I always say that there are enough challenges in life and that I’ll just take an ordinary day. And an ordinary day is a blessing and thus becomes an extraordinary day!

After our morning routines of care and then doing day 5 of a plank challenge, my younger daughter Nini and I went to meet up with the new neighborhood women’s walking group we joined. My sister Yonette joined us today which made it extra special and I also got to walk and chat with and get to know better some extraordinary women in the neighborhood.

Afterwards, we walked back home where I started two pounds of beans in the pressure cooker before the family walked to our new neighborhood juice cafe nearby.

Because of a busy weekend which includes church of course and adapted swimming lessons for my kids (yay!) for the next month and a half, I made today bulk soup/stew making day and used the beans to add to the stew in the 5 gallon soup pot. I kept to the simple but yummy recipe in my book (http://thebp.site/118491 ). Now I have lunches and a breakfast of dinner of soups for next week and my husband and kids have some for a few meals too. Oh, and I also tested my new pressure cooker! (One of my IP pressure cookers gave out after two years because of a faulty pressure sensor and the Instant Pot company sent me a brand new one!)

In all these activities, per my Fitbit, I exceeded 10,000 steps. It’s no extraordinary athletic feat but I’m just grateful to have the strength and stamina to DO all these ordinary things. You don’t have to be a super athlete. It’s fine and a blessing to be an active wife and mom keeping prayer to nourish the soul, plants to nourish the body, and movement to heal the body and mind.

#Grateful

#OrdinaryMovementsAndFoodsExtraordinaryBenefits

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

Running In The Rain

So, my running 🏃🏽‍♀️ buddy Nini LOVES the rain and loves running in the rain. I do not. 🙂 But this morning she decided to forgo the running so I went solo. I was not too happy to see that it had started to rain earlier than predicted but remembered that I had bought these emergency rain covers so I donned one of them and headed out in the yard. The jacket was long enough to protect but not too long to cause tripping while running. And it didn’t make me overly warm either. Plus I Love purple ☔️💜 so that made me happy too (it’s the little things). I didn’t regret the 30 minutes out there in the rain. I missed glancing back and seeing Nini’s smile and hearing her giggles while running but I felt great running my own pace and in various patterns of eight around the yard. Tomorrow will be day two this week of strength training maybe with a quick kick boxing workout video in there before a busy day. Feels good getting back to a more consistent exercise schedule this week. I’m up earlier now to readjust and make it happen, by God’s Grace.

#BackyardRunner

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

I Got Smaller But The Problems in Life Didn’t Shrink.

In fact, sometimes, they get bigger. All parents will understand but parents of children with special needs will especially get this. There are times when life is overwhelming. Just when you get into a routine and feel somewhat balanced, you get a sickness, a new diagnosis, a new condition to manage along with everything else. I’m going to be real. This is a tough time for me and my family. But I keep praying through it. And I’m grateful that while a WFPB lifestyle didn’t solve all my problems in life, having built these habits have helped tremendously in continuing to eat the same and to move. Even when I miss some workouts, I don’t stress because I keep the constant factor of our nutrient-rich WFPB diet going, by God’s grace. This morning after losing a few hours of sleep and adapting to our new morning routine of additional care for my oldest, I did a run-walk with my younger daughter. Nini said she was happy to be out running in the yard again and when she said that I felt glad that I didn’t cancel the run because of feeling too tired and stressed. Sometimes resting more helps. Sometimes pushing forward helps more and is invigorating. Whatever you’re going through, hang on and don’t resort to bad habits like eating junk and not exercising to try to numb the pain. That was my old method and it never worked. It only made things worse. The newer habits actually help SO much more in coping with stress, believe me.

#HisGraceIsSufficient

#BackyardRunners

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

Nini and I joined a walking group in our neighborhood thanks to one of our neighbors who helps organize it. Daughters of the Dust, Girl Trek team welcomed us graciously and we had a great time this morning! Nini and I went to the meet up park a half hour earlier to get a good run in first (see short video on the page). We ended up at a very nice school outside track and walked around the football field a few times. Nini and I did a full run around it too. We felt great afterwards! Looking forward to more walks and runs beyond our backyard!

#BackyardRunners

#ParkRunners

#NeighborhoodWalkers

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

I’m so proud of Michael Besson Sr. for taking his health and the well-being of his family so seriously!

Michael Besson Sr.

2013……2018

Over 100 pounds loss between pics.

High blood pressure lost.

http://www.drfuhrman.com

#WholeFoodPlantBased

#Nutritarian

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

I just texted this to a friend but we want to share it here. Positive change IS possible!

—————

So we ran the BAA 5K this morning. And then went shopping for Michael because most of his pants are too big. He tried on these size 34 slim fit slacks and they fit great so we got two and a blazer. Then Michael said, wow at my heaviest I was wearing a size 54 pants and now a 34 fits great! #BigChangeBigResults

#DudeFactor

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

I don’t have anything extraordinary to report this week. It has been a ROUGH week. My grandmother passed away at the grand age of 100 years and 3 months over a week ago and on Wednesday we had her funeral. I came from the funeral to the pediatrician’s office then the hospital emergency room with my oldest daughter who had swelling feet and legs and was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. They are not sure if it is related to any of her other disabilities or medical conditions and that will be a long term process to figure out but in the meantime we have several short-term, intermediate, and long-term treatments to consider. I’m grateful for some results like a normal kidney ultrasound, normal kidney function blood tests, and optimal blood pressure but as puzzled as the doctors as to why at her age nephritis is popping up with protein coming out her urine instead of staying in the blood as it should. I’m grateful that she is such a resilient child who has a spirit of joy that doesn’t diminish despite her many challenges. This girl had 8 eye surgeries in her first year of life and was the happiest baby I’ve ever known. She laughed so much that people in the hospital waiting rooms (where we spent a lot of time) would be surprised and say, “Is that the baby laughing so hard?!” And then we all would smile and it would lighten the atmosphere of the room. 20 years later she is still resilient laughing and joking with others even though she is uncomfortable and walking gingerly. She won’t be able to run in the BAA 5K with us next weekend but will be at her little brother’s training session one day next week to help him and the other young athletes with visual impairments to continue training.

So with all of these stresses and much more not shared here, I’m sure some have wondered whether I binged or ate something outside my healthy nutrient-rich, whole food plant based diet. The answer is No. Not because I’m a saint or a strong person. It’s because, by GOD’S grace, my mind–not just my body–has changed. My response to the stresses were more prayer, running and other exercises, and Continuing to fuel with healthful foods to continue to deal with everything. It’s a false narrative and advertising tricks by industries only interested in profits that eating junk, overeating on anything (healthy or not), and drinking will ease our distress. I remember driving from one appointment this week and reflecting on this and recalling how the sugar and junk food highs back in my obese days only led to more lows of depression and stress and low coping. I never want to go back there and I’m grateful to the Lord for showing me that. I’m grateful for those lessons.

Please keep Mika and our family in your prayers and positive thoughts with our newest challenges and the older ones too. Thank you to everyone already doing so and who have messaged and called.

Here are some pictures from our week.

P.S. I forgot to add that I had my physical this week too and my doctor was happily surprised that I have remained slim and healthy and that my blood work was great. She was surprised because she said this doesn’t usually happen.

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

Yes, it’s Spring.

Yes, it’s April 2nd.

Yes, it’s in the 30s and snowing.

Yes, this is Boston.

Yes, I hate the snow, especially in the Spring.

Yes, I needed to run 30 minutes for my mental and physical health.

Yes, I feel awesome now!

#BackyardRunner

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

Unless we have an April Fools Blizzard like we did several years ago, I feel confident saying Spring is here and Backyard Running is back!!

I covered up my hair, put on my boots, and did a quick sweep of the yard and wipe down of the top tables where I tend to leave my water bottle and sweater. Then I put on my headphones, chose my favorite playlist and said I would run for 5 songs at least. By the end of 5 songs, I had run for 30 minutes straight and over 2 Miles (according to the Fitbit :)). I’m not breaking any records out there but I feel marvelous and happy!! Nice to share the air with the chirping birds again.

#BackyardRunner

#PlantBasedGodsGrace

I’m on the mailing list of many plant based experts, including neuroscientist Susan Pierce Thompson. This vlog on the fat/weight set point is a must-watch for BOTH those who want to lose weight AND those who have lost a substantial amount of weight and want to keep it off or even get a bit smaller. Several weeks ago Julianna Heaver and Ray Cronise alluded to this phenomenon on the Rich Roll Podcast when they said that plant based food is getting so hyper palatable that we can make a “healthy” version of anything now and still be 100% SOS free plant based and that is an issue in itself. We are still obsessed with food. This is why I said in the short book I’ve written that it is NOT a recipe book but a book about my journey and my path to weight loss, fitness, wellness, and health. It has a few recipes for these reasons but much more ideas on SIMPLE ways just eat simple foods. This is the reason that I now eat a few cups of plain spring mix salad leaves with a tablespoon of walnuts for nutrient absorption before eating anything else for breakfast because I consider the raw greens to be like medicine—plain, simple, and powerful—and find that they keep my brain craving free. That’s why my favorite meals are just bean veggie stew or a large salad with cooked vegetables or a baked sweet potato added. That is why after Dr. Fuhrman explains the science behind the advantages of a Nutritarian WFPB diet in Eat To Live he has a page that gives a few lines summary on page 223 (and bottom of 222) with the following:

“Keep it simple….

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Breakfast: fresh fruit

Lunch: salad, beans on top, and more fruit

Dinner: salad and two cooked vegetables (1 lb.), fruit dessert

You do not have to prepare fancy recipes all the time.”

I highly recommend watching this vlog linked below. And I will be looking to order and read the book referenced in it, The Hungry Brain.

We don’t want to hear it but so-called bland food keeps one healthy and slim. Believe me, our food-addicted brains adjust and vegetables and fruits that God gave us DO begin to taste good and we realize we don’t need chemical foods and hyper palatable enhancements of our WFPB foods anymore. I’m constantly working on getting more simple with food. Food is fuel. There is so much more in life to focus on, live, and thrive! It’s a journey.

https://brightlineeating.com/2018/03/the-adiposity-set-point/?utm_campaign=ltnurt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=el&utm_content=vlog&utm_term=180328&inf_contact_key=6a1ddaf0178692d23f0bb4be8e74bd89f7ad95372143586835b0b53f82fea05f