Wow... Challenge Day 17 Already

I am so happy to say I have made it to day 17 and am still holding strong.  I do occasionally still have cravings for things I can not have.  Just last night I so wanted some chocolate chip ice cream.  I was just driving down the street past a Baskin Robbins all of a sudden I was saying to my husband, "oh my gosh, chocolate chip ice cream sounds so good right now".  Then I immediately followed it with saying, "but, I can't... I want to but I can't".  And the good news is, I didn't!!!  I haven't had anything chocolate the entire 17 days, which for me is definitely some kind of record!  Okay, so enough talking about foods I can't have.  I do better if I just don't think about them!

As for what I have been eating... I eat allot of fruit and vegetables.  I eat organic whole grain oatmeal or raisin bran each morning.  Lunches usually include avocado in some form.  I eat it either in a sandwich on whole grain bread or on a spinach salad with other veggies too.  I keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen island at all times so whenever I want a snack I just grab a piece of fruit.  I eat a handful of raw almonds each day.  Dinner is usually either chicken or fish with veggies either steamed or grilled.  I am learning different ways to prepare my meats and veggies to give us some variety.  The food choices are pretty basic right now.  I hope to get a little more creative with spices, but I'm still learning what works and what doesn't.

For those of you that are doing this challenge along with me, continue to stay strong and keep eating healthy whole foods...  It is not always easy, but I know that if I can do this, so can you!

Until next time,

Diana  

Challenge Eat Right - Day 6 & 7

I am now one week into this challenge and eating healthy is getting much easier.  I find I am not craving the "bad stuff" nearly like I was the first few days.  Over the weekend I incorporated a few new foods into my diet.  I got some organic yogurt, which tastes amazing when I cut up fresh strawberries and mix them together.  This weekend, I picked up some fresh green beans, asparagus, broccoli and zucchini, in addition to more avocado (my favorite), chives, carrots, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and spinach.  I've found that fresh green beans make a great snack when eaten raw.  They are quite sweet and because they are crisp they make a great replacement for the potato chips I used to eat with a sandwich at lunch.  I had a tuna sandwich on whole grain bread with cut up celery and onion mixed in with the tuna.  Then  add raw carrots and green beans on the side...  Delicious.

Saturday we visited an organic produce farm/orchard where they let you taste samples of everything before you purchase it.  The tangerines are so sweet and juicy that they taste like candy.  The apples are amazing and my friends daughter even loved their lemons.  I would never just bite into a lemon, but I did buy some since I enjoy drinking my water with a slice of lemon in it.  They also have local honey, organic peanut butter, almond butter and several jams and preserves that are all made fresh, without preservatives.  My husband loves their jams and blackberry and boysenberry syrups.

I thought I would share a few of the pictures we took Saturday while we were in Oak Glen, California.  Although it has only a little to do with eating right, it was such a joy I thought I would share several of the pictures.  This area is about a half an hour from our home.  We've been here several times, but never when it snowed.  Here in Southern California we really don't get much snow.  This day was an awesome surprise.  Our weather was in the 70's two days prior to this snow.  Needless to say, this snow won't last very long, but it is so much fun for the short time it is here!

We had friends visiting from Orange County and this was only their second time to Oak Glen, so it was a perfect day to visit and play in the snow, without the hassles of travel, tire chains or crowds :)  Oh, and the fruit and veggies at Mom's Orchards were amazing too!!!

Oak Glen is a quaint little town in the mountains just above Yucaipa California.  It is made up of mostly apple orchards where you can "Pick Your Own" during season, and also make your own cider at a few of the orchards.  It's kind of like visiting wine county, only it's apple cider country :)  There are a few cute gift shops (most open year round), a couple of small restaurants (most with good food & most of the food in the area is made from scratch).  There is also a small petting zoo, which is actually pretty big.  For a $3 fee you can both feed the different animals and stroll down a long meandering paths.  They have just about every kind of farm animal...  from peacocks, turkeys, goats, horses, pigs, sheep, to several others I can't think of right now.  Many are caged, but their is an area where you can go in with the animals (if you like that sort of thing).

 We got hot apple cider from Los Rios Rancho Apple Farm and it was perfect as we played out in the cold.

 I, Diana, am on the left and one of my best friends, Karey is on the right... We have been friends for about 19 years and this is the first time we've ever been in the snow together... Total winter wonderland, would make a great postcard!!!

My husband and my friends daughter first had snowball fights and then built a snow man...  

If you are ever in the area, I definitely recommend a visit.  Don't forget to go to Mom's Country Orchards and try all of the organic fruits.  Obviously the fruits available depend on what is in season, but they always have something great and they are super friendly too :)

Until next time...
Healthy eating!

Diana

Healthy Foods That Make You Feel Full

Here is some very helpful information that I found on healthy foods that help you to feel full longer:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate which takes longer to digest — hence it releases energy slowly, keeping you feeling full for longer. It also keeps blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. Oatmeal is the most satisfying breakfast cereal, providing more protein per serving than any other grain. 

Almond and Walnuts

Raw, unsalted nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, provide essential roughage, protein, fat, minerals and micronutrients. Munching on handfuls of these nuts keeps you full and energetic for longer without adding to your waistline.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and sardines contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which, besides lowering cholesterol, also hasten the metabolism rate. Omega-3 fatty acids alter the level of leptin — a hormone that directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. Fish also provides ample protein.

Low-Fat Dairy Products

Skimmed milk, low fat cheese and yogurt are a good source of calcium, which helps break down fat cells. Some studies indicate that not getting enough calcium may trigger the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage.

Citrus Fruits

Fruits such as grapefruit, lemon, sweet lime, papaya, guava and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and fibre. Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster and also stimulates the amino acid known as carnitine — carnitine speeds up the body's fat-burning capacity. Citrus fruits also have high water content and provide around 50 to 75 kcal, leaving us satiated for a longer period of time.

Green Vegetables

Spinach, asparagus and broccoli have a high thermic effect on the body and a low calorie density. This means that it's almost impossible for them to be stored as fat because most of their calories are burned off in the digestion process. Apart from that, the fiber in these foods provides roughage and contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help you feel full.

Apples

High water content and ample fibre is the reason why you feel full after eating an apple. An apple's skin contains pectin soluble fibre that is a natural appetite suppressant. 

Beans

Beans are high in fiber and a good source of protein. They also take longer to digest, making you feel full for a longer time. Also, protein has the highest satiety index (which determines how long will you feel full) than any other element.

Whole grains 

High in fiber, take longer to digest making you feel fuller for a long time.  Studies show that eating whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases.  (I will post more on the many benefits of eating whole grains in the future).

Other Good Information:

Whole Wheat Pasta

Pasta has a bad reputation as a source of lots of empty calories, but that mainly refers to white flour pasta. "Health" magazine suggests whole grain pastas because they contain up to 300 percent more stomach-filling fiber, often with 200 calories or less in every 1/2 cup serving.

Brown Rice

Reading "unrefined brown rice" on a label means that the fiber and nutrients of the grain are still in tact. Not to mention it's high in vitamin B, magnesium, and fiber.

Lunch Suggestion - Meat & Whole Grain Sandwich

The Mayo Clinic recommends pairing a lean meat, such as poultry, with whole grain bread as a nutrient-dense yet low-calorie lunch. This will help you "feel full longer," reports the clinic. Boost its health factor by adding extra fiber like dark green, leafy vegetables and a side of fresh fruit for dessert.

(Article Sources:  LiveStrong.com; TimesofIndia.com; MayoClinic.com; RealBeauty.com, WholeGrainsCouncil)

Challenge Eat Right - Day 1

Today was the first day of my challenge to eat right (eat whole foods, organic foods and basically healthy food).  I must say I did pretty well.... except for the fact that my left eye kept twitching literally all day, which is likely due to the stress of knowing I can not go out and grab some of my favorite foods (like frozen yogurt and sushi with all the dipping sauces that I love)!!!  Oh how I miss them already.  I only thought about these foods a hundred or so times today.  It's not like I ate them all the time... but I did eat them at least once or more each week.  It's amazing how psychologically it messed with me just knowing I can't have them.  It created temptation and visions of them in my brain (visions of sushi rolls as I made the baked salmon tonight).  The baked salmon was quite good, but not nearly as good as the sushi rolls from my favorite restaurant...  But, I will find the will power to do this!   I think I can I think I can :)   With determination and allot of prayers I will accomplish this... day by day, one step at a time.

Here is the list of what I did eat and drink today.

• Breakfast - Organic Raisin Bran, Organic 1% milk, Banana sliced on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Lunch - Alfalfa Sprouts and Avocado on Whole Wheat with a little Veganaise (similar to mayonnaise but without egg, made from veggies - found at my local health food store), water to drink
• Snack - Handful of Baby Carrots and a bottle of water
• Dinner - Baked Salmon (fish) with Dijon Mustard, honey and dill for seasoning, Organic Green Beans and Spinach Salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, mushrooms and chives with a splash of vinaigrette dressing, water to drink

So far so good... Day one is almost over, phew... only 59 days to go.  I've heard that it take two weeks to break a habit.  I only hope I will be able to get rid of the cravings in just two weeks!

Until next time...

Healthy eating!

Diana

My Challenge Starts Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the start of my 60 day "Eat Right Challenge".   I have gone through my pantry and refrigerator and have gotten rid of (thrown away) all items that contain any of the "BAD" ingredients that I listed in the prior post.  After learning about all of the BAD stuff in many of our foods I decided that the trash can was the only suitable place for all of that stuff!  If it isn't good for me to eat, I shouldn't give it to anyone else either.  So it's off to the dump for all of that crud...

I have done my grocery shopping for the week and I am now fully prepared to eat healthy and eat at home.  I bought plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (many organic, otherwise locally grown).  Also, I have found organic cereal, organic whole wheat penne pasta, organic spaghetti sauce, organic milk and organic eggs.  I have salmon, tuna and organic free range chicken to prepare for our dinners.  I haven't found an organic bread but I've found that the Oroweat Whole Grain Breads are pretty good.  I have yet to go to my local health food store, but I will be checking it out soon!

Part of me is a little bit terrified of all this.  Not the eating healthy part, but the going without some of my favorite foods, missing a couple of my favorite restaurants (sushi, sushi and sushi!!!) and not being about to just go out and get a frozen yogurt.  But, if I am going to do this right, I have to eliminate all of it!  The first couple weeks will be the hardest for me.  Especially going without sushi!  But sushi restaurants use white rice, which is processed rice... and all of those sauces, who knows what all is in them.  I am sad to say goodbye to them all, but I must.  Goodbye sushi... I hope I don't die without you!  Just so you know, I am weak and have sucky willpower, but I can and will do this!  Keep in mind, If I can do this, anyone can!!!

Two of my friends have decided that they are on board for this challenge.  I look forward to hearing from them about their journey and hopefully sharing recipes that we discover with one another.  Tomorrow evening I will let you know how my first day has gone.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter!

Diana

Ingredients to Avoid and WHY...

Did you ever wonder how foods on our store shelves last so long?  And if they last so long on the store shelves and in our pantry, how long are they lasting in our bodies?  Many of the chemical additives and preservatives that make foods last practically "forever" on the shelf... also last in our body.  However, our body was not made to store a bunk of foreign potentially toxic chemicals!!!

I have learned quite a bit about the ingredients that we should not allow into our diets.  These ingredients all go through extensive processing (usually via chemical processes) where they are altered to a state that is somehow allowed into our foods even though they should not be allowed for consumption.  Our bodies don't know how to properly process these altered heavily processed ingredients.  And although we may not notice a difference when we eat them in the short term, over time health issues may arise.  Today people have many medical issues because of the crud we put in our systems.  Things like weight gain, indigestion, IBS (irritable bowel), heartburn, acid reflux, and then more severe things like obesity and cancer.  Think about it, why is Cancer so much more prevalent now than it was 20 or 30 years ago?  The 80's pretty much became the fast food generation!  Processed foods became a huge part of how we eat.  Whether it was from a drive thru or from a box (like hamburger helper)... we all were going for fast, easy and cheap.  Never even considering what we were actually eating.  

I am completely guilty of having been a junk food junky!  I started eating that way in the 80's and through the 90's as a single mom of two who worked full time.  Fast and easy food was it for me!  We often ate off of dollar menus or I bought whatever was the cheapest at the grocery store.  Cheap bread, cheap cereal, cheap fake fruit flavored juice, packaged and processed easy to grab on the go foods.  And if I had a coupon for it, all the better.  It's absolutely horrible when I think how I was feeding my daughters and myself.  Sure we had a fruit bowl on the counter with apples and bananas in it, but mostly we ate JUNK!!!


I also was into buying many "diet" or "low fat/no fat" foods.  What I didn't realize is those foods were often filled with chemical ingredients and fake fillers instead of the fat.  They did nothing to help me eat healthy or diet!!!  In reality, they probably hurt me!

Now, in my 40's I do have a health issues (Fibromyalgia & CFS - chronic pain, fatigue and several issues with the way my body functions, more on this topic another time..) and I also get migraine headaches.  If you've never had a migraine, consider yourself lucky!!!  I wouldn't wish them on anyone!  Basically your head feels like it's going to explode, and during a migraine you sometimes wish it would...

Certain food additives cause me to get a full blown migraine within 15 minutes of eating the offending ingredient.  I realized a direct link between food and my severe headaches about 2 years ago.  At that time I started researching things I should be avoiding and why.  Certain ingredients I have avoided for my headaches are MSG, High Fructose Corn Syrup and red food coloring.   MSG is definitely the worst offender for my headaches!

Although I have eliminated these few "bad" ingredients from my diet,  I have never given 100% to completely eating right and avoiding all of the "bad stuff".  With this 60 day challenge I will be staying away from all of these completely!  Obviously when we eat out, which I do way too often, we don't know what is really in our food!  Home prepared meals will be the way to go for me.  It's the only way I can fully control what I put into my body!  I will be reading the entire label on every food or beverage item I purchase and ingest.  Even when you buy things like chicken from the meat department or lunch meats, you would be surprised how much crap is injected and/or put into our foods.  Usually if a label has more than a handful of ingredients, it is not good for you!  Here is a list of ingredients I will avoid completely.

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID and WHY

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (and Corn Syrup) - corn syrups that have undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness.  Inexpensive so often used in cereals, baked goods, condiments, beverages and most processed foods.  It is said to be more harmful to humans than regular sugar, contributing to weight gain by affecting normal appetite functions.  It is chemically altered so your body doesn't know how to process it.  Manufacturers are now permitted to label High Fructose Corn Syrup, as "Corn Syrup" in the ingredient listing of the product packaging.
• Artificial Sweeteners of any kind - chemically processed or created (not natural)
• Hydrogenated and Partially Hydronated Oils -  Hydrogenation is widely applied to the processing of vegetable oils fats. Complete hydrogenation converts unsaturated fatty acids to saturated ones. In practice the process is not usually carried to completion. Because partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are cheaper than animal source fats, are available in a wide range of consistencies, and have other desirable characteristics (e.g., increased oxidative stability/longer shelf life). A side effect of incomplete hydrogenation having implications for human health is the isomerization of some of the remaining unsaturated carbon bonds. Incomplete hydrogenation partially converts these molecules to trans isomers, which have been implicated in circulatory diseases including heart disease  (source Wikipedia)
• Modified Food Starch -  prepared by physically, enzymatically, or chemically treating native starch, thereby changing the properties of the starch.  (it is treated with chemicals that you end up ingesting)
• Enriched Flour -  The purpose of enriching flour is to replenish the nutrients in the flour to match the nutritional status of the unrefined product. (All of the healthy properties are stripped from the flour usually via a bleaching process (i.e. white flour) and then added back in after the processing has taken place.
• MSG - Monosodium Glutamate  - The glutamate of MSG confers the same unami taste of glutamate from other foods, being chemically identical. Industrial food manufacturers market and use MSG as a flavor enhancer because it balances, blends and rounds the total perception of other tastes.  via Wikipedia:  In normal conditions, humans have the ability to metabolize glutamate that has a very low acute toxicity.  HELLO... the word toxicity regarding an ingredient. Toxicity = TOXIC... sounds pretty bad!  I know it causes me severe migraines, and for that alone I completely stay away from it!
• BHT - (aka: Butylated hydroxytoluene)  BHT is prepared by the reaction of p-cresol (4-methylphenol) with isobutylene (2-methylpropene) catalysed by sulfuric acid.  MORE CHEMICALS!!!
• Nitrites - (Sodium Nitrite is often found in processed lunch meats)  Sodium Nitrite is made industrially by passing nitrous fumes into aqueous sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate solution.

  NO + NO₂ + 2NaOH (or Na₂CO₃) → 2NaNO₂ +H₂O ( or CO₂)   MORE CHEMICALS!!!

• Phosphates - Sodium Photphate - Sodium phosphate is a generic term for the salts of sodium hydroxide and phosphoric acid. Sodium phosphates are often used as meat preservatives, as an alternative to sodium nitrite. Common in processed meats and canned meats.
• Anything Hydrolyzed
• Anything Enriched
• Anything Modified
• Anything Artificial

Okay, so you get the point.  Pretty much anything that is altered from it's original state should be avoided!   Also, anything that you can't pronounce or if it sounds like a chemical additive, it probably is...

I'm sure there will be more ingredients to avoid.  This is the list I am starting with, and I will add more as I find out about them.

Blessings,

Diana