planning for the holiday weekend: bring your fave 02 dish to the party!

I plan on attending some July 4 parties, so I am putting together a game plan to succeed in feeding my body right 02 style! I want to feel empowered about my food and drink choices AND have fun!

Here is my plan:
July 3 I am going to a party that some good friends are hosting. I plan to bring along jicama, cucumber and bell pepper slices and a mediterranean salsa for dipping so that I don't get caught up in less healthy appetizer choices like cheese and crackers and creamy dips. I am planning on choosing green salads and grilled vegies and grilled chicken or fish and avoiding carby dishes like corn, rice, and potatoes. Often, I just bring a large green salad or vegie side dish without being asked and no one ever complains!

Dessert and alcoholic beverages are always my downfall at parties, so I plan on making virgin versions of my fave cocktail and bringing that! I will plan on having one non-virgin version (cross my fingers) and stick with virgin for the rest of the party. I am also going to be proactive about dessert. Fruit is always a good thing to bring, especially in the summer, but to turn fruit into a dessert, I need to dress it up a bit. I think I will dip some big organic strawberries dipped in chocolate and bring those! I can confidently content myself noshing on strawberries in the face of chocolate cake and ice cream.

Let's just hope that there is some dance music at the party! That always keeps me away from the food and focused on FUN!

Happy Fourth!

Last night I indulged pretty well at a little dinner party. As usual, dinner went well with a controlled amount of flank steak, morel mushrooms in creme sauce(!!)) plenty of arugula salad, grilled asparagus, tomatoes and artichokes. The 2.5 glasses of cab lowered my inhibitions AS USUAL and so I had 1/2 oz of dark chocolate AND a half piece of ollaliberry pie and a few bites of ice cream. okie dokie. So it's Monday and I have gotten right back in the saddle on my 02 plan and I even drank plenty of water with an ounce of dark cherry juice (high ORACs with anti-arthritis properties)!

Today:

7 grain toast w 2 tsp almond butter, 1 tsp flaxseed and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cup green tea 1/4 c 1%milk

2 cup half decaf coffee 14 c1%milk and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup berries

8 pecans

4 oz salmon w buerre blanc

1 c green beans w/ onions and tomatoes

1/2 oz dark chocolate

arugula salad with red onion, avocado, herbed balsamic vinaigrette, 3 oz flank steak

mango w 1/2 c plain nonfat greek yogurt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and vanilla

Easily maintaining my weight loss and feeling GREAT!

Whew! I knew that I felt good in my body: lithe, light, plenty of energy, pain free, but I was not sure if I had gained back any weight after vacation. I weighed in today at 131.5 which is where I was before vacation and is what I consider to be my ideal weight. Somehow at 129 I just felt that I looked too deflated.  Funny how those 2.5 lbs makes a difference.  Maybe it is all in my head, but honestly I think I fill out my clothing just a little better.

It is so great to know that I can continue to feed and give to myself in such a full and satisfying way while maintainning my weight and improving my health with each bite I take! Food as a tool for better health! YAY!

Food Journal for 6/17/10

7 grain toast w 2 T almond butter and 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c low fat milk
2 c green tea

1 apricot
10 almonds
1/2 oz dark chocolate

mixed greens with 3.5 oz salmon, 1/4 mango, 1/4 avo, tomatoes, cukes, 1/2 c salsa
2 c half decaf coffee
1/2 c lowfat milk
1 tsp raw sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon

10 almonds
mixed greens with 4 oz organic chicken, tomatoes, artihearts, 1/3 avocado, baby carrots

1/2 glass white wine with 1 c sparkly water
1/2 honeydew w 1 T lowfat sourcream

My Big Win with the Evil Tortilla Chips!

Bummer. Last night, right before I was to sit down to blog,  I decided to shave some super thin slices of hard aged organic Parmesan. Instead I shaved by index finger. Badly. Owie. still hurts. So no blogging last night. At least I can type today.

So yesterday and Tuesday I had terrific O2 food all day, and when I went out for Mexican lunch yesterday, I did not TOUCH the basket of tortilla chips! Yay me! I was VERY proud of myself. Once I start on those I can rarely stop until the basket is empty. Normally I ask the waiter to remove the basket of the evil bastards, but my lunch companion wanted them, so I had to exercise self discipline. I am always so impressed with myself when I can do that...I had a seared Ahi salad with walnuts, beets, cucumber, tomato instead (go figure: in a Mexican restaurant!). Delish!

I read some interesting advise about eating comfort foods in "Mindless Eating". More people eat comfort foods and eat unconsciously when they are happy or celebrating! The advise is to pair your comfort food in a very small amount (for example ice cream) with a larger amount of a far healthier choice (here, strawberries) until you gradually can think of the strawberries as the reward and skip the ice cream altogether, replacing it, perhaps with something like a few spoons of nonfat yogurt and cinnamon or vanilla. I have been working on this technique and find it very effective. Try It!

my journal for last two days
Tuesday: 2 eggs with 2 T organic salsa and oregano and 1 piece 7 grain toast
2 c green tea

1 c blueberries and 10 almonds
2 c decaf coffee with 1/3 c lowfat milk and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

mixed greens, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and 4 oz salmon, artichoke hearts
2 tsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 tsp oregano

10 almonds
1 oz dark chocolate

mixed greens, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and 4 oz salmon, artichoke hearts

2 tsp balsamic vinaigrette

1 tsp oregano

1 c blueberries with 3 T light whipped cream and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Wednesday June 16

1 piece 7 grain toast with 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c lowfat milk with 2 cup coffee

1 c blueberries

1 c green tea with 1/4 c lowfat mik

mixed greens, 4 oz ahi, cuke, tomato, beets 3 tsp vinaigrette

10 almonds

baby bell peppers

3 c iced decaf coffee with 1/2 c nonfat milk

2 egg omelet with artihearts, brocollie and 1 T crumbled gorgonzola

4 T salsa

handful raisins (unmeasured!)

10 baby carrots

2 glasses white wine 

1/2 oz hard parmesan

Favorite O2 Desserts

Berry Parfait
2/3 c nonfat Greek yogurt
1 c berries of any type
1 T dark chocolate syrup or
1 T cocoa nibs w 1 tsp honey diluted with 1 tsp water
½ tsp cinnamon

1) swirl the cinnamon, chocolate syrup or honey water into the yogurt but don’t totally mix in
2) in a clear wine glass, place a tablespoon of yogurt in glass, plop in a few berries and a few cocoa nibs
3) continue this layering process until complete, topping with a few berries and a sprig of mint or some orange or lemon rind if you like

Snow Peaked Strawberries
1 c strawberries, stems on
2 T whipped cream (I like to make my own but the canned dispenser type is ok. Whole Foods sells an organic one which I adore)
1 oz cocoa nibs (these are unsweetened but give you a chocolatey aroma and great crunch

Place a bit of whipped cream atop a strawberry then dip it into the cocoa nibs so a few adhere.
Eat by the stem. Slowly. In private, but never in bed. This is a messy finger licking affair that should be enjoyed alone or with someone who doesn’t mind watching you slip into decadence.

Gingery Grilled Pineapple “a la mode”
One really ripe pineapple—maybe a little brown on the outside, cut into slices about 3 x 2 inches wide and ½ inch thick
2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp vanilla and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scooped and retained
Nonfat yogurt or crème fraiche with some vanilla stirred in

rub the pineapple pieces with the ginger and place in a bowl with the vanilla and vanilla bean and let sit for an hour or longer

fire up the grill
very lightly spray the pineapple pieces with a high heat grill tolerant spray or brush very lightly with melted butter

place on hot grill for a few minutes each side until browned, not burnt and tender
Enjoy alone or top with a 1T of nonfat organic yogurt or 1 tsp of crème fraiche

So many great ideas

Whoo hoo! blissful euphoric shopping spree at Whole Foods yesterday! Organic blueberries, avocados, mangos, apricots, and bell peppers ALL on sale. All my faves. Got yummy cantaloupe, organic green beans on sale too. So I can't wait to make my favorite "dessert" soup: Cantaloupe Apricot soup with raspberry coulis. See the side bar for this absolutely scrumptious soup that is, I swear, BETTER than ICE CREAM!

I feel really good after a day without the indulgences (see yesterday's post of true confessions) I had consumed in NJ. No offense to Ocean City, NJ residents, but the food there is just NOT what it is here in CA where I can easily get a wide variety of organic produce, milk, eggs and cheeses, poultry and beef. There I was nothing organic except milk, oatmeal (!?!) and carrots. Also, the restaurants served mostly pasta, pizza, ice cream, cheese steaks and big white bread sandwiches. How do people live healthfully on that type of food? Seriously?? So I am very thankful to the grocers and farmers in CA!

Getting really excited about started the O2 Diet Support group starting next Thursday June 24 at 6:30 pm. I have so many great ideas for the group to help support folks in "flipping the switch" to eating healthfully and joyfully all while losing weight and gaining energy. AND I know I need the group support as much as anyone.  Got the awesome 02 water bottles in today and soon will have the grocery bags from Keri. Really great looking water bottle. The people who have signed up so far are really awesome, and I can't wait to see how the group fills out.  So call up and sign up if you haven't already.

TaTa ForNow

daily food log 6.14.10
1 piece whole grain toast w 2 tsp almond butter, 1 tsp ground flaxseed and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c green tea

1 c coffee 1/3 c lowfat milk 1/4 tsp cinnamon

8 pecan halves, 1 c strawberries

green salad w/ cherry tomatoes green bell pepper, lettuce, 3 oz char, 2 tsp balsamic vinaigrette 1/4 avocado
1 c iced coffee 1/3 c lowfat milk 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 c blueberries

salad spinach brocolli tomatoes cucumber, yellow bell pepper turkey 2 tsp vinagretten1;4tsp oregano

1 mango w 2 T lowfat sourcream and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Back from vacation and time for true confessions. Let's begin my emphasizing the positive: I DID get lots and lots of ORAC points. I also had plenty of food without so many ORAC points. Like white wine nightly. And chocolate birthday cake. And oatmeal raisin cookies with TRANS FATS. I EVEN had a few bites of my first ever funnel cake!!!!! I kid you not! Did I weigh myself on return? Not on your life. I am focusing on getting right back in the saddle with all my healthy meals and snacks (which I DID eat while on vacation; I just added some additional unconscious indulgences---;-P) and JOURNALLING my intake.

Been reading "Mindless Eating". Great book on how we plow in extra food and calories without even knowing it and how we can also avoid those hidden calories with just a little planning and tricking ourselves. I am now using smaller plates, bowls and eating utensils and prepacking or premeasuring all my foods and snacks! More tips on that as I read along...

Great talk with Keri G on the phone today. She is so encouraging and supportive and full of wonderful ideas for the Adventurers in a Nutritious Life support group I am kicking off here at the clinic on June 24. Still have a few slots left for that support group which ought to be pretty inspiring and help to insure great results and great fun on the O2 Lifestyle! Of course, a person needs to live in Silicon valley to attend since we are located in Cupertino, CA. One need not be a chiropractic patient of mine to attend. If interested, just give us a call or email me. 408-255-2592

drsteindc@gmail.com

Eating 02 friendly on Vacation! Can I do it?

Whew! whirlwind of a life lately and ready to blast off for vacation on the South Jersey Shore tomorrow with my fabulous sibs, spouses, nieces and nephews. Thank goodness we are renting a beach house with a giant kitchen so I can cook up lots of 02 friendly food! I'm even packing the book so I can make up some of my favorite recipes and try out some new ones. I know that at least my sister and sista-in-laws will like the food.  Maybe my brothers will even chow down on the Ancho peppered Flank Steak with Chimichurra sauce or the Sesame crusted Seared Ahi with Jicama Cabbage slaw! Of course I just MUST make up a big batch of the Chicken Mole. YUM!!! Then there is the Ancho rubbed Tilapia with AvoMango salsa. Can't get enough of that!  Gonna make up some new recipes too, all while reading "Stick" and also "Switch" by Chip and Dan Health--two phenomenal books on how to make your ideas stick in others' minds and on how to switch behavior--ie create change and new habits. All of this material is for the 02 Diet Support Group, "Adventurers in a Nutritious Life", starting Thursday June June 24 at 6:30 pm at my clinic! Also plan to read "Mindless Eating" as fuel for the support group.

So I am determined while on vacation to continue to generously feed my self yummy nutritious anti oxidant loaded meals and snacks and focus on my family and relaxing as opposed to nervously and unconsciously feeding myself foods that aren't as supportive of my well being! That is a tall order, as it is easy for me to slip into unconscious behaviors while on vacation. Gee, I wonder if anyone else has that problem, especially while on a big FAMILY vacation! hahahaha

In the meantime, check out my new recipe for Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho!

02 Diet Support Group: Adventurers in a Nutritious Life

I have been so busy prepping for my 02 Diet Dinner Presentation which I held last night, that I have had very little time to blog! Thanks one and all who helped with and attended the presentation! It was great fun and GREAT FOOD! Almost everything was straight out of The 02 Diet book recipe section, the exceptions being the Grilled Asparagus with Toasted Coconut Orange Vinaigrette and the Dark Chocolate Covered Organic Strawberries (thank you, Dr. David Saber--awesome job on those!!!) I also poured Martin Ranch wines (JD Hurley Cabernet and MR Chardonnay), fantastic wines made by my good friends, Dan and Therese Martin.

There have been may people interested in the O2 Diet, but ... people need help making major lifestyle changes. In response to that need, I have decided to create an 02 Diet Support Group.  The initial group will be a 5 week meeting limited to 12 people. We will meet at my office on Thursdays from 6:30-7:45 pm from June 24 to July 22 (5 meetings to get people through at least 32 days on the 02 Diet). Included in the program will be at least one private consultation with me to review goals, biochemistry, special needs and concerns, etc.  Cost is $149 to include one 15 minute private consult, 5 group meetings, and online support to help deal with those sudden cravings. The group will be ongoing, and I will devise ways in which folks can continue to participate after the initial 5 week commitment. You can join the group before, during or after you start the 02 Diet!

If you are interested, you can call our clinic at 408-255-2592 or email me at DrStein@montavistafamilychiro.com.

Here's to us all living a healthier lifestyle!

Dinner Party with the O2 Diet

Our office has been busy busy putting together our very first dinner party featuring information on a fabulous antioxidant-eating lifestyle pioneered by the indomitable Keri Glassman as well as a buffet of food prepared from her book, The O2 Diet. We already have a waiting list for people who want to come. (See what free food will do??)

Our menu features:

• Beef Roll Up with Basil and Mozzarella
• Pomegranate Pecan Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Mint Dressing
• Black Eyed Peas with Lemon Artichoke Pesto
• Cheddar and Veggie Quiche
• Chicken Mole
• Grilled Asparagus
• Chocolate Covered Organic Strawberries

Refreshments include

• Martin Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
• Martin Ranch Chardonnay
• Hibiscus Rooibos Tea
• Fresh Lemon Water

I can't wait to share my experiences with my patients and to eat all of the yummy food we make! We'll have pictures and stories to share soon!

Be happy, be healthy.

~Dr. Lisa

Another 4-Day Cleanse!

Well, after an indulgent weekend at the fabulous Tiburon Wine Festival on Sunday and a little party at home on Sunday, I have decided to do a 4 day cleanse!! I will return to Phase 3 after that. So I completed the first day of the cleanse today, and remarkably, I did not feel hungry as I did the first time I did the 4 day cleanse. I avoided the hunger pangs this go around by having the apple and cinnamon snack WITH the 8 pecans at 10 am and by having the large salad with protein at lunch, the artichokes at 4:30 pm and the steamed spinach, salmon and steamed asparagus at dinner with the berries afterward.

Typically the salad and meat and asparagus is eaten for dinner, but I needed more food at lunchtime to get through the afternoon, so I switched it around. Worked out very well for me.

Tomorrow I talk to Keri about the first O2 lecture I will be giving in my clinic on May 25. Plan to serve a bunch of the food and create a support group for anyone who wants to participate for 32 days! More on that later!!

Spine-Safe Boot Camp: Strength, Coordination, and Rehabilitation

We get asked frequently about the format of our Spine-Safe Boot Camp, so here it is:

• Gentle warm up
• 15 minutes upper or lower body
• 15 minutes core
• 15 minutes stretching

Then the next question is, "How do you get a good workout in 15 minutes?"

Easy. Closed-chain exercise.

Exercises can be categorized as open-chain or closed-chain. Open-chained exercises are things like bench presses or leg extensions, where your body is stationary and your hands/legs perform the movement. These exercises allow you to target specific muscle groups, but they also place an increased stress on specific joints.

Closed-chain exercises are the opposite, where your hands/feet are anchored and your body performs the movement, as in squats or pushups. There are many benefits to performing closed-chain exercises.

1. Many muscles strengthened at the same time
2. Force is distributed over many joints
3. Movements improve coordination between multiple muscle groups

Closed-chain exercise tends to be more intense, so beginners will shy away and spend all their time doing "safe" open-chain exercises on machines, which are less effective and take more time. There are ways to be safe with closed-chain exercises, which will increase your strength and coordination without using expensive gym equipment. Let us show you how!

Every Sunday, we have our Spine-Safe Boot Camp here at the office to instruct you on how you can perform these incredibly effective exercises safely.

• Cost: $20 for one or two people, so bring a workout buddy!
• Where: Here at Monta Vista Family Chiropractic
• When: Sundays at 1:00 PM
• What to bring: Water bottle, workout mat, towel, good spirits

Availability is limited to ensure personal attention, so call our office at 408-255-2592 to reserve your spot today!

Awesome Ancho rubbed Tilapia with AvoMango salsa, terrific Jicama Cabbage slaw and good and easy Chicken Mole: reviews of O2 Recipes

After watching my fabulous albeit cooking averse assistant, Alissa, get very enthusiastic about actually making the recipes in The O2 Diet (she loved the 4 day cleanse and decided to start eating some of the O2 foods), I decided to try a few more myself.

Today I made the Ancho rubbed Tilapia with Avocado Mango salsa. YUMMY! I also made the Cabbage Jicama slaw that accompanies the Ahi recipe. Both delicious and very easy. For dinner I made the Mole Chicken. Now I like my food SPICY HOT so I added some ancho chili powder. Instead of wasting my precious Scharfenberger bittersweet chocolate, I used a cocoa powder/chili powder blend. It was quite yummy and very easy to make. It is NOT the same as the Mole Chicken I have had all over Mexico, including Puebla where Mole is sold everywhere, each stand and restaurant better than the next. But it is quite good! I recommend it!

I'm going to plow through all of the recipes that appeal to me and serve my favorites at the first O2 Diet and Lifestyle lecture at my office on Tuesday May 25 at 7 pm.

Make sure to come for some yummy food and great information. Call the office in advance to let us know you are coming so I have enough chairs and food. You need not be a patient to attend!

408-255-2592

~ Dr. Lisa

Margaritas, Salsa, and Mangoes. YUM!!!

Spicy Blood Orange Margarita

• 1 oz silver tequila steeped in Thai chili peppers for 30 minutes
• 1 oz cointreau
• 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz blood orange juice

shake this in ice, strain into glass

Tomatillo Salsa

• 5 tomatillos chopped
• 5 tomatillos halved
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 5 serrano chilis, finely chopped
• 1/4 red onion finely chopped
• 2 T cilantro, coarsely chopped

Puree the halved tomatillos with the lime juice

stir in the rest of the ingredients

Excellent with carnitas, grilled fish, with scrambled eggs, in tacos and burritos and stirred into plain yogurt with some chopped avocado!

Sticky Oats and Mango breakfast

This was inspired by some yummy Sticky Rice and Mango I had at the House of Siam in Morgan Hill. It is O2 safe!

Boil 1 c water with a dash of salt.

Stir in 1/3 cup oat bran cereal (or oatmeal) and cook until all water absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Spoon into bowl

Stir 1/2 tsp sweetened condensed milk into 1/3 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt (I prefer Oikos organic over Fage)

Top hot cereal with yogurt mixture

Chop 1/2 fresh mango and spoon on top of cereal and yogurt

Sprinkle with 1 T toasted coconut and 1-2 T chopped macadamia nuts or pecans

SUPER YUMMY!

Sitting Down to Meals and Premeasuring Snacks: THE Key?

Back down to 131 lbs from last week's gain to 132. I definitely like FEELING this light and lithe. I don't think I look particularly terrific with such a skinny little butt and saggy flat chest, but if it feels good, so be it.

I have been more conscious about pre-measuring my snacks and not just stuffing handful after handful of nuts into my face for the last few days. Missed a real sit down and eat lunch today opting for raw nuts and fruit instead. Somehow, that is never as satisfying as sitting down to a meal with animal protein and vegetables. Psychologically, that meal-type feeling is important. I don't feel so justified at just grazing away when I have my 3 meals and 3 snacks (midmorning, midafternoon and evening). I need that kind of structure and fulfillment to stay on track. I have recently spoken with several people for whom weight is a real concern and was very surprised to learn that they have the same thing in common: never eat breakfast or any real sit down meal, have very few vegetables and fruits, eat at their desks or while standing, etc, don't perceive that they eat many calories but just grab snacks when they are hungry. If they aren't eating many fruits or vegetables or "meals", then I can only imagine that what they are eating are quick trans fat laden carbs: America's favorite food source. Don't mean to sound holier than thou here, but I am rather surprised to learn how many people don't eat meals and don't cook for themselves! I think that this is a bad societal trend and may account for a large percentage of the overweight problem in the US.

So now for my confession: food log for 5/7/10:

1 piece organic 7 grain toast with 2 tsp almond butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp flaxseeds
1 cup oolong tea w 1/4 cup 1% milk
1 cup coffee w 1/4 cup 1% milk and 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 c strawberries
10 pecan halves

1 small red bell pepper
8 cherry tomatoes
3 oz salmon
2 c raw spinach

1 oz dark chocolate
2 c iced coffee
1/2 c 1% milk
1 tsp cinnamon

1 oz parmesan cheese
8 baby carrots
jicama
5 oz grilled chicken with tomatillo salsa and 1 tsp chipotle butter
1 small corn tortilla
grilled asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes
1/2 praline
2 1/2 glasses chardonnay

1 cup blueberries w 1 T whipped cream and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

ORAC 41,652

Working on identifying stressors and engaging in control behavior. I am pretty dang clear on why I am stressed but not so good about engaging in alternate behaviors to eating as a response to the stress. What I like to do is distract myself on websurfing or facebooking while nibbling. This usually happens at night when I get home from work and am tired. I am going to try something novel: go to sleep earlier. Like 9:30 pm! Cuz 9 pm is just NOT the time I want to clean a sock drawer, go for a walk or take a long bath. Too much effort after a long day that started at 5 am.

The other strategy is to read a book. I love to read. I don't need to snack while I read and it is a good escape to the underlying stress.

So I gained back some weight. Up to 132 from 129. I look fine, but it messed with my mind. I want to hang onto those low numbers, as if the numbers are important. Not sure why. I like the way I feel at this super light weight, and I like not having a puffy tummy for the first time ever, although my derriere is woefully flat. Anyway, it is very apparent that the reason that I gained some pounds was that I started nibbling unconsciously--did not pre-measure my snacks. I fully get that having my morning and afternoon snacks are required, not optional if I want to keep my evening meal in check, that alcohol lowers my inhibitions significantly enough to overeat or make poor choices and that if I don't premeasure my snacks, I keep nibbling and nibbling. Good lessons to learn.

I need to refocus on counting my ORAC points and logging my food.

Here goes today:

1 pc 7 grain toast
1 tbsp unsalted almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c nonfat milk

3/4 c nonfat milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 shots espresso

1 c coffee
2 T whipped cream
1/4 tsp cinnamon

10 pecan halves
1 red bell pepper

spinach salad w 1 T vinaigrette
10 cherry tomatoes
1/3 avocado
4 oz salmon

10 pecan halves
1/2 dark chocolate

4 oz salmon
1 c asparagus with 1 tsp oregano
1 c strawberries

Total ORAC pts 36,000

Regressing and advice from the Master!

I have been avoiding this blog, I suppose. My excuse is that I don't know what to write about, but that's just an excuse. I do know what to write about. I've been waning. Eating more unconsciously like eating nuts or nut butter handful after handful without pre-measuring. While at the computer doing useless stuff on Facebook. Right before bed. Too late. Compromising my sleep. Avoiding something. Something that is causing me internal stress: some emotion, some problem that I would rather not acknowledge.

So, I confessed this to Keri Glassman and instead of playing archeologist/therapist she suggested that I engage in a very simple process. Identify my unconscious eating trigger. In my case it is unconscious stress: a subliminal sense that something is not quite right. It comes on at times when I don't have time to deeply analyze things like right before bed or in-between patients. Keri suggested that I come up with a list of "Controls," things I can do to combat these triggers without eating extra calories. She suggests: "A food control could be something like cucumber salad or celery sticks with paprika (something that has virtually no calories), assuming you are eating with no hunger and it is all emotional but need the crunch." She also suggested non-food controls if there isn't hunger to channel the stress into something constructive.

So here are my Controls:
Food Controls: keep plenty of baby bell peppers and cukes and premeasured bags of nuts on hand.
Non Food Controls: take 5 minutes to do one thing I have been procrastinating on: a work comp report, a phone call, a blog entry, clean out my closet for 5 minutes, brush my teeth and drink a big glass of water.

Let's see how this goes.....

Vertigo and Dizziness Relief

I have had so many patients come in complaining of vertigo and dizziness this spring!

Vertigo is the false feeling that you or your environment are moving or spinning. It arises because of muscle tightness and vertebral misalignment of the neck, inflammation of the inner ear (allergy/infection), or, more rarely, damage or dysfunction of the vestibular nerve or brainstem from things like a bleed or a tumor.

Neck and or head trauma can cause a benign form of vertigo. A whiplash injury is a classic cause. But sometimes people have tightened neck muscles and misaligned vertebrae, and this may be the cause of vertigo. For this problem, we do trigger point release work, active release technique and gentle vertebral adjustments with 80% effectiveness!

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is the most common form of vertigo and comes on with sudden head movements in a certain direction. This type of vertigo is rarely serious and can be treated in the chiropractic office. For this, we do the Epley maneuver. You can also do it at home. Check out this link: Epley Maneuver Video.

Vertigo may also be caused by inflammation--usually due to viral infection or allergy-- within the inner ear (labyrinthitis). You will feel a sudden onset of vertigo and might experience hearing loss. This is hard to diagnose definitively because your doctor cannot see into your inner ear with an otoscope (one can only see the middle ear with this tool. The middle ear, just past the eardrum, is where the painful ear infections without vertigo occur.) You can try a decongestant or a drug like Claritin. If this clears up the problem, then the fluid from the infection or allergy was causing the problem. Using a neti pot rinse could be a drug free and extremely effective solution.

If you have episodes of this triad of symptoms, you could have Meniere's disease: vertigo, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. People have the abrupt onset of severe vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, as well as periods in which they are symptom-free. This is very difficult to treat, but getting regular chiropractic care and avoiding sodium like the plague can help.

Acoustic neuroma is a type of tumor that can cause vertigo. You would feel vertigo with one-sided ringing in the ear and hearing loss. This tumor is usually benign and is removed surgically.

If you have these symptoms, call 911 or have someone take you to the emergency room immediately: vertigo, splitting headache, extreme difficulty walking, and inability to look toward one side. This means you could be bleeding into your cerebellum and or brainstem.

Sometimes Multiple Sclerosis is the cause of vertigo. Usually other symptoms will be present like numbness or weakness of the arms and or legs on either or both sides, constipation, urinary difficulties, or blurry vision.

Migraine, a severe form of headache, may also cause vertigo. The vertigo is usually followed by a headache. There is often a prior history of similar episodes but no lasting problems.

If you want us to check out your vertigo to see if we can help, don't hesitate to call!

Hugs and health!

Dr. Lisa Stein

Chocolate Nut Berry Crumble

Preheat oven for 375 degrees

2 cups berries: Pick whatever is freshest and SWEETEST. you could also use thawed frozen berries (unsweetened).

Place berries in a small 8x8 casserole dish and sprinkle with 3 T orange or pomegranate juice. sprinkle with 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cover with lid

Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile:

1 cup walnuts and or macadamia nuts ground so the biggest pieces are the size of split peas
2 T dried blueberries (again no sugar added), ground up as fine as you can get them
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(Hint: I use a blender or spice grinder to grind the nuts and blueberries--separately. PULSE, don't grind continuously to get even size pieces)

mix these together thoroughly
toast lightly in dry skillet over medium heat until you smell a little toasting. remove from heat IMMEDIATELY and pour onto glass plate or paper towel

Melt 4 oz very dark chocolate (72% or darker) over double boiler or in microwave

Stir nut/spice mixture into chocolate

Open oven, spoon chocolate/nut mixture over top of fruit. Do NOT cover

Bake for 2-3 more minutes but don't let it burn! Smile your sniffer!

Feel free to top with fresh whipped cream. I make it 1/2 oz amaretto and 1 tsp vanilla without sugar!

Armpit Fat and Thai yumminess

I am maintaining my 12 lb weight loss with ease. I have not been this skinny since college, and I was not overweight to start with! For me to lose 12 lbs and keep it off has been truly unbelievable. As for my flat butt, my trainer has me convinced that by kicking my gluteal routine up a notch (so to speak), I can get more "lift" without needing to regain the weight that is also noticeably absent from my belly and armpit area. Only once in my life have a been happy to learn that I had gained some "armpit fat", and that was from my mammographer/radiologist. She required several additional and freaking painful views of the area which scared the be-jesus out of me until she told me she'd had to basically mash my fat better to make sure there were no bad spots in the newly fattened region! I digress...

I've been getting away with having one night of feasting per week: out to dinner or at a party with two glasses of wine, lots of tasting of yummy foods, what I call my moments of "Unconscious Indulgence". I also take my daily Conscious Indulgences of dark chocolate--always between 1/2 ounce and 1 ounce. Keri Glassman recommends one Conscious Indulgence per week. NO way could I do that. Guess I am super lucky, but then again, I am active: chiropractic has me moving all day AND I exercise 6 days per week.


Last night I had one of my food fests: out to Thai food with friends. For those of you who live near Morgan Hill, CA and like Thai food, you MUST go to House of Siam. It is one of the best Thai restaurants around. The owners are so sweet and the food is truly awesome. Anyway, after the vegetarian Tom Yum soup, the Spicy Beef with vegetables, the cashew chicken and the Sea Bass with Thai basil and bell peppers, all accompanied by some Creekview Chardonnay, I shared a plate of Sticky Rice and Mango. Yummm! This morning, I was inspired to create a breakfast based on that dessert while sticking within the O2 Diet guidelines. Check the recipe out at the right!

Bad Booty Building

I am thinking about a way to spark up this blog. Maybe I should start cooking my way through The O2 Diet Recipes? Oh! That was done with Julie and Julia. Hmmm. Confess more of my foibles?

Here's a good one: On Friday night after having decided my butt is waaaayyyy too flat and after having two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc at Huntington Station in Morgan Hill, CA, I commenced to solve my "little" (OK, freakin, flat) problem. So I helped my friend Jaime with his mini prawn tacos AND his fried calamari. Then I ordered my own not to be shared meal: the AMAZING skirt steak salad (skirt steak, marinated and grilled to medium rare perfection, grilled cherry tomatoes, grilled bell peppers, carmelized onions and shrooms atop a bed of organic greens, fresh avo with a dusting of blue cheese and the perfect amount of balsamic vinaigrette. Thanks Marley, you are a rocking good cook!). Clearly, a little ole salad was not adequate booty building nutrition. My Wine-Mind (along with the thoughtful advise of Sherry) came up with a plan: the best way to pack my fanny would be to order some creme brulee. Brilliant. Oh, and when the check came, accompanying it were some little chocolate thin mints. Perfect after the creme brulee. Then, on the way home I had to stop at the grocery for catfood. There, I saw some huge chocolate covered peanut butter malted milk balls in the bins. Why, those would certainly give me a bigger a*@. So I gobbled those up on the way home. Eight of them. They were huge. Needless to say, I passed out in a sugar-wine coma without pampering my face with a Keri Glassman yogurt avocado raspberry facial. Nor a tooth brushing. I did manage to get my shoes off.

OK. So maybe the seven days leading up to tax day (and yes, I owe far more than I had feared) is not a good time for trying to wisely add calories to my established O2 Diet. I'll just stick with Phase III where it is safe and easy. Me and my 52 year old flat butt just need to remember to make that dreaded trip to the Post Office on April 15. After that, we'll tackle the project of Building Booty WISELY!

L

OK. Now I wanna GAIN BACK 5 lbs!

I am still hanging at 130 lbs and I have decided I am just too skinny! What a weird dilemna. So now the challenge is to gain 5 lbs very carefully while eating very healthfully without resuming bad habits. I want to build muscle and not just deposit fat on my belly and back, so my plan is to add 3-4 oz protein at breakfast. I can't eat eggs often without getting sick, so I'm going with non fat organic plain yogurt, chicken, fish and eggs and whey powder on a rotational basis.
We'll see how that works.

I am still working on remembering to drink my water! so easy to forget and yet so important.

And those SNACKS! so important. I must ALWAYS remember to pack them with me AND eat them!!! If not, I get into trouble with wanting to eat stuff that is not healthy.

I have been a VERY GOOD girl about avoid baked goods and treats. Just keep that dark chocolate coming! REad the menu at right. The Chocolate nut fruit crumble is sooooo yummy!

L

Keep that Switch Flipped to Positive

Today, I re-read the first two chapters of The O2 Diet and was reminded to keep "My Switch Flipped". What Keri Glassman means by this is that I need to keep my focus on what I am building (vibrant health inside and out) versus what I am get rid of (fat, wrinkles, pimples, etc). This concept is what drew me to The O2 Diet in the first place, and it totally resonates with what I KNOW to be true, but it is so easy to stay focused on what I don't like about myself and the parts of myself I want to get rid of. This kind of self criticism is de-motivating, counterproductive and NOT how I want to spend the moments of my life. And Soooo...
time to re-focus:

Today I choose to FEED myself in nurturing and positive ways as I continually create my health:

Drink more lemon water
Make sure I eat my healthy morning and afternoon snacks of fruits, vegies and raw nuts (skipping them results in getting too hungry leading me to eat too much at once or make unhealthy choices)
Add more herbs and spices to my meals (so easy to forget that marjoram, oregano, tumeric. Got the cinnamon handled: it goes in my teas, coffees, almond butter toast and yogurt every day!)
Nourish my skin excellent cleansing.
Take a few moments for myself (despite my husband's continual asking "have you fed the cats, gotten the mail, done the laundry, changed the catbox, called the tax accountant, blah blah blah) in a very busy day.
Do something nice for someone else

Now...for some more of that lemon water!

Namaste!
Lisa

Spine-Safe Boot Camp SUCCESS!!!

We've had 3 extremely productive boot camps and are thrilled with our patients' responses. Everyone is sore (including me!), but we've worked with both healthy individuals and people with pain (including backs, necks, wrists, knees and ankles) to perform essential muscle strengthening in ways that won't injure them!

Dr. Lisa and I are looking forward to keeping up with our Boot Camp fun, but we need your help. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We're always open to suggestions to improve our office.

As always, be happy ... be healthy ... and enjoy the sunshine!!!

~Dr. David

Spine Safe Boot Camp Sunday, March 28 at 1 pm

Spine Safe Boot Camp Sunday, March 28 at 1 pm

Come on over to Monta Vista Family Chiropractic at 21730 Stevens Creek Blvd, Suite 102, Cupertino, CA for a great spinally safe exercise class. Dr. David Saber will be leading a lower extremity (butt and legs), core (aka ABS) and low back class today. Expect to learn perfect form to avoid injury while doing exercises tailored to your capabilities and designed to challenge you! No matter what your level of fitness, you will feel like you have had an effective workout but you won't be injured! YAY!

Dr. Saber and I are sick and tired of seeing patients injured in boot camps doing UNSAFE exercises led by undereducated instructors. Come learn from a chiropractor who is expert in the biomechanics of your spine and musculoskeletal system!

$20 is the low price of the class and allows you to bring a friend!
Bring a mat, a towel and water.

21730 Stevens Creek Blvd, Suite 102, Cupertino, CA

Wow. WOw. WOW!!!

Today got off to an amazing start. Three women in the gym came up to me this morning and asked if I had lost weight and told me I look great. These are ladies I have seen working out at the same time in the morning for over 10 years. One lady got up close, studied my face and said "your skin looks so much younger! And rested! You look like you have changed your diet. Our food shows up on our skin, you know!" Now these are people I don't know well enough to have blabbed about the O2 with. They were just taking the time to express their observations! And that was just at the gym. Then I got to work. Several of my patients today (and earlier this week for that matter) said "you look GREAT"! I did not get this many complements after my plastic surgery in August which I made NO attempt to hide from anyone. And let me tell ya, my AMAZING plastic surgeon, Dr. Seung Kim in Palo Alto, did a fantastic and very natural job.

So after some pretty interesting moments today, I got on the scale, and lo and behold, I have lost yet another pound! yep: 129! Good Grief!! I feel like I am eating 3 good meals a day, fruit and nut snack in the morning, vegie and nuts as my afternoon snack, and more fruit or a glass of wine at night. Oh yeah, and I CERTAINLY have 1/2 oz dark chocolate every day. This eating lifestyle is sustainable, healthy, and effective!

I am so glad I read about The O2 Diet by Keri Glassman in Women's Health magazine, got the book and embarked on this lifestyle. It is AWESOME!

Spring Spirit: Outdoors and Injuries

I am totally digging this spring weather here in California (sorry to those of you who are still slugging through cold, snow and rain), and I am inspired to get outside, hike, garden, exercise and cook with all the new spring vegetables and fruits showing up in the markets!

This Spring Spirit has prompted me at add two sidebars to the blog: My favorite hikes (once again, sorry if you aren't in the Bay Area of CA) and Recipe of the Day. Check them out!

The confounding thing about getting into the garden and onto the trail is the rate of injury to those muscles, joints and tendons that spent the winter in hibernation. Over the past two weeks, we have seen tons of painful low backs, overused wrists and elbows, strained knees.

So here are a few tips that apply to ALL sports including hiking and gardening. And YES! Gardening is a SPORT!

KEY TIP #1: "Warm" your muscles and joints BEFORE engaging in exercise and gardening. To "warm", do some fast walking either in place or around your yard or block for 5 minutes. Roll your shoulders, make circles with your wrists, ankles, knees.

KEY TIP #2: Stretch AFTER not BEFORE exercise! Always hold stretches for 10-20 seconds. Shorter than that does not allow muscles to release. Longer than that can cause microfibers within the muscles and tendons to burst.

KEY TIP #3: Stretch the parts you have used: If you have been gardening, stretch your shoulders, back, forearms. If you have been hiking, biking or running, stretch your back, shoulders, calves, thighs (back and front). If you have been weight lifting, stretch the muscles you just worked.

KEY TIP #4: HYDRATE! Take water on the trail, to the gym, to the garden.

KEY TIP #5: COME TO SPINE SAFE BOOT CAMP! 60 minutes of a workout that is tailored to YOUR body and YOUR abilities taught by Dr. Saber or Dr. Stein. Sundays 1-2 pm. RSVP by Friday at noon: 408-255-2592. $20 will admit you and a friend. CLASS SIZE IS VERY LIMITED!

Cut the carbs! (At least the bad ones.)

So, I apologize in advance to the loyal Dr. Lisa followers out there. This is Dr. David, and I wanted to write a short blog entry in the same vein as Dr. Lisa's journaling of her experience as she changes her eating style in accordance with Keri Glassman's The O2 Diet.

There are a few reasons I'm not following The O2 Diet. I don't want to say that I'm lazy, per se ... just that I'm 27. I'm a boy. At 6 feet in height, I weigh 165 lbs. I'm not looking to lose weight, and I haven't quite lost that immortality complex from my youth. Also, after coming in from San Francisco for a weekend of partying with my friends, the last thing I want to do is pre-plan my meals. Call that lazy if you want, but I'm being realistic. (Although, having said all that, I'm SUPREMELY grateful to have access to Dr. Lisa's knowledge of the O2 Diet and nutrition in general to help guide me as I start my new healthy eating plan.)

My plan came from a couple years ago, while in chiropractic school. I'm a biochemist by training (worked in a research lab for 3 years before moving here), so I had a decent handle on the effects of different foods on the body. What I didn't realize until my nutrition class was the effects of sugar and starchy foods on the body's hormones and immune system. I figured eating refined foods in moderation was ok, right? WRONG. Our bodies, quite simply, were never designed to eat such highly processed foods with such regularity. Table sugar and flour don't exist in nature. When you eat them, your blood sugar spikes, followed by your insulin levels. Insulin works to clear sugar from your blood. This causes 3 major problems: drastic drop in blood sugar levels (causing the afternoon crash), increase in whole-body inflammation levels (which increases your risk for heart disease and cancer), and when done consistently, desensitizes your body to the insulin hormone (e.g. type II diabetes). I don't want to sound melodramatic, and yes ... it is possible to eat a processed-food diet and not develop any of those conditions, but it's also possible to smoke every day of your life and not get lung cancer. Doesn't mean you're not increasing your risk.

Thoroughly scared? I know I was. So I endeavored to eliminate starch and sugar, and I can tell you first hand: it sucks. No pasta, no bread, no potatoes, no ketchup, etc. What the hell is a midwest boy supposed to eat?!? And FORGET about going out. Have you ever had 4 workers at Panera look at you like a total alien? If you haven't, just ask them which of their salad dressings don't have any sugar. (I'll make it easy for you and spare you the 5 minute searching with the manager through their binder of nutritional information: The Greek and the Cobb salad.)

The cravings are a nightmare ... for the first week. But after that, you don't really feel like eating those things anymore. And after a month, anything sugary like ice cream, brownies, or cheesecake sound entirely revolting. I'm going to pop in and share my 2 cents from time to time. I've been off the white stuff (my label for sugar, refined grains, white potatoes, and white rice) for a week and a half now, and I have to say, I feel SPECTACULAR. Wake up earlier with more energy that I have consistently throughout the day. My overall sensation of hunger has decreased. (No more waking up starving.)

Keep in mind, I am NOT on a low-carb diet. Or anything as prescriptive/restricted as the South Beach Diet. I'm just trying to eat very healthy most of the time while incorporating reasonable levels of exercise. And if a 27-year-old without a care in the world can do it, so can you.

~Dr. David

Sooo Good and So Very Very Bad

I think I got a little over confident after last Friday's weigh in. Although I had some fabulous hikes over the weekend, they certainly did NOT work off the UNCONSCIOUS INDULGENCE I got myself into last night at Kate's kick off BBQ! It all started with the blood orange juice margaritas. MMM. those were a little too good. I had TWO and they were NOT weak! That lowered my inhibitions to the point that having FIVE ribs, asparagus, mushrooms (ok, those were fine) and a bit of tabouli salad (ok, not so bad there, either) AND a LARGE slice of lemon tart with blackberries and whipped cream seemed perfectly reasonable. Sooooo good. and soooo bad!

Fortunately, as if reading my mind, this morning Keri Glassman posted on her FB page a detox remedy: no sugar or salt today, have a lemon water before each meal and eat some kale and blueberries today. Just another day to get back in the saddle. Giddy-up!

Still a Loser!!!! And a Winner!

OMG! I cannot believe I have lost another half pound! I am now 130.5 lbs. lordy! I had 2 glasses of wine on St Patty's Day and have had 1/2 oz dark chocolate daily along with all my other meals and snacks. I keep the grainy carb to one serving in the morning and 2 fruit carbs daily. Whoo hoo! Also, I have been omitting another cheat on this blog: I sometimes have a tsp of honey in my tea!!!!! This diet is SOOOOOO working for me.

And here is some exciting news: my skin is getting really clear! whoo hoo! THis is a BIG DEAL for me. Now, I must say that I am in perimenopause, and my acne has always been triggered by my menses. I have not had a period since Jan 14. This may be part of the explanation. We'll see how this goes.

I have not started using any of Keri's natural skin care recipes mostly cuz once I buy the food I want to eat it rather than smear it on my face. I'm kinda food obsessed. Once I see those plump glowy blueberries or that voluptuous avocado, I can't smear it on my face. I gotta pop em in my mouth!

Toodaloo!

Artichoke-Basil-Lemon-Pistachio Pesto

For this super yummy, easy and high ORAC pesto, I started with Keri Glassman's Lemon Artichoke Pesto stuffed chicken recipe which is AMAZING. (it's on her website www.nutritiouslife.com and in The O2 Diet book)

I tweaked it cuz I had leftover spinach, no walnuts but lots of raw shelled pistachios.

Into a food processor or blender toss
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
1 bunch of basil leaves
1 can of water packed artichoke hearts
1 tsp of crushed garlic
fresh grated lemon peel of one lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 small handfuls of raw shelled pistachios
1 oz of grated parmesan
2 T extra virgin olive oil
dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne

Pulse until you have achieved the texture you like. I like it when the pistachios are still a little crunchy, but for some applications, you might like it smoother.

adjust seasonings such as lemon juice and garlic and cayenne to taste.

Great on everything from chicken breasts to eggs to pasta to acorn squash or spread on an open faced sandwich! Also stir it into soups or shake up with more lemon juice and olive oil for a salad dressing!

Super Easy, Fast and Yummy high ORAC Fish

Super Easy, Fast and Yummy high ORAC Fish.

One of my dearest oldest friends, Kathy Tavitian, taught be this dish last night, and she, being the super busy career woman she is, has very little time for cooking.

Take any fish filet you like: Snapper, cod, salmon, tilapia and divide into serving size pieces.
Place on sheet of foil about 3 times the size of the fish.
Dollop salsa plentifully on top. If you are in Phase III of the O2 Diet, add a tablespoon of grated cheese to the top.
Crimp the foil edges, sealing the fish in a little packet.
Bake at 375 15-20 minutes depending on thickness of fish.

VOILA!

P.S. you can slice some carrots and broccoli and add to packet if you like
serve with a salad.

Mangia!

That Conniving Little Voice

Last Friday I weighed in at 131 again, so I have maintained my 10 pound weight loss! Whoo Hoo! I haven't been this weight since I was about 31! I am really liking this weight. I feel pretty---dare I say---hopeful about maintaining this weight by keeping my evening munchies under control to one of my two daily servings of fruit and by really being prepared for my meals and snacks, even if "being prepared" means going to a restaurant and pre-planning what I am going to have. Well, let's be honest here, I am going to have to pay close attention to that little voice that constantly wants to sneak honey into my tea, whipped cream onto my strawberries, a handful of granola at night. That little voice is sneaky. Clever. Manipulative. Must. be. corralled and channeled into other forms of pleasure: reading, massage, exercise, a bath. yada yada. Like I EVER took a bath when I was craving sugar. Uh HUH. NOT!!!!!!

I believe that Keri Glassman has suggested a mere TWO "Conscious Indulgences" per week, but I have one every single day. So far, I have not paid the price in weight gain. Every day I have about 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate in one form or another. On the weekends I might ALSO have a glass of wine which means on some days I have TWO Conscious Indulgences! Call me lucky that so far I have maintained a good weight with this strategy. I think I have a pretty fast metabolism AND I have an active job and exercise 6 days per week, so perhaps I can hold onto this weight through these peri-menopausal years with controlled Conscious Indulgences.

So, if any of you are confused about what the Phase III and beyond O2 Lifestyle daily regimen is, I believe it is supposed to work out something like this:

Breakfast:
2/3 c to 1c of nonfat dairy or eggs (1yolk, 2-3 whites)
1 serving whole grain carb OR 1 fruit
green tea
spice or herb (ie cinnamon w/ dairy or oregano w/egg)
lemon water

Snack:
1 serving fruit or 1 serving vegetable
8 nuts or some avocado
tea and or lemon water

Lunch:
3-4 oz Lean protein
vegetables ie steamed or salad with herb/spice
fat serving ie 2 tsp olive oil
lemon water

Snack:
1 serving fruit or 1 serving vegetable
8 nuts or some avocado
OR Power Snack: 2/3-1 c nonfat dairy and 1/2-1 serving fruit
tea and or lemon water

Dinner
3-4 oz Lean protein
vegetables ie steamed or salad with herb/spice
fat serving ie 2 tsp olive oil
lemon water

One can insert either one additional grain OR one additional fruit (for a max of one serving grain plus two servings fruit OR one serving fruit and two servings grain) I routinely take one serving grain and 2 servings fruit. I like the fruit better, plus they provide more ORAC points!

Twice per week:
conscious indulgence
ie 1/2 oz dark chocolate
1 glass red wine (5 oz)

Hypo or Hyper?

It is Thursday, March 11, and I have finally returned to eating the O2 Lifestyle way without much gastrointestinal irritation. My final hurdle is the breakfast meal. I was having plan hot oatbran cereal for the last 10 days or so, unable to digest anything more complicated than that first thing in the morning (meaning no nuts, nonfat milk, fruit, coffee, green tea, etc). Today I tried my favorite weekday breakfast of 1 slice of 7 grain bread with 2 tsp unsalted almond butter. MISTAKE! I had a lot of indigestion (can we say BURPING?) for the next hour. Thank God most of that was spent driving to work and not with my patients! I don't think anyone wants their chiro burping in their face! Snacks, lunch and dinner are all ok, and I can manage green tea, as well.

My last dose of prilosec was Monday, March 8. I have not noticed a difference since going off of it, so I see no reason to continue for the full 14 days (took it for 6) as I don't want my gastric acid production shut off long term. That can't be good. Now I am seriously wondering if my problem is not increased gastric acid as much as low gastric acid. The symptoms are remarkably similar: indigestion, burping, nausea. Increased gastric acid can cause heartburn, but low acid does not. I don't have heartburn. So I am trying a little vinegar on or with my meals to see if the extra acid helps. If it worsens my symptoms, I will stop. Any one else have any feedback? In the meantime, I will continue with ginger, cinnamon and tumeric all of which aid gastric function and fight H. Pylori Bacter, a common culprit in gastric problems.

Anyone out there have any ideas?

Oscars, Red Hots and Junior Mints: strategies for coping with the Devil

Just read Keri Glassman's FB page today and was reminded how important it is to have my snacks and meals pre-planned, and when possible, prepped to take to work, etc. If I don't do this, I am far more likely to skip a snack or even possibly a meal (often this is lunch on the weekends) which leads me to, you guessed it, justify some poor choices at dinner or after, ie, a dessert AND some wine, etc). I do really well when I have my lunches and dinners made ahead to take to work (I eat dinner at the end of my work shift before I get home because I have a long commute and I don't get home until 8 pm. Since I go to bed at 9:30 pm, that does not leave enough time to digest my dinner, contributing to acid indigestion. Besides, I am ravenous by 6:45 pm when I am done with my last patient.) I am even good about pre-planning and packing my morning and afternoon snacks during the work week. If I am going out to dinner or lunch, I am careful to select restaurants that serve salad and lean protein such as fish or sashimi and seaweed salad. I avoid Indian restaurants as it is really hard to eat lean protein and steamed or raw vegetables in those establishments. I also avoid Pizza places and all fast food. That's no big sacrifice for me, as I have long avoided all of those.

Strangely enough, I have the hardest time with my weekend lunches. I am usually at home, and I just don't feel like preparing a salad with protein or steamed vegetables and protein, and I don't eat carbs at lunch EVER! as they make me drowsy so sandwiches and wraps are OUT. My brilliant new idea is to make a big batch of soup on Wednesdays so I can easily heat it up on the weekends as well as take it to work. I know, I know, there are a lot of decent canned soups out there, but I like to make soup, and my own are better. Furthermore, if I am going to be running errands on the weekend and missing lunch at home, I can just tuck a thermos of soup into my car ahead of time. Expect to see more soup recipes on this blog in the future!

So last night I went to an Oscar's Party. I had a glass of white wine, and it did no harm to my tummy (Yay!), but then out came the "movie snacks": little bowls of Red Hots, Junior Mints, Milk Duds and fresh popped popcorn on each table. After my delicious and nutritious dinner of grilled salmon atop a bed of steamed vegies, I could not keep my hands out of those little devils. My old hand to mouth, nonstop snacking addiction, took over, and I must have had 30 Red Hots!

NOTE TO SELF: keep the tempting little buggers out of my visual range! I could have moved away from the table where the snacks were (my table mates wanted them on the table, so I could not kindly remove them), and that is a strategy I will have to employ in the future!

But, as the brilliant and optimistic Keri Glassman says on today's FB page, every meal is like a Monday morning, a chance to eat a nutritious meal. And today IS Monday, and I am off to a good start! Here is to a nutritious dinner and fresh blueberries for a snack tonight!

Gobble gobble

Vegetarian Artichoke Heart Vegetable Soup

Dr. Lisa's Artichoke Heart Vegetable Soup (vegetarian)

This soup is quick, easy, inexpensive, low cal and a full meal with 9,500 ORAC points per serving! Great for lunch or dinner on a chilly day!

4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder (more to taste if you like spicy!)
1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped cauliflower
1 c. sliced crimini mushrooms
1 c water packed artichoke hearts, drained
1 c. diced canned tomatoes, drained
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 package frozen asparagus tips
1 cup kale, cut in thin strips
8 oz white wine
chopped pistachios

spray a nonstick skillet with some canola oil or melt 1 tsp butter over medium heat. add apple, onion, mushrooms and cauliflower. saute until onions golden. meanwhile, pour the vegetable broth in a large soup pot, add all the spices and bring to simmer. add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, black eyed peas. when sauted vegetable mixture is golden, add those to the soup pot.
add the frozen asparagus tips and kale. watch the soup. when the asparagus is bright green and tender, add the white wine. take off heat.

ladle into bowls and top with 10 chopped pistachios per serving
Makes 6 servings
9500 ORACs per serving

Success with Green Tea

Feeling better day by day. Today I had 2 cups of green tea without irritating my tummy. That's good news. Still better stay away from coffee, though. Can't believe I am getting used to life with so little caffeine!

Now, to try inventing some artichoke chicken soup!
Don't even think I'll post the recipe until after Keri Glassman's recipe contest is over! hahahaha!

OMG--I forgot that my "pampering" for completing 32 days is a new bikini. Maybe I will go try some on tomorrow.......Whoo hoo!

32 days: 10 pounds down

Since today is Friday, I decided to weigh in. 131.5 So I gained a pound since Tuesday which is, in my mind, a good thing. I think my best weight is between 130 and 135, and I feel confident I can stay at that level while eating Phase III of the O2 Diet. Being sick with the tummy thing has certainly curtailed my coffee habit. Wine, too! And I know I can only have a tiny amount of chocolate: a half ounce every few days. When one has increased gastric acid production, one is not supposed to eat 2 hours before going to bed, or one pays a price in a big way, so there goes any temptation of nighttime snacking--my pre O2 Diet downfall.

Now my challenge is, as I start to feel better, resume eating a little MORE! I have had to eat minimal breakfast (only 1/2 hot oatbran with cinnamon and NOTHING else), small lunch: greens and thoroughly cooked protein, tinier dinner: chicken vegetable soup with only a few raw pecans as snack in between. I have not felt up to fruit and only a little big of plain non fat yogurt, so this weekend, I will try some low acid fruit, like berries, and a little more yogurt. Still dubious about the green tea's effect on my tummy. Wine and all things alcoholic are FEARSOME!

In the meantime, Keri Glassman has put forth a recipe challenge on her Nutritious Life Facebook page, and I intend to enter! I am going to experiment with some soups. And I have an idea for an O2 acceptable phase III Tart!

Will keep you posted on the recipe experiments.

All in all, I lost 10 pounds on the O2 Diet over 32 days, although the last 5 days of the diet I was a bit sick.

Cayenne and Ginger and Tumeric, Oh My!

And there is more: Capsaicin in cayenne increases production of the protective mucosal barrier of the stomach lining; both garlic and ginger fight H. Pylori Bacter, a bacteria that causes many ulcers, and Tumeric reduces acidity of the stomach lining.

So far, I am finding lots of great spices to consume to speed my healing and get off the Prilosec! Yay!

Instead of Green Tea, I'll be drinking ginger-cinnamon tea for awhile! And NO problem adding cayenne and tumeric and marjoram to my foods.

P.S. my oh my, this 130 lb status is a bit too thin, I think. I may be alone in this opinion, but I believe 52 year old women look better with a bit of softness and bodyfat. While I am not gaunt or skeletal, I don't want to lose one more ounce. Gaining a couple of pounds would be just fine;-)

Medicinal roles for cinnamon and marjoram! Hurray!

I just read that cinnamon helps to normalize the stomach lining and regulate gastric acid production! Furthermore, marjoram, a very high ORAC value relative of oregano, combats H. Pylori! http://www.healthyfellow.com/316/herbs-and-spices-of-life/

Guess what I am loading up on??

Human Test Tube

Got into see a doc who, based on my history, ruled out bacterial or parasitic infection (no fever or diarrhea) and gallstones (no sharp abdominal pain) and presumes I have viral enteritis (viral flu in the GI tract) and elevated gastric acid production. Rather than performing diagnostic tests to rule out H. Pylori Bacter, she wants me to take 2 weeks worth of prilosec to eliminate the symptoms of belching and sour stomach. I have reluctantly consented to do this, although I am not real keen on the insurance-influenced approach of treat first with OTC drugs that the patient pays for, run more costly diagnostics later if and only if the drugs don't work. In other words, my body is the test tube. What is worse in this scenario is that the Prilosec WILL mask the symptoms of belching and sour tummy because it WILL decrease the production of my gastric acid, but how does that affect my overall digestion and absorption of nutrients?? I will do this for 2 weeks only and if the symptoms recur, I'll go to my regular doctor and insist on at least some stool and blood testing.

While at the medical clinic, I also learned that my weight dropped to 130! Good grief! I have not weighed this little in YEARS. I can't attribute this recent weight loss to The O2 Diet, though. This is all about being afraid to eat much of anything. I CERTAINLY don't want to drop any more pounds, so I just ate a "power snack" of plain nonfat yogurt and some strawberries with a little drizzle of chocolate. Perhaps Keri Glassman would call that a power snack with a conscious indulgence. Whatever. Little by little, day by day, I hope to add elements of the O2 Diet back into my challenged gut. Tonight I will have a salad with artichoke hearts, asparagus and chicken.

Oh yeah, get this: The doc handed me a sheet of paper that says I am to avoid caffeine (yep, green tea, coffee, chocolate), alcohol, pepper, peppermint, spearmint, aspirin and ibuprofen, acidic foods (citrus and tomatoes), "highly spiced foods" (what does that mean? cinnamon and oregano or just chili pepper hot spiced foods? garlic?), and a plethora of other things. Looks like I will be getting my ORAC points through fruits, vegetables and pecans, although I'm going to research to see if cinnamon and oregano, two really high ORAC value spices, trigger acid production. If they don't, I'm gonna need em if I hope to attain my 30,000 ORACS daily!

Perhaps Ms. Glassman could provide some advise for the many many Americans who suffer from increased gastric acid production.....

STILL wrestling with this tummy bug. WHINE

Boo Hoo Hoooo. I am STILL wrestling with this tummy bug: nausea, sour stomach, lower intestinal cramping, gas and constipation mingling with awful hot flashes right before each episode of one of the above stated symptoms. It seems all started suddenly after eating Char on Feb 20 and has not abated one bit. I can eat very little without triggering more symptoms. Even almond butter on 7 grain toast sends me into a tailspin. I can eat a chicken vegetable soup from Whole Foods, a simple salad of greens and cooked chicken with rice wine vinegar and that is about it. Even an apple sent me into a tailspin, so I have been very hesitant to eat another. Successfully munched a few blueberries, so I will try more of those today. I also managed to digest some nonfat organic plain yogurt. I am wondering if this is gall bladder (sometimes fat seems to trigger and both my parents had gallstones and I am 52--prime age) or a bug, but both my Internist and my Gastroenterologist are out of town for two more weeks, so getting tested soon by any doctor of merit is not looking real feasible. So I am downing plenty of probiotics.

If you are still reading my WHINE, I mention this only because I have not been able to eat all that I need to stay true to the O2 diet and keep up with the 30,000 ORAC points a day. I am using cinnamon when I can. Today I will try it on some nonfat yogurt and blueberries. I will also try some water packed packed artichoke hearts and some steamed asparagus with some oregano and a few raw pecans. This really sucks PARTICULARLY because I have had this interruption just 6 days before the conclusion of the 32 Day Challenge I has set for myself.

On the plus side, I seriously doubt I have gained any weight. Probably lost some. So stay tuned if you can "stomach" it. So to speak. Sorry.

I'll Take The 4Day Cleanse over this ANY DAY!

Blech, I have spent the last 36 hours with some kind of tummy bug. NOT a fun way to lose weight. I'll take the 4 day cleanse over this ANY DAY! I am not sure if this is a virus or just something bad I ate--like the Char I cooked Saturday night or the funny smelling Resveratrol pill I took Saturday night. I know, I know. I'm a doctor and should know better. I just thought Resveratrol was supposed to smell bad. Dr. Jack Kruse assured me that it should not. Okie Dokie, then. Anyway, I'm paying for whatever with a very upset stomach AND colon. I wish I could just vomit and get it out of my system, but NOOOOOooo. It's coming out the slooowwww way.

Friday night I had two glasses of wine and an on target O2 meal: some yummy salmon over some very lightly steamed broccoli slaw with some light tasty sauce and a salad with a tsp of vinaigrette. I have decided that 1-2 glasses of wine is not something I am going to trash myself over if I can keep my portions and indulgences under control otherwise. And so far I am doing really well with portions, empty carb avoidance and sugar avoidance. So far, I have had a few days when I enjoyed a half ounce of dark chocolate, and that is quite satisfying. I am beginning to see a future where this eating lifestyle truly is a lifestyle. I am actually moving beyond my need to snack unconsciously on untold quantities of nuts and granola after a full meal of uncontrolled portions. How cool!!

I think 64 oz of lemon water per day is too acidic for my stomach AND my teeth, so I am hydrating with more plain water, but I am still getting plenty of ORACs each day, since all of my favorite fruits and vegetables and nuts and spices seem to be the high ORAC ones anyway. I am a cinnamon FREAK! Love it in my coffee and certain herbal teas (not green tea though: YUCK), my almond butter toast, on many fruits and in yogurt. If I eat hot cereal in the future, it will go on that too. Gives a sweet taste without sugar. Whoo HOO!

This weekend I cooked up some Char, a relative of salmon and trout. Does anyone know the EFA value in Char? It sure is tasty and can be found in season and wild now, whereas salmon cannot. It has a milder flavor than salmon but can be prepared in the salmon way with the same sauces, sides, etc.

See, I can write about food now, so I must be feeling a little better!

Lower Still

Weigh in day, and I gotta say, I was dreading it after last weekend's fiasco of Unconscious Decadence. And yet, I lost another .5 lbs--down to 133.5! I really have been back in the saddle since Tuesday, and was not horribly indulgent on Monday (ok, yeah, I had TWO cookies, but I was very good otherwise) with my food.

And while I am pleased to see the numbers on the scale and happy with how my clothes fit, I know that this diet is more about a total approach to health, and I must now focus on getting more water in, sleeping a bit more (damn those 4 am hot flashes!) and taking some conscious relaxation time. Oh Yeah, and COUNTING THE ORAC point EVERY DAY!

Here was yesterday

6 oz lemon water
1/2 cup 2% organic milk
500 2 tsp almond butter
400 1 slice 7 grain bread
1 mug coffee
3500 1/2 tsp cinnamon

7100 1 granny smith apple
2500 10 pecan halves

800 butter leaf lettuce salad with
7000 artichoke hearts
800 red bell pepper
500 red cabbage
200 4 oz chicken with 1 T artichoke pesto
100 2 tsp balsalmic
100 2 tsp olive oil
1800 1/2 tsp oregano

500 1/2 c red bell pepper
2500 10 pecans
1/2 non fat milk
2700 chai tea
3500 1/2 tsp cinnamon

200 4 oz chicken w 1 T artichoke pesto
3800 1 cup broccoli steamed
800 1 c celery root cauliflower soup

16 oz water

2000 handful dried cranberries and wasabi peas

16 oz lemon water
2800 .5 oz 85%dark chocolate

36,000 ORACS plus!

This would be a pretty typical day except often I have fish and blueberries and I don't have chocolate daily.

I think I am pretty on target with my ORACs as I tend to stick with high value nuts, fruits and vegetables and herbs and spices!

Aaaaannnd--it's Friday! another weekend of challenges!

Big Explosion of Flavors and Textures

Here is a great little appetizer I adapted from a Thai cooking website to comply with O2 Lifestyle. Great to take to a party so you don't overindulge in the cheesy low ORAC stuff! Or eat 4 or 5 of them for a meal! Yummy! Big explosion of flavors and textures!

Miang Kum: Thai spinach wraps

Large spinach leaves (not baby leaves--bigger ones) or butter leaf lettuce leaves
chopped garlic
chopped pecans or pistachios or peanuts--or all 3
chopped ginger
baby shrimp or a little salmon--poached or smoked
toasted unsweetened coconut (I dry toast it in a skillet--super easy)
special sauce: fish sauce, powdered ginger, soy sauce, lime juice , coconut water, mixed to taste

assemble all of the ingredients in a lettuce or spinach leaf, top with some sauce and enjoy!

Back in the Saddle. Sorta

Well, the weekend of Unconscious Decadence is behind me and I have done well the last few days eating The O2 Way. I have figured out that the best way for me to avoid continued eating AFTER a meal is to have lots of vegetables with the meal, i.e. a generous salad (with 2 tsp oil MAX) AND steamed vegetables with a little citru juice and/or rind (ie broccoli with lemon and oregano or thyme; asparagus with orange--yumm and coriander) plus my 4 oz protein serving. Having a big glass of sparkling water with lemon before dinner helps too.

I really have not been getting enough water or green tea. I get two cups of Oolong daily, but for some reason, the green tea, which I have loved in the past, is just not doing it for me these days. It may be all the lemony water has changed my taste buds in a way that the astringency of green tea is not floating my boat. Anyway, I have been having Oolong tea with a splash of nonfat milk and sometimes some cinnamon. Then today I read a posting by nutrition conscious neurosurgeon, Dr. Jack Kruse, that dairy inhibits the anti-oxidant effects of tea where as acid (ie lemon) enhances those effects. SOOOoooo, I guess I need to start taking my tea with lemon instead of milk. I will miss the creamy goodness.....

I am still being terrible about logging my intake daily. It seems all I can do to get my food organized and schlepped around and eaten, my water and tea consumed, my 8 hrs of sleep (recently interrupted by the onset of 4 am hotflashes--Jees!) and personal pampering AND daily exercise accomplished in the midst of working and completing my honey-dos. (My husband is constantly thinking up honey-dos. Grrrr.) I don't know how SOME people do it: maintaining the diet, working mega hours, travelling all over the country doing media events, exercising AND caring for two young kids. Hmmmmmmm

Celery Root and Granny Smith Soup

This is such a wonderful soup and easy to make. It fits in perfectly with Phase II of the O2 Diet. I adapted it from a recipe I found on epicurious.com

1 celery root, peeled and chopped
1-2 granny smith apples, cored and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 parsnip, sliced (optional)
1 head cauliflower, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, low sodium
thyme, black pepper to taste

In large pot, cook celery root, cauliflower and parsnip in the vegetable or chicken broth until soft. Meanwhile, in nonstick skillet sprayed with canola oil, cook onion and apple until soft and slightly golden.

Transfer all to food processor with thyme and black pepper. Puree.

Garnish with:

Chive oil
turkey bacon bits

Chive oil:
1/2 c. chopped chives
1/2 c. olive oil
whirl in food processor until pretty smooth

Turkey bacon bits: lay turkey bacon slices on several paper towels on plate. cover with more paper towels. microwave for about 3 minutes or until desired doneness achieved. remove paper towels and blot any oil with more paper towels. crumble when cooled enough to handle

Garnish 1 cup soup with 1 tsp chive oil and 1 tsp bacon bits

Did I ever blow it: Unconscious Decadence on Valentine's Day.

Man, oh man, did I ever blow it this Valentine's/President's day weekend. Went to a party Saturday night where all my gourmand wine loving friends were in attendance. I probably had 2.5 glasses of wine. I did not do terrible damage on the food having brocolli and cabbage salad, spinach/shrimp wraps, a small cup of yummy roasted poblano chili and corn soup and some scallops with a coconut milk red thai chili sauce. Oh, and a bite of homemade baklava. I could have done worse. The real problem came on Valentine's day when my husband took me wine tasting in the incomparable Paso Robles region (like Napa only better). You know how that wine tasting is: they pour you little tiny amounts so you can't calculate how much you have had. At the first winery (Tobin James) I actually had one sip of a few varietals and dumped the rest. The next winery (Silver Horse) I had a few more sips of some yummy cabs. The THIRD winery I spied some chocolate covered strawberries that went a little too well with that syrah. Hmmm. 4 Chocolate covered strawberries. I was waayyy beyond "Conscious Indulgences" and deep into Unconsciouscious Decadence. Then we went to the fourth winery. The owner there was so enthusiastic that he poured me a full glass of Mouvedre (excellent: Cass Winery) and THEN a half glass of the most fantastic Grenache. I vaguely remember going into the men's room at the advice of the owner to check out a naked female mannequin. I have no idea why she was in there, but so was the other owner--using the urinal. Did I turn on my heels and leave? Nooooo. I started chatting with him about the mannequin and his fantastic Grenache. Lord! My husband yanked me out of that place as fast as he could, but not before I had purchased a case of said Grenache and joined the wine club.

All this took place before 6 p.m. and I had not yet had dinner. We went for Thai food. There was not a thing on that menu that fit within the O2 Diet. I had some kind of fish dish with a curry sauce and vegies and a green papaya salad. The good news is that I ate only half of each dish. The bad news is that I had already severely blown the diet with all that wine.

Well, I sure did pay for it today. My tummy was NOT happy with such a shock. So I had a handmade Scharffenbergers Chocolate chunk cookie at the Brown Butter Cookie Bakery in Cayucos after breakfast. Sound reasonable? Those chocolate chunks were still melty when I ate it. God.

When I got home tonight, I set to work cooking up some no-fail meals for the weak. I steamed up a bunch of broccoli, asparagus and fish, made a giant salad and some delicious cauliflower celery root soup. I am going back on Phase II where it is safe. I will have one Conscious Indulgence next weekend, and it will NOT be wine. Chocolate maybe. I think I'll stick with one of the recipes in the book.

What can I do but get back in the saddle and keep on moving forward?

Oh yeah, and today I read in the book that in Phase III we are only supposed to have one Conscious Indulgence PER WEEK---not PER DAY! I think I had enough for 2 months.....

Facing down the Phase III challenge

Made it through a night out last night pretty successfully. I enjoyed 1.5 glasses of red wine, some short rib braised in a honey wine reduction with braised chard and carrots and a small cup of tomato fennel soup. For dessert a had my first dried hibiscus flower which I got at Trader Joe's. I wonder what the ORAC value of THAT was?? Hibiscus is supposed to be good for lowering blood pressure. I imagine it does have an ORAC value. Anyway, while I did succomb to a little more than 1 glass of wine, I left a half glass on the bar and sipped very very slowly while we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics at the Huntington Station bar in Morgan Hill after dinner. I had the primo seat right in front of the bartender, and I just kept ordering sparkling water--had about 3 of those!

This morning I made a super yummy scramble of 1 yolk/3 whites, purple kale, red bell pepper and artichoke heart seasoned with a little habanero hot sauce which I downed with 1 slice of 7 grain toast. Dang! I forgot the oregano. Oh well, I added a bunch of cinnamon to my French Roast with 1/2 c. organic 1% milk. Yummy breakfast. I know we are supposed to have 1 cup of nonfat milk at breakfast, but I save the other 1/2 c for some decaf coffee or tea later in the day: another opportunity for cinnamon!

I just filled out my first daily log last night! I have been such a bad girl by neglecting the logging and counting of ORACs, although I am pretty confident I am exceeding the 30,000 ORACS daily by focusing on very high ORAC foods: granny smiths, asparagus, artichoke hearts, kale, red cabbage, pecans, cinnamon, oregano, tea, blueberries, tomatoes, red bell peppers,spinach.

I am also forgetting to do daily pampering, although, honestly, my life is pretty relaxed. I have a long standing habit of getting 7-8 hours of sleep, exercising 5-6 days per week, and working only 35 hours per week.

But, while working to stabilize on phase III, I am going to start logging my intake daily. maybe not on this blog--too boring. But I'll try to continue with recipe ideas.

Tonight: an "International Food Olympic Party" at Kate's. There will be some amazing food and wine there, so I will be challenged ONCE AGAIN!

WOWEEE! Phase II complete with more success!

Whoo hoo! I weighed in this morning at 134: one pound lighter than last week. I really thought I might have gained a pound or maintained. As I write this I realize that I am getting really hungry and thirsty and as I glance at my clock I see it is DEFINITELY snack time: 10 am. So hold on while I count out my 10 nuts, slice my granny smith and sprinkle it with cinnamon......

How we focus on the numbers to measure our success. So shallow! Let's see what other victories I can acknowledge besides my flattish tummy and absent muffin tops:

Definitely learning portion control!

Definitely learning how to limit or eliminate my nighttime snack (last night my snack was herbal tea as I ate my fruit earlier in the day. never thought I could have gone without a cup of granola or a CUP of nuts before trying the O2 diet!!!)

Energy has been good, although it was good before. I have always exercised consistently, slept adequately and taken lots of antioxidants. But I didn't lose energy on few calories. YAY!

I am gaining TRUST and CONFIDENCE in myself to develop new habits and use self control. I have not had a lot of trust in my self control in the past, so this is perhaps my BIGGEST VICTORY!

So...I look forward to the challenge and reward of Phase III: allowing myself Conscious Indulgences but using portion control. Can I do it? Say yes, Lisa. You can do it. Most of the time......

Tonight is going out with friends night. Let's see how well I hold up.....

Salmon with Strawberry Balsamic Glaze

Salmon with Strawberry Balsalmic Glaze

I made another recipe from the brilliant O2 Diet by Keri Glassman. She has a fantastic recipe for Salmon with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze, but raspberries are really expensive right now, so I substituted frozen organic strawberries. It was delicious! This is how I did it:

I quadrupled the book's recipe so I had enough for 4 servings. Based on that, this is what I used:

1 package frozen organic strawberries, thawed
5 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed Orange juice squeezed from the orange from which I grated
1 tsp fresh orange peel
2 T red wine
1 1/2 tsp agave syrup (honey would be good too)

Dump all ingredients together in sauce pan, cook over medium low for about 15-20 minutes until reduced to your desired thickness, stirring and mashing strawberries from time to time. Whirl in blender til smooth.

Serve over salmon or, for a Conscious Indulgence, over plain nonfat yogurt with a few fresh strawberries and some crumbled toasted pecans!

super yummy! Thanks, Keri!

Last Day of Phase II--just when I am getting used to it!

Well, today is my last day of Phase II, just when I am getting used to it! In Phase III, we get to add a high ORAC value complex carb at dinner--such as a sweet potato--and a Conscious Indulgence--such as a glass of red wine or 1/2 oz dark chocolate if we want. Whoo hoo!

Uh...ah, I guess I better confess my bookclub night indulgence, although it was far better than a typical bookclub. I abstained from all the wine and what was described as an absolutely delicious chocolate mousse cake! For dinner I had a little poached salmon and 1/2 chicken breast, bell peppers and a spinach and tomato salad with vinegar and herbs. For dessert I had some nonfat plain yogurt with cinnamon, cardamom and about 1/2 c berries. Then came the cheat: raw unsalted pistachios which ARE a high ORAC nut, but I succombed to my non-stop munching so I had just a tad more than the 18 pistachio limit. I probably had 3 times that many! So the next morning at snack time I had blueberries but no nuts.

For the past two days I had the same fabulous Vietnamese Chicken Salad (shredded cabbage, carrots and onion topped with sliced chicken breast and about 1 tsp of chopped peantus and a rice vinegar dressing) and both days I felt so sated that I had NO CRAVING. I think it is because there is enough volume to the meal, mostly vegetable. I have also noticed that when I have enough vegetables at dinner, I don't crave more food. I think this is about getting my stomach just full enough to trigger my satiety center in my brain to send me the signal to stop eating. I am used to eating enough food that I am pretty full, HQ 2-3. So now I do best when I finish a meal at HQ 3-4 (satisfied to pretty satisfied). Finishing at 5 (neutral) just leaves me wanting MORE! Maybe I will move past this if I can get really used to finishing a meal at 3-4 consistently.

Overall, I can say that my cravings for sugar have declined dramatically, and I am really dialing into portion control on trailmix and nuts (my previous default snack of choice when I would eat about a CUP at a time!!)

My next challenge in Phase III will be to keep those Conscious Indulgences within limits--ie STOPPING the wine at 1 glass instead of 2 and keeping the dark chocolate to 1/2 oz instead of...oh...4 oz!!!!!!

Weigh in tomorrow! Wonder if I have gained! I'd be happy to hold even at the 135 I hit last week!

Stay tuned

Oh, do post if you notice you have trouble finishing a meal at the HQ of 5-6 (neutral or still slightly hungry) as Keri suggests we do! Have any tricks for me?

Three more days til Phase III. Can I make it??

Today I got through the afternoon with far fewer cravings. YAY! AND I had a fantastic lunch AT A RESTAURANT that was a perfect phase II meal. It was super yummy and I was completely satisfied afterward!

The restaurant, in Morgan Hill, CA, is called VietAsia. The "chicken salad" was made up of shredded red and green cabbage and very finely diced and evidently blanched (not completely raw) white onions and carrots, topped with sliced chicken breast and toasted crushed peanuts and fresh mint. The dressing is the real kicker: rice vinegar, fish sauce, pepper, garlic, and a little sprinkle of chili powder. I think I tasted a trace of sugar in it too, but very little. So this was an oil free dressing. I drank some yummy green tea with the meal, of course. Definitely gonna try to duplicate this recipe at home, and when I succeed, I will post it!

Tonight is my beloved book club meeting. Basically, the six of us women enjoy plenty of wine and yummy desserts over our book discussion. So I am faced with resisting those temptations AGAIN! Everyday has its challenges.

I CAN'T WAIT TIL PHASE III! Three more days.......

Fast Eatin'

Today Keri made some good suggestions dealing with a craving. She suggested waiting it out 10 minutes to see how I feel. If the craving persists, I could have a tsp of peanut butter or eat additional protein at lunch if I am just plain hungry. Today, I got through it with some coffee and waiting it out until my snack. After my snack of bells and almonds, the craving subsided.

I am realizing now that I often feel like eating MORE right after I finish a meal, and this has been a lifetime pattern. I probably eat too fast and my satiety center in my brain has not had time to kick in the signal that I am satisfied. OR It may be that I could use more protein at meals. I have a fairly high metabolism and an active job and lifestyle.

I have to be very careful about nut butter. I carefully dole out 2 tsp on my 7 grain toast in the morning, but I can really really go to town on that stuff if I am not super careful. I DARE NOT take it to work! I have those little .25 oz wrapped Scharffenberger chocolates in my desk drawer in case of dire emergency. Today I did not succomb. YAY! I think drinking lemon water may quell a craving. If it is tart enough, it ruins my "taste" for anything else. I will try that tomorrow along with a little more protein.

I think the most important thing about this diet (other than building ORAC value awareness) is controlling my portions and learning to eat consciously. When I know that I get a limited amount, I eat more slowly and really savor each bite. The other amazing feat is that I am starting to realize I have far more self discipline than I EVER thought I had! Now THAT is cool!


Anybody else eat so fast that after the meal, you still feel like eating, not knowing if you have had enough or not?

Constant Craving

Got through the awful post lunch craving with some coffee (1/2 decaf cuz too much caffeine makes me RAVENOUS about 90 minutes later. anyone else experience that?) Now it is 3:47--just 2 hours after lunch and 3 hours before dinner and I have plowed through my bell pepper and carrot snacks and am about to down 10 more pecans. OK, maybe some lemon water will help.......

lord!

I think I deserve some kinda medal for ignoring the big tray of dark chocolate heart shaped truffles sitting in my waiting room for our big Valentine's day promotion......But a medal is not what I want. I want a big decadent meal.....

Hmmm. Maybe I am premenstrual. These days I never know when that is coming (I'm 52. If you aren't there yet, trust me, it's a rollercoaster)

toughing it out

This Hoosier is a little disappointed at yesterday's game, but she gutted out it with only 10 almonds and some raw bell peppers and sparkling water as game snacks. For dinner I made Keri Glassman's lemon artichoke pesto stuffed chicken with some steamed veggies. It was pretty good! made enough for more dinners this week. I substitued pistachios for the walnuts as I didn't have any. Also used water packed artichoke hearts and some very good olive oil instead of oil packed artichokes.

So I just finished lunch and I am having a craving moment right now. I want more food!!!!! Carby chocolately goodness. warm comfort food. apple crisp.....mmmm. I am torturing myself. Green tea is NOT gonna cut it right now, that's for sure. So I am blogging instead. Maybe I will make some coffee......

Well, on 2o minutes I start up with patients again, and that ought to distract me from my food cravings. I hope. jeez.

Anybody out there? what do you do when you have a big ole craving and you are still in phase II?

Lisa