Grits and Goat Cheese

What you say and do not do follow you close behind.

[katiejo585]

Greek yogurt parfait for #dessert and #cws. #hailstate #omadogs #healthfood

[newsweekscience]

How much should we worry about sunshine?

For the last 30 or 40 years, a loud anti-sunshine message has ruled the day. This has meant gallons of sunblock at the highest available SPF, long sleeves and floppy hats, even wetsuits for kids at the beach—all in the name of preventing skin cancer (and wrinkles).It was the perfect intervention until, in the past decade or two, the vitamin-D enthusiasts stepped forward with a different argument. Vitamin D is produced by sunlight interacting with our skin—and the more the better, they say. It also can be absorbed in food as part of a healthy diet, but the sun-to-skin-to-bloodstream route is the more dependable. Many studies have suggested that vitamin-D deficiency leads to countless medical problems, from cancer and heart disease to dementia and arthritis. But as a general rule in medicine, when something is said to be a panacea, it is probably exactly the opposite. As a result, skeptics love to doubt the happy talk about vitamin D, though some health advantages, such as bone and muscle strength, are indisputable.

[kitten-spoon]

yo momma so fat she laid down and created a lake 

[davematthews]

GMO OMG

A letter from Dennis Kucinich…

Dear Friends, For the last two years, my wife, Elizabeth, has been volunteering her time producing a powerful documentary about GMOs, with talented film makers, Jeremy Seifert (Director) and Joshua Kunau (Producer) whose last film, “Dive!” won dozens of film festival awards. “GMO OMG”, premiered at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival this year, to very positive reviews, and since then it has won almost every festival it has screened at. We need your help to get this film’s important educational message everywhere. This significant film project needs your help to raise an additional $100,000 to make this happen. Please donate today. This beautiful, uplifting film is the answer to Monsanto’s lobbying machine! Watch 2-minute trailer here Please contribute atwww.GMOfilm.com I strongly support this film, not simply because I have a brief interview in it, or because my wife Elizabeth is a producer, but because I have personally dedicated more time and effort on this issue than anyone else in government over the past 14 years. In 1999 I heard a public radio report concerning a university study of a population of Monarch butterflies which were killed or injured while feeding on genetically modified plants. I wondered, if GMO substances could kill or injure butterflies, could GMOs have an adverse effect on animals and human beings as well? Therefore, in 1999 and in each successive Congress, I introduced bills to test and label genetically engineered products, based on the simple principle that the public has a right to know how their food is made and what it contains. The bills were met with stiff opposition from the Big Ag - Bio Tech lobby, led of course by Monsanto. Fourteen years later Monsanto has a viselike grip on our agriculture and trade policies, infiltrating both Democratic and Republican administrations alike. This corporate behemoth contributes generously to politicians, and runs misleading advertising campaigns to promote GMOs. Still, the American public, if given a chance, wants to know if the food we are consuming is genetically engineered. This fundamental right of people is now being taken up at a state and federal level. Internationally, 64 countries have policies which require the labeling of GMOs. Many of those 64 countries have also severely restricted or banned the importation and cultivation of GMOs… And yet, we in America can’t even get a labeling bill?! Into this mix arrives GMO OMG, a timely, beautiful, heart-felt film about one family’s journey of discovery into the world of GMO’s and the impact of GMO’s on food, agricultural and the environment. It is a powerful educational and organizing tool which brings home the urgency of this issue. Time is running out. Please contribute to support a quick and broad release of GMO OMG and its important educational message. If you aren’t in a position to personally make a donation today, please help join the effort to raise funds from friends and family. This film will make a major impact given a chance to get into general release. I have always been grateful for your steadfast support and willingness to take a stand with me when it mattered most! Dennis @Dennis_Kucinich

[katiejo585]

Day 3 dinner: rosemary grilled chicken, brown rice, with sautéed squash and cabbage (both from local farmers market!) #yummy #healthfood #healthcomesfirst #ultrasimplediet #sorryifyouaretiredofmyfoodposts

[katiejo585]

#ultrasimplediet day 3 lunch: leftover Indian style rice with a mound of #organic broccoli and carrots steamed in this nifty microwave steamer. And a glass of mint green tea. #yummy #healthcomesfirst #drhyman #healthfood #nutrition

[katiejo585]

End of Day 1

What. A. Day. Sort of glad it is over. Sleeping late this morning sure did put a cramp on things all day. I need to try harder to avoid that in the future, but it happens and I survived, so it's ok.  

Davy kicked my butt at racquetball... again. My plan to take advantage of his weakness did not work so well. I was a bit tired and sore myself, so I'll blame it on that. 

As soon as we got home from the gym, we cooked dinner and scarfed it down so quickly that I forgot to take a picture.  It consisted of:

Cod brushed with fresh thyme, olive oil, onion powder, and salt... baked

Brown rice cooked with olive oil and fresh thyme

Sautéed carrots and broccoli

 It was pretty good.  Cod is not my favorite, but with some other seasonings and perhaps broiled, I might like it more.  Cod is one of the fish that is full of good fats, so I need to learn to love it.  There were leftovers, so we have our containers in the fridge all ready to go for lunch tomorrow.

I also took my first UltraBath tonight according to Dr. Hyman's instructions in the book.  It is suppose to be a bath of hot water (as hot as you can stand it), epsom salt, baking soda, and drops of lavender essential oils.  There are many reasons this bath is suppose to be helpful for detoxing, which I will discuss later, but tonight it did not go so well.  After soaking for about 10 minutes, I got very light-headed and my hands started getting tingly.  I tried to breath through it, but it was as if I could feel my heart beating in my head and my neck.  Something similar has happened in the past (more than once), and I have always suspected it was my blood pressure dropping.  I had Davy bring me the blood pressure checker... 104/48.  Sounds pretty low to me.  I will be checking it before and after next time.  I would like to know how much it changes.

Still have a slight headache that is lingering for now.

Time for rest so my body can recharge itself.

[katiejo585]

UltraSimple Diet Day 1

Day 1 of this diet/cleanse/detox has gotten off to a rocky yet successful-ish start.  First of all, we (hubs and I) were up late which means we slept late, which means our schedule for the day has been a bit off.  But that's ok.  I rolled with it.  (A good lesson for most things in life that don't go as planned.) We decided to try the alternate breakfast option of brown rice cereal since it is not a work day.  It turned out better than expected.  Soon after finishing breakfast, we got to work on preparing our UltraBroth and lunch.  The broth is still simmering on the stove, but lunch was DELICIOUS... curried vegetables with brown rice.  I cooked the brown rice with some turmeric and red pepper, so it turned out yellow and a bit spicy.  Perfect.  That meal will be placed in the regular rotation in our house, I'm sure.  Half-way through making lunch, we realized how hungry we were, so I whipped up an UltraShake as a snack.  I used unsweetened almond milk, almond butter, strawberries (not organic unfortunately), organic frozen blueberries, a frozen banana, and some ground flaxseeds.  It was really easy and quick, but more importantly, tasty.  It filled me up enough as I waited for lunch to be ready.  Davy is already struggling with not having his HUGE bowl of fiber-protein-filled cereal for breakfast.  We'll see if he makes it through the week. 

I am still experiencing a headache this morning, and my muscles are tired and sore from my work-out yesterday.  There has been talk of going to the gym to play racquetball today. Not sure if we will have the time and energy, but he kicked my butt FOUR TIMES last time we played, so I need to redeem myself.  Now might be the time, while he is weak ;).  I promise I am not evil, just competitive.  

[katiejo585]

#ultrasimplediet day 2 #lunch: curried veggies with "yellow rice" (brown rice cooked with turmeric) and mint green tea. #yummy #healthcomesfirst #food #organic #detox #cleanse

[katiejo585]

Being totally real up in here! Before stats. Serious about this #accountability. #healthcomesfirst #ultrasimplediet #drhyman #hubshasbadhandwriting

[katiejo585]

UltraSimple diet day 1 breakfast... Rice cereal with apple, cinnamon, almonds, and ground flax seed. Doesn't sound all that great but it wasn't bad.

[katiejo585]

UltraSimple Diet- Who, What, When, Where, Why?

Part of this "diet" is journaling, and I have been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now, so I am killing two birds with one stone by starting a tumblr.  I wanted to start a blog because I have begun a new journey/career path on which I will be learning a lot of information that is valuable to everyone I know and love, so a blog would be a good way to share this information.  I am going to use this "diet" as a good excuse to get my blog going.

So this UltraSimple Diet... I have high expectations for this week and am super excited to get started.  There are many reasons why I decided to do this, including:

Frequent (almost daily at this point) headaches

Acne ( UGH I am 28 and people tell me ALL the time that I look MUCH younger... acne does not help this AND I even feel like a 16 year old when I am standing in front of the mirror popping pimples)

Fatigue/tiredness/sluggishness- I always feel like I need more energy, and excessive caffeine has not been an option for me in a long time due to heart palpitations

Allergies and sinus trouble have plagued me ALL my life

Metal health is controlled by hormones, hormones are largely formed in the gut, and I have been mentally off-balanced (that is putting it lightly)

I could stand lose a few pounds around my mid-section... belly fat is the worst kind to have.

These reasons short and sweet. I could go on and on about each of them, but I won't right now.  According to Dr. Hyman in the book, all of these issues should be addressed and improve this week if I follow the guidelines of the "diet."  I keep saying "diet" because I think society has placed such a negative connotation on the word, which makes me not want to use it.  But it is a diet. For 7 days. I can go without sugar for 7 days, right? Luckily (he might use a different word), I have coerced by husband in to doing this with me, so at least I have his support, hopefully.  Accountability from his and this blog will help keep me on track. Not to mention the fact that I am SO DONE with acne and headaches. That's enough motivation in itself.

I am still learning how to use tumblr, so hopefully my page will get organized and formatted at some point over the week. Bear with me. And I hope that if you are reading this, you will take some time to think seriously about your health and what you are eating to fuel your body.  Our bodies need a lot of things to keep running strong, but proper nutrition is definitely the most important element of health.

Eat well. Live well.

Katie Jo

[katiejo585]

Testing

New to this tumblr thing. Testing the waters.