The Cleanse

My friend Kim, from work, had been talking about doing a cleanse for awhile. I'd heard of them, was vaguely interested but had never given it all that much thought, but Kim was set on it and our other co-worker Dave had done one the week before and survived, so I took that as a sign.

After all, I've been trying to eat more homecooked, local, organic foods in my daily diet. I still struggle with it, but I've been doing better in the past few weeks and so this seemed like a good time to really cleanse all of the crap out of my system and take a go at eating strictly healthy for a whole week.

Minds made up, Kim and I walked over to Whole Foods on our lunch break one day last week. We spoke with the sale person who told us about a number of the cleanses and recommended one to us. This is the one we chose Total Body Rapid Cleanse. The basics of it is that:

1. You take two pills in the morning which is supposed to target the liver, with 4 amino acids and 6 herbal extracts. 7 herbal extracts are included to support the rapid and deep detoxification of the lungs, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, blood. I realized on Friday morning that I read the directions wrong and was only taking 1 pill in the morning and evening, so I'll likely be continuing the cleanse until all the pills are gone!

2. A little while later you dump a scoop of the supposedly tasteless powder (a total fabrication), which provides 8g of soluble acacia fiber. One the first day I mixed it with water. It tasted as bad as it smelled, which was like glue. Fortunately they say you can mix it with juice- and so I found out that night if you mix it with apple juice it really is nearly tasteless. Phew! I was getting a little worried there.

3. At night you take 2 more pills formulated with magnesium hydroxide (a mineral that helps to hydrate the bowel) as well as cape aloe and rhubarb to promote bowel contractions. Triphala, marshmallow and slippery elm are soothing herbs included to comfort the bowel during this critical cleansing step. Yummy right?

Food plan- they recommend a nearly vegan diet with just a little milk and cheese allowed. No meat. Organic produce is preferred. No sugar. No caffeine. Ouch.

So what has it been like?
The process really began on Sunday when I plugged in my ipod with Jodi Picoult's House Rules loaded up and I cooked. And cooked. And cooked. For about 3+ hours. I roasted veggies and cut fruits and vegetables. I boiled up quinoa for the first time to mix with the other fresh goodies. It was a long process but I really enjoy getting into the rhythm of cooking and having on the ipod with a great novel to keep me entertained really did the trick.

Monday 4/19/10
It was tough driving past Marylou's where I usually get my morning coffee, but it was the first day and I was in good spirits. I felt normal all day. Took a walk after work but only had time to do about 2.5 miles though I found when I got home that it was probably good I didn't have time for more or I may have walked further than I could have walked home.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. canteloupe and blueberries
lunch: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
snack: 2 piece of dark chocolate* with almonds, small bowl of roasted parsnips, carrots* and sweet potatoes*
dinner: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
Walked a little over 2 miles

Tuesday 4/20/10
Another small whimper as I passed Marylou's in the morning. I miss you coffee, but I'm still determined. I'm enjoying eating my homemade food and the idea of eating anything from the caf sounds gross. It was tough not getting an afternoon snack- usually frozen yogurt a couple times a week (but something even less healthy like a cookie). On the other hand, not spending money on that was a definite perk. I came home after running a few errands after work- earlier than I normally would have because I was starving and refused to let myself grab something "out" like I normally would have. I made dinner and then baked Amish Friendship bread that a friend had given me 10 days before. Talk about temptation. The house smelled delicious. But I let it cool and covered it. Not even a taste grazed my lips!

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. canteloupe and blueberries
lunch: salad greens*, carrots*, salad fixins, feta with oil & vinegar
snack: walnuts* and dried cranberries* 2 pieces of dark chocolate* with almonds
dinner: quinoa* with black beans, roasted red peppers, zucchini* & summer squash*
snack: pineapples and strawberries*

Wednesday 4/21/10
I drove past Marylou's thinking 'I don't need you!' and feeling really confident! Work was good and I left a little early to pick up our Farm Share and then on to Grammy's. She, mom and I went to the hall at Leisurewoods to plan out the tables for Trivia Night, then I caught up with Gram and saw her Florida pictures. I'm pretty sure she thought I was crazy when I pulled out my roasted veggies to eat for dinner "That's all you're going to eat?!" she said to me (though she only ate half a bagel with peanut butter!), and I said yes. I left feeling full and headed to Zumba. That was a little tough but I just did things at a lower intensity and I made it through. Since it was school vacation, Kris didn't have to teach afterwards so the two of us joined Maribeth and Diana at the Ale House. The place was mobbed watching the Bruins game (and subsequent win) and we had a ball. I was a good girl, getting a salad, though splurging on the honey mustard dressing which likely had mayo in it. Oh well. Gotta live a little right?! We laughed on and on for over 2 hours and then I realized it was after 10:30p and I had to head home. Crawled into bed after 11:15p utterly exhausted.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. strawberries* and pineapples
lunch: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
snack: strawberries* and pineapples, 2 pieces of dark chocolate* with almonds
dinner: roasted parsnips, carrots* and sweet potatoes*
snack: house salad with honey mustard dressing
One hour Zumba

Thursday 4/22/10
Thursday morning I was sluggish. But hell, its my own damn fault for staying out that late, right? Still it wasn't as hard skipping the coffee as I had feared. Taking a shower in the morning definitely helped out though. Work was a bit stressful but then I headed to Photography Class and beforehand, my weekly Veggie Burrito from Qdoba. Definitely my biggest splurge of the week. I probably should have avoided the flour tortilla but the staff there is soo dense I can barely get a burrito made the way I wanted it and I wasn't willing to mess with fate after a very stressful final 90 minutes of work. Still, veggies and beans overall, still fairly healthy! :) And delicious. Another late night though- home around 10p, in bed after 10:20p.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. strawberries*
lunch: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
dinner: grilled veggie burrito with guacamole and a little cheese

Friday 4/23/10
Tired today. But two late nights out in a row is not my normal MO, so its to be expected. Still, I've snapped back faster than I'd have expected. I was luckier than my co-workers and got to leave on time. I met my cousin Melissa at Derby Street to do some quick shopping then we headed home to prepare a small feast. By the time our friend Jill arrived at 8p we had Steak (well- they had steak), asparagus, green beans, roasted red peppers,summer squash and zucchini, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Oh and salad! Like I said, it was a feast. Yet I still splurged just a little. I let my new ice cream sit untouched in the freezer all week and I couldn't resist any longer. I had the tiniest bowl of dessert and yet I was so satisfied! I'm finding my appetite is already smaller.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*.
lunch: small salad and roasted parsnips, carrots* and sweet potatoes*
dinner: asparagus, green beans*, summer squash* and zucchini*, potatoes* and sweet potatoes,* salad* with feta and carrots*.
dessert: 2x2" square of Amish bread, homemade vanilla ice cream(1 scoop) and 2 scoops of homemade applesauce*

Saturday 4/24/10
Melissa and I woke up around 7am to get to an 8am Zumba class, which kicked our asses, though I was able to do it at nearly full intensity which was a step up from Wednesday's class! We came home and ate breakfast, did the library run then scrambled to get ready and out of the house. I had my Aunt Karen's surprise baby shower at Lantana, then Dan, Dana & Sheri and I headed to a 6p reservations at Flemmings and off to see Young Frankenstein at the Opera House. A day that I had much less control over my eating than the rest, but I made do.

Food Log
breakfast: banana, grapenuts with skim milk*
lunch: salad, green beans and mashed potatoes (at the baby shower. I skipped the turkey ;)
dinner: 2 small pieces of bread with feta spread, dinner salad (greens, walnuts, cranberries), potatoes with jalapenos and cheese, aspargus and mushrooms. [this might have been my favorite moment of the week-- my asparagus is a whole class above Flemmings! they may know how to master steak and believe me the rest of the food was top notch, but I could teach them a thing or two about how to make asparagus] another splurge- 2 glasses of white wine (a girl can't wear a cocktail dress and not drink cocktails right?!]


Sunday 4/25/10
Dan and I slept in after a late Friday night and early wake-up on Saturday. Then we vegged a bit more and caught up on some TV programs. I got out and took a walk, did some crafts and cleaned up a bit. Finally a low-key day. Just what I needed.

Food Log
breakfast: whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter* and homemade applesauce*
lunch and dinner were the same: whole wheat wrap with mexican seasoned veggies (green beans*, zucchini*, summer squash*, and roasted red peppers), with just a little bit of monterey jack cheese*

* organic ingredient

How do I feel?
Fantastic! I feel slimmer and less bloated. My skin looks clearer. My appetite is reduced somewhat though it is Monday and because of a screw-up with the pills I am quasi-continuing for 2 more days, so I am still sticking w/ the diet. Still, if you have plenty of healthy snacks (fruit, granola, nuts etc) on hand, I think its manageable. I did not crave the coffee at all this morning. I was wanting one yesterday but I think that was out of boredom and not some real carnal desire ;) After I got through Wednesday it was all fairly easy.

What other impacts did I notice?
Monetary- I saved $16.80 +tip on coffee last week. I usually spend another $20-30 or so here at work on meals, coffee and/or snacks. While I did purchase apple juice twice (to mix with my fiber supplement), I don't think I purchased anything else. I even remembered my water bottle every day!

Trash- there was FAR less of it. Not eating packaged foods mean so much less trash. Most of what I ate last week was produce. Most of the produce comes from my farm share (and very little plastic). The rest from the supermarket where I either decline those flimsy clear plastic bags, or now I use my own mesh ones.

I used 5 less plastic cups, lids and straws for my morning coffee. No packaging from english muffins or breakfast egg & cheeses... very little plastic silverware (I have my own at work). No nasty styrofoam plates and plastic lids from the hospital cafeteria (can you believe they still use styrofoam?!? I swear any hot food places on it fuses the styrofoam and makes an indent. It has to be terrible for us to breathe nevermind eat! oy).

By the end of the day at work I'd have almost NO trash in the bin under my desk where most days its far more full than I'd like to admit.

Will I do this again?
Yes. I think they say you can/should do this 4 times a year max, so I'm sure in a few months I'll be ready for it again. It’s a good excuse to really focus on homecooked meals, planning ahead and getting back into good habits- all of which I need a little kick in the pants about from time to time.

Photo Finish Friday- 7-3-09

Another good week of training. I got in all the mileage I was supposed to :)

I should tell you that my training week officially runs Monday through Sunday but in order to keep up with my Photo Finish Fridays I post it differently here.

The 8 mile walk on Friday morning was my longest yet. It was a little tough but having worked my way up to it, it wasn't terrible. I am supposed to do 10 miles this Saturday. I'll let you know how that goes! My legs are sore just thinking about it.

more walking photos

these photos are from my walk on May 26th (i know, i'm a little behind)

i pass this church every time i walk. its a beautiful church.

not sure what denomination. pretty sure its protestant.

it was a cloudy day, but you can get the idea.

Edited to Add: This church is the Beechwood Congregational Church.

Dan's Aunt Nancy emailed me with the info.

Kinda sad that she hasn't lived here in decades and yet she remembers

whilest I walk past it at least 4 days a week and... nothing. ;)

beautiful leaves. this bright, yellowy green just screams spring to me.

i think this is a resevoir... its all fenced off.
but i peered over the top of the chain link to get a shot of it.

daisies. my most favorite flower.

as Kathleen Kelly says in You've Got Mail: "They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?"

I do! They just call to me. We've got a bunch growing in the backyard now! I might go pick some when I'm feeling better and put them on my table so I can enjoy them everyday.

And Lilacs. They don't quite speak to me the way daisies do. But they sure to smell delicious.

I must have stopped 3 different times that day at various lilac bushes to smell their sweet scent.

and this cute little pup. actually not so little. wish you had some scale to reference.

he's a big guy. and very handsome.

thought tini would enjoy this one!!

and irises. i love these too. its funny, purple was always my favorite color growing up, even more than pink... and then i think i got sick of it. too much purple... but now i'm loving it again. so many various shades and tones. purple looks especially nice on an iris, don't you think?

sigh. i've missed walking this past week :( looking forward to getting back out there soon. hopefully mid-week next week. cross your fingers for me.

what's new?

Cooking

It's been a busy couple weeks around here.
Last weekend I did a little cooking.
Saturday morning and I was totally in love with the beauty of this squash
I know. Commit me! I'm crazy.
But the contrast of colors on my kitchen counter was making me so happy.
I had to take a few pictures. Shiny granite! I love this different perspective.

What was the squash for? A tomato sauce recipe that Kris usually makes to have on hand for Willy. It has all sorts of veggies in it, and some ground beef too. So it makes for a well balanced, easy, healthy meal for him. I knew she was out of sauce, and up to her ears with beautiful baby Aila at home, so I offered to fire up my crockpot and make some. I'll post the recipe another time. It smelled really great, though I didn't get to taste it because since I ended up doing it in the crockpot I put it all in together early in the process.

Visiting

I visited Kris, Matt, Willy and Aila on Saturday afternoon.

Watching Willy with his baby sister is almost breath-taking. He's a very sweet, loving boy anyways but you can just see how much he loves her. Sweet boy! {and she's just sleeping right through it... but at least we show her when she's bigger how much her brother loved her right from the beginning}

its hard to see from this angle, but Aila was smiling so big!
so many connections. mom. big brother. baby sister. touching eachother. loving eachother. smiling at eachother. i love this family! :)

the rest of saturday was a little more stressful.

marilyn was taken to the hospital battling a fever and flu-like symptoms and a lot of pain and trouble moving after a fall. she's been in the hospital ever since... not making a lot of progress and not, in our opinion, getting very good care where she was. after pulling some strings yesterday we got her accepted at MGH and are waiting for a bed to become available so she can be transferred. hoping things will start looking up for her soon.

Cleaning
still, saturday night we managed to finish cleaning the house.

no small feat since i was away the previous 2 weekends and there was a LOT to be done.

we also ticked another thing off the to-do list. (see photo below)

i bought these frames from IKEA and picked out some of our favorite vacation photos.

i put them all together and Dan hung them up Saturday afternoon.

i love the look.

it adds so much color to the room.

and i love remembering the wonderful memories of our 2 trips to Jamaica where these photos were taken.

{kind of blurry, but you get the idea}

Fundraising
Thanks to the kindness of so many people I know and love (and some I've never met before) I have now officially raised $1905 for the Susan G. Komen & National Philathropic Trust for the 3Day, 60 mile walk I am participating in this October.

I am so inspired by your generosity and during this first week of training with all of the other stress and sleepiness that threatens to interfere, it is this sacrafice and sense of community that keeps me motivated.

So thank you! And let's keep raising that number. I raised my goal to $3500 but I'd ultimately like to aim for $5000. We can totally do this!

Scrapbooking

This week I took a little time to scrapbook. My weekend in Philly got the creative juices flowing again and I realized how much I missed it. I only posted a few photos online but you can check them out here- My Lifetime Moments Gallery.

I still have half- completed pages scattered on the kitchen table with intentions of doing a little more this week. We'll see. Fingers crossed.

CSA

I am 99% sure I'm going to buy a half share in a Massachusetts CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) that has a new pick up spot in Scituate for this summer!

The gist is that you choose a half or a full share (a half share would be more than plenty for me) and every Wednesday for 15 weeks beginning at the end of June you pick up a box of fresh organic produce from a house in Scituate. The produce is all farmed in Western MA, (Heaven's Harvest Farm) picked freshed and delivered to the drop-off spot the same day.

It comes out to $25/week for the half share. I figure I spend that much on produce anyways and the grocery store stuff is definitely not as fresh... plus this will force me to try some new things. And what's really cool is that their website offers recipes that contain the ingredients you get, so if you're at a loss for what to do with them, you've got some options right at your fingertips.

As the lady said to me: "It really is a great program - you eat better, support local farms, reduce the carbon footprint, etc... and it's kind of fun to get a big box of fresh fruits and veggies each week that you didn't have think about buying."

Some more information about CSAs from their website:
"The concept of CSA membership began more than thirty years ago as organic family-run farms realized that a new local delivery system was necessary. This new system of operation would greatly enhance the consumer understanding and appreciation for the process of growing and harvesting high quality organic foods. The immediate concern was always price, which was hard to overcome when marketed through other distributors. As a result, some courageous and bright farmers decided to eliminate the costly middle-man and bring the savings direct to the consumer.

This Community Supported Agriculture concept has enabled many locally operated farms throughout the U.S. to stay in operation in order to provide the highest quality local, sustainable, and certified organic produce for the discriminating consumer. The model that we have embraced involves a set fee for the growing season in exchange for a weekly delivery of organic vegetables and small fruit."

Well that's enough for today!
Have a good day everyone!

a lovely morning for a walk

its been so busy for the last couple weeks that i haven't had much opportunity to walk outside
but lacing up and getting back out there today
made me realize how much i've missed it
i'm truly blessed to live in such a beautiful place.
my driveway alone is beautiful... and the rest of the 4.4 miles i normally walk is equally great.

so even though the rest of this day was as hectic as i've been used to lately,
i figured i'd take a few minutes to remind myself why i love walking so much
and why its worth fitting into my schedule

welcome sights along the way

bright yellow tulips along a white picket fence

a big sister teaching her little sister to do kart-wheels on the front lawn (the younger sister equipped with a life preserver!)

neighborhood kids who'd set up a lemonade stand

dogs chilling in their yards

little league players who wave to me from their bench

a hot landscaper pushing a mower

friendly walkers, joggers and cyclists who say hello

birds landing on tree branches just beyond where i'm standing

gorgeous purple flowers growing wildly on a grassy decline leading down towards a stream

a cyclist who not so subtly checked me out

a gorgeous tulip peeking out from a sea of tiny purple flowers below it


and while there are some things that i look forward to seeing, or delight in their random occurance, some things are just the opposite... and i'd be remiss if i didn't mention those too....

the not-so welcome

1. litter ------ i find it hard to believe that anyone still litters. is it that hard to bring your trash/recyclables home with you?! there is trash everywhere in our beautiful neighborhood- including right in front of our house. one of these days i'll be bringing gloves and a plastic bag with me to pick up as much as i can find.... it really bothers me.

2. dog poop. need i say more?! ew!

3. horse poop. i kid you not! its not like i've ever seen a horse in my walks... don't even think there are any who live nearby... and yet what i saw today could almost be mistaken for elephant poop if i didn't know that there was zero chance that that had happened! weird! and really really ginormously gross.

4. dead birds. on the side of the road. ick. and so sad. i feel terrible seeing them lie there.


all in all, its a wonderful experience.
which is good
since i "officially" start training for the Breast Cancer 3 Day on Tuesday!! :)
look for me wearing pink walking around Scituate and Cohasset :)

Friday Photo Finish 4-17-09

Posting this late again! Sorry. I forget that some of you actually do follow this... and then someone mentions it (like my good friend Jessica did on Saturday) and I realize I should motivate to actually post things on time.. so with that, I am going to try to go back today and catch up!

Anyways- another decent week. I am really loving walking outside! And the "official training program" starts the week of May 3rd! That will be here soon!!

first work week of 2009

and its not easy getting back into the swing of things

especially when my to-do list is still fairly short which makes me highly unmotivated

add in the fact that this is my first 5 day week in what feels like a very long time

and its just not easy

but its already thursday

and with our flight to jamaica on the calendar for 2 weeks from saturday

there is a hot sunny light

at the end of this cold, windy, wintery tunnel

progress report- cultivating for the week

fitness: workouts have been going really well this week

mon: legs tues: zumba & abs wed: zumba & abs thurs: break fri: arms

need to keep on point with eating a little better, more variety of veggies

but i am eating more whole foods, more veggies and less processed stuff this week

so i am on track just want to push a little harder before bikini week

photography: i haven't taken a single photo this week, but i have used my internet skills

to find a photography workshop at the New England Institute for Photography

the classes are full for the winter, but the next sessions starts in March

so Mom and I are going to look into that when the time comes

relationships: krissy and willy are coming over for dinner tonight

our usual thursday night thing so its not like i had to go too far out of my way

but there are always reasons why its just too much or too hard to get together

so i'm especially glad they're coming over

green tip of the day: reuse

today i wanted to package up a little bag of kettlecorn to bring to work for my snack

i was out of ziploc baggies and i seem to have given away all of my small tupperware

type containers which i'd prefer to use since you can wash and reuse

but i found a better alternative that worked for me today

i'd been saving the bags that my english muffins come in

a quick rinse, or if you're lazy like me, just flip them inside out

fill with the snack of your choice

and they're plenty long enough to tie in a knot

one more use for that plastic bag makes me feel better :)

thursday already

i can't believe its already thursday.
the week is flying
and i'm loving it!

last night i went to ritz and michael's after work
rushed home to spend a half hour working on my latest christmas-present project{kills me not to be able to talk about it here but i know some of my followers will be receiving this as part of their christmas gift and its no fun to spoil it beforehand}

then it was off to zumba
megg came with me.
her first time.
she loved it.
though in true zumba fashion,
it totally kicked her ass
if i'm being honest,
it kicked mine last night too.
a tough combo of dances
and i think having done shoulders
and zumba at the gym the night before
made it harder
but good-hard
liking the challenge
AND she reminded us
that the special
friday-90-minute-edition
zumba class
is this friday!
how excited am i?
megg's going to come too
hooray!

but tonight its a break from
the gym and the yoga studio
meeting megg and kris
and the kiddos
at the mall after work
do a little christmas shopping
or at least attempt to
eat some dinner
hang out
very excited
"see you soon" {as willy now likes to say}

Skinny Bitch- Book Review & Interesting Facts

Skinny Bitch is a no-nonsense look at eating (and going green). While I didn’t realize that intent was to persuade readers to not only become vegetarian but also vegan, I must say I am impressed with how persuasive the book is.

I have never once heard a vegetarian articulate why they eat the way they do in a manner that made me think even for a second that it really was in any way worthwhile. This book did that for me. Don’t get me wrong, I am not rushing out to become a vegan or vegetarian but I am mulling over this information and trying to be thoughtful about what I put into my body. That feels good. And I think I’m probably in a better position to make healthier decisions now than in any other point in my life. I really enjoy going to the gym and working out 4+ days a week, so in keeping with that I’m also trying to fuel my body with the healthy things it needs.

This book made me realize that much of what we consider healthy also has a lot of unhealthy that goes along with it. Its appalling. Its ridiculous that companies and governments can get away with this. But they can. And the bottom line is, we have to think for ourselves and choose for ourselves.

I think for so long we do what we do because that was the way it was always done (cleaning the counter with chemicals, buying the baby shampoo our parents did). We think ‘these products must be good because these people are allowed to sell them here right?’ Not necessarily. This book points out how incestuous the relationship between government agencies and these large companies are. With all of these chemicals, hormones and other toxic substances we put on/into our bodies, it really is no surprise that cancer and other diseases are rampant in our society...

Here are some things I learned.

Be Forewarned! Some of this stuff is gross!

Coffee

• the body produces fat cells to protect its organs from the acid in coffee
• coffee is most often grown with pesticides
• caffeine affects every organ of the body

Sugar
The best alternative available in the US is agave nectar.

Stevia is not approved in the US but has been used in Japan and S. America for centuries even though it has antimicrobial properties, has no calories, no glycemic index and is safe for diabetics

Aspartame

• turns to formaldehyde in the body
• when paired with carbs it causes the brain to slow down production of seratonin (which makes you happy and balanced when at normal levels)

Aspartame (in NutraSweet & Equal)

• Approval was denied 8 times in 1973
• Despite misgivings of scientists at FDA it was approved in 1974
• Asked to undergo review process before aspartame was allowed into dry foods
• In 1977 FDA asked US attorney general to take G.D. Searle to court for misrepresenting research on aspartame. US Attorney General left his post, statue of limitations ran out—and he went to work for Searle’s law firm
• 1981 a new FDA Commissioner was appointed and 3 out of 6 scientists voted against approval the Commissioner overruled and allowed aspartame into limited number of dry goods then in 83 into beverages even when National Soft Drink Association asked for more research. Hayes, the Commissioner, left “amid charges of impropriety” and he to went to work as a consultant for Searle.

Aspartame turns to formaldehyde when digested.

Saccharin (in Sweet & Low) contains a coal-tar compound
Splenda is made by chlorinating sugar. While 98% of it is “natural” the 2% is made up of heavy metals including methanol and arsenic
Research shows that sugar substitutes may actually stimulate appetites

Protein & Meat

The body needs whole grains, fruits & veggies (fiber) to bind toxins and fat from meat together to rid them from the body. High protein diets force the kidneys to work overtime.

• Breaking down meat is more suited to carnivores who have acid in their saliva (ours is more alkaline).
• We also have very little hydrochloric acid in our stomach which is needed to break down meat. Our digestive track (kidneys, colon and liver) all ill-equipped to break down meat. Our intestines are too long which means that meat rots, decomposes and ferments in our intestinal track.
• ½ of all antibiotics made in the US each year are administered to animals, causing antibiotic resistance in the humans who eat those animals.
• Of all the toxic chemicals found in food, 95-99% come from meat, fish, dairy and eggs.
• Meat contains 14 times more pesticides than plant food
• Dairy contains 5 times more pesticides than plant food
• We need 18-60 grams of protein per day
• People in other cultures consume half the amount of protein yet they live longer, healthier lives.

Milk
Cow’s milk turns a 90lb calf into a 2,000 pound cow in 2 years!
The body needs the enzyme lactase to digest lactose in dairy. Between the age of 18 months and 4 years old, humans lose 90-95% of this enzyme.
Undigested lactose and the acidic nature of pasteurized milk encourage bacterial growth in intestines which increases the risk of cancers (which thrive in acidic conditions)
Humans are the only species who drink milk as adults.

The USDA was started in 1862 by Abraham Lincoln to help farmers organize and share ideas. Now many high rank officials are affiliated with the meat and dairy industries and the scope has changed (a major conflict of interest).

In 2003 only 20,000 cows were tested for Mad-Cow disease out of the 35 million.
NAIS is a system to identify animal’s origins (to help track down if there were issues with the meat) but participation in the program is optional.

EPA & Cows

Cows are allowed to eat corn that is modified so that it is unsafe for humans, and yet humans are allowed to eat the cows.
Rocket fuel (ammonium perchorate) ends up in water which is sucked up by crops, fed to the cows which ends up in the milk. Milk is allowed to have an amount of rocket fuel in it as along as it is within the “provisional daily dose.” Studies in Texas found that every month studied were found to be contaminated. In California, the CA Food and Agriculture Administration found that milk had 5 times the safe amount of rocket fuel.

Factory farmers only have to volunteer for EPA monitoring programs (yet they are the biggest polluters of waterways). Milk and dairy industry contributes $3.46 million in campaign contributions (mostly to Republicans).

Milk contains casein, a protein that breaks apart and releases opiates (which is why babies have that milk haze after feeding). It is found in all dairy products, but moreso in cheese, which means we can be chemically addicted to cheese.

Fats

Good fats we can’t make ourselves are Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are found in olive, sesame, canola, flaxseed and primrose oils and avocados.

Fiber

Found in whole grains (cereal, bread), brown rice, corn, barley, rye, buck wheat, millet, oats, fruit, veggies, beans and seeds

Organic Produce

In April 2004 the USDA made radical changes to National Organic Program (NOP) standards, which made it less strict. And they did so without waiting for the required waiting period for public comment, but rather announced the changes after they were made.

Organic industry is an $11 billion industry that farmers are trying to get a piece of and therefore are trying to get the USDA to change the rules.

The USDA reversed the changes in May 2004 but even when non-profit groups investigated and questioned if produce was organic, the USDA would not reveal public records even though they should have been public per the Freedom of Information Act.

What to look for in buying Organic Produce:
Do not look for organic certified by USDA
Look for Oregon Tilth, California Certified Organic Farmers, Marin Organic Certifying Agency and Demeter Certified Biodynamics

FDA

FDA approved Posilac, bovine growth hormone in 1990, never even having reviewed the findings of the drug company’s test (which linked it to prostate and thyroid cancer). Later link to insulin growth factor, which is a cancer promoter. It is banned in the EU, Canada, Japan and all the rest of the industrialized world.

Ice cream can contain up to 25 more additives than listed without even having to list them (per the FDA)

be busy --> be fit and be green

this week is exactly the opposite of what i thought it would be.
working til 6p every night i thought i would be

--over stressed
--over tired
--over worked
--under worked-out
--unhappy
--unorganized

and yet the opposite is mostly true.
don't get me wrong, i wouldn't want to do this every week, but for this week, i can't complain.

the run-down

i'm back on track with working out and it feels great!
monday: shoulders & cardio
tuesday: cardio
wednesday: biceps and triceps & 1 hour zumba class with becky at night
thursday: day off
friday: legs

i also read the book Skinny Bitch this week
its a non-fiction book written by these women who are, little did i know,
trying to get others to become vegan.
i am going to do a whole post about the amazing things i learned from that book
for now, suffice it to say. i'm being extremely conscious about what i eat
{{{with a few minor slip-ups...}}}
but being conscious about what i put into my body is good.
i feel SO much better than i did even a week ago.

back into a good rhythm and that feels great.

i'm also trying to get back on track with my Green efforts
which of course goes hand in hand with eating well :)
i found a brand of conditioner that I really like so far
i got this one
$6.99 at target
not much more than i usually spend!
and my hair is manageable and shiny! works for me.

i was also in need of some new make-up as my old Avon stuff ran out
i opted for some Physician's Formula all natural make up
and I'm really impressed with that too.

still struggling with toothpaste, deoderant, the rest of my make-up and hair products. but slowly but surely i'm getting there and i'm happy with my progress.

work
it has been a bit of a crazy week there
but
i haven't had as many meetings as i usually do
george has been confined to his office
interviewing candidate after candidate
for these new positions that will fit into
the restructured version of nursing non-clinical leadership
so he stops in every once in awhile
we get to touch base
and he answers my questions
and i can update him on stuff real time
which has worked nicely

other stuff

• got to have lunch with my friend katie who celebrated her 30th birthday today! happy birthday!
• mom sprained her ankle and fractured her left foot last saturday :( still waiting to hear what they need to do. if she tore a ligament that will mean surgery! :( poor mumma.
• talked to kris today and she has bronchitis and willy's got a fever

ok i guess that's enough for now.

tootles! adeu!

life is busy

but good busy

my day yesterday
up at 5:30a
train to work
work until 3:45p
gym
10 minutes on the elliptical
biceps and triceps (owie! but effective)
train home, reading my new book
stop & shop for groceries
home
put groceries away
clean out fridge
old lettuce, carrots, taco salad, oranges into strainer and into the woods
(no composting method yet- so we let the animals enjoy our leftovers)
ate dinner with dan
rotisserie chicken (easy!) and rice
chopped up my fruit for snacks at work
while dan fixed the lazy susan
amy, ray, ben and bella came by to say hello
they're here visiting for the week because ray was supposed to be away on business
so nice to see them! the kids are getting SO big. ray ray's voice is changing! AHH!
finished the veggies
made my salad for work
took a shower
tidied up the laundry room
packed my gym bag
uploaded and edited pictures of riley from sunday
went to bed around 9:30p

phew! what a day. busy busy
still no time for scrapping
which is driving me slightly crazy
but it was a good, productive day
with a nice, unexpected visit
and i've been sleeping like a baby... think its the
back-to-the-gym effect.
either way, i'm loving it.

Today will be more low-key.
Post office after work.
then.......
out to dinner {Girls Night Style} for
Grammy's Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR GRAMMY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

past due--- Willy pictures Tuesday July 29th

We started out the afternoon playing in the yard. Willy LOVES his wagon, pushing it back and forth across the lawn... or just posing!















Then we practiced walking.
Tongue out just in case it helps with balance.
One hand out just in case you fall!































Then pushing over towards the garden with a timeout for:

How Big Is Willy?!

(one handed style)




























Couldn't resist this shot. Leaning down to get his water bottle (or something like that) out of the wagon. One foot on the mulch and feeling really wobbly- but trying desperately not to fall over!




































taking time to smell the flowers




























....which seemed like fun til he fell to his bum and in the process of trying to get back up, got mulch (aka dirt) on his hands. that didn't go over well. he tried ignoring it, going back to touch the flowers (so fuzzy and cool)... but the darn dirty was distracting. i tried to leave it for a few. "you're a boy, kiddo. gotta learn to get dirty." but after a few minutes, he wasn't having it, so i broke down and wiped it off.






then we came inside. forget why. but another push-toy in here, willy's tractor was plenty of fun.

must have been a problem with the seat that he had to hammer something back on ;)



























this one cracks me up.
looks like he's yawning or something and i'm covering his mouth.
he's saying "ahhhhhh" and i'm patting his mouth so it sounds more fun "ahh" -- "ahh" --- "ahh"
he thinks its funny :)




























this is one of those "what the heck happened with this shot?" photos
but more and more, i just love these :)































unfortunately the poor kid was still feverish and all the playing made him sweaty
so after awhile, we ditched his clothes

poor little guy

poor little guy probably got us all sick too, but that's ok ;)

how can you blame someone who's this cute even when they're sick?

weekend in review

friday- 2nd day in the row at the gym

don't fall over! its true

i did legs with kim and i'm still paying for it.

i've missed that really sore, feel like you're crippled sensation

saturday- dan and i met up with mom, dad and jenny to go to the Country Country at Foxboro. we had a blast tailgating for hours and hours. we played a game (and a half) of Hand & Foot. grilled up some yummy lunch. watched a rowdy crowd throw frisbees at beer bottles, play beer pong, flip cup and sandbag toss... met a Marine who knows jenny's boyfriend peter (small world)! jeff and melissa joined us later and we headed into the show. sort of a random mix of folks, Leann Rimes, Sammy Haggar, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney. it was fun dancing and singing along, though in the end all of us ended up leaving early in our three separate cars. a long, loud day and our beds were calling us. thanks again mom. we had a GREAT time!! :)

sunday- willy's 1st birthday party. danny and i stopped at home depot on the way out. i returned a set of hardware we'd bought for the curtains and didn't need while he picked up the ginormous, professional looking grill that it took two full grown men and a lot of grunting to get into the truck.

and thus we spent the day... grilling, cooking, chatting, laughing, taking pictures, hugging the birthday boy, playing, eating... a little bit of everything. it was an absolutely great party- well of course it was, miss krissy is the hostest-with-the-mostest {and matt does pretty darn well too!!}. we enjoyed the beautiful weather outside until just after we ate and then the sky completely opened up and we were finally forced inside. but that didn't put a damper on anything. the kids played, the men watched the end of the Brickyard 400, the ladies chatted, cleaned and oohed over the babies.

we sang happy birthday to little will. yet again, the clapping and 'yaay's didn't go over very well (and it didn't help that he was tired and not feeling well). he cried like... well, like a baby ;) but that's ok!

after indulging on the most delicious cake i've had in a long time, dan and i headed home. home sweet home. quiet, still in need of some cleaning, warm bed, a good movie (World Trade Center {sad}) and then a great night's sleep.

and now we start another week.

have a good one!!

be fit assessment

be fit is officially over

i'm so sad

its such a wonderful program

wish it ran longer than 10 weeks.

but the first results from my final assessment tell me that it did its job giving me a jump start

progress:

• i lost 9.2 pounds


• i lost 4 inches of my waist, going from a 31" to 27" waist


• i reduced my body fat by over 4%

not too shabby!

{i am still waiting on the results of the blood work, but i would think given how rapidly i cut fried foods out of my diet, that my cholesterol should be the same as a 5 year old's by now ;) let's hope so}

and i'm not done... summer's coming and i'm not quite bathing suit-ready just yet. kim and i are meeting with steve twice this week and have to figure out what our plan is for the coming weeks. not sure if we're ready to go cold turkey or if we need to wean ourselves off the level of attention and brutality we get from steve and his personal training expertise each week.

the quest for fitness continues!

wish me luck :)

a walk in the park

instead of our normal tuesday adventures at home, yesterday we took the stroller and went to the park down the street

i got in some cardio
walking and even a little jogging
while will took in the sights

kids playing on the jungle gym
baseball practice
a baseball game
a pick-up basketball game

didn't take too long and he was out like a light

when we got home, we had some play time while matt got some yard work done

one step closer to crawling this week

on the belly

but more of a scootch than a crawl

and a little rolling to get where he needs to be

and he makes it to the bag

{such an alluring target}

so i moved the bag to the other side of the room to see if he'd crawl to get it

really, you'd think it was filled with candy or cell phones

or something breakable and really fun

but no, its my work bag and gym bag

still, it did the trick....

he wanted it!
starting with a roll


a break to put his tired little feet up

starting to scootch the other way

gotta get that bag!

almost there!

victory!!!

time to play for a few minutes

man this little guy can laugh!!

a few kisses on the cheek

and a rub with the nose

and he's belly laughing with the best of them!

i don't know who he thinks

he's kidding

he loves it!

too funny!

pointing at the camera

or me

not sure which

i think he thinks the camera is a person of some sort

wave to the camera willy!

{don't know what's up

with the hair!!}

love the smile

standing up

love the profile of the cheeks!

though i swear this week he's grown a foot

and his face doesn't look so chubby

hope the baby fat isn't going away so soon

he's a litle out of focus on this one,

but i love it anyways!

another fun night together