The Home Stretch

Last week I had an interesting connection between my mom’s study group meeting and our challenge. We’ve been going through the book The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. It is a wonderful resource for moms as she walks you through different topics of prayer for your children. We went over two chapters last week: Enjoying a Life of Health and Healing and Having the Motivation for Proper Body Care. What great topics considering our challenge this month. Who doesn’t want their child to grow up experiencing health, healing and a desire to take care of their body?!

It was interesting to discuss our own struggles to be motivated to take care of our bodies along with the fact that doing so is an act of “ministry to God” as Stormie so eloquently explains. The practice of living a healthy lifestyle requires flexing a great deal of self-discipline. It hasn’t gone perfectly for me but in this, the last week, I’m feeling good about how we’ve been able to say “no.” I feel like my sugar cravings have finally broken. Donuts still look appealing but I don’t feel miserable about saying “no” at this point. I know I don’t really want one. I’ve even had to cut back on the sugar alcohols (xylitol and erythritol) because they were bothering my digestive system so fruit has been my main treat and I’m pretty satisfied with that. Fruit is delicious!

I hope that this journey has been eye-opening for you. Maybe it brought up some other issues you realize you need to address like time management, being over-scheduled, emotional trauma causing you to stress eat, healthy boundaries, self-discipline etcetera. Those can issues can be surprising and overwhelming but my prayer for you is that you feel empowered as Jesus comes alongside you in whatever area you need His presence. You’re not alone and you were created to walk in victory.

At the very least, I hope that it has helped you reset your taste buds a bit and recognize sugar for the drug it is.

Meal wise…

The weather has been lovely here so we grilled out hamburgers for dinner yesterday. I used to think burgers without a bun were so bland but adding some seasoning to the meat makes that simply not true. (Smoked paprika ,salt and pepper is grand!) My in-laws brought over a mouth-watering tomato-avocado-mozzarella salad drizzled in balsamic. So delish that I didn’t even mind cooking instead of eating out which is our usual Saturday evening treat.

This week we’re having crock pot chicken parmesan and thai curry stir fry for dinner. Chris is having enchiladas for lunches and I’m having tuna on cucumber and almond crackers. I’ve been trying to find a very simple smoothie recipe that I actually enjoy I and I finally perfected one that is Advanced Plan friendly and still yummy:

• 1 scoop Max Greens (forget having those chunky pieces of greens! I’m a texture girl, what can I say.)
• 1/2 to 1 full scoop Maximized Living Protein (vanilla works well)
• 10 oz unsweetened, organic almond milk
• 1 cup frozen, organic blueberries

Add the ingredients to your blender in the order above. Blend slowly at first allowing the frozen berries to disperse. Leave on medium-high speed (7-8 on a Vitamix) for 30-60 seconds to ensure a creamy consistency. Mmm. Satisfying and delicious! Since I’ve actually maintained my three workouts a week (gasp!) this has been a necessary after-workout boost. Hope you enjoy! Happy Advanced Planning and may you finish strong!

 

Week Three: More Recipes!

So it’s really almost halfway into week three (sorry!) but here’s what’s been going on in my food world.

Last week I made a batch of pecan shortbread cookies that we devoured in two days. Thank goodness they were full of grass-fed butter and healthy protein (nuts). They were truly delicious. So rich, so crumbly. Great with coffee. I used three tablespoons of erythritol instead of stevia, FYI.

 

Saturday I made two batches of grainless pumpkin muffins (one with coconut oil instead of butter for my dairy-allergic friends), biscuits (sans the sweetener, I like savory biscuits) and sausage which I then turned into egg sandwiches on Sunday.

We ate at Brio’s Tuscan Grille Saturday night and had steaks with veggies on Saturday. Um yum. That sure didn’t feel like dieting! Sunday we had a family dinner (mediterranean which is always easy to eat and stay Advanced Plan friendly) for my sister-in-law’s birthday. They had Paleo Primal Sweets treats for dessert which were sure hard to resist but it was a good feeling saying no… at least it felt good later when we weren’t looking at that buckeye cake!

But today we cheated a bit. We went to the Cincinnati Museum Center to see the Art of the Brick exhibit (which was great) and then went to lunch afterwards. We had wings and a salad. It wasn’t a donut but the sauce on the wings was definitely sweetened with sugar (or worse!). It made me think about how easy it is to fall into the mentality that once you “cheat” you might as well keep cheating. But EVERY meal, every bite, makes a difference. That very next thing you eat can set off a positive chain reaction and get you going in the right direction again. So don’t give up! Even if you temporarily gave in, you can start over in a mere few hours at your next meal.

Tonight I made buffalo chicken wraps for dinner. So easy. So good. I had decided just to get a whole chicken and make some bone broth and then use the meat for the wraps. They turned out so delicious! They would definitely make an amazing appetizer for a party. We used the coconut wraps and they were very tasty. I ordered them last week from Vitacost in case you were wondering. The miracle of meal planning in advance means you can order hard-to-find items ahead of time. (Pat on the back for me!)

Once we eat those leftovers up I’m planning on making a loaded cauliflower chicken bake. It must be comfort food week!

Also, my new snack is organic coconut flakes. Mmm. They’re very satisfying and cost effective for a quick, good-for-you-fatty snack.

I got my workouts in last week. This week will be a bit more challenging because my schedule is all off and I have more appointments. But I’m determined to get them done. I hope you had a great Presidents’ Day. Happy Advanced Planning!

 

It’s More Than Food

Yeah, it’s not easy giving up sugar. Sugar is delicious. It’s also a neurotoxin. It overstimulates your brain cells. It causes mood swings, inflammation and promotes cancerous cell growth. Do you need some sugar? Yes. But God put sugar in fruits and vegetables, wrapped in lots of fiber and combined with nutrients. He didn’t make it in concentrated form for us to suck down. There is no nutritional value to sugar in its isolated forms. When you’re stripping it from it’s original form, concentrating it and then adding it to other foods, that is the problem.

There are other key parts of the Advanced Plan involving consuming healthy fats versus damaged fats, removing toxins, etcetera but the one thing that is the hardest for most is giving up sugar. It’s also the one for which you’ll get the most flack. People just don’t like the idea of saying “no” to themselves. In this world, creating boundaries for oneself is shunned as some archaic form of torture.

It’s a lot like the Garden of Eden. God gave mankind a beautiful garden from which he could eat a variety of foods already grown for him. I’m sure they were delicious. We certainly enjoy a beautiful variety of good foods today. But Satan has convinced us that God doesn’t have our best interest in mind and he can offer us something better, something more enjoyable.

Cancer isn’t more enjoyable than good health. Heart disease isn’t more enjoyable. Diabetes isn’t more enjoyable. Feeling slugglish, foggy, exhausted, moody… none of those things are more enjoyable.

Choosing to eat well isn’t a choice to punish yourself. Choosing to eat well is choosing life!

Deuteronomy 30

¹¹ Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ¹² It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹⁴ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Look, I get it. If there had been a chocolate cake in my house yesterday I would have eaten it. Thankfully, my household is on the same page so there’s no hidden stashes anywhere. But I didn’t need sugar or a chocolate cake yesterday. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and stressed about my child. Sugar wasn’t going to fix that. I ate three full meals yesterday, had a protein shake and some snacks and I still felt starving… for sugar. Because, for whatever reason, we crave it when we’re tired, stressed, emotional, or bored. But it’s not the solution. In fact, it’s a distraction.

I love this quote from Lysa TerKeurst’s book, Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food:

It is good for God’s people to be put in a place of longing so they feel a slight desperation. Only then can we be empty enough and open enough to discover the holiness we were made for. When we are stuffed full of other things and never allow ourselves to be in a place of longing, we don’t recognize the deeper spiritual battle going on.

You’re free to choose. God isn’t up there condemning you for each milligram of sugar you decide to consume today. He doesn’t love you less because of what you eat. But don’t fall for the lie that eating whatever you want is the liberating thing to do. Don’t believe that you’re missing out when you decide to eat well. You’re not.

Either we can be victimized and become victims, or we can be victimized and rise above it. Often it is easier to play the victim than take off our masks and ask for help. We get comfortable with our victim status. It becomes our identity and is hard to give up. The Israelites often played the victim card, and I love what God finally tells them, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north” (Deuteronomy 2:3 [NASB]). Turn north! It’s time to move on! Self-pity, fear, pride, and negativity paralyze us. Taking off our masks takes courage, but if we don’t do it, we will remain in our victim status and end up stunted. – Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food

Week Two!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! We enjoyed ours. Our church had a pizza and movie night which we couldn’t stay for because of nap schedules for our little one but we stayed long enough to drool over pizza. We don’t even like LaRosa’s pizza but I have to admit, it looked good. Those things you wouldn’t normally find appetizing look delicious when you’re detoxing but the best thing to help you stay the course is finding healthy things that are delicious to take their place. We brought grain-free pumpkin muffins, sliced granny smith apples and sliced yellow peppers to snack on and boy am I glad. But even better than that some ladies brought a cauliflower-crust pizza they made at home. There’s no reason you can’t participate in fun activities if you just plan ahead a little. Yes sir, there’s no reason to feel sorry for yourself when there are plenty of great options out there! Mindset is key. When you switch your inner dialogue from “I can’t have that” to “I can have it, but I don’t want it” your life will be transformed.

We ate out at Aladdin’s on Saturday and I had a lunch date there on Sunday as well. The great thing is their menu is versatile and diverse enough with Advanced Plan options that it doesn’t really get old. Maybe if you did it every day but once or twice a week is great.

We enjoyed watching the Super Bowl (well at least the first half, then we went to bed, we’re old people with a baby) and I had picked up some cassava (yucca root) chips to make it at least a little fun. They were quite delicious. We also enjoyed our “special treat” drinks as my nephew used to call them (Zevia and LaCroix) and although we were lamenting not having some beers, it really wasn’t that bad. My husband said this about not drinking (which is the hardest part for him): “It’s not a treat if you do it all the time.” Amen.

My son slept two hours on Friday so I actually got to plan a full week of meals! Hooray! Here’s our meal plan for the week. My hubby is not doing Advanced Plan for his lunches but I still make him Core Plan lunches so it’s pretty close.

Breakfast:

• Chris: Zucchini and Jalapeno Quiche
• Me: Srambled Eggs (SURPRISE!)

Lunch:

• Chris: Asian Meatballs (from Well Fed 2) atop Quinoa
• Me: Salad with Avocado or Tuna on Cucumber

Dinner:

• Pot Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy and Cocoa Toasted Cauliflower (Well Fed 2)
• Grass-Fed Salisbury Steak and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Snacks:

• Grapefruit
• Pistachios
• Granny Smith Apples with Almond Butter

I was even able to get EVERYTHING on my shopping list at Kroger and stay 95% organic too! Now THAT makes me happy.

Dirty Chai Tea

One more discovery this week. I haven’t really been loving my coffee without honey. I’ve been using erythritol as a sweetener but it has a lingering aftertaste. My husband found a great discovery though and he’s been making his own dirty chai tea. We just steep some organic chai tea and add a splash of coffee and pastured cream and it doesn’t even need sweetener. Delish! I think the brand of chai tea, Zhena’s Coconut Chai, makes the difference. Also at Kroger. Score.

In other news, I barely got my surge in this morning before my son woke up but I’m pressing on. Those one-minute planks sure get tough. One week down, a lifetime to go. Happy Monday everyone!

 

 

 

Substitutions

Sometimes when you’re trying to kick a bad habit, the best thing to do is to replace it with another, better habit. If you don’t, you’re going to have a big void and you’ll fill it with something eventually. This is true in all areas of life including what you eat.

I was reminded of this today when I was preparing my tuna for lunch. Normally I eat it on crackers but I made it in romaine lettuce boats and put some atop cucumber slices. It was just as delicious and twice as healthy. This is a new habit I should create. There’s no reason to go back to crackers! Sometimes going without something is harder than it needs to be. There’s no need to overcomplicate things when the solution can be this easy.

Speaking of substitutions. Do your kids love fruit snacks? (I do!) Last night I made some freshly juiced apple gelatin jigglers for my son (and us) which he enjoyed for breakfast this morning. He’s just learning to feed himself and the grass-fed gelatin is great for his developing digestive system. They’re so easy to make (just fresh, organic juice and gelatin) and of course they’re in fun little shapes!

Last of my cooking today included roasting a spaghetti squash in preparation for Sabbath morning’s spaghetti squash fritters (recipe from Well Fed 2). I’ve made these before and they’re so savory and delicious. Roasting the spaghetti squash ahead of time (it takes about 60-90 minutes to roast a large one) saves me stress and prep time so that I can (mostly) relax on God’s day of rest. I also plan on making some pumpkin muffins for church so I’m not tempted/envious of any of the treats I don’t want to eat. Remember, preparation is key! Don’t expect to enjoy being on a sugar detox if you don’t give yourself fun, delicious options when you know you’ll be tempted or just plain hungry.

What special breakfast foods do you like to eat on the weekends? I’ve got some great recipes for biscuits, pancakes and cinnabites that are Advanced Plan approved!

Eat Well While Eating Well

Tonight’s dinner has only convinced me that I need to do this challenge more regularly. It must be Asian week because I made this Thai Curry Stir Fry and it is just so delicious. The sweet coconut milk, the fresh, crisp vegetables and the savory flavors with a little bit of heat is just so comforting on a cold day like today. Totally soul-nourishing.

It just goes to prove that you can have all the flavor and deliciousness and none of the junk at the same time. If you plan on making this recipe, heads up, the liquid doesn’t reduce very much in the time specified but that’s okay because the broth is SO yummy. I drink it up at the end of my bowl and it is mouth-wateringly good. Also, I couldn’t find snow peas so I got sugar snap peas instead and they worked great. Maybe even better! So far these Advanced Plan dinners are treating me well.

In other news, I had my usual scrambled eggs for breakfast and a salad with pea shoots, power greens, avocado, pink salt, lime infused olive oil and a splash of balsamic. I snacked on some baked broad beans and I got my third workout in for the week! 12 minutes of quick feet, speed jumping jacks, high knees and mountain climbers. I forgot to mention that I did Tuesday’s workout which was squats, quick feet, high knees and 1-minute planks. I’m really trying to forge a habit of working out during Harvey’s morning nap. It’s hard because I’m always tempted to sit down and just drink some coffee, get on Facebook or do the dishes but I know those things can wait and I don’t have long before he wakes. So far that motivation is keeping me going. That and my wonderful Wunderlist app that I’ve got “Surge” on repeat for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If it’s on my list, it will nag at me if I don’t check it off! Ya gotta do what works!

What about you? Did you discover any yummy recipes this week? What tricks do you use to keep yourself on track?

 

Start with the Basics

It’s that time again. Time for a sugar detox. If you’re joining me on this four-week journey of health, hooray! I hope to help you as much as possible and in return, we’ll keep one another accountable.

Following the Advanced Plan as recommended by Maximized Living is not new to me, but it’s been a while. I think the last time I committed to a month of advanced-planning was before my son was conceived. So Summer 2014! It’s definitely time.

If you’re going to win the war against Sugar and its friend, Cravings, you’ll need to arm yourself. The best game plan tips I can give you are these:

1. Throw out the bad stuff.
2. Keep the basics stocked. Always.
3. Don’t buy the bad stuff again!

Pretty simple, I know. But it can be tempting to keep that canister of sugar, or that bag of flour or that bottle of vegetable oil for some circumstance in which it might seem reasonable. It doesn’t seem very thrifty to throw perfectly good food away, does it? But it’s not “perfectly good” and the cost of throwing it away is an investment in your health! Cancer is more expensive than that three-dollar bottle of vegetable oil you tossed.

So what are you going to cook with? Well, here are the basics I like to keep stocked in my pantry at all times. Advanced Plan or not, these are the building blocks of cooking for health!

• Coconut Oil, Organic and Virgin Pressed
• Grapeseed Oil
• Olive Oil
• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Arrowroot Powder
• Pink or Gray Salt
• Pure Stevia (Kal brand)
• Erythritol

These are some of my favorite, cost-effective brands:

(Where do you get all this stuff? I buy it at Vitacost.com because it’s cheaper and it gets shipped to my door but you can find most of these things at Jungle Jims, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods as well.)

So get stocked up because beginning February 1st we’ll be kicking off 28 days of health!

New Things

I can’t believe we’re over halfway through the challenge already. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well we’re doing. It feels pretty natural Now. Although, I will say, last night I might have killed for one of those Jason’s dark chocolate, almond butter cups. But the cravings come and go and I survive another day. You will too.

I haven’t cooked since Monday. That’s pretty much awesome. One of the keys to success is definitely preparation. I spend a couple hours cooking every few days and when I get home at 8:30PM (or later) I just pop it in the toaster oven. Viola, chicken-broccoli-cauliflower-Alfredo-casserole is ready to eat. Thank goodness because otherwise I would eat green apples and almond butter four nights a week.

In other news, I discovered Vitacost.com which is a great resource for organic products if you haven’t heard of it yet. They have a great referral program and it will save you a lot versus Whole Foods. Another great find of mind has been Good Earth Tea. Their Original Sweet and Spicy flavor is so good and you’ll swear it’s sweetened, but it’s not. 🙂

Happy eating!

A Little Arsenic

Our young adult retreat is going wonderfully. Our good friend, Stacey, led a wonderful workshop about finding your big “why.” After which, Dr. Ryan inspired us to go after it and live with a maximized mindset. Then Mr. Jacobs explained to us the psychology behind vulnerability and The unplanned cohesion was divinely perfect.

I brought with us some snacks and essentials which have proved very useful. Chef Keri served some delicious looking Paleo-friendly pumpkin pancakes that I was very sad to pass up. The chicken sausage also had sugar in it but thankfully I had brought our own so Chris and I had chicken sausage, the scrambled eggs provided and raspberries I had brought with us. I also brought raw, organic almonds and raw, grass-fed cheese to snack on until dinner. Thankfully, Chef Keri also provided fresh veggies to keep the munchies at bay. I was also super excited that she made zucchini lasagna. It was so good!

I have to admit, it’s way more tempting to me to cheat a little (I could smell the Saigon cinnamon in those heavenly grainless, pumpkin pancakes as they cooked) than a lot. McDonalds? No temptation. Paleo pancakes? Super enticing. But if you have thyroid failure, weight problems or diabetes, a little sugar (and honey and maple syrup even in their purest forms are sugar at the molecular level) you must consider it the equivalent of arsenic. “But it’s just a little sugar.” No, it’s a little poison. Sugar is a neurotoxin, manipulates insulin and hormones and causes inflammation. This is why, although it may seem extreme, the Advanced Plan eliminates all major forms of sugar. This is not necessarily a life-long commitment but you can never be “too healthy.”

Try not to focus on that which you’re going without, instead stay laser focused on your goals and know that each small decision you make will forever change your future. Rejoice that you are not doomed, that God created your body with the power inside to heal itself. Remove the interference in your life and prepare to be amazed. And remember, on the other side you’ll enjoy your health AND those yummy, Paleo pancakes all the more.

When Being Prepared Matters Most

Some weeks are harder than others. Sometimes the unexpected happens and catches you by surprise. Sometimes the day just doesn’t have enough hours in it. That’s when being prepared matters most. What are you going to eat in a pinch?

Here’s some ideas for snacks:

• Granny Smith apples with raw, unsweetened almond butter
• Organic Berries
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Sprouted and seasoned seeds
• Grass-fed, whole dairy products like cheeses and yogurt
• Avocado with a dash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt (cut up and mixed together)

Remember, good fats (found in the nuts, seeds and dairy) are important and help you feel more full.

Quick meals:

• Grass-fed, grilled hamburgers topped with sliced avocados
• Pan-seared, grass-fed, nitrite/nitrate free hot dogs
• Scrambled, hardboiled or fried eggs
• Roasted veggies with garlic, olive oil and unrefined salt

Big meals in advance:

• Chili
• Soups
• Roasts
• Casserole (This chicken Alfredo casserole is my favorite, you just have to use turkey or beef bacon without sugar or leave it off)

This is a short post tonight because Im all tuckered out and well it’s one of those days without enough hours… Or maybe too many. *yawn*