How's It Going?

So, we're a little more than a week into our Best Me challenge.  I am entering all my food and exercise into My Fitness Pal.  I have drastically cut down the amount of added sugar I am eating, but I am still sweetening my coffee.  I'm not eating bread or tortillas or other foods loaded with white flour right now.  So, I have the healthy eating thing down pretty well.

What do I need to improve??  I need to drink more water.  I have been drinking lots of green tea, but I am still only drinking about 5 glasses of water a day.  I'd like that to be more like 10.

I also need to add more cardiovascular exercise.  I don't like it.  I don't.  I hate running.  I hate cycling.  Zumba classes are taught at the same time that I am teaching yoga.  Excuses, excuses.  I am going to add one day of work on the elliptical or a group fitness class to my week.  It will be tough, but I am committed.

I had a cheat day for my son's birthday party last night, but I'm back on track today.  It takes a lot to fall off the wagon and then get right back on, so I'm definitely giving myself a pat on the back for that.

Beyond the food and exercise commitments, I've even been spending more time with face-to-face contact with friends.  I even had a yoga date with friends on Friday night, combining two of my favorite things!  I also sent a few encouraging texts to those I couldn't see in person this week.

What are you struggling with?  How are you succeeding?  I've already heard from some of you about how this challenge as influenced your choices and how some of you have fallen off the wagon.  Let's take this opportunity to be proud of our accomplishments this week.  Let's also take some time to reflect on what we need to improve and develop a plan of action.

If there's anything I can personally do to make your challenge more successful please let me know.  Part of being the Best Me is asking for help when needed and offering help when asked.

Plan Ahead

Before you start reading, please pay attention because I've added quite a few links in this post to recipes I use often.  Click on the link to view the recipe.  Okay, proceed.

The most important part of being able to cook from scratch food even on the busiest night is this: planning ahead.  Even those of us who work outside of the home beyond juggling all the at-home chores have an obligation to cook nutritious food for our families.  Food is fuel.  Food is disease prevention (or causation).  Food is happiness.  Food is a big deal, and planning meals ahead of time makes from-scratch cooking so much easier.

I generally only plan meals a couple of days in advance, but sometimes I get really crazy and plan a whole week in advance.  You'll notice many of my recipes allow me to cook meat from frozen because I generally forget to thaw it.  I spend a chunk of my Sunday doing some quick planning, usually baking some bread, and maybe making granola bars and/or muffins and/or tortillas.  I also sort out what's getting low in the fridge or pantry.

So, here's a typical supper plan for me...

Tonight I made beef stroganoff for the kids and Colby.  Colby (beers with friends) and Dade (pep band) are both gone this evening, so I needed to cook something that reheats easily.  Stroganoff is fast and reheatable.  Perfect.  My recipe is simple: Start by cooking one cup of rice (we like jasmine) with two cups of water or broth.  While that is cooking, brown one pound of ground beef.  Once it is browned, stir in two tablespoons of flour and one packet of onion soup mix.  I know, onion soup mix isn't the healthiest, but remember what I said about choosing your battles.  Add in about 3/4 cup of water and one cup of sour cream (or non-dairy sour cream).  When it is warmed through, dump in the rice.  Stir and add in more water if you want.  I used to add mushrooms to the stroganoff, but the kids prefer it without.  That's it.  Thirty minutes from pan to table even if you forgot to thaw the ground beef.

If this one eats my stroganoff then you know it's good!

Non-dairy sour cream...this one is our favorite.

Lots going on here...

Evelyn hard at work.  

While the stroganoff was cooking, I was also making some vegetable soup for myself.   I used purple potatoes and a bag of frozen mixed veggies and my homemade chicken broth.  Speaking of chicken broth, I saved all the scraps from chopping veggies as well as some random veggies sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten because tomorrow night I'm roasting a chicken.  And what happens when I roast a chicken??  Broth.

Hello, veggie scraps

Hello, soup

Oh, look...see that planning thing I told you about?  I have some soup for the freezer for the future and some in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.  This soup is really good, and you can pretty much eat as much of it as you want without feeling guilty.

Hello, lunch

So, I'm using the veggie scraps from my soup in the broth I will be making tomorrow night after roasting a  chicken.  Hey, I don't even have to thaw the whole chicken before I roast it.  I can toss that frozen son of a gun into the slow cooker in the morning and BAM!  Dinner is served.  If you have an extra slow cooker you can put a chicken in one and bake potatoes in the other.  Double BAM!  Or just roast two chickens and have tons of leftovers to help you out with that whole planning thing.

My family will eat the whole chicken, but if you have leftovers you can plan yet another meal with the leftover chicken (chicken wraps, chicken on salad greens, these amazeballs nachos, bbq chicken pizza on homemade crust, chicken and dumplings, etc.).  The possibilities are endless!  This planning thing is pretty.freaking.sweet.

More Than Just a Number

Okay, so two things about the following photo: Yes, I know I have Hobbit feet, and yes this is the first time I've purchased a scale in about 10 years.

Now everyone knows how much I weigh and that I have Hobbit feet.  It really isn't so bad.  Remember what I said in an earlier post: your weight is just a number that you can use as a stepping stone and just one of the many ways to gauge your progress.   Now that I've weighed myself I don't need to worry about that for awhile.

There will be lots of numbers on your Best Me journey if you decide you'd like to lose a few pounds: weight, calories, minutes of exercise, steps you've walked, pants size, and maybe price tags.  However, there is so much more to you and your best self than a number can ever measure.  

Becoming obsessed with how much you weigh and how many calories you're eating can and will bleed you dry emotionally.  Yes, overweight people can have severe eating disorders despite what popular culture might tell you.  Whenever those numbers start to creep into your brain try to tell yourself what those around you tell you...I love you.  You're a great friend.  Thanks you for being you.  You're the best!  

I say it so often in my yoga practice: treat yourself like you want others to treat you.  It's sort of the opposite of the golden rule, but you deserve nothing less than the best from yourself!  Would you call someone you love fat or stupid or worthless??  Then why do it to yourself?  You are truly deserving of your own love and affection no matter what the numbers might say.  Although stepping on the scale can be a wake up call, I don't want it to be the alarm that makes you feel bad about yourself.  I want your numbers to be only a small part of what makes you who you are.  

Always remember the most important number: one.  

One life you have been given to live and enjoy and explore. 

One day at a time, one moment at a time to live that life free from undeserved criticism.

One love for yourself that spreads like wildfire to those around you.  Keep that fire burning because that fire can light a thousand candles without ever being diminished (thanks for that one, Buddha).  

Namaste, friends!  And remember that when you start to get down on yourself that you have a village of friends and family who would love to remind you how amazing are.  We are only a phone call, coffee date, yoga class, or text away.  

Living in the Moment

Warrior II pose.  Maybe this photo isn't great for demonstrating form because I was two whiskey drinks in to a night out with friends, but you get the idea.  Warrior II helps build strong bones and muscles.  It helps open up your groin and hips.  It invigorates your core and makes you feel powerful.

However, there is symbolism beyond the physical benefits of Warrior II.  As I look toward my forward hand, as I am in this photo, I am looking forward to the future.  I can set intentions, set realistic goals, and envision what my life could be like with dedication and determination.  If I were to turn my head and look back toward my backward hand, I could see my past and all the events that have made me stronger.  All the mistakes and people and choices that made me who I am.  All the happiness, all the joy, all the pain.  It all made me who I am today.

But where is my body?  Where is my brain and consciousness?  I am in the center, in the present, living each moment, enjoying every breath.  While we look forward and backward we must always remember that we are alive right now in this moment.  And this moment??  This moment is the beginning of anything you want.  Anxiety comes from thinking too much about what the future holds, and depression comes from focusing too much on the past.  Life is lived in the present; stop dwelling on what you can't change.   Focus on your breath, and as you do you can literally feel each moment.

Let's make a commitment to spend more time in Warrior II pose both physically (by practicing the pose) and mentally (by practicing its symbolism).

Need to add some inspirational songs to your playlist to help you remember to stay present??  Here are a few of my favorites.  You can click on the link to see the video.

1. Living in the Moment by Jason Mraz

2.  Be Here Now by Ray LaMontagne

3.  Shake It Out by Florence and the Machine

4.  Just Keep Breathing by We the Kings

Life is Like a Loaf of Bread

Fresh baked bread is one of the most belly-warming gifts you can give your family.  I will never say otherwise: mastering yeast dough can be tricky.  If you don't have a high-quality stand mixer (like Kitchenaid) or a bread machine you have to knead and knead and knead.  Frankly, ain't nobody got time for that.  I make four loaves a week, and if I had to hand-knead the dough I probably wouldn't do it.  Don't get me wrong, it can be done, and I used to knead bread by hand before I got a stand mixer.  Now, my Kitchenaid 6 quart is my best friend in the kitchen.

This is the best bread recipe I've found.  I often substitute coconut oil for butter and part whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour.  I buy yeast at Sam's club in large bricks (remember: extra yeast needs to be stored in the fridge).  You can also buy it at the grocery store in a jar; the packets just seem really useless if you're going to be baking with yeast every week.  Even though I am not an expert and am still learning, I would be happy to help you learn to make yeast dough if you'd like.  Yesterday, in fact, when I made bread I let it rise too long.  Oh well.  It still tastes good.

Bread gets a bad name, and somewhat rightly so.  The loaf of bread you buy in a bag at the store is basically bleached flour, sugar, and air.  When you make bread from scratch YOU control what goes into it making it vastly more nutritious and safe...and DELICIOUS!!

Back to my original theory: Life is a lot like a loaf of bread.  I know it seems a bit ridiculous, but it's true.  There are a few things that have to happen in order for us to become who we are, just like that happy little loaf of bread.

First, the best and simplest ingredients make the best loaf.  Bread isn't fancy; it's simple and satisfying.  Bread doesn't demand or require an expensive list of components.  Neither should we demand what we don't need or require expensive goods to be happy.  Confucius said, "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."  Letting go of comparison is the first step to enjoying the simple life.

Next, bread needs to to beat up.  Bread needs to be kneaded and pushed around and folded and turned upside down.  Every single one of us has gone through times when we felt like we couldn't take it any longer; like going on was just too hard.  It's cliche, but as the saying goes, "Tough times don't last, but tough people do."  Every push, every tug, every turn is making you better.

What happens if we knead our loaf of bread but don't let it rest??  It never becomes a loaf of bread.  It  instead becomes a hard, crusty log of cooked dough.  Bread needs to rest in order to rise, as do we.   Rest is our time to reflect on what we love and what we need to change.  Rest is our time to recharge our batteries.  Rest is what lets us recover from life's pounding and become what we truly are.

Finally, bread needs a friend to help it turn from dough to loaf: heat.  Now, I'm not saying that you need heat, but this time of the year a little sun wouldn't hurt, you know?  What you need is a friend to compliment you and to provide you exactly what you need (not too much, not too little) to live life to its fullest.  I hope that making a commitment to building your Village is part of your Best Me plan because your little loaf of bread is counting on it!

If you haven't already started a consistent yoga practice, I wish that you would.  Yoga provides you with some vital parts of your life as a loaf of bread.  :-)

More Food Friends

January 1 was day one of the Best Me 2015 Challenge.  It was the first day of a drastic reduction in my sugar intake.  So far, so good.  I entered all my food into My Fitness Pal, and I had calories to spare at bedtime.  However, I didn't feel at all hungry, so I feel really good about that.

I want to share a few more food friends today, but as I continue to share these friends I want you to remember what I said about choosing your battles.  I don't always make everything from scratch.  I don't always buy the healthiest option.  I certainly hope you don't judge me or anyone else for her food choices.  I want this challenge to inspire you to make healthier upgrades to your pantries and refrigerators and not inspire sanctimonious food shaming of others.  

I like to have healthier convenience foods on hand to prevent me from going to a drive thru.  See what I mean by choosing my battles??  

These burgers are great when you're having an Indian food craving.  They don't need a bun at all.  

My kids have tried every single type of organic macaroni and cheese, and these two are their favorite.  Trader Joe's also carries a couple of tasty all-natural macaroni and cheeses that aren't organic but are free from artificial colors and flavors.  

Even my meat-loving husband loves these burgers.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against beef hamburgers, but they require a lot more time, effort, and mess.  Also, limiting consumption of red meat really brings down my grocery bill.

Seriously, that's a great looking vegan burger on a homemade bun with a little mayo.  

Another great snack time or breakfast time food friend is the smoothie.  One of my kids' favorite is what I call a monkey smoothie: frozen bananas, powdered peanut butter, and whole milk (or non-dairy milk if you want).  It's basically like eating ice cream.  The older three can make smoothies all by themselves, and they love adding nuts, unsweetened coconut, cocoa powder, and spinach to their smoothies.  My personal favorite smoothies are made with coconut water (I freaking love coconut water...but it has a lot of sugar, so it's off the menu right now).  

Remember my food friend the roasted chicken??  Well, she comes back as another food friend: chicken broth.  Homemade chicken broth is not only versatile, but it also imparts lots of nutritional benefits.    It's really nothing more than veggies, salt, water, and chicken carcass.  I dump it all in the slow cooker and let it cook overnight.

Good morning, beautiful.

I have a great straining system set up with a large measuring cup/bowl, a fine mesh colander, and a bowl for scraps.

Strain the broth, put it in WIDE-MOUTHED glass jars (or it will explode), and put it in the freezer.  

Remember that bowl in the photo filled with all the bones and veggies and chunks from the broth?  Guess who gets to eat that?

It was cold and snowy, so the girls didn't want to come outside...

...until they realized the delicious treat that awaited them!

Yes, we feed our chickens chicken bones and meat.  Chickens are NOT vegetarians, and they will, in fact, kill and eat other chickens that are sick or injured. Why would I throw away bones and scraps when the hens could eat them?? 

See, I give the scraps from one of my favorite food friends (broth) to my favorite friends who give me food (hens).  It's the circle of food friends.  Haha

(Wo)Man Cannot Live By Bread Alone

I've spent quite a bit of time focusing on what I eat or don't eat.  However, what makes us happy and healthy goes far beyond what we eat and drink or how much we exercise.  Throughout 2014 I made a commitment to improve the most important factor in lifelong happiness and success: my Village.

I've said before that our 2013 fire was truly a blessing in disguise.  Not only is my house decluttered, but I also learned how kind, supportive, and nourishing people are.  We were showered with love and warmth until we were literally flooded, and it was spectacular.  The only way I could ever, ever repay is to spread that warmth out into the world.

You know what?  Being a kind, giving, nourishing person really makes you feel good.  I've seized every opportunity to be there for others, to be helpful, to be steadfast, to listen, to share, and to forgive.  I want to make people feel good about themselves and be a positive influence.

To be the Best Me means being someone else's partner, friend, confidant.  So, here are some commitments I'm making to help grow a happier, healthier, stronger Village:

1.  Make time for face to face contact with friends and family.  More coffee dates.  More girl time.  More friendsies yoga.

2.  Ask friends for help when I need it and lend a hand when asked.  I ask that my friends be willing to bear my troubles with me, and I in turn promise to bear you burdens, as well.  Why would I want to deal with other people's problems??  Well, these "other people" aren't just people; they are the folks who make up my Village.  When they are healthier then my community is healthier.  I'm building up social resources, a social savings account, so to speak.  Trust me...you'll need it.

3.  Along the same lines as #2, I commit to sharing whatever resources I have available to friends who need them.  That doesn't always mean money; sometimes it does.  It's a skills and resources barter system, but with this system you don't keep track of who owes you what.  If I buy you lunch or a drink or do you a favor, I consider it an action of love and friendship all on its own.  I hope that someone, someday can repay, but that never means I expect an equal and timely repayment of the favor/act.  The truth is that sometimes we quite literally have nothing left to give.  I accept that, and I hope you, too, can see the value in sharing your resources without expectation.  I've found that good karma always has a way of finding its way home.

So, there you have it.  Building the Best Me often means helping others build their best selves, as well.

Namaste, friends!  I leave you with a photo of friendship written in blood and ink; but more importantly a quote about how friendships often begin.  We crossed paths at the right time.