Sunday, September 27, 2009
Post #8
I've known for a long time that fiber was good for digestion and for keeping you regular. What I didn't know was that different types of fiber did different things. Water insoluble fiber that keeps moisture in the fecal matter, which in turn keeps the blood sugar from spiking right after meals. A diet that is high in dietary fiber helps to keeps the bacterial flora healthy. A diet high in dietary fiber is good for the heart as well, reducing triglycerides and increasing HDL levels. All in all, a diet that has the proper amount of fiber does more for your health than keep you regular. Eating whole grains is a good way, and a tasty way, to get most of the dietary fiber that we need. It's also a good way to regulate how much we eat.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Post #7
Protein and Amino Acids have become buzz words to be bandied about by people who know just enough about nutrition to be dangerous yet not enough to really make choices for anyone other than themselves. Reading this weeks chapter took me a while because there is a lot of information that got me thinking, so I had to read it in sections. I have learned quite a bit about what proteins are and the different types of amino acids.
The two I found interesting are Methionine and Cysteine. I hadn't known that there are amino acids that contain sulfur. These help with the health of hair, nails, joints, skin, and connective tissue. I also didn't know that methionine was converted to SAMe (I thought someone had made up SAMe) which helps the body with the detoxification reactions. These two proteins are needed for all processes that require sulfur.
Knowing that these two proteins are mainly found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products gives reason to my craving for meat on occasion. I had thought that the cravings were for protein and iron. That doesn't mean I will go over board on eating animal proteins, because we only really need a small amount of protein to stay healthy.
The two I found interesting are Methionine and Cysteine. I hadn't known that there are amino acids that contain sulfur. These help with the health of hair, nails, joints, skin, and connective tissue. I also didn't know that methionine was converted to SAMe (I thought someone had made up SAMe) which helps the body with the detoxification reactions. These two proteins are needed for all processes that require sulfur.
Knowing that these two proteins are mainly found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products gives reason to my craving for meat on occasion. I had thought that the cravings were for protein and iron. That doesn't mean I will go over board on eating animal proteins, because we only really need a small amount of protein to stay healthy.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Post #6
I've always liked trying new foods, and would try them when they were presented. A couple of years ago I discovered that I like eel. Two friends and I would get together a couple times a year for sushi night. We learned to make all kinds of good things. When we first started it took over four hours to make dinner, the last time we got together it took us only two hours to make a full sushi dinner. It was so much fun.
I needed to make up for last week because I didn't try any new foods. So I chose a few different things to try. For dinner tonight I'm making chicken, Quinoa, and a salad with a type of arugula called wild rocket. Have no idea how to make the Quinoa, I do know a few sites that I can look up recipes. I also purchased a lemonade that uses natural ingredients, no preservatives or additives. I need to find a substitute for sodas and highly sweetened tea and fruit drinks. It's also a sparkling lemonade, it is very good, very tart, just the way I like it.
More later on how the dinner went. Having a captive audience to try new foods is fun, they get to try healthier foods and I get feedback on what they think of the new food and what I could do to make it taste better.
I needed to make up for last week because I didn't try any new foods. So I chose a few different things to try. For dinner tonight I'm making chicken, Quinoa, and a salad with a type of arugula called wild rocket. Have no idea how to make the Quinoa, I do know a few sites that I can look up recipes. I also purchased a lemonade that uses natural ingredients, no preservatives or additives. I need to find a substitute for sodas and highly sweetened tea and fruit drinks. It's also a sparkling lemonade, it is very good, very tart, just the way I like it.
More later on how the dinner went. Having a captive audience to try new foods is fun, they get to try healthier foods and I get feedback on what they think of the new food and what I could do to make it taste better.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Post #5
After reading this chapter I had to wonder why do I bother eating? With all the additives that are meant to preserve food that end up preserving us is disheartening. When reading labels on different foods you need to be a chemical engineer to understand what the food is made of. Then I wonder is it really a food or is it just chemicals, which is not good for us. I've cut out almost all processed foods from my diet, am down to a 20oz soda every 3 to 4 weeks, and generally eating better foods. The hardest part about implementing a new diet is the cost of some foods, and getting others in the house to eat them without complaining.
1. Eating more organic foods-When I can I will get organic foods, and when I cant I will thoroughly clean the foods I do get. I have already started eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. I haven't tried organic meat yet, so that should be interesting.
2. Safer Water-Other than pouring positive energy into the water I drink, I will have to get a report on the safety of the tap water. There was only one bottled water that I liked and they don't sell it here anymore. Distilled water is good for aquariums, car batteries and irons, it doesn't taste very good. There are drops that are used to take some of the chlorine and other impurities out of water that is used for aquariums, I will have to see if there is the same thing for drinking water.
3. Choose where I shop-I normally shop at grocery stores, now I'm going to shop at stores that are health stores and that have more choices of organic foods. The biggest problem I have with these stores is that they don't always have much of a selection of different food types.
The hardest part of making any of these changes is being able to afford the organic foods and just changing habits of where I shop and the choices that I make without thinking to much about them.
1. Eating more organic foods-When I can I will get organic foods, and when I cant I will thoroughly clean the foods I do get. I have already started eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. I haven't tried organic meat yet, so that should be interesting.
2. Safer Water-Other than pouring positive energy into the water I drink, I will have to get a report on the safety of the tap water. There was only one bottled water that I liked and they don't sell it here anymore. Distilled water is good for aquariums, car batteries and irons, it doesn't taste very good. There are drops that are used to take some of the chlorine and other impurities out of water that is used for aquariums, I will have to see if there is the same thing for drinking water.
3. Choose where I shop-I normally shop at grocery stores, now I'm going to shop at stores that are health stores and that have more choices of organic foods. The biggest problem I have with these stores is that they don't always have much of a selection of different food types.
The hardest part of making any of these changes is being able to afford the organic foods and just changing habits of where I shop and the choices that I make without thinking to much about them.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Post #4
What concepts from this weeks reading do I want to integrate into my life? This becomes a challenge because I will have to increase the amount of food I eat. I don't eat much because I don't feel hungry. Seventy percent of the time I eat healthy foods, the goal now is to have even more healthy foods in my diet.
1. Exercise: This will probably the hardest thing to do. I've never been very athletic. I can start walking more, especially as the weather cools off, and I can take my dog. He will love that.
2. Drinking more water: Even though I have severely reduced the amount of soda I drink, I have not replaced it with the corresponding amount of water. I grew up drinking the tap water here in Phoenix, so bottled water tastes tinny to me and I don't drink it. I do drink a glass of water every morning. I will increase the amount of water I drink to three glasses of water a day and decrease the other drinks I used to substitute for soda. I will continue to bless the water before I drink it.
3. Fresh fruit: This is one that will require me to increase my intake of food in general. If I were to eat only when I was hungry, I would only eat every other day, which is not good. I do love fresh fruits, I am working towards eating more organic fruits. I will have more of a variety of fruits to choose from.
4. Vegetables: I don't eat canned vegetables, I will though incorporate more fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are the norm for dinner, or at least when dinner is made. I do have a vegetable/rice steamer that I could put into use more often.
5. Breathe: Remembering to breathe deeply. It is important to oxygenate the body. It is also a great way to relieve stress and clear the mind. It is also a way for the body to expel toxins.
6. Meditate: This is also just taking time to unwind, time to sit and contemplate my belly button. My sister sent me the Artists Way workbook, one of the first things that you do everyday is to write three pages in the morning of the random thoughts that are going through your head. After doing this for just a few days I noticed that I wasn't distracted by random thoughts, things that I needed to do, worry's or doubts. I have even come up with an idea for this years' NaNoWriMo (see the group I started on SWIHA Connections called Novel Writers Unite for more info), and I've even started writing the ideas down and the first charater profile. I do consider this a type of meditation.
7. Concentrated Tea: I need to make this again. I use teas and herbs that are for specific health concerns. I chose what would strengthen my kidneys, liver function, and lungs. I am the only one in the house that doesn't smoke, so I'm inhaling a lot of secondhand smoke even though I have my own smoke free room.
Some of these things I'm already doing, some I have to increase, some will be easier to do, and I will have to increase the amount of food I eat. I'm not worried about gaining weight because eating healthier foods doesn't mean an increase in calories that will be stored in my body as fat.
1. Exercise: This will probably the hardest thing to do. I've never been very athletic. I can start walking more, especially as the weather cools off, and I can take my dog. He will love that.
2. Drinking more water: Even though I have severely reduced the amount of soda I drink, I have not replaced it with the corresponding amount of water. I grew up drinking the tap water here in Phoenix, so bottled water tastes tinny to me and I don't drink it. I do drink a glass of water every morning. I will increase the amount of water I drink to three glasses of water a day and decrease the other drinks I used to substitute for soda. I will continue to bless the water before I drink it.
3. Fresh fruit: This is one that will require me to increase my intake of food in general. If I were to eat only when I was hungry, I would only eat every other day, which is not good. I do love fresh fruits, I am working towards eating more organic fruits. I will have more of a variety of fruits to choose from.
4. Vegetables: I don't eat canned vegetables, I will though incorporate more fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are the norm for dinner, or at least when dinner is made. I do have a vegetable/rice steamer that I could put into use more often.
5. Breathe: Remembering to breathe deeply. It is important to oxygenate the body. It is also a great way to relieve stress and clear the mind. It is also a way for the body to expel toxins.
6. Meditate: This is also just taking time to unwind, time to sit and contemplate my belly button. My sister sent me the Artists Way workbook, one of the first things that you do everyday is to write three pages in the morning of the random thoughts that are going through your head. After doing this for just a few days I noticed that I wasn't distracted by random thoughts, things that I needed to do, worry's or doubts. I have even come up with an idea for this years' NaNoWriMo (see the group I started on SWIHA Connections called Novel Writers Unite for more info), and I've even started writing the ideas down and the first charater profile. I do consider this a type of meditation.
7. Concentrated Tea: I need to make this again. I use teas and herbs that are for specific health concerns. I chose what would strengthen my kidneys, liver function, and lungs. I am the only one in the house that doesn't smoke, so I'm inhaling a lot of secondhand smoke even though I have my own smoke free room.
Some of these things I'm already doing, some I have to increase, some will be easier to do, and I will have to increase the amount of food I eat. I'm not worried about gaining weight because eating healthier foods doesn't mean an increase in calories that will be stored in my body as fat.
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