*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.

[golden82]

All good MM 🙂 i should know better. I am meant to have lots of little to medium eats thru day. I have gastroparesis which means i don't digest food properly too slow and get really full. Also have low blood sugars that can spike and then drop quickly. So the frequent grazing is better. But i had breakfast at 730am then nothing til dinner at 730pm... so put too much at once and feel pain. I know what I'm meant to do. Just stuff it up a lot.

Thanks for the ideas. I love nuts too. Wouldnt be able to buy peanut butter.. i would end up eating it by the spoonful lol. Plan to start eating eggs too. Yes sleepy i like cheese. I buy parmesn for on soup and babybel to eat most days i like those with vegemite. I actually find i like vegemite which is good as it has all those b vits i am low in. And salt i am low too. Sometimes it feels i crave salt and could eat a spoon of vegemite??don't know what that's all about. I think maybe low iron, or i am just weird lol.

[Guest_1643]

hi golden... i crave salt!

i have cravings for like toasted cheese sandwiches, savoury food like that. Then when I eat it I don't really like it lol.

You're not weird , 🙂 youre fun and sparkly writing here and sharing with us!

How was ur day today?

I didn't eat very well... i considered getting a takeaway felafel wrap but they were sold out. I like those.
I had pesto pasta and some hot chocolate today.

[golden82]

That's lovely to say, thanks Sleepy.

If you crave salt, u may also be low in iron or other things. Might be a good idea to get a full blood test done at gp? If anything is low then u know and can target those foods or at least take the supplements.

I love toasties too. I had one in hospital jan 2020 and before that not for about 30 yrs since i was a kid. Funny that you crave it and then not like it. That is a shame. I liked baked bean or spaghetti toasties as a kid. I think though it is more the event. It used to be sunday nights dinner after church, sitting around the table with dad mum bro and me and our toasties. I think that is what i liked and miss more than the actual toastie. I tend to associate foods and memories. I think it is pretty common.

It was a bit rough today for mothers day. I have not seen my mum or had contact since Jan 2019 when she ran out of my life again.. a pattern of hers my whole life. Only seen her about 5 times in 5 years. She lives near; but it is extremely toxic. I will always miss her but there is nothing more i can do. I am exhausted. I imagine it was a hard day for you too.

Maybe you can try for a felafel tomorrow. Hot choc sounds nice. Do u put a marshmellow on top? Make it a bit pretty. I haven't had hot choc for few years. I do like them though, with a marshmellow.

[Guest_1055]

I use to drink coffee frappes as well Grandy.

Maybe one day in the future you will be quite fine to spend more time in a supermarket. I have good intentions with following a meal plan, sometimes works, sometimes not.

Good with the soups and casseroles. Do you have a large freezer?

Yeah with the water, it's great you got into the habit of drinking it. I keep may large glass bottle of water near my bed to drink in the morning.

Are you still going to some park to fill up your water bottles? We buy natural alkanised water. Huge blue bottles of it. Tap water at our place is awful.

Thanks for caring Grandy

[Guest_1643]

hi Shelll, that has happened once before to me re giving money to someone for drugs.
Ppl are very manipulative. hope u had a good night and are feeling okay, enjoying ur walks and some comforting drinks and warm food.

Hope u are doing well, Golden and Ggrandy.

bit stressed here, going somewhere early in the morning. calm is my goal for tonight

[Guest_1055]

Yeah about the drugs incident... Sorry that happened to you as well Sleepy. I am guessing the craving for them is pretty intense and that was all she could think about. I am too trusting maybe.

I do hope today goes ok for you with whatever it is you are doing early. Calm and peaceful sounds so good. Deep breath in, hold it for 6, then out. (Gosh doing that now as I write this to you)

Yeah about your craving for salt. Could be a lack of iron like Golden said. But I wonder if drinking coconut water would help with this. It has electrolytes in it.

Sorry about your soup not turning out quite like it did before. I have lost count of the amount of times food has turned out like that for me. Can be a learning experience with a touch of a feeling of disappointment I guess. But you did have a go at it. And challenging to do that when one has not much energy. So you did good really.

Papples.... Cross between apple and pear. Love it. Even the name sounds cute doesn't it?

And yeah I am sort of feeling ok. I am tired though. I made a fresh juice yesterday with beetroot, apple, carrot, lemon, capsicum and cucumber. Very strong had to dilute it with water. And I made a large salad which had cold lightly steamed broccoli in it. With other vegetables. I actually really liked the broccoli like that. Of course I had a tasty dressing on the salad. As that helps me to eat all the vegetables.

Nice chatting a bit with you Sleepy.

May you have a calm and very peaceful evening when you get home. Gently watching a flame flickering away on a candle while sipping some of your very own hot chocolate maybe. Breathe in deep, hold it for 6 then out

xx

[Guest_1055]

Earlier on.. Black grapes and chocolate soy milk

Lunch... made a creamy broccoli soup. Yummy and filling. There is no dairy in it, it is creamy from the blended cashews and cannellini beans. Recipe addapted slightly (because I did not have everything) from a recipe book "How Not to Diet" by Dr Micheal Gregger and I ate some mandarines

[Guest_1055]

Hi Golden, I am sorry about the kind of relationship you have with your mum. I do find it sad. I don't know your whole story there. But I am sorry.

All those fruits you had the other day sound super yum. Loving mandarines too. You asked about protein... I attempt to eat leafy greens, tofu, soymilk, quinoa, chickpeas, lentils and all nuts and seeds. And I do like peanut butter as well. I couldn't eat a whole jar, but maybe a spoonful. It sticks inside my mouth or something. I like the crunchy one that just has peanuts and nothing else added.

Oh gee we had toasties whilst growing up. I liked making them. And would put all kinds of filling in them. Spaghetti and baked beans. Salmon. Cheese and tomato. Banana even. I occasionally make them still using wholemeal Lebanese bread. My favourites our spinach, cashew cheese and tomato. And a banana one.

Yeah about the salt... You may be dehydrated. I think if I was craving salt, I would drink pure coconut water with all its electrolytes. When I use to drink heaps of coffee, I think I was often dehydrated. Maybe it's the same for you.

[Guest_1055]

OK I lasted 5 days without eating bars and blocks of refined sugar laden /dairy milk chocolate. I still have not had any. But I did eat some Tim tams yesterday. Which is similar. And at the moment just drinking very unlady like from a 1 litre bottle of vitasoy chocolate soy milk. It does have some nutritional value but also has raw refined sugar.

I am not going to feel discouraged about drinking this or eating the tim tams. Because that has made it worse for me before. Then I tend to comfort eat more of the stuff because my emotions are then discouragement, sadness. And also a sense of hopelessness because of failure.

I did not fail, I am still moving forward. I lasted 5 days.

Please if anyone is reading this... please don't say to me its ok to eat chocolate from time to time, or eat dark chocolate, or eat it in moderation or just portion a piece at a time etc. I know you mean well and it maybe ok for you. But it isn't for me. I am addicted to refined sugar, so even a little bit may cause me to stumble, for it makes me desire more and more of it to get the high. Then has caused all sorts of problems including with my mental health.

I seem to be ok with foods or drinks that have cocoa or cacao that are sweetened with small amounts of either coconut sugar, real maple syrup or dates.

So I am going to make maybe some bliss balls or chocolate chia puddings to help myself. Plus I do like the taste of those. These are sweetened with medjool dates.

So yeah that is where I am at with all this.

I was also hoping to loose weight as for me that is a part of my body being fit and healthy. I did not met my target for April there. But I know I am still moving forward.

[golden82]

Thanks lovely Shelly,

You always have kind words for everyone here which is lovely 🙂 Your foods sound great, always maximum nutrition squeezed in there. You know so much about nutrients - could write a cookbook or something Shell??

Yes, I drink soymilk quite often too - I often use it in my coffees - so I must be getting protein from that. You could be right about the coffee and dehydration thing. Even though I drink a fair bit of water. I have tried coconut water and didn't really like the taste. But need to ease up on the coffee a bit and replace some for some herbal teas. I have a cupboard full of herbal teas that I never drink, always drinking coffee..

Still not leaving the house, which is affecting me. Dreaming of going to the beach - I know just do it, but it is so hard to get past this agoraphobia which has blown up out of nowhere for me. Hope you got to the beach and that your arvo is good to you Shell x