So, I’ve got another migraine and I’m not happy about it!!! 🙁
I think its the culmination of a lot of things, stress, weather and hormones. I made the decision to nix caffeine out of my diet completely and I know that when you do that, you get withdrawal headaches, but I’m still finishing my box of regular black tea so this morning I did have caffeine so I know that isn’t it. My new caffeine-free life will start next week I guess when the box is gone! I think I only have like four more tea bags in it. It might be easier said than done though because as of next week I also start school at night and won’t be home until around midnight every night of the week!! I’m going to start working out in the afternoons though so I can attempt to “sleep in”in the mornings a bit to get a full 8 hours of sleep. We will see how that one goes!
I’m going to work out this afternoon, which usually helps my migraines, and then steam in the steam room at the gym. I’m thinking steaming will help but if anyone knows or thinks otherwise let me know! We got out of class early this morning and I just reheated some leftover sloppy joes for lunch. I wanted crackers but I’m out, so instead I just toasted a piece of whole wheat bread, cut into fours and had that with it! I also had a big juicy red pear. I’m working at 5:30 tonight so dinner is going to have to be reallyyy early! Good thing I already made it this morning and put it in the fridge! You all will have to wait and see what it is 😉
This morning on my way to class I snacked on a banana! I love fruit!
VeggieGirl
February 12, 2008 at 5:28 pmYou’re mostly likely (as you said) experiencing the headache from a mix of the weather, stress, and hormones; and, since you recently gave up caffeine (hooray!), your body is releasing some detox symptoms, getting all the caffeine out of you – you’re releasing toxins (sorry, that sounds rather disgusting, but it’s true, haha).
Your lunch look delicious; and your snack this morning SOUNDS delicious as well!!
I absolutely agree with you about loving fruit – even though I’m VeggieGirl, I am equally as smitten with fruit as I am with vegetables :0)
Katherine
February 12, 2008 at 5:29 pmJenna, I posted this question before but I am not sure you saw it. Hope you feel better, I had the worst headache yesterday (exercise actually makes me feel worse if I have a headache, since I like to stay cool)
What is opinion about flavored yogurts such as stonyfield? They have sugar but are not artificial. Is there a difference b/w eating plain and adding honey versus eating stonyfield?
Also, I noticed that you often eat a half of cliff bar, which would be about the same calories as a whole kashi bar. Do you find a half cliff bar more satisfying? Thanks!
Sam
February 12, 2008 at 5:32 pmStacy, just curious why do you not snack? Sometimes, I think that might work better for me (3 large meals), but then I am afraid I will still want the snack!
How many calories do you aim for each meal to be? So you don’t snack before/after exercising?
Eliza
February 12, 2008 at 5:40 pmI was just wondering if you guys had any opinion on odwalla bars. i picked up one that is about 240 cals.
I had a “lighter” lunch (big salad, some raisin bran/ granola & skim milk)..would it be ok to have this as a snack around 3:30??
ibex hk
February 12, 2008 at 6:11 pmi like the odwalla bars, and they keep me full for certain. I usually have them on days with a lighter breakfast or lunch, so sounds good!
Annie
February 12, 2008 at 6:18 pmHi. THis question is for anyone. I picked up Bobs Red Mill whole ground flaxseed..its a big bag. How do I store it. SHould I put some in the fridge, and the rest in a baggie in the freezer? Or can it all go in the freezer and I just use it right out of the freezer every day? Ive never used it before but with everyone talking about it I thought Id give it a shot.
Thanks! HOpe you feel better Jenna
Cara
February 12, 2008 at 6:25 pmI hope you feel better!!
JennS
February 12, 2008 at 6:31 pmhello, jenna i dont know if you said this before or not (or if anyone else knows) but what kind of camera do you have?
rachel
February 12, 2008 at 6:50 pmjenna–just curious as to why you are giving up caffeine? i have thought about making this move too–but i only drink 1 cup coffee/day as it is. there doesn’t seem to be much scientific research stating that it is bad OR good for you in small doses. i also realized that coffee is “cultural” for me–i love having coffee with friends/family and especially when traveling! (france, italy, turkey, etc…all of these places have special places for espresso/coffee in their cultures)
i’d love to hear your perspective and reasoning.
hope you feel better!
Danielle
February 12, 2008 at 7:06 pmFeel better Jenna! I’m get frequent headaches and migraines too unfortunately so I know how you feel. Perhaps being physical will help? I’ve found I often lie down but since that doesn’t fix it maybe I should take your advice 🙂 Yummy pear btw!
Alyssa
February 12, 2008 at 7:16 pmRandom question: does anyone know of any healthy mac and cheese recipes? The strawberries from breakfast look delicious!
blueberrybabe
February 12, 2008 at 7:39 pmAlyssa- I’ve never had it myself but it seems like a few of these blogging women have annie’s whole wheat mac and cheese with cheddar i think its called?
And I have a question for the rest of the lovely ladies about Larabars since everyone loves them so much. I actually have only had the “chocolate” flavor and I guess I am pretty new to them as i just tried my first one a couple of months ago to switch from the cliff nectar bars mostly just for a change. I initially was having the chocolate Laras as an afternoon or morning snack but then sort of switched them to a “dessert” after dinner bc of the chocolate. Do you guys consider this flavor as healthy as others? The chocolate one has 18 grams of sugar and I am wondering how that stacks up to others? And also just for fun what flavors do you guys recommend?! Love this blog 🙂
jenna
February 12, 2008 at 7:43 pmJenn,
I use a Casio 7.2 mega pixels. Love it! It even has a special “food setting” on it that I use when I take pictures of my meals!!
blueberrybabe
February 12, 2008 at 7:45 pmp.s. the chocolate larabar ingredients are: organic dates, organic almonds, organic walnuts, organic cocoa powder, organic cocoa mass, organic cashews
Ryane
February 12, 2008 at 7:46 pmKatherine – Jenna answered your yogurt question in the FAQs page.
Anne
February 12, 2008 at 8:03 pmblueberry babe — you HAVE to try the apple pie Larabars!! They are SO good. I feel like the sugar content in Larabars (especially the fruit ones) isn’t really any issue since it’s from the fruit rather than added sugar. Thoughts?
Amy C.
February 12, 2008 at 8:05 pmSorry to hear about your migraine. I hope you feel better soon! Caffeine can definitely be a trigger. My friend’s boyfriend did some research because she was only drinking one cup of coffee a day and didn’t think it would cause headaches. I guess a study was done that even one cup a day can cause one so maybe they won’t be as frequent once you do give up caffeine.
Veggiegirl, my computer keeps timing out before loading your site. How can I get you my email without posting it on here?
Stacy
February 12, 2008 at 8:15 pmSam,
I usually don’t count calories, but if I had to guess I would say breakfast and lunch are close to 500 with a slightly larger dinner. I usually don’t snack because if I start to snack then it usually leads to me wanting another. I’d rather have planned out what I’ll eat at each meal and then let that be it.
A typical breakfast for me is usually whole wheat waffles (2), 1 cup of raspberries, and a half serving of plain yogurt, or a mini whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese and a banana, usually accompanied by coffee with skim milk
For lunch today I had an egg-white & veggie scramble and an apple, or I eat a lot of peanut butter sandwhiches with low-sodium soups this time of year
blueberrybabe
February 12, 2008 at 8:16 pmok clearly i have some downtime at work today (thank god!). so i wanted to chime in on the whole caffeine thing. over the course of my life i have consumed caffeine once in a while, maybe once a day from drinking tea/iced tea. but then i read some articles that recommend people with high anxiety (story of my life) not take in any caffeine at all. it made A LOT of sense to me and since i wasn’t really in love with it or anything i cut it out completely about a year ago. if i get lattes i get decaf and if i drink tea its herbal. i never drank soda anyway. now that it has been out for so long i really don’t notice at all that i don’t have any. the point of this long ramble is that i think people equate cutting caffeine out with being really tired/sluggish everyday and i wanted to write as proof that i really do not feel that way at all. even on nights i don’t get that much sleep i never find myself thinking “ooo i wish i could have some caffeine yadada” bc your body just gets used to not having stimulants in it. ok enough rambling for now!
Mallory
February 12, 2008 at 8:19 pmblueberrybabe-
Do you feel that cutting out caffeine helped with your anxiety?
Em
February 12, 2008 at 8:34 pmHey! I just wanted to enlighten everyone’s day! After browsing on the Nature’s Path website, I found this quote:
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
– Thomas Edison
And this one…which is SO true…
“We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go. ”
– Terri Swearingen
Have a great day!
blueberrybabe
February 12, 2008 at 8:44 pmMallory- i would have to say that looking back i CAN notice a notch down of anxiety, but not something i think you would notice day to day. but it just makes so much sense to me as someone with severe anxiety… why would i want to have anything that makes me MORE wired?! i am thankful i cut it out and don’t really ever think about it anymore…
VeggieGirl
February 12, 2008 at 8:48 pm**blueberrybabe:
regarding Larabars – I eat Larabars everyday!! my favorite flavors are pistachio, banana-cookie, apple pie, cashew-cookie, pecan pie, and gingersnap.
check out Larabar’s site (I included a link the site, below) for information regarding the health-aspects of their products (they have thorough, helpful information for EACH product): https://www.larabar.com/secure/index_.php
the sugar is from the fruits – there’s no “funny stuff” in these bars!! and each bar counts as 1 USDA FULL SERVING of fruit – enjoy them!! :0)
**Amy C.:
Evie has my email address – I bet she’ll provide you mine, if you email her (her email address is available in either this morning’s or last night’s post)
Bev
February 12, 2008 at 8:54 pmI made the cookies today. I didn’t have the non-dairy choc chips so I used raisins and a little oats . The turned out GREAT.
Kelly
February 12, 2008 at 9:09 pmAnyone have these days?!?!?!
Okay, for me it’s been more like a group of three days, but I can’t get full! Last night after dinner I had a big bowl of stoneyfield farms organic FF chocolate yogurt (YUM) and not one but TWO apples (I was full after that).
Today it’s the same thing…..
Breakfast: 2 Cups Kamut with FF Vanilla Yogurt, ground flax, 1/2 cup blueberries mixed together plus a banana
Snack: Organic low fat yogurt and an apple
Lunch: Turkey and Jarlsberg on whole wheat and puffed baked corn chips, a peanut butter Z bar
Twenty Minutes later I had a serving of Kashi Go Lean cereal (dry)
SHEESH! What’ is with me!?!?
JennS
February 12, 2008 at 9:24 pmkelly, that doesnt sound that abnormal to me. 🙂
Kristie
February 12, 2008 at 9:25 pmI’m just wondering… doesn’t chocolate have caffeine? I think I could give up caffeine if not for that….
Amy C.
February 12, 2008 at 9:31 pmVeggiegirl, I couldn’t find it so I’ll just post it on here. acadell@gmail.com Thanks!
Em
February 12, 2008 at 9:38 pmKelly:
I eat like that everyday and Im at a normal weight! I love dry cereal ( a little too much!) and Z bars (choc. chip!)!! YUM!
Kelly
February 12, 2008 at 9:40 pmJenns- After I typed it all I was like “hmmm….on paper it doesn’t look that bad” I guess when you have been eating all day it seems like a lot more. Also, sometimes when I think I have eaten all day, and a lot of food, I think about all the JUNK I could be consuming like chips, fried foods, sugary sodas etc. and I’m like “uhhhh okay crazy”. LOL!
Amber
February 12, 2008 at 9:41 pmfound this article about caffeine on http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=105168&catId=100289&tid=100008&p=1&title=Caffeine
It’s been found that coffee contains flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. And recent research suggests that the roasting process generates other antioxidant substances
VeggieGirl
February 12, 2008 at 9:45 pm**Kristie:
Yes, chocolate contains caffeine – give carob a try!! It’s a healthier alternative (I have a little blurb written about carob and my “no-chocolate-rule,” on the right-hand side of my blog, if you’d like some information on carob).
VeggieGirl
February 12, 2008 at 9:46 pmokay, I just realized that my statement was redundant, but you get my point :0D
living2thetruth4god
February 13, 2008 at 12:17 pmAlyssa-
I have this recipe from cooking light
Ingredients
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons grated fresh onion
1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
Vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Fresh oregano sprigs
Preparation
Combine first 10 ingredients; stir well, and spoon into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs and next 2 ingredients; stir well. Sprinkle over casserole. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes or until set. Garnish with oregano.
*I also like to add broccoli to mine…broccoli and cheese…yummy!
Kristie
February 13, 2008 at 2:18 pmThanks VeggieGirl…when I get out of work I’ll take a look (for some reason your blog always freezes up my work computer when it’s loading)! 🙂