Dirty Dozen and Estrogen Mimickers

"Dirty Dozen" foods to buy organic because of pesticide residue, and the safest foods to buy non-organic

12 Most Contaminated Peaches Apples Sweet Bell Peppers Celery Nectarines Strawberries Cherries Pears Grapes (Imported) Spinach Lettuce Potatoes   12 Least Contaminated Onions Avocado Sweet Corn (Frozen) Pineapples Mango Asparagus Sweet Peas (Frozen) Kiwi Fruit Bananas Cabbage Broccoli Papaya Xenoestrogens (estrogen mimicking foods/chemicals) Sodium Laureth Sulfate - shampoos, soaps, toothpastes bisphenol A - plastics, canned goods PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid - nonstick cookware) Propyl gallate - hair products, processed meat and potato products, chicken soup base, gum, baked goods Hexylresorcinol - anti dandruff shampoo, sunscreen, throat lozenges ourstolenfuture.org

The Joy of the Lord

Today when I was running, I experienced something that I haven't in a while - the joy of the Lord.  As I was listening to David Crowder, I suddenly had an incredible sense of joy.  Not necessarily the happy joy.  But the joy that goes deep.  I was able to worship and acknowledge who God is and what he has done.  I know that He is here and will always be, even if this dream I have doesn't come true the way that I want it.  This word "deep" has been on my mind lately.  When Jesus said, "I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full," if that word "full" could really mean "deep?" (John 10:10) I have always thought of that verse as Jesus promising a happy life, but today it struck me that maybe full doesn't mean happy, but deep.  There is a depth in suffering.  In Psalm 43 there is a phrase "as deep calls out to deep." I've been trying to find out what this really means.  Some say it is "the depth of my heart calls out to the depth of your (God's) heart," and others say it speaks of God's still small voice amidst the overwhelming suffering that He allows in our lives.  Whatever it means, I experienced, even if just for a few minutes, the presence of God, and and understanding of His sovereignty.  There is peace and healing in being able to praise the Lord in the midst of sufferings.

We have experienced these questions of life, this suffering these past several months as we struggle with not being able to get pregnant.  Jordan and I were married in 2009, and decided to go off birth control at the end of 2011, hoping that we could start a family.  2012 brought many things - moving into his parents house, me going to nursing school, and a time of questioning over Jordan's job and whether or not we were being called to stay at Fremont.  All in all, I think I had 4 periods in 2012.  I started finally tracking my symptoms around July, and found that I wasn't necessarily ovulating, since I was going anywhere from 40-100 days between periods.  This was also the time when we started getting a little more active in trying, not just not preventing. I did a little research, read some books, but didn't gain much insight about myself since things weren't working very well.

Many theories -

I am a little overweight, based on my BMI, and possibly losing 15 pounds could jumpstart my system.  In high school/college whenever I got down to the 140 range, my periods did seem to regulate themselves a little better.

Stress - always a factor they say in hormone balance.  I struggle with depression, which may be related to stress, or as my PCP calls it, adrenal fatigue.  Considered going on natural adrenal support vitamins from Standard Processes, but just didn't have the money to invest at that time in our lives.

PCOS - debunked when I had a vaginal ultrasound in July 2013 - no cysts on those ovaries.

I do not eat entirely organic or soy free.  I try as much as I can to eat whole foods, lots of fruits and veggies, but there is always a thought that maybe if I just got super strict on my food, that would help.

All in all, my OBGYN thought that I wasn't ovulating, so in June 2013, she started me on a prescription for Clomid 50mg.  This was after a 7dpo (based on a basal body temperature rise) test revealed that my Progesterone levels were far too low to guarantee that I was ovulating.  She wanted to put me on Metformin, which helps regulate diabetic patients and their sugar/insulin levels.  But I was concerned because I already suffer from low blood sugar at times, and this could have potentially made that worse.

Month 1 of Clomid was started during a cycle that began on July 19th.  Had a positive FSH on Aug 5, but started period Aug 20.  Round 2 of Clomid.  Had lots of side effects - major moments of unexplained rage, bloating, and breaking out.  Which may have also been casued by actual ovulation, since by body probably hadn't been ovulating at all after birth control pills.  Round 3 of Clomid.  Period on Oct 19th, and today starts round 4 of Clomid.  I have a doctor's appt on Nov 7th with my OBGYN to talk about whats next.

Things to be thankful for:  Clomid has regularized my schedule.  I now know that my schedules are about 30 days long, and I ovulate around day 16, and have a period 2 weeks later.  Pee sticks - would love to get another progesterone blood test to see if i'm actually ovulating, but for now, the guessing games are over as to when it would happen if it does happen.

Many questions going ahead - what is the next step?  will insurance cover the next step?  will i be seeing a specialist sometime soon?  what things are Jordan and I comfortable with, and what are we not?

Trying to remember that Jesus promises full life, not perfect and happy life.  Full life means sorrows and sufferings exist, but that He is with us.  He has sent his Spirit to give us peace.

Indian flavored Chicken and Veggie Soup

Ingredients

Carrots

Celery

Onion

Canned or frozen corn

Can of black beans

Can of garbanzos

Can of tomato sauce

Large can of diced tomatoes

4 cups hockey stock

Leftover diced or rotisserie chicken

Turmeric

Curry powder

Salt

Pepper

Directions

1. Chop and sauté carrots celery and onion

2. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, stir then add enough chicken stock to the desired consistency

3. Add corn and beans, and chicken if using 

4. Bring to boil then simmer

5. While simmering, add salt pepper curry powder and turmeric to taste (I used about 2 Tbsp curry powder and 1 Tbsp turmeric)

Cool and store in fridge or freezer

I need my glasses

I need my glasses

Nedwin 

Langston

Thompson

Carlen

Japhy 

Sims

Ainsworth

Ballard

Linwood

Zagg

Herb Garden March 26

Herb Garden March 26

Fashion Wish List

Fashion Wish List

Forever 21 $20

Forever 21 $33

Night shift - week 1 day 2

After the first night, I slept 5 hours from 8-1. I woke up on my own, then had a regular afternoon of biking, making dinner, etc. I rode my bike to work (took less than a half an hour from out the door to sitting down in report. Night two was a little more exhausting. By 4 or 5 I was at probably a 6/10. I slept from 8:00 til 1:30 then woke up from a deep sleep by my alarm. Now, at 6 pm, I'm still at about a 7/10. I'm loopy, messing up words, and generally out of it. Will sleep a full night hopefully.

Night Shift - Week 1 day 1

For night 1, I slept a normal night til 7:30 am, and took a nap between 1:45-4:45. I took a sleep aid, which was not a good idea because I was groggy for the next 3 hours. No caffeine and made it through the night just fine, only at 4 am did I get tired, about a 4/10. Good first night

Herb Garden - Day 8

Hard to see here, but there are little tiny green sprouts coming up!!  Mostly the basil I think.  But here we are, Day 8 and its working!

Herb Garden Day 1

Herb Garden Day 1:

Planted herbs for the first time in this box last fall - dug them all out (pic below) a few weeks ago, and now its time to start again!

I mixed some fresh potting soil on the top of the box, and then scattered 3 kinds of herbs.  The basil is scattered diagonally from the upper left to bottom right.  This will separate the cilantro in one corner from the parsley in another corner.

I just have to keep the soil moist and they'll do their thing!  Day 1 of planting was March 9, 2013.

Mission Conference

Mission Conference

Traditional vs Missional

Son of David - God says to Abraham "I will bless you" - that is the synopsis of the Gospel

B - Bless everyone
L - Listen to God
E - Eat with someone
S - Study Jesus
S - Serve generously

Listen to God - God speaks through the world he has made and the word he has spoken
Eat with someone - Prepare ahead of time, Prepare your heart, Pray
Study Jesus - Jesus blesses us in his warmth and approachability (Luke 2) Jesus is just and faithful
Serve generously - Never think of yourself as anything more than a servant, with a determined mind, courage, and a compassionate heart

"Its your kindness Lord that leads us to repentance"

Psalm 139 - God notices you, "I will not forget your..." I have enscribed your on the palm of my hand

If God notices you, you will bless others by noticing them. 60 minutes Africa Mercy Ship Nurse "Nobody else looks at them, so I do"

Back on your feet Running Club - Philadelphia

Bless with the conviction that God is up to something - the greatest thing is the gift of forgiveness, and act that shines in the darkness of this broken world

All Scripture is God breathed

We all look better with clothes on (locker room story) Paul says "clothe yourself"

Jesus' chief tool in combating the devil is prayer - brief, intense, and frequent

Holy Spirit doesn't force you to do anything, because love does not insist on its own way

Make babies smarter? Empathy  - teach your kids to connect with other people

Carnitas Salad

Carnitas Salad

Used this carnitas recipe, but used 4 lbs pork without doubling other ingredients - bad idea.  Day 2/3 it was way better than day 1, and I needed to trim of the fat before I cooked it in the slow cooker.

Ingredients
Cabbage
Spinach
1/4 lime
Salsa Verde
Pico de Gallo
Leftover carnitas

Whats next?

After running 12 miles, its time to think about whats next after the half marathon....  How long does it take to train for a sprint tri?  What are the options close by for triathlons?

Bass Lake Tri - June 1 (Sprint and Olympic)
Folsom Lake Tri - June 9 (Sprint and Olympic)
Reservoir Tri in Morgan Hill - June 16 (Sprint and Olympic)
Sacramento Tri - June 30 (Sprint and Olympic)
Donner Lake Tri - July 27-28 (Sprint Olympic)
Santa Cruz Tri - August 11 (Sprint and Olympic)
Santa Cruz Tri - September 29 (Olympic)
Golden State in Sacramento - October 13 (Sprint)




TRAINING PLANS
Beginners Sprint Tri Training
Intermediate Spring Tri Training
Womens Health Tri Training
Sacramento Training

MISC Info
Training - Nimbus Flat State Park - entrance fee $10, but year long Golden Poppy Pass is $125
Golden Poppy Year Pass

Week 2 - March '13 Magazine

Clean Eating Week 2 from the March 2013 Magazine!

Chicken Orange Balsamic Salad

Better than I expected! 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups spinach
• 2-3 oz chicken breast (BBQ is best for taste)
• 2 tbsp chopped or sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp feta cheese
• 1/4 c chopped tomato
• 1/4 orange, segmented
• 1 tbsp balsamic, 1 tsp EVOO, 1/2 tsp honey mustard mixed for dressing

Fajita Burrito (with eggs)

Doesn't look like much in the pic, but this burrito was delicious!  It was an amazing way to get lots of veggies in a lunch without having another sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion
• handfull of spinach
• 2 eggs
• sprinkle of chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper
• Greek yogurt - plain
• Salsa
• Whole wheat wrap

Saute the pepper and onion, adding in spinach for last few minutes.  Mix in the spices.  Add egg on top, reduce heat and cover to cook egg through.  Slide all ingredients onto a wrap, and top with a couple scoops greek yogurt and some salsa.  

Yum!  Very filling.  Could add meat instead of eggs, or cheese to add some more flavor, but I liked it as is.

Tempo Run 2.25.13

After my epic fail last Monday, I had a great day today.  Went 6 miles, but it was a tempo run, so I did a 1 mile warmup and 1 mile cool down, and 4 miles at "race pace."  Here are my stats:

6 miles (stopped recording at 5.58 mi) 59:03
Mile 1 - 11:23 min/mile pace
Mile 2 - 10:54 min/mile
Mile 3 - 9:58 min/mile
Mile 4 - 10:09 min/mile
Mile 5 - 9:41 min/mile
Mile 6 - 11:30 min mile

Felt good about it - the 4 miles in the middle were hard - really hard.  Its good to know that my "hard" pace is right around 10 min miles.  After finishing 5, i slowed way down to jog the last .6 miles before walking the rest of the mile.  Felt like my 11:30 mile pace is one I should be able to keep up for a while, so I'll try to run at that slow pace on my slow/long run on Wednesday.  Specifics about my morning:

• Ate breakfast 2.5 hours before the run - had multigrain oatmeal with almond milk and a half of a banana
• Drank at least 1 liter of water this morning - making sure to drink at least 8 oz a half hour before the run
• No caffeine, and no prep energy (no gummies, 5 hour energy, gatorade)
• Measured out 4 oz increments on my water bottle, so I knew that every 15-20 minutes I had to drink 4 oz.  
• Started running at noon.  I would try next time to wake up a bit earlier so that I can start earlier.  
• Ate a fajita burrito with egg for recovery lunch - yum!

Loaded Veggie Burger

Clean sandwich lunch!  

Bread (or english muffin, or tortilla, or lettuce wrap)

Veggie Burger (TJ brand are fav)

Hummus (or honey mustard)

Spinach

Tomato

Onion

Avocado

Yum!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

The BEST creamy enchiladas recipe.  Not clean eating.  I could always use more green chile sauce.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Salmon, veggies and salad

Got 4 out of 4 stars with Jordan, I'll do this again.  Filled us up.

4 oz salmon (I used the moroccan salmon spice mix and cooked accordingly)
1 cup of cooked broccoli (i added salsa)
1 cup of black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (added salsa to mine here too)
Spinach salad: 2 cups spinach, 1 tbsp cranberries, 1 tbsp feta, 1 tbsp onion, 2 tbsp apple, red vinegar and EVOO

Moroccan Spiced Salmon with Nectarine-Pine Nut Couscous

From Clean Eating Magazine, August/Sept 2012, 4 out of 4 stars

Makes 4 servings (with no leftovers, I suggest at least 1.5x the recipe for 4 in case you have people who want seconds)
25 minutes total

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 4oz boneless salmon fillets, skin on
• high heat cooking oil (such as sunflower, safflower, peanut or grape seed oil), as needed
• 1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 oz pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup diced nectarine

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin, ginger, cardamom, black pepper and 1/4 tsp salt.  Sprinkle evenly on all sides of salmon, pressing mixture into flesh to adhere.
2. Heat a grill pan on medium-high and lightly brush with cooking oil.  Add salmon, skin side up, and cook for 2 minutes.  Turn and cook, skin side down, until salmon is opaque throughout, about 5 more minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to boil.  Stir in couscous and remove from heat.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork and stir in onions, bell pepper, nuts, nectarine and remaining 1/4 tsp salt.  Divide salmon and couscous mixture among serving plates.  

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING (1 filet and 3/4 c couscous mixture)

Calories 274,  Total fat 10g  Sat fat 1g  Mono fat 4g  poly sat 4g  Fiber 6g  Sugars 2g  Protein 26g  Sodium 313 mg  Cholesterol 62mg  

Clean Eating Meal Plan Week 1

This is an example of a Clean Eating Magazine's weekly meal plan.  The first picture is the actual plan from the magazine, the second picture is one that I have adjusted.  Honestly, we get a weeks worth of food from just shopping for the first 4 days.  Can usually make that last for a week!.

Pasta with Shrimp and Broccoli

A Clean Eating meal, 2 out of 4 stars.  Next time, it needs to have more heat and flavor, such as sautéing a tiny bit of bacon with the shrimp, or adding red pepper flakes for heat.  It needs that arribiata flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 oz shrimp per person
• 3/4 c tomato pasta sauce per person
• 3/4 c dry pasta, or 1.25 c cooked pasta, preferably whole wheat per person
• 1 c broccoli per person
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese 

Saute shrimp in a little garlic, salt and pepper, cook pasta and broccoli, add sauce and mix.

Chicken Teriyaki and Veggies

This is one of the easiest throw together dinners in my stash.  Easy prep, easy cooking, and yummy.  Except for marinating the chicken takes about 30 minutes total

Serves:  Flexible - as many as you want

INGREDIENTS

• A grain - rice, quinoa, brown rice, pasta - enough for 1 c per serving
• Chicken Breast - 4-6 oz per serving
• Veggies - Broccoli, Onion, Bell Pepper, Carrots, Peas, Green Beans, etc, 1 c per serving
• Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce - 2 cups at least

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Marinate chicken breasts in ziplock bag with 1/2 to 1 c of the soyaki sauce.  Can marinate for up to 8 hours. Keep turning every few hours to evenly coat
2. Cook your grain
3. Steam veggies - I use a steamer, but you can steam in a pot on the stove, or even just microwave. If you want more of a stir fry texture, then saute the veggies
4. Barbeque the chicken for best taste.  Or you can saute.
5. Top serving of grain with cooked chicken, cooked veggies and 2-3 tbsp of the sauce

VARIATIONS

1. Use salmon instead of Chicken Breast

A Wake Up Call

Since I started training for my first half marathon back in December, I've had my fair share of ups and downs.  But this past week, I went through runners purgatory.  I needed to document my journey in order to not repeat the same mistakes again.  My long runs have worked their way up to 9 miles, and this time, I was supposed to run 10 miles.  I got about 3 done and was experiencing what I suspected was the beginning of the "runners trots,"  where your digestive system just gets angry and cramp at you for not properly prepping for a run.  To avoid the trots, you're supposed to not eat a lot of fiber and protein the night before a really long run (10 miles for me).  I stopped at a Starbucks restroom with no relief, and just kept going.  At 6 miles, I stopped running.  The stomach cramps were unbearable and I was at the point of wondering if I was going to pass out.  Not good.  So here were the details of the previous 24 hours, in order to never repeat them again:

• Slept horribly the night before, maybe got 5 hours
• Had a strong cup of black coffee when I woke up, which did help me empty out a little unneeded pounds (sorry, gross.)
• Ate english muffin with peanut butter for breakfast, 2 hours before run
• Ate almost no carbs night before, and only carbs that who day was a multi grain wrap for lunch
• Not diligent enough with water prep day before or morning of
• Drank 5 hour energy as an experiment - would it make me run better?  
• Experiencing dehydration s/sx at the end of the run and throughout the rest of the day: dizziness, weakness, dry skin, stomach problems, decreased urine output, increased digestive activity, pale skin and increased HR

All in all, I think I was super dehydrated and improperly fueled.  The excess caffeine didn't help the digestive system, and also I think my body reacts to Gatorade.  I just never feel great with Gatorade as my hydration.  I'll stick with water.

Tips from friends:

• Have a carb-heavy meal the night before, with low protein and low fiber to keep the digestive system at a proper pace during the run
• Hydrate during run, 4 oz every 15 minutes
• Fuel with snacks every 45 minutes into a run
• Sleep night before
• Jillian Michaels says the equivalent of 1 medium cup of coffee 45 minutes before you exercise will help with fat burning/endurance during a workout

Kale Chicken Caesar Salad

From Clean Eating Magazine, March 2013, pg 84, 3 out of 4 stars

Not a great pic, sorry

Makes 4 medium servings (entree for 3, side for 5)

30 minutes start to finish

I used store bought croutons because I already had them, but this was a good clean meal.  Lots of kale, I would have cooked chicken differently (or used rotisserie chicken) - maybe sauté or barbecue, but otherwise turned out great.  Dressing very sour/spicy, salad didn't need shallot, but tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large cloves garlic, divided
• 1/4 tsp sea salt and ground black pepper
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 slices sprouted grain bread (let bread dry out overnight)
• 1 shallot, minced 
• 1 cup jarred artichoke hearts (water-packed) and chopped
• 1 tbsp raw pine nuts

DRESSING

• 2 large cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (2 limes)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne (I went without it, and dressing was spicy enough)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill a large pot with water.  Add chicken, I clove garlic, salt and black pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 12-14 minutes.  Drain and let cool slightly.  With two forks, shred chicken.
2. Meanwhile, fill a large shallow pot with 1/2 inch water.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and add kale.  Drizzle lemon juice over kale and cook for 5 minutes.  Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Add kale to bowl until cool.  Drain and let dry (or pat dry).
3. Prepare croutons: Arrange an oven rack in top position.  Preheat broiler to high.  In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp olive oil and 1 clove of garlic halved.  Rub garlic on both sides of bread.  Arrange bread on a baking sheet and broil on top oven rack, turning once, until golden.  Cut each slice into four triangles.
4. Prepare dressing: In a food processor, puree dressing ingredients and 2 tsp water until creamy
5. In a large bowl, combine kale, shallot, artichoke hearts, chicken and nuts.  Add dressing and toss to coat, top with croutons.

NUTRITION per serving (3 oz chicken, 3 c salad, 2 croutons)

Calories: 323  Total Fat: 11g   Sat Fat: 2 g   Mono Fat: 6 g   Poly Fat: 2   Carbs: 21g    Fiber 4g   Sugar 1 g   Protein: 34 g   Sodium 440 mg   Cholesterol 67 mg

Alterations/Leftovers

• Put a serving of the salad (minus croutons) in a wrap for lunch

Whats a Blog?

I have a job now. But it doesn't start for a month. So what do I do with my relaxed free time (vs. stressed "job hunting" free time) for the next month?  Figure out what all this blogging madness is about.  Mostly this is another attempt at trying to organize my life - and keep all sorts of info in one place.  So if I had a blog, I would blog about my collection of recipes, my progress of half marathon training, my experience as a new nurse, my thoughts about faith, life and family, and any other hobby things that pop in there.  Here we go!