If You Don't Take Time, Time Will Take You Down

I just completed my third full week returning to the school year. My sister teased me that I reminded her of that scene from Kindergarten Copy where Arnold falls onto the bed and passes out. I've had a few of those days myself these past two weeks with students. That first day of school, my leg muscles ached like I had ran a marathon. My left hip was not pleased with me, either. I like doing yoga-like stretches and while I don't do it everyday, I know when my back is telling me I better get on a mat and stretch or it's going to give out (this past Sunday as I carried in groceries). My body reminds me of a very important life lesson: "If you don't take Time, Time will take you down."

All that physical pain is from readjusting to the physical demands of teaching. I stand more and move around more than I thought I did (it's only been 2.5 months) and as I lounged around in my pajamas, I was busy prepping for the upcoming year. I always improve myself. The preparations I did for my classroom involved Pinteresting, ordering school items with the best deal, workshops (more sitting and driving to get there), and creating lesson plans on the computer. They did not include calisthenics (maybe they should!). At most, I got a Wii remote in my hand and competed with my children at Just Dance. Apparently, I'm the only one who can beat the 10 year old (don't worry, she can slaughter my score, too).

Our school has a contract with an outside child psychologist/counselor office. The counselor is phenomenal and I get to sit with her at lunch most days. She told me at the end of last year that I inspired her to return to her raw diet with more vigor. She may not understand how much that inspires me, too, when I hear her say that. It's important to spread the spark to others, to keep talking to people about health issues. I am your resident health nag and I'm here because I love you and I want you to feel better. I want you to have that chance! I believe knowledge is power. What you know helps you make choices that improve your quality of life.

This counselor explained to me this week how she educated herself over the summer (we do that, we spend our down-time in the summer researching to improve ourselves professionally, we're so obsessed). She explained how she learned about how nutrition affects our children - the very children she's hired to help. How what we give our children to eat and drink helps cause and exacerbate autism, ADHD, anxiety, and a host of other childhood ills. As educators, we are seeing more and more children with severe cases of mental/emotional issues at tender ages. My counselor described seeing our newest kindergarten class and how it pains her to see symptoms already. She's already put that pendulum into motion, asking for testing, so that she can do her part to help. She always advocates that the sooner she works with children (i.e. the younger they are), the quicker she can remedy their issues. There is most certainly a connection between what we put in our bodies (and that of our children) and the health issues that result.

This counselor asked me how much weight I had lost through this journey of mine. It was 42 pounds, but I gained 2 back. I'm eating my veggies every day. I'm not going off my diet. I'm not suddenly eating vats of full-sugar ice cream (though some days make you consider hitting the grocery store like some hit up the liquor store). However, we're wise educators and we know there's something so evil that can throw off our body's systems. We both went, "Stress."

From my personal experience, my thyroid does not appreciate that S-word. My mother firmly believes my thyroid went haywire because of the work environment I was in. I tend to agree with her. I knew in order to take care of my health, I had to turn in a resignation letter. We hadn't found the answer to my health woes at that point, but I knew certain life choices gave - or ruined - your chances at improved health. I'm glad I made that choice.

That sweet counselor saw me stretching out my neck earlier in the week at lunch and commented how I must carry my stress in my neck and shoulders. Oh yeah, I do, and in my hips when they're crabbing at me for standing and walking around the classroom for 7 hours and all I sat down was for 15 minutes at lunch (I have a habit of helping out at lunch and 15 minutes will pass before I have my food in front of me, and scarfing food down in another 10-15 isn't healthy, but it's my life...and then onto helping with recess and PE dress-out). This counselor is awesome.

Even though I don't pay her a cent, she genuinely cares. She gave me advice on not taking everything so seriously (who, me, Ms. Type A personality?). Without thinking I said, "I take everything seriously." I take education and children seriously. I know I'm obsessed about quality education, about children feeling safe and feeling good about themselves and learning loads and loads while I have time with them. However noble and Mother Teresa of me that is, that stress can take its toll.

When we take the time to put stress in check, we make a healthy choice. If you take care of yourself, you are better equipped to do well on behalf of those areas in your life you devote your energy to. If I take care of myself, my students and biological children (and the overgrown one who married me) get my best.

As always, I have suggestions for ways to put stress in check and help each of us. I use these tricks and sometimes have to remind myself of a few I forgot about.

Music
If it weren't for my husband, I'd forget about this one constantly. Because of that man, we have music in our lives. I never would have tried karaoke if it weren't for him. We have the best times at karaoke. There is one venue in town that has Saturday karaoke that isn't a bar. That means our children can go with us and we can eat dinner or get appetizers. Two of my girls sing karaoke and the cutest thing this year is when my homeroom has one of the other child karaoke singers!! She's so quiet and shy, but we already have a history of seeing each other at karaoke so we've broken the shy student barrier.

If you don't know my husband, he's a walking radio. He can sing anything acapella. He's won karaoke contests. He's also the man who makes up lyrics, mostly hilarious ones. His girls (i.e. me and three children) have taken to making up lyrics to songs we know. Some are rather...ahem...potty humor, let's say. There was that one time I got to the restroom first and a daughter sang on the other side of the door - to the tune of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" -  new lyrics in the order of "I really have to pooooo...you've been in their all daayyyy...."

Comedy
This is an easy jump from the last example I gave you. Children are hilarious just as much as they're frustrating. I see fellow employees teaching kinder how to be in lines and it's watching them herd cats. It made me quite thankful I was training 4th grade, lemme tell ya! I've taught several grades and I think teenagers and 4th graders are loads of fun and they make me laugh (junior high, not so much).

The point is, laughter is instant stress-relief. If I was given nothing else by my family, it was a wicked sense of humor. I laugh at the absurdities of life. I laugh joyously when I hear some strange way a child has misunderstood the world because there's a charm in it. But sometimes, when we're too Type A, we need to seek out comedy. I know I married my husband because of his humor and I always think "Score!" when I get him chuckling. He's a funny man and I made the funny man laugh!

Exercise
Exercise is beneficial on many levels. I find those evenings the girls convince me to do Just Dance, I sleep heavier throughout the night and that's quite the blessing. Because I have children, I've become a light sleeper. I wake up more often than I should, but if I exercise, I wake up less often throughout the night.

Exercise not only helps with sleep (which reduces stress, too), but it increases endorphin production in our bodies. We all benefit from an endorphin's boost. Sometimes, I get my best workouts when I'm mad and when I'm done, I'm more at peace. Exercise combats anxiety, depression, and a host of other health issues, not to mention gives us a leg-up on controlling our weight, joint inflammation (warm them up!), and blood sugar.

Gaming
I am surrounded by gamers. My children, husband, and students all enjoy games. We play electronic as well as board and card games in our home. The point is, it can be great distraction to get a group of people you enjoy together and play a game. It gets you laughing and provides you with that important social contact we must have as humans.

Games come in many forms. When I make a lesson into a game, it's even more fun for me because I get to watch children and they often make me laugh. I had students switch partners this week and I switch it up, but at one point, I said for them to Zombie Walk to their new partner. It prevented running, but it also gave me some laughs. They're good at acting, it didn't interfere with getting to the next part of our lesson, and no one got hurt or in trouble....and did I mention I get to laugh at their silliness?

Self-Talk
The way we talk to ourselves plays a huge role in our stress levels. There are many aspects of my job that have the power to anger me. I can allow that to happen and then I've allowed that one aspect or person to ruin the rest of my day. So, I talk to myself like I would someone else to kick myself out of a negative mindset.

Instead of being utterly frustrated that there are kinks in our schedule that we're still sorting out, watching the kinder folk herd their cats made me tell myself, "Oh, be thankful for your position. You could be there." Some of those kiddos have never been in a line before, and teaching them how to dump out their extra milk into a bucket (at lunch) was a fiasco the first week. Those poor, short fellows and gals would place their trays on the floor so they could dump their milk and before you know it, other little ones were stepping in trays to throw their trash away...what a mess! Some of those kiddos follow the wrong class line and the paraprofessionals are busy counting noses and missing one that didn't follow directions. Sometimes, they go to the bathroom without telling anyone. Some are too busy chatting up a friend and as a result, they miss the moving line. I found myself helping the final kinder line out of the cafeteria yesterday. That last group of boys were so in their own world, they would have been left behind because they saw something cool over there and went to investigate it....as their class walks to the playground without them (around a few corners and way out of sight).

In the end, I think of the mess I'm dealing with and think it could be worse. The hardest days of our lives are the ones where we've lost someone we love. I tell myself that often because I know I'd rather deal with a rough day at work with it's challenges than lose someone. It puts my problems in perspective. It doesn't all have to be perfect. Take a deep breath and carry on to the next thing.

Pets
My silly cat enters a danger zone when I first wake up. I can barely see and he's pushing my hand with his head for a morning love-up. When I finally let him in my lap and I'm less bleary eyed and my hands actually start giving his super soft fur a rub, I look down and see this stupid grin on his face. I grew up with dogs (and I love dogs, too), and I always imagined cats as being persnickety personalities. Affection was only on their terms. They'd never look ridiculous...and here I have a cat who will turn himself inside out, literally, and tuck his nose into the crook of my arm like I'm his mother. I laugh at him because he attempts to perch himself on a postage-stamp size furniture edge in an effort to get to me...and then falls. I don't think he understands how much rump he has now. It doesn't fit in that spot anymore.

If that's not stress relief, I don't know what is. When I've been the most upset, that little furball will not leave my side. He thinks I need to sat on and he's persistent. If I shoo him away, he sits only a few feet away.  Animals are quite perceptive at our pain and anger. He is not leaving my side while I'm in that state. I've had dogs with that attitude, too, and it's as if they're saying, "Mom, I know you're upset. I'm here. I love you! You're awesome!"

Self-Care 
This category is my hardest to master. If you've seen my nails and cuticles, you'd see why. I don't have time (and often the money) for the salon. I know I need to take the time because handling paper and transparencies dry my hands out so much. I get more hangnails and ragged, tearing cuticles when I don't care for my hands and that's rather painful. My hands have had one heck of time adjusting to the school year. I leave lotion in the classroom and I leave it out so I see it, grab it, and use it...but that only does so much. I'm in need of serious oil treatments at this point (not to mention a phone alarm to actually use the lotion and drink some water).

However, a little time devoted to self-care can make us less stressed-out. Our principal is awesome about inviting a masseuse to our school. We'll be warned ahead of time and we can sign up for 30 minute intervals. She shows up a few times a year. Last year I didn't participate much because my conference period was the same as the lady's lunchtime, but when we had workdays with no students, I signed up!! I have a new conference period now and I hope to take advantage of it. With my own children at home, their homework, papers to grade, lessons to plan and prepare, dinner, laundry, dishes, tell me when I can take time to go get a hair cut or massage? (I'm known to take scissors to my own hair). The fact that our principal organizes these is a huge gift.

If there's anyone out there in this world who thinks "oh, what a cushy job to have a masseuse during your working hours," you misunderstand what educators do. We work many unpaid hours for the benefit of our students. We spend our summer months at workshops and often use our own money on supplies (I'm very guilty of that). The educators I work with are just as obsessive and dedicated as I am. We don't get paid for that time, but we do it anyway. It is quite the gift to have a principal who knows her employees and finds ways to take care of us. I see how overworked she is on our behalf and on our students' behalf. I know I'm blessed to work there. I've worked for principals who don't appreciate their staff nor take care of them in any form or fashion.

The last time I saw the masseuse, I told her I bet we're one of the worst-off professions physically speaking. She agreed. We are some of the worst ones for self-care and we either sit for long periods of time (grading papers) or stand and walk all day (teaching). We don't take the time to take care of ourselves.

But we should. I can think of many other professions that carry great stress and work longer than 8 hours a day. We could get into a long list of those professions, it's not just teachers, but the point remains that many people have demanding, stressful jobs. We must take care of ourselves.

One of my favorite sayings is, "If you don't take Time, Time will take you down." I know people who allow stress to control their lives and they suffer from repeat (several times a week) migraines. I have learned to stop and take care of myself. If my back is screaming, I better go stretch or I'll be taking time off to visit a chiropractor. I don't have the time to take off (docked pay!) nor do I want that bill (I have more PE clothes to order for my children because they refuse to stop growing). We cause our own pain and discomfort often times. Taking control of the stress in our lives, removing/changing stress sources, and actively pursuing stress relief improve our health and well-being.

Remember...

If you don't take Time, Time will take you down.

Ten Benefits of Low-Carb Eating

My frequent readers fully understand that I advocate a low-carb lifestyle. I say lifestyle instead of diet because the word 'diet' denotes a temporary weight-loss strategy. Lifestyle suggests it's for life. I do my best to keep my non-produce carbs to 60 grams or below. Low-carb eating is not a passing fad. Even the resident family vegan/runner/health nut (a.k.a. Daddy) will reduce calories to lose the few pounds he's put on....and the first thing out the door is sugar and carbs.

I've always been a daddy's girl, so it's possible my admiration for him is slightly biased. Thing is, once upon a time my daddy weighed over 300 pounds. I don't really remember him that way, though I've seen a picture of him with my momma that proves it's true. I'm closing in on 36 years of age next week and for almost my entire life, he has maintained a weight near or around 175 pounds. When I say I'm impressed him with, that's one of the reasons why. He lost the weight of another man his present size. An entire adult male?! And he has kept it off all these years and that's often the hardest part: keeping the weight off. He's always inspired me to be healthy. I'm rather stubborn about it and perhaps that's why I pursued the answers I did about my own failing health. I had to find the answer why. I had to find the solutions.

As the resident health nut, Daddy was commissioned as "Captain Nutrition" (he was a captain in the U.S. Navy) and I was enlisted as his First Mate as a child -- so titled by siblings with rolling eyes as they heard more nutrition advice and I gleefully bounced next to my Daddy and listened to his words of health wisdom. I still find myself reciting his wisdom to others. I recall the time he ruined grapefruits for my sister Mary by reciting from memory how much fat was in the grapefruit. He laughed delightedly and she threatened to throw the larger-than-fist-size citrus at him. As is rather apparent, the First Mate is still reciting food facts from memory.

I'm sure it has always befuddled him, and perhaps saddened him, over the years that the ladies in his life couldn't join in him good health. Trying to get svelte was impossible for us. We tried. Oh heavens, we tried. I loved the summer months because we'd all get into the car before the Texas sun scorched the Earth and drive to the college track. I would run with my nieces and nephews and we'd do the exercises at the stations. We came up with wonderful meals and tried our best and we were still plump, curvaceous ladies.

And no matter what, Daddy was the first to jump in with encouragement, advice, and sometimes picked up the health food items for us with his pocketbook (as has my momma). He bought me my first pair of overpronator running shoes, taught me how to lace them properly for the best ankle support, and demonstrated to me how to purchase a good pair of running shoes. I recall I wasn't the only one getting that lesson that day, nor was I the only one with a new pair of shoes. Any female living in or near the house got a new pair with proper lacings and a shoe lesson.

Now that I've learned the secret to our family's weight loss and started sharing it with anyone whose eyes don't glaze over too soon, I noticed my Mom and I are finding a bit of glee in getting to state a few phrases like "I don't have to count fat." Mom thoroughly enjoys ribbing Daddy with the fact that he counts calories and she doesn't have to. Lately, I noticed those words came out of my mouth when someone at work made a comment about the muffin in my hand. That person probably had no clue I had made a low-carb muffin and that my baking is one of the few ways I can enjoy treats, but there's a sacrifice that is made in the process. I have to give up time and energy to do that. I feel I've earned the right to enjoy the low-carb treats I bake because they're on my health-specific nutrition plan. The words came out of my mouth before I knew it, "I don't have to count fat."

In my defense, as the resident health nut at work, I tell coworkers who start to excuse their food choices, "I'm not your diet police." I'm not their diet police and no one is mine except me. I make the choices I make because I see the benefits every day.

Recently, I hit a record low weight for my entire adult life (and teenager years). I don't recall ever being this low a weight, though doc has me slotted for another 23 pounds to hit my goal weight. I have lost 42 pounds and I still stare at the scale in disbelief. I'm still confused when I have a shirt that's a bit too revealing at the neckline and I take it off to see the shirt size and think, "I've never been lower than that size..." The brain is too used to the patterns of my past and now it's all changing. Perhaps the last time I was at this weight, I was a junior high student. Most likely, I was still child enough in my brain to not care about my weight. I don't think I even worried about boys yet.

This lifestyle obviously works on many levels. Thus, this takes us to the main question:

So why is low-carb eating the answer?

#1: I'm not Hangry as Often
No, I spelled that right. If you've never heard of Hangry, its a combination of "hungry" and "angry." It's a byproduct of plummeting blood sugar levels. Even as a teenager, I recall my sister Ruthie telling me on an outing, "I need to feed you. You're getting cranky." It's nice not having hunger control my mood. Plus, I'm not hungry as often period. At my best, I was hungry every 3 hours like clockwork. At my worst, I was starving every 2 hours with dizziness like I hadn't eaten in days. It's nice to have that disappear.

#2: I Crave Sweets Less
I'm not just Daddy's little girl at heart no matter how many wrinkles I get, but I certainly inherited his sweet tooth. Removing wheat and sugar from my nutrition plan has considerably improved my sweet tooth. I still get cravings. I notice when I'm feeling more stressed out than usual, the cravings are starting to nag at me, but it's not the roar in my head it once was.

#3: Better Cholesterol Numbers
It always confused me when I went to the doctor's office and reviewed lab results because I'd be informed I had borderline cholesterol. I would try to ask questions about how that was possible. I seriously did not eat fried foods. They made me sick in one way or another, but there was that conversation with a doctor that would pat your knee and ignore your protests (probably thought I was lying) and say, "Now, avoid fried foods and start eating salads." The guy has no clue I was on a constant diet and gained weight anyway. Tell me where the fried foods were?

Thus, it's reassuring to know that's thyroid-related. Once you're on a good nutrition plan and have sought out a good doctor and you're following their prescription and supplement guidelines, those numbers start to improve. The good cholesterol goes where it's most loved just as the bad cholesterol makes you sing Madonna's Borderline.

And no, Cheerios and Oatmeal do not reduce cholesterol. I still eat bacon and all-beef burgers. It's the wheat and carbs that help your bad cholesterol bind together in your bloodstream. I'm sure there's some long, science-vocabulary riddled explanation for all that, but mine's shorter and still just as true.

#4: Meal Planning is Easy
I've been in the same position as most dieters. I have tried calorie counting and fat counting. I've tried reducing the numbers. I've kept food journals to find trends of items that were sabotaging my weight loss efforts. Not as if any of that did me any good. All in all, it mostly likely just stressed me out more and if you don't know it, stress makes your thyroid go a little more haywire and you gain more weight.

For the most part, I don't carb-count. I simply limit my carbs to one meal a day, if that. The other day I felt like such a happy little piggy because I made the CarbQuick Cheddar Bay Biscuits using the recipe on the box. Each biscuit has a 2g carb count and I ate three with some Ox Tail soup my husband wanted to make (he recalled it from childhood and wanted some; he wasn't impressed but I was pleasantly pleased to have bread and soup). I had to hide away the last three biscuits from the double-batch I had made so I could have some for my work lunch the next day. Planning my meals is considerably easier.

#5: Meal Prep is Faster and Easier
I also feel meal prep is easier. The longest part of meals of the past was boiling the water for pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes and then the next phase of cooking the said item. We were always waiting for those items while the meat and any veggies had finished before then. Now, we mostly prep a protein and veggie and we've made dinner in almost no time whatsoever. For lunch today, we made hamburgers with cheese. The girls and my husband grabbed sandwich bread to make theirs and added the sliced tomato and pickles if they wanted some. I had my hamburger with a slice of cheese and the veggies. It was easy. It was fast. Two of my favorite descriptions for any meal.

#6: Easier Weight Loss with Less Effort
I will be the first to tell you that I need to exercise more than I do. I can give you all my excuses with a neat little bow. But I'll tell you one thing, when I was 25 and successfully shed 33 pounds for the first time in my life, I had to work out 5 times a week and do my serious diet Nazi lifestyle. I counted carbs and kept fitness journals. I've lost more weight this time around and weigh less, but I barely get in Just Dance with my children twice a week. I may pick up the hand weights every few weeks (ok, more like perhaps once a month with every intention of making it routine). I verified with the doctor that, yes, housework counts (great, cause that's never ending), but weight loss has never been easier.

If you consider that most carbs are often highly calorie-rich, it makes a lot of sense. Even my vegan daddy will remove carbs from his diet in order to remove the few pounds he's put on. Removing the carbs is basically the same as removing calories from your diet. I just don't have to think too much on how to do it. It just doesn't come near my plate.

#7: More Control over Emotions and Mood
I know my previous emotional roller coaster and mood swings were a direct correlation to a faulty wiring in my thyroid. Gosh, that seems like a lifetime ago.  I feel like I have control over the direction of my life and how each day turns out. I can choose the day as a positive one and talk myself around the stress that goes on and find the good in it. That was impossible before. Anxiety, panic attacks, and depression are often related to undiagnosed and untreated health problems. I promise you, if you google any one of those mental health conditions and attach it to many of the common health conditions in our day and age, you'll find the mental health as symptoms of another health issue instead of the diagnosis itself.

#8: Confidence and Clear-headedness
A wonky thyroid messes with your body's ability to process food, stress, and so much else. I know if I eat carbs, I'm going to need an immediate nap and if I'm not home, someone better be ready to drive me home. It was tremendously difficult to go back to my classroom and think, let alone teach. I was useless for several hours and I saw a connection to carbs and a post-lunchtime fatigue and mental fog. Years before my thyroid and hypoglycemia diagnosis, I control my breakfast and lunch as best I could. It was more meals I shared with others that was the challenge and I never spoke up for what I knew as better for me. I never wanted to be that picky, annoying eater.

See how life throws things at you and forces you to do what you try to avoid? I have more confidence now to speak up and say, as politely as possible, that I can't and won't eat that. I'm wise enough to give alternative options. I often volunteer to make a dish for a gathering to make it easier on the host/hostess. I'm growing to have more confidence in my body. I've never minded having curves and I always accepted that I came from a family of rounder women. I find myself hating less of myself in the mirror. I find myself unapologetically saying what I think and feel. I'm encouraged to continue doing so because I find there are many benefits of speaking up - for myself and for the status quo of my family or workplace. Feeling better physically carries over into other areas of your life.

#9: Less Joint Pain
I know this may sound odd if you've never heard it before, but wheat is often the reason why our joints are griping. When my health was at its worse, my daily pain in my leg bones, knee joints, and hip joints was incredible. It limited my mobility. I sat in a stool at work next to an overhead as much as possible so I could think about the lesson and not be distracted by the pain (in my early 30s no less). I don't even have the stool in my classroom anymore, though the overhead still gets turned on each year. I had spent so much money purchasing shoes hoping to find a pair that would finally make the pain go away. It wasn't the shoes. It was the food I was eating and a lack of pharmaceutical assistance for thyroid. I was just unaware at those secrets at the time.

#10: I Count Neither Fat nor Calories
Maybe this is the best reason, maybe it's not. Either way, I enjoy the lack of stress connected with not overthinking my meals. I have this neverending story theme-song to-do list that takes precedence. I haven't given up bacon, red meat, or butter. Then again, I don't need to eat as much to feel full, so there's an automatic portion control that's probably keeping the fat and calorie numbers low anyway. Eating protein, fiber, and fat is the KEY secret ingredient to any diet/nutrition plan. Those three ingredients are what tells your stomach to shut up for hours.

Yesterday, I stayed at work late to grade and read the week's first journals and as I pull up to my house I realize it's been 6 hours since I last had lunch and I wasn't starving. That would NEVER work two years ago or even a year ago (I was slowly healing and it takes a bit). All I had for lunch was leftover Ox Tail soup, which wasn't much portion-wise, and those leftover CarbQuick Cheddar Bay Biscuits (all 6g of carbs). For those curious hearts, that's 90 calories per biscuit (270) and the mostly broth-based soup I ate was maybe another 90? 360 calorie meal sustained me that many hours while I made my tongue numb teaching and then graded and filed papers?

So yes, I don't count fat or calories, but I think it works out better than you'd imagine.


This can't be everyone, but many of us have adopted any kind of diet at any point in our lives with hopes of successful weight loss.  Perhaps I can convince you to not adopt a low-carb diet just to lose weight. Pick any of the ones mentioned today in an effort to have a better quality of life in general. Weight loss will just be a pleasant side-effect, but not the only end-product. Celebrate life. Take care of your body so you can celebrate each day that you're given.

Happy Healthy Living!

Sugarless, Moderate-Carb Muffins that Taste Like Cake!!! (2 recipes)

Hello folks!

I'm back to work full-time and my classroom is laying in wait for 4th graders tomorrow morning. For me, that means a return to Sunday baking and casserole making for the super-busy work week. Today, I created two new recipes that are beyond decadent. I'm so tickled. I used CarbQuick for both, which my mother purchased through Amazon. As you can see, the original recipe has a 3g of carb count per muffin (lemme say hubba hubba!).

Side-note about Agave:
Now, I use Agave instead of Splenda because that's what I have on hand. If you use Splenda, you'll keep the carb-count quite low. Agave has the same carb-count as sugar, but it doesn't affect my blood sugar the roller-coaster way sugar does. For me, it's a perfect choice because it's natural (whereas Splenda is not directly from the Earth). Agave is sweeter than sugar, so you need less of it in recipes. My carb-count is not as low, but it is half of what a wheat-flour muffin would be (about 17g compared to 36g in a wheat muffin). Feel free to follow the original recipe and the variations from the box for lower-carb options.

I started with the recipe inside the CarbQuick box. The outside of the box had 7 recipes while the inside had at least 14 more! You can go to www.carbalose.com for more CarbQuick recipes. Personally, I'm going to try the Cheddar Cheese Biscuits this week.

Some time ago, I picked up this bag of powdered Agave syrup. I hadn't figured out a recipe for it yet and decided today was as good as any to play with powdered Agave sweetener.

Hazelnut Muffins

Adding an egg

Pouring 2/3 cup half and half

Ingredients 

1 egg

1/3 cup cooking oil

2 cups CarbQuick

1/4 cup Agave Syrup

2/3 cup Agave Powder

2/3 cup half and half

1 teaspoon baking power

1 tablespoon vanilla   

3 tablespoons Madhava Organic Fancy Hazelnut Coffee Syrup 

(Agave Sweetened) - also found at Amazon

And adding some baking powder

Adding in vanilla

Directions:

My helper poured in the CarbQuick and stirred an egg for me. She added in half and half, vanilla, and baking powder. I added the Agave syrup, the Fancy Hazelnut Syrup, oil, and agave powder. My helper did her best to mix everything together until it was creamy, but needed my help. 

I heated my oven to 350 and baked the 12 muffins for 17 minutes. The original CarbQuick recipe suggests between 13 and 18 minutes. 

The Hazelnut Muffins
(before being pilfered)
I seriously think this would be an awesome cake mix.

While this batch was baking, I started making up the next batch.

I Can't Believe It's Not Actual Chocolate Cake (as Muffins)

You got the love the mess!!

Oh my heavens! These taste like the dreamiest chocolate cake I haven't had in years. You won't miss sugar eating these!!

Ingredients
1 egg
1/3 cup cooking oil
2 cups CarbQuick
1/4 cup Agave Syrup
2/3 cup Agave Powder
2/3 cup half and half

Secret Ingredient: Coffee Syrup made with Agave
(there are other flavors if you're interested)

1 teaspoon baking power
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Madhava Organic Fancy Hazelnut Coffee Syrup (Agave Sweetened) - also found at Amazon
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate chips
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Again, my helper assisted me in combing the 2 cups of CarbQuick, a mixed up egg, half and half, baking powder, chocolate chips (both kinds) and vanilla. My eldest daughter came through and added the cocoa and then was on her way before I could snap a picture. I helped finish mixing the ingredients to make it smooth and creamy. We then baked it in a muffin tin at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.

I believe the term is "busted."

I already had to hide the muffins so my husband has half a chance at taste-testing them. I kept hearing feet in the kitchen nearby as I was typing this up. I can tell whose tread is whose and called out to one child, "The limit is two." The response was, "Aw, man, I just had two." I knew it was time to store the muffins safely away from sticky fingers. It was an easy baking job, but that doesn't mean I want to do it again today!

The Completed Project

Pillsbury Sugar Free Deluxe Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

Greetings, readers! In returning back to work this week, I'm readjusting my sails and reacquainting myself with a stricter schedule. This past Sunday, I prepared these delectable muffins, and as my six-year-old declared, "This are just like those cinnamon rolls Grandma gets."

I'm a big fun of Pillsbury because the company offers several sugar-free baking mixes. I don't always have time to be my version of Betty Crocker and preparing a baked good from scratch. A word of warning: this is NOT a low-calorie or low-carb snack. Coconut flow is low-carb, as are some other alternative flours; however, this is not. This mix is a treat. Thing is, with those of us with bodies that cannot process refined sugar anymore, it's really, really nice to have a treat of any sort that won't negatively affect our bodies.

With that said, let me share with you my version of Betty Crocker from this past week...and might I add that I was able to barter the last muffin (that I hid for myself) for a pair of adult-size scissors? My 11 year old spied the not-so-hidden Tupperware container with the lonely, last morsel because I had taken it out and hadn't re-hidden it. I was, at that particular moment, trying to use child-size scissors to cut out business cards for my blog. I'm blessed enough to have others interested in what I'm writing about (and what is a writer without an audience?) and there I was, cutting with painfully small hot pink scissors. How she found red, adult-size scissors in less than 30 seconds is beyond me. She didn't know anything when I asked earlier, but that's the power of these muffins! It provides motivation!!

We started out with the Pillsbury Sugar Free Deluxe Cinnamon Swirl mix (thanks grandma!), cooking oil, a bottle of water (to avoid fluoride in tap water), and 2 eggs. I like to add in Flax seeds for the fiber and protein. I often I add extras in. I can't leave well enough alone! It tastes just fine without flax seeds.

As you can see in our photo, I have a misshapened left hand...no, not really, that's my little mini-me helper, Olivia. She sees me in the kitchen and in no time at all a dining room chair is shoved up against the counter or the stove. I can't say no because she wants to learn. I'm always a teacher at heart. Someone wants to learn, they want to learn! Bring it on!

She loves breaking the eggs! If you've ever wondered how in the world to let short stacks help you in the kitchen, let them stir the pot until they're bored (that won't happen) and break the eggs. Just stand by with a spoon to scoop out a random shell. No harm, no foul.

Another piece of advice when baking (or doing any activity) with children is gives them a head's up. Explain what's supposed to happen and be honest, "I'm going to show you first how you do it by doing one. I'll let you do two, but then I just gots to do the others." Little hearts won't get so broken when you just can't stand it and take over cause it's not being poured right (been there!). Course, if you can stand the mess and have the patience, please let them make mistakes and messes. They'll learn from it and help you wipe away the batter. Misshapen muffins taste just as good.

The mix itself has two bags inside. One is the batter and the other is the cinnamon swirl part. The goal is to put a little bit of batter into each muffin tin (with paper cup), take the second bag in the box that has only a cinnamon mix in it and sprinkle half the bag onto all the muffins. Then, add some batter over the top so that the muffins are 3/4 of the cup (like a normal muffin). The other half of the cinnamon mix goes on top. Olivia was quite helpful with this step. We made sure our hands were properly washed and I'd sprinkle a muffin's worth of sprinkles into our palms and we'd dust it onto the muffin over and over again. She felt so accomplished and informed her family members she helped make the muffins, thank both mom and her!

You don't have to do the cinnamon in the middle, but that's the purpose of the "swirl." When I've forgotten that step because I'm sometimes as bad as my students and not reading directions (oops), I find the muffins still taste good despite my error. Again, have I mentioned I can use these to barter?

We were pilfering the muffins from the tin while they were still hot and I had to say, "Oh, we need pictures! Wait!" But when they're that good, steaming or not, you have to lay claim in my house with a "These are my two muffins." It's fun watching kids pick their muffins as they're measuring them up for size and trying to pick the largest one. Wait, these are sugar-free? Ha ha!!

I figured out quickly when my children were returning for seconds I better hide some for myself. I had been silly enough to take the time and deliver a muffin to my husband in the other part of the house. Oh heavens! I'd like to enjoy my own hard work, too!

This is what they look like all gussied up on a plate. I'm glad the girls picked their muffins because I couldn't store the others in the container I have, so it all works out. It's a great on-the-go snack and I make my doctor laugh each time I explain, "My children and husband steal my sugar-free foods." Well, is that really such a bad thing? They're eating healthier, too...and I try my best to hide my smile when their Daddy starts talking at dinner time about how sugar affects our health and we're addicted to it. I thought I was the resident health nut.

Happy Baking!!

Links to Thyroid Disease Symptoms (over 300 symptoms!!)

The United States sees record numbers of patients with thyroid disease, but worse yet, there are so many people who don't even know they have a thyroid condition. The links provided in this post are to help narrow that down. If you know there's a possibility of an issue, you can take that information to a quality doctor and receive help.

Thyroid Disease Symptoms
Hashimotos, Hypothyroid, Hyperthyroid, Graves Disease, Thyroiditis, and Thyroid Cancer symptoms all cameo on this website. I also feel this page clearly explains what each kind of thyroid disease is and what it does to our bodies without bogging the reader down with medical terms.

I personally have Thyroiditis with a nodule. Nodules are often benign, but I had an ultrasound and radioactive test/scan to verify it wasn't cancer (I was singing Imagine Dragon's Radioactive the rest of the day). However, nodules can affect thyroid function as well I found out.

What really throws my mind into a tailspin in the next link. It's a link to 300+ Hypothyroid Symptoms. I'm still wrapping my mind around it. I know when I gave my present doctor a list of my symptoms, it was longer than a page. Can you imagine that there are over 300 possible Hypothyroid symptoms? There are no words, just a mouth agape. This is how integral that little butterfly in your throat affects the rest of your body's ability to function.

I hope this information proves useful to you or someone who know.

Link to Finding a Good Thyroid Doctor

I adore receiving feedback about the success or failures related to this blog. Reason being, if I know what's broke (or difficult), I can fix it.

Once upon a time, I asked my thyroid doctor how I could find other doctors like him that prescribed desiccated thyroid. He referred me to the Broda Barnes Foundation. Two close family/friends informed me of the difficulty and the price involved in retrieving information from this foundation. From there, I started to do my investigative research.

I located Thyroid Change as a possible solution to those locating a good - nay, a excellent - doctor in their area who can actually improve their health. Having "perfect lab results" and horrible symptoms, joint and bone pain, muscle stiffness, brain fog, extreme fatigue, and a litany of other symptoms with no solution is horrible. I've been there. It's debilitating. If I have any mission with this blog, it's to help others who suffer like I have. It's not okay for anyone to be physically in that much pain, to have a simple work day be so trudgingly difficult to go through, or to have simple events throw everything into a tailspin. I've slept too much of my life away. I've struggled with dieting to only always gain weight.

Everything's changed now. I've lost 39 pounds. I'm pain-free (oh it was horrible before, by 10am I was at level 10 pain each day). The muscle stiffness from sitting in a car for 60 minutes is gone. I was walking like my Grandma Rose when I'd get out, similar to when she was 91 years old and had a hip replacement surgery and suffered from osteoporosis. In my early 30s, folks?! Now, I have loads of energy and I sleep less than my husband now (I used to sleep 10+ hours each night). I'm no longer the Texan Eskimo with sweater, slippers, fleece pajamas and socks walking around the house while everyone else wears shorts and a tank top. Now, I'm the one who is warmest. It's nice to feel alive. I feel like I've finally woken up.

I know I mention weight gain, but it's never a nah-nah-nah-boo-boo. I've never weighed this low as an adult. I weigh less now than I did in high school. I've been a diet Nazi to no avail. I'd exercise 5 times a week and nothing would come of it. I still weighed more than I do now. I exercise less often now (my biggest vice) and weigh less? My body wasn't working optimally and even if I don't lose that extra 20-30 pounds doc wants me to, I'm still going to rejoice each day because the pain is gone, the fatigue is gone, and the other weird symptoms (like vertigo and brain fog) are gone. One good doctor and my research-aholic mindset brought me that.

I want my readers to have this, too. Please click on this link. The Thyroid Change Organization's list of thyroid doctors has a strict criteria that include doctors that run full thyroid lab tests, including T3, T4, Reverse T3, TSH, Thyroid Antibodies, and (to me more importantly) responsive treatment to patient symptoms. I've met too many doctors who relied solely on lab results and ignored my host of symptoms and sent me on my (miserable) way.

Better yet, this list is FREE; there is no fee attached. To expedite your search, click on the State portion of the table and the entire list is alphabetized by state. Then scroll and scroll and find all the ones in your state. I'm happy to see some in the nearby areas or actual cities of family or friends who need a doctor like mine.

I wish you all the best of luck. One good doctor is all you need to really see changes. I hope you find that!!

Fifteen 20-30 Minute Workday Meals (with easy family variations)

Work is looming around my corner. With that, lists start popping up in my notepads that I haven’t written in a while. What am I going to eat for snacks at work? What meals am I cooking after work? Thus, my own personal list of low-carb, sugar-free, wheat-free, soy-free dinners become a post.

While I’m personally closing in on 40 pound weight loss, I’ve noticed my husband’s pants are looser. He won’t admit it’s a byproduct of how I cook these days (he says he can’t complain about how I cook because he doesn’t want to cook, he wants me to cook!) but it doesn’t matter who’s right because all that matters is our health. (I’m still right, though, just saying). I find random sugary treat wrappers and empty Big Red bottles in our vehicles from his work commute, so I know he’s not a diet Nazi like me. I teased him recently and he said, “When you buy ice cream sandwiches, I never get any. Our children eat them all before I ever get a chance. So, yeah, I buy sweets cause then I know I actually get to eat them.”

Who am I to chastise him about that? I hide my flourless, sugar-free muffins so I can actually have one or two. Here’s the rub: if he eats my healthy way 40 or 50% of his time (he’ll take leftovers to work, right) and that’s a very loose estimate, and we’re both noticing his clothing hangs differently…I’m going to hazard a guess and say even part-time healthy eating will see results. It won’t be as fast, course not, but it still happens. I’ll add he’s only a happy participant in eating this way because he’d rather me cook and if you’re not cooking, you can’t complain.

Over the last few years, my husband has seen a manifestation of pre-diabetic symptoms. His mother is full-blown diabetic, and those things often run in families. I have two diabetic siblings myself, so I know the symptoms. He gets the shakes and whatnot, but being stubborn, he hasn’t gone to the doctor’s yet. I hear George Lopez in my head, “Don’t go, they’ll find something wrong.” 

However, he’s started reading up on it (that impresses me). He read that tuna helps turn diabetes around. I’m not certain where he read it, but it doesn’t matter to me. He’s eating tuna in a tortilla with mayo for his work meal. Tuna is a high-protein, filing meal. He’s probably eating less and staying full longer. He doesn’t argue when I hand him a banana or a bag of cherry tomatoes for work, either, but that’s not often. He is a big boy and I know nagging someone to be healthier isn’t encouraging. It’s annoying. I’ve found ways to infiltrate his lifestyle. The can of vegetable baby food in the spaghetti isn’t just for the non-veggie eating daughter. The other choices he makes when I’m not around are his responsibility…but I won’t lie and say I’m not happy when he tells me some choices he’s been making. I kind of want him around a long while.

With that, I want to give you a list of 20 to 30 minute meals that fit a healthy lifestyle and a busy workday. I am leaving off spices for some of these dishes because these are just basic dinner ideas that you probably have preferred spices for. Take your favorite rubs or spice mixes and go to town. Just make sure your choices are low-sugar and wheatless and nothing that takes too much time to prep. Remember, you just worked all day!

1.       Tacos

Let’s begin with the fact that McCormick has a gluten-free taco mix. My tacos include 2% Tex Mex Cheese, 1 lb of turkey and 1 lb of ground meat, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and sour cream…it might take 15 minutes to do all that. I usually have 2 white corn tortillas (21g) which is less than flour tortillas (34g). Since I often eat low-carb for breakfast and lunch, this sits well below my carb allotment for the day (which is 60g).

2.       Taco Salad/Frito Pie

Ingredients are very similar to Tacos except the carbs are from Chili Cheese flavored Frito corn chips and not tortillas. I limit my portion of chips to ½ cup. 32 chips equal 16g of carbs. Thing is once you’ve piled on the long list of ingredients, your salad is almost too big to eat, but it’s oh-so-delicious! This is a definite family favorite.

3.       Spaghetti with Spaghetti Squash and CarbQuickBiscuits.

See my post on Spaghetti with Spaghetti Squash and if you haven’t gotten a chance to try out CarbQuick Biscuits, I suggest them! My Mom found a great deal on Amazon for CarbQuick (recipe on the box, the pancakes are awesome, too).

4.       Hamburger and Veggies (see Hamburger Cravings)

Any Hamburger patty with your favorite toppings (without bun) plus an HEB steamable bag of veggies is the Fastest Meal in the West.

I recently discovered Lighthouse dressing at HEB in the produce section. I have located only two brands of dressing so far that include zero soy. That causes me to rejoice since 99% of salad dressings use soybean oil and I am too lazy to prepare my own salad dressing all the time.  I’m digging that Jalapeno Ranch at the moment, lemme tell ya. I combined ½ cup with an entire bag of a Broccoli Slaw mix. I greedily dipped my hamburger patty in it, too. I’m the first person to get tired of salads, so this one impressed me.

5.       Fajitas

HEB has a bag of precooked Fajitas found in the frozen section – either beef or chicken. They cook up real fast in the skillet with a little bit of water (for steam), bell pepper, and onion. HEB also offers precut fajita veggie mixes. You can eat them with La Tortilla Low-Carb Tortillas (if wheat does not bother your gullet) or corn tortillas (my favorite). I add tomatoes, avocado slices, sour cream, and cheese because those are my favorites, but I do get in the mood for pico de gallo and guacamole. The family has flour tortillas and everyone is happy. I’m happy because it doesn’t take that long on the stove top.

6.       Cod and Lemon-Zesty salad.

Cod is a protein-dense fish. A 5oz piece yields 30g of protein and very little fat. This is an easy go-to meal for lunch or dinner. Bake the cod with your preferred seasons or marinades (I love lemon pepper). My Lemon-Zesty Salad is easy to prep. You need a zester, a miniature version of the cheese grater. You cut up the greens you prefer (l use romaine) and add the salad fixings you like (cucumber, tomato, chives, red onion, beets, etc.). You zest the lemon over the salad, then juice the salad. I end up using 2 lemons for a two-person salad. Drizzle olive oil in the salad, add salt and pepper and mix it all up. It’s quite delicious!

7.       Chicken Wings and Bacon-wrapped Asparagus (enough said).

Chicken Wings can be done many ways, but here's one option. Asparagus is always improved with bacon (what isn't?). Just wrap 3-5 fresh asparagus stalks (ends trimmed) with bacon and bake!

8.       Baked Chicken and Lemon-Zesty Roasted Broccoli.

It’s up to you what cut of chicken, but I prefer dark meat. Mainly I prefer dark meat because it is juicier and I just can’t stomach white (I don’t care if it’s less fat, I just can’t and you can’t make me; I won’t force you to eat anything you can’t stand). Lemon-Zesty Roasted Broccoli is quite simple. You zest and juice one or two lemons over raw broccoli florets. Add salt and pepper (and maybe grated Parmesan if you have some) and roast for 10 minutes. That’s it. The chicken will take the longest because you’ll spice it and put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

9.       Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Shrimp.

In a previous post, I gave directions on preparing spaghetti squash. Prepare the squash and cook noodles for your family (if that’s the case). For shrimp, I may try different seasonings, but I love lemon-zest, lemon, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. I have tried other spice combinations, but I always double-up the portions of shrimp. I buy two bag of frozen shrimp because it’s popular with all family members (and shrimp is lean protein). When all is said and done, I add a jar of Alfredo sauce (a typically low-carb sauce). Sometimes, I add sautéed mushrooms, a can of drained diced tomatoes, or cooked broccoli florets to the pasta mix. Those items just combine so well with Alfredo.

10.   Hot Dog Bowl

Hot Dogs combinations are an astronomical math equation. It’s easy to take all the ingredients of your favorite hot dog and leave the bun out. Use a bowl to keep your ingredients together and eat with a fork. A family favorite is chili-cheese hot dogs (and so simple). I pick up nitrate-free hot dogs (and my girls’ doctor was impressed I could find any and asked me where). There are many other hot dog combos that include sauerkraut, mustards of many varieties, pickle slices, jalapenos, you name it. You know your favorite: just put all those ingredients in a bowl and get a fork out.

11.   Low-Carb Stroganoff

My family’s Stroganoff recipe includes four basic ingredients: 1 to 2 pounds of ground meat, sour cream, Cream of Mushroom Soup, and noodles (there may be some spices like salt and pepper). My new adaptation of Stroganoff includes a few different twists. I use Cumin and Garlic as major spices. I sauté Portobello mushrooms to throw in the mix. With the carb, I totally change it up. Though there have been times where I’ve made white rice and ate ½ cup myself, I also want to talk to you about Miracle Noodles. They are zero-everything. Zero sugars. Zero calories. Zero Fat. Zero anything you are not supposed to have.  They cook quickly – in one minute in boiling water!! Again, this is one of my mom’s finds. One bag feeds me for two meals and Miracle Noodles can certainly be used as a noodle alternative in other pasta dishes.

12.   Shish-Ka-Bobs

I am always ga-ga for Shish-Ka-Bobs. Shrimp, Beef, Pork, Chicken, it doesn’t matter. It can go on my plate. My husband will groan about applying the meet and veggies to the skewers and I readily volunteers. I put mushrooms (Portobellos!), cherry tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, yellow squash, and zucchini. I may sprinkle them with olive oil and whatever spice mix I’m presently in love with (it changes) and make sure the meat is properly spiced up (chili powder and lime is awesome, too). If there’s time, I’ll make rice for the others, but often there isn’t enough time after work. So, that makes it low-carb by laziness (love that!).

13.   Roasted Pork Chop and Veggies

This is a variation of Shish-Ka-Bobs because it includes a lot of the same vegetables and spices. We make enough that our meals require two cooking sheets. Pork chops are spiced and placed in the oven on one rack and spiced up and olive-oiled veggies on the other rack. The most work is in chopping the veggies (and a lot of those come pre-cut if you know where to look, and cherry tomatoes and button mushrooms are already bite-size).

14.   Sweet Coconut Curry Chicken (see that post)

15.   Tomato-Basil Soup and CarbQuick Biscuits

Years ago, I learned how to make a Tomato-Basil Soup.  I still love it and my girls like it when I make it. I know for my girls, it is best if I puree all the items I put in there, but I don’t always have time (an electronic puree should fix that, if I could find it in my cupboards…). The basic ingredients are a can of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, a can of tomato sauce, fresh basil leaves (though my sister found frozen mini ice-trays of basil and garlic), fresh crushed garlic, shredded carrots, chopped celery, chopped onion, heavy cream, and salt and pepper. I think the original recipe was a Rachel Ray recipe, but it really does take less than 30 minutes. My sister prefers diced tomatoes with the spices already added. I prefer the original flavorings, but the point is that you should always make something you’ll like eating. Bake up some CarbQuick Biscuits (recipe on the box) and it’s an easy, satisfying meal, especially when the weather turns colder.  

Beware Fluoride! (and solutions)

Today's topic is Fluoride and it's affect on thyroid health. Being that I'm a teacher (and a bit of a research-aholic and constant reader), I am my own version of Hermoine. My intention is to explain in an easy, maybe colorful way, what is going on with our thyroid. I always offer the solutions I have collected for my own personal use.

A brief history lesson on Fluoridation

From 1909 until the 1930s, two scientists by the names of Kempf and McCay were traveling town to town to investigate why children (and other residents) had browning teeth. They figured out something amiss in the water sources available, but could not pinpoint what key ingredient caused such issues in dentistry. In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first city to include fluoridation in it's waters. Fluoridation spread across the United States, thus leading us to modern day. (If you want a complete history, here's the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacil Research's site).

That explains why it got in our water. Now, why should you care about fluoride in your water?

Fluoride's Affect on Thyroid Health

Fluoride is in the element family of other "-ides" such as bromide and iodine. These elements are processed by the thyroid to maintain our health. If you've gotten to see Inside Out, the movie about characters inside a little girls' head that represent her basic emotions, then I'd like you to envision the butterfly gland at your throat as Converting Headquarters. This headquarter' main job is to process key elements and convert them to create our hormones...and then send those hormones on their merry way so our organs have the resources they need to maintain health.

However, your thyroid has some culprits that cause it to give false directions to the rest of the body. Thus why many of us with thyroid have other health issues in "unrelated" areas and we don't connect, for example, that repeat reproductive health problems are due to a misfiring thyroid. I use this example because two family members had hysterectomies in their 30s and several of us have had miscarriages. Now, for some reason, my thyroid quit telling my pancreas how to process sugar, so it's not just one organ or area that gets the attention. That's what makes it tricky for the majority of the medical community to pinpoint thyroid issues as the root cause.

Iodine and Salt
Iodine is something our thyroid needs to produce hormones and do it's job. If your thyroid isn't getting enough iodine, it contributes to thyroid problems. In fact, in the past century, those individuals with thyroid issues have been given iodine (my grandmother included). It was such a cause of concern in the UK and the US that iodine has been included with commercial salt ever since 1924 because of iodine deficiency (story can be found here). The American diet does not naturally produce enough iodine and the 1920's American medical community treated an impressive amount of goiters (swollen thyroid because the thyroid is working too hard to produce hormones...goiters mean the thyroid could go out completely because it's overworked). Our Scientists even then were pinpointing what element improves thyroid health and they had a better remedy (desiccated thyroid) than what most doctors prescribe now (synthetic). As far as salt goes, I personally use Morton's Sea Salt with Iodine. I don't need to add as much salt to get the flavor (and my husband doesn't complain that you can't trust a skinny cook...I did too flavor this dish!).

It's All in the Family
Now, I speak of iodine because it's considered an actinide element (the first of it's kind on the element table). Others within it's family (bromide, fluoride) act like iodine in our bodies and trick our thyroids into thinking "You have enough of this resource, quit converting as much." So, the thyroid is either tricked into going hypo-active (slowed down) because it's actually not getting enough and your body can't function, or your thyroid goes hyper-active (speeds up) in order to compensate (the little engine that could).

Drinking Water
This is where fluoride steps in as a culprit to our thyroid. We absorb fluoride in several areas, but the most we absorb it is in our tap water and our toothpaste. Most of us in the United States drink bottled water. Our town has delivered many letters to the public detailing the safety (or lack there of) in our tap water with a label of "elderly and those with compromised immune systems should not drink it." Oh, well, that causes a lot of us to refill water jugs for our homes.

Cooking Water
And yet....do you still cook your rice, pasta, and mashed potatoes in tap water? Most of us do. We're still absorbing fluoride in that manner, and a good amount, too. Our household has made the choice of using jugs of water to cook. If you live in the country and have a water well, you're probably just fine. City water is a different issue since all cities add fluoride to their water systems.

Toothpaste
Toothpaste is another source of fluoride (and bromide). Don't worry, I'm not going to suggest you stop brushing your teeth and lose some friends (and maybe earn a title of Dragon Breath). I suggest Tom's Toothpaste. It is a bit pricier than regular toothpaste, but let me put it this way: I spend so little on my thyroid medicines (we're talking I can pay in quarters) when before I was prescribed medicines for anxiety, depression, and whatnot that were pricier. Good health is cheaper, so pick up that toothpaste. It balances out. We all swallow a bit of toothpaste when we brush our teeth and my thyroid already has enough false messages about the resources it has available.

Resources for Further Reading
By all means, don't limit yourself to the resources I've included below (but just in case you don't believe me or you really want to know more, here it is). Knowledge is power. If you know what exacerbates your health issues, you're more likely to adapt lifestyle habits that improve your health. In the end, who doesn't want better health?

Just recently, my husband remarked, "You know, this is the first summer in our entire (almost 15 years) marriage where we've gotten to spend a lot of time together." It's been really nice. I haven't had to say "I'm too tired, go without me." I said it every time before. It's nice to be my healthiest. I get to live my life now.

Fluoride Alert
Global Healing Center
Mercola 
WebMD 

Alternative Carb: Yellow Squash

As the beginning of the school year starts to dawn, I've already gone into my classroom to decorate and organize it. The consequence to my return to work (officially next Monday) is fewer blogs each week. Many teachers will tell you it is not an 8-hour job and I thoroughly enjoy teaching, so my passion borders on obsession.

Today, I'm going to discuss another carb alternative: the yellow squash. I don't have as many recipes for yellow squash as I'd hope to share, but the other day, I had an offer from my readers to share recipes with Becca's Class Act. If individuals are willing to type them in Word and email them to me, we'll be rocking!

Squash Au Gratin
Some years back, I started taking the traditional Potatoes Au Gratin and mixing in coins of yellow squash. Eventually, I ditched the potatoes and only included the squash. I've taken this dish to work, two discard-able tinfoil baking dishes worth, and both were gone by the end of second lunch. My Daddy expects to see it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, now!

Ingredients
American cheese, 1 - 16oz block (HEB)
1/2 and 1/2 or heavy cream, 16oz
4 to 5 medium to large yellow squash (if you can picture all of them fitting into the 9"x13" pan, grab one more)

Directions

1. Cut the American cheese into cubes and place in a non-stick pot with the half and half (about half the container, more if you feel it isn't easy to stir). As the cheese begins to melt, stir and stir until you have the desired cheesy consistency. Sometimes, I recruit a child to stand at the stove to stir the cheese while I stand to their left with the next step.
2. While I stir the cheese (or my assistant does), I'm cutting the squash into equal-width coins. I cut them in equal widths - about half a centimeter - because the coins will cook evenly (it's not cool to have the perfect creamy bite and then bite into a piece that isn't cooked thoroughly, it's like hitting a rock).
3. In a 9"x13" baking dish, lay the coins in rows (I let them lay at around a 45 degree angle). Cover the squash with the cheese mixture. I add the remainder of the half and half.
4. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. 

George Stella's Loaded "Faux-Tato" Skins

This is by far the most delicious potato-skin recipe revamp ever! The basics of the recipe is simply cutting each of the small to medium yellow squashes in half (see photo), season them, put some cheese and bacon on top, bake it, and then add sour cream and chives. How much easier can you get? If you haven't gotten your copy of George Stella's cookbooks yet, I highly suggest any of his recipes.

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
3 medium yellow squash
Salt and Pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 scallion, thinly sliced.

1. Preheat oven to 375 and spray a sheet pan with the nonstick cooking spray (I use tinfoil to line my pan and then spray that).
2. Trim the ends off the squash and cut each in half length-wise. Place each one cut-side up on the pan.
3. Season the squash with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
4. Top each squash with an even amount of Cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
5. Bake for 12 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble and squash is tender.
6. Serve with sour cream and sliced scallions on top.

Low-Carb Lasagna

I'm sorry to say I do not have a lasagna recipe, per se, to provide you. I'm one of those cooks that often doesn't make the same recipe twice. Not on purpose, I just get into creative moods, so I've never written down this recipe and in all actuality, I don't have a basic recipe for lasagna except that I prefer ricotta. 

You can pick any lasagna recipe (say, if you already have your own recipe or you find one on FoodNetwork.com) and just swap out the regular lasagna noodles with length-wise cut yellow squash. I've used both yellow squash and zucchini in mine. You cut out the cooking time for the noodles because evenly cut slices of squash (and/or zucchini) will bake in 30 minutes.

My vegan Daddy likes it when my family prepares recipes like this because we know, for him, we'll prepare a 9"x9" baking dish without the meat, but it has all the same seasonings and double the veggies. 

Spaghetti Noodles

My Mom purchased a device called a Veggetti. It's not limited to yellow squash, of course, but we're talking about how we can use yellow squash as an alternative carb source. I personally love finding inventive ways to eat veggies. Covering them with any kind of sauce seems to do the trick. 

Parmesan Yellow Squash

Mom has an easy squash recipe (and she often includes separate pans of zucchini and eggplant). She'll salt and pepper coins of the given vegetable, sprinkle Parmesan on top, and then bake it for about 30 minutes. It's really quite good and is an easy carb-alternative side, I feel, because the most work that goes into it is slicing the veggies. The oven does the rest!

Roasted Squash

I love and adore roasted squash. It's often paired with a litany of other sliced and diced vegetables, drizzled with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and roasted in the oven. My husband makes me laugh because he'll tell me things like, "I can't stand olive oil" and then when he's munching on these prepared veggies, he's saying, "Now, this is how I like my veggies cooked." I just look at him and wait awhile before I break the news that those veggies have olive oil on them. I'm just like any other wife who enjoys the moments where she's right....AGAIN.

Sauteed Yellow Squash and Red Bell Pepper and Onion

I can't recall where I picked up this recipe. My brain remembers what I've actually done, and it recalls a lot of what it reads...but not always from what source. I apologize for that.

Sauteed squash isn't difficult. You're taking cut up squash, bell pepper, and onion and sauteing it in butter until it hits the right consistency. It's super quick, maybe 10 minutes of sauteing time. Add freshly diced garlic, salt, and pepper while you're sauteing and you've entered a part of heaven. I don't know about your household, but when I start cooking with garlic, interested noses come checking out what's cooking.

That's all the recipes I have for yellow squash. If there are any recipes you'd like to share with Becca's Class Act and you don't mind me sharing them with our audience, please feel free to share any low-carb, wheat-free, low-sugar recipes you have. Personally, the more I talk about these foods, the more I actually get into the kitchen and eat the way I should. I have my lazy spells, too, either in the creativity department or the "I'm not doing anything!" department. I'll stick to my health-restricted diet plan, but I won't load up on veggies like I know I should. Eating a left-over pork chop to shut the stomach up is sticking to the health plan, but it's not giving my body the fiber it needs. Your recipe submissions could very well help me (and someone else) with meal planning!!

Happy eating, folks!