However, with Mia's arrival, I quickly realized that I would not be able to sustain her with just my breast milk and should probably step it up a notch and figure out how to cook nutritious meals. I tried meal planning, but I felt like I could never get on top of it (especially with a newborn). So I felt like we were eating different variations of the same thing over and over. I'm sure Mike can attest to that, HA!
I started following food bloggers for inspiration and came across several good recipes, but it still was not helping with meal planning. I would have a good recipe here and there, but it still wasn't enough. It took a lot of time to find these recipes, let alone copy the ingredients down, shop for the groceries, and then finally cook them. I applaud those who have meal planning down to a science, it takes a lot of work! Maybe with time I can get on y'all's level...
I even found these really cute recipe cards that you can download for free, but did not have enough "go-to" recipes to make the recipe cards a worthwhile system (like the one found here).
So when I came across The Fresh 20 I was sold! I found The Fresh 20 on the blog 100 Days of Real Food (a blog that helps you cut processed food out of your diet). When the blogger had a promotion for it for half off, I jumped on it! So what's The Fresh 20? Here's the gist of it:
- It's a meal planning service that provides 5 weekly recipes for dinner
- It consists of 20 ingredients for all 5 meals (so the recipes play off of each other and there is not any wasted food)
- It's real ingredients (mostly produce) that is never processed or frozen
- They provide a shopping list, a prep guide, and the recipes for the week
- The prep guide lets you prepare parts of the recipes ahead of time saving you time during the week while cooking
- They have different plans: traditional, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, kosher, for one, and lunch
Pros: So I love not having to worry about what I am going to cook, the prep guide, and the printable shopping list. I really like the fact that it's only 20 ingredients, cutting down on any wasted food (produce especially). I love that it takes me out of my comfort zone and is helping me to learn to cook.
Cons: Some of the recipes are a little too "gourmet" for our style. They are also produce heavy, which does not always sit well with my husband. Sometimes the instructions go over my head and I have to you tube what they are asking me to do (this is also a good thing, since I'm learning to be a better cook).
Some other good food bloggers I have come across are:
http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html (she is more of a lifestyle blogger)
http://eatathomecooks.com/ (she also offers meal plan options)
Have you guys come across any good food blogs? Do you have any tips for meal planning?
Juicing is another way we have changed our lifestyle for the better. I had always wanted to give juicing a shot so that I can get more vegetables into my diet. So when I came across the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead on Netflix I was ready to take the leap. Mike watched the documentary as well and we went ahead and bought a juicer. Mike researched the various types (centrifugal and masticating) and brands. We ended up buying a Breville Juice Fountain Plus from Bed, Bath and Beyond (with a 20% off coupon!).
Mike started a juice fast/cleanse, but stopped early for work. We used some guidelines and recipes from Just on Juice and Reboot with Joe. I drink juice, but I never attempted a fast since I am breastfeeding. During a juice fast, your body detoxifies and you could potentially detox into your breast milk. However, once Mia has weaned, I would like to do a juice fast. Mike does not like vegetables, but he can drink them! The juice fast has also widened his palette and made him more open with trying different kinds of food.
With the juice fast, you are supposed to drink a warm glass of lemon water first thing in the morning to prepare your digestive tract. You can read about the benefits of lemon water here and here. Drinking lemon water is an extremely cheap and easy way to incorporate a healthy lifestyle change. We kept this habit going and drink a glass of warm lemon water in the morning. I sometimes add raw honey for an added immune boost.
The other thing I have started doing for my wellness is working out at home. I have done P90X in the past (and it definitely works), but I wanted something gentler on my body. I have been doing yoga, free weights, kettle bell, and Pilates. I have an assortment of work out videos and I have been mixing them up to keep things interesting (so that I'll actually do them). Mia has been more predictable with her naps, so that has really helped. Sometimes she stays in her pack n' play while I work out. She sometimes evens works out along with me...she will copy what the video is doing and squat along with it, HA!
Now to the more "hippy" side of things. : )
We have purchased a Young Living premium starter kit and have started using essential oils. The thieves essential oil has been getting a lot of use with the cold/flu season upon us. Thieves has a interesting history and can be made into a more natural antibacterial spray.
Mike uses the peppermint oil for his allergies and headaches (breastfeeding moms should steer clear, since it can decrease your milk supply). I have diffused lemon and frankincense when Mia was sick to help support her immune system (this combination is safer than diffusing thieves around babies). I use eucalyptus for my sinuses. We have used peace and calming to help Mia sleep at night. We have used lavender for comfort during teething.
We reference this book when we have a question about essential oils. There are hundreds of ways you can use essential oils, however, you should definitely do your own research and decide if essential oils are something that could benefit your family.
And last but not least, we have started replacing our cleaners with more "baby-safe" cleaners. After coming across the information in this database and "hall of shame" PDF I knew I wanted to change how I clean our home for Mia's sake. So we bought Branch Basics.
From their website: "Branch Basics Cleaning Soap concentrate is human safe and 100% plant-based, with a multi-purpose formula designed to replace virtually every cleaning product in your home. When diluted with water, our plant enzymes make Branch Basics soap a multitasking powerhouse."
It works really well, can be diluted into different concentrations, and is safe for use around your babies! I remember before we were using Branch basics, Mike came in the bathroom with Mia while I was cleaning and I freaked out! I told him to keep Mia out of there with all those fumes! That's a problem! Thankfully, we fixed that problem.
Thank you if you're still reading, since this post is officially too long, but I hope it helped anyone who is trying to get on top of meal planning, eat better, or rid themselves of harmful chemicals.
What about you guys, how have you changed your lifestyle for the better? Has anyone done a juice fast? Any good juice recipes? Anybody use essential oils? How do you use them?
Juicing is another way we have changed our lifestyle for the better. I had always wanted to give juicing a shot so that I can get more vegetables into my diet. So when I came across the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead on Netflix I was ready to take the leap. Mike watched the documentary as well and we went ahead and bought a juicer. Mike researched the various types (centrifugal and masticating) and brands. We ended up buying a Breville Juice Fountain Plus from Bed, Bath and Beyond (with a 20% off coupon!).
Mike started a juice fast/cleanse, but stopped early for work. We used some guidelines and recipes from Just on Juice and Reboot with Joe. I drink juice, but I never attempted a fast since I am breastfeeding. During a juice fast, your body detoxifies and you could potentially detox into your breast milk. However, once Mia has weaned, I would like to do a juice fast. Mike does not like vegetables, but he can drink them! The juice fast has also widened his palette and made him more open with trying different kinds of food.
 |
| Mia actually likes green juice! |
With the juice fast, you are supposed to drink a warm glass of lemon water first thing in the morning to prepare your digestive tract. You can read about the benefits of lemon water here and here. Drinking lemon water is an extremely cheap and easy way to incorporate a healthy lifestyle change. We kept this habit going and drink a glass of warm lemon water in the morning. I sometimes add raw honey for an added immune boost.
The other thing I have started doing for my wellness is working out at home. I have done P90X in the past (and it definitely works), but I wanted something gentler on my body. I have been doing yoga, free weights, kettle bell, and Pilates. I have an assortment of work out videos and I have been mixing them up to keep things interesting (so that I'll actually do them). Mia has been more predictable with her naps, so that has really helped. Sometimes she stays in her pack n' play while I work out. She sometimes evens works out along with me...she will copy what the video is doing and squat along with it, HA!
Now to the more "hippy" side of things. : )
We have purchased a Young Living premium starter kit and have started using essential oils. The thieves essential oil has been getting a lot of use with the cold/flu season upon us. Thieves has a interesting history and can be made into a more natural antibacterial spray.
Mike uses the peppermint oil for his allergies and headaches (breastfeeding moms should steer clear, since it can decrease your milk supply). I have diffused lemon and frankincense when Mia was sick to help support her immune system (this combination is safer than diffusing thieves around babies). I use eucalyptus for my sinuses. We have used peace and calming to help Mia sleep at night. We have used lavender for comfort during teething.
We reference this book when we have a question about essential oils. There are hundreds of ways you can use essential oils, however, you should definitely do your own research and decide if essential oils are something that could benefit your family.
And last but not least, we have started replacing our cleaners with more "baby-safe" cleaners. After coming across the information in this database and "hall of shame" PDF I knew I wanted to change how I clean our home for Mia's sake. So we bought Branch Basics.
From their website: "Branch Basics Cleaning Soap concentrate is human safe and 100% plant-based, with a multi-purpose formula designed to replace virtually every cleaning product in your home. When diluted with water, our plant enzymes make Branch Basics soap a multitasking powerhouse."
It works really well, can be diluted into different concentrations, and is safe for use around your babies! I remember before we were using Branch basics, Mike came in the bathroom with Mia while I was cleaning and I freaked out! I told him to keep Mia out of there with all those fumes! That's a problem! Thankfully, we fixed that problem.
Thank you if you're still reading, since this post is officially too long, but I hope it helped anyone who is trying to get on top of meal planning, eat better, or rid themselves of harmful chemicals.
What about you guys, how have you changed your lifestyle for the better? Has anyone done a juice fast? Any good juice recipes? Anybody use essential oils? How do you use them?
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