Tag Archives: Vegetarian

MY DAILIES

Fall nine times, get up ten.

These are my dailies. I just committed to really try to post daily everything in regards to this brand new journey. I am starting from scratch and my plan is to be a much better version of myself at the time of my winter solstice birthday December 21st. I am not looking behind at past successes and failures, I am now striving to be completely forward thinking. I may start a Youtube channel with one video a week but for now below are my dailies. Of course there will be more but this is the basics that I plan to really stick to. One Hour workout, it may be one hour of cardio and some days my benderfitness workouts combined with TRX, yoga, weights and cardio. No rest days, on rest days I will take a long walk but I need to keep it going or I will quit. I am all or nothing. I also plan to workout on some days around midnight since I work nights.

My food lifestyle is vegetarian but I eat mostly vegan and my days are mostly raw foods. This may sound confusing. I am vegan 95% but if I am out I allow flexibility, In example I am going to a dinner party tomorrow and the host asked how I eat, my husband James responded vegetarian so tomorrow I will do my best to be vegan. On work days I eat mostly raw foods, I am not 100% raw but I am learning so much. I don’t think I can be 100% raw but I like incorporating more fresh and raw living foods into my lifestyle. I will do a post later about which online  raw foods influencer I am following for inspiration. I am also counting my calories on the LoseitApp. I am trying to stay under 1,300 calories daily. The calories help me incorporate foods on occasion without blowing my plan. My online food journal is a must.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. I will post every single day. I need to learn to post from my Iphone. I am not going to get into SEO’s and things I am not familiar with. I have time constraints and my plan is to document this journey and get inspired by those doing the same. To learn from others, experts and people going through similar challenges in life. I will blog and countdown to my winter solstice birthday every single day. I hope to hire someone to help me fix up my page to make it more user-friendly and to learn more about WordPress. In the meantime, I am present and in the moment. Today is day two, and my workout today will be late after work. No excuses. 

My husband James and I are working together to become better versions of ourselves. We are using affirmations and positive self dialogue. No more calling myself fat, or diminishing a complement when someone is kind enough to give one. There is a business center here in our complex and we plan to hold manifestation meetings at least once a week. I also plan to treat myself to swimming and the hot tub, feels so good after working out. Less television time and more doing. 

That is the basic plan. There are a lot of goals I am working on, some financial, personal, creative, and some to do with family and friends. This is the basic weight loss and fitness plan I am doing. Let me know how you get back to working on weight loss and fitness goals after a long hiatus.

It has been way too long, and I am so happy I am back. I promise despite my struggles and the nuances of life I will be accountable here and keep up my dailies. I also want to get back to doing charities so Monday is my day off, I will be making phone calls.

With love and Light

Rose

 

 

HEALTHY VEGETABLE SOUP

I just entered week two of my newest journey since I started this blog two years ago. I joined Weight Watchers Online last Tuesday to lose the eleven pounds I gained when I was away the fourth of July weekend, and to break my plateau. How did I gain that much weight in three days? Welcome to my struggle. If you do not know I lose weight slowly, and that may be do to an adrenal tumor and too much Cortisol. I work very hard, but for me slipping up causes havoc on my body. That is why I rarely do it. I lost over 50 lbs on my own and now I feel I need the help of Weight Watchers to help me keep track of my food and help to get the scale moving again. That with my running, yoga, and Melissa Bender Fitness workouts and guidance I should be able to take this to another level. I slip up a little, and the scale moves forward a lot. I have no room for error it seems. I sometimes feel like I have the worst metabolism ever, but I challenge it and come out fighting. I never give up and this will not happen again. Weight Watchers will help me to not make that mistake again, it is not extreme and easy to stay on track. I am afraid I was getting to obsessive with food and I ended up on a holiday weekend splurge as the result of eating too little.vegsoup

Today I am happy to report I lost five of those eleven pounds with six more pounds to get to what I call my fighting weight. I am now 171 lbs.  After I get back to 165, I plan on picking a charity and losing the next ten pounds and getting to 155. I will never have a three day cheat day again, it really did me in. Moving forward,  I am excited and motivated and enjoying my Weight Watchers Online experience. The WW app makes it a game changer for me with my new smart phone. I got  this. My final goal is around 135 lbs.

This was my dinner last night, and it was Fabulous.

This recipe is a combination of all the soups I make, and Weight Watchers zero points vegetable soup. I have formatted it how I like all of my soups. I took my recipes and their Weight Watchers Vegetable soup and came up with this. You can be really creative and use any fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand. You can even add legumes if you want it to be a bit heartier. This is your soup, make it as you please and it will please everyone who eats it. It really was a fantastic Meatless Monday dinner. My version has 1 point because I choose to use oil in my soups, if you beans 1 cup would be 3 points.

1 oz of Parmesan cheese would add 3 points, as would one oz or Soy Faux Parmesan cheese.

Manga’

HEALTHY VEGETABLE SOUP

  •   4 cloves garlic, minced   
  •   2 medium uncooked carrots, diced   
  •   2 cups green beans, fresh 
  •   2 cup(s) (shredded) uncooked savoy cabbage, or other variety, shredded   
  •   1 cup diced zucchini
  •   1 medium uncooked onions, diced  
  •   half cup uncooked celery, diced   
  •   2 tsp fresh basil, chopped   
  •   2 cartons reduced sodium vegetable broth   
  •   1 large can diced tomatoes
  •    1 can tomato paste
  •   2 Tbsp fresh parsley, or chives, fresh, chopped
  •   1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste    1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste  
  •   1 can legumes of your choice, low sodium. (optional)

 

  • Instructions

Saute’ onions, carrots and celery in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until clear, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute’ 2 more minutes. Add tomato paste and stir. Add 2 cartons vegetable broth and 1 can of tomatoes, and all vegetables and seasonings, and simmer for 30 minutes.

This is super easy, and if you like you can add a can of beans, low sodium of course. I used great northern beans and added it after 20 minutes. A little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese really makes this feel like a decadent Italian soup.

Manga’

Rose

 

LENTIL SOUP FOR THE SOUL

We just got back from the Dr and we spent the whole day there. It was a long and tedious day. James was thinking the worst, and we were in the office sitting on the other side of the Dr’s desk waiting to compare lung X-rays from a year ago. There was that panic moment, when you are looking at the X-rays and thinking you see a cloud or something even more menacing. 


Good news, the Dr pulled up the X-ray from one year ago yesterday and they are identical. In other words, his Sarcoidosis has not progressed and he was probably suffering from a virus or a nasty bug. They also checked his eyes, and it has not affected them either. He will still need to see a Sarcoidosis specialist but we can now breath a sigh of relief. It probably is still stage zero. 

We walk two miles to get there, and we walked two miles to get home. I took some lovely photos of trees and fountains on the trek home. We also stopped at Trader Joe’s. I realized I had not made my Italian Style Lentil soup in a while. 

When I returned home I checked my blog for what I wrote about this day last year, and I posted my Lentil Soup recipe. Yesterday this time last year was the hospital. I find the timing and coincidence of doing the exact same thing a year ago very interesting.
Here is the recipe, it is amazing and healthy and vegetarian. It is Vegan without the Parmesan Cheese. I now like to serve it with toasted Ezekial Sprouted bread with crushed garlic.
Manga’



ITALIAN STYLE LENTIL SOUP

You will need


One bag of dried lentils


A few tablespoons of olive oil ( I use two to three)

Chopped up onions, celery, and carrots. Enough to fill up the bottom of a semi large pot. I use Mirepoix 14.5 oz from Trader Joe’s, it is already pre-cut and I just add my own garlic. I use about six garlic cloves.
If you do not find Mirepoix use one large onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks, chopped fine.

Two  cartons of vegetable stock 32 fl oz. I use trader Joe’s.  You can use regular or low sodium, I have tried both. I usually use the low sodium vegetable broth.

One large can of diced tomatoes in juice.

One small can of tomato paste

Sea salt, ground pepper, dried basil.

Parmesan cheese to garnish

Saute garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes til the onion caramelizes and the vegetables cook down. Salt,pepper, and add some basil as you are cooking the vegetables. After they cook down mix in one small can of tomato paste.

Add full bag of lentils, 2 cartons of vegetable stock, and whole can of tomatoes with juice. You may need to add a little bit of water to fill pot up.

Add a bit more salt, pepper, and dried basil for flavor and stir.

Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer on low for 45 minutes covered.

When finished you can sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mix it in for more flavor.

I once sauteed some kale and added it to the soup right before it was finished cooking. It made it richer and more stew like.

I serve this with warmed whole grain bread from the bakery. It is absolutely delicious.

I hope you try and enjoy my Italian Lentil Soup Recipe. I love it and sometimes it is difficult to only have one bowl. Love and light to all from my west coast home to yours. Ciao for now.
Namaste’

Rose

GROCERY HAUL FOR THIS WEEK

 Grocery Haul, and a very bad Siamese cat who assumes it is all for him and jumped on my table when I turned my back. 

Food for the weekdays.

Mostly meat free

I eat tons of produce.

Just a sampling of what I purchased

Vegan burger with vegetables. Grilled eggplant, tomatoes, onions, kale and oil and vinegar and a bit of feta.

I heart eggplant.

I heart my Siamese Rascal even when he is not where he is allowed, on my table when I look away.

Weekday meals will be a breeze

LIVING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF



I have been pondering my former lifestyle of being a vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for almost ten years in the 90’s, and then for over two years since I moved to Los Angeles. I started eating meat again exactly one year ago and to be honest I have been in denial about it. I have lost weight, and eating protein and less carbohydrates may have helped me to do so. With that said, as my weight drops I am tinkering with the idea that I will return to being a vegetarian in 2014.

To live your authentic self, it sometimes is difficult to follow a path even though you know it is the right way. You get lost, you stumble and you find yourself on the wrong side of the tracks so to speak. You deviate from your beliefs, and as in my case you choose not to think about it. That is how I feel about eating meat. I by no means wish to come across preachy here, or to pass judgement on anyone or myself for that matter. I just feel like I have strayed from my authentic self and I need to be true to everything I am about. Eating meat for me makes me feel like a hypocrite, and that is the last thing I want to be. I need to breathe, forgive myself and turn around and head back in the direction that fits my spirit.

I am going to make it a New Year’s Resolution, to return to my former vegetarian lifestyle. To try again to make it work and continue to lose weight will not be easy, it will be a process, everything is but it will be worth it to me. I will start slow, and not be hard on myself if I slip up. I will also have to plan and make sure my protein is not lacking. Just another challenge in my quest to be a better version of myself. I am always up new challenges.

Happy Weekend to all and to all a goodnight.
Namaste’
Rose

LENTIL SOUP RECIPE

It is Sunday, and lazy Sunday it is. I am doing well on my journey to lose weight and get fit. Tomorrow is my first weigh in, so I probably will make a nice light, low sodium meal for Sunday dinner. One of my staple recipes is my Italian Style Lentil Soup. I make it almost every week, we love it and it is super healthy. 



I am great at making delicious vegetarian soups. I have become quite savvy at reinventing recipes to be healthy or vegetarian. I am no longer vegetarian but I eat that way most of the time. I hope you get the chance to make my simple yet wonderful Italian Style Lentil Soup. It is easy, inexpensive and oh so hearty. Serve it with some warmed crusty whole grain bread and you will sure win over even the most die-hard meat eaters of your family and friends. It is a big pot of deliciousness for all to savor and share, especially on a cool evening. I admit though, I also make this on a hot summer night. This soup is so healthy, and high in protein and fiber. A great way to eat a fulfilling meal and still stay on track.

ITALIAN STYLE LENTIL SOUP


You will need


One bag of dried lentils


A few tablespoons of olive oil ( I use two to three)

Chopped up onions, celery, and carrots. Enough to fill up the bottom of a semi large pot. I use Mirepoix 14.5 oz from Trader Joe’s, it is already pre-cut and I just add my own garlic. I use about six garlic cloves.
If you do not find Mirepoix use one large onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks, chopped fine.

Two  cartons of vegetable stock 32 fl oz. I use trader Joe’s.  You can use regular or low sodium, I have tried both. I usually use the low sodium vegetable broth.

One large can of diced tomatoes in juice.

One small can of tomato paste

Sea salt, ground pepper, dried basil.

Parmesan cheese to garnish

Saute garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes til the onion caramelizes and the vegetables cook down. Salt,pepper, and add some basil as you are cooking the vegetables. After they cook down mix in one small can of tomato paste.

Add full bag of lentils, 2 cartons of vegetable stock, and whole can of tomatoes with juice. You may need to add a little bit of water to fill pot up.

Add a bit more salt, pepper, and dried basil for flavor and stir.

Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer on low for 45 minutes covered.

When finished you can sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mix it in for more flavor.

I once sauteed some kale and added it to the soup right before it was finished cooking. It made it richer and more stew like.

I serve this with warmed whole grain bread from the bakery. It is absolutely delicious.

I hope you try and enjoy my Italian Lentil Soup Recipe. I love it and sometimes it is difficult to only have one bowl. Love and light to all from my west coast home to yours. Ciao for now.
Namaste’

Rose