The Happy Dance!!

I am SO doing the happy dance today!

Truth be told, I haven't had the best 2 weeks of my life.  Saying goodbye is soooooo HARD!  But I am starting to pull it together.  I spent the last 2 weeks in the biggest, most exhausting fog I have ever experienced.  I would get up early, train my peeps till about 10 every day, crawl into bed, sleep for two hours, get up, drag through the afternoon, collapse for another hour or 2, train my evening peeps and go lay down right after.  THAT is what no carbs and no sugar did to me.  Now if you think like me, you're saying WTF????  Isn't it carbs and sugar that give you the highs and the crashes?  What's going ON here?  Well I found out on Thursday.

You will recall from my last post that my blood work that my new man  naturopath read from 8 months ago, showed borderline insulin resistance/Type 2 diabetes and also hypothyroid issues.  Ummmm - is that where the 12 pounds of FAT came from these last 2 years???  So I went on my man's food plan which is basically NO carbs AT ALL - none of this:

OR THIS

 












Or even THIS!!!

Well, the new blood work showed, A)  I've been living on carbs and sugar which is why my body crashed and burned for 2 weeks.  My poor body was so messed up hormonally, that I wasn't giving my body anything it was used to living on. B)  I was completely depleted in Vitamin B12.  Another reason my get up and go, got up and went.  C)  Definitely high on the glucose  D)  Definitely low thyroid measures. E)  My cortisol is THRU THE ROOF.  Whatever these numbers mean, I was a 28 when you're supposed to be somewhere between 6.2 and 19.  Ummmm - a wee bit of stress helping to jack those numbers?  Let's see - father sick, father dies, special needs 10 year old, crazy house, crazy LIFE!

So - what does this all mean?  It means - I MUST stay on the no carb/sugar gig to get my body back in shape both inside and out.  Byebye FAT!  Good riddance!  I got a B12 shot that 24 hours later made me a changed woman.  So changed, my clients commented on Miss Perky being back!  My man put me on a small regiment of supplements to address the thyroid, the cortisol and the B12 deficit, as well as those good ole girly hormones.

Honestly?  I seriously think that girly hormones F up almost all women and that probably every women should be tested.  Because nearly every women I meet - and I see ALOTTTTTT of women as a women's trainer - is unhappy with their body fat increase, complains about energy and basically want a change.  But that's just MY opinion.

Anyway - the happy dance?  Well, You may know that this chick loves her food.  (as an aside?  I am NOT hungry on this plan.  I almost have to force myself to eat.  BUT - when I eat, I want great tasting food!)  So saying goodbye to 2 whole food groups should be painful.  Well - I DO miss my sweets!!!  No doubt there.  But the fact that I get to eat full fat dairy?  OMG - it's the bomb.  Full fat yogurt?  Do they even make that???  Turns out, they do!  And it is YUMMY.  Full fat cheese?  What a TREAT!  I buy the best and only need a few slivers.  Quiche for breakfast?  Every morning!  Who is BETTER than me???  Which brings me to the happy dance.  I have been distracting myself by trying out recipes that fit my "diet".  Since I am eating very Paleo in some regards, there is a ton of cookbooks and recipes on line.

In fact, I caught JOY at the mailbox the other day.  All because of Paleo.  I pulled out a very unexpected package.  My beautiful niece, Kelly, sent me this:

I had the biggest, most JOYful smile on my face!  I love you Kelly!!!!!!  You totally have my number!!♥♥♥

So of course, I had to try out a recipe!  I made their Morning Glory Muffins.  At first - not so much.  But then I "consulted" with my chicas and we tried them with butter (I get to eat that!!!) and then with cream cheese - the BOMB!  So moist - so Paleo - so the new me!  And the trick?  Almond Meal - once AGAIN!

Hands down - almond meal is the new love of my life.  My last post told you about pie crust made with almond meal.  Then it was the muffins and the BEST of all after the pie crust was the banana bread.  I LOVE banana bread.  But I never eat it because it's got so much sugar in it and also the flour.  NOW - I could never eat the traditional yum recipe I use.  BUT - my BFF Lynn sent me this one and it is FANTASTIC!  NO sugar (a small amount of Agave or honey is used) and NO flour.  I bought full fat organic cream cheese and TADAAA!!!  I am doing the happy dance!  Here's the recipe:

Almond Meal Banana Bread

Ingredients:

Dry:
3 cups Blanched Almond Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder (aluminum-free)

Wet:
3 Eggs (pastured, organic)
2-3 Very Ripe Bananas, Mashed
1/2 cup Xylitol (or honey or agave, etc)
1/4 cup Coconut oil
1 tbs Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Grease (with coconut oil) a 12-muffin tin (or 1 loaf pan)

3. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl

4. Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl (in order listed)

5. Add wet mixture to dry mixture

6. Transfer to pan

7. Bake muffins for about*** 20 – 25 minutes (or) bake a loaf for about 35 – 40 minutes

8. Let cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes

9. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack

So the other thing you should know is - I believe there will be a time when I can incorporate a small bit of carbs into my weekly diet.  And my man said I could indulge in a few berries or half an apple (not daily, perhaps, but weekly a few times).  So I'm ok with that!  I love my apple and almond butter (no peanuts or peanut butter) so that will be a treat.  And Oh, let's face it kids, you don't REALLY think I won't cheat on this "diet"?  Of course I will.  And guess what?  Tonight's the night!  I'm having cocktails (perhaps a few Dark and Stormys?  Orrrr - maybe a few of my hub's Cider-Bourbon Cocktails a la Martha Stewart?) and guess what's for dessert?  CHEESECAKE!!!  MY cheesecake.  Purist that I am - I will spoon every last morsel into my mouth without my lips touching any fruited topping.  JOYYYYYYYYY

And then I'll probably be sick all night!  UNJOYYYYYYY.  Agh - that could be the downside.  But we will see.  If so, it will surely deter me in the future.  And I'm ok with that...

For now - I am joyful to be working on fixing what ails me.  I am enJOYing spending time in the kitchen cooking up satiating food for myself and to share.  And most importantly, I am starting to catch more JOY as it flies by.  It's a start...