Tag Archives: low carb

Picnics Can Be Delicious and You Can Still Lose Weight

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Does going to a picnic mean we are stuck with potato salad, coleslaw and chips?  My husband, sister-in-law and friend are joining me tonight in an outdoor concert, where we will “picnic’ in our seats before the concert.  In the past, we would order food, which was delectable, but devilish in calories.  But, that was 40 pounds ago.  And my family and friend are all on board with eating and living a better lifestyle (very important to surround yourself with people like that) and if not, then you have to prepare your own food your way).  However, in this case, we all decided to order food that was good for us, as well as good-tasting.

We could make them ourselves, but we are ordering salads with veggies and chopped grilled chicken and my vegetarian friend will be having the salad with sautéed tofu.  We will also have sparkling and regular water, coffee and I am bringing a long Low-Carb chocolate cookies for dessert.

Here is what the salad looks like, but without the grilled 4 ounces of chicken. And also here is a picture of my Kot chocolate crackers.  (13g or net carbs, from Lindora.com)  Looking forward to my meal and my coffee!!

salad

 

 

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Low-Carb Almond and Flax Seed Chicken Tenders

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I love chicken tenders, but I don’t want a lot of carbs and I don’t want it breaded.  I am avoiding wheat because it makes my belly stick out and it is full of carbs.

Here is a South Beach version of chicken tenders.  I made them and they are really good and SUPER easy to make.  Less than 30 minutes.

Don’t forget to get some dipping sauce (low-carb of course).  Mustard-based is a good choice.

There is probably less than 3g of net carbs in this entire batch of chicken that I made!  Almond and flax are good for you too!  Here are my pictures of the finished product.  Recipe follows.

nuggetscloseup nugggetsevencloser

LOW-CARB CHICKEN TENDERS:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 T olive oil (enough to generously coat the baking sheet)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp. paprika (not smoked or hot)
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Turn on the oven to 400F/205C. Brush a baking sheet liberally with olive oil and put the pan in the oven to heat as the oven preheats.

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts, then cut each breast into 5 nugget pieces (or more if you have a very large breast.) Use a meal mallet or something heavy to pound the thicker nugget pieces so they’re all the same thickness.

Combine the almond meal, paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mixing together well. Dip each nugget piece into the almond meal mixture, pressing on with your fingers so it coats the chicken. Coat all the nuggets before you remove the baking sheet from the oven.

When all nuggets are coated, lay them on the hot baking sheet and cook 8-10 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven, turn nuggets, and bake 10-12 minutes more on the second side, until nuggets are lightly browned and cooked through. (Don’t overcook.) Serve hot, with mustard or ranch dipping sauce if desired.

21 Day Challenge!

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All over Facebook is a 21 Day Challenge.  I have done this 21 Day Challenge for the most part now since Sept 8, 2011.  Here is the challenge:

21 Day Challenge!!!
NO CHIPS
NO SODA
NO DIET SODA
NO CHOCOLATE
NO CANDY
NO WHITE BREAD
NO COOKIES OR BISCUITS
NO FAST FOOD
NO CAKES/PASTRIES/MUFFINS

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How I have done this challenge, but my way!

–I have done fast food, but I make choices that involve salad and not-so-fast-foodish.

— I only have chocolate in protein bars or low-carb items.  Best low-carb chocolate bars in my opinion, Power Crunch (Trader Joes, Smart and Final and Vitacost.com) and Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bars (Target and Costco).  And this one is delish!  http://www.vitacost.com/bionutritional-research-group-choklat-crunch-protein-crisp-bars

–I never have had regular soda, but I admit to diet soda and even though it is bad for ending cravings, I still have a couple a day.  You still have to drink water.

— I never do candy or anything made with wheat products, unless they are special low-carb ones that I have purchased through Lindora.com or some low carb outlet, and even then, that is rare.  I usually have low-carb frozen yogurt or fruit with whipped cream or low-fat Greek Yogurt.

–I never have potatoes, rice or beans.  Just too full of carbs and starches and puts me on a sugar rollercoaster.

SugarRollerCoaster

The good part of this challenge is to get you to get over craving sugar or things that turn to sugar. It is basically, a sugar detox.  But, if you eat sugars and cheat, then you are NOT detoxing.

The bad part of this challenge is that it offers no assistance in dealing with those torturous cravings.  Even on a medically supervised weight loss program, like the one I did (Lindora), they offered me appetite suppressants.  But, after one day of that and feeling jittery, I researched and found my own way to get over it.  There are plenty of books that explain it, like Dr. Mark Hyman, whose book and information is on the blog before this (August 23. 2013).  However, how to get over cravings in a nutshell:

1.) Balance blood sugar.

When blood sugar is low, you’ll eat anything. To better balance blood sugar, eat a small meal or snack that includes healthy protein, like seeds or nuts (measured out because they are high in carbs) , low-fat Greek Yogurt, two tablespoons of almond or peanut butter, or eat any meat, a protein bar or drink (check on the ones that are lowest in carbs) and cheese, every 3 to 4 hours.

2.) Eliminate liquid calories and artificial sweeteners.

Sodas are full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Processed fruit juices are awash in sugar. Try sticking with water and green tea. Green tea contains plant chemicals that are good for your health. And, last but not least, don’t succumb to the diet-drink trap. The artificial sweeteners in diet drinks fool the body into thinking it is ingesting sugar, which creates the same insulin spike as regular sugar.  I have to admit, I use artificial sweetener in my coffee and soda and I still lost weight, but this can spike cravings….just sayin’.  Reason why I also take fiber to feel full.

3.) Eat a high-quality protein at breakfast.

Ideally, you’re eating quality protein at every meal, but, if you need to prioritize one meal, choose breakfast. Studies show that waking up to a healthy protein, such as eggs, nuts, seeds, nut butters or a protein shake help people lose weight, reduce cravings and burn calories.

4.  Increase fiber.  Helps you feel full and keeps you from overeating.

5.  NO wine or beer.  If you MUST have a drink, stick with a vodka mixed drink and keep it to a minimum.  Wine and beer have sugar and alcohol takes so much energy in your body to be processed, then your body doesn’t have the energy to also burn fat, so you won’t lose much weight if you drink.  Remember that.

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And as in any addiction, if you fall off the wagon, then get back on!  Never give up.

Bread’s Lying Labels Can Make You Gain Weight and be UNhealthy

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Multi-Grain and Wheat Breads

Terms like multi-grain, 7-grain, and wheat sound healthy, but they may  NOT actually contain heart-healthy whole grains.

Many breads labeled “multi-grain” and “wheat” are typically made with refined grains, so you’re not getting the full nutritional benefit of the whole grain.

Read nutrition labels carefully. If the first flour in the ingredient list is refined (it will typically say “bleached” or “unbleached enriched wheat flour”), then you are not getting a 100% whole-grain bread.

Regardless, breads have high carb numbers.  On my plan, you can have one slice of toast per week in place of a fruit–instead of the two small fruit servings per day.  However, when I eat wheat, I tend to either get bloated, stuck in my weight or gain weight.  Read this book to find out wheat is making you fat.  http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543

wheatbellybook

 

Wheat Can Cause Illnesses and Disease

 

“–Accumumulation of inflammatory visceral fat (a “wheat belly”),
–Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, diabetes
–Gastrointestinal disruption–acid reflux/heart burn, esophagitis, esophageal stricture, bowel urgency/irritable bowel syndrome, worsening of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease)
–Neurological impairment–from mind “fog” and behavior outbursts in children with autistic spectrum disorder and ADHD, to paranoia and hallucinations in schizophrenia, to food obsessions in those prone to bulimia and binge eating disorder, to triggering of mania in bipolar illness, to depression in the depression-prone. Also add cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, and dementia to the list (“gluten encephalopathy”).
–Joint pain and arthritis–Including both “wear-and-tear” osteoarthritis as well as inflammatory forms like rheumatoid.
–Autoimmune diseases–The peculiar potential for the gliadin protein of wheat to “unlock” the normal intestinal barriers, allowing foreign antigens access into the bloodstream, is the first step in autoimmunity, the immune system’s misguided effort to eliminate the “intruder,” such as your thyroid gland, colon, small intestine, synovial lining of your joints, skin, thymus, liver, pancreas, even brain.
–Skin disorders–Skin rashes and damage from wheat are as varied as they are ubiquitous. There is hardly a skin condition that is not caused by wheat. (Not to say that all skin conditions are caused by wheat–they are not, but that, of all the myriad skin conditions experienced by humans, virtually all have been associated with wheat consumption.) This ranges from the level of nuisance, such as acne, to the level of life-threatening, such as leg gangrene.”

taken from:  http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2013/02/celiac-is-not-a-disease/

 

My Advice on Eating Wheat

Don’t do it or make alternative choices and do it minimally.

I had a wheat belly and I had people always asking me when my baby was due.  (Never had a baby in there!).  I gave up wheat and no one asks anymore.

belly

I know it is hard and you can get used to it.  Wheat products are designed to cause your brain to be addicted to them.  This is especially true of cereal products.  There is just enough designed ingredients to go to the pleasure center of your brain to cause that addiction, making it hard to get clean from its use.  It is like heroin, but cheaper and easier to get–and legal too.

breadheroin

There are alternatives that I like.

These 3 alternatives might not be healthy, but you can remain on your diet

1.  Find a low carb bread like Ezekiel, Sara Lee’s 90 calorie bread choices, etc.  If a slice of bread is more than 15g of net carbs, you might not want to eat it.  Imagine.  Eating a sandwich that has over 30g of carbs and you don’t want to get more than 50g to 100g of carbs per day to lose weight or maintain.  Then, you have to be super careful and picky in your choices the rest of the day.

2.  Western Bagel Perfect 10 bagel has only 10g net carbs and is perfect for a make-shift sandwich.  I love them, but I limit them.  Wheat can bloat you and if you read the Wheat Belly book, you will understand why that is a fact.

3.  Low-Carb Tortillas.  My favorite ones are at Costco and Trader Joes.  Around 4g net carbs.  I make a pan-fried turkey tomato, low-fat sour cream and low-fat cheese tortilla and it is delish.  Takes only minutes and under 10g of carbs for the whole delicious thing.

I have written blogs on these items in the past and showed recipes and my creations.  Any questions, please write.

 

Sonic Juice Carb Boom

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So, today, I mentioned to a friend that her not having a Sonic Fast Food joint in her neighborhood is maybe a blessing in disguise.  She was lamenting that there is one where she visits, and she likes to one near her home so she can go there for their fruit slush.  I looked it up online.  It is shocking!  As many people believe it to be true, she thinks that “juice” is a better choice to the fast food.  But, as I discussed in yesterday’s blog, it isn’t.

 

sonic

Look at the comparisons:

Sonic Cheeseburger with mayo:  8g of sugar, 35g of protein, 44g of carbs.  Now, I know that if I don ‘t eat the bun, I will lower the sugar content and the carbs.  The carbs without the bun–about 12g. 

Sonic MEDIUM Strawberry “Fresh Fruit” Slush:  76g of sugar,  1g of protein, 82g of carbs.  The only good thing is has going for it is less sodium and calories than the burger.

Sonic LARGE Strawberry “Fresh Fruit” Slush:  120g of sugar, 1g of protein, 128g of carbs.

 

If you want to gain weight, you have to eat more than 100g of carbs a day.  Unless you exercised hardcore for a few hours, I wouldn’t recommend this much sugar and carbs.

The sugar content of 120g of sugar is equivalent to 30 sugar cubes.  Would you eat 30 sugar cubes? (There are about 28 cubes in this picture.)

cubes

 

 

SOLUTION:

Choice A:  Eat the burger without the bun.

Choice B:  Go to the store and get some fruit and water.

Choice C:  Get a SMALL slush and only drink about half of the small and split it with a friend or spill half of  it out.  Half of a small is about 22g of carbs, about 20g of sugar or 5 sugar cubes.  Not great, but better if you see it as a treat and your fruit for the day, but don’t make a habit of it.  It isn’t really your fruit because the fiber and nutrients are in the pulp and that is not here.  This is really just pure sugar.

 

Low-Carb Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookie Recipe

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Today, I am in the mood for a good cookie recipe.  I rarely eat cookies, but sometimes I need one.  And I want it to not ruin my diet.  I have not tried this yet, but the reviews online are awesome and I will try it this weekend after I get a few ingredients!  6 g of carbs, 2 grams protein.

IN COMPARISON:

Mrs. Fields regular chocolate chip cookie is 28g of carbs, 2 protein and look at all of the ingredients.  Most are NOT good for you.  I am putting up the one with chocolate chips and walnuts to be similar to this recipe.

Taken from the Mrs. Fields website:

Enriched Bleached Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Milk Fat, Soybean Lecithin, Natural Flavors), Brown Sugar, Sugar, Unsalted Butter, Margarine (Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Mono & Diglycerides, Soybean Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene, Whey), Walnuts, Whole Eggs, Canola Oil, Water, Fructose, Monoglycerides, Salt, Natural Flavors, Wheat Fiber, Food Starch, Soybean Lecithin, Baking Soda, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum.

 

(Besides all of the filler, preservatives, etc.  It has Brown Sugar, Sugar, Fructose (three sugars) and Margarine (not healthy), natural and artifiical flavors, food starch and bleached wheat.)

My healthy recipe is simple and better for you~

almondbuttercookie

Dark Chocolate Almond Drop Cookies

  • Gluten-free & dairy-free
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 3/4 cup natural sweetener (or use Splenda or Truvia baking blend)
  • 1 large egg (or 1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 oz. dark chocolate pieces

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350° F, combine first 5 ingredients and stir, add chocolate.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool, then enjoy.

Carbs Can Cause You Do Be Fat, Have Acne and Wrinkles!

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http://www.dailyglow.com/skin/are-carbs-bad-for-your-skin.html?pos=1&xid=nl_TodaysHighlightFromDailyGlow_20130729

According to dermatologist, Dr. Jessica Wu, carbohydrates are an important source of energy, but people eat too much of them and not enough protein.  This can lead to high blood sugar and insulin levels, which then can make your body store fat and can affect the appearance of your skin.

Problem:

Besides making you gain weight or have trouble losing weight, carbs can cause acne and wrinkles!

Carbs (such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, muffins, and other baked goods) can aggravate acne breakouts.A high carb diet can cause an increase of androgens (“male” hormones that stimulate oil glands and cause acne) after just one week.  Carbs are also broken down into glucose (blood sugar), which interacts with proteins in the skin, stimulating enzymes that break down collagen and elastic tissue and resulting in thinner skin that’s more likely to wrinkle.

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The solution:

Avoid refined grains, such as white toast, pastries, white rice, and white pasta.  Instead, choose whole-grain products, which are digested more slowly, thereby producing less dramatic blood sugar elevations. In fact, the most important key to keeping your blood sugar balanced is the composition of the carbs you eat. In other words, it’s good to add chicken to your pasta, or peanut butter to your toast, but it’s much more important that your pasta be made of whole wheat and that you choose brown instead of white rice, and whole-wheat bread instead of pastries or muffins.  AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you are going to eat grains, keep it at a minimum and count carbs because if you want to stay thin, then you should not be having more than 100g of carbs a day (50-100g).

goodcarbs

 

7 Ways to Help Food Cravings On a Diet

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I had a lady tell me recently that she wanted to lose weight, but was not willing to make the kind of changes necessary to her diet because it is “too hard” to give up foods that she craves.

I have written about how certain foods have been created by companies, after their own scientists have experimented on combinations of sugar, salt and fat, to the point of what causes pleasure to the brain–therefore causing the brain to crave those food items later when the pleasure is needed. People want to increase those pleasurable points especially in times of stress or boredom. But, how different is this kind of need to any other common addiction?
And if you don’t care about yourself, think about your kids. If continue eating this way, and teaching your children to eat this way, you are preparing them for a possible life of disease and early death.

Yes, it is hard to get through the first week or two (stage one) of a lifestyle food change (diet) because you are fighting off physiological and psychological cravings. So, besides taking an appetite suppressant temporarily until your boys is used to the correctly sized portions and the correct healthy foods.

–-7 ways to help deal with cravings.

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1. Hunger can make you crave food, so eat every 3 to 4 hours

If you go longer than five hours without food, your blood sugar will drop and your cravings will begin, You need to eat every 3 to 4 hours. If it’s time for an allowed snack, choose food low in calories and fat.

2. Eat protein in every meal to fend off cravings.

You should include some source of lean protein, such as skinless chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, or low-fat cheese. Protein helps to control blood sugar patterns and can help prevent food cravings, Foods containing protein also help you feel fuller by stimulating production of cholecystokinin (CKK), a naturally occurring appetite suppressant.

**AND most IMPORTANTLY–always eat breakfast protein. Research shows that starting your day off with breakfast helps in burning fat and in cutting down cravings.

3. Drink your liquids.

Dehydration can cause some people to crave salty foods. The solution is simple: Drink more water. An 8-ounce glass of refreshing water can help you feel full and get your mind off your food cravings of the moment. In fact, what you think are food cravings may actually be thirst. Drink water and the food cravings should go away. Keep a water bottle handy throughout the day to make it easy to satisfy your fluid needs.

4. Keep busy.

When the craving is psychological, it is meeting a need different from hunger. Hunger caused by boredom, anxiety, or other emotions is by finding an activity that will take your mind off your craving without adding calories. Call a friend. Exercise. Tune into a ballgame. Listen to music. Read a mystery. Watch a movie. Find something to do.

5. Finding something you enjoy doing

Another way to beat food cravings when they are psychological is to replace eating with an activity you find pleasurable and emotionally satisfying, Do something you really enjoy that doesn’t involve an intake of calories: Take a bubble bath, read a fun magazine, do your nails, go have coffee with a friend.. Or look for options that burn calories, like taking a long walk with a special someone. It’s a way of being kind to yourself without sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.

6. Eat less refined foods and corn syrup and DO eat MORE FIBER

Research suggests that some people can become addicted to refined foods, such as white bread, white pasta, and white sugar. The more you eat, the more you want. Break the cycle. Eliminate refined foods from your diet and you could curb your food cravings. Go the extra step and refine your diet by replacing the refined foods with whole grains and fiber— eat more nuts, beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat foods. Remember that fiber makes you fuller and is great for your digestion.

**Fiber fill you up, makes you feel less hungry!

And when you’re scaling back on refined sugars, be sure to target high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is used as a sweetener in many foods, from bread to frozen dinners, because it’s inexpensive and increases shelf life. New research shows that high fructose corn syrup can be a trigger food in animals — having even a tiny amount will make them want more. Scientists are studying whether HFCS may have the same effect in humans.

7. Find healthy great-tasting alternatives

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I have put up Jorge Cruz’ recipe for a small microwaved-made chocolate cake, which is low carb and delish. I have discussed cauliflower-based pizza, low carb tortillas and recipes using them. I have listed sites like Netrition.com, Carbessentials.net and Lindora.com, for example, which have food items for low carb cooking and baking. There are great tasting low carb alternatives for bagels (Western Bagel’s Perfect 10 bagel), low carb baking mixes, pancake mixes, pasta. I have put up different recipes and even mentioned low carb websites and cook/baking books.

I have discussed portion control and how you have to eat often and especially breakfast. I have discussed the importance of measuring g food and learning shortcuts for measurement (a portion of meat is the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards). I have also mentioned 4 small servings of veggies a day, two of fruit, which fruits are lower carb than others, etc.

If you insist on eating easy-to-buy and pre-made food items or fast food, (which are NOT diet friendly), despite your desire to lose weight or constant complaints about how you look or how tight your clothes look on you (and you think a little exercise is the only thing that will help–but for years now–it has not), then you are not going to lose weight.

You have to be willing to learn about new foods, look up carb counts, get out of your chair and stop being lazy. There are good alternatives out there, so get cracking at looking things up on Google and finally be skinny. Either use the tools or forever hold your peace. Find the time–you are worth it.

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Dr. Oz Detox Shake that has Protein, Fruit and Spinach

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Time to Detox!  Let’s get the vacation wheat remnants out of my body.

Dr. Oz’ Detox Shake:

Ingredients

1 cup frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
1 to 2 loosely-packed cups of spinach
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 heaping tbsp plant-based protein powder

Directions

Blend until smooth.

So, I just did it.  Not hard.  If you use fresh berries, I suggest you throw in a few ice cubes because it tastes really good icy and cold.  This covered my fruit requirement for the day and helped fill in the gap for the protein hit, cutting down any hunger.  I also feel it working its way through me to cleanse me, with about 10-12g of carbs due to the coconut milk and strawberries.

shake1Shake2

I Was On Vacation, But I Experimented With Wheat and Made a Discovery…

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Sorry for my absence, Skinny-Rules readers.  I took a week off for my first vacation in years.  In fact, it was my first vacation since I lost weight and my bathing suits (which are customized to my old body) looked ridiculous on me.  I wore them and went to Arizona, hoping that the lady who made them would be there (Customized Swimsuits in Scottsdale), and sure enough–she was on vacation the SAME week as me.  So, I still never got measured for a new suit.  I am bummed.  Off the shelf ones just don’t do it for me because I like a suit to fit a certain way and the suits now just don’t do it for me.  I may have to go back soon to get this done!

However, it was nice to look decent in a suit for a change!

So, how did I manage my DIET LIFESTYLE on vacation for 6 days in a place that has the best Italian restaurant!?  I gave up wheat as a choice to limit carbohydrates and because I felt that wheat was causing me stomach bloat and big fat wheat belly.  So, I decided to experiment in Scottsdale a little bit.

1.  I exercised every day!  (One hour of elliptical and about 20 minutes of weights and Pilates)

2.  We utilized the room’s fridge, and I went to the local Trader Joes and stocked up on:

Lite String Cheese

small bags of almonds

Peanut Butter Power Crunch bars

strawberries

Lite Greek Yogurt

almond butter

turkey slices

diet soft drinks and water

3.  We ate breakfast at the Hotel Spa (breakfast package) and twice at local breakfast places.  I completely recommend eating at the Breakfast Club in Scottsdale.  So fun, nice and the food is amazing.

At breakfast:  I had veggies, eggs, bacon, sometimes a little bit of fruit with GOBS of coffee, where I discovered the French Press (will blog about that soon).

4.  Drank water all day long out in the sun, and brought snacks up to the pool and kept some in my locker.  At snack times, we ate things like the almonds, the protein bars, or I brought with us strawberries and yogurt.

5.  For lunch, we went out for a salad in the fridge from the night before, and put some turkey slices and/or cheese in the salad.  Again, had one of our snacks later too and then went out to dinner.

6. For dinner, we went to my favorite Italian place, Oreganos.  I couldn’t resist.  I had not had regular pasta (except the low carb kind) in almost two years.  I love this restaurant and their salads are great too.  So, we shared a large salad and we either split a small pizza with veggies on it or a Garlic Chicken Lasagna.  I did not eat the delicious looking garlic toast that came with it.  I would not be surprised to find out that the half of a small pizza or half of the lasagna was minimally about 50g of carbs for me.  I was careful the rest of the day and I did exercise my face off earlier, but I just knew that I was flirting with either putting on a pound or two on this trip or leaving about the same…but I took the chance and did it three days in a row.  I even had a Carbolite-type desert as a sixth protein some days and on my last night, our meal was a salad with chicken and then we had the Pizzookie, which is a large melted chocolate chip cookie in a deep dish pizza pan, with vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips on top.  It is decadent and I had not had one in 7 years.

I did enjoy my slight intentional derailment, although I tried to manage it with exercise and eating right the rest of the entire day and drinking tons of water and coffee.  But, I do think that I was right about how bad sugar and wheat is for my body (and everyone’s).  I went into this trip with a flat belly.  I do Pilates 4 days a week, I do yoga two times a week and I am on the elliptical around 4-5 hours a week.  My BMI is 20, so this is what my belly looked like by night 3 (and I only gained one pound on this trip and lost it as soon as I cleansed the day after I got home)…..

this is what my belly swelled to and took 24 hours or more to go down, until it got wheat again….

wheatbelly-001

 

this was what I looked like before I digested wheat products!

irishforday

I am happy to say that I look more like picture number two now, but mostly because it was a temporary eating thing….but this is exactly why I am now staying away from wheat products until maybe I go to Arizona, once in a blue moon.  If it makes my bowels distend like that, what else is it doing to my body?  (Number two became very irregular, and that also was painful).

So, I am back to my new normal of 6 proteins a day, two salads a day, two servings of fruits a day, four servings of veggies a day.  My body is thanking me and I have more energy too and the weight is stabilizing.