Like many people, you get to a certain age and realize you really need to eat better. I eat very little to begin with, but my blood sugar has been creeping up every year, despite constant exercise and a BMI of 20.4 . . . aggravating, but you can't beat genetics. Here are some ways I've tried to modify my already skimpy meals:
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| If you're on the internet, you've probably encountered Overnight Oats. I was sucked in by the variety and tried everything from coconut almond to chocolate almond butter. I truly gave it a good shot, using an entire canister of steel cut oats and also trying it with regular Quaker oats. Verdict: not impressed. Maybe the 10 hours between the time I made it till the time I ate it wasn't enough. I didn't feel like either style of oat softened up any differently than if I would have just made it that morning. Plus, it was gross to me to eat it cold, so I microwaved it. I liked being creative with whatever ingredients I had on hand, but it just wasn't that good to me to have on a regular basis. |
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| Along with a handful of nuts, this is my lunch each day: greek yogurt with berries. For a long time, I ate Greek God's Honey Yogurt. That stuff is da bomb! Unfortunately, it's also FULL of sugar: 27 g of sugar. I've switched to Fage plain greek yogurt at 9 g of sugar. I won't lie to you; it tasted like sour cream to me at first. I had to add fruit preserves to gradually get used to it, that's how bad it was. I'm now accustomed to the taste and can eat it with just berries, though I now add a lot more berries so that I get a few in each bite. Verdict: not great, but doable. |
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| I eat a salad with my dinner most nights. We are able to grow lettuce and spinach in trays on our deck about 5 months out of the year, so yeah, organic! In my pursuit of clean eating, I've given up bottled salad dressings and now make my own. Well, I'm lazy and the only one in my house eating homemade dressing, so actually I just drizzle olive oil and a flavored vinegar directly onto the salad. There are TONS of delicious vinegars out there like these. Verdict: two thumbs up! I will never go back to bottled dressing again. Have you made any food changes? |
I now drink my coffee without sugar, or sometimes just a little honey. My snacks are plain yogurt with raisins...love it! Or almonds mixed with craisins. I hydrate with hibiscus tea. Still want to drop 10 pounds, but my BP is back down to safe levels without needing medication.
ReplyDeleteI would need a latte to not use sugar in my coffee. I will try the dried fruit and nuts in my yogurt!
DeleteSince all of my heart related problems you would think my diet changed completely, but with the diabetic diet I have been on for like forty years there wasn't that big of a change...
ReplyDeleteSorry back to the question, pork.. I have basically eliminated pork from my diet and only consume very little red meat. Turkey, chicken, and fish are my main meat sources now, that's OK with me though.
I still have beef or pork about once a week, but it's mostly chicken, fish or vegetarian meals.
DeleteSpeaking of vegetarian, I ordered a vegetarian omelette from our favorite restaurant (to eliminate the pork) and really liked it, so much that this is what I order the majority of our return visits.
Deletehaha you know me, eat very little at my sea. Easier to say what I can eat than what I can't. I like walking, so I stick with it. Have to love crummy insides, ugg.
ReplyDeleteI need more walking partners; too bad you are so far away!
DeleteHealthy eating and working out is everything. Warm greetings to you!
ReplyDeleteThat's the goal and thanks!
DeleteThe whole key for me is to eliminate sugar in virtually any form. Whenever I 'cheat', I can literally feel the inflammation in my hands, feet and face. Blueberries in plain greek yogurt is one of my regular staples, as well (we've talked before about how greek yogurt is a good sub for sour cream, almost across the board). And your salad dressing is very similar to mine, except I will usually squeeze half a lemon into the olive oil and vinegar. . .
ReplyDeleteBut my mantra is, Sugar is Evil. . .
That is interesting about the inflammation, as I didn't know sugar was a culprit. I'm mostly trying to do the clean eating, where food is eaten in its original form.
DeleteI've made a lot of food changes over the past year. My doctor freaked out when my A1C was 11.1 and my fasting blood sugar was 260 each morning. To say I wasn't eating healthy is an understatement. So I have cut the carbs down by 90%. I still have the occasional potato or a few noodles and a little rice here and there. But for the most part I'm trying to keep my carbs under 50 a day. I eat a lot of vegetables for lunch and more salad with dinner. I'm diabetic and I knew I had to change some things if I wanted those numbers to come down. In the past 3 months my fasting blood sugar has gone from 260 to 219 in the morning. Still high but I'm still working on it.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to cut back on the carbs, moreso than sugary desserts, for me. You can't beat a good bakery bagel - lol! That's great that you are seeing a drop in your numbers. I go for a physical in August, so I'm hoping my fasting number is down.
DeleteI don't have any problem with blood sugar, only slightly raised blood pressure. My weight has been a healthy 11½ stone (73k) for some 17 years. I haven't made any big changes to my diet for a long while. But I have a very varied and nutritious diet that includes dates, nuts, figs, cucumber, tomatoes, peanut butter and granola, as well as home-cooked vegetarian and vegan meals.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful diet, Nick. And being the same weight for 17 years is truly remarkable! Well done!
DeleteYour post comes at the perfect time for me...I just started a healthier way of eating (see how I'm trying to avoid the word "diet" here?). My issue was/is slightly high cholesterol numbers and being overweight. I've eaten fairly healthy meals for a number of years (little meat, lots of fruits and veggies, lots of fiber), but the snacks I added on after those good meals were just too high in sugar and fat. So I've cut way back on those snacks.
ReplyDeleteYogurt tip (I love yogurt and almost cried when I realized some of the stuff has more sugar than a Snickers bar): try the Oikos Triple Zero vanilla yogurt. Not only is it low in sugar, but it has a lot of fiber in it (fiber helps balance your sugar levels). I eat half a cup of that with some berries. Two thumbs up.
Oatmeal tip: I eat (cooked) oatmeal six days a week, and I put ground flax seeds, chia seeds, and cinnamon in it. The seeds add fiber and protein, the cinnamon helps with balancing out sugar levels.
Good luck with your checkup in August! And I will try your flavored vinegar/olive oil trick.
I'm lucky to have very low cholesterol because I know it's really hard to lower those numbers. Again, I think genetics play a huge part in that. Yes, I've tried that Oikos Zero, but I found it to be too runny for my tastes. Thanks for the oatmeal tips!
DeleteAnd I always think the food pics you post look really healthy and good!
Well truth is yeah, after years of trying to change how I (we) eat I'm finally starting to gain the upper hand. Because Queenie finally got with the program.
ReplyDeleteI've almost always had a garden but most of it went to friends, family, and for my lunches until Queenie decided to change her habits. Now we use all sorts of good junk out of the garden but friends and family suffer the consequences.
Her latest, greatest discovery has been home made Greek yogurt. Dandy and fresh as fresh can be! And she says it's easy peasey too ....
Awww....I can't imagine giving away the garden after all that work. I can't even think of anything I would NOT like that comes from a garden!
DeleteOh, I've seen the homemade yogurt recipes. Looks like a royal pain to me, plus I'm nervous about any dairy that's not kept cold at all times. I guess m picky, too!
Queenie borrowed a nifty little crock that does all the heavy lifting. She adds all the gunk and tells it how much she's making, it does almost everything automagically ....
DeleteI LOVE your idea of making your own salad dressing because I eat a lot of salads, so I think I would enjoy it more than a pre-made dressing.
ReplyDeleteI eat a variety of foods and change them often. For as small as I am, I eat A LOT of food throughout the day, but I eat it consistently throughout the day and in small portions. I very rarely eat meat. My passion however, is pasta. I eat it a few times a week. And now that it's summer, I make cold pasta salads.
I also walk a lot and have a high metabolism, so I don't gain a lot of weight. I've pretty much stayed the same weight most of life.
Have a great weekend, my friend!
Ron, my fave dressing was always Ken's creamy balsamic, but now I love these simpler oil and vinegar combinations. I think you'd enjoy them, too.
DeleteLiving in the city without a car is a huge plus when it comes to staying in shape. I think you probably don't need to worry too much about your diet! XO
Hey, Bijoux, I salute your efforts to eat better! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteSo you do that yogurt every day for lunch? Interesting...
I've been threatening to cut down on the carbs and cut out the diet soda and diet ice tea, but I haven't had much success.
I know I'll feel better if I do this--and I'll save a lot of money, but old habits really do die hard.
Take care!
I know it's boring to eat the same thing every day for lunch. I can't come up with any other protein packed lunches that I'd like!
DeleteI gave up pop when I turned 40 and have not missed it at all. I make mint iced tea with tea bags sometimes in the summer and it's very refreshing. If you have leftover fruit, put that in a pitcher of water in the fridge. Also good on a summer day!
I heard about overnight oats, thanks for your review about them. I think I'll stay clear of them. I used to put balsamic vinegar on my salads; very low in calories (not sure about the sugar). Tasty! It does suck when we get older and our bodies don't cooperate like they used to.
ReplyDeleteAbout 6 years ago we gave up diet soda (really all sodas since all we drank at the time was diet). Have a rare one when out and about but they don't taste the same and prefer water to them. Gave up cream in my coffee and went from 3 cups a day down to 2 cups a day of it. Thinking of going down to one cup a day and probably decaf; mix decaf and regular together to adjust to it and then go decaf all the way. Need to give up my daily glass of wine; limit it to just on the weekends, but its a good wind me down at the end of a day :)
betty
Giving up pop is one of the best things you can do. Unless I'm in Napa, I try to limit my wine to 4 glasses a week, but it's hard!!!
Deletemy spouse tried every food plan to lose, zip, I developed low blood sugar, and tried Dr. Barry Sears's Zone plan, felt great and the weight loss was a bonus. finally got hubs to go the Zone and he is finally losing while not being hungry. You eat normal foods in the proper ration of protein, carbs, and fat. His books have it figured for you and it is so easy. The aim is to keep your blood sugar in balance, like the diabetic plans, but this is much simpler and eliminates the garbage foods like artificial sweeteners. You can search his stuff: Dr. Barry Sears.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm trying to eliminate any processed foods from my diet and I've always steered clear of artificial sweeteners. Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteI know I couldn't do overnight oats - I don't like things with a pudding-like consistency.
ReplyDeleteAs for diet changes, we made some big ones after my husband's stroke. It was due to a genetic anomaly, but he has also slightly high cholesterol. I stay underweight according to the charts (although I think it's a fine weight for me), but I saw my cholesterol creeping up a wee bit. I have become increasingly convinced, after reading lots of research, that sugars/simple carbs are what's killing us all. We eat no red meat, but plenty of fish and chicken. And lots of eggs. And since you need fat for your body to be able to use the calcium in dairy, I only eat full-fat, plain yogurt. I use mostly olive oil for cooking but if I want butter, it's always butter and never margarine. Also, full fat cheeses and sour cream. The biggest change we've made is cutting WAY back on carbs. That was initially tough for me because I have a wicked sweet tooth. Now we eat whole grains in moderation - barley, brown rice, that sort of thing. And even my sourdough bread is whole wheat. And as little sugar as we can. I drink coffee in the morning with just a tiny bit of sugar and unsweetened hot tea after that. We've eliminated virtually all processed foods. No sodas, no junk food. We've upped vegetables and have leafy greens every day. On salads, it's usually balsamic vinegar and olive oil. (Although I made a main dish salad tonight that had pickles, beets and smoked salmon included, so I made a dressing with yogurt, capers, olive oil and dill.) We do still have a glass of wine with dinner or a whiskey every now and than. A dark chocolate truffle for dessert. Mostly we steer clear of the center aisles at the grocery store. My husband has lost the belly he'd developed over the last several years and his blood work looks good. Once in a while we go out and try to eat sanely but do splurge a little. I don't want to feel like we can NEVER have pizza a beer, say. But we eat at home the majority of the time. It helps that I'm a good cook. We're actually eating so well on this new plan we don't feel like it's a diet.
Nuts, wine and dark chocolate are must-haves here!
Delete27gm of sugar? I will not go anywhere near the Greek God :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a bummer because it really is tasty.
DeleteI changed my whole lifestyle after being diagnosed with diabetes 2+ years ago, and it's paid off in spades. I'm a big fan of all things Greek yogurt - have you tried Siggi's? It's technically Icelandic Skyr, which is similar (but better). Gone are sugar, refined grains, and most processed foods; in are sparkling water and whole grains. Air-popped popcorn. Dark chocolate. And still (thankfully) plenty of wine!
ReplyDeleteI have seen Siggi's, but it's pricey here. I will have to try it when it's on sale.
DeleteYou may remember I changed my ways when it comes to food. I used to eat greek yogurt with berries, too, but that (among other things) only got me overweight. I don't eat it anymore, much as I crave it. No you can't beat genetics. I did read somewhere, though, that everyone has some kind of weight gain trigger and it could help to find out which one is causing you to gain weight. In my case it was a couple of things: Greek yogurt, chocolate and eating late at night after work.
ReplyDeleteNighty night.
Blue
Oh, that's too bad on the yogurt. I'm not sure what I would have for lunch each day, besides soup, which is full of salt. I don't care for sandwiches (carbs anyway) and I already eat salad at dinner. You start to run out of things. Like I said, I barely eat anything to begin with! Frustrating.
DeleteUnless you make your own soup. I haven't eaten sandwiches since March, which I'm sure is one of the reasons I've lost weight. Yes, it's very frustrating. Food is often either sugar or salt...
DeleteWe eat a lot of salad this spring and once the weather cools will return to eat more in the fall and winter. And tomatoes, egg plants, okra, squash... all goodies from the garden. I haven't tried the overnight oats, but do eat a lot of oatmeal--for the longer cooked type (like steel cut), I'll fix enough for 4-5 days and divide it out and just warm it up in the microwave.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to have a longer growing season.
DeleteApplauding your commitment to healthy eating!! I've yet to find the right balance. :( I have never been heavier. :( Diets lately haven't been working like they did years ago. Genetics and peri-meno ... whew, one two punch! lol While I do love a good variety of foods... fruits, salads, etc... the comfort foods are hard to give up.
ReplyDeleteI've found that filling up on water helps me cut back on portion size.
DeleteI will not go anywhere near the Greek God
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