*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.

[blondguy]

Hey ShelleyBelly 🙂

I havent been online for a few days. Paw Prints was brought up the same way I was.....If we didnt eat our dinner we had to sit there for ages and ages...and ages.......seriously...until we ate it..or eat it the next day....eww

Just for me... with the over strict helicopter parenting I eat everything now....

Does anyone besides me love Campbells V8 Vegetable Juice?....Yum!

[MsPurple]

HI everyone

Shelly - even with my studies sometimes I forget to apply it to myself. Also sometimes when running (especially long distance) you forget you need to eat at certain times. With more training I have started making sure I do and planning ahead (e.g. packing 2 gels and time points which I need them). I can't run empty. I also get hangry. But sometimes straight after exercise I have to force something in me because I just want to shower or lie on the couch.

Birdy - i think a donut time has reopened near South Brisbane, so I am tempted to get some next time I am nearby (wasn't open on Sunday early morning after my group ride)

Paw - its all about quality and quantity. I know carrots are healthy but eating 2kg a day probably isn't ideal (my skin could turn orange, maybe, hehe). I don't believe in deprivation. I also agree. Yesterday I had a terrible depression day. Couldn't eat lunch because of this than didn't care what I had for dinner. So I completely get it. Food isn't always the highest priority at the time.

Paul - I like V8 juices too. I like the ones that have some fruit in it as only vegetables (like tomato) I find it a bit bland. I like the beetroot one 🙂 I know aldi have some vegetable juices. I should give it a try. I go through fazes where I want juice and when I don't.

My housemate had his Mexican girlfriend over. She just went home which is sad. She bought over these really good Mexican nuts. Kinda like peanuts in taste but different. I like trying different stuff. But I normally don't buy it because I don't want to waste money (the little I have) on something I may not like.

[Guest_1055]

How you going there Paw Prints?

I have done that too, bought fresh vegetables and fruits, only to have them slowly rot in the fridge. My intentions to use them were good. But I did not carry out my intentions. These would have been the times, when I had no motivation, felt extremely sad, in that far away place, really ill from stuffing myself with junk, the kitchen was a total mess because I did not clean it, and overwhelmed emotions. Also when I had very bad headaches where I had to stay in bed for 3 days or so.

I still go through some of those things I just mentioned above sometimes.

I wonder for you if you just aim to have at least 1 meal a day that is super healthy with lots of fresh vegetables would help. Like the baby steps. Then slowly work you way up. The meal plans that I used to work off were like for a week. 3 meals a day sort of thing. Do you have 3 meals a day on your plans? Perhaps that is overwhelming for you. What do you think?

[Guest_1055]

Hi Ms Purple, I also agree about when we are in that dark place. Eating healthy food and sometimes any food seems so insignificant. You sometimes can hardly see the point of it anyway. Plus you may not really care about yourself at the time, including caring and loving yourself enough to nourish your own body.

Having healthy food already prepared in advance for these dark times in our life may help us. What do you think? Like zip lock bags of frozen ingredients to make smoothies, frozen soups etc.

I like juices with beetroot in them.

Hope you are feeling better today

[MsPurple]

Yes I do cook up large batches of food and freeze them. I have some still in the freezer. Yesterday I was craving noodles so all I achieved yesterday was driving to noodle box and back. At least that is something. I did enjoy it. I do sometimes buy frozen or ready meals if needed. Trying to save money so buying batches of stuff and cooking and freezing myself is the cheapest option.

[Guest_1055]

Hi Birdy.

Your homemade pizza does sound pretty yum. I have not used hemp flour or hemp seeds before, but have heard of it. Or maybe it was hemp hearts?

Do you make your own cheese? I am going to give that a try one day using agar agar. At the moment I make cashew cheese. Which is basically soaked raw cashews, lemon juice, salt, water and nutritional yeast. Sometimes I will add roasted garlic and/or onion powder. That is pretty yum.

You reminded me about your tofu rice paper rolls. I still have not made them. Forgot actually. The satay ones you made sound good too.

[Guest_1055]

Hi Paul, when we are children day old vegetables taste discusting.

I have never tasted V8 juice.

[Guest_1055]

Today is day 4 without eating refined sugar and other binging. The only junk unhealthy food I have eaten was some hot chips. But I did not eat a huge amount.

I mentioned to my sister last week, that I was eating packets of chocolate biscuits and extreme amounts of toast daily. I also told her how it made me feel. That is I felt shame, I felt ugly, and I felt fat. And I just felt like I wanted to hide away from other people because of the shame.

She told me sometimes she felt guilty when she chose to eat too much unhealthy stuff and guilty that she was not taking care of her body by doing so.

I then said I never have the feelings of guilt in that circumstance. And she said "well you should" My first reaction and thoughts were she was being bossy. I did not like her response at all. She then went on to say "you are doing the wrong thing eating extreme amounts of junk food, and you are not taking care of your body by doing so". Her tone was that of a caring and loving mother training and disciplining their child.

I think I needed to hear all this from her. Though at the time it was hard to hear.

I was doing wrong, it's wrong to abuse my body in this way.

I always knew eating huge amounts of junk food was harming me. But it did not sink in that the choices I was making by stuffing myself was wrong.

Anyway I am thankful for her words now.

Maybe anyone reading this can relate? I don't know.

Today I made a burrito/toasted sandwich in the sandwich maker. I am unsure what you would call it. But it was yummy. Here is what I did:

I used 1 medium sized wholemeal Lebanese bread (I buy nannas brand from woolworths, this one has no sugar)

I spread this with homemade hummus, then a handful of baby spinach, cooked grilled red onion, grilled pineapple and some slices of tomato.

Put it in the sandwich maker. Actually no, I layered the lebanese bread with the toppings while it was in the maker. Trust me, its better this way. The toppings do not fall off. 🙂 Close the lid. And let cook for a while. What you soon have is this crispy bread with all this yummy stuff inclosed inside it. It's so so good!

[Paw Prints]

Hello Shelley anne,

At the moment I'm not making actual meal plans. I am trying to get motivated to make my "vege base". It's something that I find makes thinking up & making meals for one a lot easier. I have a very large & deep cast iron frypan (it was my mums) I toast sesame seeds then saute leeks, red & green capsicums, sweet chilli, celery in sesame oil, then I add in what ever vege's are to hand usually, corn, peas, potato (raw or roasted, diced), pumpkin (raw or roasted,diced), tomatoes, pickled cabbage, chives, peaches (diced) or pears/apples, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, then add water to cover. I bring it to a low boil, then turn it down, cover & let it simmer on a very low heat (stirring occasionally) for 3-4 hours. I can then portion it into containers & freeze for later use. I use it as a base, making a satay sauce & mixing it through to have with rice, making vege lasagne, making a curry, adding meat & making a stew, making pasties, blending it to make soup, & just having it as is by itself or with a piece of pork.

I've not tried the V8 juices, I just assumed they would be high in salt or sugar. Something else for me to check out.

Quick question: can you buy tofu from the supermarket or do you have to go to a health food store? I looked in Woolies but couldn't see any.

Paw Prints

[MsPurple]

Hi guys

Paw - you can buy Tofu in Woolies and Coles. Usually either near the vego sausages or near the cheese (not near meat). Also V8 juice is usually just fruit/vegetable juice. Usually don't add sugar or salt (may need to check the tomato juice for added salt). I am ok with foods having sugar, but try reduce added sugar.

Shelley- it is good your sister talked to you about it in a nurturing way. I think sometimes although we may not like how they are wording things, they are coming from a good place and they are wanting to help. It is good she has good intentions and is wanting to be supportive.

I have gotten something similar to V8 juice from Aldi. I thought, you know what, I'd like some juice before my gym session to give me natural sugar. So I got some. Will try it later. I am all for buy cheaper prodcuts and brands. Don't get me wrong, I want to support the farmers (so I try avoid home brand milk) but at the end of the day I can't afford to pay double for a label