Stinkin' Thinkin'

I'm feeling bulky, junky, chunky...I'm going to begin seriously cleaning up my diet better than I've been doing. Not to complain or bore with details but this is what is going on with me: I eat healthy most of the day, dinner time comes and I HAVE to cook for others, Dale and Ryan, who comment that there's not much meat, or this is all? etc...So, I cook enough or more hoping that there will be leftovers to build off of tomorrow and there rarely is. Really? Do you guys need all... that food?!!
Come time to eat, I usually take mine last, cook's etiquette, and I feel like OMG, they took it all, I need to take extra because they will finish it and I will starve. I know in fact that I will never starve. 

The other half of it is I'm always home, working from home. I feel somewhat quarantined from the world, especially in winter so I forage with the attitude that not many see me anyways.

This is all stinkin' thinkin'!

Even though the food I'm foraging for is usually healthy, I don't need extra.

The first steps I'll take is changing my mindset; 

• It doesn't matter how much others eat, I won't go hungry
• I'll eat only what I need and fill my time and space with a physical activity even if it's as dull as organizing a closet, pantry or the basement!
• I'll get out of the house at least one day mid-week to be around people
• Despite what others in the house prefer to eat, I'll cook only what I know is enough and healthy 

  

How is your thinking? What gets you during the winter months?

You Make Me Sick, MSG!

I posted this on my Initiate Wellness blog (http://initiatewellness.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/msg-you-make-me-sick/) and I'm posting it here because I think it's important for you to know.

Last night, around dinner time I wasn't feeling particularly creative or inspired to cook, but I did anyway. My pantry consists of a lot of dried beans, several different types of whole grains, many non-wheat flours, nuts, seeds, seaweeds, rices, hot sauces, canned tomatoes and stuff like that; things that my kids, though grown, walk into and tell me there's no food. Most of what I have has to be pre-pared and I'm fien with that. My eldest son is staying with me temporarily and he eats like a typical guy does, a lot. On a whim I bought Near East rice pilaf so he could easily prepare it when he has to fend for himself. Well, last night, not feeling much like cooking, I made the rice pilaf to go with the local beef tips and steamed Brussels sprouts-healthy, yes? NO!

I found a few years back that I'm particularly sensitive to MSG, highly sensitive! I didn't see it on the ingredient label so I was safe or so I thought. About an hour after eating I was feeling a dull headache that within a very short time became hard hitting; it felt like my entire forehead and temples on the inside was on fire! Soon, the slightest light pierced my eyes - my head felt like it was about to explode and to be honest, the thought of my head exploding was a welcomed, comforting thought; just get it out!

I tried drinking lots of water to flush it out with no success. I tried herbal tea, laying on the floor, feet raised, eyes closed but the intense pounding continued. It was fairly early, for me anyways, but I had to go to bed; I needed to lay in a very dark, very quiet place. I ended up having to take one of my migraine prescription tablets against my personal preference but fortunately about 4 hours later it worked.

What was in this rice mixture that disguised itself as MSG anyway? Upon looking into it further I found that it contains autolyzed yeast extract, (Yeast extract contains naturally occurring glutamic acid, of which monosodium glutamate is a concentrated salt form). This doesn't have to be labeled MSG unless there is more than 78% of it in a product.

Beware. If you suffer from headaches and you're not sure what you triggers are, it could be MSG, it's not uncommon. There are many foods that are headache triggers and finding out which ones might be triggering yours can make a world of difference in your life! Find a way to make it go away. If you need help figuring out what ails you, I can help. Contact me anytime!

* To learn the many names and disguises of MSG, click here: http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html

I Always Begin with Good Intentions

It seems that in most things that I do begin with good intentions from food planning to an activity whether inside or outside of the house, but then somewhere along the way it unravels. The unravelling will sometimes be slight and other times it's a complete heap of mess and confusion. It can become an emotional roller coaster.

My intentions don't always fall apart; sometimes they stay completely in place leaving a full sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. When certain intentions fall apart I can't help but think that perhaps it was because it wasn't the right intention or the right timing for it. I deeply feel that God watches over me and guides me by way of intentions and plans either happening or becoming unravelled, this feeling is what keeps me going.

I'm no different than you. I plan, wish, hope, desire, dream, feel accomplished and feel failure. I have been through terribly difficult times in my life and through happy times but the happy times don't ever come easy; happiness is a choice I needed to make. Happiness takes work, it means I have to work through the bad things that have happened or do happen, realize them and file them into the old news - I've read and heard the words too many times from many people, "get over it', "let it go" and similar advice but at this moment I find it unnecessary to let it go as long as I can file it and not let it be part of my today, everyday. It might pop into my mind because it's in my memory but I've learned to put it back where it belongs, in the past.

Each day is a new journey, a new box of surprises, ups, downs, and good intentions; each day the sun rises whether it hides form us behind clouds or shines brightly and warmly in the great blue sky. Each evening and each morning I'm thankful for the day, I set my intentions and I move forward, forgiving myself for what I might not have accomplished yesterday and pardoning others so that I can move forward. Every day lends a new chance to do it right. Every day gives me a "do over".

Think about things that weigh you down, hold you back or keep you stuck. Make a mental or physical list of them and just know what they are for now. Think about how you set your intentions and decide if you need to change the way you set them, how well you accomplish them and if they unravel more often than they play out perfectly.

Share your own thoughts on setting intentions, moving forward and where you feel weighed down.

Sprouting Makes Me Think of Spring

I love fresh vegetables that are in abundance spring through late fall. Usually around January-February I get a craving for fresh plants again; what you can buy even in the best stores don't quite measure up so I sprout lentils, mung beans, seeds such as broccoli, cabbage, and a variety of mixed leafy green seeds. I get my seeds from the local organic foods store or online from sproutpeople.org

Sprouting is simple all you need is a sprouting jar, seeds, beans,  or whole grains and 4-6 days.

I started mung beans and lentils 2 days ago, I used about 1/8 cup of each, I don't measure, I just fill the bottom of the jar about 1/4 inch or 2 layers of beans, fill the jar about half-full with water and let soak for 12-18 hours. Drain, rinse and drain again leaving the jar upside down for about 5 minutes. Then turn jar slowly to spread seeds or beans and lay on its side. Rinse twice a day for 4-6 days until they have sprouted fully and there's no room left in the jar. Transfer to a seal-able container and store in the refrigerator and use in sandwiches, salads, raw on top of soups & stews or eat plainly for snacking.

This is how they look today - I'll post more photos as they grow. I use a mason jar, I usually use the metal screw top that comes with the jars, I buy mesh squares that you use for needle crafts at the local craft store and cut circles to fit inside the lids - this is how you can easily rinse and drain twice daily.

Day 5 my sprouts are ready to enjoy. 

             

                 I spread them on a towel to dry, put them in a container
                 and stored them in the refrigerator. - of course I snacked
                 on a few good handfuls!

Still Plugging Along

It’s been nearly a month since I last posted and to be perfectly honest, it’s because I have been focusing on my main blog, Initiate Wellness, and of course Christmas.

I had a little fun creating and posting 15 healthy dips in 30 days for the month of December, check them out-click 15 Dips. I’m a huge fan of dip, I’ve been known to mash a bunch of healthy foods together to create something smooth to dip veggies, tortilla chips, potato chips or pita chips into; most of the time it’s pretty good but sometimes, not so much.

For this new year, 2014, I’ve decided to adopt 26 new good habits – that’s one new habit every two weeks. While I usually drink plenty of water, I find myself drinking less in the cold months, and wow, has it been cold recently! So, for the first two weeks of January, I’ve made my intention clear, drink more water daily. By giving myself 2 weeks to practice a habit I’m usually used to doing, it will help reset my body and brain to grab a glass of water instead of coffee, tea or wine. I usually only drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the A.M. but I sometimes find myself making one between 1 & 3 pm. I’ve been making myself drink a glass of water first, then if I still want something hot, I’m allowing myself either green or herbal non-caffeinated tea.

The flu virus is going around the country pretty hard right now so I’m taking all the steps I know of to keep my immune system strong. This means citrus fruits, lots of vegetables, lean proteins and warming spices as well as plenty of water to flush out my system regularly.

What have you been up to lately?
If you were to choose a new habit, what would you choose and how would you go about it? Let us know – share your story!