Looking back

2010 was a wonderful year in many ways.... And there were equally frustrating moments as well.

Ups:

1. Found a job
   
2. Bought a house
   
3. Zeroed in on my gluten intolerance - the source of my unbearable knee pain and jaw issues.
   
4. Scored 91% in my course that took from UofT
5. Joined a community garden and well... gardened! It was a joy to see the plants sprout and grow
   
6. Started my Thankful Tuesdays - Even though I am not regular with it, It brought a lot of gratitude in my life. Opened my eyes to see that I have a lot of things to be thankful about and feel blessed.
   

Downs:

1. Credit card theft + Identity Fraud - twice in 3 months. The second was just a couple of weeks ago so I am still not mentally recovered from it. How do these impostors live with themselves??
   
2. Stressful move! The actual move of most stuff by professional movers went pretty much okay. But the change by itself is very stressful for me. So stressed that I can't even unpack much. NEED tons of energy and motivation to unpack.
3. Discovering the Gluten Intolerance meant that I give up wheat for good. Even more stress for a person who loves to bake both wholewheat wholegrain breads and also quick breads like muffins, cookies and sweet breads. Not to mention who adores the chewiness and yumminess of rotis. All those Anti inflammatory diet and such of yesteryears (2008-2009) made me give up wheat only for a very limited time. So it was no big deal for me to follow. But now that I know about my gluten intolerance and that I have to give it up forever, it is VERY difficult for me. But with the discovery of gluten-free rotis, I think I'll be able to get past this.
   
4. The flooded basement in our new house, just two days before our big move! To the dumb people who did the shitty patchwork drainage arrangement for the furnace - which was too short and ended much before it reached the drain? I have some choice words for you! It didn't even require any special skills to fix it. Walked up into home depot, mentioned the issue, walked out with a pipe and tape, fixed it - took $20 for the material, 20 mins for the drive and 1 minute to stop the leakage. But now we have to spend more time and energy and much more money to fix the damage caused by this flooding. Thankfully it is only 1/4th the basement that was affected.
   

Though the downs are downright depressing and 3 of which happened very recently and am not fully recovered from them, I chose to focus on the Ups.

A thousand small goodbyes

A thousand small goodbyes to gluten that is!

Maybe I should say my thousand goodbyes too.... once and for all! Well, let me think more on this at the end of Gluten Free January.

What stands out for me, in that article is this.

If I starve, surely it is only because I lack imagination.

Gluten free January

Mamatha helped me discover this fabulous idea on Gluten Free January. Thanks Mamatha!! Going cold turkey on gluten forever freaks me out. Makes me feel deprived. But one month? Can I do it? Absolutely!!! Lot of other groups are embracing this idea as well and there's a couple on fB too.

Gluten Free January. I'm going for it.

One month of no gluten, taking one day at a time. I can do it.

Anybody else in?

Dec 24rth

Exercise:
Yes!! 40 mins on treadmill. Phew!!

Breakfast:
2 WW roti with an egg

Snack:
yellow mung dal - deep fried - Haldiram

Late Lunch:
Brown rice
Whole masoor dal

Afternoon snack:
half an apple

Dinner
Cookies!!!

Made some almond butter WW cookies, adapted from Sunita's cookies
Use almond butter instead of peanut butter, applesauce instead of milk and chia meal instead of flax meal. Yummmy!!! Use 4 tbsp sugar for 24 cookies.

Also made some ginger snap cookies, adapting it from my maple butter crackers and using some cinnamon (1 and 1/2 tsp), clove(1/4 tsp) and ginger powder (1/2 tsp) and subbing 1/4rth of maple syrup with molasses and the sprouted grain flour with AP flour (1/4 cup) and yes coconut oil instead of butter.

In retrospect:

Exercise: Yes
Gluten free day: No! The cookies!
Sugar free day: no! the cookies!
Protein powder: no
Greens: no
Fruits: who am I kidding?
Veggies: nope!
Vitamins/Minerals: missed the morning part, ate the before-bed ones.

On my mind: Great day!!! Loved the workout and making the cookies!

Dec 23rd

dairy free day
gluten free day
sugar free day

unfortunately it turned out to be another exercisefree day as well!!

Dec 22nd

Was not a gluten free or sugar free day. It also turned out to be an unplanned exercise free day!

Here's hoping tomorrow is a gluten free sugar free and certainly not an exercise free day!!!

101 Revolutionary Ways to be Healthy

Neeta shared this 101 Revolutionary Ways to be Healthy.

Loved it so much that I wanted to repost the link on my blog! Thanks Neeta! :)

101 Revolutionary Ways to be Healthy

I'm going to print it out and put it right where I see often.

Dec 21

Exercise:
none, another planned rest day

Breakfast:
Smoothie - soaked almonds, apples, protein powder, spinach

Snack:
Gluten free sugar free snack from Indian store

Lunch:
brown rice, scrambled eggs and wilted kale

Afternoon snack:
Gluten free sugar free snack from Indian store

Dinner
WW roti (was planning to make some gluten free rotis for myself but couldnt locate flaxseeds)
red lentils dal with onions, tomatoes and spices
stir fried green beans

In retrospect:

Exercise: no
Gluten free day: no, the rotis
Sugar free day: yes
Protein powder: yes
Greens: yes
Fruits: yes barely there - just 1
Veggies: yes
Vitamins/Minerals: yes
On my mind: good day! I'm taking some time of from work during the holiday season starting tomorrow. Planning to use that time to unpack and get the house in order.

Dec 20th

Exercise:
none, my body was begging for a break after yesterday!

Breakfast:
smoothie - almonds, apples, protein powder, molasses

Lunch:
white rice idiyappam (steamed rice noodles), chicken curry

Evening snack:
unsalted, roasted nuts

Dinner

• brown rice
• sauted kale with coconut oil. onions and spices
  
• chicken curry - just the curry
• a boiled egg
  

In retrospect:

Exercise: none, a planned rest day
Gluten free day: yes
Sugar free day: yes
Protein powder: yes
Greens: yes
Fruits: yes, barely there
Veggies: absolutely none
Vitamins/Minerals: ate the morning half, forgot the evening half

On my mind: Good day! Food wise - better than yesterday. And I have to remember the veggies and my vitamins and minerals.

Dec 19th, sunday

Exercise:
40 mins on treadmill.
Yayyy, 4rth day in a row!!
Loving the early morning work outs.

plus a day of tons of cleaning - the old apartment was scrubbed like never before.

Breakfast:
Smoothie - aples, almonds, protein powder

Lunch:
chicken kabob and naan (wheat flour - all white!!!) Not that I craved for it, but that was the only food we could find.

Evening snack:
none

Dinner
white rice idiyappam
chicken curry

In retrospect:
Great day! Good exercise!

Gluten free day: no
Sugar free day: yes
Protein powder: yes
Greens: no, got to get back to greens
Fruits: just one, barely there
Veggies: none at all
Vitamins/Minerals: none... got to get back.

On my mind: very productive day. Could have planned the move even better.
Loving all the exercise today.

Dec 18th, Saturday

Exercise :
Yes, 30 mins on treadmill early in the morning.

Breakfast:
An apple
handful of nuts

Lunch:
Brown rice
Chicken curry in thick coconut/onion sauce

Evening snack:
Birthday party food: Breadrolls + ketchup
Cut up fruits

Dinner
Birthday party food:

• Peas pulao
• butter chicken (skipped the gravy and ate 2 pieces of chicken)
  
• one piece of tandoori chicken
• 2-3 shrimp
• 2 okra pieces
• 1 baby potato
  

In retrospect:
Good day! Had fun with friends. The fun went until midnight. :)

Gluten free day: no, the breadrolls
Sugar free day: yes
Protein powder: no
Greens: no
Fruits: yes
Veggies: not really - need to start adding veggies and then increase it some more.
Vitamins/Minerals: no totally forgot!
Exercise: YES!

Dec 17th

Breakfast:
an apple
a tea

Lunch:
White rice
Lentils - Tur dal
Stir fried Beetroot

Evening snack:
2-3 handful of mixed unsalted roasted nuts

Dinner
None...
some snacks from Indian store - gluten free...yes! sugar free, yes! but still junk!

In retrospect:
Exercise - yes on treadmill 25 mins

Gluten free day: yes
Sugar free day: yes
Protein powder: no
Greens: no
Fruits: yes, just barely there
Veggies: yes
Vitamins/Minerals: yes
On my mind: okay day. The food needs to improve. Living out of boxes aren't fun. Gotta unpack, unpack and unpack some more.

December 16

Breakfast:
apple protein powder smoothie

Lunch:
Brown rice + pepper chicken

Evening snack:
an apple
handful of nuts

Dinner
white rice + tur dal + beetroot poriyal

In retrospect:

On my mind: bad day! One very pleasant thing and two unpleasant things happened in the last 2 weeks. Still ticked off about the latter. :(

Exercise: YES!!! Treadmill has been set up again and its up and running!! Walked on treadmill for 25 mins.

Gluten free day: Yes!
Sugar free day: Yes!
Protein powder: Yes!
Greens: No
Fruits: Yes
Veggies: Yes
Vitamins/Minerals: yes

New beginnings

by Francis Jock

A new beginning is something we need once in awhile,
To make fresh start and wear a broad smile.
To forgive and forget is not quite the same,
As starting again with a mundane new name.

A change of the air, a place left unseen,
Perhaps a new face, not of a beauty queen.
A new house and a home, where no one cares,
Who I am or once was, or the name that I bear.

Just over that mountain and across the sea,
Is where I'll find a new beginning for me.
In a land far away, in a port left alone,
I'll set up my shop and have a new home.

Tho' birthdays and holidays may come to pass,
Forgotten I'll be, no one's calling at last.
I can sleep in peace, not a wink will be lost,
On pillows so sweet, downy and soft.

Let me find this place where beginnings begin,
And yesterday's sorrows aren't welcome within.
A place that's secret and sunny and fair,
Oh, how I wish I could always be there.

But tomorrow will come and my life's incomplete,
Without fans and cameras and pundits replete.
I guess I'll get dressed and head down the stairs,
To see what today awaits me there.

Beginnings will come and beginnings will go,
Today I'll dance, tomorrow I'll stroll.
And every morning I'll say a short prayer,
New beginnings and tomorrows will always be there.

- Francis Jock.