Wow! I made it a whole week so far. This is actually quite a feat for me.
If not for the hubs' hankering for Ben & Jerry's yesterday, I would be able to say I'm sugar free for that long too. I got a small scoop of a sorbet. It was the best choice I could make from their options. All of their fro-yo was melting, so not yummy.
I am completely surprised at my lack of desire for sweets. I think my "sugar addiction" was more of a mental thing than a physical one. Which is so weird. When I want something sweet now, I'll grab a piece of fruit or a glass of water or juice. But I don't find myself craving sweets nearly as much as I thought I would.
That could totally change soon when I get into my more hormonal week of the month, but so far I'm pleased.
There haven't really been an body changes. But it has only been a week. Nor do I expect to see much. I'm thin and fairly fit as it is. I like my body and this is in no way a weight loss kind of change. I'm changing my life so that I can live longer and better.
Another big surprise ... Hubs is (mostly) on board. He understands and has agreed to abide by the "unprocessed" life except that he doesn't want to give up refined sugar (because he likes to bake) or refined flour (when it comes to warm sandwiches or burgers he's a white-bread boy). I think he may come around eventually. But I'm not pushing him.
Then he also said he was giving up soft drinks! He'll be replacing that with tea (with refined sugar) but it is step in the healthy direction. I'm excited he's on board this far. Perhaps the changes in me down the road will be the convincer.
Besides that we decided organic meats are out of our budget. So we're dedicated to buying local when able, organic when possible, and unprocessed foods always. Any step helps.
We both have families with health issues. We're determined not to be extremists when it comes to our food portions or fried food intakes (which is SO difficult in Texas). But I think this "natural life" will be very beneficial for us!
So what's up for week two? Well, I spent Saturday in the kitchen cooking whole wheat waffles for breakfast (served with honey and sprinkled with flax seeds) and whole wheat tortillas for lunchtime quesadillas (organic white cheddar cheese, portobello mushrooms, and red onions) along with some edamame (because apparently the soybean is a miracle food).
Dinner is up to the hubs. Last night we had steak and some mashed sweet potatoes to DIE for. Seriously it was like dessert. So simple too. I smell a recipe coming!
Sunday we had chicken tacos with tortilla of our choice, guacamole and organic white cheddar cheese. Delish.
We bought some squash that we'll probably use tonight, and the we'll see what's left from our Farmer's Market score this weekend.
I can't wait to see what comes next!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A Breakthrough
I'll be honest, the first few days I was eating frequently because I was hungry. I'm certainly not trying to starve myself. This is not a diet to lose weight. I really want to be healthier.
That was discouraging, but I also had to remember that if I eat breakfast at 6:00 a.m. then I will definitely start feeling hunger pangs around 10:30. That's natural. My schedule has really messed with me. So I would eat half of my typical breakfast, because I would be full and save the rest for a snack later. That seemed to work well even though I would still find it difficult to make it until noon for lunch.
But today, it was different. I ate my half breakfast (an apple and Green Goodness) and wasn't hungry again before lunch. Not like I was before anyway. Mostly I think it was the delay in my liquid intake (coffee and water) that did it. I drank some water and felt much better.
So much so that I'll make it to lunch without having a mid-morning snack. Sometimes what I mistake for hunger is really a need for water. I hydrate like crazy, so any day that I'm a little slower to get around to it I experience "hunger-like" symptoms.
So now I still have my honey-laced yogurt for my afternoon snack. Which will probably taste better than my Larabar. I think my taste buds still need to be adjusted to regular foods. I'm getting there.
Progress. :)
That was discouraging, but I also had to remember that if I eat breakfast at 6:00 a.m. then I will definitely start feeling hunger pangs around 10:30. That's natural. My schedule has really messed with me. So I would eat half of my typical breakfast, because I would be full and save the rest for a snack later. That seemed to work well even though I would still find it difficult to make it until noon for lunch.
But today, it was different. I ate my half breakfast (an apple and Green Goodness) and wasn't hungry again before lunch. Not like I was before anyway. Mostly I think it was the delay in my liquid intake (coffee and water) that did it. I drank some water and felt much better.
So much so that I'll make it to lunch without having a mid-morning snack. Sometimes what I mistake for hunger is really a need for water. I hydrate like crazy, so any day that I'm a little slower to get around to it I experience "hunger-like" symptoms.
So now I still have my honey-laced yogurt for my afternoon snack. Which will probably taste better than my Larabar. I think my taste buds still need to be adjusted to regular foods. I'm getting there.
Progress. :)
Natural Food Diary Day 3
It was mostly the same.
Juice, granola, fruit, yogurt, salad, Larabar and LOTS OF WATER.
The only difference was dinner. We had some lean ground lamb with red onions on a whole wheat pita with tzatziki sauce.
Let me tell you how much I love tzatziki sauce. It's delicious. It's just yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt for the creaminess and protein), cucumber, dill, salt and pepper. It's easy to make, but it does have to sit for several hours before eating ... at least it should.
We always make more than enough. So I use it instead of ranch dressing on salads or for dipping vegetables. It's more natural and a healthier alternative.
Juice, granola, fruit, yogurt, salad, Larabar and LOTS OF WATER.
The only difference was dinner. We had some lean ground lamb with red onions on a whole wheat pita with tzatziki sauce.
Let me tell you how much I love tzatziki sauce. It's delicious. It's just yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt for the creaminess and protein), cucumber, dill, salt and pepper. It's easy to make, but it does have to sit for several hours before eating ... at least it should.
We always make more than enough. So I use it instead of ranch dressing on salads or for dipping vegetables. It's more natural and a healthier alternative.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Natural Food Diary Day 2
A TON OF WATER
Breakfast:
Apple
Green Goodness juice
Snack:
 |
| Coffee with vanilla rice milk instead of creamer. Not a big change in color, but it tastes pretty well. I will probably opt for a more natural rice milk next time. |
Lunch:
Salad with red bell pepper and cucumber (not a fan of cucumber by itself, it turns out)
Homemade balsamic vinaigrette, with refined olive oil (but I'm changing that today!)
Snack:
Larabar--Lemon Bar flavor
 |
| So far this is my favorite Lara Bar flavor. Looking forward to apple pie today! |
A note about dinner: We couldn't eat at home and ended up at Mexican food restaurant. Thankfully, they had a special of tilapia, avocado, pico de gallo and rice. An almost perfect plate! I avoided the fried tortilla chips (which deserves a reward, honestly) opting for plain corn tortillas instead. And I made myself so guacamole out of the avocado and pico with a little lemon juice. Made great little fish tacos!
Dinner
Tilapia, guacamole, corn tortillas, salsa and some rice (shouldn't have eaten the rice, and honestly, it wasn't my favorite part of the plate either. So I should've avoided it altogether.)
Workout:
BodyPump
BodyPump is a great fast-paced barbell class that works every area of your body in an hour to great music. I may be sore today, but after only 3 weeks I'm seeing definite changes in my muscle tone!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Why?
What prompted my natural food journey?
A few things.
I'm not gonna lie. Parts of the decision were totally superficial. I had been thinking about it for a while, and then I read that Bob Harper, Biggest Loser trainer, was 47. Seriously. Homeboy looks like he's mid-30s to me. So I was impressed.
Also, my family has a history of colon problems, including cancer. Eating more natural foods helps increase digestive health and decrease risks of these types of diseases.
And it'll be nice to not have to worry about calories or supplements. Eating more real foods means you'll likely eat less, they'll digest better--letting all nutrients absorb, and if it's mostly veggies you can basically have all you want. Not to mention, food should start tasting better in a couple of weeks and I'll lose any excess baggage (physically speaking).
Having seen some friends succeed and even thrive with natural living, I thought I'd give it a try.
Why not go total vegetarian?
Okay. This was tricky. I honestly did consider it. But I was reading up, and the only way to get B-12 is through animal products. B-12 is an extremely important vitamin for your nervous system and cells. Your whole body needs it in order to function. Vegans and vegetarians have to take supplements for it.
Because I'd rather live supplement free, I'm choosing to stick with meat. This will be in moderation. I plan to have most of my breakfasts and lunches meat-free, so I can eat whatever meaty goodness the hubs serves up at dinner.
It would be nice to do this part organically as well, but hubs can't pass up a good deal on meat of any kind. And we're definitely not rolling in money, so that's a transition for another time. I'll have to get everything else as natural as I can so I won't worry so much about that.
It's all better than it was before.
A few things.
I'm not gonna lie. Parts of the decision were totally superficial. I had been thinking about it for a while, and then I read that Bob Harper, Biggest Loser trainer, was 47. Seriously. Homeboy looks like he's mid-30s to me. So I was impressed.
Also, my family has a history of colon problems, including cancer. Eating more natural foods helps increase digestive health and decrease risks of these types of diseases.
And it'll be nice to not have to worry about calories or supplements. Eating more real foods means you'll likely eat less, they'll digest better--letting all nutrients absorb, and if it's mostly veggies you can basically have all you want. Not to mention, food should start tasting better in a couple of weeks and I'll lose any excess baggage (physically speaking).
Having seen some friends succeed and even thrive with natural living, I thought I'd give it a try.
Why not go total vegetarian?
Okay. This was tricky. I honestly did consider it. But I was reading up, and the only way to get B-12 is through animal products. B-12 is an extremely important vitamin for your nervous system and cells. Your whole body needs it in order to function. Vegans and vegetarians have to take supplements for it.
Because I'd rather live supplement free, I'm choosing to stick with meat. This will be in moderation. I plan to have most of my breakfasts and lunches meat-free, so I can eat whatever meaty goodness the hubs serves up at dinner.
It would be nice to do this part organically as well, but hubs can't pass up a good deal on meat of any kind. And we're definitely not rolling in money, so that's a transition for another time. I'll have to get everything else as natural as I can so I won't worry so much about that.
It's all better than it was before.
Lessons Learned on Day 1
 |
| New pantry staples: Stevia (natural sugar substitute, Ghee (clarified butter), and unfiltered, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil. |
 |
| My favorite juice...well, puree. Contains "super foods" spirulina, chlorella, and wheatgrass. Add in all of the other goodies and fruits, and it's great with breakfast. |
 |
| My granola for my morning yogurt. They sneaked a little sugar in on me. Yikes! |
Here are a few of my recent purchases. The first photo shows some pantry staples that you must have and are better than their alternatives (sugar, butter, and regular, refined olive oil). Next is my morning juice. I love this stuff. I used to drink the Naked brand, but this is the same and a couple of dollars cheaper. (SCORE!).
QUICK TIP: Watch your serving sizes! That juice is fantastic, but it's easy to get carried away and drink a ton. That's not a totally bad thing, but everything in moderation is the key to any successful lifestyle.
QUICK TIP: Read your ingredients list! The front of the package says 100% pure and natural granola! It may be (and perhaps my personal diet choice is weighing in here), but they sneak sugar into their banana chips. I'm trying to avoid refined sugar (hence, the stevia purchase), so I was disappointed to turn this around and see sugar listed. Totally my fault. So I'm eating it anyway but only this week since it's my first and everyone needs a transitional period. Read the labels!
Pursuing Natural Food
I recently decided to eat healthier. Well, more than healthier actually, more naturally. I've got some friends with good blogs about it, a couple of documentaries, and a book about it under my belt. So I'm jumping in and hoping for the best.
The catch is a husband that doesn't really care about it. So I'm attempting to eat naturally for breakfast and lunch and as close as I can with dinner. He does most of the cooking, and he's great at it. So I'll indulge at dinnertime to show my appreciation for his hard work. But he's really trying to make his cooking healthier so that he doesn't feel like he's sidetracking me.
He's the best!
So here's a quick report on yesterday's Day 1:
A TON OF WATER
Breakfast:
Greek Yogurt
Honey
Apple
Granola
Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness
Felt hungry before lunch so I tapped into my snack reserve ... and had an epic fail.
Snack:
Larabar --banana nut
Coffee with Rice Milk
Tiny slim jim :(
Lunch was provided, and I can't pass up a free meal. So I ate it. I chose the least processed option: chicken breast sandwich. In retrospect, I could have avoided the bread since it wasn't whole grain, but I'm still a newbie and it was Day 1.
Lunch:
Chicken Poblano Fresco sandwich from Corner Bakery (downside, poblano cheese bread, slaw, mayo)
Fruit Salad
Late snack:
Peach, 2 orange slices
Dinner:
Chicken Curry with potatoes and carrots, mostly natural surprisingly
QUICK TIP: The biggest thing I learned was that water will save you from a snack crash. Since I ate my afternoon snack in the morning, I had to wait until I got home to snack on anything. Water made that tolerable. So drink it up, friends!
The catch is a husband that doesn't really care about it. So I'm attempting to eat naturally for breakfast and lunch and as close as I can with dinner. He does most of the cooking, and he's great at it. So I'll indulge at dinnertime to show my appreciation for his hard work. But he's really trying to make his cooking healthier so that he doesn't feel like he's sidetracking me.
He's the best!
So here's a quick report on yesterday's Day 1:
A TON OF WATER
Breakfast:
Greek Yogurt
Honey
Apple
Granola
Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness
Felt hungry before lunch so I tapped into my snack reserve ... and had an epic fail.
Snack:
Larabar --banana nut
Coffee with Rice Milk
Tiny slim jim :(
Lunch was provided, and I can't pass up a free meal. So I ate it. I chose the least processed option: chicken breast sandwich. In retrospect, I could have avoided the bread since it wasn't whole grain, but I'm still a newbie and it was Day 1.
Lunch:
Chicken Poblano Fresco sandwich from Corner Bakery (downside, poblano cheese bread, slaw, mayo)
Fruit Salad
Late snack:
Peach, 2 orange slices
Dinner:
Chicken Curry with potatoes and carrots, mostly natural surprisingly
QUICK TIP: The biggest thing I learned was that water will save you from a snack crash. Since I ate my afternoon snack in the morning, I had to wait until I got home to snack on anything. Water made that tolerable. So drink it up, friends!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)