The things that make all the difference...

Now, I know everyone is different. But I want to share what is absolutely essential in my health and happiness. I call it my personal recipe.

Regular Exercise - 5-6 times a week, sweat producing, make me uncomfortable exercise.

Feed my body right - Give my body daily the fruits and vegetables and nutrients that it needs. Drink plenty of water. I drink about 100 oz a day.

Feed my spirit right - I pray every morning and every night. I do this with intent and meaning. Thanking for all that I have and humbly asking for that which I need, but always with the disclaimer that His will be done, not mine. I trust that God knows way better than me what is right for me and my family. I always want to defer to His better judgment and not get in His way.
I also feed my spirit through reading my scriptures. I read a little when I wake up and a little when I go to bed.
I also journal daily. Sometimes these entries are one sentence long and sometimes they are pages long. This is therapeutic to me and I have learned this is an essential part of my personal recipe to happiness.

Feed my mind - I love to read and do things creative. I try to spend a little time daily reading or sewing or creating in some manner. Some days I am able to spend hours doing this, but that is rare. I do try to fit it in as often as I can because I know that helps me keep in touch with who I am, independent of others in my life.

Treat others as best as I can. I don't know about you, but if I am rude or dismissive to people I feel bad and guilty about it for a long time afterward. I try to be quick to say I'm sorry, but it's best when I just treat everyone with respect in the first place. This helps keep me in balance emotionally.

How I eat

To summarize I eat low-carb, but here's some deets.

What I do not eat.
Sugar - cakes, cookies, granola bars, ice cream, etc....
Starches - potatoes (all kinds), beans (green beans are fine), corn, etc
Grains - breads, rice, oatmeal, quinoa, etc
Some fruits - bananas, oranges, (at first I didn't eat grapes or pears or peaches etc..)
Dairy - yogurt, milk

What I do eat:
Fruit - berries - all berries!, apples, (after 6 months I added all other fruits.. although bananas I don't eat often)
Veggies - Most everything green is good, salads, cabbage, peppers, be adventurous
Protein powder - I use the muscle milk stuff Costco sells but any low carb protein powder should be fine as long as you like the taste
Dairy - cottage cheese - one of my staples!!, cheese - all kinds but all with moderation, low-carb yogurt I have added this past week and I seem to be doing well, but I would not recommend until maintenance mode

I know this list in incomplete and I will add to it as I think of it.

Here is a sample of what I eat in a day.

Breakfast: Protein shake made with 10 oz water, 1 scoop protein powder, 2 cups spinach, 2/3 cup berries.

Snack: 1/2 apple and string cheese

Lunch: Salad with mixed greens or romaine lettuce (really doesn't matter what kind of greens you use), feta, toasted almonds, chicken (or another meat), 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 TBSP pesto, and red peppers. The pesto and cottage cheese act as the dressing. If you don't like the chunks in the cottage cheese you can process this in a blender or food processor first.

Snack: Tzatziki and pepper strips or other veggie ( the Tzatziki I get from Costco and is very low-carb.)

Dinner: Pork loin with teriyaki sauce (yes, I know this has sugar in it, but I only use a little bit). Steamed green beans, 1/2 apple.

I try not to eat after 8 at night but have broken this rule many times.

This is just a start of what I eat. I will continue to add to it.