*Trigger warning* Eating for Health and Wellness

[Guest_1055]

I have been struggling eating and eating healthy foods over the last couple of weeks. I really do not want to go back further to how I use to eat, that is eating junk food, takeaways, copious amounts of chocolate, processed junk and comfort eating.

Finding it challenging to stay motivated to actually prepare what I know helps me feel better mentally, emotionally and physically. Plus I have been feeling overwhelmed with other stuff happening in my life, which somehow makes it more challenging. The old unhealthy comfort eating thing is coming back. And I think I am getting concerned and scared about that. I so much do not want to go back to how I use to be. I was so sick. Plus I now have some physical things not right in my body , so I need to be more careful and mindful of what I eat. ( Pre cancer cells , high blood pressure )

I was eating really well since Febuary of this year, it’s just the last couple of weeks I haven’t.

So I would like to use this thread to help me be accountable to Beyond Blue people. So like a diary where I can post and report what I eat. And also any healthy eating tips, motivating strategies to help eat better or anything related to healthy eating for our bodies including our mental health.

[Guest_1055]

Happy Easter to you too Paul. Talking of roller coasters... I have never been on a physical one, say at a theme park. The look of it scares me. Merry go rounds are cute looking though. Those ones with the horses that go up and down.

So Paul do you have any issues with foods or eating or anything similar?

[blondguy]

Hey Shelleybelly

Good question....Nope...I eat everything...I find it odd when when 'some' people are super picky with their food and thats okay as everyone is different

I eat well and healthy and have red meat once a fortnight....otherwise very easily pleased! Brussel Sprouts...Beetroot...Anchovies...Cabbage....Cauliflower...

In Canada when I was a kid everyone had cans of Heinz or Stagg chilli in the pantry (Beans...peppers...chilli...mince) and in Oz people look at it like its poison. Its made in the US....its low sodium and very healthy and yummy....Usually $4-00 a can here....but its been on special for $2 at Coles and Woolworths for a 425g can in the last few weeks.

This is a great thread Shell....Good1 🙂

Paul

[MsPurple]

Hi Everyone. Happy Good Friday and Easter

I am at my dads for easter and dog sitting (sleeping and feeding twice a day) near dads house, so saves me the travel part. My brother has flown in from VIC to see us in QLD (not sunny today unfortunatley). We will be having fish today as well as puddings and hot cross buns. Looking forward to the feast. Dad's wife has guests coming around so will be nice

Shelly I did end up making the pasta. It was delightful. Pauls, I don't consider myself a picky eater, but I don't like eggs (ok in things like cake but not in things that it's the main flavour like quiche) and prawns (but can pick out prawns in a stir fry). I got food poisoning too many times from prawns, so it is more of an aversion.

I am hoping to get some easter eggs from dad on the weekend. I can't say no to free chocolate

[Guest_1055]

Breakfast-1 piece of toast with banana on it. Grapes.

Just finished eating a chocolate chia pudding that I made. Oh yum!

It has, chia seeds (which are a good source of omega 3) medjoil dates, cacao powder, soy milk, orange juice, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. You simply blend this all up until relatively smooth. Chill then tuck in.

Before tucking in this time. I spooned the pudding into 6 small glass jars. Put a layer of diced strawberries on top of that. Then sprinkled a little shredded coconut and cacoa nibs on top. And placed a lid on each of the jars. My row of puddings look beautiful all neat and lined up in the fridge. I have eaten one and my hubby has as well.

Oh yummy and I know I am not harming my body by eating this pudding.

[Paw Prints]

I have to put my hand up as a "picky" eater. I think in part it is because as kids if we didn't eat something on our plates, we had to sit there until either we ate it or were sent to bed & had it served cold for breakfast the next day. That & (like Ms Purple) aversions to certain foods based on bad experience & simply not liking the taste of some things, does make me very limited in what I will eat.

When my mood is low I struggle not to comfort eat, which is why I find Shelley Anne's thread so inspiring.

[Guest_1055]

I truly understand about the comfort eating when feeling down or sad Paw Prints. You are not alone in that.

My parents were a bit like yours in that if you did not eat what was in front on you, you had to eat it for breakfast and or you could not leave the table. And even no dessert. It never happened to me much. But I have clear memories of my little sister just sitting by herself for a very long time at the table.

I hope this encourages you. Often when you choose to eat super healthy and ditch the junk for a while . Well your taste buds change. Even though I still stuff up, I can still say my tastes buds of changed. Changed for the better. I started to like the taste of all sorts of vegetables.

Do you have a history of struggling with food issues Paw Prints? Like when you were a child. I did, I comfort ate then, but did not understand what was happening at the time.

[Guest_1055]

Dinner- was a mini homemade pizza served with a salad that had lettuce, spinach, carrot, onion, capsicum and left over garlic veggies. Oh so yum.

I really like making pizza. Love the yeasty aroma of fresh pizza dough. On my individual mini pizza I put tomato pizza sauce (homemade) cashew cheese, pineapple, spinach, mushroom,and fresh oregano from my little herb garden.

[Paw Prints]

Hello Shelley Anne,

I only started making my own pizza dough last year, my recipe makes enough for 4 single person pizzas, so I freeze the raw dough in serve sizes so I can just defrost & use as needed. I actually think the dough comes out nicer after being frozen. Nice to see I'm not the only one who likes pineapple on my pizza, my friends think it's odd.

I have slowly been broadening the foods I eat, thankfully my palate has changed as I have gotten older so there are many things I like now that I didn't like 20 years ago. Though I still can't bear earthy foods like mushrooms or gamey meats like rabbit. Your right about getting accustomed to certain tastes, I have also found I have lost the taste for some. I rarely eat red meat now & have found I have lost the taste for lamb.

I really just wasn't interested in food as a kid, so no I can't say I had food issues then, it was probably my early thirties when it became an issue. My main form of comforting eating is consuming dairy. At the moment I'm drinking 3 to 4 litres of milk a day.

I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to change your eating habits if you were comfort eating as a child. I think that makes the changes you're making even more impressive.

[Guest_2496]

Hi Paw Prints, and Shelley

I've had the cauliflower rice before and I love it. It's a packet from Coles but I think you could just roughly grate raw cauli and then you can fry as you would fried rice (oil, stock, water...) or use it any other way (soup, stew). It's crunchy when you fry of course and great to know you're getting more veggies that way!

I didn't get to cook corned beef - didn't manage to buy it either, and I'm going away tomorrow til next weekend so I realised it'd be silly to have the cold corned beef over. Might try where I'm going, or else when I get back.

Shelley - I use the silken tofu and I cut into quite large cubes. Delicious in soup 🙂

Have a great week all...very unreliable coverage where I'm going. I'll try and read posts but don't know about contributing much til next weekend.

[Guest_1055]

Hi Paw Prints,

I have never thought of freezing homemade dough before. I believe I may give that a go.

Very interesting that it's dairy that is your comfort food. Are you wanting to give that one up? Dairy can be one of addictive foods hey. I think it is something called caisein in dairy that is the issue. There is more Caisen in dairy cheeses then in the milk. Lots of people have issues with eating huge amounts of dairy cheeses as well. Hope I do not sound like a know it all. Sorry. I am just hugely interested in this kind of stuff, like nutrition etc

I have never really liked the taste of plain dairy milk. Though I use to drink chocolate milk and those ice coffee dares a couple of years ago. All made from dairy milk.

I now use bonsoy milk. Which tastes pretty creamy to me. Though it is expensive compared to other soy milk. I also have used nut milks, rice milk, oat milk, coconut milk. Do you use any of these milks Paw Prints?

I no longer have much of a desire or taste to eat any kind of meats. I have not really consumed meats for well over a year now. Though I did have a craving for a cheeseburger at maccas a couple of times. And sometimes fish. Pretty sure the craving for the fish and chips stems from pleasant memories from picnics near the beach when growing up. Emotional eating.