The Art of the Belly Growl

I can remember sitting in science class as a self-conscious seventh grader just before lunch and my stomach growling and echoing off those lab tables and tiled floor causing giggles and stares my way.   I understand a tiny bit more about science now, but I'm still intrigued by stomach noises.

We've all had those growls and gurgles when our stomach and bowel is upset or irritable, but the belly growl is most famous for ringing the dinner bell.  My favorite thing about the growling is how it is mostly the upper part of the small intestines growling at you.  (The small intestines is my most favorite part of the body.  It's SO COOL!)  Our stomach is always growling it seems because of the muscle contractions on the inside churning away at the food and the gas bubbles as healthy digestion takes place and squeezes the nutrients through our digestive tract by a process called peristalsis.  We can't always hear the churning going on.  When we have food in there, it quiets the beast sort of like how a load of towels in the dryer would muffle a pair of tennis shoes flopping around in there. There is a lot more technical explanation than that which has to do with nerve impulses and things, but basically an empty stomach restarts the churning every hour or so and works together with the hypothalamus to send a simple, but loud message.  "Hey, feed me."

Our body has a natural alarm system telling us when it is time for food.  Um....OUR BODY HAS A NATURAL ALARM SYSTEM TELLING US WHEN IT IS TIME FOR FOOD!

The thing is, we need a certain amount of calories each day, but it is best to spread those calories over the whole day.  Saving up the calories until the end of the day is a bad idea.   Not only does it slow metabolism, but everything not used will be stored as FAT.  Weight loss goal is really fat loss.  We don't want to lose lean body and water weight (unless we have fluid problems.  Please assume everything I say is for healthy people.)

I have this weird little game I play with myself to see how often I can get my belly to growl.  I try to feed it just enough to empty out by the next meal.  Keep that engine running!   If you are like me, I do not like that uncomfortable feeling just before I hear the growl.  I feel REALLY hungry which is just a recipe to overeat the next meal.  But I find that the more fiber I eat, the less of that uncomfortable feeling I have.  A lot of times if I eat a high fiber breakfast, I won't even know I am hungry until my belly growls.

I'm not perfect at portions  AT ALL.  But it is helpful to remind myself to allow my body to work FOR me instead of against me.  Literally LISTEN to it, and Let it ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! 

Can we wait for our body to tell us it is time for more food instead of eating lunch just because it is noon?

Nutritional Nugget
Soups have really been on the menu a lot for us lately.  Currently in my refrigerator we have leftover potato soup and mixed vegetable soup.  Mmmmmm.  I've recently been inspired to share about soups.  I love soup anytime, but especially these winter months.  Soups are usually easy to prepare, even crockpot worthy for the next night dinner.  They make one seem frugal because just about anything in the pantry and freezer can be used to throw one together. Soups are very forgiving even if one strays from the recipe.   I love "as the Spirit leads"-type recipes.   It is easy to enhance nutrition in soups.  Adding spices makes a low fat version tasty.  I have to admit I love making one-dish meals.  

Nana's Beef Stew

I have a story about beef stew.  I consider it a comfort food, and have many fond memories of Nana making it for us.  I love her cooking.  The recipes have simple ingredients so the flavors stay true to themselves.   I remember as a child visiting someone who offered me a bowl of beef stew.  "Yes, I
do!"   And then proceeded to tell her how I just LOVE me some beef stew, and how hungry I was.  I had no idea someone could mess up beef stew.  I got me a big ol' bowl of it.  I took my first bite and realized something was wrong.  Very wrong.    It was yucky.  And there she sat watching me eat it.  I couldn't even fake the bites.  She must have known I didn't like it.  I crumbled up a whole pack of saltines in it, but it didn't help.  I had to leave there with a whole bowl of her beef stew uneaten.

Nana buys a good Lean, tender roast and cuts the meat up herself.  Peel and cut up some potatoes and carrots.  Add some tomato sauce, and a little salt and a lot of pepper.  Maybe throw on some diced onions.    Add water.   I usually let mine cook on the stove for about two hours stirring occasionally.  Yummy!

How can you beef up the nutrition in beef stew?  
Cut away all the visible fat.   Use a low sodium tomato sauce and omit the salt.  Just add extra pepper.   Instead of peeling the carrots, just wash them really well leaving the skin on.  Do the same for the potatoes if you want the added fiber.   If the kids don't like the veggies, add them puréed.   I find even taking the stew and finely chopping the chunks will improve the intake for even the picky ones.  Add green peas, corn, or other mixed vegetables.

Enjoy!

The Family Menu

Sometimes all the good intentions and motivation in world fall avail when it comes to feeding the family.   I can't tell you how many times I've heard tells of defeat from people when one person in the family wants to change their ways and the rest of the family doesn't.   "When Mom goes on a diet, we all do."  " I want to eat more salads, but all they'll eat is macaroni and cheese."  "I hate spending so much time in the kitchen then nobody will eat it."

I do not believe in short-order cooking.  It is our practice that we eat what the cook made or we don't eat. But I also believe there is hope for the downtrodden and a way to marry healthful intentions with less motivated eaters.

Consider slightly changing the menu instead of going all or nothing.  Maybe just expand the menu a bit.  There is always room to add more vegetables or throw on a salad.  Even if only the healthy eaters eat the extra veggies, at least it makes more of a variety for everyone.  If there is a vegetarian in the house, there is no need to make two separate meals,  just expand the buffet.  Beans are an easy, fiber-filled, staple to add to the meat and potatoes.   Add a salad for more variety.  Keep different vegetables, dried fruit, or nuts for example so everyone can dress up the salad to taste.

Feeding kids can be a challenge.   It is unproductive to get into a power struggle.  Just continue to offer.  Eventually their taste buds come around.  We do have a one-taste rule at our house, but if they don't like it they don't have to eat it.  On average, it takes a picky eater seventeen times to begin eating the new food.  It also helps if the adults at the table also "try" a bite.  They're watching you!

And of course, it is always dandy to hide the veggies in other dishes.  The Deceptively Delicious cookbooks by Jessica Seinfeld are just dandy.    Basically hiding puréed vegetables in other dishes is easy, delicious, and nutritious.

Planning for meals is a big deal to keep discouragement out of the kitchen.  When hectic nights come along, it is easier to grab a frozen pizza or chicken nuggets and fries than to cook a wholesome, less processed meal.   Why not plan for quick-fixes when those times arise.   When making a family favorite recipe, make two and freeze one.  Keep some frozen vegetables in the freezer to pop in the microwave.  No mess.  Lots of nutrition.   I am for whole grain rice, but it takes a while to cook. For those busy nights,  use those ten minute brown rice boiling bags.   Stir fry a little frozen vegetables to add on top.  Maybe even keep some grilled chicken pieces to throw in if you have one of those families that only consider it supper if there is meat in it.

With a little creativity and planning, meals can meet everybody's schedules and taste buds.  How do you feed the family without the feud?

Nutrition Nugget
We eat about three times more sodium than needed in America.  If choosing a processed food,  look on the label to see the amount of sodium.  It is good to use the percent daily values to grade the sodium.  If the DVs in bold are above 20,  it is considered high in that nutrient.  If it is 5 or less,  it is considered low in that nutrient.   Try not to get items with a sodium above 20.  If it is a canned items such as green peas or beans,  rinse the food before cooking and add fresh water.  This will help to reduce some of the sodium.

Snowball Effect

"Know Thyself"   That is one of those philosophical cornerstones that chapters are written about in personal development classes, but it sure is Truth.  Knowing myself and working with myself without expectation not only helps me enjoy my journey, but effortlessly delivers me where I want to go. 

It's hard to strap on the running shoes and crave vegetables if the most energy one can muster is to pull up the covers and lift the TV remote.  Sometimes it takes an unexplanable motivation from within to take the first baby step.  Healthfulness is like a snowball effect.  Get that ball rolling and keep it moving until it is so huge it rolls itself without any effort from you.  The first step to gathering up the snow is knowing thyself.  I know areas in my thinking and habits that keep me snowed under instead of treading the high ground.  This is how I've started rolling the ball.

Even if I don't feel like it, I put on my exercise pants all the way down to my running shoes.  It takes very little motivation for me to put on my favorite tennis shoes ever.   Once they are on, I am more likely to exercise.   The next baby step is that I purpose in my heart to do the exericise of my plan.   I found a "plan" on the internet that suits me and my personal goals.   I still can't or don't make it a law/rule/expectation.  The plan isn't even a goal.  It serves me as a guide.  I adjust it so it fits me. It only adds to my life.  If I experience any negative emotion about it, then I need to readjust my thinking.   I remind myself,  "It's only 15 minutes."  Or  two miles, or whatever it is.  Baby step out the door.  The snowball has grown.  I actually look forward to the yoga pants, tennis shoes, breathing the crisp air, and the freedom I feel as I go.  

I also decided to take some supplements to help with my energy level.  I can tell they do make a difference.   I visited the health food store to determine what was best for me.  I make sure it is natural stuff and I prefer ones that do not contain caffeine or anything else of that sort.  In the past, I might have big ideas to take a bunch of vitamins, but that gets boring really quickly.   I end up with a cabinet full of pill bottles and less money in the pocket.    I baby step by attachng a new habit to an established one.  I take my vitamins with a tall glass of water before my coffee as my first baby step of the morning.  

Choosing freedom foods for especially breakfast and lunch helps keep  my energy level up to keep on rolling through supper.  Avoiding sugary, high fat, and processed foods is best.  Drinking water when I feel I'm beginning to wilt really helps as well.  

I still have a problem going to bed on time, but getting plenty of good quality sleep helps too.  I bought some herbal teas to enjoy before bedtime.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have get me some breathe right strips or something because apparently I'm a snorer.  If I purpose in my heart to get into bed at a certain time, I will.

All these things are just baby steps that come naturally with the proper perspective.   These are my baby steps that come from knowing myself.  What are things you do to keep get your ball rolling?


Nutritional Nugget:

Five More Tips To Add Fruits and Vegetables From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

eatright.org

1. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat  frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.

2. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.

3. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.

4. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.

5. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce.

Freedom Food

"You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up.  Ironically this is not far from the truth."

I love this Matrix quote, and it is so fitting to how I feel right now.  I've felt like this before in other areas of my life.....like the veil  is fixing to pop off.  I feel a freedom approaching.  Because I know it is there for me to wake up to, I can accept where I am now.  I am content.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm referring to as freedom foods.  It makes sense to me in my little mind.  They are the foods that promote freedom from flesh.    I'm tired of  the real me hiding behind a body that is still too heavy.   Instead of viewing foods as something I can't have, I now see foods as something that will help me get free from this body that is weighing me down.

It isn't a bunch of rules as much as it is a perspective.  I've lost my feeling of deprivation that I used to have when on a diet.  I've lost (and still losing) a feeling that I must lose weight to become somebody.     I've lost some (and still losing) some of this fleshy flesh that makes me feel tired, or feel awkward if I can't find just the right size on the jeans rack.  I'm separating from all those things of bondage.  I feel like Neo.....accepting what I see because I know I'm waking up....fixing to break free from an illusion.

Freedom foods help me to do just that.   Instead of seeing high calorie foods as something I can't have, I see more healthful foods as eating freedom.  It is an easy choice for me to make now.  Sweet tea or water?   Lunch at the buffet or the salad bar?  And what for a quick breakfast?  Hardee's or a slice of toast and a piece of fruit.  Which foods bring the freedom?  All foods fit,  but I can guarantee I won't feel like I'm walking in freedom about an hour after I've eaten a greasy sausage biscuit.

I'm free to eat all things, but which foods promote my freedom?  Which foods remind you that you are free?


Nutritional Nugget:

Five More Tips To Add Fruits and Vegetables From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

eatright.org

1. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.

2. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.

3. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.

4. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.

5. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.

Exhaling

The last couple months, my job as a dietitian has been the priority of my life.    I've had to rearrange and quit some jobs in order to make time for more important things like sleep and family.   Friday was the last day at one of my jobs so the past month I have worked extra hard and long trying to make the transition more tolerable.  Because of that, I have put my weight loss journey on the back burner which is exactly the wrong thing to do.  

See, this journey is not as much about weight loss as it is about health and freedom.  I spent less time on exercising, making healthful choices, and getting enough sleep and added an abundant of stress to my daily routine.  I actually had the thought a few times, "I bet this is what death feels like."  Just  yucky.    I know I am more sensitive to the pressures I placed on myself just because I'm more familiar with what it is like to rest.   Thank God for right-minded friends who we're praying for me when I wasn't in my own right mind in dealing with my work.  I know it is silly to exalt an occupation to such a high level for a time, but that is what I did.  Now is the time to reconnect, remember, and rejuvenate.

I know it's the season to eat turkey, candy canes, cookies and milk,  but lately, I've been pondering on what I will call freedom foods.  I once went on a diet just before the holidays many years ago when I thought I was a cow (and wasn't).  And because I wasn't right-minded about eating and weight back then, I gained about 15 pounds.   I actually paid money to gain 15!  The average holiday weight gain is 7 pounds. This is not what I had in mind in striving to be above average.  

 
I no longer feel deprived or any of those other emotions I attached to eating food,  but my flesh feels yucky from treating it so poorly while I adopted some not-so-healthy thinking styles the past few months.   Even though the habits were still lingering in my body this morning,  the voice of LIFE on the inside was thankfully a little louder.  I just had to pick which one was my voice.  I could have sided with the ego....take a lazy day in the name of "recuperation."  But instead, I put my shoes on and went for a nice walk/run.  I feel like a new person because, well, I AM a new person.   

I love what my good friend said the other day.  She wasn't talking about weight loss, but it is a good sound proverb of Truth for every area of life that went something like,  "I won't get wiser, but the junk will come off so I can see more clearly."  That is the God-Almighty Truth!  I've already got all the life, wisdom, and skinniness inside.  It's just time to slough off the junk to expose my true self.

I love our respiratory system.  I find it so interesting how a healthy body  involuntarily breathes in a substance to sustain life then exhales to rid our body of waste.  As I walked/ran this morning, I can tell you I was very aware of my respiratory system since it had been a little while.  As I ran, I allowed that cool, crisp air to cleanse my soul as I inhaled. As I exhaled, I released some of that old crud I have been hanging on to.  I found that I did not have to breathe in more life, I already have that. I was simply aware that things I did not want were leaving my body and only the good remained.  I didn't have to give a name to the waste or think about what it was for this  exercise to be affective.   I just allowed it and could feel the stress leaving my body.   It sort of felt like taking off work clothes after a long day and putting on some yoga pants.  But if I was going to name the stuff that came out, I could probably guess that I was exhaling Stress, Self expectation, Thoughts that I am not enough, Thoughts that I must DO to become, and an abundant of sadness from the recent events in the news.   

I know I still have junk to slough off, but I do feel better now. I am excited for some time to have a re-run tomorrow.  I am thankful I listened to the voice that mattered and not a a voice of laziness.  Thankful I'm  breathing.