No Cheating with Egg Allergies

I'm learning an important lesson today.

There is no cheating with allergies.

Allergies are not a diet.

They have no room for cheat days, just one bite, or "let me lick those crumbs off your plate, honey".

Telling myself that I'm willing to pay the price does more damage than just discomfort.

And I'm telling you, World of Blog Readers, don't let me forget that I'm saying this, the discomfort is not worth that fudgy chewy chocolate chip brownie I decided to eat last night.

It's not.

I hurt withing 20 minutes of eating it.

I continued to hurt the rest of the evening.

My poor belly went from flat to five months pregnant within an hour.

There were sleep cramps.

Two A.M. bathroom visits.

And three more bathroom visits today at work. It's 10 a.m.

Additionally, I feel run down. Low energy. Hungry despite complete meals. And my eyelids are puffy. My throat is draining, and my tummy continues to talk.

Allergies are not a diet. There is no cheating.

And this has been a wake up call to me and my intestines that I simply cannot eat chicken eggs.

Source: Eat,Live,Run--but the recipe is delicious!

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BABY GOT BUTT, BACK, and BELLY Part II

I may or may not be overdue for the last installment of beginner abs, or my friend, Grace, likes to call it, Baby Got Back, Butt, and Belly! If you missed out on week's one and two, you can find them here. 

By now you should be noticing some strengthening happening in your core. You *hopefully* even had a few sore days. Those are good! They mean you're building muscle. Think of little tears happening inside the muscle tissue as you do the ab exercises. Those often happen on the last few reps of each exercise. (BTW, the last few reps of the exercise should be tough, and you might even think, "I don't know if I can do much more of this!". That's exactly what you want to feel, and you definitely want to push until failure.) Those little tears are places where healing then happens after the exercise is completed, and on into the next 48 hours. Those tears are healing in between the fibers, increasing muscle tissue, becoming stronger, and preparing the muscle for future workouts.

Okay, enough of the technical stuff. Here's your workouts! But as always and especially after having a baby, make sure to seek advice and clearance from your doctor before starting a fitness regime.

WEEK THREE

1) Bicycle Crunches-- Watch video--don't use a weight. Ignore her number suggestion. Aim for 20 reps (10 on each side) To make it slightly easier on your lower back, don't extend your leg all the way.

2) Toe Tap Crunches--watch video--try her alternate first, just moving the feet. If stress on your lower back, place both hands underneath the small of your back. If still too much stress, tap only one leg at a time, alternating between legs. Aim for 10-15 reps.

3) Standing Side Ab Crunch--watch video I can't do the number she recommends! She's crazy! Try 15-20 reps. 

4) Leg Lifts -- Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hands on your hips or out to your sides for balance (use a chair for balance if needed). Lift one straight leg up to waist level (or as high as you can), keeping the leg as straight as possible and your toe flexted. Contract your ab muscles as you lift. Do not SWING. Lift. Go very slow. Do 10-15 reps on this leg before switching to the other leg.


WEEK FOUR
Repeat week three and add these exercises.

5) Stationary Lunge--(web article)--keep knee directly over the ankle--do not let it drift forward. Do 10 reps on each side.

6) Alternating Leg/Arm Raises (Supermans!)-- (web article) -- hold each rep for a count of 5, switch sides, 10 reps total each side.

And as you probably know, to loose fat, its about calories. Burn more than you take in. I recommend counting calories and getting some sort of cardiovascular exercise each day. As a mom, I know that's gotta be tough. Finding time is tough. But I know there are lots of creative ways to get your baby or children involved in activity. Since I'm not an expert in this area, and your doctor is, I suggest seeking help there first.  And let me know how you're doing, whats tough, what's easy, and overall how sore you are. I'd love to hear from you!

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Six Easy Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

I'm a girl of variety. Especially in my food choices.

I'm not the kind of person who can have the same bowl of oatmeal every morning. I need new flavors, new colors, new experiences.

I'm constantly looking for a fresh take on an old favorite, a new twist to a regular dish, and it can be difficult to do when you're on a budget.

But one of the easiest ways I've found to spice things up is with healthy sauces and dressings. And since I posted some new salad ideas for you the other day, I thought you might enjoy some delicious whole food salad dressings that you can whip up in 5 minutes or less to pair with your newly made-over salad.

Seriously, some of these dressings are so easy! I literally put all the ingredients in a mini gladware container, shake it up, and enjoy. It doesn't get easier.

So here we go.

My all time favorite salad dressing is this first one. I like it for its balance of sweetness and tang. It pairs perfectly with spinach and fruit salads and soft cheese. Throw some candied pecans in there and you have a salad worthy to be on a menu at a fine dining restaurant.

Strawberry Balsamic
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Strawberry Jam (or favorite jam)
1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 
(I love this as my everyday salad dressing choice. It pairs perfectly with your favorite spinach and strawberry salad too)

This is another shake it up and go choice. It goes nicely with sweet veggies like peppers and snap peas as well as grilled chicken.

Citrus Balsamic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup

I love honey mustard anything, so its no surprise that I love this low fat variation. Again, put all the ingredients in a small container and shake.

Honey Mustard
Juice of Half a Lemon
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
(a fun twist is to add 1 tsp strawberry jam to this and it becomes a nice variation of the first dressing above)

Peanut ANYTHING, and I'm in. And you'll agree, that you want this dressing poured all over your life.

Peanut Ginger Dressing
Juice from one lemon
1 inch of grated ginger
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tsp sugar
(also delicious on stir fried veggies)

Sesame Ginger is super yummy on cabbage slaw, almonds, apples, and chicken!

Sesame Ginger
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp brown sugar or honey
(also incredible over grilled salmon or grilled veggies)

And I love this tahini based sauce with broccoli, kale, spinach, and other chewy greens. I also love this paired with avocado and carrots.

Orange Tahini Dressing
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
1 tsp agave, pure maple syrup, or honey
1.5 Tbsp tahini
2 tbsp orange juice (prefer fresh squeezed)
1 tsp zest of orange
salt to taste
(also perfect over cabbage for a refreshing coleslaw)
For another twist, replace tahini with creamy peanut butter.

Try them out! And then tell me what you think!

XOXO!

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How to Build a Better Salad

Let's face it. I eat a lot of salad. Like, a truck load of salad. Every week. And on nice days like today (sunny and 73 degrees) I eat even more salad.

 I'm a salad master.

So I thought I'd share with you some fun ways to liven up the party in your salad bowl. 

For me, salad is an easy throw together lunch for work. I start with a green's base, often spinach (because I'm the only one eating that Costco tub of spinach) and then a nice spread of veggies, fruits , leftover chicken, fish or beef, beans, cheeses, starch or grain, and nuts go on top.



Sometimes I get fancy and try to target fruits/veggies from a specific genre of food, say Asian or Italian. An Asian salad might have bean sprouts, snap peas, shredded carrot, shredded beet, oranges, edamame and red pepper and then topped with chicken or leftover steak.



An Italian inspired salad might again have romaine and arugula, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, egg, marinated olives, mushrooms or artichoke hearts, chopped salami, mozzarella balls or grated Parmesan, and even leftover tortellini or bow tie pasta.

 Or my favorite one following Taco Tuesday is the famous leftover taco salad, seen below. Bed of greens, chopped tomatoes, avocado, green onion, cilantro, corn (optional), black beans, grated cheddar, hot sauce and salsa, tortilla chips and leftover taco meat. Sometimes I'll add a small dollop of sour cream or even thousand island dressing. I'm not a fan of thousand island dressing on its own, but mixed with salsa and the flavors from the leftover meat, it works! It works WELL. Trust me.

But mostly I throw whatever yummy leftovers I can find right on top of spinach.

Do you need some salad inspiration? I thought I might give you some of my favorite toppings broken down into categories that are easy to decipher.

GREENS
It's easy to just go for your standard spring mix in a bag, but next time grab a second green to add to your standard. Try Spinach, Arugula, Kale, Butter Lettuce, Romaine, Green Leafy, Red Leafy, Watercress, or Endive.

VEGGIE
The possibilities are endless. You might be sick of the standard carrots, celery, cucumber, tomato blend. Spice things up by throwing in some artichoke, red or orange pepper, snap peas, leftover steamed broccoli or string beans, leftover peas or corn, leftover brussel sprouts, mushrooms, sauted onions, green onions, chives, grilled eggplant, roasted squash or sweet potatoes. Go crazy here as most veggies are water based and not calorically dense but are packed with nutrients. If you need a measurement, 1 cup total of veggies will help keep you full and satisfied.


FRUIT
Don't let fruit intimidate you. Start out with 1/4 of a cup of apples, then graduate to pears, or mandrin slices. Try some strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries. Even pitted cherries are a pleasant addition.  Go exotic with an Asian pear or starfruit. Try green mango or ripe mango! Or if fruit is not in season, go dried. We love dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried apples, and dried banana chips. With fresh fruit stick to 1/4-1/3 cup of fruit for a balanced salad and if you're choosing dried fruit, a tablespoon will be plenty.


ANIMAL PROTEIN
I'm a lover of grilled or baked chicken. I always throw a few extra chicken breasts in the marinade knowing leftovers will become delicious salad toppers. But when chicken grows dull, try leftover steak, ground beef with taco seasoning, canned chicken, or canned tuna. Give fish a whirl and use leftover baked or grilled salmon, halibut, cod, or your kid's fish sticks. I'll even go so far as adding deli meat to make a chef's salad, but I aim for the low sodium varieties of ham, turkey, and chicken. And every once in a while when I'm in a pinch I'll cut up a few ounces of turkey kilbasa, or Adele's chicken sausage, put it in a baggie, heat it up at work, and then add it to the salad. When adding animal meat to a salad, keep it lean and you're looking at 120-180 calories in four ounces and a hefty deposit of protein for your day. (Four ounces is about the size of a deck of cards!)

Remember, protein keeps you fuller longer.

BEANS/VEGETARIAN PROTEIN
For vegetarian salads or when you don't have cooked chicken or canned tuna, add a 1/4 cup of beans such as black beans, garbanzo beans,  kidney beans, navy beans, or black eyed peas.  For most legumes there are about 55 calories in a 1/4 cup and almost 4 grams of protein. Some people love to add tofu (I avoid all soy products, but if you eat them, tofu is a good source of protein!). Even adding a sliced hard boiled egg will beef up the protein count in your meal and keep you full for hours.

CHEESE
I love cheese. It makes me happy. And I love adding half an ounce of the creamy stuff to as many salads as I can. I tend to go for goat cheese, low fat cheddar, blue cheese, feta, or pepperjack, but the types of cheese out there are endless, really, and in my opinion, you can't go wrong with adding a bit of kick using cheese. Remember a little bit goes a long way in the flavor department, and cheese is high in fat and calories.

STARCH/GRAIN
To make your salad feel more substantial and to keep hunger at bay for more than two hours, add a bit of starch.  Maybe a piece of whole grain toast on the side? Leftover roasted potatoes, roasted squash, or roasted sweet potatoes. Add wild rice or quinoa to the mix. Maybe a 1/4 cup of leftover pasta? Beans also have starch in them and are a good addition.

NUTS/SEEDS
I also love all things nuts. And sliced almonds are my go-to salad topper. But when that gets dull, candied pecans are fun, or simply sprinkling walnuts, peanuts, cashews, or whole roasted almonds on top can create a party in your bowl.  Also try sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Each adds a lovely crunch and distinct flavor. But try to keep your nut and seed add-ins to about 1/2 an ounce as nuts are calorically dense.

So there you have my eight favorite salad categories. If you chose one serving from each category, you're looking at a salad that comes to 300-400 cal. You can easily choose cheese OR nuts rather than both and leave out the starch for a low carb salad, so that your meal is more around the 200-250 calorie range.

As you can see, the combinations are endless, and salad should never have to be boring.  I encourage you to give your salad a makeover today and let me know what you changed up and what you thought of it!

Stay tuned soon for my six favorite low fat homemade salad dressings that can be whipped up in 5 minutes or less.

XOXO!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie for Three...or ONE!

Do you ever just have an uncontrollable craving for something sweet and chocolatey? 

But you don't want to make a giant dessert that will then beg you to finish the whole thing so that you won't, heaven forbid, waste food.

That would be sinful.

Perhaps you're like me and every now and then you absolutely have to have a GOOD chocolate chip cookie or the world. will. end. (That light.no.butter.low.fat.fakesugar will not due.)

Yesterday was one of those days for me. Why does that happen?!


Well, I solved that problem in a respectable manner.

I introduce to you a recipe for THREE mouthwatering perfectly sweet cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE FOR THREE... or ONE!
2 tablespoons butter--very soft, practically melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whisked egg
scant 1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons all purpose flour, one T heaping
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips (or more if you like them really chocolatey!)

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees. Start by creaming your butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and whisk together until creamy. Add baking soda, then salt, and then flour, one tablespoon at a time.  Fold in chocolate chips and spoon onto your baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until your desired gooey done-ness.

Enjoy your cookie fix!

XOXO!

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Crustless Ham & Spinach Quiche

Happy Weekend!

My Saturday started out with the urge to create something different. Lately Mark has been working late on Fridays, which has led to him sleeping in.  I happen to live a similar lifestyle to a 70 year old woman because I go to bed ridiculously early and spend my spare time cooking and baking for other people. I absolutely love it. 

So today I was up with the sunrise and while steeping my coffee in the french press, I was inspired to make a quiche that would become breakfast for a whole week. But I didn't want it to be calorie dense like a traditional quiche, so I lightened it up quite a bit with greek yogurt and light cheeses. It turned out quite well!

I whipped all the ingredients together, and had the quiche in the oven within 10 minutes. Something rare and beautiful was occurring--the sun was out at 7 a.m. and I could see the dew sparkling on my tulips outside, so I put my coat on and sat outside with my coffee while my quiche baked.

 I photographed my masterpiece. 

 I was focused.

 Hungry.

And then this little head popped into my viewfinder!

 What a little oinker! Always looking for food.

Recipe Below

This was exactly what I needed to fuel a busy morning. With 131 calories per slice and a whoppin' 11 grams of protein and only 3 carbs, this makes the perfect low carb diet breakfast. I may have consumed two slices.

After eating, I headed out to our brand new Trader Joe's giddy as a little girl going to Disneyland to meet the princesses. I found a parking spot right away and couldn't help but snap a quick picture.

Forty dollars later, I felt satisfied and ready to move on to my next destination, which was Safeway to pick up some prescriptions and then back home for workout.

I decided to head out for a run along the beach and neighborhoods since it was such a beautiful day. I think I ran the entire run with a giant grin on my face and actually scared the other runners I passed. I just love sunshine and warm weather. And in Seattle, you have to enjoy it while you can, because it of its fleeting tendencies.

 Can you blame me? I just love cherry blossoms too. Pink snow covering my path.

I also ran past my favorite house. It's on the beach and has a giant yard. I was standing on the sidewalk and the ocean was to my back when I snapped this photo.

 I love this house because it looks like an old mansion and I've have a dream of one day owning a bed and breakfast where I can bake fresh bread and serve veggies from my garden and fresh eggs from my chickens. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Can't you see that happening right here?
Does anyone have a million dollars to give me?
No?
Oh...

Well, I guess that quiche recipe will have to do for now! Enjoy!

CRUSTLESS HAM & SPINACH QUICHE

1/3 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond)
3 duck eggs (4 chicken eggs)
1 oz low fat swiss, shredded
1 oz low fat cheddar, shredded
3 cups sauteed spinach
1/2 cup sauteed onion
1-2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup diced ham
3 mushrooms
pepper & salt
mozzarella for topping (optional) 

1) In a pan, spray olive oil or nonstick cooking spray and saute onion until translucent. Add spinach and stir until wilted. 

2) In a small mixing bowl, beat greek yogurt, milk, and egg until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients, except for mozzarella. Transfer to a 10-in. quiche pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 

XOXO!

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Baby Got BACK, BUTT, and BELLY!

Recently I was asked by my high school friend and fellow blogger, Grace, for some direction on how to strengthen her abs. She is a mom of FOUR beautiful children (seen above), two of which are under the age of two, and the most recent darling is only a few months old. Check out those little gold shoes! For her last two pregnancies, she was bedridden for much of each pregnancy, and within four months of giving birth to her son she was pregnant again! Check out her blog for her journey through both pregnancies as well as adoption, parenting, breastfeeding, politics, and other good reads.

Now with a full house and all the chores and duties that come along with her big family (I'm thinking laundry, dishes, cooking, snotty noses, spit rags, homework, tears, and more laundry!) she is ready to tone and strengthen her weakened abs to make carrying her babies easier on her achy back muscles.

She wanted something that was achievable and progressive for her fitness level, like Couch to 5K but for abs, so I got right to work researching and testing out some gentle exercises that would be self explanatory to follow, quick on time, and gradually intensified. Because lets be honest, a momma with 4 kids does not have an hour a half hour to dedicate to her abs. She just doesn't!

I'm really proud of Grace because she realizes that you have to start where you are at your level of fitness or you'll never start at all. Achieving your fitness goals does not happen overnight, and sometimes the biggest hurdle is getting started in the first place. The other hurdle, in my opinion, is setting reasonable achievable goals to accomplish in the first place, and that's where I've stepped in to guide Grace.

Posted below is Grace's workout for week one and two of our four week plan. She has been cleared by her doctor to start exercising and strengthening her muscles, so here we go!

We call it BABY GOT BACK, BUTT, AND BELLY!

Refer to this article for descriptions of a few of the exercises.

WEEK ONE
Aim to do this sequence twice this week. Wait at least 48 hours before repeating. If you feel really good and you're not too sore, try a third time. It should take you 5-7 minutes.

1) The Bridge--hold for a count of 5. Rest for a count of 5. Repeat 5-10 times.

2) The Plank-- hold for 10 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times. (Use modification on your knees if necessary but try to start on your toes, and move to your knees as needed.)

3) Side Plank from Knees--hold for 10 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times. (This one is harder, as you progress, try going to your feet for one or two reps.)

4) Straight Leg Lifts-- do 5-10 reps on each side. Do one leg at a time. If too much stress on your back, bend the leg that is being lifted. If your back is still stressed, place both hands under the small of your back, or a rolled up towel under the small of your back.


WEEK TWO
Repeat week one and add these exercises.

5) Birddog (Opposite Arm and Leg Extension)-- do as directed on website. Try to do 5-10 repetitions, alternating sides as you go.

6) Basic Squats-- Feet shoulder-width apart toes pointed forward, lower down as if you are going to sit in a chair, keeping your knees directly over the ankle and not extended forward. Go slow. Do not rush. Do 10-15 reps. If your back hurts, widen your stance, and point your toes to just slightly wider than shoulder width apart at a "10 and 2 o'clock" stance. If your back still hurts, do squats with a chair or solid object in front of you and don't lower as far to the ground. 

Grace plans to update you and me with how she's progressing in the workouts. I know curses may have been directed at me the day following her first round of week one! But I'm eager to hear how the rest of the week has gone and if there is any lingering soreness. Stay tuned to the comments to see how she's feeling and the changes she's noticing!

Thanks, Grace, for this opportunity to lend advice and a workout plan to help you feel stronger and be stronger for your family. I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback, honesty and all!

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Sauteed Kale with Tahini Sauce

This one is for all you health nut readers like me. Or maybe if you're not a health nut but you know you need some more leafy greens in your diet, this recipe might just accomplish that.

On my monthly trip to Costco yesterday I discovered a new item that I immediately snatched up. Earthbound Farm Mixed Baby Kale. YOWZA! I think I did a little dancedy-dance right there in the Costco refrigerator.

After packing all my groceries away, I couldn't resist the temptation to set out ingredients to make a quick stir-fry lunch for myself.

I followed this recipe loosely. I learned earlier this week that the original recipe calls for way too much sauce, or maybe I just don't really know what a pound of kale really looks like. Either way, it's only me eating kale in this house and I like this dish best sauteed fresh, not reheated from leftovers. So I had leftover sauce to use up.

I started out sauteeing about a half cup of onion with 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil. I like the sweetness of onion so I left my chunks rather big, but feel free to chop them finer. After about 5 minutes of tenderizing to translucency, I added 1 clove of fresh minced garlic, an extra chopped crimini mushroom I needed to use up, and then immediately piled a giant handful of kale on top.

This photo is one handful of kale (about one packed cup), but as it cooked down, I added a second even bigger handful because, well, I like my greens. All in all I probably used 2.5-3 packed cups of baby kale.

Once everything wilted down I salted and stirred it for another 3 minutes to allow the leaves to fully tenderize and then removed it from the heat.  I tossed it with two tablespoons of the tahini sauce (see below for quick recipe) and devoured!

 Oh where to start! This was such a bright and delightful change to my normal stir-fried greens. The tang of the lemon burst in every bite and the sesame flavors mingled on my taste buds in a little dance of happiness.

If you're a fan of hummus, or sesame, or anything Asian-esque, oh and greens, you'll love this quick meal. I bet the variations are endless too. I could see tossing in some garbanzo beans for added protein, or leftover grilled chicken for a main meal, or even roasted cherry tomatoes for added sweetness!

SAUTEED KALE WITH TAHINI SAUCE
1 big serving, or 2 side dish servings

• 1/2 to 1 T. olive oil, to prevent burning and sticking
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 crimini mushrooms (optional)
• 3 cups rinsed and chopped kale (or baby kale)
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp roasted tahini (usually found in the peanut butter section at the grocery)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 or 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1) Whisk together the sauce first--tahini, lemon juice, water, and sesame oil. Add a pinch of salt to taste.  Set aside.
2) Heat 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan and add onion, sauteeing until onions are translucent. Add garlic and half of the kale and fold together for 1-2 minutes to prevent burning of the garlic.
 3) Add a pinch of salt and the rest of the kale, folding over allowing kale to wilt and tenderize. Saute for 3-5 minutes until fully wilted, green, and bright.
4) Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons or more of tahini sauce, mixing thoroughly. Serve hot.

XOXO!

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Thyroid, Vitamin D, and Glucose--Alternative Medicine Update--Part 2

I'm headed back to the alternative medicine doctor next week to have more blood work done. We will be re-checking my thyroid levels and also one other test that has a name, but I don't remember what it is.  I figured today might be a good day to finally catch up on what I should have blogged about 6 weeks ago, but somehow never got around to doing it.

Alternative Medicine Update--2

So when I had the food allergy test done (FoodStats Antibody Assessment Test and Elimination Diet), I also had blood taken for a standard full panel thyroid test as well as another vial of blood taken for what I'll refer to as general health stats. This is the test that I'm sure has a name but I don't know what it's called.

My thyroid test results came back slightly high, and my doctor explained that all kinds of things affect the thyroid and just the fact that my stress level went from an eight to a two on the 1-10 scale is enough to affect my thyroid dramatically. So we decreased my medication and will retest--coming up next week. I also learned that the Hashimoto's Disease I was diagnosed with back in 1997 is not showing up on any of the blood work, and that is a good thing. It doesn't mean I couldn't be positive in the future if for some strange reason I went off my medicine, but for now, with my dosage and overall healthy living lifestyle, I am not showing any signs of Hashimoto's. That's a reason to celebrate. HURRAY!

The other general health stats test checked all kinds of things. I couldn't tell you everything I was tested for because the words are doctor words which are foreign to me, but I do have the interpretation notes and action plan that we wrote together. So I can tell you what tested poorly for me and I can assume all other things are working fine in my body.

Glucose was high. Barely high. But I guess this one scares me the most. Normal range is 65-99 (not sure the measurement--sorry any medical field readers. This must be a painful to read for you.) I tested 100. This is not the first time I've had test results for glucose that has been slightly elevated. The last time I thought the test results were a fluke and I was a victim of a bad doctor who didn't tell me to fast for 12 hours before taking the blood test. But no. This time I did everything right according to the directions given to me and my glucose is still barely high. We talked about a lot of things including how I exercise regularly, eat extremely well, sleep 8 hours a night, and take good care of myself so this high number could be one of two things*. It could be related to some of the heightened immune system response due to my food allergies, or it could be that I really do have elevated glucose in my blood and because I take extremely good care of myself the numbers aren't higher. At any rate, we need to keep a close eye on my levels and how I feel, and re-evaluate.

Living in the Pacific Northwest lends to this next one being no surprise. I'm extremely deficient in Vitamin D. So much so that the vitamin was almost non-existent in my blood test--A mere 6 and normal is between 30 and 150 (sorry I don't know the measurements unit!!). YIKES! So I'm on 10,000 mg or something like that with the hope to bring me into the middle of that range, and again, we'll retest to see how that has changed and adjust my dose.

Doctor friends, I need help understanding this one. My cholesterol was 203 (normal is less that 200) but my HDL was 74. HDL is the good cholesterol, right? I got confused and my head was full at this point in the conversation with my doctor, so I didn't quite grasp all she was saying, but we weren't going to do anything about my cholesterol because the HDL was was was making my number higher and since that's the good one, all is good. Or something. Help? I know I have low blood pressure. Does that mean anything?

My B-12 was really low, so I'm back on a chewable organic supplement for that too. I've taken it before and sadly I just forgot to reorder my supply so taking it daily fell by the wayside.

Lastly, something about my protein was off too and she wanted me to up my protein intake. Since my appointment I've been logging my food consumption on myfitnesspal.com faithfully and overall I'm easily hitting the daily recommendation of at least 60-70 grams per day.

So that's the update on my medical stats. I'm learning that you can eat all the right things, exercise, remove stress, get eight hours of sleep, etc. etc. etc. and still the body doesn't work optimally. A result of a fallen world, to be sure. Having been a perfectionist all my life, that was quite a blow to hear at first, but I'm learning that I can do what I'm able to help my body be at its healthiest, and still this body is going to age and deteriorate over time. I can't escape it.  I appreciate knowing what is not working optimally in my body so that I can find ways to take better care of myself, but I don't have to obsess over the numbers. In my case, health is more about how I feel (and a little bit about the numbers). And you don't get that by obsessing over the numbers and stats.

I feel good today. My energy still slumps about 3-4 hours after I've eaten due to hunger and my ability to focus goes right out the window.  But my stomach aches are minimal and overall my energy is up, despite my hungry moments.

Any positive words of wisdom you might have, especially if you are a medical specialist are welcome, but please understand that I will have to take them as just that and nothing more. I'm faithful to my doctor and will gladly take anything I hear as worthy advice to her first before changing something about my wellness plan. You understand, right?

Thanks for reading!

XOXO!

*My mother was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but doesn't take insulin. She is overweight and does not exercise. No other family members have diabetes that I'm aware of.

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