One. Chocolate. Chip. At. A. Time : Breaking down the myths of "healthy"

So yesterday, I asked the question, "Is a chocolate cookie really healthy?"

Coffee, chocolate and cookies are my treats of choice; and since, in my new bible study group, all the ladies are really into "paleo" cookies, I thought this detox week would be a good chance to try a change to my cookie recipe.Since I've been trying to stay true to my plan all this week, I knew, for me, I was going to need a go-to treat.

Welcome the recipe search. Paleo, raw, vegan, healthy, nourishing...all those word not usually attached to a chocolate chocolate chip cookie.But I found one I liked the shape of out of the 1.78 million results.

For me, it is easy to wade through the crap and find a good recipe. But I realized that the average person must be so overwhelmed. Not only are their so many recipes, there are so many choices when we are trying to be "healthy". That's not even answering the question "Should I eat cookies at all?"


This is where I think we should all start, not just "Should I be eating paleo or vegan?" or "Should I be eating raw or low-carb?" With the million options out there, we should be #doingsomethingworthit !!

For me, because I knew my stress levels were out of control, I slowed down. I did yoga every day. I ate more vegetarian foods this week since I was so achy. I drank lots of infused waters and cut back on my refined sugars. I drank green smoothies.

So my cookies followed suit.

I used dates and honey and maple syrup instead of refined sugar. I didn't use flour, but substituted the almond dregs from my almond milk experiment. I put in dark chocolate chips and used cocoa powder. I used coconut oil instead of butter.

Is it raw? Is it vegan? Is it full of enzymes? Is it organic? Is it paleo? I'm not sure.

But I didn't something worth it for my body. I baked a pretty darn good dark chocolate chip cookie. That I liked. That I could eat one of every afternoon. That I felt good eating.

Is that where you start when you think of cookies? I hope so, because the fueled my health kick this week and motivated me as a sweet reward. Let's get off the merry-go-round of comparison. Do something that is worth it to you and that honors your body and choices.

What kinds of food and health choices do you feel are worth it?

Just a Cookie

The chocolate cookie.

Is it a nemesis to you? What does it represent to you?

To me, it represent health. Health???

So, so, SO many times people ask me about eating healthy and here I am, saying a cookie can be healthy.

This solitary treat is not just a delicious mouthful, but a gateway to understanding balancing nutrition needs a world that is full of contradictory information.

As a dietitian, I believe in chocolate cookies, just as I believe in treats, desserts, bread, and carbs. I even put sugar *gasp* in my coffee. every. morning.

Except this week. After finishing writing the book with Carolyn, my body has been shot. The stress of a cross-country move, long days, late nights, holidays, and the deadline all spring STILL haven't gotten out of my system. Every time I went on a run, my body ached. Even my feet wouldn't stop aching.

I thought, "Am I just getting old? Is this 33? Am I really this out of shape?" For a person who had been pretty consistent with exercise all her life, I didn't recognize my body. Immediately after we finished the book, I went on a week long calorie restricting, exercise intense "plan" to get ready for my vacation.

Fail. It didn't work. In fact, it backfired.

And here I am on a truly healthy week eating a cookie. Why?

Because sometime those kinds of plan don't work. So this week, I want to explain why a cookie can be a good thing.

Easter

It was a lovely time at my mothers. My favorite part was hearing my grandmother talk about marriage and the choices she made as a wife and mother and medical professional. Totally precious and well-earned experience offering wonderful advice.
Here's me and the family

 And here's Mr. Bowtie. How cute is that?

Did you have a good Easter?

Seek

I was telling the children this past week that the egg is a symbol of two things (that I know of ): to remember the stone in front of Jesus' tomb and how it was rolled away, and that the egg is a sign of new life.

As we celebrate Easter, I remember several crucial moments in my life where my faith has been renewed during this time of year. I always try and remember those moments in my walk with the Lord, like the year that I sat in the Easter service plagued by doubts and the gospel choir sang "He lives!" and I believed it again.

Easter is a story of renewal, but for me, that exists inside of the normal cycle of doubt and faith. In my walk with the Lord, I inevitably experience both. As I was reading the children in the Jesus Storybook Bible, I was reminded that after Jesus rose from the dead He stayed with the disciples to reassure them.

"This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead."(John 21:14 ESV)

Jesus appeared to his disciples, both men and women, after his resurrection many times so that they would be reassured. Jesus knew that they would doubt even in their faith.We too need reassurance. We don't believe as easily as we should. We feel alone, or unloved, or we wander from belief into doubt. John reminds us that we too can have reassurance:

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29 ESV)
... these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.(John 20:31 ESV) 

Easter is a time to remember the power of reassurance, and then renew our faith in Him. He died once for all, but He doesn't just come back once. He comes to reassure us, not just once, not even three times, but over and over again. He visits our hearts continually through the Holy Spirit, just as He visited with the disciples repeatedly to remind us that we should believe.

" And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

If we are to believe, we must continue to seek Him. Mary Magdalene was rewarded that day she went to the tomb, because even though she believed Him to be dead, she was still drawn to seek Him where he lay.

That verb "seek" isn't past tense. It isn't like the finality of death. If our faith needs to continue to grow, so that our doubts receed, we need to keep seeking Him. During Easter I hope you find this renewal of faith, reader. By continual seeking, our faith can find renewal again and again in the resurrection and life of Jesus.

Mommy Training

Who knew potty training would be so faith building?!?

This year has been filled with ups and down, highs and lows, and generally a lot of emotions.

My children have struggled with the move and adjustments. This morning we saw the red sun coming up over the edge of the East while we dropped Travis off at the bus stop; and Kate said to me, "Mom, I miss the sun. I miss that in Arizona."

Grant especially has had a hard time adjusting to everything new. His mood swings and his tantrums have been very challenging. On top of all those two and almost three year-old emotions, his whole environment has changed.

For a mom, just surviving the two and three year-old rollercoaster can be, well, like wrestling an untamed bear.
I could also say a few, not so choice, words about how it makes me feel about having another baby, but we'll leave that for another day.

With the gloom of winter settled in and the post-holiday glitz purged out, we have only everyday life.

When Grant told me he wanted underpants on Monday morning, I for groaned. So I dragged us all to 'Targie' and we started the potty training.

It worked.

By last night, Tuesday dinner time, he was telling me he had to go. By bedtime he totally got it, screaming hat he wanted me to change his 'diapie', even though it wasn't wet, he just didn't like the possibility of being wet.
And even though he wasnt dry when he woke up, we've made it to the potty this morning every time.

Now before you hate me, because, believe me, I have heard how hard boys can be to potty train, remember my past year. And my daughter was not easy to train (and they always say girls are earlier and easier to train?!)

This is a gift, a little present (excuse the pun) just for me.

Psalm 59:10 'My God in his steadfast love will meet me'

You have to cut me some slack because for the first time in a long time I have not worked. So, I am learning the daily routine of being a full-time stay-at-home mom thing. It is a really big adjustment.

Some mornings I wake up and cringe at the work ahead of me. Training and teaching children, on top of managing the household, is no wimpy job. I have been struggling to hold onto to truth about who I am and what my purpose is.

In those moments, The struggle is thats it is harder for me to remember that God wants me to be happy, not just get the work done or merely survive until naptime.

So God gave me a little sign, a reminder that He is listening to my moments of weariness, and my struggle to adjust myself and my children, and that he is paying attention to my enemies, both inward and outward-- He wants me to know that He will meet me: verse 10b
'God will let me look in triumph in my enemies'

This time He met me with my little guy, on the potty.
It was an easy victory.

Can I believe again that I too can triumph over other things, like my anger or frustrations, that it can be that easy too?!

What do you wish would be easy?!?