Fun facts about Strict Week

Well, this Strict Week is shaping up to be a bit easier than last week.  I have convinced my brain to accept that I am not allowed certain things and I finally think that I am convincing the Candida Monkey to shut up.  Since last week I have altered things a little.
I have always allowed an exception in my dairy rule to include yogurt, but having cut out most of my dairy consumption has done a bit of a number on my Calcium supply.  I am also breastfeeding a very robust little boy who needs his nutrients, thereby depleting mine even further.  I am now taking Calcium tablets with vitamin D along with my daily Prenatal and vitamin C.  I am also taking two Omega 3-6-9 capsules daily as I can't always get oily fish and other Omega rich foods.  I find that my mood is much more sunny when I remember to take my supplements in the morning with my breakfast.  It is important to always take supplements with food so they have something to grab on to and also to keep form getting nauseous from some of the stronger minerals like Iron and Zinc.
Next there is chocolate.  I have been doing some reading and have discovered that very good quality dark chocolate has some pretty amazing antioxidant properties.  "Cocoa and cocoa-laden dark chocolate have been identified as rich sources of antioxidants known as flavanols.  Cocoa has more cardioprotective proanthocyanidins than blueberries, more brain-saving catechins than green tea, more heart-healthy phenols than red wine.  Two tablespoons of cocoa have more antioxidants than four cups of green tea."  [Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today, March/April 2011].  As if I needed any convincing...  So I have included one lovely square of 70% cocoa black Lindt goodness to my daily routine.  It is a very nice treat that I allow myself once the kids are in bed at the end of the day.  An interesting side effect is that it caps any craving that might start brewing and makes me feel like I have allowed myself the decadent treat that the Candida Monkey keeps harping on about.  Bonus!  It is not even hard to limit myself to one square because the high cocoa chocolate is so potent.  So enjoy your chocolate, dear readers, as long as it is good quality and high in the magic cocoa solids.
And finally a word on gluten-free living.   I picked up a great book on cooking with whole grains (The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook by Judith Finlayson).  It is a fabulous primer for the whole grain rookie like myself because it has a complete breakdown of all the grains consumed today, their various forms, nutrition properties, fun facts, and how to cook them.  All of this before the recipe section even begins!
It was inspiring to me to know how many grains that I can consume that are gluten free and very tasty.  Grains with gluten include:  barley, rye, and all forms of wheat (such as spelt, kamut, farro, bulgur and couscous).  Gluten free grains include:  Amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff, and the old favourites, corn, oats, and rice.  The latter three were ones that I wasn't certain about, but now that I know I have been enjoying my oatmeal, grits, and sushi very much.  I can honestly say that I don't miss bread at all right now.  One last word about this book:  it includes stats and information about the US and Canada equally, which is refreshing for this Canadian mama.

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in

Today is the dreaded weigh-in.  This morning after nursing the baby and using the bathroom, before breakfast and getting dressed (basically as light as I can possibly manage to be) I weighed in at 234 lbs.  That is a full 4 pounds more than my last weigh in last week.  The perplexing thing is that I am looking a bit more slim, especially around my face and neck.  I am going to investigate this, maybe there is some logic to it.  I am not too disheartened because I at least look better.

Off the wagon and on again

Today I am back on track.  Over the weekend I indeed had my pizza (home made and whole wheat, mind you) and pie (store bought, key lime, very good but next time I will make it myself).  I meant to go back to the regime on Sunday but what's a girl to do if there are leftovers?  So today I made sure I was extra well behaved.  I had rice crackers with guacamole, baby spinach and sliced red bell pepper for lunch and I felt very righteous in doing so. 
One side effect of this dramatic change in my eating habits has been a clear indication that my body is undergoing a purge.  I keep breaking out in itchy little red rashes on my back and arms, I have hot flashes, and I have moments of "spicy" temperament.  My mom, who knows of these things better than I, says that it is my liver flushing out toxins.  Having experienced similar symptoms while doing an herbal cleanse, I can confidently agree and look forward to a shiny happy liver soon enough.
I wish that the past ten days had had more of an effect on my weight so I could at least feel like I have had a good head start.  It is strange, I look like I am losing weight (yay!) but the scale says that I have gained 6 lbs.  I don't get it.  I will post the official numbers in a couple of days on Weigh-in Wednesday.
I am now going to curl up on the couch to watch Julie and Julia.  I get a kick out of the fact that she is making and eating insanely fattening food and blogging about it while I am making and eating healthy low fat food and blogging about it.  Plus the movie just makes me feel good.