What's in Your Pantry? Part 2!

This cleaning out of the pantry and freezer has been kind of like Christmas.  There are so many surprises!  I have found things that I had forgotten about, like yeast for baking, and gourmet coffee beans.

Today, we ran out of bread. Even though I had given myself permission to buy bread, I decided to try making some English muffins.  To my delight, the yeast was still active, even though the package said use before 2008!  (I did get my husband to lay hands on it and speak life to it! He had the nerve to cast out the spirit of hockey pucks!)

I forgot what a workout cooking from scratch is and especially making bread.  My arms need some serious strengthening!  This calls for more bread-making.  I am going to figure out the difference (approximately) in the calorie expenditure between driving to the store and buying a loaf and making it from scratch. I will let you know. :)

If you think about it, first there is all that bending and stooping to dig out the bowls, and pots and pans that have been buried for years.  Then there is the extra work that is created as you find cups filled with broken, beaded necklaces that you have been wondering where they went! Because now you have to find your beading tools and fix the necklaces, after you finish with the flour!

Then there is the washing of the dishes so they can be reused quickly.  Then there is the shoulder shrugs and arms (side-ways) curls as you stir in the flour bit by bit. I do think I have raised my heart rate significantly!  Yay!

I also ran out of Melitta coffee filters today.  As promised, I pulled out my percolator and made a pot of coffee requiring no filter.   I  had to make a mix of regular and decaf because I am almost out of regular beans...I am getting nervous!  Can I really switch to tea!!!

Yesterday we ran out of soda, so I made a pot of green tea sweetened with a little raw honey. Over ice it went and you know? I actually liked it.  Jack did too, but he did not ask for more...

Today's dinner will be an experimental venison-sausage pasta dish.  If it is good, I'll post the recipe..

Blessings, Anna Marie

What's in Your Pantry?

Each day I awaken with another idea for healthy changes to make.  This morning I had a bright idea that should prove challenging, but I have to ruminate on the health benefits. I am not going to go shopping for groceries until everything in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer is used up!

The only exception will be for Ezekiel bread and organic butter, and perhaps the occasional fresh fruit or vegetable, and rice milk, and eggs.
But when I go to the store, I will have a list and cash.  No cheating!!

I asked my husband if he was up for the challenge...you realize this means I have to drink up all the 20 boxes of tea before I buy coffee again...his look was so funny!  He said, " Oooookaaay. I'll try."  LOL!
If you saw my food supplies, you would understand!

A couple of years ago, I started storing up dried beans and rice, spices and canned goods in case the world collapsed.   I have myriads of jars of jelly and jam, odd assortment of pickles and chutney...the list goes on! 


I actually do think there will be health benefits, the more I think about it.  For example, tea has antioxidants that coffee does not have, and less caffeine. (I posted a link to an article about green tea that is very enlightening at the end of this post) Dried beans and rice do not have the fat and other bad stuff like steroids and other mysterious additions we know nothing about.  Most of the rice I have stored is brown rice. This is great for our digestion!

One fun thing will be using the marshmallows and pudding and chocolate chips!!! I buy that kind of thing around the holiday season, but many times they never get used.  :) I may have to post some of the recipes I concoct!

I am going enjoy making my own granola again.  You would not believe how much oatmeal I have out in the refrigerator in the garage!  Oatmeal is awesome for lowering cholesterol.  But I have not cooked any in over a year!  I could put the chocolate chips in the granola! Chocolate is good for you!  Antioxidants! :)

Making homemade bread should be a challenge. Time to let it rise might be hard to find...oh wait! This is something I could do with the grandkids! Yes! 

I guess the best health benefit will be a boost in my creativity!
Supper is at 6:00pm...all are welcome!  Blessings, Anna Marie


http://www.webmd.com

10 Simple Changes to Improve Your Health

If you have been following my blog you know I am all about small, do-able steps to get healthy. Thought I would share a list of things I am doing and maybe it will spark some ideas for you. Most of these are not new, but I figured if I need reminding then probably others do as well!  Here goes:

1. Start your day with thanksgiving!  Put a reminder beside your bed that you will see when you open your eyes. Or if you are a techie, make an alarm wake up that says, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!" instead of a ringer! 
2. Take the stairs and not the elevator.
3. Park at the outside of the parking lot and not the closest. Think of it as saving those close spots for the elderly and handicapped, being thankful you can walk! 
4. Choose whole-grain over processed.
5. Double the veggies and cut the meat in half.
6. Share dessert. :)  One or two bites is satisfying! 
7. Try a new activity: Hiking in the state parks, walking and exploring your town's historical district, take tennis lessons, prayer walk your neighborhood, grab your partner and take some dancing lessons!
8. If you have an addiction, try cutting back on one each day. Whether it's coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, Hershey kisses. Count how many you are indulging in each day and cut back on one each day and replace the time you would have spent indulging with an activity like jump on a re-bounder, take a short walk, do a set of sit-ups, push-ups.  Stop and sing at the top of your voice something that makes you laugh! 
9. Listen to classical music for at least 15 minutes each day. (I promise it helps the brain!)
10. Get at least 15 minutes of sunshine each day without wearing sunscreen...Vitamin D, baby!

I would love to hear some of your ideas, too! Blessings, Anna Marie

Fresh Air and Fresh Fruits!

Yesterday was a good day. I walked/jogged two miles cross country.  It is always amazing how much more of a challenge it is to run through the woods or down a dirt path than on my treadmill.  More challenge and more fun!  The air was so fresh after the rain we have had, and the cool, crisp air and dazzling sunshine added a rapture to the workout. 

I have been piecing out bits of ways to improve my health.  Today the thought crossed my mind to make a list of my favorite fruits and vegetables, and write about why they give me pleasure.  I have found that when I find pleasure in things, whether it is exercise, or a clean refrigerator, I am more likely to incorporate it into my life on a a regular basis. 

For example, today I found myself putting something back in a cabinet that I normally leave out, cluttering the counter.  I put it back because I realized how much I have been enjoying my clutter-free counter. 

In the same way, I am finding it easier to exercise on a daily basis because I am adding an element of fun into every workout.  Yesterday, my husband was not in the house when I got onto my re-bounder.  I found myself jumping like a little kid.  I was wiggling and waving my arms as I sang a Christmas carol at the top of my lungs.  It was fun!

So, as I think about my favorite fruits and vegetables, I know I will be eating more of them and eating less unhealthy foods. I have found that if I can picture myself doing something, I can do it. 

My first fruit I want to enrapture about is an orange.  I love the smell of the peel as it pulls away from the fruit. The anticipation grows with each burst of orange fragrance.  Then the fun begins of separating the sections. Eating one section at a time, and totally enjoying the burst of flavor as the membranes dissolve is a wonder-filled experience.  Oh man! I am getting oranges today and eating one before I do anything else. 

I won't bore you with the rest of my list, but let me encourage you to try making your own list.

Try the list idea.  You may find your eating habits transformed.

Blessings, Anna Marie

Probiotics and Organic Meat!

How many antibiotics have you had in your lifetime?

Most Americans have had many prescriptions for antibiotics during their lifetime.  If you want to look at some boring (but illuminating) statistics from the Center for Disease Control check out the link at the bottom of this blog.

What some people do not realize is these drugs, while saving lives, also destroy the beneficial bacteria we need to digest our food.  The beneficial bacteria are involved with helping our bodies create the enzymes that are needed in digestion. They also serve to keep the balance between all the gut flora. 
Without the friendly  bacteria, yeast proliferates leading to severe health issues.  Many  intestinal disorders develop because of the imbalance created by antibiotics.If you want to learn more read the article on gut flora I have linked to.

A hidden source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is in the meat we consume.  Even if you have not taken many prescriptions for these potent drugs,  unless you have always eaten organically grown meat, you have unwittingly consumed some powerful antibiotic resistant bacteria.  The practice of meat producers, giving antibiotics to the animals for weight gain, have led to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  (See third link)

Imbalance of bacterial flora has been linked to many health issues. Recently, I heard a doctor on a radio program explaining how this problem may be one of the primary causes of GERD, or acid reflux.  I have read about connections to depression and obesity, as well.  I was appalled to learn there is also a connection to cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  Anything that hurts our immune system is a major enemy.

Sounds depressing, doesn't it?

I have been doing some research into the answer to this problem.  There are two solutions I am giving a try.  The first is to only buy meat that is certified to be antibiotic free.  It is more expensive, so this solves two problems.  First, we are eating less meat, which means fewer calories, less fat and cholesterol consumption, and secondly, we are no longer consuming these android bacteria!

The second solution is to add Bio-K plus probiotic to our diet. (I am not being paid for this plug.)
This probiotic is the only one I have been able to find that is clinically proven to contain a minimum of 50 billion active and efficacious bacteria.  It comes in dairy and non-dairy cultures.  I have included a toll-free phone number at the bottom of the blog, in case you do not live near a health food store.

I am looking forward to great results in the course of the next year, as I make these small changes in diet. I am anticipating that the gluten intolerance I have developed and the yeast overgrowth in my blood will be obliterated.

Blessings! Anna Marie

Bio-K plus: 1-800-593-2465

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6034a1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora

http://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/pesticides-hormones-in-food?page=3

Looking for Less Stress?

One of my friends posted a link to a blog about 100 days to get organized.  It really rang my bell!  I am so into small steps.  Incrementally, I can get many things accomplished.  When I look at projects such as getting organized, or losing weight, or writing on my book, I get overwhelmed. but, if I grab little chunks and deal with them, before I know what has happened, I arrive at my destination!

In my last post, I shared about cutting the cream in my coffee.  I am already seeing some weight loss, just from eliminating that one thing in my diet.  Yesterday, I heard the Lord say to me at breakfast,

"Just one piece of Ezekiel toast is enough."

I totaled the approximate calories saved from giving up that second piece, and in a year I could be between four to six pounds lighter than I am now (plus the weight loss from giving up the cream) and never feel the pain!

I have been approaching exercise the same way.  When the temptation to sit instead of walk hits me between the eyes, I remember I can burn at least 100 calories by walking really slowly as opposed to just sitting. Another 4-6 pounds gone in a year!  (And that is not counting the increased muscle mass, which burns more calories, when I am sitting!)

How simple can this be?  

I decided to approach my home organization the same way, bit by bit.  I pick jut one small task that needs to be organized and do it.  For example, today, I thought I might get some Christmas decorations up.  The thought of doing all of it was just too much!  So I decided to change the placemats on the table, and the potholders and towels in the kitchen. (Don't laugh!)

Changing theses few items did not make me feel overwhelmed. I actually got excited! And truth be told, I got so into it, I did a whole lot more! :)

I am coming to the realization that I am being slowly healed of the "all or nothing" attitude I have suffered with throughout my life.  It is exhilerating!  I never even realized how much I suffered with this handicap.

Taking life in bits is giving me a whole lot less adrenaline rush, and I am feeling so calm.  Hallelujah!

Tonight, I am going to sit down and figure out how many words I have to write each day to finish my book.  I can't wait!

Weight loss, less stress, and a completed book!  Eureka!

Blessings, Anna Marie

Take the Beans Out!!

I woke up this morning with the line from an old song, "You'll have to speak up, I have beans in my ears," running through my mind. For those of you too young to have heard it on the radio, I have posted a link at the end of today's blog.

So what, you may ask, does this little ditty have to do with a health challenge?

I am guessing, that God is trying to get my attention!  (Read: Day One of this blog for more about listening to God.)  I am so jazzed about hearing God's voice.  Each day, He speaks to me, and as I am getting the beans out of my ears, I am hearing more clearly!

Beans, for me, symbolize those things I stupidly place between me and God. Usually, they are the mindless, daily activities that consume my attention, diverting me from that vertical conversation with my Lord.  If I am not deliberate, they block my hearing. 

Today, His message to me through this song, was to remind me to ask Him what is best for me to eat.  Last week,  I was feeling frustrated at the lack of downward movement of my scales.  Before I went to sleep that night, I cried out in my sometimes whiny way, "What is the deal!!"  I didn't hear response.

The next morning right before I woke up, I had a dream.  In my dream, I was repeating my whiny question to God as I started to make my coffee.  I went to the refrigerator to get my cream, and when I picked it up, I discovered it was rotten.

I awakened with a wondering. Could it be the cream I put in my several cups of jo each day that is the culprit in my dieting failure?  I told my friend/sister Annette about the dream, and she quickly totaled the calorie count, yikes!! I cannot even repeat it here.  Suffice it to say, realization dawned, that if I just eliminate that one thing from my daily diet, I could lose 40-50 pounds in ONE YEAR without even changing anything else!!!

With great haste and delight, I took it as my word from God for that day, and started drinking my coffee black.  Guess what?  Yesterday, when I got on the scales, I had already lost three pounds!  And that is with totally Not watching my diet last week.  We ate out almost every day, two meals a day, during a Board meeting.

I am so jazzed! (Can you tell I have had three strong cups of black coffee already!)  LOL

Today, I am taking the beans out of my ears, and listening for the next bit of wisdom from my precious Abba.   He really does know how to fix that which He created!

So, my challenge for you today, dear cyber friend, is to look for the small, seemingly insignificant items you put in your mouth each day. You may find your cream saboteur!

Blessings, Anna Marie

Serendipity Singers - Beans in My Ears