Oh, lovely April.

Aside from the pesty fact that I have still not filed my taxes, April has been off to an awesome start. & I just looked at the date..gulp.. I have like a week to file. The reason why, and which makes it worse is because I've been waiting for my 1099 from one of my x-employers!! I need to start pestering, I suppose. asap.

I'm pretty proud of myself though, I've been on a super health kick and going strong. I really love the idea of eating & being super healthy. I've set high goals for myself this year, and I've raised my standards for myself. Its hard to stay disiplined, I let myself get away with a lot. Not to mention I am an 'all or nothing' type of girl. I either have the motivation and just go for it full speed ahead or I don't, in which case I go nowhere. This time I'm winning the tug-o-war with my self-control when it comes to my sweet tooth, late-night cravings, and peanut butter.

The Plan. My meals have been consisting mainly of fruit and/or vegetables, only high fiber wheat and grains, and lean protein. And lots of water, green tea and water! I don't have anything against milk, but I have been replacing it with unsweetened almond milk (which I just love). I'm sure if there is any connection, but my skin is looking its finest. I've been limiting the number of times I dine out, and if I do I make sure to go light with the rest of the days meals. Then I have a trick up my sleeve. Two words..Daily Reward. Everyday, I reward myself with something healthy (for lack or a better word) delicacy. For example, I just discovered how much I love fresh young coconut juice and fresh cane. There is a Cane Juice stand at the Farmer's Market that makes all kinds of healthy smoothies with fresh squeezed cane juice, coconuts, and various fruits & veggies. There a bit expensive, but they serve as Saturdays motivation to eat good and not late at night. Then come Sunday I get my treat. My usual rewards are Kombucha, smoothies from Ewewhon, 85% cacao dark chocolate from Traders, green tea lattes or red wine.

I usually start my mornings with a cup of green tea and an orange. Then for breakfast I've been having my Banana Flax smoothie. If my day allows it, I'll go hiking up at Runyon Canyon. If not, I jump rope, do at least 200 crunches, and 20 push-ups. My lunches have been consisting of some sort of invented salad with what's living in my fridge. Except today I'm going to indulge in the beet soup I made yesterday!! And then dinner.. it varies, but along the lines similar to my lunch. I snack on fruit in between meals, Kombucha, tea or coffee mid day, and sometimes a few nuts. Since going to the farmer's market I've also discovered how awesome and healthy goat cheese is, and oysters. &The fact that there's a super cute specimen shucking the oysters probably adds to their appeal as well. haha. :)

oh & then here I am.. playing around with my camera, like usual.

♥the little gypsy

THE TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR?

Today I baked a 'Glazed Lemon Loaf' cake. I found the recipe in a book I found at Barns and Noble, but due to my sincere dedication to make the healthiest and still tasty dishes possible, I made a few of my own modifications to the recipe. I substituted the 1/4 c. canola oil for 1/4 c. unsweetened, no preservatives added apple sauce and about a tbsp of olive oil. I also used 3/4 c. whole wheat flour, 1/4 c. vital wheat gluten-which adds an additional 23 grams of protien, and a 1/2 c. of white flour instead of 1 1/2 c. of white flour. And I felt like being a bit radical and reduced the sugar from 3/4 c. to 1/4c. It turned out pretty good, but as you might assume, it's not a sweet cake which in turn reduces the yummy flavor. But none the less its good for a quick breakfast. And if I were to make this again I would add walnuts for extra flavor and texture.

So getting back to my original point, it got me talking to my mom about sugar when she asked why I was eliminating such a large quantity of it. And I explained how it is unhealthy. We all know the basics, sugar raises your insulin level very quickly which leads our body to 'crash' shortly after. However, there are many, many more reasons to give sugar the cold shoulder. While I am a firm believer that a little bit of everything in moderation is okay, I was also the girl who would consume a tub of ice cream in 2 maybe 3 days, and eat cake, candy, chocolate, or cookies on pretty much a daily basis when I was younger. Enough said. Sugar is addictive, I know that better than anyone. And my secret that keeps me from falling victim to the cravings, I have to stay away from it completely. It is self control, but more importantly 'out of sight, out of mind.'

So why is it bad?

Refined Sugar is bad for you because it raises the insulin level in your blood.

Raised blood insulin levels depress the immune system. If your immune system is depressed then your ability to fight disease is weakened.

Raised blood insulin levels can cause weight gain. Insulin promotes the storage of fat; so, when you eat foods high in refined sugar, you increase fat storage. Obviously, the result is rapid weight gain.

Refined Sugar contains no vitamins or minerals so in order for sugar to be metabolized it must draw on the body’s reserve of vitamins and minerals. When these reserves are depleted, metabolization of cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher blood serum triglycerides, cholesterol, promoting obesity due to higher fatty acid storage around organs.

• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
• Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
• Sugar can cause kidney damage.
• Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
• Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
• Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
• Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
• Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
• Sugar can cause depression.
• Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
• Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Sugar can cause hypertension.
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
• Sugar can cause an increase in delat, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
And the list goes on and on.
You can find more at:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-is-Refined-Sugar---Known-As-White-Sugar---Bad-for-You?&id=119462
http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk/articles/is-sugar-bad-for-you.htm