Beauty on The Beach-- A Pictorial Journey

Yesterday's beach walk was different than the usual. I head out most mornings with London for about an hour walk. Yesterday, I decided to take along my camera. Behind the camera, I find that the world can look quite different, and I'm able to see the beauty in even the smallest things. So, instead of my usual let's-see-who-I-can-walk-faster-than kind of walk, I was taking in the scenery with no agenda for breaking a sweat or getting my heart rate up. It was a blissful little taste of enlightenment.

The photo to the left is my favorite. It's one of the many abandoned entrance ways that we pass each morning, but this time its textural beauty made me take notice this time around. Usually, I wouldn't give this much attention, other than seeing that it's clearly a withering away remnant of the architectural past just waiting for a developer to come and erase from existence.


The other thing I noticed are the many kinds of flowers that grow along the beach. I never realized how many varieties there actually are growing effortlessly in the sand.


There's also so much texture on the beach. Much of it from old pavers and cement blocks, but I find that they have characterr in their weathered state.


When I walk by these old pavers I wonder what stood behind them. I find old remnants of the past to be haunting and romantic in a certain way. It's like finding old relics from a time gone by. Maybe it wasn't that long ago, but I always wonder what the place looked like, was it once popular? It also provokes an emotion of sadness, because it represents the end of something too.


Wow, that was getting kind of heavy there for a minute. So now, onto a lighter, sillier side. As I was taking the photo of this sign, a passer-by vacationing from California asked me it this was a joke. It's funny, because I used to think the same thing when I first moved to Florida. Laughingly, I assured her that it's not intended to be a joke. She asked if anyone really shuffles their feet. I said I've never taken this sign seriously. How do you really shuffle your feet in water anyway?


The snack bar is positioned about mid-way between my beach access point, and the end of the board walk. I usually take a short pit stop here to get some shade while I'm doing a push up or two, and I always give London a sip of water. Speaking of boardwalks. This isn't exactly a boardwalk per se. Growing up in New Jersey, a boardwalk is a good 5-6 feet from the sand and it's made of wood. It doesn't feel anything remotely like a boardwalk, because it's actually like one really wide, long sidewalk. Actually, this is much better for my stride, than old uneven boards. But I do miss the character of the Jersey Shore, and nothing can quite compare to in my book. But for now, I'll enjoy these little "treasures."

Quest For Fun

After watching and listening to blog guru Tim Ferriss' webinar on How to Build A High-Traffic Blog I really had a personal breakthrough. I happened along his lecture while scanning my favorite blogging promo site: Problogger. There are few videos that I will watch, requiring 50 minutes of my full attention, but this one is a gem. So, at about 5:30 pm, when all is quiet and the "babies" are taking their naps, I settled down on the couch with a nice glass of red wine and plugged in for an inspiring time.

This lecture is geared toward serious bloggers, and he touches the surface of the most important things to focus on. But what left the greatest impact on me is his work ethic. Tim Ferriss doesn't believe in relying on calendars. He stresses the importance of finding your "synthesis time." This is the time that you're the most in-sync, the best time to work or get the most productive things done. Tim writes the best from 1am-5am. His process- put on some good music, one glass of wine and yerba matte! Check out his 24 hour schedule here.

First, I'm backing up just a bit, because I want to start with something that has helped change my current outlook on my behavior when it comes to life and business. Tim said near the end of his lecture, and it really resonated with me:

Think BIG, play often and take FUN seriously.

He said this in reference to blogging and how it can be your own imposed hell if you let it. He says it's "OK" to go to the beat of your own drum and break the rules. The best bloggers and innovators in any field have broken the rules. My instincts ALWAYS say- do it this way, not the way they say, and I'm just so happy to see that someone has finally given me a pass.

So here I am at Panera, having some "me" time after my Weight Watchers meeting. (Can you tell I just learned how to use the web cam on my new computer?) I haven't ever really made it public that I've been going to meetings, other than to my immediate friends. I decided to jump on the wagon after the baby was born to knock off 25 pounds. I once had a friend question why I would join Weight Watchers since I have a background as a nutritionist. My response- "I need to answer to someone too!" The bottom line is, waking up on weigh-in morning to step on the scale in T-shirt and yoga pants just wasn't doing it for me. I have all the tools I need to succeed, I just like to have a place to go and connect. It has made a huge difference considering that I'm officially 19.6 pounds lighter since last December. I wanted to do the 20lb happy dance at today's meeting, but there's always next week. My goal is 7 more pounds, but I'm pretty darned happy right where I am too. I would rather this process be a "process," simply because I still want to "have my cake (wine) and eat it too!" I haven't changed my diet too much since I went on program. I've always had a good, nutritionally-sound diet in place.

I just eat less of a good thing!

And what would I do without my trusty points counter! (and calculator too) This thing goes with me everywhere. I don't buy processed foods too often, but what I love the best about this is- it helps me make better choices when I'm out at a place like Panera. I can go online, look up the nutritional content, and plug 'er in! FYI- a cup of black bean soup is only 1 point. Love it!

So by the way-- Jayzee if you read this, yes I'm working and yes, Kayzee lost 1.2 lbs today!

Next week: the "happy dance."

Hey....I'm waiting for you to leave a comment! Tell me what you like, tell me what you want to see. Do I make you laugh, or do I just make you yawn?

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Muffins

Feeling extraordinarily spontaneous this morning, so I decided that it was time to take the rest of the day off-- and I mean to REALLY take the day off. So I've been puttering around the house, dusting, framing new pictures and tidying up London's room, and then suddenly the desire to make muffins came over me, so I went with it.

I've decided to dub my muffins-"Everything But The Kitchen Sink Muffins," because anything goes in my book. I like to think of the base ingredients as the "canvas," then after that, the sky's the limit!

I've been making these for a few years now. I first found a very basic recipe on the back of a Quaker Oats Box of Oatbran. I've changed my recipe radically by removing all of the refined sugar, while keeping in the the yum. These muffins are really a complete meal in themselves, covering several food groups. I like to grab one of these muffins on my way to the gym, or right before my power beach walk with London. My favorite way to eat them is with a schmear of cashew butter, and I'm good to go!

The Recipe-

Here's the recipe used on my 14-day detox program, using all organic ingredients.

The Base-

• 1 cup oatbran
• 2-4 tbs whole wheat flour. (optional) I like to add a few tbs to give it a bit of a cakier, bouncier texture.
• 1 tb of canola oil (cold-expellar pressed is best!)
• 1/2 cup of applesauce (my little secret is to buy applesauce with blueberry, or cinnamon added- oh yum)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg + 1 egg white, or 2 egg whites
• pinch salt

Then here's how I amp it up-

• 2 REALLY ripe bananas- mashed up and folded into the mixture
• Nuts- any kind you like, but I like walnuts or cashew best
• Dried apples
• blueberries

and to pump it up even more...

• cranberries
• shredded carrots
• shredded zucchini

I usually go with the nuts, blueberries, bananas and dried apples, but if you want to add one of the extras, go for it! Just be careful with adding too many ingredients, because some of the flavors may conflict. The bottom line is, just experiment and have fun.

Once you've mixed all your ingredients, bake in muffin tray. Grease your pan, and place a dollop into each section. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Depending on the size of your tray, the recipe will yield about 8-14 muffins.

Enjoy!

Magic Pills & Other Stuff

I realize how long it's been since I last wrote, and I realize how impractical it is to maintain my 3 blogs all at once-- this one, London's, and sheknitsintheloop. Lot's of writing, so little time. So, I've come to a crossroads- to merge or not to merge, that is the question. As my husband likes to remind me- K.I.S.S. Yes, you know it- keep is simple dumb ass. (ahem, I mean stupid)

Anyhew...I was going to do a cross post from sheknitsintheloop on "The Magic Pill" but you can just read it here. This post was sparked from viewing the latest 60 Minutes segment on aging and the benefits of red wine. You know the story, just a slightly new spin.

From time to time I may add a post here and there, and I'll continue adding new pics to London's site, but for the most part, I'll be posting to sheknitsintheloop. You can sign up for the feed here, or check out the blog for all the action!

Fast- Day 2

Made it through day one without a hitch, and today quite the same. Since kicking off my detox on my 40th birthday, (OMG, that's right I forgot I'm 40!) my initial motivation was to try to figure out the mystery of this darned eczema I've been battling now for a few months. With all of my knowledge about nutrition, this one really has me stumped me.

It's funny, now that I'm on day 2 of my fast, the eczema is almost a forgotten issue. There's something so much bigger than that that has occurred within me. Maybe this all really is a blessing in disguise. I don't have control over this. Maybe this "condition" is my teacher after all.

I may figure this out, I may not, but the truth will come when the resistance stops. I've stopped wishing that it would "just go away" each time I looked in the mirror. It won't go away, no matter how many times I click my heels.

I'll talk more about the juices tomorrow, and how I plan on "breaking" my fast in the days that follow. I can't wait to have coffee again, although I could actually live without it.

On The Fasting Train-- Day 1

Finished my 14 day detox yesterday, and now I'm starting my juice fast. Day 1 almost gone, and it's been a great experience so far. Just a few hunger pangs, but nothing too substantial. In addition to juicing, I'm also drinking milk thistle tea, for additional liver support. To my surprise, it was quite tasty. It has almost a "roasty" kind of taste. I have stevia, which I thought of using, but it tastes great straight. I don't use stevia often, because it seems to have such an artificial taste even though it's a natural sweetener.

Here are the details about my fasting program, which you might find useful:
Day before fast:

In preparation, on day 14 of the detox it's advised to eat strictly fruits and veggies. I also ate one piece of gluten-free bread and a very small portion of brown rice once during the day. Drinking about 2 quarts per day is also a great idea to avoid dehydration and possible nausea.

During the fast it's best to not take supplements, since they can be hard on the stomach, and the digestive system is at rest. I also make sure to drink my juices immediately after they are prepared. Longer than 30 minutes, and fruits and vegetables can lose half of their nutritional value!

So here we are day one, and here are the juicing recipes that I've prepared for myself today:
Breakfast: 4 carrots, 2 apples, handful of parsley, chunk of ginger, 1 scoop Nano Greens.
Mid-Morning: 1 beet, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots, 1/2 sweet potato, 1 scoop Nano Greens.
Lunch: "Soup" 2 tomatoes, 1/2 head cabbage, 1 cucumber, 2 celery stalks, 1 garlic clove, warmed slightly.
Dinner: more "soup," milk thistle tea.
Evening: watermelon, ginger, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 apple, 2 carrots, 2 tbs of ground flax.

The soup concoction was great, but I definitely had garlic breath afterwards. My drink to follow with a chaser of ginger fixed that problem!

I also made sure to have 1 drink with beet, and one with either cabbage or broccoli. Cruciferous vegetables are another great component to support the liver detoxification process, and enhance the flow of bile.

Now, 8:30 pm, and doing great. My only concern is sleeping. I feel confident that with all the nutrients I've received throughout the day, that I should be just fine.

Until tomorrow.....



Photo credit: Pink Sherbert Photography

Blessing or a Curse?

Playing a little catch up here, because I had hoped to share my daily experiences while on my 14 day detox. My initial motivation for this was because of eczema breakouts I've been experiencing over the past few months. I've been so focused and dedicated to getting rid of this "affliction," but now, on day 11, things have turned out a bit differently than I had hoped for.

Let me start off by saying that physically and mentally, I feel like amazing. I think just deleting the caffeine and alcohol has created wonderful results. I also dropped a few pounds without even trying. So here's the part that's disappointing- the eczema is not gone, and I was SURE it would be cured with some good old flushing of the liver.

My first outbreak was on 3/25, then on 3/30, and also on 3/31. The problem is a bit more complicated, and now some harder work is in order. So I put my "nutritionist" cap on again and started to think that perhaps now I'm dealing with a food allergy. The food elimination process can be daunting! So for starters, I've eliminated the 5 known allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat. My instincts tell me that I may have a sensitivity to wheat, and believe it or not- garbanzo beans! Food allergies can also be created when a certain food is consumed in large quantities. Upon further reading, I learned that garbanzo beans can cause SEVERE reactions in sensitive individuals, as noted in the Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. What a bummer! I eat them roasted, I eat them raw, I toss them in salad, in soup, and make hummus. Figures.

Well, I have to say so far all is not a loss. I've learned a lot about myself in the process, and I'm so pound I've already stuck it out for 11 days! I've given myself the best gift I could ever give myself- health, happiness and longevity. What a blessing indeed.