Everyone knows how hard it is to eat the right stuff everyday. Between being tempted at work and having little time to make dinner/breakfast/lunch/snacks... we sometimes give into temptation.
Resist the temptation, loose the desire...
The more you eat it the more you want it! Most food that it out there isn't "real" food. It's just chemicals made to trick your brain into thinking it is food... any boy do they do a good job.
Once I have a Coke (my guilty pleasure) I crave it for a week!
A great resource to look at to keep motivated and get educated is:
http://www.foodmatters.tv/
http://www.hungryforchange.tv/
You can find both of these documentaries on Netflix!
Food Matters is one of the documentaries my father made us all sit down and watch together. It's a real eye opener.
So the next time you crave that bag of chips (or a Coke) remember what you saw on these documentaries and hopefully it will help your resist the temptation...
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Cutting out coffee
I used to think that I needed coffee in the morning to be able to function as a teacher. I would tell my students that coffee makes me a better teacher. Yeah... I would get the jitters, but I had a ton of energy that enabled me to really get excited about teaching.
As I mentioned in a previous post I have high blood pressure. I've been trying to lower it by changing my diet. I learned from reading the book, "The Great American Detox Diet" and from the website http://www.overcaffeinated.org/caffeine/effects/ that caffeine can raise your blood pressure!
We all know that caffeine helps us stay alert and feel that we have more energy.
But there are more drawbacks than it's worth (to me anyway)
1. Affects sleeping habits. It can actually hinder you from getting a good nights rest.
2. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure. This is a big deal for me since I'm trying to lower it!
3. Causes loss of fluid which leads to dehydration.
So to cut it out.... tricky..... how will I manage my 26 five and six year olds???
The plan:
- Take vitamins
- Drink lots of water.
- Go to bed at 9:00 pm.
- Do stretching in the morning... maybe some yoga?
I know that when vitamin B is taken with food it turns the food into energy. So every morning I take this. I still feel tired in the morning, but it's not as bad without the B supplement. This has also encouraged me to take other vitamins. Since I'm taking one I might as well take the others!
I've been doing well on drinking water. I want to get a water jug and bring it into school with me so I don't have to go to the water fountain all the time.
Going to bed at 9:00 has been really hard for me... I'm still working on it.
I've been stretching with my students first thing in the morning. I have found this not only helps me when I'm feeling tired, but it also helps them. When I notice that they have a gaze over their eyes, or that I am feeling really tired, we stand up and do 30 jumping jacks, some squats, sit ups, or whatever exercises we feel like doing. They L. O. V. E. this kind of stuff!
Last week was my first week without coffee. All week I felt tired and had a headache. That lasted until Friday. I had no symptoms over the weekend and so far today I am feeling fine.
I'm still not convinced that I can be a teacher without coffee... it's difficult, but it's getting better. I just need to keep my body hydrated, filled with the nutrients it needs, and rested....
Now I can just say, "Drinking water, eating right, excersizing, and taking vitimens helps me be a better teacher!"
As I mentioned in a previous post I have high blood pressure. I've been trying to lower it by changing my diet. I learned from reading the book, "The Great American Detox Diet" and from the website http://www.overcaffeinated.org/caffeine/effects/ that caffeine can raise your blood pressure!
We all know that caffeine helps us stay alert and feel that we have more energy.
But there are more drawbacks than it's worth (to me anyway)
1. Affects sleeping habits. It can actually hinder you from getting a good nights rest.
2. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure. This is a big deal for me since I'm trying to lower it!
3. Causes loss of fluid which leads to dehydration.
So to cut it out.... tricky..... how will I manage my 26 five and six year olds???
The plan:
- Take vitamins
- Drink lots of water.
- Go to bed at 9:00 pm.
- Do stretching in the morning... maybe some yoga?
I know that when vitamin B is taken with food it turns the food into energy. So every morning I take this. I still feel tired in the morning, but it's not as bad without the B supplement. This has also encouraged me to take other vitamins. Since I'm taking one I might as well take the others!
I've been doing well on drinking water. I want to get a water jug and bring it into school with me so I don't have to go to the water fountain all the time.
Going to bed at 9:00 has been really hard for me... I'm still working on it.
I've been stretching with my students first thing in the morning. I have found this not only helps me when I'm feeling tired, but it also helps them. When I notice that they have a gaze over their eyes, or that I am feeling really tired, we stand up and do 30 jumping jacks, some squats, sit ups, or whatever exercises we feel like doing. They L. O. V. E. this kind of stuff!
Last week was my first week without coffee. All week I felt tired and had a headache. That lasted until Friday. I had no symptoms over the weekend and so far today I am feeling fine.
I'm still not convinced that I can be a teacher without coffee... it's difficult, but it's getting better. I just need to keep my body hydrated, filled with the nutrients it needs, and rested....
Now I can just say, "Drinking water, eating right, excersizing, and taking vitimens helps me be a better teacher!"
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Yummy Bread Adventure...
One way to cut back on the amount of toxins we put into our body is to modify the bread we eat. We love bread, who doesn't? It is really hard to find bread that does not contain many preservatives, even the organic stuff has some things in that I can't pronounce. My dad always said, if you can't pronounce it you shouldn't eat it!
Here are some links that give good information about the preservatives found in bread:
This is what led me to trying to make my own bread! My mother-in-law was kind enough to led us her bread machine. I have never made bread from scratch... and I really don't enjoy cooking or baking (that's what my husband is for ;))
With a few google searches I found a few recipes that I was willing to try.
The first batch was messed up. I was so excited to start making my own bread that I didn't read the directions to the bread maker! Ha! Lesson learned. I thought it was taking too long and that there was something wrong with the bread maker. So, I stopped the machine, took out the dough... then I read the directions! Oops!
Tip 1: Read the directions to the manual first.
Tip 1: Read the directions to the manual first.
Batch 2 began. While the second batch was working I decided to try and roll out the first batch and make crackers with garlic and onion salt! They were alright. I'm going to try and find a way to make crackers later.
When batch 2 was finished I was soooo excited to try it! I was really disappointed when I realized that the bread was really heavy, almost like it did not rise enough?
Batch 2 will become croutons for a salad!
Tip 2: Whole wheat flour doesn't rise that much.
Tip 2: Whole wheat flour doesn't rise that much.
With two failed attempts I decided to look at the recipe book that came with the bread machine. I came across this recipe:
Source: Gold Medal Bread Machine Recipes
1 1/2 Pound Recipe (12 slices)
Crunchy Honey Whole Wheat Bread
1 cups plus 2 TBL water (I used warm water, but I don't know if that makes a difference)
3 TBL honey
2 TBL butter
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cups sliced almonds
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread yeast (1 package)
I really wanted to stay away from white flour (because it's bleached). But every time I only used whole wheat flour the dough would not rise! Any suggestions would be welcomed!
I ended up using half whole wheat flour and half white flour.
I used a bread machine so I put the ingredients in the order that the manufacture recommends. Yeast in the bottom corner then the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and almonds). The the honey and butter. The last thing you do is add the water. Then turn it on and let it do it's thing!
The results! We were really excited that it actually worked!
If anyone has a recipe that they use in the bread maker (with no sugar) I would love to try it out!!
Source: Gold Medal Bread Machine Recipes
1 1/2 Pound Recipe (12 slices)
Crunchy Honey Whole Wheat Bread
1 cups plus 2 TBL water (I used warm water, but I don't know if that makes a difference)
3 TBL honey
2 TBL butter
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cups sliced almonds
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread yeast (1 package)
I really wanted to stay away from white flour (because it's bleached). But every time I only used whole wheat flour the dough would not rise! Any suggestions would be welcomed!
I ended up using half whole wheat flour and half white flour.
I used a bread machine so I put the ingredients in the order that the manufacture recommends. Yeast in the bottom corner then the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and almonds). The the honey and butter. The last thing you do is add the water. Then turn it on and let it do it's thing!
The results! We were really excited that it actually worked!
If anyone has a recipe that they use in the bread maker (with no sugar) I would love to try it out!!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Chia Seeds
So this morning we tried a chia seed drink. Basically you mix chia seeds with a small amount of water and then chug it!
Source:
You Are What You Eat, Drink, and Think
"One of the bodies protective mechanisms to deal with toxins is to coat it in fat. The more toxins coming in, the more fat needed to protect the body from the toxins. Dieting may burn fat, but it won’t burn off the toxins stored within the fat. In fact, as the fat is burned, toxins are freed and may lead to damage. The right foods will aid in toxin neutralization and removal. Dark green organic chlorophyll rich foods along with gelatinous foods (secrete a gel when they get wet) such as Aloe Vera, Sea weed, and Chia seeds, help detoxify the body. The liver (whose job it is to police, remove, or neutralize toxins) dumps toxins into thebile salts. The bile salts travel down the gastrointestinal tract with the intention of ridding the body of the toxins. Unfortunately, many of these toxins are reabsorbed with the bile salts in the small intestine. The gelatinous fibers produced by the gelatinous foods (Aloe Vera, Sea Weed, Chia seeds) binds the toxins in the bile salts and dumps the toxins in the toilet."
There are two weird things about the chia seeds.
1. They don't really dissolve in the water. They float. So when you drink it some get stuck to the glass. We refilled the glass and did it a second time to try and get them all.
2. If they are in water for too long (like 1 min.) they will start to form a gel. This is good for digestion (which is why we did it) but it's a weird texture... for me..
They also help if you are feeling bloated or sluggish.
Source:
Debloating Chia Seed Drink From Celebrity Trainer Valerie Waters
I tried it first and 1 tablespoon was too much. I couldn't get them all... there were a lot that were left behind. I could have licked them out like you would an ice cream bowl... but I refrained. When I made it for Dave (my husband) I gave him 1/2 tablespoons.. he had better results.
We didn't have any super greens so we just did the chia seeds and coconut water. I plan on getting some super greens to add to this. :)
Here is some.. okay it's a lot... of information on super greens:
http://experiencelife.com/article/supergreens/
We will be doing this every morning :).. Dave isn't too excited about it! haha
Tomorrow I will be venturing in making my own bread!
Source:
You Are What You Eat, Drink, and Think
"One of the bodies protective mechanisms to deal with toxins is to coat it in fat. The more toxins coming in, the more fat needed to protect the body from the toxins. Dieting may burn fat, but it won’t burn off the toxins stored within the fat. In fact, as the fat is burned, toxins are freed and may lead to damage. The right foods will aid in toxin neutralization and removal. Dark green organic chlorophyll rich foods along with gelatinous foods (secrete a gel when they get wet) such as Aloe Vera, Sea weed, and Chia seeds, help detoxify the body. The liver (whose job it is to police, remove, or neutralize toxins) dumps toxins into thebile salts. The bile salts travel down the gastrointestinal tract with the intention of ridding the body of the toxins. Unfortunately, many of these toxins are reabsorbed with the bile salts in the small intestine. The gelatinous fibers produced by the gelatinous foods (Aloe Vera, Sea Weed, Chia seeds) binds the toxins in the bile salts and dumps the toxins in the toilet."
There are two weird things about the chia seeds.
1. They don't really dissolve in the water. They float. So when you drink it some get stuck to the glass. We refilled the glass and did it a second time to try and get them all.
2. If they are in water for too long (like 1 min.) they will start to form a gel. This is good for digestion (which is why we did it) but it's a weird texture... for me..
They also help if you are feeling bloated or sluggish.
CHIA SEED SUPERGREEN DRINK RECIPE
From Valerie Waters
Ingredients
4 ounces of coconut water
1–2 tablespoons of chia seeds
1 teaspoon of supergreens (Valerie recommends Sunwarrior Ormus Supergreens)
1–2 tablespoons of chia seeds
1 teaspoon of supergreens (Valerie recommends Sunwarrior Ormus Supergreens)
Directions
Combine the chia seeds and super greens with the coconut water, stir for a minute or two, and drink it fast! The chia seeds can gel quickly.
Source:
Debloating Chia Seed Drink From Celebrity Trainer Valerie Waters
I tried it first and 1 tablespoon was too much. I couldn't get them all... there were a lot that were left behind. I could have licked them out like you would an ice cream bowl... but I refrained. When I made it for Dave (my husband) I gave him 1/2 tablespoons.. he had better results.
We didn't have any super greens so we just did the chia seeds and coconut water. I plan on getting some super greens to add to this. :)
Here is some.. okay it's a lot... of information on super greens:
http://experiencelife.com/article/supergreens/
We will be doing this every morning :).. Dave isn't too excited about it! haha
Tomorrow I will be venturing in making my own bread!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Water... make it exciting!
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated. As I mentioned in a previous post you should drink 1/2 of your weight in oz. For example, my daughter weighs 32 lbs. Half of 32 is 16. This means she should be drinking 16 oz of water per day.
That's great and all, but sometimes I want something with a little FLAVOR! I started googling and found several ideas to make your water more exciting!
Today I added lemons and cucumbers to a pitcher of water. I let it sit for a little to allow all the flavor and nutrients to get into the water and then we tried it. It was really good!! Emily loved it!
Does anyone else have any other ideas to make your water more exciting?
Tomorrow I am going to try a Chia Seed drink.....
I am a 26 year old wife, mother of a 3 year old, and a teacher of 26 five to six year olds.... it gets a little crazy!
Today is going to mark the first day I am going to make a change in my life. I've been feeling very annoyed and frustrated with the way things have been going. I've tried to make changes before, but I've failed. I am mostly frustrated with the unfinished projects around the house, my health, and all the clutter.
I am the kind of person who likes to see immediate results, which is why I have so many unfinished projects. I start something and if I don't see results soon enough.... I put it down and start something new. I've been collecting my unfinished projects and put them in a nice pile. My plan is each weekend to work on one project and maybe finish it.
This leads to the second thing that has me pulling my hair out! The clutter! I am convinced that we have a hoarding problem, but my husband disagrees! There is so much stuff everywhere! I either want to throw it all away or give it away, but my husband thinks we should keep it so we can sell it and make money.... at a yard sale.... which will probably never happen! I have been scanning Pintrest finding new ideas of how to organize my home. I started in the bathroom, and now I am on to other parts of the house.
This may be why I have high blood pressure. For over a year I have been working out 2 - 5 times a week (depending on what is going on. I usually get to the gym 4 times a week). My diet wasn't horrible. We ate, what I felt was, a balanced diet and I cut back on the salt. I figured that working out would help my blood pressure situation. The last thing I want to do is go on medicine to control it. I don't believe that this is the answer to my problem, others maybe, but it's not for me. I truly believe that if I change my diet completely that I will be able to lower my blood pressure. The doctors tell me that it's genetic (my mom has high blood pressure and takes medicine to control it)... but I don't believe that. MAYBE genetics put me at risk to have it, but that does not mean I'm going to get it or that there is no answer.
Mostly I am going to focus on my adventures of becoming a better eater. I am going to venture in juicing, detoxing, working out, and staying motivated. Keeping this blog will help me to remain motivated! To kick off my change I watched a great documentary, "Hungry for Change" on Netflix. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to make a change in their lifestyle.
I am not on a diet, I am on a lifestyle changing mission.
Today's Goal: Stay hydrated. I learned from reading an article from the website:
http://pascovet.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/food-matters-part-2-to-do-and-not-to-do-that-is-the-choice/
(tip number 10)
"10. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of good quality water. For example, if you weigh 100#, drink 50oz. Don’t drink more than 100oz regardless of what you weigh."
So I weigh 140lbs, that means I will be drinking 70 oz. of water. If my glass is 16oz. I should be drinking about 4 1/2 glasses of water.. should be filtered through a good hydration system.... That sounds easy, well the drinking part anyway!
Today is going to mark the first day I am going to make a change in my life. I've been feeling very annoyed and frustrated with the way things have been going. I've tried to make changes before, but I've failed. I am mostly frustrated with the unfinished projects around the house, my health, and all the clutter.
I am the kind of person who likes to see immediate results, which is why I have so many unfinished projects. I start something and if I don't see results soon enough.... I put it down and start something new. I've been collecting my unfinished projects and put them in a nice pile. My plan is each weekend to work on one project and maybe finish it.
This leads to the second thing that has me pulling my hair out! The clutter! I am convinced that we have a hoarding problem, but my husband disagrees! There is so much stuff everywhere! I either want to throw it all away or give it away, but my husband thinks we should keep it so we can sell it and make money.... at a yard sale.... which will probably never happen! I have been scanning Pintrest finding new ideas of how to organize my home. I started in the bathroom, and now I am on to other parts of the house.
This may be why I have high blood pressure. For over a year I have been working out 2 - 5 times a week (depending on what is going on. I usually get to the gym 4 times a week). My diet wasn't horrible. We ate, what I felt was, a balanced diet and I cut back on the salt. I figured that working out would help my blood pressure situation. The last thing I want to do is go on medicine to control it. I don't believe that this is the answer to my problem, others maybe, but it's not for me. I truly believe that if I change my diet completely that I will be able to lower my blood pressure. The doctors tell me that it's genetic (my mom has high blood pressure and takes medicine to control it)... but I don't believe that. MAYBE genetics put me at risk to have it, but that does not mean I'm going to get it or that there is no answer.
Mostly I am going to focus on my adventures of becoming a better eater. I am going to venture in juicing, detoxing, working out, and staying motivated. Keeping this blog will help me to remain motivated! To kick off my change I watched a great documentary, "Hungry for Change" on Netflix. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to make a change in their lifestyle.
I am not on a diet, I am on a lifestyle changing mission.
Today's Goal: Stay hydrated. I learned from reading an article from the website:
http://pascovet.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/food-matters-part-2-to-do-and-not-to-do-that-is-the-choice/
(tip number 10)
"10. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of good quality water. For example, if you weigh 100#, drink 50oz. Don’t drink more than 100oz regardless of what you weigh."
So I weigh 140lbs, that means I will be drinking 70 oz. of water. If my glass is 16oz. I should be drinking about 4 1/2 glasses of water.. should be filtered through a good hydration system.... That sounds easy, well the drinking part anyway!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)