I am Quitting Sugar!

A dear friend messaged me and asked if I would like to be her buddy for the 8 week quit sugar plan (written by Sarah Wilson). Since being on holiday and then Christmas I have certainly started eating sugar again so am very keen to kick start the new year detoxing.
The plan is this: Week one cut down on the sugar – if you normally have 2 sugars in your coffee just have one or half a teaspoon. If you drink juice try adding half water half juice. Opt for some fruit instead of sweets.
Week two: Add fats like butter and cream and animal fats to help curb sugar cravings and add that feel of having a treat.
Week three: No more sugar. At all. No fruit, no sweets, no sugar. Really keep an eye on the sugar content of everything you consume. Even shop bought tomato sauce can have heaps of hidden sugars so read your labels.
You continue like this for 3 weeks to allow your body to adjust to life without sugar.
At week 6 you can start to introduce some fruit and so on.

I am currently only into week two but I am actually looking forward to the challenge and detox.
I will post some updates along the way.

Happy New Year Everyone may it full of health, wealth and happiness 🙂

Soak Your NUTS! and seeds too ;)

Since going grain free we have been consuming a lot of nuts and seeds and while we feel so much better for not eating grains I have been reading and discovered how we should be soaking (or activating) our nuts and seeds before consuming them.

Why? Read on….

All nuts, seeds, grains, legumes are essentially seeds for that particular plant and all contain the right nutrients and minerals to germinate and become a plant. But as all gardeners know conditions have to be right for the seed to grow and the nutrient which halts this until the right conditions is called Phytic Acid, a compound that inhibits Phytase an enzyme that is involved in the germination of the seed.
Phytic acid not only keeps seeds from sprouting — it also helps to protect them from predators. Its enzyme-inhibiting activity blocks digestive enzymes so that seeds stay intact as they pass through the digestive system of animals that eat them.
Phytic acid is considered an anti-nutrient because it binds to minerals like magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper and iron in the intestines, blocking their absorption and carrying them out of the body. Ruminants (cattle, bison, sheep, deer, etc.) are the only animals that possess phytase, which allows them to digest the phytic acid found in the cereal grasses they eat. In humans, consuming high levels of phytic acid — which often happens as part of a “healthy high-fiber diet”— can lead to digestive distress, mineral deficiencies and a whole host of associated maladies. Research has linked phytic acid consumption to anemia, bone loss, tooth decay, depression, compromised immunity and inflammation. – http://www.wakeup-world.com

So while we are trying to choose healthier options for ourselves and our families buying things like almond meal, flaxseed meal, Almond butter, peanut butter etc (already ground seeds and nuts) there is a pretty god chance these haven’t been soaked/sprouted so contain Phytic Acid (I am yet to find a pack of pre ground nuts/seeds that states they have been soaked).

Best bet is to get back to basics. Buy whole seeds and nuts and soak them then grind them yourself. Soaking is easy peasey, place nuts/seeds into a large container and cover with water, then add 1 Tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. For something different you could use buttermilk. Nuts and seeds only need to be soaked 2 – 12 hours (I do ours overnight) and if you are using grains they need a bit longer 12 – 24 hours (refer to Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions instructions and recipes for grains).
Soaking grains, beans, nuts and seeds unlocks theirs “life force” and activates phytase, which starts to break down phytic acid, while also freeing up vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making these nutrients more bioavailable. Fermenting grains (think sourdough bread) is another way to reduce phytic acid by essentially “pre-digesting” it.

Here is a sprouting chart that breaks it down a bit more:
*You will notice Rice is on there too, rice is all too often over looked as it isn’t as commonly used in cakes, biscuits and bread but yes we need to soak rice too.

Happy Sprouting!
Happy Days
Blessings,
Summer

My Confession

I fell off the Whole 30 wagon 😦
I’m not saying it didn’t work, by all means it certainly did! I felt fantastic!
In our house we have 5 family members and sometimes 1 extra and I was the only one doing the whole 30 while everyone else just continued on and it made it hard for me. Especially with the no dairy.
Let me get something straight, I am NOT Paleo but more traditional foods and I strongly think we need dairy.
Also if a caveman went out and killed a cow he would drink the milk or ferment it and consume it. But yes this is my excuse for consuming dairy.
Where I fell down: I was trying to replace dairy with coconut milk and cream and it just wasn’t working. After a long night with 3 kids waking up and getting very little sleep the one thing I look forward to is my coffee and while it was quite nice with coconut cream it just wasn’t MY coffee.
I do intend to complete a Whole 30 as I definitely felt the difference and even with the dairy and when I had it after not having it for 5 days it made me feel gluggy so I would love to go the whole 30 and really see the changes.
But right now in my world things are a bit hectic so until things settle down I am going to have my coffee and tea with milk and cream 🙂

Blessings
Summer

Day 6

This is what I would like to look like while juggling 3 kids, my photography, house work, eating real food, the gardening, our chickens, applying for my at home day care stuff and everything else like attending playgroup and catching up with friends for play dates.

This is what I really look like. I don’t handle stress very well, I either shut down and forget absolutely everything and fall behind or run around like a headless chicken and become grouchy and snappy. I don’t like either of those outcomes so I usually try very hard not to over load my plate. Happy wife means happy life 🙂
I do like feeding my family REAL food
I do love my photography
I of course love my family very much
I adore our chickens and the kids really enjoy them, cuddling them and collecting the eggs
As crazy as it sounds I actually enjoy house works, cleaning and I wish I had more time to keep it cleaner (or I wish the kids could keep it clean just for a day)
I wish I had the time to get out in the garden more, what I do is minimal and I am planning to get out into the front garden once those pesky grey clouds go away

But today I am making time for my children and I am taking for a walk into town to look at the markets. Shame all the food there totally not be whole 30 so we are making a picnic to take with us.

Enjoy your Sunday
Blessings
Summer

Day 2 of Whole 30 – Dealing with my demons

My mouth is watering just looking at this picture of dark chocolate. I have had a full on day, it wasn’t a “bad” day just full on. We have a friends child staying with us for 7 nights and having an extra little person to care for for 24 hours is hard. Usually she goes to her Nannys place during the day and returns to us in the evenings but because today was different she stayed with us. And the weather here was pretty shit, cold and rainy. The kids got out for a little bit but 90% of the day they were driving each other crazy inside.

So here I am 9 o’clock at night and all kids are in bed and this is usually my “ME” time where I sit and edit photos or watch a fav series accompanied by either chocolate (80% cocoa of course) or ……. ice cream. Yes my guilty pleasure. And I enjoy it even more after a tough day like today but since I cant have ice cream and there is no dark chocolate in the house (I’m pretty sure we aren’t suppose to have that either) my only choice is a date. YUP a boring old date. But this is the whole point of the whole 30, to cut those emotional ties with food and to reset and restore a healthy metabolism. Cheating isn’t an option because I need the whole 30 days for it work.

On a brighter note I discovered I really like coconut cream in my coffee, in fact I might just carry a few tins around with me so when I stop in at a friends for a cuppa I don’t have to put up with black.

Hope everyone is having a god week. I am off to make a cup of chamomile and eat a date 🙂

Blessings

WHOLE 30 ….. Day 1

Woohooo! Today is our first day of our Whole 30, I am a wee bit excited and a wee bit scared. Excited because I am looking forward to eating loads of yummy fresh food and feeling wonderful for it. Scared because I am a busy mum and some times I cave in and do what is easiest at the time but I know I cant give in for a whole 30 days. Scared because I am an emotional eater and I love dairy.

So after a shocking night with unsettled children getting up several times I longed to put milk in my coffee this morning, but no I am being brave and strong and my coffee is black.

Yesterday we went on a mission to the supermarket (with kids in tow) to stock up on whole 30 foods. I have read and re-read the shopping list http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Shopping-List.pdf but when I got there my mind was blank. We went and grabbed our normal fruit and veg but I would have liked to get more veg especially things we might not normally eat like bokchoy. I’m sure as we get more into it we will boost our veg intake.

We have 2 children aged 4 and 1.5 and they are coming along for the ride. It wont be as strict for them but I would like our journey to influence them to eat more protein and veggies (haha what parent doesn’t want their kids to eat more veggies). I want them to learn the importance of food and nutrients so when they eat they know how it is helping their bodies.

My first cup of many black coffees is now finished and I am about to brew another and make some eggs and spinach for brekky.
Wish me luck!
If you wish to follow our family on this journey through the Whole 30 subscribe to my feed or find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Four-Happy-Days/152800354869412

8 Reasons why you should drink Chamomile Tea

I always kept a box of chamomile tea in the cupboard for my husband, as he works shift work he needs to go to sleep quite early so a cup of chamomile would help do the trick. But recently it has been me who has been reaching for the tea and not just before bed. I have stomach problems and when I feel the pain coming on I make myself a warm cup of chamomile and it soothes my tummy.

Since taking up drinking chamomile for my stomach I also started drinking it before bed and I have been having the best sleep I have had in a long time. But the benefits of this beautiful brew don’t stop there.

Anxiety and panic attacks – chamomile is commonly used as a mild sedative

Cure for headaches and migraines – it can relieve some of the tension and has compounds to ease pain and relax

Remedy for PMS and cramps – it works as a muscle relaxant and calms the cramping in the uterus

Fights infections as an immunity booster – A 2005 study published in the American Chemical Society’s “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” found that volunteers who consumed 5 cups of chamomile tea for two weeks showed an increased level of hippurate. Hippurate is associated with the botanical phenolics that boost immunity by fighting bacteria. This may explain chamomile tea’s legendary effectiveness in fighting colds and viruses, notes the American Chemical Society.

Infant Illness – Considered safe enough to give babies in their bottles, lukewarm chamomile tea is a traditional home remedy for infants and children suffering from colic, diarrhoea and fever. The American Academy of Family Physicians confirms that chamomile tea may help soothe babies with colic, but that it’s helpful to show your paediatrician the tea’s label to ensure that the dose isn’t too strong. Because chamomile relaxes the muscles, it appears to soothe upset stomach and diarrhoea, and the UMMC recommends that children under 5 take no more than 1/2 cup of tea a day, while babies with colic should be given no more than 1 to 2 oz. per day. Make sure the liquid cools before giving it to children or babies.

Gum Inflammation – you can use an a mouth wash and drinking will also help as it has anti-inflammatory properties

Wound Healing – ok so this one isn’t about consuming it BUT chamomile works wonders healing on the outside as well by treating nappy rash, cracked nipples, chicken pox, ear and eye infections, disorders of the eyes including blocked tear ducts, conjunctivitis, nasal inflammation

Cancer – Most evaluations of tumour growth inhibition by chamomile involve studies with apigenin which is one of the bioactive constituents of chamomile. Studies on preclinical models of skin, prostate, breast and ovarian cancer have shown promising growth inhibitory effects. In a recently conducted study, chamomile extracts were shown to cause minimal growth inhibitory effects on normal cells, but showed significant reductions in cell viability in various human cancer cell lines. Chamomile exposure induced apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal cells at similar doses. The efficacy of the novel agent TBS-101, a mixture of seven standardized botanical extracts including chamomile has been recently tested. The results confirm it to have a good safety profile with significant anticancer activities against androgen-refractory human prostate cancer PC-3 cells, both in vitro and in vivo situation

I am off to have another cup of chamomile 🙂 Happy Monday.

Blessings
Summer

If at first you dont succeed….

Hello World! Again hehe. This is my 1st post on the new site. Something odd happened with my last one which was kind of heartbreaking as I had completed about 13 posts. After a while of not being online I logged on and all my posts had gone 😦

I tossed and turned whether to continue and after my little info overload episode last night I thought I better out than in.