lol random thought:

it just makes me think ”what the hell” when people only eat egg whites.

i mean..seriously….what??

yeah, im gonna throw away the only bit of an egg i actually like!

to me, that would be like making myself a beef sandwich and throwing away the beef!

YOLKS ARENT THE DEVIL for gods sake.

they are yummy and nutritious and just………….fecking EAT them!!

and dont give me any crap about ”oh but they have saturated fat and cholesterol and blah-de-blah in them…”

yes, but its a GOOD source, and unless you eat like a whole carton of the things a day, i THINK you are ok! a tiny bit of saturated fat and cholesterol isnt the end of the world you know.

if you are eating a good BALANCED diet, you’re all good! its the balance thats important, not the nutritional info on each individual item of food.

so yeah, thats it on the egg front ;) if you try and take my egg yolks away from me, i will kill you with my spoon…..

..sue xxx

15 Simple Ways to Eat Better Today

— By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer

Most people are creatures of habit. We go to the grocery store on the same day every week and fill our carts with the same stuff. If it’s Monday, chicken’s for dinner and Wednesday always means spaghetti. We are comforted with knowing what to expect—even if our meals aren’t that exciting, we know what we’re going to eat.

That’s what makes eating healthier so scary sometimes. We are so used to eating a certain way that we rarely think about what we’re actually putting into our bodies. So to eat a healthier diet means actually waking up and paying attention to what’s on your plate.

Make Healthy Eating a Habit
Eating healthier doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you want to adopt healthy habits that will last, then the easiest way to do it is by making small, gradual changes. Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon—it takes about a month for any new action to become habit.

Before you start making any changes to your diet, take a week or two to observe your current eating habits. Track everything that goes in your mouth, including drinks and treats, no matter how small. Keeping a food journal will really open your eyes—realizing that you ate 10 cookies over the course of the week might make you think twice before reaching into the cookie jar again tonight, for example. You might not realize how bad your present eating habits are until you see an unhealthy pattern right there in black and white. Once you see that some changes are in order, then you’re ready to take the next steps.

Small Changes Mean Big Rewards
If you can’t stand the taste of broccoli, then vowing to eat it more often is pretty unrealistic. But if increasing the number of vegetables you eat each day is one of your goals, start by finding a few different ones that you can painlessly work into your diet. Make sure you select a variety of colors (dark green, red, orange, etc.) to get the most nutrients per bite. Add some shredded carrots to your muffin batter or top your pizza with fresh tomatoes, for example.

If you know you need to eat more fruit, start by adding some sliced bananas to your cereal in the morning or bake an apple with a bit of brown sugar for a yummy, low-cal dessert. Fresh berries and yogurt make a nice, light breakfast or snack too.

As you adopt this new style of eating, you will find that your food preferences will gradually change—when you cut out high-sugar, high-fat goodies, your cravings will actually go away in time. Your body wants healthy food!

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

• Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.
   
• Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.
   
• Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.
   
• Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.
   
• Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.
• 
• 
   
• Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.
   
• Don’t drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.
   
• Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.
   
• Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.
   
• Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).
   
• Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.
   
• Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.
• 
• 
   
• Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind “sees” that you’re eating a full plate of food.

Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods completely—you just have to make a few changes. Treat yourself to a mini chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one, for example. By trying to eat the most nutritious foods possible, you are creating a healthy lifestyle that will help you reach your best weight. You deserve the very best!

Does Junk Food Have A Place in a Healthy Diet??

— By The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR)

Studies of American eating habits reveal that almost a quarter of the calories we consume come from nutrient-poor selections – better known as “junk food.” If one-fourth of what we eat is junk food, a plan for weight reduction should emphasize eating differently, not just eating less as many nutrition experts advise for weight loss. And if you have a healthy weight, you should still eat less junk food to prevent weight gain and chronic diseases, like cancer.

Too Many Calories from Sodas, Sweets and Desserts
In a recent study that surveyed 4,700 people, soft drinks were the number one source of calories. They accounted for 7.1 percent of the calories the people in this study consumed. Altogether, the categories of soft drinks, sweets and desserts, and alcoholic beverages made up 23.8 percent of total calorie intake. Salty snacks and fruit-flavored drinks added another five percent of calories. Since all of these foods are relatively concentrated in calories, you don’t have to eat a lot of them to increase your daily calorie total.

Another study revealed that people who eat a lot of junk food suffer nutritionally. This study looked at the impact of salty snack foods like potato chips, corn chips, crackers, pretzels and cheese curls. Those who ate the most of these high-fat salty snack foods had diets high in total and saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables. These people scored poorly for dietary healthfulness.

Score High Points for Health
Studies of nutrient-poor food consumption highlight several important messages:

• Between-meal snacks and drinks may be the best place to substitute healthy choices and cut back on excess calories.
• People who are overweight can still be undernourished. Eating more healthful foods is a good way to improve your health and lower your calorie intake at the same time.
• Junk food is not okay when it displaces healthy food, even if you maintain an appropriate weight. Eating substantial amounts of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods tends to be part of an eating pattern that ignores nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. Even if you don’t gain weight by eating lots of junk food, you could increase your health risks, like the risk of cancer, by depriving yourself of protective nutrients and phytochemicals.

now this is a salad!

tuna steak, baked sweet potato (no butter or any dressing of any kind), mixed leaves, baby tomatoes, red onion, red pepper, chestnut mushrooms, a few olives and other antipasta bits (but i seriously only had a couple of bits).

damn, i forgot to add some jalapeno’s!! oh well.

and my dessert, raspberries and canteloupe melon.

yummy, and how healthy can i be for one meal??

..sue xx

got a lovely little fruit delivery today :)

apples, oranges, blackberries (although i dont really like them so i gave them to one of my boys - he loves stuff like that!), raspberries and quite a bit of melon :)

im getting in loads of fruit at the moment, which cant be a bad thing!

..sue xx

very nearly got some chocolate when i got out of bed this morning, but instead i reached for a banana and half a big juicy grapefruit.

MUCH better!! and i feel ready to conquer the day the right way after a good start :)

also, ive had a coffee, not a coke.

look at me, im on FIRE!! haha

..sue xx

There’s nothing quite like the energy and excitement of the seasonal transition from late spring to early summer. It’s a time to shed layers, turn our faces to the sun, and make time for both adventure and relaxation.

It’s also a special moment for inner transformation. Dense root vegetables and heavy cold-weather foods lose their appeal, as the earth begins to flourish with colorful fruits and veggies. These foods facilitate our natural detox mechanisms and help to keep our bodies cool during the warm summer months.

It’s as if Mother Nature, herself, is telling you to come out of hibernation, eat fresh foods, and be happy. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her would you?

Here are a few recommendations from Integrative Nutrition to help you ride the wave of seasonal change:

Eat organic, local foods: Eating with the seasons is an important concept in the IIN curriculum, and this is the easiest time of year to eat local, no matter where you live. Check out your local farmer’s market to find out what’s growing near you, or consider joining a CSA!

Hydrate & cleanse: Drinking plenty of water is even more important when your body starts to sweat. You can switch up your beverages with coconut water, smoothies, and fresh juice as well. The boost in hydration and nutrients will aid in expelling the stored up calories from winter.

Do something new: Embrace seasonal renewal by doing something you haven’t tried before. Maybe you want to develop a green thumb by starting an urban garden, accept an unexpected invitation from a new acquaintance, or even commit yourself to the career of your dreams. Follow your instincts and have no regrets!

Spend time outdoors: This is not the time for fluorescent lighting and indoor treadmills. You’ve gotta get out there and get your grounding on! Being in nature has profound effects on your health, and spending time outdoors will reinvigorate your mind and body.

Be present: Take time to enjoy life and have gratitude. This is the season for clean starts. So clear your mind of the past and the things you cannot change, and appreciate your abundance instead. Don’t forget to get plenty of primary food!

ooh i havent had any green tea yet today!

must rectify that situation RIGHT now!

..sue xx

one-twenty-five:

Pictured: the free office fruit
Not pictured: the free office chocolate

(Source: one-twenty-five, via fit-tea)

Making changes

Changing your eating habits should be a gradual process. Don’t be tempted to make drastic changes overnight or fall into the trap of making common dieting mistakes. Small, day-to-day changes will have a much bigger and more long-lasting effect.

If you’re having trouble making changes to your diet or you’re worried that you’re not getting all of the nutrients you need, talk to your GP. He or she may be able to give you some practical advice or refer you to a dietitian who can help you further.

You hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, but what does that mean? In general, a healthy person doesn’t smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

The trick to healthy living is making small changes…taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water…these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changes.

Exercise

One of the biggest problems in America today is lack of activity. We know it’s good for us but avoid it like the plague either because we’re used to being sedentary or afraid that exercise has to be vigorous to be worth our time. The truth is, movement is movement and the more you do, the healthier you’ll be. Even moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference.

Just adding a little movement to your life can:

• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
• Improve joint stability
• Increase and improve range of movement
• Help maintain flexibility as you age
• Maintain bone mass
• Prevent osteoporosis and fractures
• Improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Enhance self esteem
• Improve memory in elderly people
• Reduce stress

So, even if you opt for small changes and a more modest weight loss, you can see the benefits are still pretty good. One study has found that just a 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity.

Simple Ways to Move Your Body

You can start the process of weight loss now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you’re not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

• Turn off the TV. Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with your family. Play games, take a walk…almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch.
• Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work.
• Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor…these kinds of activities may not be ‘vigorous’ exercise, but they can keep you moving while getting your house in order.
• Pace while you talk. When you’re on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing. This is a great way to stay moving while doing something you enjoy.
• Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day. If you find that the bulk of your time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more—getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.

Learn about more ways to fit in exercise.

Eating Well

Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older. You can use the new MyPlate to determine how many calories you need and what food groups you should focus on or, if you’re looking for smaller changes, you can use these tips for simple ways to change how you eat:

• Eat more fruit. Add it to your cereal, your salads or even your dinners
• Sneak in more veggies. Add them wherever you can—a tomato on your sandwich, peppers on your pizza, or extra veggies in your pasta sauce. Keep pre-cut or canned/frozen veggies ready for quick snacks.
• Switch your salad dressing. If you eat full-fat dressing, switch to something lighter and you’ll automatically eat less calories.
• Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy. Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in your diet.
• Make some substitutes. Look through your cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods you eat every day. Write down the nutritional content and, the next time you’re at the store, find lower-calorie substitutes for just those 3 items.

Find more ideas for healthy foods with this Healthy Foods Grocery List.

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean drastic changes. In fact, drastic changes almost always lead to failure. Making small changes in how you live each day can lead to big rewards, so figure out what you can to be healthy today.

_Sources:

_{Fentem, P H. ABC of Sports Medicine: Benefits of exercise in health and disease. BMJ 1994;308:1291-1295 (14 May)}

_{Goldstein DJ. Beneficial health effects of modest weight loss. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1992 Jun;16(6):397-415.}

this is in reply to ”actuator” who asked me about my take on real foods, after i posted that article, but then noticed the mars bar and coke on my food diary lol.

well yes, i am sort of ”getting there” slowly. very slowly some days lol.

at the moment i am focusing on other things, and i know i am just being lazy. i dont know what it is, but first thing in the morning, i want that sugar fix, which is stupid. and its only that time of day, it really doesnt bother me other times. i think ive just got into a stupid habit and need to get out of it.

but actually, that question made me think. its no good me telling you people what you need to be doing to be healthy, then not doing it myself!

im following paleo, i would say at a 90% level, at the moment, and you cant get any more ”real food” than that. but yes, im still having that stupid morning crap stuff.

watch this space, im going to sort that out. if my sugar drops, and i need to have something quick, then yes, i may resort to the chocolate, but if i am eating properly, it should sort out my sugar levels anyway, as it did when i first started paleo. my sugar levels were spot on!

i will have the one can of coke though. i like it first thing in the morning. i know i can get a caffeine buzz from a coffee, but i dont like a hot drink first thing in the morning, and i have cut back from god knows how many cans of coke in the past to just one can, and i see no reason why i should give it up altogether just yet. maybe one day.

but yes, the chocolate is gone. when i have it, im like ”ewwww…didnt even enjoy it!” so i dont know why i even bother. its like im testing my own body, to see how much it can cope with!

anyway, i actually already had todays, because i just got up for work, and i just sort of go into the kitchen on autopilot, but never mind. and then i logged in here, and thought ”god you know, thats a very good point!! why AM i eating this crap??”

so yes, thank you for your input actuator (lol sorry dont know your real name as i type this), and i will take it on board ;).

and i will read that article MYSELF again haha.

damn, now i have to go to work.

..sue xx

now, i have no idea about this site, i just found this article and found it made a lot of sense, but if you want to check out the site, here is the link:http://www.realfooduniversity.com/nutrition-101-basics/

..sue xxx

…………………………………………………………….

Now that’s delicious!

If you’ve been following nutrition for any amount of time, you’ve likely encountered a ton of conflicting advice. One day, eggs are good for you; the next, they’re bad, then they’re good again.

Fat? Eat less. Sorry, I meant eat more, but only “good” fats. More vegetable oils; less saturated fat! Wait no…it depends on who you ask.

Carbs? Good idea…no, bad…no, good, but only the right type of carbs. And that’s just touching the tip of the iceberg. How about alcohol? Coffee? Sugar? Artificial sweeteners?

All around us, everyone is yelling about eat this, don’t eat that, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be working. Well, I’m going to solve the whole issue for you today. In fact, with this one post, I’m going to help anyone that wants to change anything about their body. So listen up if you want to:

• Wear smaller jeans
• Lift bigger weights
• Get sick less often
• Or simply, stop eating boring food

If you want to solve all of your food dilemmas around what you should be eating, get ready…

Drum roll!

Okay, seriously, enough build-up. It’s really as simple a guideline as there is and it’s what my entire site is built around.

Eat real food.

Yup, that’s it. That’s the entire bit of wisdom I have for you. If you’re looking for complex diets that require you to stress about everything you put in your mouth, I appreciate you stopping by, but I can’t help you. Around here, it’s all about “Eating Real Food”.

Keep It Simple, Sexy!

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
- Albert Einstein

Unlike a lot of people you have read and likely will read, I’m here to simplify your life, not make it more complex. The nutritionists might not like me much for giving you such simple and effective advice that doesn’t keep you paying them, but oh well. Much like Jack LaLanne, I think that it really is that simple. As he said, “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

Let’s take a quick look at the Food Pyramid, which was at least an attempt to get people eating right. Too many rules, too many gray areas. We can argue that the Food Pyramid is a convoluted mess of bad ideas, but the pertinent fact is that it’s too difficult to figure out, even if it was any good.

What exactly is a serving? And how do I decide if I need 6 or 11 servings of grains? Is that pork chop “lean”? And then there are all of the rules about saturated fat, cholesterol, calories, total fat, sodium, and sugar intake. How can you make heads or tails of anything this complex?

Some people want to argue about low carb, low fat, The Zone, Ornish, Atkins, and Weight Watchers. They’ll give you a million complex scientific reasons why their way is the one true way (sounds like a lot of religions). And maybe they’re right, but mostly they’re just confusing you. I’m not interested.

I know that civilizations have thrived on diets of varying proportions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates (macronutrients) throughout history. The Inuit ate a diet of almost no carbs and mostly fat with no ill effects. The Masai drink cow blood and milk and eat meat like it’s going out of style. As the nutritionists gasp, I’ll mention that the Masai achieve prime health too. The diet on the island of Okinawa is heavily weighted towards vegetables and rice with some fish and little meat, high in carbs, low in fat. Again, very good health; Okinawans have excellent health and longevity.

Stop The Insanity!

Dogbert: “Reality is always controlled by the people who are most insane.”
- Scott Adams, Dilbert

So it’s not so much about the macronutrients, as long as you’re getting enough protein and fat to allow the body to function properly. It’s about the types of food being consumed. Dr. Weston Price noted that traditional civilizations thrived until they were introduced to processed grains and sugars, at which point, health declined markedly.

Have you ever known someone that dutifully follows a low-fat diet or low-carb diet by eating every processed product in the store that excludes their chosen macronutrient (“Angel Food Cake is a fat-free food!”)? Do they make the progress they’d like to? Rarely. Why? Because before you can worry about macronutrients, you need to focus on food. You don’t eat nutrients. You eat food.

A few of the delicious morsels you could be eating

A Few Guidelines

Let’s keep it simple: Eat real foods, preferably in their natural state. I think it’s pretty easy to figure out what is “food” and what isn’t. A few things to remember:

• Real Food grows and dies. It isn’t created.
• Real Food rots, wilts, and becomes generally unappetizing, typically rather quickly.
• Real Food doesn’t need an ingredient label (and probably isn’t in a package either).
• Real Food doesn’t have celebrity endorsements.
• Real Food doesn’t make health claims.

Let’s give some foods this simple test and see if they pass:

• Broccoli – Most certainly a real food
• Steak – Deliciously real food, straight off the cow
• Oreo cookies – Hold while I read the ingredients. Are you serious?
• Eggs – Bingo
• Walnuts – Check
• Pop-Tarts – Just seeing if you’re paying attention

I’m sure you can figure most everything out from there.

Riding the waves of nutritionism

Forget The Latest Nutrition Fad And Just Eat Real Food

What you notice is that few of these foods, with the exception of cooking oils, come from a factory. They just exist. There’s no secret formula to create them. Even olive, coconut, and palm oils, while requiring extraction, require no special knowledge. Just press really hard and you get oil. Nobody has a patent on the flavor of an apple. The ingredients in beef can’t be tweaked to ride the current nutrition wave.

Eating real foods virtually eliminates one of the hardest parts of maintaining your weight: counting calories (or carbs or fat). Real foods have a built-in feedback mechanism to keep you from overeating. Protein and fat stimulate appetite-suppressing hormones. Fruits and vegetables tend to be bulky for their caloric content. Some may want to argue about Glycemic Indexes and other fun things, but no one gets fat by eating carrots. People get fat by eating fake foods. Just eat real ones and I guarantee that you’ll shed fat and feel better.

Your body, which is significantly smarter than your mind, knows what it needs and if you feed it real food and then pay attention, it will give you feedback.

What About Vitamins?

When you eat enough real foods, in enough variety…you should be all set. There were no Flinstone daily vitamins 100 years ago. Thinking your health down to a pill ignores the aspect of eating real foods for nutritional needs, as well as how our body really is supposed to use vitamins and minerals together.

“People ask me what vitamins they should take,” said Dr. Jacobs. “I say ‘Don’t take any. Just make sure you have a nutrient-rich diet.’”

from the The Case for Real Food, NY Times

But That’s So Boooooring?

If you think that real food is boring, you’re just not thinking it through. There’s absolutely nothing boring about real food. There’s far more variety in the produce aisle than in every other aisle of the store. If you really think about it, the middle aisles are really just different combinations of corn, wheat, soy, and sugar.

On the other hand, just off the top of my head, the real food aisles have:
Apples, Brussels sprouts, cherries, duck, eggs, frisee, ginger, horseradish, iced coffee (I couldn’t come up with anything for “i” so why not?), jalapenos, kale, lamb, melons, nettles, onions, pork, quail, rosemary, spinach, turnips, ugli fruit, venison, watermelon, xia (shrimp in Chinese…yeah, I cheated), yuca, and zucchini.

If you’re still bored, you probably just don’t know how to cook the righteous foods that come without a package.

Learn To Cook Real Food

Now maybe you’ve been living the convenience food lifestyle for awhile and don’t quite know where to start with real food. That’s what I’m here for. I built this site to help you learn to cook and eat real food without being bored by your meals.