Totally Cheated, Totally Rejuvenated

I don't really like to say "cheated" because I see more of what I and others are doing as a lifestyle change - becoming more health conscious, eating more locally, choosing organic when possible, eating and living as kindly as possible, and encouraging community building. My goal this month was to get rid of the white sugar I had become so terribly addicted to, and I must say - I don't eat candy bars every day, so I have greatly improved, and I do make better choices.

I threw all that out the window last night to go out to dinner with a friend (part of my commitment to building community AND some taking time for self - all you moms go do this!!) It was really my first time out since having my little guy, and I am happy I went!

Was I totally vegan - NO

Was I sugar free - Absolutely Not!!

BUT, because of this outing I found a great restaurant and an AMAZING website that is going to really help you eat locally.

First of all, we went to Abby Park in Milton (www.abbypark.com) for very yummy food!! They have great salads such as - arugula, cranberries, beets, and an amazing hunk of blue cheese with a nice balsamic. We followed that up with a really fresh plate of babaganoush, hummus, tabbouleh, and warm pita bread. I could eat that for every meal!! My favorite part though, was the very non-vegan part - A flat bread pizza with Golden Delicious apples, Super Sharp cheddar cheese, and perfectly crisp bacon. SO GOOD!! It was just the perfect combination of tastes - tangy, sharp, salty, and sweet. To go with it I had a very lovely glass of Riesling. I know zilch about wine, I ordered it because it was called "Kung-Fu Girl" and I happen to obsessively play Rhythmic Kung-Fu on our Wii (I kind of rock at it).

To end the meal, they had an amazing selection of after dinner drinks, coffees and teas, as well as big desserts and mini desserts. My friend had a very creamy looking cappuccino to go along with her mini Peanut Butter Cup (chocolate shell with peanut butter mousse) and Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee - All of which she raved about! My Rooibus tea came and smelled so amazing that it kind of overshadowed the cappuccino - it was creamy without adding anything to it and it could have been dessert on its own - but come on, I wasn't going to get dessert???? Oh I did!! Mini Sliders (mini whoopie pies on a skewer - I sent a pic by phone to my husband who wanted to know what Buffy the Vampire Slayer was doing in Milton), and then a mini Key Lime that was heaven in a mini cup and served with a mini graham cracker. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we realized our desserts had come with mini spoons!!! The spoons were super cute and perfect for the size of the desserts. Similar to standing while eating, if you eat dessert with a mini spoon it has mini calories (HA!).

So where is the healthy part of this? Well, I went on Abby Park's website and clicked on the section to see who their "friends" are - one friend is the Milton Fruit Center Marketplace. I clicked on their site, and that is where I found the most amazing information!! From Kale recipes, to local foods, they have GREAT information!!! So I highly recommend checking their site out www.fruitcentermarketplace.com. If you do check out their site, make sure you look at the "Just Picked" Blog where you can find out about local foods and shops and check out tons of recipes.

So, after a fun night out, realizing my husband is perfectly capable at taking care of our child, and appreciating that dessert and wine are better in moderation, I am back on the Toodles Sugar Wagon. I did bid it adieu with a sweet local goodbye - a peach strudel from Sweet Tooth in South Boston (www.sweettoothboston.com) Amazing!!! And not really a dessert since there were like 2 whole peaches in in it! and an Oreo cupcake from BabyCakes (www.babycakesshop.net) in Quincy -I only had a bite of it, it was soooooooo good, I would have eaten 10 if I had kept going...

I never realized how crazy my sugar intake was until I started writing this. It is probably a bit concerning to some....like my dentist!

Well, I am off to the Fruit Center in Milton tomorrow to explore myself. Until then, if you are looking for some yummy local food, try out Abby Park, Sweet Tooth, or Babycakes - All super great with super friendly people to help you choose what delicious treat to try!

Riding High on the Sugar Train!!!

Yeah, so, yesterday was not so good. Actually, yesterday eating-wise was quite healthy until I got home and was RAVENOUS. That seems to be the problem. If I am tired (always), haven't had time to sit and eat a full meal (who does), frustrated (more often than not), stressed (YUP), I tend to grab the sugar. So, at 11pm last night, I was so hungry, I had a bowl of vanilla ice-cream with peanut butter and chocolate syrup all over it. It was great.

Then I woke up this morning, sick as can be. I know there are some nasty bugs going around, but I can't help but think this is related to my slip up last night. I guess the good thing about that is I am now terrified to eat ice cream again! I am sure that won't last once the summer comes, however, it might be soy ice cream, and it will be an occasional treat instead of a daily necessity.

Well, back to trying to eat healthier! And soon soon soon there will be a local review - possibly tomorrow night!

A question for any readers out there - I am looking for healthy crunchy snacks without much sugar. Something granola barish without boatloads of sugar!!

Thanks!

The Candy Minefield and a GREAT Local Company

Awesome day! Really!! I started off with oatmeal, walnuts and blueberries, had a wonderful Amy's organic Samosa burrito, an apple, some carrots, 2 waters, and then..... I ran out of paper at work and needed to go to CVS to buy a notebook. I knew I was doomed. Whenever I go to CVS, a convenient store, anywhere that has treats, I HAVE to buy one for myself. In I walked - the peeps cried out to me "We come in pink, purple, AND yellow." The mini-eggs taunted me, "No one will know! Just have a little bag." And the Cadbury Creme Eggs seemed to follow me around the store peeking out at me wherever I turned!

But

Alas,

Success!!! I walked out of the store with just a notebook!!! Good for the body AND the wallet!

I did relatively well for the rest of the day, I did have a coffee in the afternoon with sugar, but I only drank a third of it and it actually seemed too sweet. AND I kept thinking of the poor cows who are not milked in a very nice way and it made me sad. I need a few more days of caffeine but I will go without the dairy and keep cutting down the sug!

I kept my sweet tooth at bay this evening by eating my favorite chip/cracker - Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips by Food Should Taste Good. I went to their website tonight to check and make sure they really were a local company and they are! Not only that, but also all their chips are certified gluten free AND vegan!! So if you are in the market for something that is pretty kind, try these chips out - I can vouch for the deliciousness of the Chocolate and Multigrain as well!!

http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/

They are located right in Needham Heights! Pretty fun!

One trick I definitely learned today is to pack enough food at work - food I can grab easily and prepare quickly!

No exercise for me today :( Maybe I can squat in my office tomorrow....

First day With(out) Sugar!

Well, today I started with oatmeal, organic blueberries and walnuts for breakfast. Delicious!!! Then, I dropped the little guy to daycare and realized in the car I was craving something sweet. So I popped open the console, and wouldn't you know, the Divine white chocolate bar was still there!! Sugar Plums! I had a piece. BUT I stopped at one - which is rare.

Once I walked into work one of our MA's was standing at the door with a homemade mini gingerbread cookie - I ate it. It was good. I stalked the rest of the homemade goodies but actually didn't eat any. I kept saying to myself - there are better choices, and you aren't hungry anyway you are just avoiding work - which is true.

I then was fine until lunch, when I had a new healthy favorite!! evol burritos - They are DELICIOUS. The website is http://www.evolburritos.com/ I love the pinto bean, rice, and cheese - normally I would try to avoid the cheese but the company does its best to use humanely raised animals and animal products in all of their burritos - which is pretty neat.

After lunch a bumped into an issue - I felt like I needed dessert. I grabbed a banana taffy!! I ate half and tossed the rest - I stopped myself - I needed a distraction. Store 24 is right next door so I took a trip and grabbed a 100% apple juice and cashews - much better choice than taffy!! Okay, to be honest the cashews were honey glazed, but it was still better than taffy!

And since I was feeling pretty bad about the taffy I shut my office door and did 20 squats and 2o bicep curls with a bunch of books. Not bad! I actually exercised, proving it can be fit in to your day even if it is just a little bit!

Today was rough!!! Very rough!! But tomorrow is another day and as long as I improve every day, I think I am on the right track.

Some healthy options I am now in love with:

evol burritos: http://www.evolburritos.com/ (see above)

Gardein: http://www.gardein.com/

- totally weird, but pretty tasty - we had the pulled BBQ shreds last night - which freaked my husband out because they don't even try to pretend they are pulled pork, they just say pulled shreds. I thought the sauce could have been tangier, but it did the trick! Paired with homemade sweet potato fries, very yummy!

Izze: http://www.izze.com/

- sparkling juice - perfect to kill a sweet craving or a soda craving.

A note about sugar substitutes. I gave all of them up when I got pregnant and all of my headaches went away. It could have been hormones, it could have been coincidence, but I haven't gone back to the fake stuff and I actually think that helps me make some better choices overall.

Tomorrow is a new day - Thanks to support from old friends, new friends, and super fun cousins, I think it will have a lot less sugar!

Straight Up About the Sug...and Living Honestly

Ok, So just to make things clear, I am giving up the hardcore stuff. I am not by any means giving up sugar in order to lose weight or be super skinny or anything like that. I am actually trying to find my health again. With a new baby, a wonderful college-age stepson, a full and part time job, a husband with a full and part time job, and 2 dogs, I picked up some pretty unhealthy habits. I stopped exercising, stopped grocery shopping and started living on sugar and protein bars. Giving up the white stuff will help me make better choices (I hope!!). The goal is to eat more whole foods that can nourish my bod instead of making it wrinkly, tired, inflamed, and riddled with cavities.

All the while, I have been telling my clients to do everything that I don't do and then I lecture them when they don't do it. Oh, I am far from "holier than thou" and I certainly hope I never made anyone feel otherwise. So this blog is hopefully going to help me call myself out on everything I call my clients out on!!

What do I always tell people that I am infamous for not doing myself??

SLEEP - the bambino eats every 90 minutes all night long.

Eat Healthy - I just pounded a hot cocoa with chocolate covered almonds for dinner.

Take Time for Yourself - I don't know if I have shut the door to pee since I had my babe. Peeing at work is actually exciting.

Make "Couple" Time a Priority - We haven't had a "date night" in over 7 months.

Exercise - I used to run every day, do yoga every day, and lift weights AND I loved it. I haven't done anything in 7 months.

Be Responsible for Your Health - Okay, this I am doing. I just went to the Dr. after a raging headache for the past 3 months and realized I had a terrible sinus infection - I am on the mend thanks to antibiotics, had an MRI for a suspected stress fracture, went to the dentist to replace the crown that fell out thanks to a starburst (5 months ago) - I got a cleaning too! I am going to the eye doctor in 2 weeks and I have a physical in a month.

So hooray, I am doing one thing that I tell everyone else to do. Let's see if I can get back on track. If I can, I hope you can if you are off track. Being on track is better for everyone. Really it is.

So, no more of the white stuff for me - I have eaten almost all that we have in the house and feel pretty yucky!! I won't however be a nut job about it. No white sugar. No overly processed foods. If I have honey in my tea (bee-friendly of course!) that is okay. If the 10th ingredient in my salad dressing is sugar that is okay too. I am just trying to get away from my sugar habit and replace it with cleaner eating habits. So here is looking at tomorrow, a step closer to better health!!

Take Care of Yourselves. Really!

And, if you are a South Shore person, check out http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food

This is Braintree's fabulous farmer's market - they rock and they are going to have a CSA this year!!! I haven't decided if I will do the farm share - I did one last year and sadly wasted a great deal of kale because I had no idea what to do with it. We'll see - it is a great thing to do!!

Frazzled Friday already!?!?!?!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe a whole week went by and I haven't written! It is probably because I am in a sugar induced coma thanks to Ellen Degeneres. I love her, I think she is funny, has a good attitude, and I am impressed that she is giving up sugar. I have tried to do that before and it is very hard. BUT, very good for you. Since I feel like crapola and can't stay healthy for more than one day at a time I have decided to give up the white stuff as well. I didn't want to waste food though, so I decided I would give it up after I used all the sugar we had in the house - and the car, my office, my pocketbook and my breast pump....

Let's start with the car. I like car treats. So, I always stock my car with delicious treats, such as Divine Fair Trade White Chocolate Bars with Strawberry crunchies. Oh my yumminess!! I like to have a square on my way to work - at 7am. Good way to start off the day!!

Then there is my drawer at work - Artificial banana to me is the most fabulous flavor ever created, so I tend to have an oversupply of Banana Turkish Taffy, Banana Laffy Taffy, Banana Splits by Necco (BEST Banana flavor ever!), and Banana Runts. My office also has an assortment of lollipops and hard candies. It is a wonder I have any teeth.

Then there is my pocketbook - not too bad, M&Ms and hard candy, and packets of the white stuff itself!!(In case my coffee doesn't have enough!

The breastpump has a little side pocket that is perfect for treats like bullseyes, starburst, and hershey kisses. I need my energy! This little dude is exhausting.

As if that weren't enough - there is home. Aside from the hershey kisses, M&Ms, Laffy Taffy, trail mix, chocolate covered almonds, ice cream, marshmallows, marshmallow fluff (you can never have too much marshmallow - or nougat while we are at it...), bubble gum, girl scout cookies, tollhouse cookie bars, chocolate chips, mint chips, and then the kicker - and this will give you a good idea of how much I love sugar:

My spice rack is actually a sugar rack. I dumped out all the spices, cleaned the jars, and filled them up with different colored sugars and sprinkles - much more useful and super cute!

So today I started to plow through the sugar. Samoas/Caramel Delights for breakfast, Banana treats for lunch, hershey kisses for a snack, M&M's and chocolate chips for dinner, thin mints with ice cream for dessert. I baked a bunch of cookies and threw the trail mix in, and I will give those to my neighbor. The taffy can go to the community room at work. The marshmallows I will save for future parties so I can make rice krispie treats. The bubble-gum can live in my husband's office. The white sugar I will save for guests. That leaves the ice cream.... I can't toss that - that would be some sort of heathenish act. I will donate that to my parents or make an ice cream pie for someone. And then the sugar will be gone. Oh, except for the sugar in my gummy vitamins.... I guess I'll have to try a new kind.

I will miss it in my coffee

I will miss it every day,

But going without sugar

Will make me healthy in every way!

HA. Couldn't resist. The sugar has made me hyper.

Hopefully I will be a more focused version of myself a few days from now once the sugar has gotten out of my system.

If you are interested in hearing more about Ellen's plight to give up sugar click here Sugar, Sugar. Oh, Honey Honey...Oh, and BTW, I am still researching friendly egg farmers!

Something had to give....

As my hubby and I frantically tried to get everything together for my stepson's 21st birthday while also getting the little man to swimming, me to the doctor, the dogs out for a walk, the valentine's day cards written out, one more chapter done in the book, and the house cleaned, we realized it wasn't going to happen and in order to make life easier - something had to give. So, we prioritized. Birthday stuff was number one. Thanks to my SIL we had a great place to have the party and we could pretty much buy everything we still needed at BJ's while also getting diapers. Swimming could wait until tomorrow - he is only 6 months, he has no idea if he is swimming on Saturday or Sunday. I HAD to go to the doctor since I have had a lingering sinus infection since December and the Neti pot - although super helpful, just couldn't cut it this time. While I was in the waiting room I could write out the Valentines. The dogs could run around out back while the hubby tidied up the house and the little man napped.

I must say - it worked out! The party was a success, which was really the most important thing to be done. The dogs will get an extra walk tomorrow since they tolerated life without today. The little man will swim tomorrow. I will be one day into the antibiotics I dread so much but hopefully one day closer to feeling healthy and kicking this thing once and for all. The house didn't get cleaned since the little man didn't nap, but we can do that tomorrow too. As for my chapter - I am procrastinating now, but it will be done by midnight tonight and that is the goal!!!

There was also a huge bonus today. The doctor was running late. I finished my Valentines (I love Valentine's Day so I wasn't giving up on that!) and instead of fuming, staring at the time on my cell-phone, and grumbling about having to wait, I read a GREAT story in a VERY old TIME magazine. For those Food Inc. fans out there I think you will enjoy it. Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food There will only be grass fed animals in my family's food. No animals in my food, but others are harder to convince...

So in times of stress - prioritize, delegate, and make the best of the worst situations. No one knows you need help unless you ask and you might be surprised at who is willing to help when you need it most! When you are forced to wait and you might run late - chill out, take a deep breath, and find some relaxing way to pass your time.

Frazzled Friday and Tasty Treats

Actually, today wasn't as frazzled as I thought it would be. I was swamped at work, but got a lot done which always makes me feel very accomplished and proud of myself. I don't know that anyone else really cares so I have to give myself some props. Sometimes, when I do something at work - like call someone back or finish some notes - I write it on my to do list after the fact just so I can check it off!! I get so excited when I can check things off my to do list!! It is very exciting. I think I liked that when I was in school too and had my little homework notebook. Crossing off an assignment once it was finished was very exciting!! It is funny, people have so many systems of writing their to do lists - some have a separate notebook, some incorporate it into their planners, some keep it on their phone or computer. Some like to check off completed tasks, some delete them, and some scribble them out. Funny.

Eating Local and Supporting Local Businesses

So my goal is to support local businesses and try to eat more local foods, while also easing into a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. For now, I am going to start with supporting local eateries, but as time goes on, I plan on researching restaurants to find out where they get their ingredients and if they are being as kind as possible to the planet. I have GOT to finish my book by May 1st so until then I can't fully commit to the Kind lifestyle without being disappointed in myself when I fall short. I seem to have breakfast under control as far as eating vegan. The rest of the day is still a challenge and often filled with M&Ms and coffee.

Local businesses I supported today include PS Deli - fabulous coffee in South Boston - so good in fact that it could potentially keep me from going vegan. It is right in Perkins Square - hence the PS - right at the crazy intersection with Broadway and Dorchester. The coffee is delicious - the Almond Joy Mocha is heaven in a cup.

Babycakes is the other local business - a wonderful cupcake shop in Quincy. Pumpkin Spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, chocolate with peanut butter - both amazing!!! I highly recommend them! I am trying the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes tomorrow, and maybe the lemon coconut - yum. Maybe she can make a vegan cupcake....

http://www.babycakesshop.net/

New Blog, New Attitude

Okay, so this is my new blog - the old one The Stress Less Home seemed to have a funny effect on my life. Once I started it, my newborn got croup, conjunctivitis, adenovirus, some weird liver results, and needed to change daycare. I ended up with conjunctivitis, a URI (upper respiratory infection - cool slang!!), sinus infection, and more and more stress. My husband chugged along just fine which was super annoying to me. My stepson went to London by himself (kind of, it was a school sponsored trip but no parental figure was there) and he is turning 21 tomorrow. My job became helatiously stressful since I am in mental health and January and February in the Northeast honk in terms of well-being in the winter.

So I am off to a new start! The currently healthy (knock on wood) babe just started a new daycare with super nice teachers, my stepson is still turning 21 - I can't stop him from growing up so I have to learn to enjoy it, I do love my job despite the stress and without it I would have more stress, I have learned to accept my husband's laid back attitude (I am really just jealous that he can chill out and I can't), and it is mid-February which means us Bostonians are about halfway through winter which is not too bad.

So, what is this blog about? Instead of the artificial zen stuff I was trying to incorporate into my life and everyone else's in my old blog - this one is going to be the real thing. How do you deal when life keeps tossing stuff at you while you are down? There will be humor, there will be helpful tips, there will be honesty.

I do actually have a degree in mental health and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor so I do know a thing or two about a thing or two, but I am also human, and sometimes all the schooling and theory in the world just doesn't do the trick so you have to be creative.

One more thing I will post in this blog are some local reviews. Random right? Totally, but I have decided since watching Food Inc. - very interesting film, that I am going to do my best to support my local peeps and small businesses. So if you are a Bostonian, or even better - a Braintreeite, you will see reviews on places you can get to and support as well!!

Well, toodles for now, I have to go pump (more on the pleasantries of that later).

Hope your day is filled with dazzles and you aren't too frazzled!