  morning routine during a detox. Intrigued, I did some research and read many amazing testimonials. I am such a sucker for testimonials. Anyhow, the first couple of times I tried were pretty brutal. There was gagging, oil dripping down my chin and onto my clothes, and the unfortunate accidental partial swallow here and there. I decided to keep up with it because I was interested in seeing how it might effect my body.

After two months of practicing multiple times per week, I noticed some BIG changes in my body. First, and also the change that keeps me swishing, is that I no longer have sinus issues. Second, and the reason my husband encourages my oil pulling, is that my PMS and other menstrual bothers are virtually gone. Yes, as in NO PMS! Third, and a nice little side bonus, my teeth are noticeably more white. For a red wine and coffee drinker who happens to have sensitive teeth {no whitening strips for this gal}, this was a wonderful treat.

Oil Pulling....

1. Helps prevent sinus related ilnesses

2. Helps prevent PMS and other menstrual bothers

3. Whitens teeth

If you want to read more about oil pulling, this is a great place to start: Earth Clinic.  

Happy swishing,

Anna