The Truth

About coffee.

And it's not pretty. Worse than that, it's disgusting. DISGUSTING.

I missed this 2009 interview on NPR but read about it on the blog, Food Renegade and decided to do some research.

YUCK.

You can follow the NPR link above and read the entire interview. I just took out the part that was meaningful to me. The coffee part. You can just read the bolded/italicized parts that follow to get the main point.

"Dr. EMLEN: …that is sort of - okay. It's peripheral to what we've been talking about but when I was an undergraduate, I was hugely influenced by a professor of mine, a biologist and entomologist named George Ichor(ph), one of the greatest entomologists I ever met. And I remember driving across the country with him when I was a college undergraduate. He was an advisor to me. I was doing research out at a place called The Rocky Mountain Lab in Colorado. And we had to keep going way out our way - this was in the late '80s, this is before there was a Starbucks on every corner and you can get really good coffee.

And he was fiercely addicted to caffeine - to coffee. And we'd have to drive way off the interstate to go find good coffee in that day. I mean, we'd go 45 minutes off our route to go find a place that had whole bean fresh ground coffee. And I remember giving him a really hard time because we were wasting a lot of travel time trying to feed his addiction because he need a coffee every couple of hours. And he finally explained to me he had to drink only sort of whole bean fresh ground coffee. And it was because of cockroaches. There's a point to this story which is that he found out the hard way from teaching entomology year after year after year, handling cockroaches - people used cockroaches as the lab rat for entomology labs - he got really badly allergic to them. So, he couldn't even touch cockroaches without getting an allergic reaction. And because of that he couldn't drink pre-ground coffee. And it turned out when he looked into it that pre-ground, you know, your big bulk coffee that you buy in a tin, is all processed from these huge stock piles of coffee. These piles of coffee, they get infested with cockroaches and there's really nothing they can do to filter that out. So, it all gets ground up in the coffee…

GROSS: Oh.

Dr. EMLEN: …and he was actually allergic to pre-ground coffee because of that sort of spin off from having handled them teaching entomology for all those years.

GROSS: Oh I don't know what to say, thank you for that marvelous insight.

Dr. EMLEN: You may not want to put that on the air.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Dr. EMLEN: For better or worse.

GROSS: Oh, that's really upsetting.

Dr. EMLEN: That is a true story. That according to this professor and how he related to me and we wasted many, many hours trying to find basically fresh ground whole bean coffee so that he didn't have to have an allergic reaction to the pre-ground.

GROSS: Is there any other evidence besides this one person that there's…

Dr. EMLEN: Oh, there is.

GROSS: Yeah.

Dr. EMLEN: This isn't my forte but I looked into it a little bit because I tell that story in my entomology classes. Technically speaking, if I'm not mistaken, the FDA regulates the percent by dry weight of food stuffs like this that can be ground insect parts and make sure that it doesn't end up being too much of the total.

GROSS: Thank you.

Dr. EMLEN: And it's small, it's a trace amount. Chocolate incidentally is the other one that - if you think of these huge piles of beans, of cocoa beans, all piled up that then gets ground up in to something we all love and eat."

So, yeah. Ground up cockroaches. How's that for disgusting? 

Lucky for those of us who HATE (and I do mean HATE) cockroaches and are repulsed by the mere thought of consuming insects of any kind for any reason, there is a way to enjoy coffee without cockroaches. 

Just buy whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. And maybe stay out of coffee shops.

Whew! I feel like I just dodged a bullet.

Do you enjoy a morning cup of coffee? 

Synergy Fitness and the End of a Challenge

This first Sunday in September marks the end of the Summer Sizzle Challenge. But it certainly doesn't mark the end of the summer HEAT and HUMIDITY. Stupid weather.

I have been a terrible challenger this summer. I got bored and then I just didn't care to track and then I just didn't care at all. I blame in on the aforementioned HEAT and HUMIDITY that caused me to lose my motivation and eat lots of frozen yogurt. Yes, I really am blaming the weather and I'm not ashamed.

But the challenge was good in many ways---

• I met new bloggers/challengers
• I learned more about myself 
• I learned tons about true organic foods and about those evil monsters at the Monsanto corporation
• I increased my fitness awareness and level
• I discovered Phil Campbell's Synergy workout program featuring the Sprint 8
• I walked quickly up three flights of stairs and did not have to stop at the top for a few minutes before continuing to the car

So even though I wasn't very good to the challenge, the challenge was very good to me.

And Rochelle? She's just the best challenge host EVER! I adore her! Her leadership qualities are phenomenal and her care for the challengers was felt and appreciated by all.

All in all, I only lost about 10 pounds- at least that's what I can figure from my best guess. And that's fine. It's not about the weight loss at this point. I'm focusing on increasing my fitness level now and I'm pouring 100% into that.

Yes, I need to lose a bunch of weight. But the weight gods (as Rochelle calls them) are not in my corner right now. So I called forth the fitness gods and we're kicking ass!

I'm keeping a daily journal of the Synergy workout plan that you are more than welcome to read by clicking here. And feel free to leave comments there too! I've just completed Week 2 of the 8 week commitment and I'm already noticing differences in shape and fitness!

I won't be posting any before and after pictures from the challenge. HOWEVER, I am planning on posting before and after shots for the Synergy program. Only 6 weeks left.

There are some leaves from one of the neighbor's trees falling into my yard right now. Which is a promising sign of fall---even though it's hard to appreciate when the temperature is 91 degrees. The weather app on my phone says the humidity is only 66%. The weather app is lying.

I'm not joining in another challenge for the fall. I'm on my own with this Synergy workout. BTW, I emailed Phil Campbell (the guy who wrote the book) and he emailed me back! He also put me in touch with the woman who is gathering research. She lost 80 pounds just doing the Synergy program. And I do believe here because she's not asking for money. LOL Seriously, head over to my Synergy tab and follow the links. Maybe this is something that will work for you!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Regardless of your personal journey- I wish you great success!

Two Weeks Behind- YIKES!

It's past time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 9 and the beginning of Week 10 BUT I'm just in time for the end of Week 10 and beginning of Week 11. Confused? Me too.

I had a couple of wrenches thrown into play the last couple of weeks. During week 9 we had family visiting and, while I did plan the menu and kept it organic/natural/healthy, I paid no attention to how much went into my mouth. We were having way too much fun for that! We also did quite a lot of sight seeing so when you couple that with walking/running the dogs first thing in the morning- I walked many, many miles that week.

But the BEST thing of all that week? Well, besides the fact that we had family visiting? Ok, get this: we went to the farmer's market on Saturday morning and we parked on the third level of a parking garage across the street. Of course, we NEVER consider taking the elevator so we hit the stairs. Three flights. Going down, not a problem. Going up? Are you ready? NOT A PROBLEM!!! What?! That's right folks! I had no trouble walking up those three flights of stairs! This is a FIRST!!! The exercise is paying off! I am getting fit! I was leading the line going up too so the pace was not slow. And I made it! And I didn't have to stop or think I was going to pass out or have to stop and rest at the top before walking to the car! AND I could still breathe and talk! 

Then Week 10 hit and so did a MAJOR case of hay-fever. UGH. It has interfered with EVERYTHING except walking the dogs. It's rather difficult to exert oneself when you're hacking up a lung and stopping to blow your nose every 10 seconds. My hope for this week is to begin the Synergy plan which is an eight week commitment.

Nothing will change with the food as that has become our daily nutrition at this point.

I'm still staying off the scale because I'm sick of letting it rule my mood about losing weight. I hate being ruled by anything, especially a inanimate object. There's no sense in setting myself up for failure. However, just knowing that my fitness level has increased has made for a tremendous uplift in the mood!

That's it in a nutshell! How are y'all doing?

I'm Late! I'm Late!

For a very important date! I'm a day late posting the Summer Sizzle- Week 8 Update: Week 9 Deets! Sorry!

Well, kind of sorry. It's not like it wasn't crazy around here all week with the 21st birthday and Birdie coming home from London and all 4 of the lovelies and their boys being here all weekend! Whew! It's a wonder I'm still alive!

It's also a wonder I didn't gain any weight this week because I didn't really pay attention- I was just too busy. Although, everything I did eat was healthy. Unfortunately, we still have to watch those stupid freaking calories.

For our weekly challenge, I joined up with Julie who was kind enough to take time out of her incredibly busy days to set up a virtual 5k for us! I can't sign up for an actual 5k until the fall because the one I hope to walk/run is on Thanksgiving day. Anyway, I did get a 5k in even though the time was far from great. It has motivated me, though, to get out there and get my time down!

I mentioned before that I was planning on implementing the Sprint 8 into my exercise routine. I tried it a few days and it's not bad BUT I decided to buy the book that tells more about it and I'm glad I did. There's way more to it than just running (or whatever) sprints.

The book is Ready, Set, GO! by Phil Campbell. He lays the whole thing out for you including the science behind the theory. He gives you exercises WITH pictures (cause y'all know I have to have a picture or I won't understand) and schedules. He also gives detailed instructions so that you can get the best out of the workouts and avoid injury. I'm digging this book.

My dad and stepmom are coming this week with my two nieces so I will put this program into practice beginning NEXT Monday. I just hate doing things like this with an audience.

I saw a piece on Olympic race walking this morning and am going to work on my pace trying out some of their techniques. Though I'll probably look more like the Today Show team than anything resembling an athlete of Olympian proportion. I am not a Today Show fan but prefer the NBC local team over the others so I just happened to catch this. I found a video of it HERE if you want to watch. It was cute!

I'm still sitting on my exercise ball while at the computer- well, I WAS. Until I pulled my back out on the dang thing. That's right. I finally understand that engaging the core means torso NOT abs. Sheesh. I don't know if it's all the groovin' I'm doing while sitting on it, the fact that I'm on there having such a time that I don't realize 2 hours have passed OR a combination.

Ok, this week's challenge: Week 9 - (begin July 29) - NO SUGAR (unless it's all natural) AND NO SNACKING AFTER DINNER The sugar part is not an issue. I already only use honey, Turbinado or Coconut sugar. NEVER refined sugar and always organic. But the snacking after dinner? Well, I've gotten back into that bad habit. So it's good that it's included in the challenge this week.

That was my week. How did y'all do?

Summer Sizzle- Week 7 Update; Week 8 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 7 and the beginning of Week 8 and, no, I don't have any idea how the time is going by so quickly.

But I'm glad it is because summer is NOT my favorite season. It's just too dang HOT. And HUMID. And MISERABLE.

So speed on by summer and PLEASE let us have a very chilly fall and cold winter! At least down here in coastal SC where fall and winter passed us by last time around.

I know. And I'll stop fussing about the weather as soon as it gets cool. :)

This last week has been CAH-RAZY around here. Self inflicted crazy. I've decided to paint some bookshelves which led to deciding to rearrange some things which led to deciding to get rid of a whole bunch of things which led to...y'all know how this goes. You start with one little project and the next thing you know---BAM! All hell breaks loose and you're left with total freaking CHAOS!

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

So- food has been good and healthy. Mostly vegan; some vegetarian; a smidge of meat once or twice. As always, all organic/natural/non-processed/grass fed/wild caught/free range/etc. And I'm averaging about 100 oz of water every day. It's too hot not to drink the hell out of some spring water.

Still no calorie counting. And no change in the scale. Which is fine by me. Well, as long as it's NOT a gain. LOL

Exercise is as follows:

7 days/week: walk/run Strider and then walk Tucker (that's two walks usually for a total of 3 miles)
3 days/week: Sprint 8 (on the days I don't walk with walking buddy)
3 days/week: third walk with walking buddy. (on the days I don't do Sprint 8)
While sitting at the computer I'm either on the exercise ball engaging the core OR on a chair using the 8 lb hand weights while reading blogs--or other important work. 

And that's it. I plan to get back into C25k training as soon as the weather cools down. I HATE doing anything in this OPPRESSIVE heat. Especially running.

This week's challenge was to commit to and sign up for a 5k. I did NOT do this because we can't sign up for the Turkey Day Run until the fall.

Week 8 - (begin July 22) - EMBRACE A FITNESS FEAR...I am having trouble with this one because I'm not sure what fitness fear I have. Other than never getting fit and being overweight until the day I die. I'll pretty much try anything that interests me.

That's it for me- hope y'all have a great week!

Summer Sizzle- Week 6 Update; Week 7 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 6 and the beginning of Week 7-

Anyone else HOT out there? And, by HOT, I mean sweating buckets upon buckets every single day even when not exercising? Yep. Me too.

On to the update-

• I tried the Sprint 8 three days. It's fine- but too soon to tell how it's going to affect any fitness/weight loss so I will continue until I figure that out.
• I'm still walking/running 7 days/week every week- even in the heat/humidity and even when it rains. I walk Strider, come back to get Tucker and then walk him. After the dogs it's ME time- I walk/run another 2 or 3 miles- except on the Sprint 8 days. I average about 5 miles/day.
• Still drinking the hell out of some water every day. It can't be helped. Did I mention it's HOT outside?
• Still not counting calories but still keeping food intake healthy only (except for those darned dark chocolate edamame that jumped into my cart at Trader Joe's. Again.). 
• Still juicing daily.
• Was successful with this week's challenge of eating vegetarian. 
• I lost 1 pound.

Week 7 - (begin July 15) - COMMIT TO AND SIGN UP FOR A 5K
Ok this one will be easy on the commitment part and difficult on the sign up. I plan to run (maybe walk) a 5k on Thanksgiving Day in Charleston--the Charleston Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble. We can't sign up until the fall. Besides, just signing up for one doesn't do one thing for making me commit to actually DOING it. So, I'll just continue training and sign up when we're allowed to do so. 

And there you have it. Short and sweet!

Hope everyone had a great week and has an even better one coming up! 

My First Time EVER

I put up my first EVER spaghetti sauce yesterday with tomatoes from the garden! WooHoo!

I was so scared of doing this. I just knew I was going to mess it up. But, all went well and, at the end, I got the pinging of the lids! Let me tell you though, I did not rest easy until I did hear that pinging.

Want to see all the pictures? Me too. But I was paying such close attention to what I was doing, I forgot to take any! I had to be careful. I have this horrible habit of not reading the directions through before starting a recipe. You can imagine what interesting results that has resulted in over the years.

And you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now. But, no.

Anyway, the jars look like this:

And as soon as I do this again, I will (hopefully) be comfortable enough to take some photos!

This time I used directions that my friend Julie at Healthy, Wealthy and Wise: Not...but learning sent me. Next time, I'm using the suggestions sent by my friend Kim at My Field of Dreams. I'm just waiting on more tomatoes now.

I've also tried a couple of new recipes this week---homemade Nutella Rice Krispies and Cherry Cookies.

For the Nutella Rice Krispies (which I found at the Cupcake Project) I used a recipe I got from NuNaturals for homemade nutella! What?! Yep, that's right.

RAW Healthy Homemade Nutella

8.9 oz jarred white beans, rinsed and mashed with a fork or in food processor (I used a box of 365 organic Cannellini beans, no salt added)
3 or 4 TBS cocoa powder
6 packets NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend (I used this but I have to wonder how it would be if I used the liquid Stevia from NuNaturals---like the vanilla and the cocoa?)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp oil (Shocker! I used coconut oil)
2 TBS ground flax
pinch of salt
sprinkle of cinnamon
up to 1/4 cup liquid to thin (I just used water...but have to wonder how coconut milk would taste)

Mix everything together! I just used my mixer but I'm going to use the food processor next time. The recipe says to use it as a spread OR spread it out on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer to be cut into chocolate strips. I'm definitely going to try this next time.

I really liked this recipe because it doesn't use hazelnuts. I don't like Nutella and I think it's because I am not a fan of hazelnuts.

Nutella Rice Krispies

1/2  cup honey
1/2 cup Nutella (the last time I made these, I used Trader Joe's Almond Cocoa spread and wanted to eat every dang one of those things)
4 cups Rice Krispies (I used Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal because it's organic and gluten free)

Combine the honey and Nutella in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
Stir. If the honey and Nutella are not hot and thoroughly combined, you can continue to microwave for ten seconds at a time and stir until they are. (I don't use the microwave much so I did this in a saucepan on the stove top). Mix the cereal into the bowl and stir, making sure to coat all of the cereal.

Spread mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish and refrigerate for at least three hours.
Cut into squares and eat!

The cookie recipe was found right HERE and I actually followed the recipe word for word. Except when I didn't read the directions first and didn't add the dry ingredients to the cereal in the food processor---Oopsy! They turned out good anyway! 

Oatmeal Flax Carob Cherry Cookies

 
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Erewhon Rice Twice cereal

1 cup Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Gluten Free cereal

1/4 cup arrowroot flour (I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose, gluten free)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups rolled gluten-free oats
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup unsweetened dried cherries, chopped
1 cup unsweetened carob chips

"Fit a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, put the coconut palm sugar in a blender and process until powdered. Add the powdered palm sugar to the butter and beat for 2 – 3 minuets on medium high. Add applesauce and egg. Beat until combined. Mix in vanilla.

Add the Erewhon Rice Twice cereal to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until very fine. Add the brown rice cereal, arrowroot flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt. Pulse to combine." (This is the step I messed up on- I put the cereal in the processor and then into the mixer. On top of the cereal I put in the rest of the ingredients mentioned in this paragraph AND THEN read that I was supposed to put it all in the food processor).

"Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in one addition. Beat until combined. Add oats and flax meal. Stir to combine. Add dried cherries and carob chips and mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the dough. Space two inches apart. Roll the balls of dough and then flatten them out. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges just start to get light golden brown. Let cool until set on the baking sheet, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature."

 

If you try any of these, let me know how you like them! 

 

There's still plenty of time to enter one or both of my TWO giveaways! Just click the buttons at the top of my sidebar!

Summer Sizzle- Week 5 Update; Week 6 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 5 and the beginning of Week 6-

The heat is still ON but I am SLOWLY acclimating myself to it. I've even been running a little! WooHoo!

The exercise is going well. I walk Strider (mostly it's a run) and then come back and take Tucker (still a pretty fast clip but not a run) AND, starting this week, I am adding Sprint 8 on my own 3 times/week.

What is Sprint 8? It's simple. After a 3 minute warm-up, you just push yourself at maximum effort for 20-30 seconds and then rest for 90 seconds. You then repeat this cycle 8 times.

Why am I going to try Sprint 8?

• It can be done with any exercise- with or without equipment. 
• It doesn't last an hour so it saves time and the sprint part is only for 4 minutes
• You only have to do it 2 or 3 times/week; any more than that can do more harm than good

Basically, it's short and sweet.Well, I'm not so sure about the sweet part. But it IS short.

Here's a video of Dr. Mercola doing Sprint 8 on an exercise bike. I'm going to be running during my intense part and walking during the rest part.

The food is going well also. I'm not counting any calories I'm just eating healthy. My recipes are from the Gerson recipe book and/or from the RAW recipes I get from various blogs (you can find them listed on the page marked Health and Fitness Sites on the tabs at the top of my blog). I am also juicing every day and making my green smoothies as well.

Our challenge for last week was to lose 2 pounds. I lost 3.5. AND I didn't hold back on July 4th. Of course, we did have mostly healthy foods. Everything was selected and prepared carefully. All meats were grass fed/free range/certified organic/etc. All sides and the dessert was organic and prepared without gluten and with organic ingredients.

This week's challenge is:  VEGETARIAN WEEK. This is not going to be a problem since I'm already doing it. Of course, you just never know until it's over.

Recap: I did lose 3.5 pounds last week but that's not THE thing. THE thing is that I am feeling better and I do NOT attribute this to the lost poundage. I attribute it to the healthy diet which has led to an increase in exercise intensity- I am running in this OPPRESSIVE HEAT! :)

Weight loss has become the proverbial icing on the cake. Getting fit is the goal!

Hope y'all had a great week and have an even better one this week! If last week sucked, don't let that stop you! Get up and get moving!


Don't forget: I have TWO giveaways going on right now! One for 250 FREE business cards from UPrinting and one for 3 bottles of flavored liquid Stevia from NuNaturals! Just click the buttons at the top of my sidebar to enter!!! Good luck!

Tuesday's Yummy Goodness

I have 2 new-to-me recipes to share today.

Both came from Gerson recipes though I did do a few things differently.The things I stick to with the Gerson plan are the slow cooking, the use of only organic veggies, the preparing of the veggies and the use of only stainless steel or glass cookware. Sometimes, I change up a recipe a bit to suit my mood of the moment.

RED CABBAGE

Combine in pan:

1/2 cabbage, shredded (red and organic)
3 TBS vinegar (I used coconut vinegar from Tropical Traditions)
3 large chopped onions (I used leeks because I LOVE them)
2 bay leaves
a little soup stock (I am out of soup stock so I used spring water)

Stew over low heat approximately 1/2 hour.

The last half hour, ADD:
3 apples, peeled and grated (I used Gala apples)
1 TBS raw sugar (I used Turbinado, next time I will use NuNaturals Stevia)

CORN WITH MIXED VEGGIES

2 ears of corn (I used organic, frozen)
2 zucchini squash
3 stalks celery (I was not in a celery mood so I used leeks again. Because I LOVE them)
2 carrots

Wash the corn and cut off the kernels (right. I used organic, frozen). Slice the other veggies (organic, of course) into smaller pieces. Put the corn in a baking dish and add the other veggies. Bake in oven at 200 degrees for 1 hour.

I made a pot of brown rice too. Just because the husband likes it with everything under the sun. And, as usual, I made more than the recipes called for because we had Birdie and DoodleBug!

We're not usually cabbage eaters but this recipe was quite yummy! The corn and veggie recipe was delicious! With or without the brown rice!

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?

Don't forget to check out my current giveaway at the top of my sidebar. And look for another one coming soon from NuNaturals!

Summer Sizzle- Week 4 Update; Week 5 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 3 and the beginning of Week 4-

It's been a crazy week! Stripping and painting furniture, the garden and then there's the OPPRESSIVE HEAT that made it's appearance on Friday and has failed to leave. UGH.


The bad news (besides the OPPRESSIVE HEAT) is that I only checked in on myfitnesspal.com a couple of times.


The good news is- I lost another pound.


The bad news is---there is OPPRESSIVE HEAT and my running self is not acclimating to it.


The good news is- my speed walking self has acclimated to it.


The bottom line is:

• I felt quite liberated not checking in to myfitnesspal.com every single day.
• I ate only healthy foods with the exception of those dang dark chocolate covered edamame they sell at Trader Joe's.
• I'm not running right now but my walking is SPEEDY QUICK and  I get at least 3 to 5 miles in every single day!
• I did drink the weekly challenge water.
• I did lose another pound.

I did track my exercise via my GPS on my phone----

• Monday: forgot to track but I'm thinking it was about 50 minutes
• Tuesday: walked 56 minutes; burned 624 calories
• Wednesday: Walked 54; burned 591 calories
• Thursday: walked 69 minutes; burned 755 calories
• Friday: walked 39; burned 427 calories
• Saturday: walked 31 minutes; burned 339 calories
• Sunday: walked 31 minutes; burned 339 calories

The weekends are not about exercise around here- they are my recovery days. And I plan to keep them that way.

My focus now is NOT on tracking. While it works well for many (and it did for me about 2 years ago) it has now become a tool for making me obsess about my weight. This is not healthy. I've decided to obsess on the things that make life grand instead of that which holds me back and makes me feel bad about myself and my life. That is not what this journey is supposed to be about. At all.

One thing that this journey is about is learning more and more about myself and so I count this lesson learned as a blessing. Sometimes we just have to change things up to keep it fresh and keep it from being a downer.

I do enjoy tracking my walking (and running when the OPPRESSIVE HEAT lets up AND when I lose another 50 pounds or so) because I like trying to beat my time.

I'm not really disappointed that I'm not running right now. It's all good. For those who are not 130 pounds overweight I'm sure running is not that big a deal. For a 54 year old who is 130 pounds overweight, it's frustrating as hell when you factor in the OPPRESSIVE HEAT. I'm not quitting. I'm postponing. I still plan on being able to run that 5k. It's not until November. 

I'm not suggesting that anyone else stop tracking- I'm saying that I have to keep finding what works for me and implement it which sometimes mean stopping something else. The main thing is that I keep going!

Week 5 - (begin July 1) - LOSE 2 lbs THIS WEEK (and post pics/measurements if doing so)
Yep, holiday and all - this is the goal.
Don't question it - just do it. The reason this is the goal this week is to help us remember that the 4th of July doesn't give us free license to abandon all our diet and fitness goals. Yes, it's a holiday - but it's not a holiday meant to celebrate how many hot dogs and hamburgers our bodies can consume. This week will hopefully redirect us a bit - knowing the goal is a 2 pound loss, maybe we can steer clear of old habits of overindulgence during the holiday and make good on our promise to ourselves for better health ALL 365 days of the year!

I'm not as concerned about the 4th as I would be if this was Christmas...or Thanksgiving- because the food I have planned for the 4th is on my Gerson/RAW daily plan for July! Of course, time will tell, eh? :)

Thanks, y'all, for putting up with my constantly changing attempts at losing this weight and getting healthyhealthyhealthy. I am feeling fitter- I can do so much more than I could last year. It's all working, in it's own time. But I do so appreciate all of y'all sticking around with me! Your support and encouragement means more than you will ever know!

Also, I won a book from Cindy at For One Another and it arrived last week. AMAZING. WONDERUL. THOUGHT PROVOKING. LIFE CHANGING. All of those words describe this book. I definitely recommend reading the book whether you have weight to lose or not. And no, I'm not getting anything for mentioning this. It's just a really good read-- My Big Bottom Blessing by Teasi Cannon. Get it. Read it. It's great!

OH! I almost forgot- you can see my healthy recipe HERE!

OH AGAIN! Don't forget to check out my giveaway! Just click the button at the top of my sidebar!

Have a fantastic week y'all! Happy 4th!

Summer Sizzle- Week 3 Update; Week 4 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 3 and the beginning of Week 4-

More like the summer fizzle stay the same. Again.

Except for 2 lbs that are MIA- and I am NOT going to be looking for them. And the 1/2 inch from my neck, the 1/2 inch from my waist and the 2 inches from my hips. Won't be looking for those either. They can just STAY GONE. Good riddance!

I did a little better with my calories but forgot to track ON TIME a couple of days----

The missing calories for Monday totaled 1671. Today's isn't on there for obvious reasons.
 
The exercise is about to get serious this week. I never made it over to the senior center to join but, in my defense, I was rather occupied with a HUGE project that involved stripping down and painting an entire bedroom suit so...

BFF is going over to the center with me tomorrow- we hope anyway. I may have mentioned that she's sadistic ruthless a personal trainer. I am AND am not looking forward to this. All that to say- I will be late on last week's weekly challenge. Sorry y'all.

The challenge for this week: Week 4 - (begin June 24) - 100 oz OF WATER AND SHARE A FAVORITE HEALTHY RECIPE---Well, considering our humidity is around a gazillion percent now and our temps in the 90s, the water shouldn't be an issue at all. Sheesh. I'll be sharing healthy recipes on Tuesday and Thursday!

 That's it for me- I can't wait to see how the rest of you sizzlers did this week! Keep on keepin' on ladies! 

Stupid Westerns and Food

I certainly haven't accomplished much in the last couple of days. We are still waiting on Knology to get up and running in our area- which should be only another month- so I'm still hating watching Netflix from time to time. I'd like to hook up Birdie's XBOX 360 and take advantage of Hulu but I don't know how and everyone else keeps forgetting about it. ANYWAY, I'm stuck with Netflix for now.

All that to say, I ran across the Lonesome Dove series (Comanche Moon, Return to Lonesome Dove, Lonesome Dove...) and decided that I would watch them. And that's just about all I've been doing. Shameful, I'm aware. But how I do love that series- especially Lonesome Dove. I mean- Rober Duvall AND Tommy Lee Jones?! Swoon.

Of course there is uncontrollable sobbing are tears that accompany the watching of these shows. It's that dang music. Cursed violins. And I really hate it when they kill off my favorite characters- like Deets (Danny Glover) and Gus (Robert Duvall)...I would NEVER have made it in the old west. Never.

Even with all that sobbing television watching going on, I did still manage to tear myself away to try a couple of new recipes-

This one started with a big pot of garden fresh veggies-

And ended up being Swiss Chard Rolls--

For dessert, a Rhubarb Crumble-this was my very first rhubarb anything. It turned out delish!

Swiss Chard Rolls
(a Gerson recipe for 2--I more than doubled it because we had the gang over)

4 leaves green chard
2 carrots
1/4 head broccoli
1/4 head cauliflower
2 small zucchini
1 cup corn
1/2 cup uncooked rice

Sauce:

1 1/2 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic

Directions: Put chard in hot water to soften. Cut other veggies in small pieces and simmer til done. Drain water. Make sauce in blender and pour over top of veggies and uncooked rice. Place some mixture in center of each leaf and roll up. Put in baking dish with a lid and bake at 250 degrees for 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Part of the Gerson plan is cooking food slowly. Sometimes I adhere to this standard, sometimes I don't. I didn't this time- I cooked it on 350 for about 30 minutes (everything was already cooked I just wanted to heat it through). I cooked my rice first and mixed it with the veggies and then rolled them up. When I realized I had forgotten the sauce, I just poured it on top of the rolls.

Rhubarb Crumble
(from Koko's Kitchen)

3 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 TBS orange juice
3/4 cup raw honey
1 TBS spelt flour (I was out of spelt so I just used gluten free all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS coconut oil

Topping
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup spelt flour (I was out of spelt so I just used gluten free all purpose flour)
2/3 cup oats (I used the gluten free ones)
14 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. In a bowl, stir the rhubarb, orange juice, honey, flour and cinnamon. Put mixture in dish and dot with the tablespoon of coconut oil. In a separate bowl, combine the honey, flour, oats and coconut oil and mix until it resembles a coarse mixture. Put on top of the rhubarb mixture. Cook at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil about halfway through cooking.

Happy cooking, y'all! And try to stay away from the TV! :)

Garden Goodness

I'm trying a few Gerson recipes before my July 1 experiment begins just to...just because...well, because I'm jumping the gun. As usual.

I tried the Zucchini and Potato Bake last week. It was delicious! I served broccoli burgers with it- not a Gerson recipe but so good! I had to more than double the recipes to feed the gang!

The veggies were not from my garden but they were all local and organic-

Once the veggies are prepared, it's time to layer--

The broccoli burgers were a cinch-- just process--

then form patties and bake--

Viola!

Now, from my backyard garden---GREEN TOMATOES--

from which I prepared---

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!

A family favorite around here! And yes, it is a movie. But in the south, it's also a scrumptious side dish! I served these with string beans (from the garden) and potatoes, and grilled flounder fillets AND totally forgot to take a picture of the meal! For those of you who count calories, as far as I can tell, one friend green tomato had about 74 calories in it. Well worth it too! And I'm not telling you how many I ate. Sigh.

I don't have the recipe for the fried green tomatoes because it's one of those recipes that I just do- I don't follow a written recipe.

However, here are the recipes for the casserole and the burgers!

Zucchini and Potato Bake (2 servings)
(this recipe came from Healing the Gerson Way)

1 lb zucchini
1 lb potatoes
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
10 oz yogurt (I didn't use the yogurt because I thought I had plain but it was vanilla..oops)

Finely slice zucchini, potatoes and onions. Place alternate layers of each in casserole dish, adding a sprinkling of crushed garlic between layers. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half. Add second garlic clove to yogurt. When dish is cooked, spread yogurt on top.


Broccoli Burgers (makes 4 burgers)
(this recipe came from One Green Planet)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dry couscous (I used brown rice because I forgot to buy couscous)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (I used a vidalia onion)
2 tsp ground cumin (Ick...I skipped this ingredient)
1- 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 TBS sesame tahini (I didn't use this because do you know how much tahini sauce cost??????)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (don't like panko, used my gluten free bread crumbs)

There is Tahini Dressing for the burger, which I didn't make, but here's that part:

1/3 cup sesame tahini
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 tsp sea salt


Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a small pot, bring the water and couscous to a boil. (I skipped these 3 steps because I just made some brown rice and used that)
• Remove from heat immediately and allow the couscous to sit in the pot for 10 minutes to soak up the water.
• Steam the broccoli in a steamer for 5-7 minutes
• In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and scallions, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens.
• Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the cumin.
• Place couscous, broccoli, onion mix, chickpeas and sesame tahini in a food processor and combine.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs.
• Form it into patties and place the patties on a cookie sheet--I sprayed a little organic olive oil on the pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. You’ll know they are done when the tops begin to brown.
• To make the tahini sauce, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined, for about 30 seconds.
• Top your burgers with the sauce and anything else you like on a burger and ENJOY!

I have discovered a website called Calorie Count that is good for determining the caloric value of recipes. Using the site, the zucchini/potato bake has about 241 calories per serving and the burgers have about 161 WITHOUT the sauce.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

To Count or Not to Count---THAT is the Question

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows...Hahahahaha, nah, I'm joking.

What I'm talking about is counting. Counting calories. A lot of us do it. Few of us love it.

Some of us count calories as one tool in our efforts to lose weight. It's one way to see what our intake actually is- well, when we're completely honest about each and every little morsel that crosses our lips.

Counting our calories can be enlightening when it shows us not only how much but exactly what we're ingesting. It can be an aid in helping us adjust our daily eating plans. Counting calories can also frustrate the hell out of us when we go over our limit for a day. Or more. Which can lead to another day of overeating from the frustration of seeing that we overate the day before and so on. It can become a vicious cycle if we're not careful. And if our willpower is lacking.  

And now, as with most things, counting calories is the subject of a debate.

To count or not to count.

Brandon over at The Healthy Advocate believes that counting calories is a waste of time. He says that if you develop some healthy lifestyle habits, your body will 'count' the calories you need for you. Brandon suggests that we:

• Get a restful night's sleep for at least 6 hours
• Cut the sugar and the grains
• Lower our stress levels
• Get some sunlight
• Exercise

Hallie at Daily Bites also makes the case for not counting calories. Her reasoning stems from her personal struggle to try to gain weight and she found that counting calories reminds her of the time in her life that each day was a struggle just to get through it. She discovered that finding a balance made all the difference and that assigning a number to food is not the best or healthiest idea.

I get what these guys are saying. And I've made pretty much all of the changes. But my scale continues to be stationary. Surely not counting calories wouldn't make that much difference in either direction...???

I do know that I can get so consumed with counting the calories that I lose sight of my goal- getting fit and healthy. 

According to WebMD , the concept of counting calories came about near the start of the 1900s. It seems that there was a scientist, Wilbur Atwater, who claimed that if you put food into a “bomb calorimeter” and burned it you could measure the ash and discover how much energy had been released. This could also be a measure of how much energy was in the food. Once this idea gained momentum, people started counting calories- which is figuring out how many calories are consumed with different types of food and then burned off while taking part in different activities.

So, are calories important? Sure. They’re just not the whole picture and we’re cheating ourselves if we think they are.

We all know that the type of calorie we choose will determine the effect on our bodies.  But, is it necessary to COUNT OUR CALORIES?

All I can figure is, IF it works for you- then YES, it’s necessary. IF it doesn’t work for you, then NO, it’s not necessary.  The main thing is not to get bogged down with the counting and realizing that counting the calories is simply one tool of helping some of us to lose the weight.

Like it or not, there is not one magic tip/idea/method/tool/pill that’s going to get us to our healthy goal weight. Nothing. We have to do the research, try a myriad of methods, sweatsweatsweat, etc. until we each find the thing(s) that work for us on an individual basis.

If you really HATE counting those calories but want to be accountable for your caloric intake, try these tips:

• Eat smaller portions- yes, I know. We’re all doing this already. But look at your plate during your next meal at home and see where you can cut down. How large is your plate? Could you use a smaller one? (No fair if you pile the food up high in the shape of a mountain). 
• What food is taking up the most space on your plate? If it’s protein or carbs, change it to veggies. Choose foods that use more calories to digest and metabolize.  If you eat foods that require a lot of work to digest, you can save yourself calories like foods high in fiber.
• Eat the right kinds of calories. In other words, steer clear of the candy, sodas, sweets, desserts and take in more fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Not only will you save calories, you’ll increase your health dramatically. 

So, all that wordiness to say- I am now going to try an experiment. I will continue counting calories through the month of June. But, beginning July 1, I will not count calories. I will, instead, be extremely mindful of the TYPES of calories I consume. I will keep a daily written journal of the foods I eat just so I can share with y’all at the end of July. 

I will be following a watered down version of the Gerson Therapy plan and a RAW diet. For 31 days. Without counting calories. I know that counting calories and eating MOSTLY healthy is not working to get the scale moving. I’m beginning to think it’s not doing so much for my health and fitness either.

I know most people don’t usually hear of the Gerson Therapy until someone they know (or themselves) have cancer but it’s not just a good idea once one has gotten sick. It’s good for general health and prevention- the detox alone should prove quite beneficial. Though there's no way I'm going to juice 13 times every day. Nope.

What I really want to find out is:

• Is it important to count calories or just to make my calories count OR a combination of the two.
• Will following a watered down version of the Gerson plan and eating RAW make a difference in my health and/or weight.

Yeah, I know it’s not scientific. But it’s what I’m going to try--I don't even know if I can stick to it for an entire month (and it was really stupid to pick one with 31 days). I will still check in with the Summer Sizzle Challenge- I wouldn’t let Rochelle down for anything! She’s such an inspiration to all of us! As a matter of fact, I doubt I would have come up with this plan if it weren’t for the challenge. 

Oh, and I’m not planning on eating anything and everything while waiting on July 1 to get here. 

Though it is tempting.

Summer Sizzle- Week 2 Update; Week 3 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 2 and the beginning of Week 3-

More like the summer fizzle stay the same.

I'm over it people. It's time for a drastic change. I think I've come up with it, but that's for tomorrow's post.

I'm staying under myfitnesspal's recommended daily calories. But I'm not staying at 1200. O, hell no. And I have no idea why it won't put 6/11 up there- the total that day was 1726. Today's is missing for obvious reasons.

I didn't have any trouble with the 7 hours of exercise- that was a cinch. Though, for the most part, it was just walking and/or running.

And except for today where I missed it by 15 minutes--- oh well...

Next week's weekly challenge is to try a new fitness activity or exercise equipment. I hope to do that via joining the senior center (you can read about that HERE) and/or a new DVD I just purchased- The Biggest Loser- cardio max.

I didn't stick to the menu that I planned last week for two reasons- a couple of those recipes were ridiculous with the prep time being all day long and part of the night AND, I didn't want to. Stubborn much? Oh yeah. Definitely.

Anyway, there's a big change coming soon. Stay tuned.

I'll leave you with this clip from The Cosby Show- love me some Bill Cosby! Now, you can watch the whole thing, but the best part begins at 6:45- where Cliff talks about his Father's Day gifts over the years and then about how mothers get better gifts because they are better at promoting themselves! Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Join the Senior Center? ME?!

WTH?! When exactly did I become old enough to join the freaking SENIOR center?

Oh yeah, 4 years ago. When I hit the big 50 sucks.

I've been having an inner debate over this whole join the freaking senior center thing.



Me 1: When did I get old enough to join a senior center?
Me 2: When you turned 50, duh.
Me 1: I'm not going to do it. It's somewhat embarrassing.
Me 2: You need to join a gym.
Me 1: I'll just join ESAC.
Me 2: That's like $75/month. The senior center is only $72/year.
Me 1: But it's a SENIOR CENTER.
Me 2: There are people there your age and younger and you know them.
Me 1: But what about the eye candy in the weight room at ESAC?
Me 2: You have a point there. I mean- you need to get fit you don't need eye candy.
Me 1: But the SENIOR center? It's a SENIOR center.
Me 2: You simply MUST lose all the excess weight.
Me 1: I know.
Me 2: And the scale is not moving.
Me 1: I know.
Me 2: And it's not like you ever went to a gym filled with eye candy before you were old enough to join the senior center.
Me 1: I know. 
Me 2: Case closed.

So, I'm going to join the freaking senior center. Soon.  Most likely this week or the next--I want to use it for next week's focus on the Summer Sizzle Slim Down which is something about trying new equipment/exercises.

And I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I am indeed old enough to join. 

AND- there better not be any of those 70 and 80 somethings showing off on that freaking elliptical when I get there either.

Sizzle Summer Slim Down: Update- Week 1/Goals- Week 2

 Week 1 is a done deal. Our focus was to be on getting back into the habit (or getting into it for the first time) of tracking our food intake. This is not a problem for me- it's one of the few things that I can/will/do, do.

But the scale didn't move one iota.

I think it was due to too many of these:

Followed by too little of this:

Which didn't burn enough of these:

The caloric intake was under what myfitnesspal.com recommends for me. It was also under the 1500 that I was going to set for myself. But now I'm thinking that I have to go back to the 1200 daily calories if I expect to lose any weight at all.

The exercise has to change also (That day with no exercise? It was raining like crazy and not one time did I think to do the Shred--my brilliance astounds me at times.). It's going to have to go like this:

• walk either Tucker or Strider
• walk whichever dog didn't go the first time out (Tucker doesn't enjoy walking with Strider)
• go back out for a training run
• 30 Day Shred, level 2 OR Tae Bo OR Yoga Booty Ballet (will probs mix it up)
• Get myself over to the senior center and join (inner debate to come)

Yes. It's going to be a huge pain in the rear.
Yes. I have to do it anyway.
No. I've not lost my mind.

But I've also not lost any weight. And that sucks. Completely. Totally. Without a doubt. It sucks.

Water intake was fantastic! Wish that was all it took to get the job done!

 So this week we are supposed to focus on exercise. We are to try to get in 6 hours for the week. I'm hoping this won't be a problem since I have to change what I'm doing so drastically.

Also this week, I am going to try a little menu planning. I'm going to try a few new RAW recipes. Here's the menu for this week:

MONDAY: Zucchini spaghetti (gluten free)

TUESDAY: Sweet n’ Creamy Tomato Soup (RAW) and RAW Fajitas

WEDNESDAY: Portobello Mushroom Burger (Vegetarian/gluten free)

THURSDAY: Spinach and Raw Mushroom Quiche

FRIDAY: RAW Tacos

SATURDAY: Baked Broccoli Burgers (Vegetarian and gluten free)

I'm setting up a page tab for a list of all the participants in case anyone would like to visit and throw some much needed encouragement their way- there's no doubt in my mind that any and all encouragement is more than welcome and greatly appreciated!

Have a great week y'all! 

Stupid Sleep Cycle

I have discovered that one not-a-good-idea eating habit I have is eating to stay awake. How silly is that? Pretty darn silly.

I think I already knew this but have only recently allowed it to be recognized. And, of course, once recognized, something had to be done. So, I started going to bed earlier. The problem is, I'm ready for bed now around 7:00 pm.

Seriously, I make myself wait until it gets dark before I go to bed. I don't have any trouble sleeping but I started getting up way too early. If the first number in the time is a 3 or a 4, it's way too early to get out of bed. Tucker won't even get up that early.

Basically, the problem is, when I stay up until 10 or 11, I eat to keep myself awake.  When I go to bed as soon as I am sleepy, I awaken at one of those ungodly hours. When I awaken at one of those ungodly hours, I get sleepy earlier.

See what I mean?

I've had to call my will power into play, but it is so unreliable. It works sometimes and doesn't work other times. And I never know whether it's going to be on or off on any given night.

This is much better than a few years ago when I would wake up in the middle of the night and go into the kitchen. While there I would eat something sweet, usually, like ice cream, and then go back to bed. How stupid.

When I go to bed too early and awaken at 3 or 4 something, I just stay in bed and try to make myself relax or go back to sleep--which is not that easy since I've already had 7 hours of sleep at that point. At least there is no more getting up and going into the kitchen for something sweet to eat. As a matter of fact, I'm never ready for food of any type until after my run/walk.

I suppose I'll have to take the good with the bad here, again. It's good that I don't get up in the wee hours and eat but it's bad that I have to eat something to stay awake when I am sleepy. 

Any ideas/tips/tricks on breaking this vicious cycle will be greatly appreciated!

Anyone? 

Sit and Workout

One of the newest-to-me sites is Greatist. They have all sorts of great health and fitness tips. I am still using the exercise ball when watching television or just sitting around (well, instead of just sitting around) and was wondering what else I could be doing.

Greatist had some ideas! They're using them as ways to exercise at work, but I'm using them as exercises to do instead of sitting idle in front of the television.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. If your computer chair swivels, this is a good one! Sit in the chair with your feet hovering over the floor- if you are doing this at your desk, hold on to the edge with your fingers and thumb; if you have moved the chair in front of the television, just use your arms for movement--use your core to swivel from side to side. 
2. You can do this one sitting anywhere! Just put your feet flat on the floor and tap your toes speedy quick. OR, to intensify this one, stand up in front of something (like a small trashcan) and touch your toes to the rim repeatedly-- like a soccer drill! 
3. Stand up and do calf raises. 
4. While sitting down, squeeze your rear, hold for 10 seconds or so and release. Repeat. 
5. Another sitting down one! Just straighten one leg (or both) and hold it (them) there for 5+ seconds. Lower the legs without letting the feet touch the floor and repeat. If you're doing one leg at a time, alternate the lifting.
6. While sitting, put a beach ball (or pillow or whatever you can find) between your knees and press your legs together for a minute (yes, 60 seconds). Repeat. 
7. Backwards push-ups. Sit in a sturdy chair and sit on the edge with your hands on either side of you gripping the side edges of the chair. Take a step of two  away from the chair and straighten your arms to lift your body. Then bend your arms to a 90 degree angle allowing your rear to dip down below the seat of the chair. Hold and re-straighten- like push-ups! Repeat 10-15 times or as many times as you can stand it. This is great for those bat wings ladies! 
8. While sitting in the chair- do some fist pumps! Just punch your fists into the air in front of you like a boxer. Gets out frustrations and tones your arms. Try doing it during the commercials
9. Stand up and hold your arms by your sides with your palms facing behind. Then just pulse the arms backward for 5-10 seconds. Release and repeat, keeping your arms long and straight. Try doing this through the commercials. 
10. While sitting or standing, raise your shoulders up towards your ears and hold them there for 5 seconds. Relax. Repeat for 15 reps. If you want more resistance, hold your hand weights (or water bottles, whatever) in your hands.

There's always a way to get moving. Even when we're sitting down! There's no reason to just sit and not burn calories! These are easy enough to incorporate into our daily lives whether we work outside or inside the home.

Let's get moving y'all!