To Answer Your Questions

I have to say, I'm not an expert or a medical doctor or anything beyond a curious woman who has read a few books, watch some documentaries, and read a lot of diverse internet stuff as I search for Truth. I know that, based on my family's medical history, it's gonna be heart disease, cancer, diabetes or all three for me. (Based on my personal history, it's gonna be some crazy random stupid accident that makes people feel guilty as they laugh during my eulogy.)

The body is an amazing, self-repairing machine that always seems to be capable of more than I thought imaginable. The body needs fuel, right? A blend of protein for muscles, calcium for bones and teeth, fat for energy and an array of vitamins and minerals. Honestly, that's all you need.

Yet if you go to the grocery store, you are overwhelmed by the amount of carbohydrate based foods. Surely, you think, if they devote 80 feet to bread alone, I probably need it. And another 80 feet to chips and pretzels? And other for cookies and crackers. And pasta. And cakes. AND CEREAL!

But you look at the eggs section ... I'm pretty much convinced EGGS are the best food in the universe. And yet, they are stuck in the back corner with maybe 10 feet of cooler space. Chickens make 'em for free; you can buy 12 for less that $2.

I need to answer a few questions from yesterday's blog:

1. Wow, I have never heard that stat about wheat raising your blood sugar level more than a candy bar?!

(It's a statement, but there was a question mark, so ...)

To be fair, we all respond to sugar uniquely. Some may tolerate it well and their bodies use the energy and go smoothly on. Others, their blood sugar spikes, insulin is released, the blood sugar drops sharply as the sugar is removed and converted in to fat to be stored in resistant-to-be-used fat cells.

Nevertheless, bread has a very high glycemic index. If you are sensitive to sugar, bread is very bad. Bread is like candy in healthy-food-clothing.

2. So, practically speaking as I struggle with my diet....you eat the stir fry with beans rather than over rice or in a tortilla or something, right?

I stir fry my meat and veggies with some beans tossed in, but the stir fry IS the meal. It all goes in a bowl with cheese (or sour cream if you like). There is no WITH. No carbs added. Tortillas are identical to bread, but no yeast, all converting to sugar. Rice is not quite as bad as bread, but still, it all just converts to useless sugar in the blood. If you are eating enough fat and protein, you have all the energy you need from the fat (much denser source of energy). Plus, without the constant elevated sugar levels in your body for easy energy access, your body uses the fat cell storage for additional energy needs, ketosis.


3. And do you add seasoning?

Usually just salt and pepper. Seasoning is mostly carb free. Greg loves salsa on his. Season all. Simple is good.

4. And what kind of cooked chicken and cut veggies do you buy?

The chicken I like, we get from Costco. Two kinds, the frozen skinless boneless chicken tenders (flash frozen, not breaded nugget things).  The easier version is pre-cooked, grilled chicken. It comes in two ziplock baggies, we freeze one and refrigerate the other. You can eat it cold, or warm it up. There is also pre-cooked grilled streak, but I like the chicken better.

For veggies, I just rough chunk chop everything ... white onion, bell peppers, celery, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, green beans. Whatever. Sometimes I use frozen, usually fresh, just whatever I feel like. It's all very fast and I like to eat different things, so the variety keeps me from hating it after 3 days.


5. Do you believe there is a link with heart disease, then?

I am convinced that SUGAR CAUSES HEART DISEASE. And cancer and high cholesterol and diabetes and a lot more probably. We have to eat healthy food to BE healthy. Our body doesn't REQUIRE carbs and doesn't do well with them, long term; it takes about 20 years off our life, I estimate, maybe more. TWENTY YEARS!!!

All the carbohydrates we eat, however complex, turn into simple sugar in our blood. We eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a sandwich or tortilla or rice bowl for lunch, and pasta for dinner. Our blood sugar spikes each time, more insulin is always needed, it takes a toll on the body. Studies linking cholesterol and fat to heart disease never looked at sugar intake levels. A few recent studies show that diets high in fat and protein have significantly LESS heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. 

EXTRA NOTES:

1. We eat a lot of nuts and wholesome trail mix. When we get that snacky snack feeling, Cashews and almonds are the go to foods. And water. Also, chewable Vitamin C.

2. I eat carbs sometimes. Even desserts. But only 2-3 times a week, usually when I am out with others, so as not to be that "DIFFICULT TO FEED NO-CARB GIRL."

3. We bought liquid sucralose on-line. It's a sweetener that (MAY CAUSE CANCER :) ) does not effect your glycemic index. Half a cup of whipping cream, 8 tiny drops of sucralose, and I am dipping my strawberries in carb-free heaven.

4. We bought Almond flour for baking experiments and almost have "pancakes" mastered with just 1/4 cup white flour. Still working on lo-carb pumpkin pie for Greggie.

5. Asthmatics should not do no carb, hi protein diet; might kill 'em.

My life and body are my experiment. I weigh 130 pounds now and am happy with how my body looks and functions (except my short stupid toes that make me clumsy and don't stop me from kicking hard metal objects). I feel that this very-lo carb way of life is extremely manageable for short-term weight loss, sure, but more importantly, for long-term health. We order pizza and just eat the toppings (ok, maybe one whole piece, then the rest, just toppings). We get hamburgers and don't eat the buns. Get "bowls, no rice" at the burrito place. Get more veggies instead of rice at Panda Express. I make meals with chunky bites of meat and veggies rather than pouring sauces over noodles (Or I will as soon as I get my kids trained better ;).

Interested related blogs:

Vibrant Health

Fat Head

LiveStong

Life Hacker

Soon-To-Be-Old Wives Tale

When my dad was a child, he was once very sick with pneumonia. His mother, my beloved grandmother, put one of those hot-water-steam-maker thingies by the bed he was resting in. The cord somehow got tangled in blankets and, as he turned over in his sleep, he pulled the hot-water-steam-maker thingy on himself, scalding his entire back.

Grandma put butter all over him, wrapped him in a woolen blanket, and rushed him to the hospital.

She did what she thought was best.

We know now that putting butter on a burn traps the heat inside and causes the burning to go deeper into the skin. If the nerve endings are burnt, the pain stops; until they grow back; if they grow back.

The wool blanket became imbedded in his beyond-blistered-skin and the lint had to carefully be plucked out of the flesh, piece by piece.

*****

Right now, we are told that wheat is a healthy product for us to eat. We think of it as a nourishing staple of our diet. You are functioning under your best beliefs when you give the kids sandwiches, hot dogs, mac n cheese, hamburgers, pasta, and toast. But I am telling you, wheat is not good for us today.

To be fair, the wheat of today is not the same wheat grandmother ate. Our wheat has been genetically engineered to grow faster, more plentifully, and be disease resistant. The wheat we have today has not been examined for human safety by the FDA; why bother, right? It's just wheat.

However, two slices of the wheat we have today will raise your glycemic index (blood sugar level) MORE than a Snickers candy bar (a big one, not the "fun size").

In the 50's, doctors started blaming heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity on FAT (red meat, bacon, butter) and sugar. We are all trying to eat better. Whole wheat, whole grain, oats, Cheerios, lo-fat milk, fat-free everything. And now we see the cure in sight, RIGHT???

No. Dammit, it is WORSE. They were wrong and rather than admit it, they keep pushing it down our fat, cancer ridden, diabetic gullets. (Maybe Oreo and Lipitor are too big to fail?)

Ever go out for dinner, eat all the bread, and still manage to eat the full meal, and dessert? Yeah. Wheat is an APPETITE STIMULANT. An ADDICTIVE APPETITE STIMULANT. I used to make homemade rolls and wonder how we could always eat ALL of them. Now I get it. Our body doesn't HAVE an OFF switch for wheat. When you eat enough steak and your body will say "Whoa there buck-o: Nuff!" Wheat is evil.

This was my lunch today. Took 5 minutes to stir fry, in BUTTER, mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, zucchini, black beans, grilled chicken, and of course, I put cheese on top. Have all my veggies pre-chopped in baggies. We buy the chicken pre-cooked and sometimes snack on it cold. It delicious and easy and good for me.

It is not hard to give up wheat. It is very hard to see my mother struggle with diabetes, to know my father and brother's hearts failed them so early; to worry about all the rest of my family and you, too.

It isn't hard to give up wheat. It is very nice be my high school clothing size (but, alas,with saggier boobs). It is very encouraging to watch my husbands clothes get baggier and baggier on him, as he succeeds in this informed lifestyle choice.

You do not need the rice, the pasta, the bun, the bread. You will feel JUST as full without them, I promise! Focus on the protein, the fat, and eat some fiber for poops sake. Take your vitamins, floss your teeth. Wheat is the old, out-dated, WRONG information. Eating wheat is an old, fat wives tale. 

(Homework: Read Wheat Belly, By William Davis.)

Value of Modesty

I'm grumpy today and rather than address the root of the grump, I'll write about something that has been burrowing in my head for a while.

I once facebooked that I'd be wearing my bikini in Austin. A comment indicating that a modest mother should wear a one piece was lovingly left for me. I let it slide; I'm a duck-back-mother-quacker.

A facebook friend bemoaned having to argue with her very young daughter that she will NOT be wearing a bikini.

While helping my newly potty-trained daughter use the pool bathroom for the third time in a few hours (drip .... drip), I realized that wet one-piece swimsuits were really, stupid, horrible, dreadful things.

It doesn't really matter to me what people wear to the pool. Everyone is comparing and judging behind their sunglasses.

The thing is, if God is so anti-body showing, why are we born nekkid? Kittens have fur ...

Adam and Eve, they were the ones all worried about their nasty bits showing ... God rolled his eyes and gave them something to put on ... but he didn't command. He just provided. It's the first and probably best known story. What if that's how God works? Not so much with commanding ... but providing what we think we need when we need it.

My daughter isn't really old enough to argue about the clothes I buy for her. She is at the age where it is awfully hard to keep her clothed (sorry neighborhood).

My 9 year old tho, he understands that there is something inappropriate about various states of undress. He does not approve of my bikini. He can tell me stuff like that without offending me (husband is not so lucky, sorry babe).

That's when it occurred to me that its not about shaming our daughters into covering up, its about acknowledging that others might be uncomfortable and we can choose to cover up out of respect. Or not and people can be tolerant.

It is lazy and I'll even say evil parenting to MAKE your kids blindly obey. We teach them right principles and exemplify them in our own life and allow them to suffer natural consequences. If you force your kids to fast, force them to pay tithing, force them to be perfect, I worry those are the kids who fall away. If you take the time to help them reason things out and pray about them, even together, that is really God's plan, I think.

(Feel like I'm gonna eat these words someday ... shrug.)

My Own Story

This will be the last post I make. On this laptop. The T key is missing and the W only works when it wants to.

Haven't been writing here much. Are blogs dead? I don't care if they are. I still enjoy this medium.

I have things to say. Lots. But I'm realized what I have been writing is more my children's stories than the story of me. They should get to tell their own stories. I play the part of "Mom", but they are people making their own stories now. I remember being 3 and 5 and 9 ... maybe not three so much. Three is very naughty ...

Anyway, it's not my place to record and display their lives publicly. They are a giant piece of my life story, but I tend to dwell on the high and lows and notice what is important to me. I don't want to super-impose my perceptions of them upon who they really are.

Off to Costco. Kids are hungry every few hours.

I hope I blog more.

Low Carb Menu at the Roth House

I was asked for my low carb menu ideas.

It's been just as tricky to cook low-carb as it was to cook without concern to carbs. This is a great place for ideas!

For breakfast, I have a few cashews and some carrots or apples dipped in almond or peanut butter. Or nothing, just vitamins. A big glass of cold water makes me feel charged and clean. I have to leave earlier; Greg handles breakfast.

The children and Greg have oatmeal or cold cereal maybe twice a week; we are still running out our storage. The other days, they have eggs, eggs with bacon, eggs with ham, eggs with sausage, eggs and spam, spam with rats, etc. Eggs are fast and yummy. Based on my research, the hype about cholesterol and fat causing heart problems is unfounded and relies on unproven theories that are just bad science and wrong. I am betting my life on it. I am going to have my annual doctor visit soon, I'll have them do a complete blood analysis and tell you how it goes.  

I pack the kids lunches every day. They get chicken nuggets, ham slices, corn dogs, tacitos, or leftovers with carrots and apples, a few nuts, cheese sticks and 100% juice box, but we are switching them to milk now. Juice is sugar water. Honestly, I think the only appropriate drinks for children are milk and water. I never put in candy or cookies. Rarely, I will put in pretzels, chips, or crackers.

I eat lunch when I get home. I actually like canned/packaged meats, like tuna, salmon, oysters, and sardines. I eat leftover chicken/roast or canned seafood with steamed and fresh veggies. Green beans, broccoli, asparagus, mixed vegetables, brussel sprouts, carrots, edamame, spinach, Romain, green stuff. Cheese. I've been craving zucchini. I end up with 1 part protein, 2 parts green vegetables, 1 part fruit, 1 part dairy.  

Dinners are trickiest, trying to please and feed and nurture all of us at the same time. Picky bunch, lately. 

I love to buy the frozen boneless skinless chicken tenders. They defrost and cook fast and taste great. With just basic salt and pepper, we like to dip em in ketchup, ranch, honey mustard. Or switch up spices for diversity. Cumin. Soy. Chipotle. Onions and garlic.

We get a thing called "Moist Brisket" pre-cooked from Whole Foods sometimes. It's pricey per pound, but one pound is sufficient to feed my little family of five when all we eat is brisket and a couple veggies (and potato salad, but potato salad is a "treat").

Good old crock pot roast.

Grilled chicken legs.

Baked frozen fish.

Sauteed shrimps are very popular here.

Then we steam or saute a bunch of veggies - mushroom, onions, garlic, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. Have some beans, grapes, raspberries, on the side because three is a nicer number of items on the plate.


We have refried beans and tortilla chips and salsa and sour cream. We might have ravioli and chunky marinara with chicken.

We snack on cashews, pistachios, jerky, carrots, grapes.


Sagan loves noodles. We add beef and broccoli to the ramen.

We are still struggling with implementing the new diet into our whole family. I am not as concerned with the
children eating more carbs than me. They run and move and jump a lot more than I do.

And that's all I really have right now.


You know how I imagine and you maybe experienced food in France? They have this fancy rich food, but just a tiny amount on the plate? And it seems ridiculous; that would never fill anyone up! Right? But it's delicious and has a lot of fat (VITAL FOR BRAIN AND HEART FUNCTION!) and you eat it slowly, savoring and you do end up feeling full.

After a Month

I always miss blogging. I want to blog every day. I want to blog EVERYTHING, every event, thought, project. Every difficult, embarrassing, funny, joyful moment.

But I really can't.

There's time. There's respecting my husband and children's rights to privacy and not embarrassing them publicly. Really, that's all that keeps me back.

I've learned a couple of new truths: your body treats sugar, soda, cake, bread, pasta, rice, fruits, and twinkies all pretty much the same way - breaks them down to simple sugar molecules, uses a little as needed and has insulin escort the rest to be deposited into your fat cells. If your body is good at storing fat, you probably are well aware. If you keep the sugar levels up in your blood by regularly eating all the aforementioned foods, your body has no need to tap into those fat cells, even if you exercise a whole whole WHOLE lot. Also, the sugar raises your cholesterol, the bad kind. It's not fat. Sugar.

Also, you don't need to eat any carbohydrates at all. Nope. Your body can convert fat and protein into energy. You don't need carbs. You can live perfectly well on protein and fat as long as you get some vitamins from plants. Fat is your heart's FAVORITE source of energy. And you know why you never hear of anyone with cancer of the heart? Because sugar causes cancer and hearts use fat. SUGAR IS KILLING US.

Today would be my little brother's 31st birthday. I no longer believe that is was a bad heart that killed him (or my dad or aunt or several others in my family). I believe it was an IGNORANT medical community that continues to tell us to eat mostly fruits and veggies and whole grain carbs and lo fat diets.

Please educate yourself on the bio-chemical interactions that go on in your body. Please know that your brain and heart, your neurological and circulatory systems, require FAT to function properly. Please note that it is NOT the bread, pasta, or rice at your dinner that makes you fill full, it is the fat. Cut out the carb entirely, and you actually fill up faster and don't even need the carbs.

Once your blood is no longer constantly circulating sugar for energy, you enter a state called ketosis where your body uses its fat stores for energy. You will feel more energetic, stronger, need less sleep.

My husband has lost 14 pounds this month and said he feels full, eating meat and vegetables. He never used to eat much in the way of veggies before, but he is now. On lo-fat diets, he said he never stopped feeling hungry. He'd try to eat normal portions, but his stomach hurt with hunger. He's better now.

What's really sad is when I'm putting out the lunches for my kids at school and the kid has a bolony sandwich on soft fluffy white bread with a thin slice of meat and a thin slice of fakey fake cheese, a bag of cheesy puffs, and a bottle of blue kool-aid. I throw the cookie in the trash (we are a no-candy school), but all the rest is sugar, too. It is no wonder that kids bounce off walls and can't sit and concentrate. Got hyper kids? Reevaluate their diets. Growing muscles, brains, and bones need protein, fat, and calcium. Water and milk are really the only appropriate child drinks. Kids (and adults) do NOT need to spike their blood with sugar all day.

I couple months ago lost ten pounds being really strict about calories and exercising a lot. Felt tired and grumpy a lot.

I lost another 5 pounds this month by eating protein and vegetables until I feel full and just living life.

I got 5 hours of sleep last night and woke up feeling fine.

Our doctors are misinformed and uninformed. Stop eating the carbs. Every bite of bread is sugar and its effects are evident all around you. Half of my immediate family is dead. I promise, you will not die without pasta or bread or any of it. But continuing to eat it not is not making you any healthier.

That's all I can really say. Educate yourself, study it out, ask God, try it out. There's a very old story where the king of Ethiopia is visiting the King of Persia. The Ethiopian King asks how long the Persians live. "80 years and all I eat is bread and drink wine!" The Ethiopian King laughs at him and says, "We live to be 120 eating meat and drinking milk." We have forgotten where we came from, I think.

A Day Off

I'm sitting here in my underwear, blogging. Kids all at school (the school I work at and took a day off from). Me? I just read last Sunday's Post Secrets and am crying like a baby.

Miss my daddy.

This will be the twelfth Father's Day gone by.

Whatever his flaws and shortcomings were, I love him. I miss him so much. I am so sad that he is missing out on my children, that he is unable to influence the people they are growing up to be. He would have really loved my kids; they really are a special group of crazy silly smart.

I just recently had my wedding video converted from VHS to DVD. He sang at my reception. With my mom and brother. I watched the DVD last week and it was like they were still alive, just missing somewhere, but certainly, not dead. My father and brother. I don't know how to upload DVD files. But maybe by Sunday I can and give you some video of my daddy.

I should shower. Put on clothes. Savor this little window of time to myself.

Death isn't The End.

Father's Day is Sunday. If your's is still corporeal, could you give him the hugs I wish I could give mine?

The Hobo In Me

I look back on my fashion sense in high school, very much grunge influenced ... I mostly wore boy jeans that were holey and too big. Flannel. Big tee shirts. I have a couple old flannel shirts in my closet from back in the day and on rainy days, I reach for them, then push my hand away. No, Brandy, we don't wear that anymore.

These days I try to be a little less hobo and more granny chic. Just got myself some new Tina-Fey-Sarah-Palin bangs. Oh yeah, Bangs baby. I clip my hair up, all proper. I wear trousers (or are they slacks?) with my t-shirts; and jeans with my button shirts. Shirts with just a little twirl, always at the knee or so.

But ... I'm trying to eat better. I keep reading and learning more interesting things. Last night's health documentary was about vitamins. Evidently, upping your doses of C, E, and B's can pretty much fix everything that is wrong with no side effects (well, E gives me fishy burps if I eat it on an empty stomach).

Our uber stressful lives makes our bodies produce lots of adrenaline and cortisol. I'm not 100% sure, but I think too much of those chemicals would be bad, right? Vitamin C and E are needed to break those chemicals down. But we also need those vitamins for most every function of our body. SO. if we are all stressed and using up our Vitamin resources, is it any wonder why we get sick? And you do megadose Vitamin C when you are sick, right? I do. It seems to help.

I also watch a documentary on Ray Kurzweil. He has wacky ideas about eating. But he is a really smart guy. Takes over a HUNDRED supplements a day. Pops them like candy. So he can live long enough to upload his consciousness into a computer and live forever. It's a plan. 

I don't wanna have a stroke.

I'm getting to the point in my self education where the experts don't agree.

Some say eating fat doesn't matter. Some say it matters a lot.

I like canned sardines.

I always think of sardines as hobo food. I vaguely remember some old cartoon with a hobo opening up a can of sardines and the fish get up and dance around ... (not this one, but in this style of insanity).



Omega 3 is supposed to be good for your brains. Protein is necessary for muscle repair and growth.

But a lot of fat and sodium; they say that;s bad for the heart and stuff.

DO THEY EVEN KNOW ANYTHING??

Its not weird that I really like sardines from a can, is it?

Because I like oysters, too.

Whats The Point Anyway?!

When you have a hard job, more than anything, you want to know you are making a difference. Whether it is motherhood, doctor, president, social worker, actor, writer, or pre-school teacher, when the day/week/month/year has been especially arduous, you just need to KNOW that the stress, guilt, pain, time, energy is WORTH it, that the world is a better place because of what you do.

I can't tell you how many times lately I have asked myself, "GOOD GOD, THIS JOB IS SO HARD, WHY AM I DOING THIS? DO I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS AS MY CAREER? THESE KIDS AREN'T EVEN GONNA REMEMBER HOW I LET THEM PICK THEIR FAVORITE COLOR TO PAINT ANYWAY SO WHAT IS THE POINT AND THEY ARE NEVER NEVER NEVER GONNA REMEMBER TO SIT WHILE THEY EAT ANYWAY."

And then ... I have three (HOLY CRAP, THREE!) more new kids starting on Monday. To go along with my new kid that started this week. And the new kid last week. And the new kid every week or so for 3 or so weeks. Lots of new kids. On Monday, my class will officially be at 14, and 7 started within the last month.

New kids are a great thing. It really means that people have heard good things about my school and are willing to entrust us with the most precious, beloved, important people in their life. Nevertheless, it's one of the most challenging things. Building a bond, helping the child feel safe and loved. You can imagine. I can't begin to really teach the child anything until they feel safe and loved.

Good thing they are so darn cute and easy to love.

But I have had this nagging concern that it doesn't matter. A study of not too long ago showed that the academic advantages of Headstart Programs made no significant overall, long-term academic difference and that makes me worry. Maybe I should be encouraging mothers to stay home with their kids. If pre-school doesn't make their lives better, we need to fnd out what WILL and DO THAT. Right?

But I am madly in love with the Montessori philosophy of education. It is beautiful and elegant and feels so right. I love watching a child concentrating on an activity, mastering it, perfectly absorbed and disciplined. I love the emphasis on peacefulness and self-discipline and kindness. My classroom is much tidier than my home ...

So I have been torn and conflicted. My understanding that pre-school doesn't REALLY matter and my feelings that it HAS to have significant impact.OR WHY AM I DOING IT?

Then I got this link to an NPR podcast and my energy and faith and enthusiasm has been refilled.

Pre-school helps especially with the kids who really really need some help. The studies show SIGNIFICANT advantages all the way up to adulthood. My love and attention and clever North-American-Countries-To-The-Tune-of-Jingle-Bells helps my babies stay out of jail, earn more money, and be more successful with interpersonal interactions. It makes sense. All day long, I remind them to be kind, be quiet, be soft, be gentle, be careful. I tickle them and smile at them. At nap time, I rub their backs and massage their brains or feet. When they are so frustrated they have no words, I loan them them some. When all they can do is scream and cry, I give them space or hugs and remind them to breathe. "Shhh, it's okay. I know. It's hard. You're okay."

At school, they learn a million naughty things they probably wouldn't have picked up if they stayed home with mom or dad, but they also get an opportunity to find themselves, separate from mom and dad. In my class, I try to give them every opportunity to DO and CHOOSE. Last week, I taught them "Squeezing Oranges" and they got to drink their own fresh juice. They really loved that. They love to put paint on a brush and create. I make them bring their own blanket to their mat to lay down and sleep. I remind them to pee and blow their noses and wash their hands so that someday, they will be able to take care of themselves.

AND IT MATTERS! It DOES make a difference. Not just today, but it matters for always.

They said every dollar invested in quality pre-school programs comes back 30 times. I am much happier.

The things Maria Montessori discovered a hundred years ago are being proven over and over again. Children who maybe don't have the awesomest home life can really use a good pre-school. That period of time from birth to maybe 6 sets a person up. If you don't learn how to BE with people, it is harder and harder to teach later AND pretty much impossible to train into an adult.

I'm not saying put your babies in daycare. I'm saying a quality program for a 2-4 hours every weekday, a consistent routine in a safe and enriching environment is probably a good thing for you pre-school age child.

And I'm gonna try to help.

I think it's the best way I can contribute to world peace.

The Value of Life - Eat me.

"I'm a vegetarian. Oh, but I still eat eggs because I'm also Pro-Choice"

--Some comedian in some documentary I once watched. (How's that for citing my source?)

I read an article at Runner's World.com about the need to increase protein to improve health. I have personally found that increasing protein in my diet has been very beneficial to weight lose and feeling good. But I have that nagging "meat bad" thing stuck in my brain.

The comments after the article were as interesting as the article. Now, it is safe to conclude that the commenters were fairly intelligent and fairly health conscious, otherwise they'd be at the Jersey Shore fan site (great, now I gotta find a link for that ...). Many of the comments were from our friends, The Vegetarians: Wah, but what can WE eat?!

I have nothing against people choosing to not eat meat. But there are a couple of myths that do irk me. One is that animal protein is linked to CANCER!!! As one commenter cited:

Some clarification on animal protein and cancer....

Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;89(5):1402-9. Epub 2009 Mar 4.

Meta-analysis of animal fat or animal protein intake and colorectal cancer.

Conclusion - On the basis of the results of this quantitative assessment, the available epidemiological evidence does not appear to support an independent association between animal fat intake or animal protein intake and colo-rectal cancer.

There is more evidence that a diet high in sugar/carbs correlates to cancer than a more carnivorous diet. We need to stop propagating unsupported myths and allow new research to teach us more accurate myths.

It's amazing how very few see the painting on the cave wall. It's a large animal and a bow, not flowing waves of grain and a scythe. Man has been eating animals for eons. It makes sense that this is what is best for you. You never hear anybody say, "I'm allergic to meat".

The second thing is the high and mighty tone. I shall not harm another living thing, that all may live in peace. BAH! No living thing lives without MURDERING other living things EVERY SINGLE DAY. A plant's life is as sacred as a cow as a fish as a mushroom as a newborn baby as an unborn baby as a chicken as rose.

Life is sacred. It is a beautiful TEMPORARY miracle. We are all dying from the moment of our birth. What nobler thing to do with one's life than to let your flesh be consumed that another may live on? I am totally pro-cannibalism, by the way. Just one more of many many reasons I will never be president.

Don't be a vegetarian because you think it is a more noble path. Be a vegetarian because you like carrots. Then KILL those carrots often, aware that you are ending their life to continue yours. Just because a carrot doesn't bleed blood, doesn't have a mouth to scream out pain, doesn't make its sacrifice less of a contribution to your life. You filthy carrot killer.

Eat healthy and give thanks to God for this beautiful world that allows death to aid in the continuity of life.

 And when I die, come have some Brandy Stew. I have a good recipe.

Feelings of Abandonment

Got a new batch of babies at school.


Oh, how I love that first week.

They cry and cry and cry. I want my mommy, daddy, monkey ... sigh. I want to give you back to mommy, daddy, and monkey, kiddo.

I try to explain that these super irritating sobs are likely the very reason mom and dad dumped them off in the first place, but the babies are too consumed by grief to really hear me. They can barely breathe, y'know?

Children under two are not fans of  starting school, it seems. They have absolutely no idea what is going on except that everything they know and love has been taken away by the people they trusted most, who have disappeared and they may never get any of it back.

And, just so you know, the teachers, as smiley and sweet as they try to seem, it is really really really really really irritating. Exhausting.

"Normalization" (when your kid finally accepts school as the new routine) takes 6-8 weeks. The first two weeks are the hardest. It is so hard to teach everything from square one. Rolling a rug. Putting things away when finished. Hands to yourself. Sit when you eat. Sitting in circle. How to line up. How to walk in a line. How to not scratch people's eyes out. Take turns. Leave others' stuff alone. Soft voices. No biting. NO TEMPER TANTRUMS!! NO CRYING!!!!!!

It's really hard for everyone. There must be a better way.

All I know: Today, I am really tired of being screamed and yelled at and ignored.

Maybe I don't wanna be a teacher anymore. Maybe I would like to be the kind of teacher who has all summer off. Maybe I would like to talk about teaching theories with adults while staying far away from the trenches.

Also, if my darling daughter could stop with the "I'm a kitty" phase and poop in the potty ...

Whatever becomes of me, I am going to try harder to be patient with sad babies tomorrow. Promise.

Wearing My Religion On My Shirt Sleeve In Public

Read a great article about religion and politics.

It starts out about a Broadway Musical that I imagine won't be playing at the Capitol Theater (SLC) soon (tho, I could be wrong).

Then the article moved on to discuss a play I really like, Angels in America, which I read my first year at college.

In one telling scene a gay man with AIDS named Prior is helped to the hospital by a Mormon woman named Hannah. As they wait for the nurse, the man confesses that he believes he had a vision of an angel, and Hannah responds:

Hannah: "One hundred and seventy years ago, which is recent, an Angel of God appeared to Joseph Smith in upstate New York, not far from here. People have visions."
Prior: "But that's preposterous, that's ... "
Hannah: "It's not polite to call other people's beliefs preposterous. He had great need of understanding. Our prophet. His prayer made an angel. The angel was real. I believe that."
Prior: "I don't. And I'm sorry but it is repellent to me. So much of what you believe."
Hannah: "What do I believe?"
Prior: "I'm a homosexual. With AIDS. I can just imagine what you ... "
Hannah: "No you can't. Imagine. The things in my head. You don't make assumptions about me mister, I won't make them about you."

That's what I try to walk around with in my head: You don't make assumptions about me mister, I won't make them about you.

I think my favorite job to date was Balloon Animal Twister in Denny's, here in Austin. For one, I made 3 times more money at it then I do teaching. For another, I offered my "talent" to everyone, without discrimination, and I really didn't care if they gave me money or not. It made people happy. I did this job for 4 days, two Saturdays and two Sundays and I observed America. Poor and middle class individuals and families of every race, religion, and status. The least likely man, a bearded motorcycle guy, gave me the best tip. A cool teenager who wore my jester hat ironically was inspired to learn the "art" himself when I told him how much I was making an hour. People were nice to me.

People are nice.

So I guess Mitt Romney, that wishy washy Mormon guy, is gonna run for president? Such a waste of money. Also:

Whether a candidate is Mormon, Muslim, Pentecostal, Catholic, Jewish, any other religion, or no religion at all is not grounds in itself for judgment about the commitments or character of a candidate. Like race or cultural background, to vote, or not vote for someone based on religion is prejudice, pure and simple. Remember the Mormon mother's words: "You don't make assumptions about me Mister, and I won't make them about you."

How I Made Brushing Teeth And Flossing Part of My Daily Routine (Thrilling title, Brandy. thrilling. Gonna drive people here by the droves, you are)

I was raised by wolves. That's why I have such terrible table manners and house cleaning skills.


I imagine that children who were not raised by wolves are expected to brush their teeth every morning and night. And take out diapers promptly. And clean sauce off the floor immediately.

However, these things do not come naturally to me.

In 1996, I had a crazy roommate who brushed her teeth while SHOWERING! I know, crazy! And clearly, not raised by wolves. I started keeping my toothbrush and paste in my shower caddy and soon, I, too, brushed my teeth every morning in the shower.


In 2008, my husband finally joined in this crazy, unwolfy behavior. Our toothbrushes and paste LIVE in the shower.

About 5 weeks ago, we put dental floss in the shower. And, as if by magic, I have dental flossed my teeth every single day since. Every day. At first, there was the sensitive, bleeding gums unpleasantness. But now I am proud to announce, my gums are no longer bloody. They love being flossed.

A secret I am sure is true: many illnesses could be avoided by removing the plaque and germs between our teeth before they multiply and infect the rest of our body. At the very least, no gunk between my teeth.

Floss, you!

Thrilling blog post.

Junk Food Trips Me Up, Yet, Calling It a Sucess (but not like election of 2004)

137.4

It's not bad at all for a month of sacrifice and occasional working out.

Plus, I blogged. And I do feel like I learned and experimented and got interesting and informative results.

But, dangit, I do love cheesecake. And raspberries. My hot pants (not to be confused with hotpants) fit again, and really, that is what's important, right? I am consuming much less food, generally, especially sugar and carbs.

So, I'm done with intentional deprivation and moving on to simple, cautious, informed eating and calorie counting (because I paid for the app, and I like using it. I enjoy seeing how the veggie side dish at Applebees is 120 calories cuz its tossed in butter, etc.)

Now I can go back to my irregular rant of a blog journal. You can resume readership.

I Should Exercise More

Stuff I Keep Thinking 'Bout Instead of Runnin' and Sweatin'

1. No one's gonna kidnap my kids and if they did, they'd have their hands full of unruly defiant willful disobedience. It's like gay marriage ... you want this??!

2. I think fish oil makes my fingernails grow ... grrr ... this things don't bite themselves.

3. Canon keeps touching my boobs "accidentally" then apologizing sweetly for touching my boobs accidentally. It is disturbingly polite and rude at the same time.

4. When small children say your big red sunglasses look funny ... hmmm. Sometimes I wonder about my hobo-gramma-crazy-person sense of bohemian style. If its on sale and I'm attracted, I should walk away.

5. I forgot I was blogging, oops.

Weight - 138.6