Health and Fitness, March, 2018

[Harriet]

Better nutrition, LadyM? The bulk/percentage that the flour and sugar were taking up in your diet being replaced by food nutrients? Other than that possibility, I don't know. But happy for you! My hair is why I try to get alfalfa, since there are some studies that show it tends to encourage hair growth - I assume lots of similar foods do as well.

This stressful week has not been the one needed for best eating habits. Feel obligated to go to a supper and study at church tonight at which the meal is pizza. I heard someone say "veggie", but of course that will still be so much of the flour and sugar. Probably a sprinkling of food color across the white. lol Maybe I can have a small slice and eat it slowly and then start over with a better set of days soon.

Hoping shoulders feel better in the village!

[Nancy]

I walked the dog by the pond and got rocks to paint, h drove.

[Lady Maverick]

I am REALLY surprised by the new hair growth. I have always had extremely thick hair all my life but the past couple of years I found it strange to be able to see my scalp. I thought the thinning of hair was just a part of getting older.

The biggest change to my food has been the total elimination of stevia and Diet Pepsi in the last 53 days. I didn't eat much sugar or flour so it doesn't seem such a big thing to eliminate. But the artificial sweeteners were included in almost everything. I usually drank at least one 44 oz DPepsi a day and used Stevia in all my other drinks (coffee, tea, etc) and food.

The other changes to my diet have been in amounts (less of everything except having more of vegetables). I don't eat processed food just because it is very hard to find it with no sugar, sweetener, and flour in the ingredient list. Most everything I eat is a single ingredient and in its basic form. I always choose organic when it is available but don't stress about it if not available.

I'm going to ask my OA group if anyone else has experienced new hair growth.

[Lynlee]

LM - the other thing that would have changed would be less preservatives and flavouring agents in most processed foods. WTG on all the changes you have made.

[Harmony]

That would be motivating to me to diet based on getting more hair! I've always had thick hair, but it's not quite as thick as it was. I'm not seeing my scalp, but its limper iykwim. Something to think about.

I'd gained a few pounds last month during the days I was in jury duty. All these days later trying to get that off and get some momentum going again. Yesterday I dragged out an old diet plan I used once that worked a bit and tried to use it. A real pain. I'm going to try another few days then I'll abandon that plan for another that worked better. Oh well, at least I'm not giving up.

I have a specific reason to be doing this and I have a good amount of time to do it. That's a good thing.

[Harriet]

LadyM got me to look up Tru via. It is mostly made of erythritol, not stevia as people assume from Car gill's marketing and packaging. It also has natural flavorings Car gill won't divulge so no one can copy. Erythritol is not a bad thing (sugar alcohol made from corn or yeast, usually, and no known side effects). It's just that it is processed. So calling Tru via natural and having pretty green stevia leaves on the package is not exactly truth in advertising, and has gotten Car gill (and Coca cola) into some lawsuits, all settled-out-of-court. Zevia soft drinks have erythritol as 2nd ingredient and stevia as 4th - a little stevia, though, goes a long way, so when a product says sweetened with stevia that can be true even though there's not much.

I have fallen off the food-diary wagon. Stressed out and preoccupied.

However my weight this a.m. was only 1 pound over my low. I knew I hadn't really been blowing my eating, just not being faithful to the recording.

Today
oatmeal with mango, blueberries
smoothie of avocado, various seeds and nuts, cranberries, cashew milk
veggie burger with romaine
big homemade stir-fry with tofu, my own bean sprouts and all kinds of good veg
- - - the star of that was Romanesco cauliflower for PI day (it has a mathematical pattern)
small potato

[Nancy]

Todays exercise oportunities were shopping & 3 shorter walks.

[Lady Maverick]

Just giving a big THUMBS UP for this face mask.
I haven't used a face mask in a long time so maybe any face mask would have worked okay. I just know this one has made a big difference in my face skin tone. I had tiny bumps on my face that wouldn't go away. I don't know what they were - not pimples. ANYway, after a couple times using this mask, they are gone. It could be my imagination but it seems like my skin tone is tighter and I have fewer wrinkles now too.

It takes very little of this product so I expect it will last me for years.

[Nancy]

Fri. I did a long walk w ddog. She packed a 3' stick home.

Sat. I did 30 on the stat bike early bc of rain. Did 3 shorter walks later with umbrella.

[RunKitty]

I've been reading about substituting chia seed gel for oil or butter in baked goods. I tried using 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia seed gel to replace the one or two teaspoons of oil in the One Minute Muffin recipe. It tasted the same if not better. I used a little sugar free raspberry jam on the muffin. Next time I will probably just add some blueberries.