So thinking about the word ‘Pasta’ and ‘Diet’ together seems to be ironic.  But for those who are pasta lovers ‘Pasta Diet’ is a good news.  At last, they were thinking, there’s one realistic diet that won’t starve dieters!  That is the whole point.  Pasta contains complex carbohydrates that keeps us fuller for a longer period of time and supply the energy that we need everyday.  Thus, not making you feel hungry and craving for snacks in between meals.

This diet is based on all the provisions, needed for health. The Diet is very simple and practical. The combination of the provisions effects your metabolism and therefore you can lose weight easier than with other diets. You can lose up to 11 lbs (5 kg) in 2 weeks and it is suggested for everyone with metabolism problems.  (Source:  dreamdiet4free.com)

The secret:  *It is all about the other healthy ingredients that you put in your pasta.

*Taking control of the amount of pasta is of utmost importance.  Pasta diet does not mean that you can pig out on pasta three times a day!!!

*One cup of pasta in addition to other ingredients – like fish/seafood, vegetables, meat – is the ideal amount per serving.

Other references for recipes and daily menus:

http://www.prairie8.org/the-pasta-diet.htm

http://www.dreamdiet4free.com/index.php?id=20

Suggested LMC Pasta Recipes:

Prawn Spinach Pasta

Spaghetti Broccolli

Other Pasta Diet recipes coming soon at LMC!

Ivana had her first visit to the dentist when she turned five.  Kids are advised to have their teeth checked and cleaned professionally by the dentist before they start school.  It is alarming though that Ivana’s dentist have patients younger than her age and need dental treatment.

Here are some important points that are worth emphasizing regarding kids’ dental routine and oral hygiene:

*Brush your teeth two to three times a day.  Parents should assist in brushing the kids’ teeth to make sure that all areas were brushed properly.

*Floss; parents must floss their kids’ teeth.

*If the gum bleeds during brushing, do not stop brushing.  Instead, continue brushing until the bleeding stops.  This sounds ironic though as parents are worried that brushing bleeding gum will aggravate it and may cause ache.  But the dentist’s advise on continuous brushing when the gum bleeds works!

*Avoid sweets.  Even brushing teeth right after eating sweets would not help.

*Fruit juices are known to be good for us and it helps strengthen our teeth.  The thing is, fruit juices contain high amount of sugar as well as acid which is not good for our teeth.  If you want to give your kids juice, let him drink it all at once, preferably at the end of the meal – not in between every spoons of food during the meal.  This lessens the teeth’s exposure to acid.

*Encourage kids to drink water and avoid sweet drinks.

However, the coconut fruit is the ’star’ among all the parts of the coconut tree.  Coconut has been tested to be useful and beneficial to humans.  The coconut oil being produced from the coconut milk in its white flesh has been proven to help moisturize skin, help rapid growth and strengthening of hair,  and is said to be anti-bacterial as well that is good in disinfecting the skin.

Coconut water hit the Australian television recently emphasizing its health benefits.  The fact that coconut water does not contain any cholesterol, low in calories, low in carbs, 99% fat-free and is very low in sugar is what makes health buffs interested in the drink.  Coconut water mania is in Hollywood as featured in the news report showing celebrities holding their bottle of commercialized coconut water.

The health benefits of coconut water are amazing.

*Coconut water can control diabetes

*It can control the body’s PH balance and reduce the risk of cancer

*Helps boost poor circulation

*Treat kidney

*Helps get rid of urinary tract infection/UTI

*Helps the body fight viruses that fights herpes, AIDS and flu

*Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells

*Naturally re-hydrates body

*Helps maintain the body proper temperature and keep it cool

*Promote weight loss

*Increase or improve metabolism

*Boost the immune system

*Detoxifies the body

*Helps cleanse and maintain a healthy digestive system

*It is more nutritious than milk and healthier than orange juice

*It contains more potassium than sports and energy drinks

*It contains lauric acid (which can also be found in breast milk) that helps the body flush out toxins.

*It contains fiber that helps regulate intestinal health

I personally love coconut water.  My mom used to serve us coconut juice at least once a week.  We are aware of the benefits of drinking coconut water, but to learn that there are more and more discovered and tested benefits from it makes this product of nature loved by many.  Giving your kids a cup of coconut water few times a week or even everyday will surely be worth it!

Aside from the fact, which we all know, that sugar can cause diabetes, obesity and even heart problems, there is more to it.  Too much intake of sugar causes the production of molecules in our body called “advanced glycation end products” or AGEs.  The more sugar you take in your body, the more AGEs you produce which in turn causes the damage to the elastin and collagen that your skin needs to avoid wrinkles.

Elastin and collagen are connective underlying tissues that make our skin firm and wrinkle free.

So that is the sad part about eating all our favorite sweets.  Eating sweets in moderation is the only way to avoid the problem that too much sugar can cause to our body.  We do not need to give it up though.  Moderation is the key.  As of early this week, I have started reducing my sugar intake.  That means, less coffee, no soft drinks, chocolates and ice cream and cakes only once in a blue moon…and a liter of water a day!

The only thing that you need to start this healthy steam food diet is to avail of a good and easy to operate steamer.  We are all very familiar with the steamer which Chinese restaurants usually use.  But I love this Tefal steamer that I got at home.  Aside from the fact that it has more room to cook or steam a complete course meal for dinner or for lunch, the process of preparing, arranging and steaming it is so easy.

Prepare all the ingredients that you want to steam.  This may include fish or seafood, chicken or meat, vegetables and rice.  Season the aforementioned with the seasoning that you like, put the lid on and set the timer as required and according to the instructions in the manual.  The food stays juicy, delicious and healthy as the steamer retains all the nutrients in the food.

For more information on this read more on the published review on Tefal  3 in 1 Steamer.

Dr. Pierrie Dukan is a French nutritionist who came up with a diet program that claims to be the secret of slim and fashion fit women.  Dr. Dukan’s diet method has become popular due to claims of how effective it is especially on overweight individuals.  The Dukan diet has a reported effect of 3 to 5lbs. average weight loss per week.  The program has four phases which is so easy to follow and very effective.  It’s methodology is basically ‘all-you-can-eat’ in four phases for the entire program.  Dukan diet is based on natural protein food and no carb.

The four phases in the Dukan Diet are as follows.

ATTACK Phase:  All protein in the form of low-fat meat like beef, chicken, turkey; fish, cottage cheese, zero fat yoghurt, etc. 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran; water; and 20 minutes of walk everyday.

CRUISE Phase:  Nothing-but-protein days alternated by nothing-but-protein-and-vegetables days; water; 2 tablespoons of oat bran; 30 minutes of brisk walking everyday.  This phase could last upto two months.  You can switch to phase 3 when you have already reached your target weight.

CONSOLIDATION Phase:  Here you do not lose weight anymore, you just maintain the weight that you have achieved.  Food intake will basically be patterned to the Cruise phase but with subtle changes.

EAT WHATEVER YOU LIKE Phase:  This sounds so good, but diet should still be continuous although I should say that eating should be more enjoyable here considering the fact that you have already got used to the diet pattern in Phase three.  Here, eat a Phase 3 diet except on Thursday, because Thursday should be nothing-but-protein day.

Although I don’t need to lose weight (because I need to gain weight), I am very interested in purchasing Dr. Dukan’s book and learn from it.  The said four phases of the diet program seems to be really interesting as they are said to be extremely easy and bearable.  This is the kind of diet that won’t make you hungry or starve you.  Dr’ Dukan’s book “Je ne sais pais maiqrir’ (‘I don’t know how to lose weight’”) was released early this year and is now available at Amazon.

If you want a further detail on the four phases of this diet, here’s a link to an article:  http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/04/21/how-the-dukan-diet-works-the-french-diet-that-is-supposed-to-end-the-obesity-epidemic/

I can only recommend products that I have already tried for myself.  I am a person that is not really interested in cosmetics or make-ups although I have been trying several products lately.  I think as women mature we develop more interest in this product lines.  There anti-aging products that I have tried though even before I reached the age of 30.  Don’t be shocked.  It was not because I was feeling old but it was because of some health issues that I got to know them and try them.

I have recently mentioned in my earlier post about the Glutathione capsules.  I have known this anti-oxidant and beauty capsule for more than a decade now.  It was once popularized by celebrities who wanted to make their skin complexion fairer (What’s wrong with them?  Our Filipina or olive complexion is beautiful!)  I have also known a person who would takes the highest dosage allowable just to make her skin really fair (yeah, this one is obsessed!).  My dermatologist prescribed to me the glutathione capsules to make my skin healthier.  I am a sufferer of atopic dermatitis which can really get bad all year round.  Aside from the fact that I am allergic to dust and develop food intolerance when my skin has been damaged due to my allergy, my dermatologist prescribed glutathione as a supplement.  She suggested that I take 500-1000mg of glutathione every day.

What are the main benefits of Glutathione?

Glutathione is made of three amino acids – cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid.  It is known as the most abundant natural anti-oxidant that can be found in every part of the human body, especially the lungs, intestinal tract, and liver. However, the largest amounts of glutathione can be found in the liver, where it is used to detoxify harmful compounds so that they can be removed from the body through the bile.

Glutathione also helps keep red blood and white blood cells healthy to maximize the disease-fighting power of the immune system.

Glutathione has an anti-aging effect on our body as well.  Good supply of glutathione in our body helps our body fight free radicals that can expedite the wearing down of our body.

The retention and good dosage of glutathione will help boost our immune system.  There is also no known side effect of taking it in regular dosage.  What I love about glutathione is the noticeable effect on how good it did on my skin.  My skin was more young looking and blemishes are almost invisible.  It gives a glow on the skin that makes its appearance so fresh and supple.

Remember though that good diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle are still the key to looking young and staying well.

With the revolution of skin scar removal products and other scientific skin treatment, department stores, chemists and pharmacists were flooded with curious consumers who were hopeful to avail remedy of their skin issues.  I have never tried a skin oil intended for removing scars and marks that is as good as Bio-Oil.  Sounds familiar?

Bio Oil Specialist Skin Care

I have seen Bio-Oil before in pharmacies and department stores.  However, I was always hesitant to try it because I have tried other similar products to which I just wasted my hard earned money.  Almost nine months ago I gave Bio-Oil a try and I was not disappointed.  At of this time, the scars that I got from my skin allergies and rashes due to food intolerance are much lighter now.  Their appearance is almost invisible.  I can tell that Bio-Oil works faster and very effectively in removing marks.

Bio-Oil is also recommended as skin moisturizer that keeps the skin young-looking.  It is also safe to use as facial moisturizer according to the chemist in the pharmacy where I bought it from.  Bio-Oil contains the breakthrough ingredient Pur Cellin oil, other natural oils, chamomile,  as well vitamins A and E.

For me, keeping our skin healthy is a combination of direct skin pampering and treatment, nutrition and goodnight sleep and rest.  Nothing beats the wonders that sufficient water intake can do to our skin.  I have also started to avoid sugar whether from drinks, sweets or desserts as sugar can cause skin breakouts.  Although the marks that I get from rashes due to my allergy is almost unavoidable, I am confident that Bio-Oil will continue delivering what it promises-and that is removing scars and maintaining youthful skin.

NEWS:  As Georgia Browne breastfeeds her baby son Monty, nothing could seem more normal or natural. At eight months old, Monty thrives on his mother’s milk, but someone else is also thriving on Georgia’s milk – her father Tim!

That’s because Tim’s battling cancer. He drinks his daughter’s breastmilk every day to boost his immune system and give him the strength to fight the disease.

After researching the idea on the internet, Georgia, 27, expresses her breastmilk as often as she can for her father to drink. He has the milk on his bowl of cornflakes every morning. It’s been his daily routine for the past six months and Tim believes the milk has given him a boost.

‘It was a terrible shock. He’d never been ill before,’ Georgia says. ‘He still is really fit. He goes to the gym three times a week.’ Tim endured gruelling chemotherapy and after a year went into remission. But the cancer returned when Georgia was pregnant with her first child.

Life-saving milk
Georgia gave birth to Monty last July and began breastfeeding. A month later, she watched a TV documentary in which an American man believed his prostate cancer had been helped because he drank breastmilk.

‘The man went to a milk bank for his supply of breastmilk and drank it in a milkshake,’ Georgia recalls. ‘I started researching on the internet immediately and found separate studies in America and Scandinavia both supporting the health benefits of breastmilk to cancer sufferers.

‘I watched the documentary and thought it was a really mad idea, if it was true,’ she says. ‘I started looking on the net and found research suggesting breastmilk helps kill cancer cells.

‘Finding out I could help was amazing. I could play my small part in helping my dad do something positive for his illness. ‘When I talked to him about it, he thought it was a great idea. He thought: “Why not?”’

Georgia broached the subject with her family before going ahead. They all thought it was fantastic and supported her 100 per cent. ‘My mum thought it was great and my sisters and brother were supportive,’ she says.

With the family’s blessing, Georgia started expressing her milk for Tim straight away. She dropped the first batch round to her parents’ home in a freezer bag, which her mum popped in the freezer.

Tim spoke to his doctors and nurses about drinking breastmilk and they were more than happy for him to try the unconventional treatment. ‘They told him that anything that could help was positive,’ Georgia explains. ‘They were very supportive and backed the idea.’

A month after starting the regimen, a scan of Tim’s cancer showed a slight, but distinct, improvement. Although doctors can’t say whether the breastmilk’s helped, Georgia says he’s brighter and has more energy.

She has promised to continue feeding Tim for as long as she can. ‘He has been having chemo as well as drinking the milk so there’s no way of really finding out if it is helping,’ Georgia explains. ‘I’m still feeding Monty so I feed him first, then I fill a bag for my dad. We’ll continue as long as I am breastfeeding. (-end-)

Isn’t that amazing?!  I have always believed that God gave this gift of natural milk from a mother’s breast to nourish babies and raise them to become strong and healthy individuals.  But we also are aware that breastmilk is a natural anti-biotic that protects our body by strengthening  our immune system.  It is really amazing how human body was intellectually designed by the Creator to the most advantageous benefit of humanity.

Food preparation becomes so complicated for us mothers.  As a result of the plethora of nutritional information available, we are more careful than ever to prepare a properly balanced meal. Somehow, we try to match nutritional standards with children’s preferences.

Aside from the issue of nutritional value of the food that we cook and serve to our children, we are also confronted with other issues like feeding time, children’s lack of appetite, table manners, proper hygiene before and after mealtime, and the like.

The Food and Nutritional Research Institute (FNRI) suggests the following guidelines for parents to consider in dealing with the aforesaid issues.

Lead by example.  Be a role model in practicing good eating habits.  Our kids will learn how to appreciate the taste of vegetables if they see their parents eating and enjoying vegetables. If the parents prefer to buy fast food and junk food then the children will get the idea that it is just fine for them to eat the same food and indulge in junk food.

Let a child be a child.  Expect and be patient with child-like table manners.  We cannot expect our children to be adults when it comes to table manners and behaviour.  Parents need to exercise more patience and tolerance as to their kids’ child-like manners during the meal. 

Be consistent with meal schedules.  Serve meals on a regular time, preferably before the children get overly hungry, tired and/or irritable.  Being consistent as to the time to serve meals to kids help them come up with routine, not only as to mealtime but to other things that need to be done before and after the meal.

Make mealtimes safe and comfortable.  Select chairs, tables and eating utensils suitable in structure and size for children.  Younger kids must be provided with chairs that will keep them safe from falling or slipping out of the seat. Toddlers must be provided with high chairs which are equipped with front detachable tray for safety and convenience.  Ceramic or glass wares are just not suitable for kids.  They may start using breakable plates and glasses if they are already careful and capable of taking care of and feeding themselves.

Serve enticing dishes/foods.  Whenever appropriate, arrange dishes attractively on plates to stimulate children’s appetite.  For kids, mealtime must be made interesting.  Notice how kids eat more when they are served with food that are colourful, looks interesting, and served attractively in beautiful trays, or plates.

Keep dishes simple-flavoured.  Children like dishes that are not spicy and strong tasting.  Avoid serving chilli hot food to kids and food that are just not suitable for kids’ tastes.  Kids would love foods that taste simple. Foods that are too salty or sweet must be avoided or given to kids in moderation for health reason.

Make fruits and vegetables interesting to eat.  Cut fruits and vegetables in small fancy-shaped pieces.  Fruits and vegetables can be made into different fancy shapes by using vegetable and fruit cutters available in the market. If these cutters are not available then use your imagination and create some art piece out of fruits and vegetables that your kids would love to put in their mouth.

Make mealtimes pleasant and enjoyable.   Encourage happy talk to promote good appetite among children.  Make mealtime family time. A special time for family to get together and talk about what happened during the day. (FNRI Supplementary Feeding Calendar 2004).

Ivana, my daughter, started eating solid food when she was 5months old.  As a first time mom I was so worried about how to feed her, what food to give her, and even worse when she wouldn’t swallow the food but just spit them out.

I have learned that feeding your baby the first time requires more observation on our part.

First, put a little bit of the food at the tip of the baby spoon and put it in the baby’s mouth.  The tendency here is that the baby will try to feel the texture of the food with his tongue and lips, so more often than not, the food will come out of the baby’s mouth.  Parents have to be patient by continuing to feed the baby this way until the baby gets used to the taste and texture of the food.  After few tries, the baby will try to keep the food in his mouth.  Eventually, he will learn and get used to chewing and swallowing the food.

The following will give you some ideas on feeding your babies from 5 months onwards.

* Start anytime from 4 to 6 months of age

* The order of food introduction is as follows:

1. Cereals – pure rice cereals; commercially available

2. Fruits: 5 to 6 months.  May stew if desired: apples, pears, avocado, papaya, peaches, over ripe bananas.  Mash finely and add a bit of water or milk (formula or breast milk).

3. Vegetables: 6 to 7 months. Squash, potatoes, sayote (chokoes), sweet peas, carrots, sweet potatoes.  Puree leafy veggies; can be added on to other types of veggies.

4. High protein: 7 to 8 months.  Lean ground beef, chicken breast, liver; may add on to veggies and brown rice.

5. Poached or boiled eggs and starchy foods should be introduced later than 6 months.  DELAY eggs and citruses past 9 months or 1 year old if the parents have high history of allergy.

Offer starchy foods for good calorie source like potatoes, rice, bread and noodles.

By 8 to 9 months, offer graham crackers or toast.

By 9 to 10 months, try less finely textured food/puree.

Introduce one food item/type at a time.  Give 3 to 4 days to observe for any adverse or allergic reaction.

Thicken food gradually by 6 to 7 months.

Preparation:  Blenderize or puree food and add more food items to the mixture.  Can freeze and store in ice trays and offer several cubes at a time after warming.

Here is the question:  There are lots of exercise equipment sold on TV Shopping Channels. I just wonder if they are effective. Do exercises help in increasing bust/chest size? Or does eating more protein food or fatty food help as well?

The answer is No. What they do is strengthen the muscles that underlie the breast, so it gives the illusion of size, but no actual bust size increase.

Every woman wants to have great breasts. Here’s a quick anatomy lesson. Your breasts are actually made up of fatty tissue, so their size depends upon how much fat you tend to store there, which calls in factors like your genetics, your weight, your health and your age.

The muscles that reside directly underneath your breast are called the pectorals. They are partly responsible for the ‘perkiness’ of your breasts.

You can’t do anything about the size of your breasts (short of gaining weight or having surgery.) However, you can make them appear bigger and firmer by developing your pectoral, or chest muscles.

The Modified Push Ups

Lie on your stomach, bend your knees, and cross your ankles. Bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor just to the side and in front of your shoulders. Straighten your arms and lift your body so you’re balanced on your palms and knees. Tuck your chin a few inches toward your chest so your forehead faces the floor. Tighten your abdominals.

Bend your elbows and lower your entire body in one motion. Rather than trying to touch your chest to the floor, lower yourself only until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Push back up. Don’t lock your elbows at the top of the move and don’t do the dreaded ‘head bob’ (when you dip your head toward the floor without moving any other part of your body).

Dumbbell Press

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and a tin of soup or a dumbbell in each hand. Make sure the dumbbells are of equal weight. Push the dumbbells up so your arms are directly over your shoulders and your palms face away from you. Pull your abdominals in but don’t jam your back into the floor or let it arch upwards. Tilt your chin in toward your chest.
Lower the tins of soup down and a little to the side until your arms make a 90 degree angle and your elbows lightly touch the floor. Push the weights back up, taking care not to lock your elbows or allow your shoulder blades to rise off the floor.

Incline fly

Lie on the floor with your head, neck and upper back propped up against several large pillows. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and press the weights directly above your chest, palms facing each other. Tuck your chin to your chest to align your neck with the rest of your spine, and maintain your natural back posture, which is neither arched nor flattened.

Spreading your arms apart so that your elbows travel down and to the sides, lower the weights until your elbows lightly touch the floor. Maintaining a constant bend in your elbows, lift the weights back up, imagining that you have a barrel lying on your chest and you have to reach your arms wide around it. (www.ivillage.co.uk)

Dumbbells can be replaced by soup tins if dumbbells are not available.

There are four things in life that you can potentially use to excess.  Those are: LAUGHTER- that’s a big one; SEX- although there’s some doubts about that right now…a lot of doubt indeed; VEGETABLES and FISH.

So the motto now reads:  MODERATION IN ALL THINGS EXCEPT LAUGHTER, SEX, VEGETABLES and FISH.

No particular order, and not all together – it makes one hell of a mess.

Now the reasons you can overuse these things.

Laughter and sex are the best two stress cycle breakers known to the human system.  We are not sure whether they are No. 1 and No. 2 or No.2 and No.1.  But if they come together you are getting old.

Vegetables form the basis of the food groups eaten by the races of people in this world who live the longest and feel the best.  We can look at these people and they’re 85, they’re 95, they’re 102 and they look like we do when we are 55 or 65.

What’s the difference?  One big difference is the amount of plant food these people consume.

Fish.  The fish story is very impressive.  We know from the research that races of people who eat at least two meals of fish a week have an incidence of heart attack and stroke way lower than Western populations because fish oils seen to protect arteries.

Now, think about all these.  The author reckons they are the secrets of long living people.  This book is entitled Laughter, Sex, Vegetables and Fish OR How to Survive and Thrive Under Stress.  I love this book!

We have learned throughout the years that health at the beginning and during pregnancy can have a major effect on our health and that of our developing baby.  In the past doctors’ main concern is the health of the woman during pregnancy. Most doctors would recommend to a woman wanting and planning pregnancy to prepare her body and keep herself healthy prior to pregnancy.  Today doctors would suggest looking at the pregnancy’s health concerns at least three months prior and several months after especially if the mother will prefer breastfeeding the child.

A visit to the doctor before or during the early weeks of pregnancy is advised for the purpose of nutritional evaluation or dietary assessment. This usually involves evaluation of pre-pregnancy weight for height, determination of gain weight throughout the entire pregnancy, discussion regarding proper nutrition, balanced diet, vitamin supplementation, exercises and other physical activities.

My favourite book on pregnancy entitled “Your Pregnancy Week By Week”, written by  Glade B. Curtis  & Judith Schuler, explains the following concerns on nutrition before pregnancy against various birth defects of the spine and brain, called neural-tube defects.

Be careful with Vitamins, Minerals & Herbs.  Don’t self-medicate with large amounts of unusual combinations of vitamins, minerals or herbs.  You can overdo it.  Certain vitamins, such as Vitamin A, can cause birth defects if used in excessive amounts. As a general rule, stop all extra supplementation at least 3 months before pregnancy.  Eat a well-balanced diet and take one multi-vitamin or one prenatal vitamin a day.

Folic acid is a B vitamin (B9) that can contribute to a healthy pregnancy.  If a mother-to-be takes 0.4mg of folic acid each day, starting 3 or 4 months before pregnancy begin, it may protect her developing baby against various birth defects of the spine and brain, called neural-tube defects. 

Many common foods contain folic acid: asparagus, avocados, bananas, black beans, broccoli, citrus fruits and juices, egg yolks, fortified breads and cereals, green beans, leafy green vegetables, lentils, liver, peas, spinach, strawberries, tuna, and yoghurt.

Begin good eating habits.  Many women eat on the run and pay little attention to what they eat most of the day.  Before pregnancy, you may be able to get away with this and start with a healthy diet. 

During the entire pregnancy put in mind that you are eating for two: for yourself and for your baby. This may also be the main consideration even after giving birth for the purpose of maintaining your healthy body while you are breastfeeding.

And even beyond pregnancy, remember that we, moms, have to be healthy so we can look after our family. Healthy moms create healthy families.

I thought to myself, isn’t that hard and time consuming reading all those labels before I put the item in my shopping bag?  Well, I am learning.  And I should say that it is very important to read labels of products we buy and be very choosy on what we buy for and feed our families.