This was Thanksgiving weekend and my daughter coming home for the first time since I took her university. There was no way I was going to miss out on eating and socialising. And I also refused to feel guilty for doing so. It was not about being *good* but having that 20% guilt free enjoyment of unhealthy eating. So I did enjoy clam dip with tortilla chips, two types of pie, chocolate cake and quick croissants. I also did not weight myself and kept up with my workouts (including taking a rest day on the Sunday). But now it is back to the 80% controlled nutrition. Splurges are fine as long as they don't become the norm. It is a mental thing -- the weekend is over and therefore it is time to get with the programme again. Weight is much easier to put on, rather than take off and I did make sure that i was well within my green zone before the Thanksgiving splurge started. Hopefully when it comes time to measure and weigh myself when this level is done, I will remain in my green zone!
Among other books I read this week were The Inflammation Syndrome and Stop Prediabetes Now (both by Jack Challam). I started with The Inflammation Syndrome because of a remark by the TAM community moderator that Tracy had worked hard to remove all possible inflammation culprits from her diet. Basically I wanted to find why I felt so well on her Lifestyle Menu and why I didn't have cravings etc. The Stop Prediabetes Now came about because I thought it might have more info on obesity, prediabetes and diabetes (type 2) and the whole connection. Prediabetes means you are living a lifestyle that makes type 2 diabetes much more likely. Indicators include a waist over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, the need to take naps after eating a heavy meal, and feeling mood swings. I know I was definitely headed that way in August 2010 as my waist was about 35 inches (it is now 23 inches). And while I don't have any symptoms currently, I am aware that I did have quite a number. Type 2 diabetes is a disease which is caused in large part by lifestyle and if a person changes their lifestyle before the onset of full blown type 2 diabetes or before type 2 becomes firmly eastablished, it is possible to utterly reverse the effects. The recent University of Newcastle study is the most recent confirmation.
Although Challams diets are different from Tracy's, I did find out lots.
For example, the Lifestyle Menu is definitely designed to stabilise blood sugar. It is a Protein and Produce type diet, rather than high protein diet. There is a difference. A P and P type diet does emphasise both, rather than exclusively focusing on one particular food group/building block as it were. And the emphasise of the produce is on non starchy, high fibre type fruit and veg.
To stabilise your blood sugar -- the first thing you do need to do is cut out all gluten products and porridge. Oats despite their low GI can cause problems for some people. I know for myself, I feel less hungry when I don't eat porridge for breakfast. High quality protein like an egg, chicken, turkey or cold waterfish or fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or kiwifruit will go a long a way towards making you feel full. Processed foods because of their high sugar, trans fat and high salt content sabotage diets and make cravings worse. Equally eating grain fed beef rather than grass fed beef can lead to more cravings. (I thought this interesting as Tracy does specify grass fed beef in her dynamic eating plan). Caffienne makes you feel thirsty and it is easy to confuse hungar and cravings with thirst. So it is best to cut all coffee. Green tea helps. Eating slowly and making sure you are consuming nutrient dense food goes a long way. Ease of digestion can really help as your body is getting the nutrients it requires delivered in quickly. Fresh food is best.
This is one of the reasons when they talk about Tracy's diets are being baby food diets that it gets me so annoyed. Tracy is all about pureeing and juicing fresh food, rather than buying jars of baby food. There are sound reasons why she says to steam apples and pears rather than buying apple sauce, for example. Purchased apple juice and apple sauce will probably have added sugar and stabilisers. Equally the vitamins do start to deteriorate fairly quickly. You want to consume fresh apple juice within 15 minutes before it starts to oxidise to get the most kick from the vitamins sort of thing.
Anyway I am starting to understand why her Lifestyle Menu worked so well for me and why they do such a good job of containing my cravings.
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