Today was a good day. We scored a used wood stove for the cabin to replace the old leaky one out there. Not only did the nice gentleman deliver it but he unloaded it too. It’s reassuring to know there are still those out there that go the “extra mile”.
We got off work early since Dean has to do snow removal tonight. Which allowed me to take care of banking and get the groceries before Shabbat. And I found a whole box of oranges & grapefruit for $10. Score!!
I’m not sure yet if it’s just wishful thinking but it feels like I’m breathing easier with less sinus congestion (aka mucus). I’m hopeful that’s a positive change from my little experiment. Time will tell.
I’ve been reading as much as I can on inflammation and how to reduce or eliminate it from my body. There’s a plethora of info out there and from trusted sources! That’s a plus!
Most of what I’ve read says less meat and dairy, no processed foods, more leafy greens and bright colors, more plant protein, more fruit, and lean animal protein. Lots of Omega-3 and fish, healthy seeds and nuts. And a little red wine daily. 🍷 The Mediterranean Diet is often sited a proven anti-inflammatory diet.
Pretty much our entire diet is on the “don’t eat it list”… Lol Wonderful! I may exaggerate a bit.
I’ll be spending the next few weeks working on getting back to basics and returning to the healthier diet that I used to consume. Implementing some gradual changes so my crew doesn’t mutiny.
Fish is an easy start. We eat a lot of salmon, but not always in regular intervals. It’s often consumed for lunch. It’s in our diets weekly, sometimes twice a week or more. I can start making sure we eat at least two salmon meals a week, every week.
We eat quite a bit of poultry but red meat is Dean’s favorite and consequently we all have grown quite accustomed to it, regularly. This will be the main challenge to try and adjust down.
Some “experts” say it takes 8 weeks without added sugars to really notice changes in your health. Hmmm. That’s a long time. Lol
Here’s a few links if you’re interested in more information.
Nine days in, feeling pretty good. Having fruit yesterday was so nice.
I’ve got the day off from work today while Dean does snow removal, it’s work at home day for me! I’ve got lots of files to upload for the kids’ school. I need to catch up on housework, oy. And it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day. Clear blue skies right now.
I made the salad for lunch that I’ve been talking about, y’all, it was amazing! The picture doesn’t do it justice!
Grapefruit, Avocado & Fennel Salad
Here’s the recipe I actually used. I substituted a pomelo for the grapefruit. It takes a bit for the prep, peeling the pomelo segments. The girls also enjoyed it. I will definitely make this again. I feel like I have a better appreciation for the flavors in this salad after being off sugar for a week.
Dinner tonight will be instapot chili from scratch.
I made it through Sabbath and oneg without too much trouble. Thankfully there weren’t too many temptations!
I’m looking forward to eating fruit again, of course I have to wait a little longer. I found this recipe for citrus & avocado salad that looks scrumptious. It’s on the menu for Monday! I’ll just omit the sugar in the dressing. It will be sweet enough with the oranges & grapefruit.
Yesterday wasn’t terrible but I am feeling it. I’m preoccupied with food. I want to eat all the things. And the thought just occured to me that I should get back to taking my supplements. I’ve fallen off the wagon over the holiday season.
It’s been a long time since I did a sugar cleanse, must be 20+ years! Whoa!! I think it’s time to overhaul my diet again.
Our diet changed drastically when we moved to Alaska almost 9 years ago. Being a newbie I was unaware of local buying clubs and honestly, didn’t have the cash flow to buy in bulk anyway. I tried to maintain a few constants like whole grains and no sugar but…. sugar crept back into our diets as did white rice.
Change happened gradually but mostly due to finances & Dean having a sweet tooth didn’t help. He often brought candy home to the kids in our early years here. They were thrilled, I was not. Also, cooking with natural sweeteners only is quite expensive here. What I used to buy a gallon of honey for will only buy a quart here, if that. Maple syrup is pretty expensive too. So unbleached sugar has been a regular part of our diet for several years now.
I’m planning 30 days w/out refined sugar, HFCS, alcohol, and all that stuff. Maybe a week of no sugars, fruit included, to jumpstart the process. Then I’ll add whole fruits back but leave the rest of the sweets alone.
Oy. Can I do it? I feel like I need a huge grocery shopping trip to prepare myself! Stock up on protein snacks and unsweetened beverages.
Also, I picked up a rectangle loom at the thrift store last week to start loom knitting again so I have something to keep my hands busy.
We’ll see how it goes. With a house full of sugar eaters and bakers… I’m sure it’s going to be a challenge!
I know that I will feel better and that’s my encouragement!
The plan is to start tomorrow, MNO with the Solstice Sisters tonight. Wish me great success!!
Living in the far North is not only a beautiful and majestic experience but it’s a lesson in working with what you have, especially with food.
Our climate here in South Central is mild compared to other parts of Alaska. With our long daylight hours in summer we can grow a vast array of vegetables. Some of which can get quite large, huge cabbage anyone? Cruciferous vegetables do very well here as do potatoes, carrots, rhubarb and others. What doesn’t do well here are long season and heat loving growers like pumpkins, eggplant, tomatoes and okra.
We can grow tomatoes, in greenhouses, and I have friends who do successfully each year. Usually there’s a sample of tomatoes and cucumbers from our friends Jane & Marion each summer. The taste of those fresh veggies just does something magical to my soul. There’s just no comparison with grocery store veg.
The one thing I haven’t been able to grow, and I haven’t found anyone else who is either, is okra. I tried one year, got some blooms. But just as the blooms were falling off and baby okra buds were appearing we had a hard frost and I lost everything in the greenhouse. A real bummer.
Locally okra is available two ways: pickled and frozen. The pickled okra is $5 for a small jar which is reserved for special occasions and not regularly purchased. I do buy the frozen quite often though. I make do. Sometimes I bread it frozen and fry it but usually it just goes into a gumbo or my “good & plenty” southern casserole.
The price has gone up!
I once saw fresh okra at a local store about 7-8 years ago, and I got excited! But as soon as I got close enough to examine it all hope was lost. It was already too far gone to eat. Boo!
So I’ll continue to make do with my frozen okra and whenever I’m outside at the right season I’ll gorge myself on fresh okra and tomatoes!
Here’s a great resource about okra and some recipes to try. Not only is it tasty but it’s really good for you. And I’ll walk you through my hot dish recipe.
Good & Plenty Southern Casserole
You will need 2 cans of black eyed peas, or equivalent of home-cooked, 1 can Rotel or similar style tomatoes with chilies, I pkg frozen okra (or fresh if you’re so lucky), Cajun seasoning, 1 lb sausage, (I use chicken, turkey or homemade moose) and a batch of cornbread batter. You can use a box mix or make it from scratch.
Fry the sausage until cooked through. Add the cans of veg, Cajun seasoning to taste and frozen okra. Mix well. Pour into a large casserole dish (13×9) then top with the cornbread batter.
Mixture before the cornbread.
Bake in a 350° oven until the cornbread is golden and filling is bubbling hot.
To serve: cut into portions and serve it upside down, cornbread on bottom and filling piled on top. A little hot sauce on top and enjoy! It’s great as a main course or as a side.
Use pre-cooked sausage for a super fast and easy casserole.
After a busy day of craft showing and lots of high energy kids I need a super easy dish! Let me know if you try it!
Alaska on my mind... 