Eating Clean

Remember I said when O finished EN we were only going to add in the best stuff. Well I finally pulled the plug and we are now Eating Clean. THere are plenty of books out there about it. I can't exactly say what it is doing for her Crohns but her Eczema has totally cleared up...now maybe coincidence but Eating Clean doesn't hurt so why not. The kids are having fun with it.

Tonight we tried this chicken nugget recipe and it was amazing! So easy even a city girl could make it. Rave reviews from everyone. I made a honey mustard to go with them. Just thought I would share it. And I still have some leftover so I could provide proof for those of you who don't believe I know where my kitchen is!

Ingredients

• 3 x 6-oz / 170-g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup / 60 ml oat bran
• ¼ cup / 60 ml wheat germ
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml coarsely ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup / 60 ml coarsely ground almonds
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml sea salt
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml white pepper
• Pinch garlic powder
• ½ cup / 120 ml water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F / 232°C. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or coating lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Cut chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, about 1½ inches square. Set aside.
Next, combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well. This is your coating mixture.
Combine chicken broth and egg in a medium bowl. Dip each piece in the water-egg white mixture. Then dip each piece in the coating mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated.
Place on the baking sheet. When all of your chicken has been coated and your baking sheet is full, place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Pictures = Proof

Make sure the McD's bag is out of sight! :lol:

Yes if their in animal shapes it will be a dead give away!


I'm proud of you. Good job.

Keep abusing me and I won't share any more recipes with you...I know that threat doesn't scare you because I probably won't have another one for a year or so...

Lol!!!!! What???? You guys don't shape all your kids food into dinosaur shapes??? What kind of mothers are you???

Well done crohnsinct! :thumleft:

I think there is some jealousy about...

Dusty. :biggrin:

Well done you!! Yes very jealous over here. Being a stay at home (not that I'm home much) you would think I would have all the time in the world to make fresh dinners. However, all the kids activities tend to be around 4pm to 5pm, so always in a rush once we get back - yes I'm sticking to that excuse

I worked part time (1-3 days per week) when the kids were between 10-14 years old and, while dinners were a bit better as I could prep some, I also found my 'free' :whistleinnocently: time during the day didn't really help alleviate the chaos that began once school was out! :runaway:

... above message was duplicated??? not sure why

I am not going to lie. Relearning what to eat, how to prepare the foods, finding the ingredients etc is hard as hell! But people who write these books and the uber moms all say advance planning is key. Prep early so you just have to throw it together later, cook double and repurpose left overs...I haven't mastered any of that yet. About the best I have done is getting the kids to help and almost all kids do love to cook. I am hoping when they go back to school and I have some hours to myself I will get more on the ball. Our health is too important. Just as another plug...weight is dropping off some family members like crazy (and it isn't my cooking! they are stuffing themselves), acne is clearing, moods are good and energy abounds...clean eating advocates advise packing coolers etc for when away from home but so far we just do the best we can with the options we have. I am hoping with one swimmer off to college our nightly schedules will be less hectic but not likely. O still practices during the dinner hour so I will have to pack for my little one and I to eat while she practices and figure something out for O.

edit for weight comment: the thing with eating clean is if you need to gain you gain..if you need to lose you lose...the body goes to it's intended weight...there are all kinds of medical explainations why but trust me..O gained 1.5 and others lost...it is working for us. I have never seen O eat as much food and as healthy and colorful food in my life. Doc said she is radiant!

Way to go Crohnsinct! I know what you mean. It is so time consuming to eat right. We have gotten way off track since the hospital stay, but yesterday was the last dose of prednisone, so we are going to have to get back on track really quick. I know when I was cooking healthy, it seemed like I was in the kitchen all the time! Funny, how fast I forgot the tricks and recipes. I will have to give yours a shot! We all felt better then. I lost some weight and better yet, my back didn't hurt when I woke up. Now it does again! It's not easy, but I can't wait for some relief!

Try using the gluten free rice krispies. I run them thru the food processor and use them like bread crumbs and add ground flax, salt, garlic, etc. No wheat!

Thanks for the boost to get started again! Headed to children's for remicade treatment today!...and that blood test the insurance won't cover!

Good on you!!!!! I'm really interested in this Eating Clean, for when my boy is back on food....and it's a good way to get the whole family healthy too! How did you go about finding out about how it all works......I'd love to know too!! Is it no processed foods at all, everything natural etc?

So what exactly is Eating Clean? What changes have you made?


As far as prepping goes, I agree... easier said than done! But, over the last year or so, I have been making some compromises... I always believed the precut veggies/fruit was BAD - who knows who's touched it, not as fresh as buying the 'whole' fruit, more expensive, etc. - guess I just wasn't brought up with it...

But, cost-wise, ounce per ounce, it's probably the same in the sense that if I buy a whole watermelon, I'll probably end up throwing out half anyway as everyone's too lazy to cut it up!... So now I buy the 'party trays' of certain pre-cut fruit (cantalope, honeydew, pineapple, etc.) - variety, more convenient and it gets eaten!! I buy the broccoli slaw mix and throw a handful in salads. I found a package of diced mango and pineapple and throw in blueberries - quick and easy fruit salad. Next I'm going for the precut squash...

Note - the pre-cut fruit/veggies is not canned or frozen... just precut.

I have always (even pre Crohns) been interested in nutrition. Just never had the motivation to put the energy in. Spoke with my daughter's doc and nutritionist about SCD etc and they said I didn't have to go that extreme and could just go unprocessed. So started my search.

Yes, Eating Clean is no processed foods what so ever. Many people think that if they shop at a whole foods stores they are good to go but about 80% of what is there is indeed processed. The only cereal we eat now is oatmeal and an all bran. Mind you those stores are now my absolute favorites. The Whole Foods (chain in US) store has a resident chef who is always out front whipping something up and offering classes. She is there to help you shop, teach you how to prepare certain veggies etc. I gave her our low down and she is my new best friend (sorry farmwife)! So no processed foods and eating protein and complex carbs (only complex carbs no white) together to aid in digestion absorbtion etc.. We have discovered and are eating a sprouted grain bread, english muffins etc...some controversy surrounds them with regard to mold but our doc and nutritionist both eat them and whole heartedly supported our use of them. Also grass fed meet and free range chickens but that isn't a necessity just a big bonus for IBD given some of what you find in these products...I posted a while ago about that...can't remember the name...CLA maybe?

Sugar is viewed as poison (which jives with what the IBD community says)but there are many more natural choices you can make. Sea Salt instead of regular table salt...I had no idea how many precious minerals there are in Sea Salt...also Sucronot for sweetening has a lot of really good things for people with IBD.

There are a lot of things that would probably need to be tweaked for many IBDers here. They do have suggestions on how to make it gluten free. There are lots of veggies and fruit and seeds and nuts all of which I know bother some people here but since pain and stricturing aren't an issue for our daughter we have been good there.

I read Tosca Reno's book Eat Clean Diet (diet used as a way of eating NOT to lose weight)..the new edition is called Recharged. I get a lot of my recipes from her books and her website Eatcleandiet.com (although many people posting on her website are there for weight loss rather than health issues). You can email Tosca your questions and she personally responds...all free of charge. There is a Clean Eating Magazine...I don't think it is Tosca's. Also many many other books. I will post another two of the kids' favorites later today.

Again, I can't say what it is doing for Olivia's Crohns but doc was very happy to see her numbers after coming off EN stay in a good range and loved what he saw in front of him. His words...radiant. Hubby is diabetic and his blood sugar numbers came down also...all by eating the way nature intended...go figure.

Oh and on pre cut etc...I say go for it...frozen and canned also as long as only one ingredient on the list!!!

Good luck to everyone and I would love to hear from you as we can journey together!

So those of you who know me, know I like themed days (or rather my kids like themed days) ...here is our week:

Meatless Monday
Try it Tuesday - new food we never ate before
Whatever Wednesday -
Thirsty Thursday - drink drink drink our water
Fishy Friday - even if it is just tunafish
Soupy Saturday - amazing how many good things you can get into a soup, Bonus veggies cooked well and mushy for O. Nice piece of crusty whole wheat french bread.
Salad Sunday

Also once a week we make a treat....cookies, cake etc...all clean!

I think an alien has invaded your body Crohnsinct! :lol:

But, seriously, that sounds great! They are opening a Whole Foods near us and I've been driving by, googling for 'opening day' headlines but no set date yet! But I am so looking forward to that! I'm going to have a look at the site you mentioned and try to find the book.

I've got quite the challenge ahead of me - Stephen went out the other night and ordered Triple Pork Poutine (fries, gravy, cheese, bacon, sausage and ground pork)! uke_r: Hubby and I choked when he told us! :yfaint: OMG, can you imagine when he moves into residence! And my poor misguided baby tells me he's eating healthier now! :facepalm:

What a dirty meal! Haha my kids love describing food as dirty...We aren't perfect we go off a bit still.

Yeah G is at college now and unfortunately we didn't do this enough to make it habit...the stress of leaving the family and allure of the junk food got her..she is back to Fruit Loops and Oreos...her acne is back and she found the weight she lost...

crohnsinct said:

...We aren't perfect we go off a bit still.

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At least once a month when the cupcakes come and whenever the evil Canadaians implant thoughts of Kit Kats in our minds to take down the health of the entire USofA! I seriously made hubby go out and get me one that night...and it was the giant movie theater size!!!!!

It always amazes me how different my kids are! Considering they are so close in age (13 months), it's not as if my parenting 'style' changed much between them... the reason my daughter decided NOT to go to residence at her university was simply because that school didn't provide 'kitchens' in their residences and when she looked at the available food options, she said she wasn't going to eat that stuff and stayed home. She would have to be literally dying from starvation before she'd eat Stephen's Triple Pork Poutine! :lol: Her idea of a late night meal would be a can of sardines and some instant brown rice! :lol: Imagine my shopping list when trying to accommodate the two of them!

crohnsinct said:

and it was the giant movie theater size!!!!!

Click to expand...

:rof: Did you eat it all?!?!? What a nice hubby! :Karl:

Yes! I threw myself on the grenade to protect my kids from the poison. What a good mommy!

Thanks, now all I can think of is a Kit Kat bar...

Totally going to try your chicken recipe, sounds yummy.

Made the chicken nuggets tonight and the whole family loved them. Left out the wheat germ and flax seed and added more oat bran to reduce any possible triggers for my son. Thanks for the recipe!

BTW exhibited will power of steel by NOT buying the Kit Kat that was staring at me in the grocery checkout while I was buying the chicken.:ysmile:

Talking chocolate on the Eating Clean thread...have you no shame :nonono::ysmile:

Seriously happy to see that you've been doing your research crohnsinct. You can get us back in line with your knowledge!

::yfrown:

jmckinley... chocolate = eating clean! :dance:

Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body. A small bar of it everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well - can reduce blood pressure and shown to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Chocolate also holds benefits apart from protecting your heart:

it tastes good
it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure
it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm

I believe Kit Kat comes in dark chocolate

:worthy::worthy: Tess, you are the Queen of the spin. I guess I ate clean yesterday then. All of you guys' talk about chocolate and I had to have some last night. Since we've been trying to be good, all I had was semi sweet chocolate chips (which I ate right out of the bag :whistleinnocently

Thanks for paying it foward Tess!

Yes when eating clean you can have a square or two of chocolate now and then...BUT yes it should be at least 80% for all those benefits! I ate 100% does that count...bahahahahaha

Okay, so if I ate the equivalent of about 4 squares, does that mean I ate SUPER clean?

:ywow:I don't know what to say crohnsinct????
I'm imperssed, proud and happy about you "clean living".:heart:

I raise my oversize Hersey's Kisses in celebration to your wonderful decision to cook healthy!:soledance:

You are just impressed I am cooking. You all are going to have to slow down on all the praise...you know I am new at this and could tire and slip back very easily. Plus hubby says the Chamber of Commerce called, the restaurant businesses are suffering and they want to know what they could do to get me back.

So my family and I our on the clean eating diet.
Today is day three and so far so good.
:dance::dance:I've had more energy than I've had in awhile.:dance::dance:
It's still a challenge to go the health food store and get stuff that is truly "clean".
Out of 10 different packages I found a brownie mix that was clean ( no bad stuff in it, you can pronounce all the names of ingredient) I made it and loved it.
My hubby and I notice we only need a small amount to fill us up and we're full.

I made speg. and noodles last night. YUM
I use the meat sauce tonight to make spaghetti sandwiches. YUM
I put on my homemade bread, real butter with garlic and seasoning.
Than put the meat sauce in the middle and cooked it up like a grilled cheese sandwich. YUMMY!!
Also made fruit cobbler. Even more YUMMY! All clean for the most part.

I am a proud mamma...and everyone knows I am old enough to be your mama!!!!!!!

The energy thing was the first thing I noticed...after that came all the compliments on my skin...everyone wanted to know if I was using a new skin care line...wrinkles (I know you don't have to worry about this because you are so darn young) are even diminishing.

Good job farmwife...

This message will self destruct in 30 seconds...can't any evidence of me being nice to farmwife or any praise what so ever!

What would be a clean homemade pasta ?

Current one

500 mg plain flour
4 eggs
salt
water

Can I just change flour to wholemeal flour.

Absolutely! Whole wheat flour would be perfect!

...clean salt would be sea salt not the over processed typical table salt but there is so little in pasta you are fine. I would use what you have in the house and when you purcahse new purchase sea salt. There are quite a few benefits in sea salt that get stripped away in the over processed stuff.

Oh those? Every time you make a crack about my age I put another spot on my farmwife doll!

I knew it!:ymad:

We have both salts, sea salt which we use as table salt and other one for cooking.

Is wholemeal flour and whole wheat flour the same thing?

I am going to try this! Thanks everyone for the great advice!!!!

You should try it! We love it. We have been off and on but always want to get back to it.