How'd It Go?

Note: I read and enjoy every single comment. At the moment, though, the blog isn't letting me reply to them. I hope to resolve that soon!

Holidays and other family/social events can be challenging and unsettling for those of us trying to manage our health.

I'm pleased to report I had an easy go of it. I started with a grapefruit cut into wedges, Starkist tuna with sun-dried tomatoes, mayo (I didn't have paleo so I <gasp!> I used store-bought,) celery stalks, grape tomatoes and pimento-stuffed olives. I did treat it as a special day, though, so dessert was a well-rinsed small can of mandarin orange segments with a generous handful of frozen blueberries on top. Yum!

In terms of food volume, my meal was smaller than usual as I usually load up with a high-volume green salad or large servings of low-carb veggies. The main reason I didn't on Easter was that I was expecting a repair person on Saturday and didn't get to go to the store.

Anyhow, I wasn't shocked when I felt hungry by mid-afternoon despite usually eating only a single meal. I simply scrambled 3 eggs with butter and turmeric and that did the trick. I feel fine this morning and very happy that I didn't do anything with consequences. Why couldn't it have been this easy for the last 50 years?

Note to self: add to-do list item, make paleo mayo

Meat Day Anyone?

Note: I am participating in Chris Kresser's "Best Your Stress" challenge for the month of April. I have cut back 90% on my participation at Paleo Hacks and have also cut way back on reading various eating-related web sites. This has reduced my stress level so much I may call the change permanent unless/until some topic of discussion sucks me back into the daily whirl.

I made a routine visit to the store yesterday because I was out of heavy cream for my coffee  :O

I had no intent to buy meat, but my eyes skimmed past a few turkeys sitting in a fresh meat case and there it was--a big "50% off" sign. These were minimally processed "no this or that" turkeys so .99/lb. got my attention. I bought a 14-pounder.

Before I had all the groceries put away, that baby was de-bagged, rubbed with a bit of coconut oil and slapped into the oven. Instead of my usual main meal of grapefruit, salad, meat and vegetables I had crispy turkey wings, crispy turkey skin, some thigh and neck meat plus half of the liver (wrapped in crispy skin, of course.) My only other food yesterday was 2/3 c extra-fat yogurt with a banana and a handful of strawberries.

A few times in early evening my brain asked about the possibility of eating "something yummy" but my gut happily replied, "Nope! We've got turkey down here!"

Some days meat just hits the spot. Today I'll be freezing most of the white meat for use in mixed dishes and eating more wing, thigh and back meat (the grandkid claims the drumsticks.) The carcass will go into the slow-cooker with some leftover meat/broth from the Easter ham.

Note to self: on future holidays, swing into the store the following Wednesday to see what's 50% off.

Mindfully Eating ... A Cadbury Egg

A very happy Easter to all Christians and a happy, festive holiday to others. 

My planned Easter holiday splurge this year was a Cadbury egg (sorry, no photo.) Just in case you live in a remote area yet are somehow reading this, a Cadbury egg is a milk chocolate shell with creme filling--and, through the miracle of Cadbury technology, the innermost creme is yolk-orange.

So, I ate my holiday meal of ham, ham and more ham. Recipe: I bought a spiral-cut bone-in ham and gave it a thorough bath under the faucet, then warmed it in my slow-cooker with fresh water. I'd planned to make salad, bake a sweet potato and have a small side of canned pineapple but when the time came all I wanted was ham and I figure the other items can add novelty to leftovers in coming days.

A couple hours later I was ready to have a go at the Cadbury egg. In years past, I would've eaten it in about 3 bites and moved on to other goodies but times have changed: I don't plan another neo-splurge until Memorial Day or beyond and I won't have another Cadbury egg for at least a year.

It was very different, carefully and mindfully eating the egg. After the first taste, I asked myself, "Does it taste really good? Good enough to finish and count as my holiday neo-splurge?" My answer was yes so I continued to lick at the creme.

"How would I rank the flavor?" was my next question. Is it better than the ham? I guess it is. Maybe better than a leafy salad with oil and vinegar, but not really that MUCH better. Is it as good as frozen berries with yogurt or heavy cream? Hmm. Yes, I decided, as good but not better. Better than a grapefruit? You know what, no, not better than a nice peeled grapefruit. And definitely not better than a ripe banana or a good plum.

So now I know--the goodness of a Cadbury egg fits somewhere between ham and a grapefruit. Not something to crave or feel deprived without, actually, but a nice personal splurge to mark a segment of the holiday calendar.

Do you fear eating neolithic treats in case you might binge? You might be surprised to find that if you really pay attention to the taste on your tongue, it's not that big a deal--and if you later detect brain cravings for more, remind yourself that your daily mix of foods includes items every bit as good or better and go take a walk or something.

Time to Confess ...

I have to make things right. I've been lying to you for months and I can't bear to hide the truth any longer ....

my monthly strip of mug shots has been a LIE! Instead of posting a newer mug shot each month, I've been posting an OLDER one. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.


Oh, and one more thing ...   April Fool's!







Happy New Year! Go Badgers (Wisconsin)

Hope you're having/had a great holiday! I'm still working on my next post, but here are a few holiday pics:

Breakfast

Bailey

Pippen

Taco

Not Watching the Game

It's Time, and I'm Ready! Part #3

Happy New Year! I'm posting this on New Year's Eve so here's hoping you've had a great holiday season and you're excited about what you can do to make your life rich and enjoyable in 2012.


This will be the final update to this post because the "transition" back to ancestral eating turned out to be a ho-hum event with no difficulties whatsoever. Wednesday morning I will measure my waist and hips, begin my 2012 walking program and take my picture for use in a month or so to evaluate my progress. 


I lived in Wisconsin for many years and on Tuesday the Badgers are in the Rose Bowl. My menu will be ancestral but I plan to park myself in my recliner, celebrate, and watch lots of football. Food-wise, no major adjustments will be needed for weight loss but I do plan to moderate some of my daily portions starting Wednesday:

• Full-fat yogurt will drop from 2/3 cup to 1/2 c daily
• Total fruit will be reduced from 2-3 cups daily to 1 c or less
• Coffee will be reduced from 2 mugs to 1 (only because I'm not willing to reduce the cream/honey I add per mug. I'd rather have 1 yummy mug than 2 yucky ones) 

All together, the changes should make the difference between maintenance and slow-but-steady weight loss. Portions of meat and vegetables will stay the same (basically, as much as I want) but that will be subject to change if I don't lose weight in January.


If you have established a goal to lose weight after the holidays I strongly encourage you to measure your waist and your hips and make sure you can find the note in a month. You could measure other places, of course, but if your waist and/or hips are losing inches you can bet the rest of you is doing the same. Also, you can calculate your waist-to-hips-ratio.


Plan to re-measure about once per month. If you do it more often than monthly, you have an anxiety issue so just chill.  :-))  Okay, okay, if you HAVE to you can measure more often but don't expect dramatic changes every week. It's also a good idea to take your picture so you can compare monthly photos and monitor your progress. If you find yourself struggling to get your weight loss started, check back here. I plan to offer a few suggestions in my next post.


In my case, I admit I expected the end of holiday splurging to be a much different experience, based on my history of binge eating and sugar addiction, but I suffered no cravings for sugar and I'm happy as a clam to be back eating grain-free, sugar-free, additive-free whole foods. During the holiday season I have been very lazy so an important goal for me will be walking every other day until I can go at least 2 miles. When I can do that, I'll start using 3-day cycles in which I walk twice and rest once.

Today was very spur-of-the-moment and totally off plan. Oops! The shrimp are still in the freezer and will probably be my New Year's Day meal. I had my usual coffee and yogurt/fruit in the morning but I was on the go after mid-day and wound up grabbing things like a chunk of fried pork rind (2" by 5-6") a grapefruit, a 7.5 oz can of wild salmon which I ate as is--just stirred the juice back into the meat and sprinkled on a little salt, and my usual bottle of water kefir. 

New Year's Eve Dinner :-))

It was early evening by the time I sat down and enjoyed a leafy salad, and by then I didn't feel like eating anything else. It was fun to just do what felt right. Overall, what I ate was probably better suited to my state of mind that if I had forced myself to fix a fancy dinner.










Part II - late on 12/30/11

Happy New Year's Eve! (posted late on the 30th) My first day went well! For breakfast, I chopped a fermented fig and a ripe persimmon and mixed them in 1/2 c full-fat yogurt. 


 I fixed my salad at about 1 pm and sat in my recliner munching slowly in the way I used to enjoy a bag of chips. I ate my beef stew at about 2 pm; since it was a same-day stew the bones weren't quite completely clean so I dished some bones into the bowl and had a great time gnawing off the last of the cartilage and sucking out the last clinging bits of marrow. I also went back for seconds, so the bones in the second photo represent both helpings. On slow-cooked stews that have cooked longer, been chilled and then re-heated, the bones are clean and I just toss them. 

Bone Broth Stew

Nothing Left But Bones

I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed, but I had no cravings today. I mean, where's the heroic sacrifice? I had a plan ready and my willpower was poised to execute but nothing happened. It was anti-climactic, really. Okay, I'm kidding. It was a relief to have this first day go so well and it gives me confidence going into tomorrow.


I expect stronger cravings on New Years Eve. At the very least I want to be mentally prepared in case they strike hard. I'm going to do some laundry at mid-day to keep me away from the fridge for a while and then I'll eat my main meal later in the day so there's less time to think about food afterward. 


My planned menu is suitably festive: fried pork rind (I buy a brand that comes in large chunks rather than machine-cut pieces,) salad, shrimp and eggs sauteed in butter and--wait for it--broccoli cooked in bone broth. In honor of the holiday, I'll finish with one square of 90% chocolate. You may not have noticed, but you can now buy chocolate bars at your regular supermarket that are nearly pure chocolate. I find that greater than 90% doesn't taste good enough to be a treat but 90% or even 85% tastes great without causing binge cravings.


My New Year's Eve will be quiet. The grandkid is spending the night at a friend's place and I will watch the Eastern time zone's celebration with a fizzy water kefir.


Part 1:  Originally posted on the morning of 12/30/2011

I'm calling an early end to my holiday "open eating" season. The plan was to stop splurging on Jan 3rd, but for a number of reasons today is the day. Don't worry, I will have home-made eggnog and other ancestral goodies this weekend but I won't eat any more processed/commercial treats.

One reason for the accelerated schedule is that it isn't fun any more. I mean, in the past few days I'd look back at what I ate each day and the food that tasted the best was never one of the splurges--it was the yogurt and fruit, or the brussels sprouts cooked in bone broth, or the bacon bites. So why bother?

Two other reasons for stopping are more ominous: It was becoming important to have a neolithic treat every day AND I was starting to feel physical signs of an unhappy GI tract--tingling down my arms, uneasy stomach and bloated gut. It really makes you wonder why I would start to feel strong urges to eat more of food that didn't even agree with me, doesn't it?

So, if you're also trying to shift what you eat--a little or a lot--I invite you to join me as I head back to the health and well-being of ancestral eating.  If you just want to keep me company as I jot down my results for the next few days that would be great too. I will post daily updates at the top of this post for the next week or so until I feel confident I am safely through New Years weekend and back onto my ancestral routine.


This morning is easy--two mugs of coffee. I always put a little heavy cream and a tsp of honey in mine and I happen to think it eases any urge to eat first thing. Others drink it black. You do what you want, but I do best with a light "breakfast" at mid-day and my main meal in the afternoon.


My breakfast will be about half a cup of home-made yogurt with a fermented fig (from my water kefir brew) and a banana. Doesn't sound like a diet, does it? It isn't; it's a lifestyle and you don't punish yourself, you just ease your way to better shape. Some in the ancestral community avoid dairy but I do use cream, butter and yogurt although in moderate amounts.


I don't plan to eat a snack today but if I feel I need one I'll eat a can of sardines. With or without the sardines I will drink a bottle or two of home-made water kefir.

My main meal will be a salad and a large bowl of bone broth stew. I started the stew this morning but first let's talk about the salad. I like rich-colored leaf lettuce. It tastes good and has lots of volume to make me feel like I've eaten a lot of food. I add a green onion and some celery (think crunch) and some cucumber. Oil and vinegar with a little salt and pepper and it's great to sit and crunch the salad. I sit in my recliner and I take my time to slowly munch my way through the bowl. It should be a relaxing interval rather than an intense workout for the jaw.

Okay, about the stew. At a local market, I found 2 small packages of inexpensive meat/bones--a hunk of marrow bone sliced into several thin slices and a cross-cut piece of shank. I also found a small package of 3 cross-sections of beef tail. All together, the meat/bone items cost about $7 and the meat/broth will be good for at least 3 meals. Since I always have bone broth on hand, I didn't put water on the meat after I seared it in fat from the previous stew--I added rich broth and vegetables from the previous batch. I brought it all to a boil and it will simmer gently all day until I'm ready to eat it.

Bone Broth Stew

Note: I added a lot of broth to the bowl after taking the photo; I just wanted the solids to show up well.  I won't add vegetables today as there are brussels sprouts and carrots I added a day or two ago, but whenever the stew runs out of meat or vegetables I just add what I want. I frequently add a dose of cod liver oil to the broth just before eating (not into the main stew.) I will eat as much as I want, there's no need to walk away hungry. The salad will take care of portion control anyhow. 


If you're not comfortable without breakfast, have the meat of your choice plus eggs. If you want a meal in the evening, have the meat of your choice and 1 or 2 vegetables. Something like asparagus and maybe 1/3 of a sweet potato or half of a white one with butter.


Talk to you tomorrow!

Speaking of Eggnog ...

I grew up on home-made eggnog. We made it one serving at a time whenever we wanted some. The store-bought nog available today just isn't acceptable to my taste buds so I decided to make my own. The goal of my recipe is to have eggnog as thick as store-bought without all the additives.


In today's environment I don't feel safe with raw eggs so  my recipe requires heating a milk/egg base. You absolutely need a good thermometer you can clip to the side of the pan so all you have to do is stir and watch the temp. 


I also strongly recommend using 2 pans: a larger one that holds boiling water and a smaller one that can be added without boiling water splattering into it. Before turning on the heat, test the water level in the larger pot with the smaller one pressed to the bottom of the larger one. Make sure there's plenty of room for the water to boil without spilling into your eggnog base. The taller the smaller pot is the better, as long as you can stir.


Okay, to make 5+ cups of eggnog I used the following:  

• 3 cups of whole milk (I use organic)
• 1 c heavy cream (organic)
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp-1tbsp of vanilla as preferred
• 1 tbsp of sugar or honey (optional)

Put your larger pan with pre-measured water on the heat and bring to a boil. Don't forget to also pour our cold water into another larger pan to use when cooling the base later; check to make sure you can add the smaller pan in, pushed to the bottom, without spilling any water into your eggnog base. 


To create and cook the base, put about half the milk/cream into a blender, add the 3 eggs and whip until very well mixed. Make sure you clean your blender after you put the cold mix into the smaller pan for heating, because you'll be whipping the cooked eggnog base in it later and you don't want to add any germs back in.


Pour the eggnog base into the smaller pan and add to the pot of boiling water. Let it heat for a minute or two, stirring constantly, and lower the heat under the larger pan when it comes back to a boil--you really only need an active simmer to heat your eggnog base.


When the base reaches 160F, it will suddenly begin to thicken. Place the hot pan into the cold water bath and keep stirring--you don't want scrambled eggs! After a couple minutes it will be starting to cool and you can pour the hot base into your (cleaned) blender. Whip it and it should have the texture of a very thick milkshake. 


Pour the still-warm base into a large bowl or pitcher; you'll need to spoon the last of the base out of the blender as it's so thick. Add the vanilla and the rest of the milk/cream plus the sugar/honey if desired.


The eggnog should still be pretty thick after you add the milk/cream. Put it into the fridge until nice and cold--you'll never want store-bought again! I sprinkle nutmeg on mine; I'm a non-drinker but with or without the nutmeg you may also want to add a tiny bit of rum.

Fun Is Not Spelled "Food"

Ah, the joy of a holiday morning.

I can catch him--he did!

I surprised my grandson with a stocking of goodies, trinkets and a gaming chat-set although I think I got a better happy reaction from him with the home-made eggnog. He's hooked for life!

I shared the eggnog with some friends yesterday and I'm lucky to be friends with such enjoyable and wonderful people.

Puff of Smoke

Buzz Lightyear

Each of my 2 kitties got a catnip toy and some catnip to roll in, so we're currently having a wild kitty rodeo. They are ROWDY!

Taco (head dog)

Pippen

The 3 toy dogs each got a squeak toy with 2 slices of dog jerky. They campaigned for 3, but then they gave up and played with their toys.

Bailey the Beserker

I'm sipping on eggog myself and I've resolved to never buy another container of store-bought because it just doesn't compare to organic milk/cream, organic eggs and real vanilla (plus a little sugar, of course--it is a holiday after all.)

Life is good when you're eating in a way that makes you feel good and you can share good energies with others.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Like many others, I'll be seeing some family members at Christmas and missing others. I derived some comfort from sending gift cards to those far away and I derived additional comfort and some laughs from visiting with friends. And I'm very lucky to have my grandson living with me; when he's not making me feel really old, he makes me feel younger.


I'll be traveling today and eating at a buffet in Vegas. That should be interesting; I'm hoping to find enough "ancestral" foods that I don't have to risk more digestive upset OR feel deprived. Yes, I'm a little wary due to the shortbread I convinced myself would be okay earlier this week. You can read  yesterday's post if you want to know more about that sorry episode.


Update: I was very pleased with the foods offered at the buffet at The Fiesta in Henderson, NV. There was good news on 2 counts: the foods I was able to find and how immune I was to the foods that would've been tempting a year ago. On the latter, when I looked at them it was as if they were plaster figurines; I had no interest in eating them. My selections: an orange, a leafy salad with good color, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, a tsp of black-eyed peas and another of chickpeas, pulled pork, beef brisket, crayfish. For dessert I nabbed a small-scoop coconut sweet that had a hint of lemon flavor.


Now the preparations are as done as they're going to be and I plan to eat "bacon bites", some sauteed duck and home-made eggnog.


Have a great holiday!

My Holiday Rules

Since April 2011, I have lost nearly 40 pounds. Since September, when I first measured it, I have lost 4 inches from my waist. Since I improved how I feel and my energy level at the same time, I feel good about the way I approached eating in 2011.

My holiday rules make sense to me, but they may offend ancestral eating purists. First, I defined the “holiday season” as beginning November 15th and ending February 13, 2012 which is my birthday. The general rule for the season is that I will try to maintain my reduced weight. My intent is to have this time as an annual rest period when I can relax somewhat about nutrition and my weight while maintaining an awareness of my health and reactions to food.

As of today, December 13^th, I have maintained the same weight or perhaps lost a pound or so since mid-November. It will only get harder in December, of course. For one thing, I spurned all conventional dishes at Thanksgiving and just hit the ancestral meats, vegetables and fruits hard. Secondly, on a day-to-day basis the only change I’ve made is eating full-fat yogurt every day. As mentioned previously, I make the yogurt at home so I can spike the fat content and avoid additives.

As we get closer to Christmas I’m sure I will partake of some conventional treats. I’ll just keep my portions small and keep an eye on my waistline. After New Year’s I expect to go back to typical ancestral eating, and will be in weight loss mode if I did gain at Christmas, but for the Super Bowl and my birthday I expect to be naughty again. I will then focus on nutrition and exercise as I did last year—2012 should be the year I achieve normal weight!