Artisana Raw Organic Goji Bliss

Day 108.

I have found the best Organic, Raw Coconut Butter I have ever had in my entire life!

They say that M&M's "melt in your mouth, not in your hand." Here is the perfectly perfect "perfectness" way of doing this in an Organic, healthy way!

This delicacy is called Artisana Raw Organic Goji Bliss. The ingredients are as follows:

• Artisana™ Organic Raw Coconut Butter

• Organic Raw Coconut Oil

• Organic Raw Goji Berries

• Organic Raw Agave Syrup

What could be better than those 4 ingredients? I have been craving something "sweet" this week. I don't have any dessert that I can have in our house. I never keep it; it would be too tempting! So, I got the great idea that I was going to get me some rice cakes and unsalted, raw cashew or pecan spread. When I got to Whole Foods, though, and was looking at their wide variety of Organic, Raw butters, I came across this one. And naturally, when the Coconut Butter was the 1st ingredient, I knew I had to have that one.

After I ate my dinner last night I decided to have just a 1/2 Tbsp of it. The jar specifically says that it's best to warm it up and spread it over fruit, bread, cake, etc. You can also add it to smoothies. Basically, you can do whatever with it. I decided to just eat it as it was; straight out of the jar, in a 1/2 Tbsp measuring spoon.

UNBELIEVABLE. When it hits your mouth, it melts. It's got a coconut flavor, with a hint of "buttery fat" meets "sweet." I decided to not even put it on my rice cake. I am so glad I didn't. I was able to take in the full flavor of it. I savored every second of it!

I am 150% endorsing this product! It's not cheap...this is not your $2.99 jar of Skippy Peanut Butter. But the nutritional benefits, full-flavor and satisfying component to it make it absolutely worth it.

You can find this at Whole Foods. You can also find it HERE from a variety of sources via the Premier Organics website. Premier Organics is located in Berkeley, CA.



I was a little more tired today. My mouth started to annoy me later afternoon. It was about a 5/6 today. I got bloated late afternoon. My stomach made a lot of funny noises. I got sick around 5pm and then the bloat/twisted began up again. My right eye still twitching a little.

Here was my day:

Breakfast

• 1/4 Fruit Fusion
• Steel Cut Oats + Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein + Stevia/Cinnamon
  

Snack

• Iced Protein Latte
  

Lunch

• 1/2 c. Quinoa mixed with XLean Turkey + paprika
• Spinach + Sea Salt/Pepper + ACV
  

Snack

• 1/2 c. Quinoa mixed with XLean Turkey + paprika
• Spinach + Sea Salt/Pepper
• Orange
  

Snack

• Wild Salmon Burger
  
• Organic Apple
  

Dinner

• Tuna + Romaine Lettuce + (Steamed) Spinach & Garlic
  + Balsamic/Sea Salt/Spirulina
  
• Watermelon
• Rice Cakes + Artisana Raw Organic Goji Bliss

Carbs, carbs, carbs, carbs....I'll talk more about these next time. Stay posted because Leah has me starting the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet. I will probably be starting on Monday. I am mentally preparing until then; making food, researching and accepting this very limited carb method to healing via eating.

A "Little Bit Sweet" Homemade Marinade

Day 90.

Wow! Today is the 3-month mark! Unbelievable! Time goes so quickly!

2 items of interest today:

1. My new homemade marinade
2. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition

1. I was craving grilled chicken lettuce wraps. (I made them both last night and tonight.) However, I was craving my grilled chicken to be a little bit sweet. Back in the "old days" (prior to 90 days ago) I would have gone to Safeway and grabbed the first "fat free honey mustard" (heck, fat free, Splenda-laden anything I could find) there was. Not now! Now it's up to me to create this perfect "little bit sweet" marinade. So here is how I created it:

• Whole Foods 100% Certified Organic Maple Syrup
  

• Whole Foods Organic Vanilla Extract
  

• Balsamic Vinaigrette

And that was it! I mixed about 1/2 each of the Maple Syrup/Balsamic Vinaigrette. I put just one or two drops of the vanilla in. It was perfect. It was free of preservatives. No chemicals. Purely delicious!

2. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition: I have been thinking of this school so much lately. About 2 years ago I left my Corporate job at Robert Half International. Enough was enough, and one day I just upped and left. I essentially "started over." It was a blessing in disguise. I spent a few months concentrating on me, where my heart was and what I wanted to do with my life. That ultimately landed me in Health and Fitness at ClubSport in San Ramon, but I tossed around the idea at that time of going to The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. The thought has never left my mind.

Lately, I've been hearing and reading so much about them. They just got a Distance Learning program, too. I believe it would be great for me study with them. I'm not saying that it will lead me to a full-time career as a health counselor, (but you never know) but it fascinates me and I might like to see just what I could do with it!

And besides, knowledge is power. Knowledge gives me the power to promote people, places, ideas and things I believe in - heath, fitness and nutrition at the top of that list!

I have been feeling pretty good, as far as my stomach is concerned. My mouth has been some more annoyed. Today it was probably about a 6/7. Not good....but, breathe....

Here was my day:

Breakfast #1 (Pre-workout)

• Fruit Fusion
• Steel Cut Oats + Unsweetened Rice Milk+ Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• (2) Red Grapes (on accident!)
• Baristas Soy Latte (Not on accident!)
  

Lunch (post-workout)

• Albacore, no salt, tungol tuna
  
• 1/2 c. Quinoa
• Raw Carrot
  

Dinner

• Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps + homemade marinade
  
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Glass of Red Wine

Up early tomorrow to run 6 miles "Like a Girl" in Danville!