Green Smoothie

Even though I've had a hard week (sugar cravings, coke zero and really low energy) I have stayed true to my daily green smoothies! They really help me to feel so much healthier!

If you are interested, here is my recipe: (use all organic, if possible)

Ingredients:
2 cups unfiltered apple juice
1 1/2 cups pure pineapple juice
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
spirulina (I use 9 of the tablets from trader joes)
3 Tbl organic flax oil
juice from 1 lemon
3 stalks celery
1 med cucumber
1 granny smith apple
handfuls of kale and spinach. Blend. Add more kale and spinach. 

*I highly recommend a VitaMix blender. Before I used a food processor to get the kale and celery fine enough that it wasn't crunchy in my smoothie. With a VitaMix everything is smooth as can be. I think green smoothies are nasty unless they are completely smooth. My VitaMix was an investment, but totally worth it! 

Pour into ice cube trays. Freeze. Place in ziplock freezer bag.

1/2 - 1 cup coconut water (depending on your taste preference)
4 green smoothie ice cubes

Blend, pour and enjoy the benefits of green smoothies! :)

I caved

Sad sad sad but yet so happy. Oh how coke zero make me torn about my decision to give up caffeine and fake sugar.

Energy, Exercise and Essential Oils

Here are my 3 E's for the day: Energy, Exercise and Essential Oils

ENERGY: oh how I wish I had more of it! It's Wednesday, middle of the week and man am I exhausted! Today would have been a morning where I reached for a zipfizz to kick my day off. Good thing I didn't have any in the cupboard. (And yes I did go looking even though I knew there wasn't any, anywhere. Addictive behaviors much? I think so). Maybe I'm not quite over the withdrawals, or maybe I'm actually not as committed as I think I am. All I know is that mornings like today when my body aches and I'm exhausted and have a full day ahead of me ... I need something! Maybe I'll buckle under these cravings and go get a diet coke. Oh no, I said it! A DIET COKE... Oh how I really do love you! Can I make it through the day without any caffeine? The thing that is so hard is that I want to get a good work out in today and when I'm exhausted and in pain like this I can only seem to work out if I've had some caffeine.

EXERCISE: Speaking of exercise, I got my first workout in yesterday for the first time in 2 weeks!! It was a hard one! Jillian kicked my butt! However, it felt so great! This morning I already feel stronger and more confident. I was so consistent for so many weeks and then I just got so busy that I let it slide. I'm back and hope that this week is the start of consistency again. Plus, I miss BodyPump!

ESSENTIAL OILS: I've heard about essential oils but I have never really gotten into them before. My sister-in-law went to a class on DoTerra essential oils and since then I have been learning so much from her. I ordered just a couple at first and then last week ordered a few more. My collection is growing as is my testimony! I was of course skeptical at first (Mr. Doctor in the house feeds my skepticism), but at the same time I really do believe in alternative medicine. My two main concerns I wanted to address at first was 1. sleep/stress and 2. hypoglycemia. I ordered Serenity for stress/sleep and Eucalyptus for my hypoglycemia. We are about 4 weeks into our essential oils journey and I love learning all the different applications and benefits from all the different ones. Serenity has now become a nightly ritual! I even have my husband, the skeptical soon to be doctor, using it every night. It really does help him calm down and deal with the pressures and stress with school. I have a strong belief in the eucalyptus one. I usually get the shakes mid morning, no matter what I eat. It's just what I deal with. Since using eucalyptus I have not had these shakes. Then, two weeks ago it was about 10:15 am and I got the shakes for the first time in a while. It was a crazy busy morning but I found a moment to think, "why the heck am I feeling this way again? What did I eat today? What did I do different?" and then it dawned on me ... I forgot to use my oils! At that moment I was hooked and I haven't missed a day since and have yet to have the shakes! It is amazing!

If you are interested, check out this website: http://everythingessential.me/index.html
This is where my sister-in-law gets a lot of her information. And if you want more resources let me know and I can send you in the right direction.

PS - I'm failing miserably on no sugar this week. I don't know what my deal is! My sweet tooth is out of control! Help. I need an intervention. BUT, I have been consistent with my green smoothies. That is one thing I have going for me today! :) 

one day at a time

Last week marks one of the hardest weeks of my life... it's too personal to get into details, but it lends for a moment where starting over this week brings a renewed sense of hope for the future. With opposition and challenges in life we have the opportunity for growth. We also have the opportunity to start over and try again. That is my motto this week! Starting over and trying again translates to all areas of my life. As I promised before and committed to myself, I will report on my progress to find peace within my physical trials. Last week I fell off the wagon with my new diet goals. I was feeling so sick to my stomach the only thing I could eat for 4 days straight was crackers and applesauce. My crackers of choice were Cheese-its... full of refined wheat and food coloring, both of which are totally against my new diet but were deliciously accepted by my nauseous stomach, so c'est la vie. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get through the moment.


Now, on a positive note ... I have stayed true to the no caffeine, no zip fizz and no sugar chemicals!! So I'm two weeks without those and now it's my week to work on sugar and refined flour. So, for starting over this week I had a wonderful green smoothie this morning! Full of kale, spinach, cucumber and so many more delicious vegetables that are great for my body! I feel better already. I even had a huge production on Saturday where I made two batches in my trusted VitaMix, put them in ice cubes in the freezer and now have almost 2 weeks worth of smoothies!! I've learned that this is is the only way I can consistently drink green smoothies, otherwise it is too much of a production in my morning when I'm running to get out the door by 7:15. I just pop a few green smoothie ice cubes into my blender with some coconut water, blend for 2 minutes, pour in my glass and I'm out the door with a healthy start! Here's to the power of green smoothies every morning!


A bit of Monday Morning motivation to leave us with today:


 "Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords: but, like all other pleasures immoderately enjoyed, the excesses of hope must be expiated by pain; and expectations improperly indulged must end in disappointment." - SAMUEL JOHNSON, Letter, Jun. 8, 1762 - enjoy your week being in hope, being happy, and being well!! 

This week

Last Saturday I made a commitment to reduce all white flour, sugar, sugar substitutes and caffeine. I think I was a little ambitious when I made this decision to cut all these things out immediately starting on Monday. I would have loved to report that I have the self control to cut everything out cold turkey, but I'm such a sugar-hollic I have to give myself a break. Therefore, this week turned into the week where I focused on cutting out sugar substitutes and caffeine. Moderation in all things, right? That's how we make lasting lifestyle changes and not fad diet choices. I'm in this for the long haul! As I enter into my 5th day this week I can proudly say that I have not had any sugar substitutes or caffeine this week. Who would have thought I could have made it a whole week without any ZipFizz. I am very proud of myself! Has it been hard? YES! Do I feel better? Not yet. I've been SO exhausted this week, but I wouldn't let myself cave. I know that there is a time period where my body has to detox before I feel the immediate benefits. Exercise did suffer this week. Usually I get my workout energy from ZipFizz and it allows me to have a great run or a great BodyPump, step or spin class. But this week I was so tired and so week that I didn't get much exercise in. I did fit in walking or at least moving for 30 minutes a day, taking the stairs, etc. but I feel flabby and fat from not getting my butt kicked in class or on the treadmill. There are those negative thoughts again, I've got to learn to be nice to myself. I'm committing to workout next week, even if I'm exhausted. I gotta push through. You see I have this fine line though, I have to listen to my body to not overdo it, but then I also have to push myself otherwise I'll always be too tired. Exercise helps me feel better, but depending on the day it can be detrimental because sometimes my body can't recover. Therefore, I'm still trying to figure out when it's ok to push and when I have to just back off and listen. Either way, I feel confident that giving up caffeine and sugar substitutes will help me feel better and be healthier in the long run, even if my exercise schedule suffers for a few weeks in the meantime while my body adapts. 

Sugar and white flours are next week. Since we had chocolate cake left over from Valentines day and I've had an emotion/hormonal week, I just couldn't resist the chocolate. Partner that with my lack of exercise this week and no wonder I notice some extra flab. It's not like this cake was exactly low calorie. I'd post the recipe but it goes against everything I stand for. It has real caramel in the middle layer and heavy whipping cream in the ganache. It was heaven! Only once a year will I do this for my husband because  I love him so much! 

Update

When I first started this blog I made THIS post. Now it's almost a year later, to the day, and I feel like I'm right back where I started and never really did what I promised to do. Is February just an inspiring month for me? Not sure what it is. Either way, I'm ready to truly make a change.

In looking back over the last year I feel like I've failed. I didn't really seek out an answer, I didn't write about my feelings, I did what I have always done ... hid my problems under the table and avoided them. I have spent the last year doing exactly what I was doing, with no change. Why? I was physically miserable in the process? Why do this? I wish I knew the answer. I'm trying to figure that out so I can make a permanent change. What will that take? I am committed to find that out and to honestly try, and maybe fail along the way, but to not be scared to fail because ultimately that is how I will succeed.

I must begin the process by looking back. There is some great quote about history and what it can teach us about the present, but I can't seem to find it. What I am trying to say is that until I look back and see what either didn't work or what I didn't do, I won't be able to make any progress into the future. The past gives so much power about the future.

So, I've began to ponder ... What have I done in the last year that has helped my health? I think the biggest accomplishment was learning how to talk about what I go through with my husband.My illness is not something that is obvious. It's not like I have any outward symptoms that allow others to see me as a sick person (which is a blessing for sure and I recognize that). For the most part I look healthy and fine. Having my husband in medical school makes it that much more difficult. He is being trained to look at the problem and fix it. So, when there is no physical symptom is it hard to "just fix it." There is no "quick fix." I've learned that it's a journey. Each day is a new day and a different day. I believe that stress is a HUGE factor in my physical health. I have come to a new realization of how interconnected the body and mind really are and how much they affect each other. I have come to really believe in the benefits of yoga. I believe in naturopathic medicine. I have not always been a believer, but over this 6 year journey, I have come to be a believer in the power in nutrition, supplementation, clean eating and acupuncture. In an ideal world I would eat only organic, do yoga everyday, get acupuncture bi-weekly, see a naturopath and have a supplementation plan, however, we are in medical school and are trying to survive, financially. All of those previous answers cost money. Therefore, my challenge is to find cost-effective solutions.

I'm going to start by making small changes. I'm going to also start by being aware of my body and documenting how I'm feeling week by week and what changes I have made that week and their result.

I hope and pray that I can have the dedication to make progress this time.

SASSY WATER

My nickname around the Dimond family is 'Sassy Pants' ... so I think this drink it appropriately mine, especially since I LOVE lemon and cucumber water. Never had them at the same time until now. heaven!  

SASSY WATER

it's very easy to make: in 2 liters water add 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced, 1 lemon, thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger and around 10 spearmint leaves. 

Leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight and in the morning you'll have a cold and really refreshing drink.