health stuff

[orangerful]

Got my lab results back today and levels were "mildly above optimal" so I'm supposed to cut back on refined carbohydrates and saturated fats. And, of course, exercise more.

The good news is that we just bought a rowing machine with our Christmas cash so I am already exercising a bit more than I was when I went in for my check-up.

But the harder part will be cutting back on the refined carbs - we eat a lot of bread, rice, and pasta with dinner. Guess I need to start reading the labels more and make sure I'm getting whole grains. My biggest struggle will probably be breakfast because cereal tends to be my go-to. Any suggestions?

Comments

[shapinglight]

Erm...I used to eat cereal for breakfast, but then I got a yoghurt maker. Now, I have lovely, lovely home made yoghurt and fruit for breakfast.

Having said which, I hope you're not lactose intolerant?

[orangerful]

Oh I was doing that last year, maybe I should do that again! It wasn't home made yogurt but I did buy fruit and mix them together. My problem with yogurt is that it doesn't really fill me up, but I suppose if I put enough fruit in there, that would fix the problem haha

[shapinglight]

I usually chop a banana into mine and add some blueberries. Bananas are quite filling, I find.

[colls]

After I did Whole30 last year, I tend to have eggs for breakfast a lot. Or just leftovers (which my family thinks is weird, but I LOVE LEFTOVERS FOR BREAKFAST)

[orangerful]

I sometimes make eggs on my days off but on normal mornings, I tend to eat when I get to work which means oatmeal or bagel or pop-tarts...which would all get slashed from the list now lol. :) But eggs are good for my late days.

[stolenglimpse]

If you like cauliflower, there's a lot of recipes you can do with them and they are a nice substitute for a lot of things, too. I am just looking into that myself :)

[orangerful]

I've heard of this but haven't tried it! Guess i should hit pinterest up for recipes!

[yourlibrarian]

I agree with the suggestion of taking leftovers to work for breakfast, especially if there's any way to heat them up. It's quick and easy. You can also try boiling eggs on a Sunday night and then take those to work for the next few days. Or make some guacamole (your own version can leave out unhealthy extra ingredients) and have that with some whole grain/no-sugar crackers like triscuits. There's also carrots and hummus.

Try farro instead of rice, and whole wheat pasta. It increases fiber and lowers carbs. Reserve bread for sandwiches. (I've tried wraps but honestly they don't keep well and are more likely to fall apart).

[orangerful]

I do need to start working on make-ahead projects. If I had some foods ready to grab and go all week, I would probably behave myself more LOL.

[jerusha]

Steel cut oats are great. They're basically a blank canvas, and you can cook them in the crock pot overnight. I might be weird, but I also like cottage cheese. (I might be weird.) Greek yogurt is good, too.

[orangerful]

how did I forget about steel cut oats? I had a fling with them last year LOL I should totally go buy some more, mix them with some yogurt (though cottage cheese sounds good too!)

[jerusha]

I have been working out in the mornings, so protein has been key for breakfast. If you go with oats, I recommend protein add-ins, whatever that happens to be. I'm happier if breakfast has protein.

[orangerful]

soooooo what are "protein add ins"?

[jerusha]

Protein powders, which are hit or miss, nut butters or nut milks, actual nuts, that sort of thing. I had a moment this week where I didn't have enough protein and I was ready to cut a bitch until I did.

[orangerful]

I shall investigate this! Because one of my issues is that if I don't eat enough, I do tend to get hangry or I get the munchies and just binge on junk to fill up fast. So anything to pad the meal out a little bit so it last me until 1pm is good.

[thenewbuzwuzz]

I put seeds and sweet fruit in my porridges (such as bananas or soaked raisins).
But it's been a week. I hope you're well on your way to figuring breakfast out. <3

[orangerful]

That does sound yummy. What kind of seeds do you add? I found my bottle of chia seeds from my overnight oatmeal kick last year so I started adding that to my yogurt+granola+fruit mix in the morning.

[thenewbuzwuzz]

Sunflower, flax, and/or pumpkin. Chia are v. healthy, of course. Sometimes I splurge on pre-roasted seeds -- they make everything taste more decadent and filling. ^^ (It's possible to roast seeds right before using them, but I'm not great at it.)