sxc.hu: bluegum

A soft food diet may be recommended by your doctor if you have swallowing difficulties, or if you’ve had surgery of the jaw, mouth or gastrointestinal tract.

While it can be difficult, especially in the early days, your diet doesn’t have to be boring.

Thankfully, it’s much more than a soup and jelly diet!

It is however, important to make sure your diet has lots of variety, as this will help you get all the nutrients you need for good quality of life.

Try to base your daily meals around the food groups:

• At least 5 servings of soft fruit and well cooked vegetables.
• 2 servings of tender meat, poultry or fish (take care with bones), eggs, peas, beans, or lentils.
• 2 servings of milk and dairy foods — calcium fortified soy or rice milk can be included here if you prefer.
• Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, or potato should be included at each meal.
• Have small amounts of foods containing fat and/or sugar.
• Drink around 8 to 10 cups of fluid per day — water, tea, coffee, juice, or milk.

Soft Food Diet Menu Ideas

Breakfast

• Porridge or other cereals (without nuts or dried fruit) and milk
• Scrambled egg
• Baked beans
• Stewed fruit with natural yoghurt
• Coffee or hot chocolate made with milk
• Fruit juice

Main meals

• Casseroles and stews made with lean meats, which are cooked until tender
• Soups made with lots of veggies and legumes, pureed with a swirl of cream before serving
• Shepherds or cottage pie with gravy
• Moussaka or lasagne served with extra sauce or gravy
• Fish pie with potato topping, or baked fish with sauce or gravy
• Cheese omelette or cauliflower cheese 
• Egg or tuna mayonnaise
• Pasta dishes made with small pasta shapes (or noodles) and plenty of sauce
• Lentils made into dahl
• Dips such as hummus, guacamole, and cream cheese

Side dishes

• Mashed potato — sweet potatoes are slightly more nutritious
• Mashed vegetables — carrots, turnip or other root vegetables
• Broccoli or cauliflower florets cooked until soft — these could also be mashed into potatoes

Desserts

• Milky puddings — rice, semolina or tapioca
• Crème caramel or egg custard
• Natural or Greek yoghurt 
• Fruit mousse
• Milk jelly or blancmange
• Bread and butter pudding
• Home made trifle
• Pureed or stewed fruit with Greek yoghurt 
• Mashed fruit with ice cream, custard or evaporated milk
• Ice cream or fruit sorbet

Nutritious drinks

• Coffee, malt drinks, or hot chocolate made with milk
• Milk shakes, fruit smoothies or drinking yoghurts
• Nutritional supplements — ask your doctor or dietitian about these

Soft Food Diet: Putting it all into Practise

One of the most important things to remember is to eat small meals, regularly.

This way, you will be getting more nutrients into your body, and it will be in volumes which you can tolerate.

It’s completely fine to have 5 or 6 small meals per day, if that suits you. Just try to make sure they are healthy and nutritious most of the time.

Also, if you find you can’t eat much in one sitting, try having your drinks separate to your main meals, perhaps 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to main meals.

Have you been on a soft food diet? What are your tips? Or, do you have any questions? Share them in the comments below…

Please note: you should not be on a soft food diet unless prescribed by a healthcare professional.

“Those who say, ‘This time I will succeed!’ do succeed.”

~ Tosca Reno
As you know, I’m a strong advocate for the simple message of healthy eating, as opposed to fad diets and harsh exercise regimens.

So, when I received my copy of “The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged,” I was pleasantly surprised by the contents.

The book focuses on how to eat whole, fresh foods rather than processed junk food, and encourages regular exercise — I certainly can’t argue with that message!

Tosca says:

“An abundance of energy is yours for the taking if you rely on Eating Clean.”

The original Eat-Clean Diet book became pretty popular with celebs, personal trainers and everyday people alike, and Tosca herself is certainly a well-known figure, with a number of glam cover shots for Oxygen magazine.

This revised version of her book has been fully updated with nearly 100 new pages, and 50 new recipes. It includes information on extending and improving your life, staying motivated, and even getting rid of cellulite.

And, although it’s called The Eat-Clean Diet, it’s really more of a healthy lifestyle, which is a great approach.

So, what kind of meals can you expect from this book? Think oatmeal with flax seeds, quinoa, smoothies, grilled meats, organic fruits and veggies, and natural nut butter.

Good points about this book?

• This is the fully updated version of the diet
• It is clear and easy to follow, with lots of colourful pictures and diagrams
• It encourages eating fresh, whole food
• It includes recipes, menu plans (including gluten free and vegan options), and grocery lists
• This is a plan for life, not a fad diet to lose pounds quickly
• It focuses on portion control, rather than counting calories
• The tips on eating out are helpful, with some worst, best and alternate choices from popular restaurants
• It encourages a sensible exercise routine

Are there any bad points?
I can’t say there’s too much wrong with this book, but if you’re into counting calories to stay on track, you may not find this book helpful.

I think overall the book will empower women to become healthier and fitter, but I don’t like Tosca’s message on breast augmentation.

While I appreciate her openness on the surgery she has received, I think including this section in the book puts too much pressure on women to achieve perfection, which according to Tosca, is really only achievable via surgery (particularly as you age). She says:

“There are only two answers. You must either live with what you have left or enhance.”

For me this is a low point in the book, and I’m disappointed with that.

Overall however, the information in the book is pretty sound and helpful, packed full of tips and how-to’s for achieving a healthier lifestyle.

You can get your copy here:

Full disclosure: I did not receive payment for this review, but I did receive a free copy of the book.

Flickr: AmericanVirus

Have you ever wondered what you will look like when you get older?

I’ve heard of guys who’ve taken into consideration what their partner’s mum looks like before proposing. It may be shallow, but it’s true!

So, do genetics really play a big part in determining the body shape you’ll end up with? Or, is lifestyle a stronger predictor of body shape?

Well, it seems both play a significant role…

The gene effect!
Researchers suggest genes may determine up to 80 percent of your weight and body shape. But, it’s also true that environment, and the choices you make, play a very significant role.

The idea that genes determine adult shape and size originally came from studies on identical twins in the 90’s.

However, new research shows that particular aspects of shape and size are more closely tied to genes than others. For example, how easily you develop muscle mass — this is inherited. 

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that while you need physical activity to build muscle, people who have “muscular genes” need less exercise than others to look fit.

It’s also thought that if both your mother and father carry extra weight around their middle, unfortunately you may too. 

Obviously, inheriting half of your genes from your mother and half from your father means you’re a blend of both. So, if your father also carries weight in this area (which tends to be a problem for most women), you may be unfortunate enough to get the worst combination from both parents.

Before you decide there’s nothing you can do about it…

It’s pretty obviously, but genes have been around since, well, the beginning. So, something must have happened in recent years to have led to the obesity epidemic we now see.

My guess is that environment plays a pretty big role.

While it’s true that family members tend to have similar body shapes due to a strong genetic link, it’s also because they tend to eat the same foods, and have a similar pattern of physical activity.

Thankfully, these are things you can change, if you need to.

A Canadian study suggests that:

• 30 to 40 percent of exercise habits come from family via genetics and culture.
• 50 percent are related to your environment.

In a study of 35 pairs of twins (one twin was active, one was sedentary), the active siblings had a lower BMI than their sedentary twin. And, in those that were active, none were overweight.

This is proof that even among those with strong hereditary characteristics, exercise beats genetics.

Remember, lifestyle trumps bad genetics in the majority of cases.

Big Mama

So, if your mum’s more like “Big mama” than Elle MacPherson, don’t worry!  A family tendency to carry extra weight doesn’t mean you are destined to be the same.

Whatever your body shape, it’s by no means a fat sentence. Remember, you are in the driver’s seat, so take control.

It’s true, you may not be able to change your tendency towards an apple-shaped figure, but no matter what your genes, you can’t gain weight unless you’re eating more calories than you need.

It’s your choice — choose to be healthy and get some exercise, rather than lamenting your “bad genes!”

Would it worry you if you looked like your mum or dad in later years?

I must admit I hadn’t given much thought to the chemicals in food packaging, or the plastics used in baby bottles and toys.

Sure, I knew that some plastics were considered risky, but I didn’t bother to do the research.

So, I decided it was about time I took a closer look. And, I’m honestly a bit shocked by my findings.

Firstly, we’ll focus on the dreaded BPA…

The science bit!
BPA (Bisphenol A) is an industrial chemical which has been present in food packaging since the 1960s.

It’s hazardous effects have been suspected for many years. But, a 2010 FDA report has raised further concerns regarding exposure in unborn babies, infants, and young children.

Shockingly, the Consumer Reports lab tests (December 2009) on several brands of canned juice, soups, tuna, and green beans found that almost all of the products contained some level of BPA.

In fact, some organic products and those labelled BPA-free, contained small amounts of BPA, which is ridiculous.

BPA can be found in:

• Hard polycarbonate plastic food containers marked with “PC” recycling label #7 on the bottom.
• Lining of most canned foods, including the tin lining for baby formula.
• It’s in so many products I can’t list them all, but anything from coffee makers to laptop computers to baby bottles and soothers.

Babies fed with liquid formula are among the most exposed to BPA. Also, those fed formula from polycarbonate bottles may take in considerable amounts throughout the course of one day.

This isn’t to be taken lightly.

The Environment California Research and Policy Center published a report which found 5 of the most popular baby bottle brands — Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex— leach enough BPA into the liquids they come in contact with to cause harm in lab animals.

The BPA effect
It’s thought that BPA mimics the action of the hormone estrogen, and possibly other hormones. Studies, which have measured BPA levels in the blood, have shown higher levels to be linked with impotency and possibly heart disease.

Studies have even linked very low doses of BPA exposure to cancer, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactive behavior.

It’s clear we need more research, though.

In the past the UK Food Standards Agency have argued there is no risk to children, saying:

“Data from a recent FSA-sponsored project on dietary consumption by infants shows dietary consumption of BPA by infants in the UK might be up to 0.007 mg/day/kg bodyweight, which is less than the full Tolerable Daily Intake.”

To be honest, I’m not convinced that using BPA-containing products is such a good idea, at least until we know more.

The fact that the 2010 FDA report has now raised concerns makes me very wary of this product, particularly where my baby is concerned.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think you need to get overly worried. But, I think you should try to lessen your baby’s exposure to this chemical where possible.

So, here are 10 ways to reduce your families exposure to BPA

#1 Choose BPA-free plastic products — avoid #7 (PC) plastics, especially for babies and children’s food.

#2 Get into the habit of checking labels carefully, particularly for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage containers, water bottles, soothers, children’s toys, etc.

#3 If you’re worried about plastics in general, those with recycling labels #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), #4 (LDPE), and #5 (PP) are safer choices.

#4 Find baby bottles in glass (try Evenflo’s shatterproof glass bottles). Alternatively, go for those made from the safer plastics listed above, or those which state BPA-free — MAM, Lansinoh, Born Free, Medela — just check the label to clarify.

#5 Throw out any old cloudy and scratched plastic bottles, or plastic containers.

#6 Go for food in glass jars or cartons, rather than tins e.g. soup, tomatoes, but try to eat fresh foods most of the time.

#7 Choose frozen vegetables rather than those in a can, and opt for fresh or frozen fish rather than canned.

#8 To avoid chemicals leaching into your food, don’t microwave in plastic containers, put plastics in the dishwasher, or use harsh detergents on them.

#9 If reheating food choose glass or other microwaveable dish-ware.

#10 Don’t leave plastic baby bottles in hot cars or direct sunlight.

It seems rather unrealistic to expect zero exposure to BPA at present, given its wide usage by manufacturers. But, you can certainly take action to minimise exposure.

Personally, I’ll be checking symbols on the bottom of any plastics I use from now on.

Thankfully the cup was empty!!!

Just this morning as I was writing this article, the postie arrive with Elissa’s new Doidy Cup, which we are so excited about!

As I was opening the package, I got that sinking feeling, “Oh no, I hope this is BPA free?“ Something I hadn’t considered when I ordered. Anyway, I was so relieved to find #2 marked on the bottom of the cup.

So, we’re good to go — although I’m not weaning yet, but I like to be organised!

She needs a little more practise before she’s ready to use this, don’t you think?

I’m also thinking of purchasing a BPA free water bottle, such as this eco-friendly stainless steel water bottle, which can be ordered online.

What are your thoughts on BPA-containing products? Have you, or would you, consider going BPA free?

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Weight gain can be a bit of a mystery. Often it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what’s causing the problem—other than those cream pies you’ve been scoffing!

But seriously, there are a few others things which can work against your good efforts to get slim. Here are some tips:

1. Lack of zzzzz’s

sxc.hu: carlosch

Are you getting enough sleep? If you are, you’re in the minority!

Research indicates sleep is important for weight loss. We think it has something to do with leptin—the hormone that signals fullness, and an increase in ghrelin—the hormone that triggers hunger.

So, this means sleep deprivation may increase your appetite.

That’s a pretty big problem, with a relatively simple solution, i.e. get more sleep!

And, before you start thinking you can catch up on your sleep over the weekend, think again! 7 to 9 hours are recommended every night, if you want to avoid accruing a sleep debt, which can be very difficult to overcome.

Check out this article to help improve sleep quality.

2. Taking medication

sxc.hu: orucgazi

Much of the medication prescribed by your doc will have weight gain as a nasty side effect.

Now, I don’t mean you should stop taking your meds—definitely not—but it’s worth bearing in mind.

Firstly, you should take a good look at your lifestyle. Can you explain those extra pounds? If not, you should begin to suspect your medication, particularly if you recently started a new treatment.

The usual suspects include antidepressants, antipsychotics, steroids, oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, or diabetes, high blood pressure and heartburn meds. 

It’s good to know that in almost every case, your doctor can switch you onto another pill, which will be just as good in treating your original ailment.

3. Too much stress

sxc.hu: juliaf

Most of us get a little stressed from time to time. That’s not really a big deal in terms of weight gain.

But, chronic stress, such as health or money worries, can really cause high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This in turn increases your appetite, usually in favour of high fat, sugar and salt foods, which can lead to overeating.

Try to manage your stress levels, but do get seek professional help if you find this difficult.

Check out these 15 effective stress banishing tips.

Some of the best strategies for managing stress are:

• Deep breathing practises
• Exercising/stretching regularly
• Laughing/smiling often—even when you don’t feel like it!
• Writing about what’s stressing you
• Eating a healthy, whole food diet

What have you found to be working against your efforts to lose weight? Have you noticed any causes of weight gain which are unusual?