Intro and quinoa question

[Beatrice]

Hi

I'm Beatrice from Australia. I've posted a couple of time but have been lurking for a while. Brief into follows ...

My inspiration to modify my diet was a choleserol reading of 7.3mmol/l (282 mg/dl). I managed to drop this to 6.8(263) by cutting out saturated fats. I was surprised at this small drop because most advice says that lowering cholesterol can be achieved by lowering saturated fat intake. Someone is lying to us (LOL!). My doctor subsequently decided I was "genetically prone" to high cholesterol and prescribed medication. This was about 12 months ago and I acquiesced to the medication for the sake of my health (always thinking about my poor liver every time I swallowed a pill). I was 13kg (31lbs) overweight.

I did a stress test which proved fine and the cardiologist assured me that taking medications for cholesterol was quite normal. He said most cardiologists take it! By this stage I was getting pretty annoyed with the medical profession.

My goal is to get my cholesterol reading down to 4.0/155 without meds and prove the doctor and the cardiologist wrong ... oh yeah and guarantee myself a healthy middle and old age.

Since then i have tried and failed various WOEs (Fuhrman, Esselstyn, Regular McDougall etc etc). I managed to lose 7kg (15.4 lbs) but put 4kg (8.8 lbs) back on. I've battled through green smoothies and low carbs and high protein but I think with MWL I've found my home. The other programs were good but weren't me. I'm a starch girl and I love my spuds. Flour and baked goods are my downfall! One slice of sour dough toast or turkish bread is NOT enough. These are now special feast foods!

The transtion from SAD (Standard Australian Diet) to low fat vegan was not hard. After reading the China Study, leaving dairy out of my diet was not an issue. I've just started reading the Pleasure Trap as well and it's wonderful to read words that resonate with ideas I've held for a long time. Having little support from friends and family and then back sliding were the hard bits!!!

So ... I've been trying different whole grains. Barley and short grain brown rice are my favourites but I recently tried quinoa (actually had it for lunch today with dhal and curried veg) and it was very unsatisfying.

Has anyone else found this? I guess I should stick to the starches that satisfy. Less chance to stray.


cheers

B

[AussieDavid]

Hi B,

My family and I have been following the McD eating plan for the past 14 1/2 years with great success. Follow what suits you best on the MWL but work with your doctor to reduce the cholesterol meds.

No need to go into too much detail with him/her as they are too stupid to understand anything other than what they have been taught at old fashioned medical school. No nutrition training and once you do reduce your cholesterol levels, they won't believe you anyway.

Keep at it. The most important point to always keep in mind is that this is a forever eating lifestyle. If you stray, you will pay.

Best wishes to you.

[Beatrice]

Thanks David

Things are going quite nicely at the mo. I've lost 1.6 kg (3.5lb) in just over 2 weeks so I've just sneaked into the "healthy weight range" BMI and am no longer classified as overweight. I'm hoping to get to about 22-23. I guess things might be slowish because I'm not too far from my goal weight.

I'm due for a cholesterol test in a couple of weeks so it will be interesting to see what has happened. I expect the cholesterol reading to have fallen below 4 (155). I wonder how low it has to get before they take you off meds?

My goal is to be off medication for cholesterol.

I think the MWL program is going to be where I live too.

Luckily the looming christmas period won't be too hard. Christmas lunch will be at my neice's place ... it will be very sad SAD and not tempting ...

One of the things about this WOE is that it's given me "permission" to not try to cook gourmet meals all the time. The whole "foodie" culture has seduced people away from good wholesome food or convinced them that if it's not dripping with extra virgin cold pressed olive oil or full of exotic ingredients its not "worthy". I certainly I got sucked in by it.

Simple cooking is good ... Like our hard working ancestors did. Feast days are hardly special anymore when there is pressure for everyday to be a gourmet feast.

cheers

and here's to McDougalling!

B

[Randrews]

Hi

I'm Beatrice from Australia. I've posted a couple of time but have been lurking for a while. Brief into follows ...

My inspiration to modify my diet was a choleserol reading of 7.3mmol/l (282 mg/dl). I managed to drop this to 6.8(263) by cutting out saturated fats. I was surprised at this small drop because most advice says that lowering cholesterol can be achieved by lowering saturated fat intake. Someone is lying to us (LOL!). My doctor subsequently decided I was "genetically prone" to high cholesterol and prescribed medication. This was about 12 months ago and I acquiesced to the medication for the sake of my health (always thinking about my poor liver every time I swallowed a pill). I was 13kg (31lbs) overweight.

I did a stress test which proved fine and the cardiologist assured me that taking medications for cholesterol was quite normal. He said most cardiologists take it! By this stage I was getting pretty annoyed with the medical profession.

My goal is to get my cholesterol reading down to 4.0/155 without meds and prove the doctor and the cardiologist wrong ... oh yeah and guarantee myself a healthy middle and old age.

Since then i have tried and failed various WOEs (Fuhrman, Esselstyn, Regular McDougall etc etc). I managed to lose 7kg (15.4 lbs) but put 4kg (8.8 lbs) back on. I've battled through green smoothies and low carbs and high protein but I think with MWL I've found my home. The other programs were good but weren't me. I'm a starch girl and I love my spuds. Flour and baked goods are my downfall! One slice of sour dough toast or turkish bread is NOT enough. These are now special feast foods!

The transtion from SAD (Standard Australian Diet) to low fat vegan was not hard. After reading the China Study, leaving dairy out of my diet was not an issue. I've just started reading the Pleasure Trap as well and it's wonderful to read words that resonate with ideas I've held for a long time. Having little support from friends and family and then back sliding were the hard bits!!!

So ... I've been trying different whole grains. Barley and short grain brown rice are my favourites but I recently tried quinoa (actually had it for lunch today with dhal and curried veg) and it was very unsatisfying.

Has anyone else found this? I guess I should stick to the starches that satisfy. Less chance to stray.


cheers

B

I love the quinoa, bought a 50 lb bag when I thought the hardest thing about being a vegetarian was getting enough protein. Now I find myself eating smaller portions since it is protein rich.

[debable]

Welcome Beatrice! MWL is my home too. Filling, satisfying and eliminates triggers like flour products.Perfect! I think the light fluffy texture of quinoa makes it less satisfying, it doesn't stick to your ribs like brown rice or oatmeal. I find it filling but not as satisfying, if that makes any sense. I also find dal less satisfying than whole beans because of the pureed texture and lack of chewing. I guess I like my food heavy

[lucymy22]

I love quinoa... I had never heard about it until recently, but I really like it. I kind of know what you mean when you say is not satisfying, I always cook it with a bunch of different veggies and beans and its great.. you should try it. Best of luck always

[Starchyme]

I'm eating quinoa as I write. I opened a package of the ready-to-eat black bean soup, threw in some left-over quinoa, mushrooms, and beet greens. It's delish!

Usually I run toward rice. But I've been trying different recipes with quinoa for variety. I like it with butternut squash and/or various cut-up veggies. I season sometimes with cumin and curry (Indian-style) or Italian or Asian style.

For me, there's no end to how many things one can make with a simple, easy, portion of one or other grain.

[gina81752]

I really love quinoa, and almost always keep a bowl full in the refrigerator. This time, I cooked it with veg. broth, plenty of onions, corn, peas, carrots, red peppers, broccoli and chili powder. Sometimes I add black beans and/or some salsa to spice it up. I like that it cooks faster than brown rice or barley. I am thankful that I enjoy all of the grains.

[tmsjava]

Welcome! I'm mostly a lurker too. I have lost about 17 lbs so far....in maybe the last 3 months or so. Have about 13 more to go! Anyway, I could see if you were eating just quinoa...without other stuff, it would be unsatisfying. I would just mix up some other veggies with it, like peppers, onions, etc. I've got a recipe on my site:

http://tanyascooking.blogspot.com/2009/ ... uinoa.html

I don't eat it that often. I usually stick with brown rice, millet, and barley.

Good luck
T.

[Beatrice]

I've mostly been eating spuds. It's wonderful! I love my starchy veg.

Last night my 14 year old daughter made a McD dinner for the both of us ... a huge salad and oven cooked chips (fries) ... she of course has her father's genes and is a slender young thing ... so she finished off her dinner with chocolate icecream!

Also, I went out for our annual end of year Dance School Christmas party at a local pizza restaurant the night before ... I loaded up on salads first and then managed to get most of the cheese off my veggie pizza ... the cheese-free pizza was very nice (no not MWL but it was a pre-ordered meal so this was my compromise). The cheese sat there is a nasty big congealed lump. I think most people are used to me being quirky ... I think developing the "tame eccentric persona" has its benefits. I left early before the chocolate cake arrived.

B