For Christmas I was given a copy of The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. (thanks Angela) I had looked at this before, but I think being given the book now was perfect timing for me. I wanted to use it as part of what I think of as helping 'my new life'. Which started last year, after I had enrolled in a class at Big Picture Classes with Cathy Zeilske - called Move More Eat Well (MMEW), as I was wanting to lose weight and feel healthier. In this class Cathy mentioned Nutritional Weight and Wellness, which was a company that promoted health through eating Real Food in balance. I started listening to podcasts and was skeptical at first (after all it said to eat Butter not Margarine!!), but the more I listened and researched, the more they said made sense. At this stage (last June), I was tired, had so many aches and pains (which I blamed on leaning over a desk packing medications into webster packs at work) by IBS was very annoying, and my blood pressure and cholesterol were both considered borderline. Anyway, for the rest of last year I started gradually implementing the 'Real Food plan. Basically, eating foods that are Real, nutrient dense, and suited to me. I wanted my life to be in balance as well, and think improving my health, stress levels & sleep will all be part of this. It was a slow gradual process, I tried lots of variations, and read LOTS of different "diet" books to try and get information. I've read Practical Paelo, the 'I Quit Sugar', & the' I didn't Quit Sugar' books, Good Calories Bad Calories, Fat Chance, It Starts with Food, Make Peace with your plate, to name a just a few. These books all have different ideas of their version of the 'perfect diet' (or lifestyle) for Health and wellbeing.
The most noticeable point was that they all had some things in common, - 1) they all cut out refined sugar, 2) they all cut out seed oils (ie marjarine, canola & vegetable oils). 3) for most Gluten was pretty much eliminated, 4) 7-8 hours sleep is essential, 5) we need to reduce stress.
These books had lots of information on the science of these things, and reasons why the nutrition research (sugar and seed oils especially) has not yet been adopted as our dietry guideline (very interesting stuff!).
When we look at it though - Sugar, when it is refined has no real nutrients, raises blood sugar levels, and feeds unhealthy gut bacteria. - Seed oils are considered toxic due to the way they are processed, and gluten is inflammatory and considered an anti nutrient for most people. I will have more information and some links about all these things in later posts!
Anyway, at the moment, the way I aim to eat that feels right for me is - Minimal processed & refined foods. This means - no seed oils (I pretty much only use butter, coconut oil, olive oil) minimal grains (if needed, I use coconut flour, almond flour, or buckwheat flour,although I do have gluten free oats once a week in pancakes, my Sunday morning treat! recipe below, ), no refined sugar ( I use fruit, dates, 100% maple syrup, or honey) , & I limit dairy (as at the moment I still have double cream, butter and make my own 24hr yoghurt).
Basically, we have to cook everything! For example instead of pasta etc, we have more veges! I am no where near perfect at this, (and don't aim to be, it's not worth the stress!) but am soooo much healthier. My blood pressure and cholesterol are fine, I rarely have aches and pains, IBS is gone, I am feeling so much better. Health wise, is like I am a new person. I have lost 15 kilos, and I know I have a long way to go there, and at the moment have reached a plateau - I try not to let this get me down, as I am so much healthier, I know I will get there eventually. This recipe is one that I found helped me when I started - helped me when I had intial 'carb' cravings!
I have adapted it from a Biggest Loser recipe (horrible show, & I think it gives terrible nutrition info btw)!
Healthier Gluten free Oat Pancakes
I cup gluten free oats
4 eggs
200g cottage cheese (or greek yoghurt)
I teaspoon cinnamon
vanilla essence
Place all ingredients in a blender, blend well, cook in melted butter, turning when cooked about 2/3 through.
Makes 4 large pancakes. Serve with maple syrup, whipped or double cream & fruit.
Each pancake will have protein (from the egg and cottage cheese or yoghurt)
Healthy carbohydrate from oats, and fruit topping, & the maple syrup (use 100% pure maple syrup, not a flavoured one, so that you are getting some good nutrients with your sweetness)
and Healthy fat from the whipped/double cream.
& the Cinnamon is good for balancing blood sugar.
Back to The Happiness Project, each month there are ideas of what to do as part of a year long, happiness journey, so here goes - in January, it was to;
- Go to Sleep earlier,
- Exercise better,
- Toss, restore, organise,
- Tackle a nagging task,
- Act more energetic.
I know the benefits of more sleep and exercise, am trying - this will be a year long journey for sure, I am basically still just walking for exercise, it's what I enjoy the most, so what I am what I am sticking to for now. I organised my bedroom, moving around a desk to get ready for the start of the school year, which was at the end of February, when I started a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Ballarat University, (it will be good to have a basis for the science of what I am reading and learning about food and nutrition!)
Anyway - I followed this through February as well, as the February month was about love and marriage, so skipped the whole chapter!
March was good - as University had started, and I thought it applied pretty well,
- Enjoy the fun of failure,
- Ask for help,
- Work smart,
- Enjoy now,
- Launch a blog.
I will get my first Biology report (worth 15% of my grade) and a Health essay (worth 20% of my grade) back in the next week or so, so I will find out if I can/need to enjoy the fun of failure, lol! I do admit, I thought about giving up on the whole idea of Uni, I had no idea how to write a report, or an essay, and I'm finding Chemistry is pretty much a whole new language. 33 years since school isnt making it easy! Anyway, I know I need to work on the working smart, but hopefully I will get there. (thanks to Belinda, Laura , Nikki , Jo L, Sara & Leanne for listening to all my complaining and telling me not to give up!). Doing this Blog Post is part of Launch a Blog, and also I think, part of enjoying now - Hopefully writing this all down, will help me see how far I've come, and keep things in a positive light!
Now onto April - a bit late, but here it is
- sing in the morning
- acknowledge the reality of peoples feelings
- be a treasure house of happy memories,
- take time for projects.
I'm not a moring person, so will take putting music on while I have my warm water with lemon juice to start my day for the first one! Yep, will think about the second one, and I think the last two for me mean that I need to look at some scrapbooking & project life catching up! I did the front page of my project life, but thats it so far - with Uni being a bit more full on than I anticipated, ( and work, and some silly idea that I need to cook ALL our food, no packaged stuff takes time!!, lol) time just flies by!
Here is my intro page -
Joanne.
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