Sunday, January 9, 2011

So, I lied...

I started more than one thing this past week.

1. My vitamins got here by Wednesday and I couldn't resist starting them immediately. No sudden boost of energy. But I doubt that to be expected if my own vitamin stores are low.

2. I also started the chamomile tea and Valerian capsule bedtime combo. I forgot the tea 3 days and skipped the Valerian 2. I'm not sure my Valerian is helping. I think it's properties became damaged and lost potency when we moved this past summer. So, I will replace this bottle on Friday.

3. I gave up alcohol for a month. Not that I'm a big drinker, but we do have a drink occasionally. Being how my youngest daughter, Doodle, decided to share her cold with the rest of us and I'm currently sick, this seemed as good a time as any. Then, once the month hiatus is up, I can enjoy that bottle of sparkling Pinot in my fridge for Valentine's Day.

4. I played with my juicer. I made juice 5 days out of 7.

I made:
papaya and pineapple
pineapple and mango
straight Gala apple
Gala and Granny Smith mixed
Pear
Tangerine

I like one or two blend apple juices. They taste REAL. And so much better than the bottled stuff at the store! That stuff is made with all the bruised and blemished apples from a region mixed together. So it's not even a consistent mix!

You cannot store fresh juice overnight. It tends to taste bitter the next day, especially when it comes to pineapple juice.

All citrus fruits need to be peeled first or a bitter compound is released from their skin. This is really, really time consuming. It's probably easier to slice the citrus and use a reamer than to peel and run it through the juicer.

Pear juice needs to be drank right away or it starts to become bitter too. So, don't clean your machine first and drink it afterwards. Drink first and clean later!

Apple and pear pulp won't go to waste if you toss it in your soaking beet pulp for your horses. The horses enjoy it!


Things still on the agenda:

1. Give up sugar. Not yet, please! I've cut back though.
2. Exercise.
3. Give up caffeine.
4. Change carb/fat/protein ratios.
5. I'm sure there are more, but I'm not going to go get the book out and look them up right now.

Ok, this next week, I pick #2! My elbow is doing better. I do have tendon damage that will take forever to heal. But, there is no reason I can't start working on regaining some strength back in my hand and arm. So, I plan to start with yoga daily and work more at drinking my chamomile tea. Yoga, tea. Yoga, tea.

I'll check back in with you next week about how I'm faring.

How about you? Did you make any changes this last week? How did you do at sticking to them?

10 comments:

cdncowgirl said...

When you do yoga do you go to a class or at home? If at home do you use a DVD?

Anonymous said...

I use a dvd. And originally, I used a VHS tape with Dixie Carter, that was prescribed as part of my physical therapy after my car accident when I was 19 (although phys therapy wasn't tried until I was 21). Wish I still had it!

I'm in search of a new tape, but I've used Quick Fix Power Yoga Workout off and on for years. There are 3 different 10 minute workouts on it. Additionally, Wii Fit Plus lets you customize your yoga routine, which I will utilize for a bit. AND, if I get decidedly un-lazy, I could DVR yoga routines off of Dish Network, as they have a program on one channel or another every day.

But, I AM looking at purchasing a few new dvds. Mostly, I'm looking at the Yoga to the Rescue collection found here:

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Rescue-Collection-Desiree-Rumbaugh/dp/B00331RHN6/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1RMSP5YJZHIMI&colid=J6LVP2D0QKBH

I'd take a class if I found one close to me that hadn't started already. Maybe this spring?

Sherry Sikstrom said...

I am just slogging along doing the same old these days but I am interested to see how you do. Ambititious girl giving up caffiene!!! I swear you would have to pry my coffee out of my cold dead fingers! LOL

AKPonyGirl said...

Why give up caffeine? Isn't it in your tea? I drink real coffee until noon and decaf after. I love coffee. Don't drink soda though. That's part of the 80/20 sugar thing.

Laura said...

Good for you for being a bit flexible with your goals/changes - getting started on the vitamins when they arrived is a good thing, I'm sure.

Hopefully the other changes all fall into place as you go along.

The only change I'm working on right now is bringing my breakfast and lunch to work instead of eating out/buying something. I was 4/4 last week and 1/1 so far this week...lol. We are leaving on Friday for a trip, so I will start some bigger changes when I get back...

Unknown said...

Ok I filled you in on the glass and citrus thing to help your juice last longer. Store in glass like a Mason jar, and add in some lemon or lime juice to help it last.

Here is a second tip - don't know if you are already doing this or not. Take all your pulp from the bin and inside of the juicer and run it through again. You will get enough juice out of the first run pulp that it will be worth it.

AND now you have to try some Green Juice.

2 large Cucumbers (peeled if not organic)
Big fist-full of Kale or Spinach
Big fist-full of Romaine
3 stalks of Celery
1 Pear or Green Apple
1-2 big Broccoli stems
1/2 inch of Ginger
Experiment to taste! Other greens: any lettuce, parsley, and dandelion.
Makes about 32 oz. Best fresh but still drinkable saved in Mason jars up to 24 hours.

Mrs. Mom said...

What did I do this week? Chased my tail in circles and battled with NOT kicking the behineys of idiots in the grocery store today.

We shall see how things progress. I need to walk more.

Unknown said...

AKPonyGirl - Coffee is very acidic, if you are ph conscious you have be very very Alkaline all day to make up for that morning coffee.

This is a trade I currently make, but I am not that great at staying alkaline all day so am thinking about giving up the daily habit - not coffee all together - but just drinking it very single morning. This is why a lot of people give up coffee.

Anonymous said...

Giving up coffee is hard for me because I simply love the taste and the pleasure sensation of slowly sipping that first cup in the morning. It is tied to so many experiences and memories for me. When I worked nights at Carlile, I would sit on my porch, soaking up the mid-morning sun and drank my coffee. It was peace and tranquility, almost a religious experience.

If and when I do give it up, it may not be a permanent thing. I'll probably still have it occasionally, or only give it up for a while. I think not being dependent on it as I am now would be a wonderful thing! It took many years to form the dependency though. I want to enjoy coffee for the experience, not because I'm dependent.

Laura- Good for you for bringing your breakfast and lunch to work! When I worked, I would often keep soup and oatmeal in my desk along with a bowl and a spoon for just in case I forgot to pack something.

Steph- I will try your green juice probably this weekend. I've got to be careful when I prepare it as my husband is highly allergic to both pears and cucumbers. Right now my vitamins remind me of blended kale. They're not attractive looking in the slightest. I'd like to have some normal sense of taste or smell back when I do try it so I'm not totally put off by it. For example, last night I used honey-vanilla bubble bath that I love. I once I ran the tub, I swear it smelled like cat pee to me. And no, none of the cats had access to my bathroom and didn't leave any messes to make my bath smell like that.

MM- Not kicking behinds is important. You could have always shoveled ice with me today! Or slid around on the ice with me in my attempts to feed horses! My elbow is killing me now! I over-did it, but there wasn't anybody else to do it with BP's twisted ankle and Dude too little to carry water a football field's length.

CDN- I've actually decided to go with a Viniyoga dvd first instead after reading the reviews. I'll be getting the once that helps alleviate lower back, hip and sacrum pain first as those are my biggest trouble areas.

Unknown said...

Yuck - cat pee! Sorry chickee! I hate that about colds.