Veggie Bee

Where in the heck did January go?! In my effort to stay on a healthy track all year, I decided to have monthly resolutions rather than New Year’s resolutions and it’s a good thing, because I get easily distracted by new and fun things to do. So let’s check in with last month’s goals:

• Writing ~ still working on consistency on the blog, but I am going to be writing more for my job at IHMOnline in the blog section and on Facebook, so that should help me to stay on track at least with creative ideas. We shall see!
• Food ~ Vegan is easy! Well, it’s super easy at home and really the only difficulty when eating out is learning to not feel apologetic for taking my time and ordering something special rather than something on the menu. I also feel like I’m always explaining why I’m vegan, which isn’t terrible, it’s just sometimes I like to just eat and not have to explain myself. Even if you’re not vegan, but feel like you have to defend yourself when eating healthy, the lesson is to become unapologetic about asking for healthy foods, even when it feels like a spotlight is on you as you order.
• Fitness ~ I started trying the P90X DVDs while still running and walking regularly and they are hard-core… I love them!! I’m going to start implementing the schedule that they give you this week and I should be very sore by week’s end. I’m still working on the early morning workouts, this is harder than anything else!
• Health ~ I’m on track to get my blood work done in the next couple of weeks. I’ll let you know when I get my results and what you should be looking for also in your results. Have you made an appointment with your doctor to get a check-up?

So for February, I’m going to continue on track with what I planned for January. One thing I am adding however, is planning a weekly menu so that both David and I are eating healthy every night. This made a huge difference a couple of weeks ago when I did it, but it is still not a habit yet. So for this week, I present our simple weekly menu:

• Tuesday = Quinoa with Stir-fry Veggies
• Wednesday = Vegan Tacos
• Thursday = Leftovers or Amy’s Enchiladas (since I’ll be working late)
• Friday = Slow cooker Black Bean Soup
• Saturday = Tofu Curry (adapted from Spice Up Your Life, I’ll be reviewing soon!)
• Sunday = Healthy pizza and vegan Spinach Artichoke dip for Super Bowl!! WHO DAT?!

Are you still on track with your New Year’s resolutions?? Or is it time to refocus and get motivated again??

I’m starting a new exercise challenge this month, courtesy of Roni’s Weigh. Yes, in addition to the vegan challenge with Vegan Hope! It must just feel like a good time to restart and recommit after the crazy schedule of summer.

So the challenge includes push ups, sit-ups (crunches) and squats. Click on the links below to find out more about how to do your initial test and definitely check out the “What is a…” section for proper form. I had David watch me doing the pushups and my form was way off! I completed the initial tests for the push ups and sit-ups but I’m going to wait until next week to start the squats since I’m running the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday. My legs need all the extra strength they can get!

My initial results:

100 push ups

Rank: 3 - 15 push ups (adjusted for proper form)

200 Sit-ups

Rank: Average - 40

200 Squats

Rank: TBD

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Wow, I have some work to do on push ups and sit-ups… Wish me luck for the half marathon, it’s going to be a fun weekend! Have a lovely & wonderful weekend!

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Kath Eats Real Food has a great giveaway for a crock-pot, courtesy of The Juice, a partnership between BlogHer and Tropicana Trop 50. The Juice is a new online community for women to share and exchange practical advice and tips.

A crock-pot is a fantastic way to make easy, healthy meals ahead of time so that you’re not reaching for the nearest delivery menu when you get home and don’t have the energy to cook a meal… your crock-pot meal can be ready for you when you walk in the door!

To enter to win, leave a comment on Kath’s site with a crock-pot friendly dish you would like to try. She will be drawing for the winner on June 8.

Think about your car for a moment… when you pull up to a gas station, what kind of fuel do you put into it? Do you expect your car to run properly after filling it up? What if you pulled into the gas station and found a sign that stated that the fuel had sand and dirt and chemicals in it that would damage the systems in your car, cause your car to slowly deteriorate and become sluggish and eventually cause your car to stop running altogether? But they would sell it to you for 10 cents a gallon. Would you rationalize putting it into your car? Or would you value your car enough to make a habit of going to another gas station, always giving it the best fuel you could afford to keep it running properly for as long as you could?

Think about your body for a moment… what kind of fuel are you giving it on a daily basis? Are you expecting it to run like a sports car, but fueling it like a go-cart? Are you putting polluted fuel into it and wondering why you feel sluggish and tired? Do you value yourself and your health enough to make the effort to put the best fuel possible into your body? Do you know how to find the proper fuel for your body and that it will help you feel more energetic?

Start living a healthy life today. Today, buy fruits, vegetables and lean proteins and learn how to prepare them so that you will enjoy them in a low-fat manner. Feed your body so that you will feel brilliant and fabulous and energetic.

5 steps to take today for your health:

• Eat more fruits and veggies ~ eat a variety of fruits and veggies every day. Organic and locally grown is best, but if you’re worried about cost, at least buy organic when you eat “The Dirty Dozen”. You can download the list of 12 fruits and veggies you should always buy organic at Environmental Working Group’s web site.
• Get at least 10 minutes of exercise today ~ something is better than nothing when it comes to exercise. You’re never going to find an hour to go for that walk until you find 10 minutes and that takes away our time excuses. Start building exercise momentum today!
• Drink water ~ replace some of your drinks for today with water. That includes sodas, both diet and regular, juices, coffee drinks or alcohol. Although there’s some some debate about the 8×8 rule - drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day -  it doesn’t hurt for one day to make sure you’re getting in that amount to combat dehydration which can lead to water retention and drained energy.
• Eat lean protein ~ it’s easy in the world in which we live to get plenty of protein in our daily diets. Yet, it’s not always a good, lean source of protein. Today, make sure you have access to lean proteins like fish, shellfish, beans, legumes and tofu. You don’t have to become a vegetarian to eat like one for a day, so include some beans and legumes in your diet for protein.
• Meditate ~ meditation is focusing on the present moment so that you’re not a prisoner of regret about the past and anxiety about the future. Take 2 minutes today and simply try focusing on your breathing, even while you’re walking or doing dishes. Learn about meditation techniques and commit yourself to trying something new.

Have a fabulously healthy day!!

I’m anxious to read the new book by former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, after seeing him on the Today Show. Here’s their article on his new book, Dieter’s Best Intentions Hijacked by their Brain.

Have you heard of conditioned hypereating??  Has you diet ever been “hijacked” by your brain against your will??

I don’t often eat out at fast food or casual dining restaurants simply because I like to be aware of not only the ingredients I’m eating, but also the calories of the meals. I also usually have to make special requests, you know what I’m talking about… dressing on the side, no oil, no meat, etc. So unless I’m with someone else who wants to eat out at one of these places, I would rather just eat something I’ve prepared at home (and yes, sometimes that means Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals!)  I’m not the type of eater who likes to portion control my food either, I like to be able to order something and eat it all if I like it!

I was excited to end up at two separate restaurants over the weekend that made it completely easy to just order straight off the menu! I knew exactly what was in the food I was ordering and the calorie count, I didn’t even have to make substitutions or special requests. I applaud these establishments for helping us out with our weight management…. now if I could just ensure fresh, organic ingredients…. ah well, one step at a time.

• Coco’s Bakery - they have locations on the west coast and we have one right down the street. We wanted to go somewhere for a quick breakfast and I was pleasantly surprised to find their Fit & Lively menu options (at the bottom of the menu page). I had the Tomato Basil Egg White Omelette. They also have Fit & Lively lunch & dinner options. Scroll over the symbol by each item name and it will give you the nutritional info.
• Islands Burgers - I usually have their veggie burger with the endless fries as a splurge, but I decided to take a look at their menu online before we went to see if I could find a meal that wouldn’t be such a splurge. They’ve added their Paradise’s Bikini Beach menu and it lists all the calories for each choice. I enjoyed the No Blame Grilled Veggie Tacos and they were really good! I stole a few french fries from David too, shhhhhh!

It was so nice to just order straight off the menu with no changes, no requests, no questions. I hope every restaurant starts doing this.

Are there any restaurants that you’ve been to that have calories and nutritional info right on the menu??

All the tools for healthy living and weight management ~ eating more fruits and vegetables, fitting in exercise into your day, finding ways to portion-control certain foods ~ do not happen by accident. It will take learning to plan ahead, setting aside time in your schedule and learning the reasons why you should make these activities a priority. These new habits don’t form overnight however. Much like the “10 minute strategy” to build momentum with exercise, building small changes into your routine will help you problem-solve bigger changes down the road.

What is Shop and Chop?

One of the strategies for making sure that you have ready-to-go fruits and vegetables in your environment is to plan for and practice “shop and chop.”  This means choosing a day that you will shop for fruits and veggies and then as soon as you get them home, you prep them for the next couple of days or the week. Prepping them includes cleaning, chopping, cooking and then packaging them in a way that makes it easy for you to grab it and go about your busy week.

My own personal example involves grapes. If I don’t rinse the grapes in a colander as soon as I get home and put them in a new resealable bag to put in the fridge (or leave them in the colander if I’m being extra lazy!) then it’s more likely that every time I open the fridge to eat some grapes, I think about all the steps I have to take to prep them… find the colander, rinse them off, clean up the little mess, find the resealable bags… it’s just enough in the middle of a hectic week to have me reaching for something that doesn’t require any work at all and that’s the danger of not having a supportive environment for your health. Does it sound lazy to not want to wash the grapes? Yes. But it happens, so I have to combat my own laziness. And honestly, I’ve let grapes rot in the fridge because I kept putting off washing them.

How to practice Shop and Chop

Save yourself from your own laziness if you’re anything like me and take a few simple steps to set up a Shop and Chop routine. If you don’t normally use this strategy, then start with only ONE fruit or veggie to prep this week.

1. Plan your Shop and Chop day and schedule in the trip to the store and all the prep time you need.
2. Make a list of the fruits and veggies you’re going to prep. If it’s just one, that’s perfect. Fruits are an easy way to start the habit.
3. Buy storage containers if you need them.
4. Rinse, chop and cook the fruits and veggies on your list as soon as you get home!
5. Store fruits and veggies in the fridge or on the counter if appropriate for easy access.
6. Now you have to eat them! You have one less excuse to leave them in the fridge to waste. Good job!

5 easy fruits and veggies to add to your environment for the week

1. Grapes - no chopping involved, just rinsing and repackaging.
2. Cherry tomatoes - remember, tomatoes are best stored on the counter, not in the fridge as long as you’re planning to eat them within a week.
3. Potatoes - rinse them off, poke a few holes in them with a fork and bake them in the oven. These are great to have ready to go in the fridge as a base for other foods, like Health Valley Chili!
4. Melons - Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon are all good choices to keep chopped and ready to go in the fridge.
5. Baby spinach - rinse it in a salad spinner and use it as a quick, healthy addition to frozen entrees when you’re running short on time during the week. I love Amy’s Kitchen organic frozen entrees!

Now’s the time for commitment!

What day will you practice Shop and Chop this week?
Which fruits and/or veggies are part of your list?

Your assignment for today is to practice “environmental control” rather than “self-control” ensuring that you always have effective choices in food within easy reach. Willpower alone is not an effective long-term weight management strategy for most people.  It may work some of the time, but many of us have been in that place where we just keep trying to tell ourselves not to eat whatever it is that is tempting us or we convince ourselves that we can “just have one” which turns into 10… or more! It’s best to expect that you’ll eat whatever is in your immediate environment unless you have some solid strategies, like eating foods that are effective for your weight management while you’re around the other tempting foods.

You can’t eat it if you don’t buy it
Remove from your environment any food that is ineffective for your weight management and fueling your body if possible. It is not about “good” food or “bad” food… you are not a better person because you have made “good” food choices today. You are not a “bad” person because of the foods you eat. You are simply either making effective or ineffective choices regarding your health. I generally don’t keep peanut butter in my house because if you knew me, you know I love it in spoonfuls straight out of the jar! If it is in your environment, at work, at home, at friend’s houses… the possibility exists that you may eat a lot of it.

Out of sight, out of mind (hopefully!)
When you live with others, there may be foods that they want in the house that are not part of your weight management plan. In these instances, put these ineffective foods away so that you will not see them all the time. Pick one cabinet where those foods go where you will not be looking at it every time you open the cabinet door. Store these types of foods in opaque containers in the refrigerator so you don’t see them when you open the fridge. There are always those foods that “call your name” however, even when you don’t see them, you know they’re there! This is a good indication this is a “trigger” food for you that you may want to negotiate not having in the house. Don’t beat yourself up (and don’t let anybody else do it either!) because you “don’t have enough willpower.”  It’s not about willpower! It’s about making choices in your life.

Be prepared and stock up at home
What do you need to add to your environment to support your success in weight management? Do you have fruits and vegetables in your house? At work? Do you keep canned fruits and veggies at your desk or in your car? Fill up on fruits and vegetables before you make decisions around other foods and your calories are likely to automatically decrease while still filling you up with volume.

If you are not accustomed to eating fruits and vegetables, I would start by buying frozen and canned fruits and veggies while you are learning what you like and how you like them prepared. That way, you don’t waste money or food as you start incorporating more of these foods into your diet. Look for fruits canned in juice and veggies with little or no salt added.

There are many frozen vegetables that can be steamed right in the bag in which you buy them, such as Birdseye® Steamfresh® vegetables. Think of this as a healthy “fast food.” Incorporating as many fruits and veggies (prepared in a low fat manner) as you can into each day, increases your chances for managing your weight on a long-term basis.

What are the foods that cripple your willpower? And what are some strategies you use to make sure you include healthy foods in your day?

Something is better than nothing

Whether you’re just starting an exercise program to lose weight or you’ve been on an exercise hiatus from your regular routine, many times it’s best to start small and build your exercise momentum by making it a minimum daily commitment. Using a minimum daily effort of 10 minutes may seem like an insignificant impact on your overall health or weight loss, but often this small amount of time serves as the impetus to your entire future exercise program.

When to use the “10 minute” strategy

• You’re just starting an exercise program and seem overwhelmed by the effort you think you should be devoting to it.
• You use the excuse that you “don’t have time” to exercise.
• You had previously been on a regular exercise program, but something changed in your routine and you’ve been out of the habit (sometimes for as little as a week!)
• You work out sporadically because you only want to do “real” workouts that require more time or energy than you have.
• You only workout when you can devote a large block of time to it.

It’s easier to talk yourself out of an hour long run than a 10 minute walk, but even a little bit is better than nothing. Oftentimes, that 10 minute walk will turn into a longer session of exercise since getting started is sometimes the hardest part. But even if it doesn’t, it gives you a chance at keeping your momentum going for the next day so that you have a chance at building consistency into your weekly routine.

5 simple ideas for adding 10 minutes of exercise

• Put your walking shoes & clothes on as soon as you get out of bed. Walk 5 minutes away from your front door and 5 minutes back. Commit to 7 days in a row and if you miss a day, recommit to 7 straight days.
• Put your walking shoes in your car and walk instead of waiting at appointments.
• Park an extra 10 minutes away from your appointments. You’re guaranteed 2 bouts of 10 minutes of exercise.
• Find a DVD (or “on demand” cable channel) with 10 minute segments on it and commit to doing 1 segment each day for 7 days.
• Set a timer for 10 minutes and do jumping jacks, lunges, pushups and crunches while you watch television.

Has incorporating small bouts of exercise into your day ever helped to keep you on track with your program? Which suggestion above would you be willing to try to get your momentum going?

So you say you’re ready to get healthy, makes some changes in your life, right?  Maybe it’s time to renew your commitment to your New Year’s resolutions, or you simply want to feel more energetic and alive and you know that eating healthier and exercising can only help things.  Change can be very simple and when it’s related to your health, we often hear that “it’s not that complicated”…  “just move more and eat less”… “everything in moderation”.  All of these statements are true, but just because something is simple, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy.

Implementing healthy behaviors is a learning process, one that requires information gathering, problem solving, practice and feedback. Although the broad principles of healthy living are universal, such as “eat more fruits and vegetables” or “get more exercise”, the strategies involved in actually doing them in your own life are highly individual and personalized. It’s going to take some effort on your part. It’s going to take a willingness to practice new behaviors in familiar situations. It may be uncomfortable, it may make you feel self-conscious when you bring your own food with you, or defensive when someone implies that you just lack willpower. You have to be willing to go through the discomfort of change before you can relax in the comfort of habit and routine.

While a lot goes into determining success in health management, it is always a process of change for anyone developing new healthy habits. Learning to deal with the process of behavior change takes practice in itself and it helps to know where you are on the road to change.

Let’s look at the different stages of change and think about where you might find yourself today:

• Neutral – You are engaged in unhealthy behaviors and others encourage you to change, but you see no reason to change or doubt your own ability to change.
• Contemplation – You see and acknowledge a need for change, contemplating whether change would make a difference, or questioning whether you can be successful or not in making the change.
• Preparation – You decide that change is necessary and decide which changes can be made and what methods to use to change. You begin mentally preparing for success and looking for help. This process can take weeks or months as you get ready to take action.
• Action – You start taking the necessary steps to reach your goal, evaluating the effectiveness of the changes and taking additional or different steps as needed. You are implementing new behaviors that do not yet feel like habit.
• Maintenance – You meet your goal and continue with behaviors that led to change and to your goal. Healthy behaviors become habitual and seem effortless where decisions are not questioned.
• Relapse – a return to any previous stage. Can be met with feelings of failure which may then lead to earlier stages and the sense that you are “starting over”.

No matter where you are on the journey of healthy living, it helps to have support and to develop the confidence that you can make changes to get to the point of maintenance. You can do it!!  If you are feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of getting there, remember that it can begin with tiny changes that will propel you forward into even more profound changes in your health. Relax and decide to make one tiny change today…  add vegetables to your next meal!

What stage are you in as it relates to your health? What is your confidence level in getting or staying healthy?