Dessert Today! - Meals for 1/31/2017

Every 3-6 months I meet again with my endocrinologist and he teaches me more about how to properly care for my particular group of needs. Because PCOS is a auto-immune disease, my doctors has taught me that, as best I can, it serves my body to eat organic foods as much as possible. My body is already fighting itself, I don't need to also have it working harder to combat pesticides. So as much as I can I choose organic dairy products, meats, fruits, veggies, and anything else I find (Did you know theres an organic virgin olive oil spray available now? Sahweet!). We live in Provo, Utah right now, not exactly the throbbing heart center of fresh, organic foods, but I do the best I can. Sometimes its a choice between fresh lettuce and wilting organic lettuce; I choose the fresh stuff.

I also recently met with a great dietician Paige Smathers. She gave me ideas for healthy habits I can use. She even has a great cookbook I was just gifted over Christmas that I plan to use once I'm off my detox. She introduced me to the idea of intuitive eating. This is still a new concept for me, but from what I understand, you try to eat according to My Plate (1/2 your meal is fruitys/veggies, 1/3 protein, 2/3 grains) but allow yourself to vary on the exact amounts using your intuition to guide you. Some days you might not be as hungry, or you may need a little extra protein or grains, etc. The idea is to listen to your body and give it what it needs to be healthy because no one is a robot!
I feel like this is what I used to do before I was given strict carbs to count. I have always had a desire to be healthy, just of the sake or caring for my body. I knew about My Plate before and have used it with my kids in the past 5 years. When my doctor told me I needed to restrict my carbs I did so, but at the cost of the quality of the carbs I did eat. For a while there I saved up my carbs for processed junk and white breads. I was more concerned about staying within my limits than the quality of the fuel I was giving my body. It was a learning process and I've been patient with myself as over that past few years, but its been important for me to marry the ideas of eating balanced (my plate) and eating according to my body's needs (intuitive eating) while maintaining quality foods AND staying within my carb limits. Its just all a lot of work! But I'm trying to do better.

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Meals for Tuesday 1/31/17

BREAKFAST: Cherrios with whole milk (24g) and half banana (17g)

1c Cherrios

1/4c whole milk

½ banana (17g)

I could lie here and say I'm eating a fruit or veggie with this meal, but its just not going to happen this morning. Tuesdays and Thursdays Randy and I have our time worked out so that I get 8am-noon to do anything I need or want to. We've only been doing this for a couple of weeks, so mostly I'm just chomping through all the chores that have been backing up with a young baby in the house. I wake up ready to go those mornings and the longer I'm around at breakfast time the more the kids miss me, especially if my projects are in the house that day. I'm trying to go for quick and enjoyable meals on these days. I am also starting to reintroduce some "normal" foods back into my diet after my detox. Cheerios are made with whole grains and milk allows for a decent amount of dairy to be introduced to my system. I also choose to use whole milk now as the carb to fats ratio is more in my favor. The less fat in your milk, the higher the sugar content.

LUNCH: Classic chicken soup (8g)

Chicken plus broth (1g)

1/2c carrots (4g)

1/4c onions (2g)

1/4c celery (1g)

salt or chicken bullion as desired

Herbs as desired (bay leaf, parsley, thyme, oregano, really anything. I bet curry powder would be yummy!)

Makes 2 cups

This soup is THE BEST for a low low carb meal. I've planned one of my favorite desserts for tonight (strawberry shortcake!) So I'm choosing to eat fewer carbs throughout the day to allow for an indulgent dessert. This soup is perfect for a day like today! It is so filling and I really don't miss the noodles or potatoes that most people add. I cook an entire chicken in a crock pot with a cup of water and onions until its cook thoroughly, remove the bones (and skin if I couldn't find an organic bird), save the extra meat for another meal, and add in everything else cooking until tender. Its a great meal to prep ahead of time and make the day before. Plus is smells amazing while it cooks! If I'm not saving up my carbs sometimes I also eat some hot buttered toast with this meal. Heavenly.

DINNER: Chuck Roast with fixins (27.5g) and Basic Ranch Salad (9g)

Leftovers from yesterday! YUM!

DESSERT: Strawberry Shortcake (11g)

1 biscuit (6g)
1/3c strawberries (4g)
1/2c whipped cream (1g) - 1/4t vanilla extract, half dropper of stevia, and cup of heavy whipping cream. Whip until stiff. This took a bit longer than usual, perhaps because I replaced the sugar with stevia? It was just an additional 30 seconds of though. Made for a sweet and stiff sugar-free delight!

I never used to like Strawberry shortcake. That was until I discovered a more enlightened path - biscuits instead of angle food cake. YUM! Make the biscuits and whipped cream from scratch and you have pure bliss. This makes it into my husband's top 5 dessert easily. Strawberry season doesn't technically start until February, but mid-January, without fail, I just can't wait any longer and home they come. When we lived in Camarillo we would by boxes of just-picked-that-morning strawberries at the farmers market and they'd be gone with in a few days. Ah, miss those days. Now in Provo, Utah I cheerfully take what I can get, but they are never nearly as good.

Oh also, shout out to the husband; I was getting my hair done so he made the biscuits tonight. Totally rocked them while on kids duty too!

EXTRA: 23.5 grams today. I'll eat another helping of dessert and call it good. I'm stuffed!