Fiber Blog

Recently I learned that fiber can be found not only in whole grains, but in fruit and vegetables too. Thank You my friends for getting through to me with this brilliant idea.

So to create a fiber holiday, I would love to use more fruits and vegetables in my holiday cooking

My family is loves bread, and I was unhappy with the bread at the store. All would divide in two categories - good but too expensive (up to $4-5 a loaf) or waste of money bread with no nutritional value. So I decided to bake, but didn't want to invest into the bread maker before I know that I will actually do it on regular basis. An hour research online gave me with a great idea of making oatmeal bread. It wasn't perfect, since I had no experience and almost no tools, but it was big and heavy and it was mine. Oh yeah, I also knew exactly what was in there.

When it comes to the holiday cooking, Russian culture has a lot of salads, and with some thoughts those can be done better and simpler with no crazy ingredients that would make you sorry afterward. My favorite is a salad with cucumber, tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil (not too much of though). Very healthy and very yummy. Oh yeah, swap salad dressing for oil vinegar

Overall using more vegetables and less mayo will greatly benefit the table and will help to not giving to temptation. Having a variety of vegetable sides will add color to the table and will keep it interesting for you. If you insist on having a mash potato, have a lot of vegetables to go with it.

When it comes to drinks I know for sure Pepsi or Coke don't have fiber in it, and don't benefit anything at all. Mix cut apples with other fruits you like and boil them in water until fruits are soft. Apple add sweetness to any drink, but make sure you have it in a right proportion. (If it is too sweet, you can always add some water)

Having different fruits on the table will might be a great cake substitution and you can still dance after eating

I also make sure I have enough fiber bars in the house and in the car, so when I run out of the house trying not to be late for kids gymnastics just to realize that I forgot to feed me, I have a healthy alternative in the car.

Enjoy the Holiday and do not overeat.
XOXO

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and Coach's Oats Fiber blogging program, making me eligible to win a $50 American Express gift card and free product. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Mamavation - Week #7

Thank you girls for the support you are giving me and for the strength You are giving me! I am not great a Twitting and the best way I can pay you back is by reading as many posts as I can and give some support back.

My employer started renovation and we all had to move. Now the washroom is so far away and that might effect my water consumption, but I will try to do my best

I might be just a little bit in luck, because I wasn't born and raised here, so Thanksgiving is not the Huge Holiday for me as it is for You. It is a Holiday, but I got away with a chicken, few appetizers and some sweets. Oh yeah, the sweets - I could of done better. My family (my husband, daughter, and myself) made cookies for the first time and I ate some, and then some more.

Oh well, I am putting finishing touches my post on surviving the holidays and feeling good about yourself, so it should provide a healthy plan for myself

And I have been bouncing on my medicine (or whatever) ball for the whole week (Thank You Beth for your help). Just bouncing, but it helps me not to fall asleep before I want to. Added benefit - HA!

Lost 0 pounds - what a surprise!
Keeping track of goals:
1. shed 10 lbs by the end of January. 9.8 to go from 200 lb on 11/8/10 (start 04/01/10 - 209 lb)
2. 2-3 gallons of water a day 2 out 7 days
3. Stop night snacking I did good in general
4. 6 bike trips to work and back Still have 4 more to go. I will suspend this goal for now. Unfortunately it is too cold and it gets too dark before I finish working and I have no lights on my bike. Well, I need a better bike with few things (like luggage and lights), so that will become my ultimate reward for the great that I started doing - Yes, I am talking about my weight loss

Thank You Dr Lynn for sponsoring this week Mamavation. Learn how diet, exercise, herbs, scents, sounds, sights and the natural sciences can enhance your health and your sexuality. Because Sex Matters! Follow Dr Lynn (@drlynnanderson) on Twitter, find her book on Amazon.com and learn more at www.doctorlynn.com

Surviving the Holiday and feeling good about it

Image via WikipediaWith the holiday coming up, there are more sweets on the table in the lunchroom, more cookies at grandma's house, and more friends coming over with the yummiest things. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas it is a feast non-stop and than we wake up on January 3rd (after finishing the leftovers) 10 pound heavier and a plan for New Year resolution.

Well, I decided to make the plan a little bit earlier this year, and the plan is how to make it through the holidays season with pride and honor.

So let's do it today rather than tomorrow

1. Do not go on hungry. If you a hungry, you will eat more than you need to eat. Do not skip the breakfast, even if your breakfast is just a piece of toast, breakfast bar or a cup of tea. Have plenty of snacks with you and make sure you have your breakfast, lunch, a dinner as planned. Why? So You are not starving when you do get to the feast table and you don't waste your affords on vending machine quality food.

2. Eat less - talk more
When you are at the Holiday Table, enjoy your food, but sample a lot rather than eating a lot. Put various food on your plate all at the same time - all you want to eat not by quantity but by variety. This way you can sample all the food working your way around the plate rather than eating more of the same and still wanting to try new things on the table. Also remember, this is the time we want want to spend with friends and relatives - it is not all about the food. Socialize more! Enjoy the conversation while you are enjoying the food (You will eat less too).

3. Drink more and choose your drink wisely
If you drink sugary drinks, you will eat more than you need. Try to stick with water or drinks that are not as sweet (seltzer water, unsweetened tea, water with lemon, etc.). Added benefit - you will taste the food better and you didn't really come to the party to drink Pepsi or Coke, did you?

When it come to the alcoholic beverages, stretch one drink for the entire evening and try to stick with simple drinks. Alcohol is full of carbohydrates, and simple drinks (like cranberry n vodka) would have less of it than more complex beverages. I probably will have couple drinks over the entire holiday season, but that's just me

4. Walk it OFF
You know you are going to eat more than usual - move more. At the parties do not be shy - dance. Workout when you can. Do the simple things that matter - park your car at the end of the parking lot and walk instead of driving around for 10 minutes looking for the closest spot, take the stairs whenever it's possible, walk when You can. This probably will be the best time to put your pedometer on and walk 2000 steps daily (or whatever number you are comfortable with)

5. Finish your plate early
Make as big of a gap as possible between your dinner and night sleep. Go for a walk or spend time with kids - anything is better than nothing. If you do find yourself thinking about what is in the fridge - have a cup of tea or a fruit. Proper hydration will keep your stomach full and a piece of apple or few bites of banana will chase the hunger away

6. What about the candies and cookies?
If You tell yourself that YOU WILL NOT have any cookies/candies/etc. over the holiday season, You are setting yourself for failure, and that is not the best strategy. How about limiting yourself to the amount or number of sweets You can live with? In doing so, You will be more likely to skip a candy cane in the lunchroom, if You can have homemade chocolate chip cookie at home. I will set my number to 3 (but pick what is workable for you).

Well, we will have an overwhelming amount of sweets in the house, and here is what I am planning to do with them to make sure we do not eat them all.

1. Take them to the lunchroom at work
2. Bring them to the doctors appointments or any other appointments for that matter
3. Visit local nursing home or shelter

Spread the Joy, Enjoy the Holiday and Do not overeat!

XOXO

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and Earth Footwear "All's Well That Ends Well" blogging program, making me eligible to win a pair of Earth Footwear boots. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Mamavation - Week #6

I am horrible with time zones - and as much as I wanted to attend the Fiber party, I got there just for the final Thank Yous! Too bad, because I really never figured Fiber out. I thought it was the more the better kind of a deal, but maybe not...
Image via Wikipedia
I guess, I need a fiber tutor. Anyone is willing to help?

I did my best on not eating at night - I had late unsweetened tea (decaf) with just a bit of dark chocolate - great thing about real bitter chocolate - you cannot have more than a little at a time.

On Friday I went to the Mighty Chuck E Cheese Birthday Party for 1 year old at 7 PM. Funny thing - 2-3 slices of pizza and a cake and I left the party hungry. There is no nutrition there. Isn't it? I ended up getting home and having scrambled eggs at 9 pm. Oh, well...

I on purpose didn't workout this week, because wanted to see clear impact of not eating at night on weight. I did do balance ball bouncing for at least two hours once. Loved it!

Weight - Gained 2 pounds. Blah! I do notice that my clothes is hanging looser - especially pants.

Keeping track of goals:
1. shed 10 lbs by the end of January. 9.8 to go from 200 lb on 11/8/10 (start 04/01/10 - 209 lb)
2. 2-3 gallons of water a day 3 out 7 days
3. Stop night snacking only did it once
4. 6 bike trips to work and back Still have 4 more to go

Applauds to Subway for the support of this great programs and Good Luck to everyone in the weight loss journey!

Also I would like to congratulate Heather on becoming a sista of the week. Cheers!

Mamavation - Week #5

Since I have two small kids, I heavily rely on my slow cooker and my rice cooker a lot. I cook twice a week but a lot and anybody who wants to complain can do it him/herself. This week meal was Whole grain noodles with flax, fried salmon, frozen cheese broccoli. Cooked and combined it all in the big container. BTW - this is about 10 dollars spent for 3-4 days of lunches or dinners for a family of 4 (but 2 are little kids, so lets say family of 3).

I do not love to cook - I cook, because I have to and because I need to save money. Oh, yeah, also it is because it is healthy and good for you.

So, my two favorite kitchen tools are slow cooker and rice cooker. Rice cooker also serves as buckwheat cooker. Most of cooking is happening when we are asleep and kids can't flip/pull/kick/etc hot pans

Since I decided on my goals last week, I tried to stop eating at night. I actually figured, if I do not eat after 8 (I know it should be 6 or 7, but it is unrealistic) for 14 days, that will proof the point somehow. The start date for this experiment kept moving, since I kept finding excuses to snack.

I decided to eat one of the sample bars I got "Night Food" - nutrition to get you through the night plus melatonin to help you sleep. Yeah, I forgot about melatonin. It knocked me out before I knew it.

Thursday was officially my first "do not eat after 8" evening

Workout:
Biked to work and back on Tuesday and Thursday for a total of 72 minutes



I lost again (in the good kind of way). I lost 2.2 lb since last week.

Yay me !!!

I wasn't perfect, but I tried to do multiple things and it worked. I lost two weeks on a row! That is very exiting.

Keeping track of goals:
1. shed 10 lbs by the end of January. 7.8 to go
2. 2-3 gallons of water a day Most of days
3. Stop night snacking 3 days out of the week I did it right
4. 6 bike trips to work and back Have 4 more to go

Thank You to all the sistas for support and huge thank you to the sponsors - Belly Beautiful Workout. Please take a minute and visit Belly Beautiful Workout

Mamavation - Week #4

For this week just call me a sorry looser.

I know, so many of you that do what ever it takes to get out and do at least something even if sick and I applaud you for that.

Not me. I got sick on Tuesday, and since than I am feeling a little off. Well, bad enough to not wanting to do anything and spend a week feeling sorry for myself.

Here is what makes me really frustrated some times - I eat generally good

I have caffeine on occasion
I only drink water or 50/50 water juice
I do not add sugar (or sugar alternatives) to anything

I am trying to stick Mediterranean diet. Some say my food is very plain, but that food is fuel and nothing more than that. Chicken, meat, fish, buckwheat, rice, wholegrain pasta, salads with limited amount of dressing, whole grain bread, fruits. Do not take me wrong - I enjoy my food and not complaining about my menu.

I try to drink 3 liters of water a day (norm is 2, but there is a formula, that says so much per pound of weight)

January through June I didn't eat at night and worked 5x a week

So, what the f...? (sorry for letter naming, but since some of us run and fart - I think can swear a little)

It just feels like the worst punishment and main reason for quitting.

Ooh, got it out of my system, so now it is time to get constructive.

Oh, no, stop - got another thing to complain about - do not like politic! Was riding my bike from work and, since I ride on the path walk rather than the road, I have to deal with the cement blocks not being leveled. I suddenly so a really big, and knew I wouldn't be able to jump on it, so I got on the grass and there was "Vote for XYZ" sign right on my way. With no ways around, I tried to go back on cement and fell. I decided not to vote!

Sorry for complaining, and I am so hoping to be better next week

It looks like I lost 2.4

Monday:
17 minute ride to work
30 min ride back (+ plus 5 minute to put the chain on after the fall and Thank someone up there for making me wear a helmet)

And that's all for the week

Now it's a time to set some goals

1. I want to shed 10 lbs by the end of January. If I do that I promise to replace my profile picture with the one where I am not hiding behind my kids and honestly show my face
2. I will continue drinking 2-3 gallons of water a day
3. Stop night snacking
4. My previous goal included completing 11 bike trips to work before the end of the year. I still have 6 to go, but it is getting colder and being sick didn't help. I just need 6 warm days and no sniffles.

Earthfootwear is this week's sponsor. Please support them supporting us and visit their website

Mamavation - Week #5

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Mamavation. Week 5 Thanks