Carnivorous Husband Health Challenge and My Gym Challenge Day 1

Hello Readers!  It has been way too long since I have posted!  I realized I was on day 3 of week 5 of my 6-week Eat to Live health challenge the last time I posted, and for those of you who have been following.... To sum it up: I cheated and let things slip, I tried my best to stick with it, but then certain events came up including my birthday, having house (apartment*) guests stay for nearly a week, having a large basketball tournament downtown and eating on the go, eating out often with friends and family, and then a trip to the other side of the state for 4th of July weekend and staying with the in-laws. Id like to think that I made the best choices I could in the situations I was in, but those choices ended up becoming further and further away from the Nutritarian lifestyle.  This is sad for me to admit, but we all have mistakes and setbacks and this was one of mine.  What do you tell yourself when you fall off the wagon?

In other news.... I have some pretty crazy news that I never thought I would ever hear: my very meat and potatoes carnivorous husband is going to try the Nutritarian diet.... For one week.... With a catch.... I will have to do everything he says at the gym for the week.  The reason this "deal" came about was when we had gone to our small apartment gym yesterday after not having worked out since all of the commotion that led me off of my 6-week challenge. I wanted to go because I was needing to read a bunch of blog emails and was going to power walk on the treadmill while I did. I thought I was being quite productive since I would normally sit my lazy booty in the back porch and do the same thing. Kevin, who went hard on the stationary bike, told me that when I go to the gym I should be dripping in sweat and pushing myself to work hard and improve. That is all fine and dandy, but not something I would normally do. 

Later on that evening Kevin decided to make me a deal: he would eat however I wanted him to for a week as long as I would do whatever he said at the gym for a week.  One week of hard working out to get my husband to seriously try eating Nutritarian?  IM IN!  So this is what brings me back to blogging after my shame of not completing my 6-week challenge: documenting my husbands first tracks in Nutritarian shoes!

We started all of this today, and I have to say that it didnt go half bad. Here is how Kevin (and I) ate today:

Breakfast: Dr. Fuhrman Antioxidant Rich Breakfast Bar (find the recipe in Dr. Fuhrmans Member Center), 1 apple

Lunch: large romaine (me, spinach) salad with broccoli, cucumber, chickpeas and OMG Walnut Dressing (recipe from My Beef With Meat), 1 apple

Dinner: corn on the cob, Broccoli Mushroom Bisque (recipe in the Dr. Fuhrman Member Center), Better-Milk Biscuits (My Beef With Meat), sugar snap peas, and blackberries

Overall, Kevin was a great sport other than thinking the soup was way too bland, but he liked it with the biscuits I made. He said this was so much more food than he was used to eating (volume-wise), but that he liked the fruit. He was disappointed that today happened to be Free Slurpee Day and he wasnt allowed to have one. As for my hard work out, I was definitely sweating much more than I am used to at the gym, but feel energized and ready to go for tomorrow. 

Im looking forward to the rest of the week and taking on new challenges at the gym and in the kitchen. My husband will not be the easiest person to cater for while eating Nutritarian, but I will make it work, and hopefully he has a longer list of vegetables and Nutritarian dishes that he likes by the end of the week.

Do you have any recipes you would suggest for a meat and potato guy going Nutritarian?  He loves broccoli, romaine lettuce, and cucumbers.... But not too many other veggies. 

Oh, and here are some fun pictures from our shenanigans over the last few weeks since I have posted:

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Health Benefits From Weight Lifting For Men and Women

There are plenty of health benefits that come from picking up weight which both men and women can benefit from. If you would like to improve on your musculature system then try doing resistance exercises. Studies show that the musculature system is improved by that type of exercise in both men and women. When you do strength exercises and training, also known as free weights then youll be surprised as to all the benefits that youll get from the training.

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Your neck muscles, back, shoulder, abs and your hips all influence the way you stand and the way that you sit. When you have strong muscles then your posture will improve and you will be able to stand and sit up comfortably. It improves your stability and your balance. If you are having problems with balancing your body as you stand or sit then you will greatly benefit from weight lifting.

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The bodys muscles start growing when you weight lift. Muscle mass is made up of more dense and not fat and this will help your body with looking thinner plus you will also look leaner. Your metabolism will get a boost as you exercise and do weight lifting which will help with burning up calories and that helps you with weight loss. After you start having a routine with weight lifting then youll begin to notice that your waist is decreasing and that overall, you are feeling much better. It also improves your self esteem.

Never weight lift alone and more so if you are just beginning. Work with a trainer that is experienced in this area. If you dont know of anyone that can help you then visit the gym and see if they have someone that can help and explain to them your situation. Make sure that you also drink plenty of water whenever you are lifting weight. Before starting any type of health program or weight lifting program always check with your doctor and clear it with your doctor first.

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General Health On For Weight Loss Proper Diet Programs

Weight problems has become being known as a crisis within the health community. Actually, itll soon function as the leading reason for avoidable dying within the United States, even in front of smoking cigarettes. Weight problems results in type two diabetes, high bloodstream pressure, cardiovascular disease or stroke as well as an elevated chance of cancer. Wonderful these health problems, along with the general improvement in the standard of existence that may occur, slimming down is among the best things that can be done on your own. Regardless of what we wish to believe, there simply is not a miracle means to fix slimming down.

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Weight Loss Diet Plan Health Food Delivery Services

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Natural Weight Loss For Good Health and Well Currently being

Weight loss is becoming an unhealthy obsession handling body images, but in some circumstances can improve health and fitness. When weight loss is a result of eating healthy, exercising as well as/or taking natural weight loss supplements in contrast to synthetic prescription drugs with the risk of damaging side effects, weight loss can be effective, rewarding, and significantly improve overall health.
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Emotional issues always accompany change, especially changes in our bodies e.G. natural weight loss. Weight loss affects our perception body image, the sense of identity i.e. exactly who am I?, and how we feel about ourselves in general. Weight loss also effects our social relationships in that there may be people in our house or social contacts that are psychologically invested in our remaining the similar i.e. overweight with all which it symbolizes e.g. friendliness, non-baleful, protective, jovial, helpful, etc. Beyond each of our physical health, it can be declared that "size matters" cognitively and emotionally to ourselves and others. Eating and food have come to symbolize being recognized, being cared for and comfort. Getting the support of others in our endeavours to naturally lose weight and regain our health is a huge advantage.
We have been "conditioned" to fear any kind associated with loss, including weight loss. Especially if what we may get rid of is something with which we establish i.e. use to tell all of us who we are.
The emotions of fear, anger, stress and anxiety and depression effect our weight. We often tend to "stuff our feelings" or numb these kind of emotional feelings or stress by gluttony. We may even overeat, thinking that will ease the physical discomfort caused aside excess weight e.g. physical pain, lack of sleep, and lack of energy caused through moderate depression. To improve our overall fitness and support us through the procedure for natural weight loss and the emotional dynamics around it, we can take advantage of natural sleep aids, natural depression relief and organic pain relief health care products.
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Our metabolisms primary task is to sustain our brains. We need healthy neurotransmitters to help us curb craving, rest depression, and deal with stress contributing to weight gain. Balancing our natural brain chemistry has a calming effect and allows us to help feel a sens of well being and security. There are many natural health maintenance systems to help balance brain chemistry, e.g. essential fatty acids, natural depression relief items, natural products to increase serotonin, plus more. When our brain feels well as well as safe, it is prone to change our metabolism from calorie saving to help calorie burning.
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Remember, the first objective, accomplished through natural weight loss, is to improve our physical as well as emotional health. This involves having a healthy digestive system, a healthy emotional system and a healthy nutritional system. We can build these healthy systems with natural vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, natural digestive support, pain relief aid, natural sleep aids, natural emotional and mood aids, essential fatty acids and many more beneficial natural health care products. We should concentrate on improving our general health, feeling good, and living well done natural weight loss, rather than constantly comparing ourselves for you to someone elses idea about appearance from a few magazine. Physical and emotional health is definitely primary. Appearance may be important to help us, but it is secondary. Done natural weight loss, we can live well and reside long.

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Husband Health Challenge Day 2

Day two for my husband, Kevins first week eating Nutritarian.... Went fairly well. We went to help with my churchs Last day of Vacation Bible School and we happily ate fruit for breakfast, but when lunch time came around and our church started to set up for a community BBQ, the tempting smells of fried and grilled meats started wafting towards Kevin. 

In his words: "This is just torturous!"  To my surprise, Kevin was the first to crack into the soup and biscuits I had packed for lunch and made the day before. He didnt even take time to heat up the soup, but it was actually pretty good chilled, so we went with it.  

Since Kevin had to work in the late afternoon and early evening, I was on my own for going to the gym today. Kevin wrote down what I was to do on a scratch pad, and apparently he wanted to torture me just as badly as he was tortured at the BBQ (in a good way). Here was my workout:

10-15 minutes of stretching

30 minutes on the stationary bike doing the fat burner setting

100 jumping jacks

10 minutes resting and stretching

30 minutes MORE on the stationary bike doing the strength building setting

80 calf raises

250 crunches (sets of 50)

10 minutes stretching

In the end I was sweaty and exhausted, but felt more energized for our evening out dancing with friends. My abs are sore from yesterday, but it is nice to feel the muscle building there. Now Im looking forward to what else he has in store for me for the rest of the week!

Here was our general meal plan for today:

Breakfast: bananas and apples

Lunch: chilled leftover broccoli mushroom bisque, veggies, fruit, baked beans, blackberries

Dinner: Mexican Quinoa (recipe below) and black beans in butter lettuce "tortillas", apple slices, fresh broccoli

Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients: 

1 small onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 fresh jalapeño, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1-15 oz can diced tomatoes

1-4 oz can diced green chiles

1 packet of taco seasoning

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed

Directions: 

1.  Sauté the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic until tender. 

2.  Placed the sautéed veggies and the rest of the ingredients (except the quinoa) into a high speed blender, and blend until smooth. Add enough water to bring the sauce up to 4 cups. 

3. In a large saucepan, stir together the rinsed quinoa and sauce.

4. Heat to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15-25  minutes, stirring every 5.  Take a taste to make sure the grain has cooked, and then remove it from heat and keep it covered for 5 more minutes. 

5. Serve with your favorite Mexican toppings and with or without taco shells (we used butter lettuce instead). 

Amys Notes:  This recipe makes a lot.... A LOT!  This is great for having leftovers or feeding a big crowd. I added 2 cans of black beans to my recipe, but feel free to have yours plain or with any type of bean you like. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried quinoa before?  What is your favorite way to eat it?

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