Ant ANTic Anecdote?

At the beginning of every summer for several consecutive years, the sweet ants raid my kitchen.  They are quite annoying.  You know those tiny little things that are drawn to any crumb or spill even remotely sweet?

When ants invaded this year, I set out a small spoonful of cornmeal.  I'd read this anecdote on the internet somewhere.

{Did you know the countertop spray 409 will kill ants instantly?  For that reason, 409 is considered bug spray in our home.  I do not clean countertops with poison.}

 For hours the ants worked feverishly carrying off the golden mound.  By dark their numbers had dwindled.  The next morning their work resumed around 8:30.  I was a bit skeptical the cornmeal would work, when at 10am they were marching around in legions. But by noon, which was about 24 hours after placing the cornmeal in my window sill, they were almost gone.

It's been several days and they are still gone.

The next time you have an ant infestation, try a mound of cornmeal.  It's not poison.  And it just might work.

-Julie

My Journey into Thyroid Disorder - part 3

This is Part 3 in a 3-part series on thyroid disorder by Erin.

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series we discussed the basics of the most common thyroid disorder, the most common cause of low thyroid function, how to determine if you have Hashimoto’s, and preliminary steps to take once diagnosed.  Today’s post will discuss specific changes you can make to calm your immune system and tame the attack on your thyroid.

 As mentioned previously, it is very important to get assistance from a medical professional with experience treating autoimmune disorders.  I recommend reading Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When MyLab Tests Are Normal? by Datis Kharrazian for a fuller understanding of this topic.

Most people with Hashimoto’s have an imbalance in the 2 immune pathways.

These pathways are known as TH-1 and TH-2.  In most cases, one of these pathways has become dominant, allowing the immune system to become imbalanced.  It’s important to figure out which pathway is dominant so that you can take measures to support the weaker pathway and restore balance.

Once the immune system has been balanced, Hashimoto’s can be managed with diet and lifestyle changes (hello, Real Food!), often without the need for any thyroid hormone replacement.  

If caught early, there will probably be enough healthy thyroid tissue remaining that can manufacture its own hormones.  The most important changes to make involve removing gluten, stabilizing your blood sugar levels, decreasing stress, and getting adequate sleep.

If you have Hashimoto’s it is imperative that you go off gluten. 

Going gluten-free is not a fad for someone with Hashimoto’s.  The gluten molecule and your thyroid tissue look the same to your immune system.  So when you eat even a tiny amount gluten, your overzealous immune system destroys your thyroid.  In addition, gluten can stay in your system for 6 to 10 months, provoking attacks on your thyroid tissue that entire time.

Iodine supplementation for Hashimoto’s is quite controversial.

Many practitioners, even alternative ones, will frequently recommend iodine supplementation for thyroid health.  Unfortunately, that recommendation is based off research done by Dr. Broda Barnes (also the creator of the basal body temperature test for thyroid function) in the 1960s when iodine deficiency was the #1 cause of low thyroid dysfunction.  Hashimoto’s is now the #1 cause of hypothyroidism in the U.S.   Current research shows that iodine supplementation may actually trigger Hashimoto’s.  Read more here.  If you choose to supplement with iodine, watch your thyroid antibodies closely.

Normal consumption of cruciferous vegetables (aka goitrogens) is perfectly safe, even if you have thyroid dysfunction.  

I have told friends with thyroid problems to avoid cruciferous vegetables in the past, but I’ve recently learned that that recommendation is based on a faulty theory (read here).  Cruciferous vegetables include kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and mustard greens (fyi… strawberries and peaches are also goitrogens).  Be aware that juicing these vegetables frequently would not be considered “normal consumption.”

As you may have guessed, there is a diet for people with Hashimoto’s.

It’s called the Autoimmune Protocol Diet (a.k.a. Autoimmune Paleo or AIP).  This is a Real Food, elimination-style diet where you remove possible offending foods and slowly re-introduce them after 30 days to watch for reactions.

A few resources for the AIP diet include:

The PaleoMom 

PhoenixHelix (very good explanation of how to re-introduce foods here)

AutoimmunePaleo 

I am currently on the AIP diet.  I started out sugar-free, then went gluten-free, then grain-free, and now AIP over the course of 5 years.  I didn’t know AIP existed until a few months ago.  I can honestly say that I am not going hungry on this diet.  I’m greatly enjoying trying out new things like plantains and leeks.  The biggest adjustment has been avoiding nightshades since this includes white and red potatoes (not sweet potatoes, though!), tomatoes, and paprika, a spice that seems to be in almost every prepared food. J

                                        

With the way medical science is advancing, I expect to continue learning more about my condition and tweaking my approach.   I hope you’ve been encouraged to do the same for yourself or someone you care about.

-Erin 

Read part 1 here and part 2 here.

My Journey into Thyroid Disorder - part 2

This is Part 2 in a 3-part series on thyroid disorder by Erin.

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the basics of the most common thyroid disorder, hypothyroidism, and its most common cause, Hashimoto’s disease.  In today’s post, I’d like to discuss how to identify if Hashimoto’s is the cause of your low thyroid (or high thyroid) symptoms and what you can do about it.

If you are currently being treated for low thyroid (hypothyroidism) it is very important that you be tested for Hashimoto’s. 

There are TWO blood tests for this.  Most doctors will only run one.  You must specifically request both.  The tests to request are a TPO Ab (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) and a TgAb (thyroglobulin antibodies).  One or both of these may be positive in Hashimoto’s.  It is also possible to have negative results on both but still have Hashimoto’s.   Confused? Read this.

Even if your doctor says your thyroid levels are “normal”, you should be tested for Hashimoto’s if you are having symptoms of thyroid dysfunction.

The only test your doctor will likely run to check your thyroid function is called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).  Thyroid hormones can fluctuate widely with Hashimoto’s, so a one-time blood test of a single hormone does not give an accurate picture of true thyroid or immune system health.

It’s also important to understand that “normal” lab range values are determined by the lab results seen in medical patients.  With thyroid disorders being so widespread, you can see why the normal TSH lab range may not be the optimal range.  The standard lab range for TSH is .45 to 4.5.  Most likely, this is the range your doctor is referring to when he says your results are “normal.”  The functional range at which the thyroid performs optimally, however, is 1.8 to 3.0.

If you do not address the health of your immune system, you can continue to develop autoimmunity to other parts of your body. 

The most common progression associated with Hashimoto’s is autoimmunity to the small intestine (Celiac disease) and your stomach lining (pernicious anemia).  I personally know several people with Hashimoto’s who have developed other autoimmune conditions including vitiligo and lichen planus.

It is possible to experience hyperthyroid symptoms as well as hypothyroid symptoms when you have Hashimoto’s.

Hyperthyroid symptoms include heart palpitations, increased pulse rate (even at rest), insomnia, feeling nervous and emotional, night sweats, and difficulty gaining weight.

When thyroid tissue is destroyed by your immune system, the hormones stored in that tissue are released into the blood stream, which speeds up the body’s metabolism.  This scenario causes the hyperthyroid symptoms.

Going on unwarranted thyroid replacement can cause more problems than it alleviates. 

Your pituitary gland will stop stimulating the thyroid to produce its own hormones, weakening those pathways and possibly causing replacement hormone dependence.

If you have Hashimoto’s, you need to find a health professional with experience treating autoimmune disorders. 

I chose to go to a chiropractor recommended on Dr. Kharrazian’s website and was not disappointed.  General physicians do not typically test for Hashimoto’s because it does not change their standard treatment (thyroid replacement hormone).  The conventional treatment for autoimmune diseases is steroids to suppress the immune system, but steroids are not recommended for Hashimoto’s.

Again, if you’d like to know more, I highly recommend the book Why Do I Still Have Thyroid SymptomsWhen My Lab Tests Are Normal? by Datis Kharrazian.  Dr. Kharrazian is known as one of the leading experts in the non-pharmaceutical treatment of autoimmune disorders.  You can find out more at www.thyroidbook.com.

Part 3 of this series will discuss specific lifestylechanges recommended to manage thyroid disorder.  Click here to read part 1.

-Erin

Healing Ulcerative Colitis with Real Food: A Testimony

Tappi Haney contacted me through Facebook and shared briefly her story, of how real food has healed her.  It encouraged me so much I cried when I read it to my husband.  I begged Tappi to share her story to encourage you.  Thanks, Tappi, for encouraging all of us.  -Julie

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Me (Tappi) at the 12 mile mark if the 3 Bridges Marathon. I had to give up running a few years ago because of my tummy troubles.  Now I'm back at it thanks to Real Food in Little Rock.  I really don't know how to express how grateful I am.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in my mid-twenties. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition, an inflammatory bowel disease similar to Crohn's, and often the symptoms of abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea develop gradually.  Though for some people the symptoms are sudden.

I didn't have a clue what the diagnosis meant and after a few months of flares the pain went away.  Looking back, maybe the remission was because I didn't eat junk food or maybe I wasn't eating anything to cause a flare.  Maybe I was just young and invincible.

Then in my mid-forties I started needing frequent bathroom trips. I didn't think anything of it until one day I felt pain. I knew exactly what that was.  The previously diagnosed ulcerative colitis was back with a vengence.

For seven years I writhed in pain, experienced countless embarrassments, and took prescription medicine: the awful Remicade that elevated my liver enzymes.  I was miserable.

Because of the tummy troubles I missed so much work I was afraid of losing my job.  Most trips to work were spent with me begging God to please help me get across the parking lot to the bathroom. I always brought a change of clothes with me.

I was frustrated.  My life was over, I couldn't do anything I enjoyed anymore. I had to have a bathroom, plus the constant pain that just sucked the energy out of me.  I was on medicine year round and I didn't like that.

This chronic condition was manageable but not good. I had mostly given up hope that I would ever live a normal life again.

Over time I began to put it together that food had something to do with the flares.  I started a food journal and kept a list of foods that I knew hurt, but if I didn't have a bad experience within 24 hours then it didn't make the list.  Things gave me issues were potatoes, beans, corn, and things like that.  Wheat or sugar never made the list because those take their time in causing pain.  (When I brought the food-to-flare correlation up at doctor visits, he would get angry.)

Then one day I was buying pork from a local farmer and I mentioned my problem. She said to connect with Real Food in Little Rock. I signed up for the email and thought it was interesting.

Then one day Caris' mom, Wendy, wrote about her daughter. She detailed the story about how wonderful it was that Caris was no longer miserable with gut trouble. She explained the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Caris, after years of pain similar to mine, was experiencing normalcy, having fun, and playing.

I couldn't believe what I read. A flame of hope began to flicker. I could be normal too. I printed the article and read it probably a hundred times. I bought the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle.

After reading the book I would not have tried the diet if it hadn't of been for Wendy writing about Caris.  She showed me it was the way to go. I would have thought it was an impossible diet to follow otherwise. I followed it and was patient.

It was said that die off of bad bugs in my gut would happen and that I would feel horrible for a while. Oh boy, were they were right. I felt awful for about 3 months. Not stabbing-pain-gut-trouble awful, just awful all over - sort of like flu symptoms.

Then one day I drove to work and I didn't have to go to the bathroom. At all.  Looking back it is kind of funny now, but I wondered if I was constipated. :)

I only got better from there. I will say that I didn't get over the "top" until I eliminated eggs. I have been off all medicine since April 2013. I have a normal life. I can't tell you have wonderful it is to be normal and pain free.

I have a new life. As I write this tears are in my eyes as I am so happy and grateful that Wendy wrote about Caris and that Julie takes the time to write a blog. Thank you both. You have changed my life.

-Tappi Haney

see also: The GAPS Diet Heals Ulcerative Colitis and Yes! You CAN Heal from Ulcerative Colitis with NO Drugs!
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Thank you, Tappi for encouraging us with your story.  If other readers would like to share a story, email me, Julie, luvmyhub AT gmail DOT com

Homemade Baby Formula Testimonial

by guest blogger, Sarah Baker Wellons

I’ve always been interested in health and nutrition, but it wasn’t until my son, Noah, was born that I became adamant about real food. I wanted the absolute best for him and of course, it was going to work according to “my plan.”

This plan of mine included breastfeeding until at least the age of one and never, ever, ever (did I say never?) would I feed him commercial formula. To me this was the ultimate failure of my motherly duties if I had to resort to the plastic carton of powdered milk.

Well one cold January night I found myself sitting in a hotel room, not enjoying my vacation, while my three month old son screamed his lungs out because he was hungry. For weeks, I had pumped myself to death, eaten all the foods that were supposed to help my milk supply, and was downing as much water as possible.

However, this was to no avail because my stress and anxiety level was through the roof and all mommies know that stress affects your milk supply.  So I was at a crossroad… either let my baby scream and be hungry because I had to make “my plan” succeed or supplement.

Considering I had never seen a baby die because of eating commercial formula, I decided I would do it. To my surprise, Noah stopped crying and became a more content baby with a full tummy.

While the formula helped my stress level at first, I still didn’t have a peace about feeding it to him. Matter of fact, I was wrestling with it every day, wishing there was another option.

I hated reading the back of the Enfamil package with an ingredients list as long as a novel, and most of which I could not even pronounce. I also knew the dangers of soy and didn’t want Noah exposed to it at all, much less in that amount. But again, I thought it was the only option.

Then my friend Julie told me about homemade formula and it has changed baby Noah’s life.

When I first heard about homemade formula, I thought there was no way I would be able to do something like that. I thought I was not qualified enough or educated enough on this to try it.

However, I have been pleasantly surprised at the simplicity and ease of it. I use the homemade formula recipe from Nourishing Traditions. There are also videos on this link so that you can watch a mom make the formula in her kitchen.

Sarah Baker making homemade baby formula.

The ingredients can be gathered on your own at health food stores but some of the items you will have to order. I found the easiest option is to order the ingredients from Radiant Life because they have a homemade formula kit that you can purchase with everything you need.  The only thing it does not include is raw milk, cream and whey.  I did not have regular access to raw cream, so I omitted it from his formula.

Every baby is unique in what their body needs so you can tailor it specific to your baby. For example, when I first started the formula, Noah was having diarrhea.  So I omitted the vitamin c and his upset tummy settled.

Another trial and error I experienced was with the yeast flakes. Yeast flakes are full of b12 which is so good for your baby but they caused some vomiting for Noah so I omitted those as well.

Some positives I saw immediately.  First was Noah’s demeanor.  He was content, happy, and relaxed. He guzzled down his bottle at feeding time and absolutely loved the taste.

Next I noticed an improvement in an overactive tear duct that was constantly draining and oozing since the time he was born. The doctor had given him eye drops which did nothing, but two days after starting the formula, it was completely healed.

One time he had an allergic reaction to my parent’s dog and his face was starting to break out. I fed him his bottle and I literally watched the red spots go down as he was eating.

If he has a cold or runny nose, I can boost the nutrition by doubling the probiotic and vitamin c.

It is so comforting to know exactly what goes into his formula (and it there is no soy!)  Noah has now been on the formula for 7 months and he is a healthy 22 pound, 10 month old boy.

Friends and family always comment on his peaceful and relaxed demeanor and I attribute a lot of this to the homemade formula. He has thrived on it and I am loving watching him learn and grow.  Even though “my plan” didn’t work out like I thought it was supposed to, the Lord provided and I am very thankful.

Sarah Baker Wellons

Healing Tummy Troubles with Real Food: 9 Month Update

by guest blogger Wendy Donley

Nine months ago this week, we took the plunge and started as a family on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD).  It was our stop-gap attempt to bring healing to our daughter’s thoroughly confused GI system.  We called it “Bad Bugs Be Gone” and approached it with gusto.

How many efforts have I made at writing this blog post in my mind since that time?  I have wanted to send out an update on our growing-up girl for months now, but every time I think about how to communicate the changes in Caris since beginning the SCD in November, I come up short on words.

  

It hit me today why that’s true - and it’s the very best reason of all to write!  Caris leads an ordinary life.  She plays like an ordinary eight year-old, she sleeps like an ordinary eight year-old; she reads, rides, runs, jumps, and oh, so many other ordinary things.  And that’s extraordinary!  

The more I think about just how remarkable “ordinary” is, the more it brings me to tears.  Caris is experiencing ordinary days for the first time in six years.  The constant groaning is gone.  There are no long faces; no lengthy visits to the restroom; no tears at mealtime.  Her days are amazingly, breath-takingly ordinary.

There was a lot of hard work to get here, but now that we’re coasting with this SCD lifestyle, I can honestly say the late nights and early mornings of food prep and research seem like a distant memory.   What began as a family commitment (offering moral support to our girl) evolved into a strict adherence to the SCD for Caris and a nearly grain-free diet for the rest of us.  

In the nine months since beginning the diet (though I like to think of it more as a “lifestyle” than a diet), Caris has experienced five birthday parties in our immediate family; Christmas and the festivities surrounding the holiday season; Valentine’s Day; Easter egg hunts; summer camp; two weeks of Vacation Bible School; overnights with grandparents; and many social gatherings.  We have never once heard her complain about what she can’t eat.  Remarkable!  That in itself if evidence of the clear changes that have taken place in her belly that make her willing to happily pass over certain foods.  

One of my favorite memories is of making “monster cookies” for the girls’ Bible study leaders.  Caris helped with such joy in her heart.  Rather than lamenting about not being able to try them, she absolutely beamed as she poured and stirred, talking about how much her teachers were going to enjoy them.  

 

Another time, my mom reported that Caris had taken a piece of candy.  She was concerned she had secretly eaten it.  I assured my mom I didn’t think so, but inquired with Caris about the candy anyway.  She produced it from her pocket “for dad.”  This scenario has repeated itself again and again with Valentine’s candy and VBS snacks.  The adults around Caris worry . . . she simply smiles as she lovingly seeks out someone else to bless with the special treat.  

What has developed in her is amazing as we see her serving in the kitchen, preparing snacks for her younger sister that she won’t be able to share, or planning ahead for what might be part of her next meal.  In the past, even talk of food made her anxious knowing there would be pain and discomfort.  She was always either begging to eat (confusing pain and hunger cues) or begging for relief (doubled over on the arm of a chair).  Now, she is my joy-filled grocery assistant and my servant-hearted kitchen helper.

These glimpses into our “ordinary” girl are evidence for us of the extraordinary changes that have come about through the SCD – all by God’s tremendous grace in our lives.  We are grateful!

wendy

p.s.  It looks like we’re not the only ones who have found success on the SCD.  Check out this article. 

And since some of you may be considering a GAPS style diet such as the SCD for yourself or a family member, I’ll put together a separate post with weblinks and resources we have found most beneficial on this journey.

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If you have not read Caris' story, part one, please do so now.  You will be amazed at how far this girl has come in 9 months - with the help of real food.

Why I'm a Water Snob

Vividly I can recall my first real encounter with a water snob.

We were in Phoenix, Arizona - standing in a hot church vestibule. My new friend took a drink of her bottled water.  With a crumpled face she said, "Yech!  This tastes nasty!"

I suppose my facial expression said nothing short of: you're weird.

She quickly followed up her water snobishness by saying, "I forgot that I refilled this bottle from the water fountain."

Really?  You can actually taste the difference between your plastic bottled water (which was probably bottled from tap water!), and the water fountain?  I was impressed.  Until that day, I could not taste the difference between bottled water and tap water.

That was seven years ago.  My husband and I had just moved to the Valley of the Sun.  We had not lived there long enough to realize that nobody drank the tap water.  It tasted that bad.

We had lived in Phoenix long enough for me to see the water stations, or water stores, where filtered or reverse osmosis water (RO) is sold but it had not registered why there were so many!  Soon I came to the realization that people drank filtered water in their homes, not just because it was trendy but out of necessity.  The tap water in the desert was laden with icky-tasting minerals.

Fast-forward four years when we moved back to Little Rock, and I had been drinking filtered water in Phoenix.  After moving back to Arkansas, I realized I'd become a water snob.  The tap water that I drank just four years earlier in Little Rock no longer tasted good to me.  The tap water had not changed; my taste buds had.

Source

Where to Find Clean Water
Whole Foods has a reverse osmosis machine at the front of the store, which isn't far from my home.  For a year, I hauled five gallons home every week.  My dear husband later installed a reverse osmosis (RO) filter under the sink that we purchased at Lowe's.  We now have RO water on tap!

In summary, my top three reasons to drink filtered or RO water:

1. Tastes better.

2. Not chlorinated - I work too hard to add beneficial bacteria to my gut (yogurt, kefir, kombucha, radish relish) just to have it killed by the chlorine in tap water.  By the way, Brita or other filters like the one in your fridge door do not eliminate chlorine.  Sitting a pitcher of uncovered water on the counter overnight will allow chlorine to evaporate.

3. Not fluoridated - I'm not convinced fluoride is necessary - esp. if you're eating green leafy veggies.

Now I share a kindred spirit with my water snob friend from Phoenix and even carry a water bottle with me - with RO water from my house.

-Julie
See also Erin's post on the dangers of fluoride. And if you missed my post gloating celebrating 4 years of being cavity-free despite the fact I've given up fluoride.

From the Dentist Chair

I was a bit nervous when my semi-annual dental appointment rolled around this week.  My dental history has been speckled with sticky probes in the crevasses of my teeth.  However, I'm glad to announce that I was cavity-free!

It has been almost four years since I've had a cavity.

Driving home from the dentist's office, I began to think about these last four years and how my life has changed.

- It started with the nourishing food that went into my body.

- Counterintuitively, I stopped using fluorinated toothpaste or drinking fluorinated water.  Please do your own research on fluoride.  You can start with Erin's post on the dangers of fluoride.  (And I'm not so proud to report that I floss my teeth less than once a week; usually brush just once a day. *gasp* - don't tell the dentist!)

- Being consistent taking my fermented cod liver oil.

- Probably the biggest contributing factor to zero cavities has been the major reduction of sugar in our home.

The dentist even commented as I was leaving, saying, "This isn't par for the course for you!  It used to be you had a lot of cavities."

I smiled.  A cavity-free smile.

-Julie

Eat Fat Lose Fat

This is an email response from a local reader, after Lisa and I recommended the book Eat Fat Lose Fat.  You can see other book recommendations here.


Thanks for pointing me to Eat Fat Lose Fat!  I am devouring it.  I feel like the heavens opened up and explained the mystery of life to me.  HaHa…okay…not quite …but CLOSE!

Where I was dabbling in some of this before I feel like I am ready to wade deeper now and feel very motivated to incorporate these principles.  I am not finished with the book yet because for some reason children need feeding and schooling and husbands expect acknowledgement…otherwise I’d have finished it within 24 hours!  Anyway, thanks so much!  I am a believer for sure!  -Melissa

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After reading that book, people often ask me (Julie) where I buy coconut oil.  There is a difference in coconut oils.  The most important thing is to buy unrefined coconut oil.  Refined coconut oil is used for cosmetic (or external) purposes.  I buy unrefined, virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil on-line from Mountain Rose Herbs (MRH) in a five-gallon bucket.   Our family uses about a gallon every two months.  Coconut oil has a two-year shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated.  It is much cheaper to buy it on-line than at Whole Foods, and I think MRH is a better quality oil than anything at Whole Foods.  Lisa Lipe buys the gold label coconut oil from Tropical Traditions.  I've used both oils from MRH and TT and both are quality oils.

How to Get Your Man to Eat Like a Girl

***This article is written by guest blogger, John Majors, to women everywhere.  Two years ago he said, "our eating habits haven't changed that much," when indeed they have changed drastically.  Our family's food journey took baby steps for about ten years.***

So you married a manly man that has spent his entire life eating nothing but bologna, white bread, Doritos, and individually wrapped slices of processed cheese food product. Now that you’ve been married a few years, you’ve started to realize that no life form can live on “food” that is basically a molecule or two removed from existing as a Ziploc bag. Assuming you love this man, you thought it might be advantageous to keep him around a few more years, and thus the need arose to begin to introduce some real food into his life.

Where do you begin? How do you get this man to eat something that is green because it is supposed to be?

This is a complex question that requires some thinking. Not because men are complex, heaven knows most men are not much more complicated than a single celled amoeba, but because food is a complex issue with all kinds of emotions, memories and identities wrapped together like a tightly bound bean burrito.

Food is much more about identity than knowledge. You eat certain foods for a long list of reasons, (to feel good, because it reminds you of Grandpa, it tastes good, it’s easy, brings back memories of your childhood). Some motivations of which you may not even be aware. Food is also like religion and culture, in that if you assault either, you are also belittling the person’s family, history, and a part of their very essence.

You must tread carefully and respectfully or your man will feel attacked, rejected and possibly tune you out.

So since I’ve been accused of ‘eating like a girl’ by many men (some of whom have slowly seen the wisdom of such a diet), I’m uniquely qualified to speak into this issue with some authority, experience, and irreverence.

So here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Start by realizing that it’s not your job to change him.

The adage is old but true: most men marry thinking their wives will never change, and wives marry knowing that their man must. Thus when a woman starts to change and learn and become a better person, the man becomes confused. What happened? What went wrong? He asks. This is because when a man finally has something the way he likes it, he just wants it to stay the same. That’s why the concept of ‘wheel alignments’ has always been frustrating to most men. Why can’t they tires just stay aligned?

If you have as your goal in life to change the way your husband eats, you will be uptight, he will stay in a constant state of confusion, and everyone in the home will stay tensed and frustrated. Drop the goal and everyone will be happier. Ultimately, he is the only person that can change himself. Instead of trying to change him, keep your goal much simpler, which leads to number two.

2. Think one meal at a time.

If you try to launch an entire new regiment and master plan of eating, you’ll likely be met with much resistance. But if you introduce something new occasionally, without all the hoopla and guilt trips, then you’re much more likely to get some buy in.

Instead of saying “Honey, I’ve noticed that you have been putting on weight, and that your blood pressure has been going up, and that your cholesterol is through the roof - oh and you never exercise. If you want to live to see 40, we have to get rid of everything fried, sweetened and carbonated in this house today!”

Rather, try “Honey, I made something new tonight and wanted to see if you liked it.”

If he likes it, make it again.  If not, tweak it. Over time you’ll have a staple of healthy meals that you know he likes. Remember, men are simple. If it tastes good, they will eat it, especially if they don’t have to cook it.

3. Speak his language.

Probably the main response women face with their men is the fact that good food costs more.  So, many men think “we just can’t afford to eat that way.”

But this can be navigated carefully and winsomely. Help a man realize how eating healthy is not necessarily more expensive when everything is factored into the cost. Men understand this - but just not necessarily related to food.

Every man knows that not all the cars are the same. There is a good reason you would purchase one type of vehicle over another.

Let’s say a man wants to start a firewood delivery service. Is it cheaper to purchase a 1998 4-door Malibu sedan, or a 2002 Chevy pickup? Of course the Malibu is “cheaper,” but you will never get the work done with that fine piece of American ingenuity. In fact, you will probably lose money trying to deliver firewood in that car because of the extra trips needed to make all your runs in a day. When you compare apples to apples, men understand this, but you just have to speak their language. There is a reason front row tickets to a basketball game cost more than the top row tickets. They get this.

Now, how do you present this information to them? The first time they get sticker shock when they see that your farm-fresh chicken cost three times as much as Tyson’s teetering turkey sized cave dwelling fowl, you can simply say “You know, I realized that this whole bird was about the same price as these two little boneless/skinless chicken breasts… crazy, huh? So much more for so much less!” No need to unload all the fine details just yet. Just a little bit of info and comparison detail to help him compare apples to apples.

4. Dribble small bits of information his way...one bite at a time.

Instead of forwarding long emails to him on the horrors of GMO’s, pesticides, aluminum cookware, and vaccinated meat, just pass along little tidbits and zingers here and there.

At our home it works like this: some evenings my wife and I will sit in our chairs and read from various books of personal interest. Inevitably, I will be reading something about war, death, politics, history, or theology. She is likely reading a book that is somehow linked to food. Occasionally she’ll stop and say “Huh. Amazing. I just read that cows in most modern dairies only live 2 or 3 years while pastured cows live 15. Huh.” Now, if I’m listening (meaning, if she waited till she had my attention) I will respond with a “Huh - wow.” And move on.

If I found the factoid fascinating, then I might ask “hmmm… I wonder why that is?” And now you’ve started into a discussion, rather than a lecture, that might eventually lead to being able to talk more about the benefits of raw milk.

5. Provide a safe environment for him to learn and change.

If a man feels that he will be looked down upon if he does not change, he will likely get defensive or withdraw.

Don’t let your nightly meals together - your precious family time - don’t let that time turn into another Cold War. “Tear down that wall" and choose to make every meal a relaxing, fun environment where he feels safe to try new things without guilt.

You can do this by also offering him things you know he likes whenever you try something new. Keep the communication open so that he feels he has a say in what you are putting on the table. Maybe even give him the option to choose from a couple of new things you would like to try.

So these few tips are by no means exhaustive or complete. This is merely a starting point for women out there with manly men that like things to stay the way they are. Eventually, you’ll want to get to a place where you can pass on much more information to him, but doing so before he’s interested will be frustrating. Hopefully, as he begins to eat good food, he’ll want to know more about what he’s eating and start asking about it. Good luck!

Linked to Monday Mania and Real Food Wednesday.

The Life of a Teenager on a ‘Real Food’ Diet

This article is written by Jessica Lipe, daughter of Mike and Lisa Lipe, whose family has been on a real food journey for about five years.

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Early in the morning it’s time for fresh eggs from the back yard scrambled with newly picked greens. Toss in a few organic onions and you have breakfast. Lunch rolls around and the tantalizing aroma of pizza floods your senses in the cafeteria as you munch on lettuce, chicken, broccoli sprouts, and homemade lacto-fermented mayo, between homemade sprouted wheat bread. Dinner time! Its fresh liver and gravy with a side of lacto-fermented veggies. The choices of the veggies: Sauerkraut, pickles, or Kimchi. The pickles are the most bearable, so that ends up on your plate.

Five years ago, I would never have come near these meals with a ten foot pole. Now it’s nothing new. Eat it, or go hungry. Even if liver seems like the most detestable food you could ever eat, it really is good for you and after the initial disgust, quiet tasty, and a favorite meal for me and my family. But five years ago, things were different. And if you go back another five years, you’ll find cereal in our cabinet decked with sugar, sweets in the cupboard, and 1% milk in the fridge. You might even find me on the floor, curled up with violent stomach spasms. Those happened often, and were to be expected. This was uncomfortable and most annoying, not to mention painful. The years pass, and they remain, but finally Mom discovers a new way to eat. Bit by bit, our eating habits morph into ‘real food’, my brother and I protesting all the way. Even, now, the idea of eating brains or lamb fries terrify us, but those have yet to make the dinner table.

But now, with 11 years of stomach problems, they have all but disappeared in the five years I’ve been on ‘real food’. Raw milk replaced the 1%, eggs and healthy homemade smoothies took over the cereal, and the cupboards were bare of sweets and candies. What a shock to my brother's and my poor, sugar addicted taste buds. But don’t give up hope, we learned to adapt. We tried things we thought were disgusting, and to our surprised grew to like them. Sometimes the first taste was as bad as we expected it to be, but after multiple tastes, decided we could deal with it, and, eventually, grew to like it.

For example, Kombucha. This is a fermented Chinese tea that I wanted nothing to do with, but now, I drink it like most teens consume soda. Speaking of soda, I can’t stand the stuff! It makes my throat burn if I drink it, as it should everyone’s, but people have it so often, they just don’t notice anymore.

Parents, you brave ones who are trying to get your teens, or even spouses on this diet, take comfort. Tell your family it’s this or nothing; it worked on my brother and me. There were a few nights we went hungry, but eventually, our parents prevailed. Now don’t think that your teens will like everything you put before them, but I don’t regret changing my diet at all. I feel stronger and healthier and have more energy.

If I ever eat processed foods, I feel drained, and have a crabby attitude. I still struggle with avoiding sweets, they really are yummy, but sometimes, my stomach will react to that food, and my mind promptly decides that this ‘real food’ is much better. I enjoy Mom’s recipes (more often then not) and plan to get them for myself once I start a family.

Jessica Lipe, age 16