Eat ALL the food.

OK guys, Crystal here. I talked in a blog post about Insulite Labs and what they recommend as far as nutrition goes to alleviate PCOS symptoms. They recommend a high quality protein, good fats, lots of green veggies, low GI fruits, and lots of water kind of diet. I highly recommend learning about insulin resistance and why it is important to eat this way if you have this problem. A basic rundown is that if you are eating lots of sugars and carbs, and you are insulin resistant, your body is not properly utilizing glucose and therefore it is getting stored as fat causing you to gain weight. This is why it is important to back away (very slowly!) from the treat counter and grab a boiled egg instead. ;)

So I thought I'd list out the foods they suggested.

High quality Proteins: free range poultry (grass fed), free reange beef (reccommended only 2x per week), Fresh seafood (such as wild caught salmon, catfish, seabass, shrimp, crab, haddock, tilapia, trout), Omega-3 Eggs,  Game, veggie burgers (watch the ingredients though), lean pork (2x per week), nuts, and a good quality protein powder. It is also okay to have greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, and other cheeses but use in moderation.

Carbs (they reccommend trying to get down to only having 1-2 a day until your body is able to stabilize): 100% whole wheat breads and high fiber crackers. The fewer ingredients it has, the better.

Good fats: Avocado/oil, nuts, olives/oil, nut butters

Fruits (try to limit 2 a day): apples, berries, citrus fruits, kiwi, pears, apricots, cantaloupe, nectarines, peaches

Veggies (as much as you like!): asparagus, bell peppers (any color), brussel sprouts, celery, cilantro, greens (chard, kale, etc), mushrooms, onions, peas, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, parsley, spinach, zucchini
*you can have potatoes, carrots, yams, corn, and squash but try for only once or twice a week

Can you feel your body screaming at you to eat ALL that food? Mine sure is.

Something they suggested that I really appreciate is to NOT COUNT CALORIES. Yep. Thats right! Wahoo for me! I find it annoying. It is a good idea to write down what foods you are eating and how much, just to keep a journal to look back on if you start having issues, but counting calories doesn't matter quite as much as the quality of good food you are eating combined with consistent workouts.

Once again I will emphasize these changes should happen slowly! Mostly I need to remind that to myself. I don't have to be eating like that by tomorrow. I'll just try to be more conscious and switch some of my carbs out for veggies. Yes, good plan.

I promise I will try to post some of my food recipes on here. But it may be in spurts similar to times like this where I decide to write 3 blog posts in one night.

Breakfast of Champions

Before I got married, I wasn't really a breakfast person. Not because I don't love to eat, but because I love sleep more. If giving up breakfast meant I could sleep for fifteen more minutes, that was something I was willing to do. Yes, I am well aware of every single news story, blog, or comment about breakfast being the most important meal of the day. I get it. I just want sleep more.

Chris changed that about me. He insists that I eat breakfast - what a great man! He insists so much, that he will make it for me every single work morning. I am often in the bathroom, finishing getting ready, when he yells, "Breakfast is ready!" And patiently waits for me to come eat with him. It has become my favorite part of the morning - especially weekday mornings when we both have work. That five, ten, fifteen minutes of quiet time, sets my mood for the day. Especially because we always say a blessing on our food and our day.

Eating healthy is so hard. I think the hardest part is the fact that you have to do it again the next day, and the next, and the next. Didn't I get enough vegetables yesterday? What do you mean I have to start all over again?! Hard. It makes frozen dinners and packaged food really appealing. But that's not healthy.

This is what I did. [I pre-made breakfast]. Just for one day. Just to see what it would be like. Guess what? It really wasn't too bad! A lot better than having cold cereal, or not eating anything at all.

I have been only eating whole wheat bread. Not the healthiest, but also, not the worst. With it, I made french toast.
1 egg
1/4 cup almond milk
Cinnamon
Scramble, dip the bread in, and cook in a frying pan. I also made a fried egg. Protein, right? Instead of having syrup with my french toast, I had Greek Yogurt, blueberries, and strawberries. I made two pieces of french toast, and fried two eggs, and had one each one morning, and the others the next. Not bad. And so easy. I haven't tried reheating after more than one day, however, I think I may soon. I need to be creative these next couple of weeks, since we are traveling a lot. Saturdays are usually my prep days (as well as my cleaning days!).

Any tips on how to have a quick, but healthy breakfast?