Drenk - The finicky family : a fast, fresh and organic way to feed your loved ones

Copyright Page The Finicky Family
Copyright 2015 by STACY DRENK The content of this book is for general instruction only. Each persons physical, emotional, and spiritual condition is unique. The instruction in this book is not intended to replace or interrupt the readers relationship with a physician or other professional. Please consult your doctor for matters pertaining to your specific health and diet. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, email the publisher or author at . ISBN: 978-0-578-16808-1 Designs by Freepik This book is for my supportive husband, Robert Drenk. I would be lost without you. Thanks for always believing in me and letting me pursue my dreams. I also dedicate this book to my beautiful daughters, Isabella Mia and Scarlett Giuliana. If it werent for you two, I would never have done the research and gone to school to learn the healthiest way to raise you.

And thanks, Robert, for being pickyit was a blessing in disguise. After I became a mother of two beautiful daughters, I felt it was my duty to make sure they grew up learning healthy habits and eating whole foods. With obesity, diabetes, and other diseases reaching epidemic levels, its more important than ever to educate our children on the negative effects of eating processed, chemicalized, sugar-laden foods. All parents want their kids to be healthy, but what do you do about finicky eaters who wont touch anything that carries the dreaded H word? What do you do if you dont have the time to cook healthy dishes? Over the years, I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge about nutrition and health, including study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I come from a strong nutrition, fitness, and spiritual background, which I have used to find fun and exciting ways to help others live the best life possible. Now Im in a position to share my passion for nutrition in book form, helping busy moms put health first for their families with simple, nutrient-packed recipes that even the pickiest eater will love.

Thats what this book is designed to do. But The Finicky Family is more than just recipes. Its about a healthy way of life. It isnt just about eating clean or about going to the gym. If you dont think positively, have strong relationships, have a career you love, and get great sleep, eating kale every day is not going to be enough. That may sound like a tall order, and you really can have all of that.

Are you ready? Lets change the world and start a positive clean food revolution! Chapter 1 W ithout having a positive outlook on life, no amount of healthy eating and exercise will make your life better. What does having a positive outlook really mean? It means letting go of the role of victim. It means no more blaming others. It means no more complaining about other people. It means no more comparing yourself to others. The biggest problem with social media is that it causes us to constantly compare ourselves to our friends and contacts.

If you find yourself feeling jealous of someone else, know this: Youre only seeing part of the story on Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Each person may have a lot more challenges than you know about. If something good happens for someone else, see if you can turn your jealousy into happiness for that person. Know that if they can make it happen for themselves, so can you. Its good news! Dont exclude yourself from the same possibilities that others have created in their lives. You can have it, too! The more youre able to be genuinely happy for others, the calmer and happier you will feel inside.

Its your job to turn the negative into something positive. The best way I know to do this is to assume that everything that happens to you is for your ultimate benefit even the worse things. Its hard to do, I know, but if you do that, youll quickly move on to finding the lesson in the experience. Everything has the potential to help you grow as a person if you let it! Meditation Meditation is one of my favorite things to do. It truly calms me down and helps me become more grounded. Meditation does not have to be difficult.

Even the simplest 4-3-4 technique helps: Breathe in (inhale) for 4 seconds.
Hold the breath for 3 seconds.
Let it out (exhale) for 4 seconds.
Repeat these 3 or 4 times. Its as simple as that! Dealing with Fear Have you ever seen the film, Frozen? Of course, you have. Who hasnt, right? Well, whenever I feel scaredwhich is tenfold since I had my daughtersI hear little Olafs voice saying, All good things, all good things, and it seems to have a great effect on me. Think about something that makes you happy, and picture that in your head when youre feeling down or scared. It can work well in a pinch. Dream Board If youve read the book, The Secret, like me, you know about dream boards.

First, you find pictures that depict what youd like to achieve or acquire. You may find them in magazines or on the Internet, or you might choose to draw them yourself or write down some words that evoke what you desire. The Dream Board maintains your focus on what you want and puts the Universe on notice that you want to create or manifest these things. When I was younger, I made a dream board that was much different from the ones I make today, which are filled with more than just stuff. That early dream board was filled with materialistic items like a new car, an expensive purse, and jewelry. One of the items was an amazing, gorgeous Gucci luggage set.

I stored the dream board away in a closet, and when I looked at it about a year later, I realized that I had actually bought that exact same luggagesame color, same shape, everything. But the crazy thing about it is that I had forgotten I had ever put it up on the dream board. Then, I looked further and realized that my current Mercedes-Benz was also on that dream board! That was the Mercedes-Benz I wanted, and I got it! So, dream boards work in mysterious ways. Dont worry now about how youll get what you place on your board. Just trust that some way, somehow, the universe will give it to you. These days, my dream boards are much different.