7 posts tagged “green”

When my back pain was horrible and then I had back surgery, I stopped eating healthy.  I swapped green smoothies and fresh veggies and fruit for comforting carbs.  Bad, bad me.  Now that I'm feeling better, it's time to get back to business.

I'm going to start slowly like last time with just a smoothie in the morning and gradually increase the good and decrease the bad.  Otherwise I'll feel like I'm being deprived of the good (bad) stuff, and it'll feel like a diet.

Tomorrow I'm stocking up on baby spinach, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and frozen berries.

I can't remember a time that I wasn't on a diet.  Until now.

This is an update to my post in January, Going sort of raw and feeling great. 

I've lost 16 pounds.  My blood pressure is down 27 points.  I'll have to wait a couple more months to check my blood sugar (A1C).

The green smoothies really got my system back to basics.  I drank a large green smoothie every morning for about a month, give or take.  I didn't change anything else I ate.  I didn't try to eat better or anything.  Then I started craving cucumbers, cantaloupe, celery, and even fish. 

Processed foods had no appeal for me.  My comfort foods had always been fast food, ice cream, chocolate, and bread.  Over the last few weeks, I can honestly say that I don't crave any of that anymore.  In fact, fast food makes me sick now.  I've tried a few times, even a grilled chicken sandwich, but there is something in it or on it that I just can't stomach now.  I'd rather have some cucumber spears with a bit of sea salt, that's a real treat.

The biggest shocker of all is that I have had 1/2 bag of M&Ms in the kitchen cupboard for about a month now.  I could have eaten a whole bag by myself in one sitting before.  Now I really don't want it.  I don't like how it makes me feel after.  I get more of an energy boost from fruit.  Carbs just drag me down. 

This is the easiest "diet" ever.  I keep 5-6 cucumbers, celery hearts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, cantaloupe, and baked bagel chips in the house for snacks.  That's it.  I make sure we have at least 2 fresh (or frozen) vegetables with our evening meal.  Other than that, I don't think about what I'm eating.  Every once in a while, a green smoothie calls my name, but they aren't a daily thing anymore.

Got a blender?  Try green smoothies.  They're not that bad.  A couple bananas, an apple, and a handful of baby spinach.  That's it.  Basically a couple cups of any fruit and a handful of baby spinach or parsley, and a bit of water to help blend it.  A bag of fresh baby spinach leaves will cost you $2-3, and it will last you a week.  If you give it a chance for a good couple of weeks, it can change your life.

A few months ago, I started buying more fruits and vegetables to incorporate into our diet.  I tried to add at least 2-3 raw fruits and vegetables a day, as well as cooking more vegetables and less meat at mealtimes.  Then I heard about Montel Williams and his raw/whole foods diet that has helped with his MS (I have fibromyalgia).  I bought a juicer and lots more fruits and vegetables to make green smoothies (basically fruit smoothies with a handful of baby spinach, parsley, or other greens thrown in).  I'm only drinking one a day so far.  My favorite has been fresh apple juice, banana, and spinach.  I bought some mangos and papaya to try too.

Things are starting to change.  I crave fruits and vegetables now.  Ice cream and chocolate, not so much.  Funny part is, I have 4 half gallons of ice cream in my freezer because even though I'm not eating it, I'm in the habit of buying it every week.  I used to drink 3-4 cups of coffee every morning to wake up and get motivated to do things.  A couple months later, and I drink about 1/2 cup of coffee in the morning but am wide awake and full of energy.  When I make myself a bowl of ice cream, I can't eat the whole thing.  Another strange thing has happened.  Some processed foods I loved are starting to taste like crap now.  Like American cheese slices... blech.  I used to love snacking on them. 

Since I have a lot of weight that I could stand losing, we'll see how it helps that too.

I'm holding onto my last vice though... I'll never give up diet soda!  It's mine, mine, mine!

I had to laugh after reading Amy Karol's blog.  I'm sure she has good intentions, but let's use some common sense.

In order to go green, she threw away all the plastic in her house and supposedly went online and bought all kinds of steel and glass housewares.  Um... yeah.  Throw all that plastic in the landfill to go green.  Great idea.  Ever heard of Goodwill or Freecycle?  How about looking for glass bowls at your local flea market?

Some people want to make a difference but don't want to make any sacrifices.  Want to make a real difference?  How about not buying new.  Find what you need through Craigslist or Freecycle.  Instead of throwing away everything, pass it on to someone else through the same websites.  Many communities have a place to swap at the local dump (if not, why not ask for one?).  The stuff there isn't dirty or being thrown away, it is put there for someone else to use.  Buy used.  You'd be surprised what you can find in a second-hand shop.  Everything used that is passed on stops something else from being bought new or being thrown away.

Want to save gas?  Stop driving so much or ride a bike.  Combine trips.  Do you really need that gallon of milk today, or can you wait until you have to drive to the post office tomorrow?  It only takes a bit of advanced planning.

Change where you work to closer to home, or even work at home.  Condense your shopping trips to once a week or every other week.