Off Jenny Craig and on my own :P

i'm off jenny craig cause it's getting to be too expensive. so i'm on my own, planning my menu everyday. i was scared at first but after a few days, i realized i can do this! i haven't lost or gained which is a good thing. i have been challenged with temptations, like going to a jazz gig at the hollywood bar & grill. i had a long day with tutoring and auditions and i was starved! i thought about cheating for a minute and a half but the little angel on my right shoulder defeated the big devil on my left one. i chose an ahi tuna steak salad with the dressing on the side. i only put like 2 teaspoons of dressing and i dipped my fork in it a few times. that's one great way that a bodybuilder lady taught me: instead of puring the dressing on your salad, dip your fork before you grab some greens. guess what? it works and you can taste the dressing really well. that way you save yourself about 200 calories!!

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Horseradish: “Dissolves mucus. Helpful for colds, sinusitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis and asthma. Stimulates appetite and the flow of bile.”

Source: Sandra Cabot M

• 
  “You are not your feelings.”
  

-Ron Ball

DELICIOUS HEALTHY SPREADS

Easy Ideas!!

Use these as spreads to make. . . .

• tacos,
• burritos,
• wraps,
• sandwiches,
• and sushi. . . . . With sprouted tortilla, whole wheat tortillas, lavash, sprouted bread, collard greens, chard leaves, romaine leaves, kale leaves, nori sheets.

Use these as dips for vegetable

• snacking
• Or to complement your meal. . . . Some veggies to have for dipping can range from steamed green beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, red bell peppers, raw turnips, jicama, radishes and thin zucchini slices.

Basil Spread:

1 1/2 cups fresh basil

½ cup zucchini

1 cup raw walnuts or almonds

3 cloves garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

TT black pepper………… blend!

Sticking to it on the set!

i had 3 tapings this week, with catered GOOD, FATTY food....tough 3 shoots! my plan this week is to stick to my jenny craig program to the T, no matter what the temptations may be! (i rhymed it by accident...)

i'm on the first morning shoot, @ the catering table in front of one of my fave food group: bagel with cream cheese. i'm asking myself the oldest question in the world: is it worth getting thicker thighs for? you know the answer is "hell yes!". that's what the lil she devil on my left side yelled. the lil angel on my right was quick to rebuff her: "do you remember 15 pounds ago when you didn't fit in your fat pants?" the pictures of me struggling to zip up my fat pants stops me dead on my tracks. i see some big, red strawberries next to the bagel....what to do?....strawberries are so good....but the bagel, yum, with cream cheese!...fat pants-skinny pants.....my right hand makes a move...towards the strawberries! TA DA! the lil angel on the right won this battle. now off to the next set.....where the battle starts again. thank God the lil angel won one more time. the battle of the food angels continues...stay tuned for more challenges!

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

#6: Honeydew melon: “Excellent diuretic properties. Useful for kidney and bladder problems. Reduces rheumatic and skin conditions.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Replacement. Memorize quotes that thrill your soul and lift your heart."

Ron Ball

TIPS ON EMBRACING WHOLE FOODS:

1. -Bring your snacks and meals when on the go. If you know you’re going to leave early the next morning, the night before you should prepare your lunch and snacks. Then in the morning you place a bag or cooler. Surround yourself with foods you want to eat. The main way is to bring your own food. And purified water! Take 3-4 bottles for the day.

2. -Don’t buy food you’ll feel guilty of bringing home. You have the control of what you can bring in your house. Once you’re at home you have no choice, but to eat the good stuff J You may feel less guilty of buying a high priced ready-prepared salad, than a less expensive dessert, because you know you are doing your body good!

3. -Location, location, location. When traveling ask and look for vegetarian restaurants, Trader Joes, farmer’s markets, and Whole Foods Markets. In the beginning, it’s important to surround yourself with the foods you want to eat. On the road, buy food at the supermarkets. Nowadays, many contain an organic produce section. Buy avocados, sprouts, raw nuts, organic salad mixes, olive oil, organic dried fruit, coconut water, etc.

Cheating will catch up with you!

ok, i cheated twice in 2 weeks. innocent flirting with steak dinners and chicken salads. and what's the result? i gained 2 freaking pounds! it's hard not to be mad at myself! it's not fair! even though i made "healthy choices", my body decided to grab unto that food and store it for later. why? because i've been feeding it 1200 calories a day for the last few months and it needs sooo much more than that. unfortunately, to lose weight we have to eat much less than we need to. being hypoglycemic doesn't help my hunger. i have to eat every 2 hours or else my blood sugar starts dropping and i get mild, moderate and sometimes severe attacks. it's hard to balance a diet with both diabetes and hypoglycemic. the weight loss is slower for us folks with sugar issues. i hate to say it but if you wanna feel healthy and lose weight: no pain, no gain. ain't that a bitch? that's my book title right there.

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

#5: Guava: “Helpful for digestive problems and diarrhea. Improves circulation and reduces catarrh and asthma.”Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Read about individuals who inspire you to overcome fear and reach for your goals."
Ron Ball

MORE FOOD RECIPES!

Carrot-Lime Soup

2 med. Carrots

1 Celery stalk

½ TBSP Soy sauce

2 TBSP Lime juice, fresh

1 tsp grated ginger

1 TBSP Olive oil, extra virgin

Garnish with cilantro

Blend (without olive oil), lightly mix olive oil and top with herbs.

Steak dinner and Hank!

so my man took me out to a steak dinner date @ lawry's. i ate a 10 oz steak, 2 slices of bread with butter and yorkshire pie. i managed to somehow maintain my weight this week in spite of my overeating (and loving every minute of it!). i'm still 15 pounds lighter than i was in november 2010. after 5 months of jenny craig, i wanted to pig out and taste non jc food. the reason for my successful weight maintenance? i worked out 3 times that week (aerobic exercise) and skipped dinner on sunday, just ate veggies and fruits. i also didn't have wine or dessert on my dinner date and i think that made a huge difference. so every once in a while treat yourself, make sure that week you increase exercise and maybe eat less calories the day after you "sinned".

FOOD & THOUGHT OF THE DAY BY FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Grapefruit: “Helpful in catarrh, gallstones, obesity, slugglish liver function, digestive problems and respiratory and skin problems.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Association. Only associate with people who help you to be a hero.

Ron Ball

SNACK IDEAS

Homemade Trail Mix: done

In a plastic Ziploc bag MIX:

Complex Carbs	Stabilizer	Sweetener
½ -1 cup:	7-10:	Few:
365 High Fiber Organic Cereal and/or Eziekel Original Cereal…. sprinkle w/ cinnamon J	Any mixture of: RAW almonds, walnuts, cashews or pecans	Any mixture of: Goji berries, Inca berries, dried cranberries

Focusing on the past and the future!

let me explain....i'm focusing on the "past" so i can to enjoy the 15 pounds i lost since i started in november. i know, it's not as fast as i'd want it either but instead of thinking that way, i have to focus on how much i lost. i'm 15 pounds lighter and i feel sooo much better! so i have 15 to go...that's the other focus, the "future", the goal. focus on the prize: in a few months i'll be 30 pounds lighter.

there's lots of temptations along the way. like yesterday, i succumbed to cheese and frozen yogurt. why? cause it was there. i was at a storysalon event reading my pieces and they had wine and cheese...i mean, good cheese. then hank went next door and bought a huge cup of frozen yogurt @ froyolife...and i had no choice but to steal some...ok, a lot. so today, i'll work out a little harder and hope those extra calories get burned instead of settling on my thighs, like they usually do.

live and learn, right?. my relationship with food will always be dysfunctional, all i can do is forgive myself, move on and focus on my good choices.

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS...(foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Grapes: “Provides a quick boost of energy. Helps in anemia and blood disorders. Improves the complexion.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Resistance. Don’t surrender to your fears. Be a fighter."

Ron Ball

HEALTHY RECIPES

Olive Tapenade

½ cup black olives

½ cup green olives

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

2 TBSP olive oil

Blackpepper TT

Put in blender and chop into small chucks.

Chocolate Dream

1 whole Coconut Water

1 whole coconut meat

½ TBSP Raw cacao powder

handful of romaine lettuce/spinach

cinnamon TT

dash sea salt

Blend and enjoy!

Can you live on 1200 calories a day??!!

no, you can't! i've been cheating so much last week, i should be arrested. i'm lusting after brownies, pasta and cheesecake. i feel like i'm losing my willpower! i think it's been 3 1/2 months and only 14 lbs, so i'm feeling like i'm losing too slowly. i wanna throw it all away and eat the way i WANT to. but then i think of the consequences and it's not worth it. people think i eat a lot but i raised my calories to 1500 last week and i gained .7lbs. that's so unfair!! i have to come to terms that that's my reality and i have to work WITH it not against it.

• “Acceptance. Don’t waste your life trying to change the impossible.”

-Ron Ball

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS (foodconsultant@yahoo.com)

Ginger Root: “Reduces congestion and mucus production. Inhibits the formation of blood clots and lowers LDL cholesterol.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

HEALTHY RECIPE OF THE DAY:

Wheat-free Noodles

Mung Bean Noodles

Broccoli, steamed

Red Bell Pepper, finely diced

Carrots, grated

1 TBSP Nama Shoyu, soy sauce

1/2 TBSP Olive oil

Optional: Top with cilantro, ginger, cabbage.

Mix and enjoy!

I succumbed to temptation. So sue me.

ok, i committed jenny craig crime! i succumbed to temptation....in other words: i cheated!! you know what? it happens for the same reasons people cheat in a committed relationship. i got tired of eating the same foods week after week, same taste, same routine....*yawn*. the moral of this unfortunate event is: boredom can lead to cheating. so when it comes to food, this is what we all need to do: start having more fun with what we can eat to avoid eating what we shouldn't eat. this also applies to relationships: spice it up and keep it fun.

who knew food and sex were so connected?

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA AREVALO SAYS: (foodcoonsultant@yahoo.com)

#1: Garlic Cloves: “Fights infections and reduces LDL cholesterol. Is a good liver and bile cleanser.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

“Your feelings are not a reflection of your reality."

Ron Ball

MORE FOOD RECIPES:

Raw Corn Chowder Soup:

2 ½ cups coconut water

2 cups sweet raw corn (from cob)

1 small carrot

1 celery stalk

1 clove garlic

1/3 yellow onion

2 tsp thyme

½ TBSP olive oil

Sea Salt TT

Blend veggies, then spices and enjoy!