Too often we feel overwhelmed with the idea of drastically changing our food and lifestyle. We can barely keep up with the daily demands life places upon us, and those pressures mount when we have the responsibility of caring for our children as well.
The following is an inspirational story from a patient who has made significant and life-changing changes to her food choices. It can be done, regardless of whether we live alone or are raising a family. It doesn’t matter how far off the mark your food and lifestyle choices might currently be. Just start anywhere and be determined to stick to it. We are fortunate to bear witness to countless similar stories and are very grateful that Lauren took the time to share the story of her personal journey with our readers.
Lauren Shanks is an excellent personal trainer practicing in the Pioneer Valley. For any of you who wish to avail yourself of her expertise, we recommend her highly.
“My quest to be healthy really began with the deterioration of it. Like most people I did not truly appreciate what I had until I lost it. I started getting chronic migraines, sinus infections, and severe back pain. I was a personal trainer and I had no energy to train my clients. One day I made a decision to start seeing alternative doctors because western medicine was making me sicker and sicker. I did a ton of research and ended up eating JUST fruits, vegetables, brown rice and nuts for a whole year. I also took supplements like fish oil and flax seed oil and a warm cup of miso soup before each meal for digestion as well as probiotics to improve my intestinal flora. I only drank my water with lemon in it and every morning I started my day with a shot of wheat grass and a glass of greens plus powder or kyogreen (powder made of sea veggies and herbal extracts). After that year I started adding grass-fed beef, goat’s milk products and some whole grains. Finally I had my health and vitality back on track. I felt better and had more energy than I had in years. That was 9 years ago and since then I have become a wife, mother of two, and still working as a personal trainer. Now it is more important than ever that I have the energy I need to run my life with harmony. There is really nothing that compares to feeling good.
I put a lot of effort and planning into keeping myself and my family healthy. I am also a strong believer in keeping things balanced. Do I let my 3-year-old eat junk food once in a while? Absolutely! Do I still go to Starbucks every morning and have an espresso frappuccino with whipped cream? Yes, I am guilty because for the most part I eat very healthy so it’s ok if it’s not perfect. We must have BALANCE…good food, exercise, spirituality,gratitude, time to ourselves, deep breathing, good music and meaning to our lives.
As far as the food goes, I only buy grass-fed free range beef and meats. My sugars of choice are agave and stevia. NO fake sweeteners! Definitely no soda or diet products. My son loves blueberry flax seed waffles with a little bit of agave on top and I send my son to school with healthy lunches: like, organic turkey and organic cheese and avocado sandwiches as well as goat cheese and wild Alaskan lox sandwiches on ezekiel bread. I cook lots of sweet potatoes, quinoa, and beans and I like to add pesto to many of our dishes. Every Tuesday we have tacos, an easy dinner that is a big hit at our house. It includes organic black beans, grass-fed ground beef, tomatoes, avocados, and organic cheese. My kids also love coconut water and coconut milk smoothies. When my son doesn’t want to eat fruit or veggies, I juice them or blend them. My 3 year old loves apple juice so I put an apple, a little bit of kale and a carrot in the juicer and he drinks the whole thing because it tastes great. Do we eat all organic? No but I try my best to find as much organic fruits and veggies as I can. The only thing that I am really nuts about is strawberries (which have more added pesticides then any other fruit). I also don’t think any of us need the added hormones in our dairy products and our meats.
The other thing that has been getting more and more attention is mercury toxicity. I no longer make my son tuna sandwiches. Wild Salmon is our fish of choice as well as many of the smaller fish like filet of sole and sardines. I give my son a fish oil supplement for kids and a chewable acidophilus pill and a vitamin C gummy bear every morning as well as a little bit of vitamin D.
As a mother with a very hectic schedule it is not always easy to keep our families healthy but it is definitely possible and the effort is definitely worth it! With flu season around the corner I think about what is going into my family’s bodies on a daily basis.
I will try and find new recipes regularly so we can have variety and I will be pumping them with a myriad of fruits and veggies as well as probiotics.
Further more, it is important to have a great doctor! Many Doctors today are prescribing too many drugs and Antibiotics without searching and seeking out the original problem. Having a doctor who seeks out and teaches their patients preventative measures instead of always prescribing band-aids is what we should all be able to find. The good news is that more and more doctors are starting to change. If yours is not then find a new one. There is a lot of information for kids on the
askdrsears.com website. Another great website is www.ultraprevention .com There are lots of possibilities. It takes Planning, positive thinking, some research and lots of love and support. If I can do it so can you!!!”
FEW OF MY FAVORITES:
1. Cut up apples with cinnamon, walnuts and agave
2. Dark chocolate (must say cocoa beans as first ingredient not cocoa liquor) Dagoba bars are great!
3. Sweet potatoes steamed with kale, sesame oil and a little sea salt.
4. A bowl of organic frozen blueberries with a little bit of cabots whipped cream on top
5. A medjool date dipped in almond butter
6. A Parsimon with goat cheese on top
7. A free-range organic soft-boiled egg with toasted ezekial bread dipped in olive oil
8. A toasted rice tortilla with melted raw sheep cheese, shredded carrots, avocado, and baby spinach some olive oil and a little sea salt.
9. Steamed veggies ( I usually use brocoli and carrots as well as whatever veggies I have in my fridge) with macademia nuts, pesto and sheep cheese on top.
10. A shake with hemp milk, frozen blueberries, cherries, raspberries, coconut milk from a thai coconut, flax seeds and a couple drops of stevia.
11. A grass fed ground beef burger with a little bit of sea salt….the best tasting beef ever!
12. Cut up lamb with lots of curry, coconut milk, cut up carrots and peas, over aborio rice.
Until the next time, be well.
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