Whey To Go!

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on a Tuffet,

Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away

There are several people in my life that would welcome a visit from a spider any day instead of eating whey. Years ago, I too would have agreed because at that time I had no understanding of what whey was.

My first introduction to whey protein was in 2004 when I learned about Ann Louise Gitttleman and The Fat Flush Plan from a work colleague. We were at an Electronic Design Automation trade show and he explained to me that his wife had be following this program with immediate success. Upon my return home, I not only purchased the book for myself but also for my girlfriend Daryl. We read the book, jumped on the Gittleman bandwagon and followed The Fat Flush Plan. 


One of the suggested recipes included in the book was a fruit smoothie made with protein powder. Daryl suggested using whey powder because during this time, her mother was battling breast cancer. Daryl had been researching foods to help her mother and she found that whey protein had many attributes that she would benefit from; "Whey protein is an excellent protein choice for cancer patients as it is very easy to digest and very gentle to the system. Whey protein may be added to a wide variety of foods and beverages to increase the protein content without affecting taste." 

That's Amore

When the moon hits your eye 

Like a big pizza pie

That's Amore

When the world seems to shine 

Like you've had too much wine 

That's Amore

First made famous by Dean Martin in 1952, That's Amore still has meaning today. I definitely find pizza and wine to be "Amore." I think that one of the most romantic things in life is to share a pizza and a nice bottle of red with the one that you love in a small, intimate restaurant; better yet, if the restaurant happens to be in Italy during truffle season. 

Unfortunately, pizza and wine are two things not on the top of the "what to eat while on a diet" list. So, what do you do when that craving for pizza and wine envelope you? Do you ignore it and hope that the yearning fades away? Do you go to your favorite pizza parlor and "pig out" on your favorite pie and promise to get back on your diet track tomorrow? 

Give us this day our daily bread

It is rare that I use the word daily and bread in the same sentence. It is also rare for me to eat bread. This is mainly due to the carbohydrates and the calories. However, when Daryl makes her special Irish soda bread; or I am in France, splurging on a fresh baguette is tops on my list.

In January, 1993, during our honeymoon in Chamonix, France, Bob and I discovered the most wonderful "Baguettes Cereals." It was the 11 seed/grain bread of The Restaurant Albert 1er. Over the course of the week, I ate it every chance that I had; it is no wonder that I came home carrying an additional 10 pounds! The kitchen invited me for a 3:00 am bread bake but I politely declined; what regret I have today for choosing sleep over learning the secrets of making this French luxury. The restaurant was kind enough to send me off with the recipe which I treasure to this day.

My daily diet does not include splurging on bread; in fact, I try to keep the thought of it out of my mind. However, when I do have a hankering, there are some alternatives that meet my criteria - calories, carbohydrate and content (fiber, protein, whole grain, etc.). Keep in mind, these are not French baguette substitutions; these are healthy, satisfying breads made from bakeries that have interesting stories. 

Cleansing Conclusions

It has now been one full week since completing my 3-day BluePrintCleanse (BPC) and the 1-day "ease back onto solid foods" recommended recovery regime. I am satisfied with my results and I am a believer! BPC did help me to get off the plateau that was holding me back. I am now again well on my way to reach my weight loss goals of 1 to 1-1/2 pounds per week. Ultimately, after the completion of my 4 day program, I dropped 4.9 pounds. As you may guess, all of this did not stay off. After one week of "eating, drinking & being merry (with conscience awareness)" with "real" food and attending two dinner parties, my final result <3.7> pounds. It's possible that my results could have been greater by forgoing the dinner parties all together; however my goal was to break my plateau not to use the cleanse as my main weight loss mechanism.

After this objective test, I will incorporate BPC into my quarterly regime for plateau problems, over- indulgence from a celebration or vacation, or just getting myself back on track. I will even purchase their raw concoctions to have on hand for a morning or afternoon snack. I hope that they have a more San Jose centric location for purchasing these products soon.

When discussing BPC with a friend who works with a lot of brides, she suggested that this would be a great preparation for a wedding or a big event. I concur! In fact, BluePrintCleanse offers a "Bride to BPC" program.

The next time that I do BPC, I will avoid intense exercise. My 4+ mile walk was too aggressive for the amount of caloric intake while on this cleanse. From past experience on cleanses, I already knew this but had to try anyway. Instead, I think that a gentle yoga class, relaxing with a good book or meditation in a hot tub would be better alternatives for the mind, body, and spirit.

Whether you take on the BluePrintCleanse for the reasons that I did, or for reasons of your own, as the BPC folks say,  it's about the "juice, the whole juice and nothing but the juice;" I believe it!

When life gives you LEMONS...

squeeze them and make LEMON-AID!

We all have our favorite lemon drinks; the Italian digestif limoncello is at the top of my list. Yesterday on the Dr. Oz web site, I noticed a small article about the power of lemon juice. It took me right back to the early 80's when my mother and I were faithful followers of The Diet Center back in Menomonie, Wisconsin. When I moved to California in the late 80's, I again followed this program. The kick-starter of the day - a cup of hot water and lemon juice.

In June 2004 at a trade show in San Diego, one of my colleagues from the East coast introduced me to Anne Louise Gittleman’s Fat Flush Plan. We were deep in discussions about detoxing post show due too much over indulgence. He told about all of his wife's success on this new program. The second that I got home, I purchased not only a book for myself, but also for one of my best girlfriends. Both of us were off and "Fat Flushing"! Again, upon awakening, a cup of hot water and lemon juice.

With my most recent experiment the BluePrintCleanse, my day began with this elixir. Over the years when I have not been following any programs, I have included this easy, refreshing concoction into my morning routine. Sometimes, I have concluded my day with it as well, sipping it before going to bed after an evening of indulgence.

I remember hearing that drinking this would "kick start" my metabolism, that it was great for detoxing, digestion and could even ease bloating. It was a cleaner and stimulator for the liver and kidneys. Lemons are high in vitamin C and the juice contains electrolytes - calcium, magnesium and potassium. I did not realize until reading Dr. Oz's article about lemons that "a popular belief in ancient Indian medicine, or ayurveda, is that the natural acid of the lemon has antibacterial properties."

The benefits that lemons and lemon juice provide seem to be endless. Who would think that this sour little fruit could be so sweet?

"Try it, you'll like it!"

Welcome to my blog. Barbara my dear friend, teacher and confidant inspired me. It is because of our conversation yesterday and the sharing of her blog that gave me the "light bulb" moment, the courage and the idea to try.

The idea to do a blog on my experiences with "Eating, Drinking and Being Merry" and still being able to follow my healthy regime came to me yesterday while walking Rubie my beautiful girl. This is a topic that has consumed me most of my life. Anyway, Rubie and I were on our routine 4+ mile walk, the farthest point from our home when hunger took over my body to the point that I wondered if I would ever make it back; I started to sweat and I felt very weak, my stomach was growling. This was a very different feeling than the typical blood sugar drop. Maybe it was too intense of a workout for the second day of a new cleanse - BluePrintCleanse (BPC)?