Eat Happy, Be Happy

I consider myself observant.  I love to observe behaviors of my children, my husband and those around me.  I'm not trying to find faults, I just simply enjoy watching and figuring out why things are the way they are. Three years ago this week I graduated from massage therapy school, one of the greatest years of my life!  In school I learned to turn those observations inward.  Focus on what I was feeling, dig deeper and question why I feel the way I do.. This could mean emotionally, physically or spiritually.  I found out so much about myself in that year, most of which I was pleased to discover.  I found talents and I'm working on many I would love to fine tune.  I've had the opportunity to observe how I've felt physically and emotionally over the last two months while we did a complete overhaul on our nutrition and I'd like to share that with you now. 
Like an infant, if I go unfed, I'm cranky.  Very very cranky.  But that doesn't take much observation so we'll move on.  After each meal I've prepared, sat down and enjoyed eating with my family (especially dinners) a  certain sense of joy is felt.  Many of you may be thinking... well ya, you stuff your gut with food you (emotionally) love and everyone is happy! Let me clarify.  There is a difference. There is a specific, deeper appreciation that is felt when I consciously make good decisions on what I'm cooking, how I'm preparing it and sitting down to enjoy it because I know I'm feeding myself and my family with nutrients to fuel our bodies, not work against them.  It's euphoric.  After meals, in the past, I'm too bogged down to get up and clean the kitchen, or do anything for the rest of the night.  So yes, maybe I could eat a carb-a-licous meal and feel somewhat happy because I fulfilled an emotional need deep inside, but energy? Gone. Emotional needs? Temporarily met but nothing sustainable.  I'd bottom out, go to bed, get up tired and try functioning on what little nutrition was offered the night before.  Being tired, I'd make another lazy meal, and another and another until the downward spiral plummets into the darkness.  After finishing meals now I not only have the energy to get up, get out and get going, I have this inner accomplished, guiltless happy feeling. Not feeling guilty about what's in my gut is euphoric all on it's own, but knowing my family is benefiting too is the cherry on top. I think I've established a good healthy relationship with food, and that's a balance to do cartwheels over. So yes, eat for your health, but eat for your happiness too!

I had a funny conversation with my older sister the other night after I sliced a chunk of my finger off.  I told her how suddenly uneasy around knifes and everything sharp in my kitchen I became after the "incident".  In a silly voice she said, "if you fall of the horse, you have to get back on!" Silly, because I was bucked off once, tried again, bucked off again, tried one last time and was thrown off.  So horses and aren't friends.  And I've never been back on since.  I stood next to one once, had to pose for a picture, and that was about all my little heart could handle.  So, I had to get back on my "mandolin horse" and I'm happy to report all limbs are in tact.  In fact I made my first batch of zucchini noodles, where have these been my whole life???  I julienned them, cooked them in coconut oil for only a few minutes and served them with my favorite peanut sauce, broccoli slaw, shrimp, scallions and lime wedges.  Sometimes I get so excited to eat my food I forget to take pictures.  This was one of those times.  But aren't those noodles lovely??

My paleo spin on a good old American classic.  Chili fries!!  I made chocolate chili...yes, CHOCOLATE.  Unsweetened cocoa powder is on the approved list! Simmered ground turkey in an array of spices and cocoa powder, tomato paste, a can of diced tomatoes (juices and all) and water.  It had such a deep textured flavor to it, almost like a mole'.  Then I decided (since I'm trying not to be afraid of my mandolin) to julienne up some sweet potatoes and bake them in the oven to serve with the chili.  My 5 year old had 3 bowls.  My 2 year old had 2 bowls.  My husband never admitted how many he had, but I can only imagine.  The sweet potatoes added just the right sweetness to the chili...my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I'm not sure how many of you are actually reading this, but I do appreciate the feedback.  I love hearing your ideas, your favorite meals, how you incorporate veggies into child friendly meals and your successes too! Thank you for sharing!