Great new dessert recipe...

I'm actually getting hooked on exercise. I never in my life thought it could happen. I plan ahead to make sure that upcoming time obstacles don't get in my way of the morning excursion to Curves and I'm looking for an exercise video I can stand for the days I can't get there or they are closed. Who'd a thought huh?

I'm still mostly wheatless and don't think I'll ever go back to full time wheat. It's so easy nowadays to be gluten free there simply are no excuses for me or anyone with a wheat allergy or sensitivity to stay on the stuff.

My favourite bread is Udi's Not only is the food great, but so is their website. It has lots of recipes and ideas and a community forum. I'm not interested in the forum, but it's great to see it's there for those who need support or who want to connect with others who have made this food choice.

I'm thinking about Easter now, as well as birthdays - in our large family we have 12 birthdays over the next 9 weeks, including my own, so it's onto different kids of cakes and celebratory meals. I can avoid the chocolate - I like a bit but it's never been a downfall for me. There are gluten free cake mixes so I can have that for my own birthday and simply not eat any of the others. Easter dinner is a bit of a challenge so I"m looking for alternative side dishes and deserts but I expect there won't be any problem finding any.

I'm also starting to think about any other form of food I should let go of. Maybe sugar? I don't think I eat much of that but perhaps I eat more than I think. I'll start watching that over the next few weeks and see what I do.

In the meantime, here's a recipe from Udi's website for a great Easter dinner desert. It has ginger in it which is my favorite taste in the world.

Ginger Brulee with crushed blackberries
 

Ingredients

Ginger Brulee

2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces sliced fresh gingerroot, about 1/4 cup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar, plus additional for caramelizing
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Crushed Blackberries

2 pints fresh blackberries, rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Serves 8 Ginger Brulee -Mix cream and gingerroot in a small soup pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Off heat, allow to steep for about 1 hour. -Combine vanilla, sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a bowl. Reheat the cream over medium heat and bring back to a soft boil. Steadily pour the cream over the egg mixture while whisking all the white. Strain and discard the solids. -Pour the mixture into eight 5-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a large enough baking pan and fill the baking pan halfway with hot water. Transfer baking pan with ramekins to the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Set aside to cool. -Sprinkle the tops with sugar and caramelize with a hand-held cooking propane torch set on medium (only use this if you have had past experience). -Serve immediately. Crushed Blackberries -Using your hand crush 1/2 cup of the blackberries in a small bowl. Add the whole berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Gently toss and then refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. -Spoon Blackberry Crush over the Ginger Brulee.

Read more: http://udisglutenfree.com/recipes/Dessert/Ginger_Brulee_w__Crushed__Blackberries/36#ixzz1r7BhK9Ri

Mini vacation...

We had a min vacation this week and took the 5 youngest of our children to Victoria. We stayed in a nice hotel and ate in great restaurants and saw movies on an IMAX screen and went to Butterfly World and did all that stuff you do with your kids on vacation (have fun and get mad - in equal amounts). What surprised me though, was that almost every place we ate at had gluten free alternatives. Even the Spaghetti Factory, a family favorite, had a gluten free menu for those who wanted the pasta without the problems. Amazing.

I assume this will be another fad, but I hope the restaurants keep the alternative choices when it fades. I can always find something else to eat - salads and grilled chicken or fish are healthy and available at most places I go to. Still, it's nice once in a while to indulge in a pasta or a bread without experiencing the after effects of decreased energy and decreased cognitive processing.

The thing I didn't do on vacation was exercise. I could have - the hotel had a perfectly nice workout room with lots of equipment. And, it was locate right beside the pool so I could have exercised and watched my kids swim at the same time. Oh well, I just didn't want to. The problem for me is - now that we know so much about the links between lack of exercise and dementia, I don't get the same satisfaction from laziness that I used to - now I just get stress, so at least I walked a lot and tomorrow I'll be back at the gym first thing in the morning. I'm even looking forward to it.

Hey, have your best day possible. Here's a recipe I like to make for lunch sometimes on the weekend. It doesn't take long to make and it's tasty and energizing.

Aduki Bean Stir Fry

1		Savoy cabbage
1	tbsp	olive oil
2		garlic cloves, sliced
1		fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
1		can of cooked organic Aduki beans
1	tbsp	Tamari (wheat free/gluten free soy sauce)
1	tbsp	coconut oil (melted)
1.	Remove the outer leaves of cabbage then quarter it and take out the core. Slice the rest of the cabbage into shreds then rinse it and drain well.
2.	Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan and lightly fry the garlic and ginger.
3.	Add the shredded cabbage to the wok and stir fry for about 5 minutes
4.	Add the aduki beans to the cabbage and stir fry until they are all thoroughly heated.
5.	Add the coconut oil and soy sauce and toss everything together then serve immediately.

I'm at that point in the wheatless and exercise thing where the novelty has worn off and I'm starting to have to drag myself to Curves. However, I do manage to drag myself and I have no intent on stopping - my couch potato days are over-. I'm sure part of my resolve is the energy I have from being mostly wheatless (I just can't give up my pita bread at my favorite Greek restaurant - but I only go there about once every couple of months, and yes, I know, I do avoidance and denial very well). Anyway, I persevere and I can see some lessening of me. Still no major weight loss, no one but me can see the difference.  I know I'm not imagining it, I will soon have to buy a size smaller in clothes. Yippity doo dah!

Another thing that keeps me exercising is the connection between lack of exercise and dementia. Obesity is also strongly connected to dementia and let's face it, fear is a great motivator and I have FEAR. So, I keep going to Curves and I keep mostly wheat free and I feel great. I can't wait for the gardening season to begin because I know I'll have way more energy to tackle my lovely garden this year than last and I feel the creative parts of my brain just itching to create some new garden beds.

I love chickpeas - I add them to anything I can. This recipe is a tasty and easy to make salad that's great for summer meals and lunch at the office.



Ingredients

30 ounces of drained and rinsed chickpeas
4 large tomatoes  - chopped and cored
4 hard boiled eggs - chopped and peeled (of course)
2 cups of any type of sweet onion -  I prefer the purple Vidalia
2/3 cup of melted coconut oil
6 tbsp of white wine vinegar
a shake of salt, but you can leave this out if you have high blood pressure or other salt avoidant conditions
a touch of pepper
something green for garnish - green onions, chives, or parsley are nice choices

Combine all of the chickpeas, the eggs, and the onions
Mix the other ingredients together and then pour them over the salad
Chill for a bit then serv

My goodness!....Can it be? Can it really be???? Yes indeed, it seems that I am getting hooked on exercise. I've  been hooked on so many things that aren't the least bit good for me so I never expected to find myself looking forward to an early alarm to get me to Curves (nope, I'm not an affiliate marketer for Curves - I'm a regular member with no payback for this). Indeed, I didn't get to the gym one day and I was crabby and irritable. I'm sleeping better, I even have a sleep schedule now. I'm remembering my vitamins every day -which are important for me since I can't absorb  iron well and I'm diabetic. I have more energy every day, I'm even n better emotional health.

Will it last? I think that's my fear, and maybe something that's you've experienced as well. There's that initial high to every lifestyle change but then it becomes something else and one day I realize I'm back at my same old same old. Maybe not this time. I feel like I'm fighting for my life because if I don't get the weight off I'll likely die or worse, become totally disabled due to a stroke. That should always have been enough to get me off my butt,  still I found excuses (good ones) to avoid daily exercise.

What got me going this time? Well, I credit it to my almost wheatless diet. Everything seems to have changed for me since I started with this. So, maybe that will be the difference that let's me stay on exercise routine this time. Here's hoping.

And here's a tasty wheatless recipe you might enjoy.





Black Bean Vegetable StewPrep: 5 min, Cook: 15 min.

• 1 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3/4 lb. broccoli florets
• 1 cup recipe-ready crushed tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbs. rosemary, or 3 Tbs. fresh, chopped
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese
• sprinkle of chopped green onions
• sprinkle of chopped tomatoes

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 5-6 minutes or until translucent. Stir in broccoli, tomato and black beans. Season with rosemary, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender.  Sprinkle chopped green onions, chopped tomoato and shredded cheddar cheese on top. Serve this with some fruit such as canteloupe and strawberries and enjoy a cup of green tea with it. 

The gluten free trend under scrutiny...

I've been waiting for the gluten free trend to come under scrutiny and here it is from Today on Health: "Far more people think they have what has come to be called “nonceliac gluten sensitivity,” Corazza says. Sufferers, in whom celiac disease has been ruled out, complain of a variety of symptoms after consuming gluten, including bloating, abdominal discomfort, flatulence and headache. The problem, Corazza and Dr. Antonio Di Sabatino write in an opinion piece in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is that no one is quite sure what gluten sensitivity is. “Considerable debate about nonceliac gluten sensitivity has recently surfaced on the Internet, with a sharp increase in forums, patients or patient groups, manufacturers, and physicians advocating a gluten-free diet,” the two write. “Claims seem to increase daily, with no adequate scientific support to back them up.” check out the link for more.

I agree, there just can't be this many people with allergies to wheat. However, that doesn't mean that no one has the problem. The researchers suggest that there needs to be more double blind placebo tests, and that certainly has to happen to validate any formal research. For you and I though, it's pretty simple - just don't eat anything with wheat in it for a couple of days and see how you feel. I did it and I noticed a difference in 24 hours. I had noticeably less appetite and significantly more mental and physical energy. On the few days when I revert to wheat due to lack of planning ahead, I can feel the difference by the time I go to bed - once again hungry, headachy, slightly depressed, and way too tired. 

Since dropping wheat I've been able to finally start a regular gym routine and my days are brighter and not about food and my nights are sleep filled. I feel released or healed or liberated or something - not sure what - just better and better. So for me, while I doubt I have a gluten allergy, I believe that I am negatively impacted by wheat - so I continue on this wheatless path while I increasingly enjoy my days. What can it hurt?

I also decided to get real with the spiritual component of my weight loss and healing plan and wouldn't you know it - I made that decision on Friday, and on Sunday the service at my church was a healing service with laying on of hands and healing prayer. Funny how that works eh? 

Here's a really nice wheat free recipe you might like. 

Sweet Potato Corn Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes, smashed a bit, but still chunky [I cube mine, then soften just a little]
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry, or any hot or mild spice that you enjoy
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

Get 2-4 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil, as needed
8 white corn tortillas

A mix of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

Any tomato sauce that you enjoy - homemade or bought, but if bought, check the label to ensure there is no gluten or wheat

Heat the oven to 350 degree and in the meantime combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and the set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the lightly smashed sweet potatoes with the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet with a touch of oil, I prefer coconut but you can use anything you have.  Lightly cook the corn tortillas then lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the tomato sauce.
Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center and top this with 1/8 of the black beans.
Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish and repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top it all with the rest of the sauce and a few chopped green onions.

Serve with sour cream, or guacamole, and a nice green salad. 

Exercise...uggggggg.....

Yes, we all know that exercise is crucial to weight loss and to life in general. I have a sedentary type of job and even though I have a large family to run around after in the evenings, it's not the same as sustained cardio and muscle strengthening. So, I'm finally back at Curves, which is not my favourite place to exercise because of their limited hours, but I have to learn to accomodate that or just accept that I'm going to have a heart attack.

I will never be one of those who jump for joy at the thought of working out. It doesn't make me feel better after, it doesn't call to me. I get bored very easily and working out is just about as exciting to me as watching paint dry, less so, in fact. Oh well, there's lots in life I do that I'd rather not, at least this has the pay off of helping me attain health. We'll see if it also pays off in weight loss.

I've been back on the wheat wagon this week - everywhere I go I find gluten free foods, but I still don't always properly prepare. The biggest thing I notice when I'm eating wheat is that I get hungry way more often and that the food I eat doesn't keep me satiated - nope, in almost no time I'm hungry again. The good thing about this is that my wheat free days increase and therefore my days when I eat more decrease. It's also a great incentive, knowing that I can avoid being hungry just by avoiding wheat. Win - win situation eh. 


Here's a tasty wheat free recipe:

1		green pepper, halved and cored
1		red pepper, halved and cored
1		yellow pepper, halved and cored
6	slices	ham
12	tbsp	cooked brown rice
6	med.	mushrooms, chopped & lightly sautéd
1		egg, beaten
3	tbsp	greek yogurt (you can use non or low fat greek yogurt as well as full fat)
100	g	cheese, grated some peas boiled from frozen - just a few for color and taste
		freshly ground black pepper
1.	Place the peppers in a greased ovenproof dish.
2.	Put 2 tbsps of rice and a few peas in the bottom of each pepper.
3.	Mix the egg and the yogurt together and put 1 tbsp on top of the rice in each pepper.
4.	Scrunch each slice of ham into the peppers on top of the rice, then top this with the mushrooms.
5.	Spoon the remaining egg mixture on top of the mushrooms, and cover the top with the grated cheese.
6.	Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. If you cook the rice the night before while your doing your after dinner clean up, you'll find this a very fast dinner to cook for your family on those evenings when you have to get the kids to different activities all over town and you don't have the time to spend in the kitchen.

Here I am - a fat woman trying everything possible - short of stomach stapling or, the one my teens would like me to do ..... mouth stapling - to lose weight and not really succeeding. I'm still on the wheat belly lifestyle and love it - much more mental clarity even though little weight lost. So, I started thinking about what I'm not doing right (other than not eating right), and it occurred to me that I'm leaving out a vital component - that would be the spiritual part. 


I am a member of a church community so I'm not without a spiritual component to my life, but I know I never use that aspect of my being to it's fullest potential. Somehow, when push comes to shove, I get all cognitive and just forget about the power of faith altogether. Weird and slightly sad, eh. 


Okay, maybe I need to follow this thought thread to some action. I've re-activated my Spark People account and I've even posted once on the spiritual group board. Stop laughing, I know that's very little, but it's a start for me. And talking about this to you is a second step.  I'll just have to see where I can take this. Spiritual growth is always a good thing, and whether it takes me to health or not, it's time to stop neglecting it. One step at a time, one ounce at a time, one prayer at a time......here I go. 


Here's a tasty recipe - love beet greens yum.

1 pound beet greens

1 tbs coconut oil
pinch and a bit more of salt
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1. Chop the stems into 2- to 3-inch lengths and roughly chop the greens.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beet stems and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add the beet greens, sprinkle the salt, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes more; if you need more liquid add a wee bit of water.

3. Meanwhile, add to a small pan and toast over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the beet greens topped with the toasted pine 


By the way, I have a new ebook out - it's for parents who have raised extremely challenging children and now need some help re-claiming their lives. You can look at it at Smashwords.http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=brenda+mccreight

Have your best day possible. 

Oh my goodness - I just read an article about how exercise won't help you lose weight unless you diet. Last week I read an article about how dieting won't let you lose weight unless you exercise. I mean, really! Can't they make up their minds?

As a fat woman, I can tell you that I'm well aware that I need both a healthy diet and regular exercise. I don't consistently do either, but I consistently try to do both. From the look of me, neither is working. 

I'm still mostly wheat free and it feels great. My mind is much sharper and my energy is up. It's important to me to feel a clearer mind because I live in terror of Alzheimer's - my mother and my mother-in-law developed it despite not having a single risk factor and leading their lives in the way all the articles say you should if you want to avoid the ugly A. Well, they got it despite healthy diets, healthy lifestyles, and lots of exercise. If I'm going to get it, it will have started by now so the best I can hope for is a medical miracle - anyway, that's a digression.

My point, and I do have one, is that all of the disagreeing articles on how to lose weight make it obvious that there is no real understanding of obesity. Most of us fat people don't really eat all that badly - we just don't eat or exercise right for our bodies. I keep my calorie count low - and I monitor it daily - I guess it's just not low enough to do the job. Whatever - I'll work on it as always. In the meantime, I'll continue to stay as wheat free as possible and enjoy all the new recipes I'm trying.

Here's one you might like.
Butternut Squash Soup... tasty and not too difficult or time consuming to make.

     
2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 onion, diced

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         4 carrots, sliced

·         3 stalks celery, diced

·         2 small or one large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

·         5 cups gluten free vegetable broth

·         2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

·         1/2 cup soy milk

·         salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot, saute the onion and the garlic in olive oil or coconut oil until the onions turn soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and the  celery and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the squash and stir just to coat it and then add the vegetable broth and sage. Bring it all to a boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Allow it to cook for at least 25 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Use a potato masher and mash the squash until smooth or you can puree the soup in a food processor or blender.

I'm amazed at how my local grocery stores have stepped up their wheat free products. In fact, last Saturday when I was shopping I was stunned to see that *gluten free* notes were sticking up all over the shelves. I could buy gluten free just about anything!  What a change in only a few months. I assume this is a trend that will die like all others, but maybe the mainstream stores will keep stocking gluten free items anyway.

I'm still doing fine with wheat free most of the time, but I just can't organize my life to manage 24/7. Too much going on and too many occasions when I don't have control over what is available to eat. I'm improving on that daily, but still have a way to go.

I'm also not losing any more weight - too bad - that was nice incentive - however I didn't go wheatless just to lose weight - I did it because when I read the Wheat Belly book it just hit me as right - and I have noticed a better clarity of thought as well as more energy. And, since it's so easy to be wheatless most of the time, I might as well keep going with it.

Here's a tasty wheat free recipe you might like.



12 Wheat free corn tortillas
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup chopped green onion
3 cups of ground beef
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
2 cups of chopped lettuce
1 cup of wheat free commercial tomato sauce
1 cup of wheat free, low fat sour cream

Fry the corn tortillas in the coconut oil. Fry the ground beef and mix the tomato sauce into it. Spoon a layer of  the ground beef mixture on a tortilla, then add a layer of lettuce, a layer of cheese, some sour cream, and some green onions. Very quick and easy to make, and the kids will love it. Add some raw veggies on the side for munching and you've got a full meal.

Okay, it takes more than determination to keep exercising - last night I was unable to go for a walk again because I spent the evening cleaning up the flooded basement that resulted from the gale force rain storm that prevented my walk the night before. I mean really, by the time I finished hauling a sogging mattress out of my son's bedroom, and buying the equipment that I need to dry out the room, it was way too late for this aging mamma to go walkies.

The good part of this is that even though I'm not exercising much this week, there is nothing the storm can do to impact my eating and that is going okay. I'm finding more and more gluten free food items and becoming increasing reliant on vegetables and fruit. Nothing to feel bad about there.

I have an added inducement to remain wheat free - I think I'm going back to New York city at the end of April. Not for sure yet, but likely. I love New York. It's my favorite city in the world - and since I've traveled to 29 countries I feel free to comment. My second favorite is London, England if your at all interested. If I didn't have children to raise I would have moved to New York years ago - oh the sacrifices eh! Anyway, traipsing through airports and feeling oh so bad about having to ask for a lap belt extender is motivation enough to help me get back to exercising despite flooding basements and bad weather etc.

I feel strong and determined, and I'm sure that being wheat free is part of it all.

Hey, have your best day possible.

Wind and rain can stop me...

Well, the rain storms have dampened my determination to walk nightly (pun intended). Actually, I would have gone last night but my dogs, who generally leap to the leash, refused to step foot out of the door so I decided that they were likely smarter than me. We've been having near gale force rain storms that would have blown away the two of my dogs that are under 10 pounds, but even the big dog refused to step into last night's maelstrom.  I can't get to the gym either because of my problem with their schedule - however, I can make sure I take a few extra trips up and down the stairs and that I keep myself active in the house. Anything is better than nothing.

Look at what I found!  I had no idea these even existed. Who would have  thought that Betty Crocker would be putting out gluten free cake mixes? I bought one so that I have an easy cake when I need one. Sounds suspicious, right. I mean who ever needs a cake. Well, with 8 kids still at home  - I do. Sugar has never been my problem. I can eat one cookie or one slim piece of cake. Still, if I'm going to eat even a small piece of cake, it might as well be gluten free.

My problem, among many, is carbs and that noxious/addictive combo of fat, salt, and carbs. I mean really, my brain doesn't signal *time to stop* if I allow even one potato chip to cross my lips. I'm finding it easier and easier to not take that first deadly bite of most carbs since I've been (mostly) wheat free. I can leave out the potato in any form, and even though I finally found a wheat free bread, I'm only using it when I really need a sandwich to eat on the run. So very liberating. Still no further weight loss, but that's the way it's always been with me and I 'm not going to go back on wheat regardless.

Here's a great recipe - easy to make and very tasty.

Parmesan-Squash Cakes

 

4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This goes great with a baked chicken or with a broiled or bar- b-qued halibut. It's also nice as a main dish with a salad on the side. 

INGREDIENTS

·         1 large egg

·         2/3 cup finely chopped shallots

·         1 tablespoon chopped parsley

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         2 cups shredded seeded summer squash

·         1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 tablespoon coconut oil

P

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Beat the egg in a large bowl and then stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Place  the shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel and gather up the ends so you can twist to squeeze out any liquid. Add the squash and cheese to the bowl and stir to combine.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with the squash mixture and unmold it into the pan then gently pat it down to form a 3-inch cake. Repeat the process to  make 4 squash cakes. Cook them until they are browned and a bit crispy on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gently turn the cakes over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve them hot.

 

Bread...or no bread... that's the question...and a Curves warning...

I have been struggling with the issue of whether or not to keep all breads out of my diet, or to include wheat free breads. That's a tough one for me because like most wheat allergy people, I'm addicted to bread. I also have a busy life, as do you, and so taking a sandwich to eat when I'm out of the house at meal times is the easiest thing for me to do.

Well, over Christmas and New Year I have eaten wheat - two concurrent of out of town hockey tournaments requring hotels stays, and now another out of town hockey tournament this coming weekend as well as the younger kids regular activities back on track and me back at work - well, I just can't organize my food to the extent that's needed. So, I've had some wheat products and I feel the unpleasantness of it. I hadn't realized how much wheat dragged me down emotionally as well as physically!

Anyhoo - back to the topic - I finally caved and bought some rice based bread and I'm eating that when I need a sandwich on the go. I don't know how it will impact me - likely not a at all - but I'll be monitoring myself to see if I get the bread cravings back.  I have to say - it's been such a liberating feeling to not crave bread - to see it and not feel that *gut wrenching* pull to consume every crumb.

I've also returned to my evening dog walking - 30 minutes in chilly weather - good for the dogs and good for me. In a couple of weeks I'll start going back to Curves - they changed their hours so that it's next to impossible for me to get there - but I'm going to see if extreme dedication can make it possible. I really think it's silly of a gym to have such short hours and when my membership runs out there I'll definitely be looking at other gyms that have better hours. These guys open early, but I do my writing and course work at the pre-dawn times, and they close early - so that I can't go after my office hours. When I joined Curves the hours were longer, but they changed the hours and wouldn't give me my money back - so ladies - be warned about Curves - check out what they intend to do with their open hours and their money return policy before you sign on.

Okay - that's it for me today - have your best day possible. In the meantime, here's a bread/wheat free lunch alternative for those who, like me, eat lunch at an office desk while doing 10 other things.

1	tbsp      coconut oil
1	large	onion, chopped
1	tsp	cumin
1	tsp	turmeric
2x400	g	cans chick peas, rinsed & drained
2x400	g	cans chopped tomatoes
		freshly ground black pepper
1	tbsp	lemon juice throw in some chopped spinach or kale, and maybe a little chopped pesto or garlic to perk this up according to your tastes
1.	Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the chopped onion until it is softened, but not browned.
3.	Add the chick peas, chopped tomatoes, spinach or kale, pesto or garlic, and freshly ground black pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
4.	Add the lemon juice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold later.