I slid down the slippery slope and I'm trying to climb back up again

Last summer when I created all my blogs I also became increasingly with work at home and the children's organization at church. Since then I haven't checked in much at all, haven't had time to say anything worthwhile, and now I have to confess: I haven't been eating like I know I should.

At the end of December, a dear friend of mine challenged me to set some goals. Her instructions were to sit down for 20 minutes and write 101 goals without doing a lot of thinking... just write whatever came to mind. I did it and I have organized them so that I can work on them daily, weekly and monthly and add to them as I accomplish things along the way. It's going slow, but in my efforts to make everything in my life better, I need to be healthier. Thus, my return to the blogs... especially this one. It's a good check-in place for me, and if anyone out there is listening in, you can help keep me accountable! Ask me questions... make suggestions! Threaten me with cameras!

How about my goal for the rest of this week: No processed sugar. I will stick to fruit for my sweets. Hopefully that's not too big a mountain to conquer!

On the road to better health

Here's a plan that could propel me forward:

Exercise to fight snacking and to reduce stress. Sleep earlier and longer. Eat only nutrient dense foods and drink water.

Cutting out the midnight snacking is helping. I made up my mind a few months ago that if I had to eat something, it would be a simple piece of fruit. Most nights I don't snack at all, and since I'm eating less, my body doesn't have to expend so much energy digesting while I'm sleeping. It can do the work of rebuilding and repairing as well as removing toxins more effectively.

I am the ultimate night owl. I have been sleep deprived for many years. I just get things done late at night and enjoy my sanity time while children are asleep. I have a feeling that I am paying a dear price for living so many years on 4 hours of sleep a night. In addition, I read that when we don't sleep enough or don't sleep during the night time hours when our bodies are programmed to sleep, we tend to retain weight. There's been a lot of talk about cortisol and such things. I only know that the simple combination of more rest and less snacking has to be a winner!

I read this and copied it, but missed getting the source... so I'm sorry I can't give credit. It just reinforces so many things that I need to do:

"New studies show that exercise is your best ally in the fight against snacking. It’s simple, regular physical activity reduces stress; by reducing stress, you reduce cravings."

So, more activity for me should help to generate a positive cycle in my daily living. Exercise, less snacking, nutrient dense meals, more rest, exercise, less snacking, nutrient dense meals, more rest... I'll see if I can get this going and keep it up!!

December was 153 pounds, July is a steady 139 pounds so far. I'll keep you posted!

What positive cycle would you like to create in your day?

Words of Wisdom for July

I am really excited to receive the Ensign this month. (That's the magazine published by my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) There is an article titled: "Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom". Read it and tell me what you think! This article is available online at www.lds.org if you follow the prompts to go to Gospel Library, Magazines, Search Ensign, and then enter the article title: Cancer, Nutrition and the Word of Wisdom. (Sorry, I am unable to post a direct link to the article.)

And if you're interested, the entire text of the Word of Wisdom is in a book of scripture entitled "The Doctrine and Covenants". If you like, you can click here to read it.

In kindergarten I learned:

You Are What You Eat.

(I love it when David Wolfe says that at the end of the FoodMatters video trailer. Did you see that?)

The way I've learned it during my grown up years:

What we eat when we are young can determine to a great extent what health we enjoy as we age. Habits are very powerful. Change is possible. Knowledge is essential.

The building blocks you give your body are the only things available to your body systems and cells to do the work of building and repair. If you eat junk and fat, your body will eventually become junk and fat. Disease will be more likely to occur. If you give your body the living, whole foods of the earth, then your body will become more alive and whole. Healing will take place and rebuilding and repair will be more complete and precise. (I have read a number of times that our bodies replace themselves almost totally over a seven year period... what a great opportunity for renewal! I have to learn more detail about this process. How do the scientists tell that this is actually taking place?)

Every person must take responsibility for what he or she chooses to eat and must be willing to accept the consequences of what happens when a particular eating style is followed. Personally, I prefer positive consequences!

The consequences of eating a diet heavy in animal products creates an environment where the body has to do additional work to remove toxins, etc. This environment welcomes disease.

Eating a vegetable based diet allows our bodies to freely build and repair. Effort is not expended removing toxic substances once our systems have been cleared of them and we are enjoying a variety of raw and cooked vegetables. If a person has eaten an unhealthy diet over an extended period of time, changing the diet can lead to healing and health. And while change can be difficult, it is very possible! Knowledge is the key.

Changes I have made:

1. Very little dairy since February 2008. Actually it has consisted of about 6 ounces of milk, 3 servings of ice cream, probably 5 ounces of cheese, and a couple of bites of yogurt in a 6 month period. I would say that's a pretty drastic change for someone who used to drink a couple of glasses of milk a day, eat cheese melted into her dinner several times a week and never put limits on the amount of ice cream she was allowed to consume. Now, I consider myself almost completely dairy free.

2. Very little meat. I have 3 or 4 small servings of meat per week. Sometimes it is one bite. It is rarely more than 3 ounces. Again, this is a drastic difference from eating meat at nearly every meal. My goal is to eat meat even less. I think once a week at most would be great! Even less is possible. (If you are curious: Dr. Fuhrman has reported that he eats a small portion of fish about twice a month.)

3. Decreased simple sugars. Boy, I have struggled with this one. I seem to have more than one sweet tooth! Since I gave up milk, I don't eat cereal. That was a big offender in my diet. (Have you done any label reading to see how many things contain corn syrup? It's unreal!) Instead of sugary foods like baked goods and soda, I actually eat more fruit. (I was a die-hard Coca~Cola drinker and now it tastes terrible!) Again, this is a big change for me. I have never been a fruit lover. I can remember when I was little, I would eat the apples and my brother would eat the bananas and there was never a fight. I don't remember eating many other fruits as a child. Now, we drink smoothies made with berries and bananas. I love cataloupe slush and popsicles. Watermelon is in season! And we aren't adding sugar. We have added dates once in awhile, but I am enjoying the natural sweet taste of real foods.

4. Increasing not only fruits, but veggies. Sometimes I want to get out a piece of green poster board and make a sign that says "VEGGIE POWER" and carry it around so that world will get the message, but maybe a t-shirt would do. I really wish people would stop and examine what they are doing to their health! Seriously, I am working on eating a greater VARIETY of veggies. Today we had a smoothie that was heavy on the spinach. This past week we had artichokes and they were great. (My daughter stole the leftover cold one and ate it all herself with hummus. Don't tell her I told you!) Raw and cooked veggies should be the greatest part of our food intake. They are high in fiber, high in nutrients and there must be a million ways to prepare them! (Not to mention that they are just beautiful and tasty!)

5. Adding raw, unsalted nuts and seeds. And beans. Can I just say that cashews and garbonzo beans are my favorites? More about these later.

I want to show you Dr. Fuhrman's food pyramid. He argues that the government food pyramid is still out of balance and shows us an even better way. Food Pyramid
(You can buy these in full color in poster and magnet sizes here: Dr. Fuhrman's online store.)

It's all food for thought.. What are you having for dinner tonight?

ETL overview

I stumbled on a webpage this morning that should help you get a quick overview of the "Eat to Live" program. I haven't looked over the entire site, but it does appear to be a great resource. I have a feeling that Dr. Fuhrman would approve for the most part. And I do agree with her: you have to read the entire book to REALLY understand. Check it out: Eat to Live 6-Week Plan

Eat Better = Live Better

I ate it!

As part of our dinner I steamed the artichokes and we ate them with a little hummus. I could have made fancier dip, but we decided to stick to something we had and keep it simple so we can make it more interesting next time. I really enjoyed eating it and it's a fun food to pull apart! So, my goal to eat something completely new this week is a success! And watermelon made a great dessert. (It always tastes better when you get a good deal, too! I found seedless melons for $3.99!!)

I've also lost a total of 14 pounds since December. And I had an opportunity to wear my swimsuit today, FINALLY! It was much easier to get into than when I first bought it.

My body is changing. (I am breathing more easily and I can see my toes without leaning forward.) My tastebuds are changing. (Carrots are really sweet! And I can taste the salt in a bite of bread.) My outlook on life is improving. (I really believe now that I can lose 15 more pounds.) I call that success.

Changing Tastes

I want to try at least one new food this week. I am thinking an artichoke sounds interesting. I have to admit that I've never bought one. So... an artichoke it is. Now... to find a recipe.

The Green Smoothie Girl

May I introduce you to Robyn? She is known on the web as "Green Smoothie Girl" and is a big promotor of whole foods. I am still working toward drinking a true green smoothie. We've made a couple and I just haven't been able to drink them down. I have been able to manage spinach and a little dark green lettuce in my fruit smoothies. I'm working my way up to true green, though! Green Smoothie Girl is a great resource and inspiration. Let me know if you find any treats that work for you! Enjoy!

Makeover In Progress

 


So... that's me at Christmas last year. Eeekkk! I don't know who took that picture with my camera, but now that I am making changes, it's actually good to see myself as I have been seen by the world. (Oh man~ I looked better before I cropped eveybody else out!) There is definitely a little too much of me there!! So... here's the COURAGE to post it. (It has taken me a week to click on the 'publish post' button.) And I'll post another photo as soon as I can get someone to take one that shows improvement. I've lost at least 11 pounds since then and I can wear clothes I couldn't wear a year ago!

I gave up dairy in February and it has made a big difference in how I feel. I have increased my fruit and veggie intake tremendously (for me anyway) and significantly reduced the amount of meat I eat. I've been working on eliminating sugar from my diet and replacing it with yummy fruit smoothies with no added sweetener except a few dates if needed. My tastes are changing! I have always used very little salt in my cooking and hardly ever sprinkle it on my food. Now I use even less salt and it's amazing to taste the natural salts and sugars in the foods. Wow! And get this~ several people over the past 2 weeks have asked me if I've lost weight! It's really showing.

As of today I weigh 142 pounds and I've lost 4 inches off my waist. It's time to put exercise back into the routine of my week. Karate class is there... I just need to go! The most important change to make is to stick to the "Eat to Live" pattern of feeding my family.

I'll share some important principles in my next post... some you may know, some you may not realize. Remember the basic premise "You are what you eat" and you'll be on the right track!

Motivation to Learn

When my children get sick there is a ton of motivation to figure out what to do to help them heal. During recent weeks an intestinal bug has taken its time moving through our family and several of us took rounds of antibiotics. One child was even hospitalized overnight for observation. The doctors suspected appendicitis, but after blood work and a CT scan they decided it was more than likely an intestinal viral infection. He did not have surgery. It was a long sickness, lasting for about two weeks for each child. Nothing but rest and waiting seemed to help them get well.

I have started looking a little more intently at what we have been eating (or not eating). Our family frequently takes chewable acidophylus and we keep yogurt on hand for those who like it. For years we've also taken garlic gels to ward off sickness which has helped tremendously, but these days I have been much more interested in searching for which FOODS can help with intestinal upset as well as help strengthen the cells and tissues of the body in order to prevent disease in general.

For this particular time of sickness in my family, I did some searching for info on what foods might help strengthen the digestive tract and immune system. I discovered that FRESH garlic not only has the anti-viral and anti-biotic properties I am familiar with, but can also aid in the digestive process. And I love the smell! (Aromatherapy is good for you too!)

Here's info that's new to me: Pineapple ~EATEN ALONE~ offers great benefits for the intestinal tract. Apparently, the bromelain in the pineapple helps with inflammation and digestion. I also read that it can help speed wound healing and relieve muscle soreness among other things. And as always, the WHOLE FOOD may be much better for you than any powdered concoction or tablet made by man. Not that they're all bad... just that the whole food is usually better. Remember, whole foods contain enzymes (along with many yet to be discovered components) that work along with particular compounds, minerals, and nutrients in foods so that their maximum benefits can be realized.
So, I'm off to cut up the pineapple that's waiting on my kitchen counter and chill it in the fridge to eat later this afternoon. Want some?