tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72948579712153990742024-03-14T10:54:23.273-07:00Chef Mama Gets Healthy!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-6210504209845404972012-08-21T23:12:00.002-07:002012-08-21T23:12:27.512-07:0058 days and....I have now finished day 58 of using the Wii and day 12 of the Flat Belly Diet. I'd like to now tell you that I have lost 15 pounds! Yes, I would like to tell you that. However, I haven't. In fact, my weight tonight was back up to just 2 lbs. below my starting weight 58 days ago. I have made some food choices that weren't "on the plan" but stayed within my 1600 calories most days. According to a calorie counter website, that is an "extreme weight loss" amount of caloric intake. I'm certainly burning more calories than I have in the last several years. I'm just not sure why the weight doesn't want to move.<br />
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I wonder if having Celiac Disease untreated for so many years, then getting on a gluten free diet to "heal my gut" has left me unable to lose weight easily. Or if the meds I'm taking, which are all known for weight gain, are prohibitive in weight loss.<br />
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Today we watched Gone with the Wind. In the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day." And even better, in the words of the Psalmist, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-55492728388547459532012-08-14T00:59:00.001-07:002012-08-14T00:59:21.704-07:00It's the Real Thing....or is it? If you are a child of the 60's (or maybe early 70's) or earlier, you can sing along and name the product with just a few of the lyrics:<br />
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I'd like to teach the world to sing</div>
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in perfect harmony....</div>
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(and eventually they get to)</div>
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I'd like to buy the world a ________</div>
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It's the real thing</div>
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I know you are thanking me for getting the song stuck in your head. You're welcome. </div>
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I grew up in a home where we drank Kool-Aid and Pepsi more than water. My mom cooked and we ate well, but we also loved sweets. Pepsi rather than Coke because my dad worked for moving companies that were owned by Pepsi Co., Inc. and he had stock in it. </div>
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As I became an adult, I drank a lot more water and an occasional Coke. I was on my own & could switch to Coke. I have never liked coffee or tea, so if I wanted a boost of caffeine, it would be Coke. Though, I'm really not picky and would have had Pepsi or RC or whatever off brand of cola was available. Mostly, though, I had ice water. I liked to eat the ice after it was softened some by the water. Factoid: If you have a habit of eating ice, you could be anemic. I found that out when I was pregnant. In Kenya our house helper told me that pregnant women there would eat dirt. I imagine it's the same reason: the need for iron and they find something to try to satisfy that need. I honestly think eating iron rich dirt might make more sense than ice, but that's a different story. I continued my ice water drinking/ice eating habits along with the occasional soda/soft drink/cola until my iron level improved. That happened when I went on a gluten free diet for Celiac disease. However, I started craving Coke. I slowly started drinking more & more until I was having a coke every day. Now, I didn't drink it morning, noon and night. One can or bottle, or a 32 oz. from Sonic (which we all know is close to 30 oz. of ice & 2 oz. of soda---LOL) would last me all day. </div>
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My doctors didn't like me drinking cola, but it was the one habit I had trouble breaking. My urologist said it would cause more kidney stones. My gastroenterologist said not to do it because of reflux. My primary care doctor and friends said to do it because it just isn't healthy. I had to do a 2 week NO caffeine test and I went so far as to stock up on caffeine free coke. Yep, I did. After 2 weeks a real coke tasted marvelous. Then, I started the Flat Belly Diet last week. The first 4 days are VERY low sugar and no added salt. By the 3rd night I craved Coke. The 4th night, after midnight, so technically the 5th day, I cracked open a can of caffeine free expecting it to taste so good. Guess what? It tasted like syrup. I tried it later & it still tasted too sweet. Two days later I stopped at Sonic during happy hour (of course) and got a medium Coke. a REAL coke. Guess what? It tasted just as sickly sweet. I ended up dumping it out. </div>
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Today I was quite thirsty in the car so I drove through McDonald's. I was tempted to get Coke. I was tempted to go to Sonic for a slush. But both of those sounded too sweet. So, I got a fruit and yogurt parfait and a large cup of ice water! </div>
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I never dreamed I'd be broken of Coke so fast. I know I'll be tempted by what I think it will taste like again, but I think the longer I DON'T drink it, the worse it will taste if I do. </div>
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So, in my opinion, Coke isn't the REAL thing. But I kind of knew that all along. And, if I were going to give the world a drink, it would be water in countries where there is no reliable source of healthy drinking water. </div>
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The end. </div>
Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-86883715325808809342012-08-11T11:51:00.001-07:002012-08-11T11:51:21.005-07:00I've hit a new lowNormally hitting a new low isn't something you want to do. In this case, it is! I got on the scale today & was at my lowest I've been since I started eating healthier and exercising. Just to be sure I was really seeing what I was seeing, I got off and got back on. It's an electronic scale, so sometimes it will read wrong. Nope, it was showing me the same number! Then I got on the Wii Balance Board & turned on Wii Fit. Of course, with the Wii Fit they let you take off the amount for the clothes you are wearing, so it was 2 lbs. lighter even than the scale! FINALLY things are starting to work! Praise the Lord!<br />
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My original weight wasn't even that low. More like 8 and a half pounds! I'll settle for losing 50 pounds! <br /><br />Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-46332259436778538232012-08-10T18:41:00.001-07:002012-08-10T18:41:11.927-07:00I got a headache in my headYears ago my brother said he heard a professional athlete talking about having a headache, but he said, "I got a headache in my head." We aren't sure exactly where else you might have a headache, but it made us laugh. I often think of that when my head hurts.<br />
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One of the medical issues I've been dealing with in the past year and a half is headaches. I'd never had a migraine until September of 2010. I was with my friend Kathy in Houston where she was getting her chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. That day her blood counts were off, so rather than going to the infusion center, she was sent to get a blood transfusion at Methodist Hospital. As we sat there, my head started hurting all on one side. I thought it was a sinus headache at first. Of all days to have no pain medicine with us, this was the worst. The nurse there offered me a tylenol. She had one. It really didn't help, but I appreciated her thoughts. I finally strolled down to the hospital gift store and paid about $5,000 (give or take a few cents) for 2 ibuprofen. Again, not much relief. When Kathy went to a different building to have another scan done, I drove to the nearest drugstore. By this time my head was hurting more than I'd ever felt before, I was nauseated, and I wasn't sure I'd make it through the drugstore without passing out. I bought a bottle of ibuprofen and some water, got in Kathy's car, and took 4 pills. I managed to drive back to the Medical building and find the area she was in. They have nice pillow covered benches lining the windows along the outer edges. They were big enough for me to lie down and rest. Rather, sleep. When I woke up, my head had finally stopped hurting.<br />
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Kathy told one of the nurses about my head hurting and the nurse immediately said, "Migraine." I had heard of migraines, but never having had one, I had no idea what they were like. When I got home I started reading, and sure enough, that is just what this sounded like.<br />
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It was months before I had another headache like that. Then more months before a third. Then they started coming closer together. I wondered if it was simply hormone related. I am at "THAT" age where things like that happen. Of course, having not only Kathy dealing with cancer, but also our dear mutual friend Linda (who passed away in December of 2010), the thought of a brain tumor crossed my mind momentarily. I really didn't have time to dwell on the headache issue because in the fall of 2010 I had my first pains from what I would later discover were kidney stones. That is a different story for a different day.<br />
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Fast forward to March of 2012. My ears had been hurting on & off since January. I'd been on 2 rounds of antibiotics. Now, my head was hurting daily. Some days I could barely get out of bed. Or, I'd get out of bed only to move to the couch. I was taking ibuprofen like candy, even though my gastroenterologist and urologist had told me not to use them. Some days the ibuprofen helped. Other times it didn't. Sometimes Excederin Migraine worked. When I went back to my primary care clinic, and saw a PA, I was told no more antibiotics would help for my ears, to see the allergist and that I probably had TMJ problems. The allergist said my ears did look red and irritated still, so put me on a round of steroids. That kicked my headaches away for quite some time! I also saw the ENT who said my ears (after steroids) looked fine and also said my pain was from TMJ. He sent me to a neurologist who just wanted to treat the pain and not find the root cause. This doctor said TMJ doesn't cause that kind of headache and put me on Lyrica (which he said doesn't cause weight gain) and Mobic (which he said wasn't an nsaid). Not long after that I saw my Primary Care doctor who said, "Let's not go back to him again." In the midst of this my blood pressure was up, so she started monitoring that. I then saw the Oral surgeon who concurs that I do, indeed, have TMJ problems. He's going to have a night guard made to see if that helps.<br />
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In the mean time, I am NOT taking Lyrica, NOT taking Mobic, using decongestants only as needed, trying not to take any nsaids (though sometimes it's the only thing to help certain pain), getting as little caffeine and salt into my system as possible, and taking Flexeril (muscle relaxer) and very occasionally, only as needed, hydrocodone (aka Vicodin). My blood pressure has come down. My head is not hurting nearly as badly as it was. And my weight, well, as you know, I'm working on that.<br />
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Part of the problem of losing weight is that the medicines I take for various issues (mainly chronic pain related issues, but also allergy & asthma) cause weight gain. Unless God heals those issues, I can't just stop taking these meds. I could, but my family would not be a happy one! ; ) Also, my weight gain didn't come from just overeating & lack of exercise, but from my gut "healing" after years of eating gluten while I had Celiac Disease in me. I finally started absorbing the things I was eating. I am sure that I could eat gluten again to lose weight, but since the main known consequence of a Celiac eating gluten is lymphoma, I'll keep my weight and leave the cancer out of the picture!<br />
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Today's weight check I was lower than yesterday at the same time, which is an improvement. My head was hurting last night and I did take flexeril and half a hydrocodone tablet. Then I had to take zyrtec and ibuprofen early in the morning. That meant I slept til 1 p.m.! Yet another side effect of meds. And today my daughter made gluten free chocolate chip marshmallow walnut cookies. And I ate a couple. We decided with the dark chocolate and the walnuts at least I'm getting some healthy oils! LOL!<br />
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Today I also started eating more calories on the Flat Belly Diet plan. I got to have a sprinkle of salt and my, oh, my was it good on my food! It's amazing to me that it takes so little once you are used to none.<br />
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I won't be at my goal weight as soon as I'd hoped, but I WILL get there, Lord willing!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-69214158825582752092012-08-08T14:42:00.000-07:002012-08-08T14:42:04.495-07:00Flat Belly Diet Day 3For the past 2 days and half of today I have been using the Flat Belly Diet anti bloat diet. During the first 4days of the diet you consume 1200 calories daily along with 2 liters of Sassy Water. This water is just drinking water (tap water for me) with ginger, cucumber, lemon and mint added. If you like flavored water you would likely like this. I love plain old ice water, so I'm <strike>gagging on</strike> adjusting to the Sassy water. I've been able to cook the same foods for my family as I eat, but they get salt. I only cook for all of us for supper/dinner (evening meal) during the week. My girls are teenagers so they fend for themselves the other meals. On the weekend I will often make breakfast for the family, so I'll need to find family friendly recipes in the book. After the four days the calories increase to 1600 for me.<br />
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While all the foods on this plan are tasty, I can't say I don't miss salt and sugar. By the end of the day I tend to feel hungry. I am trying to be sure I have plenty of water. I have had plain water in addition to the Sassy water.<br />
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I haven't noticed a drop in weight yet, but I did notice rings feeling looser. I had my wedding rings cut off 4 or 5 years ago. My rings are a size 4.25! I haven't had them resized because I've wanted to lose weight first. I did buy some super cheap rings at Walmart just so I could look married. They are a size 8. Those are the ones that were feeling loose last night. While my wait hasn't dropped, it also hasn't gone back up to where it was when I first started trying to eat healthier about 2 months ago or so.<br />
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One of the claims of this diet is that you don't have to do any "crunches" (when did they go from sit-ups to crunches?), but they do advocate exercising. In fact, during the first 4 days, I am supposed to walk for 5 minutes after each meal. I've been using the Wii Fit for over 40 days so I get on that and do a 5 minute aerobic exercise, either walking or stepping, after the meal.<br />
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Tonight we'll have turkey cutlets with roasted red potatoes and green beans. Yum! Then my snack later (because my schedule isn't a normal one) will be a peach smoothie. The smoothies are made with unsweetened frozen fruit and skim lactose free milk. Honestly, it needs some sweetener to really taste good. But, it's tolerable. I love fruit and I do sometimes drink milk, but the milk really takes away the sweetness of the fruit. Maybe I should just eat the fruit & drink the milk! To the smoothie, you add either flax seed oil or you eat a tablespoon of pumpkin or sunflower seeds, unsalted, of course.<br />
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I'm hoping by the end of tomorrow I will see a slight change (I'd prefer large, but I'll take slight) in weight and even more looseness, especially in my waistband!<br />Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-77289552925821008432012-08-05T00:53:00.000-07:002012-08-05T00:53:00.495-07:00Never Ask a Woman Her Weight or AgeI've long neglected this blog because the methods I was hoping would help me get healthy didn't. I have a lot of health issues I want to blog about, but when you are having health issues & feeling icky, you don't feel like blogging, then when you have the energy to do it, you're catching up on life, so don't have time. Hopefully I can make this a regular habit so I can stay accountable.<br />
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For most of my life I was thin. No, I was skinny. My aunt said her 2nd husband used to say, "She's not skinny. She's poor." I am close to 5'8" tall. When I got pregnant with my 2nd child, I weighed about 120 lbs. Yes, really. I gained about 33 lbs. that pregnancy, like the first time. The difference was that I gained 5 lbs. around my 3rd month and 10 lbs. the next month. The doctor put me on a restricted fat diet! He didn't want me to end up with pre-eclampsia. He really didn't care when I told him I was underweight to start. So, I ended up over 150 lbs.<br />
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I was able to lose some of that, but I would never see the 120's again. Gradually, after losing some of the weight, I started hitting that "almost 40" age and gained some of my weight. Then, I found out I had Celiac Disease and I needed to stay on a gluten-free diet. Many people lose weight at that point because they don't know what to eat or things taste funny. Not I. I had been cooking gluten free for a couple of years on & off for my daughter. I bought several gluten free cookbooks and tried out every gluten free flour combo I could find. I made breads, cookies, and more. Some worked, some didn't. I consoled myself by eating foods I liked that I COULD eat. Additionally, as my villi (little fingerlike projections in the intestines) began to heal, I was no longer losing my nutrients. Nope. I was keeping them. And then some. In a 7 month period I had gained 35 lbs. It took less time than my full pregnancies and I gained a couple more pounds, but didn't get a baby at the end. Not long after that I developed a strange rash that required a heavy dose of steroids. Add 10 more lbs. to the body. I leveled out for about 5 years, then last year I inched up just a few more pounds. This year, I was sick on and off for several months so I was very sedate. I also was taking different medicines to try to get well. My normal routine involves medicines that are weight gaining types, so tucking on more didn't help. Somehow I gained about 8 lbs. in a 5 month period doing nothing different, but perhaps the lack of movement and different meds caused this.<br />
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My blood pressure had also gradually gone up with the weight. Before pregnancies, when I was young and <strike>beautiful</strike> skinny, my bp was around 90/70. This year it was as high as 145/90. Not good. Especially not when hypertension runs in my family, as does high cholesterol. My primary care doctor put me on a 2 week NO CAFFEINE diet, I began eliminating more salt from my already low salt diet, and started exercising daily. After 2 weeks I was allowed to try caffeine again, and I didn't see a spike in the bp, but the 2 weeks off was enough to let me know I didn't NEED a daily Coke. Okay, so I had Caffeine Free coke at home and the taste to me was the same. Still the caffeine wasn't needed. Each week I went to the doctor's office for a blood pressure check and each week it went down. I also started taking a supplement called Blood Pressure Factors. Whatever the reason, my blood pressure did decrease and at my last appointment it was 125/80 (I THINK that was the bottom number).<br />
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The doctor also wants me to lose weight, which I knew about and told her I WANTED to do but needed to feel well enough to do it. She had lost weight with Weight Watchers, as had my niece and other friends. One lady who is an "online" buddy lost nearly 100 lbs. on WW. I looked into it, but the cost is prohibitive. I decided I'd look at the recipes, points, and so forth and try to see how I could do it on my own. I also looked at calories more closely as Phil has a friend who's lost a lot just counting calories. I even went so far as to buy some "Slim Quick" caffeine free supplements. For more than 4 weeks I've eaten much lower calories (as in 1300 or so on most days). I took the Slim Quick for a couple of weeks. I've also used Wii Fit for 41 days! Wii Fit may be a beginner program, but to go from Couch Potato to 41 days of active exercise of any sort is amazing.<br />
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And, after all of that I have lost.......about 2 lbs. Maybe. It depends on the time of day. Today I was actually at the lowest I've been since I started, which was 3 lbs. higher than I was in January. Something has to give.<br />
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I have heard advice from so many people. Besides the WW loss, some lose weight on Jenny Craig (that's out for me: priced too high and isn't gluten free), Medi-Fast (which does have a GF program, but is cost prohibitive), South Beach Diet, and/or cutting out all sugars. One friend says eat all the protein you can and no sugars, as protein is what we need to most of. On Weight Watchers you can eat what you want if you stay within the points. Others say eat all natural and you will lose weight. My Gastroenterologist joked with me that I know how to lose the weight. I asked her what she meant & she said, "Just eat gluten!" She was NOT serious so DON'T call the doctor cops on her! I even told her, "Yeah, but I'd prefer not to get lymphoma."<br />
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This week I picked up some books at the library on healthy/weight-loss eating. They vary as much as the advice I read and get from friends. One book stood out to me as I started reading, though. It's a diet that is really directed towards women, but includes some men who've lost weight. And, while it is a "diet" it is a diet in the sense of an eating plan, like the gluten free diet is. The initial "diet" is for 32 days. They don't promise anything, but they say you CAN lose up to 15 lbs. in 32 days. Then, the other folks they have in the book have lost anywhere from 6 to 11 lbs. in that time period. To me, that doesn't sound like a fad diet with extreme promises. Also, it looks like a healthy, balanced diet that I can adapt to gluten free. The first 4 days are a targeted "anit-bloating" diet that incorporates water you flavor yourself with ginger, lemon, and mint. The food you eat those 4 days is salt free (or VERY low salt), sugar free (or low sugar or natural sugar but they limit how much to stay within the calorie and sugar amounts), and low fat. Plus the foods are readily available and not highly processed. AND they are mostly foods my family will eat, too. I will salt their portions. They are used to me not salting things much and adding their own. I've heard that's better for everyone to do.<br />
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I'm purposely not telling you the name of the book yet. Can you tell? I have gone online and looked for "scam" reports about this plan. The only things I've found say it is a money scam because you pay $31.95 for the book, then if you buy the cookbook, too, it's more. They also have an online program that sounds a lot like WW Online. You get 1 month free, but then it's either $19 a month or $45 and some change for 3 months. I can see why folks thought it was gimmicky with those prices. Also, it is a form of a Mediterranean Diet, so some say they are just writing what's already out there. Others say it is just a calorie counting program. They don't talk a lot about fiber, but it is mentioned. However, the plan includes plenty of fiber and uses Omega 3 in the form of Flax Seed Oil. The main component, though not the highest amount of food you eat, is having some type of monounsaturated fat at each meal. Those are the healthy fats. They also caution to ONLY use the amount they say because, as some folks have said, fat is fat. And they are high in calories. <br />
Because there are cookbooks you can get to go along with this and because I can make it adaptable to my family's needs, it really sounds like a good direction to try for me. Oh, the cover says you can lose weight without doing a single crunch, but inside they do suggest you exercise. They are just saying that changing your diet is going to be the main component, not doing more sit-ups.<br />
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The book is called <u>The Flat Belly Diet</u> and is by the people who write <u>Prevention</u> magazine. Remember how I said I didn't want to do WW or some others because of the price? And how I mentioned the book lists (somewhere) for over $30 plus the extra cookbooks and, if you want, some other supplemental books? This is where we have a little friend called the Public Library to start. I pay my taxes whether I use the books or not, so why not use them? I found not only the initial book, but 2 of the cookbooks at my library branch. Now that I really think I want to try this, guess what other friend I have? It starts with an "E" and ends with a "bay." $4 for the book. I meant to order the cookbook, too (there are recipes in the original book), but clicked on the "buy it now" button for a quick reference guide. So, I will be getting those 2 to start. I can keep the books for 3 weeks (or up to 9 if they aren't placed on hold). I can see this as being a good kick start to eating more natural foods (where their suggestions aren't all natural or gluten free I can amend, but they say not to eat highly processed foods and even pre-made items they list are not highly processed). It's a STEP in the right direction. I like that all the ingredients are easily available. I like that I can adapt it to my family's needs by adding some extra sides or a little salt. From what I've read if an underweight person eats this plan they will gain weight. For one of my kids that would be GREAT! I also calculated what my calorie input needs to be to maintain weight. Let's just say that even the full 1600 calories they want you to eat is way less than what my body needs to maintain my current weight!<br />
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I don't know if it will work. I do know that the foods are heart healthy and that is good for me. No, I'm not going to tell you my weight right now. However, I'm not too ladylike to tell you my age. It's a number between one and 100. : ) Okay, I'm 47. When I lose weight & am at a healthy level I might share my weight. But don't ask me. You know, it's never polite to ask a woman her age or weight!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-30843916947170224272009-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:002009-09-01T00:04:19.722-07:00Another round...After 2 weeks of a sore throat & ear aches off & on, I called the dr's office. I am back on antibiotics. I also talked to my friend who got me started on Reliv. She said when she started it took 3 full months before she really felt well. She also said she took extra when she felt really bad, so I have reordered both the NOW and Innergize products. I really want this to work for me. If it does, I want to share it with others. I have heard so many amazing stories. They say it doesn't cure anything and doesn't claim to. What it does is provide missing nutrition that our bodies need. Many of these people have taken every supplement out there & this is the one that worked for them. I am praying this is what helps me!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-35010295671868929402009-08-26T17:45:00.000-07:002009-08-26T17:53:05.716-07:00One week later....They must use these words a lot on kids' shows because my girls seem to enjoy saying, "One week later...." or "Two hours later...." I know it's actually a week & a day later. I felt worse as last week progressed, but finally started feeling a touch better this week. Yesterday I was totally exhausted. Today we were on the go from 7:30 til 4:15. Tomorrow should be a "Don't wake me up early unless the house is on fire" kind of day. I DID manage to do schoolwork with the girls yesterday & today made them do math when we got home. They got a brief history/language lesson at our friends' house. Ask them what "That's a feather in your cap" means. I'm trying to not go to the doctor & see if my body can fight this off on its own with the help of Reliv & rest.<br /><br />2 other things I added to my diet: Flax seed and Melaleuca's Fiberwise. I would get the Fibrestore from Reliv, but it has barley in it, which has gluten. M's version has oats, which are "questionable" on the gluten free diet, but I decided to go ahead & get it. I knew flax seed had some great qualities, but had never used it. Not that I hadn't bought it, I just never used it! Bad, I know. One of my online friends, Karen, told me about mixing ground flaxseed with yogurt or sprinkling it on other foods. She gave me a link with recipes, but I need to go back & find it. Today my friend Kathy gave me a bag of gluten free crackers that also have flax seed in them. She gave me a toilet seat, too, which could be tied into taking fiber & flax seed! LOL! Okay, our toilet seat broke & she had a spare she didn't need, but I thought it was funny to put it in this post. I'm pretty sure I have an audience of 1---and only when I read my own blog!<br /><br />Off to eat some tater tot casserole & hoping my stone didn't break. I had frozen it & thawed it in the microwave, but some felt very cold still when I put it in the oven. I'm sure tater tot casserole is in the top ten most healthy foods. ha, ha!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-42581392412899308482009-08-18T21:04:00.001-07:002009-08-18T21:17:07.594-07:00Wow, that was a long break!If I have anyone reading this blog still, hello! If not, I will just ramble on to myself as a sort of diary. I can't even remember what I posted last time. I think I mentioned that my iron was too high. I need to do a hemocult test (which sounds absolutely yucky) to be sure nothing bad is going on. To do that I have to be off NSAIDS for a week before starting the test. These are meds like aspirin, iburpofen, naproxen & such. I can take Tylenol. The directions say, "Do not eat fresh fruits and vegetables during the test period, especially radishes, beets, and watermelon." First, I think if it says not to eat them it is silly to say especially those...LOL! Second, having had colonoscopies, I know part of the prep for that is no red food for a certain period of time before the test. The tylenol we had is red coated, so I just got some in plain white today. (I told you I was going to ramble, so don't roll your eyes at all these details! ha, ha!)<br /><br />I've not been using my Reliv faithfully this past week. Partly because another rule is you can only have a certain amount of vitamin C for this test AND I noticed the Reliv is high in iron, so I think that may be causing the test results. Anyway, I was super tired yesterday & today woke up feeling cruddy. It could be from headaches with new glasses (more on that in a moment) and lack of sleep from a swollen arm over the weekend (no clue how I got that). Anyway, I need to take the Reliv, but suppose I should refrain from taking a full dose til this test is over.<br /><br />I have finally progressed to needing progressive lenses. That means I am old enough to need reading glasses. However, my distance vision is so poor that I need bifocals. The guy at the eye doctor's office kept correcting me when I said bifocals, "These are PROGRESSIVES." Oh, okay. I'm getting used to them, or trying to get used to them. The day I had them made I had to wear some really old "Steve Erkle" style glasses (as my charming 10 year old calls them). I didn't get new frames, so had to drop those off at the office. I wondered if anyone thought I was some crazy lady with these HUGE glasses on! Boy, were we stylish in the 80's & 90's with those! LOL! I think these are not sitting on my face correctly, so probably need some adjusting. THey also feel heavier. I've had to figure out how to move my head and tend to need to move the glasses, making them sit further down my nose. That gives me headaches. I can think of worse fates and am VERY thankful for having glasses. I saw enough people in need in our one year in Africa that I should never be ungrateful. Sadly, I fall right back into the American trap of things not being convenient enough for us. That's a different post for a different day!<br /><br />I have lost no weight. None. Nada. I haven't tried very hard. I need to exercise again.<br /><br />I'll try to ramble some more when I have something new to share!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-77711064144141695192009-07-20T18:17:00.000-07:002009-07-20T18:29:58.550-07:00The NumbersI had my follow up check up since talking to the Health Coach the first time in April. The only number I didn't like was my weight. I have only dropped one pound (and the doctor & I think the scale at the other side of the clinic is off b/c it said I had dropped several pounds & now would have gained those back). That stinks. The GOOD news was my cholesterol levels are GOOD! My LDL is 73. It was 90 back in April. Less than 100 is optimal, but the health coach wanted to see mine even lower b/c of asthma. The doctor didn't seem to agree with that when I told her that today. My HDL (good cholesterol) went UP 10 points, which is good. You WANT HIGHER HDL. 60 or above is optimal for women. Mine was at 59 before and now is at 69. I told her (fully expecting to find out the numbers had not changed) that prior to the blood draw I had only been watching my fat/cholesterol intake without added exercise. I did mention that we moved into a house with stairs so I was getting more exercise just due to that. Now that I've actually added exercise, I wonder what my #'s will show.<br /><br />I'm keeping up with the "slimfast" type drinks and also added a fiber supplement for weight loss. I cannot eat so many of the recommended fiber foods because the grains contain gluten. This supplement has no gluten and uses inulin from vegetables as the main fiber. I'm still making smoothies of some sort with the Reliv products.<br /><br />I mentioned the Reliv products to the doctor and told her I wondered if anything in that caused my cholesterol numbers to change. I forgot to take the cannister in so she could see the ingredients.<br /><br />I don't go back again until December & will have a physical at that point. I wonder if they do brain scans. I was hoping she could tell me why mine seems to be missing sometimes. LOL!<br /><br />I let the girls build a fort in the living room yesterday. It has to come down tomorrow. Until then I have no space for my walking DVD. My computer doesn't have a dvd player in it or I'd set it up here to do. Might even make Phil do this walking workout, too!<br /><br />Stay well!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-37735661706058816492009-07-16T22:08:00.000-07:002009-07-16T22:19:14.810-07:00The "E" wordThere are two types of people in this world: Those who think working out is the greatest thing EVER and those who really don't like to be around the first set of people. ha, ha! I went in for my 3 mos. blood draw this past Monday. I don't know the results, but I will on Monday. I know I have not done what I was told to do. At least I HAD not until this week.<br /><br />This week I found a walking video. That's not a video that walks. It's a video with walking that you can do at home in a small space. I didn't even have that small space in my old house. In the new house, I didn't have it because of boxes, but I took care of that this week and put on that video. I ex.... exer..... exerc..... oh, it's a bad word & I'm not allowed to say bad words, but that thing where you have to actually move around & walking from the fridge to the TV doesn't count. Or to the computer desk in my case (hey, it's upstairs! that should count for something!).<br /><br />This video came with a belt you put around your waist (okay, where else would you put a belt?). You make it tight (it velcros on). It has resistance bands that hook onto the back of the belt & you use those in your hands from time to time. The first day I actually made it to the 1 mile mark, but I am sure I didn't walk a mile's worth b/c I slowed down towards the end. The second day I was sore. I didn't know my tummy could be so sore from walking! It's that belt that makes the abs work harder. I also was sore in muscles I didn't know existed. Today was day 3 and I did "Mile 2" but at a slower pace much of the time. Those muscles were still not happy with me.<br /><br />I also decided to try the "D" word. The one where you don't eat as much. I know it's not a life change like using Weight Watchers, but I bought some store brand "Slim Fast" type drinks. They were GF and on sale. I couldn't go wrong with that. I did really well the first day & drank lots of water. Yesterday I did well til night. I had a small bowl of ice cream. Today, well, I had a coke and a candy bar, and later another sweet. BUT, I drank slimfast for breakfast, had a salad for lunch, and had the drink for supper.<br /><br />The scale hasn't budged one bit. I think someone comes in at night and adjusts it. That has to be it. Hopefully at the doctor's office the scale will be nicer.<br /><br />I'm still doing the Reliv, so we'll see how it goes!<br /><br />Until next time, happy exe....and di....., well, you know.Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-10335196005962629412009-07-12T16:46:00.000-07:002009-07-12T16:52:30.110-07:00Almost one month on RelivI've been on Reliv Now and Innergize for nearly a month. So far, I cannot tell a difference. I will say, though, that I have really enjoyed drinking a "shake" every day because I make a smoothie at least once a day with juice, yogurt and fresh fruit. I feel like I must be getting my fruit amount in for the day! I have gained rather than lost weight. I go to the doctor's office tomorrow for a blood draw (routine for me every 3 months) then to see the doctor the following Monday. Maybe between now & then I can shed a couple of pounds. I have been trying to eat lower fat/lower cholesterol foods to help lower my LDL cholesterol level. I have NOT been exercising regularly as the doctor wanted me to do. I HAVE been climbing up & down stairs which seems to me I should have at least stabilized in weight & not gained any. Sigh.<br /><br />I may add one more Reliv product (Fibrestore) when I have the money to do that. I'd like to try their diet shakes, but I know I can't get that AND the Fibrestore along with needing a new can of the basic stuff. I also am going to switch to the Reliv Classic & see how that goes. Still holding out hope this will work!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-44851561007168306782009-06-27T13:37:00.000-07:002009-06-27T13:39:07.610-07:00One weekIt's been one week since I started on the Reliv Now and the Reliv Innergize. I haven't taken the Innergize daily as I sometimes forget in the morning & am afraid it might keep me up. So far I've not noticed much difference. I did get a sick stomach this week, but that was due to some sausage that just didn't settle well in my stomach. I'm still taking the Mannatech shakes every other day or so in hopes of dropping some pounds.<br /><br />We'll see what next week holds!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-53815389648881591022009-06-20T20:15:00.000-07:002009-06-20T20:37:12.297-07:00The first meetingI attended my first meeting last night. First thoughts were, "This is a tiny room," and "There are a lot of old ladies here." My experience in meetings in hotel rooms are based on Pampered Chef. We had a good size meeting room and we were all different ages from college to retirement and everything in between.<br /><br />I met several people who were all very nice and friendly. This meeting is one they typically do on Tuesday nights. It's an introductory meeting where you learn what Reliv products are & what they can do, plus what the company can do for you financially. Since I've been in the direct sales world for over 8 years and have looked at the financial structure of several companies, it is interesting for me to hear the compensation plan of different companies. Several people stood up and shared stories of what these products have done for them. The main speaker was a guest, a 64 year old woman who was in bed and very ill in her 40's. Once she got started on Reliv, she has been healthier than ever & has even battled cancer without any chemo, and the tumor is gone. Other stories told how health problems had disappeared after using these products. Then some told how much money they've earned at different times. I still don't fully comprehend the compensation plan, but I listened just the same.<br /><br />After the presentation, I met some more people who told me how this has changed their lives and so forth. Now, these people are total strangers to me. I have no reason to not trust them, but let's be real here. I don't know these people, so I don't know what shape they were in or what else might have been going on. I DO know my friend Jennifer and her teenage son. I DO trust what she says and the products have helped her. Even so, I was impressed, especially when the speaker called a lady in another state who told us she had Celiac Disease and Fibromyalgia. That got my attention. Her husband had to quit his job as a pastor to make enough money to care for his wife who was sick all the time. Now she is well and they minister to people through this business.<br /><br />I suppose someone who is a gung-ho, let's jump in & go for the gusto person might hear these stories and run out to tell all their friends. I'm a bit slow and cautious. You can start at different levels in the business by how much you buy at first. I started at the lowest level with the smallest purchase. A friend of mine has shared that a friend of hers jumped in with both feet and the products didn't help her at all. Her words to me were, "Be cautious." It made me smile because she & I are both that way!<br /><br />Today I used the RelivNOW and also some Innergize. The NOW is one of the main products and it has the basic nutrition in it. In fact, NOW and/or Classic (both main nutritional products) seem to be what the company sends to 3rd world countries around the world through it's giving program, the Kalogris Foundation. I did see pictures of kids around the world holding cans of this stuff. Even when they don't get enough nourishment from the food they eat, this helps them.<br /><br />Back to my trial period. The Innergize is a Vitamin C/electrolyte supplement that is supposed to go along with the main product. The first thing I saw on the package was that it prevented dehydration. I immediately thought of Phil riding his bike in this insane heat. Or is that insane Phil riding his bike in this heat. I gave him half-serving of the stuff in some tea. When he got home he said he could tell a difference with just that one serving. He said by the time he reaches a certain town he is "hurting." This time he said he didn't even feel like he needed a drink, but he got one anyway. I kept asking him, "Really?" because I just don't know how something can work that well. He's as big a skeptic as I am, so I really expected him to say, "It doesn't do anything."<br /><br />I can't tell any difference yet, but it's only day 1 & it could take a couple of months. I will give it up to 3 or 4 months. If there is NO improvement in my health, then I will try a different road.<br /><br />In the meantime, I still have some weight loss shake mix from Mannatech, so I've been drinking that this week (just twice). I will say I feel like I've been getting a full serving of fiber and then some. Ahem.<br /><br />If I am going to be honest about this health stuff, I must say that I'd been really good about not getting sweets at the store (though I have not given up my Coke yet). Yesterday & today I blew it & have eaten candy. My scale says my weight has not budged. I thought with all the blood, sweat & tears (okay, just sweat) shed during our move and having stairs now I'd have lost SOMETHING. The scale at the dr's office says I've lost weight. I'm going with that.<br /><br />Good night!Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294857971215399074.post-69498446159748312042009-06-19T15:33:00.001-07:002009-06-19T15:50:58.042-07:00Beginning a new health journeyFor as long as I can remember, I have had a habit of getting sick. Not deathly, in the hospital, draw up the will kind of sick, but naggingly sick. 99% of the time it starts with allergies. I remember taking "Novahistine" as a child. It was a green minty kind of medicine. In retrospect, it probably had some alcohol in it as I remember a warm tummy feeling when I took it. Any time my brothers or I got a sore throat, we were taken to the doctor's office. My grandfather (my mom's dad) died of rheumatic fever that started as a strep infection. He was sick a lot, too, I've heard, when he was younger. I've been diagnosed with "severe allergies". I did have quite a few, but the severity was due to HOW allergic I was, not how many allergies I had. I've been on shots. I've been on meds. I've tried echinacea and zinc and goldenseal and Mannatech and Melaleuca and Usana and more. I've been sure to drink orange juice (with a prilosec, thanks to a little acid in my tummy, in case you wondered). I found out I have autoimmune diseases: Celiac (gluten intolerance), asthma, and fibromyalgia. My immune system was overactive (maybe still is) but it attacks itself, leaving me run down. Okay, I admit, I also stay up too late at night, but home schooling moms long for just a few moments alone! I was underweight for many years, about right for about 3 or 4 years, and overweight for the past 4 years. Oh, yeah, let's not forget that my I have bursitis in my knees and I am now diagnosed as "perimenopausal" which I think means, "leave me alone for 2 weeks out of the month and no one gets hurt." Most my friends are right there with me, so we have an unspoken understanding about this one.<br /><br />Reading all this (you DID read it all, didn't you?), can you sum it up in the word, "Unhealthy?" I can. I need to lose weight (for my health's sake, not out of vanity; life is too short for me to worry about that!). I need to feel better. I need more energy. The Lord has not called us to worry at all, nor has He called us to try to look like a supermodel (in fact, in Proverbs, He clearly tells us that beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised). He HAS told us to care for this body we are in, which is our "temple". If we know the Lord, His Holy Spirit lives in this body of mine. I wonder how he fits in there between the fat and bones. He hasn't called us to make our body a god, something we obsess over and/or worship. Okay, okay, enough preaching. I'll stop now on that.<br /><br />Several months ago a friend told me she knew someone who had chronic respiratory problems and was about to have surgery when he tried a product by a company called Reliv. She told me she used to have chronic health issues until she got on the products by this company. Finally, I decided to give it a whirl. I am officially a Reliv distributor. I got my first order today and have taken a 1/2 daily serving of the main product. I wanted to try this to feel better, of course, but also because their products are all mixes you can put into drinks. I hate swallowing pills. I think I was still asking for prescriptions in liquid form until I was 15 years old! I can swallow pills now, but most nutritional supplement/vitamin pills are HUGE. I gag on them. I avoid taking them. This is a powder I can put into orange juice. I just made myself a milk, o.j., fruit smoothie and drank the NOW product I received. I couldn't really taste the product at all. I tried it with just milk to see if it tasted like a milkshake, but it really had no flavor, so I opted for the fruit.<br /><br />I will attend a meeting tonight and find out more about this product and business. I have already told people if it works for me they MUST try it! The doctor has ordered me to lose weight, so I will see how I do with just the basic products (NOW and Innergize) then I may add their weightloss products.<br /><br />Will you join me as I begin this journey and see where it leads me? I'll try to keep posting with how I feel taking the products.<br /><br />Until I drink it up again.Chef Mama Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10687302929905648791noreply@blogger.com0