Anyhow, enough about my knee problems.  I learned about a great company called AdvoCare.  Within the last year or so, it has come up numerous times with just as many people.  I decided that I not only want to add more nutrition to my body but also wanted to make some much needed extra money.  I became a distributor with AdvoCare with the hopes and desire to become an Advisor.

I started my AdvoCare journey with trying their 24 Day Challenge.  Today was Day 14 for me and to date I have lost 10 lbs!!  I am amazed at my energy level, how I feel it has increased drastically!  I am sleeping better at night and feel so much better in all!  I have my entire family on products in one form or another.  I have seen and heard and felt so many great things with this product!!  You NEED to give them a try!!

Please check out my website and feel free to ask me any questions!! I am here to help!

My church~Hope Church,  began advertising a class they were ready to start, called Run For God, we will train basically using the Couch to 5k plan and in June…June 16 precisely, we will run a 5k as a group.  I was on board before I could even sign up.  See, last year at this time as I was dramatically changing the way I was eating, I gave myself a goal to run a 5k before I turned 40!  Well, 40 came and I had not even begun running.  I wasn’t really discouraged but I was disappointed with myself…why couldn’t I do just that one “little” goal?  At the time I was more focused on getting my nutrition in order….as I said in the beginning, I was totally NOT going to change into a vegetarian…let alone a vegan!

So, I began this class with my husband Brian and it is a great group of people who gather together with different goals in mind.  My goal for this class is to just be able to finish the 5k.  I am NOT committing to do it in a certain time, because me running is HUGE!  So far I have actually only gone out 8 times to run, and I can’t believe I actually feel good when I am done.  That was until Wednesday of last week,  I went on a run with my daughter, Brandi and I knew my knee was quite sore when we started.  I had been having some inflammation on the backside of my knee but I thought it would just go away…I thought my body was just rejecting this new activity.  But, Thursday the knee hurt all day.  I decided Thursday night to run despite it hurting and I did finish the intervals.  That night as soon as I laid down, I couldn’t even get back up right away.  By Friday, I was almost totally out of commission.  Saturday morning it was a little better and decided I needed to go to our class…I need the support.  Many of the ladies in the group encouraged me to walk…not run…to not over do it.  I thought I was OK so I decided to join the group in their jog.  We had 6 intervals of running and I ran all of them, if you can call it running.  By the end I was limping while running.  Today, it has been pretty spotty but this evening again…painful to put weight on it.  I am going to give myself a few more days and then call the doc to see if there is anything really wrong.

I will continue to post how this running thing is going…and whether or not I have a valid injury.

Coming soon….Herbal Cleanse by Advocare!!!

Throughout the years I have started many businesses to do from home with the thought of “making it big”.  Each and every one of them has failed.  I could just say, it wasn’t the right fit, and that could be true and most certainly could have played a part in my failures.  I need to look at myself and first say, “What is it that I could do, that will help people?”  See, I have always loved people but I never really knew what it was that I could do to help…I don’t have any degree, nor do I have the money to go to school to get that degree.  I have often thought as myself as a failure, which I truly believe is partly why I became so addicted to food.

I didn’t have any eating disorder as a child/teenager, but as an adult and being a stay at home mom, I began my upward spiral that seemed to never stop.  Last year I told myself…not really a goal, but I told myself that I wanted to change the diet of my family.  As the year went on, I waivered in ways but never totally got off the wagon, but I felt like a failure because this is something I really had a passion for and didn’t stick to it.  I also made a goal last year to run a 5k BEFORE I turned 40.  Well, guess what?!  It didn’t happen, I really was mad at myself.

Today, I have a new found hope in health!  I am back on the plant strong lifestyle.  I also have added in a running program.  Our church began this program and I already feel it could work.  It is called Run for God and it is almost identical to the Couch to 5k program.  Not only do I have accountability but the fun of running with others.  I get discouraged because I cannot keep up with many of them, but there are also many of them who are encouraging to me!  Even though they have the endurance and strength and speed to be way up front, the hang out in the back with me.  This class will finish with a 5k in June which I AM running in!  So, even though I missed my 40th birthday, I will still run a 5k WHILE I am 40!

In the end, I am trying to help others with their eating habits, even though I am not a doc, or a nutritionist.  I have a passion for helping others and feel this nutrition ”thing” and adding in my activity now, will help me meet that goal!

You owe it to yourself, set those goals…they may not be easily attainable, but it is so very worth it in the end!

Where have I been, you ask?  Nowhere special for me, just home and taking care of family and home.  Life has gotten the best of me and now I am ready to fight to have it back!

Anyhow, I have not really been doing much, life has just gotten the best of me lately….I know~excuses, excuses!!

When my kids were home for Christmas break, that just threw me into a whirlwind of life.  That compounded with needing surgery on both hands really put me in a funk to say the least.  I needed carpal tunnel surgery and had my left hand done January 26 and the right one was done on February 23.  I also had De Quervain’s tendonitis which needed to be taken care of.  Since having my surgeries, my mind was totally in a funk, mainly because of the fact that I couldn’t tie my shoes, cut veggies, even housework was literally a chore for me (and still is most of the time).  I have been going to Occupational Therapy and back and forth to my surgeon.  Looks like I may need to go into Plastic Surgery later, I have a scar from the De Quervain’s surgery that is extremely sensitive and not getting better.  We will see about that later.

These last few weeks I am finally feeling better mentally…getting out of that darn funk.  Back on the train of plant strong eating and have added a few other things to the mix which you will hear about in the next few posts!!

Gotta run, dinner (and family) awaits!  Have a good day, all!!

Anyhow, I finally made the Tofurky, and my family wasn’t sure what to think! I added far more veggies than the box recommended, I ALWAYS add extra veggies to recipes.  Once the Tofurky was done and we sat down to eat…I did get a few snickers from the kids.  My oldest daughter (21) thought it was quite tasty as did my 12 yr old daughter.  I knew my 13 yr old wouldn’t even give it a chance, as well as my 8 yr old.  Anyhow, Brian (my hubby) tried it and he also liked it!!  I thought it was pretty good as well.  It was NOT chewy as people mock about tofu.  I thought it had a great balance of spices and it melded well with the tofu.  In my opinion, it was a great alternative to the usual Turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  Well, in my house, 4 out of 6 isn’t bad!!

Personally, I think it was unanimous that the gravy was delicious!!  That will definitely be purchased again since I have had a difficult time making gravy that is vegan and yummy.  Even my pickiest liked the gravy!!

So, that is my experience with the Tofurky.  Don’t knock it ’til you try it!!  You just might be pleasantly surprised!

I am sure you know someone who has type 2 diabetes.  Whether it is you, or a family member or friend, we all know someone this terrible disease has affected.  Personally, I know many who have type 2 diabetes and others who are borderline diabetic.  Do people really think food does NOT affect whether or not you have diabetes?  Most of those I know don’t exactly have a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.  Many times I have heard people say that they need to be careful of fruit…because of the sugar in it, but they go and eat a bag of potato chips or cakes and such.  Something just doesn’t make sense with that scenario, not sure what it is though!

These people can save their lives and those around them, if they adopt a vegan diet…one low in fat but high in fruit and vegetables.  It is hard to grasp but there are more than 20 million Americans with diabetes…a number that is on the rise.  A vegan diet  is a healing tool that diabetics AND their doctors can use to fight such a terrible disease.  This diet will help with weight loss and with lowering cholesterol..as well as getting you off your medications.  Do not take yourself off your medications, talk to your doctor about it.  You should see within a month of adopting a vegan diet that you will soon be off your medications!!

Check you Dr. Neal Barnard, lead researcher for PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) for some great resources for diabetes and cooking…as well as adopting a wonderful plant strong diet.  Here, you can find some great information on incorporating a vegetarian diet…check it out, it will not be as hard as you think!!!

Don’t take my word for it….take the word of many people who have reversed their diabetes when they adopted a vegan diet, high in plant strong foods~not processed foods that say they are healthy!!

We have a family consisting of dad, daughter and grandfather living nearby.  When the mom came to visit one day this past summer, she told me that the daughter (who is 6, mind you) grabs whatever she wants off the shelf at the grocery store and that is what she is fed.  Are you kidding me?!  I have a picky eater but no way would I let her or any of my 4 kids decide what is going in the cart!!

My oldest daughter babysits for a few children.  Today, she took a pic of what the children eat on a daily basis.  Their lunch consists of Chef Boyardee ravioli and a fruit cup (probably filled with syrup)!!  She said that they do eat bananas and apples but that there are no vegetables in the house.  They eat all processed foods…either from the cupboard or the freezer.  Sure, for busy families convenience foods are great…right?  No way, not great on the wallet but even worse for your health!!  These processed foods are loaded with sugar and salt and additives and preservatives…there is really no nutrition at all!!  I didn’t tell my daughter but I think a great idea for her is to buy a few ingredients and make something different for the kids…at least give them an opportunity to try something.

One last story that I am almost saddened to tell is from my mom.  A while back she was at her local grocery store and she had in her cart a bundle of carrots…the “real” ones with the greens still on them.  A grown lady approached her and asked her what they were (being serious!).  My mom told her they were carrots, then the lady asked my mom how does she prepare them…this lady didn’t know what a carrot really looks like.  All she buys are the baby carrots that are already peeled (and really pretty yucky, if you ask me!)!!  I am sure you have some of your own stories…either personal or someone you know.  There are no dumb questions…I am certainly not saying anything bad about the lady who didn’t know her carrots, but it is sad that she has not had any teachings in nutrition.

Please if you have any questions about nutrition….anything, please ask away.  If I don’t know the answer, I will definitely find it for you!!  It is our responsibility as adults to teach those we are responsible for about nutrition…and not only teach them, but be a model to them!!  Our children are going to do as we do…if we eat junk on a regular basis, they will grow up to do the same.  Look back at how you were raised, do you see any similarities?  Let’s get educated in nutrition together!!!

Americans are eating cheese, sweets, potatoes and grains…and LOTS of them!  Lets start with our calorie count…the USDA says we eat an estimate of over 2,000 calories a day, but realistically it is much closer to 2,500-3,000.   That alone is an alarming number but…With this number, it is equivalent to almost a TON of food we consume in a year (this is per person…estimated)!  Let’s see what all  those calories consist of (per the US Department of Agriculture):

Dairy~probably the largest industry in America!!!  We Americans have consumed approximately 630 pounds of Milk, Cheese, Ice Cream and Yogurt (again, this is per person in the year 2011).  Does that disturb you?  Well, it sure does disturb me knowing how very much fat and cholesterol is in milk and especially cheese!!  Cheese is probably the worst food for us…my opinion but do your own research!!  This number alone makes me think that it is no wonder why Americans have gotten so large.  Please take the time to watch this very informative video by Dr. Neal Barnard on how certain foods are addictive…

Americans have consumed about 200 pounds of wheat and grains in 2011 and just under 200 pounds of meat (chicken, turkey, beef, and pork).

Yes, we did consume about 400 pounds of vegetables and just under 300 pounds of fruit, but the fruit is usually water based and the vegetables that are most consumed are potatoes and corn!!  Where are your green leafy vegetables??  I work for a party center and we serve our weddings and such dinner, it amazes me how many people say no to the vegetable.  My mom was buying carrots in the store (with the greens on them) and a lady actually approached her and asked her what they were and how do you prepare them!!!  This is our society.  Kids these days will not know what a vegetable is…they are all in tune with opening a can or popping a meal in the microwave….very sad.

Americans consumed about 140 pounds of sweeteners including 40 pounds of those were corn syrup.  This is disturbing….more and more people I know are consuming artificial sweeteners even though they know they are the worst thing for them!

We also have consumed almost 100 lbs of fat!!  Wow…although it is really no shocking, with the amounts of peanuts we eat…but also the way we use olive oils and other oils.

Red meat is on the downward spiral in consumption but people are eating more and more chicken, turkey and fish.  I think these are just as bad as that red meat….why don’t you do a comparison.

Did you know that that beer your drinking may contain Isinglass…which is extracted from fish (it is part of the filter process to clarify the brew).  To be honest, I never really was much of a beer drinker, but this really kind of intrigued me.  I searched what exactly isinglass is and here’s the definition:  a semitransparent whitish very pure gelatin prepared from the air bladders of fishes (as sturgeons) and used especially as a clarifying agent and in jellies and glue.  Personally, this sounds disgusting to me.!!  Not all brews are alike though.  Some (the vegan ones) are filtered or clarified using a seaweed extract, which to me still doesn’t sound appealing, but I guess it is a better way to go.  I wonder if an avid beer drinker could taste a difference between the two??  Any thoughts are welcome!!

I must admit, my daughter who is 12 told us about 2 months ago or so that beer is made of fish bladder…how and where in the world did she learn this?  I have no idea.  Since I have changed much of what we eat, she is quite interested in the ingredients of food.  We weren’t real sure if what she was saying was true, but kind of played along…until I read an article in Vegetarian Times (March 2009).  All I can say is WOW, we learn something new every day!!  I am more of a wine drinker…rarely, but a glass here and there is great!  Not sure about the filter/clarifying process for wine…I guess I ought to look into it!!  Well, have a very Happy New Year…stay safe!!

Here are some websites that offer information on animal-derived ingredients used to make beer, how different beers are made and if they are vegan or vegetarian:  beeradvocate.com; barnivore.com; veganconnection.com/veganbeer.htm

Anyhow, a friend of mine I met on Twitter told me I should make a pot of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau‘s Garlic and Greens soup.  Sounded great, and garlic is so healthy so I made a small pot of it.  I have not had it yet because my stomach is really not settled yet, but it sure smells delicious!  I am determined to have some…as a bowl of it is sitting right next to me! Watch as Colleen makes this very easy…and super nutritious soup:

Well, my main reason for sending this message today is because I wanted to wish every a very Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanzaa.  I am hoping I will not be in bed tomorrow because I have lots to do to get ready…we are supposed to have 30 visitors for Christmas dinner, so I am doing lots of my work tomorrow!  Enjoy your holiday weekend and stay safe!!