Magic?!

As I have mentioned before, I have had stomach issues most of my life. Well, I talked to a lady in the vitamin department of Market Street, and she told me I could be lacking in stomach acid. She said that if you don't have enough stomach acid, the food sits in your stomach and ferments creating gastric distress and other symptoms. She said some people think they have heartburn and it is actually lack of stomach acid. Well, after lunch my stomach was killing me. So, I went to the store and bought Apple Cider Vinegar as she suggested. I mixed a tablespoon with water and....magically, I felt better in 10 minutes. I am going to try taking this before every meal the next few days and see how it goes.

New Addictions

Well, I don't have much to report in terms of food because I had a rough time with my tummy yesterday. I tried the BioChem Raw Foods and Whey shake yesterday, and I think it was the culprit. I have to say that I loved the test and it mixed well, but I don't think my digestive system handled it too well. So, instead of writing about food, I decided to share some of my new entertainment addictions.

My new favorite show is The Cleaner. It is on A&E on Tuesday nights at 9:00 central time. It started about 3 weeks ago and I look forward to each new episode. The story lines really draw you in and keep you glued to the TV for the entire hour. Here is how the website describes it:

"The Cleaner," inspired by the true story of a real-life "extreme interventionist," stars Benjamin Bratt as William "The Cleaner" Banks, who, after hitting rock-bottom from his own addictions after the birth of his daughter, strikes a tentative deal with God. Now along with his unconventional team, he helps people get away from their addictions by any means necessary.

This show has been on for several years, but my husband and I just discovered it. It is on right before The Cleaner. It follows detectives during the first 48 hours after a crime. It is like a reality version of CSI. They play repeats of old episodes all week long.

I grabbed this book at the airport on the way to Florida. I was drawn to it and wasn't sure why, but I bought it. To my surprise, when I was reading it, I found out that the main character has many similarities to me...especially the fact that she has a passion for working with autism. I am almost finished with the book and I am loving every minute of it. It starts out with a summer romance and then follows how the long distance relationship with someone in the military works out when 911 occurs. I highly suggest this book as a summertime read.

Question for everyone:

Does anyone take a greens supplement? If so, which one do you use?

I promise I am still around!

It was crazy getting back from Florida and returning to work. I had none of my favorite foods in the house and I had to go stock up at all my favorite stores. Of course, I had to try some new foods too.

I have been trying adding protein powder to my oatmeal in the morning to increase my protein intake. I tried Jay Robb's Vanilla Whey and loved it. I put a tablespoon in my oatmeal and then later used the rest to make a shake. It really does mix pretty well. I still seem to get some chunks, but they seem to disintegrate as I let the drink sit. I have a variety of powders I going to try, and then pick my favorite. I am open to any suggestions.

For lunch, I had a delicious salad mix from the Whole Foods Salad bar with Annie's Raspberry Vinagrette. I loved the textures of all the veggies: spinach, spring mix, peas, tomtoes, carrots, and mushrooms. On the side, I had a rice cake with 2 teaspoons Justin's Maple Almond Butter. I can't praise it's taste enough. It was the perfect blend of sweet and salty. I can't wait to try the cinnamon peanut butter. This will definitely help me add MUFAs to my diet.

 

Dinner was very exciting. I was excited to find a new salmon burger at Super Target. So excited, that I didn't look at the ingredients....and I never skip that. After I ate it, I was disappointed to see high fructose corn syrup listed. I don't think there could be that much in it, but I try to avoid HFCS. The burger was delicious and had just the right hint of seasonings and lemon. I will definitely eat this again despite the HFCS. On the side, I had a spinach salad and a rice cake with Promise Fat Free Butter Spread. Here is the link for the company that produces the salmon burgers: http://www.oceanbeauty.com/brands/seachoice.htm

Hello From Florida!

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was traveling to see my sister and her family in Florida. I treated myself to some nonfat frozen yogurt at the airport, and I don't know if it was that or the plane ride, but my tummy was not happy. I settled for oatmeal for dinner because I didn't want to make matters worse.

Today's review comes complements of my nephew, Preston. I introduced his mom to Elmo soups and he loves them. Last night, he chowed down on the Chicken NoodleMania soup. His mom drains it and gives him the noodles and veggies. The Elmo noodles are so fun. I love this soup too because it is organic and fairly low in sodium. Seeing kids eat with total love of food for it's taste and textures is so refreshing. Preston was speechless when it came to describing how good it was, but the rate ate which he stuffed the little Elmos in his mouth with both hands tells me that it was mighty tasty!

Just a hint of flavor!

http://www.drinkhint.com/home.php

I am so tired of plain water, but I know my body needs it, especially in the 100 degree weather here in Texas. I wanted a flavored water with no calories and artificial ingredients. To my disappointment, every bottle label listed at least 50 calories and tons of artificial colors and additives. Then...I found HINT! It has just a slight bit of natural flavoring and it gives my water an extra kick without any calories. I have tried and loved the following flavors: kiwi-strawberry, asian pear, cucumber, lime, and tropical punch. What a yummy way to hydrate my body!!!

Love for the Dragonflies!

Food blogging is my newest hobby, but another one of my hobbies is Dragonflies. It started out as a shared good luck charm between one of my best friends and I. When they show up, it is a message to us that "everything is going to be just fine!" They always seem to show up when I need comfort or calming. When my friend and I see each other, we always bring each other dragonfly gifts in pairs so that we each have one. I have a creek by my house, and I go out there frequently to "hunt" for dragonflies. I have learned how to be in their presence without scaring them away. It seems these days as if they are posing for me to take their picture. Here is a picture of my friend from tonight. I am sure I will share more as time goes by!!!!

Seeds, Seeds, and More Seeds

http://www.bumblebar.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8

Today's taste test was very pleasing. I had half of a Bumble Bar. I expected the bar to have honey in it because of the product name, but there was not a drop of honey in the bar at all! I chose to try the Original with Almonds. I was quite shocked to see all the seeds when I peered into the packaging. With a little hesitation, I took my first bite and I was hooked. It was soft, chewy, and a little crunchy at the same time. The best part was the hint of vanilla and cinnamon. I only had half because it was very filling. I will save the rest for snack tomorrow. Then I have to try all the other flavors.

Moderation

I spent several months not feeling like myself, experiencing horrible PMS, feeling tired,feeling anxious, etc. After a lot of research and talking to doctors and pharmacists, I discovered that I had estrogen dominance. Birth control pills and over consumption of soy and coffee were increasing the severity of the dominance. After eliminating most of the soy in my diet, eating more organic/clean foods, and decreasing my coffee intake, I feel much better! Here are some articles that are very informative about soy and estrogen dominance. It really makes me believe in the "Everything in moderation" motto.

http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_format/Estrogen_Dominance.cfm#12

http://www.drlam.com/opinion/soyandestrogen.cfm

Golden Smackers

http://www.bettylousinc.com/home/

The newest snack to be tested is Betty Lou's Golden Smackers. They look small, but they are quite filling. I love that they are organic and that they have rice protein instead of soy protein. I tried the Almond one today and it was quite a sweet treat. Covered in dark chocolate, I felt like I was indulging in a candy treat, but I felt no guilt because I knew that it was healthy. I can't wait to try the Peanut Butter Smacker. I definitely want to try more products from this brand. The website shows several granola bars that look yummy!

My husband and I are headed to Half Price Books and then off to the gym!

Hemp?!

http://www.ruthshempfoods.com/hempbars.html

I tried a new snack that was very satisfying. It was a Peanut Butter and Banana Hemp bar. I was a little disappointed that the flavors of peanut butter and banana were not stronger, but I was impressed with the bars "fill up" factor. It kept me full for hours and that rarely happens with me. I will buy this one again. Off to the gym!

10 Minute Solutions

I surprised myself tonight. I was going to give myself a day off from exercise, but it has become such a routine that my body craved it. I go to the gym Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Recently, I have been using videos to workout at home during the week. My favorites are the 10 minute solution series because you can customize and put together a new workout every night. I really enjoy my two newest videos, which I bought at Half Price books for about $3 a piece. I think I will see if Half Price has some more this weekend because I have a 50% off coupon.

I did it!

I finally added something new to my oatmeal and it was delicious. In addition to my fiber and cinnamon, I added some Mountain Mambo Trail Mix by Enjoy Life. It is a mix of sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, raisins, apples, chocolate chips, and cranberries. The best part is that there are no sulfites and it is all natural. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed my oatmeal this morning. Every bite was a new flavor...sweet and then salty and then crunchy and then chewy. My car also took a surprise turn back into Dunkin Donuts for some coffee today. I couldn't resist. I am so happy I started this blog. It is making me expand my diet already, and I am eating cleaner food. I feel stronger, healthier, and more confident. Hope everyone has a terrific Thursday.

Steamfresh Magic

Tonight's dinner was a combo of Steamfresh brown rice, Steamfresh peas, and organic hoisin sauce. It kind of tasted like fried rice. I love the convenience of having brown rice ready within 4 minutes. I love the whole line of Steamfresh veggies. I want to try the mushrooms and peas combination soon.

Coffee Treat

I stopped drinking my daily coffee three weeks ago. I have been sleeping better and my blood sugar seems to be better. I chose to go cold turkey after I read some articles about over consumption of coffee and adrenal fatigue. This morning I am treating myself to some Dunkin Donuts coffee because my husband wanted some donuts from the new store. It is quite the treat and tastes delicious. Coffee actually tastes better when it is a treat and not a daily drink. I had my oatmeal with cinnamon and fiber along with my coffee. I am going to the store tonight, so maybe I will come up with something to change up my oatmeal. I also want to start weaning myself off of Sweet n Low. I am thinking of trying Agave Nectar to sweeten my oatmeal. Does anyone have any suggestions? Snack today is going to be a Blueberry Pure bar. I hope it is as good as the chocolate brownie bar.

Christmas in July

A local radio station played Christmas songs all day long and it made me crave the foods of fall and winter, especially pumpkin pie. Since there was no pumpkin pie in sight, I settled for a Chocolate Brownie Pure bar. It was vegan and organic. It tasted like a chewy brownie with nuts. I would definitely buy it again.

For dinner, I decided on my creole concoction that I have not made since last fall. I just combine chicken broth, cajun tomatoes, gumbo vegetables, and beans. It tastes great with shrimp too. On the side, I had a rice cake with red pepper hummus. This was a perfect meal to eat as a thunderstorm rolls in for the night.

 

Busy Morning

I have a busy morning today. I fueled up with my usual oatmeal mix, but hopefully this blog will inspire me to add variety to my breakfast routine. Snack is going to be a raw organic apple pie oatmeal bar. I have eaten these before and they are chewy and delicious....full of yummy cinnamon. They are completely organic and raw with cashews, apples, raisins and agave nectar. They are very sweet and chewy.  Thanks to everyone who has shown me support in this new blogging endeavor. Have a good morning.

Summer Dinner

I wanted something light and not hot for dinner tonight. I had spring mix salad, organic honey maple turkey rolls, and a rice cake with red pepper hummus. All but the rice cake were organic. I realized my first lesson as a new blogger....always have batteries charged for the camera. I was going to take a picture of my meal, but couldn't wait for the batteries to charge. Here is a picture of the turkey and hummus. I am also posting a picture of the Texas brownie I picked up for my husband. It is one of his favorites. I love the little fork that comes with it. My husband has actually been on the healthy organic food kick with me, but he still desires his treats. He doesn't eat the entire brownie at one time because it is too rich. It gives me sugar shock looking at it!!

Snack Time

Lunch is going to be late today, so I decided on a substantial snack. I have discovered the world of lara bars. I love the banana cookie one. This morning I tried Cocoa Mole. It was yummy, but not my favorite. The little kick of chili was a little weird for me. I would eat it again if it was my only lara bar choice available. I like that these add Omega 3 and 6 to my diet. I am trying to add healthy fats. Which lara bars does everyone else like? What are your favorites?

Oatmeal plus extra fiber

This morning I had a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and sprinkle fiber. Sprinkle fiber is my miracle cure. I have suffered major stomach issues for years, and adding this has really helped my issues almost completely go away. I introduced my friend to it and she swears by it's effectiveness. It is made with acacia fiber instead of harsh fibers like psyllium. The company that makes it also carries bars and shakes.

First New Food Report

Today I tried a new organic snack....Raisin sesame trail mix bars by Archer Farms. They are a wonderful blend of sweet and salty. Sweetened with agave syrup and full of raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, it is a satisfying sweet. Goods fats, lower salt and sugar...I am going to be buying this one often.

Starting Slow

I am new to all of this, but I am intrigued by all the foodie blogs I have been reading lately. I love to discover new foods at the grocery store and share my finds with others. I am trying to increase the variety in my diet. I have been scared to eat many foods in the past due to major tummy troubles I have had for years. Now that I have those issues somewhat under control, I am trying to eat a clean and somewhat organic diet. Hopefully, keeping a blog will help me have the motivation to try new recipes and add more foods to me daily routines!!!