Greta
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Posts posted by Greta
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I'm having so much fun with the bread discussion that I thought I would ask more generally about favorite healthy cookbooks.
I know the question isn't as simple as it sounds, because there are a lot of different ideas about what constitutes a healthy diet. My definition would just be something along the lines of: a variety of whole (minimally processed) foods, with an emphasis on vegetables and fruits. No food group or type need be excluded.
I use the web for recipe searches a lot, but there's something very satisfying about a printed book in hand (I guess I'm old). So if you have a favorite cookbook that you wouldn't be without, I'd love to know what it is.
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This thread is awesome. Thank you guys again for being a wealth of knowledge, as always!
Man, I'm so jealous reading this thread. I was a good bread baker in my past life.
I wish you could give me lessons!
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My gym even has one of those pull-up assist machines, that "takes" part of your bodyweight to make it easier. But do I ever use it? Of course not. :lol: I have been doing lat pull-downs, though, and I assume that works many of the same muscles. I'll get there eventually. Right? :)
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Kim, I hope everything works out well regarding your daughter finding a job and the other things going on in your life.
That pull-up program sounds pretty neat. I've often wanted to be able to do pull-ups. I haven't done a single one since I was just a little kid! I'm not exactly strong in my lower body, but I am pathetically weak in my upper body. Can't do full push-ups either (I'm doing incline push-ups, if that's the right term, to try to work up to that).
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Working out doesn't just happen. You will get better at it and the transition will be difficult, but this whole "I hurt too much to work out" thing WILL go away! I promise! You're doing well. Much better than me when I started!
Thank you, Slache. This is very uplifting! :grouphug:
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I'm still not doing great on my workouts. Today was supposed to be my circuit training class, but I woke up in so much pain (piriformis syndrome) that I was barely able to hobble around the house. I couldn't have done the class. I did my physical therapy exercises and stretches most of the morning, and then I was able to go on a 2-mile walk with hubby, so it's feeling a lot better now. I'll try to do another walk this evening when it cools off a bit, but that's going to be all for me today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
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For me, I have found that fresh ground flour yields so much better results.
What kind of grinder would you recommend?
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I love Artisan Bread In 5 Minutes a Day. I routinely make sourdough brioche. They have all kinds of delicious recipes in there
I see that they have a book called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day that has lots of whole grain recipes and at least some with "alternative" flours. Sounds like just what I need! :)
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Thank you all so much for the help. Such great information here!
When I knead by hand I can tell when it's ready and make a perfect loaf every time.
Ah, see, that's so neat to have that skill! I really don't know more about cooking in general or baking in particular than how to follow a recipe. Maybe with practice....
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Follow-up question. I was thinking about buying a nice piece of stoneware for baking, but my husband asked this morning if we should get a bread machine. I don't really know anything about them. Is it worth owning one?
Redsquirrel, I remember that recipe! I discovered that one, or one just like it, a dozen years ago just before I gave up bread. So easy, and SO GOOD!
Danae, I ordered that book. Thank you!
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You guys are the best! Thank you so much! Can't wait to check these out. :001_smile:
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After more than a decade of eating super low-carb ketogenic, I am back to enjoying fruit and starchy veggies in abundance, and grains in moderation. But I've been really disappointed with the bread products that I can buy in the stores around here. Most that say "whole grain" are a mixture of refined and whole, and even the ones that proudly boast that they are "100% whole grain" have so much sugar in them that they taste like dessert to me, not bread. (And I may have added fruits and grains back to my diet, but I have no wish to add sugar back!) Not to mention preservatives and all that stuff. And they're so soft that they're just mush. I like a hearty bread, with crust that's, well, crusty! So, I want to start making my own.
Could you recommend a good cookbook or website for learning how to cook old-fashioned, rustic, whole grain bread? I would be especially interested in recipes that use flours other than wheat (spelt, rye, kamut, etc.). And this part isn't as important, but I'm romantically drawn to the old-fashioned slow-rise methods, sourdoughs, things like that. But I'm totally clueless about them.
Also, do you have a favorite brand or type of stoneware for baking?
Thanks for any help!
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Yesterday at training I deadlifted 150 lb for the first time.
:hurray:
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That leg workout on Saturday was so intense that I have been super sore since then. So sore that I was hobbling around on Sunday and couldn't even walk with my normal gait. So sore that I was a lazy bum on both Sunday and Monday. So, the lesson here is: don't get so sore that it completely disrupts your routine! You'd think I would have thought of that before telling my husband, "sure, I can do one more set!" but no, I always have to learn things the hard way!
I'm going to try to get back to normal activity levels today by doing some cardio. That's why I'm posting. To obligate myself to do it! The soreness is just a twinge this morning, so I think I should be able to do some cardio today.
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Hey Greta - thanks for the kind words. I am surprised that I posted as I generally try not to bring others down when I am feeling down....but I felt better afterwards. So thanks for listening!
I find that tired and run down and weight gain are circular. My weight makes it harder to do things so I do less and I gain more, kwim? I am seeing a new primary care physician this week, so maybe he will really listen and help me come up with a reasonable plan. My blood sugar and cholesterol are fine, but my bp is high, I have arthritis in my knees, hands and feet, and, like I mentioned, menopause is making me a little overly emotional!
I'm so glad you're feeling better. And yes, that does make perfect sense how it would be kind of a vicious cycle with the weight gain and the fatigue feeding each other. I really hope that your new PCP will listen to you thoughtfully, and be able to provide you with some real help. Do keep us posted!
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He mentioned many chemicals that are obesenogens (probably misspelled) in mice, but isn't sure how they translate to humans, both because human metabolisms are different, and because the quantities of chemicals tested in mice are proportionally hundreds or thousands of times higher dosages than we would ever be exposed to. Also, we aren't exposed to single toxins in isolation, there may be synergistic effects that worsen the effects of the multiple chemicals we are exposed to. He does go on at length to say we should avoid artificial sweeteners because they raise insulin, but he barely mentioned the mice studies. Instead he talked about actual human studies.
ETA: the point was, by avoiding processed food you're improving something either way.
Thanks, Katie! I'm going to order his book. I'm really interested to learn more about artificial sweeteners causing insulin release. Is it the mere taste sensation of something sweet that causes the insulin release? Because if so, it means we should be careful even with things like stevia, which most people wouldn't classify as "artificial" (though I think the term isn't terribly useful, but that's another story). I love iced tea, and I've always had it with saccharin, because that's the way my mom drank it, and that's the way that it tastes like iced tea to me. I've been trying to switch to stevia, but I do not like the taste of stevia. Maybe I'd be better off getting used to drinking it unsweetened.
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That thread has disappeared for me repeatedly too. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
I've been reading Dr Jason Fung (MD)'s blog for a year after stumbling on him in some YouTube videos about reversing Type 2 diabetes.
He just came out with a new book Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss, which I finished reading last night.
He goes to great lengths to go through all the science around this in the book. He says that the reason we can't permanently lose weight is because what controls our set point is insulin, and many things about our modern culture increase insulin levels, and high insulin levels lead to increased hunger. Processed foods, constant snacking, eating 12 times the sugar as normal, not getting enough exercise, just eating too frequently. Apparently the only way to reduce insulin levels is fasting, because all foods make the body release insulin. Of course we're afraid of fasting, though there is really no reason to. It's apparently much safer than dieting, because fasting increases metabolism instead of lowering it.
When you just diet but still eat frequent meals, insulin levels remain high even while you are losing weight, so you remain hungry AND your metabolism plummets. It's a fascinating book.
That book sounds really interesting, Katy. Thanks for mentioning it.
ETA: I'm curious, did he mention that MSG is (or might be) one of the things that causes increased insulin release? I remember reading that in mice, or maybe it was rats, MSG added to their food causes three times the insulin release, but as of the time that book was written, it wasn't known if it has the same effect on humans.
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I read that this morning. It is - discouraging and encouraging at the same time. I have lost the same 50 or so pounds and then gained it back three times now, with three different approaches (low-fat, low-carb, Weight Watchers - all with exercise) and each time I have been unable to sustain it.
I want to believe that it is not just that I am a weak person. I want to have the courage to try again. Mindfulness sound harder than tracking. But being this weight is harder still - I am tired and low-energy and everything I own is tight and I wear jeans to church because all my nice outfits are 2 sizes too small. I can't lower the stress in my life. My lifestyle is very relaxed but I can't change other people or past experiences.
Sorry for the depressing vent. Mother's Day without all my children (I lost a son to cancer many years ago) is never pain-free. I am starting menopause and everything make me weepy.
Oh, Liza, I am so very sorry for your tragic loss. Mother's Day must be so bittersweet, or maybe just outright painful, I don't know. But my heart goes out to you and all of the women on these boards and everywhere who have lost a child. It's so . . . beyond comprehension. :grouphug:
You are NOT a weak person. I do not believe for one second that the increase in weight in our culture is due to weakness, or gluttony, or laziness. I mean, that big a portion of our population just all of a sudden just took on those personality traits? No way. There is a physiological, biological explanation, even if we don't know precisely what it is yet. Look how hard you have tried - those diets are NOT easy, and yet you gave them an honest try. That doesn't sound like weakness to me.
I wish I had an answer to offer you, but I don't. I just wanted to express that I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Whatever is causing you to feel so tired and run-down is possibly causing the weight gain as well. Have you seen a doctor?
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Joanne, I'm so sorry. :grouphug:
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Off to a good start! Activities are starting to drop off the calendar, so I will not have three afternoons a week where I am shuttling one kid across town with the others in tow. That means I can get back to my regular gym time rather than squeezing it in between the aforementioned shuttling.
I have been working on a new strength routine this week. Strength has been getting a bit of the short stick because I wasn't able to take class at the gym due to scheduling conflicts. I need to figure something out for my legs besides lunges; they are not making my knee happy, but enjoying the new routine thus far.
Still getting in my daily steps. I broke my amazing streak in early April when several at my house got a funky little puke thing, including me. I had hit a minimum of 30 minutes activity and 5 miles every day from December 26th-April 8! Man, was I sad to not be able to walk that day. I was back on track the next day, but was still sad to break that streak.
My knees don't like lunges either! I'm able to do squats, deadlifts, step-ups, things like that. But man, my knees really protest when I attempt lunges. Hope you can find something that works for you.
I'm sorry that illness broke your awesome streak. That is disappointing.
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Getting resettled is challenging, but I'm sure the move will turn out to be a very good one for your family. Sending prayers and hugs.
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And you're starting 20 years earlier than I did!
What matters is starting! :)
There's always this lady for inspiration (though my personal trainer had fits about her form.) http://time.com/4275204/78-year-old-woman-deadlift-225-pounds/ She started in the gym at age 76!
Wow! :thumbup1: She's amazing! I'm trying to get my mom to start lifting as well, I'm definitely sending this to her. Thanks for sharing it!
It's never too late. :001_smile:
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This affects your body completely differently than coffee. Oi. Pregnant lady morning grammar. :svengo: If it's convenient stop by a GNC and talk to them about it. An actual GNC, not a partial one in a store. Those guys are great. And ask them for coupons.
Will do! There's a GNC in a shopping center that we go to frequently, so that's an easy thing to do. Thanks!
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Went to the gym first thing this morning for leg day with my husband. It's so much more fun to have a workout buddy! I guess he must have enjoyed it too, because he suggested we make it a regular thing, every Saturday and Tuesday morning. :)
We did squats, deadlifts, and a couple of those machines that focus on glutes and hamstrings. It was a tough workout. I pushed myself harder than I would have if I'd been alone, which is another advantage to having a workout buddy, I guess. I may be really sore tomorrow, but it's worth it.
Since I've gotten interested in weight-lifting, I've kind of been regretting the fact that I didn't do this in my 20's, when I was young and healthy and my body would have responded to it so much more quickly. But I realized something today. Being a beginner means that I have LOTS of opportunities to set new records for "personal best"! So instead of thinking about what I could have done twenty years ago, instead I'm going to look at it like I just accomplished x for the first time in my life! Yay me! :D
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Exercise Thread: May
in The Chat Board
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My husband's employer has an arrangement by which we get a discount, otherwise we wouldn't go to the gym either. :)
Wait, is it unchristian to be a bad@$$?? 'Cuz I really, really want to be a bad@$$!!!! :lol: I noticed that NROL for Women said something about being a goddess on the cover, while Strong says bad@$$. I'd much rather be the latter, so I think the change was an improvement. ;)
Okay, first of all, please don't imply that you're a cow, because you're my awesome, encouraging, internet fitness coach and bud and you deserve respect. And secondly, trust me, if you saw my skinny toothpick arms you would realize that it's going to be a looooong journey for me! :lol: