Celery Root and Cauliflower Soup--so yummy and warm

Celery Root and Cauliflower 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. You will see inserts for a Paleo version below:


1granny smith apple or 1 pear, cored and chopped (omit for paleo)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 parsnip, sliced (triple for paleo)
1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 celery root, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable (o2) or chicken broth (paleo), preferably homemade but in carton ok: Imagine brand is good
1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp dry mustard

 black pepper to taste

In large pot, cook celery root, cauliflower and parsnip in the vegetable or chicken broth until soft.  Meanwhile, sauté onion and pear or apple if using in butter until soft and lightly golden.

Transfer all to blender or food processor with thyme, mustard and black pepper. Puree.

Garnish with:

Chive oil
turkey bacon bits (o2) or bacon bits (paleo)

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

 bacon bits: lay  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

Superb served with sausages.

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!

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

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!!

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.....

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

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

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!