It’s a love-hate relationship. I LOVE that friggin’ Starbucks-Soy-No-Water Chai-Tea Latte perhaps more than I love myself — well, at least, more than I love my own body because, MAN, my body HATES that thing. HAAAATES! Oh, but my soul…or, erm, my sugar-addicted tastebuds, blood cells, LOVE.

Anyway. I went for my third appointment with Lori, my holistic nutritionist, this afternoon, and I finally told her about my little addiction….

She googled it right in front of me to see exactly what the nutritional breakdown of this EVIL drink is. And, when she found it? Her face. HER FACE was enough to turn me right off chais FOREVER (here’s hoping)…. It was a look of… of… of… HORROR!!! and… and… and… DISGUST!

And, it didn’t end. She kept talking about the chai, and checking and rechecking the breakdown IN UTTER DISBELIEF (no, I know I tend to exaggerate and get over-dramatic about stuff, but I’m being totally FACTUAL right now), with that same look of HORROR and DISGUST on her face!

Then, she said the one thing that — aside from that unforgettable look of HORROR and DISGUST – should turn me off of the chai FOREVER. She said…she said…, “It’s like a……..COKE!”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don’t understand. I am the ANTI-COKE. I hate it. It’s like GUM to me. I will NEVER TOUCH it. It’s like a CIGARETTE. The DEFINITION OF UNHEALTHY. It’s everything I don’t want to be! Heh. Now, I’m as good as DRINKING IT? EVERY DAY?

WOAAAAHHH!

Needless to say, I will not be drinking this…this…Coke anymore.

I AM NOT A COKE ADDICT!

The LOVELY Karen (who co-designed our FAB site!) has also been trying to help me shake this HORRID chai-tea latte habit. She sent me this recipe she found in the Women’s Health Training Guide, which I hope to try SOON, and I thought I’d share it with you. CHECK IT!

Chai Latte Hot Cereal

1 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 water
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 cup rolled mulitgrain cereal (like Mother’s 100% Natural)
4 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup soy milk, water & spices to boil over medium-high heat.

2. Stir in cereal. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until cereal is tender but still chewy and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in remaining soy milk and honey. Divide cereal between 2 bowls and top with raspberries.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Info:
235 calories
1 g fat (0g saturated)
74 mg sodium
45 g carbohydrates
6 g fiber
8 g protein

Mmmm…. YUM! THANK YOU, KAREN! MWAH!

Guess who’s coming to right for us REALLY REALLY SOON! Like, NEXT WEEK, like — if she can get her PREGGERS SELF up to the task! LORI THE NUTRITIONIST!

To start, she’ll be answering SARAH’s question about ENERGY BARS, has a HOT TIP about making the best QUINOA, and MORE to motivate, inspire and inform us! So, look forward to that!

If you have questions for the nutritionist, please send them to me here!

So, I’ve been on this new diet lifestyle for 2 days now. It’s definitely agreeing with me and, after only two days, I can see the errors of my eating ways, and how gravely they were affecting me on so many levels — physical, emotional, energetic….

The only change Nutritionist, Lori, wants me to make this first week is breakfast. I’m supposed to eat one of the balanced breakfasts among her long list. So, two days in a row, I’ve had an egg, a piece of Ezekiel bread, an oz of cheese and an apple. Starting off with this balanced meal sets me up for the day. And, it’s quicker and easier to make than I thought it would be!

My friends don’t seem to understand just WHY I need to quit my Starbucks-chai-tea-latte breakfast — because, really, it’s not THAT BAD calorie-wise, and I DO take it with nonfat milk (or soy milk). But, the problem is, that evil drink SPIKES my blood sugar, throwing me out of balance. It’s a drug, A CRUTCH, for me — hence I chug it, am absolutely incapable of calmly sipping it. I IDENTIFY with this silly drink. It’s my ESCAPE. My cup of ADULT in this toddler/baby world I’m ensconced in.

Now that I realize all this, I have to change it. I canNOT depend on a drink to do all that for me. And, besides, BALANCE, I’m learning, and not ESCAPE is the way to go. When I have that chai, I crave sugar for the rest of the day — “pant pant pant sugar sugar gimme sugar where’s my sugar another chai need another chai more MORE MOOOOORE!” I CRAVE that HIGH ALL DAY. With a balanced breakfast, I crave balance all day, and the satisfied feeling that balanced breakfast gives me. Also, the balanced breakfast makes me more apt to recognize when I’m off balance — like right now, as a matter of fact, because I’m so tired from WAY overextending myself lately! MUST GET MORE SLEEP!

So, balance. Yoga off the mat. Don’t get me wrong, Gorgeouses, renouncing The Chai is NOT EASY, no matter how easy I make it sound! Today, Gorgeouses, I had to work HARD to resist her. I was a like a toddler whose favourite toy has been taken away. I WAAAAAAN IT, and I want it BAD. But, I persevered and managed to get through the day chai…FREE.

I always thought that “dieting” meant denying myself the things I love. But, the things I love are CRUTCHES, ADDICTIONS. And, I need to liberate myself from these addictions. Freedom is in the healthy foods, and not the stuff that WEIGHS US DOWN — the donuts, the cookies, the CHAAAAIIIIIs we WISH we could have copious amounts of!

I’m a yoga teacher. Time to get back on track as an example for my students. The goal is liberation. Freedom from the material. Renouncing that chai is an act of freedom. Goodbye CHAI. You suck arse.

So, HUGE NEWS, Kitchen Gorgeouses! Nutritionist LORI is going to motivate us with monthly contributions, to start. When she has more time, i.e., AFTER SHE HAS HER BABY, she’ll do more — perhaps WEEKLY!

Just so you know, Lori is AWESOME. So many of my friends are on her diet, and they SWEAR BY IT. She’s a “holistic nutritionist” — which means she has an eye on OVERALL health and not just on weight loss. You’ll love her.

More on Lori AND the diet later. For now, a recipe for a BALANCED breakfast that will make you feel as good as I do now. As Lori says, the first thing to do when you’re changing your lifestyle is to change your breakfast. Eat a balanced breakfast within one hour of waking up. Check it!

LORI’S SHAKE TO GO

Ingredients:

1/2 c rice milk (substitute 1% Regular Milk or Soy Milk)
1/4 c water
1 scoop protein powder (I use Hemp Protein powder because I’m a nutball….)
1/2 c blueberries
1 c strawberries
2 tsp flaxseed oil

Blend until smooth! Et VOILA! Enjoy.

I haven’t tried this recipe yet. But, I bought all the ingredients, see?!

Healthy healthy! And, low maintenance — I’m not, like, juicing or growing my own vegetables and sprouts. Will try it tomorrow.

NOTE: Not every diet suits everyone. What you’re reading here, of course, are my reflections. Talk to your doctor, of course, and don’t take these words as Truth. There is no truth. THERE IS NO SPOOOON!