What Happens When I’m Forced to Just Sit and Be

Despite often claiming that all I want is quiet time to myself to just sit and be, truth be told, I’m not very good at sitting and being even when given the chance to do just that.  Yesterday, while home with my sick little one, I had to just sit and be.  She’s old enough now to voice her opinions, but young enough to still just want to cuddle.  Which meant I spent most of my day with her snuggled up next to me on the couch watching a series of shows (from the high of Nanny McPhee first thing in the morning, we devolved quickly into the land of Barbie on Netflix, and then ended on another high note with a series of classic Disney short films).  Point is, I had to just sit there and be.  The way my little one was snuggled up to me, I couldn’t work on my laptop, and the iPad and phone were pretty much out too.

Today has been a whole lot more of the same – although the little one has bounced back pretty quickly and I think is now just enjoying the fact that she gets to watch whatever tv she wants without her brother trying to get her to put on Star Wars.

With all the time to just sit and be (and watch kids’ tv), I also had a lot of time to think.  The re-visited eating regime is already paying off for both the Husband and I.  Sleep is getting better (when we’re not interrupted by sick kids).  Our bodies are recovering faster from our workouts.  And we both have a lot more energy.  Why, when I know how good it feels to live this way, do I ever allow myself to slide back into bad eating habits?

The truth is we slide into bad eating habits because we think it’s easier.  Because we think it’s going to help us deal with the stresses in our lives.  Because we think it’s going to make us happier to have a little bit of indulgence in our lives.

And while it may very well be easier to feed ourselves processed food, whether at home or at restaurants, it doesn’t help us deal with the stresses in our lives.  And it doesn’t, in the end make us happier.  In fact, it makes us more tired, sleep more poorly, less able to deal with stress, and in the end, decidedly not happier.  And with the most recent study from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre linking sugar intake with breast and lung cancers, bad eating habits can make us sick.

I hope, that with the recipes I share in the blog, you too can see how easy it is, even with the craziness of having two little ones, all their activities, and all that the Husband and I do, to make healthy food for you and your families that everyone will enjoy . . .and enjoy making!  Because I promise, when you start cutting out alcohol and sugar from your diet, you WILL start to feel better!!!

And speaking of recipes, the kids and I made a great meatloaf on Tuesday night.  I had started making this while the kids were playing, but in no time, they had drifted into the kitchen and were right in there helping make this.

We made it free-form on baking sheets, but you could also make it in loaf pans.  Don’t be alarmed if, when you take it out of the oven, there is a lot of liquid on the pan.  While this was good on the first night, the Husband and I had leftovers the next day, and I think it was almost better on the 2nd day . . .Also, I doubled the recipe so we had lots (for leftovers).

Actually, that’s one of the most important ways the Husband and I can stay so committed to eating better – when we cook, we make lots – that way, there’s always healthy options – either in the fridge or frozen in the freezer.  Meat dishes make for great quick lunches.  And extra roasted veggies make salads that much tastier!