healthy eating

[trainlady]

"Food can't help your body if it can't get past your tastebuds!"

That is an advertisement for Post cereals.
Have you seen it?

In my case, it is so very true!! I KNOW I should eat healthy. I am overweight, border line high blood pressure, osteoporosis and IBS. You would think I would have high blood sugar with the amount of it that I eat but I do not.

I just cannot get myself to eat healthy. I just cannot. Ideally, I should be eating a bland diet for the IBS, but can't stick to it.

Drinking soy and eating flaxseed is just not me.
What works for those of you who DO eat healthy?

hugs,train

[Catwoman]

This is a real challenge in my household, too. With our office in downtown Houston, there are so many places to eat, and because I'm usually running around before I go into the office (when I go... my office is usually the house!), I don't take lunches with me because they'll spoil in the heat. And my husband doesn't do the whole lunch-taking thing.

Plus, we have two boys, one of which is a good eater, and the other who is a challenge to feed because of his limited number of "likes". If he could subsist on chips, he would.

Even though I have never really bought a lot of junk food at the store, I am making even more of an effort not to do so. I want my family to think of junk food as "treats" and not as "food groups" or "meal accompaniments".

I make it a point to pop fresh (not microwave) popcorn usually once a day. The kids love to watch, and everybody loves to eat it. With just a little sprinkle of salt, it's better for everybody than chips. I've begun serving popcorn with sandwiches at lunch so everybody can satisfy their "crunchy food" need.

I make my own popcorn chicken instead of buying prefab nuggets. Cut up boneless strips, dredge them in a little flour/salt/garlic powder/pepper, and fry them in just enough oil to turn them around and not stick to the pan. The kids love it.

I buy yogurt for the kids and me and make pudding for treats. Every bit of extra calcium helps. I also make popsicles out of fruit juice so the kids get their frozen treat fix without getting more "bad" sugar.

I insist that everyone- even Mom- eats a fruit or a vegetable at lunch and dinner. I buy a few kinds of fresh fruit- everyone in the house eats apples and grapes- and quick-fix veggies to serve with Ranch dip. Cucumbers, broccoli, sugar snap peas, mini carrots. The kids are still shying away from the veggies for the most part, but if I keep buying them and putting them on their plates, eventually they'll eat them. My older son will eat just about any kind of cooked vegetable- he just seems to have trouble with raw ones. I also schedule nights to make salads with dinner, and I mix up the ingredients as much as I can so my hubby doesn't get bored.

For a treat, sometimes I will buy chocolate-flavored soy milk. I first did this at my older son's request- he pointed to a carton and asked for it. I was sure he'd be disgusted when he found out it wasn't cow's milk, but nope, he liked it, and so did the little one.

When I make pancakes for breakfast, I throw in some chopped fruit- usually blueberries or strawberries.

I looooove cheese enchiladas, but I can't chow down on them anymore. When we eat Mexican food out, I order a combo plate with a taco or tostada and an enchilada. I get a little less fat, and I appreciate the enchilada more.

We are still learning how to eat more healthfully, but with us in transition like you, I thought it might help to know what some of your first steps could be. Good luck!

[Dianne629]

I've been a diabetic for nearly 20 years, and you would think I would know how to eat more healthy. I should be motivated to eat more healthy! But just can't seem to "behave myself". God has really kept me safe from stroke and heart attack, and other horrible side effects of diabetes. Maybe this will be my year to get it all together...........

[Robin whittington]

I like to think that we make an effort to eat healthy.
For us I try to stay away from processed foods with the exception of things like cheese.
No lunch meats like bologna. Lean deli meats replaced these.
Stay away from the high fat foods. Watch the mayo and the salad dressings. Watch for high sugar and high fat % in cereals etc.
Try cooking from scratch as much as you can. Homemade soups, mac and cheese etc can be very easy to make and reduce alot of things like salt and fat that can be unhealthy.
Choose healthy snacks.
I think the bottom line is everything in moderation and try not to convert too fast.
Try making healthier choices. Instead of whole milk choose 2% or skimmed. Or try one of the flavored silks or rice drinks.
Instead of ice cream try one of the fruit ice pops.
Trying to find healthier alternatives can be tricky but with a little effort it can be done! Good Luck!
Robin

[Melanie]

Train, your post is right up my alley. :-) My personal quest right now is health and nutrition. I've been studying about it for quite awhile now - reading anything and everything I can get my hands on. Why I don't go for a degree in nutrition or become a certified dietician is beyond me, but anyway, I digress.

First of all, you have to stop the negativity in your mind. You are already setting yourself up for failure and you haven't even started! Secondly, eating a healthy diet does not mean just drinking soy milk or eating flaxseed.

You need to take baby steps. Don't try to change everything in your diet all at once, otherwise it is too overwhelming. Start with just one meal, and make it a healthy one. Breakfast choices could be scrambled eggs (I use one whole egg and two egg whites per person) with chopped up veggies or even some salsa in them. Instead of bacon or sausage, use Canadian bacon. Other breakfast ideas: a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and a sprinkling of nuts; fruit and yogurt smoothie made in the blender; whole wheat toast or bagel with natural peanut butter or almond butter.

A healthy lunch idea is a huge salad. Use a mixture of greens (skip the iceburg - it has no nutritional value), lots of raw, cut-up veggies (the possibilities are endless), and some kind of protein in it as well - chicken or feta cheese are good choices.

Drink lots of water. Limit your red meat consumption. Stay away from processed foods and trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils - read labels!) Use olive oil for cooking/sauteeing.

There is nothing wrong with having an occasional treat. If you just have to have potato chips, try the Baked Lays. The barbequed ones are really good. If you have to have ice cream, try the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. Delicious!

Oh, and don't forget to exercise. Even if it's just a 10 min. walk per day, it's something to start with.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the jist of this. Hope this helps!

~Melanie

[kcqueenm]

I try eating lots of fruits and veggies with all the summer fruits it not that hard for me to do. I learned that drinking a glass of water before meals helps you eat less.

[MKS]

I've heard you should take your body weight in lbs, divide it in half & that is the ounces of water you should drink each day. That is very hard for me to do. Then, I've also heard you shouldn't drink a lot of water within 30 min of your meals, as it dilutes your digestive juices too much. Oy. Anyway, the first change we made when trying to eat more healthy was to eat 100% whole wheat breads & some pastas. A refuse to buy white bread anymore. We have switched to crackers that have some whole wheat in them, but so far I can only find the triskets that are 100%.

[kcqueenm]

There is so much info out that that it's hard to know what to believe so I try to do what works for me.

[apricot]

I've cut way down on salt and processed foods and my tastebuds have actually changed and the "bland" foods taste better. I also try to take my time and enjoy my food, although that is not always possible. I don't care for chips or sodas, so I drink ice water and snack on nuts, dried fruit, apple-cinammon rice cakes, organic peanut butter on Wasa crackers, which are whole grain and come in different flavors such as oat, sourdough, rye. They are kind of bland but okay with peanut butter on them.

If I want something sweet I snack on a store version of the Frosted bite-size shredded wheat. Some store brands are actually healthier than the well known brand with less sodium and/or sugar. I try to always have some protein with every meal, a glass of milk, a slice of cheese, an egg, or yogurt. I try to allow myself one treat, which is fudgsicles.

I made changes a little at a time. First I started eating more vegetables and then went from there. I also take vitamins. I don't know if you can take vitamins with IBS and if you can have dairy products. Someone I work with has IBS and can't have either.

You will be able to do it if you take it one step at a time, maybe make one change per week. You could try adding more veggies first instead of trying to take sometihing away. Then when you take something unhealthy away replace it with something healthy. I'll be cheering you on!

Laura

[Melanie]

If you are looking for a whole wheat cracker (someone mentioned Triscuits), Kashi TLC are great crackers. I like the 7-grain.

Another member mentioned cutting down on salt. For years now, I haven't used salt in cooking nor at the table. I use herbs and pepper instead to flavor things. Your taste buds eventually get used to having no or little salt in your diet. I also read labels and won't buy anything with a high sodium content (most processed foods, canned soups, frozen dinners).

I also haven't had soda in over 10 years. I don't even like it anymore - neither regular nor diet. I only drink water or unsweetened tea.

~Melanie