*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]

I continued on with this challenge. Using the same recipes.

Day 6.

Breakfast.... A smoothie bowl. Frozen bananas, frozen blueberries, soymilk, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest

Lunch... I made that loaded potato meal again. Very yummy that one. I had left over dressing and black beans. That was handy and I wanted to use them up.

Dinner... Not real hungry again. That lunch was large and filling. So I had cherries, black grapes and 3 juicy plums.

My head is feeling even less foggy today. My emotions are still up and down. The skin on my face looks much healthier. My concentration has improved. Less tired as well.

No chocolate for 6 days. I feel quite encouraged by that.

[Guest_1055]

Today is day 9 since I have scoffed or even eaten 1 bit of chocolate. I noticed my eyes looked brighter or rounder. Maybe just more clear looking. My skin on my face also looks heathier.

During these 9 days, I haven't really craved any chocolate. Which I find interesting as I definitely have been struggling emotionally.

The serving sizes in that challenge were often larger then what I am used to. So maybe their is a connection there somewhere.

Breakfast today..... Cherries

Lunch... Was out today. I ate potato rosti. (first time trying one) and a slice of tofu mushroom and spinach quiche. There were no eggs in the quiche... all plants. I ate all the filling from it. Yummy. But the crust yeah just wasn't fond if it. Nice to try something new though.

Yesterday I made a green smoothie for breakfast. And for lunch I made and ate a sweet potato bowl. It had sweet potato, onion, chickpeas, corn, organic cherry tomatoes, baby greens all drizzled with a tahini lemon type dressing. That dressing is yummy. It was from a recipe in the challenge

[monkey_magic]

Well done Shell from abstaining from chocolate and being a healthier version of you because of the healthy things that you eat.

My day so far;

Bfast- 2 boiled eggs with toast, 2 coffees

Lunch- chicken, sweat potato, potato, spinach and peas

Snack- banana split from Max Brenner

[Guest_1055]

Thankyou MM, It's day 10 since I have had any chocolate.

Potatoes pretty yum. And can be very filling hey

Read on your juice thread about you making an icecream with mango, pineapple and banana all frozen. Pretty sure I have had one similar, maybe I added lime juice. And if course a bit of soy milk to help it blend up. Anyway very yummy

[Guest_1055]

Day 10.. Since I have not had any chocolate. I did have a iced chocolate drink made from soy milk from maccas the other day.

Breakfast.... Cherries

Lunch.... Scrambled tofu tomato, avocado, green salad with balsamic vinegar

Dinner...Orange, mango, frozen pineapple, coconut water and some super food green powder (wheat grass, spirulina, barley grass, moringa)

Snack.. Organic dried apricots

[Guest_1055]

Day 11

Breakfast.... Cherries

Lunch.... A salad bowl. Quinoa, marinated tofu, cos lettuce, tomato, mango salsa (mango, avocado red onion, chili flakes)

Dinner.. Tiny bowl of oven fried potatoes. And a smoothie (orange, peach, frozen pineapple, lime juice, coconut water, super greens)

Really wanting chocolate at the moment as I am writing this... I just miss eating it. I am being realistic. Miss the scent of it. Miss the creaminess feel in my mouth. The sweetness taste. I even miss going to the local supermarket and buying it. I pretty much ate it while watching something, ate it while reading. And if I bought it out, coming back from the beach... I would eat it the car on the way home. I miss it and that sounds weird to me.

Maybe I should keep writing in here until the "wanting it" is gone.

[Guest_1055]

My Reasons to eat healthy

I would like to wear clothes that I actually like and that fit well

I want to feel comfortable in my own body

I don't like the frumpy feeling

I want to feel good about myself

I want to be fit and walking like that older person does on the breakwall path.

I want to improve my natural immunity

I want to not develop heart disease or other lifestyle illness

I like having a clear head and thoughts... I don't like having a foggy head. Junk food gave me a foggy head

I like my skin to be and look healthy.

I like my hair to be shiny

I like having more energy to do the things I like doing

I like feeling calm in my emotions. Junk food made them go up and down.

I want to feel refreshed after I sleep all night. Eating junk late at night often made me feel like I had been run over by a bus

I like being free from headaches

I want to lower my blood pressure. Eating mostly plants did that to more before. Eating junk made it go higher

[Guest_1055]

Like having clear eyes

Like the feeling of a nourished body

Would like to get down to a weight I am happy with and that is healthy for me

That is all the reasons popping into my thoughts at the moment

[Guest_1055]

Still waffling on until any sign of "want chocolate" has gone.

Currently my favourite plant based ytube channels are:

-Simmet Nutrition. These guy is a nutritionist, into fitness. Cooks meals in his kitchen and looks healthy and smiley. His girlfriend always shows her meals and how to make them too.

-Cooking With Plants Her name is Anja and she is an Aussie who lives on the Gold Coast. She instructs on how to cook lots of simple plant based meals. Good for begginers

The Happy Pear. That is how they seem cooking on their show. They are male twins who live in Ireland. They are chefs and own some kind of cafe in Ireland. I love the baked beans recipe. They just make you feel happy when you watch them. Very easy going. I have a couple of their cookbooks even

Fivesechealth. This is a new channel I have discovered. Alexandra is her name. The creater of the challenge I just completed.

My favourite cooking equipment:

My Vitamix blender. I waited quite a few years to buy this. Expensive. I love it. It is super powerful and has a strong motor. Makes very creamy and smooth smoothies. In the end my parents gave me some money, so I bought one.

Commercial scanpan. I have the saute one, a cute tiny little one and a vegetable steamer. I just love the look of these stainless steal pans. They are strong and have an elegant look about them. Absolutely love the handles of them. They can go in the oven too which is handy

Measuring Spoons. I have a collection of pink ones. I like the colour of them

Smoothie jars. I like glass drinking jars. I have a collection of them, some with handles. A did have a tall one, but it broke. I like serving and sipping out of them.

Favourite fruits. I like most fruits. At the moment it is sweet cherries. Followed by in season grapes. But the winner is passionfruit. Love them. And I have a passionfruit vine growing on our fence. Yummy

[Guest_1055]

Well it is just after 10pm. And I am going to get ready for bed. The waffling and posting in here... think it helped with the "wanting "