spring cleaning

If a person were to read and heed every healthy eating plan out there I think they'd go mad.  We are told to drink water first thing in the morning.  With lemon.  Warm.  Or cold.  Then protein, this much but not that much.  Eat fruit.  But fruit is full of sugar so don't eat fruit.  Eat whole grains but no gluten.  Don't eat before 6 a.m.  or after 7 p.m.  Eat red meat once per week.  Eat vegetarian once per week.  Eat fish but not certain types of fish for the mercury levels.  Eat certain things organic.  Madness.

Food is a wonderful servant but a horrible master.  It should be enjoyed with balance.

I am wary of diets.  There was the one time I tried Slim Fast shakes to lose weight and snuck peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in at every turn because I was so hungry.

It is much more beneficial to eat mindfully.  Healthy choices, one at a time, one after another after another after another after another after another.

Honestly, sometimes I make poor choices.  Sometimes I choose to indulge.  Sometimes I eat nothing but vegetables and plain black beans.  I cave at the sight of Doritos.  But it's ok and I'm ok and Doritos are ok.  In balance.

I will not punish myself for eating, nor punish myself by NOT eating.  Food is my servant, not the other way around.

Occasionally I will record my calories, protein, fat, carbs, sugars for a day.  It helps me to have something to compare to.  If I know that on the day I ate Wendy's I really went over on my fat and sugars, maybe I ought to be more mindful there.  If I notice that I'm really just not making the recommended amount of protein I'll try to be more mindful there.

 

I juiced a bunch of stuff today.  I know it's not advised to keep fresh juice long, the goal is to consume it right away.  My problem is the time required to prepare the items, juice the items, clean up the juicer.  So, this week I juiced ahead and will keep the jars of juice in the refrigerator.  Hopefully the juice will maintain flavor, color, and texture well.

 

In these jars are the following items:

strawberries, kale, ginger, carrots, celery, spinach, oranges, pears, apples, watermelon, cucumber

 

 

 

When it comes time to drink I will add hemp hearts for protein and maybe some flax seed.

 

I also prepared a bunch of fresh vegetables.  If they are ready, they will be eaten.

 

Mini watermelon.  First of the year.

 

 

Even the garden gets some special treatment.  I tilled the juicing scraps into the soil along with some eggshell and coffee grounds.  I'm going to have one happy garden!

 

In the crockpot some pasta sauce is working it's way into a magical, nutritious meal.  The guys will never guess that I snuck kale, spinach, white carrot, and pumpkin into the sauce!  Hee-hee!  It's our little secret.  Lest you think it is only healthy and I am depriving my guys, it also has a sturdy helping of ground beef and will be spooned over egg noodles, the cheap white flour kind that the guys like so much.

I just pulled some strawberry banana bread out of the oven and it smells so sweet and warm.  I only halfway used a recipe so I'm hoping it turns out ok.  Strawberries, bananas, pumpkin puree, applesauce, whole grains, brown sugar...sounds good right?