Healthy Living

Game #5

2008-09-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to go to the game tonight.I had no energy because I was sick. Thankfully the sickness only lasted a couple days. I didn't think it was wise to use my energy in a soccer game when it should be used to help repair my body! But I heard from Allie, my sister that we tied 4-4.

Game #4

2008-09-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

We played an awesome game on Thursday. We ended up winning 5-0. I scored the second goal of the game. I have to say, it was a pretty awesome shot! Unfortunately, I rolled my ankle in the second half, and didn't play most of it. It's my ankle I hurt last season which caused me to be out for 3 weeks!

I decided not to go back into the game, because I wasn't sure how bad it was hurt. Last time I hurt it, I played in the game after wards, and I think it messed it up even more. By the time I got home, my calf was really stiff, and ankle was just a little sore. I iced it and took some Tylenol. The next day, I wore my brace, which helped it. Today it feels really good. We'll see how it holds up when I work out today!

I think the brace really helped it. Glad I had it on!

Goal #1 Kaiser 5 Miler

2008-09-08T10:40:00.001-07:00

I heard on the radio today about an event that is going on during the Portland Marathon. It's called the Kaiser 5 Miler. I can only dream of one day being able to attempt a marathon. However being as I'm not ready for a marathon, I think this event seems a little more in my league. It's a run/walk sponsored by Kaiser for people who want to get out there, but can't do the marathon. I think it's a great choice for me. So, I'm going to do it. Hopefully Raj will participate with me and we can do it together. Anyone else interested in joining?

Here are the event details:

Date: Sunday, October 5th

Entry Fee
General public individual registration is $25.
Kaiser Permanente Employee registration is $12.50 (must use coupon code).
Entry fees are non-refundable. Entry fee includes a timing chip, t-shirt and other goodies.

Registration Dates
Online registration ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, September 29.
Mail entries must be received no later than September 18 and must be post marked on or before September 18.
A $5 late fee will be applied in addition to the entry fee if registering at the Sports & Fitness Expo on October 3 and 4 at the Portland Hilton Hotel. No discount coupons may be used if registering at the Expo.

Start Location
The Kaiser Permanente 5 Miler start line is located at the corner of SW Salmon Street and SW 3rd Avenue in Downtown Portland. Allow adequate time for parking. You must arrive at the start line no later than 7:30am.

5 Miler Schedule of Events
7:30am - 5 Miler runners and walkers assemble on SW Salmon Street between SW 2nd Avenue and SW 3rd Avenue.
7:44am - Wheelchair start
7:45am - Start of 5 Miler

For more information visit The Portland Marathon.

Game #3

2008-09-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Tonights game was an early one. It started at 5:50pm, so I had to switch my schedule at work to go to it. We got there just as the game was starting. We played on the "big" field. I played center on and off the first half. Man is that a tiring position! Just a few min's of that and then I'm ready for a sub! We played a good game. The other team had what seemed like 6 subs. We on the other had had only 2. I scored the first 2 goals. My second one was a nice shot. (If I do say so myself!) Someone new played goalie tonight. It was her first time. She did great. I like to see people try different things. After all, it's a beginners league. I hope to try goalie at least one time this season. It's a very scary position for me, but I think it would be nice to give it a try. We ended up loosing the game 4-7, but I think we played really well considering everything.

September

2008-09-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

September 1, 2008; Monday

Today is Labor day, I had it off, but for some reason I volunteered to do a few hours at work. Oh well. After work, Raj and I went out for lunch at our favorite restaurant, Don Taco. We ran a few errands, and then went for a walk with Oliver around the block. After the walk, I noticed my heart felt like it was racing. Then my gallbladder started to ache. So I drank two juices and felt better. I went out with some friends in the evening and didn't get home until late, and Raj stayed home and studied.

September 2, 2008; Tuesday

Probably shouldn't of stayed out so late last night. I was tired all day! I didn't feel like working out at all, and didn't even take a walk with Ollie. I ate a frozen meal for lunch...not bad. It was a BBQ chicken pizza. I took most of the cheese off. But I kept eating baked lays all day! I'm going to work out after work tonight, and hopefully it will get me back on track.

September 7, 2008; Sunday

Today I went to the gym after work. I was determined to get there. Even though, I had a horrible day at work, and all I really wanted to do after work was go home and eat dinner and "veg" on the couch. I made myself drive to the gym, walked in the building, and slowly started to change into my work out clothes. Then I got on the elliptical and started working out. With the help of good ol' Brittany Spears, we made it 30 mins on the treadmill. And my first mile was done in just under 12 mins! After the elliptical I did some arm weights and some situps and pushups. I felt great after working out. It was just the thing I needed after a hard day at work. I've slacked off this last week from working out...shame on me! But I think I've started this week off to a great start.

September 8, 2008; Monday

Well, I made it to the gym today! I did the turbo class and then afterwards did the pilates class. I've never done the pilates class on Mondays. It's a different teacher. She did more leg work and some arm stuff with weights. It was a nice change. We also did all kinds of stretches. It felt really good after the turbo class! After I was done with that, Raj called and said he wanted to go swimming. So he met me up at the club, and we swam some laps...if you can call it that...and then jumped in the hot tub. It was very nice to sit and relax! I was absolutely exhausted when I left the club. I hadn't even eaten dinner yet, and it was almost 9:30pm! So, I had a quick bowl of cereal and then off to bed. I slept like a log!

September 9, 2008; Tuesday

I had plans to do the cycle class today, but my legs felt really tired today, and I just couldn't get myself to go. And Raj called and asked me to pick him up downtown around the same time the class would of been. I did however get a short walk around the neighborhood with Ollie. I also spent most of my day off on my feet, cooking and baking! I've been trying to make meals a head of time so lunches and dinners will be quicker to prepare! I made 3 meals, and two desserts. Look for the recipes for the two desserts in an upcoming post.

Raj and I have never been morning people. We've been forced into becoming one with this school schedule of his. And surprisingly, we both are coming around to it. I've noticed I'm able to get a lot more done in the day, and I actually feel more energized than when I sleep in. Raj said around the same time every day he gets tire, about 2:30. The hardest part for us is getting to bed on time. We really should be going to bed at 9pm, but when you are used to going to bed at 1am...it's hard to chnage. Some nights we've been up till 11pm, but right now our goal is 10pm, and after we can do that, we will start getting it closer to 9pm. That's the goal at least!

I also watched my niece Emily today. She was home sick with Strep! Hope I don't get it. It was nice to spend the day with her. She is adorable. She helped me with the cookies. And she LOVED playing with Ollie. She calls him Wollie! Very cute!

Oh, and I measured today. I lost another 3/4 inch in my waste, and 1/2 inch in my hips! Yeah!

September 10, 2008; Wednesday:

After work today, I rushed over to the gym to catch the last 1/2 of turbo kick. I was surprised when I arrived because we had a sub teacher. She was horrible. I didn't like her techniques or routine. The only good thing she did were some lunges. After the class, Allie met me up at the club and we did some cardio. We did the yellow ellipticle for 30 mins.

September 11, 2008; Thursday:

I played in my soccer game today. I ended up not being able to play most of the second half because I rolled my ankle again. Luckily not as bad!

September 12, 2008; Friday:

I had plans of working out today, but because of my ankle, I decided I better take a day off to rest. Raj and I went out to celebrate him passing his test. We first went to Who Song and Larry's for some Chicken Taco's, then headed over to Beaches for their happy hour. I had a delicious BBQ chicken pizza. I took most of the cheese off. No problems!

September 13, 2008; Saturday:

I didn't work out today. I should have, but I didn't. Instead, Raj and I went out to dinner at Uskyme. And yes, I was very good!

September 14, 2008; Sunday:

Today was my only day off this week. We started a new shift bid at work. I will now have roving hours. Hopefully it goes ok. Raj and I tried running today around the track at Hudson's Bay High School. We were shooting for 5 miles. I was sure I could run at least 2 1/2 miles straight because I've done it on the treadmill, however after one lap around the track I was tired! We ended up lowering our standards for our first attempt, and ran 1 mile, 4 times around the track. We felt good.

September 15, 2008; Monday:

Tonight at the gym they were having a "Turbo Kick" party. It was 4 instructors and the class was an hour and a half. They did 7 routines total, and 4 turbo's. It was really fun. Unfortunately I decided to eat dinner an hour before class, which was a very bad idea! I ended up sitting one routine out. And I was glad I did, my stomach was upset, and it was the routine with all kinds of kicks! Can't wait for them to do it again! One of the instructor's I really liked. Her name is Cinamon. Im going to see if she teaches any other classes that I could go to.

September 16, 2008; Tuesday:

Allie and I have planed a work out schedule together. We hope it will keep us motivated and on track! Today we did cardio, the elliptical, and then on weights we focused on our arms. Felt really good!

September 17, 2008; Wednesday:

Well, today I started to feel like I was getting sick at work. My whole body started to ache! By the time I left work, I had decided it was probably best not to work out, and I went home and went right to bed. When Raj got home, I was in bed, and he asked me why was I sweating? I must have had a fever and it was breaking.

September 18, 2008; Thursday:

The next day I awoke thinking I was going to call in sick, but surprisingly, I didn't feel that bad. My lower back was still achy, and I didn't have a lot of energy, but not bad. So I ended up going to work. I was pretty tired all day, but made it through. I decided I better not play in my soccer game today. Better keep my energy for recovery! So, Raj and I went out to eat at Don Taco. Delicious!

September 19, 2008; Friday:

I had to work early today! I did alright. It helps to get to bed on time! After work, I came home and was pretty tired. I sat in my recliner with my feet up and Ollie sat on my lap. Allie and I were suppose to work out, I was hoping she would cancel, but she didn't so I drug myself down to the club. I was glad I decided to go after I'd gotten there! We had a great work out; Cardio and weights for our legs. After our work out, I hurried home and got ready to go out with Raj. It was our 7 year wedding anniversary! We ended up going to Cinetopia to see a movie and dinner. Dinner was good, but we didn't pick a very good show! A little weird! It was called Burn after Reading.

September 20, 2008; Saturday:

I got up this morning and went for a run. I'm trying to train for the kaiser 5 miler. I was able to run down to the Marshall center before stopping. Then I ran passed the library and back to reserve. I had to walk up reserve, but was able to run on 16th home. I think I did pretty good for my first time running alone. It really helps to have my ipod with me. Keeps you distracted, and gives you motivation while running!

Game #2

2008-08-30T22:11:00.001-07:00

I played in my first game of the season tonight. My legs felt a little tired when I first got out there, I think it's because of the Turbo Kick class I did the day before. I played with my new indoor shoes. It took a couple of times with the ball to get used to them, but I really like them. The ball sort of "sticks" to the shoes. It's a lot better than playing with tennis shoes! I scored the 1st goal of the night. I was pretty proud of it. It was a nice shot, and I haven't scored a goal in a while. Had to use my inhaler twice. Once before the game, and then once after I'd been playing for about 15 mins. The skill level between both teams were pretty well matched, which made for an exciting game. We tied 4-4.

Game #1

2008-08-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

I am going to miss my first game of the 3rd season. Raj has his white coat ceremony for Pharmacy school. I'll be at the next one!

Update: I found out from my sister Mandy that we lost 5-2.

Cranberry Nut Muffins

2008-08-18T14:27:00.001-07:00

You are going to love these muffins! They are healthy for you and good too!

Here is the recipe: (Double batch) Makes about 24 muffins.

4 eggs beaten
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup milled flax seed
1 tbs baking powder
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts roughly chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if you are using silicone pans).

Collect your ingredients.

In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients: eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla.

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: flours, and baking powder. Sift the dry ingredients.

Stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, until just mixed. (Don't over mix.)

Add cranberries and walnuts and mix to incorporate.

The batter will be "sticky".

Oil your muffin pans (spray). If using silicone pans, fill one muffin cup halfway with water. This will make your muffins moist.

Spoon the batter into the oiled muffin pan.

Bake for 22 minutes.

Remove muffins from pan and cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!!!

Freezing: I usually make a double batch, so I can freeze some. I put about 6 muffins in a freezer ziploc bag, suck the air out of the bag with a straw, and then freeze. They will last 3-4 months in the freezer, but trust me, they won't be in there that long! When you are ready to use them, take them out of the freezer in the evening, put the bag in the fridge, and in the morning they will be ready to eat!

Helpful Tips:

It's very important to collect all ingredients before you start combining ingredients.
After I've used an ingredient, I put it away. That way I know I've used it.
Measure your oil into the 1 cup measuring spoon. Dump the oil into the bowl. Then use this same measuring spoon for the honey. When you dump it in the bowl, it won't stick to the spoon because it has been coated with oil.
Fill one muffin cup with water. This will make your muffins very moist!

August

2008-08-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

August 17, 2008

I think I did really well today. I drank a lot of water, and had fruits and veggies. I could have done a little better on the veggies. After work today I worked out at 24 hr. I started on the yellow elliptical and did this for 17 mins. Then ran on the treadmill. I walked for the first 2 mins. I hit the 1 mile mark at 15:33, and continued running until I had hit 1 mile 1/2. (Which was about 24mins total). I felt pretty good about the run. I only had to stop one time to stretch my calves, and then one other because I dropped my ipod...oops! After the run, I did a few situps and pushups. The only thing bothering me now after working out is my right knee is having some pain. Must be from the running. For dinner, we ate at Raj's families house. They brought in Chinese food from Ling Garden. It was really good, but after eating, I immediately felt bad. My gallbladder started "working", and I had a lot of heart burn. After a few hours, the gallbladder seems fine now, but the heart burn is still there. I've taken 3 extra strength tums, 1 pepcid complete, 1 fomatodine. Finally Raj gave me some gingerale, and I am finally getting some relief. The heat pack has also helped. I think the food was too greasy, and that's why I'm getting the pain. (Remind me not to eat there again!)

Work out inspiring song: Brittany Spears-Stronger
Goal: Run mile in 12 mins, continue interval running training

August 18, 2008

Today I did a new work-out class at 24 Hour. It's called Turbo Kick. What an intense work out! I don't think I've sweat that much ever before. It's a cross between kick boxing and aerobics. I"m definitely doing this one next week!

August 19, 2008

Well, today I ate out. I stopped by Bruchi's and got a sandwich for lunch. Called the "Western", it has turkey, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo on it. I got light mayo. It was delicious! I also took a spin class at 24-hour. It was an hour long. I think it's my least favorite class I've gone to. It's insane! It's probably really good for me to do though because it works my biggest areas...(butt and thighs). I don't have the endurance to do it the way I'd like, about 30 mins into the class, I feel like crashing! And those seats, could they make them more uncomfortable? I do need to do better with drinking my water. I seem to drink less of it when it's my day off. I'll have to work on that!

August 20, 2008

Wow, the alarm went off very early today! I had to drop Raj off at the Max train by 5:45am, so we got up around 4:45am. Since I was already up, I took the opportunity to go the the gym after I dropped him off to get a morning work out in. Let me tell you, the only people at the gym at that hour are tottally fit!

I got on the elliptical for 20 mins. I had a hard time keeping focused, and my legs felt really heavy. Probably from the cycle class last night. After the elliptical, I did some weights, mainly for legs. Then some sit ups and stretching at the end.

After I got home, I took Ollie for a 15 mins walk around the block. Right now, I feel pretty good, a little tired, (it's 8:15am), I'm sure if I closed my eyes, I'd go right to sleep! I have plans to work out tonight, so we'll see how I feel after that! It might end up being a "coke" day!

Update: Well, it ended up being a "2 coke" day! Man I was so tired. I ended up taking a quick cat nap at lunch, and finally started feeling better. After work I went back to the gym and did the last 30 mins of the turbo kick and the first 30 mins of the pilates class. I was just too tired to finish the whole class. Tomorrow I don't plan on working out at all, so hopefully the rest will help get my muscles and endurance back!

Work out inspiring song: Smashmouth-Allstar

August 21, 2008

Well, I didn't get any workout's in today. And I ate out...better not make this a habit! We were celebrating Raj's entrance into Pharmacy School, so I think it's ok! We ate at a great Indian restaurant in Hillsboro called Chanai Masala. I feel pretty good after eating there, but I have a little bit of "nagging" pain in my gallbladder. Tomorrow it will be back to the gym!

August 24, 2008

Friday night Raj and I went out with some friends to a dance club. I didn't get to work out at the gym, but I think we burned our fair share of calories on the dance floor! (Oh, yeah!) Only problem was we got home really late, and had to work really early, so Saturday after work instead of working out, I went to bed! (Literally!) Today we visited some friends in Longview, so I wasn't able work out as well. I know, sounds like I'm making excuses! But tomorrow it's back to the gym..I promise! Oh, and tomorrow is my official first day of biggest looser. We are having a friendly little contest at work. Winner gets 50 bucks!

August 25, 2008

Today I worked out in the morning after taking Raj to catch the train. I was at the gym by 6:45am. I did my cardio for 25 mins on the elliptical, and then did 10 mins on the rowing machine. After that I did some free weights for my arms and finished off with some ab work. Today was also my nephew's fist birthday party. Considering all the food that was there, I think I did really well. I had a garden burger, w/o cheese, and tomatoes and catchup on it. Pickles, grapes, watermelon, pineapple, and water. I had one bite of cake.

August 26, 2008

I went to the Chiropractor today. My hip had been bothering me so I made an appointment. He thinks it's because of running on the treadmill. The jarring motion. So, he suggests that if I want to run I should run outside instead of the treadmill. Reason is because when you run on the treadmill it's the same force over and over again, but when you run outside there are variations in the pavements, so your body adjusts differently. I think I'll limit my running, and start to do more on the elliptical.

I talked my sister Allie into doing a step class today at the club. I haven't done step in a long time and forgot how tough it is! I thought the class was an hour long, but to my surprise, just as I was about to loose all momentum, the teacher yelled out, don't stop now, only 3 more min's left! Great, what a relief, only a 30 min class! After that class, was a 30 min ab class, so we stayed and did that. The teacher was the same guy that does the cycle class. He's very motivating. Both classes were great.

August 27, 2008

Today is Wednesday, which means Turbo Kick class! I really do like this class! It combines dance moves and boxing. You sweat a ton, and it's a lot of fun. My co-worker Kelly joined me today. The only thing I'd change is it's at 6:30 and right now I don't normally get off until 7:15, so I can only do it on Mondays. (It's held twice a week on Monday and Wednesday.) Hopefully once my schedule changes I'll be able to go to both days. I happen to be on vacation this week, so was able to go today! I tried to eat well all day, but I ended up having a snack on chips. (But in my defense, they were baked!) The only other thing I need to work on is eating dinner at a earlier time. Now that our schedules have changed and we are getting up so early, (5:00am), I should be eating dinner around 5 or 6, but since Raj isn't getting home until 9:00pm, it's making it difficult. We are going to have to work this schedule conflict out this week!

August 28, 2008

I had a soccer game tonight. My first one of the season. I could really tell that I hadn't played in two weeks! But it was a lot of fun. Also my legs felt heavy today while playing. It's probably because of the turbo class I did yesterday!

August 29, 2008

Unfortunately I didn't get in any exercise today. I went down to Mcminville to attend the funeral of Raj's great Uncle Bud. He passed away this week of pneumonia. After the funeral we went out to eat at a great Indian restaurant. No problems after eating! I've noticed my right calf has been really sore today. I wonder if it's because of that step class?

August 30, 2008

Finally today Raj and I had a day off together. What a long week we've had! We still got up somewhat early, 8:00am. This is quite a change from our normal sleeping in on our days off, usually its like noon by the time we get up! But we are going to try and stay getting up early so we can keep on a schedule. We went out to Breakfast at Elmer's. I didn't choose that wisely! I had 1 strip of bacon, 1 link of sausage, 1 egg, 1 1/2 pancakes, 1 piece of toast, and 3 refills of frozen raspberry lemonade! It was delicious. Surprisingly even with the amount of animal fat I ate, I didn't have any problems. (Just a small nagging pain in my side for a few min's. It went away after massaging it.) We did go for an hour walk with Oliver. We went down to Clark and then by the Library. It was a beautiful morning.

August 31, 2008

I had to work today. I tried to eat healthy while at work. Had lots of veggies, and fruit. For lunch Raj warmed up some left over Indian food. Delicious! We went for a walk after work, but other than that, no other exercise.

Indoor Soccer

2008-08-16T12:21:00.001-07:00

My 3rd season is fast approaching for my indoor women's soccer team. We play up at the Salmon Creek Indoor Arena on Thursday evenings. Below is our schedule for the next season. We are usually looking for players...does anyone want to come and play???

August 21st: 5:50pm against Sprinklers
August 28th: 7:30 against Sister Hood
September 4th: 5:50pm against Open Beg.
September 11th: 9:10pm against Sheri Team
September 18th: 7:30pm against Purple Passe
September 25th: 6:40pm against Beckham Babes
October 2nd: 8:20pm against Blue Fusion
October 9th: 8:20pm against Rough Riders

Daily Posts

2008-08-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am going to try and make daily posts regarding my thoughts, how I'm feeling, types of food's I've eaten, and what type of exercise activities I've done for the day. Hopefully in doing so, I will be able to see patterns/habits I have that need to be changed, or things I'm doing well, which will encourage others.

Equipment

2008-08-16T11:28:00.001-07:00

Under construction...Check back soon!

Recipes

2008-08-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

Under Construction...Check back soon!

After the Fast

2007-11-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

My tastes have really changed since the fast. I am eating fruits and vegetables that I wouldn't think of touching before I did the fast. For some reason, they taste so good. One day for lunch, I was actually craving a spinach salad. Now, if you know me, you'd understand how crazy that is for me to crave a spinach salad. My husband and I ordered pizza the other night from a place by our house. It came with bread sticks, and a salad. Normally I would of just eaten a small salad, and had lots of bread sticks, and a couple pieces of pizza. But this time, I ate a huge salad, and just 1 piece of pizza. I tried one of the bread sticks, but they had a horrible taste to them. Must of been all the grease. I have to admit, even though I didn't like the taste, I still ate a whole bread stick. I don't know why. That night, I didn't get a gallstone attack, but I felt really bad. My stomach felt upset, and I had an over all feeling of ill. I told my husband that I'm not going to eat those again. I just can't believe how much my tastes have changed. We've decided to do a 1 day fast once a month to help us stay on track. We'll see how it goes!

Day 3

2007-11-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

I made it through my fast. Today I am going to eat a Vegan diet. From what I read, coming off the fast is even more important than the actual fast. When I got up, I felt really good. I knew that I was able to eat today, but for some reason, I didn't have obnoxious cravings like I thought I would. During the fast, I was craving carbs, not sweets, like I thought I would. Instead,today I was craving fruits and vegetables. I ended up making potatoes for breakfast, and ate an english muffin. For lunch I had a salad and fruit for dessert. And for dinner I had a salad, and some pasta with tomato sauce. I thought I did pretty well. I'm not use to eating a Vegan diet, but from the research I did, basically you don't eat any meat or dairy. The weird thing I noticed was some foods don't taste the same as they did before the fast. For instance, I ate an apple for one of my snacks. It was a Honey Crisp apple, my favorite. It wasn't organic, I bought it before I did the fast. After each bite, I tasted a horrible after taste. Almost like I could taste the pesticides on the fruit. Weird!

Day 2

2007-11-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I realize that it's not actually day 2. I got so caught up in juicing, and eating right, that I forgot to get my posts done. Sorry. But I did take good notes, so I'm hoping I can still write about my experience fully. When I awoke on day 2, I was surprised that I didn't feel starving...I was hungry, but not starving. I had a pretty rough night. It took me quite some time to fall asleep. I was nauseous, and very hungry. I didn't like the dinner that was assigned, the avacodo soup, so I basically skipped dinner. I warmed up a heat pack and put that on my chest, and finally fell asleep. The next morning, I got up and made my morning juice. Then I went on a walk. I was very exhausted during the walk, and had to go pretty slow. I wasn't able to go the length I usually go, I'd say about 1/2. After I got back from my walk. I took it easy for the remainder of the day. I continued to drink my water. I averaged 128oz each day. Which really helped keep the hunger down. I ended up taking a nap around 3pm. When I awoke from the nap, I felt like I had the flu. My entire body was achy, and I felt horrible. I could of stayed in bed for the rest of the day, but I managed to pull myself out of bed about 5:30pm. I was starting to get hungry. I juiced for dinner, and then had another juice for my snack. I actually had to go to my dog's obedience class that night, so I juiced ahead of time for the snack, and drank it during the class. It worked out pretty well. I found I really liked the juice that has apple, celery, and lemon in it. It is really refreshing and light.

Picture of me

2007-11-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

Day 1 Juice Fast

2007-11-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Today I started my first juice fast. It's almost bedtime now, and I have to say, I think I did really well today. I started out the day like normal, and went for a 45 minute walk, then showered and got ready, and then instead of eating my usual breakfast, cereal, I juiced. I am following a meal plan from a book "The Juice Lady's guide to Juicing for Health". She suggests drinking 6 juices during the day. She also suggests eating a vegan diet the day you go off the fast. Here is what the plan calls for:

Breakfast:
"The Morning Energizer"
1/2 apple
5 carrots
1/2 beet with tops
1/2 lemon
1/2 inch ginger root

Morning Snack:
"Waldorf Twist"
1 apple
3 celery stalks with leaves
1/4 lemon

Lunch:
"Popeye's Power"
1/2 apple
1 handful of spinach
1 small handful parsley
4 carrots
1 celery stalk with leaves
1/2 beet with tops

Afternoon Snack:
"Santa Fe Salsa Cocktail"
1 tomato
1/2 cucumber
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 lemon or lime
dash of hot sauce (optional)

Dinner:
"Cherie's Quick Energy Soup"
1 1/4 cup carrot juice-about 6 carrots
1 avocado
1/2 tsp ground cumin
(mix all in blender)

Bedtime Snack:
"Sweet Dreams Nightcap"
2 lettuce leaves
1 handful parsley
4 carrots
3 celery stalks with leaves

So far I have tried everything but the bedtime snack. The only 2 recipes I didn't care for were the Santa Fe Salsa Cocktail, and the Cherie's Quick Energy Soup. The Salsa Cocktail had too much cucumber, and I didn't enjoy the hot sauce I added. The energy soup reminded me of baby food. I tried eating some of it, however I ended up stopping. I know it will give me energy, however, it really wasn't tasty! Everything else I've had today was really good.

A couple of things I have noticed while on the fast:

So far, my urine has had a pink tint to it. I think this is because of the beets I am using. I am still drinking my 64oz of water like normal. (All of these liquids have made me have to go to the bathroom a ton today!)I have had enough energy today, but it is quickly dropping as the night goes on. I am feeling a little light headed, and my eyes are hurting a little. Also, my tongue has a white coating on it. I am very cold right now, not sure if it's the fast or not. I have found myself craving food I haven't craved in a while. Every time I open the fridge to get out veggies to juice, I see other food, and I start to crave it. I've thought a couple of times, that I'd like to quit and eat some food, but I know that I would just binge on what ever I could get my hands on, and that would be very bad!

I have also found myself contemplating a lot. Mainly regarding my food choices in the past, and my eating habits. I realized that when I get hungry, I automatically go and grab the first thing I see and eat it, then I decide what I should eat as a meal. I need to be better about planning meals out in advance, and then I think I wouldn't have this problem.

Today I had a massage, which felt very nice. Hopefully it helped to work out any toxins that are floating around in my body.

Right now I am pretty hungry, since I basically skipped the afternoon snack and the dinner. I'm hoping the bedtime snack helps with the hunger pains so I can sleep. My husband has decided to do the fast with me, which I am very grateful for. I don't think I'd be able to handle doing it on my own, while watching him eat normal food! It was hard enough going to Costco today and seeing all the food in people's carts. There I go, talking about food...makes you hungrier. Who knew food was so physiological!

I wonder how much energy I will have tomorrow morning for my walk, and if I'll be starving when I wake up? Guess I'll find out soon enough.

Everything in Moderation

2007-11-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

I learned a big lesson last night. Yesterday for lunch I ate at a fabulous pizza place in downtown Vancouver, Pizza Paradise. Usually when I go there, I order a salad and a personal cheese pizza with prosciutto ham. I usually only eat 1/2 of the pizza. Well, yesterday I was feeling quite hungry and I ate the entire thing. After eating, I took my medicine that is supposed to help with the secretion of bile in the gallbladder, and went back to work. About 30 minutes after eating, I started to get pain in my back. I thought to myself, maybe I have been sitting wrong at my desk, but after it continued for 1 hour, I realized that this is the pain I get before a gallstone attack. After 2 hours I didn't notice the pain anymore, and so continued on with my day.

When I got home, I went outside in the back yard with Oliver, my puppy, and as I blew the leaves off the ground from our huge maple tree he protected me from the noisy leaf blower! After my husband came home from work, we all went on a walk together which lasted about 1 hour. We had been home from our walk about 30 minutes when all of the sudden I felt like I was starving. I grabbed a zucchini muffin and sat down on the couch. I felt like my chest was really tight, so I took my bra off, thinking that would help. Within 2 minutes, I realized that I was having a gallbladder attack. I started to freak out.

I know the pain from them, and it is something you don't ever want to feel. Luckily my husband was home with me, and so he quickly took control. I was having trouble breathing deeply. The start of a gallstone attack feels like you are having a heart attack. Now, I've never had a heart attack, but they say it feels like what a heart attack would feel like. The only difference, is that the pain is centered in the middle of your chest and radiates to the right side under your breast. (Your heart is on the center-left side of your body.) It is very hard to calm down, when you feel like you can't breath. I finally tried to meditate, which helped to slow my breathing down. A couple of months ago, I bought a book on natural remedies for ailments, and I remember there was a drink you could take if you were having a gallstone attack. I told Raj to go get it and he made the drink for me. It consists of about 8 oz of apple juice mixed with 1 TBS of apple cider vinegar (we only had champagne vinegar and so used that). I drank the glass and within 10 minutes the pain was completely gone. I was amazed! I have never been so thankful for anything in my life! I sat down on the couch, exhausted, while Raj got me my warm pack to put on my chest. However, after resting for 30 minutes, the pain came back, and this time stronger. Raj made me another drink, and I drank it. However this time, the pain didn't leave. So after 45 minutes of being in pain, I drank another. The pain finally started to die down within 30 more minutes, and I was able to lie down on the couch, again exhausted. Raj rubbed my feet and did different pressure points, which put me in a very relaxed state, and I fell asleep. I finally climbed into bed around 11:30pm. I had pain every time I moved, which got steadily worse as I laid down and straightened out my body. So, I curled into a ball, with my warm pack on my chest and tried to go to sleep. It took about 1 hour for me to fall asleep. I was pretty nauseous the entire time. I woke up in the morning at 7am, and the pain was gone. I did still have the referred pain my back.

The whole time I was going through this attack, I kept telling myself, I 'm never going to eat there again! And Raj reminded me that I can eat there, I just have to eat in moderation. I can have a slice or two, just not the whole personal pizza. It's just too much fat for my gallbladder to handle. I guess it was good timing for me to have an attack last night. It reassures me that I really do need to go on a fast and clean out my system. Today I am just eating a diet of mainly fresh fruits, and apple juice. I did have a plain English muffin for breakfast and a small glass of milk with a pear and apple. And, Raj made me another apple drink just for good measure! I am at work now, and for my snack, I think I'll have a banana and some apple juice. For lunch, I am going to have homemade corn tortillas and some beans and salsa, and for dinner I'm thinking just some veg. juice. I am noticing that I still have pain in my back, so I've had the warm pack on my back most of the morning.

So, the moral of the story is everything in moderation, and your body will thank you for it! I've attached a video my husband took of me right after I'd had the attack. As you can tell from the video, I am still feeling quite horrible.

Changing my lifestyle

2007-11-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

I was diagnosed with Gallstones in May of 2007. After having 3 attacks, I finally went to the ER one night, and the Dr. said he thought they were Gallstone attacks. I was sent for an Ultra Sound, and sure enough, there they were. My Dr. said I had basically one option, Surgery. I wasn't too keen on Surgery, so I asked if there was anything else I could do. He said, some people can decrease their chances of attacks by changing their diet. So that's what I decided to do.

The diagnosis made me think about my current eating habits, along with my exercise habits. I was about 100 lbs over weight, I decided that I really needed to get healthy! So I have been walking every morning about 45 Min's with my husband and new puppy. And I have changed my diet quite drastically. I am not eating fatty foods, no pop/caffeine, limiting sweets, I am trying not to eat any processed food, and NO fast food!

I decided about 3 weeks ago that I was going to buy a Juicer and try to get healthy by juicing my fruits and veggies. I went to Costco and bought the only juicer they carried. It's a Jack Lalanne Juicer. After using the juicer for 3 weeks, I totally love juicing! The only problem is, the juicer is not quite what I am looking for. It doesn't do very well with greens. So, I am looking at getting another one. I'll have to do more research on them before I choose one for the long term. Any suggestions?

I am feeling really great with my new lifestyle. I have lost a total of 50 lbs since May. I feel great! I am on a schedule now. I wake up at 7am every morning, even on my day off, and go to sleep by 11pm every night. I would like to do a cleanse to clean out my system from the years of crappy eating I've done. Next week I intend to start some type of Juice fast. I am still researching exactly what I am going to do. This blog will help me keep track of my progress.