I have quite a few things to cover in this report, so I’ll try to keep it short. First up….
New Magazine Feature!
Prevention Magazine has produced a special edition entitled Eat Clean which is out on the news stands right now and I’m featured in one of their articles, which includes my Mushroom Vegetable Stir Fry recipe . Unlike April’s 2015 Prevention issue in which I was featured in the Where To Find The Cleanest Foods On The Web article, this new special edition is only found on the magazine stands. So head out to Barnes & Noble or your favorite news stand and pick up a copy which is available from October to December 15, 2015. Yea!
My Two Year Blog Anniversary
Last week marked the second year anniversary of my blog. Where does the time go?? In my one-year anniversary report, I was bursting at the seams waiting for permission to announce that Prevention’s newest online e-magazine, EatClean, had asked me to be a weekly contributor to their Clean Eating Recipes section. That came to fruition in January 2015 and the first recipe of mine to be featured happens to be one of personal favorites — Tofu Spring Rolls!
This kept me very busy and excited to be part of their new undertaking. So it’s been quite an honor to have this amount of recognition after just a couple of years into my blogging venture. I feel very fortunate, indeed!
I’d like to thank all of you who read this blog. You’re the reason I do this. It makes my day to receive your emails and comments, so please keep them coming. I try to use all of your feedback to make Parsley In My Teeth something you like to read. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Week Three Round Up Report & Results
Wow – I’m half way through the program! This week, I lost 1.5 pounds, so after 3 weeks I’m down 6.5 pounds. I was concerned that my weight loss might be dropping off because I wasn’t keeping track of my carb intake. I had a couple of days where I had starches (oatmeal) for breakfast and then more starch (rice or starchy veg like squash) for lunch of dinner. On the Eat To Live plan, you’re only allowed 1 cup of starchy foods per day, and I definitely exceeded that. I also had more Bragg’s Amino Acids/soy sauce this week, and that definitely retains water, so it was a bit of a double-whammy. In addition, my water intake was way below what I normally have (see discussion below), so I know that affected me as well. Even though I was able to work in some exercise 3 times this week, it didn’t counteract what I ate. But including the 10 pounds I took off last year, I’m down a total of 16.5 pounds. And to reach my goal of 10 pounds this year, I have 3.5 more to lose over the next 3 weeks.
Let’s Talk About Water
On Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat To Live program, he explains that only those who eat a Standard American Diet, high in salt and low in high water-containing fruits and vegetables, need to drink the “recommended” 6 – 8 glasses of water per day. He says that a diet rich in fiber and veggies/fruits diminishes the need for so much water, and thus he says that 3 glasses per day should be sufficient, although exercising or exposure to heat may increase the need for more.
Personally, I’ve been a huge water drinker for a long time – like 3 liters per day! Last week, I only drank about 3 – 4 8-ounce glasses per day. That just didn’t cut it for me. I like to have lots of water to keep my system flushed out and moving smoothly. Without it, I felt backed up and bloated. While I certainly respect what Dr. Fuhrman is recommending, I just like to have lots of water and I personally think it helps me lose weight better. I suggest that you experiment for yourself to see what level of water intake works best for you.
What I Ate Over The Weekend
Saturday Eats
Breakfast: I had my usual breakfast smoothie with 1 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup soy milk, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon chia seeds.
Lunch: We were out running errands and stopped by a Whole Foods to grab a salad. I had a big one with romaine, spinach, kale, mushrooms, black beans, edamame, chickpeas, green peas, carrots, beets, tomatoes, heart of palm, sunflower seeds and balsamic vinegar dressing. It was over 1 pound and I ate the whole thing. This was expensive, but better than going somewhere else and falling off the wagon.
Dinner: I finished off the black-eyed pea soup and had a Basic Salad.
Sunday Eats
Breakfast: I had oatmeal with dates, banana and raspberries, made with 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup water, 1 banana sliced, 2 chopped dates, 1/2 cup raspberries and 1/2 cup soymilk.
Lunch: I finished off the Ratatouille Soup.
Dinner: I had a Middle Eastern Salad Wrap.
Week Three Grocery List
My list was the same as for Week Three, except rather than eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash, I picked up a butternut and acorn squash. I also picked up some sprouted whole-grain tortillas.
Week Three Prepped Meals
This week, I pre-made a Basic Salad, a Middle Eastern Salad, hummus and tahini dressing (see this post for all 3 recipes). Check back in the next day or two to see my plans for the acorn and butternut squash!
Week Four Day One Recap
I might have splurged a little bit for breakfast by having this Chocolate Banana Protein Shake with Pomegranate:
Dr. Fuhrman doesn’t allow fruit juices on the weight loss portion of his program. But my husband loves pomegranate juice and bought some this weekend. I couldn’t resist. And I don’t think Dr. Fuhrman recommends using protein powder, but I threw some in for body. I actually put the recipe for this shake in the Dessert section of my blog because it’s that good. I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt me….
For lunch I had a Middle Eastern Salad Wrap. I know that all of the ingredients that go into this are allowed on the program. But this tastes so good and is so filling that I feel like I’m going to suffer a backlash for eating it. Only time will tell!
For dinner, I was still so stuffed from the Middle Eastern Salad wrap that I just had a Basic Salad and a grapefruit.
So there you have it – a bunch of news rolled up into one post. Check back tomorrow night for my Week Four Day Two recap!
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