Why do I keep finding myself sitting beside an empty cake/chocolate wrapper with incriminating crumbs around my mouth? Is it enough to blame it on comfort eating? Is it? No, I don't think so either.
One of the main messages in the Food Smart campaign is to cook from scratch as there is so much hidden salt, sugar and saturated fats in ready-made foods. I do usually cook from scratch, except when we go for the occasional restaurant meal. Restaurant food isn't the healthiest way to eat. I watched a famous chef on the TV the other evening making a 'really tasty' shepherds pie. He used equal amounts of butter and potato when making his mash. Gaaah!! All that cholesterol!
My major problem is snacking in-between meals. The Food Smart campaign suggests exchanging chocolate and cake for fresh fruit but I know, truly in my heart I know, that I wouldn't stick to it. I love fruit but I have it as well as the chocolate and cake and so I'm going to try and change the ratio bit by teeny bit and see if I can kid my body into accepting the 'fruity' in place of the 'sugary'. Well, it's worth a try and it's recommended in today's Guardian in this article Healthy Food: can you train yourself to like it?
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| Look! I'm even experimenting with new fruit. Anyone know how you eat sharon fruit? It's a bit solid! |
What do you do when/if a similar stomach-gate looms large in your life?
You certainly know how to choose a topic to lure me into your blog... Mmmm chocolate. Wonder if it would work if I ate more fruit as well as the normal amount of cakes/chocolate/etc.
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know ;-)
DeleteSometimes I don't know what to think. Its always the same,if I am eating healthly I find I am surrounded by others tucking into 'fatty' foods, and then when I am munching my way through a roast beef dinner,Yorkshire puddings and all there always someone eating just a raddish wrapped in a lettice leaf on the next table! We shouldn't feel guilty about what we eat and most of us are sensible arn't we. If I have that creme egg (which is looking at me now) then I'm careful the next day! Walking is a great exercize. I do hope the back gets better.
ReplyDeleteYou had a cream egg in front of you the last time we spoke! Is this the same egg? (I doubt) cadbury's have got a lot to answer for.
DeleteI agree with the goal to cook more from scratch and avoid the processed food, not to mention fast food which is the worst ever and unbelievably there are people who eat fast food 3 or more times a week.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even want to eat that many take-aways. On the rare occasion we have one I always get indigestion!
DeleteYour food cravings are due to the fact that sugar is addictive. Chocolate is a good food taken alone. I've read this fact countless times, but have proven it myself. I used to long for sweet things too. When I worked hard, I'd burn it off with ease. Since retiring, I gradually reduced the sugar content from my food. Now, I couldn't bare to eat anything sweet. Sugar really is addictive.
ReplyDeleteI do try to only have that really dark chocolate in the house but you're right. Sugar is addictive.
DeleteA small piece of dark chocolate won't hurt. Nor do chocolate hugs.
ReplyDeleteHugs and chocolate, of course,
Shelly
Chocolate hugs are definitely not fattening. Thanks :-)
DeleteI also can't go a day without chocolate. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your back. You should also check with your doctor about stretching exercises. Good luck Rosalind, but I still think you look great!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Thanks, I've just got to get myself to stick to the walking regime now.
DeleteI'm not too bad with sweet things. I can have chocolate in the house and not eat it for weeks but crisps - now that's another matter altogether. They call to me from the cupboard and I put my hands over my ears and try to resist. No I say, I WILL NOT give in to you today but I usually do. The only solution is not to buy them so I guess that goes for your biscuits and sweet things too! Good luck. It's not easy but I suppose when many people don't have enough to eat we shouldn't complain.
ReplyDeleteYou make me feel guilty now with mention of people who haven't enough to eat!
DeleteI won't even begin to discuss chocolate and cake - especially 2 days after Purim with all that nosh being consumed!
ReplyDeleteBut if you're asking about Sharon fruit, known here as 'afarsimon' - it's an acquired taste - and I haven't acquired it.
My hubby loves them but they're pretty awful when they're hard, you need to eat them when they're much softer, even if they look like they're going off - they're not, they're just ripe. Just bite into them, peel and all....but don't blame me if you don't love them - I don't :-)
Well the first one was soft. I ate it with a spoon and it was delicious. The second one was just right. I sliced it up and took it to our 'ladies who lunch' meal and it all went!
DeleteTried sharon fruit once but I thought it was insipid. Same with persimmon. You could poach it lightly and add a bit of lemon juice, or chop it finely with grated apple and squeezed oranges. And of course some cream!
ReplyDeleteCream? Really Lizy what are you like?! It's very sweet and quite tasty.
DeleteMy mom always said - everything in moderation. And indeed, I was raised with plenty of goodies in the house, because she had a sweet tooth (all 5 ft.2 inches and 100 lbs), but we had portion control. You cut a piece and that was it. You had one candy. You had one scoop of ice cream. I admit, I still get my share of sweets or fats (chips) but not the whole package.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your endeavors.
Portion control. I'll have to bear that in mind.
DeleteRos,
ReplyDeleteI walk every day .... try to do my 5 miles but I haven't lost one ounce in a year and half. Walking won't do it for me, perhaps makes stronger legs but that is all. I started walking because of the dog and now she whines and expects it. Some days if it's cold or wet, I don't feel like walking but now I have to.
But at least your walking has ensured that you don't put any weight on! Well I've done my walk for today. It's going well so far.
DeleteI've always done most of our cooking from scratch, but unfortunately, that included decadent desserts, too. My kids used to call me a bake-a-holic, but now that we're empty nesters and my hubby has diabetes, I try to control my sweet tooth. Or eat a lot of fruit. Or bake with truvia, which isn't bad at all.
ReplyDeleteI hope your back feels better.
Thanks Susan. I've never tried sugar replacements. Not sure that would help me as I don't do a lot of home baking.
DeleteAll those good eating resolutions, Ros - it makes we want to reach for the chocolate just to think of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm no great cook - it's not exciting, just for one - but love my veges, so that helps. And fruit (though found sharon fruit a bit feeble - you need to let them get softer). I walk, because I love it, not because it does me good.
I should probably make dietary changes, but am having far too much fun as I am!
And good for you. If you're having fun then you're doing something right :-)
DeleteI'm on a restricted diet, so many things I used to love to eat that I can't or shouldn't any more. I've been at it long enough now that I hardly think about no tomatoes or fruit with small seeds, no corn on the cob, no beans, no peas, no coffee, no citrus... just to name a few. However, I still indulge in a little chocolate from time to time. I simply can't give it up entirely. As for exercise, I do water aerobics and walk.
ReplyDeleteI've tried water aerobics but it didn't do a lot for me. The woman kept asking us to walk from one side of the pool to the other. So boring!
DeleteI'm hypoglycemic so I already eat very carefully. My problem is exercise...having been so sick for so long I haven't been allowed. Now I am! I'm truly enjoying my daily walks and feeling more like myself. I was an athlete all my life and this bed rest crap really pisses me off.
ReplyDeleteLoved your poem, too. Not enjoying getting old and lumpy...I try to stay away from the mirror as much as possible.
Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
Sorry to hear you've not been well. I'm not much of an exercise fan but I'm trying my best to like it.
DeleteWe're not big sweet eaters at my house. Usually if we are munching something, it's vegetables, pretzels, or low fat chips. If we do make a cake, we make it with applesauce in place of (most) of the oil. At least it's less fatty that way.
ReplyDeleteI eat very well for the most part, but I have a weakness for chocolate. Since I have diabetes, I really shouldn't have any, but I have trained myself to eat just a little of only one kind when I get the urge. Try to walk more and walk regularly. It not only improves your physical health, but gets those endorphines going. I try to walk about an hour every morning and I am much happier afterwards than on the days I skip.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment on the health article post. I commented back in today's post as I don't go back and answer comments as a rule. I don't even know how you get this reply function. Take care.
I love walking, but I don't get out to do it very much with the kids. My baby-jogger tire has been flat for awhile. (excuses, excuses) Anyway, all that to say I'm proud of you and it sounds like you have a great goals. I find most of my healthy-choices come at the grocery store, where I decide whether to spend my money on chocolate or fruit. If it's not in the house, I'm not as likely to eat it! (Not to say I make good decisions because I am a candy addict, but we do eat a good share of fruits and veggies, too ... well, most of the time.) :) Best of luck and keep up the good, healthy fight!
ReplyDeleteIt was my father that trained my eating habits. He taught all four of us to leave the table feeling as if we could eat a little more, and that's so ingrained now, I hate being full. All the same, I'm not much of a cook and have to confess to a general lack of interest in food although I love fresh bread and cheese, and vegetables too. I wish I liked fruit more! My real weakness is digestive biscuits. I'd even call it an addiction. It's not become a problem yet, probably because I take quite a bit of exercise - although in this cold weather I have stopped cycling and running. I still walk a lot (have dog, will walk), so manage to balance things. Good luck with shifting your eating balance, Ros!
ReplyDeleteI swim. I cook stuff from scratch, and drink wheatgrass juice. But what I find really helps is eating fruits before meals! I do eat out, and eat unhealthy, but those are in the breaks, once in a while. I find not buying snacks keeps me from snacking!
ReplyDelete