WIAW--Veggilicious!

    
     It's Wednesday and boy am I glad, we are that much closer to the weekend! I also love Wednesdays because I get to gawk, ahem, drool...um, I mean calmly peruse the many delicious things that so many other bloggers are eating, and share my own good eats too! A big Thanks to Jenn of Peas and Crayons for continuing to inspire healthy and delicious eating each week, by encouraging us all to share the joy of great food through her blog hop "What I Ate Wednesday."

     While my "strict" six weeks of clean eating (no sugar, salt, or dairy) is officially over, I have carried that clean philosophy into my overall lifestyle. I still watch sugar intake, using Agave as a sweetener or going without sweetener all together. Salt is at a minimum and dairy is an occasional treat. My coffee is mixed with soymilk and my cereal is drenched in almond milk. Processed foods are at an all time low in this house and I feel all the better for it. See below for a sampling of what my daily diet consists of nowadays.

Aliment, Copyright 2012

      Breakfasts are often a freshly juiced green drink followed by a very filling smoothie and my daily supplements. Shown above: Kale-Mango-Blackberry Smoothie with Almond Milk, Coconut Kefir, Green Food Mix. Supplements: Cranberry, Acidophilus, Selenium, Evening Primrose Oil, and Vitamin D.

     Sometimes I just need a light snack to get me through until lunch, like this home popped, unsalted popcorn.

     A favorite lunch, making use of many delicious summer staples like garden fresh veg, is a hummus and veggie sandwich on whole grain bread.

     Although I have loved my daily cups (yes, that is plural on purpose) o' Joe for awhile now, it became clear when my health began to deteriorate, that among other things my coffee intake was going to have to go way down. There is something about it that is like aromatherapy to me though and I just didn't want to give it up completely. Part of my self-care routine now has become to make myself an afternoon cup, take it out to my porch swing and sit by myself for 5-10 minutes. Seems like a small thing, but with four kids home and the busy days of summer keeping me on my toes, this has become a very important and quite lovely part of my day.

     The dinner shown here was a little treat of veggie dumplings (a treat because they count as a processed food...even though they are organic) beside my home-made spicy soy and peanut dipping sauce, brown rice, and  a pile of roasted veggies (parsnips, shallots, potatoes, and baby bellas tossed in hot oil.) YUMMMM!

     For those of you who have been following my clean eating adventure, I'm happy to report that many of my fibromyalgia symptoms have greatly lessened or completely gone away as I've stayed true to a healthier diet plan and incorporated planned rest, moderate exercise, stress reduction (like my quiet time on the porch swing), and a consistent bedtime routine into my lifestyle. I hope to give you a more detailed report soon, but for now...I am off to mange on some hummus and fresh veg from my garden.

Nom, nom, nom, 

Tamar