Nutritarian November

lisabinco
lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
Well, I think this is the way to start a new thread.
So sorry about the dog’s bad experience. Poor baby.
Didn’t know the whopping calories in a Cinnabon — yowza! I haven’t had one of those in at least 8 years. I just smell them in the mall now and then. I’m afraid one would put me in a sugar tailspin so best if I not have one ever again. <sigh>
Wine. Hmmm, yes, I do like my wine. But grapes are a great treat. Yes, bad food choices can make me feel truly crappy. Deservedly so.
Glad the massages are working!
Don’t get me started on stuff made of grease and salt (like potato chips) as that is more a weakness of mine than sugar. One potato chip is never enough.
Yes, still up 5 pounds. Ugh.
And as for cravings…
Has anyone been watching the PBS series called "The Brain" with David Eagleman? Fascinating. This episode was on how the brain makes decisions. Including what to eat. So it turns out that suppressing, say, the urge to eat something I see in front of me (especially something that makes the voices in my head start to squeak excitedly) by reminding myself about how bad that will make me feel is an effective way to train my brain to "just say no."
The key is, the more I practice it, the better my brain suppresses the urge, and the easier it gets. How about that? 

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Replies

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Thanks for starting the new thread Lisa! I thought about it after I posted in the October thread but got distracted and promptly forgot again. We're all talking about how busy we are, so I guess we're all trying to draw out October to get more done before November begins? I haven't seen that PBS series, but it sounds interesting. It does get easier to not eat the junky stuff the longer I go without it, I lose my cravings. The trick is not letting my brain convince me that just a little bit won't hurt anything and then the cravings are right back.

    I have 3 days of skipping lunch and I feel really good. I don't get that afternoon slump when I don't eat lunch, I'm more productive and energetic. I am just having a little snack of some baby carrots and grape tomatoes or a small handful of pumpkin seeds.

    Also going to join the 8 week holiday challenge at my gym. Going in this evening to get my first gym workout in forever and get signed up. I should probably meet with a trainer to get some advice on getting re-started, but I will likely just do what I was doing before for now, and get back to being comfortable/back in the habit of going to the gym and working out.

    Finally got Eat Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. It has been on my wish list for a while. I've bookmarked a few recipes for this weekend... Cumin Lime Tofu, Autumn Puree, and Savory French Lentils. Nom.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Lisa, thanks for starting the thread! I love that - the power of the brain in light of food - it makes so much sense. I have read a few times about the difference it can make saying "I'm not a person who eats that food" or "I don't want that food" versus "I'm not allowed to have that food" or "I shouldn't". This is a constant struggle/process for me though! Also, I am the opposite of you. I would pick sugar over salt every time!

    I've had a pretty rotten week actually, just a bunch of things gone wrong! BUt I feel it's par for the course since I leave for a mini vacation to Chicago on Saturday, and what better way to make you appreciate the time away! Haha. My poor hubby badly dislocated his shoulder though and I'm not sure how that will impact the trip just yet. It's my first time in Chicago, which seems less than nutritarian friendly, to say the least lol. I have found one or two restos that are veg friendly and a whole foods market nearby too. Any tips?!

    Delicious sounding recipes, Mihani! Interesting about the light lunch. Do you even have time to assess your hunger in the afternoons? Lol. I'm happy you got a break from the office still. Let us know how the gym goes!

    Scott, poor pup! The things we do for our pets... lol. I can't even imagine preoccupying a dog out of the house for that long. But also, you have fireworks on Halloween?!?!

    Karrie, how did the meals go??

    Laura, happy to hear you're doing so well despite all the crazy life!! Wooo!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Oh no Lia... sorry for your poor hubby. I hope you have a nice trip in spite of it though. Sounds like you really need some R&R.

    I went to the gym and signed up for the challenge. I thought it was going to be more of a "thing" but they just weighed me in and added me to the list. Still, it's something to get me back in the gym, and I am supposed to weigh in every 2 weeks with them so they can track how everyone does over the challenge so that's a little commitment to try my best. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and played around on some of the machines for 10 or 15 minutes. Nothing too strenuous, it has been a while since I've done any serious working out so I better ease into it. A friend of mine who goes to the same gym signed up too so we can support each other. She generally goes earlier than I do but we're going to try to work out together one or two days a week.

    I feel like I'm slowly but surely come out of a really long slump here. I'm excited to see what progress I can make before the first of the year.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited November 2015
    Thanks for the thread!
    I'm plodding along!
    Lowering my carbs (and upping my bio-identical progesterone) has helped with menopause symptoms I'm happy to report!
    New goal: getting lots of fiber rich vegetables while keeping the carbs lower. It's not hard in the slightest, just takes a little focus.
    Lia: your hubby's injury sounds painful.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hi Sabine! Glad to hear you're still holding symptoms at bay.

    I'm heading to the office today but going to bring some things home to work on here tomorrow so I don't have to go back in there. I'm going to try to figure out something of a plan for the coming week and also try to do a little cooking tomorrow. If I'm going to get to the gym on M/W/F then I need to have dinners planned and be ready to go so that I'm not coming home from the gym and foraging for food. I'm still happy with skipping a real lunch and just munching on some raw veggies, fruit and/or nuts/seeds once or twice during the day. I did eat an Amy's entree yesterday just because, and I felt more tired and less mentally sharp than I had all week. I'm sure it is the starchy carbs that make me feel like that. I am fine eating them at breakfast and dinner, but at lunch they just make me tired. I need to make some soups to restock my freezer stash, it's such an easy way to get the greens and other veggies and beans into my day with no real effort.

    Hope y'all have a great weekend!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Today starts the 8 week challenge at the gym, which actually, technically, started Thursday when I weighed in at the gym, but I gave myself the weekend to gear up and today is day 1. Having toast and a plant protein shake for breakfast, taking baby carrots and grape tomatoes for lunch, and I have apples at the office if I want one. Last night I made the masala baked tofu from AFR cookbook, and spiced rice with veggies so I'm looking forward to leftovers for dinner. And I'm looking forward to the gym this evening! It's way past time that I got back there.

    Happy Monday!
  • Phoenix4me18
    Phoenix4me18 Posts: 133 Member
    Hi all. Hanging in there. Only a week and a half to go for this class and I am definitely looking forward to having some extra time to focus a lot harder on my weight loss goals. I feel like I have been doing pretty well through the class at finding a little time for working out and keeping my food somewhat managed. However, I can see myself starting to kind of bump down the road of health a little right now. Not completely derailed, just holding onto the wheel with a tighter grip feeling like I am getting bounced all over if that makes any sense. But, I am holding on, so, that is a big improvement and I continue to fight against being pulled into "manic stress mode" for school. With all that I am juggling pretty good!

    Mihani - good luck with the challenge at the gym!

    Hi Sabine!

    Lia - hope your husband recovers quickly.

    Lisa - interesting to read about training your brain to "just say no". I will have to employ that tactic myself.

    Off to work. I weigh in tomorrow and am not feeling entirely confident that I will hit my 20 pound mark this week. This past weekend was one of those "bumps" in the road with too many things happening socially and too little sleep all of which equals bad food choices for me. It will be what it will be. I have plenty of weigh ins to come where I can meet and then exceed that goal, so, not going to beat myself up over it too much. Focusing on just being kind to myself right now and reminding myself that I am doing the best I can and that I can't do everything perfect 100% of the time in 100% of things. I am only human after all. ;-)

    Have great days everyone!
  • danygard
    danygard Posts: 3 Member
    Happy to hear others talking about the brain work needed to eat well. I use the cognitive behavior training of Dr. Judith Beck ( the Beck Diet Solution) to train my brain to stay ETL/nutritarian. I will look into the PBS offering with DVid Eagleman.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hi danygard! I have not read The Beck Diet Solution, I will have to check that out. How long have you been following ETL?

    Laura, glad to hear hear you still have control of the wheel, great visual image. Yay for one class almost done and you'll have some time to regroup.

    I did okay at the gym last night, just going was a big victory for me really. Secretary called off sick so I was covering for her all day in addition to my million things to get done, plus got stuck late at the office, but I didn't give myself any choice. Just came home, got the pets fed and taken care of, changed clothes and off I went. Did about 20 or 25 minutes of cardio and 15 or 20 minutes of the weight machines, and I felt good about the fact I got it done even though I wasn't all that terribly enthusiastic. Could feel it in my shoulders today (in a good way) and in one knee (in a bad way).

  • hanzel2
    hanzel2 Posts: 29 Member
    Hi All,
    I`m hoping I can rejoin this group. I was a member almost a year and a half ago and then lots of LIFE things happened. I`m trying to re-focus and hoping that this lovely group will give me inspiration. I started the 6 week plan two days ago. wish me luck and I`ll catch up with you all soon.
  • coueswhitetail
    coueswhitetail Posts: 309 Member
    In case anyone is looking for a new salad dressing to try, here is one from Dr Fuhrman that I made last night and my husband and I very much enjoyed it! Having it again on my salad today. I never would have thought to mix these ingredients together, but it works great! It comes out as a sweet, yet somewhat tangy and spice salad dressing. But the cinnamon and nutmeg are subtle enough to not be overbearing. Try it!

    I had to add water to get the apples to blend. I didn't peel my apples either. I used balsamic that I had on hand and used a pumpkin seed/sunflower seed mix that I had rather than just pumpkin seeds.

    Pumpkin Seed Pecan Dressing
    www.DrFuhrman.com

    Serves: 4
    Preparation Time: 5 minutes

    Ingredients:
    2 apples, peeled and cored
    2 tablespoons pecans
    2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
    2-3 pitted dates
    2 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman’s Spicy Pecan Vinegar or balsamic vinegar
    1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

    Instructions:
    Blend all ingredients together in a high-powered blender.

    Per Serving:
    CALORIES 78; PROTEIN 1g; CARBOHYDRATES 15g; TOTAL FAT 2.3g; SATURATED FAT 0.3g; SODIUM 2mg; FIBER 1.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 15ug; VITAMIN C 3mg; CALCIUM 11mg; IRON 0.3mg; FOLATE 2ug; MAGNESIUM 16mg; ZINC 0.3mg; SELENIUM 0.3ug

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hi Hanzel! Good to see you again. Welcome back, and great start to the 6 week plan.

    Thanks for the recipe Coues. Sounds really good.

    Went to the grocery after work and stocked up on produce, beans, etc. I am going to cook some soups this weekend to restock my freezer supply. Have veggies for salads and stir-fries that should get me through the first part of next week. It is getting cold and I will be more into cooking again I hope.
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    HI all,

    Glad to see this thread so lively.

    Welcome back Hanzel.

    Coues: I have used that dressing quite a bit lately. Very delicious.

    Mahini: good luck with the gym competition. Hope you win.

    LIa: hope you trip trip went well and your days are going better.

    Lisa: that is a good plan. I was at a conference this week and one of the lectures was about habits.
    They were talking about the three components of a habit.
    1. the cue (smell cinnamon buns)
    2. the response (buy bun)
    3. the resolution (eat the bun and brain lights up with pleasure)
    The lecturer used Cinnabons as an example of the cue reward brain system. So in a nut shell when we have a cue we need to control our response. One fact that is a little depressing: once the brain wired a cue, response we can never get rid of it. Only create new ones. So we are all at risk for going back to old habits.

    So, I had the conference on Monday and Tuesday then I work the rest of the week. I turned the big 50 last Tuesady Tuesday so hubby plans on celebrating it this weekend. He was in Japan and then the Philippines.
    Does anyone have a good cake recipe that is dairy free, egg free, wheat free, and chocolate free. Please let me know. Thanks

    On Monday, I went to a local holistic MD in Boston. Hope she works out; I think she was right out of college. She ordered a whole bunch of blood tests, the lab took 12 vials of blood. Hopefully, it will be a clue to treating RA in a more natural method then with methotrexate or Avara. I have a hunch this may be a chocolate allergy. Will see. I am not going to have any chocolate for the next few months and see what happens. So add that to my list. NO wheat, no meat, no dairy, no added oil, no sugar, no chocolate, no salt. You think I should still be losing weight with eating nothing but I have been stuck at my current weight now for weeks. Guess I need to get back to the gym.


    It is a month away till my appointment at Dr. Fuhrman's office. Hope the drive to New Jersey is worth it.

    Anyway, everyone have a great day.

    Terri


  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    edited November 2015
    Happy Belated Birthday Terri! I was thinking you were probably looking for a raw recipe if you don't want any of those ingredients and came up with this... rawfoodrecipes.com/recipes/raw-zucchini-carrot-spice-cake/. I occasionally toy with the idea of going raw vegan for a set period of time. Maybe I will try it for a week or two after New Years. (P.S. the icing has oil)
  • coueswhitetail
    coueswhitetail Posts: 309 Member
    Terri,

    I am excited about your appt at Dr fuhrmans.....let us know how it goes! I would go if I didn't live on the other side of the country!
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    I just made this for brunch (no oil) and I love it!! Got the idea from MFP poster EIEIElenaO.

    Coarsley chop two tart green apples. Slice 1/2 onion into thin-ish slices. Toss 'em in a skillet on med-hi heat, put the lid on, let 'em brown up a bit --(with a lid, the moisture from the onions keeps them sizzling and you gotta stir them often; add a dab of water as needed to keep 'em from burning)-- then toss in the chopped apples. Keep the lid on when not stirring. Stir often, though. It's done when the onions are translucent and the apples soften, about 3-4 minutes. Dump the whole thing on a plate and sprinkle with walnuts. Delicious!!

    Also made Dr. Fuhrman's Broccoli Mushroom Bisque from the ETL cookbook. Excellent recipe. I forgot the onions this time, but it was still very tasty. My next try will be the Broccoli Soup from the FOK cookbook.

    Mihani -- Cumin lime tofu, Mmmm! I have a gym membership but … it's been at least a year since I entered the building. Shame on me. Good for you. With a friend to "lash yourself to the mast," so to speak (another point made in the Brain series), you will be back in the swing of it in no time. Skipping lunch makes sense to me. I eat only twice a day and try not to eat too late in the day. I'm sure the starchy carbs are the culprit -- they'll raise your blood glucose and then when it drops you feel tired.

    liapr -- There's a website and app called Happy Cow that lists restaurants in all major (and many minor) cities that are vegan, vegetarian or at least veg-friendly. I use it all the time. I also add restaurants I find. VERY helpful app.

    Sabine -- Good to hear from you! I never heard of bio-identical progesterone. I was blessed with almost no menopause symptoms and no medications, but I found sugar was a trigger for me. White sugar, white flour, white rice, all those kind of carbs were big triggers.

    NewMe -- You are one busy gal. Glad school is manageable. Lots on your plate!

    danygard -- In the Brain series, Engleman talks about an image of a gauge; you move the needle from "craving" to "no craving" by actively suppressing the craving, in part by reminding yourself of something negative about the craving. I liken it to Dr. Fuhrman who says that knowledge is power, that understanding the damage I do when I eat crap food and calling that up when I feel a craving will curb those cravings. And it does. I've added, from experience, the sensation of feeling crappy after eating crap food, as well as how awful I look the next morning. It is almost automatic now to think those things when I see or smell food that my squeaky voices want to have.

    hanzel2 -- welcome back!! How is the 6 week plan going?

    coueswhitetail -- that dressing sounds delicious. I will try it soon. It will fold right into my green apple binge I've been on for a month.

    tdh1991 -- Interesting lecture. Yes, my experience is the response is always there (my squeaky voices all chirping at once!) but I realize I can muffle them. I still hear them but I feel I am in charge, not them. So far, so good. You may like Helyn's Healthy Kitchen website for some good recipes that fit your needs. I'm eager to hear how your appt at Fuhrman's office goes!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Lisa that apple recipe sounds delicious, I'll definitely give it a try.

    I didn't go to the office today and did some cooking. I made 3 soups: OSG Red Lentil Kale (this is just about my favorite soup ever), my own lentil soup, and a split pea soup that I made up. They all turned out well and I have 14 containers in the freezer that each have about 2 servings. I still want to make two more soups, the OSG 10 spice veggie which is delicious, and the Eat Your Greens Detox Soup from OSG. I haven't made the greens soup before, but it looks and sounds really good and nourishing. I also bought ingredients to make the thai peanut noodle bowl, and lettuce and veggies for salads, but I ran out of time and energy. I'll get to them in the next couple days.

    I read something that said you can soak your cashews then freeze them, and just let them thaw before you use them in recipes, so I did that today too. I often find myself looking at a recipe and wishing I had soaked cashews ready to go.
  • coueswhitetail
    coueswhitetail Posts: 309 Member
    Lisa, thx for the onion apple recipe, will have to try it!

    And mihani, thx for tip about freezing soaked cashews.....I have the same problem, but I have also found soaking isnt completely necessary either....cashews are so soft they will blend pretty well even if not soaked.....soaking is better though!! So I like the new tip!
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    HI all,

    I made this recipe the other day was a big hit

    adapted from Vegetarian Times Cuban Style black bean with rice and plantains
    Serves 4
    1 garlic clove
    1/2 large red onion
    1 orange pepper
    1 poblano pepper
    1 jalapano pepper
    6 tomatillos (add 5 min in to cooking)

    1. Saute above ingredients in red cooking wine or water or vegetable broth for 10 minutes. Adding the tomatillos half way thru the 10 minutes of cooking.

    Black beans 2 cans
    cumin
    Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning blend
    pepper
    cilantro 1/2 cup to 1 cup
    juice of 1 lime

    2. Next add the above ingredients. Cook partially covered at medium temperature a 4 or a 5. Cook for 10 min. While this is cooking go to step 3.

    2 plantains
    1 tbs coconut oil

    3. heat 1 tbs of coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, and cook cubed plantains 4 to 5 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove from heat.

    4. Spoon brown rice into large bowls. Next add cuban beans, then plantains, and garnish with Fresh Chopped Cilantro. (also, top with red onion, and scallions)


    Had a nice week. We celebrated my brithday this past weekend. My hubby to me to a vegeterian/vegan restaurant for dinner. Nice to not have to cook but the food was a bit bland for my tastes. Still, we had a nice time.

    Doing a lot of cooking today, so I am prepared for the week.

    Made Ukraininan Sweet and Sour soup
    Three Sisters Harvest Stew
    Acorn Squash Stew with Brussel Sprouts
    Vegan Crockpot "Meatloaf"

    Hope they turn out, twas a lot of work.

    Mahini: thanks for the recipe. I am incorporting some raw foods in my diet. Hubby got me a dehydrator for my bday. Making some plantain chips and super green powder right now.

    Everyone have a great day. Still lots of paper work to do.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Hi guys!! Popping by to say hello :) Back from vacay and back to work. We had an awesome trip to Chicago - what a gorgeous city and the nicest people!! Thanks for the app suggestion, Lisa! I have heard about it but kept forgetting to download it. It is great

    Terri, great job on the bulk cooking! Sounds delicious.

    Mihani, awesome with all the soups! So good for winter. I've tried the Greens soup and it was good but also tasted like I was eating a lot of greens lol. I have been sticking to OSG like crazy lately; I find you can't go wrong with her stuff! Made the red lentil/kale soup and the tex mex yesterday. Yummo!

    Welcome, danygard! I have to check that out, thanks for the suggestion :)

    Welcome back, hanzel!! How are you doing?

    Coues, nice to see you!

    Sabine and Laura, great to hear you guys are doing well. You both seem to have figured out the big picture.

    I did a big food prep this weekend and I'm feeling better about the intuitive eating. Chicago definitely helped with that too (I didn't have the usual timelines, so I was actually eating only when I was hungry and listening to what my body wanted. Imagine?!)

    I need to get back into the exercise swing of things this week as well. Anyone getting into the holiday spirit yet?!