Meatless Monday FAIL...and NSV

You may remember this post  when I was so excited about trying this recipe for Honey-Sesame Tempeh from Eating Well magazine.  Well, I finally got around to making it yesterday and it was...disgusting!

Maybe I just don't like tempeh.  It has sort of a rancid-nut undertone.  But, I also didn't care much for the carrot slaw.  Too much vinegar?  The recipe didn't specify seasoned rice-vinegar, so I used plain.  It was just too sour!  I tried adding a bit of sweetener (thinking that perhaps I should have used seasoned rice-vinegar) and it helped a little, but not enough.  The entire dish was just a bit...off.  And sour.  And yucky.  It looks pretty, though.

N.S.V.'s

In other news, I had my cholesterol checked last week and it's down to 147!!!  Back in September, I was disappointed to discover that, after losing 20+ pounds, my cholesterol had actually increased to 224.  I was put on Zocor.  It was about this time that I really started focusing on my vitamins/supplements and I started taking the MegaRed krill oil (similar to fish oil) and added flax meal to my smoothies.  

Despite the improvement, I have to stay on the statins for a few more months before the doc will re-evaluate.  She says it's possible that she'll get me off of them by the end of the year to see how I can do on my own with just diet & supplements.

Other good news:  I am no longer considered "pre-diabetic."  My fasting blood sugar levels have gone from 99 (pre-surgery) to 90.  AND...my blood pressure was down to its lowest ever...105/65!

Cheers!

Arms of...jelly?

I barely made it through the 1st 6-minute "circuit" in the 30-Day Shred Level 1 and my arms feel like jelly.  Here's hoping that I will be able to complete the full 20-minute workout by the end of the week.

Baby steps may be slow, but they'll get you there eventually.

Cheers!

30 day shred begins today...

I got a package in the mail yesterday:  Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred!  According to the website, this video has:

three 20-minute circuit-training workouts that burn mega calories and build strong, lean muscle. Each level contains a 20-minute workout based on Jillian's exclusive 3-2-1 Strength/ Cardio/Ab training circuit: 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of ab work. There's also a brief warm-up session and a cool down stretch.

I will be starting it today and will let you know how it goes.  The cover claims that you can lose "up to 20 pounds in 30 days."  I am hoping for 10, but will be happy with 8.  I do have a Lap-Band after all, and 8 lbs in a month should be a reasonable expectation.

ultimate smoothie re-design...with chia!

Occasionally, I play around with my Yummiest Smoothie EVAR recipe in order to incorporate a new healthy ingredient. Sometimes, I my goal is to to change the nutritional profile in order to reflect my own nutritional need changes.

For example, I recently cut down on the amount of fruit in order to shave a few calories.  I also went from 5.3 to 4.0 oz of yogurt so that I could more easily use the larger "bulk" containers and save some money (and space in my recycling bin).  When my doctor put me back on statins to help with stubbornly elevated cholesterol levels, I added a Tbsp of flax meal which is high in Omega 3's.

My most recent [re]discovery is Chia seeds!  I first read about Chia seeds in the March 2010 issue of Clean Eating magazine.  Apparently, ancient Aztec warriors could run for an entire day fueled by just 1 Tbsp of these amazing seeds.  Omega 3, fiber, protein & calcium are just a few of the reported nutritional benefits.  

If you soak chia seeds in water for just a few minutes, it will form a gel that some people like to add to drinks.  I haven't tried this, but I have noticed a difference in the texture of my morning smoothie (to which I now add 1 Tbsp Chia seeds).  My smoothies are now just slightly thicker--this means that they fill me up faster AND longer!

Here's my new Yummiest Smoothie EVAR recipe:
(300 calories; 24g protein; 14g fiber; 3g fat)

1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 tsp Metamucil sugar free original
1-2 Tbsp NOW Egg white protein powder
4 oz. Chobani 0% vanilla yogurt
2 oz. Lifeway Plain kefir
1/2 c. frozen blueberries
1/2 frozen banana

Fish recipe--SCORE!

A couple of days ago I posted about eating more fish and included a link to a recipe that I wanted to try (click on the picture here and it will take you to the recipe).  I cooked it last night and it was a big hit!  Not something we want to eat every week, but it will definitely go into the rotation for every couple of months.  The flavors are what I consider to be typical of North African cuisine and , while robust, are very well balanced,  Plus, the overall dish didn't taste too "fishy" (a common complaint from my husband).

Tonight we're going to try a vegetarian meal:  Sesame-Honey Tempeh & Quinoa.  A band-friendly half serving of this vegetarian dish is only 268 calories with 14 g protein!

click on the picture to view the full recipe

eat more fish...

One of my new healthy eating goals is to have 1 fish and 1 vegetarian dinner each week.  Tonight I'm making tacos for my Mom's 75th birthday (she loves tacos).  But, tomorrow night I plan to make this:

I bought the halibut yesterday from the Farmer's Market and everything else is already in the pantry.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

and, we're back down again...

Just got back from the doctor's office where I had .5cc taken out.  I already feel better.  I knew there was trouble this morning when I had trouble drinking my coffee.  Then, I couldn't get down my puree'd butternut squash soup. So, I called around 12:45 and they said...get this..."can you be here by 1:30?"  I almost asked "what day?" until I realized that they were talking about TODAY!!!

I love my new doctor. :)