How I eat, Spring 2021 edition

There are a few links in this post and some are affiliate links. Thanks in advance for checking them out.

Hi and welcome, y’all! May the 4th be with you!

If you follow me, you know that I’m a nerd, love food. I collect cookbooks, love to cook, and love eating out. You also know that I am working on my fitness and health goals and nutrition is a big part of it. I follow an 80/20 philosophy for the most part. 80% of my meals and snacks are on point while 20% can go towards more decadent goodies and the occasional glass or bottle of booze.

Meal planning for the mixed household has not changed much. All of the sides are vegan and I cook extra veggies and grains in batches so they are ready to grab at a moment’s notice. I get recipes from Meal Mentor (I love Happy Herbivore and have for years – go Cougars!) and from Beachbody’s Nutrition+. With Nuttrition+, I have access to both Ultimate Portion Fix and 2B Mindset. I’ve used both programs depending on how things are going with my fitness plan and goals.

Thanks to a few unexpected issues, I’m currently following 2B. I divide my plate and make sure that I get water, veggies, and a balance of starchy, carby goodness, and protein. This is similar to the plan I started following years ago when I decided it was time to get my weight under control. This plan is customizable and effortless once you get the hang of it.

When things are a little less hectic and pain is manageable, I will jump into Ultimate Portion Fix. with it, I use color-coded containers to help me hit a day of balanced nutrition. I have the option to plan my own meals or follow a timed nutrition plan that shows me what containers to have at specific meals and snacks, including pre-and post-workout.

With either plan, there is flexibility and the reminder to get in more protein. I tend to skip protein in favor of more fruit and veggies and bread. Getting my meals in makes a difference for me. So far in 2021, I am down several inches (and will need more pants soon) and I am not mad at the scale. My blood pressure and glucose are lower and my next round of tests should show lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

Your girl rediscovered accidentally vegan baked goods during semi-quarantine life in 2020 and had to get things back in check.

I track meals and snacks because I like to see what I had the day before that may have aggravated pain or stomach irritation and so I can remember to repeat (or not repeat) some meals. I personally like tracking, whether it’s on an app or just a quick photo. It helps keep me honest about why the scale doesn’t move and why my clothes aren’t as loose as I would like. Do you track?

So, how are you earing these days? Be on the lookout for examples of my meals in the near future. I love the variety of goodness available this time of year and cannot wait to incorporate goodness from the garden (fingers crossed).

Until next time, peace.

February 2019?

Hi, all.

It has been too long without an update on the good old blog. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know what’s been happening. If you don’t, here’s a quick rundown.

I have Posterior Tibial Tendonitis in my left leg. The tendon is responsible for some of my knee and ankle pain according to the Physical therapist and the doc told me recovery would be long. Recovery and PT have been decidedly unpleasant but PT is working. Slowly.

Due to the injury, my fitness game is limited. I am not allowed to lift heavy or spend too much time on my feet. Yoga, Pilates, and some walking in 30-minute increments make up the majority of my training schedule. Yay. The pain increases the fatigue, but it’s not anything new. Fibro/CFS life, right?

Of course, my weight is having a negative effect on recovery. Nutrition is the main focus for hitting my goals. I’m currently following 2B Mindset and figuring out how to customize my plan. The program is helping me change my relationship with food and to get in more water and veggies daily. It’s also helping me pinpoint exactly how much corn I can have before I have a reaction. I’m not allergic, but am sensitive to it. I’m losing inches and have fewer digestive issues all around.

I’m counting down to the big 5-0 and kicked off 2019 with the Shrimp & Grits 5K (one of the Charleston Marathon events). There was a new course (all flat, baby), a new location for the finish and after party, and were veggie grits available. There was also coffee which was awesome because it was COLD!

Meal prep is not just a one-day marathon anymore. I break it into a two-day thing and find it a better fit overall. As always, there are batches of greens and beans every week.

Batch cooking this way makes it easy to throw together meals on the fly that I did not necessarily plan for. I felt like Asian food one night, so I made Edamame Cauliflower Fried Rice with the baked tofu I batch cooked, a cup each of frozen edamame and mixed veggies, and two cups of cauliflower rice.

And now you’re up to date. If you have any questions for me about my nutrition, PT, food prep game, or anything, feel free to ask.

Eating for real

Let’s be real for a minute. We know it’s better to eat at the table so you can put your focus squarely on your meal, but that isn’t always how things go. We eat at our desks, in the car, and while watching tv. While protein shakes and smoothies are a great option for mobile meals, those don’t always do the trick. My question is this: what kinds of things do you reach for when you need something more but don’t always have both hands available?

When I need to eat at my desk, easy-to-eat fruit and nuts is one of my favorite combos. Apple slices or strawberries with a serving of mixed nuts on the side makes me happy.

Give me a Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Ambrosia, or Granny Smith and I’m a happy woman.

When fruit isn’t what I’m feeling at that moment, muffins make me smile. Blueberry, oatmeal, apple spice, pumpkin or sweet potato muffins are blissful one-handed goodies that don’t always leave a mess on my clothes or keyboard.

These Blueberry Yogurt muffins from Happy Herbivore Light & Lean and delicious, guilt-free, and quick. Happy Herbivore photo.

You can never go wrong with a good old fashioned sandwich. I make sure it’s not made with messy fillings so I don’t have to worry as much about a gloopy keyboard or stains on my tops.

Nothing like a sammy full of holiday leftovers.

What are you favorite meals or snacks when you eat on the go or in the office?

Semi-wordless Wednesday: Books

You know I have a cookbook problem.

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

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

Don’t think any commentary is necessary.

Because your friendly neighborhood Sherrie does not fear the green,

Meal planning was in full effect here.

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

A classic.

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

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!

Make your own non-dairy milk

Note: I received the Victoos Nut Milk Bag free of charge in exchange for my honest review. Anything I say is not influenced by the product. My views are my own and I will not recommend anything I don’t believe in.

I used to just kind of like milk. I had it over cereal and used it in recipes, but as far as drinking it straight, I wasn’t a fan. I found out later in life that milk did not like me. At all. It smiled in my face and kicked me in the back. Hard. Milk gave me gas, made me bloated, and gave me headaches. Any milk or milk product had the safe effect. As much as I loved my yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, dairy had to go. While that made me a little sad, it sent me on a mission to find delicious non-dairy alternatives that like me as much as I like them.

Non-dairy milk was first on my list. While I can find soy, nut, rice, hemp, flax, and coconut milks on store shelves, my budget does not always appreciate the hit when they’re not on sale or when I go on a baking binge. Learning to make my own was not difficult at all. For quick soymilk or cream, I add water and to a package of silken tofu and whip it until I get the consistency I want. Sometimes I want to mix it up. When I want nut, seed, or grain-based milk, I blend the item with water and go. while I get a smooth consistency, the milk usually isn’t as smooth as a store-bought product. This is where a nut milk bag comes in.

The Victoos Nut Milk Bag is a lightweight nylon bag designed for straining. Just blend your nut, seed, or grain milk, pour into the bag, and strain. Squeezing the bag will strain out all of the liquid and leave pulp I use in smoothies, oats, or in baking. I haven’t tried drying the pulp out to use as flour yet, but that’s on the list of things to try later.

Cleaning the bag is a breeze. I give it a good rinse if I need it again right away and toss it in the wash with kitchen towels if I don’t. By the way, a nut bag is excellent for people who want to juice but don’t have a juicer. Just blend the juice ingredients and strain through the bag. If you want a Victoos Nut Milk Bag, snag one on Amazon while it’s a great price – just $8.95.

What non-dairy milk will I make next? I’m thinking a coconut-flax milk might be lovely. Why that blend? Because I’m obsessed with making tofu mousse and yogurt and saving my silken tofu for those uses.

This goodie is inspired by an older recipe from Happy Herbivore. I added blueberries to the ‘yogurt’ recipe to snack on as-is or on top of fruit salad for breakfast. Want some?

Which non-dairy goodies are your favorites?

See ya, January! Happy February!

I’m glad to see January 2015 go. It was a craptacular month and I don’t think I could easily handle a second month of it. An annoying reason I hated the month is the setback. Grr, the setback. But, January is over and February is here. I’m ready for it.

I tried to post this yesterday, but the January Kick Ass continued for an extra day. My saved pots disappeared three times. I was not amused.

My goals this month are to get my eating back on track and learn more about what ails me. Research might drive some people crazy, but it helps me feel like I have more control. The Fibromyalgia quirks and tummy issues don’t bother me as much since I have an idea what to expect. I hope that makes sense. I wonder sometimes if it does. If it doesn’t, I blame Fibro Brain. 🙂

And speaking of research, I picked up this goodie a few days ago.

Ricki Heller‘s blog is one of my favorite stops and I know the advice in this book in my hands will make a huge difference. I’ll share more about the book and recipes here and in my Examiner column. If you need sugar-free, gut-healing whole food recipes, take a look.

I was advised to consider the possibility of candida overgrowth a little over a year ago. I took the assessment and scored in the top range before I completed the whole thing. Oy. Overachiever, I am. These recipes work with my eating plan. I just have to tweak things here and there.

For fitness, I’m starting another round of 21 Day Fix starting on February 8. 21 Day Fix Extreme drops today, but I am not ready for that one. Both 21DF and 21DFX are designed to get you on track with 30 minute workouts (yes), an easy clean eating plan, and quick results. All moves include a modifier front and center and only minimum equipment is required. I’ll use resistance bands and my favorite exercise mat. If you’d like more information on either program, give me a shout or visit my store.

30 minutes a day, clean eats, and modified moves that even I can do. Love it!

Do you have specific plans or goals for February? If you need or want support and encouragement, give me a shout. If you’re following a different program, it’s all good. This is all about support for whatever your goals are. Swing by Facebook and say hi.

Until next time, be good to yourself. Remember that you are not alone and that you are your competition.

Peace!

Review: Number One Nutrition’s Advanced Probiotic

I’ve learned a lot in this past few years about the importance of a happy and healthy gut. Probiotics play a huge role in the process. I treat my body like a lab at times. One experiment involved cutting the use of a probiotic for 30 days. That was a huge mistake. The bloating and, um, irregularity were painful. Use of the wrong probiotic wasn’t good for me, either. My gut is pretty wrecked after years of antibiotics and other medications along with previously unknown food sensitivities. Limited peanut butter, coffee, and wheat, and no more dairy, period. The peanut butter and coffee hurt the most, but that’s another story for another day.

I noticed that my daily dose of nutrition in a glass wasn’t giving me enough gut protection, so I went back to a separate probiotic. Number One Nutrition’s Advanced Probiotic fit the bill. It’s vegetarian-friendly and dairy-free!

I gave Advanced Probiotic a try and it made a big difference. It worked as well as more expensive brands I’ve tried and I felt the difference almost immediately when I ran out for a few days. Finding a good probiotic without dairy is huge when dairy is an issue. I picked up a bottle of a different brand for comparison and will go back to Advanced Probiotic as soon as I finish this jar. When I find something that works, I stick with it.

Give Advanced Probiotics and other products from Number One Nutrition a look. You might find the supplement you body’s looking for. Pick it up directly from Number One Nutrition or on Amazon.com.

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.

How was your 2014?

It’s the time of year when people make grand resolutions after looking back at the current year. I’m not making any grand resolutions myself. Goal setting seems to work better for me. I’m happy to have reached the majority of goals I’d set for myself and plan to do more of the same in 2015.

I’m ending this yer on a healthier note than I started it. I have more answers than questions about my health and am on the healing track. I’m not 100% there, but I am much better than I was. I still hurt daily, but I hurt a lot less.

I’m still working on my fitness. Yes, Beachbody programs play a huge rule, but walking and flexibility training are in the mix. I plan to take on Body Beast in 2015 and hopefully hubs will join me.

Body Beast works for men and women. Muscle burns fat, baby! Sherrie Thompson photo.

To train like a beast, I must eat like a beast. Yes, I will be plant-based because that is my way. Sherrie Thompson photo.

As for family stuff, I plan to keep doing what we do. I’ll love and accept them for who they are as people and not just because of ties. and I’ll beat the girl in her games, dammit. I can’t help it that I’m a dedicated PS person and shen bounces around.

As for swearing, that’s not going to change. I know when to reign it in and when to let loose. Letting loose is when I’m lifting heavier or tripping over the dogs.

Here’s to you. Set goals, work toward them, and live well. Do your thing. Compete only with your former self. Love yourself as you would anyone dear to you.

Peace.

**The link will take you to my Beachbody page. If you need a coach, suggestions on a program, or just want to hear from someone who gets it, give me a shout.**

How not to go vegetarian

Switching from an omni to vegetarian way of life can be easy, but if you want to keep it healthy, don’t do what I did. Let my mistakes be your guide.

When I first made the switch, I replaced all meat with additional bread, cheese, and fat. I thought I could eat anything I wanted in large quantities because I wasn’t eating meat. Unless the cheese is made with vegetable rennet, it might as well be meat. And those calories add up. I lost weight because I was working out five days a week. The minute things slowed down, the weight came on.

Another big mistake I made was not eating more vegetables. I ate the same handful of veggies I’d always eaten, but most of them were either starchy or smothered in cheese or butter or both.

And don’t get me started on the sweets. I feel into the ‘woah, this is vegan?’ trap and tried everything. Lots of everything. I still try lots of vegan sweets, but not all at once.

If you have any questions about my missteps, feel free to ask.

Until next time, peace and good eats!

Ahh, chocolate! Thanks, Freedom Superfoods Organic Raw Cacao!

Hello. My name is Sherrie and I have a chocolate problem. I could eat it every day and never get tired of it. I like it sweet, dark, mild, straight up or in recipes. Cutting out dairy meant cutting way back on store-bought chocolate goodness and getting back into the kitchen for my fix. That wasn’t a problem necessarily, but it wasn’t exactly the best thing for me to do. You know, since I have that problem.

When I was asked if I’d be interested in trying Freedom Superfoods Organic Raw Cacao, I was not opposed. Well, more than that. I was excited; giddy, even. I know that good quality chocolate has health benefits (it’s rich in antioxidants and minerals), but it seems this stuff is even better. According to the folks at Freedom Superfoods, their raw cacao is alkalizing and energizing in addition its fiber, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron that help keep my blood pressure and energy level on point. It’s non-fermented, organic, raw goodness.

The first thing I did when I received the bag was make a mocha. It was late morning when my shipment arrived and I needed caffeine. I noticed how smooth and fine the powder was. This was not the cocoa powder I was used to. It blended perfectly into my mocha and made my chocolate-loving self smile. I think the flavor did more to lift the afternoon slump than the caffeine.

Freedom Superfoods Organic Raw Cacao has adds rich dark chocolate flavor in anything its added to. When you order a bag, Freedom Superfoods includes an e-book with recipes to try. Instead of following their recipes, I used the raw cacao the way I usually use cocoa powder. I mixed it into smoothies and oatmeal at breakfast, coffee and coconut milk for afternoon lattes and mochas, chili at lunch and dinner, and for dessert, everything. I made raw banana chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup for topping and dipping, chocolate mousse, and, my current favorite, homemade coconut dark chocolate candy. Thanks to Angela Liddon (Oh She Glows) for that one. she inspired me and sent me on a candy-making spree.

Coconut Oil, raw cacao, and maple syrup = vegan superfood candy bars!

The recloseable bag helps keep the cacao powder fresh until its all gone. At this rate, I’ll finish it by the end of the year. Yes, I plan to give chocolate goodness as holiday presents. If you want your dark chocolate goodness throughout the day like I do, Freedom Superfoods Organic Raw Cacao is the way to go. Check them out on Facebook and see why I love this stuff. The company stands behind their products and offers a 60 day money-back guarantee.

If you’ll excuse me, I have a raw banana chocolate smoothie to finish while I work. I’d share, but, you know, you’re not here with me.

Cheers!

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.

Sherrie's Getting Healthier

Learning to thrive with chronic issues

healthy eating

How I eat, Spring 2021 edition

February 2019?

Eating for real

Semi-wordless Wednesday: Books

Make your own non-dairy milk

See ya, January! Happy February!

Review: Number One Nutrition’s Advanced Probiotic

How was your 2014?

How not to go vegetarian

Ahh, chocolate! Thanks, Freedom Superfoods Organic Raw Cacao!

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