Paleo Diet, Day 1: Lemon is Key and Spaghetti Hurts

January 18, 2013 11 Comments

I’ve started reading the Paleo Solution and decided to ease into the diet today. I’m not even sure what’s allowed yet, which is why I say “ease in”…Here is a run down of my day:

Breakfast: Apple, raisins, water

Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: I felt pretty full for a while but was starving by noon. I know most Paleo eaters have a meat for breakfast to keep them full longer. I’ll get to that when I get more organized! Most mornings I just grab whatever I can on my way to preschool or the sitter.

Lunch: Thickburger from Hardees with light mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. No cheese or bun. Small french fry. Unsweet tea with lemon (which was surprisingly good for this sweet tea addict). The key was adding the lemon. It sweetened things up nicely and because I love lemon juice, I have a feeling it’s going to help me a lot on this diet!

Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: I have never been good at self-control when it comes to food and eating out is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t want to miss out on any fun because of this diet, so when my hubby and his parents invited me to lunch, of course I couldn’t turn it down. Living in a very small town, our immediate choices for lunch unless we want to drive 20 minutes include McDonalds, Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Burger King, a pizza place, and a rib place. When we’re in a hurry we normally hit McDonalds, but today was Hardees.

I was surprisingly satisfied with my meal, but must admit that the mayo soaked bun was calling my name! I think I already realize that carbs have always been a comfort food for me. I ate the french fries instead. Who knows if they are allowed on this diet? I am going to guess, NO, but I haven’t gotten that far, and potatoes are a veggie, right? ;)

In other news, I have not yawned at all today! This is so abnormal for me. I normally yawn constantly. I felt a little nauseous after lunch…maybe that’s the sugar withdraw. Unsweet tea is sooo not me!

Snack: Raisins. (Luckily I like raisins a lot).

Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore (Ooops!)

Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: Okay, so I already had a weak moment. I ordered takeout. It’s Friday night, my hubby had a basketball game, I was home by myself with the girls and I was STARVING. Like, dizzy, irritable, cranky starving (or what some people like to call HANGRY–see picture below). Luckily (or unluckily) we have a pizza place within 1 mile of our house which delivers. Hmmm. I tried to think of something I could order that wouldn’t hurt my stomach. I immediately thought of Chicken Cacciatore for some reason. When I ordered it I imagined a big chicken breast with grilled vegetables and maybe some noodles on the side (which I would give to my daughter, who loves “sketti’s”). What came was actually grilled strips of chicken on a bed of spaghetti, covered in tomato sauce and smothered in melted cheese. Hence the “ooops.” I tried to just eat the chicken but I am really picky with chicken and it left a lot to be desired. In my ravenous state I gobbled up half the spaghetti drenched in cheese (and gave the other half to my daughter). In my mind this was a “last supper” of sorts, but…

The Result—>Pain. Cramps. Running to the bathroom within 10 minutes. FOR REAL. This stuff is for real, people! I’m still sitting here in pain as I type….and also re-considering what I feed my daughter BIG TIME (who at the ripe old age of 2.5 has already had her fair share of stomach problems).

All I can say is tonight I’m going to do some more reading and tomorrow I’m going to try harder…for the sake of my stomach…and my sanity!

“Feel Goods” of the Day: Feeling good is the whole point of this journey, so these are the things I’m doing daily to help me achieve this goal. 

-As part of my “Operation Feel Good” I got a facial and a manicure today. I want to feel good on the inside and out, so a little sprucing up was in order. I’ve been having some issues with my skin and was ready to do something about it. The facial was amazing and helped get rid of all of my clogged pores and yuckiness. I just threw in the manicure for good measure!

You don't know Jacques

-Hanging with my girls. This always makes me feel good!

girls

Thanks to those that’ve tweeted, texted, emailed and commented with words of encouragement! It’s so awesome to see that I’m not the only one on this “quest”!

*I’m looking for a good mobile app to use when I’m out and about as a quick reference guide. Let me know if you know of a good one!*

Filed Under: Beautiful Life, Food Tagged With: , , ,

Operation Feel Good 2013

January 17, 2013 7 Comments

It’s time to start feeling better!

I’ve been struggling with stomach issues and anxiety for as long as I can remember and I really want to make a change.

My chiropractor recommended a unique doctor who specializes in female issues related to diet and hormones and today was my first appointment. It felt so refreshing to meet with someone who I feel can really help me!

She recommended a few things to start with and I go back in two weeks for another check-up. She also ran some initial tests to get an idea of where I am with my hormones, thyroid, and more.

Over the years I’ve tried cutting out meat, dairy, and gluten, among other things but I’ve never been able to stick with it or see a real difference with my stomach pains. As for the anxiety, I’ve tried everything from meditation to medication and haven’t found much relief. She recommended I read The Paleo Solution and start experimenting with The Paleo Diet. A quick summary of the diet says that, “It’s the healthiest way you can eat because it is the ONLY nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic! Research in biology, biochemistry, Ophthalmology, Dermatology and many other disciplines indicate it is our modern diet, full of refined foods, trans fats and sugar, that is at the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression and infertility. – Robb Wolf

Hmm…it’s definitely worth a try, though I know it’s going to be HARD.

Cutting out grains, dairy and refined sugar is part of the diet. This may sound impossible right now but I think I’m willing to give it a shot if it’s going to help with my stomach problems, anxiety and low energy!!

I’d love to chronicle my experience here to help get the motivation and encouragement that I am going to need to make this positive change! Let me know if you’ve heard of this diet and lifestyle change or any other tips you may have!!

Filed Under: Beautiful Life, Food Tagged With: , ,

Smothered Enchiladas

May 2, 2012 Leave a Comment

I had some ground beef thawed out tonight and wanted to make something NEW and DIFFERENT (besides our normal tacos) so I went searching on Pinterest until I found a recipe that included ingredients I already had in my cabinets. About a year ago we bought a large amount of beef from a local farm and have had it in our freezer for what seems like e-t-e-r-n-i-t-y. It’s nice that we haven’t had to buy meat in a long time, but I’m running out of creative ways to cook it!

Here is a helpful “pin” I found on my search with a whole list of recipes for ground beef:

Ground Beef Recipes

 

I finally found this one for Smothered Enchiladas…

 

…and the hubby and I were pleasantly surprised with how it turned out!

Here are my own pictures:

I halved the recipe and still had some ground beef left over. If you wanted to make a healthier version you could use fat-free sour cream for the sauce, rather than the full strength. If I had left out the green chilies it also would’ve been a bit more “kid-friendly.”

Do you have a favorite recipe using ground beef? 

We still have about 10 more bags of ground beef in our freezer, so I need lots of creative ideas!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: ,

Post Christmas Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

December 29, 2011 Leave a Comment
Because of our many Christmas events I haven’t had to make dinner in about a week. While that is super awesome, it also means I haven’t been to the grocery store and our fridge is pretty empty. I had a hankering to cook tonight so I logged on to Pinterest and browsed a few things I had saved on my Beautiful Food board. Fortunately, I had just about everything I needed for these Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups. I randomly had leftover lasagna noodles from the Crock Pot Lasagna I made a few months ago, so I was in luck!

…And it was delicious! I think it will taste even better tomorrow. I didn’t have ricotta cheese on hand so I substituted with a sour cream and cream cheese mixture. The spinach is such a super food that I believe it outweighs the unhealthy stuff!

Have you made any good recipes from Pinterest lately?
Filed Under: Food, Make it Beautiful Tagged With: ,

Pinterest Recipe #1

September 27, 2011 4 Comments
I found this recipe for Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream sauce on Pinterest via HokieBetsy and decided to put it to the test tonight in an effort to prove that YES, I will, in fact, make something that I “pin.”
I luckily had all of the ingredients except for the Ssun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce. I found this recipe for Quick and Easy Alfredo sauce, which I whipped up to add to the dish. I also added some frozen spinach to the sauce to give it a (tiny) healthy kick.

With the leftovers from the bridal shower this weekend I made a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad for our appetizer, which complimented the pasta well.
Here is the real-life version of the dish, complete with paper towel napkin, which looks a bit different from the professional image…
…but still tasted great!

The verdict is…it was delish! Though we normally don’t cook with a creamy sauce, we were both was pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed the flavor.
Thank you Pinterest and HokieBetsy (who happens to be our awesome cousin)
for the great recipe!

Do you have a favorite recipe you found on Pinterest?
Filed Under: Beautiful Things, Food Tagged With: ,

Thoughts Thursday: Sushi makes me happy

February 10, 2011 Leave a Comment
Last night I had a much needed sushi date with some past coworkers and didn’t get around to posting. I can’t tell you how much I NEEDED that little getaway. When I returned I felt so refreshed–happier, healthier and ready to take on the world!
The world=AJH.
The only thing worse than a sick baby is a sick baby hyped up on a steroid. After three nights of edgy, anxious, over-tired baby I needed a little “refreshing.” I was starting to feel like a total failure. And in typical “me” fashion I was equating failing at one thing (putting the baby to sleep) to failing at life.
We have been spoiled because since about six weeks old AJH has slept a good 12 hours every night. Since going (virtually) mobile she gets worn out easily and is normally ready for bed by 7:00 pm at the latest…and she always sleeps until about 7:30 am. I don’t know how we got so blessed, and I am sure our next baby will be the total opposite, but in the meantime we’re enjoying it very much.
So, when she decides bedtime isn’t until past nine, and does the whole body thrust, arching the back screaming thing every time we try to lay her down, it’s not fun.
And I feel pretty lost.
Needless to say, the sushi date came at a perfect time.
I got home, AJH was still awake, and instead of being frustrated and getting anxious, about her needing to sleep, we just played…played with Henry, played the keyboard, played on the school bus. Finally she camped out on my lap, with Berenstain Bears dancing in her glazed over eyes and dozed off.Just a couple of hours out of the house to eat delicious, fresh food and talk with other women was exactly what I needed and for the first time I realize that taking some “me” time could actually make me a better mom.

Speaking of food, I’ve been trying to make more conscious decisions about what I eat. I’ve thought about going vegetarian and/or vegan many times and for lots of different reasons. One of the main reasons at this point in my life is because I am starting to see my body as a machine that needs the best fuel possible. Feeding myself caffeine, and heavy, over-processed foods has not done me well the past 29 years. I used to wonder  why I struggled with anxiety, irritability, exhaustion and digestion problems, never stopping to think about what I was feeding my body. Instead of taking a second to evaluate what I was fueling with, I tried to fix the problem with different medicines, and countless Dr. appointments. I still enjoy my bi-weekly acupuncture and monthly counseling sessions, but realize that what I feed myself is probably the fastest solution to feeling better. Lunches are my downfall because I am too lazy to pack something healthy and have bought school lunch every single day this year except two (when I had excellent, already packaged left-overs).

So day one of this “new plan” didn’t go so well.
Nachos with meat chili, artificial cheese, sour cream, rice, carrots with ranch, and some sweet tea left me with a side of exhaustion and helping of stomach cramps.
 Day two was better.

I nixed the day old chili option for tomato soup, grilled cheese, apple sauce and veggies with ranch. My downfall was the Dr. Pepper AND the sweet tea, as if one caffeinated, sugar filled drink wasn’t enough.I was left feeling okay…somewhat tired but no major stomach eruptions.

Day three (today) I forgot to take a picture (would’ve been a little awkward in the teacher’s lounge) but had two pieces of cheese pizza, salad with ranch, baked apples and some oranges. So far I feel pretty good!

I hope that my food choices will reflect well on my physical well-being. I want to give my body what it needs to feel energized, happy, and healthy. If you have any tips, feel free to share!

Another update on the adoption front–baby Peter from Reece’s Rainbow (part of the Pure Love giveaway I posted about last week) has found a forever family! The only problem is his health is NOT good and his family needs to get him to the USA asap. The only thing stopping them is the money. They don’t have a year to do the fundraising…they need him now, or he may not make it. He is already up to over $13,000 but they will probably need to get closer to $20,000 before they can bring him home. See this post for more information. I donated again today and the awesome thing is, the more times you donate, and spread the word, the more entries you get to win the IPAD on the Pure Love giveaway. See this post for more details.

Happy almost Friday!
Filed Under: Beautiful Family Tagged With: ,

Perks of Being Pregnant, Part 1: FOOD

November 23, 2009 2 Comments
“We must continue…to enjoy the small things in life: honor home, and love our family; to eat, and always be full.”  –From the eulogy I gave for my Granny, Mabel Angles, in the spring of 2009
One of the best parts of being pregnant is thoroughly enjoying food. For me to take pleasure in food even more than I did before I was pregnant is quite remarkable. As someone who once said the point of life is to “eat until you’re stuffed,” it is hard to believe that I can look forward to a meal more now then I did pre-baby bump, but I do. Most days (more like, every day) my thoughts revolve around when and what I’ll be eating next, and more specifically: What’s for lunch? What’s for dinner? Should I run to Martin’s after work for sushi? Or, how can I get my hands on some bacon? I must admit, these thoughts aren’t very different from my pre-pregnancy views, but I have to say, especially in the last month, I have taken it to a new level.
I often eat bland cereal or plain oatmeal for breakfast, leaving me with hunger pains until my lunch shift begins at 1:05. To ask a pregnant woman to wait until after 1 o’clock to eat lunch is criminal. For me to make it from bland breakfast at 8:15 to the long-awaited third lunch shift at Fort Defiance High School I must acquire as many snacks as possible. I have granola bars and bananas in my room, but those are strictly for emergencies, as I find them less than satisfying in my fits of famine. A few weeks ago I stalked the front office for an hour and a half because I heard the principal mention “free doughnut” as I passed him in the hall. Some days I literally turn on scavenge mode, searching hallways, desks and other people’s classrooms for any signs of food life.
Lucky for me, FDHS has something all high school kids probably remember fondly: the infamous Food Day. We have them quite often to celebrate random things like a student teacher leaving, Homecoming, the-day-before-Thanksgiving break, or more random events such as “Mole Day” (something scientific that is apparently worth celebrating). The good thing about my being pregnant is that I am never forgotten on food days. I can track a Krispy Kreme doughnut from a few hallways away and when I do, I know it will only be a matter of time before I am blessed with the gifts of other people’s parties. Being the only pregnant faculty member, the kids take me under their wing and find pleasure in bringing me food. They’re pretty smart because they know if they bring me snacks it will probably increase their chances of getting no homework or an extension on a writing assignment.
Today, a Physics class had a day-before-the-day-before-Thanksgiving break breakfast party during first block and the entire morning I was tantalized by the smell of bacon cooking mixed with maple syrup. I ate dry Cheerios and waited patiently, hoping that someone would remember me. With about five minutes left in first block, my prayers were answered when one of my students walked in with not one, but two plates of scrumptious breakfast food all for me. As you can see in the picture, he spared no expense by bringing me pancakes, sausage, bacon, doughnuts, a muffin, and yes, even maple syrup in a cup (which I almost drank in my stupor, thinking it was Pepsi….oops). When he walked in with the bacon I had been craving all morning I showed my gratitude with a fake angelic, opera-like “Ahhhhhh” as if the heavens were opening.
So, as I pause to give thanks on this day-before-the-day-before-Thanksgiving break I am grateful this pregnancy has given me yet another chance to remember something so important; to eat, and always be full.
Filed Under: Pregnancy Tagged With: ,

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