Saturday, January 9, 2010

I'll Have my Thai if it Kills Me


I was right.  Sleeping in on a Saturday morning was just what my body needed.  I felt so refreshed and renewed when I woke up at 7am this morning, rather than 5am.

I did wake up rather famished however.  After waiting a little while catching up on some emails, I could take it no longer.  My Saturday oatmeal creation has been consuming my mind for days and I just couldn't wait another moment to start this one.

Butternut Squash Pear Oatmeal



1/3 Cup Oats, 1/4 Cup Coconut Milk, water, cinnamon, flax, chia, heaping spoon of butternut squash puree, diced pear (warmed in the microwave) and Pom seeds

So this probably looks kind of gross, but I swear on my life it was outrageous!  I just wanted to show you the actual oatmeal because after I put on all of the toppings, the oats get lost.





Topped with Zoe's granola, vanilla (coconut milk) yogurt, and almond butter


This was my first time using b-nut squash in my oats, as I am usually an all pumpkin kind of girl; however, the squash was fantastic!  It gave the oats a creamy and sweet flavor that was similar to pumpkin, but a little different.  I was a fan!

Oh my was this ever good.  It even tasted better as I sat in my PJ's on the couch watching Gossip Girl.  This new Saturday morning routine is something I could get use to. ;) I still have a few more months before I start training agin, so I will enjoy them while they last.

After I let this digest, I had a smashing workout in the comfort my own home gym (aka, one of our spare bedrooms that I turned into my gym).  It's small and only contains my ET, a few weights, a yoga mat, a tiny TV, exercise bands and a stability ball, and a boat load of workout DVD's, but it works for me.  I will have to show you someday, remind me!

Anyways, I did 40 min of ET

  • 10 min at level 6 res.
  • 7 min at level 7 res
  • 3 min at level 9 res. 
  • Repeat this 

Followed by 30 min with my man Billy Blanks.  Love this man!
We did an intense Tae-Bo sculpt using 5 lbs weights for the entire 30 min.  Quite intense indeed.  I really do love Tae-bo.  I use to do it everyday before I started running.  I love that it incorporates killer cardio with kickboxing, abs, weights and resistance but it's also a complete blast!  Does anyone else do Tae-bo because I really feel like I am the only one.  It sounds so old-school with all of the new age workouts, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Anyways, after this lovely little sweat sesh, I kept up the heart rate by cleaning the entire casa.  I also managed to shower somewhere in between there just in case you were wondering. ;)

Obviously, a few hours of working worked up my appetite again.

Lunch time!

In an attempt to clean out the fridge for this week's shopping trip, I dug into the very last of the Coconut Coco Chili.




And made a phenomenal salad with a little of this and a little of that.





Romaine, Radish, Zucchini, Beets, Roasted Squash and Brussels, Avocado, Sabra hummus and balsamic






Quite amazing!

Toly was pretty excited about his lunch creation and insisted that I show you…..





He said the smiley face on the chicken sandwich was on purpose and was his special touch.  Apparently, I'm living with Chef Emeril himself.

We made plans to have ourselves a little date night tonight.  We haven't been out in a long time and we were both feeling one of our favorite cusines….Thai.

I was looking forward to it all day; however, I made the mistake of having the wrong kind of snack this afternoon.  The cottage cheese and berries was an excellent choice at the time; however, my stomach punished me for it shortly after.  WHEN WILL I EVER LEAN TO LAY OFF THE DAIRY!!!  Sometimes, the discomfort and bloating that comes from eating dairy is worth it, but when you have plans to go out to dinner a few hours later, it's probably not the best idea.

We contemplated foregoing dinner out, but I thought "no, we haven't been out together in such a long time and I have been looking forward to this for so long.  I'll make it work."

As much as I wanted to order my favorite and usual dish of Thai Basil with Tofu and veggies, I thought that the spicy dish would not digest well on an already questionable stomach.

I made the conscious decision of choosing the Tom Kai Khai (with tofu and veggies)



And the Som Tum (Thai Green Papaya Salad)



And Toly ordered his usual….Fried Rice with Chicken



My meal was PERFECT!  The soup was out of this world delicious and the salad was incredible!  This was my first time trying this salad and I have always seen it and wanted to order it but always thought it would be too much.  I am so happy I chose to order it tonight because it was one of the best salads I have ever eaten.
I am so happy I chose these things and actually felt a lot better after I ate.



So happy we didn't skip our date night.  Love Thai and love this man.  It was a great night!



Okay now I have some news.  Not really sure if this is good news or bad news, but it's one step closer to finding out what is going on with me….

I got the results of my blood work and tests and everything came out negative.  In reality, it sounds good, but it actually just means that my original inclinations are most likely correct.  Since I have no signs of an infection or bacteria in my colon, this really only means that the symptoms are stemming from a underlying condition…either Chron's or Uclerative Colitis.  I will be getting a full colonoscopy to get my accurate diagnosis soon but they needed to rule out any infections first.
Really, I was not surprised by this news and truthfully, I am okay with it.  As much as it's hard to face any kind of disease, it explains so much about why my body does the things it does.  I'll deal with it.  I'm already use to living with dietary eliminations so a few more won't kill me.

Anyways, I'll just keep moving forward because the alternative is not something I dig.  I am not one for sitting around and crying over something I can't change so I'll roll with it.

Well, as fast as this week occurred, the weekend is moving even faster.  Tomorrow I am determined to find new work clothes which means I will be venturing to my favorite place in the world….the mall (or Hell as I see it!)  Luckily, my sister is coming with me.  She is the only person on this earth that I enjoy shopping with.  For some reason, I always seem to be successful when I am with her.  Such a doll for joining me in this adventure tomorrow.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekends.

Chow for now! :)



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9 comments:

  1. I am glad you finally got some news, even though it might not be the greatest news. At least you know what direction to go from here! You have had such a great attitude and spirit through your ordeal. Very inspiring!

    I am amazed at how "clean" you eat! So many veggies! I would love to ultimately eat like this all the time and it is something I am definitely working towards. Just wanted to let you know how inspiring you are!

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  2. Well, at least you can pinpoint what is wrong now...and work around it. So sorry, Lauren...but for whatever it is, I know you're an incredibly strong and brave woman, and God will see you through this.

    I love Som tam! But apparently, the som tams in America is all...watered down. It's supposed to be REALLY spicy. If I ever go to Thailand, I wanna order som tam first thing!

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  3. We had a Thai date night last night too!!

    Glad you are getting some info on what's going on, even if it's just one step! I found this and thought about you too!!

    http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/heathersibscheatsheet.pdf i thought it was interesting!!

    Take care and have a great Sunday!

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  4. glad you slept in! that salad DOES look phenomenal. i love the addition of brussesls sprouts. and guess what?! toly's photo didn't show up?! boooo. i wonder why. the thai looks so yum.. glad you guys had fun! have a great sunday, love!

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  5. Your home gym sounds great to me! I wish I had an elliptical at home! Fabulous lunch salad and your date looks like a lot of fun (despite the tummy issues). Glad you are infection free! That is GOOD news. I had to get a colonoscopy when I was having my tummy issues- its not bad at all! The only stinky thing is the prep. You will do fine with it though! Let me know if you have any questions about what to expect!

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  6. Yay for Thai food date night! Best of luck with all the testing - love your positive attitude about it.

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  7. thai food- YUM! great workouts. girl, you are so strong & have the most positive attitude. it is amazing. you will get through anything w/ it :)

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  8. you and your positive attitude are such a contribution to the blogworld! seriously, you just keep on fighting, don't let things get you down and i admire that so much about you!

    annnndddd som tom is my FAVORITE dish. i ate it everyday in thailand. no lie. it is to. die. for.

    glad you had a fabulous date night - keep hanging in there girl. lots of love to you!

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  9. Wow! That breakfast sounds so delicious. Just made me want to go on a tj's run lol. I was lucky enough to enjoy some pom arils down in fl. Your salad is related to mine! I think our minds are connected. I love Thai food and that's so sweet of you to go ahead anyway. I tried the papaya salad but I made theistake of ordering it super spicy! You and Toly make such a beautiful and heartwarming couple. Have a fabulous Monday on week 2 of your new job! And I hope you figure out what's going with your digestive system! You're a tough cookie :) I love you girl!! Oh!! I hope you found some cute outfits for work!

    XO

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