And the Winner is...

Alright, I did it. I resorted to using Random.Org to pick a winner. I tried asking Gabey to pick a number between 1-13, but he can't actually talk so it wasn't a productive conversation.

So congrats to ***BEESWAX*** who was placed at the top of my random order list. (I didn't know how to use it to just pick one number so I used the list randomizer.)

Beeswax, by-the-way, is a complete stranger (to me) who's blog I love to read because she's so stinkin' funny. So check her out sometime.  (But not in the creepy way a construction worker would...)

Now, for the rest of you who are interested in the book but also scared of the book, here's what I have to say: If you know me, you know that I am a big fan of all things sweet. Some may even use phrases like "sugar-addict" or "chocolate junkie", but I'D just say I'm slightly "health challenged". 

So, has this book completely changed my diet and personality and lifestyle?  Yes and No. Here's the thing. The diet Dr. Furman recommends is actually pretty extreme for most of us. He doesn't say go vegetarian or go off sugar, but pretty close. That's where moderation comes in. I read the book, and I'm trying to implement his ideas with moderation. 

For example. We still eat meat, just less of it. We still eat treats, but I've stopped buying stuff with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. (It's in bread, applesauce, peanut butter, Wheat Thins, EVERYTHING!)  Mostly though, we're just trying to eat a lot more veggies and nuts. We make fruit smoothies in the blender and add spinach and carrots, (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!) I offer the kids veggies as snacks more, and fruit for dessert more.   We add ground nuts to pancake batter (with the chocolate chips) and I make my favorite Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with Brown Rice and less chicken.  (I just chop the chicken into smaller pieces.)  Oh, and I use Soy Milk to cook with.  (Less saturated fat!)  

So there you go.  Don't freak out that he's extreme.  Just read it and take what you want from it.

Oh yeah, here's the list in case you didn't believe me...

List Randomizer

There were 13 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

9. Beeswax said...
13. Mindelicious said...
11. mountainmama said...
3. Heffalump said...
2. Sweetest Of All said...
1. Ginna said...
5. Christina said...
10. Anonymous (Dale) said...
7. Thora said...
8. Emily said...
4. Renel said...
12. The Wifers said...
6. mj said...
Timestamp: 2009-01-26 00:40:25 UTC

Once again, congrats Beeswax!   Drop me an e-mail with your address and I'll get it sent out to you!  (emilydeon(at)gmail(dot)com)

Let us know what you thought of it when you're done reading!  And anyone else who ends up reading it, please let me know what YOU think!  I'm very curious!!!

:)

Here's to good health!!!

Book Review: Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (AND a give-away!)

Do you ever read "Self Help" books?  Ever read one that make you want to exclaim out loud after every paragraph?  That makes you want to highlight every other paragraph and buy copies for all of your friends and family because they need to read it also?  A book so life changing that for ONE SOLID WEEK after reading it you completely change your behavior?!?  (Which is 6 days longer than with the other books you've read...?)

Well THIS is THAT kind of book.  My new friend here, Neen*, let me borrow it.  

After her father-in-law died of a heart attack, she and her family resolved to eat better.  And this is one of the books that inspired them to do it.

So I borrowed it from her and in the midst of reading it, my father had a heart attack which could have killed him.  And my mom is not exactly in optimum health either.  And I've known for a long time that my youthful skinny genes would only take me so far before I'd start to gain weight and feel yucky.  (Turns out, those genes took me right up to age 30 and then dumped me on my now-expanding bottom.)  

In other words, the time has come for me to reevaluate my eating habits.  (We're not going to talk about exercise just yet.  One major life change at a time, alright?)  

Currently, I weigh 20 pounds more than when I got married.  Which isn't a huge deal since I was under-weight then.  But still...it's not a trend I want to continue.  

But my main concern is, I just don't feel good.  I don't have a ton of energy and I don't feel healthy.

Enter this book.  I started reading it with my kids in mind (specifically Max who was recently diagnosed with ADHD)...not me...but it turns out, it helps the whole family.  We're already eating better and we're just getting started.

In this book, Dr. Furman talks about the link between the foods we eat and disease:  How poor eating leads to disease and superior nutrition leads to health.

Dr. Furman asserts (and I found that I agreed with him) that superior nutrition can, "For today, reduce asthma, ear infections, and allergies.  For the future, protect against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer."

He explains why so many more people have allergies, why girls start their period's earlier and earlier, and why many foods we think of as healthy, are actually hurting us.

Here's the thing:  I am not an alarmist, extremist, or conspiracy theorist when it comes to health and nutrition.   But this book did change my outlook on many things and I have resolved to do better.  Much better.  Not just for me, but for my kids and my family.  

And since I want the whole world to read this, but can't afford to buy that many copies, I've decided to start small and just give one away.  Out of my own pocket**.  Just because I'm a Nicey-Sugar-Spicy.

To enter, leave a comment.  (Anonymous comments don't count.)  To get an extra entry, post a link (to this site) on your blog. (and then tell me in the comments).  If you don't feel lucky, get it at your local library!  You'll definitely learn something and it just might change your life!

The contest will go until next Monday.  A week from today.  Which is probably Sunday night for you, but whatever.

Good luck and HAPPY READING!

*Neen and her husband were our sponsors before we moved here and I was determined to win her love an affection with all sorts of baked delights upon meeting her.  Turns out, it wasn't necessary.  And she doesn't eat sugar so it wasn't a very good plan to begin with.)

**This expenditure/random generosity not approved by Doug.