Back To Basics

I'm once again writing about my diet, which is an on going battle.  One of my goals, when I go back to work is to maybe work with people with eating issues/disorders.  I have never really thought about that realm of social work, but given the struggles I am having, I am thinking it may be an interesting area to learn more about.  With that being the goal and add on to that goal getting some nutritional education behind me, I decided that I really need to get myself back in line with healthy eating and healthy living.  Along with that, I really need to get back to eating healthy and cooking for my family just to plain old save money.

Enter http://www.healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com.  The author of this blog started some posts about "The Beck Diet Solution".  Her posts got me intrigued and I am using this as an opportunity to get back to basics.  Day 1 of "The Beck Diet Solution" is basically to put down your goals.  The thing is, you have to actually read your goals twice a day.  I am going to try that, but we'll see how it works out.  Actually you are supposed to write down your reasons for losing weight so here are mine:

1. to be healthy
2. to reduce my cardiac and cancer risk
3. to feel better with how I look
4. to have more energy
5. to feel better about myself in general
6. to be a healthy example for my kids

Day 2 is to choose your diet.  I am choosing to follow Dr Neal Barnard diet, which is basically a vegan diet.  I am in the middle of reading his "Breaking The Food Seduction" which I am hoping will help with the multiple food  addictions that I have.  I  am also looking to follow the "Body Ecology Diet" for a multitude of reasons.  I guess, according to this book you don't necessarily rush right into the diet, there are 2 weeks of exercises to do.  I guess I should look at getting the book and looking at it so I at least know what I am attempting here.

Day 3 is to sit while you eat.  This is one that I have been attempting to do as a family but am failing miserably, with me being one of the main culprits.  I tend to multi task while I eat and as much as I know I shouldn't, I do.  I am going to really try to sit and enjoy my food with no distractions, as much as I am able to.

That's we we're at so far.  I'll continue to post what new changes/goals I am looking to make and hopfully this time, I'll be moving in the right direction!

Amy

Disconnect!

Recently, I started looking at a book called Nourishing Traditions.  I had thought I wanted to buy it, but after realizing what it is all about, and not that it's bad it's just not the direction I want to go, I decided that I most likely won't buy it.  What this book did for me though, was to make me think about my diet and how I eat.  I've already written that I have food addictions and I also have an issue with over eating and hiding the food that I eat.  What I realized first is, I have a real disconnect with food!  If you were ask me how I feel after eating certain foods, for the most part I wouldn't notice if I felt different eating certain foods.  I would also say that I couldn't tell you why I eat certain foods, why I over eat, if there are certain triggers that make me eat certain foods or at certain times of the day.  The only thing that I could tell you is that, I tend to eat food whose taste lingers in my mouth.  I tend to want that taste no matter how full I am.

My husband and I have been trying to eat a more vegan diet.  Mainly for health reason, but also for animal rights reasons, at least on my part, I won't speak for my husband.  Unfortunately with the summer here and the grill being used as well as my children seeming to eat more animal protein (they are only 3 and 2 1/2 ), I have found myself eating way more meat that I would like.  One thing I recently noticed is that when I have meat, especially beef, I tend to over eat it.  I'm sure, actually I know that there are other foods like that for me.  Because of this realization, I have decided that I think eating more vegan is the right way for me to eat.  I am also thinking that I need to start a food journal.  I really need to connect more with my food and really focus on why I am eating what  and is there something else non food related that is more what I need?

Now my dilema with going back to eating more vegan is, "What are some good ways to eat vegan in the summer months?"  I really enjoy beans, soups, stews, roasted veggies, rice, but I want to enjoy summer also and I really don't desire eating those heavy foods.  I wrote in yesterdays post that I was thinking about looking at the raw foods diet for the summer.  I still think I will do that, but if anyone has any thoughts on how to maintain a vegan lifestyle through the summer (since I just started going plant strong), and/or any recipes, I would love it!  I would love some good blogs sites as well!

Now as for the handmade part of my blog, I seriously need to get creating again.  Hopefully in the near future, I will be able to find some time to do this!  I have lots of projects, just not enough time to make them!

I am also thinking that I know the direction that I want to go when I truly get back into the workforce.  I am thinking that I want to move towards nutritional counseling and education.  I need to get myself on track first, but I really think I would enjoy that.  Now I just need to figure out how to do this over the next 3-5 years!

Amy

Eating Disorder?

Never in my life would I have thought that I would have an eatign disorder.  I thought that anorexia and bulemia were the only eating disorders, never thinking about over eating or compulsive eating as an eating disorder.  But, you know what?  I think that I am a compulsive/over eater.  I have, for as long as I can remember, had a really hard time knowing when to stop eating.  I have had issues with eating until I get sick.  Now I don't mean that I force myself to get sick, I just eat so much that there is no where for it to go.  I have never really been more than 25 pounds above the high end of my weight range and currently I am about 8 pounds above the high range.  The thing is, I feel better when I am about 25 pounds less than I am right now.

I have been attempting to change my eating habits.  I have written about havign a food addiction for certain foods.  If you read Dr Neal Barnard's book "Breaking The Food Seduction", it makes perfect sense why I am addicted to the food that I am.  My problem is that I need to stop eating those foods and like an alcoholic or a drug addict, I crave, really really crave them.  It's time.  It's really time to stop all this nonsense and do what I need to do.

I have a multitude of reasons for going plant strong.  My husband's doctor recommended that he eat that way.  I have cancer and heart disease in my family and going plant strong is one way to fight that history.  I also have issues with high blood pressure.  I have been pregnant twice and both times I ended up with pre-eclampsia.  With my twins, my blood pressure was 188/111 the day I delivered them and that was on blood pressure medication.  I just read some information that stated if you had pre-eclampsia you are more at risk for having cardiac issues even after you deliver your baby.  Given that I have heart disease in my family and my only uncle (myu mother's brother) died when he was only 42, just 4 years away from the age I am now, I really need to get focused and make the changes I need to.

I really believe that going plant strong is the best way to go.  I love my meat, but can't stand how animals are treated.  I have a really hard time believing that it is ok to eat some animals and not others.  I also have  areally hard time sometimes eating meat when I think about my science courses that I have taken in the past.  I often have the hardest time when I am preparing my own meat.  If someone else has prepared it, I am more removed from it and don't think about it as much.  That just goes to show you how important it is to be a part of the preparation of your food! 

So I am here to admit that not only do I have food addictions, I more than likely have an eating disorder in the form of compulsively over eating.  I need to get this undercontrol before I end up causing more health problems.  I have to give credit to this blog post for getting me to think this way: http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/hop-on-over-to-choosing-raw-and-catch.html

Hopefully I can start posting some of my healthy plant based recipes that I will be cooking for my family!
Amy