Rest Stop - What 200 Calories Look Like

WiseGeek   http://www.wisegeek.com/    is a great web site for as they say clear answers to common questions.  One of the questions was what does 200 calories look like?

Some foods have significantly more Calories than others but what does the difference actually look like.  When you consider that an entire plate of broccoli contains the same number of Calories as a small spoonful of peanut butter, you might think twice the next time you decide what to eat.

The following link will take you a page on WiseGeek that has photos that represent 200 calories of a type of food.  They are arranged from lowest to highest in calorie density.  The link is   http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm

Week Thirteen - Day One - Gained Weight

If you have followed this blog you know Monday is my official weigh day.  If you look and my weight tracker you will notice I actually gained half a pound this last week.  Needles to say I am not a happy camper.  I knew that at some point my body would probably rebel to the low number of calories I am eating and slow down the burning of calories and it has happened.  I still lost about eight pounds ;last moth and at that rate it would be about 96 pounds in a year and that would be a good loss in anyone's book.  Anyway with the gain I have gone back to the Repaivite diet.  All the things that have been added back into my diet are out for the next week or so.

This months pictures:  Weight 344.4

Just read a stat that says the average American eats 300 cookies a year.  Works for me.

Rest Stop - Exercise

Rest Stop - Weigh In Tomorrow

Tomorrow is weigh and picture day.  This is going to be a bad week I think.  I have a feeling it is going to be a flat line week.  If that is the case I will have lost about 9 pounds this last month.  That doesn't make me happy.  Vick keeps reminding me that at one point in the recent past, if I could lose a half a pound a week I was happy.  She likes the progress and tells me to keep it up.  I am not going to give up, but to the end of jump starting my weight loss back up, I will be going back on the eating program I was on when I was doing Repairvaite.  I wont be taking the supplements but I am taking brown rice, nuts, tomatoes, eggs and peppers and anything else Dr. Scott has allowed back in my diet.  Vick and I talked about this and she knows there will times through out my life that I will be taking this drastic step to get back on track or stay on track.  Hopefully, it will only take a week to get things moving in the downward direction again.

Rest Stop - Tabata Program

Today has been an interesting day.  Over a week ago I was told I could have eggs back in my diet and I love eggs.  So it is quite surprising that I have not had one yet, but then again dairy and gluten are still not in my diet and I need my toast and milk with my eggs.  But desperate times lead to desperate measures and I settled for scrambled eggs on rice cakes.  Vick still laughs that I eat rice cakes.  It wasn't to bad to eat soft scrambled eggs and rice cakes but I don't think it will play in New York.  But who knows, it is just crazy enough to fly.  Enough of the crazy thoughts and on to other things.

I started the Tabata interval walking this last week.  Before I began I thought "how tough can it be"?  I found out real quick.  I did my 5 minute warm up and began the 20 sec high intensity and 10 sec rest.  I set my interval timer for 9 cycles.  By the 6th or 7th I was sucking wind hard.  I hope be the end of next week to be up to 15 cycles before my cool down.  The reason is right now 5 minute warm up, 9 cycles and a five minute cool down are done in about 1/2 mile.  I have been walking about a mile and half with the Tabata program.  My goal is by the end of the summer to be doing my mile and half with a warm up, 15 cycles, a five minute rest walk, 15 more cycles, a five minute rest walk and then 15 more cycles with a five minute cool down.  I know that at some point Dr. Scott is going to and some exercises into this routine and my walking will probably be every other day. Time will tell.

Rest Stop - Nutrition Myths

As always there will probably be a number of these rest stops in the coming weeks.

As you can tell by my post about Biggest Loser,I have be doing a lot of reading lately about diet and nutrition that is not always totally connected to my journey with Dr. Scott.  This I have done because my interest in nutrition is looking at anything and everything that has to do with nutrition.  I will probably post some things about exercise since that is the biggest part of my journey now.  As I am able to add things back into my diet I will post new recipes and will continue to add recipes from the earlier part of this journey.

I came across an interesting article having to do with Nutrition Myths.  "There is a lot of incompetence in the area of nutrition and health.  

Even health professionals seem to constantly contradict each other.

Here are 8 ridiculous nutrition myths, thoroughly debunked.".......

Read more: http://authoritynutrition.com/8-ridiculous-nutrition-myths-debunked/

Rest Stop - Sugar Addiction

I know I have written about sugar addiction before but I came across this article in the Web Md Newsletter today.  Having been off sugar for the last 10 weeks or so I can believe sugar is addictive. I am not saying I will give up sugar totally but I will be a whole lot more careful about how much I consume and watch the ingredient list to see where sugar is listed.  I had forgotten that starch can equal sugar.  And I like french fries and chips and pasta.  This is going to be interesting to make these changes for the long hall.

Here is the link to "The Truth About Sugar addiction."
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction?ecd=wnl_lbt_061913&ctr=wnl-lbt-061913_ld-stry_2&mb=

Rest Stop - Yonana

One more rest stop tonight.  This stop is because I told the girls at Dr. Scott's office I would have this information on this blog within a day or so.

I don't know how many of you recognize this machine or how many of you will admit to owning one.  It is a Yonana machine.  If you have to ask what a Yonana machine is you must have been living under a rock.  If I remember right, the Christmas of 2011 this was the must have gift.  It was advertised on TV all the time.  It claimed to make ice cream out of bananas along with other fruit.  The commercial showed kids loving the ice cream it made.  I ended up with a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift certificate that year and so I thought what the heck, I am not out anything if I don't like it or it doesn't work.  (I can say that because over the years I have wasted a lot of money on the latest and greatest cooking gadget, only to put it a cupboard for a few years and then donate it to the local Deseret Industries.)  I did try it and wasn't impressed and so into the back of the cupboard it went.  Then along came this journey and for some reason I pulled it out to give it another chance  because I can't have dairy and I wanted a frozen ice cream type treat of some kind.  And you know what, it actually works and the treat is good.  I made some to share with Dr. Scott's office and they enjoyed it.

I have made a two or three treats and plan to try many more.  I was surprised how many recipes and blogs exist that are dedicated to the Yonana.

The one I made for the office was an Apple Pie Yonana.

Ingredients:
2 Bananas
2 Red Delicious Apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Freeze bananas and apples.  Mix the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and sprinkle it over the frozen bananas and apples.  Run it through the Yonana machine.  Enjoy.

The first one I made was a Blueberry Ice Cream.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen bananas
2 cups frozen blueberries

Directions:
Allow the fruit to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes.  Put the bananas and blueberries through the Yonana machine and into a medium bowl.  Enjoy.

The last batch I made was like the Blueberry Ice Cram except I used mixed berries and threw in about 1/2 cup almonds.  It was good too.  I will be using my Yonana a lot.  In fact it is out on my counter now.

Yonana blog:  http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/yo-nana-does-the-yonanas-work/
                      http://kristenbentson.com/blog/recipes/yonanas-desserts/

Yonana recipes:  http://www.yonanas.com/recipes/
                          http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/07/yonanas-treat-machine-giveaway-soft.html
                          http://pinterest.com/jlsvendsen/yonanas-recipes/
                          http://pinterest.com/yonanas/yonanas-recipes/
                          http://blog.womenshealthmag.com/dish/yonanas/

Rest Stop - Biggest Loser Recipes

I have a few people tell me i would have done very well on the Biggest Loser and ask me if I had ever gone to any of the casting calls.  The answer is Yes, I went to one of the casting calls a couple of years ago and boy was it an experience.  I went with a good friend of mine.  We had a pass to get us to the front of the line, that was thanks to a skinny friend, and she said she wished she was big enough to qualify to be on the show. I told her to be thankful she wasn't because trying to lose the weight is a real pain and not to mention hard.  After my buddy and I had finished our paperwork, we waited for our turn to be interviewed.  They interviewed 12 people at a time and the entire interview with all twelve took about 15 minutes.  One question they asked was to tell them something about each of us that nobody would guess.  I told them I was the city Santa Clause.  Anyway, neither of us got a call back, which in the long run was fine with me.

As I have searched the internet about the Biggest Loser, I have come to realize that most of the contestants seem to gain back their weight and some of them end up weighing more than they did before the show.  I have come to understand that unless the change comes from within and it is done in a real world setting that it can be awful hard, if not impossible to keep the weight off.  I say this as I worry about being able to continue to lose the weight I want and then keep it off for the rest of my life.  I do know that if I don't keep it off it may shorten my life considerably.

Anyway, I have found some interesting ideas and thoughts on different Biggest Loser sites.  The first site is actually the official NBC site for the Biggest Loser.  There are some great recipes on this site that I willbe trying in the future.  Since tomatoes and eggs are back in my diet I will be trying the Smoked Sausage Breakfast Scramble real soon.  The link is: http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/exclusives/nutrition/chef_devin/recipes.shtml

The next link is http://www.oprah.com/food/Healthy-Recipes-from-the-Biggest-Loser-Family-Cookbook  It is from Oprah and has four recipes .  I may make one of them tomorrow night, since Vick has a Relief Society Garden Party to go to. I told her she will probably get a healthy recipe rather than the sweet, gooey ones I am known for.

This one is a write up by US News and World Report.  http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/biggest-loser-diet
Lots of good info and the do's and don'ts along with some recipes and menus.

There is even a Pinterest board with 40 recipes from the Biggest Loser cookbooks.  http://pinterest.com/whimsicaldreams/biggest-loser-recipes/

So as you can see there is a lot of information having information having to do with the Biggest Loser, mostly recipes, but it gives ideas for food to eat while following the journey Dr. Scott has started me on.

Week Twelve - Day One - Sugar

This was to be my last week of twice a week visits to Dr. Scott's office but due to scheduling conflicts I will only be seeing him once this week and that was yesterday. I will be in the office twice next week and then once a week for the three weeks following that. Went through the usual routine. It is nice to only go once this week but in the same token I miss the extra encouragement I get by going more than once a week. I need to remember that the whole goal of this journey with Dr. Scott is that by the end I will not be tethered to ho or his office, that I will be able to do this on my own.

I will be done with the Clearvite today. Wahoo. Actually the Clearvite hasn't been to bad, better tasting than the Repairvite. Starting Wednesday eggs are back in my diet along with the nightshade plants, ie. tomatoes etc. That will be great. Dr. Scott says gluten will be out probably for the rest of my life, but we both agree that probably won't happen and I will have to chose my battles and pick my fights with it. As I have said before I will be eating a lot less of it in the future.

My weight loss for the last couple of weeks has amounted to about two pounds a week. I am not happy with that after the big losses I have had in the first couple of months. I know that one to two pounds in what they say is healthy and I lost all that weight without any exercise. Dr. Scott has now add some exercise to my journey. He wants me to follow a "Tabata Program." If you do not know what Tabata is, here is a little bit about it. Tabata was founded in Japan by Izumi Tabata. He conducted tests on two groups of athletes; comparing moderate high intensity training with high intensity interval training. The results were that the athletes training in high intensity interval training improved their aerobic systems as well as their anaerobic system. The athletes who did the moderate high intensity training only improved their aerobic system and had little to no increase in their anaerobic system. Dr. Scott wants me to start with a warm up for five minutes followed by walking as fast as I can for 20 seconds and then slow down for 10 seconds and repeat. I do this cycle nine time and then cool down for five minutes. In the future we will add weights, etc. This is going to be interesting. I did some research about the Tabata Exercise program and there is quite a bit of good information. A good link is: http://tabatatraining.org/

Came across an article that made me think a little bit about being overweight. This my being overweight is what this journey is all about I have added it to this blog. http://www.fitsugar.com/Reasons-You-Losing-Weight-24882317?slide=17&image_nid=24882323 This blog is not only the program Dr. Scott has me following but it is also about the things I am learning about health and nutrition along the way. With an occasional cartoon or thought thrown in to keep it light.

This is my theme song:

Rest Stop - Smoothies

Just a short note for now.  I am big on smoothies now and yes I even add spinach to my smoothies.  I have posted a couple of recipes in the past and will be posting more but I saw thee two charts on the internet and wanted to post them on this blog.  The infographics came from skinnyme.com   http://www.superskinnyme.com/

This link will take you to a printed version of this infographic:  http://www.superskinnyme.com/how-to-make-a-smoothie.html

Here is the link to the printed version of this one:  http://www.superskinnyme.com/smoothie-recipes.html

Rest Stop - Truth About Bread

My second visit with the Dr.'s office this week was Thursday.  Normal routine.  Can't believe I have been on this journey for eleven weeks.

Just wanted to add a post for an article I recently read.  It has to do with "The Truth About Bread."  Bread is one of my big down falls.  I used to stop at the store in the afternoon for one reason or another.  If the french bread had just come out of the oven I would buy a loaf and on occasion two loaves.  Vick and I would polish off a loaf of hot french bread that night with dinner.  Several times, when she was with me, we would be into it before we got home.  I would usually eat between two thirds and three quarters of the the loaf.  Vick has said I could go through two loaves of bread and a jar of peanut butter in a week and sad to say it is true.  During this journey I have had virtually no bread or gluten of any kind.  When this journey is over I will eat bread and pasta and such again, only with a whole lot more control and not as often.

The link for the article is:   http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-bread-and-diet?ecd=wnl_wlw_061513&ctr=wnl-wlw-061513_ld-stry&mb=   It comes from the Web MD site.

I spent some time tonight talking with the wife of a good friend of mine and we ended up talking about weight loss.  I wish I could help him and a couple of other friends make the commitment to lose some weight but as this cartoon says and as I agree "The will power has to come from within."  Tonight my daughter got mad at my son in law for the amount he ate and he got defensive.  Vick says I used to be like that and I told her the only thing pointing out how much somebody is eating does is push the person being reminded about how much they are eating into eating in private or eating to excess right in front of the person trying to help them and basically saying I will do what I want and nobody is going to tell me what or how much to eat.  I know it is not a very good practice but nobody likes to be told to quit eating so much, especially by a skinny person. I can tell my friends to watch what they eat because as I remind them, this comes from one fat person to another.  My mom says I need to be careful because I am like the ex-smoker or ex-drinker and I can be harder on these guys than I realize, but as I tell her, what price can you put on your health or life?  Enough preaching for tonight.

Week Eleven - Day Two - Spiced Almonds

Second visit at Dr. Scott's office this week.  One more week of twice a week visits.  I will also end my Clearvite program next Tuesday.  i had the first beef I have had in two and a half weeks tonight. Dr. Scott had told me I could have beef again when I ended my vegetarian week of Clearvite.  When I told him I was still eating only fish, chicken and turkey, he told me to go home and have some beef and that is exactly what I did.

Today I made some Chili Lime Almonds and shared them with Dr. Scott's office and they loved them.  I told Dr. Scott's wife I would have the recipe on my blog by tonight.  both her and the good Dr. said they liked almonds and these are okay on this phase of my journey.  I did not use the whole amount of honey called for.  I figured honey would be okay since I had maple syrup on the modified water fast.  This is the first time I have had any sugar or sugar type product since this journey began.

  Chili Lime Spiced Almonds

Ingredients:
3 cups almonds
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs honey

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread almonds on a large baking sheet.  In a small bowl mix together everything but the almonds.  Pour mixture over nuts, and stir evenly to coat.  Make sure the nuts are in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake 15-20 minutes.  Cool completely, then store in an air tight container.

This recipe comes from the web site Dinners Dishes and Desserts:  http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/chili-lime-spiced-almonds/

I noticed that Jello now has a label on the boxes of Jello that say that Jello contains no Aspartame.  Tonight I came across an interesting article about how dangers of Aspartame:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

Rest Stop - Clean Eating / Coconut Oil

Just a short stop tonight for a couple of notes.  The first one has to do with 50 Clean Eating Snacks.  The ideas come from skinnyms web site: http://skinnyms.com/50-clean-eating-snacks/  and the second comes from Swanson Vitamins and has to do with 50 Uses for Coconut Oil.  Coconut oil is one thing I have been able to have all along.  The web site is:http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/natural-health-tips/using-coconut-oil

Rest Stop - Recipes for Rice, Avocado Dip, Quinoa and Nuts

I have been asked again to post recipes for some more of the things I am eating, so here they are.  And again I will omit or substitute for things I can not have.

This recipe for this http://naturallyella.com/  A good tasting change from plain brown rice.
Ginger Brown rice comes from the web site "Naturally Ella"

Carrot Ginger Rice

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
11/2 cups shredded carrots, about 2-3 large carrots
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
1 Tbs minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs honey
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
Unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium low heat.  Add in garlic and ginger, cooking until the both become fragrant, roughly two minutes.  Stir in shredded carrots and cook 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together soy sauce, honey, vinegar and sesame seeds.  Pour over carrot mixture and cook until heated.  Finally, stir in rice and cook for 3-4 minutes or until rice is warm.  Serve with toasted coconut.

Since I am now allowed to have raw nuts, I been enjoying a lot of them.  I do have to watch how many nuts I eat in a day because of the fat content.  But I am learning to enjoy raw nuts, though I would not turn down salted nuts later in this journey.

I found a recipe for some great tasting almonds on Pinch My Salt   http://pinchmysalt.com/  I just omit the Stevia at this point, because sweeteners are not part of my journey at this point.

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Five Spice Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:
2 cups raw almonds
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1/2 packet stevia (or1/2 to 1 tsp sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Direction:
In a large bowl, toss the almonds with the olive oil.  Spread almonds out on a sheet pan in a single layer.  (Keep mixing bowl handy - you will need it again.)  While oven heats, mix the spices and salt, and stevia (or Sugar) in a small bowl, set aside.  Bake almonds in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and carefully pour the hot almonds back into the mixing bowl.  Sprinkle spices over the nuts and toss well with a spoon.  Pour the seasoned almonds back onto the sheet pan and return to the oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let nuts cool completely on pan.  Store nuts in a covered container.


Pea and Avocado Dip

Ingredients:
1 can green peas
1 avocado, seeded and peeled
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbs lime juice or the juice from 1 lime
Kosher or Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Hot Sauce to taste

Directions:
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and mix to the consistency you prefer.

Makes a great dip for carrots and celery and other raw veggies.  The recipe comes from Make the best off everything   http://makethebestofeverything.com/


One thing this journey has done for me is open my mind to a lot of new products I have been hearing about and reading about.  One of them is Quinoa.

PursuitOfHealthiness's Note:
Quinoa(pronounced Kin-Wa) is an ancient grain that was a staple food of the ancient Incas of South America.  This recipe is cooked cereal somewhat like oatmeal, but it's even healthier!  It is gluten-free and according to Bob's Red Mill, is the most nutrious of all grains.  The added flax meal is for boosting your omega-3s.

I already have a couple of recipes using this grain and there will probably be many more.  The recipe for this Quina cereal comes from Food.com  http://www.food.com/recipe/quinoa-breakfast-cereal-251953



Quinoa Breakfast Cereal


Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (whole grain)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup dried apricot, diced
2 Tbs sunflower seeds

Directions:
Heat water in a covered pot to boiling.  Dice dried apricots and measure other ingredients.  Add all ingredients to boiling water, stir well and return to boil.  Cover and reduce top simmer for 12 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed, stirring once or twice in the middle.  Remove from heat, fluff(like you would rice), cover and let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve in a bowl with milk (or dairy free milk alternative), and a drizzle of honey if desired.

Rest Stop - National Doughnut Day

Since the 1st of June was National Doughnut Day and the 8th of June was National Jelly-filled Doughnut Day I thought this might be appropriate.

Rest Stop - Diet Choices

A good read about how diet choices help weight loss.  Again, I don't say follow these things, I just post them for your information.  As I continue this journey I am always reading, searching and learning.  This journey has been a great learning experience and life changing event for me.  The link to the article is:  http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/123004a.htm

Week Eleven - Day One - Clean Eating

This week I lost 2 lbs. Vick says I did good but I wish I had lost more.  The total loss is about 55 pounds in ten weeks.  All I have to do is lose about 1 3/4 lbs a week for the rest of the year and my loss will be over 100 pounds.  That would be nice.  I will start keeping closer track of my calories tomorrow.  Tomorrow also marks the last day of the vegetarian part of Clearvite.  When I talked with Dr. Scott about the low weight loss this week and I thought I would lose more during the vegetarian week, he said most people lose a small amount or nothing at all during this week.  That made me feel a little better.  Will be trying harder this coming week.

Today was my visit at the Dr.'s office.  Followed the usual routine. my visit lasted about 90 minutes.  The time of day I visit is a nice quite time to be there.  About 4:30, it starts getting crazy and I am glad I leave shortly there after.  Next week ends my twice a week visits.  It is hared to believe I have been on this journey for ten weeks.  Time has flown by.

On the blog Tough Lipstick http://www.toughlipstick.com/, the author of the blog, Anna, lists five steps to eating clean.  She has some great ideas and they follow the things I have been learning from Dr. Scott.  Check it out:  http://www.toughlipstick.com/2013/02/5-steps-to-clean-eating.html

Rest Stop - Quinoa Recipe

Last rest stop for the night.  I am into the last couple of days of my week of being a vegetarian during my Clearvite phase.  It hasn't been as hard as I thought, but I am not sure I will show much of a weight loss this week.  I know that at some point I will hit a plateau and maybe this is it, but that means I have to work extra hard the last week of the phase of my journey.  I also need to be a little more serious about keeping track of my calories and make sure I am walking every day.

As I posted recently, I have started eating Quinoa.  Here is a breakfast idea.  The recipe comes from http://www.turntablekitchen.com/2009/07/quinoa-breakfast-bowl-a-fresh-start/   This is the Turntable Kitchen Recipe collection.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (I used coconut milk)

1 cup water

1 cup red or yellow quinoa rinsed

1 pint mixed blackberries and blueberries

1/2 tsp ground cinamon (more to taste)

1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans

honey, to taste (I omitted this)

Directions:

Pour the milk, water and quinoa (stirring to combine) in a medium pot and bring the ingredients to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until 3/4 of the liquid is absorbed by the grains.  Meanwhile, toast the nuts by spreading them on a cookie sheet and baking at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.  When the quinoa is done, take the pot off the heat and let it stand, with the cover on for about five minutes.  Take the pecans out of the oven.  Pour in the blackberries, sprinkle with cinnamon and stir in the pecans.  Next, add about 1 tsp honey and stir to mix.  Serve.

As a side note, my sister is following this blog and has told me if she catches me eating oneof the Dunkin Dounut Breakfast Sandwiches I blogged about a couple of days ago, she will ninja kick that sandwich and probably me into the middle of next week.  I guess I may have to eat one into disguise or in secrect.

Rest Stop - Chia Seeds / Smoothie Recipes

Last night I decided to buy some Chia Seeds.  I have read that they are the super food of the year.
ABC News did a story on Chia Seeds: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/eating-chia-seeds/story?id=18296119#.UbTHAfnVCmg
So I went to my local Good Earth Health Food Store and bought some Chia Seeds.  I made two things with them today.  The first was Vanilla and Chia Pudding and the second was a smoothie from Daphne Oz.   I tld the guy I talked to at Good Earth that the recipe for the pudding would be on this blog within a day or so.   They were both pretty good.  Vick wasn't so excited to try them but she did.  She is not so sure about some of the things I have begun to make along this journey, but I told her she is the one that wants me to lead the way in eating better.

The First recipe is for the smoothie:

Daphne Oz's Super Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh Mint leaves
1 Banana (peeled cut into 2 inch pieces and frozen)
1/2 cup Cranberry juice
1/2 cup water (plus more if needed)

Directions
Place all of the ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add extra water as needed.

The recipe comes from the Chew web site. http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Super-Green-Smoothie-Daphne-Oz

The second recipe is for the pudding:

Vanilla & Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
3/4 cup Almond Milk
1 tsp stevia or authentic maple syrup

Directions:
Add almond milk to a glass.  Stir in chia seeds, vanilla extract and stevia.  Place in the fridge for 30 minutes but keep stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.  It will start to thicken up.  I left mine in the fridge for about two hours.

Garnish with dried nuts or any fruit of choice.

This recipe comes from the web site Fit and Fancy  http://fit-n-fancy.com/2013/03/16/vanilla-chia-seed-pudding/


As a closing thought:

"Our food sholud be our medicine and our medicine should be our food." ~ Hippocrates

Rest Stop - 13 Things You Didn't Know About Organic Food

I know several people that eat only organic or at least try to eat only organic.  I am not that off the hook yet. I came across this article in Reader's Digest.  It is entitled "13+ Things You Didn't Know About Organic Food."  You will like this article Wendy.  After the talks we have had when I have been at Dr. Anderson's office.  The link is: bit.ly/118TrJL

I am not a dietitian, certified trainer, or health professional pf any kind.  I am just a guy that has lot of weight to lose and like sharing what I am learning along my journey.

Week Ten - Day Two - Office Visit

I know this post is very late but it has been a crazy end of the week..When I went to see Dr. Scott on Thursday I was told I still can't have peepers but Chia seeds are okay.  So to that end I have purchased some Chia seeds and will be trying them in a couple of recipes I have found.

This last visit with at Dr. Scott's off ice included a visit with his good wife.  She is the office manager and is usually not there when I am but due to the fact one of his office help was graduating, Dr. Scott's wife was in the office.  She is a good lady and made me feel good about the progress I have made.  I guess I will have to keep it up.

In all seriousness I do feel better and can evenget off the floor a little easier now.  I can walk up and down stairs a little easier and I noticed when my knee gets sore it heals a little quicker.  And that is a blessing in and of itself.  The only way to go is down.

Rest Stop - Spinach Salad Recipe

This rest stop is several recipes I have used during this journey.  They may have foods I am not allowed to have while on Repairvaite or Clearvite.  In that case I either leave them out or replace them with something I can have.

The first one is for Spinach Quinoa Salad.  It comes from two peas and their pod.  http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/spinach-quinoa-salad-with-roasted-grapes-pears-almonds/

Spinach Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes, Pears and Almonds

Ingredients:
2 cups red seedless grapes
2 large Bartlett pears, chopped
1 Tbsp honey
2 cups water
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
8 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped almonds

For the Lemon-Honey Dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine grapes and pears in a small bowl.  Drizzle with honey and stir until fruit is well coated.  Place fruit on a large greased baking sheet.  Roast fruit for 15-20 minutes, or until the grapes are slightly shriveled and pears are soft.
2. While fruit is roasting, cook quinoa.  In a large pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Season with a pinch of sea salt.  Stir in quinoa and cook until water is evaporated and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.  Pour quinoa into a medium bowl and fluff with a fork.  Let cool to room temperature.
3. To make Lemon-Honey Dressing: combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper in a small jar with a tight fitting lid, close, and shake until well combined.
4. In a salad bowl, combine spinach, roasted grapes, pears, quinoa, and chopped almonds.  Drizzle salad dressing over salad and toss until coated.
 I make this without baking the grapes and pears because I can't have the honey



The second recipe comes from the top tv stuff household blog.  It is
a great recipe for a way to start your day.  I don't make it very often because I get get to have a lot of bananas on the Clearvite program and I couldn't have any bananas on the Repairvite program.  I could have this on the Repairvite program if I left out the banana.  But I did not find it until the last couple of days.  The link to the blog is:  http://www.toptvstuffhousehold.com/easy-recipes-for-healthy-breakfasts/

Ingredients:
1 peeled banana
1 cup berries (blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
1 peeled orange
1/4-1/2 avocado (pitted)
2-3 cups of a leafy green (spinach, kale, etc.)
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
4 ounces water

Directions:
Throw all of these ingredients in to your blender, except for the leafy greens.  After the ingredients have been blended, toss in the leafy greens and blend for 20-30 seconds. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Rest Stop - Dunkin Donuts

                                                                       
  This is just a quick stop to talk about something I heard about on the news in the last couple of days.  I mention this because there is a new Dunkin' Donuts going in just a couple of miles from my house.  Dunkin' Donuts is introducing a new breakfast sandwich.  It is called "Doughnut Bacon Sandwich".  The good thing about it is it only has 360 calories.  Not bad.  I might have to have one after I get through my journey   But then on the other hand I probably will not have one.                                                                                                                  

Week Ten - Day One - About Gluten

I am posting a couple more articles about Gluten.  As I have stated before, I will not be giving up gluten totally after this journey is over.  I will be a little more careful in how much and how often I eat it.  These articles are posted for your information and so you can make your own decisions.

The first article is titled: "50 Shades of Gluten(Intolerance)"  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kresser/gluten-intolerance_b_2964812.html

The second article is titled: "When Going Gluten-Free Is Dangerous" http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/26/when-going-gluten-free-is-dangerous.html

I am including a third article as a bonus.  It is titled: "Is Going Gluten-Free Healthier For Everybody?"  http://news.yahoo.com/going-gluten-free-healthier-everybody-090000239.html

Rest Stop - Dangerous Chemicals in Fast Food

I post these reads for your enjoyment and knowledge.  I do not claim them to be the total truth, just articles for you to think about.  This one comes from Celestial Wellness Center. http://docakilah.wordpress.com/  The first article has to do with "Dangerous Chemicals in Fast Food."  Enjoy it.

Week Ten - Day One - Week One of Clearvite

Weigh in day today.  Lost 5.1 pounds this week.  I am now under 350 pounds and that is a big milestone.  Visited with Dr. Scott today.  He is happy with the way things are going.  My energy is up and I can even move better.  I picked up a 25 pound bag of sugar the other day and Vick said "just think, you have lost equivalent of two of those".  It seemed very heavy and I am not sure how I carried that much weight around.

Usual routine at the Dr.s office today.  I have two weeks after this of twice a week visits, then it drops to once a week.  I also have one day left on the first week of Clearvite.  I start a week of vegetarian meals on Wednesday.  That should prove to be exciting and interesting because I like my meat.  This week has been a challenge because I haven't been able to have beef.  Beef and pork will be reintroduced after the three week Clearvite program.  I will add a couple of recipes tomorrow because it is very late.

Rest Stop - Just a Thought

Just a thought:

Rest Stop - 6 Things to Never Do to Lose Weight

Just a short rest stop this time.  I know if I wasn't doing what I am right now that plan B for me would probably have included a pine box.  I have learned that I will to be watching the things I eat for the rest of my life.  This journey has me doing a lot more reading about health and health issues.  I cam across an interesting  article about dieting.  Just thought I would pass it on.  It is titled "6 Things to Never Do to Lose Weight"  http://
bit.ly/11eaGZU

Week Nine - Day Two - Burger King Whopper Holder

Second visit with he Dr. this week on Thursday.  It was business as usual except I went in the morning instead of the afternoon.  It seemed strange but it sure was quiet.  I kind of enjoyed the morning visit.  I gave the girls at the office a copy of the gluten article.  I told them it was just for information because I think the gluten thing may be over done.  We will see how I fell when I start back on bread etc and maybe I will change my tune.

I heard about this on the radio and I know I am on a life changing journey but I want one any way.  Read more about it at:  http://
fxn.ws/15oXTb8