Healthy eating is too confusing!

[mom2scouts]

I know I really need to improve my diet. I am overweight, tired, and achy. I grew up with parents who fed us, and continue to have, one of the unhealthiest diets I've ever seen (high in fat, high in processed carbs, tons of sugar, regular fast food, almost no fruits or vegetables). Anyway, my diet is much better than what my parents eat, but probably still wouldn't be called healthy. My favorite foods are things like pizza, bread, and ice cream. I'm trying to plan meals for the fall and I'm stuck. First of all, I have two kids who are picky eaters and I always try to have at least one thing on the table that they like. My main problem, though, is that I don't know what food is really "healthy". Whenever this topic comes up, there's a chorus of voices saying, "Eat a plant based diet," or "Eat more protein and less carbs," or "Eat more (or less) often," or "Gluten free is the way to go" or "Juicing is best" and they all start contradicting each other. I get so frustrated that I just go have a bowl of ice cream (I'm an emotional eater too.) Has anyone here successfully changed their eating habits and had dramatic improvements in their health? I need to hear your stories.

[J-rap]

Instead of going on one of the extreme diets right off the bat (whether vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, etc.), I'd first try the "Everything in moderation" philosophy.

 

Go ahead and eat pizza for dinner sometimes, but make sure to serve a side of broccoli with it (for example). If you're going to have ice cream for dessert, at least eat a balanced meal first, and maybe cut the ice cream in half. If your kids are picky eaters and only eat broccoli and carrots for vegetables, then make sure to serve broccoli or carrots frequently. Things like that.

 

I think one of the things that helps most of all is to not have lots of unhealthy snacks around the house. If you don't have them, you're not tempted to eat them. But you don't want to go hungry either. Just make sure to have healthy snacks around for when you feel like munching. And try and get in the habit of drinking water instead of pop or juice. (A little juice is okay, but I think people tend to go overboard with it.)

[Just Kate]

Like you, I grew up eating a not-so-healthy diet and I often get confused over what is healthy and what is not. I was a vegetarian for many years and was also very unhealthy during that time. I also tried a full-on low carb diet and while I enjoyed the weight loss, I knew it was not something I could continue for the rest of my life. 

 

I recently found the book Trim Healthy Mama and have just started following this way of eating. The basic premise is that you cut sugar out of your diet and plan your meals around having a protein and then one type of fuel - either fat or carbs. Many of my meals are low-carb and high fat, which I like. But I can also incorporate meals that are low fat yet have carbs (not a ton of carbs). This really keeps the nasty, bad for you, processed foods out of your diet. However, they do provide ways to have favorite foods (i.e. using cauliflower in place of potatoes, using stevia to make yummy desserts, etc.). What I like best about the book is that it is very long and gives the science behind this way of eating. They also have a closed Facebook group that is very informative.

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have specific questions.

[~Amanda~]

I recommend http://gokaleo.com/

[Jean in Newcastle]

Unfortunately I can't tell you that cleaning up your diet automatically equals dramatic improvement in health.  I grew up eating 50's/60's food.  Half of my siblings still eat 50's/60's food (ie. highly processed).  The other half eat fairly healthily.  I eat uber-healthy compared to them.  I've got auto-immune problems that have not gotten dramatically better.  But if I eat worse (which happens occasionally at camp etc.) then my health gets worse.  So there are benefits.  It just hasn't been a cure all for me.  

[jeninok]

For us, eating healthy simply means eating things that are pretty close to their original form, or that I made from scratch so I know what is in them.  

 

So oatmeal means steel cut oats, with an apple diced up in them and some cinnamon and honey rather than the pre packaged chemical laden instant apple cinnamon oats. This morning I made 20 breakfast burritos, with turkey sausage, eggs, potatoes onions, tomatoes, and cheese and put them in my freezer. It was way cheaper than buying the premade frozen ones, and they are made with fresh healthier ingredients. 

 

[Liz CA]

I want to encourage you to make small, incremental changes. I think we can retrain our taste buds and preferences. I have slowly but steadily changed our diet drastically - often not so much the actual type of food but the way I prepare it or the difference in making it from scratch versus buying canned or otherwise premade.

 

My dh is a stubborn mule when it comes to food but now even he eats quinoa. Years ago, we didn't know how to pronounce it or what is was. If you can start buying at a Farmer's Market (seems to be the right time of year right now), you can probably get a boatload of good veggies and fruits. If you are at a loss as to how to prepare it, google or check with allrecipes.com.

 

There are some veggies we like prepared only a certain way. It took a bit of trial and error to find palatable ways of preparing healthy foods.

[Wilma]

There are a couple of things (well, a lot, really) that we can all agree aren't good for us. White bread and other highly refined grains. Sugar. Anybody dispute those?

 

And there are lots of things we know are good for us. Carrots. Broccoli. Spinach. Kale. Asparagus. Water.

 

So if somebody is serious about making a change, remove the obviously bad stuff, add lots of the obviously good stuff and do what you want with the rest. It's totally possible that some folks' bodies respond better to vegan eating, and others thrive on a paleo diet, but both your vegans and your paleo folks will have common ground with those basics.

[Joyofsixreboot]

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.†
― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

 

Simple and to the point.  Basically eat as close to the way nature gave you the food as you can.  Cooked broccoli is pretty close to nature.  Some breaded, cheesy packaged broccoli casserole is not.  It takes time to switch to this if you are used to packaged foods.  We started small~no juice just the fruit it came from.  No bread but wheat berries, steel cut oats, brown rice are a go for us.  Lean meats not prepared nuggets, patties,  or on a stick meats.  This is still a work in progress here since I'm fighting kid peer pressure.  I hope for 80% real foods and ignore their forays into fast food with friends.

[Rosie_0801]

I think you'll find it easier if you pick one thing to focus on at a time. Once that becomes habit, you can pick something else.

 

My recommendation is to eat more salad! Learn to make home made salad dressings (rather than using sugary shop bought stuff) and start serving a salad with dinner every night. 

 

I've never heard of anyone who doesn't think salad is healthy, even if they don't like them, and they will help train your tastebuds.

 

I cannot possibly be happy unless I have at least six kinds of oil and vinegar in my cupboard. :D

[jeninok]

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.†

― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

 

Simple and to the point.  Basically eat as close to the way nature gave you the food as you can.  Cooked broccoli is pretty close to nature.  Some breaded, cheesy packaged broccoli casserole is not.  It takes time to switch to this if you are used to packaged foods.  We started small~no juice just the fruit it came from.  No bread but wheat berries, steel cut oats, brown rice are a go for us.  Lean meats not prepared nuggets, patties,  or on a stick meats.  This is still a work in progress here since I'm fighting kid peer pressure.  I hope for 80% real foods and ignore their forays into fast food with friends.

 

 

This is my mantra..........eat food, mostly plants. 

 

Food is not some chemical slurry with an ingredient list that takes up one side of the box, it is fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, oils, vinegars, etc. All combined with spiced in nearly infinite possibilities. 

 

It really helps us eat better if I take the time to do a bunch of prep work all at once, and to fix up a bunch of healthy salads or mixes at once to eat on through the week. 

[jeninok]

I agree with this, but salad makes me so frustrated sometimes.  Getting fresh produce during certain times of the year is so difficult.  Then there is all the prep.  I throw out more than I eat.  I like salad.  If I could shop every other day and get fresh stuff it would be better.  That just isn't practical though.

 

I've bought local lettuce that was wilted and dead the day after I took it home.  I don't know what I'm doing wrong!

 I buy that lettuce that is still has a rootball, I think it is hydroponic.  It lasts for a good week in the fridge. 

[kbutton]

For us, eating healthy simply means eating things that are pretty close to their original form, or that I made from scratch so I know what is in them.  

 

So oatmeal means steel cut oats, with an apple diced up in them and some cinnamon and honey rather than the pre packaged chemical laden instant apple cinnamon oats. This morning I made 20 breakfast burritos, with turkey sausage, eggs, potatoes onions, tomatoes, and cheese and put them in my freezer. It was way cheaper than buying the premade frozen ones, and they are made with fresh healthier ingredients. 

 

Yes! The closer to the original, the better. And if you are eating animals, those animals should be eating their natural diet also (like grass for beef).

 

I also think that mindset is a big deal--every step in the right direction, even if it is not a big one or the best choice, makes me feel like I am a little bit closer to the goal and that the next day it will be even easier.

 

FWIW, carbs cause all kinds of inflammation in my body, esp. sugar (and I cannot eat gluten at all). Also, it's not uncommon for folks to be deficient in some nutrients that help fight inflammation, like omega 3's. I take a fish oil supplement, a probiotic, a good quality multivitamin, and a B vitamin complex. If I am having allergy or cold symptoms, I add additional Vitamin C and Zinc. I get these from Shaklee, but you can find good ones at a health food store also. If I do not take them, I eventually start to notice. When I do notice, inflammation gets bad quite quickly, and my allergies/asthma start going crazy. It's really worth my effort.

[jeninok]

So how do you get the pre prepped salad to stay tasty for a week?  My salads never last that wrong.  Do you have storage tips?  I won't eat salad that is wilted and slimy.  KWIM?

 

If I could prep stuff for a week, wowsers I'd have no issues.  I can't seem to make that work.

 

 

I make stuff like Broccoli salad  or healthy versions of coleslaw up ahead of time and they stay good for most of the week, or just chop all the veggies and put them into individual containers in the fridge so I can pull them out to toss in a salad or cook with dinner.  

[regentrude]

So how do you get the pre prepped salad to stay tasty for a week?  My salads never last that wrong.  Do you have storage tips?  I won't eat salad that is wilted and slimy.  KWIM?

 

If I could prep stuff for a week, wowsers I'd have no issues.  I can't seem to make that work.

 

Do you *really* need that much time to prep a salad? It takes five minutes to wash some greens, rip them up, cut some tomato and cuke and peppers and throw it together - why would I make that a week in advance?

[kbutton]

I keep my salad in the salad spinner after draining the water out--it works like a crisper. If it's not fresh when you buy it, it probably won't help a lot. If you don't have one, wash your lettuce and then take it outside and swing it around in a clean pillowcase to drain the water off. Roll it up into paper towels, and then keep it in a mostly closed plastic bag or container.

 

I haven't tried this for all veggies, but it has worked for what I've tried it on...wash all veggies and fruit in a solution of white vinegar and water. It's supposed to keep longer without browning. I've read that you can even cut cauliflower up and have it not go brown when you do this. I've used this method on pears and sweet potatoes that were questionable, and it worked really well.

 

[jeninok]

Do you *really* need that much time to prep a salad? It takes five minutes to wash some greens, rip them up, cut some tomato and cuke and peppers and throw it together - why would I make that a week in advance?

 

 

The whole point was that at my house, eating healthier is easier when I do prep work ahead of time, meaning I chop a whole mess of veggies ahead of time, so that they are ready to go for whatever, then all I have to do is pull them out and toss them together.  

 

Green salad obviously doesn't last a week pre-made, but some other "salads" can.   

[chaya]

*sigh*

I don't have the energy to talk about this.  It is not that simple.  I'm not talking...kid just is a bit picky (like many kids are).  I mean kid throws up on the table after eating, kid cries, kid rolls on the floor, and kid starves himself.  I couldn't live like that.  So he learned to prepare food at a very young age. 

 

yes, we have some like that too.

 

controlling what I bring into the house and teaching the kids to be independant in the kitchen helps.

[Rosie_0801]

I still make salad regularly.  I was just hoping to find a way to make it less annoying.  Hehe  No magical answer I guess!

 

If greens are the trouble, can you grow your own in a tray by a window? 

 

 

 

Ever thought of testing your kid for retained primitive reflexes? My boy's fussiness has reduced as we've reduced the reflexes. Just tossing it out there in case it is a new idea.  :grouphug:

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Um, some of you with picky eaters.... my kids eat what I serve or they don't eat. They sit at the table. When they were preschoolers, they HAD to eat a little bit of everything. ( Don't have to clean plate. I'm talking eating 2 green beans.) If they didn't then they got served it for breakfast. If they didn't eat it then, they got it served for lunch. 2 out of the 3 had to eat something for breakfast and that was all it took. One child went for 24 hours before he ate the 2 green beans. That kid now loves all veggies that were ever made and eats tons of them...

 

That said, now that they are teenagers there are certain foods that each one doesn't like. I don't require them to eat them anymore, but I don't fix them anything else either. They may fix a healthy alternative themselves if they so desire. ( One kid doesn't really like salad and might warm up some leftover veggies. Another doesn't really like beans.)

 

But when they were little, they had to try it all... I can't tell you how many times they would be screaming that they didn't like something only to determine they actually did when they really tried it.

*Making* them eat it means they're "normal" picky. Some of us have kids so picky they've been on supplements (nasty stuff that they prefer over food), to feeding clinics, and lose too much weight to mess around with.

 

I wish ds would only go 24 hours without food. He gets to the point where he'll refuse ice cream and candy.

 

Ds WAS an awesome eater, until he wasn't. No idea what happened, he just stopped eating. We cycled over the years and he's now much more normal with eating. I can require a nibble of something. A year ago, that was an unfair expectation of him, and 2 years ago he would have vomited at the sight of certain foods in the house.

 

I don't know if this is his new normal or part of a cycle, but food is good right now.

[Joyofsixreboot]

*sigh*

I don't have the energy to talk about this.  It is not that simple.  I'm not talking...kid just is a bit picky (like many kids are).  I mean kid throws up on the table after eating, kid cries, kid rolls on the floor, and kid starves himself.  I couldn't live like that.  So he learned to prepare food at a very young age. 

Let's also not discuss picky husbands....I believe he is Wendy's kid grown up.  

[Laura Corin]

Another easy way to think about it is to shop around the edge of the supermarket.  Most supermarkets seem to be set up with the fresh produce and refrigerated meats/dairy around the edge.  Then you can start to refine this by (for example) buying unsweetened yoghurt or buying less processed cheese, but already you have made a start.  I do dive into the middle for things like rice and dried beans (and we do eat things like biscuits/cookies in moderation) but the vast majority of what we eat is cooked from scratch from single ingredients.

 

About keeping green things fresh: when I buy veggies etc, I automatically eat them over the week in 'format' order.  First salad, next anything with flowers or leaves (broccoli, cauli, loose leaves), then the bean family, then things like tight-head cabbages, finally root vegetables.  The latter will last up to a month in the fridge, so buying veg for a week including them is not hard.

 

L

[mom2scouts]

Thanks for all the replies. One of the problems is that my husband took over grocery shopping when I started homeschooling. For some reason, he's always liked to go to the grocery store even if I shopped weekly, so I gave him the job. He's very thin and healthy and brings home too many tempting things. I'm slowly getting him to make some changes because I'm the one who's home all day with the snacks!

 

Cutting up vegetables and making more healthy meals in advance is good advice. That might prevent some quick processed foods or fast food stops. I think I'll pick one or two small steps to work on in the next few weeks.

[Parrothead]

What I've found that we do here.

 

The stuff that is good for you-

lean meats,

veggies,

fruit,

nuts,

seeds,

herbs,

spices,

eggs,

Legumes,

whole grains

 

Things that may be okay but there is debate -

dairy,

stevia

 

Things okay in moderation -

olive oil for non cooked items such as salad dressing,

grape seed oil for cooking

 

Things that are bad for you -

sugar,

White flour and things made with white flour such as pasta and bread*,

Processed foods - especially those things that one would not recognize as food if the ingredients were separated. Organic pasta sauce is probably okay once in a while. The stuff in the packet that makes Mac & cheese is not.

Commercial yogurt - you might as well have the dark chocolate bar as it is probably better for you and has less sugar.

Pretty much anything else left in the grocery store that is labeled food.

 

If you've only known processed foods learning to cook with stuff from the list of good for you is going to be a slight challenge. But nothing that is difficult or impossible to over come. When I was growing up we were given cold cereal for breakfast, sandwich, chips and fruit cup for lunch, and meat, potato and canned veg for dinner. If we didn't eat that meal every day it was because we had McDonald's instead for dinner for lunch or it was a holiday such as Christmas or thanksgiving.

 

You can start small and expand your abilities over a year or more. Always expect to fall back into the old ways and realize that it is more expensive to eat whole foods.

 

You can trade in cold cereal for steel cut oats. Scrambled eggs take only slightly more time than cold cereal. Keep cut veggie on hand for snacks. Cook enough dinner to have left overs. It does get easier once you learn how.

 

Good luck.

 

*this doesn't mean you have to leave bread behind. Just white bread. Over the course of a few years I was able to move my dh from white wonder bread to oat bread, to whole grain to sprouted grain bread.

[regentrude]

Cook enough dinner to have left overs. It does get easier once you learn how.

 

Oh, do tell me how.

I have a teenage son. I don't have pots big enough to have leftovers.

[Parrothead]

Oh, do tell me how.

I have a teenage son. I don't have pots big enough to have leftovers.

Oh, yeah. I remember those days. My brother's need for fuel was the reason I graduated high school at 5'7" and 103 pounds. There was never enough food no matter where my mom tried to hide it.

[Spy Car]

Broccoli salad sounds really good.  Do you have a recipe?

 

What works nicely is to use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer of the stalk, then instead of "chopping" the broccoli, is to excise each flowerlet by cutting in at a v-shape on both sides, and progressively working ones way in. This way you get a bunch of what look like "little trees."

 

It sounds like fancy knife-work, but really isn't hard (a sharp knife helps) and the result is so much more elegant and pleasing than "chopping" (which is crude).

 

Then––and this is important—before you start your prep, get a big pot of salted water set to the boil. When boiling, flash cook the trimmed up broccoli. Do not over cook!!!

 

Then plunge the al dente broccoli into a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking (and set the color). Then drain well (make sure the water is out of the flower-heads.  The broccoli should be a vibrant green color and still have some crispness. Then incorporate into a salad, and dress.

 

Delicious!

 

The technique makes all the difference.

 

Bill

[HRAAB]

Um, some of you with picky eaters....  my kids eat what I serve or they don't eat.  They sit at the table.  When they were preschoolers, they HAD to eat a little bit of everything. ( Don't have to clean plate.  I'm talking eating 2 green beans.) If they didn't then they got served it for breakfast.  If they didn't eat it then, they got it served for lunch.  2 out of the 3 had to eat something for breakfast and that was all it took.  One child went for 24 hours before he ate the 2 green beans.  That kid now loves all veggies that were ever made and eats tons of them... 

 

That said, now that they are teenagers there are certain foods that each one doesn't like.  I don't require them to eat them anymore, but I don't fix them anything else either.  They may fix a healthy alternative themselves if they so desire.  ( One kid doesn't really like salad and might warm up some leftover veggies.  Another doesn't really like beans.)

 

But when they were little, they had to try it all...  I can't tell you how many times they would be screaming that they didn't like something only to determine they actually did when they really tried it.

 

I never made my kids eat what they didn't like.  There were no rules about what they had to try or eat off their plate.  Today, there are very, very few things they don't like.  My oldest still refuses to eat mushrooms, my second oldest doesn't like American cheese, and one of the younger ones wants her spinach raw.  Other than that, I can't even think of anything.  Plus I never had tears or screaming at the table.

 

Just to say, there's more than one way to raise a diverse eater.

[HRAAB]

Things okay in moderation -

olive oil for non cooked items such as salad dressing,

grape seed oil for cooking

 

 

 

Recently I've been hearing from people who won't use olive oil.  I cook with olive all the time (or butter or coconut oil).  I do use olive oil in all our salad dressings, too.  Grape seed oil is so expensive.

 

I'm almost afraid to look into the olive oil issue.  I think I'm eating healthy, then something new comes out and guess what?  Something I thought was healthy wasn't.

 

It can be so frustrating trying to eat healthy in this information age.

[Parrothead]

Recently I've been hearing from people who won't use olive oil. I cook with olive all the time (or butter or coconut oil). I do use olive oil in all our salad dressings, too. Grape seed oil is so expensive.

 

I'm almost afraid to look into the olive oil issue. I think I'm eating healthy, then something new comes out and guess what? Something I thought was healthy wasn't.

 

It can be so frustrating trying to eat healthy in this information age.

The main thing I've read is that olive oil does not do well at high temps.

 

Maybe check your local organic/ health food store. I can get organic grape seed oil for the same price as EVOO. Both are still twice the price of canola oil but it forces one to use either sparingly.

[Carrie12345]

Slight tangent -

 

There's no actual *banned* food in my house. But one of the greatest changes I've made is to rarely (like, seriously *rarely) bring junk food into the house. Treats are often allowed, but require baking and washing the dishes from them. I can't tell you how often the craving goes away after considering the effort first, lol.

 

The more "stems/programs/diets" you research, the harder it is to decide what's what. K.I.S.S. And, if there are no medical reasons to eliminate XY or Z, have XY or Z every once in a while. I try to meet my standards of "healthy" 90% of the time so I don't feel like a crazy person when my family eats garbage 10% of the time.

[Spy Car]

Recently I've been hearing from people who won't use olive oil.  I cook with olive all the time (or butter or coconut oil).  I do use olive oil in all our salad dressings, too.  Grape seed oil is so expensive.

 

I'm almost afraid to look into the olive oil issue.  I think I'm eating healthy, then something new comes out and guess what?  Something I thought was healthy wasn't.

 

It can be so frustrating trying to eat healthy in this information age.

 

Olive Oil (EVO) is good for you. Grape-seed Oil is not.

 

It is true than EVO has a relatively low smoke-point (so you do not want to use it for high heat cooking) but the "smoke-point" of oils causes much confusion. Canola and Grape-seed have high "smoke-points," but they get unstable ((and unhealthful) way before they hit the smoke point. Try cleaning a pot that has had Grape-seed oil (or Canola) that has been heated to the point where it forms polymerized "gunk" on the pan. What a chore!

 

EVO is very healthful. if you need to crank the heat for something like stir-fry Peanut oil is good. Grape-seed and Canola are best avoided.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

Oh dear.  That I did not know.  I used grape seed oil last week to fry zucchini cakes and now my pan is gunked. 

 

Wait...I thought you went to Culinary School ;)

 

In all seriousness, Grape-seed oil (and Canola) form polymerized "gunk" really easily. I can't believe this is something we want to consume.

 

I remember the first time Mrs Spy Car made pop-corn in an All Clad Pan she generally uses (because she heard Grape-seed Oil is "good" for you) and what a job I had removing the polymerized film. It took Barkeepers Friend, very fine steel-wool, and intense scrubbing in the end to get the pan clean.

 

I tossed the oil. 

 

Bill

[Nestof3]

Yes, ease into it. My GF, nearly grain-free, nearly paleo eating came after years of pretty good eating. I hadn't had fast food in a couple of years. I was already eating small portions of pasta when we would have it, favoring a large side salad.

 

When going from what I would consider an average American diet (based on carts I see in the grocery store), I think you set yourself up for failure when you go extreme.

 

Set a few goals. Then slowly add more. An example would be to have ice cream sundaes on Sunday only. Maybe have a healthier fruit bar other days of the week of a low-sugar fruit dessert (like a berry crisp).

 

If you've been drinking soda regularly, drink only on certain occasions. Maybe on a weekly date night or pizza night.

 

Add one fruit or vegetable to every meal or snack you eat. Instead of just oatmeal, make a smaller serving and add blueberries and a few almonds. Instead of cheese and crackers, have an apple and cheese or celery and peanut butter. Have at least two veggie sides with every dinner or incorporate a variety into your dinner by eating a large salad or sauté. Steam fresh broccoli instead of buying the kind with cheese sauce. Add a sprinkling of Parmesan and almonds on green beans. If you eat a sandwich, omit the cheese and add thin avocado slices, romaine, tomato.

 

Grill marinated chicken breasts instead of frying chicken. Use chicken broth to flavor (can add to veggie sauté). Grilled kebabs taste great, and zucchini, tomatoes and onion taste great grilled. If you have steak, serve with lots of sautéed onions and mushrooms. Instead of scrambled eggs, have a scrambled omelette -- toss in all sorts of veggies chopped small.

 

I also like to use Pinterest as a visual encouraging board for me. I save quotes, photos, etc. and look at for a few seconds to keep me motivated.

[busymama7]

I haven't read the replies so I apologize if this is a repeat. I have also been overwhelmed and confused with the amount of info out there regarding nutrition. Just last month I read Trim Healthy Mama and I finally feel like it has all come together. It makes the most sense, is balanced and feels right to me. My health has improved in just one month and I've lost ten pounds which is nothing short of miraculous for me when I'm nursing a baby.

[HRAAB]

This reminds me of something I read here about seasoning cast iron.  Maybe it was Bill, but whoever it was recommended flax seed oil, I think.  I haven't seasoned mine for ages, and I might have used crisco at that time.  My sweet dd sort of made a mess of one of my favorite skillets, and I need to season it again.  I've sort of been holding off since all I have is olive oil (no good) and coconut oil.  Is it flax seed oil?

[Spy Car]

This reminds me of something I read here about seasoning cast iron.  Maybe it was Bill, but whoever it was recommended flax seed oil, I think.  I haven't seasoned mine for ages, and I might have used crisco at that time.  My sweet dd sort of made a mess of one of my favorite skillets, and I need to season it again.  I've sort of been holding off since all I have is olive oil (no good) and coconut oil.  Is it flax seed oil?

 

Yes, Flax seed oil.

 

Ironically—given that I've been ranting about oils polymerizing ( :p) Flax Seed oil is great (as a sealing/seasoning agent) because it polymerizes so well with cast-iron and makes a great finish.

 

You just would not want to "cook" with Flax-seed Oil. 

 

Bill

 

ETA: I season with Flax seed outdoors ONLY, the smoke (and the smoke point lt is very low) really bothers me (and I think can't be healthful) but one treatment or two usually does it.

[HSMom2One]

Like you, I grew up eating a not-so-healthy diet and I often get confused over what is healthy and what is not. I was a vegetarian for many years and was also very unhealthy during that time. I also tried a full-on low carb diet and while I enjoyed the weight loss, I knew it was not something I could continue for the rest of my life. 

 

I recently found the book Trim Healthy Mama and have just started following this way of eating. The basic premise is that you cut sugar out of your diet and plan your meals around having a protein and then one type of fuel - either fat or carbs. Many of my meals are low-carb and high fat, which I like. But I can also incorporate meals that are low fat yet have carbs (not a ton of carbs). This really keeps the nasty, bad for you, processed foods out of your diet. However, they do provide ways to have favorite foods (i.e. using cauliflower in place of potatoes, using stevia to make yummy desserts, etc.). What I like best about the book is that it is very long and gives the science behind this way of eating. They also have a closed Facebook group that is very informative.

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have specific questions.

 

Thank you for suggesting this book, JustKate! I just perused it over on Amazon and am thrilled. It's a little spendy, but if it helps one gain health then it will pay for itself in no time.

 

I'm like the OP in that I know I need to improve my lifestyle, but haven't been able to sort through all the plans that are out there. I've already made some very positive changes to what I eat, but there is certainly room to grow. I rarely eat junk food, drink sodas once in a blue moon, don't smoke, and I do eat whole grains and less white bread and pasta. Yet I am challenged to stay consistent on the consumption of sugar and carbohydrates. I have no desire to give up meat and eggs, so going vegan is out of the question. I like the idea of Trim Healthy Mama's way of eating because it seems very balanced.

 

And isn't balance really the bottom line?

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

[Faline]

Another Trim Healthy Mama fan here. I hesitated, but for me it's really been worth the money. They don't just tell you to eat

healthy, they also explain the science behind their plan. It made sense to me. I love bread, have a sweet tooth and no desire to

live without desserts.I'm so am happy to have THM healthy but tasty alternatives. I actually think I'll be able to make this a way of life. I also lost 10 pounds in the first few weeks. I will say though that eating on their plan was a steep learning curve for me and I'm *still* learning, a month into it.