Juicing

My husband's awesome cousin launched her nifty website - figgy & sprout - that's all about healthy nutrition, and has inspired me to get back to eating much better. That includes turning this...

...into this:

The concoction was very refreshing and surprisingly filling. Another surprising benefit is that my cold symptoms went away after drinking two glasses of this stuff (all the vitamin C in that whole lemon, I imagine). I've been intrigued by juicing ever since I saw the Joe Cross documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead", but it was Katie that finally fueled me to get a juicer and get going. You should really check out her website. She is so knowledgeable and helpful, and most of all, a total sweetheart.
I plan on following her recipes and also need to dust off my Clean Eating cook books and magazines. There is a new Tosca Reno Vegetarian cookbook coming out, and I'm contemplating buying it.

I got to be healthy and happy to take care of this little fella:

5 weeks old

A great start

Not much going on today. Exercised in the morning, went grocery shopping, and then I mostly cooked and cleaned our home.

Rode my bike to the gym this morning; spent 30 minutes walking on the treadmill. I wanted to jog/run, but my knees and heels were screaming from pain, so I just walked briskly.

Daily fitness stats:
Average heart rate: 130bpm (67% of THR); Maximum heart rate: 142bpm (73% of THR); Distance: 1.89 miles;
Pace: 16:43 mile

Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi GoLean cereal with 1/2 cup 1% milk; small banana; water
Mid-morning snack: 22 almonds
Lunch: 1 black bean burger, 1-oz slice part-skim mozzarella, 1 slice tomato, 1 bibb lettuce leaf, 1 Arnold thins whole wheat bun; 1 orange; 1 oz "Garden of Eatin'" baked blue tortilla chips; water Afternoon snack: 1 low-fat string cheese with 2 rye crispbreads
Dinner: 1 serving salmon & artichoke quasedilla (Clean Eating magazine recipe) with 1/4 cup low-sodium salsa; 1 cup chopped cantaloupe; silver needle green tea
Nutrition for the day: Calories: 1,549; Fat: 44g; Sat. fat: 7g; Carbs: 214g; Fiber: 45g; Sugar: 61g; Protein: 95g; Sodium: 1,728mg; Cholesterol: 74mg

What I Ate on Monday

Breakfast: Porridge with kefir and flax seeds and what not... oh so very filling.
Lunch at work: herb salad with a crunch - including pomegranate seeds and jicama, with self-made dressing... num!
Dinner: Leftovers from yesterday (see post below).

Weigh-in Week 2

That's right, folks. I lost weight! 1.6 pounds, to be exact. That's 0.96% of my last weight. Yeah!

And it was thanks to exercise, exercise, exercise... and good eating. The zucchini I bought at the farmers' market turned out as "spaghetti" together with some red peppers from my garden. It was delicious.And of course, I had those hard-boiled farm-fresh eggs with my heirloom tomato salad drizzled with olive oil, basil, and sea salt.
My goal is to lose 0.5 to 1.5 pounds each week, so this week was excellent. Just hope I can do this again. I must admit, I did slip a few times last week. I didn't exercise as much because of the teeth issue, and I broke down and ate some bad stuff here and there. I can no longer do that.
Let's hope for good health and results for the next weigh-in.

Locavore sisters

This morning, my sisters and I woke up early and headed to the DSM Downtown Farmers' Market. There they are, looking all cute, as always.
The earlier you go, the better. The crowds are sparse, and the vendors are stacked with the best, freshest produce. We also got to enjoy some bluegrass bands and talked to plenty of local farmers who were just super-friendly. I love Iowa.
Of course, my sisters and I cannot pass up ANY crêpe stand...ever. Here we had some Nutella Banana Crêpes. Yum! So rich and delicious, calories be damned.
And here is my loot of the day - small, tangy Harrison apples, farm fresh eggs, farm grown zucchini, heirloom tomatoes (a nice variety of different kinds) and a selection of oyster mushrooms.
We are going to have some good, nutritious meals this weekend.

Harvest

What a beautiful September Saturday. I spent most of the day cleaning up around the house and cooking. My husband and I decided to harvest some of the goodies from our garden.
Look at all them pretty colors!
I made two recipes out of the September/October issue of Clean Eating magazine. The first one was this yummy Walnut Blueberry Banana Bread. No fat, no sweetening aside from agave nectar and natural banana/blueberry sweetness. Only 200 calories per slice.
Here is the yummy goodness up close:And for dinner, I used the eggplants, basil and tomatoes harvested this morning from our garden, and prepared the Eggplant Parmesan with Bulgur & Pine Nuts - from a recipe from the same magazine issue. Once again, this plate totals at less than 300 calories, and is packed with fiber (15g) and protein (19g). And it tastes gourmet (at a very cheap price - especially if you grow your own eggplants, tomatoes, and basil).
And now is time for a run around the lake with my goggie.

Week in review

Wednesday - met my friend BL at Centro's. Had the amazing pizza Siciliana (my new favorite).
Next we went to watch D, her new main squeeze and my fellow classmate, play softball.
He is so nice. I think they make a great pair.
Thursday - Inspired by Centro's pizza Siciliana, I decided to turn it into a salad version. It includes butter lettuce, tomatoes, pepperoncini, capers, Calamata olives, lemon-pepper tuna, roasted peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, avocado oil, balsamic vinegarette, sea salt and pepper. Yum!
Friday - Met with my sisters and Z's boyfriend B at the theater to watch Harry Potter - the Half Blood Prince. The movie was good. It's been a while since I read the books, so the details escape me.
They are way too cute.
Oh-oh! Oreo!

Eating clean

Okay - so I loved cooking every night, but the recipes from the Vegetarian cookbook have started to fail me. Taste-wise, they were either hit or miss. And a closer look at the nutrition data showed that they were still too carby and fatty. So I wanted to find a cookbook that was a bit more healthy and nutritious.

This is where the Eat-Clean Diet cookbook came in. I first heard of Tosca Reno in the Oxygen magazine (a mag for female bodybuilders and fitness gurus). So I decided to check it out. The advice in the book made sense to me (eat lots of complex carbs with lean protein, drink lots of water, take supplements, exercise, eat every 3 hours...), and the recipes in the cookbook looked delicious.

My trainer, Terri, also recommends the book. It is a diet for bodybuilders. I know I am not even close to even showing muscle, but I do have to get rid of all this unhealthy fat around my waist. (Last time I checked, my body composition consisted of over 30% fat - yikes!)

The first recipe I made was the linguine with jumbo shrimp and spinach. It contained ingredients like cherry tomatoes, basil, and lemon rind. It was uber-delicious!

The second recipe was orzo with baby peas, edamame, red pepper and then I added lemon-pepper tilapia. I didn't think it was possible, but it was even better than the linguine.

I've been careful with portions, eating only one serving at dinner, and then saving another serving for lunch the next day. My hubby has been eating it, as well. He liked it. That is always a good sign.

I have high hopes for this new clean eating lifestyle. I am already noticing a trimmer waist and more energy overall. Woohoo!

What I ate 05-18-09

Inspired by MsAmanda's "What I wore" segment, I decided to start a "What I ate" series. Things I wear should not be celebrated or noticed in any way - but boy, do I know how to eat...

So yesterday I pretty much kept up with my Monday meal plan, with some modifications (in green text).

Breakfast - Kashi honey sunshine cereal, fat-free milk, walnuts, hard-boiled egg, tea with honey
Snack - Cherries, Mini Babybel light cheese (32 oz. water during workout)
Lunch - Grilled veggie patty on Arnold's Sandwich Thins with 2% cheese and tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, jalapeno, ketchup; 1 cup sugar-free apple sauce (16 oz. water)
Snack - Fiber One bar, 100-calorie popcorn
Dinner - 5 oz salmon, ¼ cup couscous, asparagus; 3 oz lettuce, tomato, onion, hearts of palm, and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)Treat - Smoki snacks that Spomi brought over

Overall, it totaled to about 1700 calories. Not bad, but I can do better.

Sister sunday

Today, my youngest sister showed up with her fabulous new haircut. She modeled (and snatched) my knitted hats.
Then I gave her a refresher course on knitting. It was quite entertaining. I realized that I inherited a genetic trait from my father and paternal grandfather: once I have a skill or know a fact, I MUST share it with others. And I do it with a lot of patience and nauseating detail. Like both my dad and grandad, I really should have been a teacher.

Also, inspired by my super-awesome personal trainer Terri, I created a meal plan for the whole upcoming week using stuff I already have in my fridge and pantry. I did have to do some grocery shopping, but I only ended up spending $60 on additional groceries. Woohoo!
Below is a summary of what I shall be eating:

Monday
Breakfast - Kashi honey sunshine cereal, fat-free milk, walnuts, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Cherries, Mini Babybel light cheese (32 oz. water during workout)
Lunch - Grilled veggie patty on Arnold's Sandwich Thin with 2% cheese and tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, jalapeno, light ketchup; 100 calorie whole grain pita chips; 1 cup sugar-free apple sauce (16 oz. water)
Snack - Fiber One bar, 100-calorie popcorn; (16 oz. water)
Dinner - 3 oz. salmon, ¼ cup couscous, asparagus; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, hearts of palm, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - 2 peanut butter Girl Scout cookies

Tuesday
Breakfast - Kashi honey sunshine cereal, fat-free milk, walnuts, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Blackberries, Mini Babybel light cheese (32 oz. water during workout)
Lunch - 4.5 oz lemon-pepper tuna with 100 calorie whole grain pita chips; sugar-free rice pudding (16 oz. water)
Snack - Fiber One bar, 100-calorie popcorn (16 oz. water)
Dinner - 2 oz. whole spaghetti w/ 1/4 C sauce and mushrooms; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, hearts of palm, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - Apex whey protein blended with ice and banana

Wednesday
Breakfast - Kashi honey sunshine cereal, fat-free milk, walnuts, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Cherries, Mini Babybel light cheese (32 oz. water during workout)
Lunch - Mushroom patty on Arnold's Sandwich Thin with 2% cheese and tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, jalapeno, light ketchup; 100 calorie whole grain pita chips; 1 cup sugar-free apple sauce (16 oz. water)
Snack - Fiber One bar, 100-calorie popcorn; (16 oz. water)
Dinner - Mahi mahi, ¼ cup bulgur, zucchini; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, hearts of palm, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - ¼ cup frozen yogurt blend

Thursday
Breakfast - Kashi honey sunshine cereal, fat-free milk, walnuts, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Carrots, Light Laughing Cow cheese wedge (32 oz. water during workout)
Lunch - Light Italian vegetable soup; 100 calorie whole grain pita chips, sugar-free rice pudding (16 oz. water)
Snack - Pineapple chunks, 100-calorie popcorn (16 oz. water)
Dinner - Kidney beans, ¼ cup quinoa, mushrooms; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - Whey protein mix with 2% milk & ice

Friday
Breakfast - Kashi honey sunshine cereal, fat-free milk, walnuts, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Starbucks tall light mocha frappuccino, no whipped cream (32 oz. water during workout)
Lunch - Black bean “burger” on Arnold's Sandwich Thin with 2% cheese and tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, jalapeno, light ketchup; 100 calorie whole grain pita chips; 1 cup sugar-free apple sauce (16 oz. water)
Snack - Pineapple chunks, 100-calorie popcorn (16 oz. water)
Dinner - ½ cup whole wheat spaghetti, ¼ cup sauce, ¼ cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - 1 glass of Caba Moch red wine

Saturday
Breakfast - Traditional oatmeal, dried raspberries, 2% milk, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Arnold's Sandwich Thin with almond butter and sugar-free preserve (16 oz. water)
Lunch - Garlic polenta with sour cream; plum (16 oz. water)
Snack - 100 calorie whole grain pita chips; peach
Dinner - 3 oz. salmon, ¼ cup couscous, asparagus; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, hearts of palm, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - 1 glass of Caba Moch red wine

Sunday
Breakfast - Reduced fat pancakes with maple syrup & berries, hard-boiled egg, tea with stevia sweetener (24 oz. water)
Snack - Arnold's Sandwich Thin with almond butter and sugar-free preserve (16 oz. water)
Lunch - “Taco” salad – lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, corn, salsa, black beans in taco seasoning, corn chips; plum (16 oz. water)
Snack - 100 calorie whole grain pita chips; peach
Dinner - Mahi mahi, ¼ cup bulgur, zucchini; 2 C lettuce, tomato, onion, hearts of palm, and 2 T. balsamic vinegar (16 oz. water)
Treat - 2 peanut butter Girl Scout cookies

Let's see how I do.

I grew this!

So today after work I decided to visit my garden and pick up some lettuce to eat. Talk about local food! I can't believe I grew something so pretty from a mere seed.

Here is my healthy, delicious, yummy salad. (Not my own tomatoes, but they will be coming this summer, too).
My dad - who used to photograph food for a living - will probably cringe at the lack of composition in this shot, but I think we can both agree that the photo can still induce a little mouth-watering in the viewer (if you are an herbivore like me, I guess).

My "Sein" dozed off during a snack

I hate it when I sit at the desk at work and realize that, without any conscious awareness, I inhaled my snack.

It can't be! Then I frantically look inside the garbage bin under my desk, and surely, there it is... the bag/wrapper/apple core/banana peel that once contained my snack-allocated calories for the day. When did this happen? I didn't even get to enjoy it.

And then there are times when I drive and reach my destination without ever knowing how I got there and whether I ran any lights or hit any people on the way. Terrifying.

So it's rather fitting that I am "reading" (listening to on my iPod) Eckhard Tolle's "Power of Now". I know his more recent book "A New Earth" was an Oprah pick. she even developed some online sessions around reading and discussing the lessons from this book. Although I am not necessarily an Oprah book cult follower, this one did catch my attention, especially since the author has a somewhat computerized voice (think "Fitter, happier, more productive" track from Radiohead's OK Computer album). So I decided to check it out.

I am a total skeptic, so I don't necessarily buy into anything very easily, but two things I digested and accepted from Tolle's teachings is that 1) my consciousness (Being, or "Sein" as my fellow Germans would call it) is not my thoughts, and my thoughts are not my identity, and 2) my thoughts are stuck in the past and in the future - they are never present. This is my very lose interpretation. So to be rid of the burden of your thoughts, you got to focus on the present moment. You got to be alert and aware of your surroundings. If I were more present, as Tolle recommends, I would not have had my snack mysteriously disappear.

I am not sure whether I will finish this audiobook. I think I got a jist of it - and I can only listen to a computer-generated voice for so long before my thoughts turn to the daily to-do lists and my existential anxieties.

On another note, logging calories daily is really tedious. I am trying to stay under 1,600 daily, and in the past few days, I averaged around 1,400. Yay me! I also got to show off my incredibly uncoordinated moves during today's group cardio dance class. Let's just say that my dance rendition of "Soldier Boy" would make it on YouTube for all the wrong reasons.