Review: Orgalif Bento Lunch Box Containers

Standard

I received these containers at a discount from Tomoson.com in exchange for my honest review.  My opinions are mine and I would not recommend anything I did not believe in.

bentos

It doesn’t matter how on point your fitness game is if your fueling game is off.  Yes, your calories might be in check, but your optimal balance of protein, carbs, and fat may not be.  I log every meal, whether on plan or not.   Why?  It helps me see why I don’t make progress.  When there are more good days than bad, I either lose or maintain.  Before I started my current food plan, I noticed I reached for fat and carbs more than protein.  A lot more fat than anything else, really.  Yes, almond and sunflower butter are good, but not at the amounts I’d reach for on a daily basis. Oy!

Speaking of, I stepped up my food prep game a few weeks ago and am seeing results.

Note:  Results include increases in energy level, change in how my clothes fit, training gains, and changes on the scale.  No one result trumps or minimizes another.

I’m following the macros from Flexible Dining for Vegans and don’t feel deprived, disappointed, or hungry. One issue I do have, though, is sticking on plan when I oversleep, have back-to-back shifts, or am running around.  One thing that does help is having meals and snacks ready to go.  Instead of relying on shakes or bars for most of it (or trying to rush and fix a plate or bowl), I try to pack individual meals.  I received the opportunity to review a set of Orgalif Bento Boxes and put them right to the test.

The boxes are a good size, dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe, and the different colored lids were a plus for me. I could reach for the meal I wanted just by spotting the lid.  You know how it is when you live with other people, the fridge gets rearranged whether you want it to or not.  Knowing that these containers are full of ‘that crazy vegan food’ tends to keep the family away.   They don’t know good eating!  I took a couple from the freezer straight to the microwave with no issues.   They washed up nicely in the dishwasher, too.  They’re about perfect.  I fill them on meal prep days and am ready to go for a few meals.  The containers are not leak proof, so I use them at home exclusively.  They do fit nicely in lunch bags, so just skip sauces and gravies and things should be golden.

Orgalif offers a five year, 100% satisfaction guarantee.  Five years!  That says a lot in this disposable world.   Go get yours, risk free, and get to prepping!

Semi-wordless Wednesday: Flexible Dieting for Vegans

Standard
flex dieting

Get this e-book! I followed the directions, calculated my macros, ate with them in mind, and lost 7 pounds in one week. Thank you, Dani Taylor!

Get your copy for $24.99 from Vegan Proteins.   While you’re there, pick up some other goodies, too.

Semi-wordless Wednesday: Books

Standard

You know I have a cookbook problem.

SAMSUNG

A few of my favorites, including books from authors I have a girl crush on. HInt – all of them.

al fresco

I reviewed this book and still pull ideas and recipes from it from time to time.

ice cream sandwiches

Don’t think any commentary is necessary.

Supercharged-Juices-Smoothies

Because your friendly neighborhood Sherrie does not fear the green,

meal plan bb

Meal planning was in full effect here.

 

Raw or cooked, plant-based comfort food rules!

Raw or cooked, plant-based comfort food rules! Noms!

A classic.

A classic.

One of my go-to's for healthy vegan eats.

One of my go-to’s for healthy vegan eats.

HappyHerbivoreLight-2526Lean_FrontCover

I’m digging the recipes here. They help me stick to my eating plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn’t matter if the books are from the library or part of my personal collection.  I have one within reach daily.

By the way, if you’re in or near Charleston, SC, you can meet Happy Herbivore herself, Lindsay Nixon at the College of Charleston on Thursday!  I missed her back in 2012, but will be there this time.  Hope you can make it, too!

Review: Ozeri WeightMaster Digital Bath Scale with BMI and Weight Differential Detection

Standard

I try to avoid the scale. I know, weight is a measure of health (so they say), and there’s a scale hop required at every doc’s visit and one at the physical therapist’s office.  We always had a scale growing up and for some reason were expected to have one.  I didn’t have one during my single days and didn’t care, but for some reason just had to have one once the life with hubs, kids, and dogs started.  For some reason I felt like we needed one.

I hate the scale in general.  It mocks me when I think I look smaller and feel lighter.  It jumps out from under the bed and kicks me in the toe.  It calls to me when I ignore it for too long, taunting me.  Yes, I’m aware it may not happen that way, but it feels like it.

I had the opportunity to move on up to a prettier, less bossy scale and jumped at the chance. The timing was perfect because physical therapy was in full swing and so was my tweaked eating plan.  I figured it wouldn’t hurt to add something else new
to the mix, even if it was as intimidating as a scale. The Ozeri WeightMaster Digital Bath Scale with BMI and Weight Differential Detection has a long name, sleek look,  and nice features.

See, I told you it was attractive.

See, I told you it was attractive.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package is how attractive the scale is. This baby is a nice-looking slab of
tempered glass with non-slip pads that are gentle on my hardwood floor.  It came with batteries (nice) and clear instructions on
setting up separate profiles for multiple users.  The Weight Differential Detection tracks changes from your last weigh in,
and averages of the last three and seven weigh-ins.  How cool is that?  I like this feature because I can accurately track my
results alone.  Granted I had to teach the family to switch between profiles, but that was no biggie – when they paid attention.

The WeightMaster accepts weight up to 400 pounds.  I don’t want to need that weight limit, but it’s nice to have that option.  It also measures Body Mass Index (BMI), but honestly I try to ignore BMI measures myself because it doesn’t paint a clear picture of health.
I do love the Color Alert Technology which displays a green light for a loss and red light for gain.  If I wanted to gain weight, I might find this annoying.  But I’m all about gains in health and losses in fat and pants size.

I almost bought a different scale, but am glad the Ozeri WeightMaster fell into my lap.  Not only is it accurate (compared to the doc’s scale) and attractive, it’s engineered and manufactured in the USA.  More companies need to stay here instead of trying to move out of the country (I’m  looking at you, Burger King). Ozeri stands behind their products with a 100% Hassle-Free Satisfaction Guarantee. Pick up the WeightMaster in (black or white) or check out Ozeri’s other scales.  I won’t get on the scale more often, but when I do, it will be the WeightMaster.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review: Yacon Syrup is delicious!

Standard

Hello.   I’m Sherrie and I issues with sugar.  By issues I mean a deep love of it. Too much of it at times.  According to my mom, I went after sugary goodness with a vengeance as a baby. Before I was two, I snagged my Easter basket and took out the chocolate bunny when I was supposedly napping. She said I was working on the jelly beans when I was caught.

See, I told you I had a problem.

I’m on the lookout for low-glycemic alternative sweeteners that will hold up in baking and have minimal aftertaste no matter how it’s used.  I like stevia, but hubs and the kids don’t care for it.  Right on time, I was offered a bottle of V3 Life & Food Pure Premium Raw Organic Yacon Root Syrup.  While hubs was skeptical after hearing the reported benefits, I was happy to give it a shot.

yacon syrupHave you tried Yacon Syrup?

It’s making the rounds as a fantastic metabolism-boosting weight loss wonder.  It’s another new-to-us food from Peru that’s reported to have amazing benefits.

V3 Life & Food Pure Premium Raw Organic Yacon Root Syrup is certified organic, non gmo, soy and gluten-free, and a delicious low-glycemic sweetener.  It contains prebiotics and probiotics that support healthy digestion, has only 13 calories per teaspoon, and reportedly boosts the metabolism.   Other reported benefits include increased fiber intake, lower blood sugar, and  weight loss.  The Dr. Oz Show aired a feature on yacon syrup in November 2013 after looking into the hype and conducting a 28 day experiment.   Of the 40 participants who completed the challenge, 73% lost weight and 68% recommended it as a weight loss tool.   I wasn’t interested in the syrup as a weight loss aid and only tried it as a low-glycemic sweetener.

v3 yacon syrup nutrition label

It tastes like a cross between honey and molasses and adds a richness that honey doesn’t have.  I enjoyed it in hot tea, unsweetened soy milk (hot, cold, and blended with cocoa powder), drizzled on homemade soy yogurt and berries, coffee with a little coconut milk creamer, and in my morning acv and lemon juice drink.  I don’t know if it had an effect on my metabolism, but I do know that the flavor definitely had an effect on me.  I will keep it on hand for use in recipes calling for agave nectar or honey without hesitation.  I have a few muffin recipes calling my name now.  Pumpkin spice muffins are good any time of year.

Get your bottle of Life & Food Organic Yacon Root Syrup directly from Life & Food’s shop or Amazon.  No matter where you get it, give it a try and let me know what you think.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

August is here!

Standard

Yes, it’s a new month complete with a new tropical storm (hi, Bertha).  Kids are heading back to school, tax-free shopping weekend sales are starting,  and the thought of a quiet house between 8 and 3 pm is making parents giddy.

Sorry, kids.  Well, no, not really.

To me, the start of a new month is time to reflect on the gains of the previous month and set new targets for the current month.  Notice I said gains?  It’s my way of focusing on the positive.  In July I increased resistance, speed, and strength.  I hit a smaller size.  I wanted to shop for clothing instead of just grabbing whatever I thought would fit.  It sunk in that I need to eat if I’m going to succeed.  No more drastic cuts to calorie intake.   For August I want to increase my aquatic therapy sessions.  I want to wear a certain top and have it look good.  I want to improve on July’s fitness targets.  See, all positive and also realistic and attainable.   It took years to fall apart and it takes time to fully recover, heal, and thrive.

What are your August targets?  You can reach them.  I’ll be right here, cheering you on.

Happy Friday, all! What’s shaking?

Standard

So, what’s shaking?  The same old thing here, but with a little more happy.

If it seems like I’m extra happy right now it’s because I am.  I went to physical therapy as usual on Wednesday and was released as a pt client.  That means I’ve improved enough that I can start the work on my own.  While I plan to stay on as a wellness client (to use that fab Endless Pool), I’m also going to slowly get back to my old activity level.  Part of my ramped up activity includes more low impact bodywork, including PiYo.

piyo 3 day

I’m sure you’ve heard of PiYo by now because it’s the newest Beachbody release from Chalene Johnson – love her!  It’s a home version of the PiYo classes offered in clubs all over the place.  I need low impact workouts like Pilates and yoga so that I don’t hurt myself or slow my recovery.    As much as I love 21-Day Fix, even the modified movements are too much for me right now.  I’ll go back to it when I get the all-clear to do so.

There’s no shame in admitting that you need a change and moving on.  Never feel ashamed or let anyone tell you that you’re lazy because you recognize your limits and are working around them .  Do not ignore them for the sake of proving you’re not lazy.  It’s better to work harder and smarter than to go all out when you’re body is unable.   Trust me, I fell into that trap and did much more harm than good.  

Now back to my regularly scheduled message. 

PiYo has a six days on, one off weekly schedule.  Because I’m going to listen to my body, my plan is to start with three days of PiYo with one day of aquatic therapy each week.  I’ll train for a day and take the following day off.  On my rest days, I’ll still get in my usual five to ten minutes of gentle yoga and walking.   My eating plan will stay about the same for now with one exception.   Gluten has to go, doc’s orders.

So that’s what I’m up to.  If you want to know more about PiYo, my eating plan (regular and cheat day), or how I modify fitness and eating plans to suit my needs, give me a shout.   I’m on Facebook and all over social media.  Just look for Sherrie Thompson or WAHMinSC.  I’d love to hear from you.

 

 

Out of spoons

Standard

Hi, all.  This is me, out of spoons.

I am exhausted,  in pain, uninspired,  and done.  At least right now.  Weeks of running around almost daily is kicking my butt.  I slept past noon and want to go back to bed.  I know I have things to do, but I fracking cannot.  I don’t have the energy to fake it today.   And that’s okay.

Do not forget to take care of yourself.   Sometimes that means taking the time for a nap, sleeping in,  or anime marathon if and when you need it.

So here I am.  Not faking it.  Hope you’re having a better day.

What are you reading?

Standard

My name is Sherrie and I have a book problem.  Am I the only one?  I can’t be.

Worthy Evans is a College of Charleston alum and brilliant writer.

Worthy Evans is a College of Charleston alum and brilliant writer.

My problem started years ago and only became worse after a few months of library work followed by bookstore work.  I loved every second of shelving and discovering new titles and topics.  I love it when I get lost in a story or can almost taste the recipe by reading the ingredients.   When I drop by the library I can’t seem to help myself.  I walk in to return the stack I spent a month pouring through and leave with more.

Taking time for myself is a necessity.   Reading for pleasure reduces stress and helps me relax.  Even if the story has me wound up and jumping at the slightest sound, I’m more relaxed than if I’m working all day.  Do you take time to read?  What are you reading now?

Raw or cooked, plant-based comfort food rules!

Raw or cooked, plant-based comfort food rules!

This is perfect reading when I need a laugh.

This is perfect reading when I need a laugh.

I’ll catch you later.   It’s time to curl up with a good book.