Meal Planning Sheet and the Nyberg Meal Plan

Want to eat healthy this week? Plan Ahead or Plan to Fail. 

Before the school year started, I found this lovely weekly meal planner via Pinterest. I really like the format because I plan four meals for the week but it doesn't matter which night we eat them. It also includes a place for the ingredients we need to buy from the store which I love. I actually take this entire page with me when I go grocery shopping. The Nyberg's typically eat out at least twice a week with our favorite being Panchero's.  

(Find PDF Dowload Here)

What's on the Nyberg's Meal Planning Sheet this week:

1. Beef Stew with Squash from Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso (we subbed carnival squash for acorn squash, and added carrots.)

2. Pork Chops with Apples: I simply brown pork chops (in skillet) on each side in coconut oil, transfer to a 9x13 pan, add sliced apples, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Smells awesome and tastes even better!

3. Chili: tomato sauce (without high fructose corn syrup!), chili powder, sausage/hamburger/onion, and chili beans for the men in my house. I like to add more veggies to my chili in place of the beans. Wes and my boys think all chili needs to have beans, but it doesn't fit with my paleo meals. 

4. Ben's Chicken: See my previous post for this recipe. We love it!! 

Besides the beans in the chili, we have prepared a paleo meal plan where everything is fresh, fairly local, delicious and healthy. AND FAST!!! 

And for fun, all of the groceries to make these meals (except the spices which I already had in the pantry) was well under $100. I would imagine it was closer to $50 because I also bought a lot of items for lunch & breakfast (eggs, meats, sweet potatoes, etc.) 

I'd love to know what you are eating this week or if you tried any of these recipes!

Enjoy!

--Katie

Why Your Medical Doctor Doesn't Talk About Nutrition

Have you ever wondered why your routine medical visits don't include information about what you should be eating? It isn't because your doctor doesn't think nutrition is important, it is likely because they don't know what to be advising you on. 

For years, doctors told my father was told that he should lose weight to combat cholesterol problems and to prevent heart attacks. He tried lots of "fad" diets, and had some success, but the weight always came back. (Until he completed 8 Weeks to Wellness--that's another post!) Anyway, I remember he would try walking and eating "better", but without long term success. 

Those doctors never told him how to eat. His doctors never mentioned balancing nutrition, exercise, stress, and nervous system health like chiropractors tell their patients. They never taught him how to balance protein, carbohydrates (the good kind!), and fats (the healthy ones!) 

So what makes chiropractors qualified to help patients with their eating habits? Check out this chart below. The data is from Michael Gerber's book, The E-Myth Nutirtionist. 

So why do chiropractors take the time to teach their patients about nutrition? Because they care. They know that nutrition, along with chiropractic care and functional movements (exercise), will lead to a better quality of life for their patients. 

Living the best quality of life is the most important thing anyone can do. And your chiropractor wants to help you. 

--Katie

If you’re not working towards health, you’re regressing…

I am always inspired at church but this past week, Pastor Mike Householder, said something that really resonated with me spiritually, but also professionally as well. He mentioned that you cannot stay still with your faith, you’re either growing towards or you’re regressing. You can’t stay in the middle. The same can be said for your health. If you are not doing things to help your health, then unfortunately you’re moving towards sickness and disease.  We’ve all heard and used the excuses;  I don’t have time, eating healthy is too expensive, I have kids, I don’t know what to do, etc. I’ve used those too in the past but after being on both sides of the fence, being on the healthy side is so much better.

Our country is bombarded with ads and social pressures to worry about your symptoms. Here is the harsh reality, waiting till you “feel” something and expecting someone or something to make it better is wrong. You control your health, you are the one who does the healing and another harsh reality is that it takes time. Pain or symptoms are the last to show up, the first to go.

A great analogy I heard is symptoms are like FIRE, it’s in your face and all over and it’s all you focus on and you’ll do everything you can to get rid of it. You’ll eat well, get adjusted, stretch, and take care of yourself. But, after the pain is gone people typically stop doing all the healthy things that got them there, why? After the fire/symptoms are gone, then you need to REBUILD the home/body. This has nothing to do with symptoms. You need to make small and healthy changes on a continued basis to repair and improve your health.

Like Pastor Mike said, you need to grow daily with your spirituality, you need to grow daily with your health as well. Here are a few tips that are easy and effective; get adjusted- Your brain and spinal cord control EVERYTHING in your body, eat clean/whole food, exercise, work on your mental stress- read, pray, meditate, get massages, stay away from drugs.  In the next few articles, I’ll dive deeper into the specifics of things YOU can do to be healthy. If you need help, ask us. Our goal and purpose is to help you become healthy.

Waiting Rooms & Sick Kids

I came across a Pinterest post the other day about waiting room games. I thought it was a fantastic post and it got me thinking about waiting rooms in general. I've posted before about what we do for our kids when they're sick, so today I'd like to post what it's like to take our kids to a chiropractor. 

First off, the waiting room at chiropractors' offices are generally full of healthy people with really good immune systems, so bring your child in to get adjusted when they aren't feeling well (and when they feel great too!). We always chuckle when people cancel their appointment because they are sick. Really?!?! The average wait time in our office is just a few minutes, so don't feel like you need to bring a list of activities to keep your kids busy while you're here. 

Second, feel free to share your child's symptoms with their doctor, but realize that they would be getting the same adjustment if you said nothing because the doctor will gently adjust the subluxation (where the nerve interference is). This will allow your child's body to heal itself. 

Third, you will not be given a prescription for drugs. Drugs cover the symptoms and actually hinder the body from healing itself. You might be given some instructions on how to help your child heal faster or feel more comfortable like allowing them to sleep after their adjustment, trying Vitamin C tablets to boost immunity, or warm broth for a sore throat. You will certainly be reminded that fevers are GOOD and allow the body to burn off the infection. (Be sure to monitor the fever.) 

Finally, the doctor will want to see your child again. New research is proving what we've known all along--regular chiropractic care will keep your child's body working at optimal levels and boost immunity!! (That research post is coming soon!) 

A typical visit to a chiropractor only lasts a few minutes from wait time to check out time. You will be equipped with practical information about natural healing for your child. And most importantly, your child will likely feel better faster, have a stronger immune system to prevent this illness again, and not be given drugs with harmful side effects. 

--Katie