After spending a few months struggling to fix myself balanced meals without gluten (and mammal meat), I went to see a dietitian. After climbing up five flights of stairs in the (clearly not kept up) shabby alumni building at the hospital I anxiously awaited my appointment which (I was hoping) would change my nutritional life for the better! Hooray! The meeting wasn't exactly as magical as I was wishing for, but they did teach me a few important things for my health including:
1) I need to eat more grains. Cutting out gluten apparently led to me cutting out a ton of grains and replacing it with more fruit and veggies (which is okay, but not ideal).
2) I need to increase the beans! Beans are a great source for fibre and protein for non red meat eaters like me and they offer tons of vitamins that gluten free eaters may be missing out on.
3) I should increase my iron. I think this is a standard recommendation for most semi-veggie females, but it was nice to have a list of iron rich foods to load up on
4) Omega 3's are the key to joint happiness! Bring on the flax seed oil and fish for some well lubricated lupusy joints! Yay!
and
5) My ideal weight is 130 lbs. I'm not sure when the last time I weighed 130, but I bet I was 14. I was totally shocked with how low my weight should be and am not actually sure how I will manage to shrink down to that size (especially with all the food I'm supposed to be eating and my inability to do medium and high impact exercise for my old lady joints). Perhaps I just need to cut one of my legs off....
Armed with information I headed home to try to reorganize my eating routine and make some wonderful balanced meals under my new guidelines. The verdict? That is a whole lot harder than I would have expected, and especially so when you're insanely busy with work, crafting, appointments, and moving! Once again Lindsay came to the rescue with a most amazing (and balanced) meal suggestion via Pinterst. Behold - quinoa salad with black beans, avacado, and cumin-lime dressing:
Doesn't it look amazing? I even have a whole package of quinoa in my cupboard and some cherry tomatoes that need to get used up! Perfect! I picked up the missing ingredients on a nice long walk downtown with Jim and spent the evening preparing this ultra simple meal. The recipe was easy enough (cook up the quinoa, add other washed and chopped ingredients) which always makes meal preparation nicer and although I did modify the salad a bit (by adding 4x the garlic, 2x the cumin, a splash of caraway seeds, orange instead of red pepper, substantially less onion, and extra tomatoes) it turned out perfectly! Take a peek:
Nummers! It doesn't look quite as colourful and appealing as the image Lindsay pinned, but boy am I ever loving the black beans! Anyone have any tips out there for good recipes and ways to help me reach my nutrition goals? How about a magical weight loss tip to help me shave off 40 pounds? No? Well maybe I will just recommend trying out this salad then - it is amazing!
101 Cookbooks. It is a blog that I love. She has categories on the side for gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free meals. You can just browse and pick! Have I told you this already?
ReplyDeleteOhmygoodness - that salad looks delish! :) And how did they determine your ideal weight? Is it a height-based thing? I'd be scared to do that - lol. These are great tips, though! I would love to go see a dietitian because I do feel a little clueless at times, but I have been eating lots of iron after a new obsession with kale chips & spinach! Good luck with the new eating!
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! Your salad tooks totally tasty! I just wanted to pop in and say, that it is super good to eat healthy and do exercise, but don't concentrate on your weight too much. I don't know about you, but in my "good times" in between chronic illness, when I am going to the gym lots and walking everywhere, I actually gain weight! It's muscle mass, but it's funny that when I'm at my healthiest, the doctors think I'm unhealthy! So, I guess, take the "perfect" weight recommendations with a pinch of salt. Or maybe quinoa! ~_^
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteWow that looks really delicious and healthy!
I need something like...
Since I dont cook... The last 3 days ive been eating sandwiches! and gansitos (little cakes)
I miss my veaggies and the real food..):
If it helps I think you look great! (; the important thing is feeling great too.
Hope you re having an awesome week! full of delicious fruits and veggies(:
Carmila Ponycat
Check out "The Eat Clean Diet" which really isn't a diet at all. They focus on whole grains (think oatmeal, brown rice, quenoa) small protein portions and lots of fruits and veggies. The trick is to eat small but eat often. They even have mean plans and lots of gluten free and vegetarian recipes. I think the key is to plan your meals ahead so you're not scrambling when you're hungry! Good luck on your path to health!
ReplyDeleteYou know what I have to say about 130 pounds? PAH! Also, BUNKUM! I think that's crap. 130 pounds is for people who are, like, willowy or something. Also, who have no legs. Ignore the scale, go with how you feel, and eat stuff that makes you feel good instead of sick.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone above - your weight doesn't necessarily correlate to how healthy you are - be more interested in your BMI and fat levels than your actual weight. I post new recipes every now and then on my blog (as I think you know!) and I've done a quinoa salad there - although your one looks amazing! Think I am going to go and get me some....
ReplyDelete