Weeks 24 – 27: Living Happily Uncomfortable + Birthing Options: Home vs Hospital

 

In the past month my belly has grown at a rapid rate. I think my belly has finally reached the maximum amount it can “normally” stretch before the real skin stretching begins. Every day my belly feels like it is being pushed out to abnormal lengths. It’s tight, heavy and uuuuuuuuuncomfortable! And when she moves…ouch! BUT I’m not complaining because I’m happy! All this stretching means that my baby girl is growing which is super important. The only downside? My clothing options are decreasing by the day.  My only pair of work pants are becoming extremely uncomfortable to wear; my jeans, while fit with a rubber band, tend to fall consistently; and my belly is beginning to outgrow my favorite dresses. Is it time for a trip to the consignment shop for maternity clothes? Yes, yes I think so.

In other news, I’ve been doing some serious thinking on whether or not I want to give birth to my baby in a hospital as I had originally planned. While it may be a better option financially, personally I fear that my requests as listed on my birth plan would not be met or completely ignored. I want a natural, stress free, medical intervention free birth. Will I get that at a hospital? Not likely. So I have decided to weigh my options and see what it takes to have a midwife instead of an OB and a home birth instead of a hospital birth. I just feel a home birth will be so much more personal and relaxing. I’ll be able to choose the way I labor, the way I deliver and what to do with my baby after she is born. I’ll have freedom! My body, my baby, my choice.

Have you had any experience with a midwife or home birth? If so, how was it?

DIET

Breakfast: I have been adding some variety to my breakfast lately. (Shocker, I know!). I still love me a delicious parfait loaded with banana and pomegranate seeds topped with nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds and flax. Superfood heaven right there! I’ve also been testing out a few fruit smoothies as well as a few hearty, creamy smoothies like pumpkin pie. Yumm! My most recent obsession is apples, nut butter and banana! We went apple picking 2 weekends ago and my house WAS loaded with apples, so I decided why not indulge in as many as I can! I’ve almost hit that “I’m sick of ‘em” point. Almost.

Lunch: Nothing new here. Still salads, salads and MORE salads with my fave dressing: lemon garlic tahini! Nom nom nooooom!

Dinner: Still eating what’s in season. I have a serious obsession now with greens. I literally CRAVE cooked greens with garlic and lemon (Can you see a pattern here!?). Soooooo good!  Sometimes I’ll throw in some olives or tomatoes or even chickpeas. Seriously, ridiculously, obsessively good.

Snacks: Sprouted Trail Mix and Hummus top the list! Oh and cookies. Exclusively Angela’s (From Oh She Glows) Vegan, Gluten Free ChocolateChip Cookies. I can, and sometimes do, eat them all….day….long! Call me pregnant cookie monster. It’s that serious. Cookie, cookie, cookie, coooooookie!

 

Cravings: Greens, soups, and cookies

 

EXERCISE

I still take my dog, Rex, on a daily walk around the neighborhood. It takes us anywhere between 15-30 minutes and is approximately ¼ - ½ a mile. Not too far but a nice, brisk walk none the less. Now that it’s getting a lot colder outside, I’m all for quick and easy.

I’ve also been trying to incorporate a prenatal yoga class or two during the week. It’s sad to see how weak I am ever since I lost all of my  weight and gained it all back. My muscles lack the tone and strength that they used to have. Hopefully the yoga plus the walking will help me gain some of that back. It’s been really nice to relax, breath and stretch! I can really feel it in my back and hips. They love me J

 

PREGNANCY

Weeks 24 and 25

Honestly, at this point, I don’t recall much about weeks 24 and 25 except for the fact that I was growing by the day.  Time is flying by so fast and with the fall/holiday season in full swing, we’ve been busy baking goodies, picking apples, attending festivals and enjoying the cooler weather. My pregnancy has become such a part of my life that I literally have to write down things about my pregnancy in order for me to remember. Sad.

24 Weeks!



25 Weeks!

Week 26

In week 26 I started dealing with some nausea, especially after I ate. I was afraid that I was going to have to deal with the third trimester morning sickness, but thankfully it went away after a few days. My daughter was recovering from a pretty bad cold so I wonder if maybe I caught a small bit of it.

As for the rest of the week, well, it was quite busy. First, my husband came home with a new, slightly used, Nissan Pathfinder after realizing that in a few months we would be traveling with not only a child and a baby, but also with a grown pup. With our family quickly expanding, it was only smart to purchase a vehicle that would comfortably fit us all. So far, the family, including Rex, is totally loving it!

That weekend, we drove our new vehicle up to Graves Mountain to attend their annual Apple Fest. While it was wet and a bit chilly, the time spent with family and our pup was still enjoyable. What surprised me the most was that even after all that standing and walking, I was not sore! How is that!? I get home, stand for 4 hours and I feel like my body was hit by a truck. Weird.

Lastly, I forced my husband to drive me into “town” to seek out maternity clothes at a consignment shop that I had heard so much about. While the selection of my size, my style clothing was very small, I still walked out with three dresses and a pair of hideous, yet comfortable dress pants for only $40. A deal!? I think so. I’m in love with dresses and wish to wear them all the time. I have a feeling consignment shopping will be my new favorite hobby for the next couple of months. After all, I’m not getting smaller. Just ask my husband…

On Sunday morning, while lying in bed waiting for my husband to wake up.

Husband: “I’m hungry!”

Me: “Well, I don’t know what you’re going to eat. I need to go grocery shopping. Eat your pork rinds from yesterday.”

Husband: “I’m hungry! I’m hungry!”

Me: (Lifting shirt to watch belly move)

Husband: “Well, we can tell SOMEONE’s being well fed!”

We both busted out laughing! Yes, my husband called me fat but at the same time I couldn’t be mad because he honestly had a point. Have you seen this thing!?

26 Weeks!

 

Week 27

In week 27 I started dealing with a new pregnancy symptom: feet swelling.  Every evening my feet, especially my left foot, would swell to the point that it was visibly puffy and red. It wasn’t painful or uncomfortable, but I could definitely feel it. Knowing that swelling, while normal, can also be a sign of a serious condition such as preeclampsia, I took precautions and rested a soon as it became visible. Elevating my feet seemed to help and the swelling would be gone by morning. The odd thing is, the swelling occurred all week long, until Friday. From Friday into the weekend, I dealt with very little if any swelling. So weird.

I’ve also been dealing with boosting my self confidence. The lack of clothing options, plus my hatred for the maternity dress pants that I find absolutely unfitting, has left me a bit down in the dumps. I desire to be beautiful and somewhat sexy yet all I see is frumpy. My hair is dragging, my beautiful long nails, all broken and my feet and legs slightly swollen. I hope I can get out of this rut soon because I know I’m beautiful. I just have to see it for myself. It doesn’t help that I’m a bottle full of raging hormones. I used to never cry and now I cry 2-3 times a day! The joys of pregnancy!

Week 27!

On Friday, I had my one month checkup at the OB. Everything is looking great. The baby is growing, again, on point! Her head, belly and femur all measure perfectly. Her heartbeat was rapid; between the 140’s – 150’s. She weighed in at around 2lbs and 5oz and was smiling for us while watching her on the 3D cam. Every time I see her I fall more and more in love with her. She’s already perfect.

 

 

As for momma, I gained 10lbs in one month!! Yes, I’m 137lbs right now! I finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight, plus some, which was good news for everyone. My BP was 120/74; normal for me. And the swelling, according to my doc, is completely normal. Checking in perfect!

That day, reality finally hit. This baby is coming SOON! My doctor notified me that after my next appointment I would be visiting every 2 weeks to make sure I’m progressing well. Every two weeks!? Am I seriously that close!? All I could do was panic. I have so much to do!

 

Checklist

And then there’s this…. I don’t even know where to start

1. Decide on type of birth and contact a midwife ASAP
2. Find a hypnobirthing class
3. Stock up on needed oils for delivery and post partum
4. Continue yoga routine
5. Finish baby registry for babyshower
6. Stress less and ENJOY pregnancy

That last one is a doozy…

Any advice!?

Until next time, enjoy the cooler weather and have a Happy Halloween!

Beth

18 Weeks: Boy or Girl!?

Another week surprisingly gone! It’s been very busy with school having started on Monday. I was so focused on planning, prepping and perfecting meal plans and schedules that I didn’t realize the last week of summer was already over. Thankfully, my busy planning has paid off. Everything has been smooth sailing so far. Let’s pray it stays that way!

In terms of my pregnancy, this week has been full of changes and exciting news. My body has once again been going through some major physical and emotional changes, which I will discuss more below. Also, we finally confirmed the sex of the baby yesterday at my 18 week cervical check up and I cannot WAIT to share the fabulous news with you all!

So here’s this week’s update:

 

My Diet

Breakfast – The milkshake train has finally left the yummy station. While I still enjoy a chocolate or banana almond butter one at least once a week, my body has been craving for other things such as jackfruit, chia puddings and kombucha.

Last week I picked up a 17 pound jackfruit baby to finally kill my cravings that have been lingering for the past 2 weeks. After an hour plus of prying the pod babies from the stringy hands of the mother, I enjoyed a beautiful bowl of juicy, crunchy, sweet jackfruit. It was completely satisfying; I was genuinely happy.

 

Jackfruit served as my breakfast for two days straight until I learned that jackfruit, in large amounts, was not recommended for pregnant women due to its laxative properties and high Vitamin A content, which combined with a multi, could lead to overdose. So I decided to turn the jackfruit from breakfast into a small treat and found other meals, such as chia pudding and fruit, to serve as my breakfast.

Another thing I’ve been craving is kombucha. During the first trimester, I could barely take the taste of the local kombucha I had been purchasing on a weekly basis. My taste buds were extremely sensitive to the tart flavor and so I had to quit my habit until my appetite and taste buds returned to normal.

On Saturday, while visiting a local brewery with my husband, I stopped by my local kombucha brewer, MTO Kombucha, for a taste of one of their flavors on tap. I was a bit scared to taste it in fear that it would send my taste buds into a fit, but thakfully I loved it! I purchased a growler of Hops flavored booch to bring home, and I’ve been drinking an 8 ounce glass every morning to boost my energy and get my morning started! I heart kombucha and so does my tummy!

Oh, here's my favorite chia pudding recipe from this week...

Blueberry Muffin Chia Pudding

• 3 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tbsp of maple syrup (or more to taste)
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut
• Cacao nibs and/or almond slices, to top

1. In a small jar, combine the chia seeds and almond milk and stir well. Allow to sit in teh fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, or before eating, add the vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon. Stir well to combine.
3. Top with blueberries, coconut, almond slices and whatever else you like!
4. Enjoy!

Lunch – The kale salad kick has sort of left too. I’m still addicted to tahini dressings and olives, but I’ve been adding them to fresh, leafy salads and zucchini noodles as opposed to kale. Nothing has changed though. Every meal is still loaded with creamy, lemony, garlicky, briney goodness. J

Dinner – I haven’t been doing very well with dinner this week. Every evening has been mostly me snacking on celery and nut butter, fruit, rice or cabbage. Not very healthy I know…but it was one of those weeks.

Snacks – I’m still munching on Peeled Snacks trail mix with chocolate and I have sort of an addiction to So Delicious ice cream, especially the Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl! Soooo good! Other snacks include celery or apples with nut butter, dates, veggies and hummus, and fruit!

My Exercise Routine

Still biking and walking! I’m planning a few yoga routines this week to get some stretching in. The most difficult part has been finding a time in my busy schedule to workout. I’m so busy from the time I wake up to the time my daughter goes to bed that my usual workout time around 7pm or so is now my “rest and get ready for bed” time. My body is just exhausted. However, I have made a commitment to work out once every day no matter what. Short walks, bike, yoga, whatever, I just need to get this body moving..even if it is for only 10 minutes!

My Pregnancy

The post everyone has been waiting for!

Let’s start with those crazy symptoms shall we? This week I have noticed a serious change in my emotional state. While I am a pretty happy, carefree person most of the day, I can become very emotional, clingy and extremely needy in the afternoons. I cry…a lot… and I feel the need to have my husband’s full attention from the time he gets home to the time I fall asleep.

I’m not sure why I turn into this crazy, dramatic being come the evening times but it’s causing a lot of stress on me and my husband. He’s confused because all of sudden I’ve gone from independent to high maintenance and I’m confused because I’m afraid I’m hitting some sort of depression mode. Thankfully, last night I finally realized that I need to get a hold of my emotions and start communicating, through words, how I feel and what I want. I can’t expect him to understand something I don’t even understand.  I’ve also decided to start adding meditation back into my routine. Hopefully that’ll help me not only gain control of my emotions, but also help me sleep better at night.

Besides the emo issues, everything has been going well. I do have some common symptoms such as pregnancy insomnia, body aches and an increased appetite with a decreasing size in my stomach. The last symptom is the least fun as a foodie. My eyes and plate are always a lot larger than my stomach.

 

This week I also grew...a lot! I literally woke up with a belly that was not only larger, but higher as well! This has resulted in more movement that I can feel even when standing! I used to only be able to feel the baby move when sitting, but now I feel it move all the time! Of course, the emo side of me freaks out when baby moves a lot one day and not the next. One day when I was on a paranoid high, I found this and decided to save it and keep it with me at all times! A little reminder that everything is okay J

 

Now for the reveal! On Monday I visited the high-risk doctor for my 18 week cervical check up AND to ask for confirmation on the sex of the baby. After hearing everything was looking perfect and normal, the nurse moved forward with confirming that our baby is……

 

 

Image From: https://www.freemanhealth.com/EGreeting/CardDetails.aspx/?id=14&sid=1&cardid=1

 

Yep! We are having another little princess! Clearly God thinks we need more females to rule the world! I do not disagree J

 

As an announcement I decided to crop a portion of this hilarious video of a baby reveal gone wrong. It has been a joke since the beginning of our pregnancy that my husband’s reaction would be very similar to this little boy’s since my husband wanted a boy super bad. While not exactly the sex we were hoping for, both my husband and I are extremely thrilled and truly blessed no matter what. We’re just happy to be having a baby! As for my daughter, well, she screamed in glee!

After revealing the sex, my nurse tried her best to get some sort of pretty profile pic of my daughter. Unfortunately, the little booger would not cooperate. Instead she hid behind the placenta and gave us this…can you spot the baby!??

Overall, it has been another successful week. While I’m still working hard to adjust to the every day changes of pregnancy, all in all, I’m happy and healthy. My baby is looking healthy and growing beautifully. I couldn’t ask for anything else.

Now to search for a male puppy for my husband…he’s going to need it to counter the rising estrogen levels in this home! Hehe!

See you next week!

Beth

From Food to Babies? A Special Announcement + A New Subject for the Blog

Hi!

So….how are you!? I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked but trust me when I say I have a very good reason why…and this time I truly do.

For the past 16 weeks my body has been adjusting to some major changes thanks to this little bundle called a baby. The journey has been both a blessing and a curse, but I am very happy to say that things have finally calmed down and I am now in the blissful stages of pregnancy. I am once again energetic, happy and best of all, able to eat.

With time permitting, my goal is to blog about my journey through pregnancy and motherhood as the health and environmentally conscience individual that I am. Building and raising a baby requires a lot of health and diet related decisions, which I hope you can help me with! It’s been 8 years since I was last pregnant and my ideals about food, health, etc. has completely changed making this feel like a whole new experience for me and my family. I also want to document this experience in hopes that it helps other like minded moms out there relate. After all, there’s nothing more comforting than knowing you’re not alone.

So to begin, I think it’s only best to back track on the last 15 weeks of my life as a newly pregnant momma. It’s an interesting story that should NOT go untold.

Discovery

Before my missed cycle, before I even took a stick test, I knew something was “wrong” with my body. I could tell my hormones were off by the random changes my body was going through. I guess learning to tune in and listen to my body finally paid off. The first thing I noticed was a sudden flare up of back acne. Random, large zits would pop up daily on my back and wouldn’t go away. At first I thought it was a reaction to the new shampoo I was using, but even after not using it for a week, the acne continued. (Keep in mind, my first pregnancy was symptom free from beginning to end.) That was sign number one.

The second thing I noticed was a swing in my emotions. Don’t get me wrong, as a woman and human being having emotional swings isn’t all that rare. It happens, but usually when I haven’t eaten right or during that time of the month; never mid-month when I’m usually my happiest self. In addition, I also noticed I became very annoyed with people being in my personal space. I couldn’t even take my daughter or husband being near my face, or in my bubble for a long period of time. It was sort of sad honestly because I felt like I was being mean and hateful. What happened to the happy, loving person I used to be?

After waiting a week after my missed period I finally took a test. My husband was convinced that my cycle was just off, but I knew that was not the case. Ever since I started my raw food journey, my cycle was on point every single month. It was so well scheduled I could plan trips around it without an issue. No way was it all of a sudden late. Of course, I was right. The test came out faintly positive. To be sure I took one more the following day and sure enough, we were having a baby!

It was a shock to us as this was totally unplanned, but we were no doubt happy and thrilled. Having lost two in 2013, and swearing we would never try again, we knew that this baby was a miracle from God.

Misery

The first few weeks of my pregnancy were quite a breeze. I had some sharp pains here and there, some cramping, along with tiny bouts of nausea, but nothing serious. I thought to myself, maybe this pregnancy will be just like my first: easy, breezy, and stress free. Haha, did I jinx that one.

All of a sudden, I was suffering from migraines that wouldn’t ease with water or sleep; severe nausea; strong food aversions; and eventually, severe vomiting. I could barely keep food or water down. My dreams of having a completely raw food pregnancy were toast. Instead, I was living off organic saltines, ice cubes, seltzer water and rice when I could manage it. My multi-vitamins weren’t staying down either, leading me to panic about the health of my baby. No vitamins, no healthy foods and little water….what kind of damage is this going to cause? As much as I wanted to take care of this little human inside of me, all I focused on was taking care of me. Eat, drink, throw up, sleep, repeat – that was my routine for 7 weeks straight.

Scared

It the midst of all the pregnancy horror, one day I noticed the early signs of an oncoming cycle or for those who are pregnant, a miscarriage. It frightened me to tears and I immediately called my doctor for an early appointment. Having miscarried before, the situation was nerve wrecking and left me anxious to eventually see my baby. Thankfully, all was well; really well actually. However, to be safe, the doctor prescribed me prometrium and scheduled me an ultrasound for that same day.

Now, many of you who know me very, very well, know medications are off the books for me unless there is a desperate need for them. If you don’t know what prometrium is, it’s basically a boost of progesterone hormones in order to help keep the uterus functioning properly. I researched, read and debated about whether or not I should pick up my prescription for almost two weeks. Finally I decided my answer would be no. Even though it could potentially help, at the end of the day, I learned it wouldn't prevent a miscarriage and the side effects made it seem like life could possibly be even more miserable and stressful, which was NOT what I needed. I determined I would leave it the hands of fate, or in my case, God. If this baby was meant to stay, then it will.

The ultrasound that day went perfect. Even though I was a complete mess, I finally got to see the reason why I was going through so much fuss. My little cocoon was doing just fine, measuring at 7 weeks, 1 day (weirdly almost 2 weeks prior to what I predicted), with a heartbeat of 136. Seeing him/her put my mind at ease, at least for the time being, and thankfully, all was well.

7 Weeks, 1 Day

Becoming High Risk

At my next appointment, aka my regularly scheduled “first” appointment, my doctor expressed her concerns about the shape of my uterus which she examined from the ultrasound scans. Instead of being the typical oval shaped that it should be, mine showed to be somewhat heart shaped or medically speaking, bicornuate. If this is your first time hearing about such an anomaly you’re reaction is probably similar to what mine was – “Cool. Okay. And?”.  Apparently, having such a unique shaped baby cave can actually put you at high risk. How?

A bicornuate uterus means that I have, what they like to call, two horns or two cavities as opposed to one: a right and a left. The baby settles into one side and happily grows. However, depending on the length of the “septum” in between the two cavities, the baby’s growth could be stunted. I could miscarry, go into preterm labor, or worse.

Now, let me reiterate just one more time how beautiful my first pregnancy went. No symptoms; easy labor; and THIS never came up. Never. And I was born with it! I never had an issue with it during my pregnancy so why should I now, right? I guess for once I’d like to curse the advancement of technology and its ability to now see a more accurate viewing of my screwed up baby cave. If it wasn’t for it, I wouldn’t be in this high risk situation. Of course, I’m sure miscarrying twice has something to do with it too and well, all complaining aside, it’s been a blessing. An expensive blessing, but a blessing. I do get to see my baby every 2 weeks!

My doctor sent me to the Maternal Fetal Associates of the Mid-Atlantic, a place that services high-risk patients, and where almost all pregnant women go for their First Trimester Screening, for a more thorough screening of my uterus to determine if the bicornuate diagnosis was accurate. Although difficult to see, the doctor stated that the diagnosis seemed accurate and asked me to come back every 2 weeks to keep an eye on everything and for my First Trimester Screening. My reaction, of course, was yippee, I get to see my baby every two weeks! What a way to keep my mind at ease! Being high-risk wasn’t so bad after all.

10 Weeks, 2 Days

The Benefits of Eating Raw Vegan

Even though I wasn’t doing so well with my diet, my body was still in amazing shape. The proof? The results of my blood work showed everything was doing fine. I was healthy, and, wait for it, NOT ANEMIC! Now anemia, especially among pregnant women, seems to be a major issue. Prior to becoming vegan and during my first pregnancy, I was anemic and prescribed those gosh awful iron pills to supplement. Ever since then I haven’t had my blood analyzed and therefore, never knew how my iron levels were...until now! Apparently I’m doing great! THANK YOU HEALTHY DIET and thank you greens!

Sorry, I had to boast a bit J

14 Weeks Baby Bump: 10% Baby, 90% fat and water retention!

 

First Trimester Screening

Nothing is more nerve wrecking than waiting for the results of these pregnancy tests and screenings. As a mother, all I wish is for a healthy baby, but when there’s a test that can determine otherwise, well, I worry.

The First Trimester Test is composed of two different tests: a blood test and a screening of the baby’s neural tubes. The blood test was easy, yet painful. Having lacked in fluids that day, drawing blood from my middle finger became a serious task for the nurse. All she needed was 5 drops and my finger was giving her nothing. Eventually she got what she needed, but in turn I got a seriously bruised middle finger that lasted a week. As for the screening, that I enjoyed because I was able to see my baby move in the process. At that time, s/he was measuring at 12 weeks, 3 days, exactly on point, with a heartbeat of around 160.

After about a week or so the result of my screening came in and everything looked great.  I could finally relax for a bit and finally go back to living my pregnant life semi-normally.

12 Weeks, 3 Days

The Present

Since my First Trimester Screening, I have had one other ultrasound, which again, showed that everything was doing great. The baby is growing exactly on point and so far, everything with me is also looking good. The only small concern they had was that my placenta was lying low towards my cervix, but apparently that’s normal early in the pregnancy. Whew.

To date I am 16 weeks along. The vomiting has significantly subsided and I am once again enjoying foods of all varieties. I am not 100% raw, but I do eat a lot of raw foods. I have gone from worrying about eating in general to now worrying about the safety of what I am consuming. From herbal teas, to protein powders, to even chocolate, everything seems to have a safety concern when it comes to being pregnant. In my future posts I’ll be addressing these concerns along with updates on my pregnancy.

 

14 Weeks, 1 Day

Well, I hope you’re as excited as I am to start this journey. As I expressed before, this is all pretty new to me, and I am going to need all the help I can get! I was never cautious about what I consumed or what activities I did with my first pregnancy. This go around, it’s all about making sure that I’m healthy and fit, because a healthy momma means a healthy baby!

So I want to know, what’s your go to snack!? I need ideas!

Beth

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 3: Raw Caprese Tapas

I think Christmas Fever officially hit me this morning. I pulled out the Christmas CDs and I have been belting out songs like no one’s listening...because no one is listening! Don’t want to damage any ears :) 

With the Christmas Fever comes the anxiety. What to buy, what to cook, which cookies to make out of the list of 1,000,000, and worse, what if I gain weight? This time of year can mean overindulgence but proper planning and a routine workout can save you from holiday bloat and the continuous need for a New Year resolution solely focused on weight loss. Keep up with your healthy habits and come January 1^st you’ll be glowing with pride knowing you made it past the holiday’s bloat free. As for your resolution, it can finally be one that doesn’t involve fasting or excessive exercise.

Need a healthy quick start? Participate in Brad’s Challenge in December and you’ll be all prepped for healthy eating greatness!

So who’s ready for Day 3? It’s gorgeous outside and I’m feeling energized!

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Yummy a warm lemon tea!!

Juice +16 oz water

Almost forgot to post my juice! Another wonderful recipe by Sunwarrior and another keeper!

Celery Citrus Cooler

by Sunwarrior

Makes 8 oz

•  2 stalks of celery
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 apple
• 1 large handful of parsley
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

Breakfast + 16 oz water

I saw this smoothie on Simple Green Smoothie’s site the other day and it immediately made my mouth water. The combination of beets, berries, fruits and almond milk made me think awesome pink milkshake that needed to be made asap. And so I did. I, of course, switched out the non-raw for raw ingredients and added 1 Tbsp of cacao since it tasted a tad too sweet for me. 

Overall delicious. The texture may throw some people off since it is a tad gritty and crunchy due to the pear, beets and berries seeds. I’m okay with texture as long as it tastes fabulous and this one definitely did!

Berry Beet Smoothie

Adapted from Simple Green Smoothies

Makes 16 ounces

• 1 handful of bok choy
• ½ cup raw almond milk
• ½ cup water
• ½ large ripe pear
• ½ banana
• ¼ cup frozen berries
• 1 heaping ¼ cup of raw shredded beets
• 1 Tbsp of raw almond butter
• 1 Tbsp of cacao (optional)

Blend, sip and enjoy!

Late Lunch + 16 oz water

This flavorful raw caprese tapas is inspired by Sunwarrior’s Warrior Way Challenge caprese salad as part of this week’s menu. The cheese is made from a blend of soaked sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon juice and salt. I thinly sliced a kohlrabi to serve as my “bread” and topped the cheese off with a simple salsa made with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper and tiny splash of balsamic. I topped each tapa with a sprinkle of green onions for a flavor boost.

The kohlrabi and salsa is both fresh and crisp while the cheese is fragrant, robust and creamy. A wonderful light dinner! Not sure if this can count as a “pauper” dinner do you? I mean light yes, but the dish is rich in flavor!

Raw Caprese Tapas

Adapted from Sunwarrior

Makes 1-2 servings

Raw Sunflower Cheese

• 1 cup sunflower seeds soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• ½ lemon juiced (about 1-2 Tbsp)
• 1-2 Tbsp of cold-pressed olive oil
• ½ Tbsp raw honey or agave
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Blend in a high-speed blender til creamy and smooth.

Tomato Basil Salsa

• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (preferably cherry or grape)
• 2-3 leaves of basil, sliced
• 1 tsp of cold-pressed olive oil
• Splash of balsamic
• Salt and pepper

1. Toss all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

To assemble:

• 1 small kohlrabi, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 green onion, sliced

1. Spread about 1-2 tsp of cheese onto one slice of kohlrabi.
2. Top with 1 tbsp of salsa.
3. Sprinkle with green onions
4. Serve immediately.

Dessert +16 oz water

I have been waiting 3 days to cut into this dessert! I finally made Healthy. Happy. Life. Blogger Kathy’s Raw Chocolate Almond Butter Cup Pie and am I GLAD I did! As you may know, I’m a nut butter addict. Add chocolate and I am in trouble. BIG trouble. Like a whole jar of Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter in 3 days trouble. So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. I knew it would be perfection on a platter and mmmm is it! Chocolaty nutty buttery goodness with a blend of sweet and salty that will make any woman swoon. One bite and I literally leaped. It was foodgasmic. 

Here is the recipe. I quartered the recipe to fit into my mini pie pan which also required a few adjustments in order to get the consistency and flavor down for the chocolate layer. I have no doubt that if the recipe is used as is that it will be perfect. I always have to be difficult J Maybe that’s because I know if I make an entire pie of this I would eat the entire pie which is no good for my figure haha!

Now time to go meditate that pie off :)

*Beth*

Skinny Pasta- Simple and Delicious!

Sometimes you just want a great big bowl of pasta.    With bikini season right around the corner, do you exercise portion control and eat half serving?  Do you ignore your craving and have another salad?  Or . . . do you try shirataki pasta?  Shirataki has a firmer texture than wheat based pastas.  It also has a strong odor that requires the pasta to be rinsed before using.  But if you can create a recipe that works with shirataki’s unusual texture and flavor, you may just be able to have keep your figure and eat pasta too!

For this dish we started at the local farmer's market, where we found asparagus and mushrooms fresh from the garden.  We sauteed these with onions and garlic, and then infused the whole dish with a rich sauce made with miso and sherry.  Top it off with a bit of fresh rosemary and thyme and you have a dish that will keep your taste buds happy (and your waste-line slim!) 

Shirataki Pasta with Seared Asparagus

Serves: 2

Shirataki Pasta with Seared Asparagus, Mushrooms, Rosemary and Thyme

Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup Sherry

·      1 ½ tablespoons Miso

·      1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

·      1 tablespoon Agave

·      1 package shirataki noodles, such as Nasoya

·      ½ onion, julienned in ¼ in slices

·      ½ pound asparagus (~12 spears), ends snapped off, cut along bias in 2 inch pieces

·      6 oz button mushrooms (~12 small to medium), ¼ inch slices

·      2 large cloves garlic, very thin slices

·      1 sprig rosemary, removed from stalk, chopped finely

·      1 sprig thyme Leaves, removed from stalk, chopped finely (plus extra for garnish)

Sauteed Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms

Method:

1. Blend miso, olive oil, sherry, lemon, agave in blender 
2. Rinse shirataki multiple times then place in pot of boiling water 
3. In 12 inch skillet, either spray with pam or coat with oil and heat to medium-low, add onion and sautee until starting to brown (about 7 minutes) 
4. Add garlic, turn heat to low and cook until garlic just starting to brown (about 3 minutes, be careful not to burn garlic!) 
5. Add mushrooms, cook until juice from mushrooms has been released into pan and then cooked out so that pan is again dry (about 5-8 minutes)
6.  Drain water from shirataki and allow noodles to cook on low heat to boil off remaining water 
7. Push mushrooms and onions to side of pan, add asparagus.  Turn heat to medium high and cook for 4 minutes, without stirring, until underside browns
8. Add shirataki and blended miso mixture, cook until miso mixture darkens and reduces
   

   

   Nutrition Facts (Recipe yields 2 bowls):
   Shirataki Pasta with Seared Asparagus

  ~Grace