Getting Healthy woes - um - challenges

[brioche]

So, my life doesn't revolve around food anymore. It takes a lot of the motivation to eat when one is not hungry away...
For example, I noticed that if I don't have breakfast, I don't get hungry until 4 pm or so...
So I decided to go to a dietitian that is part of my doctor's office.
This was twofold: one: to get me to eat; and two: to find out how little I can eat and still get all my nutrients and not be starving my body.
This is all fine. She wants me to write down what I eat. OK (Well, I didn't, but I am now. I even bought a little book for it). She wants me to eat a vegetable and a fruit with every meal. Hmm. I'll give myself an improving in that category, and will also add that I cannot think of a single vegetable to eat with breakfast, which has to be cereal. This is because I have to eat cereal at least once a day, which I am also getting into the habit of. I'm really working to follow all these things she wants me to do.
But she also wants me to cut back my salt intake to a low-sodium diet.
Now, she based this on faulty information and decided I was sensitive to sodium, which I am not. I previously ate tons of sodium, didn't retain water, and still had a rockin' low BP. It has, at times, been as low as 100/68. So I think I can say that sodium is not affecting me.
I decided to go with the "recommendation" anyway because I know I'll have to do it sooner or later and all that salt wasn't really healthy.
But how the fuck is it done? The list of foods to avoid is longer than the list of foods to eat! Even when I think I'm eating healthy, things have a ton of sodium! My low low calorie italian salad dressing, which is the only reason I'm eating salad, is high in sodium! The pickles I was eating when I wanted salty foods are verboten!
I can't even find a book that tells me how much sodium is in normal things like canned tomatoes so I know how much I need to avoid them! Somebody, help!

 

[navarre]

Good luck.
I also tried a low sodium diet for the same reasons. Eating tons of sodium is just not healthy. I bought the cookbooks, 4 different kinds of salt substitute, etc. It was a failure. I tried doubling the spices in recipes and then tripling them. Nope. I tried the seasoning alternatives. Still no taste. The problem is that it’s the sodium that makes the spices and flavorings work henceforth making food taste good. I’ve experimented and experimented to no avail. If anyone has any suggestions I’m listening.


Morton Salt does publish a booklet giving the sodium content of various foods.
This link might help:

http://www.saltinstitute.org/53.html

 

[FurryFury]

You have my sympathy. Just thinking about you having to figure all that out makes my head hurt (more.)

I do know what it's like to have a hard time eating though.

Right now I feel constantly hungry/ or as I have indegestion at the same time. I go to the kitchen. I look at the food. I usually walk away, feeling frustrated. Yuck.

Fury

 

[tealsphynx]

Right now I feel constantly hungry/ or as I have indegestion at the same time. I go to the kitchen. I look at the food. I usually walk away, feeling frustrated. Yuck.

Fury

I frequently feel, not hungry, more like, munchy/snacky...and I get that frustrated "there's nothing to eat" thing goin on. I like mypyramidtracker.gov to input all of my food/excersice for the day. It isn't always perfect on the ammount of calories and nutrients because it doesn't always have the right type of food I ate listed, but it does have a nifty little smileyface indicator on things like fat, saturated fat, sodium, and the major food groups. I had one day where I was great on almost everything so I thought I'd try slowly adding a few guilty pleasures durring the week. A hotpocket fix sent the sodium for the day through the roof...Needless to say I had a big ol face for sodium. now I input it before I eat it so I can see if it's going to mess up my whole day. I can't imagine not using salt after using so much of it for so long. It's like going to a texmex place when you're used to calmex...sooo different and it makes it taste "wrong"

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

Brioche can't give you a solution but perhaps a small hint that will enhance your foods.

I don't 'cook' with salt. My mother never did. Always adding salt just at the end 'to taste'. Its manufactured foods as you know where the real issues are. Mostly because I have the time, we don't rely to much on this type of food.

There is only one type of salt we use at home. Its called Maldon Sea Salt . It comes in a box in soft crystals that break up between your fingertips when you sprinkle it. A 240 g standard box of this salt lasts almost forever (cooking for two). They advertise that as the taste is 'distinctively salty less is required'. The sodium content is 39g per /100g. I really dislike using anything else. The taste imparted from it is wonderful . Its a little on the expensive side however as I said it lasts a long time, the product is exceptional and it certainly may be worth a try. Low sodium ( sodium reduced ) shoyu or soy is also an alternate for the appropriate food combinations.

Good Luck with it all

Maldon Site

Salad Dressing ..........white balsamic vinegar ( or red ) , olive oil ( add fresh herbs, pepper corns, garlic, chilli to taste your preference ) store in glass bottles shake and use.

Pickles........Large glass jar........add quantity of small cucumbers , mustard seed, poor over hot vinegar to top , let drop to room temp, refridgerate. ( same can be done with small onions ).

Edited to Add : In Australia its against the law to sell any type of food product without comprehensive Nutritional Information labeling. Its standardised and we are quite used to having it always there. This however does not equate with a healither population. We have as many diet and health related issues as all other first world countries. Ohh actually I think the Japanese have it way over us all when it comes to diet and health but thats another story.

 

[FurryFury]

My favorite salad dressing is extra virgin olive oil and a LOT of lemon juice.

Fury

 

[Private_Label]

She wants me to eat a vegetable and a fruit with every meal. Hmm. I'll give myself an improving in that category, and will also add that I cannot think of a single vegetable to eat with breakfast, which has to be cereal. This is because I have to eat cereal at least once a day, which I am also getting into the habit of. I'm really working to follow all these things she wants me to do.

Put strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apple slices or a with your cereal. Nana has potassium which is good for you, and the other fruits have vitamins and minerals that are good for you. Don't forget Oranges and Grapefruit. Ask if drinking juice counts - there are lots of different types available (V-8 if you like tomato based drinks, and lots of other fruit drinks). If she is looking to add fiber, then I would go with an apple with b-fast as my personal fav. Keep in mind that a "serving" of fruit is about half a cup in most cases, about half a regular sized banana. Right now Raspberries are in season here. Yummy!

But she also wants me to cut back my salt intake to a low-sodium diet.
Now, she based this on faulty information and decided I was sensitive to sodium, which I am not. I previously ate tons of sodium, didn't retain water, and still had a rockin' low BP. It has, at times, been as low as 100/68. So I think I can say that sodium is not affecting me.

Still, they (major medical groups) are re-evaluating what counts as pre-hypertensive. I love salt too, but I got out of the habit of using it on most of my meals by simply not having the shaker on the table. Your BP may be good now, but you never know when it will decide it is time to have problems.

* As far as her having faulty information, all I can say about that is: the only person who knows your complete health history is you. Educate yourself on how your body works and make informed decisions on your health care. If you think the (insert health care provider here) is working with bad information, then ask them why they believe something to be true, and discuss why it may or may not be true for you. *

Processed food *in general* has more soduim than food you prepared from scratch yourself.

 

[satindesire]

You know, instead of eating -just- cereal for breakfast, you might try a small omlette. Then you can put all kinds of veggies in there...onions, potatoes, eggplant, spinach, I know tomatoes are fruit, but you can still add those. A little skim-milk cheese will help with your daily dairy intake and add tons of flavor, and some spices for an extra kick and a little essential oils to help your hair, skin and nails!

One thing that always kills the munchies for me is a little dried pinapple and sunflower seeds, or some wheat-thins crackers with a little cheese and fresh black pepper.

A slice of whole wheat toast with a little butter and garlic powder and a spoonful of pan-warmed speghetti sauce is one of my favorite snacks.

I've found that drinking a lot of milk supresses my appetite. I drink a glass with almost every meal I can manage (milk is expensive these days!) and always end up eating less because the milk makes me feel more 'full'. You might want to go with Organic milk so that it doesn't cause any breakouts of acne.

 

[brioche]

Brioche can't give you a solution but perhaps a small hint that will enhance your foods.

I don't 'cook' with salt. My mother never did. Always adding salt just at the end 'to taste'. Its manufactured foods as you know where the real issues are. Mostly because I have the time, we don't rely to much on this type of food.

There is only one type of salt we use at home. Its called Maldon Sea Salt . It comes in a box in soft crystals that break up between your fingertips when you sprinkle it. A 240 g standard box of this salt lasts almost forever (cooking for two). They advertise that as the taste is 'distinctively salty less is required'. The sodium content is 39g per /100g. I really dislike using anything else. The taste imparted from it is wonderful . Its a little on the expensive side however as I said it lasts a long time, the product is exceptional and it certainly may be worth a try. Low sodium ( sodium reduced ) shoyu or soy is also an alternate for the appropriate food combinations.

Good Luck with it all

Maldon Site

Salad Dressing ..........white balsamic vinegar ( or red ) , olive oil ( add fresh herbs, pepper corns, garlic, chilli to taste your preference ) store in glass bottles shake and use.

Pickles........Large glass jar........add quantity of small cucumbers , mustard seed, poor over hot vinegar to top , let drop to room temp, refridgerate. ( same can be done with small onions ).

Edited to Add : In Australia its against the law to sell any type of food product without comprehensive Nutritional Information labeling. Its standardised and we are quite used to having it always there. This however does not equate with a healither population. We have as many diet and health related issues as all other first world countries. Ohh actually I think the Japanese have it way over us all when it comes to diet and health but thats another story.

Sorry it took so long to respond. I was in Ottawa on vacation.

I know a place that sells flake sea salt, it's expensive but I'll give it a try, though I'm mostly trying not to salt my foods as well as reducing high sodium things before the table. I don't know if it's Maldon or not, I just know it's made using the pan method and is organic or something I think...

Put strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apple slices or a with your cereal. Nana has potassium which is good for you, and the other fruits have vitamins and minerals that are good for you. Don't forget Oranges and Grapefruit. Ask if drinking juice counts - there are lots of different types available (V-8 if you like tomato based drinks, and lots of other fruit drinks). If she is looking to add fiber, then I would go with an apple with b-fast as my personal fav. Keep in mind that a "serving" of fruit is about half a cup in most cases, about half a regular sized banana. Right now Raspberries are in season here. Yummy!

* As far as her having faulty information, all I can say about that is: the only person who knows your complete health history is you. Educate yourself on how your body works and make informed decisions on your health care. If you think the (insert health care provider here) is working with bad information, then ask them why they believe something to be true, and discuss why it may or may not be true for you. *

I do eat fruit with my cereal, it's the veggie I can't figure out. I either have berries or a grapefruit, because my mum and I eat a pink grapefruit a day. It's good for lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease, and my mum has high cholesterol and heart problems. Also, my grandma on my dad's side had high blood pressure and died of congestive heart disorder, so it can't hurt. We both eat them daily now. It's a support thing.
We also have berries daily. Both are high in fibre.

As far as the faulty information, I mentioned that I gained weight one week but it was because of water because I had taken Advil the day before, at a theme park. She was convinced it was all the high sodium foods I had eaten at the theme park, except she *didn't ask me* what I had eaten, which was: half a smoked turkey sub (no pickles or olives or high salt condiments) and a footlong hot dog. Also a fruit ice. Not exactly high salt considering what I usually ate. I also drank plenty of water. I told her I frequently retain water when I take NSAIDs, and showed her the next week when I lost 4 pounds. The faulty information was assuming that the gain was from food when she didn't even know if I had consumed high sodium foods, and when I explained to her that this had been borne out long term on the scales, (that being, if I take too many Advil I will bloat, and then lose the following week) she said, "Have you talked to your doctor about this?" I responded, "Probably. I don't know. Why?" She then announced I was sensitive to sodium. I said I wasn't...well, you can see where it goes, but I decided to go lowER sodium anyway. Next month I have articles to show her that prove NSAIDs cause water retention. Nyah Nyah!

I did get a book that lists sodium levels. The good thing about tourist towns is that you can go in, tell them what you want, and they'll find it for you. The guy in the bookstore went looking through all the calorie books until he found one that listed the levels.
I haven't opened it.
Someone here sent me lists, which I like better.

It just sruck me that this is a very sub way to improve. I'm letting someone else boss me around on how to improve my diet. Hhph.

 

[brioche]

You know, instead of eating -just- cereal for breakfast, you might try a small omlette. Then you can put all kinds of veggies in there...onions, potatoes, eggplant, spinach, I know tomatoes are fruit, but you can still add those. A little skim-milk cheese will help with your daily dairy intake and add tons of flavor, and some spices for an extra kick and a little essential oils to help your hair, skin and nails!

One thing that always kills the munchies for me is a little dried pinapple and sunflower seeds, or some wheat-thins crackers with a little cheese and fresh black pepper.

A slice of whole wheat toast with a little butter and garlic powder and a spoonful of pan-warmed speghetti sauce is one of my favorite snacks.

I've found that drinking a lot of milk supresses my appetite. I drink a glass with almost every meal I can manage (milk is expensive these days!) and always end up eating less because the milk makes me feel more 'full'. You might want to go with Organic milk so that it doesn't cause any breakouts of acne.

This sounds very interesting. I have found that milk does help with appetite - when we left I had a big glass of chocolate and white milk mixed because I didn't want to eat but we had a six hour drive ahead of us and I didn't want to get hungry on the way. Mostly worked, too. I'm lucky enough to not have acne. If I ever have more than two pimples, either something allergic is going on or my sunblock is blocking my pores.

An omelette is a great idea. Since my dad travels so much, the hotel gave us free breakfast buffet cards, and I did find that a larger breakfast really cut down on lunch. They had killer eggs with a little cheese in them. One day they even had green onion mixed in. I always had one full plate, but I put my fruit on the same plate too to cut down on the free space. Some morning when I'm up early enough to merit a big breakfast I'll make one - but I have to make sure the cheese is low sodium. I suppose I could make it a brunch.

It's very annoying to have all my coping strategies have to change AGAIN. Grr. I didn't realize how much sodium there is in everything.

 

[chris9]

For a vegetable at breakfast, find out if store-bought juices count. There are (at least in this part of the world) for example carrot juices that might count as a vegetable. Or you might just eat a carrot after your cereal with fruit.
For variety you can try whole wheat bread (but the real one, not the toast variety - not sure though if real bread exists anywhere but in Germany, we're bread eaters) with curd cheese and radish/peppers/tomato/cucumber and herbs or fresh grounded black pepper as you prefer and either drink fruit juice or eat some fruit on the side.

For salad dressing try mixing a vinaigrette like rebecca recommended. It keeps for quite a while in the fridge, so you can make up large quantities and thus save time. Try balsam vinegar from Modena, it's a bit sweeter than regular vinegar. Or if you take red or white wine vinegar, add a bit of honey. You can also add mustard, all kinds of herbs, garlic. For even more variety use different kinds of oil (olive, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pumkin seed (which also adds a fun colour), or as rebecca suggested naturally flavoured oil (I used one with different kinds of pepper berries (right word?) that was yummy and to which I didn't need to add any pepper.

If you cut away on the salt, take care to still get enough iodine. At least here all the salt is with iodine, and the population in general still doesn't get enough of it. I'm not sure anymore what it's good for, but I still remember my bf (who is in his fifth year of studying medicine) being very definite that one really needs to get enough of it.
You might want to check with the dietarian how much sodium you should eat over a day, so you know where you can and can't use any.
I know that if cooking rice, I need less salt when I add it once the rice is ready as opposed to adding it to the water.

 

[satindesire]

You know, that's a good point. I was going to say to be careful to not eat too LESS sodium, because we all -do- so very badly need the iodine.

Also, drinking lots of fluids helps 'wash out' sodium...(So I've heard, is there merit to this?). Other than milk (I love chocolate milk...NesQuik is the devil, but SOOO delicious) I drink a lot of iced tea with a wedge of lemon or orange in it, maybe a sprig of mint? And every once in a while if I've been good I'll indulge in some soda, but I try not to have too much of that. I really shouldn't, I know.... :-(

Orange and grape juice are my favorite breakfast drinks...I love it when the grape juice is just sour enough to give you that dry little tingle at the backs of your jaw...ahhh...tasty.

I've noticed that cutting down my sugar intake has made me -less- cranky lately. Fewer sugar crashes=A happier sub!