Recipe - Scrambled Eggs and Turkey Bacon

Good Morning Team Captains!

I hope that you are all wonderful on this fine winter day.  It's a new week...do you have any specific goals for this week?  Is there anything that didn't go so "hot" last week that you are going to try again?

As I've stated in the past, my goal with this blog is to present new and positive information based on restaurants, products, recipes, and behaviors.  Thus far,  I've done several of these.  This, however, is my first recipe.

Anyone whom has attempted a healthy lifestyle through dietary changes know that there are many times where your hunger is insatiable.   This likely has to do with one of two reasons.  Lack of protein or boredom.  This recipe helps with the first...

...Today's recipe is how I make my scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1 cup of egg whites
3 slices trader joes uncured nitrate free turkey bacon
2 tbsp  diced onion
1 tbsp Herb De Prevance
1 tbsp olive oil


I make this breakfast every time I have a day off of work.  I know on my days off I'm usually busy running errands and completing tasks and I refuse to let my hunger get in the way of eating well.  This meal accounts of 428 calories and 45 grams of protein.  I am always satisfied until lunch after this meal.

Are there any specific meals that you love to make that fulfill all of your hunger needs and are very well balanced.  If you have any questions please let me know.

We will learn from each other!  We will succeed together!  We will win together!

Healthy Me: Soon to be - Part Two

Good evening team captains!

I hope that all of you are having a great time reaching for the stars trying to better yourselves!  I stated two days ago that I would complete part two of Healthy Me: Soon to be.  Here it is.  It's better late then never.

This post would not be complete without acknowledging that I was able to run a 5k yesterday and a follow-up 5k today.  It is my goal to do these 5-7 days per week until the 5k Road Race that I am running on April 5^th, 2014.  This single achievement is evidence of my aspiration to feel better, live better, and be better.  All it takes is incremental steps…

As I stated in my first post, I became most committed to making changes this past August.  After months of feeling terrible and living a stagnant life I knew I needed a change.  With my diagnosis of MS, now months behind me, I went into action trying to find physical and mental outlets.  My first task became organizing a team for a MS Society Walk in October.  This was very successful; nine of Team Jake teammates walked after having raised more than $1500.00.

Though this was an important step for me in my goals of feeling better it wasn’t where I ended.  I hiked more mountains and trails this past fall than I likely had my entire 29 prior years.

While improving my activity levels I also began watching my food consumption.  I followed a weight watchers diet for about three months.  This was boring to me as it was so regimented.  By November, 2013 I was off Weight Watchers but instead making smart food decisions.  I eliminated as many starch and flour based carbs as possible.  If I didn’t have to eat bread then I wasn’t going to.

As this progressed I became slightly more militant.  I started following the philosophy that if it comes in a bag or a box at the grocery store you probably don’t want it.  Obviously, this wasn’t easy.  I am still not 100% with this but I make every effort I can.

My final dietary change came at the end of December.  Up until this point every document I read on the subject of Multiple Sclerosis pointed to diet change up to and including a Paleolithic diet.  The Paleo diet seemed too structured and without any glory for me.  While researching alternative ways to cut out bad things I found even more damning evidence against dairy and beef.  There I had my answer…With the overwhelming evidence that Dairy and Beef are bad for inflammation within the brain of MS patients I was done.  I gave up beef and dairy.  This was the single hardest change I’ve made.  This was also the single greatest change I have made.  I feel so much better already in just the month I’ve been without it.

Lastly, I made a vow of becoming even more active and physically fit.  For one month now I’ve been going to the gym three to four times per week.  I focus on cardio for 30-50 minutes each time and the rest weight training.  I have no idea if I’ve lost weight.  I refuse to jump on a scale.  In fact, my father and I, shot our scale over 100 times (I know…guns…but we are from Maine after all).

I don’t know precisely how much weight I’ve lost.  Honestly, I don’t care.  At the end of the day I feel so much better!  This is worth more than anything else.  As this blog progresses I will let you know in greater detail the things I do for myself and the things my teammates do for me.  Until then…Captains gear up…Its an all hands on deck game tonight.

Completed my first 5k!

Congratulations to me on completing my first 5k Run

My goal today was to complete part two of "Heathy Me: Soon to be".  Unfortunately, this didn't happen.  I'm going to pat myself on the back anyway...I completed my first 5k Run today, albeit at the gym rather then the street.  Regardless of the location, for the first time in my life, I ran a 5k.  This was part of my training to run an actual 5k Road Race on April 5th, 2014.  Whatever your goal in life, we all get there the same way...STEP BY STEP.  What did you achieve today?  Lets together celebrate our wins!

Healthy me: Soon to be - Part One

For about six years now I've experienced weird, and up until recently, unexplained health issues. I collapsed at the gym on Christmas Eve three years ago. At that time, I couldn't type, nor write a letter at work. (I could compose the letter, however, I could not get my hands to work, which meant I could not physically handwrite or type said letter.

On three separate occasions I was left unable to feel the right side of my face and hand.

The latest time, on April 26th, 2013, I woke up again unable to feel the right side of my face.  The next day the sensitivity in my right hand was affected. And on April 28th, my birthday, I woke unable to speak. It wasn't that I couldn't form the words...it was more like I had an overload of Novocaine that wouldn't get better.

At best, I was slurring my words.

At worst, I was damn near unable to form any discernible words.

One week after that I lost hearing in my right ear.  

Over the next few months I was unable to work...it's not possible to be in a retail leadership position without being able to communicate with your staff and customers.

Throughout that entire time I underwent test after test. A total of three MRIs, a CT scan, Evoked Potentials (visual, auditory, and sensory), and cognitive testing.

Officially, I was given a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.

To most, this type of diagnosis, would lead to sadness and depression.

Most grieve after such bad news.

In ways, I celebrated it.

I didn't jump for joy, but I did realize it was a better diagnosis than any of the things mentioned to me over the years.  Up until that point, a heart defect, stroke, and brain tumor had been thrown around.

I celebrated because my diagnosis was none of those things.

The Discovery!

After processing my diagnosis in my mind for a few months, I had an "Aha!" moment.  I realized up until that point I had been abusing my body every chance I could...

I started smoking at 12 years old.

I had my first drink around the same time, followed by excessive drinking at 15.

That all pales in comparison, though, to the damage done to my body because of my dietary choices. 

At 18, I began making really great money. As most irresponsible 18 year olds do, I spent it all. Rather than buying lots of fun and distracting things, like cars and TVs, I bought food. High end, flavorful, and mostly terrible dietary choices followed me around until May of this year.  Once I was out on short term disability, I decided I needed to make better choices on what things I chose to spend my money on.  Living on 60% of my pay seemed ominous.  

It wasn't until August of 2013 I had my awakening moment.

I realized food was KILLING me.

I  weighed 375lbs....and I looked awful, to say nothing about how I felt.

I had my health and financial answer...STOP EATING BAD FOOD!

Done!

I finally had figured out an answer to my financial mess...and with hope, my health mess, as well.

Eat better and exercise!

The goal of the Team Jake blog is discuss the choices I have made to live a healthier life.  Also, if I am able to help anyone else on their journey I will be thrilled!

Be sure to check out part 2 of this post to see a more detailed account of the steps I'm taking to feel better, live better, and BE BETTER!