I've been chopping, shredding, mincing and mixing for hours. My son is not happy about this. He wants to read and play with me. I felt guilty, so I sat down and gave him a bowl. We made a snack together and read a book. Now I'm fully prepped for the next few days. I am very glad that I gave myself another day to prepare. It would have been incredibly stressful to take care of this while trying to eat the right things. I think taking the probiotic and drinking the water for another day will only benefit my end results. Just those two changes have made a big difference in the way I feel. I've always been good about drinking the recommended 64oz a day, but the extra 13.8oz has made me feel better. It really does make sense that a 128lb woman wouldn't have the same water demands as a 165.6lb person!

The most interesting thing I made today? Flax Granola. I used Red Mill Whole Flaxseeds, it was the best price per ounce at Hy-Vee and I've always been happy with Red Mill products. It was simple, but time consuming. Soak whole flax seeds in water (spiced with all sorts of warm, sweet spices, think cinnamon & cloves) for around 8hrs and it looks like this:

After the Flax has soaked, you thinly spread it onto a cookie sheet and bake it for 50 minutes at 150*, flipping and turning it so that all bits are baked dry. I went ahead and made the whole package, which is why it took me forever to cook! The recipe in the book allows for dried cranberries or raisins, so I added dried cranberries for sweetness and textural contrast. In the end, it looked like this:

It is far more appealing in person, crunchy in texture and very fragrant. If you're used to sugared/salted cereals, the flavor will probably seem bland at first. One of the goals in The Plan is to sensitize your taste buds to natural flavors. I know that so much of what I eat is flavor enhanced with sugar or salt. I've gotten used to amping up food with salt that I've forgotten how delicious things used to taste!

My first 7 years were spent in my Momzoe's house; where snacks were things like cheese, hummus, fruits, steamed veggies with a small amount of butter...delicious! The next 7 years were spent living with my Pops. Not too long ago. we had a frank and humorous discussion about the food we ate during that time. So much of it was McDonalds, chain Chinese, frozen Hungry Man Dinners, Egg-in-a-hole, pizza. I don't really ever remember having breakfast or many fruits or veggies in the house. At age 14, I 5' tall & 150 lbs! You know what? That has affected me negatively but I WAS lucky. I had a dad who kept me fed, clothed, housed and he loves me. We were not the model Daddy/Daughter Duo but get along amazingly well these days.

I have been fighting that 14y/o girl who has a taste for foods devoid of merit since I moved back in with my mom at 14. I was down to 110 lbs until my senior year in highschool. I left for my exchange year in Ecuador. The food was amazing and so was the experience. So amazing, that I gained 25lbs. I was still happy then. After I started college my food choices came in waves, HEALTHY for weeks and then SUPER UNHEALTHY for weeks. I found that I gain weight around my guy, Adam. I ballooned up to 166 at one point during our relationship. I was actually 163 lbs the day we found out I was pregnant. I had severe morning sickness and lost 30lbs while pregnant...then slowly gained it back, weighing 163 when I went into labor.
After my son was born I worked out and ate balanced meals so I could provide Ollie with optimal nutrition. I was down to 147 until I had Mirena placed. Then I gained back all the weight plus 3lbs...evening though I was eating and exercising the same way. My doctor told me flat out, that I probably wouldn't loose more than 10lbs until I stopped breastfeeding because of the overabundance of estrogen in my system. I wasn't about to sacrifice my sons health so I could be more aesthetically pleasing. I cut my workouts in half and started eating whatever I wanted. I stayed at the same weight. The weight I was at when I saw Lyn-Genet Recitas and her Plan. The idea of reactive foods and the way they can affect each person differently resonated with me. Maybe, just maybe The Plan can help balance my hormones and get rid of my laundry list of related symptoms!
I'll check in tomorrow. Tonight I'm drinking my last Diet Dr. Pepper and eating my last jalapeno popper for a long time!