The What and When

7am Breakfast: 2 eggs, a piece of toast with 1/3 tsp.butter, and coffee with 1 tbs. half and half (sometimes I have fruit instead of toast)
10am Brunch: 2 oz. lunch meat with laughing cow cheese (1/2 fat) rolled up in the middle, more coffee and cream or almonds for fat, and a piece of fruit (apple or pear usually)
1pm Lunch: Same as brunch or maybe same as breakfast
4pm: same as brunch
7pm: some sort of meat that I have cooked, like chicken or ground beef or roast, with 2 blocks of veggies with 2/3 tsp. butter

I always overeat on fats, so I have measured the 2/3 tsp of butter every time!
Eating every 3 hours has kept my energy up!
Eating a balanced meal (protein, carbs, fats) keeps me from getting hungry between meals. If I didn't have my protein every time, then I wouldn't be able to make it 3 hours. The indicator that I need to eat is that I start to get tired before I actually feel hungry.
On day 6 now, and I've already lost 4 pounds!

Tuesday, November 9th: Starting Back on the Zone

I took a break from the tedious measuring involved with the Zone diet. For the most part, I ate "Zone portions" from what I learned when following the guidlines strictly. But many times, I decided that I didn't care, and so I didn't worry about it so much. Recently, I decided that I'd like to get off the extra pounds that haunt me. Exercise is no longer enough to burn the extra flab that I had hoped would just take care of itself. Don't get me wrong, exercise alone has tightened me up a lot and created more muscle and less fat. But something has recently clicked and I have decided that I want to reach that next step of fitness. I want to see better times and loads in my wods (Crossfit lingo for "workout of the day"). I want to not have to readjust my pants every time I sit down because of a mere 2 or 3 pounds that is comfortable around my mindline. I do not want to be a slave to my sweet tooth. So, I have buckled down and committed. There is no maybe. If it gets hard, I will just have to suffer through it! But I have gone strict for 2 weeks at a time, multiple times. This time, I will be committed for a month. I can't complain about the extra pounds or slower times in wods if I'm not willing to put in the time and really see what diet can do for me. Am I right?! I am reading a great book that encourages us to think about truth. What is true and what is not? It is true that I can be dedicated for a month. And then I hope to go another, and then another. But my goal is a month. If I give in, it is because I choose to give in, it is not that I can't do it. The mind is a tricky thing. I hope to fight this battle of determination vs temptation. Most of all, I have decided that I can do it, I will do it, and that is that! I have a plan, and I'm stickin' to it! (Check back with me and I'll let you know how it's going.) :)
Angela

Just when you think there is "no sugar added"...

A few weeks ago, I decided I would drink the highly recommended recovery drink of chocolate milk after my workouts. So, I bought Nesquick, "No Sugar Added" to mix with my milk as an alternative to the more expensive whey protein that can be mixed with milk or water. So it dawned on me today: what IS Nesquick sweetened with if there is no sugar added? The ingredients do not list any sort of sweetener that I am familiar with, so if it had not said so in parenthesis, then I would not have know that ACESULFAME POTASSIUM was a non-nutritive sweetener.

Here's what stood out to me when I read about it on Wikipedia, read more about it: "Acesulfame K has been shown to stimulate dose-dependent insulin secretion in rats, though no hyperglycemia was observed.[8]"

Basically, ACE K is like sugar, in that it leaves you feeling like you want or need more: it makes you dependent. It is not the sugar that you are dependent on, it is the insulin that your body produces when you eat sugar that your body wants. So, is "No Sugar Added" any better for you? You skip those calories, but not the domino effect of eating more than you need to eat, or eventually eating the sugar laden foods that you have tried to avoid. When it comes down to it, we have to accept the side effects of what we choose to eat. Chocolate milk every day was causing me to gain weight. I can't have chocolate milk without having the effects of sugar. Darn it.

Food as Fuel

Yesterday, I made granola and had to have some! So, for the first time in a long time, I did not have a Zone proportioned breakfast. My norm is eggs and fruit and some half and half in my coffee. And, I don't measure it every morning, I just know know out of habit. So, I ate granola with skim milk, which contain carbohydrates and protein. Fats were provided by the half and half in my coffee. Not Zone balanced, but not terrible. The granola was made with whole oats, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, and agave (cactus honey- a bit lower on the glycemic index than honey). I felt pretty good and was able to go a long time without eating. I had a bowl of tuna late in the day (mostly because I stayed out running errands all afternoon). I normally try to eat 5 smaller meals during the day.

Although I did not eat balanced Zone meals yesterday, I still had adequate energy. I think this may be because I did not exercise. On days when I work out, I need more fuel. I need to eat 1-2 hours prior to the workout so that I can not only have energy when I start my workout, but also persevere to the end and be able to have explosive movements when necessary. Then, I need to eat a post workout snack or meal in order to help my body recover and build muscle. I know this to be true, not just from what I have read or been told, but also because I feel it and see it. It is a subject I intend to learn more about.

I am enjoying "training" for the Memphis Faction Games. I think the journey is more of the point than the actual games will be. It is interesting to experiment with food in relation to what I need it to do for me. Food is taking on a new role for me. Instead of eating for fun or because I feel hungry, I have a game plan to eat what I know I need and not what I feel like having. Our bodies are really amazing and can be trained according to how we fuel it.

Today, I completed 30 kipping pullups! I can not do more than 3 in a row. When I started out today (after having rowed 1000m and completed 50 thrusters), I could do 2 at a time. Then only one at a time. As my arms fatigued and my hands got worn, I found that to swing out more allowed me to complete 2 at a time instead of one. I became more efficient. This was very exciting for me! To be so tired, but to be able to figure out how to do something better at the same time is a great feeling!



So what did I eat today?
Eggs and strawberries and coffee + half and half for breakfast,
tuna with mayo and a half of a tomato cup up in it and sauteed squash for lunch, and 2 sugar covered pecans,
1/2 a peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread sandwich and coffee with half and half,
WORKED OUT WITH "JACKIE" (the name of the workout that included 1000m row, 50 thrusters with 45#, and 30 pull ups),
and grilled chicken wrap with lettuce. mayo, mustard, and mozzarella cheese for dinner.

Some days I eat Paleo (meat, fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds), other days I eat Zone (portioned amounts of food), other days I eat Paleo Zone (portioned amounts of Paleo foods), and then days like today, I just try to be reasonable. Pick one and stick to it, you say? That is easier said than done- for me anyway. I find that they are all helpful and all have their place. In an ideal world with no temptations, I think Paleo Zone is the way to go.

Today is my third day to work out. Tomorrow will be a day of rest. Crossfit says that 3 days on and one day off of working out is ideal. This is how I am training for the Faction Games. And then, once a week, I am working out twice in one day since this will be the case in Memphis.

I love nothing more than to enjoy food for fun, but it is also fun to see how food can help me achieve my goals. I can easily become a slave to my favorite foods and not exhibit portion control. Anticipating how a food will make me feel physically, mentally, and hormonally has helped me to make better choices as I continue to exercise and train.

Summer CSA

Community Supported Agriculture



I have had fun with this so far and would recommend trying it at least once. When you sign up with a farm (I am with Rocky Glade Farm), you get a box of their veggies once a week for about 2 and 1/2 months. It comes to about $25 a box. You do not get to choose what you are getting, and this is the major drawback, especially when you mostly eat broccoli and spinach, as we do. But, this has been fun because I have had fresh garlic and onion to cook with all the time (I don't bother on a regular basis). I've had great big red tomatoes with basil! Fresh squash and zucchini. Yesterday, I had two types of cabbage and made slaw for the first time. Sometimes, I get stuff that I don't care for so much, like turnips or beets. BUT, if forces me to revisit some veggies that I started ignoring because I can't stand to waste anything! CSA. Try it sometime. Split one with a friend. I am. It will help our local economy and get quality food into your kitchen. You may decide it is not worth your investment, OR you may love a different way of shopping!

Also, the Stones River Market is a great way to buy local farm food via internet and pick it up at the same location every week.

Faction or Failure?

Learning tends to happen out of necessity. For example, I have 3 kids who have to eat, so I MUST learn how to cook for them. From here, I learn how to manage my time in order to cook faster and healthier. I started out making chicken pot pies and waffles every week for Evan and I when we were first married, and now 12 years and 3 kids later, I have cleaned up my act to bit a bit healthier! I thought that I just had the "genes" to cook well, but soon discovered that it took practice. I will always be practicing...

So on that note, I have signed up for a Crossfit competition called "The Faction Games" in Memphis that will take place in 2 months. Will I be diligent with healthy eating in order to perform better then? I hope so. I have made it necessary to eat well if I want to perform well. This is a bit like buying the dress before you can wear it. That never really seems to be a good idea, so this may not either, but I do have a bit more on the line- my pride!

My plan is to eat 5X 2 block meals a day, drink water, take my fish oil (2 at each meal), and focus on increasing my strength at the Box. I may need to change my blocks to 3-1-3-1-3 . We will see... I want to get some body weight off, but eat at the same time! I think that push ups would be more feasible if I were carrying less body weight.

I really don't like to lock myself in to weight loss goals because it can become consuming. However, I think that with a short term goal (The Faction Games), it is necessary and will be gratifying when all is said and done. As with learning an instrument, or anything that involves technique to perform well, if you perfect each part, the whole will fall in to place. This is my concept as I train for the games...I can't fail if I try my best, right?

Fish Oil

While Evan takes his fish oil religiously, I am off and on with it just as I am the Zone! I have decided that the reason behind my fickleness must be because I don't really understand why it is good for me and what it is doing in my body. So, I have done a little research to send you in the right direction if you are in the same boat as I. Please add to the understanding of this topic if you can!

If you are interested in
1.loosing body fat
2.increasing good HDL cholesterol
3.lower triglycerides (bad cholestrol)
4.lower blood pressure- reducing risk of blood clots
5.reducing silent inflammation
6.reducing the risk of Alheimers or Parkinsons disease
7.reducing carbohydrate cravings

then read on about Fish Oil and the benefits of Omega 3's! (the following articles are taken from the Official Zone Website)

Fish oil Plus Exercise May Banish Body Fat

Anti-Aging in a Bottle

Understanding and Rating Fish Oil


Another motivating reason to be consistent is that your cravings for carbs will diminish when you have the right level of good fats. This means that if I take my fish oil, then my sugar, and specifically, chocolate cravings will subside!

Fish oil reduces carb cravings

Just in case you read the above article about reducing carb cravings and have wondered about the Atkins diet, I have done the it before, and found that it was a good way to loose weight initially, and then it actually adds back in healthy carbs (ie fruits and veggies). I personally believe that it gained undue criticism when actually it is a great way to kick start weightloss and teach people how to eat well. It promotes protein, fats, and heathy carbs. I do not recall how it differs from the Zone except that the Zone does not work in stages and the Zone measures portion sizes.

The following link is a great tool to figure out how much fish oil you need to take:

Fish Oil Calculator

With GNC's Triple Strength brand, I need 12 capsules a day. With the grocery store's Sundown brand, I need 36 a day! Quality does matter! They now have fish oil that is bottled so that you pour it in a spoon. It is even lemon flavored! This seems ideal- less processed.

So, start taking fish oil everyday. It sounds like your body will thank you!

Oatmeal: "Fast" Food Breakfast made at Home!

Oatmeal is a great food in that it is healthful and comforting. At times, I try to stay away from all grains because I feel better when I do, i.e. no bloating, better energy. So, with oatmeal, you don't need much for fuel. You'll get full fast. However, it serves as a base for a fast breakfast. And since in order to be faster (regular oats really aren't that much longer to cook), I have used instant oats rather than cooking regular or steel cut oats on the stovetop. This is a compromise in nutrition, but it still beats eating cereal! Try this recipe:

One package of instant oats cooked with less water than you'd prefer, for one minute.
Add 1/4ish cup vanilla Greek yogurt (high in protein)
dash of salt
bit of butter
pecans to your desire

Now you've got protein (if you can eat dairy), fat from pecans and butter, and carbs from oats. It would be easy to go over on fats, so watch out when you add the butter and pecans. The "Vanilla" yogurt gives just enough sweetness without adding honey or sugar or being too bland. Pecans add wonderful flavor and tecture. The butter adds to the creaminess and flavor, but could be eliminated. This can easily be a 2 block breakfast when using the prepackaged oatmeal.

Want to Quit Sugar?

I have been trying to kick the sugar addiction for a while now. I just ran across this link that I think will be helpful. Mostly I am sad that it busted me on my coffee crutch. It says that caffeine disrupts blood sugar levels and is not a good substitute for sugar cravings. Then it lists two supplements to take to help with moods swings during the adjustment. I found that my mood was quit different and lacking that "good" feeling all week as I stayed away from sweets. I read in "Sugar Shock" that our bodies will have stronger sugar/bad carb cravings when we don't have enough healthy fats in our system (Omega 3's and 6's). So, this is incentive to take my fish oil on a regular basis. As far as giving up my coffee, I am going to have to gear up for that one. I think I will make sure I am in a good routine with the fish oil, then have the natural supplements on hand, all the while staying away from sugar, and then I will drop the coffee last. I was fed a wonderful meal tonight, that I couldn't turn down. Does anyone else suffer from not wanting to hurt someone's feelings when they hand you a bowl of homemade goodness? So for almost 7 days, I went with mostly no sugar (had some honey on Sunday, though) and began to feel a bit gloomy, all the while knowing that a good sugar fix would help. Now I will start again and hope that I can go for two weeks. If your like me, you have to learn to say no in a way you feel comfortable and confident about. Today, it was not even a mind struggle, it was the people pleaser in me. So, I will be interested to see how I feel tomorrow. I did notice that after my good southern meal tonight, I felt a pick me up like I had not felt all week. Earlier today, I felt lightheaded and then felt much better after I ate my lunch. Who going to argue that food is not a drug of sort?

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a common problem that many people are unaware of and doctors tend to overlook. It's symptoms range from anxiety to hunger to seizures. Hypo means low and glycemia means blood glucose (blood sugar). So, hypoglycemia, which was once labeled a disease is now labeled a 'condition' because it can be managed through dietary and lifestyle changes. This is good news as far as fixing the problem, but bad news as far as the doctors having an incentive to diagnose it- meaning that the doctors can't prescribe medication, therefore can't make $ off of this diagnosis. This is the point that Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C and Stephen Sinatra, M.D. make in their book "Sugar Shock". It seems like a pretty valid point to me. If you'll notice on the link above for hypoglycemia, the MayoClinic refers to treatment as lifestyle changes PLUS medications.

"...Reactive hypoglycemia is one of the most common and most misunderstood disorders in America today. For starters, many physicians assume that ailments such as mood swings, fatigue, and anxiety are manifestations of psychological problems. Moreover, hypoglycemia has been called the "Great Imitator" because its strange, startling symptoms-some experts list as many as 125 of them-can mimic a frightening array of diseases and conditions, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, neurosis, migraines, Parkinson's syndrome, chronic bronchial asthma, rapid heartbeat, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral arteriosclerosis (hardening of the brain's arteries), menopause, mental retardation, alcoholism, hyperactive disorder, and senility." says Connie Bennett in "Sugar Shock".

If this raises your eyebrows, I strongly suggest reading this book and doing some more research. It has certainly caught my attention. I am becoming more and more convinced that refined sugar has no place in our diets.

Something Must Be Wrong

Either I have reached a new level of hormonal balance, or something is very wrong! I went to a wedding shower tonight and was completely ok with not eating any of the wonderful deserts! Ok, a little will power was involved, but I did not fight a mental battle the whole time I was there. I had water and some decaf coffee. Honestly, I was afraid that if I even had one bit, it would trigger the need for a binge, and I did not want to risk my recent 2 day streak of ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR. I mean, no added sugars, no honey, no stevia, nothing to give me an abrupt insulin spike.

I have not been in a bad mood, but I have not been in a good mood either. This shows me that when I eat certain foods, I definitely get more of an endorphin release in the brain. I posted this morning that I felt a little out of sorts. I did have an afternoon slump, which I do not experience when I am sticking to the Zone. I contribute this to missing breakfast. But, this reminds me, that Robb Wolf, Paleo expert, believes in intermitant fasting. I will have to look into this subject more.
Oh, and I did not get a nap today like I had hoped, so....it's bedtime!

I highly recommend reading "SUGAR SHOCK!"

Morning Trail Run on an Empty Stomach

Today I went on a trail run before breakfast. I had enough energy, but I did not feel sharp, I felt foggy. You know when your eyelids just feel heavy, like you need to take your hands and smear your eyes just to wake up? I have felt like that, except my energy level was fine. I do need more sleep, though. It is funny how some days I can go on less sleep, and then all of a sudden it catches up to me. Less sleep for me is 6 or 7 hours. I really need 8 to 9 to feel my best.

So, right now, after having gone to the grocery store and put everything away, I am finally eating at 12:11. I haven't even felt hungry until now, but obviously my body did not wake up as well without food. I am having a bison burger on "sandwich thins" bread, with mayo and avacado. With unsweet tea (but it is sweet because of the sugar plum spice tea bag I put with the regular family size tea bags during steeping). And two fish oils. I am feeling better already and I think I will take a short snooze while Sam is taking his nap. My house is a wreck! But maybe I will have more energy to attack it after I rest.

What I Ate Today

3-18-10

Today I successfully got through the day with absolutely no sugar. No honey, no agave, nothing with hidden sugars. And it wasn't difficult. I ate what I felt like eating, and attempting to portion it out. Oddly enough, I feel very tired. My mood feels steady and calm. I do not have chocolate or sugar cravings. So, maybe this can be the start of a no sugar streak? I think I will write down what I ate today, and then periodically as there is anything to tell, just to track for myself any patterns concerning food and my moods and my cravings.

7am Breakfast: Had only coffee with 1 tablespoonish of half and half before WOD at Crossfit
10:30am Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs with 1 tbs.miracle whip (oops! a teeny amount of sugar...), 1 orange
2:30pm Lunch on the go: 4oz. Tuna wrap with spinach, EVOO, salt, pepper
5:30pm Dinner: Bison burger on flat bread bun, mayo and ketchup, 1/2 piece of canteloupe, half of homemade almond flour banana/blueberry muffin, unsweet tea
7:30 another muffin (only sweetened with the fruit)-FYI, Jack (age 7) liked them, but not Sophie (age 5), unsweet tea
10:45 glass of water and a fish oil- Just read in "Sugar Shock" that one reason for carb cravings is low levels of good fats, thus, fish oil can help this problem. I am now more motivated to keep on my fish oil so that I can guard myself from chocolate cravings!

You Need To Know This if You Are Zoning

If you are Zoning (weighing and measuring) and you've got your Zone Plan Block Charts of "preferred" and "unfavorables", then there is one more thing you need to know if you haven't figured it out already. You need to memorize the following:

1.5g of fat is 1 Block
9g of carbs is 1 Block
7g of protein is 1 Block

If you know this then all you do is multiply each one by your prescribed blocks. For example, a 3 block meal gets 4.5g of fat. This helps when using foods with labels. Otherwise, the food charts will tell you what measurement is equal to one block (i.e. 1/3 teaspoon of butter is equal to one block). So you could have 1 teaspoon of butter in your 1 cup of oatmeal and 3 scrambled eggs for breakfast when eating a 3 block meal. That's a big breakfast! I recently ate my oatmeal with butter and Allspice to add more flavor. You could also add fruit for flavor. Forget that sugar! You don't need it! Retrain those taste buds!

If anyone needs help obtaining the block charts, then contact myself or Evan.

Simplicity and Perspective

Simplicity is where it's at. When we are trying to figure out what to feed our kids, we have to educate them on what they should eat, and not what their taste buds want (my 7 year old has given several convincing attempts). One of my life mentors once told me, "Keep giving it to them, they'll eat when they're hungry." If we all did this from the very start, then the kids with the healthy lunches would not be the weirdos in the lunchroom. We want kids to act reasonable, we want them to learn and pay attention in school,so we must feed their brains foods that will allow this to happen. So what can we feed our kids that they will eat?

As my kids grow older, I start to give them all little more choice in the preparation. They like to cook, so when I let them help make the food, they are more excited to eat it. Even if they don't like how it tastes, they are proud of what they have done, and that is putting them in the right direction. Sophie loves the way a whole chicken tastes right out of the oven that only has salt and pepper sprinkled on the top. Jack enjoyed our cooked pear crisp a few nights ago. Every child will be a little different in their likes and dislikes. So, in our house, we have the 5 bite rule, or the one bite rule depending on the circumstance. Sometimes, I just let them be hungry. Sophie didn't want her oatmeal this morning, but she ate one bite and drank her milk. Hopefully, if she suffered from hunger this morning, she will be more willing to eat her oatmeal next time. Even we as adults have to go back and try flavors over and over again. I am 31 years old and am just now willing to try to enjoy mushrooms. The spores we disect ed in highschool kept me from ever wanting to eat them. I am attempting to be more open minded...

The foods that are natural to the earth are often flavorful enough once we cut sugar from our diet. We have to retrain our tastebuds to enjoy what nature provides. When you are not eating refined sugars, fruits become much more of a sweet treat. The milk and honey referred to in the Bible seems like much more of a treat when you consider they had no refined foods and they had to work to harvest the honey.

So, sit back and gain a little perspective as you leave that sugar out of your tea and appreciate the simple flavors in life. Cooking meat and veggies, cutting up fruit, and throwing in a little nuts is all really very simple, and very satisfying. And your kids will eventually learn a new norm.

The Best Meatloaf You'll Ever Eat!

Evan loves them, my brother loves them, my kids eat them, and you'll love them!
Here is the meatloaf recipe from the mini meatloafs at the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting:

*I used oats instead of bread crumbs
*I used "California SunDry" brand of sundried tomatoes with herbs (clear jar with pink writing from Publix- couldn't find it at Krogers)
*I used dried parsley because I didn't have fresh
*It is handy as serving portions to cook in muffin pans- regular or mini sized. Different cooking temps for each size.
***Key to this recipe is to overcook the meatloafs by about 20 minutes! It makes them crunchy on the outside!

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Giada De Laurentiis

The Common Kid's Lunchbox-Packed With Problematic Foods

I keep a nursery one day a week. At 3 years old, a particular child's lunch away from home consisted of the usual Oscar Meyer's Nachos and Cheese Lunchable. Nachos (processed carbs), cheese dip (processed something...), and salsa (with sugar). Then, the mom added a side of protein in the form of squeezable yogurt (when the child opened it, he excitedly said, "Mine's pink!"). Our food should never be bright pink. To drink, he had a Capri Sun- 100% juice. Sugar was in the salsa, yogurt, and drink. This is how we send our kids to school. Yikes!

I am guilty of opting for convenience, and even an occasional fun treat just because I know they like it even if it is aweful for them. But, I am noticing that this is a normal lunch for many kids. Pudding cups, fruit cups in sugar syrup, fruit rollups (what in the world! Why do we eat these!) prepackaged cookies, chips, and crackers, sandwiches with white bread- we are letting the stores and the commercials tell us what to buy instead of thinking this through for ourselves! When I substitute teach, when I eat lunch with my kids at school, and when I do my grocery shopping- these are the common foods put in lunch boxes, not the exception anymore. It makes me ask the question, "Is the general American population misinformed or uneducated?"

I want to assume that most people are like myself. We know deep down that most foods are not good for us, but we eat it anyway and ignore our gut instinct, which yells, "don't put that in your body! It's not natural!" And then, I have to hope that most people just don't take the time to figure it out and let it soak in. But at the point of being educated, if change hasn't happened within one's diet, then the issue seems to be addiction. And what is in most foods we buy premade or we buy when we eat out? Sugar! So, I believe that most Americans are addicted to sugar and don't even realize it because they haven't taken the time to look at what they are actually eating. Our obesity epidemic is a complicated problem with many layers that developed over many years. American are a combination of uneducated, then if anything, misinformed, and then addicted on top of it all! If we rely on tv to teach us, instead of our ancestors, then we wind up in the mess we have today.

It makes me sad to see loving parents pack their kids lunch boxes with what they think is a complete and somewhat healthy meal, when really they are helping their child to develop a life long dependency on sugar- all in the spirit of fun and convenience. I am guilty. But, I am learning that I have to learn for myself and then vote with my money. My kids will thank me for it later- probably much later.

Baby Steps

In highschool, I had a long distance running coach, Ms.Bethea, that taught me to take baby steps to my goals to help the time pass. We'd go on a run and she would be beside us, saying, "Baby steps to the mailbox!...Baby steps to the pole!...Baby steps to the sign!...Baby steps to the next driveway!" To this day, I use this strategy to reach my goals and then some. I think this strategy is so necessary to Crossfit. Whether it be increasing press weight by 5 lbs., getting one more pullup, deadlifting your body weight, learning how to do a handstand pushup, running a 5k, or choosing to eat the right foods, there are baby steps all along the way.

Eating properly is a journey unto itself. Right now, I have realized several things about my diet: I don't drink enough water, I am not consistent with taking fish oil to reap the benefits, and I am a slave to sugar. Soooooooooooo, you may guess, my baby steps to better health consist of drinking a tall glass of water(about 16oz) 3 times a day (with my 3 main meals) WITH one fish oil. I can do this.

Next, I am gearing up to challenge my enemy...Sugar! It lurks at every corner! It is in everything! I have baby stepped my way to eating whole, sometimes organic, foods so that I know there is no added sugar. But it is amazing how hard it is to avoid when you are not eating at home! Consider this. Today I ate a common lunch with relatives to celebrate my Granny's birthday. And I say "common" because I do not want to insult whoever brought the food- I am thankful and it was delicious! However, until I became a bounty hunter targeting sugar in my diet, I would have never considered how much of it we all eat without paying attention. We had baked beans-sugar, cole slaw- sugar, bar-b-que sandwiches with sauce- sugar in the bread, sugar in the sauce. Teas and coffees- sugar. Then, we had cake and brownies and lovely homemade mints- sugar, sugar, sugar! So what did I do? I eliminated the bun, and went ahead with the beans and slaw. I drank water and avoided the tempting deserts, except for one little mint. I was literally, so proud when I walked out of Granny's house, for avoiding the gooey brownies and then when I got in the car, guess what!? Dear, sweet Granny had set a bag of them in the seat next to me to take home! Augh!!!!!!!!!!! "They're for the kids" she says. She is a different woman than I. I gave myself a pep talk and made it back to Murfreesboro (from Shelbyville) without braking open the bag. I threw away half of it and gave the other half to the kids, as it was intended. They have years to develop the love hate relationship that I have with sugar! But, this is why I do try to shield them from it when at home. They are going to get it everywhere, at least I can influence their eating habits from home.

One baby step I have adapted to is to eliminate thousands of teaspoons of sugar over my lifetime by enjoying the real flavor of coffee with only cream added. Maybe one day, I'll go black, but for now, this is working great- for at least a year now!

Tonight I have thought up a chant I will say to myself when I encounter my enemy, thief of my life, of my good health, of my memory, of my stable moods, of my preferred body weight! Argh!!!Sugar!

Sugar be gone, belly be gone!
Mood be stable, Muscles be able!
Hair be shiny, skin be clear.
Energy abounds, Now kick it to the hounds!

We'll see how much of this I remember when it stares me in the face tomorrow!

AgaveNectar

Article

The Classic PB&J- Is it Zone Friendly?

I have been on a quest to eat healthier- Zone friendly- without measuring portions, since Christmas. So how 'bout that classic go-to pb&j that is so easy to make the kids and then, well, why not eat one myself real quick?

I have the healthiest of breads, Ezekial, no sugar added jelly, 'fruit spread', if you will, and almond butter.

So let's see if it is even close to putting me in "the Zone":

2 slices of bread= 30carbs, 1g fat
11/2 tablespoons fruit spread=15 carbs (I'm estimating on how much I used)
1 tablespoon almond butter=4g protein, 3 carbs, 8g fat

Total carbs:48g to
Total protein:4g
total fat: 9g

Wow! Carb load!PB&J's are a no-no when trying to be in the Zone! Mom's of young children- read this and beware! I ate these for lunch for years before I realized the calorie content alone was not a healthy return. But calories aside, which we do not worry about when doing Zone because favorable Zone foods tend to be lower in calories anyway (natural foods are naturally low in calories, i.e. veggies and fruits and lean meats), this go-to meal has hardly any protein! That is why- get this if you haven't already!- peanut butter/almond butter is not a protein! It is a fat because more than anything, it has a lot of fat!

With this sandwich alone, I had twice the amount of fats that I need in one meal, I need 5 times more protein than I ate, and I had three times more carbs than I need. I hope I said all of that right. In case I didn't and that doesn't make sense to you, readers, if you exist! :), here's what it should look like- what I actually need for a 3 block meal:

Total carbs:27g (3x9g)
Total protein:21g (3x7g)
Total fat:4.5g (3x1.5g)

My solution to balance myself out so that I don't have a terrible mid-afternoon crash and need to take a nap but can't because I will have 3 children under the age of 7 that must be supervised at all times so that they will not get hurt or hurt each other and because they have lots of needs? I must eat a piece of chicken.

Baking with Almond Flour

I just made my new favorite cookie with Almond flour! (Yes, you have seen several 'sweet' blogs lately...) I am super excited that I have found a cookie fix for my chewy chocolaty cravings that satisfies me! I can go overboard eating cookie dough, but made with almond flour, I got my fix without eating too much! This cookie has a great consistency and a wonderful balance of sweet and salty. Amazingly, it has no eggs, either! The cookies come out chewy and chocolaty! She called for chilling the dough for 20 minutes. I forgot to do this and they still turned out great. Check out the gluten and dairy free recipe on www.elanaspantry.com. She also has a recipe that calls for butter instead of the grapeseed oil, if you prefer. If you're wondering about the grapeseed oil, check out my post called "Oils" coming up soon.

Elana's Tips:(I highly recommend her cookbook- check it out on her blog)
Storing Almond Flour: in a jar in the frig or airtight in the freezer for several months
The fats are less likely to go rancid and last longer if you buy it from a vendor that refrigerates it.

Now, here is the deal on almond flour vs. white wheat flour:
Almond Flour has 21.94g of Protein, 19.44g carbs, 10.4g fiber, and is <1 on the glycemic index
White Wheat Flour has 9.71g protein, 76.22g carbs, and 2.4g fiber, and is at 71 on the glycemic index

The higher the # on the glycemic index (out of 100), then more it adversely affects your blood sugar. The lower this number, the better. These two flours can be used to make the same foods, yet are extremely different on paper!

The negative side of almond flour? It has a ton of calories, so although it may be heart healthy, it can still add on the pounds if you pound 'em!

Eat Responsibly.
Good luck.

Sunday Morning Breakfast for the Kids

French Toast:

Ezekial Raisin Bread-4 slices
2 eggs
2/3 tsp butter per fried slice
Agave Maple Syrup Blend

1 slice dipped in egg=
18g carbs-2 blocks
6g protein- almost 1 block
2 blocks fat from butter
1 cup milk to drink-1 block of protein and 1 block carb

Total: 3 blocks carbs, 2 blocks protein, 2 blocks fat

Now add the syrup that has 53g carbs per 1/4 cup and your out of the Zone!
I'm not recommending you eat this breakfast, but if you or someone you love wants a sweet breakfast sometimes, then these are the best of the best ingredients. :)

So what did I eat? Half of my eggs left over from yesterday morning: Scrambled eggs with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes. Yum! My Sunday morning treat was to put a pack of hot cocoa in my coffee for a homemade mocha! Not a good source of carbs for sure, BUT, I still achieved a balance of protein, carbs, and fats in my breakfast this morning...I'll feel good for a while until the sugar crash. :)

Favorite Chocolate Desserts

Sophie said it ever so well at the table during Wednesday night church last week: "My mommy's weakness is chocolate." I don't deny this. In fact, I am going to tell you 3 of my favorite "healthy" desserts with chocolate- really!

#1 I just had myself some Greek Style Vanilla nonfat yogurt (Trader Joe brand) that almost has a 3 block balance! It has 18g of protein to 30g of carbs per 1 cup! Remember, if you are calculating Zone proportions, 7g is one block of protein and 9g is one block of carbs. The not so great part is that because it is vanilla flavor, there is 26g of sugar. Remember, I have been making better choices as opposed to doing strict Zone. In my last post, I said I was becoming more motivated to being strict. Obviously, todays not that day. So if you are striving to enjoy life's simple pleasures in a balanced way, then by all means, try this vanilla yogurt! AND THEN, put some coco nibs in it! Now you've got a very satisfying alternative to chocolate chip ice cream! Really! I really love this desert!

#2 I recently had a girls' weekend getaway to celebrate a dear friend's 30th birthday. We got snowed in at her house in the woods! It was beautiful, quiet, and relaxing. And the best part was my Pots de Creme! Ha! There were lots of best parts. Actually, everyone there loves to cook and knows how to do it right! But, I did have to make sure we had some sort of chocolate on the premises, so I did my part. This is soooo easy and so back to basics:

Pots de creme (similar to mousse, but heavier): to serve 8
1 twelve oz bag of semisweet chocolate pieces (I used a combination of semi sweet and bittersweet)
4 tbs. of sugar- take it or leave it, I left it
dash of salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 1/2 cups scalded milk
You can also add 3 tsp of dark rum or kahlua- totally optional

Put all ingredients in a blender except the milk. Scald the milk (stir it on med high until it becomes bubbly) and then pour over ingredients in the blender. Blend one minute. Then pour into glasses and chill several hours. You can even chill it in one container and then scoop it like icecream, but the first way works best. Top with whipped cream or mint or berries.

#3 I recently had the best healthy cookie I've ever tasted at my friend Amanda's house. The base of this chocolate chip cookie is banana and it has no sugar added to it. It also calls for almond flour. Jack wanted 2nds (he's 7 years old). Here's the link to Amanda's blog called the beams.

Eat responsibly. Enjoy your chocolate. :)

White Beans and Cornbread- A Balanced Meal?

My dad's favorite meal has always been white beans and cornbread. When my mom made it, it exhibited love. As I have been reading about balanced proteins, I stumbled upon this paragraph in Wikipedia:

"For example, grain protein has a PDCAAS of about 0.4 to 0.5, limited by lysine. On the other hand, it contains more than enough methionine. White bean protein (and that of many other pulses) has a PDCAAS of 0.6 to 0.7, limited by methionine, and contains more than enough lysine. When both are eaten in roughly equal quantities in a diet, the PDCAAS of the combined constituent is 1.0, because each constituent's protein is complemented by the other."

This lysine and methionine they are speaking of has to do with some of the essential acids that our bodies need. Essential acids are provided in proteins. What is a good protein? Well, meat sources tend to be complete on their own. Vegetable proteins, such as corn, and grain proteins, such as flour, and bean proteins, such as soy, and legume proteins, such as peanuts, all have amounts of protein, but alone are not balanced. That's why it is good to pair them up to make the essential acid elements more balanced. In short, proteins are made of essential acids and our bodies make half of them and then half of them we must eat.

Here is the conflict: If you are working out several times a week or have a physically strenuous job, then meat protein sources are best because they release glycogen. But that is for another post. Most relevant for this post is to remember that when eating the Zone diet, we are striving for the 40% carbs, 30%protein, 30%fat. We achieve this through the block system of counting. A half cup of white beans has one block of protein (7g) to almost 2 blocks of carbs (16g). This creates more of an insulin response than desired for hormonally balanced nutrition. I love talking smart! Believe me, I am no robot. This does not come easy. But it does come, when I am diligent. And then, I feel better. I am motivated to acheive this Zone balance right now because I miss "being in the Zone". SInce Christmas, I have tried to make healthy choices without the precision. I won't say that I have failed, and I will say, the measuring was driving me crazy and taking over 1/2 my mental energy every day, BUT, I will also say, that I miss the benefits of knowing exactly what and how much food I put in my body. When I am attempting to stick to the guidlines and proportions, I feel better. Here's how I have felt lately:
-bloated, yuck!
-tired
-acne breakouts
-and another one I can't remember...oh yeah, cloudy thoughts, less productive during the day

I am tired of these things, so I think I will go back to what I know, and I am so glad that I know what will work!
My husband says it best, "Even if you aren't competing, wouldn't you rather have all the benefits of eating better?"

Read the link to "protein sources". I found it extremely helpful and insightful as I sought to understand what exactly is a "balanced protein?"

The Beef on Fat

Today, I am folding laundry and watching Guy Fieri on the Food Network. He is cooking a potato salad with a creamy dressing and bacon, using the bacon fat to cook with, some sort of sandwich that is golden fried (and oh so good looking!). He's having fun, he excited, he is going to have a good meal in a little while, and the question comes to my mind: "What is really the big deal with fat? Why is it considered to be so bad for us?"

Bacon is a natural food. Butter is all naturale. What happens to our organs when it has to break down fat? Here I stop to investigate on the web...

Fats (also called lipids) are broken down in the body by enzymes (called lipases) produced in the pancreas.
Fats are important because they aid in the digestion, absorbtion, and transportation of vitamins A,D,E, and K.
Also, like my past post about proteins, fats are a source of essential fatty acids, which are essential to the body to function.
Saturated and Trans fats are not good for us- there is a lot of explanation concerning molecular structure that I skimmed over...

So, our bodies need good sources of fats, but not too much, for the above mentioned reasons. I would venture to say that Guy Fieri should enjoy his meal, but not eat it very often. And if he didn't want to suffer from an insulin spike and have to take a nap afterwards (or maybe he does), then he could leave off the bun and find an alternative to the potato salad. Cauliflower salad might work?...

I recommend reading the full page of this link in Wikipedia concerning fats. Whether it's bacon, butter, or oil, everything is better with fat! When I follow Zone measurements, I find that my idea of how much I need is usually WAY off from what my body needs.

Tonight's Dinner: homemade chicken nuggets!

I bought local free range chicken breasts, cut them in cubes, rolled them in almond flour, then raw egg, then almond flour again (added salt and spices to the almond flour), and fried them in olive oil. Yum! I may experiment with frying them in different oils, but for now, my standard EVOO does just fine! We will be dipping them in honey mustard. Also, I am cooking them now, and will warm them up tonight when we get home from a long afternoon. Serve them with a side of steamed veggies. I am so excited at how easy this is! +/- 30 min. to make nuggets. Probably could be done much faster because i am enjoying myself too much to be in a hurry!

If you're wondering, the local chicken did cost me more. Much more. I paid $12 for four chicken breasts. It is a trade off. Watch Food, Inc. if you haven't already, or read Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Delimma." Then you'll be willing to spend a little more as often as you can. As more people buy it, the price will go down...

Why Must I Drink So Much Water?!

Functions of water in the body

Water: How much should you drink every day?

Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?

Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more

Iron: What's the use?

I got it today! I mean, I understood what the deal is with iron! I recently bought a bag of pepitas, pumpkin seeds. I also bought some granola that claimed to be high in Omega-3's. The granola had flax seed and pepitas added to it. The back of the box highlighted pepitas as being high in iron. I read on. We need iron to help oxygen travel through our blood. Without oxygen in our blood, we feel weak and tired, anemic. The oxygen grabs on to iron to travel through our blood. Hmm. The more iron we have, the better we feel, the more energy we have. I see! So, pepitas, or pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron. Other seeds, such as sunflower and pine nuts, have 10% of our daily need in 1/4 cup. Pepitas have 25% what we need in 1/4 cup! I will be using these pumpkin seeds in my trail mixes from now on!

Ground Beefalo, the New Taco In Town

From a previous post, beefalo is comparable to chicken and fish when it comes to calorie, cholesterol, and fat content. I threw a pound of ground beefalo in the pan with EVOO and cooked it in about 4 minutes! The lack of fat helps it to cook faster. We then wrapped it in our favorite tortillas with sour cream and lettuce, salt and pepper, and seared the whole thing to make the outside crisp. Simple, quick, yummy!

The Zone Tray

This is Zone Tray Experiment A. I filled it with veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds, and dip. Myself, my 3 kids, and my 65 year old mentally disabled aunt, sat at the table and ate until it was all gone! I did forget the protein because I had a lot of "help" and just pulled out food and filled the tray and when each section was full, I stopped. I was so pleased that we ate it all! And we ate around the table together! It was fun for my 7,5, and 2 year old. Of course, they were not satisfied without an insulin rush (although we might have avoided this if there had been a protein source), so I ended up giving them "desert" of a mini bagel with butter and jelly toasted (Jack snuck these into the basket at the grocery store. Once again, I am using it instead of throwing it away! However, I must say, that I am ok with the kids eating bread since their carb load for each meal should be 50% [according to Sugar Busters Book]). So, this wasn't perfect, but it was a good way to introduce good food and make it fun. Specifically, we ate snow peas, baby carrots, apples, cherry tomatoes, bing cherries, sunflower seeds and pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds- green in color). Then I had ranch, blue cheese, and honey mustard (honey mustard didn't really go with any of it- I don't know what I was thinking). The kids drank milk. I myself had to get some protein and made ground beefalo wraps for Evan and I! The Zone tray served as a sort of appetizer this first time around....

Peanut Butter vs. Almond Butter

Creamy Salted Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted peanuts, salt.
2 TBSP= 190 calories, 16g fat, 130mg sodium, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 1 sugar, 8g protein

Creamy with Sea Salt Almond Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted almonds, sea salt.
2 TBSP= 190 calories, 17g fat, 60mg sodium, 6g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 8g protein

So which is the better choice?
Beside the fact that almonds are actually nuts (above ground, in trees) and peanuts are legumes (growing in the ground), my preference is almond butter if based on taste. Evidently, it takes less sea salt to do the job in the almond butter than regular salt in the peanut butter. That is a positive for the almond butter. Also, almond butter has an 8% higher calcium content, and 2% higher in iron. Other than that, everything only varies by one gram. It boils down to the good fats versus the bad fats; almond butter has a greater monounsaturated fat content, and this makes it the healthier heart choice!

WWW.eatdrinkbetter.com says this about almond butter: "Almond butter boasts ten times the Omega-3 fatty acids of peanut butter, they’re high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats, all of which make them a terrific way to boost heart health. Almonds are particularly known for high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein and Vitamin E. And since 715,623 tons, almost half the world’s almonds, are produced in the United States, the carbon footprint of this butter is relatively low."

Trader Joe's sells their own brand for $4.99 for a 16 oz jar! Their natural peanut butter is $1.79! It's worth the trip to stock up! However, you can order it online right here, right now from Maranatha.

Reporting from Bethany Circle- Cocoa Nibs

I have discovered that I love to investigate food. Consider me your food reporter!

Tonight's product: Chocolate Covered Cocoa Nibs
Who? For the chocolate lover trying to eat zone or paleo!
What?! Nibs are little pieces of cocao bean. These are then coated in chocolate
When? Afternoon or late night chocolate fix
Where? I have found them at Publix and Whole Foods, so far
Why? Nibs are the bare basic of chocolate= good in many ways!
How? Add to milk, yogurt, icecream, smoothies. Click on the nibs link for tons of information and ideas!



The link I found gives a wealth of information that I won't repeat, so check it out! I am not promoting this company's product, because I haven't tried it myself, but I am very impressed with the site.

The two brands that I have tried are very different from one another. Both say 'organic', but,
Publix, Explorer's Bounty brand uses chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and soy lecithin to cover its nibs.
The other, from Whole Foods, is more basic, just dark chocolate (cocoa beans, cane sugar, cacao butter, and vanilla beans) with the nibs. I don't know if you noticed, but there are two different spellings: cocoa/cacao. They are the same thing. The first brand with the liquor is sweeter, the second brand takes more of an open mind, especially if you are a milk chocolate lover!

Instead of stopping and picking up my free container of cookie dough from Papa Murphy's tonight, I stopped at the grocery and bought cocoa nibs! It's not quite the same, but I did get my chocolate fix!

Letting Food Work For You During Stressful Times

This weekend, my dad got remarried. He has been a widower for a little over 2 years. Although a wonderful occasion, it was a time for stress to invade. I wanted to feel good physically and emotionally. I wanted to have energy despite going to bed late and waking up early with my two year old son. So, Thursday, I made an effort to eat no grains and make sure my meals were balanced with good protein, good carbs, and fats. I ate mostly eggs, tuna fish, and some beef or chicken. I ate a lot of fruit and almonds and reasonable amount of mayo. I also had coffee to help me out, but I do not doctor it up anymore; I only add a little half and half. This I can remember, but I did not keep a close log, I just ate what I knew was best for me. If I felt tired, I ate. If I felt hungry, I ate. Then I would feel more energized. This is a different approach from my previous efforts to eat on a schedule and eat specific amounts. This new way worked for me. By Saturday, I had energy, even with only 6 hours of sleep. I was in a "good" (balanced) mood. And, I felt good physically, i.e. no swelling, water retention, or bloating. I feel confident that I let my food work for me and not against me. I am so glad to know what to do when I need to kick it into gear. The best plan for success is education. For many years, I did not know exactly what to do to loose that weight or feel better. But now, as I study and experiment, I understand more about how foods are going to affect me. This is my hope for people who are frustrated with how they feel or how they look. This is why I blog!

"Real" Processed Food

Isn't it funny how foods that are not good for you, i.e. processed foods, are the ones that feel the need to remind us of the food pyramid and where they fit in?!

First of all, if it promotes the food pyramid, then we should be hesitant anyway! The food pyramid is updated and more balanced than the previous recommendations, and has some good information about food (such as why it is good to choose fish, nuts and seeds), but it is still allowing for processed foods. Therefore, many products are able to use it to promote their nutrition information. The government has a conflict of interest when it comes to teaching us about health and also making money off of the business at the same time!

Second of all, these type foods brag about their "real" food products that they have added in there to make you feel ok about it! Such as Chef Boyardee's Mini-Bites Spaghetti and Meatballs. They list "premium beef" (I've learned that the government standards are not my standards!), vine ripened tomatoes (in the sun or under ultra-violet rays!?), and enriched pasta (the government suggests 1/2 of your daily grain allowance to be 'whole' and it's ok for the other half to be 'enriched'). Shouldn't spaghetti and meatballs read: whole wheat pasta [stone ground wheat berries, water, salt], meatballs [ground beef, spices]? Well, maybe the meatballs are more extensive than that, but my point is, they can't make a canned or processed product with the simplest ingredients because it won't last long enough on the shelf or make people crave it. This product has 22 ingredients, plus what those ingredients contain, which amounts to 32 more ingredients. My red flags are "enriched", which follows with words that I can't pronounce very well, caramel coloring (my food has to be colored to make me want to eat it?), flavorings (what's wrong with natural flavors and what are these 'flavorings' anyway?!), high fructose corn syrup (sugar), hydrolyzed corn (I'm not quite sure what this means, but it sounds like a machine is involved), enzyme modified cheese (modified...into what?), and then there is chloride and inosinate,and guanylate (what in the world?!!!). Why are we eating this?!!! Because mommy is lazy, and most mommies haven't sat down and considered all of this. So I have now. Everything has sugar and corn in it! This particular product has even added high fructose corn syrup so that my kids will beg me for it when we go to the grocery store, or complain that mine is not as good!

So can you guess what sparked this blog entry? The can of spaghetti and meatballs that I bought at the grocery store because my kids were with me and begged me for it! So do I let them eat it for dinner tonight? Or do I throw it away in protest and go against my nature to waist food?

hmm...I think this should not qualify as food...what do you think?

Buying Locally Grown- Here's Why, Here's How

In the summer and fall, I enjoy going to the Farmer's Market in Murfreesboro (Near Sam's Club) and finding veggies and more, in season, that taste and smell more vibrant. Winter months are slower for the farmer's variety, but there is still produce to choose from. I have considered CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) in the previous year, but have shied away at the thought of not utilizing everything I recieve in my box because of the ages of my children and the preferred tastes of my husband and I. Today, I found the Locally Grown website that makes it so easy to see what is currently available from local farmers and order what you want. You pay when you pick up, and you choose from several pick up locations. I like that! It makes it easy and more convenient to fit it in with my weekly grocery management as opposed to committing to a whole season. Here is a link to the Q & A's of exactly how it works, and from there you can go on to check out the individual farmers and products. As Crossfitters and the health conscious, I hope we can be large supporters of our local farmers. I hope you check it out today! Or, if you already do something of the sort, tell us where and what and why you like it.

Beefalo...

Today I went to the C & F Meat Co., Inc. right outside of M'boro as you pass over the 840 while on Hwy 96 towards Franklin. It is about a 10 minute drive. It is a processing plant and market that is family owned. Beefalo is their primary emphasis, but they also carry pork, rabbit, goat, and free range chicken. When I asked if they were grain or grass fed, I was told that they were grass fed, but grain fed the last 2 months. All meats are USDA inspected (which doesn't mean all that much to me after seeing Food, Inc.! I don't really want the govt. involved in the food I eat!). Anyway, you can buy from them Monday through Saturday. You can call 615-395-4819 with questions or orders. The woman that helped me was very friendly, even though I did not get greeted right away. It has a small town feel to it, which I like. They carry rubs and sauces and jams and honey to accompany their meats!

Here's some eye raising facts about Beefalo!:
-naturally raised (no hormones, grass fed, but grain finished)
-less calories than tuna!
-1/5 the fat of regular beef!
-3/4 the cholesterol of chicken!

I found this chart very interesting on test results that compared 3.5 oz portions of the following cuts of protein:

Cholesterol Fat Calories
Fish 70mgs .3 gr 76
Tuna 70 .8 127
Chicken 60 1.9 117
Beef 70 19.6 352
Lean Beef 63 6.0 130
Beefalo 47 4.2 119

What is Beefalo exactly? It is bred of bison and domestic cattle. It contains 3/16ths Buffalo. Beefalo retains the nutritional advantages of buffalo, while preserving the taste of quality beef. Because it is leaner, it is more digestable and it cooks in 1/3 to 1/2 the time of beef with less shrinkage. C & F raises their beefalo without the use of growth hormones, steroids, and unnecessary antibiotics. The lean red meat of Beefalo is a finer more digestable texture, and a slightly sweeter flavor. So, try some Beefalo today! :)

I will post later how our New York Strip Beefalo and our Beefalo sausage patties cook and taste. I also bought some free range chicken breasts and their very own ground beef. They were out of ground beefalo, so I plan on going back to get some in a week or two. It may be premature to tell you about them before I try the product, but I was too excited about this nutritional info to not pass it on right now! Plus, they have been there for 15+ years- I have driven by them for that long, anyway, over the years. Many people around here buy whole pigs to roast at gatherings. And even more, it is a beautiful drive to College Grove (Before Triune).

Kids and the Zone

As a new year begins and "better eating" is at the top of the to-do list, I am convicted of my task to do the same with my poor kids. They are a product of what I allow them to eat, and when I am not eating well, they get to enjoy way more junk than the occasional treat. Today, in the car, after I bought them a nasty chocolate donut from the gas station (or the "hot stop" as my husband to cutely refers to it!) as a "treat" for being good during our shopping earlier (yes, roll your eyes, be disappointed, because I do my fair share of unhealthy bribery, it is terrible, I know), I told them to eat up and enjoy because healthier eating days are on their way! This allowed me to ask the question, "Why should we eat better?". And here is what they (and I, with a little spurning) came up with:
1.Be stronger!
2.Feel better!
3.Run faster!
4.Be in a good mood!

This seemed to be convincing enough for Jack and Sophie. Little do they understand that they will be more attentive in school as well, not to mention the internal health benefits! In my effort to get our kids excited about good foods, I am going to make a chart with the above reasons listed and let them keep track of their progress this week. Charts are good in Kindergarten and 1st grade! Post any ideas or methods you have used or heard of to inspire healthy eating in kids! I'll be ready for new ideas soon!

-------------------------------------------...

Dr. Sears says that children should have 15 grams of protein per meal. After puberty, they should have as much as an adult. String cheese is usually an easy option that kids will eat. My 5 year old daughter enjoys boiled eggs.

Go to this link for great breakfast ideas for kids that will get them through the school day, as well as 2 block lunches (7 grams of protein = 1 block, so the 15 recommended is basically a 2 block lunch if you are ever referring to a Zone block chart).

Tomorrow's lunch back to school will be:
all natural applesauce (no sugar added),
7 cheese cubes (I love that each one is 1 gram of protein!),
a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat, (sad to admit that I spared the piggy bank on the Ezekial bread and bought the buy one get one deal on Pepperidge Farm. It is healthier than a lot, but still doesn't compare to Ezekial).
and a Roarin' Waters drink (has 8g of sugar).

I treat the flavored drink as a sort of fun thing in their lunch because often I will give them water or let them buy milk. Roarin' Waters is not juice, but flavored water. On a related note, Sugar Busters for Kids states that kids should have only 24g (6 tsp) of added sugar per day. I am afraid to know what it has been lately for my kids! Sugar Busters for Kids also recommends a ratio of 50% carbs, 30% fats, and 20% protein, in short, because they are growing up and need energy, rather than growing out and building muscle. I haven't done a detailed comparison, but Sugar Busters is seemingly the Zone because it shares many of the same ideals and recommendations (such as the adult ratio of 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs). The two go hand in hand as far as I am concerned. You could even use the Sugar Busters books as precursers to starting the Zone. Get the sugar under control, then focus on portion control.

Slow Cooking in January

If you haven't already, check out Dr. Sears Zone website. I plan on making these soon- you can't go wrong with these ingredients. Here are a couple of great sounding slow cooker recipes:

Minestrone Stew with Pear, Rasberry, Walnut, and Feta Salad
Lentil Walnut and Chicken Chili with Salad and Guacamole

Report what you think if you make it.

The Pantry Plunge

You've heard of the Polar Bear Plunge, right? Jump right into that cold water, all for a good cause! Well, I am doing the New Year's Pantry Plunge: Eat everything up that is bad and then don't replace it with more! This is not as good of an idea as making a clean sweep of your pantry. But, the holidays are over and I can't bring myself to throw out the badness that I love so much, so I will let it deplete. If this does not work, then I will have to go cold turkey on the sugar for a while to readjust! This new year is not going to be a countdown to healthy eating for me, rather a practice in daily decision making. My first goal has come straight from Missy's comment on the last blog entry- preparing ahead. I will not buy anymore processed foods (graham crackers, cereal, enriched flour products). I probably will not even weigh and measure my food, but I WILL make attempts at discipline and self control when it comes to choosing the right foods.

Concerning my sweet tooth, I am going to experiment. Missy allowed herself icecream somewhat frequently and still saw results and felt great, so I may also allow myself dark chocolate (Ghirardelli's bittersweet chocolate chips or squares, to be precise). Some of you may be remembering that this was my past downfall and that I vowed to stop keeping chocolate chips on hand to bake with, so it may be that I allow myself to go get some when the cravings well up, but just not keep them around all the time.

If you are ready to be super precise about what you eat, then don't let me talk you out of it. There is a time and place for measuring and weighing- I would encourage anyone to do this in order to gain a realistic idea of what your body needs versus what you tend to want.

I hope you figure out your goals and then work towards them, experimenting. The road to health is a journey. I hope you will share your successes and failures with me (us!).

Preparing,
Angela