Catching Up: What I eat

Where do you start, when you have so much that you want to share?  In my last post, I shared a little bit about what I have been doing to be active and get exercise.  Nothing in detail, but just a taste.

So, for my diet.  Some of you might be totally surprised, or even think it is extreme.  Others might already know from my facebook posts on my personal profile.

I have been juicing.  What does that mean?  Juicing?  That means, I buy a ton of produce, and run them through my Breville Juicer, then drink it for all of my meals (You don't have to have it for every meal, you can supplement one or two meals a day with juice and eat a lean healthy dinner--preferably with as little meat and dairy as possibly).  It has become quite the trend I suppose.  I learned about it about 4 months ago.  We had netflix, and a friend suggested that I watch a movie called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (watch the full movie on youtube or find it on netflix).  So I did.  After that, I was suggested the movie Hungry for Change (you can find the full movie on Netflix, or you can watch it here). 

Full Movie

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is about an Australian man named Joe Cross who had a chronic skin condition that he was taking high doses of steroids to treat each day.  He had been doing some juicing here and there, and he would lose weight.  However, he would just return to old habits and gain weight back.  So he decided, with the help of his doctor, to start a more rigorous juice fast.  He committed to 60 days of consuming only fresh juice made from vegetables and fruits.  Over the course of the documentary, it shows his progress, how he coped, and how much weight he lost.  By the end of the documentary, he was able to get off of his prescriptions and was free of his condition.  His body healed itself, because that it was it can do, when we give it the right nutrition.  Watch it if you haven't.  It is very inspiring.

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Hungry for Change is also very inspiring, AND informative!  It talks about how our body digests food, and what happens to the nutrients in our food.  It goes further into depth with how our body can heal itself if we give it the right fuel.  God designed our bodies to fight off diseases... but it can't if it isn't healthy to start with.  One reason our body stores fat is because of toxins.  When we ingest something that the body doesn't know what to do with it, meaning it is toxic or not natural, the body covers it with fat... to protect the body and keep it from making you sick.  So, part of losing weight is letting your body burn that fat and release the toxins.  Having a juice diet is a great way to flush those toxins out of your body as you lose weight.  This documentary is a great follow up to Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  (UPDATE:  The link above allows you to see only 20 minutes of the movie free.  Find it free on Netflix).

I originally started out doing a 3 day juice fast.  I actually did 3 of those.  It wasn't easy at the start, but once my body went through the detox process, I started to feel so much better.  However, I just kept going back to same old habits with the same old cravings.  Those cravings can be hard to master... but not impossible.  My body was happy with the nutrients I was giving it during those juice fasts... but wondered what happened after the 3 days.

At that same time, I was working out daily, and my body was getting stronger.  My endurance was increasing, and I was feeling good.  But then my knee started to swell up, and it was painful and difficult to do my more rigorous exercises.  This was very frustrating, and in the past it would have defeated me.  But you see, this time around, before I started my weight loss program, I emailed my family and told them of my desire to lose weight for good this time... lose the weight and never find it again. :)  I had a few of them jump in as a support system, to which I was grateful for.  I knew they wouldn't let me slip off the radar without really getting after me.  So I started thinking about what else I could do.  It was the first time that my knee really swelled after starting my workouts, and I wasn't sure if it would go down.  I decided that if I couldn't workout how I wanted to, then I needed to get more extreme with my diet.  I decided to commit myself to a 60 day juice fast, just like Joe.  I am currently on day 33.  I haven't been perfect.  I have eaten foods. I have tried eating meats and dairies... all ended in me getting sick.  I have learned that if I am not able to have juice, but I am starving, I should eat raw fruits and vegetables.  Ultimately, if you want to do an extended reboot, you can choose to eat the fruits and vegetables.  I was just faced with the daunting prospect of what I would do to make it not get boring very fast.  The only thing I could see myself doing was eating celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and fruits.  How boring.  It would be hard to do.. but by juicing, I have so many options and recipes to try.  Now that I have been juicing for over a month and educating myself on different ways to eat vegan and vegetarian, I am learning delicious new recipes!  I'm excited to share them with you!  Once you start on an all veggie and fruit diet, you start really craving more fruits and veggies!  It sure helps the process!

Now I am breaking into eating more foods, but I'm trying to keep it vegan for now.  I have a lot of weight to lose yet, but it is coming off.

My mistakes:  I already mentioned my mistakes of eating meats and dairies occasionally.  It can be hard to resist when you are cooking for a family of 4 others who will be eating.  I have a habit of tasting as I cook and prepare food, and there have been times when that taste turned into me having a small serving.  One thing I did right, is that whenever I did eat, I did not over eat.

My other really huge mistake I made was, that for the first 25 days of my juice fast, I did not drink enough calories.  So, after I lost about 11 pounds, I started to maintain my weight.  It was kind of frustrating.  But along the way, I started watching videos and following the advice given by vegans.  I was drastically under my calorie count!  So for the past week, I have been striving to drink more juice, and even eat more produce.  I have started losing weight once again, and I look forward to losing more!  It is totally contagious!  One vegan that I have begun looking to for guidance eats about 3,000 calories a day!  I was floored to learn that!  That is a lot, but she is tiny and looks very healthy.  You can find her videos and recipes here.

I know, my shirt is an oxymoron, but I have
what I have to wear. :)
BTW I have not had any soda in over 1 month!
I do not even crave it anymore.
In fact, upon one sip, I determined that it was
DISGUSTING!
THANK YOU JUICE!
This picture was taken on April 20, 2013
at the beginning of my 60 day juice fast.

A question that I ask myself a lot:  Am I going to become vegan?  I used to make fun of vegans and vegetarians (Yes, I am sorry--I have changed my tune).

The answer to that is complicated.  I can definitely see the benefits of being vegan.  I feel good when I consume only fresh produce.  My body is responding well to it.  My body is healing the womanly problems that I have been experiencing.  Ultimately it has been a good thing.... On the other hand, I definitely see a place for grains (especially), meat, eggs, and dairy.  Those things are good for you.  However, I do believe that I tend to eat too much of those, and not enough of the vegetables and fruits.  We have put so much money and time into finding good organic meat and eggs.  It sure helps to have good clean meat.  Anyway, my goal is to get my whole family down to eating meat once a week, and one serving of dairy a day.  That will be a hard thing to achieve.  Everyone of my kids, and my husband love their dairy and meat.  So my answer for now is that for the next 3-4 months, I will do my best to be a fully raw vegan... then after that, I plan on being a part raw vegetarian that occasionally eats meat!  Lol... sounds complicated, I know.

Ultimately, it is no longer just about losing weight.  It is about my body being healthy all of the time, so that it can more easily fight off disease and infection.  I would much rather my body be naturally fortified, rather than be pumped full of man made infection fighters and such (I do believe those have a place--but in my opinion, they should not be the staple).

Do you think you eat enough vegetables, fruits, and nuts?

Love,

Evelyn

Wednesday Foods: Pumpkin Soup with Roast-

As a kid, I grew up eating pumpkin soup.  My mom made it in the fall.  I have since come across some other versions of pumpkin soup (no offense mom), but I like them better.  So even though we are still pushing into the 110's, my body and mind can feel fall coming up!  I love fall!  I think it is the best time of the year... but I say that about every part of the year.  But really, fall is the time of year where I get an excitement to start decorating my house, and fill it with wonderful fall-ish scents.  I'm not sure how fall will be here in our new town, but I'm sure it can't be too different from Roswell...as we moved only 2 hours away.

Here is a recipe that I made up as I cooked it.  A good friend of mine has a husband who is an amazing cook, and after tasting his pumpkin soup, I was inspired to come up with my own.  Let's see if I can remember it!

Pumpkin Soup with Roast

3-4 Cups Left over roast cubed (I just use what I have left over from another meal).
1-2 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 red onion diced
1-2 TBS minced garlic
3 full carrots sliced (medium sided)
1 Cup zucchini squash diced to bite size
1/2 bag of frozen corn (not sure..probably a smaller size)
2 cups pumpkin puree (about 16 ounces..I'm not sure how much comes in a can)
2 potatoes cut to bite sided pieces
3-5 cups of water (depends on how thick you want the soup)
1 cube beef bullion

Seasonings
salt
pepper
cloves
cinnamon
thyme

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Once hot, saute onions and garlic.  After those are sweating, put in the carrots, zucchini, corn and let them saute (you may add or omit any other veggies that you wish.. ie celery, peppers).  After a few minutes, add the diced up roast, make sure to stir-fry the ingredients until they begin to tenderize.  Add the seasonings (season to taste.  I use a pinch of each of the seasonings listed--but you might like more), then add the pureed pumpkin, potatoes, water, and bullion.  Bring to a slow boil, and let simmer until the veggies are tender and a fork pierces the potatoes easily.

*Notes:
-You might need to add more beef bullion depending on how much water you add, and how much of the beef flavor you would like in you soup.

-Usually when I fix something like this, I do not follow a recipe.  So, feel free to omit anything that you wish.  If you were seeking a vegan meal, just omit the beef and the bullion!

-I puree my own pumpkin.  So mine will be slightly more runny than a store bought or canned version. You'll have to make your own adjustments.

This is a very tasty dinner that everyone enjoyed!  Serve with whole wheat toast (homemade is best).  I look forward to making it again this fall!  Maybe sooner than later!

Happy losing!

Evelyn Campbell Curtis

PS  I'll post a picture once I've made some!

Meal Ideas!

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So many of you might be wondering what falls in each category of lean protein, healthy carb, and healthy fat.  Well, I'll tell you.  I don't know everything that there is to know on the subject, but I do know a few.

Lean Proteins
-Fish
-Chicken
-Turkey
-Lean Beef-meaning if there is grissel/fat, trim it up
-Beans
-Protein Powder
Remember healthy meat portions are about the size of your palm.

Healthy Carbohydrates
-Fresh Fruit - no bigger than your fist
-Wheat Bread (Oroweat is one of my favorites) (1 slice of thick bread is enough)
-Wheat Tortillas - 1 tortilla
-Corn Tortillas - 2 tortillas (I added this, because it is good as long as it is not saturated in grease)
-Wheat Pasta - You will have to be careful to not have too much. Most sauces are loaded with carbs                             as  well.
-Potato - dry with salt and pepper is great, or you can use your 100 calories for butter/sour cream
-Honey - 1 TBS = one full healthy carb, so don't over use
-Milk - 8 oz
-Cheese - 2 slices/ 1/4 cuppish
-Cottage Cheese -1/2 cuppish. have it with fruit or tomatoes for a full meal
-Brown Rice - is best, but I have a hard time letting go of white. maybe 1 cup or so for serving size.
-Tomatoes -same amount as fruit serving.
-Yogurt (Low fat or Greek Yogurt)
Anything processed is not going to be a healthy carb.
 You are able to mix and match carbs.  But be mindful that when you have having a sandwich, not to have too many tomato slices etc. 

Healthy Fats
-Olive Oil (1 TBS)
-Avocado (Size of thumb)
-Cheese
-Almonds (5-6)
-Peanut Butter (1 TBS)
-Many other nuts
-Yogurt (I love Chobani Greek Yogurt--it is very filling)
-Cream Cheese
-Cottage Cheese
The cheeses can be healthy fats and healthy carbs, but you have to just be careful with portions.  If you have a sandwich, maybe 1 slice of cheese is a portion.
 I have recipes for a bunch of these ingredients.  So stay tuned for that!

Vegetables

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-Carrots
-Cucumbers - all you can eat. These you can snack on if need be in between meals.
-Celery - all you can eat. These you can snack on if need be in between meals.
-Bell Peppers
-Onions
-Lettuce
-Spinach
-Peas
-Green Beans
-Basically any veggies
I personally like my veggies raw.  I wash them and dice them up and put them into a gallon sized baggie for ease of use.  With at least two meals, you need to have 2 handful size servings of vegetables.

These are definitely not the only options.  These are just my favorites.

Essentially, you can combine these in any way you would like!  You can make up recipes tailored to the available food.  These are definitely all of the choices.  They are many of the foods that I stick with.

It is wise to cut out butter and sour cream consumption.  Unless you use them as your 100 calories.  When I eat a baked potato, I have actually become accustomed to eating it dry with salt and pepper.  It takes some getting used to, but with plenty of water to drink with it, it is delicious.... you can actually taste the potato, and as an Idaho girl, that is important to me.

If you have any questions or if I left anything off, just email or comment!

Happy Losing!

Evelyn Campbell Curtis