Day 1: I think I'm crazy, too.

I have officially began a super healthy, super restrictive diet for our family. (Tom is participating by eating what he wants at work and after the kids go to bed; and eating whatever I fix for dinner without saying a word.) So, we are on a sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free diet as of this morning. I thought I would use this blog to keep track of what I notice as we make this transition.

You may be asking why on EARTH I would be doing such a crazy thing. I'll just say that living with Lily, you might, too. Without going into too much detail, Lily is really struggling with impulse control, listening, and is, shall we say, hyperactive. After a lot of reading and research on the Internet and at the library, I have found a plan I am comfortable with trying. It really breaks it down for me and has given me many recipes to work with. (The ADD an ADHD Cure The Natural way to Treat Hyperactivity and Refocus your child) I have also found several sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free websites that I think will be very helpful when planning my meals and grocery list every week. Why this diet? According to my research, it is estimated that 30-35% of people have sensitivities to gluten and 50 to 80% of people have a sensitivity to dairy. Crazy, i know! In most people, dairy intolerance and gluten sensitivity cause mild discomfort. However, the effects on people with ADHD are worse. So, going on this diet is assuming that there is a possibility that she has ADHD and also may have a sensitivity to one of these things. I'm going to try it for 30 days and see if we notice a difference. If nothing else, we will be eating really healthy for at least 30 days!

I'm sure some people (Hi, Ann!) wonder what the heck I will be feeding the kids. Well, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; lots of things made from corn and rice (tortillas, chips, crackers, cereal, etc.) can all be found gluten-free. We'll have lots of fruit smoothies, oatmeal, and pancakes for breakfast. They also have easy to find rice milk or soy milk to make up for the loss of cow's milk in their diets. For those of you who are really curious, this is what we've eaten today.

Breakfast:
Bowl of oatmeal with a tiny squeeze of honey on top, with grape juice to drink.

AM Snack:
Fresh pear halves, rice crackers, and water to drink. (Although, Drew was none too happy about the choice of beverage!)

Lunch:
Corn tortilla with soy cheese melted on top. A banana wrapped in a corn tortilla, with peanut butter and honey. Grapes. Soy yogurt. Grape juice to drink.

On the menu for dinner tonight? Gluten-free pasta with tomato sauce and a veggie on the side.