Oil Pulling Day 5

Well here's the yummy news.  1 tbsp of oil for 15 minutes and I have never scraped so much gunk off my tongue....still with me?

Day 1 - I did a lot of scraping.  Days 2, 3, and 4 - practically nothing showed up but clear saliva when scraped.  Day 5....I felt like I would never get everything scraped off.  It took several drags of a spoon across my tongue before it came out clean.  All my other habits have been the same.  This and the surge in energy are the only clues that oil pulling may, in fact, detox the body.  I am still not wholly convinced, but I believe in it enough to see what happens in the next 40 to 50 days.  I hope I wake up with that Chelsea girl's body from Dancing With the Stars in place of my own.  All hail the mighty olive oil!

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

OIl Pulling Day 4

Day 4 of oil pulling....didn't feel a thing.  The energy boost seems to be topping out and tapering off.

40 to 50 days is going to be a big pain, I think.  I may try a different oil since I'm running low on olive.  My wrist is much better, but again - who knows why that is.  I also seem to be sleeping better.  That, however, is usually a welcome side effect of losing weight. 

We'll see what Day 5 brings and after that, even though I'll continue pulling, I'll only report on the pulling if anything noteworthy occurs. 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

My Food

I have been steadily losing weight with cutting out junk food and exercising.  Maybe I am one of few, but I am okay with eating the same thing everyday.  As long as its something I like - I have no problem with eating the same basic thing with minor changes.  My new eating plan looks like this:

Breakfast: 
Oil pulling in the morning (obviously I don't eat this)
Large glass of Green Tea
Egg whites for breakfast - cooked with a bit of back pepper

Lunch:
fish - either mahi mahi, salmon, flounder, tilapia, or tuna
beans
romaine and tomato

Dinner:
Meat - beef, chicken, or turkey
fresh salsa
beans
shredded cheese
guacamole
romaine
sometimes I add salsa verde

Dessert:
a square of dark chocolate

I was trying to have a glass of red wine everynight, but I've stopped that for now as it seems counterproductive.
 
If I have any snacks in there - it's either a banana or orange with cinnamon.

Obviously 8 glasses of water (at least) and the occasional glass of chocolate milk - like about 4 ounces after working out and only after hard workouts.  If I hit a seemingly unbreakable plateau - I'll take out the dark chocolate and milk first.  If the scale stays the same for 3 weeks in a row - bye bye chocolate ha ha. 

You'll notice there is a lack of bread, but I'm still getting carbs through other foods.  I am not counting anything - just eating yummy whole food and working out as much as possible.

It really is difficult to shop for a varied menu when trying to lose weight.  This way I bought everything I needed for weeks of meals in bulk.  I'm never bored with this spread.  I definitely don't feel deprived.  In fact, I feel overindulged.  I really do think eating the same meals everyday is key to stop mindlessly overeating.

If I am faced with going to a restaurant - I definitely don't miss out!  I look for things with a high protein content and try to avoid cream sauces and fried foods.  But I almost always get dessert when we go out to a restaurant.  If they have an amazing dessert that I am dying to try - I am sure to eat only half of my meal, box the rest or give it away, and then share the dessert.  I have water with my meals, sometimes I'll have unsweetened tea - but that is very rare.  And whenever I am craving food from a restaurant that has carry out - I opt for the carry out - this means no bread on the table, no bright and shiny pictures of food on the table, no waiters bringing by a huge tray of chocolate cake.

I am very close to a 30 pound weight loss and the energy that is returning to me....well it makes me sad I lost all of that in the first place, but through much self discovery and inspired action, I am at an amazing place in my life.  Cheers to eating and enjoying real and whole food! 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Boring (for you) Magazine Decisions :-)

There is nothing like checking the mail and finding a magazine waiting for you.  I am definitely not a fan of the fluff articles like 'How to Please Your Man'....if you don't know then there are bigger problems. 

Currently, I subscribe to World of Warcraft Magazine, Entrepreneur, and pick up Popular Science and various Photoshop magazines now and then.  I haven't been playing World of Warcraft as much, but their magazines have amazing pointers so I may stick with that one - not sure.  I love the information in Entrepreneur, but feel that one session of it is enough as long as I keep up with them online. 

The ones I'm thinking about are:

Running Times (there is a package deal with Running Times and Running World I may look into)
Experience Life
Eating Well
Nutrition Today


If there's anyone out there who subscribes to any of these - let me know what you think. 
   
   être en bonne santé

Scrumptious Love,

E.N. Graham

Oil Pulling Day 3

I used one tablespoon again today.  I also only ended up doing it for 11 minutes.  It again came out frothy white.  I noticed my skin feels softer and I have been very emotional - last night and this morning.  But there is a lot going on in my life right now - it is a different kind of emotional than what I'm used to, but definitely has alternative explanations.  I would love to think it's the oil bringing up toxins ha ha.  Again, there are just too many variables and I cannot wait until a controlled study is done and we get some facts up in here.

If anything changes, I'll update this post.

If you have happened on this post and have no idea what I'm speaking about....I started 'oil pulling' a few days ago and I'm following my first five days, then only reporting if anything major happens.  The instructions that I found said to continue the act for 40 to 50 days. I'm going to complete that recommended regimen and if I think it's doing some good, I may continue once a week after that. 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Oil Pulling Day 2

I used 1 tbsp of Olive Oil this morning.  I swished for the full 20 minutes.  I feel more awake - not much else, but it's still early.  Again, it came out frothy white-ish. 

Yesterday after writing the blog, I had some intense backpain on either side.  Who knows if it's related.  My wrist is also killing me this morning, but I know it's from crazy overuse.  I was struggling with a cork on a wine bottle yesterday, opening a really tough jar, doing household chores, lugging suitcases around, lots of typing, and woke up last night realizing I was leaning and sleeping on it.

There are so many variables that unless some miracles happen - I'm not sure I will ever be able to vouch for healing.  But I can say my 'morning breath' didn't seem bad at all and my teeth are whitening as if I used one of the many bleaching products in my cabinet, but I haven't used any of them in months.

I will report in for the first 5 days of oil pulling and after that I will only mention it if I see any remarkable changes. 

Update for Day 2 (evening):  My wrist feels okay again, but I've had the brace on most of the day.  Of course it will never be proven if it was eventual recovery from oil pulling, time, the brace, or a combination. 

Also I had my workout session with my trainer and something happened that I have never seen happen before - after the workout my face was beet red.  My heart was not beating hard - it didn't feel as though my blood pressure was soaring - in fact I felt pretty good - just kinda warm and tired from the workout.  I googled 'face red after workout' and got many sites saying the same thing: 
"When you work out, your body produces heat. One way that your body makes sure it doesn't overheat is by sweating, of course, but your body also increases blood circulation to the skin's surfaces, so the heat can be radiated off (smart bod). Warm, oxygenated blood rushes to your face, turning it that bright red color. It's receiving lots of healthy blood, bringing nutrients to your skin and carrying away toxins." 
~from fitsugar.com

I've never really had good circulation so if this marks an improvement - awesome.  If this is caused by oil pulling then it is no wonder why people claim they look 10 years younger.  It's that pink healthy glow.  I am drinking green tea after the swishing sessions as well and I started this when I started swishing.  I realize this would completely screw up a regular scientific experiment, but   1. I have drank green tea for weeks everyday in the past and never had much happen.  and   2. This is not a scientific experiment.  Just my experience of any positive or adverse effects.  Oil may just be a great mouth cleaner - it would be nice if it were more, but I think the only way to really know is to try it for yourself.  (As with all suggestions on this blog - check with a medical professional before attempting). 


Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Oil Pulling

Surprise!  There is a home remedy out there I have never heard of.  Of course people will always discover new things, but this practice is supposedly ancient.  Okay so enough mumbo jumbo - let's get to it.

The stuff it claims to help or cure:
Oil Pulling has been said to totally heal headaches, sinus infections, bronchitis, asthma, tooth pain, thrombosis, eczema, joint pain and flexibility, ulcers and diseases of stomach, intestines, heart, blood, kidney, liver, lungs, diseases of nerves, paralysis, and encephalitis and prevents the growth of malignant tumors, chronic insomnia, and also raises the metabolism.

So how is it done?

Take a tablespoon (some sites say 2 tbsp) of sunflower, sesame, or olive oil and swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes.  This must be done in the morning before eating and some say to do it after you brush your teeth (I did it before).  As for the type of oil - some sites claim that it only works if you use sunflower and sesame oil and others say there are benefits using olive and coconut oils - but all should be cold pressed and organic.  Do some research before you attempt.  If you do try it - do not swallow any of it and wash wherever you spit with antibacterial soap as this is supposed to pull germs from your body and your sink could quickly become a nasty breeding ground.  Others have mentioned the possibility of certain oils solidifying in your sink.  If your're concerned about this, my suggestion would be to use a coffee can or some other container, spit into it and throw the container away.  I don't think you would want to keep this around for long, so switching out containers frequently is probably a good idea.

My experience:
I only had olive oil in the pantry and I swished two tablespoons.  Next time, I'm trying one tablespoon since my jaws got tired swishing that much liquid around as saliva begins mixing with the oil.  Yes it was somewhat gross.  After I swished for 15 minutes, I spit.  The oil had turned into a frothy white-ish yellow. 

I felt really amazing for the first few hours after I did this. Highly energetic.  Placebo effect - perhaps, which is why I won't say it works right now - just that I will continue to try it.  I still feel good, just calm, but feel much happier and able to keep up with daily chores better than usual. 
My wrist has been hurting due to a ganglion cyst which is why I have not been typing blogs lately.  It's just a little sore now and I actually have to bend it for it to hurt - before if I moved my fingers, bent, or put the least bit of pressure on my wrist, hand, or elbow it was very painful.  My teeth look brighter.  My breath is fresher.  I did cough up and while I do have asthma, I was not having a flare up and do not have a sinus infection.

Again - we'll see if this continues as it is recommended to do this for 40 to 50 days straight and then as you please.  As long as there are no side effects for you - it almost seems dumb not to try it.  If it does nothing else, it will help freshen breath and help get rid of gum disease.  However, watch for allergic reactions to the oil/s and as always check with a medical professional and do not take this as a cure-all if you have a serious ailment.  Also keep in mind - as with cleanses - when you 'pull' germs and toxins, you can actually get sick as some of these things have been inside your body lying dormant and then get rustled up.  Please visit the sites below before attempting.

There is an entire website devoted to this practice:  www.oilpulling.com/ but I enjoyed the reviews and organization of  http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html

I'll write more about this little oil pulling adventure tomorrow. 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham



Image: africa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cooking Light Slow Cooker Cookbook

I've always wanted to cook through a cookbook cover to cover.  More than likely because I am a tad bit OCD and love the idea of completing every cookbook I own.  Perhaps that is why Julie and Julia appealed to me.

This healthy slow cooker book is definitely not as complicated as Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  But I feel it is a good place to start this endeavor. 

This blog is about being healthy so I won't overwhelm with my adventures dumping stuff into a crockpot everyday.  There will be no time limit, but I will not cook out of another book until I have completed this one.  The next kicker is - we are moving.  My husband is starting a job 6 hours away and will be apart from me for a few weeks so I will wait to start this journey until we are moved and settled a bit.  This will be a perfect opportunity for me to gather ingredients and explore the different markets in our new area.

I can't wait to dig into this cookbook though.  There are some pretty yummy comfort food type recipes - like: Italian Pot Roast with Artichoke & Potatoes (354 calories per serving), Pinto Bean Chili with Corn and Winter Squash (319 calories), Homestyle Potato Soup (194 calories), Beef Burgundy (398 calories), and so many more!

Even desserts like Caramel Pie! 

Every recipe has the nutrition information underneath.  I bought two Cooking Light cookbooks recently and I am in love with the brand before I've even tried any of the food.  I would buy every single one, but figured I had better venture into cooking a couple recipes before going too crazy.  So order this cookbook if you like Slow Cookin'  and stay tuned for what the recipes really look like after I get hold of them. 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Steaz!

I have to tell you about STEAZ.  When I am looking for a drink other than water - Steaz Zero Calorie to the rescue!

Carbonated green tea.  It feels like soda.  Reminds me of Smirnoff.  No alcohol, no sugar, no calories, no fat, but Steaz drinks do have B vitamins, folic acid, and vitamin C.  If you love soda, juice, or even smirnoff type drinks - these are amazing.  I found them at Whole Foods.

They do kind of look like an alcohol drink, but definitely are not. How perfect would these be for an older teen's party when they want to look so grown up and cool and yet they are drinking something really good for them.

These drinks are sweetened with Stevia.  I am just getting into the stevia world myself, but if you haven't heard of it - do a web search and read up on it.  It seems to be amazing stuff. 

You can find more information at http://www.steaz.com/, but I will warn you - their website is uber annoying.  Flash site - ugh. 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Websites Worth A Try

 A few fun sites I have stumbled upon....

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1.  Jog.fm  - This website is amazing.  It picks songs to match the pace of your workouts and puts a 'pump-up' song in toward the end to keep you moving til you finish your entire workout. 

2.  Wisegeek.com - This specific post on wisegeek allows you to see what a 200 calorie amount of various foods really look like.  Studying pictures like these helps counting calories become more natural.  Actually a new site called Calorie Gallery is dedicated to showing you what certain amounts of cals look like, but they are not officially launched yet.  

3.  Twofoods.com - There are so many calorie count websites out there, but this one allows you to compare two foods.  Even if you're not doing it for health reasons - you know when you are staring at the menu and you can't decide what to order?  Maybe use calorie count to decide.  A very useful tool I will be using often!

4.  Doasone.com - Breathe into the light!  This website uses light therapy much like that Sleep Assistant gadget I had mentioned in a previous post.  A bit new-age-y, but I have seen rave reviews of the sleep assistant, so who knows this might help too and it's free!

5.  Lifeorganizers.com - Just looking at this site is heaven for me.  So many checklists on everything from home maintenance to holidays.  Woot!


Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Goodbye, Diet Books! Hello Again, Devin!

I recently threw out all of my diet books.  And when I say diet books - I'm talking about the gimmicky things - Flat Belly Diet, FatSmash, Lemons, Grapefruits, Cabbage, etc.  I had been saving them for the recipes ha ha!  There is this crazy thing called the internet where you can find just about any recipe using any ingredient.  Besides whenever I need a recipe - I have my favorite cookbooks and I rarely stray.  I'll review them all in time, but I'm going to start with my first ever healthy cookbook. 

Most Decadent Diet by Devin Alexander (star of FitTv & Biggest Loser cookbook author)

It was my first and still is my favorite!



That chocolate cake she is holding is one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had and it's less fat and calories than most!  I almost hate sharing this because many of my 'go-to' recipes are in this book.  None of this stuff tastes diet - which is because it really isn't diet - you just sub some higher calorie or fatty ingredients with less fatty ingredients - so it's all still scrum-diddilly-umptious! 

Ever since I started using this book a few years ago, I now require that all of my cookbooks MUST have the nutrition information of every recipe.  So handy! 

I actually found, bought, loved, and used this book often before I became a member of Biggest Loser Club Online for a few weeks and got their cookbook sent to me in the mail.  After using that one, I should have realized the two books were similar, but I just didn't.  It wasn't until I was watching Devin on her show Healthy Decadance on FitTv that I heard her mention she was the chef who wrote the Biggest Loser cookbook.  I had no idea I had been cooking out of two of her books. 

Ever since that moment I have been a huge Devin fan and I have two other books of hers and follow her show as often as I can.  I'm always trying to share how awesome her stuff is with others.  She works hard to test the recipes and it is amazing transition food.  If you are trying to become healthier and you pick up a vegan cookbook - you are going have some withdrawals and additive shocks that send you right back to the fast food joints, ordering twice as much than normal out of guilt and hunger.  But her recipes allow for a transition that works.

Some recipes in this book:  BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers, Eggplant Parmesan, Sinless Yet Sinful Sticky Buns, Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

The chili recipe I use is also in here, however, Devin likes things very spicey, so I've adjusted a few things for personal preference which is what all good home cooks do ha ha.

More Devin Alexander cookbook reviews to come soon! 

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Intriguing Gadgets

This gadget is called The Entertrainer.  It hooks up to your tv or stereo and if your heart rate falls below a certain target, the volume starts going down.  Basically - you are powering your electronics with exercise.  This is a fun motivational tool and I have seen prices all over the board.  I do not have one yet, but I am thinking about getting one.    http://www.theentertrainer.com/



 
This is the Gruve Personal Activity Monitor.  It comes in white or gray and it's small enough to fit into the palm of your hand.  This thing will actually monitor how long you've been sedentary and start vibrating when you need to get up and move.  There is a light system that also gives you feedback.  You may laugh at this, but for all those people who sit in an office - this is a great tool to remind you to get up and walk around.  It can become a game trying to keep the lights happy and never see the angry red light.  Price is $180

This is the Nightwave Sleep Assistant.  It produces a pattern of soft blue light on your ceiling and you are to lay there and match your breathing with the pattern of the lights.  Most people fall asleep after 7 minutes.  There is a travel version and the regular version, so prices vary from $50 to $70.  The reviews I have seen are from people who have suffered from insomnia for a while and have tried many things and this worked.  It is worth a try since there are no pills and no sound machine waves or whales to keep others awake and annoyed in your home.


This is the Withings Wifi Body Scale.  Your weight and BMI go directly to a password protected website for easy monitoring.  If you're brave enough you can actually tweet your weight automatically.  I'm guessing that feature doesn't get used much.  I could see this being useful to personal trainers monitoring clients weights, but the understandable $160 price tag, doesn't really make it economical for that purpose. 




This is the Adidas miCoach Pacer Bundle.  This is akin to Nike's Ipod Sport Kit to fit their shoes, but there is no special shoe needed with the miCoach - just one with laces.  When you hook it up to your computer, you choose a running program to follow and it will keep you at the correct pace.  You can still hook it up with your ipod to listen to your music between the coaching.   This bundle is $125.95, but while Nike's little shoe chip is cheaper, you have to purchase their shoes to keep it in.  Something I discovered while using that particular Nike device in Nike Shox - Shox aren't for running.  I got shin splints in no time running in Nike Shox.  Get a pair of custom fit running shoes to avoid the pain! 


Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Krispy Kale

Kale - you know, aka garnish?  Trying to decide what to do with the rest of the kale in my fridge, I found this recipe and the 5 star ratings on every variation made me very curious.

You take kale, cut it off the stem, tear into potato-chip sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, bake at 350 degrees until the kale is....crispy? 

I arranged the kale on the baking sheet.  I drizzled oil and sprinkled sea salt, but also mixed it together with my hands so all of it would be covered evenly.  At one point I accidently grabbed the pepper shaker so it has a little black pepper on it too - no harm done.

Put it in the oven - 350 degrees, timer set for 10 minutes.

Waiting....

Ding!

Holy cow!  I mean so freakin good.  I would have never guessed.  If you like olive oil and salt - you're going to love these anyway, but if you're a chip fan - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how satisfying these are. 

Actually the perfect crispy ones just taste salty and yummy with not a lot of olive oil taste left. 

I was paranoid about them burning up quickly, but I could have probably put them on for a few minutes longer. 
This is a recipe to play around with for your family's tastes.  I saw that some people put seasoning salt or garlic salt and apparently a little black pepper doesn't hurt either. 
Also be sure that there is no water on the kale before attempting this recipe.  After washing the kale, pat it dry with a paper towel.
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Nutrition:

For about a cup of kale chips you are looking at less than 100 calories (it depends on how much oil you add), but the bottom line is these are much healthier than fried potato chips.

If you are watching sodium you could chop up fresh garlic to roast alongside the kale leaves.  And, of course, there's always Mrs. Dash.

Check out the benefits of kale: http://www.antioxidants-guide.com/

Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham

Hello

Salubrious means favorable to or promoting health; healthful. (dictionary.com)  

I created this blog because I love sharing anything that could help someone become even a little healthier.  In future posts, you will find everything from cookbook and fitness equipment reviews to recipes and home remedies.

This is a hobby of mine and I am not a doctor so every post will come with a disclaimer - all that mumbo jumbo that is essentially summed up saying:  Don't be stupid and don't listen to me when you could ask a professional.

I am working toward fitness goals for my own body and mind as well as preparing to become a personal trainer and nutritionist with the help of my own personal trainer.  Someday I might introduce him and his company on here.

 Bear with me as I decide how I want this blog to look.  And if you have any suggestions or comments - do not hesitate to share.  I can't wait to get started as nutriton is a passion of mine - especially when it comes to food as medicine.  I'm not a vegan or raw foodie, but I respect all diets (okay maybe not cannabalism) and there will be mentions and influences from many different viewpoints here.

The direct address for this blog is sosalubrious.blogspot.com    Don't forget to follow! 


Scrumptious Love,
E.N. Graham


The photo used in this post was provided by
 Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net