Taking Steps and Making Strides to be More Environmentally Friendly - Water Usage

In the past couple weeks I have been thinking of being more environmentally friendly and trying to think of small ways I can make an impact, because I think that even the small stuff adds up and can make a big difference.

I've always thought of myself as compassionate and I always think of cutting down on the waste that is created in our home. I mean, I have my Starbucks travel mugs, I have reusable shopping bags, I try to recycle and compost as much as possible, I switch off the car when I'm at a stand still instead of letting it run idol (Like, at the car wash... not in traffic) and I try to wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat. There are a lot of other things that I let slide because I don't think of it or I'm being lazy.

Recently, I've been reading this blog http://www.trashisfortossers.com/ and it has REALLY opened my eyes to the amount of waste we create in our home. A little rundown... Lauren lives in New York and took Environmental Studies in college. She wanted to live her values and with a couple of actual life events that made her think and an "Aha! Moment" she set out to live a zero waste lifestyle. In her journey THIS  is the garbage that she has produced! All contained in a mason jar! I think that is ASTONISHING!

Anyhoo, one of the ways I'm trying to be more friendly to our planet is to use less water. I'm a mom of a toddler, so you know that my showers are already short... but some other ways I'm trying to cut down my water use is by turning off the water while I get my hands all sudsy, then turn it back on when I'm ready to rinse (I'm already good at leaving it off while I'm brushing) and turning it off when I'm measuring water an for cooking and my 3 cup measure is already dirty and needs to be washed, so I'm forced to use my one cup measure.

BUT! The BIGGEST change for me is - plugging the sink while I'm washing dishes. Yup. I'm totally that person who wastes TONS of water doing dishes. I've never plugged the sink. In fact, my foods class teacher and I had it out because according to her, by just leaving the water running, I was "Doing the dishes wrong". Not that I agree with her now that I plug the sink, I don't think there is a wrong way to clean your dishes, but there is a less wasteful way, for sure.

So, here's my system:

First, I fill up a small plastic tub, which is only to be used for rinsing, with super hot water. Then, I fill the sink up halfway with hot soapy water and the cleaner dishes that need to be washed and that will be easier to clean, rinsing them in my plastic tub and setting aside to dry on my drying mats to the right side of the sink. (Utensils, drinking glasses, dishes without oil or greasy food leftovers etc).

Second, once the first, "cleaner" batch of dishes are done, if the cleaning water is still relatively clean, I'll wash the dirtier, greasier, more nasty dishes in the same water. If the water is starting to get gross, I'll empty the sink and then pour my rinsing water from my plastic tub into my sink and replace the water for rinsing. Wash, rinse, repeat. (Yes, pun intended.)

So yeah, it's a big change for me to go from washing in running water to washing in a full sink, but I feel good that I'm using less water, which results in a lower water bill AND helps the environment AND it's more quiet time for me - washing dishes used to be SO LOUD with the running water. Plus, this way, so far for some reason, I'm doing my dishes every night, which means they are getting put away each night, which means I wake up to clean counters. At least, the ones from morning-dinner are getting done. If there are any "after dinner" or snack dishes after we eat, they wait until the next day

Yup, I think this is going to be something I keep up with :)

Body Image - (My) New Mom Perspective

I know there is a HUGE range of perspective on the new mom and body image, and I know that we often hear about the negatives. The stretch marks, the extra belly skin, how NONE of our clothes fit, how our tits HURT!

And the list goes on.

My experience is quite different from the tales we so often hear. Like much of my pregnancy, life post pregnancy for me has been quite easy.

My stuff
stretch marks? Yes.
Still wearing mat pants? Nope.
Two pairs of pre-preg pants. Sometimes my pre-preggo jeans.
Still have a bit of a paunch.

Feeling good
Eating healthy (for the most part)
I was resting for quite some time, partially thanks to my c-section infection and time needed to heal. It was PRET-TY bad!
Perspective. The weight won't stay on forever. My priority is being mama and not losing weight and getting back into shape so shortly after giving birth.

During my pregnancy I gained 38 pounds. 20 pounds of that I lost in the hospital. 9 pounds of that was baby, the rest was fluids, water weight (that went straight to my boobs) and placenta. I lost 10 pounds pretty quickly by breastfeeding, but as I said previously, I had a c-section, so I had to take it easy. Then my incision got infected (while I was still in hospital. Yes, I brought up with all nurses and anyone who came into my room that it felt weird, everyone said it was fine... until I walked into the ER 11 days later... turns out, I was right, there was something weird!) so I had to take it easy for much longer.

Right now, I am 5-ish pounds away from my pre-preggo weight. And I'm not sweating about it. My priority is still being a mom rather than getting back into shape. I don't want to be fixated about a number on a scale.

Today, I woke up feeling tired, but a few minutes into the morning, I felt awesome. I felt energized, I fit into my pre-preggo jeans, my babe slept until 8:45 in contrast to her normal 6:30, I got my makeup done. And I had a good poop. Yup, I said it, deal with it.

Most days, I feel pretty good. Some days I wake up feeling exhausted and I really don't know how I'm going to get through the day. Most of the time it's with coffee and ice coffee. How I feel about my body image changes with each of those feelings. For the most part, I'm super comfortable and confident about my body.

My body is freaking awesome. I grew a child. I never felt more beautiful than when I Was pregnant. I felt freaking gorgeous, and I think that showed. And well, I still feel pretty awesome. I feel pretty... and, I have to say, I have the cutest kid ever. How can I EVER hate anything about my body when it housed her, kept her safe and nurtured her?

Yes, I have stretch marks, I have a scar above my pubic bone, I still have a bit of a mummy tummy.

My body is the only one I have and I have made a choice to love my body. The way it is right now. Flaws and all. Because the way it is right now, is perfect in my daughters eyes. And I want to take a lesson from her, to teach her a very important lesson later on. That our bodies are beautiful the way they are. I don't want her to hear me say "I'm fat and ugly and wrong." Because she will believe it, and she will learn it, and she will live it.

I want my daughter to learn the lesson later, that she already knows now. Her mommy's body is perfect the way it is. And so is hers.

The Difference Between Comfort Eating & Healthy Eating In Pregnancy

This entry is based on my experience with how I felt while I ate healthy - as well as when I ate less nutritious foods while I was pregnant.

Much like anyone, pregnant or not, one major point I noticed while I was eating healthier and more nutrient rich foods is that I had more energy and I felt better physically. I mean, even when I was eating healthy, I did have periods of time where I was still physically fatigued - let's face it, that's part of pregnancy, and can happen to anyone, pregnant or not, thanks to a variety of factors, say... a bad nights sleep?

On the opposite arc, when I ate nutrient deprived foods, I had lower energy and was more sluggish. As my pregnancy progressed, I noticed that I couldn't eat as much junk food and that eating the amount that I could pre-pregnancy and early in pregnancy actually made me feel physically ill. What do I usually want to do when I feel ill? Well, drink a tall glass of water and go have a nap or go to bed a little earlier. How did that work out? Well, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I needed to throw up. I could still smell the food I'd eaten earlier in the air, and boy! Thanks to hormone changes and heightened sense of smell, those smells were very potent - which didn't make me feel any better at the time. There was even one night I woke up feeling not only like I had to throw up, but I also had really bad diarrhea. Not a fun night for me, I can tell you that much.

Another huge difference I took note of - Victoria moved a LOT less when I ate crappy food with little or no nutritional value, even if it is loaded with sugar! And she moved quite a lot when I eat food that's good for us. I never would have guessed that this would be the case. It's becoming more and more apparent to me that junk food is toxic and that the habit of eating these junk/comfort foods is an addiction.

One thing I can say - if my baby didn't want it when she was in utero, why the hell should I be eating that crap?

What do you think about the eating habits of North Americans? Do you feel that pregnant women take licence to eat whatever they want whenever they want because they are preggo? Or have you noticed pregnant women you know making a conscious effort to eat healthy with a few treats thrown in?

Don't forget to scroll down past the comments and feed the goldfish!

What's In My Fridge?

Even before my weight loss challenge began, I found it difficult to eat healthy. For the most part the majority of my meals were really healthy. At work my co-workers would marvel about how healthy my lunches and snacks were - what they didn't see were my snacking habits. (Or the eating habits of those around me)

You can always find tons of fruit in my
house :)

My regular snacking habits are AWFUL - would make Bob Harper yell at me and any nutritionist shake their head in dismay.

My weaknesses? Whole bags of Miss Vickey's Salt and Vinegar chips, chocolate covered pretzels, pretty much any kind of chocolate bar... Coca Cola, Dominos Pizza. If I go to Bulk Barn, you can be pretty sure that I'm walking out with multiple clear plastic bag of gummy, sour and crunchy confections. Ohhh... and McDonalds cheese burgers and fries? *wipes drool off chin*

Lately, I've been opting for baby carrots and hummus. Still good, but they aren't Miss Vickey's Salt and Vinegar, now are they?

 I guess you get my drift hey? I think that it's safe to say that I still have a LOOONG way to go when it comes to really changing my eating habits. I have found some new foods that I like to eat, well, more variation on what I used to eat. My favourite salad lately (And I eat a LOT of salad) is grilled chicken with lemon juice (Love the flavour!) klamata olives with red onion and feta cheese - or bits of melted, shredded parmasian balls. SO GOOD! Before I would add more flavour by adding loads of croutons and dressing, which isn't the best option since I can eat croutons by themselves as a snack and I won't bother stopping until the bag is empty. But seriously, who would stop themselves? Those little crunchy morsels are delish!

I've also been substituing healthier versions of my already healthy food choices. Eggs, for instance. I've started buying Omega 3 eggs.

The chickens that lay Omega 3 eggs are solely fed on Flax Seeds, which is high in O3 which helps to lower our cholesterol, as well as having the potential to help to decrease our risk of cardiovasular disease. Won't complain about that hey? They do cost a little bit more, but I would rather shell out the extra buck fifty to get eggs laid from a hen who had a healthier diet rather than those eggs laid from a hen that was solely fed on corn. Just sayin'.

 I am a huge fan of seafood, unfortunately, there are those who don't appeciate seafood, so I didn't always make the effort to buy it often in the past. In recent says though, I have been enjoying a lovely variety of different fish in addition to my other choices of meat. Some, I haven't ever tried before and will most likely buy again so I don't get tired of the same ol salmon or tuna - let's face it, who likes to eat the same thing ALL the time? Right?




For easy quick meals I've been getting the frozen chicken breast. I would really rather buy these from M&M Meats, but I'm not willing to drive half and hour to the next town to be able to. I'd rather not spend the gas money (Especially since I'm a Lady of Leisure) and get these which are just as good.

 And you have to love mineral water... OK, maybe it's an aquired taste. It is a good option if you love pop and are haivng a hard time giving it up. The lime flavoured Perrier kind of reminds me of the taste that the green Fruit Loops have and gives me a feeling of nostalia of my childhood days :) I guess it doesn't hurt that mineral water helps you get your full serving of Calcium in a day :)

 AND MY FAVOURITE MUST HAVE AT ALL TIMES... Klamata Olives! Another thing that I can just snack on all the time by themselves, but aren't nearly as heavy in the saturated fats. I would have hated these as a kid, but now that I'm a grown up big kid I love them. They are flavourful but are also a little salty to fill that salt craving I get.

Eating healthy is so much easier when you have healthy foods that you love on hand all the time and that are good options for when you have those cravings that coiuld very well add to your junk food belly rather than do you any good. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to go have a healthy snack and do my yoga :)

What are some of your favourite healthy food options that take the place of your favourite junk foods?

ANXIETY - Eating Out And About

How about some reading music? I hope you like Cowboy Casanova!

One idea that has made me anxious since I have changed my eating habits in order to be healthier, is the idea of eating something that I haven't prepared myself and don't have control over.

 

I have a "Viva Volunteers" volunteer appreciation dinner coming up, as well as a certain important date coming up that I, under no circumstances want to cook for - never mind the fact that even in May, the weather is too hot for me to bear the thought of turning on my oven.

 

And I am not going to lie - I am a foodie. I will eat the yummy deep fried calamari, the cheesy bread and the cheese burger with fries with refillable pop. (Great combo hey?) Put me in a line up for a buffet, I will have a big plate FULL of all of the tasty, carb loaded, crunchy, sauce drenched finger licking morsels you can think of. I *will* put some veg on my plate to give myself the illusion that I have a nice rounded, albeit, piled high dinner.

 

Don't even bring up dessert. Usually, I get one of every kind of dessert that is on the dessert table. You know those delicious tiny squares with caramel and chocolate? I am ALL over that like flies on stench. I come away with another large plate brimming with sweet goodness - AND go back for seconds. And let me tell you, I can EAT.

 

You can see why I am getting nervous about these upcoming events. What is going to be my smart choice solution? Let's break it down.

1. Eat a good breakfast with plenty of protein. It's been documented that people who include protein in their breakfast (as well as in other meals) are fuller and can sustain themselves for longer than those who don't. I would also like to point out, if you are using your muscles lots, you NEED protein to help build and repair your muscles.
2. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Sometimes thirst is mistaken as hunger, leading you to consuming more calories (pffffffth.....) than you actually need to.
3. If you are going to be eating somewhere unfamiliar, take a look at them menu before hand. Go in and get a paper copy or take a look online and decide before hand what you would like to eat and stick to it. By doing this you have less of a chance to get distracted by the foods you would rahter avoid.
4. Have a snack before you get to your destination so you don't go in starving and wind up eating the whole bread basket.
5. PORTION CONTROL! Nutritionists are always saying that restraurant portions are too big. Eat or order half of what you intend to order. As a society, North Americans are sadly accustomed to larger portions.Allow yourself a slight cheat. If you want dessert, have dessert.
6. Drink a big glass o' H2O before it arrives at your table (Or you walk up to the dessert table) If you're at a restaurant eat a small portion of your dessert or share. If you are at the dessert table limit yourself to 1-2 little delish dessert squares and fill the rest of your plate with fruit.

So how do I feel about eating out of the house when the time comes? I'm still a little nervous. I still have a long way to go until my new eating habits are just second nature. I won't be able to change my eating habits over night. I *AM* however, ver relieved and feel confident that I have a plan. Not to mention good family and friends that do, to some extent, keep me accountable and who want me to reach my goals. (A big thank you my loves!)

I think I'll do just fine... I'll keep you updated :)

Here's a picture of one of my recent meals :) Looks yummy for a salad hey?

Mesculin salad with yellow peppers, red onion, radish and turkey breast, with Lime flavoured Perrier, which FYI, tastes like the green Fruit Loops!