This is the time of the week when I’m scouring my refrigerator for things that need to be eaten from earlier in the week, and start to think about the next week. Tomorrow is Farmer’s Market Day here, so I’ll be picking up fresh veggies for next week. I’m also evaluating what worked and what didn’t this week. I’m keeping track of what new foods I tried, and which ones I liked (a lot) and want to make certain I purchase again. I’m also STILL finding sneaky sugars in my food in the pantry.
Challenges:
We all have challenges, that’s just the way it’s gonna go. It isn’t that challenges happen, but it is how we handle them that matters. Sometimes they may slow progress, and occasionally even knock us off our plan. If that happens, get over it, and get back on track as soon as you can. My challenge this week has been my twisted knee which has been extremely painful and had me hobbling around the house until yesterday. I began taking a steroid, Prednisone, to reduce the inflammation in my knee and my wrists. The good news? It’s working! The not-so-good-news? Prednisone works by suppressing the immune system, and inflammation in the body is caused by your immune system fighting or protecting the body against a perceived threat of some kind. Sometimes our immune systems over-react and our body begins to fight itself in a way that causes auto-immune disease. Often this is in response to stress that we haven’t released or metabolized. The way I’ve set the 90 Day Challenge up, it should and will help the body reduce inflammation by eliminating any foods and additives that don’t support healing and renewal. So. back to the side effects of Prednisone. Well, when I take it, it “wires me” and I have a difficult time winding down to sleep, it also stimulates the appetite and causes some puffiness from water retention. Yep, I’m experiencing all of this. My rings were tight today, I woke up tired because I couldn’t fall asleep until long after midnight, and I was extra hungry today. This is temporary, and I’m happy to report that I’m walking much better and tonight, and tired enough that I believe I’ll have an easier time with sleep. In a day or two I’ll be able to gradually start tapering the dosage down, too.
Coffee With Kay
I woke up hungry so I had my coffee with Nutpods Creamer while I fixed my breakfast. I’m thinking how I might improve my morning rituals along with my Self-Care and Clean Eating Challenge. I have a few ideas, already. I’ll share them later.
Breakfast: Mexican Scramble
I had a small serving of hash brown potatoes—less than 1/3 cup—left over from earlier in the week. I heated those in a skillet and then moved them to the side while I cooked some eggs. I tossed my combination in a breakfast bowl, the one that says “Wake Up!” on it. LOL! Then I warmed some Salsa to put on top along with some avocado slices.
Lunch: Something filling with a lot of Bulk to satisfy a big hunger!
By 11:15 I was hungry, and knew I needed to leave the house in 45 minutes for my massage and wouldn’t be back home for several hours. Instead of just grabbing something to go, I decided to make time to eat a meal with plenty of bulk and fiber to satisfy my hunger, which I knew was stronger that usual due to that Prednisone. I made myself a salad of spinach leaves, topped with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes & onions that needed to be finished, and combined some of the vinegar/water with a Tablespoonful of Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise to make a dressing. I sliced a boiled egg and a small chicken breast to add, along with a few olives. That was lunch.
Dinner: In a Snap
By the time I got home from my massage and running a couple of errands since I was in Gloucester, the oldest village in Virginia, I was hungry again. And after that massage, I was relaxed and didn’t really feel like fixing anything to eat. Yikes! It was the first day I’ve missed having some wine—but of course the craving passed and I grabbed one of those servings of Frittata and drenched it in Habenero Sauce and it was a great dinner.
Last Meal of the Day
It’s rainy and I feel relaxed and I was craving some soup. I reached in the pantry for some broth, and imagine what I found in my Natural & Organic Vegetable Broth. Organic Cane Sugar —yep, more sneaky sugar. So, I grabbed a few things from my EFK (Emergency Food Kit) stash instead and ate a meal that was good, but probably as close to “junk food” as I can get on this program. 😉 It actually had more calories for the meal that I’d have chosen, but I knew that Lara Bar just wasn’t going to last without some extra protein. This plate of food is almost funny. But it filled my need—and was easy. I resolved to plan ahead a little bit more and get more creative with my cooking in the coming week. I pulled out a whole chicken that I purchased from the Parker Farm in Gloucester; their animals are pasture raised on all organic and healthy foods with nothing artificial, and no added growth hormones or antibiotics. I’ll roast that chicken tomorrow and after I’ve picked the bones I’ll make bone broth. Some of you may have heard about bone broth lately. I hear it is somewhat of a fad for 2017. However, the benefits of drinking bone broth have been known for centuries, and it is even used medicinally in some traditions. It’s not difficult to make at all, but I believe it is important to know where those bones come from and how that animal was raised before you literally cook the marrow and the minerals and the collagen out of them to promote health in your own body. I’ll post more on those benefits when I make the broth. It’s good comfort food and good to have on hand!
Please leave a comment below, and feel free to post any questions or challenges you are having!
Thank you!
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