Artichoke Hummus - Yum!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days.  I've been totally busy but I'm still eating completely right.  I can happily say that I am not cheating.  We even did a 5k on Saturday.  All of this eating right has me feeling pretty good, full of energy and I find that I get totally excited now when I find healthy alternatives to favorite foods that are tasty and satisfying.

This past weekend I came up with two wonderful new recipes that are a huge hit at my house.  So much so that I've eaten each one twice.  One new recipe is for a pizza alternative (that is pretty much still pizza, but less than half the calories... and it is absolutely amazing!!!   And the other is for a new sandwich.  At the core of both recipes is artichoke hummus which tastes so good that I wish I came across it sooner!!!  I found it at Sprouts Farmers Market, which is a Healthy/Natural/Organic grocery store.  Artichoke hummus is low fat and low calorie and is good for you.  If you haven't tried it, I totally recommend going out and finding some.  I imagine that most health food and nutritional type stores carry it.  I'm pretty sure Whole Foods has it too.  Tomorrow I will post the two recipes and pictures of each new wonderful dish :)

Tonight I packed my hubby a great healthy lunch for tomorrow that includes my new sandwich creation.  Jim has been eating better than he used to.  He eats the dinners I make nightly and most of them he is enjoying.  However his lunch choices at work haven't been all that great.  He still eats out for most of his lunches (Monday - Friday).  I asked him tonight to try it my way for one week and he said he is willing... as long as I pack him his lunch. Yeah!   In addition to his sandwich, I packed him carrots, cucumber slices, an orange, a handful of raw almonds and some watermelon.  I probably packed him more than he needs, but I figure this way he has snack options throughout the day.   I hope and pray that he finds eating right can be a fun challenge... and that real whole foods actually taste way better.  Especially after you get all of the "crap" (chemicals and additives) out of your system.

This challenge has gotten much easier this last week.  Making the right choices is not near the struggle that it was at first.  Sure I still have the occasional craving, but it's becoming much more rare!

My 22 daughter, Britney, is also eating right.  Not that she was ever really a bad eater, since she has always been an athlete (gymnast growing up), she didn't eat too poorly before.  But as a college student, she still ate junk on occasion.  Recently she started training for a half marathon (one of those things she has always wanted to do, sorta like a bucket list item)...  so she has been running a ton lately and is eating right!  She is more disciplined with her food choices now than ever before.  She often sends me pictures of her meals which I completely enjoy!  It's fun having someone else to share the challenge with!

Okay, for now I am done rambling.  Tomorrow I will post pictures and recipes for the amazing Pizza Alternative and my new favorite sandwich.

Until next time,
Healthy eating!

Diana

Wow... Challenge Day 17 Already

I am so happy to say I have made it to day 17 and am still holding strong.  I do occasionally still have cravings for things I can not have.  Just last night I so wanted some chocolate chip ice cream.  I was just driving down the street past a Baskin Robbins all of a sudden I was saying to my husband, "oh my gosh, chocolate chip ice cream sounds so good right now".  Then I immediately followed it with saying, "but, I can't... I want to but I can't".  And the good news is, I didn't!!!  I haven't had anything chocolate the entire 17 days, which for me is definitely some kind of record!  Okay, so enough talking about foods I can't have.  I do better if I just don't think about them!

As for what I have been eating... I eat allot of fruit and vegetables.  I eat organic whole grain oatmeal or raisin bran each morning.  Lunches usually include avocado in some form.  I eat it either in a sandwich on whole grain bread or on a spinach salad with other veggies too.  I keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen island at all times so whenever I want a snack I just grab a piece of fruit.  I eat a handful of raw almonds each day.  Dinner is usually either chicken or fish with veggies either steamed or grilled.  I am learning different ways to prepare my meats and veggies to give us some variety.  The food choices are pretty basic right now.  I hope to get a little more creative with spices, but I'm still learning what works and what doesn't.

For those of you that are doing this challenge along with me, continue to stay strong and keep eating healthy whole foods...  It is not always easy, but I know that if I can do this, so can you!

Until next time,

Diana  

Stone World Bistro - Organic Healthy Dining

So over the weekend we went to San Diego for my brothers birthday and we were invited to go out to dinner at a place called Stone World Bistro & Gardens.  So I was thinking, oh great, another meal "out to dinner"... What will I eat?  The night before we went I decided to go onto the website of the place and see if there was anything I could possibly eat.  When I got to their site I couldn't believe what I found.  I read their philosophy on food (see below):

PHILOSOPHY ON FOOD

At Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, we use in-season, locally, regionally, and organically grown produce. We do this not just for the simple principles of freshness and sustainability, but also because fresh, local and organic tastes better. It's also better for you and the world in which we live. It shouldn't be surprising to hear that we also use 100% naturally raised meats. The same fresh/artisanal/natural standard goes for all our food. It does cost more, and our prices reflect some of that reality. However, we also feel it is the much, much better way to go.

I was so excited after I read that!!!  I have never seen anything like it on a restaurants menu or website!!!  I was completely thrilled... I could actually go out to eat and enjoy what I was eating and not have to worry.  My husband and I were able to split a dinner and a salad and the food was completely amazing!!!  Yes, it was a little pricey but it was totally totally worth it!  It is a brewery and a bistro, but I chose to drink only water with lemon (my drink of choice).  It is about 80 miles from our home, but I know I will eventually go back!

I wish there were more places like this that actually cared about the quality of what they were serving to their guests!  Maybe over time there will be more... In the meantime, If you are ever in the Escondido, San Diego area... definitely grab a meal at this place!  You won't be disappointed!!!

Until next time,

Diana

What to Eat? Engagement Party

This weekend my husband and I went to an engagement party and again came the dilemma!  What can I eat???  I was smart and planned ahead and ate a tuna & veggies sandwich before we left our house.  But knowing that there would be lots of food and drinks at the party, I wondered what it would be like for me.  Eating right when I am at home has become pretty easy... It's when we go out that it becomes much more difficult!

When we got there, they had all sorts of snacks out on the counter... Margaritas were mixing in the blender and there was a huge chocolate cake (which happens to be my favorite).  I could easily skip on the Doritos and snacks that I saw, and I could handle drinking only water while everyone else drank margaritas... but that cake was going to be a major challenge!!!  It was pretty much calling my name.

We didn't know what their plan for dinner was, but after we arrived we were told we were having barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs with all of the fixings.  It's a good thing I had eaten a sandwich a couple hours before!  Honestly I haven't had a hot dog in probably a year.  And I know they are full of nothing but crap!  But something about the smell of hot dogs cooking on a barbecue seriously made me want one.  Of course I didn't have one, but it did smell very good.  So while everyone ate their burgers, dogs, chips and potato salad.  I took two pieces of lettuce and put a tomato and some onion in the middle, then rolled it all up and ate it like a burrito.  The picture below is my plate just before I rolled it together.  I also had a piece of watermelon and a piece of cantaloupe.  I had to say NO to so many things that I wanted, but knew I could not have.  Obviously the lettuce and tomato were not likely organic, but when you are out you have to just make the best choices that you can.

As the evening progressed, I did allot of people watching and I noticed that many people are social eaters... several of them were nibbling on chips for the majority of the four hours that we were there.  It was interesting to see.  It made me wonder if I would be doing that same thing, if I wasn't being conscious of every bite I was taking?

I had handled the evening pretty well up to this point.  I had a few temptations, but had managed to "Just Say NO"!  My husband and I were thinking of leaving when we were told "No, you can't leave until we cut the cake"... Uhg... did we have to stay for that???  No offense, but I'd rather not be around when they cut it.  It's way easier to avoid this kind of "BAD food" when it isn't right in your face!!!  Lucky me, my husband decided we should stay a little longer.

As they cake was cut and passed around, I was offered a piece about five different times.  So not only did I have to say "NO", No thank you.... "NO"... and "no" again.... but the smell of chocolate cake and frosting completely permeated the room as it was distributed (torture!!!). Twenty or so people were standing all around me, gorging on this chocolate cake.  It was absolutely the single most difficult moment of this entire past two weeks, since I started "EATING RIGHT"...  For about 15 minutes I was being completely tortured by the smell of that cake and I had to listen to everyone talk about how amazing it tasted.  Even writing about it now, my mouth is salivating... but I am doing this challenge... and I am giving it 100% of everything I can.  So I ended up eating a few grapes and I watched as everyone else indulged in that cake.  It was so NOT EASY!!!  But I can proudly say that I made it through.  Another day of success!

Until next time,
Healthy eating!

Diana

Date Night - Healthy Food Options

Last night my husband and I were talking about what we were going to do on Friday night (tonight).  For us Friday night is usually our date night.  We normally would go out to a nice dinner (usually sushi) and then we go see a movie and have movie snacks (like popcorn with an Icee and some Dibs ice cream - my favorite).  Since I have decided to do this EAT RIGHT Challenge I control everything I eat (only healthy) and I do my best not to put any chemical additives into my body.  I had to figure out how to still have our date night out, without the going out to eat part and figure out an alternative for the bad movie snacks!  

Date Night Eating Out - My Healthy Solution: Our weather is absolutely beautiful today, in fact it is supposed to be 80 degrees at 6:00 tonight.  Instead of going to a restaurant I have decided to pack a healthy picnic dinner and take a cute little picnic basket and blanket for a picnic in the park.  I am making tuna sandwiches with celery and onion bits mixed in for flavor on whole grain bread.  We will have some raw veggies on the side for crunch and then fresh sliced pineapple for a light dessert.  Then we will go to the movies.  I wanted to see Nicholas Sparks new movie "The Lucky One".  We both have read the book and loved it, so hopefully the movie will be good too!  I decided to pack/stash us a few snacks in my purse.  I am taking some raw almonds and a Ziploc bag filled with Organic Honey Nut Oats (the honey makes them a sweet crunchy snack).  Add a bottle of water to drink and we are set :)    

It's pretty easy to think of healthy alternatives, I just hope my taste buds and brain will cooperate when we walk into the movie theater and smell all that popcorn popping!!!  It will smell amazing... and once again I will have to tell myself "NO"... It's not good for me!  and remind myself that I can do this and that I will do this.  I want to eat healthy and be healthy and that is much more important than the taste of junk!

I've heard it said that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.  I don't think it's about what size we are... but rather "Nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels"!  But don't get me wrong, I imagine skinny would feel pretty good too (hehe)... I'm just not there yet.  Maybe someday :)

Until next time,
Healthy eating!

Diana

Weight Loss Update & Lessons Learned

All of this eating healthy is paying off in more ways than one!!!  I am finding that organic foods definitely taste better, I have more energy, and the scale has actually become my friend (which it hasn't been in a long long time).  As of today I have officially Lost 6 Pounds... Woopwoop!!!  Yippee, Hooray... I love seeing the progress!  Although my intention was never weight loss, but rather getting healthy and feeling as good as I could.  The weight loss is a major major plus and I find it is helping to keep me totally motivated!

The picture to the right is not me and that scale definitely does not reflect my weight... In fact it's not even close!!! But I can dream, right?   That is like a supermodels weight.  I think that may have been my weight in maybe middle school, but it is unrealistic and I don't really want to be a waif.  I just liked the picture of the scale :)

It is my desire to get healthy while eating organic and whole foods.  While doing this my body will naturally get to the weight that it is comfortable at.  I do not have a specific goal weight and I am not starving myself.  In fact, in addition to my three healthy meals a day, my snacking has become more often and I am liking a little variety in my snack foods.  I am now snacking on more than just carrots!  I have added raw green beans, raw almonds (just a handful), and cherry tomatoes, also tangerines and strawberries (which are great for a sweet tooth).  I don't eat these snacks all at the same time, but I make sure that when I feel hungry, I grab one (or two) and I'm good to go.  I no longer go around feeling hungry all day.

I know from past experience that the worst thing you can do is go hungry.  When your body is overly hungry it goes into starvation mode.  When you don't eat something every four hours, (except during sleep), your body will hoard any calories that you put into it, and rather than burning those calories it stores them as fat.  If your body doesn't know or can't trust that you will be eating again in a few hours, it will go into this mode.  It is important to eat something every four hours to keep the furnace burning, so to speak.  You have to put fuel in the fire to make it burn.  Your body is like a furnace and it needs some fuel to properly burn.  Just remember to always choose "good fuel" each time you eat!

I found out that asparagus, broccoli and spinach can all be eaten in large quantities.  You can pretty much eat them as much as you want.  Since they are all super low in calories, you body actually burns them pretty much just by chewing.  So they are pretty much a free food and super healthy too.  However, remember if you aren't used to a bunch of fiber, eating so many "whole foods" with all of this fiber will totally regulate your bathroom trips!!!  TMI???  Maybe, but it's so true.  Lots of fiber = lots of "cleaning out".  This probably plays a huge part in my weight loss (LOL)...  

We have all heard that we should eat our fruits and veggies every day.  But I really had no idea how many benefits there are from each one of these veggies.  I learned a bit more about their amazing benefits from Wikipedia (see below).  

Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B₆, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium, as well as chromium.

Broccoli is high in vitamin C, as well as dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane and small amounts of selenium. A single serving provides more than 30 mg of Vitamin C and a half-cup provides 52 mg of Vitamin C.

Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A(and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B₂, calcium, potassium, vitamin B₆,folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach.

So far my journey is going very well.  I admit, I still think about sushi, which I am not eating since I like all of the sauces and many fancy rolls with the white rice and other goodies they put inside.  I have not given it up forever, in fact I look forward to rewarding myself with a sushi dinner at my favorite restaurant at the end of my 60 day Challenge.  However, I do plan to "Eat Right" as a way of life, with only an occasional treat (maybe one a week as a reward).  Those occasional rewards will not start until my 60 day journey is complete.  

This is by far the most will power I have ever had in my life!  So far so good...  And I keep telling myself, one day at a time, I can do this... I will do this.  (Oh, and I pray for help daily!)

Blessings,

Diana

Healthy Sandwich Idea

My absolute favorite sandwich is avocado, sprouts and cheese!!!  My daughter who is also eating healthy and also doing the 60 Challenge, sends me pictures of her meals.  I love that she added spinach to my favorite sandwich and she also found an organic multi whole grain bread with flax seed.  She used mustard as her only condiment.
 
Myself, during this challenge I am skipping the cheese.  Surprisingly, I don't miss it like I thought I would.  Since she is young and doesn't need to lose weight, she can handle the extra  calories!  She did an amazing job on this sandwich!  It looks so yummy :)

Avocado, Sprouts, Cheese and Spinach Sandwich on Whole Grain.

Challenge Eat Right - Day 6 & 7

I am now one week into this challenge and eating healthy is getting much easier.  I find I am not craving the "bad stuff" nearly like I was the first few days.  Over the weekend I incorporated a few new foods into my diet.  I got some organic yogurt, which tastes amazing when I cut up fresh strawberries and mix them together.  This weekend, I picked up some fresh green beans, asparagus, broccoli and zucchini, in addition to more avocado (my favorite), chives, carrots, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and spinach.  I've found that fresh green beans make a great snack when eaten raw.  They are quite sweet and because they are crisp they make a great replacement for the potato chips I used to eat with a sandwich at lunch.  I had a tuna sandwich on whole grain bread with cut up celery and onion mixed in with the tuna.  Then  add raw carrots and green beans on the side...  Delicious.

Saturday we visited an organic produce farm/orchard where they let you taste samples of everything before you purchase it.  The tangerines are so sweet and juicy that they taste like candy.  The apples are amazing and my friends daughter even loved their lemons.  I would never just bite into a lemon, but I did buy some since I enjoy drinking my water with a slice of lemon in it.  They also have local honey, organic peanut butter, almond butter and several jams and preserves that are all made fresh, without preservatives.  My husband loves their jams and blackberry and boysenberry syrups.

I thought I would share a few of the pictures we took Saturday while we were in Oak Glen, California.  Although it has only a little to do with eating right, it was such a joy I thought I would share several of the pictures.  This area is about a half an hour from our home.  We've been here several times, but never when it snowed.  Here in Southern California we really don't get much snow.  This day was an awesome surprise.  Our weather was in the 70's two days prior to this snow.  Needless to say, this snow won't last very long, but it is so much fun for the short time it is here!

We had friends visiting from Orange County and this was only their second time to Oak Glen, so it was a perfect day to visit and play in the snow, without the hassles of travel, tire chains or crowds :)  Oh, and the fruit and veggies at Mom's Orchards were amazing too!!!

Oak Glen is a quaint little town in the mountains just above Yucaipa California.  It is made up of mostly apple orchards where you can "Pick Your Own" during season, and also make your own cider at a few of the orchards.  It's kind of like visiting wine county, only it's apple cider country :)  There are a few cute gift shops (most open year round), a couple of small restaurants (most with good food & most of the food in the area is made from scratch).  There is also a small petting zoo, which is actually pretty big.  For a $3 fee you can both feed the different animals and stroll down a long meandering paths.  They have just about every kind of farm animal...  from peacocks, turkeys, goats, horses, pigs, sheep, to several others I can't think of right now.  Many are caged, but their is an area where you can go in with the animals (if you like that sort of thing).

 We got hot apple cider from Los Rios Rancho Apple Farm and it was perfect as we played out in the cold.

 I, Diana, am on the left and one of my best friends, Karey is on the right... We have been friends for about 19 years and this is the first time we've ever been in the snow together... Total winter wonderland, would make a great postcard!!!

My husband and my friends daughter first had snowball fights and then built a snow man...  

If you are ever in the area, I definitely recommend a visit.  Don't forget to go to Mom's Country Orchards and try all of the organic fruits.  Obviously the fruits available depend on what is in season, but they always have something great and they are super friendly too :)

Until next time...
Healthy eating!

Diana

Wonderful Breakfast Idea

My daughter sent me this picture of her breakfast.  I think I definitely need to try this.  It looks so good!  It is whole grain oatmeal with apple slices and fresh blueberries.... Yummy :)

I can't believe she got this great of a picture from her i-Phone.

I would love to receive pictures of your healthy meals from anyone who is doing this challenge or who is eating healthy.  If you can include what is in your dish or a recipe, I would really appreciate it and might post it here on my blog.  You can send pictures and/or healthy recipes to ChallengeEatRight@gmail.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Healthy eating!


Diana

Healthy Foods That Make You Feel Full

Here is some very helpful information that I found on healthy foods that help you to feel full longer:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate which takes longer to digest — hence it releases energy slowly, keeping you feeling full for longer. It also keeps blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. Oatmeal is the most satisfying breakfast cereal, providing more protein per serving than any other grain. 

Almond and Walnuts

Raw, unsalted nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, provide essential roughage, protein, fat, minerals and micronutrients. Munching on handfuls of these nuts keeps you full and energetic for longer without adding to your waistline.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and sardines contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which, besides lowering cholesterol, also hasten the metabolism rate. Omega-3 fatty acids alter the level of leptin — a hormone that directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. Fish also provides ample protein.

Low-Fat Dairy Products

Skimmed milk, low fat cheese and yogurt are a good source of calcium, which helps break down fat cells. Some studies indicate that not getting enough calcium may trigger the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage.

Citrus Fruits

Fruits such as grapefruit, lemon, sweet lime, papaya, guava and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and fibre. Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster and also stimulates the amino acid known as carnitine — carnitine speeds up the body's fat-burning capacity. Citrus fruits also have high water content and provide around 50 to 75 kcal, leaving us satiated for a longer period of time.

Green Vegetables

Spinach, asparagus and broccoli have a high thermic effect on the body and a low calorie density. This means that it's almost impossible for them to be stored as fat because most of their calories are burned off in the digestion process. Apart from that, the fiber in these foods provides roughage and contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help you feel full.

Apples

High water content and ample fibre is the reason why you feel full after eating an apple. An apple's skin contains pectin soluble fibre that is a natural appetite suppressant. 

Beans

Beans are high in fiber and a good source of protein. They also take longer to digest, making you feel full for a longer time. Also, protein has the highest satiety index (which determines how long will you feel full) than any other element.

Whole grains 

High in fiber, take longer to digest making you feel fuller for a long time.  Studies show that eating whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases.  (I will post more on the many benefits of eating whole grains in the future).

Other Good Information:

Whole Wheat Pasta

Pasta has a bad reputation as a source of lots of empty calories, but that mainly refers to white flour pasta. "Health" magazine suggests whole grain pastas because they contain up to 300 percent more stomach-filling fiber, often with 200 calories or less in every 1/2 cup serving.

Brown Rice

Reading "unrefined brown rice" on a label means that the fiber and nutrients of the grain are still in tact. Not to mention it's high in vitamin B, magnesium, and fiber.

Lunch Suggestion - Meat & Whole Grain Sandwich

The Mayo Clinic recommends pairing a lean meat, such as poultry, with whole grain bread as a nutrient-dense yet low-calorie lunch. This will help you "feel full longer," reports the clinic. Boost its health factor by adding extra fiber like dark green, leafy vegetables and a side of fresh fruit for dessert.

(Article Sources:  LiveStrong.com; TimesofIndia.com; MayoClinic.com; RealBeauty.com, WholeGrainsCouncil)

Challenge Eat Right - Day 5

This morning I got on the scale to see if all of this healthy eating was having any effect on my weight.  I admit I could stand to lose like 25 or 30 pounds.  Although my intent for my Challenge to Eat Right is more for health reasons than to specifically lose weight, I still figured it would help me drop a few pounds.  Well, get this, I've actually already lost 3 pounds.  Yippee... hooray... jumping for joy :)  I don't expect to lose weight this easily every week but this weight loss is definitely an added bonus!  

Today's Meals - 

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon
• Lunch - Boiled Chicken, Organic Quinoa (grain) boiled in Organic Chicken Broth (instead of water), with pineapple slices, Water to drink
• Snack - Spinach Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Chives & Vinaigrette Dressing, also a Handful of Raw Almonds
• Dinner - Organic 2 Egg Omelette with Onions, Mushrooms, & Garlic Salt for seasoning

I've been researching foods that make you feel full.  Oatmeal, Almonds, Whole Grains and Spinach are a few that I came across that are supposed to help.  Tomorrow I will share in detail the entire list of foods I found for feeling full and the reasons why these foods make us feel full longer.  Today eating a few of them has helped me.  I don't find myself feeling as hungry in between meals.

Until next time,

Healthy eating!!!

Diana

Challenge Eat Right - Day 4

Today, Day 4 of my challenge to eat right, was probably the easiest day so far.  I've had far less cravings for junk and it was definitely easier to make good choices.  The most difficult part is probably that I feel hungry more often then I want to.  I am getting enough calories, but I need to find foods that make me "feel full".

In the past when I felt hungry I would just find something to eat (pretty much whatever sounded good).  I was not a compulsive eater or an over-eater, but I did eat whatever I wanted during my meals or for a snack.  I've been eating baby carrots daily as a snack these past few days, but since I get bored after a handful of them, I just stop eating.  Now, if I could eat a big bowl of ice cream I would completely finish it, no matter what, because it tasted so darn good.  I know I shouldn't say that, but it's totally true!  No, I am not eating Ice Cream, but I can dream can't I?   Hmmmm Carrots = boring, Ice Cream = YUM.  Anyways, now that I am trying to eat only healthy foods, I find I am eating just enough to get by for the nourishment, rather than enjoying the heck out of what I'm eating.  I hope that makes sense! I'm not complaining, it's just an observation.  Well, maybe I'm complaining a little bit :)  During the past four days, no matter how many carrots I eat, I just don't feel full and I find I am completely bored eating carrots.  

I guess I feel like I am missing the joy of eating and now I am just eating for fuel.  I know, that is what food is supposed to be to our body.... FUEL.  And in order for a car to be in tip top shape, you should put only good fuel into it.  In concept, I totally understand this!  Now, if I could just get my taste buds to cooperate!!!  

I definitely need to work on finding foods and seasonings that help me to truly enjoy what I am eating and have it be healthy at the same time.  I also need to get some more variety in my food choices.  I need to visit my local health food store this weekend and see if I can't find some organic things that I can enjoy in place of things like ice cream :)

Day 4 Meals:

• Breakfast - Organic Honey Nut Oat Cereal, Organic Milk
• Lunch -  A cup of Organic Turkey & Whole Wheat Noodle Soup with Veggies, A Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Cucumber, Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Onion (Yogurt Honey Mustard Dressing)
• Snack - Baby Carrots
• Dinner - Organic 2 Egg Omelette with lots of Mushrooms, Onions, Garlic and Avocado on Top

My husband, Jim, made me the wonderful omelette tonight and I must say it was the absolute best thing I've eaten in the past few days.  I loved the garlic and avocado on it! Yum :)

Until next time...

Diana

Challenge Eat Right - Day 3

It is now day 3.  This was an interesting day and it had the most challenges  that I've had to face  so far. The first half of the day was normal and my eating right was pretty easy.  When It came time for dinner, we were away from home and it was much harder to make wise decisions.  Below you can see what I had to do and how I coped with it.

Day 3 - Menu

• Breakfast - Organic Oatmeal, added raisins, cinnamon and water
• Lunch -  Tuna & Alfalfa Sprouts on whole wheat bread, a few potato chips on the side (ingredients in the chips: potato, canola oil, salt)
• Snack - Baby Carrots and Handful of Raw Almonds.
• Dinner - This is where things got tricky.  My food dilemma of the day was to control myself and only chose items that were healthy that had a less likelihood of having crud in them.  Since we were at a charity event away from home, dinner at home was not an option.  We were at the event for five hours and I had to eat something.  Dinner and desserts were both being served.  I had to eat a little something, but I had to make wise choices.  In the early part of the evening people were walking around with hor d'oeurve platters offering a variety of tasty bites to everyone.  So many of them looked amazing, but I knew I had to pass.  One of the servers came up to my husband and I and offered her item to us.  It had feta cheese and onion inside of bread.  She said "just try it, it's healthy and it's like only one calorie... yeah right!  I know better!!  Nothing is only one calorie!  But my husband tasted it, and he said it was amazing.  He said it's just cheese and onion, just try one. Yeah, with a little bread, okay okay just one.  It was a tiny bite size morsel of amazing tasting goodness.  So, I had just one more... two all together.   So now, I'm feeling a little guilty.  I knew the cheese thing wasn't totally on my Eat Right Plan, since i'm trying to truly eat whole foods.  The cheese and crackers was definitely pushing it, but not a total failure, it was my splurge for the night.  As the dinner was set up as a buffet we got to go through the line and choose what we wanted.  I had a couple pieces of fresh salmon sashimi (they were rolled up to look like little roses) and they tasted teriffic.  Next I got a small piece of beef tenderloin and a small piece of turkey breast,  I skipped the fufu salads because I had no way of knowing what had gone into them. I grabbed a few wheat crackers and some guda cheese.  I figured I'd cut up my meat, put it on a cracker with a dab of cheese... and it worked.  It actually tasted very good.  There was a  Carpaccio platter and a tempura bar where they had all sorts of vegetables battered with tempura and dipping sauces.  I admit I love tempura, and I wanted some, but I passed on it.  My meal was completed with a handful of grapes.

All was going pretty well, right until they put out the dreaded dessert table.  I had to at least look at them... and I counted eight different desserts.  No cheap little desserts that are easy to pass on, but real decadent amazing desserts.  There were three different chocolate desserts and I wish I could have tried every one!  There was also a lemon bar of some kind, a cheesecake dessert, chocolate covered strawberries and a couple of others.  My husband ate each of the desserts and proceeded to tell me what he thought of each one.  He tells me, "The fudge brownie was really good but that chocolate fudge cake pop with the gooey melted chocolate inside is amazing... He said it was AMAZING... So not fair!  Him talking about that did get my tastebuds going quite a bit.  My mouth was wattereing like crazy and I wanted it, but I said NO.  (Thank you Lord for giving me the willpower to say NO, because I know, that in and of myself I couldn't do that on my own!).  I  drank a bottle of water instead and just watched him eat all of those calories.  I admit I was tempted, but I was able to resist.

One day at at time, step by step, I can and I will do this!

Until next time,
Healthy Eating!

Diana

My First Food DILEMMA - Day 3

Tonight I will encounter my first real food dilemma.  My husband and I are attending a Charity Event at a large private residence in Palm Springs.  We are leaving our home at 3:00 in the afternoon to do some exploring around the city before the event starts.  In the car I will take a little bag of carrots and a Ziploc bag with a handful of raw almonds so I have a snack when I need it.  (Note - Raw Almonds are a good source of protein and fiber)

Events like this are not something we normally do, but tonight we are.  Food (dinner) and drinks are being served and I have to figure out how to not be rude and still balance my "eat right challenge".  I prefer to always eat what I prepare so I know exactly what I am eating, but in this case I will be attempting to be very very selective at what I choose to eat.  The drink choice will be easy, I will drink only water.  As for food, I can't exactly bring my own meal for their chef to prepare (I wish), but I am hopeful that they have healthy options, maybe vegetables and a green salad without dressing.  If I get lucky, maybe fresh fruit will be an option for dessert :)

The hardest part will be seeing a bunch of decadent desserts dripping with chocolate and foods that I love pass me by.  I'm pretty sure I will be salivating like a dog when I see any sweets.  I will need to say a prayer each time I see something I want to eat but I can't have.  I need to figure out how to teach myself that those foods only provide temporary pleasure, but in reality they give me long term pain (pain in terms of the way I feel and extra weight)  Eat Healthy = Feel Great vs. Eat Bad = Feel Bad.  


I need some major WILLPOWER tonight!  Lord, please help me stay strong and make smart choices when it comes to my eating, Amen.  Whatever happens, it will be hard, but I am determined to make smart choices, the best I can given the circumstances.

I will let you all know what I end up eating at this event.

Until next time...
Healthy eating!

Diana