Tag Archives: healthy eating

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Better Choices

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Day 22 of dancing toward Disney

Here’s today’s plan: I would like pancakes with lots of syrup and butter for breakfast.  But today I am having an egg-white omelet loaded with spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and a little low-fat mozzarella cheese, served with fruit and a piece of rye toast.  I won’t regret the flavor, and I will remain sugar-free today.  I can do that just for today.

Then I will shop for the healthy, low-fat, low-sodium, sugar-free ingredients to prepare our new recipes for the week.

I thought eating this way would be so bland, but Mike and I have found the opposite to be true.  We are thoroughly enjoying the natural flavors of foods.  And we find ourselves really looking forward to dinner-time and our chance to just sit and taste the new recipes.  Who knew?

Today’s particular Disney dream?  Sitting at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West with Mike and the kids, sipping  a cup of coffee and nibbling conch fritters.  I can just feel the stress leaving my body thinking about it.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: In only two more weeks, I will have made my original commitment of five weeks sugar-free.  Who’d a thunk?

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Rewards

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Day 21 of Disney dreaming

Three weeks sugar-free.  That is a major milestone for me.  I don’t remember ever being sugar-free for three weeks, not in my entire life.  It feels good.  My blood sugar has stabilized, which can only be a good thing.  Yippee!  I feel less volatile.

Saturday dinner has often been from Dominos or KFC or Taco Bell.  A fast food dinner to “reward” ourselves for a day off after a week of work.  Now I’m rethinking that idea.   What is rewarding to a healthy body?  A high fat, high salt, high cholesterol, high simple-carb dinner?  Or a dinner that is low fat, low salt, low cholesterol with complex carbs.  I choose the latter.  Today I choose the latter.

Here’s the plan: today I will research four new recipes to try this week.  The internet has been my best tool in eating healthy.  Then I’ll make up my grocery list for the week and be ready to shop tomorrow.

Dinner tonight?  Easy Salmon, a recipe I found last week.  I mix one quarter cup of low-sodium soy sauce with one teaspoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of ginger, one quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and an eighth of a teaspoon of pepper.  Then I place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish, pour the liquid mix over the fillets (two 6-ounce fillets) and bake at 325 degrees about 25 minutes.  We will feast tonight on salmon, boiled potatoes and fresh veggies with black bean hummus.  Delicious!

Thank you for reading, dear friends.  Meet you at the Kingdom!  (I’m on my way, Mickey!!)

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Half Is Enough

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Day 20 in my quest to waltz in Walt’s World

My initial thought for today was to take a walk at Crab Tree Farm., push as far as I possibly could, then walk back home.  Well, it’s a 90 degree heat index and it’s humid, so…no.

I had a lovely morning having a mani/pedi with my bestie.  Then we had a healthy, organic meal out, and we both took half home for tomorrow.  (Wild Berry rules!)

So that was the plan for today: I only ate half of my scrumptious omelet.  I boxed up the rest for another day.

And I will prepare a healthy low-sugar meal for dinner tonight.  Maybe Peanut Chicken.  Maybe Chicken Stir-fry.

Thank you for reading, dear Donna supporters!

BTW: The baked meatballs were amazing!  I highly recommend “Hole in the Wall” pasta sauce.  It has no added sugar.  When I actually looked at the recipe, I decided to go with whole wheat capellini instead of the potatoes.  So delicious!

 

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Trying a New Recipe

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Day 19 of Disney dreaming

Today it’s all about the recipe.  For dinner tonight Mike and I will have baked meatballs.  I have never baked a meatball in my life.  I’ve always fried them.  But I found a new recipe, and I thought to myself, “Self, try it; you might like it.”  🙂  So that’s my plan for the day: baked meatballs with steamed asparagus, boiled potatoes and fresh veggies with hummus.

Note to self: for October 2015 Disney trip instead of a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar one day (Mike’s absolute favorite thing to do at Disney), I am going to try a Dole Whip.  Have you ever tried one?  I hear they are amazing.  And maybe a few less calories than the ice cream bar?  What do you think?  I’ll try to research that.

Anyway, here’s to nibbling healthy!  Meet you at the Kingdom.

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Nothing new or fancy

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Day 18 on my way to rendezvous with Mickey.  🙂

Well, folks, the title says it all.  Here’s the plan: nothing new or fancy today.  I will eat healthy today.  I will avoid sugar today.  I will move more at work today.

You know, moving this much weight through space is no small task.  (Please, excuse the pun.)  My former work partner once told me, “They say you should do some sort of weight bearing exercise each day.  Well, moving this body through space is weight bearing exercise.”  I laughed out loud.  But it makes you think.  I know I have to move more to get the energy to move more to get the energy to move more.  Wait…what?  It’s an odd thing really.  When we move more, we draw oxygen deeper into our bodies/systems, and it gives us more energy, more oomph.  I WANT more oomph.

I want enough oomph to stroll the trails at Old Key West, to walk at Disney’s Animal Kingdom without being immediately exhausted, to walk all the way from the bus, to and through, Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.  Maybe even straight to It’s a Small World.  Do not pass go; do not collect $200.  I love this big Disney dreaming.  I’m willing to work as hard as I have to, to make these dreams/visions come true.

Thank you, Mouse-fans, Disneyphiles and Donna supporters, for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Luck o’ the Irish

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Day 17 on my way to Disney World.

I LOVE Irish and English pub grub.  Bangers and Mash, Cottage Pie, Full Irish/English breakfast.  We’ve just found out that our favorite local Irish pub is closing.  😦  Bridie McKenna, you will be missed!  So tonight we will go there to dine one last time.  But tonight will be different.

Here’s today’s plan: When we go out to eat tonight, I  will order either the slow-roasted Atlantic salmon, OR the grilled chicken OR a salad.  I will stay away from the more fried or deep fried choices on the menu.  I can do that.  Maybe not everyday, but today, I can do that.

My arms are a bit tired today, but I worked them hard yesterday.  Tai Chi and Shake Weight.  It was worth the effort though.  And I’m two and half weeks sugar-free.  Yippee!!

Thank you for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom.  (Can’t wait to see you, Mickey!)

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Queen for a Day

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Day 16 on my trek to Mickey.

I want to thank you, kind readers, for the outpouring of love yesterday.  I didn’t mean for yesterday’s post to be a “woe is me” entry.  I see it as a positive to be able to look into myself and work through the issues that have added to my present condition.  I can then work through those issues, and come out on the other side healthier both in body and mind.

Here’s today plan: I will do 20+ minutes of Tai Chi today, plus 6 minutes of Shake Weight.  I’m going to work my arms today.  The Tai Chi will warm up my still sore muscles (from the Grunt Work-see 3 blogs ago) and the Shake Weight will give my arms a good workout.  (Tee hee.  The motion of the Shake Weight still makes me giggle.)

AND I am getting all fired up by watching The Travel Channel’s shows on Disney World today.  Oh, yeah…I am so going to ride the “Seven Dwarves Mine Train!”   And I want to dine at the Be Our Guest Restaurant.

I am still sugar-free, and I was given a crown as sugar-free queen last night.  It feels great!  Thank you Jake and Eliza for that special treat.  I’m going to wear my crown as I work out today.  🙂

Love and blessings to you, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom.

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Making Plans for Nutritious Meals

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Day 14 of getting ready for Mickey

Wow!  Two weeks in already.  Last night Mike and I brought all the equipment back into the church and set it up.  Holy wah!  What a huge task!  Platforms and cords first, then chairs, then all the gear.  It took us two and a half hours.  I prayed for strength before we went, and, thank you, Jesus, I was able to do quite bit.  It was empowering.  For a change, I did not hide from the physical work.  I dove right in and survived!  Halle-J-Lujah!

When I meet Mickey at the Magic Kingdom, I want to feel my best.  Nourished and healthy.  So here’s today’s plan:

  1. I will research 3 new healthy recipes online.  (skinnytase.com and ifoodreal.com here I come)  🙂  
  2. I will plan my menu for the week.
  3. I will make up a shopping list for needed ingredients.

I am also visualizing:

  1. I’m climbing into a boat on “It’s a Small World.” Then I’m singing along to that wonderful song ’til the end of the ride.  🙂
  2. I’m flying over London on “Peter Pan’s Fight.”
  3. I’m careening down a mountain on “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.”
  4. I’m in the final free fall on “Splash Mountain.”
  5. Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho, a pirate’s life for me…  “Pirates of the Caribbean” is next.

There’s a huge grin on my face right now.  🙂

Thanks for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom.

 

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Taking the Onus

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Day 12 marching to Lake Buena Vista.

I want to thank all my supporters for your prayers and kind thoughts yesterday.  There were several salads on the menu at the Mexican restaurant, and the salmon salad that I had was a real treat.  No chips and guac for me.  I felt a bit deprived until I started eating my salad, then no more.

My plan for today is to step up and take the responsibility for my own state of being.  I put the food in my mouth over the years.  I shunned exercise like it was Amish and had turned away from the faith.  🙂  I made the choices that got me here, and I can make the choices to a healthier me.  No more excuses.  I want to stare the truth of my condition in the eyes and then wrestle it to the ground and come out on top.  That’s a bit mixed up, but I hope you get my meaning.

So here’s to a new beginning at almost 59 years old.  I am very optimistic about this journey with you, my dear readers.  Thank you for following my blog.

Can wait to dance with the Mouse!  Meet you at the kingdom.

 

 

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Ole!

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Day 11 in my trek toward Disney World.  (Oh, Mickey, I’m so excited!!)

Well, I hit a wall this morning.  I woke up thinking, “I want a cupcake!”  I felt so tired.  But fear not; I got up, got dressed, ate a healthy breakfast and headed off to work.  I really felt much better after I’d eaten breakfast.  I didn’t want to immediately have a cup of coffee, because I need to feel what it’s like in my natural skin.  Yes, even caffeine-less.  And what I found this morning is that it’s pretty low, but it’s do-able.  I can function without sugar and without caffeine.  Now don’t get me wrong; at 10:30 a.m. I poured myself a cup of 50/50 (half decaf and half caffeine) and enjoyed it to the max!

This getting to know my body and getting to know the natural flavors of foods is pretty interesting.  What a fascinating journey so far.  God is good all the time!

We are meeting Jake and Eliza (our son and daughter-in-law) tonight for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  Yum!  So…here’s my plan for the day: I will make the healthiest selection that I can find tonight, and I will bypass the chips and guac for this one evening.  I can do it for this ONE evening.  I’m hoping to find a salad on the menu.  I know that’s really optimistic for a Mexican restaurant, but hope springs eternal. Please say a little prayer for me, dear readers, and I will say one for you.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I received my “Trim Healthy Mama” book yesterday, Jean.  Thank you so much!  It’s pretty heavy reading (both literally and figuratively).  But I look forward to all I have to learn there.