ADHD

I just read an interesting report. I've heard before that caffeine can help kids with ADHD, but I hadn't thought much about it since David and Lilly don't seem to have ADHD. I wanted to pass this info along to all of you, though, in case you want to look into it further. Obviously, I am not a doctor and you need to do your own research.
The energy drink that Chris and I love, Spark from Advocare, has caffeine in it, along with lots and lots of vitamins. It's delicious, convenient, and is an awesome alternative to pop/soda and coffee. As a vegetarian, it is important for me to get enough vitamin B12 in my diet. I get way over my daily need of B12 in one serving of Spark. It also helps me get over the mid day drowsiness.
Here is what I recently found about Spark and ADHD:

Spark Study
Texas Tech Medical Center
Department of Pediatrics
(806) 212-3553
A COMPARISON OF THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF
METHYLPHENIDATE AND NUTRITIONAL BEVERAGE VERSUS PLACEBO ON CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER. SC SCHNEIDER, GB TAN, DR EGERTON, TW HALE. TX Tech Univ. HSC, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become a prominent disorder in children, adolescents, and adults. Current treatment modalities generally include the use of stimulant medication, methylphenidate the most frequently used. Typical and potential side effects have many parents requesting alternatives to prescription medication. This study, conducted from May through September 1998,compared the effectiveness of SPARK!!, a nutritional beverage marketed by Advocare International. SPARK!! contains neuro-active ingredients such as choline, GABA, phenylalanine, and taurine, with methylphenidate when administered to children (6-17) previously diagnosed with ADHD. The study was a placebo-controlled, double-blind study randomly assigning 72 subjects to three treatment groups: methylphenidate group, the SPARK! group and a caffeine group in order to control for caffeine as it is one of the ingredients in SPARK!. All treatments were administered in drink form. Two evaluative sessions were scheduled for each subject: one with a placebo administered two hours prior to testing and one with treatment administered two hours prior to testing. Assessments consisted of the administration of the Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.), a computerized neuropsychological continuous performance test. Four indices were measured: omission and commission (both indices of accuracy of response to presentation of visual stimuli), response time (speed from visual stimulus to response) and variability of response time (constancy of response speed). No treatment was significantly different from placebo on commission (response to non-target stimulus) index. All treatments were significant relative to placebo for three of the four indices: omissions (0), response time (RT), variability of response time (VAR). SPARK! (0/p=.007; RT/p=.0001; VAR/p=.005), methylphenidate (0/p=.032; RT/p=.001; VAR/p=.007), caffeine (0/p=.007; RT/p=.0001; VAR/p=.0001). The results indicate that SPARK! is as effective as methylphenidate on three of the four measures. Mean differences suggest that it may be more effective on all three measures. Further studies are needed to identify which of the ingredients in the nutritional beverage are most effective and to quantify the differences in the efficacy of SPARK! relative to methylphenidate in a longer trial and with measures directly generalizable to the academic environment.

If you want to try Spark for yourself, or someone you know, I'll get you some to try for free. We love it. :o)
Thanks for reading!!

Nutrition

Well, yesterday I only hit 30% of my calcium need. What a downer! I did, however, take in more than an adequate amount of protein (no meat or dairy).
I need to work on this!

Today is the final day of my herbal cleanse and day 10 of the 24 day challenge. Tomorrow I will be continuing on the healthy eating plan and will start on a nutrition system (vitamins) for well-being and energy!

The cleanse is designed to clean out my system which will eliminate toxins and make it easier for my system to absorbs nutrients.

I will be happy to let you know how it goes!

Calcium

We all know that calcium is really good for our bones and for children's growing bodies. I wanted to tell you about my calcium intake yesterday.

Yesterday, I didn't do so hot on hitting my calories for the day. I was around 300 calories under my goal. That is mostly because I burned 301 calories on the eliptical machine. Anyways, even with my low calories, I still got 69% of my daily dose of calcium, yet I did not consume one single dairy product. I obviously did not hit 100%, which I need to work on, but I definitely don't need to consume dairy to do it. In the coming weeks I am going to work on tracking my calcium intake and what I'm eating to help myself (and maybe you) be sure that I'm hitting what I need, and to see what it takes to do so. My guess is that by adding more spinach to my salad and having a glass of soy or almond milk, I will be just fine.

I'm not planning to go back to being 100% vegan, even though I have been on the cleanse. (day 9 out of 10, by the way) But I also do not plan to start buying milk or dairy products on a regular basis. More to come.

MILESTONE DAY!!!

CHRIS HAS LOST 50 POUNDS!!!! This is AMAZING and I am SO PROUD of him!! He is ahead of schedule to hit his weight loss goal for August. Praise God!!!!

I've heard that if an average sized person puts two fists together, then that is the size of one pound of human fat. Can you imagine how much 50 pounds is?! Holy Moly!!
Be sure to congratulate Chris on his accompolishment.

If you are trying to lose weight, too, know that you can do it! I know that it can be a roller coaster journey, but it doesn't have to be. You can have success and live a healthy, happy, energetic life. I'm praying for everyone who struggles with their weight. There is hope!

Happy Easter!

Well, I am on day 7 of the 24 day challenge, and I'm feeling great! Unfortunately, our family got hit with nasty colds right before Easter, but I kept up with the cleanse. My baby belly that I so carefully keep hidden is shrinking by the day and my energy is definately increasing. I am very proud of myself for not pigging out on Easter goodies! I was very tempted, but because I committed myself to the challenge, I resisted. I did, however, enjoy smelling the treats. :o)
Many people have been asking for an updated picture of Chris, so I am posting a picture that a friend took of us yesterday morning at church. Yes, I did work very hard to color-coordinate the family for Easter and was happy with the results. ;o) Chris is definitely looking great...he has now lost 46 pounds!!! This guy is SO inspiring!!!
Here is what I packed myself for lunch today: a raw sweet potato, an apple, and a packet of Spark. I know that that doesn't sound like a lot of food, but a sweet potato is very filling! Just take your sweet potato, wash it, poke a few holes in it with a fork, and stick it in the microwave for a few minutes (or oven/toaster oven). There ya go, an extremely healthy, filling lunch! (Don't you dare put butter and brown sugar on that tasty tater!!!) I don't eat the skin, but you totally can, if you want. :) I also don't eat the apple core, but know people who do!
Enjoy, and HAPPY EASTER!! :O)
P.S. I bought Chris some shirts from Target for Christmas. They were size 2X. They were way too small. We had to take them back. :( The shirt in the picture, above, is an XL from Target and fits him perfectly. No more shopping at Casual Male XXL for my guy! :)
P.S.S. Chris no longer snores!!!!!!

Coffee

A great friend asked for info on Coffee. Chris sent me this link, which is very interesting!
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-you/

24 Day Challenge

Well, I started the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge yesterday! First of all, don't tell me not to lose weight. This is a wellness challenge. It starts with a 10 day herbal cleanse, followed by 14 days on energy enhancing vitamin packs. The diet while on the cleanse is very similar to my usual diet, I just can't splurge on ice cream and pizza for awhile. :o)
I gave pop up for Lent and am feeling great. I have slowly, but surely, gotten back on my healthy eating plan after around 8 months of being a junk-food vegetarian.

Day 1 and 2 of the challenge are the same. Fiber drink in the morning, herbal cleanse vitamins at night, Spark energy drink during the day, as needed. Oh, and food! Lots of it! Fruits, Veggies, Whole grains, Nuts, etc etc etc....Email me if you want to know what all is included. I feel about the same, so far, but am looking forward to a cleaned out system and renewed energy. :)

By the way, Chris has now lost 43 pounds since he started using AdvoCare 66 days ago. You would not believe the difference in his appearance and energy. UNBELIEVABLE! I am so proud of him!!!

It is sooo good.

I may be a little behind, but to me this is new info! Maybe it is for you, too!
I always knew that breakfast was when we broke the fast of a night without food. What I didn't know was that during our night's fast, our body is working hard to clean us out. It's like a mini-detox every night! The longer our bodies have to detox, the better. When we eat late at night or too early in the morning, we are interrupting the cleaning crew and that process will shut down in order to work on the food that we just piled on top of whatever other food was there. Oops! I suggest trying not to eat anything after dinner (which should be at a normal hour) and then waiting until you are hungry to eat breakfast. This gives our bodies the max amoung of time for the nighly fast. Longer fasts are also very good for us for this same reason, like a full day fast!
For breakfast, it's best to have fresh fruit. Your body has cleaned out some old and/or toxic/diseased cells and is ready to replenish them. Fruit is great for healthy cells. The nutrients will also be best absorbed after your night's fast. If you want something upon waking, try a glass of water, or herbal tea (no sweeteners or cream).
I learned all of this last night from "the book" so I decided to try it out today!
At around 9:30, I thought I would like a fruit smoothie to break my fast. Here's what I did:
Chop one mango
About 3/4 cup fresh cut pineapple (actually left over from dinner last night)
About 6 sliced strawberries
One banana
One large carrot, peeled and chopped
I threw it all in the blender and zoomed it to a smooth consistency. I had no idea what it would taste like, but o h m y g o o d n e s s....it was sooo good! And, it was a LOT of food! I actually didn't finish it until 11, but that's because I was facebooking while I was drinking it. It filled a tall glass.
There were a few tiny carrot chunks, but they didn't taste bad. You could try using a food chopper with the carrots, or shredding them. I probably wouldn't cook them because they lose nutrients that way and it's better to have a few tiny chunks than to lose the healthy goodness.
I also learned that the best lunch food is a fresh salad. My favorite salad right now is a what I will call Strawberry Fields.
Fresh lettuce/spinach/whatever you like. I like spring mix.
Carrots...chopped, shredded, whatever
unsalted sunflower seeds
unsalted, raw almond slices
Lots of sliced strawberries
pomegranate dressing (this may not be the healthiest choice, but it is dairy free) Use sparingly or try a healthier option with less sugar.
toss, enjoy. I can eat lots and lots and lots of servings of this. It is sooo good.

In a pinch? Forgot to pack your lunch? Helpful hint from Chris: go to subway. No, don't get a sub, you're not that desperate! They sell any "sub" as a salad! Get the veggie delight salad and you can get iceberg or spinach, or both and load it up with as many other veggies as you want! Top off with oil and vinegar. No cheese!! No meat...that chicken is not very chicken-like, same with the seafood/tuna and other meats...I used to work there. Just don't do it. Stay away from the soup. Too much sodium and it is not fresh. (at least from what i observe) Steer clear of the pop/juice/tea and save money and your waistline by getting water.

I am a former pop addict. Also a recovering sugar addict. Seriously! :) My mother in law is teaching me about how awful sugar is for people. I'm eager to learn more. Don't go for sugar substitutes. They are worse. What we need to do is re-start our taste buds by doing a cleanse or fading sugar out of our diets. This will make natural foods taste sweeter to us and we can enjoy them more.
Yesterday afternoon I had a snack of sliced strawberries with sugar on top. I am so dissapointed with myself! Why add sugar? Sheesh!!
None of us are perfect, especially me, so don't be hard on yourself. Just keep educating yourself and taking steps to a happier, healthier you! :o)

Down-Sizing and Dairy-Free

A while back, Chris bought this blue shirt. It was tight when he bought it, but he bought it anyways. He also couldn't button the top button. This morning, he decided to try it on to see if it might fit. Looky looky, it DOES! Not only does it fit, but it is pretty loose and he can button the top button!!! I am so proud of him!! :o)
We've decided to be a dairy-free house. We have just become too disgusted with the dairy industry. I plan to start taking soy milk to the kids' school soon. David told me today that if they don't drink their milk at school, they don't get dessert. :(
I recently found out that 75% of people are lactose intolerant. I wondered how that could be...but then I realized that people just become accustomed to it over time. I have always had trouble with ice cream, but if I eat it often enough, it doesn't bother me. When I became a vegan 1 1/2 years ago and then tried adding dairy back in, it made me very sick until I, once again, became used to it. I think it's crazy that people who are severly lactose intolerant would add additional chemicals into their body, through medicine, to be able to consume dairy. Let's listen to our bodies.
I also learned that people who drink 2+ glasses of milk per day were 50% more likely to develop cancer. Think about the changes that people make in their lives to avoid cancer by small percentages. FIFTY PERCENT!!! Come on!!
If you are a baby and are nursing, more power to you. If you are a calf needing to get to 1000 pounds, more power to you. Otherwise, you might want to stick to green leafy foods for your calcium.

Short Clip

I have tried to explain to people before what veganism can do to help the environment and to help hungry people all over the world. People have many different reasons for going vegan: Animal rights, Health, Environment, etc.
This short clip explains how much of an impact going vegan has on our world. Listen closely.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZipCNZu8g&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Interesting Article

My friend Kristin Iden lives in Marion, Ohio and shared this interesting article with me.
In my previous post, I shared that children need healthy food and healthy role models. This article emphasizes that point.


http://www.marionstar.com/article/20110314/NEWS01/103140304/1002/news01/Obesity-rates-hold-steady-Ohio-s-third-graders

What do you think?

Unbelievable

I have two blogs that I haven't been good about updating in the past year. The Burns Family (which became the church hunt blog) and Midwest Veg (my vegetarian journey). I am happy to announce that The Burns Family and Midwest Veg are becoming one in the same. Why is that? Well, guess whose hamburger loving hubby is turning (mostly) veg! MINE!!!!
I am beyond ecstatic that Chris and I are on the same page with the food we consume and the food we give our kids. Will David and Lilly be considered strange by their peers for eating hummus and drinking soy milk? I guess that's possible, but I see that as better than the alternative!
Even though we live in the midwest, we are so blessed to be in Lakewood, where vegetarianism/veganism is widly accepted. We have stores and restaurants with lots of flesh-free options. I hope that this trend spreads quickly through the U.S.

What happened with Chris? Anyone who knows Chris knows that this is a huge change. When new friends would ask me if my husband was also a vegetarian, I would just laugh. Even though he fully supported me in my veggie pursuits, there was absolutely no way that I could change his eating habits. He had to come to that point on his own.

Chris has been trying to lose weight for years. He has had many successes, but the struggle has persisted. Recently, he was introduced to Advocare products. This was life-changing and we are very grateful to Kristin and Chris Iden for their friendship. Chris committed to the 24 day challenge which required a very strict diet. No salt, no sugar, no dairy, only small amounts of chicken and fish. Chris thrived on this diet. After some time, the chicken felt too heavy for him and he was down to just fish for meat.

Chris has completed the 24 day challenge and he lost a total of 29 pounds. He is now addicted to this new lifestyle of healthy eating and uphill walking.
You all know that the book Skinny Bitch is what kick started my veggie lifestyle. Well, Chris has discovered Skinny's spouse, Skinny Bastard. (So sorry for these awful titles, and this is not recommended reading for young people or those easily offended)
He is having all of the same revelations that I had a year and a half ago and that I thought he would never grasp. I am so grateful!
This is especially good timing because I had just recently seriously started contemplating adding meat back into my diet. I don't know what I was thinking, but I'm so glad that God had another plan!

I would like to tell you what my 5 year old and 3 year old had for dinner last night (and enjoyed).
Small portion of salmon cooked in olive oil with walnuts on top
Sweet potato
Fresh cut pineapple
Whole wheat vegetable pasta with crushed tomato on top
Water, to drink

Keep in mind, what is written above is all that was in the food. No seasonings, butter, sugar...nothing. Kids do not need to be fed chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese just because they are kids. They do not need to drink massive amounts of milk and they do not need to watch you consume those things, either.

We have decided to include organic fish in our family diet (including me). I love that this is our "family diet."

I am so proud of my family and so thankful for what God is doing in our lives.

More to come.

"God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take Charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth and every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.
God looked over everything he had made; it was good, so very good!"
Genesis 1:26-31a (The Message)