Wednesday, August 21, 2013

One more Whole30 update ...

I started the Whole30 on July 10th
and now it is Aug 21st and I'm still on it......haha!!
I thought in the beginning I would be glad when the 30 days
ended but after a very short time, I realized I didn't really want it to end.
yes, I feel that good

So now I'm just reading Paleo cookbooks, collecting recipes as
I am going to ease myself off of the Whole30 and into Paleo eating.

Besides feeling so great, the second thing that convinced me was having my physical done and my doctor telling me that this is how her family eats.
and she just very "matter of fact" said...."it's really the only way to eat"

and she's right
My mom and I have always talked about how the chemicals they
put in food is awful, makes people sick, killing people.
and now I truly believe that because detoxing all of that out of my body
I feel fabulous. And to eat like this is not hard at all.
Quitting smoking, now that was hard!
but eating really good food and feeling great, that's not hard. 

So I won't preach it anymore but I will continue to show
some good Paleo recipes on my blog.......just as I have always
shown recipes on here. Just now they will be really
good for you recipes.

later......

Friday, August 16, 2013

Sunflowers ...

I love sunflowers
they are just so big and bright
and they just bring a feeling of happiness
 
I've tried so many times to grow them but as soon as they start
sprouting, the birds get to them.
 
This year I planted seeds in some of my flower pots
on the deck
and they came up great....no birds tampering with them!!
they are the mini sunflowers....so cute!
and as soon as I saw a flower was going to happen, I started
snapping a picture every couple of days

so here you go......my first mini sunflower!


ohhh look, a little flower is forming
 
 
and now she's starting to open up....


 
and today so beautiful
look at the swirl in the middle of the sunflower
God sure does some amazing work huh?



 
now if just a few more will open up, I'll cut them
and put in a pretty crystal vase!!
 
later.....
 
 
 


Friday, August 9, 2013

Whole30 ....

I did it!
I completed the Whole30
I had no dairy, sugar, grains, processed food, alcohol
for 30 days
and I never cheated
and I've never felt better

For anyone not familiar with the Whole30, it is a 30 day nutrition challenge that focuses on eating a paleo based diet. On the Whole30 you eat meat, fish, eggs, tons of veggies, small amounts of fruit and lots of good fats. By doing this for 30 days you are re-setting your digestive system. It is a great way to
find out how different foods like dairy, grains, etc affect your body. Because when you finish, you slowly introduce these back into your system but no processed food.
I'm here to tell you that eating REAL food is def the way I will
live the rest of my life!

my results and thoughts......

  • The hardest part of this is the meal planning. But that was mostly the first week. After that, I really had the hang of it. And I always double cooked a lot of food so that I always had something on hand to eat. And I started using my crock pot a lot....especially overnight!
  • I have arthritis in my fingers. And every morning when I wake, I have to gently massage them just to open my hand. On the 4th or 5th morning of doing the Whole30 I went to do that and realized I didn't need to. And I have not had to since......my fingers feel great. When its been damp outside, I can feel it a little but nothing like what it was before.
  • After the first week, I basically lost most of my desire to snack. I did have a banana before I would go work out. And if I did want something, I would have a small handful of raw cashews.
  • Food taste amazing!! When I quit smoking just over 6 years ago, I thought my taste buds really woke up and food was good. Well now, after no processed food, they have really woken up. Food is even better!
  • I ate more during the Whole30 than I have ever eat....well, except when I was pregnant.
  • When I get out of the bed, no more aches and pains. Let's face it, I'm 57 years old so yes, getting out of bed you would be achy or stiff. But now, I feel fine!
  • skin is clearer, nails growing faster, hair is softer and just an overall good feeling.
  • I lost 9.4 lbs while doing this and overall 7 inches. I went down one pants size.
 
I went to my drs on Day 29 for my yearly physical. She was beyond thrilled to hear that I was eating this way. Because who knew.....but she eats Paleo with her family. She said it's the only way to eat. And if more people ate this way, they wouldn't see the dr very often!! I told her I wanted to stay on the Whole30 a bit longer, was it ok and she gave her stamp of approval ... along with some
tips on when I stop it.
 
So there.....it's been great. I realize it's not for everyone but for me, I love
it and will continue to eat this way. I know when fresh veggies are done
for the summer, it will be a little tougher but I'll get through it.
Looking in to lots of Paleo soups to cook!
 
and for anyone who thinks you can't eat good.....well see below
that was my breakfast this morning. Eggs cooked in coconut oil, which
is amazing and so so so much better tasting than butter or other
oils......bacon, nitrate free and sugar free and avocado!!
before Whole30, it would have been a cup of grits with a lot
of butter!!
 
 
later.....


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Charlottesville ....

On Sunday, I went up to Charlottesville to visit with our son
who lives there.
 
I had been trying for awhile to go up there but either we were busy,
Jake was busy or it was raining!! Finally, we found a day to explore
around the Charlottesville area.
First up, I went with Jake to do his grocery shopping for the week.
 
Then we headed over to Blue Mountain Brewery for lunch.
this also was my first time of eating out since starting the Whole30 eating.
But I did fine, water, hamburger, no bun, and a side salad
it was very good.....and we enjoyed the 82 degrees by sitting out
on the patio for lunch
 


 
after lunch we headed up to Afton Mountain, Wintergreen ski resort,
and then the Blue Ridge parkway. We also went by Hump Rock mtn but
did not do the hike....maybe next time!
 
 
I'm showing Jake that I love the mountains...."this much"!! haha


 
then we went riding around Charlottesville......here Jake is
showing me "The Corner".....very cool section of the city with bars,
restaurants, coffee shops

 
and here's me almost the whole time snapping pictures
but the bad news is my camera is in desperate need of a cleaning
so my pictures have this crazy smudge down them. I'm sure it's a piece
of lint down in there.
 
 
We also drove around the University of Va a little....such a beautiful
campus. And we def had perfect weather for a day like today. It was 82 in
the city but as we went further up the mountains, the temps dropped
to 71.....and felt wonderful.
 
later. 
 


Monday, August 5, 2013

Products I love ....

I have bought cheap products and I've bought expensive
and to be honest, sometimes I just couldn't always tell any difference
but over the years, I have found some favorites that I have just
stuck with
 
So just thought I would share......
below is my hair cream to keep my hair smooth and shiny despite
the blow dryer....that can dry out your hair. I put a small amount in my
hand, rub them together and just rub through my hair.
then blow dry ... and it just keeps my hair so soft!
 


Next is my hair spray. I just cannot go without spray.....I've tried, I can't.
So I had to find one that I could run my hands through and wouldn't make
my hair so stiff. And this product does just that. It's called tousling
spray and it really is!!
 
 

 
Next up is my face moisturizer. I used to spend a lot of money on face
creams but one day decided to try Ponds. I mean really, our grandmothers
all used that and they all had the softest skin! And let me just say...I LOVE it!
It keeps my skin soft and doesn't dry it out at all.
great product!!
 
 
Next up is my fake tan! I love having a sun tan but we all know it's bad
for you. And I used to do the tanning bed and then they said that was bad.
But I needed some color for the summer. I started using Jergens because of
the ease of using it but it did sort of have that orange color...and it did not
have a good smell to it. So I quit using it years ago. Tried other products, didn't
like any others either. Then Jergens came out with their new product
with no orange color and no bad smell. Perfect! I use the "mild" color
and only put it on every other day......and it keeps me with just
the right amount of tan.
 
 
The last product here is my newest product. When we were down at
the bay, we all rode into Whitestone to do a little shopping. This little
shop we like has these wonderful soaps that we had bought before and we wanted to buy more. This time we decided to try the lotion. And wow, love love this lotion! It's thick but keeps your skin feeling so soft all day long!! And the smell is heavenly. I'll have to get some more when we go back down there later this month. I have one other bottle, lavender....ahh, I love the smell of lavender.

 


 
So there you go....my favorite things!!
 
later........
 
 


Sunday, August 4, 2013

Crock pot ....

I have 2 different crock pots
one is rather large.....great for cooking for the whole family
the other one is 3 crock pots in one unit
each with separate controls so you don't have to use them
all if not needed.
 
But the other night for dinner, I used all 3
and it's just wonderful to have so many of your dishes cooking
at one time!!
 
I put sweet potatoes in one......that's for me. I cooked one extra
for the next day.
Small white potatoes in another ... that's for Johnny
and then Fiesta Lime Chicken breast in the other
 
then all I had to do was slice up some tomatoes and
cucumbers and dinner was ready!
 



 
later....


Saturday, August 3, 2013

It's August ....

I guess every year at the first of August, we all say.....
"I can't believe it's August!
 
But really, I can't believe it! We've been so busy this summer
that it really seems as though it has flown by. And usually
by this time, we have been to the beach a few times. But we
have not been at all this summer ... I know, shocking!!
we have been down to the bay twice and that's been great...but
I truly long for the beach. We won't be going though until September
And that's just fine...September is my favorite time of the
year to go down there. The water is warm, the restaurants are
not crowded since kids are back in school.
 
We have lots of fun things going on in August...as my
chalkboard shows......
 
 
Our daughter Nicole will be celebrating her birthday
this month...and she'll be 31 years old.
Time sure does fly.....
 
later.......


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Clean eating ... day 22

here I am ... 22 days in and I can't believe I have done
this. One week away from completing the Whole30.
they tell you it will change your life in an amazing way
I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about but now
I know ... and it has.
I'll go more into that when I hit my 30th day
but for now, some more of the wonderful foods I have been
eating since starting this
 
I made these egg muffins so we would have something
easy to take to work for breakfast
they really are like mini quiches
I sautéed peppers and onions for these
I think next time I will include sausage
 
 
also new I fixed eggplant. I can't believe all of these years of cooking
and I had never made eggplant before. I kind of made my "veggie" version
of a pizza......I sliced the eggplant and drizzled with olive oil
and added some Italian seasoning
 
 
then mixed some fresh tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil
after bringing to a boil, turned down to simmer
 
 


I baked the eggplant, then added the tomatoes and put
under the broiler for a couple of minutes to "toast" it up a little
 
 
turned out good but one lesson learned, pat the eggplant with
a paper towel to remove excess moisture. I didn't realize that they hold
so much moisture. But they were good and I'll definitely make again.
 
later.....