Eggs

I am so glad the top has been blown off the egg controversy. It is out the cholesterol in eggs has NOTHING to do with cholesterol in your blood. I think this was something thought up by the low fat scam. There has never been a study indicating eggs are bad for your cholesterol. Yes! I am so tired of eggs getting a bad rap when they are so good for you. Even the yoke. It is absurd that this is health news. Glad I never listened to the propaganda and kept eating eggs.

GMOs

Genetically Modified Foods. To me it seems preposterous that in the US GMOs are not labeled as such. In fact most of the foods in our supermarkets, especially ones containing corn (yes this includes high fructose corn syrup) and soy contain GMOs. It turns out and I have read about this from several sources, around 80% to 90% of corn and soybeans in our country are grown from genetically modified seed. I dare not mention the name of the company that controls most of these crops as I feel they are ruthless and evil. Europe has said hell no to our genetically modified foods and with good reason however most Americans have no idea they are even eating them. Sadly many don't care. If it is economical what the hec. When the USDA considered dropping standards of organically grown foods people took to the streets and protested. Thanks to these people who care about the food they eat, the standards of organically grown food have been upheld. The method they use to modify these seeds are quite scary. Of coarse this is all approved by the USDA because the ones in charge and I mean many, used to work for guess who? And the politicians..... well I am sure you can figure that one out. Bought and paid for. The whole thing just makes me sick.

Ezekiel bread

I just had the most awesome treat. It was a piece of toasted Ezekiel Bread with organic butter. It is an organic bread made from sprouted grains. This bread has no flour. Isn't that amazing. It packs more carbs per slice (11) than Natures Own (7) but is made of all good stuff. It is worth the four carbs. Besides some raw rutabagas, that will be most of my carbs for the day since I am TRYING to lose a few ponds. I have used it twice to make croutons for my Caesar salad and they were great. This bread is found in the frozen food and is wonderful. I love it when I find something new. This is one to be careful with though, not for everyday. At least not if you are trying to lose weight.

Wellness Ramble

Ok, I am on the mend today. Last night a girlfriend gave me some insight to the weekend question I posed yesterday. She pointed to her mouth and said "this is the weak end". It took me a minute to get it but I thought it was cute and so true. I am feeling so much better today after only one day of healthy eating. I am going to try my best to recall how I felt last Sunday whenever I start to feel tempted. Also I have got to remember I need to keep my hormones in check. If I am going to try not to take oc I am going to have to eat clean and give it an honest shot. I do not want to have to see an endocrinologist and end up on bioidentical hormones or something. Funny thing, women in other countries such as Japan who eat clean do not have issues such as menstrual cramps, PMS, and Menopause. I find that fascinating. These women do not drink Diet Red Bull and eat protein bars. This is what my diet and other avid gym goers consisted of years ago . Now we realize these foods are not good for us. However the marketing is still very clever. Most of the bars out there are highly processed and full of sugar and preservatives. I now realize this blog has no real topic except wellness in general so I will let it go. Sorry to ramble. It is beautiful day and I am excited to get my run in before my appointments. Yay!!!

Back on the wagon

Why the hec are weekends so tough. This weekend I scarfed some french fries and fried shrimp off my Mom's plate at lunch and had a couple of other smaller indiscretions. Afterward I felt horrible and had heart burn which is rare for me. I crashed on the couch last night before 9:00 Pm and slept like a rock. When I woke up this morning my eyes were puffy. I don't know what possessed me to do that. It looked so good compared to my salad. I had run three miles that morning and felt great. I hope I have learned my lesson. I took extra fiber last night and made a detox tea first thing this morning. What is it about the weekend? Eating healthy is five times as hard as it is during the week.
OK, I know I need to bring my own salad dressing and keep my hands off other people's plates. What I must remember is how I felt after eating those fries and shrimp. I seriously wanted to hurl but am no good at that. I didn't even have that many of them. I can't imagine how I would have felt had I eaten a whole plate of the stuff. No telling how many glutamates were in those fries. I am back on the wagon and need to move on from here. I still don't feel 100%. What the hec was I thinking. I guess the carb addict in me reared it's ugly head.

Food Inc.

Good news on the food front! Thanks to Food Inc. (the movie), the beef industry is receiving some not so positive attention for their practices on how they treat and process cows. Did you know one single hamburger can contain meat from up to 1,000 cows. That is gross if you ask me. I am so glad that this movie has come out and that people are actually watching it instead of choosing to "keep the blinders on". This is our food and we would know what happens to it before it reaches our mouth. I think there is a real movement building or at least I hope so. If you are on a tight budget eat less but eat better quality foods. Eat less meat. Just a few years ago I never thought I could eat meatless meals. Now I think they are great and enjoy cooking them. Beans are a low cost food that are great for you and have protein. In the long run the cost of eating healthy probably ends up being cheaper if you add up the cost of medications and co-pays. Just a thought.

When will we get it!

I just read an article about the causes of stomach pains. Everything from gastritis to diverticulitis. This particular article was of coarse written by an MD and has a total of two sentences in it regarding diet. Maybe it is just me, but it seems to be a "nobrainer" on this one. Maybe we should consider what we are putting into our bodies. If our body does not like what we are feeding it, it will protest. It may not only express itself in stomach problems but a whole range or illnesses and disease. In today's society where we have so little care concern about proper nutrition, it is no wonder we are so high on the totem pole when it comes to health issues such as diabetes and cancer to name a few. Instead of taking these things into consideration and trying to change the obvious, we first run to the doctor where we receive prescription medications and will probably end up receiving expensive testing and/or medical care for something we could have prevented or corrected ourselves. To top it off we turn around and blame everyone but us for costly health insurance. When are we going to get it! WE ARE WHAT WE EAT! Would you put diesel fuel in your car if it were cheaper and expect it to run properly. Of coarse not. So why do we do this with our bodies. Now that is a loaded question but one every person has to answer for themselves. It's just not worth the cost.
For the record, I am not saying people should not go to the doctor, I am saying we should correct what we are doing to our bodies so we can honestly say to the doctor "I don't know what is causing the problem and I have tried "a,b and c". I bet much of the time it wouldn't even get as far as the doctor's office if "a,b and c" included straightening our one's diet.

Jillian's new DVD

I am so excited to discover Jillian Michaels has a yoga workout coming out on DVD. It should be great as her workouts really kick butt and I desperately need more yoga. The DVD focuses on body weight training through power yoga poses. She believes (and I tend to trust what she says on matters of training) that body weight training (using your own weight to train instead of weights) is the fastest and most effective way to get ripped. Great news since it is economical, convenient and does not require a trip to the gym. Guess that means I am not getting out of squats and push ups, darn. When I am able to get my hands on the DVD I will give it a try and report back. I am not one for working out in front of the TV but won't rule it out. It is 30 minutes or less (I think) and would be great to do after running or whatever cardio one likes. Also heard she has a new reality series coming out soon. It will be between two seasons of BL. Might want to check it out.

Breakfast

Breakfast has to be one of my favorite meals of the day because it allows you to be creative with leftovers. YES you can do veggies for breakfast!!! Today I had scrambled farm eggs with left over eggplant stir fry, omelet with no cheese. It was really great with some fresh basil and Himalayan see salt. I also had some good organic decaf.
No motivation to run and the weather is cold and cloudy. If the rain will hold off, maybe I can squeeze it in this afternoon. Yesterday I heard Deepak Chopra say "if you make your day dynamic then you will sleep well at night". I love that. So let this day be dynamic (even though it is gray). Hmmm, I may take that as today's personal challenge.