My brother and son have both been living with us for the last few months. We let this derail us considerably. Our predominately vegan diet is somewhat time consuming as I will use my Sunday to prepare flax crackers, salads, beans, soups and the like for the week. We don't have much time during the week as we get home from work just a few hours before we need to retire for the next day. We now spend that time preparing meals and cleaning the kitchen. I have no time on Sunday to prepare things ahead for more than a day or two I suppose all of this sounds familiar to everyone as it is likely the norm for a family. However Harry and I are often content to come home and eat a can of beans with some fresh tomatoes and onions for dinner. I can't expect my brother and son to eat like that. They are truckers and used to more hearty fare.
My truckers finally went out on a run and we had three days to think about things. We have both gained back all the weight we lost, Harry doesn't feel well and I have constant headaches. Now that my headaches are on the road, we decided to renew our diet and continue it even when they are here. When they return, they are going to be surprised to find a diet of 95% fruits and vegetables, mostly raw. Why? Outside of us both wanting to resume getting our health back, my truckers both found they have high blood pressure. My brother actually went to the VA hospital to get his blood pressure checked out and they admitted him because it was so high. 170 over 105. Before I went on the detox diet, mine reached 200/100. Now it is mostly normal but sometimes it registers pre-hypertension. No telling what their cholesterol is.
Well this revelation frightened my brother. Having high blood pressure or even taking medication for it could affect his job. This made my son take notice as his high blood pressure was almost as high as my brothers. Before now, my son didn't pay any attention to his blood pressure much less know the risks.
My son also ratted on my brother and told me that every meal my brother eats on the road is at McDonalds! Every meal! I need to find the movie "Super Size Me" for him to watch. He explained that stopping on the road cost time and money.In addition, McDonalds is cheap while truck stop meals open run $15 to $20. Well now more than ever, both of these guys need to be on our diet. So be it.
I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. What a wonderful device. Well I found a book call EAT TO LIVE by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. This has been a good read and I learned a few things. For example, even lean animal protein contributes to high cholesterol, even more so than saturated fat. Another that just bought me some time is that vegetables, especially lettuce and greens have protein! I don't need to create a protien combination with every meal, the vegetables are sufficient! I may have to supplement B12, but I should get all of my protein, carbohydrates and fats from vegetables and fruits! I have not finished reading the book and I'm already putting it to good use. You can read more about his program at http://www.drfuhrman.com/default.aspx. Dr. Fuhran recommends eating two HUGE salads a day making salad the mainstay of the diet. And while this is not a diet but a lifestyle change, weight loss will come quite naturally with it.
So our New Year's resolution, 15 days late, is to make the lifestyle change as though there is no choice. It should be much easier now that I know I can grab a bag of pre-made salad for a quick meal when I don't have time. I am not a slave to the extensive food prep anymore. For the record, my husband is back up to 230 and I weigh 205. I am excited to start seeing weight loss again but I am also looking forward to regaining our energy and health. The added benefit of course is lowering our chances of getting cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and a myriad of other life threatening diseases.
Until next time.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy new Year
I am ashamed to say I have not written since October 18th. Part of my New Year's resolution is to not let that happen again. I will at the very least post once a week.
In October, I suddenly had a rush of house guests. Since then I have had anywhere from 1 to 9 persons in my home at one time. Needless to say, our program was completely derailed. It is impossible to plan meals when I don't even know how many to cook for and I am working a full time job. Just before this happened, I had some wonderful soups already made that simply went to waste. Servings for two just can't stretch that far.
Of course Thanksgiving and Christmas were in the middle of this. I still made all of our favorites and the detox program seemed like a far away dream.
My trucker stayed on her program about a month then simply stopped without a word. Her world was turned upside down as the employment situation changed for her husband, my son and house guest. She was suddenly driving a truck alone and did not have the option to have someone circle the grocery store while she opted for healthier fare than the truck stops had to offer. She is looking for local work now and I think that will offer her a life where she has more control over the situation.
It is a crying shame in this country that it is exceptionally easy to get something eat that is full of grease and toxins and totally devoid of any nutritional value but it takes time and planning to eat right.
Vegetables,fruits, nuts and grains are generally cheaper than meats and cheeses but the later is expected at every meal in one form or another. You can't go through a drive through and get steamed veggies in a cup. At least we have our brewers yeast shakes and our Juice Plus supplements.
So should my guests continue to stay, they will learn how to prepare vegetables for the tagine or put together some salads or soups. We can really tell a difference when we eat that way and it is our resolution to get back to it.
I will start posting again on a regular basis with a progress report.
Here is to a prosperous and healthy new year.
In October, I suddenly had a rush of house guests. Since then I have had anywhere from 1 to 9 persons in my home at one time. Needless to say, our program was completely derailed. It is impossible to plan meals when I don't even know how many to cook for and I am working a full time job. Just before this happened, I had some wonderful soups already made that simply went to waste. Servings for two just can't stretch that far.
Of course Thanksgiving and Christmas were in the middle of this. I still made all of our favorites and the detox program seemed like a far away dream.
My trucker stayed on her program about a month then simply stopped without a word. Her world was turned upside down as the employment situation changed for her husband, my son and house guest. She was suddenly driving a truck alone and did not have the option to have someone circle the grocery store while she opted for healthier fare than the truck stops had to offer. She is looking for local work now and I think that will offer her a life where she has more control over the situation.
It is a crying shame in this country that it is exceptionally easy to get something eat that is full of grease and toxins and totally devoid of any nutritional value but it takes time and planning to eat right.
Vegetables,fruits, nuts and grains are generally cheaper than meats and cheeses but the later is expected at every meal in one form or another. You can't go through a drive through and get steamed veggies in a cup. At least we have our brewers yeast shakes and our Juice Plus supplements.
So should my guests continue to stay, they will learn how to prepare vegetables for the tagine or put together some salads or soups. We can really tell a difference when we eat that way and it is our resolution to get back to it.
I will start posting again on a regular basis with a progress report.
Here is to a prosperous and healthy new year.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Worth a try, a more concrete plan
First, a progress report on my trucker. She has lost 5 pounds so far. She finally hit the 25 point mark. She was averaging about 15 points a day and it wasn't because of the food she was eating. It was because she simply was not eating enough of the food that would give her points.
We have been doing the plan as well. I make an all vegetable soup or a salad with beans and barley, a tagine full of vegetables or a mixed grill. This is like my detox plan except we are allowing ourselves a bit of dairy and eggs, plus we can have limited amounts of lean meat, poultry or fish. On the plan, each half cup of vegetables is one serving or one point, so the vegetable soup or salad can rack up some points. Animal protein is 1 point for 1-6 oz but starts going negative after that. The aim is to keep the portions small.
I am letting my trucker eat unlimited fruit because I would rather have her eat some than hold out for what not may be available on the road. I think there should be a rule to not eat ANY thing three hours before bed that can convert to sugar. That is really hard for us because we get home fairly late and usually eat about an hour or two before bed. So that means no fruit in the evening, or at least very sparing and low suagr fruit, like a few apple slices in a salad.
All of that being said, this modified detox is not working as well as the detox diet. I had to start rethinking my supplements.
During the detox and Perricone diets, we were taking supplements. Too many in my opinion and not sustainable at $200 per month each. However I ran across something recently that was touting Alpha Lipoic acid as a weight loss supplement. Well we were taking that on both plans. The other items were garlic extract, green tea and sugar cane extract. According to the article, sugarcane extract can lower cholesterol by 24% without any other change to the diet.
Another article I read might help my trucker. If she can maintain the points and stay below 1200 calories every other day, this should allow the fat to burn twice as fast.
So, stick with the 25 point plan - stay under 1200 calories every other day, add supplements: Garlic extract 200 mg before breakfast, lunch and dinner and at bed time. Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300mg and a cup of green tea or 325 mg green tea flavanoids before breakfast, lunch and dinner, then the sugarcane extract or Policosano 20-25 mg before bedtime. We are also taking our Juice Plus capsules and Evening Primrose. We have a shake every day with brewers yeast, protein powder and lecithin made with 1 banana, almond milk and cinnamon.
An example of a daily plan:
Breakfast:
Juice Plus capsules (2 pts)
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Green Tea Flavanoids 325mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
Evening Primrose (or Omega 3) 1000 mg
Breakfast shake with banana (described above - 4 pts)
Coffee (may use stevia and fat free milk: 0 pts)
12 oz water (1 pt)
On higher calorie days, add 2 eggs and 1 slice multi grain toast with almond
butter. (3pt)
Citrus fruit or 6 oz natural unsweetened orange juice (1 pt)
Lunch
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Green Tea Flavanoids 325mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
12 oz water (before meal) 1 point
2 cups salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, red cabbage, yellow
bell peppers, parsley, olives, (4 pts for veggies), kidney beans or
chick peas, prepared bulgar wheat,quinoa, or pearl couscous,
(3 points for complex carb), feta cheese, lemon vinegarette (1 point)
On higher calorie days add
1-6 oz chicken breast or fish (1 pt)
with lemon (1)
Sliced apple with 12 almonds or walnuts (2 pt)
(Or 1 cup watermelon, also 2 pts)
Iced green tea (1 pt)
Snack
12 oz water (before meal) 1 point
Raw carrots and celery (2)
1 wedge laughing cow cheese
On higher calorie days, may add
4 walnut halves (1)
1 apple (1)
Dinner
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Green Tea Flavanoids 325mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
12 oz water (1)
3-6 oz chicken breast, 3 oz lean steak or 6 oz broiled/baked fish (1 pt)
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms (1)
1 cup grilled vegetables (2)
1/2 cup brown rice and black beans (3)
On high calorie days, add 6 or red wine (-3)
Additional cup grilled vegetables (2)
Bedtime
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
Policosanal 20-25 mg
12 oz water (1)
Total points on low days: 26
Total points on high days: 36
We can incorporate this immediately, except for the sugar cane extract. I am off to the Internet to find that!
We have been doing the plan as well. I make an all vegetable soup or a salad with beans and barley, a tagine full of vegetables or a mixed grill. This is like my detox plan except we are allowing ourselves a bit of dairy and eggs, plus we can have limited amounts of lean meat, poultry or fish. On the plan, each half cup of vegetables is one serving or one point, so the vegetable soup or salad can rack up some points. Animal protein is 1 point for 1-6 oz but starts going negative after that. The aim is to keep the portions small.
I am letting my trucker eat unlimited fruit because I would rather have her eat some than hold out for what not may be available on the road. I think there should be a rule to not eat ANY thing three hours before bed that can convert to sugar. That is really hard for us because we get home fairly late and usually eat about an hour or two before bed. So that means no fruit in the evening, or at least very sparing and low suagr fruit, like a few apple slices in a salad.
All of that being said, this modified detox is not working as well as the detox diet. I had to start rethinking my supplements.
During the detox and Perricone diets, we were taking supplements. Too many in my opinion and not sustainable at $200 per month each. However I ran across something recently that was touting Alpha Lipoic acid as a weight loss supplement. Well we were taking that on both plans. The other items were garlic extract, green tea and sugar cane extract. According to the article, sugarcane extract can lower cholesterol by 24% without any other change to the diet.
Another article I read might help my trucker. If she can maintain the points and stay below 1200 calories every other day, this should allow the fat to burn twice as fast.
So, stick with the 25 point plan - stay under 1200 calories every other day, add supplements: Garlic extract 200 mg before breakfast, lunch and dinner and at bed time. Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300mg and a cup of green tea or 325 mg green tea flavanoids before breakfast, lunch and dinner, then the sugarcane extract or Policosano 20-25 mg before bedtime. We are also taking our Juice Plus capsules and Evening Primrose. We have a shake every day with brewers yeast, protein powder and lecithin made with 1 banana, almond milk and cinnamon.
An example of a daily plan:
Breakfast:
Juice Plus capsules (2 pts)
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Green Tea Flavanoids 325mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
Evening Primrose (or Omega 3) 1000 mg
Breakfast shake with banana (described above - 4 pts)
Coffee (may use stevia and fat free milk: 0 pts)
12 oz water (1 pt)
On higher calorie days, add 2 eggs and 1 slice multi grain toast with almond
butter. (3pt)
Citrus fruit or 6 oz natural unsweetened orange juice (1 pt)
Lunch
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Green Tea Flavanoids 325mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
12 oz water (before meal) 1 point
2 cups salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, red cabbage, yellow
bell peppers, parsley, olives, (4 pts for veggies), kidney beans or
chick peas, prepared bulgar wheat,quinoa, or pearl couscous,
(3 points for complex carb), feta cheese, lemon vinegarette (1 point)
On higher calorie days add
1-6 oz chicken breast or fish (1 pt)
with lemon (1)
Sliced apple with 12 almonds or walnuts (2 pt)
(Or 1 cup watermelon, also 2 pts)
Iced green tea (1 pt)
Snack
12 oz water (before meal) 1 point
Raw carrots and celery (2)
1 wedge laughing cow cheese
On higher calorie days, may add
4 walnut halves (1)
1 apple (1)
Dinner
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Green Tea Flavanoids 325mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
12 oz water (1)
3-6 oz chicken breast, 3 oz lean steak or 6 oz broiled/baked fish (1 pt)
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms (1)
1 cup grilled vegetables (2)
1/2 cup brown rice and black beans (3)
On high calorie days, add 6 or red wine (-3)
Additional cup grilled vegetables (2)
Bedtime
Alpha Lipoic Acid 100-300 mg
Garlic Extract 200mg
Policosanal 20-25 mg
12 oz water (1)
Total points on low days: 26
Total points on high days: 36
We can incorporate this immediately, except for the sugar cane extract. I am off to the Internet to find that!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Progress on the point plan
My trucker is trying the point plan and doing good. She is doing pretty darn well considering what is available on the road. However she is not getting enough points. It is not because she is eating stuff that bad either.
I think the problem is the lack of availability of fruits and veggies on the road. The very thing that gives her points are the fruits, veggies and water. Fruits and veggies are hard to come by on the road. She limits her water because she doesn't want to have to stop on the road.
She is managing to find chicken breast to eat which is 1 point until it exceeds 6 ounces. Some chicken breasts are huge and could make two meals. My husband and I often share a chicken breast because they are so large. I told her to save some for later if she can. Disperse the protein.
She was using artificial cream in her coffee. I would rather see her use real cream than anything artificial in spite of the fat content. So she is using half and half. I haven't gotten her buy-in on fat free milk yet. I have noticed though that most convenience stores carry whole or low fat milk, but rarely fat free.
I looked at some yogurt she was eating. The yogurt had 28 carbs from the sugar, it high frutose corn syrup. artificial flavor and at least a dozen ingredients I could not pronounce. This is a very popular yogurt and is usually the one they sell in convenience stores or truck stops. Another example of the marketing of food that is no better than a toxic waste dump in the body. There is no nutritional value in that food at all and it would cause her blood sugar to spike. It goes straight to belly fat. It is a shame that an otherwise good food can be rendered so unhealthy. We see commercials all the time that say, eat yogurt because it is good for the body. Well there is yogurt, which is milk and fruit, then there is the yogurt like this one that bears little resemblance to anything natural. Canned peaches with cottage cheese would be better than this stuff.
She asked about cheerios. Well cheerios are oats. I have none in my cupboard, but it is probably one of the healthier of the cereals that are readily available. She wanted to eat it as a snack. I told her to add nuts which would make it a complex carb instead of a simple carb. A simple carb turns quickly into sugar.
As for me, it is the weekend. I intend to roast some lovely vegetables, put on some greens, have a nice salad.... maybe I will bake some fish. I will easily have 15 points just from dinner. Glad I am not on the road.
I think the problem is the lack of availability of fruits and veggies on the road. The very thing that gives her points are the fruits, veggies and water. Fruits and veggies are hard to come by on the road. She limits her water because she doesn't want to have to stop on the road.
She is managing to find chicken breast to eat which is 1 point until it exceeds 6 ounces. Some chicken breasts are huge and could make two meals. My husband and I often share a chicken breast because they are so large. I told her to save some for later if she can. Disperse the protein.
She was using artificial cream in her coffee. I would rather see her use real cream than anything artificial in spite of the fat content. So she is using half and half. I haven't gotten her buy-in on fat free milk yet. I have noticed though that most convenience stores carry whole or low fat milk, but rarely fat free.
I looked at some yogurt she was eating. The yogurt had 28 carbs from the sugar, it high frutose corn syrup. artificial flavor and at least a dozen ingredients I could not pronounce. This is a very popular yogurt and is usually the one they sell in convenience stores or truck stops. Another example of the marketing of food that is no better than a toxic waste dump in the body. There is no nutritional value in that food at all and it would cause her blood sugar to spike. It goes straight to belly fat. It is a shame that an otherwise good food can be rendered so unhealthy. We see commercials all the time that say, eat yogurt because it is good for the body. Well there is yogurt, which is milk and fruit, then there is the yogurt like this one that bears little resemblance to anything natural. Canned peaches with cottage cheese would be better than this stuff.
She asked about cheerios. Well cheerios are oats. I have none in my cupboard, but it is probably one of the healthier of the cereals that are readily available. She wanted to eat it as a snack. I told her to add nuts which would make it a complex carb instead of a simple carb. A simple carb turns quickly into sugar.
As for me, it is the weekend. I intend to roast some lovely vegetables, put on some greens, have a nice salad.... maybe I will bake some fish. I will easily have 15 points just from dinner. Glad I am not on the road.
Friday, October 7, 2011
The 25 point plan
It is day five of my 25 point plan. My trucker guinea pig is trying to do this on the road and it has to be the ultimate test. If you have ever been to a truck stop, it is kind of like an over priced convenience store with the addition of hamburgers, hot dogs, deli sandwiches and the like. If they have a restaurant, it is usually a buffet with a lot of "home style" cooking where everything is fried or covered with gravy.
I have asked her to avoid bread, sugar, fried foods, sodas and bagged snacks (like chips and candy) like the plague. All of those are negative points. The more offensive, the more negative the points. Every vegetable or fruit is one point each. Lean meats are one point, not to exceed 6 oz. Dairy products are all pretty much negative but I will give 1 pt for skim milk, 1 oz of cheese or a laughing cow cheese. Nuts are 1 point. Water is 1 point for every 8 ounces.
Basically the whole thing about the point system is to strive for 25 points a day. If you do 20 one day and 30 the next, that works. It literally forces you to do veggies, fruits and water to get your points.
You can get points for lean meats, fish and chicken - or for something like rice and beans. Everything sugar, artificial, fried, preserved, cured (like bacon) or otherwise full of fat pulls you the other way.
Since this is a totally new approach, I am having to make decisions of the points on some things as we go.
A real challenge for my trucker is to eliminate the bread as bread is the main ingredient in every sandwich, hamburger, burrito, etc. She can't eliminate it completely the way we did on our detox, but she can cut back as much as possible. She got a grilled chicken sandwich and threw away the bun. I was proud of her.
Her other challenge is to have fresh produce. She has a tiny mini fridge, about big enough for 8 cans of soda. Also, 18 wheelers are not welcome to park anywhere other than a truck stop - so it is difficult for her to even go to a regular market. So she lets her husband drop her off to shop and he drives around until she is done. So she buys produce that does not have to be refrigerated, and washes them in a plastic tub and eats them when she can. She is eating an apple three times a day as instructed. The pectin in the apple will offset the fat in the trucker food somewhat and she gets a point for each.
Really Walmart... and you other big stores. Can't truckers park long enough to shop in your stores?
I have asked her to avoid bread, sugar, fried foods, sodas and bagged snacks (like chips and candy) like the plague. All of those are negative points. The more offensive, the more negative the points. Every vegetable or fruit is one point each. Lean meats are one point, not to exceed 6 oz. Dairy products are all pretty much negative but I will give 1 pt for skim milk, 1 oz of cheese or a laughing cow cheese. Nuts are 1 point. Water is 1 point for every 8 ounces.
Basically the whole thing about the point system is to strive for 25 points a day. If you do 20 one day and 30 the next, that works. It literally forces you to do veggies, fruits and water to get your points.
You can get points for lean meats, fish and chicken - or for something like rice and beans. Everything sugar, artificial, fried, preserved, cured (like bacon) or otherwise full of fat pulls you the other way.
Since this is a totally new approach, I am having to make decisions of the points on some things as we go.
A real challenge for my trucker is to eliminate the bread as bread is the main ingredient in every sandwich, hamburger, burrito, etc. She can't eliminate it completely the way we did on our detox, but she can cut back as much as possible. She got a grilled chicken sandwich and threw away the bun. I was proud of her.
Her other challenge is to have fresh produce. She has a tiny mini fridge, about big enough for 8 cans of soda. Also, 18 wheelers are not welcome to park anywhere other than a truck stop - so it is difficult for her to even go to a regular market. So she lets her husband drop her off to shop and he drives around until she is done. So she buys produce that does not have to be refrigerated, and washes them in a plastic tub and eats them when she can. She is eating an apple three times a day as instructed. The pectin in the apple will offset the fat in the trucker food somewhat and she gets a point for each.
Really Walmart... and you other big stores. Can't truckers park long enough to shop in your stores?
Saturday, September 24, 2011
New plan
Harry and I recently went to Florida for a nice vacation. During that time we were on a c-seafood diet. We ate all of the seafood we could see. Old joke, but people do it every day. We went to the grocery store the first day there and bought some fruit, cheese, nuts, water and healthy snacks. We had a fridge in the room and we kept it full the whole time. The hotel served breakfast everyday. We went out to eat every day during the heat of the day. We enjoyed the beach in the late afternoon and ate our goodies in the hotel in the evening as we watched the ocean from our balcony.
We were there to rest and take in the beauty of the ocean.
At the end of it all, we both gained about 8 pounds. We know we cannot eat with wild abandon like that but it was vacation after all! Now that we are back, we are HUNGRY all the time. Eating like we did proved my point that additives are applied to restaurant and take out food to add to the flavor. We probably ate a LOT of MSG. I think it is addictive.
It proved my final point, that the more you eat out, the more you want to eat.
In spite of it all, we are still taking our brewers yeast-lecithin-protein shake every day as well as our Juice-Plus supplements. We still feel pretty darn good from a diet we were only on for 6 weeks.
We have been crazy busy since that 6 weeks. While we have not completely dropped our new lifestyle of eating healthy, we have challenged it more than we would like. As I said before, healthy eating takes planning and preparation! The first thing that upsets your routine completely unravels the diet. We have so little time at home during the week that we have to spend time on the weekend getting prepared. If we don't, then we go through the whole week trying to eat as good as we can from what is available.
I have to admit, if I cannot follow the plan then it is not a good plan. Everyone else is as busy as we are. I have my grandsons over twice a week and they totally disrupt our routine. So what about the people who have their children all the time? My plan has to work for them too. This has been something I have been thinking about for awhile. How to make it all work!
We have so many things stacked against us. You cannot even buy a sandwich in America without it being made with white flour. Even if it is called wheat, it is just dyed white flour. Exceptions like bread made with sprouted wheat germ and stone ground wheat would certainly be an exception but not available at a sandwich shop. So basically, take out is a negative strike on the diet with very little exception. Any convenience food is a negative strike. Restaurant food may be a rise above, but the food is loaded with extra fat and additives. It is a sure bet that any thing fried was fried in the cheapest oil the restaurant can buy. Even olive oil turns carcinegenic at the normal frying temp of 350, so you know the fried food is not a good thing. That was something we thought about quite a bit in Florida as we munched our fried fish and chips. (Yes, I can hear you!)
Again, I say in spite of our transgressions, we are STILL a lot healthier because of the 6 weeks that we were totally dedicated to the plan. So, even if we cannot do it ALL the time, it is important to strive to do it as much as possible.
I have a challenger. My first guinea pig who approached me with a challenge is going to start on my new plan. Harry and I will start it on 10/3 and I may tweak it here and there, but I think it will work. Guinea, so I don't use her real name, basically lives on the road. She has to be the ultimate challenge because she certainly does not have a kitchen in the truck. She is at the mercy of convenience foods and restaurants. The idea of the plan is to give yourself a fighting chance and then "do it right" as much as you can.
Rule 1 - Have a health shake in the morning. Mix one serving each of Brewer's Yeast, Lecithin granules and protein powder with almond milk, stevia, cinnamon, and a banana. The protein powder should be one without a lot of additives or sugar. A protein shake is 3 points.
Rule 2 - With every meal, eat the protein first. If that is not possible, then take a carb blocker like white bean extract. Try to take it at least 15 minutes before the meal. A carb blocker is 1 point.
Rule 3 - With every meal, END it with a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable. Eating the "bad stuff" raised your pleasure center. So you associate your pleasure to the meal. If the last thing you taste is a bite of crisp apple, then that apple will be connected to your sense of pleasure as well. Furthermore, an apple has pectin which will offset the fat from the meal. My guinea pig is going to eat a small apple after every meal because it will be the easiest to get. Every fruit or vegetable is 1 point.
Rule 4 - I am not ruling out meat, chicken or poultry. However limit the portions to 3 to 6 oz and select from the leanest cuts available. It is best to choose from broiled, poached, grilled or baked and go light on the sauces that accompany them. A 3 to 6 oz portion as described is 1 point. More than 6 oz is -3.
Fried ANYTHING is -5. Count 1 eggs as one serving of lean protein. 1 point.
Rule 5 - Limit cheese to 1 oz a serving. I am still not advocating dairy, but use skim milk and the lower fat varieties. Use butter rather than margarine. Check out almond milk as a terrific alternative. I don't really want to give plus points for this, but I will say -3 for every serving over 3 oz a day total, -2 for margarine. -3 for any high fat serving of dairy.
Rule 6 - Ok, you really have to stick with this one. Limit sugar! Try even to omit it! Looks at the sugar in your dairy products, it is very high which is probably the reason that dairy is not a good choice. -5 for any serving of sugar. Give Stevia a try!
Rule 7 - When you eat simple carbs like pasta and bread, try to turn it into a complex carb by eating beans or nuts with it. Remember to eat it last and protein first. Simple carbs are -3 points per serving. Complex are 1 point per serving.
Rule 8 - Incorporate as many fruits and vegetables as you can. Try every day to eat every color of the rainbow. The color is indicative of the kind of nutrients you are eating. Shouldn't be all green. Each fruit or vegetable is one point.
Rule 9 - Drink water. Every 8 oz is 1 point!
So what is this point system? You want to hit 25 points a day or average 175 a week.
So what does this look like?
Health shake 3
8 8oz glasses of water 8
Breakfast:
2 eggs (poached or boiled) 1
1 slice wheat toast with butter -3
(if this was almond butter,
it would be complex and then
count as 1 point.
1 fresh orange 1
Lunch
Grilled chicken breast 4 oz 1
Green salad with tomato, cucumber,
bell pepper, red cabbage,
radishes and celery 7
Vinegarette dressing with lemon 1
(I will always give 1 point
for vinegar, lemon or lime).
1 apple 1
Iced tea with no sugar 0
Dinner
6 oz grilled salmon fillet 1
Lemon on the side for the fish 1
Steamed brocolli & cauliflower 2
Rice pilaf with almonds, 4
cannelli beans, spinach, 1oz
grated cheese.
1 slice french bread with garlic -3
1 wedge of honeydew melon 1
Total 26 points
I will add more examples as we gear up on this. I am sure there will be questions on the way. I am not including high fat snacks, cokes, etc because I simply don't use them but I am sure guinea will. Probably -5 a pop, but we will see.
We were there to rest and take in the beauty of the ocean.
At the end of it all, we both gained about 8 pounds. We know we cannot eat with wild abandon like that but it was vacation after all! Now that we are back, we are HUNGRY all the time. Eating like we did proved my point that additives are applied to restaurant and take out food to add to the flavor. We probably ate a LOT of MSG. I think it is addictive.
It proved my final point, that the more you eat out, the more you want to eat.
In spite of it all, we are still taking our brewers yeast-lecithin-protein shake every day as well as our Juice-Plus supplements. We still feel pretty darn good from a diet we were only on for 6 weeks.
We have been crazy busy since that 6 weeks. While we have not completely dropped our new lifestyle of eating healthy, we have challenged it more than we would like. As I said before, healthy eating takes planning and preparation! The first thing that upsets your routine completely unravels the diet. We have so little time at home during the week that we have to spend time on the weekend getting prepared. If we don't, then we go through the whole week trying to eat as good as we can from what is available.
I have to admit, if I cannot follow the plan then it is not a good plan. Everyone else is as busy as we are. I have my grandsons over twice a week and they totally disrupt our routine. So what about the people who have their children all the time? My plan has to work for them too. This has been something I have been thinking about for awhile. How to make it all work!
We have so many things stacked against us. You cannot even buy a sandwich in America without it being made with white flour. Even if it is called wheat, it is just dyed white flour. Exceptions like bread made with sprouted wheat germ and stone ground wheat would certainly be an exception but not available at a sandwich shop. So basically, take out is a negative strike on the diet with very little exception. Any convenience food is a negative strike. Restaurant food may be a rise above, but the food is loaded with extra fat and additives. It is a sure bet that any thing fried was fried in the cheapest oil the restaurant can buy. Even olive oil turns carcinegenic at the normal frying temp of 350, so you know the fried food is not a good thing. That was something we thought about quite a bit in Florida as we munched our fried fish and chips. (Yes, I can hear you!)
Again, I say in spite of our transgressions, we are STILL a lot healthier because of the 6 weeks that we were totally dedicated to the plan. So, even if we cannot do it ALL the time, it is important to strive to do it as much as possible.
I have a challenger. My first guinea pig who approached me with a challenge is going to start on my new plan. Harry and I will start it on 10/3 and I may tweak it here and there, but I think it will work. Guinea, so I don't use her real name, basically lives on the road. She has to be the ultimate challenge because she certainly does not have a kitchen in the truck. She is at the mercy of convenience foods and restaurants. The idea of the plan is to give yourself a fighting chance and then "do it right" as much as you can.
Rule 1 - Have a health shake in the morning. Mix one serving each of Brewer's Yeast, Lecithin granules and protein powder with almond milk, stevia, cinnamon, and a banana. The protein powder should be one without a lot of additives or sugar. A protein shake is 3 points.
Rule 2 - With every meal, eat the protein first. If that is not possible, then take a carb blocker like white bean extract. Try to take it at least 15 minutes before the meal. A carb blocker is 1 point.
Rule 3 - With every meal, END it with a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable. Eating the "bad stuff" raised your pleasure center. So you associate your pleasure to the meal. If the last thing you taste is a bite of crisp apple, then that apple will be connected to your sense of pleasure as well. Furthermore, an apple has pectin which will offset the fat from the meal. My guinea pig is going to eat a small apple after every meal because it will be the easiest to get. Every fruit or vegetable is 1 point.
Rule 4 - I am not ruling out meat, chicken or poultry. However limit the portions to 3 to 6 oz and select from the leanest cuts available. It is best to choose from broiled, poached, grilled or baked and go light on the sauces that accompany them. A 3 to 6 oz portion as described is 1 point. More than 6 oz is -3.
Fried ANYTHING is -5. Count 1 eggs as one serving of lean protein. 1 point.
Rule 5 - Limit cheese to 1 oz a serving. I am still not advocating dairy, but use skim milk and the lower fat varieties. Use butter rather than margarine. Check out almond milk as a terrific alternative. I don't really want to give plus points for this, but I will say -3 for every serving over 3 oz a day total, -2 for margarine. -3 for any high fat serving of dairy.
Rule 6 - Ok, you really have to stick with this one. Limit sugar! Try even to omit it! Looks at the sugar in your dairy products, it is very high which is probably the reason that dairy is not a good choice. -5 for any serving of sugar. Give Stevia a try!
Rule 7 - When you eat simple carbs like pasta and bread, try to turn it into a complex carb by eating beans or nuts with it. Remember to eat it last and protein first. Simple carbs are -3 points per serving. Complex are 1 point per serving.
Rule 8 - Incorporate as many fruits and vegetables as you can. Try every day to eat every color of the rainbow. The color is indicative of the kind of nutrients you are eating. Shouldn't be all green. Each fruit or vegetable is one point.
Rule 9 - Drink water. Every 8 oz is 1 point!
So what is this point system? You want to hit 25 points a day or average 175 a week.
So what does this look like?
Health shake 3
8 8oz glasses of water 8
Breakfast:
2 eggs (poached or boiled) 1
1 slice wheat toast with butter -3
(if this was almond butter,
it would be complex and then
count as 1 point.
1 fresh orange 1
Lunch
Grilled chicken breast 4 oz 1
Green salad with tomato, cucumber,
bell pepper, red cabbage,
radishes and celery 7
Vinegarette dressing with lemon 1
(I will always give 1 point
for vinegar, lemon or lime).
1 apple 1
Iced tea with no sugar 0
Dinner
6 oz grilled salmon fillet 1
Lemon on the side for the fish 1
Steamed brocolli & cauliflower 2
Rice pilaf with almonds, 4
cannelli beans, spinach, 1oz
grated cheese.
1 slice french bread with garlic -3
1 wedge of honeydew melon 1
Total 26 points
I will add more examples as we gear up on this. I am sure there will be questions on the way. I am not including high fat snacks, cokes, etc because I simply don't use them but I am sure guinea will. Probably -5 a pop, but we will see.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
What added hormones can do
I was thinking the other day about the added hormones that are used to fatten the animals we eat. We all know that estrogen is added to the beef and chicken but is that all? I was thinking about that. If estrogen is the only hormone added to make an animal fat before it's time, then every woman in the world would be obese. While that might be true in America where 80% of the population is obese, we are not the only country that eats meat. (Maybe we ARE the only country that eats meat tainted with hormones).
Anyway, I was thinking about other hormones like that secreted from the pituitary gland. That hormone dictates growth of our bodies (among other things). So what if they are using that too?
Every cell in the body has a spot for each hormone the body needs. Estrogen is one and the pituitary hormone would have to be another. There are things we eat or ingest that mimic the hormone. The thyroid, another hormone that dictates growth, can be replaced easily by synthetic estrogen, soy or hormones in the amimal protein we eat. As a result, our body does not actually get the thyroid hormone, but this other imposter. What it does to our bodies is hard to tell.
This is not theory (except for my idea about the pituitary gland). I think it is no coincidence that 1 in 5 people have thyroid disease by the time they hit 40 in this country. I think there is a definite link between obesity and the hormones in the animal protein we eat. Couple that with the useless over abundance of white flour products, sugar, corn and corn syrup products and we are a fat nation that is quite literally starving to death.
How can a fat person be starving? The nutritional value in our food is sorely lacking. Taking vitamins is really not an answer because we should get a complex of vitamins in our food. When you see lettuce with rust stains or celery with huge cracks, you are looking at food that is lacking in the nutrients that otherwise make it healthy.
I read a chapter out of Adelle Davis's book, Let's Eat To Keep Fit. It was published in the late 60's. She talked about how food grown in healthy soil is disease resistant as well as pest resistant. Basically what she is saying is that if the industries paid more attention to putting compost back into the soil to enrich the quality, they could cut back on pesticides and produce crops that enrich our bodies. Instead, we have our food grown in poor soil, bathed in insecticides that get into the soil and basically become part of everything we eat. Insecticides are KNOWN carginegens.
So in addition to adding hormones to our food which affects us in ways we can't comprehend, our produce is basically carcinegenic. What's left are over processed foods that are full of preservatives and chemically engineered to have a shelf life for several months or even years.
Nothing I am writing about is news to anyone. It is not something you can't find on the internet. I think people just do not think about it much. We have become complacent about our food. You can eat better in this country if you have the money to do so, but organically grown or hormone free food costs quite a bit more. Short of growing your own, it is tough to know for sure what you are getting.
The lobby system in this country is broken. Basically the giant industries own our government and dictate our country. We have congressmen and senators that are paid millions by these industries (regardless what they say and that it is illegal). The government has not been interested in the health and welfare of the American people for decades. The only way for the people to have a voice is to unite and have their own group that can lobby along with the big boys. The only other way is to uniformly boycott products and force them to change to meet demand.
I should start such a group called Pursuit of a New America. Members should unite in causes that benefit our food and our health in this ocuntry. I would love to hear from anyone who thinks this is a good idea.
Anyway, I was thinking about other hormones like that secreted from the pituitary gland. That hormone dictates growth of our bodies (among other things). So what if they are using that too?
Every cell in the body has a spot for each hormone the body needs. Estrogen is one and the pituitary hormone would have to be another. There are things we eat or ingest that mimic the hormone. The thyroid, another hormone that dictates growth, can be replaced easily by synthetic estrogen, soy or hormones in the amimal protein we eat. As a result, our body does not actually get the thyroid hormone, but this other imposter. What it does to our bodies is hard to tell.
This is not theory (except for my idea about the pituitary gland). I think it is no coincidence that 1 in 5 people have thyroid disease by the time they hit 40 in this country. I think there is a definite link between obesity and the hormones in the animal protein we eat. Couple that with the useless over abundance of white flour products, sugar, corn and corn syrup products and we are a fat nation that is quite literally starving to death.
How can a fat person be starving? The nutritional value in our food is sorely lacking. Taking vitamins is really not an answer because we should get a complex of vitamins in our food. When you see lettuce with rust stains or celery with huge cracks, you are looking at food that is lacking in the nutrients that otherwise make it healthy.
I read a chapter out of Adelle Davis's book, Let's Eat To Keep Fit. It was published in the late 60's. She talked about how food grown in healthy soil is disease resistant as well as pest resistant. Basically what she is saying is that if the industries paid more attention to putting compost back into the soil to enrich the quality, they could cut back on pesticides and produce crops that enrich our bodies. Instead, we have our food grown in poor soil, bathed in insecticides that get into the soil and basically become part of everything we eat. Insecticides are KNOWN carginegens.
So in addition to adding hormones to our food which affects us in ways we can't comprehend, our produce is basically carcinegenic. What's left are over processed foods that are full of preservatives and chemically engineered to have a shelf life for several months or even years.
Nothing I am writing about is news to anyone. It is not something you can't find on the internet. I think people just do not think about it much. We have become complacent about our food. You can eat better in this country if you have the money to do so, but organically grown or hormone free food costs quite a bit more. Short of growing your own, it is tough to know for sure what you are getting.
The lobby system in this country is broken. Basically the giant industries own our government and dictate our country. We have congressmen and senators that are paid millions by these industries (regardless what they say and that it is illegal). The government has not been interested in the health and welfare of the American people for decades. The only way for the people to have a voice is to unite and have their own group that can lobby along with the big boys. The only other way is to uniformly boycott products and force them to change to meet demand.
I should start such a group called Pursuit of a New America. Members should unite in causes that benefit our food and our health in this ocuntry. I would love to hear from anyone who thinks this is a good idea.
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