Who was that?

Yesterday (Wed) was a snow day for us. We don't normally watch TV or movies during the day, but a snow day is an exception. We had the Dr. Who episode "Day of the Doctors" on the pvr and were anxious to watch it. So we shut the blinds, fired up the sound system and snuggled under blankets with our giant bowls of leafy greens. The program was all we expected and more! Very entertaining with twists and turns in the plot everywhere. We love time travel!

We got about 9 or 10 inches over the day yesterday – the trees were groaning under the weight of all that snow – pretty, but deadly for them. There are too many trees to go around shaking them all off, so we hope that Mother Nature takes care of it with a bit of wind.

 

I wonder how many grey photos like this I’ll be posting over the winter? Thankfully today is bright with sunshine and wintery blue sky. The dogs had a bit of fun playing in the snow, but it wasn’t too long before Kabira and Spike were keen to go in. Bella is always happy to be outside and bounces around like Tigger! (no photos of her – she is a black blob in this sort of light).

Several months ago we noticed Kabira being a little stiff in her movement. It was most obvious getting into the truck – she seemed to have difficulties. On talking to Ruth about it she suggested some glucosamine, in case it was the start of arthritis. We started her on a powder and after a month or so did notice a slight improvement. But it wasn’t enough to be satisfied. I did some research online which suggested that adding MSM and possibly other herbs might help more. I was about to order something, but decided we’d look to see what Costco had first. As it turns out they had a liquid with glucosamine, chondroitin, and msm. She’s been on it for just shy of a month and the improvement is striking. She’s prancing around again, and seems to have no trouble getting on the futon anymore. We haven’t done the truck test, but it is too cold for that just now. Our fingers are crossed that it will do the trick, as she is far too young to be suffering the effects of arthritis (she’s 7 1/2).

Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change. ~ Thomas Hardy

Not Hungry Anymore

We cuddled up under blankets and sipped our tea at a Tuesday afternoon movie showing of The Hunger Games, at Jo Ellen and Don's. The plan is to see the second movie next week, but since Carm and I hadn't seen the first we had our own private showing at their place. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to watch the movie at all - I have a low threshold for violence, and we all know the premise of the movie isn't exactly princesses and princes (or is it?). Even though my normally sedate heart was beating at the walls of my chest, I made it to the end and now can't wait till next week for the second one.

After the movie we drove out to a restaurant where they treated us to a lovely supper. There was a nice looking salad on the menu... but... the classic burger had my name written all over it! Unfortunately I didn't pack my NZ ketchup to dip my fries in.

As we drove to their place this afternoon I felt pretty committed to my diet and even talked to Carm about how serious I felt. I even packed a little cooler in case there was take out. Suddenly though, that commitment just flew out the door, at least for this one meal. I guess that is what it all comes down to - choosing when to deviate and when to stick. I just have to hope that the people around me don't take non-deviation personally.

Big storm in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow - it will surely be another day for cuddling under blankets and maybe even watching a movie. Or reading the new Alice Monro book that I got at Costco.

Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor. ~ Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

Into the past - far and near

Sunday morning I went down to our basement "library" to do some sorting/tossing; it didn't take long before I was totally distracted and upstairs with a pile of stuff. The first thing that caught my eye was a book on mortgage amortization, not noteworthy in itself; but with the interest rate range from 9% to 30% it was cause for pause. Interest rates have been low for years now, but 25 years ago when we bought our first house we paid 13 or 14%. Yikes! With today's mortgages being so huge with corresponding low rates, what will happen to people if the rates suddenly start rising again?

Another thing I found was an old house plan magazine. I remember getting it back in the 70s when we were visiting Thunder Bay. I was probably 12 or 13, but already I had a strong interest in house plans and home decor; I had thought to be an architect, but couldn't stomach the 7 years of university, not to mention my weak math skills. Anyway, I remember poring over those floor plans for hours and hours. Some of my favorites had a Spanish influence with outside living areas complimenting the indoor ones.

Bundled with the house plan magazine were a bunch of magazine cutouts of rooms and houses, but best of all, some hand drawn house and room layouts. I remembered doing some of them, but couldn't find the renditions of my bedroom with an attached horse stall, complete with horse head over the dutch door. Obviously a 12 year old doesn't think of the practicalities of stable flies and what not!

Our friend Renee came for a lunch today. We haven't seen her for a few (or more) years so it was really great to catch up with her. Isn't it awful how time goes by and we let ourselves get out of touch. Renee is a naturalist and knows much about trees, birds and nature - on our little walk around the property she pointed out an Oriole nest hanging in the branches of a tree! I'd seen some birds around, but only rarely - next summer we'll have to get a bird feeder out to lure them closer to the house.

Love in its essence is spiritual fire. ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Habitual Nourishment–End of Week 5

I had a really good week – all green days with no slipups, small or large. I didn’t do the exercise that I should have though… only a few times on the treadmill.

I did go to Curves on Thursday with Christina. I’m happy to say that I’m not in as bad shape as I thought I was. I can’t breeze through the workout though! I’m not sure yet if I will join at the end of the trial... if I do it will be because of the great visit with Christina!

After that bit of work-out I was in the mood for a bit of a treat. So I cooked up some brown & red rice, and grilled zucchini, portabella mushrooms, and red pepper. I topped the rice with the grilled vegetables & steamed kale, and served it with a bowl of garlicky hummus on the side. Yum. I forgot to add the tofu though – it had been marinating in some chili garlic sauce and would have been a good addition. We always have some sliced cucumber (1/2 an English cucumber each!); last night we had some sliced red & yellow pepper as well. The whole meal was very satisfying :-) and right on plan. I was trying to get a healthy version of the chicken shwarma plate, and I think this did the trick for me. No greasy, salty chicken, or fried potatoes. No fatty garlic sauce, or rice bathed in oil. No feeling yuck the next day!

I consider Friday to be a huge success! We had guests for dinner (a cabbage, kidney bean soup – vegan of course), with cucumber, celery and red pepper on the side. I made the bean bread (cumin as the spice), and served it topped with hummus and roasted red pepper for the first course. Now here is where my success comes in. Trudie had brought a plate of homemade, triple chocolate brownies... I was reasonably tempted, but kept my head and passed. I also passed on the red wine (although a glass is allowed). So a totally GREEN day! (edit: later in the day Trudie called to suggest that the next get together be a potluck and she’ll bring a meat dish! I guess some people have a hard time giving up their animal protein…)

We were at the grocery store checkout – I usually snoop at what the people around me have in their carts. Well, the lady behind us had a loaded cart with packaged foods, pork roasts, cream cheese, and two lone zucchinis. The greens accounted for less than 5% of her cart. Ideally, fruits, vegetables and beans should make up 90% of our diet. All nutrient and fibre rich foods.

What was in our cart? Ten cans of no-salt added diced tomatoes, 1 bottle of cranberry vinegar ($0.44!), and one tube of fresh cilantro. The diced tomatoes were on sale – we saved about $10! I’ve never tried the herbs in a tube, but sometimes I want a bit of cilantro in a dish but don’t need a whole bunch, which usually rots in the fridge. My fingers are crossed that it will do the trick. (note that our cart never used to be so healthy – we were never big meat eaters, but there would have been bread and pasta galore.)

We’ve been trying to reduce our salt intake – I use a lot of canned beans and tomatoes – wowzers! Unless you buy the salt free ones they have a TON of sodium. We’ll run thorough what we have left in the pantry and start using no salt added cans. Or maybe I’ll start cooking my own beans, although that is a bit of a pain.

On the Hypertension Canada site, I came across this study on the effects of “dietary pulses” (legumes) on blood pressure. Pulse eaters showed a significant reduction in BP.

Our final meal of the week (Saturday night) was water stir-fry green beans, mushrooms and red peppers, a little bit of rice (a mixture of brown, red and wild), and 1/2 salmon fillet. We had oranges for dessert, and then I tried the Eat to Live Chia hot chocolate. What a meal!

And all that leaves me down 3 pounds this week! For a total of 8 pounds in 5 weeks. Of course there are the health benefits as well. I don’t feel deprived at all – there is plenty of fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth, and having a bedtime snack of chocolate peanut butter “ice-cream” smoothie, or chia pudding with fruit, satisfies the craving for a extra special treat. If I cut that treat out I’d possibly lose a bit faster, but maybe I’d just be tempted by other things instead. One change I will definitely be making is replacing the peanut butter with almond butter in my smoothie as that will better meet my 1oz of nuts required for the day (pb is not a nut).

 

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Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Oct 20 (0)	21	22	23	24	25	26 (-3)
27	28	29	30	31	Nov 1	2 (-4.5)
3	4	5	6	7	8	9 (-6)
10	11	12	13	14	15	16 (-5)
17	18	19	20	21	22	23 (-8)

  = good day  = a small diversion from Eat to Live   = oh, oh (#) total pounds lost

pleasure in the pathless woods

Lately I’ve gotten into the habit of doing all my posts in Windows Live Writer (on my laptop), instead of using the program on my tablet. While this makes for nicer formatting, it means that I don’t often write much, or if I do it is saved in a file in Dropbox until I have the right technology in front of me…

I also haven’t had much to write about that isn’t cooking or diet related. I thought I’d separate those posts out by title so it is easy for non-interested parties to skip, but then I don’t end up posting anything for ages! What to do?

Digging back into the Dropbox archives: On Rick Mercer Tuesday night, he spent time on the water with some sailors. But these weren't everyday sailors, they were disabled. A quadriplegic took him out into the bay using "sip and puff" technology to control the boat. The bravery that someone requires to take to the seas with no use of arms or legs just blows me away. I watched him do this and knew that I am not that strong, nor that brave.

We gathered a fairly heavy “dusting” of snow in the last few hours. We went for a little walk to get our blood moving and now that I see the sun is about to come out I may feel energized to get out there again (might).

Or maybe we’ll just put one of the “Lord of the Rings” movies on! Or perhaps just some music and a book will do the trick.

 

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more. ~ George Byron

Habitual Nourishment - Evangelize

Sunday was another day of recovery from the shwarma, but I still managed to make a good supper. It started off being just simple sautéed bok choy with leftover black bean salad, but by the time I finished (1 hour later), there was ginger, garlic, hot peppers (too many), mushrooms, red pepper, a hot pepper sauce, and grilled tofu. Whew. No wonder I succumb to take out every now and again. Cooking healthy meals seems to always turn into a giant endeavour that takes and hour or more; however, having tasty meals does make it easier to stick with the plan – no feelings of deprivation to derail.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... all good eating days. Green, green smoothies; giant salads; and vegetable and bean rich suppers have kept me full. And the good news – the pointer on the scale has started to move again (the desired way!).

 

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These last few days I’ve been fighting off the urge to evangelize... I’ve been re-reading “Eat to Live”, and I’ve also been spending time on the ETL website reading the forums, and the success stories (there are over 3600 to chose from). With all that information swirling through my head it is difficult not to spout off at any opportunity. It just seems so obvious that this is a healthy way to eat compared to what others consider healthy...

Many people think they are eating a healthy diet, but what facts are they basing it on? Plant based, whole food eating has so much science behind it that is is hard to refute. Unfortunately I’m not good at keeping a whole bunch of scientific study references in my head so often don’t make the best arguments. One of the differences in this diet is that it isn’t solely for weight loss (although that does happen when you are on the “6 week” phase). Following a plant-based eating plan has been shown, in case after case, that it reverses heart disease; reverses diabetes; reduces and even eliminates auto-immune diseases; and even has an effect on depression (but unfortunately does not “cure” bipolar, but may help symptoms). Sick people on several medications have been able to get off them after following this plan. How can you argue against that?

Coincidently, since I started ETL in October, my mood has only been good. The first few days I thought I was a bit hypo-manic, but on further thought I believe I was just feeling the contrast between feeling kind of yuck with what I was eating and the good of better eating. This is the longest time in a long time that I’ve been so stable – and in the dark days of November, it is almost guaranteed that I’ll have down days. Diet or not I’ll take it!

Another interesting thing, again related to how good I feel, is how a “normal” diet makes me feel. A few years back when I first started loosely following ETL I noticed how good I felt. The thing is that before I didn’t realize that what I was eating was making me feel yuck! It was only the contrast of closely following the eating guidelines that showed me the difference. In the last few years as I’ve gone off and on it has become even more clear that eating “normal” foods does not agree with me. Last Friday was a bit of a test in that regard (with the chicken shwarma). I felt horrible for 2 days after eating it! It was a pretty extreme test, but my resolve has hardened even more.

Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. ~ Arthur Koestler

Oh Deer!

The dogs lucked into an amazing treat on Saturday: fresh venison meat and bones! Bella and Spike were ecstatic... Kabira, not so much. She spit out the tasty tidbit that I gave her, and wouldn't even try the next piece I offered! At dinner time I put a good amount of meat in each bowl and topped that off with a meaty bone. The poodles got right down to demolishing their meal, while Kabira walked around the house crying and howling. I eventually had pity and switched her meal out for some of their regular ground meat.

Her aversion is particularly surprising as she is, to put it delicately, a pig, and gobbles anything put in front of her (unless it has hot sauce, then she wrinkles her nose and turns away). She has even been known to scarf down tough kale stems (in fact they all love kale - weird dogs!).

On Sunday, I offered Kabira another taste of venison – she ate it! Perhaps she felt left out from what the other dogs were enjoying and reconsidered. They all got a big dish of meat topped off with a bone. Spike demolished his in no time – he had gotten spine, which is softer than the leg bones that Bella and Kabira got. They all enjoyed themselves, and even had a bit leftover for Monday. They seem particularly satisfied to have done some chewing.

The wind has been howling here for the last few days, bringing to mind the poor people in the Philippines that are in such dire straights. Imagine how terrifying it must have been to be in the middle of such force. They had a tornado in Illinois yesterday as well – more devastation. On the news there was a clip of a journalist guy videoing out his window and saying the Lord’s prayer as the tornado roared towards him. Carm wondered if he was just being dramatic, but I’m pretty sure I’d be doing the same thing if I were in his shoes. I’d sing it though, like Sister Janet Mead in the 70s. (I don’t know why I like it so much, perhaps because it was on a KTel record that I got for Christmas one year).

The trip through YouTube was fun, reminding me of Cher (Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves); Terry Jacks (Seasons in the Sun); and Bo Donaldson (Billy Don’t be a Hero) – all 3 of which were on that KTel record.   The

I always wondered what “Seasons in the Sun” was saying:

“The song was based on "Le Moribond" ("The Dying Man"), written by Jacques Brel in 1961. Brel's song was translated into English by poet Rod McKuen and this version was first recorded by Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio, but it did not sell. Terry Jacks, rewrote part of the lyrics to "lighten them up." Jacks' revisions tended to add a bit of ambiguity as to the nature of the storyteller's demise, allowing listeners the option to choose whether the death is from suicide over a failed life - quite possibly to escape drug addiction - or someone accepting death from natural causes, or cancer. References to a cheating wife were also removed.”

 

I’ve been practicing photographing food. The hardest thing is to get the light and colours right. It makes all the difference to have some natural light… It is usually supper time when I have something to practice on, no natural light then :-(

I tried making the bean bread again, but this time used a sweet potato instead of the banana, and rosemary instead of the cinnamon. Topped with a garlicky oil free hummus and roasted vegetables it was a tasty, guilt free addition to our salad at lunch.

 

With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things. ~ William Wordsworth

Habitual Nourishment–End of Week 4

Friday: I gave it much thought through the day, and mostly because I wanted a break from cooking (I was getting cranky about it), we had chicken shwarma plates from the takeout place. It was good for about 2 bites, and then the chicken was disgustingly salty and greasy, the sauce and rice were oily. But did I stop? No. I ate and ate until I was ready to burst. We also had a bottle of bubbles with our meal. It was good for a few sips and then the flavour clashed with the greasy garlic of the shwarma. Did I stop? No. I drank my share.

Bother.

There must be another local take out option. Our options are Lebanese or Chinese. No Thai or Vietnamese. So I guess I'd better just get used to cooking day upon day, week upon week...

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Saturday I felt sick and nauseous all day. My brother and his kids were coming for lunch so I made a healthy lentil soup with pumpkin and 2lbs of green beans; that was the only thing I was able to eat all day. Lesson learnt? I doubt it...

When friends called for us to drop over for dessert I waffled – then I decided that we’d go and I’d allow myself a tiny piece of the cheese cake she had made, and a glass or two of wine. Well… okay… but I would have been better off without either.

Stepping on the scale Sunday morning for the weekly weigh in proved me right – instead of weight lost this week I actually gained a pound. %&*T^*

That’s no reason to give up, but instead toughens my resolve towards better health.

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Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Oct 20 (0)	21	22	23	24	25	26 (-3)
27	28	29	30	31	Nov 1	2 (-4.5)
3	4	5	6	7	8	9 (-6)
10	11	12	13	14	15	16

  = good day  = a small diversion from Eat to Live   = oh, oh (#) total pounds lost

A Feast for the Eyes (just learnin’)

George the Giraffe has become a favourite resting spot in our house. There is no actual fighting, but there is a race to see who lays claim first! I'm not sure how long he will last with all the big dog usage; luckily Spike is the only one who kills it every now and again. It's really quite funny to see him wrestling this giant toy!

 

I read some stuff about photographing food somewhere on the internet. I'd love to take more photos of the dishes that I make, but frankly they don't turn out very appealing. With the tips I learned from the article, I gathered some things to set the scene. First was a trip out to the back of the barn for some scraps of barn board. I scored a few, but will have to take another look later. One of them is pretty scuzzie so it is in the sun to dry off a bit. I don't want to pressure wash it as all the "character" would be lost. I brought the other 2 into the house and started photographing the pumpkins that I'm cutting up. Needs more work (and that other bit of barn board).

 

Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself. ~ Pythagoras

Cinnamon Flax Bean Bread

I tried making these today with chickpeas - they were a great, guilt-free post-workout snack. I served them with almond butter and sliced pear. Another way to get that cup of beans that ETL says to eat everyday!

Cinnamon Flax Bean Bread ****

Try with different seasoning for a savoury "bread".

1 cup cooked pinto beans (or other bean)
1 banana
1 to 2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 T ground flax

For crackers: spread on dehydrator sheets, score as for crackers, and dry until crispy. To use, break up into your cereal bowl, add fresh fruit and plant milk, and enjoy!

For bread: Spread the dough onto a silicone baking mat (or parchment), slightly less thick than a slice of bread would be. Score into 'slices' of bread, and bake at 375 about half an hour, until it feels done in the center when you gently press it. If using for sandwiches, you'll do open-faced sandwiches, because this 'bread' is very filling!

Habitual Nourishment–Almost to the End of the 1st Month

I am trying to keep my focus on eating for optimal health, rather than just calories and losing weight. I think my change in outlook is helping me stick with the program. I am still trying to lose weight (and celebrate every pound gone), but I'm not playing around with calories to squeeze in a cookie. I think that cutting those addictive, toxic foods out 100% has helped tremendously with cravings. And as a "bonus" I feel better than I've felt in months. I have more energy, my thinking is clearer, I'm sleeping better, the benefits go on...

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Here’s how it has gone so far this week:

Sunday night we watched "Extreme Pigouts"; in the past all those hamburgers and ice cream would have had me heading for the fridge; instead, I was grossed out and thankful for my supper of healthy vegetables and beans.

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When I weighted myself on Wednesday I saw no downward motion on the scale. I had to struggle a bit to keep my resolve, but I reminded myself that it is good health that I'm aiming for and not just weight loss. Also, I have been exercising more, so perhaps I'm just building muscle (a girl can dream right!).

I went to Curves with Christina this afternoon. I've never been before and was a little apprehensive about how out of shape I'm in. As it turns out, I'm better than I thought. The instructor showed me how to use each machine (I thought of our dancing lessons and wondered how many times she'd have to show me...), and then I'd try it out. For the next circuit I did them myself, with the instructor giving tips and reminders. It was fun. As Christina dropped me off she hoped that I wouldn't be too sore today, and I'm not! Next visit I'll make sure to really use my muscles to get the full benefit.

I have been eating to plan, but maybe a bit too much. My bedtime snack (1 cup almond milk & 2 T chia seeds with some fruit mixed in) has possibly too many calories (there's that calorie thing again); to compensate I've stopped putting almond milk in my morning smoothie. Maybe I should try cutting out the nuts that I'm eating (20g) as I am having seeds. I'm supposed to have nuts and seeds everyday for their healthy fats and other nutritional benefits, so maybe if I alternate days...

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Thursday: Still no downward motion on the scale. Still resolved to keep eating healthily. Speaking of "healthily", which is it: "healthy" or "healthily"? It always bothers me to see "I'm eating healthy" or other such phrase, it just doesn't seem like the proper word. Isn't that the same thing as saying "I'm eating a hamburger" - is healthy the thing that they are eating? I don't know - it just bugs me! Comments please to set me straight!

I did "day 1, week 1" of Couch to 5k today. That really put me in my place! It is an ambitious 9 week program to get me in shape to run 5km. Can I do it? Will I stick with it? Only time will tell! But I'll tell you that I barely made it through the first session, and now I'm totally exhausted (a few hours later). Yikes!

It was my hardest day to keep with the program. I had serious cravings for chicken shwarma but didn’t give in. I DID change my bedtime snack to healthy chocolate peanut butter icecream (frozen banana, frozen almond milk cubes, 1 T coco, 1 T peanut butter). A bit of decadence but still with the plan.

And then… I had a bowl of popcorn. Was that a terrible divergence – no (popcorn is allowed in limited quantities). But it wasn’t on MY plan. I think being discouraged weakened my resolve a bit… I haven’t decided yet if it still counts as a green day, or has to be logged as a yellow one…

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Friday morning: scale is still stuck. Trying not to get discouraged. Some people on the ETL forum say that their weight goes in fits and starts – nothing and then 2 or 3 in one day – I’m hoping!

Be intent upon the perfection of the present day. ~ William Law

Thought to be Insane (or just stunned)

Time is flashing by. The days are merging so quickly that I never seem to know what day it is!

We had Jo Ellen and Don over for lunch Monday, which as you know was Remembrance Day. Normally we have the tv on and watch the ceremony in Ottawa, but we were busy cleaning the house. I felt disrespectful, but then realized that I had been remembering and thinking of the people who sacrificed themselves for the last couple of days. As I went around the house dusting and cleaning, the grief of all the people who lost loved ones seemed to well up inside me. I know that this is not a good thing for me and I didn’t want to trigger a mood episode...

The November grey days have started... there is a gloomy film over everything, but I’m working hard to not let it affect my mood. By keeping focused on healthy eating (and all the cooking that goes with it), as well as adding in some exercise, I’ve kept myself on an even keel. Luckily we are getting a respite today with a cloudless blue sky, and weak winter sun.

We went out dancing last night; not to a formal lesson (those are over until January), but to a review session that the instructor was holding. There was only one other couple, and that was a good thing as we needed LOTs of help! I don’t know why we put our dunce caps, and two left shoes, on before going there... Kudos to Dennis, the instructor, as we (and one of us more than the other), we just plain hard to teach – he was patient to the end. It was fun all the same, and we hope to go to the dance (an actual dance) on Saturday night. We exchanged numbers with another couple so we’ll hopefully meet up.

After spending 40 minutes on the treadmill, some weight and ab exercises, and then the dance on top of that, I’m a bit stiff today! Hopefully I’ll limber up before going to Curves with Christina tonight :-o

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ~  Friedrich Nietzsche

No Chance of Denial Now

With Remembrance Day on Monday, Carm has been watching an inordinate number of war programs. I keep myself busy in the kitchen or on my computer because I find them immensely depressing; and am rarely able to watch one without crying.

 

I was in denial about the oncoming winter, but suddenly it was obvious that it wouldn’t skip over us this year… I ventured out for a short afternoon walk and wondered how long before I need my big furry hat.

 

The strength of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts. ~ Blaise Pascal

 

I conquer you Mr. Stuffy Giraffe.

I got my new blender! And it is a doozer. The first thing I tried was “ice-cream” made with a frozen banana, frozen almond milk cubes, 1T coco, and a splash of almond milk. It wasn’t long before I had delicious ice-cream. It had the texture of softserve ice-cream so I put it in the freezer for an hour and it was perfect. It tasted like a rich, decadent treat, but guilt free.

Tuesday was our last dance class until the new year. The instructor will keep the “studio” open on Tuesdays and Thursdays for those who want to practice and get some extra help – by donation only – we will certainly be taking advantage. I would say, with some certainty, that while we haven’t become good, we have gotten better and sometimes don’t even step on each others toes ;-) I went with “heels” this class to get some real-life practice (after all, I’m hardly going to be wearing flat sneakers at any dance event we go to). It wasn’t too bad, and my feet hurt for only a few hours.

Wednesday I went shopping to Apple Saddlery with my friend Christina. We had a great time, and while it was weird to be shopping at a tack store, it was nice not to be spending tons of money. There were so many pretty bridles, blankets, and what not that would have been tempting had I still had horses. As it was there were some nice dog coats that I browsed through – luckily I didn’t have any measurements with me so Spike was spared from yet another coat that he hates.

It was a busy week! Thursday I had a dentist appointment in town (I really must switch to a dentist out here), and then went to a “ladies night” at a local Home Hardware with Trudie and Marie. They had wine, little snacks, and demonstrations of some of their products. We also had a coupon for 10% off. I had in my hand one of those things that make regular water into carbonated water. It was already on sale, and then with 10% off it was a tempting price. Since I don’t drink soft drinks, I thought that having my lemon water carbonated would make it a bit more of a treat. However, the line-up to the cash was almost to the back of the store, so I put it back. Does anyone have one? I’d love to hear your comments.

While we were in town we did a quick stop at Costco (of course, we always seem to need another wack of vegetables). In one of the bins along the isle was a giant stuff toy that opens up into a cushion. Oh it was cute so I badgered Carm into making room for it in our cart. As soon as I brought it into the house and called Spike over to see his new toy, he was jumping and trying to grab it out of my arms. I put it on the floor and laughed to see him drag this huge toy (perhaps bigger than he is), around the room. Too cute.

 

Kabira has taken over the toy today though. She curled up on it as soon as I sat down at the computer. I was surprised that she fit on it, but she can curl herself into a ridiculously small ball. 

 

 

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell. ~ Buddha

 

Quinoa No More

I love quinoa. I love to make into salads; I love it straight up; I love to bake it into cookies… however… as I suspected and last night confirmed, it does NOT like me.

After the last bout of misery from eating it, we went to the internet to look for solutions. Many places suggested rinsing it more, and even soaking it for a few hours. So yesterday I rinsed and rinsed, then I soaked it for the whole day before cooking it up.

The effects don’t hit me right away; they wait until the middle of the night, so when I woke up at 12:30 with a wicked gut ache I knew I was in for it… and I was. Three and a half hours of intense gut pain, with periodic puking my guts out. Oh bother. Today I don’t feel that great, but I have felt worse the previous experiments.

I’m really upset cause I LOVE quinoa!

Not much else has gone on here: I’ve cooked and cooked (proper ETL food of course – I’m actually enjoying sticking with it this time and aren’t having any cravings, and am rarely hungry); I’ve written in my other blog about all the boring diet stuff; we’ve had supper with friends; I’ve done a bit more tidying around the house, I hurt my back and took it easy for a few days. All boring stuff that doesn’t involve packing up the camper and heading south!

Yesterday and today have been bright and sunny, so at least when I’m inside I can pretend that it is still summer.

I’m thinking of getting a new super-dooper blender; my smoothies are getting increasingly GREEN, and some of that green stuff does not chop up really smoothly in my current blender, plus I have to add gallons of water to get it to blend at all. A vitamix is the pinnacle of blenders, but a little beyond my means (they are over $500!); instead I’m thinking of a Ninja Kitchen System for less than 1/2 that, and it will replace some of the functions of my very old food processor. Does anybody have any recommendations?

I HAVE to read up about punctuation – I am never sure where to use a comma, a semi-colon, or a colon! I edited this post with help from the internet, but I’m not sure that I got it right. (Aunty Kristine, I’d love some critique!)

Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. ~ E. B. White

Habitual Nourishment - Week 2 – on a roll

Looking back at my records (I am a computer junkie and keep online records about everything!)  I can see that since I lost the 20+ pounds in 2011, I have fluctuated in the 10 pound range. Falling back into old habits of eating out and ice cream (among other things), seems to be my trouble. So – HOW do I keep myself from falling into that trap again? I don’t know for sure, but I am really working on my attitude this time and am convincing myself that I really don’t want to eat that greasy, sugary food. It is working so far… but only time will tell!

This time around, I  am rarely hungry (and if I am there is a list of snacks on the fridge, things like celery and fruit), I haven’t been having cravings at all, even walking around Costco with all their taste samples has not tempted me; except for the sheets of seaweed(!) which I tasted and then grabbed the last pack on the shelf. I didn’t fully read the ingredients before I bought it though and when I got it home saw that it does have a bit of corn oil, but it is such a tiny amount I won’t worry about it.

The tricky part is what to eat when out and about. We met my brother at Tim Hortons (donut shop) for a coffee the other day. It was lunch time and I was starving. The menu didn’t have anything really healthy on it, so I chose a chicken noodle soup. White pasta noodles (drat), but otherwise not too bad. A small whole wheat bun came with it, which I ate without butter. I guess that’s a pass, but since it wasn’t 100% I gave myself a yellow on that day. I also treated myself to 1 beer at supper – wasted  calories…

Thursday’s smoothie was a bit too much on the “green” side: 4 8” stalks celery, 1 small zucchini, 3/4 cup broccoli, 2 cups spinach, 1 frozen banana, 1 frozen apple, tofu, 1T ground flax, 1T almond butter, 1 cup almond milk, and cold water as required. I usually add 1 more fruit, which sweetens it up just a bit more, but there wasn’t room! My blender was full to the top – it took me most of the day to drink it.

As I mentioned earlier, eating out is a challenge. Saturday night we were invited to friends for dinner – she was serving mac n’ cheese as the main course. I debated, but didn’t really want to slip up that badly, so I packed myself a healthy salad. I did have a bowl of her pumpkin sun-dried tomato soup (which was delish), and passed on dessert since I had brought a few oranges. I didn’t feel deprived or left out but did treat myself to a glass of wine. No animal products, no gluten, no added sugar so I guess it’s a pass. It would have been even easier to resist if people didn’t try to press me – even Carm (in fact he was the worst. Come on Carm, I thought you were on my side!).

For various reasons, including a very sore back, I haven’t started exercising. I hope to start the treadmill and incorporate some upper body exercises this coming week.

All in all the week was good, but the weight loss was somewhat disappointing. I expected better than a 1.5lb decline, alas. I think I’ve been having too many nuts and nut butter so will work to reduce that. I might be having too many grains as well: brown rice, black rice, whole wheat roll, tortilla… it all adds up. Looking at my log below I can also see that I’m forgetting to write down some things: hummus with the cabbage leaves, the handful of nuts here and there – maybe a sticky on the fridge would help.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Oct 20 (0)	21	22	23	24	25	26 (-3)
27	28	29	30	31	Nov 1	2 (-4.5)

= good day  = a small diversion from Eat to Live   = oh, oh (#) total pounds lost

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I (try) eat a nutritarian diet, which is primarily a nutrient rich whole foods, plant-based diet based on ‘Eat to Live’ by Joel Fuhrman M.D. and ‘The China Study’ by T. Colin Campbell. Nutritional information is from http://caloriecount.about.com . I use this tool to help me to see the foods I require to get all my nutrition. I don’t use it to count calories.

Habitual Nourishment - Week 3–becoming habitual

You’ll have to excuse me, but I’ve decided to just post my habitual nourishment posts here and do away with the other blog. I don’t have much to say there, so I might as well say it here. Feel free to skip these posts!

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The week started off on a good foot; aside from my (final) encounter with quinoa. That was not fun; I love quinoa and hate to lose it from my diet.

Monday we went into town to purchase a blender that was on sale (Ninja Kitchen System 1500). My current blender was a little gutless for some of the things I wanted to make with it. This one is crazy powerful – it made “icecream” in seconds with just frozen almond milk cubes, a drizzle of liquid almond milk, a frozen banana, 1/2 T peanut butter, and 1 T coco powder. Oh my gosh it was good! The blender should also be able to replace most of the things I used my ancient food processor for; that’s a good thing cause the blender is HUGE, and with all its giant attachments I need to move the old fp out of the kitchen!

Needless to say, Monday I over ate; sure, everything was on point, but there was just too much of it.

Wednesday I went shopping with a friend, but instead of eating out, I brought fresh celery, red pepper, grapes and walnuts. Not as much fun as going out for Pho, but healthier, and hopefully weight loss promoting.

Thursday was another outing, this time to a “ladies night”, with wine… needless to say it wasn’t a perfect green day…

I’ve started to have a chia seed pudding as my bedtime snack. It might be adding too many calories, but it is adding a good dose of omega-3, and calcium, as well as several other benefits:

A standard 2 tbsp (24 g) serving of chia seeds contains:

• Calories: 117
• Protein: 4 grams
• Fat: 7.4 grams
• Fibre: 8.3 grams

It contains all eight essential amino acids and a host of trace minerals and micronutrients. To put it in easy comparative terms, each 2 tbsp serving of chia offers:

• Five times the omega-3 content of a 1/4-cup serving of walnuts
• Twice the iron and magnesium of a cup of spinach
• As much calcium as a half-cup of milk
• As much potassium as a third of a banana
• More than twice the fibre of a cup of oatmeal

 

My resolve held fast on Saturday morning, even though I was sorely tempted by the smell of Carm’s toast. I usually try to time my smoothie to his toast time, but had let it slip a bit. I sat in my chair wavering a few minutes, and then reminded myself that I don’t feel so great after toast, and that surely, a tasty smoothie would do the trick. So up I got and started the long process of assembling all the ingredients (today was hemp hearts, broccoli, carrot, zucchini, celery, cantaloupe, cranberries, tofu, kale, spinach, frozen apple, frozen banana, frozen almond milk cubes, and finally a few cups of icy water). Whew! What a production! It did hit the spot though, and the desire for toast disappeared.

All in all it was a good week, with only 1 small transgression (two glasses of wine on Thu); if I weren’t trying to lose weight the wine would have been okay. I was down 1 1/2 pounds – not too bad, especially given that I ate and ate  – sure it would be good for it to be faster, but this way I’m more likely to fit into my skin ;-)

Note to self: do NOT add raw ginger to smoothie – yuck – perhaps if you are a ginger fan it would be good, but since I barely like it to in the first place…

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Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Oct 20 (0)	21	22	23	24	25	26 (-3)
27	28	29	30	31	Nov 1	2 (-4.5)
3	4	5	6	7	8	9 (-6)

 

  = good day  = a small diversion from Eat to Live   = oh, oh (#) total pounds lost

 

Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts. ~ Marcus Aurelius