WholeLife Not Looking Back

[Gramma Susie]

My first post-30 journaling is a bit late. I ended my Whole30 three weeks ago. I'm not calling it my first Whole30, because it is my plan that it will be my last and only. It is the best system for me hands down. I can now go ahead into my later years (will be 60 in January) knowing my nutrition and workout lives are both on track and not have either of those things feeling like a burden or a roadblock to living. I can look ahead with confidence. What an amazing feeling! I can now focus on other important things and places to put my energies.

So, am I eating Whole30 right down to the last piece of kale for lunch? No. I've had some add-backs which have worked ok for me and will stick with them for now. So I guess I have to call it Susie's New WholeLife. I added back real whole cream from grass-fed cows in my two cups of morning coffee. I added back some hard cheese in my morning eggs occasionally and on my salads now and then. I throw in an occasional white potato for dinner and a few glasses of red wine/week. It's a sweet life for Susie I tell you. None of the things I missed while on the Whole30 have caused any issues adding them back in moderation.

But, the best part I've saved for last. I've lost weight and girth. Nine pounds and 3" around the middle at the end of the Whole 30; and, at this writing, seven weeks after starting my Whole30, I've lost 12 pounds. For a girl who hasn't seen a number under 150 in more than a decade, I'm now there and I am ecstatic. I'm wearing jeans I hadn't been able to snap before; and fitted things are hanging lightly around my middle comfortably. And I am sleeping better (though still seeking more improvement there) and I have peace of mind.

This weekend my husband and I are hosting our cooking group (4 other couples) and are doing a paleo evening. It's been great fun trying to figure this out and I'm confident we will have a good day on Sunday. We're thinking of dressing as Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Hm....not sure I am quite ready to expose that much skin yet (remember her one bare shoulder dresses?). We will see where that goes. Anyway, right now here's our menu. Drinks and appetizers: sparkling water (with or without a choice of potato vodka or tequila) and lime, or red wine. Variety of olives, tuna stuffed cherry tomatoes, and gluten free granola. Salad course: kale and other greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a slight sprinkle of toasted walnuts and nitrate-free sausage crumbles served with gluten free crackers. Dinner: crock pot grass fed roast beef, onions, and sweet potato, plus oven roasted cauliflower and asparagus. Dessert: Some kind of apple or pumpkin dessert yet to be determined or a piece of dark chocolate. If anyone wants to critique my choices or give me new ideas, have at it. I'm open to tweaking the menu a bit.

Susie's New Whole Life is now in production. Watch for future episodes here or at theater near you. I'm dreaming big. I can see it now: Wilma and Fred's New Adventure.

[amberino21]

Great results, and good to hear you've adapted to life post whole 30 with a great plan!

Your dinner party sounds like a great idea - I'm not sure the granola or crackers are necessary? I'm not sure how you'd serve granola as an appetizer, and your salad sounds delicious enough on its own. Perhaps "crackers" mean something else to you, but I don't think id need them

[Gramma Susie]

I'm so blessed by how well this has gone for me. I know it's only been three weeks today. I know I have a lifetime (actually only a partial lifetime since im almost 60) ahead of me, but I really am not dealing with temptation. It's just going along meal to meal and I'm sustained by the food and really have no cravings. I'm very grateful for that and hope I can continue on this path. I'm so energized to tell others about it, but don't want to go overboard lest I turn them off. At our party this weekend I think people will notice I've lost weight, so that will be a testament all by itself.

One area I'm having to pay attention to is to continue to look for new things to eat and make. I don't want to get complacent with that and want to continue to eat a variety of interesting food. That takes work finding new proteins and new vegetables. We just found a farmer from whom we just bought 1/4 of a grass fed cow and we will also be getting half a pig from this farm. I need to put some extra effort into vegetables, too. I'm just rotating between green beans, asparagus, and broccoli. Am hoping this weekend's party will introduce the roasted cauliflower which is another option for us. I feel lucky I have time to work on it, but it is work and requires effort. It's just part of the process I guess.

[amberino21]

Try and incorporate a rainbow of vegies!! You'll get a bigger range of nutrients...and it makes your plate look pretty

[Gramma Susie]

I made sweet potato fries tonight with a combination of olive oil and coconut oil and they were very good. I cant believe i havent done that before. No ketchup required. Just a little salt. Taking Amberino's suggestion, while I had the oven on I roasted onion, red and yellow pepper, and asparagus. It was a nice change.

[Gramma Susie]

I've noticed in the last several weeks that I've had some leg cramping. I always thought this meant low calcium. Any thoughts from anyone?

And, I have to keep after the sleep situation. I know I need to get good sleep and it works best when I can get to bed and sleeping before ten. But for me that also means getting my husband to bed and the house closed up and quiet at the same time. Anyone else had any consistent success with this? I can think of a suggestion and maybe I can try that to start, but, besides the obvious, any other ideas?

[amberino21]

Leg cramping is quite possibly low magnesium - supplementing with magnesium would help both your muscles and sleep!

My husband and I go to bed at the same time, and most of the time we make the effort to go to bed early. There is only us in the house, so it's not overly difficult. We both know how much we need a good sleep and know about it if we don't

[Gramma Susie]

So, we had our dinner party last night and the evening was great; not perfect, but still great. The food went fine. People especially liked the pot roast and roasted vegetables. The chocolate snack cake with avocado frosting was also very well received. Of the four other couples, two work hard eating fairly clean, one not as much, but still aware and concerned, and the other couple is more lax with their attention to whole foods. I tried to describe the Whole30 and why I did it and how well it went. When I got to the part about the restrictions, some folks were saying things like "That would never work for me. I need my milk and bread" And that turned off the conversation a bit. So...I was wishing I'd known how to handle the conversation a little better because it is so important to me and it really is possible to give things up and never look back.

All in all, people had a great time, enjoyed the food; and they know I made a significant change in my life that is very important to me. Not a single person commented on my 12-pound weight loss. But, I know I lost it and I know what I've done and how well it has worked to change my life like this. So....I'm going forward just fine with no desire to back track or do anything but look confidently ahead. I'm a little deflated because I saw the evening differently in my minds eye when I was looking forward to it with eager anticipation, but still happy for the changes in my life and happy the hard work of getting ready for the party is over.

[Gramma Susie]

Now November 7th. I was an election judge on Tuesday and that's always a tough day related to food. The city provides dinner, but it is always very carb heavy. I brought my own food for the whole day and that went pretty well. It's tough that day because basically you're sitting 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with minimal breaks. Everything gets of whack. But I slept we'll that night and last night, too, so I think I'm back on a good track. I continue to lose weight, but only about 1/2 pound/week. I'm consistently under 150 for the past couple weeks, but don't want to become complacent. I'm still working on variety in our food. Roasting vegetables (rather than always steaming) is a nice option. Workouts have been less with my schedule lately, but I'm still working out 3-4 days/week. That's it for now. Heading into an interesting weekend with tailgating for Gopher game, having our granddaughter overnight and then our kids and their kids for a birthday party here in Sunday. It should be fine, but it's different from our normal schedule. So, you never know.

[Gramma Susie]

No longer under 150:(. I really don't think I'm offroading very much. But, I've found rather than not snacking between meals as with Whole30, I've gone back to grabbing some nuts, really out of habit. I've also probably incorporated too much red wine back into my life.

My meals are:

Breakfast is 2.5 cups of coffee with whole cream and three eggs in coconut oil in some form

Lunch is a salad (kale, spinach, peppers, cukes, etc) with protein and healthy fat and vinegar

Supper is protein and vegetables and healthy fat.

Sometimes I forget the healthy fat and know I have to remember to include that. Like last night I just had homemade chicken vegetable soup and really didn't have any fat with it.

1-2 glasses of red wine, 3-4 days/week before or with dinner.

Otherwise, still no grains, no sugar, only cream for my morning coffee and a little shredded parm cheese on my salad now and then, but otherwise no dairy. Been sleeping pretty good. I'm worried about my weight creeping up again.

Plan to cut down the wine, replace with water or sparkling water, and try to stay away from the nuts.

But, honestly, I just have to shake my head in frustration because I know what I'm still no longer eating and that I am really not even tempted by those things incuding: kettle chips, cookies, cottage cheese, milk, string cheese, bread, triscuits and cheese, peanut butter, French fries, ketchup. There's probably more stuff than that which I'm successfully staying away from so why does a little bit of cheese and some red wine and nuts make such a big difference. Almost all my protein is clean, grass fed, free range, etc. i use good quality olive oil and aged vinegars in my salad. It must be my age and my post menopausal life. I dont want to give up coffee with cream altogether, but I could back off a bit and maybe only have two cups with breakfast instead of one before. And I could cut down to one glass of wine with dinner only a couple days a week. But, truth is I am almost 60 years old and my food life is better than its ever been. I don't feel l Ike I want to give up ALL the fun and all my comforts.

Is there a trick I'm missing or a maneuver I can make so I can keep some of my fun and still keep my weight in check?

[GFChris]

Full-disclosure: I too love red wine. For me, after my Whole30, I've limited wine to 1-2 glasses per week, if that (which is a big drop from before - I'd probably have it a few nights a week with dinner).  

 

My suggestion to you to experiment with getting back to where you were are as follows:

- cut your current weekly wine allotment in half. 

- cut out the nuts and follow the meal template for snacking, if/when you need to snack.  

 

Also explore other ways to have fun that aren't food/wine related. 

[Gramma Susie]

Ok. So, I'm still committed to Whole9 and paleo eating but I can't devote my life to it. I have to get on with my 24/7 and put all this into perspective for me. It's true that it is my new way of life nutritionally and I will still, for awhile at least, need to devote a little more of my time to learning new things about paleo and whole foods and meal planning and preparation, etc. But, it's time to move forward a week at a time toggling between assimilating all this and determining my goals and purpose for being on is planet.

I have four granddaughters under three, two more on the way. I have three children and their spouses close enough to touch almost, and I have a husband about to retire, parents who are closing in in the end days. I've been sharing my newfound knowledge with them as I feel appropriate and that's going ok. But, there's also that great big world out there that needs my help more often and perhaps occasionally my perspective. It's time. Time to put my new life in its proper place and commit to balance and focus and moving forward unencumbered by what to eat and how or when to workout and free to help and give back and pay it forward for whatever time I'm privileged to have. Too profound? Too pie-in-the-sky? Not so sure. As I realize I'm far past half-way in this life, I gotta believe time is my friend and also my enemy and I've got to be about the business of shaping memories for my family and being God's hands with all the people I get to encounter.

Anyone else in on continuing to strengthen our base but taking this turn and making a difference?

It is time to get on with it. Time is awastin. S

[Gramma Susie]

Ok...so I made it past Thanksgiving fairly easily with little pressure to offroad. I really think im in my way. At a birthday party on the weekend, pizza was the main course. I brought a salad (enough for everyone) and ate the topping off two pieces of pizza. It was a little weird to have people watching me do that, but you have to start somewhere.

I've maintained a 12.5 pound weight loss for several weeks and am now just barely under 150 (5' 5" medium to small frame) which I haven't seen for over a decade I seem to have plateaued a bit. Just read a couple of posts about coffee. I'm thinking about giving it up during the week and see what happens. It would be a double reduction since I have cream in my 2-3 cups of coffee each morning. My husband and I love that time of day, reading the paper and drinking coffee together. I don't really want to give up the coffee, but it may be worth the experiment to see if it gets me off this plateau and I think he's willing to try it with me. I've grappled with adrenal fatigue and while it seems to have improved in the last year or so, coffee may be the final piece to really kicking it. Has anyone ever made tea with tea bags in their coffee maker? Hmm...I think I will give that a try.

And, my last thought for today, my husband and I have gotten a lot from Mark's Dailly apple and are challenging ourselves to a commitment of 3-5 hours of moderate walking/week which is the base of his exercise pyramid. We're going to try outside as much as possible in our neighborhood or around one of our many lakes in the metro area. The snow and ice are now settling in here in Minnesota, though, so we may have to resort to the health club track or treadmills. He works downtown and can do 20 minutes per day walking the skyways. Also, we're planning on continuing with two weight lifting sessions/week (i need to ramp this up a bit) and one sprinting session/week. If anyone has a great sprinting suggestion, please let me know. Right now i do HIIT on the treadmill at Lifetime. In dry weather, it seems I could use a sprint session around my long block.

Still working on balance and giving back. It's a weak area for me and it bothers me. It's easy to ignore that and a lot of other things when trying to change your nutrition and fitness life. It becomes all about me and I still need to figure out how to put this all into perspective and balance without losing the essence.

Take care, all who take time to read this. God's richest blessings this holiday season.

Susie

[Selene]

Great posts here. You've accomplished a lot. I'm also working with the Mark's Daily Apple approach to exercise. Lots of walking! I use a pedometer as a motivator to get more in and aim for 10,000 steps a day. It's worked really well for me. I'm also in a cold place and find it easier to sometimes break things up into smaller chunks.

[Gramma Susie]

So this was my first day with tea in the morning instead of coffee. I made it in my coffee maker which worked ok. I'm going to try and have tea M-W-F in place of coffee as a start toward reducing coffee.

And, I need to come up with a similar system for reducing red wine. I think I will give myself one weekday for wine and hold firm on that. It seems appropriate to have that day be T or W, but I will have to see how that plays out. It's a little too easy to give in to myself when my husband gets home from work and we debrief each of our days. But, it's the right thing to do, especially in winter. The combination of alcohol being a depressant and the sun not showing up as long each day (sometimes not at all), it does affect my psyche and gets me thinking things are worse than they are, which in turn negatively affects my sleep quality.

So, there you go. On with weights at Lifetime this morning. I love my health club and feel blessed that I get to be a member. It really is, as they advertise, a Healthy Way of Lilfe company. I do have to say, though, I wish they could have some kind of partnership with Whole9 to use Whole30 for their recommended detox. Instead they sell a 2-week detox for just over $200. I tried it several months ago and couldn't wait to get off both because of the restrictions (no coffee) and because of the protein powder and supplements required. I know they mean well with this Lifetime Detox kit, but for me, hands down, Whole30 was easier and more effective AND better groundwork for a lifetime of clean eating. Can anyone look into this?? Lifetime does a 90-day weight loss competition a few times a year and it seems starting it with the Whole30 would make all the difference.

Stay warm.

[Gramma Susie]

I had a crazy, lazy, tired day yesterday (Wednesday). And yesterday was a no coffee (tea instead) morning. Do you think there's any connection? I'm starting to think so, but want to give it a few days to gain perspective. Also variables the day before (Tuesday) incuded in the morning eating a very good muffin a friend made with flour but very little sugar and also that evening I had two peanut clusters with almond bark another friend brought over for our dinner together. That was the most gluten and sugar I've had since starting this journey in early September. Could all of that combined with the tea instead of coffee make such a difference? Wednesday was a weight day at Lifetime so I dragged myself in and through the routine, but it was difficult and reminded me of my adrenal fatigue days. It worried me a bit.

This morning is a coffee morning, and I'm feeling very good and alert after ~6 hours of sleep. Anyway, as I said, I need to give it a few days and see if I can find the right perspective. Just don't want to dip back into AF and also don't want to make too much of one tired day.

On another topic, we're headed toward Christmas which is supposed to be a happy time, but I'm feeling sad for a couple reasons and I want to put that all into perspective, too, since my life is pretty sweet in general. I over think things and think emotionally. Has anyone tried any Emotional Freedom Techniques? like Tapping? I'd like to change that part of my life. I think it contributes to my inflammation. That would be a significant goal for 2014 to put some of my sadness and emotional reactions (even when I suck it up and try not to let it show) into a better perspective. I need to have more faith and let my life speak instead of having my mind go so crazy or feel sad when something comes up in the course of a day. [For context here, yesterday my daughter-in-law called for us to take little 9 month old Hannah so she can take 2.5 year old Mary to her first movie (Frozen) which is PG and I had heard from another gramma friend who took her 4.5 yr old granddaughter to that movie that it was scary. I am a minimalist with all this stuff anyway and dont believe kids should be exposed to big screens and scary stuff so early. I mentioned my concern and then let it go, but now I think about it and wonder why they're doing this. Kids grow up so early these days anyway.].

So....anyone have any experience to share on this? Since we have four granddaughters (such a blessing, really, but also four more little sources of worry) and two more on the way, I think my emotional life has got to be put in check to relieve stress and to reduce inflammation.

[Gramma Susie]

I talked with a trainer at Lifetime yesterday about coffee and been thinking a lot about it. It seems I'm happier with coffee. Does that make sense? I always thought I was emotionally tied, more than physically, but that big fat headache and bad day on Wednesday has me thinking, wondering, and, of course, worrying. Trainer said if I had such a day without coffee, I should probably wean myself off it for awhile. That thought almost gives me hives. Is 2-3 cups (totaling no more than 10-16 oz) in the morning with whole cream really a problem?

Before I take that radical step of weaning off for awhile, I'm going to change it a bit and make sure I only drink coffee with my breakfast or just after, rather than having any at all before breakfast. My husband has two glasses of water every morning before coffee. I may try that, too. The only physical problem I can note is when I'm not having it. I don't seem to be aware of physical problems with it, though I know it may come with toxins. But, my bad day on Wednesday was very toxic for me and I don't want to repeat it. I'm such a baby on this. Will noodle it some more. Maybe I could also reduce a bit.

It's supposed to be in the teens again today. Will plan to get out for a midday walk.

[AmyS]

How'd I miss this thread?!  Great stuff here!

 

I wanted to comment on a post you made a couple of weeks ago, about weight loss plateauing or seeming to reverse itself just from adding in a few off-plan items.  I recently went waaaaayyyyy off-plan while visiting family (up in your neck of the woods!).  I had a great time, but the inflammation showed up immediately and has taken a solid month of clean eating to go away.  I think that once our bodies start to heal from all that we've done to them, they react pretty dramatically to some things that used to be just normal food/drink.  Also, I think that we finally discover that what we thought were normal aches and pains and swelling are really very much driven by diet.

 

When it comes to the caffeine/adrenals connection, I suspect a strong link.  I went down to decaf a while back, but recently I discovered that even the little bit of caffeine in decaf was setting my adrenals up for a weird rebound effect.  It's like, as soon as my body is resting well at night, the adrenals decide they feel well enough to get into action - and I wake up.  Stopping even the decaf coffee has helped me.  I'm also working with a naturopathic physician on the best supplements for me, and that's helping.  But yes, I'd say that caffeine can help in the short run by giving energy; but in the long run I think it can really sap our already wary adrenals.

 

Sorry to hear about your worries about your grandkids - I'm not a grandma so I don't have a frame of reference about that.  If it helps, I sure do appreciate the support of parents as I raise my girls. 

[Emma]

I like coffee too.  I like how it makes my brain feel sharper and I like the time in the morning when I drink it.  I kept it in my life until not so long ago when all of a sudden it just felt like too much.  I cut back, but even my more moderate amounts didn't sit right, so I switched to green tea and that's been a good switch.  When I think of coffee, I have no desire to have it and am quite content with the tea except that it doesn't have such a great zing like my old joe did.  I guess I'm still taking in the caffeine, but for now, I'm not consciously aware of any immediate reason why I should change things.

 

Aren't those detox programs kind of crazy!  There's a person in our town who sells powder and protein drinks and lots of people are doing it and I suppose it's good that they're trying out things, but I look at it and think of all the processing that took place to create some very very non-food items.  I like the Whole30 way as well.

[Gramma Susie]

So.....been pondering all this and happened to take in the Canadian girls on yhis website related to coffee or no coffee. They completely described me as the person who should let go of coffee. I didn't know I was going to be going down this path. I've been so excited that I get to keep my coffee and still be healthier than I was before Whole30. A bubble is bursting here.

I appreciate EandK and Amy S for giving me food for thought on this topic. I don't know where this is going for me. I bought some fair trade decaf yesterday to have with my regular coffee and perhaps get me started on weaning myself off caffeine. I know people have far worse things happen to them than letting go of coffee, but I'm mourning just the thought of it. I can appreciate the idea, though, that it can be done perhaps easier and less painfully than I think because that is exactly what happened to me related to bread and dairy.

I'm going to reduce the caffeine for now, especially through the holidays since my parents are coming for a visit. Since they are faithful Lutheran Norwegians, I know I will be making us all "a little coffee" more than once a day. But, I am definitely in the pondering stage on having or not having coffee in my future. Maybe, just maybe, this is another thing that can change for me for the better.

Ok, so here's the start to my list of Changes in 2014

1. Serious thought to the coffee situation

2. Less worry about everything (also inherited from my parents)

3. How to be a good and godly Gramma - what do I want my legacy with them to be (four girls under three and two more expected in early 2014)

4. Making a positive difference in the lives of the people I encounter

That actually might be enough for now. But, I am so thankful that weight loss or being physically healthier is not there. It's a burden lifted in 2013, in most part due to Whole30. I do plan to continue on and strenghthen this paleo path for food and fitness, but it's gotten to be like brushing my teeth. I don't think I need to write it down. I've been thinking almost my entire life how to take care of my physical self so I can go on and make a difference. I've gotta shake my head in amazement and wonder here. I really can't believe it. I am very truly blessed.

[Gramma Susie]

Been a long time since I posted. I think I got overwhelmed with Holiday time and then fell off the posting wagon. So much has happened for me since December. I'll try not to bore people here with too many words.

I've continued to have success with staying and living in the whole9 world with eating and exercising. I'm still amazed at how well the whole30 worked for me, just wish I had discovered it so many years ago. I am an ambassador for it now, but have to be careful about overwhelming folks, especially my young adult children and my siblings. Through some recent conversations with extended family, however, I've confirmed my need for gluten-free living. I will tell just this one story. My cousin was giving me an update about her mother (my aunt) who is in her 80s in a nursing home. The elderly on that side of my family (my dads) has always been plagued with bowel issues. My cousin, however, is a healthy food advocate and now that she's taken charge of her mom's eating by taking away the gluten and giving her coconut oil mixed with an antioxidant berry drink every morning, the explosive bowel problem has gone away, her diabetes has gotten better, and she's more alert. It's really all about the food, isn't it!! Now I've got to try and make my way through all this with my own parents who are really struggling with my dads diabetes and bowel issues. Gotta figure out how to speak so the parents will listen. Hmm...I will be praying for wisdom and courage on this one.

Now for a progress report and my new statistics:

..Turned 60 in January. That is such a big number. Wow!! Don't know if I should go so far as to say it will be the best decade in my life, but everything is different since eating is no longer a mystery or frustration. I know I'm getting older, but I still feel young and am looking forward to what the future will be bringing.

..I had lost 9 pounds after the whole30 and am now down another 8, finally fitting into those jeans I love. So, 17 pounds down since September. I still can't believe it.

..We had another grandchild; our fifth but first boy. Another boy is expected in April, at which point it will be six under 3 years old. This Gramma is busy trying to see them all for an occasional rockaby and song and looking to the future as to who I am and want to be in their little lives. Good thing I'm not worrying about my nutrition anymore.

..My husband and I were on a 6-day vacation recently and even though there was some offroading, I didn't gain any weight and came back even more convinced of all of this, inspired to continue and even more eager to share it with others.

..I'm no longer drinking coffee during the workweek. We have green tea instead and now only have coffee on weekends, at which time we now have bullet proof coffee. Has anyone else tried that? It's really tasty and I guess better on our system with the coconut oil in it.

Better quit before I get too crazy here. Need to catch up on others' posts and see if I can find any more tips or inspiration.

[Gramma Susie]

I wanted to say a little more about coffee. I don't think I was a coffee-as-a-jump-start-in-the-morning addict, but have definitely been eagerly anticipating the social hour in the morning with coffee and my husband before he leaves for work. I really didn't think I would be able to give this up without much sadness. But, as with the Whole30 itself, I have been surprised how easy it was to move to green tea in the morning. We now both eagerly look forward to our bullet-proof coffee on the weekends. So...I guess what I am saying is, from a dyed-in-the-wool Norwegian coffee drinker, if I can do it, I would suspect almost anyone else can do it, too.

[Gramma Susie]

One thing I'm also working on now is reducing supplements. I'm eating so much healthier and feel I can let go of so much of what I've been using including calcium and my multi vitamin. I just made my own calcium supplement with egg shells. Anyone else ever done that? It was a little cumbersome, but really very easy. I'd like to know if any of you W30 or W9 experts out there have any feedback on this.

My remaining supplements will be:

..Omega 3 on days I don't have fish,

..probiotic on days I don't have yogurt

..vitamin D (2,000 IU) all winter

..glucosamine (been thinking of backing off to half a tablet on this)

..1/2 t of finely ground egg shells

..magnesium (400) before I go to bed

Eager to hear from anyone who has thoughts or experience with eggshell calcium and reducing supplements.

And, just in case anyone might read this, has anyone had any experience with behavior modification including tapping? Just wondering about it for continued red wine reduction and for worrying.

Have a great and happy day!! The sun is shining so much more now in our neck of the woods and the snow is melting. We're on our way.

S

[Gramma Susie]

I am recovering from stomach flu today. I took one of my little angels last week when she was sick and her parents felt trapped by work. She wanted to be attached to me in my lap cuddling all day that day. You just cannot refuse to hold a little one when they're sick and begging to be with you. This is the second time she's given me the stomach flu in the last two months. It made me feel so sad, but I had to notify my son last night that I can't take babies when they have a stomach ailment anymore. Anything else is fine, except that. It's so miserable. I still feel sad about that, as yet unanswered, text. But, I have to protect myself, too. Sometimes parents have to be the ones staying home and taking the hit.

So.....anyway...last week I had made some bone broth for the first time. When I was trying last night to figure out what to do to soothe my sore belly at the end of a stomach-emptying day, my lightbulb came on and I had some of my bone broth. It really sat well. It actually made me feel better almost instantly. It took care of some of the hunger I was feeling and I slept so well. So, for anyone out there who hasn't tried making it, it was so easy in the crockpot and I do think it made a big difference in how I felt. I definitely turned a corner after drinking it.

[Gramma Susie]

Ok...so, coffee is back in. I'm drinking bullet proof coffee every day. It greatly improves my system of elimination. Every morning, like clockwork, after my first cup of coffee, I'm in the bathroom taking care of business. That didn't happen with the tea. I'm going to go with it for now and see how I do.

I have a question for my paleo foodie comrades. What kind of cookware is recommended? It's something I've wondered about for some time now, and can't seem to distinguish advertised features/benefits from the real truth of it all. Please share your wisdom with me.