Well, despite all of my best intentions the inevitable has happened. I encountered the edge of my daughter's chocolate chip muffin the other morning and I admittedly ate it. But that was merely stubbing my toe. This morning, after only the slightest hesitation, I deliberately defrosted my own whole muffin and devoured it to the last crumb... then I ate the remnants of my daughter's again. Big faceplant! Of course this means that I am honour bound to endure another Strict Week. Clearly the Candida Monkey is still speaking to me.
One thing that I have begun to realize is that I need to be creative with my Strict Week menus in order for them to appeal to my high metabolism husband and daughter. While I can be fully content to eat a salad for my supper, both of them would be clamoring for another meal an hour later. I picked up a whole grains cookbook at the library and I will try some of the recipes and relay my favourites.
I have decided that I will have my one allotted dessert and some homemade pizza for my Saturday dinner tomorrow- as much for my family as for myself. I will resume my Strict Week on Sunday.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
The Candida Monkey
Today is the first day that I was feeling truly weak. Not physically mind you, but my resolve was challenged. It started yesterday when I had to turn off the computer due to a very persistent ad featuring a particularly delicious looking cinnamon bun. Today as I was running errands the wafting aromas from the bakery at the mall and the pizza shop on the street caused me such distress that I had to rush past telling myself "eyes front, soldier!". At the grocery store I stared at a key lime meringue pie as though it were a priceless work of art. I have promised myself some on Saturday when Strict Week is over and I am allowed to claim my one weekly dessert.
This morning I ate the edge of my daughter's chocolate chip muffin. She was done with it and I told myself that it was because I didn't want it to go to waste. Baloney! I felt so terribly guilty afterward for having broken my vow. It's funny how a little muffin rind can cause such stress.
My mom, who is undertaking to leave sugar behind at the same time as I am, emailed me about the little voice of the Candida Monkey. It is true that when one is cleansing the yeast bacteria that cause Candida will send messages to your brain to make you actually believe that you need more sugar and other yeast-friendly foods. I takes the form of a little nagging voice like an evil conscience telling you things like "oh, I have been so good lately, I deserve a little treat" or "no one is telling me I can't have it" or "I need to keep my energy up because it is going to be a busy day" and so on. The Candida Monkey is hard to ignore because it does such a darn good impression of one's own internal voice. The good thing is that once the Candida is gone after three or four days, it is blissfully quiet inside one's head.
I am feeling generally pretty discouraged today though. After yesterday's discovery of an extra ten pounds and my little tryst with a muffin, I am realizing that it is going to be a big challenge to achieve this goal. I hope that I can stick with it and make writing about it just a part of my everyday routine. As least I can be sure that Strict Week will only last a few more days until I decide to do it again. More water, vitamins, and more exercise will also help me to feel better about myself and this entire process. It is always hardest at the beginning of any long term campaign and I just need to keep on pushing. Raaaah! Goodbye Candida Monkey!
This morning I ate the edge of my daughter's chocolate chip muffin. She was done with it and I told myself that it was because I didn't want it to go to waste. Baloney! I felt so terribly guilty afterward for having broken my vow. It's funny how a little muffin rind can cause such stress.
My mom, who is undertaking to leave sugar behind at the same time as I am, emailed me about the little voice of the Candida Monkey. It is true that when one is cleansing the yeast bacteria that cause Candida will send messages to your brain to make you actually believe that you need more sugar and other yeast-friendly foods. I takes the form of a little nagging voice like an evil conscience telling you things like "oh, I have been so good lately, I deserve a little treat" or "no one is telling me I can't have it" or "I need to keep my energy up because it is going to be a busy day" and so on. The Candida Monkey is hard to ignore because it does such a darn good impression of one's own internal voice. The good thing is that once the Candida is gone after three or four days, it is blissfully quiet inside one's head.
I am feeling generally pretty discouraged today though. After yesterday's discovery of an extra ten pounds and my little tryst with a muffin, I am realizing that it is going to be a big challenge to achieve this goal. I hope that I can stick with it and make writing about it just a part of my everyday routine. As least I can be sure that Strict Week will only last a few more days until I decide to do it again. More water, vitamins, and more exercise will also help me to feel better about myself and this entire process. It is always hardest at the beginning of any long term campaign and I just need to keep on pushing. Raaaah! Goodbye Candida Monkey!
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Tipping the Scale
I did it. Today I bought the dreaded bathroom scale. I am not going to be content in not knowing what progress I am making. The downside is knowing how heavy I really am. A full ten pounds more than expected! Granted some of that is milk but I am still one hefty mama.Soooo this means that my goal weight is a full 60 pounds away. Drat!
Monday, 6 June 2011
Thinking Thin
You know the old adage "think thin"? Well I believe there is some truth to that. I have only been doing this regimen for 2 1/2 days and I already feel slimmer (which is great until I look in the mirror and realize that it has only been 2 1/2 days.) Still, I am having a great day today. I woke up feeling clear and humming with energy when it usually takes a certain amount of grumbling before I launch myself out of bed. My mind feels less foggy and I am generally more pleasant to be around.
Here is what I figure: I have probably been full of candida for most of my pregnancy and it peaked when I had to have a huge dose of antibiotics when the baby was born. Since then I just haven't felt right. My digestion and complexion were poor, I had a foggy brain (granted that might have partially been due to "baby brain"), and I just felt all around polluted. I haven't done an herbal cleanse in a couple of years due to being pregnant, breastfeeding, and then pregnant again so I know things were building up. Now I am giving my poor ol' body a break from all of the naughty stuff that I was eating to help myself feel better (ironic) and I have to say it is so rewarding to feel immediate results, even if they are not visible.
Another thing that I am happy about is that I have finally had success in making a perfect batch of yogurt! While this may not seem thrilling to most people, I have been trying for so long with such poor results that it is nothing short of a miracle!! So I will now share the recipe and process with you.
Yummy Yogurt
1 L 2% milk
1 c. skim milk powder
1/2 c. plain yogurt with active cultures (room temperature)
You will also need a cooking thermometer and (the secret weapon- thanks again Alton Brown) a heating pad with a low setting.
Heat the milk to 150 degrees and add the milk powder. Let the milk cool to 118-120 degrees and gradually stir in the yogurt. Combine well and pour into your container (I use a tupperware). Now wrap the heating pad around the container and secure with a rubber band. Put a blanket or sweater over it and keep it cozy for 6-8 hours with the temperature on low (or medium if your pad is as wimpy as mine). Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!
If the consistency is too runny then it wasn't kept warm enough, if it goes curdy then it was too hot. This morning mine scooped like softened ice cream. Yay! Have fun with this, it is way cheaper than buying good yogurt and it is so fresh that the happy little bacteria do great things for your body! Enjoy!
Here is what I figure: I have probably been full of candida for most of my pregnancy and it peaked when I had to have a huge dose of antibiotics when the baby was born. Since then I just haven't felt right. My digestion and complexion were poor, I had a foggy brain (granted that might have partially been due to "baby brain"), and I just felt all around polluted. I haven't done an herbal cleanse in a couple of years due to being pregnant, breastfeeding, and then pregnant again so I know things were building up. Now I am giving my poor ol' body a break from all of the naughty stuff that I was eating to help myself feel better (ironic) and I have to say it is so rewarding to feel immediate results, even if they are not visible.
Another thing that I am happy about is that I have finally had success in making a perfect batch of yogurt! While this may not seem thrilling to most people, I have been trying for so long with such poor results that it is nothing short of a miracle!! So I will now share the recipe and process with you.
Yummy Yogurt
1 L 2% milk
1 c. skim milk powder
1/2 c. plain yogurt with active cultures (room temperature)
You will also need a cooking thermometer and (the secret weapon- thanks again Alton Brown) a heating pad with a low setting.
Heat the milk to 150 degrees and add the milk powder. Let the milk cool to 118-120 degrees and gradually stir in the yogurt. Combine well and pour into your container (I use a tupperware). Now wrap the heating pad around the container and secure with a rubber band. Put a blanket or sweater over it and keep it cozy for 6-8 hours with the temperature on low (or medium if your pad is as wimpy as mine). Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!
If the consistency is too runny then it wasn't kept warm enough, if it goes curdy then it was too hot. This morning mine scooped like softened ice cream. Yay! Have fun with this, it is way cheaper than buying good yogurt and it is so fresh that the happy little bacteria do great things for your body! Enjoy!
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Recipes for Strict Week
Initially I was pretty baffled as to what I was going to eat on Strict Week. After all, so much of our food has dairy, gluten and sugar insidiously incorporated- even in "health food". So I did a little poking around in my multitude of cookbooks and found a couple of recipes for tasty Strict Week alternatives.
Baba Ghanouj / Hummus
The recipes for these two dips are so similar that it is a 2 for 1 recipe.
1 medium eggplant / 2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/4 c. tahini
lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 fresh garlic clove, chopped or 3 cloves lightly sauteed in olive oil
1 Tbs olive oil (more doesn't hurt)
1 tsp chopped parsley
(if the hummus is too dry you can add more olive oil and a splash of water if necessary)
Preheat the oven to 350. Drizzle some olive oil on a baking sheet. Halve the eggplant lengthwise, sprinkle the cut side with salt, leave for 10 minutes and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the cut sides down on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until it is nice and soft and the skin is wrinkly.
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and zip it until creamy. Season as desired with salt and pepper. Enjoy with fresh cut veggies and a handful of almonds for a filling and hearty meal.
Breakfast Smoothie
In the interest of keeping my calcium up for breastfeeding I have made one dairy exception for yogurt. I usually split this up and have it twice in the morning to boost the ol' metabolism.
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. soy milk or juice
4 oz frozen mixed berries
1 ripe banana
any other soft fruit that you might like
2 Tbs. hemp protein powder (or other vegan option)
Enjoy!
Baba Ghanouj / Hummus
The recipes for these two dips are so similar that it is a 2 for 1 recipe.
1 medium eggplant / 2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/4 c. tahini
lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 fresh garlic clove, chopped or 3 cloves lightly sauteed in olive oil
1 Tbs olive oil (more doesn't hurt)
1 tsp chopped parsley
(if the hummus is too dry you can add more olive oil and a splash of water if necessary)
Preheat the oven to 350. Drizzle some olive oil on a baking sheet. Halve the eggplant lengthwise, sprinkle the cut side with salt, leave for 10 minutes and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the cut sides down on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until it is nice and soft and the skin is wrinkly.
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and zip it until creamy. Season as desired with salt and pepper. Enjoy with fresh cut veggies and a handful of almonds for a filling and hearty meal.
Breakfast Smoothie
In the interest of keeping my calcium up for breastfeeding I have made one dairy exception for yogurt. I usually split this up and have it twice in the morning to boost the ol' metabolism.
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. soy milk or juice
4 oz frozen mixed berries
1 ripe banana
any other soft fruit that you might like
2 Tbs. hemp protein powder (or other vegan option)
Enjoy!
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