It' been a BUSY December. I realize that everyone says that, but seriously this is above all else. We had a record number of private event parties at Mel's Lone Star Lanes where I work, and it called for late nights and long hours. All worth it & fun, but exhausting. But here's to quickly update you before the New Years...
I had a FABULOUS birthday (12/21) and Christmas. My husband spoiled me with a Vitamix Blender which is simply the best! My parents spoiled me with a new juicer (pictured). I haven't tried that yet, but will soon! Plus I got a ton of great juicing & smoothie books and ideas.
I cannot wait to jump back on the juicing & smoothie bandwagon and start blogging about it.
Here's a shout out to my cousin Carrie who's also a closet picky eater. Thanks for coming to lunch today and catching up. Can't wait to talk to you more about it!
We've got outside our comfort zones and we've been experiencing new flavors! And here's what' we've got...
...I discovered a new on-the-go wrap with peanut butter, fruit and granola, We marinated chicken tonight that had so much flavor and I made a Kale Smoothie with my new Vitamix. All which I've finished. All in 1 week. I'm so excited to be sharing all this with you. Make sure you follow me on Pinterest and let me know what you think of the recipes.
So.... I got a VitaMix blender. They run at about $400 and up, but they are top of the line blenders. As Kris Carr would said, "they can blend a boot."
We used a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond and walked out of there at $320 after tax. Now, this was an early birthday present from my husband. My "big" gift to be specific. So we brought it home and tested it out.
For the first 2 weeks or so you'll have the smell of the motor, but it's just breaking itself in. It's an extremely powerful motor. We've already used it for a fruit smoothie, vegetable smoothie & pancake mix. This thing is incredible. It can make soups and ice cream. I'll be exploring (and blogging) about it more over the coming months.
Tonight, my friend Luci came over and we tried out a new recipe. One we made up on the fly. It had the following:
1 Cup Water
Kale
1 Apple
1 Banana
Frozen mixed berries
Ice
It was actually pretty good. You couldn't taste the kale, mostly the banana. However, it did turn a horrible green/brown color. You can check out all my smoothie recipes here.
Above is a picture of our fridge. We just went to HEB (grocery store in Texas) and stocked up for the week with our plan for food. Some people have the perception that eating healthy, fruits & veggies, is expensive. Below is my grocery list from tonight to show you that it doesn't have to be.
VEGETABLES:
Hearts of Romain: $2.88 ($0.72/serving)
Organic Baby Spinach: $5.98 ($1.19/serving)
Kale: $0.98
Broccoli Crown: $0.67
Canned Green Beans: $0.68 (that's my husband's deal)
Artichoke: $1.50
Organic Celery: $1.14 ($0.19/serving)
FRUITS:
Grapes: $2.18 ($0.44/serving)
Bananas: $1.49 ($0.25/each)
Strawberries: $4.98 (they're out of season, but that's a personal splurge for me.)
Lemons: $1 ($0.25/each)
Apples: $1.32 ($0.33/each)
MEATS:
Sausage: $2.50 ($0.83 serving)
Chicken: $8.53 ($0.95/serving making 6 servings total)
SNACKS & OTHERS:
Organic Air Popped Popcorn $1.79
Organic Plain Yogurt: $2.98 ($0.59/serving)
Potato: $0.81
Reddi Whipped Cream: $1.94
So when you really break down how much you're paying per serving, the numbers are incredible. Average, we spend $90/week on groceries. That's for 2 people. Occasionally we'll have higher cost items like olive oil, dog food, seasonings etc. But that breaks down to $6.50/per person per day for food. If we eat all three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) then it's $2.14 per meal per person. You can't beat that! What are your grocery numbers looking like? Tweet me @PBJsSincePreK or @Rocky_Bush.
Monday, November 4, 2013
We are having a watch party for "Hungry for Change" tomorrow at 7pm. I'm so excited to share what I've learned through an awesome documentary with some friends.
For an update we celebrated our dog's 4th birthday over the weekend. She's a pure breed Siberian Husky (right). She enjoys running with her mommy (me!), going hiking and chasing sticks at the local river and eating of course.
We went to a local soccer field and kicked the ball around for the afternoon.
EXCITING NEWS: My Evansville purple aces women's soccer team won in PKs in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference. They'll be hosting the MVC tournament this upcoming weekend. Let's go ladies! You need to clinch the title like we did in 2008!
Here's the breakfast I had this morning in honor of my purple aces family.
It's been a crazy sexy ride, but I'm loving it. Here's the latest update:
I tried one of the pre-packaged salads from HEB. It came with lettuce, grilled chicken, pita crackers for a little crunch and a little bit of cheese and all organic. There was dressing of course, but I just used light olive oil. It was the best take-home salad I've tried. However, there's nothing like & as fresh as a restaurant salad.
That's why I enjoy ordering salads at work now. Before, I used to have the mindset that I was a bunny eating grass (salad). Now, I think of how it's nourishing my body and fueling my soul. I'm at the stage where I order a chicken caesar salad, but with chicken tenders. Eventually I'll get to the point of grilled chicken and more veggies, but until then it's better than a PBJ.
The fun part now is that I'm starting to somewhat learn how to cook is dressing it up! I like adding a dab of whipped cream to a smoothie or dessert and some fresh strawberries. It always makes things look more tasty and enjoyable.
Not everything in this kitchen is hunky-dory. We've failed several times, but that's how you learn. We
tried Spaghetti Squash on Monday and we didn't finish it. We cooked the whole spaghetti squash in the oven for about 1 hour, then scrapped out the seeds and pulled the spaghetti looking squash strings out. We mixed those in with butter, parsley, salt, garlic and butter. It smelled divine and looked delicious. However, that was not the case. It was more crunchy and not tender like regular spaghetti noodles that we know and love.
There's a new book that I read in 1 week time. And I DO NOT like reading! It was amazing and I've learned so much. It's called "Crazy Sexy Diet" by Kris Carr. She is an inspiration, a warrior leader and a nutritional goddess. She has such character that shines through the pages in her book. I highly suggest it.
In the picture is a juice and we tried something new at my mother-in-law's. We juiced:
1.5 lemon
1 large celery stalk
1 large carrot
Spinach
Cranberries
Apples
1 orange
I just got her newest book "Crazy Sexy Kitchen" with some recipes to try. I'll post on pinterest when I try them; including the juicing recipes.
Now for some fun stuff...
At work we had a baby alligator of an event and I got to hold it. Check out the pics.....
I would like to introduce you all to our dog, Faith. She's a 4-year-old Siberian Husky and she loves to play in the river in Georgetown, TX. She'll never bring back a stick, but she did this one time and it was a large stick. Larger than her! If you listen closely she'll whimper and it's just too cute.
She's a great family dog. We run together, play together and we enjoy taking her on adventures.
Advice if you're thinking about getting a siberian husky: They shed. A LOT! Daily, you'll find clumps of hair everywhere. Forget about wearing the color black because you'll be covered from head to toe in dog hair. Other than that they're fantastic family dogs. If you can, get them young so you can train them. Huskies are from the wolf family so the more trained you have them, the better.
Preparation is key in any aspect of life, and most professionals will tell you that. Austin (my husband) and I spend about 1 1/2 - 2 hours of planning out our meals for the upcoming week. That's right, breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies & all juicing recipes planned out. It's great because during the week you don't have to think about anything. You simply follow your plan. When you go to the grocery store you already have a pre-determined list to shop by.
TIP: Shop the outsides of the grocery store for the least processed foods (fruits, vegetables, meats).
We went to HEB last night for our weekly run and we went prepared. Our list was planned out and here's what it looks like:
This is me and my "nerdy" clipboard and our grocery list shopping at HEB.
MONDAY:
B: Eggs, Fruit
L: Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
D: Baked Parmesan Chicken, Side Salad
W: Crossfit
TUESDAY:
B: Green Gorilla Smoothie
L: Left over chicken, Peaches, Pineapple
D: Breakfast Taos
W: Crossfit
WEDNESDAY:
B: Jamba Juice Smoothie
L: Chicken Salad
D: Pasta & Hamburger, Smoothie
W: off
THURSDAY:
B: "Daneen Juice"
L: Left Over Hamburger/Pasta
D: Home-made Chicken Nuggets & Zucchini Chips
W: Crossfit
FRIDAY:
B: Eggas, Toast, Whey Protein Powder & Almond Milk
L: Left over Chicken & Zucchini, Fruit
D: 1/2 PBJ, Fruit
W: Crossfit
And that's our week!
Bread aisle at HEB.
We used to have the cheap college kid mentality at the grocery store. That means a 89¢ loaf of white bread. Look at the bread aisle! It's out of the control. Each researcher & doctor will tell you different. Don't eat bread. Only eat wheat bread. Only eat whole grain bread. All breads all the same. Well, what's the truth?
All I know is that the white bread we buy of 89¢ is NOT the best option. So I'm open to suggestions on which breads and brands you use and why you think it's best. Tweet me @PBJsSincePreK or comment on this post.
This morning was a great Saturday! I hardly ever get Saturdays off work, so when I do I really get to
enjoy them and be grateful for each moment. This morning I cooked breakfast for my hubby & I. We enjoyed scrambled eggs, bacon (crispy), 1/2 a piece of toast and great strawberry smoothie. Smoothie Recipe: 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup orange juice, 3 cups frozen strawberries & a little whipped cream.
And today we invested in a new direction we're trying out and we purchased planted basil. If this works out we'll expand our horizons to rosemary, sage and other great herbs. I would love to have an apple tree in the backyard, but our HOA doesn't approve it or a vegetable garden, but I think we have too many bunnies in our neighborhood anyways. They would eat everything!
Center plan is basil. It was $4 at HEB. All three planters are from HEB and came with flowers (right & left) for $8 each.
What if you prayed over your juice? Or whatever it was you were about to eat? Would it change the outcome of anything? For me, I would say yes. Today I juiced a beet for the first time. It was only a 1/3 beet, but a beet non-the-less.
I decided to juice a beet because it's really good for your heart. I started with 1/3 to ease into it. However, it really changes the color of your juice. Apparently beets have a LOT of juice in them. I made the juice like normal and I had to mentally psych up. Once I had my glass and straw ready I prayed over my juice.
I put my hand on top of the glass and I asked God for an open mind. I asked him to to keep my mind open to enjoy all the things he naturally put on this earth for us to enjoy. I can tell you that he answered. The beet juice wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible and I finished the whole drink. In it, it had 1/3 beet, 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot, 1 lemon, 2.5 apples and 5 handfuls of baby spinach.
After I finished it here's what I heard from God, "See what I can do for you and with you when you draw closer to me?". It was amazing & eye opening. As in a previous blog, all the glory is to God because he is the one that has helped me most, and he was the only one that could change where I was at, to where I am now.
Here's some additional motivation and food for thought:
Planning ahead always takes extra time, creativity and patience, but it's definitely worth it. My husband and and I spend about 1 - 1.5 hours a week planning out our meals for the next week. When I say "planning" that also includes researching.
We aren't the cooking type or very knowledgable in the kitchen, but we're learning. So our research includes looking up new recipes, figuring out if we can execute and we also try to plan our dinners so left overs can be part of our lunches the next day at work. In this planning we include our meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner for me), workout schedule (again me), work schedule & activities schedule (church, sports, etc.) Then we make a master list of all the groceries we need based on our planned week, and we review what we already have in stock.
Again, this all takes time, but it is worth it. How many times have you said, "ah, we'll figure it out" and then you go out to dinner? That's more money being spent. Or you spend the evening snacking because you didn't know what you wanted to cook for dinner. Not the healthiest option.
At home I just put together this self-made family planning organization center. I purchased a weekly
planner & a grocery list pad from Organizher. Each week this is where we combine all of meals, exercise, work, etc. Below I put these 99¢ index card holders to the wall with reusable stickies. Each holder came with index dividers. I have one divider for juicing & smoothies, one for meals & one for "more" such as snacks and sides. Each tap has a category, but the first tab is "this week". After we plan out our week I'll put the corresponding recipe card under "this week" so it's easy to find when starting a recipe. Ultimately I will put a 3" ring around all of them so they're easy to transport while planning. On my pinterest page I have a large, and growing, collection of recipes and ideas, but it's difficult to find the ones you want when you really need it. I will also be adding motivational quotes and images around the area. Those kind of things do get in your subconscious and are great motivators. My latest favorite is "Every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish your body."
The best grocery advice is something you've probably already heard, but it's to shop around the outside walls of the grocery store. That's where the most fresh, least processes foods are. Things like fruit, vegetables, dairy & meats. Check out this video from NourishLife.org:
This has been an incredible journey so far. I've been having these breakthrough moments. It has been a culmination of things from having my gallbladder removed, doing the bible study of "One in a Million" at church, praying hard and watching the movie "Hungry for Change". However...
The ONLY reason for the kick start to my success has been God. He has been the only one powerful enough to change my way of thinking when it comes to food. It has been oh so powerful and wonderful to experience.
Yesterday our family went out to Saltgrass Steakhouse. A typical meal for me would be grilled chicken or chicken tenders with french fries. On this particular night my mother-in-law, Robin, an I split a combo meal. On my plate I had 2 pieces of shrimp, 1 piece of grilled chicken and french fries. I ate both pieces of shrimp, most of my chicken, and we split a salad to start and I finished that whole thing too! I also tried one piece of a baby back rib and ate it to the bone. I never do that!
Ate my first full Salad at BJ's.
I couldn't believe what I had accomplished that night at dinner. I was on cloud 9. I felt like I could run through a wall and I was on fire! It was an incredible feeling. The most important part was the support I had from my family.
Another major accomplishment was today. We went out to BJ's in Round Rock, TX. I really wanted
something greasy and cheesy and was thinking about a pizza. Our group split the mozzarella sticks and that satisfied that craving. So I went with a salad. I NEVER do this.
In the past, when I eat salad I always feel like a rabbit. Slowly chewing away at lettuce or "grass". This time it was different. I ordered the Caesar Salad with grilled chicken and olive oil for the dressing on the side. It was pretty good. My mom says to sprinkle parmesan cheese on everything and it tastes better. I did that and it added a nice touch. Thanks mom!
Strawberries Wild (no banana) from Jamba Juice.
Afterwards my husband treated me to dessert, a smoothie from Jamba Juice. I enjoy their Strawberries Wild with no banana, just extra strawberry.
It was an extremely filling last 24 hours emotionally and physically and I'm so thrilled to continue this journey. Thank God.
I ate my vegetables! Today I had this healthy and awesome packed lunch. I had oven roasted
Turkey, Peaches, Snap Pea, Yogurt Pretzels.
turkey (thinly sliced by my boy John at HEB in Round Rock), peaches, yogurt pretzels for dessert and sugar snap peas.
This was my first time trying snap peas. They're good for you so I gave it a whirl. Not bad, but it got difficult. It's nice and crisp like celery. Then you have the texture of the beans inside plus the tart taste of all the juices. It was an experience. They were raw and plain, but tomorrow we're trying them in the oven with Parmesan cheese. I was eating lunch with my co-worker, LaRonda. I took 3 french fries off her plate and promised myself that if I ate the last 3 snap peas, then I would get to eat the 3 french fries. I WON! Mission accomplished.
After, I tried some yogurt with granola by Muller. I purchased this at HEB because I want to try to start liking Greek yogurt. (Healthier for you ... more protein ... yadda yadda yadda.) So I try this and I actually like it. Not bad. I finish the whole thing and start reading the label again. It's NOT Greek yogurt, just plain vanilla. Aw man! Just when I thought I had converted. I guess I must of made a mix up at the grocery store. Maybe next time. But I'm going to stay on cloud 9 because I ate my vegetables!
I packed lunch for work today and FINISHED it! It includes homemade chicken nuggets, zucchini, strawberries and yogurt covered pretzels. You can click here to get the homemade chicken nuggets recipe. They are SOOO good!
We used the same coating as the nuggets (Panko Wholewheat Breadcrumbs, Parmesan Cheese, Paprika & Garlic Powder) and coat it on sliced zucchini. We cook it in a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil. Keep it on there until it gets golden brown. It's amazing and I don't really like vegetables. The taste of the parmesan really pops.
I got these Ziploc Storage Compartment Containers at a local Target. They're great for packing a variety of food. I really like the variety and I get a lot of great ideas from the 100 Days of Real Food Blog.
Tonight we made pancakes and I tried them with Chia Seeds. You can't even taste the Chia Seeds and they're great for it. Try it some time.
Pancake.
Back Side of the Pancake. The black spots are the Chia Seeds.
I'll continue to add them and will keep posting them to my pinterest page. You can always Tweet Me or Follow on Facebook! You can follow me on Instagam or search #PBJsSincePreK.
I'm hungry for change. I haven't always thought that, but my body has always been telling me that. It's been ignored. Have you been listening to the true message that your body has been sending you?
Here's an update: I had my gallbladder removed. For 9+ months I was having these random episodes with severe breast pains. It would take me to my knees for 20 minutes at a time. It was like lightening bolts shooting through my body. The first time I went to the E.R. and I literally thought I wasn't going to make it. They couldn't give me an answer to this craziness either.
After months of tests and doctor appointments, and way too much money, they said I had gallstones. However, they couldn't guarantee that if I had my gallbladder removed that it would solve the problem.
We took the chance.
(left) This is me just after surgery. I was so dehydrated I felt like my mouth was more dry than a desert, but I also felt like throwing up, but my stomach didn't have the strength to lodge anything up.
Post-surgery bandage with cottons swab.
On September 4, 2013 I had my gallbladder removed. It was miserable. Miserable because I get nausea with any type of Vicodin medication and with anastesia. So post-surgery I was never on medication for pain, always throwing up, and extremely weak. My wonderful husband, Austin, and my mom flew in from California to help me through the recovery process.
During that time my mother and I got to spend a lot of time together. A LOT. We watched extremely motivational and educational movies that I would suggest to everyone.
Food Inc: (Buy on Amazon) It was extremely informative about what's going on behind the scenes on American farms. However, it is extremely graphic and could turn anyone into a vegetarian. Watch with caution.
Hungry for Change: (Buy on Amazon) INCREDIBLE! LIVE CHANGING! I highly suggest you watch this movie. It's a culmination of doctors, cancer survivors, people that have changed their lives and authors that all speak candidly about how Americans are over fed and under nourished. This is where it all "clicked" for me.
Here's a link to the "Hungry for Change" PDF of their cookbook for FREE: Click here to download. Below is the movie trailer.
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead: (Buy on Amazon) It's a great documentary about one man and how he changed his life through juicing, and inspired others along the way. You can watch this on Hulu with limited commercial if you don't want to purchase.
I keep these movies on hand for added inspiration when I need it.
I watched Hungry for Change for the second time before I went to bed one night. You know how they say that you go to bed with the last thing that was in your mind? It's true! All night long was scheming and planning based on the information I remembered from the movie. Some of the important notes are:
Don't tell yourself you can't have it (food) because you'll feel deprived. Tell yourself "I can have that, but I don't want it."
Diets are built to fail. It's all about a lifestyle change.
Americans are over fed and malnourished.
It's all about what you eat, drink and think.
You are the only person that can control what goes into your mouth.
Where did you food come from? How was it prepared? What is it's purpose?
We only get so many nutrients in 1 day, why not fill ourselves with the best possible stuff?
If you start adding the "good" and "natural" stuff, then the other processes stuff will slowly fade away.
We are voting every time we purchase food at the grocery store. (Buy organic.)
Tell yourself "I love myself completely right now." every day.
With that I came up with this....
Every morning I can make a smoothie with yogurts, fresh fruits, etc. Also, I can pair it with another breakfast item. And in the evening with dinner, I can juice. Then I'll get all the fruits, but mostly vegetables, that I've been missing.
I felt empowered and lifted all day. Then the devil tried to strike me down with all the negative thoughts: "you're not good enough", "you'll never juice", "you're too lazy to clean the juicer", and "you don't like that stuff."
So I had to fight it. This morning I made my first full glass of juices AND cleaned the juicer.
Recipe: 2 apples, 1/2 cucumber, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, 2 celery stalks, 1 lemon (peeled). It look horrible, but it tastes pretty good. The celery & lemon over power the tastes of anything else.
I WON ... against the devil.
Today, my husband and I went to HEB and purchased a lot fruits and vegetables. My plan was to research all the smoothies and juicing that I wanted to try this week. I wrote out my breakfast, lunch & dinner meal plans for the entire week and then made a list of everything I needed to purchase. We went to HEB, checked off everything one by one, and purchased almost all our fruits and veggies organically. This will be a great week!
To view some of the recipes I'll be trying this week follow me on Pinterest.
It's getting spicy up in the Bush household. I finally purchased a spice rack. Something I've ALWAYS wanted. I was being held back by fear of the unknown. What's basil? How do you use it? What's paprika? There's so many unknowns. Recently, I've been pinning a lot of recipes on Pinterest and they all look soooo good, but what do all the ingredients mean? Now I have a spice rack to back up all my pins. (BTW, you can follow me on pinterest here.)
Check out my new spice rack! I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond. The great part was this company provides 5 years worth of spices if you run out. And of course I used a $5 off coupon. (Always go to Bed Bath & Beyond with a coupon. They never expire.)
This week we tried a new recipe, Baked Garlic Cilantro Fries. (Click here for recipe; found it on Pinterest of course.) See what I mean ... Garlic AND Cilantro. I used our new spice rack.
The picture of our fries are a little different than the pinterest picture, but when ever does pinterest food turn out the way the picture looks? To the right is hamburger meat. I like to chop it up into really fine pieces and eat it plain or add it to pasta. This was dinner one night, and really good!
Austin had a hamburger with the baked garlic cilantro fries. We used the season salt, from our new spice rack, to season his burger.
Tonight, we had homemade chicken nuggets (recipe here) and mac & cheese. The nuggets are great with panko whole wheat bread crumbs. The mac & cheese tonight had a little bit too much of one particular ingredient ... cough cough ... and someone agreed with me ... cough cough ... so we didn't even eat the mac & cheese. Just the nuggets. They're a delicious source of protein and even good as left overs.
I threw my lower back out earlier this week, no particular instance, just old age. Just kidding. I went to see Dr. Knight in Georgetown, TX. He's great because it's only $20, you can drop in and visit almost anytime Monday - Friday and it helps. I'm going to go back again tomorrow to get one last fix, and then hit crossfit hard on Thursday. Definitely not taking flexibility or health for granted.
Bacon is delicious! It smells good, it's a great source of protein, but it's always so messy! Not anymore. Cook it in the oven. There's no mess and basically no prep. Simple take a cookie sheet and line it with foil. Spray a little bit of non-stick spray (Pam) and lay out the strips of bacon. (see below.)
I cook them in the oven at 410 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Check on them to make sure you don't burn them and I personally like to rotate the pan about 1/2 way through. When you're done just put them on a paper towel to absorb some of the grease.
And there you have it! Deliciously crispy bacon strips with no mess. After the grease/pan cools down you can throw away the foil and clean up is done. It's fast and easy. After a workout I'll put the bacon in the oven, hop in the shower, and when I'm done breakfast is ready. Simple.
As I work on my food journey, I'm continuing my fitness journey. I've joined Trauma Crossfit in Round Rock, TX about a month ago. The first week I went I completed all of the exercises, but my recovery was awful. I've never felt so sore in my life! It's like the feeling you get when you get suck on the toilet because your quads and hamstrings are too sore to pull you up. (Nice visual huh?)
It wasn't until one of the trainers, Nate, talked to me about scaling. Pride and fear are two things that can get in your way and stop you from anything. But if you approach is smart and correctly, especially for your personal benefit and body type, you'll succeed. So I started doing the exercises at the reps and weights that was appropriate for me. It's not about "copping" out or "taking it easy". You still do the hardest you can do.
Thursdays are the hardest days physically. WOD in the CrossFit world stands for Workout Of the Day. Today's WOD:
20 Deadlifts
400m run
20 Kettlebell Swings
400m run
20 Over head squats
400m run
20 Burpees
400m run
20 Chest to bar (pull ups)
400m run
20 Box Jumps
400m run
20 Kettlebell Squat Cleans
400m run
See a trend anyone? I completed this WOD in 35:08. I completed the deadlifts with 125 lbs. and the overhead squats with 55 lbs. It was a good solid sweat with weights and cardio. I would suggest everyone to just try CrossFit but definitely give it 2 weeks and make sure your trainers are doing what's right for your body.
After my workouts I enjoy chocolate milk. My college soccer coach said it was the best thing to drink after a workout because it's the best mix of proteins and carbohydrates that your body needs to replace after a workout. (see article here) My nutritional therapist says "it's just full of sugar." I'm not willing to give up chocolate milk just yet.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
This morning my partner in crime at work (Katie Jo) brought me a hot chocolate from Starbucks. A nice little surprise.
You're probably asking yourself "why would someone need a hot chocolate in Texas during the summer time?" To answer that, it's because our office is freezing!
For lunch today I have packed Stonyfields Vanilla Yogurt and I mix in fresh strawberries and I crush up Nature Valley granola bars to add some crunches.
I learned this from a Pre-packaged "to go snack" from Panera Bread when I was going to school in Indiana.
My nutritionist is probably going to tell at me because its not "real" yogurt or granola. Baby steps. It's better than a PBJ right?
I'm trying to make be transition from picky to "normal", from normal to Paleo. This is my best effort yet for a packed work lunch. Now all I have to do is eat it.
We've got 1/2 a PBJ (of course), raw zucchini sliced into chips, string cheese, Indiana popcorn, strawberries & green seedless grapes.
This is the most colorful lunch that I've ever packed. Wish me luck!
My name is Rocky Bush, formerly Rocky Hearst. I'm 26-years-old and I am a picky eater. This is my journey. All my friends and family have always known that, but now the world knows. Here's a brief synopsis:
I had a PBJ sandwich almost every day of school since kindergarden through high school. (Most of which my mom made for me, thanks Mom!) Picky has always been part of my life when it comes to food. As a kid I only ate PBJs, noodles and butter, chicken nuggets/tenders, french fries and strawberries.
Going away to college and playing Division 1 soccer put me in social situations that were extremely awkward. Going to parties, team dinners or banquets are normally fun and exciting for a college-aged student. For me, it was awkward and filled with anxiety. What was I going to eat? What if I was hungry? How would I get food for the night without making it 'weird'?
Then I got married one year out of college. They say that when you get married you gain 10+ lbs. It's true. For everyone except my husband. He's 6'5" and 188 lbs. He's a handsome stick! I was working out all the time: personal trainer, half and full marathons, crossfit ... and still couldn't lose the weight. It's official, my eating habits have caught up to me. It's not about my athletic ability or work ethic anymore. It's strictly about diet.
I've been seeing a Nutritional Psychologist for about 3 months now and we've completely changed my way of thinking. I would like to take you on this "Rocky" journey as I try new foods and change my mindset. I've had PBJs every day since pre-k and it's about time to change it.
