Today was a true test to my willpower.

First, we went to the Green Dragon to purchase produce and nuts. We didn't get any meats because most of the stuff we can get closer to home. But the produce and nuts were much cheaper. We tried to stock up as much as one can with items that spoil quickly if not used.

Then, and here comes the first obstacle of the day, we stopped at a diner for lunch. It really was not as difficult as I thought. We each ordered a different grilled fish along with a salad (oil and vinegar, please) and broccoli. We also shared a small plate of sweet potato fries because we asked how they were prepared. The waitress was very accommodating.

After dinner we met friends [Shout out to Theo and John!] at the Sands Casino to see UUU. Anyone who has been out with me knows that if I'm going to the Sands, then I'm going to have an extra dirty martini with extra olives. But wait! That is not permitted during the Whole30. Rats and double rats!! I did not cheat (neither did Don or Kara), and we drank water with lemon while we listened to the band. Let me say that the evening was fun, but I definitely missed having my special drink.

Well, it happened...I cheated...only a little.

I WEIGHED myself, which is a no-no according to the It Starts with Food book. No, I didn't cheat as far as eating any unauthorized food items, but the book clearly states that it is recommended to only weigh yourself at the beginning and end of the 30 days. The program is NOT about weight loss; however, since I gave up all my sweets, I was in need of some reward.

So, before I stepped on the scale, I said silently, "As long as I haven't gained any more weight. That is a plus."

I'm proud to say that I have actually LOST 5 pounds! I hope they have found a home elsewhere--FOREVER!

As far as the food and eating goes, it is slow going. I'm eating a lot of salads, which is starting to become monotonous. I have to find something to spice it up a bit, or I'm afraid I won't be able to make 30 days let alone make this my permanent food diet.

Additionally, I've found that during this week, I need a nap in the afternoon. I only need 20 minutes to get me through the remainder of the day. Also, I feel hungry between meals. I'm hoping that will start to subside as well throughout the remainder of the days.

Be sure to Google Whole30 recipes if you are interested in program.

More to come later...

I'm proud to say that I have made it through 5 days on the Whole30 plan, which means that I have had no dairy, soy, grain, processed foods, or sugar. We had a good run, candy, but I must say goodbye.

Today (Day 5) I feel better than I have the past 4 days; however, on the 4th day I did walk another 5K with a friend. Shout out to Georganna!! And today, my husband and I worked around the yard for a couple of hours. 

After 5 days, I'm realizing that I'm not craving additionally food or snacks throughout the day. Believe me, this is a journey that is not easily traveled. It makes me feel good to know that I CAN control what I eat, regardless of what others may say.

"Oh, that sounds too restrictive," says EVERYONE! But how many of us constantly say that we need to "eat better" or "lose weight" or even control some ailment such as blood sugar, cholesterol, hypertension, etc.? What distance are we willing to go in order to really make a difference? I'm at least going 30 days to see what difference it will make.

I don't think that eating meat (beef, pork, chicken, fish, shell fish, etc.), vegetables, and fruit is too restrictive. That is what we have been programmed to think by the food industry and, frankly, by ourselves. Additionally, it takes time to figure out what type of menu planning works, but it is worth it to feel better. I'm hoping that the "looking better" is coming shortly. ;)

How many of us like sausage with peppers and onions? Well, I had that for lunch today.
How many of us are fine going somewhere and ordering a grilled chicken salad? Yup, that is what I had for dinner tonight.

The difference is that I had meat that had no sugar, grain, or "crap" added to it and all of my vegetables were fresh. I think I've eaten more spinach in the last 5 days than I have in the last 3 months. Adding it to smoothies is a great way to incorporate it. Additionally, I used tomato sauce that was--yes, you guessed it--made with actual tomatoes and no added sugar. So much of the food items that we ingest contains tons of chemicals that most of us can't even pronounce. 

Now, I will say that it has been a roller coaster ride as far as purchasing groceries for daily meals. But let's face it; I have only been doing this for 5 days. Once I find a good balance for meals and where to purchase everything (I'm trying to find 3 good places), I think it will start to balance out.

It is not cheap to re-stock the entire pantry, but it is worth it.
I have not had a stomach ache in 5 days! That is unheard of around here.
Today I can say that I do not feel like I have to have a piece of candy. Miracle you say? Yes!

More tomorrow...

Wow! I've made it to day 3 of the Whole30 plan with no cheats!! If you know how much I LOVE candy, you know this is a HUGE feat for me.

Today is shaping up to be much better than yesterday. In fact, my day 2 blog was created just moments ago because that is how lethargic I felt yesterday.

I woke up this morning with a bit more energy--not enough to run a marathon--well, most of you know this is not on my bucket list anyway ;) In fact, my coffee this morning was a bit less crappy than the past two days. My taste buds must be slowly adjusting. Don't fret my pet: I am still only drinking one cup because it is not THAT good--yet.

Whole30 recommends that we stop thinking in terms of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and instead revert to meal 1, 2, and 3 because then we can focus on what we want to eat and not having eggs just for breakfast or salads just for lunch. However, that is exactly what I did today. I will journey off the path of selectiveness and propriety once I get past the first two weeks.

So, my meal 1 consisted of a Blueberry Tortilla. Don't let the name fool you! There is no tortilla in the recipe, just egg, spices, and blueberries. It was delicious!! My husband really liked it. It does take a bit to make it, so don't plan this one for busy work mornings. In addition, I had another spinach and fruit smoothie along with my getting-better-each-day coffee.

After breakfast, my husband and I went for a 4-mile walk along the Tow Path from Freemansburg to Steel Stacks. This was not the original plan, but my husband doesn't always have a plan. Even though I'm feeling better today, it was a bit much for me. However, I'm glad to have gotten in the exercise early on in the day, as I'm not sure how I will feel later.

My meal 2 consisted of a salad (lettuce, spinach, red pepper, olives, pea pods, cucumber, baby carrots tossed with homemade Italian dressing), half of a peach, and iced tea. All of it good, but when I was done, I just felt like I wanted...something...a chip, a piece of candy, something. Instead, I pulled out my Chromebook to create my blogs, and the craving passed quickly. 

Since today is Father's Day, I'm taking my dad out for dinner to Texas Roadhouse. I figured it was a safe bet that I could get a large slab of meat there to fulfill my Whole30 criteria. I am planning to order a (naked) sweet potato and a vegetable--maybe even a salad if I feel the need. All of that will comply with my new clean eating regimen, as long as I specify no cheese on the salad and use oil/vinegar for the dressing.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's saga of "What will Karla eat today?".

I made it through 24 hours. But what is yet to come?

I will be frank about how I feel right now--like crap. I'm lethargic, and my arms and legs feel like Jello Jigglers. Even though I had plenty of sleep and I ate well yesterday, today I feel horrible. Almost like I have the flu--the aches, pains, and tiredness.

Well, this is normal states the Whole30 book. "Since you've removed many of the dense carbohydrates from your diet (like sugars, grains, and legumes), your body can no longer rely on those sugars as a primary energy source. That often leads to 'withdrawal' symptoms like headaches, lethargy, and crankiness--the 'carb flu'--as your body adjusts to its new fuel source" (Hartwig 213).

Therefore, today I did basically nothing. I did take a 20 minute nap in the middle of the day because I didn't think I would be able to make it to dinner time.

My 3 meals consisted of:
1. 2 Egg McNothin', a spinach & fruit smoothie (no dairy), and my God awful coffee;
2. Slow Cooker Pork Shank - but modified - I did this with pork chops instead of the shank; and
3. Blueberry & Strawberry Arugula Salad with oil & balsamic vinegar - Originally a Blackberry Arugula Salad, but have you seen the price on blackberries lately? I think not.

I did have a snack in the evening which consisted of a stalk of celery, 5 baby carrots, and 1 tablespoon of Almond Butter, which is fast becoming my friend at this beginning of this trek. I need something that seems bad, right?

I made some of my Tevana Tea to put in the frig, so I'm not constantly drinking just water. I know it is good for a body, but please...when I'm craving sugar, water ain't gonna cut it!

At 6:30 p.m., Don and I took a ride down to Whole Foods in North Wales, which is under an hour drive from Bethlehem. For those of you who are local, take 378 to 309S--straight drive down and back. BUT before you make the trip, here are some tips:
1. Remember that 'Organic' does not always fit the Whole30 program. Many organic items contain sugar, grains, and carageenan (which must be a relative to crack because it is STRICTLY taboo in the Whole30 plan, as is MSG and sulfites).
2. There are a COUPLE of meats at Whole Foods, hot dogs and sausage that fit in the Whole30 plan. Read the labels carefully--don't be like me--make sure you have your reading glassses with you!
3. Canola, Sunflower, and other nut oils are permitted in the Whole30 program, but they should be limited. We found Sweet Potato Chips and Carrot Chips that are just sweet potato or carrot, but were processed with one of the nut oils. We bough them (at a staggering $4 a bag) because my husband is having "snack food withdrawal."
4. We found Whole30 compliant salsa and blueberry salad dressing in the produce refrigerated section, as well as organic mayo (so I don't have to make my own right away).
5. They also had frozen seafood (not that we purchased any), such as wild-caught scallops (2 lb - $20) and wild-caught large shrimp (2 lb - $20).

Here is a Google document that I have started for a guide (for locals) to purchase Whole30 compliant foods. If you find something elsewhere at a better price, please feel free to comment on the blog post.

Signing out for now....

Hi everyone out there in cyberland!

Today is the first day of eating clean. While I'm currently going to follow the Whole30 plan, my goal is to make the switch to clean eating FOR GOOD!

I'm tired of the sea-saw of endless diets, losing weight only to gain it back, feeling like crap (and that's mild), etc.

The only way to go CLEAN is to be RADICAL! Yup, that's me...Miss Radical. 

So last night my daughter and I cleaned our refrigerator and freezer, pantry, and cupboards. We trucked out 5 large bags of food, condiments, snacks, and pure junk in order to start today on a CLEAN slate.

While completing this overwhelming task, we also searched for clean eating recipes, planned a menu (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and finally, entered Wegmans. These tasks took us from 2:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. to accomplish. A task that I'm am hoping will get easier as the days march on. I think the toughest of these tasks, and the most overwhelming for me, was the grocery shopping.

The plan was not to purchase items for our menu, but to re-stock our pantry with things like ghee, coconut milk, coconut oil, olive oil, and sea salt. Well, 2 hours and $104 later, we emerged with our 5 bags of items (no vegetables, fruits, or meats). My purchases did include a package of frozen shrimp and a package of frozen salmon (the latter will last longer because there is more than one meal in the bag). 

The most daunting thing was looking at all of the labels and realizing that 95% of the items we normally purchase contain some type of sugar, MSG, grain, or sulfites. It was a tedious task--one, because I couldn't see some of the label ingredients without my readers (yes, my reading ability of small text is limited), and two, I kept hearing my daughter say, nope, not this, can't have that, etc.

Reading the labels really affected me--deep down in my gut--the one I'm trying to save. I realized how much processing and pure garbage is really put into EVERYTHING. We couldn't even find vinegar that did not contain sulfites, so I'm now on a quest for that.

Some really great stuff emerged from this near 7 hour expedition.
1. I realized that I already have some great recipes that are clean.
2. I realized that I truly am addicted to sugar, although it really was not news to me ;)
3. I confirmed that eating well is only for people who have money. 

The last item above is very sad because clean eating should be accessible to everyone. Welfare funds and WIC pay for food products that really are not healthful. Yet, people with low incomes should benefit the most from healthful foods because they do not have the money to be ill, but their food makes them sick. I'll stop here on this note and step off of my soapbox. I can delve more into this at another time.

Another awareness came forth last night - don't be fooled by the word ORGANIC or even the words CLEAN RECIPE. Sugar can be organic, as can grains. Reading the labels on ALL purchases is necessary for CLEAN eating, as is being aware of the items in a recipe.

I will post items that I have found and where I have found them, so my readers who are interested in clean eating can access food a bit easier.

For today--I've only had breakfast thus far, but lunch is quickly approaching. Breakfast entailed: 2 eggs with salt & pepper, a cup of coffee with coconut milk, and a smoothie (coconut milk, strawberry, banana, spinach). Yes, my husband and daughter had the same items. I will be blunt about the coffee with coconut milk--it sucks!! It is not Dunkin Donuts, nor is it Starbucks. But if I want to drink coffee, then I must convert to this way of drinking it. Otherwise, I need to stop drinking it--bottom line. I like eggs, and I've made this smoothie many times before (without coconut milk), but it made it somewhat creamy like yogurt.

Lunch is a salad and dinner garlic shrimp, zucchini, and grape tomatoes (again, a recipe I have already made.) I do have plans for my snacks--as I know that will become an issue quickly. In addition to vegetables and fruits, I purchased Organic Almond Butter and Clif Kit's Organic Bars to help out with any snack cravings.

Well, that must mean that I am awfully sweet because I love candy! I'm not overly picky...I love Mike 'n Ike by Just Born. And chocolate? Don't even get me started. In fact, I've always said that if we could subsist on candy alone, I would be a happy camper.

However, we all know that sugar plays a huge role in our overall health and weight. 

In addition, there are other toxins in the processed food that we eat. We all know it, but we choose to ignore the fact that we are slowly poisoning our bodies. There is something to be said when my great-grandfather, who lived into his 90s, ate the food he grew on his farm, but now young people are diagnosed with cancer each and every day--not just skin cancer, but cancer of the stomach, liver, colon, pancreas, etc. All organs that are affected by what people ingest.

Therefore, I'm taking the challenge--well, the 30-day challenge that is. I am committing 30 consecutive days to a whole and organic diet. This is in addition to the current (and possibly beefed up) exercise schedule I have each week. Believe me, I'm not running marathons, but I am walking more each week.

I was turned onto this idea by a friend. The Whole 30 plan consists of ditching the sugar, processed foods, grains, and dairy [good-bye cheese she says with a catch in her throat and a tear in her eye]. A lot of people refer to this as the Paleo diet because it gets back to the natural order of foods. There seem to be a lot of interesting things that happen once a person goes back to eating "naturally". 

Right now I'm committing to 30 days. Yes, that is 30 days sugar free (oh, my beloved candy), grain free (no more bagels for breakfast), and alcohol free (oh my, what was I thinking? It's summer!). A wise person said, "If you can't give up alcohol for 30 days, you have more issues than just food." Yup.

I will try to blog daily about my journey into hopefully a new realm which will include feeling better, as well as looking better. Who knows...my almost 50 face might begin to look almost 30...well, one could hope ;)

Like the BIG BAD BOOK companies, I guess I look at my bottom line when considering getting rid of textbooks and novels. My husband works for a printing company, so his job (and our livelihood) depends upon people purchasing books.

However, I am a techno-nerd, and I love my electronics. I have a Nook (first generation) and a Xoom tablet in addition to my desktop computer, which is the new HP touchsmart. I enjoy reading an ebook, and there are some real benefits. I don't have to worry about the page turning while I'm eating my breakfast and reading a book. When I go outside, the pages don't blow in the wind. However, when I go to the beach, I take a book. Why? I don't want sand in my eReader, nor do I want it to get wet. Remember, water is BAAAAD for electronics.

But there are some considerations to be seriously pondered when talking about going to a 1:1 electronic ratio in school. As one of the comments from the article mentioned, how are charging capabilities handled? Will it enlarge the great divide of the haves and have nots? Will students use them appropriately? (These comments were related to the blogger's comments about allowing students to bring in their own devices - BYOD.)

Also, teaching students appropriate usage takes time. I have laptops in my room, and if I'm not on the students every minute, they waste valuable class time "surfing the net." They are watching videos and searching pictures--which have NOTHING to do with what they have been assigned to do. I can see it definitely happening with an iPad and the game applications. Students will be playing Angry Birds instead of reading a book.

Switching to an electronic device does not mean that the skills don't have to be taught. A book is still a book, is still a book. On an iPad, the book still opens to pages, and OMG, yes, you still have to read it.

Article for further reading: Saucon Valley

I'm going to attempt to link my lesson plan.

For those of you who don't know about Dropbox, it is a wonderful "cloud" program. It is free, just like most of the Web 2.0 tools I use (I don't like to pay for much). I put my lesson plan in my public folder and linked it to this blog post. This way if the link doesn't work, all I have to do is open Dropbox, and I still have access to the file.

Copyright. Teens don't realize that it exists. Adults assume that if it's on the Internet, it's free.
Well, that is not the case; if anything, copyright continues to get more strict, not less.
I personally do not always understand copyright, but I try very, very hard not to infringe on someone's copyright. I guess that comes from my thought about trying to place myself in someone's shoes. Would I want to lose out on revenue because people just "stole" my product and possibly pawned it off as their own? The answer is no; I would be furious.
The infringement of copyright is just like walking into that person's personal home, taking what you want, and showing it to your friends like you own it.
I am a huge proponent of teaching students about copyright laws; however, I don't think enough is being done to teach them how to use information appropriately.
I must admit that I did learn something that never crossed my mind this evening. I did not realize that a teacher could not show a movie, just to show a movie. It must relate to teaching. I cannot WAIT to pass that one on.