*shakes head as chills run through body*
YUCK! Seriously! There are some things in this life that I don't know if I can ever get used to. This eating clean lifestyle has definitely given me an opportunity to try things I have never tried before, try things I used to dislike to see if my tastes have changed as well as to try things I like in new ways. I tried beets--golden ones--and cut them in cubes, coated them in olive oil and thyme and roasted them. DELIGHTFUL! Earthy and sweet and a little like corn-on-the-cob from my perspective. I had swiss chard and learned how to cook that to my liking as I ate that with scallops which are definitely one of my favorite seafood choices. And then I had some old favorites prepared in new ways: a stir-fry that is ended with a 1/4 t of dark sesame oil and sesame seeds...eaten without rice and a fritatta prepared with peppers, onions, mushrooms and zucchini but not potatoes. It's amazing what you don't miss that you used to believe was a necessity.
In trying new things, there will be issues, too. For instance, I LOVED dried apricots, but they did NOT love me back. They caused gas and bloat and other not great results in my body. Thank GOD for my WM. She is the one I was telling about my love for them and told me all the gastrointestinal issues they caused her. I had just been complaining about having just that the day before and the two pieces came together. I have had them one time since; I still love them and they still don't love me! Peppers (raw mostly) and cucumbers also have had that kind of effect on me. They give me indigestion and make me burpy. Not ideal. I found that taking the skin off the cucumbers and buying the "seedless" variety helped me enjoy them. I can tolerate red peppers (yellow and orange, too) far better than the green. Additionally, roasted peppers don't cause the issues that the raw do. I have been able to tolerate them better than in the past, though, as my body adjusts to them in my system.
Of the issues that can arise during the introduction of new foods, the worst for me is the stuff that you immediately want to hurl back out of your mouth. Textures don't usually bother me too much unless I have associated them with something else that is unpleasant. Smell and how things look it far worse for me. Crispy kale, yummy; until you smell it for a while and start to associate it with garbage. Just sayin'! I needed to add protein shakes into my diet which was something new for me, and I was a bit resistant. I already know it's not going to be like chocolate milk. I have been on many a diet including Slim Fast shakes and all I can think is, 'Oh, hell no!' Now, understand that many of the men and women I know in my fitness circle drink them daily and some more than once a day. There are a myriad of flavors and products. And because of the last point, choose wisely! I started with chocolate flavored powder thinking that if I were going to have a shake, I would normally go chocolate or fruity and I was a little scared of fruity. I also had to find something with a "clean" sugar. I got a Soy Protein Organic Chocolate no GMO somethin'-somethin' from our local supermarket, Giant Eagle. It wasn't bad. I used the last of it yesterday.
Now, time to try something new. Here I am perusing the small selection at Trader Joe's and there is a chocolate one, but it has fructose in it so I skip to the next one. It is made with hemp whey. I have read good things in our fitness boards about hemp and that people love it. So, I give it a whirl. For 4 T of powder, you add 4 oz of water. I chose to add coffee because that's how I like my protein powder--a little mocha latte yumminess! I poured the coffee into my mug and went out for my 15-minute walk. When I came back, I swirled it up in my little jug and it dissolved nicely, but there were little bits of what I knew must be the hemp floating around. As I drank my little "treat", it was tolerable. And then, I took a swig and got a mouthful of what appeared to be something like coffee grounds. NOT a treat! I chewed them up, but it left me with the cough-sputter-gag-swallow affect. There were a bunch of them still in the bottom of my container. UGH! What do I do? So, I swirled some more water in there and drank them down. They're good for you and I am a trooper!
Here's what one site says about hemp protein:
I will finish this container, but I don't know if I will buy another. Bee pollen was another "good for you" thing I gave a try that skipped the cough-sputter and lead straight to GAG and then swallow became not an option. If I want to finish that bottle, I will swallow it whole with water--no chewing it, no mixing it into my hot grain cereal! Now, chia seeds are another good for you thing that lots of people love, but after these other two experiences I don't know how much I really care to add that adventure to my journey! I'll let you know!
YUCK! Seriously! There are some things in this life that I don't know if I can ever get used to. This eating clean lifestyle has definitely given me an opportunity to try things I have never tried before, try things I used to dislike to see if my tastes have changed as well as to try things I like in new ways. I tried beets--golden ones--and cut them in cubes, coated them in olive oil and thyme and roasted them. DELIGHTFUL! Earthy and sweet and a little like corn-on-the-cob from my perspective. I had swiss chard and learned how to cook that to my liking as I ate that with scallops which are definitely one of my favorite seafood choices. And then I had some old favorites prepared in new ways: a stir-fry that is ended with a 1/4 t of dark sesame oil and sesame seeds...eaten without rice and a fritatta prepared with peppers, onions, mushrooms and zucchini but not potatoes. It's amazing what you don't miss that you used to believe was a necessity.
In trying new things, there will be issues, too. For instance, I LOVED dried apricots, but they did NOT love me back. They caused gas and bloat and other not great results in my body. Thank GOD for my WM. She is the one I was telling about my love for them and told me all the gastrointestinal issues they caused her. I had just been complaining about having just that the day before and the two pieces came together. I have had them one time since; I still love them and they still don't love me! Peppers (raw mostly) and cucumbers also have had that kind of effect on me. They give me indigestion and make me burpy. Not ideal. I found that taking the skin off the cucumbers and buying the "seedless" variety helped me enjoy them. I can tolerate red peppers (yellow and orange, too) far better than the green. Additionally, roasted peppers don't cause the issues that the raw do. I have been able to tolerate them better than in the past, though, as my body adjusts to them in my system.
Of the issues that can arise during the introduction of new foods, the worst for me is the stuff that you immediately want to hurl back out of your mouth. Textures don't usually bother me too much unless I have associated them with something else that is unpleasant. Smell and how things look it far worse for me. Crispy kale, yummy; until you smell it for a while and start to associate it with garbage. Just sayin'! I needed to add protein shakes into my diet which was something new for me, and I was a bit resistant. I already know it's not going to be like chocolate milk. I have been on many a diet including Slim Fast shakes and all I can think is, 'Oh, hell no!' Now, understand that many of the men and women I know in my fitness circle drink them daily and some more than once a day. There are a myriad of flavors and products. And because of the last point, choose wisely! I started with chocolate flavored powder thinking that if I were going to have a shake, I would normally go chocolate or fruity and I was a little scared of fruity. I also had to find something with a "clean" sugar. I got a Soy Protein Organic Chocolate no GMO somethin'-somethin' from our local supermarket, Giant Eagle. It wasn't bad. I used the last of it yesterday.
Now, time to try something new. Here I am perusing the small selection at Trader Joe's and there is a chocolate one, but it has fructose in it so I skip to the next one. It is made with hemp whey. I have read good things in our fitness boards about hemp and that people love it. So, I give it a whirl. For 4 T of powder, you add 4 oz of water. I chose to add coffee because that's how I like my protein powder--a little mocha latte yumminess! I poured the coffee into my mug and went out for my 15-minute walk. When I came back, I swirled it up in my little jug and it dissolved nicely, but there were little bits of what I knew must be the hemp floating around. As I drank my little "treat", it was tolerable. And then, I took a swig and got a mouthful of what appeared to be something like coffee grounds. NOT a treat! I chewed them up, but it left me with the cough-sputter-gag-swallow affect. There were a bunch of them still in the bottom of my container. UGH! What do I do? So, I swirled some more water in there and drank them down. They're good for you and I am a trooper!
Here's what one site says about hemp protein:
"Hemp protein does have a couple of unique characteristics though. Hemp protein contains essential fatty acids and fiber! In a 30 gram serving you would get 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of fat along with your 15 grams of protein. The others contain a bit more protein per serving, averaging 24-25 grams, and little to no fat and fiber."
I will finish this container, but I don't know if I will buy another. Bee pollen was another "good for you" thing I gave a try that skipped the cough-sputter and lead straight to GAG and then swallow became not an option. If I want to finish that bottle, I will swallow it whole with water--no chewing it, no mixing it into my hot grain cereal! Now, chia seeds are another good for you thing that lots of people love, but after these other two experiences I don't know how much I really care to add that adventure to my journey! I'll let you know!
If you try Chia seeds - I will... and that is saying a LOT :)
ReplyDeleteDeb, DEAL! I will give it a go! Supposedly, beyond being good for you, they also expand to make you feel full!
ReplyDelete