Sentiments by Denise

Juicing - on a Regular Basis

Most people enjoy a glass of juice. Fresh-squeezed is usually preferred. How about juice made through a juice machine?

         (the above juice contains carrots, apple, celery, orange & ginger root)

Last year we bought a Waring Pro juicer. It's not the top-of-the-line juicer, but it works for our needs. We try to juice at least twice a week.

I've been trying some new combinations lately, with more vegetables, to get a better balance of nutrients in my diet. For example, this is the juice combination I made this morning:

I combined one Fuji apple, broccoli stems (save those - they are great for juicing and have a slight sweet taste!), 4 carrots, 1 grapefruit, 1/2 cucumber, and some swiss chard.

This is a great little machine - easy to use and easy to clean up (though it is a bit messy, I won't lie!).

Ed helped while I took photos.

Here's my "green juice" with a little tinge of orange! I like the overload of the vegetables, yet it's a taste you have to get use to. I don't particularly care for a sweet juice, as Ed does. His looked like this:

He combined a Golden Delicious apple, Barlett pear, navel orange, and carrots. He prefers his juice to be heavier on the fruit side.

My juicer cleans up easily and goes back to its home above the refrigerator.

If you're thinking that it's just as easy to grab a bottle of juice at your local grocery store, take a few minutes to read this article on what you actually get in those commercial juices.
And if you really want to learn how juicing can benefit your health, there are many resources out there to help - starting with the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (which can be viewed on Netflix).
Knowledge is power. Consider these things when giving attention to your health.

Love my juice!

Indianapolis Race for the Cure

This morning, right before dawn, Emilee and I headed downtown to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The weather was a bit dismal - cloudy, cold, and drizzly, but we persevered and made it a fun time!
 
This is my 7th year as a breast cancer survivor - and my 25th year of surviving cancer the first time around (diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease when I was in my 9th month of pregnancy for Emilee!). I have so much to be thankful for and feel so blessed for each day that the Lord gives me. I try not to take LIFE for granted and know that I'm here on this earth for a purpose.

There were over 40,000 participants at the Race today - lots of pink! We saw many humorous t-shirts, lots of families walking, many young men out supporting the women they love, and even some pets...
(a little donkey all decked out in a pink blanket and hat!)

The Race for the Cure has brought a lot of attention to breast cancer awareness over the years and continues to promote self exams, early mammos, etc. I would love to see more attention brought to prevention - there are many things that we can do to prevent breast cancer or lessen it's attack on the lives of women across our country. Prevention in the areas of better nutrition, healthier habits (non smoking and drinking), regular exercise, low stress, good sleep management, and giving of ourselves to help others. I have discovered many of these things over the last few years and they've made a significant impact on my health and well being. Some are just common sense; some take discipline.

 
We need to educate ourselves, our daughters and granddaughters to eradicate cancer in our future.

 
I pray my daughter never has to deal with this disease in a personal way (it's enough to go through it with someone you love). I believe PREVENTION is the key!

It was a good day, spent with my sweet daughter who I love dearly, for a cause that is very near to my heart.

 
I am blessed and grateful for those who stood by me seven years ago as I went through my journey with breast cancer - for my husband Ed, who never waivered from the vows of "in sickness and in health" and loves me so strongly; for my son, Stephen, whose silent strength and support gave me a will to fight; for my daughter, Emilee, whose tenacious spirit drove me to work hard to get healthy and stay that way; and for all my other family and friends who prayed, loved, and gave of themselves so generously. Cancer is a dreadful disease, but I must say that I am a stronger, wiser, more caring person because others showed me their strength, their wisdom, and their giving attitude throughout my journey and continue to bless my life today - I did not allow cancer to steal my joy. God has been faithful in my life and I give Him the glory for all that He has done to lift me up and make me stronger. {Phil 4:13}

One thing cancer has made me realize:  learn what is important, prioritize, and
don't sweat the small stuff!

Motivated to Exercise

I think I've mentioned that last year I really focused more on changing the way I ate - incorporating a more nutritionally balanced diet that, for me, means eating mainly plant-based foods.
This year, along with continuing my healthy eating, I wanted to be more intentional about exercising. I know that regular exercise is what I need to continue my weight loss journey as well as gain strength. It's taken me awhile to really grasp the importance of this in my life. After my diagnosis with breast cancer and the surgeries that followed more than six years ago, it took me a long time to regain a mind-set that exercise was good for me and important in maintaining good health. I struggled with a weak body and mostly used that as an excuse to not bother too much with exercise. I lost so much upper body strength after my surgeries and kinda "milked" that to my advantage of not trying very hard to gain it back.

Well, this year is going to be different!

Last August, Ed & I joined the fitness center that's affiliated with our church and I've enjoyed the benefits of that so much over the last several months. 2011 rolled around and this past month (January) I started exploring different exercise options and what fit best in my schedule. Also, I looked at stretching myself beyond what I thought I was capable of and have looked into trying some new things. But, I'm still taking it at a moderate level, knowing that I can continue to add or change things up as I get stronger.

One of the things that has helped me stay motivated to exercise is creating a schedule - a plan - that is reasonable for me; that fits our daily lives. After experimenting with some classes at the fitness center and setting some goals (short term and long term) throughout January, I sat down with a calendar and wrote out a tentative exercise plan for the month of February:

 
This is probably hard to read, but it's really just for my benefit - if you're wanting to try something like this, you should create your own plan with your strengths and goals in mind.
I hope to add some new things in March - possibly Zumba (or latin dance) class and even a cycling class (our fitness center offers both!).

Since I started working on some strength training in January, I've already noticed that I've graduated to heavier weights when I do my upper body workouts. This is progress, my friends! My chest muscles were unbelievably weak after the surgeries I had and I really want to improve especially in that area!

Another thing to make exercise and gym time fun:

 
A fabulous new gym bag, which holds a lot inside (including a special pocket for my shoes that's separate from everything else!) and a carrier at the bottom for my yoga mat, which I take to my Strength train/Cardio class on Monday nights. I used some of my Christmas money to purchase this. Thinking that it was going to be pricey (I had my eye on a Gaiam bag at Target), I was surprised when I found this on sale at Target for $13.27 (marked down from $25) and it's PINK! - matches my mat! I also bought a resistance band and a pedometer (which, sadly, I'll have to return as it doesn't not work at all!). I'm anxious to work with the resistance band at home, along with my stability ball. There are lots of great exercises to do with just these two simple pieces of equipment.

Walking is another form of exercise that I do purposefully. I want to do a 5k walk this Spring, and possibly a 10k. Setting goals helps me to stay focused and move forward toward getting stronger.

What are some of your fitness goals this year?

Healthy Reflections of 2010

A little over a year ago (Dec '09), I sat in my doctor's office and cried. I was overwhelmed with how poorly I felt. I was not getting enough sleep. My skin and hair were dry and unmanageable. I was extremely overweight. I had no desire to exercise. I was irritable, sad, and weepy.

I was a mess.

Fast forward to two weeks ago (Dec. '10). I was in the doctor's office again, waiting to see her. She peeked her head in the door and mentioned that she needed to check with the nurse who measured my weight/vitals, as she thought there was a number recorded wrong. I asked her about that and she said that the chart showed I had lost a significant amount of weight. Then I stood up, twirled around and said, "Does it look like I've lost a significant amount of weight?"  Sixty pounds are gone! No more cholesterol medications (since Mar.'10)! Sleeping so much better! I'm exercising on a regular basis and eating a primary plant-based diet. My doctor was beyond pleased with my hard work over this past year.

There's something to be said about making your health a priority. I've learned so much over the last twelve months on how my body works, what is best for me in terms of food and fitness, sleep and managing stress. I've read many books on nutrition and health. I'm learning the best way to manage the diseases I have (past and present) so that I can live a low-maintenance life.

Here are a few things I've discovered the past year that have been helpful to me:

• I am what I eat. If I eat highly processed, sugary, saturated fatty foods - then I'm going to feel listless, fat, angry, sad, slow, and tired.
• Reading books on health, nutrition, and fitness have provided me with the right tools to make the best decisions for improving my health. Books such as: The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Foods to Fight Cancerby Richard Beliveau, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, The Cancer Survivor's Guide by Neal Barnard, Clean Food and Clean Start by Terry Walters. I've read many others, but these have had a definite impact on many of the changes I've made over the past year.
• Strive to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night. I'm not going to lie - I struggle with this one on a regular basis. My job is such that I must commute over 45 minutes each way and I work a minimum of nine hours each day. This makes for a crazy long day! And it doesn't leave me much time during the week to do the things I need and want to do. So often I sacrifice sleep. Not good. I notice how much better I feel overall when I sleep those full seven hours (or more - usually on weekends!). This translates into more energy, more alert thinking, less irritability, less baggy-looking eyes, and remembering to think before I speak ;) The body does a lot of recovering/healing while you sleep, so it's important to make this healthy habit a priority.
• Exercise gets easier the more I do it. Until I had lost the first 30lbs, I was not able to move very well, so I didn't exercise much. Then after I had lost some weight I started slow, using Leslie Sansone's walk at home DVD programs. These are great for beginners, but I still use them on a semi-regular basis to supplement my fitness workouts. Thirty minutes in the morning is a great way to start my day. Then, if for some reason I can't make it to the gym or get outdoors to walk, I know I've done something healthy for my body in the way of exercise that day. Our Church has a fitness center with an indoor track, fully-equipped weight room/cardio equipment, assorted fitness classes, and a personal trainer available. Taking advantage of these opportunities this past year has helped me so much in my journey towards wellness. I'm already setting goals for the new year in this area (I'll share those in another post).
• Thinking outside the box when it comes to food. I'm learning to combine foods that I would never have put together in the past. For example: roasted vegetables (like squash or brussel sprouts) over leafy greens, different whole grains added in unusual places (wheatberries or quinoa on salads, stirred into oatmeal or as a yogurt topping), green smoothies (raw spinach teamed with banana and other fruits make an amazing smoothie!), a veggie omelette with goat cheese, or even raw cheddar slice on whole grain seed bread with pumpkin butter. Some of these combinations may sound crazy to you, but I've been using a little bit of creativity to make sure I get my daily allowances in and the tastes that I'm experiencing are really fabulous. I try to make my meals as colorful as I can by incorporating different fruits and vegetables. Yellow peppers, green zucchini, red onion, orange carrots, brown crimini mushrooms, and purple cabbage all add great nutrients and wonderful color to a veggie saute mixed with red quinoa and brown rice. Who says cooking vegetarian can't be adventurous?
• Not focusing so much on my weight (as an end goal), but pursuing wellness and good health. Losing weight (and it continues) has been a great benefit to the changes I've made over the past year, but it hasn't been my only goal. Sixty pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but I think I'm even more encouraged by the other things I see happening in my body that are benefiting me in the long run. Surviving cancer twice in my life, and dealing with an incurable kidney disease, along with hypothyroidism, has made me focus on my overall health and not just losing weight for the sake of being a certain size or seeing a certain number on the scale. I have more at stake in my wellness journey than just fitting into a certain size pair of jeans. For that reason, I only weighed myself every two weeks throughout this past year and every weigh-in day I either lost weight or stayed steady. I can honestly say that I have not gained any of the weight back that I've lost so far. In the past when I participated in other weight-loss programs (Weight Watchers, etc.) I would see-saw back and forth in my weight loss until I made my "goal" weight. Personally I think it was because I didn't really understand my body or nutrition and how it impacted my body, so losing weight became more of a game. I went clothes shopping today (desperately needed!) and found that I have dropped four clothing sizes in the past year! I still have weight to lose to get to a normal weight and BMI for my age and height. I don't stress about it - I know it will happen as I continue this journey that I'm on. (Fun fact: this past Christmas season is the first one that I can remember that I didn't gain any weight nor over-indulge in eating as I have in the past. That is an accomplishment in itself, as I realize that so many of the things I've learned this past year have helped me make the best decisions for ME!).
  ****************************************************************
  This post is getting extremely long, so I should close, but I want to leave you with a couple photos. The first was taken back in Oct. '09 at my 30th high school reunion. I like to think of it as my "before" photo. The second photo was taken a few days ago by my husband (sorry for the blurriness). This photo is my transition photo, as I still have a continuation of this journey to wellness that I'm pursuing.

 
(photo taken by David Hubbard)

 
(Photo taken by Ed Foxworthy)

Excited to see where 2011 leads me on my path to wellness!

 

 

My Favorite Meal is Breakfast

I could never understand when people would tell me that they didn't eat breakfast - it's my favorite meal of the day!
I'm usually famished in the mornings and look forward to taking in some healthy and tasty nutrients to start my day. Since I've started eating with better intentions (healthier) this past year, I've tried to add some variety to my morning meals. Here is a list of my favorites:

Oatmeal

 
I dress it up with lots of healthy options. Above is banana oats with almond butter stirred in, some coconut shreds and cacao nibs on top.

 
This is non-cooked oatmeal called "overnite oats" where I mix raw oatmeal with yogurt, chia seeds, pumpkin (or banana or apple) and almond or coconut milk, then let it "soak" overnight in the fridge. In the morning I heat it for just a minute, add my toppings (here it's almond butter, almonds, and blueberries) and it's ready to eat! Saves a lot of time.
Other times I make steel cut oats in my rice cooker (my favorite way to make them now). I've experimented with additions to my oats - oat bran, ground flaxseed, or buckwheat groats. All of these raise the bar to a healthier breakfast.

 
Mixed in some fresh peaches, pecans, and peanut butter!

Sometimes I get fancy and make amaranth:
 
(yes, there's whole grains under all those yummy toppings!) I try to always add some kind of raw nuts or nut butter (sometimes both!) to my whole grain cereal - a great source of healthy fats and protein. Here I've also added a tiny scoop of coconut butter and some cranberries - this is a winning combination!

Smoothies

 
The green ones are my favorite! Simple recipe of a frozen banana, a couple handfuls of raw spinach, chia seeds, yogurt, other frozen fruit (like mango, strawberries, or peaches - although this is optional), and some almond or coconut milk. Lately, I've been adding a 1/2tsp of Matcha (green tea powder) to my green smoothies.

 
This is known as the Purple Slurple - same ingredients as above except add frozen or fresh blueberries as your other fruit option. I make a Cherry Banana Slammer, too, with frozen cherries. There are all kinds of options for great smoothies. You just have to be creative!

 
Besides adding the green tea and fun ingredients like the POM juice pictured above, I love to add pumpkin (1/3 cup) to my smoothies. What a great way to get some extra beta carotene in your diet!

Pancakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Bagels

 
Chocolate spelt pancakes with blueberries. I've even made them with fresh raspberries, too.

 
Skip the high calorie butter and syrup - add a mashed banana, some coconut shreds and some cacao nibs. These are amazingly filling at only about 500 calories for 3 medium pancakes. I love that these are made with spelt flour - a whole grain that is full of protein!

 
Whole grain muffins (blueberry flax) with a 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. Most of the time I eat yogurt as a snack (the Greek kind is higher in protein!), but for a heartier breakfast I'll have a small whole grain muffin with fruit and yogurt.

 
Mini wholegrain bagel with nut butter (almond - my fav!) and a sliced nectarine. This photo is from a few months back (archived). I like to eat fruit in season as much as possible as it's so much better tasting that way.

 
Sometimes something as simple as millet french toast with nut butter, sliced banana, and a few favorite toppings. I don't even miss the syrup anymore, but if I ever do eat it, I like to choose pure maple syrup (though it's very rich tasting).

 
Oatmeal breakfast cookie! If you're friends with me on Facebook, then you probably saw this posted on my page a few weeks ago. Here's the recipe -

Breakfast Oatmeal Cookie

1/4 c. quick oats
1 egg white (1/8 c.)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T. dark chocolate chips
1 T. chopped nuts
1 T. dried cranberries
1.5 tsp raw sugar or honey
2 tsp flour (whole wheat, spelt, or your favorite)
(sometimes I add a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree, too!)

Mash ingredients together to combine. Form into a cookie shape on a plate. Microwave for 45 seconds on high. Let cool. EAT!
*this cookie is great with a thin spread of nut butter spread on top!**

 

I hope I've given you some ideas for breakfast and that you will try these to add a healthy start to your day. As you can see, my morning meals are never boring. And every once in awhile I'll have a bowl of cereal - I love it when I find a great nutrient-loaded one like this:

 
What are some healthy choices you make for breakfast?

Livin' for the Weekends

It seems these days I live for the weekends to come and bask in both the activities and relaxation they bring. My work week is so busy, stressful, and I endure such long days - getting up at 4am, being away from home for 11+ hours each day - that when the weekends roll around I'm ready to just enjoy them.

I like to do my morning exercise outdoors on the weekends, because I sleep later and by the time I'm ready, the sun has come up which makes it safer for walking or bike riding. I love to walk outdoors in the brisk air when the sun is just peaking through. What starts out, however, as a quiet peaceful walk quickly turns into a medley of neighborhood dogs barking (in their homes or yards) as I walk by and stir things up! I'm sure my neighbors appreciate that more than I know! Ha!

Last night we attended the first anniversary celebration of our favorite coffee house downtown - Calvin Fletcher Coffee Company and enjoyed seeing lots of friends, listening to some great music, and partaking in the awesome beverages that CFCC offers. I'm a tea drinker rather than a coffee drinker and I love that CFCC has such a great variety. I've been hearing some good things about their Chai tea latte (blended) that I think I'll have to try it the next time I go in. My husband loves their espresso (and buys a pound bag of beans quite often to enjoy at home) and both of our kids frequent CFCC a lot.

I'm excited that the calendar shows this next week is the beginning of the Autumn season. My favorite! I'm already thinking of all the different recipes that I can try with seasonal vegetables and fruits, especially from the squash family! Pumpkins! There is some pureed pumpkin in my freezer that I'm excited to have, as I'm not sure how plentiful that beautiful orange gourd will be this year again.

Recently we had a couple "giant" zucchini that my Mom had given me from her garden - you know the kind... so with Emilee's help, we made a great stuffed zucchini meal loaded with good healthy grains and vegetables.
 

Stephen & Emilee both helped with this meal (I love that our kids enjoy cooking so much and are excited to try new ideas). The extra large zucchini were cut in half lengthwise, seeds were scooped out, and they were placed in a baking dish with a bit of water in the bottom of the dish. 
Emilee stirred up a filling of brown rice, red quinoa, lentils, onions, mini bell peppers and some seasonings. This was added to the "boats" and they were baked for about 45 minutes in a 375deg oven. We added some organic cheese to the tops (except for Emilee's) during the last 3-4 minutes of baking. Oh, and we got a little adventurous and put dried cranberries on a couple of them, too!
 
  
A very tasty and filling entree. Perfect with a salad and some steamed broccoli! These were even better as leftovers the next day when I took a half (of a half!) to work for my lunch!

This morning when I weighed myself I rejoiced at hitting the 50-lb loss mark and realized just how beneficial this new way of eating for me has become. I haven't missed many of the foods I've given up - I just don't crave meat, sugar, fast food, or processed food anymore since I've been concentrating on nourishing my body with such good healthy options. Eating has become a great adventure for me and not something I just "settle" for to fix a craving or get past a hunger pain. I like that I don't have to count anything (points or calories), I don't have to drink a special "diet" drink or depend on a pill to burn off the calories - just turn to the food that is in its most natural state and choose from the many options before me. I love challenging myself to try a new vegetable, fruit, or whole grain every couple weeks and incorporating it into my menus. I've found so many delicious foods this way that I never would have tried otherwise. So far, after eating this way exclusively for the past nine months, I have to say that it has not become boring at all!

This afternoon we attended a first birthday party for the daughter of one of our young married friends. It was so fun to see them again and celebrate this joy with them. We miss the ministry of working with young married couples since we left our former church, but try to stay in touch with as many of them as we can. It's great watching their families grow and seeing them thrive in God's goodness and His plan for their lives. We're starting to make some new friends at our new church as we get more involved there and are thankful for God's timing in leading us to a new place of worship. The teaching is just what I've been yearning for and I look forward each week to the pastor's message of Truth. Just last week we started attending a weekly small group with people mostly our age and I've joined the choir, which I've missed. More things may be happening - I'll keep you posted as they come about.

I think I'll head out right now for an evening walk in the neighborhood before the sun goes down - it just seems like the best way to end a wonderful weekend!

Refreshing Green Tea Smoothie

Green tea, next to plain water, has been my preferred drink of choice over the past several years. I drink it by the mugfuls when the weather is cold and I need something to warm me up since I'm not a coffee drinker.

In the warmer months, I prefer to drink it iced - even adding some almond milk and a couple ice cubes to make an iced green tea latte. I actually enjoy my version better than the expensive one that Starbucks sells!

Recently I ran across this great book:

 

Along with so much good nutrition information for cancer survivors (and anyone else, for that matter), it is loaded with some fabulous recipes that compliment the way I've been eating these days. There are quite a few smoothie recipes which gives me lots of new ways to incorporate fruits/vegetables into my diet.

{Side note: recently someone asked me how it was possible to get the 7-9 daily recommended vegetables and fruits into their diet - they were having a hard time with that. For me, it's all about being creative with my food selection. Since I concentrate on a plant-based diet now, I find that's what my body craves most. Making smoothies, stir-frys, colorful loaded salads, roasting a variety of vegetables (like potatoes, squashes, brussel sprouts), and fresh fruit bowls, are some great ways to get all of those wonderful, healthy foods to become a daily habit.}

I found a recipe in the above book for a Green Tea Smoothie, which sounded like something I needed to try. This morning, before church, I made it and also ate a half of a blueberry bran muffin (these are made with lots of natural and organic ingredients: whole wheat flour, fruit juice concentrate - pear/pineapple, blueberries, wheat bran, water, low-fat buttermilk, applesauce, egg whites, leavening, cinnamon, and lemon extract. I get them from Trader Joes and freeze them - great for mornings when I'm in a hurry and want a healthy start to the day), with a touch of almond butter.

Now, that doesn't look scary at all, does it? (I know many of my friends are "put off" by my consumption of the green smoothies I make with spinach). This contains: frozen strawberries (5-6 large), almond milk (3/4 cup), a frozen banana, brewed green tea, chilled (about 1/2 cup), and some POM juice (1/2 cup - cranberry juice can be substituted also).  What a refreshing drink! Next time I'll add some chia seeds (a muscle and tissue builder, which also energizes and hydrates!) just to liven things up a bit more!

If you'd like to read more about the wonderful attributes of green tea, pop over to my new friend, Liz's blog, and enjoy all the great information she gives us for reasons to add green tea into our daily lives!

Let me know if you try this smoothie recipe and what you think!

Six Month Report

It's been six months since I took an intentional path to getting healthy and working my way towards wellness in general. I thought an update might be in order.

I thought I'd let you know what is working and what I still need to work on.

WORKING:

• my diet is now mostly centered on plant based foods. I would even go so far to say that I'm about 95-97% vegetarian in my eating habits.

• a year ago, if you'd have asked me about whole grains, I probably would have told you that I ate brown rice and whole wheat bread. but now I'm discovering so much more in the grain arena: quinoa, wheat berries, barley, millet, oatmeal, and spelt - all great sources of grains. Experimenting with new foods is fun!
• keeping a daily health journal. I started doing this 3 months ago and it has helped me so much in keeping track of things like meals/snacks I eat, daily exercise, tracking blood pressure readings twice a day, noting sleep habits/time

• getting completely off of cholesterol medicine (big YEAH!) and changing my thyroid drug from a synthetic to a natural source. I've been working with my doctor on these changes and have noticed such a difference overall. I really don't like to take meds, but because of continuing health issues with my kidney disease and my hypothyroidism I'm down to just two 'script meds per day.
• weight loss of over 40 pounds to date. All my clothes are super baggy so I've had to do some shopping recently. A fun change!
• growing some of my own food - I have a larger garden this year that includes: green beans, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, assorted heirloom tomatoes, romaine, spinach, and carrots. Plus I enjoyed red raspberries during most of the month of June from my own bushes.

STILL WORKING ON:

• sleep - trying to get enough each night. I have some habits that I'm finding hard to break. I like to read right before going to sleep, so if I'm enjoying a book it's often hard to put it down and turn the lights out. Also, during the week, I get up at 4am. In order to get at least seven hours of sleep (a minimum goal) I must be in sleep mode by 9pm and that doesn't always happen. Weekends are spent sleeping in (till 6 or 7am) and sometimes napping in the afternoons, so that throws off my schedule too often. My goal is 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but I'm finding this is very hard to attain with my lifestyle right now.
• exercise still is sporadic. I will get up most mornings and exercise for 30 minutes before showering/getting ready for work, but I should be getting a bit more exercise in each day to see the results I'm working toward.
• keeping stress levels down. Most of the time I do well at this, but lately there's been so much on my mind (see last post), busy time at work, Ed's work situation, and other things that I find myself on my knees in prayer a lot these days (which is, by no means, a bad thing!). I'm really working on that "trust" thing - easy to say, harder to do!

There's the update!

I'm still being intentional. Still educating myself in areas of health and wellness. Still learning what works for me.

And that's the thing... these are things that I have purposefully set up in my life to prevent disease and incorporate wellness. It doesn't mean that I am pushing those ideas on others. Often I speak out when asked about some of the choices I've made and I really try not to come across as being someone who "knows it all" (hopefully I'm not seen that way) because I really don't. Everyone has to make their own choices and I must respect that. {someone asked me recently if I thought I was better than them because I chose not to eat a meal high in animal protein like they were eating. I was a bit startled by their reaction to my choices and tried to explain that FOR ME eating mostly vegetarian was helping me with my goal to stay cancer-free and keep my kidney disease under control. I'm finding people often fear what they don't understand}.
I will continue to educate myself and grow from there. I don't have to convert everyone to my way of thinking about food/health/wellness, but I would appreciate their respect in my choices.

I would love to hear what changes you have made recently in the area of your health. Comments are always welcome!

   

I Don't Drink Cow's Milk

Several years ago - I can't even remember now how many - I stopped drinking cow's milk. I've never liked the taste and I just didn't find it necessary. Once in awhile I would use soy milk to pour over my cereal or add to different dishes. I still drink soy milk from time to time, but not on a regular basis.

I have found some other plant based milks that I feel are better for me and enjoy implementing them into my daily food plans.

 

Here's a sampling of what I have in the house right now.

Hemp Milk = a non-dairy alternative to cow's milk, this beverage boasts of essential omega 3's and 6's, plus quality protein. One cup provides 46% of your daily calcium and is fortified with other healthy vitamins and minerals (D, B12, & Riboflavin). I love the vanilla flavor, but it comes in natural and chocolate, too.

Coconut Milk = this tasty liquid comes from the flesh of the coconut and is higher in fat than other dairy substitutes, yet metabolizes in the body more efficiently. It is often used in Asian cuisines (Thai food - yum!). I love drinking a small glass of ice cold coconut milk on a hot day - so good!

Almond Milk = this is probably my all-time favorite milk. It is very high in protein and keeps a long time without spoiling. Almond milk contains little to no saturated fat and no lactose. I love pouring this over my steel cut oats in the morning or using it as a mix-in when making smoothies.

Where does my calcium come from?

I get a percentage of calcium from any of these milk alternatives. I also take a daily calcium supplement.

Calcium also comes from the following sources:

• dark green leafy vegetables (broccoli, bok choy, collard greens, kale, romaine, leaf lettuce)
• tofu (made from calcium sulfate) or calcium-fortified soy milk
• molasses
• almonds or almond butter

Have you tried a milk alternative and if so, what caused you to switch?

Ode to Oatmeal

My favorite breakfast is oatmeal.

I enjoy it a couple different ways. Sometimes I make overnight oats using old fashioned rolled oats (not quick or instant) and other times I use steel cut oats which have a bit more "robust" flavor and weight.

I cook a pot (four servings) of steel cut oats either in the evening or on a morning when I have extra time. Then I'm able to enjoy them in the mornings without feeling rushed for time - they take about 20+ minutes to cook on the stove. I hear they can be cooked in a crockpot or rice cooker but I haven't tried that yet.

Looking at this photo, you're probably wondering where the oats are! Under all the fabulous toppings, of course!
I wanted to show you a sampling of what goes on my oats on any given morning - I like to change it up for variety, so this is what I added recently to a cup of cooked steel cut oats: (starting clockwise from the top behind the spoon)

• ground flax seed - it's benefits: lowering total cholesterol and LDL, rich in fiber, cancer-fighting lignan (alpha linolenic acid), and helps to lower blood pressure
• chia seeds - it's benefits: slows the conversion of carbs into sugar, fuel for the body -> energy!, electrolyte balance is maintained, and aids in digestion
• pecans - it's benefits: lowers cholesterol, a natural antioxidant (highest among nuts!), good source of protein, excellent source of good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, and very nutrient dense containing more than 19 vitamins and minerals
• pomegranate seeds - it's benefits: improves blood flow (heart healthy!), full of antioxidants, high in fiber and healthy fats (unsaturated), and even has some antibacterial effects
• almond butter - it's benefits: lowers total cholesterol, reduces heart disease risk, rich in magnesium and potassium, and promotes weight loss

Not to mention that this makes an incredibly tasty breakfast! Also fun to eat in this cute latte mug!

Here's everything mixed together, which is the way I prefer to eat my oats - lots of goodness in every bite! The nut butter gets melty and the seed/nuts add just the right amount of crunch - perfect creamy, melty, nutty goodness!

Now, doesn't this make you want to have a bowl of oatmeal soon?