Brushing off the dust.

Hey, y'all! It has been quite a while, hasn't it?

I can't guarantee I will be updating with any kind of frequency, but I had the urge to post today. There has been a lot of change here in the MM household.

*

Baby J is in daycare now since I am working at a local elementary school with the special education department. She is doing amazingly well! She's adjusted to her new sleep schedule and made new friends right away. I am so proud of my baby doll. Two things that haven't changed: We're still breastfeeding at 16 months! (Mostly her idea... lol.) And we're still co-sleeping. I don't mind either.

*

I am finishing up my Elite Personal Fitness Trainer Certification. I have about a month to complete my exams and then I'll be official! I've learned so much about fitness and nutrition. I can't wait to apply some of this knowledge to real life clients.

*

I am also giving the 21 Day Sugar Detox a second shot. I have my first week planned out. *Maybe* I'll post my food diary tomorrow night. If I'm not dying from lack of sugar...

*

We are moving into a new home in November, and now that I'm working outside the home, I don't have a lot of time for exercise. So my plan is to keep up with 3 days a week of P90X strength training DVDs and one cardio DVD until we are moved in and our home gym is usable again.


Here is my training plan for the next three weeks:
Monday: Chest/Back & Abs
Wednesday: Shoulders/Triceps & Abs
Friday: Legs/Back & Abs
Saturday: Yoga (wk1), Kenpo (wk2), Plyo (wk3)

*I'll probably skip the recovery week for Phase 1 and start Phase 2 on Wk 4.

Hopefully I'll have more useful information in my next post. I have to reinstall the Blogger app on my iPad so I can post whenever the mood strikes again. ;)

Until then, here is a picture of my munchkin at the Mayborn Museum at Baylor today. :D

Obviously, my child can make objects levitate. Doesn't it look like my husband (who is rocking my Ju Ju Be BFF diaper bag, btw. No biggie.) is telling people to check out her magical powers? lol.

Best laid plans...

Well, Whole30 will just have to wait. Of course, the night before I had planned to start prepping my meals, I got a nasty stomach bug and meat and eggs still don't sound very appealing. I did make a yummy salad:


-shredded chicken
-grape tomatoes
-baby spinach
-cucumbers
-artichoke hearts
-olive oil
-balsamic vinegar
-a dash of garlic salt

Not a lot of prep at all. The chicken took the longest, because I thawed it and then put it in the slow cooker for 3 hours on high. Other than that, all you have to do is peel and dice or slice the cucumbers and throw everything together. :)

Make it Paleo *Review*

The Food Lovers Kitchen was one of the first websites I visited while researching paleo meals and nutrition. Their website is incredibly easy to navigate and full of useful information. The recipes are separated by course (breakfast, entrees, sides, treats, etc.) and they even have menus for planning special occasions like football games, Thanksgiving, summer cookouts, and birthday dinners.

I was given a copy of their cookbook Make it Paleo to review for you guys, and I have to say I really was impressed. I found several cheap and easy recipes that I could try without even needing to make a trip to the grocery store. I read in a few reviews that some of the recipes were too simple. How is that possible? As a mother, the most basic things tend to slip my mind, and yes I am one of those people that needs a recipe to make bacon and eggs. :)

I love that (as someone new to paleo) you can find recipes to replace meals that tend to be considered staples in most homes. I can still eat waffles and pancakes for breakfast! There is also plenty of useful information in the front of the book for someone just starting out on this path including:
- a list of seasonal fruits and veggies
- a basic overview of what foods do and do not fit into a paleo lifestyle
- essential ingredients for paleo cooking and baking

It was really difficult to narrow down which recipes to try out for this review, but I decided to build my menu around seasonal produce and stick to my skill level and cooking preferences.
For dinner, I made pot roast in the crock pot with turnips, onions, celery, and carrots. It was seasoned with a bouquet of fresh herbs, which made me feel fancy. It called for parsnips, but I won't lie. I had no clue what a parsnip looked like and I was too embarrassed to ask, so the roast was sans parsnip. (Now I know, it's kind of like a brown carrot.)

The 2.5lb chuck roast fed six people with no leftovers.

 

*fresh*

I made mashed cauliflower (to replace mashed white potatoes) and they were delicious! I don't have any pictures, but I think you can paint a mental picture here. ;)

Amazing meal. I am clearly *not* a food photographer.

For dessert, again I wanted something seasonal and not too complicated. So, we had baked apples. They tasted just like a healthier version of apple pie. I cannot wait to make them again! Even my dad, who doesn't eat fruit, ate the whole thing.

Cheap, easy, healthy, and delicious! Can't beat that.

Overall, we had a successful meal and it was simple enough for someone like me--the dummy who catches a paper towel on fire while trying to wipe down a gas stove... while it's still on. It was also inexpensive. I fed six people (including my hungry Army man) on less than $50.

Prep/Candid pics. Just because:

 

In the kitchen. What my brother would call "a woman's place."

Hubby, chowing down. (Ignore all the non-paleo condiments please...)

The whole family. Clearly, I am not *any* type of photographer. 

Tl;dr - If you are considering paleo, you NEED this cookbook. Like I said, it is very user-friendly. Great for beginners. Lots of information without being overwhelming.

Where to get it: The Food Lovers Amazon Store. It's $19.01, but you can also purchase the Kindle edition for $9.99 if you don't mind being deprived of the food photos.

Also: If you're not ready to purchase, at the very least, you need to download their myKitchen app for Android and iPhone. It includes 400+ recipes and you can customize weekly meal plans and shopping lists. Great for those days when you can't decide what to make!

Make It Paleo Review *coming soon*

I'm ecstatic to announce that I will be receiving a copy of Make it Paleo (from Bill and Hayley at The Food Lovers Kitchen) to review for you guys! I know I cannot wait to try out some of the 200+ recipes and share my experiences here.

In the meantime, check out their website (linked above) which is incredibly user-friendly and helpful for those of us just venturing into the Paleo world. If you have an Android phone or iPhone, you should also download their myKitchen app. It makes shopping, cooking and meal-planning ridiculously easy. From their website:

myKitchen is the easiest way to take your favorite Paleo, Primal, and Gluten-free recipes with you wherever you go. You can save your favorite recipes, create daily meal plans and unique menus, and even generate shopping lists.

It's true. So easy and it's FREE!

Eating Healthy (with an Infant...)

*whew* It's been a long day! My little girl had her four-month well visit today, which meant two more shots and she is not handling it well. Grandma got home a few minutes ago and has been entertaining the baby so I just now have had a chance to sit down and write.

Needless to say, it's really hard to take time to think about yourself when you have a baby to take care of, especially if that baby is sick or just generally needy (like my precious angel.) The best way to make sure you are taken care of is to plan ahead.

1. When you go grocery shopping, don't fall victim to the allure of "convenience" foods. You won't have a lot of time for meal prep, but there are better ways to get around that than picking up a value pack of Cheez-Its and DoubleStuf Oreos to satisfy your midnight hunger. (Which you will have if you are up every two hours to feed your baby, and if you don't get up during the night, you can just keep that to yourself, thanks!) Instead, pick up no-fuss snacks like veggies, fruits, and nuts. I normally have a banana and a handful of almonds around 1 am and that keeps me going until the morning.

2. Make meals in bulk if you can. If you are baking some Paleo muffins in the morning, make extra and freeze them. If there are two of you, double the recipe so you can have dinner and then lunch for the next day. One of my favorite tricks is to mix a whole batch of chicken salad (or you could use tuna) for the week and then eat it a different way every day for lunch. (On a bun, in a wrap, with crackers, on a bed of mixed greens, etc.)

3. Get familiar with your slow cooker. Most recipes have four or fewer ingredients and most of the time, you can take chicken breasts straight out of the freezer without thawing ahead of time. A slow cooker is great with tip #2 as well. I have a 7-quart slow cooker and double recipes whenever I can to get an extra meal out of it. I have a ton of easy crock-pot recipes pinned on my Food Board, but here are a couple of my favorites:
Crock-Pot Chicken with Carrots and Sweet Potatoes
Honey-Sauced Chicken

4. My number one tip for eating healthy, regardless of how many munchkins you have running around or requiring your attention at any given moment: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD FOOD! If you only keep fresh, whole, healthy foods in your fridge and pantry, that is what you will eat. Same goes for junk. If that's all you have, that's all you will eat. Make that choice before you get to the checkout line and you will be good to go. ;)

Sorry it's so late, but for what it's worth, this concludes the three-part "Staying Healthy with an Infant" series. :-D

Nutiva Coconut Oil Review/Giveaway!

I absolutely LOVE this stuff! Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil rubs me all the right ways. (Yeah, pun intended.) It's cheap, it's healthy, and it has a TON of uses. Since I'm not a healthcare professional or nutrition expert (yet) I will provide links to reputable sources that identify the possible medical benefits of coconut oil once I get done blabbing about how and why I use it.

Cooking and Baking

• I use Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to replace butter, shortening, or olive oil in recipes. Coconut oil doesn't oxidize as easily as other oils when heated, so it holds up better for sauteing and stir frying.
• It contains a higher concentration of saturated fats, but those fats are believed to be linked to dozens of health benefits including weight loss, improved digestion, and increased metabolism. (I also use coconut products to substitute for dairy ingredients because my daughter has a milk sensitivity.)
• So, as long as you don't eat the whole jar, you're probably going to be just fine--and maybe even better off--substituting coconut oil for other fats and oils in your diet!

Skin

• Coconut oil has many topical uses because of its anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties.
• I mainly use Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for diaper rash prevention. (Obviously, I use a separate jar for the changing table from the one I use in the kitchen.) If you use cloth diapers, most diaper creams are off limits because they contain ingredients like waxes and petrolatum that will coat the diaper causing it to repel moisture instead of absorbing it. Coconut oil is cloth diaper safe and great for baby's skin. It creates the same "barrier" as commercial creams, and it's safer because it doesn't include preservatives, parabens or petroleum by-products. It glides on easy because it's not a thick paste or cream. It's also organic and 100% natural.
• Since bath time is part of our nightly routine, I will occasionally give my daughter a little massage before putting on her PJs. It also helps to keep her skin from drying out.
• I've also used it for acne, dandruff/cradle cap, and dry/cracked skin (like my lips and feet.)
• CO is also used to treat thrush/yeast infections and athlete's foot, but fortunately I have not had a chance to test those uses.

More Perks

• It contains ONE ingredient. Take a look at your skin care products like shampoo and lotion. I've counted over 30 ingredients in most of mine!
• It costs less than $10 for a 15oz. tub. compared with $6 for a 3.7oz tube of diaper cream, $11 for 8oz of BBW lotion, $15 for 750ml of olive oil, $4 for lip balm, $15 for 4oz of foot cream... Should I keep going?
• It's unrefined and cold-pressed, so you get that coconut smell and taste.
• It lasts forever! I have only gone through one tub that I've used for cooking. The one in the nursery is only about 1/2 gone and I use it at every diaper change.

Where You Can Get It

- From Amazon with Subscribe and Save, which makes it 5% cheaper and includes free shipping.

- Check your local health food store.

- You can win it from me! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I did not receive any compensation or free products for my review. I just <3 Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil! :)***

My Attempt at a Sugar Detox

My diet has been appalling. I'm not going to lie. And that makes me feel like such a hypocrite because I know what I'm eating is horrible for me. It's shameful, but I feel like I need to be honest. I've eaten two waffles with syrup and butter for breakfast every morning for the past three days. I've also polished off half a bag of Doritos. I'm staying with my parents for a few days because I have family visiting from out of state, so I'm out of my element. I obviously haven't done any grocery shopping, and since we have company, we've been eating "convenience foods" all weekend. Last night I had a peanut butter sandwich for dinner.

After my daughter was born, I lost about 15 lbs. right away. I haven't lost anything since then and I've actually gained weight. It needs to stop. This is pretty much a diet emergency, so it calls for an extreme fix. Right now, I am working on putting together a menu for a 21-day sugar detox. So far, I have breakfast figured out. I can eat the same thing every day (thanks to that "living uncomfortably" plan) so I will be eating egg muffins every morning. I'd love to get the official 21 Day Sugar Detox eBook, but I am working on not spending money, so I will put together my menu from this blog post instead. Then, when I make my next $21, that download is so happening. I'm thinking I will make ahead some of these Bison BLTs. If I can make breakfast and lunch for the week, I should be set.
I can make the following excuses:
I don't have time to shop or cook.
I have a baby to take care of.
I can't afford groceries.
I hurt my toe.

Don't ask about that last one, but these excuses are all true. Unfortunately, so are the following facts, if I continue to eat this way:
I will gain more weight.
I will feel sick and lethargic.
I will set myself up for long-term health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

So, I will take the same advice I offered a couple days ago because it applies to our dietary choices as well. It's time to act like a grown-up and make responsible decisions. It won't be fun or easy, but it's better than a future of immobility, pharmaceuticals, and insulin dependence. This starts now.

Breaking My Carb Addiction

According to the CDC, 35.7% of American adults are obese--not overweight, OBESE.

Look around your kitchen. How much of your food comes in a box? How much is frozen? How many items in your kitchen come in individual wrappers? If you're an average American, the answer is probably "most." Do you eat cereal, granola bars, donuts, or other processed foods for breakfast? According to the USDA, 63% of the Standard American Diet is comprised of processed foods. If you've been inside a grocery store in the past 30 years, that data shouldn't surprise you. But it should alarm you. Again, not that it takes a post-graduate degree to figure it out, but a diet high in processed foods and low (7-12%) in fresh vegetables leads to poor health and a host of deficiencies and diseases.
Let me start by saying that "being fat" is not a medical problem so much as the manifestation of a number of more serious issues. Again, I shouldn't need to tell you that obesity leads to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer. What frustrates me the most is how little we are willing to do about it as a country. By no means am I standing on a soapbox right now. I am included in that "we" as I sit ten feet away from a pantry full of cookies, cereals, and snacks, a freezer full of "Weight Watchers" desserts, and a counter laden with several types of chips. I am angry that I have allowed myself to be surrounded and consumed by these industrial foods, while we ALL know what we should be eating instead. Say it with me, people: "Eat your vegetables!"

We know our diets are bad, but what is it that is doing the most damage?

• High-carb foods. Think vending machine garbage. The stuff you feel horrible about eating even while you are eating it. 
• Trans-fats. They come from hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils and can be found in most processed foods. (If you don't care to follow the link, just know that your Lean Cuisines and Ramen Noodles are on that list, but chances are so are your cereals and salad dressings.)
• Sugar. ALL sugar. Even "raw" sugar, maple sugar, molasses, and honey. If you are using it to sweeten something that is not naturally sweet, it is probably contributing to your addiction to sweets (and carbs in general.)
• Refined (white) flour. Basically most breads and pastas. Remember that healthy diets contain a rainbow of foods and white is not a color. (With the exception of white fruits and veggies, of course.)

I am extremely confident in my views of nutrition, and I am more than happy to debate food choices with you. I look forward to posting about low-carb vs. low-fat diets. (If we should be following supposedly successful "low-fat" diets, why are we still so fat?)

Anyway, my research on the subject of nutrition has led me to a deep interest in Paleo and Primal lifestyles. I am very attracted to the idea of eating whole foods, being closer to nature, and getting back to the diets we had as healthy Americans before the industrial revolution flooded our dinner tables (and our poor, unfortunate digestive tracts) with grains like wheat and corn. Unfortunately, I have a problem most of us seem to have. I am addicted to carbohydrates.
Eating carbohydrates releases serotonin (a "feel good" chemical) which is why many carb-rich foods (mac 'n cheese, ice cream, mashed potatoes, etc.) are considered "comfort foods." The problem is that many people become dependent on this feeling, leading to a dependence on such foods. Ironically, carb addiction can also lead to serious problems like eating disorders and depression.
How many of you have tried to start a "low-carb" diet like Atkins? How many of you failed to follow through after the first week because you couldn't handle the cravings, or you were sick with headaches, nausea, and fatigue? Those are called withdrawal symptoms, folks. It is a real addiction, and it is nearly impossible to quit cold-turkey.
I am in a somewhat unique situation in which I do not have much control over the foods that come into this house, but I am going to attempt a 21-day sugar detox in order to reset my palate and hopefully make it easier to wean myself off of carb-rich foods and transition into a diet that is more in line with the Paleo lifestyle I admire so much. Will it be cheap? No. Will it be easy? Of course not. But, damn it, these foods are literally making us sick and I'm not going to sit back and let it happen anymore! Anyone care to join me?