Day One "detox" update!

After day 1 of my current elimination diet I have decided to call this “DETOX”.

 

I forgot just how terrible the first few days can be. I now recall that I did a “30 day challenge” a few years ago and had to remove many items out of my diet at that time and remember now the terrible headache and flu like feelings that accompanied it.

I made it thru day 1, with a headache that started at 9:30 am and continued on for the course of the day. By 4pm I was feeling like I had the flu and started to somewhat question my reasoning for doing this “detox”.

I survived the drive home, put on my pj’s and crawled into bed at 5pm. Bed didn’t last long though, which happens when you have a 5 year old and when you also need to prepare food for the next day.

“Detox” takes thought, preparation, time and commitment!

 

I managed to make it through the evening with the pounding headache, prepared some food for dinner and lunch the next day and was back in bed by 8:30pm, what an exciting evening!

Today starts day two, woke up feeling great (who wouldn’t after such a long night of sleep), only to have the headache make its return at 7:30 am., however I seem to be managing much better today.

I certainly won’t be falling off the detox wagon, simply because I do not want to repeat this process again anytime soon. I think that’s how I quit smoking years ago too, with the same attitude. There was no way that I was going to start that again and again so it was cold turkey, done.

Each day will get easier and the headache should disappear within the next few days along with any other ill feelings too.

I don’t know that I actually laid out exactly what I have had to remove from my diet in order to do this elimination, so here it is:

No dairy, no grains, no chicken, no beef, no pork, no almonds, no citrus, no potatoes, no apples, no sugars, no mushrooms, no tomatoes, no caffeine, no beans, no legumes, no vinegar, no peanuts, no eggs. That about sums it up

At this point you may be asking what can I eat?

Well, there is still a ton of foods on my allow list, again it just takes thought and prep.

I can eat most other vegetables and fruits, most nuts, wild salmon, halibut, turkey, scallops, olive oil, sea salt, avocados. If I listed out all of the fruits and vegetables that I am allowed then this list would seem much longer and really it’s totally manageable as well.

I have to say after day 1 I really noted just how terrible I have been lately with the caffeine and sugar overload. Thus how terrible it had me feeling. If nothing else it will certainly be an excellent wakeup call and eye opener at that.

So far, so good, as the day goes on I seem to be managing this headache well, this gives me hope for tomorrow!

One day at a time they say. I’m not sure how long I need to run my detox, time will tell. If I happen to notice any major improvements within the next 3 or 4 days then I may try and add one of the foods back in, however I may just try and ride this out a few weeks and see what happens. It’ll certainly do my body some good. Just have to see how long I last.

I’ve had a few emails from people tackling their own challenges this week, feel free to post up any comments here as to any changes you may be taking on. And I’d like to wish good luck to you all!

Diet overhaul, are you ready?

Do you know the feeling when you are at the end of your rope and the ball is back in your court and all that is left to do is to follow your own advice? Well, I’ve hit that, and apparently hit it pretty hard. I’ve taken courses and read books and written case studies and made changes etc but now it’s time to really step it up and deal with the biggest challenge that each of us face. I must take a good, long, hard look at ME, at least temporarily to see if I can figure out some issues.

Oh, so not looking forward to this next step. I’ve made many changes over the years, I’ve tried the doctor’s advice, hell I’ve even had tests but nothing seems to be working too well these days and nothing is showing up as being wrong either, a bit of a mystery! Where’s Shaggy and Scooby and the mystery machine when I need them?

Next step, elimination diet! I hate those words, I will admit it! The worst part is, the typical elimination diet most recommended won’t work for me….my diet already follows the basis of it.

A typical elimination diet has you restricting the common allergens/intolerances out of your diet for a few weeks, and then reintroducing foods (food families) one by one, usually one every 3 to 4 days (ensuring time in between to see if any of the reintroduced foods are causing an issue). The other main reason for an elimination diet is to reduce the burden on your digestive system, we all need a break every once in while.

The typical elimination diet (in brief) has you removing all gluten grains (sometimes oats are acceptable), eggs, white potatoes, tomatoes, corn, all citrus fruits, sugars (and sweeteners), all dairy products, all processed foods, pork (sometimes beef) and caffeine.

Since my diet typically avoids most processed foods, limits corn, limits and practically avoids gluten and dairy already I need to step it up further, beyond this. (Yes, I understand that I have not fully restricted anything, therefore my diet has not been exactly “perfectly clean”, however its clean enough that I know the typical elimination will not work for me and would be a waste of time….its time for a diet overhaul). I have to remove a good portion of what I eat every day and replace it with some not so common foods (well, not so common to me at least). Time to change it up.

Sometimes over the years we can develop food sensitivity or intolerance to foods, simply by eating more than your system is able to process. An elimination diet is a great way to test out which foods (if any) are causing you issue.

I’ve had eczema ever since I was little, it’s nothing new. Some days it is under control better than others. Some days I cannot fully extend my right hand as it is so dry and sore that the skin just won’t stretch without splitting. Some days it’s itchy, some days it’s spotty and some days it’s hardly even there. And I keep ignoring it. I’ve known for a long time now that it is most likely something in my diet but I am stubborn and just didn’t feel like I had “time” to have to deal with it.

The winter months can be harsh on anyone’s skin with the colder air and the constant dry heat from the furnace. It’s not unusual to have dry, chapped skin this time of year, however there comes a time when enough is enough.

My issues over the past year seem to be involving a few other internal systems, this is where it is becoming more apparent that the time has come to take matters into my own hands and find the source of the issues and start looking at fixing them, since any test to date is showing up that I am perfectly healthy and functioning.

You shouldn’t eat a meal (especially one that you feel is “healthy”) and experience abdominal bloating or discomfort or indigestion. Your colon should not be sluggish. My teacher always likes to quote “one meal in, one meal out”, seriously, if only we were all so fortunate!

These are signs people that something is not working right. Your body is not breaking down your food properly. Sometimes it can be as simple as bad food combining, sometimes you are not producing enough stomach acid to break it down, you may be suffering from mal-absorption or mal-digestion and therefore not processing the foods and getting from them what your body needs. There are many different possibilities.

These are all mere examples of some of the reasons to try an elimination diet. We all have items in our diet that really don’t need to be there, however not everyone is at a point where they need to make themselves priority and take a really long hard look at themselves and decide to make a change.

Change is never easy. I certainly don’t anticipate the diet changes I am about to embark upon to be simple. They are completely doable, however they will require some thought and preparation and a willingness to yet again jump out of my comfort zone. I like to have a plan, so my plan is to start on Monday. The reasoning for this is that I can plan for it, I can shop for it and I can have a meal plan in mind (meaning I will have some idea of what I will be eating for breakfast/lunch/dinner as many of my typical “go to foods” will be restricted for the next month or so).

Be warned people, I once again have to give up coffee. I love coffee and yes I know it’s not needed, it’s not good for me, and it could easily be removed from my diet for good. Over the years I have gone off coffee at one time or another for short periods of time and each time I swear I am never doing it again. It is the one thing that I love love love! I love the smell, the taste and the ultimate comfort I seem to have linked to it.

I will survive, the question is, will all of you?

Be forewarned that I may be feeling some withdrawal issues over the next few weeks (again I don’t start this till Monday) as I remove caffeine and sugar, so if I’m a bit of a cranky pants (ok, so more than usual) I apologize now.

Updates will follow.

What do you need to remove from your diet?

Potato Crust Quiche

I love quiche, its a quick easy meal to prepare, however when it comes to the typical crust it makes it not the healthiest of options for dinner, so I decided to experiment and revamp the traditional quiche.

For the crust, thinly slice potatoes or sweet potatoes

Toss the potatoes with a tbsp of olive oil

Line a pie plate with the potatoes

Bake at 350 for approximately 10-15 minutes - do not burn!

Once cooked you can then add your favourite quiche ingredients into the potato shell, top with your beaten eggs and bake as per usual.

My newest trick is to add leftover squash to the beaten eggs; the kids don't know the difference!

My last quiche I did the following, as per usual it was simply what I had on hand:

Peel 1 large potato or sweet potato (more if needed)

Slice thin

Toss with 1 tbsp oil

Grease a pie plate with oil (olive, butter or coconut oil)

Line pie plate with potato slices

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350

Toppings:

Option 1

Sweet potato lined crust

½ green pepper sliced

½ cup cherry tomatoes (next time I will omit)

¼ cup diced red onion

½ cup (or less) shredded mozzarella

black pepper

or

 

Option 2

Potato lined crust

½ cup diced ham

½ cup cherry tomatoes (next time I will omit)

½ cup shredded mozzarella

black pepper

Once you have placed your options into the crust you:

beat 5-6 eggs

add ½ cup cooked squash (optional)

pour over top (for each quiche - so 2 quiche would require roughly 1 dozen eggs)

Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes (if in a hurry you can increase the temp to roughly 400 but keep an eye on it)

Serve with a tossed salad

I have since decided that really I am not a huge fan of cooked tomatoes in quiche and neither is my daughter, so next time I will omit.

Cheese is simply an option, the stronger the cheese the less that’s required. Typically I prefer to use old cheddar or goat’s milk feta. If using a stronger flavoured cheese you could easily decrease the amount to 1/3 cup.

When it comes to quiche the options are endless as to what ingredients you wish to use. Fresh herbs and spices add nice flavor, use an array of colorful veggies, salmon and shrimp would be wonderful additions as well. Quiche is also great for breakfast, lunch or dinner so don't limit yourself as the options are endless.

Happy cooking!

Black Bean Soup

This week has been cold and has me craving soup. Not everyone in my household seems to follow me on my love of soups, however today seems to be a great day to have a pot of soup going on the stove.

Today I wanted to make a black bean soup, today’s version is vegetarian which probably has my husband squirming as he reads this….what no meat? Yes dear, no meat, but protein nonetheless!

As per usual I create with what happens to be in the fridge and pantry, so today’s version is this:

In a large stockpot melt

1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter or olive oil)

Add the following:

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks (leaves included)

1 large carrot

Cook until translucent (10 minutes roughly)

Add 1 litre of broth (I did not have any broth or stock on hand today but I did have some leftover roasted veggies in the fridge – so into my blender went 1 leftover sweet potato, 1 leftover carrot and approximately 1 cup of leftover spaghetti squash – pureed and added enough water to make 1 litre, plus 1 large scoop of tomato paste)

Add the broth to the pot

Add 1 large handful of chopped fresh parsley (optional – just had it on hand)

Add 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika and a few dried hot peppers (red pepper flakes would work too, adjust the heat to your liking)

I did not have any dried black beans on hand so had to resort to canned today (be sure to rinse thoroughly). Dried beans would be better – however would also have to be soaked and cooked ahead of time

Add 2 cans of black beans to your pot

2 garlic cloves – smashed

Let simmer until cooked through. I then took part of the soup and pureed in my blender, then added back to the pot – so it was partially pureed and partially chunky. An immersable hand blender would work as well. Just be careful doing this when the soup is still hot – not all blenders can handle the heat so you may want it to cool slightly first.

Soup can be enjoyed within 20 minutes, however often times is even better the next day.

Diced tomatoes, peppers, red onion etc could all be easily added to this soup.

You can eat this on its own, you can top it with sour cream or yogurt and some chopped green onions if you wish. (no longer vegan if you are adding sour cream or yogurt)

This soup would also be tasty over cooked quinoa or rice or with some warm corn bread out of the oven.

So, before I posted this I decided that I "needed" corn bread to go with my soup for lunch. So, I googled and found this recipe here which I thought sounded like it needed a few changes:

http://ibreadhunter.blogspot.com/2011/11/gluten-free-cornbread.html

And adapted it to:

• instead of brown rice flour I substituted quinoa flour
• instead of canola I substituted olive oil and coconut oil (butter would also work)
• instead of milk I substituted coconut milk
• used part honey/part maple syrup as I happened to run out of honey!
• added a 1/4 tsp of cayenne

And lunch was created:

The corn bread was a bit crumbly out of the oven, and I used coarse sea salt instead of regular and I may have slightly over salted....however still super yummy and a great addition to the soup. Just what was needed after burning 500 + calories this morning teaching spin class.

Enjoy the weekend all!

My view on "Why Weight Watcher's Won't Make You Healthy"

What an interesting day! So, today I read a post on my husband's Facebook page, which you can find here:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151167619610123&id=817435122&ref=notif&notif_t=wall#!/pages/Real-Bodies/149810095045112

This particular post was from PV Nutritional Therapy on Why Weight Watcher's Won't Make You Healthy and wow the turmoil that this has caused. I love it; let’s face it I live for this stuff! I have been chomping at the bit to get a lunch break so I could blog post my opinion as Facebook would probably limit my comments to too few characters and seriously people, I have alot to say on this topic.

Here is the link, and in my opinion well worth the read:

http://www.pvnutritionaltherapy.com/why-weight-watchers-wont-make-you-healthy/

For anyone who has been following my blog already you will know that many years ago (gotta be 10-11 years ago) I was obese. I turned to Weight Watchers to begin my weight loss journey. I lost 110 pounds with Weight Watchers and learned about portion control, the power of being accountable to someone other than yourself, the power of support and guidance and the fact that a bit of friendly competition is often a great way to kick your ass into gear!

So, because of the above notations re WW, I cannot knock them in the fact that they certainly assisted me on my journey to where I am now.

HOWEVER

As far as what this article is saying in that WW won’t make you healthy,

I TOTALLY AGREE!

Weight Watchers did not make me healthy! Now, as I am about to put forth my arguments please bear in mind that I have not counted a point since 2003, I have not reviewed the changes that they have made to their programs or their systems, I can only go on the knowledge that I gained way back then.

When I went to WW I could have eaten nothing but McDonald’s each and every day and as long as I stayed within my point range and drank my allotted water I would have lost weight and honestly over the years I know people that did exactly this! Were they healthy, hell no, did they drop weight yes because they restricted their calorie intake. Did they keep the weight off, NO, did they learn any healthy habits, NO.

Could I have gotten to the size I am today with Weight Watchers?

HELL NO!

Back then I had to get down to 164 lbs in order to reach Lifetime member status. What that meant was that I was in the healthy weight range for my height….and just so you know if memory serves me right I believe I lied about my height and gave myself an inch so I could weigh more! No joke, ask my sister, I embellished a bit…I’m sure of it!

From one of my earlier blog posts – September 2, 2011:

“Weight Watchers was a great foundation for me, but it wasn't enough. It took me nearly 2 years to shed 110 pounds. The last 6 months were the hardest. The last 10 pounds that I had to lose in order to be the size that WW deemed as my healthy range was the worst. I couldn't eat much by that point, I walked for hours a day and the results were just not happening. When I finally hit the 110 pound loss, I quit and gained the 10 pounds back, it just wasn't enough. I can't knock WW as I still maintained that 100 pound loss and WW did provide me with the foundation that I was so lacking.”

My caloric intake was so restricted that I could not maintain that last 10 pounds that I fought so hard to lose.

Weight Watchers had me eating Fat Free, Low Fat, and Chemical Filled GARBAGE! And don’t get me wrong, I am not perfect, I still enjoy chemically filled crap on occasion but you can bet my calorie intake for 80% of the time is whole foods (fruits and vegetables), whole and alternate grains, healthy fats (I EAT REAL BUTTER PEOPLE and will never purchase chemically filled margarine again!), raw nuts and seeds, high protein, low sugars and alternate sweeteners such as Maple Syrup, Stevia(on occasion), and honey (and I do not EVER use artificial sweeteners – unless I drink the odd diet Pepsi – see below).

Weight Watchers led me to a Diet Pepsi addiction, where on earth can you show me that aspartame is in any way healthy? I still love the taste of this terribly unhealthy product and personally know I’d be better to reach for the sugary regular Pepsi if I was indeed going to drink it, however for the few occurrences that I drink it I still go for the Diet…even though I know it’s completely unhealthy, it falls in an 80/20 rule….I am only human and far from perfect.

I have been studying nutrition for the past 4 years (roughly). I am getting close to finalizing my courses thru The Edison Institute of Nutrition and when I am done I will have the credentials after my name as a Nutritional Consultant. Once I started to learn, experiment and explore the world of nutrition and once I started to eat what I consider “real foods”, “healthy foods” I quickly dropped down to a size way smaller than I ever thought possible and that WW was not ever able to get me even close to.

Again, I will reiterate that WW taught me portion control as it was something that I certainly was lacking and it was a great group of people to be accountable to each week, however did it make me healthy, again

HELL NO PEOPLE

We are all entitled to our own opinions and when looking to drop weight it can be a scary road to venture down. There are many “diets” out there and each person will tell you a different answer as to what worked for them and why they back it up or they don’t. It’s simply how the world works. If you find something that works for you, great! All the power to you all! Just keep in mind if you are looking to make changes then the first thing you need to do is stop doing what you’ve always done because obviously it’s not working! And remember it’s a lifestyle and not a diet. Change is change and some people are receptive to it and others fight it the whole way through. Find your motivation and follow through. And if one thing works for now be sure to remain open to new suggestions as it may not always work, you may find a time when you need to change again.

Keep in mind that we are all biochemically unique. Weight Watchers does not take this into account and either does Jenny Craig or Atkins or any of the “fad diets” out there. Do they look at the person as a whole? Do they know your family history; do they consider your lifestyle habits? Do they know that you have trouble sleeping, do they know that your thyroid is acting up or that your digestion is so wacky that you are not utilizing what you are taking in? Face it people, most of us are truly FULL OF SHIT! Do they take into consideration that you may not be eating enough protein and because of this are suffering from low blood sugar drops throughout the day are binging out of control on whatever you can get your hands on?

A diet is a diet….make a lifestyle change to see lasting results. Utilize the tools that are available to you and gain as much knowledge as you can along the way.

How’s that for a rant? Thinking I just may of sparked a few more controversies over this!

Happy reading folks! Game on!

Tomato Meatball Soup

(As per usual, this recipe was created from what I had on hand, as with most cooking please don’t despair if your fridge or pantry is missing something in the ingredient list – don’t be afraid to adapt and substitute with something else, go ahead I dare you!)

1-2 Tbsp Coconut oil (or olive oil or butter)

1 small onion - chopped

1-2 large carrots - chopped

1-2 ribs of celery – chopped

1 can (6 cups) tomato juice – or your favorite V8, or tomato type juice

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 lb lean ground chicken

2 cloves of garlic – pressed or finely chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped

black pepper

1 rounded tsp oregano (use fresh if available)

1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped

2-3 bay leaves

• In a large pot melt your oil of choice (preferably one of the ones listed above)
• Add the onion, carrots and celery
• Cook until translucent (approx 10 minutes)
• Add your tomato juice and broth
• Mix with a hand blender or put through a regular blender at this point
• Add back to the pot
• Let simmer on medium/low heat

 To create your meatballs:

• Mix chicken, garlic, ginger, pepper and oregano
• Roll into bite size (small) balls
• Drop one by one into the pot of soup

•  Add sweet potato (if you would prefer you can cook this with the carrots/onions/celery and puree in the blender before adding the meatballs)
• Add bay leaves
•  Let cook 20 minutes
• Remove bay leaves before eating

 As with most soups, this is probably best left to sit (in the fridge) until the next day to let the flavours mingle.

Notes – when using canned or boxed products be sure to scrutinize the label. You may think you are doing yourself a favour by using “broth” however many (including Campbell’s) has added sugar and that is not what you are looking for. I tend to use Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth (I often find it at Vince’s).

Also when using canned tomato juice be sure to read and compare the labels. Watch the sodium content and look for added sugars.

Feel free to season to your taste, I'd prefer it spiced up, however not everyone in my household would agree, therefore I've left this fairly low on the spices. 

The ginger adds a different flavor to the meatballs, I used it here simply because I seem to be on a garlic/ginger kick these days. They would be great spiced with cumin and chili powder, could easily turn this into a "taco" style soup, do with it what you wish!

Happy Cooking!

Dropping the holiday weight

It’s been just over a week or two and I can happily say I have dropped those terrible holiday pounds! Yeah!

Now, its not like I gained a ton of weight, a mere 3 extra pounds, I say mere simply because this time I was able to quickly drop them. If you don't take those pounds seriously and take a stand against them they will continue to grow in number. That 3 or 4 pounds can quickly become 5 or 6 and even higher if you don't take some control over the out of control holiday season and that's when the trouble begins.

Most people gain a few pounds over the season, the problem is that they gain a few with each holiday and get familiar with the new number on the scale, that's when the problem just continues to grow. Take a stand now and decide to find no comfort in those few extra pounds, and realize you are the only one that can get rid of them.

Now, not everyone will drop the pounds so quickly. I revved up my metabolism, cut out all of the crap (except for Bill's birthday cakes!) and trained hard as well; a combo that certainly worked.

When I say cut the crap, that’s exactly what I mean. Drop all of the processed junk, reduce or remove the whites (sugars, flours etc) eat as clean as possible, crank up the protein (high quality at that - fish, chicken, beans), high quality fats, fresh fruits and veggies, loads of water and nothing processed; really it's not as hard as people seem to think, there is an abundance of food out there that is "clean" and quick to prepare. Many think its rocket science; really it just takes some thought. And don't cut the fat, people seem to think fats (butter, oil etc) make you fat, however your body needs fat to work properly so just be sure to utilize the correct fats. Throw out the margarine and vegetable oils; those will certainly do more harm than good. Reach for butter, olive oil, raw seeds and nuts, avocados and coconut oil etc.

The more "clean" you keep your diet, the less cravings for junk you will have, really, if you've never tried it you should. It may take a few days but it will remove those terrible cravings and help you to gain some control back in your life.

Take a look at your current “go to” recipes or foods and revamp them. Start making gradual changes to your recipes, you can go drastic but I don’t want anyone to go too far overboard and get frustrated and go back to the old ways. Not every change you make will work; trust me! I have had many changes that have not necessarily turned out the way I had hoped, just don’t lose faith and remember to try again.

Don’t be afraid of the unknown; take it as a challenge and face it head on, you never know what the outcome may be.

Hummus

For some unknown reason I have been purchasing hummus for the past few months. I'm not sure why I keep thinking one will taste better than another, none of them are as good as the homemade real deal. It's not hard to make, I often have most of the items on hand, its cheap, its fresh. Really, there are many reasons why I should insist on always making it fresh but for some reason I have been buying it....so unlike me!

Hummus is great as a veggie dip. It's far superior to any creamy salad dressings and dips. Homemade makes it that much better, without all sorts of additives and preservatives that you can't say let alone spell. Do yourself a favor and read the label on whatever you are currently using as a vegetable dip, you may just be surprised by what is inside that bottle.

Todays version of Hummus is full of garlicky goodness!

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed (if using dried beans you will need to cook them first)
3 cloves of garlic (adjust to your taste)
4-5 slices of fresh ginger
1 rounded tsp cumin
3 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
olive oil - a good glug
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
sea salt, black pepper
water - add 1 Tbsp at a time to reach the desired consistency

Mix everything in a magic bullet or food processor of some kind. If you don't have a food processor you can mash the chick peas with a fork, smash the garlic in a press, chop the ginger and stir in the rest of the ingredients till mixed through.

Hummus is great used as a dip for fresh vegetables, mixed with leftover rice, spread on crackers or as part of a sandwich. My preference is for dipping veggies.

Garbanzo beans are a great source of both fibre and protein.

If you've never tried the homemade version you should, its well worth it. Give it a go and let me know your thoughts.

If I could just convince the kids to eat it more often I'd be happy!

Garlic and ginger are create spices for the cold and flu season so feel free to use in excess!