BIRTHDAY FREEBIES

Some people look at birthdays as a depressing event.
Another year over. Another year older.
Others (like myself) look at birthdays as a chance to get lots of free things!

I'm not talking about gifts from friends and family...although that is nice.
I'm talking about complete strangers giving you gifts just because it is your birthday!

Here is what I was given for free last month on my 31st birthday...


{the coupons began rolling in, by mail and email, leading up to my bday}

Like a nerd, I printed and cut coupons and put them in a red envelope. On the front of the envelope, I wrote the store and the expiration date, so I could see if time was running out on any deals.



{because I'm signed up to receive email updates from them, Noodles gave me dinner for free}

I got the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese (and gave it to Derek).



{because I'm signed up to receive emails updates from them, Corner Bakery gave me a free dessert}

I got the Birthday Bundt Cake (and gave it Derek).

{When you register a gift card online, Starbucks gives you a free drink on your birthday...any size!}

On a Saturday morning of running errands, I got myself a Venti, Decaf, Sugar-Free Caramel, Soy Latte. Slightly less complicated than this drink! Maybe I'll try THIS on my next birthday!



{Panera has a great rewards program. They give you free food when you eat there...and on your bday}

I got the Chocolate Chip Muffie to enjoy with my free Starbucks drink.

This time I got it for myself...and not Derek!





{If you sign up for email updates from Caribou, you get a free drink (any size) on your bday}

I left work a few hours early on my bday and enjoyed a decaf, iced, sugar-free caramel soy latte!



{If you sign up for email updates from the Container Store, you get a free gift on your bday}

You can never have enough reusable bags- right?!



No coupon needed for this one... get your eyebrows waxed for free at the Brow Bar at any Ulta Salon!!!


{If you sign up for email updates from World Market, they give you $10 to spend on your bday}

 I only had to pay $2 for this scarf with my $10 bday coupon!

There are a few coupons I didn't get around to using... $10 at Uncle Dan's, $10 off your $30 bill at Maggiano's, a coupon from Chili's, buy one-get one free at Cold Stone... (all because I'm signed up for email updates).
I'm sure there are other great birthday deals out there...don't be afraid to get excited about free things!

DETOX WEEK 3 RECAP

It's been a while since I've given my Detox Week 2 Recap.
I ended up having so many leftovers after week 2 that menus kinda blurred together during the following weeks.
Although this would be week 6 since starting THE CLEANSE, I'm really just starting to eat meals from week 4, and begin my transition out.

WHAT MEALS DID I LOVE FROM WEEK 3?


{Pineapple Rosemary Detox Smoothie}

 I continued sticking with smoothies for breakfast and even tried a few new ones I found online like the one above.



{Kale, White Bean, Potato Stew}

 As usual, I've loved the soups and stews. This one was so hearty and tasty. There are still 3 soups I have not made...but will definitely be trying before the warm spring weather arrives (although for Chicago Winters...it's felt like spring these past few months) I'm not complaining!!!

{Shiitakes and Brown Rice en Papillote}

This was a wonderful dish I will be making again. It was simple and easy to make, AND tasted great!

{Chickpea-Brown Rice Veggie Burger}

It would be hard to narrow down my absolute favorite recipe from this detox...but this burger would definitely be in the running. I was amazed at how easy it was to make my own veggie burger...and even more amazed at how great this tasted! I will DEFINITELY make this again.

WHAT HAS THIS DONE FOR MY DIABETES?

Ironically enough, the past few weeks have been a little harder on my blood sugar as I've begun transitioning out of the detox. Sure I've cheated here and there and may have eaten a few more pieces of dark chocolate than I should've...but I'm really starting to notice the affects of eating grains on my blood sugar (brown rice, quinoa, etc.).

I still have some more observing and experimenting to do...but against my Dr.'s thoughts, my blood sugar is still doing really well as I eat fruit (especially on an empty stomach first thing in the morning or with some nuts for a morning snack).

NOW WHAT FOR WEEK 4-ISH (WEEK 6)?

I'm going to finish out a few of the transition meals, and then I have another crazy 30 days of experimenting with a different diet/lifestyle I recently came across.

All in all, I'm still amazed at what eating the right foods can do for us, how it can heal certain ailments, and how God made our bodies to do amazing things, (especially when they are fueled and cared for in the right way).

***I encourage you to make small adjustments to your diet/lifestyle where you can. I know for myself, making small changes has really added up and benefited my life over the past 2 years.

There are so many different studies and theories on diets out there that I like the idea of taking 30 days to try something out. If it doesn't make you feel better than you did before, you can always go back to the way things were. I'm excited to jump into the next adventure and will be trying my best to document it here***

Thanks for reading!

HYDRATION WITHOUT THE BOREDOM

One of the tips Whole Living offers to help get you through a successful cleanse, is to
drink plenty of water.

In the past, I've found it hard (even boring), to drink the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses each day.
I've heard it is also suggested that we should drink half of our body weight in ounces each day.
(If you weight 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces...which comes out to 12.5 glasses/cups each day).

Here are some tips that have helped me drink close to 100 ounces of water each day.
And no, I don't weigh 200 pounds...it just happens to be 3 water bottles worth of water!



I've mentioned before that I like to add flavored ice cubes to my water bottle. This really does add a nice touch and keeps me coming back for more sips throughout the day. I fill our white ice cube trays with regular water and the colored trays with flavored water (or in the case above, some frozen canned pumpkin from the fall...to eventually be used in a pumpkin/gingerbread smoothie)! This helps keep things organized, and keeps Derek from icing his knees with fruity flavored ice cubes after a hard workout/run/football/basketball game.

I make sure to keep my water bottle (with the cap off & in reaching distance from me) on my desk when at work. This makes it extremely accessible and visibly reminds me to keep drinking throughout the day. I take it to meetings with me and aim to drink one bottle by lunch, another by the time I leave work, and finally one more by the time I go to bed. I also keep my vitamins nearby so I remember to take them with my morning snack, lunch, and dinner. I like that the water bottle I use lists the ounces right on the bottle, so I can keep track of how much I have left to drink.

(Remember, 8 liquid ounces is equal to 1 cup).

Freezing fruits and vegetables to use in place of ice cubes also adds a nice flavor to your water. Berries, cucumbers, and orange, lemon, or lime slices all freeze well. As with everything, the key is to stay organized and prepare ahead of time.

Drink up,

stay hydrated without getting bored,

and continue making small changes to better your health!

DETOX WEEK 2 RECAP

One more week down on the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan!
Another successful week of healthy eating is behind me.


I am still feeling more energized than I have been before and am sleeping better than I have in the past.


This week in particular I've noticed my nails are growing faster and stronger.
I typically cut them really short because they are so
weak, and they peel and split.
They normally take really long to grow anyways, so it's not often that I'm having to cut them.


I noticed after the first week that they had grown at a quicker rate, but I cut them anyways. This week I really took notice that as they grew, they weren't as weak!


I haven't lost any more weight and am still holding steady at a 5 pound loss from my initial weight at the beginning of my detox.

I didn't work out as much as I had planned, but I did make it to Indigo Studio for their open house. Their Yoga Booty Ballet class is a lot of fun, and a good work out! I bought a Living Social Deal for 1 month of unlimited classes. It expires next month, so now is a good time to cash that in!!!

WHAT DID I EAT?
I continued to follow the weekly meal plan, however, I didn't get around to making the Red Lentil Soup from this past week...OR the Roasted Garlic & Beet Soup from Week 1. They both look great...I just haven't taken the time to make them yet.

Like I mentioned in last week's RECAP, I continued drinking smoothies this week for breakfast. I moved the recommended breakfast items to lunchtime and mixed the lunch recipes between lunch and dinner time.

WHAT WERE MY FAVORITE RECIPES?

Vegetable-Miso Soup w/Chickpeas

This soup was by far my favorite recipe this week. It was hearty, flavorful, and had a great texture!

I couldn't find White Miso, so instead I opted for a Brown Rice Miso I found at Whole Foods. The price was really reasonable, and I plan on using it again in other recipes.

Although this was meant for breakfast, I spread this out and made it last for 5 meals, which I ate for lunch, dinner, and even an afternoon snack. I've had so many leftovers, that I am finally finishing up the soup for lunch today.



Raw Kale Salad w/Pomegranate & Toasted Walnuts

This salad was delicious! This was the first time I've ever tried Pomegranate...and loved it! It was a little messy cutting and pulling out the seeds, but it was worth it. Surprisingly, I haven't tired of eating Kale or Red Onions yet. There seems to be a lot of those ingredients in the recipes, but I've been able to stomach it.

Roasted Winter Vegetables w/Cannellini Beans

This dish forced me to eat veggies I would've never eaten otherwise. Even as I walked through Stanley's and Whole Foods, I had to google items like Leeks, Rutabagas and Parsnips. This recipe also left me with plenty of leftovers that I will be finishing up this week. I imagine sprinkling pumpkin or sunflower seeds on this would add a nice touch!



"Grilled" Salmon & Bok Choy w/Avocado Salsa

I believe you can never go wrong with Salmon! The only grill we have right now is a small George Foreman grill. I was too lazy to pull it out, so I baked the salmon in the oven instead. Grilling the Bok Choy would've been nice, but I just tore it up like a salad and served the salmon on top of it. The Avocado Salsa added a really nice taste and texture.

Derek even ate this for dinner (w/a side of white cheddar mac & cheese)! Without this recipe, I would've never tried Bok Choy! The taste was really mild and I froze some leftover leaves to use in smoothies this week...for an added health benefit, without the taste.

Scrambled Tofu w/Collards & Tumeric



This recipe was quick and easy to make. Trader Joe's sells Extra Firm Organic Tofu in 2 ("Tear & Share") single serving sizes. I used leftover Bok Choy in place of Collard Greens and baked a side dish of Alexia Oven potatoes with Rosemary & Garlic.

{source}

For Derek, I made a cheese omelet with a side of the potatoes and leftover Trader Joe's Sweet Basil Pesto Sausage.

{source}

As much as I tried, I could not bring myself to enjoy the sardines in the Watercress w/Sardines, Tarragon, & Clementines Salad! The Watercress I bought had gone bad, so I substituted it with Arugula. I honestly think I would've enjoyed this salad...if it weren't for the SARDINES!!!

WHAT DID I SNACK ON?
In addition to the snacks I ate last week, I also tried out two of the Balanced Snacks, Whole Living recommends.

Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

I'm normally not a big fan of Cauliflower, but this tasted amazing when roasted and spiced!
I had part of this for a snack and part for today's side dish at lunch.

Roasted Spiced Chickpeas

Maybe it's just my imagination or because it's been a while since I've eaten junk-food...these tasted like french fries to me!!! Go out right now and make these!

WHAT HAS IT DONE FOR MY DIABETES?
My #'s continue to look good! I had a doctor appointment on Monday and my doctor seemed to roll his eyes at the thought of me being on a detox diet. He said I shouldn't be eating as much fruit as I am because it will spike my blood sugar. He suggested to eat more grains. The funny thing is (which I gladly pointed out to him) that when I eat oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, my #'s spike like crazy. With the fruit, I've been fine. My doctors appointment is worth an entirely different post some other time.

DID I EXPERIENCE ANY DETOX SYMPTOMS?
Nothing has been new in this area. I continue to have hot lemon water first thing in the morning...and that has made my digestion really... consistent!
I developed a pimple on my cheek...could this be a sign of my body detoxing?!
My hands have been EXTRA dry...so I've been washing with Dr. Bronner's Lavender Soap (insted of the soap they offer at work) and using Neutrogena Hand Cream religiously. Both items are small enough to carry to the bathroom with me or to stick next to my computer desk at work. Not sure if the dry skin is a detoxing symptom.


{source}




{source}

 IS THIS LIFESTYLE/DIET REALLY DOABLE?

We celebrated my brother's birthday on Tuesday with Giordano's Pizza and Portillo's Chocolate Cake...definitely not on my detox menu plan! I packed up a dish of Baked Sweet Potatoes w/Toasted Nuts & Oranges (w/a sprinkling of leftover Pomegranate Seeds on the side).

{source}

Because we were short on time, I opted for frozen diced sweet potatoes instead of baking a whole sweet potato.

{source}

While my family enjoyed their chocolate cake for dessert, I opted for a cup of unsweetened applesauce with pistachios mixed in!

Later on in the week we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday with Lou Malnatis pizza and Guinness Chocolate cake! My mother in law made a salad and offered me a Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. For my dinner I packed a Tupperware full of Baked Trout w/ Broccoli, Apple, & Fennel Slaw.

{source}

I substituted Tilapia for Halibut...and for dessert, I enjoyed a sweet tangerine!

Derek and I even enjoyed Chipotle on Friday for dinner. I've never tried their salad until now. It came with a really good Vinaigrette on the side. The salad consisted of lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, corn, grilled onions and peppers, and guacamole. This just might replace my normal vegetarian bowl I get from there!!!

{source}

While I ate leftover fish and black bean salad for dinner last night, I made ground turkey tacos for Derek, and shared some of my Spicy Black Bean Salad with him!

{source}

SO NOW WHAT FOR WEEK 3?

With a lot of leftovers still from week 2, I will finish those first and then continue on to Week 3's menu. I'm looking forward to adding in brown rice and quinoa into the mix. I'll continue to enjoy my breakfast smoothies...and hopefully really add in more cardio this week :)

The key this past week has been in planning ahead. I'll definitely continue to do that and even have a post in mind about how I've stayed organized throughout this 2012 Challenge!

DIABETES, EATING DISORDERS, & A SIDE OF SOCIAL ANXIETY

I have to say this 28 day detox/cleanse has been amazing...
and I'll report on that more in detail later.

I knew doing the detox would mean a lot of planning ahead.
Grocery shopping for everything I need, preparing meals in advance, packing snacks and meals for work... so there is no excuse to stray from the plan.

It's been really keeping me on top of my "Diabetes" game.

My numbers have been under the best control they've been in a while.

I'm meticulously counting carbs and trying to be as accurate as I can be

...weighing, measuring, looking up nutrition facts, etc.

This is what striving for excellence in my health looks like.

Yes, it's annoying and time consuming, but the pay off is worth it!

Can I just eat an apple if I feel like it? Sure... but first I need to test my blood sugar and make sure I'm (some-what) in range. Then I need to weigh the apple to see how many ounces it is. Then I have to consult with my book of carbs to see how many carbs are in an apple. This usually involves some sort of math equation to calculate the specific carbs for the apple I'm about to eat. Then by the time I've finally figured all of that out, sometimes I'm just craving a pear instead! (re-start calculations)

It really is a wonder Diabetes and eating disorders don't come hand in hand. I'm not poking fun of the situation. Eating disorders are very serious. It's just that with all the time us Diabetics are required to think about food and what it's doing to our bodies, I legitimately am wondering what percentage of Diabetics develop eating disorders.

And then what about eating out... in public, with friends, with strangers? Thanks to technology today, I can quickly look up carbs on my phone if we're out eating Lou Malnatis pizza. But what about when at a dinner party somewhere? Would it be awkward to pull a measuring cup out of my pocket as the mashed potatoes and gravy are being passed around? My family wouldn't bat an eye, but people I've just met for the first time?

And what if I underestimate the carb count? Overestimate the carb count? Too much insulin? Too little insulin? Feeling awful with high blood sugar later...or coming close to passing out from low blood sugar by the time dessert is being served.

You might as well throw a side of social anxiety into the mix now that I'm dealing with diabetes and food issues!!!

But like I said, it's been well worth the work to be feeling good, strong, and healthy, and to be at the start of 2012 with optomism and hope for the healthiest year yet!