Good news to report

Since my last post, I have been as good as gold!  My healthy eating habits and exercise are primary in my life once again.  The thing is, when I eat an anti-inflammatory diet my inflammation calms down and I lead a very normal  and pain free life.  My diet is absolutely delicious as I love Mediterranean food, which tends to be very anti-inflammatory.  I get to eat delicious and whole foods.  Avocado, olives, whole grain breads and pastries, whole wheat pasta, salmon, almonds, fruit and vegetables.  The list goes on and on. 

The tray you see above in the picture is an appetizer platter I made to take to Super Bowl Sunday.  I always try to have something available at parties that I know I can eat.  This platter has Kalamata olives, green olives, baby tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with feta cheese.  Grapes are lining the side of the tray.  It was a big hit with everyone. 

Yesterday, my husband and I decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Bardenay's.  This place is super trendy,  they have their own distillery where they make gin, rum, and vodka.  It has that hip and happening warehouse feel with comfortable and gorgeous seating.  On a warm day you can sit outside and overlook the water.  Simply fantastic.

 Bardenay's offers a Mediterranean platter that is divine.  It comes with freshly baked pita bread wedges, 2 types of olive tapenade, hummus, sliced and marinated onions, cucumber, and kalamata olives.  A glass of red wine from their extensive wine list compliments this meal perfectly. The platter of food is large so we split the meal. 

One of my downfalls in the past has been blowing my diet when dining out.  We enjoy a lot of friends and family who all love going out to eat.  My goal is to continue finding anti-inflammatory dishes at restaurants.  They are there if you look past the burgers, fries, and deep fried appetizers. The key is willpower and a strong desire to stay pain free. As you know, I am working diligently on both of those areas.

Each day that goes by, I count my successes with eating properly to heal my body and making sure to fit in daily exercise.  So far it has been a great week! 

Why oh why oh why oh WHY?

Strange title but it will all make sense as you read this post.  Why, when I absolutely, positively know better, would I choose to make inflammatory food choices.  Here is how it went down:

I let the Reuben sandwich and fries on St. Patrick's Day woo me. 

 Last week I let the garlic mashed potatoes side dish tempt me and I caved. 

I allowed the giant cupcake at an adorable little bakery to become my appetizer while waiting for a sandwich on white flour focaccia bread. 

I won't bore you with any more details.  I think you get the picture.  Since the list of my poor food choices goes on and on, it is no wonder that I have been in pain.  I am undisciplined and weak where food is concerned.  However:

I won't give up.

I know how to turn this around.

Here I go.....

Today, I have spent time stocking my refrigerator with my arsenal of anti-inflammatory foods.  I seem to do a lot better if I can see great choices in front of me that are ready to eat.  I have both green and kalamata olives, plenty of avocado, mango, salad fixings, and much more.  I am making a menu plan that will keep me on track and help calm inflammation in my body. This will also help us to resist the temptation to dine out on a whim, where I generally make unhealthy choices. 

I began by putting a cleansing drink in the refrigerator that will keep me hydrated.  I cut up a few delicious Meyer Lemons and added them into a pitcher with water.

Next I made a batch of my Sun dried Tomato Hummus.  This is a favorite of both my husband and myself.  It can be a quick snack as a dip for veggies or whole grain crackers.  It can also be spread on sandwiches and in sandwich wraps or pitas. 

I also whipped up a couple of batches of Salmon Croquettes to keep in the refrigerator.  They can be frozen if you are not going to eat them in a few days.  I enjoy having the croquettes with sliced avocado and kalamata olives on the side.  It is a super charged Omega 3 meal. 

Tonight I will be putting Steel Cut Oats in the crock pot for breakfast tomorrow.  After cooking the oats I add flax meal, cinnamon, and a touch of pure maple syrup. 

It is sometimes hard to realize that I absolutely must give up many foods I enjoy.  However, being pain free without having to take extra medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis, makes the journey worthwhile.   I wish you a healthy and pain-free week :)

My true confession of 2011

My blog is long overdue for a post (2 1/2 months overdue), so today is the day. I will start by being painfully honest.  I had a very rough summer and fall in 2011, with only myself to blame.  I quit eating the way I need to in order to stay inflammation free.  I indulged in saturated fatty foods, processed foods and sugary treats. By fall, my body could no longer cope.  I had so much pain I could barely walk up and down our stairs.  Tasks so simple as turning a door knob, squeezing a shampoo bottle, opening a jar, using a can opener had become impossible.  Sleep would beckon me, but my body would scream in pain and not allow the sweet slumber that I so desperately needed. I stopped exercising and put on 10 extra pounds in a very short time.  I felt hopeless.  I came really close to giving in to my doctor and allowing him to set me up for self injections of Rheumatoid Arthritis medications.  Deep inside though, my conviction to eat right was resurfacing at the thought of having the awful side effects of new meds.  Since an anti-inflammatory diet works for me, it is a pretty obvious choice, diet instead of medication is the healthiest option.

In October, I began eating an anti-inflammatory diet again.  I quit processed food, sugar, saturated fats, white flour.  Instead of mindless eating, I began fueling my body again with foods that calm inflammation.  I took my own advice and  practiced what I preached.  It took over two months to calm the inflammation in my body. I am finally feeling great again.  I have been able to exercise and as of yesterday have lost 10 pounds. 

I would like to say, "lesson learned."  I truly hope that I don't give in again and eat food that hurts me. I am ashamed that my self-discipline becomes so weak that I eat wrong.  For now though, the pain and suffering I went through is fresh in mind and I have a very strong resolve!  So, here is to a happy and healthy 2012!