healthy eating - Single Parent Pessimist

Healthy Eating Update & Tips I’ve Learnt Along the Way

Claire — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 15:42:00 +0000

My tips for trying to get fitter and healthier.

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I’ve Been Sugar Free For 3 Weeks- Here’s How I’m Doing…

Claire — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 12:13:00 +0000

At the start of January I was feeling at my worst. I’ve been eating really poorly for the last two or three years as I’ve been an exhausted, time-limited single mother of a young child. But I cannot use that excuse anymore. As you saw last year I began to think about going sugar free because I had watched a documentary that really hit home to me how dangerous processed sugar is for humans. I began to make a change, but as usual life got harder and I got less organised. But recently I have read more on the dangers on sugar and have felt more determined than ever to make a lifestyle choice. It’s really hard to come off processed sugar because it’s in nearly everything! It’s in bread, white rice, crisps, most shop-bought sauces and even in stock cubes. I’ve been reading books such as the famous ‘I Quit Sugar’ which is also a great website full of recipes which I have been attempting, and I’ve also been reading Paul McKenna’s new book which aims to help you reduce your cravings and desire for sugary foods. Both have helped a lot. It does take a lot of planning as you basically have to make everything from scratch, but if you get into a habit you can batch cook and freeze a lot of it. I’ve managed three weeks so far, with only the occasional hiccup when I have eaten something not realising sugar was in it and I’m quite proud of this! Being sugar free with children This has been more tricky, as when he sees his dad at weekends it all changes as his father unfortunately has a different view on sugar despite my moaning. It can also be hard to find things my son wants to drink, let alone sugar and sweetener free. I’ve started chopping up lemon or strawberries and putting them in water to flavour it, and he enjoys eating the fruit once he’s finished the drink. We have tried ice cream made just from frozen bananas which has been a huge pudding hit for him, and I will try to add other fruit in the mix to give him the options of a few different flavours. Here’s my journey so far Week One For the first three days I did get dizzy and have headaches- one lasted all day which was fun, but I knew it was coming as you are withdrawing from a drug. I found meals needed preparing, but this is something that is a good habit to get into and I really enjoyed the food. The only thing I struggled with was thinking of quick and easy snacks. A lot of premade stuff is processed and has hidden sugars, and I didn’t want to have lots of fruit because I didn’t want to feed my sugar habit. I will go back to fruit, but I wanted to get my body off the sugar before having little bits of it. I noticed quickly that my energy was improving as I wasn’t slumping in the afternoons, and by the end of the week I was a lot less bloated. I did experiment with some snack ideas including a chocolate mousse made from avacado and some sweet potato truffles, but neither of them tasted very nice! At the end of the first week I had to go to a meal at a restaurant and I was really worried about it because it was an Italian restaurant that doesn’t have many choices. Thankfully they had a gluten free menu and I managed to get a chicken dish with roasted vegetables, but it was hard watching everyone eat desserts so I did have some red wine! Thankfully red wine is very low in sugar, unlike all other wines and alcohol, so it is something you can still drink whilst going sugar free. I was surprised by this, but it did help me get through that night! Week Two This week it got slightly easier as I was planning meals more and the headaches had gone. I was still missing sweet treats like mad though, so made a sugar free chocolate and raspberry cake. It involved blending almonds, coconut oil and almonds as well as frozen fruit and cacao powder, so it wasn’t a quick and easy bake, but I liked the taste of it and it can be frozen to last longer! I got my slow cooker out and tried a chicken curry which tasted fab, and used up some vegetables to make a roasted veg soup which lasted for a few days of lunches. Week Three This week was the easiest because I was in the swing of it. I have noticed my appetite has decreased and vegetables taste a lot sweeter which shows my taste buds are coming back. There have been a couple of times where I have had my hand in the chocolate treat bowl from Christmas, but I have just touched the wrappers and decided against it which is a massive change! I did go out for a carvery and stupidly didn’t think about the gravy and sauces as they usually contain sugar. A few hours later I felt bloated and had a headache which was a sign there was a lot of sugar in there. There was also an occasion where I used some stir fry frozen vegetables that I thought would be fine but then read that they had added sugar to the pieces of ginger- why?! I’ve had some great sugar free snacks sent to me in this month’s Degustabox which has helped. My favourite included chia seeds to make coconut hot chocolate and ready made split-pea quinoa. This month’s Degustabox had some sugar free snacks included Results so far Since then there has been a couple of times I have eaten some sugar, such as some custard or a croissant, but I haven’t then carried on having a binge for the rest of the day. […]

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Baking a Slimming World Nacho Feast in My Sport Relief 2016 Apron!

Claire — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 19:30:00 +0000

Sport Relief 2016 is coming to our screens 18-20th March to raise money for people in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest communities. Orla Kiely has created a limited edition apron for Sport Relief 2016 which will also be the prize for winners of The Great Sport Relief Bake Off. I’ve already got one and as you can see from this photo of the rather dishy Paul Hollywood (oh yes he can knead my dough any day) they’re gorgeous! I love bright, bold colours and it was used The Scrummy Paul Hollywood in his Sport Relief Apron You can buy the apron (and two tea towels too) on the Sport Relief website or at TK Maxx for £12.99 and £5.25 of this will be donated to Sport Relief. I used mine whilst trying out a new #sugarfreefoods recipe that I found from Slimming World. I have done Slimming World before and it did help me a lot, but money is tight so rather than joining again I have dug out my old recipes of theirs and searched the net for more inspiration for healthy, tasty dishes. This time I tried their nacho-style feast which is only half a syn per portion, and has a lot of flavour using the spices that you like best. It was easy to make and whilst it was tasty it was also filling so definitely something I am going to keep making and I’ve put the recipe below in case you want to try it out too. Slimming World Nacho-style Feast (for 2 people, 0.5 syns per portion) Ingredients 2 baking potatoes, cut into wedges Low-calorie cooking spray Salt and freshly ground black pepper 250g lean beef mince (5% fat or less) 1 onion, sliced 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped 230g can chopped tomatoes 1 tsp cumin 2 tsp fajita seasoning 1 tsp paprika 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped 150g tube Primula Light Cheese 1.Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Put the wedges onto a baking tray, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and season. Bake for 25 minutes, then turn, spray again and bake for a further 25 minutes until golden. 2. Lightly fry the mince for 10 minutes, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the canned tomatoes. 3. Sprinkle in the cumin, fajita seasoning, paprika. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. 4. Stir in the fresh tomatoes. Turn off the heat. 5. Put the wedges into the bottom of an oven dish, pour the mince over the top and then add the Primula Light Cheese on top. Grill for 10 minutes. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook.

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Diet Chef Review: Week 2

Claire — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 19:40:00 +0000

I recently heard about Diet Chef and liked how they send you your three meals and a snack already prepared each day, meaning the temptation to make large portions or to choose junk food snacks are eliminated. This sounded perfect to me, because large portions and evening snacking is my downfall at the moment and is why I am deeply unhappy with my weight. I have just completed week two and here’s how it went: So Diet Chef kindly sent me a 28 day package to see how I got on and I have just completed my first week. A lot of low fat foods and companies I have used in the past have tended not to work mainly because I haven’t thought much of the taste (or lack of taste) they’ve had. Thankfully these meals have been quite tasty, and I have looked forward to each meal rather than dreaded them. Taste Test My favourite breakfast this week was the porridge with apple and cinnamon, as the mornings are getting darker and colder and it was the perfect thing to warm and fill me up. In terms of snacks I have enjoyed some of the cereal and protein bars this week, including the chocolate cranberry protein bar especially. For lunch I have been having the soups with crisp breads to dip in which have gone down a treat. My favourite soup flavour so far is the ham and sweetcorn chowder. The dinners are still a success, with the chicken korma being my favourite. I was naughty and added a garlic naan, but it was the weekend and I fancied a treat! At times I have found it difficult not to have more snacks, especially at night, but I have kept myself busy (no change there) to attempt to combat this, and I have had a couple of slip ups, mainly due to my lack of sleep whilst Chunk has been ill. Any Weight Loss? Due to the occasional bit of naughtiness, or being out and about without a microwave or kettle in sight, I’ve not done as well this week, but last week was a very big loss so I knew it wouldn’t be the same! I still managed to lose 2lbs though which I’m pleased about. Diet Chef provided me with 28 days worth of their food products in order to complete this review. No payment was received and all opinions are honest and my own. Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook

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Competition: Win One of Five 12-Week Diet Plans!

Claire — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 21:28:00 +0000

When I was pregnant, I ate like an elephant; An ADULT elephant. I then had the baby and have spent the last 19 months in a sleep-deprived haze, using junk food as a quick energy fix and alternative to planned, time-consuming home made meals. This now has to stop, as my “baby weight” excuse wears thin, and my waist bands keep tightening, so I’m doing something about it, and now so can you! Last week, I started my diet plan (and writing about my diet journey), courtesy of Porridge on Tuesday, and I lost 3lbs in my first week! The plans are easy to use, you can plan and swap meals around to fit in with your lifestyle, and the food is GORGEOUS, which is always a bonus for me. I’m giving away FIVE Porridge on Tuesday 12 week healthy eating plans, (worth nearly £60 each!) which will include the following: -A full menu plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks -Recipes for all meals -Personal weekly shopping list -Suggested Exercise plan, including exercise videos on their website -Online support via a private Facebook group To win one of these pound-shedding plans, use the form below. Good luck! See what Porridge on Tuesday is about. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My Weight Loss Diary: Week 1

Claire — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 19:20:00 +0000

As you all know, I’ve been trying to wean off junk food and snacking in an attempt to have a healthier way of life. I still have a lot of baby weight (well that’s what I’ve been calling it), but he’s nearly 19 months old now, so it’s more like lazy-mum weight! My old, gorgeous clothes keep staring at me from behind the fat jeans I now have to wear in my wardrobe, and with my ever declining bank balance, it would be beneficial to both my health and finances to shed these pounds! I attempted a slimming club when I first gave birth, and what with lack of sleep and the rollercoaster daily routines, I soon gave up with having to plan everything each day, so I then went onto just trying to cut down my food intake. Again, I got bored of snacking on fruit and salad leaves, and doing it alone I soon lost motivation. To give me a kick start, I went onto slimming shakes, but feeling sick with hunger all day did not a happy mummy make! So after all these attempts, I decided to find someone to plan my meals and exercise for me, to see if this would be more successful. Having an expert plan my meals would ensure I ate all the nutritionally-balanced things to keep my energy up, and it would give me a solid plan to work with that would hopefully not leave me hungry or bored! I did some research, and came across a lovely lady called Elaine, who works with people in exactly my position! Elaine runs a website called Porridge on Tuesday, that gives you personal, healthy eating and exercise plans, and even offers support through it’s Facebook group. Signing up was easy, I just completed a 5 minute questionnaire, and then crossed off all the food types I didn’t want in my plan (e.g. alochol, nuts), and also chose my weekly shopping cost preferences and even my cooking time preferences. I then entered the weight I wanted to lose, some body statistics and was given a meal plan for the week. If there’s any meals you don’t like the look of, you just swap them for another dish, and there are SO many to choose from which is really handy. Once I had swapped a few, it then let me print off a shopping list of all the ingredients needed for the week, which again is great for a lazy lass like me! This week has on the whole been quite good. I’ve been impressed with all the different recipes I’ve been able to try, which have all been quick to prepare, which is a must on days I come home from work starving and wanting a quick fix whilst giving my toddler his mummy time. I was surprised with the types of food I got to eat too: – bacon sarnies for breakfast, chicken wraps for lunch and even mini cheesecakes for snacks, which is my idea of heaven, not dieting! I’ve tried lots of new things, including garlic and lemon flavoured pork with purple mash, which is beetroot and chickpeas- there’s no potato in it! At times I have wondered if me swapping some of the dishes was a good idea, because I’ve ended up with two bread dishes per day, but it didn’t seem to stop me from losing weight. But saying that, I will avoid doing that this week just in case it helps me lose even more pounds. I did waiver a couple of times and had one or two extra snacks than what was in the plan, but all you do is log in and add the snacks you have had, so it can work out the total calories you have had that day. You can then also talk to others on their support group for ideas on how to minimise having more snacks than you are supposed to. By day 3 I had more energy and I strangely I started to enjoy my stomach not feeling so heavy and bogged down with my usually-huge portions. I then wanted to start exercising, so I have dug out my workout DVDs (cheaper than the gym!) and been doing them when Chunk is in bed. This has really helped take some of my stress away, so I’m only regretful that I didn’t work out the rest of this year, as the endorphins really give me a nice buzz! I’m very happy to continue with my eating plan, and am going to keep posting with updates on how it’s going. My goal is to lose 4 stone slowly over the year, and here is the stats for this week: Week 1 Stats Weight loss: 3lbs Waist inch loss: 1inch Weight left to lose: 3 st, 12lbs **To enter my competition to win one of FIVE 12-week diet plans with Porridge on Tuesday, click here.** Follow me @vampybear

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