Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 5

[TheLeadbetterLife]

Happy New Year regulars, lurkers and newcomers!

Welcome to thread 5 of discussion, encouragement and advice inspired by the book Why We Eat (Too Much), by Dr Andrew Jenkinson.

The basic principles of this "diet" (it's not one in the traditional sense, as it's meant to be a permanent set of changes), are as follows:

• cut out ultra-processed food
• massively reduce sugar, carbs, refined flours and wheat
• eat a wide variety of vegetables, whole grains and fruit
• eat full fat dairy and other healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil
• improve the ratio of omega 3 to 6 by eating greens, fish, eggs and grass-fed meat, and cutting out ultra-refined seed oils

Important lifestyle changes include getting plenty of rest, relaxation and sleep, as well as taking a moderate amount of exercise (or more, if you like that sort of thing).

You don't need to count calories (in fact, you shouldn't), though it may help to count carbs or glycemic load, at least to begin with, until you get the hang of it.

Some of us share recipes by following each other on Copy Me That - www.copymethat.com/recipebox/the-leadbetter-life/6661160/

As well as the book mentioned in the title, the principles are similar to those espoused by the likes of Rangan Chatterjee, Robert Lustig, Tim Spector and Michael Mosley.

There are many successes on this thread, and the main thing is that we are aiming to make permanent, sustainable changes to adjust our weight set-points downwards.

Join us!

Oh no @Words sorry to hear that. What's happening? I hope it sorts itself out soon.

Bit of a mixed bag for me today. Didn't fancy breakfast but took a pot of nuts and raisins with me to take the kids to gymnastics and ate the lot.

Dinner at home, we're desperately low on supplies so I had a sourdough baguette with what we call "cheese crunch" - grated (vegan) cheese, spring onion, carrot, celery and cucumber, and mayo. So not ideal! Went for a walk and DH made up a flask of tea but put sugar in it, I had a little bit.

Tea was much better - Indian fried onions and potatoes with cumin seeds and salt, I used coconut oil and it was divine. Tofu in the air fryer, steamed broccoli, and unsweetened soya yogurt mint raita. Everyone else is having ice cream but I've declined.

@wejammin now lying here fantasising about Indian fried onion and potatoes !! 😂😂

My lovely veg box arrived today. It's a fortnightly excitement I look forward to.
I have a pineapple, purple sprouting broccoli, avocados and ruby chard among other less exciting items.
I love it. Shapes my cooking- we'll have the broccoli and chard with a roast dinner today. Leeks and white cabbage in the week, as they keep well. I tend to get toward the end of the fortnight before getting on to the butternut squash! I haven't finished the kiwis and squash from the last box yet.

Where do you get your veg box from @picklemewalnuts ? Does it end up cheaper than buying the bits separately?

I've been listening to the podcast A Thorough Examination as recommended by someone upthread, I know it's nothing new on what the book says but it's been a lot more accessible for me in terms of how the info is presented. It's really given me a wake up call on UPFs, to the point that I got a bit upset in Lidl yesterday seeing so much awful food lined up that previously I would have purchased without much real thought.

Yesterday I had lentil rice cakes for breakfast, with marmite nut butter, finished the last of the sourdough baguette for dinner, and roast for tea with cauliflower cheese.

I'm going to try making a chickpea 'quiche' for dinner today, I made it a lot when DC2 was little as she was gluten free and egg free for a year - funnily enough I was much thinner then! It's really tasty.

I use Oddbox. I can pm you a code, if you want to try it.

I like the variety and challenge of it. Mine's a big box for £20, fruit and veg. This week I got a butternut squash, a pineapple, a bag of spinach, nectarines, apples, kiwis, sprouting broccoli, leeks, avocados, aubergine and a white cabbage. Possibly other things I've forgotten.

In the past I've had- and got used to cooking with- fennel, mooli, heritage carrots, beetroot, kale, Jerusalem artichoke etc.

This is so good. I'm sorely tempted to do this myself. Thank you! It must be nice to plan around what you have and make lots of new things.

I'm doing ok this week so far. I'm on week 3 of quite serious restriction (AIP like Lapwing) and I'm not feeling at all bad. My psoriasis has improved enormously. It's nearly invisible now. I am wondering which of the many things I've cut out are making the difference. I'm going to be scared to reintroduce things and risk ruining the progress.

No idea about weight loss because I don't use scales. I am just hoping that I will notice it in myself and in my clothes soon enough, but I'm in for the long haul and am not expecting quick results - I'm just plugging on until I feel better.

It's PMT week, so I'll be interested to see what happens with my usually frantic carb cravings. Not sure how I'll manage that. Anyone have any advice?

I'm generally only eating one fairly substantial meal per day. Not through choice, particularly, I just tend to eat at lunchtime and then don't get hungry again. It is a big meal, though, because I'm trying to maximise the different veg intake.

So today was sea bass with roasted carrots and parsnips with spinach and a dollop of sauerkraut. I'm really quite full and won't need to eat again today.

Lunch was cold roast pork, gherkins and a jacket potato. Fruit salad.
No breakfast.

Dinner will be chilli with rice and I'm going to make coleslaw to bump up the veg content.

That's great about your psoriasis, @lifeissweet ! I'm sure reintroducing will go ok, when it's time. You're aware now of what's to be gained!

I can send you a code too, if you'd like one.

Thank you. You are very kind!

You must be so pleased about the Psoriasis @lifeissweet

And three weeks AIP that is an achievement !!

I am one week in and feeling rubbish. I seem to have a worsening of my Sjorgrens and all my other Autoimmune issues. Did you experience the same?

I am also climbing the walls with coffee cravings.

Today

Breakfast: Banana, Blueberries, Raspberries (worried I might be eating too much fruit)
Lunch; Ham and Avocado (I don't normally eat lunch but needed something in my stomach before a long walk)
Supper; Roast Sweet Potato, Parsnip, Cauliflower, Broccoli
Naughties; 2 squares 70%

Can you have cocoa, Lapwings? I'm trying to work out what could replace coffee, or at least reduce the craving a bit.

Checking in. Great news about the psoriasis improving. Must be a relief to you. Love the sound of the veg box. I must look and see if there is a company doing them here. It might get me out of my repeating meals rut.

Breakfast: raspberries, Greek yoghurt and chia and flaxseeds.
Lunch: home made chilli with a baked potato and a sprinkle of cheese.
Dinner: chicken curry with rice.
Snack: golden skin kiwi I love them.

Weigh in day today and I'm down three pounds. Which is 9 since I started. Absolutely thrilled with myself. Having been telling loads of people about the book.

@picklemewalnuts I really wish !!

i didn’t realise that it would be drinks that would threaten to derail me.

I have discovered these though tearex.co.uk

Had two very wine-heavy weekends which I knew were coming but didn't do too bad on the food this last one. I definitely am not one of the people who can drink wine and not put on weight! I'm staying away from the scales at the moment especially as I'm pre-menstrual.

Back on it this week. Yesterday had:
B: usual smoothie - loads of veg with some good protein powder (I know UPF but it's as "good" as i can find - no sugar, recognise all the ingredients)
L: Cauliflower pizza base (with cheese and egg), and veg and goats cheese on top
T: Roasted aubergine with feta, lemon, garlic, chilli

Today is:
B: smoothie
L: smoked mackerel kedgeree - recipe on copymethat
T: will be porridge after yoga

Just also made Megan Rossi carrot cake which probably isn't great on omega balance but ingredients are all very good.

Well done on the weight loss NowYouListenToMeFella!

Lapwingslore - this may be a stupid suggestion but would it help to get some sort of essence of coffee (not exactly sure what!) and smell it to help with the cravings?!

wejammin - I'm very intrigued by chickpea quiche - do you have a recipe you can share please?

picklemewalnuts - have you tried 100% chocolate so no sugar? I have just bought montezumas 100% dark chocolate with mint - not tried yet, will report back but hoping the mint will take the very bitter edge off. I love G&B 85% chocolate - still has sugar in but I figure there's not that much room left for too much of it!

I like the 100% cocoa. I've had one call Aztec or similar.

Thing is resisting temptation. Unless the world stops having 'the wrong' chocolate in it, I'm going to see it and eat it.

Today for example I went to a coffee morning and had chocolate cake. I didn't have breakfast, and lunch has been a handful of nuts and some fruit to compensate. Dinner will be all veg and protein, no carbs.

I've lost weight over the last few days- the bloat fest that was the last two weeks has reversed. I just need to keep on top of it.

@sleepraptor chickpea 'quiche' - there's loads of variations on a theme but I use this basic recipe Chickpea quiche

Yesterday was terrible - lots of beige freezer stuff plus DD baked biscuits full of sugar.

Today was much better -
B - lentil cakes with peanut butter and chilli marmite
D - chickpea quiche and a plum
T - roast veg with risotto and cashew pesto

So, a poor start to the day with cake and fruit for lunch/breakfast.
A good dinner, chicken and broccoli stems, chard stems, red onion with some quark to make a sauce.
Then a ryvita with a dab of butter and a chunk of cheese. Yum.

Tomorrow I'm really busy, so it's chilli again for dinner.

Those quiche look amazing. I was expecting something quite different.

Thanks for posting the link. I'm definitely going to give them a try.

@sleepraptor

I've never thought to have porridge in the evening. What a great idea!

@wejammin I also go round the supermarket feeling vaguely upset at the upfs

I've continued to lurk (app wouldn't let me post again).
2 weeks in (almost) and I'm already feeling better - sleep better, fewer tired 'crashes' so less need for caffeine.
Still fairly bloated so keeping on with the linseed sprinkling.
Thanks for all the motivation, and information. I loved the Jessie In... interview on the Kitchen Doctor podcast, I've also listened to loads of others. I'm trying not to be obsessed.
While I've been enjoying a variety of food, today I've been having cravings for something really strong flavoured and filling (so starchy carbs). I settled for roasted salted almonds. Seemed to do the trick, but roasted in rapeseed oil, so broke one of my 'rules'.

Well...psoriasis better...

But alopecia worse. (Excuse the fingernails - been gardening)

Dammit.