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The last post concerning what make the three very popular diets succesful (in the short term perspective I guess).

 

The last common ground that I, myself, have seen in LCHF, vegan/rawfood and paleo, is mainly cutting junk food out of your diet. Once you start to "follow" a diet, you are making the choice to say no to fast food, sweets, crisps, and also make better choices in the supermarket. It isn't uncommon to aim for as "clean" and unprocessed food as possible, which naturally leads to weight loss and health improvement, as you will a) most likely be eating less calories than before (even if you don't count) and b) be eating foods that are wholesome and free from questionable additives.

 

Put all these three common grounds together and it becomes pretty clear that most people find themselves losing weight, gaining energy, reclaiming good health and feel better than ever before.

 

I can't tell you which foods to eat, or not to eat. Everyone have different needs and different bodies with different metabolism, sensitivities, tolerance, tastes and thoughts on ethical and moral choices. What is right for me, may not be right for you.

 

I am choosing to eat freely from anything I like. But I prefer to feed myself foods that I believe are beneficial for my health. I choose to not exclude meat, nor grains, nor dairy. But I try to figure out what makes me feel the best. It may take a while, but I will let it.

 

Simple as that.

As a little continuation on the previous post, here are my fitness related goals of 2014:

 

- to get fit again (do at least 3 workouts a week, but prefeably 4-5)

- my main fitness focus will be to gain muscle mass and increase cardio.

- no stressing about results though, as I know it fucks up my mental state. Just focus on progress, no matter how slow or fast, big or small.

- hopefully run my first race (5-10kms) together with my friend - running here I come!

- to try and eat mainly clean food and less grains, sugar etc. I've already been through this. I have no restrictions on my diet though, since it's just silly and stupid and makes me miserable about life. 

 

Simple and easy goals - focusing on health, rather than fitness I guess :)

Getting back in the gym for some serious business and I hurt my back. Typical. Can hardly move now, and I'm supposed to do Crossfit with Chris on Thursday. I really, really, really want to go. I hope my back pain goes away until then. I'll be careful I promise!

 

Planning on baking some more bread again, just need to buy some sour milk to prepare the flour with! Got to scribble it down on the shopping list straight away! I'm positive about getting back into shape. The last few months I've been exercising, but not regularly because I been wanting to focus on my mental health, and my happiness more than anything. I feel that I've gained that back, I've reclaimed my happiness. So now I want to reclaim my fitness as well! 

 

But yeah, got to listen to my body. I don't like having a weak lower back. And until it's healed I need to take it easy. So we'll see about the Crossfit...

 

And just as a friendly reminder:

 

Continuing on common grounds of the most popular diets at the moment (accordning to myself), I shall now go through number two.

 

Since the 70's and onwards we have been taught that it is the saturated fats, and fatty food that make us ill and obese, mainly based on the studies made by a man called Ancel Keyes. Therefore we have been advised to decrease the amount of fat we eat and increase the amount of carbs we eat. Especially bread, pasta and other grain based products. All the while the major population has continued to grow sicker and fatter, many times despite trying to follow the health recommendations of the governments.

 

How is that?

 

Well, looking at our evolutionary path it is kind of hard to imagine human beings ate vast amounts of bread, pasta, müsli, cereals, cakes, cinnamon buns, and the like. I would imagine they ate small portions of grains, when they found them, and prepared and ate them carefully. Cause here is the thing. Grains only became a big part of our diet when we started to settle and realised we can grow plants that provide grains. Yes, they were an important part of our development, because they were easy to store and keep even throughout winter when other food was scarce.

 

However, preparing and cooking them was also an important part and through that process humans could acquire the much needed nutrients (which in fairness was needed by the people at the time). Nowadays we have the luxury of being able to grow and purchase much more nutrinally beneficial products that easily can replace grain anytime. 

 

 

There are a few different problem with grains, especially if they haven't been prepared properly.

 

1. The insulin problem. It isn't just sugar that causes insulin to run amoc in your body. All carbs will be converted into glucose, and glucose is actually toxic to have in your blood-stream (that's why high blood-sugar is no good). So the body produces the hormone insulin to take care of the glucose, by "delivering" it to your cells (mainly muscle), so that they can be used by your muscles as energy. The issue is that most people today are far less active and eat far more carbohydrates today than we did before agriculture, and even up until more recent history. So the energy never gets burned, and thus it turns into fat (easier for the body to store for more harsher times). So yes, obesity and fatness are actually caused by over-consumtion of sugar and carbs, rather than fat.
2. To top the insulin problem, the body actually suffers from the constant hormone fluxes and production, and is very likely to develop systemic inflammation (although there are also other dietary causes to this, but sugar and fast carbs are one major cause).
3. Furtheron, grains (and also legumes and nuts) contain phytates that are believed to block the absorbtion of minerals such as calcium and iron. Grains also contain the anti-nutrient lectins, which is a mild form of poison (to prevent the seeds from being eaten). Lectins prevent the GI tract from repairing itself, leaving it vulnerable to bacterial growth ---> inflammation. Gluten is the third content in our most common grains (wheat, rye and barley), which is a protein that our digestive systems find extremely hard to handle. Some scientists believe that up to a third of the population are intolerant of gluten, more or less. Gluten intolerance causes an inflammatory response and can lead to skin problems, arthritis, acid reflux, auto-immune disorders and celiacs disease.

 

 

 

 

 

Talking about the popular diets at the moment I basically said that, if we were to follow all those rules of what is healthy and what is not, we would be eating leafy greens and nothing else. It doesn't sound so appealing to me, how about you?

 

People who follow these diets are all lyrical about their specific choice of foods, and would like for everyone to join their "salvation" and start eating the same way. What is it that makes them so special, and how can you get the same feeling of wellbeing from eating almost nothing but meat, as eating almost nothing but vegetables, nuts and fruit?

 

People on these diets often give anecdotes of how their stomach cramps have disappeared, their sore and tense muscles have loosened up, their head-aches have been relieved and most of all they experience a much longed for weight-loss, energy and general wellbeing - feeling sharp and alert and satisfied.

 

I believe that there is a few common grounds in these diets that contribute to these feelings, and enough talking, here is number 1:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I wanted to share some thoughts on food and health. I'll try to keep a red thread a not get carried away as I normally do.

 

 

There are many ways to eat healthy. There is no magic diet that works for everyone. If you want to improve your health you must not forsake your mental health. Find an eating habit that works for you, without leaving you feeling deprived of foods you love.

 

Some people thrive on LCHF (low carb, high fat) - eating almost no carbs whatsoever. That means elimiting anything starchy or carby. No flour, potatoes, grains, oats, fruit, root vegetables, beans or sweet treats. They eat mainly animal protein, green vegetables and dairy products (full-fat).

 

Some people feel great on a so called paleo diet - avoiding grains, beans, dairy and industrially processed foods. They eat mainly animal proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy fats from meat, fish, avocados, olive oil, and ghee (butter that has been boiled to remove the lactose).

 

Some people tell stories of how awesome they feel from a raw food, vegan diet - eating nothing that has been heated above 42 degrees, all to maintain optimum nutrition within the food. This will mean that you cannot eat food that require cooking, for example grains, most meats, eggs, beans. Some beans are eaten if they have been sprouted. These people most often also avoid dairy products and refined foods.

 

Then there are people who sort of mix and match, some eat GI (like myself), some eat just vegetarian or vegan. Some just eat. Food is primarily meant to feed our bodies and provide nutrition that will keep us healthy, alert and energized through life. But people, human beings, have a more complex relationship to food than just eating to survive and maintain optimal health. We gather around food. We socialize around food. We build bonds and show love with food. It is so important to our mental and social wellbeing that looking only on the physical aspect of food is, in my opinion, rather foolish (I've been there myself, it is not nice).

 

It is hard, because we are being bombarded every day about which diet is the most efficient. All of the above diets are popular right now and if you were to believe all of them and their arguments you would be left with nothing but some leafy greens and water on your plate. That is just not sufficient, either for your physical health, nor for your mental. Actually, there are studies that suggests that starvation causes not only physical deterioration, but also mental stress, depression and anxietys (source).

 

So what are you supposed to eat to become the healthiest, best, optimal you? To be honest, no one can give you the answer that is right for you, except yourself. But there are a few things in common with the above popular diets that I believe contribute to their popularity (the feeling of being lighter, energized and filled with "glow"). I will go through each common ground in separate posts - but remember, these are things that I, myself, have observed and noted while reading up about health and nutrition. I do not say that my thoughts and beliefs are true to you or anyone else. They are merely my gathered ideas of how to live a healthy life, with good choices for both my soul and body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, on my regurlar blog I try to stay clear of preaching about healthy choices and exercise, because I simply do not want anyone to feel judged by their choices, and that is never my intention. I used to be sort of blind to how my words came out and the feeling that I made better choices than others got the better of me many times. Looking back through the archives of this blog I realise how aggressively my interest for health and exercise came across.

 

The problem is when you have a passion for something and you want to spread and share the word it is hard sometimes to not get too passionate. And health is a sensitive issue. People do not want to feel guilty about themselves, for not exercising hard enough, or for not saying no to that extra slice of cake. Before, I used to feel guilty about these things. And I felt good about myself when I "behaved". So I wanted others to feel good about themselves too. Since then I have worked on my self-awareness, self-esteem and self-concept and I have become so much more gentle with myself and others. I have come to understand that feeling good about oneself is not reliant on "behaving" - it is reliant on how you speak to yourself. It is reliant on how well you listen to your body and not putting all your worth on being "good".

 

I am still incredibly interested in health, but it is no longer so tightly tied to my self-worth. I exercise because I enjoy it. I go to the classes I enjoy, I do the workout I am in the mood for. I have stopped the voice in my head telling me I need to do legs today, because I did arms the other day. I simply do whatever I feel like.  Exercise makes me feel happy, energized and confident - even more so since I removed the "perform" part of it.

 

Eating healthy makes me feel happy and energized too. And I miss writing about my thoughts on healthy food. Sometimes I read a few articles and I want to print down my thoughts on it. Or I want to share interesting information I've found.

 

I want to start blogging here again, but in a much humbler way. I want to be an example of how to live healthy without any feelings of guilt or pressures of performance. I want to be an inspiration to others (if they ever find this blog), a role model for others. I may not blog here as often as my other blog, because it will be mainly health related posts on here, with recipes and fitness as the main topic, but I will come here every now and then!

 

If any of my words ever come across as preaching, guilt tripping or anything alike, please let me know so I can try to rephrase my words.

 

This is a new start :)

 

 

I find it really hard to make a decision on where I stand in relationship to what's healthy to eat and what's not. On one hand I beleive we need to reduce our meat intake and other animalistic food sources, I also belive that too many carbs, especially wheat based ones are really quite bad for you as well.

 

Soooo. I mean, it's really hard to live on a diet based on vegetables and fruit. That's not healthy either.

 

My new philosophy around food is therefore:

 

Eat intuitively - eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm satisfied. Not stuffed. Trust my body and follow it's cues.

 

Reduce animalistic food sources, but no elimination. Choose carefully and don't buy meat from other origins than Sweden. Same goes for dairy products. Buy organic whenever possible.

 

Don't be scared of fat - as long as they are from natural sources. Margarine, rape-seed oil and sun-flower oil are all fats that are sold to us as healthy, but when you look at the production line it is difficult to justify margarine as being healthier than butter. Something that has been washed with hydric acid, coloured, and flavoured seems to me a bit (alot) unhealthier than butter. Then again - cold pressed coconut oil and olive oil are fats that have been proven to have real health gains in our bodies. Good amount of natural fats are essential. Don't shy them!

 

Reduce wheat based foods such as cakes, pasta, biscuits, bread. When I do eat bread, always opt for carefully prepared bread, such as sourdough - preferably home baked. Gluten is inflammatory to the system and should be consumed in much smaller quantities than we do in our western world.

 

Continuing on the carefully prepared food - same goes for beans and other legumes. This is because grains and beans contain phytic acid that is supposed to protect the seed from sprouting in inhabitable places and from being eaten by animals. That should be reason enough to not eat them without proper preparation! The phytic acid stops our bodies from being able to absorb the minerals from our food. It also affects digestion negatively.

 

Proper preparation is thus through fermentation (such as sourdough) and sprouting. It will help the body to benefit from the grains and legumes without struggling to absorb the nutrients and digest the food.

 

Avoid as many additives as possible. I truly believe that additives are hurtful to our health. There are additives in almost everything we consume nowadays. If not additives, there is pesticids. I always try to buy organic fruit and vegetables. Organic bananas have no trace of pesticids compared to "normal" bananas, which contain around 4 different types of pesticides. Same principal goes with coffee. And grapes. Geez, grapes are truly bad. Don't ever buy non-organic grapes, raisins or wine. Unless you want a coctail of poison, that is. Pesticides are substances that are poisonous. Why eat them, seriously?

 

I am convinced that it is all these poisonous and unnatural substances in our food that is causing us to become ill. They are legal because "they are under the level of what's been proven to cause damage", but do we know for sure what the long term effect of constant exposure of low levels of poison in our food is?

 

I'm sure you've heard of the term "the coctail effect". I believe there is a lot of reason to take this seriously. All the different additives that are found in our food are not natural and considering our bodies are natural biological organisms, I wouldn't expect them to handle unnatural substances very well. Just like our planet is being littered by plastic, oil and other harmful rubbish, our bodies suffer the same fate.

 

We feed ourselves with shit. And most of us don't even know it.

 

I don't like to rant and preach, and this post is turning into a damn rant. I'm not perfect. I buy non-organic stuff. I have eaten and drunk non-organic grapes and wine recently. But I try. I try to eliminate poison from my food. It's choice. I want to eliminate the risk of my future children suffering from Adhd/diabetes/allergies etc  - cause I belive these illnesses are due to the poor quality of the food we eat. This is not scientific. It is not proven. To be honest - there is alot to be said about the scientific research of diet and disease. I can only make my own conclusions from what I have read and seen and experienced.

 

I want to feed my body a colourful, organic, natural, diverse and fair diet. Less sugar, less processed, less gluten, less trans-fats and more clean food.

 

But I will also eat a cake every now and then. I will have a drink if I want to. I will eat sweets if I feel like it. That is a choice I make, as long as I am aware of the effects it has on my body.

 

My mental health suffers when I try to restrict myself. Therefore it is of most importance to listen to my body. If I am satisfied/full - don't eat. My body is very capable of telling me when it has had enough. It is also capable of telling me when I need more fuel. I don't need to eat at 12 just because it's lunch if I'm not hungry. But if I am - then eat!! Eat eat! Trust my guts :)

 

 

 

I don't know if you've cared to read all of this, but if you have, remember that all of this are my own thoughts about food and what's healthy. I have no links to sources, basically because I have read so much, both on the internet and in books, and I think it is better for everyone to find information and read for themselves to form an opinion. The above text is my conclusion of what most articles, books and dieticians advocate. Clean, natural foods. A healthy balance between fats, proteins and carbs.

 

And of course the freedom to choose. But be sure you know what it is that you choose!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I promised more photos, so more photos you get :)

 

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging for a while. I want to keep you updated with photos and all the things we do, but when I come home from work I am tired and it takes a while to edit and upload photos and I just keep saying "tomorrow"...ah well. Here's a little post with just a handfull of photos from August.

 

On Saturday August 3rd we went down to dad's and Milo's for Kräftskiva.

 

Right when you start to get the proper summer feeling

it is already gone.

July was warm, hot and dry and yet I only went to the beach a few times,

and swam only twice!

 

Time was short for a lot of things I wanted to do,

my list of things is always longer than summer allows.

But not to be sad, I have had an absolutely wonderful summer,

with the best end to it ever possible!