tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83008926903413569102024-03-14T10:15:01.016-04:00Fitness... Full CircleBe healthy, inside and outAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-15412209084989979682014-03-01T18:36:00.000-05:002014-03-01T18:37:42.146-05:00March Is Here, Gluten-Free Brownies, Back To Working Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6AmMZSXkKlLXzKZHZKXPb5FXZD0-6ZYPGRsB_l29jUuaJmKzGHhK39AIN-dfSAjvOrZl2VPlPVVe0BMhpsmugFZdexrjyjNT8VRc4nR1sXeHffg2JIZ6upPuZnpSvjaiEbGvE3AN7FfS/s1600/today+outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6AmMZSXkKlLXzKZHZKXPb5FXZD0-6ZYPGRsB_l29jUuaJmKzGHhK39AIN-dfSAjvOrZl2VPlPVVe0BMhpsmugFZdexrjyjNT8VRc4nR1sXeHffg2JIZ6upPuZnpSvjaiEbGvE3AN7FfS/s1600/today+outside.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Today is the first day of March, and this is what it looks like outside. You might not be able to see it in the photo, but it's snowing.... again! I'm trying really hard to keep a positive attitude, but I'm SOOOO ready for spring to hurry up and get here. I'm taking heart in the fact that today is the FIRST DAY OF MARCH! Spring has to be right around the corner. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQsFwxWhig20sOUO8Dw7yPnw6xHoCu8Uq1_e6Uer6ALumfHRwiBBw42F3EAlJ3hk8_KmEbc0wTOfQTLHAcQ4YPRY_koKhYm-OoQNiahbWyQdcyxxFYuOuvSeVuXyQKoaM5JgmEg42Ig_G/s1600/jamie+eason.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQsFwxWhig20sOUO8Dw7yPnw6xHoCu8Uq1_e6Uer6ALumfHRwiBBw42F3EAlJ3hk8_KmEbc0wTOfQTLHAcQ4YPRY_koKhYm-OoQNiahbWyQdcyxxFYuOuvSeVuXyQKoaM5JgmEg42Ig_G/s1600/jamie+eason.PNG" height="133" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-introduction.html" target="_blank">Jamie Eason</a></td></tr>
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I got back into my workout routine this week after taking last week off. My body just needed a break, and it was worth it. It felt really good to start my days off in the gym again. I decided to repeat Jamie Eason's <a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-introduction.html" target="_blank">Live Fit</a> 12 week program. I've done this a few times, and I love the gradual, steady progression of difficulty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhir5O1RvqHaYF3e0DskEtksjOS-DyOk0Unw2gtBKOEL368S-wIPl5KzHwfAVGRzWxT6tEsXJptYRurX87RKXPaU15A9KlAKqYjWD3Qph5Bood6QCZjqrA65njPLRzZgqlWT-dB7QFn0N/s1600/brownies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhir5O1RvqHaYF3e0DskEtksjOS-DyOk0Unw2gtBKOEL368S-wIPl5KzHwfAVGRzWxT6tEsXJptYRurX87RKXPaU15A9KlAKqYjWD3Qph5Bood6QCZjqrA65njPLRzZgqlWT-dB7QFn0N/s1600/brownies.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHtILgytN2CrNsfejdczaLd5fMNK0eCTjIOjipJ0oB-XjzTmxoxSz64a7DWkDQ1Fg9zivWVBZFr44-eyjkgUn8QzfGe6otyaIJbUXUva6F4UT3KHx7OGTulqs-IicquzIo5xcFBStbPum/s1600/brownie+mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHtILgytN2CrNsfejdczaLd5fMNK0eCTjIOjipJ0oB-XjzTmxoxSz64a7DWkDQ1Fg9zivWVBZFr44-eyjkgUn8QzfGe6otyaIJbUXUva6F4UT3KHx7OGTulqs-IicquzIo5xcFBStbPum/s1600/brownie+mix.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>I found another cleaned-up desert recipe and made it last Sunday. These <a href="http://againstallgrain.com/2013/07/30/the-book-is-out-brownie-recipe/" target="_blank">Dark Chocolate Cake Brownies</a> are SO good! I shared them with some co-workers, and they went on and on about how good they are, never guessing they're gluten free and sugar free. I ate one of these brownies after almost every lunch this week. I love being able to have desert without feeling bad about putting junk in my body.<br />
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The week was full of long days and ended with a massive headache on Friday. I don't get headaches very often, and I can't remember the last time I had one as bad as the one I came home with yesterday. I can guess a few things that might have contributed to it. Sometimes I get so caught up in the busy-ness of the day and forget to eat. Then my body starts screaming at me - one way or another. Then I eat whatever is easiest and quickest to put in my mouth. That's one thing that happened on Friday that I'm sure contributed to my afternoon and evening misery. I'm going to spend some time tomorrow planning meals and snacks to keep on hand while I'm working next week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAkIBeOgnWXVoALllnt6jqqPZ3GeCNLR5s2ICshcis5S-znIQPfc8vcrDhK53bULojgx3kyRAhL3C1fDEzIquCzZOdowg2EtwfFrsIaQeexc8lUhsT1SQfYixXGxQE-kH0PUJcD-UM5iz/s1600/cletus.harley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAkIBeOgnWXVoALllnt6jqqPZ3GeCNLR5s2ICshcis5S-znIQPfc8vcrDhK53bULojgx3kyRAhL3C1fDEzIquCzZOdowg2EtwfFrsIaQeexc8lUhsT1SQfYixXGxQE-kH0PUJcD-UM5iz/s1600/cletus.harley.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I'll end this post on a fun, cute note. A couple of days ago my hubby and doggies were lovingly missing me, waiting for me to get home from work. I love my family!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-36987368673873254692014-02-23T10:18:00.000-05:002014-02-23T10:18:31.175-05:00Why Do We Trust Government Dietary Guidelines?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGy2fQJbrc3PUfBaXosBJCopCOp2uur1q-neBDaYQhgbDicX8jMWS2Fwj8iZD9WmPsvqE4rhGWYSSHYojpfAPAOc8CILFtaWZJFWXAkJZ-4uf_s_wJ9F-VY35xJFIDu_BGG0exxGHRstcq/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGy2fQJbrc3PUfBaXosBJCopCOp2uur1q-neBDaYQhgbDicX8jMWS2Fwj8iZD9WmPsvqE4rhGWYSSHYojpfAPAOc8CILFtaWZJFWXAkJZ-4uf_s_wJ9F-VY35xJFIDu_BGG0exxGHRstcq/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
In 1992 the USDA came out with a food pyramid to serve as a guideline for proper nutrition. That pyramid has since been revised a few times. This week I learned some things about the USDA and about that pyramid that are glaring examples of why we should never take "recommendations" from government agencies as the whole, entire truth when it comes to our health.<br />
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I looked up the purpose of the USDA. What is that agency supposed to be doing? Judging by the fact they publish information about how we should be eating that our government endorses, you might think their interest is in better health for Americans. Here's the vision statement from <a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=MISSION_STATEMENT">usda.gov</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>To expand economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America
to thrive; to promote agriculture production sustainability that better
nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the
world; and to preserve and conserve our Nation's natural resources
through restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private
working lands.
</i></blockquote>
The USDA is obviously first concerned with the <b>economic </b>health of agriculture, supporting the ag and food industries. Can you imagine how susceptible it is to the influence of people and organizations who are concerned more about profit than the health of the American people? Why the heck did our US government turn to them to create a guideline for how we should eat to be published and endorsed by our "leaders"?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSywgxQowbI7hcT3il1LIxVFN5UKd49CAoYp4e4D9g0z2Ksm86kMaXXyL5nGVfWNfIRvHyADE3vs0e-CI2HvD8mGqUd6yDoUg75lp05VrDzlXIWVlyPsmKOhE9fWgO3WtD9vC0ev7CETX/s1600/louise+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSywgxQowbI7hcT3il1LIxVFN5UKd49CAoYp4e4D9g0z2Ksm86kMaXXyL5nGVfWNfIRvHyADE3vs0e-CI2HvD8mGqUd6yDoUg75lp05VrDzlXIWVlyPsmKOhE9fWgO3WtD9vC0ev7CETX/s1600/louise+light.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise Light</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.whale.to/a/light.html">Luise Light</a> is a woman who was the leader of the team of nutritionists that designed the food pyramid for the USDA. The design originally submitted by these people who were experts in the field of nutrition for use in the pyramid was modified beyond recognition before it was finally published as the official food pyramid by the USDA.<br />
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The modifications were due to interference by food industry giants. Alterations were made to wording and serving quantities in order to placate lobbyists of the dairy, meat and wheat growers. Some of the alterations were made specifically so as not to harm the sales of processed foods.<br />
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In addition, the government food assistance program was taken into consideration. Our government provides financial assistance to people who are below a certain income level to help them buy food for their families. <b>They had to be careful to not make dietary recommendations beyond which they were willing to subsidize on a financial level. </b><br />
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Many agencies that are supposed to have OUR best interest at heart, publishing recommendations and protecting us from harmful practices by profitable companies are, in fact, being funded and supported by those VERY SAME companies! "Big Food" (money) is driving our nation's leaders. Big surprise?<br />
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Please don't take my word for any of this. Check out the sources I used and decide for yourself:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=MISSION_STATEMENT" target="_blank">USDA's website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/invented-food-pyramid/" target="_blank">"Who Invented The Food Pyramid" </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.whale.to/a/light.html">Article by Louse Light </a></li>
<li>Abel James <a href="http://fatburningman.com/denise-minger-death-by-food-pyramid/" target="_blank">interview </a>with Denise Minger, Feb 15, 2014</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-Food-Pyramid-Politics-Interests/dp/0984755128" target="_blank">Denise Minger: Death by Food Pyramid</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.earlytorise.com/the-food-pyramid-turned-upside-down/#">Food Pyramid Turned Upside Down </a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2HNLCXedOL_up-LyUjh9fWUwuIzJD3C6b5GlrC36jYdtScJuPwp2gwZ7YzS-QH3hbtI4JMzeT_k5wr6YnXgUW3wF582Stwd_-GBqcaRgNZD0pBAfuuBySUxUqoC93Pl737sEp3cbR4I6/s1600/Denise-Minger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2HNLCXedOL_up-LyUjh9fWUwuIzJD3C6b5GlrC36jYdtScJuPwp2gwZ7YzS-QH3hbtI4JMzeT_k5wr6YnXgUW3wF582Stwd_-GBqcaRgNZD0pBAfuuBySUxUqoC93Pl737sEp3cbR4I6/s1600/Denise-Minger.png" height="116" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-78301676903276236732014-02-22T18:19:00.000-05:002014-02-22T20:11:42.538-05:00Healthy(er) Candy, Proud Wife and Makeup!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u2SjX9UMj0OwRVCeaLggrt8M0plU52xrrN8ys5mI7EIp8n0XuDa197nXmzqygVoehBd24jjx-QH5ABE2B-kSqiWrKYgZqa-S4zX8sFYwFvNIJs8PB7MVViP3OZW7O4-6BgfWwmi66PFC/s1600/weathermap.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u2SjX9UMj0OwRVCeaLggrt8M0plU52xrrN8ys5mI7EIp8n0XuDa197nXmzqygVoehBd24jjx-QH5ABE2B-kSqiWrKYgZqa-S4zX8sFYwFvNIJs8PB7MVViP3OZW7O4-6BgfWwmi66PFC/s1600/weathermap.PNG" height="200" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2014/02/michigan_storm_update_stronges.html" target="_blank">photo courtesy of MLive.com</a></td></tr>
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In spite of even more difficult winter weather, it was great week. This has been the snowiest, coldest winter I remember in the 20-ish years I've lived in Michigan. On Tuesday we experienced the feel of 3 seasons - winter, spring and fall - in the span of a day. It rained, snowed, rain/snowed, roads flooded, temps in the 40s, then freezing, and we even saw lightening that night, while it was snowing!!! All the while, the wind was blowing up to 50 mph at times. Ugh!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbPbkAliHLrMWoPM-VXDDKnp5lmGsmsvxuJsff2V4Y0q_zKBJAMG2Fk06Z6yYG6NOSasWyLXD7ai0bZfQQJQ2hdMC7amd6VrIGyKlbu5JC_Fk2mcc3wxQW6SYJDOj36-TXEnQnLDt5P4l/s1600/scott+performing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbPbkAliHLrMWoPM-VXDDKnp5lmGsmsvxuJsff2V4Y0q_zKBJAMG2Fk06Z6yYG6NOSasWyLXD7ai0bZfQQJQ2hdMC7amd6VrIGyKlbu5JC_Fk2mcc3wxQW6SYJDOj36-TXEnQnLDt5P4l/s1600/scott+performing.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Wednesday night Scott had a stand-up show at <a href="http://www.connxtionscomedyclub.com/lansing/shows" target="_blank">Connexions Comedy Club</a> in Lansing. He has a natural talent for making people laugh. It's like he was born with a microphone in his hand! I was able to video it this time, so you can watch it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wxxTkHmBys" target="_blank">here</a> if you want. (Beware, the content is NOT kid-friendly) He's been spending quite a bit of time at Connexions on Wednesday nights lately and really enjoying it.<br />
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Scott's been doing stand-up comedy for years - he was a regular at Connexions - but he backed off from it for a while due to time constraints. He's also done theater and on-air/radio work. He truly loves all of it, and he's working on building up his resume and picking up more gigs. I'm so proud of him!<br />
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I discovered a food company today that I'm really excited about. It's called UNREAL Candy. I found it at Target of all places and bought the peanut butter cups. The packaging caught my attention, and I picked it up and read the label. They've taken strides to replace the cheap, processed ingredients found in traditional candy with real food ingredients. For instance, the peanut butter cups are sweetened with cane sugar and organic palm sugar, and includes other tree nuts, instead of the processed sugar and dextrose found in Reese's peanut butter cups. The company produces other look-a-likes: M&M and Milky Way - like candy. I bought the peanut butter cups, and they taste just as good as Reese's. Yum!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcpm4bdA0_ojNVYDOJ_rV_QGSm9Op5MBbbbFNYqgbhR7liKc4ATfQN8gOq1DIX7AoJhaky-7zGkoPBmHymghlCzSqLRce00tGDpR2ud3z2RUKUvu4cDT6jhdvGkW5TppYKjXvrDVINJlu/s1600/unreal+candy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcpm4bdA0_ojNVYDOJ_rV_QGSm9Op5MBbbbFNYqgbhR7liKc4ATfQN8gOq1DIX7AoJhaky-7zGkoPBmHymghlCzSqLRce00tGDpR2ud3z2RUKUvu4cDT6jhdvGkW5TppYKjXvrDVINJlu/s1600/unreal+candy+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I looked the UNREAL Candy company up online when I got home: <a href="http://getunreal.com/">http://getunreal.com</a> and read their story. It was started because a 13 year old boy asked, "Why do the foods we love the most have to be so bad for us?" It's encouraging to see a main-stream 'super-store' carrying a product like this. Kudos to Target.<br />
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Today was a shopping day with my daughter. Along with the trip to Target you just read about, we went to Ulta and each got over $100 of makeup for just over $20! That's my kind of shopping!!! We caught Ulta at a great time. :) And I totally enjoyed my afternoon with Shelby.<br />
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I hope you all had a great week and are working on a great weekend! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-45361178676925100332014-02-20T12:46:00.000-05:002014-02-20T12:46:00.042-05:004 Reasons To Eat Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoDJCTY0YXpW4jfkcj4lMbkeY6wkXrZbNHycFe858O5gU4I8RQWmsmoR9ma4_1KDD1FCz3rz9a_tetLpqJql5WcVCIBmyrp74mFh3rPtUJJyb3Ma0irRb2nyKOyrvcLGYNRTWa-WAhcvG/s1600/butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoDJCTY0YXpW4jfkcj4lMbkeY6wkXrZbNHycFe858O5gU4I8RQWmsmoR9ma4_1KDD1FCz3rz9a_tetLpqJql5WcVCIBmyrp74mFh3rPtUJJyb3Ma0irRb2nyKOyrvcLGYNRTWa-WAhcvG/s1600/butter.jpg" /></a></div>
Over the past three or so generations we've been taught all sorts of erroneous information about how the things we eat affect our health. <b>We've made great strides in science and health care, much of which has contributed to the longevity of life. However, in the most recent few decades, some of the things we've been taught to do have been detrimental to our health. </b>One of those things has to do with butter.<br />
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We've been told that butter is an enemy and sold products like margarine in its place. <b>Margarine contains lab-made fat that is, in fact, toxic to our bodies.</b> In the early 1900s, the incidents of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes was a fraction of what it is today. Artificial food, like margarine, and false information being fed to us by "Big-Food" (a corrupt industry, in my opinion) play a huge role in this evolution.<br />
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Butter is actually good for our bodies for several reasons.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Butter contains butyrate, which helps with inflammation</b>. Butyrate inhibits a protein complex in cells that reacts to stress - physical and psychological - and causes inflammation that leads to illness.</li>
<li><b>Butter contains vitamins A and E and other anti-oxidants</b>, which protect against cancer and heart disease and provides a boost to the immune system. Vitamin A also improves the function of the thyroid gland.</li>
<li><b>Butter is helpful in preventing weight gain.</b> Yes, you read that right. The type of fatty acids in butter are called upon for quick energy first. Other types of fatty acids, like the ones found in margarine and other highly processed foods, are used for energy last and only if other sources of energy have been depleted. Therefore, they're likely to be stored as fat in our bodies. In addition, nutrient-dense butter provides a quicker and longer lasting feeling of satiety. </li>
</ol>
But what about cholesterol, you ask? Isn't butter high in cholesterol? Yes, butter contributes to cholesterol in your body. That leads me to number 4:<b> </b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
4<b>. Butter contains cholesterol.</b> Contrary to the bad-guy persona
built around cholesterol, it's actually very necessary for vital
functions of our bodies. The body uses cholesterol to produce hormones
that regulate everything from blood sugar, to brain function, to
digestion, to sex-related functions that rely on estrogen and
testosterone. It's important for the body to maintain a proper balance
of cholesterol between what we eat and what is manufactured by the body.
Butter, which in its natural state contains cholesterol, also contains
lecithin. Lecithin assists in regulating and metabolizing cholesterol. </blockquote>
<b>Butter is a perfect food</b>, and the "Big-Food" industry has manipulated it and sold us a defective bill of goods in its place. Rant on Big-Food is a topic that could fill many other posts, and I'll save it for later.<br />
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When you're cooking and a recipe calls for butter, use real butter! When you grill or fry, use real butter. Use real butter on your air-popped popcorn...<br />
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<i>Whatever you do, stay away from margarine and other butter substitutes! They're toxic.</i><br />
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I've learned about this subject from many podcasts and articles that are readily available online. Some of these sources are:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better">http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bulletproofexec.com/butter-infographic/">http://www.bulletproofexec.com/butter-infographic/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11989838">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11989838</a></li>
<li><a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/cholesterol/how-the-body-uses-cholesterol.htm">http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/cholesterol/how-the-body-uses-cholesterol.htm</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608383/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=livilavidalow-20%0A" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608383/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=livilavidalow-20%0A </a></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-57762330120511741982014-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:002014-02-17T18:16:04.966-05:00Do You Have a Spiritual Guide?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGVBJBamPPXWn5P-mbAA5i06RONhXIxQ-mdHfvj-54rF7TZfXvoN2dqYLNRH3z_uaixElRkehNYklSnKJVSx-rgZn7O1g7vq_FpFXM6oyglhunPHj42nabpk_b0AJlIrtCjpBEx2oiANP/s1600/journey+with+zeke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGVBJBamPPXWn5P-mbAA5i06RONhXIxQ-mdHfvj-54rF7TZfXvoN2dqYLNRH3z_uaixElRkehNYklSnKJVSx-rgZn7O1g7vq_FpFXM6oyglhunPHj42nabpk_b0AJlIrtCjpBEx2oiANP/s1600/journey+with+zeke.jpg" /></a>The read for last week's book group meeting of The Novelties was <a href="http://www.journeywithzeke.com/" target="_blank">Journey With Zeke, Gift or Curse?</a> by Lynette Teachout. Lynette is a local author and was good enough to visit with our group for the discussion. I always love author visits and our field trips to author events. This one, in particular, was in interesting discussion.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Teachout is a psychic medium. I learned there's a difference between a psychic medium and other types of people who claim to be able to tell the future. A psychic medium is someone who receives messages from people who are "in spirit." Sometimes they're as simple as the spirit wanting to acknowledge a person through her. Sometimes it's a warning of someone heading down a dangerous path. She shared many stories.<br />
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I wasn't quite sure what to expect from our meeting or how my fellow members would handle a discussion about a topic that has the potential to be controversial like this. And I wasn't sure how I feel about this myself. I've never claimed to <b>not </b>believe in this type of spirituality, but it's definitely something that's hard to embrace.<br />
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Lynette's open, frank and friendly way of speaking about her gift encouraged a lot of curious and emotional dialogue. She explained that we all have a guide in the spirit world. If we pay attention, we can see evidence of the guide being with us in the form of obstacles in our path or opportunities opening up...<br />
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On this night, some of us shared stories of events that seem unexplainable unless you believe in a higher spirit watching over us. One such story of mine is of a phone call I received at a time I needed it most. I was in a very low time in my life, depressed and feeling lost, along with having financial difficulties. I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of a mall a few weeks before Christmas, feeling broken, worn out and crying. At that very moment my dad called me. I hadn't talked to him in several weeks. We don't talk on a regular basis, just catch up every once in a while. When I answered and he discovered I was crying he told me that he'd had a very strong feeling that one of his kids was hurting so he planned to call each of us. I was his first call. Lynette said that was our guides working together to take care of me when I needed it. That incident stays with me. It's something I'll never forget because of the way it made me feel totally convinced that someone was watching over me.<br />
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Has anything like that ever happened to you?<br />
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I was curious about her beliefs in God and Jesus. She is a strong believer and follower of Jesus. That was a relief to me. I'd always been a little confused about whether or not there is conflict in the two beliefs.<br />
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Lynette taught us several things she's learned in her life about the spirit world. She was positive and matter-of-fact about all of it, as if it were as much a fact of life as breathing. I do believe someone is always watching over me; I usually imagine that it's Jesus. But maybe God is using spirits of others to do that sometimes.....<br />
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I'd love to know your thoughts on the subject.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-52867866958673977552014-02-16T16:05:00.000-05:002014-02-16T16:05:35.747-05:00Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from Against All Grain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcVF-pW9qg-uG_k1Gd4MVIhY26eEwi-oG512n6zd3cOqI0ckOrHNRGIs2JWgV3T2-eNHSGkeFGKQCRFd6A9TwIm6FSWS2biNHZLiJooC8pP2z-A_4N9W_sBQyqYfPIjv2gNEON5h464R1/s1600/againstallgrain.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcVF-pW9qg-uG_k1Gd4MVIhY26eEwi-oG512n6zd3cOqI0ckOrHNRGIs2JWgV3T2-eNHSGkeFGKQCRFd6A9TwIm6FSWS2biNHZLiJooC8pP2z-A_4N9W_sBQyqYfPIjv2gNEON5h464R1/s1600/againstallgrain.PNG" /></a>I had a couple of very ripe bananas that needed to be used today or thrown out. As luck would have it, I came across a yummy-sounding recipe for these banana muffins on Facebook, posted by a blogger I follow, Danielle Walker: <a href="http://againstallgrain.com/">http://againstallgrain.com</a>. Find the recipe <a href="http://againstallgrain.com/2012/03/28/banana-muffins-with-chocolate-chip-streusel-topping/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjSlvy9HEVfPw6Izfh-ulHpDlySRrK-lBvC9S2EH6ymOiA-6MN9Mc3Rma7oZTVt0HnjrxfCw2DHiwtwUCx9WCtuvL7d7ufQ3GldUwE7q-c5X_bl6Fg51Gc0Wk1Xre81TsjfXXdbF0jte5/s1600/banana+muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjSlvy9HEVfPw6Izfh-ulHpDlySRrK-lBvC9S2EH6ymOiA-6MN9Mc3Rma7oZTVt0HnjrxfCw2DHiwtwUCx9WCtuvL7d7ufQ3GldUwE7q-c5X_bl6Fg51Gc0Wk1Xre81TsjfXXdbF0jte5/s1600/banana+muffins.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>The recipe calls for a streusel topping, but I chose to not do that part. Also, I didn't have chocolate chips on hand, but I had a bar of unsweetened baking chocolate, so I chopped that up and used it instead. I only had two bananas, and the recipe called for three. Turned out just fine.<br />
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This author is a proponent of grain-free eating, so the recipe uses almond and coconut flours instead of regular flour. I made it using those flours, and it turned out delicious! But you can substitute regular or whole wheat flour if you wish. <br />
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The oil is coconut oil instead of the vegetable oil many traditional recipes call for. The recipe also doesn't call for any added sugar. It's sweetened with the bananas and honey. I promise you, these muffins taste as yummy (even more so, in my opinion) as the recipes that call for the extra sugar and flour. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlaCztf_9moeWtmAYtcwd0H6DhwEm9ks7R7YwGr9Jnf5MHe01pJJ9mXWMoWMtx-VdRflAugwhDVZ49bArUCASgGczfgxYjgS1FNpeow3JAQdhEguCAP32C393aU4IpV7e2noS2JLZDH-J/s1600/maple+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlaCztf_9moeWtmAYtcwd0H6DhwEm9ks7R7YwGr9Jnf5MHe01pJJ9mXWMoWMtx-VdRflAugwhDVZ49bArUCASgGczfgxYjgS1FNpeow3JAQdhEguCAP32C393aU4IpV7e2noS2JLZDH-J/s1600/maple+cream.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge797FuoHknWwdgPpiDkuw0UB6ie70hOPBdZmd0lAn3WDj1vKCQfT9hrrIp8Dp1fQJNRSpAUbobKV8IP7asB19KKDVKFqQfPcw5b59F03dXM0NTsWCxCvexD4MoS_CwJy5hRpFBiManD7J/s1600/banana.muffins.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge797FuoHknWwdgPpiDkuw0UB6ie70hOPBdZmd0lAn3WDj1vKCQfT9hrrIp8Dp1fQJNRSpAUbobKV8IP7asB19KKDVKFqQfPcw5b59F03dXM0NTsWCxCvexD4MoS_CwJy5hRpFBiManD7J/s1600/banana.muffins.2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>A couple of months ago I met with Jason Meyer at <a href="http://www.mynaturecenter.org/" target="_blank">Fenner Nature Center</a> in Lansing, MI to talk about marketing (my day job), and he was kind enough to give me a jar of pure maple cream that was made locally at a farm there in Lansing. I spread some of it on a muffin. OMG! Delish!<br />
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For me, this is further evidence that healthy recipes and real food not only make you feel better, but also taste better than junk-filled recipes. Love it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-53015466225610988542014-02-15T15:05:00.000-05:002014-02-15T15:05:22.938-05:00Getting Acquainted With Detroit and my Sweet Co-WorkersIt was another busy week, but I'm getting better at figuring out how to organize my time and get things done without feeling so overwhelmed. I worked in areas all over and around Detroit and Ann Arbor this week. I had to stop occasionally at coffee shops or cafes to take care of things in between appointments on some days. I enjoy that flexibility, but it requires some major time organization and planning, especially if I want to not eat junk all week. Again, I'm getting better at planning so that I don't sabotage my good intentions. Still working on it.... <br />
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I was determined this week to eat better than last week, so last Sunday I cooked some chicken and pork to have for lunches and quick dinners, and made sure I had plenty of veggies for salads and snacks. On Monday and Tuesday I packed lunches and ate well, and I made dinners from the meat and some rice and potatoes.<br />
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Wednesday night was book group, and I ate pretzels, cookies, some veggies and wine with my girls. That was dinner that night. Thursday was a late day from work. When I got home I just snacked on pretzels and chex mix and called it dinner, ugh!<br />
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Friday night I had an awesome meal at <a href="http://www.grandrivermarketplace.com/" target="_blank">Grand River Marketplace</a> where my hubby and I went for our Valentine's dinner. I had one of their specials - lobster risotto, with a wine from their own winery, and strawberry cheesecake for desert. Yum! Yum! Yum!<br />
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I have some of the pork and chicken still in the fridge, so I think I'll make soup out of it this weekend.<br />
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One of the reps I work with is a sweet 23 year old girl who recently moved up here from Texas. She's great at using her southern charm to win people over. I love her to death, and she does an awesome job with her work. I walked into the office the other day and saw this flask on her desk that was a gift from a friend. <br />
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Working with people who are the same age as my kids is a new thing for me recently. As much as I like to think of myself as a young 40-something, it sometimes makes me remember I'm a "mature" adult now. <br />
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I snapped these pictures of my two other babies at home this week. Cletus and Harley would be lost without each other. The one of Harley by herself is when I was scolding her for being on the couch. They're not allowed on the furniture, but sometimes when we're not in the room, we find evidence (hair!) they get up there. This morning I caught her red-handed. <br />
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I love my doggies! <br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-24166218161996991992014-02-08T22:53:00.000-05:002014-02-08T22:53:06.816-05:00My New Schedule and Yummy Banana Breakfasts<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRYrmlo-6b1BHZ72-C8a_tXBzxzfBWEOysMd14Pu_K7uLNvrDZai2pso7PokJcqmvyAX02n6JT_FWx2AltJQ6bzkHHMKKG3eYqPbQWuL15DW5bVNR4pp8L-_DvW7jLfaWnGwL8XBlXPCV/s1600/my+present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRYrmlo-6b1BHZ72-C8a_tXBzxzfBWEOysMd14Pu_K7uLNvrDZai2pso7PokJcqmvyAX02n6JT_FWx2AltJQ6bzkHHMKKG3eYqPbQWuL15DW5bVNR4pp8L-_DvW7jLfaWnGwL8XBlXPCV/s1600/my+present.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hubby bought me this scarf yesterday :) </td></tr>
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It's been a little over a month since my last post. This past month has been full of change and challenges. All good stuff, but time consuming and exhausting. I'm having to learn a new way to balance work and home all over again.<br />
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I was offered the opportunity to step into a leadership role with a news media company, coaching and mentoring sales reps who sell marketing solutions similar to what I did for my previous employer. It was a natural step in the right direction for me, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.<br />
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The challenge for me is managing my time. The position is statewide, supporting offices in several regions of the state. The closest office to my home is a 45 minute drive one way. Others are up to two hours away. So I usually leave my house around 7:00 or 7:30 am and sometimes don't get home until 7:00 or 7:30 pm.<br />
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The work itself is rewarding and extremely fulfilling. I have value to offer in specific areas for the company, and I'm busy from start to end of every day. The days and weeks fly by. I like that, but the long days make it difficult to stick to my nutrition goals. It's tough to cook dinner the way I want to each night, so I find myself eating on the fly quite a bit.<br />
<br />
One thing I've been able to stick with pretty well is my workout routine. I get up an hour earlier than I used to now so that I can make it to the gym before work. My day starts at 4am. I start out with coffee and a half hour of reading (I try to keep a non-fiction/self-improvement book going all the time), then I'm off to the gym. Then I come back and have breakfast and get ready for work.<br />
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My breakfast of choice lately has been a french toast-like scramble. I forget the name of the dish and which blog I found it on, but if I find it again I'll come back here and give credit. It's basically like french toast without the toast. You mash a banana, then add two eggs, cinnamon and a dash of vanilla. Scramble it all together and cook it in a skillet with butter or coconut oil until the egg is cooked. I top it with a big spoonful of natural peanut butter or almond butter. Yummy!!!<br />
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Today I made banana chocolate chip pancakes from <a href="http://www.againstallgrain.com/2012/04/05/grain-free-pancakes/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> on the Against All Grain blog. It's made with almond flour instead of white flour. I topped it with real maple syrup. I thought it tasted really good, but my family wasn't eager to help me eat it, so It was lunch today and I have some left over for tomorrow's breakfast.<br />
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As I get used to my routine I'll start working things like my blog back into my regular schedule. I've missed being here. I hope you all had a great January! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-69938865737590464242013-12-30T19:37:00.000-05:002013-12-30T19:37:26.120-05:00Book Review: The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just finished reading <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400065943" target="_blank">The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion</a>, by Fannie Flagg. Fannie is the author of <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780804115612" target="_blank">Fried Green Tomatoes</a>, one of my all time favorite stories. When I heard an interview with her on NPR a few weeks ago about this latest novel of hers, I was eager to read it. She didn't disappoint!<br />
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This book is the current read of my book group, The Novelties. We meet to talk about it next Wednesday. I'm looking forward to hearing what my girls have to say about it.<br />
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This, and Fried Green Tomatoes, are the only two novels of Flagg's I've read. Her writing style was consistent between the two. She goes back and forth between a historical time and current day, and as the story progresses the two plots intermingle, one solving the mystery of the other. <br />
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Our current day leading lady is Sookie, a 60-something year old woman with four grown children, a loving, supportive husband and a narcissistic, controlling mother. After a lifetime of putting up with and taking care of a mother like that, Sookie suddenly finds out she's adopted.<br />
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The historical timeline in the story is of the early 1940s, when three sisters served as female pilots in WWII (WASPS). The family consists of four sisters total, plus a male sibling. Their family ran a popular filling station in Pulaski, Wisconsin before the war.<br />
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As you can imagine, one of the sisters turns out to be Sookie's biological mother. True to Flagg's style, you may think you've put the pieces together well before the story ends, but, trust me, Flagg remains in control until the very end.<br />
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Also similar to Fried Green Tomatoes, the woman in the current day part of the story is a bit meek and lacks confidence, and the women in the historical piece are strong-willed and courageous. I'm not sure what to make of Flagg's tendency to portray current-day women as weak and broken.<br />
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I LOVE how pieces of true history are woven into the book. I learned things about females in WWII I didn't know before. The story of these women (even if they're fictitious) reminds us of the difficulties women incurred over the years in order for us to have the choices and freedom we have today.<br />
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If I were rating this book out of 5 stars, it would receive all 5. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-45637992054843136382013-12-15T21:24:00.001-05:002013-12-15T21:24:16.230-05:00This Week's Meal Plan: Dec. 15 - Dec. 20, 2013Over the weekend I created and shopped for my meal plan for the week. The meals that came from recipes I found online include links here for you.<br />
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Check out this meal planning website:<a href="http://www.plantoeat.com/" target="_blank"> www.plantoeat.com</a>. You can import and store recipes and plan all meals for the week, and link to the recipes. It also creates a shopping list you can view from your phone while you're at the store.<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/tex-mex-gooey-casserole-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Tex-Mex Casserole</a><br />
<a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/23/recipe-coconut-chicken-satay/" target="_blank">Coconut Chicken </a><br />
<a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/12/06/recipe-cheesy-hash-brown-casserole-like-cracker-barrel/#more-12593" target="_blank">Hashbrown Casserole</a><br />
<a href="http://plantoeat.com/recipes/15" target="_blank">Lasagna Soup</a><br />
<a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/02/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-bread/" target="_blank">Banana Bread</a> (I added chocolate chips to this recipe)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-6459435615322834792013-12-15T14:17:00.000-05:002013-12-15T14:17:09.277-05:00My Workout Week: Dec. 8 - Dec. 14, 2013I'm working through Jamie Eason's <a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html" target="_blank">12 week Live Fit</a> program on <a href="http://bodybuilding.com/">bodybuilding.com</a>. I'm following the weight training program she's outlined, but doing my own nutrition plan.<br />
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On days that included cardio, I did the weight training early in the morning before work, and the cardio after work before dinner.<br />
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Sunday: off <br />
Monday: Back, cardio<br />
Tuesday: chest, abs, cardio<br />
Wednesday: glutes, legs<br />
Thursday: biceps, triceps, abs, cardio<br />
Friday: shoulders (should have done cardio too, but I didn't make it back to the gym for it)<br />
Saturday: was supposed to be another leg day, but I skipped it<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-31340724152884600072013-12-08T17:30:00.000-05:002013-12-08T17:45:03.607-05:00My Experience On The 21 Day Sugar Detox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've finished my <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a> diet. I'll summarize here how well I followed it, how I felt on it, what I learned and how I plan on eating now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6iAKuiqbF0WJv2q2z39bPQ6ohhJ3SJXCYalJotgGpsXSR1OZ4yxudnEo9gOH94xZhO3grNgRN0H_r_WBsBSf-evch13r6sIpW8XTIWYmNCD7jKmGO6gk4VzYLZedx0oa_POI55kxmhO4/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6iAKuiqbF0WJv2q2z39bPQ6ohhJ3SJXCYalJotgGpsXSR1OZ4yxudnEo9gOH94xZhO3grNgRN0H_r_WBsBSf-evch13r6sIpW8XTIWYmNCD7jKmGO6gk4VzYLZedx0oa_POI55kxmhO4/s320/images.jpg" width="310" /></a><b>How well I followed it</b>: The first week, my motivation level was high to stick with it 100%. I followed the week one meal plan pretty much exactly.<br />
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Our trip to Tennessee for the Thanksgiving holiday was during the second week. My first day in Tennessee was the first time I fell off the wagon a bit. During those three days we were there, I stuck to the plan about 75% of the time. For the most part, I stayed away from all the bread, biscuits, dinner rolls, etc., that were present at all meals, and I steered clear of food with added sugar as much as possible. I did, however, allow myself some of my favorite holiday treats, like my mom's chocolate pie.<br />
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After we returned home and life got back to normal, I got right back on the plan 100%. I was comfortable enough with it that I was able to eat in an a' la cart manner, sticking to foods on the 'yes' list, instead of following the meal plan laid out in the book. All week long, though, I was wishing I had planned out meals, because eating on the fly with this was a little more difficult.<br />
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<b>How I felt on it</b>: That first week was tough. I found out quickly that my body doesn't respond well to not getting enough carbs. Around day three I felt weak and irritable. The morning of day four I woke up feeling sick and shaky. At that point, I calculated the amount of carbs I'd eaten each day, and it averaged around 50g per day. From that day on, I made sure to eat around 130g - 150g each day.<br />
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Going into the second week, I started to feel more energy, a clearer head, and enough excitement about that to strengthen my resolve.<br />
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By the third week, it wasn't very difficult to not eat sweet stuff. Cravings weren't much of a struggle most of the time. A bonus: I lost 7 pounds!<br />
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<b>What I learned</b>:<br />
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<li>You have to be extremely intentional about reading labels and knowing what you're buying in order to not buy grocery items without some sort of added sugar or artificial ingredients. </li>
<li>It IS possible, though, and not that difficult once you get in the habit of looking and knowing what to look for. </li>
<li>I also (re)learned the importance of planning and cooking.</li>
<li>Meals that are home-cooked with real food ingredients have a high quality taste that I've come to desire much more than all that crap junk full of fillers and chemicals.</li>
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<b>My exit plan and how I intend to eat going forward</b>: This morning, I made my own meal plan for the upcoming week and went shopping for it. My experience with this diet has helped me get back into the habit of cooking dinner every night. When I do that, I'm able to easily pack lunch for the next day so that I'm not eating on the fly. I stay in control of what I eat this way.<br />
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I intend to continue to find and/or create new recipes and work with a weekly meal plan. I will use recipes that call for real food ingredients and use honey, maple or fruit when I need sweetener. It won't be difficult at all to cook without adding sugar to things, and I'm confident I'll be able to buy food without any kind of sugar ingredients added.<br />
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The only thing I truly missed and have figured out I don't want to do without is having sweetener in my coffee. I got away from using sugar a long time ago, substituting honey instead. I will definitely go back to using honey in my coffee now, but I bet I won't need as much of it. :)<br />
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The last consideration for my eating plan going forward is that I intend to follow the plan I just described here probably 80-90% of the time. If I'm out with friends or on occasions where I want to enjoy a sweet treat, slice of pizza, or otherwise go off the path a little bit, I will do so without regret.<br />
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As for the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>, I'm extremely glad I did it and highly recommend it to everyone. I wasn't perfect on it, but it did a great service to my resolve to clean up my eating and completely changed my mindset about food and feeding my body. I anticipate doing it again sometime next year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-36603900073333662092013-12-05T20:09:00.001-05:002013-12-05T20:09:11.346-05:00Social Media, Meetings and Not-So-Creative MealsDay 19 of the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox </a><br />
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Today was a whirlwind of a day, and my meals were blah. My work day started with a seminar in Lansing about social media, taught by one of my colleagues, <a href="https://plus.google.com/+MattBonofiglio1/posts" target="_blank">Matt Bonifiglio</a>, of MLive Media Group. Lots of great information about how to use social media to grow your business!<br />
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This morning, I was up at 5:00 for my workout and ate yogurt and a banana for breakfast around 7:30. I took my coffee with me for the drive. By 10:00 I was starving and sitting in that seminar. They had bagels and cream cheese for us, but I was good and didn't have any. As hungry as I was, it wasn't worth it to me to cave in and have all that bread. It would have kicked off a spiral of bread cravings.<br />
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I got to our Lansing office after the seminar around noon and ate my lunch, which was leftovers from last night: a chicken leg and fried rice and a carrot. Thankfully, I got full with that, because it was about that time when pizza was delivered. Ugh! One of my toughest weaknesses! Again, I didn't have any. It would have doomed my day.<br />
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I was busy with meetings the rest of the afternoon and ate a not-sweet cinnamon cookie with almond butter at 3:00 for a snack while taking care of some work on my computer.<br />
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As I said in yesterday's post, I haven't done much prep for this week's meals, and it was a late, long drive home from work, so I didn't feel like stopping at the store. Dinner was four slices of bacon and some rice crackers with almond butter. Oh, and a small glass of wine. Oh well, tomorrow's a new day. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-70647794954116429162013-12-04T20:41:00.001-05:002013-12-04T20:41:25.236-05:00On The Home StretchI had fun with my new <a href="https://jawbone.com/up" target="_blank">UP24</a> today. I've wondered lots of times how many calories I burn in my day to day activities. This technology isn't perfectly accurate, but it uses a formula based on my age, weight, height and steps taken throughout the day. I also recorded everything I ate today.<br />
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It's 8:15 pm right now. According to my <a href="https://jawbone.com/up" target="_blank">UP24</a>, I walked 5,554 steps - the equivalent of 2.4 miles. I ate approximately 1,984 calories, which included 160 grams of carbs, 117 grams of protein, 52 grams of unsaturated fat, 37 grams of saturated fat, and 317 mg of cholesterol. Including my walking around and my morning workout, I burned 1,688 calories.<br />
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According to this data, I'm at a calorie surplus for the day. They were clean calories though, so hopefully they will go toward muscle gain.<br />
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I didn't have much time to plan my meals this week, having just gotten back from our Tennessee trip on Sunday evening. Our freezer is stocked with plenty of meat, so I'm just working with what I have in the kitchen and cooking up meals that fit my<a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank"> 21 Day Sugar Detox</a> nutrition plan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBehEHlO-a5kNyB2HthKVeA7lsLHRheDxQZSzM6DgFOVYgrEH_cZ8TCA9_2n2RJBOcx_kuG4syHU0YmXfVazbz1rcgbRH4xdt9hc6MnuO5HBWWQ42V2jCsH9k6jrGg6uKMAYEYvRerq36/s1600/chicken.fried+rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBehEHlO-a5kNyB2HthKVeA7lsLHRheDxQZSzM6DgFOVYgrEH_cZ8TCA9_2n2RJBOcx_kuG4syHU0YmXfVazbz1rcgbRH4xdt9hc6MnuO5HBWWQ42V2jCsH9k6jrGg6uKMAYEYvRerq36/s320/chicken.fried+rice.jpg" width="240" /></a>Today was day 17. Breakfast was full-fat plain yogurt with a cut-up banana mixed in and a 12 oz. latte made with whole milk. I had a handful of almonds after my morning appointment while I was driving back to Jackson. For lunch I ate more leftover chicken thighs and a red skin potato with butter and salt. My afternoon snack was a not-sweet cinnamon cookie from the book, with almond butter spread on it.<br />
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Dinner was chicken legs and fried rice (cooked rice fried in coconut oil with seasonings, some balsamic vinegar and scrambled eggs). I baked the chicken basted with coconut oil and seasoned with sage, chives, salt and pepper. I also had a glass of red wine tonight. It's been a long few days!<br />
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Scott took Harley, one of our dogs, to the vet this afternoon because her ears have been bothering her. Turns out she has a yeast infection in them. Poor girl. We're getting her all fixed up now. Hopefully she'll feel better soon. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-76738863415777027932013-12-03T19:45:00.000-05:002013-12-03T19:52:17.849-05:00Early Birthday Present: Jawbone UP24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZdXQQF5xSBZnWRRgaFFs97XGL5NTZyHu9Pnp1CRPekbdDCpL4qLPHgHOPE_tjv3VynoXkTg5WkqMi0ucjmWrFVHk-a0f5KsezakymxG2tIhIxlnYOqjR8KceUJzAefhoe8gLhnTOnrZk/s1600/jawbone+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZdXQQF5xSBZnWRRgaFFs97XGL5NTZyHu9Pnp1CRPekbdDCpL4qLPHgHOPE_tjv3VynoXkTg5WkqMi0ucjmWrFVHk-a0f5KsezakymxG2tIhIxlnYOqjR8KceUJzAefhoe8gLhnTOnrZk/s320/jawbone+up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I got a <a href="https://jawbone.com/up" target="_blank">Jawbone UP24</a> today as an early birthday present from my wonderful, sexy, awesome hubby! Yay! I've downloaded the app, paired it to the device and personalized it. One of the first features I'll be using is the alarm. It will vibrate to wake me during the best sleep cycle within 10 minutes of the set time. Can't wait to experience that in the morning and start logging my activity and nutrition!<br />
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Day 16 of the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a><br />
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I noticed this morning after my workout, before breakfast, that I was feeling hungry. It felt good. It was a primal kind of hunger - my belly growling, telling me I need fuel - not that light-headed, blood sugar dip I've felt before that makes me feel shaky. I made bacon and an egg for breakfast again this morning with my coffee.<br />
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At around 10:30 I ate full-fat, regular yogurt with a cut-up banana. I'm really loving this snack. No need for all those sugary flavored "perfume" yogurts, as my step dad would call them.<br />
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For lunch I ate leftover mustard glazed chicken thighs and a red skin potato with butter and salt.<br />
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I found a recipe on the Paleo Diet Lifestyle website: <a href="http://paleodietlifestyle.com/bacon-wrapped-mini-meatloaves/" target="_blank">Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaves</a>. It sounded delicious and fit the 21DSD plan, so I made it tonight. It was awesome. Definitely a keeper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bj9S7FWfvhn-o55Kv36bowMtFhXKtqtnWUy0_66ybEAFuiT_h6l6UIbT-yN-1ioSCw9Yc_g0nX_xa38cwsf_DmIWKplYfGhGUPQ6PfL2o-Oq2mbWk5lGBSwllKZ08mJ5zjNpJJcNbkbx/s1600/bacon+wrapped+mini+meatloaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bj9S7FWfvhn-o55Kv36bowMtFhXKtqtnWUy0_66ybEAFuiT_h6l6UIbT-yN-1ioSCw9Yc_g0nX_xa38cwsf_DmIWKplYfGhGUPQ6PfL2o-Oq2mbWk5lGBSwllKZ08mJ5zjNpJJcNbkbx/s320/bacon+wrapped+mini+meatloaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I ate this plus some raw carrots and cauliflower for dinner. Yum! My son just ate one and said, "It's like heaven in my mouth." Ha! <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-11438007618922424352013-12-02T21:17:00.000-05:002013-12-02T21:17:47.215-05:00Back To Work...Today was a very full, long, good day. It started with a workout at 4:30 am, then off to Lansing to get back in the swing of things at work after being gone for four days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimO-R0cZdeZBgyI0pv0ZGF7tfScnVpbkVVBLSRsEoaG5KmPH2D4xCo-kJRWwkm5G9zXA30niWNrKQr8edVZmVsNMIYqh3FGW7iZ6mHWgQh1aJUycLcQdIoRikRHCKlbokbep7Ngym8m6Bl/s1600/collin.concert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimO-R0cZdeZBgyI0pv0ZGF7tfScnVpbkVVBLSRsEoaG5KmPH2D4xCo-kJRWwkm5G9zXA30niWNrKQr8edVZmVsNMIYqh3FGW7iZ6mHWgQh1aJUycLcQdIoRikRHCKlbokbep7Ngym8m6Bl/s400/collin.concert.jpg" width="400" /></a>I got home around 5:45 pm, just in time to eat dinner and head back out to watch my handsome stepson's school Christmas play. The kids did such a great job. Kudos go to their music teacher. She's a saint!<br />
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Last night I packed lunch and snacks for today, but I walked out and left it sitting on the back porch this morning. So... I had to eat out and find something to fit my <a href="http://www.gomra.com/" target="_blank">21DSD</a> eating plan I'm on. Today was day 15. I'm well into my third and final week now. Even though I wasn't 100% "on" over the holiday weekend, I snapped right back into it today. It's getting much easier, almost like a habit already. :)<br />
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Today I ate:<br />
<ul>
<li>4 slices bacon</li>
<li>1 scrambled egg</li>
<li>coffee with half & half</li>
<li>spinach and goat cheese salad with chopped apples (no dressing) from <a href="http://gtpie.com/our-food/lunch-menu/" target="_blank">Grand Traverse Pie Co</a>.</li>
<li>whole milk latte</li>
<li>cashews</li>
<li>sushi made with shrimp and rice (no soy sauce or other dressings)</li>
</ul>
I love the way I feel after a couple of weeks of eating like this. I'm already getting ideas of what maintenance will be like after this week.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-58682154292437420612013-12-01T16:21:00.000-05:002013-12-01T16:21:03.877-05:00Thankful For Family, Friends and Traditions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjXA8U_BxuWCp68efaeSaQOQY8szPS6YYwW_7AP6jo8-ND6APEYt15AArMXYhdZeGYsMktrbLPvx2j3qi2VWt13hA67eflvAD_VfbE8bdlLPbllpb4Wylr7VjSx5aC103PCGlWHKTyJ3Y/s1600/tree.farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjXA8U_BxuWCp68efaeSaQOQY8szPS6YYwW_7AP6jo8-ND6APEYt15AArMXYhdZeGYsMktrbLPvx2j3qi2VWt13hA67eflvAD_VfbE8bdlLPbllpb4Wylr7VjSx5aC103PCGlWHKTyJ3Y/s320/tree.farm.jpg" width="320" /></a>We're back home from Thanksgiving vacation at my mom's home in Tennessee. In all, we spent two days on the road and three days at my mom's.<br />
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For my eating plan, the two days on the road weren't difficult at all. The three days at mom's, however, were challenging.<br />
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I'm on day fourteen of the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>. During the days at mom's, I stayed on course with the plan approximately 75% of the time. I did indulge in that <a href="http://fitnessfullcircle.blogspot.com/2013/11/fresh-resolve-for-clean-eating.html" target="_blank">chocolate pie</a> of my mom's a couple of times, and I wasn't able to examine ingredient lists of some things or know how everything was prepared.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbqbMEjYo62_DmnZw43166klZuNiYckP9-hq7EDoJLPVa73itbndzXDaKsZNtWDw9E1DCX2alagTno0xyh_wrgnviC0GQ3pfGuGb5BMIkD2nf1IHqWsE-kNb_8PfMqoKFnJ8yIg5o2owq/s1600/pork.beans.tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbqbMEjYo62_DmnZw43166klZuNiYckP9-hq7EDoJLPVa73itbndzXDaKsZNtWDw9E1DCX2alagTno0xyh_wrgnviC0GQ3pfGuGb5BMIkD2nf1IHqWsE-kNb_8PfMqoKFnJ8yIg5o2owq/s320/pork.beans.tomatoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last night, the last dinner we had there, I took over cooking duty. I made pork chops simmered in pinto beans and tomatoes, and mashed potatoes. I was able to control that meal a little better.<br />
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I haven't thought much about this in a while, but it's no wonder I'm usually such a carb junkie. Every single meal in my mom's house contains a large percentage of bread. Breakfast always includes biscuits and some kind of sweat sauce (jam, preserves, gravy, etc.). For dinner, some kind of biscuit or rolls are a staple, as well as something like breaded meat and/or dressing. Lunch, of course is some type of sandwich or leftovers. That's the way I grew up eating. Most of our meals were home-cooked, but we didn't realize how harmful the excessive amount of bread and sugar-loaded sides we consumed was.<br />
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While I was there, I was able to abstain from the bread at my meals and stick with the meat and vegetables, but the effort I had to put forth to be intentional with it really opened my eyes to how much processed grains and sugar my family consumes as part of their normal diet. I'm thankful I was knee-deep in the 21 Day Sugar Detox while I was there. Even though I didn't follow it perfectly, it served its purpose of keeping me from coming home miserable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbLjTs-wEKJugyQcB72IGEmG9OOsP7qhfJl6v98c_tyUxLXwrQymC_jG5p9urT2zXwsNEEucHb2ZpXa0ovMt6nI2Jo7AfQYYYZ_ZrhlnRmIsrLkSdqLEe96_nnhGswsp0rC-o84tL0NfA/s1600/mom.wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbLjTs-wEKJugyQcB72IGEmG9OOsP7qhfJl6v98c_tyUxLXwrQymC_jG5p9urT2zXwsNEEucHb2ZpXa0ovMt6nI2Jo7AfQYYYZ_ZrhlnRmIsrLkSdqLEe96_nnhGswsp0rC-o84tL0NfA/s320/mom.wreath.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc5Z7dum31OvtVdw0UOXKf-jd34BZEJ3mCRYDyb_rNz8bsdSUcK9ShR-3d3b-qZzZpGljJt_KHYFtPrucJ-keJJzrnwR_BBubRwxEluy3PJPfLDtOeckVhcJGxKH6VqR044tDOzD_0wU4/s1600/hubby.tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc5Z7dum31OvtVdw0UOXKf-jd34BZEJ3mCRYDyb_rNz8bsdSUcK9ShR-3d3b-qZzZpGljJt_KHYFtPrucJ-keJJzrnwR_BBubRwxEluy3PJPfLDtOeckVhcJGxKH6VqR044tDOzD_0wU4/s320/hubby.tree.jpg" width="239" /></a>My mom and her husband own a <a href="http://fallbranchchristmastreefarm.com/" target="_blank">Christmas tree farm</a> on their property at their home. Our family tradition is for us to travel there for Thanksgiving and help with their opening weekend that week. It's a very active "vacation." Their tree farm has become a destination and family tradition for so many local families. It's heart-warming to be involved in all the positive, festive energy. And the weather was beautiful each day we were there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jhz1SPVELIMD3CpH8Zq5Sjh2592TopxpsB6dG8wmCS5J09rBeVAfsDB4V5SIVVqA6O8Od01NKR0fMe2nr9kVFyjTG6qe9b2E_M7RLX-OeO2pnxEulqeXigZFJ-2m3ot90A1z5fCCF-ge/s1600/kim.mom.me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jhz1SPVELIMD3CpH8Zq5Sjh2592TopxpsB6dG8wmCS5J09rBeVAfsDB4V5SIVVqA6O8Od01NKR0fMe2nr9kVFyjTG6qe9b2E_M7RLX-OeO2pnxEulqeXigZFJ-2m3ot90A1z5fCCF-ge/s320/kim.mom.me.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It was really nice to be able to spend some time with my sister. She and her family live about a mile from my mom's house, and she's always a huge part of the farm's opening weekend. You may have read in an earlier post that she's <a href="http://fitnessfullcircle.blogspot.com/2013/08/breast-cancer-strikes-too-close-for.html" target="_blank">battling breast cancer</a>. She's been through 12 weeks of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and is currently receiving another 12 weeks of chemo, which will be followed by radiation. Thankfully, her treatment so far has been successful and hasn't run her down very much. She looks great and has her typical upbeat, always-smiling attitude. We all feel blessed for that and pray for continued success in her fight of this terrible disease.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjOYzNci4NUb6fuca5PblpEtpN5iwZ6HCGk6ECAmgjQm8miQJYS9Ps_p1mU-DtizNyEv8fe0kFi17ouDRcGDsxbGwwdxyQdu_mjG5TYgRmDJPO_48dtvX0fM8DOcFTPdHNsF6S59BV_fA/s1600/beth.wendy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjOYzNci4NUb6fuca5PblpEtpN5iwZ6HCGk6ECAmgjQm8miQJYS9Ps_p1mU-DtizNyEv8fe0kFi17ouDRcGDsxbGwwdxyQdu_mjG5TYgRmDJPO_48dtvX0fM8DOcFTPdHNsF6S59BV_fA/s320/beth.wendy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I was also able to catch up with one of my lifelong friends. Beth and I were friends in high school in Kingsport, TN. She now lives in the Nashville area, and I live in Michigan. We usually meet up while we're both in town for Thanksgiving. <br />
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I truly am blessed with close family and friends who love and support each other. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend as well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-39609264551308327272013-11-27T20:27:00.001-05:002013-11-27T20:27:09.600-05:00Day 10: Travel Day. So Far So Good.Day 10 of the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>.<br />
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Today was a work/travel day. We're spending the holiday weekend at my folks' home and Christmas tree farm in Tennessee.<br />
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Before we hit the road I packed an insulated bag with some safe snacks. I counted on being able to find a meal on the menu of most any restaurant we stopped at for lunch that fits. <br />
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This morning I got up early and went to the gym to get my workout in. When I got home I had leftover pumpkin pancakes with almond butter and coffee with half & half for breakfast. Mid-morning I had a handful of almonds.<br />
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We were on the road by lunchtime and stopped at a Wendy's to eat. I ordered an apple pecan chicken salad and ate all of the chicken, the salad greens and apple pieces. I skipped the pecans and dressing. So far so good...<br />
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Mid-afternoon I had a half banana with almond butter, and a couple hours later a handful of pumpkin seeds. <br />
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When we arrived at my mom's, she had dinner ready for us, which was country fried steak, veggies covered in cheese and garlic biscuits. I was very tempted to have one of the biscuits - they're usually one of my favorite parts of a meal. But I stayed the course. I ate a piece of the steak and a few veggies. I was a little apprehensive about the veggies because I think they came from a bag in the freezer section of the grocery store, and I wasn't able to read the ingredient list of the cheese sauce.<br />
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All in all it was a successful day. I'm going to a have to stay out of the kitchen tomorrow as much as possible. There are already three different pies on the counter, one of them being my all time favorite chocolate!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-54377041293855047832013-11-26T20:19:00.000-05:002013-11-26T20:19:21.015-05:00Fresh Resolve for Clean EatingDay 9 of <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a><br />
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This morning during my workout, I found a new, strong resolve for this diet. I'm not sure what it was - could have been the great mood I was in or the extra energy I felt... or the fact that I've dropped five pounds in the last eight days! <br />
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<br />I made the pumpkin pancakes from the book this morning for breakfast. Yum!!!<br />
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I ate them with almond butter. This is one of those recipes that's a keeper. I usually don't like things made with pumpkin, so this again makes me think my palette is changing and my body is craving new things. I love that.<br />
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For lunch I had a red potato, baked (microwaved) with butter and salt, and full-fat yogurt with a cut-up banana. That meal was probably too carb-y, but since I didn't have leftovers from last night, this was easy and on-hand. It kept me on the "yes" food list.<br />
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I kept the earlier carb load in mind when I had dinner. I made salmon with salt, pepper and fresh lemon, and I had that with a salad.<br />
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Another thing I'm finding with this eating plan that I love, is that I eat as much as I want. I eat when I get hungry, and eat until I can't eat anymore. This morning, I started with three pancakes and couldn't finish it all. I also didn't finish the salmon I put on my plate tonight. I was just full. And.... it's a little after 8 pm right now, and I'm not craving munchies!<br />
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I'm a little bit anxious for the upcoming Thanksgiving trip we're taking to my parents' home in Tennessee. Usually when I go down there I eat and eat and eat. There's always so much good food, and my mom's chocolate pie is THE BEST chocolate pie you'll ever taste. And she makes a chocolate sauce to pour over biscuits for breakfast.... Oh my gosh, I need to stop. We'll be there by late tomorrow night. Wish me luck.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-37677942034610231112013-11-25T19:09:00.000-05:002013-11-25T19:09:22.806-05:00Day 8: All Is Good!Day 8 of the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>.<br />
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Today was a good day. I was up at 4:30 to go to the gym (Monday is my early day). After my workout I came home to get ready for work and have breakfast. I had bacon, a scrambled egg and coffee with half & half. While I was driving to Lansing I ate a small green apple.<br />
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Before lunch a staff meeting and client appointment kept me busy. I made the drive back to Jackson and ate my lunch in our Jackson office while catching up on some work on the computer. Lunch was leftovers from last night - the "<a href="http://fitnessfullcircle.blogspot.com/2013/11/one-week-down-21-day-sugar-detox.html" target="_blank">leftover makeover</a>". (So I had leftover leftovers for lunch.)<br />
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Snack was full-fat plain yogurt (no sweeteners added) with a cut up banana mixed in. I enjoyed that more than I thought I would. I've tried plain yogurt before and didn't care for it. Adding the banana was the perfect complimentary flavor. Could this be because I'm getting used to not-so-sweet stuff? ;-)<br />
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For dinner tonight I made the ginger-garlic beef & broccoli from the book. <br />
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Didn't care for this one. It had good flavor and probably would have bee much better if I'd bought a better cut of beef for it.<br />
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Oh, and for desert for both lunch and dinner I had a not sweet cinnamon cookie. I really love that recipe! <br />
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Since dinner was a bust tonight, I'm going to have to find something else to do for lunch tomorrow. I won't be taking leftovers of this. I'll figure something out. It's probably going to be a slow day at work because of the upcoming holiday, so maybe I'll have time to come home and cook something.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-87144010377879389612013-11-24T20:13:00.000-05:002013-11-24T20:13:34.606-05:00My Workout Week: Nov. 18 - Nov. 23, 2013My workouts this week consisted of only weight training. I will add in cardio two weeks from now. This is part of <a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html" target="_blank">Jamie Eason's Live Fit</a> workout on bodybuilding.com. I should have done five days, but I only got four of them in. I didn't make it on Thursday or Saturday - no biggie.... still trucking.<br />
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Sunday: off<br />
Monday: legs<br />
Tuesday: back & biceps<br />
Wednesday: chest & triceps<br />
Thursday: off<br />
Friday: legs<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-24171578261649096162013-11-24T19:50:00.000-05:002013-11-24T19:50:31.564-05:00One Week Down! (21 Day Sugar Detox)I successfully made it through my first week of the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>. WooHoo! I'm charged up and ready to tackle the next one. <br />
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For most of the week, I stuck very closely to the daily meal plan in the book. I think I'll enjoy the meals more, though, if I pick and choose from the recipes and just use the ones I think I'll like, and substitute any items I don't care for with others on the 'yes' list. I feel like I'm prepared to do this next week a la cart. <br />
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On that note, tonight I cleaned out the refrigerator and did a leftover makeover. I had some leftover sausage, meatballs and shepherd's pie.<br />
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I started by heating up some bacon fat in a large skillet, adding some chopped onion, cut-up squash, salt and pepper. <br />
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I let that cook for a few minutes and then started adding the meat. I added a can of diced tomatoes and beans, some paprika, basil and sage and cooked it all through.<br />
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I served it over rice, and that was dinner tonight.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I did some heavy house cleaning and laundry today. And, of course, I slept in late this morning, so I didn't really have a defined breakfast and lunch. When I got up I ate one of the not sweet cinnamon cookies I made last night (with almond butter spread on top) with my coffee/coconut milk.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of hours later I had leftover shepherd's pie. Then I started cleaning. A couple of hours later I ate another one of those cookies. They're delicious! And that held me over till dinner.<br />
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I noticed something about my body this weekend that I love - a by product of this plan: I'm seeing a reduction of fat in my belly and upper arms, which allows more of my hard work at the gym show through. Yay!!! THAT's what's going to keep me going through the next two weeks. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-75696463610550404072013-11-23T17:55:00.002-05:002013-11-23T17:55:28.459-05:00Day 6: Strong Facing Temptation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Today is day 6 on the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a> plan I’m doing. </div>
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Yesterday was a good day overall. Work went well; I was busy all day and had
plenty of energy. After work, my hubby and I met some friends at a restaurant
downtown. That was my first step off the menu, and I was a little bit anxious
that it would be difficult to stay with my plan. </div>
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The appetizer menu had loaded
potato skins, and they were topped with cheese, bacon and green onions. Other
than not knowing how the potatoes were prepared (they could have been
prepared using trans-fats when they were cooked, but I’m pretty sure no sugar
was used), the ingredients in the dish sounded like they fit otherwise, so that’s
what I ordered. Others around the table had pizza, big pretzels and wings. I
was ok sticking with my own food, and I didn’t feel cheated. I was having a lot of fun with good friends. </div>
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When we got home, I didn’t feel like getting on the
computer, so I’m covering both yesterday and today in this post. </div>
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Yesterday breakfast was four slices of bacon, an egg
scrambled with shredded cheese, half of a green apple and coffee with coconut
milk. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlscwfjugMGnAhVvHQSJ0kBNXjoWhSCLYorKX72WDbWNAdvekH4_sCAQLM8qhqMUKQLuw8sAXTq2y8zL6SwtqOqMuS7IWMsmkApPlvS15hFItCpF5y5NULNzXO69kwRr8ZpwAd4zgzjmTN/s1600/egg.bacon.apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlscwfjugMGnAhVvHQSJ0kBNXjoWhSCLYorKX72WDbWNAdvekH4_sCAQLM8qhqMUKQLuw8sAXTq2y8zL6SwtqOqMuS7IWMsmkApPlvS15hFItCpF5y5NULNzXO69kwRr8ZpwAd4zgzjmTN/s320/egg.bacon.apple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Lunch was leftover mustard glazed chicken thighs and brown rice. I LOVE that chicken recipe (did I say that before?). Around 3:00 I ate a banana with almond butter for a snack. Then we went out for dinner. It was a good day.<br />
<br />
It's about 6:00 pm Saturday as I write this post. I slept in till about 9:00 this morning and had a banana with almond butter with my coffee/coconut milk for breakfast. At 10:00 I had a hair appointment - shout out to <a href="http://www.hair634.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Roberts</a>. When I got home I had bacon and an egg again. I just made the shepherd's pie from the book for dinner. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_Djdo2QliJxXT3zvI_c3AU_0X75udRrHDvvZF6UKNMvsZLD242xztzCKUWg2YKgjgC8FCPl8Weo3toddnxgBmx51pwwZHJ2W14u0BQQBB9PO3i9685KgFPuHkrd_4aPHG3fWimX-pe8O/s1600/shephards+pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_Djdo2QliJxXT3zvI_c3AU_0X75udRrHDvvZF6UKNMvsZLD242xztzCKUWg2YKgjgC8FCPl8Weo3toddnxgBmx51pwwZHJ2W14u0BQQBB9PO3i9685KgFPuHkrd_4aPHG3fWimX-pe8O/s320/shephards+pie.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
My challenge tonight is that my daughter made a big batch of puppy chow - you know, that yummy, chex, chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar snack. She, her boyfriend, my husband and son will be snacking on it. It's ok though. I was strong in the face of temptation last night. I can do it tonight too. :)<br /> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-50791681095760932532013-11-21T19:53:00.001-05:002013-11-21T19:53:32.712-05:00Day 4: My Body Spoke Loud and ClearDay 4 of <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>.<br />
<br />
This morning I crashed. I didn't sleep well last night. I never got into that deep sleep phase. I dreamed all night long and kept waking up. This morning when I got up I felt light headed and weak. My body was sending me a message loud and clear that I need to up the carbs.<br />
<br />
For breakfast I had leftover sausage patties and a green apple with my coffee and coconut milk. That green apple was exactly what I needed. I started feeling better really soon after I ate it.<br />
<br />
For lunch I had more of the chicken from last night (I LOVE that recipe), a baked potato with butter and sea salt, and an herb biscuit that I made from a recipe in the book. (I'm not crazy about that one.)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQh5DiR4VF1lwsiUlRWt-0XAdTZtAx418vH5OhfChU0qyEACv4Qo22I40CiDyUHsMhgC0SjAk7CcMEabImpIXCwCZIm-8RM8GpGx4ILutxYc9l42k7ST8NBRXx3yPqumLyS9zczGM7AU1/s1600/banana.almond+butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQh5DiR4VF1lwsiUlRWt-0XAdTZtAx418vH5OhfChU0qyEACv4Qo22I40CiDyUHsMhgC0SjAk7CcMEabImpIXCwCZIm-8RM8GpGx4ILutxYc9l42k7ST8NBRXx3yPqumLyS9zczGM7AU1/s320/banana.almond+butter.jpg" width="320" /></a>Around 3:30 this afternoon I had a banana with almond butter. That's one of my favorite snacks, and I usually use peanut butter, but the almond butter was just as good. <br />
<br />
For dinner I made the Asian meatballs and ate them with brown rice. I'm not crazy about this recipe either. I enjoy trying most of the recipes, and I'm definitely figuring out which ones I'll make again and which ones I won't.<br />
<br />
Ok, lesson learned yesterday and today. I need to keep my carb intake up and steady throughout the day. I should have known to anyway, because I work out every morning and my work day is fairly active. I should've paid attention to the energy add-ons in the book. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8300892690341356910.post-49469318872806126112013-11-20T20:32:00.001-05:002013-11-20T20:32:40.324-05:00Day 3 on the 21 Day Sugar DetoxDay 3 on the <a href="http://balancedbites.com/21dsd" target="_blank">21 Day Sugar Detox</a>: <br />
<br />
Today was a little tougher than the past two. I had pretty strong cravings for chocolate and lattes. I was also irritable. Those things could be attributed to the type of day I was having, or they could have been because of the diet.<br />
<br />
My morning was busy with appointments, but the afternoon was spent sitting in the office making phone calls and doing tasks on the computer. It was during those afternoon hours that the cravings were most challenging.<br />
<br />
As for my mood, I was having one of those days: argument with my daughter, flat tire on the way to a client appointment, and one work-related thing I'll spare you here. Those things would have made me irritable anyway, but today, by the time I got home I felt like I was wound so tight I could burst. I was a pretty intense grumpy butt. (I just had a glass of wine, and now I just feel like going to bed and calling today a wash.) <br />
<br />
I mentioned in an earlier post that I've started clean eating plans before and dropped off after a couple of days because of lack of planning. This is about the time I usually drop off... about 3 days into it. I start craving the sweets and give in to it, somehow justifying it. This time, however, I plowed through the day and was successful with sticking to it. Now I'm proud of myself. :)<br />
<br />
For breakfast I had those sausage patties I made last night, a carrot and some almonds, plus my morning coffee with coconut milk. <br />
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Lunch was left over salmon from last night and broccoli. I snacked on a couple of boiled eggs around 3:00, and I had iced herbal green tea throughout the day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx_QsMdwnnf4YvebEAhbth7zYkF40WfQ_Mencb4qxdmmwudIQX-qvXD2xSvwb5DE4qPjkQxaZp5KEefUSu4y7JaJWahYztr1ekY-VkxoKm15yM7BU2k53h_AWHTOevzJ4L2-WjQUxsQG1/s1600/salmon.broccoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx_QsMdwnnf4YvebEAhbth7zYkF40WfQ_Mencb4qxdmmwudIQX-qvXD2xSvwb5DE4qPjkQxaZp5KEefUSu4y7JaJWahYztr1ekY-VkxoKm15yM7BU2k53h_AWHTOevzJ4L2-WjQUxsQG1/s320/salmon.broccoli.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Dinner was the mustard glazed chicken thighs in the book and a salad.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNfS2A3VNEKlkOCDrOqLWR4GRJqrv-U8Pzns1jPZMq4V3MzivYpFa6YjLWF9HUMjvjPCxK2lBWwhZ_IEJRAsaDx2AcLpSJnxSNpTS52idbkIgVJcPRNc1FzEfBLxXJVkb-A7w43LvAq73/s1600/chicken.salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNfS2A3VNEKlkOCDrOqLWR4GRJqrv-U8Pzns1jPZMq4V3MzivYpFa6YjLWF9HUMjvjPCxK2lBWwhZ_IEJRAsaDx2AcLpSJnxSNpTS52idbkIgVJcPRNc1FzEfBLxXJVkb-A7w43LvAq73/s320/chicken.salad.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed all the meals today. The chicken tonight was awesome! So far, that's my favorite recipe. That's definitely one I'll be repeating.<br />
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Ok, off to bed. I need this day to be over. Looking forward to tomorrow.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09691244010630282275noreply@blogger.com1