Friday, January 24, 2014

Guilt-Free Chocolate Delight

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil, extra virgin is best

3/4-1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

8 (1 g) packets stevia

1 squirt of vanilla stevia

Nuts (optional)

Directions:

1 Melt coconut oil (in microwave) for 15-45 seconds, just long enough for it to turn to liquid.

2 Add cocoa powder (the more cocoa powder, the more the flavor will taste like 'dark chocolate', so if you don't like dark chocolate, use the lesser amount of cocoa powder) and add sweetener (8 packets or to taste). Mix thoroughly in blender.

3 Pour small amounts into an ice cube tray (or similar) and freeze for at least 15 minutes, to harden. Then enjoy! =). Or pour onto paper plate and keep in fridge overnight. Eat whenever you want a treat :D

 

Finally under 200 lbs!!!

I was 205 Jan 1, 2013. 203 Jan 1, 2014. I have bounced above 200 for a yr. I was 200 lb Monday. Today I am Down 2 lbs! I am finally under 200! I am 198 lbs!

Ketosis after 2 days...Can't wait to see what's next!

 the pink tab is mine and the other tab is my husband's. I wanted to see a comparison. Wouldn't you know he can eat whatever he wants and he is in a slight ketosis. Me, I have to eliminate all sugar, starch, and caffeine to get into ketosis. Oh, well. I gotta do what I gotta do.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Day 2-No Sugar, No Starch, No Caffeine, No Counting Calories!

 
For too long I have indulged in whatever my heart desired and it is evident in the junk I got in my trunk...lol and everywhere else on my body.
 
I wanted to tell you about a gal I found online that gave up sugar and starch four years ago. She has inspired me to do the same.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kuA-GC3RQE click me! click me! click me!
 
She looks amazing. In this video she says that she is 46 years old. She looks 26 years old. Uh-maze-zing! I want to look like I am 26! Or at least much younger than my 41 years. This lady actually thinks she is reversing in age and I can’t argue that because she looks amazing.
 
About the no caffeine. In a nutshell, caffeine causes you to produce the stress hormone cortisol, and cortisol causes you to gain belly fat. When I found that out, it was a no-brainer that if I am giving up the sugar and starch, which also causes belly and allover body fat, I must give up the caffeine too.
 
No calorie counting. Say it out loud. Isn’t that music to your ears?! No counting calories because when you are not taking in sugar and starch, calories to dieting is like shoestrings when you have Velcro straps; obsolete.
 
I’ll start walking outside when the weather warms up. Right now it is -2 degrees. Right now, I just stay snuggled up on my couch. But I’ll hit the gym when I am invited by those with memberships.
 
This time of year, everyone is looking to get healthy and I wanted to share with you what I am doing. See you tomorrow.
 

Day 1-No Sugar, No Starch, No Caffeine, No Counting Calories!

I have a splitting headache and I don’t want to talk about how awesome I’ll look and feel in a few months. I just want to go to bed.
 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Buttermilk vs Whey....what's the difference?

Here is a little FYI for you....Real buttermilk is what is left over after making butter (you probably already know this). To make buttermilk, you first make butter then you leave the liquid left over on the counter for several days (yep, you read correct) so that bacteria (the good ones) produce lactic acid which clabbers or thickens the buttermilk (but not as thick as the store-bought because they add thickeners, cheaters!). You know buttermilk is ready when it has clabbered (curdled/thickened). My grandma would drink buttermilk (blech!) straight from a glass. It is much too sour for my taste buds but I will definitely use it for cooking and baking. My cousin makes her own butter and she milks her own cows too. She makes cheeses and yogurt too. I've made butter because I want know how to do it and for if I ever have to know how to do it. I use store-bought buttermilk to flavor and tenderize meat because it's easier than driving all the way out to my cousin's farm to buy milk from her. The enzymes and calcium tenderize and flavor meat.
 
Whey is the liquid you have after making cheese. You can keep it in the fridge for smoothies to make a protein shake because whey is pure protein. You can also mix it in soups. You ferment sauerkraut with whey. Whey is a natural source for probiotics for healthy digestion. This is especially good to have after taking antibiotics because the good bacteria are killed along with the bad; whey restores the good bactieria.
And, because of its high calcium, I dilute it with water and water my garden (especially tomatoes and peppers) with it.


FW: Be Prepared in 2014: Make Preparedness Part of Your New Year

I received this and am passing on because the tornado season will soon be here and it is just good sense to be prepared for an emergency so you can provide for your family and help your neighbors.

Thanks,

Becky Cheek

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. You will have more than enough.

It can be pushed down and shaken together and it will still run over as it is given to you.

The way you give to others is the way you will receive in return."

 

From: Ready Campaign [mailto:ready@service.govdelivery.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 8:06 AM
To: Becky Cheek
Subject: Be Prepared in 2014: Make Preparedness Part of Your New Year

 

From Darryl Madden, Director of FEMA Ready Campaign:

For many, the New Year is a time for setting goals and making new resolutions for the year to come. If you are anything like me, each year you find yourself resolving to achieve a healthier lifestyle - eating right, exercising more, losing a few pounds.

Setting personal health goals in the New Year is great, but improving overall well-being involves taking actions to be prepared. Knowing what to do in an emergency is vital to the health and safety of you and your loved ones.

This year, the Ready Campaign is challenging you to be Prepared in 2014. Start the New Year by connecting with family and friends on the importance of preparedness. Not only can the information shared potentially save a life, connecting with those you love has an added benefit. People who have strong social connections tend to be healthier and more resilient.

I know the hardest part of keeping a resolution is sustaining it after those first few weeks of the year, but you don't have to do it all at once.

First, start by simply having the conversation: who to call, where to meet and what to pack in an emergency.

Build your family's emergency supply kit by picking up recommended emergency items over the first month or two of the year.

Create a preparedness checklist. This should include things such as emergency phone numbers and copies of important documents, and information on how to register for programs such as the American Red Cross Safe and Well website.

Set reminders throughout the year to talk about and update your family emergency communication plan. If you have children, include them in conversations and planning activities. The Ready Campaign has age-appropriate tools and resources you can use to introduce disaster preparedness to them. And you can learn more about talking with kids after disasters so you're ready to help them through tough situations.

Have pets? Make sure they are a part of your planning process. Create a pet go-bag to help keep them safe during an emergency. Find helpful tips from FEMA on how to plan for your furry friends.

Older adults often have special needs in a disaster and may depend on medications or other special requirements. If older adults are a part of your social connection, be sure to include them in your preparedness planning efforts.

Emergencies can and will happen, but being ready can minimize the impact they have on the overall well-being of you and your family.

This year, make disaster preparedness part of your New Year's resolution. On January 1st 2014, join the Resolve To Be Ready Thunderclap to promote a message of preparedness to your social connections on New Year's Day. Don't forget to use the hashtag #Prepared2014 whenever you discuss family preparedness on Twitter.


This email was sent to bcheek@ae4u.com on behalf of: Ready Campaign · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Washington, DC 20528 · 202-282-8000

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Homemade Apple Crisp

2 Pints Canned Apples (all the juice), spread evenly over bottom of greased 9x13 glass pan
1 box of cake mix, 1 C brown sugar, 1 t cinnamon, 1 stick melted butter-mix until crumbly then spread over apples.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 40 mins
Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then serve with or without ice cream......yummo!