The Canadian Broadcast Company's Science Channel National Geographic Reports on SUGAR. (2015)

maintainence

it's been a few months now, and i have lost 30lbs, improved my well-being and had a lot of fun along the way. i started with protein smoothies, moved to fish and veggies, began walking, got a juicier, lengthened my walks, started using the juicer and did a lot of research on setting goals and quieting the mind. i started packing my own healthy lunches for work, making big batches of lentil soup to eat when ever i didn't know what else to eat and i began to have a re-newed confidence in myself and my ability to make positive changes to my lifestyle habits that with last a lifetime.

today, i am on a brief vacation away from home, so of course their are many disruptions to my usual patterns. i also celebrated a birthday. but i am pleased to say that i have done so mindfully.
not to my usual strict codes of conduct, but with loving gentle self compassion. bending some of the rules, some of the time, while knowing that the path to health remains a gentle slope, is a good way to let your body and ego mind know that the beautiful world we live in with all the complexity of dark chocolate, and coffee, and a perfect slice of pizza on the street is still there to be enjoyed. (without guilt).

the time and effort i have put into improving my body, mind and spirit, is not lost when i break from my rules for myself. rather, my long term goals are very much in sight as i take little detours along the way.

juicing for smarties

before and after: home grown sprouts, ginger, turmeric, carrots, bok choy, beets, cabbage, kale.

juicing for smarties? yes! juicing is decidedly NOT for dummies, although it's the easiest thing in the world to do. even though i am a novice, and i am sure that there are many places online that can tell you a million things you ought to know about juicing, this is my blog, and this is how i roll:

1. go shopping just for veggies. don't pick up anything if it's not a fruit, veggie or some kind of root. just for today, be a purist!

2. buy a rainbow of colors. carrots, beets, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, bok choy. not only is it pretty, it's good for you.

3. don't be a sissy! go big or go home. buy a lot! see just how far 40 bucks can go when you are just buying greens. it's amazing!

4. have you ever heard of "shop & chop". this is how it's done: when you get home chop up all the leafy greens in a size that fits easily into your juicer and toss them in a dry plastic bag so they are ready to go when you are. (leave the carrots whole or cut the the long way so you can use them to help push things thru if needed)

5. gather together or buy various sized glass jars. i like mason jars... but also check out your local asian market place as they sometimes have cute glass jars with interesting lids at a good price! you're going to want to make more juice than just one serving at a time and the individual jars make it easy to store and to take with.

6. fire up the juicer and start feeding it the goods! it's best to rotate the leafy and meaty items with watery items to help flush the juice thru the machine and avoid clogging. make enough juice to last a day or two. go nuts.

7. pour the juice into the pretty jars all the way to the top, leaving as little air as possible. (you don't want the juice to oxidize). store in fridge.

8. clean the messy and then progress. that is, clean the juicer right away. it makes cleaning it so much faster and better.

9. top off a nice glass with the freshly made juice. take a big swig and enjoy the sensation of goodness, then take a pix to show-off to your juicing pals.

10. enjoy the rest of the day knowing that you have done something good for yourself. you have prepared several power meals the will nourish your body, mind and spirit! congratulate yourself!

asking for help along the way

one day i had to ask myself: 

"you've used all your brilliance and made the best choices you can and still, everything you've done up til now has gotten you exactly where you are. is that where you want to be?" 

i weighed too much, and although i enjoyed life most of the time, there we often moments of sadness and helplessness. i needed to make some drastic changes. but how?

about a month into my 50 Pounds to Passion journey i met someone. her name is suzanne lawrence. in our initial conversation at a christmas party we talked about energy, change, nutrition and purpose. it turns out each of us was embarking upon our own unique paths, mine toward wellness and passion and hers toward sharing her knowledge of nutrition and whole being. we fit.

about half way through our a second meeting at a raw food restaurant where we ate fruit stuffed dates and hummus platters, i realized that accepting help along the way, inspite of how difficult it may be, was going to be a key to my success. i needed to see and do things in a very different way that i had seen and done them in the past. then, suzanne offered her services to coach me.

i didn't like the word "coach" at first. i thought it was too new-agy. i thought the word "nutritionist" might feel better. but suzanne insisted on coach and so that's what we went with. now, many weeks later, i can tell you that "coaching" is exactly what suzanne has provided. in addition to give-n-take talks about life goals, nutritional needs, and personal relationships, suzanne spent time with me to show me HOW to food shop, HOW to cook and WHAT to eat. this had made all the difference. grumpy-old stubburn me had to loosen my grip on what i thought i knew and allow myself to learn something new.

let me say this: it helps to have a coach.

accepting the coaching guidance and friendship of suzanne lawrence has made all the difference on my path to recovery. if you are serious about attaining wellness, do yourself a favor, seek out those around you who are already on this path: ask for their guidance, do what they do. it works.

find out more about suzanne at her new website: followingnaturesway.com

eating salad is eating "raw"!

super simple salad, mixed at the table.

there is a raw food movement out there, which is good. raw food foodies are very strict about what they eat. i love to borrow from the raw food movement without getting married to it, if you know what i mean.

lots of my meals are raw, but not all. lots are vegan, but not all. this one starts with a dash of balsamic vinegar reduction, a stack of various chopped, and sliced veggies: carrot, cukes, lettuce hearts, celery, and red cabbage. then a half ripe avocado, a hand-full of fresh water cress and two freshly picked nasturtiums. a honey, vinegar and pepper oil dressing is served on the side. the salad is then dressed and tossed at will at the table.

the drink is a tart/sweet lemonade made with several whole (peeled) lemons, some wild honey and a few frozen berries blended in the blender, chilled and served cold.

the "killing me softly" carbs

these foods will kill you if you eat too often.

TOP 10 WORST DIABETES-CAUSING "FAST CARB” FOODS

these foods help to heal your body and mind.

1. White bread, toast, bagels, English muffins, bread sticks
2. Fruit juice, soda, energy drinks and all sweetened beverages
3. Waffles, pancakes, French toast
4. Pastries, coffee cake, muffins, donuts, cupcakes, cake
5. Jams and jellies, especially those with added sugar or sweeteners.

6. Boxed breakfast cereals
7. ―Instant‖ hot cereals, including instant oatmeal
8. Tortillas; corn or white flour
9. Large portions of home fries, hash browns and other potato dishes
10. White ―minute‖ rice

Other foods to avoid, because they are high in sugar or other sweeteners, dangerous oils and/or processed flours (and low in fiber and nutrients): Snack cakes, energy bars, marshmallows, candy, flavored gelatin and pudding, commercially flavored and sweetened yogurt, potato chips, corn chips, pretzels, crackers, desserts, cookies, cake, ice cream, pie, commercially-made sweet breads and pastries

still walking. (but taking the slow route)

Here I am on a hiking trail in the Anza Borrego Desert.

well, today has been good. lost a pound (yea!) and took a walk. i am sticking with the program, knowing that even with occasional mis-steps, that i am on the right path. i have discovered that when i tell people how much i have lost (which is now 20 lbs of fat... and how much i've gained which is 5 pounds of muscle), they are likely to tell me about some miracle diet that they have heard about where people "lose weight faster"! i appreciate their concern and thank them. but the fact of the matter is, although i sometimes wish for faster weight-loss too, my game plan is and has always been to lose weight s-l-o-w-l-y. as far as i have been able to tell, the most people, who have lost the most weight, and kept it off for the longest time, have all lost their weight slowly.

losing weight slowly means not starving the body, not shocking it in way that might seem like there is a famine going on, but rather to feed it the proper nutrition it is craving, reducing the toxic influx of pre-fab foods, and exercising more. this is what i call the "slow diet".

nobody, and i mean nobody, wants to do a "slow diet". trust me, this is a very unpopular idea that does not jell with the fast food, instant gratification world we live in. so be it. this is my path, and i am glad i finally found it. somehow it works with the other parts of my wabi-sabi life very well. it is the path un-taken. care to join me?

easy-breezy probioatics

If you have tried or heard of the fermented tea, kombucha, this is kind of similar, although a hundred times easier to make. Kvass is a russian fermented beverage traditionally made with beets, whey and rye bread. This simplified fruit version is whey- and grain free, and still packed with nutritious probiotic enzymes and amazing natural bubbles.

I found this wonderful recipe on the GREEN KITCHEN STORIES blog:

Fermented Fruit Kvass  
(Fermenting technique from Rebecca Wood)
1 large glass jar

Make sure to always use organic ripe fruit when fermenting.
1/4 of a large glass jar of mixed organic ripe fruit (we used fresh peaches and blackberries)
1 tbsp unpasteurized honey
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled
pure water to almost fill the jar (you get best result with filtered or mineral water)
Place fruit, honey and ginger in the jar. Add water to fill up the jar, except the top inch. You’ll need that extra space to allow pressure to build. Tightly close the jar. Place in room temperature for 2-3 days, give it a shake twice a day to prevent bacteria from forming on the surface. After 24 hours you can see fermentation bubbles. Taste your brew every day to see when it is ready, it depends on the room temperature and sugar content. It should taste sweet and tangy and the fruit look ‘cooked’. Strain the brew and drink as it is or store in the fridge for up to a week.
If you have any problems with the fermenting process, you could add whey or yeast as a starter, it could depend on the water or the honey you use. I use (scandinavian) tap water or filtered tap water.
The natural alcohol level in homemade Kvass is very very low, about 0.05%-1.0%, which means that children can drink it too.

Other Kvass Combinations:
cherry, raspberry, cardamom
apple, raisins, cinnamon
lemon, dried apricots, ginger
mango, chai spices
beet, apple, lemon balm
nectarine, camomile
blackberry, peaces, vanilla bean
dried prunes, lemon, ginger
Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

anti-anflamitory food pyramid

here is food guru andrew weil's food pyramid. i like the way this looks, altho i would move the pasta and rice a little further up the line. i have linked the image to the source so click on it for more information.

food as medicine

once you get beyond the idea that processed and fast foods taste good and nourish you, there is a whole new world of food that awaits discovery. educating oneself about herbs, enzymes, probiotics, roots and sprouting has can be a steep learning curve, but a welcome one. when i first started researching juicing, i was amazed at the long list of healing properties associated with most fruits and veggies, and the lack of nutritional value, even detrimental effects of others foods. as difficult as it is to stay focused on healthy eating habits when not actually losing much weight, i have to remind myself that with every healthy eating choice i make i am actually healing my body from the inside out.

in dr. andrew weil's anti-inflammatory diet (for weight loss) he lists turmeric, ginger and boswellin as key nutrients to aid in healing.

working out the details.

working out the details. 

on a steep learning curve of food, nutrition, balance, and harmony. 

it's all juicing, soups (lentils) & neo salads. 

weight loss is still slow, but then, that was my original game plan.

liver cleanse tea

as i re-boot my diet, i am 
 increasing fresh raw foods and adding this liver elixir cleanse. i am discovering as i continue my research that diabetes and obesity are almost always linked. and as noted here these things are often associated with heart disease and liver issues. (gosh, the news just gets better and better!) however, according to dr. oz this liver restart can actually help heal the liver and get it to functioning normally again.

re-focusing

after 30 days of my new diet/exercise regime, i decided it was time to check in on my weight. i prepared myself for the possibility of lack luster results. when i step on the scale, i was horrified to discover that all of my efforts were decidedly unimpressive. i hadn't gained weight, thank god! but the results were dismal at best. the last time i went on a diet, it was at this point that i threw in the towel and chalked up my efforts to hopeless! after a short-lived binge on roasted lamb, boiled potatoes (with gravy) wilted spinach, two bowls of egg-nog ice cream and two bowls of popcorn (with butter)... i came to my senses.
today i went to the whole foods store to begin the re-boot of my diet.  i purchased the itemes your see above: lemons, limes, apples, red cabbage, broccoli, cilantro, carrots and spinach. time for less cooking, more whole foods, less peanut butter on my apples when i snack, and fewer snacks!  when i came home i got my "shop and chop" on by making a big red cabbage salad, with green onion, cilantro, carrot, lemon & lime juice and a table spoon of organic honey. this is where the rubber meets the pavement. got to get some traction here. have to read more labels, and track what i eat more closely. the good news is, i feel ten times better than where i was a month ago! my walks are faster and farther. and i swear i am down one belt loop. guess i need to be grateful that i didn't GAIN weight over the holidays. the beat goes on.

eating right

eating right not only taste good. it feels good. i start my day out with a glass of water and a quick walk to get the blood flowing, followed by a green smoothie. later when i get a little hunger i make some hot tea or eat an apple with peanut butter. for a late lunch/ early dinner i usually have steamed fish with veggies.
i like to buy a multitude of frozen veggies and frozen fish too so that i always have this option on hand. but when i have time, i also buy fresh. either way, for me, this combination is endlessly good. no need for rice or pasta for me! (i sometimes drizzle my plate with a balsamic vinegar reduction to add drama and a flavorful punch). i found a recipe for this combo on the real simple website and am re-posting here. but really it's just a matter of tossing all the ingredients into the the steamer, fish on top, and letting'er rip!

Ingredients

• 1  head broccoli, cut into florets
• 3  yellow squash or zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4  8-ounce  skinless halibut fillets (about 1 inch thick)
• 4  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, flat-leaf parsley, or thyme (optional)
• 2  lemons, halved

Directions

1. Place a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach just below it. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the broccoli and squash and steam, covered, until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, season with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cover.
3. If necessary, add more water to the pan. Return to a boil. Season the halibut with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Place the halibut on the steamer, cover, and cook until it flakes easily and is the same color throughout, about 7 minutes.
5. Drizzle the halibut and vegetables with the oil. Sprinkle with the herbs (if using) and serve with the lemon halves.

start your day right: with a "greenie"!

i kicked the coffee habit and replaced it with green smoothies. it's better to get real nutrients in my system early in the morning than a cup of coffee, which seems to trigger my old desire for bagels, bacon and eggs and my endless (fruitless) quest for the perfect american-cornbeef hash. just because "the greenie" is popular with health nuts, runners, dancers and athletes doesn't mean i can't join in on the fun. all you need is a blender and some fresh and frozen foods. i like smoothies (with protien powder) better than pure juices as they don't tend to spike my sugar levels as much, which is something i need to be mindful of. there are a million smoothie and juicing recipes online but not all are low-cal and some are actually packed with fruit sugars, so choose wisely. here  is one of my own recipes that sounds kind of gross, but tastes great!

timo's greenie
add all into blender and blend until smooth

3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen kale
1/2 frozen banana
1 sliced (and cored) granny smith apple
1 scoop low-carb protein power
1 heaping spoon flax seed power
1 big dash of cinnamon 
 3/4 cold green tea
1 scoop clear fiber (orange flavor)

of course the best thing about greenies is that you throw what ever you have in the fridge that's fresh and it ends up tasting good...and when they don't taste good, you still know that what you're drinking is good for you! experiment!