I've spent posts explaining the horrific nature of fast food and why it's not helpful in our weight loss efforts. Yes, we live in a busy time and there are meals where we have to partake. But it should be infrequently, very infrequently. When I hear of families hopping from one FF joint to the other because they are too busy to cook for dinner, I cringe.
My dear friend, Angela, brought this to my attention today. I've heard of a Twinkie lasting for years unchanged, but I've never seen it. There is something about a photograph of food that bacteria won't even touch that speaks volumes. If it's not decomposing naturally by the umpteen gazillion bacteria that exist everywhere on the planet, what the heck is it doing to your body? What does your body have to do to break it down? Poor, poor body.
Click HERE for the article.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Splenda Cheesecake
Ingredients:- 12 packets Splenda
- 2 8-ounce packages of Neufchatel cheese
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Mix cheese, Splenda and vanilla well.
- Add egg white at a time.
- Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.
- Leave to cool for at least three hours before serve.
Fat Flush Plan: Lose 100 + lbs.
The Fat Flush Plan Updated Guaranteed to Slim
Top scientists from around the world have discovered that cell phones and other gadgets that emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can cause an array of health problems including fatigue and weight gain.Luckily, Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., has updated her Fat Flush diet to include a nutritional response to this threat.
The Updated Fat Flush Plan
Dr. Gittleman suggests alternating and repeating the two days below for a week to jump-start weight loss. Or continue the plan for up to two weeks, four to six times a year, until you've lost all the weight.
In the new edition of The Fat Flush Plan (McGraw-Hill) she explains, The heroes are omeg-3 fatty acids, which boost liver function to burn fat and detoxify the body, reset healthy levels of the brain's neurotransmitters that regulate appetite and optimize cell function so cells keep flushing out waste and taking in nutrients.
In fact, Dr. Gittleman has found that women who consume at least 4 grams of omega-3s daily are quickly freed from the effects of electromagnetic smog.
The seven-day plan also has mainstays of Dr. Gittleman's original plan, like consuming 64 oz. of cran-water (a blend of pure cranberry juice and water), at least five servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies and at least two 4 oz. servings of lean protein, plus the use of fat-flushing spices like cumin, daily. These help the body build more calorie-burning muscle, Dr. Gittleman says. Plus, the antioxidants help the body recover from EMF damage, she adds.
Day 1
Upon waking: 16 oz. cran-water; 1 gram omega-3 fatty acid supplement
Breakfast: 2 eggs (omega-3 eggs, if possible), scrambled, prepared in 1 Tbs. to 2 Tbs. chicken broth or 1 tsp. olive oil, sprinkled with 1 tsp. parsley and 1 Tbs. ground flaxseed; 8 oz. cran-water
Snack: At least 1 cup fresh cut veggies, like carrots and red peppers, topped with 1 Tbs. lemon-flavored fish oil, 1 Tbs. flaxseed oil (like Health From the Sun Liquid Gold Flax Oil) or an organic low-fat salad dressing, like Spectrum Organic, and take a 1 gram omega-3 supplement; 8 oz. cran-water
Lunch: 'Greek' burger made with 4 oz. lean beef topped with slices of onion, tomato and spinach, and plain yogurt in a whole-wheat pita or tortilla; at least 1 cup coleslaw (made with cabbage and other favorite slaw ingredients, and substitute the high-calorie mayo with a more flavorful blend of flaxseed oil, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice); 8 oz. cran-water
Snack: 1 apple; 8 oz. cran-water
Dinner: 4 oz. broiled salmon; 1 cup steamed cauliflower sprinkled with satisfying fat-fighting spices like cumin and cayenne and 1 Tbs. ground flaxseed; 1 steamed artichoke drizzled with 1 Tbs. lime juice and 1 Tbs. lemon-flavored fish oil or flaxseed oil; 8 oz. cran-water
Mid-evening snack: 1 to 2 cups mixed berries, like organic blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries; 8 oz. cran-water; 1 gram omega-3 supplement
Day 2
Upon waking: 16 oz. cran-water; 1 gram omega-3 supplement
Breakfast: Smoothie made with 1 cup cran-water, 1 scoop whey protein powder, like Fat Flush Whey Powder, 1 cup blueberries or raspberries (organic and frozen to make a thicker smoothie) and 1 Tbs. ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil
Snack: 6 flaxseed or gluten-free crackers, like FlaxSnackers with almond butter, 8 oz. cran-water; 1 gram omega-3 supplement
Lunch: 4 oz. roast turkey breast; at least 2 cups mixed salad greens (like arugula or lettuce) topped with veggies like cabbage, tomatoes and cucumbers, 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbs. lemon-flavored fish oil or flaxsee oil; 8 oz. cran-water
Snack: 2 plums; 8 oz. cran-water
Dinner: 4 oz. broiled lamb chops rubbed with 1 clove minced garlic and fat-fighting spices like cumin and cayenne; 1 cup steamed broccoli and pea pods; 2 cups mixed baby greens with 1 Tbs. lemon-flavored fish oil or flaxseed oil and 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Mid-evening snack: 2 small pears warmed in the oven, topped with 1 Tbs. crushed pecans and drizzled with 1 tsp. agave or sprinkled lightly with stevia; 8 oz. cran-water; 1 gram omega-3 supplement
Make this Plan even More Effective.
Store omega-3s this way:
Like other oils, omega-3- rich fish oil and flaxseed oil can get rancid. And when they do, their health effects are significantly reduced. To keep the oils from degrading, store liquid fish oil, fish oil capsules and flaxseed oil in the refrigerator. If you'd like to use flaxseed, purchase a month's worth of ground flaxseed and store in the fridge, or pick up whole seeds (to grind as needed) and store at room temperature away from sunlight.
Prepare cran-water at the start of the day: Mix 8 oz. pure cran-berry juice, like R.W. Knudsen Family, into 56 oz. filtered water to make the total daily amount of 64 oz. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, stir in a natural sweetener like stevia.
NaNoWriMo
I am ashamed to admit this, but today was the first day I hopped on the elliptical in a long time. Positivity is something I want to bring to this blog because no one wants to read something depressing and unmotivating. At the same time I want to keep it real. The journey is long. Even when you get down to your ideal weight, you aren't done! It's a lifelong journey and once you admit it, you can be easier on yourself.
So I grabbed my latest read, Fablehaven, and I did 20 minutes at level 10. Boy, did it feel different, but it felt good. Since I started my writing journey in May, I haven't been focusing on my weight loss efforts like I should. By cutting out the exercise alone, I gained 8-10 pounds over the summer. I try not to let the reality bother me, but to use it as a motivator. (Right now my winter jeans are a motivator too) NEVER STOP EXERCISING!! Had I continued my daily workouts, I likely would have maintained. I know this, yet I allow myself to forget. Why? I guess I'm human.
So today, I decided to officially make a commitment to do NaNoWriMo. For those who don't know what this term means, November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1st through 30th. I've never participated in it before, but with the helpful and loving coercion of my dear husband and one of my lovely critique partners, I'm ready to take on the challenge.
The word count doesn't frighten me, when I wrote my first novel, I did 97K in five weeks. I also know that once I get started, the words should flow. The thing that initially frightened me was that I didn't have a single idea floating around in my head. Not one. Luckily, a little staring and some online time, an idea hit me. I have a rough outline and I am feeling like I can do it. I have a few weeks to make a more reliable outline I can work with and I think I'll be able to finish the challenge by the 30th without loosing too much sleep or gaining any weight. (I am also going to make the commitment to regularly workout too)
Do you have an interest to start writing? This is a great way to get started. Check out the website: www.nanowrimo.org There are a lot of resources!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Healing thyself
During the past four days I've come the realization just how sick I was when it came to food. I have abused it my entire life.
Tonight as I was eating dinner, distraction free, I realized this is the first time I wasn't either on a diet of some kind or in the midst of a full-blown binge. I'm a black and white kind of gal, either I'm on a diet or I'm not. If I'm not, then it's a literal food fest, eating anything and everything in sight.
For four days I've eaten like a "normal" person. I haven't binged, eaten in the middle of the night, or eaten mindlessly. I haven't stuffed myself until my tummy hurt. I haven't eaten in front of the TV or while reading reading a book or while on the laptop. I haven't had crazy cravings or felt like I was going to die if I didn't eat something or in some cases, everything.
I also haven't abused my new found freedom. I'm eating a few things I haven't eaten in a really long time. Today instead of Stevia I added honey to my Greek yogurt.
Dinner tonight was a very small piece of top sirloin steak, broiled to perfection. The piece was pretty small, but I cut it into small bites and savored each one. I had red bell pepper slices drizzled with real blue cheese dressing. Not a lot, but enough so that each piece had a small amount. I had Brussels sprouts again, but without Smart Balance, just a little sea salt. My beverage was a glass of milk of 1% milk. It was a very tasty and enjoyable dinner. I felt totally satisfied.
This morning I made my favorite soup. It's a South Beach recipe, Chicken and Veggie Chowder (the recipe is at the end of this post). In the past when I'd make this soup, I'd cook the chicken separately and then careful weigh four ounces of chicken for each serving. Today I just added all the cut-up chicken breasts in with everything else, just like the recipe says you're suppose to do. It'll all work out in the end. This is part of my healing process, to stop being so compulsive about my food, always worrying about it. Always trying to be exactly perfect in my eating. It's exhausting.
I'm trying to look at food differently. Instead of it being my main source of pleasure as well as my main source of pain, I'm trying to look at it for what it really is...a source of nutrition for my body. If it tastes good, that's a bonus, and then it also becomes a source of pleasure.
I'm also trying to listen to my body more, not my mind. Of course my mind would like candy and cake and ice cream. My body, not so much. I didn't post this last week because it was embarrassing, but Monday of last week, in the midst of my cold, I had a pint of ice cream, Ben and Jerry's Heath Bar. I ate the whole thing. The I ate an entire package of vanilla Oreos. An entire package. I was so sick I thought I was going to die. I had night sweats from the sugar. Horrible night sweats where I was drenched. I think if my body could have killed me at that moment, it would have. The funny thing, none of it tasted that good. Probably because I had a cold, but it really wasn't worth it.
Another discovery these past few days is that I really hate coffee. I've always hated it. It's okay if you add sugar and milk, but plain coffee, yuk. Yet I've been drinking it, along with a few caffeine pills here and there and then sleeping pills at night. It's a miracle my body didn't just shut down a long time ago because of the abuse I've dumped on it. I've almost entirely cut out the coffee, and have stopped the caffeine pills and sleeping pills entirely
I've been thinking about all the diet plans I've been on in my life. The list is endless. Every single one of them was restrictive, and I would follow them perfectly, 100%. For a certain amount of time. Then, I'd reach my breaking point and all bets were off. I'd become a crazed, food obsessed nut case.
The hardest part for me is the math. Stopping myself from doing the math in my head. I know the calories, fat grams, carbs in almost every food. I know the Weight Watcher Points as well. When I'm preparing a meal I find myself adding up the items. I have to consciously tell myself to "STOP IT!". It's not important right now.
Also, for the record, I'm not following any diet. I was thinking back to when I felt my healthiest and was when I was eating the foods recommended by the South Beach Diet. Since I'm not on a "diet", I'm not following the SB Diet per se, but I did enjoy the foods on that "diet" the most. The difference though is if I want a little honey in my oatmeal or my yogurt, I'm going to have it.
I'm really curious how this week is going to end. Will I gain weight? Will I lose weight? Will I be furious if I gain a couple pounds? I'm trying to keep an open mind about this. It's an experiment, to see if I can be normal when it comes to food. To see if I can really heal thyself.
Tonight as I was eating dinner, distraction free, I realized this is the first time I wasn't either on a diet of some kind or in the midst of a full-blown binge. I'm a black and white kind of gal, either I'm on a diet or I'm not. If I'm not, then it's a literal food fest, eating anything and everything in sight.
For four days I've eaten like a "normal" person. I haven't binged, eaten in the middle of the night, or eaten mindlessly. I haven't stuffed myself until my tummy hurt. I haven't eaten in front of the TV or while reading reading a book or while on the laptop. I haven't had crazy cravings or felt like I was going to die if I didn't eat something or in some cases, everything.
I also haven't abused my new found freedom. I'm eating a few things I haven't eaten in a really long time. Today instead of Stevia I added honey to my Greek yogurt.
Dinner tonight was a very small piece of top sirloin steak, broiled to perfection. The piece was pretty small, but I cut it into small bites and savored each one. I had red bell pepper slices drizzled with real blue cheese dressing. Not a lot, but enough so that each piece had a small amount. I had Brussels sprouts again, but without Smart Balance, just a little sea salt. My beverage was a glass of milk of 1% milk. It was a very tasty and enjoyable dinner. I felt totally satisfied.
This morning I made my favorite soup. It's a South Beach recipe, Chicken and Veggie Chowder (the recipe is at the end of this post). In the past when I'd make this soup, I'd cook the chicken separately and then careful weigh four ounces of chicken for each serving. Today I just added all the cut-up chicken breasts in with everything else, just like the recipe says you're suppose to do. It'll all work out in the end. This is part of my healing process, to stop being so compulsive about my food, always worrying about it. Always trying to be exactly perfect in my eating. It's exhausting.
I'm trying to look at food differently. Instead of it being my main source of pleasure as well as my main source of pain, I'm trying to look at it for what it really is...a source of nutrition for my body. If it tastes good, that's a bonus, and then it also becomes a source of pleasure.
I'm also trying to listen to my body more, not my mind. Of course my mind would like candy and cake and ice cream. My body, not so much. I didn't post this last week because it was embarrassing, but Monday of last week, in the midst of my cold, I had a pint of ice cream, Ben and Jerry's Heath Bar. I ate the whole thing. The I ate an entire package of vanilla Oreos. An entire package. I was so sick I thought I was going to die. I had night sweats from the sugar. Horrible night sweats where I was drenched. I think if my body could have killed me at that moment, it would have. The funny thing, none of it tasted that good. Probably because I had a cold, but it really wasn't worth it.
Another discovery these past few days is that I really hate coffee. I've always hated it. It's okay if you add sugar and milk, but plain coffee, yuk. Yet I've been drinking it, along with a few caffeine pills here and there and then sleeping pills at night. It's a miracle my body didn't just shut down a long time ago because of the abuse I've dumped on it. I've almost entirely cut out the coffee, and have stopped the caffeine pills and sleeping pills entirely
I've been thinking about all the diet plans I've been on in my life. The list is endless. Every single one of them was restrictive, and I would follow them perfectly, 100%. For a certain amount of time. Then, I'd reach my breaking point and all bets were off. I'd become a crazed, food obsessed nut case.
The hardest part for me is the math. Stopping myself from doing the math in my head. I know the calories, fat grams, carbs in almost every food. I know the Weight Watcher Points as well. When I'm preparing a meal I find myself adding up the items. I have to consciously tell myself to "STOP IT!". It's not important right now.
Also, for the record, I'm not following any diet. I was thinking back to when I felt my healthiest and was when I was eating the foods recommended by the South Beach Diet. Since I'm not on a "diet", I'm not following the SB Diet per se, but I did enjoy the foods on that "diet" the most. The difference though is if I want a little honey in my oatmeal or my yogurt, I'm going to have it.
I'm really curious how this week is going to end. Will I gain weight? Will I lose weight? Will I be furious if I gain a couple pounds? I'm trying to keep an open mind about this. It's an experiment, to see if I can be normal when it comes to food. To see if I can really heal thyself.
Loving it
I am loving things right now.
Long may it remain so!
It was so nice to sit down tonight with a pizza, salad and coleslaw and have a cadbury's crunchie on the side waiting for me, watch telly and eat it allllllllll up - and NOT FEEL GUILTY!
I am not hungry at breakfast time. I am just thirsty. I don't get hungry until about 2-3pm. So what? What does it matter really? I don't think I should eat just because the clock says so,so I am not going to bother. So today I got a sandwich and took it to work with me - egg mayo and cress - my fave! I grabbed a water to drink too rather than a high cal soft drink like yesterday.
Today is my late one, I don't get back from work until 10pm. DH takes DS to roller hockey while I am at work, and they usually get fish and chips on the way home for everyone as they are both starving and Tuesday's are really pants for me - I never get it together quick enough to make a meal for them to cook when they get in, so its just easier all round to get take away.
But for me... this is never part of my dinner. Re heated takeaway fish and chips is just rank, so they always leave me out. I used to order a curry when I got home... but not any more! Tonight I stopped by the Co-Op on the way back from work, and picked up a little individual cheese and tomato pizza, salad, coleslaw and a crunchie. The pizza is teeny, but I just love them as they remind me of when I was a kid. they are only about 4 inches across, but they are yummy and fill a bandit's tummy. Pile the salad high and it looks like a feast:
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
So still fighting the fight, and doing the do.
Total cals today 1515! WOW!
Long may it remain so!
It was so nice to sit down tonight with a pizza, salad and coleslaw and have a cadbury's crunchie on the side waiting for me, watch telly and eat it allllllllll up - and NOT FEEL GUILTY!
I am not hungry at breakfast time. I am just thirsty. I don't get hungry until about 2-3pm. So what? What does it matter really? I don't think I should eat just because the clock says so,so I am not going to bother. So today I got a sandwich and took it to work with me - egg mayo and cress - my fave! I grabbed a water to drink too rather than a high cal soft drink like yesterday.
Today is my late one, I don't get back from work until 10pm. DH takes DS to roller hockey while I am at work, and they usually get fish and chips on the way home for everyone as they are both starving and Tuesday's are really pants for me - I never get it together quick enough to make a meal for them to cook when they get in, so its just easier all round to get take away.
But for me... this is never part of my dinner. Re heated takeaway fish and chips is just rank, so they always leave me out. I used to order a curry when I got home... but not any more! Tonight I stopped by the Co-Op on the way back from work, and picked up a little individual cheese and tomato pizza, salad, coleslaw and a crunchie. The pizza is teeny, but I just love them as they remind me of when I was a kid. they are only about 4 inches across, but they are yummy and fill a bandit's tummy. Pile the salad high and it looks like a feast:
So still fighting the fight, and doing the do.
Total cals today 1515! WOW!
Flaxmeal Bread
Ingredients:- 75 g flaxmeal
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt or 2 tsp cocoa and a packet of splenda
- Mix all ingredients together
- Pour into a greased bread tin or (better) a silicon mould, bake in oven for 16-18 minutes at 350 F until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Yummy!!
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