Day 29 .... Super Saturday

         Remember the other day when I mentioned that the Lungs and Large Intestines are the body organs that are associated with Fall and the Chinese Metal Element? Well, I discovered some very interesting information while reading some more of the Autumn chapter of my "Staying Healthy with the Seasons". 
        These areas are the two that must stay clean for them to function the best and they often have difficulty when contaminated by environmental pollutants such as smog, smoking or dietary excesses of the American Cultures...

LUNGS:  

• deep breathing and good air is vital to life
• do not smoke
• do not like cold damp air, so staying warm can prevent colds 
• help to create a balance in the body and seeing justice exists among all the organs
• the rhythm of our breaths govern the other rhythmic cycles of our bodies

LARGE INTESTINES:

• usually the most overstressed organ in the body
• helps with water and nutrients absorption 
• pressure in the sinuses, headaches, sore throats and lack of energy can be caused from and back-up in this organ.
• a diet high in natural foods and fiber help to keep this area well-toned
• this organ also effects the cycles of the kidneys and liver

Day 28 .... Friends & Friday's

        About four days ago, my best friend and biggest fan (My Husband) discovered a new health and fitness website / app for his phone. "MY FITNESS PAL". After sharing it with me, his excitement turned to his broad statement that "So, I think I will give this a try!" I am so excited, it is easier to accomplish a task when you have friends that keep you motivated, family members who are willing to share the same meal plan and warm hearts that recognize and positively comment on changes. I am so excited for him, because he, like me, has a list of health issues that he faces on a daily basis, most are probably weight related. The other thing that I realized in doing this together was the fact that Friday Date Night become a lot easier when it came down to choosing where or what restaurant we were going to visit. We choose to eat salads at home. So new discovery....

• FACT #7: Find a Friend to share Friday's with.

Day 27.... Back Tracking

        Have you ever experienced a day where it didn't mater how fast you got things accomplished or how fast you moved forward, you never feel like you get caught up? Well, the last few days have felt like that for me... Things are starting to cool down here at the beach and I am feeling the heaviness in my joints. I figured I would have a couple of more months of good warmer weather to still be able to run barefoot along the waters edge, but the water is getting chilly and the fisherman and jelly fish are becoming more prevalent in my walking space.
       I was reading this morning on one of my favorite sites ACTIVE.COM and they made the statement:
"Fall is a time for comfort food. Thanksgiving dinner, pies, grandma’s cookies, and family gatherings all lead to some serious calorie intake. The average American gains one to five pounds during the holiday season, and most of that weight is never lost again. Does that mean you have to sacrifice mashed potatoes and apple pie? Not necessarily. If you remain committed to your run schedule during these months you can stay ahead of those extra pounds."

So Okay.... I am committed! Why did I feel like I am BACK TRACKING?

Day 26 ..... Wicked Tired!!!!!

       OH MAN!!! I am so "wicked tired", to quote a phrase from our youth of today, (my boys!). Between all the junk food yesterday and staying up late, I could hardly wiggle my butt out of bed this morning. My walk/run this morning turned into a very sluggish walk and now I am home to spend the day away from the snack cupboard and trying to water my way into a better day tomorrow. I could hear Bob and Julian bad mouthing me all the way to the beach this morning.... :), Thank goodness for the power of repentance, because I can assure you, I WILL NEVER EAT THAT WAY AGAIN!!!!!!!

• FACT #6:  - Junk food days are going to kill me!

Day 25 ..... Toss-Together Tuesday's

       Okay... So one big thing I learned this week is Toss-Together Tuesday's are not a good thing. An unplanned meal can lead to sooooo much bad snacking and junk food cravings. I ate so much high calorie stuff today, corn dogs smothered in guacamole with tortilla chips and cheese, followed by orange jell-o with cool whip and candy bars. That was not counting: breakfast (toast, cheddar cheese and an orange), lunch (yogurt, pork chop, Mt. Dew and Bruschetta with Tomato & Broccoli Tapenade), or snacks (peanuts, candy corn, a  full king sized Whatchamacallit Candy Bar,  and 4 mini white powered donuts). And may I point out that none of the above items are actually that bad for you, it's just the way I put them together in a meal or meals. I was so BAD today!!!!

      But the one thing that I did want to share about the afternoon was the new  

Tomato & Broccoli Tapenade   

recipe that I made today. It was so tasty and easy to make,

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh broccoli, finely chopped
• 2-4 small white button mushrooms, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 narrow Italian or French loaf of bread
• 1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise

Directions

1.   Place chopped tomatoes, basil & mushrooms in a large saute pan. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, (save the other 2 for bruschetta), red pepper, garlic, basil, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar and mix well, warm up on low for 2 minutes. Cover and chill for at least four hours before serving.
2.   To make the bruschetta base: Slice the loaf of bread, on the bias, into 1/2-inch slices, (about 12-15 per loaf). Rub each slice   with fresh garlic clove and then brush with olive oil. Place bread in oven on sheet pan, bake on 350 until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve warm with chilled Tapenade.
3.    To serve: Fold feta into Tapenade, Place bread slices on serving dish, spoon 2 tablespoons of Tapenade onto each slice of bread and serve.

Nutritional Information 

Serving size is 2 pieces... 
Amount Per Serving:   Calories: 114 / Total Fat: 11.1g / Cholesterol: 8mg / Sodium 110mg / Protein 2.0g

Day 24 .... Makeover Monday

        In reading more of the Autumn Harvest section in my "Staying Healthy with the Seasons" book yesterday. I discovered that Autumn is often referred to or combined with Metal in the Chinese Five Element Theory.  Autumn is also often referenced to air in astrology and the book goes on explaining that Autumn should be a time of cleansing for both the Lungs and the Large Intestine in getting ready for winter. It is a time of gathering and turning within personally, giving focus to our selves and to others around us.

       So after my walk/run this morning I decided to start my week off with a sort of breakfast cleanse using some of the fruits of the season. I started my week off with a day full of smoothies and juices and on "THE PANTRY LIFE"  blog we always start the week off with a recipe make-over, so here is my made over smoothie recipe I made for breakfast this morning and I also included my original recipe. Both are really good. It just depends on what you are going for.

Fresh Peach Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 large peach, sliced
1/2 cup of peach yogurt
1/2 cup of skim milk
8 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend the peach slices with the ice cubes and milk first until slushy texture is formed. Then add the yogurt and blend for another 30 seconds on low. You may substitute fresh peaches with canned peaches, drained without the syrup in this smoothie recipe.
 Calories 190 ~ Calories from Fat 18 ~ Total Fat 2.0g ~ Saturated Fat 1.3g ~ Cholesterol 10mg ~ Sodium 137mg ~ Carbohydrates 29.7g ~ Fiber 2.4g ~ Sugars 28.0g ~ Protein 12.5g

 

Ice Cream and Peach Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 large peach, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1 cup of whole milk
8 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend the peach slices, whole milk, ice cream and ice in a blender for 30 seconds on low to keep the ice cream texture in the smoothie. A very great tasting and healthy peach smoothie for people who are trying to gain weight.
 Calories 352 ~ Calories from Fat 146 ~ Total Fat 16.2g ~ Saturated Fat 9.5g ~ Cholesterol 56mg ~ Sodium 155mg ~ Carbohydrates 43.0g ~ Fiber 2.9g ~ Sugars 41.3g ~ Protein 11.8g

Day 23 ..... Spiritual Nutrition

      Today, I felt very blessed just to be able to get out of bed. I woke up with the start of a very nasty migraine. I took some medicine and managed to make to through Sacrament Meeting and then home to my bed. After another round of medicine and a big long nap, I came to the conclusion the today was going to be a Spiritual Nutrition Day!

       About a month ago I started reading the new book entitled "Daughters in My Kingdom" It is a new book put out by the church about the history and work of Relief Society and in the beginning, it talks about the purposes of Relief Society. Which are:

• To Increase faith and personal righteousness
• To strengthen families and homes
• To seek out and help those in need  

      While I was reading I started thinking about yesterday and "rolling with the punches"... When I look at the things that I accomplished yesterday, I can truly say that everything I did in one way or another fit into the purposes of Relief Society and these are the things in which I believe and try to act upon every day.

       I know that some of my friends, especially those who are runners or who workout, think I am crazy for taking every Sunday off. But, like I have explained before, for me that is my day for rest and spiritual  renewal, sort of my Spiritual Nutrition day. Like Martha and Mary in the New Testament, I try everyday to serve as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, Some days turn out better than others!