GETTING BACK ON TRACK!

Moving Forward!

 

I have seven months until my 50th birthday so I've set in motion my plan to get

my Healthy Habits & Weight Loss Plan back on track.

 

About a month ago God gave me the idea to add the following components to my plan:  spiritual diet and spiritual exercise. I presented the ideas to the other members of Healthy Habits and each of us have begun incorporating them into our Healthy Habits Plan (HH Plan). Although our approach to weight loss and healthy habits resemble in many ways we are wives and mothers at varying stages of life with different health issues and weight loss goals, therefore our HH Plan and the way inwhich we implement the spiritual diet and exercise components will vary. 

Over the next 12 months I look forward to blogging about how I implement the ideas I receive from God and my Healthy Habit friends.

Here's what I'm working on:
 
*finalizing ideas for what I believe will be a Healthy Habits & Weight Loss Plan most effective for helping me reach my goals which now includes a spiritual diet and spiritual exercise component 
 
*a recipe notebook - a 3 ring binder with printouts from the internet, copies of recipes from magazines (I love Cooking Light), etc that include calorie content along with other nutritional information (this idea is from HH member - Renee)
 
*3x5 file box with nutritional information of most frequently use foods and recipes written on index cards (this idea is from HH member - Patti)
 
*new format for my HH Journal
 
*an effective system for meal planning and preparation (the area of my plan where I struggle the most)
 
*well rounded exercise plan that includes cardio, strength training, balance and flexibility that can be done at home, at a gym or while on vacation

Having fun while on my way to accomplishing my goals!

Trina

 

100 Days of Weight Loss - Check in Day 10 - Patti

This is day 10 of our 100 Days of Weight Loss Challenge. 

Unless the scale is lying I've lost 4 pounds! Yeah!

I've identified 3 problem area that I've been working on and will continue to keep in check.

1. Late night eating. I tend to gravitate to the kitchen for a snack even though I'm not really hungry.
2. Allowing what other people eat influence my eating.
3.  I don't plan ahead for times when I'll be away from home. 

This is what I'm doing to change these behaviors:

1. After dinner I immediately go and brush and floss my teeth. I also have a healthy snack planned for the nights I just can't resist. (Fruit or a green drink works well)
2. This is most difficult for me. I'm practicing saying no (in a nice way) when others are eating or want to eat something that I don't want to eat or I shouldn't eat. I was very proud of myself for not giving in to a sausage biscuit the other morning since I'd already eaten my breakfast.:-)
3. I'm trying to take the time to fix a lunch or snack to take with me when I leave the house. Or I at least make a plan for where I'll be eating when I'm out and about. (Subway is probably the best for me although the other day when it was raining I ended up going to the drive through at Arbys because I didn't want to get wet:-( Gotta plan better!

I'm happy with this 100 Day Challenge. The lessons are short and really do make me think about what I'm doing and why. 

100 Days of Walking

I'm also walking everyday and posting over at Give It 100. Check it out and start your own 100 day project. If you follow me I'll follow you.

What can you accomplish in 100 days? Challenge yourself!

Patti 

Homemade Ginger Salad Dressing

When you eat a salad for lunch almost everyday you have to find new ways to dress it up. I was thumbing through an old issue of Redbook and came across several recipes for dressings and I thought I'd test them out.

This week I made a jar of Ginger dressing. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of oil to be added at the end but I opted to use pineapple juice instead. I like the way it turned out. It reminds me of the dressing you get at the Japanese steak house. Easy to make and even though I didn't calculate the points or calories I think it should be pretty low.

Store the dressing in a jar in the fridge and use in 2 or 3 days.

Ginger Dressing
(This can be made in a food processor but I used a blender)

5 or 6 grated carrots (you'll need about 1 1/2 cups)
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar (use less if you don't like the tart flavor)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
2 teaspoon soy sauce
Pineapple juice, unsweetened (just enough to make dressing the consistency you want) I used about 1/2 cup

I grated the carrots and ginger on a hand grater and then placed them in a blender with the rest of the ingredients (except the juice) and ran it on grind setting for a minute. The mixture may be too thick to run the blender but you can add the juice to help it along. Continue to add juice and blend until smooth and you have the consistency that's pleasing to you.

Patti

Day 1 of the 100 Day Challenge - Money Jar

Motivation and Accountability

Motivation and accountability are two things that are vital to me in reaching my goals. 

Rewards - Pebbles and $$$

To keep me motivated during this 100 day challenge I've set up a reward system. On a calendar I'll keep record of my days and give myself a sticker depending on how well or not so well I did. 

Based on the sticker I give myself each day I'm going to reward myself with $$$$$ cash! If I do well with my eating and exercise each day for 100 days I'll end up with $100 to spend however I want.

But I have to watch out because if I do bad on a day then I lose some of the cash:-(

Side note: Some people may not find it helpful to take reward money away but I've had too many bad days that I've allowed to slip by. I'm serious this time! When I have a bad day I get punished with holding on to weight and failing health. Taking money away is just a visual reminder to me. 

Visual weight loss

Two jars. One with pebbles representing the pounds I need to lose the other jar is empty. As I lose a pound a pebble will be moved to the LOST jar. By day 100 I hope to have all the pebbles moved from the to lose jar to the lost jar. 

I have my calendar, money jars and weight loss jars set up on my side of the vanity in my bathroom. This is where I start and end my day so I can't forget about it. 

Accountability 

To keep me accountable I'll be meeting with Trina and Renee once a week. At these meetings we'll share what we learned from the daily devotional. We've agreed that we will be successful! It's helpful to know that other people are depending on me just as I depend on them. 

Two are better than one. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one what falls when there is not another to life him up. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10

I've also begun a 100 day project over at  Give It 100.

You can check out my 100 day project here. I'll be walking 150 miles in 100 days. Start your own project. If you follow me I'll follow you back.

Day one of a 100 day journey!

Patti

100 Day Challenge to Lose Weight

Starting Sunday, January 19, Trina, Renee and I will be participating in a 100 day challenge.

We'll be using this book by Linda Spangle as our guide.




100 Days of Weight Loss
A Daily Motivator
The secret to being successful on any diet plan




An excerpt from the book:

Each day you will complete one mini-lesson related to some aspect of managing your weight. Then with time, you'll learn how to slip these tools into your daily routines. Eventually, just like putting on your shores or brushing your teeth, your new skills will become second nature. And when they do, you'll have found the secret to long-term success!

This concept goes hand in hand with what we've been working on this past year. Developing healthy habits to lose weight and get fit.


You can check out Linda's website Weight Loss Joy for more information on this book and her other resources.

I am excited about starting this new challenge. It's the motivation I need as well as the accountability.

Have you ever used this book? What did you think?

Patti

MY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PLAN -By Trina

My Healthy Lifestyle Plan

A number of resources were used to create this plan including - “Eat to Live, “The Conscious Cleanse”, Healthy Habits Meetings with friends Patti and Renee and various other books.

The Basics

• Eat whole foods that exist in nature
  
• Eat raw and living foods as much as possible
  
• Eat when hungry
  
• Eat foods you like and be flexible
  
• Keep it simple, and constantly experiment.
  

                                                   from The Conscious Cleanse

UNLIMITED (eat as much as you want):

All raw vegetables (goal: 1 lb. daily)

Cooked green and non-green nutrient-rich vegetables (goal: 1 lb. daily)

(non-green nutrient-rich vegetables are eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower)

Beans, legumes, bean sprouts, or *tofu (minimum 1 cup daily in total of these)

*Fresh fruit (at least 4 daily).

Spices and Herbs (except salt which can be used in limited amounts – see details below)

*Consume Vegetables and Fruits in a 3:1 ratio
*Beans should be eaten daily; tofu should be eaten less frequently or not at all.

 

LIMITED

Cooked starchy vegetables OR whole grains - soaked  

(not more than one serving or 1 cup):

(examples of starchy vegetables include butternut or acorn squash, winter squash, corn, white potatoes, sweet potato, brown rice, cooked carrots, water chestnuts, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips,yams, and pumpkins. Whole grains barley, buckwheat (kasha), millet, oats, quinoa, brown rice, and wild rice;  whole grain breads*, whole grain cereals*)

Raw nuts and seeds - soaked (1 oz. max. a day)

Avocado (2 oz. max. a day)

Dried fruit (2 Tbsp. max. per day)

Raw honey (up to 1 Tbsp. 1-2 times a week)

Ground flaxseed (1 – 2 Tbsp. a day)

Animal protein (up to 5 oz. day)

Oils and organic butter (up to 1 Tbsp. a day)

*Sea salt and Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Nut milk (up to 8 oz. a day)
Condiments: a little mustard and lower calorie, unsweetened ketchup is ok
*Avoid breads and cereals as much as possible
*Work on decreasing sea salt and Bragg's until minimal amounts are used)


OFF-LIMITS:

• dairy products
• fruit juice (except lemon and lime juice and small amounts of other juices to make salad dressings)
• sugar and artificial sweeteners

Healthy Habits:

1. Drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water (64 ounces) a day. This includes 16 oz. Dr. Berg Cranberry Drink. (“The 7 Principles of Fat Burning”)
2. Eat at least 1 lb. raw vegetables daily.
3. Make eat a conscious act/schedule eating times, and eat only when hungry,
4. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables - 14 different – during the course of a week  
   (I typically eat broccoli and/or green beans almost every evening and there are over 100 different kinds of vegetables and fruits so since vegetables and fruits will be a large portion of my diet I am pushing myself to try all that are available to me. I will try and eat vegetables and fruits from each of the following color groups on a weekly basis – red, purple/blue, orange/yellow, green, white/brown.)
   
5. Eat sitting at the table, not in front of the TV or in the car. God has given me enough time in a day to sit down and have at least 3 meals.
6. Have an eating cutoff time - 8:00 pm.
7. Make a commitment to exercise regularly! (At least 30 min. cardio or strength training days a week)
8. No TV unless I'm doing or have done my exercise.
9. Get enough sleep by going to bed by 10:20 pm nightly.
10. Eat breakfast every morning by 9:30 am

Feast Days – Day(s) when I will enjoyed food that may not be included as a part of my normal diet. (max. of 1 day a week except on special occasions then max of 2 days a week).
Guidelines:

1. Continue to drink designated amount of water and 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
   
2. Continue to eat vegetables (goal - 1 lb. of raw vegetables)
   
3. Have at least 2 fresh fruits
   
4. Journal everything I eat.
   

Thanks Patti for opening your home for our Healthy Habits meeting and all your wisdom. I love your Feast Day idea.

Thanks Renee for the laughter and all the interesting stories you bring to our meetings. Thanks for introducing me to "Eat to Live".

A list of other books I've read can be found here

Have fun now while you're on your way

to accomplishing your goals!

Trina 

A New Adventure in the Quest to Get and Stay Healthy

Middle Eastern Dance

More commonly referred to in the non Arab-Western world as

Belly Dancing!!!

Trina and I signed up for an 8 - week class at our local community school. This is a class that teaches the basic moves of the dance. 

No pictures to share right now:-) but I can tell you that I love this class!

I'm learning to move muscles I never even knew I had!

A big part of this dance is learning to isolate different muscles in the back, chest, stomach and butt. It also focuses a great deal on posture. 

We just finished our third class last night and as I sit here this morning I can really feel it in my stomach muscles!

Check out this link to see our teacher and to learn more about this type of dance...

Sahara Silk Middle Eastern Dance Ensemble

Last year at this time if someone had told me I'd be tying on a shimmy shake skirt and doing Zumba and belly dancing I'd have said they were crazy!

Out of the box and out of my comfort zone! 

I love it!

Filling the Freezer - Green Drink Ready to Blend

I try and drink a green drink or smoothie made with kale and fruit everyday. Great way to get a couple servings of veggies and a fruit or two in my diet. I find that I often can't use up the kale before it goes bad or I have fresh kale but I'm out of bananas or pineapple. I decided to package up my green drink ingredients and freeze them. That way I'll always have what I need to get my greens in for the day. 

Note: The greens seemed to give off a gassy or strong smell when I opened the bag after it had been in the freezer a week or so. It tasted fine but I just want you to be aware of the possibility.

My recipe is pretty simple...

To make two 6-8 ounce drinks I fill each quart size freezer bag with the following:

3-4 cups kale, washed and chopped 

1/2 banana

1/2 apple (peeled if it isn't organic)

1/2 cup pineapple chunks (canned in juice or fresh)

1/2 cup pineapple juice or a combination of water and juice

(If you don't want to use juice just eliminate it from the bag. Add water to the blender when you're ready to make the drink.)

-you can substitute any fruit you like-

Prep

Wash, peel and core the apple (unless it's organic then I don't peel) 

Cut the apple and banana in to chunks.

Drain the pineapple juice in to a measuring cup.

Layer the apple, banana and pineapple chunks in the bottom of a freezer bag. 

Pour the juice over the fruit. (This will keep the fruit from turning brown.)

Stuff the kale in the bag and close it up. 

Each bag contains 1/2 apple, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup pineapple
chunks, 1/2 cup juice and about 3 cups kale.  This make
two servings of 6-8 ounces each. I drink one with breakfast and
one for an afternoon snack. 

TIP
To remove the air insert a clean straw into the bag. Close the bag around the straw. Suck the air out of the bag. Quickly remove the straw and close the bag. Not quite the same as a Food Saver but does a pretty good job.

Place the bags in the freezer and use within one month.

To use put 1 cup of water in a blender and add the frozen ingredients. Blend to desired consistency.
You may need to add more water or juice to your liking.
If your blender can't handle the frozen fruit  and liquid you may need to defrost the bag first.

Defrost over night in the fridge or allow the bag to sit in a bowl of water for about and hour until defrosted enough to blend.

It feels good knowing that I won't be throwing out any more kale. 

Enjoy!

Patti

Joining other health seekers at:

Holiday Battle of the Bulge

Today's Healthy Habit Meeting Recap - Dealing With Stress

At our last Healthy Habit meeting we talked about stress. 

Stress

Stress can effect every area of our lives. Physical, emotional, mental, our relationships, etc. Stress is a known factor in obesity and many health issues.

Stress can save us in a life and death situation but it can also kill us in the everyday.

I found this article Stress Symptoms, Signs and Causes and the information was eye opening to me.

From the above article.
"The body doesn’t distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When you’re stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, your body reacts just as strongly as if you were facing a life-or-death situation. If you have a lot of responsibilities and worries, your emergency stress response may be “on” most of the time. The more your body’s stress system is activated, the harder it is to shut off."

We all agreed that we need to deal with the stress in our lives. But how?

Trina shared some info from a Jennie Craig book about stress. The book listed three suggestions for dealing with stress. 


1. Learn to recognize where your stress comes from. (This is probably harder to do than it sounds)

If you can pinpoint sources of stress that's the first step in dealing with it. You need to figure out if the situation causing the stress is something you can control or manage. 

For a lot of women life is so busy it's hard to take time for ourselves. Especially Christian women have this idea that we have to do everything for everyone and if we say NO it's a refection on our faith! We need to remember that even Jesus took time out of His busy schedule to be alone, to rest and to pray. We need to be more like Jesus!

My husband has a saying that I think is a good guideline when dealing with some of the people who demand our time.

 "Lack of planning on your part should not cause extra work on my part."

2. Realize that you are responsible for your reaction to the stressful situation.

How do you react to stressful situations?

Angry or agitated? The best thing to do is walk away. Put some distance between you and the person causing your stress. 

Do you withdraw or get blue? Walk! Get active!

Do you freeze up? Can't make a decision or get your thoughts straight? Walk! Do something!

I don't want to minimize the situation but walking or doing something active is a great way to relieve stress. 

3. Take action.

Pray - I think it was Elizabeth George who said she never commits to something until she prays about it first. 

Never say yes right away unless it's a real emergency. (Think blood and broken bones type of emergency)

If certain people are putting demands on you and you really feel bad saying NO then help that person to brainstorm ways they can solve their problem without you. Encourage them to get creative.

Come to the realization that you cannot rescue everyone from their poor decisions.

Clear your calendar of any unnecessary activities.

Put yourself on the calendar - remember you're time is just as important as anyone else.

Ask for advice - from your husband or good friend on how to handle situations.

That's just a little recap of our meeting. 

Next meeting we're going to talk more about prayer and how we can better incorporate it in our lives. 


How do you handle stress? 

Or do you?


Patti

Filling the Freezer - Soup For Fast and Easy Lunches

NOTE About freezing soup: I got a comment that expressed concern about the bags leaking. This is what I do and I've never had a problem:

I buy really good bags. I usually use ZipLock brand freezer bags but this time I used Hefty One Zip Click. They seem to be study so I don't think there will be a problem. 

Always cool whatever you're going to freeze before you place it in the bag. 

Leave 1 to 2 inches of head space in the bag. 

Remove as much air as possible. 

Freeze the bag flat.

When defrosting place the bag in a large bowl or a pot just in case it does leak.

I usually eat a salad for lunch but some days, especially when the weather begins to cool off, I get a hankering for soup. So today in anticipation of cooler weather I've been in the kitchen cooking up a few pots of soup. I divided the soup into serving size portions and put them in freezer bags. Now when I want something besides salad I can pull a bag from the freezer and I'll have lunch in no time!

I started with this

Ingredients to make 
Vegetable Soup
Sprouted Split Pea Soup
Roasted Tomato Soup

And now I have all of this!

Six bags of vegetable soup, 3 bags of roasted tomato
and 7 bags of Split Pea 

Tips for batch cooking and freezing:

• Start with a clean kitchen.
• Look for common ingredients in recipes. In this case all three soups used onions and celery sauteed in oil. I cooked enough at one time for all the recipes.  
• Make sure you have freezer bags on hand. Use good ones! 
• Prepare your freezer bags before you fill them. 
• Write the date, contents and any additional directions needed on the bag. Don't rely on your memory!
• Freeze bags flat so they can be stacked in the freezer. 
• Freezing the bag flat will also speed the defrost time.

To defrost soup:

To use the frozen soup remove a bag from the freezer and allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. You can also put the frozen bag in a large bowl and fill it with cold tap water. Allow the bowl to sit out on the counter. The bag should defrost enough that you can empty the contents in a pot and heat on the stove. As a last resort if you're really in a hurry you can pop the bag in the microwave and use the defrost setting. 

Recipes

Vegetable Soup

Makes about 12 cups of soup.

(If you're doing Weight Watchers this is a zero point soup if you don't use the oil. The oil is minimal so I don't think it counts much)

1 onion chopped

1 celery rib chopped

1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 head cabbage, shredded (or 2-3 cups leftover cooked cabbage with the juice)

2 zucchini, chopped in bite size pieces

2 yellow squash, chopped in bite size pieces

2 carrots, chopped in bite size pieces

16 ounce bag of frozen green beans or the equivalent of fresh

16 ounce container of vegetable broth

Saute the onion and celery in the oil for a few minutes until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on medium until the veggies are tender. You may need to add additional broth or water to make it as soupy as you like. 

Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes about 6 cups of soup

Except for the oil this is a zero point dish. Even with the oil points should be minimal. If you choose to add milk or cream when reheating that will add points. 

Roasting the tomatoes brings out the sweetness and intensifies the flavor. It's worth the extra step and time. 

See the little bits of black? That's from roasting. It makes the
tomatoes sweet. You won't need any sugar to cut the tartness.

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)

2 cans of whole tomatoes (I threw the cans away but I think they were about 28 ounces)

Vegetable broth to thin the soup with

Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Put the tomatoes on a baking pan and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and add the chopped garlic. Roast in a 475 degree oven for about 40 minutes. The tomatoes will burst open and the juice will get thick and blackened but not burned. 

While the tomatoes roast saute the onions and celery in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until they are tender. Add the reserved tomato juice and allow to simmer. 

Once the tomatoes have roasted dump them in the simmering juice. Scrap the bottom of the baking dish to get all the goodies into the soup pot. Add vegetable broth to thin the soup and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Run the tomato mixture through a food mill to remove the seeds. 

Prepare the freezer bags by writing the contents and date and the directions to add (if desired) 1/2 to 3/4 cup of milk when reheating. 

Divide the tomato soup into quart size freezer bags and freeze flat. 

Sprouted Split Pea Soup

Makes about 14 cups of soup

(1/2 cup cooked split peas is 2 points)

Can yo see the tiny white sprouts coming from the peas? That's what your
looking for.

It isn't necessary to soak split peas but it will allow them to sprout a little. This increases the nutrients in the peas and some say it makes them more digestible. 

2 pounds of dried green split peas (about 4 cups)

8 cups of liquid (I use water but you can use veggie broth or a combination of broth and water)

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

2 carrots, grated

Prepare the peas by rinsing and sorting. Place the peas in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak 10 to 12  hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the peas 2 or 3 times during the soaking period. (More if you allow them to soak longer than 12 hours but don't allow to soak for more than 24 hours or they could mold.)

In a large soup pot saute the onions and celery in oil until tender. 

After sprouting rinse the peas well and add to the soup pot along with the liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on low for 30 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon of salt. Continue cooking until the peas are tender and the liquid is thick. (Total cooking time will depend on the dried peas. The older they are the longer it takes to cook.) Add the grated carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Cool the soup and divide into freezer bags. 

So there you go. A little work in the kitchen will save me time and keep me away from the fast food restaurant at lunch time!

Happy Eating!

Patti

BTW I've lost 1.8 pounds since I started my 6 pounds down by Thanksgiving Challenge. I hope to be at 154 by Thanksgiving day:-)

I'm joining the party at


Holiday Battle of the Bulge Blog Hop

Weekend Walking - Patti

This is an update from the last two weekends...

Last weekend John and I took the Volksmarch through Riverside. It was a 10 k walk (6.2 miles) but we cut a couple of ks off so it was probably about 5 miles. I loved this walk because it took us through one of the oldest sections of town. I've always wanted to live in an old house and this walk took us by some really beautiful ones. We also walked along the river and we took some time out to sit on a bench and watch the big boats and the traffic going over the bridge.

This past Saturday we got out of the city and took a walk through nature and I think we found the only mountain in Florida to climb. It wasn't actually a mountain but for this flatlander it felt like one:-) This walk was at Fort Caroline National Memorial and the walk took us through the pine forest and the wetlands to a bluff overlooking the St. Johns River. It was about 6 miles of pretty rough terrain.

My walking log and AVA inserts. 

The good news is that we've completed our 4th Volksmarch. The bad news is that I've lost my pedometer. Not sure where but I think I had it on last night when we went to dinner. It was a really nice one. It actually counted the steps correctly. Not like some that you can jiggle in your hand and up the step count. This one required an actual foot to hit the ground...

Where will your feet take you today?

Patti

150 Miles in 15 Week Challenge

The Zumba class I've been doing 2 or 3 times a week since March has ended. At least until the instructor finds a new location. In the meantime Trina, Renee and I are going to take a Belly dance class:-) but it doesn't start until the end of October. 

I don't want to sit around and wait for class to start so I've been upping my walking everyday. We've been participating in a couple of walking clubs you can read about here.

Ran across this challenge. 

Walk (or run, jog) 150 miles in 15 weeks. 

I'll be walking...

I need a challenge or a little competition to keep me focused so I'm going to participate. 

Check it out and get walking!

Patti

Spicy Black Bean and Peach Soup - And a Challenge by Patti

First the challenge. For the last two days I've been sorting and cleaning out stuff. I was working in the kitchen today going through my cook books and my desk area and I thought since I'd been working so hard I might treat myself with a trip to Burger King. (I love a Whopper Jr., fries and a coke:-) Then I came across a pamphlet I got last year in a Weight Watchers meeting. 

"The 8-Week Countdown Challenge! What can you achieve by Thanksgiving?"

This made me think about the holidays that are fast approaching and I decided to challenge myself to a 

6-Week Countdown Challenge. 

My goal is to lose 6 pounds by Thanksgiving. 

I put aside my idea of treating myself to Burger King and decided I'd rather treat myself to shedding 6 (or more) pounds. I had a nice salad for lunch and put on a pot of black bean soup for dinner. 

For this recipe you can use canned black beans or soak and cook dry black beans. I had a some quart size bags of black beans in the freezer that I had cooked up a few weeks ago so I pulled out 2 bags and let them defrost. I then rinsed and drained the beans. I had about 4 cups of beans. 

Ingredients:
Black beans, cooked, rinsed and drained. (about 4 cups or 3- 15 ounce cans)
1 can Original Rotel (the spiciness compliments the sweetness in the peaches)
1- 15 ounce can of peaches in extra light syrup (or use 2 or 3 fresh, ripe peaches) drain the peaches well and rough chop
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
2 teaspoons coconut oil (or whatever oil you like)
32 ounce container of vegetable stock or chicken broth

Note about salt: If you use canned beans with added salt or cook dry beans and add salt while cooking the beans you shouldn't need to salt the finished soup. Taste it and see before adding additional salt.

In a large pot heat the oil and cook the onions until they are tender (about 5 minutes) add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the Rotel, beans, peaches and enough broth to cover.
Simmer on low for at least an hour. Add additional broth to make it as soupy as you like.
Before serving use a hand blender and puree the soup mixture. Leave it chunky or make it smooth. It's up to you.

This soup is a meal in itself or you can serve over rice. 

Either way it's pretty tasty. 

I ate this as a soup with a small salad. My husband and son ate it over
rice with cornbread and fried ham steak.  

Happy Cooking!

Patti

A New Salad - Vanilla Pear Watercress Salad

This time at our weekly Healthy Habits meeting we got in the kitchen and mixed up a new salad. It was a hit!

Trina tasted this salad at Publix and she brought the ingredients to our meeting. 

It was quick and easy to mix up.

Vanilla Pear Watercress Salad

In the kitchen- Renee, Trina and Patti

Many hands make light work.

Ready to eat!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved
1 pear, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons Bakery pear spread (similar to pear butter)
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (we added 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 Tablespoons canola oil (we only used 2 Tablespoons)
2 1/3 cups watercress (or arugula leaves)
1/2 cup sliced almonds.

Prep:
Halve grapes, peel and chop pear, pick the watercress leaves from the stems and rinse and spin dry.

Whisk in salad bowl: pear spread, vanilla, vinegar, salt, and oil until blended
Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat and serve.

Calories (per 1/4 recipe) 210 original recipe

Weekend Walking - By Patti

Trying to find ways to add interest to her daily walk Trina found a couple of walking clubs in town and she shared them with me.

Shannon Miller Walk Fit

First Coast Trail Forgers Walking Club part of the American Volkssport Association

Last weekend we attended the Shannon Miller Walk Fit meet up. This was a 3 mile walk at Community First Saturdays held downtown.

It was a small group only 8 of us including me and Trina, her daughter and my husband. We walked from the Landing over the Acosta bridge, by the Friendship fountain and then returned to the Landing via the Main Street bridge.

I'd never walked over the bridges before but it's something I've wanted to do. Going up the Acosta was quite a haul since it has a pretty steep incline. But it was OK and we all made it!  Coming down was much easier...

The Main Street bridge was much easier since it isn't as tall and it was mostly in the shade.

The walk was fun except it was very hot. The best part was shopping along the river front:-) We found a booth that was selling local, raw honey so we had to check it out and buy a couple of bottles.

Trina, Me and Trina's daughter after the walk.
See the bridge behind us? Yep we walked over it...

After the walk we went over to the Omni Hotel and checked out the Volksmarch box. (box contains the maps and directions for different walks that you can do on your own.)

From the American Volkssport Association website:

What is Volksmarching? A volksmarch is a non-profit, non-competitive 5 kilometer 3.1 mile) or 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) walk. It's not a pledge walk. It's not a race. It is a fun activity you do with a club, with your family, with your pet, or all by yourself. Volksmarching received its name from its origins in Europe. Today there are thousands of Volkssport clubs around the world, allied in the International Federation of Popular Sports.

Sunday morning John and I did the San Marco walk. It was a 5K walk (about 3 miles) through San Marco shopping district and residential area. Interesting walk with lots of big houses and perfect lawns. Nice and shady which was a plus since it's still hot here...

This Volkmarch took us through a small city park. 

One thing I love about walking is that you slow down and really take in the
sights. You also have time to ponder why in the world someone would
have a blue toilet...

A nice weekend of walking, seeing some new places and meeting a few new people. 

Take a walk and enjoy the day the Lord has made!

Patti 

PART II - FINDING MY PATH TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE By Trina

After changing the date I would begin my healthy lifestyle plan multiple times, I finally feel ready to post Part II - Finding My Path To A Healthier Lifestyle.

The Reason for my delay -

At the end of every school year I vow to reassess how I allocate my time. Then prior to the start of the new school year I make plans to spent more time taking care of me. Well the start of this school year has not been different then the others. The issues may be different, but the results are the same; I am very busy. Therefore finding the blocks of time I want for me are difficult. 

This year my time has been divided between dealing with a number of extended family issues, help my daughter with transportation during her third year in college, homeschooling my youngest, various homeschool volunteer positions and my normal wife and stay at home mom responsibilities. 

But this year I finally realize that I have been using how busy I am as an excuse not do what I know I need to do. It's much easier to blame my lack of determination to reach my goals on the amount of time I spend helping others then on my lack of commitment. I may not have all the time I would like to devote on myself, but there is more than enough to work on reaching my goals. So I began MY PATH TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE AT 3 PM TODAY ! No more excuses, and no more waiting for the perfect day because it will never come. Today is the day!!

Here are the components of my plan. . .

 

*The Conscious Cleanse by Jo Schaalman and Julie Pelaez

I previously completed about one week of this program. I felt better and 

was able to resist eating my trigger foods.

There are a number things I really like about this book including:

    - Part 2: The Conscious Cleanse, begins with a welcome and then is divided  

    into sections, Day 1- 14. Each day you are given a suggested menu, information on  the 

    ingredient of the day, a quick tip, and questions/ideas to help you complete your journal writing.

    Here are some quotes from the book:

        “No two people are the same. Our bodies are intricate pulses of energy, each one

          unique in so many ways.”

        “This 14-day journey you're about to embark upon is a guide to designing your own

          path to vibrant health.”

        “We created the Conscious Cleanse for ourselves first, while on our own quest for vibrant 

        health, ideal body weight, and personal healing. As we share it with you, our goal is to help 

        you design your own perfect diet.”

        “Eat foods you like, and be flexible.”

        “ . . . the Conscious Cleanse is not really just a 2-week program. It was developed as a

          means to give you a clean slate, a fresh start, a blank canvas upon which you can design   

        a “food lifestyle” of your very own.”

I am really excited about this book and have chosen it as the foundation of my Healthy Lifestyle Plan. Find the website here.
 

*The 7 Principles of Fat Burning by Eric Berg, DC 

What I like:

- The book provides guidelines for eating and exercise based on your body type. There are four: Liver, Thyroid, Adrenal and Ovary.  To determine your body type you take a short quiz that's in the book. My scores indicated that I am the Adrenal Type.
- Everyone begins with the 14 Day Liver Enhancement, the purpose is to get your body into a fat burning mode. 
- The 14 Day Liver Enhancement is not that different than the Conscious Cleanse. The main differences are: Conscious Cleanse really encourages journal writing and this book does not; the Conscious Cleanse suggests beginning the day with 4 cups of water; this book does not, but does encourage you to drink Dr. Berg's cranberry drink 3 times a day. Also on this plan you would avoid any sweeteners until you have loss a significant amount of weight, including sweet fruits like bananas, raisins and dates. This plan does allow some dairy, specifically low-fat cottage cheese and plain low-fat yogurt.

I plan to incorporate the following from his program:

          - the cranberry drink

          - the exercise plan for my body type

          - soaking beans, nuts and seeds before eating

          - increase the amount of cruciferous vegetables in my diet, especially sprouts

          - eat more apples

          - Also I will significantly reduce the amount of natural sugar in my diet.

This is also a great program and I really love his videos. He is the medical professional I wish could answer all my questions about health/diet – he gives straight forward answers explained in layman's terms. You can access his videos here

*Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

What I Like:

          - Dr. Fuhrman's Six-Week Plan seem straight forward and simple. 

            - Unlimited vegetables (goal of 1 lb. raw and 1 lb. cooked) and fruits  

            except cooked starchy vegetables and dried fruits which have daily limits. Starchy   

            vegetables and whole grains are limited to one serving per day. Also allowed on the plan  

            1oz of nuts and seeds,  2oz of avocado, 2 Tbsp dried fruit and 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed per 

            day; beans, legumes and tofu are also allowed.

            - The book is filled with information.

 This book is different from The Conscious Cleanse and The 7 Principles of Fat Burning in that you do not consume salt, oil or animal protein.

I plan to incorporate the following from this program:

          - eat approximately 1 pound of raw vegetables a day

         - make salad the main dish: eat it first at lunch and dinner

         - reduce (not eliminate) my daily intake of salt

         - reduce (not eliminate) my daily intake of oils

         - eat beans everyday

         - have a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day

         - Dr. Fuhrman's Food Pyramid (after finishing 14 – 21 days of the Conscious Cleanse)

The Conscious Cleanse, The 7 Principles of Fat Burning, and Eat to Live all suggest eating unlimited amounts of vegetables. Both The Conscious Cleanse and The 7 Principles of Fat Burning recommend eating vegetables and fruit  in a ratio of 3 to 1. Both also allow small amounts of certain  animal protein if you feel you need it, with one exception - The Conscious Cleanse suggest avoiding eggs during the cleansing phase.

*Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover

What I Like/What I plan to incorporate:

          - information on “Building a Sound Emotional Foundation”

          - the Five Simple Eat Rules

          - the Fitness Program

*The Vice-Busting Diet by Julia G. Havey

What I Like/What I plan to incorporate:

          - eliminate a diet vice ( “any habitual action that is keeping you from reaching and  

          maintaining a healthy weight “) weekly

          - replacing diet vices with healthy habits and implementing additional healthy habits

          - daily affirmations

This plan correlates with my list of Healthy Habits, but includes 

suggestions and other information that make implementing these habits easier.

*The New! Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczenko

What I Like/What I plan to incorporate:

          - the workouts

          - information on BMI and the perfect weight

          - the nutritional values of common foods at the back of the book

*Faithfully Fit by Claire Cloninger

What I Like/What I plan to incorporate:

          - the faith based affirmations

          - the faith based information

          - the scriptures

          - the prayers

*Jenny Craig's What Have You Got to Lose?

What I Like/What I plan to incorporate:

          - Module 1 “the five fundamental skills that will enable you to effectively adopt a new style 

          of  living (set smart goals, accept your humanity, talk to yourself, self-monitoring, and self-reward)”

          - Jenny Craig's Message of Motivation

          - Module 5  Planning for F.I.T.T. -ness/Module 6:  Mastering Your Environment

          - Module 7  Eating as a Pleasurable Necessity/Module 8 :  Relapse Prevention

          - Module 9 Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Eating/Module 10:  Stress Management

          - Module 13 Socializing Without Overeating: Preparing for the Unexpected, Dining Out 

*The Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman

What I Like/What I plan to incorporate:

          - Dr. Parcell's recipe for the food bath 

          - recipe for cranberry juice using fresh or frozen cranberries

          - "Long Life Cocktail"