Monday evening I begin to have an exchange with commenter Disillusioned (yes, that's the moniker she chose) over at Alpha Game. This exchange continues sporadically until Wednesday morning.
Tuesday, Keoni posts his blog Soluble Synergy which motivates me to begin the process of changing our diet in this house. RLB and I talk about it. I told him that I don't want to implement anything until I know he and I are on the same page. I knew there would be some resistance from our kids because they haven't yet learned all the things I'm learning and because "mean old mom is taking away yummy food and making us eat weird things."
I get the go ahead from RLB, he's noticed a substantial change in his gut health by eating primarily proteins and fats and is in support of restricting the crap food that our kids eat.
In Keoni's post he talks about KerryGold Irish butter. I looked for it when I was grocery shopping on Wednesday afternoon. I found it and purchased some to try. While we were at the grocery store, I started to explain to my daughters that we are going to be changing our diet gradually but it's starting with limiting the amount of bread that we eat. This isn't a big deal to the little one, she has Celiac disease, if anything this is amusing to her to watch the reaction of her sister to dealing with a restricted diet. Our older daughter however seemed to think I was telling her she was fat. And she was irritated that she wouldn't have bagels available to her at home anymore. She had complaints and voiced them to me.
So I'm already a bit on edge, I suppose, when I was talking to RLB about the butter I found.
He said: "You purchased it?"
I responded as if he said: "What the hell are you thinking, I don't want that!" I had an emotional and irrational reaction to having to deal with resistance to these changes I was making right out of the gates. The VERY FIRST thing I purchase and I'm scolded for it. Fuck it, I quit!
So apparently if I was a rational being, I would have responded with, "Yes, why do you ask?" And then listened.
Later, when I was putting away the groceries RLB comes into the kitchen and says, "Are you done being mad?"
Apparently if I was a rational being I would have said, "Yes." or possibly "No, not quite yet."...
So then today, Thursday, Vox decides to write a post highlighting part of the exchange I had with commenter, Disillusioned, about which he says:
Sarahsdaughter lays down some vital observations concerning female communication and behavior that every man needs to comprehend:Well, how do you like that?
Because I have to thoroughly think through these things, I've come to understand that my first response is often times 1)emotional and irrational 2)based in fear (not truth) 3)not the same response I might have later after processing information 4)should not be verbalized until said processing of information is done.
We, as women understand and find no issue with the fact that we need to go through these processes in order to figure out what is true - even when it comes to our feelings. We want to talk it through. And then, we have a tendency to arrive at new conclusions without going back and apologizing for emotional outbursts that were based on wrong conclusions.
This is one thing game teaches men (and women) that haven't been privy to understanding women's nature prior. Ignore what women say, and observe what they do. They are not logical nor rational in their first responses to stimuli or information. And they are not prone to taking responsibility for wrong behavior.
Snared! Snared I tell you!
Update: Reading my own words at Alpha Game wasn't enough. Now they're posted on Vox Popoli as well.
RLB, I over reacted in a very irrational way over your question about the butter... I'm sorry.
The funniest thing is, he hasn't a clue any of this has happened but I'm certain he's going to get a big laugh out of it!
The easiest way to have success with changing the diet is not to try limiting the fats (or proteins). Load your pantry and fridge with good things and eat until satisfied (applies to your children and husband). No sugar or bread, for me it was pork rinds with salsa and queso, (lunch) meats, various spices, eggs, beef and chicken broth. Eating fats helps get off the carb treadmill. I use some sugar substitutes but rarely now. Low-carb beer works for me but find something that isn't nearly pure sugar to drink.
ReplyDeleteOnce you lose your addiction to carbs, as soon as you have enough your body will start shutting off your hunger. But it might take 2 weeks. Then don't go back. (I should also say I usually have one higher carb day each week, which seems to work better than complete abstinence, but YMMV).
(Gary Taube's recent works, also a YouTube lecture or two explains the metabolic goings on). Low-carb, Atkins, Primal, Paleo, all seem to work but mean changing our idea of "good food" from what the government has been pushing to more natural things with different nutrients.
lozlol.
ReplyDeleteI literally had to take over grocery shopping and cooking to change my families diet. I still get periodic blow back from my wife....BUT, she can't deny the difference in taste and flavor between our old way of eating and our new.
Now....I just want to make clear - I'm not an advocate of "LOW CARB" dieting. I think it serves a very real, specific purpose that can be useful, but it should not be a permanent lifestyle eating plan.
There are plenty of sources of healthy carbs - including potatoes and white rice. If you are physically active, a bit of starchy glucose goes a long way in energy levels.
I think the real reason why "LOW CARB" seems to work is that it makes people stop eating processed foods made with grain flours and industrial grade vegetable oils and sweeteners like HFCS.
But you shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater....a lot of LC folks go VLC and avoid things like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and even most fruits.
Meh.
Fruits and vegetables are all full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients we all need.
The real problem is that they are mostly over-emphasized as the keys to good health, while the most important vitamins - the fat soluble ones - are ignored.
This is where the KerryGold butter comes in. Irish dairy farmers all raise their cows on open pasture. The cows eat plenty of green grass. This is why the Kerry Gold butter is superior to standard American Dairy butter - usually from grain fed cows who rarely leave their enclosed barns.
Take a stick of Kerry Gold and take a stick of any mainstream brand of US butter and compare. The Kerry Gold will be a darker, more golden hue, while the US butter is typically pale, almost white.
It's the same principle with free range eggs versus factory farmed eggs...bright orange yolks versus pale yellow ones. The more vibrant the color, the more nutrient dense it is.
As for your daughter with Celiac...have you ever tried giving her bone broth-based foods? I've never had a bad gut, but I've read hundreds of accounts of people who discovered the magic of bone broth in healing compromised guts.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/search?q=bone+broth+for+gut+health
It's all well and good to simply have your daughter avoid gluten...BUT, a lot of celiac sufferers have a hard time absorbing any nutrients from their food, even when they are gluten free.
It usually takes a combination of regular bone broth and probiotic rich foods (naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut, whole fat, sugar-free yogurt, kim chee, cheese, etc.) to heal their gut and replenish their gut flora with optimal bacteria to get better nutrient absorption.
The first I heard of bone broth was on Stingray's blog, then I read what you wrote. Today my daughter and I read more about the bone broth and gut health specifically for Celiacs. So today I have our first stock pot of bone broth simmering.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all this great info, Keoni!
One last thing - before buying Kerry Gold, I used to buy another brand called Anchor. It was from New Zealand, and that butter was even a darker golden yellow than the Kerry Gold, and it was cheaper. I do believe the quality of Kerry Gold varies, because even though the cows are free range, they do go through winters where the cows can't eat fresh grass, they are fed hay and their butter won't be as nutrient rich as when they are eating the green grasses of the Emerald Isle's Spring and Summer.
ReplyDeleteI believe the New Zealand dairy cows have green grass year round so you get a more consistent, higher nutrient content butter from there.
Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere in Hawaii anymore.
The key is regardless of brand, just find grass fed, open pastured dairy cow butter.
Finally....if you are one of those who can't find Kerry Gold or any other brand of grass fed butter, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Regular US grain fed butter is certainly superior to margarine, and it does have SOME fat soluble vitamin content.
Thank you for all this great info, Keoni!
ReplyDeleteA'ole pilikia!
("no problem!")
I don't know if you are familiar with the GAPS protocol, but it is designed specifically to heal the gut. My husband was cured of pollen allergies using this protocol and I know others who have recovered from celiac. Originally, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the doctor who designed the protocol, created it for her autistic son. It relies on bone broth, fermented veggies, meats, veggies and fruits, as well as nuts and seeds. It is a temporary diet, as most people, once their guts have healed can go on to tolerate things that gave them problems before such as dairy and moderate amounts of properly prepared grains.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your contributions at Vox and the insightful stuff of yours he posted to day was golden. Funny how your own advice comes back to bite you!
@SarahsDaughter on February 28, 2013 at 3:52 PM, @Keoni Galt
ReplyDeleteThe first I heard of bone broth was on Stingray's blog, then I read what you wrote. Today my daughter and I read more about the bone broth and gut health specifically for Celiacs. So today I have our first stock pot of bone broth simmering.
I've read Keoni and I am intrigued, but I don't know where Stingray is by that name. Can you supply a link please?
Full Disclosure: Add fish oil and Vitamin D, please. And weight-bearing exercise (either You Are Your Own Gym by Marc Lauren $9.41 on Amazon ISBN-10: 0345528581 ISBN-13: 978-0345528582, or The TNT Diet by Jeff Volek & Adam Campbell $11.70 on Amazon ISBN-10: 1594869766
ISBN-13: 978-1594869761 which covers timing your carbs around your workout)
(I receive no recompense of any sort for these, I've just tried them and they work like magic)
Here, I found it: http://verusconditio.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/your-optimal-health-through-nutrition/
ReplyDeleteThank you for your recommendation, gw!
Keoni: I think you're only half right about very low carb diets.
ReplyDeleteThere seem to be two kinds of people: those whose metabolisms are fully broken, with permanent insulin dysregulation, and those whose metabolisms aren't. The former include "Wooo" at the Scribble Pad blog, and probably most folks who've ever reached full-fledged type II diabetes or severe obesity, and almost every woman with PCOS.
The former folks genuinely NEED a ketogenic diet for full health, less than 50 grams of carb a day. Their bodies will never be able to process large amounts of even the "safest" starches again.
The latter folks (the happy majority) can probably enjoy full or nearly-full health on a higher-carb but paleo diet. But please don't imagine this is true for everybody, because that's absolutely, totally wrong.
I've come to understand that my first response is often times 1)emotional and irrational 2)based in fear (not truth) 3)not the same response I might have later after processing information 4)should not be verbalized until said processing of information is done.
ReplyDeleteHey, I do that, too! He can ask me an innocuous question, and I'll blow it up into an attack in my mind and respond in an emotional and defensive way. And I know I do it, but the trick is to remember not to do it in the heat of the moment, when I am prone to forgetting every good lesson I've ever learned around the MANdrosphere.