Hard to Stay on Track

So its been a while, I have been super busy with real life. In all honesty, writing articles is not my strong point! I much prefer playing Warcraft. Keeping the diet under control to avoid the migraines is way harder and I have learnt some hard lessons.

Lesson 1:

The glutamates stay in your system for SEVEN days, which means even a small amount is too much. A small amount won't trigger a migraine but it will interfere with appetite control etc. also if I have a small amount every day for a few days - the 2nd or 3rd day it will trigger a migraine, so its a cumulative effect. This means NO treat days. If I want treats - I have to make them.

Some days this is extremely difficult.

Lesson 2

Glutamates (MSG) hide in so many foods. The only really sure way is to cook myself. If I am eating out: salads without dressing, steaks without sauce. No ham or bacon, no soy sauce. The list is endless and I have been having headaches every few weeks.

*Update* My local IGA now stocks a naturally smoked ham and bacon cured with honey!!! YUM

Lesson 3

Be prepared. It is much easier to stick to healthy foods if you have pre-prepared meals. I have been making soups, stews etc and freezing them in single serve containers.

Labelling

I cannot stress how important it is to check the labels - thoroughly! I was at the supermarket today and I am shocked at the deceit on some packets. I took photos to point this out.

Claims on the packet - The Natural Chip Company Sea Salt & Vinegar Chips

As you can see, they are making categorical statements on the packet. The important one is "No added MSG". You see, the crucial word here is "added". what they actually mean is that THEY didn't add any MSG - this doesn't mean there ISN'T any MSG. In fact on checking the ingredients there were 3 different ingredients that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in the packet.

Naural flavour, Maltodextrin, Corn Starch

With every packet, always check the ingredients with Truth in Labelling to make sure. MSG will stay in your system for 7 days and build up in your system. Even having small amounts every day builds up to a much larger problem.

To follow my eating plan, print the list from Truth in Labelling and avoid EVERY INGREDIENT on that list. No exceptions.

Current Weight Loss: 27kg. New photos being posted next week!

Some Hope and a Recipe

Its been a long week but I am recovered from last weekend. DH persuaded me to have Nandos yesterday but he researched them first. The good news is that their food has NO glutamates! Absolutely fantastic. The chicken has the fat trimmed as well and all their marinades are in the safe zone. No headache, in case you're wondering :)

Today's recipe is a Fruit cordial. I missed having a soft drink every now and then but couldn't risk it even with a sodastream machine. Then I found this recipe courtesy of Food Preserving and I can fizz some soda and pour with some home made cordial. tastes amazing and with no additives at all. I have added thermomix instructions as well.

Fruit concentrate is a great and easy to make drink and FAR better than shop cordial. next time you are in the supermarket, read the ingredients. There is very little real items on there and many chemicals including glutamates.

I can almost people thinking at this point - how is she losing weight?? Read my first post again. Glutamates will:

1. Destroy appetite control. Eating diet food will not help, in fact most diet food contains glutamates
2. Tell your brain you are using too much energy and to slow down.

I haven't dieted at all to lose weight since I started this. Trying to convince DH to start posting as he has finally gone 'glutamate free' and has lost 6 kilos in 2 weeks.

Woolworths and Big W are now stocking the Ball Mason Jars that I recommend using for the recipe below.

Strawberry Lemon Concentrate

Ingredients:

6 cups strawberries (approx 2lbs / 1kg) - can be fresh or frozen
4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (I needed 14 lemons)
6 cups white sugar
 
Concentrates are a fantastic way of using fruit juices with freshly squeezed lemon juice to make delicious drinks to serve during summer or year-round.

Pre-heat pint or half-pint jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes, pre-heat seals and rings in simmering water for 10 minutes.

Stove Top Instructions

Wash strawberries, hull and puree until smooth. If using frozen berries, thaw in a bowl and puree with any liquid (juice) from the bowl, too. You can use a food processor, blender or stick blender to puree the fruit. Then put the puree into a large stainless steel pot. I like to put all of the fruit into the pot then use my immersion (stick) blender to puree.

Halve lemons then squeeze juice, either manually or using an electric juicer (mine was only $12). Pour through a sieve to catch any pulp, pouring juice into measuring jug. Add correct amount of lemon juice to pot. Add sugar to pot and stir to combine all ingredients.

Now we want to heat the concentrate over medium to 190 degrees fahrenheit (88 degrees celsius), which is almost bringing to a boil (but don't boil). Clip your thermometer onto the side of the pot, whisking the concentrate over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir occasionally until you reach 190 degrees, then turn heat off. Skim foam from the surface.

Thermomix Instructions

Wash strawberries, hull and place in bowl. Speed 9 for 10 seconds. Add lemon juice, half sugar. Cook at 90C, speed 1, 6 minutes. Add remaining sugar, 90C, speed 1, 10 minutes. Skim foam.

Sieve if desired through a fine mesh strainer or muslin. (optional)

Ladle concentrate into prepared hot half-pint or pint jars to 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Remove bubbles, adding extra concentrate if necessary to correct headspace. Skim foam (if any remains) from the surface then wipe rims, apply seals and twist bands on to fingertip-tight.

Process in hot water bath canner for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove jars after 5 minutes to a teatowel-covered bench to rest overnight. The next day remove bands, label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. I made 4 pints and 1 half-pint of concentrate following this recipe.

Enjoy your own fruit cordial!

Eating out is tricky!

Eating out can be very tricky and even food that looks safe may not be for me. i was out on Saturday night and one of the ladies brought a yummy looking cob loaf dip. You all know the ones I mean!

Looked fabulous! I asked how it was made: sour cream, spinach, onions etc. I took a chance and had a little bit - yum! I ended up having 3 scoops then got all the ingredients - which included a packet soup mix. I spent the next hour hoping it wouldn't affect me too badly, I only had 3 small dips after all.

No such luck, my head was pounding by the time I got home and it felt like my eye was being skewered by something. Instant migraine! Yay! 48 hours later and I am feeling myself again.

So how do you avoid additives when you're out? If you are at friends places - ask! Ask them what's in their amazing dip. Avoid crackers unless you know the brand is safe. If the packet is still there, discreetly check out the ingredients on the back.

Eating at a restaurant is a bit like playing the lottery. I have eaten at 5 star restaurants and been ill for 3 days afterwards. I've eaten at small cheap restaurants and been fine. Avoid sauces/dressings and stick to meat and vege/salad where you can see the items.

My Journey So Far

December 2012 - Feeling and looking very unhealthy

Sometime in my early 30's I started gaining weight, only a little to start with. I was also having problems with constant headaches and indigestion. At 37 I had an accident at work and over the next 10 years coping with that didn't think about the rest. I put the headaches down to constant painkillers and the indigestion to taking anti-inflammatories. i attributed the weight gain to the meds I was taking and that I'd given up smoking.

Then in about 2011, when the headaches were getting extremely severe, I started researching. At that stage I was getting about 2 migraines a week. I found a short article where the author had been researching ongoing migraines and discovered she had a sensitivity to MSG. 
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/msg.htm

*Light Bulb*

Also, what did I have to lose? Anything was going to be better than spending half my time lying down in a dark room. Or at work, pretending to be fine. So I started avoiding the obvious forms of MSG and kept researching.

My headaches were less. Amazing!! I kept studying and found an article on the toxic effect of Factory created (man-made) free glutamates.

http://stemcell.md/diets/glutamine_free.pdf

That was an eye opener and then I found websites that listed every item that contained glutamates and started getting far more serious about avoiding them. My headaches literally vanished. It was so profoundly good.My energy levels went up. 

My husband and I went to a Thai restaurant for my birthday in 2011 and no I didn't really think about it. I came home feeling headachey and that developed into a 3 day migraine.

So I went on a mission to completely remove anything that had glutamates - MSG is 78% free glutamates. 

I make my own stock. I make my own bread & jam. This site is to help document my journey so it can help others.

The best and most awesome part of eating clean has been that I started losing weight. I concentrating so much on just eating natural foods that I didn't even notice. until I went for a doctors appointment - was weighed in and had lost 5 kilos ( 11 pounds). as of today I have lost a total of 20 kilos and feel fantastic. its only 2 weeks since this photo below was taken and I've lost another kilo.

November 2013 Loving Life Eating Clean

Links page coming soon with more sites to read and research.