What goes in , must come out

If you know our family, you'll know that we've made a lot of different food choices lately. We've truly tried to eat a lot healthier. Lots of fruits and veggies, lots of good fats, minimal meat and sugar, cut out dairy, no high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, preservatives, MSG, etc.
(sounds like we're turning into tree-hugging, granola fanatics doesn't it?)

Truthfully, Chris and I have had a lot of health problems related to our adrenals and my thyroid. I won't bore you with the details (just ask me if you care to know more, I'm not shy about talking about it or why the above listed are bad), but suffice it to say, we've burned out our adrenals and don't have the physical ability to handle stress anymore. We've had to make these food choices to save our sanity and our family. Sound dramatic? Unfortunately I'm not exaggerating.

Since we've started eating healthier, we've both lost weight, and have noticed a huge improvement in our ability to handle stress, cope with life, and be emotionally healthy. A lot of people don't see the connection between what they eat, and how they feel (both physically and emotionally). Indeed, I don't think it's possible to truly recognize the impact bad food choices have on us until you first cut it out, then re-introduce it. I was completely clueless in the past. I ate what I thought was fairly healthy stuff, but the foods we ate contained a lot of what I mentioned above. I especially ate a lot of sugar. I'm a complete addict!!! But as I've broken the sugar cycle (and I admit freely that I too often fall back), and as we've cut out a lot of the preservatives, additives, etc., I notice how horribly I react to eating it. Literally, it alters my mood. I become ultra anxious, angry at the slightest provocation, unable to think clearly or make even the simplest decisions. Basically I'm a COMPLETE MESS!!!!! I literally can't function. Not good qualities for a mom of four rambunctious monkies to have!

Despite having altered our diets dramatically, we are still human and have one junk food night every week or two (Yea, momma doesn't have to cook!). We get fast food, or, like last night, go the store and let everyone pick out something they want. For the kids it was Lunchables (Have you ever looked at the ingredient list for those things!?! i.e. lots of sodium nitrite in the meat, high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, and dairy. Oh yeah, and chocolatey/sugary oreo cookies!). For Chris and I, it was pizza (again, sodium nitrite in the pepperoni, cheese, carbs, high fructose corn syrup, and modified food starch) and chili dogs (packed with sodium nitrite and other preservatives, corn syrup, modified food starch, heart-clogging fats, MSG and who knows what else! ) on white buns (again, bring on the high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, sugar). Am I making you hungry yet?

We had a rather enjoyable dinner, indeed, everyone was rather excited to get the yummy junk food. But after about a half hour of eating the pizza, I could start to feel the effects. Again, I know this sounds dramatic, but I speak the truth. (Yea verily! :) ) I could start to feel myself phlemming up from the cheese. I started to get tired, I could feel myself shutting down, and a fog seemed to settle over my brain. As all of my bodies resources were being diverted to breaking down and getting rid of all of this junk, there was nothing left for things like thinking, dealing with the stresses of getting kiddos ready for bed, or cleaning up all of the mess from dinner.

Luckily, we've had enough experience by now and know that if we eat junk, we get junk. What goes in must come out right? We buckled up for the tumultuous emotional roller coaster that would undoubtedly ensue. Oh, and what a ride! The kids quickly turned into little tasmanian devils. Alternating erratically between bouncing off the walls, and losing control in mindless tantrums. We were swift to wisk them off to bed before most of the effects hit, but Aiden woke up 4 times with bad dreams (all before 10 o'clock). Coincidence? Perhaps, but from experience, I don't think so.

After the kids were in bed, I began to see the effects on Chris. Whereas before dinner, he was chatty and happy, afterwards he was obviously anxious and depressed. The more we talked, the more he expressed overwhelming discouragement about life, his career choice and his ability to be a good doctor, and the stresses of school. Granted, these were all things he was a bit stressed about before, but after the meal, he was distinctly discouraged and depressed. Lacking hope or joy in any of these things he usually loves. We went into this night fully aware of how the food would probably effect us, but it is always a shock how emotionally charged we get. Both the ups and downs are exaggerated. We took the rest of the night easy and just tried to ride it out.

I slept awful last night though. I tossed and turned, woke up a handful of times completely stressed about silly little things, dreamt funky dreams, and woke up depressed, weepy, congested, and sporting a huge noggin-ache! Wow! This morning, Jonah (who seems, of all my kids, to be the most sensitive to foods) woke up a complete spaz!!! He's been running around like he had crack for breakfast. He talks fast and loud, makes LOTS of bad choices, invades peoples personal space, and runs around like a crazed person. Aiden and Zoe keep melting down at the slightest provocation. Kolbi was especially whiny about getting ready for school. And I am too hung-over to have a whole lot of patience for any of it. From my previous posts, you all know that my children are no angels. But on junk food, they're 10x worse!

You can read this and probably chalk a lot of these things up to co-incidence. I on the other hand, have seen things like this happen so many times, and always within a half-hour of eating junk food. This incident was really tame actually~we were somewhat prepared. In the past, after having a dinner out, we'd all be at each other's throats and not know why we were all falling apart. I'm a believer now. After experiences like these, I am all to happy to make the extra effort it takes to cut/chop/cook the fresh veggies and fruit. Call me a tree-hugger or a granola and I could care less now. It's worth it, and I'm truly beginning to think it is saving my family from self-destructing.

What about you? Are the Wassons just freaks? How does your family handle junk food?