THM Tip of the Week - for OVEREATERS

This has been an interesting week for me... I'm sorry my blog has had to experience being neglected... My social media life is almost non-existent. I'm going through major GREAT changes in my life and even when they're awesome, they are a bit overwhelming! I am thankful and humbled... God is good! I will share more as things are more solidified but... it's awesome (and scary, well... for me! just don't think I am pregnant... I am not.)

Anyway... Most of my tips right now are directed to THM Beginners that are still trying to figure things out but if you are a THM "veteran" you might still benefit (hopefully) from my tips... here I go:

Today I have several tips, these are specifically for those of us... who... tend to... um... ehem... eat compulsively and don't know when or how to stop overeat

First of all... if you are like me you get frustrated, confused and hate the following phrases

- In moderation (HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT?)

- Eat until satisfied not full! (Hey! I am not satisfied unless I'm full!!!)

- Don't count calories but "those are too many" 


When I first joined Trim Healthy Mama and read the book for the first time... I felt hopeful and yet a bit confused about some terms.... I found that the book mentions not to count calories but yet... written in the same book.... oh so casually... things like "calories do matter" .... and yet again... "don't worry about calories, we love high caloric meals" and later again another phrase saying "to avoid extra calories" I thought I was going to go completely insane...

The book is honestly, genuinely necessary for this journey! I am not saying the book is wrong... I am saying that ... for people like me... phrases like "just eat them in moderation" don't mean anything and they can be a "scary" rather than "freeing" thing.... Hey! When I've been on other diets I've never been "trusted" with "how much food I can eat!!!" ... What a scary feeling! For me... eating in moderation means not eating the whole chicken like I actually want to! .... For me... eating until satisfied means... that I EAT UNTIL I AM FULL! Because hey! I will NOT be satisfied UNLESS I AM FULL! There... I said it!

So.... what's the trick? If you are like me... CAN YOU DO THIS?

YES YOU CAN DO THIS...

THM does have specific limits for some meals... like E meals 20-45 grams of carbs and only 1 tsp. of fat.... or S meals only 10 grams of carbs (and keep your grains with your E meals, those belong there preferably except for the exception of some low carb items that should, also be limited to about 1 a week if anything) or only 1/2 avocado in an S meal... I dance and enjoy and thrive within those limits... but how about the "limitless fat in an S meal?" how about "eat until satisfied" cases?

Well.... here are my tips:

1. Don't stress too much about it! I know, I know.... it's hard! I am a little obsessive and I want to know exact amounts too... but... don't stress about it... even if you do, in fact, go a little overboard with how much chicken you are eating, it's still not your "sugar overload" the "limitless sugar loaded ice cream you used to eat" "endless chips and salsa or bread sticks" ... you are still making awesome changes that will indeed make a difference in your health.

1. Make a pause! .... After you eat your plate of food and you feel like you want to go to the kitchen get more and more and more... go to the kitchen and instead fill a cup with water, add some ice, drink it, enjoy it and allow yourself to realize that maybe you are already satisfied... if not... then go ahead, eat more.... that glass of water will help you not go too far either.

2. Fill your plate with non-starchy veggies... That feeling of abundance and still eating a lot... will be met... as we learn to "make peace with food" and we learn to control our weird emotional urges to eat like we are never going to be able to eat this... ever... ever again.... I invite you to fill your plate up with lots of veggies... Yes... we do want to fight gluttony and excess... but as we learn to calm those urges down... to have more joy and peace with food and realize it's not our enemy... and those feelings of anxiety towards food quiet down... make better choices on your plate... maybe in the future you'll be so in control about it all that you won't need to overeat at all.... who knows... it's just hopeful thinking here *wink*

3. If it helps you and you can do it... keep a food journal, I know it helps me.... I love Myfitnesspal, not necessarily to "measure" but just to have a visual, in writing of what I ate through the day.... the more I feel comfortable the less I feel the need to do it but I get back at it when I feel I need that re-assurance again.

4. Pray before you eat... I am adding it to the end... but... it's a first!... give God thanks for the blessing of food... and every day with every meal... surrender that to Him... that aspect of your life, give it to Him....


Do not be afraid... You can do this! Trust me... If I can you can! and if you need some more encouragement, accountability or just a pal! Meet me here on my blog or at my FB page, leave comments, questions or even prayer requests. I'll love to hear from you!

So... as you can see the authors of the book were right to give us the freedom and the reins of how "much we eat" in some cases... I leave you with this to reflect on it:

"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." - 1 Corinthians 6:12
 

© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

THM Tip of the week - Grams of Sugar vs Added Sugar

Hello everybody, last week I started a "Paloma's THM Tip of the Week" for my blog...

If you have no clue what THM is ... Well... you have to check this out

If you are already on THM or lurking and full of questions... I hope my tips will help you... I want you to stay encouraged and motivated realizing that this plan is doable!

 So... here we go... this is the 2nd. Tip I share... please leave comments, suggestions or questions ... I'd love to hear from you!

Get familiar with labels

Food! We love it! And many times we eat it without even looking at the label on the packaging which gives us such important information. Many others of us WILL indeed look at the label and only be concerned about the "calories"... those that are a little more thorough might look at the fat content or "Sodium" (many times wondering if that's too high or just enough). Trim Healthy Mama plan we have such freedom that calorie counting is no longer needed (I do it once in a while just because I am obsessive like that) but in our plan "Ingredients Trump Numbers" (if you join the FB group you will see that phrase there often) ... We care more about the ingredients we eat and their categories (there are some things that we just do not mix).... but KNOWING how the labels work will help you a lot and will save you from a lot of confusion...

See that label? Let's study it together, we will not get in depth but I will show you two very important things that you have to notice... On Trim Healthy Mama we focus A LOT on the ingredients... Sugar (also known as glucose, corn syrup, dextrose, honey, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, cane juice, juice concentrate, fructose... and many more) is not allowed on the THM plan, actually it will be easier for me to tell you the sweeteners that are on plan: Stevia (natural and doesn't spike your glucose levels) -Trim Healthy Mama has great sweeteners- and some natural sugar alcohols like Erythritol and Xylitol - like this or this  

BUT... sugar (even if it claims to be natural, organic, lower GI -like agave or coconut sugar-) is NOT on plan.

Don't worry... you can still enjoy lots of sweets... but your palate might in fact need some adjusting to the sweeteners, as you flush out the sugar from your system.

Anyway... So... back to that label! See the ingredients? Let's try a little exercise... Do you see any sugar in the Ingredients list? The LIST is at the bottom... right below that little chart with numbers and percentages.... look at the pic and check please, this will help you.... No sugar, right? That means this specific product (Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt) does NOT contain any added sugar... Most mamas start jumping up and down of joy when they see that it's actually sweetened with STEVIA LEAF EXTRACT!... but then... uh... their eyes catch something while they jump... as they look a little higher on that same label they see the word "Sugar" .... and when they see that it says "7 grams" they want to faint! If they already ate some they almost want to "spit it out" like it was poison (which... well... let's be honest... sugar IS like a poison) and they get troubled, confused and frustrated... But... let me tell you something: 

 Jump and dance away mama! You're good to go

Your brain is not tricking you, the food industry is not tricking you (at least not in this specific case), this is not as confusing as you might think... the "Sugar Grams" you see there are actually naturally occurring sugars from the dairy in your yogurt... THERE IS NO added sugar in this product and ... of course we all love a lower number in the grams of sugar but thankfully the fermentation process in a yogurt helps lower the impact on your sugar level... (this happens specifically with fermented products like Kefir and Greek Yogurt which are both allowed on plan, make sure you buy them 0% and plain! the only allowed "flavored" yogurt we've found so far to be on plan is the Triple Zero Oikos because it's the only one sweetened with stevia).

Now... let's just do another quick exercise just to make sure we got this! Let's do it with an "easier" product (dairy can be higher in natural occurring sugars so it can get a bit harder to figure out) but let's practice with a product we would assume there would be no traces of "sugar" in it...

Let's go with something most of us love and that you can enjoy on the THM plan... UNSWEETENED PEANUT BUTTER!

 You can buy the most affordable kind like:

Smucker's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter or Kirkland Natural Peanut Butter

If you can afford it get the organic/non gmo kinds like: this or this.

Let's look at a label:

I think you now know where to look first, right? Ingredients! What does it say? Basically Peanuts and Salt!

Now, let's look at the chart on the left, the nutrition facts:

Sugars: 2 grams...

With the knowledge you now have... is this product ON plan?

mmmmm

need another second?

.....

If you answer was YES! You are correct! On THM we can eat this product in an S setting, the "S" stands for "satisfying" where FAT is the FUEL. We avoid grains, starches (basically we keep our carbs low) in an S setting... so you would be MORE THAN SAFE eating this product in an S setting... Your carbs are 7 grams, then you remove the 3 grams of fiber and you end up with 4 grams of net carbs in 1 serving of this peanut butter (10 grams of carbs is the limit for an "S")...

"But wait... what happened with the sugar? I thought it wasn't allowed!"

You are right! Sugar is off plan... But... there is NO ADDED sugar here... as long as "sugar" (or any of its nicknames) is NOT listed on the ingredients you are good to go! (well... of course there are other off plan ingredients but we're just talking about sugar right now). Grams of sugar in the nutritional facts are good to know but they do NOT disqualify a product from the plan...

Keep checking your ingredients... Stay alert! Don't let that sugar sneak up on you!

Other favorite sweeteners on plan are:






(Update after publishing) Beware of Truvia Baking blend... Yes it's cheaper but it's because it's mixed with sugar. It is NOT on plan, stay away from Stevia in the raw as well, it's NOT only stevia and it's NOT on plan. We have to check the labels of everything... Grocery shopping actually makes me a bit angry to see how many "innocent looking" items have sugar in them! You can even go to your pantry and check your container of SALT and you will very likely find DEXTROSE in the ingredients.

I hope this is helpful for you!

© Paloma K.


 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Homeschooled children are weird

Which kid isn't a little odd? :) They might look perfectly normal for their parents... but... let's be honest... most kids have a little goofiness to them... it's refreshing!

Mine... are no exception (not at all!) and I thought I'd share with you a moment of our family's homeschooling adventures with you.

Here's hubby... with his method to teach long-short vowel sounds... I usually leave phonics to him because, ehem, being a Mexican and having a thick accent (that's what some people say... I honestly can't hear it... but hey... it's me!) it's not the best idea for me to try to teach phonics to my kids....

here we go... enjoy!

 

© Paloma K.

Valentine's Day - all you need is love!

Good day everyone! It was a gorgeous day outside here on East Texas, the sun was bright and the air  cool but very pleasant...

So... Valentine's Day... right? it's coming and many (including me) are looking forward to it ... dates are nice, and we all want and enjoy them (I know I do)... but something I need to remember to keep my focus on is how all I need is LOVE!

In a marriage... Dates are not REALLY NEEDED (although I know it is just an expression)... DATES ARE WANTED and APPRECIATED...  Time and communication with our spouse IS needed... but "dining out, flowers and chocolate" are not a NEED  yes, dates out are awesome, they're nice, they're great, they're fun but not INDISPENSABLE... Traveling is not needed, days without the kids are not needed, expensive dinners, clothes and gifts ARE NOT needed...

All we NEED is love!


Sometimes we get confused between the external demonstrations of love and the very essential source of those demonstrations... LOVE itself! We can hang beautiful curtains on our windows, have the best decorations, buy nice things for our homes... and if the very foundation is not solid... cracks will form, deep cracks that we might not see in the beginning because we are so focused on other "adornments" but they can grow so much, so deep... that the house at some point will fall or become inhabitable.


My parents have been a great example of love for me... true, deep, awesome love... their "house" (marriage) never had fancy drapes, nice vases or decorations, flowery stuff but their foundation is solid... They LOVE each other... they love each other in a practical way, when one cares for the other when sick, when imperfections become part of the very things you love about that person, when come what may they'll always be together... They don't date... in my family we've gone through so much... winds and storms have hit... there's been poverty and trying to survive... moments of defeat, loss, struggle, real struggle where dates, dinners out (sometimes dinners at all), movies were not even on anybody's mind... where my dad would show his love by trying to sell some rocks he found on the backyard ... and carrying water from outside so we could have some water in the house, where my mom would show her love by always trying to have a cup of instant coffee ready for him or by encouraging him, listening, being cheerful in the situations, being prayerful until her knees got calluses...

I've never seen my dad give my mom a Valentine's gift (although growing up I did see him did pick a flower here and there for her, wrote her a nice letter, always called her sweet things or reminded her of a song they both liked)... but in spite of no movies or specific Valentine's gifts I've never thought they didn't love each other... I am not saying Valentine's gifts are bad (I want one!) I am just saying that sometimes our focuscan be a little deviated from where it should be... and of course social media doesn't make it that much easier... I am so glad there was no facebook (sometimes not even electricity though... ) for my parents to see where everybody else was going, what they were wearing, the brands they got, etc or to be told through many posts that they should "go out on a date, pay for a babysitter, etc." ... I am so thankful they never paid for marriage conferences where they would be told "he needed to be more romantic" and "she needed to be sexier" (conferences are great and I know they have saved marriages, we just have to take the good, what's godly and discard whatever might not apply to us) ...  So ... I guess what I am trying to say...  If you're happy with your husband who might not be very romantic but loves you to pieces and everyday works and sacrifices for his family then... enjoy!!! We shouldn'tt need a "special date" to feel loved... He is LOVING YOU every day! If your man is your spiritual leader and he prays for you when you need it! Treasure that and don't feel the need to "live up" to the facebook/instagram pictures of anybody else! ... You have a special thing as long as Love (with capitol L) is the foundation...

My man is amazing and he often doesn't match the descriptions of posts that invite you to "share if your husband is a *true* gentleman with 9 chivalrous habits" but he does way more than that... and I wouldn't trade back...

Some posts will tell you that your husband should "watch girly movies with you" and that is part of making him a "true gentleman" ... the truth is that I don't even like most girly movies so I don't need that from him ... Josh is MY prince, MY knight in a shining armor, MY VERY TRUEST gentleman and there is nobody like him for me...

I am not saying men shouldn't do all those chivalrous things ... I just think that if they don't necessarily do "them all" that's ok too! Everybody is different... and we should appreciate what we have. The one and only thing I can tell you every marriage needs (without any fear to be mistaken) is... Love ....

Love... 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16


Love...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

My man loves God, doesn't yell, laughs hard at my jokes, finds my goofiness special, tells me how smart I am often, asks for my opinion, prays with and for me, is a great daddy to our girls, loves and respects my parents and siblings, helps others, serves others... and lots of other things that I don't even have to share... because you don't need to know... your husband WILL be different from mine and I don't have to put together a "list of 9 things" that your hubby should be or do!

Have fun this Valentine's Day! Go on a date if you can afford it (and if it really means something to you), I want one myself! I am excited just thinking what we might do... it can be here at home... maybe just a special dinner when the girls go to bed... or just eat a piece of a special kind of chocolate (dark chocolate over 85% cocoa if you are a Trim Healthy Mama). I might not have the best ideas for you... but just do what comes from the heart, what's meaningful for you both and what shows... Love... not to the world... not to facebook... but to both of you! Things will look different depending our season in life.

According to many blogs... My parents don't even know that their marriage shouldn't exist any more! Or at least it shouldn't be a Happy one! And yet... there they are! My dad still making sure there's no cold wind blowing into the house during the night, my mom still making his coffee!

Don't fall trap for all those things that pretend to "help your marriage" and sometimes end up hurting... many posts have the best intentions... and they're not at all giving you bad advice... most of the writers might be godly people who have experienced things that work for THEMSELVES... but don't let anything put a strain on your relationship, an added stress, a discontentment for the things you now feel "you should be enjoying" just because your FB contacts are... 

If you have Love... this Valentine's Day... you have it all!!! 

© Paloma K.

Rehearse, Practice, Wonder, Question - THM Tip!

Hello friends! How are you doing? I know many of you are just joining (or thinking about it) Trim Healthy Mama... I know a few friends that have asked me about this amazing plan, they all get encouraged to join when they hear about the amounts of foods you can eat, the fact that you can have butter with your veggies or that you can eat a nice steak and feel no regret! But as soon as they hear something like "S, E or FP" I can see glossy eyes! Many get lost there...

My beautiful oldest daughter is bright as can be, she is 6 years old and very smart... But she often complains when we do something "new" for school (I home-school)... She is a perfectionist and wants to avoid making mistakes at all costs! So if I introduce a "new word" to her spelling words she gets frustrated and says:

- "but I don't know that one!" ... and I answer:

- " Well... of course... of course you don't know that one! Isn't that exciting? you are learning something new! In the beginning it's going to seem odd, weird and sometimes even impossible! But isn't it going to be great when you get it? and then it  just be part of your well known words. Would you rather I repeat day after day: *cat, hat, pat, bat*? No, right? I know you know those! Those are now easy! But at some point they weren't!"

What does that have to do with anything? I know you know what I am trying to tell you! Trim Healthy Mama is a new thing for you! It's not even a "familiar word" but... how awesome is that? It's an opportunity for you to learn something new (to you)... and not only something new... it's something good and something that will soon become part of who you are and you will manage to see it as something easy!

Of course you DON'T HAVE TO learn this plan... It's not indispensable, you could just continue your life without it... I often see posts of ladies that want to be "convinced" that this plan works... Day after day I see ladies on the FB groups trying to explain why this is so good for others! Like trying to convince a kid to eat his veggies! So I am not going to try to convince you! You can see all the amazing testimonies day after day on Facebook ... We are not children anymore... I am responsible for my health and I have my own struggles... Staying or not staying, joining or not joining is completely each individual's personal choice and decision to make. Others get discouraged when the scale doesn't move (been there! TOTALLY, way too often) and when we are down we want to be convinced to stay on plan! Thankfully there are wonderful, encouraging ladies on plan that will try to do that work and convince others... but honestly... if someone has made up their mind to "quit" it's almost unfair to put that "burden" on others to fight for them and somehow try to keep them doing what's good for their health!

 So... I decided to start this new "thing" on my blog and it's called "Paloma's THM Tip of the Week".

Here goes this week's Tip

Read the book and...

Spell it!

Just like with my daughter... whenever there is a new word she freezes and thinks she can not do it! Just yesterday she wanted to write a sentence and use the word "suddenly" and the first thing she did was come and ask me how to write it... I could just answer! It's easier not only for her but also for me... But... I know for a fact that I will not be helping her if every time she has a question I immediately jump and tell her the answer without having her try to think about it for a little bit....

I said: "I know you never write that word but I also know you've seen it before... you know how the letters work... so sound it and you tell me"

She immediately said: "Ok... S-U-D ....." and ... she spelled the whole word she thought she didn't know.

Whenever you go to the FB group and want to ask a question... go ahead! Questions are not only welcome but also encouraged... but if you take my tip... TRUST ME ... you'll be rehearsing those concepts that you think "don't make much sense" but you've ALREADY SEEN THEM in the book, etc... The knowledge is there! Try to apply them for yourself before you ask and you might be pleasantly surprised and actually excited to realize you know more than you give yourself credit for....

Of course ... the first thing is I am assuming you already READ THE BOOK ...

Don't get me wrong... I am not saying don't ask! I am the very first one to help answer a question whenever there's a doubt on the group... I am also the first one to ask if I really can't figure out something! You shouldn't do this by yourself when there are so many wonderful people out there willing to help you... BUT... before you ask someone else... ask yourself if you can "answer your own question" and when you come up with an answer... even if it's a wrong one... then share with the group ... something like "hey... I was wondering if I could have rice with my *S* meal... I think I can't because rice is a grain and it belongs in the *E* meals but I am not sure and I want to confirm"

What a wonderful thing that is! To see mamas trying to apply their knowledge, willing to make mistakes, being teachable because they take their health that seriously.

 Also... I've seen that one of the administrators of the group (Michelle) sometimes challenges the members to figure out what kind of meal she is eating, she posts a picture and everyone chimes in with their response... many get it right, many get it wrong but they are ALL PRACTICING their knowledge and willing to even make a mistake! guess what? Most of the things I know BEST are the result of a mistake I once made and once it got corrected I never got it wrong again!

See? Try for yourself! Make an extra effort... go the extra mile... it will make all of the THM concepts become a part of you THAT MUCH FASTER.

And that's my tip for you today! I hope you take it or let me know your opinion.... I love hearing from you!
 
More tips to come each Friday! Stay tuned.

© Paloma K.



 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Baked oatmeal, earth milk and lots of love

Hello everybody! I don't know exactly what I was waiting to try the wonderful baked oatmeal recipe from Mrs. Dirinda! If you are not on the Trim Healthy Mama FB groups you probably don't know who I am talking about.... but I can tell you... she's super awesome! I love her encouraging posts, her upbeat attitude, her willingness to share with everyone and help us all! Hey... there are so many wonderful ladies in that group I can't even mention names because it would be a long list. I am making great solid friendships... like with beautiful Teresia from Nana's Little Kitchen, Vikki Rey (she's now my fb friend on my personal account too!), Dally T (who I think just started on this journey but she's a fighter, she goes with everything...  I know she's going to succeed!) and I enjoy her posts and comments very much.... well... many wonderful people like that and many others that I look forward to getting to know even more like amazing Briana Thomas who is wise beyond her years, love her strength, faith, peacefulness and her food!!! or Sarah from Mrs. Criddle's Kitchen who is welcoming and thoughtful, Jennifer from A Home with a Purpose... administrator extraordinaire, loving and caring... and... I told you! Don't get me started with the names or I'll never end! They're all a great bunch!

Anyway... My point here is that after what I now know was TOO LONG... I made Mrs. Dirinda's delicious, scrumptious and oh so filling! Baked Oatmeal ... If you haven't tried it ... you are missing out!!! that stuff is yummy! I don't know why I waited so long to try it! The recipe calls for almond milk and I made it with cashew milk, but everything else I followed to the T! I can't wait to try the so many variations that exist or that I can create as well! This one is a keeper!

Oatmeal... I love you!

I've been such a good girl today that I also made "Earth Milk" ... Thank God for my wonderful Ninja Blender

You could say "I'm on a roll"... it was simple to make and it's so good to be able to chug your veggies when you want to add more into your daily intake! But "drinking earth milk" is NOT something you HAVE TO DO on this plan... You can if you want to... you don't NEED it to succeed... I liked it but I must admit it doesn't look like the most inviting of drinks you'll have on plan! (It's really not bad though... and it's charged with super foods!) If you've been on THM and haven't made it yet... Try it... The recipe is in the book on page 425 ... What? You don't have the book? Amazon has it for cheaper now... This is a BEST SELLER for a reason. It is a great investment!

If you are still not convinced on why you need the book if you can get "all the info you need" off of pinterest, the groups, the charts, etc... you really are in for a disappointment... The information will not make sense, you will end up confused, frustrated and feeling like "this doesn't work either"... I go into more depth on why you need the book here and here


Well... I hope I convinced you to take a step on the right direction... whether it is to try a new recipe, to buy the book, to join the facebook group ... anything!  

And you...

Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Turkey Bean Soup - Another amazing E meal

Hello fellow healthy eaters... whether you follow a specific plan (like in my case, the Trim Healthy Mama plan) or you just love to make healthy food for you and your family... I have a yummy soup that will not disappoint (at all!!!)

This soup is rich in protein and fiber, it's higher on carbs and very low on fat which, if you are a Trim Healthy Mama, you know it makes a perfect "E" meal.

This week I guess my focus has been on helping you introduce more E meals to your menu... I hope I am succeeding. The Trim Healthy Mama plan is one that is rich on high fats but also has just the right amount of carbs to keep you energized and feeling good! Do not be afraid of "E" meals... they're good for you and they will make this plan more doable on the long term. We all want to lose weight and lose it fast, unfortunately we start to take shortcuts that end up being our downfall many times (just like with the many diets we tried in the past)... Don't try to "get smart" and just do another version of a very popular low carb diet that starts with A and ends with tkins ... Embrace the THM plan and the freedom you can find in it.

My dear, amazing husband does not like beans... he's not a big fan of them... but this soup is one that he never complains about! He devours it (and don't let him know I told you but he asks for seconds most of the time)

Now... with this recipe you can use all cannellini beans or a mix of cannellini and black or pinto beans but the trick is to KEEP those cannellini beans in there! Such a nice mild flavor! ... they are amazing and so good for you. We all know beans are awesome and reach in fiber, right? But... cannellini and pinto beans are particularly lower on carbs in general!

With this recipe I use canned beans but you can boil and make your own if you prefer, I usually go to this recipe when I am in a hurry and still want to eat something yummy, comforting and that says "I love you" when you taste it. But here, let me tell you about the carb numbers (if you're like me and you're interested) behind beans:

1/2 cup of Black Beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total carbs: 23 grams
Fiber:  6 grams
Net Carbs: 19 grams

1/2 cup of Red Kidney beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total Carbs: 22 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Net Carbs: 15 grams

1/2 cup Cannellini beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total Carbs: 19 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Net Carbs: 13 grams

1/2 cup of Pinto beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total Carbs: 18 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Net Carbs: 11 grams


Now... let's go to that awesome "E" recipe, this can be a great lunch or even dinner... it is YUMMY! I usually cook it on the stove top but it can also be just thrown into the crockpot all together! It freezes well!

Turkey Bean Soup! - THM - E -

This I made with only cannellini beans and prepared on the stove top.

Ingredients

• 1/ 1/2 - 2 pounds lean ground turkey (can use ground venison too)
• ½ cup diced white onion, or more if desired
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (you could use parsley, I prefer cilantro)
• 2 tsp. chili powder (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp. of cumin
• 1 Tbls. garlic powder (or minced garlic)
• 15-ounce can cannellini beans*  (You can use all this variety of beans or just your favorite kind)
• 15-ounce can kidney beans* 
• 15-ounce can black beans*
• 15-ounce can pinto beans*
• 4 cups chopped zucchini
• 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (I use Original Ro-Tel Tomatoes for more flavor) - pureed in your blender -
• 2 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)

* Note: Make sure your canned beans HAVE NO SUGAR ADDED. 

Directions (for stove top)

1. Brown the turkey (or venison) meat in a skillet and drain (salt lightly).
2. If cooking on the stove top, (on medium-high heat) using a very large pot add the meat, onion, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and garlic, stir until onion is slightly softened.
3. Open and partially drain all 4 cans of beans; I leave about half the liquid in each can for the soup to have more liquid. Add the beans, and tomatoes to the large pot. Stir to incorporate.  Keep the heat on medium high until it starts bubbling. Turn the heat to low to simmer (covered with a lid, slightly open) for about 40 minutes .
4. Stir and taste occasionally, adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the zucchini and simmer for 15 more minutes (covered). Add the salt just before serving to best preserve its nutrients.

Directions (for slow cooker)

1. Brown the turkey (or venison) meat in a skillet and drain.
2. Turn your slow cooker to high setting. Add the meat, onion, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and garlic the pot. Stir, cover and set aside.
3. Open and partially drain all 4 cans of beans (leave some liquid, about 1/2 of each can for the soup). Add the beans, zucchini, and tomatoes to the cooker. Stir well.  Keep the heat set on high for 4 to 5 hours or adjust heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Stir and taste occasionally, adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the salt just before serving to best preserve its nutrients.

Sprinkle some extra fresh chopped cilantro when you serve. If you can handle the heat add some crushed red pepper flakes too! Optionally top with a dollop of plain 0% greek yogurt if desired or top with cheddar cheese for a crossover (crossovers are great but not weight loss inducing).



Please let me know if you try this recipe and how you liked it! I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do.


© Paloma K.

  Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Energizing Meals, Gallbladder and THM

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of getting your E meals, I mentioned how different our Trim Healthy Mama plan is from diets that sadly often get mentioned as a "similar" lifestyle to follow... Extremely low carb diets have good intentions and I am sure they can help many lose weight... They certainly found something that is true... carbs are something we need to be mindful of... We can't eat them liberally without expecting our waistline to suffer the consequences (especially if those carbs are mixed with fats!)... The Trim Healthy Mama plan instead of avoiding them all together explains which carbs convert to sugar faster in our bloodstream (which we should avoid) and how we can INCORPORATE them in our menu without paying the consequences! But that's what the Trim Healthy Mama plan teaches... how to INCORPORATE our carbs into our meals ... not how to completely erase them from our lives!

Yes... in the beginning there is a learning curve that we all have to go through (just like with any plan, and, I admit this one is particularly challenging just because it first un-teaches us some things we have strongly believed most of our lives)  there is some mindful counting and measuring for starters... BUT... after a little bit of patience and commitment... it all just flows! the knowledge becomes part of you and without even realizing it... you just make the right choices " in a natural and very FREEING way.

But today I want to tell you another reason why we need to add "E" meals to our menu... OUR GALLBLADDER! (or lack of it!) If you don't have one you might feel even a bit uncomfortable if you go heavy on the fats and if you are not making sure there's a certain balance with carbs and lots of leafy veggies! It's important that we do know the role that this organ plays (or played) in digestion and what your body can (or can't) handle once it's not there anymore!

I am a crazy reader on anything and everything pertaining to food (I've been seen to leave the library with more than 10 books at a time on the food subject!)... and from all that reading and from my own experience without gallbladder (and learning a lot from the Haylie Pomroy Fast Metabolism Diet) I can share with you this knowledge:

Our gallbladder plays an important role in the digestion, I am not going to try to give you a long explanation but trying to put it in just a few words here goes: It stores the bile that the liver produces that helps in the digestion of the foods we eat, when you lose your gallbladder obviously you don't have a "bile storage unit". So, even though you will have the same amount of bile in your body, you will not have as much bile in your intestine after your gallbladder is gone (the gallbladder can store about 1 cup of fluid at a time and release it into your intestine when needed), without it the bile is constantly being delivered into your intestine instead of being stored. In theory, this means that you will not digest fats as well.

  Thankfully there are some foods that actually HELP in fat breakdown (which is the hardest thing to process if you've gone through gallbladder removal)... some of these are:

• Apples and Asian Pears
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Cilantro
• Cucumbers
• Figs
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Green Beans
• Limes and Lemons
• Okra 
• Salmon
• Shallots
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Okra

Note:  (guacamole is a great option when eating S meals because the awesome fat is accompanied by several of these wonderful helpers!)

Make sure your foods are rich on fresh herbs and spices... Get heavy handed with cilantro basil and Non Irradiated Turmeric Powder ! (make some curry!), don't skimp on dried spices that increase the temperature of your body like all hot peppers, cinnamon, cayenne, Ginger and paprika (as you can see the THM drinks like GGMS, shrinker and earth milk are highly recommended) -find some of those drinks recipes here-

Drink up! Drink all your water (and then some)... Make sure you also chew a lot your food (this I fail to do all the time)

And again... Enjoy your S meals, don't be afraid of them... but remember to include those E meals! They're way lighter on the fats (which we all love, they are great for you and I don't discourage you to eat them... I am just encouraging you to make sure you balance everything out and I can't stress enough the importance of using your freedom and eating some carbs!) 

You want an idea on what to eat for an E? I have a great and very easy breakfast for you today!

French Toast - E -
(1 Serving)

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of Ezekiel Bread (if you freeze it make sure it's thawed)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk
• 1/4 cup all whites (egg whites)
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Sweetener to taste (you can use stevia, swerve, truvia -not the baking blend-)
• 1 tsp. of butter (for cooking the french toast) 

Topping :

I topped with Slim Belly Jelly (recipe in the book page 411 and you will need Glucomannan to make it) ...  you can also use your own jelly without added sugar.
I also had a coconut creme Oikos Triple Zero on the side. (My precious!!!)

Elaboration:

Mix the milk with egg whites, cinnamon and sweetener, let the bread soak all the liquid on both sides (you can even press the bread a little until all the liquid has been absorbed.
While the liquid is absorbing, melt the butter on a non-stick skillet at medium-high heat.
When the butter is melted and bubbly place the slices of bread on the lightly greased skillet, flip after it's evenly browned on one side, it should evenly brown on both sides. Sprinkle with more sweetener and cinnamon if desired.

In the making

Enjoy!!!

Liked what you read today? I sure hope so! Let me know if it's helpful... I don't want to keep all this info just to myself... I love sharing it with you... I would love hearing from you as well.

© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Add some cheese to your sandwich! THM E recommendation!

Hello dear THMers or just friends who are looking for a healthier way of life... I've got lots of updating to do on my blog... My Meet ME picture is so old it's not even funny! My girlies have grown so much! At least I updated my age over there... I looked into it and it said 33 still... I am almost 36 already! My information there doesn't even include anything about my THM journey and my health findings... like the fact that I have Hashimoto's disease which has caused Hypothyroidism and lots of struggles to lose weight! I celebrate my "not giving up" as part of a great victory when it comes to my health! My scale might say horrible things but I KNOW I am victorious just for the fact that I am soooo stubborn and I am not quitting what I know is best for me just for a "number"!

 So... here I am... and today I just want to tell you... Please eat more "E" meals! Don't fear them! Embrace them! They are part of the very healthy balance of THM... I've read several times people saying they find they need more "fiber" in this plan (because of certain digestive issues), others complaining of gas and bloating and many others just concerned because the plan resembles so much the Atkins Diet....

Please know that if your plan resembles the Atkins Diet is because you've CHOSEN it to be that way... I've never seen the Atkins plan allow you to eat up to 45 grams of carbs in ONE sitting! Have u? As far as I know the number is closer to 20 grams TOTAL for the WHOLE DAY! MY GOODNESS... I know I wouldn't be able to do that FOR LIFE... So... how about we shake things up a little bit and start incorporating the e meals back into your daily living? You don't need to eat all "E" meals... but you do need to find what's best for your body... to keep it energized and... ehem... well... regular as well!

I know some are afraid because they just don't know what to eat for an E-meal... But there's such a big variety to choose from! FRUIT!, Plan Approved Cereal, Lentils, Beans, carrots, sweet potatoes (and other starchy veggies), quinoa, barley (hulled is best but pearl barley is great and on plan too), brown rice, old fashioned oats, steel cut oats ,  brown rice pasta (Tinkyada Pasta is my favorite and it's great for Purists) and Plan approved bread (like Ezekiel Bread or Gwen's Easy Bread) .... SEE? You can do this!

Today for lunch I had a delicious "E" sandwich! Lots of lean turkey deli slices with veggies, tomato, onions and with a delicious slice of cheese! Cheese... yes! You can have SOME cheese in an E setting, just don't add any other source of fat! I can't eat "cheeseless" sandwiches! So ... If you haven't thought of this.. YOU ARE JUST MISSING OUT !

Sorry... I was biting before taking the pic! Too good to wait!

SARGENTO ULTRA THIN NATURAL SLICES! (Yes, I am yelling! everyone has to hear this!)

I think I've already mentioned it before... but I see so many struggling to add e meals to their menu and many others just saying "they're hungry" and not satisfied at all after an e-meal that I thought you'd like to know you can eat VERY GOOD FOOD (and plenty of it) in an E setting.

I had 2 slices of toasted Ezekiel bread, lots of turkey (there's no limit on the amount of lean protein for an E meal), spring mix salad, some mustard and 1 slice of Sargento Ultra Thin cheese (No, I am not getting paid or compensated in any way to promote Sargento, they don't even know I exist! But I truly enjoy this product! It's genius)

In this case I got the Swiss Cheese, but they have different options for you! and how much fat is there? Take a look:

There are 9 grams of fat per serving! There are 3 slices in a serving! You just need 1 slice to transform that sandwich into *THE* sandwich! so that puts you at 3 grams of FAT! Perfectly within the limits of an E meal! Fill your sandwich up with lean turkey meat! Tomatoes, onions, green bell pepper, salad and even pickles! and guess what? you can add one of those marvelous

THM approved Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt (sweetened with stevia) to make it all even better! (incredibly... it is possible!)

Eat good, eat "E's", eat plenty!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.