While this is an unusual topic for me to talk about, I wanted to venture into it as it has suddenly become an apparent part of my life. And as far as I am concerned, is not talked about often enough. I was always fairly lucky with not gaining weight no matter how much bad food I ate.
My weight always seemed to stay the same, only fluctuating by a few kilos. I thought I was one of the lucky ones, especially when I passed the age in which all of my friends started gaining weight and finding it difficult to lose, my body continued to keep its stature.
Until that fateful day of turning 25 years of age. Suddenly I found myself on the wrong end of the scale and I wouldn't say that this sudden gain happened in a timely fashion either. I was my usual weight and then in a matter of weeks, I was a mere ten kilos heavier. I tried my usual health kick, drinking lots of water and watching my calories. This usually did the trick within a short few days, yet this time around my weight did not budge and i quickly started to worry. This is when I found out that once you reach a certain age, your body begins to get slower in the way that it processes food, leaving you with a a sudden weight gain that refuses to budge no matter how much or how hard you work out.
This sudden realisation left me feeling rather depressed and self conscious, even more so when my clothes were beginning to not fit anymore and the button on my favourite jeans popped off, with the zip following close behind it. After feeling sorry for myself for a matter of weeks, I decided to take a long hard look at my current diet and workout situation and make some changes. I experimented with different foods, testing and trying what would work best. After not seeing any difference after several weeks of working out and eating healthy, I began to just accept the change and be thankful for the years that I had been in good shape. With this in mind, what I ended up eating heavily depended on what affected my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which is also not talked about enough. With IBS, you can be left feeling very unwell after some food (most foods in my case) and end up just not eating because it is easier that being in pain constantly and not being able to have a normal life because of it. So when I found these three meals that satisfied my taste buds, didn’t trigger my IBS and were healthy as well, they quickly became my go to meals.
I am going to share them with you today so that you can too share in what is some great healthy fulfilling food. I also included the health benefits and calories of each meal.
My first meal which I will usually opt to for breakfast is a traditional muesli with dried fruit. With this I will add a pinch of chia seeds and some honey.
Traditional Muesli 308 Calories
Traditional Muesli Good fats, protein, carbs & helps the digestive system
Black chia seeds Good fats and protein Omega 3 fatty acids, fibre, iron, antioxydants
Mixed blossom honey Carbs, antibacterial flavonoids, antioxidants which help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
My second meal is pizza (I will either eat this for lunch or dinner twice a week), and yes this may scare a lot of people, but trust me, this pizza is jam packed full of nutritious ingredients and even my twelve year old sister loved the taste, and that is saying something.
Pizza- 537 Calories
Mission -Italian pizza base garlic & Herb Protein, fats, carbs
Woolworths Select Traditional tomato paste Protein, fats, carbs
Green Capsicum Protein, fats, carbs Vitamins C & A
Mild salami (can swap out if you are vegetarian) fats, carbs
Baby Spinach Protein, fats, carbs high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.
Diced Tomato source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K.
Coles Smart Cheddar Cheese (grated) Protein, fats provides calcium and protein, as well as some vitamin A, B12, riboflavin, zinc and phosphorus.
The third meal is a healthy nachos variation I can up with.
Nachos- Roughly 514 Calories
Mission Chips (I either get cheese, plain or chilli lime)
Cover chips in lean mince (cooked and mixed with chunky mild salsa) loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, including zinc, vitamin B6, and alpha lipoic acid.
Top with cheddar Cheese and add to mix Protein, fats provides calcium and protein, as well as some vitamin A, B12, riboflavin, zinc and phosphorus.
Place in oven until cheese is melted
(Cold Ingredients)
Add baby spinach Protein, fats, carbs high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.
Diced tomatoes source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K.
Diced onion vitamin C help improve immunity. Onions contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar.
Mash one avocado and add garlic (spoon this on top of ingredients) provides a substantial amount of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Add light sour cream- fats
Sure these foods may seem high in calories to those who watch their calories, yet if you add up every meal here, they only add up to be 1,359 calories which is less than an adult women should eat a day, leaving you room for snacks. These meals always leave me feeling full and I am happy to announce that after two months of seeing no progress, my weight has suddenly dropped and I am constantly being given compliments on how much slimmer I look. Yet, as I have gone through this journey, my main goal now is to feel healthy and great, which I do! One tip I can give to you in conjunction with these meals is that I have been drinking roughly two litres of water a day, which has both improved my skin, cellulite and I believe my weight and overall wellbeing. I do basic exercise routines two three times a week if I can as well to add maintain, yet I truly believe that the food I have been fueling my body with has made the difference.
References-
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270406.php
https://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-great-reasons-to-eat-more-onions.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/tomatoes
https://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/ways-to-eat-lean-ground-beef
http://foodfacts.mercola.com/spinach.html
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8230/is-muesli-really-a-healthy-breakfast-option.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/291334.php
https://draxe.com/the-many-health-benefits-of-raw-honey/
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/slideshow/cheese-bad-your-health