Something is sort of working its way round in my thinking. Some way in which, while I may or may not lose any weight, I will be eating foods that fuel my body and hopefully tax them minimally. I suppose you might think (if you ever seen me in person) it goes without saying that I am not a fan of dieting. But even were I a slender person, I would not be a fan. I believe that trying to embrace something that is artificial to oneself and one's environment tends not to result in long term success. I also have had my own best experiences with moderate weight loss, kept off for years at a time, by exercise and eating more real food. I am not an overeater, I am a bad selector with a finely honed taste for things that have a huge amount of fat and calories in even small portions (read truffles and salt and vinegar chips)
Yup, I said eat more real food. (Real food which we shall work on defining as this blog goes along, and hopefully in dialogue with others of you finding your eating "home"place) What I am thinking of as REAL food is aided by Michael Pollan's suggestion that we should buy things our grandmothers would recognise. (ok, since I am a grandmother and I recognize pop rocks and pez, this term might need broad application depending on your age, how about your great great granny?)
My thought about real food is that it doesn't have to be fancy, or expensive, it doesn't have to be labor intensive, though it will take more time than scarfing potato chips or chocolate. I rarely eat what is called fast food unless you count the these.
I'm thinking along these lines, feedback please. Let's refine this together and please, some of you, who might benefit from a food tune up, please come along with me, I'd love company.
I'm thinking...
1. This is not a place for diet talk, self loathing, whinging or wining. The spirit I want to have here is that of "whoa girlie's and dudes, what amazing and yet simple food has sprung from the earth for us to enjoy and give thanks to God for."
2. This is not about calories/fat, though if you share a recipe that you love that has ways you have reduced the calories/fat naturally (ie not artificial sweetener) say that you cut the butter in half and it was plenty rich, then by all means do share.
3. For me, my healthiest weight and health and mindset has come from just eating real food, getting some exercises and following the principle, eat when you are hungry, eat consciously, mindfully, worshipfully if need be, and stop when you are full.(Full being "Not Hungry") It is always good to remind ourselves" hey, I'm comfortable now. I may just pop this second ear of corn in the fridge for a snack later." And yes, hay is for horses, it's their real food.
4. I struggle with snacking, with wanting to have something to sit down with the hubby with while watching a tv program. Even when I read a book I like a cuppa coffee or something treat like.(read "I can eat an entire Lindt chocolate bar in a chapter") I don't eat mass quantities(ok an entire Lindt bar is colorically speaking mass quantities but seriously, it's not that big), being practiced at always putting my food in bowls so I don't lose track of what I am eating, but any excess unburned unheathful food does add up for me, especially when my health troubles have rendered me bedridden at times.I am noting if you live like a snail you'll have to eat like one too. In response to this, I want to come up with ways to be satisfied with yummy AND good for you or at least home made or at least deliberately eaten, snacking, all three being the trifecta.
As a result, rather than try and just be more "moderate" for now with food that I know are hard to be moderate at, in the spirit of trying to eat REAL food for REAL hunger (which I have plenty of but won't be satisfied with junk) I want to try and just not buy the chips (fill in the blank with your own indulngence issues) right now, hence the "Cold Turkey" part of the title. I want to somewhat force myself to say "Boy I am starving, what can I eat to end the hunger that is good for my body?" I want to have planned ahead for said things. I intend to give myself liberty at how much I desire of healthful things knowing I won't tend to overindulge as long as I'm not feeling like I'm "dieting" or "restricted" Being restricted is a good thing, but some of us do better with looking at the cup as half full rather than half empty.
So...I intend to encourage comments and posting back, share your ideas and issues, please pass along any real food or whole food type sites you like. Disclaimer at the get go: If I put up a link for a food blog that happens to have a great recipe for something, please do not assume that I have actually seen anything on said site other than the recipe, I am not about to actually read and critique every food blog I snatch good eats from. If the author of said blog turns out to be a witch or serving life in prison, I'm not going to notice unless it's in the blog title. It's all blogs "offered to idols" to me. (1. Corinthians 8:1-13)
I intend to make lots of real food, sharing recipes and pictures as I go. I intend to cook more. (This can be a challenge with my health issues so I may have to go really simple or things you can eat again for days once made, like soup) I want to be real with you, about my real struggles, to find real food consistently.
A word about organic etc.
It is my personal belief that we are not helping ourselves or the world or animal husbandry by overuse of chemicals, anti-biotics or hormones. I don't believe you have to be a "lefty" to care about what you put into your body. What I do at this point..
1. Try to by local and in season.
2 Try to make more from scratch.
3. Read labels. The things I do work scrupulously to avoid are partially hydrogenated oils. I also try to compare ingredient lists on products and see which one's are the most recognizable vs chemical or complex.
4. I try to avoid excesses of chlorine and bleaching in flour, sugar, coffee filters and so on.
5. I will try to post a list here soon that highlights if you are going to spring for the extra cost of organic things, which is the biggest health bang for your buck.
6. My big thing this year has been to try and eat meats that are hormone and antibiotic free, this is getting easier and easier. I'd like my milk to be so too and am thinking about moving that way in butter. (Costco has organic butter now)
I still do plan to have sweets, (they don't tempt me to overdue the way salty things do) but I'm going to try and make it a priority that if they are here, they have been home-made and in small quantities. (ie my new blondie recipe is only for a 9x9 pan which is good, we don't need 9x13 of them) I will still keep some ice cream in the fridge for times when Glenn and I purposely sit down together to enjoy it as a treat. But I want to try and find more treats that aren't food either, like walks, or singing together, or dancing in the living room.
Ok, I don't plan to be this long on future days. Lest you think, Susan, isn't all this just a bit personal or self focused? A resounding yes, yes it is. I'm thinking of this as a diary with a little more pressure to keep it up. Hey, if you are a fellow saint, aren't you supposed to care about my health? (-: And maybe someone else who struggles with needing to eat more of what God put here for us to enjoy liberally vs what Lay's or Walkers made for us to enjoy moderately, might be encouraged.
Today's eatins...
Coffee 1/2 cup delicious home roasted Jamaican Blue and Colombian blend
Hormone and Antib-free beef patty on bun (I've not crossed over to whole wheat yet which might be an improvement but I thought, who knows what "whole wheat" means in a grocery store. I have had those Sara Lee one's that are like half and half white/wheat, and they were kinda nice, but I've not checked to see if they are any better for building health)
12 Almonds (on my way home from grocery store, needed to not be starving when I got home)
Cheddar cheese slice on burger.
Woke up hungry in middle of night, fixed to pieces of bread (Great Harvest) with real butter and on one of them I got the crazy idea to drizzle a little maple syrup. It wasn't much taste wise but it was good.
1 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch Blondie, home-made with walnuts
I'm not posting everything I eat, just what is an improved change for me. If you see nothing posted at all for eating, be afraid for me, it might mean I'm living on chips.
May you have a wonderful Lord's day filled with mindful eating and gladness!
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3 comments:
Hi Susan!
I'm impressed with your adventure and your public-ness of it! It can indeed be so helpful to solicit the input of others and just knowing someone walking on the same journey is helpful.
I could not recommend more highly the book Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver. It was EYE-OPENING! I read it like a novel, couldn't put it down and wished I lived on a farm! you don't have to live on a farm to implement her ideas, it just helps.
I also recommend looking for the books Home Cooking and More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin. I actually haven't read the first one but have the second one - LOVE IT - and therefore assume the first one is at least as good. They are actually essays on cooking which include recipes so it's like a book and a cookbook! I have been telling everyone about the super simple recipe for Black Bean soup in it. I am meaning to type it up to share so will do that shortly and let you know. Delicious, freezable and healthy!
I think one secret to your success - preparation! If you have meals prepared (or half prepared in advance) that are chock full of goodness, you will eat them. Same with snacks. I am going to make my own granola this week with a simple recipe I found, with cranberries and almonds, yum! I am also a SALTY SNaCKER! I say this with a bag of Zen Party Trail Mix next to me (I eat something salty every night)and believe it or not, as I opened your blog, I was eating my dinner of CANNED Corned Beef Hash! You know, the kind that looks like cat food? Yep, the very same. I had a good laugh! because I am trying to eat less processed foods as well and here I was eating that junk while reading your goals!
Back to snacks, I hope you like popcorn! That has been my snack salvation! I make it "from scratch" can you beleive it, a little oil and some kernels on the stove, then just some salt and no butter. Other things could be better healthwise but this isn't bad and can't be beat for satisfaction!
See, you're not the only long-winded one!
Enjoy the journey!
Laura
So how do you find food that fits all your descriptions? No anti-bodies, etc. etc. Love the new blog, I'll be an avid reader, especially with moving...
Ok, so every time I try to cook popcorn homemade, I burn it to bits and my house smells like a raging fire has broke out!
I am the worst when it comes to food right now. We eat out at fast food most of the time.
Good thing we're moving, since we'll be living at least an hour away from any fast food joints we are used to. My sister tells me that Silver Bay is ripe with fresh, fresh, fresh of everything. Not sure about that, but she's constantly picking some kind of berries from the forest near her (well I guess our) house.
So add "food change" to the list of new adventures on the horizon.
So see Susan, you are not alone in your journey, God in His good providence has made me a comrade!
:)
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