Do you want your kids (or future kids) to stay in sports? Check out this great article.
PB2… How I love thee!
If you love peanut butter, you have no excuse NOT to get it. It’s basically all natural peanut butter – without the oil! Straight up ground peanuts – 85% less fat, protein packed and amazing!!
I could seriously eat this out of the packaging. But what I do is kind of odd – but it works!
I brew my coffee (12oz).
Add 1 teaspoon of local honey.
I add ice.
Transfer iced coffee into my shaker.
Add one scoop of protein powder (Currently using Raw Fit Protein).
Add 2 tablespoons of PB2 chocolate (made with real, delicious cocoa).
Sh-sh-sh-shhhhhake it.
It’s amazing. Do it. I strongly suggest it. This way, you’re drinking one beverage only, and getting your caffeine intake as well as your meal replacement!
Yum!
Many times, we forget to stop and smell the roses. We become SO caught up in the chaos of our lives that we forget to appreciate who we are, who we are surrounded by, mother nature, and purely life itself. We take for granted our health, our body, mind and soul. Being present and taking life’s lessons as they come is something that I most certainly forget to do. It may sound a bit hippy-ish, but think about it. Take a moment every day to… just breathe. Take one single minute out of your day and think about anything or anyone you’re grateful for. You can call this meditation, you can call this centering yourself, you can call this breathing exercises – call it what you want, but do it for you. People can sense your peace and positivity.
It’s not so bad… try it!
Ok enough hippy ranting.
This is an article in an email I received this morning. Click on the link above called ’60 Things to Be Grateful For’. Check it out.
FitBit Flex Friend – Love it or List it?
I choose to… Love it!!!
Yes I have bought one of these… And I love it so far! These were at Costco and I was sold. So far I’ve set my goal for 10,000 steps a day which equates to 5 miles. If you have a semi desk job like me, it sure motivates you to get your butt off your chair and to take a walk. It definitely keeps you in check! Set whatever goals you’d like, enter in your food intake, it measures calories burned – sold. Time to get steppin’! br />
Blue Apron – trial
A couple friends of ours have been using a service called Blue Apron lately. This service provides the all ingredients needed for you to cook one meal for two people. The spices and sauces are already measured out according to the recipe’s needs. Each meal comes with a recipe card and step by step instructions. This is such a fantastic idea for those that are very busy during the week with a limited amount of time. Our friends are heading out of town and we were fortunate enough to try it out ourselves!
Our review is as follows:
Easy. Simple. Decent explanations for instructions. Not always good for the diabetic (this recipe used maple syrup). Preparation for this meal between both of us took approximately 10 minutes. Cook time was approximately 15 minutes. Portions were small for Tom’s liking. Great for the people who are indecisive regarding what to make for dinner. We thought of some great ideas on how to modify this recipe. Loved the watercress salad – simple ingredients, fresh and tasty. Maple glazed salmon – sweet for our liking, would have substituted the maple syrup for coconut sugar, used 1/2 the amount of soy sauce, more scallions in the glaze, and brushed sauce onto salmon instead of putting back in the pan (takes away the crispness of the salmon). Tasted much like an orange chicken type of sauce which was yummy. Might have to try this with chicken! Overall, great experience. Fun to do with your honey boo-boo or friends. Good bases for other recipe ideas. And well, who doesn’t love cooking!! We would definitely try this service in the future!
Thoughts… Diabetes Stuff
I realized a number of different things over the weekend (in SoCal for my cousin’s wedding) … 1. We have a lot of work to do still for our wedding. 2. It is really hard to relax. We are so used to being on the go constantly that it literally takes us two days to feel halfway relaxed. 3. I miss cultural foods. Being in LA, there is SO much variety. Marin County isn’t the most culturally diverse place even though it is SO close to the East Bay and SF. 4. I need to seriously crack down on the dieting and exercising more. 5. We will most likely start having kids in the next year and a half so I need to get my butt into shape. 6. Diabetes and pregnancy scares me.
Okay, so a lot of realizations here. I’ll just touch on the main points.
For my cousin’s wedding. Her decorations were so adorable, yet simple. We loved the chalkboard signs, the small mason jars with small flower arrangements, and lots of frames for people to take pictures with. Simple touches like lace around mason jars, photos here and there of the bride, groom, family and friends… So much to think about!
On another note, the whole diet and exercise thing. Story of my life, right? It’s been such a whirlwind. To eat right, I need to watch my carbohydrate intake as well as any sugars. Ditch the sugary, processed snacks. Consume fresh ingredients. If eating carbs, eat whole grains, with no other unhealthy elements. Now for that exercise portion. I don’t have a ton of time to exercise like many people. I work hard, and by the end of the day, have very little energy left. What’s my solution now? H.I.I.T. 45 minutes. Jump on the treadmill – sprint then jog, sprint then jog etc. Yup, that’s it. I’m determined.
I’m feeling such a rush on this because of many reasons… diabetes and well, my future of becoming a mom someday. Diabetes doubles, if not triples, complications. Diabetes management becomes more difficult, medication dosages increase and potentially double, and with any high BG levels, it can increase the risk of complications anywhere from 2-10%. This is terrifying. So… I’m starting to get myself on a super serious, do-or-die mission. Here we go. Stay tuned.
Chinese Proverb
Splurge Alert – LA – Glendale – Foxy’s!
The pictures explain it all. Tom had Chicken Chilaquiles and Cinnamon Roll French Toast. I had an omelette with fruit. And yes, that’s a toaster at the table to toast your bread to your liking 🙂
Kitchen Essentials for Diabetics!
Check out this article…
Kitchen Essentials for the Diabetics!
Diabetic essentials. My essentials: oatmeal, coconut milk, eggs, carrots, quinoa, apples, avocado, salad/spinach, protein!
Peas Please!
Healthy, crunchy, sweet and wonderful. What’s not to love about these?
Our homegarden is booming with peas. So much that we can’t seem to consume them fast enough!
Diabetes – in check.
I go through every day with so many things running through my brain… my diabetes is always one of them. Diabetes and weight, fitness, weight loss, insulin resistance, and the diet I choose. It’s been tough. I had a great few months where I was working out a ton, eating right and not giving in too much. But let’s be honest, life gets so stressful (which increases insulin resistance, and also weight gain) and then we indulge. I guess that’s what’s been happening. Having Diabetes is so hard, especially when you are living with an individual that could eat muffins, ice cream, pasta, and candy every day and it not have any affect on him! Totally. Not. Fair. I look at a brownie, and think about how much I will need to work out to work that off! Ha!
Anyway, my most recent thing is really being smart about what I eat. Literally every bite. It is SO tempting to eat the little tiny piece of chocolate candy, but then I think, is it really worth it? Okay, you may say yes, and this may be true to most people. Yes it tastes delicious, scrumptious and wonderful but who am I kidding, it’s not worth the carbs, the jump in blood sugar and the way that it will make me feel later. My end goal is to get myself into better shape, decrease insulin resistance and take as little medications as possible. All of these little temptations can be so difficult to pass up, but I always think that I’ll be happy I made that decision afterwards.
My recent frustration is not losing the weight I know I can. I know that being on Metformin doesn’t help with weight loss either. There are many things are coming into play… diet, portion-control, amount of exercise and staying on track with my diabetes. I’ve been doing a lot of this lately, though I probably should be exercising more – just like how the dentist always says you need to floss more. The amount of stress has been higher lately due to many factors such as work life, wedding planning and overall energy levels. It’s just kind of been that ‘thing’ that just won’t go away. To be continued…
Giants Game Adventures!
It was a sad, sad loss but a fun game nonetheless! With great company, you can’t go wrong!
You may not believe this…
But we think this stuff is better than the rooster Siracha sauce… Not joking. Grab it at Costco for $7 – you get 41oz. TOTALLY worth it.
Get some!!
Simple & Refreshing Lunch!
Sometimes, life just doesn’t warrant preparing meals. Many times, I will go into a grocery store thinking with my stomach and then paying for it afterwards! I’ve personally come to the conclusion that it is just not worth it.
I have noticed recently that my stomach is SO much more sensitive to various foods – specifically anything fried, with dairy or too much sodium. Unfortunately I am not one of those people anymore with a stomach of steel. I guess this is what getting older partially means! In any event, I’m usually starving by the time it is 11:30am and that feeling of “I will eat anything” kicks in. There is a grocery store right down the street from my work and I have found that my “go-to” lunch is really quite simple yet fulfilling, delicious, inexpensive, protein-packed and healthy (for the most part). I can easily make this at home also and here is what it is…
Ingredients:
One cucumber – sliced thinly (this is in place of a slice of bread)
Chicken salad (store bought)
Or if you choose to make it yourself:
Shredded chicken breast
1T vegan mayo, or olive oil mayo
1/2t yellow curry spice
1T raisins
5-6 pieces of diced pineapple
1/4 stalk of celery diced
Dash of turmeric
Dash of cumin
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Directions:
Add all ingredients together (except for cucumber) in a bowl and mix until the right consistency. If you want more moisture, add a teaspoon of chicken broth. If you’re a mayo person, add more to your liking.
Apply a spoonful of the chicken curry mixture into a slice of cucumber!
Yum!
Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days and it is one of those recipes that is even better the day after!
Diets: The Good, The Fad, and The Ugly!
It’s true! Moderation is always key. I’m trying to find a great balance for my life… It is truly a lifestyle change, not just a temporary change in diet. What is realistic long-term? Find the right balance, and what suits your needs according to your exercise regime, and likes and dislikes in foods 🙂
Nourishing Zen 