• The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy

     

    A few weeks ago I got a book from SheSpeaks called The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy.  Haylie Pomroy is a celebrity nutritionist and wellness consultant.  She has Grammy and Academy Awards winners to Super Bowl champions and Olympic athletic clients that she has helped, including Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Cher, Raquel Welch, Robert Downey Jr., and more.  Her nickname is the “metabolism whisperer” because she has helped numerous clients lose weight, enhance their health, and meet their personal goals.   She currently has integrative healthcare clinics in Beverly Hills, Burbank, Irvine, and Fort Collins.

    Food is not the enemy, it’s medicine needed to rev up sluggish, broken-down metabolisms and turn bodies into fat-burning machines! – Haylie Pamroy

    The  book came during a very busy time with our family so it took me a little longer to read the book and get prepared so I could start the plan.  After reading the book I wrote out my meal plans for the entire week and went shopping.  I have to admit the planning and shopping took me a lot longer, especially the first week.   I am about done with my first full week and the recipes overall have been really good.  I did find a couple here and there that were not my favorite so I picked another one to try out the next day and saved a few new ones for next week. I really like that she gives a lot of variety in her recipes.  She also does a great job explaining the science behind it in her book.

    A little more about the Fast Metabolism Diet:

    • It is four weeks (28 days) of fat-burning meal plans with more than fifty recipes (includes vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options too).
    • No need to count a single calorie or fat gram.
    • Rotate what you’re eating to induce precise physiological changes that set your metabolism on fire.
    • Haylie Pomroy has over seventeen years experience helping people lose weight, improve fertility, overcome health challenges, and reach optimal health while still enjoying real food and not going hungry
    • Going through the plan you will lose weight and feel better, plus you may also see your cholesterol drop, your blood sugar stabilize, your sleep improve, and your stress level decrease as well
    • Eat a variety of real, delicious, and satisfying food.
    • Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day

    There are three phases you will go through every week.  She recommends you start on Monday, but you can do whatever day of the week works best for your schedule.

    • PHASE ONE (Monday-Tuesday): Lots of carbs and fruits (Phase 1 is for the carb lovers, fruits, pasta, rice, bread, crackers and pretzels, and includes a cardio workout).
    • PHASE TWO (Wednesday-Thursday): Lots of proteins and veggies (Phase 2 is focuses more on muscle building, giving you foods that include lean proteins and targeted vegetables and includes a weight lifting workout).
    • PHASE THREE (Friday-Saturday-Sunday): Some of the food from phases 1 & 2 plus healthy fats and oils (In phase 3 your your body is ready to enable the “thermogenic three – hormones, heart, and heat”  I like the the workout for this phase, it includes yoga or relaxing massage or deep breathing exercises)
    • Repeat for four weeks!

    The first week has been crazy busy, but I have managed to stay on track.  I have been prepping the breakfast, snacks, and lunch the night before so that it will help during the busy days.  So far on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have made dinner those nights and saved the leftovers for the next night to cut down on all the cooking.  Any leftovers for each phase I have been freezing for another night later in the month.

    I did have a small headache at the end of the first two days, but I am not sure if that was allergies or my body adjusting to the new foods.  I was really hoping that I would feel awesome with a ton of energy within the first a couple of days, instead I think I was actually a little more tired (but it was a really busy week with Jake out of town and starting a new meal plan).

    I have been keeping the book on the kitchen counter for reference to the recipes and made myself a little chart to remind me what food groups I need to eat on which days and what to pick for each meal and snack.  Also, the night before when I am prepping for the next day I will write what I am planning on eating for the next day on a sticky note as a quick reminder.  It has gone pretty smoothly and since I have been cooking the main meal for the entire family it has been neat to hear their reactions, they have enjoyed all the recipes (one night the girls had 2 bowls of soup)! 🙂

    Most of my shopping has been done at Trader Joe’s, Aldi’s and some at Whole Foods.  Finding some of the foods took awhile at first and I noticed a difference in prices from store to store, but it is worth it if it means I am healthy and have more energy in the long run.  At least for our area I found that Trader Joe’s and Aldi’s had the best prices (I think they are part of the same parent company too).

    I have already planned out my menu for next week, went shopping, and am looking forward to seeing what it brings.   Hopefully, I can stay on track and complete the full four week plan.  I already have several meals in the deep freezer for upcoming weeks so that should help with those busier days.  If I continue to plan ahead and prep the night before I think it could be very beneficial.  So far the food has been delicious and the bonus is its healthy for me too.

    More information about Haylie Pomroy:

    A special thanks to SheSpeaks and Haylie Pomroy for sponsoring this post!  Any specific product information was provided by Haylie Pomroy and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own.  We received a complimentary copy of the book for sharing information and our family’s experience.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Farms

    The past few weeks I have been reading about ways to eat healthier and along the way I discovered CSA’s (which stands for Community Supported Farms).  Although I have heard a little about them a couple times this was the first time I seriously considered joining one.  As I was researching more about the local farmers and various programs I decided to contact a couple in our area and find out more information.  It was interesting because some farms I never heard a word back from and others I have had several emails back and forth.  After much thought and research we decided as a family to try a CSA program this year and see how it goes.  I am VERY excited to participate and learn even more.  The girls are thrilled they get to go spend some time on a local farm and eat fresh veggies.  I am still growing some veggies in our garden at home, but I am really looking forward to getting fresh local produce from an area farm.

    What is a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and has been around for about 20 years.  CSA allows consumers to buy local, seasonal and fresh produce directly from the farmer.  The farmer gives “shares” to the public (ie box, bag, or basket of vegetables, fruit, eggs, and a variety of other farm products).  Consumers prepays for shares or a partial shares for that years crops.  The consumers then receive a box of seasonal produce weekly throughout the season (usually around 20 weeks for the summer and 10 weeks for the winter season in our area).

    Why is it beneficial?

    • Fresh locally grown produce for your family
    • An adventure in trying new produce and recipes
    • The seasonal produce you receive will be fresh and ripe
    • The opportunity to visit the farm where you produce is grown
    • Fresh and healthy produce for your family to enjoy
    • Organic farming (if this is important to you please confirm with the farm you chose before committing, each farm is different)
    • Educational for the kids to see the produce being grown
    • Direct connection with a local farmer
    • More variety of produce on the menu and at the family table
    • Farmers can market and sell their crops before production
    • Increases the cash flow for the farm during planting season
    • Some farms include eggs, bread, meat, cheese, flowers, local honey, and more.
    • Most farms allow you the opportunity to pick what size of share you want (Whole Share, Half Share, Quarter Share, etc…)
    • Many farms have multiple drop off locations and times as well.
    • And more great benefits!

    The benefits really are mutual between the farmer and the consumer.  I hope to share more of the benefits of being involved in a CSA as we have the opportunity to experience more.  Right now our farm has several items planted and we are just waiting for them to grow so we can enjoy the delicious food!  One of the reasons we made the decision to join a CSA is we looked over a budget and realized that some weeks we were spending more than half of our grocery money on fruits and vegetables since we are trying to eat healthier.  When we spread the cost of a CSA over a season we would actually be saving money as a family.  This is our first year so we haven’t discovered exactly how everything works but we hope to share our experience with you!

    Are there any risks? It wouldn’t be fair to share the benefits without warning you of the risks as well.

    • Shared Risk – you are investing in a crop prior to the farmer raising it so there is a possibility that they could have drought, flood, hailstorm, or insect issues during the season, however, most farms plant a variety of crops so you’ll most likely just get more of another produce, but there is no “guarantees”  At the same time they could have a bountiful production year!
    • The farm will probably not raise every produce your family eats (ie. if your family likes mushrooms but the farm doesn’t grow mushrooms you’ll still have to purchase those items in the store)
    • Most farms are family run so if there is something unexpected in the family it could affect you as well.
    • Some of the produce may be “unique” or unlike the items you buy in the grocery store.  If you like trying new items this is a benefit but if you only like 5 different kinds of veggies or are really picky it may not be the best fit for you
    • When you get different types of produce you’ll have the opportunity to try out new recipes, this could be a huge benefit for some people but if you are not comfortable cooking or trying new recipes make sure to consider that as well.

    If you are interested in joining or learning more about a CSA in your areas you can learn more about it at Local Harvest and click on the CSA tab.  Under the map on the right side of the page you can enter your zip code and find local farms in your area.  Another wonderful feature that was beneficial for us in deciding which farm to consider was the reviews on the local farms participating.  It is always good to know that other customers have been satisfied before spending your money.

    We are excited about the local farm we picked to join.  If you are in Upstate, South Carolina area and are wanting to do this as well let me know which farm you chose in a comment below or send me an email and we may be able to coordinate pick up from week to week to save each other a little extra on gas.  Have you ever been part of a CSA program?  What did you like / dislike about the program?

    Photo by Nick Saltmarsh

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Update)

    We are now well  into week four of my no grocery shopping challenge for the month of January 2011.  It is time for me to give you an update so you can continue to keep me accountable.  Last week was an easy one for us because we were not at home, my husband and I had the privilege of going on a cruise with extended family and the girls were staying with friends. We did take food over with the girls but we didn’t have to buy any essentials or perishable items while we were away.

    Before leaving for vacation we ate the leftovers and most of the perishables in our refrigerator.  This week was the first time this month I had to pick up several perishable items.  Other than a gallon or two of milk a week we have been doing really well.  So far we have purchased 5 gallons of milk for the month of January.  Thankfully all the groceries I purchased this week were marked down except for the gallon of milk I paid $2.99 for at Save A Lot.  Here are the groceries I bought this week at Save A Lot | Rite Aid to restock the perishables in our fridge:

    • Ground Hamburger – $6.39 markdown to $3.18
    • Cube Steaks – $3.14 markdown to $1.59
    • 2 Yogurts – $0.50 markdown to $0.25 each
    • French Onion Dip – $1.29 markdown to $0.64
    • Cottage Cheese (24 oz) – $2.25 markdown to $1.12
    • Flour Tortillas – $0.99 markdown to $0.49

    I spent a total of $7.52 including tax.  By only purchasing the markdown items I was able to save over $8 on the perishable items we needed for our family.  With the exception of the french onion dip everything would meet my criteria of a necessity for our household.  Every home has different perishable items they need to keep in stock; meat and diary fit into that category for us (within reason), although, I have been trying to cut down on the amount I purchase to make sure we really do use the items already in stock.  Fruits and veggies are ones I would consider necessary too (in moderation), however, we are still using up the ones we had from several weeks ago as well as those we froze from the garden this summer.   The french onion dip is one I felt the most “guilty” about buying but since it was $0.64 for a large container and we are going to a Super Bowl party outside our home it technically falls under my criteria of  “for Someone Else outside of my household” (I may be stretching that criteria a little). Even though it was a good bargain and it is for people outside of my home I probably could have made something from scratch with the items already in my pantry.

    I am hoping these will be the last items we have to purchase for the month of January (with an exception to milk) and maybe even into February if I am really lucky.  These groceries should last at least a couple weeks when we put them together with the food we already have in our freezer and pantry!  So far I haven’t done too bad with the challenge.  I have had to pass up on a couple really great deals, but the point is to use the items in stock before buying more.

    I will continue to share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.