Let's Talk About Food

Today I want to talk about food. I know many of us are very aware of what we feed our children and how it affects them. For example, if Bug (2y) has anything with sugar in it, paired with protein or not, he has a catastrophic meltdown about an hour later. Some kids are very sensitive to gluten, etc. How often do we scrutinize our own diets like this?

I thought I was aware of my food intake and how it affected me. We usually try to eat 80/20 Primal, and I thought I felt healthy. That was until two weeks ago when I finished a Whole30 challenge. Basically, you only eat meat, eggs, fruit, veg, nuts, herbs and spices. No dairy, no sweeteners (even honey), no grains, no processed foods, no bending rules, and no slip ups for 30 consecutive days.

The first week was very hard, but then I felt amazing. The biggest change I noticed was how patient I was with the kids, and how slow I was to anger or get upset. I was sleeping great. I woke up rested, refreshed and full of energy. I was enjoying mental clarity the likes of which I'd honestly never known.

And then the 30 days was up, and I wanted some cheese on my burger. Eeek. My system was not happy about reintroducing dairy. Okay, good to know. Then I went a little crazy with cookies, and the sugar beast reawakened. I realized how addictive sugar really is. Once I had one cookie, I could not stop thinking about eating more, and more, and ice cream too! Oh, and skittles! I don't even like skittles! More importantly, I saw myself getting short with the kids. I felt tired again. The smallest things set me off. I was yelling at Josh (8y) for not closing the door the 'right way'. It was ugly.

And so I am doing another Whole30 challenge now. I want to feel the way I felt two weeks ago. I want to be the patient mom I was when I ate well. It isn't easy this first week again, but I know what's waiting for me on the other side, and it is well worth it. This has been an amazing learning experience for me.