This week I had a brief deviance from my usual very healthy eating.  I have not binge eaten, I don't feel the need to do that, I just added a few high fat foods and a desert one into my diet for just on one week, and I'll be honest, I enjoyed them though I knew that sort of eating was OK briefly but if could not continue.

Tonight I refreshes on the way my pantry will look for the remainder of our tour and then translate into the basics for my pantry when back at home base in Victoria in Springtime.

This list is of what is in my pantry cupboard now. The list is taken from the Michelle Bridges 12wbt program I am doing.  The photos are of our caravan pantry.Shopping List

• Pantry Essentials
  • Anchovies 
  • Canned beans (e.g. red kidney, chickpeas, butterbeans)
  • Canned tomatoes
  • Canned tuna, salmon, sardines
  • Capers
  • Chilli sauce (low sugar)
  • Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Couscous 
  • Dried beans
  • Dried pasta
  • Fresh tomatoes
  • Dried herbs (e.g. mixed herbs, paprika, dried basil, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg)
  • Light soy sauce
  • Low-cal hot chocolate powder (make sure there are no trans-fats)
  • Low GI cereal (eg Special K)
  • Olive oil spray
  • Olives
  • Oyster sauce (msg free)
  • Pepper grinder full of black pepper
  • Rice (basmati or brown)
  • Rolled oats
  • Seeds (e.g. sesame, pumpkin, sunflower)
  • Sesame oil
  • Stock (cartons or cubes – check the sodium content)
  • Sultanas
  • Tomato paste
  • Tomato-based sauces (no added sugar)
  • Untoasted muesli
  • Vinegar for dressing (balsamic, red wine)
  • Whey protein powder
• Freezer Essentials
  • Free-range, skinless chicken breasts
  • Fish fillets - not the boxed kind! (e.g. white fish, salmon)
  • Lean red meat (e.g. beef fillets, kangaroo fillets, kanga bangers)
  • Frozen peas
  • Frozen berries
  • Multigrain, rye or soy and linseed bread
• Measuring Tools
  • Kitchen scales
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
• Fridge Essentials I
   apart from fresh fruit and vegetables, you will need:
  
  
  • Low-cal cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
  • Low-cal (skim) milk or soy milk – high calcium is best
  • Low-cal yoghurt, no sugar
  • Meat for sandwiches
  • Multigrain or soy and linseed bread
  • Parmesan cheese (strong flavoured so you use less)
    
    
    The 12wbt tells me to Toss these things, I NEVER had any of these in my home, in the first place. 
    Food to Toss
    • Sugary cereals such as Coco-pops, Nutrigrain, Crunchy Nut Clusters. Breakfast cereals should have a maximum of 1.5g fat and 200 calories per serve (not including milk).
    • Processed foods, particularly snacks: biscuits, chips, rollups, Le Snacks, pop tarts, muesli bars, chocolate (75%+ dark acceptable), lollies, cakes, packet muffins, white bread.
    • Soft drinks, cordials and sugary juices.

Checked out my Prevention Magazine today and I was delighted to find that five of my favourite foods are there at the top of the list of the top foods to build our immunity to viruses like the flu

1/ Yogurt.  I love my yogurt, have it for breakfast every morning.  Yogurt has been a well know food used by many cultures famous for the percentage of centurions (people over 100) in the population.

2/ Garlic. I knew this would have to be high on the list, it was chewed by the monks, who tended plague,  victims and they were the few who survived the close contact.

3/ Mushrooms.  These I also know to be a great food, high in a vitamin 17 which is not found in other vitamins so a must for the vegetarian, it also tastes meaty and is great used in meals to help cut back on some of the overconsumption of meat, in the average civilised country, diet.

4/Oily Fish, example Salmon.  I LOVE adding salmon to my diet, regularly, this fish is also high in calcium especially if you eat the edible bones. I am a strong believer in including portion controlled healthy oil into any weight reduction meal plan and we must have oil in out diet to absorb fat soluble vitamins and to keep all our body functioning well.  Our gall bladder is dependent on daily oil in the diet to keep it functioning, gall bladder disease results form yo yo very low fat to high fat diets and it is mostly preventable with a regular low to medium low good fats added diet, just watch the portion control.  The fat soluble vitamins maintain the health of so many organs from the vital ones like heart and lungs and digestive tract through to the reproductive system and skin. All nutrients are required in a balance to maintain body health, don't fear adding some fatty fish to your diet even if you are trying to lose weight, it's not what you eat but when and how much that affects your weight.

5/Black Tea.  I like that one.  I still use a cup of tea, to offset a desire I still get, to eat when not hungry.  It is something I have learned to use and enjoy as a substitute for fattening suppers and afternoon snacks too close to my evening meal.

Read more -> Best flu fighting foods

Rolled Oat, based breakfasts.

Muesli
1/3 cups rolled oats covered with 100 ml of low fat, unsweetened, live culture yogurt and a springing of nuts and seeds, plus fresh fruit is my staple breakfast most mornings.

Quick Microwave Porridge.

Reg’s variation on ths is to put a cup of hot water and shim milk powder on the rolled oats, then microwave it for one minute, leave it sit for another minute in the microwave then add frit and serve.

Variation

Porridge with cinnamon apple salsa (V) 231 cal

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• Large pinch ground cinnamon

Method

 Place the oats and 2 2/3 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine the grated apple and cinnamon.

Divide the oats between serving bowls and top with the apple mixture.

 

From my Breakfasts, Healthy, 300 to 350 Calories.Meal size serves 2 

Tomorrows
Passionfruit Cheese Toast, breakfast is a variation from the recipie below

Crave Chocolate for breakfast? Why not?

Choc-ricotta & raspberry toast (V) 315cal
• Serves 2
• 315 Cal
Ingredients
• 4 slices wholegrain bread
• 200g fat-reduced ricotta
• Cocoa powder, to dust
• ½ cup fresh or frozen defrosted raspberries. I use fresh. 
Method
Toast the bread. Spread the ricotta over the toast. Dust with cocoa powder and top with the raspberries.
Tips:
Option: Instead of 4, use 3 slices of toast and drizzle a tablespoon of honey, it's close to the same cals


If you would like to add a healthy breakfast of 300 to 350 calories, you can add them to the breakfast topic in the forum or leave them here in the comments section :-).

I am a great believer in eating healthy, but also allowing all good things in moderation and from many accounts, we read on nutrition these days, 70% good quality organically grown chocolate is supposed to be rich in antioxidants and help raise the good cholesterol and lower the bad ones.  Some suggest eating up to 1 ounce a day.  Given it is still a high calorie, high fat  food and there are a lot of foods I love better, I might stick to my preferred good oils of measured amounts of olive oil or 1/3 of an avocado each day , rather than  thinking of having dark chocolate regularly. In addition, chocolate gives my husband migraine and me acne so I have never wanted to develop a taste for it and consider myself lucky I do not have chocolate cravings like so many of my friends.

Anyhow, I found this recipe in a friend’s status this morning on facebook and I thought it sounded great and a lot healthier than those sweet white chocolates made with palm oil and other harmful saturated fats.

I am thinking this would even be an easy recipe that I could make up as Christmas treats and be prepared to nibble on in moderation, myself. I think that is the key, ‘a little’.  As good quality, 70% dark chocolate is very rich in flavour you do tend to be satisfied with less.

Make and enjoy in moderation this recipe for Marquis Au Chocolat

Marquis Au Chocolat

500g Dark Chocolate. Use the best dark chocolate you can get

9 egg yolks

6 egg whites

155g butter

125g slivered almonds (toasted)

brandy (or rum) – you could use this to taste, it was recommended to use about 1 cup.

 

Line bottom and sides of 20cm cake tin with baking paper. Spread 1/2 the nuts over the base.

Melt chocolate then add softened butter and beat thoroughly. When nearly cold add egg yolks and beat well. Then add brandy and beat.

Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Put 1/2 mixture, in cake tin, over the nuts. Spread out another layer of nuts, then the remaining mixture.

Put in fridge overnight.

Serve - very small slices!

ENJOY!"

Variations,
1-2 tbsp strong black coffee, grated rind of 1 orange
or
30g castor sugar 40g honey 30ml Grand Marnier (or similar flavour) 30ml orange juice.

Notice I am avoiding the many high-refined sugars and saturated heavy cream versions of this recipe.  I tend to find, having broken away from my love of fatty  foods a little low fat yogurt more than satisfies my love of 'creaminess', but I do not know how that would work in this recipe and they say adding milk product to dark chocolate, neutralises the good anti oxidant properties of the cocoa.
Read more:

Serve With
Natural Yogurt, and Fresh Berries, or by itself.
 

Michelle Bridges' Australian Calorie Counter By Michelle Bridges

Format: Paperback, 224 pages, 2nd Revised edition Edition Other Information: illustrations Published In: Australia, 02 March 2009 In Stock

I woke up this morning with a far clearer idea of why I went off course yesterday and ate more than I required while not hungry (motional eating).

1/ I have been skimping on sleep again.

2/ These small seaside ports, are not good for healthy food shopping. The selection f fresh food was meger and expensive, I went in to the store to purchase a trolley full f fruit and vegetables and i bought an apple, a pear, onions and peanut butter, I eyed the rotting grapes and bananas as and limp vegetables and left them, there in the store.  I have already planned tonight’s meal; it will be chicken onion and corn (using my frozen supplies) soup.

Solution.

1/Bulking high fibre and fluid food satisfies the stomach.
2/Delicious food satisfies the mind.  I plan a rolled oats, (not the instant kind), low fat unsweetened yogurt and fruit  breakfast, a healthy large salad for my lunch and low fat, soup for my evening meal today. is good, as the hot liquid allows you to feel full and emotionally satisfied. J.  I know I need to find a larger town soon where I can get fresh quality produce again.

3/ Good nutrition satisfies the body.  I found this definition of the way I like to eat, this morning.  I would love to see catalog printing of this information about good nutrition and wider distribution of the knowledge as in this age of knowledge the obesity epedemic proves that people in general have become unaware of the basics of how good nutrition bbenefits thier health and helps manage thier weight. 

It isn't that the information is not out there, it is just drowned out by the advertisements  for fried foods and refined carbohydrates, on one hand and the diet industries sales of pills, surgery or substances on the other and the message of moderation and nutrition has a struggle to be heard because there is less financial reward for pushing the message.

The healthy diet is the bst way to reduce food cravings, not waking up in the morning and ordering yourself to restrain your desire to eat when you desire to. I am planning my meals agead of time today, no grabbing at something fast, because I am hungry, I will have a nutrition plan in place I will follow and it will be so delicious I will want to follow it and I will feel very emotionally satiisfied and not be looking to overeat to find that feeling of satisfaction, today.

Wider distribution of good nutrition information rather than silly diets would assist so many people. The distribution somehow needs to go wider and be louder than the countering effect of the advrtisers.   

I know that when I begin cutting back on my fresh fruits and vegetables, I begin looking at and eating, higher calorie foods, like I did last night, as I desire some bulk in my diet and that is when my overeating monster kicks in. 

So once again, I am telling myself and anyone else listening, it is not about, dieting, or self-deprivation, the art of natural slimming it is about healthy eating, choosing delicious, nutritious food.  
For me, this week, it looks like some imaginative use of the few fresh supplies I could buy here, in Eden , with the best selection I have available in my small caravan freezer and pantry until I can find a good fresh fruit and vegetable store.

 

The fundamentals of nutrition, as viewed by Dr. Fuhrman.

One-way he tries to describe his approach is through the use, of the word "Nutritarian." He coined this term and the basic idea is that the right foods can have very positive effects and that not all food, is created, equally.

 

What is very interesting is that elements of this approach are now part of the new Weight Watchers SET Points system. This is all very new and we are just learning the details. But it is fuelling a certain level of enthusiasm for what WW is now doing among PT members.   

What Is A Nutritarian?

 

A nutritarianunderstands that food has powerful disease-protecting and therapeutic effects and seeks to consume a broad array of micronutrients via their food choices. It is not sufficient to merely avoid fats, consume foods with a low glycemic index and low in animal products, nor eat a diet of mostly raw foods. A truly healthy diet must be micronutrient rich and the micronutrient richness must be adjusted to meet individual needs. The foods with the highest micronutrient per calorie scores are green vegetables, colorful vegetables, and fresh fruits. For optimal health and to combat disease, it is necessary to consume enough of these foods.  

 

http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2009/01/what-is-a-nutritarian.html

 

This is a big read but it is really important. This is what is at the cutting edge of the diet industry right now and you are going to see all the other players in the space move in this direction.

 

Apples have a pH of 8 or are moderately alkaline. The human blood should be slightly alkaline ( 7.35 - 7.45 ). Unfortunately, the western diet tends to be highly acidic and ths in turn is part of why osteoporosis, is seen in increasing numbers in up to 50% of western society women by age 60, due largely to the excess acidity of their diet. Diet drinks with artificial sweeteners are extremely acidic and those high protein low carbohydrate diets pushed by the diet industry are very harmful to the natural healthy pH balance of the human body. It is no wonder, that osteoporosis, is sometimes, called, the ‘dieters disease’.

 Below or above this range means symptoms and disease.  A pH of 7.0 is neutral.  A pH below 7.0 is acidic.  A pH above 7.0 is alkaline.

An acidic pH can occur from, an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients.  The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals.  If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur.  Calcium which is an alkaline mieral can be drwn out of the bone, into the blood as the body needs calcium available for essential body functions. When you drink a diet coke, you are effectively depleting your bones of calcium and it takes more than consuming more calcium to correct the balance, ou need to start by correcting the acid, alkaline balance by eating a healthy balanced diet that included plenty of alkaline forming foods and no excess of acidic food.

An acidic balance will:  decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.  A blood pH of 6.9, which is only slightly acidic, can induce coma and death.

The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical western diet, which is far too high in acid producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh vegetables.  Additionally, we eat acid producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks.  We use too many drugs, which are acid forming; and we use artificial chemical sweetners like NutraSweet, Spoonful, Sweet 'N Low, Equal, or Aspartame, which are poison and extremely acid forming.  One of the best things we can do to correct an overly acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.

To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods.  To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Generally, alkaline forming foods include: most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds and nuts.

Generally, acid forming foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, and legumes.

Shifting Your pH Toward Alkaline...

This chart is for those trying to "adjust" their body pH.  The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic ( low on oxygen ) and numbers above 7 alkaline.  An acidic body is a sickness magnet.  What you eat and drink will impact where your body's pH level falls.  Balance is Key !!!


This chart provides information that shows the contribution of various food substances to the acidifying of body fluids, and ultimately, to the urine, saliva, and blood. In general, it is important to eat a diet that contains foods from both sides of the chart.

Allergic reactions and other forms of stress tend to produce acids in the body. The presence of high acidity indicates that more of your foods should be selected from the alkalizing group.

The ideal diet for most people, is 75 percent alkalizing and 25 percent acidifying foods..

ALKALIZING FOODS

VEGETABLES
Garlic
Asparagus
Fermented Veggies
Watercress
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Dulce
Dandelions
Edible Flowers
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spirulina
Sprouts
Squashes
Alfalfa
Barley Grass
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens
Nightshade Veggies

FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Currants
Dates/Figs
Grapes
Grapefruit
Lime
Honeydew Melon
Nectarine
Orange
Lemon
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
All Berries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Watermelon

PROTEIN
Eggs
Whey Protein Powder
Cottage Cheese
Chicken Breast
Yogurt
Almonds
Chestnuts
Tofu (fermented)
Flax Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Tempeh (fermented)
Squash Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Millet
Sprouted Seeds
Nuts

OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Lecithin Granules
Probiotic Cultures
Green Juices
Veggies Juices
Fresh Fruit Juice
Organic Milk
(unpasteurized)
Mineral Water
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Dandelion Tea
Ginseng Tea
Banchi Tea
Kombucha

SWEETENERS
Stevia

SPICES/SEASONINGS
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Mustard
Chili Pepper
Sea Salt
Miso
Tamari
All Herbs

ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Maitake
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Shitake
Kombu
Reishi
Nori
Umeboshi
Wakame
Sea Veggies



 

ACIDIFYING FOODS

FATS & OILS
Avocado Oil
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Flax Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil

FRUITS
Cranberries

GRAINS
Rice Cakes
Wheat Cakes
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Oats (rolled)
Quinoi
Rice (all)
Rye
Spelt
Kamut
Wheat
Hemp Seed Flour

DAIRY
Cheese, Cow
Cheese, Goat
Cheese, Processed
Cheese, Sheep
Milk
Butter

NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Brazil Nuts
Peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef
Carp
Clams
Fish
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Oyster
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Shrimp
Scallops
Tuna
Turkey
Venison

PASTA (WHITE)
Noodles
Macaroni
Spaghetti

OTHER
Distilled Vinegar
Wheat Germ
Potatoes

DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Pesticides
Herbicides

ALCOHOL
Beer
Spirits
Hard Liquor
Wine

BEANS & LEGUMES
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans
Rice Milk
Almond Milk
 
http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm