FOOD PREP CHOICES

Exploring food prep ways and whys proved challenging during the past six months, however a theory emerged. There seems to be four ways to prepare plant based foods: raw, juiced, blended, and cooked.

Raw foods are not heated over 115 degrees, are often shaped into familiar foods like cheese, meats,  pies, and cookies. Raw foods (other than salads or fresh from the garden) are prepared in processors, blenders, and dehydrators;  the latter can take up to twenty four hours prep time.  Dried fruits and veggies make a great snack when eating fresh off the vine is not practical. Chewing and digestion is harder than juicing or blending. My favorite raw preparation is trail mixes, otherwise, I have an Excalibur sitting idle.

Maybe I will use my Excalibur during the winter months when keeping my house cool is not such an issue.  Otherwise, as I mentioned in earlier posts, eating look-alike and taste-alike cheeses and meats is not appealing to me.

Juicing requires fresh everything and when buying in large quantities and freezing what cannot be used, juicing is not possible.  It takes a special masticating juicer to get kale to give up her juice; I had a Breville but hated loosing the benefits of seeded fruit; the seeds in strawberries time-releases sugar preventing a blood sugar spike. However, I am convinced juicing is the best, purest, and fastest way to get nutrients to the body and the digestive system loves juice! Light, no bloating, easy in and easy out!  Best ever for illness and ailments.

Blending with a good blender is the easiest way to get fiber and mix liquids into one’s drink. Bloating can be a side effect and taking MAG07 and probiotics was essential for me.

I found cooking is best for veggies like sweet potatoes, whole grains, and legumes but in general, cooking reduces nutrients and cooked foods are harder to digest.

I incorporate  combination of all methods throughout the day:  Juice in order to keep digestion light in the morning, saving energy for all we do (www.kimberlysnyder.net).  Blend at lunch.  Eat raw and cook at night and enjoy a juice with dinner.

May our journey make yours a little easier,

Claudia

Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient-packed “Skinny Shake” as seen on The Dr. Oz Show : Disease Proof

Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient-packed “Skinny Shake” as seen on The Dr. Oz Show : Disease Proof.

 

Confessions of a Fitness Nut

I cheat.

Yes, I do.

Here is my list of confessions from last week:

1. I only worked out one time
2. I will not swim in an unheated pool
3. I drank wine (vacation!)
4. I ate an ice cream dip (Mother’s Day walk in Annapolis!)
5. I tasted chocolate fudge (Mother’s Day)
6. I ordered grilled chicken wings (but sent them back when I realized they were fried!)
7. I sometimes skip lunch and just snack
8. I do not like weight bearing exercise
9. I do not like to sweat except in yoga
10. I clench my teeth

In spite of my imperfections and occasional lapses in perfection, I lost 20 pounds in less than four months, I look less stressed (but those clenching teeth tell me I am still detoxing), and I keep getting better.

The point is, I do not fall of the wagon and give up.  I even give myself permission to regress occasionally. So what?  I used to be so regimented with dieting and routine that all fun and flexibility disappeared and eventually I crashed.  I learned to be kind, gentle, less critical and more accepting of myself.

I used to set myself up to fail, my expectations were so high and demands unrealistic.  What about you?  Ever done that?  Are you doing it now?

To your health,

Carecia

Protect Yourself Against Osteoporosis | DrFuhrman.com

 

Protect Yourself Against Osteoporosis | DrFuhrman.com.

 

Are you reading Dr. Fuhrman?  His following includes many of the nutritionalists I commonly refer to.  Just think if you could eat yourself to health, wouldn’t you?  Well, take a look.

5 Ways to Beat that Tired Feeling After Lunch

5 Ways to Beat that Tired Feeling After Lunch.

This is link will take you to Kimberly Snyder’s site.  This is the program  I follow as I incorporate great VEGAN recipes from my favorite chefs!

Consistency Pays

Weight fluctuation not a problem for me; without any changes to my diet or routine my weight dropped to its low 139.5 after shooting up to 144.5 pounds.   I have learned how important it is to keep routine when traveling and to keep hydrated in order to maintain weight and overall well-being.

Hubby also gained while on weekend vacation, but dropped to an all time low within 48 hours of returning to his routine.  Crazy!  He has lost 28.5 pounds since we started this journey just a few weeks ago and his blood pressure is normal after a very scary period of high blood pressure.

To my new readers, we are using Kimberly Snyder’s Beauty Detox Solution http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/ as a guide.  Recipes are the only exceptions I made to her detox guide and I have to give credit to some awesome Vegan Chefs for great healthy and inspiring variety for our menu!  Take a look at my link to Pinterest on the Recipes and More tab to view my favorite chefs’ recipes.

The best lesson we learned is we cannot lose weight by dieting.  Gotta eat to live, not live to eat.

Have a great day,

Claudia

What is a healthy diet?

Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

Somer directed me to Dr. Fuhrman’s book and blog and I wanted to share it with everyone.  The principles are simple and as in everything, food choices are just that, choices.  Join me in choosing health, one bite at a time.

Milestones

Milestones

Last week headaches and side effects caused by clinching my teeth took me out of the loop!  Misery loves company, but not in this case, I just curled up and babied myself so when I went to the pool today, I did not expect much from myself, thinking I needed to gradually obtain my previous benchmark of 16 laps.

To my delight, swimming was easier than ever and I hit 22 laps, all free style except the last two backstrokes I threw in just for fun.  Hot tub, steam shower, and sauna finished with a lavish coating of coconut oil made my pool experience better than an expensive day at the spa!

Since we started healthier eating about 6 weeks ago, I lost 18 pounds and hubby lost  21 pounds.  SO FAR!  We generally lose about 1/2 pound per day, then stabilize for a few days, then start losing again. Making this change in our eating has not been difficult at all, except  learning HOW to uncook standpoint.

We start everyday with Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2009/07/11/green-smoothie-recipe/

I pack a vegan salad for hubby’s lunch and include a packet of Chia seeds, Flax seeds, and nutritional yeast.  I add a small container of Grapeseed oil and Bragg’s Apple Cider vinegar, a glass of tea (sweetened with Stevia), and a small packet of homemade trail mix http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/nibbles-and-apps/lentil-trail-mix/

After my workout I cannot wait to get home and have a spring, lettuce, or nori roll with a smidgen of Tamari, spiralized veggies and avocado!

I take recipes from Amber Shea Crawley’s cookbook Practically Raw http://almostveganchef.com/my-book/ and Ani Phyo, Kimberly Snyder, and a multitude of vegan bloggers.  For more complete list of great chef’s and nutritionists and foodists, visit me on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/carecia/health-and-beauty/.

 

To your health,

 

Carecia

4 Reasons to Eat Quinoa – Dr. Weil’s Daily Tip

4 Reasons to Eat Quinoa – Dr. Weil’s Daily Tip.

 

Amazon.com: World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer: Kitchen & Dining

Amazon.com: World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer: Kitchen & Dining.

 

Here is another Spiralizer (I guess I made that word up because spell check does not like it)!  This one was recommended by Dara Dubinet and passed on by http://auntiemamerevived.wordpress.com/

Spiral away!