YOU MUST READ GREAT NEW NOVEL CALLED ALEX
Healthy weight-loss diet guide
Home grown
I take no medication at all and on 20 September is my 71st birthday. This is unusual in the western world mainly for the following reason. Almost inevitably when someone visits their doctor, they expect, and usually come away with, a script for medication of some kind. Once they are on the medication merry-go-round, next comes prescribed medication to lessen the side-effects of drug number one. And so it goes on. By the time many people are my age I know of many that take upwards of 15 different medications. (To those of you who suffer obesity, particularly heart disease and diabetes, I realise you may not live long without your medication. You have my sympathy).
Avoiding medication may sound like blasphemy to most older people, but I think I have a much better system of staying healthy and maintaining my weight, so I will give you a three stage guide to my eating habits. I don’t believe it’s just “luck” that I am able to maintain a healthy weight.
Eating for a healthy weight
A is for apples. The apple is a symbol of life, and of eating “right”. The old saying an “apple a day keeps the doctor away” has more than a seed of truth. Fruit is vitally important to healthy weight-loss as are vegetables.
In Australia there is a complete range of fruit and vegetables so…whatever takes your fancy!
Sorry if I am boring you. I am sure you have heard all about the value of fruit and vegetables for weight-loss many times before – so what are my other secrets to healthy eating?
Here is a few of my options.
B is for Breakfast the most important meal of the day.
Muesli, made with oats, nuts, dried fruit, psyllium, various seeds, fresh fruit, fruit juice and yoghurt. I have begun adding fresh ginger for zest, plus cinnamon and nutmeg, because I like their flavour and they have benefits. All of that in the one bowl,and it keeps me going for most or all of the morning. You can make your own muesli, anyway you want, keep it as natural and as fresh as possible.
On another morning, I may have eggs and toast, cooked in all the different ways. I never buy white bread. My choice is a wholegrain rye, or wholemeal wheat breads. Baked beans, mushrooms, can be added to the eggs – but never bacon or sausages (too many preservatives and other chemicals). Don’t forget parsley or any other herb that takes your fancy!
Lunch. Generally something light, sandwiches, salad with fish or cheese or leftovers from a previous meal. Occasionally I cook a quick meal of spinach and cheese on toast. Delicious! Send for the recipe.
Be willing to experiment. You may get a pleasant surprise if you try something new. Eat as many vegetables as you can handle, they are all non-fattening.
Dinner. A range of dishes come out of our kitchen, vegetables combined with either fish, free range chicken or wild red meat (to reduce the amount of dioxins and other pesticides and herbicides) , usually kangaroo fillet the leanest of red meats. (Note: kangaroo is now available in 55 countries, and readily obtainable in its native Australia. There are more than twice as many wild kangaroos in Australia than people. Harvesting of kangaroos is permitted on a quota basis that is reviewed annually, quite independent of any market demand).
Rice, noodles and pasta, with various salads, and fruit salads all take their place in my eating. Australia has adopted culinary dishes from over the world, and I am happy to try them, and adapt them to my choice of meats, vegetables and fruit. Stir fry, roast, bake, steam and barbecue are various options, as in any household.
Snacks. I love nuts. Cheese and rye bread. I avoid cookies, biscuits and cakes – they are TROUBLE for the weight-watcher!
Take-away food. Occasionally for convenience…my choice is grilled fish and fries (not many!), or subway.
If your staple diet is cooked take-away food, do yourself a favour and make a change, by eating more fruit and vegetables.
Last but not least:
The No-no Rule: C for Contamination
Avoid processed foods as you would the plague, especially those loaded with preservatives and other chemicals. This is more important than you might imagine.
Chemicals in food is a completely separate subject of its own, and governments the world over have much to answer for. Suffice it to say, that in today’s world, nobody can completely avoid harmful toxins in their food now known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)
What you can do is minimise your risk by being aware that they are there. Learn to look a the packaging for fat content and salt content, plus all the additives with their distinctive E numbers
Like me, and like it or not, you are eating and drinking poisons every day. Keep them to a minimum and you will stay much healthier. There should be no argument on this – all pollutants are detrimental to your well-being.
Pollutants in food SLOWLY POISON YOU, and unfortunately most of the foods that contain pollutants are also fattening.
My final warning sign “No Way!” for white sugar and white bread. Very unhealthy, very fattening.
Healthy weight-wise eating.