Nutmeg can be toxic!

Sunday night Tom and I were in the mood for something sweet. Other than the Smoothies we have been making, we haven't made any desserts for a few weeks. Tom has made a Apple Crisp dessert that is so good made with Oats, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Apples, Lemon Juice & more. He changed it up a bit and added strawberries in replace of some of the apples. We were so excited to try it, we went on our workout and came home as it was cooling down. The taste had a very bitter taste, almost not edible, but at the same time some of it was worth eating so we ate it. We thought that the lemon he had squeezed for the juice was just tart. I hate two little bowls full of it and he ate a few also. Then 2 hours later we went to bed.

I woke up SO dizzy and SO out of it. I have had sugar hangovers before when I have had too much sugar, I have ran into things when walking and it affects me a lot. We have been eating so clean with hardly any sugar so I thought the symptoms I was having was from this. I looked in the mirror and my eyes were so puffy and bloodshot. I was SO tired and also felt like I was buzzing from alcohol. I felt drunk in a way. I knew that I could not even drive the way I was feeling. My son was going to work with me, so luckily he was driving. All day at work I felt so bad, so thirsty, so nauseated and the whole day felt tired and that drunk feeling. I talked to Tom and he was feeling the same way. I came home and took a nap and started to feel a little better as he was starting to feel worse because he finished off the dessert that morning. He was telling me over and over how horrible he felt.

I then started to make a batch of porridge for the morning, it takes Buckwheat Groats and you soak them in water for at least an hour, then you drain them and put them in the blender with Almond Milk, Agave nectar, Cinnamon and more. I went to measure out the cinnamon and the smell hit me, I thought this is what our dessert smelled like last night, it was so strong, I turn the jar around and it's Nutmeg! I said Tom is this what you used for the dessert and he said yes, I used 2 tablespoons! I looked it up right away, Side Effects of Nutmeg, and you can have hallucinations and so much more, I think that we didn't get that much of it, but we defiantly got enough to make the next day feel like we were drugged or drunk. I finally today right now feel better, this morning I was still so tired. It really shows when you detox your body of all the bad stuff and then slip and eat something that is too much, the symptoms are havoc on your body. It was a very bad day yesterday for me, I couldn't even workout last night. Here is one link on how bad it can be for you.

One good thing though, Tom made another dessert SUGAR Free and NUTMEG FREE!

This Raw Strawberry Cashew Cake is INSANE! It's SO SO SO SO good and looks so pretty! We need to get a spring-form cake pan to make it perfect but it came out lovely and so tasty! Here is where I got the recipe

I can't wait to make this with blueberries, raspberries and cherries!

YUMMY FOOD :)

Tom and I got up really early this morning and drove to Cleveland to go to Trader Joes and Whole Foods Market. It's about 1.5 hours drive, but it's well worth the selections of food compared to around here. Now that Tom is eating completely vegan also, there are so many things he wants to try. He said if he can figure out a way to make his favorite foods vegan style, he will be happy to continue this for the rest of his life. I still can't believe he switched, I am so glad, it's just hard to believe when someone says I will never give up meat or dairy and then right there after watching a movie, he was ready and now with the way he feels he doesn't want to go back. 

When we got home we immediately made this smoothie. It was incredible! It's made of 100% pineapple juice, 2 frozen bananas, 2 large handfuls of fresh strawberries and 2 tablespoons of flaxseed ground meal. It had so much flavor and was so good, especially right now with the hot weather, this was perfect.

 When we were at Whole Foods Market, Tom found these Vegan Sausages and Hot Dogs. I myself do not miss meat at all and usually don't choose vegan substitutes. Every once in awhile I will have a bean burger or vegan hotdog, but it's not something I crave. Tom on the other hand just went from the biggest meat eater I know to this new lifestyle, so I understand. He wants to try to create all of his favorite foods in a vegan version. I told him, most things I will try, but there are just some I don't even want to try because I never even liked meat that much. He grilled the Mexican Chipolte Sausage on the grill with Onions and Green Peppers, and also made homemade Wheat Hot dog buns. These were so good, had a nice spicy kick to them but not too spicy. We put some homemade mustard relish on them. You can check out the ingredients here. They are $5.00 for a pack of 4.

For dinner we bought 2 packs of Vegan Pizza dough. My son Gage loves to make homemade pizza from scratch, but we picked these up for $1.19 at Trader Joes, might even be cheaper than making the dough. My boys eat cheese so Gage made a Cheese pizza with Basil, Italian Seasoning, Minced Garlic and Hot & Spicy Seasoning. Tom and I had the Garlic & Herb Pizza dough and he put olive oil and minced garlic instead of sauce, then he put Red & Yellow Peppers, Mushrooms, Red Onions, Fresh Basil, Oregano and Thyme that we are growing, Nutritional Yeast (we just found out about this on Rip Engine 2 and now on a lot of Vegan sites) I only sprinkled a little bit on because I wasn't sure if I would like it. It's said to have a cheesy taste, but completly Vegan. It's also packed with nutrients and vitamins and protein. The pizza came out so good! We sprinkled some red crushed hot pepper on afterwards.

Well it's storming out right now so we are all taking turns doing the treadmill. Tom is down 22 lbs in almost 3 weeks. He has been eating so much food too, just all the right foods.

So thankful it's FRIDAY :)

I am so glad the weekend is here and also that I have Monday off. We don't really have any big plans but sometimes it's just nice to stay home. Sunday we are going to drive to Cleveland which is 1.5 hours away so we can stock up on food from Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I love the selections there. I have been reading so much and also watching more documentaries on organic plant based eating.

Tom has lost 20lbs since May 5th! He looks incredible, his skin is glowing, his heartburn is completely gone! He was on prescription heart burn medicine for years and years and now takes no medicine at all. He has so much energy! He even gave up tobacco and can't believe how much easier it is this time. He did buy the fake tobacco to mix in with real so he could slowly stop, but he has been doing it without it. He swears that also is from being on a plant based diet. He is so motivated and feels so good. I am so happy for him. I haven't seen him feel good like this for so long.

Tonight we went for a long walk again, it feels so good to be outside. The weather has been really hot, today was 88 degrees! We have been walking and running almost every night. It feels good and my body is loving it.

We also have been watching more documentaries and wow I learn so much every time I watch them. The latest ones we have watched are Food Matters, Gerson Miracle, and Rip Engine 2. All of them were so good!

35 more days until we leave for our vacation. I am so excited!

Some good food I had this week :)

Tom made homemade Raviolis with the filling made out of the textured vegetable protein that we used for the Sloppy Joes and he made homemade sauce with tomatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers and more. It was So delicious. He took the leftover wheat buns and made garlic toast which was incredible.

Just plain corn on the cob-it was so sweet it didn't need anything on it.

Dinner tonight was stuffed tomatoes (leftover vegan meatloaf made from Vegetables, oatmeal, TVP, spices), baked then grilled Sweet Potatoes, grilled Asparagus and purple onions-SO GOOD and SO much flavor!

Great Weekend! Perfect Weather and Yummy FOOD!

This weekend was great, I got so much done and we stalked up on so many fruits and vegetables. We really bought a lot of groceries this weekend, went to so many places including B&K Farmers Market in Warren, Ohio where we got so much of our fresh stuff. 

Notice the visitor that happened to walk by in the above picture? I have 3 mommy raccoons out there now.

I planted Basil, Oregano, and Thyme in my empty steel cut oatmeal tins. They worked perfectly for this, I put some holes in the bottom to drain the water out.

I also planted some pretty Red, Pink and White Impatiens in the Raccoon planter that my mom got me last year and also in the flower bed and around the outside of house to brighten it up.

This weekend Tom made one of the BEST meals ever, we both were So happy with how these Vegan Sloppy Joes came out. Since eating a vegan/plant based diet he was thinking about what things he would miss most and Sloppy Joes were one of them. He started looking online for recipes and found this one. The only thing he did different was instead of the chili powder he used his own Memphis Rub which is a mixture of Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Cumin, and Cinnamon. I have never seen him happier about something he made. He made everything homemade including the whole wheat buns which came out PERFECT. He had tried a recipe last week that didn't work out so he tried this one and replaced the egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 4 tablespoons of warm water These had SO MUCH flavor! I can't get over how good they were and wish I could share them with everyone that loves sloppy joes. Tom said this is the best Sloppy Joe he ever had! I agree completely.

this is the main ingredient that replaces the meat and is packed with nutrition including a lot of protein! ALL VEGAN and NATURAL. I bought a 4 pack case of these on Amazon for $8.13 under the subscribe and save, I already ordered more.

 

I could go on for days how incredible these are, the flavors and texture and just everything were out of this world!

I have been buying a lot of the Bob's Red Mill items on Amazon, I use the Subscribe & Save to save even more money and free shipping, You can cancel it anytime! I bought Chia Seeds, Unsweetened Coconut, Golden Flaxseeds, High Protein TVP, Blue Cornmeal and Buckwheat Groats.

Today we went to Sam's Club and bought the Clif Bar Fruit Ropes above for my sons, Gage loved the Nature Valley ones but we can't seem to find them anywhere except Sheetz. I love that the Clif bar ones are Organic. And I figured these out they are cheaper. You can 24 for $10.58 and 2 of these would make the Nature Valley long ones at Sheetz for $1.00, so this cost $.88 and it's better for you.  We bought one case and then in the car my husband and I tried them and loved them so we went back and got 4 more cases.

Tonight we made a different smoothie. We just threw in a bunch of stuff and hoped it would come out good. 

1 head of Romaine Lettuce

3 handfuls of Spinach fresh

1 Banana frozen

1 Gala Apple frozen

2 large Carrots shredded first

1/2 cup of orange juice

It was very thick, I could have added more orange juice but I didn't want extra calories. The flavor was a lot better than I expected. You can not taste the Spinach or Romaine Lettuce. This REALLY fills you up too. I figured the cost to make 2 full large cups (probably about 4 cups total of liquid) it cost $5.42, so $2.21. I also figured out the calories to be approximately 536 total, so 218 for a huge large cup full as pictured.

I am off to take a long walk with Tom, last night Gage came which was great, (Graham was at Kennywood) so we are going to get our boys walking with us every night also.

When & Why Did I stop Eating Meat then Dairy....

Beautiful Cow at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY -Mothers Day 2011

So many people ask me when and why I became a vegetarian and then stopped eating dairy products. First let me start off by saying that all my life I wasn't a huge meat eater, I did eat hotdogs, chicken wings, sausage, an occasional burger. When making deli sandwiches, Tom would laugh at me because I would use 1 thin slice of turkey which was barely anything on my sandwich. I did enjoy getting Ranch & Hot Wings with Tom every once in awhile. I would eat grilled chicken thinking it was the healthiest option so giving up meat for me was pretty easy.

It all started almost 6 years ago, my great aunt Shirley was diagnosed with cancer. She had 5 siblings that all except for 1 died of cancer. My grandma was one of them. Shirley was diagnosed with cancer in the lining of her uterus. She had a hysterectomy and treated with chemo therapy and as of right now is cancer free. That was her only surgery her whole entire life, she will be 77 this year. The whole year that I was helping her get through her treatment and surgery and helping her out in any way, I started to look online for foods that prevented cancer. I came across an article very similar to this Top Five Cancer Causing Foods. It was like a wake up call, I read through it and realized that so many of the foods I was eating were ones that caused cancer. Did I believe this? Yes. It all makes complete sense to me. I stopped meat immediately. It was pretty easy at first. I did crave it a few times and within 2 years I had eaten meat again for a short period in between because I gave into my cravings but I would go back to not eating meat right after. After those 2 times, I never have craved or even thought about eating it again. I have learned SO much more since then and I continue to learn. It's SO easy now and I actually enjoy food SO much better. I look better, feel better, just everything is amazingly better! The first couple years I didn't experiment with food, I just ate salads and pastas and when we went on vacation was the one time I had given in because I was just eating salad the whole time. Now I know how to be creative at home with a husband who makes me incredible meals. There are so many options now also especially in big cities.

Not only did I learn about how bad meat & dairy is for me, I then learned what animals actually go through and I was horrified. I never knew what they went through. I had never thought about it. Watching videos on Peta made me sick and SO ANGRY! How could anyone treat an animal this way just so we can stuff our face when there is plenty of food that doesn't require a living being. I hate when I hear people say WHERE are you going to get your protein or calcium? Well educate yourselves please, you can get more calcium from Coconut Milk and Almond Milk then Cow's milk. You can get protein from many foods that are NOT MEAT. It takes education and in this day and age, so many people are stuck in the beliefs they were brought up in. If meat and dairy are so good for us, then why is the US full of obese and sick people? Seriously, let's take a stand, get smart and take a chance at something that has been with us since day 1. I really believe God gave us enough foods with the vegetables, grains, and fruits. But that wasn't enough, man became greedy and wanted more. Now look where we are at, so many chemicals in foods, so many creations that are doing nothing but harm to our bodies. Isn't it a eye opener when you hear that red meat is bad for you, well then people say I don't eat much red meat, I eat chicken. What makes you think that chicken is ok? It's all about what people hear on the radio or news. Why not read articles that tell you that Meat is not good for you, NO MEAT.

My health has increased dramatically! I was one who ALWAYS had the stomach flu yearly, colds at least twice a year, bladder infections, pleurisy developed out of nowhere (I blame this on the pill), but my immune system seemed to be so bad that since I was a little girl I would always be sick. When I gave up meat, right away I lost 10lbs. My skin cleared up some, my sense of smell increased, my energy increased, I wasn't getting sick at all when my kids were and others around me. The list goes on.


Then I gave up milk, I only had skim milk with cereal so that wasn't hard. Cheese on the other hand has been a hard one to give up, just pizza, but I finally did these past few months. I would always go back and forth and throughout the years hardly had any but being in Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York City, I would have a slice of pizza. I now do not eat any dairy at all. Giving up milk and only eating cheese once awhile through those years cleared up my acne that I have had since I was 12 years old. My face is clear and it's VERY rare that I get a breakout. I would actually have perfect skin, eat pizza and in a few days have a breakout and also feel completely bloated after pizza. Ice cream was a hard one also to give up but now I make my own ice cream at home with coconut milk and everyone loves it. You can still enjoy the foods you love with replacements that are so much healthier.

I have never felt better than I do now. I have so much energy, my skin glows, I swear it helps with aging. I am 35 and so many people tell me I look like a teenager, I don't really take that as a compliment because honestly I don't mind being 35. I love how much more I learn and appreciate as I get older. Don't get me wrong it is a compliment but I wasn't a woman who cried when turning 30 and actually find it ridiculous that women do. Getting older and wiser makes my life better, and makes me a better person. 


The other night I was at my son's choir concert and saw so many young girls (6th thru 8th grade) that were so overweight. My heart broke for them. They are so young. Articles and doctors are saying now that our children might not outlive us. This should be a wake-up call to everyone. Child obesity and diabetes has done nothing but increased. 


I really wish people that wanted to make a change would stop the fad diets and try one that is real, that makes sense and that has proof that it works. It's not even a diet, it's a lifestyle. 


Please just watch Fork Over Knives and share it with anyone else you love and care about, or anyone that will listen. It's the answer to everything health related in my opinion.

PS. My husband has lost 16 lbs in 12 days by eating plant based foods and he eats A LOT of food, his daily headaches are gone, sense of smell stronger, his stomach issues (bathroom) are gone and he has more energy! 

Delicious Food Cooked at HOME

I am a very lucky lady, I come home every night to a cooked meal by my husband and everything is fresh, homemade, and Vegan. He is a big meat eater but makes the best meals I have ever had, better than eating out by a long run. I actually sit here and day dream about his food.

When we were in Cleveland this past weekend, he found the pasta maker that he has been wanting to get. He was SO excited to make homemade pasta for the first time, and I think I was more excited to try it! I hung out behind him watching and waiting and saying how hungry I was :) The great thing about it, it's only made of water and flour! It's cool to see a small ball of dough turn into a long sheet, then into the spaghetti noodles. This was like angel hair, he said the net time he will make it a little thicker. It was delicious, and he also made homemade spaghetti sauce with zucchini in it, YUM!

homemade pasta, homemade sauce, garlic toast (Italian bread with Earth Balance Vegan butter & garlic powder)

2 cups of this flour & 3/4 cup water

Yesterday I told Tom we needed to make sure we used our leftovers and produce before it went bad, so when I got home he had prepared these for me. They are stuffed tomatoes (left over white rice with lime & cilantro, zucchini, onion, pepper, salt and garlic) he left me a text to put them in the oven for 400 for 25 minutes and broil for 5 minutes. They came out perfect, I ended up eating 6 of them and he had 2.

The Green Monster

I found out all about this drink from Angela from Oh She Glows from here.  And at first like most I thought Spinach in a drink? I love Spinach but I wasn't sure about making a drink with it, but you can not taste the Spinach at all. You mostly taste the banana and the chocolate peanut butter and it's SO good! I freeze a bunch of bananas once they are fully ripe and when I go to make the shake, I pull one out. The recipe calls for ice, but I like mine without ice. The frozen banana makes it cold enough for me. I drink these right before my workout and it gives me that extra boost to have a good workout. I highly recommend these!

The recipe from Oh She Glows is

Classic Green Monster

Yield: 1 serving/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice
• 1 ripe banana, preferably peeled + frozen
• 2 handfuls organic spinach
• 1 tbsp chia seeds OR 1 tbsp ground flax
• 1 tbsp nut butter, optional
• 1-3 ice cubes
• protein powder of choice, optional

Directions: Starting with the liquid, add in 1 cup of milk of your choice. Now add in the chia or flax and nut butter. Next, add in the spinach followed by the banana on top. Blend until smooth. Add in your ice cubes and blend some more. Serves 1- about 2 cups.

Nature's Way EfaGold Coconut Oil Organic

I am very picky about what I put on my skin and hair, my skin has always been very sensitive and also breaks out easily. I think I may have found my new favorite product that I can eat, use for my hair, body, face and lips! I read so many reviews about Coconut Oil and how it's very healthy to cook with, bake with, just eat as a supplement and also the reviews on using it for your skin and hair. I bought a jar on Amazon using the Subscribe and Save and today I tried it out.

I took a tablespoon and scooped two heaping tablespoons into a sandwich bag, then I took about a dime size out and rubbed it in my hands until it liquified, it only takes seconds. I then rubbed it on my legs and feet and instantly fell in love. The smell is SO good and it leaves a nice shiny glow.  No oily residue. I did put on my workout pants and an old sweatshirt because I am not sure yet if this stains but I would imagine it might since it's oil. I also washed my face with it then used my normal facial wash over it. I put it on my lips and hands and then I put a very small amount through out my hair and then I knew WOW this is a GREAT product. It's 100% organic and pure and nothing but coconut oil. I was just thinking this morning on how much I love my Moroccan Oil but it's almost $40 and this might be it's replacement! I also can't wait to try it as a hair mask as I have been reading about everywhere.

I haven't cooked with it yet but I see all 5 star reviews on it. Check it out here! You can use the subscribe and save and get it for $7.62 with free shipping and you can cancel the subscribe and save anytime. This 16 oz jar will last a long time if you use it just for beauty reasons.

You can read more about the product on it's website right here.

I will post back any other comments I have on it since I just used it today for the first time.

*** May 5, 2012 Update on Coconut Oil, this does not stain my clothes at all, I have put this all over my body and it doesn't leave oil stains which I was worried about. I do love this as a moisturizer and it doesn't leave build up on your skin like some moisturizers do. I feel clean and very soft after using this. I love it for baking and using to grease a bread pan for the breakfast breads we make quite often.

IUD Removal Update

I made the decision to get my IUD removed, my breathing issues haven't subsided yet( feeling the need to make myself yawn to get a deep breath). It's been going on for 3 weeks now, and the crazy thing is, I was googling the issue and came across an Asthma Forum with the topic and as I was reading I was like this is exactly what I went through and then I see my user name, 6 years ago I had this same issue when I developed pleurisy out of nowhere and then had a yawning issue for months. You can see the post right here http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic78152.html. It eventually went away. One thing in the forum was that I had started up birth control on a Sunday and the yawning started up right away. Something is linked to hormones and my body not liking them.

I had a horrible experience at my doctor's office. My doctor is wonderful was not going to be in the office on Wednesday the day I requested it to be removed so I had to see the Nurse Practitioner. All I have to say is it's quite obvious that they get paid for promoting and inserting Mirena because she would not admit that one of my symptoms was related to it. She just kept saying very coldly, none of your problems are from the IUD. She could not answer me when I said then why are there thousands of women online writing about their problems and they are the same ones I am having. She could not answer that and would not. She was very cold and I had a hard time relaxing to have it removed. I wanted to see it also after it was removed, just to ease my mind. One thing I asked her was I have been reading about the Mirena crash and she was like what is the Mirena crash, I said where within a few days you bleed very heavy, she said you will not bleed until about a month and it will be very light. Really lady because I started bleeding hours after it was removed and now it's VERY heavy. I am really disappointed in the way I was treated by her.

In the shower this morning I had my third eye migrane, I am hoping all of these new symptoms and issues subside once my body clears out the hormone. Everyone is different and I know there are many women who love the IUD, but for someone that is very sensitive to chemicals and medicine such as myself, it was not for me. For me, it was nothing but problem!

IUD Nightmare.......

I had the Merina IUD put in November 2011 to help with very heavy periods and having an abnormal thick lining of the uterus. At first when the doctor told me the IUD was one option to help my problems, I looked at the chart on the wall with all the other methods of birth control and saw that the IUD was something that stayed inside me, NO was the first thing that popped in my mind, then my doctor told me the benefits, that I might not even have a period after 5 months. After dealing with my so many years of my life of heavy periods, this immediately changed my NO to a YES. How much easier my life would be not worrying about my period, it was so heavy that I felt like I needed to stay home on certain days, so it really took over my life the 7 days out of the month that I was on it. So right away I set up my appointment to have it put in.

Then the problems began, from perfect health to 2 respiratory infections, a sinus infection, headaches all the time (I never had problems with headaches before), 2 eye migraines (never experienced these in my life until now), very moody, feeling like I have bladder infections, etc. Right now I am waiting until 9 am to call my doctor at home to see if he will call me in something to help with my respiratory infection. I was up all night. I am leaving for Florida this week and need to be better.

One other thing I noticed was back when I was on the pill years ago, I had developed Pleurisy, something you don't usually just develop without having pneumonia, but I did. I had it for a month and several months later issues with it. I have symptoms of this now also, I am linking it all to the foreign object inside of me, I eat SO healthy and exercise daily, so this has to be it and my gut is telling me to get it removed asap. I now see online all the problems others have linked to it, so I just know it's not for me. One benefit from it is my period right away became so light, but my health is more important, and I do believe, we have periods for a reason so I just need to go back to my natural ways.