I have returned to cutting out bread and potatoes, and rice and pasta, and I’m feeling a lot more energetic again. Last time this happened I wasn’t sure whether it was cutting carbs or a new dose of pills that did the job. Looks like it’s the carbs, as the pills haven’t changed this time.
I’m currently making salads for lunch by using microwavable quinoa then adding herbs, tinned beans, vegetables and dressing. It’s probably still not as healthy as it could be but it’s healthier than cheese sandwiches and less harmful than buying a succession of plastic-wrapped supermarket salads. It’s also cheaper, which is something I admire. Once I start cooking my quinoa from scratch and boiling my own beans it’s going to get even cheaper.
In time I suppose I may even begin to enjoy it.
This afternoon I saw a vicar. I had to look twice as she was a woman and I’m still always surprised by that even though we’ve had women vicars for years and I’ve met several. What was actually surprising was that she was in the supermarket – you don’t normally see vicars about on a Sunday as it’s their busy day.
I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, it’s just something you don’t usually see.
Finally, having acted on the suggestions in the time management book I read a couple of weeks ago I’ve now completed a task I first started 25 years ago and had been putting off ever since. It’s nice to know that the techniques do work, even though I’m unlikely to achieve a high-flying career between now and retirement.
Of course, it isn’t actually that difficult. If you want to finish a task you just have to start it then keep going until you finish.
I didn’t really need a book to tell me that.
Nice post! You might get a kick out of my blog post: “Parametric Recipes and American Democracy.” https://petersironwood.wordpress.com/2017/02/11/parametric-recipes-and-american-democracy/
Thanks for looking in. I had a quick look at yours and will be back later. 🙂
Quinua is easy. You don’t even have to cook it. Just soak it overnight in a pot of cool water, and drain and rinse before eating or adding to other ingredients. There are some amazing black bean quinua salad recipes online, too. That’s my favourite. I soak beans overnight and then rinse and boil them myself. Its really easy. The trick for me is remembering to soak them the night before I want to cook them.
t’s my problem – planning. 🙂 Must do better at thinking ahead.
Same here! I probably succeed at planning ahead for one or two meals a week, and the rest is just throwing random ingredients together and hoping I get lucky! Haha!
Familiar story – it’s a rare week when the plan lasts beyond Wednesday. 🙂
Hahaha! My Germany mother in law hates how chaotic I am! She keeps lecturing me on how I need to have a weekly plan and make a shopping list every week. Ya right. That never happens. At best I write a list for the couple recipes I might actually have planned. Otherwise I just wing it and buy random vegetables and stuff that sounds good at the time. But I should never go shopping when I’m hungry, or I come home with so much random stuff it’s insane! 😂
If I shop when I’m hungry there is a tendency for meat pies and similar things to appear in the trolley and, shortly after, to appear in my hand. 🙂
One of the GPs at our surgery recommends a high fat diet with no carbs. It is quite an expensive diet but she says we remain happier because of the fat and proteins and no carbs mean we actually start to lose weight. I haven’t tried it yet – I can’t bear the thought of giving up pastry.
It’s roughly what a retired GP told me – his parents, grandparents and great grand-parents were diabetic but he has avoided both carbs and diabetes all his life.
There must be something in it 🙂
I hope so.
🙂
I’ve heard it helps to avoid GMO grains and conventional. But even still, carbs should be in moderation. It might also have to do with how distinct cultural groups evolved. Northern Europeans didn’t survive since the dawn of civilization on excessive grains, but instead, meats and fish were more accessible.
I haven’t been round as long as that, but I have managed the last 60 years without any healthy eating. My interest in grains is definitely shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. 🙂
Thank you, Jessica. That all makes sense. Carbs are a bad habit with me – and a comfort too!
🙂
I expect that female vicars have to do more shopping and cooking than male vicars in general. I am glad that you are feeling perkier.
I imagine you are right. I nearly set fire to my walking stick last night so I’m not quite firing on all cylinders yet. 🙂
Whatever the reason I am pleased that you are perking up
🙂
Potatoes haven’t affected me one way or the other but bread, literally, makes me fall asleep. The only exceptions are those Indian pitta bread type things but they have a lot of calories anyway. If you consume dairy, that is the problem. Milk products come from cows who are tricked into thinking that they are pregnant. Therefore they contain lots of oestrogen. That will make you put on fat just like a pregnant woman does. It may make you more feminine in other ways. After all, the oestrogen from birth control pills goes into the Thames where there is now a totally unnatural preponderance of female fish. So, no dairy, no bread and, of course, no sugar or pastry. It does work, although, I must admit, I did have it to lose. And I feel quite a bit more alert as well.
*Sigh*
Yes. you’re right, I’ll have to start cutting more stuff out.
So it is with most self-help books. Keep looking around for different low-carb recipes because if you don’t enjoy your food…
It’s quite good because you can pour mango and chilli dressing on it, but I feel it could be better. 🙂