There was a bit of a kerfuffle around the Internets regarding Mark Bittman's Article, Fresh Start for a New Year? Let's Begin in the Kitchen. If you look at the comments, the recommendations were greeted by many readers with outright hostility.
Of course, if you're on the SCD, you're used to doing this sort of stuff. Cooking foods from scratch is no big deal anymore.
But I gotta say that the comments do reflect how many people who are new to SCD feel -- that the SCD is IMPOSSIBLE.
It's not impossible. But it does require a reshuffling of priorities.
You think you've got no time?
Are you sure about that?
I will be the first to tell you that I am a very busy person. I have a full time job. My husband and I work on a side business at least two nights out of the week. I put out a newsletter every two months for a nonprofit organization. I write monthly scripts for a podcasting company. I track new releases for that same podcasting company as an associate producer. I have moderately active rheumatoid arthritis.
And I cook pretty much every last thing my son and I eat from scratch.
By the way, I also found time to watch American Idol last night. I'm also reading Macbeth.
Lest you think I have no free time, I generally enjoy at least two evenings a week of relaxation, and the weekends are also fairly low key (I do spend at least half of one day shopping and cooking).
So how do I do it?
Prioritization.
If you found the time to watch American Idol last night, you have the time to do the SCD diet. It's not impossible, but it is different.
What you can't do ... is expect your life to be the same.
See, you can't walk into your house at 4 p.m. with no plan (or ingredients) for dinner at 6 p.m. It just doesn't work like that. There will be no tearing open a box of this or a packet of that. There is no going out to dinner or ordering a pizza. These are not options for those of us on SCD.
You may find that SCDers have NO PITY for those of you who do not know how to plan your meals ahead of time. LOL. The good thing is, you can learn!
On SCD, you have to think ahead and cook ahead. But once you have a rhythm, you'll be absolutely fine.
Personally, I do not know exactly what I am having for dinner tonight, but I have plenty from which to choose. I have SCD-legal canned salmon and tuna in the pantry, frozen chicken, beef patties and fish in the freezer, and cooked veggies in the refrigerator (and more frozen ones in the freezer). I've got cooked chicken in the fridge for my son's dinner, because I made two large pans of chicken breasts at one time so there would be food for days. I've shredded it into a number of different concoctions with spices and oil. Today I had chicken with applesauce for my own lunch.
I made almond butter brownies over the weekend and hard boiled some eggs. Those are for my son's lunch and are all partitioned out into baggies for that purpose. I also cooked fresh pineapple wedges for my son a day or so ago. They'll be good for the week in a large Ziplock bag.
Every few days I walk two or three blocks down to the local grocery store to pick up legal bacon or other meats, onions, whatever fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables I plan to eat for the next few days. Once a week I shop at Costco. Yes, you heard that right. There are three of us in our house, and we spend the bulk of our food dollars at Costco. Buying in bulk makes a huge difference for us price-wise. We pick up legal chicken, beef, avocados, pineapple, eggs, and carrots at minimum every week, and we go through it all.
I like to shop sales at the local grocery store -- in fact, I got Cornish game hens for 99 cents a pound last week. I roasted them in the oven and picked at them for a few days, because I cooked two at a time.
If there's something I need to make for the next day, I usually just make it while my son eats his dinner, or just before I start work for the evening on my other projects.
So. I hope that is somewhat inspiring to you. You can do it, because I am doing it. I don't exactly know HOW I am doing it, but I know that I am. LOL.
I wish you luck and courage in your SCD journey!
3 comments:
Hello
I came to your site through the pecanbread egroup. I loved reading through your recipes as my son is on stage one and he absolutely enjoys your carrot pancakes. I do have few questions and I hope you don't mind my asking.
I'm having the GIprobiotic shipped to my MIL who lives in America who in turn will ship it to us in the UK (to avoid the huge shipping costs). Will this in any way effect the probiotics? Would you know how many batches a bottle of the probiotics would make?
We've been on the diet for two weeks now, and my sons BM are very muddy looking, is that a sign of Die off? we haven't had any formed stools yet, but we've seen a great reduction in his hyperactivity!!
Sorry to dump all these questions at you, would appreciate all your advice
In Christ
Maria
Hi Maria,
If you're having the probiotic shipped to your mother in law, PLEASE be sure she refrigerates the probiotics for a few days before re-shipping them to you. Most of them can survive up to ten days without refrigeration. You should ask GI Pro Health how long the yogurt starter can go without refrigeration (I am assuming you are talking about the yogurt starter, which is different from their other probiotics).
The starter makes a lot of yogurt. I did not make the yogurt as often as some do, but mine expired before the bottle was even half gone!
Muddy looking BMs can mean die off. But if they continue you can always ask the Pecanbread list about it with a list of foods and supplements.
Susan :)
Nice post - and so true. The trick to eating well is having good food you like on hand, improvising, thinking outside of the box - and planning.
Post a Comment