This is Day 10 of the 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge held in Jan 2015 where we work on improving our diet and fitness for 14 days. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hi everyone!! :D It’s now Day 10 of our 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge. Only four days left before the challenge ends, so if you haven’t been joining us in the comment threads, now’s the time to do so! Once this challenge ends, the comment sections will no longer be active since the posts will be archived. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to engage with other like-minded participants (fufu, Vicki, Swann, Lina, Maryna, AvocadoRulz, Maria, Glenn, Miss Elf, myself, etc.) and work together on your health and fitness; the last time I conducted the Healthy Living Challenge was three years ago, and I don’t foresee a new run of the challenge for the next two years at least.
Now, let’s get started, shall we? :D
Challenge Tasks to Date
- Announcement and signup page: Join 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge!
- Day 0: Create Your 14-Day Healthy Living Plan | Comments
- Day 1: Drink 8 Glasses of Water | Comments
- Day 2: Eat 5 Servings of Fruits & Vegetables | Comments
- Day 3: Create Your Calorie List | Comments
- Day 4: Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure | Comments
- Day 5: Create Your Ideal Meal Plan | Comments
- Day 6: Follow Your Ideal Meal Plan! | Comments
- Day 7: Review & Set Your Plan for Week 2! | Comments
- Day 8: Get a Great Workout! | Comments
- Day 9: Identify Your Healthy Living Pitfalls | Comments
My Day 9 in Pictures
Here’s a recap of my Day 9 in pictures:
First meal for the day: Veggie patty wrap and grapes. I left home 45 minutes earlier today to take away food (in light of yesterday’s lesson), but Subway ran out of bread so I had to get the wrap in the end! -_- Better than nothing though; tomorrow will be better!
Mid-day meal: Salad (lettuce, pineapple, mushroom, sesame seeds, cucumber, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits), dragon fruit, and ginger tea! :D
Curry pumpkin soup with bread. My first time having this soup I think; it’s surprisingly good! (Ate a small piece of bread with peanut butter later in the day, though not in picture.)
I felt surprisingly full today despite not having ate a lot. I think the wrap was very filling, and then the salad was very filling too (mushroom and veggies tend to have that effect). I didn’t finish the dragon fruit (nor the ginger tea for that matter) and kept the unfinished fruit in the fridge for tomorrow.
By the way, in Day 8’s post, I shared that my complexion has improved since the challenge started. If it was even possible, my complexion feels and looks even better now! I did get a couple of pimples today (which is normal for me; usually I would get one to two large pimples and several zits / small pimples every two weeks, and I believe this is quite typical for Asians in tropical climates), but this aside I’m actually very happy with the effects of my improved diet on my skin!
While my original motivation for improving my diet was overall health and wellness, seeing the all-round benefits on my body in just 9 days (better skin, weight loss, no bloatedness, frequent and easy bowel movements, possibly healthier gums) is making me quite excited — it’s basically affirming the value of my decision and letting me know that I’m moving in the right direction towards better health. I’m actually very sure there’ll be more good things to come (maybe healing of old scars (I got one on my right hand), thicker hair, improved eyesight (?!?!), who knows???), so let’s see what’ll come next! ;)
Reviewing my 14HLC goals, they are
- Exercise at least three times a week – My next exercise is planned for Sunday / Day 11! I plan to do one of the YouTube workout videos with Ken!
- Cut out deep fried / oily food from my diet – Check!
- Eat salads more regularly, ideally once a day if I can – Check!
Check out other participants’ amazing food logs and progress updates in Day 9’s comments section!
Healthy Living Pitfall: When Your Days Get Derailed
Yesterday’s task was to identify your healthy living pitfalls, and participant Susan posted this heartfelt comment:
My biggest pitfall is what I call “domestic disturbance”. That could mean anything from an argument with a family member or a child getting sick or a major item breaking down and needing emergency repair. This week, it was a major disagreement, followed by days of angry tension and feelings of despair and grief. I could not focus on the challenge at all, so I didn’t even post anything all week. I’m still looking for that way out of despair. I have been reading all of my inspirational material daily, but so far, I’m still stuck.
Reading Susan’s situation, I felt very empathetic to what she is going through. I’m sure we all have times when we have big goals and plans that we’re ready to act on — only to get derailed by some disruption.
Now, when we’re living with others, or we have a long string of responsibilities, or we have dependents, it’s normal to have days upon days of external disturbances. In fact, for many of us this can be a multiple-times-a-day affair!
The question then isn’t really about how to “cut away” these disturbances since they are a natural result of our life’s setup, but how to get ourselves back on track when these disturbances happen. This is where meditation comes into play, which is our task for today.
Day 10: Meditate
So far in the challenge, we’ve focused on healthy living through our diet and fitness. From drinking enough water, to eating (at least) five servings of fruits and vegetables, to creating our calorie list, to calculating our TDEE, to creating our ideal meal plan (and following it), to working out, these pertain to the physical aspects of healthy living.
Now, healthy living isn’t just about having a great diet and great fitness regime, though these are crucially important (or we wouldn’t be doing so many tasks on them in the challenge!). Healthy living also involves having a positive mind and soul. When you’re constantly weighed down by negative thoughts and emotions, it doesn’t matter how healthy your diet is or how rigorous your fitness regime is — you’ll ultimately still be weighed down in life by your negativity, which will eventually manifest negatively on your body too. (Consider how the root of emotional eating often lies in emotional baggage, and how negative / fear-based people often suffer from more physical ailments than the average person.)
This is where meditation helps. If you’ve never meditated before, it is an amazingly simple ritual that can create huge, positive ripples in your life. Get this — the one common habit that strings together C-level executives of Fortune 500 companies is meditation! Consider the following quotes:
“Meditation more than anything in my life was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I’ve had.” ~ Ray Dalio, billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates (the largest hedge fund firm in the world).
“It’s almost like a reboot for your brain and your soul.” ~ Padmasree Warrior, CTO, Cisco Systems
“I walked away feeling fuller than when I’d come in. Full of hope, a sense of contentment, and deep joy. Knowing for sure that even in the daily craziness that bombards us from every direction, there is — still — the constancy of stillness. Only from that space can you create your best work and your best life.” — Oprah Winfrey, who sits in stillness for 20 minutes, twice a day
“You don’t have to believe in meditation for it to work. You just have to take the time to do it. The old truth is still true today, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ My advice? Meditate.” ~ Russell Simmons, American business magnate
What exactly does meditation do and how does it help? The truth is that for whatever negativity we receive in life, our body has the ability to cleanse itself of them. When we meditate, we’re creating this space for our mind and soul to process the stimuli (both positive and negative) that we’ve been bombarded in for the past X hours/days/weeks/months/years (since we last meditated), to dump the negative junk, and to rejuvenate themselves. In essence, meditation really helps us to remove the negative baggage from our minds and souls.
The most awesome thing? It doesn’t take any work on our part, except setting aside 10 to 20 minutes a day (or longer, if you can), sitting in stillness, observing the reality, and letting our mind do its work.
Now, let’s get started! :D
Your Task: Meditate
There are MANY forms of meditation and MANY ways to meditate, so if you’re familiar with meditation, simply meditate in any way you like for today’s exercise! If you’re not familiar with meditation, follow the five steps outlined here: How to Meditate In 5 Easy Steps. The simplicity of these five steps means that you can do this meditation anytime and anywhere!
Meditate for as long as you want, till you feel cleansed, purified, refreshed and good to go. I recommend 10 minutes to start off; if you are game for a longer duration, try 30 minutes. The longer, the better! (Once I went for a Vipassana retreat and underwent almost 100 hours of intense meditation! Through the process, I worked through A LOT of latent memories and thoughts I didn’t even know were there!!!!)
As you meditate, observe all the thoughts going through your mind. Don’t engage with them (i.e. entertain the thoughts or introduce new thoughts). Simply sit and observe these thoughts as an external observer of reality. You’ll find a thread of thought will typically circle in your mind for a few minutes (or longer if it’s deeply wedged inside), after which a new thread will take its place! The longer you meditate and observe, the more thoughts you’ll see floating through your mind! Every time a new thought appears, it means that the previous thought has “floated” away and exited your consciousness (i.e. it has unlodged itself from your mind and soul)!
PE Articles on Meditation
I’ve already written a lot about meditation on PE, so these are articles to read in your own time:
- 10 Reasons You Should Meditate — How I got started with meditation and the benefits of meditation
- How to Meditate In 5 Easy Steps — A simple overview and tutorial on meditation
- Vipassana 10-Day Meditation Retreat — My experience going on a 10-day meditation retreat
- 21 Days To Cultivate Life Transforming Habits — Practice meditation for 21 days and turn it into a habit!
For those of you with Live a Better Life in 30 Days, meditation is one of the tasks in 30DLBL too! Refer to Day 21 for the task on meditation.
Next, Follow Your Plan for Day 10 (Take Pictures Too!)
What tasks have you set for Day 10 of your 14-Day Healthy Living Plan? Do them today!
Take pictures of your healthy meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and mid-day snacks if any — and share them in the comments section. :D After all, a picture tells a thousand words, and when you share photos of your healthy meals, it inspires others to eat healthily and gives them ideas on what healthy food they can have too!
Post your initial comment sharing your results for today’s challenge task, then add on throughout the day as you have your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and/or if you’re doing any workouts. Attach photos of your meals by clicking the image icon on the bottom left of every comment box. As you add on to your comment thread, be sure to click on the reply button directly below your original comment so that you reply to your own thread (as opposed to starting a new thread).
Share Your Results (and Photos!)
Share in the comments section!
- Your experience with meditation today and how long you meditated for
- Your progress with your healthy living plan today
- Pictures of your meals
- Pictures of your workout (if any)
Do check out the other participants’ comments too and share a word of encouragement or two. We’re all in this together, so let’s support each other as a group! :)
After you’re done, proceed to Day 11: Identify Your Food Struggles!
(Images: Women running, Woman meditating)
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Thanks Celes for the inspirational post! Have set up meditation session every Wednesday for me-time in meditation for an hour.
This post on meditation reminded me of something I used to do long time ago when I was still studying. I really believe meditation allows us to get in touch with our inner self and gain better clarity of what matters and what is really going on around us, in this super busy and noisy world.
I have to say that meditation is indeed extremely beneficial. I have always known this as a theoretical well-researched fact (even scientists are on board and study it in full swing!) but now I confirmed this by my own experience.
Surprisingly, I’m feeling some benefits even from my very brief 2-minute meditations I’ve been doing for the last 10 days! I listen to bird songs while thinking about things I’m grateful for in my life or just observing my thoughts. It *always* leaves me refreshed and more energetic, even when this is in the late evening after a long day at work. This is great because where I’d normally be too tired to do much, now I can be more productive, which feels great and makes me happy! :)
Meditation of any kind – fully recommended!
Haven’t meditated in a while, so did that today. Only 10 minutes but it’s a start. Need to make a note of meditating for the last days of the challenge (and beyond) as well :)
Yesterday:
Fruit – banana, kiwi, clementine
Water – 900ml
Food – bobotie leftovers and butternut squash + avocado chili
HLC DAY 10 Meiditate
Meditation reminds me to let go. Let go of all the thoughts, whatever they are, to just let go and breathe! Observe my thoughts as they travel across my mind like clouds. No judging, no interacting with those thoughts…Just breathe…..
After meditation, I feel freer, emptier, for I have been still, not interacting, not planning, not reacting, just sitting and breathing. I also feel clearer and more hopeful, a sense of contentment. Yes, sometimes I feel restless and it takes some fidgeting around to get comfortable and still, but it’s so worth the effort to just sit and breathe.
I made a smoothie yesterday (10th Jan). I’d already got in some strawberries, banana and strawberry yoghurt, then I had a look on Pintrest for smoothie recipes I’d already saved and made one called a Breakfast Energy Shake, which also contained vanilla extract and honey. It includes flax seeds as well but I didn’t use them. It was quite nice but could have been a bit sweeter, I think. Here’s a pic:
1. My experience with meditation today and how long I meditated for:
For the last 5 weeks I am doing breathing exercises twice a day – in the morning and in the evening for 15 minutes. I do not know if I could call that meditation but it is focusing on my breath and sitting still. I notice that I am a lot more focused at my work, my mind is more clear, I feel good and I feel peace. I plan doing these breathing exercises for ever :)
For todays task I meditated after the end of 15 min breathing exercise – I meditated for 7 minutes. I feel like in meditation when my mind calms down I connect with my spirit and in that place everything is fine and ok.
2. My progress with my healthy living plan today:
– did yoga in the morning
– drank 10 glasses of water
– went for a walk
– ate 5 servings of F&V
– did eat some chocolate (but it was dark with 55 % cacao and I did not eat the entire chocolate)
3. Pictures of my meals and 4. my workout:
Now this is something I should turn into a habit. I used to meditate regularly for a short period of time, but I’ve never actually turned it into a life-long habit. I really like guided meditations and also using plain relaxing songs. I used to visit quite often this site: http://www.liberationinmind.com/ Now that I don’t meditate as regularly, I don’t know if there’s any new content on that site, but still, their guided meditations are quite nice.
I do it…. Meditation…Nice Experience
I’m glad — and not surprised — to see meditation as part of this challenge. Since stress in various forms is a pitfall for so many, we all need this!
I used to meditate and then stopped for some reason. About a month ago, a friend of mine made a recording for metta meditation and asked me to try it. It was really interesting because my body had not forgotten how to meditate. I thought it would be like when I first started meditating and I’d have to relearn it but it’s like riding a bicycle, you don’t forget. It feels good to have that as part of my day.
This morning I had to go to a training meeting and I didn’t eat breakfast before I left. I often have to be up for a while before I feel like eating, and I had to leave home before that. Anyway, I thought that they would have something at the training and decided that if they did not have something healthy, if it was all donuts, I’d just wait till I got home to eat, even if the donuts were very tempting. My will power was not put to the test because there was not, in fact, anything to eat, just coffee and tea, and I was fine with just having a cup of hot tea partway through the meeting.
Well I did try the meditation today. How could I not do it after the shout out to me, that it might really help. I came away with a thought that I can apply today. If you look for something good, you will find something good. If you look for something negative, you will find something negative. You will find that which you seek. Seek wisely.
Celes, thanks for acknowledging my post, and reminding me that being derailed is a normal part of life. Sometimes it makes me feel so alone. I go along positive and happy for days at a time, sometimes weeks, and then something happens and it all goes to hell. It takes a long time to get back to where I was.
Susan, I like what came up for you from your meditation….I think that is really true about seeking wisely and you will find what you seek. Thank you for sharing that.
Being derailed makes me feel alone also, and that feeling can sometimes fell very convincing, but I do believe that there is a greater power to tap into that will help me out of a funk. I have experienced that very thing time and time again throughout my life.
I am sending you best thoughts for you to feel healthy and happy. Thoughts are things, and may you know that good ones are coming your way.
All the best with your healthy living goals and plans to achieve the healthy life you deserve. We all deserve to live healthy lives, if that is what we seek. Which would indeed be a wise choice!
Today has been crazy busy for me! And my day hasn’t even ended. Just finished the Passive Income Module 5 live run just now which was a blast with the participants. It’s always very energizing doing a live course with growth-oriented individuals.
Posting the pictures for my meals so far. I plan to be doing my meditation later before I sleep.
First meal: Veggie patty and water. I ate about 70% of it and left the other 30% in the fridge; will be eating later in the day. The whole day was basically preparing for my course so I only ate this up until the session.
Second meal: After the course, went to the usual Chinese place to have “supper” (which is really my second meal for the day) with Ken. It has become a practice to go there every Saturday after my live courses. Sugar cane juice and century egg porridge, and chee cheong fun (it’s a Chinese delicacy, called rice noodle roll), shared with Ken!
Then, went grocery shopping at a 24h supermart near our home. Bought fruit supplies for the week and vegetable supplies to make salad for the next two days. Grapes, bananas, tofu, vegetables, vegetarian bacon bits, and chick peas for myself.
Current meal: Grapes, salad (lettuce, chickpeas, pineapple, mushroom, sesame seeds, cucumber, sunflower seeds, and vegetarian bacon bits), and water. Big yum!! :D I really love this salad that I got from Cedele and mixing my own chickpeas and vegetarian bacon bits into it. Very very tasty!
Hi Glenn, that before vs. after is crazy! I’v never heard about McDougall’s diet but I’ll go look it up. I doubt I’ll try his diet as I’m very happy with my current diet plan and it’s doing very well for me but it’ll be interesting to see his diet principles/philosophies and see if there’re any similarities with what I’m doing.
I love meditating!! But I haven’t done so in a loong time! Although I like to interact with my thoughts as I meditate. If I don’t, I feel I can’t extract any lesson from it.
And to let you know I weighed myself yesterday at the doctor and I’m super happy and felt like sharing this excitement with you! ^_^ I was 88.8 when I started this challenge. Currently I’m 90.2!! This is only the second time in my life that I’ve reached 90! I’m so happy to see resultd and this motivates me as I know I’m going in the right direction. :)
My lunch for today. Again, I ate Chinese rice, meat and water. I forgot to take a picture of my breakfast but I ate a sandwich with cheese and ham. (I feel like I haven’t eaten very healthy choices today even if I evaded eating jelly for breakfast with lots of sugar.) I’d rather eat peanut butter sandwich but when I’m at my mom’s house the brand she buys has trans fat. The brand my sister buys in her house is the healthy kind so I eat that one instead.
My dinner was the same as lunch (chinese rice and chicken) but for my snack I went for a semi healhier snack. French bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a banana. Then for later a night I ate half a cup of pasta with diced tomatoes and tomato sauce along with beef. I forgot to take pics and I don’t today’s food choices very much.
Hi fufu, I’m sorry to hear that! Why didn’t you like today’s food choices very much?
Because the Chinese rice had a lot of sodium so I passed the daily recommended intake of sodium plus some of the food I ate was full of sugar and also passed the daily recommended intake for sugar and as someone who works with candy all the time I worry a lot when I pass my sugar even when I don’t consume sweets.
And in my meditating I’ve been all this days trying to meditate but I’ve noticed this odd issue. I’m afraid to meditate because when I do my mind gets flooded of sad things. Currenly I’m in my last 2 months of studying pastry chef and when I started this I loved it, now it’s like I grew up as a person and I lost interest. I am not interested in this profession anymore.
Partially I blame my horrible teachers (I know that’s not entirely the case but the feeling of lingering anger remains.) I feel like I’m just being forced to finish. It:s few what’s left. I should finish it and I will but passionless and forgetting I studied this because I have 0 interest.
I started noticing my end of interest for this when one of my good teachers asked the class, “Is your dream to be a chef” and I automatically said “no” in my head. I don’t want to be a chef. In fact, I hate cooking! So that question was an ‘aha’! Moment but if I managed to remember all of ths emotions that I had burried deep down then the meditating was effective then.
Thankfully pastry chef was only 1 year so I ca still study a bachellor in journalism, my real interest.
It’s so weird that I will graduate with really high grades but I’ll look at my diploma with empty eyes as it has no meaning for me anymore. :/
Wow, fufu, your AHA! moment when teacher asked if that was your dream, is very poignant and moving! So good that you had that honest AHA! moment, and that you can pursue your real dream in journalism. Isn’t it so interesting that we grow and change, and so too then do our interests. You once loved studying to be a pastry chef, and now, after your year of study, with high grades no less, you have zero interest. Interesting too that being a pastry chef, doing all that a pastry chef does, certainly does not blend in with our healthy living focus! Most pastry chefs use sugar, and LOTS of it, as you have pointed out in an earlier post, and making (unhealthy) pastries is not helpful for creating a healthy lifestyle!
I hope that your meditation practice will evolve and change in a way that is constructive and helpful for you. Just observe the sad thoughts and let them roll on by like clouds in the sky. After your meditation session, you are free to explore your sad feelings, writing about them if you choose to, looking at those feelings and what is behind them. Meditating can give you space to breathe, observe your breath, and not go off on a thinking session or look closely at your feelings. Just breathe, being with your inhales and exhales, and let all else go. That is what I am doing, and not only is it a relief to let go, but also it is clarifying and serene.
Good luck with fulfilling your dreams…one moment at a time….
Swann thank you SO much for your words!! You don’t know how much they mean to me :’) It’s just what I needed today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Coincidentally the teacher today told us to do a project for next week about our short and long term goals in this industry and express ourselves in an oral report. I felt so empty hearing that. I think I’ll have to lie because I have no goals in this industry! And then in lunch time I see your message. It brought a smile to my face. It made my day. Hugs to wherever you are. :”) this is the most heart warming thing that’s ever happened to me in PE and you described my emotions just as I felt them and thank you for the meditating advice. I’ll definitely continue to practice meditation until I get the hang of it. ^_^
Hi fufu, that sounds like great news! As you have probably realized for yourself, the “stuff” (sad stuff or good stuff) that comes up during meditation is simply stuff that’s been there all along, and the fact that it can come up during meditation means that it hasn’t been actively processed yet, which gives more reason to process it (be it through meditation or consciously working through it). I think it’s really amazing that you processed the thought re: your pastry chef course in just one day, so kudos to you really!!
fufu, you have made my day also! I receive your heartfelt hugs and i send you hugs too! The kindness behind your words makes me smile for sure! I am glad my message made you smile…I feel a lot behind the messages I write and it is so heartwarming to me that what I write makes a difference.
Great that you will continue practicing meditation! My experience is that it brings forth from within myself many gifts that are helpful to me in my life.
Good luck with your project/oral report. Yes, it sounds very challenging to do that project concerning your goals in the pastry industry when you have no goals in that industry at all!
I think that it is very understandable and very poignant as well that you felt so empty when you heard that assignment. It is so good that you are in touch with your feelings and that you are honest and open about those feelings Thank you. It is a great gift that you have realized many things in this past year, and that now you are headed in a new direction,.and that your awareness of your values is even clearer and that you are/will be freer to pursue your real interests and true dreams.
You say ‘hugs to you wherever you are’…I love that we can share our thoughts and feelings like this, hoping for the best, supporting each other with our goals and dreams to live our best life, wherever we are! (I am a bit curious where on the beautiful island of PR you live.)
All the best to you as you grow in being true to yourself and your dreams. I know for myself that there have been many ‘trials and errors’ and life continues to present challenges and growth experiences because, well, it’s LIFE….and Life is all about growth and change, isn’t it!?!
And yes it WAS a huge ‘aha’ moment and I used to really love this, it’s surprising how much one changes in time and yes, it was the sugar that killed my passion.
MOST of my classmates and teachers who’ve spent years in pastries have diabetes and one of my classmates who didn’t have it found out he had developed diabetes after he graduated.
Plus this challenge now made me even more conscious of my health than I already was and it really makes me think chefs cook too much unhealthy stuff. I’m eating more natural things healthier for my life. I don’t need to do things that are against my values.
Hi fufu, I’m so sorry to hear that! At the same time like Bette and you recognize, it’s so important that you had that AHA and you recognize this simply isn’t what you want to do. And that once you complete this, you can finally move on to your passion that is journalism!
I’m curious, what got you to study your pastry course at the beginning? I know you mentioned that when you started you loved it, but was there anything driver to your love for it in the beginning?
By the way I totally agree with you and Bette about pastries being unhealthy; it’s something I realized for myself over the years. It’s funny that when you’re growing up you see all this marketing and media advertising about how this pastry X is delicious and irresistible and eating it will make you happy and all smiles, but when you grow up and become more conscious about food, food ingredients, nutrition, and health, you realize that’s just a pile of conditioning nonsense and these food that the advertisements keep trying to build a story/dream around are all utterly bad and unhealthy! I for one am amazed by the number of pastry shops in the market today and how many businesses continue to build a lot of jazz and emotional messages behind pastries, when they really don’t do good for our health in the short and long run!
fufu, congratulations!!! :D I’m SO happy for you!! YAY!!! :DD What do you think has been the key reason for this shift; was it the calorie counting and TDEE tasks that helped you to see the gap between your current and target calorie intake in order to reach your desired weight??
I think it was mostly the TDEE because it helped me calculate exactly what I need and what I lack mixed with counting the calories just to make sure what is good and what is bad and if you go to myplate there’s an option called ‘daily food plan’ (not gonna post the link because I want my comment to appeare) that calculates the exact amount of ounces and cups you need of each good group in a day to to reach the calories you need (coincidentally the web also reached the same number for daily calories as I did).
So I decided to experiment following that diet and it worked. I got around 2,000- 2,300 calories daily. It’s very useful. In my case it said to gain weight I need with a healthy diet:
Grains – 6 ounces
Vegetables – 2.5 cups
Fruits – 2 cups
Milk – 3 cups
Protein- 5.5 ounces
Oils- 6 teaspoons
Weekly workout – 2 hours and 30 minutes
Beside each food group it also directed you to a page that included the equivalet ounce/cup of each different food. I feel this challenge has helped me overcome a long life health issue of mine. :”) I’m so happy to have learned all of what I’ve learned so far in this challenge.
Today’s task is hard to do for me. I haven’t meditated for 5 or 6 years. Back then I went to a meditation course for 2 weeks, but was starving on the vegan diet they had (sorry, I’m not vegetarian) and did not really get that much from it. So, I quitted meditating after that course.
Today I will give it a try and will see whet it brings to me now.
For breakfast I had some cottage cheese, which I buy from local farmers on the marker. I covered it with chocolate topping (of course, I know, that without it it would be better in terms of calories). I also had a piece of wholemeal flat bread, an apple and some coffee with milk.
Hi Celes,
Meditation is something I have experience with and comment on. I was close to resigning a well-paying job, due to a ridiculous and inefficient management. I finally went for a 10 day meditation camp, and started practising at home ( rather irregularly, sorry to say). This helped me to cope with the situation, so that I could continue in the job,and even enjoy it.
By the way Celes, with the pimples, I read an article and watched a video the other day on Dr McDougall’s website about these 2 girls (twins I think) who were eating a vegan diet, but got really bad acne. They were eating a few meals with oil though, and some other fatty foods. But when they switched to a strict Dr McDougall Starch Solution (his book) style diet with no oil (still vegan of course), their acne started clearing up within a few days.
Hey Glenn, that’s interesting to know! Mine isn’t any form of acne at all though, it’s just the occasional pimple or two on an otherwise very clear face with — what others keep telling me at least — great complexion. It’s considered very good (many have it worse; my husband has maybe 3-4 visible pimples at least every week to couple of weeks, sometimes more). Asians do tend to have oilier skin especially those living in a tropical climate, so most people here get pimples once in a while. Then the ladies usually get breakouts when it’s their time of the month because skin becomes oilier.
While I had always thought this was genetic and also the climate (which is probably somewhat true actually), I did my fast in 2011, got the best complexion I had ever seen in my life (no pores, no blackheads, no pimples at all) and it hit me that the pimples are probably just a purging of the oil/heatiness of the food I’m eating. So it ties in with what I’m seeing now where removing the “heaty” foods like the oily and fried stuff naturally leads to a “level up” in my complexion. And hence also not surprising with what you shared about the girls too.
I do wonder how their diets were before switching actually, were they like deep-fried vegan meals or just regular meals with some oil here and there? It’d be interesting to know that they got bad acne even when their meals were just normal (not deep-fried) meals!
Hi Celes, yes, I think I’m quite convinced after seeing these girls, that oily or fatty foods can be responsible for pimples or acne. I remember a girl I knew a few years back who had bad acne. She was raw for quite some time, but even then couldn’t clear the acne. Although she was eating nuts, avocado and possibly coconut oil too. From memory, the girls mention in the video on the article page here http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5e58f59d97611f910916b6276&id=72943afb3b&e=d2aa7155f5 that they were eating a few oily foods, nuts and avocado.
McDougall’s diet is very much like the diet they promote in Forks Over Knives. But more focused on starches like potatoes and rice. No oil of course, and they recommend not eating nuts, or too much avocado. Sounds a bit restrictive, but easy to adapt to. The only problem is when eating out.
Apologies for my lack of updates. I’m still following along here, but just haven’t been commenting.
I’m still taking food photos though. A few below, including the freshly squeezed orange juice I have for breakfast a few times a week (around 800ml), salad wraps with really low fat bread and home made oil free hommus, healthy baked potato chips with no oil or salt, a glass of datorade (dates, 1l of water & mixed spices), one of my low fat my banana pancakes (blended banana & almond milk + flour) cooked on a non stick pan without oil, and a meal my wife made with veggies, fake fish with sauce on top, and brown rice.
I haven’t been counting calories, just making sure the food is low fat and with as little salt (sodium) as possible.
As for exercise, I’m just on one crutch now, although found I can walk without crutches the other day. Except when I do, it’s more like a hop. So I’ll stick with the one crutch until I can walk more normally again and without too much pain.
Glenn, you’re making my mouth water with your food! On the “healthy baked potato chips with no oil or salt”, is this something you made yourself or you got somewhere? If the former, how do you make it? I guess you need an oven?
Yeah, I’ve seen a few people make them. Basically I slice the potatoes in half from the top, and then each half into 3 long pieces. I’ll then either microwave them or steam them for a while. Maybe let them cool for a couple of minutes, then put them in a plastic bag and pour in lots of spices like curry powder or mixed herbs. Mix them around in the bag and the spices will stick to the cut parts of the potatoes. Lastly I bake them in a pre-heated oven set to 230 degrees celcius and cook for around 20 to 25 minutes on baking paper or parchment paper. Oh, and I put them in with the skin part down so I don’t need to turn them.
They don’t end up crispy like deep fried chips, but come out more like baked potatoes.. Which I guess is what they are, but without the fat and oil. Normally I’ll eat them with vinegar and bbq sauce or something similar. Or even eat them with a dip like hommus.
You don’t have an oven Celes?
Hi Glenn, no I don’t have one! Ken and I don’t bake so we don’t have an oven, plus the regular Singaporean home isn’t big enough to accommodate an oven (or at least an oven is quite low on the list of things to have). And our house is quite minimalist, we prefer to have only the things we need and use. (In fact we have a large rice cooker that his brother gave him, and we haven’t even used it once because we don’t cook rice.)
Don’t you have to boil the potatoes first before cutting them / microwaving them? I’m always amazed by people who cook. I think I have little patience for cooking; the only person who cooks in the house is usually Ken (and the funny thing he’s usually cooking for me as opposed to for himself!).
Hey Celes…Did you know that there are a bazillion other foods that an be cooked in a rice cooker? Yes! You heard it here first! (smiling) It’s true! The only thing you need to have along with the ‘rice cooker’ and the foods you will be using is your imagination for other combinations of foods that could be successfully and deliciously used in a rice cooker. Yes, just with a skillet on a stove one can make so many dishes, and with a rice cooker, same is true. Just sayin’….Just in case you/Ken may want to experiment with other possibilities for your meals….google ‘what else besides rice can be cooked in a rice cooker?’ and voila!, ‘a whole new ‘rice cooker’ world opens up!
Thanks Swann! Yes, I did realize there can be many things cooked with a rice cooker when someone told me many years ago that he cooks black beans with his rice cooker!! I was totally amazed when I heard that. And I’m sure you can brew soups, heat food, cook things that require high-pressure cooking, etc. (Saw some of these demonstrated at this rice-cooker sales store last time.)
For me though cooking isn’t something I want to do for now (as I mentioned in a different post) and when we cook in the house, our saucepan, pot and microwave work quite well for our food needs. The other thing is that our rice cooker is very big with a food capacity for like, 8-10 people, so I don’t think it’s an efficient use of energy. I was thinking of getting a mini-rice-cooker where we can cook food for just two people (me and Ken) but we didn’t in the end since the equipment in our house is sufficient for our cooking needs for now.
Wow, no oven. Normally they’re built into the wall. Must be different for apartments in Singapore? Our oven was actually broken for over a year a while back because we couldn’t be bothered getting it fixed. It also has a grill inside, so we tried cooking with that instead, but it was difficult for certain foods like pies. Then it was great to finally get it fixed. It’s good for cooking healthy cakes that use apple sauce instead of oil, or for pizzas, those potatoes etc.
And does Ken cook the rice in a normal saucepan? We have a really cheap rice cooker with a steamer tray on top. Recently I also got a pressure cooker with a free $100 voucher I had for this store. That’s just for cooking beans, chick peas etc. Cooking them normally would take hours, but this thing does them in 30 minutes, and they taste so much better than the canned ones.
We don’t cook rice when at home! Myself I hardly eat rice, and when I do I ideally want it to be brown rice / non-white rice (so that’s where QQ Rice comes in, because their rice is non-white rice). Most rice sold in Singapore stores are white rice though.
On ovens, usually people here buy them and install them into the wall if they want an oven. Some houses have ovens, some don’t, I guess it’s a matter of household preferences. I grew up without an oven so I never felt a need for an oven. (Same for Ken.) And I guess microwave kinda does the bulk of heating that we need, though there are all these separate theories about how microwave isn’t good, so I don’t know.
I think in Singapore, people just generally don’t cook. Most people eat out. And that’s why there’s such a vibrant Food & Beverage / restaurant industry here. The people who cook regularly would be my parents’ generation, but now people in my generation growing up, cooking has a reduced significance in most households I feel.
I think it’s just amazing that you seem to make so many of your meals. I need to get a recipe or two out of your cook book one day!
That’s interesting. I remember there being a lot of places to eat at in Singapore, but I never thought eating out would be as much of an alternative to cooking at home. And here I am concerned about eating out 2 or 3 times a week!
Your food does look great, Glenn! One thing I have noticed about ‘low-fat’ food is that often they add sugar or sweeten the food in some way that ups the sugar content! Pretty sneeky creepy if you ask me! So it has lower fat, but more sugar! Just sayin’…in case you hadn’t noticed that, if that is a concern at all…..
Best to you with your walking and getting your stride back, Glenn!
Thanks Swann. Yeah, sugar’s normally fine providing you’re not eating any fatty foods and getting enough exercise. Some other ingredients can be more harmful like food colourings which apparently aren’t good for asthma sufferers.
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