Ode to ketchup

Those who know me know that I try not to eat high fructose corn syrup.  I buy into the thought that it's bad for me - worse than regular sugar.  I know, I know, there are ads out there that claim high fructose corn syrup is the same to your body as regular sugar.  But have you looked at who funded that research?  The National Corn Grower's Association.

Now, the first thing you learn in a research methods class is that it's not a good thing to have someone with a vested interest fund your research...results might be skewed.

I'm assuming they're skewed.  I've read enough evidence contrary to this claim.  But even if they're not, HFCS is not something I choose to put in my body.  I try to avoid a lot of processed sugar, too, preferring to use natural sugars instead.  (Though I can't claim I don't add sugar to my cake pops.)

Anyway, the other day I was searching for ketchup.  Mmmm, ketchup.  I like my ketchup with the hearty potato-based diet the Russian insists on.

So, I'm happily trucking along down the aisle of Fred Meyer in search of my yummy sauce when I arrived at a small red section of the store.  Aaaah, ketchup.  Heinz, you're a tasty friend.

Imagine my dismay when the Russian grabbed a bottle of my red goodness and perused the ingredients list.  "This has high fructose corn syrup."  In ketchup?  Are you kidding me?  I know it's in practically everything.  But ketchup?

One by one, we pull each type of ketchup from the shelf.  High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Over and over again.  Finally, we find an organic ketchup that does not contain HFCS.  That (small) bottle lasted all of a week.

Last weekend at Huckleberries, we found a much larger selection of organic ketchup.  Apparently, this is the only kind of ketchup that does not contain HFCS.

What I've learned from juicing

The Russian and I watch gaming youtube videos, which I know isn't too popular for most women.  It started as his way to "teach" me how I should be playing games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, but he's probably sorry now as I keep beating him when we battle each other.

Anyway, one of the channels we tune in to is Wings of Redemption.  Not only does he post videos of his game playing, he talks about thematic randomness.  Today, his newest video was regarding juice fasting.



Wings of Redemption recently watched the video Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead like I did (a year ago).  As he's on a quest to lose weight, Wings decided to undertake the challenge from the movie:  a 10 day juice fast.

Watching the video was somewhat motivational, as I do believe in juice fasting (to an extent), even if my current situation prohibits me from partaking in such at this point in time.  However, as I do have some experience juicing, there were some things I wanted to point out for someone wanting to juice.

Tips for juicing:

1. Mix fruit and veggies in each juice - fruit as an amazing way of covering up the taste of veggies.  Any juice consisting mainly of veggies requires fruit to make it palatable unless one is accustomed to juicing.

2. Add spinach - to juice spinach, roll it into a tight ball before dropping into the juicer.  If you just drop loose leaves into the juicer, they tend to be discarded instead of juiced.  The best part?  You can't taste the spinach - not in juice, not in smoothies, never.  It's literally the easiest way to incorporate veggies into your diet.

3. Don't juice orange/lime/lemon rind - two reasons, a) unless organic, the rind has a layer of wax to protect it which you probably don't want to eat and b) the rind is bitter.

4. Limit the amount - clean up of the juicer can be labor intensive, but fresh juice can go bad.  Specifically, carrot juice can go bad and you don't want to give yourself botulism or something of the sort by trying to make juice last for several days.  Another reason - nutrients are lost as the juice sits.  (Just google it.)

Some good veggies to juice:

Carrots - rather tasty
Cabbage - best described as a fresh taste
Brussel sprouts - surprisingly good
Tomatoes - only if you like the taste of tomato
Spinach - no taste/blends right in
Cucumbers - very refreshing
Parsnips - a bit of a bite

If you're interested in juice fasting, check out the Reboot website... a community created by Joe Cross from Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  It has details on how to fast, recipes, and community forums for motivation and help.

The perfect time for the gym

I have figured it out!  The perfect time to go to the gym, for all the people who don't like going because there are too many people there who 1) watch you 2) make you uncomfortable/are gross 3)are on your machine.

Sunday nights!  Go around 6 on Sunday.  There's no one there.  Literally.

This is the scene that greeted me as I walked in to the gym tonight:

Two people were using weights when I arrived.  Two.  No one doing cardio.  By the time I left, the two men had strolled out, to be replaced by a single teenager making use of the circuit. I've never seen it that empty before.

You can do whatever you want at the gym on a Sunday night.  I took pictures.  I could have blared my music and dance around like an idiot.  I could have unplugged all the machines...locked the men's bathroom door so they couldn't use it (but would I want them using my bathroom?), gone tanning for free...

I could have run around naked.  No one would have stopped me.  I mean, maybe I would have got a talking to by the police, as the entire building has windows around it...but they don't have a keycard to get in to me.  Hmmmm... If anyone scans through the security tape, they might get a bit of a shock from it, but would they take the time to trace me and my keycard entry?  Doubtful.

Unfortunate gym facts

I'm a gym junkie.  I'll admit it.

Some days the beat just pumps and the foot pedals glide faster and faster.  TVs, when the music stops pushing me on, aid in zoning out for a few moments until the next song starts and the tempo speeds again.

Unfortunately, I'm a sweater.  Put me on a bike at 4mph for 5 minutes (read: easiest activity there) and I'll have sweat glistening on my forehead.  Increase the speed to 16mph and the time to an hour, and, well, I am the gym towel.  Toss me onto an elliptical for 15 or 30 minutes, and I've got the Nile on my shirt.  Treadmill?  Dark spots galore.  On the stairstep, it's pouring down sweat.

For some, sweat stains at the gym are like a badge of honor - look how strong/fit I am.  All the buff men swagger around showing them off.

Well, generally.

Most of the time sweat doesn't bother me.  But lately the bikes have screamed my name, and increased energy levels (plus maybe some boredom outside of the gym) engage me in a game of cat and mouse...just how far can I push myself until the asthma kicks in.*

Not these bikes...the other ones**

In order to save my backside while pumping through my workout, I use the recumbent bikes.  Yes, those. Now, imagine, if you will...an hour, sitting, on a bike, pouring sweat.  It's not just my shirt that suffers.

During my workout, this doesn't bother me.  It's only after.  The last three minutes before I have to stand up, walk along the row of bikes to the cleaning station, retrieve the cleaning items, clean the machine, walk across the gym to my keys (which also happen to be in the back of the lobby), and only then can I head toward the door...that's when self-consciousness hits me.

The entire gym gets a nice long look at my unattractive sweat of shame.

It's unfortunate.

My friend's words haunt me each time:  I once saw this girl who had sweat stains on her pants.  I felt really bad for her.

Gee...thanks.

*I would like to proudly say that I'm beating the asthma, each heartbeat at a time.  It's officially taking me longer to hit that can't-breathe stage.

** A prime example of the bikes I don't use.  Or a class I don't attend:  Spin.  An hour on those seats and it's a week before I can sit down comfortably.  The class also requires a certain self-hate...take the multiple times the instructor yells:  Now full force!  Stand up and make it burn!  Aka, it's like sprinting uphill at 16 miles an hour - a no-no for anyone with asthma.  Increase that resistance another half turn!   Uhm, make it harder?  Two seconds and I'm literally unable to breathe.***  Anyone who can be perky and smile during spin isn't really in a spin class.

***True story.  I didn't want to pass out and fall off my bike.  How embarrassing...

Photos from Photostock.

Life's little absurdities

The gym:  It's a place where you go to sweat, to up your heart rate.  You lift weights.  Stretch.  Contort your body into weird positions in yoga.  Test your endurance in pilates.  The gym says "be healthy!"  When you over indulge, it's the hefty price you pay.

It's not the place you go to make eyes at a man or pick up a beautiful woman.  I mean, we're all sweaty there.  Or rather, we should be.  I'll never understand the girls who prance around half-clad in spandex and a bra in order to watch the men lift too-heavy weights in an effort to impress.  Those people never really do anything while at there.

I guess I can maybe see where they're coming from...people at the gym might be healthy and fit (that's a big might).  However, what I absolutely don't understand are the people who turn on food tv.  The Food Network.  Top Chef.  Ace of Cakes.  America's Best Desserts.  Are you trying to punish yourself?  I mean, when my regularly scheduled program is interrupted to show me a blizzard from Dairy Queen, I'm scrambling to change the channel before I get the craving for a blizzard...or french fries.  I don't want to stare at food, it's like punishing myself.  How do you gawk at amazing-sounding, sinfully high-calorie dishes for an hour while you're at the gym?

Or is that why you leave after only 30 minutes...?

Photo courtesy of photostock.

Today's greek wrap

Ever since I went to the Green Spoon in Walla Walla, I've been a fan of their Greek Veggie Sandwich.  I, however, do not live in Walla Walla, and cannot feed my addiction often.  I've been forced to come up with my own version (alright, alright, it's not that hard to do).

I've made it many times now...it's the perfect easy lunch for time at the lake (or when you're cleaning an apartment you've just moved out of)  So, I'm here to share it's goodness with you.

What you need:
1 wrap (I prefer the high fiber, but any will do)
hummus
sun dried tomatoes
1/2 tomato
sprouts (any kind you like)
crumbled feta
*olive tapenade
**cucumber slices

*Usually I throw on olive tapenade, but I don't currently have any.  I decided a pesto would be a good alternative for today.

**I ran out of cucumber at breakfast, so none on this one.  But cucumber is highly recommended addition.

I'm guessing you can figure out how to make it from there...just look at the pictures...

That's the hummus on the bottom...and some sun dried tomatoes are sprinkled on top.  Pesto is also under all those sprouts.  Then, toss on the sprouts you want.  Cut up some tomato, spread it on top... this is usually where I drop some cucumber when I have it.  This is the time to add the tapenade, as well, but as it's still at the store and not in my kitchen, so it's missing from the picture.  Crumble the feta... and voila!  Deliciousness.  And it took, what, 5 minutes?

Lunch, however, is still not done.  What's a summer lunch without some fruit?  Some salad greens, spinach, and berries, and I'm set.  Now, go eat.

The day started walking with juicing

Last night I watched a documentary on micronutrient foods obtained mainly through juicing.  The basis of the experiment was to see if this Aussie would be able to lose weight, feel better, and "cure" himself of his rare condition.  To do so, he decided to go on a juice fast for 60 days.

Now, many people have heard of a juice fast.  You drink juice, you drink water, yadda yadda yadda.  You don't consume any foods.  True, that is a juice fast.  However, to do it properly, this Aussie used a juicer and made all of his own juice in order to actually receive the nutrients of the food that gets sucked out during the processing to make the juice you buy in a store.  Yeah, but, why juice?  Well, he figures he can consume a ton more fruit and veggies if he juices them, and he's right.  Whatever.  I think it's ingenious in the fact that the body craves the act of eating (masticating, or chewing for those less scientifically-centered).  So, by saying he's not eating at all, it's the easiest way to control himself when around food.  He does seem to spend an awful lot of his time in and around restaurants.

I do take up certain issues, though.  I don't believe that juicing is giving you everything your body needs,  (protein...can you juice nuts?) and in the end it's all about balance.  Juicing for 60 days and returning to bad habits, well, we have a term for that:  yo-yo dieting.  But, ya' know, he claims to want to revamp his lifestyle and live a balanced life after he's done with it.  Proof:  towards the end of the show you actually see him exercising.

Anyways, there's an overview.  If you want more info or to watch it yourself, here's a link to the website: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  I'm not sure if you can watch it online or not, but Netflix it.

This morning I decided to try juicing:  1/2 a tomato, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery, 1/4 of an onion, 1/3 of a cucumber, grapes, and strawberries.  Can you tell I pulled out everything that was fresh in the fridge?  It was...interesting, to say the least.  If you haven't tried a juicer, you can literally taste all of your veggies separately, yet it blends into one taste...it's...different.  But I like it.

In the end, what I'm saying is that I'm inspired to try juicing.  No, not go on a 60 day diet craze.  But do some juicing because the manfriend's idea of dessert with breakfast, dessert with lunch, and dessert with dinner is not a pretty picture when it comes to my weight/body.  I think blending may be more up my micronutrient alley.  C'mon, who doesn't like smoothies?  Plus, spinach has absolutely no taste when blended in a smoothie.