We Officially Begin

A friend of mine I was having dinner with lastnight pointed out tome the importance of my seeing my weight loss goals through and turned me onto a new weightloss tracker site. So I have begun to track my losses and recipes via this new site. Wish me luck!

http://ping.fm/K8SQV

On the Menu

Last night I made a pretty yummy dinner and very quick too. Heated up Johnsonville Turkey and Cheddar Brats and made quick baked beans.
I must say that turkey meat is really good and much healthier for you. The only turkey I do not like is ground turkey. Not the same for me and it tastes "strong" for some reason. Almost gamey.

Turkey ham, bacon, keilbasa is my fav. Now these brats can be added! Super yummy. I served them with a small amount of horseradish sauce. WOW!

Weight is holding @ 324 but hubs and I realized that our scale is not made to go over 300 so this is why I can fluctuate so badly. It is not giving me an accurate reading.

So far so good. I am walking each day and taking vitamins. Wish me luck!

Happy Free Ice Cream Day!

One of my favorite brands out there is the Ben & Jerry's brand of ice cream. Today is a free ice cream cone giveaway day @ Ben & Jerry's. If you have one close by, hurry in before 8 tonight for your free scoop!
www.benjerry.com

Water How I Need Thee

Not enough water yesterday. I woke swollen this morning. Darn edema! Fingers look like little sausages. But it is okay. I am going to drink water soon. Now the most disturbing thing is how I gained 15lbs overnight! Sorry ladies and gents, seems my scale is not reliable. I know I have lost though-clothes fit better. Time for a new scale! I am going to spring for a heavy duty one.

I did have two chocolate chip cookies yesterday about mid day. But it should not have caused me to gain that much. :D
Like I said, I am a sugar addict.

I did make a yummy fruit salad for dessert last night:
Sugar Free Ambrosia

1 can pineapple chunks in juice-not heavy syrup
1 can mandarin orages (lite)
1 can whole cherries in water
1 3oz box sf cheesecake jello pudding
3/4 c shredded coconut
1 c plain yogurt

Prepare jello per instructions on box. Add yogurt and mix together. Add remaining ingredients and stir until fruit is completely coated. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

So far So Good

I have officially lost 25 lbs since March 15th. Not too bad for a gal that is not trying just too hard. :) I have cut back on the sugar, not cut it completely though. I have also cut down on the caffeine.
Most importantly, I have started to move! Not homes mind you, but physically moving around as often as I can. I walked for 1 mile yesterday and half of a mile this morning. My goal is to do at least 1/2 mile daily.

I do feel better. I have more energy and I seem to be sleeping better. Most importantly, I am no longer achy. My muscles like me a bit more now. Muscles, like many organs and tissues in your body, love aerobic activity.

I am also drinking more water. This is helping with the edema.

My daily regimin of herbs and suppliments consist of the following:
1. A woman's multi-vitamin and herbal complex
2. PDA from Nature's Sunshie for enzyme and digestion
3. Master Glandular Formual from Nature's Sunshine for metabolic functions-we must support the hypothalamus!

On the menu for today:
Curry Tuna Salad with Greens

1 Large Package of Tuna in water
1/4 c Light Mayo
4-6 T of pickle juice (I use pickles made with Splenda)
2 celery stalks chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t curry powder (I use yellow)
salt and pepper to taste
2 hard boiled eggs chopped

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 2 hours in fridge. Serve over lettuce greens. Whole wheat crackers are great with this! Not to mention a cool glass of lemon iced tea.

Great Food Tracker Site

There are a ton of food or calorie tracker websites out there but my personal choice is www.fitday.com
This site is free to sign up and it will also keep track of calories burned through daily activities and exercise.
You can set weight loss goals and even post daily notes in your journal.
It is so not easy to lose weight. Especially for those of us with a hormonal or thyroid imbalance. BUT it is doable and you can overcome this.

I will post more about my metabolic regimen in future blogs. It is working!!!

Blessed Be...

Find a Rainbow Day!

Hope you have all had a great Sunday. Today is "Find a Rainbow" day. Sounds difficult without rain :) I dont have a water hose either so that is out. Oh well...here is the best I can do today...enjoy!

Photo taken from: http://harvardextensionblogs.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/notes-to-undergraduates-scheduling-classes-for-spring-2010/

Dandelion Tea

One word-Edema. I have it bad. Cankles, swollen legs, fingers, arms, the works. It is always made 10 times worse with eating high sodium foods. No kidding. :) I know it should not take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but hey, I have my vices.

Enter dandelion tea. This not too tasty tea is not one I would consume for pleasure. At least not yet. My taste buds are still working. :) Besides tasting like a mud pie, the tea work wonders for water retention. One cup of this King of the Weeds and you will start to feel and see relief. Yes ladies and gents, it makes your trips to the restroom much more frequent. Essentially, this herb helps to detox the liver and kidneys.
Note: Due to strong detoxing effects possible side effects include gallbladder discomfort and possible kidney stones (if they are already present) So for you "stoner" people out there who suffer, I would not recommend.

Okay so after a night of eating cheese dip, yup, who moved my tea? I need some ASAP. :)

Blessed Be...

National Tater Day!

For those of you who follow me on Facebook you will understand why I am excited about Tater Day. It is National Tater Day so be sure to respect your in ground friend. You will find loads of potassium and folate! Pregnant ladies, listen up, you need plenty of both minerals.

Always try to find alternative ways to cook your potato. French fries are not always the healthiest option, but boy are they good! Try baking instead of deep frying. Sweet potato fries drizzled with EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and a hint of salt is a great snack.

I plan on making baked french fries with my broiled fish tonight. A bit healthier spin on fish and chips. :)
Blessed Be.
Crystal

Dangers of Sugar

I have told many people now about my sugar obssession. For those who do not yet know. "Hi, my name is Crystal, and I am a sugar addict." Also known as a pre-diabetic. My Mother is a full Type 2 diabetic for almost 20 years now. Shots and all. I do not want to end up that way, but unless I do something about my weight, I am going to join her soon. I have switched from the sugar to the non-sugar alternatives. It does help. The first thing I noticed was I was no longer falling asleep at my desk at 3 in the afternoon. That was bad. I felt horrible and could barely keep my eyes open. Light headed and moody! Boy oh boy I was moody. Blood sugar swings can make a person not too fun to be around. Irregular heartbeats. I noticed when I would eat alot of sugar, namely chocolate, I would suffer from mild tacchychardia. (Heart flutters) Of course I am sure it has more to do with the caffeine in chocolate than sugar.

Now, what am I trying to do...stay away from the sweet stuff. I do like Truvia the best. It is a natural sweetener but tastes great. No aftertaste, at least not to my taste buds. I have gained some weight the past few days (sugar slip) and my scale is showing the lack of discipline. That is okay. I will pick myself up and start over tomorrow.

It is so important for me to succeed. Not just for myself but for so many people I want to help. Going back to medical school is a huge step. (Coming from the Accounting world). But I want to understand the human body and how we can heal ourselves. I am taking this year to heal the ailments in my body. Blessed be.

Ionic Foot Cleanse

About five years ago I was introduced to a detox method that was non-invasive and pain free. Not to mention it was cool to watch! A nutritionist friend of mine gave me my first foot cleanse. This is a method which utilizes ions within your body to pull toxins out through the bottom of your feet. To find a really good detailed description, please look at this site: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4611270_ionic-foot-bath-work.html

My personal experience has been one of great relief. From gallbladder tenderness, joint pain, low back pain, sore muscles, even head and chest conjestion have been aleviated by the foot bath. The bath uses the power of electricity, not nescessarily chemical reactions. See here from ehow.com:

"The concept of positive and negative as it relates to the ionic foot bath is referencing an electrical rather than a chemical process. The ionic foot bath can actually be set to negative or positive depending upon the health of the individual and what that person needs improve their body's systems. The ionic foot bath when set to positive actually produces negative ions, and when it is set to negative it produces positive ions. "

Many patients and myself typically have more acid in their bodies thus benefit from a negative setting. I strongly encourage you to try a foot cleanse at your local health clinic or natural health spa.

These cleanses are very cost effective (starting around $25.00 per sesssion) and worth every cent.

Once I open my clinic, I will have several of these systems available and encourage each patient to receive a foot bath regularly.

The following are images I found online that shows the different stages of the detox session:

My last session was very interesting. I had a ton of heavy metals and my liver despirately needed to be detoxed. So what color do you think my water ended up becoming? Clear to black. Almost pitch black. And the heavy metal smell filled the room with a not so alluring aroma. Folks, this is not smoke and mirrors. It is science. It works and I would much rather dispose of these toxins out of my body instead of my poor liver trying to detox all of this junk itself.  

Welcome!

Welcome to our web blog. I will try to post at least weekly with tips to heal your body and rejuvinate your soul. Please feel free to post comments or ask questions. All I ask is you be professional and sensitive to others on this blog. I look forward to getting to know you.

Crystal Lee
Owner