Well, we just got back from a trip to the south for the annual family reunion that we call 'family camp' and it was so wonderful. My grandparents, all my aunts and uncles, all my cousins, and their children all stay in cabins in the mountains of north Georgia for a week. We play board games, get crafty, go for walks, chat, sing, play croquet, do puzzles, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and eat lots of yummy food. It is my favorite week of the year!
 |
| The whole gang, except for my sister who is serving a mission in CA |
 |
| Settlers of Catan is a big deal |
 |
| We learn croquet at an early age |
Probably because of my recent MS relapse and the fact that I just weaned my son who is allergic to dairy, I am a little more conscious of what I eat. And I realized this year at family camp that we eat a LOT of cheese. I kid you not, I think EVERY meal we ate had cheese in it, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was grateful that I had weaned my son, or I would have had trouble finding things to eat!
It got me thinking about how I cook for my little family and what ways I need to alter my diet. There is not very substantial evidence to prove that any of the so-called 'MS Diets' really cure MS, but I think it is probably true that improving my overall health by eating better would help my body. I have done some research and almost everything I have read about dietary recommendations for those with MS have said to avoid dairy and red meat :( I had a very difficult time going off of dairy while I nursed my son. I only did it because I knew that it was the best thing I could do for him and because I could tell myself it was temporary. Now, you must think that I am ADDICTED to cheese. But actually, if I eat something that has the option of having no cheese on it, I usually don't have the cheese. I have never liked American Mexican food because I hate all the cheese. It's the ice cream and the cream that goes into so many recipes that I would struggle with. There is dairy in SO many things. If I went off of dairy for good, I would have a difficult time whenever we go out to eat, which is something I love to do! I would also never get to eat cream-based soups and sauces, which are some of my favorite foods! It would be very difficult. So I am at a crossroads in my life. Do I want to be around in 30 years for my children and grandchildren? Or do I want to be able to maintain the way I cook and be able to eat out wherever? It seems so black and white, but it REALLY would take a LOT of energy to make that big of a change, and I am not sure that I have that kind of energy with MS.
It's a vicious cycle.
You know, Taylor and I about to start a little trial run by cutting gluten and a lot of dairy out of our diet and see if we notice any changes in ourselves. We recently watched "Forks over Knives" and "Vegecated", two documentaries basically saying how being Vegan and being on a whole food plant based diet can be life savers for those with heart disease and a whole slew of other issues. I began thinking about restaurants in the Houston area that may be vegan friendly and boy there are tons, not just in Houston, but tons in Sugar Land, all around me! Then I got to thinking what pinterest has concerning vegan recipes. Just search vegan and boom... tons of options. And with grocery stores always in supply of fruits and veggies year round, it makes being vegan actually really easy! I'm sure that where you live would be super vegan friendly too, just google vegan friendly restaurants in your area and you will be amazed at what you can find. I don't think I could ever go completely vegan, but watching the documentaries has made me more aware and I'm thinking of cutting down on dairy and meat. I already don't eat a lot of meat, so cutting it out a little more isn't such a big deal. It's the milk consumption that I will have difficulty with. Good luck and let me know if you are interested. Maybe we could do a vegan day a couple days a week and talk about it our experiences together.
ReplyDelete