Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 3

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

We’ve chatted as much as we (used to) eat! New shiny thread for more support.

General principles:

No sugar
No wheat
No processed foods
Honourable mention to tipping the balance of omega 3 and 6, but that’s mostly achieved by doing the above.

Everything else is fair game!

@TammyTwoSwanson

Wait whoops. He says no wheat. I'm at the "plan" part now. Save the soda for a rare treat I actually like the idea of clearing out all the bad stuff and getting loads of fresh herbs in. Such a good idea!

Does anyone have any tips for keeping herb plants alive?

Try planting them outside at this time of year (or in a window box if you’re in a flat). My basil plant from Tesco did surprisingly well outside until the snails got it. I did water the outside stuff when I remembered, so that plus rain worked. Inside I always forget to water them.

@veryblearyeyed

Herb plants are probably easier if you plant seeds or get them from non-supermarket places. The supermarket ones often seem to be many plants in one pot to make it look like a full plant, but then you're effectively cutting a full plant when you use it. Plant chives outside. If you have a balmy or sheltered microclimate you might even get away with rosemary as a perennial.

I’m in Scotland and my chives, rosemary, mint and sage survive outside year round. The parsley did well until it got cold and then died, as did the thyme. This is the first year I’ve tried basil outside and it seems to be ok so far weather-wise.

Great tips, thanks! Will have to get some hanging baskets for outside because the dog will probably eat them!

I've just realised that pork/chicken has lots of omega 6.

@TammyTwoSwanson

Great tips, thanks! Will have to get some hanging baskets for outside because the dog will probably eat them!

I've just realised that pork/chicken has lots of omega 6.

It does, but it's good on protein, good fats, and lack of sugar so I'm still eating it 😊

Oh, how could I forget mint, my favourite.

Coriander will grow outside in the summer but I've never managed to stop it bolting. Sage, chives and mint are unkillable outside but I've never managed to keep rosemary alive over winter.

Whatever you do, don’t plant mint in your borders. It spreads everywhere... and fast. I’m forever pulling it out (and cursing the previous owner who planted the bloody stuff!).

Was anyone else a bit constipated at first? Nothing serious, but noticeable.

Getting to end of first week. I eat tons of veg and have considerably upped my water intake too. I've definitely been hitting the saturated fats and protein too. Maybe my body is just re calibrating.

On thé good side: I have a bit of a glow too, and the other day noticed my ankles are slightly less swollen - this has been an issue for me for years, whether or not I'm overweight, so that is interesting too.

I've had a couple of dates that just happened to be covered in chocolate today - aware of the sugar load that will punch, but hoping they will have the desired effect, together with a baked potato and its skin.

Any other ideas? Prune juice is so very sweet.

Coffee, Words? Usually has the desired effect on me!

I don’t spend 2 hours a day cooking either - maybe 10-15 mins at lunch, if that, and about 20 mins at dinner, depending on what it is. Even things that take longer don’t usually involve standing over them - eg roast dinner is 10 mins chopping potatoes/carrots/garlic/onion and sticking everything in an oven tray with the meat, and then leaving it for an hour and a half before needing to make gravy and veg.

Nope. Drink two large jugs of the stuff every day!

Was anyone else a bit constipated at first? Nothing serious, but noticeable.

I was @Words, took a few days but eventually the train departed the station and since then the timetable hasn't had any delays.

That's good to hear @Tiredandbored

Yes, I've had that problem, Words. Nothing major, and it's never been that I haven't been able to go (twice a day, regular as clockwork!), just that about once a fortnight it's quite the struggle...

I assume it's the relative lack of fibre. I think it happens if I've had a particularly meat-heavy day. I also take an iron supplement, which probably doesn't help.

I drink coffee, gallons of water and take enough exercise, so I can only think it must be meat / iron and lower fibre.

That's exactly what I am experiencing Leadbetter .

Maybe I should have a less meaty week next week. I eat too much of it at the best of times.

I've noticed the swelling thing (or lack of it) too, Words, only for me it's my fingers that used to swell. My whole life this used to happen when I was exercising and my heart rate was up, now it doesn't.

Speaking of exercise, I've got into a good routine over the past month or so, with a view to improving my strength in particular. I use the Down Dog app, which has a yoga and a HIIT version. I'm doing 25 minutes of HIIT, followed by 15 minutes of yoga, every other day. I was pushing it a bit too much to begin with and trying to do it every day, but I was damaging my muscles and absolutely knackered. A day off in between sessions gives everything time to recover. Maybe when I've built up my strength I'll be able to do more.

I'm fairly fit, I'm just a bit weak in key areas, because I have a large frame. Resistance stuff against my heavy body is quite tough - push ups, core-based exercises etc. I have thunder thighs so leg stuff is relatively okay.

Down Dog also has a meditation app now, so I'm incorporating some of that to try to reduce stress as well (I try to do some kind of meditation every day). I've also been taking melatonin and a GABA supplement for about a week now, and I think it is making a difference to my stress levels.

I had to attend a Zoom court hearing on Tuesday, and while it was for an entirely trivial and non-stressful matter, it was the kind of thing that I would normally have major pangs of anxiety about anyway. But I felt nothing, I was quite cheerful and able to not think about it.

I wonder if all of this is doing anything at all to my weight set point!

@Words

Maybe I should have a less meaty week next week. I eat too much of it at the best of times.

Me too. And probably too much dairy too. It's all very well being allowed to have all this stuff, but the tragic reality is we should probably be snacking on green vegetables, not cheese, yoghurt and eggs.

Words, I'm in the constipation stage currently. My breakfast used to be branflakes and raisins, so I was setting myself up pretty well fibre-wise. I'm not sure that my vegetable consumption has risen as much as my protein consumption, which is probably (a large part of) the issue.

I was thinking of adding more pulses to salads (instead of quinoa or whatever), maybe you could try that?

I love pulses! Look at Hodmedods website for inspiration

Cor blimey its been busy on here today! Been grafting and no chance to get on here earlier.

I had assumed that cows and sheep would be at leat 50% grain fed in the UK so have swapped to organic grass and forage fed. It is £££ so have cut down to only eating it twice a week. Have swapped farmed salmon for wild (don't like it as much though) rest of time is veggie food.

Yes to being a little constipated but is getting better. Any change of diet does that to me.

Have lost 7lbs or so now in just under 2 weeks. Feel much better and some clothes are now back in the mix!!

Just dying for my steroid injection in my foot so i can run again.

I'll take a cult gown in a 16 please unless it's tight on the hips then I had better take an 18

@Benvolio

I love pulses! Look at Hodmedods website for inspiration

Thanks @Benvolio. I'm going to make this veggie filling for a shepherds pie. Got some (probably off-plan!) mashed potato mix to use up. Never buy the stuff but my brother-in-law bought up the whole of Costco before the pandemic and is now palming off all the stuff he'll never eat.

Whoops, link to lentil ragu I'm going to use: hodmedods.co.uk/blogs/recipes/lentil-ragu

@CatherineCawood, what's the difference you notice between farmed fish and wild? I've never paid attention to what I'm eating, which I guess means it's probably farmed.

I'll take the cult gown in a Boden size 12 (jersey only) and then not want to wear it out because it's far too tight and makes me look pregnant. In actual fitted clothes I'd probably be 16 or 18 but I'm in denial and also have the opposite of a waist.

Wild is less bright pink, more of a muted colour. Its more 'fishy' to me.