diet – This {______

My Lingo CGM is bossy!

Today, after indulging in some candy to see how it would affect my glucose count, my CGM (I shall call her Lingy) got bossy and told me I had to do 20 squats! What a bossy pants. I moved into a corner near my desk and completed all 20 squats. Kind of proud of myself!

The harpooned whale

So, my Lingo CGM (continuous glucose monitor) arrived. I prepped my arm and placed the sensor. It did not hurt at all. I did, however, bleed like a harpooned whale.

So far, my levels have been between 76 and 110. I can’t wait to see how it goes tomorrow. Here is a photo of the sensor showing the needle.

It’s been a while.

I can’t believe it has been almost 8 months since I last posted. Where have I been? To be honest, no where. I’ve been in quite a funk lately – mentally and physically. I recently decided I needed to do something about that.

First, I started reflecting on my mental health. What is keeping me stressed and depressed and what can I do about it?

With the current state of the world, it has been hard to think positive about the future. It doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you are on. I have friends and family from all walks of life and I love them all no matter what. What I don’t like is the amount of hatred that is out there. I’ve decided that I am going to spread positivity. It is amazing how people react to an unexpected smile or a kind gesture from a stranger.

I’ve been dealing with family health issues on both my side and my husband’s side of the family. I find myself stressing. We are so far away from both sides of the family. Sadly, there is nothing I can do. So, I just pray. God must be up there thinking. “Oh no, not her again” LOL. Not really, He has been good to me.

I’ve also started to invest in my physical health. I looked into vitamin B12 shots and, after extensive research, started getting weekly shots. Well, it’s only been 2 shots so far, but it seems to have made a difference. Both my brain fog and severe exhaustion have lessened. If you ask my husband, he will say my energy has exploded. (I haven’t been caught singing and dancing in the passenger seat of the car in years. Today, I had a ball).

I’ve also been interested in how my body reacts to different foods and activity. I am awaiting my first CGM (continuous glucose monitor) delivery. They should be here on Monday. I plan to wear one for the next month and track how different foods affect my glucose. This will help me choose foods that are less likely to spike my blood sugar. More on that journey in a future blog.

I am feeling better and have more energy. I am hoping to share some insight and tips with anyone interested.

Please share any tips that have helped you.

Thanks for reading!

GOALS!!!!

Goals have been set.

Check off those goals

I met with the registered dietitian last night. I think it was a good session. We came up with three doable goals for the next two weeks.

Goal 1: Since my step totals have fallen off and I haven’t been hitting 5000 steps lately, we decided to set a goal for 5000 steps each day. I hit 5105 yesterday. Today, at 4:45 PM, I already have 5135 steps.

Goal 2: Since Physical Therapy is helping, my second goal is to continue with it AND to do my PT home exercises every day. So far, so good.

Goal 3: Continue tracking my food and posting pictures on the Nourish. Easy, peasy.

I’m feeling pretty good about those goals.

Thanks for reading!

I am ready for change!

I’ve been working on eating healthy and moving more. I am currently having physical therapy once a week to help with my lower back arthritis.

I have been so frustrated with my goal of getting healthier and moving better. I often feel like the rusty tin man. My joints don’t want to unlock. I’m tired of feeling this way and I am working on a plan for change.

Besides physical therapy, I have been getting massages again. Not the nice, relaxing massages. These massages have improved my flexibility so much. My therapist, Wendy, has found a way to unlock my knees. It hurts like hell while she is doing it and for two days after, but it is working.

I will be meeting with a nutritionist tomorrow after work to get some assistance. I will share what I learn and give updates on my progress.

Thanks for reading.

May 2, 2023 -One Bar S’mores taste test

It’s time for another protein bar taste test. I’ve enjoyed the One Bars. I found a new flavor – S’mores! Who doesn’t love s’mores??? Looks yummy!

So, let’s take a look at the macros – 210 calories, 7 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 25 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 1 gram sugars, 20 grams protein. Not bad.

Let’s open up the package.

DELICIOUS!!!!! Good texture. Not too sweet. I could almost smell the campfire.

Have you tried the S’mores One Bar? Do you have another favorite flavor?

Thanks for reading.

April 25, 2023 – Robert Irvine’s Fit Crunch Bar

My friend gave me this bar to try. She kind of liked it and wanted to know my thoughts.

The cross section made me excited to eat the bar.

The macros – 190 calories per bar, 8 g fat, 200 mg Sodium, 14 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 16 G protein. Not horrible but not the best.

Now for the taste. It was DELICIOUS! However, it was not filling. A Snickers holds me over better but also has worse macros. I think I would eat one of these bars occasionally as a treat.

Have you tried them? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

April 15, 2023 – Think! high protein bar taste test

If you know me, you k no ow I love lemon flavored EVERYTHING! I had really high hopes for the Lemon Delight Think! Bars.

First, the macros. A little higher in calories than I would have liked and I was disappointed that there was NO FIBER at all.

So, was the taste worth the calories and lack of fiber?

In my opinion, no. The texture was weird and there was not enough lemon flavor for me. To me, it was like eating a sawdust bar that was dunked in lemon water. Keep in mind, this is just my opinion.

This is a bar that I won’t be trying again. That doesn’t mean you won’t like it. If you have tried it and like it, good. Maybe you can share your thoughts on what you like in the comments.

What healthy bar or treat should I try next?

Thanks for reading.

March 20, 2023 – Practicing Mindful Eating

As I continue with my journey to get healthier and lose weight, I have been trying different food and different strategies and sharing them here. My newest strategy is practicing mindful eating.

What is mindful eating? Mindful eating is paying attention to the food you eat and using all of your senses when doing so. The opposite of mindful eating is mindless eating. We’ve all done that, right? Rough day at work. Start cooking dinner and sit down to watch TV…with a bag of chips or box of cookies. The next thing you know, you have eaten the entire box or bag. You don’t even remember tasting the food. Yeah, that’s really mindless.

So, how do you practice mindful eating? Here’s what I’ve been doing. I choose one meal a day to practice this. Today I chose to practice at lunch. The steps I followed:

No distractions – turn off the phone, tv, radio and computer. I eat in silence if I can.
Today I am having a ham salad sandwich. I will incorporate all my senses while I eat the sandwich:
- Touch: The sandwich is cold because it was in the refrigerator. The bread is whole grain with seeds so it had texture.
- Sight: I can see the seeds and the air bubbles in the bread. I can see the creaminess of the ham salad. There are pimentos in the salad that are red and make the salad look pretty.
- Hearing: The crust of the bread is crunchy when I bite into it.
- Smell: The bread smells so fresh and there is a tangy smell to the ham salad.
- Taste: As I bite into the crunchy crust and feel the soft and creamy ham salad, the nutty flavor of the bread and the tangy ham salad hit my tastebuds. Delicious.
I take my time eating my sandwich, savoring every bite.
The sandwich fills me up and once I finish it, I am full.
I feel satisfied and thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

That is how I practiced today. Have you tried anything similar? If you have, how has mindful eating helped you to eat healthier, enjoy your food more, and helped you lose weight? Do you have any tips or tricks you would like to share regarding mindful eating? Please comment below.

Thanks for reading.

March 5, 2023 – chopped salad with chicken and Honeycrisp Apple Vinaigrette

We took a run down to Farmer Joe’s in Cape Coral last weekend. Today I was craving a big salad. So, I chopped up 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, an English cucumber, two heirloom tomatoes, and added a pouch of Starkest White Chicken.

I tossed this with Cindy’s Kitchen Honeycrisp Apple Vinaigrette.

Very tasty and filling. I think it needed a sprinkling of low-fat feta cheese to give it a savory pop. All-in-all, a nice dinner.

What’s your favorite salad recipe? What is your go to healthy salad dressing?

Thanks for reading.