Dan and I have been reading a book by Robb Wolf called The Paleo Solution which has been very mind blowing as far as everything we have been taught in the past about nutrition. It is a very helpful book, however, if you are easily offended over directness, cussing or other "worldly" comments then this book is not for you. You have to be able to get past that part, if you can you will learn a ton! Any how we have completely switched our diets for ourselves and are slowly switching the children over. The plan is eventually we will all be eating this way. It means, no sugars or substitutes (or in very, very, low amounts on occasion), no legumes, no peanuts (they are a legume and not a nut I guess), no wheat or grains (which I have not missed one bit, which surprises me!) and no dairy.
Instead you get to eat wholesome goodness, Organic when and were you can but not mandatory. I started out using the recipes in his book or that I found on the internet but not many of them were to our liking so I have started experimenting on my own to create things more to our personal family likings. All that brings me to a dinner we had 2 nights ago that was a huge hit! I will warn you this is indeed spicy, not mildly spicy but really spicy. The guys LOVED it and Kierstynn and I liked it too, even the littler kids liked it (like Ariel and KK).
What we can eat is lot's of veggies, Meats, fish, poultry and a little bit of fruit and nuts (last night I made a huge pot of chicken vegetable soup, yummy, another hit!). Did you know there is such a thing as Almond flour/meal? I am still able to make yummy morning glory style muffins and brownies (all be it they are very dark chocolate tasting because of no sugar but it hit's my chocolate cravings!). We get to enjoy lot's of water and flavored, sparkling waters too. It hasn't even cost any more since I quit buying the kids all those processed snacks.
Something like 50-80% (depending on where you read) of Americans are deficient in Magnesium, which is a supplement Dan and I have started taking every night along with fish oil. 70-90% of Americans have Celiac disease and most don't even know it! Irritable bowel syndrome, Fibromyalgia and many other "diseases" have seen great improvement if not been cured by switching their diet and adding the supplements. I could go on and on, it has been so exciting to learn about.
Magnesium is sooooo important, especially for any of you women out there taking calcium, the more calcium you take the more you deplete your magnesium, with the end result being your body leaching calcium from your bones (worsening the problem!).
"Our Modern diet's heavy reliance on dairy products and grains have displaced fruits and vegetables, generally increasing our calcium intake, while our intake of magnesium has fallen to levels well below that seen in our ancestral past. Interestingly, however our bones have paid the price. Although our intake of calcium is relatively high, magnesium is a critical cofactor in bone formation and actually increases calcium absorption. Instead of focusing on more calcium to improve bone density, we should focus on weight- bearing exercise, adequate Vit-D levels, a diet devoid of anti-nutrients and gut irritants ('like the american diet'), and (take) ancestral levels of magnesium (1.2-2 grams per day or 1, 200- 2,000mg).....Magnesium can be very relaxing, almost sedating for many people. 400-600mg of magnesium citrate mixed in warm water (like Natural Calm fizzy drink powder) before bed is so relaxing... " Robb Wolf The Paleo Solution, The Original Human Diet"
Dan and I started out taking 1/2 tsp nightly and are now taking 1 tsp nightly, which is probably about 170mg. It is indeed very relaxing with out the effect of being "drugged or out of it" it is a natural supplement and feels natural, but we both sleep way better now. It's hard to explain unless you take it yourself.
"Health professionals are trying to educate the public about the health benefits of magnesium. According to Dr. Nan Kathryn Fuchs, who publishes the Womens Health Letter newsletter, it's not more calcium you need for strong bones; it's magnesium. Although the government has raised the RDA for calcium from 500 milligrams to 1,000 milligrams a day, and U.S. women have one of the highest levels of calcium intake in the world, Osteoporosis has gone up instead of down. Fuchs says that the problem isn't too little calcium but too much. In order to be absorbed, she says calcium must be taken with magnesium, yet experts estimate that most American woman are deficient in magnesium.
You should take twice as much magnesium as Calcium, says Dr. Fuchs, because the health benefits of magnesium include (some doctors even recommend a 3:1 ratio):
* reversing osteoporosis, slowing down and reversing bone less.
*Preventing heart attacks, because it keeps calcium form building up in your arteries and helps maintain a regular heartbeat. While to much Calcium causes the heart muscles to contract too much, which may cause a heart attack, magnesium causes the muscles to relax.
*Relieving migraines, insomnia and depression, health benefits of magnesium also include relief of PMS, high blood pressure, backache, constipation, kidney stones and chronic fatigue, says Fuchs. It even fights some food cravings, such as the PMS symptom of chocolate craving. Seems PMS is caused by low levels of magnesium and cocoa is rich in magnesium.... Magnesium has hundreds of known functions in the body and is absolutely essential to good health. In doses to large for your body, however, it does have the side effect of pushing the contents of your intestines through your body faster than normal, which can result in loose stools or even diarrhea. So, you could be taking magnesium for its good effects but fail to absorb it because it is moving through too quickly for absorption. Most people can tolerate 200-600 milligrams of magnesium daily. If you start having bowel problems cut back."
I have done a ton of research on the internet about Magnesium and it's benefits, it is simply mind boggling!
Deficiency can result in or contribute to the following: depressive symptoms, confusion, agitation, anxiety, hallucination, insomnia or restless sleep, waking up tired, stress, back pain, stiff and aching muscles, migraines, diabetes, nervousness, hyperactivity, high blood pressure, Osteoporosis, PMS, Constipation, Kidney Stones, Muscle tics or twitches, leg cramps, Fibromayalgia. Check it out for yourself (One I like is The Benefits of Natural Calm (Magnesium Powder).
Sheilla
Okay, so here is the recipe finally!
SPICY CHILI
10 dried Ancho chilies-seeded, chopped, stemmed1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 pounds hot Italian sausage with the casings removed
3 pounds ground beef
1 large white onion, diced
1 med-large red onion, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cups celery (next time I'm going to use 3 cups)
2 cups diced carrots (again I plan to use 3 cups next time)
10 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
4 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup agave, (next time I am going to try none)
(for those of you who like beans you may add 1 can kidney beans and 1 can pinto beans drained if you like)
In a small bowl soak chilies in the water and vinegar for about 30 minutes. After soaking dump all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until very smooth, about 5 minutes; set aside.
Place sausage and ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly browned. Drain reserving some of the liquid and remove meat from pan and set aside. In a large pot, heat 3-4 TBSP of the meat drippings over medium heat. Saute the onions celery, carrots and garlic until onions are soft and translucent. Season with the salt and pepper and stir in tomato paste and allow to caramelize. Pour in wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits stuck on the bottom.
Stir in the cooked meat, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Season with chile powder, cumin and bring to a boil. Then stir in blended Chile mixture and agave. If you are using beans this would be when you add them too. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, Stirring and scraping the bottom at least every hour or so as needed. Delish!
We served it with Avocado and the big kids topped it with pepper Jack and Parmesan cheeses. Eat with a big salad to finish out your meal. A nice high protein dinner.
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