Tag Archives: Trim Healthy Mama

FMD Food Journal Motivation

I am hoping to do the FMD method of eating again.  As I get older, I realize I need more motivation to take charge and get my weight to a healthy level.   I recently shared a post about my efforts to improve my health called Improving My Health One Day At A Time.  FMD is a proven method of eating that still falls in line with the principals I shared that were important to me.

However, I haven’t used FMD for a couple of years.   It has been on my mind to start again.  It is a wonderful way of eating and rotating the main sources of energy: carbs, proteins, and fats during the week for a total of 4 weeks or 30 days.  However, I struggled the last time I did the program.  I had challenged myself to do 90 Days, but I was going through some health challenges that I couldn’t figure out, I struggled to eat as planned 5 times a day, afford the amount of protein, and I desired my favorite comfort “foods” which are sweet creamy coffee, honey, and dairy.

I first used FMD in 2013 and had lost 18 lbs in 30 days on it.  I saw several improvements in my health from the nutrition program and fuel source rotation.  Besides the rotation of fuels (carbs, proteins, and fats) each week, there are a few foods (corn, wheat, white potatoes, sugar, honey, dairy, and coffee are the main ones) that are completely eliminated for 30 days to help give the thyroid and adrenal glands a rest, remove candida overgrowth, and rev up the thyroid which increases the metabolism.  Hence the acronym FMD stands for Fast Metabolism Diet.

At one point while trying to figure out what was going on with my health, and desiring more sweets and comfort foods, I tried a different meal program called THM that is similar to FMD, but it includes cycles through the carbs and fats more often as long as they are spaced at least 3 hours apart.  THM also includes more food varieties including lots of deserts, comfort foods, and ice cream, and only eliminates sugar, wheat (unless it is sprouted first), and white potatoes, but still includes lots of dairy (cheese, butter, yogurt, etc) and creamy coffee.  It really is a terrific program and I was able to loose some weight (at about 1/2 the rate of FMD but more satisfying) but my my health issues, hives, continued and I suspected I was also allergic or intolerant of the main sweeter used in that diet called Stevia and a Stevia Erithrytal Blend.  I also tried the Low Carb plan that so many folks have been able to loose lots of weight on and is similar to Phase 2 of FMD for a little bit that keeps carb intake below 20g a day, and again it brought my weight down a few more pounds.  But on Low Carb (LC) it was really hard to go with only 20 carbs per day, all week, with no treats, and my allergy to something I was eating continued.  So I gave up trying the different diets / meal plans for a while.

FMD focuses on eating 5 times a day, with a focus on protein.  It divides a week into 3 Phases alternating pairing proteins with the other fuels of fats and carbs.  It is generally considered a 4 week plan to help you rev up your metabolism but can be a forever plan if you desire.  I’ve listed out what is in each Phase below under the heading “Meal Plan For 1 Week”.

Below is also a food journal entry I made last time I followed FMD in 2015, and I thought I would share it online today to help motivate myself (and anyone else who might need a little push) to get started again and make health a priority.   Sometimes just putting something in front of your view is enough motivation to move forward.   I used to record my foods, supplements, and how I felt about the day in my food journal.  Sometimes I also noted how much water or exercise I had.  I should have been more diligent to record more details at that time because it helped me succeed back in 2013.  As you can see from the meals I ate, if I repeat a meal plan like this, I will need to make adjustments for the elimination of eggs when I make the new meal plan.  You can see more food journal entries and goals from that season of my life the post meal planning strategy and my 15 Goals for 2015. You can see lots of food photos of what I am ate on my Instagram account if you are interested.

When I journaled this particular week back in 2015, I had joined an online challenge group for FMD and was really excited about it.  However, I failed at getting through the full 90 day challenge (three sets of 30 days).  30 days is the normal length of the program, and I struggled to make it an ongoing lifestyle vs. just a 30 day or 90 day plan.

The main problem I was having doing FMD (and THM and LC too) at the time was an allergy to eggs that I didn’t realize I had developed.  You can use several different sources of proteins on FMD, but sometimes you need a protein with a fat such as whole eggs, and sometimes just a lean protein such as egg whites.  I was relying on eggs for protein as they are inexpensive and I had my own flock of chickens that gave us fresh eggs daily.  However, without realizing the cause of my health issue, I believe I made it worse. I was having hives on my hands and fingers that worsened every time I put them in water.  Doing dishes literally made them crack and bleed as well as itch like crazy.  It took me a long time to solve the riddle of what was happening.  After a couple of years of trying to figure it out, and having given up following any specific diet plans, the last thing I eliminated from my meals was eggs and that finally stopped the hives.

I would have never guessed that could happen to me.  I loved eggs.  I loved having my chickens.  The irony of being back on the homestead, with my beautiful chickens producing wonderful eggs, and I couldn’t have them.  It truly was bitter sweet.  I suspect the egg allergy is related to a flu shot I received while pregnant.  I learned through doing research into various medical studies that people can develop allergies to proteins that have been injected into the blood stream.  When the blood comes in contact with a foreign protein in the blood stream, the body creates antibodies to attack those proteins and increases the histamine and inflammation response.  So every time I ate eggs, my histamine went into overdrive.

It has been a huge adjustment in my life to cut eggs out of my diet for the past year and a half.  I wasn’t sure I could ever do FMD or any meal program again as I didn’t know how to substitute the eggs and not violate the rules of when to eat proteins with fats and just egg white protein.  The main egg substitutes I found that actually work for use in baking are flax seeds (fat), or bean water (carbs) and neither of these meets the requirement on Phase 2 for lean protein only, and flax could only be used on Phase 3.  So right there I could not longer use boiled eggs on days for protein in my snacks and whole eggs for protein and fat, or any baking, or even using egg whites in tuna salad.  So I couldn’t quite figure out how to solve this dilemma.

Because I really want to do FMD again, and repeat the success I once had, I recently wrote to FMD and asked them what they would recommend. Their simple answer was to eliminate eggs and find some other source of allowed protein.  Simple solution.  I just need to accept my limitations with the diet and try again and use only recipes that don’t need eggs or if a substitute for eggs works during that phase without working against it, then go ahead and use the recipe and sub the eggs.  Frustrating to have to make these changes, but doable if I put my mind to it.

One other thing about FMD is to include some exercises.  During phase 1 it is cardio focus, Phase 2 is weight resistance focus, and Phase 3 is a stretching focus.  Once again, I felt like I had a roadblock to using this part of the program.  I have a foot injury and haven’t been able to walk long on my foot.  It has made getting any amount of exercise that involves walking difficult.  When I did the program before, I was able to take lots of walks, and also went to YMCA.  But that is not an option now.  I think combining the low impact program called Ttapp for regular exercise will meet this need.

Meal Plan for 1 Week:

Here is one of my journal entries on FMD from 2015.

Phase 1  (Monday & Tuesday)

Breakfast:

Fruit
Grain/Bean

Snack:

Fruit

Lunch:

Fruit
Protein
Veggie
Grain/Bean

Snack:

Fruit

Supper:

Protein

Veggie
Grain/Bean

Phase 2  (Wednesday & Thursday)

Breakfast:

Protein
Veggie

Snack:

Protein

Lunch:

Protein
Veggie

Snack:

Protein

Supper:

Protein
Veggie

Phase 3  (Friday & Saturday & Sunday)

Breakfast:

Fruit
Protein
Fat
Veggie
Grain/Bean

Snack:

Protein
Fat
Veggie

Lunch:

Fruit
Protein
Fat
Veggie

Snack:

Protein
Fat
Veggie

Supper:

Grain/Bean

Protein
Fat
Veggie

Monday:
Phase 1 Day 1 (FMD)

B- Rainbow Turkey Chili
S- Clementine
L- Tuna and Green Apple Salad, Sweet Potato
S- 1/2 Serving Strawberry GGMS (2 strawberries, 1/2 lemon juiced, 1/2 lime juiced, 1 Tbls Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 tsp ginger, 2 cups water, stevia to taste)
D- Red Onion Spinach Sage Burger with Tomato Romane Lettuce on 1 slice of Sprouted Bread, cucumbers, radishes
S- 1/2 Serving Strawberry GGMS (2 strawberries, 1/2 lemon juiced, 1/2 lime juiced, 1 Tbls Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 tsp ginger, 2 cups water, stevia to taste)

Supplements: 2 tablets Kelp, 3 tablets Spirulina, 2000mg Vitamin C, and 500 mg Vit D

I was so hungry at breakfast, I decided to eat the chili for breakfast that I had planned to serve for lunch, and then I had to make something else at lunch. I know it wasn’t exactly correct to eat for my breakfast that was supposed to be a grain, protein, veggie and fruit. It was legumes instead of grains. But it was so delicious and nutritious!

I put the recipes and everything I ate into My Fitness Pal to help me keep track of my progress. I love this app. It calculates so many great things for me and lets me know if I am under or over my goals.

Also I know I am not going to bed early enough, and I am also not drinking enough water so these are things I need to change this week.

Here are pictures of my main meals today, but not the snacks.  Recipes coming soon!

Rainbow Turkey Chili

IMG_4094

Tuna and Green Apple Salad seved with a sweet potato.

IMG_4097

Red Onion, Spinach, and Sage Turkey Burger
Served with lettuce and tomato on sprouted Ezekiel bread, and a side of cucumbers and radishes.

IMG_4128

Tuesday:
Phase 1 Day 2 (FMD)

Repeat meals from Monday

Wednesday:
Phase 2 Day 1 (FMD)

B- Mini Frittatas, cucumbers, and bell peppers
S- 0
L- Grilled Chicken and Turkey Bacon on Salad.
S- Lemon Lime GGMS (lemon and lime juice, water, raw vinegar, ginger, on plan sweetner to taste) basically a fancy lemonade.
D- Sirloin Steak and Egg White on Salad
S- Off plan: Tiny bite of son’s 10th birthday cake and ice cream.

Supplements: Spirulina, Kelp, Vit. C, Vit. D

Good day. I drank 64 ounces of liquid plus the GGMS.
Still need to increase it more, but I am pleased with the progress.
I did have a bite off of son’s cake and icecream that was not on plan,
but it was important to him that I share a bite, so I am just going to trust
that it will not throw off my progress. He wanted me to eat a bite with him, but I did not have a plate or bowl, I just took a bite with my finger and then took a bite of his icecream from the scooping tool. He was satisfied with that. First thing this moring, I created a Phase 2 Mini Frittata recipe that I was happy with too and have extras in the fridge for tomorrow. But I ended up eating breakfast later than I should have and didn’t feel up to eating a snack before lunch. I had so many veggies in my meals today that I could not get down snacks in between the meals. My stomach is so full, even now at bed time.

Thursday:
Phase 2 Day 2 (FMD)

B- 2-Mini Frittatas, cucumbers,
S- 1-Mini Frittatas
L- Stuffed Mushrooms (from the FMD book)
S- Lemon Lime GGMS (lemon and lime juice, water, raw vinegar, ginger, on plan sweetner to taste) basically a fancy lemonade.
D- Groundbeef with veggies
S- O

Supplements: Vit. C,

I felt very tired today.  This always seems to happen to me when I eat meals on Phase 2 which are low-carb and low-fat on the same day.  I find Phase 2 the hardest of the three Phases.   I had hoped to create a great breakfast and make homemade chicken sausage, but I was too tired. I did not want to cook. So I just ate leftover frittatas from yesterday, and I was really glad to have them on hand or I may have skipped eating altogether.

I did make one easy recipe called stuffed mushrooms, that I had prepped the day before so the only thing I had to do was remove it from the fridge and bake it. I was so glad I did because the flavors are so wonderful.

I drank 80 ounces of liquids, a lot better than I have been drinking for a long time.  Still need to increase more fluid, but I am pleased with the progress.

Here are a few pictures of my food today.

Mini fritatas

IMG_4315

Stuffed Mushrooms

IMG_4336

Lemon Lime GGMS

IMG_4285

Friday:
Phase 3 Day 1 (FMD)

B- Chicken sausage patty, eggs, zucchini and mushroom saute, sprouted toast, blueberries
S- 0
L- Coconut Chicken Curry (from the FMD book)
S- Greek Chicken Garden Meatball
D- Grilled Chicken Breast on sprouted bread with bacon, lettuce, and tomato
S- GGMS (sugarfree lemonade with ginger and raw vinegar)

Supplements: Vit. D, Vit. C, Kelp, Spirulina, Redwine Extract, Bilbery Extract, Coconut Oil, Accidophilis, Enzyme blend.

So excited today to get back to fats, fruits, and sprouted BREAD!
I ate breakfast late and skipped the morning snack and went right into lunch. Somtimes it is hard for me to work in a morning snack in the winter if I ate a big breakfast.  I am just not hungry inbetween breakfast and lunch.
I drank 48 ounces of liquids, and I need to do better.

Here are a few pictures of my food today.

Chicken Sausage, Overeasy Eggs, Sprouted Toast, Zucchini Mushroom Saute, Blueberries

IMG_4371

Coconut Chicken Curry

IMG_4372

Greek Chicken Garden Meatballs

IMG_4373

Grilled Chicken & Sprouted Bread Sandwhich

IMG_4366 - Copy

Saturday:
Phase 3 Day 2 (FMD)

B- Berry Green Smoothie, egg salad, turkey bacon, sprouted toast, romaine lettuce, cucumber, celery, carrots
S- 0
L- Pizza on sprouted tortilla (beef, mushrooms, pepper, onions, pepperoni)
S- Bulletproof Coffee (black coffee, butter, coconut oil, truvia, vanilla) This is my cheat food today and is not FMD approved)
D-
S- 1/4 cup roasted cashews, Lemon Lime GGMS

Supplements: Vit. D, Vit. C, Kelp, Spirulina, Red Wine / Grape Extract, Bilbery Extract, Coconut Oil, Accidophilis, Enzyme blend. Missing all this week was my calcium supplement and liquid herbal iron supplement. I should have taken them, even though I don’t like the taste. I want to add in cod liver oil during phase 3, but I forgot to do it. I normally would take CLO every few days or so, but since I am on this plan I would like to be sure and include it during Phase 3 when fats are encouraged.

Sunday:
Phase 3 Day 3 (FMD)

Repeated leftover meals from Saturday.

 

Phase 3 is my favorite phase.  I love the comforting feeling of healthy fats, nuts, seeds, fruits, and sprouted BREAD!  I Love Phase 3!

Please share.

Black Bean Quinoa Pilaf

This dish smells amazing!  It is fast, simple, and nutritious!  I am putting one foot in front of the other as I make wise choices to eat healthy.  Healthy doesn’t have to mean you spend hours in the kitchen.  Healthy meals can come together fast and easy.

Talk about fast, this meal comes together in 5 minutes by premaking some ingredients once a week and storing them in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use them.  I make a big batch of several healthy foods like quinoa use them for several dishes throughout the week.

I use my premade quinoa, and fresh salsa from the fridge to make this quick lunch.   But if you don’t have those on hand, allow yourself an extra 15 minutes or so to cook your quinoa (dry quinoa and water and heat for 15 minutes), and to chop your fresh salsa veggies.

Black Bean Quinoa Pilaf

Black Bean Quinoa Pilaf

1 can Black Beans, drained

1/2 to 1 cup fresh salsa

1 cup pre-cooked quinoa, (or use 1/2 cup dry quinoa plus 1 cup water )

1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

1/4 tsp sea salt

Heat everything in a sauce pan over medium heat about 5 minutes if using premade quinoa.  You will need to cook for 15 minutes with a lid on if using dry uncooked quinoa and add the extra water.  Don’t cook too long or you might over cook your quinoa.  If you like your beans softer, heat them on the stove first until they become the texture you like.  Then add your quinoa after that.

Use this dish as the main meal, or as a side dish.  For the main meal, you can serve it with a side salad and fresh cucumbers, or use it as a filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, stuff it into peppers or potatoes or zucchini  or serve it like a taco salad, or blend it smooth into a dip and serve with veggies or tortilla chips for dipping.  You can also put this in the blender and cream it with water, broth, or milk of your choice to make a smooth protein packed soup and serve with tortilla chips or warm bread.

My personal preference is to make my quinoa ahead and add it with raw salsa both right at the end so this dish stays nice and fresh tasting.   I keep a double batch of quinoa so I have this ready to go in my fridge and another batch in my freezer to use for super quick nutritious meals.  It’s all good!!!

Please share.

Week 12 Update on the 90 Day Challenge

Life is changing fast around here. Winter has gone and spring has arrived. Snow and ice is no longer my enemy keeping me captive indoors!  So it is time to get outside and move. Yeah!

I have completed week 12 (90 days) of this health and wellness journey and I can’t believe I have reached the end of the challenge.  Be assured I will start another health focused challenge, as I am not done with my “getting healthy make over”!

As a matter of fact, I am so excited about several things I have implemented during this challenge that have really helped me more than any thing else I have ever done, with the exception of attending the Zumba classes at the Arden North Carolina YMCA two years ago.  I do wish I could still attend that class, and believe it would make the outcome of this healthy makeover even more amazing.  My instructor in that class was my hero!!  She’s the mom of a special needs child, and her life testimony was so inspiring to me.  I hope to find a good substitute for that dance class here in rural Indiana soon, but up to this point I have not found it.

What WORKED?

I am so excited to share with you that I am down 2 pant sizes and have lost 19 lbs on this challenge.  That is about a 1.5 lbs per week average.  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  RIGHT!

Weight Loss as of March 29 2015

So what have I done during the 90 days that worked for me?

I think the two most significant improvements in my lifestyle were that I joined:

Juice Plus+ and their Transformation 30 program,

Juice Plus Products

 

and doTerra essential oils and supplements.

Natural Solutions Enrollment Kit

 

Combining these two amazing all natural strategies with my on going strategy of creating healthy meal plans with the Fast Metabolism Diet, incorporating some Trim Healthy Mama and Low Carb Paleo recipes is the pieces of the get healthy puzzle I needed to move forward.

I am getting in a little exercise.  It was so hard this winter to do anything as I was snowed in for most of it.  I have joined a plank challenge with my Juice Plus+ friends.  A plank is a strength exercise where you stretch out on the floor and then hold yourself up off the floor with the strength of your own forearms (arm is bent and the entire forearm touches the floor), and toes.  It works a lot of the muscles in the body just by holding yourself still in that position.  You start off with doing 20 seconds and slowly increase your time a few seconds longer each day.

Another “little” activity I finally got motivated to do is walking on the eliptical for a few minutes each day, just enough to get my blood pumping and move my lymph fluids.  I am glad to start using it again as it usually just collects dust until one of the kids notice it and play on it.   My husband has wanted to get rid of it many times as it takes up space, but I usually say “hey I plan to get on this thing” and then it sits.  Speaking of sitting, sitting at the computer is very unheathy as it doesn’t promote the movement of either of my blood flow (nourishment of cells and organs) or my lymph fluids (immune system, detoxing, and prevention of disease).   We have a small mini-trampoline and I like to jump on it, but it is outside on the porch and it was too cold all winter to use it.  Hopefully I will get motivated to use that some each day.  I definately need to increase my exercise level.  Now that the weather has warmed up a little (we are still in the 40’s during the day and 20’s at night), I can get outside and walk around and work in the yard soon.

I am so excited how these programs are pieces of my health puzzle and are coming together as a wellness makeover strategy to bless me on my journey.

Things I am accomplishing:

1) nourishment to the whole body

2) healing vital organs and body systems:

liver, digestive, lymph, immune, skin

3) weight loss

4) energy

5) renewing my red blood cells and DNA (takes about 5 months on Juice Plus+)

Sharing my journey isn’t about making a buck, or sales.  However, I am excited I can earn money sharing health and wellness products and give my testimony how they have helped me.  I also like the benefit to help my family out financially and be able to purchase these products to better my health. But sharing this journey is about health. This is serious.  This is my health.  It is your health.  I am 45 years old. I don’t have any more time to Mickey Mouse around with fads or gimmicks.

It has to be real. It has to heal.

I am doing so much better with the healing of my body and having more energy.  Once I incorporated doTerra Mito 2 Max, and LifeLong Vitality Pack (vitamins, minerals, herbs, probiotics, omega fatty acids), and Terrazyme enzyme blend that promotes cellular function and communication through out the body, it began helping me detox and helped me digest my foods so my gastrointestinal system is working at its best.  These are the best vitamin mineral health supplements I have ever used.  I am really pleased with the quality and the results.

doTerra Supplements

I figured out that I had a weightloss stall for a few weeks while my body was making some serious repairs.   It takes time to heal!  I don’t think you realize this when you are young.  I didn’t figure it out until I was over 40 and went through major sugery with an emergency C section.  I know I have a damaged thyroid and adrenal glands, in addition to being over weight.  So I wanted to increase the nutrition to those organ systems, but how?  I already eat a healthy diet and it wasn’t helping me heal or loose weight.

So what could I do that was all natural (I am not a fan of synthetic pharmacuticals),  to heal?  It is nearly impossible to eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables to heal adequately when you are dealing with a healing crisis.  However, once I incorporated Juice Plus+ and thier Transform 30 program I began to see more healing and my weight has continued to go down as my body has detoxed and organs have been nourished with over 30+ fruits, veggies, grains, and herbs in the Juice Plus+ Trio Blend, and over 20+ plant foods in the Complete.

Fruits, Veggies, Berries Juice Plus+

Yes, I do get frustrated when the scale is slow to show progress.  When I started this challenge I expected more.  I seriously thought I would have accomplished a 30lb loss by now, but that didn’t happen.  Instead the scale went down and back up a pound and down again over and over and I didn’t feel that I was making very good progress.  The progress seemed so small some weeks that I was embarrassed to even tell anybody I was working on it.  But even though I may not see it on the outside, or even on the scale, I am making progress. My body is healing on the inside. I can see little things like the improvement in my fingernails, having more energy, sleeping better, thinking clearer,  pooping healthy, and even the integrity of my skin has improved and there is healing of my cracked heels.   That is progress!

It is happening. Slowly. Change is taking place.

In 12 weeks, I have lost 19 lbs.

 

My Next Get Healthy Makeover:

I am dedicating this whole year (and the rest of my life) to getting healthy and staying healthy.  So I am going to do this again, on a 30 day cycle now. I have everything in place and have made the big changes these first 90 days, and now it is about making little tweaks.

The Transformation 30 program helps you implement one simple healthy change in your life every 30 days while using Juice Plus+.   A small tweak here and a small tweak there adds up to big results!  That is do-able!

So for the next 30 days I will be focussing on:

    • 1) Meal Planning

I will continue with recipes from the Fast Metabolism Diet, Trim Healthy Mama, and Low Carb Paleo strategies.  The biggest help in these programs is to not overload on carbs and fats in the same meal, either focus on carbs and proteins this meal, or focus on fats and proteins in this meal and alternate the meals every three to four hours, but to always incorporate nutrients dense veggies and proteins into each meal.

    • 2) Staying hydrated.

I am trying to drink 3 quarts of water per day.  I am adding in doTerra essential oils for flavor and a boost to my health.   So far Lemon or Lemon and Lime are my favorite oils to use for flavor.  I am also drinking the Trim Healthy Mama beverages called Good Girl Moonshine (ginger and apple cider vinegar lemonade and sometimes adding in fresh fruits for more flavors) and the Shrinker tea for even more hydration.

    • 3) Juice Plus+ 

I will continue to take Juice Plus+ Orchard, Garden, and Vineyard Blends (Trio Blend), and Complete for nourishment from over 50 plant foods with all the nutrients and vitality intact.

    • 4) Transformation 30 program by Juice Plus+ for health and vitality and weight loss.

If you decide to enroll in the Transformation 30 program, be sure to get in on the $100 Cash Giveaway I am doing with some friends.  We want to motivate you to get healthy and what better way to get a little motivation than some free cash in your pocket that you can spend however you want.

    • 5) doTerra essential oils and Life Long Vitality vitamin and mineral and healthy supplements.

I am continuing to use my doTerra supplements because I know it is a part of my healing journey.  I am helping repair my body and recover.  The doTerra oils are superior to other essential oils. They are Theraputic Grade and work better than pharmecuticals to keep me healthy.  I love the way God had designed the human body to respond to natural methods of healing.  It is an ongoing conversation with our creator.

  • 6) Healthy Activity
  • Incorporating healthy activity into my personal time and into my family’s day too.

  • 7) Spiritual Healthy Activity
  • Pray and talk with the Lord daily.  Spend time each morning reading his word before I start my day.  He is my daily bread.  Sing praises to him daily for He is worthy to be praised.  Thank Him each day for my life because He is the Author of it and He is the air I breathe.  His mercies are new every morning and I am greatful.  His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven will endure forever and ever.

Praise the Lord!  I know I am healing and making progress to achieve my naturally healthy weight and I have confidence that God has given me wisdom and resources, and I will get there!

 

So there you go.

What have I been up to the past few weeks since we talked last?  Are you working on your health?  What are you doing to reach your goals?  Please leave me a comment and let me know.  I love to read your comments!

 

Please share.

Mango Peach Orange Julius

One day a few months ago, I was thinking about fun things I enjoyed doing in my youth. I remembered one of my favorite activities was to go to the mall and get an orange julius while we looked around. I also remembered why I quit getting them when I grew up and went to college. First of all, there were very expensive. I think they were around $4 in the early 1990’s. That was totally out of my budget as a college student. I also had also learned they were very high in calories and wasn’t the best choice for keeping your girly figure.

So here I am 25 years later still missing that delicious drink and refreshing taste. I finally decided to do something about it and recreate a healthier version than the one from my youth. I literally can’t get enough it tastes so good! But since I am now trying to restore my girly figure, I do have to limit myself to just one or two a week. This delicious drink is addicting!

Mango Peach Orange Julius

Mango Peach Orange Julius:

1/2 cup mango,
1/2 cup peaches,
1 orange (or two clementine tangerines),
1/2 cup ice,
2 packs Truvia,
1 tsp vanilla,
1 tsp powdered ginger,
2 cups water or rice milk (use between 1 to 2 cups of liquid depending on how thick or thin you desire and if your fruit was frozen or fresh).

Depending on how much weight you have to lose and your portion expectations, you may want to divide it into one or two portions. You can also add vanilla protein powder and about a 1 tbsp of coconut oil (or hemp seed oil or flax-seed oil. or other raw seed oils) to use this treat as a meal. You can also boost the nutritional value by adding 1 tsp of probiotic powder or 2 tbsp of kefir, and 1/2 tsp turmeric too. If you want some bubbly zing, try adding 1/2 cup of Kevita for part of the liquid. YUMMY!!!

Special bonus: if you make this recipe really thick with less liquid and use all frozen fruit, you can eat it out of a bowl with a spoon like a sherbet desert or even freeze it in popsicle molds too.

If you follow the Fast Metabolism Diet this is a delicious Phase 1 Snack! You can make it a Phase 1 Meal by adding a scoop of egg-white protein powder or a fresh egg white.

If you follow the Trim Healthy Mama diet, you can use this treat as an E-Snack. You can make it into an E-Meal by adding whey or egg-white protein powder. You can make this into an S-Meal with protein powder and 1 tbsp of coconut oil (or hemp or flax-seed oil) for healthy fat.

Please share.

Cinnamon Chocolate Frosty

Need a CHOCOLATE treat for Valentines Day that won’t ruin your diet?

Cinnamon Chocolate Frosty is the answer to a sweet chocolaty treat that won’t affect your waist line. I am in the process of loosing weight, and to prevent stalling, I am temporarily steering clear of dairy except for the occasional bulletproof coffee treat once a week. I usually use a dairy substitute like rice milk, almond milk, or coconut milk when I am planning my weekly menu and making weight-loss recipes. However, this gem of a recipe is inspired by a delicious Mexican spicy chocolate drink and water and ice is all the “liquid” you need.

The ancient Mayan and Aztec Indians use to drink a version of this beverage unsweetened in a bitter spicy chocolate drink, served either hot or cold and made with either water or milk. However, I much prefer it sweetened! No bitter drink for this gal! So I use an all natural zero calorie sweetener to keep faithful to my weight loss goals. Each serving contains: 28 calories, 1 g Fat, 0 g Sugar, 24 Calories, 3 g Fiber, 2 g Protein. This treat fits into the Fast Metabolism Diet All Phases (1,2,3) and THM Meals (E,F), Atkins, as well as the Paleo Diet. It probably fits into just about every diet, so give it a try! The flavors are rich and remind me of a spicy Mexican Chocolate Drink.

Cinnamon Chocolate Frosty

Cinnamon Chocolate Frosty

1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground, organic, non irridated (use another 1 tsp if you desire it with a stronger flavor)
3 tablespoons Cocoa powder, unsweetened, organic
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract, organic
1/16th teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 cup Filtered Water (use another 1/4 cup if needed)
1 1/2 cup Ice Cubes (use another 1/2 cup if needed for desired frozen consistency)
3 tablespoons Truvia Sweetener (all natural stevia and erythritol blend)

Blend everything together in a good blender until smooth and frothy. Makes a delicious spicy and creamy chocolate frosty. You won’t even miss milk in this treat. Eat one serving now and save one for later, or even better, share this chocolate treat with someone you love.

2 servings
28 calories, 1 g Fat, 0 g Sugar, 24 Calories, 3 g Fiber, 2 g Protein

Have a Happy and “ChocolatyValentine’s Day!

This post will be linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Raising Memories

Please share.

Week 4 Update On The 90 Day Challenge

I can hardly believe four weeks have passed since I started this challenge. I am happy to report that I am making progress with my goals and I am down 14 pounds!

Four Week Weight Loss

No dieting, well unless you believe what Hailey Pomroy says that diet stands for Did I Eat Today? In that case then YES I am eating and eating and eating! There is so much food on this meal planning strategy to rev up the metabolism that I can’t hardly eat it all. I’m always stuffed! How can I loose 3.5 lbs a week, or about .5 lbs a day on average, when I am eating so much food?

This strategy is about eating 5 times a day, including lean proteins at each meal, and separating carbs and fats in different meals. That is it in a nut shell! I can find all the ingredients to create delicious meals in my local grocery store that fit right with my budget. What I choose to eat is up to me, as long as it is on the list. The list is divided up into three phases.

I keep meals focussed on either:
Phase 1: protein and carbs (high glycemic fruits and veggies and grains),
Phase 2: protein and low glycemic veggies,
Phase 3: protein and fats with low glycemic fruits and veggies, and grains and nuts.

Hailey Pomroy, a clinical nutritionist, has designed this strategy called FMD (Fast Metabolism Diet) to help rev up the metabolism and help the body focus on one fuel source at a time. The THM strategy (Trim Healthy Mama) works the same way too. Both of the strategies are awesome!

When the body has an over abundance of fats and carbs at the same meal, it burns one fuel type and stores the other one. By feeding the body one fuel source, it burns up that source and this doesn’t lead to weight gain, but effectively helps balance out to a healthy weight. If you are over weight, then this strategy efficiently helps the weight come down to a normal level creating a balance in the body. If you are at goal weight, then this strategy will help your metabolism to stay efficient and healthy and maintain your weight.

A few tips that have helped me get this far:
I posted my food list on the fridge, and it shows me what foods and ingredients to combine on what days. That has helped me overcome any last minute confusion about what foods to reach for.

I posted my goals on the wall in front of my computer too so I can look at them often.

I fill up a quart jar with liquids to drink through out the day. Sometimes it is filled with water, other times a fancy lemonade, and sometimes a fun fruity smoothie or a delicious homemade dairyfree sugarfree shake.

I am eating a huge variety of awesome foods made right at home! For the past 10 years or so, I have taken some food based supplements like kelp, spirulina, vitamin C, vitamin D3, probiotics, enzymes, etc. to naturally help my body get all the nutrients it needs. I use a green food powder a couple times a week in a morning Green Berry Smoothie too.

I set small goals for myself to progressively reach the bigger goals.

I am really pleased with my progress so far, and I can’t wait to see my outcome after the next four weeks. I am so excited about challenging my self at the beginning of this year so that I can attain to a healthier version of me this year. Lord willing, this new me at a healthy weight by making healthy choices is going to happen!

This post will be linked up with
Raising Homemakers

Please share.

Meal Planning for 90 Day Challenge

I have listed my 15 Goals for 2015. I am doing a 90 Day Challenge to help me jumpstart reaching my goals this year. One of those goals is to eat healthy nutrient dense foods to live. I will be posting my meal plans / food journals during my 90 Day Challenge for better health and wellness to give you an idea of what I am eating and where I am at on my journey. Sometimes I will include nutritional data if I have had time to calculate it, and I will post some of the delicious recipes I use too.

I am using recipes from several different “camps”. Some are common recipes I will re-make into a healthier version. Nearly all recipes will comply with the Weston A Price Foundation and Nourishing Traditions foods, FMD, and THM. Some recipes are gluten-free, sugar-free, some are grain-free, dairy-free free, some are low histamine, and many are found in the FMD, THM, Lowcarb, Paleo, Raw Food, etc. strategy camps that go along well together. My main focus will be a merged FMD and THM strategy.

I have learned a lot about healthy foods and natural remedies over the years. But even though I ate healthy, and avoided many of the common cultural pitfalls of medications and used natural methods, the pounds still continued to add on each year. Though I was generally healthy, I could not stop gaining weight. I didn’t know there was a strategy to seperate fuels in meals to promote a healthy weight. But over the past two years, I learned from both the FMD and THM camps that I don’t have to deprive nutrients to get achieve weight-loss, I just have to know what foods to combine and when to use them. This knowledge is completely liberating. There is the light at the end of a long tunnel, it is a hope for a better tomorrow, and a basic truth that everyone can achieve a healthier version of themself if they have and apply this knowledge.

How FMD and THM diets are similar:
Both of the Fast Metabolism Diet (FMD) and THM diets encourage eating a lot of food. You are not eating small portions. You are reving up your metabolism by eating a lot of healthy foods, and burning the fuels. Both stratgies recommend gluten-free meals, soy free meals, sugar-free meals, and promote eating healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. Both diets encourage eating and discourage focussing on calorie counting. Both also encourage protein at each meal. Finally, both programs encourage you to either focus on protein and carbs, or protein and fats for each meal, and to eat meals at least 3 hours apart to be sure your digestive tract has emptied of the previous meal, and helps to keep the body’s focus on using one type of fuel at a time. Otherwise, when consuming a high amount of both carbs and fats together in the same meals, your body will use one fuel and store the other fuel creating a vicious cycle of weight gain. Both programs also encourage you to consume half your body weight number in ounces of fluid to stay hydrated and promote detoxification, healing, and weight loss. Both programs encourage mild exercise, every other day with days of rest built-in, but also state that exercise is not a requirement to weight-loss and that you can cause a stall in your weight-loss if you exercise too much every day.

Book Cover

THM suggests alternating between different meals and snacks (S, E, and F) every 3 hours:
S Meals (protein and fats)
E Meals (protein and carbs)
Fuel Pull Meals (low carb and low-fat).
There are also some crossover meal options for maintenance.

The Fast Metabolism Diet book

FMD suggests alternating meals and snacks (in phases 1, 2, 3) every 3 to 4 hours:
Phase 1 2 days a week (Monday and Tuesday)
High Carb-Lean Protein (grains / legumes, lean proteins, veggies, high and low glycemic fruits);
Phase 2– 2 days a week (Wednesday and Thursday)
Low Carb/Low Fat-Lean Protein (lean proteins, non starchy veggies);
Phase 3 3 days a week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
Medium Carb/Healthy Fat/ Protein (grains / legumes, proteins, veggies, low glycemic fruits, and fats including nuts, oils, avocados, fatty proteins and fatty cuts of meat, etc).

How FMD and THM diets are different:
FMD focusses on switching fuels from Carbs to Low-Carb/low-fat to Fats every two to three days. It also eliminates all dairy, caffeine, and alcohol. THM focusses on switching fuels any day or any meal you want to as long as you have had a 3 hour break in-between each meal. So you don’t have to wait days and days to get your fats or your carbs, as long as you have spaced them out, you could have them both in the same day. Ahhh…that is so much more refreshing to me than waiting 5 days to get in my fats for 3 days on rotation. I really struggled with this before, and I feel it is a little bit too strict for me. THM allows certain dairy products like yogurt, kefir, real cream, butter, cheese, and allows coffee, etc. too. They both use different low-carb / low-fat / high-carb / high-fat versions of foods to comply with their specific meal type S,E, or F and Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. So, for this dairy loving gal, I enjoyed many of the recipes in THM and felt much more emotionally satisfied with my meals after eating the THM way.

THM was developed by two very smart sisters who have self trained themselves in the science of food, health, and wellbeing. Through their collaborative efforts and years of experimenting and studying the work of various doctors and specialists, they developed a strategy of seperating carbs from fats, and a long list of recipes that clearly made a difference in helping themselves and their friends be at a healthy vibrant weight while carrying for the needs of their families. Since they published their book, they have successfully helped thousands of women loose weight and acheive a level of health they could not reach on their own. But there are clear advantages to following FMD too. FMD is more restrictive than THM by excluding dairy and caffeine, but it works quicker, and it is a proven healthy lifestyle that was developed by a certified clinical nutritionist who specializes in healing the thyroid especially, and also include healing adrenal glands, the heart, and brain while getting to a healthy weight. The author of FMD has had tremendous success in her long career with four nutritional clinics, a long long list of lives that have been changed, as a practitioner of healing the body through nutritional foods.

Most of the foods I plan to choose for the next 90 days will comply with the 3 meal types and phases of both the Fast Metabolism Diet (FMD) and the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) programs of eating 3 to 4 hours apart, eating within a half hour of waking, separating carbs and fats in my meals, etc. However, looking ahead, I do plan to cheat from the FMD program occasionally by using some of the dairy recipes from the THM deserts which may contain dairy or peanut flour (not allowed on FMD), but are still sugar-free and gluten-free, and highly nutritious. I hope to work one or two of these delicious treats a week during Phase 1 when higher carbs are allowed, and during Phase 3 when higher fats are allowed. I think it is better to start out acknowledging a plan for healthy treats / cheats built-in.

IMG_0782

For example, I love THM (S) shakes and THM (E and F) GGMS (Good Girl Moon Shine: glorified ginger lemonade recipes that change based on what fruit you add or leave out).

IMG_0760

The GGMS has made a huge difference in my ability to stay hydrated as I do not like the taste of plain tap or well water.

IMG_1137

The THM style (S) Shakes taste just like the real milk shakes I grew up with, but they are a much healthier version. They are high in protein, and moderate in healthy fats, and sugar-free.

IMG_0787

I also enjoy coffee with cream or bulletproof coffee with butter and coconut oil, so I may work in at least one, and maybe a few of these coffee treats a week. Coffee is not conducive to healing the adrenal glands, that is why FMD has removed it from the diet, so it needs to be used wisely. But I read recently an article in the Weston A Price Foundation that said one cup a day or even a few cups of bulletproof style coffee a week can be a healthy choice if not used as a breakfast replacement and also if paired with a protein. That is good news, as I love a creamy frothy coffee and could drink it all day long, but that would be a bad idea. But I am not ready to give up dairy and coffee completely because I believe there is great health to be acheived in using them correctly. So even though FMD does not encourage use of dairy, or coffee, I plan to use them from time to time in the similar appropriate phase (fats). I do not want to sabotage my progress, so I will have to re-evaluate this plan as I go along and be careful not to over indulge, and be sure that I am achieving the results I am hoping for.

IMG_1705

I have tried both of these strategies in the past, and I am confident they both work.
On the FMD program, I was able to achieve a weight loss of about 18 lbs a month, or about 4.5l bs a week, or about .6 lb a day. That is incredible! I slept well too. I started FMD in April and by mid May I saw a huge change in myself. I felt energized and I was truly excited about this way of eating Friday through Tuesday, but felt out of energy by the evening of Wednesday and all of Thursday I was completely exhausted. I do not do well on two days of low-carb/low-fat eating. It was devastating to me to give up my farm fresh milk, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese and butter I loved. We moved across country the end of May 2013 and I was not able to successfully repeat the program in our new location. When we first moved, I didn’t have a stove or dishes until mid July (about 6 weeks). Then my husband was without work for several months and I could not afford the ingredients. So I felt defeated. By December 2013 I had gained back the weight I lost on FMD. A supportive friend kept telling me about her success with THM and that it was more affordable. She suggested I give it a try. I found out I was pregnant in January and I started THM in February 2014. I miscarried the baby in April 2014, but kept going with the THM diet. With the THM program, I was able to enjoy my dairy, and achieve a weight loss of about 22 lbs in four months which equals about 5.5 lbs a month, 1.4 lbs a week, or .18 pounds a day. However, by the third month on THM, my weight loss had slowed to .8 lb a week and then stalled for many weeks on end before losing the next .8 lb and during that struggle to get it moving again, I lost my desire to continue after following it successfully for four months. I felt desperate to find a way to jump-start my weight-loss again, even though I loved and continued many of the recipes, and I then switched to a low-carb focus, and lost a few more pounds and then maintained the weight I lost for three months, but again I seen maintaining as a long stall, and then went off dieting altogether. I should have jumped right back on either THM or FMD when that jump start happened, but I didn’t have the foresight to see it. Over time, I slowly re-gained the weight and was back to where I started by December. So from February of 2014 to December 2014 I lost 22 lbs, lost an additional 3 lbs, and then gained it all back by the year-end. Talk about a yo-yo, HOW AWEFUL!

Why Try Again?
I had my 45th birthday in December 2014. I had decided once again that I don’t want to be this heavy and I must do something about it. I want to be a healthier version of me for 2015. I am tired of the constant ups and downs of my weight. The only way I know to achieve this healthier me, is to implement the FMD and THM strategies again, with some much-needed modifications to keep my energy and my desire to persevere while on them. If you take away all the joy of my creamy shakes and treats, or the hydrating wonder power of GGMS, or my love to enjoy the whole egg, not just the whites, then I would not make it long on FMD. But I still want to use the FMD plan to organize my days, and see a quicker results for my efforts.

Both programs are great, but in my opinion, the FMD helps the weight come off faster and focusses on healing the thyroid, which for most of us, especially me, is so important on our journey to better health. I definitely feel my thyroid needs healing. THM is great too, and helps address the needs of the adrenal glands and is calming because it provides lots of comfort foods, deserts, and emotional and spiritual support in your Christian faith, support in your duties as a wife and mother, and helps to heal the emotional side of why people over eat and are malnourished. THM even has a an awesome Trim Healthy Mama Pregnant and Nursing support group to help you along your journey. I wish someone would combine both of these amazing programs, FMD and THM, in a proven weight-loss strategy, because they are both great and both seem to contain an amazing key of wisdom to helping people lose weight. But I don’t know of any combined approach out there. So I am going to experiment with somewhat merging these programs for 90 Days, and see if I can achieve a healthy well nourished body that includes weight loss, healthier skin, healthier hair, more energy, and a more normal size for my 5’2″ frame.

For 90 days I am following a merged plan of both the FMD and THM strategies, and using great recipes from both. You can follow my pictures on Instagram for the most current photos of my meals. It is easier for me to wrap my brain around the FMD method, with my days organized with the same phase meals, but I love the freedom in eating desserts and treats that are allowed on the THM too. So I will evaluate some of the THM recipes and fit them into the FMD plan on the appropriate phases as much as I can. I will also be supplementing my diet with a few herbs, superfood supplements, and essential oils which I will post in my food journal.

My daily food intake goal is to eat 3 nourishing meals and 2 nourishing snacks, 3 to 4 hours apart:
Phase 1 (FMD) and E (THM) Meals: Monday and Tuesday
Phase 2 (FMD) and F (THM) Meals: Wednesday and Thursday (if I can last the full two days)
Phase 3 (FMD) and S (THM) Meals: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

I will start posting my meal plans and food journal soon, and keep you informed of my progress on this journey to health and wellness during the 90 Day Challenge.

I realize my plan to combine these approaches may offend the purists, those who only believe THM works, or those who believe only FMD works, or those who believe on Paleo or LowCarb diets work. I have known many of these folks who can only believe in the one diet that has benefitted them, and I don’t have any desire to convince anyone to choose one over the other, or to even try this combined approach. Not everything works 100% for every person, as I found out when I did these different programs by themselves. I realize why all of these programs work, and why each of these programs have shortcomings for people with various different needs. My journey is different from someone else’s journey. I am on a journey to find out what works best for me. I hope my readers, and everyone desiring a better healthier 2015 can find what works for them too.

Be blessed!

I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

This post will be linked up with:
Raising Homemakers
Raising Memories

Please share.

Black Bean Taco Salad

Black Bean Taco Salad is an easy quick meal to prepare and has been one of my favorites over the years.  It comes together so fast with fresh flavors and fun textures and is really a treat in the mouth and satisfying to the tummy.

I enjoy this taco salad for lunch or dinner.  It is super delicious and nutritious.  Some suggestions for different diet variations: If you are following a certain diet like Trim Healthy Mama, then you can serve this dish with blue corn chips or homemade baked Joseph’s pita / tortilla crisps / chips.  If you are following a diet like The Fast Metabolism Diet then leave out the chips and instead serve this salad with sliced veggies like cucumbers, jicama, or large wedges of peppers, etc. If you are following a Low Carb Diet, leave out the black beans and chips and serve with low starch veggie slices or just on romaine lettuce. If you are on a Nourishing Foods or Eat Fat Loose Fat plan, add in a spoonfull of geletain powder and a spoonful of coconut oil to your pan while it cooks and serve with full fat sourcream and fermented Pico de Gallo and serve with sprouted corn chips. All of these methods are delicious variations you will not be dissappointed with.

This meal comes together fast and takes less than ten minutes to throw together if you keep a batch of Pico de Gallo in the fridge or freezer and canned beans on hand for quick meals.  If not, then it will take you about another five minutes to chop those veggies and throw in the pot.  If cooking beans from scratch, you will need to plan ahead and soak them overnight and plan to cook for an hour on the stove the next day before using in this recipe as dried beans should always be soaked for at least seven hours and drained before cooking to neutralize the phytic acids.  This truly is a fast food meal.  I like to make a batch of Pico de Gallo ahead and keep it in the fridge and some in quick meal packs in the freezer for fast meals when I don’t feel much like cooking or making a big mess in the kitchen.

The best part of all in making this meal is that my kids enjoy it and they don’t complain about eating it, and that makes the effort of putting this nutritious meal together for them so worth it!

Black Bean Taco Salad

 

 

Black Bean Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup Pico de Gallo (fresh or frozen). Check out my Pico de Gallo recipe at the bottom of this post.
1 can black beans drained and rinsed.
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder or a fresh clove of garlic minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup shredded cheese

Optional (for crunch) serve with:
1 cup tortilla chips or 1 cup sliced raw veggies

Directions:
In a pan heat the Pico de Gallo on medium heat until the onions are tender, add in beans, garlic and spices till heated through and no moisture from the veggies remains. Scoop the taco filling onto plate and serve with lettuce, cheese, and tortilla chips. Add sour cream or guacamole if desired.

Nutrition Data: Calories 415; Protein 25 g; Fat 11 g; Fiber 20 g; Carbs 58 g; Sugars 8 g; Vit A 6105 IU; Vit C 42.2 mg; Vit K 66.7 mcg; Calcium 303 mg; Iron 5.4 mg; Thiamine .6 mg; Folate 610 mcg; Magnesium 159 mg; and so much more. This meal is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidents and is very nutrient dense. Data figured for the taco salad filling, plus lettuce and cheese, but without the optional chips or raw veggies.

This basic meal is very versatile. You can serve the taco filling in crunchy taco shells, on tostada shells, or inside soft tortillas too. It works for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas if you just change up the sauce or shell you are working with. I also love to add in already cooked rice for a delicious meal of rice and beans or to also fill a variety of shells. The kids love to add the taco filling, rice, cheese, and crunchy corn chips inside a soft tortilla shell for their own homemade version of FRITO BURRITOS from Taco Bell. If you want to use the taco filling as a dip, then just blend it in the blender until desired smoothness or chunckiness and serve with veggies or tortilla chips or spread on the inside of bread or tortillas for variety to sandwiches. Also for a creamy mexican soup, after blending the taco filling, this it with water or milk (real milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, etc) and reheat the soup on top of stove, then garnish the soup bowl with sour cream, or more Pico de Gallo when serving if desired. This basic recipe is very versatile and you can get a lot of different meals from it.

Homemade Pico de Gallo

1 medium chopped onion (red or white)
2 medium chopped tomatoes with seeds removed
1 small chopped jalapeno with seeds removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 2 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt

Toss everything together and store in fridge or freezer and use for adding to meals (tacos, burritos, eggs, soups, etc.) or as a garnish. Pico de Gallo is basically a fresh salad made from uncooked salsa. It is traditional in Mexican cooking, comes together quick and easy and makes meals POP with flavor and texture. I highly recommend keeping batches of this awesome food in the fridge and freezer for various uses. I love to make quick breakfasts by adding a few tablespoons of Pico de Gallo in a skillet, sauteing with chopped spinach and then piling all of that inside a delicious omelet. The best omelets ever!!! If desired, you can also ferment Pico de Gallo in a glass canning jar for one to three days on the counter, and then for another week or so in the fridge before using just by adding in 2 Tbsp of liquid whey when preparing a fresh batch. It will turn out similar to Kimchi (Kimchi is a raw fermented Asian spicy salad) but without the cabbage and red chili peppers. It is amazing what you can do with ferments. The Lactobacillus in the liquid whey helps safely ferment the veggies and activates lots of enzymes and good bacteria that are beneficial to the digestive and immune systems. Whether you eat it fresh, cooked, or fermented, Pico de Gallo is YUMMY!!!

Please share.

Homemade Pico de Gallo

If you have ever eaten Mexican or Hispanic food at an authentic Mexican restraunt, then you have probably enjoyed Pico de Gallo served either on top or on the side of your meal. It is traditional in Mexican cooking, and it comes together quick and easy and makes meals POP with fresh flavor and texture. Pico de Gallo is usually served raw and is the opposite of a cooked salsa. It is basically a fresh uncooked salsa so it is a salad. It is also sometimes called Salsa Fresco “fresh salsa” and also Salsa Bandera “salsa flag” because it’s colors are similar to the Mexican Flag. No matter what you call it, or how you serve it, it is delicious!

IMG_3115

Homemade Pico de Gallo

1 medium chopped onion (red or white)
2 medium chopped tomatoes with seeds removed
1 small chopped jalapeno with seeds removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 2 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt

Toss everything together and store in fridge or freezer until ready to use.

Nutritional Data:

I have figured the nutritional data for 1 cup or about 1/2 of the recipe. This recipe makes about 2 cups of salad. Many times you might only use a tablespoon or two if using this salad as a garnish, or inside of a shell, so adjust the data per the amount you use:

Calories 55
Protein 2 g
Fat 0
Fiber 3 g
Carbs 13 g
Sugars 6 g
Calcium 34.4 mg
Iron .6 mg
Magnesium 22.8 mg
Vitamin K 17 mcg
Vitamin C 28.5 mg
Vitamin A 1224 IU

and much more vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidents.

How I use Pico de Gallo:

I highly recommend keeping batches of this awesome food fresh in the fridge and frozen in the freezer for various uses. It can be used on various diet programs too such as Trim Healthy Mama, The Fast Metabolism Diet, Paleo, Lowcarb, Eat Fat Loose Fat, Nourishing Foods, etc. You just can’t go wrong having a batch or two of this dish on hand.

I use Pico de Gallo for many different meals both as a raw topping and as a cooked base for chili, tacos, burritos, bean dips, breakfast omelets, breakfast egg scrambles, soups, stir fries, spanish rice, etc. and also as a fresh topping or garnish on other meals (steak, salad, cucumber salad, etc). I love to make quick breakfasts by adding a few tablespoons of Pico de Gallo in a skillet, sauteing with chopped spinach and then piling all of that inside a delicious omelet. The best omelets ever!!!

Here is a great idea that enhances the nutritional value too. If desired, you can ferment Pico de Gallo in a glass canning jar for one to three days on the kitchen counter, and then for another week or so in the fridge before using just by adding in 2 Tbsp of liquid whey to the recipe when preparing a fresh batch. It will turn out similar to the Asian fermented Kimchi (you can make Kimchi with this by adding chopped cabbage and red chili peppers). It is amazing what you can do with ferments. The Lactobacillus in the liquid whey will grow at room temperature in the jar and will help safely ferment the veggies and it activates lots of enzymes and good bacteria that are beneficial to the digestive and immune systems.

Whether you eat Pico de Gallo fresh, fermented, or cook it as a base in different dishes, it is YUMMY!!!

Please share.

Back At The Starting Line, But On My Way!

I’m on my way to a new me!  But boy oh boy it is a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I started this journey to a healthier me in December 2012.  I joined the YMCA in Asheville NC and started a Walk and Talk Wednesday program to inspire other moms.  I made good progress for 6 months until we moved across the states to Indiana at the end of May 2013.  By December 2013 I was right back where I started.

Fat and Frustrated!!!

Have you been there?  Do you know what I mean?

After feeling sorry for myself for a while, and not completely sure I could get it turned around, I decided to try a method of eating I had heard about from a friend on the TOS crew.  She had done a combination of Trim Healthy Mama and Lowcarb eating and she was able to reach her fitness goal last year, while meanwhile I went backwards and found myself back at the starting line.

I’m a firm believer in true healthy foods, and if any diet starts spouting off dietary nonsense then I am going to run the other way.  I spent countless hours reading and re-reading the Trim Healthy Mama book which is a combination of a recipe book, a science text, and a faith based self help book.  It all made sense!  Over and over on their Facebook page REAL women had posted their successes too.  I really connected when I read the testimony of a mom with a lot of kids who had followed the program and successfully lost a 100 lbs and reached her goals.  Wow!

I started Trim Healthy Mama February 1, 2014.  I started at 249 lbs (ouch that hurts to admit publically), and weighed in at 230 lbs today, July 18, 2014.  Yeah me!!!   This winter I was at my true breaking point with my weight and so discouraged as this is the most I have ever weighed in my life.  I weighed less when pregnant 8 times (we have 6 children and 2 in heaven).   My weight just seemed to climb and climb this past winter even though I was eating healthy.  I could not seem to get it to stop climbing.

Also though I am loosing weight slowly, I have stalled in my weight loss several times over the past few months while following the Trim Healthy Mama program.  I will loose here and there and then stall for a week or two and nothing changes.  Sometimes I gain weight too and it is easy to get discouraged and want to quit.   The yo-yoing up and down can be very discouraging.  I had a vindictive 5 lbs I kept gaining and loosing for weeks on end in April and May.  I definitely see that stress has a big impact on weight gain.  I was stressed because of family finances, and my husband was out of work for more months than he had work over the past year.  He finally got a new job in mid April, but money was so tight and the stress of finances once again was unreal.   At the beginning of July, I was sad to see those 5lbs come back and my weight hovered once again at 235.  It is crazy how I can gain or loose 5lbs almost overnight.  I’ve done enough research to know it is water weight and it is affected by hormone changes and also stress plays a big role.

I felt I needed something more, since I keep having these stalls.  Over the past 17 years I have followed a Weston A Price method of traditional foods which helped me over come infertility.  And for the past  two years, I had added in a Paleo approach.  I had read about a Keto / Lowcarb  approach, but did not implement it at the time.  Finally I am understanding how these methods can compliment each other and benefit me.   Again, the science all makes sense.    I have read a lot about how a lowcarb menu plan can help the body to burn fat for fuel, so that is what I am aiming for.

So after finally getting my brain to understand how this all works, I finally started the 90 Day Healthy Choices Lowcarb Challenge on July 16th at 235lbs and I am at 230lbs today.  I wish I was starting at 229 instead of 235, and I am very frustrated that those pounds I worked so hard to loose found a way to come back this past week.  But I am more determined than ever to be successful on this lowcarb challenge and see if I can bust through some of these difficult hurdles.  So far on Trim Healthy Mama I have an average loss of about  0.8lbs per week or 3.16 lbs per month.   But I want to try to improve this to 2.5lbs a week or 10lbs a month by going on this 90 Day Challenge.

Day three of the challenge is DONE!  Yeah!!!

I am making healthy choices, eating low carb meals with a strategy.   It is definitely a challenge to mix and match the right combos to keep my carb intake low.  I am making healthy choices, and getting great nutrition, and my overall sugar intake is low.  However, I am still above the amount of carbs I want to be at to meet the goal of this lowcarb challenge.  My goal for carbs is to stay below 20 net carbs a day or 5% of my calories, protein 25%, and fats 70% but still incorporate the Trim Healthy Mama approach.  It will take me a little time to get into a good routine so that I can learn to alternate between the lower carb meals, and no carb meals to reach these goals.   I am a work in progress.

So how did I do the first 3 days?

Day 1 Net Carbs = 57

Day 2 Net Carbs = 52

Day 3 Net Carbs = 21

Note:  These net carb totals above include sugar alcohols from Erythritol sweetener and Xylitol sweetener and need to be subtracted off yet and should not have been included in the total.  For some reason the software totals them into the net carbs but it should subtract them as they do not count because the body can’t digest them and they pass on through and have no impact on blood sugar.

It has become very obvious why pre-planning food combinations for meals and snacks individually but also for the whole day to be sure I get in all the nutrients is so critical to achieve my health goals.  I’m back at the starting line, and I have a lot more work to do.  But I am on my way!

 

 

Are you working on any fitness goals?  Please leave a comment and tell us about it.  Thank you.

 

Please share.