I'm Back!

The move is done and, by God's grace, we're set to be in this new location for the next year. Stability matters! Packing and moving just throws my life into chaos and I really like structure. So, I'm super excited to be settled.

We chose to live in a ground floor apartment so that I can exercise at home. I thank my husband for making this sacrifice. He prefers second and third floor living but he supports my weight loss journey so we find ourselves on the ground floor. I thanked him by getting up at 4:15 this morning and starting my Turbo Fire journey! Wow, did it feel good to sweat and have fun with Chalene Johnson! I didn't have time to complete the workout this morning so as soon as I got home from work, I finished out Day 1. I am completing the 5-day Inferno Plan but following my own nutrition plan.

This is a year of transformation - not only health-wise but financial, too. We're buckling down ready to attack debt. September has always been a month of renewal - return to school and the start of fall. I remember that surging feeling of hope on the first day of school.

A clean slate where anything and everything was possible.

That's how I feel now.

Unstoppable!

- Kareen, RD

30 Days in the Raw - Day 2

Here is a simple and delicious recipe I made this afternoon inspired by this video:

While prepping did NOT take me five minutes it was worth the effort!

I didn't have cucumbers on hand but the star of this delightful meal is the mango so the wraps were still great tasting. I cannot tell you how yummy and filling this meal was!

We also scored some oranges from a fruit stand today. Oranges are my husband's treat - he loves them!

Off to prep for tomorrow. Have a good night!

- Kareen, RD

30 Days in the Raw - Back on!

As I mentioned in my last post, my adventure in the raw was postponed. I restarted yesterday and this time I'm ready to embrace this journey! Part of the breakdown last week was due to lack of preparation but after a visit to my local Henry's, I was armed and ready for the latter part of last week. While my eating habits left much to be desired last week, I still managed to lose 1 lb (yay!) so I am thankful that my overeating didn't completely derail me. I will have to make a grocery trip today for the next couple of days.

Last week I did something I have never done before - I ate an entire raw tomato by itself! That's huge for a self-proclaimed tomato-hater. It was an heirloom variety and delicious!

Bolstered by my new-found love, I made this wonderful mango salsa. Mangoes are perfect in savory dishes.

Made with one Cherokee heirloom tomato, red onions, chipotle flakes, cilantro, lime and of course, mango!

My supply of tomatoes ran out so the next day I made the same dish without them. Just as delicious!

Sunday errands, cleaning and more packing await so I'm off. What are your plans for today?

- Kareen, RD

What's that Ring Around Your Neck?

Why it's acanthosis nigricans. I remember learning about this skin disorder characterized by dark, thick skin in the folds and creases of the body when I was in school. While acanthosis nigricans can develop for any number of reasons, I became fascinated by this disorder because most often it is an indicator of insulin resistance which is on the pathway to diabetes.

In my outpatient practice, I saw this darkening of the skin around the neck frequently on teenagers - usually obese teenagers with a strong family history of diabetes. To help them see that their current lifestyle choices were negatively affecting their health, I would educate them on acanthosis nigricans and point out the ring around their neck. Most parents believed that the ring was just a line of dirt and would often send the child back to the shower or even try to rub it off themselves. Whenever I had a concern, I encouraged the family to see their physician and I would also send a letter with my recommendations to the referring physician. 

Well, you can imagine my displeasure, then, when during my physical this past week my doctor pointed out that I had the ring around my neck and that under my armpits were darkening as well. Truthfully, I wasn't completely surprised. I noticed the developing darkness last year and asked a health professional (not my doc) her opinion and she said I was in the all clear. I put it out of my head and forgot to ask my physician at the time. Fast forward a year and my current doc is talking to me about pre-diabetes. 

The darkening of the skin can also be attributed to hormone intake such as the pill and I have been on the pill for  many, many years; however, with a 30 lb weight gain in the past 3 years and a current BMI of 31, I have to be realistic that I may be insulin resistant. And it's not just 'the ring'. There have been other signs as well but being in the health field, I am paranoid about self-diagnosing so I ignored my gut instinct.

Nevertheless, I was shaken by the news and I reverted back to my usual place of comfort - food. For three days, I went a little wild with eating. 30 Days in the Raw went out the window as did vegan eating. Considering the news, it's a strange reaction I understand but it's done. I don't have a family history of diabetes so I don't want to be the first and I certainly don't want this to be my legacy to my future children. 

Today I re-committed to 30 Days in the Raw! I'm on the brink but I have a choice and that choice is to beat the disease. And I will.

Staying positive.

- Kareen, RD

Quick Post - 30 Days in the Raw

Today is Day 1! I seem to do well with a structured program so I'm taking on raw for the next 30 days. Very excited although emotionally tired from work last week and starting up again this week.

I'll be back with more soon!

- Kareen, RD

Green Smoothie Feast - Days 9 and 10! w00t! w00t!

It’s getting more difficult to write about the fast so I’m glad that it’s at its end if only for that reason.


Days 9 and 10 were uneventful on the feasting side. Work-wise, I let myself get stressed out. Super stressed out. Causing my IBS to flare up. I spent most of Day 10 in great discomfort with bloating but I held steady.

I ended the feast with a Bolthouse Green Smoothie

Not my plan but the night before was a late one so I didn’t have a chance to blend up my meals. I almost caved and ended the feast on day 10 but I held on. I’m glad to say that today is day 11 meaning I’m DONE!

What I Learned

Bathroom Talk

I’ll breeze over the bathroom talk and just say next time I’ll use a chomper (herbal laxative). I definitely had moments of bloating which chompers may have helped to alleviate.

Weight Loss

In all I lost 9lbs in 10 days. Will I keep the weight off? Likely so. Even though I wasn’t eating, I had consistent intake of nutrients including fiber throughout the 10 days. I wasn’t starving! I was never hungry (unless I wasn’t prepared) and drank smoothies to my heart’s content. I had enough energy for a hike this past Sunday! Lastly, my intake will not change significantly other than that it will now include solid food.

Entering into this adventure, weight loss was not my goal but it’s certainly a nice perk. My goal was to reset my palate and prepare for my high raw vegan journey. I will continue with a significant intake of lettuce, fruit and other vegetables. I’m actually craving a giant salad RIGHT NOW!

Energy

Yes, I had energy. I didn’t miss work and I walked regularly. If I were to change anything, I would walk daily for stress management. I kept the activity as low intensity as possible to minimize muscle catabolism.

Wants vs Needs

Well, I WANT a Blendtec. I NEED a Blendtec. I’m soooo ready. My regular house blender did a great job for what it is but I know the smoothies would have been taken to the next level to where I wouldn’t have wanted to stop after 10 days because they would be soooo super delicious. Sigh. I have to be patient.

I also learned that I want to eat a lot more food then I need. I know I’m not alone. The stats don’t lie – with 66% of Americans being overweight and obese, I can’t be alone. That battle may never end but I will continue to work on developing and recognizing true hunger cues.

How I Treat Me

I've learned that I have the inner strength to take control of my health and that I can be kind to myself. I need to more assertive in my interactions with others. A lot of my stress, frustration and sometimes anger comes from letting situations build up without being addressed. If I would just speak my mind and clear the air, I would save myself unncessary physican and emotional pain. IBS flare-ups are no joke. I'd like to avoid them as much as possible.

For those situations where I stress me out, I need to take deep breaths and a quick walk outside. I can do that.

So, I’m ready to head into transition and have an exciting trip planned for that purpose. I’ll share that with you later.

Hope you’re having a great day!

- Kareen, RD

Green Smoothie Feast - Day 8

Yesterday was great! While I still battled cravings, I had the energy for a hike. Derek and I headed into our backyard and went up and down and up and down some steep hills for almost three hours.

Here we go! Trusty green smoothie and water in my bag

It's all downhill. . .

. . . and then uphill!

Pretty, bee infested canyon flowers

I had a small tussle with a bee but he and I made it out without any harm but the scene got ugly for a bit ;)

As is my habit, my morning smoothie was left-over from the night before. Derek ended up sharing it with me during the hike. Great energy booster! In case you've forgotten, it's this mix:

Spinach, kale, banana, frozen tropical fruit mix

Because of all of my hard work on Friday, once we returned from the hike, I vegged out the rest of the day. It was also the first day I stuck to three main smoothie meals. I didn't feel deprived or hungry at all.

For lunch, I went with a bowl of goodness. Sometimes you just get tired of drinking!

I ate this with a spoon. Super filling!

And then there was dinner:

I couldn't even begin to finish all of this. I saved some for breakfast this morning.

I'm at the end of day 9 right now and am so excited to be heading into day 10. It's a little silly but I'm teary-eyed right now. It's been a long time since I've stuck to a personal goal - especially a health related one. I was beginning to fear that I didn't have the drive to continue towards my dreams. I know it's just 10 days but they've lit a fire!

How was your Monday?

- Kareen, RD