60 yrs and up

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  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 289 Member
    @AnnPT77. Yes, I hate the idea of not being able to bounce right back after this illness. But patience and persistence, while not being my most favorite mode of operation, is probably the best route to go. Especially as we get older. I would rather go slowly and consistently and get there without injury or other health problems even if it means having to rebuild my strength and endurance over a longer period of time. I'll keep your story of the Olympian rower in mind as a reminder that even young, strong athletes have had to take their time getting back to their normal activities after covid. It might take me longer than 4 weeks. I'll use your article as a guide but I won't feel bad if I need to take longer.
  • momzilla11
    momzilla11 Posts: 50 Member
    Silver lining from my covid (delta) 18 months ago: I now have only maybe 80% of my taste and smell, which makes food less appealing, even my favorites. I have to say, it works for me at this stage of my life, trying to reclaim health and fitness after decades of bad habits. It's helped me lose more than 40 lbs since August, at 68 with a bad knee
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    momzilla11 wrote: »
    Silver lining from my covid (delta) 18 months ago: I now have only maybe 80% of my taste and smell, which makes food less appealing, even my favorites. I have to say, it works for me at this stage of my life, trying to reclaim health and fitness after decades of bad habits. It's helped me lose more than 40 lbs since August, at 68 with a bad knee
    Too bad, you have/had to experience this, but it is a nice illustration of my position that food does not have to taste good, it should just not taste bad.
  • donnacps1
    donnacps1 Posts: 5 Member
    Saying Hello, I'm over 60 by a long shot, but loved Spark social groups. How are you all doing?
  • NewGrl64
    NewGrl64 Posts: 110 Member
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    @NewGrl64 - nice you were able to get into ketosis 👍; please do let us know what your numbers do in February - enquiring minds want to know 😉 😀

    Hi all! Update on my new venture into the LCHF/Keto diet. My appointment with my doctor for labs in early March has been moved up to tomorrow. I had hoped to have a little more time before taking blood tests, but maybe it's a good thing to take them so early on so I can see how things progress as the months go on.

    So far, I've been doing this for about 3 weeks. I've lost a total of a little over 6 lbs. Again, probably water, but I'll take what I can get at this point. It should make my doctor happy anyway. :p

    I'm rather interested to see what the diet will do to my cholesterol over time, so I guess tomorrow's tests will set the baseline. My cholesterol has always been just over 200, but my HDL has always been on the high side and my triglycerides have been low-ish. My LDL, however, is high. I've read where people on this diet actually have an INCREASE in LDL, so I'm a little concerned there. I guess we'll just keep on and see how it goes.

    @momzilla11 so sorry to hear you got Covid. I had it a year ago December and it took a while to get back to normal. Hang in there.

    @donnacps1 Welcome. I don't post often, but I do log in and read all the comments. This seems to be a great group. :)

    As for all of you experiencing snow, I live in the desert. I moved here years ago from the northeastern U.S. to escape the snow. This winter is reminding me of New England. We've had more precipitation this year than we've had for a very long time. In fact, we have another front coming in Sunday bringing more snow. Strange winter, but at least we won't have drought this summer. Silver lining. :D

  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 889 Member
    Hey all, life is busier for me just now, my retirement sideline of becoming a travel agent had a growth spurt as I booked a cruise for two family groups - 1 with 3 cabins + air, the other for cruise only but 7 cabins! Now, if I could just finish my courses lol, I am 79% complete. I am going to a lunch & learn tomorrow put on by Disney, which is great because I must get my family vacation booked soon - me, my daughter, my son & DILaw & 2 grandkids are planning to go to Disneyland in May.

    I've also made a concerted effort to connect with some of my former colleagues so had a few extra social outings too.

    And I adopted a 4 yo female cat, had her 2 weeks today and I am enjoying her company
    now that she's more settled.

    My weight has finally gone below my December low before my cruise, so that feels good. And I feel good momentum just now, am having good success with using Time Restricted Eating to keep my appetite in check. I have increased my fasting period to 16 hours most days.

    I just bought a InstaPot clone, is a rice cooker, steamer, pressure cooker and slow cooker + more! If it does the trick, I will get rid of my old crockpot. Haven't even unpacked it yet, was delivered this week. I am looking forward to seeing how quickly it can cook beans - I soak dried beans overnight, but they still took absolutely ages in my crockpot to get properly soft.

    @Pdc654- I had Covid last fall, and I completely recovered within a couple weeks, save for the fatigue. That took at least an extra 4-6 weeks before my prior energy level fully returned.

    Keep at it folks!
  • donnacps1
    donnacps1 Posts: 5 Member
    edited February 2
    Sounds good. Hope your new cooking pot works well. Let us know. What team is this? Just curious as I am new to MFP recent posts. Oh, I see it's called 60 yrs and up.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 28,245 Member
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    (snip good stuff)

    I just bought a InstaPot clone, is a rice cooker, steamer, pressure cooker and slow cooker + more! If it does the trick, I will get rid of my old crockpot. Haven't even unpacked it yet, was delivered this week. I am looking forward to seeing how quickly it can cook beans - I soak dried beans overnight, but they still took absolutely ages in my crockpot to get properly soft.

    (moresnip)

    Wow, @BCLadybug888: I admire your energy! Also, what you're doing sounds like it includes a lot of fun. Good stuff!

    I snipped your post down to that fragment to focus on one point. You may already know this, but others may not. Since I'm a long-term vegetarian (since 1974!), I eat a lot of beans. I've learned that some people don't know that certain types of beans must be boiled for ideal food safety, if cooking from dry.

    Kidney beans for sure are one of those, and I think soy beans may be (but I don't normally prep those from dry). It's possible to soak, pre-boil, then put in a slow cooker for the rest of the cooking.

    Pressure cooking in the new cooker may be fine, since getting to a high temperature for a given length of time seems to be the big deal, but I don't know that for sure.

    There's information from multiple reasonably sound sources about this. Here's one from The Ohio State University:

    https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/chow-line-dry-kidney-beans-need-be-boiled

    I hope your new cooker turns out to be a great solution: I always cook beans on the stove top, usually during Winter heating season ;) , and freeze a bunch in my chest freezer for later use. I know other people like various cookers, and don't have my luck with freezer space, though.

  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,658 Member
    @AnnPT77 I never have any luck getting my beans soft enough. We have very hard water and I've wondered if that's the reason. I eventually just gave up and buy them canned. Except for lentils. Even I can't mess up cooking lentils haha. But perhaps soaking overnight and then boiling for 30 minutes would soften them enough to add to chili or whatever. Do you have any experience with hard water and legumes?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 28,245 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    @AnnPT77 I never have any luck getting my beans soft enough. We have very hard water and I've wondered if that's the reason. I eventually just gave up and buy them canned. Except for lentils. Even I can't mess up cooking lentils haha. But perhaps soaking overnight and then boiling for 30 minutes would soften them enough to add to chili or whatever. Do you have any experience with hard water and legumes?

    Not recent. Most of mine will turn to mush if I cook them long enough, but I usually do soak them overnight, and simmer them on the stove (low heat in the last stages when there's less liquid, but more of a boil at first, anything short of boiling over).

    I can' imagine that soaked pinto, kidney or black beans would be pleasantly done in 30 minutes of cooking, though. I'm usually cooking them for hours. Canned beans are very affordable these days, eh?

    Beans that are very old can be harder to soften up IME. I've read that adding salt at the start can make them tougher, . . . but Cook's Illustrated recent said just the opposite, that they should be soaked in brine. Maybe time for an experiment or at least some Google-Fu?

    Me, I salt near the end only because I'm never sure how much they'll cook down, and I'm a "by guess and by gosh" cook, so it's easier to salt the right amount when they're close to done - just cooking long enough for the salt to permeate.
  • momzilla11
    momzilla11 Posts: 50 Member
    Regarding the bean discussion: I discovered that the beans themselves make all the difference in cooking time and even taste. The dried beans we find on our supermarket shelves are likely years old, having been warehoused under whatever conditions. Try Rancho Gordo heirloom beans for fresher, more tender and flavorful, and faster cooking beans. A bit more expensive, but if you order direct and/or join the bean club, you also get to explore and discover amazing varieties of heirloom beans from small farms.
  • spinnerdell
    spinnerdell Posts: 225 Member
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 28,245 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    @AnnPT77 I never have any luck getting my beans soft enough. We have very hard water and I've wondered if that's the reason. I eventually just gave up and buy them canned. Except for lentils. Even I can't mess up cooking lentils haha. But perhaps soaking overnight and then boiling for 30 minutes would soften them enough to add to chili or whatever. Do you have any experience with hard water and legumes?

    Not recent. Most of mine will turn to mush if I cook them long enough, but I usually do soak them overnight, and simmer them on the stove (low heat in the last stages when there's less liquid, but more of a boil at first, anything short of boiling over).

    I can' imagine that soaked pinto, kidney or black beans would be pleasantly done in 30 minutes of cooking, though. I'm usually cooking them for hours. Canned beans are very affordable these days, eh?

    Beans that are very old can be harder to soften up IME. I've read that adding salt at the start can make them tougher, . . . but Cook's Illustrated recent said just the opposite, that they should be soaked in brine. Maybe time for an experiment or at least some Google-Fu?

    Me, I salt near the end only because I'm never sure how much they'll cook down, and I'm a "by guess and by gosh" cook, so it's easier to salt the right amount when they're close to done - just cooking long enough for the salt to permeate.

    Oops, maybe it's obvious, but bolded should have been "I can't imagine . . .". IME, only red lentils and maybe soaked black or green lentils might get done as quickly as half an hour on the stove top in a regular pot. Quicker by pressure cooker, I'm sure.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.
    I have fought the Instant Pot for a long time, mainly because I live alone and no one seems to sell small electric pressure cookers in Toronto. However, I finally gave in for one single reason: soybeans. I do not soak them. I merely put them in the pot, add water, press the button and open the pot when everything has completely cooled down. I am then left with the tastiest beans I now, and there is essentially no work involved. As a confirmed old bachelor, I love that. Soybeans are the only thing I cook in the Instant Pot, but I truly love it, for that reason.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 10,170 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    @AnnPT77 I never have any luck getting my beans soft enough. We have very hard water and I've wondered if that's the reason. I eventually just gave up and buy them canned. Except for lentils. Even I can't mess up cooking lentils haha. But perhaps soaking overnight and then boiling for 30 minutes would soften them enough to add to chili or whatever. Do you have any experience with hard water and legumes?
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    I doubt it's the hard water. I lived for years in a city with very hard and quite delicious water. I had no problem cooking beans. Some people find that hard water can make the skins a little tougher, but the beans still get soft. Having tougher skins can actually be an advantage for some things. When I make bean salad (more vegetables than beans), I have to be very careful not to overcook the beans or they'll fall apart. I have pretty soft water now; maybe I should add some alkalinity to the soaking water next time.

    I always cook beans in salted water; I have for quite a while. It does not make the beans tough either. What it does is let some of the salt INTO the beans to add flavor. If you salt after they're cooked, the salt just flavors the cooking liquid, not the beans. Some people even salt the soaking water. I don't do that.

    Bring to a very brief boil, then turn down to a simmer and let cook for... depends on the beans. I cooked mayocoba beans today, and they were done in 50 minutes. Last time I cooked black beans, they got done quicker. Garbanzos take longer. Some find cooking with the lid off makes them have more flavor as the liquid gets more concentrated. You may need to keep adding boiling water to keep the liquid level up, and it also uses more energy since heat escapes as steam. Cook them ten minutes less than you think, then scoop out three beans and try to mash them between your tongue and palate. If they're soft; done. If not, give them some more time.

    I buy dried beans in bulk. I don't cook them in the summer because it heats the house up too much. One of my batches this fall had some beans that I had stored over the summer AND some beans I had bought more recently. They cooked at different rates. The older ones were still hard and the newer ones were falling apart. If you have old beans, they may take much longer to cook. I remember many years ago I had some garbanzos that were really old; they NEVER got soft. Beans can keep for years, but then they do take longer to cook.

    A half hour ain't gonna do it though.

    I do enjoy beans. I made two quarts of bean soup and a gallon of bean salad today; they will last all week as part of my meals. Yum!

  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 889 Member
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    Tell me your Instapot routine pretty please 🙏 lol
  • spinnerdell
    spinnerdell Posts: 225 Member
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    Tell me your Instapot routine pretty please 🙏 lol

    I soak larger beans (pintos and such) overnight, drain them and put them in the Instant Pot with 5 to 6 cups fresh water, a bay leaf or two, and a handful of herbs from my garden, bring to pressure on high, cook for 20 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. Split peas cook to silky smoothness in 15 minutes with no soaking. I like my beans on the mushy side, so you might want to adjust the time. :)
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 889 Member
    edited February 4
    Wow, this is going to be great! I like'em on the mushy side too. Soaking some beans tonight 😋

    Thanks for the intel @spinnerdell !
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited February 4
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    Tell me your Instapot routine pretty please 🙏 lol

    I soak larger beans (pintos and such) overnight, drain them and put them in the Instant Pot with 5 to 6 cups fresh water, a bay leaf or two, and a handful of herbs from my garden, bring to pressure on high, cook for 20 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. Split peas cook to silky smoothness in 15 minutes with no soaking. I like my beans on the mushy side, so you might want to adjust the time. :)
    I do not soak beans, but I cook them at a 45 min setting. One of the advantages of the Instant Pot (mine, anyway) is that it remembers the 45 min setting, so I never even think about it anymore. That made me a big fan of the Instant Pot.

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