Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A few weeks later

So here we are a few weeks later. Guess what? My husband has lost 15 lbs, now under 300 lbs, and I'm so proud of him, for me I've lost 2 lbs. so sad, it just doesn't seem fair, but hey, 2 lbs is 2 lbs. I must admit I haven't been completely strict, which I think is healthy. So we do end up having meat and dairy probably around 2 days a week, but a lot less then we used to have, and just being overall more health conscious. I really do need to exercise along with everything, it just seems so hard with baby. Anyways, we're doing good, love my family, we've been home a lot with baby and sick kids and sick baby, but he is doing better just is attached at the hip with me it seems.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Day 10, 11, 12 Healtier living/ bird invasion

Quite an adventure, I thought I heard someone downstairs, thought it was my mother-in-law who is visiting and it was a bird flapping around, getting caught in the blinds and curtains. It was freaked out and so was I. I used a pillow as shield and wrapped a blanket around my head and slowly came towards it to open up the sliding door it kept trying to go out on. When I neared the bird, it ran under the hutch. My sweet neighbor ran over and we poked the bird out with a broom and fortunately it made it out the sliding door this time, both of us grateful for its freedom. Wow.

The eating better thing has been going well. Last night I had my nephews and my nephew's wife over she is vegetarian and my mother-in-law came into town who also eats little dairy and little meat so I was able to serve a minestrone soup I just made and left over dishes of quinoa and black beans, lentil and rice casserole, humus chips, water and everyone seemed happy and seemed to enjoy it. My son later made smoothies for those who wanted them.

I really am feeling more energy which I can tell, because even when I'm up a lot with the baby (who just started cooing yesterday sooooo cute) I still am able to function the next day. Gordon has lost 7 lbs, I can't claim that but I think especially if I start walking, even a little bit I'll start seeing some numbers like that though maybe not as fast.

My sisters have been sharing some new recipes with me, which I am excited to start trying, I think I am going to try the corn tortilla recipes this week for sure, I got most of the ingredients from the store today. My friend/sister Becky gave me a stuffed pepper recipe which I think the family will really enjoy a lot too.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Day 8 and 9 healthier living

Life is catching up with me
Overwhelmed, out of time, exhausted
Trying to eat right, do the right

Loved my mom's black-bean burgers
Guacamole, salsa chips with them, delicious
Made my kids eat my mostly-carrot soup

Recognizing the need to exercise, strengthen
Need for sleep, not able to get now
Needing to manage better time and efforts

Looking for more recipes, easy and tasty
Needing to keep it simple, need to keep it realistic
Find sanity in all aspects, balance in life

Friday, February 10, 2012

Day 6 and 7 plant-based diet

Lentil and Rice Casserole (based on recipe from Practical Cookery: Vegetarian)
My own adjustments from this recipe my sister shared (My kids approved)

1 c dry lentils
1/2 c rice
5 c vegetable stock
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 minced garlic
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 1/2 oz brocoli florets
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper

1. Put lentils, rice and vegetable stock in rice cooker for about 20 min.
2. Then add remaining ingredients to the pot
3. Keep in rice cooker for 10-15 min. or timer on rice cooker goes off and vegetables are tender

I made this last night, and everyone loved it. My slip-ups the last two nights have been cookies from Days (our local grocery store). I find I still need the comfort sugar food on really hard days. The baby more fussy and crying, my oldest crying with her new braces, overwhelmed with laundry, housework. There are more dishes with this diet, but I am starting to feel more energy so it makes up for that.

I went to the doctor yesterday, he thought it wouldn't hurt to test me again in a couple months and see if this diet has made a difference, he didn't know that it would. He also thought my pregnancy might have messed up my numbers as well and separating myself from the pregnancy as well might help my numbers too. So we'll see what a few months bring, but like one of my friends pointed out, it still is a good idea to keep eating healthy, living a better life style.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Day 4 and 5 plant based diet

So last night for fun I made homemade french fries (not the healthiest) but it was fun with veg i-burgers, asparagus spears. I boiled the asparagus in salted/lemon juice water and they came out a beautiful green. The kids have been eating the yogurt and drinking the milk with cereal so that helps me feel like they aren't going to waste.

I don't think milk is bad or eggs either, I told myself I would have them once a week, but I am almost afraid to breakdown and have them, so I think I will just chose a day and that is the day I have milk on cereal and egg for breakfast, I'm thinking Saturday morning would be good.

Anyways, so far it really hasn't been too bad, I get hungry more often, but if I feel hungry I just grab a few multi-grain chips, a handful of nuts, and maybe a strawberry and I feel full, a nice hold me over between meals. Off to the dentist now.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Day 3 plant based diet

Green Smoothie

2 1/2 c water
1/2 tsp honey or other sweetener
Juice from whole lime or 1/2 lemon
1-3 TB flax seed oil ( I just put in flax seeds)
Add to 5 C line: 3/4-1 lb raw washed greens (spinach, Romaine lettuce, kale, Swiss chard)--I also add carrots, celery, cilantro, or cucumber
1-2 bananas
1-2 frozen mixed berries
Any other fruit to taste (pears, apples, cantaloupes, apricots, oranges, pineapples, mangos)--I like the mixed tropical fruit from Costco

This is a recipe from my sister Mary too, I didn't have flax seed or even frozen fruit, but I made this at breakfast and the whole family seemed to like it even though it was very green.

I just snacked on multi-grain chips and nuts, finished my daughter's smoothie. I just got back from Costco and was impressed with the amount of healthy foods I could buy there. I got some more Quinoa, vegie-burgers, vegie-sausage, frozen fruit mix, granola bars whole wheat bread, flat-bread chips, almonds. (I decided I needed some easy convenience food for those hectic days)

For lunch I plan on eating some of my special oregano black bean recipe and rice that is already made in the fridge. So far just keeping it simple has been nice. Also, Honks (a dollar store) is a great place to reward yourself or find pleasure (a shopping spree) without feeling guilty and isn't food based. I bought needed hair bands, hair brush, laundry basket, garbage can, working pens, scissors, tape and cute little heart decorated baskets I can use for socks or toys in the babies room.

Tonight we are having a friend and her two boys over for FHE I had already said we would get a pizza (before my vegan choice) so I'll have Gordon pick up a 5$ one on the way home but then also offer vege burgers and/or a well rounded salad with kidney beans and a variety of healthy vegetables and maybe some crasins in it.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Day 2 Sort of vegan diet

Quinoa and Black Beans (from AllRecipes.com)
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c vegetable broth (I use the Better than Bouillon vegetable base found in the spice section of Costco--cheap, organic, low sodium, and no MSG!)
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 c frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz)cans black beans rinsed and drained
1/2c chopped fresh cilantro
Serve with: lettuce, tomatoes, sliced avocado, and lime juice

1.Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir frozen corn into saucepan and simmer 5 more minutes until heated through. Mix in black beans and cilantro.

This is a recipe my sister shared that we had last night, the whole family liked it, if anything I'd add even more cilantro oh, and I added 1/2 a sweet onion.

I had carrot juice, water and apple slices for breakfast this morning and am full, then we are going to my nephew's baby blessing and I'll probably just eat what they have there afterwards.

It made me feel really good to make the quinoa/blackbean recipe, it was a new receipe that fit the diet I wanted, easy enough to make and it tasted good, so I'm excited to try some other ones. This wasn't too hard, we did have to go to two stores to find the quinoa though.

Second day, feeling positive and not letting myself be discouraged by slip-ups (like having some peanut m&m's) I sort of justified it by telling myself the nuts were healthy and it wasn't like eating straight animal product, but I do need to be careful of the sugars too. I like my other sisters idea I should add some moderate exercise, I'll try I guess it is hard when I feel pretty tired still with baby.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Day 1 vegan type diet

So my sister's had me watch Forks over Knifes on Netflix. So it motivated me to try an experiment on my own. My health could definitely improve, I did not like the lab results I got last so... I am going to try a mostly vegan diet for two months and have my doctor retest and see how my numbers look and see if the diet really does make a difference for me. I will allow cheating if we are visiting family and friends during meals and I might have milk or yogurt with healthy cereal and occasional egg, but that is all. The focus will be whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

So far today on breakfast we had strawberries, bananas with soy milk on our oatmeal. Sides of carrot juice, strawberry/apple juice/ cantaloupe, it was delicious and wonderful.

Lunch was canned green beans (I am hoping to start lowering the canned goods), mufti-grain Chips from Costco, apple slices and apple/strawberry juice (made by my son). I'm also trying to drink plenty of water. So I just made this resolution this morning, but I really feel like it is worth trying, thus the blog, I'll try to keep this up daily.