I can officially say, "I am over it."
It being...
Fast food:
yes, I can drive by all those bright and shining buildings now with their empty promises, and piles o'msg and not drool on myself...
Dairy:
cheese? ick. milk? double ick. eggs? hmmm...maybe have to keep working on that one...
Cooked anything:
over it!! don't ask me about yesterday...
ok, I'll tell you anyway.
I went to Kroger for Strawberries and a few other Veggie Essentials... and omg...the smell coming from the chinese restaurant next door was divine... so I bought all the veggies for stir -fry.. and didn't stir-fry..but steamed them... and they were okay...no big win... what was a big win was the sauce!!!
Oriental Sauce Divine
1 lg piece pineapple 2"x4" chunk
1/4c orange juice
1" piece ginger
3 cloves garlic
1-2 hot peppers
1 T tamari
1/4c maple syrup
five spice to taste...
blend well in blender or vitamix
In the future this will be liberally drizzled over my fav uncooked veggies whenever I am craving chinese...
And AVOID the gut pain I am in today after only two meals of steamed veggies...
Did I say I'm over it? You betcha!!!
Showing posts with label food cravings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food cravings. Show all posts
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Balancing Act
The cravings I have fought for years...are gone. Bye-bye MSG addiction!
I can finally drive by Wendy's and Taco Bell and all of those other death-by-drive-thru joints and not drool. I know. It's amazing. And yesterday my daughter came home from work with a quesadilla from the aforementioned hot spot and sat down right beside me, ate it...and nothing. I didn't want it. So that's big.
The one thing bothering me is that I want eggs. And trust me this is crazy weird because I've never been big on eggs. If I eat two a year that's a binge. So to be thinking about how many ways there are to prepare eggs is just plain odd. For me, that signals that I'm missing something essential... a little research, and I'm guessing protein... even more basic essential amino acids...
I remember when I was vegan, I started every single day with a protein shake and after looking at my fitday stats and seeing my average daily intake of protein is hovering between 4 and 5%, sooner would be better than later. Honestly, I would probably be fine between 10 and 15%...for basic daily function...but I've already lost so much muscle mass and core strength from the Rheumatoid Arthritis I don't want to lose even more. I'm also interested in really building my personal yoga and hiking goals.
At one time (when I was teaching) I did four one-hour yoga sessions every other day and a single yoga sessions on the odd days. And I miss it! Seriously. Although I have no interest in teaching again, just being able to get through a daily workout would be awesome. The other thing, is that I am really doing well with mile-long daily hikes and it looks like I will be able to increase the distance (half miles at a time) to reach my daily goal of 3-5 miles. This would be primo amazing. And I can't do that on 4-5% protein a day.
Commencement of protein shake research begins...
Today, I settled for what was in the pantry (a sample pack of RAW-brand protein powder) and it was all right. Actually, drinking it created a feeling of supreme joy. I could feel my body soaking in what it needed. I know it sounds corny, but when you get intuitively connected to what your body tells you. You just know.
As for the protein shake itself, I've had better...I've had a hell of a lot worse.
I'm also looking at a product by the Amazon Herb Company based on a recommendation from the RawBrahs for Amazon Power Shake. After reading the promo material it sounds very promising and I'll be ordering it immediately. If it doesn't make my body feel as happy as the RAW-brand did, I can always make a trip to the healthfood store to get it, but I'm hopeful it will be even better...
I made the announcement on FB that I'm down 40 pounds... not my goal, not my intention...but losing enough weight to get into my size eights again, in addition to being able to hike and yoga again is an added bonus. I am more convinced every single day that being on a raw food diet is hugely responsible for the improvements I'm seeing in my health.
I've had no pain pills in seven weeks. Not one. Not even after an exhausting day of working Faire. Yes, I've used my cane on three occasions to get back up the hill to the parking lot after a day on my feet bartending, but that's okay.
My guts are happy. I won't go into the horrifying details of how I know they are happier, but trust me...the difference is night and day. And I have had set backs...days when I've gone off the raw diet because I thought I needed pasta or chicken or pizza ...or whatever the excuse of the moment was, but I paid with days on the couch doubled over regretting every bite.
Right now, I'm just working on the nutritional balancing act, trying to keep the fats under 10% and get the protein back to 15-20%...
If you are trying to "go raw" I'd love to hear your story...
I can finally drive by Wendy's and Taco Bell and all of those other death-by-drive-thru joints and not drool. I know. It's amazing. And yesterday my daughter came home from work with a quesadilla from the aforementioned hot spot and sat down right beside me, ate it...and nothing. I didn't want it. So that's big.
The one thing bothering me is that I want eggs. And trust me this is crazy weird because I've never been big on eggs. If I eat two a year that's a binge. So to be thinking about how many ways there are to prepare eggs is just plain odd. For me, that signals that I'm missing something essential... a little research, and I'm guessing protein... even more basic essential amino acids...
I remember when I was vegan, I started every single day with a protein shake and after looking at my fitday stats and seeing my average daily intake of protein is hovering between 4 and 5%, sooner would be better than later. Honestly, I would probably be fine between 10 and 15%...for basic daily function...but I've already lost so much muscle mass and core strength from the Rheumatoid Arthritis I don't want to lose even more. I'm also interested in really building my personal yoga and hiking goals.
At one time (when I was teaching) I did four one-hour yoga sessions every other day and a single yoga sessions on the odd days. And I miss it! Seriously. Although I have no interest in teaching again, just being able to get through a daily workout would be awesome. The other thing, is that I am really doing well with mile-long daily hikes and it looks like I will be able to increase the distance (half miles at a time) to reach my daily goal of 3-5 miles. This would be primo amazing. And I can't do that on 4-5% protein a day.
Commencement of protein shake research begins...
Today, I settled for what was in the pantry (a sample pack of RAW-brand protein powder) and it was all right. Actually, drinking it created a feeling of supreme joy. I could feel my body soaking in what it needed. I know it sounds corny, but when you get intuitively connected to what your body tells you. You just know.
As for the protein shake itself, I've had better...I've had a hell of a lot worse.
I'm also looking at a product by the Amazon Herb Company based on a recommendation from the RawBrahs for Amazon Power Shake. After reading the promo material it sounds very promising and I'll be ordering it immediately. If it doesn't make my body feel as happy as the RAW-brand did, I can always make a trip to the healthfood store to get it, but I'm hopeful it will be even better...
I made the announcement on FB that I'm down 40 pounds... not my goal, not my intention...but losing enough weight to get into my size eights again, in addition to being able to hike and yoga again is an added bonus. I am more convinced every single day that being on a raw food diet is hugely responsible for the improvements I'm seeing in my health.
I've had no pain pills in seven weeks. Not one. Not even after an exhausting day of working Faire. Yes, I've used my cane on three occasions to get back up the hill to the parking lot after a day on my feet bartending, but that's okay.
My guts are happy. I won't go into the horrifying details of how I know they are happier, but trust me...the difference is night and day. And I have had set backs...days when I've gone off the raw diet because I thought I needed pasta or chicken or pizza ...or whatever the excuse of the moment was, but I paid with days on the couch doubled over regretting every bite.
Right now, I'm just working on the nutritional balancing act, trying to keep the fats under 10% and get the protein back to 15-20%...
If you are trying to "go raw" I'd love to hear your story...
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What I'm Reading
You have to realize this is not a book I would have chosen for myself to read... I'm not a big fan of greens..
I know, and I'm trying to go raw .. you can roll your eyes now. It's okay, I roll my eyes at myself all the time.
Anyway, my dear, sweet friend Tricia (and fellow raw foodie) loaned me this book. Mostly because I've been moaning and groaning about fat and protein all week... and I'm reading it because I do like to read, but also because I'm a people-pleaser and I wanted to make Tricia happy...
Also, because she's such a smart, intuitive woman, she brought a raw kale salad to Ohio Renaissance Festival (where we're both working) today and shared some with me and I honestly said, "Don't be offended if I don't like it because I don't like kale." To be honest my only close to favorable experience with kale has been dehydrated kale chips that were vaguely nacho cheese flavored (think Doritos) .. so I tasted, ready to say, "I just don't like kale," but my brain said "Shut up, idiot, and take another bite." ...glad I took another bite, and another, and another .. until it was gone. I've thought about nothing but that kale salad all day long... I won't say I'm head over heels in love .. but I NEED IT and I'm in-tuned with my body enough to know that my brain response of thinking about this salad, which made my taste buds sit up and say "huh," is a direct result of my body craving something in this salad.
Boy, am I glad I got this book to read!
It answers the salad question fairly quickly:
KALE contains every essential amino acid.
What is protein? A molecular chain of amino acids...
Also, did you know that there is more nutrition in the green carrot tops rather than the orange carrot roots? Not that I want to eat a whole bowl of carrot tops but chopping some into every salad would add up over time... so would adding them to smoothies. Ditto for beets and beet leaves! And this is free food!! I'm been throwing this stuff away!!!
Well, no more...
I'm more excited than ever about my diet changes and yes, I'm still struggling with raw a little, but it's the baking I'm craving... biscuits, breads, cookies, cakes... crackers...
So, this week I am going to focus on one recipe a week and figure out a way to replace my love for baking stuff (3/4 of which I never eat) with a love for dehydrating foods I will want to eat! How's that for a goal?
Friday, September 9, 2011
Is This Really Only Day Two (Again)?
I honest feel like I've been on this merry-go-round a few times...oh, wait, I HAVE.
Yes, it's Day Two (again) and I don't even want to think about just how many day two's I've had in my life, but since I know you are curious, I'll tell you... This makes Number Seven. Maybe that will be the lucky time it takes to actually "stick" as a lifestyle change...
I'm genuinely hopeful.
Suddenly, my MSG allergy seems like a miracle because there are so many things that are off limits.
Okay, that part still kinda sucks, but honestly, I'm starting to see a bright side. I remarked to my hubby that I am not experiencing the cravings that derailed me each of the times before. Listed from strongest to weakest:
Pepsi
Fast Food
Dairy Products
Cereal
Guess what's the number one common denominator? You guessed it...MSG...which BTW is highly addictive and trying to give it up is murder. Until now. I am starting to associate MSG with severe pain: Migraine, debilitating stomach pain, and a tranquilizer effect that can only be described as immediate and bizarre. Here's what happen's: my head has a stabbing pain that immediately becomes blinding then I double over because the same thing happens in my gut, and hope there is a bed nearby because I will fall asleep wherever I happen to be...sofa, car, movie theater...and all of this happens within an hour of consuming MSG. Is there any wonder I've lost complete interest in many of the foods I used to cave for? Or that I was threatening to just stop eating altogether?
I'm just glad we figured out the MSG thing before a doctor took a knife to my gut...
So, all of that to say...going raw seems to be easier this time around...but then again, it's only day two.
Also, and this has been going on for several months, and I've noticed because I have been between 75 and 80% raw for almost a year...but my tastebuds have somehow changed...and I'm really noticing it on the 100% raw days. I'm craving weird things, namely, sour and hot. Almost every meal has something insanely sour: lemons, limes (I'm buying key-limes 30# at a time and they're lasting about a week), pepperoncinis (two jars a week) and everything has at least one pepper (jalapeno, thai chili, serrano, or habanaro) either sliced, diced, sauced, or if all else fails in the form of habanero powder hubby dried from the garden and grinded.
Weird craving or not, I always listen to my body because in most cases my body is smarter than I am. To satisfy my curiosity as to whether my body knows something in this instance, I googled the foods I'm craving and this is what I learned:
Lemons/Limes: "lemons and limes are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature. Vitamin C travels through the body neutralizing any free radicals with which it comes into contact in the aqueous environments in the body both inside and outside cells. Free radicals can interact with the healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and also cause a lot of inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis." So, my body seems on target here:) Go intuition!
Peppers: "Chili peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives peppers their characteristic pungence, producing mild to intense spice when eaten. Capsaicin is a potent inhibitor of substance P, a neuropeptide associated with inflammatory processes. The hotter the chili pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. The hottest varieties include habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers. Jalapenos are next in their heat and capsaicin content, followed by the milder varieties, including Spanish pimentos, and Anaheim and Hungarian cherry peppers. Capsaicin is being studied as an effective treatment for sensory nerve fiber disorders, including pain associated with arthritis." Two for two. Clearly my body knows what it's doing...Carry on.
What my body doesn't seem too impressed with: nuts in large quantities. Yesterday, I was appalled that my fat intake percentage was off the charts, but what I didn't consider was that I didn't eat full servings of any of the dishes with a lot of nuts. The portabellas stuffed with a brazil nut filling...I took two bites. The Caesar Salad with cashew "parmesan" ... I tasted before eating and used the dressing sans cashews. I did eat eight almonds, but compared to the huge handful hubby walked away with, I think I skimped...
More googling:
Cashews: there are a lot of health benefits... so I won't shun them altogether...but a handful every once in awhile is much more appealing than throwing them into recipes willy-nilly.
Brazil nuts: too many health benefits to list, so I guess an occasional handful wouldn't be a bad idea...
Almonds: good thing these are the ones I sneak most...turns out they're lowering my cholesterol...I need that.
So the lesson learned is to keep listening to my body and it keeps telling me to GO RAW... so, at the end of day two, I am still successful:)
Food Today:
Breakfast: 160 cal, 0.6 fat
Apple
Banana
Hot Herb Tea
Lunch: 105 cal, 6.8 fat
Beet Juice
Cashews
24 ounces water
Yes, it's Day Two (again) and I don't even want to think about just how many day two's I've had in my life, but since I know you are curious, I'll tell you... This makes Number Seven. Maybe that will be the lucky time it takes to actually "stick" as a lifestyle change...
I'm genuinely hopeful.
Suddenly, my MSG allergy seems like a miracle because there are so many things that are off limits.
Okay, that part still kinda sucks, but honestly, I'm starting to see a bright side. I remarked to my hubby that I am not experiencing the cravings that derailed me each of the times before. Listed from strongest to weakest:
Pepsi
Fast Food
Dairy Products
Cereal
Guess what's the number one common denominator? You guessed it...MSG...which BTW is highly addictive and trying to give it up is murder. Until now. I am starting to associate MSG with severe pain: Migraine, debilitating stomach pain, and a tranquilizer effect that can only be described as immediate and bizarre. Here's what happen's: my head has a stabbing pain that immediately becomes blinding then I double over because the same thing happens in my gut, and hope there is a bed nearby because I will fall asleep wherever I happen to be...sofa, car, movie theater...and all of this happens within an hour of consuming MSG. Is there any wonder I've lost complete interest in many of the foods I used to cave for? Or that I was threatening to just stop eating altogether?
I'm just glad we figured out the MSG thing before a doctor took a knife to my gut...
So, all of that to say...going raw seems to be easier this time around...but then again, it's only day two.
Also, and this has been going on for several months, and I've noticed because I have been between 75 and 80% raw for almost a year...but my tastebuds have somehow changed...and I'm really noticing it on the 100% raw days. I'm craving weird things, namely, sour and hot. Almost every meal has something insanely sour: lemons, limes (I'm buying key-limes 30# at a time and they're lasting about a week), pepperoncinis (two jars a week) and everything has at least one pepper (jalapeno, thai chili, serrano, or habanaro) either sliced, diced, sauced, or if all else fails in the form of habanero powder hubby dried from the garden and grinded.
Weird craving or not, I always listen to my body because in most cases my body is smarter than I am. To satisfy my curiosity as to whether my body knows something in this instance, I googled the foods I'm craving and this is what I learned:
Lemons/Limes: "lemons and limes are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature. Vitamin C travels through the body neutralizing any free radicals with which it comes into contact in the aqueous environments in the body both inside and outside cells. Free radicals can interact with the healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and also cause a lot of inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis." So, my body seems on target here:) Go intuition!
Peppers: "Chili peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives peppers their characteristic pungence, producing mild to intense spice when eaten. Capsaicin is a potent inhibitor of substance P, a neuropeptide associated with inflammatory processes. The hotter the chili pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. The hottest varieties include habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers. Jalapenos are next in their heat and capsaicin content, followed by the milder varieties, including Spanish pimentos, and Anaheim and Hungarian cherry peppers. Capsaicin is being studied as an effective treatment for sensory nerve fiber disorders, including pain associated with arthritis." Two for two. Clearly my body knows what it's doing...Carry on.
What my body doesn't seem too impressed with: nuts in large quantities. Yesterday, I was appalled that my fat intake percentage was off the charts, but what I didn't consider was that I didn't eat full servings of any of the dishes with a lot of nuts. The portabellas stuffed with a brazil nut filling...I took two bites. The Caesar Salad with cashew "parmesan" ... I tasted before eating and used the dressing sans cashews. I did eat eight almonds, but compared to the huge handful hubby walked away with, I think I skimped...
More googling:
Cashews: there are a lot of health benefits... so I won't shun them altogether...but a handful every once in awhile is much more appealing than throwing them into recipes willy-nilly.
Brazil nuts: too many health benefits to list, so I guess an occasional handful wouldn't be a bad idea...
Almonds: good thing these are the ones I sneak most...turns out they're lowering my cholesterol...I need that.
So the lesson learned is to keep listening to my body and it keeps telling me to GO RAW... so, at the end of day two, I am still successful:)
Food Today:
Breakfast: 160 cal, 0.6 fat
Apple
Banana
Hot Herb Tea
Lunch: 105 cal, 6.8 fat
Beet Juice
Cashews
24 ounces water