Keto Diet, MCT Oil, and Fainting

I have been eating Keto for a month tomorrow and have lost 7 lbs. After having thyroid issues, the weight had been creeping up, so I decided to go drastic. I also started putting MCT oil in my water in the mornings because I don't like BulletProof coffee or coffee for that matter.

Today, I went to the doctor to get my blood work done so I can see if my blood work improves when doing Keto. We talked about how I've lost weight, my blood pressure is good, and then we started talking about exercise.

I started to feel dizzy and the next thing I know, my doctor is in the room holding my feet up and there are four nurses around me. I was drenched in sweat. While I was out, they had checked my blood sugar which was normal, and attached electrodes to me and checked my heart which was also good.

I finished up the appointment and got my lab work done. After I got home, it really worried me as to why I would faint. I haven't fainted in decades and that was typically due to anemia. Typically, at that time of day, I'm on the toll road doing 70 mph on the way to work.

The only thing different lately is the Keto and MCT oil. I Googled that with fainting. I'm not the only person this has happened to. I think I fainted partially because I was fasting. As fast as I went down, it was very scary. I luckily fell back on the cushioned table. The nurse said that I said "I don't feel good" before I went down, but I don't remember it. Anyway, this is a precaution for anyone taking MCT oil. Start slow.

Pet Shaming

I haven't blogged in a long time. I've been busy and my office moved so I now commute about two hours a day. Horrible commute, but my job pays well, good insurance and vacation plan. The bonus is that I like what I do, and I truly adore about half of my team. LOL.

Nick and I live with my daughter's two cats and my son's Rottweiler. I love them all. Just a side note, kids in their teens do not need animals that will outlive their time at home with mom when their apartments charge deposits, pet rent, and don't allow 'mean' dogs. And, they can't afford the vet and grooming bills.

We live in a historic district with no HOA. Woot woot. So our house came with a chain link fence in the front yard. I find that bizarre, but it also allows us to let our dog out front. It also makes people NOT come to our door which is an added bonus.

So my dog loves to run outside when joggers, cyclists, and dogs walk by which is all day long.

So we have been dog shamed. When a dog walks by, my son's 96-lb Rottie Mix goes ballistic (even though her tail is wagging). Well, this young, perky, in-shape lady walks her BEAUTIFUL Golden Retriever by the house every day. While our dog is pacing/running the yard and barking, she looks at her dog and puts her fingers to her mouth (in a shhhs manner) and that dang dog prances by, rolls it's eyes at me,  and doesn't make a sound. It makes me and the Rottie looks like white trash. Urgh.

Cooking for One: Warm Beet Spinach

I've been trying eat more diverse and healthier food. I know beets are very good for you and a good source of potassium and antioxidants.

World Healthiest Foods

Typically I add some chopped beet to a green/fruit smoothie so that you can't really taste it. 

I decided to try a warm beet salad.  What do you know? It was awesome.

Recipe for One: Warm Beet Salad

Salad:

A couple of handfuls of spinach/spring mix/beet greens
1 beet peeled and chopped
1/2 an avocado chopped
4 Marzano tomatoes sliced
1 tbsp red onion chopped
Pepper
(Feta and chopped nuts- optional - I just didn't have these ingredients on-hand.)

Dressing:

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
A dab of mustard

Put the chopped beet in a glass bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water and lightly cover. Microwave for 8-10 minutes and drain.

Put greens in a bowl. Top with avocado, tomatoes, and onions. Mix the olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, and mustard. Put the beets on salad and pour on dressing and add some pepper.

I don't know how long this salad will stick with me. I think this would be really good with chicken or shrimp added.

I always print out recipes or put them on stickys. Oh, and I never follow a recipe completely. It is typically a mix of multiple recipes or just using what I happen to have on hand. After I make the recipe, I decide whether or not to throw it in the trash (like my zucchini noodle chicken pad thai recipe...yuck). This recipe gets to stay. 

Love me some Texas weather. We have 100+ degree weather coming up soon and a high of 108. Thank goodness for pools and air conditioning. It is hot enough that I have given up golf for a bit.

Cooking for One: Zucchini Pasta and Meatballs

Cool tool and a boring zucchini

I love to cook and I'm trying to eat healthier. I'm not fond of leftovers and if I do eat leftovers I only want it once.....not for the next 3 days. I bought a new cooking tool at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's one of those "As Seen on TV" products. It's a really cool vegetable peeler. I used it to make pasta out of a zucchini.

Ingredients for ONE person:

1 small zucchini

4 ounces of ground beef (I section 16 oz packages into four baggies and freeze until I need it)

1/2 an egg (yes you can do it or your meatballs will be runny and fall apart)

1/4 c breadcrumbs

Spices you like (My faves: basil, thyme, oregano, pepper)

Roasted tomatoes or spaghetti sauce
Your favorite wine
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Rinse the zucchini and put it in the new cool tool or use a vegetable peeler or knife to make your pasta noodles. I also put the noodles on paper towels to sop up the water.
2. Mix the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs and spices and roll into balls. I made 4.
3. Pop meatballs into the oven on a baking pan. Total cooking time is about 20 minutes. I turn them once half way through so they are evenly browned on the outside.
4. While meatballs are cooking, have a glass of wine and contemplate what you are grateful for - for exactly 15 minutes and then sautee your noodles in olive oil and garlic for about 4-5 minutes depending on how you like your noodles. I like mine more al dente so I only cook 4 minutes.
5. Put the noodles on a plate. Use same pan (less cleaning) and add tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce. Add the cooked meatballs and heat up the sauce.
6. When the sauce is warm, serve over pasta noodles. If noodles aren't warm, you can pop them in microwave briefly. Eat.

I would love to have some homemade bread with this, but I am a horrible baker and I don't really need the bread. I attempted to make a coconut flour bread recently. My daughter laughed. It was a big pile of flat, stinky, goo. She told me she has no idea why I keep trying to bake. 

The Colosseum Tour - Walks of Italy

We decided to upgrade from a Colosseum Tour to the Underground Tour. It was worth it. 

Walks of Italy Colosseum Underground Tour

We got to go down to the VIP section. This tour was a lot of walking. It took approximately 4 hours or more. 

Standing around outside waiting for the tour.

I don't remember what this was. Oops.

Nick made fun of me for having two sets of glasses, but they were both prescription and we would go from inside to outside a lot, so both were nice to have.

Pedestal system for lowering elephants, tigers, and other large animals in their crates.

This is where the Gladiators entered for most likely their last few minutes alive.

We saw Palantine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Temple and gardens of the Vestal Virgins and we got to go down inside of the Colsseum to see where the gladiators and large animals entered the arena. This tour is not for the weak. 

We walked for hours and up and down the steps of the Colosseum. It is fairly fast paced. Angela, our guide was wonderful. An archealogist and very knowledgeable.

Nick and I took hundreds of pictures, but I will not post them all here. He was always getting behind the tour and I was getting worried and made it a point to tell him. He said not to worry. He just looked for the bright pink hat and could easily catch back up.

The Papal Address, Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica

I would like to say that 'skip the line' tours are awesome. We used three different tour guides in Rome and all were wonderful. Second day in Rome was Vatican day for us. We got up early and saw the Pope. He rode his Popemobile around twice and kissed all the babies. We know this because they have big screens that show Pope Francis making his rounds. We had a close up shot of Pope Francis.

The Pope and his associates repeat the Papal Address in every language of the people in attendance. Your name and address goes to the Vatican a week before your visit so they can track everyone. It was hot and we listened to the same address in about 10-12 languages, but he blessed all of us there speaking English and all of our friends and loved ones. So most likely if you are reading this, you were blessed by the Pope on May 13th, 2015. 

So back to the room for a brief rest and food. Next up....we are back at the Vatican and some ladies talk us into the Vatican tour. A little unorganized at first, but what a great tour. I took about 300 pictures in the Vatican. From there, we went to the Sistine Chapel (not allowed to take pictures) and then on St. Peter's Basilica. What a moving experience. There is nothing like being there and going to the Prayer Room to pray for friends and family. I'm going to post a few pictures from the hundreds I took.

The paintings on the hallway just before the Sistine Chapel.

Laocoon and His Sons Antiphas and Thymbraeus being

crushed by sea serpents.

No pictures of Sistine Chapel which was amazing. Next on to St. Peter's Basilica. Everything was so beautiful and it was just a moving experience to be there.

This is a painting done to look 3D.

Relais Navona 71 in Rome's Piazza Navona

Nick and I left Isle of Capri fairly early in the morning. Our Australian friends gave us some hints about Rome. Buy a hat and a selfie stick right away so you won't be hassled the entire trip. We got to Naples and realized the train that we took down from Rome doesn't leave for three hours. Naples is not on the 'favorites' list, so three hours in Naples was not where we wanted to be. 

We found another train Italio that didn't go to Roma Termini, but went to Roma Tiburtina that left right away. We barely got our tickets and bolted to the platform. This train cost more, but it included drink service and free Wifi. Oh, and we get to Roma Tiburtina and it was so much nicer than Roma Termini, but a little further away from hotel. Found a cab and was quickly at Piazza Navona which is where we stayed. Piazza Navona was built in 1000 AD. That is old. 

The hotel is hidden. I'm including pictures at the bottom of the page in case someone else decides to stay there. We stayed at Relais Navonna 71, which 71 is the address. It is located between two restaurants.

Piazza Navona. I could upload pics of fountains for the next week or so if I wanted...I don't.

Day one in Rome. Decided to just walk around. We went to Pantheon.

Pantheon

Next up, buy a selfie stick. Decided to venture to the Spanish Steps.  I used to think I could follow a map. I never got my bearings in Rome. The street signs are missing and all roads somehow lead all squiggly back to Rome. So after asking no less than 20 persons for help, we found the Spanish Steps. We found we could get around Rome by only knowing the following Italian and this is probably wrong, but at least it worked.

• Quanti Euros? (How many Euros?)
• Dove e.. insert well known place here? (Where is Colosseum?). If they do not know English, they point. So basically we had to ask at each intersection so someone could point for us.
• For cabs, Quanto a airport? Quanto a colesseum?

So here is me NOT figuring out how to use the selfie stick. Nicky figured it out and did a very fine job of it. The stick is not supposed to show. I will say that having my camera on this stick did not stop the hassles. Now men try to sell me a SECOND selfie stick.

After a long day of walking, back to Piazza Navonna.

You can't even tell Nick is holding the selfie stick.

Look for this black door between two restaurants for Relais Navona 71. You will see the address 71 in upper right corner above door. Ring bell to get buzzed in. The room was fine, but the location is superb.

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