Sunday morning during fellowship time I poured myself a cup of coffee; bit of cream, no sugar, then I stood at the end of the counter trying to decide who I was going to chit chat with this week. I try to mix it up so I'm not all cliquey.
As I stood there savoring my first sips of coffee, an older gentleman with a cane came by and picked up a cookie. As he was looking over all of the other unhealthy options being offered (hehehe) I half-jokingly said "don't eat too many of those!"
*Now, for a bit of back story, this man knows all about Jeff's cancer diagnosis and how we healed it with God and diet.
Well, he proceeded to tell me that I am a control freak and he didn't know how my husband put up with it! My reply was that, yes, I was in control to a great extent of everything my husband puts into his mouth. I also told him that it was because I love him and want us to be healthy and strong.
This man went on to state that it didn't matter what you ate in your life, that God has numbered your days and has appointed the time that you will pass on.
I couldn't really argue with that last point, but I did reply that cancer had scared us into eating super healthy!
His reply: (at this point I decided to let him string enough rope out to make a noose) "I've had cancer three times! And a heart issue too! And I'm still here! (he is 72) And all that is wrong with me is a bum knee!"
Me: At this point I'm just hoping that somewhere in his subconscious self lights were beginning to flicker on when he said those things. Just hoping. So I just said: "Well then, have a few more cookies, you deserve them!"
Next story
Walking through the grocery store I meet a man I used to work with. He is older than I and he looks terrible. He never did look all that healthy before, but now? Downright awful. He can't hardly walk due to an injury and his face was all red and puffy.
I decided to share with him our story about changing our diet to mostly plant based.
His reply? I eat plant based. All the meat I eat, eats plants. Well, you can't argue with that logic, can ya? So I took that opportunity to point out the package of red hot dogs in his cart. Then Jeff may have said I was a real food critic now. Then I said I would pray for him.
Last post I think I shared a quote: "Are we living too short and dying too long?"
These men are set in their ways and unwilling to change. At this point. There is always hope.
Jeff is proof of that.
They would rather suffer through years of cancer, heart disease, pain and suffering than to accept the responsibility that great health is within reach.
It's the easiest solution to good health. It's the hardest solution to good health.
If God has appointed me a certain amount of years, wouldn't I want to live the bulk of them in good health? YES!!
I share this story in hopes that someone is encouraged.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Monday, November 12, 2018
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Don't follow the dietary script!
I listened to a couple of documentaries this morning. There is a series of five. I can't possibly just sit and watch them so I turned them up loud and listened to them. I kept a notebook nearby to jot down information and such. This is what I found important. It is very random, but very important!
*Avoid what has been changed (food)
starting in about 1985 the majority of wheat consumed has been fiddled with and mutated from the
original wheat that our ancestors ate. Yes, it's different than what we grew up on (I'm 58).
This coincides with the drastic rise in auto immune disorders, diabetes, cancer, obesity, etc....
---seek out alternate grains. there is still wheat being grown organically from original seed stock.
*Avoid ALL food coloring! They are petroleum based and our bodies cannot process correctly.
Better yet, avoid ALL processed foods! If it has an ingredient list, then forget about it!
Quotes:
"Are we living too short and dying too long?"
Are we spending a longer amount of our years overweight, in pain, being sick? I'm thinking we are!
"Leave the food that man made-Eat the food that God made"
Whole Foods!!!
*Fear & Anxiety contribute to poor health and obesity.
fear/anxiety keeps your body in a constant fight or flight mode which slows your metabolism way
down.
*Make relaxation a priority
*Let Go!
*Don't pick up what ain't yours!
this is my mantra lately and it helps!
*Exercise.....walking.....stretching.....yoga......be OUTDOORS!
Seek opportunities for natural movement throughout the day. Don't sit too much.
Think about this question
ARE YOU TRAPPED IN CONFORMITY?
I think a lot of people are. Most people can't give up their bad habits because they don't want to step out and be different. Just do it!
*Avoid what has been changed (food)
starting in about 1985 the majority of wheat consumed has been fiddled with and mutated from the
original wheat that our ancestors ate. Yes, it's different than what we grew up on (I'm 58).
This coincides with the drastic rise in auto immune disorders, diabetes, cancer, obesity, etc....
---seek out alternate grains. there is still wheat being grown organically from original seed stock.
*Avoid ALL food coloring! They are petroleum based and our bodies cannot process correctly.
Better yet, avoid ALL processed foods! If it has an ingredient list, then forget about it!
Quotes:
"Are we living too short and dying too long?"
Are we spending a longer amount of our years overweight, in pain, being sick? I'm thinking we are!
"Leave the food that man made-Eat the food that God made"
Whole Foods!!!
*Fear & Anxiety contribute to poor health and obesity.
fear/anxiety keeps your body in a constant fight or flight mode which slows your metabolism way
down.
*Make relaxation a priority
*Let Go!
*Don't pick up what ain't yours!
this is my mantra lately and it helps!
*Exercise.....walking.....stretching.....yoga......be OUTDOORS!
Seek opportunities for natural movement throughout the day. Don't sit too much.
Think about this question
ARE YOU TRAPPED IN CONFORMITY?
I think a lot of people are. Most people can't give up their bad habits because they don't want to step out and be different. Just do it!
Monday, July 9, 2018
Cook your Oats!
Before we began this plant based way of eating, our breakfasts were typical of most Americans. I say Americans because that is all I know. I have no clue what people eat for breakfast anywhere else in the world.
My husband ate 4 eggs and a few slices of bacon every other morning. On the alternating mornings he ate granola (homemade) with yogurt (store bought sugar laden)
I ate whatever I was drawn to. I always thought I was eating healthy. I would sometimes have yogurt (homemade using raw milk, unsweetened) and granola (homemade)
Or I would have a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. Bread was usually always a part of my breakfast. I would occasionally eat eggs.
Sometimes, but rarely we would buy a box of cereal. Whole milk for the husband, and nut milk for me.
Breakfast is now our opportunity to get a dosing of the super nutrition available to us in oats. We eat oatmeal almost every morning. If we don't eat oatmeal it's because we are doing a juice fast--that is another topic in the future.
When we have made oatmeal in the past we have just put water in it and shoved it into the microwave for two minutes. At some point I learned to make a much yummier and satisfying bowl of oatmeal. This is how I do it:
I use 1 cup of water -you may use milk or nut milk, or a combination as long as it is at least 1 cup.
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 Tablespoon chia seeds--I alternated every other day with ground flaxseed
**if you like raisins, add a 1/4 cup to the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients
If we want to have banana or berries, we usually add them to our bowl after the cooking is done.
Place in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 4 minutes. When done simmering, remove from the heat and put the lid on. Now wait 10 minutes at least. The oats will continue to soften and puff up as will the chia seeds.
Transfer your oatmeal to a bowl. At this point I add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the top of the oatmeal. This is optional. It adds a little bit of good fat to your meal and helps the cinnamon get yummy creamy! I don't always do it for myself, but I do it on my husbands because some of his supplements require a fat to be eaten.
Drizzle maple syrup over the top. I usually measure so I make sure it is no more than 1 teaspoon.
Making the oatmeal this way has made it into a much more satisfying breakfast. We use mostly organic products and they are all readily available at the grocery or big box stores. The best place to buy organic old fashioned oats is at a health food store (such as whole foods) that sells in bulk bins. The organic chia and organic maple syrup I buy at Samsclub.
Breakfast is a very good place to start when you are trying to change habits. I would suggest starting there and making eating a healthy, low sugar, high fiber breakfast a regular habit.
My husband ate 4 eggs and a few slices of bacon every other morning. On the alternating mornings he ate granola (homemade) with yogurt (store bought sugar laden)
I ate whatever I was drawn to. I always thought I was eating healthy. I would sometimes have yogurt (homemade using raw milk, unsweetened) and granola (homemade)
Or I would have a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. Bread was usually always a part of my breakfast. I would occasionally eat eggs.
Sometimes, but rarely we would buy a box of cereal. Whole milk for the husband, and nut milk for me.
Breakfast is now our opportunity to get a dosing of the super nutrition available to us in oats. We eat oatmeal almost every morning. If we don't eat oatmeal it's because we are doing a juice fast--that is another topic in the future.
When we have made oatmeal in the past we have just put water in it and shoved it into the microwave for two minutes. At some point I learned to make a much yummier and satisfying bowl of oatmeal. This is how I do it:
I use 1 cup of water -you may use milk or nut milk, or a combination as long as it is at least 1 cup.
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 Tablespoon chia seeds--I alternated every other day with ground flaxseed
**if you like raisins, add a 1/4 cup to the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients
If we want to have banana or berries, we usually add them to our bowl after the cooking is done.
Place in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 4 minutes. When done simmering, remove from the heat and put the lid on. Now wait 10 minutes at least. The oats will continue to soften and puff up as will the chia seeds.
Transfer your oatmeal to a bowl. At this point I add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the top of the oatmeal. This is optional. It adds a little bit of good fat to your meal and helps the cinnamon get yummy creamy! I don't always do it for myself, but I do it on my husbands because some of his supplements require a fat to be eaten.
Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. As much or as little as you like. No cinnamon/sugar--just cinnamon! The bowl on the far right above has the fat--see how the cinnamon melts into it?
Drizzle maple syrup over the top. I usually measure so I make sure it is no more than 1 teaspoon.
Making the oatmeal this way has made it into a much more satisfying breakfast. We use mostly organic products and they are all readily available at the grocery or big box stores. The best place to buy organic old fashioned oats is at a health food store (such as whole foods) that sells in bulk bins. The organic chia and organic maple syrup I buy at Samsclub.
Breakfast is a very good place to start when you are trying to change habits. I would suggest starting there and making eating a healthy, low sugar, high fiber breakfast a regular habit.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Just eat what is good for you!
Something I didn't know about before this food journey was that foods fall into different levels of ph. They are either alkaline forming or acid forming in your body. This is what I read. As a gardener I knew that different plants like different soil ph's. I knew that some foods were acidic. I had never seen a chart like this one before.
*if this chart is hard to read just google alkaline foods and tons will show up!
This chart helped us a lot.
I also read some things that said blah, blah, blah, you can't change your body's ph, just eat what you want. Please do not take me as any kind of authority on scientific anything. I just know common sense. And since we were in a scary place of not making any excuses for our bad habits, we were willing to heed the advice of this chart.
The foods on the alkaline level of the chart, that are above neutral ph, are so obviously the most healthy things to eat. The foods that are below neutral ph are less healthy for you. This is just common sense, right?
Here is what we read:
Eating too much from the acid forming side of the ph scale will cause your body to be out of balance. It creates an environment of inflammation. Inflammation in our bodies is responsible for cancers and autoimmune disorders.
Trying to keep your food choices to the alkaline end of the chart and consume the acid forming more sparingly will help keep your bodies flora in balance and keep the inflammation down. This will help your body fight disease. Yes!!!
We try to eat alkaline forming foods in large amounts, neutral foods in moderate amounts, and acid forming foods in sparse amounts. It makes sense, right? It did to us!!!
Even if you threw out the words alkaline and acid and all of the numbers on the chart, it still makes total sense! You will only improve your health by eating foods that are at the top of the chart.
So buy lots of leafy greens and start eating healthy!
Monday, July 2, 2018
Just the Basics
In today's post I will try to give just a basic outline of what is in and what is out in each category of food.
Meats
*We eat some kind of meat product only about once a week on average. Honestly, when I think about it, it could be even less. The desire for it is no longer there.
Organic, grass fed when we do eat it.
*NO PORK Products. Yep. No bacon, no sausage, no chops, no ribs, no nothing!
**eventually unprocessed pork may be ok if it is pasture raised & organic, but it will be a seldom occurrence.
*Organic chicken is ok.
*We eat eggs from our chickens. They are organic eggs. We limit it to 3 each a week. We prefer to have them as our dinner in a fritatta or with hash brown potatoes.
*Fish is okay no more than twice a week. We don't eat it that often. Maybe once or twice a month. It must be deep water fish (fish that have scales and fins) Tuna is okay.
*Beef has been off limits to us also. Red meat and pork are not healthy. That being said if you eat organic, grass fed beef in limited amounts it will be okay. Just not a steady diet of it.
Dairy
Ugh. This was my addiction. I love me some cheese.
*We now keep only two types of cheese in the fridge.
Parmesan (the real stuff, I haven't found an organic one I want to spend $$$$ on yet, so it is not organic)
Cheddar organic
these are both condiments and used sparingly. No more cheesy casseroles!
*Milk. We no longer support the dairy farmers by buying a gallon of milk each week. We buy organic 1/2 & 1/2 for our tea/coffee. For all other milk uses we have substituted almond, cashew, or coconut milk. They are great in cereals and smoothies and just about any other milk use.
*We still use butter, but it is organic and expensive, so it is also used sparingly for that reason. But we do love to have some bread and butter occasionally!
*No yogurt!!! We were yogurt fanatics. Yogurt every day. Nope.
*Sour cream & cottage cheese--we still buy cottage cheese and sour cream but both organic and they are used about once a week at best.
*No ice cream! We make "nice" cream on a regular basis so we don't miss it. (I will make a post about the nice cream soon. Or just ask me ;)
Fats
We use organic butter, organic virgin coconut oil, and organic extra virgin olive oil. We try not to overdo it on the fats, but your brain needs fats!
NO CANOLA OR VEGETABLE OIL!
Grains
*Breads: We only buy good bread from the farmers market or the health food store (they sell bread from local bakers) Even the grocery store bakery department sells good bread from local bakers.
Mostly I buy sourdough. We have tried Ezekial bread, but we don't like it so much. We don't eat bread every day! I keep it sliced in the freezer and try not to have bread more than twice a week.
*Oats are our most eaten grain. Organic Old Fashioned Oats. Every morning.
*We eat barley, quinoa, brown rice -- all organic. and wild rice. We eat them as sides and we eat them mixed into salads. Rice in a veggie salad is awesome!
Sugar
NO REFINED SUGAR! We use raw honey (local if we can get it) and organic maple syrup. We use it sparingly. I no longer bake like I did, but I have been trying my hand at reworking some things to fit a healthier diet. I also keep liquid Stevia on hand for random times I may want to use it. My favorite is the stevia flavored water drops. I find them in the health food store.
Processed Foods
NONE. We eat as close to the whole food as we can. We try to minimally process anything. We eat a lot of Raw vegetable meals. Nothing goes into the microwave. Nothing comes from a package.
Legumes
These are our friend. We try to eat one cup each per day. We eat them on salads. Yum....... all kinds........We make soups......yumm.......
Lentils, black beans, chickpeas----hummus!!!! we eat a lot of hummus
We eat peanut butter and almond butter
Vegetables
We start with the dark leafy greens and add from there. The basis to every salad is romaine lettuce, chard, collard, kale, spinach. EVERY DAY. Most days twice a day.
We then go with the cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc........
into the salads or stir frys go onions, garlic, bok choy. Anything that is leafy and green.
You can't go wrong with vegetables. The average american salad of ice berg, tomato, and cucs is not eaten in this house.
We sometimes go for color!
CARROTS--I can't say enough about carrots. We buy 25 lbs a week.
We eat white potatoes and sweet potatoes--organic, about once a week
*obviously all the vegetables are organic.
Fruits
We stick with bananas and berries. I sometimes buy kiwis. All berries. Fresh, frozen, organic. every day.
Nuts and Seeds
We eat almonds, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed.
We also eat chia seed and flax seed and hemp hearts
Condiments
We don't use too many condiments. Salad dressing is either just olive oil with seasoning, or a store bought low sugar organic one. ketchup and bbq sauce are gone. If I want some I make it with organic canned sauce/paste/honey/seasonings. Mayo is gone. If I want some I make it with organic oil and an organic egg. obviously these don't keep well, so I only make enough to use at the moment.
We use sea salt. Either Himalayan or Celtic. MINERALS!
We read labels and try to keep the sugars low. They can be high in condiments
Beverages
NO ALCOHOL! ugh
WATER, WATER, WATER
Coffee--organic--two cups a week
Red (rooibos) and Green tea every morning
We drink smoothies a few times a week in the evenings.
Obviously I can't address every anomaly in our diet. This is a start. From here I will try to share a different idea each day from a different meal. That way I can rotate through meal ideas and talk more in depth about them.
Also I want to say that if this seems daunting--baby steps. One change at a time until it becomes a habit. That is the way to go!
Meats
*We eat some kind of meat product only about once a week on average. Honestly, when I think about it, it could be even less. The desire for it is no longer there.
Organic, grass fed when we do eat it.
*NO PORK Products. Yep. No bacon, no sausage, no chops, no ribs, no nothing!
**eventually unprocessed pork may be ok if it is pasture raised & organic, but it will be a seldom occurrence.
*Organic chicken is ok.
*We eat eggs from our chickens. They are organic eggs. We limit it to 3 each a week. We prefer to have them as our dinner in a fritatta or with hash brown potatoes.
*Fish is okay no more than twice a week. We don't eat it that often. Maybe once or twice a month. It must be deep water fish (fish that have scales and fins) Tuna is okay.
*Beef has been off limits to us also. Red meat and pork are not healthy. That being said if you eat organic, grass fed beef in limited amounts it will be okay. Just not a steady diet of it.
Dairy
Ugh. This was my addiction. I love me some cheese.
*We now keep only two types of cheese in the fridge.
Parmesan (the real stuff, I haven't found an organic one I want to spend $$$$ on yet, so it is not organic)
Cheddar organic
these are both condiments and used sparingly. No more cheesy casseroles!
*Milk. We no longer support the dairy farmers by buying a gallon of milk each week. We buy organic 1/2 & 1/2 for our tea/coffee. For all other milk uses we have substituted almond, cashew, or coconut milk. They are great in cereals and smoothies and just about any other milk use.
*We still use butter, but it is organic and expensive, so it is also used sparingly for that reason. But we do love to have some bread and butter occasionally!
*No yogurt!!! We were yogurt fanatics. Yogurt every day. Nope.
*Sour cream & cottage cheese--we still buy cottage cheese and sour cream but both organic and they are used about once a week at best.
*No ice cream! We make "nice" cream on a regular basis so we don't miss it. (I will make a post about the nice cream soon. Or just ask me ;)
Fats
We use organic butter, organic virgin coconut oil, and organic extra virgin olive oil. We try not to overdo it on the fats, but your brain needs fats!
NO CANOLA OR VEGETABLE OIL!
Grains
*Breads: We only buy good bread from the farmers market or the health food store (they sell bread from local bakers) Even the grocery store bakery department sells good bread from local bakers.
Mostly I buy sourdough. We have tried Ezekial bread, but we don't like it so much. We don't eat bread every day! I keep it sliced in the freezer and try not to have bread more than twice a week.
*Oats are our most eaten grain. Organic Old Fashioned Oats. Every morning.
*We eat barley, quinoa, brown rice -- all organic. and wild rice. We eat them as sides and we eat them mixed into salads. Rice in a veggie salad is awesome!
Sugar
NO REFINED SUGAR! We use raw honey (local if we can get it) and organic maple syrup. We use it sparingly. I no longer bake like I did, but I have been trying my hand at reworking some things to fit a healthier diet. I also keep liquid Stevia on hand for random times I may want to use it. My favorite is the stevia flavored water drops. I find them in the health food store.
Processed Foods
NONE. We eat as close to the whole food as we can. We try to minimally process anything. We eat a lot of Raw vegetable meals. Nothing goes into the microwave. Nothing comes from a package.
Legumes
These are our friend. We try to eat one cup each per day. We eat them on salads. Yum....... all kinds........We make soups......yumm.......
Lentils, black beans, chickpeas----hummus!!!! we eat a lot of hummus
We eat peanut butter and almond butter
Vegetables
We start with the dark leafy greens and add from there. The basis to every salad is romaine lettuce, chard, collard, kale, spinach. EVERY DAY. Most days twice a day.
We then go with the cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc........
into the salads or stir frys go onions, garlic, bok choy. Anything that is leafy and green.
You can't go wrong with vegetables. The average american salad of ice berg, tomato, and cucs is not eaten in this house.
We sometimes go for color!
CARROTS--I can't say enough about carrots. We buy 25 lbs a week.
We eat white potatoes and sweet potatoes--organic, about once a week
*obviously all the vegetables are organic.
Fruits
We stick with bananas and berries. I sometimes buy kiwis. All berries. Fresh, frozen, organic. every day.
Nuts and Seeds
We eat almonds, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed.
We also eat chia seed and flax seed and hemp hearts
Condiments
We don't use too many condiments. Salad dressing is either just olive oil with seasoning, or a store bought low sugar organic one. ketchup and bbq sauce are gone. If I want some I make it with organic canned sauce/paste/honey/seasonings. Mayo is gone. If I want some I make it with organic oil and an organic egg. obviously these don't keep well, so I only make enough to use at the moment.
We use sea salt. Either Himalayan or Celtic. MINERALS!
We read labels and try to keep the sugars low. They can be high in condiments
Beverages
NO ALCOHOL! ugh
WATER, WATER, WATER
Coffee--organic--two cups a week
Red (rooibos) and Green tea every morning
We drink smoothies a few times a week in the evenings.
Obviously I can't address every anomaly in our diet. This is a start. From here I will try to share a different idea each day from a different meal. That way I can rotate through meal ideas and talk more in depth about them.
Also I want to say that if this seems daunting--baby steps. One change at a time until it becomes a habit. That is the way to go!
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Whats going on?
Here is what is going on around these parts these days.....
Home: I love it here! I could stay here and never leave...unless I was going to get a grand boy or girl!
I worked on reorganizing the really big bookshelf in my craft room. Jeff just built me an even bigger one this week! It's going in the dining room. I need more space to store books and toys I don't want the kids to have free reign with. So I will be off loading my old bookshelf and organizing the new one as soon as he gets it in and anchored to the wall.
Cooking: I'm trying to get back into making a menu, then shopping, then actually sticking with the plan!
So far in the last couple of weeks i have made a pumpkin pie and a dutch apple pie. Both are totally gone! The next pies I make will go into the freezer that is for sure. I also made pumpkin butter in the crock pot and it came out really good. I used pumpkin flesh that I had cooked last year, scooped out and stuck in the freezer. I just took it out and let it drain really well and then pureed it in the food processor.
Garden: I've slowly been pulling up spent plants and feeding them to the chickens. This way the beds will gradually get cleaned out over the next few weeks. The sun is moving much lower across the sky and my garden is half in the shade now. I am going to build some new beds next year in other areas around the yard to take advantage of sunnier spots and the plan is to concentrate on a couple beds being veggies that can grow in the shade! I cut all of my basil yesterday and its all ready for me to make pesto later on today.
I am now getting 2 eggs daily. I'm hoping the other 7 start laying soon and continue through the winter months. I'm already keeping a light on in the coop to make sure they get about 14 hours of light.
Work: Well! I gave my notice at my job and my last day will be the 14th of October. I will only be working 1 day a week for the next couple of weeks, so essentially, I'm done. It is sad, but also a big relief. Things went downhill in the last few months and got to the point that they couldn't be fixed. So the plan is for me to take off the next six months and then look for something else. All I'm going to want is 1 day a week. I'm thinking a craft store???
Family: Everyone was over yesterday for lunch and haircuts. Jeff is the barber of the family. He did 7 haircuts yesterday. He had a couple whiners and one all out crier. But he got the job done!
Health: I'm trying to walk again. I have Achilles tendinitis and it is a nuisance! I'm remembering to stretch before walking and to ice after. I'm sticking to 30 minutes or less and it's mostly on the treadmill. I've put notes up on the fridge to remind me to take my supplements:
I started taking cod liver oil + vitamin d in addition to a B-complex, and turmeric (golden paste)
The B-complex gives me more energy and the turmeric helps with my aches and pains (and mood too, I think) The cod liver oil is supposed to help with lots of things, primarily immune. We shall see.
Until next time!
Home: I love it here! I could stay here and never leave...unless I was going to get a grand boy or girl!
I worked on reorganizing the really big bookshelf in my craft room. Jeff just built me an even bigger one this week! It's going in the dining room. I need more space to store books and toys I don't want the kids to have free reign with. So I will be off loading my old bookshelf and organizing the new one as soon as he gets it in and anchored to the wall.
Cooking: I'm trying to get back into making a menu, then shopping, then actually sticking with the plan!
So far in the last couple of weeks i have made a pumpkin pie and a dutch apple pie. Both are totally gone! The next pies I make will go into the freezer that is for sure. I also made pumpkin butter in the crock pot and it came out really good. I used pumpkin flesh that I had cooked last year, scooped out and stuck in the freezer. I just took it out and let it drain really well and then pureed it in the food processor.
Garden: I've slowly been pulling up spent plants and feeding them to the chickens. This way the beds will gradually get cleaned out over the next few weeks. The sun is moving much lower across the sky and my garden is half in the shade now. I am going to build some new beds next year in other areas around the yard to take advantage of sunnier spots and the plan is to concentrate on a couple beds being veggies that can grow in the shade! I cut all of my basil yesterday and its all ready for me to make pesto later on today.
I am now getting 2 eggs daily. I'm hoping the other 7 start laying soon and continue through the winter months. I'm already keeping a light on in the coop to make sure they get about 14 hours of light.
Work: Well! I gave my notice at my job and my last day will be the 14th of October. I will only be working 1 day a week for the next couple of weeks, so essentially, I'm done. It is sad, but also a big relief. Things went downhill in the last few months and got to the point that they couldn't be fixed. So the plan is for me to take off the next six months and then look for something else. All I'm going to want is 1 day a week. I'm thinking a craft store???
Family: Everyone was over yesterday for lunch and haircuts. Jeff is the barber of the family. He did 7 haircuts yesterday. He had a couple whiners and one all out crier. But he got the job done!
Health: I'm trying to walk again. I have Achilles tendinitis and it is a nuisance! I'm remembering to stretch before walking and to ice after. I'm sticking to 30 minutes or less and it's mostly on the treadmill. I've put notes up on the fridge to remind me to take my supplements:
I started taking cod liver oil + vitamin d in addition to a B-complex, and turmeric (golden paste)
The B-complex gives me more energy and the turmeric helps with my aches and pains (and mood too, I think) The cod liver oil is supposed to help with lots of things, primarily immune. We shall see.
Until next time!
Monday, March 14, 2016
a full life
i didn't update last monday because i ate A LOT of good stuff on sunday. the kids cooked food and made an awesome coconut cake for my birthday.
however on wednesday i jumped on the scale and found that i had lost 6 pounds. 6 pounds in 6 weeks. not too shabby.
i have no trouble sticking with the goal of keeping breakfast to 300 calories. the exercising goal i've been doing well with also. the eating after 7 pm i only struggle with on the two days i work because my schedule is 9-7 and i want a snack when i get home. keeping snacks for the day to 300 is also a challenge. as these were my four goals i am going to just keep working at them until they just come naturally and i don't HAVE to think about them.
we went away this weekend and also ate good food and probably a little too much, but i really tried to eat less than i normally would have. however, i'm not weighing myself today and i'm going to try to not weigh until next monday.
the magic numbers that i have figured out by using the sparkpeople site, are to keep my calories eaten at about 1600 or less and my calories burned by exercise at about 400. that gives me the perfect number of 1200 which should allow me to lose at least 2 lbs a week. however that is only if i don't eat too many calories later in the day.
i'm not going to make any new goals for this week.
however on wednesday i jumped on the scale and found that i had lost 6 pounds. 6 pounds in 6 weeks. not too shabby.
i have no trouble sticking with the goal of keeping breakfast to 300 calories. the exercising goal i've been doing well with also. the eating after 7 pm i only struggle with on the two days i work because my schedule is 9-7 and i want a snack when i get home. keeping snacks for the day to 300 is also a challenge. as these were my four goals i am going to just keep working at them until they just come naturally and i don't HAVE to think about them.
we went away this weekend and also ate good food and probably a little too much, but i really tried to eat less than i normally would have. however, i'm not weighing myself today and i'm going to try to not weigh until next monday.
the magic numbers that i have figured out by using the sparkpeople site, are to keep my calories eaten at about 1600 or less and my calories burned by exercise at about 400. that gives me the perfect number of 1200 which should allow me to lose at least 2 lbs a week. however that is only if i don't eat too many calories later in the day.
i'm not going to make any new goals for this week.
Monday, February 29, 2016
setting small goals
i started tracking my eating on www.sparkpeople.com about 4 weeks ago. at first i just tracked and didn't try really hard to cut back. i also purposed to exercise a bit more since i had gotten a little lazy over the winter.
after two weeks my weight was the same. and i was still logging on and keeping track of my food. thats an achievement!!
so on the third week i decided to start setting little goals. on week three i set 2 goals.
1. keep my breakfast calories at 300
2. up my walking time to 50 minutes 5 times a week.
the results are in: i lost 2 lbs this past week---great!!!!
so for week four i added another goal: the keep my snack calories at 300. this is going to be a tough one. i am an evening snacker!!!! so i added something else to this goal: i have to be DONE eating by 7 pm. so it looks like i should be going to bed earlier.
setting small goals and trying to get them to become habit is my purpose. i probably will stick with these goals without making more for a few weeks.
so to summarize
breakfast 300 calories
snacks 300 calories total
walk 50 min. 5x week
no food after 7 pm.
i have been taking the turmeric golden paste for a week now instead of ibuprofen (for sciatica and all around aches and pains)
my observations: while i'm not pain free, i am also not 25 years old. so some aches and pains are normal and to be expected. however i really do feel like it has helped with the sciatica pain in my leg. the burning pain when i walk is gone! i have also noticed that i'm in a better mood. this could just be from the eating right and exercising, but the turmeric is supposed to be helpful in that respect also.
soooo, i'm going to continue to take it.
there is one more kind of weird thing that i have also decided to do. i have decided to not get my haircut until i reach my goal weight. its a control issue with me.
after two weeks my weight was the same. and i was still logging on and keeping track of my food. thats an achievement!!
so on the third week i decided to start setting little goals. on week three i set 2 goals.
1. keep my breakfast calories at 300
2. up my walking time to 50 minutes 5 times a week.
the results are in: i lost 2 lbs this past week---great!!!!
so for week four i added another goal: the keep my snack calories at 300. this is going to be a tough one. i am an evening snacker!!!! so i added something else to this goal: i have to be DONE eating by 7 pm. so it looks like i should be going to bed earlier.
setting small goals and trying to get them to become habit is my purpose. i probably will stick with these goals without making more for a few weeks.
so to summarize
breakfast 300 calories
snacks 300 calories total
walk 50 min. 5x week
no food after 7 pm.
i have been taking the turmeric golden paste for a week now instead of ibuprofen (for sciatica and all around aches and pains)
my observations: while i'm not pain free, i am also not 25 years old. so some aches and pains are normal and to be expected. however i really do feel like it has helped with the sciatica pain in my leg. the burning pain when i walk is gone! i have also noticed that i'm in a better mood. this could just be from the eating right and exercising, but the turmeric is supposed to be helpful in that respect also.
soooo, i'm going to continue to take it.
there is one more kind of weird thing that i have also decided to do. i have decided to not get my haircut until i reach my goal weight. its a control issue with me.
me and my turmeric golden paste!!!
until next time....................
Monday, February 22, 2016
i am such a slacker when it comes to this blog. i just can't decide what it should be.
hmmmmmm
so i am going to make it a health improvement blog.
at least for the moment.
heehee
i'm fat.
there. i said it.
i've always been fit. yeah.....fat and fit.......
but then.......
i got older. bleh.
almost 56. can you believe it? i don't look a day over 55!!!
hmmmmmm
so i am going to make it a health improvement blog.
at least for the moment.
heehee
i'm fat.
there. i said it.
i've always been fit. yeah.....fat and fit.......
but then.......
i got older. bleh.
almost 56. can you believe it? i don't look a day over 55!!!
i can't ignore it anymore.
i'm fat. its okay though.........i've got a plan
i'm gonna eat less and i'm going to walk more. sounds simple enough! i think i can do this!!!!
first i have to be honest. in public........
i'm 56, 5'8" and my weight this morning was 249. last time i had a checkup (4 years ago--i go every 5 years unless something comes up)
anyway, last full physical had all numbers still in the "okay" range. who knows if they still are. i sure don't want to know :)
in the last 5 or so years i've developed some sciatica pain. i know its because i'm weighing down my body. its purely compression. therefore i do believe that being lighter would be helpful all around.
so.............i'm going to try to blog about this journey. as a way of being accountable. i started an account on sparkpeople.com. its kinda like myfitnesspal. it helps you log your calories and exercise.
and in the last couple of weeks i've come to realize that i am deficient in the protein category. this is important because its the protein that makes you feel less hungry.
so i will try to blog often about my struggles and successes and maybe i can be helpful to someone else.
i also started a trial of taking golden paste made of turmeric for my aches and pains. i'm in day 2. so far it hasn't killed me. :) i want to find an alternative to ibuprofen and this is touted as one.
i will keep you informed. wish me luck!!!!
oh! and the most important reason of all for me doing this!!! i'm holding one of them in the picture above (sophie 2 weeks old today and my first granddaughter) . my grandchildren. they call me bubby. and i want to be able to go on bear hunts (pretend) for a long, long, time with them.
my boys
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