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Getting Started with No Sugar, No Grains

Preparing to follow the No Sugar, No Grains lifestyle (NSNG) should be fun and exciting! I want to share our process for getting started, in hopes that it will make your transition easier and more effective.

So, you’ve been giving the idea of eating better some real thought. You’ve come across NSNG and it sounds like something you could really excel at and even enjoy! But you’re unsure how to get started because your house is currently full of food filled with sugar and grains. Have no fear! I’m going to provide you some tips on how to get focused on your goals, clear your kitchen and re-stock, without breaking the budget.

Getting Started

It’s important to have a good foundation set-up for yourself before you begin the No Sugar, No Grains lifestyle. If you leave your kitchen full of the tempting food that you’re now going to be avoiding, it will make this lifestyle even tougher.

My advice? Get rid of anything that you can’t eat (except for those items that your children may be eating). Give it away, you don’t need to throw it out. A food kitchen likely won’t take opened food, but a friend might. Ask around, there’s likely someone who will be interested in those cheez-its you’ve been hoarding.

The reason cleaning out the kitchen is so important, is because when you’re hungry and you stroll into the kitchen, you’re likely going to reach for the first thing you see, or something that you can grab quick. When we’re hungry our resolve to eat the right foods weakens, if your kitchen is free of them – then you have no choice but to go for that delicious Honeycrisp apple, instead of the Reese’s Peanut Butter cup.

You may be wondering whether it is worth changing your habits to eat this way, right?!

For me, it has been absolutely worth it! I am losing weight and not starving. I am NOT obsessing over calories, or points – I don’t worry about when my next meal is (because I never feel hungry).

One other reason you might consider making the switch… My body feels AMAZING! My brain is clear, I can think easier and come to solutions faster and my body doesn’t ache like it once did, when it was full of gluten. I’m telling you, it is SO worth it!

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again… nothing will happen if you don’t make the switch, you’ll likely continue living your life quite happily – but by switching you may find that you feel 10 times better, and that you don’t even miss the sugar or grains.

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How We Did It

We certainly don’t know everything, but I wanted to share how we went about adopting this lifestyle, in hopes that you may benefit from our experiences.

Seamus and I had heard of NSNG from a radio show we listened to. At first we were skeptical, we felt like there was no way we would do it. I mean, when you think, no more brownies, or no more crusty bread with your pasta, it can feel a little overwhelming. However, one day after Seamus had a particularly sucky week and couldn’t concentrate, he decided to give NSNG a try.

Sidenote: You will hear a lot about all the problems that gluten can cause in your body. It’s true! That’s part of why your mental clarity returns when you stop eating it.

Within a month of starting, not only was he thinking clearer, Seamus had lost 20 lbs with little effort, other than changing his diet. He’s kept losing, and now my husband, who is 6’5″ weighs 182 lbs (and trust me, he is not starving). This lifestyle really works!

After seeing his success, I was instantly motivated to give it a try. I attempted a start on several different occasions, but always quit by lunch time. Why? I wasn’t prepared, my house was full of the foods that I couldn’t eat, and my willpower to avoid them was weak. But then the new year rolled around and I decided to make a change, and to challenge myself.

On January 1st I made the choice to be dedicated to the NSNG way of life for 31 days. It was enough time to see how I would feel, and short enough where my mind didn’t start to panic about the change. My 31 days are now over, and I have no plans on stopping. I still feel great, and I’m losing weight (I’ve lost 8 lbs in 4 weeks). Why stop!?

What’s unique about NSNG?

We’ve been told for SO long that fat is bad, that it’s the enemy and that we should avoid it. But, my husband is living proof that fat isn’t bad – sugar and grains are.

Implenting NSNG is simple. Just stop eating sugar, substitute sugars and grains and you’re locked and loaded. But, of course it is more complicated than that, you have a brain who is addicted to sugar and believes that without grains (specifically pasta or bread) you’ll never make it. I’m here to tell you, you don’t need bread – with the amount of healthy fats that you’re allowed to eat, you won’t miss it.

Still Struggling to Get Started? Here are Some Easy Actionable Steps for You to Follow

  • Clear the cupboards. Go through your cupboards and get rid of everything that contains a sugar or a grain. No, you don’t need to throw it away – donate it or give it to a family / friend who has not adopted the NSNG lifestyle.
  • Meal plan. Before you go shopping to restock those now empty cupboards, spend time making a meal plan (you can see my tips on making one by clicking on the link).
  • Eat breakfast / lunch, before shopping. Make a shopping list and eat breakfast / lunch before heading out the door, you never want to shop on an empty stomach.
  • Stick to the list. Seriously! At least for the first few weeks, buy exactly what you wrote down. Your resolve may not be strong enough to say no to the junk, otherwise.
  • Food prep is key. Spend some time prepping what you can, cutting veggies, washing fruit – making certain meals ahead of time.
  • Eat the fat. Eat lots of yummy fat and protein and don’t let yourself get too hungry so you begin craving foods you shouldn’t eat. The one thing this does not mean is, eating fast food. You want fats that do not include grains or sugars!
  • Allow for imperfection. This one is HUGE! Don’t beat yourself up if you have a cookie at the company pot luck, or if you need to grab something on the run and you have a bun from a burger. This is life, it is going to happen – what is important is that you cut grains and sugars out of your life for the majority of the time.

How Do I Know this Will Work?

As I mentioned earlier, Seamus has lost 65 lbs simply by following the NSNG lifestyle. I can’t even attribute much of it to exercise, because he injured his back and hasn’t been able to run since August. He’s just followed NSNG, walked and has lost the weight.

If you’re interested in learning more about NSNG, or are maybe want to start following this lifestyle, Vinnie Tortorich has a book, Fitness Confidential and a self-titled podcast. There’s a wealth of information, all stuff I’ve personally benefited from!

I plan on sharing more about NSNG around these parts, possibly even recipes so be on the lookout for those!

Your turn!

Have you tried any diets and failed?

What’s your favorite way to eat healthy and lose weight? Have you ever thought about eating a diet high in fat and protein, in order to lose weight?

What other questions do YOU have about this way of life?

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Happy Fourth of July!

Happy fourth of July everyone!! I hope you had as great of a day as we did!

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Emmett’s Baby Led Weaning

Around four months of age the topic of solids was broached at Emmett’s doctor’s appointment but we let his pediatrician know that we had no plans of introducing solids until he was 6 months old. We wanted his stomach to be as developed and ready for solid foods as possible. Plus I knew that he could sleep through the night without a “midnight snack” so solids seemed unnecessary for that reason. I will admit that he didn’t always sleep through the night but I knew that he was physically able to.

I have previously mentioned and did a book review of, Baby Led Weaning, you can see my review here. When I came across this method of introducing solids, it seemed like the best decision for us but I still had to convince Seamus that it was the right thing to do for our baby. I’ll be honest, I was concerned it would be tough to convince him but with my solid level of knowledge and armed with answers to all of his questions, it was pretty easy to sway him.

There’s nothing magical that happens on the exact date that a baby turns 6 months but we wanted to wait until that specific date. Well, unfortunately it had to be postponed for a couple extra nights because our power went out on his 6 month birthday and then again the next day. I was disappointed but also it just prolonged the excitement of giving my baby his first solids.

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The book talks about what foods are best to start with and the one they recommend most frequently is broccoli, so we went with that. I was really curious on how Emmett would react to his first taste of food, he’s been breastfed since birth so he’s not used to the exact same flavored drink like formula fed babies are, so I wasn’t nervous but I couldn’t wait to see his facial expressions.

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Seamus cut the head of broccoli into long stalks and we roasted it plain for about 10 minutes. Once it cooled, we placed a couple stalks in front of him; he almost instantly picked one up and put it to his mouth. He sucked on the florets and his face was instantly covered in the little buds, it was adorable but there wasn’t a single funny expression. He didn’t cringe or look grossed out, he just ate. I was shocked! I truly expected him to have even a slightly negative reaction but there was none. At that moment, I knew I had chosen the correct path for Emmett.

We continued to have success with each of the new foods we introduced to him. He didn’t turn anything away until we gave him plain chicken breast. I’m not sure whether it was bland or he just didn’t like it but he just would have nothing to do with it that night. The next time we gave him chicken we seasoned it and he was fine with it. Who knows, maybe he just wasn’t in the mood for chicken; I know I’m not always in the mood for chicken.  🙂

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There were a couple of times where I almost called it quits with BLW because the gagging and choking was making me nervous. Seamus, being a wonderful and supportive husband, encouraged me to skim the book again to look for any tips on how to handle gagging and whether it was normal. Being the nervous first time mom I was, I had read AND HIGHLIGHTED the section all about how gagging was normal, but had forgotten I’d done this. After rereading and see that it was completely normal and even expected, I was right back on the BLW bandwagon. That has pretty much been my only time faltering.

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We did hit a few roadblocks with Emmett eating this way while at day care, but we overcame them with the help of our center’s director. This was the first time they had ever heard of a baby being fed this way and because they needed to remain compliant with many different standards they were leery of how things would go. Seamus and I met with the director to explain the process and the reasoning behind Emmett eating this way and after a couple of weeks things were up and running smoothly. They ensured us that someone would sit and watch Emmett while he. As he’s become more and more proficient with food, they’ve begun feeding him while watching other babies at the same time. Not all day care centers may be willing to work with you if you choose this method, but I encourage you to at least check with them and fully educate them before completely writing the idea off. I promise you, that feeding a baby this way is as easy as feeding them pureed food with a spoon and sometimes even easier.

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This method may not be right for everyone but it has been nothing but successful for us. Emmett eats pretty much everything and we rarely have to make a separate meal for him, so it saves time in meal prep. Plus, Seamus and I are able to eat our food when it’s hot since Emmett is feeding himself and we don’t need to take extra time to feed him separately. The benefits of a baby eating this way are pretty much endless and I absolutely would recommend this to any parent who will be introducing solids to their baby soon.

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To date, Emmett has tried and enjoyed (in no particular order), broccoli, sweet potatoes, corn bread, bananas, rolled oats (prepared), plums, red potatoes, chicken, mini-meatloaf, mini-quesadillas, mini-hamburgers, sweet peppers, apples, avocado, spaghetti, yogurt, mum mums, pierogi, pickles, ham, sausage, eggs, bread, cheese, pizza crust (with a tiny amount of sauce and cheese left on it), asparagus, tomato, peaches, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, pears, cabbage, corned beef, pork tenderloin, grilled cheese sandwiches and applesauce (which he surprising did not like at all). There very well may be more but this is all that I can recall at this moment.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me!! Go ahead and use the ‘Contact Me’ button at the top of the page.

Baby Led Weaning

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Baby Led Weaning

When you become a mom you are faced with all sorts of decisions and one of the biggest ones is how you begin feeding your baby solid foods. I had never given much thought to how I would feed Emmett; I just assumed I’d give him a pureed form of food, until I came across “The Art of Making a Baby” and the author’s post about the book titled Baby Led Weaning.

I will get into the details of how it worked for us in a later post but right now I want to do a quick review of the book for any parents who are looking for a new, non-traditional way of feeding their baby.

Overall I thought the book was a quick and easy read, one I’m glad I spent time on. It probably took me a cumulative amount of 3 days, to get through the entire thing but after I finished I went back through and re-read some parts that I had highlighted or starred. I wanted to be sure I fully absorbed everything involved with feeding Emmett this way. Clearly it is a new idea and I wanted to be fully educated so that I could pass that knowledge along to my husband as well as Emmett’s day care teachers or anyone else who might feed him.

I absolutely recommend taking the time to read through the preface and introduction because the authors provide you with some fantastic background information that is not wise to skip. They stress how important it is to allow your baby to make the decision on when is right for him to begin solids. They state it is important to wait until the child is at least 6 months old but even at that time, if you place food in front of the baby, and they show no interest in it that you should not force it upon them. A baby should be getting almost all of their calories and nutrients from breastmilk or formula until nearly 9 months old, so there is no rush!

One of the most beautiful things about BLW is that there is no reason to make baby a special meal, they can and should eat whatever mom and dad are eating, and we started with stalks of broccoli. Granted there are a few things you want to watch out for, like excessive salt and sugar both can be harmful to baby in large quantities. Also since you’re not sitting there spoon feeding baby, you are able to enjoy your meal while it’s hot and so is the child.

A big concern of mine was the choking hazard and the authors do a phenomenal job of explaining what can occur, what is normal and when to worry. The item that stuck with me the most was that choking or gagging from BLW is no more common (provided the baby is sitting upright) than being spoon fed and in some instances may even be less likely because the baby controls the amount and speed of the foods going into their mouths.

They remind you that gagging isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it is the movement that the baby makes to push the food forward in their mouths, so that it doesn’t go down their throat too soon or in too large of pieces. So essentially, gagging is a good thing!! They obviously go into much more detail but after reading it once and then going back through and reviewing it, I felt confident that Emmett would be just fine eating this way.

BLW allows the baby to be in control of what they’re eating, how much they put into their mouths and how quickly they eat. It essentially teaches babies how to successfully eat without any adult intervention; it gives them the independence to make their own decisions which often leads to babies enjoying their food more and being less picky eaters.

The book does go into detail on how to get the ball rolling with BLW. It explains that putting baby in his/her high chair before he/she even starts eating helps lead to success because it allows baby to feel like they are a part of the action. Mom and dad can eat their meal and baby is in the high chair playing with a cup, bowl or spoon, getting used to meal time.

The book makes it very clear that it is important that baby continue to get most of their calories from breastmilk and formula, which means they should not be eating solid foods when they are starving. In the beginning with Emmett, I’d feed him 20 minutes before we’d eat dinner and then when we put him in his high chair he was satiated and ready to explore the solids that we put in front of him.

I think what I liked most about the book is that every possible question I had about BLW was answered. The authors do a phenomenal job of ensuring that they cover every aspect of eating. They take time to remind you that it is a messy process, that if you are an individual who does not like messes, then BLW is not for you or that you need to allow baby plenty of time to explore and play with their foods, especially in the beginning. BLW is not a process that moves quickly, there are times when you maybe be sitting there with baby for 45 minutes to an hour, while they just palm the food back and forth. BUT it is imperative that you not rush your baby, you should allow him/her to enjoy every second of meal time.

There is also an entire chapter on what foods they recommend giving first. Through the entire book the authors explain that since you are waiting to give your baby solid foods until 6 months, it is unlikely that you will encounter any allergies unless you have a family history and they also state that you typically will not need to wait several days between each new food you give baby because your baby’s digestive system is advanced enough to handle new foods. Of course you want to make sure that you move as quickly or slowly with new foods as you are comfortable and they also suggest you check with your baby’s doctor before beginning BLW.

The benefits of feeding a child this way are endless and I am so pleased that Seamus was willing to go along with feeding Emmett this way. I have struggled with emotional eating and had issues with food my entire life and I do not want Emmett to have to suffer through that. My hope is that by introducing food in this way, he will have a love of food that leads to eating to live, not living to eat. I have and will continue to recommend this method of eating to any new parent who will be introducing solids soon. It really is just common sense, to me.

You can read about our experience with BLW, here.

Your turn!

Have you ever considered feeding  your child different than the mainstream way?

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