Re: Does this stuff really work? :-)

January 22, 2012

Krista, fellow allergy sufferer here and am gluten free (undiagnosed celiac). I

solved 90% of my health problems by going gluten free. Do not let your child

have bread no matter what kind of fit she has! In allergies, we often crave

exactly what is killing us! I think she will eventually come around, just

because of hunger. My doctor says a child is not going to starve even with

horrible eating just because the body will motivate them to eat no matter what.

I don't know if that is true, but that's what he says.

How long did it take me to feel better? Maybe two weeks. If it isn't working,

try eliminating something else. I got it down to wheat, eggs, nuts, apples.

Only one sinus infection in the past 18 months compared to one every month for

years.

Hope that helps.

Sandy

>

> I think I just need some reassurance that all this hard work WILL pay off,

so…I'm asking for your stories! How did you work through the challenges of

switching to a real foods diet? What did you notice was different after a while?

How did you work through people looking at you like you have a third head? Did

you work through any illnesses?

>

January 22, 2012

Many on this group will give you much good advice in answer to your question on

food, and so I'd like to shift your question to the environment and asthma and

share my own family's experience. When my daughter was a preschooler, she

suffered from eczema, asthma and was constantly sick. She was one strep throat

away from getting her tonsils out and took flovent, pulmicort and singulair

daily, not to mention almost monthly antibiotics. To make a long story short, I

followed a hunch backed by preliminary research, and we removed all the carpet

from our house and replaced it with natural flooring (mainly oak and tile).

Almost immediately every asthma symptom - including the eczema - disappeared and

she no longer became sick with colds and other illnesses. This, actually, was

before we transitioned over to healthy eating. My daughter is now sixteen, and

hasn't been on any medication for over a decade. Of course, I wouldn't be on

this group if I didn't recognize and promote the importance of a traditional,

whole foods diet, but I would also like to suggest that just as critical is

considering the environmental toxins we are exposed to every day and to mitigate

them wherever we can. My daughter's pulmonologist who took her off her meds was

completely unsurprised by the good health she experienced after we replaced our

flooring with natural materials; he stated that the vast majority of asthma and

allergies could be eliminated among children if we would only take carpet out of

our public institutions and our homes.

January 22, 2012

Thanks for your wonderful question, the most penetrating of anything anyone

could ask, and for the story of your family. I would liken your description of

the current situation to a " before " picture. Many of us have seen these before

and after pictures with so many families as they travel the traditional food

journey (and it is a lifelong journey). In your case, I do hope that your spouse

will get educated on this issue and back you up 100%. I also hope you will

enlist the aid of a true holistic professional, especially now when you are in

the ugliest and by far the least rewarding part. We have many healers in this

community (see the DATABASE) who have helped create a healing vibe over a family

to get them to the other side of the river that must be crossed if you seek

vibrant health.

The other tool I recommend to you is the book " POTTENGER'S PROPHESY " by Gray

Graham. Out of the literally thousands of books that tell you " how " to get

there, this is the book that I find best describes the " why " of your family's

health loss and all the related complications. ly, I don't see how your

husband could get adequately fired up about this until he understands the roots

of the problems, roots that go back to your parents, their parents and perhaps

even further back. Once you get this clarity you will have the vision, and the

backbone, to say to your offspring " OK, family, THIS is what we all need to do

now..you will eventually thank me for this.... "

Bon Voyage,

Will Winter

January 22, 2012

The problem with trying to research or prove this type of question is there is

no control group. Eating Traditional Foods takes you on a different path to

health and you have no way of knowing what your family would have been like if

you continued to eat the Standard American Diet. But my hunch is that you will

be MUCH better off!

Kathy

January 22, 2012

>

> I think I just need some reassurance that all this hard work WILL pay off,

so…I'm asking for your stories! >

I can't really talk about healing my boys, because I started being a Nazi about

what they ate when they were 2 and 0 (I changed while I was pregnant with my

second). I can say that I was on WIC with my oldest, and his teeth started to

crumble. I stopped getting WIC, made sure he only drank milk or water - and then

started giving him raw milk when I found a source. His teeth got better within

months.

I can also tell you about me. I was Dx diabetic when I was 21, and it took me a

while to figure out exactly what that meant, but now that I insist my family

eats as organically as possible, and I make our food using ingredients rather

than canned and boxed food, we are all healthy about 95% of the time. This is

huge since I was often sickly as a child!

It IS worth it!

For a more in depth look at my story and what I went through to get to this

point read my blog post:

http://5degreesofweirdness.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-journey.html

Good luck and have a happy day,

Roxanne

January 22, 2012

You are at the hardest stage, the starting point. Changing the diet as

drastically as you are takes time to get used to. Probably many of us have done

it at a much slower pace allowing ourselves to get used to the changes and how

best to implement them within our lives.

If I was in your situation I'd have the kids all on the same diet. If your older

child wants to complain then, like you are doing, she has to be hungry. It's

very hard for you and for her at first, but you aren't starving her, you are

simply trying to give her healthy food that is also something that her siblings

can eat. We have to remember that in most places children don't have a lot of

choices for what they eat, they simply eat what they are given and are grateful

for it, because without that food that are hungry. Your daughter will come

around in time. As far as your husband goes, again just personal her, but let

him eat his lunch as he desires, but perhaps he has to prepare the food himself

and be sure to not eat it in front of the kids. Hopefully in time he'll jump on

the bandwagon all the way too.

I do want to encourage you that the diet really, truly makes a difference. I'm

actually just in the process of sharing some personal testimony on my blog about

how my diet has changed and how it has affected my pregnancies and my children.

I am currently in my fourth pregnancy and going to be having our third child (I

had one miscarriage). If you'd like to read about it you can go here:

http://artistta.blogspot.com/2012/01/part-1-look-at-how-i-believe-my.html

Also, my son has shown some severe reactions to wheat, which we are now once

again having to change our diet to adapt to. It's hard to get used to a no wheat

diet, and it does mean that the whole family has to go the same direction. It's

okay though, in time you fine awesome substitutes, plus as your body adjusts to

a new diet, I have found that the cravings for the old food greatly subside or

completely go away. What was good at one time, no longer is. The thing is though

you do have to make sure you are getting enough nutrients in other places for

the foods you are omitting. You are taking a lot out of your diet at once. Are

you doing something like a GAPS diet? Lots of people in this group can share

their testimonies about how wonderful that type of diet has been for them, but

for most it's only been for a time and not permanent. Allowing for the gut to

heal does have profound affect on our abilities to eat food that we may normally

have a reaction to. We have seen this with our son and I've seen it with myself.

I think we will be able to have him back eating a fermented wheat (like making

fermented sourdough) in due time, but right now we need to let his gut get as

healthy as possible. We are boosting his probiotics intake (raw milk kefir and

yogurt) to help this process along.

Hang in there. You aren't alone and you can do this. Maybe sit down and write

down a food plan that allows for making larger portion meals at one time so you

don't have to spend quite so much time in the kitchen. It also gives you an idea

what to have on hand each week and doesn't force you to think of what to make

for meals on the fly, which I think can be stressful when life isn't running

smoothly.

Therese A.

www.artistta.blogspot.com

January 22, 2012

When I first met my dh, he always had mega-size bottles of Tylenol and Tums in

every vehicle as well as around his home. Not surprisingly, he also had lots of

issues with his stomach. We have been eating more and more traditional for the

past 10 years and several years ago I pointed out to him that he did not have

any of his old bottles anywhere. He was amazed.

Don't give in to your preschooler's demands, she'll get over it. But do try to

find ways to help her adjust-lots of kids that age have a hard time when you

change the " order of the world. " Give her foods with lots of fat to help her

feel more satisfied. Deviled eggs made with coconut oil, cut veggies with fun

dips, healthy hot dogs. Have her help you prepare the food, which always makes

it taste better. Even if you don't do fluid milk, you might be able to do raw

milk, fermented dairy (not store yogurt), or even butter. Find substitutes like

homemade crackers made from flax seed soaked in tomato sauce and then placed in

a food dehydrator. Since you dh is supportive of 2/3 of your new meals, rejoice

with that victory. As far as his lunch, I'm assuming that you pack a lunch that

he takes to work, find out what it is that he is missing and he can find a way

to replace it. If he must have a sandwich, you can put everything in his lunch

and he can either pick up a bun or roll at a store or you can keep some in the

freezer and discreetly place on in his lunch bag. It may not be a perfect

solution, but it's a step in the right direction.

As far as having everyone think you're weird, not only do I fully accept it, but

we have actually learned to enjoy that we think outside of the box. The world

would be very boring and there would be no innovations if everyone one went

along with the status quo.

Lynn

January 23, 2012

I came across this and thought of you, i think is speaks to exactly where

you're at.

http://www.ruthsrealfood.com/2012/01/how-can-i-get-kids-to-eat-real-food-tip.htm\

l

As for me and my family (3 kids which were 2,5 and 9 when we switched), the

switch to real, traditional foods was not entirely without sacrifice but would

we do it again? Absolutely. The weight loss, increases in energy levels, and

the over 80% reduction in illnesses are worth any price.

As you and your family see improvements, the " sacrifices " will seem less severe,

and eventually they might not seem to be sacrifices at all. The key is to see

those improvements as quickly as possible. To that end, I offer the following

thoughts.

Why are so many Americans fat and sick? Lots of reasons but I believe the

primary one is that we have displaced nourishing traditional fats (butter, lard,

liver, coconut and palm oils, egg yolks, tallow, etc) with carbohydrates, nasty

vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats and all manner of processed " foods " which

really aren't food at all. The first thing we did as a family was to

drastically reduce carbohydrates (especially sugar and grains and all processed

food)and vegetable oils and radically increased traditional fats. I said

radically and I meant it. I'm not talking about a pad of butter here and there

but a way of eating that results in 70% of our calories from saturated fat.

(watch this:

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/1-key-to-health-traditional-fats-and-sacr\

ed-foods/) Also, consider reading " Why we get fat and what to do about it " by

Taubes (the title really should be " why we get fat and have heart disease

and diabetes and dementia and...)

Did the kids miss cereal and sweets and the like? Yes of course. But it turned

out not to be a big deal. Most people find that drastically reducing carbs and

increasing saturated fats has the effect of lowering appetites and cravings.

You just feel better, more satisfied, more energetic. That was certainly the

case for us. My wife and I lost 100lbs in 3 months with no increase in physical

activity and our kids went from asking (read demanding) food every two hours to

frequently forgetting meals all together. These changes were obviously very

encouraging and facilitated making futher changes (better sourcing of food,

organic, grassfed meats, fermented foods, raw foods, etc.) In terms of avoiding

illness, I believe the key is cutting sugar and eating lots of fermented foods

(kefir, cultured veggies, kombucha, etc.)

Does this stuff really work? If you had asked me a year ago, I would have

laughed. Now? After having seen real food transform my life, the lives of my

family and many of our friends who have followed suit? My answer is a

resounding yes.

Gene

>

> I think I just need some reassurance that all this hard work WILL pay off,

so…I'm asking for your stories! How did you work through the challenges of

switching to a real foods diet? What did you notice was different after a while?

How did you work through people looking at you like you have a third head? Did

you work through any illnesses?

>

> Currently I am trying to switch my family and I to gluten-free, dairy-free,

grain-free. My husband is ok with eating that way at dinner and breakfast but

wants his usual stuff for lunches; my 4-year-old HATES it (doesn't like meat or

eggs; has tantrums when she wants bread; won't eat and then is very crabby and

won't sleep because she's hungry); and I have to cook separate meals for my baby

because he's sensitive to egg whites. My preschooler is miserable; I am

constantly either cooking or thinking about cooking (only to have my preschooler

not like the food). I am going about this change very slowly, but even at this

snail's pace I'm wondering how I could possibly take it a step further!

>

> I am doing this primarily because my preschooler has severe asthma, nut/peanut

allergies, chronic ear infections, etc. I want so badly to try SOMETHING other

than medications to help her little body. I am of course, getting feedback (Hi

Mom!) about how terrible it is that I'm doing this to her, so this of course is

not helpful...

>

> It WOULD be helpful to get some reinforcement that eating this way does in

fact has the possibility of helping her...no guarantees of course, but I just

want to know that if I'm making her (and by default, the rest of us!) miserable

that it's for a worthy cause!

>

> (I realize there are many other benefits to eating this way other than just

possible affects on asthma, etc. so sharing ANY ways your health--physical or

mental--has improved will be great.)

>

> Thanks so much, and sorry for the rant!

>

January 23, 2012

Maybe you're trying too much at once, you don't want to overwhelm yourself with

manageing the little ones and thinking about food all the time! Start with

gluten free and go from there, step by step. Try adding one new food/food

preparation process each week, and taking one thing out that you no longer want.

Start feeling confident with that, then up the ante to two a week. There are

some great books and blogs, but take those one at a time too. It will just seem

so hard if you try and do it all at once.

As for the behavior and sleeping, your child (and family) will have a

'withdrawl' period when stopping gluten and perhaps other foods too.

It should get better after a while as your bodies adjust.

DOn't feel like you have to do it all at once! I admire those who can do things

cold turkey, but it isn't for everyone. It was just too overwhelming with the

birth of my 2nd child in Nov, many things got set aside (food wise) except for

gluten free of course. We have seemed to get over the adjustment period with my

3 yo, and the babe is getting on a routine, so I'm adding back in many of the

things I used to do regularly one at a time: soaking oats, bone broth, more

scratch cooking, etc. My 3 yo has the opposite food adversions as yourse, he

loves meat, cheese, and eggs, but has turned down most fruits and veggies

lately, and loves his carbs. It was so much easier in the summer with the

garden and CSA boxes to get him to try at least one new thing a week. And I've

added some experiments with homemade cereals/granolas to see if I can wean him

off regular cereal eventually.

good luck!

January 23, 2012

My comments...

1. My sons are 8 & 4. When my older boy was 3, I decided to make a complete

switch to natural nutrition. We can see the difference between the 2 boys -

for example, the younger one has straighter, stronger teeth, and has had

significantly less sickness (such as colds, ear infections, strep).

2. I have continued to make improvements in our diet as I learn more - in

the last year none of us has been sick at all - not even a cold.

3. Hang in there! It does take some time to adapt to a new system in the

kitchen, but after you establish a new routine, it gets easier. I had never

particularly liked cooking, so when I first decided to make the switch I

knew it would be tough - I felt like I was spending all my time in the

kitchen or thinking about food, but now I that have adjusted to a new

system, it isn't so bad at all.

4. You mentioned that your baby doesn't tolerate egg whites...

that reminded of me of a chapter " Feeding Babies " (from " Nourishing

Traditions " cookbook). I found it online just before my 2nd son was

born --it talks about feeding egg yolks to babies. In case you're not

familiar with that info, here's a link

http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/feeding-babies

The basic instructions for egg yolks are: Boil an egg 3 1/2 minutes. Peel.

Remove egg white and discard. Yolk should be soft and warm, not hot.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Spoon feed to baby. (My son LOVED this!)

E.

On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 8:41 PM, redmt3218 <nielsen.krista@...>wrote:

> **

>

> I think I just need some reassurance that all this hard work WILL pay off,

> so…I'm asking for your stories! How did you work through the challenges of

> switching to a real foods diet? What did you notice was different after a

> while? How did you work through people looking at you like you have a third

> head? Did you work through any illnesses?

>

> Currently I am trying to switch my family and I to gluten-free,

> dairy-free, grain-free. My husband is ok with eating that way at dinner and

> breakfast but wants his usual stuff for lunches; my 4-year-old HATES it

> (doesn't like meat or eggs; has tantrums when she wants bread; won't eat

> and then is very crabby and won't sleep because she's hungry); and I have

> to cook separate meals for my baby because he's sensitive to egg whites. My

> preschooler is miserable; I am constantly either cooking or thinking about

> cooking (only to have my preschooler not like the food). I am going about

> this change very slowly, but even at this snail's pace I'm wondering how I

> could possibly take it a step further!

>

> I am doing this primarily because my preschooler has severe asthma,

> nut/peanut allergies, chronic ear infections, etc. I want so badly to try

> SOMETHING other than medications to help her little body. I am of course,

> getting feedback (Hi Mom!) about how terrible it is that I'm doing this to

> her, so this of course is not helpful...

>

> It WOULD be helpful to get some reinforcement that eating this way does in

> fact has the possibility of helping her...no guarantees of course, but I

> just want to know that if I'm making her (and by default, the rest of us!)

> miserable that it's for a worthy cause!

>

> (I realize there are many other benefits to eating this way other than

> just possible affects on asthma, etc. so sharing ANY ways your

> health--physical or mental--has improved will be great.)

>

> Thanks so much, and sorry for the rant!

>

--

* J. Elias*

The Professor Coach

http://pronunciationcoach.com/

http://pronunciationcoach.wordpress.com/

January 23, 2012

Keep yer chin up! It is hard work, but only at the beginning. The transitional

phase is the most difficult, especially when looking what a massive undertaking

it seems to be. And/or when you want to be living the end result, but still

have such a long way to go. Take it slow. Very slow. If you are already

cooking from scratch, it will be all the easier. But if you are coming off

processed foods? It will seem impossible. It isn't. I agree with the previous

commenter . . . add things slowly. Pick the biggest evil and tackle that one,

like cutting out processed oils and sugars.

Also know that eating whole, " traditional " foods is a slower process than just

taking something out of the fridge/freezer and heating. (I assume you are

already cooking from scratch though.) Whatever your situation, you will have to

get into the habit of planning ahead. Way ahead. This sounds hard, but is easy

once you get into the habit. A good idea is to make a " menu outline " for the

week. It can be just an idea list of what you will be eating, or a rigid

schedule if that suits you. That way you can start soaking grains, legumes,

and/or flours ahead of time. Work towards finding a source for quality fats,

dairy, and meats. This might take some time, depending on where you live, so

just do your best in the meanwhile. And so on. Don't give up hope! You'll

make it.

For those who look at you like you have three heads ( " Hi Mom! " , LOL), just tell

them that you are addressing digesting issues based off of heavy research. Ask

for their patient respect. Those folks will eventually see the results and be

full of nothing astonishment and/or support. (And at least it is your mom and

not your MIL.)

As for the question, " Does it work? " my personal successes include the

following:

1) Addressing/correcting my then-3 year old son's red, dry cheeks in the winter

months. I kept on putting calendula ointment on them hoping they would " heal " ,

but then started administering nothing more than a daily dose of cod liver oil

and *boom* gone.

2) Addressing/correcting " poop problems " . Same kid, but this one took longer

for me to figure out. His poop has always looked like what I described as a

beige " frothy snowcone " . He had never once had " well-formed stool " . Ever.

Finally, at age 4 (and I still feel a little guilty about this), I connected the

dots and limited (not eliminated) grains while upping his fats and fermented

foods (sauerkraut). Same thing, *boom* gone. Normal poop from that point

forward.

3) Healing my own cavity. My first, at age 32. I didn't even know what it was,

LOL. I followed Ramiel Nagel's advice in Cure Tooth Decay (doing my best . . .

e.g. I didn't have a daily source for bone marrow) and my brown smudge and

sensitivity was totally gone within three months. No joke.

4) Less sickness. Less heavy sickness. Less tooth sensitivity. These are all

my husband's results. He used to get sick with much greater frequency and

severity. He also just noticed this past summer that his tooth sensitivity,

which had plagued him heavily in the past, was virtually unnoticeable. I

deserve a nice pat on the back for that one. I'm still the " big guns " in

these parts re: nutritional devotion and goals and we are all seeing the

results.

So yes . . . there are big changes in store for you. It might take awhile to

piece together the entire puzzle, but there will be small victories along the

way.

And finally, the three-head thing again. My in-laws general regard my

zeal/interest in whole foods as a little bit weird. Or perhaps " off the deep

end " . BUT. They are totally amazed and impressed by how my children eat. They

ask for more vegetables. They eat what we eat. There are no panty-waste

substitute meals (aka PB & J and the like). My MIL has made numerous comments

showing her amazement and has even said " you must be doing something right " .

Uhm, yes. We are.

Be encouraged! Being a part of traditional food is a good support

system, especially if you don't know anyone else " in person " who is following a

similar path. Another great group for the parents of young children is:

newwaphb/. Blogs are good way to find

camaraderie and info as well, if you have the time.

Best of luck! Keep at it! Slow and steady wins the race.

Keep us posted,

a

>

> I think I just need some reassurance that all this hard work WILL pay off,

so…I'm asking for your stories! How did you work through the challenges of

switching to a real foods diet? What did you notice was different after a while?

How did you work through people looking at you like you have a third head? Did

you work through any illnesses?

>

January 23, 2012

another easy first step is the bone broths.

Caution with just gluten free: the idea is to not irritate the gut, along

with providing healing readily absorbed nutrients. The noxious microbes

move in whenever there's an abundance of disaccharides (also too many

monosach..), which is why GAPS minimizes grains and a lot of other starchy

veggies (ie sweet potato) that would seem reasonable substitutes. Most of

the gfcf mixes I've seen are unfortunately just glorified refined foods,

which would continue to keep the undesirable microbes quite content.

Another GAPS mother in Virginia reported recently that her five year old

ASKED to go back on GAPS because she just feels better that way. Kudos to

MILs who can acknowledge that you're doing something right. L

On Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 3:47 PM, yaksizzler77 <thepenskyfile@...>wrote:

> Keep yer chin up! It is hard work, but only at the beginning. The

> transitional phase is the most difficult, especially when looking what a

> massive undertaking it seems to be. And/or when you want to be living the

> end result, but still have such a long way to go. Take it slow. Very

> slow. If you are already cooking from scratch, it will be all the easier.

> But if you are coming off processed foods? It will seem impossible. It

> isn't. I agree with the previous commenter . . . add things slowly. Pick

> the biggest evil and tackle that one, like cutting out processed oils and

> sugars.

>

> Also know that eating whole, " traditional " foods is a slower process than

> just taking something out of the fridge/freezer and heating. (I assume you

> are already cooking from scratch though.) Whatever your situation, you

> will have to get into the habit of planning ahead. Way ahead. This sounds

> hard, but is easy once you get into the habit. A good idea is to make a

> " menu outline " for the week. It can be just an idea list of what you will

> be eating, or a rigid schedule if that suits you. That way you can start

> soaking grains, legumes, and/or flours ahead of time. Work towards finding

> a source for quality fats, dairy, and meats. This might take some time,

> depending on where you live, so just do your best in the meanwhile. And so

> on. Don't give up hope! You'll make it.

>

> For those who look at you like you have three heads ( " Hi Mom! " , LOL), just

> tell them that you are addressing digesting issues based off of heavy

> research. Ask for their patient respect. Those folks will eventually see

> the results and be full of nothing astonishment and/or support. (And at

> least it is your mom and not your MIL.)

>

> As for the question, " Does it work? " my personal successes include the

> following:

>

> 1) Addressing/correcting my then-3 year old son's red, dry cheeks in the

> winter months. I kept on putting calendula ointment on them hoping they

> would " heal " , but then started administering nothing more than a daily dose

> of cod liver oil and *boom* gone.

>

> 2) Addressing/correcting " poop problems " . Same kid, but this one took

> longer for me to figure out. His poop has always looked like what I

> described as a beige " frothy snowcone " . He had never once had " well-formed

> stool " . Ever. Finally, at age 4 (and I still feel a little guilty about

> this), I connected the dots and limited (not eliminated) grains while

> upping his fats and fermented foods (sauerkraut). Same thing, *boom* gone.

> Normal poop from that point forward.

>

> 3) Healing my own cavity. My first, at age 32. I didn't even know what

> it was, LOL. I followed Ramiel Nagel's advice in Cure Tooth Decay (doing

> my best . . . e.g. I didn't have a daily source for bone marrow) and my

> brown smudge and sensitivity was totally gone within three months. No joke.

>

> 4) Less sickness. Less heavy sickness. Less tooth sensitivity. These

> are all my husband's results. He used to get sick with much greater

> frequency and severity. He also just noticed this past summer that his

> tooth sensitivity, which had plagued him heavily in the past, was virtually

> unnoticeable. I deserve a nice pat on the back for that one. I'm still

> the " big guns " in these parts re: nutritional devotion and goals and we are

> all seeing the results.

>

> So yes . . . there are big changes in store for you. It might take awhile

> to piece together the entire puzzle, but there will be small victories

> along the way.

>

> And finally, the three-head thing again. My in-laws general regard my

> zeal/interest in whole foods as a little bit weird. Or perhaps " off the

> deep end " . BUT. They are totally amazed and impressed by how my children

> eat. They ask for more vegetables. They eat what we eat. There are no

> panty-waste substitute meals (aka PB & J and the like). My MIL has made

> numerous comments showing her amazement and has even said " you must be

> doing something right " . Uhm, yes. We are.

>

> Be encouraged! Being a part of traditional food is a good

> support system, especially if you don't know anyone else " in person " who is

> following a similar path. Another great group for the parents of young

> children is: newwaphb/. Blogs are

> good way to find camaraderie and info as well, if you have the time.

>

> Best of luck! Keep at it! Slow and steady wins the race.

>

> Keep us posted,

> a

>

> >

> > I think I just need some reassurance that all this hard work WILL pay

> off, so…I'm asking for your stories! How did you work through the

> challenges of switching to a real foods diet? What did you notice was

> different after a while? How did you work through people looking at you

> like you have a third head? Did you work through any illnesses?

> >

>

> ------------------------------------

>

January 25, 2012

Gene, this was an amazing story you have posted here, and I hope you don't mind,

I have snipped a few of the paragraphs, with no identifying info, and posted

them on my facebook status - I know that some of my friends think I am a little

odd in my habits, and this explanation of yours will maybe move some of them to

take it a little more seriously.

Beth in Maplewood

>

> I came across this and thought of you, i think is speaks to exactly where

you're at.

>

http://www.ruthsrealfood.com/2012/01/how-can-i-get-kids-to-eat-real-food-tip.htm\

l

>

> As for me and my family (3 kids which were 2,5 and 9 when we switched), the

switch to real, traditional foods was not entirely without sacrifice but would

we do it again? Absolutely. The weight loss, increases in energy levels, and

the over 80% reduction in illnesses are worth any price.

>

> As you and your family see improvements, the " sacrifices " will seem less

severe, and eventually they might not seem to be sacrifices at all. The key is

to see those improvements as quickly as possible. To that end, I offer the

following thoughts.

>

> Why are so many Americans fat and sick? Lots of reasons but I believe the