mind vs taste buds

okay, its just past 8am on new year’s day.

*looks out the window across the street at the golden arches*  i want mcdonald’s for brekky.

where in the HECK did this notion (craving?) come from??!?! (ruh roh, must have been the snack wrap i had yesterday?!  those MSGs are workin me!)

i think something clicked in my fast-food deprived brain and said, “WAIT! today’s the day she’s really kicking in with the no wheat/gluten and eating healthy!  we cant let her ruin it for us…ATTACK!!” *LOL*

hubby’s still in bed and my tummy’s growling.  i’m really supposed to take a couple supplements and wait an hour to eat, but i’m not sure that’s going to happen.

now how come ive been SO GOOD for the last week and now all the sudden i wanna go and screw it all up?  *CRIES*  GAK!!! i hate days like this!  it’s a horrible mind vs taste buds battle!! 

so what will i do—let myself eat what i want today and start tomorrow?  not beat myself up and just chalk up the loss?

or will i stick to my guns and fight through the craving?   

see, this is always my problem.  this is the beginning of a BAD cycle that’s hard to stop.  i think its more mental than physiological…it’s my perfectionistic against my “all in moderation” alter ego.

neither one usually wins.  i usually go WAY off the deep end and be a total glutton!

why today?  i know i’ll just feel like crap, but that never stops me.  why am i possessed like this? ROTFL!  am i the only one in the world who is so obsessed about these things??  

dangit i try so hard but my will is so fragile :( 

somebody come save me!!!

to be continued…

(in my health journal later today!) 

a mini-health journal!

happy saturday morning :D

to help me stay on track on my journey to better health, i decided to create a little mini-health journal within my website :)  it’s the second link from the top called “my 2008 health journal.”  you can find the archives for it at the very bottom of the navigation bar!

i’ll still be talking about health, nutrition, weight loss, endometriosis and FOOD (of course! hehe) in sillygolucky :)  so dont think you’re off the hook. BWAAHAHA! >;-D

the health journal is for more of a daily basis check-in place for me.  i’ll post what i eat, my weigh-ins, how im feeling physically (probably TMI for some of you, but oh well! its a good way for me to track the association of certain foods to my pain levels!), and talk more specifically about my diet and my endo treatment.

if any of you are curious about anything i mention, have questions about certain foods i eat or just general health/nutrition questions/comments, PLEASE indulge me ;)  i love learning more about these things and helping others do the same!

and i would be overjoyed to help you reach some of your own personal health goals along the way =D

~josey~ :) 
 

the evolution of (me and) my blog

hey, folks! :D
back at the beginning of december, tish over at the kat house did this really cool meme that chronicled the “evolution” of her blog by choosing 5 of her landmark archived posts.
i commented on her post, but being the doober i am, i wasnt paying attention and put my comment on the wrong post. LOL!!
but, being the nice gal she is, she replied back anyhoo and suggested i do the meme when i gotta chance!  well, now i have the chance…so, here goes! (oh and btw, they arent in perfect chronological order, but i think you’ll still get the point! LOL.)
i started blogging in december 2005 on Yahoo 360.  blogging, for me, was (is!) basically a replacement for a hand-written journal.  i’ve been on a quest to lose weight and get healthy for ohhh about 7 years now…so it was obvious that would be the thing i’d yap about most.  my very first blog post EVER was a great start to the end of the year!.
that was basically my introduction.  and i’m not gonna count it toward the 5 posts im supposed to feature in this meme. HEHE! ;)  even to this day, i dont think i could ever change a word of it and say it any better!
having my blog on the big Y kinda kept me sheltered from the REAL blogosphere (at least in my opinion)—i wasnt aware of all the commenting, the memes, and all the fun stuff that really gets your name out there.  i just wrote when i felt like it and “closed the book” and hid it back in my drawer when i was done. hehe!
i really didnt start semi-seriously blogging again until january of 2007!
i’m guessing most of my readers dont really know that im completely and totally obsessed-submersed-bookwormed into learning about and applying holistic nutrition and health stuff into my life.
the reason why i’ve dove in head first into this stuff is because in march of this year (2007), after a diagnostic laparoscopy, i found out i have endometriosis. <—-btw, that’s my fave endometriosis site. hands down.
in fact, IRL, healing my endo (aka endometriosis) through proper nutrition is what i talk about, think about and read about a lot.  i mean LOTS a lot.   . o O (hmmm, probably why i dont have any good friends. LOL.)  especially because i believe the things i’ve learned can be applied in a myriad of ways to everyone. (yep, even men!)
i wrote time to heal the week after my laparoscopy.  i dont think i really revealed how scared i was about having endo and how big of a step it was to take a greater responsibility in my own healing by not choosing the typical path of treatment through my doctor.  but, there was just something in my gut that said—YOU have to do this.  you CAN do this.  your body WANTS to heal; you just have to give it what it needs.
the gears in my brain started churning and i knew my diet was due for an overhaul at this point.  i then found and read a book called Endometriosis: A Key to Healing through Nutrition.  this got me thinking quite a bit about what i eat and how it effects my body on a cellular level. *totally nerdy pose*
at this point, i couldnt get enough info—i was (and AM!) a total sponge!  i just kept reading and reading…about food…our bodies…about amazing things i’d never thought about before. 
after reading books like Real Food: What to Eat and Why and Nourishing Traditions i felt moved to write pass me the olden days, please…probably the most telling post i’ve written thus far about how i feel about nutrition, health and the industrialization of our world. 
then i revealed a little more, embarrassingly, in crying over chocolate cake.  this was a time, in the midst of coping with the drastic hormonal shifts, i asked myself “am i doing the right thing?” and “how much more of this can i handle?”… in addition with grappling with the fact that i may never have biological children of my own, which especially bothers me on those most hormonal days. :(  this post was a recount of one of many times i’d have days like this—days where i swore i was losing it.   days when it didnt seem fair that i had to have this disease and i let it get the best of me.
this year i’ve had a lot of doubts, but also a lot of revelations.  what’s the real reason is my reassessment of why and how i’ve come to be where i am this year…in my health, my emotions, my goals.  it felt good to admit all my grossly gluttonous habits…most of which i am thankfully tackling full-force ;)  it also feels good to look at my life by taking a step back…and truly realize where i’ve screwed up, then use that knowledge to turn it into something positive!
and finally, something that’s become quite apparent to me after all the physical and emotional pain, desperate pleadings to God, confusion and feeling alone…after all the things ive read and studied to educate myself so i can take responsibilty for my health, THIS is what it all boils down to for me:  nutrition + emotions = health. (and tho i failed to mention it—for me, spirituality is the foundation of that equation!!  that post would have been pages and pages longer had i included that aspect.  i venture to guess one of these days it will all come out. :D )
maybe most of the stuff in that last post seems a little new-agey, or far-fetched or like im getting scammed over.  but until you go through a time in your life when nothing else makes sense…when something comes along that clicks in your gut and you just know…then, well, you know…you JUST KNOW you have stumbled upon something that can—AND WILL—change your life.
and if you share it, it might change someone else’s, too.
and this, my friends, is the evolution…of me. (through my blog.)
i’m very, very grateful you stopped by :)

i wanna be in ONEderland by 2008!

happy monday, folks :)

i believe my poor, nutritionally abused body is having chocolate cupcake/pumpkin pie with whipped cream/mashed potatoes/dressing withdrawal today.  i feel like crap!  headache, body aches, acid reflux, general malaise...bleh.

this is what usually happens after i've eaten "irresponsibly" for more than a few days in a row. *hehe*  i'm positive im not getting the flu or a cold; i havent had one in over two years!  i actually ate some HEALTHY food last nite and today, so now my body is ticked-off and rebelling cause IT WANTS JUNK.

fortunately, last nite i also planned out our menu for the whole week--every single meal.  its been rough sticking with it today, because im a little grumpy and wanting sugary/carby junk.  i usually give myself a "transition day,"  but i have to stick it out!  i'm tired of letting myself slack.  just a few more days or less, and i'll feel normal and energetic again.

my weigh-in this morning was 208.6! EEEEEP!  i suppose i'm not toooo shocked, but man.  what a big ole dork i am for going nutto with the food over the holiday.  i have a goal to lose 10lb by the end of the year.  i will be sooooooo happy if i do!  no wait...i'll be sooooooo happy WHEN I DO!! 

i wont even go on a tirade on how im such an idiot and i could have been under 200 and well below over the summer.  i'm just too tired to type that much right now ;)  hehe.  i suppose the best thing i can do is to keep focusing on the positive and making good food choices and getting in my exercise!

here's my plan for the next several weeks:

• yoga 3+ times/week
• cardio 4+ times/week
• strength training 2-3 times/week
• continue incorporating my blood type dietary changes
• avoid refined carbs and fast food!!

AND most importantly...loving myself and being kind and patient with myself.  even tho i havent lost tons this year, i know i would have GAINED had i not stopped my self-trash-talkin-train-of-thought as much as i have.  stinkin thinkin has no place in a healthy relationship with ones self!    

i should be proud that i have at least maintained most of what i've lost despite the physical and emotional things i've had to deal with this year.  i'm sure the hormonal imbalances (esp thyroid) have thwarted even my best efforts so i cant completely say it was a total lack of motivation.  its just soo hard to give yourself ANY credit when you've failed so many times at something you want SOOO BADLY.

okay!  enuff rambling for now...;)  time to go rest for a while and i will see you all back here tomorry!

enjoy your monday!!

~josey~ 

 

monday's mexican nite!

hola!! :D

most monday nights, we have mexican fare for supper.  usually its tacos or taco salad, cause i'm not daring enough to try to make chimichangas, which is hubby's fave. hehe. 

in the last few years, i've pretty much eliminated any pre-packed form of food in the house unless its a whole food or organic (the organic is important to me because i know there's no harmful preservatives and i can pronounce all the ingredients!).  so, one of the things i DONT use anymore, is store-bought taco seasoning.  its actually really easy to make at home!

now i'm not claiming to be the next food network star, here ;)  im not well-versed in authentic cuisine and spices or anything. hehe!  i just look around online for recipes to replace things i discontinue to use, and then adapt it to make it my own.  its fun! 

here's a quick recipe for seasoning for 1 pound of ground meat.  (if you make it in bulk, a little more than 3T is about what you need for 1 pound, at least to start with.)  its my basic recipe--but sometimes i add more of some of the ingredients if im in the mood for a diff taste! 

oh, and its not super spicy, so just play around with it til you get the taste you want.  this is just a starting point! of course there are plenty of other spices you could add as well. 

and if ya dont like mine, i still encourage you to replace what you currently use with something homemade.  its one simple step toward a healthier diet :D  i just dont know why i never thought of making this on my own before.  its easy and MUCH healthier than pre-made.  NO MSGS!!

Taco Meat Seasoning

Combine all ingredients and add to browned ground meat along with 2/3-3/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil then simmer until desired consistency, stirring often.

• 1T chili powder
• 2t onion powder
• 1t ground cumin
• 1t garlic powder
• 1t paprika
• 1t sugar
• few dashes cayenne
• 1/2t corn starch

another way i've spiced up meat for our mexi-meals is using a recipe for red enchilada sauce i got out of Nourishing Traditions.  it's made with dried Ancho chiles and tons of other supernummiful fresh stuff.  it's something you make a batch of, and then freeze it in cupfuls, and use one of the cups per pound of ground meat.  its DELISH and VERY healthy!! 

anyhoo...then i take soft corn tortillas and lay them lightly in a pan with a touch of olive oil, flip it over, spoon in some meat and fold it in half and brown both sides so its crunchy.  YUMMY!!  hmmm...i guess if i can do all that, i could probably make a chimi, too!  guess i'll have to try that next time :)  

of course then top them with your fave stuff--sour cream, green onions or pico de gallo, monterrey jack, guac, lettuce, salsa!

speaking of, time to get it started!  have a great monday night :D

buenas noches!

~josey~

what's your type?

tall, dark and handsome?

 

cute, bubbly and chatty?

 

whoooaaaa wait a minute here!  im not talkin about your type of date...*teehee* 

i'm talkin about your blood type ;)

i know, i know, how mean was that??  super CHEESEY, guh!!  well dangit, i had to get your attention somehow!  LOL!!!  you know all i do is yap about food and health, so how could you possibly believe i was going to yap about something as exciting as your date type?? hehe!!

i'm reading Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo.  both naturopaths i've seen this year follow this theory of diet personalization.  back in april when i saw my first naturopath, i checked the book out from the library and turned to the type A section, read it, and promptly dropped it in the return bin saying, "I DON'T THINK SO!" 

i read that A types are best suited as vegetarians!?!?! :-O  hello, i was raised in small town Indiana--meat and potatoes, please!  TOFURKEY??  BLECH!

so there i was, thinkin i'd never have to go there and read that again. hehe.  this time around, i'm a little more desperate to find what foods really do work best for me.  since i have endometriosis to throw in and change it all up, it's been that much harder to decide what i should follow.

to educate myself on what sort of diet i should adopt for the best healing, this year i've also read:

• Endometriosis: A Key To Healing Through Nutrition
• The World's Healthiest Foods, Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating
• Wild Fermentation:  The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
• Eat Fat, Lose Fat:  The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats
• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

in some ways, all of these books have something in common.  in other ways, the last two (maybe even three) books are much different than the rest.  this is where im having some brain clutter.  the biggest difference is that the blood typing diet steers type A away from saturated fats.  the last two books (written by Sally Fallon) say that high quality saturated fats are what we are lacking and that vegetariansim is unhealthy!  im torn!

i know what you're thinkin--just keep trying until you find what works for you!  well, i've been doing that for like, oh, 5 years now. LOL.  obviously i havent found it yet!

hubby and i were chatting about the "eat right for your type" diet during breakfast this morning.  i was getting discouraged because for type A, there's some things i should try to avoid eating AT ALL.  foods that're staples in my daily grub--like butter, tomatoes or any tomato product, black pepper, oranges, bananas, anything coconut, peppers, potatoes, wheat, and any meat except chicken or turkey.   

there's good reason to avoid these foods, explained in logical scientific detail in the book.  and it does makes sense--i will even admit to being a bit sensitive to many of those foods!  but they TASTE good...so duh, i wanna eat em!! :P

anyhoo, i told hubby that this time i just have to buckle down and follow this dietary change.  too many times in the past i just throw in the towel if i cant believe in a nutritional plan 100%.  but who can??  well, at least i can't!!  i'm just notta one-size-fits-all kinda gal when it comes to my food!!

so, in order to find some continuity in my health and healing of endo, im gonna try to stick with this.  BUT, im not going to jump in head first, either.  the book itself even recommends NOT doing that.  i think that's smart!

since right now my supplement program is focusing on detoxing me--that's including removing all the crap that's built up in my liver, gall bladder, and digestive system to start with--it's important that i eat foods that wont upset that delicate procedure. hehe. 

now mind you, my detox is not one of those, "scuse me, i gotta use the lil girls' room!" kinda detoxes. LOL.  its a slow process, gradually integrating nutrients (via supplement) that my body needs to rid itself of heavy metals, gunk and more gunk, in addition to giving my body lots of chances to be able to utilize nutrients that support my endocrine system.  cause right now, my endocrine system is saying NO WAY to uptaking any sort of nutrient it needs.  i am so TOXIC that my body rejects some of what it needs.  man, that really sucks!

i feel that Eat Right For Your Type is closely related to Endometriosis: A Key To Healing Through Nutrition, so that makes me feel a little better.  when i read the latter, i felt like i had found all my answers.  that book is a MUST READ for anyone with endo...it not only educates you, but comforts you as well.

but i also want to follow what my naturopath suggests for now, so when i go back in a few months for a re-balancing they can get a good picture of my progress.  so, im hoping as i reread the former i can somehow integrate it into the latter and satisfy that need of not following just one single program ;) LOL!  am i pathetic or what! HAHA!

yikes, okay this post has been a lot of randomized rambling!  i'm sorry if you're lost and confused! LOL!  i suppose i am just trying to reason with myself and tell myself that IT'S OKAY to question these things, and that it's not going to kill me (hopefully. LOL.) to follow a plan for a while and see how i feel. 

before i know it, it will be a year since my diagnosis, and it has been my goal to see a marked change in my health by then.  so ive gotta get my bum in gear!!

thanks for attempting to follow along my very disorganized train of thought tonite!!  teehee :)

ttys!

~josey~    

what's the real reason?

hey all! :D

so yesterday i was sitting around, thinking about all the weight i still have to lose, which is another 50lb to get to my goal of 150 (i have already lost an additional 50lb—7 years ago).  i turned the clock back 15 years to when i graduated high school *mr rogers neighborhood of make believe sound*LOL*…i was a normal-sized-8 person, 5’3” and 130lb.  when i look at those old pix, i see ME.  i see my jaw line, sparkling eyes, normal arms and legs, and i just have a comfortable look about me.  i didnt think i was fat then; or more like, i didnt obsess about it and compare myself constantly like i do now (altho i am better than i used to be!!).  i mean sure, there was always the friend who was skinnier, but i was okay with that.  i didnt place my self-worth on the fact that i was “bigger” than someone else. 

then i worked for a year before going to college. first it was my job at pizza hut that i’d had for 2 years in high school…but then i switched to an office job for the summer to make a little more money since college startin soon.  yep, sitting on my butt, answering the switchboard.  and you know what started me gaining weight??  NUTTY BARS.  yes, nutty bars!!  those superooperyummy crispy layers of wafer, peanut butter and chocolate that are so fun to pull apart and savor each little crispy bite!! *DROOL*  well ya know what?  i must have supplied that vending machine with a buttload of cash, because almost every day i worked during the summer of ‘93 i hate (proofreading—whoa, i think that was a freudian slip…i meant “ate.” LOL) TWO packages of them.  that’s FOUR nutty bars.  EEP!!  i remember close to the end of the summer my waistband feeling tight.  i’d never felt that before cause i’d never been overweight.  it didnt even occur to me i was eating too much junk! :-O  i gained 10-15lb BEFORE i even started college!! LOL!

so to jump ahead, by the year 2000 i weighed about 250lb.  7 years of cramming my face with crap is what it was.  now that i can look back and be honest with myself, i know i found comfort and solace in food.  of course, its the typical woman’s plea!  but its true—i ate when i was sad, bored, stressed…AND happy.  and it usually wasnt anything healthy—dining commons food, taco bell, dairy queen and pop tarts in college…afterward, fast food became my thing.  id eat brekky at home, but then within the 10 minutes it took me to drive to work it was almost like the food magically disappeared from my stomach, and i would stop and get brekky, which was of course a meal of OJ, some fried potato and a brekky sandwich.  then i’d brown bag it for lunch, sometimes eating it before lunch! :\  then on the way home i was craving more fast food, so i’d get a sandwich and of course you cant have the sandwich without fries!!  and some days if i was stressed, i’d get TWO sandwiches, and maybe even a shake!!  THEN i’d go home and cook dinner, and eat that, too!!  what in the heck!?!?!  and all the time it was just like a mechanical movement, hand-to-mouth-chewchew-swallow-repeat, probably not ever feeling a stomach growl, but feeling like i was constantly starving…

then in mid-2000 i got a job that i actually either walked to or rode my bike.  i didnt have a car available to me most days, so it was no biggie to take 3 or 4 minutes to ride there.  even during the winters i would walk most days, and i actually enjoyed it!  i didnt realize it, but im sure i was losing weight then.  i also didnt eat fast food hardly as much since i didnt have a car, but i did eat a lot of junk at work sometimes.  i remember sitting at my desk after lunch and seriously putting my head down and checking out for a few minutes at a time.  i could barely keep my eyes open!  i was so tired, stressed about my current life’s situation (that’s another story. lol), and my body was rollercoastering on candy bars, donuts and hot chocolate i would get from the gas station across the street.  it gave me some temporary happiness.

then a friend and i started riding our bikes after work.  she would be waiting for me at my house when i got there, so i had no excuse to skip!!  it was only about 5 or 6 miles each night, but we laughed and cut it up the whole time, and some days we had those philosophical talks that only one can have while your legs are burning and the occasional bug smacks you in the forehead. *hehe*  we’d also do richard simmons vids on the days it was raining, and yes, i really enjoyed them!  we were both goofballs anyhoo, so laughing at richard’s antics and stuff made the workout that much better.  good times!!  i never changed what i ate, but i exercised most days of the week…and by the end of 2000, i’d lost nearly 40lb!

so…why am i telling you all this??  well first, if you’re new to my blog, you probably don’t know much about me.  my archives could clue you in, especially my first post ever.  but, in case you’re not that motivated to check it out, now you know a bit, plus a bit more! hehe!  second, yesterday when i was thinking about all that weight i still have to lose, i started to question myself.  what’s the REAL reason i want to lose it?  i think deep down i feel it will solve all my problems.  like magic!  i mean, skinny sexy girls have perfect lives, right?  no health issues, they look in the mirror every day happy and satisfied, all of their relationships are great, they can wear whatever they want, they never have bad hair days…*rambles on and on*…  *SIGH* yeah okay, i know that’s totally illogical!  but when you so desperately want to have control of your weight back, this is the kind of reasoning that comes into play.  okay well at least for me.

i wonder what it will be like.

to be me again.

will i really be happier?  what about the mental issues—will i still compare myself?  will i still beat myself up if i gain a few pounds?  will i put myself down?  WHAT IS THE REAL REASON??  and why am i even asking myself THAT question?  cause that’s how i am.  i have to know the reasons for everything.  i’m like the annoying little kid that asks, “why?” and then asks “why?” again when you answer the first time. LOL!  except i do it to myself, and its like this crazy, brightly-colored spiral swirling around in my brain and i just get sucked up by it. *teehee*  NO, im not insane or a freak (okay some may argue with the latter).  i’m glad im questioning myself.  cause one day when i’ve reached my goal, i’ll know why it was so important to me, and it wont be cause i wanted to be skinny.  in fact, i really dont know what the REAL reason is.  i do know i want to be healthier, and i want to live a long, quality life with my husband and hopefully kids one day.  maybe there’s not one real reason anyway.  im learning that the journey produces other reasons along the way…things we gain wisdom from, that make life better and remind us why we are here.

yeah, i like that.

have a good weekend *HUGS*

~jos~ 

new month, new goals!

hey!! =D



no, that isnt scrambled eggs...its BUTTER! real, freshly made from unpasteurized milk, from an old-fashioned jersey cow that feeds on nothing but nutrient-dense green pastures and has never been injected with hormones or antibiotics.



did you know this butter is RICH in antioxidants--vitamins A & E, selenium & cholesterol! YEP, surprise. cholesterol IS good for us! it gobbles up those free radicals just like your green tea or vitamin C. this butter also contains lecithin, which helps the body use the cholesterol to keep us healthy.



in addition, the fat supplies our bodies with a means to utilize all the fat-soluble vitamins and provides nourishment for our endocrine system. that's to name just a few good things about this traditional, healthy food!



so pitch your margarine laden with rancid, chemically process oils, void of healthy nutrients and pick up some real, old-fashioned butter. its pretty hard to find the raw milk butter, but even organic cultured butter is good for you :) (it's what i use!) (and no, im not a dairy farmer, nor am i being paid by one to post my opinion about butter! LOL)



okay okay, so enough of the cheesey commercials. hehe!! but i wanted to throw that in there, cause eating butter is just one of the ways i am changing my diet this fall. more on that below!



FIRST...some big news for me! my weigh-in this morning was 201.6!! :D:D YAYYYY!! so i lost 2.2lb last week--and it was even my birthday week! GO ME =) *lol* i think the secret to my success last week was NO FAST FOOD. i even worked in going out to lunch once, out to breakfast once, and having dessert out once (all at nice restaurants, no fast food)! i tried really hard to practice moderation and it paid off. WOOT.



soooo in light of my FINALLY approaching "one"derland *hehe* i have set some specific goals for september. the one i want to discuss is my weight loss goal--i want to finally reach that original 10% loss, which will put me at 195. im positive i can do it! to do this, i have a few objectives:

• MOVE at least 15 minutes EVERY day, doing anything i want! (gardening, yoga, walking, video, biking, etc...)

• do my Zone exercises (from the Paul Chek book "How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy!") every day to reduce stress and build strength
  

• stay away from fast food as much as possible, and when not possible, make the healthiest choice available

• focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods at home including lots of good fats, veggies, fruit and lacto-fermented foods

• take whole food supplements daily (desiccated liver, nutritional yeast, amla, dolomite)

• 
  drink bone broth or homemade kombucha each day before/during meals to aid digestion

• track food on FitDay for the first week of the month

so whew! sounds like a lot of things to keep in mind, but i have really already been doing it, just not so consistently except for the past few weeks. which has obviously reaped benefits! so you're probably wondering what the butter dealeo is, and probably what in the heck my supplements are, and lacto-fermented stuff is and what is this bone broth and kombucha?? well...read on to find out!



a few blog posts ago i talked about coconut oil. the book i read was by Sally Fallon, who is the founder of the the Weston A. Price Foundation. this website is packed full of interesting, intriguing, and ah-ha! bits of information that have really got me thinking!



basically, this foundation and its idea of how we should be eating is based on traditional ways of preparing and preserving foods, in addition to consuming traditional foods (raised organically and pasture fed) like organ meats and fat, eggs, butter, lard, etc... of course in our lifetime, most of these ideas have been shot down by organizations claiming this traditional way of eating is bad for our hearts and causes cancer.



but what they purposely fail to mention are the studies done by Dr. Price, in addition to tons of other studies they've "hidden" from the public eye, that prove those diseases have only progressed since we have become industrialized, and eat "industrialized" foods...this should make it clear to us that those "industrialized organizations" are only out to get our money! (that's the quick way of saying it. LOL) i dont want to go on and on here, so if you're interested, you really need to check out the Weston Price website yourself.



i will admit, had i not been at this point in my life where i am educating myself on how my body works and how i can heal myself from endometriosis and other ailments, im sure i would be quite skeptical about this traditional view. however, their school of thought has fulfilled that need of mine to get back to a simpler way of living which includes knowing exactly what i eat and where it comes from--and that it is REAL food.



i realize not everyone feels this way, as we want to trust the big health organizations, our doctors, and maybe even what our parents know and how they raised us.



but we also want convenience, and many dont realize it but even our taste buds are "brainwashed" hehe...all the artificial sweeteners, preservatives and flavor enhancers have dulled our ability to appreciate real food as we were meant to consume it. it has taken me nearly 5 years to enjoy eating things like peppers, tomatoes, onions, spinach, and TONS of other COMMON produce, and i still have a long way to go to totally embrace this traditional way of eating (organ meats? EWW! LOL).



soooo anyhoo, moving on...i still trust and respect my naturopath's advice when she advised me of nutrients in which i am deficient. but instead of taking the synthetic forms of vitamins as supplements, i have now switched over to the following whole food supplements!

• calcium/magnesium: dolomite powder (i add it to my coconut milk smoothies at breakfast)

• B vitamins: nutritional yeast (NOT the same as brewers or baking yeast! so far, i add it to my smoothies as well or dissolve in a small glass of water)

• B12: desiccated liver

• vitamin C: amla berry

• omega fats, vitamins D & A: cod liver oil (i take it straight right before a meal)

• thyroid function support: tincture of dulse, bladderwrack, wild lettuce and irish moss

• endometriosis scar tissue "clean up": tincture of greasewood, red clover and bucho

in addition, i have began making bone broth (aka chicken stock!) to drink with meals and my hubby and i also make kombucha at home. (i guess kombucha is the latest craze at health food stores--dont buy it! LOL! its expensive, plus usually pasteurized which kills all the beneficial bacteria. we can make a gallon of it at home for about $1!!!) both of these drinks are very beneficial for digestion and also help our bodies better utilize all the nutrients we consume, in addition to providing nutrients themselves!



i have also started cooking with butter and ohhhh man do things taste good *lol* i really dont cook with olive oil to fry anymore, and instead i use coconut oil because it is more stable at high temps. i use olive oil "raw" in salads or to marinate veggies or meats. dont forget, i lost over 2lb last week eating this way!! so to me, even just that says quite a lot :D



but even better, i feel fuller faster and for longer, so im not feeling like i need to snack all day long. woohoo!



WHEW okay! i have blabbed on long enuff ;) of course you know me, i have gobs more i could say *hehe*



so there ya have it, my new, revised BETTER plan for reaching my health goals and living a happier, higher quality life!! i think finding what is right for each of us takes time, educating ourselves on what works and what doesnt, and knowing and listening to our bodies and our gut instincts.



dont fall for every quick-fix pill, fruit juice, special diet and fad out there! there are ways to slowly change our habits to form a way of life--something we can do long-term and continually reap the benefits :):)



be well and have a safe labor day!



~josey~

pass me the olden days, please

howdy <):-)



i do a lot of reading--books, magazines, articles, websites--about health, nutrition, and just about anything and everything related.



i'm not really sure where my unquenchable interest in gaining knowledge in this area comes from; i think its mostly my personality. im one of those kindsa peeps who has to know the intricate details of how things work, and i ask a lot of "why...?" questions!! its just interesting to me to know the "behind the scenes" details that the average joe (or jo-sey? LOL) usually doesnt think about, or even care about. it makes me feel secure knowing exactly how things are--like when i go to the dr., i make sure i get my $20 copay worth of information! LOL!!!



anyhoo, tonite i was reading some stuff about water. it was just an article slamming one of the major soft drink companies and their version of "purified" water. ya know, the normal stuff. hehe ;)



of course they were saying how sometimes bottled water is really just tap water...and some of it is, btw...and how the plastic from the bottles leeches into it and the host of health issues that causes...and also how all the plastic is piling up in our landfills and polluting our ground water and wildlife!



AND how much all the shipping/trucks/delivering is contributing to air pollution and globabl warming, not to mention being a large source of depleting natural resources...and it goes on and on and ON...really ON...



so drinking water is just one thing to think about when we're trying to get healthier. at the same time, want to be responsible stewards of our finances (i mean, who can afford to pay a couple thousand for a whole-house water filter?), we want to be contributors to a better earth and future for our kids, grandkids, etc...



...and just to have plain old healthy water to drink we may feel inclined to consider all these complicated, political, ethical and financial things i mentioned in the previous paragraph??!! INCONCEIVABLE!!! (no but seriously, think about it! its absurd.)



sometimes i just get so mad at the world today. we have screwed things up so badly, and there are some things we can reverse and some things that can never be repaired. technology has brought so many blessings to our lifetime, so many awesome things for us to experience and be thankful for. but it has all happened so fast, and no one can ever predict the impact those conveniences might have on our world hundreds of years later--or even as little as decades!



its really easy to get overwhelmed and just say SCREW IT, or feel really hopeless like there's no possible way our generation can have a long, healthy lifespan. all the cancer, diabetes, obesity, disorders, addictions, heart disease, and heck even just everyday health issues we deal with like allergies and skin problems in my opinion have all developed from a multi-faceted source of pollution, preservatives, petrochemicals, antibiotics, and synthetic hormones that bombard our bodies everyday!!! ARRGGHHHH!!



*raises hand* pass me the olden days, please!



dealing with my endometriosis has led me to educate myself so much on things that i put in and on my body, or come into contact with in other ways. im sure that's why this year especially, my thirst for knowledge in health and nutrition--especially naturopathy and alternative health--has taken a good deal of my free time.



i have come to feel that the generally largely published research/studies on these subjects aren't much to be trusted, especially from maybe the past 75 years or so...(yes, 75 years!)...because so much of the motives behind publishing those studies is to drive CONSUMERS.



yes, consumers! not PEOPLE, with lives, children, feelings, health issues, looking for answers, wanting truth and integrity. so many institutions/companies/governments are just finding sneakier ways to empty our bank accounts and fill theirs up. to me, this is so easy to see!!!



just look at the rate of disease in this country!!! look at the sucky quality of health care, and how so many people hop from doctor to doctor, pill to pill, feeling miserable, helpless, and BROKE!! i mean, this isnt even scratching the surface!!!



whew okay, dont get me started :-O oh yeah, you didnt ask for my soap box. ;) LOL! well, im hardly a political type person, so i will be the first to admit that i'm not too good at defending my own opinion with tons of citations, resources and junk like that...



honestly, its just a gut feeling. i read and hear all sorts of opinions--like AND unlike my own--and take it all into account. what i believe is a bit here and a piece there that fits my gut feelings, and no, its not the easy way out; i think its smart to listen to all sides and then form an opinion that fits your life, your ethics and morals, and your needs.



i get tired of hearing all the "important people's" opinions (important according to the media!) and how they try to push it on everyone else. to me, going back to simpler times when life was more free of complication, disease, and greedy companies presents plenty of sound "research" for me to follow my gut. putting it into play into our modern-day lives is the challenge.



to me, the olden days sure seem like common sense. dont you think?



what happened to good, old-fashioned whole foods? what happened to kids knowing where their food really comes from--and its NOT from a plastic bottle or designer box or the best fast food joint's toy selection, but instead from the garden or a tree or a cow in the barn!!



what happened to YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT??? (sadly, that means most of us are MSG, high fructose corn syrup and trans fats!!)



personally, i think the modern food industry is getting really scary--we are depending on farms across the globe for some of our food, shipped in who knows what dirty truck, handled by who knows who, sprayed with who knows what, and mixed and preserved with ingredients we cant pronounce...contaminated with deadly who knows what...



if we would make more of an effort to buy locally we wouldnt have to worry about any of that! *DEEP BREATH*



dang, i wish somehow i could live like, lets say, Laura Ingalls Wilder did, only with the best of her world and the best of ours. is that even possible? i know, i probably am living in a bit of a dream world, but i see little pockets of it in the small community where i live in WI. this town and surrounding area is very eco-minded, with responsible local biodynamic and organic farmers. there's a lot of sustainable farming and living even, and tho a lot of folks (maybe even you!) see it as stone age living, i see it as such an opportunity!



its so sad more people dont see how it can benefit our health, our happiness, and then even farther-reaching--our communities, our water and earth, and future generations.



okay, so all this was a little heavy of a topic for me...maybe boring for you? LOL! let me know what you think!! im not always good at putting down exactly what i think, but hopefully you got the gist of it. hehe! i probably left a lot of things unsaid, but hey, my fingers can only type so fast ;)



anyhoo, this is all something i think about nearly every day--as part of living, learning, and searching for betterment of body, mind and spirit and i figured i'd share it with ya!!!



nitenite.



~josey~

almost...there...!

hay, happy monday =)



gosh, can you believe summer is half over??? it has flown by!! i sat here eating my brekky (which btw was oatmeal w/blueberries, walnuts, ground flax, cinnamon and a touch of real maple syrup! ), thinking how many months this year my goal was to get to "one"derland...below 200lb...and hmmm, i think it was probably the last 4 months. LOL!!!



i have been sooooo close, just hovering around 205 and im positive my body is saying, "are you kidding?? if you get me under 200 that means i have to lose more!!"


well, somehow by the grace of the Almighty, my scale said 204.2 this morning!! that is the official lowest weigh-in of the year! WOOT :D i keep telling myself if i just stick to eating all those nummy fruits, veggies, homemade bread, nuts, good fats, eggs and a little meat i should EASILY meet that goal this month.



but i dont wanna get my hopes up *teehee* so, im just gonna keep on truckin and if i dont quite make it for july, i will just give myself an AWESOME bday gift by reaching the goal for my bday at the end of august!! hehe!!



by the way, i never told you how my bread turned out a while back! well, since it is not 100% "wheat," there's less gluten to give it that airy texture like store-bought bread, but honestly i LOVE dense bread as long as it is chewy and not dry.



i have been using oatmeal, oat bran, and whole spelt flour. spelt is what they call an "ancient" grain--it is the ancestor of modern wheats. so, its essentially wheat in its most primitive and best form :) it has a slightly nutty flavor as compared to wheat, plus it is more nutritious! its a great source of B vitamins, fiber and protein, and even those who are sensitive to gluten may be able to have it as a wheat substitute.


dont worry tho, if you wanna try it it is easily available! to me, its not really one of those hippy trendy health foods like so many are...its something that's been around for thousands of years. but of course, all us over here in the West take a while to catch onto these things ;) hehe!



anyhoo, i have made 2 batches of the bread so far (it makes 3 loaves!) and the second was better than the first...so hopefully it keeps getting better! each time you make it, you remove a chunk of it to add to the next batch, so the flavor and texture is supposed to improve over time. i think i may add a little more yeast to this next batch, to help it rise a little more and reduce the density just a tad bit.



my hubby likes it, and i do, too, and it does make great little sandwiches and toast. so, i'll keep on making it! it freezes great as well! if you are feeling adventurous and need a good upper body workout ;) here's the link to the recipe! (the only difference is that i substituted the whole spelt flour for the bread flour.)



wellllll, i should get going!! we have a lot going on at our house in a few weeks--LOTS of visitors!!--and i have oodles of projects and a list of to-do's that need to be tackled. have an awesome day and enjoy some sunshine!!



~josey~

more food blabblings ;)

yep, im back again already =)



welp, i woke up today feeling all cry-y.



yep, another hormonal fluctuation of some sort! i wont go on and on about it, but thankfully i have a sweet and understanding hubby who doesnt make me feel even worse on days like today! he is just his calm, comforting self and doesnt say or do much extra, except the little things (which ARE the most important!) like extra hugs and checking in on me...



...and im finding that's the best thing for me. it keeps me from feeling like i deserve "super special" treatment all the time, which would probably promote childish whiny behavior if i know myself! hehe! instead it just leaves a neutral aura for me to deal with my fluctuations and by the advice of my naturopath, i am just going to lay low for the day. she told me a while back that if i can, just stay home or do whatever i need to to ride it out...take it for what it is and dont worry about tomorrow and how i'll feel, because most likely i'll feel fine.



so, even tho i wanted to eat junk today for brekky, i was very good and just finished two eggs over veggie-stock sauteed kale, shiitakes, and garlic. i know, you're saying YUCK! well, i'll tell ya, its actually pretty dang good ;) (believe me tho, it took me a LONG time--like a few years!-- to get to this point of eating these kinds of things!!) i got the idea from my World's Healthiest Foods book and it only takes about 10 minutes to make.



i have never been much of a mushroom girl, especially fresh ones, but cooked this way they really blend in with the texture of the egg so they dont bother me. they are actually kinda cute *hehe* and they are soo good for your immunity as is the garlic!!



i prefer sauteed swiss chard or spinach, but i had some kale i needed to get rid of so i used that instead. its a great way to get a couple servings of veggies out of the way--a few cups of raw greens cooks down to almost nothing! and the best thing of all is that the method of cooking these foods as shown in the WHF book preserves the nutrients and in fact, boosts them in some ways depending on the food.



and i had some fresh, organic LOCAL strawberries to wash it all down. *drool* i've read eating fruit at the end of your meal really aids in digestion from the fiber and all the enzymes fruit contains. AND for me...it prevents the bad-for-me carb/sweet craving i sometimes have after meals! WOOT!



another thing the WHF book suggests is having green tea w/lemon before your meals. its a great punch of antioxidants and the lemon makes it a potent detox as well. i have been having it almost every day for about 3 weeks now, and i have to say im quite enjoying it :)



normally i drink Numi brand organic gunpowder green tea, but it is a little pricey to drink 2-3 times a day (esp if hubby is drinking it, too!)...so, i found a diff kind at WalMart called Uncle Lee's Organic Green Tea for only $2-something for 40 tea bags. that's really good! i was worried about the taste quality, but so far its great! i just make sure to boil the water and steep for 3.5-4 min MAX. turns out great every time :)



oh, and i always use FRESH organic lemons (nothing bottled), and just squeeze about a tsp in to the cup. very good, very healthy!



okee well i think im headed out to the garden for some outdoor/vit D therapy i have a cherry tomato plant that is out of control! its almost 5ft high and about 4ft wide. i have it on a mini-trellis, but its getting so big its blocking sun for my cukes and pole beans *hehe* have a great morning and let me know how you like the breakfast if you try it!



ttfn!!



~jos~

oatmeal bread, forgiveness, and other deep (or not-so-deep!) thoughts

good eeeeevening *lol*



so hey, this week is going great! i hope the same for you. i ate out some over the weekend but i tried to shy away from the worst--burgers and fries. and it paid off not piggin out--my weigh in yesterday showed a 2.4lb loss last week. YAY!!!



yesterday and today have been GREAT as far as food goes...and im not craving the fast food. *whew!* today i had yoga class for an hour, and then this afternoon i rode my bike around town for about an hour running errands and getting some ingredients for bread! so i got a good workout today :D



so, this bread im making...i hope it turns out! i actually didnt cheat and use my bread machine, either! i gotta freakin good upper body workout kneading this stuff...for a total of nearly 15 min! (in 2 sessions lol, but still!!) it was a flippin huge wad of dough, so i was dang tired afterward. LOL!



anyhoo, i decided that even tho my naturopath doesnt want me to eat wheat, im going to allow myself to have spelt and kamut as long as its organic. they are wheat's ancestors, per se; IMHO the better, un-messed-up versions, esp when organic! so, i am making (yep, still workin onnit...on the final rise!!) oatmeal bread!!



i used organic rolled oats, organic oat bran, and organic whole spelt flour. the recipe i found was enough to make a loaf in a pan, a free-form smaller loaf and 8 sandwich buns. im really excited! i LOVE oatmeal bread , and i am hoping this recipe is really yummilicious so i can make more and freeze it. i'll let you know how it turns out!!



okay, so one last thing i have to yack about. have you ever been in a situation in your life where you exit from someone else's life, with a lot of things unsaid? i mean, drastically removed yourself and severed the relationship completely, but have regrets and just always have this nagging feeling now that you've had time to chew on everything that you should ask for forgiveness so you can move on even tho the relationship will never be the same?



well, i have been struggling with this exact situation for a few years now. i really dont want to go into personal details, but let me just convey this core thought: whether or not the other person was at fault, whether or not you feel deep down they deserve YOUR forgiveness, whether or not you feel you should be so meek to ask for their forgiveness--THINK ABOUT IT. do you want to play tough guy and live your whole life never feeling your full humanness?



well, i asked for forgiveness and received it. i admitted my mistakes and didnt point out theirs...that's not what it was about. it was about doing the right thing in God's eyes and finishing the human heart healing process. it was such a liberating feeling to receive that blessing of forgiveness. it felt so good to admit i was selfish and less than mature at one point in my life, and then to be genuinely, completely forgiven for it.



and most importantly...after all this, i had a realization about how God forgives us. see, i had asked God's forgiveness for my mistakes in this relationship a long time ago. but i always had that less-than-forgiven feeling in my heart. when i asked this person to forgive me just recently, i thought that's what i needed to get rid of that feeling.



but it wasnt--altho yes, it was the right thing to do in this situation--what i needed was to truly believe God had forgiven me. sometimes when we look back and see stupid things we've done, its hard to believe God will say, "okay no problema, slate clean!" but he does!!



but i also believe he is pleased when we can go to the person we've wronged and admit it and ask THEIR forgiveness, as long as we can determine that it will not further hurt that person. hopefully God is clapping for me, that for once i learned something important in life.



we should see forgiveness as a gift, unconditional and finite, between both God and man, and ourselves and fellow man. its what hope and truly joyful hearts are made of.



~josey~

jes peachy :-D

happy friday morning :):)



well this mornin i am JES PEACHY! hehe! literally. well kinda! ha! our local farmer's market had the first, freshest peaches of the season and i grabbed a couple this week.



i just sliced one up and stirred it into my Stonyfield Farm O'Soy Cultured Soy, peach flavor, and a small sprinkle of a triple berry granola. YUM-O!! *LOL* i just have to say i am in heaven, cause man, that peach was just SO FRESH...and the soygurt (is that a real word? hehe!) was sooo creamy...and and and the granola, it was sooooo was crunchy and chewy...*rambles on and on about how good it was...*



and hey, i love yogurt, and i really wanted to get some probiotics into my diet since i cant have my cow's milk yogurt or kefir anymore. the O'Soy is AWESOME and i was really excited when i found it. i have to say i am pretty impressed!!



and if you're one of those peeps who's a little "eh" because yogurt is too tangy or "spoiled" tasting for you, you should try the O'Soy. its a bit milder and pretty durned creamy as i already mentioned! :D



i usually dont eat yogurts or kefirs that are flavored because of the added sugar, but these arent too bad. they arent overly sweet, which i really think ruins most yogurts. i like Stonyfield brand stuff, so i was super happy when i saw the O'Soy--especially, too, because the ingredients are almost all organic AND with no preservatives. YAY. it will be a nice breakfast option this summer with all the fresh berries and fruits!!!



anyhoo, enough obsessive food talk ;) hehe!



welllllllp, i cant believe we're almost half way thru may! and guess what? i havent had any fast food!! i think its starting to get easier for me because my brain is starting to understand that my good health is dependent on my good food choices.



strangely enough, i am actually starting to enjoy eating a lot more veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains other than wheat, and i dont really miss milk at all (tho i would still down a nice cold glass if i could!!).



and another thing ive been trying to do since last fall is to eat seasonally. instead of eating salads all winter, we had more soups with hearty fall veggies and beans, and most of what we ate except fruit, was cooked. this spring, im enjoying the tender salad greens and delicate spring fruits and not cooking as much! and this summer i'll munch down on berries, cukes and spinach greens!! hehe!!



but anyhoo (hrm, more food talk...oops *grin*), i even did awesome at my parentals' last weekend. i didnt have any cookies, ice cream, or other junk food while i was there! SHOCKER! :-O



but, i did have a bit of a mini-whine-tantrum saturday evening when i was hungry and a bit munchy. i was walking back and forth between the fridge and cabinets, looking at all the stuff i couldnt eat. and what i COULD eat, i didnt want. i was whining like a brat!!



and i felt like crying, starting to feel sorry for myself and all that junk. its just hard when i go "home;" that's where i grew up and i want to eat what i grew up on. it brings back those comforting feelings!! not that i really needed comfort, except from the bashing i was doing to myself in my head!!



ANYHOO...i finally ended up having some green tea and later a small bowl of popcorn, so i did fine. the only exception for the weekend was one piece of bday cake at my niece's party. it was a cookout, and i even ate my hamburger without a bun since it's wheat. i felt like some sort of Atkin's nerd ;P but oh well, it just tasted like grilled meatloaf. *hehe*



this week has been super busy for me--i spent most of every day outside preparing and planting our veggie and herb gardens. i learned a lot doing last year's garden, so this year i vow to keep down the weeds! HEHE!



we've got cukes & pole beans on trellises, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach and a mix of salad greens planted. and in the herb garden, i have basil, cilantro, dill, tarragon, rosemary, parsley, chamomile and some annual flowers i planted from seed.



im really hoping to make this summer a great jump start to eating less--but foods that are nutritionally packed! i am starting to see how much i have missed most of my life by not eating fresh, seasonal produce. it really is super nummy!!! and its fun to grow! (AND cheaper. LOL)



hubby and i have both bumped up our activity levels this month, and im sure it will continue thru the summer. he's been riding his bike to work several times a week, for about an hour total each day. im really proud of him, cause its obviously not as convenient as driving--he has to take a change of clothes and his lunch, too. YAY HONEY!! XOXOX!



as for me, i'm still loving my hour of yoga on tuesdays and thursdays, and this week i've been sweatin my butt off outside in the gardens.



i rented a roto-tiller monday and spent a few hours tilling up our 15x20 plot. GUH! talk about SORE RIBCAGE MUSCLES for the next few days. that is one muscle that SUCKS when its sore *LOL*



i'll also ride my bike occasionally to the farmer's market so that will be a great way to get some fresh air, burn cals, AND run errands *hehe*



i have always wanted to be one of those "active" kindsa peeps--you know, ones that never really have to formally exercise, because they incorporate activity into the way they live! to me, that's the best way to enjoy it! not only do you reap the benefits of the physical activity, but at the same time you are healthy enough to enjoy the movement and surroundings or other purpose of whatever you're doing!! does that make sense?? hehe!



anyhoo, its a win-win thing, and i hope a year from now i will have accomplished what i am now envisioning :D



welp, hopefully whomever regularly reads this crazy blog is somehow inspired to make some changes for the betterment of your health! obviously im far from perfect--never will be--but i know im inspired by hearing the struggles, successes and ideas of others! so i figgered, heck, i'll share, too! plus, its just an outlet for me and my need to blab to someone about all my goofy ideas *cheesey grin*



have a superdooper weekend!! find some flowers in your yard and enjoy them today! i cut some fresh white lilacs this morning and am enjoying them here on my desk. they smell wonderful!



ttfn!!! :)



~josey~

makin' plans for may :)

hidey-ho, folks! :o)



*lol* how ya been?? busy here!! last week we went onna mini vacation and this week has basically been recovering from it (food-wise and work-wise). i think i'm finally caught up now tho! the weather this week has been SUPERDOOPER, and it feels good that...*whispers*...it's finally spring =D



welp MAY is THE MONTH! yah, you heard me!! (: may's the month where i finally get my butt on track. i have so many health issues riding on how consistent i can be with my food and exercise. hubby and i have made a checklist spreadsheet for the month for all things we need to be doing each day.



so wanna know what the first BIG one is? NO FAST FOOD! yep, ive done it before and im doing it again.



except this time, there's a few exceptions so once june 1st gets here i dont have a fast-food-snarf-down. we can have one mcd's salad each week (haha yep, the ones i just tore apart in my last post...like i said, you gotta pick the best of the worst!) and also each friday we can eat out at a sit-down restaurant. there's pretty much no limitations for that, except of course no wheat or dairy for me.



i think going fast-food-free is going to help me feel pretty empowered that im not hampering my good efforts (like taking my mountain of supplements every day!) by filling my body with junky food!!



next is being more active! i've already begun going to a yoga class twice a week. i absosmurfly LOVE it. im the youngest one in the class, but actually i like that better. no sexy young chicks to make me feel like crap! HAHA!! i know, i shouldnt compare myself, but dont we all do it from time to time?



anyhoo, on most other days i'll be either walking or biking for 30+ minutes. just today i rode my bike to the local farmer's market and brought back groceries in my backpack. it was about 45 minutes of riding, and an excellent workout!



im positive that the activities i'll be doing will help my anxiety so much, and obviously will help the weight come off. not too mention all the other health benefits so GO ME!!!



some of the other things on our checklist include not eating after 7 (just to help us sleep better, plus i like to take a probiotic just before bed and you need to have an empty stomach), eating only when hungry (no mindless munching!!), and hydrating my beeaauuuteeful young skin and body with 8+ glasses of water a day *hehe*



i really do notice a difference when i dont drink enough water. i feel kinda lightheaded and my lips get dry, and sometimes i even get light headaches. ive also been trying to drink a glass of lemon water most days (.5 fresh lemon squeezed into about 16oz water). its good for your body's pH, and if you dont know much about that--most of us are too acidy, which isnt good! surprisingly, lemon water is an excellent alkaline drink!! so anytime you're at a restaurant, always say yes to the lemon in your water =D



so there ya have it. my plan for may! it might sound like a long list, but as i've told some other people, they are all things i've been doing anyway...just not consistently! so this month im gonna make it all stick. im really excited about the prospect of being in less pain from my endometriosis, and i KNOW i will be if i treat my poor abused body with some respect and lots of nutrition!! i want to be a success story!!



oh, and if you're wondering how the no wheat-no dairy has been going, well, its not too bad. of course on vacation last week i ate whatever i wanted...but hey, even my naturopath said dont deprive yourself at special occasions (within reason of course!), and when you get home, just get right back on track. i think over time i'll begin to be more consistent at choosing healthier options on special occasions,



anyhoo. since GENERALLY i eat well, ive already started to really feel like crap after i eat a few bad meals, so one day i'll learn my lesson. and remember it. *LOL*



ya know, i've always admired those people who can eat a plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers instead of a second helping of cake or the graham cracker & pudding dessert. ya know??? *LOL* its true tho!! and it always seems like its the people who look healthy and fit. so they must be doing something right!!



moving on, i made a gluten & dairy free loaf of bread from a Bob's Red Mill mix. its pretty durned good. i like it much better than some premade almond-rice flour bread id tried, as the Bob's didnt contain rice flour. seems like brown rice flour is the big substitute for wheat, but guh, ya just get kinda tired of all the ricey taste! LOL! plus it really doesnt have a lot of fiber. the Bob's had garbanzo bean flour and some other ones so i think its a better choice all around!



okee, well i gotta split! for dinner, since its nice out we're grilling out some cilantro-lime chicken and asparagus, and also making some nummy wild rice with onions! hope youre able to enjoy the weather wherever you are =)



latah gatah!



~jos~

choosing the best of the worst

im back! =D



*hehe* i just had to blab about something for a bit. sunday i had a bit of a dilemma! hubby and i have been going to subway for lunch almost every sunday afternoon this year. its just our thing. i almost always got the oven-roasted chix breast on honey wheat, baked lays, and a cookie (no meal w/pop). okay, obviously a super-carby/sodium-packed meal, but DEFINITELY better than cheeseburger and fries!!



well obviously my dilemma was, what in the heck do i get at subway now that doesnt contain wheat? they have salads, but they're a bit pricey and pretty much the same as what i'd make at home. so we thought, how about mcd's salads? with grilled chicken, they're pretty darned healthy really. and with newman's own as the dressings they use, they're much better than most. and their website claims no trans fats in the salads with grilled chicken! well...soooo...for fun i did a little mcd's salad research! *nerdy look*



part of my goal is to also avoid high fructose corn syrup, or corn syrup of any kind, preservatives (MSG and the like) as much as possible, and obviously trans fats. and the trans fat thing is tricky since the FDA only requires labeling to show over .5g of trans fat per serving. otherwise, companies can claim zero. sucks, cause if its something you eat more than one serving of, you could still be getting a decent amount of trans fats thinking you're getting NONE! that's why its a good idea to become label-savvy and look for the word "hydrogenated." if you see that, there's trans fats in it no matter what the nutrition info says!!



anyhoo, i wanted to have mcd's new southwest (grilled) chicken salad. i had it a few weeks ago and loved it, so let's take that one for our example! here's the main ingredients found on this page:



Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken:
Salad Mix, Grilled Chicken Breast Filet, Southwest Vegetable Blend, Cilantro Lime Glaze, Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese, Limes, Chili Lime Tortilla Strips, Liquid Margarine



okay, so the things that alerted me to possible bad stuff are "glaze" (possibly sweet--corn syrup?), the tortilla strips (seasoned with what and fried in what?) and obviously the margarine. so here's the ingredients for those ingredients *hehe*: (i hilited in red the stuff that i knew was either in my no-no list or looked shady/didnt know what the heck it was. my motto is if ya cant pronounce it or dont know what it is, its probably not health-promoting. *lol*)



Cilantro Lime Glaze:
Water, corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, distilled vinegar, olive oil, soybean oil, freeze-dried orange juice concentrate*, cilantro, salt, freeze-dried lime juice concentrate*, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), garlic*, propylene glycol alginate, spice, onion*, citric acid. *Dehydrated



Chili Lime Tortilla Strips:
Corn, vegetable oil (corn oil and/or soybean oil and/or sunflower oil), salt, maltodextrin, sugar, dried tomato, dextrose, spices, onion powder, green bell pepper powder, citric acid, autolyzed yeast extract, malic acid, paprika extract (color), disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, natural flavor (vegetable source), lemon extract, spice extractive.



Liquid Margarine:
Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). CONTAINS: SOY LECITHIN



i also happened to look at the grilled chicken ingredients, which obviously people choose to stay away from trans fats...note what it is "prepared with"...



Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:
Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT. Prepared with liquid margarine: Liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils, salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color). CONTAINS: SOY LECITHIN


then the dressing:



Newman's Own® Creamy Southwest Dressing:
Water, corn syrup solids, soybean oil, distilled vinegar, egg yolks, corn vinegar, corn starch, whey, salt, cilantro, sugar, spices, paprika, onion*, garlic*, apple cider vinegar, sour cream* (cultured sour cream, skim milk solids, whey, sugar, citric acid, lactic acid), natural flavors (animal and vegetable sources), xanthan gum, lactic acid, parsley*. *Dehydrated. CONTAINS: EGG AND MILK



soooo...whew! what a lotta work!! so i guess on studying the ingredients of the ingredients in the southwest salad, i was a bit disappointed! i naiively figured since it was a salad, and the chix was grilled, that it was nearly perfectly healthy for you! WRONG!



HOWEVER!!! the salads are definitely the BEST of the WORST choices. that should be pretty obvious. you're getting greens and there's no refined carbs (aka buns!) at least...and the dairy is at a minimum (shredded cheeses).



the chicken isnt fried and breaded at least, which is certainly muchmuch worse for you than the grilled.



the calories are lower and even the salad dressing for the southwest salad has a "readable" label--i knew what every single ingredient was at least!!



so, to end my little dilemma-filled story, i ended up having the salad! haha! ;)



my reasoning is, obviously we cant avoid every single bad thing for us unless we grow our own food organically and never cook anything! the foods i eat at home are trans fat-, HFCS-, and preservative-free...so i dont feel too badly eating one or two meals a week that contain that junk.



my point in sharing this experience is to be smart when you make what you're thinking is the better choice in eating out!! there's always the potential of a lot of hidden crap in even the healthiest foods offered at restaurants. the more educated and aware we are of what companies and restaurants put in our foods, the healthier we will be in the years to come!!



here's a few links you may find interesting regarding some of the stuff i mentioned in this post. they are all from mercola.com, and to view some or all of them, you may need to sign up for the newsletter.

• MSG info (the part that is most useful i believe is the listing at the bottom of the article)

• BK takin a step in the right direction

• good info about corn and HFCS

• see and hear "The Merc"--that's what i call him *hehe*--in action about trans fats

i hope you found this post intriguing, and i hope it makes you think about what you order next time you eat out!! good health is something we all deserve, and for goodness sake, its tough to be healthy in today's world once you learn what you "grew up eating" wasn't very good for ya!!



take care and eat your veggies today! heheh!



~josey~

movin' on up! (mooooovin' on up!)...

heyyyyyyyyyy! (how do ya like the old-school chiropractics? hehe!!)



yep, i'm movin' on up (mooooovin' on up!)...to the eaaast side *lol* hehehe okay, well i'm not moving to a deluxe apartment in the sky ...but, i feel like i'm finally making some headway in the health department, and that's somethin i am sure celebratin!!! the last 6 months, and especially the last few, have been some of the roughest emotionally and physically i've ever had. fortunately, i've had the support & prayers of my husband, family and a few close friends to drag me thru it all!! cause believe me, i've been kicking and screaming!



...yep, kicking and screaming, like a little baby! *LOL* well i digress, i wasnt THAT bad, but if i was, it would be my hormones to blame. really. im just all messed up inside!!



before my laparoscopy, i happened upon a wonderful website which helped me understand i had other options than drugs for the treatment of my endo. then someone recommended this AWESOME book to me by Dian Shepperson Mills & Michael Vernon called Endometriosis: A Key to Healing Through Nutrition.



talk about a revelation!! if you or someone you know has endometriosis, this is a MUST READ. not only will you learn SO MUCH, but it is written so compassionately and many times i've just sat there and cried while reading it, saying to myself, "that is me...that is what i've been feeling and experiencing..." and it has felt SO GOOD to know that someone understands!! and most of all, to know i'm not going crazy. or being a hypochondriac. or clinically depressed! because some days have been horrible!



that book, coupled with the website, has given me oodles of hope and inspiration, and more knowledge than i ever imagined to take control of my own health.



in fact, a few weeks ago i went back to my family doctor and had blood tests done to check everything, including my cholesterol and thyroid. she said my thyroid was fine, but i had my doubts because of the way i've been feeling and some symptoms i've had (thinning hair, dry hands/legs, foggy memory, fatigue, moodiness...), and in addition, thyroid issues run on my mom's side (mom, grandma, and great grandma all have/had problems--great grandma even died of goiter!!).



so...where am i now? well, after coming to the conclusion i wanted to try a drug-free approach to treating my endo, i decided to see a naturopath.



so last week, i had an appointment with the naturopathic practitioner. interestingly enough, one of the first questions she asked me was if i've recently had my thyroid checked. according to her observations, (which i most definitely agree with!) my thyroid IS on the decline (but to a general doctor, if its within the levels, even if its low, they wont offer treatment or suggestions...), and guess what? the thyroid gland is one of the reproductive hormone glands! GO FIGURE!



so that directly works into my hormonal imbalances and the endometriosis. its hard telling which problem came first--but either way, im working on balancing it all out again. it will take several months--not as quick as a drug--but it will be something that makes me healthier all around and that i can live with with NO SIDE EFFECTS.



im on a couple herbal tincture supplements (one to jump-start my thyroid and one to "clean up" the endo), and i also am taking magnesium and a special B-vitamin complex. those two will help my body recover from all the stress ive been under--lots of stress whacks out hormone levels, too! so sheesh, it's all related.



and one more thing--i have some major diet changes. no dairy, no wheat. fortunately i've been cutting wayyyy back on them anyway (esp dairy), so hopefully it wont be too bad.



and losing weight is the #1 priority to normalize the hormones--especially because i found out from my blood tests that i am pre-diabetic!!



so God is really piling it all on right now, telling me to take care of myself!! SO I AM!! hehe! i have already been taking fish oil, evening primrose oil, a black cohosh supplement and a good multivitamin, so as long as i really really stick to the good diet, i am DEFINITELY gonna see some results.



i know, it seems like a lot of pills and junk, but i dont care because i know they are healthy for me--not a drug with side effects, just treating symptoms! and the pills and supplements are only part of the equation for holistic treatment!



OH and also, she told me i MUST MUST MUST get out of the house more and be around other people. my stress levels from just sitting around, worrying about myself, etc... are a major factor in my hormone imbalances. when you are stressed, your adrenal glands produce a lot more cortisol, which lowers progesterone, which means estrogen is dominant.



the B-vits im taking will help my adrenals recover since they are sucking up the little bit i get in my diet, but i have to put some effort into lowering my stress levels too, or i wont get any better. so, im looking into taking a yoga class once or twice a week. im pretty excited!



soooo anyhooooo...sorry for all the babbling! i actually SPARED you a lot of details, if you can believe it. (im sure you can--you know how talkative i am LOL)



for me, it is a wonderful feeling to understand how are bodies are created to heal themselves if we provide the right nutrients and support. now that i know a lot more, i realize my poor immune system has been sooo abused, probably for the last decade especially. i know im young, but people are getting chronic and even terminal illnesses much younger these days.



our world bombards us with toxins and chemicals that we arent made to deal with long term--and its not just in our air, its in our water, food and all the junk we put on our bodies. it takes a lot of open-mindedness to understand and even believe that the things we have come to know as commonplace arent always the healthiest or created with our longevity in mind. most companies are out to make money--not make us healthy!



(i wont even go there! LOL *hides the soap box from myself* heheeh )



if you get a chance, visit my the blog of my friend melissa. she recently posted some AWESOME info about convenience foods that may open your eyes!



seeing her posts made me happy that there are parents who are not only trying to improve their own health, but taking responsibility for what their child eats as well. its a super tough job raising children these days, let alone making sure they eat for wellness! that's another soapbox of mine! hehe!



i truly believe what our children eat affects their behavior, grades, and a host of other things. along those lines, last summer i watched jamie oliver's school lunch project series on TLC, and it intrigued me!! check his site out. its a very VERY important subject!



okay, im realllly gonna go now! we're having soft tacos for supper, and im starving. it'll be my first time trying brown rice tortillas!! LOL!!! (no wheat, remember!?)



take care and be well!!!



~josey~

thursday's food log

welp, today started off GREAT. but, then something triggered in that mushy-little-grease-saturated brain of mine at lunch and the rest of the day went downhill! (i think PMS is playing a big role at the moment too...ick!) at least i still exercised. tomorrow will be better!!



FOOD LOG



Breakfast

• 1/4c old-fashioned rolled oats cooked w/.5c 1%milk plus 1/4c blueberries and sprinkled with walnuts

• Evening Primrose oil and supplements

Lunch

• BK

Supper

• TB

Evening

• BAD SNACK--chocolate chip cookies!

Total Water (not counting tea or coffee) – not enough!



Total Daily Nutrition: NOT MUCH!




EXERCISE LOG (on the up-side of things today...!)

• 
  1 hour walk with hubby and dog!

wednesday's food log

FOOD LOG



Breakfast

• PB&J Smoothie (.5c plain kefir, .5 banana, 2 frozen strawbs, .5T flax oil, 1.5T ground flax seed, .25 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, .5T pb) YUMMMMMMMMMY!

• Evening Primrose oil & supplements

Mid-Morning

• Raspberry Leaf tea

• 32oz water

• .5oz raw milk cheddar cheese

• .5 apple

Lunch

• 1 slice spicy chicken frozen pizza

• 2c organic baby romaine w/walnuts and 1.5T French dressing

• .5 pear

• 8oz water/Evening primrose oil & supplements

Afternoon

• 32oz water

• 1 cup homemade HC (8oz 1% milk, 2T cocoa, 1T sugar, dash cinnamon, bit of vanilla)

Supper

• 4oz salmon, crusted w/red potato and rosemary

• 1.5c steamed broccoli w/fresh garlic

• 1/3c creamy onion rice

• 3oz pinot grigio

Evening

• 16oz water

• 1 egg on 1 slice whole wheat toast w/.5T Smart Balance Light

Total Water (not counting tea or coffee) – 88oz



Total Daily Nutrition:

Calories: 1703



Fat: 69g


Sat: 14g


Chol: 415mg


Sodium: 2078mg


Carbs: 172g


Fiber: 24g


Protein: 87g





EXERCISE LOG

• 
  1 hour walk with hubby and dog!

encyclopedia brown and the case of the fast food freak

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!



okay, i need some professional sleuth intervention here!!



its a mystery to me that in the last several months since i started really honing in on making my diet better, every time i "fall off the wagon" its more and more extreme!!



no, im not binging and purging or anything like that. i just find myself more and more piggish with food, like im a contestant on survivor and we just got a food reward *HAH*, and that i'll keep eating whatever i feel like it until i burst!! or i just never feel full!!



i dont know if i am depriving myself too much of foods i really enjoy (cause MODERATION is my MOTTO!!!), or if mcd's and bk are making their recipes more addictive!



so yeah, for the last week or so, i've been possessed by the fast food monster!! i cannot count on one hand the number of HOMEMADE meals ive had since late last week, and i eat 3 meals a day plus snacks.



the sad part is i have a refrigerator full of healthy, whole foods that have gone untouched...and in the meantime, our food budget for the month has imploded! LOL!!! and when i eat junk, so does the hubby which ultimately makes me feel sooo guilty! you would think a couple bouts of heartburn from all the grease and sugar would stop me.



BUT NOooooooooooooo!! gimme more!! glutton-city!



GEEZ it makes me think of that guy on SuperSize Me, saying how after the first few days of eating mcd's actually made him hyper and he was flying high. THEN...after the malnutrition or whatever set in, he started feeling like crap.



i think im nearly to that point already. my pores are saturated with trans fats, my hair is oily, my face looks old and my teeth are rotting away from all the DQ! *LOL!*



okayokay, so im being a bit melodramatic, i'll admit. but its such a rollercoaster...because for the week after my surgery, i ate sooo healthily. then BAM! i had one indulgent meal and it sent me to snarf-down-lalaland. BLAH!



i swore today id get back on track cold turkey. not so yet. brekky was mcd's. lunch was one piece of leftover frozen chicken pizza and i FORCED myself to eat a baby romaine salad with it. you should have heard me, i literally whined and said "ICK! i dont wanna eat it...*whiiiiiiinnnnnnnne*" as i scrunched my nose and shoved it into my mouth.



GOSH i donno how hubby puts up with me some days. LOLOL! it was SO PATHETIC!



okayokay, geez im nearly gloating about my childish antics :| so anyhoo, here's the deal. tonite i'm gonna cook up some yummy herbed chicken breast with a salad and peas. AND starting tomorrow, i'm going to log my food here on my blog for the rest of the week (thru friday).



usually i do it on my yahoo group, but i've taken a few week break since my surgery. i'll go ahead and do it there, too, but im posting it here to be even MORE accountable!! so sorry if the logs are boring but heck who knows, maybe they will somehow inspire you! hehehe!



soooo will good ole encyclopedia brown be able to solve the mystery of the fast food freak?? HAH! maybe when he's old enough to understand women and our strange cravings and hormonal issues and super complex minds that make things more complicated than necessary! HEHEHE!!!



allllrighty, i have other junk to blab about, but i'll save it for another day this week. time to go get supper started!!!



hope you're enjoying spring today wherever you are!!!



~josey~

the day after

hallllo!



and just how are you today??? pretty durned good here! hubby and i had a great valentine's day and he made reservations at a local steak house for our dinner. it was AWESOME!



we enjoyed crabcakes for an appetizer (im notta big seafood person at all, but these were HEAVVVV-ENNN!), then we both had salads and a petite filet (6oz) with potato and a few spears of asparagus for our entree. there was even a complimentary glass of red wine! YUMMY!



and of course, being valentine's day we had to have dessert! they had this cute heart-shaped pastry/crunchy thing with lightly flavored lemon custard, sliced strawberries and chocolate syrup drizzled over the top. a great end to a great meal!!!



of course, i overate, but not half as bad as i usually do on special occasions. slow but steady progress!! the sad thing was, since i have lately been trying to recognize when i am actually FULL, i noticed after the appetizer that i really could have stopped eating and been full... HAHHAAH! that was even before the pre-entree salad! it really is crazy how much we eat!! ;)



i was telling hubby earlier how from eating all that food yesterday, i just feel BLEH today, like my whole body is "all stuffed up!" i feel a bit sluggish and my head is, well, slow, to put it simply. hehe! and i feel like i need to drink tons of water and exercise hard for a long time and sweat like crazy. *LOL* you know, to detox or something! (kinda like how you feel better after you blow your snotty nose! HAHAH!)



anyhoo, he said at least we arent craving more junk--instead we are craving a good day! and he is so right!! THAT is an improvement...progress for sure. physically AND mentally. woohoo :D:D



oh and one other thing...in my hubby's vday card to me, he thanked me for all my efforts to help lead us toward better health *awwwww* (he used much better wording! hehe) that made me feel SO GOOD. not only do i want to be healthier, i want him to be, too! he doesnt realize it, but he helps me a lot. he's got a great, positive attitude and his calm personality is a blessing to me!



anyhoo...good health is something we can strive for together, and i love him so much! YAY ME cause i've got the best guy EVER! (okay you might think that was all cheesey, but i dont care :P hahaha)



so what are you reading these days? welp, like i've mentioned, i finished the Body Clutter book, and also last night i finished Sink Reflections (also by FlyLady). both GREAT books that i'd recommend to ANY woman (men can also read them, but will need to be much more open minded).



a week or so ago, i returned a library book i'd finished--Mariel Hemingway's Healthy Living from the Inside Out. VERY GOOD BOOK!! i dont really care who she is (the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway) or what she's previously done in Hollywood. she wrote a wonderful book and is very honest about her own shortcomings and what now works for her.



i'm sure i will get the book again so i can put more of it to good use, but the things that stood out the most to me were how important it is to BREATHE (i'll talk more about this in another post!), and how making your home a sanctuary can really improve your health. i have already "redone" our bedroom by removing all the extra unnecessary furniture & clutter, banning the pets (day AND night!), and adding lots of plants!



i got a beautiful algerian ivy hanging in the window and some other ivies and a snake plant on wall shelves. since then, we've been reading and relaxing in there every night before bed. its GREAT!!! all the greens in there are very calming to me, and with less pet hair and air-purifying plants, it just smells and feels cleaner. my next room mission is the office!!



i am also still reading Dr. Weil's Eight Weeks to Optimum Health. this book is my background project! it will probably take me more like 16 weeks *hehe* but that's cool.



there is just something about Dr. Weil that is calming to me. *lol* i think its his balanced way of thinking and living. he really stresses that so many areas of our lives are important to our overall health and well-being, not just food and exercise!



he, like Mariel, stresses how important BREATHING is. okay yeah, we know we have to breathe to live ;) but we really dont realize how shallowly we breathe because our lives are so rushed, we have horrible posture, we have fat guts that restrict it, etc...*lol* im not talking about meditating, either. (that can be quite intimidating to the midwest-countrygirl-what's'OM'mean-kindachick. LOLOL)



its really just about clearing your mind by focusing on your breathing so your body can actually get the oxygen it needs to work! okay so anyhoo, once i get this downpat i'll write more about it and let you know what i think. hehe!



okay well i guess i've rambled on long enuff! time to go move my sluggish body for 15 minutes! im also going to do more stretches each day. it just feels good!!



have a great thursday!



~jos~