Word Up!

Happy Friday!

So one of the things I said was challenging was using all those quick and convenient sauces....right? So to keep me feeling good about my choice, I decided to look at the ingredients on something and disect those words of which I do not know....so here is the Friday frightening word....I found this in a bottle of Light Ranch Dressing....yikes...just one of the about 15 ingredients listed....

Disodium guanylate, also known as sodium 5'-guanylate and disodium 5'-guanylate, is a natural disodium salt of the flavor enhancer guanosine monophosphate (GMP). Disodium guanylate is a food additive with the E number E627.^[1] It is commonly used in conjunction with glutamic acid (monosodium glutamate, MSG).

As it is a fairly expensive additive, it is not used independently of glutamic acid; if disodium guanylate is present in a list of ingredients but MSG does not appear to be, it is likely that glutamic acid is provided as part of another ingredient such as a processed soy proteincomplex. It is often added to foods in conjunction with disodium inosinate; the combination is known as disodium 5'-ribonucleotides.

Disodium guanylate is produced from dried fish or dried seaweed and is often added toinstant noodles, potato chips and other snacks, savoury rice, tinned vegetables, curedmeats, and packaged soup. Disodium guanylate is not safe for babies under twelve weeks, and should generally be avoided by asthmatics and people with gout, as guanylates are metabolized to purines. However, the typical amounts found in food are generally too low to produce significant side effects.^[1] Since it is often produced from fish,^[1] vegans and vegetarians may wish to avoid it unless the product is specifically labeled as vegan or vegetarian. Such labels require the use of non-animal derived sources, such as seaweed or yeast.

SO far, SO good!

Good morning....so I'm 5 days in....really started Sunday but started the 30 day count on Monday...the 24th....is the official countdown date.....you know because I follow the Weight Watchers plan, they've taught me over the years to eat really good.....so I am not having to work too many veggies and fruit into my diet because they were essentially there already.....

The difference has been of course eliminating cheese (dairy) and no grains....and even that hasn't been bad at all....but let me tell you the biggest thing I'm noticing is how many times I realize I would go to the pantry or fridge for that quick box of this, or can or jar of that.....Bottled sauces, etc.....yikes...now that has been an eye opener.....

So, creativity is the key to this.....because I don't DO steamed veggies and chicken people.....LOL....I must taste, spice, zest and want that food to dance in my mouth....my WW leader said last night at our meeting....I want a PARTY in my mouth....

I'm not one of those people who does food as a fuel and a second thought.....like who are these people who say, "Oh, I just forgot to eat" WHAAAAT???? May I ask, how does one FORGET to eat??? Not me.....I start planning my next meal as I'm eating the one in front of me.....can anyone relate?

And of course my first weekend without my favorite elixir is coming up......but I got this.....I'm driven....no wine for me......water is cleansing.....cleansing is good.....and of course, CrossFit is keeping me focused as well......so I lift my water bottle and say, "Cheers" to you all.....it's going to be a great day!

Prepping for success

So I've depleted my home of all my trigger foods...cheese mostly, because other dairy isn't a big thing for me.....grains also don't tempt me either unless I'm out and the waiter sits bread down in front of my Schnoz! LOL......so while I'm not going to throw them away, my fridge will hold only fresh ingredients...

I also went to Costco and Bel Air yesterday and stocked my fridge with roasted chicken, chicken breasts, and pork tenderloin....although I can't really use sauce based marinades any longer I can use rubs and spices.....I will also go get lean ground beef to make a meat loaf and meatballs...my trainer said he boils potatoes and uses them as a binder along with an egg for his meatballs and meatloaf and he said it works better than bread crumbs....

I already had some salmon and Telapia so I'm good on the lean protein......Here is a list of staples I will not be without at anytime...

Lettuce
Avocado
All other veggies
Spaghetti squash- I cut this in half, microwave both halves for 6-8 minutes and scoop it out and it stays in the fridge for at least a week :)
Some kind of quick go to lean protein
Olive oil
Vinegars
garlic
Fruit- at least 3 kinds
Crushed, organic tomatoes (got some at Costco)
Homemade Marinara sauce - see recipe below
Homemade pesto (without the cheese) see recipe below
Homemade Salad dressing- easy, peasy....olive oil, vinegar and anything else that is clean to flavor it
Eggs
Egg whites (I buy the cartons)
Unsweetened Almond milk (use for smoothies and coffee)
Lemons
Sweet potatoes
A couple red potatoes (to use as a binder)

How I am prepping is.....

*Perfect weather to oven roast some veggies....lot's of them, so they're cooked and ready to go. I roast them aladente so if I heat them or stir fry them during the week, they're not mushy....yuck, nothing worse than that....also after I roast veggies, I layer them in a tupperware container, with paper towels in between, as roasting does bring out the moisture in veggies...
*I will take the roasted chicken off the bone to use for salads.....I will season and BBQ the pork tenderloin medium rare and slice it and freeze those just under-done slices for easy cooking as well....

Some meals for the week will include....

Salads
Stir Fry
Meat loaf
Spaghetti squash w/ marinara sauce- see below
Lettuce wrap tacos
Scrambled eggs with veggies
Smoothies (with both veggies and fruit and kale or spinach)

A couple condiments I decided I was not giving up (almost clean but not quite) are- Siracha Sauce and tomatillo salsa...don't be afraid to pick a couple for yourselves....Since our main goal is cutting out big dairy, grains and preservatives I see no need why you can't have a little coffee creamer or stevia, etc....
I made some oil and vinegar salad dressing to always have on hand....in addition here are a couple fast and easy sauces I will make as well because if I have the on hand, it's easier to make a quick meal

Marinara Sauce (for spaghetti squash or over chopped stir fried veggies))

1 lrg jar or can of organic crushed tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic-chopped
olive oil
one med red or white onion-chopped (but not too small)
one bell pepper- chopped- not too small
1 tsp oregano (I have fresh from garden but jarred spice is fine)
1 tsp-basil (fresh but jarred will do)
sea salt & ground pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, just put a bit of the OO and sauté the onions and BP- adding in the garlic at the end.....blend the crushed tomatoes and pour in the sauce pan....add in the spices...let simmer until thickened and melded well....

You could add in browned lean ground beef or turkey if you wanted but I'm going to make meatballs so I chose not to

Pesto Sauce (this is great with the spaghetti squash as well or with stir fry)

A couple healthy bunches of fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Pine nuts- I pan roast them first....better that way

OK, with this I usually rough chop the garlic first and over low heat in a small sauté pan I roast the garlic with olive oil and salt to take off the pungent garlic taste but be careful as garlic burns easy..

Chop basil and put in blender, adding in olive oil as it blends....you want to get it blending but not too thin.....add in the garlic and pine nuts...and finish off with more oil, salt and pepper as needed. blend to a smooth consistency....

So there you have it my friends.....my fridge is stocked and ready to go....week one is underway! 

Prep work for week one is complete!

Good morning....

OK, so I spent most of last night prepping for week one of clean eating....I know from my weight loss journey the key to success is being prepared and planning ahead as much as possible....one of the things that is so successful with Weight Wathers is that no matter where I go, I can essentially eat what I want within moderation as long as I look, read and plan....

Because I'm now going a step further and choosing to eliminate those foods which I beleive to be the culprits in my stomach somersaults, I need to be a little better prepared....so I made some "go to" items that will help when I open the fridge and say, "what is there to eat?"

So I'll follow this post with a list I made for some friends of the prep I did and some pictures (if I can figure out how to embed pictures...LOL) for some things I will always try to have on hand....

I also thing it'll be interesting as I move through the days, and track on eTools to see what my Points Plus values are as well....so many of us live the Weight Watchers plan and I think it's important to see how my clean eating will compare to my days filled with a lot of processed foods.....

Have a great day!

Cleaning Up My Act starting today!

Hi there....

Never blogged before.....so essentially just testing how this works....this blog is more for me than anyone else.....I want to journal a challenge I've made with myself and a few friends...30 days of nothing but CLEAN eating! As a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, I have learned that the cleaner we eat, the better! Eating the proper foods is essential to losing weight and keeping it off and of course being healthy. I literally owe my life to Weight Watchers.....

In the past couple years, with menopause, thyroid issues and unsightly belly fat...I have been looking to jump start my metabolism again....I've developed some stomach issues and GI issues that have me being a slave to my mornings (if you get my drift) I'm sure it's either Gluten or dairy.....and the Dr said the only way to find out is to give them up for an extended period of time and then re-introduce them....yikes...I already know that being healthy doesn't come by way of a magic pill, powder or potion. Unless of course,  I want to have them jockey with Thyroid meds for the next several months. Or I was told to figure it out dietary.

So I started to examine HOW I eat and WHAT I eat....since we all know, not all calories are created equal. In addition, I started to really LOOK at and READ what was in the food I ate....did you ever wonder how so many foods we eat, stay fresh for so long? Well, it's not rocket science Mildred! Preservatives, additives, and things I can't even pronnounce! Kind of started freaking me out. No wonder I have tummy turbulence! 


I was eating a lot of "go to" processed foods.....LOVE cheese and eat as much as I can while sticking to my daily PP target....and carbs....well, I don't do too bad with them but too many processed carbs.... SO, I had been hearing about "eating clean" and decided, what the heck....do it for 30 days! So my pledge is....

For 30 days, I will eat nothing that is in a box, can or jar (unless it's totally organic and has NO inert ingredients) I will eat no dairy or grains and give up wine as well (and the world gasped!) That's right! I'm "Cleaning up my act!" 30 days....veggies, fruits, lean protein and good fats.....that's it!

In addition to "cleaning up my act" I joined CrossFit too. It has been awesome....it's kicking my butt but LOVE the program and the group support! I am the "fluffiest" girl at the gym, but they now know what my determination level is. Look out, I'm going from fluffy to FIRM!

This blog will help me stay accountable, be true. It will help me track my thoughts, tips and challenges as well as successes.... So stay tuned......it's going to be a great ride!