BREAKFAST
Yesterday's breakfast was so good I had to give it a second run, (with a twist). Today it was a Blueberry Basil Green Meanie with 3 slices of Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Blend 1 cup unsweetened almond breeze, 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries, 5 homemade coconut water jelly cubes, cinnamon, 1/2 Tbs psyllium husk, 3 raw organic cashews, 1 kale leaf, 1 collard greens leaf, 3 fresh basil leaves, a handful of baby spinach and 4 ice cubes.
By the way .... Guess what?! This morning I weigh 129 lbs! I lost another half a pound after my insane HIIT workout yesterday. Oh, and I am in so much pain. Muscles are aching in places I didn't know existed. But it's a good pain, you know what I mean? Everytime I feel a twinge I pat myself on the back for doing such a hard workout.
Also, I think the PMS Rat is in town. That explains my insatiabel craving for chocolate last week and a few frantic mood swings the past few days. I swallowed an Evening Primrose Capsule this morning, (aka: Rat poison), and I'm getting ready for an increased appetite this week.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Blend 1 cup unsweetened almond breeze, 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries, 5 homemade coconut water jelly cubes, cinnamon, 1/2 Tbs psyllium husk, 3 raw organic cashews, 1 kale leaf, 1 collard greens leaf, 3 fresh basil leaves, a handful of baby spinach and 4 ice cubes.
By the way .... Guess what?! This morning I weigh 129 lbs! I lost another half a pound after my insane HIIT workout yesterday. Oh, and I am in so much pain. Muscles are aching in places I didn't know existed. But it's a good pain, you know what I mean? Everytime I feel a twinge I pat myself on the back for doing such a hard workout.
Also, I think the PMS Rat is in town. That explains my insatiabel craving for chocolate last week and a few frantic mood swings the past few days. I swallowed an Evening Primrose Capsule this morning, (aka: Rat poison), and I'm getting ready for an increased appetite this week.
MORNING SNACK
I had a cup of Wild Sweet Orange Tea at 10:30am.
At 10:45am I ate 3 slices of Applegate Frams Smoked Turkey Breast ....
.... and 2 sugar-free gluten-free Organic Vegan Choc Coconut Cookies.
LUNCH
Leftover Lamb and Greens Stirfry with Avocado ....
.... and a sugar-free gluten-free Organic Sesame Pumpkin Cookie.
My veggie serving in the stirfry was quite small, so I added some more carbs in the form of 4 Strawberries and 1/4 cup of Blueberries.
THE 9 HABITS OF HIGHLY HEALTHY PEOPLE
Kat Eden blogged about an article by Jonny Bowden entitled "The 9 Habits of Highly Healthy People". It was full of so many great tips I just had to re-share it here. The more people that can read this article, the better.
I strongly suggest you read the original article as it explains the why's in detail. In a nutshell, Jonny's tips include:
1. Eat 9 serves of vegetables a day for disease fighting phytochemicals.
2. Take fish oil capsules daily, (even while pregnant), for brain and mood enhancement as well as other benefits.
3. Connect with others socially to extend your life and increase energy and happiness.
4. Get 10-15 minutes of sun 3 times a week for mood enhancement and longevity.
5. Sleep 7-9 hours a night.
6. Walk 30 minutes every day to grow new brain cells and live longer. (Jonny notes "our Paleolithic ancestors traveled an average of 20 miles per day").
7. Practice gratitude daily to focus on positives and reduce stress.
8. Drink red wine or eat red grapes for resveratrol. It promotes life extension.
9. Cut out sugar, Enemy #1 in terms of hormones, moods, immunity, weight, and possibly even cancer.
I love reading this kind of stuff. With so many life-enhancing natural foods available, I honestly can't believe how most people stuff themselves with processed chemicals. Even more important is the mind-body connection and the importance of minimizing stress and cultivating a positive outlook in life. If you do so, you'll reap untold riches.
Kat Eden adds to Jonny Bowden's post in her Body Incredible blog entitled: 'Did You Know? Eating More Of These Foods Speeds Up Detoxification And Fat Loss!'
In Kat's own words:
"As if that’s not convincing enough for you, I’ve also heard Dr Jonny say that the most important supplement for fat loss is fiber. More veg = more fiber, yes? And this is the key to detoxification, because when you lose body fat it’s actually toxins which are being dragged out of your fat cells and into your blood. Fiber is what swooshes those toxins out of the body, which I really think is a far better option than leaving them in there".
This is very interesting food for thought. Being gluten intolerant, I am forced to avoid a lot of potential fiber (wheat, rye, barley, bran and multigrain products). I guess this means it's even more important for me to eat extra vegetables and fiber supplements like psyllium husks.
I strongly suggest you read the original article as it explains the why's in detail. In a nutshell, Jonny's tips include:
1. Eat 9 serves of vegetables a day for disease fighting phytochemicals.
2. Take fish oil capsules daily, (even while pregnant), for brain and mood enhancement as well as other benefits.
3. Connect with others socially to extend your life and increase energy and happiness.
4. Get 10-15 minutes of sun 3 times a week for mood enhancement and longevity.
5. Sleep 7-9 hours a night.
6. Walk 30 minutes every day to grow new brain cells and live longer. (Jonny notes "our Paleolithic ancestors traveled an average of 20 miles per day").
7. Practice gratitude daily to focus on positives and reduce stress.
8. Drink red wine or eat red grapes for resveratrol. It promotes life extension.
9. Cut out sugar, Enemy #1 in terms of hormones, moods, immunity, weight, and possibly even cancer.
I love reading this kind of stuff. With so many life-enhancing natural foods available, I honestly can't believe how most people stuff themselves with processed chemicals. Even more important is the mind-body connection and the importance of minimizing stress and cultivating a positive outlook in life. If you do so, you'll reap untold riches.
Kat Eden adds to Jonny Bowden's post in her Body Incredible blog entitled: 'Did You Know? Eating More Of These Foods Speeds Up Detoxification And Fat Loss!'
In Kat's own words:
"As if that’s not convincing enough for you, I’ve also heard Dr Jonny say that the most important supplement for fat loss is fiber. More veg = more fiber, yes? And this is the key to detoxification, because when you lose body fat it’s actually toxins which are being dragged out of your fat cells and into your blood. Fiber is what swooshes those toxins out of the body, which I really think is a far better option than leaving them in there".
This is very interesting food for thought. Being gluten intolerant, I am forced to avoid a lot of potential fiber (wheat, rye, barley, bran and multigrain products). I guess this means it's even more important for me to eat extra vegetables and fiber supplements like psyllium husks.
AFTERNOON SNACK
Half a 2% Fage ....
.... 1/2 Tbs Almond Butter ....
(by the way, my Almond Butter is roasted, but I've recently learned that raosting nuts ruins their goodness and turns their good oils to bad. My next jar will be raw nut butter. I'm daydreaming of pecan butter now. Yum).
(by the way, my Almond Butter is roasted, but I've recently learned that raosting nuts ruins their goodness and turns their good oils to bad. My next jar will be raw nut butter. I'm daydreaming of pecan butter now. Yum).
.... 1/4 cup Blueberries ....
.... and to pay homage to Jonny Bowden's #8 tip, I grabbed a handful of Red Grapes.
I have to be careful with grapes. They are super sweet and set off my sugar sensitivity. I often find myself sneaking back to the fridge for 'just one more'. Grapes taste like candy to me. Ooooh I love them, especially frozen on a hot summers day.
I have to be careful with grapes. They are super sweet and set off my sugar sensitivity. I often find myself sneaking back to the fridge for 'just one more'. Grapes taste like candy to me. Ooooh I love them, especially frozen on a hot summers day.
To increase my fiber intake today I mixed 1/2 Tbs Psyllium Husks into a cup of water.
LATER AFTERNOON SNACK
I made some Creamy Salsa Dip and cut up a Carrot and 4 Mushrooms for dipping.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 1/2 small tub 2% Fage strained Greek yoghurt with 1/2 cup D.L. Jardins Cilantro Green Olive Salsa.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 1/2 small tub 2% Fage strained Greek yoghurt with 1/2 cup D.L. Jardins Cilantro Green Olive Salsa.
I followed it with 6 Red Grapes.
What did I tell you about my grape obesssion?
Aaaah, sweet, sweet grapes.
No more!
What did I tell you about my grape obesssion?
Aaaah, sweet, sweet grapes.
No more!
I also had 7 Raw Organic Almonds to balance my snack with some good fat.
DINNER
I met a mate for a few drinks after work today, (a few seltzers in my case), and I didn't get home until 9pm.
Dinner had to be quick.
The old Eggplant Bean Moussaka has reared its ugly head. Once again I felt hungry and off-kilter afterwards as I swear livestrong.com calculated the calories incorrectly. I added 2 slices of Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon for protein, 1 Tbs of Olive Tapenade for fat, and a handful of Organic Baby Spinach and Basil ....
Dinner had to be quick.
The old Eggplant Bean Moussaka has reared its ugly head. Once again I felt hungry and off-kilter afterwards as I swear livestrong.com calculated the calories incorrectly. I added 2 slices of Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon for protein, 1 Tbs of Olive Tapenade for fat, and a handful of Organic Baby Spinach and Basil ....
.... I then ate 2 Coconut Water Icypops.
But half an hour later I was still really hungry. I figure the Moussaka has far less carbs and calories than I calculated, so I had ....
But half an hour later I was still really hungry. I figure the Moussaka has far less carbs and calories than I calculated, so I had ....
.... a slice of gluten-free China Black RIce Bread with 1/4 Tbs All Natural Peanut Butter and 1/4 Tbs 100% Blackberry Fruit Spread.
STATS
TOTAL CALORIES: 1577
CALORIE DEFICIT: 645
EXERCISE: Brisk Walk 115 mins + Elliptical Trainer 10 mins + Arm Weights 30 mins
CALORIE DEFICIT: 645
EXERCISE: Brisk Walk 115 mins + Elliptical Trainer 10 mins + Arm Weights 30 mins