Reading, learning and rediscovering

Every day is an opportunity to learn.  We are constantly learning.  Learning helps us grow, expand horizons, meet mew people, try new things and so much more.  In reality, we never can learn everything, there will always be something new.

This has been my life in the last few weeks.  

As you may recall, I recently found out that I have 22 trigger foods that have been wrecking havoc on my stomach and intestines, are potentially the cause of my headaches, fatigue and so much more!  I think I have read more food labels in the last 2 weeks than I have in my entire life.

Don't get me wrong, I read food labels before, but never like I do now!  Before I would take a quick scan of the ingredients, but my focus usually was more on the fat, calories, protein and carbs in anything I was considering buying.  Now, I am literally reading each and every ingredient on the label, trying to decipher what some things are, contemplating if it is "safe" for me to eat!

This weekend, I finally tackled the project of going through the pantry and cupboards to sort out what I could eat from what was now fair game for the rest of the family to enjoy.  Everything that contained Milk, almonds, cheese, onions, pineapple and more was set on one side of the table. Everything that was free of all trigger foods was placed on the other side of the table.

In the end, there was definitely more on the right side (avoid side) of the table than the left.  Wow!  No wonder why I feeling the way that I was, if I was eating so many of these foods on the "avoid" side of the table daily!  

How much of it was I eating?  just to give you an example:

Breakfast most mornings was a shake mixed with Chocolate Almond Milk, a milk based shake mix and either a banana or pineapple.  I have since learned that Milk (most Dairy) is a trigger, as are almonds and pineapple!

Now I am replacing my shake mix with a dairy free version and sticking with bananas, strawberries or other fruit!

Lunch was usually leftovers... this particular day, it was baked salmon (now on the list of avoid foods) and green beans (another avoid food!). Yes, I will miss as my salmon and

Shrimp and crab, but I still have scallops and a few other varieties of fish I can enjoy!

In the two weeks that I have been working to eliminate these trigger foods, I feel better, sleep better most nights and am starting to see higher energy levels.  Oh yeah, and I have not had any migraines!

I have also had to stop and think more about what I am feeding my body.  I have gone back to some of my favorite recipes, some of which I have not made in a long time, played with them to see what I could do to tweak them, to fit in the new diet

One of those recipes that I went back to, was my favorite chicken salad recipe!

A few years ago, I posted the recipe for this here and figured that it was time to share it again.. with a few modifications!

This light, summer chicken salad, in its original formula, was made with almond butter.  Since I can't have the almond butter anymore, I opted to make it now with cashew butter!  

What a game changer!  

Shredded chicken (perfect way to use up that leftover rotisserie chicken!), granny smith apples, grapes, cashew butter and honey!

The perfect blend of sweet and crunchy to go with the chicken!

Pure yum!

Yes, I am still learning what I can easily grab to eat when I need a quick snack or am making dinner.  I will continue to work on finding modified recipes for some of the family favorites that right now, I can't make in the same way that I did before... Chili without onions, kidney beans and cheese, just is not the same.   Same goes for sloppy joes and meatloaf.

Yes, this is a tough journey, but I know that it will be worth it in the end!  The next few months might be tough and I will miss my pizza, but if, in the end, it means that I am healthier, have more energy and can avoid the headaches, it will be worth it!  Your health is more important!

Now, time to scour the internet for dinner tomorrow!

21 Day sugar Detox complete!

They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit... coincidence that this sugar detox is 21 days?  I think not! Could you go 21 days with no sugar?  This means ALL sugar (with the exception of a few fruits), grains, processed foods and a whole lot more

The day after we came back from Women Rock Chicago weekend, I started my 21 day Sugar Detox adventure.  I knew it was not going to be easy but I also knew that it was something that I needed to do!  Here is what I found out over the last 21 days...

Day 1 - Since I didn't get back from Chicago until late last night, food options were limited for today but I made due with what I had and made it through the day!  Microwaved eggs in a cup were my lifesaver this morning with a little steak added in for good measure!  Who doesn't love steak and eggs for breakfast!

Day 4 - definitely irritable.  unfortunately my 16 year old son was the recipient of the irritability after I got home from gym after work.  Not his fault that I was irritable and I felt bad that I took it out on him.  Trying to plan ahead for the next few days as I was going to be traveling.  Wanted to make sure that I had plan approved foods and snacks so that is was not so tempting to just stop and grab something quick

Day 5 - Long day, but the planned snacks helped!  Dinner was definitely non-conversational but it worked.  Hard boiled eggs, bacon and baby carrots in the hotel room!

Day 6 - Long day, on my feet working a race expo.  So thankful that I can still have my EnergyBits, as they were really needed to help with keeping away the hungries today!  Lunch again was quick , but still managed to stick to my plan for the day! Pumpkin pancakes and bacon are really not that bad cold!

Egg bake breakfast!

Day 7 - Color Run morning, walking with friends, followed by a brunch buffet.  It would tough figuring out exactly what I could have.  I know brunch was not perfect, but I walked away from the buffet without touching the cheesy hash browns that I love, skipping the dessert table and no pancakes or waffles!  Thank goodness for carved meats and chicken, as well as a build your own omelette station!

Day 8 - Monday morning was not working with me!  With the busy weekend (race expo, lots of driving, plus a color run and grocery shopping), even tho I was asleep my 9pm, my body did not want to get out of bed this morning!  Thankfully I did at least some prep last night and had my egg bake waiting in the fridge!

Day 9 - Did ok all day, including figuring out options at the Boy Scout potluck that we had... but got home and to fend off the munchies, I grabbed a few tortilla chips and hummus...  oops!  But I guess that was better than the chocolate torte looking dessert that was staring at me earlier.  (I actually learned later that it was a s'mores dessert, not a chocolate torte so the middle layer that I thought was vanilla pudding was actually marshmallow fluff!  So now I don't feel like I missed anything as the marshmallow fluff doesn't even sound good right now)

sweet potato with bacon and ghee

Day 13 - this morning was the first run I had since starting this program.  I purposely waited until after the Women Rock Half Marathon to start my 21 days, but with my run calendar, it was impossible to avoid all races.  Today was the 5K Run for the Hill of it race out at Bairds Creek.  I ran this last year so I was familiar with the course and the terrain.  My overall pace was comparable to last year (last years course was a bit short so they added some distance to it this year to make it the correct length).  This morning, just a banana and EnergyBits to get me through... and then eggs and (uncured) bacon when I got home!

Day 14 - I really have to say that I have been feeling pretty good through the last 2 weeks!  I really have not had any huge cravings, even though by bag of chocolates from Chicago is still sitting on my night stand.  1 week to go!  Thankfully the family has been supportive of what I have been making for dinner.  There have been a few things that John has suggested for dinner that will have to wait, so I guess next week, we will be having French Onion soup for dinner one night!

Day 19 - I caved tonight!  We were volunteering at the Annual CP Center Auction and the appetizers that the servers were bringing around the room looked too amazing to pass up.  Did learn real quick tho - skip the meatballs, not worth it!  However the grilled chicken skewers were awesome!  The Bruschetta was awesome too, Yes I did have some and it was worth it!  Everything in moderation!

We made it!


Things I learned:
1.  I really don't drink a lot of coffee anymore, but for the first time in years, I can honestly say that I don't miss the flavored creamers etc in it!  I now am convinced that I can take it black, but on occasion I will add some almond milk or coconut milk/cream, just to change it up a little!

2. I really did not miss the sweets.  I picked up a small package of donuts for the guys on Sunday when I was grocery shopping and I really never had the desire to even eat part of one!

3.  At the end of 21 days, I splurged.  Not over the top, but enough that I realized really quick that I need to keep the sugar in check.  Natural sugars in fruit etc is one thing, but chocolate and breads are not my friend!  I was so tired, exhausted to the point that I felt like I needed to sleep for 3 days!

4.  There were several recipes that I tried that are going to make it into the normal rotation of meals (the Ginger Beef with Broccoli and the Buffalo Shrimp were huge winners!) and there were a few that I will never make again (sorry, the mini meatloaf's were NOT received well by my family and no one even wanted to eat the leftovers!)

Summary:

It was not perfect.  I had some slip ups, ate a few things that I should not have, and yes I had a few beers.  In the end, I am glad that I did it!  I proved to myself that I don't NEED the sweets, breads, and other processed stuff that I cut out in the last 3 weeks.  Yes, I missed my Spark in the morning, but that was about the only thing I really missed!

This morning I re-did measurements at the gym and I was happy with the results!
Down a total of about 3 inches between my chest, waist and hips and 3.8 pounds!!  I will take it.

 Aside from that, I feel great and am ready to roll!  I loved the extra energy that I seemed to have and am going to continue with avoiding processed foods when I can, limiting sugar to only natural sugars and trying new recipes!

Are you addicted to sugar?

I challenge you to 21 days!  You can do it and you won't be disappointed!

Avocado, Not just for guacamole anymore!

Avocado Fudge?

Yes please!

I am sure that, if you are anything like me, when you hear fudge, Healthy is not a word that comes to mind.  Most of the time, I think I get a sugar headache just from looking at fudge!  I do not eat a lot of sweets anymore, but once in a while you just need to keep it real!  Yes, I still have my favorites that I splurge on from time to time, but keeping it in moderation is key.  

SO, back to this fudge...  A few months ago, I was cruising the internet, trying to find a few new recipes to try.  I had about 4 avocado's sitting in my kitchen that I needed to use up before they were too ripe.  When I first came across this fudge recipe, I will admit, I was skeptical.  Chocolate and Avocado Fudge?  Together?  Admit it, when you read those avocado and fudge together, you thought it was a typo.  Would someone really mix THOSE two things together?  Not really sure about that combination myself, but I like both, so why not give it a try.  Worst case scenario?  I have a 16 year old that will eat just about anything! 

I originally found the recipe at Activeware.com and I have made it twice now, trying out different brands of chocolate each time.  Other than that, I have kept with the original recipe, but I am sure that over time I will tweak it a bit and make it my own!  Best thing?  ok, there are many awesome things about this recipe, but the fact that it only has 4 ingredients is a huge plus in my book!

The creaminess of the avocado blends perfectly with the chocolate to create the perfect balance of sweetness.  Several people that I have tried it did not believe me that there really was avocado in it!

Ingredients:
*2 very ripe avocado's (only 1 if you are not frosting your fudge)
*9oz dark chocolate
*1 Tablespoon coconut oil
*1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions:
Line an 8x8 or comparable size pan with parchment paper (or plastic wrap), leaving plenty hanging over the sides (this will come in handy later!)

Slice one of the avocado's in half, scoop out the insides from each half into a food processor.  Process the avocado until it's smooth, about 30 seconds or so.  If you don't have a food processor, you can do this part by hand, it just takes longer (or you can just have small chucks of avocado in your fudge - yes I have done this before! It still tastes great)

Scrape the avocado into a double boiler and add the chocolate and coconut oil and set this aside. Put water in the lower pan of your double boiler and bring to a simmer.  Once the water reaches a simmer, put the top pan on and get ready to see it all come together!

Stir the ingredients together until everything melts and is smooth (about 5 minutes).  Once everything is completely melted, continue stirring for another 5 minutes while everything starts to thicken.

Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the vanilla, stir and scrape everything into your prepared pan.

Chill in fridge for a few hours (or until firm enough to eat - you won't want to wait 3 hours for this!).

Once your fudge is firmed up and set, pull it out of the pan using the excess parchment that you left hanging over the edges.  Cut into desired pieces and enjoy!  This last time I made it, I added a bit of coarse sea salt to the fudge before serving.  

Frosting: (optional)
cut the 2nd avocado in half, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash to your desired consistency.  

I will admit that I have never actually frosted this fudge.  Maybe one of these days I might actually do that, but so far I have just been enjoying the smooth creamy sweetness of these squares of pure heaven!

Enjoy! But beware... a batch of this disappears faster than something in a David Copperfield show!

What I Ate Wednesday vol2

Time again for WIAW (What I ate Wednesday)!

Like I said last week, with all the miles and Renegade workouts, I really do eat a lot. Which is good for me, because I do like food!  Over the last few months, after I really made the big changes in what I eat, I have eliminated many things, but I have also found quite a few new foods and/or recipes that have become staples in my diet.  Over the next few weeks I will start sharing a few of these each week with you.

Today, it will only be one recipe, as I forgot to take the necessary picture for the other recipes that I wanted to share with you... oops!

The first recipe that I felt I needed to share is one of my new favorite "un"sandwiches...  who said you NEED bread for a sandwich?  Ok, most people will say that you do, but something does not have to have bread to make is a sandwich!  In reality, the bread is just a way to keep everything together so that you can get the "filling" to your mouth!  This summer summer chicken salad utilizes a lettuce leaf to transport the fillings from plate to mouth!  Genius!

Paleo Chicken Salad Summer Wrap

I found this recipe here at EasyPaleoMeals.org and after trying this one, you can be sure that I will be going back to try more of the recipes posted there!  "Boring" plain chicken is transformed into a fun, flavorful chicken salad that brings you back to feelings of warm summer days - and after the extreme cold temperatures that we have dealt with this winter, I will do anything to think warm!

*1/2 cup chopped chicken
*3 tbsp chopped Fuji apples
*2 tbsp chopped red grapes
*2 tsp honey
*2 tbsp almond butter

Mix ingredients together and wrap into a Romaine leaf

I have made this so many times that I honestly don't even measure anything anymore! I just chop up as much chicken as I have available, then eyeball the amount of everything so that I have a nice colorful mix.

You do have to be patient when mixing everything together as it does take a while for the almond butter and honey to soften, or "melt" enough to adequately coat everything else.  But trust me, it's worth the wait!

I also usually don't even bother with "wrapping" it in a lettuce leaf - I use the romaine leaf to make a boat for all of this chicken yumminess! for that matter, sometimes I don't even bother with the lettuce wrap and just eat it straight from the bowl!

ENJOY!