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 StarchBeet » Tue Mar 22, 2011 2:38 pm

I want to do something with fava beans. The first time I used them they were fresh and I was able to peel off the cover.

I have dried ones that need to be peeled today. I'll soak them for an hour in water I boil, then turn off, and see if I can get off the outside easy enough.

I'm thinking potatoes, spinach, carrots, celery beans...fingers crossed.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:50 pm

B: large plate of potatoes o'brien on plate of arugula topped with rest of the kale, ketchup
S: banana
L: large plate of jicama salad and colorful coleslaw; hour later kim chi soup
S: 12 rice crackers (ouch)
D: fava bean stew with potatoes, celery, carrots - forgot the spinach but I'll add it tomorrow.

More rain on the way; no walking. And it will only be 40's this week and in 30's on Sunday. Where is Spring? That low of 20 will burn those blossoms that are coming out. :cry:
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:46 pm

B: large plate of browned potatoes O'Brien
S: 1/4 c. mango smoothy, 10 rice/wheat poppers, 1/2 melon (small yellow)
L: bowl of fava bean stew with kale and spinach

rain on the way, cloudy day, and I'm feeling draining coming (the head starts to go light and I'm tired).

I need to eat the left-over Chinese Greens soup tonight.

I'm going to read, hang out with my daughter and relax.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:54 pm

It's been a week since I kept track online here with what I've been making and eating. Its been a fine week. The weekend was a feast of good stuff.

I made that roasted veggie salad with dill dressing. Oh my do I love golden beets.

I made some french lentil salad which was great too.

I made some black bean balls for the kids spaghetti while I made some tempeh with mushroom lager sauce.

I've been kicking up the greens and I feel the weight coming off.

Two days of rain/sleet/snow on the way and I have a slight panging in my head tonight.

Cheers to McDougalling :-P
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:13 pm

B: bowl of puffed grains with almond milk (cereal was too hard to eat); bowl of left-over curried potatoes, peas and spinach with red lentil dal and tomatoes
D: 3 plates throughout the day of brown rice with sauteed Chinese vegetables (mustards, yoi choy (?), bok choy, nappa cabbage, cabbage, green onions, chrysanthemum greens)
6 dates and 1/2 cup mixed almonds and pecans...
I so want to make peanut butter cookies and I only got as far as finding these nuts left over from Christmas.

I think it might be wiser to make the oatmeal cookies instead of the peanut butter cookies.

I don't have any meal plans for the rest of the week. I will make some potatoes, carrots, celery and fava beans in the pressure cooker tomorrow.

I will make a list of groceries after I find some recipes for the rest of the week. I will miss my potatoes obrien for breakfast. I could do what I just read on the blog here, microwave some potatoes and pan fry (no oil) for browning. I'm also out of kale or greens to eat with the potatoes.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:04 pm

Breakfast: Oatmeal with dates
S: handful of mini shredded wheats and two sweet potatoes roasted as french fries (wow they are great)
Brunch: fava beans with lentils, potatoes, carrots, celery

I realized there are less than 60 days till summer (51 days left) and if I'm interested in getting to my goal weight then I need to read some on sticking to maximum weight loss and plan accordingly.

Can I motivate myself to get where I want a little faster?

I'm going to read and get my mind in gear. I need to shop tomorrow too.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:00 pm

B: (no potatoes in freezer)Leftover fava beans, potatoes, carrots and vegies
S: sweet potatoes roasted in "french fry" shape - yum
L: 2 bowls fava beans and potatoes
D: 5 Rice cakes and pumpkin rice cake steamed (has black beans and raisins too)

I'm organizing a meal plan for the week so I can go shopping and focus on the maximum weight loss.

I'll have a lot of salads, greens, vegies with gains and fruits in limited amounts. If I can walk and stretch I'll be even more successful.
Last edited by StarchBeet on Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:13 pm, 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 pechke » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:43 pm

StarchBeet, you're doing great! I love reading your meals - they all sound very tasty.

You mentioned Kim Chi in your journal - did you make it or buy it? I buy it made at this little local korean grocery. It seems like they make it there and pack it up. I can eat that stuff on everything, esp. sauteed greens! I think it might be hefty in salt, though. Sigh!
pechke
 
Posts: 122
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:12 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:04 pm

Pechke--yes, the Korean market I visit has it made there. I don't make it. It may have too much sodium; I do add at least 3 more cups of water and tons of more greens to the Kim Chi Noodle Soup though. Its Mary's recipe..I know its in one of the newsletters. Thanks for the reminder to watch the sodium.

I just bought a rice cake at the Korean Market. I always ask any Asian picking something interesting up what they do with it. And this is called Pumpkin Rice cake. It has rice flour, water, kabocha pumpkin, black beans, raisin and salt. I steamed it and its very interesting. I've taken to the Asian markets I have locally because of the tons of variety of starches and greens

Thanks for commenting!

I found arugula on sale so I bought double the amount. I love feasting on arugula! I found a great page: http://www.foodsubs.com/Greensld.html#corn%20salad

Go GREEN!
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Sun Apr 03, 2011 4:07 pm

B: hash brown with kale on a plate of arugula
S: 3 rice bisquits
D: jicama, pear, strawberry salad, sweet potato sticks roasted

I'm trying to find a nice salad for the cucumbers and tomatoes. Maybe I'll just cut those and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:08 am

So today I'm reflecting on reading Jeff's guidelines on caloric density of foods, which is to help you stay focused on the healthier foods (for me they help me lose weight) or rather those you can eat abundantly because they typically have less calories per pound. By considering food in this way you can choose what you may need at any particular time. Thanks to Debbie for calling that to my attention.

So right now I'm reading about the diet within this lifestyle (since I'm really wishing I'd take off some more of this fat)the "mary mini"

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/july/marys2.htm

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/june/marys.htm

I"ll come back and journal (like a fool) once I've reflected more on what I need to do. I'm thinking this 70 degree weather- correction! it got to 88 degrees!!! (tomorrow it will be back in the 50's :crybaby: ) has something to do with my new found interest in getting more healthy.

I'm actually feeling human, almost close to human after stopping dairy and meats and fats; but I still somehow get bingy around nuts and the like. I've not gone totally mindless like I would in the past. Perhaps that's the biggest difference now. I'm more mindful of my environment and what I'm doing with it. I'm certainly very sensitive to the affects of what I put into my body.

I ordered Maximum Weight Loss by McDougalls'. I thought I had all the books!

B: jicama and strawberry salad
L: large plate of variety of greens topped with roasted asparagus, peppers and sweet potatoes.

I'm loving the Mary mini idea. I just figured out how to cook and enjoy beefsteak sweet potato fries too. I love the things. I bought a variety of foods so I'll make half of my day a Mary-mini and one meal more complex.

Tonight I'll eat French Lentil Salad for dinner.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:47 pm

B: Boiled red potatoes on plate of arugula with french lentil salad on top

Last night I made the french lentil salad again. I ate them on a plate of greens with watercress for dinner.

Yesterday I focused on sweet potatoes. I'll do that again tomorrow. For lunch today I'll have more potatoes on salad with greens and add some carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.

I need monotony and simplicity to follow the Mary's mini, but I bought some cool varieties I have to eat up. Tomorrow I'll make South of the Border salad to have with sweet potatoes. I may need to cook banana oat muffins on Wed or Thursday. My son will like that too.

Today's another rainy day (and much cooler than the 86 or 88 degrees yesterday-today its been 50's :shock: )and I don't feel like doing a lot.

No migraine today though I did wake up at 5 am with one and there was a tornado warning in affect and its was raining in sheets. I didn't take any meds and the headache did go away. :-P

Now I'll see what's going on with everyone else on the blog.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Wed Apr 06, 2011 12:42 pm

OH shoot, I thought i posted last night but I must not have hit the submit button.

I live in Maryland debbie. Isn't that strange that we've had similar weather?

Yes debbie, hearing jeff explain where our focus should be (according to our needs)helped me a lot in planning and choosing what to make. Like last night I made the South of the Border salad and ate that on greens with a couple potatoes. I didn't add the beans to the SOB salad and that took down the caloric density quite a bit. I love the south of the border salad.

B:sweet potato beefsteak fries
L: plate of greens with beets, green beans, sweet potatoes and south of the border salad
S: couple strawberries
D: Kim Chi Green Soup
Last edited by StarchBeet on Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:39 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 StarchBeet » Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:38 am

B: plate of arugula with South of the Border salad
L: bowl of boiled red potatoes; Kim Chi soup
D: Kim Chi Green Soup (mustard greens, boy choy, etc. added)
S: navel orange, strawberries

I woke up feeling like a cold might be coming on . My head is stuffed and I'm tired. It's not bad now that I'm up. I need to drink a lot of fluids today (radioactivity or no radioactivity).

I need to make colorful coleslaw today with radishes, red and green cabbage, grated carrots, thinly sliced red and yellow peppers and there might be another thing or two..like some kale I could add too. That's a lot of chopping without a processor. I need to do it before too long or I'll end up doing it very late.

I need to make some macaroni dishes tomorrow or tonight. I should make muffins too. My son loves those things.
Last edited by StarchBeet on Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Image
User avatar
StarchBeet
 
Posts: 905
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Optimal Health Journey

Postby StarchBeet » Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:06 pm

Friday

B: Oatmeal, flax seed ground and seeds, dates
L: sweet potato beefsteak fries and a plate of arugula and South of the border salad
D: Macaroni and Mock Cheese, Colorful Coleslaw

I was thinking what a busy and rainy day I had and how I have felt great; then relaxing before bed I get a stupid migraine.
I took something but still feeling discomfort and nagging pain.

I'll drink some water. Driving around also seems to have bothered the back of my right leg behind the knee where it feels like spasms.
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


cron

Welcome!

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