Today, I sit contemplating health. My fathers, my children and my own. We only get one body and anymore, it is becoming evident that we can't just put anything into our bodies. My father is living proof of this at 86. He hasn't taken care of his body and now his body is starting to fail him.There are just too many chemicals and food related illness and allergies out there, so we MUST treat our bodies as the temples they are, and not just a dumping ground for CRAP! (Pardon my French)
Last time I blogged here, I was talking about Trim Healthy Mama or THM. I was a fan because a friend of mine was a devoted follower and because of her devotion and hard work had lost about 60 pounds, looked about 20 years younger and was astronomically healthier. She was a poster child for how to do it right.
I actually got on board and had success, until I didn't. The success didn't end because of a faulty plan, but because of a faulty me. Yeah, that is usually why plans don't work for me. I get distracted, lazy or....and this is a huge one.....I tell myself that I am healthy enough! Healthy enough. Is that even a real thing? Can you just be healthy enough? And what happens when your body disagrees? My body in the last year was disagreeing loudly as I had developed other health issues that diet could easily help IF I would just admit that I had them. I am a stubborn old broad!
Then a couple of months ago, I learned that my youngest son who is special needs was growing severely underweight. It was preventing him from having good muscle growth and was thus impeding almost everything about his health. It wasn't that he wasn't eating, it was simply that he wasn't eating the right things. I was putting way too many processed and fast food items into our diet. He was getting the wrong kind of fats, too many chemicals and with his metabolism, he was burning what little muscle he had. It terrified me. That was when I realized that if I didn't care enough about my own body to feed it right, then I MUST care about my child. And trust me.....I do!
I began looking at the THM plan closer. I went back to THM because the foods on the plan are healthy fats, no grains, no sugar and lots of fruits, veggies and mostly lean meats. Processed and packaged foods are a big NO NO! One of my favorite things is their smoothies. All begin with a cottage cheese base (don't make that face), natural flavors or fruits, almond milk and per doctors instructions for David.....Muscle Milk protein powder. I began starting Davids days with a smoothie with added ingredients of bananas, peanut butter or avocado. I also began making sure that instead of three large daily meals, he was having 5-6 smaller daily meals. His meals had healthy proteins such a eggs, peanut butter and lean meats, healthy fats such as coconut oil, butter and avocado and lots and lots of healthy fruits and veggies. Within a month he was almost to normal weight and his activity level had tripled. He was also building and using his muscles much better. It was like night and day difference.
If all that weren't enough to make me a lifetime member of THM, my middle son was diagnosed with celiac disease. It is an intestinal/stomach disease which is brought on by an allergy to gluten. Sadly, gluten is in many processed foods and in Z's case. even small amounts of gluten were making him terribly sick.
Celiac is a nasty condition which makes it so you can never be far from a bathroom. You are constantly having stomach issues and some days you feel so horrible that you have no real quality of life. It is exhausting and truly takes a toll on a person. It also opens them up to other issues such as rheumatoid arthritis, rheynods and ulcers leading to cancers. It is under the auto-immune umbrella of diseases which run rampant in our family.
Once we had a firm diagnosis, I then began researching the disease and looking at the foods that he could and couldn't eat. Funny thing.....my research brought me right back to THM. While THM is a great plan for an all around healthier life style and awesome for those who have diabetic issues, it also happens to be right on target for those with gluten allergies and/or celiac disease.
THM works very well for those with gluten issues as there are almost no grains used on the plan. The flours used are mostly almond, coconut and flax. There are some oatmeal flour recipes but those can be replaced with the other flours or with gluten free oatmeal flour. Since there are almost no processed foods and an emphasis on fruits, veggies and lean meats....it is a dream for those suffering with gluten issues. Within a week of eating THM, Z could already see a huge difference in how he felt and how his body was reacting to food. While not a complete convert to this new way of eating, he is much more open to trying new THM foods, especially when he is finding that gluten free packaged foods are not all that tasty.
Well...now I'm back. Actually.....now I can never turn back. My kids will forever have to eat the THM way for their health and I am quickly learning what my friend tried to teach me with her success. It's not really about the weight loss, although feeling comfortable in your own skin is definitely a plus. No....it is more about feeling comfortable in your own body. There is something very gratifying about knowing that your body is taking in and processing food properly and that the foods you are putting in your body are not only nourishing it, but also making it function to its full potential in every way, from how you sleep at night to the energy you have day to day. You also learn to listen to your body. Trust me, it will tell you when things aren't right.
So yeah....THM! It is a workable plan regardless of why you work it. It is ever evolving and since my last post, the THM ladies have put out a new cookbook with easy to follow recipes that will please the palette of even the pickiest members of your family. A bonus is that there are those food bloggers out there who have made converting regular recipes to THM recipes their main goal in life. This means there are no end of delicious meals, desserts and snacks right at your fingertips.
I hope with my entire family now on the THM train, to post a few more blogs about our progress, the pros and cons (if any) to our new lifestyle change. Does this mean, that I'm back and this blog will be getting some love again? Perhaps!
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