Day 5 and I wish I could post onto FB how tired I am of rain.
It has rained, and rained, and rained this summer and I am so very, VERY tired of it! Our days of sun AND warmth have been few and far between this spring/summer and I feel like we're in this never ending tunnel of cold, rainy, dark days. Today is June 5 and our high is supposed to be 61. Thank God I don't live in Seattle.
So what have I done instead of waste time on social media? Well, yesterday I baked all day. A friend gave me Amish Friendship Bread starter a while back and yesterday was bread baking day. I had two starters going so I had four loaves of bread to bake. My family loves that stuff; one loaf is almost gone already!! Instead of four large loaves, I baked two large and four small loaves and sent two of the small loaves to Garry. We have eaten enough of that stuff already.
I'm also baking cookies for the guys while Lily and I go to Raleigh, and to send to my dad for Father's Day. I got a batch of chocolate chip baked yesterday and today I'm baking white chocolate macadamia nut and peanut butter.
I also made chicken noodle soup yesterday. It's been soup kind of weather; I'm even considering some chili!!!
I'm listening to a book on CD while I'm baking and cooking and cleaning. It's The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, who is one of my favorite authors. It's historical fiction about the US and Mexico in the 1930's and I'm completely engrossed in it. In a way, I'm sort of glad to be stuck at home because I have an excuse to be in and listen to my book.
I do keep receiving email reminders from FB about my friend's birthdays and about posts to groups that I'm part of. I haven't read the post reminders because that feels like I'm checking FB.
Wouldn't it be great to be a cat? Sleep, eat, sleep, eat all day. Of course, I would want to be a cat in my house. Or be a cat in my friends Monica's or Stacy's house.....we are all good cat parents. Being a cat in one of our houses would be my dream life.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Day 3 Social Media is.......
Day 3 of no social media.....
But what exactly is social media? Does it include blogs? Emails? Yahoo home page?
Social media generally refers to those sites that are more like a social setting where there is interaction amongst the participants. Facebook would be the granddaddy of all SM sites and probably the biggest time waster in the history of the world. Not only can one interact with people one had never actually met, one can also play worthless games and give fake, as well as real, gifts.
I never was a huge FB game player. I did the garden thing for a while, and also that bar game. But I was never a Mafia Wars or Farmville fan. I keep receiving invites to play this new Candy Crush game (or something like that....I don't pay much attention to the names) and I see the notifications that so and so reached a new high score in some game. Good grief, FB wastes enough of my time - I don't need some game to suck me in, too!!!
Yesterday, I cleaned out my pantry area. It had needed it for a LONG time, and now I'm not embarrassed for someone to use the trash can in the side of it. I also got my floor mopped, ran 3 miles, did two yoga classes, cooked dinner, and did laundry. It's amazing what can be accomplished when I'm not searching Pinterest for some new Grumpy Cat meme.
(But I do miss Grumpy Cat. She's my hero.)
I am not including blogs in my social media fast. I'm not one who reads a lot of blogs anyway and those that I do follow I don't read every day. Email is a necessity in this day and age, and because my job and my child's school communicate that way, I couldn't give that up. And the Yahoo home page is usually where I get my news and check the weather, plus it's not really interactive. My belief is that none of the above - blogs, email, and Yahoo - are social media and I will continue to use these during my month.
I did hear a guy on NPR about two weeks ago who gave the up the Internet for a year. It was an interesting idea and his review of his year was fascinating; how his life was so very different having to rely on snail mail and the old research methods of reading books (gasp!). But he did say that it wasn't realistic for most people to be able to go Internet free in this day and age. Most people who have a job or are students could not go without the Internet, especially since most communication is accomplished via email. My college kids receive grades and do homework on their school's sites, and they have so many papers to write that research would be too time consuming without Internet research. (Some classes even require Internet research.)
Social media is as far as I will go for a fast, at least for now. Giving up more may come later.....maybe I'll even go live by a pond for a year.
But what exactly is social media? Does it include blogs? Emails? Yahoo home page?
Social media generally refers to those sites that are more like a social setting where there is interaction amongst the participants. Facebook would be the granddaddy of all SM sites and probably the biggest time waster in the history of the world. Not only can one interact with people one had never actually met, one can also play worthless games and give fake, as well as real, gifts.
I never was a huge FB game player. I did the garden thing for a while, and also that bar game. But I was never a Mafia Wars or Farmville fan. I keep receiving invites to play this new Candy Crush game (or something like that....I don't pay much attention to the names) and I see the notifications that so and so reached a new high score in some game. Good grief, FB wastes enough of my time - I don't need some game to suck me in, too!!!
Yesterday, I cleaned out my pantry area. It had needed it for a LONG time, and now I'm not embarrassed for someone to use the trash can in the side of it. I also got my floor mopped, ran 3 miles, did two yoga classes, cooked dinner, and did laundry. It's amazing what can be accomplished when I'm not searching Pinterest for some new Grumpy Cat meme.
(But I do miss Grumpy Cat. She's my hero.)
I am not including blogs in my social media fast. I'm not one who reads a lot of blogs anyway and those that I do follow I don't read every day. Email is a necessity in this day and age, and because my job and my child's school communicate that way, I couldn't give that up. And the Yahoo home page is usually where I get my news and check the weather, plus it's not really interactive. My belief is that none of the above - blogs, email, and Yahoo - are social media and I will continue to use these during my month.
I did hear a guy on NPR about two weeks ago who gave the up the Internet for a year. It was an interesting idea and his review of his year was fascinating; how his life was so very different having to rely on snail mail and the old research methods of reading books (gasp!). But he did say that it wasn't realistic for most people to be able to go Internet free in this day and age. Most people who have a job or are students could not go without the Internet, especially since most communication is accomplished via email. My college kids receive grades and do homework on their school's sites, and they have so many papers to write that research would be too time consuming without Internet research. (Some classes even require Internet research.)
Social media is as far as I will go for a fast, at least for now. Giving up more may come later.....maybe I'll even go live by a pond for a year.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Day 2 - No Social Media.....
It is day 2 of my no social media month and I'm thus far experiencing no withdrawal pangs and have not had the shakes or any other adverse effects. Apparently there is life after Facebook.
Since I don't have Facebook to vent, I will start with my rant here....
It's REALLY cold again! June 2, and I'm wearing layers and sitting under a blanket because it's so stinking cold! Today is Ride the Drive in Madison, a Sunday when the city of Madison closes down many of the downtown streets and people can ride their bikes or run or whatever without fear of being hit by a car. There are all kinds of music stages and other activities set up and it's really fun. Lily and I were going to go, but I don't think it's warm enough. Right now at almost 11 AM, it's 48 degrees. And cloudy and windy. Yuck....
One bad thing about no Facebook is that I am going to be missing birthdays. Today is my sister-in-law's birthday and I'm going to have to email her...such a bother! Hahahaha!!! I know a few birthdays this month - like my BFF Monica - but I know I'll miss some and I'm sorry if I miss yours.
This is the last week of school. I am so looking forward to not fighting with Lily every morning to get her up and ready. I have a feeling she is going to get bored pretty quickly, though. She is dancing and playing softball and taking piano lessons, and she has a writing camp in August, but she likes to be busy. It's going to be a challenge to keep her engaged all summer.
I did some weeding yesterday, but it barely made a dent. With all of the rain we've had, the weeds are going nuts. And those awful helicopter seed pods are EVERYWHERE right now! UGH!!! I was hoping to get some more weeding done today. I will have to dig out the long underwear if I'm going to spend any time outside, though.....
I just realized....I hope I don't need any of my recipes from Pinterest this month....
Since I don't have Facebook to vent, I will start with my rant here....
It's REALLY cold again! June 2, and I'm wearing layers and sitting under a blanket because it's so stinking cold! Today is Ride the Drive in Madison, a Sunday when the city of Madison closes down many of the downtown streets and people can ride their bikes or run or whatever without fear of being hit by a car. There are all kinds of music stages and other activities set up and it's really fun. Lily and I were going to go, but I don't think it's warm enough. Right now at almost 11 AM, it's 48 degrees. And cloudy and windy. Yuck....
One bad thing about no Facebook is that I am going to be missing birthdays. Today is my sister-in-law's birthday and I'm going to have to email her...such a bother! Hahahaha!!! I know a few birthdays this month - like my BFF Monica - but I know I'll miss some and I'm sorry if I miss yours.
This is the last week of school. I am so looking forward to not fighting with Lily every morning to get her up and ready. I have a feeling she is going to get bored pretty quickly, though. She is dancing and playing softball and taking piano lessons, and she has a writing camp in August, but she likes to be busy. It's going to be a challenge to keep her engaged all summer.
I did some weeding yesterday, but it barely made a dent. With all of the rain we've had, the weeds are going nuts. And those awful helicopter seed pods are EVERYWHERE right now! UGH!!! I was hoping to get some more weeding done today. I will have to dig out the long underwear if I'm going to spend any time outside, though.....
I just realized....I hope I don't need any of my recipes from Pinterest this month....
Friday, May 31, 2013
A new challenge
Tomorrow is June 1 and the beginning of a new challenge. But, first a recap of the Love Your Greens challenge....
I found this to be not really a challenge and I'm kind of mad at myself for doing it. I knew it was sort of lame when I started....after whole 30, eating some greens every day wasn't really a big deal. And I already eat a lot of greens, so I didn't really need to add any.
Recipes were sent each day for a new smoothie to try and, quite honestly, most of them were pretty gross. Some of them weren't even what I would consider a smoothie, but more just juice. Drinking a green juice drink wasn't very filling, and I'm of the mindset that juice is NOT all that good for you. It spikes your blood sugar and makes you hungrier. I sort of made up my own concoctions and drank them sometimes, but mostly I just ate greens.
I don't feel any different than I did when I started the month, and I haven't increased the amount of greens I'm eating. All in all, it was pretty much a bust of a challenge. Oh well....live and learn!!
Tomorrow starts the No Social Media challenge. I don't have Instagram and I don't ever use my Twitter account, so this will be mostly a Facebook and Pinterest fast. I will continue to blog and check email, so if you want to leave a message for me on my blog or email me at helengjones88@gmail.com you can reach me that way. I will be posting my thoughts on Facebook on July 1, so you can find me then.
Until we meet again on Facebook or you find me on Pinterest, I say to you.....Namaste....
I found this to be not really a challenge and I'm kind of mad at myself for doing it. I knew it was sort of lame when I started....after whole 30, eating some greens every day wasn't really a big deal. And I already eat a lot of greens, so I didn't really need to add any.
Recipes were sent each day for a new smoothie to try and, quite honestly, most of them were pretty gross. Some of them weren't even what I would consider a smoothie, but more just juice. Drinking a green juice drink wasn't very filling, and I'm of the mindset that juice is NOT all that good for you. It spikes your blood sugar and makes you hungrier. I sort of made up my own concoctions and drank them sometimes, but mostly I just ate greens.
I don't feel any different than I did when I started the month, and I haven't increased the amount of greens I'm eating. All in all, it was pretty much a bust of a challenge. Oh well....live and learn!!
Tomorrow starts the No Social Media challenge. I don't have Instagram and I don't ever use my Twitter account, so this will be mostly a Facebook and Pinterest fast. I will continue to blog and check email, so if you want to leave a message for me on my blog or email me at helengjones88@gmail.com you can reach me that way. I will be posting my thoughts on Facebook on July 1, so you can find me then.
Until we meet again on Facebook or you find me on Pinterest, I say to you.....Namaste....
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Day 28....it's almost over
Day 28 of this month's challenge...
This month's challenge has really bitten the dust the past week. I haven't been eating many greens and I totally gave up on the smoothies. It has been so cold here in the tundra and those smoothies freeze my body. I was sitting under a blanket, shivering after drinking my frozen concoction one morning and I thought, "This is dumb. I don't even like smoothies." I found the recipes that I was getting everyday to be pretty gross....I gagged drinking one of them. So, this challenge was a complete bust.
There are only a few days left in May, which requires a decision on the next challenge. I have decided that June will be a no social media challenge, meaning no Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. I will continue to blog, but if you want to read about how I'm doing, you will have to actually go to my blog everyday as I won't be posting to FB. I don't have an Instagram account and I never use my Twitter account, so it's really just Facebook and Pinterest that are my big time suckers.
It's really cold this morning....54 and damp. It poured down rain for a couple of hours, but now that damp cold is in the air....and it's May 28. I swear it feels like October. I have packed away all of the winter clothes and coats, but I'm thinking I need to bring them all back upstairs. Maybe if I did, it would warm up.
I'm going to a Bikram sequence hot yoga class this morning to try to warm up. Then I'm going to drink some hot coffee. And if that doesn't work, I'm chucking it all and moving to Phoenix.
This month's challenge has really bitten the dust the past week. I haven't been eating many greens and I totally gave up on the smoothies. It has been so cold here in the tundra and those smoothies freeze my body. I was sitting under a blanket, shivering after drinking my frozen concoction one morning and I thought, "This is dumb. I don't even like smoothies." I found the recipes that I was getting everyday to be pretty gross....I gagged drinking one of them. So, this challenge was a complete bust.
There are only a few days left in May, which requires a decision on the next challenge. I have decided that June will be a no social media challenge, meaning no Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. I will continue to blog, but if you want to read about how I'm doing, you will have to actually go to my blog everyday as I won't be posting to FB. I don't have an Instagram account and I never use my Twitter account, so it's really just Facebook and Pinterest that are my big time suckers.
It's really cold this morning....54 and damp. It poured down rain for a couple of hours, but now that damp cold is in the air....and it's May 28. I swear it feels like October. I have packed away all of the winter clothes and coats, but I'm thinking I need to bring them all back upstairs. Maybe if I did, it would warm up.
I'm going to a Bikram sequence hot yoga class this morning to try to warm up. Then I'm going to drink some hot coffee. And if that doesn't work, I'm chucking it all and moving to Phoenix.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Day 23 Junk is everywhere
Day 23 of loving my greens.
First, I have pretty much stopped the smoothies and am just eating the greens. The smoothie recipes have been more juice than anything else lately and don't do anything for me. I need real food in the morning; drinking the smoothies have just left me hungry.
It is FREEZING here in the tundra. The low tonight is to be in the upper THIRTIES. Yes, you read that right, it's the end of May and lows are to be around 37. The high Saturday is only going to be in the 50's. I may need to dig out the winter stuff again. It's so cold and rainy, which is another reason I don't want smoothies in the morning.
This morning I was thinking about all of this healthy eating and changing our diets and I realized that food is not the only junk in my life. Junk lurks everywhere....junk mail, junk TV, junk Internet sites, junk clothing, junk movies.....you name it. While purging the junk food out of the house, I think it's time to purge all of the junk. The junk clutters up bodies and lives and daily living, and zaps energy in different ways.
I would LOVE to start with purging the junk from our home and lives by dumping the cable TV. There is truly nothing decent on TV now and it's hard to justify spending over $100 a month on something that does nothing but allow us to waste time and clutter our minds with crap. The guys in my house are the biggest sports fanatics ever and I don't know that I can get them on board with cable-less living, especially during football season. If it weren't for sports, the cable would have been gone long ago.
The next thing that I would really love to get rid of is Facebook. It's not a necessity, but I'm not sure how to keep in touch with so many people in any other way in this day and age. Again, FB is a huge time waster and there is so much junk on it now! I do think a clean up and purge of my "Likes" and friends list is in order.
Lastly, there is just too much stuff in my house. We all need to get rid of stuff. Holding on to some of it for sentimental reasons is ridiculous; it's in boxes in my basement that no one has looked at in years, so none of it can be all that important. The summer long project here is to get rid of half of all of it.
Getting rid of the junk and clutter in my life has led me to my next challenge; for June, I'm going social media free for the month. Now, as I'm blogging about my challenges, I will continue to update via blogger (and hopefully be more motivated to keep it more up to date) and I have to keep up with email as most people communicate that way these days, especially the schools. But for June there will be no Facebook, Pinterest, or any other social media. (I have a Twitter account, but I never use it.) Maybe it will go so well that I will get rid of all the Internet junk!!
First, I have pretty much stopped the smoothies and am just eating the greens. The smoothie recipes have been more juice than anything else lately and don't do anything for me. I need real food in the morning; drinking the smoothies have just left me hungry.
It is FREEZING here in the tundra. The low tonight is to be in the upper THIRTIES. Yes, you read that right, it's the end of May and lows are to be around 37. The high Saturday is only going to be in the 50's. I may need to dig out the winter stuff again. It's so cold and rainy, which is another reason I don't want smoothies in the morning.
This morning I was thinking about all of this healthy eating and changing our diets and I realized that food is not the only junk in my life. Junk lurks everywhere....junk mail, junk TV, junk Internet sites, junk clothing, junk movies.....you name it. While purging the junk food out of the house, I think it's time to purge all of the junk. The junk clutters up bodies and lives and daily living, and zaps energy in different ways.
I would LOVE to start with purging the junk from our home and lives by dumping the cable TV. There is truly nothing decent on TV now and it's hard to justify spending over $100 a month on something that does nothing but allow us to waste time and clutter our minds with crap. The guys in my house are the biggest sports fanatics ever and I don't know that I can get them on board with cable-less living, especially during football season. If it weren't for sports, the cable would have been gone long ago.
The next thing that I would really love to get rid of is Facebook. It's not a necessity, but I'm not sure how to keep in touch with so many people in any other way in this day and age. Again, FB is a huge time waster and there is so much junk on it now! I do think a clean up and purge of my "Likes" and friends list is in order.
Lastly, there is just too much stuff in my house. We all need to get rid of stuff. Holding on to some of it for sentimental reasons is ridiculous; it's in boxes in my basement that no one has looked at in years, so none of it can be all that important. The summer long project here is to get rid of half of all of it.
Getting rid of the junk and clutter in my life has led me to my next challenge; for June, I'm going social media free for the month. Now, as I'm blogging about my challenges, I will continue to update via blogger (and hopefully be more motivated to keep it more up to date) and I have to keep up with email as most people communicate that way these days, especially the schools. But for June there will be no Facebook, Pinterest, or any other social media. (I have a Twitter account, but I never use it.) Maybe it will go so well that I will get rid of all the Internet junk!!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Day 16 Greens times two and My Pintrest Addiction
Day 16
I had greens twice yesterday; once in my morning smoothie and then again for dinner last night. I almost always use spinach in smoothies because it blends better and is sweeter than other greens, so that was in the smoothie. Then I cooked kale for dinner last night using my favorite method and it was totally delish.....I would rather eat cooked greens than drink green smoothies any day!
Here is my basic recipe for kale and chard......
2 bunches of kale or chard, large stem removed and chopped (I always use organic greens)
4 or so pieces of bacon, diced
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Cook diced bacon in a large pan until beginning to crisp. Add greens and cook until wilted. Top with several shakes of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings according to your taste.
That's it! Very simple and oh so good! I have never tried other greens this way, but I suppose you could use them. Cooking times would vary, and I know that kale and chard cook quickly, so I always use those.
I have pretty much been following my own smoothie recipes for this challenge because so many of the recipes I've been sent have been disgusting. Either that or I have forgotten to get something at the store, so I just improvise. I'm looking forward to the end of the month so I don't have to drink a green smoothie every day anymore and can go back to some eggs or paleo pancakes.
Can I just bore you for a moment with my Pintrest addiction? OMG, why did I ever start visiting that site? I probably have thousands of different everything pinned already!! I have used some recipes that I found on there and a couple of craft ideas, but I probably will never get to everything I've pinned, and I just keep pinning. I feel like I need a support group, or maybe TLC can do a show on Pintrest addictions and I can be first up. I even pin really dumb things, like owl tattoos and pictures of wrinkled old people and memes with Grumpy Cat. Maybe I will do a 30 day no Pintrest challenge, although I might need therapy after about two days. I could probably spend an entire day just pinning crap and drinking tea and be completely satisfied. How sad......
And thus far, green smoothies have had no affect on the Pintrest problem. They do NOT solve everything.
I had greens twice yesterday; once in my morning smoothie and then again for dinner last night. I almost always use spinach in smoothies because it blends better and is sweeter than other greens, so that was in the smoothie. Then I cooked kale for dinner last night using my favorite method and it was totally delish.....I would rather eat cooked greens than drink green smoothies any day!
Here is my basic recipe for kale and chard......
2 bunches of kale or chard, large stem removed and chopped (I always use organic greens)
4 or so pieces of bacon, diced
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Cook diced bacon in a large pan until beginning to crisp. Add greens and cook until wilted. Top with several shakes of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings according to your taste.
That's it! Very simple and oh so good! I have never tried other greens this way, but I suppose you could use them. Cooking times would vary, and I know that kale and chard cook quickly, so I always use those.
I have pretty much been following my own smoothie recipes for this challenge because so many of the recipes I've been sent have been disgusting. Either that or I have forgotten to get something at the store, so I just improvise. I'm looking forward to the end of the month so I don't have to drink a green smoothie every day anymore and can go back to some eggs or paleo pancakes.
Can I just bore you for a moment with my Pintrest addiction? OMG, why did I ever start visiting that site? I probably have thousands of different everything pinned already!! I have used some recipes that I found on there and a couple of craft ideas, but I probably will never get to everything I've pinned, and I just keep pinning. I feel like I need a support group, or maybe TLC can do a show on Pintrest addictions and I can be first up. I even pin really dumb things, like owl tattoos and pictures of wrinkled old people and memes with Grumpy Cat. Maybe I will do a 30 day no Pintrest challenge, although I might need therapy after about two days. I could probably spend an entire day just pinning crap and drinking tea and be completely satisfied. How sad......
And thus far, green smoothies have had no affect on the Pintrest problem. They do NOT solve everything.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Day 14.....too many green smoothies?
Day 14....and more greens
I had a massage yesterday and I feel like a new person. To all of my Madison, WI area friends....go to Sacred Rhythms and get a massage. It's the best thing ever.
I got this greens dish yesterday at Whole Foods that was a bunch of different greens cooked in coconut milk and olive oil. It was one of the best greens dishes I have ever eaten! OMG, the greens were perfect - not too mushy and not too crunchy - and the flavor that the coconut milk gave them was divine. I'm going to have to play around at home and see if I can recreate them.
Yesterday there was quite the conversation on Facebook about green smoothies and if too many of them are good for you. Greens have oxalic acid which is what gives them their sort of bitter taste. Some greens, like chard and spinach, have so much oxalic acid that it interferes with calcium absorption. So, even though greens have a lot of calcium, the oxalic acid doesn't allow the body to absorb it. (http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400344/Avoid-Vegetables-with-Oxalic-Acid.html)
When cooked, the oxalic acid breaks down and allows the absorption of calcium from other foods. So, greens are great when cooked. Also, when cooked with good fats, the body can absorb all of the other wonderful minerals and vitamins in greens. However, the body cannot readily absorb the good stuff when the greens are raw. (http://holisticsquid.com/are-green-smoothies-good-for-you/).
The question is...can one drink too many green smoothies? My answer would be yes. I don't think these 30 days of drinking them are going to really hurt me, and I do eat other greens which I always cook with either bacon or olive oil. I have never been a huge fan of raw greens, and after this month, I won't be having a green smoothie every day for sure.
This information just reminds me that any diet needs to be varied and that our bodies need fats. This whole low fat/no fat thing has probably caused more damage to our bodies than any other fad. Not only do the low fat/no fat products contain all kinds of weird ingredients that we wouldn't give our dogs, we need fats in our diets to be able to absorb all of the vitamins and minerals that make us work and heal and grow and move.
I am off to cut the grass now. Hahahaha...wonder how grass would be in a green smoothie?
I had a massage yesterday and I feel like a new person. To all of my Madison, WI area friends....go to Sacred Rhythms and get a massage. It's the best thing ever.
I got this greens dish yesterday at Whole Foods that was a bunch of different greens cooked in coconut milk and olive oil. It was one of the best greens dishes I have ever eaten! OMG, the greens were perfect - not too mushy and not too crunchy - and the flavor that the coconut milk gave them was divine. I'm going to have to play around at home and see if I can recreate them.
Yesterday there was quite the conversation on Facebook about green smoothies and if too many of them are good for you. Greens have oxalic acid which is what gives them their sort of bitter taste. Some greens, like chard and spinach, have so much oxalic acid that it interferes with calcium absorption. So, even though greens have a lot of calcium, the oxalic acid doesn't allow the body to absorb it. (http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400344/Avoid-Vegetables-with-Oxalic-Acid.html)
When cooked, the oxalic acid breaks down and allows the absorption of calcium from other foods. So, greens are great when cooked. Also, when cooked with good fats, the body can absorb all of the other wonderful minerals and vitamins in greens. However, the body cannot readily absorb the good stuff when the greens are raw. (http://holisticsquid.com/are-green-smoothies-good-for-you/).
The question is...can one drink too many green smoothies? My answer would be yes. I don't think these 30 days of drinking them are going to really hurt me, and I do eat other greens which I always cook with either bacon or olive oil. I have never been a huge fan of raw greens, and after this month, I won't be having a green smoothie every day for sure.
This information just reminds me that any diet needs to be varied and that our bodies need fats. This whole low fat/no fat thing has probably caused more damage to our bodies than any other fad. Not only do the low fat/no fat products contain all kinds of weird ingredients that we wouldn't give our dogs, we need fats in our diets to be able to absorb all of the vitamins and minerals that make us work and heal and grow and move.
I am off to cut the grass now. Hahahaha...wonder how grass would be in a green smoothie?
Monday, May 13, 2013
Day 14....Where have you been, Helen?
I am a horrible blogger.
Well, that isn't completely true. During last month's challenge, I was right on top of that blog posting! I amazed myself with how often I updated. ("Pats self on back, cough, cough.")
This month I have not been as faithful and I think there are two reasons. One is that I have been much, much busier this month. Daughter two had her dance recital and daughter one was home for a weekend, the in-laws were here, I've had the carpets cleaned, and I've been trying to get the garden in. The second reason is that this Love Your Greens challenge hasn't really been much of one - a challenge, that is.
I loved greens before I began this, but I'm not a huge smoothie person. Sure, smoothies are good, and I've had my share of them. But drinking a smoothie every day isn't my thing. When I've made smoothies in the past, I pretty much always made them green with either spinach or kale, so adding greens to smoothies wasn't much a stretch for me.
But there are always lessons to be learned from anything, and thus far I have learned that I need something really challenging to keep me interested. Next month, I will up the ante and see how hard I can be on myself.
One of the many lessons I learned from the Whole30 challenge was to listen to my body. I know the cues of real hunger now, and when I need rest or water or something other than food. Since the month is over and I haven't been as strict when I've been out, I can tell when something has snuck into my food that I haven't been eating and it makes me feel horrible.
So here is my confession for the day; I have grown to hate running. I was forcing myself out that door every morning to get a run in and feeling very angry about it. It felt like a job and it was just painful to think about lacing up my shoes and forcing myself to go 5 or 8 or 10 miles. So, I listened to my body and I stopped.
I've been biking and walking and continuing with my first love, yoga, and running a quick 3 or 4 miles here and there and I feel so much better. I had decided to not do the half marathon coming up, but today I thought that I might like to walk it this time. I haven't decided yet, but it felt so freeing to know that I didn't HAVE to do it, that I don't HAVE to be out there training for it.
Oh, one other lesson from this month.....lime juice in smoothies is gross.
Well, that isn't completely true. During last month's challenge, I was right on top of that blog posting! I amazed myself with how often I updated. ("Pats self on back, cough, cough.")
This month I have not been as faithful and I think there are two reasons. One is that I have been much, much busier this month. Daughter two had her dance recital and daughter one was home for a weekend, the in-laws were here, I've had the carpets cleaned, and I've been trying to get the garden in. The second reason is that this Love Your Greens challenge hasn't really been much of one - a challenge, that is.
I loved greens before I began this, but I'm not a huge smoothie person. Sure, smoothies are good, and I've had my share of them. But drinking a smoothie every day isn't my thing. When I've made smoothies in the past, I pretty much always made them green with either spinach or kale, so adding greens to smoothies wasn't much a stretch for me.
But there are always lessons to be learned from anything, and thus far I have learned that I need something really challenging to keep me interested. Next month, I will up the ante and see how hard I can be on myself.
One of the many lessons I learned from the Whole30 challenge was to listen to my body. I know the cues of real hunger now, and when I need rest or water or something other than food. Since the month is over and I haven't been as strict when I've been out, I can tell when something has snuck into my food that I haven't been eating and it makes me feel horrible.
So here is my confession for the day; I have grown to hate running. I was forcing myself out that door every morning to get a run in and feeling very angry about it. It felt like a job and it was just painful to think about lacing up my shoes and forcing myself to go 5 or 8 or 10 miles. So, I listened to my body and I stopped.
I've been biking and walking and continuing with my first love, yoga, and running a quick 3 or 4 miles here and there and I feel so much better. I had decided to not do the half marathon coming up, but today I thought that I might like to walk it this time. I haven't decided yet, but it felt so freeing to know that I didn't HAVE to do it, that I don't HAVE to be out there training for it.
Oh, one other lesson from this month.....lime juice in smoothies is gross.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Day 5, or Cinco de Mayo
Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!
Does this mean I get tequila in my smoothie this morning?
The sun has made an appearance again, which means that I'm feeling energetic and ready to take on the day. Friday was horrible - it only managed to get to 40 and rained all day. I wanted to crawl into bed and not get out again. I had to keep telling myself that at least it wasn't snowing here and that I should be counting my blessings that I wasn't living a couple of hours north where the snow was falling at the rate of an inch an hour. Seriously.
I had a three day headache last week and felt like my insides were coming out yesterday. I don't know if it's the smoothies or the weather or if I had a "bug" of some sort. I feel much better today. Hopefully if it was some sort of green smoothie detox and it's over and now I'll feel amazing and lose 10 pounds!
Yesterday's smoothie was disgusting. The recipe called for water, greens, pineapple, ginger, the juice of half of a lime, and avocado. I substituted coconut water because I thought it would need something more than just water for flavor. The lime and ginger overpowered everything else and it was just gross. Cilantro was supposed to be in it as the super food, but mine had gone bad so I didn't use it and I'm glad I didn't; I think that would have made it worse. I did choke it down and vowed to never have that one again.
I have found that I'm not craving anything sweet with the smoothies. I usually want a banana or some raisins or something, but I haven't since this started. Other than that and the headache, I haven't noticed anything from drinking the green smoothies.
I also made Swiss chard for dinner last night. I love Swiss chard; actually, I love cooked greens, so adding more into my diet isn't hard. I would like to find some new ways to make them. I even planted some collards in my garden, although I noticed this morning that the rabbits have chewed them down to nubs. I need to get some fencing to put around the garden to keep those suckers out because I want to plant some chard and spinach, too.
As to the squats, yesterday was a rest day. I can't remember how many I'm supposed to do today. I rode my bike to yoga yesterday morning and my legs felt really strong, but I'm not sure that was from the squats or from spinning more or from running more.
Perhaps I'll save my smoothie for later and add a shot of tequila to celebrate the day. It's beautiful, so I can enjoy it on my patio later. While watching over my greens.
Does this mean I get tequila in my smoothie this morning?
The sun has made an appearance again, which means that I'm feeling energetic and ready to take on the day. Friday was horrible - it only managed to get to 40 and rained all day. I wanted to crawl into bed and not get out again. I had to keep telling myself that at least it wasn't snowing here and that I should be counting my blessings that I wasn't living a couple of hours north where the snow was falling at the rate of an inch an hour. Seriously.
I had a three day headache last week and felt like my insides were coming out yesterday. I don't know if it's the smoothies or the weather or if I had a "bug" of some sort. I feel much better today. Hopefully if it was some sort of green smoothie detox and it's over and now I'll feel amazing and lose 10 pounds!
Yesterday's smoothie was disgusting. The recipe called for water, greens, pineapple, ginger, the juice of half of a lime, and avocado. I substituted coconut water because I thought it would need something more than just water for flavor. The lime and ginger overpowered everything else and it was just gross. Cilantro was supposed to be in it as the super food, but mine had gone bad so I didn't use it and I'm glad I didn't; I think that would have made it worse. I did choke it down and vowed to never have that one again.
I have found that I'm not craving anything sweet with the smoothies. I usually want a banana or some raisins or something, but I haven't since this started. Other than that and the headache, I haven't noticed anything from drinking the green smoothies.
I also made Swiss chard for dinner last night. I love Swiss chard; actually, I love cooked greens, so adding more into my diet isn't hard. I would like to find some new ways to make them. I even planted some collards in my garden, although I noticed this morning that the rabbits have chewed them down to nubs. I need to get some fencing to put around the garden to keep those suckers out because I want to plant some chard and spinach, too.
As to the squats, yesterday was a rest day. I can't remember how many I'm supposed to do today. I rode my bike to yoga yesterday morning and my legs felt really strong, but I'm not sure that was from the squats or from spinning more or from running more.
Perhaps I'll save my smoothie for later and add a shot of tequila to celebrate the day. It's beautiful, so I can enjoy it on my patio later. While watching over my greens.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Day 3 - Love Your Greens!!
Day 3 - Orange Green Smoothie
So, I get an email every day with my green smoothie recipe in it and that is the smoothie of the day for me. I had neglected to pick up a couple of the items on my list the other day, so I had to have the same smoothie two days in a row. Not a big deal, of course, but I already feel like I failed this challenge! Today's smoothie has an orange in it. I've never put an orange in my smoothie, and I'm just wondering what the color is going to be like.
I'm definitely getting some protein powder for the smoothies today. I'll have to see if I can find some pea powder so it's paleo approved. I need more protein in my meals that I'm getting in the smoothie and I had a headache all day yesterday which I believe was from lack of protein. When I ate dinner, I felt so much better. My body must have adjusted to more protein last month and now I'm craving it.
The squats aren't really kicking in yet. I think because I do so much yoga and run, my legs are pretty strong and I haven't felt any difference. Yesterday was 55 and I'm not sure how many are today. I did a 100 squats a day challenge a couple of years ago and that wasn't too bad. I really tried to mix that one up with different types of squats and by the end of the month, I could knock out 100 squats like they were nothing.
After two beautiful days of warm temps and sun, we are back to rain and having the heat on. The high today is supposed to be 49....on May 3!!! Yikes!! I am soooooooo ready for this weather to be a distant memory. I think the feeling I had being out and about those two days must be similar to what it feels like to get out of prison. I had a 6 mile run and worked in my garden and got a sunburn. And I washed my sheets and hung them on the line to dry....heaven! Now we're hauling out the winter coats. At least it's not snow.....if we were a little farther north, we would be waking up to snow on the ground and I would be on a plane, heading for the sun and some fruity drinks. My drink wouldn't be a smoothie, but would probably contain something orange....:)
So, I get an email every day with my green smoothie recipe in it and that is the smoothie of the day for me. I had neglected to pick up a couple of the items on my list the other day, so I had to have the same smoothie two days in a row. Not a big deal, of course, but I already feel like I failed this challenge! Today's smoothie has an orange in it. I've never put an orange in my smoothie, and I'm just wondering what the color is going to be like.
I'm definitely getting some protein powder for the smoothies today. I'll have to see if I can find some pea powder so it's paleo approved. I need more protein in my meals that I'm getting in the smoothie and I had a headache all day yesterday which I believe was from lack of protein. When I ate dinner, I felt so much better. My body must have adjusted to more protein last month and now I'm craving it.
The squats aren't really kicking in yet. I think because I do so much yoga and run, my legs are pretty strong and I haven't felt any difference. Yesterday was 55 and I'm not sure how many are today. I did a 100 squats a day challenge a couple of years ago and that wasn't too bad. I really tried to mix that one up with different types of squats and by the end of the month, I could knock out 100 squats like they were nothing.
After two beautiful days of warm temps and sun, we are back to rain and having the heat on. The high today is supposed to be 49....on May 3!!! Yikes!! I am soooooooo ready for this weather to be a distant memory. I think the feeling I had being out and about those two days must be similar to what it feels like to get out of prison. I had a 6 mile run and worked in my garden and got a sunburn. And I washed my sheets and hung them on the line to dry....heaven! Now we're hauling out the winter coats. At least it's not snow.....if we were a little farther north, we would be waking up to snow on the ground and I would be on a plane, heading for the sun and some fruity drinks. My drink wouldn't be a smoothie, but would probably contain something orange....:)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The end and the beginning
I DID IT!!!
The Whole30 is over and I did it! I made it through the month and I want to shout it to the world!
I unfortunately did not finish strong. This is picture week at the dance school where I work and trying to have any food for dinner has been impossible because it's non stop moving people and getting them changed and selling tights and selling shoes..... Last night I got to eat a banana and then came home and there was nothing prepared so I ate coconut, raisins, and nuts. Not the best, but not the worst.
So, what did the Whole30 teach me? How do I apply this to my life and my family's life in a positive way?
1) I need to eat a big, protein filled breakfast. When I do that, I eat way less during the day, and I don't crave anything sweet.
2) I need to be more organized and prepare food to have on hand for nights like last night.
3) We actually save money eating this way because we're not buying junk or eating out.
4) I am way more productive when I'm not having a nightly glass of wine.
5) I'm a pretty badass middle aged mom. :)
I'm not planning on reintroducing any new foods immediately. We have this health risk assessment at Mr. Helen's company in a couple of weeks. Plus, I feel so good, I don't want it to end!! If and when I do try something that was on the no list, I will let you know.
AND NOW, THE BEGINNING.....
Today begins the next challenge! And it is the Love Your Greens 30 day challenge.....ta da!!!!
For the next 30 days, I will have a green smoothie each day, and just eating more greens overall. Also, I am to try at least one new green this month. This challenge came to me via The Unconventional Kitchen via 100 Days of Real Food. I am joining some people from across the country who will be incorporating more greens into our diets this month.
I do love greens and we eat them often. I think the only green I haven't had are beet greens. Oh, and dandelion greens. Kale, chard, spinach, and bok choy are some of my favorites, and I've had mustard and collards.
Recipes for the smoothies come in my email every morning. I can have the smoothies at any time of the day, so I'm probably either going to do mine for lunch or dinner. Remember lesson number one from the last challenge? I need that protein for breakfast!!!
In addition to the Love Your Greens challenge, I'm also doing the Squat Challenge. It's just a series of squats every day. I'm running a half marathon at the end of the month and I'm hoping this helps my running. It's a two-fer month!
So join me now as I turn my family green and squat my way to better running.
The Whole30 is over and I did it! I made it through the month and I want to shout it to the world!
I unfortunately did not finish strong. This is picture week at the dance school where I work and trying to have any food for dinner has been impossible because it's non stop moving people and getting them changed and selling tights and selling shoes..... Last night I got to eat a banana and then came home and there was nothing prepared so I ate coconut, raisins, and nuts. Not the best, but not the worst.
So, what did the Whole30 teach me? How do I apply this to my life and my family's life in a positive way?
1) I need to eat a big, protein filled breakfast. When I do that, I eat way less during the day, and I don't crave anything sweet.
2) I need to be more organized and prepare food to have on hand for nights like last night.
3) We actually save money eating this way because we're not buying junk or eating out.
4) I am way more productive when I'm not having a nightly glass of wine.
5) I'm a pretty badass middle aged mom. :)
I'm not planning on reintroducing any new foods immediately. We have this health risk assessment at Mr. Helen's company in a couple of weeks. Plus, I feel so good, I don't want it to end!! If and when I do try something that was on the no list, I will let you know.
AND NOW, THE BEGINNING.....
Today begins the next challenge! And it is the Love Your Greens 30 day challenge.....ta da!!!!
For the next 30 days, I will have a green smoothie each day, and just eating more greens overall. Also, I am to try at least one new green this month. This challenge came to me via The Unconventional Kitchen via 100 Days of Real Food. I am joining some people from across the country who will be incorporating more greens into our diets this month.
I do love greens and we eat them often. I think the only green I haven't had are beet greens. Oh, and dandelion greens. Kale, chard, spinach, and bok choy are some of my favorites, and I've had mustard and collards.
Recipes for the smoothies come in my email every morning. I can have the smoothies at any time of the day, so I'm probably either going to do mine for lunch or dinner. Remember lesson number one from the last challenge? I need that protein for breakfast!!!
In addition to the Love Your Greens challenge, I'm also doing the Squat Challenge. It's just a series of squats every day. I'm running a half marathon at the end of the month and I'm hoping this helps my running. It's a two-fer month!
So join me now as I turn my family green and squat my way to better running.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Day 28 The last yoga session
Day 28......
Yesterday was the last yoga session with my Rockstars at Dragonfly. It was an awesome class and Katie pampered us with cool, lavender scented towels and peppermint foot spray at the end. It was an amazing end to an amazing class and amazing journey. I now want peppermint foot spray for every savasana!!!
I was gone ALL day yesterday....went on a run, had dance team and bow making most of the morning, yoga, shopped for birthday gifts, went to a birthday party. Oh, and we cleaned out the garage. We decided to go out to eat and the place we wanted to go was full, so we ended up at Pasqual's, a Mexican place. Now, most Mexican places have some meals with no tortillas, but the ONLY thing at Pasqual's that I could eat was fajitas with no beans, rice, or tortillas. They were actually very good and I am still feeling full!
But I was almost angry that I couldn't have a margarita. I really, REALLY wanted a margarita! It was a fairly warm day yesterday, Pasqual's has awesome margaritas, and the fact that I couldn't have one made me want one even more.
The tortillas, beans, rice, sour cream, and cheese didn't tempt me at all. I haven't missed those foods this month. And instead of feeling overly full and bloated after my meal last night, I felt comfortably full and good.
As I see the end coming, I feel almost afraid; I won't have the cover of the group or the excuse of the challenge to keep on the program, and I hope I make good decisions. I'm determined to keep it up - I hope I can stay strong!!
Yesterday was the last yoga session with my Rockstars at Dragonfly. It was an awesome class and Katie pampered us with cool, lavender scented towels and peppermint foot spray at the end. It was an amazing end to an amazing class and amazing journey. I now want peppermint foot spray for every savasana!!!
I was gone ALL day yesterday....went on a run, had dance team and bow making most of the morning, yoga, shopped for birthday gifts, went to a birthday party. Oh, and we cleaned out the garage. We decided to go out to eat and the place we wanted to go was full, so we ended up at Pasqual's, a Mexican place. Now, most Mexican places have some meals with no tortillas, but the ONLY thing at Pasqual's that I could eat was fajitas with no beans, rice, or tortillas. They were actually very good and I am still feeling full!
But I was almost angry that I couldn't have a margarita. I really, REALLY wanted a margarita! It was a fairly warm day yesterday, Pasqual's has awesome margaritas, and the fact that I couldn't have one made me want one even more.
The tortillas, beans, rice, sour cream, and cheese didn't tempt me at all. I haven't missed those foods this month. And instead of feeling overly full and bloated after my meal last night, I felt comfortably full and good.
As I see the end coming, I feel almost afraid; I won't have the cover of the group or the excuse of the challenge to keep on the program, and I hope I make good decisions. I'm determined to keep it up - I hope I can stay strong!!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Day 27 Is this the end?
Day 27 Only 3 days to go
I cannot believe how quickly these 27 days have flown by. Yes, it's almost the end of the challenge, but really the beginning of something else.
First, new lesson learned this week; nuts are hard on my digestion. Katie challenged us this week to not eat nuts and limit fruit to one meal. I accepted that challenge and it was going great until yesterday. I had not eaten breakfast yet as I was going to run and as I was getting dressed, my phone rang. A friend had locked her keys in her car and was asking if I could get her spare set from her house and bring them to her in Cottage Grove, about 30 minutes from here. Of course, if I can do something for someone, I'm going to do it, so I changed and got ready to leave. But I was super hungry and knew that it would be a while before I could eat and I didn't have time to properly prepare something, so I grabbed a banana, slathered it with almond butter, and ran out the door.
I got home and was still hungry and didn't have time to run because I was meeting a friend for a yoga class downtown and then having lunch, so I ate some more nuts with some fruit. Actually, I ate quite a few nuts. And then I paid for it all day!!! My stomach was churning and gurgling and making noises and giving me all kinds of discomfort. So now I know that I must really limit the nuts.
But I never would have known that had Katie not offered that challenge and I hadn't tried.
Another lesson learned this month is that the grains and dairy I was eating before was leaving me bloated most of the time and having some severe digestion issues. This new way of eating always gives me energy and leaves me feeling full, but not overly full and bloated and sleepy.
Even though the challenge is ending, it will NOT be the end of a healthy way of eating and my new relationship with food. This is just the beginning....the beginning of many days of feeling healthy and fit and having the energy to do all of the things I want to do as I enter this new stage of my life.
PS - Oh, another thing - I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a long time yesterday at a yoga class. She said to me, "Wow, you look so fit!" That was the best compliment I have ever received!!!
I cannot believe how quickly these 27 days have flown by. Yes, it's almost the end of the challenge, but really the beginning of something else.
First, new lesson learned this week; nuts are hard on my digestion. Katie challenged us this week to not eat nuts and limit fruit to one meal. I accepted that challenge and it was going great until yesterday. I had not eaten breakfast yet as I was going to run and as I was getting dressed, my phone rang. A friend had locked her keys in her car and was asking if I could get her spare set from her house and bring them to her in Cottage Grove, about 30 minutes from here. Of course, if I can do something for someone, I'm going to do it, so I changed and got ready to leave. But I was super hungry and knew that it would be a while before I could eat and I didn't have time to properly prepare something, so I grabbed a banana, slathered it with almond butter, and ran out the door.
I got home and was still hungry and didn't have time to run because I was meeting a friend for a yoga class downtown and then having lunch, so I ate some more nuts with some fruit. Actually, I ate quite a few nuts. And then I paid for it all day!!! My stomach was churning and gurgling and making noises and giving me all kinds of discomfort. So now I know that I must really limit the nuts.
But I never would have known that had Katie not offered that challenge and I hadn't tried.
Another lesson learned this month is that the grains and dairy I was eating before was leaving me bloated most of the time and having some severe digestion issues. This new way of eating always gives me energy and leaves me feeling full, but not overly full and bloated and sleepy.
Even though the challenge is ending, it will NOT be the end of a healthy way of eating and my new relationship with food. This is just the beginning....the beginning of many days of feeling healthy and fit and having the energy to do all of the things I want to do as I enter this new stage of my life.
PS - Oh, another thing - I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a long time yesterday at a yoga class. She said to me, "Wow, you look so fit!" That was the best compliment I have ever received!!!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Day 25
Day 25 - And the sun continues to shine
Thankfully the sun is out again today and is supposed to continue to shine for the next several days! It feels as if we all got pardoned and can finally relax.
One lesson I've learned this past month is that the weather has a real affect on my hunger and what I want to eat. It's been a TERRIBLE month as far as weather goes - so cold and cloudy and rainy. On the few sunny and warm days that we have had, I haven't been all that hungry or had many food cravings. On those nasty days, I want to curl up on the couch with food, and I'm not talking about fish and vegetables.
This week I have noticed that I am sleeping less, but sleeping better. I have been up before my alarm every day and going to bed at pretty much the same time. I'm not tired at all during the day, and I have tons of energy that I didn't have before. Last weekend, I noticed that I was waking up much earlier than usual and wasn't feeling like I needed that Sunday nap.
But the best, most fantastic, exciting event of the month happened yesterday when I got dressed for work....I was able to get into a pair of jeans I couldn't wear when the month started. A smaller size. And they weren't tight! Yes, in just 25 days, my body has changed that much.
There are only 5 days left of this challenge and I'm already looking ahead to what my eating habits will be on May 1. The annual health risk assessment for the insurance at my husband's company is May 17, so I am sticking with the program completely until then, just to see what the changes have been. After that, I don't know. I'm feeling so good that I want to keep a majority of the new habits, but I will probably have non-Whole30 treat or meal every now and then. It's going to happen. But I'm hoping this month has taught me that I can feel amazing just by making good food choices and that I can get right back on board.
Now, to enjoy that sunshine.....
Thankfully the sun is out again today and is supposed to continue to shine for the next several days! It feels as if we all got pardoned and can finally relax.
One lesson I've learned this past month is that the weather has a real affect on my hunger and what I want to eat. It's been a TERRIBLE month as far as weather goes - so cold and cloudy and rainy. On the few sunny and warm days that we have had, I haven't been all that hungry or had many food cravings. On those nasty days, I want to curl up on the couch with food, and I'm not talking about fish and vegetables.
This week I have noticed that I am sleeping less, but sleeping better. I have been up before my alarm every day and going to bed at pretty much the same time. I'm not tired at all during the day, and I have tons of energy that I didn't have before. Last weekend, I noticed that I was waking up much earlier than usual and wasn't feeling like I needed that Sunday nap.
But the best, most fantastic, exciting event of the month happened yesterday when I got dressed for work....I was able to get into a pair of jeans I couldn't wear when the month started. A smaller size. And they weren't tight! Yes, in just 25 days, my body has changed that much.
There are only 5 days left of this challenge and I'm already looking ahead to what my eating habits will be on May 1. The annual health risk assessment for the insurance at my husband's company is May 17, so I am sticking with the program completely until then, just to see what the changes have been. After that, I don't know. I'm feeling so good that I want to keep a majority of the new habits, but I will probably have non-Whole30 treat or meal every now and then. It's going to happen. But I'm hoping this month has taught me that I can feel amazing just by making good food choices and that I can get right back on board.
Now, to enjoy that sunshine.....
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Day 23 - Only one week left!
This is it....the LAST WEEK!!! Did we really come this far, fellow Rockstars?
Today was a tough day....I'm not gonna lie. First, it's freezing! It's like a day in November instead of the end of April. It's been cloudy, windy, rainy, and in the 30's today and that was very hard to endure after the beautiful sun and 65 yesterday. Second, I had to chaperon a field trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center with all of the third grade at my daughter's school, which included being outside in this cold and riding a bus with all 66 third graders. I also helped in Lily's class this morning, did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, did a Spinning class at 5:30 this morning, and worked. I'm exhausted.
And I was HUNGRY this afternoon! I may turn orange from all of the carrots I have eaten.
So, the lesson for today is that I need to eat more slowly. Usually, this isn't really a problem for me, but I had to eat my breakfast really quickly to get my girl to school on time and after my class and shower, and then we had very little time to eat after the field trip. I felt like I didn't even taste anything and it was just unpleasant. It actually made me kind of angry!
Also, the importance of early week preparation really hit home. I was so busy that I didn't have much time to cook today, but that was OK because I had a pot of chili in the fridge that I made up on Sunday. All I had to do was heat it up and dinner was ready!!! Yay for being prepared!!
This was some really delicious, filling chili and perfect for this raw, cold day. It is made with ground lamb, so the flavor is very different, but really warming. I found it on the Foodee Project website, but it's from a site called The Paleo Periodical. If you are looking for something different, give it a try!!
http://paleoperiodical.com/2013/01/08/recipe-lamb-and-olive-chili/
One week from tomorrow, I'm going to have a glass of wine. Just one, and then that is it for a while, but I really want one perfect, glorious, delicious glass of red wine!
Today was a tough day....I'm not gonna lie. First, it's freezing! It's like a day in November instead of the end of April. It's been cloudy, windy, rainy, and in the 30's today and that was very hard to endure after the beautiful sun and 65 yesterday. Second, I had to chaperon a field trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center with all of the third grade at my daughter's school, which included being outside in this cold and riding a bus with all 66 third graders. I also helped in Lily's class this morning, did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, did a Spinning class at 5:30 this morning, and worked. I'm exhausted.
And I was HUNGRY this afternoon! I may turn orange from all of the carrots I have eaten.
So, the lesson for today is that I need to eat more slowly. Usually, this isn't really a problem for me, but I had to eat my breakfast really quickly to get my girl to school on time and after my class and shower, and then we had very little time to eat after the field trip. I felt like I didn't even taste anything and it was just unpleasant. It actually made me kind of angry!
Also, the importance of early week preparation really hit home. I was so busy that I didn't have much time to cook today, but that was OK because I had a pot of chili in the fridge that I made up on Sunday. All I had to do was heat it up and dinner was ready!!! Yay for being prepared!!
This was some really delicious, filling chili and perfect for this raw, cold day. It is made with ground lamb, so the flavor is very different, but really warming. I found it on the Foodee Project website, but it's from a site called The Paleo Periodical. If you are looking for something different, give it a try!!
http://paleoperiodical.com/2013/01/08/recipe-lamb-and-olive-chili/
One week from tomorrow, I'm going to have a glass of wine. Just one, and then that is it for a while, but I really want one perfect, glorious, delicious glass of red wine!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Day 22 - The Home Stretch
Here it is....Day 22. We are in the home stretch of this challenge, kids.
Only eight days left. And Miss Katie, our ever optimistic leader, has issued yet a challenge within this challenge; no nuts for the rest of our time and fruit only with breakfast. The gauntlet has been thrown and I am up to the task!!!
I will admit to probably eating too many nuts, and maybe too much fruit. I tried to keep my fruit consumption down to just twice a day and only with a protein, but I wasn't always diligent about it. I made it through yesterday, and I only have 8 more days to go, so I KNOW I can do this.
Nuts and fruit are not bad and are totally allowed on Whole30. The problem is that nuts are high in fat and are difficult on the digestive system for some of us. Fruit is wonderful with many of the vitamins we need and lots of fiber. The problem with fruit is that it has A LOT of sugar. It's natural sugar, but sugar nonetheless and can cause a spike in our blood sugar. Psychologically, it can become a crutch and takes the place of our something sweet in the afternoon or the sweet snacks we turn to. Giving up the nuts and fruit for even a short period of time can help us to reset our needs and learn to cope with our stress, boredom, or "sweet fix" in a different way.
I made this awesome dinner last night and it was so easy!!! I found this recipe for One Pot Mustard and Lemon Chicken with Carrots on The Foodee Project from Crankin' The Kitchen. (http://crankingkitchen.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/one-pot-mustard-and-lemon-chicken/) I steamed some asparagus to go with it and it was a huge hit with the family! There is quite a bit left over for us to enjoy for lunch or our leftover night on Thursdays.
The sun is out, it's not raining, and it's above 40 for a change, so I'm biking to yoga and then going for a short, 3 mile run when I get home. The weather looks to be pretty nice this week which means I will actually be able to run outside! I may be ready for that half marathon next month after all....
Only eight days left. And Miss Katie, our ever optimistic leader, has issued yet a challenge within this challenge; no nuts for the rest of our time and fruit only with breakfast. The gauntlet has been thrown and I am up to the task!!!
I will admit to probably eating too many nuts, and maybe too much fruit. I tried to keep my fruit consumption down to just twice a day and only with a protein, but I wasn't always diligent about it. I made it through yesterday, and I only have 8 more days to go, so I KNOW I can do this.
Nuts and fruit are not bad and are totally allowed on Whole30. The problem is that nuts are high in fat and are difficult on the digestive system for some of us. Fruit is wonderful with many of the vitamins we need and lots of fiber. The problem with fruit is that it has A LOT of sugar. It's natural sugar, but sugar nonetheless and can cause a spike in our blood sugar. Psychologically, it can become a crutch and takes the place of our something sweet in the afternoon or the sweet snacks we turn to. Giving up the nuts and fruit for even a short period of time can help us to reset our needs and learn to cope with our stress, boredom, or "sweet fix" in a different way.
I made this awesome dinner last night and it was so easy!!! I found this recipe for One Pot Mustard and Lemon Chicken with Carrots on The Foodee Project from Crankin' The Kitchen. (http://crankingkitchen.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/one-pot-mustard-and-lemon-chicken/) I steamed some asparagus to go with it and it was a huge hit with the family! There is quite a bit left over for us to enjoy for lunch or our leftover night on Thursdays.
The sun is out, it's not raining, and it's above 40 for a change, so I'm biking to yoga and then going for a short, 3 mile run when I get home. The weather looks to be pretty nice this week which means I will actually be able to run outside! I may be ready for that half marathon next month after all....
Friday, April 19, 2013
Day 19 - And it snows....
Day 19 And it snows......
Seriously, could I have picked a WORSE month to do this challenge? I'm so depressed by this weather and I can't turn to my usual suspects to get me through. (Um, that would be wine and chocolate.)
OK, after reading that, I guess this is the BEST month to do this because now I have to find new ways to deal with depressing and stressful situations. Although I would rather be out running or taking a walk to relieve stress than having to run on the treadmill yet again....but that's another story.
Yesterday I was SOOOOOOO hungry! All day. Like, I could have eaten fish and veggies all day type hungry. It was the real, physical, my stomach is growling and I feel weak hunger. So what did I do? I ate! I ate good food, but I honored that hunger and ate. I waited it out to see if it was real and hunger and deciding that it was, I ate.
Before this challenge, I would not have eaten. I would have been cranky and suffered and made myself starve because that is what I have learned. I also would, at this point, be frantically counting calories and fat grams and weighing myself and obsessing over every morsel I consumed and how much weight I would gain from eating. That, my friends, is NOT healthy.
The past 19 days I have found myself really listening to my body and trying to learn what true hunger is, what food really tastes like, when I'm feeling a need to rest and take a break from a workout, when I'm just being lazy, when I need sleep, when I need to take a deep breath and relax.
In the busyness of life and the drive to be perfect, I lost my ability to understand what I need and what my body needs. Slowing down, really enjoying my food, not pushing myself with longer and faster runs, being still in a yoga pose have made me realize how crazy my life has become. Katie reminded us yesterday that it's OK to say no - no to food, to a favor, to a job, to a new commitment. I'm beginning to make some changes in my life and it feels really good!!!
So, even though it's April 19 and snowing, I will be ok. It will stop. I will see the sun again.
Seriously, could I have picked a WORSE month to do this challenge? I'm so depressed by this weather and I can't turn to my usual suspects to get me through. (Um, that would be wine and chocolate.)
OK, after reading that, I guess this is the BEST month to do this because now I have to find new ways to deal with depressing and stressful situations. Although I would rather be out running or taking a walk to relieve stress than having to run on the treadmill yet again....but that's another story.
Yesterday I was SOOOOOOO hungry! All day. Like, I could have eaten fish and veggies all day type hungry. It was the real, physical, my stomach is growling and I feel weak hunger. So what did I do? I ate! I ate good food, but I honored that hunger and ate. I waited it out to see if it was real and hunger and deciding that it was, I ate.
Before this challenge, I would not have eaten. I would have been cranky and suffered and made myself starve because that is what I have learned. I also would, at this point, be frantically counting calories and fat grams and weighing myself and obsessing over every morsel I consumed and how much weight I would gain from eating. That, my friends, is NOT healthy.
The past 19 days I have found myself really listening to my body and trying to learn what true hunger is, what food really tastes like, when I'm feeling a need to rest and take a break from a workout, when I'm just being lazy, when I need sleep, when I need to take a deep breath and relax.
In the busyness of life and the drive to be perfect, I lost my ability to understand what I need and what my body needs. Slowing down, really enjoying my food, not pushing myself with longer and faster runs, being still in a yoga pose have made me realize how crazy my life has become. Katie reminded us yesterday that it's OK to say no - no to food, to a favor, to a job, to a new commitment. I'm beginning to make some changes in my life and it feels really good!!!
So, even though it's April 19 and snowing, I will be ok. It will stop. I will see the sun again.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Day 18 Shall I build an ark?
I can't remember what it's like to have a day with no rain. It's rained every day for at least the past week, maybe longer. And it's cold. It's depressing.
I've noticed that my fellow Whole30 challengers are beginning to feel stressed and tempted. The posts in our Facebook group have been about how difficult these days have been for them and I am right there myself! I've noticed that everywhere I go, people are a little more cranky and impatient, I hear of headaches and coughs, and it's been difficult to get my kids out of bed. It's depressing, and it makes me want to hunker down and eat gooey food.
One would think that by day 18, it would be easier, but this mid point is just as difficult as those early days. I feel better physically, but I seem to be more tempted and have more cravings. I keep telling myself that it will pass and eat more celery. What am I craving? Mostly wine! I think some of that is from the habit I had developed of having a glass (or more) most evenings after work. And I would love to have a muffin some morning; not a typical muffin, but one with almond flour and honey.
I think some of the cravings are really a craving for being outside and getting some sun. If I could get out and take a walk or start my garden, I really believe that I wouldn't even be thinking about food. I've always known that I have some issues with seasonal depression and how the sun affects my mood, but I'm feeling it more strongly right now.
All of these are good lessons. Learning how food affects me, my moods, my life will help me to make better choices for myself and my family. Learning to find ways to deal with times of stress and the weather related blues in something other than food and wine is hard, but so worth it in the long run.
I can't remember what it's like to have a day with no rain. It's rained every day for at least the past week, maybe longer. And it's cold. It's depressing.
I've noticed that my fellow Whole30 challengers are beginning to feel stressed and tempted. The posts in our Facebook group have been about how difficult these days have been for them and I am right there myself! I've noticed that everywhere I go, people are a little more cranky and impatient, I hear of headaches and coughs, and it's been difficult to get my kids out of bed. It's depressing, and it makes me want to hunker down and eat gooey food.
One would think that by day 18, it would be easier, but this mid point is just as difficult as those early days. I feel better physically, but I seem to be more tempted and have more cravings. I keep telling myself that it will pass and eat more celery. What am I craving? Mostly wine! I think some of that is from the habit I had developed of having a glass (or more) most evenings after work. And I would love to have a muffin some morning; not a typical muffin, but one with almond flour and honey.
I think some of the cravings are really a craving for being outside and getting some sun. If I could get out and take a walk or start my garden, I really believe that I wouldn't even be thinking about food. I've always known that I have some issues with seasonal depression and how the sun affects my mood, but I'm feeling it more strongly right now.
All of these are good lessons. Learning how food affects me, my moods, my life will help me to make better choices for myself and my family. Learning to find ways to deal with times of stress and the weather related blues in something other than food and wine is hard, but so worth it in the long run.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Day 10 and a couple of lessons learned
First......HELLO DAY 10!!!!
One third down, two-thirds of the challenge left. The last 10 days have been eye opening for me and I've already learned quite a bit about my body, my needs, and wasting time.
So, about those lessons learned.....number one is I need to eat a big breakfast. I was in a hurry yesterday morning; I had to help in the 3rd grader's class and I had baked muffins because we had a house guest and wanted to have a little something different for them. I looked at the clock and realized that I was running out of time AND I had not eaten, so I threw half a banana, some berries, some walnuts, and some coconut in a bowl and ate that. By the time lunch rolled around, I was starving. I was pretty much hungry all day!!! And you know that "I could eat fish and veggies" criteria for hunger? Well, yes, I could have eaten fish and veggies if I had any fish in the house.
So after yoga today, I will definitely be eating something more substantial and filling than fruit and nuts. I'm sure that the handful of nuts on the fruit wasn't nearly enough protein and that I overloaded my body with sugar/carbs from the fruit. Lesson learned.
Another thing I learned....I need more sleep. I've been going to bed around 10 or 10:30 every night since the challenge began and waking up at my usual 6 am. My pre-challenge bedtime? Oh, around midnight, sometimes 12:30. No wonder I was always cranky and hungry!!! I really need those eight hours of sleep and I'm trying to make it a point to get into bed by 10. It makes a huge difference in my day and I've also noticed that I don't have any cravings when I get adequate sleep. I've read about this for years, but I'm stubborn and don't want to take advice. Ok...second lesson learned.
Finally, I was drinking entirely too much wine. That nightly glass of wine was my best friend. Truthfully, some nights it was more like 3 or 4 glasses. But all of that wine was interrupting my sleep patterns, making me fat, and causing me to waste time. Instead of drinking a glass (or more) after work now, I've been reading and knitting and ironing and prepping food for the next day. It's amazing how much more productive I've been! Now, after the challenge is over, I'm sure I will still have an occasional glass with friends or for a special dinner, but one glass will be it from now on. I don't like mixed drinks and beer upsets my stomach, so only wine for me.
Now off to yoga and then to my good breakfast!!!
One third down, two-thirds of the challenge left. The last 10 days have been eye opening for me and I've already learned quite a bit about my body, my needs, and wasting time.
So, about those lessons learned.....number one is I need to eat a big breakfast. I was in a hurry yesterday morning; I had to help in the 3rd grader's class and I had baked muffins because we had a house guest and wanted to have a little something different for them. I looked at the clock and realized that I was running out of time AND I had not eaten, so I threw half a banana, some berries, some walnuts, and some coconut in a bowl and ate that. By the time lunch rolled around, I was starving. I was pretty much hungry all day!!! And you know that "I could eat fish and veggies" criteria for hunger? Well, yes, I could have eaten fish and veggies if I had any fish in the house.
So after yoga today, I will definitely be eating something more substantial and filling than fruit and nuts. I'm sure that the handful of nuts on the fruit wasn't nearly enough protein and that I overloaded my body with sugar/carbs from the fruit. Lesson learned.
Another thing I learned....I need more sleep. I've been going to bed around 10 or 10:30 every night since the challenge began and waking up at my usual 6 am. My pre-challenge bedtime? Oh, around midnight, sometimes 12:30. No wonder I was always cranky and hungry!!! I really need those eight hours of sleep and I'm trying to make it a point to get into bed by 10. It makes a huge difference in my day and I've also noticed that I don't have any cravings when I get adequate sleep. I've read about this for years, but I'm stubborn and don't want to take advice. Ok...second lesson learned.
Finally, I was drinking entirely too much wine. That nightly glass of wine was my best friend. Truthfully, some nights it was more like 3 or 4 glasses. But all of that wine was interrupting my sleep patterns, making me fat, and causing me to waste time. Instead of drinking a glass (or more) after work now, I've been reading and knitting and ironing and prepping food for the next day. It's amazing how much more productive I've been! Now, after the challenge is over, I'm sure I will still have an occasional glass with friends or for a special dinner, but one glass will be it from now on. I don't like mixed drinks and beer upsets my stomach, so only wine for me.
Now off to yoga and then to my good breakfast!!!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
DAY 7!!! One whole WEEK down!!
Wow!!! It's been an incredible seven days on this challenge now and I am feeling really good today!! It's sunny, which is a tremendous help, and I got nearly nine hours of sleep last night, which NEVER happens. I'm not cranky or hungry or shaky this morning, and I seem to have quite a bit of energy.
Yesterday was the first yoga/meditation class that is part of this challenge. The lovely miss Katie Hill (http://www.katie-hill.com) our fabulous coach and constant cheerleader, led us through a series of sun salutations, poses, and lots of twists that felt so good in that hot room. Some of the group had never been to a yoga class before and some had never been to a hot yoga class before. They all did such a great job and really hung it....it was awesome!!!
After class we had a time of sharing and asking questions and giving tips. It was so nice to hear the other runners in the room talk about how difficult it had been for them to run last week. All of us had the same experience....that "my legs are like lead" feeling. One person said that he went out for a 4 mile run and had to walk most of it.
So after some coffee and reading the paper, I decided that I would try another short run this morning. It was great! I didn't feel as though I was running through mud and made my 3 miles in good shape and good time. I may actually make that half marathon next month.
I have steaks out defrosting for dinner tonight. Because it's finally fairly warm AND this is the only nice day we are supposed to have this week, we are going to grill out!!! I also plan on doing some cooking prep for the week. I've got my menu planned and my food in the fridge.....time to chop and do some cooking.
Because it was a late morning, I had brunch around 11. I made a scramble with onion, leftover spaghetti squash, spinach, a chicken sausage, and eggs. I added some salt and pepper and a little marjoram and thyme. It was delicious!!! Mr. Helen had a bite and said it was great, but I didn't share...hahaha!! There were some berries about to go bad in the fridge, so I had those and some coffee. Very good and filling!!!
Lily had a friend spend the night and they wanted donuts this morning. That box sitting there hasn't even tempted me, and I do LOVE donuts. Actually, the only thing that is tempting me right now is bananas. I want to eat an entire bunch. How boring is that?
Wow!!! It's been an incredible seven days on this challenge now and I am feeling really good today!! It's sunny, which is a tremendous help, and I got nearly nine hours of sleep last night, which NEVER happens. I'm not cranky or hungry or shaky this morning, and I seem to have quite a bit of energy.
Yesterday was the first yoga/meditation class that is part of this challenge. The lovely miss Katie Hill (http://www.katie-hill.com) our fabulous coach and constant cheerleader, led us through a series of sun salutations, poses, and lots of twists that felt so good in that hot room. Some of the group had never been to a yoga class before and some had never been to a hot yoga class before. They all did such a great job and really hung it....it was awesome!!!
After class we had a time of sharing and asking questions and giving tips. It was so nice to hear the other runners in the room talk about how difficult it had been for them to run last week. All of us had the same experience....that "my legs are like lead" feeling. One person said that he went out for a 4 mile run and had to walk most of it.
So after some coffee and reading the paper, I decided that I would try another short run this morning. It was great! I didn't feel as though I was running through mud and made my 3 miles in good shape and good time. I may actually make that half marathon next month.
I have steaks out defrosting for dinner tonight. Because it's finally fairly warm AND this is the only nice day we are supposed to have this week, we are going to grill out!!! I also plan on doing some cooking prep for the week. I've got my menu planned and my food in the fridge.....time to chop and do some cooking.
Because it was a late morning, I had brunch around 11. I made a scramble with onion, leftover spaghetti squash, spinach, a chicken sausage, and eggs. I added some salt and pepper and a little marjoram and thyme. It was delicious!!! Mr. Helen had a bite and said it was great, but I didn't share...hahaha!! There were some berries about to go bad in the fridge, so I had those and some coffee. Very good and filling!!!
Lily had a friend spend the night and they wanted donuts this morning. That box sitting there hasn't even tempted me, and I do LOVE donuts. Actually, the only thing that is tempting me right now is bananas. I want to eat an entire bunch. How boring is that?
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Hello, Day 6!!
I can't believe the first week of this challenge is almost over. It hasn't been an easy week and I have definitely felt some detox results, but I have also won some battles against cravings and negative feelings. And I haven't stepped on the scale once.
I have attempted this challenge before. The Whole30 program is available online and in the book "It Starts With Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. I first found it last fall after doing some research on the Paleo diet and reading the book "Wheat Belly." Both books make a very convincing case against the consumption of grains with pretty solid science. "Wheat Belly" is written by a cardiologist, Dr. William Davis, and he has been very successful treating heart patients with a diet of no grains. That caught my attention - there is a connection with the over consumption of grains and heart disease!
Both diets strictly forbid sugar, also. No one needs a scientific study to know that sugar is bad....artificial sweeteners are just as bad. Well, anything artificial is bad, and our bodies don't recognize it as food.
The problem with grains is the inflammation they cause in the body. When the body is in a constant state of inflammation, disease occurs. It's like a cut that never heals. That cut will eventually get infected and disgusting and it will take drastic measures to try to heal it. That's our bodies on grains....a cut that never heals.
Anyway, I was NOT successful doing Whole30 on my own. It's not an easy transition and without people looking over my shoulder and pushing me along, I lasted 4 days. I tried it again, but it was over Thanksgiving, so that was a no go!!
This time I am determined! Besides, I would have to admit failure to all of you, and that would pretty much be a total embarrassment, causing me to never show my face in public again.
Today is also our first yoga/meditation session in conjunction with this challenge. I'm anxious to see how my fellow challengers are doing, and to some great yoga!
Dinner tonight is spaghetti squash and these fabulous meatballs. They are truly the BEST meatballs I have ever eaten!! I found this on Mom Gone Paleo a few months back and they are often requested in my house now. http://momgonepaleo.com/my-new-favorite-crockpot-paleo-meatball-recipe-i-outdid-
myself-this-time/. You must try them!
I can't believe the first week of this challenge is almost over. It hasn't been an easy week and I have definitely felt some detox results, but I have also won some battles against cravings and negative feelings. And I haven't stepped on the scale once.
I have attempted this challenge before. The Whole30 program is available online and in the book "It Starts With Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. I first found it last fall after doing some research on the Paleo diet and reading the book "Wheat Belly." Both books make a very convincing case against the consumption of grains with pretty solid science. "Wheat Belly" is written by a cardiologist, Dr. William Davis, and he has been very successful treating heart patients with a diet of no grains. That caught my attention - there is a connection with the over consumption of grains and heart disease!
Both diets strictly forbid sugar, also. No one needs a scientific study to know that sugar is bad....artificial sweeteners are just as bad. Well, anything artificial is bad, and our bodies don't recognize it as food.
The problem with grains is the inflammation they cause in the body. When the body is in a constant state of inflammation, disease occurs. It's like a cut that never heals. That cut will eventually get infected and disgusting and it will take drastic measures to try to heal it. That's our bodies on grains....a cut that never heals.
Anyway, I was NOT successful doing Whole30 on my own. It's not an easy transition and without people looking over my shoulder and pushing me along, I lasted 4 days. I tried it again, but it was over Thanksgiving, so that was a no go!!
This time I am determined! Besides, I would have to admit failure to all of you, and that would pretty much be a total embarrassment, causing me to never show my face in public again.
Today is also our first yoga/meditation session in conjunction with this challenge. I'm anxious to see how my fellow challengers are doing, and to some great yoga!
Dinner tonight is spaghetti squash and these fabulous meatballs. They are truly the BEST meatballs I have ever eaten!! I found this on Mom Gone Paleo a few months back and they are often requested in my house now. http://momgonepaleo.com/my-new-favorite-crockpot-paleo-meatball-recipe-i-outdid-
myself-this-time/. You must try them!
Friday, April 5, 2013
The big 5-0.....
Fifty. It's a middle age. It's close to 60. My kids are grown and moving away. I don't need a minivan anymore. I can no longer sport a hoodie with "Hollister" on it.
But it doesn't mean that life is over, that I stop growing and learning and creating. It's a new beginning in many ways. What can I do to celebrate this new decade of my life? What big, major, exciting task can I accomplish to mark this time in my life?
While I was in the shower this morning, I had an idea. It's a year leading up to my 50th birthday, so to mark the occasion, I am going to embark on a journey of change. Every month, I will take on a new challenge...thirty days of something new.
I've already started this month with the Whole30 Challenge, a program to improve my diet, my relationship with food, my relationship with my body. I started blogging about it on my other blog, but I will move those thoughts and experiences over to this one. It's only day 5 of the program, so I don't have much catching up to do.
After this, I will take on 11 more challenges. I know that one is to unplug from Facebook and other social media sites for a month. I'm not sure about the other months. I need suggestions. Can you help me? Give me some ideas of what I should do...what can I learn in a month, get rid of for a month, new fitness routine for a month. The only guidelines are that it can't be illegal, it can't go against my religious beliefs, and it can't require me to leave my home. (I do have a family and a job!)
I'm excited about the next year. I'm excited to share it and to see where life takes me by my 50th birthday. I plan on a big party to celebrate the day and all of the lessons I learn this year.
Fifty. It's a middle age. It's close to 60. My kids are grown and moving away. I don't need a minivan anymore. I can no longer sport a hoodie with "Hollister" on it.
But it doesn't mean that life is over, that I stop growing and learning and creating. It's a new beginning in many ways. What can I do to celebrate this new decade of my life? What big, major, exciting task can I accomplish to mark this time in my life?
While I was in the shower this morning, I had an idea. It's a year leading up to my 50th birthday, so to mark the occasion, I am going to embark on a journey of change. Every month, I will take on a new challenge...thirty days of something new.
I've already started this month with the Whole30 Challenge, a program to improve my diet, my relationship with food, my relationship with my body. I started blogging about it on my other blog, but I will move those thoughts and experiences over to this one. It's only day 5 of the program, so I don't have much catching up to do.
After this, I will take on 11 more challenges. I know that one is to unplug from Facebook and other social media sites for a month. I'm not sure about the other months. I need suggestions. Can you help me? Give me some ideas of what I should do...what can I learn in a month, get rid of for a month, new fitness routine for a month. The only guidelines are that it can't be illegal, it can't go against my religious beliefs, and it can't require me to leave my home. (I do have a family and a job!)
I'm excited about the next year. I'm excited to share it and to see where life takes me by my 50th birthday. I plan on a big party to celebrate the day and all of the lessons I learn this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)