Bad Dream

During the night before my birthday I had a disturbing dream (most likely brought on by the late dinner I ate just before bed) that most women could relate to. In the morning I described it to Shawn and my children and it sounded hysterical after the fact but it wasn't so funny in my dream-like state!

Those of you who have had the pleasure of being weighed on the WiiFit will identify with this one.

In my dream I was standing on a WiiFit board and was being weighed in front of numerous people. In horror I watched my Wii character get fatter and fatter as my weight rose & rose above my usual healthy level into the obese zone. Someone who was watching in the backround commented, "I don't think your healthy eating is working for you, Melissa."

I was mortified!

In the morning, I went right to my scale bracing myself to see numbers above my usual healthy, acceptable range. False alarm. All was well. In fact, it was a bit of a 40th birthday present in itself to see that I was nowhere near the danger zone at all!

This whole scenario is silly, I know. Especially with all my bravo comments about how weight doesn't matter to me any more and that I don't measure myself by those standards anymore.

I guess deep down I still have fear that my new freedom from dieting will end in humiliation for me. That even if I am making better choices, that it will not be enough to avoid failure and criticism from those who see my efforts as futile. Maybe the dream wasn't as superficial as it first appeared.

I am challenged to remember that even though I abstain from certain foods and try to live good, healthy habits, that I am still capable of overeating and and that I still feel vulnerable in terms of being approved/disapproved by how much I weigh. God's not finished with me yet!

I told my girlfriend about this dream and she said we should check the Wiifit just in case. We pulled out her system, but her board batteries were dead. Guess I'll have to get on my own board just to see!

Birthday Cake

As my 40th Birthday approached, I began to wonder what I should do about the traditional birthday cake ritual that is synomonous with celebrating this event with friends and family.

I find this much less of a dilemma with other people's birthdays because I simply abstain from the cake and enjoy the celebration along with others who are enjoying the sugary confection. No problem really.

What to do about MY birthday though?! I mean, I don't want cake and is it really a gift to me to watch others eating something that I've given up? I could handle the temptation but it makes you wonder what it's all about.

On the other hand, what is a birthday celebration without a cake? A candle on a pear or apple just isn't the same, even in my opinion!

I decided to take matters into my own hands and began devising plans for a healthy almond-milk ice cream cake. I described my idea to Shawn who so sensitively commented, "Who, but you, is going to eat that?"
My daughter put a comforting arm around me and said that it sounded good and she would try it. She then told her dad what she thought about his "meanness". Daughters are wonderful.

It turns out that I didn't have time to put my plans into action. Not only did my "mean" husband plan a surprise party for me a few days before my birthday but he also arranged for a health-savvy friend of mine to bake a healthy sugar/artificial sweetener-free cake for me. I was almost speechless at this guesture. It meant more than words can say that he would think of my preferences in this way and that my dear friend would go through so much effort to make it happen.

The cake was delicious (to those of us who are less exposed to traditional goodies) and I am definitely getting the recipe. I still plan on experimenting with my ice-cream version but at least I know if that effort fails, I have another option for future birthdays.

Melissa's Math

Equation A: Healthy Choices + Fall cycling trip plans with a friend = Desire to ride bike more this summer

Equation B: Son outgrowing his bike + Son fitting my bike + My 40th Birthday + Generous husband & friends = New racing bike for me!

Equation C: Oil spill in Gulf + President Obama's challenge to conserve/find alternative sources of energy + Exercise and economic benefits = Committment to ride bike to work minimum 1 day/week.

Equation D: Kids being old enough to ride bikes with mom & dad + Friends who like to ride = Meet friends of friends who have experience with 100 mile cycling event

Add A + B + C + D = 100 mile riding event next month for Shawn & I!

Here is a link to our event! http://www.aabts.org/ohr/

Summer Committment

Since the purchase of my new bike (40th B-day present!), the beautiful weather AND the toxic oil leak in the US Gulf I have been contemplating my transportation habits.

On Tuesday evening I was attempting to exercise on the elliptical while tuning in to "Losing It with Jillian" but my viewing entertainment was  interrupted by a US governmental address regarding an update on the oil leak and our need to find clean, renewable sources of energy...now.

One thing President Obama said really struck me. We have known for decades that we were using a limited source of energy and that one day we would need to find an alternative. My own thoughts are that we have literally turned over our wealth to the Middle East and given power to nations that despise us and everything we stand for because we refuse to change our energy habits.

Shawn & I have a programmable thermostat that reduces the heating/cooling when it isn't needed. We compost & recycle. We've invested in energy efficient appliances and Shawn has traded in a traditional vehicle for a motorcycle which means riding the bus in the snowy, icy, winter months. We're fastidious about turning lights & media off when we aren't using them. What else can we do?

My attention has become focused on my 7 passenger "shopping cart" that I drive into work everyday...alone. I am physicallly capable of riding my bike, but like most people I ascribe to the various obstacles to doing this:

1. Getting to work hot, sweaty and somewhat disheveled
2. Clothing issues
3. Traffic
4. Baggage issues
5. Weather concerns
6. Flexibility of schedule

The truth is, in our day with our social expectations, riding your bike to work can be an admirable, but humbling and challenging endeavor and I'm not even talking about the physical exertion!

I wasn't prepared to completely give up my comfortable, dignified ride into work but I reflected that I could sacrifice one day. One day of good weather, sporty dress, Shawn could tote some of my belongings to work for me, and he could also be responsible for any errands that day. I spoke to my boss about my decision to try and ride into work once a week and had his support. Set to go.

So, in honour of the Gulf oil spill and Fitness, I have committed to riding my bike to work one day/wk minimum for the summer months and continuing until the weather is too formidable to continue safely.

I challenge all my readers to look at their energy habits and think of one small thing they could do to make a difference...not only for our environment but for their personal health/fitness as well!

Material List

Yesterday I blogged about "Letting Go". Here is a list of the materials that I have left to give away to anyone who wants them:

Weight Watcher's
2009 Canadian Food Companion & Dining Out Companion & 3 Month Journal (2 weeks used in pencil)
Points Finder/Booster
1996 Weight Watcher's Binder with Weekly Materials
1992 Food Companion & Fast Food Companion (Food Exchange System)

The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wolcott and Trish Fahey

The Biggest Loser Fitness Program

First Place
Meal Plans, Recipes, Weekly Trackers & Pocket Guide (Food Exchange System)

South Beach
Good Eats Good Carbs Guide

Tops (Food Exchange Program)
The Choice is Mine Program Book
Nutrition in the Fast Lane

Random
Jell-o & Coolwhip Simply Delicious Cookbook
WCFA's Reading Readiness Cookbook (Assorted donated recipes from parents)

Any materials that are not claimed in the next couple days will be donated to my friend's yard sale.

Letting Go

Today I made a decision to let go of another part of my past.

Last night I was looking at my cluttered office, thinking about how after I am done rearranging every shelf in my kitchen, that the office should likely be next. My eye was drawn to a bookcase that holds 2 shelves of cookbooks.

I have cookbooks that go along with all the different diets I have tried: Atkins, Weight Watcher's, Tops, South Beach, Perricone Promise, and some other minor titles. Then there are the traditional cookbooks like Joy of Cooking, Better Homes & Gardens and Betty Crocker.

The funny thing is that I have given away and sold many cookbooks in my lifetime that this current collection doesn't even represent all of the cookbooks I have ever owned!

It was time to thin out my culinary recipe books again. Who needs all these titles with the ease of the internet, but most of all...a large group of these books don't feature meals that are compatible with my new way of eating.

I went through the books and started with everything "Low-Carb". There are probably plenty of good recipes in these books that I could use, but I don't want to sift through them anymore. Most low-carb recipes use artificial sweeteners, lots of meat, and have a higher ratio of fat content. Time to let them go.

Even as I stacked them on the table I hesitated. I have done things like this before and inevidably I would revert to my old eating habits and would go in search of a recipe that I had given away or sold in a yard sale. It's a frustrating feeling. I don't want to be stupid.

Reason prevailed. This past six months have been about real change. A change of priorities and permanent change of behaviours. I don't go on diets anymore. The past six months have shown more stability in my approach to food & health than I have ever experienced before.

Being thin is not as important to me and I'm learning how to submit my bad habits, one at a time, at my Saviour's feet. I let the Holy Spirit whisper in my ear--speaking through my conscience--to guide my behaviour. Not to over-spiritualize, sometimes this happens when I am reading material that is the collective wisdom of our day. Wisdom that calls and beakons us and we mentally assent to, but then disregard in favour of folly.

So, I knew of two women who favour the low-carb approach and a friend who was having a yard sale. I offered the books to them and said that any they don't want should be donated to the sale. There was happiness all around.

So you may ask, "Why did you give those books away to women if you don't agree with that way of eating?"

This too is part of my journey. I'm coming to a place where I can accept that my way of eating is as different and unique as I am. What God convicts me about and the changes I make are very personal and not necessarily changes that everyone around me has to make. I figure that God made me and He knows my body better than anyone. People are at different levels of sensitivity or understanding. I can be surrounded by people who are drinking coffee without feeling that they should conform to me or visa versa. The only exception to this is my family, but I figure it is my duty to educate my children and influence them the best I can!

I'm not going back. I am committed to this journey of optimum health & wellness. I won't regret giving away those recipe books. It feels good to be free of my wishy-washy diet  behaviour once and for all. I think this year is going to continue into a lifetime....my lifetime.

Who would think that a couple stacks of books would instigate so much reflection?!

Oh, and by the way, "Does anyone need Weight Watcher's material?" I've got some to give away!

Bike Ride with Scenery

Since childhood I have enjoyed riding my bicycle but I have to admit that I'm not crazy about riding on the road amidst traffic. It seems that buses and transports are the worst offenders for not leaving enough space for me to breathe calmly as they pass. I still brave the roads, but I much prefer paved trails.

My cycling enjoyment kicked up a gear the first time I visited the Niagara Recreational Trail when I was expecting Paris. Shawn & I decided to park our vehicle in Niagara-on-the-Lake and ride as far along the Niagara River as we could without worrying if we could make it back. If our strength gave out, we would lock up the bikes and call a cab. We ended up riding all the way into Niagara Falls and back to our vehicle that day! We were so sore that we couldn't sleep. The slightest movement would fire our leg muscles. It was the worst pain but the achievement had been worth it.

Something about getting out of traffic and close to nature filled me with elation and made the long ride not only easier but pleasant and adventurous. Windsor is flat and somewhat boring but other places in Ontario are gloriously hilly and filled with wonderous scenery.

It is no surprise that we enjoy our home's location near LaSalle's Recreational Trail. In fact, before we bought our house we made sure that we explored the nearby bike path and could barely contain our elation at buying a home so close to the little bit of paved accessiblity to scenery & nature that we have around this area.

This Sunday we spontaneously decided to visit another cycling destination that we have enjoyed in the past: the Thames Valley Parkway in London, ON.

The last time Shawn & I visited the trail was when the kids were still passengers in bike trailers that we each towed behind us on the bikes. This time, our growing children were riding along with us and tackling hills for the first time in their lives. There was the trickling of the rushing water over stones and aged trees that shaded our path. We saw flocks of geese & ducks by the river and along the side of the trail. There was a huge dog park with a dog-bone stone bench holding at least 50 dogs, big & small. We shared the trail with walkers, joggers, roller-bladers and other cyclists. The parks along the Thames river had families and groups enjoying BBQ picnics, couples embracing over bridges and friends chatting on park benches. Children played in the many play parks and water pads we passed and people fished lazily on lowered wood platforms.

Everything was friendly and welcoming. It was like a breeze of tranquility and calm that gave a brief respite from housework, jobs, school, and unrelenting tedium. Everything that only nature can do to erase the stress of modern technology and help you remember what you are fighting to preserve. I know I say this over and over but we are so blessed in Canada!

The wonderful thing about this passion is that it doesn't have any calories and it doesn't make you old before your time. In fact, the very opposite. You burn calories, the exercise turns back the clock and the stress relief does some anti-aging good too.

If you are curious about visiting recreational trails, the best place to visit is a tourist welcome centre. If you ask for maps of Ontario bike trails, you will be introduced to and given as many maps as you care to take. Don't underestimate the internet as a resource as well.

If you have visited a scenic recreation trail that is good for a lengthy ride, please let me know. It's always nice to try a new path before the old ones get too predictable.

More Money!

Anyone reading my blog would have to wonder, "How does she have the money to buy all the stuff she blogs about?"

Some of my purchases are covered by our household budget, but many items are purchased by me personally with my discretionary spending money simply because this is a passion for me.

Shawn & I are allotted a very modest sum every two weeks that is meant to cover any personal purchases. This allottment is completely discretionary which means that we cannot judge or dictate how the other uses theirs. (Within moral limits of course!)

In the past, my spending money paid for Tim Horton's, Starbuck's, and other fast food purchases. I still have to use it for the occasional date with friends but now that impulse food buying is a thing of the past, the money tends to accumulate and allow for bigger purchases that actually contribute to my life in a positive way.

People say that living a healthy lifestyle is expensive, but watching my husband, kids and friends blow all their spending money on chips, chocolate, ice cream, fast-food extras, coffees and other fleeting pleasures leads me to decide otherwise. An unhealthy lifestyle is much more costly.

Sometimes I feel a little guilty for having money in my wallet and for the enjoyment I get when I buy something that helps me in my journey. That is when I have to remind myself that anyone can increase their spending power simply by doing a few things differently. Here is a brief list of things that I do regularly to avoid squandering my spending money needlessly:

1. Pack a lunch-We have a grocery budget for a reason. Bringing a lunch from home avoids the need to buy fast food with my spending money instead.
2. Bring water & a snack-I do this regularly and am teaching my family too. Whenever we leave the house, we bring water and whatever snacks we need unless we are planning to eat out. Occasionally, the unexpected happens but it's pretty rare.
3. Just say "NO!"-I haven't had a coffee, donut, ice-cap, or ice cream sundae for half a year now (some items longer than that) and those darned fast food signs STILL beckon me as I drive by. I don't know if I will ever be completely immune to the marketing that we are bombarded with but if I am faithful to do steps 1 & 2 on this list, I never have an excuse to give in.
4. Eat at home-It is always cheaper to buy your food at a grocery store and prepare it at home than it is to eat out and grocery purchases are covered under the grocery budget.
5. Scale it down-When we do occasionally eat out, we try to order only what we absolutely need to satisfy our hunger until our next eating opportunity. I don't drink pop and I try to abstain from french fries as much as possible so I order a sandwich or a chili a la carte. My water bottle and a couple dark chocolates (kept in my purse) are all I need to complete the meal. Forget ordering dessert!
6. Change the Activity-Whenever possible, I like to focus my social time around physical activity rather than eating. Not all my friends are enjoy this so I still find myself at restaurants and coffee shops but that is not my preference. A chat while walking or cycling can be very enjoyable.

That is just a few things that I do to make my dollars stretch further while adopting a healthier lifestyle. Whatever your income level is, these strategies will work. Sometimes we are looking for big things to help us get rich and healthy but doing small things consistantly is often all that is needed!

3 Day Cleanse

Shawn & I just finished a three day fruit/veggie/nut cleanse. This is the first time Shawn has ever participated in something like this with me past one day. I was very proud of him.

The kids were free to eat normally for breakfast and lunch, but at supper it was vegetarian fare for them too. It was pure misery at the dinner table. What do you mean no meat or dessert? The cut-up mango and strawberries I offered them after our meal were eaten reluctantly.

We used this opportunity to talk about how blessed we are to have fresh produce and how people in other countries would give anything to eat these meals that felt so spartan to us. We talked about being grateful for our usual fare and not taking it for granted.

It was a very relaxed cleanse in the way that we allowed starchy veggies and some butter to help it go down in addition to the usual garden veggies and fruit. I limited our nut consumption to unsalted versions and almond milk. Still, we both felt the sacrifice of not having our other food groups with headaches, tiredness and just plain lethargy. The whole family was glad when it was over, including me.

I laughed when Shawn complained that his lunch looked like a produce department!

In the middle of this regimen Shawn asked me, "Why are we doing this anyway?"

"We're detoxifying," I told him, "The discomfort we're feeling is from the toxins leaving our body."

During times of temptation (one was a staff BBQ) I shared one of my coping skill with Shawn.

"Now remember," I coached him, "We're grown adults and we can have BBQ hamburgers and other stuff anytime we want. We're just choosing not to have them during these three days."

I was impressed because Shawn actually stuck with it! I only caught him cheating once by opting to eat cheerios for breakfast on the last morning.

"I thought I was going to throw up at the thought of eating vegetables or fruit for breakfast," he confided.

Today we were free to resume eating normally and it felt really good to have all our food groups again. Dinner was downright festive as we dined on wheat pasta with ground turkey meat sauce. My family even enjoyed the strawberry/banana ice cream I made for dessert using almond milk cubes, a bit of maple syrup, almond milk and frozen fruit. Yumm!!!

We are so blessed in Canada with an abundance of a huge variety of foods. I think modified food intake for a limited amount of time is not only good for the body, but good for the soul. You are never so grateful for what you have until you cannot, or choose not to, have it.

Scale Upgrade

I have recently been giving my kitchen a much-needed spring cleaning and reorganizing. My lifestyle has changed, not only because of my efforts to eat healthier but because of going to work full-time and having semi-grown children who are taking a bigger role in the kitchen. My "old" cupboard organization needed a "do-over" with all the aspects of our current family needs in mind.

In the process I found my kitchen scale. I bought it just before getting married when I worked for Weight Watchers which makes it 17+ years old. I don't use it much anymore...probably because it lost it's place on my counter.

I pulled it out and placed it on the counter but instantly returned it to the cupboard instead. It was white and the digital buttons were cracking. Having put significant efforts into remodeling our kitchen which is now primarily black & stainless steel, the scale was not counter-top worthy! I thought about it and decided that after all these years, a new kitchen scale with an updated look would be in order.

I checked Superstore & Wal-Mart and was delighted to find a black & stainless steel scale (Superstore) that would look great in my kitchen. Not only did it look good but several other features made it superior to my old one.

Here is the list of things I like about my new scale:

1. The colour & style. Black & stainless. Square instead of round. Very clean and modern looking.
2. The size of the weighing platform. My previous weighing surface was half the size.
3. The digital keypad is hidden under the weigh platform and when snapped out, extends away from the weigh platform. This solves two issues: It keeps the keypad clean & undamaged from exposure and it keeps the display visible when weighing food on a plate that extends a bit beyond the weighing surface.
4. This feature was my favorite! The scale is pre-programmed with a long list of food values. The user manual provides a list with corresponding codes. Simply punch in the code of the food you are weighing and the keypad display will show how many calories or other food values the food contains based on the weight of it. Very cool!

It cost less than my original scale did almost two decades ago. Such a deal.

I had the food list copied onto non-permeable paper (water & stainproof) and have been weighing & recording my food calories diligently ever since. My old scale is now available to anyone who would appreciate it as it is clean and functional despite it's years and I can only hope that my new one will last just as long.

More to Learn

My enthusiasm to try new things and my willingness to share my experiences can often give the impression that I am an expert when in reality, I am not. Trying to utilize the limited knowledge I have access to is how I learn and grow. I love it when I am thinking, "I got this." and then something happens to show me that with a correction or two, it can be better.

I experienced this yesterday with my almond milk-making.

In the discussion of my almond milk-making with a friend over the weekend she asked how I remove the skins from the almonds before making the milk. I was completely blank. Skins? Remove?

I explained that my recipe doesn't call for skin-removal and that I had observed that during the soaking process, the skin on the nut tends to "dissolve". Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? It was true that the dark brown skin of the almond looked significantly lighter after soaking and I assumed the soaking process was taking care of the skin issue. If the skins had to be manually removed, wouldn't my recipe book say so?

My friend talked about some of the short-cut ways she had learned how to remove the skins and I forgot all about our conversation until yesterday when I was rinsing my newly-soaked nuts. I picked one up and with a little pressure of two fingers a perfectly bald nut literally slipped out of the cellephane-like skin. Wow!

What would my nut milk taste like if I started with skin-less nuts? I proceeded to remove the skins from the entire batch of nuts. It was easy but tedious. Could I do this every 3-4 days? Would this extra step be an obstacle to making nut milk a part of my lifestyle? I had to find out if this was a worthwhile use of time or if blending the nuts with the skins on was a valuable short-cut.

My efforts were rewarded. Not only did the nuts yeild more milk, but it was whiter and creamier in texture. It tasted sweeter and fuller too. Even in squeezing the nut meat I noticed more softness and pliability. On the downside, in the final squeezing efforts I noticed a fine film of nut meat accumulating on my hands which meant the bag wasn't able to filter it as perfectly as before. This was a minor issue, however because it was not noticeable in the milk.

My family witnessed my curiosity and experiment and was equally willing to voice their opinions. Shawn was hoping that it would remove the bitter taste (I never noticed one), Trysten says it still has an almond aftertaste (there is more taste, but I think that's a good thing), and Paris was hoping that it would taste less watery(bingo!).

I don't know if this will change the outcome of our family's two-week almond milk trial but this new knowledge and application could not have come at a better time. Thanks to all my friends who share their wisdom with me in my journey!

I Like, I Don't Like

This weekend I began to see the first glimpse of hope that my family may be ready to embrace some healthier eating habits.

It started when we ran out of milk before grocery day arrived. I don't like to run to the store for last minute items if I don't have to so I offered almond milk to my family as a substitute. Trysten, who is our most enthusiastic milk drinker, drank the almond milk and said he liked it! That was all the encouragement I needed. Maybe we could switch to almond milk althogether?!

Paris wasn't as fond of the nut milk. I then did what any mom would do to influence her child to make a good choice. I talked about sick, malnourished cows with bleeding, infected udders who gave milk that needed to be boiled and flavoured because no-one would ever drink it otherwise. I think I completely grossed her out. I'm not sure I've convinced her about the merits of almond milk and at this point she may just opt out of any milk!

Shawn wasn't happy with my decision either. In fact, he was downright mutinous. I asked for a two-week trial period. If he and the kids still wanted cow's milk after two weeks of almond milk, then they could go back. He's pretty sure that he'll want to go back.

On Sunday, we ran out of regular syrup for the french toast so I offered my Agave syrup to Trysten instead. He liked that too! I went to pour out the last drops of the Aunt Jemima and he waved it away. The Agave syrup is sweeter he says. I called Shawn and reported that we were now going to completely switch to Agave syrup since Trysten has now converted and the US Costco offers two bottles of the nectar for the price of one over here.

"I don't want to hear anymore about what Trysten likes!" Shawn exclaimed.

I was feeling pretty good. I have always been free to eat as healthy as I want to (within budget) but Shawn has definitely set the pace as to how much influence I've had over my kids. Part of the problem is my own inconsistancy over the years but for the most part, I have championed the healthful habits that we've established.

Today I told Trysten he could help himself to a glass of almond milk after dinner. He hesitated and then proceeded to tell me that he doesn't want to hurt my feelings but that he doesn't really like it. It tasted good at first but has an aftertaste of almonds. Really...imagine that...an almond aftertaste!

Shawn laughs and now I'm not feeling as confident about the outcome of our two-week experiment.

Epiphany

Yesterday I came home later than expected from the office and realized that even though I had soaked the chickpeas for my healthy soup recipe, I would still have a couple hours of preparation before it was ready for the table. The kids were "fainting" from "severe starvation" and I was in a hurry to eat myself. I grabbed a couple pounds of frozen ground beef from the freezer, defrosted it in the microwave and prepared two boxes of Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper.

There were cheers from the kids and Shawn was impressed with how quickly I was able to sit us down at the table. Not a healthy supper but it tasted good and was cheaper than take-out. In fact, as I was sitting there revelling in the tastiness of this convenient meal, I had a thought.

"This tastes too good. I bet there is MSG in this."

I voiced this assumption out loud and then asked the kids to pass me the flattened box on the counter. Sure enough, Monosodium Glutamate was listed in the ingredients plain as day. Why had I never noticed this before?

I knew that Hamburger Helper was not nutritious but like Kraft Dinner, Hot Dogs, and frozen Costco pizza it is a staple for those nights where a healthful meal is just not going to happen and you're two seconds from heading to McDonald's. But MSG? My children have no idea that they just ate the last boxes of Hamburger Helper I will ever buy in my lifetime.

I go through tremendous lengths to buy soup bases with no MSG and I avoid Chinese food except for a couple times a year. The last Chinese food I had was New Year's eve and I literally got numbness around my mouth, which I later learned was a reaction to the MSG in the food. Yuk!

In fact, my 7 Pillars of Health book explains that MSG is a flavour-enhancer that doesn't make the food taste better...it actually sensitizes your taste buds to trick your body into believing that the food tastes better than it does. This is not how other herbs and seasonings work.

There are all sorts of bad reactions you can get from MSG and because it makes food taste so good, often those foods become addictive. Everything from headaches to frequent urination. It's quite the list.

The worst thing is that MSG is not always listed on the food label as clearly as the Hamburger Helper box so it's not so easy to avoid. I checked the Kraft Dinner box and it's not listed. Don Colbert published a list of foods that ALWAYS contain MSG and another one of foods that SOMETIMES contain or produce MSG. I was shocked at some of the ingredients listed. Whey and soy protein was in the second category! I've been drinking whey protein almost daily for years.Do the protein powders I buy have MSG in them?

I think when I read the MSG section of Don Colbert's book, my mind kind of switched off. At the time I was battling bigger giants: Sugar & Caffeine. MSG was a minor player and I wasn't going to worry about it. Something about my discovery yesterday and that inner sense that I don't want to be exploited by the food processing companies anymore has brought this issue to the forefront.

Why take supplements, make my own almond milk, and avoid sugar & caffeine if I'm going to eat convenience foods loaded with a toxic, body-altering chemical? No thank you!

Expected Exercise Delight

I've been trying to work exercise into my schedule and have taken a weekday errand that could easily be an unusable period of time and injected some quality exercise into it.

My son has a class that he takes at the Windsor Regional Children's Centre and it's not far from our home but since it's only an hour long and the traffic is heavy along the various routes home, it makes better sense just to stay close by.

I could sit in the waiting room and read a magazine, watch various children's videos, or try to complete a stationary task. With the weather being nice, however, I opted to get an outdoor workout in.

This past week it was exceptionally warm so I left my doggie at home because I didn't trust her to last very long in the heat and in case I decided to head indoors to climb the nearby hospital's stairs, I didn't want to leave her in a suffocatingly, hot car.

I began with a walk/jog that took me blocks away to a wonderful paved trail that parellels some railway tracks. I love that the route is open and safe even though the neighborhood could be viewed as questionable in some parts.

After 30 minutes I was overheating so I headed to the Windsor Regional Western Hospital to try out those stairs. I was a little apprehensive. Would I be stopped by a volunteer or staff member because I didn't have a legitimate reason to visit the hospital premises?

I was pleasantly pleased to find that wasn't the case. In fact, once I entered the West side entrance, there was a welcoming poster that beakoned me to take the stairs!

"Well this is nice", I thought to myself.

I began the accent and was even more pleased to find encouraging posters on each level of the stairway. It seems the hospital was promoting stair climbing (most likely for it's staff, but I was happy to oblige). Each poster talked about the benefits of using the stairs in calorie burning, muscle and cardio health. At the top, I was instructed to celebrate by dancing like Rocky Balboa! I didn't have the energy to but it made me smile.

After 20 minutes of that, I was done. I was still overheated and it was time to head back to pick up Trysten. In my stair travels I noticed the basement door and saw a sign pointing to a hallway that lead to a nearby building. I recalled having used the basement hallway before with a friend who was going to a diabetic clinic. Hmmm....secret, air-conditioned tunnel. This could be fun!

I decided to go for it. It would be far more pleasant to walk underground to my destination that go back out in the beating sun.

Again I was pleasantly surprised. The hallway was clearly marked as a 400 meter journey for "Hall Walkers". The atmosphere was pleasant and definitely made to encourage exercisers in their journey.

When I emerged from the continuing care Malden Park building, I was just a short distance from where Trysten was waiting. Very convenient.

Kudos to Windsor Regional Western & the Malden Park facility for creating a fitness-friendly environment for their staff, volunteers and for happen-stance visitors. It was a terrific, unexpected adventure that I will repeat again.

Nut Milk Bag News

Today I was elated to find a solution to a minor, but nagging problem.

My recipe for almond milk calls for the use of a nut milk bag for straining and then squeezing the "milk" from the almond puree. I reached for the cheesecloth I had on hand but after several recipe preparations had to admit that using a narrow strip of the woven fabric was not ideal. Too easy for the almond grinds to slip out the sides. Too much effort expended just trying not to let go of perfect noose-like grip to give the bundle a good squeezing out.

I asked in some of my usual grocery stores and got blank stares. Nut milk what?

I made a special trip to William's Kitchen Supplies. Surely if anyone carried this item, they would. Nope.

"Do you sew?", they asked.

"Not if I don't have to", I replied.

I then received the advice of buying some butter cloth and sewing my own nut milk bag. I thought about it but that's as far as it went. I may seem like I'm willing to do anything but I hadn't exhausted all my options yet. Isn't making my own almond milk enough? Do I have to prove my prowess as a seamstress as well?

I looked online and yes, nut milk bags are for sale, but they cost roughly $10-20 for one. Kind of steep for a mesh bag with no zippers or drawstring..

This week however, after a particularly trying session with a strip of cheesecloth, I checked the internet again. I was going to find a local supplier and buy the nut milk bag this weekend!

This search brought me to a forum where participants discussed the merit of using paint straining bags or clean pantyhose to do the job. Interesting. I could definitely do a visit to Lowes for paint straining bags. Pantyhose was a little out there even for me.

In the end I purchased a package of 12 paint straining bags for roughly the same price as one of the quote on quote "real" nut milk bags. Funny, they look the same to me. Such a deal!

It has been a couple days now since I journalled this experience. I wanted to hold off adding it to my blog until I actually tried out the paint straining bag. It worked beautifully. It is wide enough for the elastic edging to go completely around the rim of my large measure bowl and to contain the entire recipe of almond milk. It was easy to handle and I was able to squeeze out every drop that I could with my hands with no almond puree escaping.

Emptying the puree into my compost bin and rinsing out the bag for reuse was a cinch! I am definitely sold on this and am happy to have solved this very pressing deterant to making my own almond milk.

Sense of Entitlement

It seems my weeks have a corresponding focus/theme to them. This past week my focus was on gardening/yard work/spring cleaning. Traditional exercise went out the window since I was saving all my energy for manual labor and so did my journalling as I was either covered in dirt or my fingers too cramped to bother with writing things down. You may have noticed that I went a whole few days without blogging too!

With my focus temporarily off healthful habits and diverted to other productive activities, I noticed my desire for water & vegetables diminished and that with the intense outdoor activity, sun, and hot weather that some old cravings revisited me.

Midmornings I craved diet soda with an intensity that I had almost forgotten. When I came in for meals, I wanted substance and lots of it. In the hot, sweaty afternoons, I thought longingly about driving to Timmie's for an Ice Cap and after the day was done and the dirt washed off, I yearned for "real" ice cream. Where was this all coming from?

Most certainly, this past weekend would have brought me spiralling back into old habits if it weren't for all the accountability set up in the blogging, a deep desire to be free from old, destructive habits and what I can only claim to be supernatural, grace from God to stand firm. Instead of sucumbing, I decided to analyse what I was feeling. What was driving the cravings?

I could only come up with a couple reasons. First, I have to form some healthier food associations with the different seasons and celebrations in my life. The joy of summer needs to be more than frozen, sugary treats and caffinated drinks. It will take some time and reinforcement but if I keep pressing in, I know I can make the switch.

The deeper motivation, however, was a sense of entitlement. I was working hard doing things that stop being fun after a couple minutes. I declined invites to social events to work on projects and listened to some neighbors kicking back and enjoying life with abandon through the fence. I deserved a reward for all my hard work! I was entitled to enjoy life a little...after all...other people do. Surely I earned a treat.

It's a slippery slope and I know it. I talked myself down from the self gratification route reminding myself that I didn't deserve to undo all the positive choices I've made over the past 5 months just because the temperature rose over 80 degrees and I sweat a little. I didn't really want those foods that I have deliberately avoided because they would never satisfy me and would take me down a path I didn't want to go. I got through the long weekend with my sugar & caffiene resolve intact but I'll be honest, I did indulge in a McDonald's french fries before I caught on to what was happening!

Now it's back to our normal schedule and I've taken some time to reflect. I pulled out that journal and wrote down everything I could remember. It's not as bad as it could have been but it was pretty sloppy on autopilot.

Funny thing is, when I look back on my weekend I remember it as being very fun even with the hard work and lack of traditional treats. I don't have to go through painful withdrawl symptoms and that post-weekend slump that makes going back to work hard.

Now that is something a girl is entitled to!

I Scream for Ice Cream

Nothing is quite as satisfying at the end of a hot, hardworking day as a bowl of ice cream. Mmm...cold, creamy and sweet.

"Hey, wait a minute!" you say, "Ice cream? Melissa, that's not healthy."

Well, this is a traditional treat that I have experimented with over the past couple years and I've actually come up with a healthier alternative to the sugary, chemical laden original. Not only that, but I prefer it.

A good friend of mine bought an industrial strength blender that came with some ice cream recipes. These recipes used milk cubes, nut butter, natural sweetening agents and other wholesome ingredients which would blend to "ice cream" consistancy. My blender wasn't quite as strong as hers but it was new and up to the task. I found that by using the "ice" button and stopping it frequently to stir, I could get similar results.

It wasn't hard to figure out that I could use almond milk & butter, organic cocoa, agave nectar or maple syrup and other ingredients to suit my own preferences. The end result is not calorie-free by any means but it doesn't leave a coating on my tongue like store-bought ice cream does and it sits nicely in my stomach. No guilt either.

This method requires a little more effort than driving to the closest ice cream shop or scooping from a manufacturer's carton, but it's not completely disruptive to normal life. I usually get six to eight 1/2 cup servings from 2 ice cube trays and I store it away in plastic, single-serve containers so it is ready the next time the craving hits. That is, unless there are no other competing desserts in the house in which case my family gets into the action. We are usually fighting over the last drops in the blender. Never enough for the voracious ice cream appetites in my family.

Even though I've chosen not to indulge in McDonald's Sundaes and McFlurries, Wendy's Frosties, Cold Stone, Baskin Robins, Dairy Queen, or grocery store frozen treats...I've still found a way to include ice cream into my diet in a healthy, moderate way. Smile.

Garden Giddy

In my passion to pursue a healthy lifestyle, I have been inspired to grow some of my own vegetables. This isn't a new desire. I began this endeaver three years ago but took last year off due to other demands in my life. I didn't think I'd be able to squeeze this horicultural chore into my life again after taking a full-time job but I'm making a go at it.

Sunday afternoon & evening, I spent 8 hours breaking up the sod-like weeds that developed in my garden plot while it sat fallow. How could the weeds be this bad? I try not to be overcome with the futility of my work as I think about the thousands of weeds I've pulled from this same ground over the years. I always make every effort to get the roots, but they come up again and again.

Part of me wants to get some Round-up and spray my plot like a crazed, weed-attacking woman. Of course, this is a dangerous weed killer that we don't want to find in our vegetables so I suppress my weed anihilating fantasies and content myself with shaking the dirt from the thick mat-like clumps and plucking the stray pieces from the newly hoed ground.

At the end of my work I was black with dirt, sunburned, blistered, stiff and sore...but happy.

After a hot, soapy shower I fell into bed and fell asleep. I awoke all through the night with throbbing arms and sore back. In the morning I found myself unable to bend over, twist, or hold a pen. Maybe I overdid it a little? I went through my day feeling like I had been in an accident. Did you know that every hour of yard work burns 330 calories? Ahhh...the joys of gardening. I've never felt closer to an eighty year old arthritic woman...so why do I do this?

• There is no feeling like looking at a plot of black, freshly turned soil just waiting for vegetable plants to be planted in neat rows and know that for one day at least, I won over the weeds.
• The outdoor work takes me into the sun, mucking in the dirt, away from computers, cars, stores and the t.v. where I can think in solitude for hours at a time. It's the one place my kids will not bother me in fear that they will be recruited to help me.
• It fills me with parental pride to see my vegetable plants grow and bud as I tend to weeding, feeding and watering when the rain doesn't.
• I love the thrill of spotting the first tiny vegetables emerging out of no-where with the promise of harvest in days to come.
• I love the feeling of plucking the firm, ripe, warm vegetables, carrying them into the house like a warrior bringing in the spoils and setting them on my cool, clean, kitchen counter.
• I love washing, preparing and eating something that I helped produce. To me it tastes juicier, sweeter and tastier than anything I have ever bought in the grocery store and I can say, "That came from my garden" to anyone eating with me. They can't taste the difference, but I can.

That's why I do what I do.

Supplemental Satisfaction

My search for reasonably priced supplements for my whole family began and ended in Nutrition House at Devonshire Mall. The intention was to visit the store, ask for recommendations based on Don Colbert's list, and do some online research later. I even warned the friendly store clerk when I entered that I was "looking only".

I've been in the store before and each time the same guy is there. He is very knowledgable and lacks that arrogant aloofness that usually surfaces when I question product claims or otherwise display knowledge that may conflict with making a sale. Attentive, knowlegeable, pleasant but not pushy.

"I want a daily vitamin, Omega 3 Oil, and Phytonutrient powder for my husband & I and for my kids...and I don't want it to cost a monthly car payment."

He laughed and asked me some qualifying questions.

"How old are your kid's?"

"Would they like chewable or liquid?"

"For the oil do you want capsules or liquid?"

Then he said these convincing words with complete sincerity, "I'll show you the products I would use myself".

The line-up of supplements he selected according to my specifications were several different brands in economic, bulk sizes. He left me to examine the labels while serving other customers. The claims were in line with what I've educated on. Looked good. I peeked at the servings each contained and the prices. Looked very good!

By the time Shane (I looked at the receipt and found his name listed) was done with his customers I was ready to purchase the goods. At these prices I could afford to do my research by trial. It was just an added bonus to find out that my Nutrition House loyalty membership would send me a check for $10 and I was given a free fabric shopping bag to carry my supplements home in. Altogether a very satisfying purchase experience.

Shawn eyed my collection of bottles warily when he got home later that day. When I told him how long they would last and how much they cost compared to the online companies we priced, he relaxed visibly. The monthly cost was still a significant investment but it was a third of the projected car payment.

We were all a little scared of the liquid Omega-3 Fish Oil that I opted for instead of capsules. I was trying to save us all from having to digest the capsules and I was reassured that the oil would taste mildly like lemons. No fishy taste. We were surprised to find this true.

My kids were fairly co-operative with the exception of Trysten and the phytonutrient powder. He doesn't like OJ on it's own but less when it's green! Even he gave it his best we started chanting, "Chug it, chug it, chug it!"

The most exciting outcome was Shawn's enthusiasm. Like me, he'd wanted to get on a solid supplentary system as a family. I've already noticed him making extra efforts to eat better. Not perfect, but better.

I know supplements are not a magic bullet but I've made a lot of changes and this feels like a natural extension of what has been started. If it inspires my family to be more health-conscious too, well that's just a bonus!

Supplemental Surprise

The 6th Pillar of Health is Supplementation. I find this pillar to be especially daunting but Dr. Don Colbert clarifies much of the mystique by stating that all the average person really needs is:

• A Multivitamin/Multimineral supplement

• An Omega-3 Fish Oil capsule

• Phytonutrient powder (Green, red, orange, purple).

Sounds simple enough. Of course, he recommends high quality versions of these and warns about the downfalls of using inferior products with fillers, rancid oils and impotent nutrients.

Since January I have completed a 30-day Herbal cleanse and I'm just finishing up a 30-day Heavy Metal cleanse. During cleanses I didn't supplement at all because the focus was on making sure I took the capsules particular to those routines. Before and in between cleanses I used some drugstore-grade vitamin samples my doctor gave me and some leftover products from other programs I've tried. Nothing fancy.

The truth is that I've always been a terrible supplement taker and it's an accomplishment in itself to actually consistantly consume any products that I buy. It's incredible that I've been able to "take my pills" consistantly thus far.

With a mere 5 days before the end of the Heavy Metal cleanse I am looking ahead to my future supplementation needs and hoping to make a smooth transition from the cleanse to my new supplements.

Then I began to price them. Ouch.

My supplementation fancy wasn't just for me but for my whole family. We all should be taking vitamins. After a visit to a few online sites, however, I realized that to buy what we would need on a monthly basis for our family would be the equivalent of a car payment! I didn't even have to have the obligatory talk with Shawn to know that it wasn't going to happen. Even if we were really wealthy, would we spend that kind of money on vitamins on a regular basis? I don't think so, but I guess people do.

We are going to begin supplementing though and my plan is to do my research to find products that contain what we need for a price we can swallow....literally. This could take some time. Does it work if you take 1/2 doses of quality products every other day?

Shawn is still in the stone age. He thinks Flinstone vitamins are all the kids need.

I was wary about posting my search for affordable supplements because I want to be able to do my research without undue pressure to buy from any particular source and I have no desire to sell supplements in order to get them at a discount...if you know what I mean. I do invite anyone who knows of reasonably good products that meet Don's specifications above to point them out for my online or catalogue review. No meetings or presentations please.

This is going to be interesting! I'll keep you posted.