So What Wednesday

Linking up with Shannon at Life After I "Dew" for another installment.

So WHAT if...

• I'm out of town again this weekend? I'm going to see my dad and step-mom in Michigan.
• I'm excited to go to a place that is actually fall-like? Seriously, 80 degrees and 100% humidity is excessive this time of year, DC.
• I still have hairspray in my hair from the wedding on Sunday? I washed my hair twice and deep conditioned. Here's hoping another round tonight will get it all out.
• I don't have that many pictures from the wedding? I know that there were other photogs around and I had a bouquet to carry.
• My grocery shopping for the week was a dozen eggs and one pound of chicken? Those are the only fresh foods I needed for this three-day tour in DC. Trust me, I wanted cookies, but I feel compelled to tell my trainer the truth, so I avoid it.
• I can't lie to my trainer? Seriously. I don't know why. Maybe because he can totally tell if I'm not eating right?
• I clean my apartment in pieces? I'm not talking room-by-room, but all dusting, then later, the floors, then later more dusting, then some counter scrubbing...I haven't had a solid block of time to do it all at once.

Go over to Life After I "Dew" and tell the blogosphere, "SO WHAT!"

Icky Poo Poo

Being 28, living in a city at least 500 miles from a parent, and being sick really bites the big one.

Granted, I can function. I can heat up broth, take medicine, and make it to the doctor, but there's a comfort when someone is taking care of you.

I caved today and had some chocolate sorbet (don't tell my trainer). I know there's no medical benefit, but it's a little comforting. If I weren't a whole block from 7-Eleven, you bet your bippy I'd be getting down on a Slurpee.

What really sucks about this is that I travel tomorrow. (Germaphobes, put down your desanitizer, I'll be on antibiotics for 24 hours by then.) Thankfully, I'm not congested, so the pressure changes won't kill me.

I'll be heading to San Antonio for my cousin's wedding. I think I'll tell the makeup artist to liven me up so I don't look dead. Should be interesting. In 98 degree heat and 60% humidity. Shoot me.

At least if I go down hill, my mom will be there to take care of me. #bigbaby

So What Wednesday

Linking up with Shannon at Life After I "Dew" for another installment.

So WHAT if...

• I'm enjoying my old lady life with work, gym, dinner, dishes, bed? Lame-o, I know, but I also know that I have a busy schedule coming up.
• I'm planning all of my packing for Texas around my cowboy boots? I love them, they are pink, and if Texas isn't the place to wear them, I have no idea where to wear them.
• I am dreading the 90 degree weather in San Antonio? Ugh. You wear silk in that heat with 50% humidity and not hate your life.
• I'm still wrapping my calf to compress my shin? I'm already to the ugly yellow bruise phase thanks to RICE - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Score for my nurse friends.
• I got a 4" massive ace bandage? My friend pointed out that since I tend to fall a lot, I should probably opt for the bigger bandage. Touche.
• I secretly want it to rain so that I can wear my Hunter boots? But really, without the whole frizzy hair and wet part. Basically, I want to puddle jump.
• I'm still peeved about the guards confiscating my knife? I just wanted to cut my tomato so my guacamole wasn't runny, and I had to resort to my scissors. Which are as long as my forearm, and guess what? It has two blades when they're open.
• I'm more than a little peeved that my air conditioning has gone out for the third time since May? I know it's cooler at night, but it's still warm during the day. Work, damnit.

Go over to Life After I "Dew" to link up and say So WHAT!

Epic Fall...The Season

So, in case you missed it (ICYMI), I blogged about Epic Falls. As in, biff it, take a digger, trip, flail, body surf, tumble.

Yeah. I do that a lot.

So is it any coincidence that I love fall?

There are so many things to love. The Pumpkin Spice Lattes, layering (which makes one outfit like five), the leaves, the crisp morning, pumpkin and apple picking, ahhh....so much!

Then there's the obsession of the Salted Caramel Mocha from the 'Buck. Lately on twitter, I've been conversing with Shannon at Life After I "Dew" and Kelly at Keeping Up With Kelly & Co. about the deliciousness of the PSL and SCM (figure it out).

Granted, the conversation from Shannon was more longing and complaining that the 'Buck had yet to hit the sticks. So naturally, we went to the internets to scour for recipes.

Here's the one that I'm stuck on:

1/2 cuppa/mugga joe (or shot of espresso if you're fancy pants)
1/2 cuppa/mugga steam milk (easy peasy out is to heat in the microwave)
1 packet hot cocoa
Salted Caramel to taste
Sea Salt to taste

Mix steamed milk and cocoa first, then add coffee. Next sweeten with caramel and salt to your liking. If you have the patience to keep the foam, then drizzle with caramel and sprinkle sea salt.

What's great is that you can make substitutions like skim milk and "diet"/fat free cocoa packet. I wouldn't skimp on the caramel. That's the essence.

In my "research", I found that Trader Joe's has a Fleur de Sel Caramel. That's fancy pants for Flower of Salt Caramel. Since I went to not one, not two, but three grocery stores on Sunday, I was able to make it to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter to compare.

Hands down, it's TJ's.

I picked up the makings of hot cocoa, sea salt, and the Fleur de Sel and realized I shouldn't deprive Shannon. She lives in the country where a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are non-existent. She'll be receiving a little Salted Caramel Mocha Fall care package so that she can go on and on with us on twitter about it's deliciousness on our Friday virtual coffee meet ups.

Official fall is just around the corner...I need to get out my leggings, tights, wool, and start layering.

What are your favorites of fall?

Epic Falls

If you know me, you've probably heard about - or better yet, been witness to - my epic falls. I have the ability to have massive tumble acts that resemble horrific accidents, get up, and bop away. Not kidding.

Why do I bring this up outside of the homonym that it's fall and I fall? Well, I had another EPIC fall. We're talking EP. IC.

To set the scene, I was walking down the stairs after a meeting. The stairwell is well lit, carpeted, and completely normal. I however? Am not normal. I am walking about 3 stairs behind my boss and about 3 in front of the rest of the meeting room letting out. In this, I'm wearing a cute dress and 3" heels.

I managed to misstep. And body surf forward down the stairs. Almost pancaking my boss. If she had turned around to investigate the noise? SPLAT.

My first thought was, "Did that just happen?" Second, "Did I break my water cup?" (Seriously, it's Starbucks venti insulated cup with the candy cane straw. Legit.) Third, "Body scan. Is your dress up too far? Nope. OK." And lastly, "Do I hurt? Eh. Let's see if I'm bleeding because I don't feel anything."

From this, I found out where the nurses office is located and how to fill out an accident report which will now launch an investigation into the safety of the stairwell. My suggestion? I'm not in it. Problem solved.

I have managed to walk away with some rug burns, bruises, and a little swelling. Well, it looked like a goiter on my shin, but with compression, I should be in tip-top shape.

Let's go down memory lane, though.

Christy's Bachelorette Party
I was out riding horses, fiddled with the reins while in a gallop that caused the horse to stop. I did not. I displayed my amateur trick riding skills with my forward somersault dismount.  

Damage: bruised ego, bruised shin from the saddle horn, endless giggles, but I got back on the horse, literally, because otherwise I would have had to walk.

Public House - Out front of my former haunt, there are 6 cement steps. After a fun night, I was standing at the top in heels. The heel dropped off the step and that sent me into a backward somersault ending in a Kerri Strug worthy pose where I tell the cops standing - stunned that I was standing - that I wasn't driving, turned and hailed a cab.  

Damage: bruised ego, bruise on my forearm, a soundtrack from Culture Club and I'll Tumble For Ya every time I think about it.
 
Sophomore Year at CSU
I had this delusion that I was going to stay on campus all day to study and brought all of my books with me in my back pack. I had a nice little turtle shell of 40 pounds of textbooks. Between classes, I ventured out to go across to the library and started down the steps. One misstep and somersault later, I'm flat on my back - er, turtle shell. Now, picturing a turtle on it's back, you will now picture me trying to wrestle to one side to get upright once again. Flailing comes to mind. Panic. The usual.

Damage: bruised ego, lack of studying for the remainder of my undergrad career.

Why is it important that I bring this up and I'm trying minimize bruising and scabbing? I have my cousin's wedding this weekend. An event that involves heels, a dress, walking, and stairs. Things I have proven I cannot handle. Sober or otherwise. Sheesh.

So What Wednesday

Linking up with Shannon at Life After I "Dew"...

So WHAT if...

• I pulled a page from the resourceful cook's substitutions and sauteed my mushrooms in fat free mayo? I know. It sounds weird, but it's eggs and oil. It makes a creamy base and is amazing with chicken, mushrooms, and green bell pepper. You should try it.
• I eat the same thing for lunch and dinner when I'm watching what I'm eating? I don't need brain damage to cook all the time and decide what to eat. Cook once, eat 4 or 5 times. Much easier.
• After only 2.5 days without caffeine, I'm sleeping insanely well? And I can stay up later than 8pm (unlike Monday night.)
• Even I am a little creeped by the cooking with mayo thing? It does taste amazing, but interesting and a leap of faith for sure.
• I still haven't posted pics from any of my trips? I need to edit some, download others, and possibly get my life together. So don't hold your breath.
• I succumbed and join Pinterest? I love the inspiration for life and fun. Granted, I haven't created any pins and have only re-pinned 2 things, but whatever.
• I am excited for all sorts of football? It's what fall is all about! There's the Rocky Mountain Showdown this weekend between CSU and CU, then there's the Broncos against Cinci, and every other game I'll watching in the meantime.

Link up with Shannon and say your own, "So WHAT!"

How Changing What You Eat Changes Your Perspective

A lovely reader posted this last comment on my Caffeine Free post:

Erika said...

Out of curiosity - if you eat gluten free and are cutting out the sugars and caffeine - what are you eating? What is left to eat? I ask because I'd like my husband to try something like this (gluten free and less sugar), but I have to be able to present him with some alternatives. If you had some suggestions I could research based on those. Thanks!

It's not easy to go full fledged into gluten free-dom. And obviously not caffeine free-dom. I'm not completely without sugar because they exist in the dairy products, so it's cheating...a little. But it's a drastic departure from my normal day-to-day.

The easiest substitutes for gluten are brown rice pasta. My favorite is Tinkyada. I think that it cooks up easier and better than the gluten-filled counterparts. I also think it reheats better for leftovers. There are mixes for cookies, cakes, and brownies that are main stream. (Not for the sugar-reducing plan, obvio.) The GF bread that's out there is good as toast. Since you have store the bread frozen (so it doesn't crumble to the touch), toasting is really the only way to thaw the bread for a sandwich. There are also GF pizza doughs and mixes. For thin crust, these are great. If they are pre-made, they are probably in the freezer section.

For breading, and for cereal, I use Rice Chex or Corn Chex. Put those puppies in a food processor and you've got yourself some "bread" crumbs.

More and more restaurants are aware of Celiac (In fact, today, September 13 is Celiac Awareness Day), and have created menus, food options, and work with you when you need to be GF. The best thing to do is scout restaurants beforehand to find out what they offer.

The best thing to do is plan your typical menu. From there, you can find substitutions and alternatives. Instead of bread, I serve brown rice. Instead of thickening with flour, I use corn starch. I read lots and lots of labels. You'll become familiar with brands that have gluten and will steer clear. It's not easy to start, but it will become second nature. Although, I'm probably the worst because I forget to tell the wait staff. Half the time, I have to flag them down and tell them that I can't have gluten and to 86 the bun on my burger.

There are a lot of consolations that I have made. I will never get to enjoy a PB&J on soft Wonder Bread. I won't get to sop up my sauce with a piece of hot and delicious Italian bread. But really, you can make a transition to being gluten free.

Being sugar-free is a little harder since it seems to be in everything. A quick elimination is in sauces and fruit. There's tons of sugar in fruit. As for caffeine, not even decaff is safe. There is an amount of caffeine in decaff. If you're looking for a gradual break from caffeine, I would suggest taking out all but your morning pep. Then when you've cut out your afternoon and evening jolts for a couple of days, step your coffee down to decaff and limit yourself to what you have. Stepping down your daily intake will help lessen the headaches and keep you from committing a felony on some idiot.

Based on my previous experience, when you start feeding your body what it needs and not what you want, rest, relaxation, contentment, and serenity fall in around you. My productivity and focus was amazing and my moods were level all the time. No matter the idiot. Once you've had that feeling, you try to get it back. It's not always easy with everyday life, but it's possible.

Good luck as you explore your grocery store, recipe box, and your own tastes! It's a wild ride when you find more than meat and potatoes.

Caffeine Free

First, you might be thinking, "Yum! I love me some caffeine free soda!" Which I would hope is a Pepsi product as 28 years in a Pepsi household has taught me. (My mom has over 30 years with them.)

Anyway, that's not the point, although now that I think of it, I would like a soda.

Crap. I digressed again.

Moving on.

I have been caffeine free for a total of 36 hours. Which is a feat of epic proportions considering my love of soda, coffee, and Starbucks as a whole. But what is keeping me from my morning jolt and afternoon pick-me-up? A detox of sorts.

As you may have read before, I prefer naturopathic medicine. Meaning, I prefer to know the cause, not the treatment. My aches and pains I had before could be treated with a pill, but I wanted to see if something in my environment was laying me up. After a detox and finding out that I do not tolerate gluten well, my aches and pains have disappeared. I don't get sick as often or feel "under the weather." My body can do it's job as a well-oiled machine and not have devote all it's time to the clean up crew.

For a time now, I haven't been at my normal level that I felt after my first detox. Now, I could do another detox, that's true, but it spans about 6 weeks and requires no allergens which makes eating out nearly impossible...it's like a vegan. Without soy. You do the menu planning. It's easier to stay home. However, I don't stay home. As evidence by my blog and absence from blogging.

What I consulted with my doctor on was eating to my body-type. What this means is that there are 4 body types for women and they are all based around a gland. When you over stimulate your predominate gland, you gain weight, feel crummy, and have cravings all the time. This is all based on the book called Dr. Abravanel's Body Type Diet and Lifetime Nutrition Plan by Dr. Eliot Abravanel. From the book, you are guided to determine your body type and given a plan for eating that basically lets your glands get back to normal through what you feed your body.

I am a T-type. And trust me, when I read the other types, I can relate some, but not for everything. When I read about the T-type, it is me. What this means is that caffeine, refined grains, and sugar. Refined grains are easy since I live gluten free. The sugar and the caffeine??? My life lines.

Now, that is also the crux of this whole thing. When you over stimulate, you get cravings for the things that push you over the edge. Vicious, delicious circle.

Long story even longer, I have cut out caffeine. No coffee, no soda. I have also cut out most sugar. There are some lingering sugars in foods, but I'm cutting out chocolate, candy, fruit, (yes, fruit), and all of those delicious things that are obvious.

So far, I haven't gotten the withdrawal headaches a la heroin. (Look it up. Caffeine is so addictive, withdrawals can resemble heroin withdrawals.) I have managed a steady intake of Advil to keep me functioning. (And don't point out the whole not-take-a-pill approach. Everyday life shouldn't have a pill, but caffeine withdrawal can. Besides, it's my body - and sanity - I make the rules.)

Now, if you'll stay out of my way, I will be able to conquer the caffeine craving without committing any bodily harm or murder. Until 8pm because that's when I fell asleep last nice. And then slept for 10 hours.

Have you ever tried to kick the nectar of the gods? How did you fare?