100 things






Back in 2014 I came across a 100 things challenge and loved it.  It involves getting rid of 100 things per month.  I'm thinking at this time of year when society and media is convincing us to pack our homes to the hilt with more stuff, maybe we shouldn't.  I know, I know what a terrible time to do this Janet.  I myself have been adding to my Christmas and birthday wish list quite excitedly.  But maybe we can be thoughtful about this challenge.  Maybe we can look in drawers, cupboards and closets and donate the things we no longer use.  Perhaps a warm coat or boots that no longer fit.  Would they be better off in another home?  What about kitchen gadgets that sit and gather dust?   Lets be rebels and get rid of things.  This is my original post of 100 things to read.  Can you get into this right now?  I can.  xo
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50

grateful


I wanted to pop in and not only wish you all a happy Thanksgiving but to also thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love, prayers and support.  You truly have no idea what it has meant to me.  It has lifted me on days I didn't think I'd make it.  In all my years of writing this blog I never could have ever imagined how important it would become to me.  It's because of you dear friends.  I'm grateful to know you.  Our day has been quiet, just the two of us.  My heart is bursting with love and acceptance today.  Hope yours is too.  xo
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35

snacks





Between meals have always been hard for me no matter what I'm eating.  I'm the kind that needs to eat smaller meals but more often throughout the day.  This smoothie works wonders and this is how I make it.

In my Vitamix ...

1 cup plant milk
1 frozen banana
1 Medjool date
2 cups fresh spinach, kale or greens
1 heaping Tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
1 Tablespoon peanut butter

If I'm not really hungry, I'll leave out the PB.

I make many variations on healthy smoothies but lately this is my favorite.

xo

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14

lunch



This is a pretty typical lunch for me these days.  Nothing fancy.  I start with a big layer of greens such as arugula, which is a cruciferous vegetable.  Then I start layering whatever is in the refrigerator.  In this case it was leftover rice, white beans and corn.  A little salsa, avocado and a drizzle of hot sauce.  Yummy and filling.

Another tool I'm using is Dr. Gregors Daily Dozen App for my phone.  Just search in the App store for it, it's free.  It tracks how you are doing on getting the most nutritious foods each day.  Dr. Gregor has listed his Daily Dozen foods we should all be eating for optimal health along with exercise and vitamins.  If you need help staying focused and accountable, I highly suggest you give it a try.

xo


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18

breakfast



Hi lovelies.  I've decided the best way to show you how/what I'm eating is to just snap photos of each meal I'm about to eat.  No real styling involved.  This way you'll see I'm not doing anything fancy with this food.  It's all unprocessed and EASY!  I'm eating this bowl of oatmeal in bed this morning!

Overnight Oats - My FAVORITE Breakfast

1/2 cup Oats
1/2 cup Almond Milk (your choice - mine is homemade)
1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries
1  teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Flaxseed Meal
1-2 Tablespoons Slivered Raw Almonds

Combine everything in a bowl except the almonds and refrigerate til morning.  Sprinkle Almonds on and Enjoy.

xo
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15

Sunday Lunch





This is a pretty typical lunch for me.  So far I have not tired of it at all.  Lets break down what's on this plate.

Arugula Salad with Navy Beans & Sweet Mustard Dressing
Shredded Potato with Mushrooms and Spinach

This is a perfect One Ingredient Meal.  Single ingredients come together to make a complete meal without any additives, sugar, oil or salt.

The salad is super easy.

2 c Arugula
1/2 c beans

Dressing
1 T mustard of choice
1 T pure maple syrup

The Potato Dish is super easy too.

1 Russet Potato shredded
1/2 c chopped Mushrooms
1-2 c chopped Spinach

I toss the shredded potatoes with the diced veggies and season with a little garlic powder and paprika - You can use anything you want, just leave out the salt.  Once tossed, I put the mixture into a preheated cast iron skillet and let them get good and brown before I flip them.  It usually takes about 10 minutes.

I'll be honest with you, in the beginning, I missed the salt but now my taste buds have adjusted and I really love it as is.  I've listened to lots of Dr. Mcdougall talks and he says 1/2 teaspoon of salt is ok for a day.  I haven't ventured there yet but may.

Hope your Sunday is nice and relaxing and here's an inspiring recipe too. This is exactly how I'm cooking and eating these days. xo
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20

when life gives you lemons - eat them



I've been hinting at changes I've made to my diet and today I'm finally ready to talk about them.  About 3 months ago at one of Larry's doctor appointments, the doctor decided that I needed a check up too, so right there and then he gave me one.  Blood was drawn and 2 weeks later I was back in his office to find out that my cholesterol had skyrocketed to 304!

My cholesterol has always run a little high, especially for a vegan but it has never been this high and he wanted to put me on drugs right away.  I knew I had not been taking care of myself.  My diet, while still vegan was not the healthiest.  We were spending long hours at the hospital and many times I had to eat whatever was available.  I found myself nervously munching on potato chips and candy to keep me going.  I was having 3 big cups of coffee each morning and barely getting my walks in.  I had gained 10 lbs and had round the clock indigestion.  I asked the doc to please give me 3 months to see if to give I could lower it myself and get healthier.  He agreed and last week I received my results.  I'm happy to say that my cholesterol went from 304 to 238, a full 66 points, in 10 weeks.  I also lost 10 lbs and my indigestion is completely gone.

So what did I do?  First I started researching ways to lower my cholesterol without drugs.  I also went on YouTube and found a wealth of videos (I'm linking a couple of favorites below).  I decided to keep a journal on what was working and what wasn't.  Like I said, I had terrible stomach aches and wanted them gone asap.  By recording what I was eating I could see what was causing the flare ups.

My number one task was to eliminate processed foods.  My goal was to eat food in its most natural state.  Next I knew I had to eliminate salt, oil and sugar (SOS).  Oil, especially olive oil is touted as a health food and after researching it, I realize it isn't.  The only sugar I get now is from dates and maple syrup and I eat those in very tiny amounts.  I don't add any salt to my food at all and there are some things that I buy that have trace amounts but I'm ok with that.

So here is a sample of what I'm eating these days that is healing me.

Breakfast would be overnight oats with blueberries, cinnamon, flax, almonds and homemade almond milk.

Lunch is usually a potato and a giant salad with beans and veggies.

Dinner is usually soup, salad, rice with veggies or brown rice pasta with veggies or potato tacos.

Snacks and desserts are fruits, veggies and hummus, nuts or a smoothie.

My health has improved significantly. My taste buds have adjusted to this new way of eating and food tastes so dang fresh.  I've joined a new yoga studio just around the corner from my house so that is very nice.

To simplify, I'm eating whole fresh foods that are vegan with no oil and no sugar and a tiny bit of salt.  I am not counting calories at all.  I just eat fresh foods with reckless abandon.

Here are some links if you are interested. Warning, you will fall down the rabbit hole of nutritional information.  I will begin to post recipes if you are interested.  I've come up with 2 salad dressings that I really love and are pretty versatile.

NutritionFacts.Org

Dr. Gregor's Nutritional Facts.Org on YouTube

Well Your World YouTube

Dr. Mcdougall YouTube

There are tons of other sites too, you'll see.  xo



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28

One Day Only




I have been planning to write a review of the Everlane denim but have just been so busy but today they are on sale, something Everlane rarely, if ever does.  Click over here and today ONLY they are $50.  That's $18 off their original price.

I've read enough reviews on these jeans to make me cross-eyed so I was pretty convinced.  Bloggers have compared them to $200 jeans.  I've never spent that much on a pair of jeans so I can't speak to that but I will say I'm impressed with the high waist fit.  They aren't too skinny or too baggy.  All my denim is 2nd hand and most of it is pretty baggy, which is so comfortable but every now and then I need a decent looking pair of jeans and these are it. My exact pair is called the Cheeky Straight Leg Ankle.  I've read all the reviews and most say to size down one size.  I didn't trust that so I ordered both my regular size and one size down and of course the size down fit.😂

Sign up and use my link and I get a $25 credit!

Working on my diet changes post - coming soon!  xo

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