Superfoods, Week One

I've completed a full week of my health kick. I ate I'd say 90 percent Superfoods this week. I did eat Pizza with Kevin and the kids on Saturday night, but what the hell. I'm not on a diet and I refuse to feel guilty. Power to the fat chicks!

I feel really good. Lighter. Which, you know, I should since I've lost 2.5 pounds this week. (309.5 if you're keeping track. I'm not changing my ticker until I get lower than my low so far.) But I feel like I'm digesting my food better, using it better. I have some energy, which is always a good thing.

The biggest thing I've noticed is that I don't have that desperate "I have to be full-full right now" thing going on that I did last May when I started this. I was sure, since I'd gone back to letting myself be full-full all the time that I'd struggle getting back to a place where I was comfortable with "full-enough."

I think having an ounce of Dove dark chocolate at night helps. It definitely keeps me from feeling deprived, but since it's not the super-sweet milk creamy chocolate, I'm not tempted to eat the whole bag in a sitting. It's good, but best in small doses.

I'm reading the Mediterranian Diet right now, and it's so interesting. It doesn't preach super low-fat, which is what I'm used to. I spent many, many years as a devout Susan Powter follower. But the research about having a diet that's 30% monounsaturated fat and the health benefits thereof is really fascinating to me. I want Kevin and I, and our kids, to break our family histories of cancer and alcoholism (my side) and heart disease (his side.)

It's amazing, truly, how much more satisfying food is if it has some fat. Take a salad. I like vinegar as dressing. I don't need the oil to make it eatable. But add just a teaspoon of olive oil and a few bites of avocado or a tablespoon of bluecheese (the cheese, not the dressing) and suddenly I'm not on a diet, I'm eating something that will keep me satisfied for a few hours.

Here's what I had for lunch today. It was absolutely scrumptious!

Avocado Tomato Yumminess

Two slices whole wheat bread
One teaspoon olive oil
Half an avocado
One tomato sliced thin
Baby spinach leaves
salt, pepper and garlic bread seasonig (this is so good...garlic and a little romano cheese and really low in calories.)

Brush the oil on the bread, sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning. Slice the avocado and tomato. Arrange avocado on bread and sort of smoosh it in, spreading it. Top with tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and then top with spinach.

I ate this with some grapes and orange wedges.

I TOLD you I'm not on a diet!

I need to start exercising. This last week, not having a car, I pretty much sat on my ass most of the time. Enough of that already.

My goals this week are:

1. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my dad at a restaurant that I will walk to instead of having him pick me up.

2. Thursday Nick and I are walking to his doctor's appointment and home again.

3. At least twice this week I want to walk with Ruby to the park.

That's four walks. Not a marathon, but it's something. I love that it's exercise for life's sake, not exercise for exercise's sake.