Mommy, what are we eating?

Every day my kids make me laugh.

Since I got home from the Optimum Health Institute, I have implemented a few changes around the house and with the family diet.  Slowly, but surely, I am making strides to make my kids more healthy.  They have tried a variety of new things:  wheatgrass, kale and seaweed chips, seed cheese, sprouted peas and lentils, manna bread, oxygen water, carob and buckwheat sprouts, just to name a few.  Sometimes they make funny faces and pretend to gag, but for the most part they are game to try anything.  Last night, we had a completely veggie dinner:  baked sweet potato, raw cucumbers and tomatoes and steamed green beans.  The comments were:  "Pretty good mom" "I love that you are eating the same thing as us, mom"  "It's all in the spices"  "The potato is like our 'meat'" and "Can I have more tomatoes and cucumbers, please?"

We have some new toys around the house that the kids are learning to use.  We now have a really awesome juicer (Thank you, Mothers Market) and the kids all take turns juicing.  Christian and Danika both make me wheatgrass twice and day and are able to clean up the whole machine themselves.  We use the Vitamixer for smoothies and Danika has taken on the job to make that for breakfast almost every day.  Christian gets the oxygen maker out and makes me water because cancer cannot live in oxygen blood.  We grow wheatgrass in our dining room and everyone takes turns cutting and watering.

We have had a variey of 'health" lessons from something I learned at OHI.  Here are a some of the new "rules":

1.  No drinks with dinner.  If you are thirsty, drink water BEFORE dinner so that you will use your saliva which will aid in digestion.  (Comments the first day:"Mom, I am just going to die without a drink" "I'm thirsty" said 30x in a row by Kenton "I don't understand why the water can't go with food together")  Now they don't miss it and it hasn't even been 2 weeks.

2. Chew your food atleast 20 times.  (Comments:  "But I can't chew anymore, it's like water" "I can't talk and chew and count" "Do I have to chew the mushy stuff that much?"  "Are my teeth going to fall out from so much chewing?")  They seem to have caught on somehow.

3.  Drink the right amount of water each day.  We calculated how much water everyone should drink each day by dividing their weight in half.  So Danika weighs 60 pounds - she should drink 30 oz of water each day.  Yes, it seems like a lot but they are doing it easily.

4.  When you have to go to the bathroom, go right away!  No holding it because holding it releases toxins into your system and puts pressure on your bladder and kidneys.  My kids are famous for being "camels" so this one is a bit harder to put into practice.

5.  No more junk at home.  Cancer loves sugar.  We have replaced all the sugar items with new "fun" organic foods from Sprouts and Mothers.  They are eating more fruits and veggies for snacks.  They still have cookies, bars and chips but they are all pretty healthy and organic.  Even our shampoo is paraben and chemical free now and the toothpaste is floride and sodium free.  I know that they will get all kinds of other things when we are away from home, but as much good stuff as I can put in them the better.  They are already turning down candy and asking if they can have dates when they get home.  I think that is a step in the right direction.

6.  No more stress.  We have really landed heavy on this one this week as I am trying to be "unstressed". Little kids stress out too and they start forming habits now they will carry into their adult lives.  We seem to be kinder and more encouraging to each other.  The marble "character" jars are definitely back in action.

7.  Be thankful.  Most importantly, we are all learning and talking about being grateful that mommy is challenged with cancer.  We search for little joys each day.  As they are learning about the human anatomy, and cells right now in science, they are getting to see the body in action and learn how amazing God made us.  We find lots of things each day to be thankful for. Sometimes it is a playdate, sometimes it is just a "normal" day.  Sometimes we find extra time to do something fun and sometimes we cry and know that's okay.  But we all are grateful for a meal prepared by loving hands just for us.

I am so proud of them!  They have not complained much at all.  They seem to like the new way we are doing things.  The reason I share all of this with you is because many of you have asked what changes we have made.  I want to make sure that no one feels like if they can't make these changes then they are doing it all wrong.  I would have felt that way if I read this blog just a couple of months ago.  But you, most likely don't have a health challenge, so just take one thing on the list and incorporate it into your daily life.  God knows what each of us need and follow Him for what He has called you and your family to do.

I love this inspirational thought from Elisabeth Elliot which is great for me:  "In our anxiey to compete, to prove ourselves, to be a success, we are wearied and overburdened.  If we sought instead only the greatness of the kingdom, we would become childlike".  Lord, may I continue to follow you in all that I do!