Thread for those who are trying to eat "better"

[Octopus37]

Following on from yesterdays thread "Do I eat too much", which I posted on, I was unsurprising told that what I eat is crap. Have been feeling pretty crap the last few weeks, not enough energy low libido, sluggish, wound up, down - so have decided to see if changing my eating habits can shift things a bit. I'm not overweigh 5ft5, 8st6lbs, (slightly on the heavy side for me), but would be pleased if I did loose a few pounds, trying not to make weight the focus. Have decided to take a vitamin pill with iron every day, last year had v low ferratin levels so had to take iron tablets for a while. I'm not promising to do well every day and cut out sugar completely as I feel that I would be destined to fail. However, I am going to try to I improve. Today have eaten:
1 pack of Belvita biscuits
1 Actvia extra creamy yoghurt
1 large apple
1 Danone (high protein yoghurt)
3 Oatcakes
Some cashew nuts
I am planning on sweet chilli chicken & rice (ready meal cause of money diet) with some stir fried veg for tea and plan to eat some red grapes afterwards. Also may have some sort of a treat on school run. Also aim is to replace the Belvita biscuits with oatcakes for breakfast and maybe eat them with some cheese. Know I'm not doing perfectly but I am making an effort. Buddies welcome.

Yes, I would like to lose weight but I don't, not even a little ... In spite of having totally cut out sweets, biscuits, sugar (apart from natural sugar present in fruit). I am totally baffled why I don't lose weight ...

Hello!
I am really excited about this thread as I have recently been googling 'eating healthy forum' but pretty much everything that comes up is tied to losing weight.

I do not want to lose weight, I am 5ft3 and 7stone12lb. I am focussing on educating myself on how diet affects health. I am making my way through The China Study and I have watched half of Forks over Knives (need to finish it!). From what I have learnt already, I have adopted a 100% vegetarian, mostly vegan and trying to cut down on gluten massively (not eating pasta or rice, and buying only gluten free bread).

I really would love to hear from others who are attempting something similar. When I try to talk to my friends they equate it to a weight loss diet but this is totally different.

(Sorry, I could not read the entire thread as on my phone at work so someone may have mentioned this already)

I am starting my shopping list and added almonds to it. Feta, (have Los of chick peas to use with feta). So if protein is imp then maybe cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt.
Eggs, spinach, pesto to make frittata for lunches.

I realise this goes against your aim crisps

I find that my blood sugar drops rapidly so then I reach out for chocolate, anything sugary. Would low gi goods help this?

Hi Rummikub

I do not have a sweet tooth at all and during the process of going vegan I have not craved chocolate at all. It is the thought of cheese which makes me falter slightly. Saying that, I've been good enough not to have any cheese for a month now. Anyway, I was looking for foods which are low on the glycemic index using this website www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Carbohydrate/Getting-to-know-the-Glycemic-Index.aspx#.UvhlI1Fho20

As you can see, apples are quite low down and I find apples very sweet to taste so maybe they will satisfy your sugary craving? Another alternative to 'junk food' is to make your own sweet potato fries instead of using oven chips. Just an idea.

So I finished watching Forks over Knives tonight and I urge everyone to watch it. Such an education. The way diseases can be halted and reversed through diet is knowledge that I think we should all be enriched with. I streamed it though the alluc website (I don't have netflix or a dvd player)

Thanks for the link crisps

I had to go on a v restricted diet recently, no choc, or dairy. I found that I missed cheese a lot and not chocolate. So I realised that I use it as a quick fix, esp when I feel my blood sugar dipping (not diabetic, but I get the hypo symptoms).

Love, have you been dieting, or even eating regularly as the day you describe for some time? It is possible to be EFA or protein deficient, particularly if you are restricting calories (intentionally or not). Symptoms of these include poor nails, dry or oily skin and hair, fatigue...a multitude of other complaints, including an inability to lose weight. So just adding in EFA's and protein may cause a shift in a fairly short time . You didn't say if you really need to lose it though? There is also often a difference between the model 'ideal' that we are constantly sold and our own healthy weight .

Rummi I would definitely try low GI and good snacks to try and help stop you hitting that low and reaching for the chocolate.

Crisps, the China Study is compelling isn't it. Also epigenetics (changing the behaviour of our genes through diet and lifestyle) is amazing stuff. The China Study has it's detractors though (as with all nutrition theories ). Many people do amazingly well on a vegan diet and kudos to you for going for it. I would just say to remember to listen to your body. Many people feel fantastic as vegans for years, even maybe a decade or more, but suddenly start getting sick and craving meat/animal products, they find they actually need it. I am more of a mind that there is no one perfect diet for everyone, not even one for each of us for all of our lives. We need to keep that in mind and pay attention, and experiment, whilst also considering how sustainable we feel a certain regime is for us .

Very interested in epigenetics. Going to have a look at that link later.

About to have breakfast. Trying to decide between scrambled egg with rye bread or porridge with berries and seeds.

Thanks for the link Crisps - I will have a read of that later.

I had scrambled egg for breakfast and I'm now munching on some melon and natural yogurt.

What is everyone having for lunch? I need some inspiration. I need lots of protein because I'm going for a 5 mile run this evening finished off with the 30 day shred! EEEEK I need fuel.

Well I have an embarrassing question. How the Jeff do you poach an egg in the microwave?! I have those poach pods and used them as instructed in simmering water, and it worked, but they were a bit watery and it took ages

I thought I could use the silicon things to do them in the microwave but I'm not sure if they'd blow up - do any of you do this? Do I have to pierce the yolk first?

For lunch I'll be finishing off some potato salad (I don't know why I crave it sometimes, considering when I bother making it myself it is SO much nicer?!) and naice ham and salad veggies. I only just had breakfast though because I messed up the first lot of eggs and may have burnt the toast too

Dinner will just be some filled pasta that I was craving last week. I had some of it last night but found half a pack too much (how times have changed!). I also didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. I'm tempted to try making it myself some time - I guess I'd use lasagne sheets?

I've got so used to convenience foods - even for stuff I made easily myself like pasta sauce - in the last year or two as so much has been going on (various illness/injury) but I'm now just really wanting to try making more myself. It's like my palette has suddenly changed to reject anything processed.

Except chocolate. I can't see that changing :o

Had scrambled egg on toasted rye for breakfast and then a small bowl of muesli (100% natural, no added sugar) with blueberries and added some mixed seeds for good measure.

Thinking of cutting some dairy out and switching to almond milk for some things. Although I'm not keen on the added salt. Can't have soya milk.

Lunch is just tuna salad. Partly why I had extra at breakfast.

Baked potato and prawns with avocado this evening. Will think of something else to add.

And I am sure I slept better last night. Might be a coincidence. We'll see.

Frugal-microwave poachers are awful and explode!

Use a shallow pan with a lid and bring water up to the boil, crack an egg into a mug with a drop of vinegar, then drop egg into water, put lid on and turn the heat OFF and leave for 3 or 4 mins.

I had avocado, cherry tomatoes and chilli with lemon and olive oil on a slice of granary toast for breakfast, wanted something light before yoga. Now I'm back I am going to raid the fridge for watercress, tomatoes, beetroot, hard boiled eggs, a little tin of tuna in olive oil, maybe some cannellini beans...

Coumarin, try oat milk? You can get an unsalted version.

I didn't know that Rummi thanks, I will.

I can't poach an egg to save my life. I've tried those yellow silicone things but they take forever. Luckily DH makes a mean poached egg but it's annoying I can't seem to grasp it.

I gave up trying to do it just in water because it always breaks apart and tastes like vinegar! I think we don't have a wide enough pan really.

You don't need a big pan, or vinegar - have the eggs as fresh as possible and at room temp and turn the heat down to a gentile simmer so the egg doesn't break apart in the water. Breaking it into a cup first and sliding it in also helps.

or even a gentle simmer

Oops sorry, have just checked and there are two types of oatly oat milk, one with sea salt the other with 0.04g of sodium. I had to avoid sea salt which is why I thought the other was unsalted. It tastes nice though....

Lunch consisted of spinach, rocket, 2 hard boiled egg whites, 1/2 an avocado, 2 slices of turkey and a handful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds afterwards.

A client has popped in at lunchtime and left a bottle of Rioja for me. DO.NOT.DRINK.IT.CAPTAIN.

I am happy to share...virtually.

Lots of great ideas on here.
Breakfast I had natural yoghurt with blueberries, golden linseed and a few almonds.
Lunch was leftovers from last nights tea. Butternut squash, red pepper and chickpea risotto with a wee spoonful of creme fraiche (?sp) and it was surprisingly tasty! We had it with green salad last night. Very cheap and filling, might add some feta or chorizo next time if I remember to buy it!

I'm loving this thread! I always think that by cutting out certain foods all at once, you crave them more...well, I do at least. I've started my better eating plan by cutting back on the crap and junk food that I eat, so if I'd normally have two biscuits with a cup of tea I've been having one at most, usually none. I'm not finding it too difficult so far but I'm still allowing myself to eat a snack each day.

Yesterday I ate:
B - slice of whole meal toast with 1/3 can of beans and a poached egg.
L - chicken chasseur with brown rice
D - French bread pizza
Also had several cups of tea, a glass of lemonade, glass of water and bag of Burton's Fish and Chips crisp things. Not an ideal day but for me, not too bad.

Today I've had:
B - Same as yesterday - it's very filling and keeps me going until lunchtime.
L - Roast chicken breast on a bed of green beans, with half a dozen cherry tomatoes roasted in the oven with the chicken. I then had a cup of tea and bag of salt your own crisps.
D - Will be leftover chicken chasseur from yesterday with new potatoes and broccoli. Might do some carrots and/or peas too.
Not planning on having any more snacks.

Waitrose do a lovely bag of mixed roasted beans!