Advice from a friend

February 23, 2015

I love my readers. You all gave me a huge shot in the arm with your supportive and encouraging comments after my last post. 

A dear friend emailed me with some suggestions to help with the hunger I've been experiencing with this weight loss/lifestyle change. I asked her permission to share her email, because I thought it had some great ideas that maybe some of you would appreciate.

Here it is (with my comments in italics) . . . 


It was sad to read that you are experiencing hunger as you travel such a healthy road. Nutrient dense food should fill you up and and keep you full longer. (Uh, yeah, that's what I thought.)


The foods you mention are wonderful. Please consider adding some good fats which just may be the appetite "icing on the cake."



Here are some of my favorites:

1. Add raw egg to my morning smoothy.  And yes, took me a long time to try it. Do this only if you know where the eggs come from. I get mine from a milk group member who feeds them organically and they roam free weather permitting.  I can give you their information if you are interested, they are $3.50/dozen. (Yeah, it might take me a while to try this.)

2. Add coconut oil to smoothy and my daily warm drink consisting of either Carob-milk-coconut sugar or raw cacao-coconut sugar-milk. Lots of minerals in cacao and carob, plus carob has great fiber. Of course you could always substitute coconut milk. (Ooh, cacao and coconut sugar; I'm sold!)



3. Use Ghee (tons of CLA) to sauté veggies, cook eggs, etc.



4. Drink Kombucha - not sure why I feel fuller but the probiotics alone are so incredible for the gut. (Yes, I've made this before, and it is good.)



5. Eat organic - grassfed beef. Very nutrient dense and the fat is very healthy. I crave protein so this works for me. (A steak almost feels like medicine to me; it perks me right up! I only eat a half of one, and it is so satisfying.)



6. Soup: Large pot, OG kale, cauliflower, orange/yellow/red/green peppers, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, meat of choice (actually anything you like). I use Trader Joe Free Range chicken stock or Trader Joe OG Red Pepper soup (has some spicy heat).  Sauté meat and veggies in Ghee or Coconut oil. I guess you could call this more of a stew consistency than soup.



7. I eat lots of eggs. The yolk is excellent for our bones. Hard boiled are a great snack. Eggs as an omelet with lots of veggies and some meat is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (Yes, what is it with these egg whites they have me eating?!)



I find that my smoothy lasts a long time, so I have a large meal about 2:00 or 3:00, then a smaller meal at dinner time or my hot drink. Added bonus with an afternoon meal is that dinner prep for my husband is done with very little mess to clean up after he eats dinner.



You are doing so good and the benefits of eating better will actually increase their effect over time. (yay!) I started this road about 2005 and it took a number of years to really see big changes because I changed the types of food much more slowly than you are! So be encouraged!!!!!!

*******

The takeaway here I think is not to be afraid of a little extra healthy fat in my diet.

My friend is a walking advertisement for the benefits of healthy eating. She's at a great weight, has energy, and looks beautiful. She also does lots of research on these topics, so I'm definitely going to pay attention to her advice.  She's invited me to tea to talk some more; I'm anxious to hear more about her eating and lifestyle habits.

And thank you, again, friends for your support and encouragement. It means so much to me that you stop by and visit!

20 comments

  1. It sounds like you are on a good eating path, and nice your friend shared all that advice.

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  2. Really good information from your friend, Deborah. I want to remember this one, whether for me or for my girls, or my sisters or friends. Thanks for sharing
    Rita

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  3. Thanks to you and your friend for sharing this. There's lots here for me to think about and I will print this post to have it in the kitchen where it will do me the most good!

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  4. Thank you for sharing your friend's suggestions. If you try them and they work, please share again. I so agree about a good serving of steak. It does perk a person up!

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  5. Thank you for sharing your info.

    FlowerLady

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  6. Protein rich foods at every meal helped me keep hunger at bay...your friend has some great ideas here.
    Hope it helps you!

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  7. Sounds like plenty of good advice! I have read of so many great uses for coconut oil, and fresh coconuts and coconut milk is delicious! I was watching a home video a while back from when I was little, and I said my name was Coconut--must have been self-named for a short time there! It's harder to get fresh coconuts here in Iowa; if I'm ever on the coast again I'll have to look for some!

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  8. Yes I agree that she has great advice and info for a healthy lifestyle! It's great that you have this friend to give you all of this advice. Wishing you a lot of luck with it!

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  9. Dearest Deborah,
    Sure, the Coconut Oil, Coconut Sugar, Cacao (we use the Dutch processed one) are all great to add to your diet. We use even Cacao in our coffee as it is really good.
    But the Mayo Clinic warns: In short, there isn't good evidence that kombucha tea delivers on its health claims. At the same time, several cases of harm have been reported. Therefore, the prudent approach is to avoid kombucha tea until more definitive information is available.
    So I would not use it for 2 reasons; it has sugar in it (not for me!) and because of this warning.
    But if you manage to always sift through all the info you get; you no doubt benefit from such advice!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  10. I guess you can take the advice of friends and use what works for you. I do eat an egg (not raw!) with a little melted cheese on top, my small bowl of berries and a piece of toast from homemade grain-filled bread, every morning. Having enough protein will tied me over for about 5 hours. If I need a snack, a stick of string cheese and some popcorn really helps! Keep on plugging away, but enjoy your food along the way.

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  11. Hi Deborah, I sure hope this comment goes through this time as I don't think you are receiving comments from me due to the glitches.
    So nice to receive your friends help tips and advice to fill up and not be always hungry. I know as one is losing weight there are hunger empty times and adding more protein does help. I keep protein bars (gluten free) on hand for my 3pm slump. They are high in protein and low in sugar which is good. I find mine at Walmart in the health and vitamin aisle. A bit pricey but I use them sparingly to last.
    You are doing so good my friend and lost a bunch already. I can imagine you feel so good too. Hang in there, and just take one day at a time.
    It is great to have a friend like this for encouragement and inspiration.
    Hugs and Congrats on your healthy lifestyle accomplishments.
    CM

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  12. Yes, it's so true that we need fat in our diets. Our brains require fat to function properly and fat also provides a satiety function that helps us feel satisfied with what we eat. I've never followed the low-fat craze that has swept through our countries (USA and Canada) over the past decades. Fat was replaced with sugar and look where that's taken us. Obesity epidemic! More and more studies are showing that fats are an important part of a healthy diet, and there are so many good ones - coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, even butter.
    Wishing you joy as you figure out the best way to eat.

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  13. Hello Deborah, you have a wonderful friend there to share good advice with you. I hope your visit and tea together is a blessing for you.
    Thank you for sharing her good advice with us and some of your comments have been very helpful too.
    What a praise to see the accomplishment you have made so far, don't give up. :-)
    Losing weight has got to be one of the hardest things to do, and if your are like me, food calls out so easily. I love to cook and I love to eat, but it's all about making better choices and changing the lifestyle.
    You have gained a lot already dear Deborah, so continue to press on, you'll get there.

    One day at a time, that makes it so much easier.
    Enjoy this day, Debbie

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  14. Do you have a recipe for Kombucha?
    Thank You for all the cool info.
    artandsoul57@gmail.com

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    1. Rosemary, the recipe I use is from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I just checked google, and there are a number of recipes online. Here is one: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-make-kombucha. One thing you'll need is a starter "mushroom." I got mine from a friend (kind of like sharing sourdough starters). You can order them online as well. Hope this helps, Deborah.

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  15. "Fats are essential for good health becase they provide energy and aid in digestion." This quote is from the diet program I was on a few years back, that resulted in 20+ pounds of weight-loss, and was really more about healthy eating than dieting. The daily "requirements" from this particular plan (you'd know it if I named it and it isn't WW) included a certain amount of fat, not much, but enough for the body to function as it should. What was forbidden during the first few weeks, however, was sugar.

    I've since learned to eat healthy (although I can't say I do it all the time), but once you get into the habit of eating right, and knowing what the body needs, you won't need to follow a plan, per se. Good luck and know you're not alone.

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  16. Yes, I agree with her about the healthy fats. We grew up in the all-fats-are-bad-for-you generation, and it's a hard habit to unlearn! We use coconut oil and olive oil. And I know what you mean about steak-medicine! Sometimes when I take that first bite, I can feel the tingles in my body b/c my body has been craving the meat/protein. We eat very little meat these days b/c it's so expensive, and we are trying to go a little pseudo-vegan, just much less meat. I also eat lots of eggs, sometimes 4 each day. Always eat the yolk. Since you've changed your eating habits so much, and removed some things that used to give you energy, you must replace them with other things. Once you kick most sugars for a year, you won't crave them or even like them anymore. At least that's what I've found.
    Keep with it :) Keep good things around the house. Adam loves lots of fruit, apples and oranges, and eats several each day. I drink lots of hot tea, and sometimes warm 2% milk in the evenings. You're doing great!

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  17. Deborah, you are doing so great. What a wonderful transformation. I am so happy for you. These suggestions are wonderful.


    Janet
    Good luck with your new eating habits.

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  18. All the best to you on this journey and your friend's helpful advice is wonderful. I have been away for about 3 mos and am trying to start over again. God bless your weekend, Mildred

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  19. Deborah, kudos to you!! Pat yourself on the back; you have already accomplished so much, more than a number on the scale, you have disciplined yourself re: food and exercise, and you have rid your home of any temptation.

    I finally got serious with myself and started exercise classes last month, right here in the village. I also try to walk about 40 minutes, four times a week, although I know it should be at least five. BUT, what I haven't managed to do is cut out the sugar; I've cut down, but it seems that's not good enough. So, that's my next challenge, and for me, the biggest. Honestly, even 5 years ago, when I did manage to lose 20 lbs, it was so much easier, but that was pre-menopausal melodrama, which means I simply have to work harder!

    Keep up the GREAT work...and perhaps a small protein punch is what you need to knock you out for the night!;))

    Poppy

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