The weather outside is delightful!

Hi Healthy food lovers!
Well, unlike the song says, the weather outside is delightful! We had around 60 degrees today.  Thankfully the weather doesn't matter, it is still Christmas time!  CHRISTMAS does not have to spell STRESS!
Don't let your life be so detailed that you are wiping up the last spill almost before it happens! Get plenty of sleep, don't buy over your budget and take time to enjoy what Christmas is really about! (Put on White Christmas by Bing Crosby!). Encourage your friends and family to destress the same way!  Friends don't let friends stress during the holidays! You control how you handle the holidays. You set the expectations of yourself. (I know, and it is a lesson hard learned).  The world won't end if you don't decorate like Martha, or cook like Paula or wrap presents like Colin Cowie!  Speaking of presents, I came across an idea that I loved for the gals in your life.  It is inexpensive and serves a dual purpose.  Give it a look, a scarf that turns into a vest!  (Make sure you get the right sized scarf! One size does not fit all, who believes that anyway?) Hint: You want a looooonnnnnng scarf, doesn't need to be that wide.  The width ends up as the length of the vest. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_gKtpo4_Ag

This is a food blog so here is a new, lo cal recipe for everyone.  EZ and delish! Here's wishing a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to you and yours!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
 Luke 2:11

http://nonrecipe.blogspot.ca/2012/03/baked-apples-with-oatmeal-streusel.html

A fluttering from the Autumn recipe tree

Thomas Edison estimated he failed at making the light bulb 10,000 times and was proud of it. He didn't really fail 10,000 times, he found 10,000 ways it didn't work so he could find the 1 that did!  Don't give up on whatever you are working on today!  It is not a failure, it is an opportunity to do it again differently!

But let's face it....at the first sign of chill in the air and falling leaves twirling toward the earth we think of fall, and cocoa and pumpkin desserts!  This can be a win/win situation with the right recipe and I think I have found one!  If you are one of those lucky few who doesn't care if they have dessert ever or not, good for you! I am not.  I crave a treat, especially at the holiday time.  Here is a recipe that if you use oat flour becomes gluten free and flavor full!  (Add those flax seeds for some great omega 3's). Plus they can be vegan too!

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/23/pumpkin-cream-cheese-bars/

These bars are so yummy you won't even miss the topping, but low cal enough you can add it!  Plus check out the nutritional value on the page, not bad huh? See, you didn't fail, you found another way to enjoy a treat without feeling like you had to be on a d___ ....well you know, that 4 letter word! Happy Autumn! Warm hugs! Debbie

Food and Mood Journal: Week 1

Food and Mood Journal
Week 1


Tues, August  28
Day 1: Fearful. That is how I would describe my attitude on this day. So many times I've started something like this and given up quickly. Each time I gave up, I would feel embarrassed and discouraged. So on the first day of my refined carb and junk food detox period, I was worried that it would be like every other time. Still, I planned and prepared my food the day before; I was ready.  I promised myself that I would take it one day at a time. I would get through today, and decide tomorrow if I would continue on. Tomorrow was a different day, and I wasn't worried about it.

Breakfast: Whole yogurt w/ berries and flax seed.
Lunch: Tuna fish salad with spinach salad.  Peanuts.  Strawberry SF jello.
Dinner:  Dustin made a squash chilli with black beans.  Dollop of whole sour cream and cheese.  SF vanilla pudding for dessert.

Craving Rating (1-10):  7.    I craved sweetness after dinner (thus the pudding).
Sleep:  Difficult to fall asleep and woke up during night.

Wed, August  29
Day 2: I planned ahead the day before again, and it wasn't a big deal to continue on. I was a bit irritable, but nothing major. I was feeling ok and a bit more hopeful. Terrible sleep that night.

Breakfast: Whole yogurt w/ berries and flax seed.
Lunch: lunch meat w/ avocado and cheese.  broccoli and cherry tomatoes w/ hummus.  Orange
Dinner:  Left-over chilli and SF vanilla pudding for dessert.

Craving Rating (1-10):  7.    Again, I craved sweetness after dinner.
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
Sleep:  Very difficult to fall asleep.

Thurs, August 30
Day 3: Ugh! Rough day! I was cranky as hell the ENTIRE day and had a headache. Snipping at people and feeling generally in the dumps. I had taken a benydryl at 1 am to try to sleep, and couldn't wake up from it in the morning. Luckily, Dustin made me lunch and breakfast. Without him, I might have lost it this day. I had to pray a bunch this day.

I wanted ice cream at some point. But it wasn't a physical craving really; just a mental one. Dinner was really yummy and prepared by Dustin and I both.

Breakfast: Eggs w/ veggies
Lunch:  Decadent meatless salad (w/ homemade ranch, carrots, cherry tomatoes, peanuts), cottage cheese
Dinner:  Chicken breast w/ a white wine sauce containing carrots, onions, mushrooms, flaxmeal, and arrowroot.

Craving Rating (1-10):  9.    I really wanted pizza and ice cream.  I almost caved.
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
Sleep:   Hard to fall asleep.

Fri, August 31
Day 4: Eureka! So glad I made it past day 3! What is it about the 3rd day (or month, or year, etc.) that is always so hard? Today, I feel much better! I'm positive and optimistic. I am having some sugar cravings but I'm still taking it one day at a time.  

Breakfast: Whole yogurt w/ berries and flax seed.
Lunch: Decadent meat salad (w/ homemade ranch, carrots, cherry tomatoes, peanuts, chicken, mushrooms), cheese stick, and pear
Dinner:  Salmon and steamed broccoli.  No sugar added ice cream.

Craving Rating (1-10):  7.  Still wanted ice cream, and decided to go with no sugar added variety.  Dished myself out a large bowl, and this spiked my blood sugar.  Must do smaller servings. 
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
 Sleep:  Good.

Sat, September 1
Day 5:  Feeling pretty good on this day.  Was in a good mood and noticed fewer cravings.  Got the urge to cook and took delight in it.  Happy.  Woke up genuinely hungry for the first time in a long time. 

Breakfast: None.
Lunch:  Lunch meat, cheese (muenster).  No sugar added ice cream.
Dinner:  Spinach meatloaf, broccoli and cheese.

Craving Rating (1-10):  5.   Much improved.  Early sweet cravings.
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
Sleep:  Good.  

Sun, September 2

Day 6:  Virtually craving free this day.   Noticed much better awareness of fullness and ceased eating when full.   Noticed that my nails had rapidly grown out. 


Breakfast: None.
Lunch:  Leftover meatloaf topped with muenster.  Green tea.  No sugar added ice cream.
Snack:  String cheese, pear, and peanuts.

Dinner:   Rotisserie chicken (store bought), steamed broccoli, and creamed mushrooms on top of a slice of flax/rye bread.  3 sugar-free chocolates.

Craving Rating (1-10):  4.    No noticeable cravings today.
Supplements:  Fish oil, iron (prescribed by doctor), and primrose oil (new). 
Sleep:  

Food and Mood Journal, Week2

Food and Mood Journal
Week 2

Mon, September 3
Day 7:  Memorial day.  No work.  We took the dogs to the swim beach, and I couldn't help but remember the last time we went to the swim beach.  I was seriously craving a milk shake.  Hard core.  I was thinking about it the entire time we were at the beach.  Not this time.  I was amazed that I actually didn't want one at all.  I'm not kidding.  How is that possible?  I just didn't want one even a tiny bit.  Totally crazy.  Then, later that night, I got really sick from the evening primrose oil and I craved veggies.  Raw veggies.  So that is what I ate.

Breakfast:  Banana and peanuts (I was going running).
Lunch:  Left-over chicken and some more creamed mushrooms on rye/flaxseed bread (so good!).   SF chocolates. I later found out rye has gluten.  Can't eat anymore... :(
Dinner:  Raw brocolli, carrots and tomatoes w/ hummus.  Cheese stick.

Craving Rating (1-10):  2.    Barely any cravings.
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).  Also took Evening Primrose Oil, but had a very bad reaction to it.
Sleep (1-10) :  2.  Horrible, horrible night's sleep.  I tossed and turned all night.

Tues,  September 4
Day 8:  Wow, I've noticed 2 things that seem to contradict one another:

1. When I get hungry, I have physical symptoms like stomach growling.  That rarely happened before.
2. I get fuller faster and I don't feel the urge to keep eating once I realize I'm full.  I don't have that insatiable desire to keep eating anymore.  I mean ever.  I just feel... satiated.  And then I stop.  Like its natural.  

Breakfast: Grapes, raspberries and apple.  Cottage cheese.  Pistachios.
Lunch: Spinach salad with tomatoes, carrots, nuts, and ranch dressing.  Cheese stick.
Dinner:  Chicken with broccoli and carrots dipped in ranch dressing.  Sugar free candies (these didn't set well with my stomach at all)

Craving Rating (1-10):  4.  I noticed some cravings around dinner time.  I briefly daydreamed about getting taco bell, simply because it was easier than cooking.  But it was a pretty toothless craving that I easily overcame.  
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
Sleep (1-10) :  4. Sleep ok with 2 benydryl before bed.  But storm woke me up around 3 am.

Wed, September 5
Day 9: I am kind of having cravings today.  I say "kinda" because they aren't those, "OMG, I HAVE TO HAVE ICECREAM RIGHT NOW!," kind of cravings (like I used to get every single day).  They are more like a nostalgic daydream, and not even for icecream.  Believe it or not, I'm craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on fluffy bread.  Every once in a while, an image of a PB&J flashes through my mind.  I don't feel compelled to get one.  It would just be nice to have.  So weird...  I'm wondering if it is all the fruit I'm eating in the morning.  It is fructose, after all.  But otherwise I'm going ok still.

Breakfast: Grapes, cottage cheese, and pistachios.
Lunch: smoked salmon, colby-jack cheese, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes w/ hummus.
Snack (pre-run):  orange and peantus
Dinner:  Left-over meatloaf topped with muenster.

Craving Rating (1-10):  3.    I had kinda a cravings for PB&J.  It was a visual cravings.
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
Sleep (1-10) : 5.  Fell asleept ok, but woke up several times.  Woke up tired.

Thurs, September 6
Day 10:   I woke up craving carbs.  Seriously craving carbs to the point where I felt like I had to eat something or I'd scream.  So I choose steel-cut oatmeal.  Not sure if this was a good idea because around dinner time, I was having a physical reaction to even the thought of carbs.   Images of pasta and cookies danced through my mind and I felt physically ravenous, like my mid section was the cookie monster on a rampage. I would have taken off someone's hand if it had been holding a cookie.  Just goes to show you that spiking your blood sugar with excess carbs even once (like my oatmeal) can set up you up for long-term cravings.  Even fruit (like I had eaten the day before) is an iffy thing to me now because my body is still insulin insensitive.

But I prevailed.  I went home, made a nice dinner, and willed the coconut flour that I ordered to arrive so I could make some gluten-free, low glycemic and sugar-free brownies.  Hurry, coconut flour, hurry!

Breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal (make with milk, butter, and xylitol) w/ cheese stick
Lunch:  Romaine salad (w/ cherry tomatoes, olives, feta, green peppers), pistachios, and 1/2 orange
Dinner:

Craving Rating (1-10):  9.   This was a rough, very rough day.
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
Sleep:

Fri, September 7
Day 11:  

Breakfast: Whole yogurt w/ berries and flax seed.
Lunch: Decadent meat salad (w/ homemade ranch, carrots, cherry tomatoes, peanuts, chicken, mushrooms), cheese stick, and pear
Dinner:  Salmon and steamed broccoli.  No sugar added ice cream.

Craving Rating (1-10):
Supplements:  Fish oil and iron (prescribed by doctor).
 Sleep:

My beauty experiment: Week 1 review

Week 1 was tough, I'll admit it.

To be honest, I was in a bad, bad way when I started this.  I was eating out several times a week, eating absolute junk at almost every meal, and had a wicked sugar and refined carbs addiction.  I had gained 30 pounds in a year and was at my highest weight in years.  And my weight was climbing every week.

I felt helpless.  Completely helpless and out-of-control.  And scared about what would happen if I continued down that path.   

I would love to say that this first week has changed all of that.  It would be nice to say I stopped eating refined carbs and took some supplements and all of my troubles disappeared overnight.

The victories:

• My sugar and carb cravings are nearly.gone.  
• My nails grew out long and strong practically overnight! (I'm crediting the fish oil) 
• I'm eating better on this diet than I've ever eaten in my life.  Seriously.  Absolute decadence!
• The bloating is dramatically reduced and I lost * pounds!  
• I feel great!

The challenges:

• I still feel insecure.  I desperately want to stick with this.  I'm so scared that I'm going to lose this!  I had a couple of weak moments that, if not for Dustin making me healthy food, I would have caved.  I know that path... I've been down it several times and I don't want to go back.
• I'm spending a lot of time planning and preparing food.  While this is enjoyable, I'm worried that I will get burned out.  What happens when I don't have the energy, inclination or time to plan and prepare for my meals?  Eating low-glycemic and gluten-free isn't familiar, and it takes time.
• This is more expensive than I'm used to.  I'm spending more money on food and supplements than I have in the past.  I just keep reminding myself that Americans spend the smallest percentage of our incomes on food out of any nation in the world.  I can shell out a couple of extra bucks for fresh, healthy food.  Good food costs money.  Bad food is, well, cheap.  You get what you pay for.

The plan:
I am trying to stick with this long enough to develop a new arsenal of go-to recipes and foods.  I learned to cook and eat based on my high-glycemic, wheat-focused diet.  Now I need to relearn how to eat.  I like what I see so far, but it is a challenge to start fresh.  Once I get "comfortable" cooking and eating with this type of lifestyle, then it will get easier. 

What should I call my beauty experiment?

I'm doing an experiment.  But I'm not sure what to title it...  Can you help me?  Let me tell you a bit about it.

Hypothesis
I will lose weight and improve my health, sleep, skin, and general beauty by doing the following:

1. Eliminate high glycemic foods (including sugar), artificial sweeteners, gluten, and bad fats from my diet.
2. Take supplements to support health, including fish oil,  multi-vitamin, evening primrose oil (for skin), and probiotic.  Green tea.
3. Switch my beauty and cleaning products to 100% natural and preferably organic.

How long will I do this?  Not sure yet.  As long as it takes?  As long as I can?  Who knows!

Background
I am a typical American, eating a typical American diet.  High glycemic, sugary products, eating out frequently, gluten (i.e. wheat), and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables.  I have intense sugar and carb cravings.

I would say I have metabolic syndrome (weight issues, inflammation, blood sugar issues).  I gain weight easily and find it impossible to lose it.  I also have a sluggish thyroid and skin issues.  My energy is frustratingly variable and I have trouble sleeping.

My inspiration

I was inspired to do this experiment by a book I've read (and reread), called "The Truth about Beauty" by Kat James.

So what should I call this experiment?  I have to call it something, but I can't think of anything creative!

          

Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins

Welcome to August...Time for a recipe!


As M.C. Hammer says "break it down":
1 cup serving of sweet potatoes contains:


* 65% daily amount of Vitamin C
*high in calcium, foliate, potassium and beta-carotene (which converts to Vit. A)
*AND sweet potatoes gives you as much as 700% of US RDA of your Vit. A!

... well I could list the benefits of all the other ingredients but you guys know how to google:)

Point being, this is a delicious dish and vegans can sub the dairy with vegan substitutes!

http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-sweet-potato-skins


oh yeah, and You can touch this! :)


and here's a little joke for ya!
Q: Why did the sweet potato cross the road? 
A: He saw a fork up ahead. 
So get your forks out and dig in!  Have a "smashing" day!  
Hugs from Debbie!

Bloom where you are planted!

We at The Kitchen Stink are talking about health and making wise choices in our food.  However, we are also nourished or depleted by things around us....usually....

A precious friend of mine, Janine, brought me a bag of surprise lilies.  As we all know the heat has been crazy high, so I did not get them into the ground right away.  Imagine my surprise to find this treat when I went into my kitchen!  This little bulb certainly took the saying "Bloom where you are planted" to the max.  No soil, no watering, in a plastic bag (not it's comfort zone for sure) and very little sunlight resulted in a beautiful surprise from this surprise lily!  No matter what your circumstances today, remember you are one of a kind made by God, amazingly special and have a special bloom that comes only from you! Someone needs to be nourished by you today! So please, bloom where you are planted and know that you are appreciated!  We appreciate you here at The Kitchen Stink! Thanks for spending some time with us!  ...and please tell us what you would like to see here...

Happy July 4th! Freedom rings and fruit reigns!

Ok....so we all know that we overeat on holidays.  It doesn't just have to be Thanksgiving and Christmas either. Actually July 4th is one of the times we consume the most calories because of the types of food we eat.  Let's not forget about dessert!  Going along with Casey's post, try making fruit the star of the dessert table!  If you make it visually appealing, people (and I mean me:) are less likely to head to the red, white and blue cake/pie and it doubles as a centerpiece saving not only calories, but money!  Try your hand at this ez watermelon cake only stick a firecracker in the top instead of a #1 candle! If that is too hard try the skewers (and you even get a little chocolate with them!).  Whatever you do..TRY!  WE CAN DO THIS! Make the 4th a celebration of freedom and our health too!  Happy 4th!
cake link: http://seemyfootprints.blogspot.com/2010/02/1st-birthday-quinns-all-fruit-cake.html
kabobs link: http://sixinthesuburbsblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/caterpillar-grape-kabobs.html
Hugs,
Debbie
P.S. Banging your head on a wall burns 150 calories an hour...NOW doesn't it sound like a great idea to stick with yummy fruit?! :)
http://maxellah.tripod.com/useless.htm

Eat less and exercise more = GARBAGE

Eat less and exercise more is the key to losing weight and maintaining optimal health, right? WRONG   WRONG   WRONG

I just watched a video presentation by Robert Lustig, Pediatric doctor at UC-San Francisco. In his presentation "Sugar: The Bitter Truth," he argues the following statements:

The obesity epidemic throughout the world is not caused by a bunch of slothful, weak-willed individuals that choose to gorge themselves on food. The obesity epidemic is caused by....... drum roll please......... Fructose.

As in sugar... as in high fructose corn syrup... as in the crap that is nearly every processed food that we eat and drink, from orange juice to ketchup to whole grain bread to baby formula.

Throughout his presentation, he proves that:

• Fructose is an addictive toxin that suppresses the body's chemical "stop eating" signals and causes the body to turn 30% of the calories it provides into fat.


• The correlation between the introduction of high fructose corn syrup and sky-rocketing obesity rates is irrefutable.


• Fructose has short and long term effects that are similar to alcohol and should be classified and controlled by the federal government (just like alcohol is), except this is unlikely to happen due to economic pressures.

As some of you know, I was recently instructed by my doctor that I need to follow a low-glycemic index diet. I will be documenting my experience in upcoming blogs, including the experience of eliminating sugar from my diet. More to come.

In the meantime, watch the video below and be blown away:

7-part Video series (click link to see all videos in the series):

http://www.uctv.tv/skinny-on-obesity/



Original presentation:

or watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z5X0i92OZQ&feature=related

It is the length of a movie, so give yourself plenty of time to watch.

Interesting and thought-provoking quote: "Where ever there is fructose in nature, there is also fiber. Except honey, and that is guarded by bees."

Thank you

How does one cope with the knowledge that terrible, horrible things happen?

And I don't even mean all of those atrocities that you read about but rarely, if ever, see. I mean the ones that are close to home. Someone you love gets sick... A beloved pet gets older... Your own certain death looms like a mountain forever on the horizon (so large and ominous that you can never tell how far it is away). Add to that the million other fears and anxieties...

Pardon the darkness of this post so far. I promise it will get better.

This evening, while trying to go to bed, I was overcome by terror. Images of those I love and the moments of pain that I've seen or imagined them going through flashed through my mind. Rapid fire fears of my own future mixed within these thoughts. Unable to escape or turn my mind away from these fears, I felt like I was undergoing the Ludovico Technique. Was God trying to condition me against thoughts of doom and gloom by holding my mind fixated on those very things?

If Dustin or anyone were to have looked at me, they would have seen a peaceful, resting woman with eyes closed and head nestled into a pillow. Would they have been shocked to peel away that facade and uncover the raging sea of fear and worries spiraled out of control within me!

Yes, this seems melodramatic. But have you ever felt so swept away by fear of the unknown that even the value of life is overshadowed by its horrors? That you begin to question, "What on God's green earth is the point to all of THIS!"? If you have not had this feeling, and you are thinking "Wow, Casey is totally losing it," then... wow, are we on the same planet?

Now, don't worry. Nothing happened to elicit this episode of fear except a recent, but short-lived bout of stomach bug that got me thinking about sickness in general. Which led me down a dark path of thought (see above). But stop fretting: really, I'm fine.

But back to that moment, when I was lying in bed entrapped by the very scary realization that I, and everyone I love, are MORTAL. And that life is often terrifying and exceedingly uncomfortable. And there is little anyone can do to prevent or predict the bad parts. Really, no warning at all? Even my cell phone has a low battery warning message. Couldn't have God thought of something like that?

Instead, we are reduced to thinking and worrying and obsessing at the exact time we should be trying to go to sleep. So I ask again, How does one cope? How can I go one more minute without screaming at the top of my lungs from the fear of it all?

At the moment I thought I might scream, thus disturbing what appeared to be Dustin's peaceful sleep, I choose to pray.

Here is a partial transcript of that prayer: "Dear God, please help me be stronger when facing scary things. But wait... How will you do that? Will your method of making me stronger involve making me go through scary stuff? Wait, I'm not sure I like that... can I think about my request a bit more?" (How does God put up with me?)

Regardless of my totally pathetic, inadequate prayer, it was answered. Immediately. The thought came into my mind to think about the good memories I have. Dustin filled my mind, our wedding, all the silly stuff he does and all of the fun we have. I thought about all of my family and what I love about each and every one of them. I thought about Raz and how good it feels to cuddle with him. Memories started flooding my mind, filling it even more quickly than the fears previously had. I was skipping from memory to memory like a kid in a candy store. A catalog of beautiful events and wonderful people. And then came the tears. Happy, happy tears. Every happy thing I remembered brought on a fresh wave of crying.

And suddenly, when just moments ago when I was on the verge of screaming, it was all ok. Everything was ok.

I still couldn't sleep (hence this post), but I had an answer to my question. How do I cope with fears of the future? Just remember the past. Luckily, thanks to wonderful parents and loving friends and family, I have a beautiful past to remember. Thus the title of my post: Thank you.

Vacation

Vacations are bitter sweet. You enjoy seeing family & that always involves eating. It seems a very difficult time to stay on track with good eating habits. I'm back home now & trying to get back on track which is a struggle in its self. I feel like the person who fell off the wagon. As I head back to weight watchers it is such a support to hear everyone say what I've been thinking. Now I know I'm not alone in these thoughts & I can start again. I can do it I keep telling myself.

Let them eat cake... just steer me to the fruit tray!

Today, I went to a campus event that had tons of dessert and cheese items. When I walked into the room, I actually said "oh crap..." outloud! I felt the Weight Watchers wagon start to tip. Stubbornly, I retreated to the nearest armchair and read a magazine, removing myself from the party and trying not to look at everyone's expression of food-induced ecstasy. "I think I can... I think I can..." I was holding strong but feeling fragile.

As I watched someone pop a big juicy strawberry in her mouth, I remembered something brilliant: Fruit is free! I loaded up from the fruit platter and joined the nearest group to mingle. Score!

Once back in the safety of my office, I had a thought: I could have taken from that party memories of a yummy, but guilt inducing confection and a sense of failure. Instead, I took from the experience a sense of pride and a memory of accomplishment. I'm glad for my choice.

Welcome to The Kitchen Stink!

The goal of this blog is to unite a group of women dedicated to good health and clean eating. Let's clean up our dirty eating habits one post at a time!