Health Starts Here! By Paula

by overlandpark, February 26, 2010 | Permalink

 I want to share with you my life as a vegan! I have shared with you in the past my struggles with food. I love food! I never thought I would be able to live life without pepperoni pizza. Four months ago I was able to go with other Team Members from Whole Foods Market to Dr. McDougall’s 10 day program in Santa Rosa, California. This was a wonderful gift given to us by Whole Foods Market! It is part of our health immersion program offered to qualified employees at Whole Foods Market. Starting within the company lets us be available to help our customers become as healthy as they wish to be. I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Fuhrman speak in Boulder, Co. a few weeks ago. Between the two doctors I heard the same message. With all fears aside, the information I was not sure if I was ready to believe was confirmed. After losing my Mother to heart disease in 2007 and my Father to cancer in 1982 I knew I needed to do something different but I did not know what. So, after hearing the doctors speak, I now know there is a different way! I have been given the information I need to make the changes in my life to ensure my health! I have been following a vegan diet since I got back from California. I have not done it perfect, but I do not get upset about it anymore. If I want something that might not be the best choice for my health, I find the healthiest version and let myself enjoy it! 97% of my diet is vegan and I have lost about 17lbs. since I started four months ago. I eat for health now, trying to focus on nutrient dense food and fiber intake. I still tend to stress eat, but I choose things to eat like Dr. Fuhrman’s healthy chocolate cake with rice ice cream. I am very grateful to Whole Foods, John Mackey, Dr. McDougall and Dr. Fuhrman for giving me the opportunity to not only change my life, but to help empower others to do the same! I want add a special thank you to Mr. John Mackey for all he does to help people reach optimal health, care for the planet and help people from around the world through the Whole Planet Foundation www.wholeplanetfoundation.org !  I have never really had a person outside of my family and a few friends that inspires me in the way John Mackey does! Here at our store on 119^th Street we will be starting a Healthy Eating Support group for people looking to lead a healthier life style the last Thursday of every month at 6pm in our café! We also offer every Friday afternoon from 12-4 a chance to talk with our Healthy Eating Specialist as she shows you ways to incorporate healthy foods into your diet. So now I have a new love for and relationship with food! I found I have not had to give up any foods I love, I just find a healthy version. So it is about adding in great food, not giving up anything! I recommend reading Dr. McDougall’s and Dr. Fuhrman’s books , there are also video tapes available! Check out www.eatrightamerica.com and www.drmcdougall.com . Remember you are what you eat!

Brett’s Vacation Diet???

by overlandpark, August 26, 2009 | Permalink

So I’m going to Seattle for my 30th B-Day, and I’ve decided that my diet will change over that 6-day period.  Since all the seafood will be local and fresh, I am going to eat fish on my vacation.  Nothing else will change; still no sugar, wheat, or other bad “food” ingredients. And I will go back to being completely vegan upon my return to KC.  I’m really happy with the strides I’ve made nutritionally this entire last year.  My skin has cleared up, I’m happier, I’m fitter, and just feel terrific on a daily basis.  I can only wish this upon everyone I know. 

Brett from Grocery

My relationship with food; By Paula

by overlandpark, August 26, 2009 | Permalink

I had high expectations of myself at the beginning of the month. I was going to stick to a vegitarian diet and be able to tell you all I lost 15 lbs. But that didn’t happen. I didn’t stick to a vegitarian diet and I didn’t lose 15lbs. What did happen is that I found out that I do not have a Healthy relationship with food. I have been an all or nothing eater for a long time. I either eat everything I want or I limit certain foods like carbs, to lose weight. I see that food is my source of entertainment, I eat when I have had a long day and I am a tired, when I am sad or upset, food calms me. When I feel happy, I celebrate with food because it was a great day. I live to eat. I have been on low fat diets, low carb diets, and a raw food diet. I lose the weight but then something happens in my life, I lose a loved one, change jobs, I could go on and on because I have always found a reason that I thought food would comfort me. I read, watch documentaries, and talk to people about how we are what we eat. I have the knowledge, now I need to apply it.

The biggest thing I have found over the last three weeks , is that I am tired of labling everything either good or bad in my life including food. I am tired of feeling like I should do something or should be eating a certain way. I see that by giving myself a break and adding more whole foods to my diet I feel better. I have learned about my realtionship with food. Now I am able to make some changes in my life and look at how I can have a healthy relationship with food!

Smooth Sailing

by overlandpark, August 19, 2009 | Permalink

My new cleaned up diet is treating me fantastic!!! Everything is going swimmingly, with no setbacks. I’m still continuing to detoxify old stored toxins and emotions.  I have found a variety of nutbutters helps fight any remaining sugar cravings.  I have also increased my filtered water intake to 5 liters a day. This helps purify my body with every drink.

Anna Day 2

by overlandpark, August 19, 2009 | Permalink

Day 2

Breakfast: same except with flax oil instead. Made it much easier to mix up!

Lunch: Chicken breast and a small apple
I had great plans for a fantastic lunch with a cilantro pesto for the chicken (no olive oil in the house!!) and steamed veggies (no steamer in the house!!) and it ended up chicken and an apple. How exhilarating!

So when I got to work at 1:30pm I was starving. Had a yummy piece of cheese, raw cashews and dried cherries (non sweetened) to tide me over.

Dinner: Salmon and grilled asparagus from our Prepared Foods Dept.

I did cheat and have a handful of potato chips they had sitting out by the timeclock. And I missed some of the food groups I was supposed to have had today thanks to the pesto thing not working out. The caffeine headache continued today (did I mention they don’t want you to take over the counter meds while doing this?).

Water Consumption: approx 80 ounces

It’s hard to think so thoroughly about what you’re going to eat through the entire day at 830 in the morning. I’m not used to planning ahead like that. And with the gluten free aspect of this detox, all my standby pasta is not available! I think that is part of why I remain hungry. So tomorrow I’m going to try to add some brown rice or quinoa to dinner and hopefully that will help carry me through my shift.

But man! Could I go for a cold Dr. Pepper right about now!!

Anna’s attempt at The Fast Track Detox Diet

by overlandpark, August 19, 2009 | Permalink

I started the Fast Track Detox Diet on Monday.This is a book by Ann Louise Gittleman, also author of the Fat Flush Plan.
Check out the website: http://www.annlouise.com/fast-track/overview/the-fast-track-detox-diet-overview.html
Essentially there is 7 days of maintaining your current diet while eating liver and colon loving foods and eliminating “detox detractors” such as sugar, gluten, caffiene (ugh!!) and excess fat.Then 1 day of liquid detox during which you drink water and a “miracle juice” of cranberry, orange, ginger, etc. This is followed by 3 days of reintroducing food to your system.
The book is CRITICAL to read because it explains WHY your liver and colon are suffering and HOW this process can help it.More than weightloss or anything, I’m doing this with/for my mother who has a bad liver. The hope is that this will jumpstart her on the right track to better eating so the liver can begin healing itself (yes your liver is just THAT amazing!).

So…backtrack to the beginning…

Day 1

Breakfast: greek yogurt, fresh strawberries and blueberries and some ground flaxseed.
Note to self: ground flaxseed in greek yogurt makes paste. ew! try oil instead

Lunch: 1 egg, small apple and 2 tbsp peanut butter

I’m starving after an hour.

Dinner: Chicken breast, kale sauted with onion and garlic and drizzled with lemon, steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, water with lime

My first time for kale and it was ok. Not a whole lot of flavor there actually so I’ll keep working with it.
Again, both my mother and I are starving after maybe 2 hours.

Snack: string cheese

Water consumption: approx 80 ounces

I weigh myself before bed because I forgot to in the morning. 153.2. The highest I like to allow myself to be is 150 so YIKES!

The caffeine withdrawal is the worst part so far, giving me a lovely dull headache all day.

Stay tuned for the recap of Day 2!

Continued diet success

by overlandpark, August 7, 2009 | Permalink

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed eating high protein grains such as quinoa, amaranth, oat groats, and brown rice.  They take a little longer to prepare since they must be soaked overnight to remove the phytic acid, but it is totally worth it.  I’m feeling better by the moment as I continue to detoxify things from my body.-Brett

August 5th

by overlandpark, August 5, 2009 | Permalink

Michelle gave us her recipe from her clean eating diet! Our fresh ground turkey breast is on sale right now for $4.99 lb. !

Clean eating spaghetti and turkey meatballs

by overlandpark, August 5, 2009 | Permalink

Meatballs:
Ground Turkey (about 2lbs)
Oat bran (about 1-1.5 cups)
1 Egg
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried italian seasoning
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp each salt and pepper

• Add ingredients to “taste” - you’ll want the mixture to be very moist to the touch.  Form into balls and bake at 350 until done in the center.

Sauce:
1 jar pasta sauce (check label for low sugar content)
1 carrot finely diced
1 onion finely diced
1 clove garlic finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cinnamon

Sautee carrot, onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.  Add pasta sauce, bay leaf and cinnamon.  Cook for about 20-30 minutes.  Add meatballs to sauce once it’s done.

Serve with whole wheat pasta.

August 3rd, 7th Core Value

by overlandpark, August 3, 2009 | Permalink

Hi All! (Paula’s adventures in healthy eating!)

Yesterday was my 2nd day , for breakfast I had a shake made with rice protein by Nutribiotic’s. For lunch I had some rice, beans, salsa and guacamole. My snack was juiced veggies  (celery, apples and lemons). Dinner, I had Orzo with spinach and feta salad from our prepared foods department. Dessert was an ezekiel sprouted grain english muffin with some Sunbutter natural sunflower seed spread and a little 365 organic fruit spread. All of these items you will find at our Whole Foods Market!

Today , I am having water with lemon and green tea to start off my day! I really enjoyed dessert from yesterday, so that is how I am starting off today! At some point during the day I will make some cashew ice cream for my dessert tonight. I have been eating organic for awhile but, I find myself living on organic pizza and cookies! I also love to eat out but most times organic is not an option. I am very excited to be a part of this blog and to hold myself accountable for what I am putting in my body. After seeing the movie Food Inc. I realize I need to pay more attention to what I feed myself and my family. If you have not seen Food Inc. yet I suggest you do so. It will be playing here in Kansas City at The Leawood and Tivoli theatres until the 6th of August. Food Inc. For dinner I will make my own pizza with fresh multigrain pizza dough and sauce from our prepared food department, with raw goat cheese (Naked Goat) from our specialty department! I know planning ahead really helps me. If I don’t, I will get too hunger and make food choices that are not good for me. So on that note, I will say for lunch I will have a rice protein shake!