Ain't Nobody Got Time Fur Dat!

(Fair warning. I'm talkative tonight...)

Weeeeeeeell, the detox challenge is now technically over as of yesterday! Can I confess something? I don't feel this detox went as well as the first. You see, my goal in all of this is to find health. My body is not the wellest (that is not a word) it should be and I am trying to uncover why. What am I doing wrong? That's what I'm trying to know. During the previous sugar-free experiment, I felt the BEST I have felt in years! But this go-round, I felt less than stellar.

On Jan 8th, I woke up so sick. If puny and pathetic had a mascot, I was it. I needed help getting myself to the Dr because my entire body ached terribly, my throat felt like I was swallowing glass, my temp was over 101, and I couldn't stand or walk far without nearly passing out. All signs were pointing to Mono, but I got tested for Flu and Strep anyway; both of which returned negative. Mono it was. I have had it (and will always be a carrier...ugh...) since 2007 and since then, my poor immune system has been exactly that: poor. I hadn't had an "episode" in years but somehow, my body gave up and I was so very unwell. I ended up missing 4 days of work and many, many hours of my life because all I could do was sleep. And that's really what you're supposed to do. It took me another 9 days or so to start feeling fully back to normal.

But I thought I was getting healthier! I thought I was doing all of the right things! Detoxing from sugar (and frankly, avoiding it altogether) is, as I have been researching, a great way to help the immune system heal. I gave this analogy to my dad: imagine trying to fill a tub with water while the drain plug is pulled so the water doesn't stay. That's what it feels like is happening with my immune system. I am "filling" it with healthy eating but I must still be doing something wrong. I must still have the drain pulled somewhere. I must find where...

While I was resting during this sick time, I watched some very interesting things on Netflix. (I love me some Netflix!) I watched the documentaries "Forks Over Knives," "Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue," and "Food Matters". (Prior to this, I had also seen "Food, Inc.," "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead," "Vegucated") I was noticing a common thread throughout: Organic plant-based nutrition is the best thing for the human body. I was certainly increasing my fruit and veggie intake but oh buddy, my animal intake was high! You could not separate me from my love: bacon. :) But, I am interested and fascinated by the scientific research presented in these films about the affects of animal proteins on the body.

Then, someone recommended I watch "Earthlings" (www.earthlings.com), so I did. Folks, this rocked my world. I cannot condone the treatment of animals in the manner that many large-scale farms do. This film reveals so many unsightly things. Unacceptable. AND, those animals that have to withstand filthy conditions and then I consume that animal? Just because it tastes good? How is that healthy? Ugh. (But bacon tastes so good!!!!!!!! *sigh...)

So here I am, continuing on this journey of trying to find health by ways of good nutrition. I still have a long way to go to understand all of the scientific reasoning behind food but the logic I am uncovering in my research clicks with me. I am going to try a new approach to this health quest. I am going to continue the Paleo diet practices but eliminate animal products. I do believe Paleo is a very healthy way of eating. But I am now not convinced that eating animals is good for the body. (Feel free to feedback on this.)

I really dislike getting sick. It makes me angry, actually. And, honestly, ain't nobody got time to be gettin' sick!!!!

(Enjoy this video: http://youtu.be/bFEoMO0pc7k)

Planning: Squared, or Thirded

Mondays. I am not a very big fan of Mondays. My alarm clocks (because I have several) seem to be broken on most Mondays.

So it's the end of Day 7 of 21 (already?!?) on this sugar detox and I have to say...I am having more fun this time than with the first one I did over a year ago. That could be due to having more knowledge about what foods I think are D-lish and how to cook them, and also knowing more about the abundance of combinations I have with so many good, whole foods. Additionally, I have a more sincere care for consuming foods that will lead me toward health and not toward unwellness (I think I made up that word).  I went to Zio's (one of my favorites!) today for lunch and was able to completely refrain from eating any bread. That. Is. Progress, friends!!!

I follow several people on social media sites that give me inspiration and ideas on how to live this life healthier and cook some yummy foods. Since I am still fairly new to this whole cooking thing, I need all of the inspiration and ideas that I can find! :) Cave-Momma's Quest posted an idea on Facebook for the meal planning stage that resonated with me, so I tried it:

Fold a piece of paper into thirds. On left panel: plan your week's meals, middle panel: list ingredients, right panel: list what you need to buy. This took some time (partially because I was distracted with funny episodes of Monk and Psych) and as you can probably see, I didn't finish the week's meal planning but I am not worried about that. I have a feeling I will have leftover food for several meals. :) But this strategy of planning meals is what I did not do on the first sugar detox. Not planning made the last detox frustrating sometimes, and yes there were moments of tears (lots of tearful moments). But somehow I made it through with great success, and this concept was so simple that I think it will make this detox even better! You should try it. 

Success can really be enhanced with planning and the practice of writing those plans down. I mentioned this before and it's funny that I keep coming back to it. Perhaps there is something I am still not learning. :) 

"If you fail to plan, plan to fail" - Benjamin Franklin

More good news is that I haven't burned bacon again. Whew! On that note, I think I shall go cook some for tomorrow. :)

I Burned the Bacon

Friends!!! Happy New Year! Oh, how I have missed you. I am so sorry to have been away for so long. I have so much to tell you, but I don't want this post to be long enough to stretch to the moon and back (but maybe to the Equator and back). So, I will try to give you some highlights today and sprinkle in the updates over a more regular posting schedule. How's that sound? How have you been? Did I mention I missed you?

There has been so much change in my life since the last time I wrote. Let's see...

• I completed the Sugar Experiment and was a champ! I continued it for about 6 months and felt the best I have ever felt (made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years with out cheating on a sugary treat once. Not once!)
• I got a good grade on this sugar project I was doing for my Nutrition class
• I started Grad school in Education
• Stopped Grad school in Education
• Changed directions for Grad school and am now taking prerequisites for a degree in Dietetics and Nutrition
• Got a new car
• Got a new job
• Moved to my favorite part of town
• Completed a triathlon
• Completed several 5K races
• BECAME AN AUNTIE!!!
• Became a Paleo diet follower
• Became an Online dater (have mercy)
• Became a published photographer 

And somewhere along the way amidst all of this, I fell off the sugar-free wagon. And when I fell, I fell HARD. My old eating habits returned and my car started driving itself to Braum's for a large Mix w/ Reese's and M&M's (drool). My excuses that "I am just so busy, I don't have time to cook." and "I am too exhausted to cook." and "blah blah blah" were taking over and I simply slacked off. This Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years were not sugar-free for me. In fact I can recall sitting in the recliner at my parents' house with an entire bag of iced sugar cookies and eating them...all. So, here I am. Starting anew. I'm washing my produce and new stainless steel cookware and starting over.

It's a new year and I am starting this sugar-free diet again. This time I am following a different plan. I am following the 21-Day Sugar Detox (21DSD) by Diane Sanfilippo of Balanced Bites (http://balancedbites.com/2012/12/the-biggest-21-day-sugar-detox-begins-on-january-1-2013.html). I have been reading their material for a few months and really enjoy their approach. They simplify things. I like that. Simple. It's nice.

Day 1 = Jan 1: I was doing really well until... I burned bacon. I seriously freaking burned bacon. What??!! I love bacon (you really don't understand how obsessed I am). This doesn't happen to me. Is this a bad sign? It looked like hazardous waste on a plate and smelled even worse. I probably should have ionized the air in the house and worn a Hazmat suit to carry it outside to cool off. It was laughable.

I really thought this new year was off to a horrible start until it ended with this beautiful surprise. Heck yes:

I am happy to be back to the writing world. One thing I should mention if I haven't before: I do not consider myself to be a doctor, nutritionist, registered dietician, or the like. I am working my way toward those credentials and am learning as I go, and share what I learn and the awkward things that happen to me along the way.

Happy New Year to you and please... Don't burn the bacon, please.

-With One L

Why Can't Food Cook Itself?

*nom nom nom nom....

That's the sound of me munching on my last meal of the processed kind. After buying groceries tonight, I moseyed on over to my favorite fastfood place that I will greatly miss: Chic-Fil-A. I am convinced they know me by name AND menu selection. But they will soon forget me for another regular, predictable customer. Maybe I should swing through the drive-thru to say "HI" but not order anything. Would that be weird?

Ok, so the easy part is over. I have some groceries. I say "some" because I am sure there is plenty that I failed to purchase, but I also already had some of the required foods in my freezer (chicken, fish, veggies). So, here's what I bought for under $80:

 













(Some fruits, veggies, salad greens, cheeses, nuts, lentils and black beans, shrimp, lunch meat, and mustards. P.S. did you know pineapples come with instructions? Who knew!) 

This small purchase took me several hours to buy and I have NO IDEA how many meals these will last. I used the shopping list I mentioned yesterday, but for the first time in probably EVER, I read labels. I was "that" girl at the grocery store. And you know what? It felt empowering... a little. I am still learning how to read those persnickety things too. However, it was so depressing to discover that sugar was a top ingredient in just about everything! One thing the grocery list didn't mention were things to buy to spice up the fruits, veggies, and meats. That's why I got mustards. There is no sugar in most mustards. Be sure to read the labels. Dijon and Spicy Brown are safe. So, we'll see how many dishes I can make with my new yellow BFF. :)  


I didn't have time to develop 30 days of meals, but I have managed to get tomorrow's meals in order. Laying out 30 days worth of meals in one night might be a little bit too optimistic, especially since Pioneer Woman is not my name (have you seen what that woman can cook?!). Tomorrow I will work on building more meals. But, here's what's on tomorrow menu:


B: (I'm not a big breakfast eater but need to become one) - apple / coffee (no cream or sugar)
L: salad greens w/ almonds, cranberries, and lemon juice / water 
S: raw carrots / water
D: grilled chicken (with maybe a hint of mustard cooked into/onto it), sauteed onions, mushrooms / salad greens w/ balsamic vinegar dressing / water


If I can only plan all of these things out and pack my lunches for work the night before, I just might actually be successful at this. I just wish the food would cook itself. *sigh...


I am still trying to find a good resource for recipes. I have a bunch of food now but have no idea what to do with it all. Have you happened to stumble upon any good ones you'd like to share? Body For Life has some good ones that I will need to modify occasionally by removing grains, but for the most part seem great. I am open to suggestions so please feel free to share what you've found! And feel free to share how your journey is going. I would love to hear that you too have begun the sugar-free journey!


Tomorrow's the big day! I should get some sleep so I can be strong to fight the devilish cravings... 


Final tasty treat...(drool...)

Write the Vision, Write the Plan

I am taking a break from studying for my Nutrition test tomorrow to share with you the "plan" I plan to follow (pun intended). Well, truth be told... I haven't technically started studying. I've printed of the PPT slides and keep getting distracted with sugar research. I can pull an all-nighter, right? No. No I can't.

The more I have determined to change my life for 30 days, I am reminded of a principle that I find so powerful: writing down your goals, writing down your vision. I mentioned it in my post Tulsa "Birthday" Run and I will mention it again, and again, and again. In a way, it's like an outline for an essay. It's like blueprints for a tree house. It's like the recipe for Granny's punkin' bread. And it's kinda like those New Year's Resolutions that never come true. :) All of these things start with a plan; a road map of how to get from here to there. Some folks like to use a vision board; a modern version of this that might be familiar to you would be Pintrest. The concept is rather similar: writing down or pinning down thoughts, goals, images of what you want to accomplish in your life and where you want it to go. But, that's just the first step. That's just Act 1, Scene 1. The rest of the success story involves action steps; movement toward accomplishing that goal.

Step 1- WRITE with fervor. Step 2- ACT with courage. Step 3- REPEAT with diligence. (I am copyrighting that slogan. ;) )

My Plan: I feel content with following Dr. Scott Olson's 30-day sugar free plan that I referenced yesterday. He has a small free booklet that you can download that briefly covers the basis of the plan, which is to avoid foods with a high or medium glycemic index and consume those that have a low glycemic index or are below the glycemic index. So basically, avoid sugar, grains, starchy vegetables or high glycemic index fruits and drinks with calories in them. You can enjoy most veggies, most fruits, most proteins. Ok, so what do I go shopping for??? Here's the list (green list is good, red list is bad):


(Click image to enlarge.)

Ok, so I get the right foods in my pantry and fridge, but then what? This is where I cry out to Rachel Ray for help!!! *sigh.... And I guess this is also where I will learn to become a cook out of necessity since Chic-Fil-A can no longer come to my delicious rescue. If you already have been born with the Good Cook gene, you are several leaps ahead of me (can I come over for dinner?). But if you have not, join me on the journey of learning by trial and error, or trial and fire. My goal for this portion of the adventure is to write down 30 days of meals (breakfasts, lunches & dinners) and prepare my meals in advance a few days at a time. I have no idea if that is practical, but it seems to make sense in my head. I will tackle this task tomorrow so if you have any recipe suggestions, I would love to hear them. I may pull some recipes from the South Beach diet and modify if necessary. I also might pull some recipes from Body For Life. Whatever I choose, I will share with you.

So, there you have it. The plan is written. Tomorrow I will finish my Nutrition 6-chapter test and then shop for food. I will clean out my cupboards (and give to John 3:16 Mission's food pantry) and then develop a month's worth of recipes. Seems simple enough, right? Well, we will see tomorrow. :)

The Last Meal

The irony that is occurring right now is slightly overwhelming. As I am researching more about how to live sans sugar for 30 days, I am eating a delicious piece of my sister's double-decker birthday cookie cake while A&E's Intervention is playing on the tele in the background. I imagine watching the next episode and seeing, "Many of Americans struggle with addiction. This is one story: Alison, addicted to sugar. Alison thinks she is in a documentary about addiction. She does not know she will soon face an Intervention." I am Alison, and I struggle with a severe addition to sugar.

What a concept: sugar as an addiction. It is SO true though. Have you ever thought about it? The similarities of the addiction and the substance that causes the addiction are uncanny when comparing sugar to any other drug. Now, I may get some flack for that comment, but I will retort with a polite, "Do some research. Sugar kills." :) It is interesting that much is talked about and is considered controversial about drugs and alcohol. Please don't get me wrong... I am aware that the addictions to those things are incredibly serious and cause much turmoil in one's life. But, it seems that the urgency to talk about the health issues that sugar causes is not there. Often though, the side effects of sugar are not immediately seen and may not immediately harm someone, so maybe that's why. But under the dermis, sugar is working its evil magic inside your body. Are you educated on its effects? Let's educate ourselves together, shall we?

I Googled "sugar free diet" and stumbled upon this fella's website: http://olsonnd.com/30-sugar-free-days/ Dr. Scott Olson nails it with this statement, "Whenever you eat sugar and foods that act like sugar, you are taking steps towards those diseases [heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and so many diseases] in the same way a smoker takes a step towards lung cancer with every puff." Wow! I fully admit that I have so much to learn, and I hope that if you are following this blog that you will be enlightened to the health problems that sugar causes and the benefits that can result if you, too, choose to remove sugar from your diet. 30 days. That's just the start.

So, as I embark on this 30-day journey void of processed sugars, I have been fantasizing what my last sugary treat will be (I do realize how pathetic it is to fantasize about food...). Will I settle with a delectable Starbucks drink? What about a slice (or two?) from the Cheesecake Factory? Or perhaps a special request of my mom's cherry pie? I just might select all of the above. :) Whatever I select, I know it will taste more than delicious. And it will be the last sugary thing I will consume.

Thursday, September 29th is my Day 1. When is your day 1?

-WIth One L

The Sugar Experiment

I actually never thought I would EVER say this or come to this conclusion, but I think it's time sugar and I end our 20+ year relationship. You might be thinking, "Who is sugar?" Well, ask again. But this time, ask, "What is sugar?" and I will respond with, "Shoog-er. noun. Addicting sweetness that makes life taste better."

(<--- the love of my life, sugar)





I have been experiencing some health issues over the last several years. I won't bother going into detail but let's just say that no doctor that I have seen in the past 5-6 years (or more) has been able to figure out the problem and therefore offer a working solution. I have had multiple tests run, blood drawn, and medicine prescribed but it continues to remain an anomaly. And somehow that doesn't surprise me... But what I am now realizing is that no doctor has ever... EVER... mentioned that my diet and nutrition could play a role in these issues. So, I am going to do an experiment on myself. Kids, don't try this at home. No, wait... DO try this at home. Show your parents who's boss and follow my lead.

I am going to remove processed sugar from my diet. *gasp!* There. I said it. If you know me at all, you know how big of a deal this is. I am a sweets junky, to the max. I love me some good sweet tea. I could eat cake and cookies and ice cream until the sun goes down or until all of my teeth fall out! So this is going to be quite a challenge, and a painful and emotional one at that. Now, I don't have a working plan just yet. But I do know a few things:

• I have a TON of research to do.
• I will likely cry.... a lot.
  
• I will blog about this journey, including the good, the bad, and the ugly.
  
• I will do this for at least 30 days, but preferably forever.
• I will track my health before, during, and after.
• I will track what I eat and what I avoid, and hopefully will be able to educate my readers on the information I learn.
• I am open to questions or comments from you as I work through this.
• I will use this as my class presentation in my Nutrition course this semester.
• I might even actually, possibly, maybe learn to cook.

I want to start ASAP, and will probably launch this sugar-free lifestyle on Thursday, September 29th, one month before my 31st birthday. I don't know how this will go but I do know that I have quite a mountain to climb. But I also know that there will be such a reward on the other side of this mountain.

I attempted to select a few foods at Wal-Mart tonight to help jump-start this journey and, well, I cried. True story. I felt overwhelmed with all of the choices, most of which were not what I could eat (but what do I expect, if I'm shopping at Wal-Mart?). So, over the next few days I must do some reading and find some good recipes and shopping suggestions. So if you have anything to share, please do. :)

This is quite a big step for me, so I am feeling a little nervous about the whole situation. But, stay tuned as I make an attempt to live a much healthier life and hopefully naturally cure myself when the doctors were not able to do so.

-With One L

Tulsa "Birthday" Run

Shame on me. It's been way too long since I wrote my last bloughts (blog thoughts). As I sit here on a Sunday evening, cooling down from my evening run-walk-run-walk-walk-walk, I am thinking about and looking forward to entering the Tulsa Run for the first time. See, many years in the past, I have proudly proclaimed that I will enter the race but to only chicken out (insert obnoxious chicken sound). This year, I will not chicken out. I will do it. You have my word.

This year the Tulsa Run is on my birthday, which gives me extra excitement and incentive to participate. It often falls on my birthday but I have not actually taken the plunge and registered. So I am calling this the Tulsa Birthday Run. I just might wear my crazy cupcake costume in the race...











(<---me, circa 1999?)



Over the last month or 2, I have really become fond of biking. I purchased a new hybrid bike to replace the bike I was riding that hails all the way back from my teen years. Without hurting my brain on figuring out how old it really is, let's just say that the bike is only about 10-11 years younger than me. Surprisingly, it is still in really good condition for an old bike. I wouldn't get too excited and quite call it "vintage" but it is old. And needed to be replaced.

With this new love of biking and the goal of running the Tulsa Birthday Run in 12 weeks (let the countdown begin!!!), I am certain of a few things:

• Goals need to be written down. No matter what they are or what they are aiming to accomplish, they need to be written down. You need to be reminded of what it is you are trying to reach and achieve. Then you can measure your progress.
• I shouldn't jump in the deep end if I can't swim. I am not known for my speed or longevity for running. I have never been one of the graceful athletes, and any of my high school friends who may find themselves reading this can attest to that. :) But I am so excited and want to get to the point of being able to run the 15K. But HELLO! I can hardly run 1 mile without gasping for air. Take it slow. Work up to the goal. Let the training take its proper course.
• Do it anyway when I really don't wanna. I fight this. BAD. But you know what? I swear to you that I feel so great every time I am done running or riding and wonder what the internal tantrum was all about. Nothing worth fighting for was ever easy, right? Nike had it right: "Just Do It"!!
• This is the best "me" time I could ask for. I have the tendency to make sure that others are taken care of before I even consider myself. I have a career where I am helping others reach their goals, but I forget that I have my own I want to achieve. I can't feel guilty for setting a goal and making sure I make steps to achieve it. And this is so much better than wasting time on the couch eating Ben & Jerry's while watching Millionaire Matchmaker.

So, as the school year is about to kick off and the summer comes to a close (let's pray the hot weather leaves soon too...), make time for yourself. Have a vision of what you want to accomplish. Write it down. If there is something you've always wanted to accomplish, don't chicken out. Register for that race. Enroll in that class. Start that new business. WHATEVER! Just Do It! :)

-With One L

*Disclaimer.... the Tulsa Run logo does not officially have a birthday hat on it. That was added by me.

Addiction to Biking: A to B

I think my bike is an 18 speeder. I have 2 gear controls: one on the right changes the speed from 1-6 and one on left changes the chain resistance to 3 different positions. So logic and elementary math tell me 6x3=18. I wish I knew what brand it was but many years ago I spray painted it silver and fleck-painted black on top of the silver.

Biking is so great! It's the perfect combination of cardio and the outdoors! And, when your lungs or legs need a break, you can coast and catch your breath but still be moving. I love it! How have I let biking escape me all these years?

I passed a Dad pulling a toddler in a wagon-esk type pulley thing and he had 3 other kids riding bikes around him. The last kid at the back of the line was a beautiful little girl. She looked either annoyed or frustrated. Or perhaps she was concentrating on her rhythm and was in the zone. I made eye contact with her and smiled as I was panting from being out of shape and her facial expression quickly changed to a smile. I couldn't decipher if that smile was that she too enjoyed smiling at strangers, or if she was thrilled to see an older girl also riding a bike which confirmed to her that biking is cool, or if she saw how pathetic I probably looked and she was suddenly more confident in her biking abilities. Probably the latter. Either way, she smiled. And that may have been what she needed. And I panted on...

I waved at an old man scooting along his front yard in his motorized wheelchair. His friendly wave, which was shaped more like a salute, held in the air longer than I expected. He must have strong upper body muscles to keep that salute/wave positioned in the air for that long as he scooted in his Hoveround.

Biking, you are welcome in my life. I am sure there are more adventures just around the bend.