tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29715216917618911952024-03-12T21:23:58.276-07:00The Goddess I Truly Am Inside? I Think I Ate Her.This is my accountability blog. This is my journey towards health and wellness. This is me being totally honest.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-65390851847576752962015-08-03T14:18:00.004-07:002015-08-03T14:18:51.867-07:00Fried Green Tomatoes Paleo Style!<span id="goog_1016842920"></span>The fruits of my labor paid off. Despite having a horrible growing season, I did manage to have a successful tomato crop. However I did have to sacrifice a few from reaching their full maturation to make one my favorite Summer comfort food. I love Fried Green Tomatoes! Usually I would use a simple mixture of flour, salt, and pepper and egg wash. However that does not quite fit into my Paleo/clean eating. Tomatoes are a classified as a nightshade, and for some who are following an Autoimmune approach these are not for you. The verdict is out on nightshades for me. Thank goodness because it was time to get all Whistle Stop Café up in my kitchen. Tap into my inner southern gal roots and get to work.<br />
Since I was not using flour and am honestly getting a bit tired of the go to almond or other but flours, I decided to use pumpkin and a bit of sunflower seeds. I put them n my handy dandy blender and chopped them down to a fine texture. Next I added Himalayan pink salt, pepper and my spices. Now here is the thing. I am a "sense" type of cook, I rely on smell and taste A Lot! So trying to nail down exact amount of spices prove to be difficult. I can give you a general measurement but I always adjust to my mood.<br />
After added my spices to the pumpkin/sunflower seed more mixture, I beat two eggs for the wash. Here was my other conundrum, eggs. We have our chickens, seven "Ladies of the Yard" to be exact. Well they have decided to take an early vacation it seems. They started molting, which in the chicken world can slow production. Or as my hubs says "they are in strike, Union workers." Well today I was able to find three fresh laid eggs to use. Yay!!!<br />
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To fry these delectable num nums I just had to get the down home feel and use my cast iron skillet. I put about 4 Tablespoons of coconut oil and put it in medium high heat. Now watch it, cast iron heats fast! Bless our ancestors hearts using them over open fires!<br />
While the oil is melting, dip your tomatoes in the egg wash then into the seed/spice mixture. Coat evenly. Place the coated tomatoes into the skillet. Fry each side until lightly golden and the tomatoes become slightly soft. Use a fork or slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes into a paper towel to soak up the skillet extra oil. Salt and pepper them and serve.<br />
I served mine with my homemade Paleo Ranch dressing.<br />
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<u><b>Recipe:</b></u><br />
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1 1/2 cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds<br />
1 cup sunflower seeds<br />
Six green medium to large green Tomatoes, washed and sliced<br />
2 eggs, whisked<br />
2 Tablespoons garlic powder<br />
2 Tablespoons onion powder<br />
2 Tablespoons parsley<br />
2 Tablespoons dried dill<br />
Salt and pepper to taste.<br />
4 to 5 Tablespoons coconut oil<br />
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<u><b>Directions:</b></u><br />
Wash and slice Tomatoes 1/4 inch thick give or take. You do not want them too thin or thick so they can cook evenly. In a blender or food processor pulse the pumpkin and sunflower seeds to a fine consistency. Add to a medium bowl. Add all your spices. Add more or less to taste. Combine together. Whisk the eggs. Add oil to pan on medium heat. Dip slice tomatoes into the egg mixture then into seed and spice mixture. Coat well. Add to pan. Fry for about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip tomatoes and fry the other side. * I usually do the egg wash/coating step with a few tomatoes at a time. Drain on a paper towel. Salt and pepper tomatoes and serve.<br />
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<u><b>Paleo Ranch:</b></u><br />
Use a paleo approved Mayonnaise or make your own. Add 1 cup of Mayo, 1/2 to 1 cup of full fat coconut milk, add dill, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, to taste. I add all to a pint size Mason jar apply the lid and shake to combine.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-28724508689213471902015-07-19T19:02:00.001-07:002015-07-19T19:02:53.148-07:00The Cure for the Summer Time BBQ BluesYesterday was my first BBQ since eating healthy. It was also a big bump in the road. I do not know what I was thinking! Was I really expecting to have my host lay out a feast to fit the Goddess? Seriously! Hello, the Goddess is in the house, all hail the Goddess! Talk about conceit, Geez. Honestly, the thought did cross my mind, briefly, what am I going to eat? But I knew my host was having meat for sure, so I thought I am good. HA! Big fat HA! Most of the BBQs that I go to have people bring a dish to pass. No biggie. Food is expensive. I just figured I am sure there will be a veggie tray, salads, I don't have to eat the dressings, Oh I bet someone will bring a fruit bowl. Again, HA!<br />
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My first mistake, (ugh) was I did not eat something before we left. I do that sometimes. I get myself involved in things the first thing in the day and do not feed my body. <i>I am working on that.</i> Plus, somewhere along the line I have created a horrible habit of thinking "Oh, it is a party" or "Oh, it is a holiday" I better save my eating for then. Am I the only one who does this? Stinking Thinking! Well this was the case. Remember I said I "briefly"thought what am I going to eat? Brief, well more like a split second before I went into old thoughts.</div>
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I get it Human. Fool me once? as the saying goes...</div>
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Fast forward to said BBQ...</div>
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We arrive to food. Not just food, but comfort food! I am talking Lemon cake, my Aunt's homemade Vanilla cake with homemade butter chocolate frosting, Herb homemade rolls, Lay's Potato chips, pasta salad, Baked beans, fresh corn on the cob, fruit salad with whipped cream and get this, caramel and toffee bits topped on it. But last but not least Homemade Mac-n-Cheese. A smorgasbord of gluttony. Oh, and there was a veggie tray. I was in deep trouble. Immediately my body, already starving went into accelerated over load. FOOD! Immediately I went to the veggie tray and got a hamburger. But gosh, that Mac-n-Cheese, it is straight out of heaven, I could tell. </div>
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Needless to say, my "Human" won. By the time I left the party 3 hours later, I looked like Templeton the Rat, from the book and movie "Charlotte's Web." You know after he goes to the fair and eats everything in sight. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me after the party! You are singing the song now too huh?</td></tr>
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Seriously I was a bloated miserable mess! However, I now take any experience, good or bad and learn from it. So what would I do differently? How can I make social eating situations enjoyable without damaging my health?<br />
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1. Eat! Regardless of my day, make fueling my body a top priority. I am no good to anyone if I am not fueled.<br />
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2. Find out if possible from the host what is being served. Prepare. Share with the host your healthy eating. I am a bit uncomfortable about this, despite my previous conceit from above. I would hate to put someone out. But would it be different if someone in my family had a extreme food allergy? I would notify the host.<br />
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3. Bring a dish to pass that I know I can eat. Maybe even two! A salad with chicken and veggies, a fruit bowl or a savory Paleo/Whole 30 approved goodie.<br />
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4. Host a party yourself and share the health!<br />
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5. If and obviously When I fall off the healthy eating "horse," Pick your self up and continue on. Don't fall into beating yourself up, learn from it, and go forward.<br />
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That is exactly what I did today! Today a new day.Breakfast was simple. Banana and some almonds, I was not feeling super hungry. However, here are two meals I ate today and I even got all my food prep finished for the week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Lunch</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dinner</b></td></tr>
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<b><u>Portabella Mushroom Cap topped with sauteed white mushrooms, Cauliflower and Kale and Chorizo, with Radish. </u></b><br />
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Easy to do! First cook the Chorizo. Set aside. I always drain it on a paper towel. Helps cut the grease factor down. I then added some coconut oil to the same pan and cooked the Mushroom cap until slightly soft. Remove Mushroom cap. I then added the white mushrooms, cauliflower and garlic to pan. Cooked until tender. Then I added the Kale. I cook my veggies until just tender. No wimpy veggies here! Top Mushroom cap with vegetables, chorizo and a few radishes.<br />
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Next was Dinner...<br />
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<b><u>Mango Basil Chicken topped with Plantains</u></b><br />
<b><u>Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kohlrabi</u></b><br />
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Totally did this in the crock pot. Had found a great deal on Chicken Thighs so I used them. I removed the meat. The skin and bones went into my stock pot to make a huge batch of bone broth. Which I froze for later. I love to cook and love to add spices and such for a great dish. This was basically my thought on this meal. I had a Mango that was desperately in need to be used. After I trimmed the meat, I put it into the crock pot, added the mango, about 3 Tbsp of Coconut oil, fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp of cilantro, 1 tsp. of Allspice, 1 tsp. of Curry, 1 tsp of garlic, Himalayan Salt and pepper. I just put it all in the crock pot, combined and set it on for 6 hours.<br />
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About 45 minutes before I knew that the chicken would be done, I peeled and cut up the Sweet Potatoes, and Kohlrabi. I tossed them with Olive oil, Himalayan salt, Pepper, and Onion powder. Next I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, evenly distributed the Potatoes and Kohlrabi. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until tender. While that was baking, I sliced and sauteed 1 Plantain in Olive oil, which I topped over the chicken.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-16560703385677224972015-07-14T18:58:00.000-07:002015-07-14T18:58:48.931-07:00The Goddess has gone Primal!Yes, The Goddess has had enough of her Human counterpart's shenanigans! She is getting back to it "Old School!"<br />
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Since beginning this blog, I have been all over the place with eating. Yes, I will admit it, I am a Yo-Yo Dieter. Ugh. The only time I have ever felt good was when I was eating clean. Eliminating all the processed, sugar filled garbage that we as a culture have filled our bodies with for years. Obviously I love food, which is really not a bad thing. We need food. But the food I have consumed in the past 25 years has poisoned me. Hence the Insulin Resistance, weight gain, bloat, gas, oh and acne! (Acne! What the what?) the list goes on. I am not in any way a nutritionist or physician, but am someone who is tired of being unhealthy.<br />
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About a two months ago I really started researching food and health. I am a self-professed Foodie and will NOT cheat myself when it comes to taste, texture and just all around happiness in my food. I also hooked up with a local Facebook group for Holistic Moms, which really started my research. I believe I have found my niche. I call myself a Paleo Clean eater now. There are some of my "peeps" who read this will NOT believe I am doing this. There was a time I would not even touch, let alone eat meat. Honestly I am not a huge fan, but Meat and I have come to a mutual agreement. (except for organ meats and ribs...just cannot do it...((shudder))<br />
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Switching over to eating like this was gradual process. Despite my sometimes all or nothing personality flaw. GRADUAL. I emphasis this. We used up what we had in the cupboard and gradually bought our gluten-free products. The first thing I bought was Pamela's gluten free baking mix. I started making my own bread. We read labels. We ate more veggies/fruit, nuts, incorporated coconut and nut flours in cooking. There was a little bit of a difference in how I was feeling, but no weight loss. Then I took a good look at what I was putting in my body. Researching more we moved into Paleo. Each grocery trip I bought one of two items that help in Paleo recipes, for instance Fish sauce, Coconut milk. Coconut oil has been a staple in our house for awhile now for cooking and as a lotion. Love me some Coconut.<br />
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My biggest concern in Paleo was giving up cheese. Ahh, cheese. Cheese was my go to snack. I gradually stopped eating cheese and have no gas or bloating or other digestive issues. And you what I do not even miss it. I do not eat any dairy now other then eggs, butter and ghee. We have our own chickens so I have farm fresh eggs daily. I only use butter or ghee at times, usually I cook with Olive, Coconut or Grape seed oil. I have no grains in the diet now. Everything is either nut or Coconut flour. Veggies and Fruit a big component in my diet. Because of my wacky pancreas, I watch the fruit. If I do eat it, it is a glycemic fruit and it is always paired with a protein.<br />
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<u><b>Recipes and Help</b></u><br />
Can I just say I love the Internet for recipes. There are so many places to find recipes for eating this way out there. I have revamped my recipe book and added so many wonderful recipes. I am always looking for new ways to cook. Plus with three kids at home, I have be creative. I just started feeling confident enough to take some of our family's food favs. and switched them to Paleo. For instance, tonight I made Chicken Picatta with mashed Cauliflower, instead of mashed potatoes. Remember I am a Foodie! But I get there are some of you that are not, so I will link you to some of my favorite Paleo places.<br />
<b>Favorite Paleo places:</b><br />
<i><b><a href="http://paleoparents.com/">Paleo Parents</a> </b></i><br />
<i><b><a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/">Empowered Sustenance</a> </b></i><br />
<b><cite class="_Rm"><a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/">Nom Nom Paleo</a></cite></b><br />
<b><cite class="_Rm"><a href="http://agirlworthsaving.net/">A Girl Worth Saving</a> </cite></b><br />
<b><cite class="_Rm"><a href="http://cookituppaleo.com/">Cook it up Paleo</a> </cite></b><br />
<b><cite class="_Rm"><a href="http://againstallgrain.com/">Against all Grain</a> </cite><i> </i></b><br />
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<u><b>Where I am at today</b></u><br />
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Honestly, I have only been super strict eating this way for two weeks. But let me tell you I see an <i>enormous</i> difference. When I have cheated, the Fourth of July weekend, I got so sick. I will leave out the details but my digestive tract was not happy. Call it my "What if" experimentation, what if I eat that bun, what if I ate those cheese curds, what if I eat that s'more? Not good, not good at all! Now I know. So yes, the last two weeks I have be a very diligent eater. Not worth it to be that sick. Healthy please here! Plus as an added bonus...I lost 10 pounds in two weeks. I know it is really about health, but geez, I am trying to be the Goddess!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-78628805282317780882015-04-20T11:38:00.002-07:002015-04-20T11:38:59.414-07:00Onward and Forward...again. It has been a while since my fingers have hit the keyboard. Not that I have not thought about writing. But "Life" has a way of creeping in, right? Boy has it! However I will spare you the boring details. Let's just chalk it up to Life and move on! Yep! Onward and Forward!<br />
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You may be wondering if I have been able to release my "True Goddess" from my "Human." Well, let me just say we are no longer at World War 3 level, but we still have a way to go before they can be pals. But they are working towards a common ground. (sigh) The last few months I have really had some time to reflect. What is it that stops me? What are my demons? We all have them, (insert Human) but for me, what is it?<br />
It all boils done to HABIT and LAZINESS, how about we abbreviate it "H & L." Because I can guarantee that this demon will raise it's wicked head again. Hey, I am a realist!<br />
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There is that saying regarding Habit, what is it? Doing something for so many days...I don't know. Well for me my problem is for 40 plus (cough) I have continued in a very crazy game. In my youth, Ha! I never had a problem with health/weight, if anything I was probably too thin. Oh, memories. Anyway, my health turned after my first child almost 16 years ago. Since then I really blamed my weight on having children.Oh. look another of my demons; EXCUSES! We can abbreviate them as: "E's" Granted there are physiological changes when you have kids, age, and genetics play a part too.But let's get honest, it was MY unhealthy H & L and E's that have brought me to where I am today. I know I am not the only one out there. We are human. I realize that I have a dance that I do. Let me explain.<br />
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<u><b>My Dance of H & L and E's:</b></u><br />
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(You are in my head now, I know scary, but it will only take in minute, I promise!)<br />
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"Geez, look at that fat roll? It is like it has it's own world, shoot, it's own universe. What the hell? ugh, are you kidding me? Oh, man I am looking old! Nice now I have a chin hair, seriously? What is up with the puffy eyes? Did I just piddle my pants when I sneezed? Why am I so freaking tired? What is up? Gosh, I look so unhealthy, what happened? That is it! Enough! This is it, I am going to do this, I am going to lose weight, and get healthy. I hate this. O.k, tomorrow I start eating clean, and exercising. Yep, going to pitch all the crap in the house, oh, wait the kids and hubby are not going to get on board with that, sigh, screw it, I will just not eat it. I will do my own thing. I got this." (self loathing, not good not good at all!)<br />
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<u><b>The next day and a few weeks in:</b></u><br />
"I did it, ate awesome, walked, feeling pretty awesome, this is it! I am going to do it! I am rocking this, I love my new____________ (insert new gym, fitness class, fitness video, fitness tool) I feel so good, so proud of myself. You are so awesome.looking good girl!" (self love, very good, very good indeed!)<br />
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"Wait, what? So and So, and such and such, just did__________, (insert any possible problem) Man, I am so busy today, I will just work out tomorrow, ugh, I am tired today, It is the holidays! I am so stressed out, Oh, look, chips! Well I did "o.k. today with eating, well except I only ate twice today since I was so busy and it was chips, cheese and an apple, at least dinner will be good! It is 10 p.m. and I am hungry, oh, I will make some nachos, oh, honey you bought me some ice cream, you are so good to me. (proceed to eat three servings) Dang it! I don't want to go to Dance Fit, that's o.k. it has been a stressful day, or I don't feel good, my period is coming, I need chocolate and peanut butter. I have Insulin Resistance, (<b><i>side note</i></b>: which is true, but due to this dance! continue...) I don't care anymore, I am what I am. Wait did I eat today? I better get back on it...<br />
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and the dance continues true to it's unhealthy cyclic form...<br />
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See? Scary. But it is my dance. Sometimes my falling off the healthy wagon isn't always a conscious thing anymore. I have danced it so long, it just is.<br />
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At this point I think the only way to stop it is to just be uber mindful of it. To really get honest and then accept it.To simple you say? Maybe, Maybe not, time will tell. But what do I have to lose? Since I am obviously an all or nothing kind of gal, I am shifting gears to allow myself to be o.k. to make a mistake, to not be so rough on myself. To try and remember not to stay in self-loathing mode. I even made post its to hang around my daily path to help keep mindful that I have a "dance." <br />
<br />
Onward and Forward towards Health! <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-22067257762879707432013-07-25T11:14:00.000-07:002013-07-25T11:14:35.987-07:00The Human side of me has been winning, Oh, Goddess let's get it together!It has been a big struggle to keep up my promise to myself. I sit here thinking, "Gosh, imagine if I would of kept going, where I would be now?" It does not help that I have two friends that are on a healthy weight loss journey too and they are doing fab. I am so absolutely happy for them. Jealous a bit, but very happy. Hey, like I said the human is winning! What has made them stay on their journey and not me? I think I am just plain old weak. There are times when I say to myself "Self, why don't we just stay fat? Maybe we had our day in the <i>skinny </i>sun." Well that only lasts until I look in the full length mirror naked and scream!<br />
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Do not get me wrong I have lost some weight. We recently moved into the country and I have had to do a lot of physical things. Moving boxes, unpacking boxes, and gardening. A lot of working in the yard! Matter of fact I sit here at my computer lame for digging out weeds in the long driveway and helping the hubby with our new Japanese garden area. Who needs a gym when you have a shovel and tons of dirt to move. But to tell you how much I have lost, I can't. I threw the scale out in a moment of madness. Hind sight: scales cost money. Huh, maybe I should join a Yoga class? I hear the calming effects are wonderful!<br />
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My biggest down fall is really just habit and consistency. Summer is always hard. I do not tend to do well with exercise and eating right. Come to think of it I barely eat. Maybe once or twice a day. Let me tell you, it DOES NOT work! If it did, I would be rockin' a bikini! I am not purposely starving myself, I just do not have an appetite. Talk about throwing my metabolism off. Summer/Exercise? Ha! I am not a hot weather gal. Especially the way this summer has been. Hotter than a pepper pot and then 18 days of rain, and then more heat. <i>(Hit rewind button, play again.)</i> That has been our Summer. Ugh! I know, I know, what about going to a gym? Well my friends Planet Fitness is no more. We are now located about 30 minutes from a location. The membership was cancelled. So my activity has been walking, riding my bike, and pushing tons of dirt around. Remember the consistency factor I mentioned? These activities are not daily. So what is a Goddess to do? She thinks she needs to go talk to her "God" aka the hubby, for a tread mill and a set of weights and a weight bench.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Goals for the week:</u></span></span><br />
<br />
-Eat! If I am not hungry, eat some of those awesome fresh veggies from the garden. Remember nothing like a plate of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.<br />
<br />
-Buy new tennis shoes. The old ones met their demise in the garden. (The lack of tennis shoes is a good reason to not walk, the Human states quietly, in which the Goddess gives her a smack upside the head and says "shut it!") <br />
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-Walk or ride bike nightly.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-41377441888857258802013-02-22T06:44:00.003-08:002013-02-22T06:44:27.680-08:00This is what I get for working out?This is what I get for working out? This is what was rolling through my mind,as I stared back at six EMS/Firemen standing in my bedroom. For some woman this would be a dream come true to have six Firefighters in their bedroom. (sorry I could not resist) but for me it was a nightmare.<br />
<br />
A few days prior to this, I started feeling a bit "under the weather." I chalked it up to that time of the month. During this time I get super sick, but that is a totally different story/blog, ha! No, this was something entirely different. After dinner of homemade chicken noodle soup, I laid back down. Just as I was drifting off into Never land, my heart started beating super fast, as if I was jogging. Then I got chest pain and tightness. After a few minutes of this not going away, I called my husband upstairs. We decided it was time to call 911 when it did not get better. What the heck?<br />
<br />
I chewed up a full dose of aspirin and waited. When EMS got here, my blood pressure was 165/85! Yikes! They determined I was NOT having a massive heart attack, but said I needed to go in to be assessed. Ugh. I knew that meant a few hours in the emergency room. Since I was NOT having a heart attack, my hubby took me in.<br />
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<b><i><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Voyage of the Goddess to the land of E.R</span></u></i></b><br />
<br />
<b>ACT ONE:</b><br />
Blood work, cardiac enzymes, EKG, blood pressure cuff in place squeezing my arm every so many minutes, My blood work came back that I was super low in Potassium which can and will mess with your blood pressures. Enter the nurse with two of the biggest pills I have ever seen. At least if I choked on them, I was in a good place! GULP! "Okay, can I go home now?" Enter the Doctor. "No, we need to keep you over night to get two more blood draws to check the cardiac enzymes. When a cardiac incident happens, it sometimes does not show up until 3 to 6 hours after, plus we want to do a Nuclear Stress test on you in the morning." NOOOOO!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>ACT TWO:</b></span><br />
<br />
Typical stay at the hospital, No sleep, no food or drink due to my testing in the morning, Poking and prodding, freaking out about all the other crap I could pick up from being in there. In the morning I was injected with a nice little cocktail of radio active something. Hour later, I am under a moving camera for about 10 minutes, then off to the treadmill. At least I wore my tennis shoes to the hospital right? My nurses running the test were amazing. They explained how the treadmill would start, increase in speed and incline. Joking that we would be taking a nice hike through the Appalachian mountains in Tennessee. I said I could handle that, as long as we were not hiking the Rocky mountains. I got this, I have been busting my butt in the gym haven't I? Buahahahhaha! The Goddess was laughing inside. She knew that it would be my journey to Hades on that last incline. It was. Nothing like jogging up the side of mountain.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Act Three:</b></span><br />
<br />
The Results were that my heart is just fine. Pumping at 70 percent. What? Why not 100%? Well, I looked in the mirror and realized that. But my ticker is good. However, I have been referred to a cardiologist to "maximize my health." Not a bad idea considering my family history. Whew! They want me on a low-sodium diet, which I was doing any way with my own doctor. Take a heart healthy multi-vitamin, with CoQ10, B's, lycopene, etc.<br />
<br />
<b>Final:</b><br />
Home. But I did not come home alone. Remember my statement earlier, I think it was in "ACT TWO?" the one about picking up some other crap from the being in the hospital? Yeah, well...<br />
<br />
Five days later, I came down with the most beautiful upper respiratory infection. Fever, sore throat, etc. Here I am six days into this and I had to break down and call my family doctor for medicine, my herbal/natural remedies were not going to win this time. Relief has come as 500 mg of antibiotic three times a day.<br />
<br />
So I have told my "Goddess Inside" to enjoy this little break now, because it is not going to last long, back to the gym we will be going. This will not stop us!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-16296517423736809562013-02-05T08:09:00.000-08:002013-02-05T08:09:09.797-08:00 Exercising I will go, Exercising I will go! Oh, how sore I am, exercising I will go!Yep, the will is there but by golly the flesh is weak. My fat human body is fighting the Goddess who is trying to claw her way out. FYI the Goddess is winning. I have been consistently exercising, and I am rocking it! This is the first time I have been this diligent. Don't get me wrong, it stinks to lug myself out of the house to the gym, and for the record, I personally do not think I have never used some of the muscles that I have been using. I even thought of looking up them in a physiology book to make sure I am not some sort of mutant! Once I enter the gym it is on! All I can say is I thankful for endorphins, can I get an "Holla!"<br />
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What makes this different then all the other times? Well, the will. The simple will to be healthy and fit. I have said I doubt I will never be a size 8 and model again, but I do NOT want to look like this, at all. My other motivation is having my work out buddy. My friend Lisa is on the same page as I am. She gets it. We encourage each other. We push each other. She is the first one to tell me to buck up and put my big girl pants on! I am grateful to her.<br />
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The other thing is despite my soreness, I can already see a difference. My stamina is better. I have went from doing cardio two to maybe three days a week for 30 minutes. I can now do 55 minutes cardio. I work out six days a week now. My strength is growing. On the days that I strength train, I have to raise the weight amount on certain muscles groups.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here is my schedule:</b></span><br />
<br />
Monday: Cardio and Strength. *On these days we are at the gym for about 2 1/2 hours, working it!<br />
Tuesday: Cardio<br />
Wednesday: Cardio and Strength<br />
Thursday: Cardio<br />
Friday: Cardio and Strength<br />
Saturday: Cardio<br />
Sunday: off <br />
<br />
Some days due to schedules, it is harder to get to the gym, so that is when I have to get creative.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Creative Moves! </span></b><br />
<br />
-Pop in a Walking Away the Pounds DVD and work it with hand weights.<br />
- Put in some "jams" and boogie around the house. I love to dance. (Don't worry neighbors, I will pull the shades to not scare you!)<br />
-Bust out the tap shoes and bust a few moves.<br />
-Have my hubby run me through his martial arts work out.He has studied martial arts for 28 years and I have trained with him in a structured setting before. Ugh, nothing like having to refer to your husband as "Sir."<br />
-Pick up the pace while doing those household chores.<br />
<br />
<br />
It all comes down to moving it! I admit I get frustrated it is not coming off as quickly as I like. But it did not come on overnight either. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Daily Reminder:</span></b><br />
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In the lyrics of one of my favorite singers to dance to Ms. Christina Aguilera<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>You are beautiful in every single way...</i></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-49009996409426196432013-01-23T12:43:00.001-08:002013-01-23T12:49:09.690-08:00Stuffed Turkey Breast With "Good" Grains. Life is busy for many of us. I know that it can be a lot easier to stop off at the fast food place, or order in. Believe me, been there done that. But here is a quick and easy healthy dinner for you and your family.<br />
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Before I begin, I will say that using a Turkey breast is not the most optimal choice in meat when you want to create a rolled, stuffed dish for dinner.. Chicken breast is a better choice. But for this I was going for fast.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0XZjo-OjQZc/UQBD0zimInI/AAAAAAAAAho/Kf4jwmiz96Y/s1600/easygrains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0XZjo-OjQZc/UQBD0zimInI/AAAAAAAAAho/Kf4jwmiz96Y/s1600/easygrains.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>My grocery store carries many organic and yummy items. <a href="http://www.seedsofchange.com/"><i>Seed of Change</i></a> have great side dishes that you can microwave in a matter of seconds for a healthy side dish.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<br />
3 to 4 lb boneless, skinless Turkey Breast.<br />
1 package of Seeds of Change Quinoa & Brown Rice with Garlic, I love me some Garlic, so I added a bit of fresh to it.<br />
3 to 4 slices of Canadian Bacon, to add a bit of flavor, and to "entice" my kids. Haha!<br />
1/4 cup of low-fat cream cheese<br />
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
1 tsp. Oregano, Basil, Rosemary<br />
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<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQtaBlpA-m8/UQBEHL-RxGI/AAAAAAAAAhw/UewkhHdKz-0/s1600/Picture+309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQtaBlpA-m8/UQBEHL-RxGI/AAAAAAAAAhw/UewkhHdKz-0/s1600/Picture+309.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll it as best as you can, secure with toothpicks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What I did was put the Turkey breast between two sheets of parchment paper and used my rolling pin to pound the breast as flat as I could. (I could not find my meat tenderizer hammer thingy.)<br />
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-Cook your package of grains as directed. <br />
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In a bowl, I mix the cream cheese, and spices. Once mixed, lightly spread it onto the turkey breast. Place the slices of Canadian Bacon on top of the mixture. Then you add your cooked grains<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ4PJjXEChk/UQBEHfvBXfI/AAAAAAAAAh4/uYNv42Oj74k/s1600/Picture+311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ4PJjXEChk/UQBEHfvBXfI/AAAAAAAAAh4/uYNv42Oj74k/s1600/Picture+311.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Taking the long side of the breast, roll it or as I had to do fold it. Secure with toothpicks. Lightly bast the breast with the olive oil, and roll it up in foil. Place the breast in a baking dish. Because I wrapped it in foil, I did not have a messy baking dish to clean either! Bake for about 25 minutes or until meat is cooked.<br />
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Slice and serve with your favorite vegetable. We served it with fresh blanched green beans, and a fruit salad made from mixed berries.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"> Easy! Healthy! Yummy!</span></i><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-90746105656254434202013-01-21T18:34:00.000-08:002013-01-21T18:34:37.924-08:00"It Is That Time Of Year!"Can you guess from my title what I mean? No, it is not a reference to the arctic weather we are having in Ohio. Nope, it is not about Publisher's Clearing House ads. Let me give you a hint:<br />
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Cute, adorable girls offering you their delicious sugar-filled goodies in a box...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MaeiDpEuXjs/UP3x6ZkTZEI/AAAAAAAAAhE/Cj1jaNhlonY/s1600/Picture+343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MaeiDpEuXjs/UP3x6ZkTZEI/AAAAAAAAAhE/Cj1jaNhlonY/s400/Picture+343.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Yep, you guest it! It is Girl Scout Cookie time! Now if you are fortunate enough to skim by this sale, good for you. For me I have a Girl Scout in my home. The first order had to go in today. So as of now I am safe. The problem will arise when the boxes actually arrive.<br />
For the past few weeks I have had this order form and managed to NOT add an order to it. Good for me you say? Well, I thought so. As we were getting a tally of all the cookies my daughter sold, she realized that she was a few shy of her goal. *Sigh* what is a parent to do? Well I will tell you. They become weak, they break down, they talk themselves into buying the difference. How could I not? Have you seen my daughter? Alright, maybe I am hiding behind her cuteness. Sure I could of ordered the boxes and had them go to the troops overseas, but I was weak. But I have until February 9th to work up my will power.<br />
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But then there is that "other" thing that is coming. The Hallmark holiday of Love! Valentine's Day this year will be blown since I will have probably ate all the Girl Scout Cookies five days before, (hey I am being honest) I have some ideas. My first idea is to just make a healthy dinner here at home. Candles, music, you know create the ambiance. But then again, because I ate all the cookies I will probably be so sore from working out, burning those little buggers off, that I will be too sore to do anything. Just kidding...maybe.<br />
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My other idea, one that will require my hubby to do (Hint, Hint dear) is to have him create this. My friend, Kate at <a href="http://farmhouse38.wordpress.com/">Farm House 38 </a>created a beautiful arrangement in a heart shaped candy box. She evens gives you a step-by-step tutorial. Fun!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QvuPcsxfw_k/UP34Db2DPnI/AAAAAAAAAhU/Lyr6s9YZ4j0/s1600/farmhouse38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QvuPcsxfw_k/UP34Db2DPnI/AAAAAAAAAhU/Lyr6s9YZ4j0/s400/farmhouse38.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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No candy, only filled with roses. Ah, I can smell them! How beautiful is that? And NO Calories!<br />
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As much as I love flowers, I was even thinking I could make it easier on my hubby and he can even buy me vegetable seeds. I love to garden and it would make a great gift for my mental and physical health.<br />
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I think I have this covered, well except those Girl Scout Cookies, hmm...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-59221021807377907992013-01-15T18:23:00.001-08:002013-01-15T18:23:28.924-08:00Why did I do that?Well I got a bit sassy yesterday. It has been a week in on my journey. I weighed myself. Guess what? I LOST 8 POUNDS this week. WAHOOOOO!!!!<br />
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Where did the sassy part come in? Well, I had read somewhere that it is good to give yourself a "cheat" day. Why not? I deserve it. Remember I said I am a all or nothing gal? Here is what I ate:<br />
<br />
<u><b>Breakfast:</b></u><br />
A cream filled long doughnut, I actually could only take 2 bites out of it, it was horrible. Then I stopped at my Mom's and she had homemade teeny cinnamon rolls, about the size of a fifty cent piece. So I popped two of those buggers into my mouth. This was at about 9:45 a.m<br />
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<u><b>Lunch:</b></u><br />
I did not eat until about 2:30ish because I was on the road taking our two Roosters, (I have chickens) to my friend's farm. By this time I was getting loopy. Lunch from a local Chili hot dog place called Rudy's. I had one chili dog with cheese, a small fry. When I dropped my mom off at her house, I popped another one of those cinnamon things into my mouth.<br />
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*Note by 4:30 p.m. I was in La-La land and had to take a nap.<br />
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<u><b>Dinner: </b></u><br />
When I woke from my crap filled coma, it was 7:30 p.m. By this point I was hungry, but was starting to fill very sick. For dinner my hubby made the meal I planned of Stir-fry chicken and brown rice noodles. I ate that. Not bad.<br />
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Around 11:30 p.m when I should be going to bed, I made two small plates of nachos. My chips were organic sweet potato tortilla chips, which is fine, but I was not within the serving size. Plus I decided I wanted real cheese on them. Topped it with salsa and jalapenos. For some reason I am really into jalapenos.<br />
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So, was this a good day? HECK NO! and I am paying for it now. I am physically ill. I have major stomach "issues" (putting it nicely not to offend.) to the point of being incapacitated, headaches, tired, my thinking is way off, I feel like I have the flu. <br />
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Honestly, this is pretty close to how I use to eat before my journey. Not enough calories, not enough veggies/fruit, and no water. No wonder I am a fat and unhealthy.<br />
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<u><b>Moral of the story: </b></u><br />
Old habits die hard, and this kind of cheating is not good for me. If you want to cheat, have at it, I do not judge. But I cannot go through this again.<br />
<br />
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<u><b>On a brighter note: </b></u><br />
I did force myself to work out this evening. It was really hard to get there, but I did. One hour of cardio between the bike and treadmill. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-57381958336641631982013-01-13T08:40:00.001-08:002013-01-13T08:40:35.630-08:00Clean No Cheese Nacho Cheese Nachos No, I have not lost my mind, nor is my title a typo. Continue reading...<br />
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I love Mexican food! Everything about it. But it is not always the most "healthy." Sure fajitas can be done, but what about Nachos? A few months back a friend of mine posted her nachos. She is totally for eating clean and healthy. She is one of my inspirations. I knew that I had copied down her recipe somewhere, but could not find it. So I ended up scouring old Facebook pics of hers. Yes, Monica, I was stalking your page. But it was for a good cause.<br />
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I wanted to make a dinner that would be healthy and fun for the family. A Nacho Bar! Granted the biggest issue was finding nacho chips that would be the best for me. Low sodium and clean. Sure there are great chips out there, but I needed less salt. So I made my own chips. I took clean corn tortillas and made my own. I cut them up into triangle shapes. Granted I did fry some of them, but I did it in organic olive oil. Some of them I baked, and they turned out just as yummy. Instead of salting them, I squeezed lime juice over them.<br />
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Now the no cheese part. There was no way my kids would eat nachos with out cheese. This is where my friend comes in. She rarely eats dairy so she found a recipe for Nacho Cheese, that is not made with cheese at all. Now do not stick your nose up yet, it was actually a success. My cheese obsessed husband actually loved it.<br />
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Our nacho bar had all the fixings. Black beans, salsa, corn, jalapenos, fresh guacamole, and organic sour cream. (just a bit for me) and the no cheese nacho cheese. To make this is quite easy.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2A9p6AU3vdY/UPLeojN09-I/AAAAAAAAAgY/hGaBP_XRxUw/s1600/Nachos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2A9p6AU3vdY/UPLeojN09-I/AAAAAAAAAgY/hGaBP_XRxUw/s640/Nachos.jpg" width="483" /> </a></div>
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Gosh, it was so yummy! If you think you would like to try this, here is the recipe: </div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>No Cheese Nacho Cheese</b></span></u></div>
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1 cup of cashews</div>
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1/2 cup of water</div>
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1/2 cup of red bell pepper</div>
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2 cloves of garlic </div>
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Favorite hot sauce to taste</div>
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Kosher salt, which I did not add gotta watch my salt intake </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions: </span></div>
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In a blender add the cashews and blend to a fine mixture. Add the water and continue to blend. Next add the rest of the ingredients. Continue to blend to a nacho cheese consistency. Voila! Healthy Nacho cheese! </div>
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Note: you may heat this up, but do not over heat, it will get lumpy. </div>
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I doubled the batch, so I can freeze it and use it on snacks. So with the batched doubled it made about 2 1/2 cups or so. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-31533868486186690842013-01-11T09:42:00.002-08:002013-01-11T09:42:22.689-08:00The last few daysI am still here, plugging along. I know it does not sound promising. But it is! I have been doing great considering life has threw me some curves. Sick children. Enough said right?<br />
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Wednesday I had a follow up appointment with my doctor. I happy to report that my echo cardiogram looks fab, my blood work came back pretty good. My insulin/sugars are in perfect range! Wahoo! The Cholesterol is "eh." The total is right over the good area. My LDL is horrible, but the HDL is awesome. Which that is good. She wants me to continue on the Zocor for now, but I am sure eventually I will be completely off of it. I go back to see her April 11, the day before my birthday, so I am even more committed to my goal.<br />
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I am really rocking this clean eating. However, my body is in shock. Seriously, can we say gas, pain and bloating? I could totally do a commercial for a anti-gas product and I would not be acting. I do have a lot more energy just in this short time.<br />
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People have asked me how or what eating clean is? How I started it, how to get the family to do it. Well, here is the thing. I am a all or nothing kind of girl. Sometimes this is a positive in my life, and sometimes it back fires and bites me in my...well you know. For me, I had to just jump in and do it.<br />
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No, this is not Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard. It is mine. I started with removing everything out of my kitchen. Then I read the labels of what was in my food. Following the clean eating standards, which for me is only keep what was as natural as possible. NO Processed, NO chemicals, NO High fructose corn syrup, no junk basically. Drastic? You betcha! And shouldn't it be?<br />
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I am sure there are some that are balking at this. If you are not comfortable in throwing out food, start slow. Make a goal to whittle out the bad stuff. Or, you could always donate it to a food shelter/pantry. To me I feel no one should eat this junk, plus as I said I am a "All or Nothing" girl. I know me, <b>if there is junk in the house, it will be in my mouth.</b> Same goes for my family. If it is in there, they will eat it. Believe me I am getting a little resistance from the kids, but I am fortunate to have children that are not 100% picky. One of their favorite snacks is fresh hummus and veggies. Plus this not like they have not been down this "health" road before.<br />
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I have even heard and used the excuse myself, "Eating better is time consuming." Sure it can be, but with the websites out there and oodles of good recipes, we have it made. I do not go into a grocery store with out a plan of action. This has helped me stay on the straight and narrow and saves a ton of time and money. When it is time to shop, I make a Meal Menu. I usually do two weeks at a time. From that Menu I make the list of items I need to shop for and just follow the list. Bam! you are in and out in no time. My list does include items for lunch, and snacks. Here is what I had for lunch yesterday. Quick, Easy, and yummy!<br />
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I posted it yesterday on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheGoddessITrulyAmInsideIAteHer">Facebook page. </a>As I said it has been a bit hectic with having sick kids at home.<br />
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<b>Daily Reminder:</b><br />
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This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change. I want to be healthy.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-82821082827927126262013-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:002013-01-07T18:36:27.257-08:00Day #1, AGAIN!Yes, again! I was fixing my breakfast this morning and suddenly realized just how many times I have had a "DAY 1." You know that could really make it or break it for me. Stinking thinking crept in and I thought, "why even start? Here you go again, you are just going to fail." Then I realized you know, who cares? I will not know if I do not keep trying. So I decided to have a little laugh at myself, and go on about my day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> DAY ONE:</b></span><br />
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My day started with downing a liter of water right off the bat. Oh, the refreshing taste of water. NOT! Since my body is used to it's first liquid of the day being filled with chemicals and caffeine, I felt like I was going to throw up. I had to immediately fix breakfast and eat. I have noticed that I do better with a lot of protein right away. I fill up faster, and not get all shaky. Thanks wacky pancreas. So my favorite "go to" is eggs. I made 3 egg whites, I sliced up a whole Roma tomato, and had about a Tablespoon of fresh, clean hummus. It was a bit of sparse breakfast, since I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow, but it was delish. My next thing on the agenda, was going to exercise.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Take on Exercise:</span></b><br />
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Oh, exercise! How I loathe thee! You hurt me, you make me feel less, you challenge me in ways that I do not really know if I want to be challenge. However...I know it is good for me, so I will do it. (grumble, grumble)<br />
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Exercise for me has to be fun. I am NOT a "get on the treadmill for an hour" kind of girl. I do better when I mix it up. For example, Circuit training. After my 3rd child, I joined a Curves fitness center. I had a neighbor that went with me. 30 minutes, cardio, resistance, bing, bam, done! I did not lose a lot of weight, but lost about 19 inches. I liked the constant movement. I am positive I have ADD, so keeping it moving and changing is the key for me.<br />
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Right after the holidays, a Planet Fitness opened up. They had an awesome sign up program. It was a $1 to sign up, and it is $10 dollars a month. I have had memberships before, heck, I use to work at a local YMCA, but because I am a "Domestic Engineer" aka House wife, when money is tight, memberships are the first to go! When that happens I bust out my Walking Away the Pounds DVD's they are by far one the best at home work out DVDs. But this membership is one we can handle! I am now a member of Planet Fitness! Wahoo!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrXf2C2fMj0/UOt3dnRnXBI/AAAAAAAAAeA/QzXWtvufYaQ/s1600/Planet+fitness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrXf2C2fMj0/UOt3dnRnXBI/AAAAAAAAAeA/QzXWtvufYaQ/s400/Planet+fitness.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Here is my t-shirt and cool new gym bag! Oh, by the way I did work out today. Just under an hour. A mix up of cardio and weights. Oh, and guess what? This place has a 30 minute circuit work out, just like Curves! Sweet.<br />
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I did pretty well. My problem is once I get the endorphins going, I am like a horse out of the gate, GO, GO, GO! So I have to really watch my pace so I do not end up on the as the latest news story: "WOMAN HAS HEART ATTACK WHILE AT NEW FITNESS CENTER" that would not be good. There was also this resistance machine that I have now dubbed it as a medieval torture device. I cannot think of it's proper name, but it basically makes you use your weight, while pulling in with your upper body, and up with your lower body. It works the abs. At first I just sat there, and then I started laughing. My dear husband says "Are you just going to sit there and take a break?" I look at him and through laughing tell him, " I am doing it!" Yeah, that good. Looks like the "Abs" need a bit more work.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Eating</span></b><br />
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Today as I previously said, I had a pretty good breakfast. Because grocery day is tomorrow, I was not a diligent as I could be. Lunch, I had a six inch Veggie sub on wheat from Subway and a banana. Dinner I did 3 egg beaters Garden veggie <span style="font-size: small;">omelet</span> and fruit from Bob Evans. Normally I would eat 3 meals and 3 healthy snacks to keep my blood sugar from dipping up and down. I may eat the other half of the Veggie sub I have in there since I am a bit hungry at the moment.<br />
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Trying to detox off of Diet Pepsi and cigarettes is hard. I did great in my mind today. I only had about 4 cans of soda. Which is low for me. Even with that low amount, I am having withdrawal. I had to take a nap to get rid of the headache. The smoking today. I normally would be almost through a pack, which is 20 cigarettes. Today I have only had 5. I am sure I will have another one before bed, dang habit. But I am being honest.<br />
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I found a cool little gadget at the store today. It is a Blender Bottle. I have never seen one. So the hubby and I bought two for our protein shakes. It is BPA free too. I am such a sucker when it comes to gadgets, I love the little mixer ball!<br />
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Well that is Day #1 off the list. On ward!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-47517605447771604622013-01-06T12:49:00.001-08:002013-01-06T12:49:35.039-08:00I got the know how!I find it funny that a lot of people cannot believe I am as fat as I am. What do I mean you ask? Well the thing is I have done my homework so to speak. How can you not? The diet industry is alive and kicking. What is so hilarious to me is with all the diets, low fat foods, no trans fat, fat free, medical weight loss procedures, we are still such a fat, obese country. Look at me I am living proof! I admit it, I have rode the diet roller coaster. Let's see, hmmm...<br />
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<li>I have been in Weight Watchers a total of 5 times. Great program, not always in my budget, and I found myself staying with in the points, however, I only lost 12 pounds ever!</li>
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<li>I have tried Atkins, helped with my blood sugar, but I am not a big meat eater, and got bored.</li>
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<li>I have tried South Beach, pretty good, but never was serious. </li>
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<li>I have tried The HcG diet, sure I lost weight anyone would eating 500 calories a day. Plus the hormone made me break out with dark pigment spots on my face. Oh, Hell no!</li>
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<li> Not eating. Does not work by the way.</li>
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Now I am sure many out there have tried more diets then I have. You are more of a go getter then I am. In between my diets, I just didn't care, or had moments of false acceptance telling myself " I am accepting my big girlness!" Yeah, whatever. <br />
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I am a hypocrite too. I am not stupid. I read a ton on health and wellness. Dr. Oz, he is my man! I love herbal remedies and am semi-educated on the use of herbs, essential oils, vitamins and the like. I "get" the human body. My sister teases me and says "every time I come over to your house, you always have good food, why are you so heavy?" or something along that line. Well, probably because I do not eat all the good food. For example today. Oh, and for the record, I start tomorrow.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What I have fed my mouth today:</b></span><br />
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Mornings start with a nice ice filled glass of Diet Pepsi and a cigarette, every day. (Habitual to say the least)<br />
I ate a Totinos frozen pizza about 11:30 with more Diet Pepsi. Diet Pepsi is one of my addictions. I will crave this before I crave food, or a smoke. I kill a twelve pack a day. Gross I know. <br />
I then put about 20 Dove chocolate covered almonds into the mix. Not norm for me, candy and sweets do not come into play until it is time for "EUNICE" to rear her wicked, nasty head. EUNICE is my pet name for that time for the month. <br />
Dinner will be a 3 ounce pork chop, about a cup and half of mashed potatoes, and two cups of green beans. That is it for my day. If I get the munchies, I may eat some popcorn or salsa and chips.<br />
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Yeah, really a healthy way to live don't you think?<br />
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Alright enough of the negative, how about some positive? Let's look at my plan for getting better!<br />
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Back in March, I found on a friend's Facebook page about Clean Eating. Well, I had to check this out. Basically it just means eating as close to natural as possible. No chemicals, no preservatives, no sugar, no processed foods etc. So, I cleaned out my kitchen and started eating most of my food as natural as possible. Ate small meals, fueling my body, rode my bike, walked, I had acupuncture to stop smoking, took vitamins, juiced and guess what? I lost ten pounds and felt awesome. Maybe I was on to something. I think I was. Why did I stop? Simple. I got sick with the flu and coming out of it fell back into old habits. The smoking did stop, but as I was entering my 3 week mark of quitting, my father-in-law passed away, and I smoked from stress thinking I had a handle on it. Oh, Boy. Can't fool me.<br />
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Tomorrow begins the "official" day. I will begin the process of clearing out the crap in my body, and replacing it with health.<br />
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Here are some of the things that inspire me:<br />
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<img alt="http://www.integralnatmed.com/food-matters-the-dvd" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4504691415582970&pid=15.1&H=160&W=107" /><img alt="http://www.funcrunch.com/tosca-reno-6255/" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4584891356743248&pid=15.1&H=160&W=130" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971521691761891195.post-11816266629412321412013-01-06T08:01:00.000-08:002013-01-06T08:01:19.537-08:00Let it begin with me...I am not a doctor, I am not a nurse or any health care professional for that matter. I am not a fitness guru. What I am is 40 years old, knocking on the door of 41. A forty something woman that has ate my way to become a fat, out of shape and most importantly unhealthy woman. A woman who has ate her way from all things that make her a "Goddess", physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You see I believe that if one thing goes, the others will. I have learned how important balance is. Now before I really get into it, I am not looking for sympathy, or someone to tell me "Oh, you are not that fat." What I am doing is becoming accountable to myself. How? Well, by putting it ALL out there. See I figure if I put the good, the bad, and the ugly out there, I will have to do something. Maybe, just maybe, others will be inspired to do the same... <br />
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Let me just tell you that as I write this, my heart is beating out of my
chest, I feel my anxiety growing and all I want to do is hit delete!
This is one of the hardest things I have ever done. It is embarrassing, it is admitting that I am human. Honestly, I just
want to vomit, I am scared. Breathe in, breathe out. O.k, here goes. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>We all have a story, here is mine:</b></u></span><br />
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I am 5 foot and 11 1/2 inches tall. Weight was never an issue with me, until about 14 years ago after the birth of my first child. Up until that point I actually was hassled from friends and family for being "too thin." In my late teens and early 20's I was a part time model. I weighed 135 to 140 during that time. Right before I had my first child I weighed about 185. For the last 14 years I have become obese and unhealthy. I have issues with Insulin Resistance, Depression/Anxiety, high cholesterol, allergies, skin issues, and right before the holidays, found out that I have atrial narrowing of the blood vessels in my eyes, which is indicative of high blood pressure. Genetics do play a part in my health, but I will only give it so much credit. My health is due to MY OWN lifestyle choices, bad food, chemicals and not living clean. <br />
I smoke. Yep, I smoke! EWWWW, go ahead you can say it, I do. I am not proud of this. I loathe smoking, I hate the smell. So why do I do it? I smoked socially for a few years before I had my first child and stopped as soon as I found out that I was pregnant. I never touched it until about 4 years ago, I was dealing with some crappy life stuff and took a puff off of a friend's cigarette and started smoking. That is all that it took. If you do not smoke, don't! It is the most addicting thing and it is killing me. But I am committed to quitting.<br />
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This blog is not about a New Year resolution, it is not about me whining about how bad my life is. It is my way of getting healthy. Do I think I will be a size 8 and weigh 135 pounds and model again? Heck, no! Don't get me wrong, I would love to be that, but today I am a realist. This is not the first time I have entered into the "getting healthy" zone. But it is the first time I being completely honest with myself and others. It is time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could not find a better pic, since I usually delete them or crop them out!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>My Stats:</b></u></span><br />
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<b>Today January 5, 2013: </b></div>
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I am 5 foot 11 and 1/2 inches tall.<br />
I weigh 263 pounds.I wear a size "big girl", no I wear a 24 pant. My waist is 46 inches, and good Lord have mercy! my hips measure 55 inches! Yes I am a walking heart attack. My chest, Hahaha, I joke and say this is the only good thing about being fat, I have a chest now! Under the ever sagging breasts it is 42 inches. <br />
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Well here it is, the beginning of my journey to health. I quote the Nike, and say "JUST DO IT!"<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845245461298349646noreply@blogger.com15