Back to blogging

Trying to get back into the groove... this time for Ramadan - check out the blog just for this month (will be trying to add a post daily, or at least 5 per week): http://bloggingramadan.blogspot.com/

Vegan?

Watched the free Netflix show about "why to be a vegan" and i almost bought it. There were too many facts to avoid .. cholesterol causing one of the leading causes of death in America (CDC), and the fact that cholesterol only comes from meat and fiber only comes from plants.

Now, watching "Forks not Knives" - also on Netflix - unbelievable PROOF that meat and dairy products are causing the American healthcare crisis. The "American diet" is appalling and the damage it does directly can be seen in science described in the film.

Basically, that heart disease and cancer EXACTLY match the amount of meat consumption in each of the countries studied. In fact, eating a plant-based diet significantly reduce ALL of the following issues:

diabetes,

hypertension,

chronic fatigue,

dandruff,

anxiety,

depression,

degenerative diseases,

cancer,cancer,

cancer... the list goes on (where we spend the most money - many times the defense budget - is on health care in America) and we are the "richest" and "free-est" country there is?

Talk about quality of life! This can also be seen in the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" - did I mention I love NetFlix? - which made me go out and buy a juicer. Of course, when you take the fiber out by juicing, you have to add fiber back in - I use this Acacia Fiber:

..and it works just great (i whisk it directly into the juice and drink right away).

Anyhoos, have had some trouble losing motivation and have slipped back into the sugar cycle.. and watch my weight go back to 202 from 198.3!! egads. Also just feeling blah and fat - i can feel it in my face and waist areas most and think that it just may be time for an all plant based diet. Watching all of the statistics linking poor diet to poor health, I just may be able to stick to it..

Motivation

I still crave the sugar. And I give in all the time. Sometimes, it seems to "own" me less if I just eat it and move on - just try the cookie and then it will stop staring. Most of the time, it is not as good as I think it will be. Most of the time, my cravings and imaginings taste better in my mind than the actual food does once I just eat it. Now, I can walk down the candy aisle and not really get pulled by the magnetism of my former love. Chocolate? No problem. Don't need it. Andes mints? Can live without 'em. It's almost like I am too busy for eating, like I have to find time just to nourish myself, and when I do, it is just for actual food, not sugar and "cardboard" fluff like McDonald's hamburger buns.

Not to say that I am not eating things I shouldn't, but looking at the motivation behind it, there is less of a 'need' and more of an apathy.. Like, I don't need it, but I would LIKE it, and if nobody is watching.. what would it hurt? I notice that telling people that I am "quitting carbs" was enough to make it unthinkable to eat them in front of anyone. That makes it easier to avoid in the light of day, and then at night I sneak a cupcake or a pot of noodles.. What will it take for me to be motivated internally and not rely on others to avoid the junk? When will my own well-being be enough motivation?

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

A couple of movies have really hit home recently - thank you, Netflix. In particular, I just finished watching the movie, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead about extreme health issues caused by obesity and poor diet being completely cured through an all-juice fast (under doctor supervision). I am sold. It might actually be more carbs for me than usual - apples and other fruits are added for taste, and nutrition, but it may be worth it. After all, the health and energy increases for these guys was amazing - cholesterol, weight, diebetes/blood sugar, and the crazy health side effects like migraines all getting under control.

I have already seen Fast Food Nation and countless recent documentaries on food production and consumption - and have been convinced that food is where we (as a country and communities and individuals) need to focus. Both from a health/nutrition standpoint as well as an economic one - the oil it takes to produce and ship our food around the world is getting depleted, but I digress.

This show has pushed buttons for me - and I have a juicer on loan with a friend (Linda, who is holding the strawberry shortcake in the last post) and now I want it back. I was going to be fasting next month anyway (already doctor-approved), so this may be an opportunity to combine the efforts of fasting with the energy and nutrition of juicing. The main reason stated in the movie (and also online at http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/) was stated as "nobody would eat that many vegetables four times a day" - so juice it. This makes sense for fasting to me, because I have had trouble in past fasting eating enough at night to get me through the day. This may be just the ticket. My goal today is to get the juicer back and buy some veggies.

This is a basic "mean green" recipe:

kale leaves - 6

cucumber - 1

celery sticks - 4

green apples - 2

lemon - 1/2

ginger - 1 pc

optional: parsley and/or spinach with less kale

{ image source }

Now, I have less trouble actually eating these vegetables - and have some kale salad and broccoli already made in the fridge, but I also have 3 weeks to prepare for fasting, and that sounds like a challenge to me.

New Goal: add juicing to current low-carb diet in preparation for fasting next month (August).

Current Goal: drop weight to 195 pre-fast (By July 30th, 2011).

Strawberry disaster-cake

Ok, so the great unveiling of the great dessert of June 2011 is going to be a letdown. In short, it was pretty much the worst strawberry shortcake I ever had. The strawberries were far from sweet and the "cake" was more like a biscuit or a scone - hard and dry. Looks like I will need to be more picky next time (by the next day I had already decided on chocolate cheesecake for next month).

But it was such a letdown, I was not sure about keeping up my progress. That night, I had some spaghetti with butter and Parmesan - not exactly a low-carb choice. Now what I noticed most about the "cheat" was that I still ate less pasta than before I started cutting carbs. One cup was more than I should have had, but not as much as I once would have - probably three times as much. Unfortunately, I made a few other bad choices, like popcorn and Coke and the movies. Twice. Again, I did not seem to eat as much as normal, and what would have once been nowhere-near-enough was now plenty to feel satisfied (and not too guilty for cheating).

Now that I was eating better and feeling good, I had to keep it up. 8 pounds was not enough - this has to become a lifestyle choice. So I made more kale salad, roasted broccoli and declared myself back on track. This is going to take continued effort, I can see..

I want a Pepsi!!!!

Bad cravings! down!

When did I decide to allow myself one strawberry shortcake? Right after I saw the sign "Strawberry Shortcake Festival June 26th". That's when..

THEN I told my doctor. She said it was a great idea, and it was settled. Every month (or maybe every two weeks, or three), I will set a goal and decide on something delicious. Do I already know what I am going to eat next dessert? Yes, why yes I do. Going to find a delectable chocolate cheesecake somewhere and plan it well in advance.

Somehow, the idea that I am waiting, or "saving up" my carbs has allowed me to say no to many a lemonade or cookie. Mostly, I have learned that the 'ordinary' sugars just aren't that exciting if you have to choose one per month. Why would I have a McDonald's milkshake, for instance, when I could have a chocolate eclair from a real French bakery? One must be more creative if you only get one.. which means you can easily pass by that bowl of candy at reception or the free sodas at work.

The only real temptation has been a homemade fudge brownie, with a layer of peanut butter and then a layer of chocolate on top - the idea that I would never have another chance to have that particular delicacy. The KitKat, although it looks good, is something you can always have again, but the special items, those are the hardest.

Last night, I almost had a cookie. So I brushed my teeth. Can't eat after you brush your teeth! I noticed I really craved a Pepsi or Coke just a few minutes after dinner. It must be the blood-sugar level drops due to the insulin released after we eat (and the blood-sugar rises). The insulin causes a "crash" and we crave more.. the dreaded cycle. I got through the immediate desire, and now I am good again. Just want some water now. Whew!

Carb Cuttin

It's time. This time, for real. It's time to stop this suicide by food mission and get a grip. My doctor asked me to give up sugar. Not just cookies and fudge - no - all forms of sugar. Bread, pasta, grains - you name it. Don't remember how long before it was not enough to keep me from that afternoon Pepsi, and before long, it was an all-out calorie fest.

7 months pass and she is sending me emails and suggesting we catch up. Uh. Yeah - that whole me-not-eating-sugar thing? Didn't work out. Sorry. But then she told me that she was addicted to sugar, too, and she just happened to be giving up carbs that very day.

Fine. I will try again - this time we'll do it. I really will roast vegetables and eat protein for breakfast and not eat anything with sugar. I can do this. I am strong. Send me recipes and I'll get to the grocery store and stock up on the right things and throw out all my lovely carbs. 2 weeks later and we meet again - she says I am doing better than she is! I wonder if that's true or if I am embellishing my story.

Haven't gone a day without a few pieces of fruit. Lesson one: never buy a huge watermelon which you will then have to cut up on a hot day for your loved ones while totally avoiding.. hah. NOT going to happen. A handful of grapes, blueberries - cleaned a whole 2 pints and only ate a dozen or so, some goldfish crackers, a half slice of honey wheat bread.. mmmm. Never went a day without "messing up" and still my sugar intake was cut down 80 or 90%.

Now, we are in it for the long haul. Sharing recipes, strategies, tricks, tips, whatever gets you through the day. She wanted me to write down my experiences, so I can look back. "You will forget" she says, "so write it down now, so that you can look back."

Ok, here goes. Haven't been under 195 lbs since I was 20, and I was in shape in college - at least as much as ever. Was at 211 prior to starting, then 208, then 211 again (week 1) and then 208 (week 2). Not looking for drastic change, here, just simple long-term patterns that create a major shift in quality of life - I hope.