YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Eating Disorder Awareness Week

I want to start this post off by acknowledging National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which starts February 22, 2009.

This years theme is …..until eating disorders are history. What a wonderful theme, too! We will not stop fighting until ED’s are GONE.

This is a great opportunity to spread awareness about eating disorders, and the need for support from insurance companies, treatment centers, professionals, and familiy and friends.

*I hope that, in honor of NEDA week, each and every one of you will take extra special care of yourselves, and possibly challenge yourselves with something new. Remember, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND YOU DESERVE TO BE HEALTHY AND STRONG.

I know that I will be holding a bead sale for my Freedom Beads Fundraiser next week (benefitting The Renfrew Center), continuing to work on a big research project Re: Ed’s and the role of insurance companies; exposing lack of insurance support; effects of short allotted treatment time on ED’s, etc. It’s going to take longer than a week (probably a year!) but it’s my contribution to ED advocacy – until eating disorders are history.

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New Groceries

So I went home yesterday for an appointment, and I decided to do my grocery shopping there. My appointment was right next to my favorite health food store, so I stopped for some Spirutein Protein Powder Packets and Shirataki Tofu Noodles. I also grabbed a Date and Walnut KIND Bar to eat in between. One word for this beautiful bar – DELICIOUS!

I headed to another store and finally found the Cabot Greek Yogurt that I’ve been looking for, as well as Rachel’s Cottage Cheese (in fruit flavors!) I’m so excited to try these. I grabbed some honey, vanilla, and blueberry-pomegranete yogurts, and two funky-fruit cottage cheese flavors.

Protein-rich cabot greek yogurt!

Fruity-Cottage Cheese

Another thing I bought yesterday was salad dressing from Maple Grove Farms. It is Maple-Fig flavored! I tried it today in a small salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of sea-salt. It was sweet, but had a clear taste of fig and balsamic vinegar. Yum!

I’ll post some more reviews this week

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So last night I went to a friends house for a birthday party, and had a great time. I was so glad I gave myself permission to go out. I made myself a nice dinner beforehand, and had a few extra snacks as I was up pretty late. Take that ED!

Believe it or not, I spent the entire day lounging around today. I did feel a little bit of guilt (What are you doing in bed all day? You are wasting time. You have so much you could be doing.) But, I did my best to ignore those thoughts and let myself have the day to relax and catch up on my rest. My mom told me that sometimes we just need days like that

So I had a simple breakfast of an apple w/cinnamon-raisin PB and a Brown Cow whole milk maple yogurt. For my morning snack, I enjoyed a couple BIG carrots with hummus. THEN….I made a big ‘ol bowl of oatmeal for lunch (plus had some delicious blackberries and strawberries!)

Look at that gorgeous bowl It contained:

1/2 c oatbran
water
1/2 c frozen blueberries (microwaved)
1/2 frozen banana (microwaved)
1/4 c almond milk
1/2 KIND bar
1 tbs cinnamon-raisin PB
1 pkt raw sugar

Wow. This was an amazing bowl of oats!

I had some more fruit and carrots w/PB as a snack. THEN I decided to use an eggplant that I had in the fridge for an Eggplant Boat, as I like to call it!

I cut the eggplant in half, and scooped out the inside of each half. I chopped up the scooped-out eggplant and put in in a bowl with a little soysauce. Then I sauteed some garlic, onions, peppers, green squash, diced tomatoes, and soy-sauce marinated tofu with cooking spray, sea-salt, and chili powder. After about 10 minutes, I filled the hollowed out eggplants with the filling, and baked them for about 30 minutes on 375. I topped them with 1/2 melted string cheese, and ate it with some salsa!

*The eggplant pictured is only one side. I went back for the other ‘boat’ after It was so good! I enjoyed this with a cuc/tom salad with Maple-Fig dressing, and an apple w/cinn-rais PB.

I finally left my dorm at 8pm, LOL, to grab a Venti SF Vanilla Soy Misto from starbucks, to be enjoyed with a new snack!

A combo of:

Stoneyfield Vanilla yogurt
Vans waffle
1 tbs cinn-raisin pb
blackberries

Great food today, but I’m feeling quite full, and ED is being a little annoying. ED’s just gonna have to deal with it though. Just because I had an extra snack or two today doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. In fact, I think it opens up my world a little more. And that’s more than ED can say

Hope everyone has a wonderful night! I’ll be back this week!

PEACE~ERIKA