Diet Update

OK quick little background. Most of you know I went to grad school for clinical social work, which means I was trained to be a therapist. Our program focused on the Strengths-Based/Solution Focused modality. In SBSF you ask clients to rate things on a scale from 1-10. 1 being the worst you could possible imagine and 10 being the very best. So as I've used my training to think about this diet, I thought I should rate it. Yesterday was a 4 and today (so far) has been a 6. I'm guessing the diet will never be a 10 kind of experience but, maybe in a month or so I can say it is an 8 or a 9? Mainly, I just want it to work for Oliver and be sustainable, long-term. Sorry to be so dorky with the 1-10, but it helps me to explain it :)

I would say Oliver has eaten around 50-60% of what we've offered him. He isn't loving all the textures (do you know his Daddy?) but we are hoping with repeated exposure he'll learn. The real challenge is that you want the ratio to stay the same 60% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbs for each day; so you have to calculate as you go. It is sort of like checking your budget before you buy something. It helps to have a running total in your head or a strict plan. So far my very detailed plan isn't working so I'm trying to be more flexible and do the math. If planning is my strength, plan Bs surely aren't. I'd like to think since this all happened with O that I've gotten a teeny-tiny bit more flexible? Surely this diet is an exercise in plan-B, and C, and D!

Tonight he enjoyed dinner. Mushrooms sauteed in a lot of butter mixed with quinoa. Carrots with butter and cinnamon and the usual, heavy cream. I feel really good about that :)

Today I spent an hour in our local, natural/organic grocery store, Tidal Creek Co-op. I found the almond flour I was looking for which is awesome--oh wait, it costs $10.47 a pound!!! That is going to be an expensive batch of muffins! I also found some other packaged options that might taste good. Every mom of a toddler knows you want to have a stash of food somewhere when the inevitable, really ugly, tantrum happens. Perhaps the $3.49 pumpkin seed bar will do the trick? I'm already calculating cost per bite and it better calm him down or start sprouting a money tree (it is a seed, right?)

As I checked out at Tidal Creek I realized that I left my reusable grocery bags at home (gasp). Oh and my Birkenstocks (just kidding, sort of). OK I can't help it, I digress...the lady in front of me really did have on Birkenstocks with tie-dye socks. Hippie sighting are the best! OK back to the bag, so basically I had to do the walk of shame with my paper bag. I am dramatizing a bit but, if you have ever been in Trader Joe's or Whole Foods you know the feeling. At least I didn't commit this faux-pas on Earth Day :)

((Oh and just so I don't get blasted...I do use reusable grocery bags-most of the time..and just because you do too, or you eat "all natural" doesn't mean you are a hippie...but if you are a hippie, I like you...I just think your Birks and socks are out of fashion...Dear Hippies...I think you are groovy...thanks for giving us so much good "health" food! PS- my mom enjoyed being one of you a long time ago. wink.wink.))

So many of you have asked about the diet specifics. Here are the things "on" the diet. Portions are rather large of the veggies and fats, smaller with the fruits. There is a lot more to it than that but, for my curious, foodie friends...here ya go:

Approved Fruits:

Apple

Berries

Cherries

Grapefruit

Grapes

Lemons

Limes

Nectarines

Oranges

Peaches

Plums

Strawberries

Tangerines

Kiwis

Mangoes

Pears

Veggies:

Artichoke

Asparagus

Bamboo Shoots

Bok Choy

Beans, green or wax

Bean Sprouts

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots, fresh, boiled

Cauliflower

Celery

Greens (Collards, swiss chard (yeah right, what the heck is that?), lettuce, spinach, kale)

Cucumber

Mushrooms

Peppers

Eggplant

Tomato

Yam

Zucchini

Bread/Grains:

McCann’s slow cooking scottish/irish oats

Kellog’s all bran

Museli

Post Bran Flakes

GM Fiber One

Chex, Mult-bran or wheat

Quiono

Jospeh’s Low Carb Pita and Lavash Bread

Fats:

Avocado

Bacon

Butter

Cream/Half&Half

Cream Cheese

Coconut Milk

Black Olives

Oil

Margarine

Mayo

Nuts

Peanut Butter- “ALL Natural”

Salad dressing

Seeds

Shortening

Sour Cream

Tahini

Meat/Protein:

Eggs, tofu, tempeh

Cottage, Ricotta, full fat cheeses, mascarpone

Hot Dogs

Beef, Chicken, Pork,

Beans ok but, high in carbs- limit intake

Bologna, pimento loaf, salami, sausage, pepperoni