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! :)

Thank you sleep, I'll read that tomorrow. :) Could do with some inspiration as the last few weeks have been mega dizzy.

I just came by to say (and sorry if TMI) my size 20 jeans keep falling down :o :o :o TBH it's probably more related to exercise than food as I've been quite lazy with the latter, but I'm still really pleased and feel inspired to continue :)

Oh fuzz! Is it wrong to say its great that your jeans are falling down?!! In case anyone is in doubt Ella is sporting a spiralizer - I'm still pretty happy with my julienne peeler tho. This week I have given myself the task of properly going through the book sleep recommended. It is perfect for me and pretty illuminating. Diet wise I'm doing ok but I need to look at some new recipes. My friend has just turned vegan (the one who recovered from ME - her book about it is at the printers now!!). So I think we'll do some cooking together. I'll email Ella to her as her mum is worried it'll make her I'll again . (sorry I do know it's not the same thing)

Thanks still :o the only problem is I can't really afford new clothes at the moment, I don't want to spend a lot when I will hopefully shrink further!

I have ME as well as POTS by the way, can't remember if I said that or not (brain fog!) so it's all useful, well done to your friend. I would love to write a book about my recovery process!

Where did you get your julienne peeler please? :)

What I meant to say was that POTS and ME are often comorbid (think that's the right word - lots of people have both), and there have been cases of POTS being misdiagnosed as ME. It is shocking how little many HCPs know about POTS.

I am sure I have both and was diagnosed with both on the same day, but I am convinced that if doctors had listened to me when my symptoms had started in my early teens, rather than just dismissing them, I wouldn't have ended up getting ME as well, as I would have known how to handle it a lot sooner.

Well done fuzz, that's great!

no biscuits today, no biscuits today, seriously NO biscuits today...

And thanks :o

I have to admit I hadn't heard of POTS before this thread. I had heard of ME though, and have a friend with ME who healed herself through changing her diet.

My friend said today she thought I had lost weight - makes up for the pregnancy comment last week...

I am worried though that I may have IBS as over the past 6 months I have developed symptoms on and off that I have not had before - even DH commented I should see a Dr, and he is usually quite laid-back health wise. I only get symptoms in the morning but it's not nice. I was hoping the new healthier eating diet would help.... it is not every day I get it but every few days. I really need to start the food diary but never seem to find the time.

Dinner last night - roasted stuffed pepper filled with courgettes, beans, haloumi cheese and tomatoes. No bread or potatoes. Followed by natural yoghurt with strawberries and honey.

Another fan of DeliciouslyElla here! I agree Sleep - I think she's definitely being touted as the next big thing. I've actually been following her blog for a few weeks now and although at the start I would never in a million years thought that being a vegan would be interesting or achievable, there are a lot of her recipes that I think 'hmm I could actually make that myself'. I did her Raw Brownies last week (substituted raw cacao powder with cocoa powder and medjool dates with cheaper ones I could get at Morrisons). Took minutes to prepare and was a hit with all of us! More like a tiffin than a brownie I would say. Next time I will use half dates and half prunes to see if that helps the consistency.

Am making more flapjack this afternoon and haven't bought any cake from the supermarket for a fortnight now [proud].

Sleep what's your take on soya milk? I've started having it in my porridge in a morning and also make my one coffee of the day with it and find I'm feeling less 'claggy' afterwards. But I know some people think it's not as good for you as it's made out to be I've tried almond milk and it's not as nice...

There are studies that cite 'plant-oestrogens', chemicals that mimic oestrogen, contained in soya milk, affecting fertility and also possibly an increased increase in certain types of cancer, early puberty and problems with brain function. Conversely you will also find studies that show decreased risk of other types of cancer, osteoporosis and lower cholesterol. Its a classic example of how contradictory the science of nutrition is , mostly because the field is still in its infancy and also because it is heavily influenced by huge food companies that sponsor studies that reach their conclusions with a vested interest . Added to which, history shows us that today's 'superfood' is often tomorrows 'poison'!

There's certainly plenty of evidence that after gluten and diary, soya and corn are problematic for many people when it comes to health. So..I'd say, do your research, work with your own comfort level of risk and listen closely to what your body tells you! If you want to minimise any risk then work on developing a taste for almond/oat/coconut milk. Also, make sure you don't lump fermented soy products in with soy isolate, which is added to thousands of different foods as a thickening agent and carries the risks above. Fermented soy - tempeh, tofu, soy sauce and miso - have huge health benefits and don't (as far as science shows so far ) carry health risks, it is these that the oh so healthy Japanese eat in abundance .

....and I am keen to try Ella's sweet potato brownies, good to hear your first foray was successful!

oh - and I've ordered a spiralizer sucker

Thanks sleep will have another look at almond milk. It was the sweetened version that DH bought before so will see if I can find a sugarless one.

Alpro does sweetened and unsweetened almond milk.

If it's like soya milk it'll only be sweetened with a bit a apple juice.

I dumped cow's milk years ago,I feel so much better drinking soya milk. I only have it in my tea as I don't easy cereal so I only have a small amount.

I really like the Ella blog, although I made the raw brownies and am not that keen. The dc tried them and pulled disgusted faces!

I'm feeling a bit bewildered about whatto eat at the moment. I veer from a) thinking I should really cut carbs to lose a bit of weight, and feel convinced by all the info about low carb (plus the fact that my appetite massively reduces and my stomach feels almost instantly flatter).... to b) thinking that full-on low carb cuts out a load of stuff which seems like it should be good for me, is too extreme to do long-term and makes it more likely for me to put on weight when I inevitably fall off the waggon.

I know that this thread is all about just eating healthily and cutting out junk and processed food, but there are so many different opinions about what constitutes 'healthy' that I find myself dithering!

Apologies for the whinge - it's probably because I succcumbed to a pint of beer and a (large) slice of chocolate chestnut cake in front of the football and am feeling sluggish and irritable! Somebody please give me a kick up the backside!

Actually, thinking about it... I think my problem is that part of me wants hard and fast rules about what I do and don't eat. It makes it easier to follow. So when I just say I'm going to 'eat more healthily' it feels a bit nebulous and easy to stray from. I do have a tendency to over-think things though...

You don't need a kick up the backside Holmes...maybe a hair stroke though . When you posted yesterday you were all set to do boot camp...what then, was the thought process behind the cake and beer ? Not criticising, just curious!

Hi. Can I join in? I'm not into extreme eating in any way. Love food and enjoy cooking. Am a bit wider than I'd like at the mo.
I was going to do the 5:2 diet but all the calorie counting and acronyms put me off.

I know what I need to do diet and exercise wise to feel fitter and leaner just need the motivation. I have a DD who is very slim (slightly underweight for height and age) so we tend to be a relaxed full fat plenty snacks available sort of household that serves rich family food at family mealtimes.

In return for posting on your thread let me share a recipe. A work colleague was eating it for lunch the other day and the whole building was saying "mmmmmmm. Whose dinner is that???? Smells gorgeous. "
I'll try it soon and let you know if it tastes as good as it smells....

www.womanandhome.com/recipes/532300/the-hairy-bikers-spanish-style-chicken-bake

[Grin] Hair stroke better than a kick! Oh I don't know, Sleep... I think I just get blown along by the prevailing wind! Things just seem like a good idea at the time. I want a quick fix (which low carb is, at least temporarily) but life and temptation get in the way.

I think what caused my recent desire to low carb was that I had been eating really healthily for a bit, enjoying my green smoothies etc, then got on the scales and realised I was heavier than I'd been for about a year, which made me want to do something fast, especially with holiday season coming up.

Of course this was a silly reaction because a) I hadn't really been healthy eating for very long, b) I know from experience that I can't stick to Bootcamp rules and often fall iff the waggon in style (hence cake and beer) and c) long term results are what matter.

Anyway, self-indulgent whinge-fest over. Back to the eating betterer. Here's my food for today (no cake and beer!)

B: tea, avocado with olive oil and cider vinegar

Snack: teeny Ella raw brownie

L:Big salad with home made hummus, aavocado and cannellini beans

D: Roast vegetable frittata

That all sounds pretty good to me. Now I'm off for a run!

Letsgoforawalk - that recipe looks fab, I might have to try it too! I have just (today) been reading a fantastic book called 'In Defense of Food' by Michael Pollan. He is the diet-debunking chap who sums up how we should eat by saying 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' It is a fab book and just what I needed to read. I hereby solemnly swear to stop mucking about with my diet and just eat real food. I mean it this time .

The hairy bikers stole my Spanish chicken recipe!

@ Dame!

Welcome Letsgo, very apt name for this thread

Holmes you sound like you are getting you head around the whole eating intuitively thing pretty well. It's a tough adjustment to make, the habit of feeling like we have to control and restrict what we eat is so ingrained. Often when we succeed in giving ourselves permission to eat what we want we can also go a little too far at first, but then comes the realisation that there will always be more food when we want it, in an hour, a day, a week...we only have to eat what we want now, no need to keep eating after you are satisfied to make the most of an opportunity . It's all a practice. Great book to read too.

Saw an article today, am on phone so will link separately in a sec, but it sums up very well why diets are a bad plan and the influence of industry on nutritional studies.

HowBritain got so fat - article