I heard this song on the Radio this morning and it made me smile. Do you LOVE this cartoon? I love love love it!

I ran outside yesterday and loved it. It was pretty cold, but I was dressed warm and felt great. My ears got a bit cold, but other than that it was awesome. I'm starting to figure out that switching up my exercise every so often excites me and really motivates me. I haven't run for quite a while. I had to stop when I hurt my foot and I've only done it a few times since then. I am really loving it…and GUESS WHAT?!! My back doesn't hurt after wards! That's right. I've now run three times in the last week and have had zero back pain. This is exciting news for me! It means that maybe I can run pain free! I don't want to wear myself out, so I'm going to take it easy, but I'm excited to keep at it. Yesterday as I ran I felt so strong! It's like I could have gone forever. I love the cold crisp air and the quietness of the snow…its so peaceful! I pulled out my ipod for half of the run (I haven't used that thing in 7 or 8 months!). It was fun to run to the music, I'm pretty sure it made me pick up my speed quite a bit.

I used to hate running. Mostly because I couldn't do it and I thought it was boring. It's not an easy thing to get used to doing . I still suck at it, but I do love doing it. I'm not "a runner" nor do I plan on becoming one, I just like it when i'm in the mood to run and feel good doing it! We've been having so many parties and luncheons lately that it's been hard to not eat a lot of unnecessary things. I felt really great after yesterdays run, it gave me lots of motivation to continue tokeep active, especially durning the holidays when goodies and laziness are around every corner!! It's so easy to tell yourself "it's the holidays" or..I'll start exercising when January comes around.  Its so crazy to think about past Christmas's or holidays….it used to be a free for all. I'd eat crap all day long and never exercise.  I always ended up feeling guilty and plotting out my next "diet".  I"m so glad I don't burden myself with that kind of behavior anymore! I love feeling good, eating healthy and staying active, I love even more that I want to do these things because of how they make me feel today and everyday and not because of how I want to look or feel in the future.  It makes the holidays that much more enjoyable!

Today is my last day of work, until the 4th of January!! I hope the day goes by fast!! Dave's sicko and I'm crossing my fingers that he doesn't pass it off to me. I've been saving up my vacation time to take all of this time off during Christmas break. If I'm sick, I will not be too happy.

Ok, so ya know how I said yesterday we would be closing on our house? I lied. Not on purpose though. Today is the big day. Today at 3:30pm. Finally the wait will be over!

My nose is starting to act funny and runny. EEEERRRRRRR. Say a prayer for me.

QA:  What do you want for Christmas?  I want a heart rate monitor/milage counter/calorie counter/zone monitor

Yesterday (Tuesday) when I got home early from work I changed into my workout clothes and cuddled up on the couch while I waited for my workout buddy to get home.  After I gave Dave a hug he immediately said…"I don't feel like working out today"… my response…"me too!"  Problem is we didn't work out Monday either.  We tossed the idea around of not working out again around and decided that it would not be the end of the world if we skipped yet another day.  Dave had four wheeler plow on his mind and I wanted to relax and cook a good dinner.  So we both went our way doing our things.  I decided to make Tofu for the first time. I was pretty excited. I used Caitlin's recipe and was excited to see the outcome.  I cooked some brown rice and an artichoke to go with it. 

5 minutes into the cooking of the Tofu, Dave came in and told me he didn't have the tools necessary to put the plow together.  He really wanted to get the tool right then so, out of the oven came the tofu. I wrapped it in foil and put it in the fridge. I'd finish cooking when we got back home.  3 stores and 2 hours later we were back at home with a bag of take out Taco Bell and a tool for the snow plow. Our appetite got the best of us and we caved. I got a grilled chicken gordita and Dave got some crunch soft taco thing.  We ate and then snuggled up on the couch to watch a movie.
 I might have accidentally mixed up a batch of these in between cuddling and the movie. 

Is it just me or do you eat more brownie/cookie, mix/dough than the actual brownie or cookie? By the time i've baked the stuff I can barley eat one piece. I love the batter!!

I haven't worked out for two days, I ate taco bell for dinner and then topped it off with brownies…when I got home from work, I had good intentions of working out and cooking us a healthy dinner, but then life happend. I guess sometimes good intentions will have to do!

I wrote this post yesterday but didn't get a chance to post it.  Yesterday afternoon Dave and I went for a run. We suited up and ran around the neighborhood for 45 minutes. It felt AMAZING. Not sure if it was the crisp air, or the fact that I haven't run in a while, or that it had been three days since I last worked out…but I was LOVING IT! When we got back home I went out for another 15 minutes because it felt so great!  Sometimes I feel so random with my workouts. I want to be disciplined and stick to something for a certain amount of time, but I guess I get sick of doing the same thing and I crave variety.  I'm beginning to realize that I need variety to stay motivated and excited about exercise.  Doing the same thing all the time is not my recipe for success.

How about you??

ps…the tofu was a BUST! I hated it. I tried to like it and eat it but each bite made me shiver. I even tried to cook it in a different spice, but guys…I just couldn't handle it. I threw it all out.  I don't think tofu is for me unless it looks like a noodle and is found in my Chinese hot and sour soup. Darn…I really wanted to like it.

It's fun being a house wife when you have your own house.  I don't so much mind cooking and cleaning.  I'm sure the cleaning will get old and I'll start to mind doing it, but for now I'm enjoying enjoying it. ha!  Yesterday Dave and I headed to the gym to sweat it out. And that we did. I was sweating like crazy and loved it! I did 30 minutes on the stair master (that baby is freaking hard) and then 10 minutes of abs.  Here I am doing my

Whittle

My

Middle

My arms get so tired and fatiuged by the end of this routine. I really have to focus on my abs so my arms don't do all the work!  hey…check out my sweat pits! YES! I just noticed them…those are SEXY!!

I had a dinner creation in mind, nothing special, but none the less I was excited about it. I got to work as soon as we got home.  Dave started working on the guest bedroom while I created a masterpiece very simple meal in the kitchen.  What was on the menu?

Cilantro Turkey burgers with hummus, sprouts, tomatos and lettuce with a side of sweet potato fries (MY FAV)

Not too shabby a picture considering I used the IPHONE.

I wish I had a really good picture, because they looked really pretty. I was proud of myself for cooking dinner and making it look pretty at the same time. I'm notorious for burning/ruining meals, so this was a success. I'm more proud of Dave though because guess what? I didn't modify his sandwich one bit!  He ate the hummus, tomato, sprouts, lettuce, sweet potato fries…all of it!  It was not his favorite, but he ate it anyhow. If you understood how HUGE this is you'd be jumping up and down with joy.  Dave HATES all veggies, every single one. He hates all beans, every single kind, along with quite a few other foods.  He flat out HATES them, as in they make him gag and feel sick.  The past month, he has been very open to try new things and make himself eat the foods he does not like. He is trying to get himself used to their tastes in hope that one day they won't bother him.  He is super interested in eating healthy and fueling his body properly, and realizes that he has not been fueling with the foods he needs.  I'm so happy he is SO willing to make changes and try to improve his diet.  Even Monday when he ordered rumbi he didn't ask them to hold the veggies. NEVER HAPPENDED BEFORE!  There was a point where he had to spit out a few bites into the napkin because "it tasted DISGUSTING" but for the most park, he choked the veggies down! WAY TO GO HONEY! 

Isn't it interesting/exciting how our food choices and knowledge of nutrition can help improve those around us? I never thought I'd see the day where Dave told me to make his dinner the EXACT same way as mine. ( I always make two seperate meals, or make his completely different than mine). I never thought I'd see him order a meal from a restaurant without asking them to hold the veggies. He has always tried to eat healthy and moderate the things that he knows are not good from him, but his problem is that he dose not get enough of the foods that are so incredibly important.  I am so thankful that through my journey to a healthy lifestyle, he has also been making healthy changes.  His willingness to make these changes makes me a happy, happy wife! Another thing that makes me super happy was talking to my sissy yesterday. First of all, she is pregnant..yay! And she is having cravings and all sorts of other stuff happen that is cracking me up. Anyhow, she told me that her and her husband tried Cous Cous the other night and loved it. She also proceeded to tell me about some other healthy food choices she has been making and the different types of foods she has tried in the past month! Way to go Jac! You rock sister! It is so exciting to see/hear about people making positive changes or improvements!!

Guess what?? I am only working for a few more hours today! YIPPEE!! I plan on going to they gym, working on the house, and possibly putting up our Christmas tree!  My parents bought us the most beautiful pre-decorated tree last year for Christmas, but since we didn't have a home last year, we haven't been able to use it yet. I can't wait to put it up!!

We still don't have internet (what is wrong with us) because we can't decide which provider to use, so I don't know that I'll get to blogging this weekend GASP! Hope you all have a wonderful safe holiday!  Eat lots of good food, play lots of fun games, watch lots of good movies and take lots of good pictures!!  xoxo
Love, Happy Housewife-

 QA:
Have your healthy choices produced positive outcome on those around you??

If you haven't already, read my Granola Bar post before continuing.

I called my mom today to get some motherly advice on food prices and quantity. She was conveniently at the grocery store and ran around looking up all the exact prices and quantities on all the foods I was looking for. She is the best!  I was able to create a spreadsheet in excel with the exact items/ingredients, their price and quantities, and the quantities used per 16 bars.  Here are my results:

_____________________________________________

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Each bar comes out to about 30 cents a piece! Isn't this terrific?! One 8 count box of Nutri-Grain bars are around $4.00 per box, making the bars them self cost almost 50 cents a bar (20 cents more than home made bars). Not only are the home made bars a million times healthier than store bought preservative ones, but they taste  a million times better and they are cheaper! BOO YAH! Awesome! I am so happy to see these numbers. I am going to make these along with other recipes regularly!!

Fun Fact:
Dave eats one nutri-grain bar six times a week. That means we buy three (8 ct) boxes per month, and thirty-six per year. If we replace his once a day nutri-grain bar with home made bars, we will save $57.60 a year and in turn stop poisoning our bodies with unhealthy additives! Sounds like a plan to me!

QA:
What things do you make at home to save on price and unhealthy preservatives? FILL ME IN!!

FYI: I added a Whittle My Middle (WMM) page to the top of the blog. Logging my WMM and fitness on the same page was getting messy looking, so I separated them. I know you could care less are dying to check it out, so here ya go: Whittle My Middle

I have some good new and bad news. Good news first! I made my very first granola bars yesterday! They were very very good! I was SUPER surprised how good they turned out.  Bad news… my camera batter died, and I don't know where the charger is….so, NO PICTURES. boo hoo! The entire time I was making the bars I thought about how great of a story I could tell with some pictures, but there was no camera available.  Here is a picture I took this morning with my crapy cell phone camera…this is the bar I am going to eat in just a minute!

I had such a blast making them…(yes I just said the word blast in the same sentance as cooking/baking). Cindy my go to gal, gave me some great tips and I put them to use. I changed the recipe up a bit (something I would usually be too AFRAID to do) I added raisins, chia seeds, more coconut, dark chocolate chips, whole almonds, a little agave, and some a hand full of other dried fruit I had on hand. If your interested in the recipe, you can check it out here.

Dave and I sampled the mixture before putting it in the oven and we LOVED it. I couldn't wait for it to come out. I kept checking on them every few minutes and finally when they looked golden brown I pulled them out.  You should have smelled our house….it smell AMAZING!  Dave immediately came in the kitchen and started to pick at it…I slapped is handasked him politely to wait until they cooled.  With anticipation we waited for them to cool and once they were ready, I cut them into 8 bars (I halved the recipe) and then wrapped them in saran wrap, minus the two bars Dave and I ate on the SPOT! THEY WERE SO GOOD! Seriously, I couldn't believe it. We both scarfed them down and loved every bite! I can't believe that I have been missing out on SO MANY amazing foods! Geeze. While eating a  million ideas of what I could do with this stuff ran through my head. SO exciting!!  Here is a pic of the bar all wrapped up and ready to go, doesn't it look cute? Or am I just proud of myself? lol

Yesterday we picked up some Nutri Grain bars for Dave (he usually has one for breakfast) and they were almost $4 a box. I couldn't believe they were so expensive. I believe they come with 8 bars, SO today, Dave and I are going to add up all the ingredients it takes to make the bars I made last night, and do a price comparison against the Nutri Grain Bars. Dave is a math wiz and can do all the measurements and conversions in a jiffy, so I'm going to send him the info he'll need and then presto, he'll send back the numbers and I can then do a price analysis.  Fun right?

I know there are THOUSANDS of recipes out there, which is exciting because I can just keep trying new ones!  I picked this recipe because I had all the ingredients, and it sounded super easy (which it was).  The only complaint I have is that they don't stick together as well as I'd like. Maybe I needed to add more honey or more of something? I don't really know, I'll have to mess with it. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Oh, I am SO happy its Friday! We have TONS to do this weekend, but when you don't have to add work into the mix of things, it's always better! Our goal it to get a couch for the bonus room, find some decorations to fill a bunch of the dead space, finish the laundry room, hang up the pictures/clocks…etc, oh and much much more! (Any design/decoration ideas for the side walls where our tv hangs? The sides are so bare. I have a giant picture I might hang to the left of the tv…take a look at the space  and if you have any ideas…please share!)

Exercise Note: We went to the gym again yesterday. It was wonderful. You can check out what I did here. I would have liked to stay at the gym longer, but Dave never wants to be there for longer than 30 minutes, so 45 was pushing it.  I got to thinking yesterday and now that the gym is 10-15 minutes from our house, I think I'd rather workout at home. Since I am no longer working out in the mornings, It kinda sucks to get home from work, change, go to the gym, and then have it be dark and late by the time we get home. I don't like that. If we worked out at home, we would save ourselves at least 30 minutes. I talked to Dave last night about starting/buying PX90 (I want him to do it with me), he said he'd think about it. He doesn't know ANYTHING about it and is worried that it might be more of a girl thing "like the shred" (his words, not mine) not that the shred isn't hard he said…but he wants something that will build muscle, not just tone. He is already toned, he wants to get bigger and stronger.  I JUST KNOW that PX90 would be enough, I just have to convince him of it. I plan on sending him a few testimonial/videos today. I think they will do the trick…..the first time I saw the infomercial I was a believer!! I think he'll come around.

Fridays are SLOW around here so I'm going to get to reading this baby!
(I talked to the nutrionist yestserday, and she recommended I read this book, what do you know!!)

Have a wonderful weekend!! 

PS..it's not too late to get people involved in PFM.  Have you asked anyone at work to get involved? If not…why not? Go over there right now and tell them all about it, ok? Ok, great…good job!
-loves to all-

QA:
Are you a Twilight fan?
Do you plan on seeing the movie this weekend?
Did you squirm/get butterflies/feel like an idiot teen girl on the first movie right before they kissed…or was that just me?

I went shopping yesterday and about 1/2 or more of the food I bought I have never bought or tried before in my life! It was exciting. I was a bit overwhelmed at the grocery store trying to find the right things and not pick the wrong things. I took deep breaths and realized I didn't have to get it perfect and that any changes I make are in the right direction. I was also really worried I was going to spend WAY too much money, I had a number in my head that I thought it would add up to and as I kept throwing things in the cart I began to get worried. When I finished checking out I was INCREDIBLY surprised to find that it was 1/2 as much as I thought it would be! I was thrilled!!
Here are some of the new foods I picked up!

Here is a list of all the foods I've never tried or purchased before:
Sprouted Bread
Cous Cous
White Beans
Black Eyed Peas
Long Grin Brown Rice
Basmati Rice
Coconut
Barley
Avocado
Almond Milk
Raw Almonds
Whole Wheat Pitas
Red Pears
Rolled Oats
Whole Wheat Pasta
Greek Yogurt ( holy crap this stuff is AMAZING)

There may be much more, but that is all I can think of right now. I wasn't able to find ALOT of the things I was looking for at the local grocery store. I was a little bummed because I didn't want to make a special trip down town (30 min away). 

After shopping Dave and I both went to the gym and got in a sweaty workout. I can't tell you HOW GOOD I FELT. SO SO GOOD!  I took my Little Booky with me and read as I chugged away on the elliptical. I was pushing so hard and it felt SO great!  Here are my stats:

Elliptical: 35 Minutes (Dave didn't want to stay an an entire hour)
Abs (Whiddle Middle) :10 minutes
Arms: 2 sets of 12 triceps dips

My arms were burning by the end! The ab workout totally works your arms too, which is great…I love two in ones!!

After the gym we walked to the grocery store that is connected to the gym and we passed by a store that intrigued me. On the way out of the grocery store we decided to stop in the store.  It was a health store, with ALL THE FOODS I EVER NEEDED IN IT! It had every single thing on my list! I was SO SO SO HAPPY! I went to town. We spent a lot of money, but i got a lot of things that will last me a very long time.  I have never tried all most all of these things.
Take a look…

I asked so many questions while I was at the health food store. The lady really helped me a lot. Before I left I asked her if they ever do any informational classes. She told me the did not do any classes, but the owner of the store does free nutritional counseling! WHAT!! FREE? Yes that is right. I gave the lady my name and number and with in 30 minutes of leaving the sore, she called! I wasn't able to pick up the phone..(cus It was lost at the time), but I am going to give her a call this morning! HOW EXCITING!!

As soon as I got home, I opened all of my new products and gave each one a taste. I have been reading for months about all of these products, so you can imagine my excitement to try them!

Want a review? You're getting one!

Agave: This is so yummy. I love this stuff. I can't believe I never knew it existed! It is so much better than honey or any other sweetener for that matter!!

Brown Rice Syrup: This had an odd taste by itself. It was sweet but kinda weird. I can see this tasting really good when cooking or mixing it with something else.

Flax Seed: I had to get quite a few in my mouth to really taste them. Have you ever picked a piece of grass and bitten on the white at the bottom? That is what flax seeds taste like to me…I Like them!

Chia Seed: I don't think these really have a taste (which is great because you can add them to anything!)

Chunky Almond Butter: I never liked chunky peanut butter, but this rocks! I had a slice of bread with a bit of almond butter and a drizzle of agave…oh my it was so good!

Coconut Oil: I think this might be my favorite. It smells and even tastes so good! I rubbed in on my arms and dave rubbed it on his elbows (He has irritation on his elbows) we want to see if it helps! I can't wait to use this stuff!

Sunflower Seeds: I have had these before, and I love them. I am going to use them in my granola bars and many other things!

Rice Chips: Long ago when Dave and I first started dating he used to eat these. I remember how much I LOVED them, but have not had them since then. We tore these open as soon as we got home. Yum these are goooouuud!

Almond Milk: I didn't get to use the almond milk yet, but I'll let ya know what I think

Peppermint Oil: Dave picked up some peppermint oil. Someone at his works rubs a bit of this on their fan and it fills the room with peppermint smells.  He went to town on my car air vents and different places throughout the house. I LOVE the smell of peppermint…(but I do not like the taste!)

I was seriously so happy and excited last night. I LOVED all of my new purchases and I can't wait to use them all! I felt so great about what I had found and the HUGE change I had made to our grocery items!  I was also so excited because last night I made my first Cous Cous! It was tasty tasty! I even took a picture of it cus I was so proud of myself (not that its hard at all) but I was just super excited!!

Since I had never made it before I didn't really know what it would taste like or what to do with it. I grilled up some mushrooms and red peppers and then stuffed the pitas with the veggies, cous cous and then topped it off with some sauce.  It was great! I was seriously glowing because I was so proud of myself, just all together for trying. ha! Dave was laughing at me because I was basically skipping around the house because I was so excited!

Ok so now its time that I call on you for help.  I need YOUR recipes. You kinda have an idea of what I have on hand (I have a bunch of other stuff I didn't take pictures of too, so don't worry) I'll also be getting more this weekend. So from the bottom of my heart, I'm asking you to leave me a comment with your favorite (Easy…i'm just a beginner) recipe? I'd love to get your best of best recipe/s and give them a whirl! I am trying to get Dave on board with everything and he is being SO WONDERFUL, but I know if I keep giving him yummy food, he will start to enjoy foods that are better for him and as we change certain things, it will be easier for him. I need your help! I am going to look around today and try and find some recipes, but I think the best ones will come from you!  So, think about your favorite recipe, then leave me a comment with it! Thank you thank you! I can't wait to get them!!

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!  Prescription for Dietary Wellness. Yippe! This was my first piece of mail at our new house…only fitting that it was a book I am super excited to read.  Cindy told me I HAD to get this book, so like a good little girl, I obeyed and ordered it right away!  I can't wait to get started. When I finish this post its scriptures and then dietary wellness time! I'm sure this book with be referenced in many posts to come!!

I STILL have not gone shopping, but am planning a run to the store this afternoon! I also have a few other thing up my sleeve for later today. Last night I declared to Dave that I WAS SICK OF NOT WORKING OUT…and I needed to get exercise, busy or not!  My plan is to head to the gym after work each day.  Since my foot is still bothering me I will do the ellipticalor the bike and then add on 15-20 minutes of strength.  I'm feeling super out of shape. I'm even noticing a difference in the way I look….boo hoo! I must admit my exercise has been MIA since my foot and getting ready to move. That combined with eating out WAY TOO MUCH is making me feel blah!!.  I may just be feeling this way because I've been less active (exercise wise), but whatever it is, I don't like the way I feel…so I'm going to change it. Simple as that.

When I used to feel like this in the past, I would make myself feel even worse by dwelling on the negative and all of my mistakes. I would end up eatting worse and avoid exercise all together. Makes no sense right? I know..but its just how I did it.

I CAN NOT TELL YOU how thankful I am that that has changed. Yesterday when I had a moment to breath and stop and think about how I have been feeling the past few days, it made me motivated to make myself feel better and get back on track. I want to feel stronger, healthier and in better shape, which also motivates me to eat better (no more fast food) and MAKE TIME for exercise. Now that we are moved in the BIG STRESS is behind us, so making time to exercise seems a lot more feasible and desirable!

So, today I brought my gym clothes with me and plan on hitting up the gym before I head home. 

Here is my plan:
45 min Elliptical
15 min upper body
6-10 min Widdle my middle

Yay!  I can't wait to sweat it out! I have totally missed sweating.  Of course moving was a lot of work and caused me to have sweat pits (ha), but that is not the kind of sweating I'm talking about. I'm talking about full on sweat dripping all over, wipe it off your face with your arm kind of sweat. The gross kind! I'm craving it big time! At 9:00pm last night I almost popped in a workout DVD because I was wanting to do something so bad. I realized that it was not the best time since we were getting ready for bed. I practiced "MODERATION" by realizing that it would be ok if I waited until tomorrow. FLASHBACK: (I remember times where I layed in my bed anticipating the next days workout and feeling guilty about something I did or didn't do that day. I would actually get out of bed and go down stairs and workout…at crazy hours)….I look back on that and think…oh you poor little thing. I also think… YOU WERE CRAZY! lol. But really MODERATION is important. I had already done my Whiddle My Middle exercises and since it was time for bed I declined my urge to workout at such a late hour!
(9pm…yes that is late for us who get up in the 4am hour)

Speaking of Moderation…dave said something to me a while back when we were doing Crossfit that I have to keep reminding myself of.  We had decided to take a day off and I was stressed about it because I had committed to 30 days and was planning on blogging about it that day and was also planning on the exercise.  He looked and me and said Nat, this is our life, this is not a fitness competition, nor your blog, it is ok if we take a day off.  Geeze Louise, I thought to myself!! He was so right. How silly it was that I was worried about taking the day off! It is not a competition, no one is judging, no one actually really cares what I do or don't do! I was so glad he reminded me that this is my life and living it in moderation is KEY to my happiness! I refer back to that statement often!

This post is pretty random. I'm just letting out some thoughts. Thanks for listening! Here is to moderation and a really sweaty workout!!

(Check out my fitness page…I am going to TRY and log my daily fitness!!)

Widdle My Middle Workout
Nov 17
Plank: 1:30
Side Plank: 1 min each side
Ball Roll Out: 20 Reps
Jack Knife Roll Out: 20 Reps
Side to Side Plank: 1:30
Total Min: 6 Min 30 Sec

Hey loves. I need some help. I am going grocery shopping this weekend…for the first time in FOREVER (I have been completelyspoiled because my mom has done it all since we have lived with them). Anyhow…I obviously want to change ALOT of the foods I eat but I need some ideas. You all left such great comments on the Beautiful/Ugly truth posts the other day, so I know you will be able to help me with this little request!! Will you leave me a comment with your favorite healthy foods? I eat a lot of fruits, veggies and nuts so I am good in that area (Unless you have a unique favorite) but I need help to start a food base of other HEALTHY foods. Most of my stuff is canned or boxed…eek! Since we have been living with my parents we are stocking our pantry and food from ground zero, we have NO FOOD, which makes this  a GREAT time to change up a lot of the normal things I would buy…only thing is I don't have any idea what to buy!! Will you help me? What do you buy? What are your favorites??? (I'd love specifics ie:type of beans/rice..etc)

FYI: This post is long, but worth the time it will take to read it!

Have any of you ever seen "The Beautiful Truth"? I was browsing net flix yesterday while bored and work and came across it and decided to watch it. I had never heard of it before nor did I know what it was really about. It was incredible. YOU MUST WATCH IT.  I actually felt really upset after watching it and realized that I KNOW NOTHING about what I am putting in my mouth.  I truly know nothing. It really bugged me. I researched a bunch of stuff after I watched it and thought about it for the rest of the day and night. 

The movie shows the quest for truth of a 15 year boy who read a book by Dr. Max Gerson that shows the link between diet and cancer.

"Gearson believed that cancer cannot occur unless the functions of the liver, the pancreas, and the immune system as well as other body functions have degenerated. Cancer, in his theory, results from faulty metabolism due to poor nutrition and long-term exposure to pesticides, chemical fertilizers, air and water pollution, and other irritants that increasingly saturate the environment."

The documentary touches on many topics.  Poor nutrition, exposure to pesticides, fertilizers, water pollution and many others. It is CRAZY to hear about the incredibly harmful effects of fluoride (after years of being told how good it is). It is crazy to learn about mercury posioning and how harmful certain fillings in our teeth are. I also ACTUALLY learn what MSG is and realize that it is in ALMOST EVERYTHING I EAT. I also realized I had no idea what it is.

 MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate is a salt of the amino acid – Glutamic Acid (glutamate).  A salt is the chemical name for a molecule held together by opposite charges.   Basically one (mono) sodium atom is "stuck" to the amino acid glutamate.

 MSG along with aspartame has a huge impact on brain cancer. Either. If you watch his movie it will shock you and make you take a step back and look at your life and the foods you are eating, or it will confirm your worst suspicions/knowledge. Even if you are skeptical, I guarantee you will want to find out more on your own after watching.

I've obviously know/knew that processed foods are not good for you and I try to eat them in moderation. But what I learned from this movie is that they aren't just unhealthy or not good for you, but they are actually toxic, unhealthy and harmful! This may be obvious to many of you, but for me….I never thought of it that way. I just thought about it in terms of healthy= good nutritional value. I never thought of it as healthy=good for your health, prevent disease and harm and unhealthy=bad for your health, cause harm, poison your body, filled it with toxins. 

After work I went home and started looking through all the labels in our pantry.  Almost everything in there contained Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in its Free Glutamate form. I learned that MSG is hidden in foods in several different forms.  The food industry can make free glutamic acid by hydrolyzing vegetable protein or by fermentation of glucose from starchy foods.  In short MSG manufacturers can not only free bound glutamic acid from foods, but create it chemically.  Take a look at this scientific paper  on the fermentation formation of MSG to learn more.

Different forms of Free Glutamic in Food:

Glutamate
Glutamic Acid
Gelatin
Hydrolyzed Veg Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Autolyzed Plan Protein
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Textured Protein
Yeast Extract
Yeast food of nutrient
Autolyzed Yeast

MSG can effect our thought process, our memory and our speech. (Alzheimer's) It is also strongly connected to the growth of cancer. 

Did you also know that the increased amounts of Glutamate can cause ADHD, ASTHMA, ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, AUTISUM(especially in children), DEPRESSION, TYPE 1 & 2 DIABETIES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HEAT STROKE, MIGRANES, OBESIT.

Did you know that the amounts of Glutamate in food can play a role (or be the whole role) in the development of Autism in our children?

"There are certain people who are more seceptial for certain diseases due to their genetic's but if you think you are immune from the effects of MSG because you don't have the autism genes, or the Alzheimer's genes, or high blood pressure, note that free glutamic acid acts on the pancreas to secrete insulin and acts to stimulate hunger by targeting the amygdala and hypothalamus and creates valium-like GABA in otherwise HEALTHY people".

Please check out The Truth about MSG. This site is run and operated by Carol Hoernlein who has a degree in food science and (Bio-Resource) Engineering.

"She used to work directly with aspartame in the food industry. She worked in research and development at major global companies including American Home Products, Reckitt and Colman, Thomas J. Lipton, and M&M/Mars.  She quit due to a crisis of conscience when she discovered just how harmful food additives could be."

FACT
Did you know that doctors tell cancer patients to stay away from MSG because it has been proven that when they eat foods high in glutamate their cancer will grow and spread very rapidly!

Knowing this why/how in the world should we feel safe eating it? WE SHOULDN'T!! Maybe you don't already. Maybe you only eat all natural and whole foods and if so GOOD FOR YOU! Me on the other hand, I try to eat healthy and do eat a lot of whole natural foods, but I also am eating SO MANY FOODS that I thought were "healthy" that are incredibly UNHEALTHY and actually harmful to my body.

When I stop and think about the things I eat that aren't fruits or veggies…ALMOST everything I eat is harmful.  That is scary to me. 

CONFESSION
 I'm a loser because I thought MSG was on in Chinese food? lol! Really, I had no idea what MSG was until yesterday.  I thought Chinese restaurants put it in their food to make it taste better! I was talking to both my parents about this last night and told them that I thought MSG was just in Chinese food, and they kinda thought the same thing!

I also talked to my sister about this last night and she told me that this Gerson Therapy sounded like something a girl that lives close to my parents who had terminal cancer tried. The doctors told this girl she had little time left and would not be cured, she would surely die.  She went to a facility in Mexico (As soon as my sister said that I started freaking out…This is THE treatment center AS IN THIS MOVIE) She participated in the treatment and is now CURED!  This floored me. Before hearing this story I completely felt the movie shed light on so much truth but actually "knowing" someone who has experienced this BLOWS MY MIND.  The documentary interviews TONS of cured patients that talk about their stories, but to hear this so close to home, someone my family knows personally…this is CRAZY/AWESOME!

When talking with Dave last night he told me about an email his mom sent him about starving cancer. I wish I had the email to read. It talked about starving the cancer your body has by feeding it natural health improving food.  By depriving the cancer of "unhealthy" foods you are starving it and not allowing it to grow. (This goes along with Gerson's theory!) SO INTERESTING….RIGHT??

The video suggests that the only way to avoid the toxins and "unhealthy" things in food is to eat Organic, whole foods.

I'm sorry if I'm the last one to jump on the bandwagon and realize this stuff. I'm sorry if this is common knowledge to most of you. I"m sorry for being an idiot! HA lol…that is what I feel like at least. The food industry has done its job. It has tricked me and led me to believe something that is far from true. 

Last weekend I started to watch "Food Inc" which got me thinking similar thoughts.  I didn't finish the movie because I wanted Dave to watch it with me. I was so interested and intrigued that I had to wait for him to finish it. I wanted him to physically see, hear and understand what is going on with our food.  I am going to make him watch both "Food Inc" and "The Beautiful Truth".  These two shows are so informative and so in-lighting.  I hope you watch both of them.

CONCERN
The question now is what do I(we) do with this new info and semi understanding of something so important? I know so little and have so much to learn…where do I start?

Take a look at whatever you are eating at this moment….does your food contain any of the ingredients listed above?  Is your food natural and organic?  If so… WAY TO GO!! I can't answer a complete YES to that question this morning.

Yesterday,I ate a granola bar, yogurt and apple for breakfast.  Progresso soup for lunch with some crackers and a cup of rice pudding. For dinner I had Rice with grilled chicken and chickpeas and for dessert a piece of toast with PB and Jelly.  And a few other snacks in between. EVERY SINGLE THING I ate yesterday except the apple, chicken, and chickpeas were actually "unhealthy" for my body. UNHEALTHY.  I would normally look at yesterday and thought I ate "healthy" because I didn't eat any junk. 

I don't know about you, but this overwhelms me because honestly, I do not know how to change my entire diet.  Also there are some things I love so much and feel sad about thinking of giving up….are their replacements for these foods…will I really even miss them? Can I actually change everything that drastically?

MISSION
The more I think about it the more I realize that I can not just up and change EVERYTHING, not all at once, and not quickly.  I have to take it one step at a time.  I have to eliminate one thing at a time. I have to learn one thing at a time. I have to learn about food, new food, new ways to cook, new ideas, one step at a time. ONE STEP AT A TIME.  I have to learn more. I want to learn more. I need to read more. I need to understand more, one step at time. ONE STEP AT A TIME (i'm writing that twice to remind myself) Honestly, I don't know how else to do it.

Yesterday I realized that I have A LOT to learn.  My eyes and ears have been opened and I realize that I have not been listening or seeing so many things. I think it was because of my lack of understanding. I never understood why people chose to eat organic. (I actually thought it was "the in thing" and that is why people did it).  It's time I figure this stuff out, and figure it out for myself.  It is so important to me that I learn to eat to keep my body healthy and fight off disease so that when we have children I can lead by example and help them get started off on the right foot.  I want them to understand and know what I do not understand and do not know. I'm on a mission.  A slow, take it one day at a time mission. None the less…I'm on a mission.

QUESTIONS
I know many of you eat all natural, organic whole foods everyday, every meal all of the time.  Many of you are Vegan. Many of you understand what I don't. 

-Please share any suggested reads/information or ideas on how I can slowly change "our" (Dave and I both) diet to eliminate everything "unhealthy" please share.

-Those of you who are vegan…how long have you been vegan, why did you decide to become vegan and how did you make the change?

Please SHARE YOUR THOUHTS about this post and your current diet.

Reference Sites:
www.msgtruth.com
www.gerson.org
www.thebeautifultruthmovie.com

I read a fun article in Self the other day talking about foods that help our bodies stay in shape and fight fat! I thought i'd do a little recap for you! Anything in Italics is paraphrased from the magazine. Everything else, is just me!

Almonds
I love Almonds. Do you?

Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can help speed up your metabolism of fats. There was a study done where "dieters" ate 3 ounces of almonds every day. Their weight and BMI was reduced by 18%!

Berries
mmm I could eat berries all day long! When we lived in Portland we lived right near every berry farm you could think of…that summer I ate more berries than most bellies could imagine. 

Berries are loaded with all the good stuff. Berries like Strawberries and Raspberries can actually help you burn more fat while exercising…30% more! WOAH! ( Arizona State University Research).

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an awesome spice. It goes with so many foods! I think I need to incorporate more cinnamon in to my day! Just in time for the holidays!

Cinnamon can help with your waistline. How? Sprinkling some on your food can help with an after meal insulin spikes.."These usually occur after you eat and signal that the body should store fat rather than burn it" Lauren Slayton, R.C. Cinnamon can help decrease or eliminate these spikes!

Mustard
Love it. I have always loved it. If I had to pick mustard or ketchup, HANDS down I'd go with mustard! I used to put mustard on my cucumbers, pretzles any and everything.

 Turmeric is the spice that gives mustard it's color and has been proven to slow the growth of fat tissue.  You can buy the spice Turmeric and use it on plenty of foods to add a tangy spice!(I am for sure going to try this…I actually heard about this spice on Oprah…Doctor Oz was talking about it one day but I haven't heard of it since…have you?)

Oranges
Knock knock..who's there..orange, orange who? Knock knock, who's there..orange, orange who?..etc, etc, etc 
(ha ha I love that joke)
I also love myself a good sweet orange.

Oranges are said to prevent the creeping on of lbs.  They contain a fat-torching compound called flavones. Women who ate the most flavones had a significantly lower increase in body fat over a 14 year period (Study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).

Soybeans
I had never even tried a soy bean until a few years back, but oh boy do I love them now!

Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks fat absorption and breaks down fatty deposits.

Sweet Potatoes
When I was reading this I thought to myself…HOLY CRAP I love all of these foods! SCORE! Sweet potatoes are one of my very most favorite things! I did not have my first sweet potato until 2 years ago.  Now I can't go very long with out eating one!  In fact, I have one in my lunch today! YUMM

  Sweet Potatoes are high in fiber, which means your body does not have a huge insulin jump when you eat them.(They also help your digestive system and BM's!)

Swiss Cheese
I used to hate this stuff, but now I LOVE IT! It can give any item an extra yummy kick!

Calcium rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breaks down. (Michale B. Zemel, Ph.D).  When put head to head with most cheeses, Swiss wins in the calcium department!

I love reading fun articles like this that to help motivate me to make better food choices and validate my current choices!  I hope you enjoyed it too!

QA:
What is your favorite food listed above?
How often do you eat it?