Slowly getting back...

I am slowly getting back into a routine...it's still hard since we are still in limbo; living in a furnished house; eating off someone else's plates and sleeping in someone else's beds...renting a house that we know will not ever be ours. No painting; no hanging pictures; no tearing out old carpet...planting a garden and knowing that we may never get our whole harvest worth. It's a nice house and it's great to have our own space and a huge backyard with neverending pretend-time for the girls, but it's not ours. In fact, I can't even imagine having our own house. I hope it will happen sooner than later.

That being said...I have also been putting off making green drinks because I have this $20 "chunk-in-your-gunk" blender. I REALLY want a BlendTec, but the budget hasn't allowed that quite yet. SO, I decided a couple days ago, that I need to stop making excuses and just work with what I have right now...PLUS, I've been sick for 2 weeks now...coughing so much that my ribs hurt and blowing my nose so much that it's raw. It's REALLY annoying. And I know that I brought it on myself by the CRAP that I've been consuming lately. It's all my fault. Not fun, but true.

So ya, green drinks all around for the last 3 mornings. Go me! Here's to being healthy! No more Nyquil hangovers or Mucinex stay-up-all-nighters!

Tired; Grumpy; Unmotivated; Headaches and Mood swings...

This is what happens when I indulge myself in carbs...like Robyn Openshaw from Green Smoothie Girl describes it: "a carb coma." This has been me the last couple of weeks. I guess I've made a lot of excuses: #1 no blender; #2 no husband to be held accountable to; #3 a sister who is an aspiring pastry chef (I NEED to get out of the house! #4 Did I mention I'm still living with my parents??); #5 stress...and more stress; #6 birthday cakes (3 birthdays in the family this month); no exercise (#7 hey, it's COLD out there!); etc, etc, etc. 

I'm realizing that I'm experiencing side effects that I don't really like and don't make me a happy camper (or my kids...poor kids dealing with a tired and grumpy mom). I need to get back on track...This week, I plan to start exercising. It seems like when I exercise I am more motivated to eat healthy. My kids have been asking me why I don't make green smoothies anymore?? Huh?? Never thought my kids would be missing those! I NEED to get a better blender! Money going into savings RIGHT NOW. This happens to the best of us, right?...

(not saying I'm ANYWHERE near best...but aspiring!).

Sunwarrior Ormus Greens Powder

I'm sure we all have those days when we know it's not going to be a green smoothie day...or we know that we just don't have the time or energy to make a delicious green salad or chop up veggies. (Believe me, it's been one of those MONTHS for me)

I recently purchased some greens powder that was recommended by Green Smoothie Girl . (I purchased it on sell for about $45 at Good Earth). She likes it because it has a minty flavor, and it's a little easier to digest and it doesn't have any of the fillers like some of the other green powders out there.

I have to tell you, the first couple of times, the gag reflex was trying it's best to reject, but I kept trying. I added a little less the 3rd time (should have added less the 1st time, lol) and it was MUCH more drinkable. I have to say, now that I am used to it, I can gulp it down pretty quickly.

So my advice, if you do try this product, start small and add more after you get used to the taste. You can also just mix it in with your smoothie or just add it to water like I do. Click HERE for more info. The ingredients include: Oat grass; barley and wheat grass; alfalfa; yucca; parsley; spinach; probiotic culture; peppermint; whole-leaf stevia (sweetener).

"This is the highest vibration greens product in the world, grown organically in a pristine ancient sea bed in a volcanic region of Utah and Arizona. The soil is loaded with platinum, gold, silver and ormus trace minerals that give the greens a magnetic property that increases the vibration and frequency of those who consume it."

FRUCTOSE can trigger CANCER CELLS to grow faster

"The major sources of fructose in our diet are sucrose (table sugar)
and high fructose corn syrup, sweetener found in soft drinks,
fruit drinks, candy, cookies, ketchup, salad dressings, 

cereal bars, frozen dinners and countless other processed foods. 

While it's widely known that cancer cells use glucose to fuel their growth, 

last week's findings were the first to link fructose to cancer growth."   
The Globe and Mail

Read more about this study HERE

Grapefruit and Diabetes

Yesterday morning, the girls and I all had a grapefruit for breakfast. We think they're delicious! I did some research on the benefits of grapefruit and found some interesting information that would especially benefit those with diabetes:

"Early results from US researchers suggests that eating ruby red grapefruit really does help people lose acidic weight, and could help reduce the risk of developing the acid condition that causes blood sugar problems."


"When you reduce blood sugars and increase alkalinity in the blood and then tissues you can lose up to 1 pound a day and reduce or even eliminate insulin injections," says Dr. Young.


"Grapefruit can be one of the fruits, including avocado and cucumber, that can help maintain the alkaline design of the blood and tissues and prevent all sickness and dis-ease," states Dr. Young.


"Writing in Chemistry & Industry Magazine, Marina Murphy reports on a pilot study of one hundred obese patients at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. The group who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 lb (1.6kg) over twelve weeks, compared with a placebo group who lost an average 0.5lb (0.2kg). Some patients lost as much as 10lbs. After the meal, the "grapefruit groups" also had reduced levels of insulin, the alkaline buffer which enables the body to neutralize the toxic effect of sugars. The acid glucose levels were also lower, suggesting a more efficient elimination of the sugar."

Read more about this study HERE
 

Bring on the grapefruit!

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*Healthy snacks that you like? 

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(Plus it motivates me to keep going...)

Quinoa; Sweet Potato Fries and Wild Salmon

That's what we had for dinner tonight. There was a sale on wild Salmon and I've wanted to make this variation of sweet potato fries for a while now. I'm trying to perfect my skills at making quinoa. It shouldn't be that hard, but it is for me. And I don't didn't know what lime zest is (now I do, lol), so I messed up the dressing and had to rinse the quinoa again after I cooked it, but it all turned out okay. I seem to make things harder than they should be...

Anyway, here is the recipe for the quinoa and the fries:

Southwest Quinoa  (courtesy of Green Smoothie Girl)
(I made this for 6 people and should have cut the recipe in half, because it made a TON)

2 C quinoa (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)
4 C water
2 cans black beans (rinsed well)
4 med tomatoes, diced
8 green onions, chopped (including most the green part)
1 C hopped fresh cilantro

Dressing: (Whisk together)
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lime zest
1/4 C fresh lime juice
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup (the real kind)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Whisk together the dressing. Simmer the quinoa in water uncovered for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain any excess water. Add the quinoa to dressing and toss well, then stir in the remaining ingredients (beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro) Pour dressing on cooked quinoa and toss well; then add other ingredients. You can serve it hot or cold. 

Sweet Potato Fries (Courtesy of Green Smoothie Girl)

8 C sweet potatoes (about 3-4 potatoes) Peeled and chopped into sticks (We didn't peel ours)
1/4-1/2 C coconut oil
1 tsp. sea salt or lawry's


Heat oil on medium-high in a large skillet; add sweet potatoes and saute several minutes, stirring frequently with a spatula until tender. Sprinkle with salt and serve. 

My 7 and 8 year old ate everything on their plate, but especially LOVED the sweet potato fries...It was very satisfying to me that my hard work paid off! Now if we could just start working on my 4 year old...She seems to be my pickiest eater so far and it drives me crazy sometimes. I try to make it a huge deal when she finally tries something new and different. I think I'm making progress??