Wendy's Story and More...

Here it is, the long awaited Wendy's story...Well, when i am running around all day, I usually stop at Wendy's fast food place for a spicy chicken sandwich. With a sugar free lemonade, it comes out to about $5.50 more or less and about 470 calories and 16 G of fat. I think that is a reasonable amount of calories for lunch. I truly enjoy the sandwich, and with the drink, I feel full afterwards...Well, being cheap as i tend to be, I said to myself, Hey, I can get the dollar menu spicy chicken to go wrap and a drink and spend about $2 something...Well, i have had the snack wraps over at McDonalds, and they are very small, so I thought by getting two I would still save some money and be happy...I was looking around for the nutritional info while I was ordering but i was driving up and they only have it displayed in a corner inside the restaurant (NOT FOR LONG, more later on this!) The Spicy Chicken Go Wraps were delicious! But, I knew as soon as I saw them they were bigger than McDonalds. Of course, I would have been satiated with one of them, but of course, i had to eat both because they were so good. when i got home, i looked up the nutritional values online...NOT SO GOOD. The snack wraps were 320 EACH, with 15 grams of fat. Do the math and you come out with me eating 640 calories and 30 grams of fat vs my usual sandwich at 470 calories and 16 G of fat. HAD THE NUTRITIONAL INFO BEEN AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DRIVEIN, I COULD HAVE MADE AN INFORMED CHOICE. I wouldn't have chosen the cheaper option, but the healthier one! THE GOOD NEWS: STARTING FEBRUARY 2011, ALL RESTAURANTS in Maine WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE NUTRITIONAL INFO CONSPICIOUSLY DISPLAYED (ON MENUS, MENU BOARDS, ETC). I went seeking this info of WHY it wasn't there and found out it had been recently passed as a law. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY There is a happy ending to this story! Lesson learned: Stop being so cheap :)

PRODUCTS I LOVE: My husband recently bought one of those new zero calorie, naturally sweetened SOBE waters enhanced with vitamins, etc. The difference between these and the other is that this is naturally sweetened. It is very good! You don't get that funny aftertaste like most low calorie drinks, especially if you drink it ice cold. I have been putting them in my freezer for a few hours, and drink them slushy! SO good and satisfying..I really liked the Yumberry Pomegranate.

SIMPLIFY: Here's a great, healthy dessert that you can whip up in literally 10 minutes. Melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir in Craisins, Sliced Almonds (you can use dried blueberries, pecans, walnuts, whatever you like). By the tablespoon drop them on some wax paper. Chill for 5 minutes. DONE. They are so good but also addictive. Just because they are good for you (antioxidants) doesn't mean the calories won't add up. Great for when you get called upon to make cookies for a special event, cookie walk, etc!

Important Information!

Did you know the world was coming to an end? That' right, and the food supply will be greatly affected, so you must eat all you can right now, as much as you can and as fast as you can...

OKAY, it's not true, but if you had been watching me on a handful of days the past few weeks (especially this last one), you would have had to beleive that is what I was thinking. Last time I wrote I mentioned several reasons why I hadn't been writing so much. Feeling a lack of control was one of them. It is hard for me to try to give advice on health when i am not practing what i preach. I am like a child. Every time I try to set limits for myself, I rebel or act out, and throw caution to the wind. I go for the things that I know are the worst for me in terms of my goals (like carbs-my number one goal is to feel comfortable and confident in my own body!) Or if i manage to stay with healthy foods, i eat way too much of them. I am sharing this with you because that is what this blog is about: I hope through my struggles and perspectives I will help other people see they are not alone (as several of you have told me, thank you). Maybe together we can figure something out. It's me, WRINKLES AND ALL (luckily not too many yet!:)

I blame SOME of this on the visit of my monthly "friend". Yes, the cravings are much stronger a week or so before. I am armed with many weapons, strategies, etc. to combat these (take a walk, know the witching hour that you tend to eat too much-for me it's while preparing dinner). You have to understand that to me, these days, eating too much is eating past the point of a normal person being full. OKAY, I caught myself. I always though i was special (hopefully we all do!). But when it comes to eating too much, i have to remind myself that MANY of us have issues. THAT IS NORMAL. I am working to change that, especially in myself. The REAL ISSUE THAT BOTHERS ME IS THE LACK OF CONTROL. I LIKE BEING IN CONTROL AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE ONE THING I CAN CONTROL 100%, I CAN'T CONTROL!!!!!

ONE OF MY SAVING GRACES IS EXERCISE. I know when I get off track, even a short work out or walk will boost my spirits and motivate me to be healthy. Of course, my children and family are right up there with motivators!!!

A friend mentioned maybe artificial sweetners had something to do with my wild cravings, but I just don't use them enough to think that. I use real sugar in my coffee, and honey in my tea. Yes, it could be sweetners in general...I can't help but feel it's more psycological than physiological. Actually, I have to beleive it's both..the cravings are generated by something...MY advice to you if you are going through this: Find a physical activity you love to do and can fall back on in times of trouble. It won't let you down...

OKAY, ENOUGH OF THAT FOR TODAY. ON TO FUN STUFF: BEAUTY PRODUCTS I HAVE DISCOVERED. There are several:

FOR HAIR: As most of us age, our hair get's coarser. I have always had THICK, wavy hair, but now after kids even more so. I had heard about Keratin, a plant protein in some shampoos that can really help smooth and relax hair. There is an expensive salon treatment you can get ($200). There is also a pricey shampoo called Liquid Keratin you can get on drugstore.com for about $25. I found a great product in Rite Aid (yes on clearance) called Naked Naturals Citrus and Keratin Conditoner. It really relaxed my hair after the first shampoo. It just seemed to take the bulk out. I got it for $3.49, but I think the regular price wasn't too steep, maybe $9.99...

MAKE UP/FOUNDATION: I am forever in search of the perfect one (do i go liquid, mineral powder/ SO many choices. One i really like is called Beyond Natural. It came with this fantastic silky primer lotion that kind of helped to prepare the canvas (aka your face) so the foundation went on smoother. The foundation is WHITE in the tube, but adjusts the color needed to match your face. Light weight, and light to medium coverage, good for summer.

NEXT TIME: I know I promised the Wendy's story, but it will have to wait! I got into other things! Please know that today is a great day for me. I made healthy choices yesterday and feel good. I feel in control. Hope you ALL have a good day today!!! Looking forward to the week!

On My Mind

It has been a while since my last post. There are a few reasons for this, all of which I think are relatable to the premise of this blog. One of the reasons that I will discuss today is that I have been researching much interesting material for this blog, and I have kind of gotten overwhelmed. I will try to break it down and share it all with you if not now, then over time!
One of the problems is that the books I have been reading have some conflicting information, and I guess I do not have a strong enough background in it all to tell you what is correct. I can only give my opinion. Out of my bookshelves, I dug out Fit for Life, by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. I like this book because it emphasizes a natural approach to being fit. It stresses the importance of Natural Hygiene, which is described as the body's regulatory process for staying healthy. Basically is states the body is a very efficient machine which is constantly striving for optimal health. Give it the right fuel (HEALTHY FOODS) and it will take care of you, and cleanse and maintain itself. The book downplays the role of supplements in one's diet, stating that they really don't work. That you need all the chemical componets of food and the digestion to get your nutritional needs met. There is MUCH to the book
but the major points are EAT ONLY FRUIT or Fresh Fruit Juice in the morning. FOOD COMBINING IS KEY. You can eat what you want but it has to be in the right combinations. The book debunks the theory of the food groups, especially the dairy and meat portions. (The book talks about how poeple say we need to eat protein to keep up our strenght and to build muscle, yet in fact, many of the strongest animals on the planet are vegetarians!)

Food Combining brings me to another book that I have mentioned before: Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover. I really like this book. It adopts many of the principles of Fit for Life. She stresses the food combining, no dairy and no meat. I do agree with this. I am sure they are right: eating foods in proper combinations and in the proper order will certainly have a positive impact on one's health, well being, and weight. THE PROBLEM IS I AM NOT THAT DISCIPLINED!

Which brings me to a television program I recenly viewed. It was kind of an infomercial for PBS televison, part of their fundraising efforts. But because it was PBS, I listened. It was called Change Your Brain, Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen. Mr. Amen take scans of people's brains to find out where the activity or lack of it is. He has a list of several different types of brains based on the scans. If there is more activity in one part of the brain, and less in another, he states there are certain supplements that can help bring you to an even level and help you stop overeating. It is highly fascinating, and a must read. I have yet to try his theory, but I plan on it. One thing that we can all do right now is wean ourselves off the sugar habit. Eating sugar and sugary foods only increases our cravings for those foods. And artificial sweetners and diet sodas are the worst! They make you crave sugar even more. I am not innocent when it comes to this. If you've read my previous blogs, I struggle with making the right nutritional choices versus eating lower calorie, artificially sweetned food and drinks to save calories. I do indulge in diet sodas occasionally if i get an urge for something worse calorically. The lesser of two evils? YUP.. One thing Dr. Amen said really made me think: He was describing his healthy daily diet and he mentioned he always had "dessert" which consisted of plain yogurt and blueberries. He asked the audience if that sounded boring. They said yes, and then he said something profound: NO, WHAT'S BORING IS CONSTANTLY FINDING YOURSELF BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD BECAUSE YOU'VE GIVEN INTO YOUR FOOD CRAVINGS AND UNHEALTHY HABITS. That actually is boring me to tears. Don't you wish you could make the right choices as if on autopilot? Without the stuggle? YOU CAN, but it takes just a bit of training. Dr. Amen says it takes about 2 weeks to stop craving sweet stuff after you stop indulging. Interesting...

The last book that I will discuss briefly is one I am very interested in. It is called The Perricone Weight Loss Diet by Dr. Nicolas Perricone. I picked it up after reading The Perricone Prescription which has all kind of information for maintaining weight, health, and what foods and supplements are best for health, beauty, anti wrinkle, etc. I love this book and it's wealth of info. There is just one problem: If I listen to Fit for Life, then the supplements Dr. Perricone suggests would be useless considering Fit for Life says supplements have no value. I think I have come to a conclusion on this: If prescription pills work for curing conditions, then supplements which are a form of a drug, can work to help boost healthy conditions. I do absolutley go by the fact that THE BEST REMEDIES ARE IN THE FOODS YOU EAT. The Perricone books go deeply into anti-inflammatory foods which keep your body balanced and reduce free-radicals. MUCH MORE ON THIS NEXT TIME, BUT THESE BOOKS ARE WORTH A READ.

I encourage you to check out these books. Then you'll be as confused as I am. I do have a bit of a clue. Going back to common sense: The less processed, the better (make your own salad dressing instead of bottled. You just don't know what is in there!). Listen to your body, and eat only until you don't feel hungry anymore, not until you are full (I have to work on that one).

Next Time: My lunch stop at Wendy's and what I learned....