favorites and finds: mark west pinot noir 2009

costcoWe enjoyed this wine with our dinner last night. We've bought it before and had it out at restaurants. It's a great value, especially at Costco - $7.99.

blood, sweat, and tears: part 16

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my experience with bootcamp. People have asked if I'm still doing it, so I want to continue the story to give you the answer.

I was participating in bootcamp, getting my B12 injections weekly, taking my progesterone along with iron and my other vitamins and supplements. My endurance was improving so much. I have really struggled with my endurance even though I've always been active. I couldn't easily go for a 5 mile jog, in fact I never did. Running a few blocks got me winded and breathing hard. And it was frustrating to me that I couldn't do this since so many people seemed to enjoy jogging - and it appeared to come easily to them. So, I was extremely happy in bootcamp when I could run a mile around the track without stopping. I wasn't the lone straggler in the group, I was keeping up and doing well. I could feel my muscles getting stronger, even my abs, though I couldn't see them because of the layer of fat that was hell bent on protecting them.

I'm going to sidetrack here for a second and tell you about something else I was noticing about my body. I've told you about my stomach and my abs post-surgery. I've never been overweight, or bigger than a size six. In fact, before the surgery I was a size 4 (sometimes a 2). Though, as the tumors got bigger and more of them, the pants were getting a little tighter. But what I noticed around the time of the surgery and the months after was, of course, the change in my stomach, but also the fat that was having a love affair with my back - yes, back fat! There, I said it. I had fat around the center of my back and little love handles had formed around my waist. And don't remind me about my thighs. Though I was around a size 4 or 6, I've had inner thighs that I thought were larger than they should be for someone of my size. Truth be told, I've struggled for years with finding pants that fit me right, and not just because I have a curvy figure, but because my thighs wouldn't fit into the leg opening. Does that make any sense? It doesn't to me.

So, after doing bootcamp for the better part of a year, at least three or four times a week, burning hundreds of calories...I started to wonder why some of this fat wasn't coming off. I had already cleaned out my fridge and pantry and replaced with mostly all organic foods. I was stumped. During that time I had another appointment with the doctor to go over my current blood tests. My Vitamin D3 level was improving, my hemoglobin was improving, and my estrogen and progesterone were getting closer to be being balanced. My ferritin level was improving very slowly, if at all. And she did mention my triglycerides, which are a type of fat in the blood. Your body will take excess calories it doesn't need and turn them into triglycerides. I've never had issues with my blood pressure or cholesterol, but she mentioned that my tricglycerides were at 121, and they should be less than a 100. This was probably the first I had heard about triglycerides.

It was around this same time that I had finished reading Suzanne Somers' latest book, Sexy Forever. I know, the title might seem silly, but the book is excellent. I learned so much from it, and she has an eating plan and recipes in the back. The recipes sounded great, and were mainly foods I was already eating, but the difference was when and how to combine certain foods. If you read my post What's in Your Breakfast?, you will remember I told you about what my breakfast consisted of for years and how I was surprised at the amount of sugar, natural and processed, that I would consume first thing in the morning. I also told you about what my breakfast looks like these days - eggs with tomatoes, spinach, and black sesame seeds, or quinoa "oatmeal" with almond milk, agave nectar, and berries. Well, I decided to follow Suzanne's meal plan and for a couple of months I wrote down everything I ate during the day. This was when I stopped drinking orange juice. I told you that for years I started the day with a glass of orange juice. But I came to realize I needed to cut out the sugar I was consuming, especially in the morning.

Another month later, I had an appointment with the doctor to go over the latest blood results (this occurred every 12 weeks) and my triglycerides were now a 59 - from 121. I cut them in half! And it had everything to do with how I was eating. I told the doctor about my frustration with my fat and why it wasn't disappearing despite my exercising, good eating, and healthy lifestyle. I was about to find out the answer...

etsy pick of the day: foundling

An Asheville, North Carolina based shop that makes beautiful jewelry from recycled silver, torn pages, vintage fabrics, beads, and illustrations.

$80

$54

$120

$120

$64

favorites and finds: tropical traditions coconut oil soap and cream

I like simple skincare. I've always wanted a good soap/cleanser that would wash both my face and eyes and clean off the makeup and dissolve the excess oil. I've struggled with this, for sure. Most soaps are not  recommended for getting near your eyes (since they're full of chemicals) and then you need to use eye makeup remover.

Well, I'm a big fan of coconut oil and recently bought this bar of soap from the company that I purchased some bulk coconut oil from - Tropical Traditions. The only ingredient in this soap is saponified (basically means turning a fat/oil into a soap) organic gold label virgin coconut oil. The fact that it's virgin oil is also great because it means it hasn't been through an extensive refining process. I've been using it on my face and to gently clean the makeup off my eyes. I love it.

$4.50

I also purchased the Babysilk Moisturizing Cream, which is a thick cream that I use mainly at night on my face and neck - you don't have to use much. Here are the ingredients:

purified water, organic virgin coconut oil, plant based emulsifying wax, palm stearic, grapefruit seed extract, organic beeswax, organic virgin palm oil, and organic essential oils of lavender, ylang ylang, geranium, roman chamomile, and rose.

$12

There are other natural scents as well as unscented. I love the feel and scent of this one - very subtle. And I definitely appreciate it not having a laundry list of chemical ingredients. And the price is great!

Tropical Traditions is a great company that sells high quality, pure coconut oil and coconut oil based products. They also sell coconut flour and other healthy ingredients - as well as sharing recipes, many of which are gluten-free.

etsy pick of the day: bmt vintage

Dear Etsy,

Stop torturing me with these ridiculously amazing typewriters in perfect shades of pink and turquoise. I simply can't handle it.

Signed,

Desperately Longing in Florida

$525