At a restaurant and don’t have a clue what to choose? Problem solved. Diet.com and Nutrition on The Go have put together this handy service.
You can now text message the restaurant and meal name to “diet1″ (34381).
You’ll receive a quick text reply with the nutritional facts on more than 36,000 restaurant-chain meal items.
Voilà! You knew text messaging could have a greater purpose… and now it does!
Weight: 246
Height: 5′8″
BMI: 37.4
Measurements
Neck: 14.25
Bicep: 15 (-.25″)
Forearm: 11.5
Chest: 47
Waist: 44 (-1″)
Hips: 48
Thigh: 26
Calf: 18
The progress was slower this week. I found encouragement though in looking back at some old numbers. For example, since my highest point after Amira’s birth…
I need to get some new photos up of my progress. I’ll try to do that today.
I’m finding that adding green juices and smoothies and eating more raw meals is making this journey to optimal health much easier. It isn’t as difficult, physically or psychologically. That alone is making me a fan of raw eating.
My two week challenge with Paul went really well and helped me push through 5 lbs of loss. I’m strategizing another challenge for myself. I’m going to do a short challenge followed by a longer one. My first will be between now and Thanksgiving. 9 days including today. My goal: lose 3 lbs. My second will be from November 29th until Christmas, nearly 30 days. Goal: lose 12 lbs. Accomplishing both of these goals would have me at 231 lbs on Christmas morning. That would be a Merry Christmas to me, indeed! 
Breakfast this morning was juice:
As always, I do love my green juices. Well, in the case of today, purple juice. 
Embrace Love, Embrace Life, Embrace Your Health!
Who doesn’t love Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup? I mean, what’s not to love? Oh, wait, let’s read the label…
Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Cocoa, Sugar, Potassium Sorbate - Preservative - 2% or Less, Salt - 2% or Less, Mono and Diglycerides - 2% or Less, Xanthan Gum - 2% or Less, Polysorbate 60 - 2% or Less, Vanillin - Artificial Flavor - 2% or Less
There is three different kinds of sugar in Hershey’s Syrup… the largest amount (as well as the #1 ingredient), high fructose corn syrup, being the absolute worst for you. Most of us are learning just how bad high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) really is for us. The word is getting out so much so that the Corn Refiners Association has started putting out advertisements trying to convince you that it is actually natural and good for you.
Don’t buy it. These ads are akin to the tobacco ads of yore where a kindly and smiling doctor with a stethoscope around his neck advised you smoke a cigarette to reduce stress and improve your health. Yeah, not so much.
HFCS is used because it is… cheap! Food manufacturers like cheap because it improves their bottom line. But, let’s be clear, it does not, will not, and cannot improve your, um, bottom.
There are lots of easy, quick, and healthier chocolate syrup options out there for you. Recipes like this one eliminate the HFCS, corn syrup and preservatives and still provide you with a tasty chocolate syrup… that’s cheaper than buying the Hershey’s brown bottle to boot.
And if you want to forgo the sugar but still have your syrup too… there are several raw chocolate syrup recipes out there that are delicious and dangerously close to being… *gasp*… good for you. Here’s just one example of what I found: (more can be found searching for chocolate sauce recipes online)
The below recipe is sweetened with agave syrup. Agave is wonderful because of its low-glycemic impact! A great sweetener option!
Deep Dark Delicious Chocolate Sauce
2 T raw cacao powder, either ground from raw cacao nibs or purchased as powder (I like Nativas Naturals or Green & Black’s.)
2 T raw agave syrup
1/2 t coconut oil or other organic raw nut oil
Mix the agave syrup and the oil or water together.
Slowly whisk (do not use your blender) the raw cacao powder into the agave syrup mixture, mixing it in until well-blended into a smooth sauce. The amount suggested is a rough guideline. How much cacao powder you will ultimately use depends on the consistency you want.
(recipe source: AdventuresInRawFood.com)
Enjoy!!
I picked up The Raw Food Detox Diet from the library. Truthfully, the primary reason I chose this book was because it was the only raw food book in the library at the time. Turned out to be the right first book for me. It gave me a starting place to investigate raw food. Over the last several months, I’ve been increasingly curious about eating raw food and its benefits. I actually started in on eating some raw food in my day before I read this book. As I read the book, I found out (lucky me!) that I started as I should… not too fast. For most people, it’s wise to have raw food be a journey and not something you dive in, head first, into the deep end. For most, it’s too much of a shock to the system and you’ll end up feeling sick, unhealthy and running away from anything resembling raw food.
Raw food is exceptionally good for you. But when eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), our bodies are ready for the powerful nutrition, enzymes and detoxifying effects that raw food provides. My biggest take-away from this book: Green Lemonade! I start my day with by juicing a head of romaine, 5-6 leaves of dark green leaves like kale, collards spinach, or wild greens, 2 apples (usually Fuji), and a whole lemon. I vary the combination of these, mostly in what dark greens I use… but follow the general recipe. It is certainly unlike anything you’ve had before, but surprisingly tasty and addicting. And Natalia Rose asserts that you may feel the impact of drinking this on your health from the first day. I would agree. I did!
What I appreciate most about this book is a sense of rationality, of prudence and moderation. She gets that moving towards our own individual personal health is a personal process. What one person is ready for, another is not. She’s gracious and flexible. Exactly what anyone who is interested in raw food needs to hear. For a long time, there were many who were not and militancy ruled. The problem with militancy, it doesn’t woo or invite. Most often, it sends people running the other direction.
There are times where her regimen for “quit exit” foods, what to combine and don’t combine, and when and how to eat your food throughout the day are daunting. Don’t let that slow you done. I’m still learning and I’m not doing everything she outlines to do… and I’m experiencing detoxification, increased health and energy and weight loss. Every step we take toward more health, is just that… taking us to a place of increased health and well-being. Our bodies are wonderful that way!
A quick mention regarding the recipes: I do like the recipes in this book, although if you are going to be eating a fair number of raw meals… don’t plan on this being enough recipes to your menu diverse.
Overall, this is worth reading. Pick it up at your library. I checked it out, extended my check out period and then ultimately decided to buy it. There are big chunks of this book that I’m not sure I agree with. But, that said, it was a great first book for me to take me further into my raw food journey.
Recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars.
Weight: 247
Height: 5′8″
BMI: 37.6
Measurements
Neck: 14..25 (-.25″)
Bicep: 15.25 (-.25″)
Forearm: 11.5
Chest: 47 (-1″)
Waist: 45 (-1.5″)
Hips: 48 (-1″)
Thigh: 26 (-2″)
Calf: 18 (-.5″)
I am making progress - the most I’ve made in over 4 years. I’m excited — and yet still sober because of the 100 lb journey I still have ahead of me. But for today, I’m celebrating!
I have to thank Paul (so THANKS PAUL! ♥) for helping me with this latest round of weight loss and movement towards optimal health. He took on a 2 week challenge with me. Having him on the challenge with me was such a great support. It is truly easier to take on difficult things in partnership with others.
I’m LOVING my green juice breakfasts. This morning’s breakfast: romaine, celery, parsley, spinach, carrot, apple and lemon. Yum!
Good morning! I’ve been offline here for nearly 2 months. It’s been due to a combination of life events and this blog misbehaving. But I’ve whipped the blog into submission and I’m back personally as well. A quickie update. Over the past two months, I gained back 12 pounds and have since lost 8 again when I realized I was slipping backwards both in my healthy habits and my weight loss goals.
My new numbers as of this morning:
Weight: 252
Height: 5′8″
BMI: 38.3
Measurements
Neck: 14.0 (-.5″)
Bicep: 15.0 (-.5″)
Forearm: 11.5
Chest: 48
Waist: 44 (-2.5″)
Hips: 49
Thigh: 26 (-2″)
Calf: 18 (.5″)
In posting my numbers, I noticed something interesting. While my weight is 4 lbs higher than the last time I checked in 3 months ago - but my measurements are down! I’m not certain that this is why - but I have changed my diet significantly over the last week. If I had measured beforehand, I could have said that it was because of this change. But since I didn’t, I don’t know for sure.
I’ve switched to eating a primarily raw diet. I’m eating raw throughout the day with dinner being more traditional. Today is day 6 of eating 80-85% raw.
More soon! I hope many of you will find your way back here again after such a long silence on my end.
Embrace Love, Embrace Life, Embrace Your Health!
Back in April, I found this recipes for Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes. In some shape or form of the recipe, they have been a staple in our home. Me being me though, I’m always messing with recipes. Recently, I’ve landed on a combination that, for us, has been perfect. One of my goals in tweaking this recipe was making it packed with nutrition because Amira loves to eat them cold out of the refrigerator. I typically double this recipe so I have extras on hand just for that purpose.
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tbsp ground chia seeds (I buy mine online at Hildago Foods which is much cheaper than Salba brand)
1 scoop of Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood Chocolate Powder (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I use vanilla hemp milk)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp safflower oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Create a well in the middle and add remaining ingredients. Use a whisk and mix gently for about a minute. If the batter is too thick (chia soaks up liquid fast!), mix in more liquid (more water or hemp milk) to preferred consistency. Let the batter rest while you preheat your griddle on medium-high heat. Grease griddle lightly with extra virgin coconut oil. Flip your pancakes when you see the air bubbles begin to disappear.
We serve them with maple syrup, fresh fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, or whatever else you love on your pancakes. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! If you try them, let me know what you think.
Shopping the produce section can be disheartening these days. Paul & I LOVE avocados and we’ve been doing without more often because they cost $3 a piece! Grocery prices have gone up in every aisle. Most of us are looking for ways to stick to our commitment of eating healthier without eating through the cash in our wallets at the same time.
I’ve always preferred buying organic produce, and after Amira was born, it was even more important to me. But we’ve been on harder times financially in recent years and buying all organic produce just isn’t practical or possible. When lists came out giving me invaluable information on which produce items are most heavily sprayed and covered with pesticides and those that aren’t… now that’s some information I can use! So here’s a quick cheat sheet for you!
12 fruits and vegetables that you can BUY CONVENTIONAL if you can’t afford the organic:
12 fruits and vegetables that you should try to always BUY ORGANIC:
Click here for a complete and printable list of 43 fruits and vegetables from the best to worst in terms of pesticides. And to read detailed information on pesticides, nutritional variations between organic and conventional produce and GMO produce, read this article on Dr. Mercola’s website.
Weight: 248
Height: 5′8″
BMI: 39
Measurements
Neck: 14.5
Bicep: 15.5
Forearm: 11.5
Chest: 48
Waist: 46.5 (-1/2″)
Hips: 49 (-1″)
Thigh: 28
Calf: 18.5
My camera battery is dead because a particular 3 year old played with my camera yesterday and left it on all night. ;) I’ll get a new photo up with the next check in.
I haven’t lost any additional weight yet - but there was some more inches lost around my midsection.
A little fun happening: Dancing with Amira this morning, my pants shimmied their way down and literally off my hips. Whee!
Goal for next check in - to have lost some weight in addition to inches!
