What I Learned About "Eating Healthy" on a Vacation

Image Source

Tim and I have a little vacation tradition when we are getting away--just the two of us.  Upon arrival in a new town, we stop by a convenience store and purchase all kinds of snacks and treats we would never buy at home.  Our kids aren't with us to ask for the junk and we know we'll get back to normal eating habits at home.  Usually after the first day or two I'm all sugared out and done.  But it is fun to indulge a little and eat things we don't normally. 

I wish we could do this "7-Eleven indulging" with our kids on vacation, but their little bodies can't handle it.  I know that as their immune systems get stronger they will be able to handle unhealthy foods without reaction.  But currently, my kids are much happier and calmer with a gluten free, low sugar and low carb diet free from artificial flavors, colors, and MSG.  So, while we are still somewhat limited in what the kids can eat, we are not where we were! 

The best way to explain how differently they used to eat would be to tell you we used to travel with cooked brussels sprouts in glass canning jars.  The kids loved them and people would stare and even ask questions when they saw what the kids were excitedly eating.  We had to bring all the kids' food with us when we vacationed or ate outside the home and each item had to be made from scratch.  Sometimes it was a deal breaker for me and I wanted to just stay home instead.  It was so much work to cook for days, pack it all up, and then carry it all over wherever we were vacationing.  Buffalo Casserole with minced veggies at Sea World?  We've done it!  At this point, the kids were only able to eat a few organic vegetables and select meats.  That was it!

I now try to keep our diets gluten free, low carb, and low sugar.  It is just so much healthier, I feel better and the kids do better.  But on vacations I allow myself to use many more convenience foods and serve more carbs than normal so I have a vacation from cooking and the kids can have some "treats".  So far this summer we have traveled to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and a nearby mountain community.  Here is what I've learned from our travels:

Buy lots of "new to you" snacks and take them with you.  Don't let the kids see them ahead of time!  Watching cousins or fellow tourists eat treats you can't have is hard if you don't have something special too.  I purchased things like brown rice cereal bars (like Rice Krispy Treats), chips in little bags, an organic flavored popcorn, bottled water and juice, and some GF cookies to pull out when a special treat was warranted.  The kids were happy, grateful, and surprised.  They also liked banana chips, pistachios, cheese sticks, and trail mix.

I also got some treats for Tim and I at Trader Joe's that enabled us to have an indulgence but without chemicals and added junk.  We loved the dark chocolate peanut butter cups the best!

Bring things that will be hard to find on your trip.  Gluten free specialty items can be harder to find and very costly if they are sold.  I brought GF sandwich bread, raw almond butter, hard boiled eggs, organic fruit and cut veggies in a cooler on our road trip and we saved so much money.  We didn't have to purchase any snacks or drinks and we ate much healthier than if we stopped along the way.  It tasted better too!

We stayed in a rental home during our mountain vacation (thanks to my generous MIL) and we ate at home most meals.  I brought up things I knew I wouldn't be able to buy at the local grocery store.  I brought nitrate free hot dogs and bacon, homemade salad dressing without the chemicals, GF frozen pancakes, GF macaroni and cheese, quality nut butters, and organic produce.  Next time I will also bring deli meat as the only GF option had nitrates.

Restaurants can be hard.  Have a back up plan.  We planned on finding a GF restaurant on the way to the Grand Canyon but ended up eating at Mc Donald's.  There was just nothing else available.  Next time I'd have sandwiches ready instead of assuming we could find a suitable option.  Another day we planned on eating inside the Grand Canyon Park and all that was affordable were those sandwiches wrapped in cardboard and sealed with plastic like the ones you can buy at the gas station.  We spent way too much money for low quality food that no one enjoyed.  We would have been happier with a packed lunch.  Next time I'll pack enough snacks so we don't have to eat out if the options aren't appealing or within our dietary restrictions.

In the mountains we went out to dinner the first night and happened upon a pizza place that served GF pizza.  The kids and I shared a small 4 slice pizza and salad.  They were hungry and and not happy about their small pizza slices compared to the regular pizza others were eating.  We had already spent $65 on the meal so I wasn't going to buy more food.  If I had brought snacks with us, I could have supplemented the meal and it would have been a more enjoyable meal for everyone.  Hungry, tired kids are no fun to be around.

Bring more water than you think you'll need.  We never buy water bottles at home but the kids feel like they are getting a treat when we have them on a vacation.  We didn't bring enough water on either trip, however, so we didn't drink enough and ended up paying high prices for bottles on the road.  Next time I'll bring gallon jugs too.

We are now planning for our next trip and I am hoping to get it right this time!

Moneysaver:  Trader Joe's has great snack items without preservatives, chemicals, and HFCS that are well priced.  You can't beat Costco for bottled water prices.  I purchased some of our gluten free grocery items at iherb to save money also.

How to Bring Down Your High Cholesterol without Statins

I was going over lab results with our specialist and he let me know that my kids had very high cholesterol numbers--one child's number was 371!  Wow!  He wasn't too worried, however, because he had a solution and it didn't involve prescription medication.  He explained that statins, the medication commonly prescribed when a patient has high cholesterol, can cause many side effects including diabetes, immune suppression, and increased cancer risk!  My children already had immune issues so I wasn't interested in anything that would burden them further.

The specialist's "alternative" solution was simply to take one capsule of L-Carnitine Fumarate and one capsule of Flush-Free Niacin each day.  L-Carnitine is a nutrient know for energy production and metabolizing fat.  Fumarate is a naturally occurring compound in the body that aids in energy production.  Some people say they lose weight by taking this supplement.  Niacin is a B vitamin that is known for lowering cholesterol but will cause a flushed face and discomfort if you don't choose the "flush free" version. 


So I purchased the two supplements and started giving them right away.  Six weeks later, follow up blood work was done and and the child with a initial 371 result went down 68 points to 303.  Six weeks after that, down to 222.  A year later, their cholesterol was 161!  Down 210 points using only supplements that support and encourage health and healing rather than taking a drug which potentially leads to serious side effects.

My other child's results were very similar and the results came quickly too!  So I asked our doctor why people wouldn't try this method first, before resorting to prescribed medication for their high cholesterol levels?  He said that no one is paid to promote and advertise vitamins.  People don't know about alternatives to medication and many doctors don't either!

I hope this can help someone stay off statins and lower their cholesterol levels a more natural way!

Moneysaver:  I always Google any supplement prescribed to find the least expensive price--pay attention to shipping and tax too.  I usually use iherb.com because their prices are usually 30-50% off health food store prices.  Sometimes Amazon or an independent retailer has a better deal.  I also get all my supplements, toiletries, and some groceries from iherb as they are usually so much less expensive than anywhere else I've found.  I get an automatic 5 -10% off my order (I am a VIP member b/c I've spent so much money with them and they increase the percentage saved based on total order amount) and free shipping (with a $20 order, 1-2 day shipping with a $40 order).  If you use my coupon code, MER003, you get $5 off your first order and I earn a few pennies too:)  You don't have to use my referral code, you can google other coupon codes too.

I am not a doctor.  I am only sharing what has worked for my family and what we did under the guidance of a medical doctor.  Please consult your doctor before discontinuing medication or trying new supplements.

What Alternative Medicine Means to Me

I'm a first born, rule follower.  I have never had the desire to stand out.  I wanted to please my parents, my teachers, my elders.  I have always gone with the flow.  So the switch to alternative medicine and green living has not been an easy one for me.  I didn't do it to be different.  I don't like to be different.  It certainly wasn't remotely normal when we started down this path.  I just had two sick kids and lots of specialists that wanted to prescribe many, many medications which weren't working.  We needed a new plan but I was afraid to go against the doctors' recommendations.  They made me feel like a bad mom for not doing things their way.

The specialist I now use for both my kids, a pediatrician (MD) who uses alternative methods to treat children with immune issues, explained alternative medicine to me in this way.  God made the body.  He gave us everything we needed to be healthy and whole.  But we live in a broken world with toxins, diseases, and sickness.  Yet the body gives us clues when things are not working correctly.  Pain is an obvious signal.  Allergies, eczema, and asthma are also clues that the immune system needs support.  I use the clues the body is giving us to guide me in giving the body what it needs.

My mainstream doctor looked at allergies and wanted to do allergy shots. Eczema called for prescribed creams and asthma resulted in prescriptions for steroids, albuterol, and pulmicort.  However, our specialist said, "These things are clues."  He did allergy panels and we removed offending foods.  He did blood work and prescribed supplements to treat the vitamin and mineral deficiencies he found.  He encouraged me to keep their struggling bodies away from things that would burden them further like toxins and chemicals.  And then the allergies, eczema, and asthma went away.  Kids were MUCH happier.  Skin became smooth right away.  The asthma stopped right away.  It took awhile, however, before foods that had to be removed could be reintroduced.  A few allergies remain for one of my kids.  But it is nothing like before.  It seemed so logical, this alternative medicine, but people were very suspect and uncomfortable with it.

So I have been willing to be the weird one because it has brought so much health and healing for the kids.  And, because I do not love debates or controversy, I've kept our medical views largely private.  But it is a passion of mine to encourage the mom who is where I was.  So scared and overwhelmed with mounting copays, tons of prescriptions, and sick kids not getting better even though you are doing what the doctor recommends.  There may be a new idea here in the pages of this blog.  May be you'll find some answers and options in unexpected places.  Maybe alternative medicine isn't so crazy after all! 

This blog is for you so if you have questions, ask them!  If I don't know the answer, I'll try and put you in touch with someone that does.  I'd love to learn with you!

The picture above is my kids eating ice cream!  We went all the way to the Grand Canyon and that was the highlight for my daughter!  Such is the way with a child who has had dairy allergies in the past.

How to be Safer in the Sun

Have you seen all the reports that are coming out now about how people who use sunscreen maybe more likely to get skin cancer than those who don't?  And how you are 50% more likely to survive breast cancer if your Vitamin D levels are "normal" than if they are low--and 1/4 of Americans are low?  Have you read about the toxins in our sunscreen that we liberally apply to our largest organ?  Crazy, huh?  What is a fair skinned and fair haired mommy living in Southern California to do?

What I do is very against the norm, but what else is new?  Here is what we do over here:

1.  Take 4-10 mg. of Astaxanthin daily.  This is an incredible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (known for helping to prevent Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, and blindness) that also works as a natural sunscreen when taken regularly for about 6 weeks.

2.  Use hats, rash guards, and umbrellas during peak sun exposure.  The kids usually swim in the afternoon but sometimes we are outside the entire day at the beach, pool or lake.  Those days I use sunscreen all over me, wear a hat, and sit under an umbrella.  I am also the weird one in the wide brim sun hat at Disneyland.  I am now on wrinkle alert as I have just entered my 40's.

The kids wear rash guards, hats (if they will keep them on), and sunscreen on their faces.  Their arms are covered by the rash guards and all my son might need is a little sunscreen on the tops of his feet--his swim trunks are long!  I put sunscreen on my daughter's upper legs and tops of her feet too.

3.  Use safer sunscreen.  The Badger sunscreen I use for the kids is rated a 1 (best safety rating) by the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database rating the sunscreens on the market today.  It would be very educational to see how what you are currently using is rated.  The MyChelle sunscreen I use on my face is not rated by Skin Deep but I am comfortable with the ingredients and I use it very rarely.

4.  Expose skin to the sun in small doses to boost Vitamin D levels.  Studies show that regular exposure to the sun (and resulting higher Vit. D. levels) can reduce blood pressure, decrease your risk of cancer and diabetes, and lower your chances of a heart attack.  I expose my skin 5-10 minutes a day, a few days a week, to get the sun exposure I need to keep my Vitamin D levels where they need to be.  My doctor checks them every year and always asks me what I do because they are right where she wants them--a rarity she says.  I take Vitamin D3 November to May (5,000 IUs a night) and stop taking it when I am getting regular sun exposure again due to sunny skies returning.  This plan works for me, in Southern California, but may need to be adjusted based on your location.


That's all I have!  I hope you are enjoying your summer!  It is such a wonderful, magical time for kids.

Moneysaver:
I buy my sunscreen from iherb or Amazon, depending on who is running the best deal.  I also get all my supplements, toiletries, and some groceries from iherb and they are so much less expensive than anywhere else I've found.  I get an automatic 5% off my order (I am a VIP member b/c I've spent so much money with them) and free shipping (with a $20 order, 1-2 day shipping with a $40 order).  If you use my coupon code, MER003, you get $5 off your first order and I earn a few pennies too:)

Safely Take Your iPad to the Beach!

Even in a protective case with keyboard, it fits perfectly in a gallon sized Ziploc.  With room for your keys and phones too!

Fabulous Grain Free Granola Recipe and Why We Eat Mostly Paleo

My husband loves to have a bowl of cereal right before bed.  He has been doing this since he was a kid he says.  He doesn't like having all those carbs in his belly right before he goes to bed, however.  So he was really excited when I found this recipe for a grain free granola in a cookbook I bought for the kids, Eat Like a Dinosaur.  Everyone loves it that has tried it so far...my Father in Law even saying I should give it out as a gift this Christmas!  This is some tasty granola!

Here is the recipe with the modifications I've made:

Grain-Free Granola

1 1/2 Cups of sliced almond
1 1/2 Cups coconut flakes, chopped (I use this I purchase from Amazon)
1 Cup of walnuts or almonds (ground in the food processor)
1 Cup of macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1 Cup of dried cranberries
4 fresh medjool dates, chopped to the size of the cranberries
1/2 Cup coconut oil, melted and extra for greasing pan (sometimes I use butter instead)
1/3 Cup of raw honey
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Combine almonds, coconut flakes, nuts, and fruit in a bowl.  Whisk together oil, honey, and cinnamon in another bowl.  Pour oil-honey mixture over nuts and fruit and mix.  Spread into a well greased glass baking dish.  Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

And Why We Eat Paleo...

The Paleo Diet is gluten free, dairy free and full of whole foods.  Most of the food eaten is just meat,  vegetables, and fruit.  There are no artificial sweeteners, colors, or processed foods in the diet.  The diet is also very low carb and low sugar.

Something is obviously wrong in our world.  So many kids have all kinds of allergies, disorders, and cancer is so prevalent.  I believe this is due in large part to all the toxins in our environment, but the changes in our diet are at fault also.  So much of what people eat is processed junk.  People don't cook from scratch anymore.  So our guts are full of yeast and bacteria overgrowth, and food intolerances, allergies, and asthma are now common.  People just accept allergies and asthma as part of their lives.  Go to Disneyland (or anywhere else you see a random sample of our population) and people are obese, with big bellies.  And they have the accompanying health problems that go with their size...diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart problems.

I started serving Paleo food at home because I liked that it keeps blood sugar stable, helps keep inflammation down, and fights yeast overgrowth in the gut (because sugar and carbs feed yeast).  I also liked that it is free of many of the common food allergens.  I had never been gluten free but noticed that quickly after starting the diet, my belly became flatter as I stopped eating gluten.  I read Wheat Belly and better understood why.  It is written by a cardiologist who clearly explains how wheat has been altered to increase yields for farmers and, due to being altered, it is now causing all kinds of problems for people (celiac, IBS, allergies, obesity, etc.)  He says if you get out your grandma's old family pictures and look at the people, you will not see these "wheat bellies" that are so common today.  Very interesting stuff in this book.  Another good one is Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It.  Here is an interview with the author and an interesting article about why people have trouble losing weight.

The Paleo Diet is not perfect and I know there is no perfect diet.  My husband does some intense workouts several times a week and enjoys them very much.  He needs to supplement with some carbs before and after these workouts so he can have the energy needed for the long workouts.  We also aren't super strict about following it in its entirety.  I still happily serve potatoes (chips too) and some gluten free, carb heavy treats like GF homemade pizza, pancakes, and Mac N Cheese on occasion.  We just eat far fewer carbs than the average American and make most of our food from scratch.  And we also do some dairy and alcohol as we desire.  But we are really enjoying coconut and almond milk, hot dogs and hamburgers without buns, and looking for ways to eat more healthily.

My husband's cousin has started eating Paleo and was joined by some friends at work.  They've all lost weight but the exciting thing is that the people that have done before and after blood work are seeing big improvements in their triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels!

I feel better than I ever have since starting this way of eating and I don't miss the bread at all!  The cravings for sugar, flour based treats, and bread are gone.  And I used to love the bread basket at restaurants.  It was seriously a highlight!  Speaking of restaurants, I don't really crave their food anymore either.  Me who LOVED treating myself by going out to dinner.  Now I am happier eating at home.  Never in a million years would I ever thought I'd be here...


Moneysaver:  I buy the ingredients for the granola at Trader Joe's.  Their nuts and dried fruits are so much more affordable than other stores.  I need to look into Costco too.