1:40:27

Congrats to my husband for completing his first Mud Run! We're teaming up for the next one.



Write up coming soon.

How the World Eats

As I go through my weekly menu I'm cognizant of the kinds of food we're eating. For example, the amount of red meat and the frequency of having it during the week, the amount of salt, bad/good fat, the amount of vegetables in a meal, and overall the ratios of each food group of each meal. It's a lot to take in and think about but for the sake of the health of my family (and pocketbook) it's worth it. I'm having a lot of fun along the way.

These first two week's of weekly menu planning has come to remind me of an interesting article published in Time magazine, which featured gorgeous and personal photo's by Henry Mendel, of what families across the world eat each week and what their weekly expenditure bought them.

Not all families are equal nor are the total amounts the same but looking at the photos below I'm amazed at the kind of food purchased for each particular family. The main aspect that shines through in some pictures are the amount or lack of fresh produce. Additionally, I am boggled at all the processed food.
Interesting isn't it?

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07


Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats


xoxo

SpottieOttieDopaliscious

I tried to think of witty words, informative tidbits for my write up to my picture of a red beet salad but when I thought of the word marinate the first thing that came to mind was Outkasts' SpottieOttieDopalicious and the last line of the song, "Go on and marinate on that for a minute."



Yep, that's all i got.
A dope song and a perfect marinating song for you and these beets. The horns are sick. Enjoy!





xoxo

The Biggest Loser Challenge

I'm referencing of course to the game show and its concept: Take a group of ordinary Joe's who have dealt with body weight issues, struggled with self-confidence and want total change, put them on a strenuous work-out schedule and strict diet over the course of several months and see who, at the end, comes through weighing the least amount and feeling good about it!
In between the course of the diet/recovery program, each participants' progress is recorded with weight-ins.

And since you can't have a pizza hanging over the treadmill as a motivator, they throw in a wad of cash. It's all about the green backs if you ask me and while you're at it, lose some weight too.

This part, unfortunately, does not reign true for me.
You see, my company has taken part in our very own 'Biggest Loser Challenge.' Not as intense as the TV show, is run at your own pace, with weight-in's every few weeks and, no moola as an incentive. And what's the point now?

I'm not taking this challenge as seriously, doing this mostly for fun and information. Our diet has changed compared to what and how we use to eat. We indulge here and there, fall off track, but for the most part we're doing much better than before. Here are some examples.

*Red meat is now eaten once maybe twice a week and considered a 'treat' for us. This is where I purchase lovely tender cuts of filet mignon's or go ravenous at a korean bbq joint for date night. Cowboy ribeyes are a thing of the past unless we split it.

*Fast food is limited and if we do go out, are thoughtful of our choice. We do however miss King Taco and Hooter's three mile-isle wings. Now I can just as simply create my own flavor packet controlling as much or as little of the sodium. A great plus for us! Grilling them, in my opinion, are sooo much better tasting.

*For the most part I've given up on soda's but occassionaly have a sprite. I don't do diet soda. It is not one of my weight loss tools. I absolutely hate anything "synthetic" and "artificial sugar."

*Fat, steaming bowls of calrose white rice have been replaced with brown and/or an occassional other grain. Sometimes we skip out starches entirely. Oatmeal has become our friend and congee, is loved by everyone not just the little one.

*Tofu and/or a vegetarian menu has replaced a meal during the week. Vegetable intake has increased thrice fold and the Husby is getting to know and enjoy more seafood. Yes, it has gone beyond wild caught salmon.

God only knows with old age comes a lower metabolism. Fortunately as Angeleno's we're spoiled with year round gorgeous weather which calls for the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Get active outside! We prefer this to working out in a gym.
It's work in progress and we're learning together to find a balance where we're not having a low-sodium, low-fat, no-sugar, false sugar, high protein, cabbage soup diet, etc. diet. God bless those who do!

We love what we eat and I have to say we've been feeling pretty damn good and looking pretty good. I've lost 10 lbs already.