Healthier Already

It's been three weeks since John and I cut most dairy and meat from out diets. We now buy soy milk, or almond milk. We eat cheese. We have eggs occasionally. But for the most part that is it. We avoid all processed foods. We buy a lot of things organic, and we eat whole grain bread and whole grain pasta. Oh and lots of fresh fruits and veggies! The thing that surprises me most is that avoiding meat and dairy is not that hard!

I remember when my brother Mark was vegetarian, so he still ate all sorts of dairy. I use to think he was crazy! I couldn't understand how he could live without eating meat. When I tell people about our diet now, they say things like, "Wow, I wish I had the motivation to do that," or "I couldn't ever go without meat AND dairy!" But I'm telling you, if I can do it, you can to!

Part of the reason it's not so hard is that we haven't cut the stuff completely. We still have meat maybe once a week. And if I feel like going out for ice cream, I'm not going to have any guilt afterwards. Because I feel like a little bit isn't all that bad.

Plus, we've been cooking everything from scratch, and making up our own recipes that are actually quite amazing:

Whole grain pasta with garlic, zucchini, red peppers, spinach, and tomatoes.
Topped with a little parmesan cheese!

Lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, sliced almonds, mushrooms, tomatoes, and carrots.
Topped with feta cheese. Avocado on the side.

I'm not trying to force any of you to try this diet. But I am going to tell you what has happened to us in only three weeks:

• John has lost 10 pounds.
• We feel healthier.
• I'm not as tired.
• I'm getting enough fiber!
• Yesterday I went to the doctor to get blood work done for my thyroid. I also had them do tests to test my overall health. I haven't found out the results but I'm pretty sure that they'll be good.
• Perhaps the most exciting of all: Before I went on the diet, I was taking pills to slow down my heart rate. My resting heart rate has been in the high 90's for the last 4  or 5 years. I took the medicine to try and bring it down. Around the time I started this new diet I stopped taking them. And guess what my heart rate was when I had it checked yesterday!?!? 72 beats per minute! I couldn't believe it! I got so excited, and I made the nurse check again just to be sure. Her second check was 80 beats per minute [probably because I got so excited].

Food is the cure! It makes me angry that the FDA recommends so much more meat and dairy then what is actually necessary. I can get my protein and calcium from other foods that are healthier for me.

Ok. I've ranted long enough. But seriously, try eating less meat and dairy. It will do wonders.

A Stairway to Hell

Have you ever felt like if you took one more step, you would die a terrible and very painful death?

Has your heart ever raced in your chest so fast and hard that you thought it might explode?

Have you ever felt the sting in your ears as you continued on to higher elevations?

I guess the most important question I have for you is this: Have you ever hiked to Hell?

I have.

My sweet, sweet friend Erica thought it would be such a wonderful morning activity. "Hey Sara," she says to me, "Would you like to come die with me?" Okay, maybe she didn't say that, but she may as well have! It was more like this, "Hey Sara, there is this thing called the incline, and it's these steps that go straight up the mountain, want to come with me?"

And poor little Sara, who has been bored and indoors most of this week said, "Heck yeah I want to come, I love hiking!"

This was not hiking. This was like... torture. 

You have to understand, I haven't really exercised in forever. Seriously, you all know I've been trying to gain weight (which you will see I've been very successful at in the pictures). So for the last 3 1/2 years I've been a couch potato.

We actually had a really great time, but I had to stop like 500 thousand times to catch my breath. Erica was very nice and didn't complain that I was slowing her down. 

The Manitou Incline use to be a railway, but now it's a test of strength and endurance (which, by the way, I passed). It literally goes straight up the mountain, with a vertical gain of 2,200 feet.

It was insane. And really fun. And really hard. And really insane. Did I tell you that it was insane? :)

I'm happy that I lived to tell the tale. I'm just not looking forward to how my body will feel tomorrow...

Here are some awesome pictures that Erica and I took:

I sacrificed my jeans to get good pictures. See that bottom right there?

It will most likely be flat tomorrow... 

See my little belly? Be proud.

Isn't she soooo pretty? She's as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside :)

It was around this time that I started saying "Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH!"

The bottom step in this picture says "FAKE TOP." Do you see it?

I looked up the mountain and saw this spot praying that it would be the end.

As you can see, it wasn't. Not by a long shot. Maybe I should have named

this post the never ending staircase to hell.

WE MADE IT!!

My splotchy red face proves it.

Looking down. It doesn't look as impressive as it was. But it was impressive. I promise.

Just celebrating how cool we are on the hike down.

Gotta have the jumping shots. We are on top of the world.

Now THAT was an adventure!

The Things He Says

Last night John and I were discussing what we could do to make ourselves healthier. I read online that even a little excess belly fat can cause a strain on your heart and liver. Oh John's side, the men have all died quite young, and I'm determined to change the cycle. I have to keep him healthy! And while I'm enjoying the pounds I'm gaining, John is ready to get rid of some of his.

Last night, he said something along the lines of, "Sara, I just hate running, I need to find something to do for exercise that I actually enjoy. Maybe I'll join karate. No wait... I could become a ninja!"

Hahaha. The longer I'm married to John, the more I realize that he's pretty much a little boy stuck in a big man's body. It makes our lives an adventure. Speaking of adventures, you might like to know that I was once a ninja... During my second semester of college actually. I was a knitting ninja:

I totally knitted that scarf by the way. It was the first one I ever made :)
Thanks for teaching me Juuuulie.

In all seriousness, I am trying to be a better wife and cook him food that will help him lose weight. The only problem is, I've always been in the "I want to gain as much weight as I can" boat. Yesterday I figured out my BMI (body mass index) with this cool little tool online. It was 18.1, and the normal range starts at 18.5, so that means I'm barely underweight! I just need to gain a few more pounds :)

Lately I've been feeding the schnookums things like this (which tastes really really good, but probably doesn't help with the trying-to-lose-weight factor...) :

(Tomato Bacon Spaghetti, if you want the recipe just let me know via comment)

Moral of the story: I'm having trouble figuring out what to feed him.

Any suggestions?