Eat Smart , Eat Healthy …Time for Dinner!

Welcome to another edition of healthy eating...Today I am looking at Dinnertime some eat it in the middle of the day others in the evening…I am trying to show that if we eat healthily then losing weight is a bonus I am already being bombarded by all these apps and at what cost? I truly believe that if we really, really want a healthy body then the first place to look is to what we put in our mouths…

For me, too many people count calories and don’t count the chemicals in their food…

You will not hear or read a calorie on here …I also believe that we know what we are putting in our mouths…we just choose to not care I suppose if you are eating processed foods all day and every day you will be extremely lucky if your body doesn’t react…

Mine does…on the various times I overindulge.. but I enjoy what I eat…however, I am soon back to my normal way of eating and recently I have upped my exercise…because if we listen to our bodies it tells us…Simples really…

I hear little rumbles around the internet about Cravings…

Our taste buds are funny creatures but I do believe and it works for me that if you can abstain then the craving decreases and if you eat things which are not sweet then they change your taste buds I know mine have…

I actually picked up a bar of my favourite chocolate yesterday and put it back…I didn’t want it enough to drop it in my basket… I came out of that shop feeling really pleased with myself…

Is it to do with personalities? I don’t know much about that but have read various articles on addictive personalities…I am guessing I don’t have one… I have always had the capacity to just stop doing something…Mind over matter??? What do you think??

Or is it just habitual?

I think I err on the side of habitual… I stopped eating the biscuits and after a few weeks, I didn’t want them… Here is a short article which is very interesting…

http://theconversation.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-an-addictive-personality-heres-why-55275

What is it then? What are your thoughts?

Because I love food…I enjoy my meals… I eat curries and stir-fries…

I rarely snack … I eat 2 meals a day and sometimes 1or 2  snacks…

What am I enjoying this week for dinner…

I enjoyed a lovely Thai Green Curry and some steamed salmon trout..one of my absolute favourites and it will be my evening meal tonight.

salmon-steamed-Thai- coriander-chilli

Thai style steamed salmon with coriander and fish sauce, chilli and lime

Salmon Trout. Quick and easy to do and cooks while the rice is cooking…

Ingredients:

  • 180gm  Trout or Salmon fillet.

For the topping:

  • 1 spring onion finely chopped.
  • 2/3 stems Coriander chopped finely… I use the stem as well.
  • 1 red birds eye chilli finely chopped.
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce.
  • A cheek of lime.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Put fish on foil and spoon topping on. I reserve some of the toppings to add when serving. Seal foil and put in the oven on 180 for 10/15 mins until cooked.

Enjoy!

Last night hubby and the grandson had liver and onions…I don’t eat many potatoes I much prefer rice…  I had a portion of chilli in the freezer which was my evening meal with of course the mandatory sour cream and parmesan and a portion of vegetables as I cooked too many for the boys…

So as you can see I eat normal food..No diet food…I don’t take sugar in my tea or eat high-sugar processed snacks so I suppose the only sugar I consume on a regular basis is natural sugars…

As you know I advocate eating healthy balanced meals I don’t believe in cutting out food groups like meat, most fruits or pasta/rice/potatoes…I do believe we should avoid or eat little highly processed foods, and food with added sugars, we should choose good quality cooking oils, avoid excessive intake of high mercury fish like tuna…I was also shocked to read how Victoria Beckham on having a blood test had unusually high levels of mercury in her blood apparently dangerously high…to me that goes back to what I keep saying we need to apply moderation with most foods…

A balanced healthy diet should not cause any spikes in anything…Balance and moderation is the key to good health…

It has taken me a number of years to feel happy in my skin…so far said very quietly for my age I am healthy…I don’t exclude anything from my diet…I even enjoy a MacDonald’s Cheeseburger very, very occasionally…

For me, my eating regime is easy to follow and coupled with the 80/20 rule and intermittent fasting and exercise I am seeing results…

That hasn’t always been the case...At this moment I am the lightest I have been for a good few years …I have also accepted I will never be the weight I was when I married… More fat on a chip my husband used to say…haha

Life happened, it gets in the way, doesn’t it? I got married, and I had kids… I ate what they didn’t eat, I worked and shopped in my lunch hour and while queuing to pay eyed the strategically placed sweets by the till ( those stores) know how to tempt one don’t they? Not anymore as the UK have new laws for stores no sweets and goodies by the tills… then we have mums and friends who mean well…Just have one…That won’t hurt…it does when one turns into three…

box four doughnuts iced

I feel your pain I know what you have been through …

It ain’t easy and while I may make it appear to be …I have eaten my share of what I shouldn’t and moderation did not come into it…I am now older and wiser…haha…Believe what you will…But I have realised I need to cherish this body as it is the one and only one I have or will have…Better late than never…

And remember…Losing weight is not a sprint, it is a marathon and your mental and emotional attitude towards the project is a key factor in your successful weight loss.

What works for you??? What do you struggle with?? 

If you have enjoyed this post please leave a comment as any tips or comments I treasure… yesterday I was given a lovely recipe to try and as you all know I just love new recipes and to chat…Love Carol xx

40 thoughts on “Eat Smart , Eat Healthy …Time for Dinner!”

  1. Pingback: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…6th- 12th November 2022-Monday Musings, #Macaroni and Chickpea Bake , Health, Morbid Obesity, #Edible Roots…Grow your own Sea Holly and how to plan for those social Occasions… | Retired? No one told me!

  2. robbiesinspiration

    HI Carol, I am quite lucky I suppose, because I don’t have a sweet tooth. I never crave sweet things so I don’t feel a need to indulge in them. Michael struggles with his weigh. He is on a new eating plan and has lost 8 kilograms in 8 weeks which is great. He just needs to keep it up – no sweets and smaller quantities.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Michael is doing really well, Robbie I’m sure that is down to your influence as well as his determination… I’m like you I don’t crave sweet things but I do savoury foods cheese was one of my downfalls but I have that under control now… Plus have found healthier cheeses like feta that I really like… 😀

      Like

  3. amandaVN

    You are absolutely right on this one: ‘For me, too many people count calories and don’t count the chemicals in their food…’ Home cooked is just healthier and better. But then sometimes Convenience is King, due to our busy lives, and often that’s where all the trouble starts with careless eating and the like…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Of course it does but you can only do what you can and if you are aware and have the occasional convenience food so be it…nobodies perfect …I opt for 80/20 and enjoy what I eat no point in not doing that and being miserable as happy hormones are better for you-smile-

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

    This is a really common sense way of eating Carol, and most of all, it is doable. People go on really crazy diets and they lose a bit of weight, but then their body is deprived of so many of the things it needs, I think this is why they have cravings and give it all up.
    Yes, count the chemicals and not the calories.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Pingback: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…17th January-23rd January 2021…Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes… | Retired? No one told me!

  10. CarolCooks2 Post author

    I think it is whatever suits you, Norah…I fit my meals into an 8 hr window which can start whenever you wish it just means it brings forward the time I don’t eat after if that makes sense …but you can drink and as I said I have green tea and or coconut juice before my brunch and that is sometimes quite early it depends if Jays away and then I get up to sort Aston before he goes to school…I don’t get bogged down with times and stress out I just eat my two meals and times do vary depending on what I am doing..Have a great weekend, Norah xx

    Like

  12. koolkosherkitchen

    I totally agree with you, dear Carol, about chemicals in food. Sometimes I read ingredients on packaging and see the entire Mendeleev Table of Elements. Right now I am on a quest for dry fruit without chemical preservatives to make a compote (talking about a craving!). Your salmon recipe sounds delicious.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Are talking dried fruits or fresh fruit as I always make a compote from fresh fruit…I love salmon cooked that way so easy to do and cooks quickly Have a lovely week, Dolly Hugs xx

      Liked by 1 person

      1. koolkosherkitchen

        I make a compote of fresh fruit too, but in Russia fresh fruit were not obtainable during winter, so as we gathered fresh fruit during summer months, we conserved some, made jams of some, and the rest we sun-dried, like you would dry tomatoes. We used them in stews and with rice, but I mostly remember the taste of dried fruit compote, and for some reason I now have a craving for it.
        You too, have a wonderful remainder of the week, darling!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. CarolCooks2 Post author

        Ha…my hubby loves pickles also it must be a man thing…I mean I like them I just don’t eat them with everything or like hubby just when he goes to the fridge…xx

        Like

  13. Charlie DeSando

    We are doing South Beach – so no sugar, pasta, rice, bread – or all the white food.
    And no alcohol, at least the first two weeks.
    Moderation is the key for me. But I am like you – I love my food. I describe myself as a Professional eater and amateur chef. But you can eat very well on South Beach, The Med Diet and others that cut out bad carbs and don’t mind the good carbs.
    Good Luck!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I followed the South Beach Diet years ago, Charlie and if it suits you that’s good…I agree white food is not as good as if you eat the wholewheat or brown version however it is down to moderation.
      I think when we embark on an eating plan it is what suits us and our circumstances and if you cook from scratch like you that is a bonus…Have a lovely week and eat well, Charlie 🙂

      Like

  14. Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler)

    A little of what you fancy doesn’t hurt, the key – as you always say – is moderation. If I want a sweet thing like some vegan chocolate or fudge or whatever, I have it. I’m obviously doing something right since I’ve gone down a few clothing sizes in the past couple of years, and my Dad told me just the other day that he could see I’ve lost weight. More importantly than the actual weight, I’m healthy enough that I was able to go up and down the stairs a couple of times one after another and only be slightly out of breath, which is a huge improvement from how I used to be (used to be I’d get out of breath just going up once). Well, I certainly don’t completely go without sweets. I just have them in moderation, and try to eat at least reasonably healthily most of the time. I also make most things from scratch now, so if I want a cake or something I have to put in the effort to make it, but also will know exactly what’s in it. Cooking from scratch helps as regards cravings too, since you think more carefully about how much you want it if you’ll have to actually make it yourself, and often find you don’t want it that badly after all and go without.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Absolutely, Tori, you are on the right track…Well Done it is about how we feel and notice improvements in things like climbing stairs…Have a happy eating week and stay safe and well xx

      Like

  15. petespringerauthor

    I agree with so much of what you write, Carol. Since retirement (four years), I’ve done great until this last year. I wasn’t eating any processed foods, and I worked out 5-6 days per week. I knew the pounds would take care of themselves if I put the right things in my body. I gave up some bad habits like drinking soda and eating late at night. I did not go on a diet; I went on a lifestyle change.

    Since the pandemic started, I have put a few pounds back on, but I haven’t been as diligent about eating right if I’m honest with myself. I walk 3-4 miles per day, but I miss the gym, including the occasional swim. I like the social aspects as well and the variety of exercises I can’t do at home. That said, I’ve worked too damn hard to start giving it back. That isn’t happening!

    I also take pride in being self-disciplined. Just like you, I feel good about myself when I resist those sweet temptations. When I do have an off day (who doesn’t?), I make sure that I get back on the wagon the next day. It’s easy to slip back into bad habits.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Spot on, Pete it is very hard to deny yourself everything and I certainly didn’t over the festive season and as you know I have been baking bread and from not eating any bread I had gone to a daily slice to two especially when it comes fresh out of the oven…sigh. That has been cut back… at the moment I am doing a mainly fruit and yoghurt day then the next day I have rice at one meal and a small piece of it was Foccacia with my soup but extra walking and no snacks I feel better already…as you say it easier to get off the little extra than wait until its a marathon…anything with a waistband is a good guide for me… I also agree on the social side. Have a lovely week, Pete and take care 🙂 x

      Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      That’s a good way to drop the few pounds you have gained over the festive season rather than let it pile on and realise you have a lot more to lose which is why I am being stricter now as a little to lose is better than a lot as we know..

      Liked by 1 person

  17. beetleypete

    I rarely snack. Though Christmas presents do provide temptation in the form of Shortbread and Gingerbread cookies, I have been known to make them last until April. 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Norah,.. yes, I used to buy it in the UK also,.. I eat brunch between 11-1 and my evening meal about 6.30 to 7 pm… I drink green tea first thing and sometimes have fresh coconut juice during the morning.. I used to eat 3 meals when I worked but now its too much for me.. Xx

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Norah

        That’s interesting, Carol. Thanks for sharing. I do enjoy my breakfast. It would take a bit of training to eliminate it, but I guess it could be done, if I really wanted to.

        Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.