Come forward EatBetterers and unite - it's the second happy healthy eating thread!

[fuzzpig]

Here's the previous thread where it all began!

EatBetterers are trying to improve the diets of ourselves and our families. No weighing, restricting, calorie counting etc - just finding joy in nourishing ourselves by making positive changes one step at a time. All welcome! :)

Continuing to enjoy my new green smoothie habit (even if dh eyes them with disgust and incredulity - particularly this morning as I took the last banana which he wanted for breakfast! )
Weekend was not so healthy food-wise, although I did resist alcohol in spite of it being offered. Also took a lovely big salad and fruit as picnic food to an event yesterday instead of sandwiches, crisps and pork pies! So not bad, considering.

Goodness you lot have been chatty over the weekend! I've been busy working most of the w/e, now sitting at home and anticipating a very quiet week as DD1 (11) has gone off on a residential week, and DH is out most nights so it's just me and DD2 (7). I am going to have a great time decluttering!

I love a good de clutter

Ok so TMI but 80% of my pmt symptoms have disappeared, especially sugar cravings and anxiety/tearfulness. While I was cooking yesterday it suddenly struck me I had no idea when my period was, so I checked and due now. Usually I'd know through pmt symptoms. Really interesting and can only put it down to diet. Feel a bit head achey and tired but that's all. Felt a bit more peckish than usual so I made (smear of cream cheese) mini bagel with smoked salmon. Try not to snack normally but thought if I didn't eat something relatively healthy I'd be tempted by the biscuit tin.

I bought a proper pair of walking sandals today, they are so far from stylish it's ridiculous but I'm doing a mile a night now which is incredible,at xmas I could barely walk 5-10 mins but my leg strength has really improved so need decent foot wear if I'm going to increase it more.

How's everyone?

Hi Dame - that's great about the PMT and definitely has to be diet, I've seen it a lot. One client I asked to try an elimination diet emailed me 2-3 weeks into it to ask if she should visit the nurse about the fact that her usually shocking PMS seemed to have suddenly disappeared and she had been taken by surprise by AF arriving ! Made me laugh but shows what a difference diet makes to our hormones and how many horrible symptoms we often just accept as part of normal life. So pleased for you about that and the walking too, its brilliant. Also don't feel bad about the bagel, you are listening to your body and that is a good thing!

I've just discovered that if you add lemon juice and thyme to tinned tuna it tastes really nice, tuna in sunflower rather than brine

Wonder what Stephanie1977 was advertising? :o

Hi all, haven't posted recently but have been reading! Love all the food ideas.

Things have been OK, generally keeping to the new regime and DH commented that I had lost weight (and someone else said the same to him!). I have definitely been feeling more energetic.

I had a weekend 'off', we were going away with friends and camping so I decided to relax my rules just for the weekend, because it was easier, rather than packing different sorts of food for me.

So I had bread, white pasta, sugar, chips! and more alcohol than usual. I felt fine at the time, but this week haven't felt so good. I have gone back to my healthier eating diet now, but this week have had stomach cramps, and bloating, and tiredness. (One of the teachers at school asked if I was pregnant! Not again! What is it with the people at my school!).

I am not sure if this is due to the food I ate at the weekend, or if it is a monthly cycle thing, you may remember that one of my first posts was about the same thing - (maybe I should wear a NO BABY ON BOARD badge...). If it is the food, it would be useful to work out which food caused this... I am thinking of keeping a diary to try and pin it down whether I get this discomfort at the same time each month or after I eat certain foods.

Anyway it was an interesting experiment. Next time we go I will try and think of a way to incorporate healthier eating into the meals somehow.

Talking of food - last night made a lovely summer vegetable frittata with feta cheese. What will you all be eating this weekend?

Stephanie posted a link to a cook book that I expect she wrote

Don't-the people at your school seem very..erm..forward

I know they are! I would never ever ask anyone if they were pregnant unless I was really sure. Anyway there is no chance I am - DH sorted that after DC3 was born!

Well that will teach me to be smug about lack of sugar cravings/pmt-I just ate loads ofbiscuits

Oh well, it's done now, I'd forgotten how nice biscuits are dunked in a cup of tea

Dinner tonight is chicken stir fry-tasty and quick! Just been food shopping, strawberries were on special offer and water melons-yum !

How's everyone?

Normal 'rules' don't apply at the moment then Dame .

I am really well thanks, having lots of meetings with contacts to try and get some clients. All promising .

Fuzz I forgot to say that's lovely news about ttc dc3

Well, having got back on the scales for the first time in a while, I have come to the conclusion that I need to go back to low carbing! I am still going to be 'eating betterer' of course - avoiding processed crap, eating plenty of veg, salad, good meat and fish etc, but cutting out the bread, pasta, potatoes and rice. And the sugar. I need to make myself drink more water this time though - I always find that hard!

Dame you can pass the smug baton to me! My dc came

In today. One had natural yog and strawberries and the other had chick peas and then a banana!!! Prepares for a big fall...

Tomorrow they'll be scoffing mars bars

Holmes no need to think if it as a low carb diet, I think lots of us here avoid bread, pasta potatoes etc as a general rule, it becomes normal after a while (and they lose their appeal, rather than looking so tempting because they are 'banned '). How have you been doing re mindful eating?

Still

Sleepwhenidie - I find it so much easier to eat mindfully when I am eating few carbs. My appetite reduces and hunger is somehow much less urgent, so I am much less inclined to just stuff food in without thinking about it! The plan is to be pretty strict carb-wise for a few weeks and then settle back into a less strict 'eat betterer' plan. I already feel lighter and flatter around the stomach after one day!

I get that Holmes, just wondered if you meant dropping carbs a la Bootcamp, so no fruit, or high carb veg or pulses, or if you maybe try a more moderate approach (including a little fruit, and things like beans, lentils, sweet potato). I find this works very well, you don't feel as deprived or 'on a diet' as you do going the whole hog, so it is more sustainable as a WOE generally and very effective as you are cutting out the starch and sugar that comes along with the pasta, bread, processed stuff . If you are triggered into eating too much by that sort of stuff (very normal), you don't get the same physical response to things like lentils as you do to pasta, so as you say, its easier to stay mindful.

Another cuppa with biscuits. I'm going with it, it'll pass...

I find if I completely ban something I tend to want it more!

I had friends round for lunch yesterday who are on Weight Watchers so I made some salads -
'Happy Carrot' from one of the Leon cookbooks (it's really yummy has toasted seeds in it) www.tastebook.com/recipes/3175976-Happy-Carrot-Salad
grilled peppers and courgettes (with some fresh pesto I had bought from the local deli and stick on everything!);
mixed lettuce;
and an avocado, tomato, basil and mozzarella salad . I also put out houmous and veg sticks and wholemeal bread, and they brought ham.
Anyway it was successful, they really enjoyed it all - although they couldn't have the houmous or the bread or the mozzarella! But there was still plenty for them to eat. In the past before I started 'better eating' I would have probably done pizza or baguettes, so it was an enjoyable challenge making a healthier lunch.

They talked a lot about Weight Watchers which sounds fairly sensible although it is still more about calorie counting - for example, the only bread you can eat is the special WW calorie-controlled bread, which is the bit I am not convinced about.

I have also been making courgette strips quite a lot after reading about it on here, I stick them in salads, and the other night dressed them with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic - DH liked them too.

Generally I have been trying to eat more carefully - like the other night I did jacket potatoes for dinner which the whole family love, but I just had a small jacket potato (with extra salad and fish) instead of the massive potato I would have had in the past. And do you know, it was fine. Just goes to show that sometimes the amount you eat is from habit rather than hunger.

I do struggle on the protein front as I don't eat meat but I do eat fish, eggs, seeds, cheese, yoghurt. In fact I have found it not too tricky to give up the white pasta, bread etc - but I haven't been able to cut back on my cheese addiction!

Courgette strips are lovely! I had them in my stir fry last night.

Sleep - I will go full-on Bootcamp for a few weeks I think, to kick-start a little pre-holiday weightloss. And then I will bring back pulses and fruit. I know that the dramatic weightloss at the beginning of lc is partly, or even mostly, water loss, but that's kind of good for me as it tends to reduce blood pressure. I feel less bloaty already!

Cool, stick with us though Holmes

Fuzz, I read about this girl today, you might like a look. DeliciouslyElla - she had POTS and healed through a vegan diet and blogging about it, looks like her blog has exploded and she'll be the next celeb chef. Amazing story.