Giving Up Sugar And Flour For Lent

The season of Lent is upon us, and not that I am an actively church going person, I am spiritual and see Lent as a time to practice control and self-discipline to better myself through giving up vices. The past few weeks, I have been racking my brain to find just the right vice to abstain from. A few items that came to mind were social networking sites and alcohol. Sure, giving up Twitter and Facebook will have a short-term benefit of added free time to my daily routine, but I feel socialization is important to one's self being. As far as giving up alcohol, I might find some benefit mostly to my wallet as my appreciation for fine wines can sometimes be costly, but I don't drink in excess and I feel there's nothing wrong with a glass of wine or cocktail daily. I want to find something to give up that will have the greatest beneficial impact for my overall being. That's why I have decided to give up sugar and flour for Lent. I'm also proud to say, my husband, Josh (a.k.a Yoshi), has decided to take part in these dietary restrictions as well. This makes me even more excited to stick with it because now the whole household will get the benefit of a healthier lifestyle.

So here's how it will work: No food made with flour. Whole grains are ok as long as they do not contain flour. No food that contains sugar, beet sugar, cane and brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, high fructose corn syrup or any other misleading name that sugar goes by these days. So no cakes, cookies, pizza, pasta or bread (even whole grain bread).

What is ok: Healthy foods such as vegetables including starchy vegetables like potatoes, fruit, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, soy, eggs, dairy including cheese and no sugar added yogurt, lean meats, fish and shellfish, whole grains, rice, tortilla chips and corn tortillas made from corn (not corn flour). I can still have my daily espresso without sugar of course, but I use Truvia anyway. My daily glass of red wine will still be allowed. Sugar and flour free desserts are fine and even a small amount of over 70% dark chocolate to help satisfy the sweet tooth.

With the help of the wonderful Whole Foods iPhone app, I have prepared a menu for this week of tasty no sugar, no flour meals. I will admit, grocery shopping was a struggle as I did not realize how many foods have sugar added to them. Things that were on my list that I had to find substitutes for or eliminate were ham and bacon because they are cured in sugar; however I easily substituted them with turkey sausage. Also, Yakult is a no-no because it is high in sugar, for which I replaced with unsweetened Kefir so I could continue taking my daily probiotic drink.

So I'm set for Lent which starts on Wednesday. I'm already cooking no sugar, no flour meals just because I don't want to bring any foods that were no allowed on the diet into the house. Meanwhile, Josh and I are finishing off any leftover sugary foods before Lent. Basically, Our Mardi Gras will be spent indulging on bacon and Girl Scout cookies before giving them a fond farewell for the next 46 days.

I know dietary restrictions are tough, but I am focused and remind myself this will teach me how to look for hidden sugars in foods and to find new recipes that don't depend on ingredients containing flour. This is a beneficial and healthy change, and after Lent is over, we can slowly add restricted foods back into our diet. (I vote bacon first!)

I plan to blog throughout Lent and post updates on new recipes I find and any struggles with food temptation along the way. I'm curious how long my readers think Josh and I can be successful, so I have put up a poll for each of us at Curious Cloud. Also, please share if you plan to give up anything during Lent.

UPDATE: Poll Results 3/7/11 - 3/14/11

How long will Keri last on a no sugar, no flour diet?
00% 1 week
12% 2 weeks
00% 1 month
87% Entire 46 days

How long will Josh last on a no sugar, no flour diet?
14% 1 week
14% 2 weeks
00% 1 month
71% Entire 46 days

The Whole Grain Bread Is A Lie!

With the start of the new year, I made a conscience effort to try to eat healthier and buy and cook healthier foods for my family. Step one was to add more whole grains to our diet. In the bread isle at our local grocery store, I looked for breads that were labeled "whole grain" and didn't give a second thought as I put the so-called "whole grain" bread into my cart. The following week, I felt good as I ate my breakfast sandwich with my "whole grain" bread. Funny thing was around 9:30 AM I already found myself incredibly hungry. Before, when I was eating my breakfast sandwich on plain white bread, my hunger was kept at bay until around 11:30 AM. I was very curious as to why my "whole grains" were not satisfying my hunger longer as I was under the assumption that whole grains are digested more slowly than refined grains. I started doing some research and discovered I had been duped. My so called "whole grain" bread contained no whole grains at all, but instead contained enriched flour and caramel coloring. Lesson learned, and from now on I'll be reading the ingredients list to make sure "whole wheat flour" is the first item listed.

However, I am surprised at the amount of deceit that food manufacturers are allowed to put on labels and even in the nutritional information listed on the foods we eat. For instance, did you know the FDA allows food manufacturers to round down to zero any ingredient that accounts for less than 0.5 grams per serving? This means any product claiming to be "0 grams of trans fat" may very well contain trans fat. While 0.5 grams per serving does not seem like a significant amount, over time it could add up, especially when you take into consideration very few people actually only eat one serving. So, how do you tell if a food item truly has 0 grams of trans fat? You have to look at the ingredients list. If it lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated then trans fat is there.

In this day and age, people are trying to eat healthier. We're told to add more whole grains and eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Picking healthy foods is hard enough without worrying about food manufacturers taking advantage of you. But, who can blame them for trying to profit off the new healthy food trends?

Eat smart and be smart! Read the labels closely and check the ingredients list.

UPDATE: Poll Results 1/12/09 - 1/19/09

Do you think food manufacturers are misleading on food labels?
83% Yes
16 % No
00% Meh

Do you think there should be stricter guidelines on nutrition labels?
83% Yes
16% No
00% Meh

Fast-Food Companies Or Personal Responsibility

The American Obesity Association says obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Preventable being the keyword here, but preventable by who? Who is responsible for the millions of overweight and obese Americans? Are the fast-food companies to blame or is it our own personal responsibility to take care of ourselves?

As of July 2008, in accordance to a menu-labeling ordinance, New York City chain restaurants are required to provide consumers with calorie content on fast-food menu boards and on printed menus, and if several lawmakers get it their way, the same menu board labeling system will be coming to California, as well as other states.

Councilman Jose Huizar introduced a proposal to post calorie information at fast-food and chain restaurants in Los Angeles county, and it was approved by a 14-0 vote by the Los Angeles City Council to draft a law that could be on the books as early as next month.

"We Aren't telling people what they can eat or banning products in the preparation of food," he said. "What we are doing is providing information to parents so they can think about what their kids are eating.

"We know for a fact that once people know how many calories are in something they are eating, that they eat less" (Source)

The causes of overweight and obesity according to the Surgeon General are:

• Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and/or inadequate physical activity.
  
• For each individual, body weight is the result of a combination of genetic, metabolic, behavioral, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic influences.
  
• Behavioral and environmental factors are large contributors to overweight and obesity and provide the greatest opportunity for actions and interventions designed for prevention and treatment. (Source)

The last bullet point is where legislation against fast-food companies comes into play. Studies link frequent eating out with obesity and a higher intake of calories. Some lawmakers feel by forcing fast-food restaurants to disclose the calorie information on their menu boards, consumers will make more informed decisions on what to order, and thusly help reduce the nation's obesity epidemic.

So, who is responsible for the millions of overweight and obese Americans? Are the fast-food companies to blame or is it our own personal responsibility to take care of ourselves?

To me, it is a matter of personal responsibility, not only to myself but to my son to teach him the facts about eating too much fast-food. I do not need full disclosure of the calories in fast-food to know that it is not good for me and my family to be eating every day. Cruz and I have a weekly ritual of going to McDonald's before going to Gymboree, and he loves McDonald's food. He asks to go there almost every day, but regardless of his persistence, I only allow him to eat fast-food once a week.

And to Councilman Huizar, whom assumes parents do not already think about what their kids are eating, we are not as dumb as you might think. I know for a fact that parents care about their children's health.

A good compromise would be requiring fast-food restaurants to have nutritional information easily available at cash registers and upon request for those who want it. Placing the information on menu boards will only hurt the targeted businesses. Fast-food chains should not be punished for making food that consumers think tastes good and like to eat.

UPDATE: Poll Results 9/20/08 - 9/27/08

Who is responsible for obesity in America?
00% Fast-food companies
25% Personal responsibility
75% A little of both
00% Neither
00% Undecided

Should Fast-food restaurants be required
to post calories on menus?
85% Yes
15% No
00% Undecided