May 16, 2023 – My week drinking Golden Milk

Back in March, I was feeling physically and mentally exhausted. The stress of dealing with the aftermath of a category 5 hurricane had damaged my psyche. Between eating unhealthy food due to dealing with an unusable kitchen sink and having to sleep in an old queen sized bed, my body was rebelling. It was time to do something.

After a lot of research, I decided to try Golden Milk. What is Golden Milk? It is a drink made of warm milk of your choosing, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and dried coconut milk. I had heard that turmeric was good for inflammation. I thought about taking turmeric pills but decided I didn’t want to go that route. I found an organic Golden Milk mix on Amazon and decided to give it a try.

Day 1: The bag of Golden Milk arrived Wednesday, May 10, 2023. I was so excited to try it. That evening, I warmed up 1 cup of cow’s milk in the microwave for one minute. I added a teaspoon of the golden powder, stirred it and sat down to sip by drink. While I wouldn’t describe it as delicious, I wouldn’t say it was disgusting. It needed just a little something to make it more enjoyable. If all goes well, I will try added maple syrup to it as suggested.

About half an hour after drinking it, I was so relaxed and ready for bed. I went to bed without taking the Tylenol Arthritis and Advil that had become a daily thing for me. I slept like a baby and woke up feeling great. I actually woke up before my alarm went off and, instead of waiting for my legs to feel good enough to walk, I got up and made a pot of coffee. No hitting snooze. I was up and at ’em.

That first day I was able to go up the stairs at work for the first time in ages and I did it without having to stop part of the way up. I didn’t only do it ONCE, I went up the stairs TWICE that day. Amazing.

Day 2: This evening I added a tsp of maple syrup to the Golden Milk. It was an improvement but still not how I wanted it to taste. It went down smoothly and, just as the first night, I was relaxed and ready for bed in half an hour. I slept like a baby again.

The next morning I woke up, still feeling better than I was. However, I was muscle sore due to pushing myself too hard and using muscles I hadn’t used in a while. I did take an Advil and after being up for a while and getting the muscles warmed up, I was much better. Even with the little bit of morning achey muscles, still an improvement over how I felt in the morning before Golden Milk entered my life.

Day 3: This evening I added a squirt of agave and a splash of vanilla extract to my Golden Milk. YES! This is how I will be making it from now on. Once I finish my regular milk I will switch to unsweetened vanilla almond milk and I won’t need the vanilla. Drank my delicious latte and once I was relaxed, I went to bed. I know you are expecting me to say I slept like a baby and I will, but not the way I first meant it. Did you know that this turmeric has diuretic qualities? Yes, I encountered the I will call the wee wee hours. I lost count of how many times, but it was a lot. Just like a baby. LOL

The next morning I woke up feeling great. I looked down and, much to my surprise, my feet and ankles were no longer puffy. I weighted myself and I lost six pounds. Yes, I said six pounds.

Day 4: Had my latte and went to bed, sleeping really well.

The next morning, I had a sinus headache but the rest of me felt fantastic. Took an Advil and that went away quickly. I made sure to drink lots of water so I didn’t get dehydrated due to the diuretic actions.

As for how I am feeling today: One a scale of 1 to 10, my arthritis and muscle pain is a 2. A week ago it was any where from an 8 to a 10. My ankles and feet no longer look like the stay puffed marshmallow man. I wore pants haven’t worn since before the pandemic. I feel fantastic.

Day 5: Had a great nights sleep after drinking my yummy latte. Woke up refreshed and went for a walk down on Charlotte Harbor. I didn’t need to stop and take a break. I even walked up the slight incline near the Spirit of Punta Gorda statue. I’m down another 4 pounds! I’ve only taken Tylenol Arthritis once since I started this. I’ve taken Advil twice. I haven’t needed to take Claritin either. I’m looking forward to continuing this stuff.

Day 6: Had my latte and slept well last night. Got up at 6:30 am this morning. Weighed myself and I was up two pounds, but that’s ok. I’ll lose it again.

It is Monday of my Staycation. I made coffee and started cleaning. Cleaned the refrigerator. Cleaned out some cabinets and took the items we no longer wanted to Good Will. I had a nice lunch and now it is time to take a break. More reports to come.

Day 7: I woke up feeling pretty good. Had a relaxing day. It is almost time to make my 7th cup of golden milk. It is funny how this has so quickly become an evening ritual. Once I feel that it’s time to meditate and get ready for bed, I get happy and look forward to that golden deliciousness.

Went for a nice walk around the block tonight. Did the whole thing without stopping. I’ve almost made my step bet goal for the day. I have 300 steps to go. After I finish that two week program, I’ll write about my experience.

What a great way to end my week of drinking Golden Milk.

My conclusion: After 7 days of Golden Milk I feel like a new woman. My arthritis is so much better. I’m sleeping great. My appetite and food cravings are so much improved. Digestion has settled. My skin is improving. My mood has improved and I’m feeling less stressed.

This was my experience with Golden Milk. Yours may or may not be similar. Please check with your physician if you plan on trying Golden Milk. Wishing you well.

Thanks for reading.

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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.

Cross section

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.

Lemon Delight Think! Bar macros

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

Cross section

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.

February 8, 2023 – Quest Protein Bar taste test- White Chocolate Raspberry

So today I tasted the white chocolate raspberry flavor of the Quest Protein Bar. First the macros:

Serving size 1 bar, calories 190, Fat 8g, saturated fat 3g, trans fat 0g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 250mg, total carbs 22g, dietary fiber 13g, total sugars 1g, protein 20g.

The numbers look good but how does it taste?

DELICIOUS!!!! It reminded me of raspberry cheesecake. No artificial after taste. There was real raspberry in this bar. I would definitely eat this one again. I’ll have to try other flavors too.

Tomorrow I will be tasting a maple glazed donut One bar. I can’t wait.

Do you have any brands/flavors to suggest? Or maybe you have a good recipe for me to try. Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

February 4, 2023 – Do you like protein bars?

I am looking for protein bar suggestions. Since breakfast is around 5:30 AM and lunch at work not happening until 1:00 PM or 1:30 PM, i sometimes get HANGRY at work. I need a pick me up snack between breakfast and lunch but I want it to be healthy. Cereal bars are too high in carbs.

Please list your favorite store bought bars as well as any recipes you love. You can put them in the comments or click on my contact info and send me a message.

Once I get a list I will start taste testing.

Thanks for reading.

January 17, 2023 – Successful food prep lunch

Yesterday’s food prep made me be able to easily pack this healthy lunch. Sautéed chicken breast (3 oz.), quinoa (1 cup), roasted cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato and butternut squash (1 cup). I’ll be drizzling with 2 Tbsp of Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch.

492 Calories, Fat 11.4 grams, Carbs 57.2 grams, Protein 38.5 grams

Roasted veggies, chicken breast and quinoa – It’s what’s for lunch.

Reheated in the microwave for two minutes. Delicious!

Do you have any good food prep recipes you would like to share? Please comment and share.

Thanks for reading!

January 1, 2023 – Let’s start over

Happy New Year !!

Starting out on a positive note. Walked at the mall. Did chair yoga. Drank water. When we went out for lunch, I put half of my food in a to go box. Feeling tired but good. Tomorrow I hit the gym.

A good start.

My favorite health and weight loss podcast

I’ve tried most “diets”. From WW to Jenny Craig and more in between. It wasn’t until I started listening to The Chris Terrell Podcast that I started having success in losing weight.

During his weight loss journey, Chris followed the CICO diet. CICO stands for Calories In, Calories Out. He has lost 125 pounds! Amazing! When I am looking for some motivation, I listen to Chris’ practical advice on his podcast. Check it out here: Chris Terrell Podcast.

An explanation of CICO – For each pound you want to loose, you have to cut 3500 calories – either by eating less or by burning more calories through exercise. If you eat 500 calories less or burn 500 calories more each day for a week, you should lose 1 pound. Does that make sense. If you eat 500 calories less AND burn 500 calories more each day for a week, you should lose 2 pounds.

If you want to see how many calories you should be consuming each day, go to the Calorie Calculator.

Chris also offers coaching on his website Chris Terrell Coaching.

Give Chris a listen and spread the word!

Let me know if you have a favorite health, weight loss, and/or exercise podcast in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

I’ve been feeling uninspired lately.

It’s been over a month since I posted anything. I’ve had ideas for reviews of both books and healthy food, I just haven’t had the motivation. I need to get back on track.

Here are some highlights from life in the past month +:

  1. Swimming – Mike and I have started going to the pool at our local recreation center on Saturday mornings. It has been wonderful for our joints. We didn’t go last week when I had the flu. This week we went to a comic book show instead. Next week we plan to go to North Port Aquatic Center to check out their pool and lazy river. Can’t wait.
  2. The Winners by Frederik Backman – I had the pleasure to read the upcoming third book in the Beartown series. I am a a big fan of Mr. Backman. His books are wonderful. A review of the book is in the works and will be posted closer to the expected publishing date of September 27, 2022.
  3. Cozy mysteries – I’m on a cozy mystery reading kick. I love to go on Amazon and find the first book in a cozy mystery series to see if I want to read the whole series.
  4. Crafts – I haven’t been crafting as much. I’ve been craft brainstorming but haven’t done much more. I’m starting to feel a little inspiration to get ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas crafts. Stay tuned, there may be a how-to video or two in the works.
  5. Trying to stay cool – I’ve not been successful. It is has been pretty freakin’ hot since what feels like forever. Can’t wait for “cool” weather.

So, what have you been up to this Summer?

Thanks for reading.