Intuitive eating lessons learned: Just Eat The Cookie

It’s been close to two years since I have started my Intuitive Eating venture. Funny, that I say I started it, when IE is something that you are innately born with. From years of dieting the signals get suppressed. I can hear them now. They guide me.  

I have had ups and downs. The downs are caused when I don’t listen to my signals.  Go with your instincts. It will not lead you to a one-way path of junk food. Honestly, I crave veggies, fruit, and whole grains too. 

Have you ever wanted a certain food item, but because of self imposed food rules (from all sorts of influences) you decide that the food you want is not virtuous so you avoid it? You suppress it, try to eat other things and they don’t satisfy. When you do give in to the forbidden food…bad things happen.  Overindulgence, binge even. You think I can’t be trusted around this food. See here is proof!

Save yourself from all of that and just eat the cookie (or PB, or whatever it is you crave).  

 

 

Healthy Living

What is healthy living?

To me its a balance of everything.

People I have admired have a fantastic physique but is achieving it by working out 2-5 hours a day, six days a week healthy?

If they are a retired athlete and they still keep it all up is that still healthy?

I ask because I wonder how much is too much.  If I worked out 2-5 hours a day for six days a week my family would think I had a problem, but if a retired athlete does it its ok?

I have had problems with my IT band for a very long time (four years and counting).  I did see someone about it two years ago without any results. I am seeing a new physical therapist (I wish I had done this years ago!).  He has determined that yes I do have a tight IT band, but it’s not from overuse like I thought.

It’s due to a weak glute on my left side which causes the IT band to do all the work.  My leg on that side does not fully extend either so its like I am walking in a squat position on the left side eternally.  Things would get sore! It’s also creating patellar tracking issues.  When I walk I look completely normal! It’s just slight enough to cause problems.  He said I have probably had this for a very long time and pregnancy just brought it out (extra weight, carrying a baby and toddler on that side etc.)

With strengthening and stretching it should get back to normal.  He thinks there is no reason why I should not be able to run once everything is worked out.

So it all makes me wonder.  I have been very limited with what I have been able to do for exercise for the last year.  I thought my issues were due to over use. It’s not.  When I am all healed I still want to have balance.  I have worked very hard to get to where I am with intuitive eating. Is running a marathon ok? Do people who run marathons abuse exercise?

I just think its funny how a ton of exercise for some people (famous fitness gurus) makes them seem noble, and for others  (the rest of us) they are seen as disordered.

Where do you draw the line?

Yogurt-easier to make than you might think!

• quart of milk
• yogurt cultures

With these two ingredients you can make your own yogurt!

I made a double batch of yogurt yesterday. Here is how I did it:

I brought up two quarts of milk to 180-185 degrees F (In the picture it’s not quite there but you want to be careful not to go too high so be cautious at this point.).

If you like your yogurt thicker like I do you can add 1/4 cup of powdered milk per quart and or 1 TBS of liquid fruit pectin per quart. I added both of these this time.

Now you just have to wait until it reaches about 10-115 degrees F. Then you can add your culture.

I used a powdered one that I purchased from a cheese making supply place. You could also use two TBS of already prepared yogurt per quart of milk. Store bought brands may not be as strong to culture from. Once you get started making your own yogurt you can put some aside for this purpose.

I added the milk and the cultures to a small bucket that comes with my yogotherm.

You put the lid on the bucket and place it into the yogotherm. The yogotherm is just a giant insulated styrofoam container which will keep the temp up for the cultures to grow.

You put the lid on the yogatherm and let it sit overnight. Sorry for the blurry above. It’s hard to photograph and place a heavy bucket into the other container.

In the morning you pull out the bucket of now yogurt and refrigerate until chilled.

Now you have yogurt!

My yogurt is in the chilling phase now. It really is simple to do. Here’s a recap:

1. Bring milk and optional ingredients (powdered milk, liquid fruit pectin) up to 180-185 degrees F.
2. Let mixture cool to 110-115 degrees F
3. Put in yogotherm bucked and add culture (powdered or from another source).
4. Let sit overnight.
5. Refrigerate to chill.

That’s it you are done!

I normally like to include some color in my posts so here is a random picture with lot’s of color.

It’s my first attempt at abstract art painting. I did it on canvas in acrylic paint and hung it in the laundry room. I am actually pleased with how it came out. Not bad for a first attempt!

I got the idea from a how to website on abstract paining.

I felt the inclination to paint. Odd. I have never done it before. Where the idea came from to paint is odd itself. More to come on that. Painting was fun, and I plan to do more of it, trying different styles.

I am going to wait for my yogurt to chill. Not sure what else the day will bring.

I hope you have a great day!

Look, No Weeds!

It’s small and not packed full of veggie plants but I have the essentials.  I even used some cilantro just today!  I am making Thai style grilled shrimp and used it in the marinade.

I am super excited that it is the end of June (mostly) and I still have managed to keep it weed free!  Weeds usually take over and look like this:

So far, so good!  :)

Enjoy your evening!

Veggie Egg Scramble

I had a departure from my normal oatmeal this morning.  My family was hungry for breakfast and since I am the only one that eats oatmeal I was out voted 2 to 1 on that this morning.

I like my oatmeal because I feel like I am getting all that I need to start the morning:  fruit, oat grains, flax seeds, protein from the almond milk and it’s just plain yummy.

So this morning I decided to make a normal egg and toast meal a bit more nutritious.  Veggies added to the eggs made me feel like it was making up for my lack of fruit this morning.  The multi-grain bread was filled with millet, flax seeds, and bulger (Not pictured I added some Michigan cherry jam to the toast which made it like cherry pie!).  Pretty close to my oats.  I also made some silly looking turkey bacon.  :)

It was a good compromise I think.

Today will be a low-key day.  Maybe just a small walk this evening with the dogs.  My knee/leg feels pretty awesome for what I did to it yesterday. I’ll talk to you soon!

Have a great Sunday.  :)

White Bean Salad With White Bean Hummus

Today I had a late afternoon party that involved food to go to.  I wanted a lighter lunch That involved white beans and this fit my plans perfectly!  I made a white bean salad and a white bean hummus.

For the salad:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl I added:

• 1/2 can of chunk light tuna
• 1 diced bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/8 cup diced green olive with pimento
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• S&P to taste

I put it all on top of a bed of chopped romaine and added a bit of diced avocado on top.  On the side I put some of my white bean hummus (top right of photo) and pita chips.

For the Hummus:

• 1 can of white beans rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of tahini
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 clove of garlic

Whirl it up in a blender/mixer!  You may need to add some lemon juice or water (I use the latter) to get it to a consistency that you like.

This meal really hit the spot!  I am looking forward to a left over lunch tomorrow.  :)

I am going to clean up a bit around the house and relax for the evening.  Probably ice my knee too.  It feels pretty good but I did quite a bit today (a lengthy walk  and bike ride, not to mention gardening too! ) I need to slow down a bit tomorrow.  This happens when it feels good I do too much  and I am hurt again.  Not this time.  :)

Take it easy and I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening too!

Talk soon.  :)

Monster Green Tuna

Happy Friday!

Today I am playing catch-up on the inside of my house.  While my outside gardens are looking great, the inside needed a bit of attention.

I started out the day with some oatmeal:

I promise there is oatmeal somewhere in there!

Then I did my circuit workout which I do MWF.  Today was a Tabata style (four min each move, 10 moves, 20 sec on, 10 sec rest.  It felt great doing a few leg moves (medicine ball wall squats, skater lunges, dumbell plank rows).  I hope to get a few more in next week.  I am so happy my leg/knee is getting better.  It will be week 8 next week!

I did not think I would make it without running or doing knee bending exercises.  I do plan on switching it up on Thursdays for Yoga instead of cardio.  I did that this week and it felt great.

Lunch was a giant tuna sandwich.  It’s got to be one of my favorites now.

Here is what I did:

• 1/2 a smashed up avocado
• 1 can of chunk light tuna (minus a serving for the cat)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onions
• 1 stalk of celery diced
• S&P to taste
• multi-grain bread

It came out great!  I have used mashed avocado in egg salad but never tuna.  I will do this again!

It’s one of those days again when it was 3:00pm and I was ready for dinner but I have plans tonight.  So I made a green smoothie to keep me going until then.  I got out a cup to put it in and I found that my daughter put this little guy on top.

She is always rummaging through my cupboards and drawers seeing what fits together.

I thought he was cute so I left him.  I am just wondering where the other parts of his body went?

I hope you had a great Friday

Have a good night too!

Talk soon.  :)