-Juniper had a birthday party sleepover tonight and it was rainy all day so we changed our weekly family hike up a bit…invited the kids’ to join us on our morning walk to blue Bottle. Everyone had a little weight in their backpack. Jasper a backpack with 10# weight, Junioer her daypack with approximately 13# with filled water bottle and 5lbs of bagged beans, I used my new 15# vest, and Eric is up to 40# in his backpack.
-2 pull-ups with yellow resistance band.
-Brainstormed with Eric about changing up his time restricted eating window so that he’s not eating right before bedtime…will switch it up to earlier breakfast, getting 30g at each meal plus 30g snack…ending the day with a 40-50g protein shake at work around 3pm. Feeling a little disappointed that despite the intermittent fasting (eating at noon and maintaining a 16 hr fast) his A1C is still at 5.8. Anyhow, at least we can see the number and can keep trying new experiments. Just sad not a single bit of improvement especially since being more conscious of exercise, sleeping more and more regularly, not drinking alcohol and actively not eating as much bread/pasta/sugar…one would have thought the needle would have moved just a little bit. Getting my second Function Health test Monday, hoping that my last improvements to A1C are still maintaining….biggest changes I think in the last 3 months would be more resistance training, less bread (at least before the bread maker purchase), more regular sleep, walking more with weighted vest, but also worried about the Repatha PCSK-9 inhibitor as I’ve heard a side effect could be raised insulin. Fingers crossed I guess.
-also spent a long time at proper coffee shop date with Eric talking about how to refine his time tracking and what kind of system he should try to implement a little better. This resulted in a trip to Barnes and Noble trying to find the perfect daily planner…to which not a single one matched however I think he found one that could possibly at least begin to train the habit of tracking. I’ll have to give him gold stars or something to give him extra incentive.
-tinkered with seeing how smart ChatGPT was in tracking macros for meals via picture…quite accurate surprisingly!
I asked “How much protein is in this meal?”
I’ll estimate the protein content of your meal based on the visible ingredients:
Meal Components & Estimated Protein Content:
1. Scrambled eggs with greens (about 3 eggs) → 18g protein
2. Black beans (about ½ cup) → 7g protein
3. Chicken or turkey sausage links (about 3 small links, ~2.5 oz) → 14g protein
4. Roasted cauliflower (about ½ cup) → 2g protein
5. Kiwi (1 whole kiwi) → 1g protein
Total Estimated Protein: 42g
Would you like any modifications to increase or adjust the protein content?
Can you figure out the fiber for that meal too?
Absolutely! Here’s an estimate of the fiber content for your meal:
Meal Components & Estimated Fiber Content:
1. Black beans (½ cup) → 7g fiber
2. Roasted cauliflower (½ cup) → 2g fiber
3. Kiwi (1 whole) → 4g fiber
4. Spinach in scrambled eggs (¼ cup cooked) → 1g fiber
Total Estimated Fiber: 14g
Would you like suggestions to increase the fiber content while keeping the meal balanced?
Yes that would be great please!
To increase the fiber content while keeping your meal balanced, here are some simple additions or swaps:
Ways to Boost Fiber in Your Meal:
1. Increase Black Beans (from ½ cup to ¾ cup) → Adds 3.5g fiber
2. Add 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseeds (mix into eggs or sprinkle on top) → Adds 3g fiber
3. Increase Swiss Chard (from ¼ cup to ½ cup cooked) → Adds 1g fiber
4. Add 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds (sprinkle on kiwi or mix into eggs) → Adds 5g fiber
5. Increase Roasted Cauliflower (from ½ cup to 1 cup) → Adds 2g fiber
New Potential Fiber Total (if all changes are made): 27g fiber
Would you like suggestions for other high-fiber ingredients that would pair well with this meal?
Yes that would be great please!
Great! Here are some high-fiber ingredients that would complement your meal while keeping the flavors balanced:
Savory Additions:
1. Avocado (½ avocado = 6g fiber) – Slice it on the side or mash it with lime and sea salt.
2. Roasted Brussels Sprouts (1 cup = 4g fiber) – Toss them in with your cauliflower.
3. Sautéed Mushrooms (½ cup = 2g fiber) – Cook them with your eggs or sausage.
4. Artichoke Hearts (½ cup = 7g fiber) – Roast or chop into your eggs.
5. Hemp Seeds (1 Tbsp = 1g fiber) – Sprinkle on your eggs or sausage.
Sweet Pairings:
6. Raspberries (½ cup = 4g fiber) – A great side with kiwi.
7. Pears (1 small pear = 4.5g fiber) – Pairs well with the sausage for a sweet-savory contrast.
8. Coconut Flakes (2 Tbsp = 2g fiber) – Sprinkle over kiwi.
Small Tweaks:
9. Swap Chicken/Turkey Sausage for a Lentil-Based Sausage (Adds ~3-4g fiber)
10. Use Almond Butter (1 Tbsp = 2g fiber) – Drizzle a little over your kiwi for a nutty contrast.
Would you like help creating a modified version of your meal using some of these?
Yes please!
Here’s a fiber-boosted version of your meal that keeps the same great flavors while increasing fiber:
Updated Meal (27g Fiber, ~45g Protein)
• Scrambled Eggs with Swiss Chard & Mushrooms (3 eggs, ½ cup Swiss chard, ½ cup sautéed mushrooms) → 19g protein, 3.5g fiber
• Black Beans (¾ cup) → 10g protein, 10.5g fiber
• Roasted Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts (½ cup each) → 4g protein, 6g fiber
• Chicken or Turkey Sausage (3 links, ~2.5 oz) → 14g protein
• ½ Avocado (on the side or mashed with lime & salt) → 6g fiber
• 1 Whole Kiwi → 4g fiber
Optional Additions for Even More Fiber:
• 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseeds (mixed into eggs or sprinkled on top) → 3g fiber
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds (sprinkled on kiwi or eggs) → 5g fiber
Total (without optional add-ins):
✅ Protein: ~45g
✅ Fiber: 27g
If you add the flaxseeds and chia seeds, you’ll hit 35g fiber in one meal!
Would you like any further tweaks or alternative ingredient swaps?