Tag: chronic health issues

Daily Food Diary – Day 287 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 287 of my Daily Food Diary! 🙂

Today it is three and a half months since I started taking collagen supplements.

Throughout July and August, I noticed multiple benefits – from easing stiff achy hands, stronger longer nails, thicker stronger hair (and a virtual end to hair loss),  improved muscle strength – especially in my hands and upper body, increased stability in my joints,  and best of all increased stability in my sinuses and airways.

At the beginning of September, I saw my respirologist and,  because I was still coughing up an abundance of mucus, he put me on a round of antibiotics and Prednisone.  Neither of which have ever agreed with me – but which at times were deemed a medical necessity.

Throughout September I suffered the loss of a lot of the benefits from the collagen supplements.  It started gradually with broken nails and shedding hairs and went downhill from there. 

Sometime in this demoralizing period I ran across articles that claimed Prednisone can/does inhibit collagen synthesis.   (That makes so much sense considering my history – despite the fact that I had continued to take my collagen supplements.)

I finished this last round of Prednisone on September 13th.   Last week things finally began to turn around.  Again, I noticed the improvements first in my hands, then nails, then hair ….

This morning, I went for a walk with Dan and Molly.  Despite 100 percent humidity, I went the full distance, barely feeling the humidity until the last few blocks. 🥳💓

6 degrees Celsius – 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit

I am so so excited that this setback appears to be behind me!  Hopefully I can avoid any more setbacks (and Prednisone) going forward!  Most of all, I am excited that once again, I feel that I am capable of moving forward, stronger, and healthier! 🎈

Daily Food Diary – Day 287

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) plain paratha (240)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

Lunch:

(2) pork eggrolls (360)

(4) Gyoza (133)

Snacks:

(48) oz water

(1) c turkey broth (100)

Supper:

(2 1/2) c spaghetti with tomato meat sauce/peppers/onions/mushrooms/garlic (718)

Total consumed calories: 1708

Total used calories: 310

(30) min walking (83)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(15) min treadmill steep incline (52)

Total net calories: 1398

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1398  = 168 over 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 285 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 285 of my Daily Food Diary! 💖

Today is also our Canadian Thanksgiving. Today as always,  I am thankful that Dan & Molly & I have each other, our family & friends, our health, a roof over our heads, food for our table, a reliable vehicle, and a warm, comfortable bed.   

Yesterday, we had our first snow of the season.  (Which TBH I was not so grateful for).  🙄

After three very busy days, I took a break  to read, relax, and enjoy a quiet day with Dan and Molly.

I don’t have a lot more planned for today.  We got bundled up and took Molly for a walk earlier this morning.  The cold wasn’t too bad but the air was still thick and humid from all the rain and snow yesterday. I struggled a bit, but managed the full walk.

It will be a challenge to get back up to speed with all of my workouts this week.   I am fighting the urge to hibernate until spring returns. 🌷

Daily Food Diary – Day 285

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) potato patties (240)

(1) 2 egg Denver omelet (235)

Snacks:

(36) oz water

(15) raspberries (15)

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(2) servings nachos (975)

(1) PC lemon meringue pie (303)

Total consumed calories: 1770

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1770 = 541 over 👎

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! ❣️🤗

Daily Food Diary – Day 284 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 284 of my Daily Food Diary! 😉

This month (October) I am focusing on how the change of season affects our diet.  So far, I have waffled between summer barbecue, to hearty soups or stews, to light salads, to a full blown Thanksgiving supper.

Today, It is cold and WET!  I am not sure there is a meal that is geared to deal with that.  We had Denver omelets for breakfast.  I am thinking something ‘Light Comfort’ for supper. Whatever that is?

Before the rain started coming down last night, Dan and I did a lot of yard and garden cleanup.  Dan worked at packing  away the patio furniture and gazebo coverings.  I picked the last of the tomatoes and peppers and pulled out the plants. 

A number of the tomato plants had oddly stunted root systems, but deeply rooted or not, I got all of them pulled out and into the green bin.  I am truly impressed with the strength I have!

Out front, the leaves are finally falling but the grass is only getting greener as the rain continues to fall. 🙄

Daily Food Diary – Day 284

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) Plain paratha (240)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp raspberry jam (50)

Lunch:

(2) c turkey broth (200)

(6) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (150)

(36) oz water

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(8) oz dark turkey meat (320)

(1) cabbage roll (117)

(10) asparagus spears (33)

Total consumed calories: 1217

Total used calories: 627

(47) min walking (100)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(2) hours yard/garden cleanup (351)

Total net calories: 627

Net calories goal: 1229 – 627 = 640 under 👍

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! ❤️😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 282 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 282 of my Daily Food Diary! 💝

Today is the day after we celebrated our family’s Thanksgiving (which is actually in a few days).

Being retired for five years now, I have gotten pretty comfortable with our quiet little life – generally Dan, our dog Molly, and I.  

Putting together a complete turkey supper for ten people, has become a tad outside my comfort zone – especially with the glitches and such that come with such an endeavour. 

As usual, people stepped up to help bring it all together.  The newlyweds (Genie and Alec) did MORE than their part –  making the salad and then doing the endless dishes and pots and pans after supper. Alec’s Mom, rolled up her sleeves and carved the turkey which Dan and I both appreciated!

Since our house was in order by the end of the evening, I spent this morning over at daughter Jennifer’s  – helping her to get their house tidied up before she heads back to work for the weekend.  🙂

This afternoon, I have kept busy making turkey broth and packaging cabbage rolls for the freezer.

Daily Food Diary Day 282

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(26) lightly frosted shreddies (200)

(1/4) c milk (28)

Lunch:

(1) c beef stew (184)

(24) oz water

Supper:

(3) oz dark turkey (175)

(1) c mashed potatoes (237)

(10) asparagus spears (33)

(3/4) c corn (105)

(1) Yorkshire pudding (100)

(1/2) c gravy (40)

(1) sour cabbage w/pork and rice roll (197)

(1) PC lemon meringue pie (303)

(3) oz red wine (75)

Total consumed calories: 1679

Total used calories: 608

(5) hours food prep/cooking (555)

(30) min walking (53)

Total net calories: 1071

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1071 = 158 under 👍

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💕☺️

Daily Food Diary – Day 280 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 280 of my Daily Food Diary! 🤩

I am running later than ever this morning, but feeling much better than yesterday. 

I started my day by taking  Molly for her walk solo.  While some of our garden plants took a hit from the frost earlier this week, it is amazing how green the grass and trees are around here. 

Molly and I walked around  the baseball diamonds across the street, before heading onto our regular route.  The entire park was as fresh and green as it was in June.  That is not at all typical for October in Saskatchewan!  But I will take it as long as it lasts.

The rest of my day will revolve around cooking our ham and baking pies for our Thanksgiving supper tomorrow. 

Some of the leaves are changing color on our street – but they are still on the trees.  Our lawn is looking better than it has all summer. 🙂

Daily Food Diary – Day 280

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) cinnamon eggos (330)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(2) tbsp Maple Syrup (104)

(2) slices bacon (87)

Lunch:

(1) c beef broth (31)

Snacks:

(1/3) c mixed nuts (216)

Supper:

(3) c Beef Stew (552)

(3/4) c Maple walnut ice cream (225)

(2) tbsp caramel sauce (105)

(1/8) c chopped walnuts (96)

Total consumed calories: 1782

Total used calories: 287

(30) min walking (53)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(30) min treadmill (59)

Total net calories: 1495

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1495 = 265 over 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 🤗💝

Daily Food Diary – Day 278 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is Day 278 of my Daily Food Diary! 💗

Next Monday (October 13th) is our Canadian Thanksgiving.  Of all the major holidays that we celebrate, Thanksgiving is my favourite. There is none of the stress that comes with all the commercialization of  other holidays.  Thanksgiving is just that, a day to be grateful for what we have and an opportunity to share it with loved ones. 💞

Dan and I are hosting our Thanksgiving supper this Thursday.  It is the best day for those family members who work over the weekend.   And the leftovers they take home will make a handy meal for them, when they will be too busy to cook!

After joining Dan and Molly for a frigid walk this morning (as in our bird bath is now a miniature skating rink), I decided a pot of hearty beef stew was on the menu for tonight.   

Beef gnocchi stew. 😯

Just to note.. Jet Pack/WordPress is glitching out for me.  I find myself unable to like posts or comments.  Hopefully, you are getting my comments. And hopefully… The situation resolves itself soon.

Daily Food Diary – Day 278

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) eggs (160)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(2) sl. Bacon (87)

(1) tomato (23)

(2) potato patties (240)

Snacks:

(1) pkg. Sesame snacks (150)

(48) oz water

(8) oz lemon water

Supper:

(1) bowl Knorr minestrone (66)

(5) soda crackers (63)

(1) cheese tortilla wrap (170)

(2) oz ham (89)

(2) oz marble cheese (227)

(2) green onions (16)

Total consumed calories: 1326

Total used calories: 59

(30) min treadmill (59)

Total net calories: 1267

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1267 = 38 over 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💝😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 275 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 275 of my Daily Food Diary – and poof another ten days of 2025 have passed – just like that! 🫰

Yesterday was another somewhat productive day.  It was warm enough to get outside and clean the interior of the Jeep.  It is pretty much all leather,  so climbing around with a spray bottle of leather cleaner,  a wet cloth, and a dry cloth was more doable than the vacuuming extravaganza on Wednesday.

The reward for my efforts was a supper out at Fin’s Fish and Chips.   Their food is hearty, healthy, yeast and palm oil free – and delicious.  🤩

Today is cool and raining off and on.  We got in our morning walk with Molly. 

Which was obviously exhausting…

Dan is off shopping.  I am juggling my morning routine with getting our house in order.  The days have been going by so quickly that I haven’t done a good solid cleaning for a bit and it is beginning to show. 🙄

I still have my aerobics and weights to do, but at least the porch is clean.  But first.. it is time to tackle the kitchen.

Daily Food Diary – Day 275

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) crumpets (240)

(2) tsp butter (68)

(1) tbsp raspberry jam (50)

Lunch:

(1/2) serving Smoked beans (196)

(1) Harvest all beef hot dog (160)

(6) Hint of Lime chips (150)

(48) oz water

(12) oz lemon water

Supper:

(1) Sprite (140)

(2) PC’s  Fin City battered pickerel (500)

(1/2) c coleslaw (104)

(1) c home fries (331)

(1/4) c gravy (25)

(1) tbsp tartar sauce (40)

Total consumed calories: 2007

Total used calories: 422

(30) min. Aerobics (176)

(1) hr clean Jeep interior (135)

(30) min. Treadmill (59)

(30) min walking (53)

Total net calories: 1585

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1585 = 356 over 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 🥰☺️

Daily Food Diary – Day 274 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 274 of my Daily Food Diary! ❣️With September done and gone, I am 9 months done and 3 months to go.

Every month, I choose one focus for my Daily Food Diary.  For October, I have decided to go with Changing Seasons – and how they affect the foods we eat.

October started with the same seasonal indecision that we have been experiencing in Saskatchewan for a couple of weeks.

Yesterday, it was unseasonably warm.  I spent time outside cleaning our Jeep and enjoying the weather.  After supper, I went to pick up our  granddaughter Maddy from her band clinic.  I wore a sweater and left the air conditioner on.

This morning, I picked up Maddy to drive her to school.  I wore my coat and turned the heater on.  Such is autumn in Saskatchewan.

Last night, we went with some hearty fall Smoked Beans for supper – as well as a couple of summery Hot Dogs and a few potato chips.   🙄

It is impossible to predict which direction  this month will take weather wise.

Hopefully more of this! 😃
And NONE of this! 😢

Daily Food Diary – Day 274

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c lightly frosted Shreddies (190)

(1/4) c milk (28)

Lunch:

(2) chicken drumsticks (401)

Snacks:

(28) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

(1 1/2) serving Crunch & Munch (360)

Supper:

(1) serving Smoked Beans (393)

(2) Harvest Hot Dogs (320)

(20) light salt ripple chips (216)

Total consumed calories: 1890

Total Used calories: 504

(30) min walking (53)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(30) min weights (73)

(1 1/2) hour cleaning (140)

Total net calories: 1386

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1386 = 157 over 👎

Daily Food Diary – Day 273 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is my  273rd consecutive day of posting my Daily Food Diary! 🎀

For some reason it is getting harder to post in the morning these days, but I am getting it done. 🙂

I get up early enough to see the sun rise…and to see weird alien clouds across the street.

Today is shaping up to be another relatively quiet day.  I have my aerobics and light weights to do, a bit of touching up around the house, and I will hopefully get the Jeep cleaned today. 

My big excitement will be venturing over to granddaughter Maddy’s school tonight to pick her up after her band retreat.  It’s only a few blocks from here so the only real challenge will be dealing with the other parents and grandparents who will be doing likewise.   I cannot imagine how this school has such huge band events.   It is nuts just dropping her off at a regular early morning band practice.

Maddy and I went to see a friend of hers who was involved in a band/choir event at his school a few months ago.  There were about fifty people there including the performers.  And there are way more students attending his school. 😧

Anyway, I have things to do so I should get on with it.

Daily Food Diary – Day 273

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) crumpets (240)

(2) tsp butter 68)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Lunch:

(1/2) c beef broth (15)

(10) low salt ripple chips (75)

(1/2) PC Chocolate Coconut Brownies (60)

Snacks:

(1/3) c mixed nuts (216)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(1) lg dinner salad – lettuce, spinach, radishes, cauliflower, green onions, dried fried onions, sesame seeds, salad dressing (256)

(2) chicken drumsticks (401)

(1) PC Chocolate Amaretto cheesecake (257)

Total consumed calories: 1641

Total used calories: 489

(30) min walking (53)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(30) min treadmill (59)

(1) hour housework (202

Total net calories: 1152

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1152 = 78 under 👍

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 😊❤️

Daily Food Diary – Day 272 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is Day 272 of my Daily Food Diary! 💖

This is also September 30th – mere hours away from October.   It is beautiful out now, with a bit of wind, and forecast to reach 29 degrees Celsius (84 F).  👍

Dan went golfing a few days ago.  The lack of leaves on the fairway was amazing for this time of year!

I am having a good if somewhat muddled day, but I have been for a walk with Dan and Molly.  I have done my aerobics. I am ready to start some laundry as soon as I am done my blog.  And the plan is to clean the inside of the Jeep and do thirty minutes on the treadmill before supper.

My plan yesterday, was to do my treadmill but I tweaked my back walking Molly in the morning.  After Dan rubbed it with CBD cream, I felt so much better I fell asleep at 8 pm and basically slept through the night.   At some point I got off my recliner and went to bed. 🙄

Daily Food Diary – Day 272

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) granola bar (160)

Lunch:

(1/2) c beef broth  (15)

Snacks:

(6) hint of lime tortilla chips (150)

(1) PC puffed wheat cake (226)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(2) servings pork fried rice (894)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total consumed calories: 1447

Total used calories: 445

(30) min aerobics (176)

(30) min light weights (73)

(30) min walk (53)

(30) min food prep & cooking (56)

(30) min yard and garden (88)

Total net calories: 1002

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1002 = 227 under 👍

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 😊❣️

A bit of color in Regent Park, but most of the leaves are still on the trees in the city as well! 🤩