Countdown to Summer

Whew, the countdown to summer is official. We've crossed from sweet May into scorching June here in Texas. This is further complicated by the fact that my air conditioning has died and I've been enduring our 95-105 degree days the old fashioned way. Afternoon siestas are becoming the more intelligent choice and I find myself craving small breeze- field cafes mid-afternoon.

I've been putting a lot of attention on keeping my blood sugar stable. For me, this included going cold turkey on all sweeteners (including my beloved Stevia sweetened drinks for the time being).


I'm on Day 7 and feeling quite good. I notice that I am sleeping better (well unless I wake up because of the heat and have to take a mid-night/ morning shower), my cravings are subsiding, and my overall feeling of wellness is improved. I have completely cut out all refined carbs, juices, sweets, and starchy vegetables. I'm going to keep at this for this entire month and July and retest my sugars with the full glucose test and see the difference.

Exercise wise I'm continuing with the Strong Lifts program which I love. If you haven't checked out this weight lifting protocol, I highly recommend it. It's efficient, quick, challenging-http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/. I'm also trying to take advantage of the Zumba and Yoga classes at the Y. I love these classes, some of the ones I took in Mex just weren't the same.

Okay, I'm rambling so I can suck all the air conditioning in this office into my body crazily hoping it will somehow stay with me as I enter into the wrath of air-conditionnessless summer.......

Have you heard the incredible news about Mexico? One of the TV industry leaders has announced he will no longer feature murders, crime, rapes, sex type stuff, etc. on his TV programs. He's "cutting out the junk" and going to offer free air time to organizations and people that actually help. The only bad news will be informative, for example if there's an earthquake- on a need to know basis. Incredible isn't it- I hope we follow that foot steps.

Besos Amigo

The Great Blood Sugar Experiment

Inspired recently by Jimmy Moore, at Livin' La Low Carb Vida, I decided to read Dr. Bernstein's latest book. Dr. Bernstein is the father of handling diabetes through low-carb living. He is a visionary and real pioneer.

Not only did Jimmy introduce me to Dr. Bernstein's work, he recently did blood sugar testing himself over the course of a day. This inspired me to do the same and the results turned out quite interesting.

Below you will see them. These irregularities spurred me to do a home diabetes test. My results were within the Glucose Intolerance, or Pre-Diabetic range. I was at 192 for the first hour testing, and 147 for the second. The normal range for the first hour (after eating) is 140, and second is 120. Diabetes is 200 at the first testing. I am so thankful to Mr. Moore for inspiring me to take my blood sugar levels. This has proven to be very useful information and given me some real insight into my body. I am now know that I was on my way to diabetes and am so thankful to know I where I stand and how I can prevent it. This is a true gift...

6:45am 88
Spring Run
7:45am 93
4oz wild caught salmon lox with 3 pieces of cucumber strips (about 1/3 of a cucumber)
9:45am 101
10:45 101
12:45 101
Taco salad (no taco) lettuce, tomato, 1/2 cup guacamole, about 2 oz beef fajita meat, and salsa
2:45pm 105
3:45pm 107
5:48pm 87
Gluten free/ casein free/ antibiotic free salami (4 oz) and 1 stevia sweetened diet cola
7:45 99
8:00 chicken (roasted) leg and wing, with olive oil/ parsely/ basil sauce, 1 cup of lettuce. 1/2 avocado with unsweetened coco powder and stevia made into a "pudding"
10:00pm 100
11:15pm 105

Ocean Side Thoughts.......

Hola, Buenas Dias.

It's a beautiful Friday morning here in South Padre, Texas.

Ever since reading, "The Primal Blueprint" I've wanted to do sprints on a beach and today was my day! It was lovely- running along the waves; definitely beats a treadmill. After my sprints I did squats, push-ups, and planks. I don't have a gym at my condo so this will have to do. Follow that with an invigorating swim and I feel amazing.

I decided to take a quick trip down to see my father- it's been an adventure: a lovely, difficult, relaxing, self-growth promoting adventure; just the stuff good life is made up of.

My entire life my Dad has struggled with alcohol. I've known him as an alcoholic my entire life, but not a drunk. He always worked and was functional. I haven't spent much one on one time with him over the last few years. I moved around the US, he stayed in Austin. The elephant in the room has always been his addiction and it wedged between us creating a discomfort I wasn't able to penetrate.

Over the last year or so I've made a real concerted effort to rehabilitate our relationship (although I'm not sure in his eyes there was ever anything wrong). I've gotten much closer to him and spending time one on one with him is a big step. It takes a lot of nerve on my behalf, a willingness to weather the long silences and awkward moments. The times when he looks at me with surprise as if he doesn't know me or I'm stranger; questions about me that anyone who knows me knows the answer to; comments about me that were relative fifteen years ago but have since expired...A while back I went on a road trip with him- a big step. Coming to the beach with him-even a bigger step.

He's retired now and spends a lot of time down here, it's safe to say he actually lives here about half the year. I have enjoyed meeting his friends- you can learn a lot about someone by how those around react to him. They are good people and it's obvious my Dad is loved; but it's also painfully obvious that he is a drunk, and so are his friends.

While I'm used to being his designated driver (he used to say he couldn't wait until I had my license and he held me to it), I am not used to him being a drunk. Of course, living with an alcoholic I've seen him wasted. But this is different. His alcoholism has taken a dangerous plunge, one that I fear will see no return. He antics are those of a college age boy in Cancun- delirious, stumbling, loud, irrational. It's a hard situation to look your Dad in his eyes and not see him there, but glazed over eyes of a strange man peering back. I don't know the man he becomes- but I do know it's not my father.

In a sober moment I told him that I care about him and love him deeply and asked him to please take good care of himself because I want him around. He laughed nervously- but I know he heard me. Matter of fact, he went a day and a half booze free after that conversation.

Unfortunately last night saw the demons arrive again.

This has been a real growth experience for me. In the past, I would be so scared I would run to food for comfort. Now, I am able to face my emotions and push through them. I recently read that your body's appearance is a reflection of the beliefs you have about yourself. This resonates with me and it is helping to affirm the changes I've made in my belief system. It is a real win for me to be able to face the pain and uncertainty, and even fear related to seeing my Dad drunk and feel it. Not run or squash it, but be there- and perceive what is occurring. Food might temporarily numb me, but does nothing to handle the situation at hand.

Being able to speak my peace to my Dad and articulate my concern, while still loving him unconditionally and enjoying all the good that is there brought me peace, self growth, and acceptance. Now that's what I call a good vacation.

Besos

Te Amo

Good Evening,

It's an especially lovely spring evening here in Austin. The high 80's day has relaxed into a cool, breezy, evening. The sprinkler is singing it's rhythmic hiss and I'm enjoying the Spanish classic "Si Tu Estas Aqui" by Rosana. It's one of my favorite songs, poetry.

Lifestyle wise I am doing well. I am back on track once again, after adding more fruit to my diet started a snowball that ended with chocolate and ice cream. At this point on my weight loss journey, fruit really needs to be limited. It starts cravings for sugar which leads to over eating and sugar binges. I can tell when it begins because I suddenly begin to think more about food. I prefer freedom from such thoughts and so for now I will continue to keep in around in very limited degrees. Refined sugar is totally out.

Workout wise, thanks to a friend over on Mark's Daily Apple, I've started a weight training routine called Strong Lifts 5*5. I am really, really loving it and can feel my body getting stronger. I am very much looking forward to comparing stats at the end of this month.

Spiritual wise I am fantastic. I've started taking HTP to handle low- serotonin levels (Mood Cure by Julia Ross) and feel a definite difference. I also started Iodine supplementation and my hands and feet seem to be less cold.

Emotionally I am on top of the world. I've fallen in love and am seeing life from the eyes of a blissfully happy girl.

Life is good amigos- I hope yours is too.

And then it was time

Amigos,

The shortest distance between two points is a line. True happiness is gained through perseverance and persistence. Confidence is gained from overcoming obstacles and achieving goals. Life is a game meant to be lived as a player, not a spectator; to be touched and experienced rough and real.

Sometimes I fear taking the wrong step or making the wrong decision. I worry about which path I should take or if the one I'm walking along will prove to be the right one in the end. But I've learned something- that any movement forward is better than none; and a "perfectionist" egotistical view of not doing anything because you might stumble or not do something well enough is a cop-out- and it just ain't true. It's a dang good way to hold yourself back and limit potential though...but then again that's not what I'm going for.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Traveling back from Mexico and arriving in Austin has left me in a weird haze. I'm half Gringa/ half Mexicana. It's great to see my family, but I long for my new friends. I haven't made it to bed before 3am for at least a week, more like two, and I feel hungover during the day. I made the error of partaking is some good ol' American food when I got to the States and it's left me feeling just plain yucky- and now I'm wadding through that wonderful detox phase.

Which brings me back to my point about the shortest distance being a direct line. I'm ready (or as we say in Mexico- "lista"). Lista? Lista for what.

Lista for the next stage. Recently I've been following Jimmie Moore on his Eggfest, and also a Primal Bluepring blogger over at Mark's Daily Apple. What's struck me about both of these men is they're walking the line- they're taking the shortest distance. I'm going to follow in their footsteps.

The time has come to hunker down and take myself to that next level of health. It's been a long time coming and frankly, I've kinda been sitting on my laurels for the last month or so.

So, here we go. It's eleven weeks until my favorite holiday, July 4th. My birthday is in September and I know what I want- Optimal Health.

My plan for the next 11 weeks?
30g or less of carbs (natural) a day
Workout 5 x a week (lift heavy things at least 2x, low level cardio 2x, sprint 1x)
No refined sugars
One scheduled deviation a week, within an hour time period where I can eat whatever I want (well- no dairy, gluten, wheat, or refined sugar- but fruit or corn tortillas, etc).

Goals-
Get my body fat % down to 22%
Build Muscle
Increase Endurance
Lose body fat!
I have a scale goal- my goal is 150 lbs. The above are more important to me, but this will be a natural occurence if the others are in.

My game plan?
3-5 small meals a day
HFLC (High fat, low carb Paleo)
2 liters of H20/ day
Supplements
Salad for one meal a day
Calories no more than 1900/ day

So, I'm ready- yes Lista.
You In?

J

Buenas Noches,

Good evening from a land far away, but yet so close- Mexico City. It
is amazing I can be residing in a third world country and immersed in
a new way of life while only being three hours (by plane) away from
Los Estados Unidos. It's is like one of those distorting mirrors in a
fun house; technology makes the "impossible" true.

I have set into a routine here in Mexico and find myself increasingly
comfortable. I am starting to think like a Mexicana, act like one,
and yes- speak like one (yeah!). I've had more than one experience
where I've meant to use English and found myself accidentally typing
Spanish; and when I spend time with an English speaker it's pretty
normal to throw in both languages. I am looking for a school to take
some classes while I'm here; I've been told that is the best way to
get a hold on the grammar and fine tune my skills. I have the nouns
down- but future/ past/ tense and then the different forms of "be" are
still not perfected by a long shot. I'm a "toddler" in my speech- able
to communicate elementary concepts, but still limited. I know all I
need to do is practice more and be patient. Sometimes I forget it has
only been a few months (two and a half) and expect myself to be
fluent. One nice thing about being here is that I am picking up the
accent- well the Chilango accent (Mx City native). I prefer the
Northern Mex. accent and actually 99% of my friends are northern
Mexican and I sound like I am from Monterrey or Chihuahua.

Frequently it is commented on that I look like a northern Mexican
woman. I think "my people" are there. I find I am more drawn to that
culture for whatever reason....the lines of demarcation within
cultures are much more distinct here than in the US. In other words, we
can tell when someone is from Louisiana and of course they have a
different culture in some ways- but we are also very similar. Here, of
course they are all Mexican, but vary greatly from State to to State
in morals, accent, work ethic, political ideals, and physical
appearance. The people I meet from N. Mexico do look more like me-
they are tall, often have lighter complexions, and hazel or even green
eyes. Some of them are quite striking and really fit the bill of a
handsome Latino! Northern Mexicans are known for being straight
shooters who look you in the eye when they speak to you. Their accent
is melodious and generally they speak slower. Chiuahians are
especially friendly and out going, Monterrey people are savvy
businessmen and known for finding the best deals and being somewhat
cheap, and Guadalajara produces some real beauties. I often say I am
from N. Mexico- and if said with the proper accent I am believed. I
have only had a handful of people guess I'm American; European yes-
but not American. Sometimes I'm told I look Brazilian, Argentinian,
North Mexican... I take this as a real compliment.

Here in Mexico City the people are so short! I hear the N. Mexicans
talking about it all the time- it's incredible. I mean, really, really
short. They are darker skinned and I rarely see anything but dark eyes
and hair (although some of the girls do dye their hair this terrible
blonde color). Their facial bone structure can be exquisite,
especially the more indigenous looking ones. Strong cheek bones
sloping down to small flat chins with thin lips chiseled out and dark
back beads of eyes. Then, of course, thick rich dark hair tops it all
off. I am the tallest person in Mexico City. Really I am.

This city never ceases to amaze me. Yesterday I went to the
President's Palace in Zocala. What other downtown hosts authentic
Aztec ruins? Where else can you take a coffee (as they say here) and
cruise through a 500 year old cathedral, have your soul cleansed in an
Indian rite, and then enjoy Diego Rivera's murals? When I go downtown
and walk among these amazing historical buildings I have to pinch
myself. The buildings are amazing, the history positively ancient,
and culture is so so so alive.

My friend took me to a traditional Spanish restaurant yesterday. Most
of the patrons were actually from Spain themselves or had some
connection with Spain. The bottom floor was an art museum full of
dramatic oil paintings and an accompanying Spanish cultural center.
We didn't eat at the restaurant as we were on our way to another
museum, but I plan to go back later and try some of that exotic food-
from what I saw it looked like nothing I've ever had.

There is a huge photography exhibit in the downtown area I've been
dying to see. A Mex. photographer traveled the country capturing
humanistic shots of his land. The line to get in was immense though,
several hundred people- so I will try and sneak in during the week
when there's less people.

After Zocala we jumped the metro, oh yes, here's a story. I got caught
in the metro door. This is a big difference in Mexico. The US is so
safety oriented- special touch sensitive doors everywhere, bars
keeping people away from the edges of tall buildings, bus doors that
close securely, etc. Mexico is different. It was like when an
elevator door closes and you're trying to walk through so it touches
you and then regresses....except the door never regressed. I was
trying to run into the metro and just about missed it but thought I
could slip within the closing doors. Well, I could slip in alright -
but then they closed on me and proceeded to squeeze relentlessly. I
couldn't move- forward or backwards! The metro was absolutely packed-
I mean we were like sardines. No one even batted an eye at the gringa
being compressed; apparently this is the norm. I on the other hand was
quite alarmed, and uncomfortable, and let out a little shriek. I was
able to forcefully jar the doors open thankfully before the metro left
off and join my fellow passengers in our sardine can.

The afternoon played out like a dream. I went on a date with a

Chilago, Icauti. He knows the city like the back of his hand- which
always makes for a good time. Frida Kohda's "Casa Azul" (blue house),
really amazing. Strange woman, great artist, interesting life. I am
so drawn to art, it is one of my "elements". I find a strange
invigorating sense of peace peering into the world of others; and art
is nothing if not a communication from someone else. It's a key to
their world, offering limitless fascination...

A stroll through a crowded market where I found hand-made earrings for
my sister's birthday (can't wait to see her reaction- they are

beautiful, made by indigenous Indians here), a walk to the "smallest

house in Mexico", the most famous music school in Mexico (a french

chateau of sorts), through quaint streets lined with heinda trees
which produce the most amazing violet flowers which litter the ground
and make you feel like you're in a Lewis Carol novel, a trip to one of
the oldest cathedrals in Mexico, lunch at a small hole-in-the-wall
cafe, and people watching with guabana (one of my new favorite Mexican
fruits) popsicle. They make great popsicles here, no milk- just fruit
and water frozen- yum. Add in some crazy taxi driving which is always
amusing and elicits laughter from me and you have the best date I've
ever been on.

Alas that is the life I lived today. :-0)

Vida de Mexico!

Amigos,

Wow, what a week in Mexico it has been.

A friend of mine came from Texas and I played tour guide. It was validating to show him around the city, it demonstrated how I've really created a life for myself here and have established myself. Seeing the city through his eyes also allowed me to re-experience everything from a "newbie" perspective which was refreshing- isn't it amazing how quickly we adapt?

The highlights for me were: enjoying dance with the Ballet Folkloric de Mexico, touring the castle and museum at Chapultepec, people watching Coyoacan, and traveling down the canals in Xochimilco.

Mexico City hosts the largest subway system in the world and it is the ideal way to see the city. A single ticket is only $3 pesos and this gets you virtually anywhere in the city. We became quite the experts with the subway and this provided adventure within itself.

Sunday found us at the Museo de Antropologia. It is the largest museum of anthropology in the world and a definite "must-see" for visitors to this museum-crammed city. It takes you through the Mayan, Aztec, and other indigenous cultures of Mexico, as well as the basic evolution of man and beast. It's comprised of several large buildings, top and bottom floors. The "Louve" of Anthropology if you will. The plaques are in Spanish, so if you're not fluent you might opt to rent a cassette and do a self-guided English tour.

The museum was interesting, but somewhat of an obligatory visit for me. I preferred the museum at Chapultepec which has a more humanistic aspect. The ballet was amazing and something I would highly recommend. Bella Arte downtown is a beautiful site to behold, and Xochimilco is the Mexican version of Venice. Nothing compares to people watching, finding great tacos on the street, hunting down a museum you've always wanted to see, and sharing the your excitement of a new city with a good friend.

Vida de Mexico!