Re: Diet and Exercise 2011: Better Than This.
Quiz and I are both trying to cut down on processed foods. It's shocking what you can put into your body, the amount of chemicals and foods that aren't foods at all, but instead are created by man. I'm looking to join a co-op in Denver to get fresh meat and produce. We're also doing more shopping at Whole Foods for our fish and whatnot. We're still careful though, because even Whole Foods is not necessarily as pure as you might think. For more on the subject, I recommend reading "The Omnivores Dilema". You will never want McDonalds again. 27 ingredients in a McNugget?
Yeah it is amazing what is food and what some things are called "food". Just read that taco bell's meat filling is only %36 meat. YikeS!
But eating out of a CSA and find local grass fed meat is to die for. And I love the relationship I have with my growers. When you calculate it all out the CSA is no more expensive and sometime cheaper than buying produce from the grocery store. It is just sometimes that initial outlay of cash is difficult to come up with. Which reminds me, I need to pay up one of mine (doing two this year, one on bi-weekly and one that delivers weekly to the house, now i just have to come up with a better meat system...).
I do agree with this, but with a twist. If it's during the day and I want something sweet, then I'll reach for fruit. If it's after dinner and I'm legit hungry, I'll go for fruit then too, because if I'm too hungry and I try having dessert-dessert, it doesn't end well. But if I just want dessert, then dammit, I'm having a dessert.
Do any of you have advice to give for living with a spouse/significant other/etc who doesn't necessarily have the best eating habits? Like, how do you handle grocery shopping and meals?
I went to a nutrional seminar over the weekend, were they made their plan on based on only the following. Foods that make you more or less healthy. But that doesnt mean from time to time you can't have one of the "unhealthy foods" having it once a week or whatever isnt going to kill you, it is the componding effect. And even worse, trying to "modify" recipes to make your favorites is never going to satify you. if you want ice cream or pizza, have it. Deal with the craving and move on.
Althought I am find as I eat cleaner, stuff like pizza really does not make me feel good at all. Which is sad in that i am saying good by to an old friend, but the energy i have, and how i feel and perform is not something i am willing to trade. Luckily i am still on speaking terms with ice cream.
When I was growing up my mom would make one meal, if someone in particular really didnt want whatever it was, there were free to make their own. we were too lazy to do that. You can go on that rule. Althought I think bob's solution of finding out what he likes and maybe finding more healthy ways to prepare it, and maybe getting him to try things here and there will open him up (and is probably better long term for your relationship). Ten years ago, the only veggies I ate were corn, peas, carrots and potatoes. Most of those are startches!!! Now I skip through the farmers market looking for new weird things to try and I am so excited about the fresh produce brought to me.
So give him time, slowly introduce him to stuff and I am sure he will find some of the joys in eating your way. The worst thing you can do is cram it down his throat. (and if you want to get really tricky make him think that eating healthy was all his idea!)
Living with my parents and being the nutritional gatekeeper for the past few years meant my parents learned to enjoy what I make, even though it didn't come out of a box. But instead of setting a hard line, I sat down with my parents and asked them what they liked, and I was able to put a healthy spin on some of their favorite dishes, such as macaroni and cheese, chicken, fish, frittatas, ratatouille, etc.
All that being said, I wish my mom was around to enjoy some of the stuff I'm making now.
I bet she is smiling down at you at how far you have come bob.
So I'm in training to be an EMT and there are certain physical ability requirements that have to be met before you can get a job on an ambulance in most corps. I started going to the gym and have introduced salads to our dinners as well, but I need some help: the only time we can go to the gym is at 5:30 in the morning (our days are just ridiculous otherwise with work, we both are in class, hockey, etc., so we leave the house about 5:45 and workout for about an hour or so), but I have serious trouble getting up at that hour. We've been making an effort to be in bed between 10 and 11 (closer to 10), but I still am in deep sleep at 5:30 and it's a real demotivator.
I hate to be the bad guy on the sleep police, but if you want to get up earlier you need to go to bed earlier. A very small percentage of the population can function on 6 hours of sleep. Most of us need somewhere between 7.5 and 9.5. Food choices can also effect the quality of your sleep and may impact how feel like when you get up at that hour.
I know its hard to try to manage prorities with school, work and etc. And when I am conflicted I let the gym go before sleep. I am not sure how you fix that since its an every day situation for you (where mind is dependant on workload) and if I do skip the gym, I make sure I still a walk in or something.
