Diet and Nutrition - Together!

rljes,

As far as a smoothie with veggies, this is my recipe and I like it, but the true test is my 17 year old son drinks it willingly: (I use a vitamix, I think you need a strong blender for this)

• Pack blender 1/2 full of 'power greens' - I buy the costco brand ones, it's a mix of baby spinach, chard and kale.
• Add 1-2 carrots
• Add 2-3 celery sticks
• Add 2-3 cups (or top off blender) with frozen berries, any combo of blueberries, strawberries, cherries, blackberries, rasberries, whatever I have in the freezer. I get the frozen costco ones for cheapness.
• Squeeze in the juice from a lemon
• Add a few drops of pure stevia extract (optional, but I like that it cuts out any bitterness to me)
• Add water to the 'max' fill line and blend.

It's good with some flax too, but it makes the blender harder to clean.

This makes 3 large servings, we drink out of mason jars.

For breakfasts I eat a ton of oats with a variety of toppings but apples especially have good cancer fighting properties.

I also really like a big bowl of plain yogurt (I use soy yogurt), and add frozen berries, chia seeds, and a handfull of rolled oats for a very fast and filling breakfast. I'll add a little stevia to this too because I have a terrible sweet tooth.

PebblesV Being on an AI has definitely made it harder to keep my weight stable. What has worked for me is to eat 'low-carb,' and a bit more protein over the day than I used to. Seems to stabilize my hunger, and I find that I can eat a plate of this type of food and be satisfied.

I sometimes make something fun, like muffins, with fruit + ground almonds instead of the flour--separate the eggs for fluffiness. I roast cauliflower florets with sea salt and olive oil and have that as a 'starch' instead of potatoes. Or, I try to have a plate of stir fry with a tiny amount of brown rice and a ton of veggies + some meat. I eat a tiny snack between each meals, always with some protein. (boiled egg + tangerine, corn tortilla + cheese, apple + nuts, etc) This keeps my hunger and blood sugar pretty stable.

I find that eating NORMAL carbs like I used to (some bread, a serving of potatoes, even a bunch of brown rice or whole grain bread) is what causes me to gain weight. So, I avoid bread, thinking now of it like a dessert-type indulgence. Try to eat a lot of salads w/ protein. No fried or battered foods. I don't eat any sweets or drink soda, maybe 3 glasses of wine per week (that's probably my main simple carb indulgence), so I really try not to eat much sugar or any white flour at all. And, very little of grains or 'white carbs' at all (potatoes, etc.) If I had more will power, I could maintain weight control by just eating less, but I do NOT. So, that's why I find that eating this way is working for me...

And, I do the overnight 12-hour fasting most of the time, having dinner early at 5-6 and not eating breakfast until about 6:30.

One meal a week I throw all these things out the window and have a martini or breaded calamari or a piece of great bread. Makes the other days of careful eating possible if I can look forward to a fun meal that's a tiny bit wicked.