Stress busting through boxing

I think I am seeing some other non scale progress here. The power of vigorous exercise to relive stress ! Often times I simply think myself to death about a problem or issue, but yesterday I found myself reaching for a more physical release, and it felt great !

I started the day with cinnamon raisin oats , topped with a mix of honeydew, cantaloupe and pineapple. Fresh fruit with oats is wonderfully sweet and satisfying !

Then it was off to the tasks of the day , which included three big mental puzzles on top of the usual school things . I pondered, I wrestled, I was getting nowhere fast, and Nick was trying his best to be helpful. He may struggle with expressive speech, but the boy understands volumes ! We kept breaking for walks , but it was not helping the brain puzzles much.

Lunch was Garlic Pasta with kale and an assortment of veggies and hummus on the side. Crunchy sometimes helps thinking( I joke that the crunching wakes up the sleeping dwarfs in your brain), and kale just does a body good. Kale's phytonutrients help your liver to produce several detoxifying substances that help in the prevention of numerous cancers, including breast, ovary and colon. It can also lower the risk of cataracts with it's high level of lutien, B vitamins and minerals. Kale is also very high in calcium. If that was not enough, kale can also help decrease the loss of mental function. ( can I have a bushel of it , please ????)

Garlic Pasta with Kale

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves garlic -- crushed
1 lb kale -- stems removed, leaves cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add kale and salt. Simmer 1 minute or
until kale begins to wilt. Add pasta. Cook 8-10 minutes or until pasta is
al dente. While pasta is cooking, heat oil and garlic in a small
saucepan over medium heat, stirring 2 minutes until heated throughout.
Remove from heat.
Drain pasta and kale. Transfer to serving bowl. Add oil and garlic.
Sprinkle with Parmesan. Toss before serving.

After lunch it was back to the drawing board, and I slowly came to the conclusion that I was dealing with a no win situation and I wanted to scream ! Nick suggested we do some Wii Boxing, and I agreed. I tried to vent my frustration out through the game, and it felt darned good ! I could not come up with a solution, in spite of feeling better about it, and I tried to put it on my mental back burner.
Dinner was a quick favorite- Turkey Burgers with sweet potato fries and coconut salad. We had these on the new Earth Grains Tins- 100 calories per bun , but many more grains and healthier ingredients than the Arnolds or Pepperidge Farm thins. It is great to see different choices in these better for you options !

Turkey Spinach Burgers- serves 5

1 lb ground turkey
10 oz frozen chopped spinach defrosted and drained
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 T dried parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or Braggs Animos or soy sauce

combine all in large bowl. Divide into 5 burgers grill or broil 7 minutes on each side
or bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.( cooked burgers freeze well)

Sweet Potato Fries- serves 3

3 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 t olive oil
cinnamon to sprinkle

Wash sweet potatoes. Leave peels on and cut into fry shapes. Pour
olive oil on cookie sheet and spread with a paper towel. Spread
potatoes on the cookie sheet in a single layer, sprinkle with
cinnamon and bake at 350 for 45 minutes

After dinner I was really quiet and tense - happens when I think myself to death over something, and Bob suggested we watch Men who Stare at Goats. Funny movie based on true events, and I enjoyed it. I think I would like to buy this one to have in my collection. It made me stop thinking quite so hard about my dilemma ( lest it become a goat and I kill it with concentrating ), and somewhere in the middle of the night the perfect solution came to me , and there was great rejoicing in my head . The wanna be goats would be safe to bleat another day and two big dilemmas were solved .