Salad Day

Just took a break with a friend at work and there was a bunch of left over Greek salad/hummus in the break room - score!  The food was from Zoe's and I just love their Greek dressing!  It had lettuce, tomatoes, diced red onion, feta cheese and Kalamata olives.  So good.

Thursday, DH had an appointment in the city early Friday.  So his folks were going to run by and feed the dogs for us, he went to see Granny and I met him over there on my way out of town - to home.  We visited with her an hour and he went on north and I went on south.  He got home Friday after apt and playing golf with is brother.  I enjoyed my house just me and the dogs.  Was nice.  We watched TV in bed!

Then Saturday I went to my other friend who passed from cancer (in August) - to his celebration of life.  It was fun driving up with and visiting with my sister.  We took DH convertible.  We also got to see lots of our friends, but it was really draining.

Maybe that is why I am just feeling out of sorts.  Sluggish and lethargic.  Plus I am puffy and yucky from eating bad.  I am starting back over on the no sugar thing.  I had gone with out eating red met until Saturday on the way home I stopped for a snack and ended up eating fast food, yuck.  So starting over there too.  Had not eaten red meat for almost a month.  I don't know why I am having so much problem right now eating for wellness.  I went to yoga last night, other than walking and being really busy doing projects around the house (DH mowed without me Saturday - surprised me so much!) I had not worked out officially since last wed yoga - so I went last night and sweated like crazy - then came home - had a light meal and watched tv show - then bed.  I am tired of this schedule, in 3 more weeks I will give my 2 week notice - so 5 more weeks in total.

At least it is still in the 90's and hot!  It was good weather to stay in and organize...last weekend I organized and cleaned out my spice cabinet.  This weekend I cleaned out and scoured the freezer part of the fridge - I need to do free standing freezer next weekend.  And we have a nice 8 by 8 ish storage closet off our garage - I cleaned that out, organized and swept the floor/shelves and re-arranged.  Got rid of a carload of knick knacks...and DH is clearing out his giant collection of encyclopedias so we can offer then for sale at his sister's store and empty out several of our bookcases.  We looked at the small yard house(new house) once again and decided that the storage was just so lacking - we could not do it.  So, we are staying in our current house.  But, DH agreed that we could continue to purge.  If we actually considered this house - we must both be in agreement that we could do with less.  So, I am going to continue to pare down excess and DH agreed, because someday we will want to move and find house with smaller yard (and probably less storage).  Mainly right now, I get tired of cleaning around stuff!

And for my own part...I am going to store nothing in our attic except 4 Christmas and 2 fall totes.  I told DH I was purging down so much, that if/when we do move, I will easily be able to quickly look and decide what I do NOT need to keep.  Experience, not things is my mantra. 

I do not regret that I plan to finish a few cheap money/labor intensive projects around my house that we will get to enjoy and that will make our house and yard look great. 

Oh, I forgot to tell this...my friend at work brought me a bag full of pears.  They are really delicious green pears with a pretty thick skin.  I got them all up and put in bags in my freezer for smoothies because they are pretty small just to try to halve.  I made DH and I pear and spinach smoothies and my little $80 bullet from Walmart did great!  We did not detect the skins or the spinach.  I was very happy with my inexpensive blender. 

Then, Monday we had peach, apple and banana smoothies and they were yummy.  I am going to get another giant supply of apples this week and so I wanted my apples still in the freezer used up.  Hope you are reaping some great produce as this harvest moon approaches!

Oh Yeah, I Have a Story For You!

I have already funded my Roth for this year, so that was one of the things I wanted to accomplish with my working for the summer...The other was, I wanted to buy a really good blender.  I have smoothies about one a day.  I love them.  With my stomach problems, they help me digest and I can put flax and chia and veggies in them that I would not really eat otherwise.

I usu put 1 - 2 small servings of fruit 1/2 cup or so.  about 8 - 10 oz liquid, handful of spinach or kale and ground flax, ground chia, ground hemp - if I can find it and scoop of vegan protein.  I also put in frozen 1/2 banana and maybe couple ice cubes.  Blend and enjoy.  Sometimes I put a little honey, or pb or stevia - for a little sweet treat.  I make them for my husband and my aunt and uncle - everyone loves them.

You can also do less liquid, more fruit and basically create a sherbert/ice cream consistency and enjoy with some fresh fruit garnish or some nuts/seeds on top.  A smoothie "bowl". 

Anyway, I have used my $150 Ninja from Walmart for about 5 years.  I still like it, it works fine.  Is noisy and does not blend quite as smooth as the store smoothies - but I am convinced these smoothies are just for once a week treat - they can't have the fiber and nutrients mine from home have - or they would not taste so good.

So, I finally saved up for my $500 Vitamix.  I was so excited.  I ordered in on Prime day Monday, so I saved $70.  When I got home Friday, it was waiting for me.  I did not see the box it came in, DH had already taken it out.  (I would have taken pictures - the box was almost too small).  But the unit looked perfect - no visible damage whatsoever.  Even the box of the machine inside the brown cardboard box looked fine.

Well, I put my fruit in, my liquid (almond milk), my half banana, some garden spinach, my protein, etc.  I blend it and pour it out.  Honestly, DH enjoyed our smoothies - but the spinach was in chunks, not obliterated, about the same as in my clunky old Ninja.  I washed the pitcher and was about to leave the kitchen...I see the Vitamix unit itself flashing an electronic error message.  Sure enough, DH and I consult the manual - it says to call 800# for support.

So, I call - it is well after 5pm central time - they are closed.  Call during the week.  Uh, what?!

What do I do next?  What I always do - Google it.  Basically the message mine was flashing after one mediocre smoothie was that the motor had "heated up" too much.  What?!  You have to be kidding me.

I promptly requested a return on my Amazon account, printed the label and boxed the unit back up...in the barely big enough box.  I told DH that a much better strategy would have been a box big enough to allow for padding in between the two boxes, not a barely bigger box directly up against the normal smoothie box.  I would not be surprised if the jarring of shipment damaged the inside of the unit with no visible outer damage.

Oh well, not my problem - at least once I get my refund. 

I went to Walmart and bought an $80 magic bullet type blender.  I already gave my aunt and uncle my Ninja and was happy to do it, after they are letting me stay with them on and off for 4 - 6 months.

I would love any smoothie stories out there...Anyone? 

Heat Wave

It is really hot here, and dry.  We are in a heat wave...over 97 for 2 days and likely for sev more, even hotter more like 99 and 100.  Going to hot yoga tonight,  my tummy really off, it will help me sleep.

DH is sort of having sore throat, a bit puny so we may just have smoothies this evening.  I got some salad stuff, a cooked Turkey breast, fresh and frozen veggies, fruit we can have here easily in our room.   Smoothies are easy and welcome in this heat.

Hope you are staying cool!

C for Choices

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/?m=1
I got my labs the weekend I was out of state for a wedding.  My numbers all look really good.  It made me think about personal choices.  I have been improving my eating slowly and sometimes too slowly, out of a desire to be more healthy and stay trim, but also because of all my stomach woes.  In my search to find answers about my stomach problems, I fluctuate between the hope that I can find medicine that helps and being able to find a lifestyle/eating formula that helps.  If medicine helps, then I don't have to be personally accountable and I don't have to feel like I have failed.  But, the longer I travel this journey, the more I am understanding that what I put into my body affects me, just like it affects anyone - our health.  But almost immediately I can feel horrible and be sick for hours or days.  So, I keep trying to tweak it.  My cholesterol, good and bad are good, my glucose is good.  My blood pressure good.  My vitamin D still on track going on 2nd year in a row.  My weight is good.  I am going to keep trying to put one foot in front of the other.  After all, isn't it better that I do have accountability and realize how I feel is in my own control and directly related to the choices I make?
Here are some of the changes I have made over the years to improve my health.  I exercise (walking and yoga).  I eat at home mostly.  I limit carbs and processed food.  Carbs i eat are potatoes, quinoa, rice and home made bread/biscuits.  I eat more vegetables, fruit and lean meat.  I have pork or beef maybe once a week.  I cut dairy 2 years ago.  I limit sugar, but when I have sugar I have a small amount of what i crave.  I eat my potatoes i love, but switch to sweet potatoes half the time.  I stopped drinking soda 2 years ago.  No artificial sweetener.  I have been doing intermittent fasting since Nov and feel it is working for me - i skip breakfast.  For the past year or so, I have been eating very small evening meal - sometimes broth (google bone broth) or smoothie only.  In my smoothies I put bunch of spinach, ground flaxseed/chia seed, vegan protein and fruit.  I blend with almond or coconut milk.  Only caffeine is 2 cups of coffee in the morning.  i put a mix of nutrients in it that include cacao, lacuna, collagen, maca and coconut sugar - along with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom.  I enjoy it so much, it has helped me cut back to almost no more artificial powder creamer (i know, i know).  Every day i have 1 green tea and take vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements and after much research and trial and error, have found a combination that helps me feel my best (including vit C, vit D, B chewables, probiotic, digestive enzymes, fish oil, calcium, zinc, magnesium and special eye supplement).  On Friday and Saturday I pretty much eat what I want.  The rest of the week is pretty regimented. 
What are you doing to be healthy?