In a Nutshell

I've been away from a scale for Friday weigh-in's the last two weeks, but I weighed in this morning and am 129.0 lbs.

This is pretty crazy because over this past weekend I literally ate 100 pistachios, easily, not to mention so much other great food.  But I stayed active.  Very, very active.

I know nuts and seeds are not on my food intake list until next weekend, actually, but we were guests at a friend's ranch and I was doing my best to navigate the menu without drawing attention to myself.  I was able to grab fruit and salads and veggies on most occasions, but not always a little meat.  It all worked out and the night they had pizza, I darned near emptied the pistachio jar.  (Yep...any of you reading who were also at the ranch, that was me...sorry!)  And, I'm truly not being legalistic, which is a first for me pretty much in my whole life when it comes to myself and my own behavior.

Anyway, I'm finding that I have a ton of energy.  I'm sleeping so soundly and am able to spring out of bed in the morning to greet the Lord and read The Message.

I've looked at a little food porn lately, and by "food porn" I mean some recipe blogs and websites.  Particularly, I've been searching ones that are solely Primal or Paleo in nature.  This is essentially how I will be eating the rest of my life 95% of the time.  But, looking at food porn at this point in my cleanse is NOT a good idea, only because it's inevitable...I'm looking for a main course meal option with tons of veggies and fish or meat and then a grain-free, vegan baked good pops up on the site that's all chocolaty and amazing looking and I start to drool and wonder if I have the ingredients on hand.  And that's what I mean by "food porn."

Anyway, I'm enjoying working out again, which for a season it seemed like I just was doing it out of fear of fatness or fear of being a lazy 40-something who makes the excuse of just being too busy.  Now, I feel so strong.  I even discovered I have deltoids over the weekend.  Whofreakingknew?!  I didn't!  I have literally never had definition in my arms, though I've had muscles I could feel under a coating.

I'm not trying to lose weight or anything like that at this point.  I'm building muscle and trying to gain strength and tone.  I can curl 15 lbs now.  And, I did 40 push-ups in a row on Saturday.  Followed by 35 more.  I do them on my knees, but if you think that is wimpy, then go ahead and try it...all the way to the floor, wide push-ups and Yoga-style tricep chaturanga push-ups.


Ready:  Go!  (Yeah...that's what I thought...)

I've also just finished the book, "Unchain Your Brain," by Dr. Daniel Amen, MD, and Dr. David E. Smith, MD.  If you suffer from any kind of addiction, I would highly recommend this book!  The subtitle is, "10 steps to breaking the addictions that steal your life."  I re-checked it out from the library so I can read it again, it was just that helpful.

Food is a real addiction.  I'm breaking free from mine!

No food in the world is worth hurting myself or sabotaging just for the taste or comfort.  If my head isn't on straight to make that healthful or unhealthy food choice, then I've been getting out of the kitchen or situation, and changing course.

Will I ever eat sweets or treats again?  Yeah.  Once in a while.  But in America, we eat it every day and we wonder why we have so many diseases...it really is no wonder.

There is no reason to wonder.

Stop wondering.  

Write down what you eat and how you feel and then make changes to feel better.  One choice at a time.  No one else can choose health for you.  Loving yourself doesn't mean rewarding yourself with foods that make you sick.  Loving yourself is nourishing your body and brain.

How close is the food you are about to consume to its original DNA God-design?  Keep this question in mind at the store, at restaurants, and at home.

Eating whole tastes awesome!


God knew what He was doing when He made it...imagine that!?

Just Puree It!

Today I met my Grandpa's new roommate, Lionel.

Lionel is One Hundred Years Old.  That's freaking awesome!

When my 96 year old Gramps told me how old he was, I was like, "Old Geezer!"  Gramps just chuckled.

I stopped into my Gramps' room (he's usually out on his chair in the family room all day) to introduce Ryan and myself to Lionel.  I didn't wake him...instead, he was doing a word search with a ruler and sketching pictures on a pad of paper.

I reached for his shoulder, "Hi Lionel!  My name is Adrienne.  My Grandfather is your roommate, Lou.  My mother, Betty, is Lou's daughter who is here visiting him every day.  This is my son, Ryan.  How are you doing today?"

His face lit up, I tell ya.  "Well, hello!  That is mighty kind of you to stop in and make time for me.  Thank you for introducing yourself."

He worked in sharing his whopping age of 100 years into our conversation.  I told him I am sure he has so many stories and has seen a lot of life.  He told me where he was from, that he used to be a civil engineer for the Air Force, that he has a Great-great Grandson about Ryan's age.

Great-great.  Can that be right?!

Anyway, before Ryan and I got our bike helmets on and headed out the door, we gave Gramps his smooches and waved "bye bye."

When we got home I cut up organic turkey, gluten-free/egg-free bread w/raw honey from Jason's Grampa's farm, and an organic peach for Ryan.

Let's just say, Ryan was simply unimpressed with the peach.  I had tasted it and it was a little pithy.  So, whether you are 100 years old or 1 year going on 2, I did what must be done in these situations...I pureed it.

• 1/4 banana
• 1 small container organic apple sauce
• 1 small not so great peach partially chewed by a toddler
• 1/4 cup organic canned pumpkin
• 1 dash of nutmeg
• 1 dash of cinnamon

Puree these in your Baby Bullet or regular Bullet or blender or whatever.  Then I broke up small pieces of carrot chips (freeze dried from store) and threw those in there.

Baby, there's nothing you can't hide when food is pureed with apple sauce or pumpkin...even ABC food.  He snarfed it down.  

*A reader had asked what I feed my kiddos.  I'll post some of their menus from time to time. 

Feeling Good!

I'm just over two weeks into this thing.

I feel good.

I feel clean.

In fact, my brain feels healthy and that is of utmost importance to me, even above and beyond my physical well-being.

I haven't followed each exercise day to a "T" but have done something active almost every day.  This past weekend we drove to South Dakota for a wedding and it rained for a majority of the time.  I didn't get out and walk like I thought I would, but we were so busy with wedding planning and preparation, I never had a chance to really sit, so I felt active.

South Dakota, as much as I love it, has historically been a place of overeating for me.  And over 21 years of many, many visits, I've allowed really fabulous memories of being surrounded by people I love dearly become intertwined with making poor food choices.  Every gathering centers around food and celebration, which is wonderful.  However, for the most part, the recipes have been high-carb, high-sugar, high-fat, allergy-laden, or just plain old out of proportion, for me.

Being on this cleanse and getting it into my head that I am allergic or sensitive to certain foods really empowered my mind to set the tone for the choices I made all weekend.  I wasn't sad that I was allergic to or avoiding a majority of the menus.  I was able to eat great meat, tons of veggies, and ample fruit throughout the weekend and am able to look back on the whole experience without one regret.

NOT ONE SINGLE REGRET.

For me, that is huge!  HUGE!

I hate regrets, especially when it pertains to food or excess intake of it, or a particular culprit.

Having a plan written out and a course of action in place for eating healthily has been a great help to me.  I encourage you.  You can make healthy choices.  It's not about how you look in the mirror...it's about stewardship.  We are given one physical body on this earth.  The one you are sitting in right now...that's it, baby.  Are you nurturing it with real life-giving foods or overloading it with "food" it does not comprehend, stuff found constantly in boxes, bags, and with dozens of "ingredients" you aren't able to pronounce?

It's about loving yourself.  If you eat that third piece of pie, you aren't "sticking it to the man" or giving an "in your face" to the person who hurt your heart.  They could care less if you are unhealthy.  You are only taxing your body, asking it to process two pieces more than it should.

It's about whether you can chase your kids at the park, fly kites with them, ride bikes, swim at the pool or lake with them and their friends, climb up into their beds to read at night, wrestle on the floor with them...

...and if you don't have kids, it's about being able to enjoy your friends, relationships, or spouse without obsessing about your back fat, taking a walk or going mountain biking or climbing together, canoeing, running, laughing, enjoying life together, instead of succumbing to being irritable, cranky, and feeling like heck because your brain is toxic from the wrong foods.

Just because I can't eat recipes with eggs, dairy, or gluten doesn't mean I missed out on anything this last weekend.

I actually got to take part and enjoy what mattered the most:  SPENDING TIME WITH SO MANY PEOPLE THAT I LOVE AND FOR WHOM I AM GRATEFUL.

*If you read this feeling sorry for me whatsoever, I would challenge you to start peeling off the layers in your own mind of what really matters and if you, indeed, have a food addiction.  If you believe I missed out on anything, food wise, I would challenge your thinking...

Gun Show

There's a gun show in town today.  

But yesterday, there were no guns.  No.  They were bat wings, Grandma-ish.  "Squishy, squishy," as Emily used to affectionately say.  

Nothing has changed since yesterday, to the eye, but I'm trying to love my arms...and by "love" them I mean, tough love, like Jillian Michaels, Tony Horton, boat loads of push-ups, dips, curls, type of love.  Not unconditional, accept-you-as-you-are love.

It's ridiculous, really.

It's a #FirstWorldProblem to have weight TO LOSE.

Let me repeat that statement:  It's a #FirstWorldProblem to have weight TO LOSE.

This isn't something with which women who walk 6 miles a day to gather water for their families will ever struggle.

And yet, there are moments, here and there, though fewer and farther between, where I wish my arms were just lean, already!

And I know.  I know, okay!  I am reading Voskamp's 1000 Gifts, and I know, blasted.

1.  Thank You, Lord, for arms, in general!  I lift them high and praise Your name!

I do not think about it all the time.  My thoughts, actually are getting better as I habitually practice the art of renewing my mind with God's word on a regular basis.  When I set two alarms for 5:30 am, there are no excuses...

That Guy sure has some great things to say, I tell ya.  He's super smart.  Like, way smarter than Einstein, even.  Like this, for example:

     "If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.  There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.  Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.  And you count far more to him than birds.
     "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller (or leaner arms) by so much as an inch?  All this time and money wasted on fashion - do you think it makes that much difference?  Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers.  They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?  The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
     "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?  What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.  People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.  Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."   - The Message, Matthew 6:25-33
(green parenthesis mine...)

30 years of mental un-doing is tough work.  It takes prayer, time literally changing my brain, and physical time.  It's the time part I'm learning...

And so, I am practicing thankfulness, gratitude, joy, and rest in knowing He made me, He loves me, He cares for me even more than the magnificent wildflowers that are covering the countryside in Colorado at this very moment...the ones Ryan and I see on our bike rides...because I have arms that are able to grip handle bars...and I have legs strong enough to pedal.  

And it's up to me to praise Him, to walk out of the gun show and focus on the Great and Glorious God.

Week Two, Baby!

I'm on week two of my cleanse and workout schedule.

I feel UH-MAZE-ing!  For reals, I have not had any cravings.  Last week I was a little tired, but I'm guessing that comes from my early morning hours reading and doing my workouts.

I've had tons of energy and a lot of my feelings/symptoms/bodily aches and pains are subsiding.  My hands were achy.  And my knees.  And I was irritable.  And moody.  Did I mention bloated, gassy, and the fact that none of my jeans were fitting...not even the pair I bought a month ago as my "10 lbs, give or a take a few, jeans..."

Here is the run down:  Each morning I have hot lemon water with a little Stevia.  This gets the liver going.  I read my Bible and pray.  I usually have a bit of lean protein in meat form at this time, too.  Then I go to the basement and do my workout of the day.  Head up to shower, get ready and get kiddos and hubster up and going and out the door.  He's helpful with this, so I won't pretend I do it all on my own.  He's stellar!  Then each morning I am drinking my green drink.  I also have hot tea throughout the day because I'm wimpy and am always cold.  This is usually a green tea or herbal tea from Yogi or Medicinals.  I eat fruit, green veggies, and a lean protein for lunch.  I also eat this for dinner.  Sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit or more veggies as a snack, but I haven't been that hungry.

Keep in mind, for the next 2ish months, I am not eating ANY of my allergens, sensitivities, or sugars, so, for me that means NO:

• gluten
• dairy
• eggs
• corn
• potatoes
• grains
• sugary fruits (ie, bananas, pineapple, grapes...)
• nuts or seeds
• fats other than fish oils

That leaves a lot, people.  This is a first world problem to be able to even say, "Oh, I'm eliminating certain foods from my diet..."  People in the third world do not have this luxury, so I would challenge you to challenge your own perspective.

I finally had to give myself a "Snap out of it!" talk and it worked...

In September when I do start introducing foods like grains or sugars once in a while, I'm approaching it more like Laura Ingalls Wilder and the days of old.  They did not go to the store every day or even every week and buy a package of crap filled cookies with ingredients that included numbers and chemical compounds.  Instead, they went to the bakery once in a while and got ONE special treat.  

• One cookie.
• One cupcake.
• One pie to share with their whole family for a special occasion.
• One piece of candy on their trip into town with Pa.

We all boast about how our great-grandparents lived long lives eating beef and potatoes, real cream and eggs every day.  We forget they didn't have boxes and bags of chemically formulated foods laden with sugar and maxi-carbs pouring down their throats.  

They worked their arses off, got a heckofalot more exercise than the average person these days, and they ate whole foods.  Not at Whole Foods, this doesn't have to be expensive, but actual food...like as close to the way God created it in the first place.

*How far away from it's original design is the food you are feeding your body and giving to your children?  What small changes can you make to start incorporating healthier choices into your routine every day?