Q&A Fun

I was bored one afternoon a few weeks ago trying to brainstorm some blog post topics. All I really want to write about is pregnancy, but there is only so much to say on the topic! So I turned to Instagram for some topic ideas. You guys had some good questions! Rather than writing long posts on each topic (which I would probably struggle to do) I thought I’d just round them all up in one (or two) posts. So here they are!

How to know if you need a protein supplement?

Protein is good for satiety and building things in your body – muscles, tissues, enzymes, hormones. But you don’t need to be drinking protein smoothies or eating protein balls everyday to meet you needs (with a very few exceptions). The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. That means if you weigh 130 pounds, you’d need about 47 grams per day to meet basic needs. If you eat most foods and have a balanced, healthy diet, you’ll likely have no problem meeting this goal. Aim for 15 grams per meal and you’re there. In fact, if you eat fish or meat, you’ll probably get there very quickly. Those who are very active might want to increase to 0.5 grams per pound, but that’s still less than 65 grams per day, and still very do-able with real food. I like adding Vega’s protein to smoothies for the taste alone, but since I’m using cow’s milk, oats, chia seeds, and yogurt a lot of the time, it’s purely optional.

How to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store when the stuff in the middle is sooooo tempting?

I am mostly a Whole Foods shopper because it’s the closest store to my house, and the middle isn’t at tempting there as it is at other stores! I love to go to Wegmans too, and when I go I do find myself drifting into the middle and staring down things like Poptarts and Oreos! Two things that I do not need in my cart. [#KERF] I think the easiest answer is to stick to a list. When I wander, things jump into the cart without me knowing, but when I have a list and a time constraint, I’m whirling through the perimeter and only hitting the aisles for a quick grab of a canned good or tin of sardines!

How did you combine households with new hubby? Making styles work together and blending your possessions?

This is an interesting question! Thomas and I actually decided to move in together when I went with him to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy the exact same frying pan that I had and loved. “Should I be buying the same one you have?!” he said with a twinkle in his eye. For the smaller stuff, we did a lot of “Whose is best?” questions. His TV, his coffeepot, my furniture, my dishes. I used to have one TV and now we have three Luckily he wasn’t too attached to a lot of his furniture, so that made the furniture combining decisions easier, and we were able to incorporate some of his artwork and a rug into our home. He is king of the yard and is the boss outside, and I care a lot more about the decor and organizing inside so that is my domain. We’re still working some things out – like how many house plants to put in one room (he wants 100) and how to contain his shoes (the basket I provided is not working – haha). We generally are very good housemates though!

How to get out of a food rut when you eat the same old same old.

I tend to get in food ruts from time to time and generally it’s when I get lazy with the meal planning and just revert to the same old staples. So picking out some new recipes, subscribing to a meal planning site like Cook Smarts or Vie, or even doing a box of Blue Apron once a month really shakes things up around here. Not only are dinners better, but I eat the leftovers for lunches so the whole week is more exciting.

Life of a second marriage. What is different?

I don’t want to dig too deep into this one for fear of throwing marriage #1 under the bus (it ended, but on great terms). Plus both guys are so different that I’d be comparing apples to oranges. However, I can say that Brooke Castillo’s podcasts have been life changing for me in terms of how I view love and relationships. If I’m struggling with something in our marriage I ask myself “What would Brooke say?” Check out The Manual #11, Someone To Love #139, and Love 2.0 #164 are BRILLIANTLY stated. And if you hate podcasts, you can read them as transcripts on the post pages.

What’s with mushroom coffee and collagen peptides? Do I need them?

LOL – no you don’t need them. Honestly I don’t know too much about them and haven’t tried either, but I say just spend your money on real food. If you are sensitive to caffeine, mushroom coffee might be a beverage to try out. And if you have issues with hair, skin, leaky gut, or joints, collagen might be worth researching as a supplement, but it’s not necessary if you’re healthy because you can get it from whole food, like berries and fatty fish (good for you for a million reasons and tasty at the same time!)

How has it been coparenting? Asked x2!

I’d say it’s gone as great as it can go so far. Matt and I trade off frequently because I don’t think Mazen could or should go too many days without seeing one of us. I can’t imagine him spending a week with Matt and not seeing my little boy! So we trade off every 1-2 days and get in lots of quality time. Mazen doesn’t seem to mind the switch too much because we live so close by (on the same street) and so if he needs to pick up a toy or his bike or whatever, he will just stop by after school to get it. I can see when he’s a teenager or if we move to live further apart maybe doing a week at a time or even him living with me most of the time and visiting with Matt when he wants, but we are years from that and will cross that bridge when we get there.

We felt strongly upon splitting up that Mazen was our top priority, and so Matt and I remain friends and see each other quite often. We’re not having tea parties together everyday, but we don’t fight at all and keep in touch almost daily. I cannot imagine coparenting with someone I was feuding with, but I know it happens, and it must be tough on everyone.

What are your thoughts on the non-diet movement?

Coming soon in full post form!

What are your tips for eating out and staying within a budget?

The beauty of budgeting is that you get to be flexible within that budget. I set a certain dollar amount per month for eating out. This includes lunches on my own, date nights, family meals out, and take out. Basically any food that is not from the grocery store and prepared at home. Some months we got on a lot of date nights and so I have to limit my lunches out towards the end of the month, and other months it’s the opposite. We do tend to go out more in the first half of the month while the budget is still on the high side and towards the end we will choose a spot that is less expensive or skip appetizers and drinks to keep the bill lower. I love YNAB because it helps me keep track of everything from dining out to shopping to how much we’re spending on groceries and adapt as the month progresses.

Date night at Maya is a great way to save on $12 Tuesdays!

The post Q&A Fun appeared first on Kath Eats Real Food.

from Kath Eats Real Food https://ift.tt/2s2aLH8