This week has been great getting through "detox" (used loosely) from the holidays. No sugar. No white - bread, pasta, rice, etc. No junk. No beef. Raw slightly cooked veggies. Salmon. Venison. Fruit (a little). Lots and lots of water.
And exercise.
And I already feel so much better! I am totally amazed at how quickly eating great works for me.
One more thing: today my big "why" was solidified for me. I have been thinking a lot lately about NOT putting my kids through caring for me or having to make decisions about my health for me that I can't make. I want to enjoy them and them enjoy me (Lord willing!). So I need to be healthy.
Today I sat in the hospital as my dad had 2 stints put into the front artery of his heart. He has not felt well for a year, but began to be "out of breath" while lying in bed reading. Not good.
So this week he finally went to the doctor. He had cut two loads of wood and could't do very much. He felt it was time to get help.
We were so very thankful that the blockages were in the front where they could stint them. He still has 40% blockage in the artery behind his heart, but they don't do anything until it is 60% blocked.
My mom had 2 stints put in for 3 blockages this past year, as well.
My "family history" doesn't look good, does it?
But I know there is a way to change the direction of my health. I have the knowledge, now I just need to put it into action and be committed to health.
It began this week. It went well. I feel great! Lord, give me strength to continue to make differences in our family lifestyle so that we continue to get healthy. We have made slow changes, but after today, I am strongly encouraged to move a little faster toward the best health possible for me and mine.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wow. Four months away from this blog. It shows in more ways than one. :)
New Year. Time for detox around here. I've informed the kiddos to eat up! All sugar is either trashed or frozen Tuesday morning. We all need a total detox.
So back to raw fruits and veggies, occasional lean meats, lots of greens.
Colorful days.
Not white days.
So today I worked on my menus for this next week.
5 breakfasts
~ Egg sandwich
~ Omelettes
~ Egg/ww toast
~ Tropical Smoothie (from CE)
~ Blueberry Scones (Vacation breakfast)
This is a menu for the kids. I eat eggs and veggies every morning.
5 lunches
~ chicken noodle soup with apples
~ tuna on spinach
~ veggie chili (from CE) with spinach salad
~ stuff peppers (use deer meat) with carrots
~ big veggie salad (spinach)
5 dinners
~ skillet spanish chicken & rice (from CE) with salad
~ Mahi Mahi with roasted veggies/brown rice
~ Southwest meatballs (using deer meat) (from CE)
~ Braised Beef (from CE)
~ Jamaican Jerk Chicken (from CE)
I can't wait to get back to clean eating. I have gained weight, gone off the deep end on sweets and carbs and haven't exercised. I am feeling it physically and not just in weight. Headaches, fatigue, and a 5-week cold!
It is time.
I am ready.
New Year. Time for detox around here. I've informed the kiddos to eat up! All sugar is either trashed or frozen Tuesday morning. We all need a total detox.
So back to raw fruits and veggies, occasional lean meats, lots of greens.
Colorful days.
Not white days.
So today I worked on my menus for this next week.
5 breakfasts
~ Egg sandwich
~ Omelettes
~ Egg/ww toast
~ Tropical Smoothie (from CE)
~ Blueberry Scones (Vacation breakfast)
This is a menu for the kids. I eat eggs and veggies every morning.
5 lunches
~ chicken noodle soup with apples
~ tuna on spinach
~ veggie chili (from CE) with spinach salad
~ stuff peppers (use deer meat) with carrots
~ big veggie salad (spinach)
5 dinners
~ skillet spanish chicken & rice (from CE) with salad
~ Mahi Mahi with roasted veggies/brown rice
~ Southwest meatballs (using deer meat) (from CE)
~ Braised Beef (from CE)
~ Jamaican Jerk Chicken (from CE)
I can't wait to get back to clean eating. I have gained weight, gone off the deep end on sweets and carbs and haven't exercised. I am feeling it physically and not just in weight. Headaches, fatigue, and a 5-week cold!
It is time.
I am ready.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
"If you keep doing what you've been doing, you will keep getting what you've been getting." ~ Dave Ramsey
Wade and I are listening to Ramsey's cds on money management (financial peace, I think) and many of the things he is saying SOOOOO apply to more areas of my life, like food.
Bottom line, I just need to get disciplined in many areas.
One of my other favorite things he says:
"YOU JUST NEED TO GET MAD!!"
Yes, I need to get mad and motivated!
Lord, help me.
Wade and I are listening to Ramsey's cds on money management (financial peace, I think) and many of the things he is saying SOOOOO apply to more areas of my life, like food.
Bottom line, I just need to get disciplined in many areas.
One of my other favorite things he says:
"YOU JUST NEED TO GET MAD!!"
Yes, I need to get mad and motivated!
Lord, help me.
Friday, July 1, 2011
There are have been so many wise choices and "successes" this week. It has been an emotional week for me, but I never -- let me say that again, I NEVER -- went to food for comfort. That has to be a first for me.
I spent more time in the Word and in prayer, but I never went to sugar.....not even chocolate. Thank You, Lord.
Huge victory for me. And it was not a battle. I just never thought about going to food. I just kept busy.
Today I was running errands and started to turn into the new Chick Fil A for lunch because I was so very hungry, but no! I didn't go. I changed the direction of my car and went home. I knew I had to go to the grocery store (and didn't want to go hungry), but I just went knowing that I could eat what I wanted (which was avocados at the moment) when I got home.
Another HUGE victory for me!
I am loving this clean eating. These foods make me feel satisfied without getting full. My cravings have changed. I no longer want chocolate or chips. I think if I started eating them, I would love them again, but I am completely satisfied with what I am eating. It is real food and it has tons of taste.
I am losing weight consistently, but slowly. Everyday I am down about a half a pound. That makes me smile.
We are trying new recipes right and left. I just went to the store and bought mostly meat (mostly seafood) because I will get my fruits and veggies from the farmer's market in the morning.
Love Clean Eating.
Love.
I could do this for a lifetime.
I spent more time in the Word and in prayer, but I never went to sugar.....not even chocolate. Thank You, Lord.
Huge victory for me. And it was not a battle. I just never thought about going to food. I just kept busy.
Today I was running errands and started to turn into the new Chick Fil A for lunch because I was so very hungry, but no! I didn't go. I changed the direction of my car and went home. I knew I had to go to the grocery store (and didn't want to go hungry), but I just went knowing that I could eat what I wanted (which was avocados at the moment) when I got home.
Another HUGE victory for me!
I am loving this clean eating. These foods make me feel satisfied without getting full. My cravings have changed. I no longer want chocolate or chips. I think if I started eating them, I would love them again, but I am completely satisfied with what I am eating. It is real food and it has tons of taste.
I am losing weight consistently, but slowly. Everyday I am down about a half a pound. That makes me smile.
We are trying new recipes right and left. I just went to the store and bought mostly meat (mostly seafood) because I will get my fruits and veggies from the farmer's market in the morning.
Love Clean Eating.
Love.
I could do this for a lifetime.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Guacamole Elk Burgers.....Minus the Bun
Last week we tried bison burgers.
Tonight it was elk burgers.
I seasoned them the very same way: egg, worchestershire sauce, chopped onion, minced garlic, sea salt, ground black pepper and while it was cooking, I sprinkled them with our favorite steak seasoning. It has salt in it so I went easy on the sea salt.
We usually would cook these on the grill, but it was just Wade and I and he was working on his truck, so I just cooked them on the stove.
These burgers were much leaner than the bison. I know that Wade asked for 10% fat to be added to the elk when it was processed, but it was so lean, I had to add a bit more oil to the pan while cooking. Bison wasn't that way.
We enjoy guacamole burgers, but since we are taking it easy on the bread, we just had guacamole and elk burgers. I am no food stylist and my camera is not working well, so this isn't a good picture, but we both wound up putting that guac on our burger and eating it that way.
It tasted good. Texture was a bit different, but we both enjoyed it a lot. We have a freezer full of elk so this will not cost us any money! Guess what? We'll be having elk burgers regularly.
Tonight it was elk burgers.
I seasoned them the very same way: egg, worchestershire sauce, chopped onion, minced garlic, sea salt, ground black pepper and while it was cooking, I sprinkled them with our favorite steak seasoning. It has salt in it so I went easy on the sea salt.
We usually would cook these on the grill, but it was just Wade and I and he was working on his truck, so I just cooked them on the stove.
These burgers were much leaner than the bison. I know that Wade asked for 10% fat to be added to the elk when it was processed, but it was so lean, I had to add a bit more oil to the pan while cooking. Bison wasn't that way.
We enjoy guacamole burgers, but since we are taking it easy on the bread, we just had guacamole and elk burgers. I am no food stylist and my camera is not working well, so this isn't a good picture, but we both wound up putting that guac on our burger and eating it that way.
It tasted good. Texture was a bit different, but we both enjoyed it a lot. We have a freezer full of elk so this will not cost us any money! Guess what? We'll be having elk burgers regularly.
Friday, June 24, 2011
New Clean Eating Recipe
Wade and I are in the middle of trying to revamp our eating lifestyle. I am turning often to my favorite food magazine, Clean Eating.
All of the recipes I have tried so far, we have enjoyed.
Even the kids.
Tonight there were only three of us at home: Me, Wade and Grant. So I had enough ingredients to make "Shrimp and Goat Cheese Quesadillas" out of the March 2011 magazine.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
I only had frozen shrimp on hand, so I thawed and rinsed them, making sure they really were deveined well. Then I gave them a rough chop. You will need to use about 6 oz of shrimp.
Next you will be chopping your ingredients for the mixture that will be placed inside you quesadillas. First you chop about 1/4 cup of green olives.
Then it calls for a 1/2 cup jarred sliced roasted red peppers. I had some fresh red peppers in my crisper drawer that needed to be used up, so I gave them a rough chop, along with some cucumber (which I love), tossed them with olive oil and a little bit of salt then put them in the over to roast while I finished the rest of the mixture. I think you could use a variety of veggies for this.
Next chop some fresh basil, about 1 Tbsp of the yummy herb.
It didn't take long for the veggies to be done in a really hot oven. Don't you just love the look of roasted veggies?
In a large bowl, put together the chopped shrimp, basil, roasted veggies (after you give them a slicing), olives and then crumble in about 4 oz of goat cheese.
Now I will have to tell you that before tonight, I have never had goat cheese. Just the sound of it put me off.
But you can't cook with an ingredient that you don't taste, right? So I took a taste and I learned something new tonight:
I LOVE GOAT CHEESE!
It has such depth of flavor and is really bold.
So mix all of this together well.
Place 4 whole wheat tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a silpat, but you can use parchment paper. Using one fourth of the mixture for each tortilla, spoon the mixture onto half of the tortilla leaving room to fold it over as shown.
Fold the tortillas over. Brush each tortilla with olive oil and then sprinkle with crushed black pepper.
Into the oven they go! But only for 6 minutes. So I had these babies all ready and when Wade walked in the door tonight, I popped then in the oven. They were ready by the time he laid his stuff down, washed his hands and came to the bar to eat! How easy is that?
They looked yummy and crisp on top!
And they tasted yummy, too! Can you see that beautiful color inside?! I love food with color. Makes you want to dig in! And dig in we did.
I will say that the bottoms of these were soft and soggy. When I do these again, and I will, I will think about oiling the bottom of the tortillas or browning them in a skillet in order to get a crispiness on top and bottom of the tortillas.
They also did not have as much "kick" as I anticipated they would, so next time I will increase the spices. I think I will try something "hotter" which is what we prefer. Maybe jalapenos, cayenne pepper, paprika.........
Wade took seconds which is always a sign that he likes them. He gave this a "keeper" status and that means it will go into the recipe box for good with the necessary changes.
Grant ate a small portion. He didn't love it, but he doesn't like shrimp or olives. He did well to eat what he did. Our kids have to taste and try new things, even if it is not their favorite.
Thanks, Clean Eating! Once again you have delivered a quick and easy meal for my family that was healthy and yummy!
All of the recipes I have tried so far, we have enjoyed.
Even the kids.
Tonight there were only three of us at home: Me, Wade and Grant. So I had enough ingredients to make "Shrimp and Goat Cheese Quesadillas" out of the March 2011 magazine.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
I only had frozen shrimp on hand, so I thawed and rinsed them, making sure they really were deveined well. Then I gave them a rough chop. You will need to use about 6 oz of shrimp.
Next you will be chopping your ingredients for the mixture that will be placed inside you quesadillas. First you chop about 1/4 cup of green olives.
Then it calls for a 1/2 cup jarred sliced roasted red peppers. I had some fresh red peppers in my crisper drawer that needed to be used up, so I gave them a rough chop, along with some cucumber (which I love), tossed them with olive oil and a little bit of salt then put them in the over to roast while I finished the rest of the mixture. I think you could use a variety of veggies for this.
Next chop some fresh basil, about 1 Tbsp of the yummy herb.
It didn't take long for the veggies to be done in a really hot oven. Don't you just love the look of roasted veggies?
In a large bowl, put together the chopped shrimp, basil, roasted veggies (after you give them a slicing), olives and then crumble in about 4 oz of goat cheese.
Now I will have to tell you that before tonight, I have never had goat cheese. Just the sound of it put me off.
But you can't cook with an ingredient that you don't taste, right? So I took a taste and I learned something new tonight:
I LOVE GOAT CHEESE!
It has such depth of flavor and is really bold.
So mix all of this together well.
Place 4 whole wheat tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a silpat, but you can use parchment paper. Using one fourth of the mixture for each tortilla, spoon the mixture onto half of the tortilla leaving room to fold it over as shown.
Fold the tortillas over. Brush each tortilla with olive oil and then sprinkle with crushed black pepper.
Into the oven they go! But only for 6 minutes. So I had these babies all ready and when Wade walked in the door tonight, I popped then in the oven. They were ready by the time he laid his stuff down, washed his hands and came to the bar to eat! How easy is that?
They looked yummy and crisp on top!
And they tasted yummy, too! Can you see that beautiful color inside?! I love food with color. Makes you want to dig in! And dig in we did.
I will say that the bottoms of these were soft and soggy. When I do these again, and I will, I will think about oiling the bottom of the tortillas or browning them in a skillet in order to get a crispiness on top and bottom of the tortillas.
They also did not have as much "kick" as I anticipated they would, so next time I will increase the spices. I think I will try something "hotter" which is what we prefer. Maybe jalapenos, cayenne pepper, paprika.........
Wade took seconds which is always a sign that he likes them. He gave this a "keeper" status and that means it will go into the recipe box for good with the necessary changes.
Grant ate a small portion. He didn't love it, but he doesn't like shrimp or olives. He did well to eat what he did. Our kids have to taste and try new things, even if it is not their favorite.
Thanks, Clean Eating! Once again you have delivered a quick and easy meal for my family that was healthy and yummy!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Still sick. Actually worse today. Last night was rough so I went to Dr. Bishop's early this morning to get my motor turned on. She recommended some probiotics, Olsba (?) (instead of Vicks Vapor Rub) and Zinc. She also encouraged me to up the dosages of Bio Fizz. I will do all of the above.
When I went by Whole Foods to get the probiotics, I also picked up some of their Chicken Soup which has cayenne pepper in it to open me up. It is the first thing I have taken in that has stopped the coughing for a while! :) I need more of that yummy stuff! I bought the biggest container of it, but need about 3 more!
This week's eating well has helped, I'm sure, although I can't see it physically, as in my chest cold/sinus trouble being gone. I can see it on the scale. I have lost 3.4 pounds since Monday. Go figure! Why would I ever eat sugar!?
I haven't felt like doing much exercise, but I have done some yoga because it doesn't make me cough.
Praying for all of these supplements to work quickly. I am so weary of coughing. And I want to cook! I have some, but really don't feel like it. And today I am in bed.
Worst day yet.
When I went by Whole Foods to get the probiotics, I also picked up some of their Chicken Soup which has cayenne pepper in it to open me up. It is the first thing I have taken in that has stopped the coughing for a while! :) I need more of that yummy stuff! I bought the biggest container of it, but need about 3 more!
This week's eating well has helped, I'm sure, although I can't see it physically, as in my chest cold/sinus trouble being gone. I can see it on the scale. I have lost 3.4 pounds since Monday. Go figure! Why would I ever eat sugar!?
I haven't felt like doing much exercise, but I have done some yoga because it doesn't make me cough.
Praying for all of these supplements to work quickly. I am so weary of coughing. And I want to cook! I have some, but really don't feel like it. And today I am in bed.
Worst day yet.
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