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Asthma Woes and Frustrations

Missing another week of church, due to this asthma trouble that won’t go away.

I have been struggling for several weeks now, with no end in sight — and I didn’t even think I had asthma anymore, until now!

I grew up with lots of trouble as a child. I was highly allergic to corn pollen (while living in INDIANA, of all places). Neither my home nor my school had air-conditioning, so there was no way to even lock myself away from the pollen. But beyond pollen, there was the cigarette smoke, of which I am highly sensitive. I was the daughter of a chain-smoker. My mom, thankfully, worked outside the home, so I was only exposed to the poisonous cloud for a few hours a day, but those few hours seriously affected my health. I was constantly sick with respiratory problems. I was always doped up on meds to try to control the symptoms, and had to have steroid shots every 2-4 weeks, well into my teens. An amazing thing happened though — after moving away from home, my respiratory problems magically disappeared!

Having stayed away from smokers over the years, I have had NO asthma symptoms, except for in the last few weeks of my pregnancies. Terbutaline sufficed during those times, and I haven’t needed an inhaler in over 15 years. So I don’t know WHAT is going on with me now.

It all began a MONTH AGO, at our last reenactment of the season. One of the guys in the company has a new middle-aged girlfriend who smokes like a chimney. I have never seen anyone smoke so much! And everywhere I was, she was — puffing away. I was trapped! And at one point her 20-something-year-old daughter visited, with the same disgusting habits as her mother. All of this smoke triggered a horrendous asthma attack. I went home and used the breathing machine and felt better…until the next day.

The attack continued — and has continued on and off since. And I don’t know WHY. Generally once I am removed from the triggering offense, and take asthma meds, I get better and stay better (as long as I stay away from that trigger). Not this time. This has been going on for A WHOLE MONTH. Every time I take a deep breath I start wheezing and choking. I have a cough that just won’t go away, and although it isn’t contagious, I have to stay away from people for the most part because I sound contagious. It scares people. I go to outdoor events or locations, plus my chiropractor’s office, and that’s it. All of my time is now spent outdoors or in my own house.

I don’t know what to do. I am SO frustrated!

I try to get by on just Mucinex, so that I don’t choke as much, but in order for the wheezing and shortness of breath to get better, I have to take the Terbutaline or Albuterol, both of which make my heart race and cause me to be shaky and extremely irritable. AAAGH!!! I need to find an asthma specialist down here to see if I have any other options, but I don’t know where to look. And I want answers! I know WHAT triggered this attack — but why hasn’t the problem ceased? Is there a second aggravator, such as some sort of pollen, at play as well? Did the first attack cause some sort of pneumonia or something? Totally perplexed here. (My asthmatic daughter has had no trouble at all.)

If anyone is reading this and knows of some natural remedy that might work, please share.

I’m just weary…

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Is the Colloidal Silver “Blue Man” a Fraud?

No doubt by now you have heard of the “Blue Man”. Toward the end of last year Paul Karason’s smurf-like face surfaced in all of the major news publications. His claim? – Colloidal silver caused it. (WHAT?!!) The Blue Man claims to have turned blue after drinking colloidal silver and rubbing it on his skin in an effort to treat dermatitis. That was his simple explanation. Period.

The moral of the story appears to be — stay away from big bad natural remedies. The media’s conclusion — it if use colloidal silver, this will happen to you!

Call me skeptical.
Why?

1. I LIKE natural remedies. I am willing to try almost ANY natural means of treating an ailment before turning to Big Pharma. Therefore I am always willing to give the natural remedies, especially those causing media hype, the benefit of the doubt (and some investigation of my own) before joining the lynch mob against them.
2. The Fox News article about the story stated: “The FDA does not consider colloidal silver safe or effective to treat any disease or condition. In fact, taking it could have serious side effects…” Any time the FDA is mentioned, it throws up big red flags for me! The FDA is notorious for “approving” all sorts of dangerous drugs and food additives that should NEVER be consumed or used by humans! What credibility do THEY have?! Fact: The FDA WILL make the above statements about any “alternative” or natural treatments simply because they have not been able to get their grubby hands on any of the money that these treatments generate. (FDA — ranks right up there with Satan and Hitler on my naughty list).
3. Colloidal Silver has been used for CENTURIES (dating back to the Ancient Greeks for use as a preservative, and to the 9th century for use as a medicine). Both a natural antibiotic and purifier, colloidal silver has been used successfully treat, or alleviate the symptoms of more than 650 different diseases, including, but certainly not limited to:
   • Acne, AIDS, allergies, appendicitis, arthritis, athlete’s foot
   • Bladder inflammation, blood parasites, blood poisoning, boils, burns
   • Cancer, candida, cholera, colitis, conjunctivitis, cystitis
   • Dermatitis, diabetes, dysentery
   • Eczema
   • Fibrositis
   • Gastritis, gonorrhea
   • Hay fever, herpes
   • Impetigo, indigestion
   • Keratitis
   • Leprosy, leukemia, lupus, lymphangitis, Lyme disease
   • Malaria, meningitis
   • Neurasthenia
   • Opthalmia
   • Parasitic infections: viral, fungal and bacterial
     pneumonia, pleurisy, prostate, pruritus ani, psoriasis, purulent
   • Rhinitis, rheumatism, ringworm
   • Scarlet fever, septic conditions of the eyes, ears, mouth, and throat
     seborrhea, septicemia, shingles, skin cancer, staphylococcus and streptococcus infections, stomach flu, syphilis
   • Thyroid, tuberculosis, tonsillitis, toxemia, trachoma
   • Ulcers of the stomach
   • All forms of Virus, veterinary uses (such as canine parovirus)
   • Warts, whooping cough
   • Yeast infection
   • and even….get this….fungal and viral attacks on PLANTS.

   A friend of mine back in Alabama SWORE by the stuff. She used it on herself and her family for an array of ailments. I don’t recall Debbie ever looking like a smurf. Hmmmm…come to think of it…if this silver has been (and continues to be) used for so many years by so many people…how come there aren’t more blue people in the world if colloidal silver is truly to blame?

Enter…the FACTS

It’s no big secret that news outlets like to leave out important facts to make their stories more interesting. It’s their job to put a “slant” on their reports. I mean, how much fun would a “hype” article be if they admitted that THE PRODUCT WAS USED IMPROPERLY!

Fact #1 – Blue Man did not buy colloidal silver. He “made his own”.

PureColloids.com tells the WHOLE story…

He got this condition by taking his homemade silver compound that was mostly a highly concentrated ionic silver solution. When he prepared the solution he believed he was making colloidal silver. He was not making Colloidal Silver. To make the solution even more dangerous, he added salt to the brew and then used electrolysis to make a high concentration of silver chloride with large particles which is well known to cause argyria. He further applied the compound to his skin causing him to become an internal and external photographic plate. To finish himself off, he used a tanning bed to “fix” the silver in his body.

(You can read the rest of the article here).

Come on, folks. Let’s think about this a minute. Let’s say you have a headache. Would you grab some ingredients from your kitchen cabinets or your garage and start mixing them together…then consume them and say “I made some Tylenol”. Let’s say then that this consumption caused some undesirable effects. Would you then go grab a lawn chair and head to the beach to sun away your problem. Nope, problem would still be there, so I guess it’s time to head off to the news station to report what horrible things this “Tylenol” did to your body. (And of course let’s not assume the the news organizations would even try to investigate the facts, or even wonder why these unique effects happened to YOU, but not the other millions of people worldwide who take Tylenol for their headaches.

[for what it's worth, I know there are many people who do make their own colloidal silver with colloidal silver "generators". I am not saying there is anything WRONG with that, as long as you KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. Not all generators are created equal, and obviously, not everyone takes the time to acquire the knowledge required to successfully generate colloidal silver. It would be the difference between someone throwing together myriad ingredients to make the above referenced "Tylenol", vs. following a recipe. "Blue Man is obviously not a recipe-follower. Which brings me to my next point....]

Fact #2 – Moderation is Key!

No one I have ever known has turned blue…but I have had a couple of children turn orange on me. Why? They LOVE carrots and sweet potatoes. Carrots and sweet potatoes are good for them. They love them + they are healthy = Mama feeding them too much. (See the key words here…”too much”. Too many sweet potatoes or carrots = orange child…especially orange noses! Ack!

Parallel. Blue Man likes the effects colloidal silver has on his skin condition. So he uses TOO MUCH (see those key words again?) This equals Argyria (blue man). Ever hear of TOO MUCH of a good thing?

The Blue Man admits to taking “upwards of 20 ounces a day” and “adding baking soda and/or salt to increase the concentration.” Yes, apparently for years on end. This is WAY too much colloidal silver to be taking daily, for such long periods of time. Standard safe dose?

1 teaspoon of 5 ppm. colloidal silver equals about 25 micrograms (mcg.) of silver. 1 – 4 teaspoons per day (25 – 100 mcg.) is generally considered to be a “nutritional amount” and is reported to be safe to use for extended periods of time. Amounts higher than this are generally considered “therapeutic amounts” and should only be used periodically.

In cases of illness, natural health practitioners have often recommended taking double or triple the “nutritional amount” for 30 to 45 days, then dropping down to a smaller maintenance dose. *

Not trying to pick on Tylenol here, (I am continually using it as an example because it is considered by most to be relatively mild and safe, as far as drugs go), but what do you think would happen if one were to take several TIMES the recommended dose of Tylenol on a daily basis for many years (kind of a moot question, as the person would succumb to liver failure well before the “many years” point…but you see where I’m going). It wouldn’t be pretty. And the FDA (because it receives monetary gain from Tylenol) certainly wouldn’t blame THE DRUG! And do you think the news outlets would? Nope. It would never reach the headlines! They would just think “what an idiot!” — and rightfully so.

“Blue Man” — just another example of “the news” telling us what they want us to hear.

References:

Fox News
Purest Colloids – The Blue Man Fraud
*Colloidal Silver – The Rediscovery of a Super Antibiotic – Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center
A Summarized History of Colloidal Silver and Its Uses – By Peter Salazar
Colloidal Silver Secrets: The Colloidal Silver Blue Man and Argyria, Revisted

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Ways to Treat Colds and Flu, Naturally

Sick again. Casualty count = five.

Yes, it’s the gift that keeps on giving — the almighty “virus”. Circulating amongst those in this household for the last several weeks has been strep throat, and other general cold/flu symptoms. This is Take 3 for me. One of the unfortunate side effects of fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis is a weakened immune system. I seem to catch everything that comes along. I have a few “tried and true” remedies for boosting that sluggish immune system; recipes for which I am often asked, so I will share them here — and then go make some.

The first is Garlic Soup. I am not sure whom to credit this recipe to. I have been using it for years, but I think I originally found it in a book called “Sugarbusters”. Garlic is a natural antibiotic, and this soup generally cures what ails me by the third serving. Warning though! It is very potent! No need to fear the vampires with this tonic — your own family members will even try to keep their distance after you consume this. (Oh, and it is also known to produce gas…but that annoying symptom is well worth the relief it will bring. I promise.)

Garlic Soup

20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 2/4 C broth
2 C cooked navy beans or one 15-oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained
2 T crumbled goat cheese
3 T lemon juice
1/2 T dry sherry
1/2 t dried thyme
salt and ground black pepper to taste
chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Put the garlic and broth in a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at full power for about 10 minutes, until steamy. Transfer the contents of the bowl to a blender or food processor. Add the beans, goat cheese, lemon juice, sherry, and thyme. Puree and return the puree to the bowl. Microwave at full power until heated through, about 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped cilantro.

(NOTE – The above is the recipe the way it was originally written. I prefer not to use the microwave, opting instead for the stovetop, to ensure that the “good stuff” isn’t destroyed while microwaving.)

The Hot Toddy

I know that the majority of my readers do not consume alcohol at all. If you are one of these, then this recipe isn’t for you. I personally believe in the medicinal properties of alcohol and consider this our little homemade version of Ny-quil.

1 1/2 ounces Whiskey
1 ounce Honey
1/3 ounce Lemon Juice
3 ounces Water (Hot)

Stir the honey and lemon juice into extremely warm water, allow it to cool slightly, and add the whiskey. (It is best to use raw honey and the juice from organic lemons).

Containing the natural antibiotic properties of honey, in addition to the Vitamin-C rich lemon juice, the soothing hot water, and the whiskey to help you rest, this beverage brings great relief at bedtime during the cold and flu season.

For a non-alcoholic alternative to the hot toddy, simply serve hot tea with the added lemon juice and honey.

Apple cider vinegar as a sore throat remedy — it tastes awful, but it works!

Lemon, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne, and Honey Tea

An old home remedy for sore throats is a “tea” made by adding one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, the juice of 1/4 lemon, and one teaspoon of honey to a cup of hot water. Stir and drink.

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The Health Quest Update

It has been a rough couple of weeks trying to come off caffeine. I knew I had a dependency, but I had NO IDEA just how strongly addicted I was (am?)! In the process of cutting back, I have been in a fog. No motivation. No energy. Sleepy all day long. Irritable. — I can’t tell you how many times a day I will be feeling sluggish and think, “I need a cup of coffee.”

For what it’s worth, I am currently down to one 20 oz. cup of coffee per day, with 1/3 of that being regular coffee and 2/3 being decaf. My plan is to do that one more day, then go to 1/4 regular for three days, then three days of just decaf (which still contains a little caffeine). By then I should have successfully wiped out the addiction and be ready to begin the cleanse again. No more than one more week, hopefully. Pray for me.

In other health news, my thyroid or metabolism (or both) must be REALLY messed up right now because I have really been getting fat. I’m back up to 123 (a ten pound gain since August). I haven’t been eating too badly either — not GREAT, but certainly not terrible. I have been meat-free for two weeks, with plans to give up all animal products (I will miss my butter) by the end of the month. The goal is to be mostly raw vegan by the end of the master cleanse.

The Master Cleanse – Day 2

Weight:
119

Health:
I feel pretty much the same as I did yesterday. Achy all over. Tired. Still chilly. I woke up with no headache, but about an hour after waking, it started. I treated it the best I could using apple cider vinegar on a brown paper bag, which at least took the edge off. Mentally, I’m doing worse. I am agitated and depressed over finances. I am overwhelmed by thoughts of what we need and can’t afford and by everything I have to get done. I feel like the walls are caving in on me.

The Cleanse:
I drank the salt flush at around 7am. It didn’t do much as far as “flushing” my system so far. My intestines are churning though. It is now 10:30am and I am on my 2nd serving of lemonade. I am determined to get my 6 servings in today. (Why am I so cold? Brrr).

Rob took the rest of the family to church, so I think I’m going to get some rest.

Update, 5:30pm. I’m a quitter. I really really wanted to stick this out, but can’t…this time.

By noon, the headache was severe; a full-blown migraine (I’m assuming from caffeine withdrawal). When Rob got home from church at about 1:30 I was in bad shape. He tried rubbing my neck and head, but it didn’t help. So I caved. I asked for a cup of coffee. One sip and I was in the bathroom vomiting. It felt as if someone had beaten me in the head with a baseball bat. At 2:00 pm Rob gave me an Imitrex injection. The headache subsided and I ended up eating an apple and some crackers. I still didn’t have any caffeine though and now the headache is coming back.

I’m getting ready to drink my last zipfizz. It contains caffeine.

My new plan: I MUST wean myself off caffeine before doing this cleanse. I need to be able to still be a parent through all of this. So…my plan is to slowly wean myself off caffeine over the next couple of weeks while eating healthy at the same time, then when the caffeine is out of my system, I’ll try again.

I hate quitting.

The Master Cleanse – Day 1

Weight:
Prior to starting the cleanse, as previously stated, my weight is 121.5.

Health:
Physically, I hurt…all over. My joints and muscles ache. My neck hurts. My right shoulder and left hip feel so bad that they almost seem to be dislocated or “out of joint”, and my throat hurts. I have a slight headache…just a dull ache, presumably a result of the stiff sore neck muscles, not a migraine. Mentally, I am just tired. Sleepy and a little irritable (as in overwhelmed by noise).

The Cleanse:
The directions in the book state to start of with the laxative tea on the evening prior to beginning the cleanse, then do the salt flush in the morning…but I was afraid to. I didn’t know how strong the effect of the tea would be, and didn’t want to take any chances at bedtime. So I drank the tea this morning sometime around 8:00-8:10 instead (in place of the salt mixture). I took a bath at around 8:30 (as part of the cleanse, it is suggested that you bathe at least twice a day, as toxins are heavily secreted through the skin. Ick!).

It is now 9:50, and there have not yet been any strong effects of the tea (or any effects at all to speak of at the moment). I have not yet had any of the lemonade. I am not hungry at all, but am already feeling the effects of having not had my morning coffee (I drink a LOT of coffee…I say only one to two “cups” a day, but my coffee cup is actually a 20 oz. mug). I am just really tired…having a difficult time getting going.

10:15 am – finally started feeling “hungry”

11:00 am – first 10 oz. serving of “lemonade”. Very interesting flavor. Tart and hot (spicy) at the same time. Not bad though. Due to my hypoglycemia, I am substituting 1 T. molasses for the 2 T. maple syrup. I am sooo sooo sleepy. My body is screaming, “Me want coffee!”. I think I’m going to take a nap after I finish this serving of “lemonade”.

8:30 pm – I am on my 4th (10 oz) cup of lemonade. I am supposed to have at least 6 servings a day, but just couldn’t do it today. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be completely on board with the program.

I feel awful. I slept for several hours earlier, and am still tired. I really really want some caffeine! I am also extremely hungry…which is strange because I have frequently gone until late afternoon without eating any real food and not experienced hunger. In fact, I often forget to eat until I start to get shaky, which reminds me, “Oh yeah, I haven’t eaten anything.” I wonder why I am getting so hungry with the lemonade. I have a funny taste in my mouth and am feeling a little nauseous. (I have NOT had the hypoglycemic shakiness so far. That’s a good thing.) Another strange symptom though is that I have felt really cold.

I still haven’t “eliminated” anything. I suppose that will come with tomorrow’s salt flush.

10:43pm – I’m drinking the bedtime cup of senna tea (a little braver than I was last night), then as soon as Trading Spaces is over, I’m off to bed. I have never completely waken up today.

On With the Health Quest

One-twenty-one (or more accurately, 121.5) NOT my favorite number (although, still a more favorable number than 173…I must admit). I have learned a very important object lesson (using myself as the object, of course) over the last several months. That is, if you eat right and exercise at least semi-regularly, pounds and inches fall off, and you feel great. If you don’t, the pounds and inches jump right back on, and you feel….blah. (Like that was a big secret, huh?)

Before the big move, I was down to 113 lbs. and looking pretty good. Now I’m back up to over 120 — definitely going in the WRONG direction. And I had been sooo close to my goal. (sniff sniff) See, during the chaos of moving, bad habits creep back in. You’re busy. You’re tired. Your pans and stove are in two separate houses. You’re running here and there. Perfect time to pick up a pizza or a Big Mac (or my personal favorite, a Texas Philly from Christo’s — WONDERFUL restaurant, by the way!). Before long, one sandwich has turned into tens, one slice of pizza has turned into dozens, and one French fry has turned into hundreds (thousands?)…and all of your hard work has gone to waste waist. And exercise? I won’t even go there. Lately, “exercise” for me has been winding down in the evenings to a game of Big Kahuna Reef or Scrabble on the computer. I guess my wrists and fingers are getting a little exercise. Little consolation.

So for all of you whom have offered me such encouraging words on my weight loss…thank you. You are my inspiration — my kick in the heiny to get back with the program! I’m down (or up, as the case may be) by eight, but I’m not out of the game.

Here’s the real kicker. It isn’t the weight gain that has most grabbed my attention; but rather my rapid decline in health over the last couple months. My focus, in the very beginning, was on HEALTH. Somehow that focus has shifted to weight loss over the last several months. But I need my health back!

I have never been what one would consider “healthy”. As a child I suffered from severe allergies, migraines (from the age of nine), frequent serious ear infections (which have left me almost totally deaf in my right ear), chronic throat and respiratory infections, including strep infections (and the resulting over-use of antibiotics), anemia, hypoglycemia, and gastro-intestinal issues. (This was all in my first 16 years of life).

In the last decade, my declining health has led to diagnoses of a thyroid condition called Wilson’s Syndrome, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic anemia, and irritable bowel syndrome. (Lovely combination, huh?). I have tried various “healing” diets over the years. And guess what? They WORKED! Diet really IS the foundation of our health, whether that health be good or poor.

Although I have had good success with The Maker’s Diet (particulary in the elimination entirely of the IBS), my greatest health benefits were achieved through raw vegan diets, such as The Hallelujah (Acres) Diet and the products from the Whole Food Farmacy. I know what I need to do to be healthy, but I often act like a stubborn two-year old. (No offense, Rey ) I love to eat the things that are the worst for me. Chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Yeast rolls. Chocolate cake. (Chocolate is a recurring theme). *SIGH*

It’s time to make a change…and make it permanently. That’s why I am making the decision public. PLEASE hold me accountable.

Lately, notably after I stopped eating healthy foods and exercising, I have been suffering from severe muscle and joint aches, gas pains, a sore throat, and frequent migraine headaches. My face is breaking out. My disposition has been much more…uh…irritable (mood swings, feeling overwhelmed more easily, aggitated). I’m tired and cranky and sore. This needs to change.

So…I plan to jump in with both feet — by pulling out the BIG GUNS. While I have a GREAT amount of respect for “the liquithon” (from the whole food farmacy) as “a fast”, I need a deeper cleanse to start off with this time — a total purge. Yes, folks, it’s time for the dreaded Master Cleanse, or “Lemonade Diet”. (A brief overview…lemons + maple syrup + cayenne pepper + sea salt + herbal laxative tea = lots of “flushing” x 10 days = great health and a fresh start. I’m in. I started the Master Cleanse this morning. If I survive, I’ll let you all know about it.

After the cleanse, it will be back to the mostly raw, vegan diet for me.

Sharing Another Yummy Low-Carb Recipe – Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch slices
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup dried basil
• 4 cups pasta sauce

Directions:

1. Soak eggplant slices in vinegar for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.
3. Rinse eggplant in cold water. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, place one layer of eggplant in the pan, and brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
4. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.

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Weigh-In…and Sharing a Light Recipe

Today is weigh-in day for the Tales from the Scales Challenge. 114. Woohoo! Finally going back in the right direction! What did I do differently this week? Absolutely nothing. Go figure.

I came across this quick and easy recipe last week, which Rob and I have been consuming quite often. It makes a perfect light summer meal — for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack!

Cottage Cheese and Tomato on Toast

1 serving

Time to make 5 min, 5 min prep

2 slices whole wheat bread (I use rye bread)
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
4 slices tomatoes (more or less)
pepper (optional)

1. Toast the bread.
2. Spread with cottage cheese.
3. Top with tomato.
4. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.
5. Enjoy!

* Note – we butter the toast before topping with the cottage cheese and tomato.

53.5 Inches in 52 Weeks

I didn’t do a post last week for the Tales from the Scales Weight Loss Challenge, so here it is for this week. Unfortunately, I am up a pound today from where I was last week, but I did take my measurements on the one day anniversary of the first time I took my measurements. Here are the results!

(more…)

I Finally Broke the Plateau!

With a pound and a half lost this week (down to 117), I finally broke that annoying weight loss plateau. My goal is now almost close enough to taste (no pun intended), but these last several pounds are coming off soooo slowly!

A friend of mine suggested that I have a reward in mind for when I reach that goal — something special for myself as a sort of treat for my hard work. But I am at a loss as to what that may be! Do you have any suggestions?

In other news, the ladies at Tales from the Scales are also hosting a recipe swap, but they are doing it in such a way as to post a favorite side dish and favorite main dish on separate days, and that just doesn’t work for OCD Janne. I need *meal* plans! So I shall be posting my supper menus this week!

I have mentioned previously that I am, for the most part, a pescetarian — in other words, a vegetarian who also eats fish. If you are not a seafood lover and you are currently thinking to yourself, “Ewww…nasty!” — let me tell ya! I was NEVER one to eat seafood. The only fish I would eat is that stuff from Long John Silver’s that is hidden below layers of deep fried batter. And ironically, I used to eat the bottom-feeders (shell-fish) and they now gross me out.

But in the quest for health, I decided to be adventurous, and while on that quest, have discovered two types of fish that neither taste nor smell “fishy”: tilapia and grouper. Both are VERY mild tasting, and low in carbohydrates and fat!

So without further ado, I now present tonight’s supper menu!

Potato-Crusted Fish & Fresh Broccoli
These recipes came from the Publix Apron’s website.

Potato-Crusted Fish

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds firm white fish, such as tilapia (4 fillets)
• 1 (2-ounce) package potato flakes (1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided

Steps

1. 1. Crush garlic cloves into shallow dish using garlic press. Use knife to remove garlic from bottom of press. Stir in buttermilk, salt and pepper. Place fish in buttermilk mixture, turning to coat. Let stand 3–4 minutes. Wash hands.
2. Meanwhile, preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 3–4 minutes. Place potato flakes on plate. Coat both sides of fish with potato flakes; press with fingers to coat heavily. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add fish and cook 4 minutes. (Do not turn fish.) Wash hands.
3. Place remaining 1 tablespoon butter in center of pan. Using spatula, turn fish, distributing butter under each fillet. Cook 3 more minutes or until golden and fish flakes easily. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 290kcal; FAT 14g; CHOL 115mg; SODIUM 390mg; CARB 6g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 36g; VIT A 8%; VIT C 8%; CALC 8%; IRON 6%

Fresh Broccoli

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh broccoli florets (rinsed)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Steps

1. Break broccoli into bite-size pieces, if preferred. Place in microwave-safe bowl with water. Cover and microwave on HIGH 4 minutes or until desired tenderness.
2. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 35kcal; FAT 1.5g; CHOL 5mg; SODIUM 220mg; CARB 4g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 3g; VIT A 50%; VIT C 130%; CALC 4%; IRON 4%

*Note from Janne – we cut this recipe in half to serve just Rob and I. The whole meal contains only 8 net carbs and 325 calories per serving!

Protected: Weight Loss – the Difference a Year Makes

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A “new” old migraine remedy?

I had a doozy of a headache last night, after getting overheated on a walk. Coffee didn’t touch it. Excedrin only made a slight difference. So I tried one of those old home remedies I found a while back on the web — and it worked!

You take a portion of one of those brown paper lunch bags (I don’t know why it specifies brown paper, but it does), soak it in Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, and place it on your forehead. I was very skeptical, but was pleased with the outcome.

And Thus Begins the May Day Weight Loss Challenge

Greetings fellow losers! I have had the opportunity to visit several of you on your blogs already this week and I must confess that I have been *delighted* to meet so many new, awesome people! This is going to be a great network!

As I mentioned in my meal plan entry, I have been on this journey for almost a year now, and have moved my weight and health related topics to a page all their own (*HINT* Just click on the “incredible shrinking woman” tab above). In the right side bar of that page are excerpts and links to previous weight/health-related posts over the last year of my journey — and the body of the page contains a photographic journey. :-O

A little background: when I got married at age 20, I weighed 98 pounds and wore a size 3. (For reference, I am smalled-framed (size 4 ring) and short (5′3″)). Over the years I gave birth…and gave birth again…and gave birth again…and (well, let’s just say I had nine children in 14 years). I held onto about an extra 8 pounds after each pregnancy, and by baby number nine those pounds had *really* added up!

I found myself, at age 35, weighing in at 173 lbs. – 75 lbs. above my wedding weight! I knew I needed to get things under control, so I found my determination and set off to find my waistline!

Here I am, almost a year later. I now weigh 121 (a loss of 52 lbs.). My goal weight is 110 (although if I can reach 105, it would be a nice little bonus — I’m not counting on it though). Just 11 pounds to go!!!

As I have mentioned before, if *I*, Queen Carbaholic, can come this far, any of us can!

One itty bitty piece of advice before you get started though, even though it is a painful thing to do; TAKE MEASUREMENTS! I did not do this in the very beginning. I only started taking measurements last July, once I was down to 160 lbs. Since then I have lost 48.25 inches. I would LOVE to know how many more I lost during that first 13-lb loss.

Inevitably, we all hit weight loss stalls occasionally. It can get discouraging to be “doing everything right”, and yet go weeks without losing a pound. It was times like these that the tape measure came in really handy. It is a terrific motivator to see that inches are still dropping off, even when pounds aren’t…so I would encourage all of you, now, on day 1, to get those tape measures out! Measure every month or two and compare.

The places I measure are:

1. Bust: Don’t squish yourself — measure all the way around your bust and back right at your n*pple line, and make sure the tape measure is not lower.
2. Chest: Measure under your breasts but as high up as you can go, keeping the tape measure parallel to this line when you reach it around your back.
3. Waist: Measure wherever it is the smallest (if you have “no waist” go around yourself right at the navel line).
4. Hips: Measure at the very biggest part — even if that is so low that you are almost on the top of your thighs.
5. Midway: Measure midway between the very biggest part of your hips and your waist.
6. Thighs: Measure wherever they are the biggest.
7. Knees: Measure right above the knee.
8. Calves: Measure wherever they are the biggest.
9. Upper arm: Measure wherever they are biggest above your elbows.
10. Forearms: Measure wherever they are biggest below your elbows.