You can now find me here:
http://www.calorie-restriction-diet.com
This site is no longer active and comments have been disabled.
If anyone has a CRON blog or healthy food blog and wishes to be added to the links page at my new blog please email mizzi@nourishingperspectives.com
I am always interested in reading about other people's experiences with diet and nutrition and would love to hear from you!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Psychological Effects of Calorie Restriction
Here is a very interesting link to a PowerPoint presentation created by Dean Pomerleau who is a practitioner of a Calorie Restriction who obviously takes a very disciplined approach to his practice.
Dean has stated in media interviews that the psychological benefits that he has experienced with Calorie Restriction, including a pronounced calming effect, are the primary reason why he is committed to this lifestyle.
Psychological Effects of Calorie Restriction
Text version is available here.
Dean has stated in media interviews that the psychological benefits that he has experienced with Calorie Restriction, including a pronounced calming effect, are the primary reason why he is committed to this lifestyle.
Psychological Effects of Calorie Restriction
Text version is available here.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Let Them Eat Cake!
I really would prefer not to estimate my calories but that’s the compromise I make to live a relatively ‘normal’ life. I love doing CR but I don’t want it to dominate my life to the point where it interferes with my social relationships and general ability to be spontaneous and enjoy living in the moment.
Plus I love food too much and especially being in a foreign country I savor the experiences of trying new foods. Hey, anytime I love having new or just wonderful food experiences. And there is no need to give that up with a CRON lifestyle. Anything can be built into the plan as long as the total intake is balanced.
So the way that my life was yesterday I had to estimate most of my intake, but I’ve had a lot of experience with this so I think I am pretty good at it. Most of the time I tend to overestimate so if there are times I underestimate it should balance out okay.
Yesterday morning we had sweet potato with rice, grated coconut and date sugar syrup. I only had half of my serve and combined it with 4 ounces of cottage cheese to balance out the macronutrients and added a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast for the B vitamins. I also had a tablespoon of bee pollen.
Lunch was pretty well measured – 2 cups of cucumber and 2 tablespoons of mustard. Pretty simple. And because it was so low calorie I was able to relax about dinner.
I went for a walk with my husband into the center of town and we had dinner at a very cheap local place. The whole meal for both of us was just $3 and as it often is here in Bali these are the tastiest meals you find and with very fresh ingredients. I had tofu cooked with chayote in coconut milk, crispy sweet tempeh, spinach with mung bean sprouts and stir fried carrot, cauliflower, cabbage. I also had just a little red rice (about 3 tablespoons) which is a variety of brown rice with a really nutty flavor. A really healthy veggie meal which made me feel okay about having a glass of white wine after our walk home.
Total estimated intake for the day was 1143 with 88% vitamins and 92% minerals.
I’ve been having a much higher calorie intake this week – around 1200 – and while I think my energy has improved I often have the feeling that I am not really doing CR. I personally enjoy the feeling of lightness and mental clarity that I have with the lower intakes.
I thought about maybe incorporating some lower calorie days and mixing it up a bit. I think this is one possible approach to CRON. But I am not really sure about the feasibility of this method, particularly in terms of ensuring adequate nutrition especially in regard to water soluble vitamins. If anyone has experimented with this I would be very interested to hear of your experiences.
One way I have proceeded in the past was to have a lower calorie intake on weekdays and a higher intake on weekends beginning on Friday evening. This worked very well for me psychologically because I had the experience of lightness and discipline alternating with the feeling of freedom and being able to socialize normally on weekends. I also think having a higher calorie goal on weekends allows for inclusion of foods that would normally be avoided so this may improve nutritional status by increased variety of foods.
I am always seeking balance it seems. Yes I am thinking about my health in the long term. Obviously because why else would I spend so much time learning about nutrition and analyzing my intake? I would just eat low calorie foods and be done with it. This would be so much easier.
In order for this to be a lifestyle that I can sustain I need to be healthy and be able to maintain my energy or else what’s the point?
To be honest my major motivation for undertaking CRON is for the shorter term benefits and my increased quality of life here and now! Of course the two things are inseparable. Quality nutrition long term promotes improved life quality.
And this comes back to finding the balance between measurement and estimation; planning and spontaneity. CRON can provide so much freedom in ways that can only be experienced. Ironically structure and discipline within itself can promote a feeling of freedom; perhaps by leading to a perception of integrity because of overcoming challenges continually and finding the internal strength to continue to do what we have decided is right for us.
Everyone has to find their own way but personally I need to experience both sides of the spectrum. The times I have spent on detox diets and very low calorie diets I believe have enriched me immensely and contributed to my growth as a person. But my life experience would not be complete without a little bit of the opposite as well and for me that means being able to enjoy a good meal and a couple of glasses of wine every now and then, and sometimes even dessert.
Some people call that having your cake and eating it – well I say we can!
Plus I love food too much and especially being in a foreign country I savor the experiences of trying new foods. Hey, anytime I love having new or just wonderful food experiences. And there is no need to give that up with a CRON lifestyle. Anything can be built into the plan as long as the total intake is balanced.
So the way that my life was yesterday I had to estimate most of my intake, but I’ve had a lot of experience with this so I think I am pretty good at it. Most of the time I tend to overestimate so if there are times I underestimate it should balance out okay.
Yesterday morning we had sweet potato with rice, grated coconut and date sugar syrup. I only had half of my serve and combined it with 4 ounces of cottage cheese to balance out the macronutrients and added a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast for the B vitamins. I also had a tablespoon of bee pollen.
Lunch was pretty well measured – 2 cups of cucumber and 2 tablespoons of mustard. Pretty simple. And because it was so low calorie I was able to relax about dinner.
I went for a walk with my husband into the center of town and we had dinner at a very cheap local place. The whole meal for both of us was just $3 and as it often is here in Bali these are the tastiest meals you find and with very fresh ingredients. I had tofu cooked with chayote in coconut milk, crispy sweet tempeh, spinach with mung bean sprouts and stir fried carrot, cauliflower, cabbage. I also had just a little red rice (about 3 tablespoons) which is a variety of brown rice with a really nutty flavor. A really healthy veggie meal which made me feel okay about having a glass of white wine after our walk home.
Total estimated intake for the day was 1143 with 88% vitamins and 92% minerals.
I’ve been having a much higher calorie intake this week – around 1200 – and while I think my energy has improved I often have the feeling that I am not really doing CR. I personally enjoy the feeling of lightness and mental clarity that I have with the lower intakes.
I thought about maybe incorporating some lower calorie days and mixing it up a bit. I think this is one possible approach to CRON. But I am not really sure about the feasibility of this method, particularly in terms of ensuring adequate nutrition especially in regard to water soluble vitamins. If anyone has experimented with this I would be very interested to hear of your experiences.
One way I have proceeded in the past was to have a lower calorie intake on weekdays and a higher intake on weekends beginning on Friday evening. This worked very well for me psychologically because I had the experience of lightness and discipline alternating with the feeling of freedom and being able to socialize normally on weekends. I also think having a higher calorie goal on weekends allows for inclusion of foods that would normally be avoided so this may improve nutritional status by increased variety of foods.
I am always seeking balance it seems. Yes I am thinking about my health in the long term. Obviously because why else would I spend so much time learning about nutrition and analyzing my intake? I would just eat low calorie foods and be done with it. This would be so much easier.
In order for this to be a lifestyle that I can sustain I need to be healthy and be able to maintain my energy or else what’s the point?
To be honest my major motivation for undertaking CRON is for the shorter term benefits and my increased quality of life here and now! Of course the two things are inseparable. Quality nutrition long term promotes improved life quality.
And this comes back to finding the balance between measurement and estimation; planning and spontaneity. CRON can provide so much freedom in ways that can only be experienced. Ironically structure and discipline within itself can promote a feeling of freedom; perhaps by leading to a perception of integrity because of overcoming challenges continually and finding the internal strength to continue to do what we have decided is right for us.
Everyone has to find their own way but personally I need to experience both sides of the spectrum. The times I have spent on detox diets and very low calorie diets I believe have enriched me immensely and contributed to my growth as a person. But my life experience would not be complete without a little bit of the opposite as well and for me that means being able to enjoy a good meal and a couple of glasses of wine every now and then, and sometimes even dessert.
Some people call that having your cake and eating it – well I say we can!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Even Better
I finished the day yesterday with 99% vitamins and 100% minerals and it actually felt like an achievement. But I really had to work at it!
I had no appetite and only ate the last meal because I had planned for it and knew my nutrients would be much lower without it, especially the spinach.
I have come to realize just how essential leafy greens are on a CRON program. 2 cups of boiled spinach provides 50% of vitamins and 57% of minerals for just 83 calories. I love raw spinach as well but that would require eating 15 cups to get the equivalent nutrient content!
I really missed having a glass of wine yesterday too. It has become something I look forward to at the end of the day and for me it really helps my digestion as well but I think it is healthy to have at least a couple of completely alcohol free days a week.
So here is yesterday’s intake.
Breakfast:
1 very small piece of cake and a couple spoonfuls of spicy rice porridge (probably over-estimated at about 200 calories)
½ tablespoon bee pollen.
1 cup fat free yogurt
1 cup papaya
1 tablespoon brewer’s yeast
1 teaspoon honey
Lunch:
2 cups romaine lettuce
100g green beans
½ cup cherry tomato
1 whole egg and 1 white
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons celery leaves
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 medium kiwi fruit
Dinner:
1.5 cups boiled spinach
1 cup papaya
¼ avocado
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
And one strong coffee, two green teas and three herb teas.
I thought I bought flat leaf parsley but it was actually celery leaves which I couldn't find in the database so I recorded it as celery.
===========================================
Nutrition Summary for 9 May 2007
===========================================
General (71%)
===========================================
Energy 1043.7 kcal 58%
Protein 61.8 g 55%
Carbs 131.8 g 53%
Fiber 29.8 g 119%
Fat 37.8 g 76%
Water 2235.7 g 83%
Vitamins (99%)
===========================================
Vitamin A 38812.2 IU 1664%
Folate 896.9 µg 224%
B1 (Thiamine) 11.7 mg 1068%
B2 (Riboflavin) 2.9 mg 266%
B3 (Niacin) 22.4 mg 160%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 5.7 mg 114%
B6 (Pyridoxine) 1.8 mg 138%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 2.3 µg 96%
Vitamin C 320.4 mg 427%
Vitamin D 400.0 IU 200%
Vitamin E 14.2 mg 94%
Vitamin K 1521.4 µg 1690%
Minerals (100%)
===========================================
Calcium 1757.0 mg 176%
Copper 2.0 mg 222%
Iron 18.8 mg 104%
Magnesium 558.3 mg 174%
Manganese 5.4 mg 301%
Phosphorus 1085.5 mg 155%
Potassium 4644.9 mg 99%
Selenium 79.7 µg 145%
Sodium 2007.8 mg 134%
Zinc 9.6 mg 120%
Lipids (75%)
===========================================
Saturated 10.8 g 54%
Omega-3 1.6 g 146%
Omega-6 8.5 g 71%
Cholesterol 226.1 mg 75%
I had no appetite and only ate the last meal because I had planned for it and knew my nutrients would be much lower without it, especially the spinach.
I have come to realize just how essential leafy greens are on a CRON program. 2 cups of boiled spinach provides 50% of vitamins and 57% of minerals for just 83 calories. I love raw spinach as well but that would require eating 15 cups to get the equivalent nutrient content!
I really missed having a glass of wine yesterday too. It has become something I look forward to at the end of the day and for me it really helps my digestion as well but I think it is healthy to have at least a couple of completely alcohol free days a week.
So here is yesterday’s intake.
Breakfast:
1 very small piece of cake and a couple spoonfuls of spicy rice porridge (probably over-estimated at about 200 calories)
½ tablespoon bee pollen.
1 cup fat free yogurt
1 cup papaya
1 tablespoon brewer’s yeast
1 teaspoon honey
Lunch:
2 cups romaine lettuce
100g green beans
½ cup cherry tomato
1 whole egg and 1 white
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons celery leaves
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 medium kiwi fruit
Dinner:
1.5 cups boiled spinach
1 cup papaya
¼ avocado
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
And one strong coffee, two green teas and three herb teas.
I thought I bought flat leaf parsley but it was actually celery leaves which I couldn't find in the database so I recorded it as celery.
===========================================
Nutrition Summary for 9 May 2007
===========================================
General (71%)
===========================================
Energy 1043.7 kcal 58%
Protein 61.8 g 55%
Carbs 131.8 g 53%
Fiber 29.8 g 119%
Fat 37.8 g 76%
Water 2235.7 g 83%
Vitamins (99%)
===========================================
Vitamin A 38812.2 IU 1664%
Folate 896.9 µg 224%
B1 (Thiamine) 11.7 mg 1068%
B2 (Riboflavin) 2.9 mg 266%
B3 (Niacin) 22.4 mg 160%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 5.7 mg 114%
B6 (Pyridoxine) 1.8 mg 138%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 2.3 µg 96%
Vitamin C 320.4 mg 427%
Vitamin D 400.0 IU 200%
Vitamin E 14.2 mg 94%
Vitamin K 1521.4 µg 1690%
Minerals (100%)
===========================================
Calcium 1757.0 mg 176%
Copper 2.0 mg 222%
Iron 18.8 mg 104%
Magnesium 558.3 mg 174%
Manganese 5.4 mg 301%
Phosphorus 1085.5 mg 155%
Potassium 4644.9 mg 99%
Selenium 79.7 µg 145%
Sodium 2007.8 mg 134%
Zinc 9.6 mg 120%
Lipids (75%)
===========================================
Saturated 10.8 g 54%
Omega-3 1.6 g 146%
Omega-6 8.5 g 71%
Cholesterol 226.1 mg 75%
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
The Perfect Plan
Since I have realized how essential it is to plan when undertaking CRON I decided to see what I could come up with based on the foods I have available to me today.
This was after I had a couple of bites of some kind of date sugar cake and a couple of spoons of spicy rice porridge. The Balinese lady who lives near us is always bringing food which makes CRON a little challenging at times. Some things I can resist easily but the Balinese sweets are too good! Fortunately they are mostly pretty healthy - various combinations of sticky rice, coconut, palm sugar with accents of banana, peanuts, pumpkin, beans etc. As long as I remember portion control it is no problem.
Anyhow, I have created a diet which including the morning’s tastings (estimated), provides 99% of vitamins and minerals and just over 1000 calories. So the thing now is following through with the plan.
It's really interesting that the more I read about CRON the less extreme it seems to me. The CR society really is promoting a more moderate approach; maintaining BMI just on the low end of normal. And a carefully planned CRON diet is healthier than any other diet I've ever seen - weight loss or otherwise, especially when the nutrition is obtained from whole foods rather than supplements.
I think it is the way we were designed to function, we've just forgotten how to listen to our bodies and interact with our environment in a harmonious way.
This was after I had a couple of bites of some kind of date sugar cake and a couple of spoons of spicy rice porridge. The Balinese lady who lives near us is always bringing food which makes CRON a little challenging at times. Some things I can resist easily but the Balinese sweets are too good! Fortunately they are mostly pretty healthy - various combinations of sticky rice, coconut, palm sugar with accents of banana, peanuts, pumpkin, beans etc. As long as I remember portion control it is no problem.
Anyhow, I have created a diet which including the morning’s tastings (estimated), provides 99% of vitamins and minerals and just over 1000 calories. So the thing now is following through with the plan.
It's really interesting that the more I read about CRON the less extreme it seems to me. The CR society really is promoting a more moderate approach; maintaining BMI just on the low end of normal. And a carefully planned CRON diet is healthier than any other diet I've ever seen - weight loss or otherwise, especially when the nutrition is obtained from whole foods rather than supplements.
I think it is the way we were designed to function, we've just forgotten how to listen to our bodies and interact with our environment in a harmonious way.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
My CRON Zone
Thank you to all who responded to my previous post. It seems pretty clear that I haven’t been eating enough. I never thought that this would be something I would have to work on with CRON. It almost seems like the calorie restriction aspect is so much easier to manage than getting the nutrition right.
So after doing some number crunching I have come up with a range of around 1200-1500 which puts me in 20-30% CR as long as I keep up with my moderately active lifestyle. This should certainly make it easier to manage my RDA’s and hopefully increase my energy levels as well. And once I start to get a solid routine going maybe I can cut back a little and still maintain the optimal nutrition.
Deborah asked where is my comfort zone - and in terms of food intake I really do feel most comfortable with digestion and satiety at around 900 but more energetic with 1200. But what I have realized is that I can more easily get to the higher end of the calorie zone if I include more yogurt and fruits rather than trying to force the higher fat intake with extra oils and nuts. And I think I do quite well with a relatively high carbohydrate intake - around 55% - as long as I choose mostly low glycemic carbs. (The refined carbs are a different matter entirely - these make increasing the calories ridiculously easy).
It is a little difficult for me to measure my progress at the moment because I don’t have any scales, so it is not exactly objective, but I can see some changes in the last couple of weeks and I have definitely lost weight. I estimate my BMI to be around 19.5 at the moment so in accordance with the recommendations of the Calorie Restriction Society it is also probably best to take things a little slower.
In terms of my goals, based on my past experiences I feel healthiest and most energetic when my BMI is around 18, although there are other benefits in terms of my awareness and perception when I reach a lower weight. I think it comes down to quality of life and finding the balance between all of these factors.
Here is last week’s average intake: Things I need to work on are increasing protein, iron and vitamin E especially. I have started supplementing calcium this week and it is making it so much easier to reach my targets. A girl can only eat so much cottage cheese!
===========================================
Nutrition Summary
30 April 2007 to 6 May 2007
Daily Averages over 7 days
===========================================
General (60%)
===========================================
Energy 1087.5 kcal 61%
Protein 49.3 g 44%
Carbs 111.1 g 44%
Fiber 16.2 g 65%
Fat 40.6 g 81%
Water 1728.1 g 64%
Vitamins (85%)
===========================================
Vitamin A 18849.6 IU 808%
Folate 360.1 µg 90%
B1 (Thiamine) 0.7 mg 64%
B2 (Riboflavin) 1.3 mg 117%
B3 (Niacin) 11.8 mg 84%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 3.5 mg 71%
B6 (Pyridoxine) 1.3 mg 97%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 2.3 µg 98%
Vitamin C 385.8 mg 514%
Vitamin D 129.5 IU 65%
Vitamin E 8.5 mg 56%
Vitamin K 552.5 µg 614%
Minerals (85%)
===========================================
Calcium 754.0 mg 75%
Copper 1.4 mg 154%
Iron 11.5 mg 64%
Magnesium 330.2 mg 103%
Manganese 3.7 mg 208%
Phosphorus 736.6 mg 105%
Potassium 2609.4 mg 56%
Selenium 47.5 µg 86%
Sodium 1471.4 mg 98%
Zinc 5.4 mg 67%
Lipids (70%)
===========================================
Saturated 12.1 g 61%
Omega-3 1.8 g 162%
Omega-6 9.3 g 78%
Cholesterol 131.4 mg 44%
So after doing some number crunching I have come up with a range of around 1200-1500 which puts me in 20-30% CR as long as I keep up with my moderately active lifestyle. This should certainly make it easier to manage my RDA’s and hopefully increase my energy levels as well. And once I start to get a solid routine going maybe I can cut back a little and still maintain the optimal nutrition.
Deborah asked where is my comfort zone - and in terms of food intake I really do feel most comfortable with digestion and satiety at around 900 but more energetic with 1200. But what I have realized is that I can more easily get to the higher end of the calorie zone if I include more yogurt and fruits rather than trying to force the higher fat intake with extra oils and nuts. And I think I do quite well with a relatively high carbohydrate intake - around 55% - as long as I choose mostly low glycemic carbs. (The refined carbs are a different matter entirely - these make increasing the calories ridiculously easy).
It is a little difficult for me to measure my progress at the moment because I don’t have any scales, so it is not exactly objective, but I can see some changes in the last couple of weeks and I have definitely lost weight. I estimate my BMI to be around 19.5 at the moment so in accordance with the recommendations of the Calorie Restriction Society it is also probably best to take things a little slower.
In terms of my goals, based on my past experiences I feel healthiest and most energetic when my BMI is around 18, although there are other benefits in terms of my awareness and perception when I reach a lower weight. I think it comes down to quality of life and finding the balance between all of these factors.
Here is last week’s average intake: Things I need to work on are increasing protein, iron and vitamin E especially. I have started supplementing calcium this week and it is making it so much easier to reach my targets. A girl can only eat so much cottage cheese!
===========================================
Nutrition Summary
30 April 2007 to 6 May 2007
Daily Averages over 7 days
===========================================
General (60%)
===========================================
Energy 1087.5 kcal 61%
Protein 49.3 g 44%
Carbs 111.1 g 44%
Fiber 16.2 g 65%
Fat 40.6 g 81%
Water 1728.1 g 64%
Vitamins (85%)
===========================================
Vitamin A 18849.6 IU 808%
Folate 360.1 µg 90%
B1 (Thiamine) 0.7 mg 64%
B2 (Riboflavin) 1.3 mg 117%
B3 (Niacin) 11.8 mg 84%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 3.5 mg 71%
B6 (Pyridoxine) 1.3 mg 97%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 2.3 µg 98%
Vitamin C 385.8 mg 514%
Vitamin D 129.5 IU 65%
Vitamin E 8.5 mg 56%
Vitamin K 552.5 µg 614%
Minerals (85%)
===========================================
Calcium 754.0 mg 75%
Copper 1.4 mg 154%
Iron 11.5 mg 64%
Magnesium 330.2 mg 103%
Manganese 3.7 mg 208%
Phosphorus 736.6 mg 105%
Potassium 2609.4 mg 56%
Selenium 47.5 µg 86%
Sodium 1471.4 mg 98%
Zinc 5.4 mg 67%
Lipids (70%)
===========================================
Saturated 12.1 g 61%
Omega-3 1.8 g 162%
Omega-6 9.3 g 78%
Cholesterol 131.4 mg 44%
Friday, May 4, 2007
Balance
Today is the opposite of the last few days. I woke up feeling really hungry - even a little shaky. So I had a tablespoon of bee pollen which always helps in these moments. And then right on queue the Balinese lady next door brought me some black sticky rice with grated fresh coconut and palm sugar syrup for breakfast.
Not exactly staple CRON food but it was just what I needed today. Amazing how the body responds to create balance and just as amazing how our environment often gives us just what we need too!
I did a search to try to find out the nutrition information for black rice but no luck. It seems the 'World's Healthiest Foods' did the same thing and on this page they state that the nutritional composition is very similar to brown rice so I will record it in CRON-O-Meter as brown rice.
So my fellow CRONies - I have a question for you. How do you all decide where to set your calorie levels? As low as you can while still meeting RDA's?
According to CRON-O-Meter my daily requirement is almost 1800 which seems like a lot to me. But if I use this as a guide then I should probably be aiming for at least 1200 a day. It might actually be a good idea to keep the calories a little higher until I get my diet more fine tuned as well.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
I'm Not Hungry
Really! The last few days I’m averaging around 800 calories and 900 on the days when I have a glass of wine. I know this isn’t enough and especially as my vitamins and minerals are only around 80%. But I’m really not hungry.
I know the tricks. Add more high fat foods like oils and nuts. And I did sprinkle some sunflower seeds on my cottage cheese and fruit yesterday and some pumpkin seeds on my salad today, but I don’t want to force it either. It is important for me to follow my instincts. Maybe avocado would work better because although it is high in calories it is easier to digest than nuts and seeds.
I’m hoping that my appetite will improve naturally. Maybe my body is just appreciating the time to eat lightly after the last few months of my higher calorie intake and heavier foods. I’ve been feeling heavy on an emotional level as I have gained weight during this time and I need this to change. I know that eating light for a while and getting my energy moving again will resolve this. I am happy to have a low intake for a little while if it helps to achieve this but in the longer term meeting my nutritional needs is also important to me.
I’m meeting the RDA for protein but I know that’s not enough, especially when restricting calories. I know I need to get that up to at least 60-70 grams based on my past experiences. Anything below that and I think my immunity and general energy becomes negatively affected.
As I’ve stated before, even if CRON was shown to have no benefits on increasing lifespan I would still choose this lifestyle, but I want to do this right, which means getting the optimal nutrition working for me, even if it just means improving my energy and general health in the shorter term.
I think this is a challenge for many people beginning CRON because the foods we need to emphasize tend to promote satiety, and once you get into a rhythm of eating lower calorie it becomes natural. But I think this is where the meal planning comes into it.
I always thought I was doing great with the nutritional aspect of things, but until you actually do a proper nutritional analysis it really is guesswork. Tracking my intake again has really highlighted for me just how important this aspect is when attempting CRON. I'll get there eventually. It just may take a little work and some fine tuning.
I know the tricks. Add more high fat foods like oils and nuts. And I did sprinkle some sunflower seeds on my cottage cheese and fruit yesterday and some pumpkin seeds on my salad today, but I don’t want to force it either. It is important for me to follow my instincts. Maybe avocado would work better because although it is high in calories it is easier to digest than nuts and seeds.
I’m hoping that my appetite will improve naturally. Maybe my body is just appreciating the time to eat lightly after the last few months of my higher calorie intake and heavier foods. I’ve been feeling heavy on an emotional level as I have gained weight during this time and I need this to change. I know that eating light for a while and getting my energy moving again will resolve this. I am happy to have a low intake for a little while if it helps to achieve this but in the longer term meeting my nutritional needs is also important to me.
I’m meeting the RDA for protein but I know that’s not enough, especially when restricting calories. I know I need to get that up to at least 60-70 grams based on my past experiences. Anything below that and I think my immunity and general energy becomes negatively affected.
As I’ve stated before, even if CRON was shown to have no benefits on increasing lifespan I would still choose this lifestyle, but I want to do this right, which means getting the optimal nutrition working for me, even if it just means improving my energy and general health in the shorter term.
I think this is a challenge for many people beginning CRON because the foods we need to emphasize tend to promote satiety, and once you get into a rhythm of eating lower calorie it becomes natural. But I think this is where the meal planning comes into it.
I always thought I was doing great with the nutritional aspect of things, but until you actually do a proper nutritional analysis it really is guesswork. Tracking my intake again has really highlighted for me just how important this aspect is when attempting CRON. I'll get there eventually. It just may take a little work and some fine tuning.
Food Sources of Vitamin E
As I wrote in a previous post I have set myself the task of creating lists of the foods that are highest in each vitamin and mineral.
I decided to start with vitamin E because it seems to be the vitamin that I consistently fail to meet targets with.
When I was researching the database I specifically concentrated on whole food sources and avoided packaged foods because I believe that this is the best approach to optimal nutrition. Whole foods have an energy that is just not available from processed foods, no matter how healthy they may be, and this is translated to energy for life.
Some of the foods high in vitamin E I was expecting – for example, the almonds and wheat germ oil. I was amazed to see how high some of the greens are in vitamin E as well. But the biggest surprise was paprika, and I think this would be an easy spice to incorporate into the diet in amounts great enough to reap the benefits.
So here are my top picks for vitamin E:
Wheat germ oil 1 tsp 6.7 mg – 40 Calories
Flaxseed oil 1 Tablespoon 2.4 mg – 119 Calories
Sunflower seeds 1 ounce 9.7mg – 160 Calories
Almond 1 ounce 7.3 mg - 163 Calories
Hazelnut 1 ounce 4.2 mg – 176 Calories
Soy milk 1 cup 3.3 mg – 127 Calories
Paprika 1 Tablespoon 2.0 mg – 20 Calories
Green olives 1 ounce 1.1 mg - 41 Calories
Avocado 100g 2.7 mg – 120 Calories
Swiss chard boiled without salt 1 cup 3.3 mg – 35 Calories
Spinach raw 5 ounces 2.9 mg - 32.5 Calories
Asparagus boiled 1 cup 2.6 mg – 40 Calories
Raw red pepper 1 medium - 1.9 mg – 31 Calories
Broccoli cooked boiled 1 cup 2.2 mg - 44 Calories
Radicchio raw 1 cup 0.9 mg - 9.2 Calories
Mango 1 cup 1.8 mg – 107 Calories
Kiwi fruit 1 medium 1.1 mg - 46 Calories
Papaya raw 1 cup -1 mg – 55 Calories
Shrimp 3 ounce 1.2mg – 84 Calories
Salmon canned drained with bone 100g 2.1 mg – 166 Calories
Rice bran 1 ounce 1.4mg – 88 Calories
I decided to start with vitamin E because it seems to be the vitamin that I consistently fail to meet targets with.
When I was researching the database I specifically concentrated on whole food sources and avoided packaged foods because I believe that this is the best approach to optimal nutrition. Whole foods have an energy that is just not available from processed foods, no matter how healthy they may be, and this is translated to energy for life.
Some of the foods high in vitamin E I was expecting – for example, the almonds and wheat germ oil. I was amazed to see how high some of the greens are in vitamin E as well. But the biggest surprise was paprika, and I think this would be an easy spice to incorporate into the diet in amounts great enough to reap the benefits.
So here are my top picks for vitamin E:
Wheat germ oil 1 tsp 6.7 mg – 40 Calories
Flaxseed oil 1 Tablespoon 2.4 mg – 119 Calories
Sunflower seeds 1 ounce 9.7mg – 160 Calories
Almond 1 ounce 7.3 mg - 163 Calories
Hazelnut 1 ounce 4.2 mg – 176 Calories
Soy milk 1 cup 3.3 mg – 127 Calories
Paprika 1 Tablespoon 2.0 mg – 20 Calories
Green olives 1 ounce 1.1 mg - 41 Calories
Avocado 100g 2.7 mg – 120 Calories
Swiss chard boiled without salt 1 cup 3.3 mg – 35 Calories
Spinach raw 5 ounces 2.9 mg - 32.5 Calories
Asparagus boiled 1 cup 2.6 mg – 40 Calories
Raw red pepper 1 medium - 1.9 mg – 31 Calories
Broccoli cooked boiled 1 cup 2.2 mg - 44 Calories
Radicchio raw 1 cup 0.9 mg - 9.2 Calories
Mango 1 cup 1.8 mg – 107 Calories
Kiwi fruit 1 medium 1.1 mg - 46 Calories
Papaya raw 1 cup -1 mg – 55 Calories
Shrimp 3 ounce 1.2mg – 84 Calories
Salmon canned drained with bone 100g 2.1 mg – 166 Calories
Rice bran 1 ounce 1.4mg – 88 Calories
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
How cool is that?
San Pellegrino – I love this stuff! I know. It’s just water, but the size of the bubbles is perfect and the taste just right.
Whenever I am not feeling so great it always helps. I think it is probably the high bicarbonate content that helps to alkalize the body.
But I also was very happy to discover that this water is actually relatively high in calcium as well – a small bottle (250ml) has 46.4mg, and of course it is calorie free. Now if only I could afford to drink it all day long!
And while we are on the subject of water, here is an interesting page that explains that drinking ice water does indeed increase the rate of calories burned.
Whenever I am not feeling so great it always helps. I think it is probably the high bicarbonate content that helps to alkalize the body.
But I also was very happy to discover that this water is actually relatively high in calcium as well – a small bottle (250ml) has 46.4mg, and of course it is calorie free. Now if only I could afford to drink it all day long!
And while we are on the subject of water, here is an interesting page that explains that drinking ice water does indeed increase the rate of calories burned.
Does drinking ice water burn calories?
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Meal Planning
I found a wonderful site that is really helpful when planning food intakes with optimal nutrition in mind.
If you go to this page - NutritionData.com - there is a search function that allows you to look for foods that are high in particular nutrients yet low in others.
You can search for foods high in up to three nutrients, while lowest in up to three others, one of which can be calories.
So I think I will be visiting this site often!
My weekend was not calorie restricted - too much wine and good food - but the comparison was interesting for me. I definately prefer the feeling of lightness, both physically and emotionally, that comes from a diet that is low calorie and based on fresh fruit and vegetables.
I'm not really sure if the ad lib approach to weekends is going to suit me right now. I feel the need for some more clearly defined boundaries to bring my balance back again.
Yesterday my calorie intake was around 1460 - not exact because I had to estimate a large amount of my foods - but the vitamins were only 58% and minerals 68%.
Even on my average calorie restricted days I can get to 75% without much effort and with under 1000 calories.
Even though there seems to be a lot of criticism surrounding CRON right now, if done properly this approach to nutrition will undoubtedly result in health improvements for those who follow the path with diligence, even just when simply considering the question of vitamin and mineral requirements.
Just for fun :) I think what I am going to do is write a list of my prefered foods that are highest in each nutrient yet low in calories, using the site above. This will not only be interesting and educational but I am sure it will be invaluable for meal planning in the future.
If you go to this page - NutritionData.com - there is a search function that allows you to look for foods that are high in particular nutrients yet low in others.
You can search for foods high in up to three nutrients, while lowest in up to three others, one of which can be calories.
So I think I will be visiting this site often!
My weekend was not calorie restricted - too much wine and good food - but the comparison was interesting for me. I definately prefer the feeling of lightness, both physically and emotionally, that comes from a diet that is low calorie and based on fresh fruit and vegetables.
I'm not really sure if the ad lib approach to weekends is going to suit me right now. I feel the need for some more clearly defined boundaries to bring my balance back again.
Yesterday my calorie intake was around 1460 - not exact because I had to estimate a large amount of my foods - but the vitamins were only 58% and minerals 68%.
Even on my average calorie restricted days I can get to 75% without much effort and with under 1000 calories.
Even though there seems to be a lot of criticism surrounding CRON right now, if done properly this approach to nutrition will undoubtedly result in health improvements for those who follow the path with diligence, even just when simply considering the question of vitamin and mineral requirements.
Just for fun :) I think what I am going to do is write a list of my prefered foods that are highest in each nutrient yet low in calories, using the site above. This will not only be interesting and educational but I am sure it will be invaluable for meal planning in the future.
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