Clean Eating

S

sue320

Cathlete
I'm finally to the point where I'd like to consider tweaking my diet. It's better but not as good as it was when dh was around to cook. I know there was a thread a while back about clean eating. Is there any place else, maybe a book, that might be able to enlighten me? Are there any reformed junk food junkies that were able to clean up & started looking better than they did when it was the same old diet and tons of exercise?

TIA
Sue<><
 
I'd be interested in hearing about this, too. Exercising is easy compared to eating clean! I've never managed to do it consistently.
 
Hi Sue,

I've just had to clean up my diet (which wasn't all that bad to begin with) because I found out I have really high cholesterol even though I am a Cathe devotee and work out all the time, its more genetic than lifestyle, but I'm trying to eat very very well for the next 3 months until my next blood test to see if it helps because I'm 30 and don't want to be on cholesterol lowering medicine.

Anyway, I started reading up on what the American Heart Association recommends you eat to lower cholesterol, or even just to be heart healthy, and I have not only lost weight, I FEEL better! Ok, it took a health scare to give up most dairy but now I'm so glad I did it. But essentially what I am doing now is clean eating.

What you might try to start with, something that is really easy and doesn't feel like a sacrifice, is to substitute Soy where you usually eat dairy - vanilla soy milk on cereal, or soy creamer in your coffee, get a soy latte instead of whatever you usually get it is DELICIOUS, soy ice cream instead of regular (Tofutti and Soy Delicious are not just healthy they are GOOD)Soy protein is SO GOOD FOR YOU and Silk products for instance is calcium fortified. The other thing I've done is cut back on meat, I was eating ok cuts of meat but too much, I'm keeping it under 5 ounces a day. Also I pay attention to hidden foods, like eggs that would be in a baked goods, the mayonaise that is in the tuna salad sandwhiches I always order. If I eat pizza I eat veggie pizza instead of pepperoni...makes a difference.

You can drink flavored carbonated water instead of soda, Quaker makes mini rice cakes called Quakes that taste like Cheetos - they have trans fat in them but could help wean you off of chips and things, also if you have access to a health food store there are all kinds of soy crisp type snacks that are great for nibbling- and you know you are doing your heart a favor by eating them. You can eat all fruit jam instead of say Smuckers or any other sugar laden jam, and its still delicious, eat natural peanut butter (like Adams or Laura Scudders) that isn't full of sugar and partially hydroginated soybean oil...switch out sugary cereal for Fiber One, Muesli, or Shredded Wheat and Bran...eat plain oatmeal and add cinnamon and raisins for flavor instead of eating the flavored packets of oatmeal, its all sugar!

So there are all kinds of ways to clean up your diet gradually, without having to make major sacrifices or go vegan (not that there is anything wrong with that) and you really will feel better.

Good luck, and really, give soy a try!

Jill
 
Jill,

Funny you should mention switching to soy milk! I have soy milk for the baby (okay, she's 17 mos. but the last one so the baby for us). Anyway, I tried it one day and ew, yuck!!! But I did realize that you recommended vanilla soy...I'll give it a try. That's my weakness....milk. I LOVE milk! I'll look at the other things you mentioned. Thanks for responding.

Sue<><:7
 
Soy and rice cakes?! I second that EWWW!! That's just asking too much! ;)

I've always been interested in eating well and getting a balanced diet and consider chocolate a fine addition to me healthy eating plan ;) (noooo! you'll never separate me from my chocolate - Id rather eat beans (ick!) than give up chocolate!) and find that the more high fibre and meditteranean style food I eat, the better I feel, the more energy I have and the weight shifts. I need to eat little and often though, or my body behaves like I'm stuck on the scary side of Mount Everest and refuses to let go of the fat! I also find that the more I exercise the more I crave healthy foods.
ATB,
- Lisa :)
 
Hi,

I do everything you mentionned. They only problem I have is with snacking. If the kids eat nachos I have to have some.

Life is hard.
 
(Tofutti and Soy Delicious are not just
>healthy they are GOOD)

I'm with you on the Soy Delicious, but unless Tofutti has changed their recipe in the last few years, it's quite high fat and sugar.
 
>Soy and rice cakes?! I second that EWWW!! That's just asking
>too much! ;)
>
>I've always been interested in eating well and getting a
>balanced diet and consider chocolate a fine addition to me
>healthy eating plan ;) (


I'm with you on the rice cakes (mainly because I don't think they have any nutritional value whatsoever, and are high carb and no fiber), but don't be dissin' the soy so quickly! It's true that early soy milks tasted pretty wretched and "beany," but nowdays, there are quite a few tasty versions (Pacific Soy and Eden soy are two of the best tasting). AND some very tasty CHOCOLATE soy milks like Silk. (Did that mention of chocolate get you salivating?)
 
>Hi,
>
>I do everything you mentionned. They only problem I have is
>with snacking. If the kids eat nachos I have to have some.
>
>Life is hard.

I find there are some foods that I basically have to avoid, or only buy small quantities of (though in our modern "supersize" culture, it's hard to find single-serving packs of a ,lot of things!). Cookies, chips, anything like that, even if they are "natural" or healthier, or reduced fat are something I can't eat just one of. Though just the other day, I was having some crackers (I only ea those that have 2 grams of fiber minimum in them, which is my guideline for carb foods) and before I started to eat out of the box, I consciously decided to have only one serving (16 crackers) and was able to stick to it. It's something simple that I really haven't tried with this kind of food before: actually telling myself "I'm going to have X of them" then measuring out the serving and eating it. That inner voice telling me my limit seemed to work for me.
 
Sue,
I find it helpful to make my own rules about eating, such as not buying crackers or cookies or foods that are naturally high in carbs unless they have a minimum of 2 grams of fiber per serving (sometimes even foods that seem healthy and have whole grains in ...somewhere...don't fit the bill).
 
No, no -ladies TRUST ME - plain soy milk is nasty but vanilla soy milk is very tastey, and if you replace it in other foods, like cereal and lattes its not like drinking a glass of it. And the rice cakes are not plain - the seriously taste like Cheetos...TRY IT. I have some soy/rice cake snacks that are bbq flavored, it is just like eating chips!!
 
Alright, I concede ;) I do like soy sauce (does that count?) but have only ever tried ordinary non-flavoured soy milk and didn't like it at all. I'm curious to try the flavoured soy milk but I think I'll pass on chocolate - unless it tastes better than chocolate [dairy] milk? How is soy milk for cooking/heating?
ATB,
- Lisa :)
 
Hi Kathryn,

Oh yes on the fat and sugar in Tofutti, I totally agree with you, I just think eating tofutti is better than eating actual ice cream (especially from the cholesterol reducing point of view)
! Also its a nice way to get some soy in your diet, if you are going to treat yourself. You are definitely right about Soy Delicious!! I can't believe I never tried it before now!

Jill
 
I love this idea! I've come to realize that I've relaxed my rules concerning my "diet" once the weight was gone...no longer am I making it a point to eat fruits/veggies as snacks (my favorite apples are now out of season so that makes it hard), not drinking as I should and eating junk throughout the week, instead of limiting it to my cheat day. I'm not looking to lose pounds, just that extra layer that's between me and my awesome muscles. Does that make sense? I don't want to get so low that I'm interfering with natural bodily functions (TTOTM) just to look way good (although dh is quite thrilled with me now--he should be--I used to be a cow!).

Please keep the input coming!:D

Sue<><
 
I just joined WW online and have lost 5 lbs in the last two weeks. I believe their "points system" works great and encourages clean eating....and simplifies it. You have to fill up on fruits and veggies and water, which are low or 0 pts. Processed carbs are much higher points, so you have to limit them. Also processed meats..very high.

It has cleaned up my eating in very short order. And I only have 20 lbs to lose. Well, now 15!

Recipes there really have lots of good clean eating stuff in them. You can check out their website even if you don't join. www.weightwatchers.com

It is really working for me, and I was a processed carb junkie!!

Jen
 
Hi Jill!

Have I missed something? I've always heard that milk was good for you and that in recent studies it helps with weight loss. Besides every woman needs calcium. Please let me know why you eliminated milk from your diet. Do the soy products have calcium in them? As you can tell I don't eat soy products, mainly because I don't know enough about them.
 
HI KRisti,

Milk is good for you, I just eliminated it because I found out that I have really high cholesterol, and soy is one of the things doctors are recommending you eat a lot of as part of a cholesterol reducing diet. I should stress that I'm doing this for heart health rather than weight loss, but weight loss has been a benefit.

Since so many soy products can be used where milk was before, and even non fat milk has some cholesterol, that was the easiest thing for me to do to help cut back. I am a HUGE dairy fan, however I have noticed that I actually feel better since I stopped eating so much dairy. I do still eat non fat yogurt, and sometimes drink non fat milk, and also low fat cottage cheese. Even regular cheese but only if I have no choice.

And yes, calcium is very important and the soy milk I use is calcium fortified. I think most are, becasue it is a substitute for regualr milk.

I'm not a dietician or anything remotely close to it, but I can say from personal experience that I feel better with soy than I did with dairy...I have always wanted to switch but liked dairy too much to do it. As a healthy 30 year old, seeing my cholesterol number in the red danger column of my physical results was the push I needed to make the change. It was just a personal choice, however soy is very good for women espeically, has a lot of protien, and it is recommended that you consume 25 grams of soy protein a day to promote heart health, so that is what I'm doing.


Thats my reason!
Jill
 
Jen,

You'll think me weird but here's why ww didn't work for me. Food became a god. All I thought about all day long was food. On my own system, I ate what I wanted (now, I didn't go out and eat big macs...healthy choices) within reason and drank lots and lots of water. Plus, when I snacked I made much better choices than what I had been making.

Thanks though...it's always good to know the options available. I will, however, check out their recipes. I have two of their cookbooks and dh and I love them!

Sue<><
 
Hi Lisa!

I am one of those rare and unfortunate individuals who are deathly allergic to all dairy products. One tiny microscopic bit of milk/butter/cheese and I get violently ill and could go into shock. Because of this, I do all of my own cooking, baking, etc. with soy milk. I can make just about everything a milk drinker can (except cheesy things) and it is usually difficult to tell the difference. Just try tapioca made with vanilla soy--you'll never make it with milk again! Same goes for oatmeal and cereal...

Cheers,
Dorie
 
Sue,
Looking better, well, no. Feeling better, YES YES YES!!! Actually, I enjoy my new diet a lot better than I did the junk food. It is quite effortless, I assure you, though I'm not always perfect. Now, if I just had time to exercise more, I think I could look better too. I always have about a dress size to lose. But in this country of runaway obesity, so what? Change your eating to improve your health, and everything else will fall into place. Good luck.:)
 
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