Fiber Types Functional vs Manufactured

Fiber is defined as: plant polysaccharides and lignin which are resistant to hydrolysis by the digestive enzymes of man
** however, this doesn’t take into account all the indigestible stuff that makes it way to our colons !!! ick!

Dietary Fiber is intact and intrinsic in plants vs. Functional Fiber which is isolated, extracted or manufactured shown to have beneficial physiological effects in humans

**On food labels, DF and FF are not categorized!

Cellulose:

• homopolymer of glucose, 1-4 bond (Beta)
• in plant cell walls
• poorly fermentable
• insoluble

B Glucan

• Water Soluble
• Homopolymers of glucose
• 1-4 and 1-3 bonds
• Helps decrease cholesterol by grabbing it at the 1-4 bonds

Lignin:

• 3-D, Highly Branched polymer of phenol units
• Forms toughest part of plants…i.e seeds of strawberries,
• Stays longer on the vine-à More ligninà harder to chew
• Baby Carrotsà Less Lignin

Pectin

• Intercellular cement ( thick, gooey)
• Forms primary plant cell wall

Gums

• Hold onto water, Highly Fermentible
  -Guar gum, Xantham gum, gum Arabic, Carageenan, Agar, karaya, hatti
  -ex. Sweetheart Candies (vegetable gums) and Jello Puddin Pops ( xantham , guar, agar, and carageenan)

Soluble Fiber mixes well in water

Viscosity is the fluid thickness/ capacity to form gels

Fermentability is the capacity to be broken down by bacteria

Insoluble, Non Viscous, Non Fermentable Include:

Cellulose Lignin Hemicelluloses

Soluble, Viscous, Fermentable Includes:

Mucilages, Gums, Pectins

--thats it for today folks!

Comments Please ?!

Should I stop posting my studying ?

Its probably "too much info" and no one probably is interested in that compared to pictures of what I ate...


??

More on Lactose Intolerance

Lactose has a Beta Bond- Humans ( recently as in about 10,000 years ago) had to develop the enzymes (lactase) to break down lactose. Approximately 1/2 the world still does not have the enzyme, i.e Lactose Intolerance aka Hypolactasia

Secondary hypolactasia can occur in children with celiacs disease or cow's milk protein intolerance or infectious diarrheas... A genetic condition ( as opposed to hypolactasia where your body just doesn't have high lactase activity not necessarily genetic in cause) affecting the lactase enzyme is very rare and called congenital lactase deficiency.

Percentage affected by Lactose Intolerance in Healthy Populations:

• Approx. 5-20 % of North American Whites
  
• Approx. 70-75 % of North American Blacks
  
• Only 3 % of Danish
  
• Approx. 99 % of Nigerians (Yoruba)
• Approx. 95 % of Filipinos
• Approx. 97 % Thai
  
  
  

Metabolism

Metabolism:

• how macronutrients are absorbned, digested and what happens once they are in the body
• what comes in what goes out what happens in between
• occurs every nanosecond of your life
• understanding metabolism allows us to understand disease

What:
Synthesis: making molecules
Catabolism: break down of molecules
Where:
In cells and tissues of the body

* The highest yield of usable energy per acre is from Grains ( get the most calories per acre)

Photosynthesis
Sun + 6 CO2 + 6 H2 O - --- > Glucose! ( 6 C6 H12 O 6) + 6 CO2 ---> We process the glucose with oxygen -----> We export more CO2 and Water ... process continues

Glucose is essentially a carbon chain with water surrounding it

Stereoisomers ( mirror images) aka enantiomers

• molecules exist in 2 forms D and L orientations
• if molecule is in D form, the enantiomer is L
• Monosaccharides (sugars) have enantiomers (D, L)
• Human enzymes only recognize D forms

--- D-glucose - our "blood sugar"- --> (clinical significance) the presence of this in urine indicates Diabetes Mellitus (Hyperglycemia)
---D fructose- changed easily in liver to glucose for blood----> (clinical significance) hereditary intolerances (Hypoglycemia )

Disaccharide:
Trehalose

• is found in mushrooms and insects. Humans have the trehalose enzyme which tells us that primitive people ate insects because we have the enzyme! Ew!

-Inulin

• is a polymer of fructose and has been showing up more in processed foods.

Bananas have 0.5 g of Inulin per 100g food
Chicory Root has 42 g of Inulin per 100g food !!
Cereal has 2.5 g " "
Dried Garlic, Raw Dandelion Greens, Dried Onions all have approx 13-28 g " " ..

Starches:
1. Cellulose: linear chain of glucose, B 1-4 bonds, aka Fiber
2. Glycogen: (branced) storage form of glucose, Alpha 1-4 Bonds
3. Amylose : linear, has Alpha 1-4 glucosidic linkages, and helical coil structure
4. Amylopectin: branched, has Alpha 1-4 and Alpha 1-6 glucosidic bonds

Glycogen is more branched in its structure than Amylopectin, even though both only have one reducing end in their molecule, this more branched structure helps account for how we (and plants) can store CHO.

Cellulose has :

• Beta 1-4 bonds
• Linear Structure
• Is Digestible by bacterial enzymes but insoluble

Oat, Barley (Beta-Glucan) has:

• Beta 1-3 or 1-4 bonds
• Linear Structure
• Digestible by bacterial enzymes but is dispersable and viscous in water.

Food Groups and Polymers: Vegetable Fruit and Seeds Have these Polymers:

• Cellulose
• Pectic Substances
• Xyloglucans
• Non-Cellulosic polysaccharides
• lignin
• cutin
• waxes
  

Food Additives have:

• gums
  
• algal polys
  
• alginates
  
• cellulose esters
  
• modified starches

Cereals have these Polymers:

• Cellulose
• arabinoxylans
• B-D Glucan
• Noncellulosic polysacchs
  
• phenolic esters
• lignin
  
  
  
  

Ribose

... As I just got the library and began studying nutrient metabolism where I left off, I find a chart of all carbohydrate types, their food sources and end products of digestion.

Below I posted about Detour's "Core Strength" bar to help with strength training due to ribose in the bar.

Ribose, (a pentose monosaccharide) according to one of my books, has "No food sources. "

"Ribose, xylose, and arabinose (all pentose monosaccharides) do not occur in free form in foods. They are derived from pentosans of fruits and from the nucleic acids of meat products and seafood. " Table 3.1 from Nutrition Basics

( I assume then Detour people extracted the derivative from fruits or meats and put it into their bars, I wonder if there is any scientific proof ingesting ribose in this form is beneficial at all ???????? Ding Ding Ding, Light Bulb : New Thesis Project Idea: Potential Benefits of Ribose in sports nutrition products ? Maybe... but I was considering: "The cost effectiveness of Organic Food Gardens in Schools and Communities" )

Food sources of Hexose Monosaccharides


Fruits, Honey, Corn Syrup for

• Glucose...

Fruits and Honey only for

• Fructose
• Galactose
• Mannose
  

Food sources for Polysaccharides

Indigestible Polysach.:

(food source is...) : Stalks, Leaves of vegetables, outer covering of seeds for

• Cellulose
• Hemicellulose

Fruits for

• Pectins

Plant Secretions and Seeds for

• Gums and Mucilages

Partially Digestible Polysach.:

(food source is..): J. Artichokes, onions, garlic, and mushrooms

• Inulin

(ew) Snails (are a source of..)

• galactogens

Legumes

• Mannosans

Sugar beets, kidney beans, lentils, and navy beans

• Raffinose

Beans

• Stachyose

Fruits and Gums

• Pentosans

Digestible Polysaccharide Food Sources are:

Grains, vegetables ( tubers and legumes) for

• Starch
• Dextrins

Meat Products and Seafood for

• Glycogen

Breakfast:

Kashi Oat Flakes with Blueberry Clusters, Cabot Cottage Cheese sprinkled with Cinnamon, Banana with Peanut Butter, Splash of 1%... I was starving when I woke up!!

Did you cinnamon helps regulate blood glucose? It was one of the thing we covered in class which will be on the next exam!

* I also had a problem with this kashi cereal- there was a ball of what looked like brown sugar/ oat crumbs that had burned maybe- It was so hard I bit down without realizing I had put it in my mouth and almost chipped a tooth! Jeff had a problem with Kashi Honey Almond Flax cutting up the inside of his mouth too ( mine had sores all week from how rough it is)

Has anyone else ever had issues like this with Kashi cereals?

Harrump, oh well. I am going to do a yoga session and rest (study) today! Madison of Follow My Weigh inspired me since I wanted to post about the dvd I use anyway!

Here it is!
Gaiam's Power Yoga , Total Body with Rodney Yee

I almost forgot!

Lunch Yesterday:

I grabbed this on my way to shopping yesterday because I had a later breakfast and knew I was going to the gym after. It looks just like whats on the package! Any runners out there- These are super quick, great pre or post fuel! They have MicroLactin for "joint health".... The Lemon Flavor was Phenomenal!

Nutrition profile at 200 calories, 12 g of protein (whey) and 4 g of fiber 30 g carbohydrates

Here is their web description :
The 'Be-Kind-To-Runners' Bar
If you are a runner, you know the pounding your joints can take - and so do we. The Detour Runner Bar was made just for you. It contains whey protein and MicroLactin®, a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory derived from milk proteins that has been reported to improve joint health and function

I am highly impressed wth Detour overall because they also had "Yoga" bars, which have "lemon balm" which is supposed to help with calming you- so that you can focus.

I am iffy on the "core strength" bar because it has "ribose" to help the primary source of energy ATP.... I haven''t eaten it yet, but to my knowledge of studying for this Advanced Nutrient Metabolism class , ribose is already made sufficiently in your body. It is interesting that it is now able to be put into a bar! We will have to see!

I also have to research Microlactin more especially with my knee problems and running and Lemon Balm for calmness, neither which I have heard of before. Have any of you ?

Friday Night Laural Mo Creations...

Body:

Elliptical 30 minutes, Biked 8.2 miles in 21 minutes ( I challenged myself to do that again- it was rough but another great sweat! ) ( I decided to refrain from running for a few days because of the knee pain)

Mind:

Finished my paper earlier today and gave my brain a needed "friday break"- went SHOPPING

Soul: see above "SHOPPING"

- I found a dress, a sweater, two shirts to go out in, and a skirt all for $36 total (Ann Taylor Loft and Dillards) ! I haven't gone to the mall in so long! Wooohoo for great deals!
- I also got pictures developed, some for decorating the house and some for Jeff's parents birthday presents, along with frames for them! And, I purchased Thank You notes!

-For the first year+ of our relationship, Jeff and I would get a bottle of wine and make a fabulous thrown together meal that we raved about for the rest of the week! We have gotten quite busy with school, job promotions, weddings and vacations so we haven't done it in awhile. Tonight, I was suprised to find Jeff preparing everything for a friday night Laural Mo Creation! It was a rival meal to Ruth's Chris Birthday Dinner $200, earlier this week... We both agree the money was well spent, the steak was better at ruth's chris but for $15 we had very close competition...

He Grilled:
2 - 5 oz Filet Mignon, both wrapped in a slice ofbacon

Mushrooms and Green Peppers In tin foil bag ( with a few ounces of beer)

I Cooked:
Fresh Broccoli and Cauliflower sauteed in ginger, worchestire and garlic
Spaghetti Squash , topped with Asiago and some mushroom sauce

To drink:
A Sherry!

Dessert:
3 Dark Cacao Ultra thin squares, banana globs, peanut butter mini globs, Kashi Heart to Heart and a glob of blueberry cobbler ice cream, splash of 1% milk


On a side note, Does anyone else currently have four boxes of cereal open?
I have Kashi Heart to Heart, Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Kashi Oat Flakes w. Blueberry Crumbles, and Kashi Honey Almond Flax ( which cut up my mouth because I ate it without milk ! ) all going at the same time... is that odd?

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Yum

Cloud of Cottage Cheese on a Kashi Go Lean Blueberry Waffle, on top a bed of frozen unsweetened blueberries melted slightly. Surrounded by banana slices dressed in their most favorite attire: natural peanut butter. * not to forget the drip (maybe half a teaspoon) of maple syrup.

i.e Yum


Studying for Nutrient Metabolism section 1 done, 5 more to go
Lit Review Done, though I have to compile works cited sunday-ish
Gastronomical Me 2 page reflection ( 1 page down)

Body:
Excellent workout , despite pain in BOTH knees now.

Super Strength: Chest ( incline press, basic press), Shoulders ( lateral raises, Triceps (overhead extensions and pulley press-downs) , Abs (Roman Chair Straight Leg Lifts 3 sets of 10).

Cardio: Elliptical with alternating resistances 35 minutes, Biked for 8.5 miles in 20 minutes ( I did the random hill mode and man was I sweating! HR 160-170!

Mind:
Check out the postings from earlier, todays Nutrient Metabolism class was all glycolysis ( but that will not be on exam 1.... ) I finished up the rationale section of my lit review and now I have to edit my section of articles for the body .... yet I cannot download the word document because I did it on campus and saved it as a docx file. I am considering just re-writing it now based on my printed copy but Grey's Anatomy just started soo.....

This week I have a Lit Review due Monday, A Reflection Paper AND a Mid-term Tuesday, and Exam 1 Thursday for Metabolism class! Yikes!

Soul:
It felt great to donate some money to Make a Wish and have ice cream with Jeff, I also was happy about having dinner out of the way so I could not be crushed for evening relaxation time.

I am now stressed yet again because of... health insurance problems.. yet again.. no i apparently ow $800+ for a doctors visit that should have been covered, I may have to pay for "double" coverage because my past coverage wont terminate before my new coverage... and I have already spent so much time and money on this Stuff! UGH!

Food

Lunch: A mesquite tuna filet, the last two pieces of whole wheat bread ( I hate only having two pieces left- i tend to forget and they go bad), and steamed mixed veggies. There is a smear of non-fat mayo ( less than a teaspoon).. and Pickles!

Hooray for Cold Stone! I was so hungry after class that I totally forgot to take a picture! I got Emily's Nutter Butter with kit kat, yellow cake, and nutter butter flavor ice cream. It was a three ounce portion, Jeff got the other (Jack's was marshmallow flavored ice cream, oreo pieces and reeses pieces and fudge)... They did not come in those waffle bowls, and we split ours but I gave more than half of mine to Jeff!
Dinner: Mushroom Chicken with sauce, Uncle Ben's whole grain wild rice (it comes with wheat berries), and spaghetti squash with hot sauce!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 can cream of mushroom soup (the healthy lower sodium version)
• 1/2 a carton of presliced mushrooms
• 3 chicken breasts sliced into about 5 strips
• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
  

Recipe:
Put all ingredients into crock pot, cook on low for 4+ hours

Sides:

• Rice as directions said
• For Squash
  Cooked in Microwave for 10 minutes, let cool, sliced open and removed inside seeds. Used fork to pull apart the "meat" of the squash.
  

Glucose and Free Ice Cream aka Lactose

In plants, glucose is synthesized from carbon dioxide and water by photosynthesis and stored as starch or used to synthesize the cellulose ( aka fiber) of the plant cell walls.

Animals can synthesize carbohydrates from amino acids but most animal carbohydrate is derived ultimately from plants.
Glucose is the most important carbohydrate; most dietary carbohydrate is absorbed through the blood as glucose, and other sugars are converted to glucose in the liver. It is the precursor to all other carbohydrates in the body..i.e glycogen for storage, ribose in nucleic acids, galactose in lactose of milk..
(for my research project for this class....) Diseases associated with carbohydrate metabolism include diabetes mellitus, galactosemia, glycogen storage disease, and lactose intolerance.
from our Text Harpers Biochemistry 27th Edition


** How cool is this, my prof. told me in class that cavemen millions of years ago did not have the enzyme lactase to digest milk products. The gene and enzyme was developed over/throughout centuries so that man could digest milk. However, some people never developed it based on their ancestors not having it- hence the reason why people today are still lactose intolerant.


WHAT A COINCIDENCE....
Speaking of glucose and lactose... My best friend is executive director of Make a Wish chapter here where we live... They have an annual fundraiser at COLD STONE CREAMERY!

Two flavors designed by two wish children are FREE at participating (most) Cold Stone Creamery locations from 5-8 pm today only! GO GET FREE LACTOSE!

Celebrate the 7th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social and Support the Make-A-Wish Foundation® with Cold Stone Creamery!

Don’t miss the 7th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social at participating Cold Stone Creamery locations nationwide, a special night to join together and share the simple pleasures of life with a FREE ice cream and family fun. On September 25th from 5:00 - 8:00PM, guests will be treated to a 3 oz. serving of Jack or Emily's Creation. Donations will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Be sure to visit your local Cold Stone Creamery to try two new flavors, Nutter Butter® and Marshmallow, and the very special “Make-A-Wish Creations” inspired by Jack and Emily, two Wish Children.
· Jack's Creation - Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips and Fudge
· Emily's Creation - Nutter Butter® ice cream with White Chocolate Chips, Kit Kat® and Yellow Cake

Official Studying Begins...Saccharides: Glucose, Cellulose -- Coffe-ose?

Today I have advanced nutrient metabolism class and our exam is one week from today on Carbohydrates...

Specifically types ( like starch, cellulose, lactose) and their pathways:

Pathway = ( what gets converted ---> into what)
glycolysis = ( glucose---> pyruvate)

glycogenesis = ( glucose---> glycogen)

glycogenolysis= (glycogen---> glucose)

gluconeogenesis= ( non CHO stuff ----> glucose)... get it the neo is new, so stuff that is not
carbohydrates gets converted in glucose making it like "new glucose"

Krebs Cycle /Citric Acid: acetyl CoA --> CO2 and Hydrogens

PPP or "hexosemonophosphate shunt"= ( glucose---> ribose )

Specficic Types of CHO... CHO Classification

Simple: sugars
Complex: fiber and starches

Monosaccharides:
aka altose or ketone

• have different sizes
• trioses have 3 carbons like glycerose
• tetroses have 4 " like erythrose
• pentoses have 5 "...ribose!
• hexoses have 6..... GLUCOSE, and Fructose and Galactose

Oligiosaccharides: from 2 up to 10 monosaccharide units

• Stachyose: 3 monos
• Raffinose: 4 monos
• Matotriose: 3 glucose ( which is a hexose monosaccharide)
• Disaccharides (2 mono's)..... sucrose
• sucrose: fructose + glucose
• lactose: galactose+ glucose
• maltose: glucose + glucose

Polysaccharides ( > 10 mono's)

• amylose, amylopectin.... aka starches
• glycogen: The Carbohydrate Storage molecules in animals
• dextrin: Short chains of glucose
• cellulose & other fibers
• polymers of fructose: eg. inulin

Coffee Break

Breakfast

Before buying protein powder in august, I had much more variety in the breakfast's that I ate. Everything from eggs, ham and cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc etc...
So this reminded me of a breakfast/lunch I used to pack to work

Cottage Cheese mixed with yogurt, fresh strawberries, fresh organic banana dressed with natural creamy peanut butter, two pieces of whole wheat toast. I like how the piece of toast fully loaded with peanut butter dressed banana slices is balancing over the bowl like impending doom on the bowl of dairy and fruit goodness.

** I feel obliged to disclose, the cabot no fat cottage cheese is absolutely wonderful ( although I favor Friendship Whipped which is not availale anywhere but fresh market here) at the bottom is the yogurt I used - which was absolutely AWFUL! I like probiotic stuff and was kinda hesitant because this little guy packs so much sugar. I decided at the store I would probably like it anyway, even if it turned out sweet. Um no, it was disgusting on its own. It tasted like curdled milk (no it was not expired).. Anyhow- there are three more of these guys that will probably end up in smoothies

Grey's Anatomy is Back Tomorrow People!

Body:

I went to the gym to get some super strength training in- Back ( lat pulldowns, and rows) Biceps ( flat bar curls, dumbell raises) and a 3 mile treadmill run- 23 minutes total, then 15 minutes on the elliptical as a "reward" /cooldown ( i default to the elliptical way too much)

Mind:

Lots of intense thinking today, about how much studying/paper writing/researching I need to do! Class was great- I do not present my article until november so I have lots of time- even thought I already have lots of good background articles! I am presenting on Native American Health and Nutrition and The Built Environment on Reservations...

Soul:
I love couch.... I love couch... I love couch... now I just have to decide on and purchase chairs or a chaise and an ottoman. And paint!

I had a smoothie for breakfast and for lunch I had a South BeachLiving Kung Pao Chicken, for snack I packed Kashi Cheddar Crackers and was way too rushed after my assignment due today, the gym, grocery shopping, and group meeting to take pictures of any of it!

Here is my dinner:
I was craving eggs and toast! 1 egg, 2 egg whites with fresh veggies too- mushrooms and green pepper- with some hot sauce, fake cheese and the HUGEST STRAWBERRY known to man. Perfect! There is something totally satisfying about this meal for me. It is so strange because I despised scrambled eggs when I was younger!

Birthday!

I teared up at this card that Jeff got me! He doesn't "do cards". I don't either, nor do I ever cry at them! It was incredibly thoughtful and what he wrote

So we began with a bottle of a cabernet/merlot blend. and salads as appetizers. I enjoyed this salad although I pushed the fried onions to the ends, and ate from the middle out. I have to say I do not enjoy salads that are all chopped up and mixed together because I can't tell what I am eating! The company matters just as much as the food. A bad bottle of wine is rated higher in good company, than a good bottle of wine in bad. We realized Jeff had met our server before through a friend. He kept bringing us "tastes" of these incredibly expensive wines! ( I am talking $520/bottle)That explains the four glasses in front of my place setting and the Cheers!

Every bite of this filet mignon melted in my mouth as if it were butter. It was absolutely fantastic. Pure enjoyment for any meat lovers out there, and worth the $. The server didn't tell me they prepare Banana's Foster AT the table ( it is not even on the menu)! I had to get a shot of this!
Banana's Foster

Body: I attempted to run after class, however, shooting pains in my knee made me stop- I walked because it was SO gorgeous outside ! ( 4.5 mile walk)

Mind: Reflection Paper for Babettes Feast, and updated literature review for college female food choices

Soul: It's My BIRTHDAY! Jeff and I cleaned out the living room, took the old couch to Goodwill and picked out paint samples for the rooms! Hooray! We agreed on every room! That was too easy! Dinner was a total soul experience too- and our new couch is now in place!

Breakfast: Birthday Cereal- the banana pieces had peanut butter candles. I poured half a cup of milk on top after I took this because I was worried it would make everthing float around... it didn't!

Lunch: (leftovers) Grilled Chicken and Rice, sorry not pictured

Only one..

One day left until my birthday and only one picture I took today..

I got up super early, made jeff and i smoothies ( frozen raspberries, frozen blueberries, two bananas, milk, protein, pb) and ran to campus to work on this huge paper due next monday ( and also another 2 page paper that I thought was due tomorrow- but not till october!!!) I unexpectedly spent ALL DAY there! I am so glad that I stashed a zone bar and a kashi honey almond flax granola bar in my bag for events such as this! I typed on the computer from 8:30 am until 3:15 pm , at which point I took a food break and ran to the cafe on campus to find something. I ate the clutch "zone" almond raisin bar at 11. It worked like a charm but I was done with my 10 page section of our literature review on food choices of college female freshmen, focusing on eating disorder components. And I had class at 4, so I figured I needed to take a break! I got a side salad, with a half cup of hummus, and a starkist tuna lunch to go for protein! I put the tuna on the salad, then took big bites of hummus and then the salad with tuna.

Sorry no pictures- I was totally "work" oriented with the papers due.

Body: Is so sore! I did a push up contest at the tailgate on saturday and beat everyone ( even the guys! ).. but did not start "feeling it" until this morning! I ran yesterday and I needed to type that paper ( among others) so I happily rested today!

Mind: Type type type type! I actually had a great writing day as far as this paper goes ( once I had a good cup of coffee) I was good to go, in the zone...

Soul: Talked with my mom, lots, several times, and found out my brother in Houston finally has electricity back, and water back, and the grocery stores are even re-stocking now! Hooray! And all of the lovely birthday wishes from friends has been so nice also!

I liked these chairs I found last week and Jeff asked me if I wanted to watch the Chargers game tonight "out".... So I asked if he wanted to stop in to the store this evening to check out chairs- and I would run home and take Jack dog out. He thought they were really comfortable! He said they were on clearance and didnt have a price- which was displayed as $299 last week- maybe we will get another great deal!? Pictures tomorrow or wednesday probably!

Dinner:
We went out to Jack Astor's and I was not too thrilled over the meal but hungry. I ordered the Lemon Pepper Salmon ( which was totally undercooked, but I ate around the uncooked parts because I was THAT hungry and I do eat raw salmon for sushi etc. so I figured it wasn't "harmful") with vegetables and fries. Here it is with my beer in the back! Sam Adam's Ocktoberfest, I only had this one pint because I like to just enjoy one really good beer vs. consuming super sugary mixes or cheap light beer. The fries reminded me of McDonalds, although I guarentee I have not had Mc Donalds in probably 4 or 5 years, they had that same size/texture/taste/smell. The vegetables were not cooked at all! I bit the carrot and it almost broke my tooth! Don't the veggies look like they were "plated" awkward? This is how my plate arrived with the exception of the salmon, I knocked off that little butter ball because it was gross and I had cut into the salmon to see if it was cooked because of how my first bite tasted.
I just will be sure to not order that again, and probably stick with their specialty nachos that I saw almost everyone else ordered b/c the servers passed by so often with it!

Yet, it was blast because we played this super fun game after eating called QB1, you use those game pieces at sports bars everywhere and predict the plays as if you were the Quarterback for each team... ( the card explaining it is there... i.e you select "pass" or "run" the ball, then you can pick left, middle, right, deep, short etc. ) I really liked the game because it kept me entertained and really focused on the game. I also was put into a fantasy charity square thing, which Im not sure if I won or not.


Jeff is taking off work tomorrow morning so that we can spend a lovely birthday morning together ( before I have to go to class)....The plans are to clean the walls, floors, and move the old couch to the basement- then go look at paint samples for the house and pick up our new sofa!!!

Proud Owner of a new Sofa !

Body: Run! I intended to go for a long run after furniture shopping to probably burn off more stress, I decided to run for at least 40 minutes. ( Same as Caitlin!) I ran with Jack around our neighborhood for 40 minutes and I count rummaging around furniture stores all afternoon as exercise too!

Mind: Finished the last 100 pages of Gastronomical Me! Now I have to reflect on it, write a 3 page paper, and write the rational for a lit review. My classwork now seems much more manageable now that reading the book is done!

Soul: Finished Gastronomical Me! Finally have a new, leather sofa to cuddle on and come home to! Aahhhh!!

It feels so awesome, regardless of how much money I just spent, I am so happy with it! And...Jeff loves it too.. We totally werent going to go in to this place, and all of a sudden it was there and we both sat down, looked at each other, and knew it was "The One" ..
There it is! Now we are going to find some accent pieces, get rid of our old sofa, and paint!

Breakfast: Smoothie some in a glass and some over Kashi Crunch, with a banana and too much pb! I actually didn't eat all the peanut butter! It was about a tablespoon but I just couldnt seem to eat it all ( I ran out of banana!)

Lunch: A packet of light tuna in water, with a tsp of fat free mayo, a tsp of mustard and some fake cheese mixed in the bowl. Whole wheat bread to eat it on and some steamed veggies!

Dinner: Grilled Chicken with Taco Seasoning, Rice, and some (real) cheese! Steamed veggies on the side! I had half a whole wheat wrap ( the last one oh no!) and half of a serving of rice to "balance" my grains/carbs.

We Won- It's A Miracle!

GAMEDAY~

I love our group of friends so much- They are just fantastic people and I couldn't believe how great of a time I had all morning Tailgating despite the freezing weather! ( It was really only 60 but cloudy and windy)...

We tailgated ALL DAY! I was pooped at 4 pm when we found out we had won the game, which no one was expecting due to State's first and second string being mostly injured early this season!

Jeff and I for the first time ever, DOMINATED at Washers ( its a portable version of Horseshoes, kinda like cornhole but with washers and points like horseshoes)

Alas, My pink (strawberry) frosted donut! YUMMMMMMMM! So satisfying, every sugary bite! I had this whole guy once we had gotten to the tailgate and setup.

After we picked up our friends we stopped to get the group bagels. I had 1/3 of a wheat bagel with light cream cheese and Pumpkin Coffee at Brueggers! I love being able to plan to eat something like the donut, fully enjoy it, and move on with the day!

Heeee Heee!! This poor guy, bad enough you have to stand in line to get into a "port-a-toliet" but to have to hold a purse . He looked so embarrased!

So I had a mimosa while playing washers ( I had to focus and was told I couldnt be taking pictures if I wanted to seriously win) and had a "washington apple" that had been put into our good friends camelbak... hahaha. It was delicious to taste but I am glad I didnt get too crazy ( as far as alcohol goes).

I had this guy with "lunch", let me tell you this was the best chocolate chip cookie I have tasted in a long time! Rachelle's grandmothers recipe. It was so buttery not greasy at all. The chocolate was divine, melted right away.

My face got sunburnt and I think it was all the walking around, setting up, early wake-up that had Jeff and I headed home to crash! We both did not feel good last night and needed to fix the sink. So I read as much as I could, Jeff fixed the sink... finished up leftover pasta and we headed to bed!