Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Mini Smacks!

Lunch: Socca with a spinach salad topped with fresh bruschetta. Served with a hard-boiled egg.

Snack: Apple with Homemade Pistachio Butter.

Dinner: ”Mac-n-Cheez”. Mix of brown rice, quinoa, green peas, and shredded chicken breast. Mix a couple Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast in with a splash of water. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper!

Dessert: PBC Bars

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Are you counting down the minutes, or has the challenge been relatively easy for you?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Today’s Reason to be Sugar-Free: 

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Sunday Morning Pancakes! Why not have some Gluten-Free Green Pancakes? I promise they taste delicious, and you get the extra bonus of some Vitamin A and K.

Lunch: Spicy Tomato Cure. If you or a loved one is sick, fill ‘em up with this cure. It helps sooth the throat and stomach while killing bacteria and viruses.

Snack: Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

Dinner: Quiche with Flourless Crust

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you crave sugar at certain times? If so, how do you overcome these cravings?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: One Size Fits all Pancakes with fresh sliced strawberries and Peanut Butter Cream.

I also had some Iced Coffee. I had some fun taking these pictures and watching the almond milk mix with the chilled hazelnut coffee:

The almond milk slowly seeps down through the coffee…Kind of looks like a root beer float!

Mix! Mix! Mix! Look at that nice foamy layer on top!

Lunch: Baked Sweet Potato with almond butter and cinnamon.

Dinner: Steak, Corn on the Cob, Mashed Taters, and Fresh Watermelon!

Dessert: Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you like your coffee or tea hot or cold?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Today’s sample menu is a compilation of other bloggers’ sugar-free recipes. I adore these recipes, and I hope you do, too!

Breakfast: Pure2Raw’s Pumpkin Pancakes with Coconut Chia Sauce

Lunch: Dana @ My Little Celebration’s Sweet Potato Veggie Chowder

Dinner: Katie Did’s Creamy Bacon Rosemary Polenta

Dessert: Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit’s Grain-Free Carrot Cupcakes with “Cream Cheese” Frosting

Thanks to you all (and more!) for inspiring me with your recipes.

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Did you know today is National Peanut Butter Day? Yes! My favorite food has its own holiday. So I declare today to be a day full of finger-lickin (literally. try dipping your finger in peanut butter. Tastes way better than on a spoon) Peanut butter-goodness.

Here is today’s Peanut Butter-Filled sample menu:

Breakfast: Bitter Chocolate Waffles topped with Peanut Butter and Banana Slices. Also try High Protein Cookie Crisp Cereal and PBC Bars.

Lunch: How about a good ol’ PB&J?

Snack: Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

Dinner: Homemade Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Dessert: I have plenty of peanut-butter filled options for this course. Above, the Grain-Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Sauce is a for sure winner. Also try Peanut Butter Cups and Banana Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Crust.

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Personal Note: Today I get the stitches out of my mouth, so hopefully I will be able to move my mouth more easily. I feel better and better each day, and was able to do a bit of light exercise yesterday. I’m still on a liquid diet, but hopefully having the stitched removed will help me be able to eat more.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you love peanut butter as much as me? What are your favorite ways to eat it, and what are your favorite recipes?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Sorry my posts haven’t been very special these past couple days. The wisdom teeth extraction is still lingering, and it has taken most of the energy out of me. So here is another….boring post.

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast:Chocolate Mint Smoothie-pudding style.

Lunch: Lightly sauteed spinach, green peppers, black olives, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onions, and black beans served on a grilled brown rice tortilla. Side of sliced cucumbers.

Snack: Chocolate Almond Cookie Dough Bites.

Dinner: Hobos. Take a piece of ground beef and roll into a patty. Top with peppers, potatoes, onions, and carrots and wrap in foil. Bake at 375* for one hour. Tastes fabulous drizzled with dijon mustard or Homemade BBQ Sauce. Vegan option: Two Cans and a Potato

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Livin’ me up! Do you have anything interesting or exciting to share?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

This is considered the fourth week of the challenge, so there are only 10 more days to go!

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Slice of Grain-Free Banana Bread. Vegan Option: PBC Bars

Lunch: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon

Snack: Ants on a Log with Pistachio Butter

Dinner: Salad with Dijon Dressing

Dessert: Pumpkin Pie Bars with Creamy Coconut Frosting

New Workout

The Exercise Challenge changes this week. For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 75 crunches, 15 squat jumps, 20 pushups, 40 1-legged calf raises (20 each leg)

Each round of exercises takes just a few minutes to complete. It would also be wise to add a bit of cardio to your day like walking, jogging, bike riding, or jump roping. Right when you get up in the morning, during lunch breaks, or before bed would be an excellent time to complete this routine.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Can you believe there are only ten days left? Has the challenge gone by quickly or slowly for you?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Here is a sample menu for today:

Breakfast: Ultimate Vegetarian Omelette. Vegan Option: Breakfast Oat Cakes.

Lunch: Heart-Stopping Chicken Salad Vegan Option: Substitute Chickpeas for the meat.

Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichoke and Olives. Vegan Option: Spring Rolls

Dessert: Chocolate Banana Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Crust

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Personal Update: I’m still swollen and my jaw still aches, but I’m getting a little bit better each day. Thanks to everyone for their support! It really means a lot to me.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you have any good movie recommendations?

Last night I watched Moneyball last night-very good. I recommend it.

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

I’m still on a liquid diet and my cheeks are still huge, but at least the chills went away. I’m completely craving a hot Grilled Cheese and Ham sandwich right now, which is crazy because I never crave bread or cheese…Maybe watching the food network channel’s “Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich” show wasn’t the smartest choice since I cannot eat anything but liquids.

Here is today’s Liquified sample menu:

Breakfast: Liquid Chia Pudding. Kind of like the Tropical Chia Pudding Parfait pictured above, sans fruit and coconut. Simply mix some chia seeds with Almond-Coconut Milk and let sit for 15 minutes.

Lunch: Fresh Squeezed juice. I used 1 apple, 1 bell pepper, 1 lemon, and a few stalks celery. In case your curious, the picture above is the Spicy Tomato Soup Cure (along with a fresh-squeezed juice). I’m staying away from spicy foods so that it doesn’t aggravate my wounds; however, if you have a sore throat or cold, I would definitely give the recipe a shot!

(Pic Source)

Snack: Baby Food. Yes, I just said baby food, but hear me out! It is full of fruits and veggies in a soft form, it has a lot of vitamins and minerals, it’s organic and made from just fruit and veggies (no added dairy/sugar), and it comes in an easy to use pouch that I can save in the refrigerator if I don’t finish it. I simply squirt a bit on my tongue and swallow! The spinach mango pear (pictures above) has been my favorite so far.

Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup. I love it thick and creamy, but I had to water it down a bit so I could swallow it.

Dessert: Magic Banana Ice Cream (sans the cacao nibs in picture).

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you have any other ideas for my liquid diet? Have you ever been on one?

Also, do you ever eat “strange” foods like baby food? Laugh all you want, but they are actually pretty tasty!

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Well, the extraction yesterday went fine-I was squeezing my stress ball most of the time and listening to classical music to try and relax. Not to be blunt, but I felt awful all day yesterday. My jaw ached and throbbed, my cheeks were swollen to the size of golfballs, my head hurt, my throat hurt (so I could only swallow water and fresh squeezed veggie juice), my whole body ached, and chills ran up and down my body. Pretty much the same symptoms as the flu.

When I first had braces put on my teeth (years ago), I had the same reactions. This feels a whole lot worse, though! I guess that’s the way my body reacts when it doesn’t like something. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that I feel better today!

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Oat Cakes

Lunch: Steak Salad with Dijon Dressing

Snack: Spicy Tomato Cure (perfect for my healing mouth!)

Dinner: Quiche with Flourless Brown Rice Crust

Dessert: Grain-Free PBC Bars

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Does your body react in a certain way to things it doesn’t like?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist.