Lifestyle Changes

I have not posted in here in a year...back to blogging!  I recently lost over 10 pounds eating raw and vegan.   I am planning to eat at least 80% vegan and raw and the rest cooked (like soups). I will post my progress, some pictures and recipes for this vegan lifestyle.  Here we go....

So a new day.  Started back to working out at the gym. Things have gotten a little out of control, so back on track!  I am going to get my bike down today and get it ready to ride.  Back on the bike for me!  I wanted to share my post workout smoothie.  I have a high speed blender, Blendtec (something like a vitamix)  Love, love these blenders!  At Costco I found a coconut water to use Koh Coconut 100% pure coconut water. ( I love getting the Thai coconuts as well & hacking them open and using the water and the flesh of the coconut. The water in the carton is perfect when I am not in the mood of wielding my hatchet) Back to my smoothie: coconut water, fresh spinach leaves, fresh pineapple, fresh raspberries and strawberries, frozen mango, a quarter scoop of protein powder (I like Life's Basics plant protein unsweetened) tsp of hemp seeds and a squirt of Vega EFA Oil Blend. Hit the smoothie button on my blender and YUM! Now off to the Farmer's Market.

Making good choices and preparation!

Steaming up some veggies too.  I save the water that I used and have been sipping on that too.  It really is quite tasty.  I can pick out the different flavors of the vegetables.  It nice to have food to grab that is prepared.  I use containers that are recycled to make up salads to grab and go as well.  All I need to enjoy the yummy salad in the package, salad dressing and fork.  I want to let you know about a  salad dressing I use that is as close to a healthy homemade that you are going to get.  Braggs Healthy Vinaigerette.  It is the best!  I keep it in the pantry, not the fridge because of the olive oil in it solidifies.  The small containers in the salad are ok in the fridge because by the time I eat the "to go" salad the dressing is just right.  I make up about four salads at a time.  It really does not take long to do this.  As I make a salad for dinner and have all the items out, whipping out a few more is a piece of cake!

 A trip to the grocery store/ fame's market.  They Just look so yummy.  Real food and I make sure to purchase organic.

Preparation!  That is what saves me from myself.  If I have cut up veggies to grab then I am more likely to eat this than grab a cookie. With all the left over veggie parts from cutting them up I then juiced the rest to add to my smoothies.  I use a masticating juicer I have had for a very long time a Champion Juicer. I have read that this juicer can get warm and break down some of the enzymes from the veggies but I have it, it works and it's much better than not juicing at all.
     I do splurge and buy the raw creamy garlic spread.  It is so good, one of my favorites.  I am going to have to try and make my own recipe as this gets a bit pricey.

Blogging Again!

I had started this blog more for myself to keep me on track.  Well, with all that happened over the past three years, that just did not happen.  I am reevaluating what this blog will be about.  Healthy lifestyle, that is the plan.  So, sounds like a plan, SLAP is off and running again..  I will be blogging eating habits, food, exercise and ways to keep your attitude up and running to achieve what will work for you and for me!   We are all different and need different motivations, different foods and different exercise to keep moving in the direction of a healthy lifestyle.  I know I go through phases when I am ripping it up and then I want to sit on the couch and eat chips and yummy sweet things.  Balance, it is all about balance.
So let's get going....back on track!

SLAP, me again!!!

Sounds like a plan, once more. How many times do we start and stop trying to do well with weight loss or just good habits. We all have days, months and even extended periods of not doing well. By doing this our consequence is usually weight gain or damage to our body from the choices we can make. Choose again to do well. I recently read an article by Stephanie Pearson about a guy, Dan Buettner who has written the book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. According to his book, we have a lot more control over our lifespan than we once thought. "Genes dictate as little as 10 percent of our life expectancy."
Some thoughts from his book:
Get really good at yoga, flexibility is the key:
Move naturally
Eat until you are 80% full
Eat plant-based foods
Have a purpose
Participate in a spiritual community
Downshift to relieve stress
I am back on track to get my life habits back to a healthy goal.
wt:135#...hoping to get to at least 130 in the next few weeks and increase my walking and yoga.

Back on!

Well, after returning from Haiti/Dominican Republic I have lost weight. Now to take advantage of the weight loss and continue. While I was there here is my menu for the day. I woke up and poured oatmeal into a cup adding then room temp water from my bottle. I had some dried cranberries or raisins on some days. I snuck in some tangelos from my tree and they were the best treat! I had some packages of crackers that I ate as a snack and peanut butter with some honey. There was an apple for dinner on two evenings and one afternoon I had rice and beans. My total caloric intake was way less than a 1000 cal/day. I was going from sunrise to way past sunset. I have to say that even with this low calorie intake my strength was strong. I never felt weak and the only thing I remember complaining about was my feet in the evening. By morning the pain was gone and I started it all over again. I had such a great trip and felt like I help so many people of Haiti. Check out my other blog for information and pictures from the trip! Now.....wt 136# and off I go. I want a gradual wt loss as to keep it off.