Breakfast was pb on toast, snack, was cocoa almonds, and lunch is crab salad...with a K as in krab.  \ also had a green smoothie..with Harmonia in green tea, kelp power and green magma..with mixed berries.

Quoted from Mayflowers

What's for lunch?

I had a fantastic Salmon salad for lunch today.  I'll post to the recipe center when I get the exact measurements down.  Basically it is:

3 oz. canned Salmon
1/2 organic avocado
1 tbs EVOO, cold pressed
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped celery
Finely chopped cilantro
Squeeze of lemon juice
Sea Salt

Scrumptious, I tell you.  

Warriors, do you have trouble with your....tempers?  Do you find it easy to be annoyed?   Do you feel you lack patience?

Yes, I can get annoyed easily.....especially after lack of sleep
or time of month. I get very irritable and even stuff like too
much wind gets on my nerves. Temper is not too bad though unless
I'm really pushed.

I hear ya nwiser.   I get annoyed at myself ....for getting annoyed.  Well since M, I'm using potty words more often.. when I'm angry.  It's just like being pregnant..you're a different person. You have a way to go for that...lol.  

Quoted from Mayflowers

Warriors, do you have trouble with your....tempers?  Do you find it easy to be annoyed?   Do you feel you lack patience?

I used to...        
Eating compliantly has reduced pain and relieved much of my stress   - I take Nitricycle, Catechol, and Methyl B-12 as needed to help with reducing stress and nerve pain as I continue to heal.  

My wife has noticed a huge difference in my demeanor and attitudes.     

I can still get annoyed, but find it much easier to control the response.

Controlling the response is important. I find that if I let things get too
out of control, I end up with a constant cycle of pain from tension. I'm a typical Warrior in that I just can't seem to relax. The atlas chiropractor yesterday couldn't believe anyone could walk around with muscles so tight. It's like they are in a constant state of constriction! Does the Nitricycle, Catechol, and Methyl B-12 help with that at all?

Quoted from nwiser

Controlling the response is important. I find that if I let things get too out of control, I end up with a constant cycle of pain from tension. I'm a typical Warrior in that I just can't seem to relax. The atlas chiropractor yesterday couldn't believe anyone could walk around with muscles so tight. It's like they are in a constant state of constriction! Does the Nitricycle, Catechol, and Methyl B-12 help with that at all?

The best results I've had for muscle tension are from:
1) Exercise - enough but not too much.  Sometimes, I just work the tight areas so I don't overwork.
2) Massage, if it isn't enough by itself, I use some Formula 303 - made by Dee Cee Labs. in White House, TN.  I got it from my chiro...
3) Meditate - I sometimes concentrate on prayers / spiritual topics and sometimes on focusing energy to relax and heal a specific location.  It definitely helps me.
4) Methyl B-12 helps with nerve health and it is usually the nerves that are causing the muscles to be tensed - usually by triggering the brain...  I haven't ever done a specific test for this, but it has been some time since I had my atlas move out...  It used to happen regularly and I am still healing nerves up there, but the pain is getting less all the time.
5) Make sure I keep the toxin levels in the body down.  I get more pain, and therefore, chiro type problems when I get too toxic.  Whether it is something I eat or that I am detoxing more than the filters keep up with.  Part of this is regulating the amount of exercise I get - if I do too much, I'll release too much toxin and get behind.

I try to do all of these things regularly so I don't get "bound up".  I muscle test foods and supps, and exercise to feel.  If I don't feel good, I will usually take a short walk, if it helps I continue or do do something else that needs to be done...  If a short walk doesn't help, I verify other needs or ultimately rest.

Hope this helps some...

Thanks ABJoe.....the info helps a lot! I figured nobody else had
these problems. Just one cycle of tension causes so much to be off.
I guess that's why they say us A's and Warriors especially should meditate
and do yoga....I get the yoga now.

check the protocol index.....there might be some to fit your needs there....try them periodically, and alternate one with the other leaving a week or two of rest inbetween

Hi Fellow Warriors!   I am back from the depths of heck. Being sick and getting my last son through Graduation...Ahhhh.. Please check the Photo Album. I have a shot of him there!

My major problem is white refined sugar. It is a neutral for me, but I must treat it as an avoid. It just completely stalls my weight loss efforts.    Do any of you have this problem?  I'm open for tips. I tried fruit juices and they did the same thing. I'm using stevia and a little agave.  But what can I do to keep away the sugar cravings?

Sugar was difficult for me at one time MF.  I sympathize with what you're going through.  

I don't care for stevia; it tastes a bit like the artificial sweeteners to me.  I used agave to get me through the need for sweet things.  

Now, these days, all my sugar cravings are satisfied with compliant fruit.  

All I can tell you is once you get it out of your diet, it becomes much easier just like all the other nasty avoids.  I know it's a neutral for you but you recognize it as an avoid.

Avoid it like the plague and before you know it the cravings will magically disappear.  

Best wishes to you in tackling this unnecessary evil.    

Quoted from Mayflowers

I am back from the depths of heck.

My major problem is white refined sugar. It is a neutral for me, but I must treat it as an avoid... I tried fruit juices and they did the same thing. I'm using stevia and a little agave.  But what can I do to keep away the sugar cravings?

Sorry that you've been feeling down...  

Too much sweet bothers me as well...  It doesn't matter what form.  There are times when I just can't do it.  I used to have cravings, but just had to say "No"., and take a tsp. of ghee or some protein every time I wanted a sweet...  Now, I no longer have the cravings, and most of the sugars I eat are in either fruit, or the juice or light syrup they were canned in...  

I use cranberries and figs to flavor and sweeten quinoa when I cook it for cereal.  I eat fresh fruit; apples, apricots, blackberries, figs and grapefruit all from the trees / vines when ripe and canned pineapple or peaches when the body wants them.  

I use a bit of maple syrup when I make pancakes, but often use apple sauce on the bottom cake and syrup on the top cake of a two cake stack and eat as many of these as I want...

If I drink tea, which isn't often, I don't add sweet!  If anything, I put lemon or lime juice or slice in it...

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the tips.  I'm trying to "listen" to my body. It feels like it needs carbs in the morning..plus protein. If I don't have protein in the morning like eggs, I'll crave carbs all day long. Same happens if I don't have the carb in the morning. My body doesnt' require white refined sugar, it wants either, fruit, whole grains or something like that. This morning I made oat bran pancakes with cottage cheese in them.
I used pure maple syrup,(as little as I could)  and had some berries with it.  I'll see how my body is reacting. I should be good till dinner time since I ate breakfast late.  If I can just do one portion of sugary carbs in the morning or have my fruit in the morning, I think that will help...I'll report back...

MF, I like oatmeal with a little maple syrup and ghee. The ghee keeps the maple syrup sugar from making me hungry. Natural sugar makes me hungry if I don't eat fat with it. I also eat a lot of benefical fruit (3-4 servings) especially in the summer. I need to eat dairy and nuts with fruit or I'll get  hungry 5 minutes later. If I eat fruit alone, I get sugar crashes. If I eat fruit with dairy (yogurt, kefir, compliant cheese) and nuts then I feel satisfied for hours.

I hear ya Sharon, I used to live on oatmeal every morning. I love oatmeal. I had it with nuts, dates, raisins and honey.. for years. After M, now if I have it like that, I'm hungry all day long. I can have it with PB in it and it helps to keep my insulin more steady.  That's why I eat my fruit in the morning, because I read the body is most able to handle carbohydrates in the morning than during the rest of the day..(causing increasing hunger) But even when I was younger, like you, if I ate fruit alone during the course of the day, it would set off hunger and cravings for the rest of the day. That works for you eating protein with it. Some people can't digest fruit and protein together and Dr. D mentioned about eating protein with high fiber vegetables and carbohydrates by themselves.. in the GTD, on page 183

Quoted from Mayflowers

It feels like it needs carbs in the morning..plus protein. If I don't have protein in the morning like eggs, I'll crave carbs all day long.

I should be good till dinner time since I ate breakfast late.

I usually mix proteins, fats and carbs in each meal, but not always...  It depends on the combination...

I can't do two meals in a day...  If I eat a late breakfast, I will eat lunch soon after...  It is like lunch is almost a continuation of breakfast...  The body needs that much food.

Sugar is a hard one to kick. For me, sugar makes me want to eat grains. The first three or four days without sugar are the hardest, but if I can survive that, it gets easier. The key is not to start up again! I'm with ABJoe, I don't sweeten my coffee or tea, and use agave where I can. It doesn't seem to react in my body the same way as sugar does.

Even ants won't bother agave. Have you noticed that?  They'll be all over the honey and maybe the molasses (if I don't wipe the containers off well), but they leave agave alone.

Quoted from Mayflowers

..it helps to keep my insulin more steady...

Are you doing blood glucose monitoring by any chance MF?

Ok, that didn't work. I was ok unitil 1:00 then I  wanted to snack..by dinner time I cracked..
I'll try more agave. I've been using stevia.. I should have had lunch. Joe's right. I didn't think I'd be hungry eating a late breakfast

Quoted from MileHighRob

Are you doing blood glucose monitoring by any chance MF?

last fasting blood sugar was 90 but I don't do it daily. That was at the doctor's office.. It was lower last year. 78

I heard some people use black strap molasses in their coffee or tea. I've been putting a little molasses and maple syrup in oatmeal. I always have at least one egg with my oatmeal, too. Most of my sugars like blackstrap molasses, stevia, agave are all neutral. Maple syrup is a black dot for me and honey is an avoid. Has anyone cooked with Fruit Pectin  or Vegetable Glycerin? They're both beneficial on my Swami but I haven't tried them yet.

Quoted from Sharon

I heard some people use black strap molasses in their coffee or tea. I've been putting a little molasses and maple syrup in oatmeal. I always have at least one egg with my oatmeal, too. Most of my sugars like blackstrap molasses, stevia, agave are all neutral. Maple syrup is a black dot for me and honey is an avoid. Has anyone cooked with Fruit Pectin  or Vegetable Glycerin? They're both beneficial on my Swami but I haven't tried them yet.

I have a copy of my SWAMI at work   My beneficial sweetners are Maple syrup, Vegetable Glycerine
and Barley malt is a diamond.  Neutrals: Blackstrap, rice syrup and agave, dextrose, fructose, stevia and brown and white sugar.

Quoted from Sharon

Has anyone cooked with Fruit Pectin  or Vegetable Glycerin? They're both beneficial on my Swami but I haven't tried them yet.

Pre-BTD, I used Fruit Pectin to make jams and jellies...  I haven't explored this since starting BTD, since I really haven't had the extra energy and I don't use much added sugar now...  I'd rather just can the fruit and use it mashed on rice cakes or pancakes...

I bought 1 pint of Now brand Vegetable Glycerine and used about 2/3 of it.  It had a sharp after taste that nobody liked, so it has been pushed to the back of the cupboard...  As I recall, there were other people that said some other brands were better, but I don't remember more about it now...