Am…musings

I just had another “shut the eff up” moment. I decided to wrap up the “cleanse” a few days early and move on to the more reasonable week two of the Body by Glamour diet. It’s the same principles, but additional whole grains and some sweets are allowed. There’s also a daily “treat” … one ounce of dark chocolate, frozen yogurt, a glass of wine. Homemade microwave popcorn was also on the list. Huh?

Even reduced-fat package microwave popcorn has a fairly long list of ingredients that don’t sound very healthy, including added color. The Glamour recipe … 3 Tbsp. popcorn kernels. Place them in a paper lunch bag. Fold the top of the bag down a few times. Microwave for two to three minutes or until popping slows (mine took less than a minute and a half.) Add your favorite popcorn topping (I’m going with a few sprays of Pam, a touch of salt and hot sauce … healthy hottt corn!)

I was a bit skeptical of the whole paper bag thing and of popping the corn without any fat, but it totally worked! And it has to be a ton cheaper and much healthier than the packaged variety.

I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I prefer sweet breakfasts over savory ones. I tend to crave a little something sweet after a meal. And sweet drinks are no exception. For a girl who doctors up her coffee up like candy and adores Southern sweet tea, a sip of unsweetened beverage (besides water) pretty much made me want to gag.

For the most part, I’m an artificial sweetener fan … Sweet & Low, beginning as a kid, and recently Splenda. But I’ve always been concerned about the chemicals. And recent studies are showing that our bodies don’t know the difference between sugar and the fake stuff, which could contribute to weigh gain. Here’s a good explanation from Dr. Katz, who is featured on Oprah.

So when my February Glamour magazine featured a week-long “cleanse” with no sweets or added sugar or sweeteners as part of its Body By Glamour diet and exercise series, I was intrigued. The series focuses on healthy, reasonable eating rather than fad-diet extremes, and the “cleanse” is no different.

It includes three smaller meals and two snack, consisting of lots of veggies and fruits, lean protein and dairy, select whole grains and healthy fats. The following should be avoided:

• Packaged foods
• Soda
• Bread, pasta, crackers
• Butter and cheese
• Red meat
• Caffeine (yeah, no caffeine is a goal of mine, but I haven’t gotten here and wasn’t about go cold turkey; instead, I went had a cup or two of unsweetened coffee and then a few glasses of unsweetened iced tea)
• Alcohol (ok … I cheated a bit here)

So … my first sips of unsweetened coffee and tea were … ok (I swear). Of course, the coffee wasn’t quite as yummy as “candy,” but not horrid. Each morning I’ve had a cup of unsweetened oatmeal with a half cup of berries, a few walnuts and a little milk. It’s pretty tasty, and most importantly … I’m not hungry until lunch, which is rare for me. I chalk it up to the fact that I’m not experiencing the drop in blood sugar from the sweet meal I’d normally have. In fact, I haven’t been all that hungry all week, despite eating smaller quantities of much healthier fare. And my energy levels have been good … no afternoon “I need a Diet Coke” lulls.

The “cleanse” is just for a week, but I plan to definitely stick with no soda, no-added-sugar/sweetener breakfasts and unsweetened coffee and tea. If you’re interested in checking it out, the whole plan is outlined at Glamour.com (you do have to sign up, but can opt out of receiving e-mails).

New Year’s Eve has never been particularly high on my holiday list. I always have a great time, but it seems like the hype and expectations are usually much higher than the reality … which tends to make it a bit of let down, no matter how much fun I have.

This year my expectations are pretty low. I anticipate hanging out with my parents, sleeping lots and taking copious amounts of prescriptions drugs.

What? Well … it seems I’m a bit of a withholder when it comes to health info. When I finally told you about my fibroid surgery (seven days after it happened), I wasn’t entirely forthcoming. I said “all went fairly well,” but didn’t elaborate. Well … “fairly well” meant there was a possibility I might need a second surgery. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that … and figured why worry you needlessly or bore you with the details.

So here’s the scoop … when they went into remove the fibroids, they found endometriosis and removed what they could. But some of it was adhered to places it shouldn’t be and I wasn’t prepped for that surgery (ok, yes … I’m withholding again, but this time, you won’t be hearing about it later … it’s just a little too gross and personal to share). The verdict at the time was to wait and see how I was feeling … sometimes women can have endometriosis without even knowing it, as I did.

Unfortunately, a majority of the pre-surgery pain returned. I’d also met my very high deductible this year. I figured the endometriosis wasn’t going to get better … and given that I’d already invested so much into my health this year, it just seemed to make sense to have the second surgery.

I’m told the recovery time will be a fraction of the last surgery. And although it sucks that my (and my parents’) New Year’s will be ruined, at least I’ll have the extra days off work to bounce back. And the surgery prep, which starts Wednesday morning, will be like a fast at a fancy spa … perfect for recovering from the Christmas and pre-Christmas gluttony.

In addition to being the size of a thimble, I’m thinking my bladder is a sensitive, shy type that didn’t like being called out in my last post.

Thanks to it, I was up at least every two to three hours last night. By the fourth or fifth time, the sun was coming up and I was coherent enough to register the time and definitely know I visited the bathroom at 10 minutes to 6:00 and then again at 10 minutes after 8:00. At that point, I couldn’t fall back asleep even though it was a bit earlier than I wanted to rise on my day off.

I’m thinking it was my bladder’s way of saying, “Paybacks are a bitch, sister. Quit talking about me!” Or, more likely, my body is responding to waaaay too much Diet Coke yesterday … yeah, I’ve definitely fallen off the no caffeine/no soda wagon these days.

I still have the Far Side my friend Keith edited for me of the space shuttle launching with a speech bubble stating, “Wait! I have to go to the bathroom!” The altered caption: “Why Amber could never be an astronaut.” Yes, I have a thimble of a bladder. But twice lately, in a roundabout way, it’s meant I get a good breakfast.

In May, I was headed to a wedding in Louisville. Thanks to the bladder, I’d only made it about a ½ hour out of town and had to go. I also hadn’t had breakfast and figured if I had to get out of the car anyway, I might as well skip places with drive-throughs and went to Bread Co. (or Panera for those of you outside of the Lou.) The same thing happened this morning after a grocery stop on my way to work. Both times I had the Power Sandwich, which is quite tasty.

It’s egg, lean ham and cheddar on whole wheat. At 390 calories, it’s no lightweight, but it does pack lots of protein. It’s also a better choice than their other breakfast sandwiches with fatty meats on Ciabatta and the very evil, previously mentioned Cinnamon Crunch bagel.

It’s 5:57 a.m. as I type these words.

I typically say I am not a morning person, which isn’t technically true. Unlike many other non-morning people, I’m not a total crab-ass in the morning. After taking a little time to wake up, I’m normally in a positive mood and fully functioning (the fact that I’m writing a blog post after waking up 10 minutes ago is proof positive). So as opposed to an anti-morning person, I’ve deduced that I am a lover of sleep … a Dozing Diva, if you will.

As a Dozing Diva, 5:57 a.m. is not a time of day I normally see unless I have an early commitment. Today, I do not. Today, I’m trying a sleep experiment.

At work a few weeks ago, we were chatting about the number of hours of sleep we each prefer and actually get. I had always targeted (and usually hit) 8 hours a night during the week and 9 on the weekend. A co-worker mentioned studies had shown we should get sleep in 1.5-hour increments after the first 3 hours …. so sleeping for a total of 4.5 hours, 6 hours, 7.5 hours or 9 hours. The reason (in non-scientific terms): REM cycles last 1.5 hours and interrupting them is bad and results in feeling less rested.

My love of sleep means I gobble up every article I see regarding sleep tips, recommended hours, etc. and I was shocked I’d never heard that wisdom. That very night, I opted to hear the Wii Fit fitness tip (something I usually skip) and it was about the importance of sleep and sleeping in 1.5-hour increments. I figured it was fate and that I needed to test the concept.

Nine hours during the week seemed like a stretch so I’ve been shooting for 7.5 hours. One big change I’ve made is not sleeping around the snooze … I’ve always known that was bad, but now I have a basis for it. Instead, I’m forcing myself to slowly wake up using one or two snoozes.

It’s been a few weeks, and I think I feel a little better. I also feel validated by one cool thing I’ve noticed … on weekends, when I don’t set the alarm I wake up exactly at the 1.5-hour increment (i.e. my typical 9 hours on the weekend). Today, it was exactly at 6 hours. It’s rare that I wake up before the alarm during the week and normally, I’d go back to sleep. Unfortunately, the alarm was set for only an hour later so I decided to really test the theory. I normally crash in the afternoons/evenings after less than 8 hours, but now I wonder if it was actually because I hadn’t been sleeping in magic increment. I’ll keep you posted.

Veggies are typically freebies on any diet so here’s a free snack … cucumbers and salsa. I’ll admit I smirked when I learned about it, but I swear it’s surprisingly tasty!

In an effort to stick with the healthy eating plan, I searched for healthy appetizers in preparation for the big game. I landed here and decided on spinach squares (there are lots of other yummy looking recipes on the site).

They weren’t too difficult to prepare, but when I took them out of the oven they looked a little like Astroturf … at least I was in theme. Honestly, I thought they were pretty tasty. Maybe just make them for yourself or for folks that you know are spinach fans (only two other people at my – albeit small – party partook).

Spinach Squares
1 egg
1/2 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 ½ cup unbleached or all-purpose flour (whole wheat can be substituted for half of the flour)
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. butter or canola margarine, melted
½ cup fat-free or light sour cream
3 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (gently squeeze with hands)
8 ounce reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I think shredded would work. I actually found reduced-fat cheddar/Monterey Jack crumbles)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Beat egg, egg substitute, milk, flour, salt, baking powder, melted butter, and sour cream in mixing bowl on medium-low speed until smooth batter has formed.
Stir in cheese cubes and spinach.
Pour into prepared pan, spread evenly with spatula, and bake about 35 to 40 minutes.
Test center to make sure it’s set/firm enough for the squares to hold their shape.
Let sit about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Keep refrigerated. Eat hot or cold.

My lovely mother Shar …

… and I are doing the diet I’ve mentioned together. This week we’re supposed to jump start it by sticking to a vegetarian menu as directed by our doctor. I called Shar earlier to whine a little because the diet is also lots of fruits and salads plus protein shakes, and I’m so darn cold today I just wanted something nice and warm for lunch. Here’s the conversation:

Shar: I know what you mean. We’re having tuna for lunch.
Me: Um … we can’t have that.
Shar: Why not? She said no meat. I’m not having meat.
Me: Yeah … this isn’t the Catholic version of vegetarianism. Fish is meat.

Sheesh!

It was a breakfast showdown this morning between oatmeal and cinnamon rolls … ah, just kidding QT! No, between oatmeal and an egg white sandwich (it is miserably damp, windy and cold here … perfect for oatmeal, but the egg protein was calling me). Then I remembered an egg white oatmeal recipe I’d read some where. At the time, it had sounded disgusting, but I thought what the heck.

I made oatmeal with milk according to the directions. When the oatmeal was done, I left the heat on medium-low and slowly added two egg whites, stirring constantly (I didn’t use a whisk, but will try that next time) and let it cook until I could see the whites turning … well, white.

It was yummy … rich and creamy (I was worried the egg might make it rubbery). I didn’t try it plain, but imagine it does require some toppings. I added brown sugar and walnuts (I normally add some sort of “butter” spread, but forgot and didn’t even miss it with the richness of the egg). Also, I may not need to eat again today. Take that QT!

P.S. I recommend eating this quickly while it’s still hot. I wrote this post while noshing and near the bottom, it became much less appealing.