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!