Feeling Overwhelmed

Happy Thursday to all!

Let’s talk about this Specific Carbohydrate Diet for a second. I’d be lying if I said the SCD has been easy. It hasn’t quite been two weeks yet but I can honestly say I am exhausted from it already. The biggest issue I’m having is simply finding enough time to do all of the food prep, not to mention clean up afterwards, especially since I am still going in to work. This diet looks into every last ingredient in a food item, which means I have to make all of my dressings and sauces from scratch and then there’s the meals of course, snacks, bread, crackers, etc. This is obviously pretty time consuming, and not the most practical in my life. I may be speaking out of sheer exhaustion right now, but I am thinking I may convert to a more modified version of the SCD. I have some thinking to do.

First things first. A recap from yesterday.

In the morning I wasn’t feeling the best, but I still wanted to attempt a run. I went into the run telling myself it was okay to walk if need be. I started off in a slow jog and continued that pace for a couple of miles. I kept my route real close to home in case I needed to make it home quickly, and towards the end of the 2nd mile, I really wasn’t feeling too well, so I made my way home. I still managed to work up a nice sweat in that short period of time. Although it was only two miles, like I say, two miles is better than no miles at all.

I wasn’t hungry for breakfast which rarely happens. I think it can be attributed to my cookie monster fiasco the night before. I knew I had to eat something before work and it needed to be substantial enough to hold me over for four hours until lunch. I made cinnamon honey peanut butter alongside a banana. That did the trick.

For lunch, I still wasn’t very hungry (again, cookie monster), but I made myself a plate of cooked carrots, pulled chicken, and topped it with homemade honey mustard.

I had to work late again last night so once I got home, I was finally hungry. It was just a matter of making dinner that sounded like the biggest task in the world. Not only could I not decide what sounded good, I also didn’t want to be spending the next 45 minutes in the kitchen, so I needed to choose wisely. We still had lettuce cups leftover from the Thai lettuce cups, so I started off with that idea in mind. Then, I began sautéing carrots, zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms which I spiced up with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Once they were thoroughly cooked, I placed a heaping spoonful of veggies on top of three lettuce cups and topped them with pulled chicken.

I thought I would leave it at that, but the meal was tasting pretty bland to me (I feel like this has been a common theme lately), so I topped the remaining two lettuce cups with a small dollop of peanut butter.

I am starting to think I could add peanut butter to anything and I would enjoy it: a sock, a shoe….anything. 😉  This minor addition to the meal improved the dish a little, but this still wasn’t my most favorite ever. But, it wasn’t so bad either. I am just really missing my sauces, especially soy sauce in this case. I am a saucy gal. Dinner tasted very  fresh and healthy, I just don’t think it was really what I was in the mood for.

For dessert, I controlled myself and had only two of the cinnamon cookies. I also made up a batch of honey almond butter and had a few samples of that, you know, to make sure it tasted okay.

Today is my Friday of work because I have tomorrow off. I am really looking forward to it. I feel like after vacation, the week back is always so exhausting and really wears you out.

Back to the SCD.  I will be updating you soon on my decision to possibly deviate slightly from the plan. It is important to remember that each person and each case is different, and each individual heals differently and at varying rates. I know this may not seem like a good idea to those of you reading this who have been following the diet for quite some time, but it may be what I need to do in order to maintain my sanity, control my stress level, and enjoy my summer fully. If anything I would continue to eat grain-free, but I may look into buying some store-bought dressings and sauces. I would scan the ingredient labels carefully and try to stick to ones that were the closest to “legal.” I am trying to remain as stress-free as possible, but this diet is really starting to exhaust me, and I think these minor changes would help me to not feel so overwhelmed, and would help me to heal.

I don’t want to discourage anyone out there who is following this diet exactly as it is supposed to be followed. I strongly admire those of you who have been following this for years or even months. Your dedication is truly something that should be recognized. I will continue the SCD and continue to support all of you who are following the SCD.

I am off for the day! I’m keeping my head up, and I hope you all are too. The sun is shining, and I just finished my morning cup o’ Jo. Have a great day.

Continue Reading Feeling Overwhelmed

A Cinnamon Cookie or Two or Three…

Happy Wednesday everybody…

Workout & Breakfast

Yesterday morning I grabbed a half a banana with peanut butter as a pre-workout snack before heading to the gym.

At the gym, I hit the elliptical for 30 minutes, then to the treadmill for a fast mile run, and I finished off with leg weights. I felt pretty darn good after that one.

When I got home I made myself breakfast: a smoothie packed with yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, banana, mango, spinach, and a splash of Welch’s 100% grape juice.

I don’t have food photos from lunch or dinner because I ate at work and being we were in meetings, it would have been kind of awkward if I started snapping photos of my food. 🙂 I can tell you though I spent time in the kitchen yesterday morning prepping my healthy SCD friendly meals.

For lunch, I made Thai lettuce cups much like these ones but the only veggie I included yesterday was the carrots. For dinner, I made a chicken and veggie sauté. I sautéed carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms until thoroughly cooked and soft, then added the chicken. For sauce, I whisked together honey, fresh orange juice, and a dash of ginger. I poured the sauce over the cooked veggies, sprinkled with salt and pepper, gave it a stir, let it cool, and packed it in my Pyrex to go. I had two super delicious and healthy meals yesterday. It was worth the extra effort for sure.

Amidst the work meetings yesterday, there were chocolates and candies being passed around. I can’t tell you how bad I wanted to reach into that bag of chocolates and savor every last chocolately bite. I think chocolate is what I miss most while on this diet. Of course I didn’t eat any of the chocolates, but I was feeling a little “deprived” at the end of the day, and had a hankering for something sweet. Lately when I want something sweet, I have been eating a bite of peanut butter with honey, but last night, I really wanted something else. So, although I worked late and wasn’t home until late, I decided I was going to make myself a batch of SCD cookies.

I found a recipe from this site, tweaked it the slightest bit, and got to baking. Here’s the recipe:

SCD Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup yogurt (SCD homemade)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 saccharin “sugar” packets**
**The saccharin helps to cut the tartness out of the yogurt. The original recipe calls for applesauce but I didn’t have any on hand so I substituted yogurt instead. If using applesauce, you probably would not need the saccharin.
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 300°
  2. Mix all ingredients together
  3. Spoon walnut-size cookies onto a no-slip mat or parchment paper covered baking sheet about 2 inches apart
  4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies begin to turn golden brown
Notes: The dough is a little tricky to work with as it is pretty sticky. I used a spoon to scoop the dough and used my finger to slide it off onto the mat. You want to bake these long enough for them to begin to crisp up just a bit, if not, they turn out very crumbly and bread like. Also, I would probably add even more cinnamon next time around. It would be nummy to add in butternut squash puree instead of the yogurt too. I may have to try that in the future.

So, how did they turn out? Well, they aren’t even close to being in the same ballpark of deliciousness as a Nestle chocolate chip cookie, but they did a pretty good job of relieving me of my sweet hankering. They have a hint of cinnamon and their texture was sort of like an airy but slightly crispy pancake or muffin top (kind of hard to explain). They were a tiny bit bland, so I ended up making myself an even more special treat by lightly spreading peanut butter and a touch of honey to the cookie.  They were pretty good when eaten plain though too, just not what I am used to when it comes to cookies. If it’s a choice of cookie or no cookie, I would take this cookie. I have to confess….I ate WAY too many of these last night. I think I was really missing my treats and just went overboard. Yes, the Dietitian just admitted that she over-did it on cookies; pretty embarrassing. My body is not very happy with me today. I am a little down because I worry that I set myself back on my healing progress. I have been feeling SO good lately, and the last thing I want to do is back track. I’m trying to stay positive. Today’s a new day. I know I will be okay!

How about this for positive, it’s Wednesday! Half-way through the work week. I hope you all have a great day. I will catch up with you later.

Continue Reading A Cinnamon Cookie or Two or Three…

Grab a Snack

I really like that word, “snack.” I don’t know if it brings on a feeling of comfort or what it is, but when I hear the word it makes me happy. It makes me think of snuggling on the couch and watching a movie; it gives me a cozy feeling. I also love during Rachael Ray’s show when she is about to go into a commercial break and says, “go grab a snack and come on back.” I am a weirdo I am aware. But, speaking of snacks, I have some of my favorite SCD snacks to share with you all. Even if you aren’t following the SCD, these snacks are healthy and delicious options if you are in need of a little pick-me-up.

But first, let’s recap dinner last night because it was pretty darn tasty. I sautéed asparagus spears and green peas in a tiny bit of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. I also had shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce made from SCD ketchup and horseradish. On the side, butter lettuce with homemade honey mustard sauce.

Honey mustard: mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar.

For me, the asparagus and pea sauté stole the show. I love those two veggies. Num num.

For dessert I ate a bite of peanut butter with honey. Later in the evening I munched on cooked carrots and applesauce.

************
Now, on to those snackies. These have been some of my go-to’s lately. They are all SCD-friendly but like I said, SCD or not, they are great snacks for all.
1. Juicy, sweet watermelon. I keep this stocked up in the fridge, all cut up and ready to go. Sure it’s a little bit of a pain to cut up, but it’s well worth it.

2. Cooked carrots. When I have a little extra time I make a big batch and store them in the fridge so that they are easy to grab. I keep them at eye level so I am more likely to go for them first when in need of some energy.

3. Hard-boiled eggs. These are a great source of protein so if I need something to hold me over for a little while, I eat one of these. I like using our egg slicer to make perfect slices, and I sprinkle with a touch of salt.

4. Yogurt bites. Cool, refreshing, and fun.

5. Banana soft serve or yogurt and honey. It’s like eating ice cream, ’nuff said.

6. Mini muffins made from almond flour. Limit to 1 or 2 mini muffins a day though!

7. Smoothies with fruit, SCD yogurt, and spinach.

8. Banana with nut butter or just a bite of nut butter on its own.

9. And my newest snack addition: Almond Saltine Crackers. I found a great recipe from Comfy Belly’s site.

Here’s how you make them. To begin, preheat your oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of almond meal or almond flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Next, add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix well. It’s okay to use your hands to help mix, I did! Form into 2 balls of dough.

Place a dough ball on a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper, and top the dough with a layer of parchment paper (like a cracker dough sandwich). Use a rolling-pin to roll the dough into a flat large rectangle/circle/whatever shape you can roll it into. Carefully peel off top layer of parchment paper.

You can see mine was far from perfect. It doesn’t matter though! Use a pizza cutter to cut into cracker size rectangles, and transfer the baking mat and crackers to a baking pan. Sprinkle with a light amount of sea salt.

Bake for 20 minutes (baking time with vary so keep an eye on crackers and watch for a lightly golden color and crisp edges).

Split crackers apart.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container and you have a salty snack on hand when you need it. They taste a whole lot like saltine crackers and I really like these salty snacks.

Almond Saltine Crackers (courtesy of Comfy Belly)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • sprinkle of sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together almond meal and salt.
  3. Add egg and olive oil; mix well and form into 2 balls of dough.
  4. Place a dough ball on a non-stick baking mat, and top the dough with a layer of parchment paper.
  5. Use rolling-pin to roll the dough into a flat large rectangle/circle/or whatever shape (it really doesn’t matter).
  6. Carefully peel off top layer of parchment paper.
  7. Use a pizza cutter to cut into cracker size rectangles, and transfer the baking mat and crackers to a baking pan. Sprinkle with a light amount of sea salt.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes (baking time with vary so keep an eye on crackers for a lightly golden color and crisp edges).
  9. Split crackers apart.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Happy snacking! Oh, and happy Monday? Kidding, yes it will be a happy Monday. Again, I’ll try and be positive about Monday if you will! Catch up with you later.

Continue Reading Grab a Snack

Banana Muffins and Yogurt Bites

Happy day everybody!

The weather has finally cooled down around here and it is so pleasant again. I was getting a little tired of the 100° heat. I live in Minnesota, now come on I’m not used to that. It is in the mid-70’s right now and supposed to warm up to the 80’s or so which is just perfect considering we are going to a pool party today. Want to know the most exciting part? My brother is here all the way from Bogota, Colombia! I haven’t seen him since our wedding in October and I am psyched to see him!! YYYYYaaaayyyyy!

This morning, Dana and I made our way to the gym after sleeping in until 8:40 am. I couldn’t believe we slept in until then, we don’t ever do that. We must have needed it. Anyway, we warmed up with a mile run then hit the weights and cranked out triceps, shoulder, and chest work. Dana was my personal trainer today and he whooped my butt. My arms are already sore. I couldn’t take a picture without holding my arm with my other hand to stay steady. I’m a serious wuss. But hey, I strength trained today! I said I wanted to get back on that train, and although I may be a little weak right now, you have to start somewhere. I feel like I am starting over now that I am starting to get my energy back again. That’s okay though.

I have a large watermelon to cut up before the party today and a few other things I want to do, so I am going to try to whiz through the rest of this. Here goes a recap from yesterday!

Saturday Lunch

This is a sorry attempt at a photo of a banana with cashew butter. It was really tasty but the photo sure doesn’t present itself that way!

I also stuffed my face with a load of watermelon which again, I forgot to take a photo of it but you know what watermelon looks like.

Afternoon workout and snacks

In the afternoon, I made my way down to the treadmill and got a half hour walk in while watching The Doctors. I also weeded the garden in the back which is looking real good! I can’t wait for all of the fresh veggies soon to come.

I made myself a snack of yogurt with honey and cinnamon a little while later.

And whipped up some nummy little frozen treats for Dana and I.

Please welcome strawberry-banana yogurt bites.

I simply blended:

  • Homemade SCD yogurt (you could use whatever yogurt you prefer)
  • Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 banana
  • Touch of honey (because the yogurt is slightly tart)

Once blended, I poured the smoothie mix into the star freezer molds and place in the freezer overnight.

Today I popped them out of the molds and taste-tested. They turned out perfectly sweet and are such a nice and healthy way to cool down in the heat of the summer. These are perfect for adults and kids alike. If you don’t have fancy freezer molds, you could simply use a mini muffin tin or an ice-cube tray.

So cute, right?!

Speaking of mini muffin tins and cuteness…a few days ago I gave you a little sneak peek to a muffin that I had made. Well, it’s sharing time. 🙂

I am working on making snacks for Dana and I that are quick and tasty, and that can hold us over for a little while. I searched around and found a recipe for SCD Banana Muffins from this site. However, knowing me, I adjusted the recipe slightly. I am so excited to share these little gems with you. I prepared them in mini muffin tins so they are perfectly snackable.

Mini Banana Muffins SCD-friendly (makes 2 dozen mini muffins)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 2 medium overripe bananas,  mashed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 honey
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2-mini muffin tins with sunflower oil (or whatever you have on hand); set aside.
  2. In small bowl, combine almond meal, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves; mix well and set aside.
  3. In large mixing bowl, beat together bananas, eggs and vanilla.
  4. Add vinegar and honey and mix.
  5. Mix in dry ingredients until combined; do not overmix.
  6. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through.
  7. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean and tops of muffins begin to feel firm. Remove from oven and enjoy!
I am loving these little guys just plain jane or with a little smear of cashew butter.
For Dinner…
We brought dinner over to the Greg and Sue’s (my in-laws) last night. We brought lean hamburgers seasoned with salt and pepper, SCD ketchup, butter lettuce to use as our burger “buns,” and asparagus to grill on the side. I topped my burger with legal cheddar cheese and a slather of mustard and loaded my plate with asparagus. I went back for seconds of the asparagus. What is it about grilling asparagus that makes it so absolutely delicious?! LOVE! Before we grilled the asparagus, we nuked them in the microwave for 4 minutes to make sure they was cooked enough and easier for me to digest.
This was OH so GOOD!

When we got home I started making another batch of homemade SCD yogurt because I ate up the first batch. Then I was led out back where there was a little excitement. Our neighbors just got a 4 year old golden retriever and they met for the first time last night. Moose was introduced to a new friend named Sadie. Moose goes crazy over golden retrievers; he absolutely adores them. Remember this photo from the dog park?

Ok, that may not have been a golden retriever, but close.

It was so sweet watching Moose and Sadie together. Sadie was a little apprehensive but she was also just introduced to a new home and is working on adjusting to a lot of changes. I give it 2 weeks and they will be BFF or lovers, one of the two.

Alright, I am off to prepare for the day! Enjoy your Saturday wherever you may be. I am loving life.

Continue Reading Banana Muffins and Yogurt Bites

Even Better Thai Lettuce Cups

Happy Friday to all!

With all of the commotion with the SCD happening these days, I realize I have been slacking a bit on the workout front. During day 1 and 2 of the introductory diet, my energy level was fairly low. Considering I really am not a meat fan, and eggs I can only handle every once and a while, I was getting most of my calories from carrot broth and juice gelatin.

That’s the honest truth. Since my food intake wasn’t where it should be, my energy level took a brief dive. I still made it to the gym on the second day but it was only for an easy elliptical workout. Nothing too hardcore.

I have been trying to get to the gym (especially since it has been so hot lately), but this last week since the Warrior Dash, I have been slacking a little more than usual. Now that my energy level is up a little bit again, I am trying to get back on that train. The train I really  need to jump on is the strength training choo-choo. This happens to me all of the time, where I am so good about it for a month, and then all of a sudden it’s been two weeks and I haven’t lifted a single dumbbell. This time around, it was because I was feeling a little too weak. I will be working on catching that train, we’ll see when I jump on it. 🙂

Anyway, now that I am following the SCD, I feel like I have SO many great food ideas and recipes to share with you that I seriously can’t keep up with them all. How awesome is that, right? This comes with the fact that I am spending an incredible amount of time in the kitchen. I am fully aware that this will get better as time progresses. I am still only in the first week. Once I get some of the basic condiments made and have those stored away, that will help cut my time a bit. So far, I have only made ketchup (aka my favorite condiment). I am a sauce and condiment queen, so I need to make some more.

Thursday Gym & Breakfast

Yesterday I actually did get to the gym. I had hopes to run outside in the morning but my hopes were slaughtered when it was already 80-some-degrees out at 8 am and the air as thick as molasses. Yea, not for me, no thanks. At the gym I hopped on the treadmill and pounded out 2 sweaty miles. I then made my way to the elliptical to finish up some with 10 more minutes of cardio. Lastly, I hit the carpet and worked on some core. K, I really only did core for probably 4 minutes but I still managed 2 planks on the Bosu ball. I always say, it’s better than nothing!

For breakfast I whipped myself up a refreshing smoothie. In the mix this time around was: banana, peach, strawberry, blueberry, spinach, a splash of pineapple juice, SCD homemade yogurt, and a pinch of sweetener (SCD allows saccharin or honey for sweeteners). I went a little heavy on the spinach this time around. Usually I can’t taste the spinach but this time I could. That doesn’t bother me too much but it’s also not the first thing I want to taste when I take a sip.

I still really enjoyed it though!

Lunch & Dinner

I didn’t snap a photo of my lunch but those of you who are curious, I ate a cashew butter sandwich on SCD bread (both ingredients homemade). I also noshed on buckets of watermelon. I am in LOVE with the watermelon right now. It is so juicy and sweet and summery and perfect.

I had big plans for dinner. Around 10:30 am I set two boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot with a big squeeze of lime juice, 1/2 cup of water, 1 smashed garlic glove, 1/8 cup of onion, and a sprinkle of cumin, salt, and pepper. I set the crock to low and left it alone while I tackled my day.

In the afternoon, Dana and I made a sweaty trip to Menard’s to pick up mulch for a landscaping project in our front yard. This is something we wanted to do last summer but with the wedding and all of the costs and time associated, we decided it had to wait. I am super stoked about it. What’s even better is it’s free because we still had some last gift card money from our wedding! Thanks, friends! While we were out we rented the movie, “The Descendants” from RedBox. More on that in a sec.

At about 5:30, I turned the crockpot off, and transferred the chicken into a small bowl. I grabbed two forks and shredded it easily.

On the stove top, I sautéed diced carrots, zucchini (no skin), and mushroom in a touch of olive oil. I wanted to give the carrots enough time to cook and soften up so I added them to the pan first. I seasoned the veggies with salt, pepper, and cumin. Sauté until softened.

In the meantime, I placed unsalted, unroasted peanuts into the food processor and began processing them to make peanut sauce. While they processed, I added a big squeeze of lime juice, some warm water, 1 chopped garlic clove, salt, and pepper. I kept it whirling until it was a saucy consistency. I transferred the peanut sauce into a small dish and microwaved for 30 seconds just prior to serving.

To dish it up this all up….start with your butter lettuce cups, layer on the sautéed veggies, then shredded chicken, peanut sauce, cilantro, and finish with a splash of lime juice.

My mouth is watering as I write about these this morning. They were unbelievably awesome and completely SCD legal! I am loving this so much. Is it challenging to come up with recipes for SCD? I would say no, I really enjoy it. The challenging part is basically making everything from scratch. Typically, I would’ve just used store-bought peanut butter and mixed it with soy sauce, lime juice, and other spices to make the peanut sauce, but instead, I had to make my own peanut butter from actual peanuts. A little more labor intensive, but so totally worth it. I am loving this clean living. I feel great!

I strongly urge you to make these lettuce wraps. If you don’t feel like going all SCD homemade, go ahead and use some store-bought natural peanut butter to make the sauce. Just go make them, please. I have made Thai style lettuce wraps before, but these ones from last night take the cake.

After dinner and clean up, I made a batch of these:

Recipe to come later! 😉

Then I plunked myself on the couch next to the hubby to watch our movie. We aren’t much of movie watching people, I think it’s because neither of us can sit still very long, but every once and a while we will rent one and enjoy it. Since it was so hot last night, we thought it would be the perfect way to spend our evening. Being that we don’t watch movies often, I have no clue what’s out for rental, much less know what the movies are actually about. Dana had heard about the movie, “The Descendants” with George Clooney, so we decided to give it a go. I didn’t bother to read about the story line when I got it from the RedBox. I actually thought it was going to be some sort of action movie, and I was anticipating sitting on the edge of the couch biting on my cuticles. I was utterly mistaken. I am not going to ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but the movie was definitely not action, it was drama. It was sad and I wasn’t expecting a sad movie. I enjoyed it but I just wasn’t prepared for it. So, if you choose to rent this one, just be aware of the story line before you watch it. I think most people ARE aware of the movie they are about to see, I am just a special one who chooses to go in blindfolded.

Anyway….I am off on tangents this morning. Why not continue with the tangents with an update on my UC symptoms? I have been on the SCD for less than one week and I am already feeling insanely better. I am in awe at how well I am feeling. Since I began, I haven’t been bloated one single time. That was my probably  my most uncomfortable symptom from the UC prior to the diet, and now that I have eliminated the complex carbs, no bloat, and very very little gas. Are you serious? Is this for real? I am so pleasantly surprised. It’s hard not to be skeptical but I am experiencing first hand the benefits of this scientifically proven diet. As for my other symptoms, I am visiting the restroom less, I don’t feel as fatigued, my skin is clearing up, and my hair has gotten blonder (kidding that’s from the sun). 🙂 That was a Dana and dad kind of joke.

If anyone out there is thinking about starting this diet, please mention it to your physician asap, so you can start to feel better too! I am continuing with my meds as prescribed but am really hoping that eventually I will be able to go off them and just maintain with diet and healthy living alone. I know this is not what the doctor would want to hear, but it is my hope.

I am so inspired and can’t wait to beat this disease. I will continue to update you all with my symptoms, and share my recipes and insights along the way. Thank you to all of you for being so supportive, and for offering such great advice and kind words! You are all so wonderful.

I am off for the day. I am hoping to get some laundry done possibly (it’s really piling up) and speaking of workouts, hopefully get a workout in too. First things first, I need to eat some breakfast…

Have a happy day everyone! Catch up with you soon.

Continue Reading Even Better Thai Lettuce Cups

Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Happy day after Independence Day! I hope everyone had a great holiday. In case you missed it, check out my Nutty ‘Naner Bread recipe I posted yesterday. Holy peanut butter….yum!

Now that I am done with the SCD intro diet and on to phase 1, it is time to begin incorporating cooked veggies. I scanned our fridge for dinner ideas the other night, and came up with a real winner winner chicken dinner! It is SCD friendly, super easy, and very satisfying.

I started by peeling three zucchini, cutting them in half lengthwise, and using a spoon to remove seeds and hollow out the middle. They look like little boats after you do this. I placed them in an oven safe glass dish, with about 3/4 cup water on the bottom of the pan and set them aside.

Next, I sautéed 1/2 of a white onion and 2 small garlic cloves in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. I then added leftover shredded chicken. I stirred this all together until the chicken was heated through. I seasoned with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Divide chicken mixture into zucchini boats and sprinkle with parmesean cheese.

Bake in a 350° oven for 25 minutes. Zucchini should be slightly softened, but still have a little crunch. Lastly, broil for 2-3 minutes or until the top of the boats begin to turn lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy!

These had great flavor all by themselves but they would also be really good with a marinara dipping sauce.

Speaking of red sauce, I also made SCD Homemade Ketchup (not that I would put ketchup on the zucchini boats). I used a recipe from this site. I modified it only slightly; here is the recipe I made:

  • 1- 46 oz. bottle of tomato juice
  • 3/4 cups white vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/16 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 cup honey

This was actually incredibly simple, the process just took a little time. I boiled all of these ingredients together except for the honey.

Stir frequently and continue to boil over high heat. The water will begin to cook out and the ketchup will thicken. Once about half of the water has cooked out, reduce heat to medium and continue to boil. When ketchup is at desired consistency, remove the bay leaf, and use an emersion blender to puree the ketchup. Then add your honey, cook for a few more minutes and there you have it!

Homemade SCD ketchup!

I do love my ketchup so I am excited to have found a way to continue to eat it while following the SCD! I feel like I have been spending a WHOLE LOT OF TIME in the kitchen lately due to all of this extra food prep involved in the diet. I keep telling myself it is all worth it though. It will be! I am continuing to feel better.

I’m off to enjoy the day! Catch up with you soon!

Continue Reading Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Well, hello there. I have a lot to share with you so I am going to get right to it. Today’s post is somewhat of a short novel. I apologize.

For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you know that I am combatting some health issues. Anyone just reading for the first time, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at the age of 12 and since then have lived with flare-up, remission, flare-up, remission, etc. etc.

I was healthy for over two years without any bouts until about 2 months ago when I started having symptoms again. Now, as a Registered Dietitian my first thought was to try to help the healing process through diet. The diet is something you can control. I began a low-residue, low-fiber diet to try and give my intestines a little time to rest. Think chicken, potatoes with out skin, apples without skin, Cream of Wheat, bananas, etc.

Along with the low-fiber diet, I also consulted my gastroenterologist who started me on medications right away. As time progressed, my symptoms only got worse. I went back to the doc who then switched my meds again. At this point, I was so frustrated with the low-fiber diet and not being able to eat the foods I love (especially raw veggies) that I kind of let loose on the whole diet thing. For breakfast and lunch I would eat low-fiber but then at dinner I was oftentimes making myself a small salad just to fulfill my cravings. Nothing was working, and I was tired of it.

Long story shorter, I was ready to try something different. Dana bought this book for me, and ironically my mom has the same one from when I was younger.

My mom tried EVERYTHING with me when I was sick as a child, but so many of these diets are incredibly hard to follow because you do have to be strict. As a teen, you weren’t going to stop me from going out with my friends and having pizza or other fun snacks. I would eat the pizza and then feel completely miserable afterwards. I wasn’t able to make smart decisions because I didn’t want to risk missing out on social moments. I will never be able to thank my mom enough for all of the time, research, money, love, and support she gave me and still does. Now that I am older though, I have a better understanding of my priorities. 🙂 Also, I know that I can still be social and have fun, I just need to be careful what goes into this delicate body of mine.

So, Dana brings me this book and starts telling me about the concepts involved. I was definitely skeptical at first, but continued on to read the whole book. Here is what I learned…

I pulled this information right from their site which you can link to by clicking on the title below.

“The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ has helped many thousands of people with various forms of bowel disease and other ailments vastly improve their quality of life. In many cases, people consider themselves cured. It is a diet intended mainly for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis and chronic diarrhea. However it is a very healthy, balanced and safe diet that has health benefits for everyone. 
 
The foods that are allowed on the SCD are based on the chemical structure of these foods. Carbohydrates are classified by their molecular structure. The allowed carbohydrates are monosaccharides and have a single molecule structure that allow them to be easily absorbed by the intestinal wall. Complex carbohydrates which are disaccharides and polysaccharides are not allowed. They are not easily digested and feed harmful bacteria in our intestines causing them to overgrow. This produces by products and inflames the intestinal wall. The diet works by starving out these bacteria and restoring the balance of bacteria in our gut. The SCD is biologically correct because it is species appropriate. The allowed foods are mainly those that early man ate before agriculture began. The diet we evolved to eat over millions of years was predominately one of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, and low-sugar fruits.
 
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ was clinically tested for over 50 years by Dr Haas and biochemist Elaine Gottschall with convincing results. From feedback from the various lists and other information at least 75% of those who adhere rigidly to the diet gain significant improvement.”
 
View SCD official site here

I have forever had issues digesting complex carbohydrates. I always joke about how I love bagels but bagels don’t love me. Sometimes I can eat them and feel fine, but oftentimes I eat them and regret it a few hours later when my stomach begins to bloat like a balloon. In my teen years, mom brought me to a holistic doctor. I remember him waving a bunch of scents under my nose while testing my body’s resistance at the same time—pressing on my arm and asking me to push against it, etc. I remember I was slightly intolerant to lactose and gluten. To this day I am still the same way. I am a true believer in holistic health and healing. I also know, that western medicine is a necessity in a lot of cases.

As a dietitian, this diet does make sense to me and it does sound completely legitimate. The book explains the science behind our bodies digestion process and goes on to explain that our bodies have a difficult time digesting these complex carbohydrates and we are not able to get rid of all of the sugars involved. These sugars therefore sit in our intestine and begin to ferment, which can cause a lot of gas and can cause inflammation as well. As a gal with ulcerative colitis, the last thing I need is EXTRA uncomfortable symptoms. After reading this book and talking it over with the hubs and madre, I have decided I am going to give it a whirl.

The diet begins with a 2-5 day introduction diet. You can eat as much as you want of the following foods (directly from their site and the book):

Breakfast:
Dry curd cottage cheese (moisten with homemade yogurt)
Eggs (boiled, poached, or scrambled)
Pressed apple cider or grape juice mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with water. See, SCD™ Legal / Illegal List for more information about allowable juices.
Homemade gelatin made with juice, unflavored gelatin, and sweetener (honey or saccharine)

Lunch:
Homemade chicken soup
Broiled beef patty or broiled fish
Cheesecake
Homemade gelatin made with juice, unflavored gelatin, and sweetener (honey or saccharine)

Dinner: Variations of above

I started this intro diet yesterday and bless Dana’s heart, he is doing it with me. Because my symptoms are no longer severe, we will only be doing the introductory diet for two days before moving into the next stage (which looks and sounds WAY better). To prepare for these two days we made a big batch of hard-boiled eggs, lean beef patties, 100% grape juice gelatin, homemade yogurt, “legal” cheesecake made from homemade yogurt and dry curd cheese, and allowed chicken soup from scratch. We also stocked up on Dole 100% pineapple juice. The prep is pretty tedious but if this diet works like it says, then it’s worth it.

This was my first time ever making homemade yogurt. Getting the temperatures just right was the hardest part, but I think we got it down now, and next time we make it will be a lot easier.

Homemade Yogurt: following the directions to a T is very important as you are making sure to rid the product of all lactose remains.

Instructions:

  1. Bring 1/2 gallon of 1% milk to simmer; stirring often. Remove from heat.
  2. Cover and cool until milk has reached room temperature (64-77°F).
  3.  Remove 1 cup cooled milk and make a paste with 1/2 cup good quality commercial yogurt*.
  4. Mix the paste with the remainder of the cooled milk and stir thoroughly.
  5. Cover pot and place on a hot plate heated to 100-110°F; let stand on hot plate for at least 24 hours.
  6. Remove from heat and place in fridge to cool.
*The yogurt should be unflavored and unsweetened. Buy one containing only milk or milk solids and bacterial culture. Recommended cultures are Lactobacillus bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, and S. thermophilus.
I will not lie to you, I am hating these first two days. No fruits or veggies besides those from fruit juice? I am not a meat or fish lover, and I can only take eggs in small amounts. The Farmer’s Cheese, aka Dry Curd Cheese gives me the worst after taste in my mouth. Blech. The chicken carrot soup is OK, but very bland. I tried making the cheesecake this morning hoping that would be something that I would enjoy but no, because of the cheesy aftertaste I’m not a fan. I am loving the 100% grape juice gelatin however, so I have been eating an insane amount of that. The homemade yogurt I believe needs to wait until tomorrow before I can really incorporate more of it. It felt good to complain for that brief moment. I am trying to remain positive. Tomorrow, we move on to the next phase which is slowly introducing fruits, veggies, nuts, and proteins. Considering I am not a huge complex carb eater in general, the next phase will be very similar to my pre-flare diet with tons of fruits and veggies and beans too!!
My symptoms are already improving drastically and it’s only been a couple of days. On Friday I ate low-carb all day, the only thing I ate that “wasn’t allowed” on the SCD was corn. Then yesterday of course I followed to the very strict intro diet, along with today. I have had zero bloating. You read that right. ZERO. I am utterly amazed at the progress already. I am continuing to take my medications as prescribed by my doctor as well as implementing this diet. Also, the book emphasizes the importance of supplementing with vitamins during this time. If you are thinking about starting this diet, please consult with your physician first. They will make sure this diet is okay for you and help you determine what supplements you  may need to take.
I am so excited to be sharing this journey with you all. Besides from these first two days, this will not be a major lifestyle change for me. Sure, there will be some changes: a lot of food preparation to ensure that there are no complex carbs, a lot of dishes, making smart choices when out with friends, etc. I will do my best to adapt to these modifications. The book recommends you stay on this diet for a year to increase your chances of curing the disease completely. They don’t recommend that you “give it a try” for a month and then quit even if your conditions improve. But, I am only human and although I will continue a very low-carb diet in the future, this is a diet that I will not stay on forever.
As I progress through the stages of this diet, I will continue to keep you posted and update you on the changes. There will be some seriously awesome veggie-packed recipes coming your way soon, that anyone will enjoy, even if you’re not following the SCD.
And that is the nutshell version of what is going on in our household. I am off to get a few things done around here. Catch up with you later!
Continue Reading Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Not Quite a Warrior, More Like a Pansy

Hello there! Happy Sunday to all. I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. Mine has been busy, but a lot of fun.

Saturday Morning: Warrior Dash

It was Warrior Dash morning which meant I was going to have my typical pre-race meal: perfectly ripe banana with a light smear of Smart Balance peanut butter.

I gathered the first set of troops for a “I-just-got-out-of-bed-but-let’s-do-this” pre-race photo.

We made our way to Afton Alps and picked up some of our friends on the way. Parking cost $20 so we figured we would pack everyone in to one vehicle to cut the cost, and hey, we were going green too. The parking scene was an obstacle in itself–driving through farms, weaving around cones, riding over some seriously bumpy terrain; it was actually hysterical. Once we parked, we took a shuttle bus over to the race.

Here is my brother Kevi, and our friends Matt and Steph.

Dana and I, and behind us are our friends Adam and Stacy. Peace.

We arrived super early, which I love. We went and picked up our bib numbers, timing chips, t-shirts, and warrior headgear. We then had plenty of time to relax, pin our numbers on, use the facilities a couple of times, and snap some clean pre-race photos with our group.

Being that I have not been feeling my best lately, I was slightly nervous that this race wasn’t going to be a good idea. I become fatigued very easily, I feel weak, and my stamina isn’t where it could be, and mostly, I was afraid to be far from the restrooms. That’s the ugly truth. Not only that, I felt very sick the night before. I woke up Saturday morning feeling pretty good though, and mornings are usually better for me than night-time when there isn’t a whole lot of food being digested yet, so I decided to give it a go.

Off to the race we went. The first obstacle was a bunch of car tires tied up in a bunch, and you had to run through them kind of like you were playing football and knocking through everyone. I liked that one but that’s probably because I was the first one to run through and didn’t get knocked in the face by any of the swinging tires. 🙂

Let’s see the rest of the obstacles from what I remember:

  • Balance beam that slanted up down up down.
  • Climbing wall with uneven foot holdings and a slanted top which made it challenging to climb over.
  • Cargo net wall
  • Snow blowers set with water that basically blind you as you run through
  • Crawl under barbed wire on rocky grounds
  • Slightly slanted wall with rope to pull yourself up and over
  • Grassy steep hill and rope to pull yourself up
  • Hurdles and barbed wire so you had to go over a hurdle and then under a barbed wire, over a hurdle, under barbed wire, etc.
  • Water slide!
  • Jumping over fire twice
  • Mud pit
But the most challenging part of the race wasn’t the obstacles, it was BY FAR the insane amount of hills. In between the obstacles was 3 miles of “running” through the grassy, truly beautiful views of Afton Alps, but I would say (and I don’t think I’m exaggerating) that 60% of the running part was uphill. And I don’t mean little bunny hills, I mean crazy steep hills that even the most incredibly in-shape person would struggle to run up. My team walked most of the hills and even walking them was hard for me! I kept losing my breath and had one scary moment where I couldn’t catch my breath at all and felt like I was beginning to hyperventilate. This happened to me during the half marathon as well. I think what happens is when I begin to feel so short of breath, I begin to panic and the panic only makes the breathing more difficult. It is such a scary feeling though, not being able to catch your breath. The group I was with was so supportive and everyone kept cheering each other the entire way.
The race ends with the mud pit where you have to crawl on your elbows in 1-2 feet of wet mud under a barbed wire. This year they sprayed us with a hose while we crawled, which made it even more messy (but so fun!). Dana and I were very cliché thanks to me, and held muddy hands through the finish line.
We all finished in one piece. Kevin completely tore it up and finished probably 25 minutes before we did. Next year I tell ya, he is taking the prize. Seriously. (BTW the guy on the left in this photo is Stu, and he is Matt and Adam’s uncle and a friend of ours as well. He wasn’t in the previous photos).

After all the muddy shots, we headed to the rinse area where they had a snow-making machine shooting out a thick mist of water. It was very cold but felt good to get all the muck and dirt off! We then donated our shoes, dried off in the sun, and headed home.

I don’t know if I’m a true warrior. I’m more of a pansy, but I still finished the race. 🙂 Intestinally speaking, I was fine during the race, but I could tell my stamina wasn’t where it used to be. My body is fighting hard right now and I understand that, so just completing the race at all was a big accomplishment for me.

Wedding Reception

Dana, Kev, and I had a wedding reception to get to. We showered up, making sure to clean out the mud in the ears, and headed to my cousin Mike and Jess’ wedding reception. They got married in Mexico in March and are having their reception back home to celebrate with everyone. It was set up in a large outdoor shelter near a public lake. It was so nice to be outside; it was a little hot, but I kind of liked it. They had the reception catered with the great classic barbecue foods: burgers, brats, chicken, beans, watermelon, pasta salads, and lettuce salad. I didn’t snap a photo of my lunch but I had a few bites of chicken, a half a burger, and a huge lettuce salad with mustard.  Mike and Jess did a wonderful job planning for the reception. Thanks for a great time!

At this point in time, I was completely beat, but Dana and I had a few errands we needed to run. It started with what was going to be a quick trip to our nearby natural food store, but we ended up having to make a trip to Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s in search of almond flour among other very particular items. If you’re looking for almond meal/flour, Trader Joe’s has the BEST deal. The other stores had the almond flour as well but it was about double the cost.

For dinner, I ate 1 1/2 leftover turkey burgers from Friday night with a side salad.

I think the burgers tasted even better the second time around!

The rest of the evening was spent with some food preparation.  Tomorrow’s post is going to be a big one. I am beginning a new way of eating, I don’t like the word diet so I am going to try and not call it that. It is going to heal my colitis, I know it is. I have already begun to feel better and I have only just started the process. I can’t wait to break it down for you, so check back tomorrow! I don’t mean to leave you high and dry, but there is a lot that goes into it, and I want to make sure I have adequate time to tell you everything I need to tell you. I have tomorrow off of work so it will be the perfect opportunity.

Alright, off to hopefully cut some awesome coupons. Have a great Sunday!

Continue Reading Not Quite a Warrior, More Like a Pansy

Mashed Potato Add the Laughing Cow

Everyone do your happy Friday dance!

First things first. Since it’s Friday that means it’s time to check in on the very last week of the June Yoga Challenge hosted by the beautiful and talented Courtney at SweetToothSweetLife.

I am happy to report that I once again have met my goal of three yoga sessions a week.  Yoga On Demand has been great–I have been able to practice yoga in the comfort of my own living room at any hour of the day.

I began the challenge one week late into June, but I can honestly say that in the three weeks that I have been partaking in the yoga, I have improved my flexibility and have learned how to incorporate breathing techniques throughout my day if I begin to feel stressed. I also feel like my arms are beginning to tone up a bit from all of the planks and downward dogs.

Although the official June Yoga Challenge is over, I will absolutely continue to practice yoga, and hopefully move from a beginner status, to a more intermediate yogi. Hopefully someday I will be able to master the crow pose! Thank you, Courtney for such a great opportunity and for inspiring me to get my yoga on.

Thursday Breakfast

A piece of spelt bread toast with cinnamon honey PB2 and banana slices.

Lunch

Lunch included a potato which I cooked in the mini crockpot on low for about 4 hours with 1-1.5 cups of water (prepared on Monday). Once it was done cooking, I peeled the potato…

And whipped the potato with a small amount of chicken broth.

I then mixed in one light swiss laughing cow wedge, and added salt and pepper to taste.

I packed it up in a nice little tupperware container and brought it with me to work, warmed it in the microwave, and had a quick and nummy lunch. There is nothing to it really. Homemade mashed potatoes are well worth the small effort. I really enjoyed adding the Laughing Cow wedge into the potatoes. It gave a very subtle creamy cheesy taste to the potato.

If you don’t want to use the crock pot method for cooking your potato, you can always bake your potato in the oven, or for an even speedier cooking method, poke holes in your clean potato, and cook in the microwave for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through (cooking time varies depending on the size of your potato).

I also had some super juicy watermelon with lunch.

Dinner

Your eyes aren’t fooling you. This is a veggie-packed salad. I am taking a different approach to my colitis and only time will tell how my body reacts. This dish is full of mixed greens (kale, spinach, and other dark greens), broccoli tops, mushrooms, avocado, olives, carrots, Morningstar’s Griller Chik’n Burger, and Newman’s Own Lite Honey Mustard.

Welcome back greenery. You are lovely and I have missed you so. This was my first time eating Morningstars Griller’s Chik’n which is a vegetarian chicken burger. Each burger is 80 calories, 3 grams of fat, 350 mg sodium, and packs 9 grams of protein. I prepared the burgers by placing them in a sauté pan on the stove top, and cooking on each side so that both sides crisp up and the burger is heated through.

The taste of this burger was great! I think they tasted like real grilled chicken. It is a nice substitute to meat every once and a while. I love Morningstar veggie products. They do a great job.

Etc.

Last night I started reading the book, “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” by Elaine Gottschall. It is all about treating intestinal problems including Ulcerative Colitis, through the diet.

The book focuses on scientific research which proves that individuals with intestinal distress can often benefit from a specific carbohydrate diet. I am only about 20 pages in but I am very curious about this diet and am anxious to read more. I’ll keep you posted on what I find and tell you more about the book later.

I took a rest day yesterday on the workout scene. I will probably take another one today. Tomorrow is the Warrior Dash! For those of you unfamiliar with the Warrior Dash, it is a 5k run combined with obstacles throughout. The very end of the race involves crawling through 2 feet of mud. It’s a beautiful site.

Photos from last year’s dash…

I’m excited to fill you all in on the details later. Happy Friday! Have a great day.

Continue Reading Mashed Potato Add the Laughing Cow

Mission More Veggies

G’day friends! How is everyone feeling on this wonderful Saturday? I did something this morning that really makes me happy, but you’re going to have to wait to find out because I need to fill you in on yesterday first. This post is a little bit all over the place just to give you the heads up.

I am becoming extraordinarily frustrated in trying to figure out which foods to eat and which to avoid considering my current colitis flare. I have been trying to stick to a low-fiber, low-residue diet, and although I haven’t necessarily been loving it, I have been doing a fairly good job of sticking to it. I am continuing my research as to which other foods I should experiment with incorporating into my diet, because I am getting SO bored of the same old sweet potato and bananas day after day. Don’t get me wrong, I love those foods, but I could go for more of a variety.

Mostly, I want my greens. So, I am going to get my greens.

I read that certain types of lettuce such as Boston Bibb are easier to digest as they are very soft and light. Also, cooked spinach can be consumed in moderation but they do recommend pureeing it.

So, after yoga yesterday morning, I pulled out the blender, added banana, mango, cooked spinach, a squeeze of lime juice, a splash of V8 fusion light, 2 Tbsp Hemp protein and almond milk. I gave it a whirl until all was blended to a smooth consistency. This combination was not one that I will recreate, but it wasn’t horrible, just not my favorite either.

If I have to get my veggies in puree form, then you know what, I’m going to puree like a crazy woman. I feel so much better when I eat my veggies. I presented my green smoothie in a very fashionable Minnesota Wild plastic cup because I was headed out the door.

I am determined to improve my diet, especially with the addition of more veggies which I so love, but I don’t want to falter on the healing process in the colon region which I have been working so hard to improve. I set off for Whole Foods Market to do some creative brainstorming and to buy some natural and organic foods. I was on a mission.

I L.O.V.E. Whole Foods. I spent quite a bit of time browsing the aisles, looking for healthy foods that I could add into my diet. I managed to snag a free double chocolate scone sample bite while I was there too. Score.

I ended up buying Sunflower Seed Butter for the very first time which actually ended up being part of my lunch. I smeared some of this deliciousness on half of a banana and ate a spoonful plain as well. I am pretty impressed with this stuff. I like, I like.

I bought these little duckies which were consumed as part of my completely random lunch as well.

I also bought soft Boston Bibb lettuce, frozen peaches, mangos, butternut squash, and spinach, caramel rice cakes, horseradish for the hubby, millet, and baba ghanoush. I have plans for more smoothies in my future and more variety in my diet.

I spent some time in the kitchen working on a recipe for the Wild Harvest contest as part of the Healthy Living Summit 2012. I am in my glory when I am in the kitchen working with food. While I got creative, I snacked on a bunch of gummies that mysteriously jumped into my cart at the grocery store. Weird, right?

This afternoon I was super excited when I picked our first raspberry of the year from our backyard. Berries are on my no-no list right now but I could not help myself. I ate it and it was awesome. We have a bunch more that will be coming soon.

Dinner later…

The baba ghanoush came into play. “Baba Ghanoush!!”  Wedding Crashers anyone?

I tore the lettuce into cups, spread a spoonful of baba ghanoush on each, sprinkled with feta cheese, then shredded chicken from the crockpot, freshly diced avocado, and lastly a squeeze of lemon.

So fresh, light, healthy, easy, and hopefully easy for me to digest. I made myself a second plate but this time ditched the baba ghanoush and instead drizzled a bit of Newman’s Own Lite Honey Mustard and made my plate into more of a salad. I miss my salads so much and eating this last night seriously made me so happy.

I still am not feeling very well lately, but I am trying to stay positive and give it time. If I can at least incorporate a few of my favorite foods back into my diet, yet not upset the healing process, I will be a much happier girl. I just don’t feel like myself when I can’t pack my diet with the fruits and veggies it’s used to. It’s just a matter of finding the right veggies for now, and the right amount for now. After my salad last night all I can say is, I’ve got to get me some more Boston Bibb lettuce!

My Saturday morning news…

I went for a run! It has been about two weeks since I last ran which honestly feels like forever ago. I wanted to give my body a little break from the high-impact activities that could upset my body and have been focusing more on low-impact exercises. However, I have the Warrior Dash coming up next weekend and would feel super intimidated going into that without having run in three weeks, so I want to try to get a few runs in before then. Also, I and missing running a bit and missing that feeling you get after a run. I wanted to give it a go to see how my body reacted.

This morning’s run was glorious. The air was a humid cool and I felt like I could run and run and run.

I kept to about 3 miles because first of all I didn’t want to press my luck, and secondly I have lots on the agenda for the day including the fact that I have house guests. Scotty and Nicole are here! Btw I ran in an athletic skirt for the first time this morning and although the shorts still road up a bit, I really liked the feeling of running in a skirt. I felt so feminine even though I was dripping in sweat. As for my body’s reaction to the run, it held up just fine. It helps that I ran on a completely empty stomach which I know is not always the best option, but is okay to do do sometimes.

Again, sorry for this all over the place post. I guess I had a lot to say! Lots of fun plans today. I hope you all have a great day. 🙂

Continue Reading Mission More Veggies