Recipe: Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

Smoothie season has arrived!  This recipe uses nonfat Greek yogurt, which is creamier (and a bit more sour) than regular yogurt.  I like the creaminess.  

Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup fresh Strawberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 tsp pure vanilla

4 packets of stevia

1/2 cup of unsweetened Almond Breeze (or more or less depending on desired consistency)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until blended.

Makes 2 servings

On the DASH diet, this translates to 1.5 low fat dairy options, 3 small fruit options

A Successful Week

Check-in:  Weight: 202.8lb
Lost this week:  3.2lb -this is the most poundage lost in a week since I started in January and I think I finally figured out why it has taken so long.
Lost total this year: 8.4lb (lost since August: 17.2lb)

Two things were different this week.  One, I was still recovering from a bug I caught a couple weeks ago, and my appetite was very limited, so my portion sizes were kind of naturally limited.  If I ate anywhere near to too much (which was about half of what I'd normally eat), then I felt nauseous and my esophagus burned.  If I got too hungry, I would also feel nauseated.  That feeling has mostly subsided, however I decided that since my body was used to eating at this lower intake that I would go with it for the week and see what happened.  I didn't record anything into My Food Diary, just based my amount of healthy foods eaten by how my body felt.  Also, I made sure that I was on the elliptical each weekday for the full 45 minutes, plus I had several days where I had an additional number of miles walked since my son, Peter, was home from college and we walked into town a few times.

I have been reading more about the DASH diet used for reducing hypertension since we learned about it in my pharmacy school's Non-Prescription Therapeutics class.  I know that my tendency is toward high blood pressure, and I know that my maternal grandmother suffered greatly with trying to manage her blood pressure, and the end of her life was full of cardiovascular issues including multiple bypass surgery, amputation of one of her legs, etc.  As I understand it comes to me from both sides of the family and I definitely do not want to go that route if I can help it, and know that at some times in my life I have registered a blood pressure in the pre-hypertension level.   My blood pressure is pretty good right now, however I know I have a tendency to retain water and sodium causes discomfort.  

What I've decided to do is follow the DASH diet at the 1600 calorie/day level, still enter (as there's time) the things I eat in My Food Diary for comparison of the two plans, and, increase my elliptical workouts to 60 minutes per day.  I read last night in a DASH diet book, that 60 minutes is probably necessary to lose weight if the rest of one's life is mainly sedentary, which mine is, thanks to school.   I know I have a bit of a block to 60 minutes, it seems like SO much more time spent, however I will do some EFT to help clear the block with the hope that it will be at least somewhat enjoyable.

I'm super-psyched because once I lose 3 more pounds, I will be under 200 lb, which hasn't happened for a very long time.

This week will provide an extra challenge in that we are going out of town for four days, however I think if I use my smarts and common sense and have Richard back me up when it comes to making good food decisions, I will only be successful.  We aren't renting a car, and Seattle's considered a walking town, so I'm certain I will also get plenty of exercise.  I'm taking my pedometer to track and be able to report to the walking mile group I check into each week.

To Ever-Increasing Health and Life!

3-14-11 Brief insights from the last month

I haven't weighed in for over a month, so did today.  The good news is that I haven't gained anything, and even lost .6 lb.  We'll just stick with the good news.  :-)

Current Weight:  206 lb, 45% body fat.  (Total loss since 1-1-11 is 5.2 lb and 1.5% fat)

This past month has been interesting.  My focus definitely was on pharmacy school, where it needed to be to get through the ongoing assignments, quizzes, projects, and exams, so everything got set aside in an unbalanced way.  I didn't have time to revamp My Food Diary to accommodate my new wheat-free foods and recipes, so I didn't enter anything at all.  Even the wheat-free foods became time consuming to experiment and create.  When I felt well enough I continued on with my exercise regime, but some weeks that meant only once or twice each week, rather than every day.  I did make a stronger correlation between lack of exercise and inability to sleep great.  Exercise makes a huge difference in sleep quality.

My body feels pretty good, and clothes are still fitting better.  Even though I haven't been tracking, I've been eating all right, for the most part. apparently the right amount to maintain my weight for a month.  I have developed a fairly low tolerance for sugary foods and don't like the way I feel after I eat them, so I think that's a step in the right direction.  Last week I had a strange stomach flu that has left me with essentially zero appetite, so I am eating a fraction of what I normally do, and perhaps that's good training to start losing excess weight again.

I vetoed my idea a month ago for a cleanse over spring break (which was last week). What I needed to cleanse from what the constant diligence that pharmacy school requires, so I actually relaxed a bit more on the diet and let up on the exercise a bit.  We went to Glenwood Springs over the weekend and really nurtured ourselves with the hot springs and vapor caves which were super relaxing and detoxifying.  I may revisit the idea of a cleanse in May after the semester is over to help release previous several months, and provide a focused healthy intention on the summer.  We will see!

So, today, with 9 more weeks of the semester to accomplish, I am back in with regular exercising, walking now that there's more sunshine after Richard gets home, eating as well as I can, and continuing my mission for optimal health and healing.    My thumb, for whatever reason is still healing from a mysterious "jamming", and a couple weeks ago I slammed the opposing index finger in the car door, nervy pain still comes and goes from that.  We've let up on the Tibetans for now, and I am thinking some Tai Chi instead in the morning might be a good substitute for the yoga until my digits fully recover. 

Today is a fresh beginning and I am grateful for everything that has brought me here.  My intention is great energy, great feeling, even better self-care, and continuing on my optimistic and happy path where greater Joy may enter.