My Grocery List

The art of buying organic is somewhat tricky, especially here in Hawaii.  Even harder for those who live in the neighbor islands.  I'm still trying to find more ways to save on our grocery bill such as buying according to sales, cutting coupons, etc.  But then life happens and you can't always be so money savvy.

 So, this is my approach to buying organic.About once a week, I go to the grocery store and buy fresh produce, fish and meats.  But at least every two weeks, I do a mass grocery shopping.  I write down all the items I need to get for our house, and then categorize them according to where it sells the cheapest, and where I can find them in the store so that I don't run all over the place.  Here's an example:

Down To Earth (all organic/natural):

• Apples
• Potatoes (baking/russet/yukon gold/red, whichever is on sale)
• Papaya
• Bananas
• Cherry/Grape Tomatoes
•  Nuts, nut butter
• Rice Breads (if they are on sale)
• Canned Goods (on sale)
• Rice Pasta, Quinoa and other packaged gluten-free grains on sale

Costco Waipio, Oa'hu, Hawaii:

• Mushrooms
• Organic Spinach
• Bacon (yeah, can't afford the nitrate/nitrite-free/organic bacon just yet)
• Chicken Thighs (non-organic...dark meat is cheaper than white meat)
• Beef Chuck Steak (non-organic)
• Organic Eggs ($5 per 18pk)
• Organic Milk (before we took out dairy from our diet...$10 per 3 half gallons)
• Organic Chicken Sausage
• Organic Ground Beef Patties (only found in Costco Waipio...haven't found this elsewhere)

Foodland O'ahu, Hawaii (I go here when I need only a few items as well):

• Wild Fish (organic)
• Free range/grass-fed/non-GMO/antibiotic-free Big Island Ground Beef
• Other organic foods

Farmer's Markets:
My favorite one is the one every Saturday morning at Kapiolani Community College right next to Diamond Head.  Lots of fresh produce and food vendors!  It gets packed, so go early and park outside the campus.

This is no joke.  This is my usual grocery list!  I don't go to Whole Foods as often as I should for our meats, but will soon.  I am really happy that Foodland has a lot of organic foods now, especially local organic foods for a decent price, and its conveniently located just down the road from my house in Ewa Beach :) (not all Foodlands carry as much organic food such as Foodland Dillingham LOL).  Down to Earth always has the food we need, except for the meats of course.  And Costco always saves us money on the higher priced foods we eat.

Another tip for buying organic is that you don't have to go completely organic when shopping on a budget.  You really must buy your eggs organic because they are filled with Omega-3 fatty acids which are good for you, versus conventionally-raised eggs, which are filled with Omega-6 fatty acids that can elevate your cholesterol.  Read this article from Prevention Magazine: Organic Versus Conventional Eggs.

You should also read The "Dirty Dozen" article which gives you a list of which type of produce has the highest pesticide residue, and which do not.  Talk about bargain shopping! :)

Hope you enjoyed this post!  I gotta go shopping again this weekend LOL.

(Not-So) Mini Blog: Whole Foods Kahala

Whole Foods - Kahala Mall.  Oh how I love thee.  Let me count the ways (LOL just wanted to start off this blog with something corny).

1) Large Supply and Variety:
They have the largest supply of organic, natural, grass-fed, non-GMO, etc. foods on O'ahu, Hawaii. However, not all their food is organic.  They have fresh baked goods, a gelato/ice cream bar, hot and cold foods bar, burger station (they use grass-fed, non-GMO, cage-free meats), sushi station, fresh deli meats, a cafe, pizza station, various donboris, fresh (never frozen) meats, fish and poultry, poke bar, antipasto bar, cured meats (i.e. prosciutto), cheeses by the slice and wheel, alcohol, fresh produce, a small gardening section (yay because I love gardening), a mini coffee station, frozen food section and all other kinds of foods.  I really like their variety of gluten-free foods as well.

2) Friendly staff:
Yes, you will always have those one or two sales clerks that just get on your nerves for whatever reason.  But Whole Foods Kahala has amazing, very knowledgeable staff.  And, if they cannot answer your question, they will find someone who would know to help you out.

3) Representing the local farmers/businesses:
They have lots of local products here, despite their "big corporation/big shoulders" appearance.  Some items I've seen include Maui grass-fed, cage-free, non-GMO, antibiotic-free meats; organic li hing mui (surprisingly, the organic li hing mui is yellow!  Just goes to show you what other food vendors put in there), various fruits and vegetables, and poke!

4) The convenience of the Food Bar:
Whenever I am running late and cannot make my food for the day, I always stop by Whole Foods Kahala's food bar, especially their hot food.  They change up the hot foods all the time (except this past Thanksgiving...I guess they had a lot of turkey left over).  They even list all the ingredients in each food they prepare so that the customer is well-informed.

What I Like To Get:
1) Scrambled Eggs (although I wish they made it without milk and cooked with olive oil instead of canola oil)
2) Roasted Potatoes with extra Roasted Bell Peppers and Red Onion
3) Baked Goods (I don't always buy, but if you ever have a sweet tooth, organic baked goods are always the best!  Everything tastes real and looks amazing!)
4) Some groceries, especially their meats (I haven't found much places that sell fresh organic meats on the island).
5) Soups!  I especially love their Spit Pea and Beef Bourguignon soups!
6) Ice Cream! (low glycemic, non-dairy, gluten-free, soy-free, organic and made with coconut milk!)
7) Salad Bar! 

But Buying Organic Food is Expensive!:
Whole Foods Kahala is great and buying organic can be the best thing you do for your health, but yes it comes with a price.  So, you really gotta shop around and buy the items on sale.  I try not to buy food from their food bars because its $8.99/lb. and they do not have a scale to weigh your food....so u might end up spending more than what you bargained for.  I shop according to sales and use their coupon book (conveniently located at the store's entrance).  I only buy foods that I cannot get elsewhere such as the meats, fish and poultry.  On top of that, I rarely buy any of the packaged foods (except when rice, rice products, or gluten-free products are on sale).  What would be great is if they started a Rewards Card.  Stay tuned for tips on how to shop for organic foods on Oahu!

Whole Foods Kahala also gives tours for children, and for adults on how to shop in their store according to specific diets and budgets.  They give you a bag credit if you bring your own bag (I believe), and they give you a complimentary bag of ice to keep your food cold (so convenient since I'm always in a rush, forget to pack ice packs and a cooler, and need to commute back home during peak traffic hours).

I can't wait for their new store to open in Kailua, O'ahu, Hawaii!  They are also talking about opening another one either in Mililani or Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii.

My Journey with Tony Horton, the P90X Sensei

First off, forgive me if I have a few grammatical or punctuation errors.  It's been a pretty rough week at work for our department, and I'm still trying to recover from it.  But, I felt the urge to blog despite all that, so bear with me.

Today marks Day 16 of my journey with Tony Horton, the all-knowing P90X Sensei.  I call him sensei because I don't relate to the word "guru" LOL. 
Anyways, this workout, this commitment of 90 days is really a total body, mind, soul and sanity workout.  I've tried doing P90x before, twice I believe, and never ever gone this far without throwing in the towel.  My husband is also doing the workout with me for 90 days...I am in it to do two rounds (a total of 180 days of P90X).  I've seen people do P90x and shed so much fat....not weight, though...their weights did not reduce drastically like other people doing other workouts and healthy lifestyles because they became stronger and leaner, and muscle weighs more than fat (note: I no longer use the word "diet" because its spelled with the letters D-I-E or T-I-E-D, probably suggesting that its better to "tie" a rope around your neck so that you "die" than ever making a permanent change in the way you live <----do not mind the random comment...its the post traumatic recover stage from P90X talking, not me LOL). 

I am doing the Lean workouts of P90X which include 4 days of cardio, and 2 days resistance training. It includes the following workouts for the first three weeks:  Core Synergistics, Cardio X, Yoga X, Shoulders/Back, Legs/Shoulders, Ab Ripper X (these are the worst for me!), Kenpo X and X Stretch.  My favorite workouts are Core Synergistics and Cardio X because they are total body workouts.  I really do like Yoga X as well because you burn so much calories, work on stretching tight muscles, circulating oxygen to all parts of the body and really clearing your mind.  The workouts I do not like but have to do are Kenpo X and Ab Ripper X (this is done twice a week).  Kenpo X involves a lot of coordination and control, two things I need to work on.  And Ab Ripper X is the toughest for me because I have a really weak core.

I am really determine to complete two rounds of P90X.  I cannot tell you enough in detail how hard it is, however.  Just imagine doing all this, eating clean, avoiding friends and family who eat whatever they want, and feeling at times hopeless.  I would often have break downs!  My husband even had to hide our scale because I would go on it 10 times a day and beat myself about gaining even half a pound!  It was not until my husband showed me a video on one of the Beach Body Coach's website that for the first 30 days of P90X, it is normal to stay the same weight or even gain a little weight because your muscles are becoming bigger and stronger, and more fat loss will come later on during the 90 days (P90X is part of Beach Body).  I love my husband so much...I love it when he can put things in perspective for me, even if it means admitting that he is right....this time around! 

Even though the scale is gone, I can tell I am losing fat (not weight, but fat).  My pants are looser and fit differently (yes, my butt is lifted higher, yay! and my calves are tighter, so they are positioned, so to speak, higher).  My clothes fit better overally, and all my fat, especially around my belly feels looser.  My entire body just feels harder!  I'm always hot like an oven, even when people around me are feeling cool.  My OB/GYN is happy with my results, and I am getting closer and closer to my goal of having a healthy pregnancy.  My husband is also doing P90X, but he is doing the Classic workouts.  They are a bit more difficult because it involves 3 days resistance and 3 days cardio.  I can tell he has lost fat (again not weight, but fat) especially around his belly and arms. 

Okay, my brain and body is telling me enough with the blogging for tonight.  This is a highlight of my P90X journey...stay tuned for more highlights.  Thanks for reading!

Oh, I forgot the "lessons learned" part of this blog...Don't give up, even though it seems hopeless.  Your efforts to impove yourself do not go unnoticed...you just have to see yourself in a light different from how others see you and how you see yourself.  In the words of Sensei Tony Horton, "Try your best, and forget the rest!"

Bonus Note:  Foodland Ewa Beach, Hawaii has a great selection of organic, natural, gluten-free and local foods!  Some items that are new (to us, anyways) are Hawaii Ranchers Grass-Fed Lean Ground Beef, Larabar made with only fruit and nuts, and organic chicken!  Check it out when you can!  They offer competative prices compared to the big companies here selling health food.

I will be trying some new recipes soon (even though I say that all the time and never do it)...Stay Tuned!

Where's The Willpower?!

So it's been over a week since my last post, and I think all of you can relate to my current situation.

Last night after doing my P90x Day 6 routine (Kenpo X), my husband and I were talking story.  I do not recall what we talked about, which does not really matter in today's post.  While my husband was talking (hunny, if you are reading this, please forgive me LOL), my mind drifted into what seemed like a rabbit hole, and then BOOM!  It hit me.  I stopped my husband from talking about his recent hike up Wai'ahila Ridge, and said to him, "Angry Whopper."  Yes, ladies and gentlemen.  Even though you eat clean, change your lifestyle, exercise, etc...YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM THE GOOD STUFF!  Mind you, we do not have cable, only internet, so there were no signs of an Angry Whopper in my house...it was all in my head!

So, where's the willpower?  After I blurted out "Angry Whopper," my husband told me, "No!  Don't think about it!"  We went on our conversation with how well we've been doing on our new healthy living.  But it really is hard.  Like today, I asked my co-worker if she had some hard candy.  She willingly gave me her stash to look through.  I did, and then immediately closed up the box and say "never mind!"  She laughed at me, naturally. 

This new healthy way of living is not going to be easy, but I know it is well worth it.  My journey started a very long time ago, but only seen changes in myself since August 2011.  I lost a total of 14lbs after changing the way I eat, and continue to lose weight even more because of P90x.  I gotta remember to tell myself, "is that Angry Whopper really worth all the hard work I did today?"  On some days, especially before, I would tell myself, "hell yeah!" and enjoy my food.  But not this time around.  I have 82 days left for eating clean, despite the holiday season coming up.  I have 82 days to bring it!

My other incentive to not eat bad is definitely my health.  I never want to have abnormal lab test results.  I am only 28 years old and I have at least 70 years worth of chances to stay healthy.  I want to be able to have kids without worrying about theirs or my health.  I want to be able to live with my husband for as long as God wants me to.  I want to be able to run after my kids and play with them without getting tired....Thank God my labs no longer come back abnormal. 

Advice on Willpower?
You have to surround yourself with people that are going to support you in your quest for healthy living, and keep a far distance from those who do not.

For me, that is hard because it's only my husband and I who eat organic food, with appropriate carbohydrate-protein-fat combination for our metabolism types.  And whenever we bring up to our family and friends how we eat, they say "huh?" and think we are crazy to give up those types of foods. 

It's really hard to turn down good food, and even worse, turn down great friends and family.  But, if you stick to your guns and be consistent, your friends and family will respect what you are trying to do for yourself, and won't press the issue of why you are not eating the food they've made.  And eventually, that aunt that insists that you try her cooking will respect your decision to not eat her food.  Eventually, right?

How did you change your lifestyle?
My husband showed me this video about The Diet Solution Program (DSP) over a year ago.  I was skeptical about the whole thing and decided to just count calories and do Zumba. Then, after my old health plan fell through the cracks and I had gained back all the weight I lost, I found the DSP again and decided to try it.  It was the best decision I've made for myself!  It gave me the tools I needed to help me get healthier, and it helped me realize what foods are not good for my body (gluten, lactose, medium and high glucose foods).  No more counting calories or points!  The only thing I do is weigh my food and portion all of my meals.  If you want to learn more about the DSP, here's their website:

http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/

Another great resource for healthy, gluten-free recipes is Whole Lifestyle Nutrition.  You can find them on Facebook and at their website at http://www.wholelifestylenutrition.com/ .  I have yet to try out their recipes, but they sound so delicious and nutritious!  They do, however include dairy products, so take caution.  They suggest swapping milk with coconut or almond milk, but to be honest, I hate those milks.  And soy is not good for you at all, since it messes up your thyroid function, so soy milk is out too.

I'm going to post some recipes here on my blog for people who want to cut out gluten and lactose out of their diet.  This weekend since its getting colder, I'm going to attempt to make an organic, gluten-free version of my mom's Arroz Caldo (similar to Jook, it's traditionally made with shredded stewing chicken, mochi rice, chicken stock, garlic, green onion, ginger, salt, black pepper and canola oil).

Thanks for reading!