Archives for February 2009

Yesterday, we introduced idea of not dieting, and eating healthy amounts. Today we’re going to discuss how.

The non-diet

Be careful not to buy into the diet scheme (remember, people who create diet plans make a ton of money off the people who use their plans). Diets are generally meant to be short term in order to help a person reach their “magic” number, but once a person stops dieting, they will usually gain most, if not all, of their weight back. In order for weight loss to be permanent, a healthy lifestyle—and diet—must be maintained. Yes, weight loss is generally slower without a specific diet plan, but it is also healthier, and much more long term.

I have found that the easiest way to eat healthy is to simply get rid of junk food. Talk to your parents if you’re still living at home, and ask them to help you throw out the junk, or to at least stop buying it once it’s gone. If they’re unwilling to do this, talk to them about your favorite junk foods, and ask them to support your desire to be healthier by no longer buying your favorite treats. (If they really want to treat you to something, they can buy you nail polish or bubble bath!)

Your family could keep items such as brownie or cake mix (or make-from-scratch ingredients) in the cupboard, so you can bake if you really have a craving for something sweet. You’ll find that you’re probably much less likely to go to the work of baking something, than you would be to run to the cupboard and grab a pre-packaged cupcake or two. The extra work will make you really consider if it’s worth it, and you’ll soon find that it usually isn’t. Plus, homemade goodies give you another option – sharing! If you bake brownies, you can save a few for your family, then make a couple of plates to take to various neighbors. The same works for cookies or cakes too. You can bake a cake in two small pans instead of one large pan, and take the other pan to a working mom at your church who may not have time to make homemade treats for her family very often.

If you have a craving for ice-cream, go out for a cone, or purchase a pint of ice cream instead of a half- gallon. The same goes for a candy bar – instead of buying a whole package, purchase one of the smaller bars at the checkout counter.

We tend to think about and want the things we are depriving ourselves of, so allow yourself an occasional sweet treat to curb the craving. When the urge hits to enjoy sweets, think creatively about how to enjoy them without being tempted by the extra calories for several days afterward.

If you must

If you are very overweight, and constantly struggling with your eating habits, you may need to go on a healthy diet for awhile that will help you learn how to be aware of your food. Diets such as Weight Watchers may be a good option, since they don’t cut out any of the food groups, and they teach dieters how to become conscious of their eating habits, plus the optional weekly meetings and weigh-ins help to keep each person accountable to themselves. Before beginning any diet program, however, talk to your doctor and make sure the diet plan you’re thinking of is safe for you. Remember that the main goal in dieting is not just to lose weight, but to learn to make lifestyle changes, which will help you stay healthy in the long run.

Food of the month: Roast beef

Low in carbs, and high in potassium and protein, roast beef is a great food on those cold winter nights (or any other time of year!). An entire meal centered around roast beef only takes minutes to create, and makes the house smell wonderful for hours.

To cook this meal, melt 1 tablespoon of Crisco Shortening in a pan, then brown both sides of the meat on medium.  After roast is browned, carefully pour a cup or two of cold water into the pan (meat will steam), then add peeled carrots and potatoes around and on top of the roast. Throw a sliced onion over that, add salt and pepper, then pour more water in the pan until it’s about halfway up the roast. Place in a 325 degree oven for three to four hours. The roast is done when the internal temperature is 160 degrees, or when the center is tender and no longer pink.

Serve with dinner rolls and milk, and have canned peaches or fresh fruit with low-fat frozen yogurt for dessert. For the entire meal, allow 30 minutes prep time, plus four hours cooking time.

Bonus: You can turn this meal into vegetable soup! After dinner, while the food is still warm, cut up the meat, carrots, and potatoes before placing them in the fridge, along with a container of the broth (if you used the broth for gravy, you could use beef bullion cubes for the soup instead). The next evening, put the broth, meat, and any canned vegetables you want into the mix (my family likes peas and corn). Then add your favorite spices and let the soup simmer for at about 30 minutes on the stove, or as long as you’d like in a crock-pot. Serve with your favorite bread, milk, and some thawed frozen berries on the side. Allow fifteen minutes prep time for this meal, plus 30 minutes cooking time.

Coming up…

Next month, we’ll talk about healthy ways to exercise, but for now, if you’ve resolved to lose a certain amount of weight, or to diet, reconsider your resolution. Think about throwing out your scale (or at least asking your mom to hide it from you), and eating healthier foods without dieting. There are many ways to change bad habits into healthy habits without dieting or feeling deprived, so think creatively, get your family (or roommates) involved if possible, and strive to make this year a year full of healthful choices. Remember that weight should not be the goal – being healthy should be our goal. Forget about your “magic” number, because when we’re eating properly and working to be healthy, a better number on the (occasional) scale will naturally follow.

By Davonne Parks

In our quest to become healthier this year, and to encourage readers to do the same, we’re publishing a three-part series about different aspects of sensible health. Last month we discussed the un-magic numbers on the bathroom scale. This month we will talk about diets, or simply “diet.”

Before we begin, let’s take a moment to direct our focus. Jesus doesn’t condemn us by the foods we eat (Matthew 15:11), so we need to be careful not to condemn ourselves, either. Let’s remember that Christ loves us no matter what size jeans we wear! We should, however, want to take care of our bodies, because as we’re told in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we need to make sure to take care of that temple.

Just say no to diets

Now that you know that I’m against scales, you probably won’t be surprised to find that I’m also against dieting. This can also be a huge discouragement, as well as potentially very unhealthy. Many diets cut out certain food groups, which isn’t good for anyone, but especially not for young women whose bodies are still developing. In addition to the physical health risks, there are also emotional set-backs. Think about it. We start a diet, are excited for the first three days, then we see dessert. And we want it. So badly, in fact, that we eat not one, but three, slices of cake. Then what happens? We go weigh ourselves on the scale we should have thrown away, are depressed by the awful number, and go eat more cake! Then we spend the next four days gorging on junk food, just so we can start the vicious cycle over again on Monday (the “magic” diet-starting day). This is not healthy! Please keep in mind that if you do eat three slices of cake, you don’t have to gorge for the next several days (or weeks). Just recognize that you need to work on it, throw out the rest of the food to save yourself the temptation, and get back on track right away – don’t even wait until tomorrow!

Keep in mind that the first few weeks will be the most difficult when it comes to changing eating habits, so stick with it, and give your body time to adjust to healthier eating.

Too much, too little

I have an idea that can be followed by anyone, no matter what your weight. Eat healthy and in moderation. Eat only when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re satisfied. Many people will eat for comfort, because they want to procrastinate on something they need to do, or because they want to keep their hands busy while watching TV. To help with self-awareness, try keeping a food journal to assist you in consciously recognizing your motives and food triggers; then learn to do something else instead of eating, such as scrap-booking or jewelry making.

On the flip side, make sure to eat enough. In a desperate attempt to reach the un-magic number on the scale, some people will stop eating enough food. They will limit the amount of food they eat each day, and learn to ignore their growling stomachs. This is also very unhealthy! A person who takes this route will lose weight to begin with, but if this regiment is continued long term, it will land him or her in the hospital or other treatment facility. Someone who starves themselves to a smaller weight will eventually have to begin eating normally again, or they will literally starve to death. When this person does begin to eat normal amounts of food, she will start gaining weight again, depressing her even more. The outcome of under-eating is never good!

To be continued

I think I’ve given you enough to think about for today, so we’ll pause here. Stay tuned, though, because tomorrow, we’ll discuss just how to be healthy without dieting!

By Davonne Parks