My Unhealthy Indulgence

In keeping with being real, I thought I should share with you what my unhealthy indulgence is. 

Yes, I'm a trim healthy mama, I have been for two years! 

And I LOVE it! 

I honestly don't see myself going back to my old way of eating. I feel so much healthier and vibrant eating this way that I have no desire to go back to my old "S.A.D." ways.

However, I do have one unhealthy indulgence I allow myself.

I could justify it and say "It could be much worse"

but I won't...it is what it is..

Today's Quick Lunch

I was really hungry when lunchtime came around- after doing my 5k training and my PrayFit challenge, I needed to refuel!

But, I wanted something quick and easy. I don't cook a big lunch. I just don't.  My children are very used to fixing their own lunch by now, which I think is a great skill to learn by the way. 

On to my lunch:

Simple Panini - THM S

It was so yummy I decided to share with you, although, it is super simple so this might not be necessary. Oh well, here it is.

I took have a lavash bread, 

spread it with mayo and mustard,

added healthy deli turkey and ham,

red onions, cheese and spinach.

Then I grilled it in my panini pan sprayed with coconut oil,

just until toasted on each side. Then I cut it in half to make it easier to eat.

I had some raw veggies cut up already, so that was my go to quick side. 

I had planned to have 1/2 a triple zero yogurt for dessert, but I wasn't hungry enought for it. 

Yep, SUPER SIMPLE!

But maybe it will inspire someone.

Blessings my friends,

Rashel

My Six Week Natural Parasite Cleanse and Detox

Today I started a six week detox and parasite cleanse in the hopes of thoroughly cleansing my body and achieving optimum health. I chose to use a natural approach and not purchase any parasite cleanse products or even herbs. It's not that I think those are bad, I don't; I just don't want to use them this time. I want to try to do it with what I have on hand, if I feel that it didn't work well enough, then I may choose to purchase an actual cleanse later. I researched quite a bit and found several articles about how to do a cleanse by using diatomaceous earth, apple cider vinegar and making changes to my diet; I will reference those articles at the end of this post.

Two week meal plan - Trim Healthy Mama

I really like to plan my meals ahead of time. It saves me time and money if I know what we are having and do a little prep work ahead of time. It just makes my life easier! I plan two weeks at a time because that is how dh gets paid.  I made my menu plan today and used the planners from Gwen - you can find them here.  They are awesome, thank you Gwen for sharing! I love the little box so I can keep track of my S's, E's and FP's!  I had my menu made once and had to redo it after doing these boxes because I realized I had VERY few E's in my plan!

A few things before I share my menu plan, first you should remember my plan probably won't work for your family. We have different foods on hand then you do I am sure and our tastes are probably different from yours. So, please don't feel like you should just copy my plan for your family, I doubt it is best for your preferences. Second, we eat a lot of leftovers for lunch. That is how we use them up because dh is usually gone during lunch and he really does not care to eat left overs. Third, I did not fill in the snack area because it will totally be up to what I am craving at that time or what I have on hand that is on plan.

Okay, here it is. I hope you enjoy and if nothing else it gives you an idea on how to menu plan for your family.









I hope this works ok for you. It is the only way I could get these files in this post.

Blessings,
Rashel

It is okay to mess up with THM

I just want to encourage all you Mamas (or not mamas yet) out there that are starting your journey on Trim Healthy Mama. It can be so difficult to start a new way of eating and to learn all the guidelines and the do's and do not's. I want you to remember a few things okay?

First, you are not alone. There are so many wonderful women on this journey with you and most are extremely eager to help you. They will help when you have a question that you are sure has been asked a hundred times before. They will help you when you don't know what group your dinner fell into. They will also gladly help when you just need a little encouragement to stick with it when it gets a little hard. They have been there and done it.

Second, it is okay to mess up. You do not have to expect perfection with this way of eating. It is not some diet that you do and if you mess up you have ruined all your previous effort. It is a way of eating and if you mess up, whether on accident or purpose, it is okay. Just get back on the plan as soon as it is possible. This journey is about learning to eat healthy for the rest of your life and you are not going to learn everything overnight. It takes TIME. Don't be so hard on yourself, it is OKAY!!

Third, you do not have to do it all. It is okay if you can't get all of those "special ingredients" right off the bat. You don't have too. You can learn the basic fat vs carb principle and just practice it until you have it down and it becomes second nature. You can incorporate this principle with the foods you already eat. You can tackle removing sugar and getting used to on plan sweeteners before you start trying new recipes. Whatever works for you and will keep you trying the plan. I know from reading the book that Pearl and Serene feel the same. They just want you to get healthy and learn the proper way to eat for a healthy life. They don't expect you to get it overnight or to eat just like they do. That isn't the point at all. It is making this plan work for you and your family and just like anything else, it will take time to learn.

Please don't get discouraged if you keep getting off plan, just get back on and learn from your mistakes. It is OKAY and you CAN do this.

Here are some groups I recommend you join for TONS of support: THM fb group and THM Saving Money group.  There are also many women with blogs that are doing THM, you can google it to find a few and I am sure they would be glad to help too. I am always willing to help and the blogs that I am linked up with, Stacy and Gwen, are loads of help as well.

Blessings in your journey!
Rashel

Drumstick Dessert - THM "S"

I love those layered pudding desserts, you know the ones with a nut crust, pudding and then cool whip on top. I think those are yumy! So I decided to try to make my own THM version and this is what I came up with.

I call it Drumstick Dessert because when I tasted it I was reminded of those drumstick ice cream cones I used to eat many moons ago.

New freedom with Trim Healthy Mama

I just have to share a quick revelation I had this morning. I am still new to Trim Healthy Mama but I am loving it and I highly recommend the book to everyone, it is well worth the money!

So, last night we went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants that we only get to go to occasionally because it is 45 minutes from our home. It is a fried chicken place! Yes, that is their specialty and I just cannot go there and get anything else - that would just be WRONG! I have been doing really well on THM and have been losing some unwanted weight so I was really struggling with getting off plan last night. I did the best I could but also wanted to enjoy my dinner and the treat of getting to go with my family. I had a small helping of onion rings, fried chicken breast, small amount of german slaw and green beans. This was the best I could stay on plan and still feel like I was taking part in our favorites at this place. I was down a little last night that I had gone off plan, but then this morning I had a revelation. I did NOT go off plan! I had a crossover and that is okay sometimes. In fact, I have lost 4 lbs since Thursday and in the book they caution against losing weight too fast and say if you are that you may need an occasional S-Helper or crossover. I did that! I had an occasional crossover and it was totally on plan!! Such FREEDOM with this plan, no more guilt!! I love it. I know that technically I have no idea how much fat/carbs I had in my dinner but in my mind it was the best I could do and that makes it a crossover in my thinking.

I also did not feel deprived when I said no to the mashed potatoes and gravy that dh ordered and I passed on the garlic bread that they bring to the table. I call this a victory not a defeat! Thank you Lord for revealing this to me and for blessing me with the Trim Healthy Mama book!

Blessings to you all,
Rashel

Strawberry Limeade GGMS - THM

I wanted to make some strawberry good girl moonshine (A Trim Healthy Mama drink) but the recipe I had used lemons and I did not have any and I like it a little sweeter than most, so I came up with another version and I LOVE it.

Strawberry Limeade GGMS

Isn't it a beautiful pink color?

Here is the recipe - 

2 cups water

2 Tbsp ACV (raw apple cider vinegar)

3 THM pure stevia  

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp ginger powder

5 frozen strawberries

Put all of this in blender and mix well then serve over ice.

This is one of my new favorite drinks!

Blessings,

Rashel

*Edited to say that since I posted this recipe, I've learned that Pearl recommends not sipping on this throughout the day due to the berries (the carbs in them). So when I want some, I just drink it in a short amount of time - which isn't a problem because I love this stuff!

Don't forget to check out my new blog -Breathing Authenticity

Homemade cool whip - THM "S"

I made the choco pudding recipe in the Trim Healthy Mama book tonight and I really wanted some cool whip to go on top. However, the only kind I had in the house was regular cool whip and I knew that was not only not "on plan" but not healthy at all (wow, that was three not's in one sentence). What was I to do but make my own? I had done it before and knew I could do it and make it "on plan". Here is what I did:

I started with 2 cups of heavy cream in my Kitchen Aid mixer with the whisk and turned it on fairly high.

Choosing God's Path

Over the last few years God has really been teaching me some things and I would really like to share them with you. I believe we all have many seasons in our lives that God brings us through, some to teach us things and some for our discipline because of choices we have made. I know for me personally that through these seasons, God always draws me nearer to Him. My goal is always to walk closer to Him, but I know full well that sometimes I get off course, even when I think at the time that it is the right way.

(photo from www.123rf.com)

I've gotten off course in the area of food. In my search for the best for my family, I let it become an obsession. I became obsessed with what was the "best" way to prepare food for my family, what was the "best" kind of food and then the "best" way to eat that food. The problem with that is not that I wanted the best for my family but that everyone has a different idea what the "best" is. Then I finally remembered that I am to look to God and His word and what do you know, it talks about food. God's word says much about foods and I strongly encourage you to do your own study if you are struggling in this area like I was. So what  did God show me? I believe that my family is to eat foods as close to the state that God made them as possible (read that unprocessed). I believe that He showed us all things are clean under the new covenant and I don't have to live by old testament laws regarding clean foods (bacon is yummy!). He also mentions a land flowing with milk and honey numerous times and always as a wonderful place, so to me that means those foods are good foods. He also reminded me that nothing is to become an idol and when I become obsessed with food in any way (even trying to be healthy), it is wrong. When I am constantly thinking I need to soak this, ferment that, or not eat this with that, it isn't healthy. When it is always forefront on my mind or taking away from other things, it has become an idol and is wrong. When my food choices take away from fellowship with others because I "can't eat" what they are serving or fix my family the foods they love, it is wrong. I have to find the balance in food just like in all areas of life. So in a nutshell, I have chosen to eat healthy, natural foods as much as possible but not to worry when I can't. I also will have bad foods once in awhile and that is okay too, moderation and balance are key. I will not consume myself with things like soaking, fermenting, organic, or even proper combinations (which I have promoted before) but instead just do my best. I'm not saying any of those things are wrong, I am saying that for me, it became an obsession and was taking away from just living my life and enjoying my family.That is wrong.

Another area God has been teaching me is in my home keeping. I guess I have issues with caring what others think of how my home is kept (cleaned). I know part of that is how I was raised, our home was always clean and never cluttered, ever, that I can recall. Anyway, I've come to realize that I am okay with the way our home is, even when there is dust on the shelves and dirt on the floor (which is almost always). However, I always felt embarrassed if someone would stop by when the house was a mess, but you know what? It shouldn't matter! It is our home and we take care of it the way we want to, what is comfortable for us. Yes, my floors almost always need swept, we live on a farm and I have four children! Yes, there is dust on almost every flat surface, again, we live on a farm. Yes, sometimes there are blankets and pillows all over the living room, did I mention I have four children? Yep, my kitchen table is bound to have stuff on it, maybe school books, maybe mail, at the moment a VCR my husband was working on last night - our home is lived in. I have finally come to realize that it is okay, I don't have to impress anyone. This is our home and we will clean it when we have time, we will leave things out sometimes but as long as we are taking care of what God has given us, it is okay. 

Something else I learned through these things, it is such freedom to live as God wants us to instead of how others think we should. It was easy to say I didn't care what the world thought, but the real truth is that I did. Praise God that He is working on me in that area and setting me free from that burden, a burden He never intended me to carry.

(photo from www.123rf.com)

I pray that if you are carrying any burdens, especially those similar to mine, that you would lay them at the feet of Jesus. Cry out to Him and allow Him to break those chains so that you may experience the freedom that comes only from Him.

Blessings my friends,

Rashel

  

Our favorite lemonade - with ACV

Our family loves lemonade! In fact, it is my hubby's favorite drink and I try to keep some ready at all times. This is one of those areas that I have to love my family more than my quest for healthy foods, because it is not the healthiest drink. However, it also isn't the unhealthiest either, so I can live with it. I have been trying to incorporate raw apple cider vinegar into my diet  because of all the health benefits and in doing so, I discovered something yesterday. I can add ACV to our lemonade without altering the taste which means my family will also be getting the health benefits with no extra effort and no fight! Awesome!!  Would you like the recipe? I think I heard someone say, "Duh, that is why I am I reading this post at all!"  Okay, okay, here it is:

1 gallon container

add 2 cups lemon juice

add 2 cups raw sugar

add 8 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

fill with water to gallon mark

stir and enjoy!

You'll probably be so parched from all that hard work that you'll have to pour yourself a cup right away!

If you try it, please let me know what you think. Like I said, we love it. We actually prefer fresh lemons and juice those, but who can afford that many lemons?

Blessings,

Rashel

Is your quest for "real" food becoming your God?

I have been thinking about this topic for awhile now and I see a need to share about a balanced real food journey. We can't all buy organic produce all of the time or grass fed meats either for that matter. Does that makes us less of a mom or wife? I think not and more importantly, I think God thinks not. (Did that make any sense at all?) God knows our hearts and God knows how much time and money we have to devote to seeking healthy foods for our families. It's okay if you can't do it all. Did you hear me? It's okay, really, it is. If you are spending all your time and effort into making cheese or yogurt, kefir or kombucha, or soaking grains and therefore neglecting your children, husband or home; you need to stop. Stop and look at what your priorities are. Stop and pray. Ask God to give you wisdom in finding a balance for your family.

I have been there and it is not a pretty place to be when you are spending so much effort into healthy eating and your family doesn't even like the meals you are preparing. All they want is their hamburger and french fries back with some ketchup on the side.(and I'm talking homemade french fries deep fried not baked in the oven)  My kids don't want soaked oatmeal for breakfast, they want my homemade cinnamon rolls. I had gotten so caught up in trying to feed them only what was healthy, that I quit making their favorite foods, even if those foods were made from scratch. I started feeling like if it wasn't completely "healthy" then I shouldn't be fixing it, even if whatever "it" was was made from scratch. You know what I'm talking about don't you? I know I am not alone in this. Come on, fess up and tell me you have been there.

 I started feeling like I wasn't doing enough because I wasn't fixing foods the way certain blogs said I needed to fix them. If I wasn't fermenting, culturing, sprouting or soaking, then I felt I wasn't doing it good enough. Why did I ever fall into the trap of believing I had to do it like they said? The old saying I have always heard in this situation is "Who died and made them God?" Do you know what? They aren't God. God created foods for us to enjoy and His word tells me that nothing is unclean if I have thanked Him for it and asked His blessing over it. Now, this does not mean I can ask God to bless a Twinkie and it will give me all the nutrients and vitamins an apple would, I know that. I get it. What it does tell me, is that it's okay for me to eat meat - and enjoy it.  It is okay for me to eat nuts without soaking them first. His word tells me to drink milk and eat honey.  It is okay if I do my best with what God has given me and leave the rest up to Him. That is all He asks of me. He knows my heart.  Food is not to be my idol. A quest for "real food" is not to be my idol. Real food bloggers are not to be my idols.

I plan to post more about this in the future, but until then, I recommend you read these other posts about the same issue from some fellow bloggers that feel the same as me.

Stacy Makes Cents

The Humbled Homemaker

The Simple Homemaker



Blessings,
Rashel



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