Wednesdays are "hump" days, which is probably why my husband likes them so much... no wait, that isn't what I was going to write about.
Yesterday, I was sick. I was sick because (I am pretty sure) I haven't been taking my blood pressure medicine every day. I woke up with a really bad headache. I have a lot of headaches, and usually a terrifying cocktail of Alka-seltzer & ibuprofen will take care of it. Yesterday, no. So, I decided to take my blood pressure. I'm not sure why. It was 160/112, which is not good.
I hate taking blood pressure medicine, and really hope that through healthy eating, exercise (in fact as well as theory), and meditation (ditto), I can get to the point where I can control the bp without the meds. I am not there yet. And if I get stupid and don't take the meds, I threaten my health is a very serious way.
So here I am, having taken my medication like a good girl. I have been drinking lots of water. I have eaten a rainbow today, with nice lean protein. I went to the Bi-Lo this morning and shopped for work. When I left, I realized I had not gone down a central aisle. I stayed on the periphery: bakery, produce, dairy, deli.
I feel much better. I still don't have time to do everything. I have "fired" a client, but I was sweet about it. I have spent too much time organizing, sorting, and sifting and not enough producing revenue, but what the heck? I'm alive.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Yellow food
Yellow is the color of sunshine and daisies. It is warm and healing and happy.
Yellow is the color of cowardice and jaundice. It is bilious and cynical.
Yellow is the center chakra --- the belly-button. It is related to digestion in the body and self-esteem & relationships in groups in the other.
Yellow is about how we fit in, how we fit in our bodies, how we fit with each other. Maybe. I'm not sure I understand that part.
I am an introvert, speaking in a Meyers-Briggs kind of way. I have taken that test many times and while some things change, I am usually an introvert & intuitive perceiver. I don't think that is something I want to adjust. I'm not sure anyone is saying I should change that. What this means is that although I enjoy company, I need to energize with alone time.
In most groups, I am comfortable, one way or the other. Sometimes I am a speaker, sometimes I am a listener. Comfort, of course, is a relative term. There is the "under the comforter with a cat and a good book and a soft fluffy pillow" kind of comfort. There is the "why are these people talking about their hairstyles and their tennis games please pass me a martini" kind of comfort. There are funerals, at which I am comfortable, although I wouldn't want to do it more often. There are weddings... ditto. I am almost always comfortable, even if I'm not happy about it. I don't think "these people don't want me here." I don't think "these people are going to kill me" (except for the time I stumbled into the Young Republican meeting in college, but I brought beer, so it was OK.) I think my comfort comes from oblivion as much as from self-confidence. (Hey, Kath, did you notice you were the only white person in the McDonald's in DC where you asked for directions? No, actually, I didn't. Is that why everyone stared at me? I thought it was my beauty.) But for whatever reason, it
Yellow food: bananas, squash, yellow peppers, lemons, grapefruit, starfruit, onions, pineapple, apples
Are there more yellow vegetables? It seems to be such a sweet color.
Bob made a great meal the other day, leaning toward the yellow and orange colors. It was shrimp, julienned carrots, squash, bok choy and onions, on whole wheat fettuccine with a garlic/white wine/lime sauce. I don't think there was a recipe. We'll have to make one up.
Yellow is the color of cowardice and jaundice. It is bilious and cynical.
Yellow is the center chakra --- the belly-button. It is related to digestion in the body and self-esteem & relationships in groups in the other.
Yellow is about how we fit in, how we fit in our bodies, how we fit with each other. Maybe. I'm not sure I understand that part.
I am an introvert, speaking in a Meyers-Briggs kind of way. I have taken that test many times and while some things change, I am usually an introvert & intuitive perceiver. I don't think that is something I want to adjust. I'm not sure anyone is saying I should change that. What this means is that although I enjoy company, I need to energize with alone time.
In most groups, I am comfortable, one way or the other. Sometimes I am a speaker, sometimes I am a listener. Comfort, of course, is a relative term. There is the "under the comforter with a cat and a good book and a soft fluffy pillow" kind of comfort. There is the "why are these people talking about their hairstyles and their tennis games please pass me a martini" kind of comfort. There are funerals, at which I am comfortable, although I wouldn't want to do it more often. There are weddings... ditto. I am almost always comfortable, even if I'm not happy about it. I don't think "these people don't want me here." I don't think "these people are going to kill me" (except for the time I stumbled into the Young Republican meeting in college, but I brought beer, so it was OK.) I think my comfort comes from oblivion as much as from self-confidence. (Hey, Kath, did you notice you were the only white person in the McDonald's in DC where you asked for directions? No, actually, I didn't. Is that why everyone stared at me? I thought it was my beauty.) But for whatever reason, it
Yellow food: bananas, squash, yellow peppers, lemons, grapefruit, starfruit, onions, pineapple, apples
Are there more yellow vegetables? It seems to be such a sweet color.
Bob made a great meal the other day, leaning toward the yellow and orange colors. It was shrimp, julienned carrots, squash, bok choy and onions, on whole wheat fettuccine with a garlic/white wine/lime sauce. I don't think there was a recipe. We'll have to make one up.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
AWE: Week three Day one
It is hard to believe I've been eating the angel way for two weeks. I really didn't think I'd be able to do it. I wasn't perfect, of course.
Friday was "fast food" Friday, or would have been if I'd been able to get out for lunch. Saturday was fill your face Saturday. I still managed a rainbow, with the help of a pasta salad chock full of nice veggies and cheese for protein. \
I looked up chakra on the Internet. I even found a cool place to take a test to see if your chakras are where they are supposed to be. (I love me some Internet quizzes!) I didn't like my first result. It said I was OVERACTIVE in the throat (like I talk too much!) and under active in the red through orange --- basic self-esteem and sexual stuff. Please.
So I took the test again, and it said I was on target in ALL areas, except being over-active in the third eye, suggesting I might live in a fantasy world. Can you imagine?
I did think it was interesting that I've been craving the yellow and orange foods. I always eat a good bit of red --- tomatoes are us. I have been obsessing about blue foods so much my husband has told me to stop putting blueberries in everything. Maybe I don't need to worry about the blue so much. I mean, I do like blueberries. I eat blueberries and bananas in my oatmeal. Maybe I should think about the red, yellow, orange for awhile.
Friday was "fast food" Friday, or would have been if I'd been able to get out for lunch. Saturday was fill your face Saturday. I still managed a rainbow, with the help of a pasta salad chock full of nice veggies and cheese for protein. \
I looked up chakra on the Internet. I even found a cool place to take a test to see if your chakras are where they are supposed to be. (I love me some Internet quizzes!) I didn't like my first result. It said I was OVERACTIVE in the throat (like I talk too much!) and under active in the red through orange --- basic self-esteem and sexual stuff. Please.
So I took the test again, and it said I was on target in ALL areas, except being over-active in the third eye, suggesting I might live in a fantasy world. Can you imagine?
I did think it was interesting that I've been craving the yellow and orange foods. I always eat a good bit of red --- tomatoes are us. I have been obsessing about blue foods so much my husband has told me to stop putting blueberries in everything. Maybe I don't need to worry about the blue so much. I mean, I do like blueberries. I eat blueberries and bananas in my oatmeal. Maybe I should think about the red, yellow, orange for awhile.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Update: AWE Week 2 day 4
Usually when I don't keep up with the healthy eating blog, it's because I've been pigging out on fast food and ice cream. Not this time. I'm eating well! Really. I've been eating the angel way for about a week and a half now. I think I've managed at least one rainbow each day & I'm enjoying lean protein with each meal.
What makes this exceptional is that I am swamped with work. Since last Wednesday, I have worked over 50 hours in the regular office alone. In addition, I've put in at least 8 hours (probably more) at the church. This is in addition to family, Carolina School for Inquiry board (although I cut the meeting for the first time in two years), friends, and cats. So there has been little or no time to blog about it.
In some ways, "testing" the angel way of eating during tax season is unfair. This is the most stressful time of the year. I have a low grade headache all of the time. I am short-tempered and sensitive. I quit my job on a daily basis. However, it is amazing to me that I feel so much better than I usually do at this time. Better than I usually feel at a less stressful time. I am not hungry, but I am not eating a lot. I am able to drive past a dozen or so fast food restaurants on the way to work with only a little twinge of a voice whining, "But I really NEEEEEED a steak egg & cheese biscuit!!!!" I don't even want any of the fast food lunch offerings. If I forget to bring lunch (or run out of the stock in the office) I eat Wendy's chili and a side salad. But I'd rather have the pretty salad I bring from home, with tuna (admittedly canned) or chicken.
I haven't tried to eat less, but I've lost about ten pounds. It's probably not really ten pounds. It's probably a combination of a perverse scale, water weight, and real weight loss. But I feel better, my skin looks better, and even with the massive amount of stress, I feel better.
Thanks, Annie & the Angels.
What makes this exceptional is that I am swamped with work. Since last Wednesday, I have worked over 50 hours in the regular office alone. In addition, I've put in at least 8 hours (probably more) at the church. This is in addition to family, Carolina School for Inquiry board (although I cut the meeting for the first time in two years), friends, and cats. So there has been little or no time to blog about it.
In some ways, "testing" the angel way of eating during tax season is unfair. This is the most stressful time of the year. I have a low grade headache all of the time. I am short-tempered and sensitive. I quit my job on a daily basis. However, it is amazing to me that I feel so much better than I usually do at this time. Better than I usually feel at a less stressful time. I am not hungry, but I am not eating a lot. I am able to drive past a dozen or so fast food restaurants on the way to work with only a little twinge of a voice whining, "But I really NEEEEEED a steak egg & cheese biscuit!!!!" I don't even want any of the fast food lunch offerings. If I forget to bring lunch (or run out of the stock in the office) I eat Wendy's chili and a side salad. But I'd rather have the pretty salad I bring from home, with tuna (admittedly canned) or chicken.
I haven't tried to eat less, but I've lost about ten pounds. It's probably not really ten pounds. It's probably a combination of a perverse scale, water weight, and real weight loss. But I feel better, my skin looks better, and even with the massive amount of stress, I feel better.
Thanks, Annie & the Angels.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Day one: Eating the Angel Way --- Fast breakfast
One of my biggest obstacles to healthy AWE eating is my work schedule & breakfast.
I work at the church from about 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., then I drive to the country, stopping by the post office & maybe a fast food place, to open the office at 9 a.m. Although some fast food places offer "healthier" alternatives, their vegetables are still limited to pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion. And you can't get most of those at breakfast.
I wake up about 20 minutes before I leave for work. Some days it's less than that. If I could get up earlier & fix breakfast at home, that would be nice. It's not going to happen, but it would be nice.
Alternatively, I could buy a Wildberry banana smoothie from McDonald's & make a rainbow breakfast burrito at work. I have a full-sized refrigerator & a large microwave. (I haven't been able to find nutrition information on the smoothie, so when I can, I'll try to make my own.)
The recipe:
At Home: chop & mix tomatoes, shredded carrots, corn, green peppers, scallions, & purple onions. Put this mixture in a plastic bag or container. (I've also used red, orange, and yellow bell peppers if they aren't too dear.)
At Work: Spray bowl (glass, plastic or paper) with olive oil spray. Add 1 egg & a handful of vegetable mix. Sprinkle on shredded cheese. Place a tortilla (I use whole wheat) over the bowl like a lid. Nuke for a minute, or until the egg is set.
Turn it over onto a plate & roll it up.
Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink. Your momma don't work here.
I work at the church from about 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., then I drive to the country, stopping by the post office & maybe a fast food place, to open the office at 9 a.m. Although some fast food places offer "healthier" alternatives, their vegetables are still limited to pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion. And you can't get most of those at breakfast.
I wake up about 20 minutes before I leave for work. Some days it's less than that. If I could get up earlier & fix breakfast at home, that would be nice. It's not going to happen, but it would be nice.
Alternatively, I could buy a Wildberry banana smoothie from McDonald's & make a rainbow breakfast burrito at work. I have a full-sized refrigerator & a large microwave. (I haven't been able to find nutrition information on the smoothie, so when I can, I'll try to make my own.)
The recipe:
At Home: chop & mix tomatoes, shredded carrots, corn, green peppers, scallions, & purple onions. Put this mixture in a plastic bag or container. (I've also used red, orange, and yellow bell peppers if they aren't too dear.)
At Work: Spray bowl (glass, plastic or paper) with olive oil spray. Add 1 egg & a handful of vegetable mix. Sprinkle on shredded cheese. Place a tortilla (I use whole wheat) over the bowl like a lid. Nuke for a minute, or until the egg is set.
Turn it over onto a plate & roll it up.
Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink. Your momma don't work here.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
writers and witches, and words...oh my!: eating the angel way, part seven redux
I mentioned eating the angel way earlier. I also mentioned that I have been giving any and all angels fits this week. It's tax season. My stove broke. I didn't feel like eating anything other than the Hardee's omelet cardiac arrest biscuit with potatoes. Leave me alone! I'm tired!
Which, of course, is the problem. We don't want to eat well when we are stressed and busy and running around like headless poultry (mmmm... a fried chicken sandwich...) Sorry, I'm back. In the short run, grease in the form of butter, grease, processed cheese food, mayonnaise, etc. is very soothing. In the long run, aside from feeling like you need to wash your face every five minutes, you feel cruddy.
I know that I need to eat better to feel better. I know that I like fruit and vegetables, and if they are easy to get to, and haven't dissolved into a pile of slime in the fridge, I want to eat them. I know I like low-fat protein that isn't deep fried (really, it can be done.) It's just that right now...
Which is why, when Annie said she neededguinea pigs volunteers to try out the angel way of eating for three weeks and give her cool quotes for her book, I said, "Hell no" "Hey that sounds like a great idea. Count me in."
Soooooo.... starting Sunday, I will be making my angels happy for three whole weeks. Really.
What I have working against me (see above):
writers and witches, and words...oh my!: eating the angel way, part seven redux
And wish me luck.
Which, of course, is the problem. We don't want to eat well when we are stressed and busy and running around like headless poultry (mmmm... a fried chicken sandwich...) Sorry, I'm back. In the short run, grease in the form of butter, grease, processed cheese food, mayonnaise, etc. is very soothing. In the long run, aside from feeling like you need to wash your face every five minutes, you feel cruddy.
I know that I need to eat better to feel better. I know that I like fruit and vegetables, and if they are easy to get to, and haven't dissolved into a pile of slime in the fridge, I want to eat them. I know I like low-fat protein that isn't deep fried (really, it can be done.) It's just that right now...
Which is why, when Annie said she needed
Soooooo.... starting Sunday, I will be making my angels happy for three whole weeks. Really.
What I have working against me (see above):
- orneriness
- tax season
- an addiction to Hardee's biscuits even though the commercials suck
- tax season
- sleep deprivation
- the second job at the church
- the school & it's needs (not so much these days, thank God & Victoria)
- tax season
What I have going for me:
- orneriness
- a full kitchen at work (no stove, but a full sized fridge, microwave, & toaster)
- quiet desperation
- the support of friends and family in real life, and I hope, in the blogosphere.
For more information about Eating the Angel Way, to read a cool blog, check out:
writers and witches, and words...oh my!: eating the angel way, part seven redux
And wish me luck.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Confessions
This week sucked in the eating right department. I ate fast food breakfasts, often opting for the biscuit instead of the burrito. I ate fast food cheese burgers, chicken sandwiches and chicken fingers. My veggies were lettuce (sort of), tomatoes, and nibbles from a wilted bag of broccoli, carrots & cauliflower. I feel like a tub of lard. Trans fats and everything.
I'd like to say it will be better next week, but the down-spiral was set off by a broken stove and the rush of tax season. That isn't going to change this week. The stove was a glass-top. I love glass top, but (who knew?) if they break the repairmen don't like to mess with it. The replacement unit costs three or four hundred dollars. Mine is a Frigidaire, and the only guy who would think about fixing glass-tops in general doesn't do Frigidaire.
Soooooo... I can get a new stove for about 5 or 6 hundred dollars. We can sort of afford that right now (tax season = more hours = more money) but I don't know when we'll go look. Maybe today between church, producing last minute W2s, doing end of month reports and going back to the church for my Inquirer's Class.
In the mean time, poptarts and tea (cause I'm out of coffee.) And off to face the day.
I'd like to say it will be better next week, but the down-spiral was set off by a broken stove and the rush of tax season. That isn't going to change this week. The stove was a glass-top. I love glass top, but (who knew?) if they break the repairmen don't like to mess with it. The replacement unit costs three or four hundred dollars. Mine is a Frigidaire, and the only guy who would think about fixing glass-tops in general doesn't do Frigidaire.
Soooooo... I can get a new stove for about 5 or 6 hundred dollars. We can sort of afford that right now (tax season = more hours = more money) but I don't know when we'll go look. Maybe today between church, producing last minute W2s, doing end of month reports and going back to the church for my Inquirer's Class.
In the mean time, poptarts and tea (cause I'm out of coffee.) And off to face the day.
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