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.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Monday, 13 June 2011
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.
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.
Friday, 10 June 2011
My first stumble
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.
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.
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!
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