12 January - Holly and Health Week

As seen in last week's People Magazine, dear friend Holly Doro was featured for her health and diet regimen. So I asked her to recommend a program for me. Following it was another story.... Holly included snack options, superfoods, had recipes at her fingertips and convenient exercise and food tips. "Protein is crucial for building and repairing muscle. You should be getting 0.8 grams per 2lbs of body weight. On average you need between 50 and 130 grams of protein." For more tips on health and nutrition, you can contact Holly at hollyshealthandfitness@yahoo.com.

Sample meals included oatmeal with wheatgerm, flax seeds, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of Splenda; spinach raspberry/blueberry salad, walnuts, feta/gorgonzola cheese, light rasp vinaigrette; walnut crusted chicken with pomegranate syrup. Exercise regimen included Monday - treadmill; Tuesday - sculpt class; Wednesday - kickboxing; Thursday - spin; Friday - yoga/sculpt with a cardio mix. Weekends off.

How I actually fared:
Monday - Start and end everyday with a shot of Mona Vie (acai juice). Indulged in Panera's creamy tomato soup and orchard harvest salad, gorgonzola, pears, dried cherries. Homemade French silk pie was staring me in the face when I got home. ("I ate some" -- Forrest Gump); dried mangoes, one mozzarella marinara, fish sticks, homemade tabouleh. Sculpt class.
Tuesday – Sweetened quick oats oatmeal, Ezekiel bread, with leftover turkey taco meat, tabouleh, veggie chips; homemade miso soup, Asian salad. Modified option of mental exercise: Sodoku on Nintendo DS.
Wednesday – Oatmeal, almonds, blueberries, spoonful of Ovaltine; green tea with my secret weapon of “Three Ballerina Tea”. Oy. Ezekiel bread with homemade sunflower cheese, alfalfa sprouts and cherry tomatoes; two slices of Jack’s pepperoni pizza (I lost the staredown) and oranges and apples. Kickboxing class.
Thursday – Sunflower cheese, alfalfa on Ezekiel bread; Chinese vegetable & chicken dinner on rice. Spin class.
Friday – Ezekiel bread, sunflower cheese, tomatoes, spinach, sprouts; carrots n hummus, two blondies; 3 slices pizza. Had to. Sculpt, yoga and 20 minutes on treadmill.

What I realize is I am not getting enough protein. Also, I realize I didn't see pizza (BLT and pepperoni/mushroom/onions) and blondies, so I added it in. Figured it must have been a typo.

Thought I did relatively well, so I treated my belly to a wonderful gourmet experience with fellow foodies and dear friends at one of our favorite restaurants. Featured in "Top Chef", internationally known Executive Chef Rick Tramonto owns Chicagos famous Tru, Osterio di Tramonto, sushi bar RT Lounge and Tramonto Steak & Seafood. Our group indulged in lobster bisque, butternut squash and lobster risotto, Chilean sea bass, Wagu beef amidst lychee martinis, Toso and other amazing wines from the extensive and beautifully displayed wine selection. We ended our lovely fete by delighting in chocolate soufflé with passion fruit ice cream, classic root beer floats and German chocolate cake ice cream cookies rolled in toasted coconuts. C'etait tres magnifique. Guess I have to commission Holly for another week...