Reset

I have survived the week on the "Our Path" nhs sponsored programme for those who either want to lose weight sustainably or who like me hate having blood sugar that isn't consistent and want to learn what decent nutrition is and untangle the ball of knots that is dietary advice from the myths, TV rubbish and supermarket marketing.

It's been enlightening.  Each day I have had articles to read, mainly on CBT - positive thinking, magical thinking, mind reading.  All useful and things that I should know anyway from my reading but it has been helpful to have a reminder. I've mainly discovered that lunch is a key meal for me and that tea in the evening can be light.  And that a strong breakfast includes some protein, fat and complex carbohydrate.  The old adage of breakfast like a king, dine like a lord, sup like a pauper seems to be true!  I can truly say I haven't felt hungry and I am embarrassed to realise that having a sandwich lunch plus lots of fruit/low fat yogurt was probably unhelpful.  For me it is a little like turning from ordinary petrol to a higher grade performance fuel!  Not being constantly hungry and fighting the horrible feeling of imminent blood sugar crash is very nice.  I felt like I was always trying to prevent the crash and rein in the appetite!

However, it's been an interesting week for the truly unexpected side effects of long term cheap simple carbohydrate and caffeine intake.  I spent two days feeling truly dreadful - tired, irritable, low mood, and a crushing headache and inability to concentrate.  Caffeine is a pick me up and my advisor and I have agreed to two caffeine shots in the morning - which is fine by me - and the rest of the day is as it always was - decaff plus water/peppermint tea.  The peppermint tea is a leftover from a previous employee at work with a taste for interesting tea bags.  My colleagues have made various rude remarks so far!!  That's their problem, not mine I realise.

I've re bonded with dark chocolate as a good friend, and certainly can't quite believe that this is both easy and cheap - less fruit, no rubbish, lots of cheap fresh and frozen veg.  Next week I move onto "restore", the long term sustainable way of life plan!  And I will be making thai fish cakes......and a coconut dhal......