Tag Archives: nutrition

Day 2 (of No Excuses)

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Day 2: Coulda been better…coulda been worse. 

I found myself extra busy and stressed around the time that is supposed to be when I can eat lunch. Nothing major, just had a lot of things that needed to get done. So I found myself munching on some tortilla chips after eating my protein bar because my bag of raw veggies was not close by. Then the pint of blackberries I had packed weren’t very good….like they were overripe or something. I ate 2 of them and no more. 

After work wasn’t any less busy. I had to pick up my daughter, take her to buy a shirt for her orchestra concert tomorrow, drop her off at home, go get my hair cut, change clothes and go coach 2 youth softball practices back-to-back. 

The not-so-good stuff today: I didn’t eat as many veggies or fruit as I had planned, and I ate about 2-3 servings of tortilla chips. I felt like eating a big bowl of popcorn when I got home from practices. And I got home too late to get my 3 miles in with Mickey. 

The awesome, no-excuses stuff today: I did not let my slight chip-binge derail the rest of the day, as I usually tend to do. So I didn’t cave to homemade popcorn and laying on the couch. When I looked at my food log, I ended up eating a total of 6 carb servings today, which is not bad at all! And when I got home from practice I took Mickey for a short walk. Something is better than nothing. 

So here is me and Mickey…my legs are very sore and all dusty from practice, and Mickey had an adventurous day going to the vet. We are tired. But we made it through Day 2 with NO EXCUSES!!

  

8-Week Wellness Challenge

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First of all, I want to say right off the bat that I have succeeded at losing 17 lbs since my highest weight post-total hip replacement surgery!! That means I lost the 15 lbs I gained post-surgery, plus an additional 2 lbs. I have 5 more lbs to go to hit my 1st major goal. My youngest told me today, “Mom, you’re getting skinny.” Lol. Even though “skinny” isn’t my goal, regaining my health is, it was still nice to hear that someone noticed some progress.

My eating and workouts kind of went up and down over the summer, as those who powwow understand the disruption of routines, driving for hours, dancing all weekend, not always having access to the healthiest of foods, packing a cooler, etc. The healthy habits could have been better, they could have been much worse. I concentrated this summer on not beating myself up over slip-ups and just trying to get back on as soon as I can.

My sister got me in the habit of walking for 45 minutes every morning at work. When she isn’t at work, she texts me to ask me if I went out for my walk yet. Lol. That got me going on the consistent activity. But today I want to write about a wellness challenge that has really motivated me.

Tracy is a woman I went to graduate school with and we both earned our MSWs at the same time. Our kids go to the same school, have played on the same teams, and she is friends with one of my nieces. She encouraged me after learning about my hip osteoarthritis back in 2012 to take her cycling class (which, by the way, was a killer workout) to give my joints a break from running, and she has conquered her own health challenges and surgeries. She is inspiring.

My sister-in-law invited me to participate in an 8-week wellness challenge that Tracy was organizing. She had participated the 1st time Tracy did the challenge and encouraged me and my sister to join. The details of the challenge and the structure really intrigued me, which are explained below.

For 8-weeks, each person can earn a point per day in the following areas: 1) Journaling/tracking food intake and following a safe, healthy and nutritious eating plan of our choice, 2) drinking half your body weight in ounces of water, 3) exercising (and she leaves it to us to determine what we think is a workout, there is no minimum number of minutes required to earn this point) – and with exercise one can only earn a maximum of 5 points per week to encourage rest days, 4) getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night. We all took a picture of our scale with our starting weight and sent it to Tracy, and at the end of the 8 weeks we will take a picture of our scale with our ending weight. We can earn 1 point for each percentage of total body weight we lose. For example, if someone starts out weighing 200 lbs, they would earn 1 point for every 2 lbs they lost by the end of the challenge. We have sheets were we can record our points daily. One can earn a maximum of 26 points each week, and then additional points at the end with our final weigh-in. The people who did this challenge the first time don’t mess around. The previous winner didn’t miss ANY of their weekly points and lost weight. There is a $25 buy-in which is given to the winners at the end of 8 weeks. And she set up a FaceBook page for the members of the challenge so we always get little reminders, or encouragement, or ideas for meals and snacks.

I am used to keeping a food journal, and when properly motivated I can exercise 5 days per week. I was really intrigued with the sleep requirement. My sleep routine has been non-existent for almost a year and I’ve never given it much deliberate thought. I go to bed early when I am exhausted or I push myself and don’t get rest. There is no consistency.

We just finished up Week 2 of the challenge. I think I’ve missed only 1 sleep point each week so far when my schedule was a little off on that day. I have been tracking my food faithfully and paying attention to my calorie goals. I even track my “free days” or free meals. There is nothing like seeing that you ate a DQ Blizzard, or 4 slices of pizza from Rudy’s to make you more conscious of your food choices. I make my water intake daily. I’ve earned 5 exercise points per week. I started using MapMyWalk and synched it to my MyFitnessPal so it automatically posts my workouts and calorie expenditure to my food log. Although I began the challenge intending to do the Metabolism Miracle, my actual eating has turned into more of a carb counting routine. I keep my breakfasts and lunches to anywhere between 5-15 grams of carbs or less, I eat many vegetables, take my vitamins, and if I feel like eating some popcorn or a small handful of chips, or 2 soft tortillas in the evenings, I do it. I usually keep dinners to 2 carb servings or less. And guess what…..my weight seems to be just dropping off!! I believe it’s because the structure of this challenge encourages several healthy habits, not just food and exercise. I think it’s the sleep requirement that’s made the difference with me as well as being mindful of my carb intake and not restricting myself as much as before. My energy is evening out more each day…I don’t have as many dips and my energy lasts longer. And I feel smaller already.

So if you haven’t guessed it at this point, Tracy is amazing!!! This was so needed at this point and time and I’m having fun AND improving my health. Thank you again for organizing this!!

Back To School Motivation

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My kids start school THIS WEDNESDAY!! Although they love summer vacation, they miss their friends. I miss having a routine. We’re all looking forward to the beginning of the school year.

I felt like I was in a good groove at the beginning of summer, but then I started on a new medication for an old condition and it zapped my energy. Although I didn’t overeat because it killed my appetite, it felt impossible to get a workout in, cook, or do anything productive. Not for lack of food, I just felt lethargic all the time. My motivation to improve my health went in the tank for a little while. Thank goodness again for my support team (family). They helped me along in so many different ways. I’m finally getting used to my meds and figuring out different ways to gain more energy, so my motivation has returned.

My sister got me in the habit of walking with her for 45 minutes (using my work’s wellness leave policy) as soon as we get to work. I really look forward to our walks everyday. It’s a nice way to start the day, visiting and cackling around with my sister, it wakes me up and gives me energy, and I feel really good knowing I’m doing something that is making me stronger everyday and helping me battle pre-diabetes. Research has shown that consistent activity is much more beneficial than intensity. Meaning that a person who walks 45 minutes on most days (5-6 days per week) will have greater health benefits over time than a person who runs 3-5 miles 2-3 times per week. I had developed a habit of bringing my workout clothes to work and then getting busy working and not working out. So getting it done first thing in the morning has been awesome. My sister and kids have been the big motivators for the August powwow dance challenge we signed up for. I don’t feel like doing it half the time, but they bug me and I do it, and then I am glad I did. Lol. I can’t wait for the day I’ll feel better to where I am the big motivator again.

I’ve been cooking at home consistently, so I guess I should give myself props for that. That is actually a good indicator of my motivation returning, that I have the energy and make the time to cook. I’ve tried out a new recipe and it turned out great and is so easy! I’ll share it later in another blog entry. My husband told me that they all missed my cooking so we’re all glad my energy to cook has returned.

And today I started an 8-week wellness challenge organized by a former social work colleague. My sister and I, and my sister-in-law are all doing the challenge. I always think these types of things are fun, beneficial, and we’re competitive so that’s fun as well. We are in it to win it!!! Lol.

I’ve learned that my day, and how I feel, and how productive I am, is all set within the first 5 minutes of waking up. I’m doing gratitude writing exercises on most days, and I give thanks as soon as I wake up for everything. I know that the little things I can do each day are all adding up to better health, improving my physical, spiritual, and mental health. And when I feel healthy in all those areas I can be more of service to others.

My Typical Day Now

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I am trying to practice consistency in all areas of my life…nutrition, physical activity, stress management, time management, studying for my LMSW exam….and my blog. To help facilitate making the blog portion of my daily life more consistent, I’ve created a Facebook page just for my blog. https://www.facebook.com/wozaniwaste/

One of my biggest decisions in the last few weeks was to give up trying to make deadlines for powwows. My friends and family know that I love to sew. It’s a form of stress relief. I sew for my entire family and I take orders for friends and families. Over the years I’ve developed a habit of what I would refer to as “binge sewing”….meaning I get frantic about meeting a deadline and I end up spending all my time trying to get an item done for a specific powwow, either for my family or for an order. Powwow beaders and seamstresses are well acquainted with this. Lol. It is anything but “stress relief”. What occurs in those instances is that my cooking and healthy eating go out the window. My sleep is little to non-existent. I don’t take the time to exercise because I’m too focused on getting something finished. And my time and attention is taken away from my kids and family. I decided two weeks ago that I am no longer going to do it. The cost to my health and my family’s health isn’t worth wearing a new item immediately at a powwow, or even fulfilling an order. I will have to get used to giving a much more generous estimate on completion dates for orders. My family will understand if I don’t get something done. And I can deal with my own impatience of wanting something done right away. At least I think I can…..haha.

I also asked one of my former students, and recent MSW graduate, to be my study partner so I can finally sit for the LMSW test. Leaving myself to my own devices has resulted in no studying getting done. So I reached out and we have made arrangements to meet once per week to study together. I even downloaded an app she sent that sends me one practice exam question everyday. I am proud to say I got my first question right today. Lol.

So….my typical day consists of the following:

I try to get at least 6-7 hours of sleep. When I wake up I drink 2 big cups of water and have my beloved coffee. I just drink it straight up…no creamer or sweetener. I have to take a synthetic thyroid pill every morning on an empty stomach to treat hypothyroidism (was diagnosed in my early 20’s), so I have to wait an hour before I eat anything. My breakfast after the hour is either a smoothie made with unsweetened cashew milk, natural PB, whey protein powder, a handful of spinach and ice cubes, or I poach an egg and eat it on a slice of low-carb toast. Or low-carb toast and PB. It’s rare that I have the time and alertness enough to make a veggie omelet. The Metabolism Miracle book has a good “hot cereal” that I like to make as well on occasion. On days where I am really rushed I just use a shaker cup and throw some cashew or almond milk and a heaping scoop of protein powder and run out the door.

I pack my lunch every day to take to work. My lunch box today consists of leftover steak and pepper stir fry, an Atkins protein shake, celery and natural peanut butter, and a bag of mini sweet peppers. There’s a water cooler at work so I keep a 32 oz water bottle at my desk and I try to drink 2 a day. This sames me money and I’m not tempted my restaurant food that’s not in my eating plan.

I have a membership to the wellness facility at my work. Costs me less than a dollar a day and they have an indoor track, weight machines, free weights, cardio equipment, basketball court, racquetball courts, and a small pool. I pack my workout bag every time I go to work (45-50 min drive from home) even if I don’t use it everyday. When I do use it, I use a combination of the cardio equipment, and yesterday I started in on the weights. I need to use the pool more but it’s a pain washing the chlorine out of my hair and trying to get back to the office within my allotted wellness leave time. If I run out of time to workout at work, I make sure I do something at home. Usually walking in my neighborhood with my girls. I’ve also been trying to do something during commercials if I’m watching TV, like squats or push-ups. Lately I’ve added the stadium steps once per week. That’s a killer so I don’t see myself doing that anymore that once every 7 days anytime soon. I try to do any activity for 45 minutes, the very minimum of 30 minutes per day, 6 days out of the week.

I may have mentioned in a previous blog entry that I have battled depression in the past. It’s something I try to stay on top of because I don’t like taking medication. I mean I will if necessary, I just try to manage things so that it doesn’t get to that point. Exercise can change and lift your mood in as little as a 15 minute walk. So not only is exercise important to my goal of getting rid of pre-diabetes, it is a powerful tool in my efforts to combat depression. I’ve also started a gratitude journal and I have my girls keeping a gratitude journal of their own. Staying optimistic is very important to health. Writing things down and practicing gratitude will change ones outlook for the better. Which is also very important to preventing depression and staying motivated on this health journey.

I try to cook as often as I can. I like to make extra of whatever I cook so we can have leftovers the next day. That saves me at least 3 nights of cooking every week. Lol. Once in awhile I would prep several meals in one afternoon and I haven’t been able to make the time to that in a long time. Something I need to prioritize because it was really nice to have a full meal that I just had to thaw and re-heat on very busy days, or post-powwow travel days.

We are in softball season now, so Joe B and I run practice or coach games 3 nights per week. Time management and prioritizing are essential. It has been testing my resolve from the 1st paragraph daily….do I cook or sew some more shells on the dentalium cape sitting on a table in front of the TV???? Of course I cook. But the answer even one month ago would have been “Are you kidding? SEW SHELLS ON THE CAPE!!!”

The biggest differences for me between now and 2 months ago are the daily activity and keeping my grams of carbohydrates to less than 5 net grams per meal and if I eat a snack before bedtime. And not obsessing over getting sewing done. That’s huge.

I try to patient with myself, reminding myself daily that it’s a journey, not a race. Which is why I don’t step on the scale anymore and just focus on today, and when I need extra motivation, I focus on my next A1c in August. Daily gratitude and daily focus. 🙂

New Health Challenges To Conquer

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I just re-read my last blog entry from April 8, 2016. I have a topic that’s been weighing on my mind since Monday April 25 – which is truly the day I have been referring to as the “first day of the rest of my life”.

Most of the people that are acquainted with me, know that I teach a culturally tailored diabetes class for a college with a student population that is 100% American Indian. I also teach Basic Nutrition. Type 2 Diabetes in American Indian populations has been my area of expertise since 2005. I love it and have a passion for it because of the strong family history of the chronic disease in my family and because I truly believe culturally appropriate education and family-based interventions can make a difference.

I get my blood glucose tested every year, as recommended by Indian Health Service. I know that preventive care is the only way to not get the chronic disease of diabetes. I’ve had a couple of hemoglobin A1c tests done and my results have always been within the normal ranges. I try to eat healthy and exercise has been a regular part of my life for years. Although sweets and homemade popcorn have also been regular parts of my life as well. 😛

So imagine my surprise when on a Sunday at home, April 24, I realized that my feet were tingling. They felt like they were falling asleep. I knew this would happen if I sat in an unpadded chair for too long, but as I was resting on the couch, I thought back to when I felt my feet tingle at other times. And I recalled that they had felt like that for a few days…no matter what I was doing…sitting, standing, laying down. My immediate thought was “diabetic neuropathy” and I wondered when my last fasting plasma glucose test was. So I called my doctor’s office the next day. The receptionist looked in my patient portal and was able to tell me that my last blood glucose test was during my pre-surgery physical at the beginning of December that is was “out of range”. She didn’t tell me how far out of range, she made me wait until my doctor’s nurse called, which wasn’t for another hour. I spent that hour freaking out and working out my anxiety on the recumbent stepper at my work’s rec facility.

When the nurse called she told me that my last fasting plasma glucose was 102 (anything above 100 could be considered the pre-diabetic range, diagnosed with further testing), which she said was a little high but my doctor wasn’t worried about it. I really like my doctor. I think she is amazingly skilled and I trust her completely. I can only assume that she wasn’t concerned because she knew my my lifestyle and felt it was a healthy lifestyle.  I told the nurse that I knew that was in the pre-diabetic range, and with my family history, I was concerned. So my doctor ordered an A1c that afternoon and I headed to the lab as soon as I left work (you don’t have to be fasting to take the A1c, and it measures a person’s average daily blood glucose levels for the past 2-3 months). I prayed my A1c would be below 5.7, which is the normal/healthy range – it means no diabetes or pre-diabetes. I had 5.5 or lower in my mind. I asked the lab tech if I could wait for my results (I know the test takes about 5-8 minutes to run) and she said I could. I waited and prayed for about 10 minutes after the finger stick. Then a nurse holding a baby and piece of paper with my lab results appeared and told me my results. An A1c between 5.7 and 6.4 means you are pre-diabetic. 6.5 and over means you could have Type 2 Diabetes. My A1c score was 6.1….which is right in the middle of the pre-diabetic range. Imagine the irony….the only thought flooding through my mind on the drive home was “The Diabetes Teacher has pre-diabetes.” I laughed to myself but it was a very bitter laugh. I was upset and disappointed in my myself and everything around me.

I came home and told my husband and children. I told my girls that I needed their support in getting my health back on track. I needed them to walk with me or do some type of activity everyday. I needed them to not complain about my meals being “too healthy” and that they needed to eat more vegetables with me. I told them I didn’t want to develop diabetes, but that I was headed in that direction and I needed to make changes NOW. They asked me if I made healthy changes if the pre-diabetes would be gone. I said yes. They were immediately all in. I won’t lie, it was a tearful conversation on my part. Sara just hugged me for a long time while Shelby told me she would walk with me everyday.

Joe B took them out to practice softball to give me more time to calm down. I started researching to find out if stress was the main cause of high blood glucose in otherwise healthy patients (this was me looking for something/someone to blame…lol). And I found some information that surprised the diabetes teacher.

There are 6 factors that can contribute to high blood glucose (high blood sugar). After reading the 6 factors, I realized that I had FIVE of those factors. The 6 factors are as listed, as well as how they fit in my overall health picture.

  1. Hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause. I have this, I am perimenopausal and have been on a progesterone replacement for a year.
  2. Serious illness or major surgery. I have this, as my  hip replacement was a major surgery and occurred within the last 4 months.
  3. Stress. Always a part of life, but my stress since last October has been much higher than normal. I would describe it as “through the roof”. It’s getting close to being back to what I could consider a more normal level, but the stress was hell for over 5 months without relief.
  4. Use of corticosteroid medications, such as Prednisone. This is the ONE factor I do not have.
  5. Being overweight. Remember, I gained about 15 pounds after my surgery.
  6. Being sedentary. This was me as well. Once my physical therapy ended, I was so frustrated with how hard walking was that my activity levels were hit or miss. Mostly miss.

Finding this information had a very calming effect on me. 3 of the factors were out of my control (the stress I felt was inflicted on me, it took awhile to be able to deal with it), but they were either over or they could be managed. I knew I could change my eating habits and make myself do something most days out of the week. I felt calm enough to start to plan how to deal with this and take control of my health again.

The first thing I did was break out my copy of the book “The Metabolism Miracle” which is a low-carb eating plan designed for people that have what the author describes as Metabolism B (see Diana Kress’ blog page, twitter page, and Metabolism Miracle FB page for some preliminary information and how to order the newest version of her book). Joe B and I did this back in 2013 and we had good results, we just didn’t stay with it. I wanted something that will bring my A1c down in a healthy and efficient manner. I started with dinner that very same night of baked chicken and non-starchy vegetables, and started my next morning off with lean protein and vegetables.

The next thing I did was make a plan to move every day. I packed my workout clothes on the days I did my commute to KC. I walked when I worked in town or got on the elliptical machine at Thorpe Fitness Center. The day after my diagnosis I got on the elliptical for the first time a few months. I stayed on for 45 minutes and it was brutal. I did something every day for 6 days in a row. I was more sore than I could remember in a long time….just general muscle soreness as the new hip joint felt great.

(*By the way, my doctor followed up with me  the next day and told me she felt that my blood glucose was high because of all the changes to my diet and activity stemming from my surgery and recovery. She referred me to a dietician and felt that I wouldn’t have any problem bringing it back down with some changes to my diet and exercising more. She has a lot of faith in me. Lol).

My primary focus is on bringing my A1c score down. I feel like the weight loss is a secondary benefit. If I had trouble staying on the Metabolism Miracle plan before, or if I didn’t have the will or energy to walk, let me tell you this….there is NOTHING that will motivate you more than a diagnosis of pre-diabetes. I have been consistent. I have been diligent. I have been mindful. I share my daily progress with those closest to me. My diet consists of lean protein, non-starchy veggies, healthy sources of fat and LOTS of water. I’m doing all the things I’ve taught and recommended to my students to deal with or prevent diabetes. This was truly the kick in the butt that I needed to get me living healthy again instead of wallowing in my disappointment in how different my life has felt post-surgery. And I have my own cheering section of all 3 of my daughters, my husband, my family and extended family, and my best friends.

I’ve given up weighing myself every other day in order to eliminate potential sources of frustration. My focus is my blood glucose, not my weight. But when I did weigh myself almost 2 weeks ago, I had lost 11.5 pounds and I can fit back into the all the new work and summer clothes I bought last summer. I danced at a powwow last weekend and I had to move my dance belt back in to its original size. Before this, in April when I danced I had to move my belt out to its largest size. I can tell I’ve lost inches but I haven’t measured myself yet to see how many. I have more energy. That darned elliptical and my walking route with all the steep hills is finally getting easier. I tried out the stadium stairs once (they were as brutal as I remember them and I was only able to do one full set) and I am going back again with my daughter as soon as I finish this blog entry.

My good friend Kevin told me that this was all going to be a blessing. That I would be able to use my experiences in my teaching…showing my students and others that I’ve dealt with the beginnings of this disease, and showing them how I managed it. That it can be done. Sharing this experience is the first step.

I am counting the days (64!!!) until I go back for my follow-up A1c. 🙂  I didn’t want to share this at first because I was embarrassed. The diabetes teacher has pre-diabetes. But my maske’ Erica told me that it was nothing to be embarrassed about, it would just show people how hard this disease is to fight….for anyone.

6 Successful Vegetarian Days

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We did it. We ate like vegetarians for 6 whole days. I’ve often wondered what it would be like and now I know.

I actually enjoyed my meat-free 6 days. I found myself eating a variety of grains and vegetables. I ate a little more dairy than I usually do, but I look at that as a good thing because of all the calcium and the protein found in dairy milk (I usually stick to almond milk which has little to no protein). The timing of the class I teach was awesome because we covered protein last week.  We looked at the benefits and some of the potential risks of vegetarian and vegan diets, such as becoming deficient in B12, and non-heme iron being harder to absorb than heme iron. I did some research on food combinations and saw the controversy from the plant-based diet people who don’t believe you need to combine different plant-based foods in order to complete the amino acid chains and get a complete protein. I reviewed my own nutrition course notes that says combining whole grain rice and beans, or grains and legumes, or grains and dairy, gives you a meal that has all the essential amino acids. Whatever side of the fence you fall on with the food combination argument, the idea that you need a variety of plant-based foods to create a healthy diet was just reinforced.

I have been trying to convince my husband for awhile now that we don’t NEED to have meat at every single dinner. I have proposed the idea of having one or two meals every week that are vegetarian, and that didn’t go over very well. However, now that he has seen that he can survive an entire 6 days straight with no meat, he is now open to the idea of a “Meatless Monday” or whatever day of the week we decide to this. Maybe now I can get my family to cut back on meat consumption by substituting more vegetables in meat dishes and by having the weekly vegetarian dinner. I am a bit more relieved about how my kids eat, that they actually will get a sufficient amount of protein from combining different plant based foods with a healthy and non-factory farmed source of dairy.

I weighed myself to see if I would lose any pounds during our week. I did not. Just goes to show you that eliminating meat from our diets (meat is very calorie dense) doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose weight. Different forms of dairy can be very calorie dense, as well as nuts and legumes. Also, eliminating meat from your diet doesn’t automatically mean all your food choices are healthy. Like one of my students said recently, “Chips don’t have meat in them.” Losing weight on a vegetarian diet is just like losing weight on the standard American diet: portion control, plenty of non-starchy vegetables & whole fruit, no sugar-sweetened beverages, limiting processed foods, being mindful of your sodium intake, and most importantly – paying attention to how you feel when you eat and stopping when you are either satisfied, or when you are no longer hungry.

This past week as also reinforced my motivation for another venture. Learning how to garden. The seeds Sara planted are sprouting and we are keeping them alive….if you knew how I have failed to keep house plants alive in my adult life, you would understand what a big deal that is. Shelby convinced me to buy a small mint plant awhile back and we have had to replant it in a bigger pot because it’s growing and growing. She wants to make her own mint tea and have mint for infused water and to put in lemonade. I am reviving the jade plant given to me as a gift. I am starting to believe that I will actually have a garden this summer and I am excited for me and my girls.

Being a vegetarian or wanting more plant-based foods in our diets isn’t just about health, it’s about sustainability. It’s about reconnecting with where our food comes from. This week was beneficial to me and my family in a multitude of ways. Now we just have to keep the momentum going.

Day 4 Vegetarian Meals & Reflections

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Day 4 Veg Meals

Yesterday was Day 4 and we are hanging tough. I’m actually enjoying this, but Joe B is starting to miss meat products. He keeps talking about the bacon and egg sandwiches and double cheeseburgers he plans to eat on Sunday.

I found out that instead of 7 days of vegetarian eating, it’s only 6 days. So we have today and tomorrow to go, then Sunday we are free to resume our omnivore ways.

My husband is reporting some mild stomach upset during the past 4 days. His explanation was, “Too many plants. Too much xylem and phloem.” That made me laugh. I want to give a shout out to my 7-8th grade science teacher Mr. Bertram and my high school science teacher Mr. Flak because I actually could recall what xylem and phloem were after more than 30 years and I was able to get the joke right away. That’s some good teaching right there.

I feel lighter after Day 4. Not lighter as in I think I’ve lost weight, but lighter as in all the vegetables, fruits and grains don’t feel as heavy settling in after a meal. This really hasn’t been that difficult for me, which has my husband worried because he’s afraid I will try to turn our family into vegetarians. Fear not, because again, I come from hunter-gatherer people….not just gatherers.

I’m surprised at the timing life has…yesterday my 11-year old came home after play practice and said “Mom, I want to be off chicken for at least a month. Maybe longer. I’m ok with meat like venison or bison, I just don’t want to eat any chicken.” She had watched a film at school about factory farm chickens and how they are treated as they are raised and processed for meat to be sold. It bothered her enough that she doesn’t want to eat anymore chicken or eggs. She said she’s not quite ready to see how feed lot cows are treated. I’m glad her school showed something like that, to help students understand where the majority of the domesticated meat in our diets come from. I think it will give me an opportunity to find a local farm that raises chickens, so I can take my girls for a visit and they can see what a local, sustainable part of our food system looks like. I’m hoping that if she decides to consume chicken and eggs in the future, that she will understand the need to find a local source for these things, and why I want to encourage my family to cut back on meat a little. It all starts with one person changing their view….lol.

Yesterday for breakfast I had a poached egg plus 1 egg white, on toast made from homemade honey whole wheat bread with organic butter, plus a whole orange and my black coffee. I had an avocado to put on the toast instead of butter, but I wasn’t feeling it yesterday. For lunch I made a big salad with romaine lettuce, celery, cucumber, diced apple, and I made my own vinaigrette dressing out of white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and some salt & pepper. I also tried something called a Root Vegetable Pot Pie from The Merc and it was the best vegetarian thing I’ve tried so far. It was just like a chicken pot pie but from what I could see, it just had potato, onion and mushrooms in it. For dinner I made vegetarian lasagna from a recipe I found online. It was amazing!!! I was so anxious to eat it that I didn’t even bother to plate it with my salad and make it look pretty, I just took a snap of the pan after I cut some pieces out of it. Joe B liked it and said he didn’t even notice the lack of beef….and if you knew my husband you would know that this a quite a remarkable thing for him to say.

Today we have plenty of leftovers from Wednesday’s pizza and the lasagna last night, and my big bowl of salad, I just need to make some more dressing. And I still have some black bean quinoa salad to take to work. All in all, our vegetarian week is going well!

Vegetarian Week – Day 3

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Day 3 Vegetarian Meals

We are winding down on Day 3 of our vegetarian week, in support of our daughter Samantha and her nutrition course assignment. I wanted to post our meals today since I am feeling better and actually cooked a vegetarian meal (last night I made egg salad, which to me isn’t really cooking….it’s more like assembling).

Today for breakfast I had a slice of homemade cinnamon raisin bread (my first try at making homemade whole wheat raisin bread) with some organic butter, a full cup of blueberries, and black coffee. I was very surprised at how long it held me. I thought I would be hungry within an hour.

For lunch I had a bowl of what is called Caribbean Quinoa Salad from The Merc. It has quinoa, black beans, sweet potato, pineapple, limed red onion with a vinaigrette dressing. Again, very filling and I loved the taste.

My snack….my favorite Girl Scout cookies. They count as a vegetarian food. 😛

For dinner I made homemade pizza on a whole wheat crust that I prepare in my bread machine. The recipe makes enough dough for 2 pizzas so we make one pizza for the girls and one for the adults (we always have leftovers for lunches the next day). My girls had chopped spinach mixed in with the sauce, and they just like cheese for their topping. My little one now likes the Applegate Uncured Turkey Pepperoni so she put some on half of their pizza. Our pizza had the chopped spinach as well, and the toppings included mushrooms, red onion, and red bell pepper. I thought for sure I would hear from my husband, “It was good….it needed some sausage though.” But I didn’t. He actually said what I was thinking….he was surprised how tasty it was and how filling it was.

I wasn’t even really hungry, but I snacked on some mixed nuts while watching one of my favorite TV shows. That was really mindless eating….I wasn’t even hungry. I need to work on that habit.

Some observations 3 days in:

  1. I am surprised at how filling plants can be. I haven’t felt hungry between meals and I feel satisfied after I eat a plant-based meal, even if it doesn’t include dairy or eggs.
  2. I have not felt sluggish after a meal – except for the overall fatigue and yuckiness I felt from being sick. I was worried that upping my intake of complex carbohydrates and cutting down on the animal-based protein might result in feeling sleepy after I eat, but it hasn’t.
  3. I have not missed meat. I haven’t craved it, nor do I feel like I’m missing out on anything.
  4. Our local Co-op, The Merc, has come to our rescue a couple of times with their delicious vegetarian/vegan food offerings at their hot bar and deli.

All in all, it’s going very well. Tomorrow I know I will feel even better, so I have all the ingredients to fix vegetarian lasagna. If I can pull that off and my little crew likes it, I will consider the entire week a success.

 

Going Vegetarian for 7 Days

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*Sigh* Although I am not the meat-lover my Kiowa husband is, (there are several Kiowa meat-loving people I know who insist there is no word in their language for “vegetable”), I do enjoy cooking and eating animal products. Especially game meat. Ever since I became more enlightened about factory farming and where my beef and chicken comes from and the conditions under which they are raised, I’ve tried to cut back and just buy from local sources and local butchers. I’ve entertained the occasional thought about going vegan or vegetarian, but then I always told myself, “I come from hunter-gatherer people…..not just gatherers.” Hahaha.

Anyway, I have been to several lectures and presentations on the benefits of plant-based diets. I know I have a strong family history of heart disease and I’ve learned how a plant-based diet can help prevent heart attacks and strokes. I am a huge fan of author Michael Pollan. Reading his work is part of my inspiration to learn how to garden, or up until now – buying into a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group. But I always felt that meat had its place in our diets and food systems, especially with Indigenous people. So I never seriously considered a meatless diet.

Until now.

My daughter Samantha is back in school to get her RN (she has been an pediatric LPN for years), and she is taking a nutrition class this semester. One of their assignments is to adopt the vegan lifestyle for a week. Vegan means that one doesn’t consume any animal products in their diets…..in addition to no meat, there is no butter, milk, yogurt, eggs, or dairy-based coffee creamer. I even saw on an episode of “Chopped” where a vegan chef was forced to use honey in his dish because it was a basket ingredient, but he refused to taste the food after he added it.

I know any lifestyle change beyond a couple of days is daunting. So I told her I would do it with her to support her. Her carnivore dad got on-board and said he would be a vegan for a week as well, even though he seriously believed it would kill him. Thank goodness her instructor changed the assignment from 7 days of vegan-ism to 7 days of lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. So we can eat dairy products and eggs, just no meat or fish.

The assignment began yesterday. And as luck would have it, I got sick yesterday. Some type of weird allergy attack that began as soon as I woke up. I was strung out on antihistamines all day. Miserable. So my plans of cooking homemade cheese pizza with whole wheat crust went out the window. My 1st day of being a vegetarian almost went out the window as well. I just wanted comfort food, and something I could taste. I had some leftover homemade chicken noodle soup with dumplings that I wanted more than anything else yesterday evening. But I hung tough and didn’t cave in to my omnivore tendencies.

Day 1 had to be the most unhealthy eating day I can remember in a long time. Just goes to show you that vegan-ism or vegetarianism isn’t always about health. Lol. I started out good. I had a slice of my homemade whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and a sliced banana on top. As my misery set in with my allergies, I ended up eating microwave popcorn and diet 7-up for lunch…the yogurt and fruit I packed for lunch was the last thing I felt like eating because of my sinuses and drainage. I came home and almost heated up some soup for myself, but Joe saved me. He came home from work and made us grilled cheese on whole wheat bread. I am counting the potato chips I ate with it as mental health food….I needed some comfort!! Lol. And they were meatless….so bonus! And I had some mixed nuts with some M&Ms tossed in, again as a mental health necessity.

Today I did much better. Poached a couple of eggs on toast with my homemade bread. Went to the doctor and got a prescription, then headed over to The Merc to look for a vegetarian lunch for Joe B and I. The Merc is going to save us this week, I think. I got a bean and kale soup that was sooo good. Joe B liked it too, but his comment was, “This needs some ham hock in it.” Hahahaha. I also picked up a black bean and quinoa salad, and a root vegetable pot pie.

I am off to the store at some point to buy ingredients to make a vegetarian lasagna. I have locally produced vegetarian patties by Hillary’s Eat Well in my freezer in case I run out of time or energy to create a vegetarian meal. I am trying to focus on eating healthy and not just meatless. I’m also hoping to learn some good stuff this week about our eating habits and consumer habits. And I am hoping to get my amateur photography skills some practice and take pictures of some of the stuff I cook. Wish us all luck!

 

7 Weeks Post-THR

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Originally posted to my Facebook page on February 5, 2016

I am just a little over 7 weeks out of my hip replacement surgery and I’ve hit a wall. I’m still progressing, I just feel physically like I got run into a wall. Physical therapy is hard. The past 3 sessions have left me exhausted and sore. I feel fine while I’m doing it, I don’t feel like I’m overdoing it….I’m very careful about that. But when I leave, within an hour of my session ending, I feel like like crud. Yesterday was the worst. I almost didn’t go because I had muscle soreness from Tuesday’s session, but I thought I would feel better after I went. I did feel better for about 45 minutes. Lol. The joint feels fine, there isn’t any pain in the joint itself. It’s all muscle soreness. But it feels different than before my surgery…it feels achy….almost like when you are getting sick.

My kids have had a couple of viruses the past 2 weeks. Maybe I’m just fighting those off. Also I feel like I’ve been super busy at work ever since going back full-time last Wednesday. Maybe I’ve just run myself down. Either way, I’m home today and resting and recuperating and trying to get better.

After my friends saw my Facebook post, they answered with much encouragement, and a suggestion that I may not be eating enough protein to fuel the tissue growth that is occurring in the recovery from my surgery. I was already starting to look at my protein intake as one of the reasons for the muscle soreness and fatigue. So I started a protein shake…and if anyone knows me, they know how I hate having to default to a shake, I would much rather get it from real foods. But I needed to do something quick, and the shakes actually helped!