Gifts on my Doorstep

   Today my stomach decided to behave and allow me to eat a few things which included: grass fed sausage, and carrot fries for breakfast, and Cesar salad and minestrone soup for lunch. Dinner did not sound appealing so I went about my merry way. My 25 minute discussion during my organizational behaviors class went better than I expected and I even had fun doing it. Discussions ran very long so I didn't leave class till after 10 pm tonight. When I got home my Pete's Paleo Kits order had arrived!! Dear Lord my day was made excellent with the arrival of this treasure.

  Grass-fed beef jerky, a Paleo Krunch bar, and Berry and Beef Jerky mix are the first products I elected to try from this wonderful company. The grass fed jerky is almost gone and was damn good!

   I decided tonight was a lovely night to begin Watching Mad Men, yes I realize I am way behind the curve. Better late than never as my darling grandmother Audra would say. This show will become my new distraction.  Hope everyone has a safe and happy evening.

God is not Dead

   Usually, I am not comfortable discussing painful aspects of my life or my relationship with God. Some things should remain sacred and intimate to one's self. The past few days I have received multiple text messages with the words "God is not Dead", because the movie has hit theaters and has made an impression on people's hearts. I have No Qualms about people expressing their love for God. However, I do not need to see a movie to know that God indeed is not dead.

   My family experienced a horrific tragedy in that my beautiful 15 month old niece was murdered a year ago, last December. No details need be divulged. I only want to write down an experience that my father and I shared in church several months ago. When tragedy hits close to home it is hard to know that life goes on, the sun still shines, etc. How can the world continue to turn without my niece in it? One Sunday during communion, my father and I were kneeling at the altar. We both glanced to our left and saw a sweet toddler being handed her wafer. Her hair was styled in a similar fashion as my late niece. This darling little girl was a bright beam of sunshine as she smiled at Father David. In my head I calmly thought "Life does go on", and then my father looks at me, shrugs, and says "Life really does go on". I could not believe we both had the same thought at the same time. This moment was needed ever so badly. You have to find the light through the darkness, and that sweet girl at the altar was a bit of fresh hope. We made our way back to the pew and hugged as tears silently made their way down our faces.

   It is my fervent belief that God helped us to have that moment at the altar. I miss my niece every day and I try to be a person that she could be proud of. God is indeed Not Dead. He is alive and helping to mend my shattered family. I do not feel the need to see a movie to validate my feelings about God. For, he is everywhere and in all things. Amen. 

Please try not to take offense at my post, I merely wanted to relate a story of faith and hope.

What I Ate Today

 

These were my carrot fries (recipe from paleoomg.com). 

   Today I ate very little due to my stomach and intestines waging war with each other. The past week I have had to miss work and school due to severe abdominal stress, throwing up, chills/fever, and just feeling crappy. I went to see my nurse practitioner Laura who was a God send!! Instead of telling me to go home, she took action. She had my blood drawn, stool samples taken, and went over my long list of symptoms. Laura thinks it might be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, etc. Personally, I find these options a bit comforting because it validates my symptoms and my gut instinct (could not resist). In a few days I should have answers and hopefully an easier time with my stomach troubles.

   In the interest of saving myself from doubling over, I refused pizza from my husband. Severe gastro symptoms have taken away any craving for junk food. While perusing my new cookbook +Michelle Tam Food for Humans , I found a recipe for baked carrot fries. My bountiful basket gave me lots of carrots and I have olive oil, Himalayan pink sea salt, and crushed red pepper. This recipe is so easy a girl sick as a dog can do it! Pre-heat the oven to 425 and slice up 6 carrots, spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet, pour olive oil over the carrots, add sea salt and spread mixture evenly over the carrots. I added crushed red pepper flakes for fun and because I live in Texas :). Bake for 15 minutes, flip over the carrots, and then bake for an additional 11 minutes. Viola! Easy, healthy, and very delicious. My fries did not upset my stomach in the slightest and I can't wait to make them again.   For dinner I made a beet smoothie that also played nice with my insides. The website www.paleomg.com gave me the recipe for the smoothie. This is a great website if you are curious about Crossfit or paleo. 

Stomach friendly beet smoothie.   

Here is the recipe from paleomg:

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 large beet, peeled and diced (equivalent to 1 cup diced beets)
• 1 banana, peeled and diced
• ½ cup frozen berries (I used strawberries and raspberries)
• ½ cup canned coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 1 scoop egg protein (or protein powder of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey (optional)

Instructions

1. First you gotta roast your beets. Try biting into one of those raw. No fun. So preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and peel your beets and dice them up.
3. Arrange pieces on a baking sheet then drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil on top.
4. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until they are tender.
5. Let cool.
6. Once your beets are cooled, add all ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add more coconut milk or water if needed.
7. Drink up!

Bountiful Baskets

My bouquet of kale and parsley    

   Last night I picked up my bounty from Bountiful Baskets in Midland, TX. I always end up with way more food than I need so, I give some to my parents, my father in law, and brother in law. Not only do we all get fresh and healthy food, we also support our local farmers. Winning!

Look at all this food! So pretty! 

  I recently bought a book by an amazing blogger +Michelle Tam, NomNom Paleo, Food for Humans which is a great read and has tons of yummy recipes. The kale from my basket will be made into crispy kale chips with the recipe from NomNom Paleo. So excited to try out all the fun new food ideas from this great book. Y'all should check it out!

Shopping and Craving Junk Food

   I am so excited because today I have placed an order with Steve's Original Paleo Kits! I have heard nothing but great things about this company, which makes wonderful products and also gives back. My box full of goodies will have: Grass Fed Beef Jerky, Berky which has Jerky & Berries, and a Paleo Krunch Bar (shredded coconut, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, raw almonds, and honey).  After consuming all the deliciousness I will report back with a post Paleo Snack Glow.

   Today marks Day 13 of the 24 Day Challenge and I feel fantastic but like most people I battle cravings. I have been an emotional eater for many years and a carboholic that loves ice cream for breakfast. However, yesterday was payday and I did not give in and buy ice cream or candy. Instead I went to Target and bought new lipstick because makeup makes me happy and is calorie free, and I also bought new jeans.Spending hundreds of dollars on things whenever you crave junk food won't do your wallet any favors. But I think treating yourself every now and then to a new outfit or a spa treatment is much healthier than cleaning out the office candy bowl. My lovely coworker has a candy bowl on her desk which calls to me on a daily basis. So I have decided to keep nuts and beef jerky at my desk to help keep me on track. I am not determined to be perfect or to never eat sugar again, I only want to help my body feel amazing.

  

I identify with this child.

I love bacon and I love these adorable pups :).

   

Day 8 of the 24 Day Challenge

   It is day 8 of my 24 Day Challenge and things are looking up. My energy levels have evened out and I feel less lethargic than I did on days 1-4. I started this whole process out of vanity, yep I can admit that when my "fat jeans" are snug I get desperate. Being from Texas I live in jeans and a great pair make my heart skip a beat. I could not ignore the fact that I allowed my hectic schedule and emotional eating packed on a few pounds. A few pounds amounted to around 18 on a 5 '2' frame which A) is not a good look for me and B) my knees were not appreciating the extra weight. Besides vanity reasons I also just wanted to feel good. You are what you eat unfortunately. Eating like a 16 year old boy made me feel like crap.

   Advocare came into the picture via my lovely classmate Ashley. At first, I was completely skeptical and tried out a few products before jumping in headfirst. I'm glad I did because I feel better which is important. My gut can be on the sensitive side and when I don't take proper care of her, she turns into a raging bull. The challenge has been a great tool that helped me to curb my bad eating which has made my stomach feel fantastic. I am no longer bloated or in pain because I am choosing to eat whole foods, even when my wonderful spouse gets pizza, I now abstain. In my opinion the Challenge is a great way for people to get back on track with eating well.

   Abs are made in the kitchen. The Challenge works by having people cook most of their own food. The kitchen can be a fun and happening place to be, with the exception of grease fires. I am not a professional cook but I can at times cook things that are edible and healthy. If I can do it, anybody can!

Release the Kracken!

   I have been officially released from post-op care! I feel as though I am making huge gains in my recovery and today just made life a little better. Physical therapy is going well and I am being allowed to use more weight and do new things. I have finally gotten to a point where I can start working out on my own in addition to what I do in PT. I am so ready to punch a heavy bag and feel like myself again!

  This evening I held plank for 2 minutes and down dog which makes me a very happy person. I find that for me doing a very light workout before bed allows me to put aside the day and go to sleep. Hope everyone has a lovely evening!