what's in YOUR fridge?

Well, I'm gonna show you what's in MY fridge. Will you show me yours?

I cannot lie. I totally took this idea from another blog. If you ever want to check out a blog I have recently been reading its really cute. You can view it here, and she's got some great disciplines in eating healthy with all 6 of her kids and hubby!

I thought this was a great idea to start some discussion, but also to show you that I really do try my best in all that I am talking about. It's not something I fantasize about, but that I really have tried to commit myself and my family to eating healthy. I don't claim to have all the answers, because its seems the more I know the more I feel inadequate to say the least. I am still learning along with everyone else. And there are still things in my cupboards and fridge that I wish you didn't see, but I still think its good to let it all be out in the open. And if you have questions about why I have something or not, feel free to ask. To tell you the truth, if I took a picture of my fridge next week, a lot of it would change. but this is to give you an idea of what I do and maybe help you in making some good decisions about what to put in your own fridge and cupboard. You will notice that I hardly have any prepared foods at all. Everything is done from scratch in this house.

So what is all that stuff?

So, not having organic peanut butter really bothers me because peanuts hold on to the pesticides sprayed on them. But for the time being I was going through so much peanut butter that I had to buy the natural stuff instead because it was getting so expensive. I need to just start making my own! And of course the pre-assembled breadcrumbs really bothers me as well, but when time is on a crunch they are there when I need them. But this is so much better made yourself as well.....

I add wheat germ and flaxseed to everything. Flaxseed has so many benefits along with vegetarian omega-3's and fiber, and wheat germ has folic acid and is great for aiding in stabling your immune system and recouping after being sick. I add to my granola, my fruit smoothies, my cereals. But make sure you grind your flaxseed so your body can easily absorb its nutrients:)

So can you tell yet that we really like asian food? We love sushi and all the thai dishes! Lee's Asian Market in Henrietta sells everything you need for a much more reasonable price than Wegmans. I think I remember Wegmans was selling 10 seaweed wraps for $4. While Lee's was selling 100 for &8. Geez! What a difference....it pays to shop around!!!

Can you tell this is a lot of what Abigail snacks on? Ha ha. hence all the goodies, cookies, crackers and raisins. I usually do organic raisins as well, but gotta blame this one on the hubby. He picked those up for me. Love him, but he would ultimately go for what's cheap, not what's good for you. But I give him a lot of credit, after watching Food Inc. he couldn't bring himself to buy the regular milk. i was so proud of him when he came home with the organic! Good job sweetheart!

I love how people think you're crazy until someone who is smarter than you shares with the world what the heck you're talking about. A must read for all is Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. if you get a chance, its an awesome resource on what is happening with our food today.

So, share! Questions, concerns, comments? What's in your fridge?

What's for dinner?

I find it really interesting that America really has none of its own traditions when it comes to what we should be eating. Apart from the typical cheeseburger and home-fries, American food has never really found its niche for the perfect meal. The Italians found their love in pastas and breads, while the Greeks found it in greens and cheeses. And a good 'ol Mexican meal brings on its choices of what to put in your burrito or taco, along with the French widely known for their butters, creams and pastries. And don't forget the array of asian meals that always include a rice or noodle at every meal. I guess what it means to be American is to throughly enjoy embracing all cultures and traditions because one thing we do, and we do it well, is eating. I love how Michael Pollan puts it, "Yet I wonder if it doesn't make more sense to speak in terms of an American paradox - that is, a notably unhealthy people obsessed by the idea of eating healthy."

I recently had someone email me a question about being vegetarian. As some of you know, I went from being a person who ate everything put in front of them to pesco-tarian (no meat, but eats fish) to vegetarian to carnivore and then to vegan. And I'm not even going to mention where I am currently at, and for very good reasoning. With all those changes and decisions came logical reasoning, but simply kept changing with the more education I got on food. Also what a lot of people don't know or understand is, sometimes, I would only choose to eat like that for a season. So much contributes to what I personally will decide what to put out for dinner. Do I need to cleanse? Do I have enough money for groceries (because local organic meat is expensive)? Am I low this weak on omega-3's? How's my protein? Iron? Is this meal gonna provide the energy I need to exercise? And what I choose to eat while I'm nursing my baby may be completely different than when I'm not. Do you see where I'm getting at? Sometimes there really is no "right" answer when it comes to what we should choose to eat for dinner. But what you do choose should fit your lifestyle. It should compliment how you live. If your active vs. being someone who stays in the house all day, those two people's meals should be completely different from one another. You have to find what works for you and your family.

I love Michael Pollan because he is able to describe it again in this way - "Our culture codifies the rules of wise eating in an elaborate structure of taboos, rituals, recipes, manners and culinary traditions that keep us from having to reenact the omnivore's dilemma at every meal."

"And so we find ourselves where we do, confronting in the supermarket or at the dinner table the dilemmas of omnivorousness, some of them ancient and others never before imagined. The organic apple or the conventional? And if the organic, the local one or the imported? The wild fish or the farmed? The transfats or the butter or the 'not butter'? Shall I be a carnivore or a vegetarian? And if a vegetarian, a lacto-vegetarian or a vegan? Like the hunter-gatherer picking a novel mushroom off the forest floor and consulting his sense memory to determine its edibility, we pick up the package in the supermarket and, no longer so confident of our senses, scrutinize the label, scratching our heads over the meaning of phrases like 'heart-healthy,' 'no transfats,' 'cage-free,' or 'range-fed'. What is 'natural grill flavor' or TBHQ or xanthan gum? What is all this stuff, anyway, and where in the world did it come from?"

I think what is most important about choosing what to put on your dinner menu is that you've thought about it:) You wouldn't pick up any mushroom from outside and just assume you can eat it. Some are very nutritious, while others are very poisonous! Well then....you shouldn't assume everything put on the shelves of our grocery stores is nutritious as well. Look at your life. What's a typical day? Are you active? Are you nursing? Do you have children? Listen to your body and find out what it needs. Putting on weight? Then make some adjustments. Getting dizzy spells? Then check your sugar. Are you getting enough protein so your sugar can burn slower? Are you nursing? Then you need to keep that iron high. Find out what is in your food and apply it to how you live. There is no magic answer to what EVERYONE should be eating but there is an answer to how YOU should be eating. So, what are going to eat for dinner tonight?

Resources: The Omnivore's Dilemma By Michael Pollan (pg. 3, 4, 5)

Evoking God's Heart

Have you ever read about the persistent widow in Luke 18? I probably read it or meditate on it several times during the week. It's because I am so undone by this women's persistence to fight for justice on her behalf. She wanted legal protection, and even though the judge was not a God-fearing man, he grew weary in her prevail. Right after this story, a promise is given to us. If an unrighteous judge will bring justice to one who persists in asking, how much more will God bring justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night! Then the passage goes on saying, "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly." Sometimes I think one of the reasons we see so much injustice in the world today is because God is waiting on us. Are we really so undone and broken that we would cry out to God day and night until we see justice? Are we really sold out to God in a such a way that we would lose face, forfeit our reputation and be criticized for being super-spiritual because we authentically desire to see justice and righteousness in our own hearts? We say with our mouths we want God, but do our hearts really count that cost?

I was reading this week from Matthew and as I came upon chapter 6 is goes on and on about looking to earthly things for fulfillment. It's the "treasures" verse. We all know it. But as I was reading it this time, God began to quicken my heart. After everything is said and done He ends this way, "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (vs. 33) It was like God was sending a reality check my way :) "Don't you see Crystal, that you will only have these things if you seek my Kingdom first!" It was like God was, once again, reminding me that I live for Him, he doesn't live for me. So many times our prayer life consists of complaints or requests, maybe even anxious thoughts. But I was beginning to see the bigger picture. Seek first the Kingdom and then those things will be of no value to you. I thought about the last time I came before God where I had no requests or anxieties. The last time I just sat with God and appreciated Him, just thanked Him and enjoyed His presence. To be quite honest, it had been awhile. Our miracles and destiny come out of relationship with God. Who wants to see their family or their husbands only on the weekend? Not me, I enjoy spending time with my husband everyday. It's the same way with God. God wants all of us, not just moments.

It's like the persistent widow. She was teaching us something about prayer. Her story is in the Bible so that we could learn how to pray. God wants us to pursue Him. He wants us to get down-right dirty in prayer. He wants us to cry out to Him day and night. I personally believe that if the Church would commit themselves to prayer, we would see an out-pouring of God's Spirit like never before. We would see justice come to unborn babies, the sanctity of marriage upheld, the ending of embryonic stem-cell research and broken homes and broken families to know the love of God. That's what prayer does, it brings access to Heaven. Persistent prayer evokes the heart of God!

If you would like to begin praying more often and want to be involved with others who do as well, I encourage you to come to the Rochester's Prayer Center all-night gathering. Their third all night prayer is March 19th @ 7PM @ Bethel Christian Fellowship and you can check it out on Facebook. RPC's vision is to begin praying together, in hope that one day there will be 24-7 prayer in the city of Rochester. This WILL only be possible if the Church of Rochester embraces it. It won't take one man, it will take the people of God. It's time we become like the persistent widow and evoke the heart of God.

Postpartum health

I currently have a month old baby and as i continue to educate myself on how to take care of my health needs during this postpartum time, I figured I'd share some of my secrets with other mothers out there. Down to the amount of calories you are suppose to have, to what foods you should stay up on, to weight loss after having a baby.

NURSING YOUR BABY

First I would like to encourage every mother out there to try as much as possible to nurse your baby the first year of its life. God has given us all an amazing gift. We are are capable of producing all the nutrients our baby needs without trying real hard. God made it simple. And nature allows us to bond with our baby in its first year of life by breast-feeding. I do not intend to discourage those mothers who chose to formula feed. This is not the purpose. But the facts are there, breast-feeding will provide the best health for you and your baby that no supplement can replace. The evidence is there, so I encourage you all...hang in there. Breast-feeding is very demanding and i respect every mother who devotes themselves to it! It's as if with every feeding we are praying long life over our children. What a beautiful gift God has given us. (If you were unable to breast feed your children because of health circumstances or lack of milk, this is not to discredit any mother who tried).

Click here for a list of reasons breast-feeding is important for your baby's health.

Click here for reasons breast-feeding is important for your own health.

WEIGHT-LOSS

Now here's the big one that probably all of us mothers wrestle with: Weight Loss. It is imperative that we don't try to exhaust ourselves over this during the first year we are recovering from pregnancy. Think of this way, it took you 9 months and 3 weeks to pack on the pounds, it should take you just as long to get rid of them. Don't expect yourself to be like all the women in Hollywood and be back in your pre-baby clothes in 6 weeks. The amount of women that happens to are minute. The truth is, it's just not practical nor realistic for most moms. And though breast-feeding guarantees a smaller uterus in just months, it doesn't necessarily mean less weight. In fact, breast-feeding may contribute to holding onto fat longer than you desire. This is because your body needs this fat to produce milk for your baby. Though your baby may not weigh much now, he/she is consuming 1,000 calories everyday from your milk supply. The quality of breast milk is only affected in extreme cases of deprivation, or by excessive intake of a particular food. But the quantity of milk depends very much on the mother's diet. This is why your diet is so important after you have the baby just as much as it was while you were pregnant. This does not exclude mothers who choose to not breast-feed as well. In order for optimal recovery after you have a baby, it is crucial you eat right. Women who don't have severe problems with constipation, weight loss contributed from muscle loss, swelling and water retention, along with also having extreme points of post-pardum depression. While trying to cut calories seems like the best solution to lose weight, it is DANGEROUS for a women who is recovering from child-birth! For women who are breast-feeding you should be consuming 1800-2200 calories a day (about 500 calories more than you would normally consume). But its also important what foods you are putting into your body. If you are looking to have aid in weight loss while you are recovering from child-birth I recommend colorful foods. Stay away from starchy foods that break down into sugar. Don't omit whole grains, but for a time limit the intake of pastas, breads and potatoes (this does not include sweet potatoes which has vitamin A in it....ladies this aids in digestion and can keep you from constipation). I personally omit all sweet desserts my first year of trying to get back down to my pre-baby weight. Though this is hard on days we have a sweet tooth, I find I am more liberated when I go out and someone offers me something sweet. You don't feel the guilt of eating something sweet when your out because you're not eating it when your home. i also am a firm believer that a diet high in greens helps keep the calories moving and make it easier for your body to absorb nutrients. I sometimes even add a powder vitamin of mixed greens to a fruit smoothie just for added fiber and vitamins. i actually find it better than taking a multi-vitamin because the powder itself comes directly from the plant itself, rather than a synthetic lab-made vitamin (which most vitamins are). Also a fruit smoothie is a much better option than fruit juice since the pasteurization also removes essential vitamins your body needs. I also recommend eating through-out the whole day. yes, you heard me right. Because we are nursing mostly on demand, your more likely to feel hungry through-out the day, rather than eating scheduled meals. this will also help in not over-eating. Sometimes if we wait for the "intended" time to eat, we're so hungry by the time it comes that we end up indulging. Choose healthy, colorful snacks to chew on in between meals that will help keep you on track (such as cheese and whole grain crackers, carrots and hummus, or organic peanut butter and banana). If you want more examples feel free to contact me, but for now I need to move on because this blog is getting long:)

SLEEP

Now, if your anything like me. you can be doing all these great things and maybe STILL not see weight-loss. Don't stress. I personally find it almost impossible to lose weight a healthy way the first 6 months of my baby's life. The biggest reason being? The lack of sleep. Yep, not getting enough sleep can help keep on extra pounds. And its not because of the quantity of sleep, but the quality. Your babies needs are so demanding of you in the night, and you'd be happy to sleep 4 hours straight on a good night. I get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but because its broken sleep I never really enter into "rem" (rapid eye movement) sleep. It aids in reducing stress, decreasing appetite and making us more hormonally balanced. If we miss out on it, it can very well keep us from losing weight. Don't be discouraged if you don't see results right away in your body, in a few months things WILL get easier.

LASTLY

Make sure you're getting at least a 1/2 hour of rapid activity everyday, along with drinking a large amount of water through-out your day. I always recommend 1/2 your body weight in ounces. If your nursing your baby, you should have at least an 8 ounce glass of water with every feeding. And please filter your water to help reduce the amount of fluoride, chlorine and sulfates in your water:) They are not good for you or your baby. This is even more important for babies who formula feed. There is no need to have fluoride in your baby's water when it doesn't even have teeth.

I think thats good for now....until next time ;D

Nothin' into Somethin'

Recently I have been finding it extremely hard to find time with the Lord. I've had to really altar some of the routine I use to have to make sure God is getting His time. I tried to live days on the fly and my day has proved to be overwhelming in the end when I don't get that solitude with God. Even in days that I have not a moment to read my Word, I've learned to slip in the Word on CD just so I get my filling. Without it, I'm so lost. I become this person so familiar, yet so surprisingly shaken at the sight of seeing her. It's the girl who use to judge everything and everyone, but only because of her own insecurities of being alone. It's the girl who wants to rule and reign, the mighty feminist who thinks she knows better than everyone else around her. Her inner fear and turmoil tortures her. It's really who I am without God - it's really who I was...just empty.

I'm reminded so often of who I'd be if I never encounter Jesus. Maybe a feminist lesbian who curses the world. Or a hippy caught up in orgies and drugs. Or maybe a good hearted wiccan who'd attempt to make the world a better place. Who knows. God knows. And in the emptiness of what my future may have held if I continued to live my own way, God had mercy. God so loved me more than I could ever love myself.

I had this mind-blowing reality when I was reading from Jeremiah 17. "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes his flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, and land of salt without inhabitant" (vs. 5-6). It's sobering to remember who you are without God. It's even more humbling to see who you are when you stop trusting God. It's interesting to me when I see myself come to this place where I think I may have "graduated". When I may think I am without reproach. And right when you think you've got your act together, BOOM! God shows up and shows you how you have put trust in your flesh and have trusted in man more than Himself. Are you understanding?

Let's put it this way. When there are days I wait to spend time with the Lord, I'm short with my husband. "What do you mean you can't watch the kids? I've been stuck here all day!" "Honey, could you please put that dish away!" "How many times do I have to tell you?..." and it's not so much what I say, but the tone I say it in. I might as well have said, "hey stupid, why don't you do what I say because what you did today didn't matter!" Or how about the anxiety over the bills. In days where time with the Lord is put on the back burner, I become a spectator of God's provision in my life. Though my mouth may say I am trusting in the Lord, my actions tell me I can do a better job than God can. Where can I get the money? How much more can I work? And then I complain to the Lord rather than trust God that He has and will provide for all my needs. In days where the physical is more of my reality than the spiritual, you have to take a step back and wonder why. Why am not trusting God?

"Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord and whose trust IS the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought and not cease to yield fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). But if I continue to purpose myself to be with the Lord everyday, I am able to walk in the glory of who He has created me to be. You see, we may be nothing with God, but we are something with Him! Oh, are we something! We are like trees that always have fruit! Even in days of drought, we will be the ones with the water. How important it is to walk with God! How crucial it is to spend time with the Lord to experience true life. I was reminded to do whatever it takes to get with Him. Things admist our day always seem so much more important as they are happening, but what is truly important is so easily forgotten. My encouragement to you today is to do whatever it takes to get with Him.