Healthier Lifestyle day 3

Last night was horrible. I don't think they warn you about the side effects of changing to a plant-based diet. I am hoping if I can endure my body will adjust but just lets say there are some gastrointestinal side effects that aren't pleasant, that combined with the worst UTI of all time I was up almost all night. I had a sweet husband who took the kids to school in the morning and let me get enough sleep to function a little today. For lunch yesterday I made my famous black-beans that are quite tasty. It helps me to get started to use recipes I already am familiar with and slowly add more things.

Sarah's famous black beans

Saute 1/2 an onion (chopped) in some olive oil (eventually I may take out the oil)
add minced garlic (1-2 Tbsp) and chopped bell pepper (or can of chilies)
Then add 3 cans of black beans (liquid and all)
2 Tbsp Oregano
2 Tbsp vinegar (I use apple-cider when I am eating healthier)

I still have leftovers I'm planning on using for lunch today. This morning I had leftover smoothie from yesterday and a bowl of wheat flakes with almond milk on top. (The cereal wasn't totally sugar free eventually shredded wheat might be a better option for fast cereal). Yesterday evening I went to Mary's graduation from a class she was taking. I ate from the vege tray, fruit bowl and salsa and chips. I did have one indiscretion I ate a delicious frosted sugar cookie which I did regret. I think I should have taken 2 bites and would have been totally satisfied but I need to get over the idea of needing to eat the whole thing, if it is junk food I am not wasting food to throw away after I have my taste if it is something I really want to try. For my sugar craving that night I ate a peach.

Today I went to Sprouts during Haven's music class I stocked up on celery, cucumbers, apples, bananas and melon, more grapes. I also went to Michael's and splurged a little and bought a wreath that was 60% off (I've always wanted one for our house especially in the Fall). I also bought paints and brushes. I know you might think I'm crazy but I can't stand our new white door, I need to paint it. Gordon says I'm a tagger at my heart. I need to be creative and that white door is a canvas just calling to me. I did play the piano listen to my book and listen to music yesterday. I however wasn't as active as I wanted to me. My biggest activity was taking my daughter Mary to the store to buy a pretty dress for her graduation from her class. She is such a beautiful girl.

My goal today is to get enough sleep tonight, do a load of laundry, fold three loads of laundry and take a nap and still eat healthy. Haven't decided about dinner yet, but maybe sandwiches tonight or squash from my garden. I need to find a non-sugar way to use the large zucchini I have I'll have to look on-line and get some ideas.

Healthier lifestyle experiment day 1 and 2

I am going to be upfront, I have autoimmune issues, I have high cholesterol (239), low thyroid, I am 215 lbs. overweight by 70 lbs and live a pretty sedentary life. I am going to try for the next 60-90 days an experiment. Some of my siblings have been real advocates of a plant-based diet. My sister has bought me and mailed to me Eat to Live and How Not to Die. I've been reading those books and watched Forks over Knives, but I've had a hard time going over a week living a plant based diet. I also signed up earlier this month for a 100 day heart challenge my goal was to walk 10,000 steps a day. The bad news I haven't been able to do that once, though I am averaging 2,000 more steps then I used to. However, it made me realize how pathetic and inactive I am so I want to be stronger do more active things, things I can also include my hyper busy children in doing (hiking, going to the park, swimming, dancing etc.)

So here is my real quest to improve my life and if I can prove that eating healthier and being more active can work for someone like me then maybe I can convince my husband (who also has health issues) and my children (who love junk food) to try a healthier lifestyle and others that I love that this is realistic and good for all of us. I feel like I can't really advocate or ask anyone else to change if I can't prove to myself that it will work. Good news is I've lost 20 lbs over the last 5 months) I really don't eat horribly but I feel like I want more energy, be healthier so I can live longer and be there to achieve goals I have in life and be there for my family and those I love. So I am taking the next step to really improve recorded here in my blog what is happening so I can be accountable and move forward trying something new. I'd like to get my cholesterol checked again, and weigh myself through out and we'll see if changing my lifestyle does make a big difference.

Yesterday when I decided this I didn't start off great. My son's birthday we celebrated with German pancakes for breakfast covered with lime juice and powdered sugar. However, when I made the rest of the family BLT's for lunch I left off the bacon and mayonnaise and instead used flax-seed oil and garlic as the dressing for the sandwich. I added some bread and butter pickles, onion, lettuce, tomatoes on the whole wheat bread and it was delicious and filling. For dinner we were at cousins eating, they had spaghetti and meatballs and bread for dinner. I just didn't add meat balls and I didn't add butter to the bread. I skipped dessert and that night when I was craving something sweet I had a bowl of homegrown grapes from my dad's garden and fresh strawberries, so good, yum.

So far today I've made a delicious green smoothie. 1 peach, 1 banana, large handful of kale from my garden, flax-seed oil, part of an orange, lime juice and water all blended in the Blendtec. I also ate the other half of the orange, I totally think having fruit will be my salvation in maintaining this diet because I do have a strong sweet tooth but the fruit seems to fulfill that ache. I am hoping to be pretty active getting my house clean and recovered from the weekend, take my son to the park and for a nature walk and doing some yard work. I hope to harvest most of my Kale since it is getting colder and freeze some of it. I also have a ton of basil so hoping to make a pesto sauce I can use for some vegan dishes. I also find if I can mentally keep myself stable finding balance in my life then I can be more controlled in my diet and life choices. Therefore listening to a book I like while I am driving kids around all day, read part of a book, listen to music I love while I clean and do something creative and/or artistic, practice piano or guitar (I'm trying to teach myself that) today will also give me the fulfillment I need in other ways.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.