I’m really excited this week to listen to Special Guest: Katie Schmidt on Mamavation TV Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV. I’ve been following Katie before she began tweeting as Katie. She is speaking on a topic that has recently been on my mind, Detoxing. Katie didn’t only get rid of the toxins she was ingesting, but she also started paying attention to toxins we absorb through the skin on a day to day basis.
Some of you are probably aware that I have a daughter with special needs and quite possibly my son might have a form of ADHD where he is hyper focused on one task…Oh the joy of parenthood. Last year we found out that my husband has been allergic to corn for just under 30 years. An tough allergy, but a blessing to know what has been sending him to the ER constantly. The kids also suffer from the same symptoms as my husband so they have been classed with intolerance to corn.
It makes me feel like a poor parent because I let them eat items with corn products and byproducts and I know I shouldn’t because they suffer from a range of symptoms like sluggishness, difficulty breathing, frequent trips to the bathroom, and even moodiness. I also know that when we stick to the gluten free meal plan the kids have less behavioral issues. I just read how the US adds artificial coloring to a ton of products that really don’t need them and how they may be linked with behavioral issues. I know her friend gets really bad headaches when she has red dye #40 and I wonder if that is part of Mad’s problems too. It makes me wish she could communicate her feelings with me better so we weren’t in an argument of confusion all the time.
So besides trying to avoid corn (which it is in everything), trying to keep things gluten light, and natural and clean…To improve our quality of life I have made it my personal mission to declutter and keep the house company ready, even if that means I have a party or friends over weekly or even hiring a babysitter so I can leave the house. I have also made plans to have a girls weekend. I wasn’t planning on it, but I am going to Fitcation12 and my husband is even taking a guys weekend in Memphis for BBQ.
So what steps have you made so far this year to improve your quality of life?
Still a 40lb overall loss!
Have you checked out my Attitude Adjustment Steel Cut Oats?
My non scale victories this week include not losing my temper when Cord (3) painted her fingers pink after Mad (8) left out her Monster High makeup kit. I’m still trying to figure out why Santa brought that, but I turned it around and both girls got their nails done and I even painted my toenails purple!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway
photo by campino2k via PhotoRee
photo by Darwin Bell via PhotoRee
Love the purple polish!
I know we have had this conversation before… but the cleaning and de-cluttering has become very important to me as well. I have had 3 back rooms that I wouldn’t let anyone near, now I am down to one and the house is looking better. I need some free time myself and hope we will find a few babysitters for the kiddos. I have lived in fear of leaving mine with strangers due to their PKU. Having to avoid & monitor protein (in everything… just like corn) has always kept me from going too far.
Happy from scratch cooking. I am right there with you in spirit.
I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders the cleaner it gets. I’m itching to finish unboxing my garage, but I have 2 more rooms to unclutter before baby gets moving forward.
Seriously you are my food idol. Good luck finding a sitter that meets your requirements.
You have been my inspiration for decluttering my house!! It’s so bad, it makes me feel overwhelmed and I get anxiety if someone shows up unexpected! I haven’t actually started yet, but I have big plans that involve ebay, freecycle and a tag sale!!
Good for you for making all of these changes! I know they can be so hard to implement at first but sticking with it is key! You are such an inspiration!!
I know my daughter has allergies to certain food dyes, and my eyes were opened last year by my co-worker. Her son’s would have temper tantrums, lack of attention, etc, and she could never figure out why – a counselor at their school suggested a book, that recommended tracking their different food intakes, and taking them off 1 artificial thing at a time to see what it was bothering them. She found out red food dye (not sure which #) was the cause. She started making her own homemade spaghetti sauce, and keeping them away from that and their attitudes improved dramatically – I will have to go look at the name of the book and get it to you. I know I need to be more consistent on finding which ones bother my daughter, and it is a TON of work. Gluten free may be the way to go, and I think I may work on that soon.
Congrats on the weight loss! =)
We often go through stages where we readjust what Mr 4 os eating, because as you say ingredients like gluten definitely affect his attitude. I hope we can get to a place where we can be more consistent in these changes. Love your Attitude Adjustment Steel Cut Oats – I love steel cut oats and I love chocolate, so I’ll have to give it a try. Have a great week!
I am a full believer that the additives and chemicals in our foods that the US FDA deems safe (but that are outlawed or have to have a warning label in other countries) contribute to the rise in diseases, allergies, asthma, etc. I get migraines when I have food with fake colors in them. Anyways, I don’t want to start on a rant on your post, it just makes me mad this crap is in our food….breathe lol
I’m also excited about tonight’s chat. I have looked into detoxing and I am trying to figure out what’s a good one to use or what exactly to do!