Month: September 2024

Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation

Getting Back on Track

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Autumn is a great time of the year… it is also the marker for when I tend to struggle the hardest with my ability to stay focused on my journey.   There are Fall Festivals everywhere, and at those festivals you will find loads of yummy-not-good-healthy-choice foods.   I’m weak when it comes to corndogs, funnel cakes and cotton candy.  
There’s also this instinctive nature of mine to start foraging and stocking up for the coming colder months.  Like a bear, I want to start eating the heavier calorie dense foods to sustain me.    Squash and rice are great, but they must be taken in smaller portions than my cravings want.   Topping the list of things are my weekend excursions to see family.   No matter how well I plan, no matter how good my intentions, when I am around family I tend to relax more, and I eat more in the name of “having some fun” as well as imbibing in the alcoholic beverage.   

Add these things up and you have a girl who is struggling to stay on track.  This journey is only 20% diet, 10% exercise and, I daresay, 70% mental.   You must dig deep and find that self-control.  I look in the mirror and now I have a bit of stress that if I fall too far, I will reverse everything I have accomplished.   I can come up with numerous reasons why I am struggling, but let’s be honest, that is all they really are.   Justifying my inability to have a little self-control. 

To get back on track, I have set a loose plan. 

#1 – Remove the 3 bags of candies I purchased on a whim and take them anywhere but where I can get to them.   It was a stupid impulse purchase and knowing they are there is detrimental to me.

#2 – Remind myself that one year ago I was just starting out and was able to do this.  Get back in that mindset by setting up some prepared meals and drinking more water.

#3 – Stick to my Fasting hours like it is a life-or-death decision.   If I convince myself that breaking the fast will hurt me physically, that will help.   (you would be surprised how easy it is to convince yourself of things)

#4 – KEEP BUSY physically.    When I’m busy with things that require lots of movement of my body, I tend to forget about food.   The idea here is that I’m not bored and I’m getting exercise.

#5- Go play Golf.   I just bought a used set of clubs.   I don’t know how to play golf well; in fact, I am terrible at it.   Its excellent exercise and I’ll be outside on a course well away from temptations. 

Of course I will continue my rules of Intermittent Fasting, more protein, less carbs.   I will also attempt my first dip into the pool of Prolonged Fasting, perhaps just a 24 hour fast to get a feel for it. 

Regardless of what I do, the important thing is that I am being proactive and not just letting my old habits slide in and take over.   That person no longer exists. 

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Posted in intermittent-fasting

Prolonged Fasting – the 24 Hour Fast

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Prolonged/Extended Fasting varies, but typically it will span a period of 24 hours to a week.  If you are doing the 24 hours fast, you should allow a day or two of rest between the Prolonged Fasting periods. 

During the fasting time, the body transitions from using glucose as a primary energy source to the state of ketosis, the burning of stored fats.

One of the key benefits of Prolonged Fasting is the promotion of autophagy.  This is the body’s process of removing damaged cells and generating new ones.  It is also believed to stimulate stem cell production The process is essential for maintaining cellular health and preventing diseases. The increase in cellular cleanup activities also is beneficial for anti-aging. 

Other benefits include a reduction in inflammation, improved cardiovascular health, lower risk of insulin resistance, better blood sugar control, improve cholesterol and triglycerides levels, fat loss and weight loss.

What to eat Before and After the 24-Hour Fast:

To promote the ketosis and stem cell health, you should choose nourishing, nutrient-dense whole foods.   Fatty meats, bone broth, organ meats, full-fat cheese, and low-carb vegetables.  

Doing a 24 hour Fast:

A 24 hour fast typically will begin at sundown on the first day and will end at the same time the following day.  However, you are free to choose your start time to fit your own schedule.     It is important to note that linking your fasting period with circadian rhythms will work well with the metabolic processes in your body that are governed by natural light and dark cycles.   This is the reason most will choose the Sundown start time.

Obviously, you cannot eat food, candy, etc. while on the fast, but you can have beverages.  The choices are limited to water, mineral water, seltzer water, black coffee, or tea.    NO SODA

As an Intermittent Faster, you are familiar with at the 16–18-hour mark being the time that you would “break the fast”.  This will be your rough patch, but keeping physically active and busy will help you overcome the hump.   

After restricting your calories for 12-36 hours your body begins breaking down fatty acids into energy molecules called ketones.   That’s what they are all talking about when they say “State of Ketosis”.   As you hit your 16-hour mark, your body activates a process of cellular repair called the autophagy.   Not only is autophagy taking away the damaged and old cells, but it is also removing infectious and toxic bacteria and viruses.     This is most likely the reason you are not willing to eat when you have a stomach virus, your body is forcing its only self-repair mode.

One response to “Prolonged Fasting – the 24 Hour Fast”

  1. aliyaanemily82 Avatar
    aliyaanemily82

    wow!! 77Getting Back on Track

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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Posted in Food Stuff

The Edible Squash

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Its September!  Which means the Winter Squash is starting to become available. I have always been a mediocre fan of squash having had it served to me often in ways that just was not appealing.  My mother, however, made darn good Acorn squash every fall season and so I based all my experiences on her variation.

As an adult, I’ve learned to expand my palette and more variety has come into play.  Spaghetti squash and butternut squash now visit the table and this year I am setting a goal to try a few new varieties. 

The health benefits of the squash are awesome!  They are loaded with antioxidants and can play a role in reducing oxidative stress.  Loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene, it has the benefit of improved eye health.  Foods rich in these minerals may help slow the progression of macular degeneration a reduce chances of related vision loss. 

Vitamin C can also help prevent cataracts and it is important for growing and repairing cell tissue.

High in fiber, squash aids in digestion. Additionally, it is a good source of magnesium, calcium, iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin B6. 

As with anything, too much of a good thing can be bad for you so its important to incorporate this into your diet occasionally but not for every meal 

Some quick ideas for squash:

Clean and roast the seeds for healthy snack time

Replace the flour pasta with Spaghetti Squash

Use Butternut or Acorn squash as ravioli filling

Blend butternut squash with milk, dates and cinnamon to make a smoothie

Use acorn or Red Kuri squash to create a filling replacing for pumpkin pie

Enjoy this short list of Winter Squash that should look familiar to you :

Acorn Squash

Acorn Squash

Banana Squash

Black Futsu Squash

Boston Morrow Squash

Buttercup Squash

Carnival Squash

Butternut Squash

Field Pumpkin

Delicata Squash

Galeux d’Eysines Squash

Green Striped Cushaw Squash

Honeynut Squash

Kabocha Squash

Lakota Squash

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Musquee de Provence

Red Kuri Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Sugar Pumpkin

Sweet Dumpling Squash

Turban Squash

Hubbard Squash

2 responses to “The Edible Squash”

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation, Food Stuff

His Name is HUNGER PANG

Posted on by HeatherLynn

I have been Intermittent Fasting for exactly one year now. I’ve been successful in my goal to drop some weight and lose some inches off my waist. I have gained even greater success with new habits of mindful eating and better choices.
One of the challenges I have not been so very successful in is the battle of the hunger because I changed up my schedule or had too little to consume at lunch. I will be living my life, working along just fine and then I am ferociously attacked by the hollowness within, a growling in the pit of my stomach and this weird feeling at the back of my throat I only know as a sign of being hungry.
I have removed all food from locations other than my kitchen so I will generally only have a bottle of water nearby. It is a gentle reminder to myself that I might just be thirsty. I reach for the water and down it like a man trekking through the desert, hoping to slake my thirst and drive away those mis-directed hunger signals.
It works for about ten minutes, and the signal returns. If that happens, I will get up and move around a bit, go refill that water and get my circulation moving. I should be doing this regardless since I do work a sedentary position at a computer, however this is a great motivator.
If I am truly hungry, those pangs will return. Since there isn’t anything edible nearby, I content myself with more water and then empty my desk hoping for a stray cough drop or a piece of hard candy that may have been forgotten. If I am truly desperate, I will give in. I will walk out to the desk of a co-worker where I know there is candy, or a cookie or something that will ease the annoyance. Since we are not all on the same journey, I can always count on them having something. This is both a blessing and a curse. It gets me past the hump, and I can finish my day and get home to make dinner.
You see what has happened? I had to make a poor decision because I did not plan well. Every day is an opportunity for success or failure. Some days do not start well and you leave the house without a good plan (aka, an afternoon snack that you have approved for your journey). Or the day started out well enough and something has occurred to throw your plan askew. We have to be prepared for these sorts of mishaps and sadly, I am nearly always woefully unprepared. I have gotten to writing myself notes and posting them all over my kitchen and front door to remind me of what I must take with me. It does the trick… when I remember to write the notes… sometimes I need a note to remind me to write a note.
While I sit and write this, I am currently suffering such an attack. It isn’t horrible, but I’m already contemplating what I shall cook up for dinner tonight.

And I’m chugging my water.

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