The end in sight...

Now that I did two months of gluten free diet since Jan, I'm absolutely positively sure that I can go on gluten free without food-journaling every day for the rest of the year. Now I don't want to eat gluten forever (not until my life depends on it), but let me take it in small mile stones. That way I get to celebrate each milestone, right? :)

I did a bit of yo-yo last year lured by gluten when I took a break from food-journaling. This time around, I seem to be well prepared. And ready. So,this is it! Does that mean the end of sight for this blog? Yes.

This blog has kept me on track towards a better and healthier life since 2008. I'm in much better health than I've ever been in the past 6-7 yrs. And I'm very thankful for that. It was not easy. There were plenty of tears, bouts of frustration, slips, learning to get back on my feet, small victories, musings and beautiful friendships. It was a great journey. Now I'm more than okay with the idea that I cannot eat gluten. I've accepted my pre-diabetic disposition and am mindful when I eat. I will continue to improvise my diet and work on my 'working out' every day and try to live healthier. Just no more writing down every single thing I ate for the day.

Friends who stopped by and would like to be in touch, you know where to reach me. (gmail: tabtomorrow)

Now I am moving on to other parts of my life that could use a bit of attention - some of my dreams that are waiting to become a reality.

Start by doing the necessary,
Then do the possible.
And suddenly...
You are doing the impossible.
- St.Francis of Assissi

What's in store for March

For the month of March, I'd like to

• Continue with January's gluten free diet - I'm loving it!
• Work more on February's Working out for 4 days a week habit - this time I'll stick to 20 mins a day and in a very moderate pace.
• Menu plan March - Will make a weekly menu plan and stick to it. After I did the grocery shopping on Monday, I did the meal plan right there while waiting for DH to pick me up on the way from DD's swimming class.

Weight on Jan 1rst - 137 lbs

Weight right now - 130 lbs (I'm thrilled that I can fit into two pair of pants that I bought in 2004! Yayyy! And I've been getting positive comments from people at work as well.)

February Recap

The neck pain is much better - The headaches have reduced in severity and frequency. Still there, but bearable!!

February - continued with the Gluten free! No longer feel the urge to eat wheat based stuff. Still doing a mostly brown rice based diet, but will slowly look for incorporating more of the other grains like Quinoa etc.
This month's new habit - working out for 4 days a week, didn't really work out well - Just 7 workouts for the whole month. But this was only because my knee and neck started acting up once I got into the routine.
February also was the month where I got diagnosed with upper crossed syndrome and also ended up in emergency after a bad headache induced pukefest (all started with my neck!). Plus there was a huge stress (good type of stress, but still I find that even good stress affects me badly) for two reasons and both ended up with me smiling.

I also won a GREAT product that I've been wanting for quite sometime now and wasn't ready to plonk the money for it yet as finances have been tight recently. This is just the gift for me!! :D I'm thrilled. (will add a link after official notice!)

So, Inspite of the emergency fiasco and the neck and knee pain and not able to workout, It was still a great month!

Mon, Feb 28th

Exercise: None
Breakfast: Green smoothie - spinach, apple, molasses, water, nuts
Snack: baby cut carrots
Lunch: brown rice + stirfried cauliflower + egg burji with tomatoes / onions/spices
Afternoon snack: fried yellow mung lentils
Dinner:

• brown rice
• black eyed peas with sweet potato curry in coconut based sauce YUM!!! (Imitated a mallu recipe that a colleague brought for lunch - his was made of erd cowpeas and pumpkin - Mine was almost there, maybe next time I'd get it just right.)
• Stir fried mushrooms

In retrospect:
GREAT Day! I won something that I've been wanting for quite sometime now and wasn't ready to plonk the money for it yet as finances have been tight recently. This is just the gift for me!! :D I'm thrilled.

Sun Feb 27th

Exercise: none.
Breakfast:

• Carrot juice - 1 cup
• Seasoned Brown rice noodles + mushrooms + saute`d shrimp

snack apples

Lunch: Brown rice, egg burji with tomatoes and onions, stirfried cauliflower

snack: coconut icecream (dairy free) + slivered almonds

Dinner steamed and mashed sweet potatoes with salt and pepper! YUM!!

In retrospect:
Good day! Fought the Laundry demons and won, atlast!

Saturday, Feb 26th

Sat's food chocies was based mainly on leftovers from Friday. GF yes! healthy - yes!

Friday Feb 25th

Breakfast: Smoothie - forgot what was in it.

Lunch: Yellow mung dal + Brown rice + Stirfried Opo squash

Afternoon snack: babycut carrots + GF crackers

Dinner brown rice + fish curry + stirfried shrimp = YUM!!

In retrospect: Good day! Tired but good!

Thurs Feb 24th

Exercise: None, taking a break because of my neck pain. will get there soon.

Breakfast: Spinach-Mango-chiameal-dates-molasses-water Smoothie. got to order protein powder.

Lunch: sprouted mung beans and yam curry + brown rice + baby cut carrots

Afternoon snack: deep fried lentils + GF crackers

Dinner Yellow mung dal + Brown rice + Stirfried Opo squash

In retrospect: I'm trying to avoid cooking on Fridays as I'm exhausted by Friday evening, so I made fish curry and shrimp stir fry for tomorrow's dinner. Can't wait. :)

Wednesday Feb 23rd

Exercise: None.

I don't think I'll introduce a new habit for March, will try the same working out 4-5 days a week - new habit for March as well as this month proved a bit of flop show due to all the stress. Good stress, but stress nonetheless!

Breakfast: Blueberry smoothie with walnuts, chia, molasses and water

Lunch: Greek style rice + pork souvlaki at the cafe.
I try to avoid pork, but that was the only thing I could get at the cafe that was gluten free.
Incase you are wondering, yes, the souvlaki tasted good!

Afternoon snack: Apple juice

Dinner: None. Tooooooooo exhausted. A long day for all 3 of us!
Made brown rice + there was tons of curry to eat it with. but just too tired and went to sleep without eating.

In retrospect:
Good day!

1. Learnt that it is possible for things to happen if only we asked.
2. Learnt about Orton Gillingham method of teaching - which is used specifically for kids with learning disability - Don't see any reason why this can't be used for kids who don't have the learning disability
3. Learnt that DH could be hypoglycemic as well
4. learnt that I need to take better care of my neck and watch my posture when I sleep and work. Not doing it right now and it hurts!!
   

Tuesday, Feb 22nd

Exercise: None
Breakfast: Smoothie - blueberries, chia meal, molasses, water
Lunch: Brown rice + sprouted green mung / yam (suran) kerala style curry + a few papad pieces
Afternoon snack: Almonds + GF crackers
Dinner: Brown rice + sprouted green mung/yam curry + oven roasted potatoes + lemon/mango ginger pickle
In retrospect: Good day! Finally ordered the mattress, will take a month to arrive!

Turbotax - Canada giveaway

Sustainable PF is giving away a copy of turbo Tax for Canadian taxpayers. I like this blog for all the cool sustainable tips they share.

I'm hoping to win this, ofcourse. Will be so handy to do my own taxes. It's been ages since I've done my own taxes. And after 5 yrs of a break in my career, I can't wait to do my own this time.

What an empowering feeling to be able to do my own taxes!

Monday, Feb 21rst

Exercise: None

Breakfast: Cold quinoa salad with garbanzo/red kidney beans

Lunch: At the Host - Lunch with friends

• Tandoori chicken
• white rice
• potato/capsicum dish
• cauliflower bajji / pakora
• goat curry
• lot of watermelon cubes
  

Dinner: Very queasy, uneasy feeling in the tummy. No, I did not overeat!
I ate about 1/4 cup of brown rice + Rasam

In retrospect:
Great day inspite of the tummy trouble!