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Showing posts from June 12, 2017

Embracing Summertime

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Happy Monday! We had such a full and fun day of summery activities: camp, pool, 2x soccer. The heat has finally arrived in Virginia! I started the day with hot coffee and a tropical fruit smoothie made with Quaker oats and Vega Coconut Almond . I took Mazen to camp and came back home for a few hours of work. I decided to skip strength class, which I have been missing a lot lately. It’s an hour-long class and adding in 15 minutes of travel and social time on each end, it’s quite the time committment. I’ve been choosing to work while Mazen is in school and getting activity whenever I can, and that worked well today! See below Work-wise I finished a post for next week, and sorted through a bunch of emails and things that had piled up over the weekend. I had a piece of leftover salmon and cabbage for lunch. And some cherries for dessert! After lunch and before camp pick-up time, I went to the pool and swam laps for 15 minutes. Getting in that activity wherever I can! You should h...

Dear Mark: Keto Follow-Up

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For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering some questions from the comment board of last week’s Definitive Guide to Keto . You folks came up with some great ones. Is counting carbs in non-starchy vegetables still unnecessary on a ketogenic diet ? What’s the connection between ketosis and “starvation mode,” and should we be worried? What if you don’t want to lose weight on a ketogenic diet—what modifications should you make? Are you in danger of blowing a breathalyzer test due to ketone metabolites on your breath? Can endurance athletes benefit from keto? Is cyclical ketosis preferable to constant ketosis? Are sugar alcohols ketogenic-friendly? Let’s go: I got a very important question. In terms of standard, not ketogenic, low/moderate carb diets I’ve read where you shouldn’t count low calorie green veggies considering most of their glucose is burned during the digestion process. This method has worked for me very well, when I count carbs I think of fruits, tubers, berries, ho...

Quinn Turns 3!

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Quinn turned 3 years old on June 9th – and we had quite the all-day birthday celebration for him! The day started bright and early with the birthday boy waking us up in bed. Apparently, the OK to Wake! Clock was “not working.” Ummm…? Usually, we’d send Qman right back to bed, but it was his birthday and he was much too excited to sleep! Once we were awake and officially moving, we headed downstairs to open Quinn’s birthday “prize” from Aunt Sib. She told Mal and me what was inside, and we couldn’t be more excited to give it to him. Quinn’s present was a Ghostbusters Proton Pack , and he absolutely loved it! You should have seen his face when he opened the box! He immediately asked to wear it and then went hunting for ghosts around the house. It was so cute! After busting ghosts for awhile, we got ourselves ready for breakfast at Strawberry Fair. I ordered Quinn a pancake with strawberries – sadly, they never showed up, even after I reminded our server, but ...

5 Foods That May Help You Get Clear Skin and Rid Acne

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While the relationship between diet and acne has long been regarded as a myth, emerging scientific evidence is now alluding to how certain foods may help reduce acne. Even the American Academy of Dermatology is taking notice. If you’re fed up with acne despite your efforts, examining your diet for shortfalls is worth considering.   Low-glycemic load foods Perhaps one of the best-studied areas of acne as it pertains to diet is the glycemic index. According to the “Guidelines of Care for the Management of Acne Vulgaris” published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology , high glycemic index diets may be associated with acne. The glycemic load takes into account how quantities of foods each impact blood sugar. In a number of clinical studies with control groups, low-glycemic load and high-protein diets affected the hormone markers that influence inflammation and acne, resulting in significantly fewer acne lesions within 10 weeks.   One of the best things you...

Swimmin’ Holes

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^^ (He wasn’t really asleep but said “Mommy, watch me relax!”) Friday after our farm tour , Sarah and I went back to her place for a swim in her pool. We hadn’t spent the day together in ages, so it was great to catch up! We all swam and had dinner out by the pool. Super-kid-happy nuggets, oven-baked fries, watermelon, and carrots plus shrimp stir-fry bowls for the grown ups! Friday night I crashed into my bed to read  this book at the recommendation of Young House Love John. I am almost done and it’s really good! (Also a great $4.99 Kindle price.) It’s a bit of a murder mystery with a little love and some twists! Saturday morning breakfast was poached eggs on toast, bacon, and lots of fruit. Thomas has this poacher pan that makes  perfect poached eggs. It was way easier than the little poach cups I had a while back. I can’t wait to do it again! Matt came by to take Mazen on a daytime outing, and Thomas and I headed out to Sugar Hollow for a hike and a swim. ...