New blog name

Well, in another 3 months we will no longer be L & C Plus Three, but we will be Plus Four... so any ideas for a new blog name, let me know!

News!

NEW House:

And soon to be NEW Baby:

That's all the news I have for now. Between the house and the baby on the way and school starting, it has been busy, but all very good!

July

Why is summer going so fast?? We thought it would be a fairly quiet, relaxing summer... and instead we have been incredibly busy. We've had a great time and the weather has been beautiful. The girls really enjoyed the 4th of July, fireworks, and the re-introduction of cheese and milk this month. It was a good experience to try to go vegan, but definitely not something we are going to try permanently at this point in our lives.

Here are some new pictures, and we will be posting some exciting news soon... !!

Calcium

The next most common question we get is in regards to Calcium. Oh my! Without MILK, how on earth can you get calcium? The milk-calcium connection that everyone has learned is drilled into our heads every day. Got Milk? I can assure you that we are not giving up milk permanently, but even in doing so for 30 days really changes the way that I view it.

Surprisingly there are many healthier options for getting Calcium.

Calcium Requirements:

Toddler: 500mg
Preschool Age: 800mg
Older Children: 1300 mg
Adults: 1,000mg per day

These are very rough numbers. The requirements are much debated. I've also heard that as a society, Americans consume the most amount of calcium, but also have tons of problems being deficient. How can that be? When your body is highly acidic, it leaches calcium from your bones. So, for example if you drink pop I've heard you can almost never get enough calcium. I've also heard that osteoporosis is a made up disease that does not really exist.... More on that later.

Other shockers:

1 cup rice milk has the EXACT SAME amount of calcium as cows milk! 300 mg per cup

Other good sources: White beans, Oatmeal, Broccoli, Oranges, Sweet Potatoes

Protein

The most common concern we got when we originally went vegetarian was about how we would get enough protein. I definitely did a lot of research before we changed our diet to make sure we could easily get enough nutrients.

I have always been tempted, but never had the nerve to reply by asking "where do you get your protein?" "Where do you get your vitamin A or iron?". What nutrients are in that fast food burger you are eating? What chemicals are in that so-called nutrition drink? Etc., etc., etc.

Apparently when people make changes for the better it really opens doors for attack, but if I did the opposite and really questioned people directly about their diet, that would be rude, right? I very commonly state my opinions about health & wellness issues, but I never have asked another parent directly about a specific nutrient or vitamin source for their children. I find it very interesting... I guess the obvious reason for this is that if you go with the flow, even if the "flow" is toxic sludge, then you are fine... but do something different than the norm and be prepared for the onslaught of questions.

To talk about protein sources specifically, here are some facts:

Protein Requirements:

Baby: 13-14 grams
Toddler: 16 grams
School Age: 24-45 grams
Adult: 50-60 grams

Sources for protein:
Quinoa: 24 grams
2 TB Peanut Butter: 8 grams
Kidney Beans: 8 grams
Lentils: 9 grams
Chickpeas: 10 grams
Split peas: 8 grams
Brown rice: 5 grams
Pasta: 7 grams
Avocado: 3 grams

Veganism, Day 1

Day 1 Success! It really is more of a mental battle then anything else. The kids addiction to cheese is going to be difficult to break. We did completely cheat for breakfast because I had breakfast with my sisters and Dad and we had pancakes. Okay, so we started the day with what surely contained some milk & eggs... BUT, we did not have a glass of milk or scrambled eggs. Our goal is 75% vegan, we are not trying to drive ourselves crazy. I don't want to cheat like that again due to lack of planning!

Elise had a few requests for dinner- Mac & Cheese or Pizza. lol! She also REALLY wanted some ice cream. This is going to be a long 30 days with requests like this everyday coming from the kids.

Our new item for the day: vegan ice cream. We tried some rice dream "ice cream" a few weeks ago and the kids weren't too keen on it (I wasn't either). In order to try something different, we bought coconut milk ice cream sandwiches and they were YUMMY! They were delicious and tiny, yet surprisingly satisfying.

Laughs for Lilly

If you live in the Columbus area, please mark your calendars!!

Life Community Church is holding a family fundraising event on June 5, 2010.



Hours: 10am-7pm

• Lots of SHOPPING!
• Door Prizes!
  
• Face Painting
• Snacks
• Visit from Norwich Township Fire Station
• All Day Scrapbooking Event! (9am-9pm)
  
• Bouncy House
• Visit the Chick-fil-A cow!
• Clippers Mascots!
• Make a get well card for Lilly!

There is something for everyone at this event and it is all to support a good cause! The money raised will go to the Webb family, and they will donate 10% to Kids 'n Kamp. Lilly is doing great, but the family needs help to cover the cost of missing work during her times of treatment. She was diagnosed in March with Leukemia (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) at the young age of four. She goes to our church and I decided I wanted to help and organize a fundraiser for the family.

Kids 'n Kamp supports children with cancer and their families with counseling, family outings and activities, tutoring and more. To visit their website go to: www.KidsnKamp.org.

For updates on Lilly, please visit:
www.CaringBridge.com/visit/lillywebb

For more info on the fundraiser, please email me at: lyndsiobrien@sbcglobal.net