Holy Cravings!

Hello everyone. I would like to inform you that it is.......PMS WEEKEND! Yippee! I am positive that Chrissy is also ecstatic to announce that the weekend is almost over. I went to the doctor about 7 or so months ago to inquire why I feel sad once a month. Anything will make me burst into tears. I thought something must be wrong so I asked a medical professional. Her response? "Um, that's normal. The older we get the more our hormones change." My response? "That is not a satisfactory response."
Oh well. So, I try to work out more during these times and attempt to be more aware of my mood swings and irrational outbreaks. All of the books and workout magazines I read give loads of advice for "dealing" with cravings. They tell you to "not give in" or "pretend you are eating it". Are they serious with this shit? I have found that in this irrational state, the WORST thing I can do is deny myself of these cravings. Seriously? Who wants a 30-year-old-PMSing-chocoholic on the loose? I crave chocolate, carbs and anything that is set in front of me. I could cry at any given moment for NO reason at all! I am positive that if you were to ask Chris, his response would also be "Just GIVE HER THE DAMN COOKIE!" Poor thing. I have been making him breakfast, lunch and dinner in efforts to even out my ridiculous mood swings. What a trooper. This weekend I almost cried in the middle of the mall because Lolabella had a gorgeous pair of heels that were insanely expensive and then I almost cried again because they didn't have them in my size. Not a "glistening tear"......niagra falls. What the hell?!?
So, here is my recipe for a delicious batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies. I made them last night. They are all gone now. :)

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (aka Summy Mood Stabilizer)

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinammon
1/2 bag vegan chocolate chips
1 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c water

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degress. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinammon in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix sugar, canola oil, water and vanilla.
3. Add the chips to the dry mix and then mix the wet trying not to overmix.
4. Bake handmade dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 9 - 12 minutes.
*The recipe called for 1/4 water, but I found that the extra water is needed so the dough doesn't get too "crumbly" and is easy to ball up.
HAPPY PMSing!

OK, So No Zumba Yet.

Yes, it is true. I missed Zumba. I will TRY to make it this week. On a different note, I did make it to the gym 5 times this week and put in 60 minutes of cardio every day and lifted every day but one. HAHA! I also met a massage therapist/nutritionist/personal trainer from Texas that wants to train me for October's fitness competition!! YAY!! Chris bought me a BE-A-UTIFUL set of golf clubs for my birthday that I can't wait to use. Now, if this damn rain will ever stop maybe I will get to. Made some vegan curry for dinner tonight and off to climb and cardio tomorrow. Another wonderful day! Also, the shirts I ordered for Pogo and myself for Chris' races this summer came in the mail.

Doing What We Love

Sorry, it has been a while. I must confess that I have been in a bit of an emotional slump. True to my nature, I have been studying and researching my habits to see what has brought this on. I have recently gained back 5 pounds, I feel that working out has lost it's pizzazz and I have been snappy and fiestier than normal (I am half Mexican so this can be translated to "Hella-Fiesty"). I feel that my slump is the result of a gradual decline in the "fun" in my workouts and activities. I work more and play less. Going to the gym has become a task and since running has been all but removed from my regimen, I find myself desperately trying to replace it with something. I read in Gretchen Rubin's "Happiness Project" that "what you enjoyed as a ten-year-old is probably something that you'll enjoy now."

Solution?

When I was ten, I was in gymnastics and I loved to dance. These activities carried on into my adulthood and I was part of a Utah "Hip-Hop" breakdancing group about 7 years ago. I dropped out as soon as the organizer began insisting we dance to Maroon 5 and Britney Spears. Aside from the sparse visits to the club, I don't really dance anymore. So, much to my dislike, I am going to participate in a Zumba class tomorrow night. I despise workout classes at the gym. I workout alone for a reason. I love the solitude. The only class that I really have found myself to enjoy is Pole Dancing, but I got a little uncomfortable when the instructor told me to pretend I was "dancing for my best client."

I made an "agenda" of the muscles that I will be working out each day and hung it on the fridge. I know that this is task oriented and may sound like it takes the fun out of it, but the fun part is getting to check it off when I have done it. This week I have done back, biceps, chest, triceps and shoulders.

I will blog more often. This makes me feel better and holds me accountable. I will inform my "followers" of the Zumba experience. I will leave time to walk Pogo.

I Wish My Hands Were Magic......

If you could have any magic powers what would it be? When I was little, I watched this TV show about a girl who was half alien and if she put her fingers together she could freeze time. She could make anything manifest into thin air just by closing her eyes and imagining it. I often wish that I had this power. I always tell myself that if I did I would be at 15% body fat regardless of what I ate, have a six pack and I would take all calories and fat out of ice cream and cupcakes. YUM! I went to see a newly injured paraplegic patient this afternoon and talked to him about coming to my unit for an extended period of time for rehabilitation following his spinal cord injury. His response to me was "Will you make me walk again?". It's days like these that cupcakes lose their luster and I wish I had the power to heal.

"Strength Does Not Come from Physical Capacity, It Comes From an Indomitable Will." - Ghandi

Headin Back to the Gymie Gym....

So, I took about 2 weeks off of my routine at the gym after my birthday. I was still going, but I wasn't lifting as much. I started lifting again on Monday and Note To Self: Never stop lifting again. I have been sore ALL week! Currently, I am doing 1 hour of cardio 6 days a week and lifting 5 days a week. With the weather bringing us some sunshine, I have even been able to make it out on a few runs. Worst thing about being vegan so far has been discovering the sweets and pasta recipes! I am officially hooked on vegan mac n cheese! I have made vegan chocolate chip cookies and they are DELICIOUS! Tonight I made carrot curry soup....if you have congestion, this soup will clear you right up. It was supposed to be carrot curry, but I added potatoes and almond milk. These recipes will come later this week.

I went to the outdoor expo at the South Towne Expo Center yesterday. Do not confuse this with the O.R. show, because these two are definitely NOT the same. I was a little dissappointed. There were more booths for spas then there were actual outdoor gear booths. We live in Utah, right? One of the best outdoor states in the country. Maybe next year will be better.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Vegan Bean and "Cheese" Enchiladas! I found this recipe on vegweb.com as well and it was AMAZING!!!!!!

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
1/2 c flour
1/2 c nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c vegan butter
1 tsp mustard
2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce
2 (14.5 oz) cans of beans (any kind you like, I used pinto and black)
2 medium onions chopped (I used one)
1/2 c salsa (optional)
1/4 c cilantro
10 tortillas

1. Cheese Sauce: In large sauce pan combine flour, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. Whisk in water and heat on medium until sauce is thick and bubbling. Remove from heat and add mustard and vegan butter.

Mix well and set aside 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce.
2. Except for 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, add the rest of the ingredients to the cheese sauce in the saucepan. Stir to combine.
3. Coat the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with some of the reserved enchilada sauce. Place a tortilla in the pan and lightly cover with enchilada sauce. Spoon filling into the tortilla, then roll and push it to one end of the pan. Continue this until all tortillas are filled.

* Like the true mexican I am, I stack my tortillas cuz I'm a busy gal and I don't have time for this rolling business. I place two tortillas on the bottom of the pan, spread some of the filling on top then cover with two more tortillas until all of the filling is gone. I finish it off with two tortillas on top and cover it with the left over cheese sauce and encilada sauce.

4. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top and spread reserved cheese.
5. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.

I love me some INDIAN!!!

Feel better now than I did this morning and overall better than yesterday. I have an appointment with Dr Gleich on Friday to "discuss" things. Still not too hot on the immunotherapy idea and still bound and determined to fix this shiz with my diet. After my run last night I made Chana Masala! YUM! Totally vegan and totally amazing. In fact, it was so good I couldn't stop saying that at dinner "My God, I am AMAZING." For someone who used to hate to cook, I am quite enjoying it. I think the whole vegan factor helps as well. It makes me feel like I am tricking whoever is going to eat, which is usually me but that is quite alright.
I found this recipe on VegWeb.com. I changed it a bit, however, to make it creamer. Here is the recipe:

Chana Masala
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 large garlic clove minced
1 tbsp curry
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained
4 tbsp of coconut creamer
1/2 tbsp lime juice (because I forgot to buy a lemon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 tbsp vegan margarine

Step Uno:
Heat oil on med/high heat and saute onions until brownish :)

*feel free to make fun of my "chopping" abilities

Decrease heat to medium and add garlic, curry and paste (mmmm, paste.) Stir and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Step 2:
Add chickpeas, coconut creamer, lime juice, salt, black and red pepper. Add margarine, stirring through to melt it.
Here are the brands that I used. They are all vegan/organic. Check the labels! Not everything that states it is organic or vegan is. A USDA stamp of approval means nothing, so use your head.

Stir and simmer for 5 minutes more or until chickpeas are softened and dish is hot.

Last step:

Serve over rice. I used Whole Foods 365 Brown Rice.

YUMMMMMMM!
This recipe is totally vegan, but if you are not vegan you could add anything you wanted like carrots, chicken, potatoes, etc. I added the coconut creamer. The recipe called for 3 tbsp of liquid from the can the chickpeas came out of.....blech.

Spring has Sprung....Flonase Anyone?

So much for no more allergy meds. At least not for today. I barely slept, woke up with the infamous swollen eye (yes, just one) and a wonderful head full of snot. Lovely. Took Flonase and Zyrtec...Zyrtek.....??? Felt better this afternoon and took a long nap on the couch with the dog and an ice pack on my eye....woke up with half of my dog's ass on my eye, but the swelling and burning went down regardless. I even felt well enough by 4 pm to go for a run. I took another shot of Flonase and off I ran. I may not be off of all of my meds yet but I shall carry on with my vegan adventures! I've also found that good ol' uncle Ray flares up during allergy season too! Nothing like a swollen face and numb hands. I found several recipes today that I plan on trying this week. Stay posted!

The Vegan Beginner......

So, I haven't written in this for some time and all three of you that follow this may be wondering why.....Let me begin by saying that I stuck with my diet up until about ten days prior to my thirtieth birthday. It was at that point that I started a whole new, revamped, completely different diet. A vegan diet. Now you may be rolling your eyes and thinking things like "that self-righteous bitch" or "what a frickin hippie", believe me - I have read all of the thoughts behind the looks I get when I tell people that I am now vegan. I have a good reason and I will share this with you.
First off, my birthday was a blast. My closest friends were there, well most of them. We had dinner at The Wild Grape, delicious! I even finished dinner with a yummy chocolate and PB vegan cupcake from City Cakes and Cafe. Danced the night away! I stayed with my workout plan and it was fantastic. Thirty is definitely the new twenty. Anyone says otherwise, I'll pimp slap you.
Ok, so the whole vegan thing. Yes, I still shave my pits and my tids and bits. No, I don't wear hemp everywhere. Yes, I believe in being humane to animals and I wish that was a good enough reason for me to become vegan but perhaps I loved cheese too much or maybe I am just too much of a selfish bitch to give cheese up for the cows. Yes, I try to wear "cruelty free" makeup and use "cruelty free" pamper-me products, but I am not perfect and this does not happen all the time. No, I do not give a shit if you eat steak for breakfast, lunch and dinner and NO, I will not give you endless lectures about how being a carnivore is ruining the environment.
About a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that targets the response my body has to cold. I have Primary Raynaud's Disease/Disorder/Retardism. Basically it comes down to that when any part of me is exposed to cold (ears, fingers, toes, etc) my body's cardiovascular response is exagerated to the point that parts of my fingers and toes become white and purple and numb. I literally can't feel a thing. This may sound silly, but here is the shitty part. Once my circulation starts increasing again, I have an "attack". My nervous system tries to shunt blood to the parts that are becoming frostbitten and it isn't getting there fast enough because the vessels are so contricted. My body in turn begins a nueropathic pain response which feels something like having roofing nails driven through my knuckles and my fingernails peeled off slowly. Hooray!
I was diagnosed in January 2010. The following April, my eyes were swollen shut every morning. EVERY MORNING. I started getting blisters on my lips. I looked like a mix between Quasimoto and a pug dog. Pretty, I know. This lasted through the summer and into fall. I saw an allergist at the U of U hospital and found out that an added "benefit" to having an autoimmune disease is intense allergies. I've never been allergic to anything in my life. I am now what Dr. Gleich refers to as "acutely allergic" and recommended I return for possible immunotherapy treatments. Immunotherapy is a clinical procedure where they inject you with small doses of what you're allergic to, watch to make sure you don't die and then do it some more to try to change the immune response you have to certain allergens. I was on 3 different allergy medications and I am allergic to everything green in Utah, which pollen seasons are from April to November. So there are 3-4 months that I am "symptom free". Oh, the joy. When I asked the doc what I could do, he said "move to Hawaii".
So, any of you that know me may be able to imagine the emotional turn that this has had on my life. I am an extremely outdoors person. I live to be outside and in the winter I live for the snow. This past winter I was barely able to get out and in February it got to the point that I was too terrified of the pain to venture into the mountains, let alone my backyard.
I currently work at the U of U hospital with a vegan Physiatrist. I had a lunch with my dad in March, who is vegan/vegetarian. My dad believes that autoimmune responses are due to the body's inability to process meats and animal products. I listened to his advice and then told him I would talk to my doctor friend. At first, I thought "I am on this protein diet! I can't do this now, I'll wait to try it." Upon talking to my doctor friend I was convinced I needed to give it a try and waiting any longer was not an option. The doctor I work for was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disease while he was in medical school. He then read this book "The MacDougal Plan" and revamped his entire lifestyle to vegan. Since then, not one physician has been able to find a trace of his disease and he has been pain-free. He also recommended that I try veganism. He suggested a 6 month trial. Sound too good? Maybe it is, but since I changed my diet, I am down to one med a day.
So now, I am changing this blog for a few reasons:
1. I am thirty and fabulous.
2. All new VEGAN recipes :)
3. I am too stubborn to believe that I can not change my body. I will not accept this diagnosis.