Optimal Health Journey

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby Chile » Wed May 25, 2011 6:24 am

Getting overheated is serious business and can take a while to recover from. Try to stay out of the heat for a few days and then work to avoid getting overheated again. Sadly, once you've had heat exhaustion, you're often more sensitive to the heat in the future. (Both my DH and myself have had it.)

Ways to stay cool working outside:
Work EARLY before it gets hot.

Stop and rest frequently. This is the time to drink your water and possibly electrolyte replacement drinks (or diluted orange juice with a pinch of salt added). When you're sweating, you are losing electrolytes.

In drier climates, used evaporative cooling to your advantage. I often wear a dampened bandana around my neck. In dire situations (such as stuck on my bike in the heat), I've been known to stop at Starbucks for an ice water, drink half, and dump the other half over my head, soaking my shirt.

I've just purchased a cooling vest for gardening. We picked it up at a motorcycle shop. It's a quilted lightweight vest that is soaked in water for 5 minutes before wearing. Works quite nicely.

If you get overheated again, you might be able to cool off with a tepid or room temperature bath. Do not be tempted to take a cold bath as lowering your body temperature too rapidly also has consequences.

Lastly, I'd recommend you do some reading online on heat sickness, so you recognize the symptoms early on and get in more quickly. Finishing a project is never as important as taking care of yourself. (That's the lesson I learned this year!)

Hope this helps.
User avatar
Chile
 
Posts: 2742
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:56 pm

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Wed May 25, 2011 8:59 am

Thanks Chile. I will look it up and follow your suggestions.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby Chile » Wed May 25, 2011 2:56 pm

I'm also looking forward to when I can pick up some nice lightweight pants in my size (I shop almost exclusively at thrift stores...) because I've noticed my jeans make me overheat outside faster. Linen is supposed to breathe well, and of course the moder technical fabrics.

I hope I didn't scare you too much, StarchBeet. I'm really frustrated this year after getting overheated from one day of gardening in April. I still overheat much faster now, over a month later, than I used to. Kind of worries me since my home is in southern Arizona!
User avatar
Chile
 
Posts: 2742
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:56 pm

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Wed May 25, 2011 3:11 pm

I'm not sure if you scared me Chile, but feeling drained and hot is scary. I slept some today and I've eaten a little. I'm drinking a lot and just being still (very hard for me this Spring). I remember how AZ was the few times I visited my relatives in the 70 and 80's. The humidity has increased here in the swampish area I live in (Maryland), seems to me. I'm getting older and trying to get stronger but I don't know my limitations or how to respect them well. I hope you stay hydrated, covered and your gardening goes well this year, Chile.

I did have on lightweight and light colored clothes. I seriously over-worked without breaks and water. I also didn't turn on the AC and I am not used to the heat. I had my water and hat I just didn't use them or common sense. I tried to save my plants instead of realizing my limits.

B: bowl of cold oatmeal
L: bowl of stew

My arms are still tired and I don't feel like cutting anything.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Thu May 26, 2011 2:32 pm

B: 1/2 plate of potatoes
L: greens, cauliflower, cucumbers, mango, tomato with lime dressing and some boiled potatoes
D: Chinese greens, broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms, onions, etc stir fry with soba noodles

I'm feeling the energy return slowly.

I was outside about 6 am to give the plants a good drink. It's in the low 90's outside.

I'm enjoying reading http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/hap ... mpbel.html and a few other linked blogs.

I have to get a menu plan going for the weekend.

I got hungry tonight! I had to go make something. I haven't felt much like eating for two days. I had to go make dinner when a hunger hit me hard. It was a nice light stir fry with ginger, garlic and a little tamari.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Sat May 28, 2011 7:01 am

Friday:
B: Oatmeal with flax and few raisins and frozen cherries
L: greens, corn, peppers, garbanzos, carrots
D: Rice, leftover chinese stir-fry
S: rice and almond milk and frozen cherries

So even though I ate simpler and less this week I think the two to three days of sleeping and healing accounted for the surprising low loss of weight. I really thought I would lose more. So when I eat less my body immediately slows down but this week I was extremely still.

Getting back to early morning walk will keep my "quick-to-slow" metabolism working better. We are going bike riding tomorrow. I can't wait.

I'm reading MWL to keep my mind focused. I imagine my biggest reason for slower weight loss this last year has been my love of variety. So can I simplify my weeks menus and do variety once or twice a week? Potatoes and sweet potatoes seems to work fine for me. I love knowing all the variety is there. Especially the new greens and starches. I suppose that adds up to eating more. Bad habit! I somehow think the habit is based on trying to prove to the many nay-sayers around me that my "boring" eating lifestyle is no such thing. So now I can stop trying to convince them and enjoy a new dish once or twice a week. When I did McDougall in the 80's I remember that we'd eat leftovers for a few days too so I imagine our variety was restricted more then. I was younger too and losing 15 pounds a month wasn't even a challenge. I felt like cooking so much now to simply please those around me and bring them along. I think I was also trying to make sure I had enough around. Its getting easier to stay on task so now i'll rethink what I do.

I have to list my favorites and figure out how to simplify.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Mon May 30, 2011 9:54 am

Wow, it feels so great that my energy has returned. I've taken a walk every day this weekend. I made a great big salad with some potatoes and took that when I was out for the day. I feel like I can do things again. Three days of no energy was strange!

The garden and composting is moving along. It's time to meal plan, shop then work on a few household projects. Wow this house never stops with its projects. I need to protect the garden from the deer or those growing plants are going to be gone. Time for lists and doing what I can.

B: hash brown potatoes with kale (last three days)
L + D= lentil salad, south of the border salad and enchiladas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28585497@N ... 8242/show/


Sunday:
Lunch: large salad with potatoes
Dinner: sherried rice with chinese veggies

Saturday:
L: Ratatouille
D: sherried rice
S: cherry chocolate ice cream

I dunno when I made Rips cous cous with grilled tomatoes and vegies (I added some I had to use too) but I took a picture of it.
Last edited by StarchBeet on Tue May 31, 2011 10:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby Chile » Mon May 30, 2011 10:49 am

Glad you're feeling better! I know what you mean about the house projects. Just finished a big room organization yesterday but am now sitting in my office which looks like a bunch of wild monkeys played in here for a while.
User avatar
Chile
 
Posts: 2742
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:56 pm

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Tue May 31, 2011 3:43 pm

Thanks Chile. I hope you get ahead of those monkeys. I'm so many years behind I dunno when I'll catch up (two back surgeries put me years behind with keeping up with junk).

B: boiled potatoes, banana
L: potatoes, lentil salad and south of the border salad
D: more potatoes and salads

I found a bag of potatoes for .56 cents a pound. I have enough to live off for a while. I hope they out last my ability to eat them all.

I planted about 5 different flowers, a few herbs and some eggplant between the lettuce today. This heat wave should last all week.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:44 am

Its amazing how misinformation rolls in this country. Its a wonder we have a country. Maybe we don't.

I have my potatoes and salad. I have cool in the heat. I'll be content with that.

The plants are looking like they are enjoying the heat. The zucchini isn't that thick or green but it appears like some flowers are coming out. This experiment is fun. Watching the plants grow is interesting. I still haven't protected the boxes from the animals. It looks like a rabbit got into the corn. One is chewed.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby Chile » Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:01 pm

Yeah, the misinformation is prevalent and pervasive. I find it sad that so many people have bought into the Atkins/Paleo/high protein hype. Paleo seems to be the new hot thing among the "green" blogging community, which is even more sad since it is so much harder on the environment than a plant-based diet. I think it's partly just an excuse for them to feel good about raising their own animals and eggs.

Okay, off my soapbox. Enjoy your spuds!
User avatar
Chile
 
Posts: 2742
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:56 pm

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Thu Jun 02, 2011 4:40 am

Probably Chile. It's good to stand by your guns. I like feeling healthy. I like my soapbox too. We should use the soapbox in every town like some places do, so we can discuss things with our neighbors. Ok, past being silly.

I started getting tired last night and I went with the feeling. I think I was almost asleep by 10 but had to get up. I was in bed by then though. Guess that explains why I'm up at 6 am. This morning I feel that usual head fog when a rain front comes through but its worked itself loose of the vice grip it used to create and after I moved around some that seems to have lessened the pressure immensely. I don't think I'll need a migraine pill. I hope this is an example of things to come regarding my migraines. If I can get rid of my migraines by eating starch centered vegetarian foods then I will be sooooooooooooooooo happy. I have had them for 15 years and I'm ready to be done with them.

Time to feed the plants, peel some potatoes and eat.
So I fed the plants today which meant I leaned over and filled up a gallon container about 20 times. It wasn't 90 degrees (it was a perfect Spring day- about 78 degrees)but I think all the bending over gave me back my head ache. I took a migraine pill right after I cooked a plate of hash browns and kale.

I washed and boiled at least 5 pounds of red potatoes. Then my friend was here so she helped me peel and I made sweet potato fries also. I should have had her help me cut up cabbage since my stupid food processor broke but she doesn't slice thin like I prefer them. I will do that tonight maybe; same time I boil the beets (or should I ask about that raw grated salad??). Its supposed to go down to 50 degrees tonight :eek: . It was 100 yesterday!! Record breaking hi temps two days in a row!

Then I researched cucumbers and decided to trellis them. I found the tomato cages worked perfectly. They even hooked into the fence. So now I'll train the tendrils to climb up the cages. The wind has been blowing so hard today after this cool, wet front came through. I had to tie up the rest of the tomatoes. I have them all staked now. A few of the topsey turvey tomatoes had twisted but they didn't break. Now they are staked up so the wind doesn't crack them.

B: Plate of hash browns and kale
L: potatoes and finished the south of the border salad
S: small banana
D: sweet potato fries and cold boiled potatoes
S: bowl of cherries
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:30 am

It was a cool evening even though we had record heat for two days. I watered the plants and shivered. Its supposed to be in 80's today.

I'm perimenopausal and got my once-upon-a-time "monthly visitor" this month. That explains the migraine yesterday. I'm not as achy though. I feel as if my body is dealing with it in a healthier way. I probably would have lost a lot more weight if I didn't have hormones raging. I bet next week is going to be a bigger loss.

The garden is good. I figured out how to trellis the cucumbers. The lettuce is happy its cooled down.

B: bowl of potatoes.

I'm reading about "variety" in losing weight and I'm going to read about fasting.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Sun Jun 05, 2011 12:37 am

So I've downloaded and used cron O Meter a few times. I asked a friend to look into the app. Oh, I need to ask my son to do it too. A week before I read that Mary was redoing the old recipes from the I and II cookbooks I had been reading them too. Great minds think alike (hey I can dream can't I?). I will put up my picture of how closely I looked like Mary when I was on the McDougall diet a long time ago. You can judge for yourself how much I remind you of Mary. I have to scan it first though. I have all these scanners but no connector cables. Its always something not right with computers. Now I was considering the money angle. Lemme consider the days food.

Breakfast: 1/2 of hash browns 2.49/2=1.24, bit of kale 30 cents
Lunch: Potatoes, onions and kale (potatoes were .56 cents a pound). I forgot the onions. Bag of kale 1.89 (80 cents +2.40 potatoes + 1.90= 5.99
breakfast 1.54+ 12=13.54 for the day? I have to be off...hmm.

1.89 needs to be divided by entire dish..

.50 cents a serving..
So 1.20 and .50 and .25 or 1.95 for lunch and dinner

Total for the day is 4.65. Maybe lol

Dinner: more potatoes and kale. Oh shoot...I had two bowls of 4 bean salad. I think each can averages .80 cents. Divide by 1/3
1.30 plus a bit of onions and garlic, so another, so lets say 1.40.
1.40 and 4.65 is 6.05 for the day.

Maybe! This is late and Im just trying to think.

I remembered I had bowl of blueberries and two mini bananas. I don't know how much they were though.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:32 am

What a weekend. The weather was mostly Spring and just lovely.

I ate with fasting and monotony in mind. Saturday I made a pressure cooker of potatoes with Indian spices and threw in a bag of kale and let it cook a little. I ate the potatoes and kale all day Sunday. I feel another couple pounds lighter already.

I also finished that hormone period. Wow I am so glad that is over. I hope that's my final one. My knee hurt so much last night I had to take a analgesic in the middle of the night. It's slightly aching this morning.

I also went to the butterfly exhibit on Saturday. Wow it was a perfect time to see a large variety of gorgeous butterflies. The enclosure was too hot though and next thing I found myself over heated. Chile warned me that I'd be sensitive. Saturday evening my head wouldn't cool down well. I was uncomfortable most of Sat eve. But by Sunday morning I was better.

I am about to break into a new weight that I have not seen in so long. People are telling me I can't possible need to lose another 30 pounds. I guess when I'm my best weight they'll think I'm anorexic or something. But I have to get this all off so I can stay healthy.

This morning is about as glorious a morning as it gets. Wow what a beautiful day is on tap. It's almost time to make some breakfast potatoes and to clean some potatoes to boil or do something else to. I worked in the garden, fed the plants, mowed the grass and added it to the compost. Lovely age to learn to compost :crybaby:
.
I've decided to fast today, well I've skipped breakfast and there's not much hope of doing anything complicated. I could nuke a potato or cook hash browns. I wish I had leftovers :\ but I do have lettuce and a lot of it. Also carrots and beets. I could grate beets, carrots and put it on the lettuce. Oh I don't know if I can cut up the corn and put that into the composter or into the pile of leaf litter.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

PreviousNext

Return to My Daily Menus & Journals

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests



Welcome!

Sign up to receive our regular articles, recipes, and news about upcoming events.