A few months ago I got seriously worried that I might have diabetes, and there's nothing like fear for motivation. I've already lost fifteen pounds which has already reduced my blood sugar levels, but I'm going to keep going (yes, I have a lot to lose).
I got a blood glucose monitor so I can keep track of the effect of foods on my blood sugar, and am hoping I can eventually get myself out of the "prediabetic" range back to normal. If not, I'm at least happy to find out I'm not outright diabetic, which for a while there I thought might be the case, and glad to know that I have so much control over it with diet. No fad diets, just emphasizing good nutrition and counting calories. Counting calories is the only thing that ever worked for me and it's working now.
Thought I'd post some helpful information I've found on the internet for anyone who needs the information who stumbles on this post:
So You Wanna Lose Weight: The basics about losing weight very convincingly presented.
Here's a very helpful Calorie Calculator site -- to figure daily calorie intake for weight goals. They have a calculator for men and a calculator for women.
I'm a bit surprised to find myself including this ad for a diet program but I watched the video and thought they did a very good job. This is called The Diet Solution -- good advice about what kinds of foods are best. I learned a lot about which carbs to avoid and which to choose. The video alone gives helpful advice. I didn't get the program but it looks like a good one. They emphasize natural foods, avoid processed foods, which I do anyway.
They also put down calorie counting and I haven't read enough to find out how good or bad their reasoning may be about that, but I'm certainly not giving that up for now as it is the ONLY thing that works for me to lose weight. Whatever I eat I measure and I write it down, I look up its calorie count if I don't already know it, also its carb count, and keep a running tally for the day.
I also ran across some independent recommendations for that diet plan. Here's one.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sierra Snow
It's been a long heavy winter all over the country, and even though it's supposedly Spring now we're still getting snow. And so are they up in the Sierras: 
That's in the area of Donner. I can see the mountains from my window but I'm glad I don't live there.
Here's the whole Weather.com gallery.
That's in the area of Donner. I can see the mountains from my window but I'm glad I don't live there. Here's the whole Weather.com gallery.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A short word in favor of The Carrot
BIG pot of carrots cooked then pureed, eaten as a thick soup with some ginger and sour cream, yum. I'm actually stuffed. On carrot soup! Hardly any calories.
I was going to do a post on the wonderful carrot, carrot juice which I love, and the lore I'm aware of about people curing themselves of cancer on the stuff. I could repeat a couple anecdotes but it probably deserves more research.
I did at least find a website on the glorious carrot for anyone who might be interested, and a page linked from that one that discusses the relative merits of cooking them versus eating them raw . In a nutshell: Cooking makes the beta carotene more available than eating carrots raw, but there are good and better ways of doing it, and juicing the carrots is even better for releasing the nutrients.
I was going to do a post on the wonderful carrot, carrot juice which I love, and the lore I'm aware of about people curing themselves of cancer on the stuff. I could repeat a couple anecdotes but it probably deserves more research.
I did at least find a website on the glorious carrot for anyone who might be interested, and a page linked from that one that discusses the relative merits of cooking them versus eating them raw . In a nutshell: Cooking makes the beta carotene more available than eating carrots raw, but there are good and better ways of doing it, and juicing the carrots is even better for releasing the nutrients.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Down Off the Green Smoothy Cloud, Part 2: Adelle Davis and the history of Nutritionism
Really bogged down on this Green Smoothy topic, haven't I? Have versions of other posts I thought I'd have put up by now waiting in the wings. Don't know if I'll even get them finished now.
I think I started this diet change at the wrong time of year. Not only does the cold make it difficult but my finances are extra low now too and although they say it's not an expensive diet, for me it is. A green smoothy takes enough greens and fruit for three or four normal meals. That's of course what gives it such a powerful nutritional impact. And if you buy organic produce it's even more expensive. And other changes go along with it that can also get expensive as you get deeper into the dietary requirements. It would be nice to be able to give it a serious try, but it isn't going to happen for me right now. Maybe some other time.
As I've been reading about the Raw Food Diet of which the Green Smoothy is a big part I've also been getting into the general Health Food lore, and was reminded of Adelle Davis who is really the grandmother of the whole alternate nutrition world. There were a few faddist health food places in the 40s and 50s -- I know because I had an aunt who was into them. I remember going with her to a health food bar as a child and getting a carrot juice. But Adelle Davis gave all that a big boost and now there are health food stores in every town, and the big market chain Whole Foods. It's become quite the industry and Adelle Davis should get a big share of the credit. I read at least one of her books back in the late 60s - early 70s and was enough of a follower to use her advice when I was pregnant. Gained WAY too much weight packing in the protein and vitamins her idea of healthy eating required.
As I've been reading along about these things it's struck me how these days some nutritional ideas that are going out of favor with the Health Food people are ideas she originated, although these are not attributed to her but to the evil "food industry" or the evil "medical profession" or the evil FDA -- the nutritional enemy of the day whatever it happens to be.
For instance, protein is no longer the big deal she made of it. I don't really know why it was in her day either. If the American diet is low in anything it's not protein. We've always been a bunch of meat eaters and milk drinkers too -- it's why Americans were known even in the early part of the 20th century to grow taller than others around the world. But Adelle carried on as if Americans were suffering from protein malnutrition, and just like all Health Foodists blamed the "food industry," whatever that is, or some other favorite boogyman. Her nutritionist heirs have picked up the blame habit although now they may be complaining about something she actually originated and not know it.
For instance, now saturated fat is making a comeback after years of being regarded as bad for health, but who gets the blame for that assessment of it? The "soy industry," or the evil "medical profession" or some such, when it was Adelle Davis who started that notion, the nutritionists' own Great Lady. She had a recipe for mixing unsaturated oil with butter to cut down on the saturated fat in the butter. It was a big thing with her. And if the "food industry" or the evil "medical profession" picked up on that and made it the staple of a "heart-healthy" diet, it's because of her and those who followed her lead. I remember Davis talking about certain oils as if they were poison itself because they are saturated fats, the very same oils you may find recommended along with the Green Smoothy diet these days, coconut oil for instance.
Also, in some areas soy is going out, some even calling it a "poison" after years of its being considered a great health boon. Guess who started the soy bean craze? No, not the "soy industry," Adelle Davis -- because of her protein mania, soy being supposedly this wonderful cheap source of protein. The soy industry was created as a result of the clamoring of those who followed Davis' and other health-foodists' advice, just as the unsaturated fat industry was created from the same influence. Specially advertised unsaturated fats started appearing in the supermarkets in the late 60s or early 70s.
So did yogurt start getting big about that time, another Adelle Davis favorite (as was milk in general with her, which now is rejected by the Raw Foodists). Of course Americans had to have yogurt sweetened, so it was only a compromise and plain yogurt has remained a low seller by comparison. But business gets created where there is a market. The market first of all caters to habits and to taste, that's why we get SO much sugar in everything. People LIKE it so it sells. But nutritional information also has an impact, and Adelle Davis was probably the biggest influence on that market for years. Organic foods were pushed by nutritionists and most big stores now carry them. Now I think I see signs that the Raw Food diet may be catching on as well.
I think I started this diet change at the wrong time of year. Not only does the cold make it difficult but my finances are extra low now too and although they say it's not an expensive diet, for me it is. A green smoothy takes enough greens and fruit for three or four normal meals. That's of course what gives it such a powerful nutritional impact. And if you buy organic produce it's even more expensive. And other changes go along with it that can also get expensive as you get deeper into the dietary requirements. It would be nice to be able to give it a serious try, but it isn't going to happen for me right now. Maybe some other time.
As I've been reading about the Raw Food Diet of which the Green Smoothy is a big part I've also been getting into the general Health Food lore, and was reminded of Adelle Davis who is really the grandmother of the whole alternate nutrition world. There were a few faddist health food places in the 40s and 50s -- I know because I had an aunt who was into them. I remember going with her to a health food bar as a child and getting a carrot juice. But Adelle Davis gave all that a big boost and now there are health food stores in every town, and the big market chain Whole Foods. It's become quite the industry and Adelle Davis should get a big share of the credit. I read at least one of her books back in the late 60s - early 70s and was enough of a follower to use her advice when I was pregnant. Gained WAY too much weight packing in the protein and vitamins her idea of healthy eating required.
As I've been reading along about these things it's struck me how these days some nutritional ideas that are going out of favor with the Health Food people are ideas she originated, although these are not attributed to her but to the evil "food industry" or the evil "medical profession" or the evil FDA -- the nutritional enemy of the day whatever it happens to be.
For instance, protein is no longer the big deal she made of it. I don't really know why it was in her day either. If the American diet is low in anything it's not protein. We've always been a bunch of meat eaters and milk drinkers too -- it's why Americans were known even in the early part of the 20th century to grow taller than others around the world. But Adelle carried on as if Americans were suffering from protein malnutrition, and just like all Health Foodists blamed the "food industry," whatever that is, or some other favorite boogyman. Her nutritionist heirs have picked up the blame habit although now they may be complaining about something she actually originated and not know it.
For instance, now saturated fat is making a comeback after years of being regarded as bad for health, but who gets the blame for that assessment of it? The "soy industry," or the evil "medical profession" or some such, when it was Adelle Davis who started that notion, the nutritionists' own Great Lady. She had a recipe for mixing unsaturated oil with butter to cut down on the saturated fat in the butter. It was a big thing with her. And if the "food industry" or the evil "medical profession" picked up on that and made it the staple of a "heart-healthy" diet, it's because of her and those who followed her lead. I remember Davis talking about certain oils as if they were poison itself because they are saturated fats, the very same oils you may find recommended along with the Green Smoothy diet these days, coconut oil for instance.
Also, in some areas soy is going out, some even calling it a "poison" after years of its being considered a great health boon. Guess who started the soy bean craze? No, not the "soy industry," Adelle Davis -- because of her protein mania, soy being supposedly this wonderful cheap source of protein. The soy industry was created as a result of the clamoring of those who followed Davis' and other health-foodists' advice, just as the unsaturated fat industry was created from the same influence. Specially advertised unsaturated fats started appearing in the supermarkets in the late 60s or early 70s.
So did yogurt start getting big about that time, another Adelle Davis favorite (as was milk in general with her, which now is rejected by the Raw Foodists). Of course Americans had to have yogurt sweetened, so it was only a compromise and plain yogurt has remained a low seller by comparison. But business gets created where there is a market. The market first of all caters to habits and to taste, that's why we get SO much sugar in everything. People LIKE it so it sells. But nutritional information also has an impact, and Adelle Davis was probably the biggest influence on that market for years. Organic foods were pushed by nutritionists and most big stores now carry them. Now I think I see signs that the Raw Food diet may be catching on as well.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Down Off the Green Smoothy Cloud, Part 1
I want to do a series of posts now that are going to stir up some dust as I want to raise some doubts and criticisms about the worlds of alternative medicine and health foods.
Just to be clear, I'm not going to be objecting to Green Smoothies or even the Raw Diet as such. I have no reason to doubt any of the testimonials about this form of nutrition and there are many out there.
Nutritionally there's nothing wrong with the smoothies in concept or in practical application that I can see. It's all good food in concentrated form and it's bound to have good effects for those who stick to it, maybe even some very dramatic effects as some have in fact reported. I don't doubt this at all, and I happen to think there's something to the claims for the healing power of carrot juice as well, and eventually I want to write about that. (Carrots are not a part of the Green Smoothy concept, they're a pet food of my own).
I may myself be giving up on green smoothies, however, although maybe not completely, and the reason has to do with getting my head straightened out about a few things. I've had some "aha" experiences in the last day or two that led me to this.
First, although I really like the idea of the smoothies and I like the experience of drinking them too, I was running into problems. Some of it has to do with my addiction to coffee, as it conflicts with the smoothies in various ways. The bitter taste in my mouth has not gone away, and while I know that's from the coffee I also know it's somehow affected by the greens in the smoothy. From time to time I give up coffee for long periods because it's so acid in my stomach and it's about time I gave it up again, and that may make the smoothy project a lot easier. Right now, however, it's very cold out, I'm out of tea, and there's so much snow I really don't feel like going out to the market to get some. So that just puts the smoothies on hold for a while.
AHA! experience #1: You don't need smoothies to get enough vegies:
Meanwhile I got into using up the ingredients for the smoothies in ways I really have been enjoying and this is boosting my intake of good vegies for the better. The potato and chard dish I made night before last was beyond delicious. Last night I made a carrot soup that was so good I gobbled down what was left of it straight out of the refrigerator this morning. Hardly any calories, a ton of beta carotene and total yum!
Tonight I plan to make a spinach soup on the same basic plan -- saute some onion in a little olive oil and butter, add some water, part of it chicken broth, then as much of the sliced/diced/shredded vegie as will fit just under the liquid - or shrivel down to that level in the case of spinach. Simmer until soft, then puree in the blender. I also added some garlic powder to the carrot soup at the end, may do the same with the spinach.
Unless you are really convinced of the raw-foodist idea that cooking food ruins it nutritionally (and I am not -- more to come on this subject), this has to be a power-packed soup, carrot or spinach to the max, and if the blender does help to make nutrients more available for digestion, as the green smoothy lore says it does, it ought to do the same to the hot soup as well. The aha experience in this was the recognition that the raw smoothies are not the only way to pack in the nutrition from greens and other vegetables that we tend not to get enough of. I just hadn't been eating them this way in a long time, and I want to get back to it, and in fact I want to increase this kind of eating. And for that I can thank the Green Smoothy camp. It may not have the dramatic health benefits of the smoothies but it has to contribute to health overall.
Then I also have been increasing my intake of vegie salads, which I love anyway. In this case I'm not using up smoothy ingredients -- except apple -- just eating more vegies in general which the smoothy idea inspired. Crunchies starting with cauliflower, celery, bell pepper and apple. Oil, vinegar and garlic dressing I make myself.
Then I had a 4-oz piece of New York steak with it, beautifully browned, pink inside. They're on sale for 3.99 lb in the Family Pack, the same price as the frozen tilapia I also like to stock up on. Cut them into 3-or-4-oz pieces and freeze them and I can have steak for two weeks if I want.
I do get Carb Craving with just meat and vegies though, and having none of the usual carbs around at the moment -- like potatoes, rice and pasta -- I had a piece of toast with butter. It works.
On to AHA! Experience #2: Raw is good, but so is Cooked
Just to be clear, I'm not going to be objecting to Green Smoothies or even the Raw Diet as such. I have no reason to doubt any of the testimonials about this form of nutrition and there are many out there.
Nutritionally there's nothing wrong with the smoothies in concept or in practical application that I can see. It's all good food in concentrated form and it's bound to have good effects for those who stick to it, maybe even some very dramatic effects as some have in fact reported. I don't doubt this at all, and I happen to think there's something to the claims for the healing power of carrot juice as well, and eventually I want to write about that. (Carrots are not a part of the Green Smoothy concept, they're a pet food of my own).
I may myself be giving up on green smoothies, however, although maybe not completely, and the reason has to do with getting my head straightened out about a few things. I've had some "aha" experiences in the last day or two that led me to this.
First, although I really like the idea of the smoothies and I like the experience of drinking them too, I was running into problems. Some of it has to do with my addiction to coffee, as it conflicts with the smoothies in various ways. The bitter taste in my mouth has not gone away, and while I know that's from the coffee I also know it's somehow affected by the greens in the smoothy. From time to time I give up coffee for long periods because it's so acid in my stomach and it's about time I gave it up again, and that may make the smoothy project a lot easier. Right now, however, it's very cold out, I'm out of tea, and there's so much snow I really don't feel like going out to the market to get some. So that just puts the smoothies on hold for a while.
AHA! experience #1: You don't need smoothies to get enough vegies:
Meanwhile I got into using up the ingredients for the smoothies in ways I really have been enjoying and this is boosting my intake of good vegies for the better. The potato and chard dish I made night before last was beyond delicious. Last night I made a carrot soup that was so good I gobbled down what was left of it straight out of the refrigerator this morning. Hardly any calories, a ton of beta carotene and total yum!
Tonight I plan to make a spinach soup on the same basic plan -- saute some onion in a little olive oil and butter, add some water, part of it chicken broth, then as much of the sliced/diced/shredded vegie as will fit just under the liquid - or shrivel down to that level in the case of spinach. Simmer until soft, then puree in the blender. I also added some garlic powder to the carrot soup at the end, may do the same with the spinach.
Unless you are really convinced of the raw-foodist idea that cooking food ruins it nutritionally (and I am not -- more to come on this subject), this has to be a power-packed soup, carrot or spinach to the max, and if the blender does help to make nutrients more available for digestion, as the green smoothy lore says it does, it ought to do the same to the hot soup as well. The aha experience in this was the recognition that the raw smoothies are not the only way to pack in the nutrition from greens and other vegetables that we tend not to get enough of. I just hadn't been eating them this way in a long time, and I want to get back to it, and in fact I want to increase this kind of eating. And for that I can thank the Green Smoothy camp. It may not have the dramatic health benefits of the smoothies but it has to contribute to health overall.
Then I also have been increasing my intake of vegie salads, which I love anyway. In this case I'm not using up smoothy ingredients -- except apple -- just eating more vegies in general which the smoothy idea inspired. Crunchies starting with cauliflower, celery, bell pepper and apple. Oil, vinegar and garlic dressing I make myself.
Then I had a 4-oz piece of New York steak with it, beautifully browned, pink inside. They're on sale for 3.99 lb in the Family Pack, the same price as the frozen tilapia I also like to stock up on. Cut them into 3-or-4-oz pieces and freeze them and I can have steak for two weeks if I want.
I do get Carb Craving with just meat and vegies though, and having none of the usual carbs around at the moment -- like potatoes, rice and pasta -- I had a piece of toast with butter. It works.
On to AHA! Experience #2: Raw is good, but so is Cooked
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Green Smoothy Detour
Just didn't want to do a smoothy today. I'm going to have to reorient and get back to it. Not giving up, just figuring this is the way it has to go with a new thing, on again off again until it either takes hold or doesn't.
I read one blogger recently who did the 30-Day Raw Food Diet. He'd started it four or five times previously and it didn't take for him -- not enough calories was the basic problem -- so he did more research and tried again. He analyzed the calorie deficit problem and realized getting enough in this diet depends upon the natural fats -- in the form of nuts and avocados -- and/or the fruits, and decided the emphasis should be on the fruits. I'll have to reread it to know why it didn't take this time either, but it didn't, although it had some benefits he enjoyed and he found some foods he wanted to make a part of his usual diet. So be it. We'll either find a way to make use of the ideas or not.
In researching about the green smoothies and the overall raw food diet (I do plan to post links with some opinions eventually) I ran across some interesting related foods. One I kept being attracted to was Carrot Milkshake. One health-food practice I do occasionally do is juice my own fruits and vegetables. I used to do a lot more of it but I did go through a bag of carrots in a few days about a month ago. I love carrot juice.
So tonight I made a carrot milkshake instead of a green smoothy. I juiced the carrots first and then mixed them with their own fiber in the blender. Seemed easier than grating them first or watching my blender struggle with hard pieces of carrot (Now THAT's a job for one of those huge powerful blenders). I used six medium carrots instead of one large one, used a scant cup of milk instead of 10 ounces, used 2T sugar instead of 1-1/2. I have no cardamom, wish I did but it still tasted good. Yes, very nice drink.
Then the chard I had for the smoothies was getting wilted so I cooked it and some potatoes and then sauteed them together with garlic in olive oil, added some butter at the end, and boy was THAT good. I thought that one up myself but I did check the internet and found a recipe very close to what I'd thought up, so I followed its steps.
I'll never be a vegan, or any kind of vegetarian, but I do love vegies.
I read one blogger recently who did the 30-Day Raw Food Diet. He'd started it four or five times previously and it didn't take for him -- not enough calories was the basic problem -- so he did more research and tried again. He analyzed the calorie deficit problem and realized getting enough in this diet depends upon the natural fats -- in the form of nuts and avocados -- and/or the fruits, and decided the emphasis should be on the fruits. I'll have to reread it to know why it didn't take this time either, but it didn't, although it had some benefits he enjoyed and he found some foods he wanted to make a part of his usual diet. So be it. We'll either find a way to make use of the ideas or not.
In researching about the green smoothies and the overall raw food diet (I do plan to post links with some opinions eventually) I ran across some interesting related foods. One I kept being attracted to was Carrot Milkshake. One health-food practice I do occasionally do is juice my own fruits and vegetables. I used to do a lot more of it but I did go through a bag of carrots in a few days about a month ago. I love carrot juice.
So tonight I made a carrot milkshake instead of a green smoothy. I juiced the carrots first and then mixed them with their own fiber in the blender. Seemed easier than grating them first or watching my blender struggle with hard pieces of carrot (Now THAT's a job for one of those huge powerful blenders). I used six medium carrots instead of one large one, used a scant cup of milk instead of 10 ounces, used 2T sugar instead of 1-1/2. I have no cardamom, wish I did but it still tasted good. Yes, very nice drink.
Then the chard I had for the smoothies was getting wilted so I cooked it and some potatoes and then sauteed them together with garlic in olive oil, added some butter at the end, and boy was THAT good. I thought that one up myself but I did check the internet and found a recipe very close to what I'd thought up, so I followed its steps.
I'll never be a vegan, or any kind of vegetarian, but I do love vegies.
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