Current health goal #1: cure my pre-diabetic condition

It seems that mommy has spent too much time helping everyone else and not herself.

*POOF*

That's over.

This year, I'm determined to get off of my insulin-regulating supplements that have been working to replace metformin/Glucophage for the last 7 years. In fact, they're doing a better job than metformin ever did although I'm sure that the changes in my diet have helped that along. None-the-less, I want off. All this stuff is doing is lowering my sugar level. My body is still overproducing insulin--and that means that my body WILL eventually burn out and I will be diabetic. I'm also sick of being beholden to remembering to take pills every day. I'm finding that when I forget, it's a nightmare quicker and quicker. Where it used to take 2-3 weeks to really feel the effects of the excess insulin, it's now only taking a few days. The lethargy, the weepiness... it happens fast now. I find this ironic because the way I eat is so much better now than it was.

Back in February, registered for a blood sugar balancing retreat at Kripalu in late April with Dr. Mark Hyman. What I didn't know was that Dr. Hyman had a new book being published in late March called "The Blood Sugar Solution". So, I got the book when it was released and thankfully, the dietary changes really weren't drastic for us.

I decided to draw a line in the sand and start it on Monday. I had some trouble cutting out caffeine of all things--which is ironic because I generally don't drink it. But I've missed an entire month of chiropractic care and the result is that my headaches/migraines have returned with the stormy weather (mine are a reaction to barometric pressure). Caffeine is the only cure (usually paired with pain reliever if I don't catch it early enough). So the last two weeks have seen me with more caffeine than usual.

I think I stopped taking my insulin-regulating supplements Sunday. I'm not sure how wise that was. The book didn't say to do that. BUT, I will say that it's been a week and although I was really tired a day or two ago (physically--in a way I don't really recall and without any real provocation) and I've been agitated (which could very well be buildup, as I had been having a hard time already)... I'm doing okay. AND, I lost 2 pounds rather than gain (which would be the norm when my insulin is spiking).

Today I ordered all the bloodwork related to the Blood Sugar Solution--both the basic and the advanced panel (since I know I have an existing condition in the diabetes spectrum). Most of it is stuff that would've been run at our annual physical last June, but we missed that. So I'm running it now. Thank GOD I now live in IL because back in NJ, you can't just order tests yourself! Geesh! Since we pay out of pocket until our medical bills hit $7,500, I'd be paying for them either way. They have to get done, though.

Of course, I'd love to go take those tests tomorrow but my husband is running his first race at 8:30am. So looks like I have to wait until Monday. :( Probably less crowded on a Monday morning anyway, right?

Are you new to broth?

Looooove the broth. I have an online friend who entered making broth tentatively and with much concern about "doing it right". My Facebook friends being their helpful selves guided her gently through the process...

First, take whatever kind of animal boned carcass you have available. That includes the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. But really--leftover bones from lamb chops or beef roasts... whatever you can get your hands on will do.

Pick the meat off the bones. I happen to have a batch of chicken broth on the stove as I type that was not picked clean. I'm regretting that. That meat would've made a nice soup. I'm currently contemplating how long it will take me to go through and pick out the meat. :/ Obviously there are going to be meat remnants. That's totally fine.

Break whatever bones you can. This exposes the marrow of the bone--which has some great health benefits.

Put all these bones in a large stock pot and cover them with water that has a splash of vinegar in it (if you're not a "splash" kind of person, use 2 Tbl. Yes--no matter how big or small the pot is. It's not an exact science ;) ). Let them soak in the vinegar for about 30 minutes. This helps extract some of the minerals from the bones into the water.

Now you're ready to cook. Bring the whole thing to a boil and then, once at a boil, add "other stuff". The list of things that comprise "other stuff" is completely unscientific. If you needed the 2 Tbl. measure during the vinegar step, you're not going to love this. I'll help: start off with 2-3 carrots, a small to medium sized onion, a few stalks of celery and three shakes of salt. But really, other stuff in my house is "Anything within arms reach" which today meant: carrot peels, chopped off bottoms of a bunch of spinach, some celery hearts, at least a large onion with the peel still on (but cut into quarters), definitely several cloves of fresh garlic (smashed) and a few good shakes of salt (worthy of note that my stock pot holds three chicken carcasses and is at least the size of my elbow-to-fingertips in diameter and just as tall). I don't think I threw anything else in there.

After it hits the boil, I let mine boil for a good 10 minutes before turning the heat down to medium-low. I want it bubbling but not boiling for the rest of the time.

Mine has been at low-medium heat for what is now about 10 hours. You can do this as little as 3-4 hours. Mine will go through the night and I'll strain it and jar it in my pressure canner tomorrow. Of course, I may just jar it up and put it in the fridge. It's still winter and we make soup every night--so it could certainly get used up in a matter of a week.

That's really the basics of it. You can find elsewhere online how to do this in a crock pot and my newbie broth-cooking Facebook friend did that. I just cook way too much of it to fit in my crock pot. :)

There are PLENTY of additional ways to tweak your broth. Many people will leave the lid partially open to reduce their broth down to a beautiful, condensed, tasty liquid. Many people will add the innards of poultry to their poultry broth (I did this with my turkey innards at Thanksgiving). Some people roast the bones before making broth with them. Some will use a saw to be sure to expose the marrow of the bones. Or maybe add chicken legs and leave the cartilage in there to get that serious gelatinous setup once it's cooled.

Most people skim the top and believe that they're taking the impurities out. In reality, it just gives you clearer broth. I thought something was wrong with my broth because there was no foam to skim. Turned out that bones from meat that was pasture raised and relatively "pure" won't foam--so maybe there's something to that idea of skimming the foam.

But try it out! Really--it's THAT easy. And it's the best thing in the world to nourish your body--even when you drink it without making a soup. Just like tea. The miracle of a good broth drunk regularly is amazing. Get your kids started on it, too!

Picture my morning...

Very large, black, enamelware stockpot 3/4 full of water, a splash of vinegar and chicken that is a little "too leftover" (if I boil it for 2 days, won't that kill EVERYthing? Stay tuned) sitting on the stove next to the frying pan from this morning's eggs that is not yet into the sink. Why? Not sure.

Naked 3yo running around. She's been told 3 times to go get underpants on to start the dressing process, but mom is engaged online and so she's not listening and mom isn't making it happen (which will change after this post).

Unnaked, but still in pjs 8yo has remnant Legos everywhere. When he finally moves them, he replaces them by putting something equally inappropriate in it's place: i.e. the BopIt that is now sitting on my kitchen island after he took up some huge 12"x12" platform

*pause to holler at 3yo up the stairs to stop tormenting dog and brother*

of Legos.

Three doubled up brown paper handle shopping bags from Whole Foods containing a case of canned black olives, a case of canned coconut milk and a case of cartons of almond milk are at the end of the island.

The chair in the family room is overflowing--literally--with the clean, unfolded towels from the laundry room. 3yo spent about 30 minutes--naked--hiding in them, then honoring my request that she pick up the ones that fell on the floor while telling Daddy (who made a brief appearance from his basement cave office) that "Dis is hard work!"

The older of the two dogs intermittently chirp-barks now. We have no idea why, but it's akin to Chinese water torture. Actually, I think 3yo locked the dog in a room.

*pause while I holler up the stairs to 3yo to let the dog out of wherever she is*

*twice--louder this time*

The dishwasher is running. The fridge is full of fingerprints that make me think "THAT is why people get the Silver Mist finish" every time I see it. A whole chicken is already in the oven for lunch and I am drinking a splash of readymade chai tea that essentially colors a cup of warm, vanilla-flavor-added coconut milk.

It's 11:15am. I'm off to get all of us dressed since 3yo just announced "We're goin' to bicyc-oos today!" (open gym playgroup that allows the kids to bring scooters and little kid ride-ons).

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No sooner did I hit "Publish" and share on Facebook when I turned to get out of my chair and there was 3yo holding underpants, jeans and a top out for me to dress her. <3

When kids don't eat enough vegetables...

Not my kids. But today, my client's kids. Or rather, "kid"... Just one of her four. He's happy to eat meat, oatmeal (the real stuff--which I made for her family and this child ate up happily complete with goji berries :) ), cheese and fruits. Just notsomuch veggies. I know there's one he eats, but I can't remember which.

Mom was torn about how to handle it. Nobody wants eating to become an argument. This particular child is health with no obvious health challenges. The only negative behavior problem mom can detect she can clearly tie to something non-food related (and I agreed with her on that one). Mom felt that in her life, she had the same meal every night: meat, potato and either corn or green beans (because this is what her mother had access to preserve for the winter) plus some fruit mom had canned for dessert. So mom herself didn't eat a broad spectrum of vegetables. Actually, given that background, it's awesome that they're eating more than corn and green beans. But they are.

I noted that really, I only force my children to eat foods that they have regularly eaten without a problem in the past. I only force them to take 3 bites of a new food, and they're only off the hook if they gag. She noted the potential to fake a gag and I noted that up until recently, my kids had never gagged; but now having had the experience--I agree, they're likely to fake it (both of them--the 3yo and the 8yo). I'm on careful watch. The gag experience I think was far more about the texture of what we were eating than the taste (it was an acorn squash soup with a little broccoli--all pureed; and neither of my kids is particularly good with strange textures).

But alas... how to gently encourage her children to embrace more veggies.

Well, in my 2-hour session with mom, we discussed a lot of cool topics that included the value in raw food consumption and it hit me: put out a bunch of cut, raw veggies on a lazy susan in the middle of the table with dipping stuff in the middle (tamari, italian dressing, hummus and guacamole) and let the kids "play" with vegetables. Viola--raw AND veggies... and fun. :)

YAY!!! I may actually do this at my house!