the weight loss papers

I’ve been steadily working on some major projects, causing a sort of “unexcused absence” from this blog over the past few weeks. Well, that, and the kids were on spring break April 7-11. I had planned to write some advanced posts for this blog and somehow never had the time.

So, anyway - not much has happened on the weight loss front. I’ve been continuing to experiment with the suggestions in the candida article I read a while back including adding flax seed to my foods, staying away from “white” foods (bread, rice, potatoes, etc), eating no dairy products (except pizza last week for my oldest sons birthday) and drinking plenty of veggie juice and smoothies as well as cutting out sugars.

Although I still have not had any significant success with it, there are some small successes that I’m pleased enough with to keep going on it. I’ve also added some Niacin (aka, Vitamin B3) to my supplements for heart health and have also added a fiber supplement.

One of the things I like best so far are the “blended salads” I’ve been drinking. (I wrote about those in one of my last posts.) I’ve found a concoction that is really tasty -

• A handful of 50/50 Spring Mix (pre-mixed, bagged salad)
• A handful of Baby Spinach
• 1-2 tablespoons ground Flax Seed
• 2-3 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• Half of a medium sized Apple, seeded and cored
• 1 tablespoon psyllium powder (can use a fiber supplement like Metamucil or something)
• 10-12 ounces of water

Every once in a while, I’ll put some horseradish in there to give it some kick. It’s pretty good. I’ve been drinking this once or twice a day. Be warned, though, that if you use extra Spinach (there’s already some in the Spring Mix), you’ll need a pretty high powered blender as the Spinach can get pretty heavy and stringy when it’s wet and has a tendency to wrap itself around the blades. It doesn’t work so well in my Bullet Blender, but it does just fine in my regular, full size, multi-speed Oster.

Ok . . . let’s see . . . what else have you missed?

Oh, I know!

I made an incredibly delicious oatmeal bread last week. Even my picky 10 year old son who only wants to eat white bread, ate it. It was SO good! In fact, I’ve got to make some more soon. I’ll share the recipe later this week. I’d take a picture of it for you, but 3 year old seems have taken off with my SD card for camera and the camera won’t download pics to my computer without it. Hopefully I’ll find it soon. Maybe my 14 year old would let me borrow hers? Hmmm . . . will have to ask. (Unless I get lucky and she reads this post. Can I borrow your camera, sweetie? Please?)

Well, speaking of the 3 year old terrorizer, I hear him messing with something in the bathroom. I’d better go see what mess he’s left for me to clean up . . .

Note to self - don’t scream too loudly.

Til later,
Annie

This is a recipe of my own concoction. Can’t promise the flavor is good, but it’s not horribly bad either. One of those flavors I can live with.

Combine and mix in blender the following:

• 1-2 teaspoons Flax Oil (I suppose you could use ground flax seed as well)
• 1 scoop of HealthyGreens (or an equivalent product)
• 1-2 teaspoons Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tablespoons MLO Vegan Brown Rice Protein Powder
• 8-12 oz cold, purified water
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (optional)

You can adjust to suit your taste but not much is going to make it great, I don’t think. Like I said, it’s certainly not delicious but it won’t make you puke, either. At least, I hope not. If you use yogurt, I would suggest not using a flavored one - it tastes worse! Plain or vanilla is best and will tone down the taste of the HealthyGreens which can be overpowering and although tastes a bit like licorice, is not that wonderful. I think it’s the texture more than anything that makes it that way.

In any case, enjoy! Let me know if you try and what you think.

~ Annie

Chili Potato Wedges

Makes 4 servings

These spiced-up potato wedges are oven-baked, so they’re crispy but very low in fat. They’re high in energy-boosting carbs, though, packing 5 grams of fiber per serving. What a dish!

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes, cut lengthwise into 12 wedges each
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

To Make:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and oil. Toss well to coat. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, and red pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the potatoes, tossing well to coat.

Arrange the potato wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and bake for 15 to 17 minutes more, until crisp.

Per serving: 109 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 5 g total fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g dietary fiber, 610 mg sodium

I have not tried this yet but it sounds so delicious! I plan to try it very soon. Will let you know what I think of it. And let me know if you try it and what you think, too.

Enjoy!

~ Annie

I mentioned my 10-grain (or 7-grain works too) bread recipe a few posts back and haven’t had a chance to post it yet so here goes!

Add everything to the bread machine as follows:

• 3 3/4 cups Whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 tablespoons Dry milk powder (I have omitted this successfully)
• 3/8 cup 10-grain cereal
• 2 tablespoons Molasses
• 13 1/2 fluid oz Water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dry yeast

I use the whole wheat setting on my machine. I am not sure what size loaf this makes because my machine doesn’t have that option but it’s fairly big and quite a heavy loaf. I suggest taking it out of the bread pan as soon as your machine is finished so the crust doesn’t get too crispy as it tends to crips fairly quickly and can become quite hard if it sits in there too long.

I have also added 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce to this recipe with tasty results.

Hope you enjoy! If you make it, let me know how it turns out and what you thought of it.

~ Annie

One of the dilemmas I often have is deciding what to eat. Honestly, I’m a pretty picky eater mostly because of my allergies but still, there’s just some things I really don’t like. My likes and dislikes have changed a little over the years - for example, when I was a child, I didn’t like spinach though I do like it now and we tend to eat a couple of times per week. Fortunately, my husband is not as picky as me so I don’t have to worry about that.

Here are a few of my favorites -

• Lemon and spinach couscous with tuna
• Spinach with cucumber salsa, green beans, garlic and tuna
• Black bean soup with tomatoes
• Broiled salmon with broccoli, carrots and wild rice
• Lentil soup with a slice of homemade 10-grain bread

As you can see, I eat an almost vegetarian diet. We only have red meat about once a month anymore. But the real key here is the portions. I’ve been following a general rule that one should eat a half cup of protein and one cup of vegetables per meal. That’s really easy to figure out and if you’re eating 5 mini-meals a day, it’s quite filling. And a cup of vegetables is a LOT more than it sounds like. The second key is combining the right foods together but generally, this half cup of protein and one cup of veggies is quite doable for me most of the time.

Now, my kids won’t eat salmon or spinach so I usually prepare 2 meals - one for my husband and I, and one for the kids. Well, actually, usually just the protein portion. I’ll fix chicken for them and salmon for us and the same vegetables for everyone. Since I usually make 2 or 3 different vegetables at a time, everyone ends up with something they like.

I’ll post recipes of some of my favorites soon, probably on a separate page just for recipes only.

Really, the truth of the matter is that I hate eating. I like cooking but eating is a pain. I’m the kind of person who could go hours without eating something and not notice. If I had my way, I’d never eat. It’s just a bothersome chore. And that’s’ probably why I’ve had trouble losing the last 30+ pounds - I forget to eat so my body keeps hanging on to the fat because it’s gone into “starvation mode.” I think that’s why eating 5 small meals works so well for me . . . it keeps me fueled and helps my body realize it doesn’t need to store the excess - it can just get rid of it.

I like that a lot!

~ Annie