June 24, 2018: weight 230 pounds (-10)
Hopefully, I have figured out what works for me. I have some food rules plus some do’s and don’ts for my path. This part of my story started in December of 2016 (1 ½ years ago). My wife and I went to my cardiologist for my annual appointment. He checked all my labs and electronic printouts. He said my numbers are okay except for my weight at 250 pounds. His next statement was clear, “I don’t want to see you ever again at this weight.” The Cardiologist suggested the Kaiser website and left the room. I looked at the website information and started eating better and lost 10 pounds. I was back to my regular 240. Next, in April of 2017, I tried the 21 day Standard Process Purification Program. I lost 7 pounds even though it wasn’t a diet. It involved a lot of juicing, taking their products, and eating whole plant foods. However, I misread the directions and shorted myself of some important nutrients. Each afternoon I found myself tired and brain-dead. This program had a huge benefit for me as it allowed me to slowly add foods back into my diet to see what effects each had on me. I learned new preparations for fresh veggies and I learned about products I was unaware of like Quinoa. As I added foods back into my diet, I monitored how I felt and what I weighed. I was stopping after work for a cheeseburger. It became addictive. Very quickly I was right back where I started, 240 and my joints were sore. It all had a purpose, I had learned about me and food.
This is what I learned.
Rule: No fast food. Fast food is addictive for me. I don’t know if it has an additive which makes it addictive, but it would not surprise me. Watch the documentary “Food, Inc.”
Rule: Limit processed foods and read the labels on everything. Watch out for nitrates, sodium, high fructose corn syrup, and anything with a really long name.
Rule: Diet soda is not a diet food. Limit all soda intake. It is a gut builder like beer was for me.
Rule: Eat your fruits and vegetables. There is a huge trend in the health industry to turn us into vegetarians. They changed the wording, “eating a plant-based diet”, is still a vegetarian. Watch “In Defense of Food” or one of several documentaries on that topic. I am not going to do that at this time, I like meat. I want a plant-based diet, not a plant-only diet, The path is vegetables and fruits first in my meal and snack planning.
Rule: The cleaner the better. Buy fresh, in season, and organic when I can. These things can cost more so when my budget is tight, buy the cleanest and freshest I can afford. Meat has me looking at grass fed, free range, and wild caught as cleaner style products.
Rule: Limited bread and wheat-based products and watch the starches. This may be me and my gut, but it also helps cut out some other clunky stuff. This rule has helped me raise my food awareness as I now look at other products like rice noodles or quinoa.
Rule: All these rules need to fit under my calorie limit per day.
Here is what a daily dinner looks like and how I start. I start by shopping. I shop once or twice a week. I am fortunate to live in an area with lots of choices; all the chain grocery stores, Vons ect., Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, 99 cent store, and a number of Asian markets. The result is a dinner of organic broccoli from Sprouts, quinoa with spinach from Aldi and chicken breast from Smart and Final. The broccoli was sauteed in olive oil and fresh chopped garlic. The quinoa with spinach (99 cent store) was made with my favorite recipe from Standard Process which I will share with you. The chicken breast was baked, after marinating with a little soy sauce and Orange Juice. Delicious.
If you have a favorite veggie recipe, share with me and I try it and pass it on.
BEST QUESS QUINOA Recipe
Saute onion, garlic and chopped carrot and celery.
Follow 1 cup quinoa recipe with broth not water in the same pan
Add salt, pepper, a small amount of any hot spice and 4 cups spinach and cook with the quinoa.
½ onion diced
3 garlic diced
1 or 2 carrots diced
1 or 2 celery diced
¼ tsp cumin or red pepper flakes
4 cups spinach
In the Spirit, Dave
HEALTHY AT 120 