JOYfilledWELLNESS

Go BANANAS

April 12, 2012 by JOYfilledWELLNESS Filed Under: Dessert, Fruit 2 Comments

Today, I used a Christmas gift for the first time – Yonanas.

Your yonanas maker will turn those over-ripe bananas into a delicious and creamy treat that looks and tastes like soft serve ice cream.

I doubt that I would have purchased this contraption but I’m glad to have it in my arsenal. The yonanas maker creates a fabulous naturally sweet treat. It’s our new ice-cream. It’s nothing like what is produced by the blender or food processor.

The yonanas maker is sure to become permanent fixture on my counter top once the weather gets warmer. (There was a storm warning in my area of N. CA today with the possibility of a tornado.)

The kids are rallying to save their weekly does of bananas – 5 bunches.

Nana has already committed to gifting the kids her frozen bananas.

We have all gone BANANAS for yonanas!

Dad’s Cafe

April 11, 2012 by JOYfilledWELLNESS Filed Under: Beef, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes Leave a Comment

Dad’s been cooking it up. He even has a waitress, Sparkles, who waits and serves everyone. Today he pulled out the cook book, Everyday Paleo.

For lunch I had two BLT wraps. They were similar to the B.A.T. shown below, sans avocado and mayo.

Dad fixed Everyday Paleo Beanless Chili for dinner. YUMMY! I wish he made more for leftovers.

He even made up a healthy treat, Paleo Apple Muffins. It’s amazing how quickly our taste buds have changed. Butter on the warm sugar-free muffin, hit the spot.

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7 Day Challenge Wrap-up

April 9, 2012 by JOYfilledWELLNESS Filed Under: 7 Day Challenge, Lent Leave a Comment

Day 6 & Day 7: 7 Day Challenge

Both days were rather uneventful. I worked on getting enough calories by way of protein and veggies.

I enjoyed the challenge. It helped me to stay focused for the remainder of my Lenten program.

I plan to continue to the idea of a 7 day challenge as I move forward to restore my health.

This week will be my return to exercise. I must say, I’m a bit nervous. It’s been about a month since I did anything remotely close to exercise. As a result, my energy has increased along with my weight. I’m trying hard not to worry about the aesthetics. My scale will be officially purged from the house tomorrow, after I take my pre-work out stats.

I will be working solely on gaining strength until I get things under control and get the go ahead from my trainer.

May the Good Lord keep me in the race.

GO ALL OUT – ALL FOR!
I have NOT ARRIVED.
I am far from the finish line.
But I am on CHRIST’S TEAM.
His love ignites me.
…His power fuels me.
His mission compels me.
I AM COMMITTED to Christ
and to this race.

Eating Out

March 25, 2012 by JOYfilledWELLNESS Filed Under: 7 Day Challenge, Dinning Out Leave a Comment

Day 5: 7 Day Challenge

I took it easy for majority of the day, only doing the bare minimum with three of the littles. I was trying to stay rested for my date with Rose. Dad took Rose and Sweetie to church for the morning. Sparkles was sick and the boys needed to be home. It was a very uneventful morning. Dad returned with the girls around 3:00pm. Rose and I ventured off for our birthday date.

I realized that I was running a bit low on fuel but didn’t want to stop for a quick fix/bad choice of food. Rose and I shopped for 2 hours then we went to eat Mexican food. I didn’t choose my normal cheesy dish. Instead, I opted for the kiddie plate with shredded chicken, mole, beans and lettuce. I also enjoyed some chips and salsa. I followed my plan loosely and tried to make the best out of our night out. The food was delish. My only noticeable side effect was immediate gassiness.

Rose and I went to the movies to watch OctoberBaby. We went with friends, another mother-daughter couple. Both of us opted to pass on the snack bar. I’m not sure that I would have had enough will power had it not been for Lent. I despise movie popcorn—it always makes me sick. Nevertheless, I usually can’t refuse it. Praise God that I didn’t bat an eye. It worked out, too, because the movie wasn’t a popcorn type of movie.

The date night ended with a visit to McDonalds. We were just looking for a place to visit. Not much will power was needed for me there since the food is a complete turn-off to me. I had water

I returned home at 11am with little energy but wanted to share everything with dad. It was 1am before I knew it. Shame on me, I need to make sleep a priority!

————–

I’ve been thinking a lot about my trainer’s critique of my food log. I’m not sure what he’ll think of today’s log.

————-
Breakfast:

1.5 slice – paleo pumpkin pie

Snack:

Lunch:

1 cup – carnitas
.5 cup – guacamole
- .25 – avocado
- 4 – grape tomatoes
- 1 tsp – red onion
- lime juice
- .5 tsp – green chilies

Snack:

.5 slice – paleo pumpkin pie

Dinner:

I ate out with Rose for a birthday dinner. I opted for Mexican foods.

1.5 cups – shredded chicken with mole
.5 cups – refried beans
1 cup tortilla chips
salsa
lettuce

Drink:

6 cups – water

Exercise:

walking/shopping

Sleep:

1am– 7:00am (6 hrs)

More Food & More Prayer

March 25, 2012 by JOYfilledWELLNESS Filed Under: Caloric Intake, Health, Trainer Leave a Comment

Earlier in the day (on Sat.) I read my trainers critique of my food log for the past 3 days. He has urged me to eat more calories and up the veggie intake.

“I was very careful to err on the heavy side and I still only came up with 1,223 calories for day 1. That is way too low. Also, you only have 26 grams of carbs, not including your honey mustard dressing. If you are suffering from lack of energy, the first thing to do is increase your carbs. Try to get between 50 and 70 per day (I’m talking to Lena here!).
Your sleep looks great, so lets start with just adding a bunch more vegetable and getting some more calories and not changing anything else yet. We need to do this systematically. One change at a time. “ ~ Jason S, EPLifeFit Trainer

Sadly, my trainer overestimated my caloric intake for Wed. Here are my stats according to FitDay.

Eating enough food has always been a challenge for me. In fact, I agree that it may be a big culprit in my current decline of health.

—-

I kept his advice in the back of my mind the entire day. I didn’t want to change anything, I just wanted to be aware of what I ate, when I ate, and why I ate.

I realized that I’m waiting to eat when I’m hungry, have energy to get my food, and or the time. I tend to stay away from foods that require some prep in fear that the prepping will zap my energy.

My finances may be another factor in my current diet. I’m currently very limited financially and that has greatly affected the food that is available on any given day. I have help from my family and that goes a long way. I’m learning how to stretch the budget. I often set my mind on the ideal food choice, if that doesn’t fit within my budget, then I opt for the secondary choice that fits within the guidelines. This usually means that I end up with some sub-standard form of protein.

Fruits and veggies are a different story. My father brings a bag of fresh produce to my home on a daily basis. Still, I can never keep up with my kid’s veggie and fruit intake.

In conclusion, I have real limitations. Yet, I desire to do what is necessary to get healthy. I pray for His providence and grace.

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