Wordless Wednesday, For Susan @whymommy

Susan's Blog, Toddler Planet

----

21 Day Cleanse, Done. Glimpse Into Day 22...

So it's Day 22. Metaphorically speaking, THE FLOODGATES ARE OPEN!!! I rushed into the kitchen, to find a smoothie waiting for me. My lunch consisted of a corn tortilla, hard boiled egg, salsa, and 1/2 an avocado. Dinner, turkey meatloaf, steamed potatoes, asparagus, and roasted cauliflower.

Wait a minute...

The changes I made over the past three weeks, weren't for naught. Stepping back from food for pleasure or food on a whim, had a very strong impact on me. I'm gaining more and more insight into consuming food for fuel and food that is nourishing my body and mind. My body feels the strongest it has in quite sometime and it's all because of my efforts. I've consistently upped my water intake and have been walking or hiking regularly.

The record of my activity, looks like this:

So far in January, I moved my body 63 miles in 17 hours. SIXTY THREE MILES, via hiking, running, or walking. I went to the gym last night and I've been practicing yoga. When I log into DailyMile, I feel proud for what I have accomplished and it inspires me to keep going. I feel a strong desire to add to my exercise journal every single day. In case you were wondering, my jeans slide right on now. Ultimately that's how I gauge my weight, by how my jeans fit. It's not about a number to me. 

I am grateful the 21 day mind and body challenge started me on the right track, it was the key to my inspiration and confidence building. I set myself up for success, which was something I needed to keep the momentum going. Another awesome part of my challenge, the number of people I have inspired to do their own challenge. The number is up to 7! I wish them success and insight on their journey. 

Onward...

Just Label It, Consumers Want To Know If Their Food Is Genetically Engineered!

A great new video hit the web today about labeling GMO's. The Just Label It campaign partnered with the filmmaker Robert Kenner, most notable connected to Food, Inc, to help get the message out. As you know, I think it's time. It's time for genetically modified foods to be labeled, so we can make informed decisions about what we want to put in our bodies. America loves to put corporate interests over citizen's safety. I believe this is THE year for that to change. 2012, just label it!

Please watch and share.



Related Post by Civil Eats 

Trader Joe's Registers Business in Colorado!

Well, the word is out friends, Trader Joe's has registered their business name with the Colorado Secretary of State. In all the lingo, April 1st is mentioned as a date that all the fun may begin to go down! Fingers crossed they will set up shop first in Boulder. I mean Denver got Ikea and H&M, can't we get some bragging rights?

Rumor mill: 29th Street in Boulder!

Be forewarned, I've searched their website for employment opportunities and Colorado is not available yet on the by state drop down menu. Time will tell!

news source, Daily Camera

Tuesday Tips: Genetically Modified Produce, Labeled With PLU?

Now that self checkouts at grocery stores are more common, we have come to understand what a PLU (price look up) is on produce. Typically it's a 4 digit code used to ring up produce found on a small sticker or rubber band. I'm surprised Monsanto hasn't figured out a way for their bio-engineered crops to automatically grow with a built in PLU code somewhere on the outside of the flesh, cutting out that darn sticker producer middle man.

Anyway, I have not tested out this information I am about to share. Maybe we can all just keep an eye out the next time we are grocery shopping. I've read a few articles which state that conventional produce has a PLU of 4 numbers, say for example bananas are 4040. Organic bananas have a 9 in front of the number, which would be 94040. I've never run across them in the market, but I heard that genetically modified produce would have an 8 in front of it, so genetically modified bananas would be coded as 84040.

Keep your eyes peeled, let me know if you see any PLU's in the produce department that start with the #8 (maybe even snap a photo)! I'll be doing my own research on my next shopping trip and I will report back with my findings.

Let's Not Be Silent...

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. 

- Martin Luther King Jr. 

Mesa Trail Hike, Excuses Are No Longer My Obstacle.

A year ago I set my sights on Mesa Trail, 

Eldorado Springs to Chautauqua Park. 

Not ice, snow, clouds, or strong winds would inhibit me today, 

the obstacles I conveniently created in fairer weather have been lifted.

Some water on my back, a banana, and a tangerine. 

Gloves on, hat pulled down closely, I'm cold. 

Sun is shining, coat unzipped, gloves off, I'm sweating. 

I progress, one foot simply in front of the other. 

My mind often contemplates if I'm going the right way. 

Can I follow the wrong trail marker? 

While I frequently seek physical confirmation, 

it's a trail of prior footsteps in the snow that leads my way. 

I convince myself at one point, I am just a short way from home. 

I don't have to do the whole trail today. 

Instead I turn away from home and just keep moving along. 

I feel comfort on the trail I know, as many miles were new to me. 

I turned a corner to a wide open space. 

Chautauqua Park at my feet, 8 miles behind me. 

I had arrived. 

Excuses were no longer my obstacle. 

Accomplished, satisfied, proud. 

Photo A Day: Jan 1-14

While I haven't exactly committed to a 365+1 project this year, I've been dipping my toes in the water and seeing if I can pull it off. I suppose if I post to InstaGram everyday, then I take a photo a day.

Here's Jan 1-14... Lots of hiking and food, but I've already updated many of the food photos here, so I stuck to the outdoors ones.

Jan 1 & 2

Jan 3&4

Jan 5&6

Jan 7&8

Jan 9&10

Jan 11&12

Jan 13&14