Love it!!! "Reading is Sexy" is a bumper sticker that adds a little truth and humor to the world!!!

And an update that The New Hotness (my 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe) and I have had some bonding time on some road trips up north. We are now adequately settled into our new life together and my new little spoil continues to indulge. Malibu is now a saluted memory.

The last rain storm revealed that my cute little car has function and made me "squee" with delight over the fact that I have a rear windshield wiper. And that it is truly a useful amenity on a SUV.

Hey, laugh if you'd like...but if you can't enjoy the simple things in life, what can you enjoy!?!??

Everything in Moderation, Including Moderation...

Now I don't tend to follow this rule often. Here is an example that makes Curtis laugh and shake his head at me. One Girl Scout cookie season in college I overindulged in Thin Mints. Yeah, just sat there in my papa-san chair in my apartment with a frozen roll of thin mint cookies until all I had was an empty tube of plastic wrapping. Then I proceeded to get sick and throw up a brown, minted sugary concoction that shall have ever scarred me from wanting a taste of his mint (green) chocolate ice cream.

Things you learn are not always pleasant, nor are they pleasing to the ears. I want to be up front about this new journey that I embarking on because I feel it is important and I am toying with the idea of laying it all out on the public line of blog-o-sphere. You must understand that I can be a fence sitter and I can be an all or nothing kind of girl too. I am damn stubborn and have always been cautioned to keep my privacy. The more I read other's blogs, the more I am compelled that what we put out there helps others to not feel as alone!

So the hope is in my on-going quest to be a better person, you can soak in the information with me. On a very quick synopsis in my recent adult life:

• We make the effort to buy in our local community (amazing what politics and city taxes will do to one's opinion)
• I vowed to use reusable grocery bags (great deal at 1 Bag at a Time - factoids are there, then go to products in the top menu bar to buy/see the variety). Confession: I still have an "addiction" to Target bags for mini trash can liners.
• Also to rid our home of the caustic chemicals and go for a more natural/environmentally safe approach in cleaning products (I looked into making soap...lye and lard don't really appeal to me as a hobby).
• A year ago we started using up all the white flour and sugar out of our house (haven't bought any more since--feeling healthier for it)
• This year it is to limit processed foods and go as wholesome as we can

The last one leads to the biggest revolution and one that really my gut has always told me: A wholesome diet is paramount. When I eat too much sugar my body rejects/ejects it. The severe reduction in white/refined sugar makes it now seem like crack - e.g. having a bakery piece of banana bread at an event had me virtually moan over the feeling of little sugar crystals crunching under my teeth. Crazy right?!? But, sugar restriction --that's how my mom even raised us for as long as she had control over what went into our little mouths and I am thankful for it. The extreme of that situation is one summer my sister and I scoured the house for a sugary bit. We thought we had the mother load with a found box of Baker's Chocolate in the top of the pantry...instead we met our bitter end there and my mom could claim victory that our home was an oasis of health.

Dinner time was always a serving of meat, a salad, a vegetable and starch (normally white rice or the occasional potato-something). My mom always cooked dinner, sent us to school with brown bag lunches (sandwich & fruit/veg) and was there to make us a snack when we got home from school (celery with PB and maybe even raisins on top of that) and Dad made sure we always had our breakfast before we were off to school. I am lucky to be so loved and criticize nothing my parents did for our family's nutrition--we had only the best.

Now in reading about nutrition that foundation is confused (to say the least). The little skittles in my head have exploded and I am in the process of sorting out what I want to do. To eat meat? OR not to eat meat?!? I can't even believe I am asking myself this question.

VEGETARIAN

That's right, I said it...VEGETARIAN. People act like it is a bad word and get all uppity once you talk about excluding meat. Not cool. How about focusing on all the yummy, nutritious fruits, vegetables, fruit and whole grains. (And dairy if you so wish). Yes, I drank the proverbial Kool-Aid...but I also think I should cut down on my sugar content too. ;)

Confession Time: I am sure I balked when people said vegetarian to me and I thought...wha?!?!? No meaty goodness?!?? Tsk, tsk I was uneducated (I give myself a shame ribbon). Met a vegan friend and he made me want to be a better person...and more realistically showed me it was a feasible option. He challenged himself to go "raw" for 30 days and documented how hard that was for him to eat that diet. ...Hell, I didn't think there would be anything harder than vegan! In this blog he gave his honest view...

Then I have my dear, dear friend who I infinitely trust who went vegetarian and now vegan in stages. And she deserves full credit for the diet epiphany because she loved me enough and sent me the book: The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II.

I recommend just reading it, I can't describe it because you should make your own conclusions and that is what the research allows you to do. Now this is no Alice in Wonderland story, but a full-on case study full of scientific knowledge and real life application. The general premise is he was raised a farm boy who grew up on the great American diet of meat, dairy and the general assortment. His breadth and depth of knowledge led him to the choice of eating a plant-based diet. He doesn't push his views, nor will I because you have to come to your own conclusions. I went into this book not knowing the premise, but it was recommended, I trusted that, was open-minded and know I have my own decisions to make and work through. For tonight, I will leave it at that...but I will have more to reveal in my "behind the scenes" 2-year journey that up until now I haven't given a formal voice.

Rabbit Time

The bunny lives a very healthful diet and stopped to tell me the time on her pocket watch before running to the tea party. I can agree that vegan is super healthy diet if done right. Personal choice for me is that I don't have that dedication or desire to eliminate my meaty treats. My wonderland rabbit was most concerned about the built in yo-yo policy with Phase 1. Agreed. I don't think there is a perfect diet, but Phase 2 is the tunnel I am going to fall down and if it makes you nervous, just think of me having everything in moderation and the smallest amount possible of refined white sugar and flour.

I have nixed the Phase 1 idea of my diet plan and have returned to working out after kicking this cold. My path will be complex carbohydrates, whole grains, limited sugar, fruits, a bit of dairy, lean meats and lots of veggies. And my key to losing the weight will be exercise, portion control and plenty of hydration with water.

Be careful with what you choose and make healthful life choices that will last --that is a true diet. I would advise against products that read as: "Eat me. Drink me." You probably will grow and shrink many times over, just ask Alice.

Make life changes are right for your body and never stop learning.

The Queen of Hearts

Okay, now this is a parallel universe I dropped down into a path where I thought it was healthy. Instead the Queen of Hearts does care here...told me 'OFF WITH HER DIET' and I didn't get to the tea party before being kicked out of Wonderland. Now I am really confused on this whole nutrition quest.

I will have to chase after that little vegan rabbit and make her explain. More book reading to come and when I find a path that is right for me, I will tell you all which burrow I drop into next.

Alice, tumbling down that rabbit hole...

Since I have the sniffles and am not going to the gym, I wanted to take this week and focus on food. Not just any food, every food that runs through my house and what is in it. Last year I started to read labels and count calories to see what my daily caloric intake was all about vs. expenditure via exercise that I added back into my routine.

This year it is knowing what is actually IN my food. You see, my brain has gotten stagnant and I am blaming my unhappiness on other elements in my life. So, instead of being just any bitch with boredom...I want to be the "skinny bitch in the kitch." Sunday I watched the movie Super Size Me, I expected it to gross me out and send me into some shock. --No, it was totally what I expected obese Americans gorging on cheap, available food --sadly predictable and a vicious cycle of food addiction.

Tonight I watched Food Inc. ---that is what has led the battle cry to start local. I was inspired by a local restaurant that was implemented into ASU ever since Curtis took me there for lunch. Engrained is all about local sustainability and being environmentally friendly while still serving the masses. I give them a proper nod of respect.

So bunny, look out below cause this little explorer is coming in!

2010 - Returning to Old Habits

It seems silly to go back to "old" habits...but those were the good ones I used to have. Like here's an earthshaking idea: only eating until you are full. I became far to indulgent and stopped listening to my body. Drinking soda and not playing tennis...all other miscellaneous contributors to my own weight gain.

So now, like the bandwagon of folks I am jump starting my daily diet by doing the South Beach Phase I. It is intended to lessen/eliminate your sugar cravings and take you into a low-carb life diet. For the next 2 weeks there will be no bread, no sugar, no alcohol and most painfully no fruit. I've done this diet before and it is a positive life change...and pretty effective for diabetics I would think.

Currently I have risen back to 152 on the scale and need to find the gym again. This week I focus on the fresh food, raising my water intake and getting over a head cold. Next week I jump back on the cardio train!