Day 3 – What to Eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mar 31st, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

It seems we’re always interested in what people eat when they’re on a healthy living plan.  Coming up with ideas that aren’t fast food, packaged, full of sugar and white flour kind of boggles the mind.  So periodically I will let you what I’ve been eating, how I prepared it, and the “recipe.”  I put that word in quotes because I usually just make stuff up when I cook.  I rarely measure.  That’s why this kind of cooking is good for me – it’s fast!  And it tastes good too.

Here’s what I ate today…..hope it gives you some ideas.

Brunch (I slept in!)

Stir fried veggies and egg (fast and delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner)

• Pour a bit of olive oil in a small skillet – use medium heat
• Sautee one clove of garlic (optional) and add veggies according to the length of time needed for cooking. I prefer my veggies to be tender-crisp.
• I add a couple shakes of Italian spices, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the oil and garlic…then the veggies.
• Use whatever veggies you have on hand. Compatible veggies include, but are not limited to, green onions, red/yellow onion, spinach, asparagus, red-green-yellow peppers, cooked cubed potatoes, mushrooms (any kind).  [What other ideas do you have?  Tell us at the comment link below]

Here’s the order I would add veggies to the oil and garlic:

1. Asparagus (1 stalk) and mushrooms (2 button)
2. peppers and cooked potato cubes (I didn’t include these veggies in mine)
3. spinach and green onion (handful of spinach and one green onion)
4. 2 eggs whisked in a small bowl (I use a tea cup)

It’s FAST! The whole cooking process takes about 6 minutes – don’t over cook it (or over think it). It’s just veggies and eggs – scrambled in whatever order makes sense to you. Find your own special combination and share it with us at the comment link below.

For Dinner

I’ve been doing a lot of stir fries lately and to keep from getting bored with healthy food, I’m switching it up tonight. I’ll have hormone antibiotic free steak (4 oz), sautéed garlic and asparagus (crisp), and a mixed spring green salad with fresh pairs, walnuts, raisins, jicama, and a vinaigrette dressing.  BTW it was great!

NOTE:  If you buy lean meat, you can slice it thin and flash fry it (just about 1 mintute) and it will be more tender.  The longer it cooks, the tougher it gets.

Today’s Fitness Routine

I walked Toby on the Kansas River for an hour and a half.  Felt great.  We kept up a good pace and were the only ones out.  I start to get possessive of that walking trail…..

Your turn – Thoughts about today’s post?  How is your program coming?  Tell us what you did today on your Spring Cleaning Program….

Day 2 – Cleaning Out the Pantry and Other Prep Steps

Mar 30th, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

Ugh – that’s how I often feel before starting a big home project – like cleaning out my pantry this past Sunday.  I have thoughts.  Thoughts about how difficult it will be to decide what to keep and what to throw out…..thoughts about how dusty the shelves are and how could I have let that happen, thoughts about do I really have time for all this healthy eating, etc.

The best way for me to counter these thoughts is to just step up to the pantry and take a can off the shelf and set it on the counter.  This small step (this beginning) sets up a chain reaction.  I take another can off the shelf, then another and another.  I start to get into a rhythm.  I talk gently to myself “it will be OK, you can make these decisions, it isn’t that hard, if you throw something out that you should have kept, big deal, it’s going to feel great when it’s finished.  This gentle purring keeps my mind busy while I take action.  Stroke the task….and it will purr…..and it will get done.

Another secret to success is to remind myself of why I’m cleaning out the pantry in the first place.  My big objective is to prepare for my 6-week healing program–Spring Clean Your Body.  I can’t think straight when things are a mess.  So before every big goal or project, I clean things up.  Since my big project is to spring clean my body, it makes sense to clean up everything associated with that – my pantry, my fitness regimen, my weekly menu, my grocery list, and more.

I needed to set up a system of tracking my success and my challenges.  Today, I tackled that piece of the prep.  I now have a journal (lovely, lovely journal) ready to record my deepest thoughts (you don’t get to see that!)  And I am preparing a daily check sheet of all the things I’m doing day to day to stay on track.

Let’s see what else needs to be done to be prepared for this life-changing 6 weeks?  Yes, I want to stay on top of cleaning.  Dirt and messes set me up for negative self-talk so I’m focusing on spring cleaning my body and my home (and my car).

As they say “all things look better after a good night’s sleep.”  To maintain a good mood and deep healing, I am also setting a bedtime range (10 – 11pm) so I’m sure to get enough sleep.  I know there’s more.  What else?  Oh yes, deep relaxation.  I always forget about deep relaxation.  As my friend Lena says, “There’s work to be done.”   I need to develop a plan for relaxation – the UltraBath will be on the list for sure.  More on that later.

What kind of preparation are you making for your Spring Cleaning project?  Tell us at the comment link below this post.

Next Post:  What I’ve been eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner  including the “recipes”

Day 1 – Spring Clean Your Body

Mar 29th, 2010

Getting Started

I have always had a strong, lean, healthy body and I take pretty good care of myself – not perfect but good. I used to boast that I wasn’t at all worried about growing old. I had the mistaken belief that getting old meant my body would look older but everything else would remain the same (energy, abilities, flexibility, etc.) But as age advanced, I noticed it was more difficult to reach down and cut my toe nails, my knees hurt when I knelt, and it was more difficult to turn my body to look behind me when backing up my car. I’ve been noticing skin blemishes and growths and one on my arm scared me a bit so I had it checked. The whites of my eyes have gotten a little cloudy, my memory is not as sharp, I sleep well but not as well as I used to, I don’t have the stamina I used to, and I’m just not feeling strong, lean, and healthy like I always have.   Can you relate?

My youth is no longer protecting me from the effects of my neglect—a little here and a little there. I’ve spent more time working and less time working out. Year after year I’ve watched these advancing signs of neglect. And I’ve always said to myself “One day…..I’ll really make some changes.” This goal has been hanging over my head for years.

It’s finally, finally time to start taking better care of my body. Up until now, I’ve been using my time and efforts to ”do,” and it’s time to use my time and efforts “to undo.” I have a strong belief in my body’s ability to heal on all levels – including looking and feeling more youthful. I know that with weight loss, a super clean diet, deep relaxation, and an enhanced fitness regimen, I can regain a lot of what I’ve lost.

I must be sounding like a total couch potato. Truth is I’ve always been pretty active, have eaten a lot of whole foods, think good thoughts, and have a great social network. Most people think of me as having a really healthy lifestyle. But I know I can do better. And with the advancing signs of age and neglect, I really want to do better – much better – and I am.

My 6-Week Plan

This post is getting a little long so I’ll save the details about my personal program for the next post. But here’s a quick summary of foods and beverages I will be avoiding for at least 6 weeks:

• Processed, packaged foods
• Coffee
• Sweets
• Gluten
• Dairy
• Alcohol

My Food and Fitness Log Today (Calories In – Calories Out)

It was a lovely, sunny day.  My walk before dinner was shorter than usual because I went grocery shopping and had a couple of conversations in the store with old friends.

Breakfast: fresh fruit-rice protein smoothie (I’ll share my recipe and process in upcoming posts)

Snack: pear, black plum (I thought plums were super tart, until I discovered black plums—sa-weeet!)

Lunch: bean and vegetable soup, quinoa/flax crackers

Walk at lunch: 30 minutes (lunch walks are great for clearing your head and revitalizing the body)

Snack: handful of walnuts and a tablespoon of almond butter (I didn’t want to get starved on my walk and tempted to eat quick, low quality food)

Walk before dinner: 45 minutes (Toby hunted for critters and went twice as far as I did as he ran up and down and all around the levee).

Dinner: chicken and veggie stir fry, sautéed asparagus (leftovers from Sunday evening).

My Journey – Your Journey

I’d like you to join me for six weeks of Spring Cleaning Your Body. As you read about my journey, I invite you to click the comment link below each post and either make a comment or tell a bit about your experience. Together we can make this Spring Cleaning Your Body series really exciting! Are you in?

Up next – I’ll talk about how I cleaned out my pantry in preparation for Spring Cleaning My Body.

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) Recall

Mar 27th, 2010

Have you heard the latest about the recall of thousands of processed, packaged foods?  Another reason to eat more whole foods (i.e.,  not processed).

The FDA announced that HVP manufactured by Basic Food Flavors has been recalled, and an estimated 10,000 products are affected by this recall. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) is a flavor enhancer commonly used in processed foods.  The recall was issued due to possible salmonella contamination.  <<More

Difficult People: How to Deal with Them

Mar 22nd, 2010

Difficult People: You Can Deal With Them

Everyone is irritable or indecisive at times. But some people are so difficult, they make others’ lives and work a strain. Dealing with difficult people is easier when you learn to recognize some common personality types. You can then develop coping skills for dealing with each type without trying to change them.

Worth the Effort

You can’t always avoid difficult people. Learning to cope with them is worth the effort. You’ll get more done and be less frustrated if you do.

Difficult Personality Types
Following are some of the behavior types that most people have difficulty with:

• Bullies are hostile and angry throwing tantrums to get their way.
• Gripers complain about things they don’t like but rarely try to change their situation.
• Silent types don’t say much. You can beg, yell or talk to them, but they don’t say more than "yes" or "no."
• Very nice people seem to agree with you but won’t do what they say they will.
• "Just say no" types respond to new ideas by saying, "That won’t work."
• "I know better" types think they know everything, and they can also be very condescending.
• Stallers put things off until someone else takes over or until the decision is made because of the delay.

Ways to Cope
These behaviors are annoying and can be very upsetting. They keep everyone, but the difficult person, off balance. This can be true even though they may not be trying to control others. Coping balances the power between people. It helps everyone get things done without stalling at the roadblocks difficult people set up. When someone practices difficult behaviors around you, here are few suggestions:

• For bullies, stand up for yourself. Use phrases like "I believe" or "I feel." Don’t try to fight them. Instead, make your point firmly.
• Let gripers know you’ve heard their concern. Directly ask, "What is it you want?"
• For silent types, ask questions that must be answered by more than "yes" or "no." If you get no response, let the silent type know your plans.
• Very nice people have a strong need to be liked–show them that you do. Then, dig to find out what’s really happening.
• Don’t argue with "just say no" types. Instead, suggest what won’t work before they do.
• For "I know better" types, have all the facts before you meet. Raise possible problems, and be ready to follow through.
• Listen to stallers to find out what the real reason for the delay is. Help them, and ask them for help.
• Talk with a counselor and get suggestions for dealing with difficult personality types.
• If your company has an EAP (Employee Assistance Program), you may be able to receive free counseling and advice.