I had to open the forum to see your wave, OA. I knew there would be one! Very cute. 😉
Wilbers, I agree with Amazon. I have arthritis too and find glucosamine, krill etc make much more difference than painkillers. I had a trigger thumb release done last year and can do hand sewing and hold a pen properly again now. Couldn’t squeeze my thumb joint properly before. It was a simple day surgery and amazingly effective.

Jojo, have you considered your higher cholesterol is inherited? My OH still takes cholesterol lowering drugs (not sure what). They are the only drugs he takes now, but he has found them still necessary, despite being only 66kg and eating really well. My bp lowered with 5:2 and extra exercise, but is still not low enough for me to confidently not take some medication. I tried none for a couple of months, but it went up and the risk of stroke is too real to be bloody minded. I’d rather take a tiny tablet every morning than be stroke effected for life.

Hope both the parents are comfortable today, Wee and Ply x

Happy days folks. P 🙂

I wouldn’t dream of buying a jar of pasta sauce.
I read the labels on everything thse days and it is amazing how much sugar there is in things, and the amount of savoury foods that have had it added, for example peanut butter. Processed food is a health hazard IMO.

Thanks Purple. I’ve had more than 500 today but I’m happy enough. I’ll need to plan a bit better in future so I don’t feel the need to do more than a 2 day B2B.

I have a young friend who had juvenile arthritis and her knees are a real problem. She tried many different things and didn’t want to take medication as it would affect her fertility and she was trying to start a family. She had her two babies, suffering throughout with painful and swollen knees and then someone recommended Devils Claw. Within a couple of weks the swelling had reduced as had the pain, and she takes it all the time. I recommended iy to my friend’s niece for her knee problem and after years of pain and swelling it is much improved.
It is trial and error as to what suits but there is usually something that works.

You wonder when the “put sugar in everything” happened. I know jam used to have a lot more to preserve it, so maybe that is why.

It is definitely better to make your own food. It just takes planning.
I have always wondered why people use cake mixes when a cake only has egg, milk, four and sugar (and you can easily halve that amount of sugar in all recipes). I guess it is just that they don’t realise how easy and rewarding cooking is. My problem is, I LOVE cooking, but don’t have enough people around to eat it any more. 🙁 I’m always donating my creations to my grown up kids to save my boy and I from eating too much. 😆 P

And doesn’t it take ages to shop now? I habitually grab any packaging to read the energy levels now. Used to be to read if they were gluten and soy free for OH. Even comparing two, nominally similar products, is often an eye opener. No wonder the shop aisles are so hard to navigate these days.
A friend of mine says “shop only on the outside”, meaning stick to the fresh foods and leave the processed, usually in the centre of the store, alone. Good philosophy.

Apparently the heat is headed our way too, RT. I’ll get back in the pool. P

Hi Wee
Glad to hear your dad is still singing. Lovely!
You were a wise woman avoiding the carpel tunnel op. I am one of those horror stories. I didn’t go back for the second.
Two years later I still can’t pick up heavy weights like frying pans in my left hand as there is so much scar tissue. I massage it every day, but little improvement.
Mind you, with the disasters that followed that op, I ended up incapacitated for months, I gained so much weight that I was ready for 5:2 when I first saw the doco. It has been all gain since then. They say losing weight won’t effect carpel tunnel as it is pressure on the nerves within the wrist, but my right hand doesn’t trouble me now. What do “they” know? 🙂
Have a happy evening Wee. P 🙂

Hi:

This current discussion about the negative impact of sugar on health reminds me of the same discussion that occurred in the mid 1960s. At that time, the debate was between the evils of sugar and other processed carbs v. the evils of fat. The government and doctors decided that fat was evil and sugar was not. They then went about educating the population about the evils of fat and specifically said that sugars and other refined carbs were healthy. This education worked and ignited consumer demand for healthy, low fat foods. There are many reasons to add sugar to food, but it helped that we were told it was a healthy substance that we could eat as much of as we wanted to. I still see packages of candy that proudly proclaim that the candy contains ‘no fat’.

It is handy now to blame food companies for making foods using ‘processed carbs’, but you have to understand the industry simply responded to consumer demand generated by government and doctor education of the population. Now that real scientific evidence is being generated showing that natural fats are healthy and sugar and other processed carbs are not, and governments and doctors are slowly starting to support higher fat diets (think Mediterranean diet, for one), I am now starting to see ‘snacks’ advertised that contain fats and protein. I am also watching large food companies adding higher fat ‘brands’ to their portfolios of products.

It is going to take quite a long time to undo the decades of low fat, high carb education we have been subjected to. It is still being taught in schools, from preschool through college and medical school. The tide has not yet even started to turn. The current discussion focuses on the badness of sugars and other refined carbs, and has not yet turned to the healthy benefits of natural fats, which are still believed to be dangerous because of the education we all have received. But the scientifically established fact that sugar and other processed carbs are bad for humans is being broadcast, and hopefully many in future generations will benefit from the news. Unfortunately for many of us, the benefits of the low fat diet remain and we will have to continue to struggle to lose weight while fighting our ‘sweet tooths’ and other carb addictions.

Hi Simco
Let’s get a bit cynical here….Governments only promote ideas that are presented to them. They are so much in the hold of their largest donors (read as big business) that they are not going to question, or damage the markets of, their benefactors.
There is a famous film from, maybe the 1960s, about 3 year old versus 5 year old whiskey in the US. The people producing 5 year old convinced their mates in Govt to mandate that all whiskey had to be 5 year old, thus cutting their competitors out.
Sadly, much of the rest of the Western world (I’m talking about you too Australia) follow blindly along without doing their own research.
Public broadcasters in Australia are the best at looking at the cutting edge research. Commercial bodies have too many vested interests in their advertisers.
Thinking people are always going to look at the facts. It is the masses that don’t who suffer from selfish Government campaigns. P

That’s why I’ve always included growing vegetables, cooking and sewing in my classrooms, Ply. Everyone needs to experience the thrill of creating, don’t you think? P

Hi Simco

Thanks for stating the case so clearly. As you know I am a long time Sugar is Pure White and Deadly convert. I think the book came out in the 1970s. My children were raised mostly sugar free. Lots of homemade yogurt, homemade bread, fruit and vegetables. They are immunised and very healthy human beings.

In the beginning I went sugar free because of my teeth being full of fillings, and I wanted their teeth to be very healthy. I count it as one of my achievements that they reached adulthood without any fillings in their teeth.

However, when I reached my 50s I relaxed my vigilant no sugar policy and began to indulge. I was not overweight until my 50s. So I see an absolute connection between high sugar and processed carbs, and weight gain.

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Going on with the bake from scratch scenarios, when I was young my mother rarely if ever baked from scratch … dad made the pastry for the pies/puddings we had on Sundays for dessert. If a cake was made it was through a pack … found out the reason in my teen years when I started baking etc and that was my mum thought it would be easy to follow a recipe (after all if a teenager can why not her?), well to cut a long story short she wondered why the first one never rose (it helps if you use flour of some sort … it was thick overly sweet flat piece of rubber), the next one was a total disaster (after all our eyes are just as good as we get older now aren’t they?) and packets look similar too … the next was also thrown away, yes flour was remembered (remember the last one) and eggs and yes we added sugar (well no, it was salt actually!!!!), so needless to say cakes were few and far between until I started baking 😀

Hello all,

I have just purchased a wireless keyboard to use with the iPad and its brilliant, hated typing on a touch screen, you will have no peace from me now!

With the sugar-in-everything discussion, I just realized that even peanut butter has some added! That is the only savoury treat that I ocasionally crave and a tiny amt satisfies (non FD). Probably due to the fat in it, so now I will have to make my own in the blender! Crazy that manufacturers find it necessary to add sugar.

Heating up again, high 30’s in Melbourne today, I knew it couldnt last…just hoping there wont be any fire outbreaks. Its 6 years since the last big bushfires in Victoria that claimed so many lives and today the power company that was sued in a class action (due to their faulty equipment that started the fire) have settled for 3 million dollars. No wonder our power bills keep rising! The fires south of Perth are a worry.

Fasting today, 4.15pm and only coffee and green tea so far!
Be good everyone! Cheers.

Morning/evening all.

Nama if you around you’ll find no added sugar peanut butter. You might have to look in a wholefood type store rather then your local supermarket, but you’ll find it. The organic ones don’t usually contain sugar either.
Nut butter on toast…………………………mmmmmmmmm!

Cold and windy and grey, but forecast to brighten up. I hope so as I’m going out for the day.

Have a good one everybody 🙂

Hi Everyone.
What a lot to read about adding sugar to food unnecessarily.I never use jars of pasta sauce for that reason,always have made my own.The TV program I was watching last night was about trying to help a family save money on their food bills. I shouldn’t be surprised by people’s lack of education when it comes to buying and cooking food I suppose. It’s such a simple thing to read the labels,but takes a bit of thought and time!!
Amazon, I,too,was in nursing for over 40years!! Saw the same in that there was more bariatric equipment being introduced by the time I left.Very worrying.
WN.

WN, if you have a branch near you, go to Holland & Barrett and speak to one of their very helpful and knowledgeable staff. They might suggest something different that they think would be more helpful.

Thanks Amazon. Thats what drew my attention to the sugar in the peanut butter in the first place….one of the big brands have actually brought out a sugar free one. But after reading the label and seeing all the stuff in it apart from peanuts and oil, I wont buy it again! At least I can make some in the blender and know whats in it! I didnt have any in the house for years as my eldest son has an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts.

Just trying to catch up here and enjoying the sugar conversation. I’m, also, trying to cut most sugar from my diet. I’ve learned to drink my tea with no added sweetener and I’ve always like my coffee black. I try to keep processed foods at a minimum as well. Can be tough, can’t it?

I’ve missed the start of the weight loss posting. Not sure if it’s loss for the week or total since beginning 5:2? I’m down 3.4 this week which made me do a back flip! I’ve been up and down since starting 5:2 and am only down 2.5 in 5 weeks, but at least it’s moving in the right direction. I have to remember that I’m down a total of 33 lbs in the last couple years and that is awesome!(although slow!)I’ve had too many months of maintaining thrown in to show a fast loss, but I’ve not suffered in the process. It’s all good!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Ps I buy bottles of pasata for emergency use…. 99% tomato. No sugar.
Jojo, I actually do much more exercise on my non food days. Food makes me sluggish and sleepy.
Off to bed 😉 Night night. P

Evning all .

Samm I quite like to suck a lemon and i use stevia so do I just dip a wedge in and suck??

Jojo I have been doing the odd liquid only day . I did it yesterday and it was about 32 hours , I hate to see what Alzheimers has done to my parents and especially my lovely Dad . If I can help keep it at bay with the odd liquid fast then I will do it when I can.

I don’t drink tea and only the odd cup of coffee . I like marigold bullion and Bovril and water though.

I bough a rice cooker to make rice for Ross so i WENT OVER WITH IT TODAY . i HAD SO MUCH FUN PLAYING ABOUT WITH IT AND SAMPLED SMALL AMOUNTS (WAS MY DINNER) IT WAS NICE TO SHARE THIS TIME WITH HIM AND WE HAD A GOOD LAUGH .,

OOps ss caps , silly tired hands hit wrong key .

Jojo I have lost 5 stone in total but only ( A big only) 3 stone 4 pounds …46 pounds on 5.2 . since July …Is that what you needed ?

Love to all

Wee xx

Good evening/morning all

I weighed this morning after two fast days and two days of 1200 cals, and I’ve stayed the same! Very frustrated and annoyed! So put me down for 35 lbs lost, please Jo.

I really thought that the amount of excess last weekend would have resulted in fluid retention, which would have been lost over the past few days – I’ve been weeing for England, so was convinced I had lost!

I can’t fast again until Monday, but will try and keep the calories restricted over the weekend. I met a friend for lunch today, and had a lovely Caesar salad. OH is cooking a roast chicken tonight. No roast potatoes for me, just lots of lovely veg and no skin, much as I love it when it’s all crisp and golden.

We’re out for a family meal tomorrow evening so it will probably be a steak with no pud, which doesn’t worry me, and a ‘lean’ roast on Sunday. Hopefully by Tuesday the scales will show some results.

Interesting discussions here. I’m also a great fan of Glucosomine/Chondroitin and have been pain-free in my joints for some time now. As discussed before, and borne out by Amazon’s professional experience, the weight loss must also have helped. My knees are half the size they were.

Re the sugar – like most of us brought up in the 50s and 60s, it played quite a big part in our family diet. Happily there was little in the way of processed foods and ready meals in those days, and I’ve followed that regime ever since. I can only remember fish fingers, which I’m sure were purer than those made today, and breakfast cereals – remember the variety packs? The first ‘convenience food’ I remember was Vesta Chow Mien which had lovely crispy noodles you fried. How adventurous we felt, and how disappointed I was when I had my first meal in a Chinese restaurant only to find it was nothing like the packet variety!

Jojo – are you confusing Devils Claw with Camels Claw? Lol!

Ply – I do hope things are improving for your mother.

Wee – I found Marigold buillion – vegetable. Is that the one you drink? Do they do any other flavour? I love Chicken Bovril as it makes a change from Beef, but can’t seem to find it in many places these days.

I’m watching the most beautiful sunset. Hopefully that’s a good omen for tomorrow.
have a good one all.

Smiffy x

What do you mean only 8kg? That is fantastic, give yourself a pat on the back 😛

here is a better link pal ..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=bovril+drink&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=36181876908&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=s&hvrand=32456223266400505&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8sqw1rpo9_b

Wee xx

Still no newspapers yet. Major production problems, according to the recorded message, so I have had time to catch up on all the threads. Good morning, world!

Amazon,

No offence! But I really really hope we stuff the English tonight.. If you’re not Welsh…or Scottish…or Irish you won’t understand I know!

I completely understand , but for just this one night right!
Otherwise the navy will get calls on red phones and the media will never forget it!

Woke as hungry as an angry bear. I may have spoken toooooooo sooooooon!
I’m on 27hour fast hour 11 and supposed to be sleeping . RrrrrrrOOOOOAaR. That’s my stomach!
Gotta get up a fix everyone else food but for myself. Ok. Stepping. Up .
Grilled cheese with vegetable beef soup for her , and salisbury steak with potatoes for the other.

I can do this for just just this one day !

Ham and beans when I wake up in the morning.. P,ease forgive it’s got me at wits end today.
As soon as I serve it I’ll be back in the bed! Will be on tommmorrrow a will read every post from last Friday til now. Struggling . Struggling. Struggling. Fasting isn’t always a piece of cake!

Hard Luck Happy 😛