The Quest

My love and I - we embark on a quest.

A quest to take our health more seriously and undo the ravages of winter hibernation.

Seriously, this winter was not kind to my body.  I had a sinus infection that lead to coughing, coughing that lead to a broken rib.  Two and a half weeks later I broke a second rib, again coughing.  If you have never suffered this injury please take a moment and give thanks...go ahead... I'll wait for you...

The only treatment for broken ribs is lying around on pain killers.  The pain was dulled so that I could breathe and continue to cough.  If I didn't cough, I would get pneumonia.  If I didn't breathe deeply I would get pneumonia.  But every time I would breathe it would move a rib, so the healing time was quite extensive.  They don't recommend wrapping broken ribs anymore either, because it restricts breathing and leads to pneumonia.  Did I mention I pulled muscles on both sides of my abdomen, again, from coughing before I broke the ribs?

Finally I am whole again!  And thanks to PCOS and 4 months of forced inactivity I am about 25 lbs heavier and lack energy pretty much all the time.  This is utterly unacceptable.

As result, we quest!!  Quest for health.  Quest for energy.  Quest for a smaller pant size!

I am quite an odd duck when it comes to weight gain.  It's all in the tummy (and arms, unfortunately).  But such is the nature of PCOS.  The insulin resistance leads to tummy fat every time.  Why my arms feel they must take their share, too, I will never understand.  So I still have great legs...I just can't find them as easily.  Haha.

Anyway, with emphasis on a high percentage of lean high protein and good fats in our diet we are changing the way we eat.

No more relying on processed, oven ready foods because I cannot stand at the stove to cook.
No more fast food 2 - 3 times a week because I cannot stand at the stove to cook.

Now I can cook again!  And I intend to use this power for good and not evil.

I find baking several boneless, skinless breasts of chicken at once very useful.  I usually do 4 - 6 at a time, sprinkled with herbs that sound good that day.  We eat 1 each at the next meal and I refrigerate the rest for quick, high protein meals over the next 2 - 4 days.  I did this Monday, and Tuesday I created the PERFECT chicken salad.

High Protein, Mayo Free Chicken Salad

• 6 oz cooked chicken breast, cubed (2 small chicken breasts)
• 1 rib of celery, chopped small
• ¼ cup walnuts, ground or chopped small
• 1 T. dried minced onion
• ½ t. garlic salt
• ¼ t. ground black pepper
• 1/8 t. salt (optional)
• 1 t. lemon juice
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (you will not taste the yogurt in the salad)

Combine and refrigerate 30 min.

Serve plain or in bread (whole grain, pita, croissant, etc.).

For sweet rather than savory version, omit garlic salt and add ½ cup grapes cut in halves or quarters.

You cannot taste the yogurt!  It's fantastic!

Here is one of my favorite pieces of off the wall, silly classical music set to a very cute video. Mussorgsky's "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks" seemed like a great pairing with a chicken salad recipe, although we paired ours with cottage cheese and fruit on Tuesday.