Adventures in juicing: beets!

Yesterday morning was an adventure with beets. I did a google search for a starter "recipe" and zeroed in on this: 

 Oops, I forgot the celery. 

I was impressed with the beautiful colors of the pulp, I felt like we truly were drinking the rainbow when I was cleaning up afterward. 

Tastewise, not my favorite combo. Next time, I'll use only 1 beet to minimize that "earthy" taste and probably less fruit. I'd give this recipe a grade of a C, maybe a C-. We can definitely do better. 

A tasty experiment... so light and fresh!

We were out of apples today, which made my morning juicing taste not so good. I made an imperative stop at the store... pausing first to appreciate my body for taking me where I need to go. 

 It feels good to be ack on the healthy food wagon. My PMS cravings had me totally off track for a day or two and I paid for it. Look closely, and you'll see V's beers.

 The beginnings of dinner...

More of Steve's tomatoes

 A KILLER sauce! Tomatoes, mushrooms, italian sausage, garlic (lots and lots of it), onions, basil, and olive oil. Man oh man was this amazing.

Tossed onto a bed of spaghetti squash, with a touch of butter. V ate hers with some goat cheese sprinkled on top. Next time, we might add in wilted spinach and fresh parmesan. But it's hard to imagine that it could taste any better. Experiment successful!

TMI Tuesday (for 10/24)

As a person with Crohn's, I find that the pertinent details in my life often fall into the category of Too Much Information. While it makes sense to avoid topics people are uncomfortable with, it's also socially isolating. In the interest of authenticity, I'm launching a series of post called "TMI Tuesday".

Technically, yesterday was Tuesday, so this post is already a day late. Which is an accurate reflection of the pace I've been moving at. I had a slow and sluggish start and throughout the day, I complained frequently of fatigue and tiredness.  I struggled to find words to capture the feeling. It felt like all of the energy in my body was being leached from my bones. There were weird things going on in the ol' digestive system, and I wasn't hungry at all. My food intake for the day consisted of a veggie juice in the morning, a handful of potato chips, and a soup for dinner.

V was a complete sweetheart and called me to tell me there was a boot sale at Macy's... and that if I could find a pair I liked, she'd buy them for me. I was stoked, but didn't feel good. When the first pair didn't fit, I pretty much abandoned the sale. I didn't have it in me to keep searching. You know a girl isn't feeling right when she can walk away from a fall boot sale!

The ride home was... well, I promised TMI, so I should deliver TMI. I don't know if I can go there quite yet, in detail. Nor do I believe anyone wants me to. I'll leave out the details and allude instead.

Today, Wednesday, has been a better day. My appetite is returning and my energy levels are better. I was actually a whiz at work. The low point would be the frequent restroom visits, which is tricky when your job involves being on the road and visiting people's homes. (Most of which, you couldn't pay me to use the restrooms of). Are you starting to get the picture? A day in the life of a chronie....

I'm looking forward to dinner tonight, and hoping my body receives it well. We have a bunch of tomatoes from Steve's garden still, so we're experimenting with cooking them down, along with mushrooms, garlic, onion and some italian sausage... and pairing it with spaghetti squash. Please, body, please...  play nice.

You glow, girl!

V has been noticing a difference in how she feels on days we juice and days we skip it. I'm SURE her body is doing a happy dance  - thanking her for nutrients and begging for more. It's not just us chronies who need to keep our insides healthy.

She got a super cute haircut yesterday, which totally inspires me to do something new and different. But alas, I've been growing my hair out for Nikki's wedding. No sense in cutting it with only 18 days to go. Doesn't she look great though? She's getting that healthy glow! :)

Big Island Love: Super Saturday

First things first: I had a "Saturday splurge" meal. Except... it was on Friday night. 

All I can say is ... YUM, YUM, YUM! 

Peppercorn shrimp, mandarin chicken, honey walnut shrimp, thai cashew chicken and crab rangoon. And, obviously, noodles. My taste buds did a serious happy dance. 

I was going to skip the fortune cookie, but now I'm glad I didn't! ;) 

Before going to bed, I did several yoga poses to help with digestion. It's become a bit of a nightly ritual and I'm convinced that it helps.  As a bonus, I'm starting to feel a bit like a bendy-bad-ass.

This morning, I was stoked to have a couple of different plans to choose from: a hike in volcano or trying stand up paddle boarding for the first time. Although I'm feeling better by the day, I questioned whether or not I have the strength for SUP just yet. 

I opted for the hike. The wind was whipping and there was a powerful silence as we trekked across the lava. Not a day goes by without my feeling grateful to be here.  

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It started to rain as we wrapped up our hike. I missed the farmers market today, so had to hit KTA for the produce. $30 later, and we're stocked up with fruits and veggies for the week.

I finished the evening with a nice healthy dinner: more of Steve's tomatoes and Joane & Terri's avocado with balsamic vinaigrette. A few bites of pork steak and I have one happy belly! 

All in all, it was another beautiful Big Island day. My heart is happy. 

Eating local

 Yesterday's breakfast was a modified version of the "mean green" juice: kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, a fuji apple, 1/2 a lemon and some ginger. This wasn't from a local supply, it all came from Safeway and KTA.  But I plan to hit up the farmer's market for a re-supply.

 Lunch on the go! An organic avocado, cherry tomatoes and a tangelo. 

 It's not often that I eat citrus type fruits, but when they're free.... (from Christy's tree) why not?

Dinner: roasted root vegetables with cherub tomatoes from Steve's garden, avocado from Joane and Terri's tree, salsa, a drop of sour cream. And the eggs were from Gary's chickens.

I didn't realize until just now, how much local food we eat. With a conscious effort, I'm sure it could be more.

5 Ways To Inspire Yourself Into Happy, Healthy Action

5 Ways to Inspire Yourself Into Happy, Healthy Action

1. Isolate and unplug.  That's right, RELAX! Alone. Without the television on, without being glued to the internet, tapping on your iphone, or sucked into a book. Give yourself the gift of silence and peace. Disconnect from the constant flood of other people's input, opinions and advice long enough to hear your own voice.

2. Meditate, journal or pray. This takes "peace and quiet" one step further. Chances are, your inner wisdom (or higher self or whatever you want to call it) is waiting for you to connect to it, and is loaded with encouragement, support, fresh ideas, etc. I'm always amazed at the ideas and energy I receive when I consciously tune in to spiritual guidance.

3. Surround yourself with healthy, active, positive people. It's been said we should choose our friends wisely - because the people we spend the most time with are the greatest influences on our thoughts, perceptions and behavior. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be influenced by energetic, radiant, optimistic attitudes than depressed, grumbling, "woe-is-me" thinking.

4. Practice positive self talk. This might sound cheesy, but it's so important. The way you talk to yourself directly influences the way you feel. The way you feel directly influences the way you behave. Make sure that your self talk is encouraging, uplifting, and positive. Stop berating yourself when you make an unhealthy choice out of habit. Instead, compliment yourself when you notice it wasn't what you really wanted to do. Awareness is the foundation that change is built upon.

5. Give yourself permission to be who you are, to grow and change and to realize your full potential. A lot of us have grown up with specific ideas about who we are and are not. These ideas are reinforced by our parents, our siblings, our interactions with others. Knowing your roles in life is important. But it is equally important to recognize that you don't have to be limited and defined by these roles. You can choose, in each new moment, how you want your life to unfold. By giving yourself permission to step beyond your comfort zone (or those of others) you open the door to endless possibilities.