I feel leaner, although I am in shape and work out ALOT, I just feel cleaner and leaner! One huge change in my diet is I stopped drinking coffee. I liked coffee that didn't taste like coffee, I had to add vanilla or hazelnut creamer, Splenda, and whipped cream - the only super healthy thing about the coffee I would drink every morning was the cinnamon I would sprinkle on top. In traditional Chinese medicine Cassia cinnamon is used prevent colds, nausea, diarrhea, painful menstrual periods, and is also known to improve energy, vitality and circulation. Oh, I'll get my cinnamon fix, but sprinkled on my "steel cut" oatmeal in the morning - not on top of a mound of whipped cream.
Caffeine can cause headaches, digestive problems, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, anxiety and depression. It can raise stress hormone levels and can prevent the enzyme systems cleanse our body from doing their job. Decaf coffee has high acid levels, which makes your body create fat cells in order to keep the acid away from your organs. I drank mostly decaf coffee, maybe that's why I feel leaner!
I have been drinking mostly decaf green and herbal teas, sweetened with raw honey. I always was a tea drinker, but now that I know how healthy decaf herbal teas are for me, my tea drawer is overflowing with Organic Spring Jasmine tea, Decaf Lotus Green Tea, Organic Rooibos( like green tea Rooibos is high in antioxidants and flavonoids and has been shown to prevent heart disease, help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent strokes, reduce the risk of cancer and slow the aging process!) I have been drinking this tea for a long time because I skimmed over an article about it being healthy, but never really knew all the health benefits. It is so enlightening when you really understand the health benefits of the foods you are eating and the negative effects of others. Most of the food companies out there don't really care about our health - we should care! So many of us don't care as much as we should!
There are more and more companies out there that do care. As I said before, you are best cooking your own healthy meals with lots of fruits , vegetables, whole grains and protein - whether you are eating organic grass fed cattle, or organic free range chicken, or tofu, Tempeh, or Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP) also know as Texturized Soy Protein (TSP) - You are always better making it yourself. Knowing you are eating organic fruits and veggies and knowing the oils and amount of salt you are using and staying as simple as as close to nature with your recipes is always the best bet. Making your own baked french fries with Avocado, Olive, Grapeseed oil or Sunflower and Safflower oils which may be considered two of the healthiest oils because they are higher in polyunsaturated fats, have omega-6 fatty acids, and high content of vitamin E. Coconut Oil is known to to be amazing for hair and skin, stress relief, weight loss, increased immunity, and proper digestion and metabolism. It has lauric acid which helps fight viruses and harmful bacteria in the body. You can also add flaxseed oil to salad dressings or shakes. Flaxseed Oil has omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids as well as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which the body converts into omega-3s (fish oil has more omega 3s).
Omega 3s help prevent heart disease, anxiety, depression, support our immune function and brain health, prevents arthritis, helps reduce fatty deposits on arteries, improves eye health and reduces the chances of ALL forms of cancer. Fish Oil is chock full of Omega 3 fatty acids! If you are not taking Fish Oil as a daily supplement, you should be! Just google fish oil's benefits and you'll be running to your local health market to buy in bulk. I have taken the fish oil pills, but I now "drink" a teaspoon in the morning and a teaspoon at night of "Carlson's -The Very Finest Fish Oil Omega 3s DHA & EPA" lemon flavor - it's a little hard to swallow because of the oil consistency, but does taste like lemon - not fish (maybe a slight aftertaste). I buy my kids "lil Critters" Omega-3 Gummy Fish - they love them and think they are just a regular vitamin!
Since I have been experimenting not eating chicken and beef, I was concerned about not getting enough protein. You get protein in everything you eat, but a way to add more or get a meaty flavor and consistency to foods is using what I mentioned above - Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP) also know as Texturized Soy Protein (TSP). I will talk about Tempeh next time, but I want to quickly mention TVP. I was at the Natural (a natural/health market) in Timonium, Maryland with my husband. Of course I did have to drag him in there for lunch. We went to the cute, small Vegan Cafe they have there and ordered the Vegan Chile. The chile had a ton of beans and nice heat, but it also had something in it that looked and tasted like BEEF! It was TVP - a soy protein. Of course I had to buy it - and make chile that night to recreate it, it was that good. I bought Dixie Diners Club "Ground Turkey Not" and "Ground Beef Not". It comes in 1lb bags that looks like bread crumbs. You just add hot water, it hydrates and looks and tastes (somewhat) like meat. I added to my chile and my kids and husband loved it!
TAKE AWAY:
Bought 2 more books - have no time to read but bought anyway - "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. and an amazing vegan cookbook called "Clean Food" by Terri Walters. Noticed at Starbucks yesterday ( I was getting tea!!) that they are carrying organic dried fruit by "Peeled Snacks", and gluten, dairy, wheat free 100% raw granola bars by "Two Moms in the Raw" as well as adorable 100% pure fruit squeeze pouches by "Peter Rabbit Organics" (which my 4 year old loved) Things are a changin - because we are demandin!!
Speaking of oatmeal... here's one of my favorite oatmeal recipes
ReplyDelete1 cup steel cut oats
1&1/2 cup coconut milk
2&1/2 cup water
5 dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup raw cashews, finely chopped
Combine oats, coconut milk, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add dates and cashews and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes. That's it! Cinnamin is good added into the mix as well, I love cinnamin.
Another way I like to cook with cinnamin is in forrbidden rice. It is a super healthy grainy black rice that you can find in a health food store. I ussually cook the rice with a cinnamin stick or 2 in the boiling water and then remove the sticks when the rice is done cooking. Enjoy!
Another book worth taking into consideration for overall health is; Eat 4 Your Type. It describes the 4 basic blood types and how each responds to different foods. It breaks down foods that are Highly beneficial, Neutral and Those to Avoid. I think there is some truth to it because I am type O and many of the foods I was already eating were Highly Beneficial. Perhaps if we ARE in tune with what our own individual bodies need and respond well to....we are on the right track. My husband is the rarest blood type, AB. He gets blotting and gas with things I can tolerate well and vice versa. It's an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteAnother comment about beef and meats is that type O's are able to digest them better then other blood types. Beef does have tons of L-Carnitine. My husband loves meat but can't tolerate it well. I try not to eat much at all but can tolerate it. I suppose this would call for moderation and superb quality if eating beef. It's a catch 22! LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe and comments - thanks! I am going to a "raw foods" demo/workshop tomorrow night and I believe the woman that is running it goes into Blood Type a lot - I have heard a lot about how people with certain blood types can tolerate and digest certain foods better than others with a different blood type. I think I am O +, but am not sure - I think this woman does blood testing as well - will let you know how it goes!
ReplyDeletethanks ladies!!
Loved seeing all those healthy snacks at Starbucks too!
ReplyDelete