Today has been my worst day since I started juicing again. I am so tired I just feel like going to sleep. I got home by 5pm, and I've been keeping myself busy doing things in order to stay awake because I don't want to fall asleep and then wake up at 3 in the morning.
In all fairness, I didn't actually juice today. Coincidence? hmm...
I woke up late...one too many times hitting the snooze button can completely mess up my mornings...so instead of making a juice, I had a smoothie. It was also too late to make my lunch, so I packed the only two small apples that I had left. I planned on getting a salad somewhere.
I snacked on the apples, and I felt fine. But, of course, when it was lunch time, I realized I only had $5 in my purse, and since it's the day before payday, I couldn't use my bank card because there's no money in there anyway--so no salad for me! With some imaginative decision making, I was able to have a veggie sub on wheat bread from the Publix deli. The bread is NOT reboot friendly, but life happens...
When I got home I realized that I don't have enough produce left to make a juice for today, so I had another smoothie and an orange later on.
Today was not a healthy day...lesson learned...I need to plan my week better so that I can make it to the end of the week with enough produce...or I need to go to the grocery store mid week to stock up again.
Who knows, maybe I did notice, one of these days, that I needed more and then just got lazy about going to the store.
Who am I kidding...I can't stay awake any longer...I'm going to bed
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Reboot T2 Day 6 & My Top 5 Juicing Mistakes
This morning I was in the mood for fruit juice, and I started out with every intention of making fresh orange juice without anything else in it...but once I was into it, I felt guilty so I added in some veggies, too :) It was really good!
Ingredients
4 oranges
1 ruby red grapefruit
1 green pair
1/2 bunch of kale
1 zucchini
1 lemon
If you are juicing oranges for the first time, you should know that you absolutely HAVE to peel the oranges...the same goes for lemons or limes. The first time I juiced oranges, I didn't know any better and I put those suckers in whole, LOL. I remember that I made almost a gallon of orange juice because I wanted my kids to have real OJ for the first time. When I tasted it, I almost cried, it was so bitter. What's even funnier is that I didn't want to waste it, so I forced myself to drink it for the next few days. I couldn't stand more than a few sips at a time. On the third or fourth day I gave up and dumped the rest of it into the sink. It seemed to become even more bitter with each passing day.
Now that I'm on a crazy juicing mistakes tangent, I might as well tell you about a few other mistakes to avoid...
Here's my Top 5 Worst Juicing Mistakes
5. ORANGES
I already told you how that went...
4. GARLIC
Once I tried to make a gaspacho type juice, so I put a clove of garlic through the juicer with the tomatoes and onions and other veggies. I don't know what was worse the garlic or the onion...no wait, I do know...the GARLIC. I love, love, love garlic, but I had never experienced juiced garlic, lol. It was SO strong that my throat closed up, and I thought I was going to suffocate. I drank water all day and the taste of garlic in my mouth still wouldn't go away. Plus, it kept coming up. I remember waking up the next morning, and I still had garlic breath!
3. CAULIFLOWER
In one of my previous posts, I already shared my cauliflower juice story--that was a good/bad one, too.
2. BANANAS
Bananas and juicers are NOT friends. It comes through the juicer looking like a goopy brownish mess. The bananas are too mushy and should be blended in smoothies. As with all of my juicing mistakes, I learned this one the hard way, with my first juicer. It was a cheap Hamilton Beach juicer, and the machine got so overworked trying to juice that banana that it started to smell like an electrical fire, lol.
1. POTATOES
And, last but not least, my absolute worst juicing crime....drum roll please...I once tried to juice a potato. I remember that my original plan was to juice the potato and then make a soup out of it. It was my culinary ignorant way of trying to get away with making potato soup without cream...go ahead and laugh...I AM. Of course, it was a ridiculous thing to do. Oh, it juiced the potato alright...but the moment I started heating up the juice in a pot, the starch went crazy and I ended up making GLUE instead of soup. I could have put up a brick wall with that stuff! Lesson learned--the easiest way to do things is usually the simplest. What I should have done was to just boil the potatoes and then mash them up with some other liquid...DUH....
Thanks for reading :)
Ingredients
4 oranges
1 ruby red grapefruit
1 green pair
1/2 bunch of kale
1 zucchini
1 lemon
If you are juicing oranges for the first time, you should know that you absolutely HAVE to peel the oranges...the same goes for lemons or limes. The first time I juiced oranges, I didn't know any better and I put those suckers in whole, LOL. I remember that I made almost a gallon of orange juice because I wanted my kids to have real OJ for the first time. When I tasted it, I almost cried, it was so bitter. What's even funnier is that I didn't want to waste it, so I forced myself to drink it for the next few days. I couldn't stand more than a few sips at a time. On the third or fourth day I gave up and dumped the rest of it into the sink. It seemed to become even more bitter with each passing day.
Now that I'm on a crazy juicing mistakes tangent, I might as well tell you about a few other mistakes to avoid...
Here's my Top 5 Worst Juicing Mistakes
5. ORANGES
I already told you how that went...
4. GARLIC
Once I tried to make a gaspacho type juice, so I put a clove of garlic through the juicer with the tomatoes and onions and other veggies. I don't know what was worse the garlic or the onion...no wait, I do know...the GARLIC. I love, love, love garlic, but I had never experienced juiced garlic, lol. It was SO strong that my throat closed up, and I thought I was going to suffocate. I drank water all day and the taste of garlic in my mouth still wouldn't go away. Plus, it kept coming up. I remember waking up the next morning, and I still had garlic breath!
3. CAULIFLOWER
In one of my previous posts, I already shared my cauliflower juice story--that was a good/bad one, too.
2. BANANAS
Bananas and juicers are NOT friends. It comes through the juicer looking like a goopy brownish mess. The bananas are too mushy and should be blended in smoothies. As with all of my juicing mistakes, I learned this one the hard way, with my first juicer. It was a cheap Hamilton Beach juicer, and the machine got so overworked trying to juice that banana that it started to smell like an electrical fire, lol.
1. POTATOES
And, last but not least, my absolute worst juicing crime....drum roll please...I once tried to juice a potato. I remember that my original plan was to juice the potato and then make a soup out of it. It was my culinary ignorant way of trying to get away with making potato soup without cream...go ahead and laugh...I AM. Of course, it was a ridiculous thing to do. Oh, it juiced the potato alright...but the moment I started heating up the juice in a pot, the starch went crazy and I ended up making GLUE instead of soup. I could have put up a brick wall with that stuff! Lesson learned--the easiest way to do things is usually the simplest. What I should have done was to just boil the potatoes and then mash them up with some other liquid...DUH....
Thanks for reading :)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Reboot T2 Day 5 - Zucchini Soup
This weekend at the farmers market they had a bunch of different types of squash, most of which I'd never seen or tasted. So, I bought several different varieties to check them out.
For those of you who are in my same state of ignorance, here's what they look like. I had to look them up online to find out their names ;)
Golden zucchini
Green zucchini = courgette = Italian marrow squash (the only kind I knew about!)
globe squash = Ronde de Nice
Mediterranean Squash
Tonight, I decided that I'd do some experimenting...bua-ha-haaa
I peeled the globe squash and felt it up a bit, lol...I smelled it, too..., and I figured that it might do well sauteed. So, I diced it up (1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces), sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and sauteed it in some olive oil. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. It had a mild, nutty flavor, and it didn't get mushy or slimy. I added it to my children's spaghetti sauce. After I put the squash in the sauce, I used the same pan to saute some grape tomatoes. I didn't add any more oil. I added them to the spaghetti sauce and then poured the sauce over rotini pasta. I served it in bowls and sprinkled it with shredded mozzarella (very little--about 1 T.), and my kids ate it up! Yay for squash in the pasta!
I didn't have any of the pasta because the sauce had ground beef in it. But, just when I was feeling left out of the squash party, I decided to do some more experimenting to create a zucchini/squash juice soup. After all, today was a warm-cup-of-soup kind of day for me. I didn't sleep well last night, and I just wanted to stay in bed this morning...but, I decided to be a responsible grown up and go to work, anyway. Sooooo, here's my invention. It's going to sound weird, I'll admit, but I enjoyed it.
I juiced 2 golden zucchini, 2 Mediterranean squash, 3 stalks of celery, and one small granny smith apple. In a small pot, I used water to "saute" some minced garlic, green onions, a few thin slices of poblano pepper, and some ginger. I added the juice to the pot once it started smelling good and let it heat through. I also added a tiny bit of rosemary, some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. When I poured it in a bowl, it looked like Kermit had bled out LOL...it was GREEN...like I-live-too-close-to-a-nuclear-power-plant-so-the-lake-behind-my-house-glows-in-the-dark GREEN!
Well, a little green...or a lot of green...never scared me off, so I wasn't going to back down from this soup. But, once I tasted it, something was missing. I had really wanted more heat in the dish, but it was kind of late to add more poblano pepper. So, I looked in the fridge and I saw a jar of salsa...That's right...salsa. You know, the kind you serve at a party with chips, LOL.
I think I've watched one too many Chopped episodes because I swear it was like working with a mystery ingredient! I was nervous and excited. I mixed in about two tablespoons, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I actually liked the combination of flavors...enough to do it again some other day.
Again, I don't have a picture of my creation :( but I am going to get this camera problem resolved as soon as possible.
OH! One last thing. I want to point out that the fact that I didn't know about these vegetables is one of reasons why I want to find a nutritionist or coach to help me. I want to be the kind of person that knows about these things...that knows when some veggies/fruits are in season...that knows how to cook foods that are in season.
I spoke to two health coaches today. They aren't nutritionists, but they both work with people who want to have a plant-based diet. They both charge about the same rate **sigh** and it's HIGH, but doable, I guess...and worth it, too, I think. I'm going for my free consults this week to choose one or the other...or to decide if I'm going to keep looking. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again for following my blog :)
For those of you who are in my same state of ignorance, here's what they look like. I had to look them up online to find out their names ;)
Golden zucchini
Green zucchini = courgette = Italian marrow squash (the only kind I knew about!)
globe squash = Ronde de Nice
Mediterranean Squash
Tonight, I decided that I'd do some experimenting...bua-ha-haaa
I peeled the globe squash and felt it up a bit, lol...I smelled it, too..., and I figured that it might do well sauteed. So, I diced it up (1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces), sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and sauteed it in some olive oil. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. It had a mild, nutty flavor, and it didn't get mushy or slimy. I added it to my children's spaghetti sauce. After I put the squash in the sauce, I used the same pan to saute some grape tomatoes. I didn't add any more oil. I added them to the spaghetti sauce and then poured the sauce over rotini pasta. I served it in bowls and sprinkled it with shredded mozzarella (very little--about 1 T.), and my kids ate it up! Yay for squash in the pasta!
I didn't have any of the pasta because the sauce had ground beef in it. But, just when I was feeling left out of the squash party, I decided to do some more experimenting to create a zucchini/squash juice soup. After all, today was a warm-cup-of-soup kind of day for me. I didn't sleep well last night, and I just wanted to stay in bed this morning...but, I decided to be a responsible grown up and go to work, anyway. Sooooo, here's my invention. It's going to sound weird, I'll admit, but I enjoyed it.
I juiced 2 golden zucchini, 2 Mediterranean squash, 3 stalks of celery, and one small granny smith apple. In a small pot, I used water to "saute" some minced garlic, green onions, a few thin slices of poblano pepper, and some ginger. I added the juice to the pot once it started smelling good and let it heat through. I also added a tiny bit of rosemary, some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. When I poured it in a bowl, it looked like Kermit had bled out LOL...it was GREEN...like I-live-too-close-to-a-nuclear-power-plant-so-the-lake-behind-my-house-glows-in-the-dark GREEN!
Well, a little green...or a lot of green...never scared me off, so I wasn't going to back down from this soup. But, once I tasted it, something was missing. I had really wanted more heat in the dish, but it was kind of late to add more poblano pepper. So, I looked in the fridge and I saw a jar of salsa...That's right...salsa. You know, the kind you serve at a party with chips, LOL.
I think I've watched one too many Chopped episodes because I swear it was like working with a mystery ingredient! I was nervous and excited. I mixed in about two tablespoons, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I actually liked the combination of flavors...enough to do it again some other day.
Again, I don't have a picture of my creation :( but I am going to get this camera problem resolved as soon as possible.
OH! One last thing. I want to point out that the fact that I didn't know about these vegetables is one of reasons why I want to find a nutritionist or coach to help me. I want to be the kind of person that knows about these things...that knows when some veggies/fruits are in season...that knows how to cook foods that are in season.
I spoke to two health coaches today. They aren't nutritionists, but they both work with people who want to have a plant-based diet. They both charge about the same rate **sigh** and it's HIGH, but doable, I guess...and worth it, too, I think. I'm going for my free consults this week to choose one or the other...or to decide if I'm going to keep looking. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again for following my blog :)
Monday, November 26, 2012
Reboot T2 Day 4 & Roasted Cauliflower
Today, was a hard day at work. After about 3 hours, I was ready to go home! Long holiday breaks make it difficult to work a full day. But, of course, 3 hour days are impossible...
Normally, when I get bored at work, I reach for junk. I know that sounds horrible, but unless you are a teacher or work at a school, you have absolutely no idea how much junk food is in a school.
Every teacher has candy or chocolate...kids bring cookies and cupcakes...the vending machines and I are on a first name basis...and, we have several fast food restaurants surrounding us--Subway, McDonalds, Little Ceasuers, Quiznos, Pollo Tropical, Wendys, Publix (I know it's a Supermarket, but the deli counts!), Panda Express, Burger King, Casavana, which by the way delivers! (in fact, they can be at our school in less than 15 minutes depending on what you order--that's including the time it takes to order the food and pay for it!)
There are countless others, so the food possibilities are endless at a school...and I haven't even talked about the food that the administrators get for teachers on special occasions, the potlucks, the PTSO sponsored meals, etc., etc... We even had a Thanksgiving meal potluck on Tuesday before Thanksgiving...and leftovers for the next day, of course. I remember overhearing some of the teachers saying that they wouldn't have room for their own family Thanksgiving meals!
It's all done with the best intentions. Teachers are people pleasers...or maybe we need that food high to get through the tougher parts of the day LOL. But, it's been my crutch way too long.
Sooo...today when I felt like caving in to the AP's request for Casavana orders, I simply said, "No, thank you," drank some water and walked away. When I got back to my office, I packed up to go to another school. Once I was in my car, I pulled out my thermos and drank my juice like it was the best thing ever, and I purposely reminded myself of how many times in the past I have ordered fast food and been sick afterward.
As I drove away from the school parking lot, I felt...accomplished. Silly how a simple choice can make one feel so empowered.
When I got home later on, I had a protein smoothie and my new favorite vegetable: CAULIFLOWER
Growing up, I never ever even tasted cauliflower. As a teenager, I tasted it at a Wendy's salad bar--yes, I'm dating myself--and I thought it was absolutely disgusting. So, I did what any teenager would do...I avoided it from then on.
Last year, when I started the reboot for the first time, I read about how great of a vegetable it is, so I actually tried to juice a cauliflower, LOL...boy was that a total bust! It sent tiny white crumbs all over the kitchen before I could push down on it, and the smell that came out of the juicer made me want to hurl. And, after all that mess and craziness, it didn't produce even one drop of juice.
This time, I decided to give it another go...but the motivating influence was an episode of the TV show Chopped, which I am completely addicted to. I saw an episode in which one of the chefs roasted the cauliflower, and the judges LOVED it. So, the next time I saw it at the farmers market, I decided that it would be worth the $2 to try it one more time.
It...was...the BEST THING EVER! And, it was sooooo easy!
Here's what I did:
Ingredients
1 cauliflower
5 cloves garlic
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cut the cauliflower into 2 inch pieces (keep all of the itty bitty pieces in a small bowl)
3. Spread on a cookie sheet
4. Mince the garlic and sprinkle over the cauliflower
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil over the cauliflower
7. Cook the cauliflower for 15-20 minutes until it starts caramelizing
8. Remember the bowl of itty bitties...season those with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Then, add them to the cookie sheet and mix them in with the bigger pieces. I got this idea from the internet, but I haven't been able to find the website again. It keeps the smaller pieces from burning.
9. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower looks a bit translucent but not completely wilted or burnt.
The cauliflower takes on this very nutty taste, and I would eat the entire head of it by myself if my kids weren't making me share it because they love it too!
You should definitely try it. I saw many recipes online that added lemon and parmesan cheese, but I just cooked them the same way that I would roast potatoes in the oven, since I knew I liked those flavors.
Let me know if you try the recipe and provide me with any feedback. Thanks!
BTW, I wanted to post a picture of the cauliflower, but I had to take the picture with my phone since my camera battery is dead. Now the picture is not cooperating with me--it's upside down and tiny, so I won't be able to post it for you :(
Normally, when I get bored at work, I reach for junk. I know that sounds horrible, but unless you are a teacher or work at a school, you have absolutely no idea how much junk food is in a school.
Every teacher has candy or chocolate...kids bring cookies and cupcakes...the vending machines and I are on a first name basis...and, we have several fast food restaurants surrounding us--Subway, McDonalds, Little Ceasuers, Quiznos, Pollo Tropical, Wendys, Publix (I know it's a Supermarket, but the deli counts!), Panda Express, Burger King, Casavana, which by the way delivers! (in fact, they can be at our school in less than 15 minutes depending on what you order--that's including the time it takes to order the food and pay for it!)
There are countless others, so the food possibilities are endless at a school...and I haven't even talked about the food that the administrators get for teachers on special occasions, the potlucks, the PTSO sponsored meals, etc., etc... We even had a Thanksgiving meal potluck on Tuesday before Thanksgiving...and leftovers for the next day, of course. I remember overhearing some of the teachers saying that they wouldn't have room for their own family Thanksgiving meals!
It's all done with the best intentions. Teachers are people pleasers...or maybe we need that food high to get through the tougher parts of the day LOL. But, it's been my crutch way too long.
Sooo...today when I felt like caving in to the AP's request for Casavana orders, I simply said, "No, thank you," drank some water and walked away. When I got back to my office, I packed up to go to another school. Once I was in my car, I pulled out my thermos and drank my juice like it was the best thing ever, and I purposely reminded myself of how many times in the past I have ordered fast food and been sick afterward.
As I drove away from the school parking lot, I felt...accomplished. Silly how a simple choice can make one feel so empowered.
When I got home later on, I had a protein smoothie and my new favorite vegetable: CAULIFLOWER
Growing up, I never ever even tasted cauliflower. As a teenager, I tasted it at a Wendy's salad bar--yes, I'm dating myself--and I thought it was absolutely disgusting. So, I did what any teenager would do...I avoided it from then on.
Last year, when I started the reboot for the first time, I read about how great of a vegetable it is, so I actually tried to juice a cauliflower, LOL...boy was that a total bust! It sent tiny white crumbs all over the kitchen before I could push down on it, and the smell that came out of the juicer made me want to hurl. And, after all that mess and craziness, it didn't produce even one drop of juice.
This time, I decided to give it another go...but the motivating influence was an episode of the TV show Chopped, which I am completely addicted to. I saw an episode in which one of the chefs roasted the cauliflower, and the judges LOVED it. So, the next time I saw it at the farmers market, I decided that it would be worth the $2 to try it one more time.
It...was...the BEST THING EVER! And, it was sooooo easy!
Here's what I did:
Ingredients
1 cauliflower
5 cloves garlic
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cut the cauliflower into 2 inch pieces (keep all of the itty bitty pieces in a small bowl)
3. Spread on a cookie sheet
4. Mince the garlic and sprinkle over the cauliflower
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil over the cauliflower
7. Cook the cauliflower for 15-20 minutes until it starts caramelizing
8. Remember the bowl of itty bitties...season those with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Then, add them to the cookie sheet and mix them in with the bigger pieces. I got this idea from the internet, but I haven't been able to find the website again. It keeps the smaller pieces from burning.
9. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower looks a bit translucent but not completely wilted or burnt.
The cauliflower takes on this very nutty taste, and I would eat the entire head of it by myself if my kids weren't making me share it because they love it too!
You should definitely try it. I saw many recipes online that added lemon and parmesan cheese, but I just cooked them the same way that I would roast potatoes in the oven, since I knew I liked those flavors.
Let me know if you try the recipe and provide me with any feedback. Thanks!
BTW, I wanted to post a picture of the cauliflower, but I had to take the picture with my phone since my camera battery is dead. Now the picture is not cooperating with me--it's upside down and tiny, so I won't be able to post it for you :(
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Reboot T2 Day 3
Today was a great juicing day! I had green juice first thing in the morning, and I'm surprised to say that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. When I first started juicing last year, I got kind of sick of drinking greens, but I absolutely loved my juice this morning. My hubby liked it, too! The juice had:
1 bunch of kale
1 zucchini
1 cucumber
1 kiwi
2 small granny smith apples (normally, I'd use one, but these were tiny!)
2 pears
a handful of green grapes
1 lemon
a small nub of ginger
I put everything in the juicer except the lemon; it makes the juice too bitter. I just cut it in half and then squeezed the lemon juice into the pitcher. Everything went in unpeeled, but I did cut up the apples and pears to get the seeds out.
It was zingy! I'm not sure if that's really a word, but I like it!
My family came over today, for lunch...it's our Sunday tradition. We eat, and then the grown ups sit around talking after lunch until the kids get bored and sneak away to play in their rooms.
I decided ahead of time that I am not going to talk about the fact that I'm juicing again...not just to my parents, but to anyone. I know that sounds funny because I'm talking about it here, but most of the people around me don't understand why I would even want to do this. I made the mistake of telling everyone the first time, and most people just wanted to give unsolicited advice about why I shouldn't do it, or they would make that judgmental face that I can't stand...it's was so annoying.
I'm about to go on a Math rant, so bear with my math/vegetarian analogy.
I work with Math Curriculum development and implementation. In the past three years, I've been called a Math Coach, a Math Consultant, a Math Curriculum Specialist, and most recently, the Math Director for our company. None of those changes in title have changed what I actually do. In the end, what it boils down to is that I help teachers get better at teaching math, and I help low students with strategies that their teachers might not know.
The reason I tell you all of this is because in my line of work, I have to deal with a lot of stereotypes and negative attitudes towards math, and I've realized that I will have to continue facing stereotypes for being a vegetarian, as well.
I've had young girls tell me that they're not good at math because girls aren't good at math--to which I responded, "What am I?" I've had parents tell me that their kids aren't good at math because they were never good at math when they were kids--to which I responded, "No, you just had bad math teachers." I've had more than one teacher tell me that he/she is a "reading person" not a "math person," to which I've responded, "Aren't you a college graduate?"--not my most PC response ever...
Frankly, I am just sick and tired of how acceptable it has become in our society for people to say, "I'm not good at math." People would be embarrassed to admit that they can't read or write...but somewhere in time, it just became OK to be "bad" at math. It makes me just as angry as when people say, "I couldn't possible stop eating meat. Don't you miss it?" when I tell them I'm a vegetarian. It wouldn't be OK for me to ask them how they can possible stomach eating a carcass of rotting flesh that has been kept blood red with chemicals. That would be rude!
I am also SICK of the stereotypical math geek persona. If one more person asks me if I like the show, The Big Bang Theory, I just might sit on them. There's this kind of mystery or elusiveness surrounding "math people" that feels very similar to the treatment that vegetarians get.
People feel threatened...or intimidated maybe...I don't know...so they lash out with ugly judgement. I get the same look both when people find out that I'm a "math person" or when they find out that I'm a vegetarian. It's the same EXACT look...the I'm-not-sure-about-you look...or the you're-kind-of-weird-aren't-you look. Only once, have I met a stranger that thought it was fascinating that I was making this change. Sure enough, she had read the Engine 2 book and was interested in a plant-based diet, herself.
So, now that my rant is over, I can proceed with what I did about it today. As I said earlier, I didn't talk about juicing or being a vegetarian to my parents today. I simply had a large reboot-friendly salad and some garbanzo beans that I prepared, and passed on the chicken. When my mom asked me if I was going to have any, I just said, "No, thank you," and went about the business of enjoying my food. I didn't even have a conversation about it, and I didn't try to watch for her reaction either. I already know they don't like the idea of my being a vegetarian, so why torture myself?
I didn't have any of the chocolate cake either! That's another thing that I've noticed about juicing...it kind of makes all of the silly cravings go away, and it's easier for me to say, "No, thank you." I'm going to continue eating reboot-friendly foods on Sundays when my parents come over.
As far as work is concerned, I think I'm going to be going on a lot of lunch time errands for a while. I travel to so many school sites that it will be easy to drink my juice in the car when I'm going to another school site. Most of the time, I don't get to sit and eat with any one group of people on a regular basis anyway, so this won't be too much of a difference.
Alright, back to today...
Later in the day, I had a coconut water based protein smoothie. It's my favorite yummy treat.
1 cup coconut water
1 scoop protein powder
1 banana
8 drops chocolate stevia
2 T. ground flax seed (I've been adding ground flax seed to my smoothies to make sure things stay regular...gotta have that fiber!)
lots of ice
I also drank plenty of water today--12 cups. All in all, I'm very proud of my intake today :)
I don't normally get this negative, but I guess I've just been holding this all in, and it just bubbled over...I'll try to keep it on the lighter side tomorrow.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
1 bunch of kale
1 zucchini
1 cucumber
1 kiwi
2 small granny smith apples (normally, I'd use one, but these were tiny!)
2 pears
a handful of green grapes
1 lemon
a small nub of ginger
I put everything in the juicer except the lemon; it makes the juice too bitter. I just cut it in half and then squeezed the lemon juice into the pitcher. Everything went in unpeeled, but I did cut up the apples and pears to get the seeds out.
It was zingy! I'm not sure if that's really a word, but I like it!
My family came over today, for lunch...it's our Sunday tradition. We eat, and then the grown ups sit around talking after lunch until the kids get bored and sneak away to play in their rooms.
I decided ahead of time that I am not going to talk about the fact that I'm juicing again...not just to my parents, but to anyone. I know that sounds funny because I'm talking about it here, but most of the people around me don't understand why I would even want to do this. I made the mistake of telling everyone the first time, and most people just wanted to give unsolicited advice about why I shouldn't do it, or they would make that judgmental face that I can't stand...it's was so annoying.
I'm about to go on a Math rant, so bear with my math/vegetarian analogy.
I work with Math Curriculum development and implementation. In the past three years, I've been called a Math Coach, a Math Consultant, a Math Curriculum Specialist, and most recently, the Math Director for our company. None of those changes in title have changed what I actually do. In the end, what it boils down to is that I help teachers get better at teaching math, and I help low students with strategies that their teachers might not know.
The reason I tell you all of this is because in my line of work, I have to deal with a lot of stereotypes and negative attitudes towards math, and I've realized that I will have to continue facing stereotypes for being a vegetarian, as well.
I've had young girls tell me that they're not good at math because girls aren't good at math--to which I responded, "What am I?" I've had parents tell me that their kids aren't good at math because they were never good at math when they were kids--to which I responded, "No, you just had bad math teachers." I've had more than one teacher tell me that he/she is a "reading person" not a "math person," to which I've responded, "Aren't you a college graduate?"--not my most PC response ever...
Frankly, I am just sick and tired of how acceptable it has become in our society for people to say, "I'm not good at math." People would be embarrassed to admit that they can't read or write...but somewhere in time, it just became OK to be "bad" at math. It makes me just as angry as when people say, "I couldn't possible stop eating meat. Don't you miss it?" when I tell them I'm a vegetarian. It wouldn't be OK for me to ask them how they can possible stomach eating a carcass of rotting flesh that has been kept blood red with chemicals. That would be rude!
I am also SICK of the stereotypical math geek persona. If one more person asks me if I like the show, The Big Bang Theory, I just might sit on them. There's this kind of mystery or elusiveness surrounding "math people" that feels very similar to the treatment that vegetarians get.
People feel threatened...or intimidated maybe...I don't know...so they lash out with ugly judgement. I get the same look both when people find out that I'm a "math person" or when they find out that I'm a vegetarian. It's the same EXACT look...the I'm-not-sure-about-you look...or the you're-kind-of-weird-aren't-you look. Only once, have I met a stranger that thought it was fascinating that I was making this change. Sure enough, she had read the Engine 2 book and was interested in a plant-based diet, herself.
So, now that my rant is over, I can proceed with what I did about it today. As I said earlier, I didn't talk about juicing or being a vegetarian to my parents today. I simply had a large reboot-friendly salad and some garbanzo beans that I prepared, and passed on the chicken. When my mom asked me if I was going to have any, I just said, "No, thank you," and went about the business of enjoying my food. I didn't even have a conversation about it, and I didn't try to watch for her reaction either. I already know they don't like the idea of my being a vegetarian, so why torture myself?
I didn't have any of the chocolate cake either! That's another thing that I've noticed about juicing...it kind of makes all of the silly cravings go away, and it's easier for me to say, "No, thank you." I'm going to continue eating reboot-friendly foods on Sundays when my parents come over.
As far as work is concerned, I think I'm going to be going on a lot of lunch time errands for a while. I travel to so many school sites that it will be easy to drink my juice in the car when I'm going to another school site. Most of the time, I don't get to sit and eat with any one group of people on a regular basis anyway, so this won't be too much of a difference.
Alright, back to today...
Later in the day, I had a coconut water based protein smoothie. It's my favorite yummy treat.
1 cup coconut water
1 scoop protein powder
1 banana
8 drops chocolate stevia
2 T. ground flax seed (I've been adding ground flax seed to my smoothies to make sure things stay regular...gotta have that fiber!)
lots of ice
I also drank plenty of water today--12 cups. All in all, I'm very proud of my intake today :)
I don't normally get this negative, but I guess I've just been holding this all in, and it just bubbled over...I'll try to keep it on the lighter side tomorrow.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Reboot T2 Day 2
Today was a good day. I slept in, something I hardly ever get to do. I went to the Farmers Market with my son and stocked up on fruits and veggies, which was fun. Then, I cooked a great meal for my family, and watched TV for a bit. I even spent some time watching my son play his video game, and then I got to hang out with my daughter in her room. It doesn't sound like much, but it took up my whole day. I wish everyday was like this. I like the lack of structure that allows me the freedom to be in the moment and enjoy what I'm doing. Of course, returning to work after the Thanksgiving Holiday will be a quick reality check, but for today I want to relish in the fact that I spent my day in a fluid state of being rather than being controlled by the clock, or a schedule.
As far as my juice fast is going, I did feel a bit weak at one point today, but then I realized it was because I hadn't taken in enough calories. So, I made a very yummy juice with 1 small bunch of kale, 1 large beet, 1 cucumber, 1 zucchini, raspberries, blackberries, 2 very small apples, and l lemon. When I started drinking the juice it felt like someone injected me with energy! The best part was that even after I shared some of it with my hubby, I still had leftovers for myself for later.
I feel so great when I juice, that I hate calling this a fast. When I hear the word "fast," I think of Ghandi and his lemon water. What he did was so noble and for such a great cause. It also makes me think of people who fast for religious reasons. It's all so superior to my wanting to lose weight. It makes me feel like I'm cheating, because not only am I taking in a large amount of calories, but I'm also feeling great. I can't describe how happy it makes me.
Anyway...I went off on a tangent there! Back to business...
I think I may have actually found a plant-based nutritionist in my area. After a lot of searching online, I came across his website. I'm going to call his office on Monday and find out more. It's exciting, but I'm worried about how much each session costs, especially since he didn't have his rate posted on his website. His office isn't exactly around the corner, though, so I'm going to keep looking.
Wish me luck!
As far as my juice fast is going, I did feel a bit weak at one point today, but then I realized it was because I hadn't taken in enough calories. So, I made a very yummy juice with 1 small bunch of kale, 1 large beet, 1 cucumber, 1 zucchini, raspberries, blackberries, 2 very small apples, and l lemon. When I started drinking the juice it felt like someone injected me with energy! The best part was that even after I shared some of it with my hubby, I still had leftovers for myself for later.
I feel so great when I juice, that I hate calling this a fast. When I hear the word "fast," I think of Ghandi and his lemon water. What he did was so noble and for such a great cause. It also makes me think of people who fast for religious reasons. It's all so superior to my wanting to lose weight. It makes me feel like I'm cheating, because not only am I taking in a large amount of calories, but I'm also feeling great. I can't describe how happy it makes me.
Anyway...I went off on a tangent there! Back to business...
I think I may have actually found a plant-based nutritionist in my area. After a lot of searching online, I came across his website. I'm going to call his office on Monday and find out more. It's exciting, but I'm worried about how much each session costs, especially since he didn't have his rate posted on his website. His office isn't exactly around the corner, though, so I'm going to keep looking.
Wish me luck!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Reboot Take Two
Boy! It's been a while since I've been around here! I can't believe there have been so many views. Thank you!
Sadly, I fell of the veggie wagon. I'm not quite sure when it happened, but it's been a downward spiral, and I have, once again, hit the proverbial "rock bottom"
I remember that my whole journey towards being a vegetarian started last Thanksgiving after I watched the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." I also remember how great I felt all the time and how the weight just seemed to come off so easily.
Somewhere along the line I got lazy, I got tired of explaining myself, I got tired of caring. Then, I started getting depressed about my weight, my health, my job, my life in general.
So...today, I decided to watch the movie again. Who knows, maybe I'll make it a yearly tradition to watch the movie the day after Thanksgiving...this time I took notes. I wrote down all of the things that made me want to this the first time around. I wrote them in my journal so that I can read them over and over again.
First, I loved when Joe Cross said, "When I started this journey, I thought it was all about the juice fast...but, now, I know it was only the beginning." I don't want this to sound like a commercial for the movie, but this statement made me think about my outlook on this change. I got so caught up in the excitement of the beginning phases that I didn't make the permanent life long changes that were necessary.
Second, I liked what Dr. Furhman said about diabetes and high blood pressure. He said that they are "diseases of nutritional ignorance" because people aren't eating wrong because they choose to even if they truly know the dangers; they eat wrong because they really don't know how bad it is for them. He used the warning on cigarettes as an example. People really do know that cigarettes kill, but I don't think we are taught how food can kill...there aren't any public service announcements about the dangers of food. I am going to look up Dr. Fuhrman and see if I can find myself a local nutritionist that supports a plant-based diet. Part of this life long change is going to have to include getting better educated, as well as the support of a professional.
Having said all that, the most impacting thing that I did today other than starting juicing again, was to take the dreaded before pictures. I have to say that I wouldn't necessarily call it a wake up call, as much as a slap in the face...a hard slap in the face...the kind that stings for a while.
I knew I had put the weight back on, I knew that I had been feeling horrible, I knew that my clothes stopped fitting and that buttons and seams were starting to break, I knew that I'd been getting sick more often....BUT, I did not know that I looked like THAT. It sounds so shallow, but **sigh**
It was...educational...and it gave me a knew appreciation for how much my husband loves me. I know love isn't all about the physical stuff, but...wow...
I'm so ashamed that I am not going to post those pictures...at least not until I have some nice AFTER pictures to go along with them.
I'm going to continue posting about my progress with juicing, and I'll continue posting once I start eating vegetarian meals again. Hopefully, by then I will have found a good nutritionist.
Thanks again to any one who has been reading :)
Sadly, I fell of the veggie wagon. I'm not quite sure when it happened, but it's been a downward spiral, and I have, once again, hit the proverbial "rock bottom"
I remember that my whole journey towards being a vegetarian started last Thanksgiving after I watched the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." I also remember how great I felt all the time and how the weight just seemed to come off so easily.
Somewhere along the line I got lazy, I got tired of explaining myself, I got tired of caring. Then, I started getting depressed about my weight, my health, my job, my life in general.
So...today, I decided to watch the movie again. Who knows, maybe I'll make it a yearly tradition to watch the movie the day after Thanksgiving...this time I took notes. I wrote down all of the things that made me want to this the first time around. I wrote them in my journal so that I can read them over and over again.
First, I loved when Joe Cross said, "When I started this journey, I thought it was all about the juice fast...but, now, I know it was only the beginning." I don't want this to sound like a commercial for the movie, but this statement made me think about my outlook on this change. I got so caught up in the excitement of the beginning phases that I didn't make the permanent life long changes that were necessary.
Second, I liked what Dr. Furhman said about diabetes and high blood pressure. He said that they are "diseases of nutritional ignorance" because people aren't eating wrong because they choose to even if they truly know the dangers; they eat wrong because they really don't know how bad it is for them. He used the warning on cigarettes as an example. People really do know that cigarettes kill, but I don't think we are taught how food can kill...there aren't any public service announcements about the dangers of food. I am going to look up Dr. Fuhrman and see if I can find myself a local nutritionist that supports a plant-based diet. Part of this life long change is going to have to include getting better educated, as well as the support of a professional.
Having said all that, the most impacting thing that I did today other than starting juicing again, was to take the dreaded before pictures. I have to say that I wouldn't necessarily call it a wake up call, as much as a slap in the face...a hard slap in the face...the kind that stings for a while.
I knew I had put the weight back on, I knew that I had been feeling horrible, I knew that my clothes stopped fitting and that buttons and seams were starting to break, I knew that I'd been getting sick more often....BUT, I did not know that I looked like THAT. It sounds so shallow, but **sigh**
It was...educational...and it gave me a knew appreciation for how much my husband loves me. I know love isn't all about the physical stuff, but...wow...
I'm so ashamed that I am not going to post those pictures...at least not until I have some nice AFTER pictures to go along with them.
I'm going to continue posting about my progress with juicing, and I'll continue posting once I start eating vegetarian meals again. Hopefully, by then I will have found a good nutritionist.
Thanks again to any one who has been reading :)
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