21 Day Challenge To Make Healthier Eating Habits V.2

Note on The Challenge Round 2:

Hi everyone, I've decided to resurrect my original eating challenge because I find those old habits already creeping back in and I CAN"T STAND IT!! lol! As I mentioned before, I do not get lunch on the go anymore and find myself cooking a meal at upwards of 9 pm the night before just so I can have lunch to take to work the next day. I do have to say, that is quite an accomplishment for me.  I'll admit I get tempted to just not worry about it and deal with the lunch issue the next day but then I think about the options I have if I don't prepare my lunch (get fast food, eat some bananas, or just plain starve) and none of those appeal to me so I end up getting off the couch to make my lunch. :)

However, for some reason, I keep giving in to the little voice in my head saying "eat some salty snack foods, it's okay. Just this once won't hurt anything." It's driving me crazy. You know how this cycle goes. Once turns into twice, then thrice and well you get the picture.  I'm a "junk food junkie" and I will overcome this!  How many of you can relate? Please share your story in the comments below. Let's drop the habit!


Today is a Monday and would be a great day to start except I've already blown it today.  So I will start tomorrow. Blogging about the challenge last time really held me accountable and I hope for the same results. I guess that's how my brain works.  For some reason, whenever I was tempted to succumb to "my habit" remembering my challenge and my commitment to my readers to follow through on it helped me overcome those moments.  Let's keep our fingers crossed the same will happen this time around.  :)

I encourage you to join me on this challenge. Please share in the comments your experiences. I'd love to discuss with you!

Take care for now!

Days 12-21

Hi folks, long time no post and for that I apologize. 

I kept notes on each day but rather than list off the things that I ate that weren't particularly interesting anyway, I'm just going to summarize the valuable lessons learned during this round of the challenge.  

I learned change doesn't happen overnight. Don't expect it to. I learned the mind is a powerful thing.  I was able to succeed the first round because I set my mind to it. To be honest, since that round, I've been dealing with some other things in life that are causing my mind to be distracted and stressed therefore, not so focused on succeeding on this eating challenge. I learned that I have got to drop the junk food habit not because of  its "bad rep" in the diet world but because of the scary truth of its ingredients and how they adversely affect our health.  I also learned that it is easy for me to throw that out the window for the temporary satisfaction of junk food that has been a psychological condition years in the making.  I learned it's going to take much more than a challenge to truly be set free.  I learned I don't have all the answers and that I should always seek out knowledge and truth, especially regarding my health.  

I will continue to blog about my cooking endeavors and adventures as I have been.  I'm pretty sure I won't do another one of these eating challenges but I will certainly post about my progress, experiences, stories, etc as they occur. Wishing you all the best in your endeavor to live a long, healthy, and happy life!

Take care folks and I'll chat with you later!

Day 11 (Friday, January 25, 2013)

I didn't make it through Day 11 so successfully.  In most people's view, there's nothing wrong with the choices that I made but let me say once again, my goal for this challenge and in general to kick some bad habits of mine: eating junk and dining out too much. So the reason Day 11 did not turn out so well was because I didn't pack my lunch the night before and ended up stopping by Subway for lunch.  I was actually called to go to another store location for work and thought it would be nice to stop and pick up a $5 footlong for me and my co worker.  That was my justification.  Is that acceptable or do you think I was just trying to find a reason or excuse to do what I wanted to anyway?  Let me know what you think n the comments.  :)

I have really got to get better about starting the day out right with breakfast. I was on a roll at one time and cooking breakfast every morning but something has thrown me off that routine.  Day 11 was another "breakfast-less" day.  

Lunch was a 6 inch  subway veggie on flat bread with honey mustard and bbq baked chips.  I did indulge further in junk items (smh). This round is tougher than the first. It seems like the first challenge's success was not necessarily a sufficient indicator that my habits were changed.  This will be a long term journey and goal.  I'm not going to be too hard on myself but I am not giving up ever!

While earlier in the day I didn't succeed, dinner was a total success! Two  veggie whole grain wraps and a juicing (cuke, carrot, apple, and minneola fruit) It was sooo good!

Day 10 (Thursday, January 24, 2013)

Wow I've gotten behind in my posting! My apologies.:)

Day 10 was a good day overall. I ate some salad and soup that I made and an orange for a snack. I did eat a late night snack of  roasted Korean seaweed and romaine lettuce (weird, I know lol) and guess what else? 2 slices of my Ezekiel bread and apple butter!

Despite the late night snacking, I did make it through the day without eating any junk or dining out. :)

Day 9 (Wednesday January 23, 2013)

I picked up my mixed fruit and veggie box today and made a salad for dinner with all the goodies that came in it: chard, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, purple onion, bell peppers,  and some other veggies I had on hand: mushroom, carrots, and cukes.  I also had some leftover soup so soup and salad for dinner it was. 

Lunch of course was leftover soup that I prepared on Day 8.

I actually ate breakfast  on Day 9! Would you believe it? Lol.  Two slices of my Ezekiel 4:9 bread and apple butter. 

Time for confessional folks:

Despite the seemingly good day on “paper,” I have to confess the “sin.” Lol

I succumbed to the little voice today that said, "Eat cheezits and a brownie."  And to be honest, I’m no longer concerned with the calories of these items like I used to be but with the ingredients and manufacturing processes of them.

The “guilt” I endured was not out of a feeling of “blowing” achievement of a weight loss goal as much as it was “blowing” a healthy lifestyle goal.  This is a totally new perspective for me and I’m happy to have it.  To be honest, in the past, when my weight was under control, I had no guilt about the type of food I ate, just the amounts and the frequency so I was more or less in an “everything in moderation” mentality.  However, old emotional eating habits would be triggered and the weight would come back on as a result of over-eating the wrong types of food or just over-eating in general.  Then this would trigger an “I am so sick of dieting and exercising” mentality which would further contribute to weight gain. Then I would get depressed, and then fed up, and then the cycle would start all over again. 

Why I'm Even Telling You This

As you know, that’s the reason for the blogging/vlogging.  After I discovered some not so new truths about food and assessed my own struggles with achieving a healthy lifestyle, I decided to put these truths into practice and reprogram my thinking about eating, dieting, food, and overall health and fitness.  Many of us know that this is the key to successful weight management and I want to share my testimonial with the world to show those who can relate that it is possible to have the victory regarding weight and health.  While I have only been at this for about 6 months now, I am so very confident that I will succeed because I’m not living chained to a diet or exercise program or living restricted. It might seem that way but but once things are put into a certain perspective, I realize that it is to prolong my life and make it happier not to make myself miserable.  Discipline is never fun but it’s good for us. It helps us live better lives.  We are more successful and happier in general.  In America, we are not raised with a disciplined mentality when it comes to a lot of things. We are raised with a selfish and over-indulgent mentality that is destroying this country in my view.  This challenge and this blog are not only a way for me to share my personal story but also a way for me to be part of the solution and not the problem for America (and the rest of the world for that matter). We are all in this boat together.  Even the slightest and most random acts of kindness (and this includes kindness to ourselves which is not selfish) can make a global impact and work to build a better future.  Ok enough of this talk guys! Sorry about the random rant! Lol. 

A note on the junk consumption.

I immediately felt terrible afterwards, not just mentally but physically. I could tell a huge difference in my energy and mental clarity.  I was not as sharp at my job that day and I felt so sluggish and sleepy.  It seems like every time I put the slightest bit of junk in my body, I immediately am affected by it which works to help me pass it up more easily.  However, it’s that moment when I’m enjoying the taste and comfort it offers that keeps me going back to it. *SMH* 

Well, tomorrow is another day, another chance to make wrong things right in my life and in this world.  On that note ladies and gentlemen, I will talk to you then!

Day 8 (Tuesday January 22, 2013)

Throughout Day 8, I ate 3 Slices of Ezekiel 4:9 cinnamon raisin with apple butter. It wasn't quite enough to get me through. I should have brought my raw sunflower seeds but forgot them at home.

Dinner was vegetarian tofu and broccoli stir fry from the neighborhood pho restaurant with friends.  This truly makes maybe the 3rd time I've dined out this month! Yea for me and each time has been vegetarian at the very least. :)

Afterwards I hit the gym and pretty hard actually compared to my workouts previously and for the fact that I haven't been very consistent, especially over the last year or so - I will be blogging more about this on my fitness blog sometime in the future lol. The idea occurred to me on the treadmill kind of out of the blue to make some veggie lentil stew when I got home. I guess I was haphazardly thinking about what I would make for lunch the next day and then lightening struck - veggie and lentil stew, my seemingly go to meal these days.  As simple, practical, and logical as it may seem, for some reason, I felt so relieved and on top of my game at that moment.  :)

Veggie Lentil Stew Recipe

I didn't have any leftover marinara to add this time (and didn't deem it necessary to open my single can of organic, no salt added canned tomatoes.  Please don't judge me for the canned good lol) but I did have some tomato paste (vegan friendly and the lowest sodium content I could find.  I'm just not quite yet sophisticated in my home cooking skills to make my own but it is one of my lifetime goals). But because the paste did have some added sodium, I added very little.  I went about this stew slightly differently than in the past.  First I made a veggie stock using leftover broccoli stalks and kale stems I had  frozen a while back along with fresh carrots, dill, onions, garlic, and frozen (packaged, unfortunately) spinach - although I am glad I finally found some use for it. It had been in there for some months.  I brought it to a boil and then simmered, about 10 minutes at a boil and 20 minutes simmering.  I scooped out the broccoli stalks and kale stems, chopped up about half the kale stems and added them back. Then I added mushroom, radish, yellow squash, brown basmati rice, and green lentils.  I brought  it to a boil again and then let simmer, for the duration of about another 20-30 mintues. During this time, I seasoned with some sweet paprika, fresh ground peppercorn,  sea salt, and a pinch of cumin and coriander because it was just a tad too bland and the greens flavor was too overpowering.  I seasoned to taste and then took it off the heat.  It’s got a slight kick which I like.  The main differences were the ingredients and the seasoning choices I made and the timing of the seasonings.  Before I tended to season from the beginning and throughout but this time I waited until the end.  Another difference was the lack of tomatoes. The only tomato flavor I added was the tiny bit of tomato paste. And adding the dill, radish, and spinach was a new try for me as well.  The total cook time was about an hour and prep time just about 5 min or so.  I was able to do other things around the house while the stew was cooking and I cooked a big stock pot’s worth so I’ve got a healthy lunch for just about the rest of the week! Score as always!

Other veggie lentil stew posts:
http://thegreenhomecookdiva.blogspot.com/2013/01/hearty-vegetable-and-green-lentil-stew.html
Day 18 of the first round of the eating challenge
http://thegreenhomecookdiva.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=15

Veggie stock recipe post:
http://thegreenhomecookdiva.blogspot.com/2012/10/making-your-own-soup-stock-is-easy-i.html

Day 7 (Monday January 21, 2013)

No breakfast again on Day 7.  Maybe I need to start a breakfast challenge, lol!

Lunch was leftover bibimbap from Day 6 dinner. Nothing exciting really lol. 

For dinner, I had 2 spelt wraps (I was starving and needed some fuel for a good workout) with sautéed kale, raw cukes, onions, and bell peppers and Dijon mustard. Pretty good stuff, at least to me. 

I worked out afterwards and it was great. The legs were feeling the burn! Because I’ve been hitting the workouts pretty hard recently I decided to get a protein snack from the café at the gym. I opted for the vegan oatmeal cookie with 15 gr of protein called Lenny and Larry's The Complete Cookie. I chose Oatmeal Raisin. The link is below.

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Being vegan and full of protein were the only 2 good things about that cookie. But at least my muscles will get the protein it needs to repair, at least I hope so. The only other options I had were to come home and boil about ¼ cup of lentils which I’m starting to think might not have been a bad idea after all.   This is stuff that I should probably post on my fitness blog.  I hope to successfully blog about the benefits of nutrition and healthy eating habits in achieving fitness goals and overall optimum health. J

Overall, day 7 was a successful day and I’m very pleased with the rapid turnaround from days 3 and 4!

Day 6 (Sunday January 20, 2013)

Breakfast

Day 6 was yet another day that started off well. I had a fruit cup for breakfast (from Panera Bread, doesn't count as "dining out" it's fruit for crying out loud! Cut me some slack! lol).  I had some computer work to do at work that can only really be done successfully during non-operating hours because of all the rebooting and tech stuff that had to be done and of course, that's not easy to tackle when you have customers to take care of.  So I decided to head to Panera Bread beforehand for some coffee and fruit. :) 

Lunch

After I left work, I stopped by the health foods store, The Fresh Market, and the neighborhood Asian market to pick up a few needed items. By this point, I was starving.  Lunch was an easy meal preparation of fresh peanut butter and apple butter on Ezekial 4:9 cinnamon raisin bread.  I decided to go with apple butter because, well, honestly, it was the only thing I could afford! Honey was outrageous at a good $11 a bottle

                                                   

Click on this link and you will see for yourself! However, you may find that this is reasonable for you. :)

for the organic stuff! I've decided to stay away from agave nectar because I've come across some bad press about it that's left me with doubts about this acclaimed "miracle" sweetener alternative.  It seemed that I've heard some health and fitness professionals somewhere along the line mention apple butter as part of their diet and so I decided to give it a try.  The ingredient list looked acceptable for the most part and it was organic.  The verdict: good stuff for sure! Will be crazy about it on a "nutella lover" level? Probably not.  If I come across organic honey at a more reasonable price, I"m sure I will choose it over the apple butter because well "peanut and apple butter" sandwiches just doesn't have the same ring to it as "peanut butter and honey" sandwiches.  Not only that, but the apple butter has a certain tartness that is tasty with peanut butter but doesn't offer me the same comfort as the sweetness of  honey mixed with peanut butter.  But I must say, it certainly makes for a sweet treat for those dieting, exercising, and/or simply being more health conscious.  

The Ezekiel bread is very good. I'm definitely a fan of it until I can at least learn to make my own.  I've recently taken up an interest in running and feel guilt free about carb-loading on this stuff to fuel some harder runs for me.  And of course, their commitment to making organic, non GMO bread according to the Bible verse Ezekiel 4:9 rich in fiber and nutrition with no preservatives is worth mentioning.

Click the image to be rerouted to Amazon's detailed listing about this product. :)

NIV transaltion: “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side." Ezekiel 4:9

Dinner

Dinner was brown rice, green lentils, veggies, olive oil, tofu, and chilli pepper paste mixed together.  Upon first mixing, the dish was pretty but after continually mixing in more paste the bright colors turned drab and the tofu was soft and changed the texture of the dish.  But it was still tasty and full of protein and nutrition. I chose to add tofu because I’ve been back in the gym and doing some strength training. I need the protein to help repair the muscle tissue.  J I may have had another slice or 3 of cinnamon raisin bread with peanut butter and apple butter.   Hey, at least it wasn’t a box of cookies! Like I said, baby steps. One day at a time! :o) lol

Day 5 (Saturday January 19, 2013)

Day 5 was another fast day if you will, to sort of recuperate and recover from the damage done the day before.  At least that’s how I see it. I don’t really have any good info that this is a wise practice but it’s generally what I do to help ease any digestion issues.  Of course, I drink plenty of water and snack lightly if I have to. For example, raw sunflower seeds got me through the hunger pangs and I slipped only once, a minor slip, and reached for a small bag of Doritos (as I said, so readily available at the store I worked at that day).

Veggies were sliding down lol

However, dinner was a huge success! Spelt wrap with sautéed kale and other veggies and it was soooo good! I did eat 2 though, the second one as a mere culinary experiment to compare ingredients and flavors to try to get a decent recipe to post for you guys!  The first one had way too many raw veggies and not enough flavor to really speak of, perhaps if I had added a heaping scoop of hummus, honey mustard, or ranch (clean of course) or something it would have been more flavorful. The second one just consisted of the sautéed kale and garlic and just a couple raw veggies, cukes and bell peppers.  It was much more flavorful but still needed something.  So I will keep experimenting!

Sauteed Kale: 

Strip kale from stems (optional) and tear to bite size pieces, massage in lemon juice, heat a skillet and sautee garlic in oil (I chose coconut oil) for about a minute or so, add coarse sea salt to the oil as well so flavor distributes evenly throughout kale, and then add kale and sautee for a few minutes until kale turns bright green and is wilted.  Add to virtually anything! Be creative! I made a wrap out of it and it was yummers (if yummers is even a word!)!!

Day 4 Friday (January 18, 2013)

Breakfast was bought for me because I had to come in to work early to take care of some things (was heavy with meat and sauces, hearty and filling but certainly not part of the eating plan – a chipotle chicken subway sandwich with bacon - OUCH!)

Lunch was brought from home- a new spin on  my usual bibimbap recipe. I added a lot more different veggies that are not typically served in this dish but by the very nature of the dish, can still be called bibimbap (rice mixed with veggies). I added dill, carrot foliage, radish foliage, onion, radish, carrots, garlic, yellow squash, cucumber,  all raw. Served mixed with olive oil (I was out of sesame oil), gochujang (red pepper paste), brown rice and green lentils cooked on the stove top.   Was very tasty.  I was so very full at 2pm. 

Dinner: So terrible I am too ashamed to even to confess to it on this post! I will say this: It was vegetarian and did not contain wheat.  Day 4 brought about some reflection on my dietary choices and committment and I would like to share them with you.

Thoughts that occurred to me on Day 4:

"It seems as though I’m settling down comfortably in the zone of “flexitarian”  which is funny because I’ve always been that way somewhat even without meaning to be.  I grew up heavily influenced by Asian cuisine (a lot of vegetables, rice/noodles, tofu and soy foods in general, seafood, chicken, and  little red meat and pork).  However, I consumed a large amount of processed and inorganic goods which is a big part of the change I’m making now.  If anything I have become more conscious of my “flexitarian” dietary choices and needs and seek out more consciously recipes and meals to meet the dietary requirements of a plant based diet.  I’m happy here.  However, I need to keep an eye on my unconscious consumption of meat when I dine out.  So if I have a choice, I will choose vegetarian or vegan. If I don’t have a choice (which is rare but it happens on occasion, primarily work related) then I will consume the meat.   I will continue to seek to reasonably reduce the amount of times I dine out in a month and most certainly drop the junk habit. There is absolutely no reward there in my view other than a guilty pleasure.  I’m not saying that I will never nibble on junk food or that is my goal. My goal is to change my thinking to be more conscious of the junk I consume and not give in so easily to a “craving” that is not a true representation of hunger or my body’s natural mechanisms to seek out nutrients of which my body is in need.  I realize that is quite a lofty endeavor but I know that I’m not alone in this which gives me confidence that I can make some positive changes in this area in my life as long as I try my best.  I also know that this is not going to happen overnight and that I will make mistakes and fail sometimes but I do not intend to give up and I do know that this is a lifelong journey, a journey I’m actually looking forward to taking."

Day 4 was one of those weaker days for me in the area of junk.  (it was readily available right in front of me at the store I was working at that day).  Most of the time I can make it through without thinking twice but there are some days when my “craving” for a salty food wins the battle but the war is far from over! J

Day 3 (Thursday January 17, 2013)

Day 3 started out on the right track (organic salad with a clean, homemade vinaigrette) but by dinner, I found myself in front of "Hombre Nachos" from a local eatery called Butch Cassidy's Cafe.  A friend treated me and it's a locally famous place in historic Midtown Mobile that I've been wanting to try for a very long time but never had the chance... until Day 3 of this challenge round 2. :/

The "Hombre Nachos" were the only vegetarian choice on the menu. Need I remind you where I live - Deep South, USA so one might imagine how much more difficult it is for me to stick to this challenge and succeed! Everything was fried, heavily meat ladened, and most certainly not organic, gluten free, or non GMO.  As a matter of fact, there is only one cafe in the entire county that I know of that serves that kind of menu and that is the Sunflower Cafe located in the back of the health foods store and of course, they are closed by the time I am off work.  

I did manage to do a little aerobic, cardio exercise afterwards to get the blood pumping and heart rate up.  It made feel a little better about dinner (not calorie wise so much as just doing something good for my health to offset the dinner I ate).

Stay tuned for Day 4! Cheers!

Day 2 (Wednesday January 16, 2013)

Well, I made it through Day 2.  +Justas Ežerskis shared on my Google+ post about this challenge:

  "please post every day :) because first 3 days are the major one. When I was trying go to vegan first time - by the 3rd day I was dreaming about juicy stake :)  But after that - I managed to control my self. Cheers and Good luck.!"

This is so true folks! If you refer back to Day 3 or 4 of my original challenge you will see notes on my struggle. It seems that those first few days are the hardest for some reason.  And the same has been true this time around.

The Excuses

I found myself overwhelmed with this urge to get in my car, crank it, burn gas to go to the health foods store, and peruse their snack aisles for something "justifiable" on which to munch.  The excuses that played throughout my mind:
1. It's early enough in the evening to indulge.
2. You haven't eaten much today so even if you do eat the whole bag, it's ok as long as it's no more than say, 600 calories or so. You can afford that.
3.  They're the healthy kind. You can find GMO free, gluten free, vegan snacks so it won't be that bad.

Yep literally stuff like that ran through my mind like a electronic scrolling banner display and in second person too! I almost caved.  But of course, blogging about this challenge helped pull me through but the excuses rang louder and stronger than ever before.  In hindsight, it was kind of scary how it consumed my mind like that for a few minutes.

But then I started another banner display that read like this:
1.  It's really cold outside. Do you really want to get out in this weather just for this? After all, you were just there last night picking up some groceries. How silly it would look for you to come back just for snacks.
2. Do you really want to spend and waste the money like that?
3. Why not make a fruit smoothie instead as a little treat for yourself? Wouldn't that be nice?
4. Here is a better idea: Browse Amazon for some great deals on some needed items and order some organic produce to be delivered.

The Outcome

So yes, I survived Day 2.  I do have some not so good news though.  Out of absolute necessity I had to eat a chipotle chicken sandwich from Subway.  I was asked to work unexpectedly around 12  and did not have anything to eat prior and the only thing available to me to eat was a 6 in sandwich on flatbread.  So much for a vegan day. :/

Dinner consisted of another salad similar to Day 1 and an awesome smoothie for dessert (despite the cold weather outside).  I juiced a couple carrots and added about a 1/2 c coconut milk as my liquid base.  I added about a 1/2 frozen organic banana and about a handful of organic pineapple and mango each along with a handful of ice from the ice maker.  All of that totaled about a 16 oz smoothie and it was SOOO GOOD!! OMG! :o)  I didn't take any pictures though.  It turned out almost sherbert like and immediately I thought it could easily substitute as an ice cream/sherbert like treat as opposed to a smoothie.  Just for the sake of variety, that idea appealed to me. ;o)
  

The first two blenders above are the Ninja Kitchen system which I have seen and been curious about. The first one seems to try to replicate the Vitamix at a more affordable price.  The middle one resembles more of what I currently use which is the last picture you see, a Cuisinart that I purchased from Best Buy about 6 months ago (all are BPA free). I use my blender for food processing too. I learned in a cooking class that the only real difference between a blender and food processor is that a blender requires a liquid base to function whereas a food processor does not. So if you're like me, already in possession of a blender, debating whether or not to purchase a food processor, I would suggest holding off a little longer.  I've been able to "process" everything in a blender with very little difficulty.  As long as there is enough liquid available to blend it up.  If adding a little water or lemon juice isn't going to throw off your recipe too much, I think for the most part it will be fine to continue to use a blender.  By the way, if you click on the links, you will be redirected to the online stores to purchase these items. :)

A fruit box delivered from www.offthevine.org. I prepped and froze
a good bit for smoothies.

No pounds were lost and I feel that right now I'm retaining some fluids and that might be why.  Weight loss is not the most important aspect of this challenge or this lifestyle change but weight loss signifies to me that I'm learning to eat mindfully and consciously. It signifies to me that I'm "eating to live" and not "living to eat."

Talk to you again soon!

Day 1 (Tuesday January 15, 2013)

Hi folks! Day 1 was a good day.  There's not much to tell though so this post will be short and sweet.  

I pretty much fasted most of the day since I had a rough day yesterday.  I stayed hydrated with a bottle of water and decided to eat some leftover seaweed soup and brown rice around 4 pm.

Nutritious and detoxifying

I stopped by The Fresh Market and picked up some veggies for a salad.  Today's purchase (and salad) was not a usual one.  I'm trying to make sure I get a good variety of foods in my diet instead of the same ones I always eat so I picked up a bunch of carrots and radishes, dill, yellow squash, and raw sunflower seeds along with some other "usuals" (mushroom, spinach, spring mix, cucumber, yellow onion).  I added the greens from the bunch of carrots and radishes along with 1 radish and apple chopped to my salad and of course all the other aforementioned veggies.  The dressing consisted of about 2.5 TBSP of organic olive oil and about a TBSP of balsamic glaze (basically bring 1 cup of balsamic to a boil and then simmer for about 30 min until there is about a 1/4 c or so left and it has thickened to a glaze) and 1 TBSP of organic red wine vinegar.  OMG! It was soooo good!  And afterwards, I juiced 1 beet, 1 carrot and 1 granny smith apple and 1/2 fuji apple.  To top off this Tuesday, I finished with a glass of organic merlot.  Not too shabby of a day if you ask me!