The Diet Game

After months of self isolation (and no real end in sight), no access to my senior gym and no logic to my food intake - I am feeling pretty sluggish!  

My go-to methods to combat that feeling are not cutting it now.  I am a big fan of Weight Watchers as a healthy and successful method for losing weight BUT I am not a big fan of the tracking you needed to do for the long term.  I am not a fan of the low fat diets, low carb diets, low calorie diets or the restrictive “buy your food from us” diets either. They all require some form of tracking and tracking is what I can’t do for the rest of my life.

Then, on the TV last night there was a story about the best and healthiest diets from U.S. News World Report ... you know, one of the many topics typically covered in January.  They mentioned the top 3 diets for health and weight loss.

#1 Mediterranean Diet

#2 DASH

#3 Weight Watchers

I did a little research on the internet ... and depending on the site, #2 and #3 could be exchanged for the Flexitarian Diet.  BUT, the Mediterranean diet is always part of the top 3 on all the sites I visit.

Feeling like I need to take some action to combat this sluggish feeling, I am going to give the Mediterranean diet an official “try" while I am stuck at home with time on my hands.  I have often said I could be a vegetarian if I was feeding only myself.  And the Mediterranean diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, and low on red meats, sugar and saturated fat.  Since I am still feeding one other person - who is a meat and potato man - it will mean more food prep for me (who hates cooking, ha!)  But it seems that my body chemistry is changing anyway, and I frequently crave a lettuce salad and chicken or salmon over eating a burger or a steak.  I often prepare two different meals now because I don’t feel like eating what he is eating.  

The other biggie in my mind ... besides the lack of tracking is ...  because this is an eating pattern - not a structured diet - you’re on your own to figure out how many calories you should eat to lose or maintain your weight, what you’ll do to stay active and how you’ll shape your Mediterranean menus.  Good.

I really need to do more reading on how to stock my kitchen and what to make.  

Anyone else on a Mediterranean-style diet and have feedback about it?  Any resources you know of to round out my knowledge of this subject?  As luck would have it I have America’s Test Kitchen, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook already.  I’ve been attracted to this eating plan before apparently - must have bought the book!  Ha!

Breakfast

Moving away from the moving theme for a bit, lets talk food.

Breakfast!

Yes, that is my breakfast.  

I love breakfast.  And not just any breakfast.  I need something that will hold me until lunch time.  I have repeated this breakfast menu almost every single morning for more than a year.

• One egg and one egg white, sprinkled a little cheese, 
• 2 pieces of low fat sandwich ham fried in butter :-)
• fresh veggies cut up with a tablespoon of humus,
• a wassa cracker, a tablespoon of humus
• and if available ... massaged kale.  
• Oh, and my second cup of coffee.  The first cup of coffee must be ingested about an hour before starting to cook so that I am safe working over hot surfaces.  Ha.

Every.Single.Morning.  Over and over again.

When I go to bed at night I think about breakfast, I love it that much.  I think, maybe I will eat something different in the morning.  Maybe oatmeal with dry fruit and nuts.  Maybe some pancakes.  Maybe waffles.  Maybe a bagel with cream cheese.  Choices, choices.

But in the morning, my body seems to crave everything in that picture and I begin the ritual breakfast meal prep.  And when everything is ready, I sit at the table with my Kindle and read while I eat.  It is amazing I don't get tired of it.

There is only one exception to this breakfast.

Left over Chinese carry out!

That is AMAZING at breakfast.

So what does your breakfast look like?  And please, someone say they love Chinese carry out for breakfast.  :-)

The Juicer

I am a big believer in the idea:

"If you can buy something as good or better than you can make,

 buy it.  

Save your precious life moments for something that can't be bought."  

Since my favorite room in the house is NOT the kitchen, I amend that statement to describe food:

 "If you can buy something nearly as good as you can make, 

buy it."

Now ... meet the Juicer!

This piece of equipment doesn't make something that is nearly as good or better than good.  It makes something that is so much superior to what you can buy, that the name "juice" shouldn't be used to describe it.






Just like the "juice" from grapes is called "wine," this produce fluid should have its own name.

During a recent visit my cousin brought along her Juicer.  This piece of equipment is part of her new focus to eat better and to feel better.  Every morning she produces this wonderful fluid for her breakfast (I won't call it juice because that label is just so misleading.)

It takes some time to prep the vegs and fruits, but once that step is done, it is quick work to produce the most yummy beverage that is amazingly filling and tastefully satisfying ... and healthy as well.

***

Oh, and colorful!  Something that colorful has to be good!