Wishing Well

This morning I was thinking about life and how I wished I could somehow accomplish everything that needs doing. So much of the time I just feel like Sisyphus. I was thinking about all the things that I wish could provide to the people around me, that I don't. I wish I had 100% more time in the day and the energy to make everything in my small world a bit better - in as much as any one person can do that. Then a funny thing happened ... I thought about an old song. Not a great song, but a good (and obviously memorable) one. And, that reminded me of growing up - associating events in life with music. A silly practice, I suppose. I recall someone I once knew warning me against doing that. It's pointless, but a brain will do what it will do. Anyhow, that lead me to a YouTube video with some pretty cool animation.

YouTube - Kiwi Wishlist

LC-wise, I've been staying consistent with my weight. I've been eating well. Lately I've been enjoying quite a few blue cheese stuffed olives and pecans. Mad just made a new batch of the "magic peanut butter cookies" last night. So I expect that I'll indulge in a few of those in the coming days. Hopefully the scale won't mind too much.

Since things have been pretty crazy lately, I've practiced making the most streamlined meal replacement shake possible. Here's my winning formula for that:

+ 2-4 ounces of cold, purified water

+ 2-4 ounces of full-fat, organic coconut milk

+ 2 scoops of Amazing Grass Chocolate Greens

+ 1 scoops of MRM Natural Vanilla Egg White Protein

+ 2 packets of Now Foods Organic Stevia + FOS

+ a dash or two of AlsoSalt (a salt substitute that provides lots of potassium)

+ a dash of organic peppermint extract

I usually use a shaker cup to make this. It's the simplest way, IMO. The flavor is just incredible. It's as delicious as any chocolate-mint drink I've ever had. It doesn't taste nutritious at all but it is. Lots of antioxidants, healthy fat, fiber, nutrients, protein and very low in sugar.

Last but not least, I wrote a column this week that may be of interest to some of you. It's about the latest science re: "alternate day fasting". This might be a good strategy for some people who have a particularly sluggish metabolism. Kudos to Anne for being ahead of the curve on this one. :-)

PS - Mad made some Jalapeno Poppers stuffed with some added carnitas last night. It was the best variation of the recipe yet! Highly recommended! DDDEEELLLIIICCCIIIOOOUUUSSS!

PPS - I'm setting up a free sleep study at HealthyFellow.com and I'm looking for some study volunteers. The basic set up is this: I send "you" a box of an all-natural herbal tea (known as SLP by Kroeger Herbs). If you take part, you'll fill out an evaluation of your sleep quality before and after using the tea for 2 consecutive weeks. I'll then use the data (in an anonymous way) to put together an upcoming column which will discuss the results found by all the participants. More details will be available Monday night at HealthyFellow.com.

Dancing in Arizona

We've been away for the past several days - off on a desert trip. The occasion? Our brother-in-law's daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Try saying that 10 x quick. Oy vey!

We're both still trying to catch up after the "mini-vacation". The good news is that we stayed on plan while away. We did this by selecting our meals carefully, bringing snacks and remaining open to any and all food possibilities. Let's put it this way ... we ate at Burger King for the first time in at least 5 years! A bunless burger of course. Lots of temptation surrounded us during our trek but we kept each other strong and didn't give in.

Now it's time to go trick or treating to all of your blogs ...

PS - The dancing went pretty well. No toes were stepped on. :)

U2 360°, Il Fornaio and Halloween Friends

What a week! It started off with a bang. Mad came home on Saturday evening (after working during the day) with big news ... somehow, don't ask me how, but somehow she was able to wrangle up two tickets to the U2 360° concert on Sunday night. This was their final stop on the US leg of their tour. The concert was 100% sold out with an expected turn out of 100,000 concert goers (at the legendary Rose Bowl)! I was completely blown away! Never saw it coming!

We immediately went online and came up with a game plan - where to eat, where to park, how to zig and zag through traffic and the endless waves of people. Much to our shock, pretty much all of our plans panned out. We managed to have a shockingly delicious LC dinner at an Italian restaurant called Il Fornaio - Mad had a grilled seafood platter. I had a sliced steak and sauteed garlic spinach. We shared a plate of tomatoes w/basil and burrata cheese. To drink - Mad had a spicy Bloody Mary and I had a glass of red wine. It couldn't have been tastier and the service was ultra-speedy, just what we needed.

The concert kicked keester. It was a sensory jackpot. The Black Eyed Peas were the opening act. We do have some photos but I'll have to post those down the line. They're on Mad's computer and she's working at the moment - that's right, on Sunday. :-(

Apart from that, we had a lovely Halloween night. We had the good fortune of sharing the evening with some friends (two couples). There was plenty of LC friendly food available (spinach dip, marinated chicken breast, burrata cheese topped with basil and prosciutto, grilled asparagus, grilled zucchini w/onions, red wine and coffee). Lots of lively conversation and some much need laughs.

A lot of this weeks columns on Healthy Fellow focused on the ill effects of stress and how to overcome them. I suspect that's no coincidence. I often struggle with managing stress in a productive way. I recently found a supplement that seems to be helping me with that. So, if you any of you need some support in that regard you might want to check out my review of Natural Factors' Serenity Formula.

The plan for tonight is to make some stuffed tomato pizza and have it ready for when Mad arrives. Hopefully we'll have a chance to watch a football game as well.

Weight-wise, I'm staying relatively stable. I've been cooking a little more than usual - especially side dishes such as creamed spinach and mashed Parmesan cauliflower. Mad's been sticking to her program very well and she's been seeing some progress. I'm extremely proud of her. There's at a lot of temptation in her line of work - dinners, parties, premieres, work lunches, etc. Since making her commitment to an LC lifestyle, she hasn't veered from her path even once. I think that's pretty awesome. :-)

I send you all my best. I'm excited to see all the cool things that are happening in your lives - Oct's b-day, Angie and Low Carber's continued weight loss, Nancy's anti-diabetes crusade, Anne's soul searching, Sadekat's new business venture, Vadim's determination, Fit's 100 day challenge, Jimmy's 3 year anniversary and much more ... I see it all and it makes me smile. Thank you for that.

A Rough Week, Chicken Wings and Scallops

About a week ago (last Friday) Maddy was in a bad car accident. All told, she survived it quite well. She's a very strong person. Mad was shaken up, to be sure, but doesn't appear to be physically hurt in a serious way.

Since then we've continued on with a very hectic schedule and have tried to make the best of things. That partially explains my absence from the blogosphere. I've kept up with the HealthFellow columns but lacked the mental or physical will to update things here.

A few positive highlights from this week:

Last night I made some fresh, wild caught scallops (pan-seared) in a lemon butter and white wine sauce. I served them with some homemade garlic-Parmesan mashed cauliflower. Mad told me it was one of her favorite meals ever. What sweet music to my ears! :)

I couldn't find much in the way of healthy, LC prepared foods at Whole Foods Market yesterday evening. So I spoke to the butcher and got some basic advice about how to make chicken wings at home (in the oven). It's good to have snack options on the days we're not on the road. Mad also gave the wings a big thumbs up. :) Sometimes you've got to be resourceful in order to stay on plan and to save a buck or two.

I wrote a couple columns this past week that deal with low carb issues on the HealthFellow site. I love spreading the good word about low carb living in an honest and non-pushy kind of way. I hope I'm succeeding in doing that.

Speaking of blogging ... I've tried to stop by and touch base on most of your menu-blogs as well. I'm not the most organized person but my intention is certainly to stay in touch as best as I can. This isn't a strong suit for me. It never has been. But I'm trying to change that.

I hope you all have a productive and/or restful weekend. Today we're both doing some work. Tomorrow, we'll mostly try to rest and recover. Fingers crossed. :)

Breakfast Pudding

Lately I've been enjoying (and benefiting from) a rather unusual breakfast. Here's how I make it:

I put all of the following into a blending cup:

+ cold water

+ a few ounces of shredded, organic coconut

+ a scoop of organic, sprouted flax seed meal

+ 2 - 3 tablespoons of organic (unsweetened) peanut butter

+ 1 scoop of natural vanilla egg white protein (MRM brand)

+ 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood powder

+ a healthy dash of Also Salt (a potassium-based salt substitute)

+ a few mini-scoops of 100% pure stevia powder

I use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients until they reach a thick, pudding like texture. I stumbled upon this one day while *trying* to make an all-in-one protein shake.

I like the taste and the sensation of eating something, rather than drinking it. I'm also able to pack more into the pudding - less liquid and more bulk.

Anyhow, I thought I'd pass this along in case any of you are feeling bored with the typical protein shake routine. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

315 - 321

*** If you haven't already heard - Linda Genaw, a long standing part of Jimmy Moore's forum and the creator of a truly fantastic (and free) LC recipe site, is currently in the midst of a medical crisis involving her husband. They're desperately in need of some emotional, financial and spiritual support. Please considering helping out. ***

Jimmy Moore's Column About Linda Sue and Her Husband

Another week in my low carb existence ...

1. I wrote a column for the HealthyFellow site examining the effects of a low carb bar vs. pumpkin seeds vs. a higher carbohydrate bar on my blood sugar levels. The Atkins Bar Test.

2. I've reintroduced Amazing Grass Green Superfood into my daily pudding and shakes. I'm also back to using organic coconut milk - instead of the coconut butter or shredded coconut. My kitchen is a science lab and I never stop tinkering. :)

3. My body seems to be getting used to my chosen "ideal weight" (180 lbs on 5'11 + frame). Some days I eat more than others and yet my weight rarely fluctuates much. I think this is a good sign. I also know that my fasting blood sugar is pretty fantastic - in 70's - 80's - based on my recent testing. Another reason to be optimistic.

Monday Dinner - spicy catfish (from Whole Foods Market) and homemade Parmesan mashed cauliflower

Tuesday Dinner - sauteed wild shrimp and homemade creamed spinach

Wednesday Dinner - "pepper steak" (from Whole Foods Market) with homemade Parmesan mashed cauliflower

Thursday Dinner - carnitas (from Whole Foods Market) and organic avocado slices

Friday Dinner - turkey chili (from Whole Foods Market) topped with organic chives, organic sour cream and extra sharp cheddar cheese and homemade guacamole

Saturday Lunch - herb crusted salmon, steamed asparagus spears (from The Cheesecake Factory) and unsweetened iced tea

Sunday Brunch - organic, omega-3 cheesy eggs (organic DHA-enriched eggs, a splash of organic half and half, soft goat cheese, fresh organic chives, fresh cracked organic pepper and sea salt) natural center cut bacon and organic avocado slices

Day 314 - Sailing!

My Girl, My Girl, My Girl!

Our Brother/Captain!

Our Sister-in-Law and the Captain's Wife/Co-Pilot!

A Phooning Fool!

We had a blast! Very windy but still beautiful and exciting!