Eating Healthier

expiated

expiated

Recently I cut way back on my intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, red meat and empty calories, the reason being that I was getting a numb-like tingling feeling in the tips of my fingers, which the information I found on the Internet indicated was a sign of pre-diabetes. (I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to become diabetic!)

An unanticipated side affect was that for the first time since I was nine years old, I haven't so much as a hint of a "potbelly," and in fact, find myself nearly sporting six-pack abs for the first time in my life, despite my now being a senior citizen.

But starting tomorrow, I am taking full control of my diet in that my meals will now be 100% separate from the meals enjoyed by the other members of my household. This means I am going to have to start making snacks that will satisfy me between meals, but that are made with ingredients like dates, almond milk, unsweetened cacao, ceylon cinnamon, etc., rather than with dairy milk and sugar.

This thread will be a convenient spot for me to archive the recipes I find since I can't misplace this website, and google will make it easy for me to search for any particular recipe I might want to return to in the future, even if I accidentally forget about it for awhile. And so, I plan to begin posting recipes tomorrow...
 
This breakfast "cheats" because it uses dried fruit and nut mix that is not part of my diet, but that someone keeps giving to me for free. Personally, I like Malt-O Meal, but I eat it with three heaping tablespoons of sugar (along with milk, cream, and butter) which is a big no-no for me, so I can't eat it anymore. Rolled oats are supposed to be good for you, but without sugar, this is how I try to make it halfway palatable...
  1. half a cup of lactose-free milk (which should be almond, hemp, or soy milk)
  2. approximately five tablespoons of old fashioned rolled oats
  3. a pinch of unsweetened cacao
  4. about five "shakes" of ceylon cinnamon
  5. a "crushed up" cored apple with the skin removed/peeled (I don't have any modern appliances like blenders or food processors, so I crush it up with the tines/prongs of a strong fork)
  6. perhaps a handful of dried fruit and nut mix
 
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All the recipes I’ve seen for deserts so far call for baking, freezing, or a high-powered blender (which I don’t have). But since there is no extra room in the freezer, and I want to avoid getting in the way by using the oven too often, I’m just going to note some of the ingredients I need to pick up when I go to the grocery store today, and begin experimenting with recipes I create myself for now…
  • As noted in a previous post, any milk should be of the almond, hemp, or soy variety
  • Cinnamon should be the Ceylon kind, since eating a lot of the type typically sold in the USA (Cassia) can cause health problems because it contains high amounts of a compound called coumarin, which research has found may harm the liver and increase the risk of cancer. (Nonetheless, small to moderate amounts of the regular cinnamon are absolutely fine!)
  • Natural non-alkalized cocoa powder
  • Vanilla extract should be the alcohol-free version
  • Pitted Medjool or Deglet Noor dates (for sweetening)
  • Canned (or cooked) no-salt added or low-salt black beans
  • Various types of fresh fruits
 
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CaptainObvious said:
Good job at taking nutrition seriously, but remember this when putting together your diet plan. A good, but less than perfect diet that you can stick to is better than a perfect diet that you can't.
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Yeah, but this isn't really a diet plan. It's more like a change in life choices. If someone sees me put something in my mouth and says to me, "I thought you weren't allowed to eat that," my response is, "I eat whatever I want. I don't deny myself anything because then I get a sense of deprivation with respect to a certain food and I end up binging on it." So, instead of saying I can't eat certain foods, I should say I choose not to. Some people have to be real strict because if they "cheat" on their diet they end up going off it completely. That's not me. I've chosen to head in a particular direction, so I'm not worried about turning aside here or there because it doesn't deter or distract me from continuing on my ultimate journey. I'm not tempted to go off my "diet" because it's not my diet—it's my life—the one I've chosen for myself, so why am I going to start living another one? I'm not. Not unless I change my mind and decide it's not the life I want (but it is).
 
expiated said:
Yeah, but this isn't really a diet plan. It's more like a change in life choices. If someone sees me put something in my mouth and says to me, "I thought you weren't allowed to eat that," my response is, "I eat whatever I want. I don't deny myself anything because then I get a sense of deprivation with respect to a certain food and I end up binging on it." So, instead of saying I can't eat certain foods, I should say I choose not to. Some people have to be real strict because if they "cheat" on their diet they end up going off it completely. That's not me. I've chosen to head in a particular direction, so I'm not worried about turning aside here or there because it doesn't deter or distract me from continuing on my ultimate journey. I'm not tempted to go off my "diet" because it's not my diet—it's my life—the one I've chosen for myself, so why am I going to start living another one? I'm not. Not unless I change my mind and decide it's not the life I want (but it is).
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I agree. When I use the word diet I'm talking about what a person eats and it's nutritional value. Unfortunately the word diet has been coopted by the "diet industry" and now generally means a temporary restriction of calories to be used in obtaining some weight goal.
 
CaptainObvious said:
When I use the word diet I'm talking about what a person eats and it's nutritional value.
More...
Got it. Yeah, when I started, losing weight was not even on my mind. It just happened automatically. My goal was simply to remove the tons of sugar, refined carbohydrates and empty calories I was consuming on a daily basis so as to lower and maintain my Hemoglobin A1c below the pre-diabetic level. The diet I now enjoy is one that I can stick to quite easily.
 
It's great you are getting in shape and dieting. However, this reads like a fad diet book. Especially the park about "non-alkalized" this or that.

I would make the honest suggestion to visit a nutritionist. Often walk in prices are affordable ($50 or so here) and you'll get some professional advice on tailoring what you eat to who you are. Given that you've identified yourself as a senior citizen it may be wiser to take this route to modify your current diet because often times as we get older our nutrition needs change in a way a book or experimentation may not reveal. Even $100 dollars is a cheap price to pay for someone who has studied nutrition for many years. It could save you a lot of time and potentially some health consequences from experimenting too liberally.

If you don't choose to see a nutritionist at least get once or twice yearly bloodwork. Often times people stumble upon various micronutrients (as you seem to have) and they are unnecessary, or the case of something like iron, dangerous if your blood levels don't indicate a deficiency.
 
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