Vitamins and minerals, oh my!

So I have learned a lot over the last week or so since I blogged.

First, I hope you remember I am not perfect and am on a journey with myself. I am learning and growing. I did not grow up in a house where proper food and nutrition was taught. Food was viewed more as get it in and get on with life.

This is how I've been feeling over the last year, and especially, the last few weeks! (this is Nadine and Ron from livinglibations.com, check out their site for all things natural and raw!) And technically, that man could be Jordan and all his support and love for my journey, haha!

I have learned SO much over the past year about food, myself, and why and what I need to function at my best.



I have felt so great over the last few weeks, and yes, that would mean I am a happy person and mom until dinner. Don't believe me? Ask Jordan, he will tell you honestly what a change has occurred in our home recently!

I have never been one to feel down for too long, feel depressed, or unhappy with my life. Even with all the changes over the last few years, I have SO much to feel blessed and happy about.

But honestly, I have been feeling very angry and mad, especially at God for a few things, and NO that is not like me.

My shortness with my children and Jordan has been over REALLY dumb things and really, what do I have to be stressed about? Certainly nothing to make my children and husband feel like I don't love them.

This has been bothering me for some time now, and well, I have been thinking maybe I needed an anti-depressant (which bugged me too, because I feel like a lot of those type of issues and problems are diet and lifestyle related).

I like these because they are chocolate flavored and chewable, meaning my children can safely have one a day too!          

Well my answer came about a week and a half ago as I was perusing my favorite blog, detoxinista.com. I have included the link here for you to read about what caught my eye. She talks about how 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, and well after reading the article, and even with my pretty healthy diet, I KNEW I was in that 80% deficient category.

What a difference some magnesium, and Vitamin D can make. You can either buy the magnesium she recommends or find one you like. I use Nutrilite's vitamins. I have for years. I like them, I feel they are a good quality, so I am sticking with it. I found this vitamin D supplement at Good Earth. You can safely take up to 15,000 IU's if you are not well (mentally or physically, meaning depressed or having reoccurring infections like sinus) and be JUST fine. How do I know this? Well, when I was pregnant with Kenzie I learned so much, again something about being pregnant with her and her being my third child, my body was so deficient in so much from not giving it what it needed from my VERY mainstream diet, it was spent and I mean spent!

(I think you as my reader know I don't hold anything back, so the following will be TMI, just a fair warning!)

Natural and plant based vitamins and minerals are the best and easiest on your body to digest than synthetically produced vitamins. If you are not getting enough vitamins and minerals from your food, purchase a whole, plant based pill as the next best thing.

Ok, so how did I know I was deficient in vitamin D? I didn't. But my midwives did. (SMART WOMEN!) Well, around the end of January, beginning of February I started to get these infections, and well they wouldn't go away. And as a female they were very bothersome. I had yeast infections that would NOT stop. I had three back to back and after using the creams they sell in the stores I was so frustrated that I couldn't get rid of them. FIRST and foremost my midwife told me you HAVE to eliminate or greatly reduce your sugar and carb intake. SECONDLY, she said you are so deficient in vitamin D because you haven't seen the sun for three or  more months your immune system is severely compromised. She suggested as a pregnant women, to take 15,000 IU's of vitamin D until the infections were gone and then go to 5,000. (Consult your doctor first before following this advice, especially if you are under a doctors care for a specific disease or condition)

It was amazing how quickly those pesky infections were gone! This would be true of all illnesses at this time of year, so get your vitamin D and if you're being a real witch, you better start downing some magnesium! :)

Jordan has said how nice it is to come home at night and I'm happy, and well, ya know what, so am I! :)

Next, I have learned a thing or two about fats. Yes, I am still a firm believer that fats are good for you and that your body REALLY needs them. But, I have been using too much. I hope the following helps a few of you and that the pounds can really start to drop, cause I know they will for me.

FATS!

1.) Do not put a fat (OIL) on your salad before dinner, unless it is an avocado.

2.) DO NOT layer fats.  This would be something I have been doing almost every night, which is why some of my weight loss has been "frustrated" :) haha
           So what does that mean? It means if you are eating a fat like cheese on your salad, DO NOT have a fat in your dressing.  I believe this tip is going to greatly help me, again because that is difficult on your body to digest.

3.) THREE HEALTHY FATS: butter, coconut oil/butter, and avocado's
       Enjoy these bad boys, but beware of the other fats, even OLIVE OIL!


Another fun tip!

RAW NUTS in the United States are not actually raw. They have still been heated and pasteurized. The only way to get truly raw nuts is out of the US. Seriously, I am starting to think our government wants us fat and addicted to the wrong foods. If you are interested in getting raw nuts, message me and I'll send you info on where to find it.

And on this nutty note, I finally got around to making Kimberly Snyder's truffles. Now these are good, but as a shout out to my girl Ginger, her's are so much smoother and creamier, but until I can buy her truffles everyday, these will just have to suffice. :) They are a bit labor intensive but worth it!
Go here for Kimberly's recipe.

Lastly, things are going great with my "idea"! We are meeting with the owner/creater from Chynna's Kitchen. This is a gluten free company out of Heber, Utah, which is huge because it has been very difficult finding someone who will work with me and my ingredients that isn't half way across the country. I have learned a lot about how our food is distributed and produced! There is a reason why food costs so much! SHIPPING! And surprisingly the lighter something is, the more expensive it is to ship, OH and don't forget that if something is packaged at sea level and then is shipped to somewhere with high altitude, oh like say UTAH, the bags can/will/could explode costing you and your company money. Never less, I am not dismayed. I am working feverishly to get my product to market and know I have an idea that can and will work! SO EXCITING! YES, I believe in being an entrepreneur and that being one is the American way! ;)  As a plug for them, if you see their products, buy them. GREAT people!
   
Side note: All my meals were great and properly combined this week, and no new recipes so sorry for none of that, but I hope you enjoy the rest! xoxo

So much to share! FAT doesn't make you FAT! What?

With my compliance to my New Years Goals I have greatly been limiting my online/facebook/blogging obsessions.

So I apologize if this is greatly over due, which it really is!

My juice fast was good, a few of the days I fasted till dinner and then ate.

Since my fast and since I've been back onto properly combined meals as best I can, I have kept off the 4 lbs since the fast which is awesome, because I usually gain some of it back once food is reintroduced.

I've been running every other day, doing Tracy's dance cardio the other days, and for two weeks been able to do her strength videos every day. (This is great, since when I first started doing her videos consistently for a week I had to take 4 days off cause I jacked up my shoulder and arm and was useless in movement. But thanks to this product called Deep Blue a neighbor gave me I was seriously healed in like 24 hours, and the muscle relaxers were nice too. I think they relaxed my brain too cause I was so out of it, and since I've never taken any illegal or prescribed drugs I have to admit I might have liked it, haha!) So for a while I was doing every other day with her strength video, but now I am back in action and doing it every day, which ROCKS! And I think I am addicted to her dance cardio video, as long as I have Pandora on. This has actually turned into a fun family thing where I turn the music up really loud and all the kids come in and dance with me! Love it! If I had just a few more minutes I really want to do an hour of it, but for the time being I am happy with the 30 minutes of dancing. Oh, you're laughing? Dance cardio? Not real cardio like running? I'd like to see you dance for 30 minutes straight...IT IS HARD!

Ok so I have discovered some great recipes that I want to share on here and some other awesome things that I hope might help others.

I discovered this one night looking through Detoxinista's blog.

Fat doesn't make you fat? What?

Yes it's true. So can you stop being afraid of oils, fats, and avocados? If you feel like an alligator, your hair is as dry as hay, or your nails are constantly breaking, you could probably use some more oil in your life, so get to it! :)   Here is the link to her blog AND this very important bit of reading.


SUNDAY

Raw Cheese Salad:

        This is my new favorite with any meat meal. Go here for the recipe and tips! I used raw cow's Cheddar cheese.

Made a roast for the family and I had a few chunks of goodness. If you want a great way to cook a roast my sister Julie has perfected the best fall apart soft roast, thanks to a few tips from her mother in law. So first, you need to buy a CHUCK roast any size will do. Put in crock pot on high, sprinkled with a packet of onion soup mix. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. You will think you are burning it, but you aren't. MMMmmmmmm perfection from a piece of meat. :) And yes, I still do eat meat, just not every day!

MONDAY

All Hail Kale Salad
                                   Do not even attempt to make this salad unless you have all the ingredients. It is divine and the maple glazed walnuts...oh my gosh! To die for. Try not to eat all of them in one sitting. They are very high in fat (now too many of these fats will make you gain unwanted weight, especially women, sorry!) and not very detox friendly so watch your amounts on these, ok!

Peanut Butter Shake   This is my favorite treat and since my dinner was a nut base this was totally fine to enjoy!

TUESDAY

Beauty avocado salad

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Butternut Squash

These were just ok...maybe cause I bought them bagged? I'm not sure they were still a bit hard in the center after cooking for 45 minutes :(

These brussels sprouts were amazing! Next time I need to lower the temp a bit and shorten the cooking time. Jordan said they were a bit burned, but I loved em!

WEDNESDAY


My Big Fat Greek Salad
    After this bad boy I was so full, just enjoyed a few bits of chocolate.







And since today is Thursday, I will let you know what I ate, drank today!

So I started with some herbal tea, yummy and so nice in this frigid weather!

Then I juiced about 2 cups of juice.

Then I had komboocha, but I figured out how to make mine super tastey like Synergy brand, do you believe it! So the recipe is as follows and if anyone wants a starter mushroom please let me know, I'd be happy to share one of our baby mushrooms!

about 1/2 to 1 cup of Komboocha
2 to 3 cups of sparkling water, lots of ice too
then add whatever flavor of herbal tea you like. 

I use the following brand and pick whichever flavor I'm in the mood for. 

Stevia to taste, 5 drops or so

Mix and ENJOY! CHEAP and so good for your tummy! :)

After this I had some strawberries and an avocado.

I then made some more homemade komboocha!

Then a homemade vitamin water with lime juice

Later that afternoon I was freezing and made some Hot Chocolate.

Here is the recipe:

2 cups almond milk (DO NOT buy the prepackaged shelf stable almond milk at Costco, it is disgusting)

2 tsp cacao powder

Stevia to taste

Warm, do not let boil. Drink in a big mug with your favorite book, today mine was Mockingjay! :)
 This recipe is courtesy Kimberly Snyder.

I was sooooo satisfied till dinner and then I had the following!

THURSDAY

Cheese Salad
       The dressing on this is from detoxinista and truly amazing, and totally fat free and low in calories, for those of you still not convinced of this whole not counting calories thing!

 Here it is:

 Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp of whole ground mustard
1 garlic clove minced or mashed or grated
ginger grated to taste
a few drops of stevia

 Place in a Tupperware and shake and pour over salad! DIVINE!

Eggs in Spicy Matbucha Sauce (Shakshuka)

    THIS WAS HOT! Jordan was even surprised I was eating it cause it was warm for him and he can tolerate some heat! :) SOOOOOO beware, next time I'll half the jalapeno and the cayenne pepper!

Also, these recipes were from the Fresh Energy Cookbook by Natalia Rose and Doris Choi. It's awesome!

I then had a few pieces of chocolate, like three squares. I need to let you know depending on how well I do each day I gauge my chocolate intake at night. My sister thought I was eating a whole bar of chocolate every day...only if my eating is perfect and my juicing till dinner is perfect then I allow myself if I feel like it, but I have definitely grown since my first cleanse, so I am not as ravenous.

Enjoy!
xoxo

A New Year

I am juice fasting again and yes, that means I can get a bit sentimental, sniff sniff.

Just kidding, but I do like to journal/blog my feelings about what is going on, especially as I remove myself from hours of cooking and feeding myself and my family. It is actually quite freeing to not eat meals. It gives me more time, surprisingly.

So I have made a few New Years Resolutions.

Can I be completely honest. I actually have only done this probably ONCE before. Yes, there I've admitted it.

I have a few areas in my life that need improving besides eating better and exercising more, as that was all I would focus on come New Years in the past.

So a sweet, old college roommate messaged me on Facebook and challenged me, yes, CHALLENGED me cause goals can be very challenging to me, to make up New Years resolutions with specific areas in mind. I thought I'd share because I think it could help someone. Please do not judge me. These are my problem areas, things I need to do better on. I wouldn't think less of you, so please do not think so of me! :)


My Goals for 2013
 
Spirituality:
Read scriptures for 15 minutes in the morning before checking email/facebook/text messages
Write in journal on Sunday about week/thoughts
Attend the temple once a month
Pray in the morning before starting day
 
Knowledge:
Do a lesson from classes every week (2 lessons a week)
Read a new book every month
Continue working on chip recipe and finding co-packers
 
Health:
Wake up at 6:30am and be in bed no later than 10:30pm
Run 2 to 3 miles every other day. On off days do dance video and strength video
Participate in 3 races over the next year
Continue to find healthy recipes that everyone in the family enjoys.
Begin to eliminate processed sugar from kids diet, and eliminate it from mine.
 
Service:
Pray about and take a meal to one random person in the ward a month or invite over for meal
Take a message to sisters that I know haven’t been visit taught in a few months
Be on time to church every week. This is for Jordan
 
Family:
Appreciate the kids ages more and be more calm
Work on time management and spend more time during the day focused on the kids
Control my tone and temper with the kids and Jordan
Limit TV to 1 hour a day for the kids
Do things like laundry when the kids are in bed or napping

MOST IMPORTANTLY after making this list, I made a huge decision that made my husband oh so happy! I deleted the facebook app from off my phone. I have to admit I would spend too much time on there, and believe it or not, I actually think it would make me grumpy. 

The last few days have been glorious without FACEBOOK in my life every hour, or so! Oh my yes, I just admitted that! A bit of  facebook junkie I was, as Jordan called me!


My goal right now with my juice fast is as follows:

Juice for as many days as I can. By Wednesday I will see how I am doing. Wednesday will be day 6, I might even go till Thursday and then break my fast Friday night with a properly combined dinner. I've learned how to trick myself through the day into being full and happy till dinner and also how to make properly combined eating not soooooooo stressful.

Why didn't I include anyone on this fast?
1.) Natalia did a call about how it can be dangerous for people who haven't been juicing for at least a few months to jump into a juice fast. SOOOOO from now on I will only include those that have participated with me in the past/or are juicing every day.

2.) I needed to be selfish on this one. I needed it to be as low on the stress levels as possible. I wanted to really focus on me and my family and what is going on around me and readjust some things. 

3.) Lose 10 to 15 lbs. and jump start my metabolism again.


After my juice fast is over, I am going to really work on combining properly my meals at night, always starting my meal with a huge salad and finishing it before eating any food on my plate, and while properly combining, juicing till mid afternoon, like 2:30pm or 3:00pm.

I will try to post yummy things as I go that might interest some of you.

Lastly, if you've tried juicing and it isn't your bag, please give smoothies a try. I'm not talking about an oreo smoothie but Kimberly Snyder's smoothie. Go here to try her recipe!

WHO doesn't want to have those legs, that shining skin, and glowing hair? ME ME ME! :)

It is filling and gives you a great amount of fiber and tastes good! Just make sure you use the fruit asked and LOTS OF ICE or it will not taste good! ( I love to add pineapple! Do not pay more than $1.50 for a pineapple. You are being taken if you do. Smell the pineapple, if it smells ripe it is a good one. If it smells like it is starting to rot do not buy it. It is ripe when it smells ripe and you can easily pull one of the leaves out of the stem. When you are ready to cut the pineapple, rip off the top and put it upside down in your fridge. This helps the sugars to go from the bottom of the pineapple and be dispersed to the rest of it. Then place on your cutting board and shave off the sides, with it standing up right. Hope that helps your pineapple adventures! This is a great tutorial.)