Tag: nutrition

Daily Food Diary – Day 25 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I’m still here and I am not looking to abandon my food diary until my 365 days are done.   🥶🐣🌹🍂. (For my son who appreciates my use of emojis. 😂)

Speaking of appreciation, in a few days  (February 14th) I will be celebrating three years since I began this health and fitness journey that I am on.

During these years I have appreciated having  the support and encouragement of a number of people – my husband Dan (who always supports and believes in me), my family (siblings, nieces, children, and grandchildren), my fitness friends and so much more, Jackie and Dwight (who are a part of my life every day and my motivation to keep going especially when life throws me a curveball), everyone on WordPress who has been SO supportive (those who have been with me from the beginning, those who have joined me since, and those that have passed through and left a kindly word), my friends (who check in on me through Facebook), my medical experts (especially Lara my Nurse Practitioner and Katie my respiratory therapist) and last, but not least, ME.

I am almost in awe of the me that I was three years ago.  That me was exhausted and cold and miserable, that me struggled to breathe and experienced heart palpitations every time she got up from her rocking chair, that me was anxious and unhappy, that  me was fat and flabby and bloated – but THAT ME decided I deserved better and made it her mission to take responsibility for MY health, fitness, and future.   That me could not possibly imagine how her decision would change me or the quality of life.   But she did it – she got up and danced (shuffled) through one little Buddy Holly song and she changed my life.

The last three years have not always been smooth or easy.  I broke my arm, experienced health issues, and had other setbacks,  but the me that was has persevered and now my future self is calling me forward.   That is pretty cool and something that I never fail to appreciate. ☺️

Food Diary – Day 25

(1) c coffee

(1/2) grapefruit with sugar

(1) granola bar

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl Frito Hoops

(24) oz water

(2/3) 10″ tortilla crust pizza with ham, back bacon, pepperoni, mushroom, red onion, red pepper, and black olive pizza

(2) chocolates

(1) c tea

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 23 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I’m back – and I will be back for another 342 days.  That’s a bit daunting, but it is getting to be a fairly locked in part of my morning routine – even when my day is anything but routine.

Yesterday morning I was on a mission to get blood tests done, which resulted in my going to the dogpark for the better part of an hour, eating soup for breakfast, and doing my morning workout at 2:30 in the afternoon.  My day, was definitely not routine, but I did get my Daily Food Diary blog posted so yay me! I can get it done.

Speaking of blood tests… I did get some of the results yesterday after.  So far, pretty good! Everything was within healthy limits except for my HbA1c/Total Hemoglobin which was 5.5.  Anything 5.5 to 5.9 is considered ‘risk to become pre-diabetic’.  I consider my 5.5 a fail but my last tests (three months ago) earned me a 5.6 so I have improved.  😊

Speaking of all things medical…  My Nurse Practitioner called yesterday.  She had reviewed the results from my hernia ultrasound and called to strongly advised me to see a surgeon.  After my incident a couple of weeks ago when I landed myself at Emerg, I was quick to agree, so she sent off a referral to a local surgical group.   To be honest, I would agree to anything Lara advised. She is that good!

Speaking of health in general… For the third day in a row, our temps were relatively moderate yesterday so I was able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.  Also, for the third night in a row, I was able to get through the night without coughing fits.  Post nasal drip is brutal at night, and drinking copious amounts of water during the daytime has done wonders for my sinuses.

This one was taken at our neighborhood dogpark.  The snow is much deeper this year and becoming an issue as the dogs can step over the fence.  (Molly may have done that the other day – and taken a friend with her. 🙄)

Food Diary – Day 23 of 365

(10) oz water

(1) sm bowl of leftover wonton soup

(1) pear

(1/2) c raspberries

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl of nuts

(24) oz water

(1/2) small tray of nachos

(12) oz carbonated water

(8) oz water

*** 78 ounces of water !!! 😳

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💗🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 22 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Twenty two days in and I am still here and on-target to finish what I started – maintaining my food diary for one full year.

Today, I am off to our neighbourhood clinic for blood tests.  For the past couple of years my tests have come back good, other than indicating infections.  That isn’t ideal but an ongoing battle when one has chronic lung conditions.

My last tests were not great.  They were a reflection of my allowing myself to get way  off course on my diet.  That was three months ago.  I have been working to get back on track ever since, so it will be interesting to see how well I have done. 🤞

I have tried!

Food Diary – Day 22 of 365

(1) c coffee

(4) slices back bacon

(2) eggs fried in olive oil

(2) potato patties

(24) oz water

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(2) cabbage rolls

(12) oz carbonated water

Note – Keeping a cruet of olive oil on the counter beside the stove has been a simple  game changer for me. I don’t fry anything in butter anymore and it is one place where the butter is not missed at all. 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 19 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It’s a new week and another day of focusing on my health and fitness – and specifically this year nutrition and hydration.  Unfortunately, eating well and living active isn’t everything when it comes to staying fit and healthy.   Sometimes, it takes a bit of medical intervention. 

Visiting the Pasqua Hospital Two Years Ago for a broken arm. 👍

This week, I am not dealing with anything serious.   This morning, we braved the frigid Saskatchewan temps because I had an appointment for an ultrasound of a hernia repair I had done three years ago.   (Fortunately, Dan drove me as the streets are solid ice ruts and it was dark, traffic was relatively heavy, AND it is frigid out there).  On Thursday, I am going for routine blood and urine tests.  

Ultrasounds and routine tests are no big deal – at least not  to normal people.  Unfortunately, I do not fall into that category.  As much as I believe in vaccinations, routine and not so routine tests and  examinations, surgical procedures and medications (as a last resort), I struggle.  A LOT.   I get stressed around doctors, nurses, orderlies, technicians and the like.  I cringe at the sight of medical equipment.  I get nervous entering medical facilities.  

Fun fact… I used to sell construction specialty items to medical facilities.   I sold entrance matting, wall protection, privacy curtains, security grilles, and more.   My position occasionally involved site meetings.   Even meeting in a medical facility to discuss wall protection made me nervous. Go figure!

Obviously, two medical appointments in one week doesn’t make this a great week going in, but I am one down and only one to go.

The ultrasound will hopefully lead to a repair of the repair I had done and the blood tests will show that I am back on track with the improvements I have been working to make to my diet. 🤞😉

Food Diary – Day 19

(1) c coffee

(3) Slices thick sliced bacon

(2) Eggs

(2) Potato patties

(12) oz water

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) sm bowl mixed nuts

(12) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

(1 1/2) bowls wonton soup ***

(2) chocolates

(12) oz water

(1/2) c air fried in shells Frank’s Red Hot sunflower seeds

*** Other than the wontons that Dan made and frozen and the store bought chicken broth  – I made the wonton soup by myself.  (Broth, wontons, chicken, green onions, sliced carrots, broccoli, sliced mushrooms, baby Bok Choy, garlic, ginger, 1/8 tsp dried hot peppers, soya sauce, sesame oil).

Our dried hot peppers are a mix of peppers from our garden – habanero, ghost, chilli, Carolina Reapers, whatever we have.  We dry them and crush them up in our blender.  Dan crushes them up in our blender! I did it the first time and got a puff of fine powder when I opened the blender.  When my eyes finally cleared and I quit coughing, I decided not to do that again. 🤦

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 18 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

It has been eighteen days since I began my daily food diary – recording everything that I eat and drink and sharing it here on JetPack.

It soon became obvious that hydration was an area that needed some work, so I have spent the past week focussing on drinking more water than I typically do. 

In a few days, I was noticing benefits – clearer sinuses, smoother skin, less cravings  for between meal snacks, and more.  I know from taking up regular exercise, meditating, and working on my diet, that it will only get better.

I have learned more about myself and proper self-care in the past three years than I have in my lifetime.  I have recognized benefits that I never imagined possible – at least not for me. And definitely not in my sixties! 

My one regret has been that I did not get my 💩 together sooner. 

Recently, I read an article where people like me were referred to as ‘LATE BLOOMERS’.  At first I was offended and trotted out my lame old excuses.  I grew up before the Internet and all of the information readily available to younger people now, I was always sickly and wimpy – I didn’t know anything else was possible, I was busy taking care of other people!

Then I started thinking about it.  We have a large yard and garden.   In the spring and summer and into the fall, we have an abundance of flowers.  I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate them all.

But late in the season, when the weather has turned cold and our yard becomes a wasteland of Saskatchewan greige, the flowers long gone,  there is always that one intrepid little petunia blossom that opens up to brighten my day.

That ‘late bloomer’ is special.  I will make a dozen trips out of my way to pay it a visit and appreciate its beauty and resilience, before it fades away.  I realized that being a late bloomer isn’t a bad thing.

People notice late bloomers – and that’s a good thing, especially for later boomers like me who have special people in their lives – people like grandchildren.  They are aware of  my efforts to get fit and healthy, they see the results, and hopefully they are inspired to follow my lead,  sooner than later, because they deserve to bloom for a lifetime.

Food Diary – Day 18

(1) c coffee

(1) 2 egg omelet with back bacon, mushrooms, onion, and cheese pan fried with olive oil

(12) oz water

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(12) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) tortilla wrap with filling of ground beef, onion, mushroom, spinach, red pepper, garlic, salsa, and cheese

(1) handful of Touch of Lime tortilla chips

(12) oz water

Total 60 ounces of water! 🎉

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 17 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I have been tracking my food and liquid intake for seventeen days.   ⭐

It is funny how changing one part of our self-care, automatically affects others.  This week, I have been focused on upping my hydration.  This has helped to subdue cravings for snacks throughout the day, especially  sweet snacks.  Mostly relative to improvements in my respiratory system from the increase in fluid intake, my workouts have become easier and better.  And the quality of my sleep has improved – sort of.  

Monday and Tuesday night, my sleep was typical.  Wednesday night was a trainwreck.  Thursday night was great! Ten hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep. 

Last night started badly and only got worse.  My soft sleeping headphones were dead. Since my bedtime routine involves listening to soothing meditation music, I was forced to use my earbuds.  I cannot sleep on my back, so every time I even thought of turning onto my side, I had an earbud drive into my brain.  (That will wake a body up.)  I finally gave up and put the earbuds away.  I woke up briefly when Dan came to bed, but managed to doze back off.   I had barely gotten back to sleep when Molly, who generally sleeps on my side of the bed, let out a small, quiet ‘woof’.   With a normal dog, one could assume she was talking in her sleep and ignore her. 

Molly is not particularly normal.

One small ‘woof’  leads to a meltdown complete with racing around the house like a crazed animal, jumping up and off of the furniture, and of course enough barking to wake up every dog and their human on this side of the city.

Last night, Dan cut her off at the pass, by getting up,  having a quiet chat with her, taking her for a tour around the house, and finally getting her to settle down on his side of the bed.  That was all appreciated, but by that time, I was wide awake.  I did manage to get some quality sleep when I finally drifted off some time later.

Molly had no problem settling back down, as usual.

There is only so much adequate hydration can do when it comes to dogs and other outside influences but, I continue to  focus on drinking water and working on making it a natural part of my day.

Food Diary – Day 17

(1) c coffee

(1) apple

(1) granola bar

(12) oz water

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(2) sm bowls Hint of Lime tortilla chips with salsa

(12) oz water

(3) small battered fish fillets, (1 1/2) c fried, (1) c peas with butter & pepper, (1) side salad with lettuce, onions, radishes, cauliflower, sesame seeds, fried dried onions, and salad dressing

(12) oz carbonated water

(12) oz water

Note:

* (60) ounces of water 🎊

* The fish came prepared and packaged, unlike most of our main supper dishes which are homemade from scratch – mostly  in an attempt to avoid yeast or yeast related ingredients

* My afternoon snack was somewhat larger than usual, but being a Friday I did do my afternoon weights workout. 🤗

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 14 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is day fourteen of my daily food journal so time to celebrate my two week anniversary! 🎉🎉🎉

This seems a good time to do a recap of my original intention and how things are going – to keep myself on track and to bring anyone who is late to the party up to speed. 

Me.. 69 going on 70, 5’1″, 132 pounds

I began my 365 day Daily Food Journal on January 1st.  My intention was to track my food and liquid intake, to keep ahead of any unhealthy food habits, and to build some better ones. I decided to share it on JetPack for accountability sake, which gives me that extra incentive needed to push through the year ahead.

My reason for embarking on this journey dates back a few months.  Despite being on a health and fitness journey for a couple of years and working out regularly, I failed to notice that I had gradually built up a pattern of eating a LOT of refined sugar.  

Eating a bizarre amount of sugar triggered my allergies/food intolerances – particularly to yeast and yeast related foods.  My allergies triggered my chronic sinus, lung, and digestive issues.  In short order, I was miserable – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and I was starting to cut back on my workouts and other healthy habits I had been developing.

It took a shockingly short amount of time to undo a lot of work I had been doing and to undermine benefits I had come to enjoy and expect.

Fortunately the first thing I looked at was my diet.  I saw my health practitioner to have a complete checkup with thorough blood, urine, and sputum testing to confirm my findings.  The next step was to set out on a path to resolve the situation – seriously cutting back on processed sugar! And finally to start this journal to ensure I didn’t wander off course in the months to come.

Since starting my daily journal, I have managed to cut out a fair amount of mindless snacking and  I have recognized (partly due to input from readers) that  I seriously need to work on drinking more water. 

(Lack of proper hydration was no doubt part of the problem when I started over indulging in the sugar.  Had I been flushing some of that sugar out of my system, I doubt that I would have experienced such a spectacular crash and burn.)

So here I am, back on track and working to stay there – with the help of my daily food journal and your much appreciated support and encouragement.

Food Diary – Day 14

(1) c coffee

(3) Crumpets with butter and raspberry jam

(3) 8 oz glasses of water

(1) c tea

(2/3) small bowl of mixed nuts

(2) sq dark chocolate

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) Dinner plate of roast beef with strong horseradish, potatoes and gravy, carrots, celery, and onions

(2) Chocolates

(1) Cup of tea

N.B…. I started the day strong with the water intake but went off the rails and ended up with 36 oz (28 oz short of my goal).  🙄

            Also, that super strong  Keg Horseradish did a great job of clearing my sinuses.  I read some promising articles about the nutritional values of horseradish last night so I plan to start using it regularly for a while to see if it can actually help me get my sinus issues under control once and for all.

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

We are still months away from summer flowers but we are already above freezing this morning so I’ll take it! January in Saskatchewan is not usually this kind.

Daily Food Diary – Day 13 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Thirteen days down, three hundred and fifty two to go. 👍  I think I am doing a pretty good job of working these posts into my morning routine.  That is half the battle.

Before I write my morning blog, my days begin with coffee, reading the local newspaper online, and taking my daily ‘medication’ which fortunately consists of a couple of inhalers and a couple of vitamins.

So far, I have avoided drugs for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.  I am more than grateful for that as I do not tolerate ANY medication well.

That being said, in October 2024, I had a complete blood and urine testing done and there were a number of borderline issues.   Glucose, salt, cholesterol all indicated that I had better get my diet under control.

I have been working on it, including taking on this three hundred and sixty five day food diary, talking to a dietician at a lipid (cholesterol) clinic, and reading a variety of articles on nutrition.

I came across this short article yesterday and found it very interesting, especially because a number of my tests indicated a high level of inflammation.  

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drhyman_statin-activity-7279511600632315905-o7q3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

I go for repeat blood and urine testing next week, so I am getting excited to see if my results have begun to improve yet.   I am feeling much better than I was in October so wish me luck! 🤞

Daily Diary – Day 13

(1) c coffee

(3) Eggo’s (waffles) with butter and maple syrup

(4) Slices back bacon

(12) oz water

(8) oz water

(1) Apple

(1) c tea

(1) Dinner plate of pierogies (with cream cheese onion chip dip), Drake farmers sausage, and sauerkraut

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) sm piece matrimonial cake (oatmeal & dates)

(1) sm piece puffed wheat cake

(1) c tea

That’s it for today.   Take care and have a good day! 💞🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 12 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Day 12 and another day in the life of my sometimes questionable eating habits.  But then that is what this exercise is all about – catching those habits that I allow to creep into my life, dealing with them, and building better ones along the way.

I have had a couple of good questions/suggestions on here that I decided to  touch on this morning.

The first has been “It would be interesting to see you include all of the water you drink in a day”.    Actually, I do.  Unfortunately, my water (especially plain straight out of the Britta filter jug) is limited.  Carbonated water is limited to supper and into the evening.  It is something I should work on so I will make that my mission this week…

The second has been “Do you skip lunch? It seems you only eat two meals a day?” Yes and no.  If I have something light for breakfast, fruit or a bowl of cereal, I will have it relatively early, have lunch at about twelve noon and supper at about six.  If I have a larger breakfast, bacon and eggs type thing, it will be later in the morning so serves as brunch.  Breakfast has likewise always been a struggle for me and is moreso  since I have had to quit eating yeast and had to cut back on sugar. I feel much better – but it’s a struggle!

I appreciate any questions and/or advice.  I’m never too old to learn something new,  or to take a bit of outside pressure to push through change.  🤗

Daily Food Diary – Day 12

(1) c coffee

(3) slices thin sliced bacon

(1) c hashbrowns

(2) eggs

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) sm bowl caramel corn

(1) Dinner plate fried rice, spring rolls, Tempura shrimp, gyoza, riblets – with plum, gyoza,  and seafood sauce.

(12) oz carbonated water

(8) oz water

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

Molly puppy looking for a drink on a hot summer day. (2022)

Daily Food Diary – Day 11 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

It is only eleven days since I started my food diary, so I can’t give this exercise total (or possibly any) credit but this week I realized that I do need to work on a wardrobe makeover. 

For the most part, what I wear isn’t a huge issue as I spend most of my time in our house or yard.   There are however, times when I venture out into the world and my clothing choices are getting pretty slim – or more accurately saggy.

It’s a start – fleece lined leggings and hooded casual top.  Both are medium and I should probably have ordered small, but they work.

Food Diary – Day 11

(1) c coffee

(1) oriental pear

(1/2) c raspberries

(2) sq dark chocolate

(1/4) c mixed nuts

(1) c tea

(3) c chicken fried rice w/vegetables ***

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) sm piece of DQ ice cream cake (from Genie’s Christmas Eve birthday.

(1) c tea

(10) Blue Diamond Almond Thin crackers (14.4 calories per cracker. Little to no taste)

*** Dan made supper last night because I was feeling off and achy for whatever reason.  He did a great job of it, as usual, and today I am feeling fine.

Take care and have a great day! 😊❤️