Category Archives: Diet

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food, Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries, On Being a Writer

Aztec Diet Day 13: Do I or Don’t I?

March 3, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -2 pounds; Net Loss: 9 pounds; Waist: – 4″

Breakfast and Lunch: All Day Blueberry Smoothie; Snack: none; Dinner: Peanuts, ceviche, 1/2 pound Angus burger, 1/2 side of fries, skin on, water with lemon; Snack: none

We already know I’m going to cheat this evening, so the big question isn’t that. That’s a done deal. The only question about that is how much I cheat. I’ll address that experience after I get back this evening.

Nope, today’s quandary is this: I need to go shopping. Sunday is my 14th day, the end of the Chia Challenge. So do I stock up on Phase II lunches, or do I keep going on?

I’ve lost 9 pounds in 14 days. There’s a good chance I’ll make it to 10 pounds by my Monday morning weigh-in, even with the cheat. I’m thrilled, but I have more to go. Continuing with Phase I makes sense. Yet, I’m a little tired of every meal having the same texture. I’d like to chew something. The kelp noodles have helped a bit. I figure, since they are 100% raw seaweed, they’re okay.

My options are: 1. Stay on Phase I; 2. Go onto Phase II; 3. Stick with Phase I, but allow myself one or two solid meals a week while keeping close to Aztec Diet guidelines.

What would you do?

Later: Terry’s was packed, with people, with servers, with retro neon signs. Brightly lit with high tables and peanut shells all over the floor. Even at 5 p.m., there was a thirty minute wait. There’s no room to wait inside, so Terry’s constructed an ante-chamber with plastic sheeting, old stadium seats and hanging outdoor heaters.

We sat outside and had an energetic discussion about my WIP, Maximum Security. Pat kept proposing different ways in which my victim could bite the dust. I had to keep reminding her that the cause of death was a done deal, since the body has already been found in Mount Airy Forest, and the question was who done it, and why. This caused the woman sitting next to me (who thought we were chortling about a real event) to make an inquiry. Whereupon Pat and Anna enthused about my books. So maybe I have another reader.

I ate a small handful of peanuts while we waited and skipped the beverages in lieu of water with lemon. The appetizers were tiny, artful creations. I had the ceviche, which was spicy, skipped the accompanying saltine crackers. I ordered my 1/2 pound burger medium rare, with Swiss cheese and the Burgundy sauce with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. I ordered it sans fries. When it came with, I went ahead and had some, with ketchup. I ate about half the bun.

I’m no saint. I’m not proposing myself as a model of dietary perfection. I had a good time. I don’t feel either deprived or guilty, and I’m happy to get back on the wagon. And, If I allow myself the occasional exceptional treat, it helps me pass by ordinary temptations. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

All Day Blueberry Smoothie
1 avocado
1 banana
1 Cup spinach, packed
1 – 2 Cups blueberries
2 TBSP cacao
4TBSP ground chia seeds
1/2 TSP ground ginger
1 TBSP green powder
Water to desired consistency

Makes 5 – 6 cups

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 12: Chew your Juice, Drink your Food

March 2, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: holding steady for a net loss of 7 pounds. Waist: 4″ lost

Breakfast and Lunch: All Day Papaya Raspberry Yum; Snack: 1 small handful of mixed nuts; Dinner: hot miso broth with garlic and kale over kelp noodles; Snack: none

A reader pointed out that the amounts in my smoothies exceeded Dr. Bob’s recommendations. After I got over being huffy, I decided she had a point. It occurred to me that my smoothies came close to 4 cups. With a tweaking, I could bring them to between 5 and 6 cups, making enough for two meals instead of one. This appeals to my lazy/busy side. So I am experimenting with all day smoothies. This only works if you have a 6 cup blender.

The revised recipe for my Papaya Raspberry Yum is below. I am not posting the recipe for the Miso Kale soup. It was a miserable failure. I ate it, but have no desire to subject you to it.

There is an old adage attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but probably centuries older: “Chew your juice, drink your food”.

Blending foods aids in digestion by breaking it down into small pieces and increasing the overall surface area which is exposed to digestion in the stomach. We negate this advantage if we gulp our smoothies down. Digestions begins in the mouth, with saliva. Chewing is the mechanism which allows saliva to mix with food in the mouth, starting the digestive process. For best digestion, and therefore, assimilation, your food needs to spend some time in the mouth mixing with saliva. Dr. Bob says to sip your smoothie slowly. This is good advice. Even better, swish it around in your mouth a little before you swallow. “chew your juice.”

It’s almost time to move to Phase II. This advice holds for solid foods as well. “Drink your food” means to chew it so much that it slips down your throat of it’s own accord. Bolting your food leads to indigestion and poor assimilation.

All day Papaya Raspberry Yum

Should make 5 – 6 cups
12 ounces water

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 11: Cheating

March 1, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -0 according to new scale -1 according to old scale. Net Loss: 6 pounds? 7?

Breakfast & Lunch: All Day Chocolate Covered Cherry; Snack: 3 celery ribs; Dinner: Spinach Kelp Noodle Soup, 12 ounces water with 2 scoops of chia; Snack: 9 Triscuits

At some point this weekend, I’m going to cheat.

No, I’m not tired of the diet. I love the convenience of blender meals. I enjoy green smoothies. I like inventing new ways to put a meal in a glass. And I’m thrilled to be losing weight. Nope, the diet is not the problem. I suspect I will never fully move on to Phase III of the Aztec diet. I expect to eat at least one green smoothie a day for the foreseeable future, possibly the rest of my life.

Friday is Anna’s birthday. We’ve been friends for 20 years and we always go out for her birthday. This year she wants to go to Terry’s Turf Club, reputed to have the best burgers in Cincinnati, and not a salad in sight. I do love a good burger. Check the menu here: http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/32-cincinnati/restaurants/363284-terry-s-turf-club/menu

What’s a friend to do? I’m going to enjoy myself.

I am reviewing the menu ahead of time for some pre-emptive damage control. They’ve got ceviche on the appetizer menu. I became a fan of ceviche on my trip to Peru several years ago. This is sea food which is “cooked” by marinating it in lime juice with herbs and vegetables. Great stuff, low fat. I’ll skip the french fries and the chips. I’m still mulling over whether or not to get a burger. No, it’s not on the Aztec Diet. But it’s reputed to be seriously good. I read in a review that the buns are not so hot, so maybe I’ll skip the bread, too. Thankfully, they do not have deserts.

All Day Chocolate Covered Cherry

This makes about 5 cups, enough for breakfast and lunch.

I wanted something savory for dinner, with a different texture. Kelp noodles are a raw product and come ready to eat. They are great for fast meals. They’re low in carbs and calories (6 calories a serving!). They come in a tangle. You cut off what you want. Rinse them off and they’re ready to eat.

Spinach Kelp Noodle Soup

Put your rinsed kelp noodles into a large bowl or 24 ounce cup. Blend the other ingredients. pour over the noodles.

I made this and had my chia on the side.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet: Coffee, Tea or ?

February 28, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -1 pound. Net Loss: 6 pounds

Breakfast: Papaya Yum; Lunch: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie with ginger and cacao; Snack: freeze dried veggie chips; Dinner: Spinach Portobella Smoothie with 1 clove garlic, made with hot water; Snack: nothing

Now that I’m refreshing my memory about PH, it occurred to me to look at my morning cup of coffee. When I first decided to tackle my weight problem last fall, I was drinking a morning cup of hot chocolate from the convenience store on my way to the dog park. The first dietary change I made was swapping this for a cup of coffee with almond milk. I knew eliminating the chemicals and sugars in the hot chocolate mix would be beneficial. It did not occur to me to ask myself how the PH factored in. I wondered if I would do better with green tea, instead.

Your typical cup of coffee has a PH between 5 – 6. Darker roasted blends are at the top of the scale. You can also reduce the acidity of coffee by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for more than 12 hours. Use this concentrate to make your coffee. Caffeinated teas also run between 5 – 6, with green tea at the high end of the spectrum. So tea and coffee are comparable, and are not a problem if limited to a morning cuppa.

In contrast, soda pop varies between a PH of 2 – 3, except root bear, which is 4. These drinks are loaded with chemicals and calories along with the acid. My personal choice is to never drink them.

For the rest of the day, I drink water. Even better is water with lemon. This is a widely accepted practice for alkalizing your body. I have a friend who is doing a great job of outliving her life expectancy while fighting stage 4 cancer. One of her habits is to start her day by squeezing a lemon into her morning glass of water. Today I pulled out my grandmother’s old pitcher. I added the juice from one lemon to a quart of water. I plan to add this to my daily routine from here on out.

Another healthful beverage option is 1TSP – 1 TBSP raw apple cider vinegar, with or without raw honey, in a glass of water. This tonic is reputed to have many health benefits. Bragg’s has been promoting it for decades. Now they have bottled the tonic and you can buy it at your natural food store for many times the cost of making it yourself at home.

It has occurred to me that eating popcorn is not the best option for a snack, even if it is on the approved list. I do love the smell of popping popcorn, and I really enjoy the crunch. If I need a snack tonight, I’m going to try celery instead.

Papaya Yum

Carol’s Kale Blueberry Variation

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 9: Phantastic PH

February 27, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -1 pound; Net Loss: 5 pounds

Breakfast: Carol’s Blueberry Kale Variation; Lunch: Papaya Yum; Snack: 9 Triscuits; Dinner: miso broth with a red bell pepper and a glass of water with 1 TBSP Chia; Snack: air-popped popcorn

This morning it was raining steadily. I’d decided I was not going to go to the dog park. Then the phone rang. It was Tom, my dog-park buddy who has an Amazon Prime account. “Your scale is here. It must have come yesterday. It was between the screen door and the door when I went out this morning. Are you coming up?”

I got wet.

I’m so happy to have a new scale. The old one bobbled around and was unreliable. I would weigh myself a second time after my morning coffee and it would read a pound less. On this scale, it reads .8 pound more. It’s futuristic looking. A slab of tempered glass on top of 4 stubby legs and a huge digital read out. Doesn’t go with my grandmother’s furniture, but then, neither does my Kindle or my iMac.

Yesterday, I was talking about the cleansing properties of greens. This is largely due to the high PH of all green foods. PH is a number which represents how acid or alkaline something is. The scale goes from 1 – 14, with 7 being neutral. You’ll find controversy between experts regarding which foods are acid and which are alkaline because the net effect on the body is different than the PH of the food itself. Lemon is one example of a food that is acid but has a high alkalizing effect on the body. The lists vary a bit, but you’ll notice certain things remain constant.

Why is PH important?

Remember the Andromeda Strain? The killer space virus could only function in a certain range of PH. The human body’s optimal PH is 7.365, slightly alkaline. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is highly acidic.

What happens when the blood is too acid?

1. It starts robbing the body of needed minerals to operate properly. This promotes a variety of degenerative diseases.

2. The body naturally becomes acidic when you die. At which time the body becomes host to a variety of organisms that function well in an acidic environment (corpse) and whose purpose is to promote the decomposition of the body. When your diet is too acidic, you wind up emulating a corpse and inviting all manner of nasties to take up residence.

In 1931, Otto Heinrich Warburg won the Nobel prize for discovering that cancer cells do not use oxygen. This work, unfortunately was largely ignored by mainstream medicine. It did spawn alternative treatments for cancer, such as treatment with hydrogen peroxide. In his later years, he connected PH to this theory, noting that cancer cells maintain a lower PH, as low as 6.0. They go dormant at a PH of about 7.5, and they die after maintaining a PH of 8.5 for a specified period.

Remember those toxins I wrote about yesterday? The toxins that your body hides in fat stores it creates specifically for that purpose? The fat your body won’t let go of until it is able to process the toxins? These are largely acids. Raise your PH and you will be better able to process those acids. Then weight loss becomes easier.

Phase I of the Aztec Diet focuses heavily on high PH greens, which makes it ideal for creating a diet that balances your PH. Focus on maintaining a high PH. Test the PH of your urine in the morning, using PH test strips designed for this purpose (PH strips for other purposes do not have the correct range). Empty your bladder when you get up. Wait about 20 minutes, then urinate again. Test this urine, it does not contain all the acids you dumped overnight.

Some highly nutritious foods are also acidic. Don’t dump them. Accommodate them by eating more alkaline foods. For a list of Acid/Alkaline foods, go here: http://alkaline-alkaline.com/ph_food_chart.html

Look for today’s recipes tomorrow.

Aztec Diet, Diet

Aztec Diet Day 8: Glorious Greens

February 26, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: down 1 pound Net Loss: 4 pounds

Breakfast: 1 cup grapes; Lunch: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie; Snack: 1 ruby Red Grapefruit; Dinner: Kale Apple Carrot Smoothie w/ ginger instead of lemon; Snack: air-popped popcorn

Today I mostly cleaned house. Not an exciting topic for a blog, so instead we’ll talk about how your diet can help you clean house. Cleaning the toxins out of your bloodstream enables it to pull more toxins out of your stores of fat. This is critical. The body uses fat stores to protect the body from toxins it has ingested but is too overloaded to process. Clean your blood, and the body is able to start processing those toxins. Once the fat stores have let go of the toxins, they no longer serve their purpose of protecting the body and can be dissolved.

Most of the smoothie recipes in The Aztec Diet include some form of greens. This is a critically important part of the diet. Green means clean. Be sure you are including greens in your smoothies at least twice a day. The greener your green, the better. This is why kale is number 1 on Dr. Bob’s list. Further down the list is spinach, and below that is leaf lettuce. Romaine is comparable to leaf lettuce, but has more protein and beta-carotene and less fat than leaf lettuce. It may be that Dr. Bob prefers leaf lettuce because it blends more easily than romaine.

I like to add a tablespoon of green powder to my morning smoothie. Green powders come from any of a number of plants and algae that have a high concentration of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is very similar to hemoglobin in make up. The main difference is that it has magnesium instead of iron at its core. Chlorophyll is a wonderful blood builder and detoxifier.

Chlorophyll is alkaline and combats acidosis. It is also a deodorant, which is why restaurants used to garnish plates of food with parsley. You were supposed to chew on it to freshen your breath. Ironically, the sprig of parsley that has been so ignored is likely, gram for gram, the most nutritious thing on any given dinner plate. The greener something is, the more chlorophyll it has. Your green powder should turn whatever you put it in a deep dark green.

You can buy green powders in jars for about $20 and up for a one month supply. I make my own and pay much less. Many of the commercial green powders have lots of extras in them. However, you may not be getting therapeutic amounts of all the ingredients, especially the expensive ones.

I buy the following from the bulk herb section of my favorite health food store, Clifton Natural Foods here in Cincinnati: 4 oz. spirulina, 2 oz chlorella, 2 oz. wheat grass powder, 2 oz. barley grass powder. I toss them all in a big jar, screw the lid on tight and roll it around until it’s well mixed. Any one of these powders is a wonderful supplement in its own right. I like to use a blend. While each is a good detoxifier, they all have different properties.

Spirulina has many benefits. It has a highly concentrated complete protein. It works to balance blood sugar and increases brain function

Chlorella Japanese research found that chlorella could be beneficial in fighting obesity, diabetes and heart disease by reducing body fat percentages and blood glucose levels. Researchers also claim that chlorella is effective in boosting energy, improving digestion and fighting depression (The FDA does not support these findings). Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/243612-benefits-uses-for-chlorella-powder/#ixzz2LxakA1hv

Wheatgrass increases energy and stimulates the thyroid gland.

Barley grass promotes the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines. It also is full of iron.

Spirulina and chlorella are algae. They naturally clump on top of water. Whenever you add these to a smoothie, wait until you have a nice whirlpool in the center of your blender, then open the lid and pour your green powder into the center of the whirlpool. This prevents your green powder from sticking to the side of your blender.

Other good blood cleansers are lemon and cayenne. Including these in your diet will accelerate your losses. I put cayenne into empty capsules and take them with meals. Go slow with the cayenne, it can cause stomach upset. Lemon can be added to smoothies or drinking water.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 7 Fasting

February 25, 2013 carolannnewsome 4 Comments

Stats: weighed in up another 3 pounds, net loss: 3 pounds

Breakfast: Nothing; Lunch: Nothing: Snack: Nothing; Dinner: Nothing; Snack:

I don’t understand the weight gain. I’m hoping it will settle out in a few days. It’s making no sense to me.

I had no appetite after chugging a quart of salt water at 6:30 a.m. I decided to go with this and fast until I got hungry. It’s now 6 p.m. I’ve had a few glasses of water, but nothing else. I have no idea why this is happening. If you knew me, you’d be worried. I’m big on regular meals.

Numerous fasting proponents insist that it is healthful to give your digestive system a rest from time to time. The entire Paul Bragg family (of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and Liquid Aminos) make a practice of fasting one day a week.

I’ve always meant to give fasting a shot. We’ll see how this plays out.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 6: Delicately Put

February 24, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: up 1 pound. Net loss: 6 pounds Waist: lost 1″ Total loss: 2.5″

Breakfast: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie* Lunch: Chocolate Covered Cherry with avocado Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese Dinner: Carmen Miranda Snack: air-popped popcorn

Up a pound? But down an inch? How does this happen?

I didn’t cheat! I swear! But I have not been drinking enough water between smoothies. And that creates a problem. I’m . . . er . . . well, jammed up. Not a polite subject for public conversation, but for those of you who are doing this diet, it must be discussed.

All that chia needs lots of water to absorb and move it along. So yesterday’s wastes are now lurking like a beached barge in my belly. Along with those from the day before. This could be resolved by a quick trip to the drug store. Or, I could use Stanley Burrough’s solution from The Master Cleanser.

I don’t like to post other people’s stuff, since they worked hard to develop it and you should buy their books. Which is why I’m only posting my own recipes, and not Dr. Bob’s go-to Kale Blueberry Smoothie* that everyone keeps Googling. However, in the interest of public health, I’ll make this exception.

For constipation during a cleanse, Burroughs recommends an internal salt water bath that washes your entire digestive tract. This is very non-invasive, unlike enemas and colonics. When you first get up (I recommend setting your alarm clock one hour before your usual wake up time for this) add two level teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt to 1 quart lukewarm water and drink it all down at once. Do this on an empty stomach. Hang around; it will wash right through you. In an hour or so, you should see relief. If you don’t, you may need to adjust the salt:water ratio slightly. If you have any herbal laxative tea, drinking some the night before will help.

And if nothing happens today, I’m going to do this. First thing. Tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I went back to The Aztec Diet and re-read the first 6 chapters. It doesn’t mention hydration at all during Phase I. I checked the index. only one listing for water. It refers to drinking a glass of water before and after meals during Phase II. I’m thinking this would be a good habit to adopt during Phase I.

My social life has been suffering since I started this. Whenever I get together with my friends, it’s always around food. This week I turned down a Wednesday dinner invite with Anna and Pat. Angie didn’t bother to call about our usual Thursday lunch get-together because she knew about my diet. This evening, I am trying something different. Anna reserved Looper at Redbox and I will be bringing my own smoothie ingredients, along with some air-popped popcorn. Thank God she is not making Chinese ribs tonight. I am only strong, not impervious.

Carmen Miranda
1/4 Cup cashews (raw, if you can find them)
1 banana
1/2 Cup frozen tropical smoothie blend (pineapple, mango, strawberry)
1 large handful of spinach
2 TBSP ground chia seed

*Here is an url to Dr. Bob demonstrating his go-to Blueberry/Kale Smoothie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjwSVS4sOf8

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 5 Holy Guacamole, Batman!

February 22, 2013 carolannnewsome 3 Comments

Stats: I might have lost a pound, or maybe just 1/2 pound. Hard to tell on this scale. So total loss is 6 pounds for sure. Maybe 6.5, or even 7. If I’ve lost 7 pounds, my BMI is down 1.0.

Breakfast: 1-1/2 cups of smoothie left from last night’s Papaya Yum variation; Lunch: Chocolate Covered Cherry; Snack: 1 grapefruit and 4 Triscuits; Dinner: Holy Guacamole; Snack: nothing.

I ordered a new scale today, Amazon’s #1 digital scale. It’s on sale for 40% off. It’s time. My old scale only measures in even pounds. It changes its mind, depending on where I stand. Totally unreliable. I didn’t worry about it as long as the trend was down. But now I’m telling the world about my diet and need to be more accurate. And it’s demoralizing when the numbers bobble around. The EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale w/ Extra Large Backlit 3.5″ Display and “Step-On” Technology weighs at the nearest .2 of a pound. It doesn’t have any other sexy features, like BMI calculations. It does have 6,483 5-star reviews. I like simple, durable, reliable machines. It comes Tuesday.

My scale isn’t the only appliance I have that’s possessed. My Black and Decker Cyclone blender likes to roam around the counter like it’s playing bumper cars with my other appliances. The gasket came with ridges in it, so it leaks. Sometimes the lid lifts and spins around like Linda Blair’s head in The Exorcist. And I accidentally dropped the clear plastic insert in the lid into the blender while it was running several months ago (which it promptly ate). Now I have to be very careful how I turn it off or it will spray gunk all over my cabinets. For grins, I just checked reviews for this blender on Amazon. Apparently I’m not the only one who has suffered at the blades of this monster. I’ve kept it for the 475 watt motor, which is strong enough to chew up greens.

Now I’m window-surfing Amazon and discover Hamilton Beach has a lovely model with a 700 watt (peak power) motor for under $25 (3# under countertop blenders). The Oster BVCB07-Z Counterforms 6-Cup Glass Jar 7-Speed Blender has a 600 watt motor and sexy options for under $60 (#4 under countertop blenders). You only need 1/2 HP motor (375 watts) to grind up greens. Guess which one I want. Do not feel compelled to spend $400-600 on a blender just because Dr. Bob says so.

Today I made a guacamole smoothie for lunch. If you’re new to avocados, read yesterday’s blog and you’ll handle them like a pro.

Holy Guacamole
1 4-5″ pickling cucumber, skin on
1 avocado
1 red bell pepper
1 handful of spinach
1 clove garlic
Juice of one lemon
2 TBSP ground chia
Pinch of Real Salt or Celtic sea salt
1/4 – 1/2 TSP cumin
1/2 TSP dried cilantro or 1TBSP fresh
Cayenne to taste (optional)
Water to desired consistency

Note: Make this smoothie on the bland side. The flavor will intensify as it sits.

I like using pickling cucumbers instead of some of the water in smoothies. Cucumbers are almost entirely water, so If you use cucumbers, reduce your amount of water accordingly. I use pickling cucumbers because they are thin skinned and aren’t waxed. This is great because you don’t have to peel them. This means you get to keep the nutrition, which is almost entirely in the skin. It also saves time and energy (I’m big on conserving energy). According to Diane Onstad’s lovingly researched reference on plant foods, The Whole Food Companion, cucumber is alkaline, diuretic, disolves kidney stones and can destroy intestinal worms. Bonus!

I get my pickling cucumbers at a nearby Asian market. They’re hard to find. If you can’t find them, substitute part of one of those long, skinny English cucumbers that comes individually shrink wrapped.

Chocolate Covered Cherry

1 Banana
1/2 Cup frozen sweet cherries*
3-4 leaves of romaine
1 TBSP ground cacao nibs or raw cacao powder**
2-4 TBSP ground chia
pinch ginger (optional)
1 TBSP green powder (Optional)
1-3/4 Cups almond milk

Remember, add the green powder after the blender is running well and has a whirlpool.

*Do you really want to pit fresh ones?
**You can use unsweetened cocoa, but you’ll lose some lovely health benefits.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 4: Avocados!

February 22, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: 1 pound lost since yesterday. Total: 6 pounds since Monday morning. Total inches off my waist 1-1/2.

Breakfast: avocado/banana/blueberry/romaine Lunch: 1 cup cottage cheese Snack: Popcorn Dinner: Papaya Yum with young coconut meat and water instead of nuts Snack: none

My normal meal schedule is breakfast at 10, lunch at 2, and dinner somewhere between 6 and 8. This schedule doesn’t seem to be working on the Aztec Diet. Today I found myself ravenous at 2 and needing to get to work. I had a cup of cottage cheese instead of a smoothie for lunch. I topped this off with a cup of decaf with two tablespoons of almond milk. I obviously don’t have the hang of sipping extra water to keep full. Tomorrow I’m going to try having 1/2 my breakfast smoothie before the dog park. That worked well on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, I did have a good day writing. The newly bereaved did not act as I had planned. Good thing Peter took Brent along with him. I noticed my concentration improving. I met my writing goal more easily than usual. So maybe this omega 3 brain connection has merit.

Dr. Bob doesn’t say much about avocados. A 200 calorie avocado has a measly 3 grams net carbs with 9 grams of fiber. The fat is heart healthy. It has an almost perfectly balanced PH and an ANDI score 0f 37. Not a blockbuster, but 5 points higher than yogurt. Diane Onstad calls avocado “one of the world’s most perfect foods.” Diane’s The Whole Foods Companion is one of my favorite books. I consider it essential for anyone interested in healthy eating.

One avocado blended with one banana makes a lovely, creamy base for a smoothie. I’ve used this for years, with endless variations.

The single, biggest drawback of the avocado is that so many people lack confidence in choosing a good avocado and peeling it.

Avocados never ripen until they are off the tree. The very best way to get a perfectly ripe avocado is to buy them when they are a brilliant green, then ripen them yourself. Leave them out on the kitchen counter. It will take a few days. Check them a couple times a day. You’re looking for a brownish, blackish skin with green undertones. Feel them. If they give under gentle pressure, they’re probably good. If it still has its stem, press down on it. If it gives easily, it’s ripe. The last check is to pop the stem off. If the spot under the stem is a lovely green, you’re there. You can only pop off the stem once, though. After it’s off, the spot quickly turns brown and that test is useless.

Once they are ripe, put them in the fridge. They’ll keep for a week. So having a steady supply of avocados involves a certain commitment to timing. You’ve got a window of a day or maybe two to get them into the fridge once they’re ready.

To peel an avocado, hold it in one hand. Lay the blade of the knife along the vertical axis and cut in until you hit the pit. Rotate the avocado against the blade until you have cut all the way around it. Twist the halves to separate them. Now hold the half with the pit, take your knife and press the blade into the pit. Turn the knife gently and the pit will pop loose. Avoid cutting yourself. If you use a ceramic knife like I do, do not stick the tip of the knife into the pit and torque it or you will snap the tip off. Ask me how I know.

At this point, many people just take a large spoon and scoop the flesh out. I cut the avocado halves into slices while still in the skin, then peel the skin off with my fingers. If it is at correct ripeness, the skin will be flexible and leathery and will come right off.

I always eat a whole avocado. I’ve never found a good way to keep an avocado half without it browning and turning yucky. If you know of something that really works, please post it in the comments!

Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries by C.A. Newsome

Category Archives: Diet

Aztec Diet Day 13: Do I or Don’t I?

Aztec Diet Day 12: Chew your Juice, Drink your Food

Aztec Diet Day 11: Cheating

Aztec Diet: Coffee, Tea or ?

Aztec Diet Day 9: Phantastic PH

Aztec Diet Day 8: Glorious Greens

Aztec Diet Day 7 Fasting

Aztec Diet Day 6: Delicately Put

Aztec Diet Day 5 Holy Guacamole, Batman!

Aztec Diet Day 4: Avocados!

Murder. Romance. Dog Slobber.

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Murder. Romance. Dog Slobber.