Happy Happy

I lost 4 lbs!

I haven't really done much of a diet, but I have been going to the gym a little more. I am trying to go 3 times a week for just very light cardio - I pretty much pretend to speed walk for about 30 mins - and then I do some weights. I hadn't weighed myself for about a month and when I did this Saturday I was surprised!

Me so happy.

Foods that hurt the heart

'Bad’ foods... especially when eaten in excess.

1. Processed meats like bacon, sausages, etc. Because they are very high on saturated fats these foods can be associated with the increased risk of cancer, diabetes which is a factor for cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
   
   
2. Sodas high in sugars. These are basically carbohydrates that are absorbed extremely fast into the system causing weight gain, increased risk of diabetes, insulin resistance, and eventually coronary heart disease.
   
   
3. Processed carbs. My favorite of all! These include white breads, white pastas, white rices and their carbs are in the ‘rapidly absorbed carbohydrates’ class and have a very high glycemic index which can increase risk of heart disease.

I lost

Finally, after half a year I've managed to loose a few pounds.

According to my physician I've lost 3 pounds. so that's like... half a pound a month? Hey, it's something!

Preventing Belly Fat

“By age 30, the ovaries have close to 20 years of hard work behind them, and their ability to produce a steady supply of estrogen begins to dwindle. To compensate for the shortfall, the body activates the genes that plump fat cells. The reason: Like ovaries, fat cells produce estrogen , and the larger they are, the more they release. But we can avoid this problem by eating foods rich in phytoestrogens, such as legumes, tofu, flaxseeds and cruciferous veggies. These plant extrogens bind to hormone receptor sites all over the body, tricking fat cells into thinking that the ovaries are in top form. This results in fat cells cutting down their own estrogen production by as much as 50%, plus they start emptying their stores of fat instead of stubbornly filling up with more fat. So have at least half a cup of soy-rich foods or 12 ounces of soy milk daily.” Source: First

Basically, our ovaries stop producing the same amounts of estrogen (the female hormone) as when we were teenagers so the body needs to get this estrogen from somewhere else and store it. The ‘made up’ estrogen is stored in our fat cells around our belly and abdomen for the times when our ovaries do not produce enough. This obviously makes us fat in our stomach area. When we eat products that have these hytoestrogens, a message is sent to the brain telling it that we Already Are receiving enough estrogen so then we no longer need to store in the fat cells, reducing the bulk in our stomachs.

I have not seen much actual number weight loss in myself, however, Hubby and my Mother say that my tummy looks slimmer, and yes, I have noticed that my pants fit more loosely around my waist. The reason being that I eat a lot of soy products - I drink soy milk and soy meat as opposed to any other meat produtct as well as tofu.

Buy the soy milk. It is not that different from actual cow milk and it has less sugars. Cruciferous vegetables are mostly your greens such as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower. Legumes include beans, lentils, alfalfa, and peas.

wink

Being fat wouldn't bother me as much if I could do this:


Kristie Allen

Trans Fat

I read an article by Julia Griggs Havey about these in eDiets, which sends me a newsletter almost in a daily manner. Some stuff are just commercials (Buy this, buy that, etc etc) but you do get some nice little tips and info from time-to-time. This was one of those.

Trans Fatty Acids are fats generally contained in yummy, yummy processed foods such as cookies, pastries, snacks, fast food (and fried food), dressings, and shortening. While one of the down-sides to consuming these is weight gain (or impeded weight loss), the major baddie is that these foods risk your health because trans fatty acids increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and reduce HDL (the good kind of cholesterol).

Apparently these trans fatty acids are the culprits to making all those unhealthy things taste so good. They are like a drug to us and we crave those things more than we should. A list for the ‘Top 10' foods with trans fat follows:

1. Spreads. Margarine, for example, contains both trans fats and saturated fats, both of which can lead to heart disease. Other non-butter spreads and shortening also contain large amounts of trans fat and saturated fat.

2. Packaged Foods. Favorites such as cake mixes and Bisquick contain generally have several grams of trans fat per serving.

3. Soups. For example, ramen noodles and soup cups contain very high levels of trans fat.

4. Fast Food. Those beloved french fries and other crunchy foods are deep-fried in partially hydrogenated oil.

5. Frozen Food. From frozen pies to pot pies to breaded fish sticks, frozen foods generally contain trans fat. Even if the label says the product is low-fat, it can contain trans fat.

6. Baked Goods. Commercially baked products contain more trans fats than any other foods. Examples include doughnuts, cookies and cakes.

7. Chips and Crackers. That crispy texture comes from shortening. Even reduced fat brands may contain trans fat.

8. Breakfast Food. Cereals and energy bars often contain trans fats, even if the labels claim to be “healthy.”

9. Cookies and Candy. Check the labels for the fat content. For example, a chocolate bar probably will contain more trans fat than gummy bears.

10. Toppings and Dips. Flavored coffees, nondairy creamers, whipped toppings, gravy mixes and salad dressings typically contain trans fat.

So I am here looking at this list and WhaddaYaKnow! I am guilty of loving all these products... and these are just the top 10 list! I am sure that my next 25 or 30 are also all foods dipped in trans fat goodness.

Or who knows.

I’ve been doing much progress in my eating habits. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a vegetarian now! Or at last I wish to consider myself one. For three months I haven’t touched any animal products Except for cheese and eggs. Cheese is sooooo good and well eggs... they’ve got few calories and natural ‘good’ cholesterol.

I have only touched fast food twice in this 3-month period. The first was about 3 weeks ago when Husband was feeling very hungry and he bought a grilled chicken sandwich from McDonalds. The meal came with the fries and well, I ate the fries. Bad bad me! Okay, the second was this past weekend. We had friends over and we were at the movies and they were hungry so we drove to the nearest hmm Burger King and while they ate their burgers I once more indulged in Hubby’s fries. I gotta stop that.

With my new No-Meat-of-Any-Kind eating habits, I am finding it more and more difficult to be able to eat outside (yey!). Since I can’t eat out much, Husband doesn’t eat out much either and that is great. Our options have narrowed from Every restaurant and fast-food joint in the valley to Mexican restaurants (I get to eat the grilled cheese, which is... grilled cheese, no more) and Chillis (because they offer veggie burgers and their side of vegetables are quite yummy).

I think this annoys people down here. Often we’ve been asked to go out and eat but we turn down the offers because I can’t really eat much of what’s on the menus. If we do go I spend the time just drinking my tea and picking at husband’s mashed potatoes or vegetables (which he won’t touch!) While everyone else is eating their hearts content... and I think this makes people uncomfortable or self conscious even though some of these friends are thin as twigs (grrrr).

But anyway! Me’sa getting healthier, I know it... I am not losing weight yet (oh delicious pasta come to me!) But in due time... all in due time.

P.S. The doctor said that Husband has lost 10 lbs, reduced cholesterol, reduced high blood pressure, and reduced his sugar levels... and all thanks to me! ‘Cause I cook him healthy, vegetable-oriented food where perhaps the closest hint to meat is just chicken! Home-prepared chicken ^_^. Me’s such a good wife.

Milk

I’ve been meat-free since New Year’s and it feels great!

I decided to stop eating any sort of meat - beef, chicken, pork, fish, crustaceans, insects - not to lose weight but simply to change my style of eating life. I haven’t had any thirst for it at all (except for maybe a fried-chicken burger last week… but I desisted once I thought about the poor live chicken) so it hasn’t been difficult at all.

Neph told me to be careful, since my body needs its protein, naturally. Well I was getting that from my milk, cheese, and eggs (in moderation). I slowly started cutting on those too. Around mid February I discovered soy milk ^_^ and comparing it to my Lactaid (I don’t drink regular milk), Sun Soy (the brand I am drinking) is so much better! Or so I think.

I am still purchasing Lactaid, though. Just because I have decided to stop the consumption of animal products, it does not mean that my husband has to stop it as well. I still make him his fish, beef, and chicken meals (he doesn’t eat pork or insects).

Anyway, here are the Nutrition Facts for each milk or milk-like product.

LACTAID:
Calories: 130
Calories from Fat 45
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated: 3g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 125mg
Total Carbs: 13g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars 12g
Protein: 8g
And of course, lactose free. :D

SUN SOY:
Calories: 100
Calories from Fat 35
Total Fat: 4g
Saturated: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 120mg
Total Carbs: 8g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars 6g
Protein: 7g
And of course, lactose free as well. :D

So I like soy milk better. It has a lot less cholesterol, carbs and fat. It also has less protein, but only by 1 gram, so no problems there. Just seems a healthier choice for me.

Now I am still looking for a substitute for eggs and cheese (I found soy cheese but it’s expensive! Maybe I’ll try it this week and see if I like it.)