ALL THINGS IN MODERATION
No, I am not yelling at you. I put that in caps to remind myself. I feel wretched today. My weight is way up over the 2 allowed lbs.
Part of the reason I feel like heck is that the pollen counts are sky high right now. I am definitely allergic to something that is pollinating right now. My eyes are red, itchy and swollen, my sinuses are killing me, I have a pounding headache, etc. Basically I feel like I have a hangover and a mild cold all at the same time; no alcohol involved!
But I don't think the pollen is the only reason. I think I have been eating too many non-sugar sweeteners. Specifically, I think I have been eating too much malitol (Sinless Sans Fat ice cream at Cold Stone on Friday), erytritol and xylitol (all the cupcakes I have been baking to find the perfect one for my daughter's birthday). Things might not have been so bad if I had tasted 1 a day. Instead I was eating 3, sometimes 4 or 5 of those grain-free, sugar free wonders. I clearly overdid it. I was warned by my doc that these sweeteners can cause water retention, inflammation or intestinal issues if I ate too much. Well, I avoided the intestinal issues, but I am suffering the inflammation and water retention.
So let my suffering serve as a warning to you. Yes, those chocolate cupcakes are divine, but eat them in moderation. Make them and enjoy 1 or 2 and then get them out of your house.
I am correcting today with detox teas and asparagus for most of the day except dinner. Since it is my daughter's birthday, we are eating at PF Chang's. I have already made a list of entrees I can have that are low-carb, sugar-free and can be made without starch. I think I will be okay. I plan to drink lots of water to counter the increased sodium.
Okay, this will be my last post for about a week or so. I am heading to a big scientific nerd conference. I am ready to make healthy decisions once I am there. Wish me luck!
Enjoy life,
Amy
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
P3D9
Hello blog friends! Still doing well with maintaining. Am I am having a blast in the kitchen coming up with starch-free, sugar-free yummies to eat. Be sure to hop on over to my gluten free blog, lifeminusgluten.com for a fabulous Caesar Salad recipe. If you are on P3 you will want to avoid the croutons. A nice substitution is sliced almonds.
But just for you, my fellow HCG dieters, I have some yummy, sugar-free, starch and grain-free and P3 friendly CUPCAKES!
I have to admit that I adapted today's recipe from the lovely Lauren at healthyindulgences.com. She had a recipe on there for a chocolate cake that looked amazing. I made it into cupcakes and they are deceptively delicious. I say deceptively because there is an ingredient in there that will blow your mind. Read on and make them. I promise that they taste nothing like that secret ingredient, but are moist, soft, and chocolaty! They are pretty inexpensive, after the sweeteners so why not try it, you have very little to lose, except your doubt.
Okay, I know it contains baking powder which does have a small amount of starch in it, but by the time you divide that amount into 10 servings...it is really negligible. The net carbs for 1 cupcake is 4.8g. How awesome is that? If you just can't bring yourself to use baking powder, use 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (so that would make the recipe total 1.25 tsp of baking soda).
-------------------------------
Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Tbs unsalted organic butter OR extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 C erythritol plus 1/2 tsp pure stevia extract OR 1 C Splenda
6Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs water
Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract and 1 tsp vanilla (in place of 1 Tbs vanilla)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Put cupcake papers into cupcake pan.
Rinse very well and drain the beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or Splenda) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Batter may be runny, that is fine. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.
Bake for 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when top is firm, but springy. I did test a couple of mine with a toothpick and they came out clean. DO NOT over bake. The result is tragic. After 10 minutes, remove cupcakes from pan and continue to cool on a cooling rack. Let cool until cupcakes reach room temperature, then cover and allow to rest.
Lauren suggested that for BEST flavor, to let them sit overnight. I just couldn't wait and tried them while they were still warm. No beany flavor. The next day they were even better. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours!
Makes approximately 12 cupcakes
~4.8g net carbs per cupcake, with frosting!!
P3-Friendly Buttercream frosting
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened
1/4 C plus 1 Tbs erythritol, powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5-6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs half and half OR coconut milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste
Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top or you will get a sweetener cloud that stays in the air until the next day (cough, cough). Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You'll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking. Beat in the half and half, but just until the frosting reaches the consistency you like. This made enough to frost all of the cupcakes.
-------------------------
Enjoy!
Amy
But just for you, my fellow HCG dieters, I have some yummy, sugar-free, starch and grain-free and P3 friendly CUPCAKES!
I have to admit that I adapted today's recipe from the lovely Lauren at healthyindulgences.com. She had a recipe on there for a chocolate cake that looked amazing. I made it into cupcakes and they are deceptively delicious. I say deceptively because there is an ingredient in there that will blow your mind. Read on and make them. I promise that they taste nothing like that secret ingredient, but are moist, soft, and chocolaty! They are pretty inexpensive, after the sweeteners so why not try it, you have very little to lose, except your doubt.
Okay, I know it contains baking powder which does have a small amount of starch in it, but by the time you divide that amount into 10 servings...it is really negligible. The net carbs for 1 cupcake is 4.8g. How awesome is that? If you just can't bring yourself to use baking powder, use 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (so that would make the recipe total 1.25 tsp of baking soda).
-------------------------------Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Tbs unsalted organic butter OR extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 C erythritol plus 1/2 tsp pure stevia extract OR 1 C Splenda
6Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs water
Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract and 1 tsp vanilla (in place of 1 Tbs vanilla)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Put cupcake papers into cupcake pan.
Rinse very well and drain the beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or Splenda) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Batter may be runny, that is fine. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.
Bake for 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when top is firm, but springy. I did test a couple of mine with a toothpick and they came out clean. DO NOT over bake. The result is tragic. After 10 minutes, remove cupcakes from pan and continue to cool on a cooling rack. Let cool until cupcakes reach room temperature, then cover and allow to rest.
Lauren suggested that for BEST flavor, to let them sit overnight. I just couldn't wait and tried them while they were still warm. No beany flavor. The next day they were even better. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours!
Makes approximately 12 cupcakes
~4.8g net carbs per cupcake, with frosting!!
P3-Friendly Buttercream frosting
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened
1/4 C plus 1 Tbs erythritol, powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5-6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs half and half OR coconut milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste
Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top or you will get a sweetener cloud that stays in the air until the next day (cough, cough). Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You'll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking. Beat in the half and half, but just until the frosting reaches the consistency you like. This made enough to frost all of the cupcakes.
-------------------------
Enjoy!
Amy
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
P3D8
Still holding strong. I am loving having all these food options available. I am not even missing or craving any carbs.
Perhaps it is because I have found and or tweaked a bunch of recipes that are P3 friendly. I will be posting a lovely recipe for Caesar salad on my gluten free blog so check that in a day or 2. I am posting a recipe here for crackers that is divine. I found it at one of my favorite gluten free websites: Gluten-Free Goddess. I adapted it a tiny bit and made some fantastic snacks! They are low carb, no starch and sugar free. But, not calorie free, so I wouldn't try eating a whole batch. :)
---------------------------------------------
P3 friendly, No Starch, No Sugar, Cheese Crackers
2 cups fine almond meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon minced garlic, to taste (I used fresh, but 1/4 tsp powdered should work)
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dried herbs (I used cumin with divine results)
Pinch or two of paprika for color (optional)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup very finely grated aged Parmesan (don't use the kind in a can, get it from the cheese or deli department at your store)
1 beaten egg white
2-3 tablespoons grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil, as needed
4 tablespoons spring water, as needed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the drier ingredients (almond meal through Parmesan) in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add egg white and 1 Tbs each oil and water. Mix well. Repeat adding oil and water until a moist, moderately sticky dough forms. Taste test and adjust seasonings to your taste buds.
Using oiled hands place the mound of dough on the parchment and flatten with the palm of your hand. You can use a second piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll it flat with a rolling pin. I made mine about 1/8 thick. If you would rather, you can use oiled palms and fingers to press the dough out evenly and as thin as possible. If it cracks, simply press back together with moist fingers. I did sprinkly on some Fleur de Sel at the end, but I think it made them a touch too salty. Next time I will do it without.
Bake in the center of a hot oven for 15 minutes or so, until the dough is set and golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. When the dough has cooled, cut the dough into pieces using a pizza cutter. Or break apart for random jagged pieces. I found that my edges (even with an even rolling job) got done first while in the middle the crackers remained pliable, not crunchy. I solved this by allowing the crackers to cool to the touch, I cut them with a pizza cutter, separated each cracker and removed any that I thought had achieved the prefect crunchiness. I put the remaining, softer crackers back into the oven for 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they don't get too browned. This made about 16 to 18 crackers for me.
Store in an air tight container. Mine have stayed crunchy and yummy for 4 days in their container.
Enjoy!
Perhaps it is because I have found and or tweaked a bunch of recipes that are P3 friendly. I will be posting a lovely recipe for Caesar salad on my gluten free blog so check that in a day or 2. I am posting a recipe here for crackers that is divine. I found it at one of my favorite gluten free websites: Gluten-Free Goddess. I adapted it a tiny bit and made some fantastic snacks! They are low carb, no starch and sugar free. But, not calorie free, so I wouldn't try eating a whole batch. :)
---------------------------------------------P3 friendly, No Starch, No Sugar, Cheese Crackers
2 cups fine almond meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon minced garlic, to taste (I used fresh, but 1/4 tsp powdered should work)
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dried herbs (I used cumin with divine results)
Pinch or two of paprika for color (optional)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup very finely grated aged Parmesan (don't use the kind in a can, get it from the cheese or deli department at your store)
1 beaten egg white
2-3 tablespoons grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil, as needed
4 tablespoons spring water, as needed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the drier ingredients (almond meal through Parmesan) in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add egg white and 1 Tbs each oil and water. Mix well. Repeat adding oil and water until a moist, moderately sticky dough forms. Taste test and adjust seasonings to your taste buds.
Using oiled hands place the mound of dough on the parchment and flatten with the palm of your hand. You can use a second piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll it flat with a rolling pin. I made mine about 1/8 thick. If you would rather, you can use oiled palms and fingers to press the dough out evenly and as thin as possible. If it cracks, simply press back together with moist fingers. I did sprinkly on some Fleur de Sel at the end, but I think it made them a touch too salty. Next time I will do it without.
Bake in the center of a hot oven for 15 minutes or so, until the dough is set and golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. When the dough has cooled, cut the dough into pieces using a pizza cutter. Or break apart for random jagged pieces. I found that my edges (even with an even rolling job) got done first while in the middle the crackers remained pliable, not crunchy. I solved this by allowing the crackers to cool to the touch, I cut them with a pizza cutter, separated each cracker and removed any that I thought had achieved the prefect crunchiness. I put the remaining, softer crackers back into the oven for 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they don't get too browned. This made about 16 to 18 crackers for me.
Store in an air tight container. Mine have stayed crunchy and yummy for 4 days in their container.
Enjoy!
Monday, June 7, 2010
P3D?
Just a quick post to let you all know that I am maintaining well. Today I weighed in at just 1lb over my last injection weight. Wahoo!
Making lots of P3 yummies that happen to be gluten-free too. I will be sharing those recipes soon, I promise. Just crazy busy at work, getting ready for a long convention.
Much love,
Amy
Making lots of P3 yummies that happen to be gluten-free too. I will be sharing those recipes soon, I promise. Just crazy busy at work, getting ready for a long convention.
Much love,
Amy
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
P3D2
Wow, I am seriously enjoying the addition of some foods in Phase 3. I went a little nuts last night a cooked, back, and prepped a ton of P3 friendly foods for myself. I tasted all of them and was worried about what I would see on the scale this morning. No worries, just up 0.2 lbs from my last injection weight. Good.
One of the things I made was some turkey breakfast sausage. My pre-HCG habit was to drink a green smoothie and eat some protein for breakfast. I love the pork breakfast sausage links I used to eat, but I am trying to lighten things up. I haven't enjoyed the commercially available turkey sausage so I decided to make my own. I did some web research and this is what I made.
------------------------------------
Turkey Breakfast Sausage (P3 friendly)
(makes 35-40 1 oz patties)
2 medium, tart apples, peeled and grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4-1/2 C onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced or smashed
1 Tbs rubbed sage
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 lbs ground turkey
If you are not using a food processor as I describe below, combine grated apple, onion, egg and all herbs and spices in a large bowl. Make sure this mixture is well combined. Add the turkey to the apple/onion mixture and gently mix with your hands until the ingredients are well incorporated. Measure out preferred portion sizes and shape into patties. These can be cooked slowly in a frying pan over medium heat or on parchment lined cookies sheets in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
-------------------------------
While I pan fried the first batch of patties, I found they charred too quickly and stuck to my pan (I don't use non-stick pans). I cooked the rest of them on parchment lined cookie pans in my oven. They don't have the pretty caramelization from the pan, but they taste just as good and took less labor and oil.
This came together relatively quickly and it didn't require that I pull out my entire spice collection. I used ground turkey thighs because I find turkey breast too dry. Perhaps next time I will try a blend of half breast and half thigh. I used granny smith apples and grated them, and the onion, in my food processor. I found that the grated strips were a bit too long for my liking so I switched blades and pulsed the apple/onion mixture, along with the herbs and spices, until it reached the consistency that I wanted. It was finely chopped, but not pureed. Finally, I used my scooper (I think it is the medium scoop) from Pampered Chef to portion out the raw sausage mixture. Since this made them into little meatballs I flattened them with a spatula before baking them. They result was amazing. I really had my doubts about some of the spices that I was adding but they really combine for a great taste. It is definitely a breakfast sausage taste and nothing like Italian sausage. And that is just what I wanted.
Try this. I cooked and froze all the patties. All I have to do is pop a few in the microwave and I have my breakfast protein. For about 45 minutes of work I now have 10-15 days worth of sausage patties. Yum!
Enjoy!
Amy
One of the things I made was some turkey breakfast sausage. My pre-HCG habit was to drink a green smoothie and eat some protein for breakfast. I love the pork breakfast sausage links I used to eat, but I am trying to lighten things up. I haven't enjoyed the commercially available turkey sausage so I decided to make my own. I did some web research and this is what I made.
------------------------------------Turkey Breakfast Sausage (P3 friendly)
(makes 35-40 1 oz patties)
2 medium, tart apples, peeled and grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4-1/2 C onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced or smashed
1 Tbs rubbed sage
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 lbs ground turkey
If you are not using a food processor as I describe below, combine grated apple, onion, egg and all herbs and spices in a large bowl. Make sure this mixture is well combined. Add the turkey to the apple/onion mixture and gently mix with your hands until the ingredients are well incorporated. Measure out preferred portion sizes and shape into patties. These can be cooked slowly in a frying pan over medium heat or on parchment lined cookies sheets in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
-------------------------------
While I pan fried the first batch of patties, I found they charred too quickly and stuck to my pan (I don't use non-stick pans). I cooked the rest of them on parchment lined cookie pans in my oven. They don't have the pretty caramelization from the pan, but they taste just as good and took less labor and oil.
This came together relatively quickly and it didn't require that I pull out my entire spice collection. I used ground turkey thighs because I find turkey breast too dry. Perhaps next time I will try a blend of half breast and half thigh. I used granny smith apples and grated them, and the onion, in my food processor. I found that the grated strips were a bit too long for my liking so I switched blades and pulsed the apple/onion mixture, along with the herbs and spices, until it reached the consistency that I wanted. It was finely chopped, but not pureed. Finally, I used my scooper (I think it is the medium scoop) from Pampered Chef to portion out the raw sausage mixture. Since this made them into little meatballs I flattened them with a spatula before baking them. They result was amazing. I really had my doubts about some of the spices that I was adding but they really combine for a great taste. It is definitely a breakfast sausage taste and nothing like Italian sausage. And that is just what I wanted.
Try this. I cooked and froze all the patties. All I have to do is pop a few in the microwave and I have my breakfast protein. For about 45 minutes of work I now have 10-15 days worth of sausage patties. Yum!
Enjoy!
Amy
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
P3D1
I am officially done with Phase 2 and the 500 calorie part of the Simeon's Protocol. Yeah!
I have lost just over 35 lbs in 6 weeks on this program. According to my doctor's weekly Body Impedence Analyses, I have maintained most of my lean muscle mass and only went down about 30 calories on my basal metabolic rate. Wahoo!
I will post before and after pics very soon.
I definitely want to do this one or two more times. I just don't know if I will do it on my own or at the clinic with my doc. I did experience thyroid issues on the protocol and needed his help to correct them. I have lots of the extra thyroid meds (I should be able to go back to my regular dose as I transition off of HCG and 500 calories) so I could just save it for my next round.... Just don't know. It is so expensive to do it at the clinic.
I did drop another 2 lbs over the weekend, despite the fact that Aunt Flo visited (a day early too!). Because of her visit on Saturday, I made that my last injection day instead of Sunday. That means that as of 8 am today, I can start SLOWLY adding in more foods. I can't even tell you how excited I am to be having red peppers, walnuts, almonds, etc. I am sooo looking forward to having my green smoothies and an egg for breakfast. I really miss those things. Chocolate and popcorn will just have to wait at least 3 more weeks. I am okay with that right now.
I have to tell you that I did have a snack of walnuts and almonds (from a 100 cal pack) between breakfast and lunch. It was shear bliss. I am so happy to have some healthy foods back in my repertory.
Okay, that is about it for now. On P3 and P4 I will not likely be posting everyday. I will probably post at least once a week. I plan to do a second round in September and will be posting daily again during that phase. I do plan to start sharing/reviewing some P3 friendly recipes and will keep my weight ticker up to date.
I have lost just over 35 lbs in 6 weeks on this program. According to my doctor's weekly Body Impedence Analyses, I have maintained most of my lean muscle mass and only went down about 30 calories on my basal metabolic rate. Wahoo!
I will post before and after pics very soon.
I definitely want to do this one or two more times. I just don't know if I will do it on my own or at the clinic with my doc. I did experience thyroid issues on the protocol and needed his help to correct them. I have lots of the extra thyroid meds (I should be able to go back to my regular dose as I transition off of HCG and 500 calories) so I could just save it for my next round.... Just don't know. It is so expensive to do it at the clinic.
I did drop another 2 lbs over the weekend, despite the fact that Aunt Flo visited (a day early too!). Because of her visit on Saturday, I made that my last injection day instead of Sunday. That means that as of 8 am today, I can start SLOWLY adding in more foods. I can't even tell you how excited I am to be having red peppers, walnuts, almonds, etc. I am sooo looking forward to having my green smoothies and an egg for breakfast. I really miss those things. Chocolate and popcorn will just have to wait at least 3 more weeks. I am okay with that right now.
I have to tell you that I did have a snack of walnuts and almonds (from a 100 cal pack) between breakfast and lunch. It was shear bliss. I am so happy to have some healthy foods back in my repertory.
Okay, that is about it for now. On P3 and P4 I will not likely be posting everyday. I will probably post at least once a week. I plan to do a second round in September and will be posting daily again during that phase. I do plan to start sharing/reviewing some P3 friendly recipes and will keep my weight ticker up to date.
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