Perfect summer Saturday

Good evening everyone, today was a perfect summer Saturday. The weather was hot, hot, hot and hubby and I went to the lake for the day. We walked through the downtown area which made us miss the beach cities of SCal. I think while we were walking my dress and bag rubbed off some of the sunscreen on my shoulders because they got a little pink :( I am very fair skinned so I apply sunscreen all over before I leave the house and try to remember to reapply throughout the day. When we came home our apt was cool and I took a nice nap. Life is good :)

On Wednesday we are going camping with my folks my aunt and uncle and some cousins. This is the first year that my hubby is able to come and everyone is looking forward to having him there. I am trying ot come up with a good assortment of bfc approved snacks to bring since there will be an abundance of sugary items. Lauren's healthy indulgences blog has a recipe for homemade sugar free marshmallows that I am going to try. Last Christmas I made homemade marshmallows and caramels, so I am very excited to make some belly friendly ones. I hope they will roast up nicely :)

Well, I guess that's all for now I will be sure to share how the sugar free marshmallows turn out and what we take camping. I want to get better about sharing what I eat and the kinds of food I am taking camping. When I first started the bfc I saw an video on youtube that Amber posted where she talked about the things she uses on the bfc and it was super helpful for me when I was a bfc newbie. I also love the video that Rosalie did of the bfc products she uses. It is easy to lose track of all the good bfc food we are allowed when we go places where everything is bad carb and high in sugar. I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, you guys are awesome and I appreciate everyone so much!!!
Oh and I almost forgot to say that I bought the spinach artichoke cream cheese and didn't make it myself :)

Breakfast: black coffee, 2 small smart and delicious tortillas with spinach artichoke cream cheese, baby spinach, small amount of diced tomatoes and two fried eggs.

Snacks at the Lake: celery, cucumbers, pistachios, peach sun tea, 1/2 of flax muffiny thing with peanut butter

Dinner: 2 small smart and delicious tortillas tacos, one with fish and the other chicken, colby cheese, little bit sour cream, napa cabbage, avocado, handful guacamole chips. After dinner water with chia fiber.

What I looked like when I didn't think twice about drinking a whole bottle of wine

Hello everyone, thank you for the nice comments yesterday I thought a lot about what Kay said. I agree it is probably not healthy to drink a whole bottle of wine at a time what I should have done is poured a glass and then put it away. This is a picture from Christmas 09 where I drank a lot you can see how round my face was and I had a huge muffin top over my jeans. I used to drink often, beer, wine and rum and coke really put the weight on. I am trying to make new healthy habits with the help of the bfc and most of the time I do pretty good, but I really appreciate that you are looking out for me in your comment. Over indulging is over indulging even though it was belly good red wine.                                                                                                             

Today was a great day, I didn't have to work so I went to my folks and did laundry. I was there by myself because they are away at a wedding in Portland, it was quiet with out them and the Sadie their golden retriever. My weight was up 2 lbs today but I'm not really worried it was hot today and I drank a ton of water. I went to the library and got some magazines to read outside while I did my laundry. I washed my summer blankets so the bed is nice and fresh, fresh bedding is one of the small joys in life.

I made a super yummy breakfast today I took two smart and delicious tortillas (the smaller size) and put spinach artichoke cream cheese on and then some baby spinach and topped each with a fried egg. It was fast and super yummy. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend, if you have fallen off the wagon like I did the other night pick yourself up and get back on the wagon. We all make mistakes it's what we do after we make them that makes a difference.

Food at work

Good morning everyone, thanks for the nice comments yesterday slowly I am figuring how to get my blog how I want it. Thank you Rosalie for offering  to help, if I get stuck I will be sure to ask for help, but right now it feels kinda good to be figuring it out on my own. :) Thank you Dawn for sharing the brand of chia seeds you like the best, it is so helpful to get product recommendations from the blogs.

Food at work is one of the easiest ways for anyone to get derailed on eating the way they want. Yesterday there was food for a birthday and several people told me to go get some, and when I said I was trying to be good and it's just easier not to eat any at all or go in the front office to see, they said there was fruit chocolate covered fruit in there which as everyone knows chocolate covered fruit = lots of sugar!!! Everyone has good intentions so I usually thank them for telling me that but share that I am doing a low sugar plan and that usually is a good enough answer. Today is another bday potluck at work and I plan to stay away from it again...especially the costco cake. In the past I've had a little cake, but now that I am doing the 30 day challenge I am going to pass because I know the cake will stall my progress and I want to have some discipline and set myself up for success.

I feel a little strange today, when I got home from work last night hubby wasn't home and I opened a bottle of wine while I made dinner...well, the wine went down so easily that I drank the whole bottle which was not good. The wine lowered my guard and everything that has been on my mind came out to hubby when he came home in a not very nice way. The usual things irritation hubby has had Fridays off for awhile because he got his hours cut....I don't have to work tomorrow and I wanted us to go to the lake for the day, well now hubby has to work Fridays again...which is a good thing in the big picture but a disappointment for now....a little stress with hubby starting school and we recently learned the best plan is to save the GI bill for a 4 year school instead of using some of the GI bill for community college. Anyway, I know better than to drink a whole bottle of wine and if I had only drank 1-2 glasses I'm sure I wouldn't have argued with hubby. But today is a fresh new day and there is no sense in beating myself up about the mistakes of yesterday.

Well, I better go get ready for work I hope everyone has a nice day :) P.S. Laura I know what you mean about getting up enough nerve to start a blog, I was very nervous about starting mine but I am very grateful that I did I don't think I could have stayed on the bfc without the support and encouragement the blog community provides. Please consider starting a blog we would love to help support you!!!

Trying to mix my blog up

Good morning friends, as you can see I was a little bored with my blog and I'm trying to mix it up a bit. I need hubbys help to get some new pics up, hopefully we can make that happen this week. Thanks for the nice comments yesterday, when I came home last night hubby was on the computer with finical aide for school I am confident things will work out. Life is full of roadblocks and bumps in the road, and we just have to adapt and adjust our plans.

As far as the 30 day challenge goes things are good, I have managed to stay away from the pretzels, crackers, toast and nutella that are available to snack on at work. The hardest is to stay away from the gluten free rice crackers, those buggers are tasty, but one or two makes me want more and more. Yesterday on the way to work I had to stop by the store to get lunch because our fridge was bare bare bare. I got a wrap from the deli and used the smart and delicious tortilla instead of the one it came with...yumm!!! I think I will be making wraps for awhile. It was turkey, cheese, spinach, a little tomato and yellow pepper it was very satisfying and a great way to sneak spinach in.

Well, I guess that's all for now I need to start getting ready for work. I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday...keep up the bfc even when it's hard, it's the small cheats that get in the way of getting to where you want to be :)

Disappointments

Hello everyone, our weekend was great I had some great times with hubby's family. We had some yummy food except I had a piece of bbq chicken which made my tummy hurt, this is the second time I have done this at my in-laws bbqs hopefully the third time I will learn  to stay away from the bbq sauce. I had a couple of Alaskan Amber's Summer Ale that I really like during the weekend...I told hubby I have drank less beer this summer than I have in a long time...1-2 once in awhile instead of 6 pack after six pack is satisfying and I don't feel like I am missing out on some of the summer treats I love. Less beer in general is really paying off. 132.2 lbs :) :) :)


I also had some disappointing news lately, my 10 yr HS reunion is the same day as an out of town wedding hubby and I are going to :( Such is life. Another disappointment/change in plans is hubby was planning to go to community college in Sept on the GI bill and then transfer. The GI bill pays to the highest state school, but there is a program called the yellow ribbon act that allows private schools to take a certain number of students using the GI bill and the yellow ribbon act would make up the difference. Well, hubby just found out that if he uses his GI bill for two years at community there won't be enough left to cover the school he wants to go to. He has been advised to get financial aid to help pay for community and not even use the GI bill yet...I'm sure things will be fine but it's a disappointment and a big change in plans for us.

The bfc is helping me to make progress in how I handle disappointments, before I would have picked up some wine to help me deal with things and maybe a sweet treat because I told myself I deserved it. Making progress in not emotional eating/drinking is a big thing for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful day :)

30 day challenge

Good morning everyone and happy Friday! It's been a long week and I am glad the weekend is here. We have company this weekend, my hubby's cousins are staying with us. Cherri used to live in San Diego when hubby was in the military and she did so much for us, she showed us around and let us crash at her apt when we came down to San Diego. It's nice to be able to have her crash with us even though we only have a couch and an air mattress to offer. Tomorrow we have a bbq with hubby's folks and our visiting family and celebrate my nephew's 9th birthday.

I've been thinking about the 30 day challenge that Dawn put out there, I'm excited I could use some extra motivation and clearer goals on the bfc.

1. What are your goals for the next 30 days?
My goals are to get in better shape using the bfc and exercise to be healthy and to be in a good place in how I feel about myself.

2. What are you going to do to reach your goals?
I plan on doing the bfc, and not cheating at work with pretzels, saltines, nutella, toast or cake.

3. What kind of exercise will you do?
I will continue to walk with hubby, zumba, pilates and Tracy Anderson

4. Why do you want to do this?
I am at a weight that is very familiar 130-135 and I want to just get better, I want a smaller tummy and love handles. I have my 10 yr HS reunion coming up and I want to look my best and feel good for that.

I am excited for the next 30 days, I know I need to put some new pictures on my blog especially now that I am doing this 30 day challenge. I will try to do that soon. I hope everyone has a nice Friday!!!!!

Chia seeds

Hi friends thanks for the great comments yesterday, and thank you Beth for saying you enjoy my blog that made me feel really nice. I think some of the specialty bfc products are really helpful especially since we are learning to cut down on sugar for a  healthy lifestyle and not just a quick fix. I've noticed that these products also help my hubby stay with the bfc....I don't know what he eats at work but I suspect it's not always bfc friendly since his belly (which is not very big, but could use some work) isn't going down....but I love the man and I try to encourage him to exercise and do the bfc without being a nag.

I tried the chia yesterday but what I got is ground chia seed...I think it  must also come whole like a whole flax seed. The stuff I bought is Gai herbs chia fresh daily fiber from ground chia seeds....I didn't know where to start so I bought the product on sale. I mixed it with almond milk and a packet of truvia and ate it for breakfast yesterday and today. It tastes kinda funny but it's ok, next time I think I will try to get the seeds and not the ground fiber.

Yesterday Dawn talked about doing another 30 day challenge and invited us to do it too. I am on board, I think it will be a good opportunity to refine my goals and make a better plan on how to reach them. I wrote down the questions so I can think about them today at work. Well, I better go get ready for work I hope everyone has a wonderful hump day :)

Bfc products

Good morning friends, sometimes I try to write a post and I have nothing to say. It's been a busy past couple of days, Sunday hubby and I had a super nice productive day: we returned something hubby bought to REI, bought him a day planner he has been wanting, grocery shopped, and went for a nice long walk. Our walk was so nice, it was hot and it felt awesome. We went to this new hip natural local food store, which actually is not that new just new to us which was very exciting because they have natures hollow jam, and several ezekiel products I haven't been able to find locally. We didn't buy anything right then because we still had a long walk home but it was very exciting to discover some bfc products locally. I also found some Joseph's cookies the other week: pecan shortbread and chocolate chip. The chocolate chip were too crunchy for me but the pecan shortbread cookies are soft and tasty. It is nice to be able to enjoy a bfc friendly cookies sometimes although what I really miss is a big soft sugar cookie with frosting.

The more I learn about the bfc and bfc products the more I think it is a great lifestyle. For me I feel like one of the main principles is to eat better and portion control. It's taken me awhile to adjust but the more I find new products I like the easier it gets. I bought some chia seeds yesterday I haven't tried them yet but I will be sure to share my opinion when I do. Have a great day everyone :)

Sprouted Grains

Hello friends do you ever feel like the weekend/summer passes you by without doing what you really want to do? Today I was moping around pmsing and feeling cranky hubby has to work today to prepare for a big promotional sale at work next week, and then my Mom called and wants us to come over so hubby can help my Dad fix something around the house. I thought what do I really want to do, and I want to sit outside with a glass of wine. So, here I am outside enjoying my Saturday with a glass of wine.

 

Life is good my in-laws are back and getting settled in and we had dinner with them last night. The bfc is going fine I've been having 1/2 a peach the past several days in the morning and that doesn't seem to affect my tummy or how my clothes fit. All my clothes fit and I am at a weight that is familiar somewhere between 130-135, but there are still areas that I would like to be smaller, my poochie, my love handles, my thighs. I know that with the bfc and exercise I should be able to work on those areas. Although sometimes I wonder if I can or if the weigh I am at now is how things are. I think as women its easy to wonder if our dreams for our bodies are realistic or attainable.

 

My go-to bread on the bfc has been the Ezekiel 4:9 whole grain sprouted bread. I didn't know what sprouted grains meant so I have been googling it recently.

• "Sprouted grain differs from whole grain in three fundamental aspects: 1) sprouting activates food enzymes; 2) sprouting increases vitamin content, and 3) sprouting neutralizes antinutrients like phytic acid which bind up minerals preventing your ability to fully absorb them. When examining the nutrient density of sprouted wheat to unsprouted wheat on a calorie-per-calorie basis, you’ll find that sprouted wheat contains four times the amount of niacin and nearly twice the amount of vitamin B6 and folate as unsprouted wheat; moreover, it contains more protein and fewer starches than non-sprouted grain and as a further boon, it is lower on the glycemic index making it more suitable for those suffering from blood sugar issues"  http://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-grain/

 

• "The process of germination changes the composition of grain and seeds in numerous ways. Sprouting increases vitamin content. Sprouting neutralizes phytic acid – a substance present in grains – that inhibits absorption of nutrients and more important Sprouting neutralizes or "predigests" if you will, grains through enzymatic activity. The enzymes produced during our natural sprouting process "in effect" breaks down amino acid protein bonds to promote digestibility of the entire grain. Sprouted grain bread has numerous advantages over "enriched" wheat flour breads. These breads are made from the endosperm of the wheat kernel (the inside portion), which contains primarily carbohydrates and few vitamins and minerals. The milling of grain into white flour requires the removal of the bran and the germ. This results in the loss of natural fiber, bran and 22 vitamins and minerals. To compensate, five vitamins and minerals (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron and folic acid) are added back in, "enriching" the flour. Sometimes calcium is added back as well". http://www.foodforlife.com/our-products/sprouted-grain

Another Wednesday

Good morning friends and thank you for such great comments yesterday. I love that on the bfc I can eat anything I want I just need to be mindful of portion control. Although sometimes I miss having a bowl of regular ice cream or a fat milk chocolate bar and not thinking twice about sugar...but back in those days I complained about my body a lot and thought I would never lose the 10-15 lbs that I had been struggling with...sometimes I thought there was something wrong with me because I thought I was doing everything right lol. Now that I look back I was eating a ton of sugar every day without realizing it or caring, because I was eating "healthy foods"

Yesterday we went out to dinner with an old childhood friend of hubby's, his Grandma, Mom and Step-dad and another couple. I have met the parents and Grandma several times before but never Roy and his girlfriend Missy because they had been out of touch because they were heroine addicts. They have been clean for a year now which is amazing and I am so happy for them. Roy and hubby have been friends since they were four and were really close until Roy got into hard drugs and fell off the grid. I was nervous to met him I thought he would be kinda gruff, but he is the sweetest guy and I hope hubby and I can encourage him in his recovery.

Well, I guess that's all for now I hope everyone has a wonderful day :)

Fresh seasonal fruit

Hi my friends, this is my third attempt at writing this post...everything I tried to say before just didn't seem right. I am so thankful for this bfc community, I know that without it I would have given up a long time ago. The blogs give us a chance to connect with real people who are doing the bfc. I don't feel connected to Jorge, I am grateful to him for making me aware of the seriousness of sugar and bad carbs...but  I do feel connected to the blogs I read and the people I have met. When I first started the bfc I read Amber and Rosalie's blogs front to back and was encouraged and learned how to apply the bfc and valuable tools Jorge didn't talk about...from Rosalie's blog I discovered other bfc blogs which inspired me to start my own. If I had just read about the bfc in a magazine or heard about it on tv I probably would have thought it was weird and never would have tried it. I heard about the bfc from my Mom who heard about it from her Dr. who lost 30+ lbs...I remember seeing the book at my folks house and being interested because the title caught my eye and I wanted to lose my belly fat. Doing the bfc is something I decided to do for myself, and my Mom is only kinda doing the bfc...she has given up her flavored coffee creamer, and tries to eat dark chocolate instead of a whole bar of milk chocolate.

Now that summer is finally here and all the fresh fruit is hitting the stores I find myself wondering if when fruit is fresh and in season it's ok to have small small portions and still lose. In the Q&A  section of the bfc book Jorge says "fruit was created in tropical climates and in earlier times was available only certain times a year- now we have access to everything, anytime which is not how it was intended to be consumed" I am wondering if it's ok to have small portions of fruit because this is the time that it is available in a local seasonal way which is the best way for us to consume fresh fruit and veggies.

The other day at the bridal shower I had two strawberries, a small bite sized chunk of watermelon, and 3-5 grapes....it was soo good. I think I might try eating 1/4 of some of the in season fruit to keep from going crazy this summer. I don't know...what do you guys think? Well, I guess that's all for now I hope everyone has a nice day :)

Food Additives

Hello friends, you guys are awesome and I really appreciate and enjoy our blog community. Today was a busy day we went to a baby's first birthday, had dinner with the folks and did our laundry. At the bday I had several bites of hubby's cupcakes and didn't drink any beer which is a big achievement for me. I am much better at not drinking just because others are, or because I feel stressed or any other emotion I used to drink for.

As usual I weighed myself at my folks...134 lbs :) last week I was 134.6. I feel good in my skin. The bfc doesn't feel as hard as it did at first. Dawn, I also love the endangered species dark chocolate, my sis-in-law just bought me a bar and 3 squares is perfect.

This article the Top 10 Scariest Food Additives by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding July 1st. 2011 was featured on the yahoo home page, and I wanted to share it with all my friends...I only took out the picutres that were in the article.

There was a time when "fruit flavored" and "cheese flavored" meant "made with real fruit" and "made with real cheese." Today? It's artificial everything. Most of the food at your local supermarket is no more authentic than Snooki's tan. Our fruit comes packaged in Loops, our cheese delivered via Whiz. Sure, it's edible, but there's no way your great grandparents would recognize this junk as food.

The problem with additives runs deep. The FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. Thankfully, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. Why they're legal is a mystery to us. Some of them might be backed by powerful lobby groups, while others probably survive simply because some guy at the FDA has too much paperwork on his desk and hasn't made time to adequately review the data.

Below are 10 of the most dubious ingredients hiding in your food, compliments of Eat This, Not That! 2011. Even if you're not convinced of their danger, you have to admit this: The more filler ingredients you cut from your diet, the more space you have for wholesome, nutritious foods.

DROP 15 POUNDS FOR SUMMER: You can lose a couple of inches fast--and without dieting. Follow me right here on Twitter for daily weight-loss secrets. (Sample: A daily glass of red wine can keep you from putting on fat, especially around your belly. Experts cite resveratrol. Cheers!)

Scary Ingredient #1: Olestra
A fat substitute synthesized by Procter & Gamble. Because human digestive enzymes can't break down the big molecules, Olestra contributes 0 calories to your diet.

Why it’s scary: In the late ’90s, Frito-Lay released Olestra-enhanced WOW chips and Procter & Gamble introduced Fat Free Pringles. Both products were required to carry warning labels to notify customers about the risk of "loose stools." Within 4 years, some 15,000 people had dialed in to a hotline set up specifically to handle adverse-reaction complaints. Apparently the complaints didn't move the FDA, because in 2003, the administration revoked the warning-label mandate. If you want to take your chances with diarrhea, go ahead, but first consider this: Olestra also appears to interfere with the body's ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but it's unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced.

Furthermore, just last week I tweeted that an animal study at Purdue University found that fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.

Where you’ll find it: Lay’s Light chips, Pringles Light chips

20 NEW TERRIBLE FOODS! Some restaurant foods have an entire day's worth of calories and several days' worth of fat and salt. Avoid these shocking diet disasters at all costs: The Worst Foods in America!

Scary Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring
An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.

Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it's relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren't required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you'd be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Where you'll find it: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix

Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin
An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.

Why it’s scary: Studies have linked saccharin to bladder tumors in rats, and in 1977, the FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods. In 2000, the agency changed its stance and allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesn't make it entirely safe. A 2008 Purdue study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats’ diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.

Where you'll find it: Sweet ‘N Low, TaB cola

125 Best Supermarket Foods in your shopping cart--and watch the pounds drop away!

Scary Ingredient #4: Potassium Bromate
A compound that conditions flour and helps bread puff up during baking.

Why it’s scary: Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and it's banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.

Where you'll find it: Johnny Rockets Hoagie Roll

TERRIBLE SALADS: Even foods that sound perfectly healthy can be secretly loaded with dangerous amounts of fat and sodium. To prove it, we've collected this absolutely shocking list of 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper. (Yes, in THESE cases it's better for you to have the burger instead!)

Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.

Why they're scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen," yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Where you'll find it: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum

Scary Ingredient #6: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
A semi-solid fat created when food processors force hydrogen into unsaturated fatty acids.

Why it's scary: Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and a Harvard study estimated that trans fat causes 70,000 heart attacks every year. The good news: Partially hydrogenated oils are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isn’t over. At Long John Silver’s, for example, there are still 17 menu items with more than 2 grams of the stuff. According to the American Heart Association, that's about the maximum you should consume in a single day.

Where you'll find it: McDonald’s McChicken, Long John Silver’s Broccoli Cheese Soup

Scary Ingredient #7: Sulfites
Preservatives that maintain the color of food, and by releasing sulfur dioxide, prevent bacterial growth.

Why it's scary: Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some people—especially asthma sufferers—experience breathing difficulties when exposed. In the 1980s, unregulated use resulted in at least a dozen deaths, prompting the FDA to slap warning labels on wine bottles and develop new guidelines for proper use. Now restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there have been no known deaths since the new legislation took hold. The bottom line: If you're among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption won’t hurt you. If you're not sure, ask your doctor for a test.

Where you'll find it: Wine, Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit, Jolly Ranchers, Fig Newtons

SNACK YOURSELF THIN! It can be a challenge to find snacks low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. Our list of the 50 Best Snack Foods in America will help keep you lean and full all day long!

Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide
A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner

Why it's scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Where you'll find it: Dunkin’ Donuts bagels, McDonald’s burger buns

Scary Ingredient #9: Carrageenan
A thickener and emulsifier extracted from seaweed.

Why it's scary: Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isn’t certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and research from the University of Iowa found that carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.

Where you'll find it: Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Creamsicles

Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate
An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.

Why it's scary: This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scary—a 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.

Where you'll find it: Nature’s Own bread, Subway rolls

Moderation

Hello friends! It is a beautiful Friday evening in my neck of the woods I am so glad the weekend is finally here. Hubby worked early today and when he got off he cleaned the apt and it looks so nice in here :) I had just started to write a nice post yesterday and work called and asked if I would come in early. Yesterday was a hot beautiful summer day so after work hubby and I got a picnic together and went to the park and we had a great time even though the weather cooled significantly and it looked like it wanted to storm. We had some wine, olives, baby bell cheese and blackberries :)

I've been thinking about moderation lately, especially after Pattie said one of her guest's said everything in moderation after Pattie said how terrible sugar laden foods are especially for kids. I think people like to throw that word around to justify x,y and z behavior. I looked up moderation and it says doing nothing in excess, the process of limiting or lessening extremes. In a lot of ways I think the bfc is a moderate way of eating....the only thing we are to truly avoid is fake sugar of all kinds because it is so terrible. Why would you want to intentionally ingest a substance that causes neurological problems, bladder cancer, depression, and thinning hair? Yet so many people are not willing to accept how terrible it is, I think it's because they want to believe that what they are doing is good, they think the word diet or low-fat is good.

Well, I guess that's all for now hubby wants to watch some Sopranos and dinner is almost ready. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday, be kind to yourself and make good bfc choices :)

It's a beautiful Wednesday morning

Good morning everyone, I really enjoyed your comments the other day. It seems most folks don't want to do the bfc because in some ways it goes against everything they thought they knew about healthy eating. People don't like to hear that milk is bad and there are other better sources of calcium, or that too much sugar is as terrible as it is. I've noticed that people are still so obsessed with fat that they are willing to eat low-fat products that are high in sugar. There is good fat such as olive oil, avocados, nuts & seeds, dark chocolate and bad fat, hydrogenated oils, trans fat, excess animal fats. We need the good healthy  fat just as we need good cholesterol.

I've learned that after eating things that are high in sugar and make my tummy ache it takes a couple of days to become regular again even when I am getting lots of fiber in every day. I know it seems like TMI to share that, but it's important to share. When I first started the bfc Jorge said to get extra fiber, but he didn't stress how important it was especially since I wasn't eating the fiber rich fruits and veggies I was used to. Thankfully Rosalie said multiple times on her blog how important fiber was and that most folks need help.

I now put benefiber in my morning coffee, take the super seed beyond fiber and try to get the most bang for my buck with good carbs and veggies. When I get to where I want to be whenever that happens I think I will try to incorporate more fruit into my diet. I miss not being able to eat the fresh fruit that is in season now....to keep from going crazy I plan to have a some every day in much smaller portions than I used to. This morning I had 8 beautiful blackberries with breakfast. Have a great day everyone :)

Family Holiday BBQ

Hello friends I hope everyone is having a nice holiday weekend...I wish I was chillin at Pattie's beach house :) Thank you Pattie for sharing your pics with us.  Today was a great day we had a bbq at my in-laws. I thought I was doing good food wise, but my tummy tells me I had too much sugar :( For appetizers I had some chips and dip, celery and cucumbers...dinner: three ribs which had a little bbq sauce which was probably too much sugar, salmon, a little bit of fresh corn and potato salad....and two corona. Sometimes when I try to eat good and my tummy hurts and lets me know that I ate bfc bad I get frustrated...I used to eat stuff like that all the time and never felt bad. I also used to be regular all the time, and now I have to purpose to get extra fiber in, and if I eat too much sugar I have tummy pain and # 2 trouble. Sometimes the bfc is very frustrating, and it feels like it would be easier to eat all the "healthy" high sugar food I used to. Jorge makes the bfc out to be this super easy thing, but it can be hard especially when you think you are doing really good and tummy trouble lets you know that you are not.

On the other hand I feel good today I wore a cute halter top that I bought last year but never wore because I didn't feel good in it. My clothes fit, and I have lost around 10 lbs, I don't know for sure what I weigh now because I haven't weighed myself recently. The weight I have lost is the 10-15 lbs I have struggled with for the past several years.

I've been thinking a lot about some things Pattie said, people don't really want to hear about low sugar better carb. They don't want to hear that everything they know isn't quite right...especially that high sugar fruits contribute to belly fat. I think it's sad that we live in a time that there is so much sugar in everything, and  it's harder to eat healthier than to eat quick processed food. I was trying to tell my mother-in-law today how sugar is bad for cholesterol, I wasn't explaining it very well so I will have to bring the book over to share with her.

Well, I guess that's all for now. Despite my venting I really believe low sugar, better carb is a good lifestyle. What is best is usually the hardest, and anything worth having is worth working for. I guess that's why I am apart of the bfc blog community so that I can get better at this low sugar lifestyle. To anyone who is having a hard time trying to stick to the bfc and figure this whole thing out you are not alone. Making big changes like the bfc is hard and takes time, friends please share so we can help support each other.

Happy Friday and Happy July!

Good morning everyone, Happy Friday and Happy July!!! It is a beautiful morning here in my neck of the woods, of course I wish I had the day off and I could go back to bed :) but I guess that's why there is coffee. I used to take it with lots of flavored coffee creamer. I'm glad I gave it up, one serving 2Tbs has five grams of sugar...and I've measured it out before 2Tbs of creamer doesn't cut it. It's funny how everyone has an opinion about coffee, hubby used to make fun of me and say that I didn't drink it the right way...my Grandma used to say only alcoholics drank theirs black lol.

We don't have any big plans to go out of town this weekend, my in-laws are having a bbq. We are bringing ribs and I think we might also bring a nice green salad in case most of the sides are sugary or bad carbs. I used to stress about eating out or going to other's houses for dinner, now I bring snacks with me or food to share. At first I didn't want to draw attention to my low sugar ways or draw attention to myself. I don't know if you can tell from my posts but I'm more on the shy/quiet side. I've learned that I don't have to eat food that is not on the plan and as long as I am kind and explain why folks don't care.  Have a wonderful Friday everyone!!!!