It's all about the straw!

It's all about the straw! Yes, readers...the magical straw....

 

I'm excited to share a little trick of the trade with you all today. Apparently, the rule of thumb is to drink half your weight in ounces. How is this possible? Well, a smart colleague of mine mentioned that she loves the straw. She is adamant that sipping water through a straw makes for more slurping throughout the day. I didn't believe her at first...but now, I'm a true believer! I found myself drinking enormous amounts of water this week, effortlessly. The straw does make a difference!

I think part of the reason is the accessibility. The water is just a suck away. No screw off lids and no water pouring down the sides of your mouth (or, is that just me who has issues?). It's brilliant! I was walking down the halls of school, sipping away at my water. So, walking and sipping go hand and hand now. Have you ever tried to unscrew a lid, drink, and walk down the hallway? It's tougher than you think.

Also, I think that you inhale more water through a straw than you do gulping from a wide mouthed rim. I catch myself swallowing twice in one sip! Double water, perhaps? So, drinking 4 - 600 ml jugs a day is effortless!

It seems silly. I get it. However, give it a try! I'm on a mission to drink 5 a day now...


So, let's talk about this week...

Accomplishments

* Water Intake -Cheers to the straw!

* Green Smoothies - Check! Had one every day for breakie.

* Weighed in 1.6 pounds lighter this week. I'm ALMOST where I was before the Christmas gitty splurge. Just another 0.8 pounds to get to where I was 6 weeks ago! Yikes, it kind of makes my Christmas melt down SO not worth it. (However, I did have fun eating anything and everything that I saw...ah, the freedom)


Struggles
* Exercise - Once again, here is an area of struggle. On Monday, I ran for 45 minutes while watching the Bachelor beauties. (Very inspiring, actually! - running to the skinny minnies on TV was super motivating!). However, on Tuesday I felt ill and it went all downhill from there. So, feeling crapola damaged me.

In addition, report card madness has begun. I internally battled with my thought processes ('work out or work out my report cards'...). The report cards won.  I just want them done!!


Confessional
* remember last week and the biscotti? Well, I found them AGAIN. So, my sister has now hid them. She has better hiding spots than my man.  HA!

* I also was famished one day after school and I found a bag of BBQ rice crisps in my cart. I ate them and loved every salty bite! (They must be the most ridiculous empty calories on the market - calories for air is so not worth it!) They were devoured in 2 sittings.

Proud Moment
* Each week, my hubs and I attend Catholic schooling. Before class begins, there is always a wide array of food including samosas, pizza, home made cookies, and other baked goods. It's always hard, but I try to hold my breath, turn the other way, and walk past the temptations. This past week, the table had spring rolls and those amazing double chocolate cookies. I knew I was in trouble. I held my breath, walked by the table, and found my seat and ignored all the chit chat, moans of satisfaction, and sweet smell of that room. Yep, a sweet moment with me and my straw.

Goals for next week

* 2 - long runs
* 1 Bikram Yoga class
* Drink 5 waters
* lose that 1 pound to surpass my lowest weight on WW records

Wedding Updates

* Invitations - check!

* Flower Girl dress - still in progress.

* My dress is in! Yay - trying it on this week.

* My Italian style Bridal Shower is well under way! I have a theme, date, and venue! More details soon! It's totally ME and I can't wait to see it come together. I think I'm more excited about the bridal shower than I am my wedding. Perhaps it's because the shower is in less than 3 months!

Have a great week, everyone! Go out and buy yourself a straw!

Cheers~!

It's refill time!

My new BFF.

Let it rain...let it rain...let it, RAIN? WHAT!

What's with our weather lately? Yesterday, was a double-digit day in January!?! And today, you could dance in the rain. What gives? I'm missing the snow. With these high temps, spring clothes in every store, and the sun shining, it's beginning to feel like April! Yikes! That's not good....back to reality....

So, let's talk about this week...

Accomplishments
* Water Intake - I really tried to UP my water intake. The more I read on water, the more I realize that it is absolutely vital to losing weight. Out of the 5 work days, I was fantastic with 3 of them. The other 2 days were a mess. I forgot my water bottle at home or in the car.
~The days that I drank the water, I felt the best! I was not hungry and felt more energized. Actually, one of the days I worked right through lunch and then realized that I hadn't eaten anything. I wasn't hungry at all....crazy! I'm always hungry. I've found a new BFF.

* Green Smoothies - I had a smoothie for breakfast every day. I made them before I went to bed, as the machine is a loud beast and I didn't want to wake my sister up. I was a little worried that the smoothies wouldn't keep me satisfied until lunch but they did! I wasn't hungry at all. However, that could have been because of my H20 buddy.

* Weighed in 3.6 pounds lighter this week! That loss is for 2 weeks though. I skipped weigh in last week. I'm happy but I'm not where I was before my 'OMG, eat everything in sight, Christmas binge'. The chocolates, the yummy cookies, the indulgences of the past.....ahhhh.....


Struggles
* Exercise - I only give myself half a star for this one. I find it difficult to squeeze in exercise when I have a 'to-do' list of a million things. I know I have to squeeze it in and make time. Did I tell you that last week, we bought a treadmill? Yes! So, I was able to sneak in 3 - 25+ minute runs throughout the week. It felt great! I really have no excuses to not work out. I've got a home gym downstairs.

Confessional
* My hubby loves his sweets. He purchased a box of biscotti to go along with his espresso. (Can't have 1 without the other, you see!). Well, he didn't hide the box well enough....


Proud Moment
*Some colleagues and I went out for lunch on Friday. (Insert the siren sounds now). As they ordered their Cold Stone Creamery double fudge, caramel, SKOR, decadent, amazingly, heavenly, OMG I want a bite, ice cream sundaes....I sat back and ate my boring a$$ sandwich. Yep, points for moi!



Goals for next week

* Exercise 4/7 days.
* Drink MORE water
* lose 2 lbs.

Wedding Updates

* This week, I have been focused on invitations. I'm a firm believer that your invitation should be a little glimpse into your wedding day. So, I've been busy choosing styles, colours, and ensuring that the wedding invite represents our special day. I think I've nailed it! What's interesting is that my mom really has been hands-off, this entire process. She called this week and shared her thoughts on invitations ( I never asked, she just called out of the blue). She made it quite clear that invitations sets the tone for a wedding and that I shouldn't skimp out on this important wedding detail. Who knew that invites were so important? What perfect timing! She didn't even know that I was working on them.  I think I'll make mama proud :)

* Also I've been working on my flower girl's dress. I think I found the perfect dress that mimics mine. However, my problem now is colour matching. Her dress only comes in 1 colour  (Ivory) and is a different designer than mine. Sometimes Ivory isn't always the same. My dress is ivory, however, the consultant said that it looks more like diamond white.  So, are the ivories the same? Or is one diamond white and 1 more ivory? If so, her dress will look 'dirty' next to mine. My dress hasn't arrived yet to double check the colours. So, I'm not really sure what to do with this one. This is my dilemma now.

Wanted: IMMUNITY

I'm sitting here, sipping my honey-loaded peppermint tea researching a cure for my ongoing 'Welcome to 2013' cold/flu bug. Yes, I'm that unfortunate one who was sick the entire holiday break. It first started with a few sniffles, then led to a full blown 3 days in bed head/chest cold, and now I'm the lucky recipient of what I think is, the flu. Guh. I think this is where people insert those 3 letters - starts with F and ends with L? You know the one.

What makes matters even more depressing is that I missed meeting a newborn baby today and my (future) nephew's birthday party tonight. As celebratory drinks are being poured, Italian rice balls served, and cannoli melting in mouths, I remain at home with Pepto by my side. How depressing!  Not how I wanted to end off my holidays!

However, it's times like these that test your faith and positivity, right? There's a reason to this madness and I just need to discover it.  Perhaps my body is telling me take a rest....perhaps my body is telling me to slow down (but how? I've got a wedding to plan! haha).....perhaps, my body is telling me it's time for an immunity cleanse.....perhaps, my body is telling me that it's time for an immunity boosting diet!

I do feel like I need a little shock to my system! I am a huge believer that food cures. I mean, how can you argue the amazing benefits of an alkaline body? (Hello, diseases don't typically grow in alkaline bodies!) I'm in need of an immunity boosting diet, alkalizing diet.  I have been known (ask any colleagues or close friends of mine) to have chronic colds come Winter. 'You're sick again?' - 'Yep...'. Enough is enough. I firmly believe that I have the power to change this cycle. It's time...

So, as I google the subject 'Immunity boosting diets', I am overwhelmed by the various answers out there. I imagined that I would be able to find the top 10, and that's that! NOPE, like everything else, there's a ton of different suggestions. So, below, I have put together a list of foods that seemed to keep popping up, from my research. They are:

1. Chicken Noodle Soup
It's not just an old wive's tale. It really works! It thins the mucous and has some anti-inflammatory effects. Goodbye nasal congestion!
2. Onion and Garlic
Garlic contains allicin, fights infection and bacteria. Who's up for eating 2 raw cloves of garlic daily? Yikes, welcome to stinkville.
3. Mushrooms
Apparently works with white blood cells to kill infection. Cool power team! Go team Shiitake!
4. Citrus Fruits
We all love vitamin C!
5. Yogurt
Probiotics - keeping your gut clean and healthy from disease-causing germs! Be sure that your yoghurt has Lactobacillus reuteri in it. Otherwise, it's just yoghurt, not the warrior style.
6.Vitamin D & Omega 3 Fatty Acids
7. Hot Tea
L-theanine, an amino acid, you can thank! Drink up! Green tea rocks this antioxidant department.
8. Ginger
A natural pain and fever reducer.
9. Honey
Soothes sore throats with it's antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Look for Buckwheat honey! Warning: Never give honey to a child under 1 years old.
10. Black Pepper
Go piperine! Apparently it has anti-fever and pain-relieving qualities.

These seem to be the popular ones! What have you heard is an immunity boosting food? I'd love to know your secrets to immunity health. And once again, just a reminder that I am not a doctor or expert in this field but rather a health nut who craves information. Always visit your doctor or naturopath for more details on strengthening your immunity.  

Raise your green tea in the air and CHEERS to a healthy immune system for 2013!

xo

References:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/06/immune-system-foods_n_1257903.html#s668462&title=ImmuneBoosting_Supplements_

http://www.prevention.com/food/food-remedies/9-power-foods-boost-immunity