Gerd

So I decided for breakfasts I will star off with oatmeal, and I’ll find all kinds of different ways to make it. I can throw egg whites in it, too. And occasionally I can have a whole egg for breakfast, but I’ll have to poach it because anything fried will tear up my stomach.
I did a great job today following my new meal plan until after dinner. Now my stomach is killing me and I’ve been feeling nausea.
But for breakfast I picked up a fiber one bar and some apple juice and a water.
For lunch I went to subway and I got a sub with a slice provolone and all kinds of veggies and A bag of baked lays (Seeing as I can only have baked chips now)
I had a tea (something I’m supposed to stay away from whether its decaffeinated or not, but I’m nowhere near that strict)
Then for a snack I got a mini original frozen yogurt. Its only 3 oz of frozen yogurt and its all nonfat and the sugar count isn’t too high, so it doesn’t really mess with digestion too much. I put blueberries in it and bananas. For dinner I cut probably a fourth of a loaf of french bread and sliced it in half length wise then toasted it. I made a salad with sunflower seeds carrots hard boiled egg white pieces and a few rice crunch noodles. I ended up putting bacon bits on there as well (Made with soy protein)
In the bread I put lettuce, tomato, and a little bit of cream cheese and sunflower seeds. I only used one slice of tomato, seeing as I’m supposed to be avoiding large quantities of tomato. You would be amazed at the difference I had felt. I have been drinking more water and I have more energy. Then dad brought home taco bell, and well all know I love taco bell. I ate bean burrito which had sour cream, cheese, beans, tomatoes, and hot sauce. I had a little over a serving of pretzels right before this, too. Pretzels are a g.e.r.d. friendly food, btw. But fifteen minutes after eating the burrito I felt my stomach start to hurt and feel bloated, and could feel acid back up in my throat. I feel uncomfortable right now, and I’m hoping it dies down soon. Hoping for an easier time tomorrow! I guess I am going to have to start making my own meals. Its getting harder and harder to eat healthier especially when I’m at work and theres only fast food. I came up with a solution though, I can get brown rice and veggies and fish form genghis grill during breaks. They give you large portions and its delicious!

New Meal Plan in the Making.

So, I’ve mentioned this recently to a few people. Every time I eat I either get heartburn, I have chest pains, or stomach aches. Sometimes I do eat too much, but here’s teh deal. I would be eating totally normal amounts of food and not almost every time, but EVERY time after I eat I feel stomach acid coming abck up my throat and I feel the need to throw up and later on my stomach is severely upset. Now, I did what any normal eighteen year old girl would do and I googled it. Want to know the results? Acid Reflux. Now, I’m not jumping to conclusions on this one. I HAVE been diagnosed with acid reflux when I was younger. I even ended up in the hospital once with stomach pains so bad. I just didn’t consider this as the reason for my so called symptoms. But alas, all my symptoms are in fact factors of acid reflux. Honestly its pretty embarrassing now that I remember the doctor telling me having acid reflux. If you wantt o learn more about acid reflux, google it like I did.
I found this:
“It goes without saying that you should avoid foods that contain high levels of acid. Adding more acid to your stomach is only going to aggravate things. Highly acidic foods include citrus fruits and tomato based foods. You also should cut down on caffeine consumption, including sodas and chocolate. Spicy and fatty foods are also foods to avoid. All of these foods can aggravate your acid reflux and trigger symptoms.”

Growing up these were the kinds of things I ate, and still do to this day. So A new meal plan is in the making.

I need to cut down on these things:
High acidic content
High fats
Overly spicy foods
High tomato content
Caffeine
Too many high acidic citrus fruits
Soda
High sugars (mainly in chocolate)

Of course I won’t completely cut out these things form my diet, but I need to be careful that  I only eat small portions of them, and not frequently. This should help my abdominal region. And help save money i could have otherwise spent on tums.

I had chili cheese fries today. packed with oils, fats, cheese, a high acid content. And three sodas. I feel horrible. Any ideas on meals I can make with low fat, low acidic, and non spicy?  This absolutely kills me because I am in lvoe with dairy products, but they have always caused me issues as well. I feel a lot better when I am drinking almond milk. Having an e.d. in the past I was having a hard time letting myself cut down on anything. I felt like it was giving into e.d. but I really thought about it and realized that a doctor would be having me do the same thing, and that if I want to feel better this is necessary. I figured a mostly fish diet would help with the high fat content of some meats.

Here is a list of main foods i should almost completely avoid:

Fruits:
Tomato (Big one! A slice or two is fine. A tomato based food is what landed me in the hospital)
Lemon
Lemonade
Grapefruit
Grape Juice (Grape juice makes me sick, this explains a lot)
Cranberry juice ( Also makes me sick)
Orange Juice ( I’d always get stomach acid back up when I drank this so I rarely drink it. I figure its okay every now and then)
Vegetables
French fries (Also makes sense. Which means sweet potatoes fries made with olive oil and sea salt form now on. I think I’ll survive)
Onions, raw ( This explains SO much. I could NEVER eat raw onions. They make me beyond ill)
Dairy
Sour cream (Don’t like it anyways)
Milk Shake (Don’t drink them anyways)
Ice cream (Yeah right, I’m not giving this up. My stomach can deal)
Cottage cheese
Whole and 2% milk
Meat
Ground beef, Chuck
Sirloin
Chicken Nuggets
Buffalo Wings
(I’m guessing any fried or spicy meat)
Grains
Macaroni and cheese
Spaghetti with sauce, any pasta with tomato sauce base
Alfredo
Beverages
Caffeine
Tea
Wine
Liquor
High acidic fruit juices
Fats/Oils
Salad Dressing, creamy and Oil & Vinegar
Large amounts of vegetable oil
Sweets
Butter based sweets, butter cookies etc
Brownie
Chocolate
Doughnut
Corn Chips
Potato chips, regular

This is what my mind is thinking “AHHHHH!”
But i know once I can make a healthy meal plan that revolves around these things I won’t feel as bad as I do. I wish I didn’t have Acid Reflux, and I also wish it hadn’t taken me this long to finally eat food that wouldn’t be making me sick.
Honestly things like salad dressing and such, I rarely eat, so I feel its okay to eat those, and ice cream. Yes, I eat a lot of ice cream. I work in a frozen yogurt place!
My stomach is remind me though right now I need to be strong and do wahts best for my body, because I’m having horrible sharp pains in my abdomen.  I will definitely need help with this meal plan. I want to be active and be healthy and stop having chronic back up stomach acid, or chronic chest pains, or chronic stomach aches. I really am tired of it and ready to put a new foot forward in life.

I looked at many of the safe foods for acid reflux and honestly I’m a little frightened of being committed to a meal plan. I need to get out of the mindset of ed and that I am ‘depriving’ myself. Because making healthier life choices is not depriving myself.

Fruits
Apples
Apple Juice
Bananas
Vegetables
Baked Potatoes
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Peas
Green Beans
Meat
Ground Beef, extra lean
Skinless Broiled,baked, or grilled chicken breast
Egg Whites
Egg Substitute
Fish
Dairy
Feta Cheese
Goat Cheese
Fat-free cream cheese
Low-fat soy cheese
Grains
Multi-grain bread
Cereal, bran or oatmeal
Graham crackers
Pretzels
Rice
Rice Cakes
Beverages
Mineral Water (REALLY?!!? That’s the only for sure safe drink?! Oh, well it did say apple juice.)
Sweets
Baked potato chips
Jelly Beans
fat free cookies
red Licorice (I hate twizzlers. Thanks, though.)

So, any help and aid in making Gastroesophageal reflux disease friendly meal plan would be muchly appreciated. Higher fiber foods can also help digestion. So, I’ll get started on something tomorrow. Meal, and snack, ideas are appreciated!

Pizza, Anyone?

So, today  made pizza. It was delicious.

I cooked the pizza for about 20 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
I made the dough, then let it chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half.

It was a fairly small pizza, maybe 12″, and it was thin crust. When it came out of the oven the crust was crispy and perfect to my liking. before I put it in the oven I brushed the outer crust with olive oil and garlic powder. On the pizza was a tomato and garlic tomato sauce, tomatoes, asparagus, some finely chopped kale, and I used a mild sharp cheddar cheese.

The result was a beautiful, delicious, crispy, and hot pizza.

There is a slice missing form the six because I decided to eat one as soon as it came out. Then I made a plate for lunch with another slice, and a salad with ranch and bacon bits. I ended up having more, but I was just snacking on it and didn’t think it necessary to take a picture.

At the point when i finally took the picture, I had already attacked my food. It was delicious!
I had Terra chips as well, but they aren’t shown in this picture.

This was my snack the other day. Whole Milk, whole wheat toast, grapes, and grileld garlic asparagus. I thought I’d go ahead and post it.

If you want to make a small thin crust pizza like the one I have posted here do the following:

Ingredients:
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Tbsp Yeast
1/2 cup warm water, approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tbsp of salt
1/2 tbsp of sugar

It really is extremely simple. All you need to do is take the warm water in a large bowl in a mixer and add the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes. Then add the salt and olive oil. After that add the flour, and you will see right before your eyes dough appearing! Let the dough be kneaded, then afterward, take it out of the bowl and place it in some plastic wrap, then let it chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half. You can also double up the amounts of the ingredients for a larger and thicker crust pizza. You can also use this recipe for simple bread sticks. Just roll them out how you’d like them and brushed them with olive oil, Parmesan, sea salt, and maybe minced garlic. There is about 550 total calories in this dough recipe. If you double up the ingredients it will be about 1090-1100. This is a delicious, healthy, and simple pizza to make and I strongly recommend taking the time to make it! You can buy tomato sauce, or make your own. I will post a tomato sauce recipe another time.

I have been following a workout regime to tone up my body and get back into shape so I can be strong and healthy.
My abs are starting to show up again.
I eat constantly through out the day. I am trying to get extra protein to help build muscle more easily. Getting in shape is a long process, and I do about 30 crunches everyday, along with Yoga and stretching. I try to jog twice a week, but usually its for less than a mile and then I will walk. I’ve definetly added more veggies and fruit to my diet, because I think I was having low iron issues and probably not getting enough vitamin C. I’ve tried to stay away from anything with aspartame or anything with lots of chemicals like diet soda, because I want my body to be strong and healthy. And I’m seeing a difference in not only my appearance, but my brain function as well. I’m thinking a lot more clearly after a week and a half, and I’m slowly getting more energy. I think I’m one of those peopel who needs liek ten hours of sleep to feel energized, but I really don’t think my body was being fed well enough. I still have issues I want to see the doctor about but this is definitely and improvement in my lifestyle.

I’m out, tomorrow there probably won’t be a post for me seeing as my moms getting married. Later guys!

Me being super cute…hahaha.
-Brit

Banana Kale Smoothie

Banana Kale Smoothie

3/4 Cup Original Almond Milk

1 Whole, sliced banana

4-5 ice cubes

1/2 cup of chopped kale

Blend, then drink. You won’t need to add any sugar to this, it is naturally sweet.

Facts about Almond Milk- Loaded with unsaturated fat which helps prevent heart diseases, and has no cholesterol and no saturated fat. It has important omega fatty acids and filled with protein, something that helps maintain healthy muscle and help keep you full. Also there is a lot of vitamin E , manganese that helps activate enzymes in the body and help maintain strong bones and teeth, and Selenium that helps promote a good immune system.
Facts about Kale- Kale is loaded with vitamins. It has protein, low cholesterol, low in saturated fat, has dietary fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin k, vitamin b6, calcium, potassium, copper, folate, thiamin, riboflavin,  and manganese. You cannot taste it in the smoothie, and its basically like adding a natural vitamin to your smoothie.
facts about bananas- bananas are a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin c, and Manganese. Very low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Fiber helps digestion and also helps keep you full. Another reason why this is such a great snack. Vitamin C is necessary for good immunity. B6 helps convert your calories into energy, and maintains a balanced metabolism. Potassium is important for the cell function in all parts of the body. It is also an electrolyte, a substance that conducts electricity in the body. Manganese.

This is a delicious smoothie for a quick snack or to have with your breakfast an lunch. One smoothie is around 165 calories. This is in no way a substitution for a meal. It should either be added on to a meal, or had for snack. It will help keep you feeling full until your next meal. If you want to have this for breakfast try throwing some peanut butter in it for some extra protein. For a tablespoon of natural peanut butter will offer you an extra 100 calories to help give you energy until your mid- morning snack.

For breakfast I had Italian bread, grapes, and asparagus with olive oil and garlic. Then I had one of these smoothies. Maintaining a healthy diet is important for your mental health and for your physical health! In my attempt to make a smoothie though, as I went to put away the blender my cat ran under my feet and I dropped it. I now have a small broken piece of plastic, that without it I will not be able to make anything. So there goes 40 bucks to a new blender.
My form of exercise today was dancing around in my underwear. I find when I am sitting most of the day and am feeling lazy, dancing in my underwear is the only way I’ll get any exercise. Not to mention the weather also sucks right now. Its storming outside, but I’m taking full advantage and lit candles turned off my lights, did homework.

I watched Black Swan last night. I rate it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I genuinely liked the movie, although is as weird and crazy. The acting is wonderfully done by Portman, though. She completely transforms throughout the movie, and I don’t jsut mean her inner schizophrenic unleashed itself. I was actually at times a little frightened during this movie, but I still thought it was well done. There is a lot of symbolism in this movie, and in a general sense I really liked it. I was unsatisfied with the ending, though, otherwise I would have given it a 4 out of 5 stars. Anyways, ciao everyone. I will update tomorrow.

With Love,
Brit

Stressed?

Recently, I have been dealing with stress. There are many ways stress can be handled. Here are some of the many ways I handle mine.

1. Writing ( Generally this applies to me list making, usually when I’m stressed, I’m too distracted to focus on writing about how I feel)
Lists help me organize what I need to do, and help give me a sense of accomplishment and organization when I complete one.

2. Spa time
I usually will turn off the lights in my bathroom, light candles, use aroma therapeutic body wash (for bubble baths, can be bought at bath&body works for five dollars for a small bottle), Then I make sure everything is very clean in there so I don’t feel even more stressed by random clutter. I will use egg whites for a face mask after I get out, and will make my own home exfoliate (as seen in previous post). I usually will use a little coconut oil in my hair as well. You can change what you use to your preference, but giving myself a nice easy little lift always helps me feel refreshed and more motivated. This is an opportune time to do either at night or at the start of your day.

3. Workout
I typically do a hardcore workout when I’m stressed. It helps release endorphins in your body. Working out just by itself can make me feel more motivated and accomplished. I feel not only better about myself physically, but mentally I feel more alive and active. When I workout under stress I do very hard workouts, not to test my limits but in order to relieve myself of some of the negative emotions I have. If you have a local gym, I recommend going and using the machines and turning that level up as high as it will go, you will be sore the next day but as long as you get good stretching in the next day it won’t be too bad. If you don’t have a gym you can work out at, then run, lift some weights at home, push-ups, etc. (Note: Make sure you drink lots of water and eat balanced, otherwise it will only make you feel worse).

4. Discipline
There is nothing quite like self discipline to help relive stress. In the moment you will feel stressed, but prolonging things will only increase stress and cause more problems. You never regret it when you do, but you will almost always regret it when you don’t.

5. Take a Nap
Naps always help relax me. Its important not to take one for longer than an hour otherwise you will be very drowsy.

6.Stop Complaining, and Make a Plan
Strategize plans in order to overcome whatever is causing you to be stressed. Actively pursue these plans, because complaining about them will do you no good. Confiding in a friend of your frustrations is okay, but dwelling on it is not beneficial.

7.Talking With a Therapist
Therapists actually not only are getting paid to listen to you frustrations, but they can help you figure out ways that you can deal with stress in an easy way. It is a therapists job to figure out how you work and analyze the way you do things and still be sensitive to your feeling. They can help you figure out, how to deal with stress. Whenever I used to get very bad anxiety attacks my therapist taught me that blowing bubbles could help ease me of many of my anxiety symptoms.

There are many ways to deal with stress. These are a few of the many things I do. Depending on what you’re stressed about there are many different ways you can approach it. These apply to pretty much an circumstance. Eating well, and taking care of yourself, and using self discipline as a friend and not soemthing that “cages” you will really help as well. Procrastination as well is pretty normal for any person, I should know I am Queen Procrastinita. Of course, I do work on these tendencies, and just sitting down and doing it I never regret it.

On a lighter note, I had breakfast today that consisted of Italian bread and asparagus cooked with garlic and olive oil. It was delicious and filling. I planned on having an egg with it as well, but I was much too lazy to make one (mostly because I didn’t want to dirty a pan). It would have been perfection with an egg, too bad. But, it was still delicious. I’ve started out my day to blog, get dressed, eat, and relax. I have been very stressed lately for many circumstances, but I’m making plans for how to deal with it.
Today, I put on a pair of bootcut dark wash jeans from American eagle (the only place I can find pants that fit well), A striped cream and black tank from Charlotte Russe, and A cream cardigan from The Limited. I straightened my hair, too. Although, its been rainy today. Hopefully the fact that its been rainy will help motivate me for later! Ciao, my darlings. I’m going downstairs to make some lunch. I’ll try and post tomorrow when I’m breaking between work.
With Love,
Brit
(P.S. This is handsome and I :] )

April Showers.

Natural skin product I made:
* 1 tbsp of sugar
* 1/2 tbsp of honey
*1/2 tsp of water
*and one packet of green tea leaves (Rip open a green tea bag)
Mix in a small container, let sit for about ten minutes then use to exfoliate your face. Massage gently into skin. Once sugar has mostly dissolved let sit on your face for three to five minutes, then rinse. Make sure you have washed your face before using this. Then apply moisturizer.

I made this product earlier today while in the shower, and it left my skin baby soft. It is a great natural exfoliate for the skin, and the green tea helps eliminate redness, the sugar removes dead skin cells, and the honey helps lighten and moisturize the skin. Its really a great at home remedy to use, and I prefer it over over the counter exfoliates.
I recommend applying a serum before your moisturizer, it helps maintain moist skin throughout the day.
And as for a moisturizer, I prefer an oil free one. I have oily skin, but either way I feel oil free ones leave my skin feeling fresher.
I am a big fan of Aveeno moisturizer. You can buy it at any drugstore, or places like target and wal-mart.

On a new note, apparently sitting most of the day can increase your odds of a heart attack by 50%! You couch potatoes need to start standing!
Also, if you aren’t a veggie head, definitely aim for more tuna and salmon as your protein, its great for you. Something I plan to make this week is:
Almond crusted salmon fillet.
Dip salmon fillet in whisked egg. Few handfuls of almonds and put them in the food processor until finely chopped. Put dipped salmon in almond ‘breading’ then put in skillet. Make sure there is a thin even coat of olive oil in the pan, and cooked on low-medium on one side for about ten-fifteen minutes then flip over. cook until golden brown. Its delicious and healthy for you.

You can also add spices to the dry mix while its in the processor.

It’s sundress time by the way. Forever 21 has the biggest collection of adorable dresses I’ve seen. Pick one up! I bought this one recently. I really like it! Anyways, it’s awfully late. Will post tomorrow with maybe something more exciting. Maybe…haha.

With Love,
Britney