Day 1

I ate kale.

1 point.

Not only did I eat kale, but when I went to buy the kale, I parked a million miles away from the store, which was actually not that smart because it is 40 below outside, so I'm not sure how healthy it was to give myself hypothermia.

And an extra point for parking in the employee lot and braving the wind chill.

But seriously, here was my supper:  steamed kale with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, and brown rice with bell pepper.

You want to know the crazy part?  It was DELICIOUS!

I'm not even lying.

I was in such a healthy mood that I even bought my dogs that healthy dogfood without the crap in it.  Right now they are glaring at me, but I don't care.  My two year old daughter just ate kale.  Small victories, right?

Happy Friday!

What's the Plan?

How can I make my body a more efficient temple?

I need some steps right?  Some goals?  A plan?

Here's what I'm going to try to do:

1.  Stop eating poison.  Stop willingly, willfully consuming things that make me ill.  This includes white sugar and highly processed foods that are actually mysterious simulations of food.  (Jeanette gave me the helpful hint of avoiding foods with more than five ingredients in them.) 

2.  Take 5 minutes each day to stand outside and breathe.  Nothing else.  Just breathe.  Doesn't sound difficult does it?  Guess how many days go by where I can't pull it off?

3.  Walk the dogs more.

4.  Eat more greens.

5.  Drink lots and lots of water.  Start and end my day with water.

6.  Stop eating for the day by 6 p.m.

7.  Examine the relationship between food and emotions.  It's a mysterious and complicated marriage.

I will add more goals later.  But for now, this is the plan.  What do you think?

End of Health Nut Challenge

Well, I don't know how else to say it.  I am not a health nut.

I have exceeded my allotted demerits and I have failed at the health nut challenge.

So, my punishment, is to repeat the health nut challenge.

But, I'm going to make a few changes, in order to set myself up for success.  No more demerits.  Instead, I'm going to create a points system.  If I make it to 100 points in 30 days, I get a super awesome prize.  (I don't know what that is yet; I'm open to suggestions.)  Next, I'm changing the name.  Obviously, on some subconscious level, I don't want to be a health nut.  So, this one's called the "my body's a temple" challenge.

I should never have started the first health challenge without Jeanette (my health coach).  Now that I have her, the challenge should be far more interesting (for both you and me).

So, cross your fingers for me, or say a prayer, or throw some salt somewhere, or whatever it is all the kids are doing these days... I start the new health challenge tomorrow, and I'll be in the health challenge when I travel across the country for Christmas.  Oh dear Lord, what have I done?

I welcome your suggestions for my final prize and I welcome your suggestions for daily challenges that I can complete to earn points.  Thanks for reading.

Facebook Fantasy Games Cost More than Time

Here's a scary article:  Visit MSNBC.  Warning, if you are a Farmville lover, you might not want to do this . . .

Slowly ...

Check out this great blog post from the New York Times.

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

I have figured out how to get kids to eat vegetables.  I should write a book and become rich and famous.  I could call it "How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables."  Maybe I could be on Oprah.  On the new Oprah Channel.

Anyway, you're dying to know, right?  How did I get my two year old daughter to love spinach? 

Step 1:  Without her knowledge, fill the blender with fresh spinach and about a cup of water and blend it.

Step 2:  Invite her into the kitchen.

Step 3:  Place the container of Hersey's Cocoa Powder in her sight.  (Imperative that it be Hersey's or some other chocolate logo that she'll recognize.) 

Step 4:  Ask her what else she would like to put in the blender to make her "Chocolate Shake."  (So far, she has always pointed to the Hersey's Powder.  Make sure there are no Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in sight.)

Step 5:  Let her see you, or have her help you, add one heaping teaspoon to the concoction, two bananas and about a cup of frozen blueberries.

Step 6:  Blend.  Act excited about the "Chocolate Shake."

Step 7:  Put it in a cool plastic cup with Curious George on it (or Shrek, or Thomas the Train) and insert straw.

Step 8:  You have to drink it yourself and act like it's the most delicious thing in the world.

Right now I am enjoying my "Chocolate Shake" and watching my daughter gulp down liquified spinach.

Sigh.  I am an awesome mother.

Day 20-25

So sorry to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Here's what's new.

Jeanette, my new health coach, is amazing.  First of all, she is patient, kind and nonjudgemental.  You know, she's like, human.  Second of all, she is wicked smart!  I am fortunate in that I have a primary care physician who listens to me and acts like she cares about her patients, but as Jeanette was sharing her seemingly boundless body of knowledge with me, I couldn't help but think that she sounded more knowledgeable than most doctors I've talked to in my life.  I thought I knew a lot about nutrition, but this woman, is well, let's just say I don't know anything.  I'm glad I have her to teach me.

So, we chatted for about an hour, which was my "free health consultation."  Then she wrote me up a plan, which included my issues, concerns and challenges, and then she gave me three, hang on, I've got to go see what word she used again, oh here it is, "experiments" to try.  Not rules, but experiments. 

Anyway, I don't want to say too much, because she makes a living off her brilliance, so I don't want to give it all away, but I highly recommend anyone to get a consultation.  She's amazing.

Maybe we should continue this challenge for another 30 days.  Maybe that should be my consequence for exceeding my allotted demerits.

Oh, and by the way, in the past five days, I have behaved very well, but have definitely done several bad things, including the time when I was bound and gagged and dragged to Burger King and forced to eat some french fries.  And the time my awesome friend Lisa gave me a loaf of perfect banana bread, which I consumed in one day.  So,

5 more demerits.

I am going to go make another spinach smoothie.  Oh, and here's one awesome tidbit that I hope Jeanette won't mind me sharing.  She said I could put a little bit of cocoa powder into my smoothie and guess what?  Pretty delicious!  (You know, in a it's-still-blended-spinach sort of way.)