Nitrites? Autolyzed? Monosodium-who?

Well, we've come to a crossroads in our dietary journey... Dee developed a bad migraine (the fourth in four days) after breakfast this morning, and we were suddenly struck by a conversation we'd had with a co-worker about her migraines and not being able to eat hot dogs because of nitrates.

At our office party on Thursday, Dee ate a hot dog. She got a headache. Friday morning, Dee had deli ham with breakfast. She got a headache. Saturday morning, more deli ham. More headache. Sunday morning, ditto. Ditto. Light bulb. We started thinking back, and were able to connect past headaches with other events involving processed meats, and especially trips to buffets, Chinese food, etc.

We had connected the buffet-headache trend before, especially after Chinese buffets, and thought the problem might be MSG, so I started reading up on it, and had never realized all the other names that MSG can go by! Autolyzed yeast, sodium caseinate, carrageenan, and a whole host of other things that may indicate the presence or creation of MSG in food!

So, we're pulling Dee (and myself) off anything that we think may have nitrates/nitrites (such as hot dogs, lunch meat, ham, pepperoni, sausage) or MSG. We're going to try to cook fresh, and be super-conscious of ingredients on nutrition labels. We would like to find some deli meat, be it ham or turkey, that doesn't contain any warning words, as we do like that with our breakfast.

We're choosing the road less traveled... which may be a slightly more expensive road than grabbing the latest frozen healthy meals on sale each week... but we know the benefit will be greater in the long run. I've heard over and over again to know exactly what you're putting into your body, and now it's all making sense. I'm tired of eating chemicals... :)

--Jay :)

Welcome to the Sweet Potato Fry Blog... :)

How do I love Sweet Potato Fries; let me count the ways...

Okay, so we're totally not burnt out on the awesomeness of Sweet Potato Fries, and tonight's batch was the best yet! (Okay, so I think I've only made them four times, but still...) I left them in the oven longer on the second side, and got them nice and toasty... tender inside... mmmm...

Here they sit, next to one of my favorite vegetables of all time...



Why are so many people Brussels-sprouts-haters? I guess I can see they've got a unique taste... a little cabbage-y. If they're not cooked enough, their raw taste isn't very pleasant. But I love these things, AND they're great for you, so... bonus! :)

We hit the gym again today... Dee did 35 minutes on the elliptical, and about 20 on the treadmill, burning approximately 590 calories, according to the electronic brains. I... sat. :) I decided to be there for moral support, but I had a little too much work to do for our theatre group, so I rocked the laptop across the room while Dee worked out. :)

I'll try to limit the number of Sweet Potato Fry photos from now on... Once we clear off some of these leftover Nutrisystem lunches and frozen entrees, we'll start cooking more and have more to show off. :)

Sweetness!
--Jay

Step One: Disable Smoke Detectors

Sweet Potato Fries - Take Two

Attempt number two at savory sweet potato fries: a rip-roarin' success. :)



We are hard at work perfecting our new favorite way to consume sweet potatoes. I have learned (and not for the first time) that there are certain things that are NOT meant to be baked on perforated pizza pans. Oil-coated sweet potato fries? Definitely one of those things. After having offended the smoke alarm gods for two out of two attempts, I will henceforth lean toward a nice, sturdy, solid-bottomed sheet pan. But these things are turning out to be awesome!

Only changes this time was that I left the skin on, and cut the potato into about 1/4" rounds, which I then cut in half to make semi-circles. Much faster than those silly strips I made the first time. High oven, get a nice char, good to go! So here's the rundown for those who missed it:

Preheat oven to 425. Use one nice sized sweet potato per person, washed with skin left on. Cut into rounds, 1/4-1/2" then cut rounds in half to make semi-circles. Toss in a bowl with just enough canola oil to coat, plus salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I know, right?!) to taste. [The recipe from mi hermana-in-law suggested chili powder as well, but we haven't gone there yet.] Spread in a single layer on a SOLID sheet pan, don't crowd. Bake about 20 minutes, flip all fries and bake about 10 minutes more, until a nice dark golden crunchy brown on both sides. Eat and marvel at the yumminess you have crafted.

In a conversation with my aunt the other day, she mentioned that she cuts the calories of a dish similar to this that she calls "Roasted Winter Vegetables". She takes cubes of sweet potatoes, and mixes with butternut squash and carrots, and roasts them all up until tender. I'm thinking two parts sweet potato, one part of each other item. That must be tried in the not-to-distant future as well. Yum! :)

Keep on keepin' on!
--Jay

Post-Party Depression?

Just got back from the overabundance of deliciously evil food, better known as my company New Year's party. Dee executed decent portion control, but I did go a little beyond. Crab dip, red meat, and a plethora of dessert options could not be resisted!

Upon returning home, I found a delightful e-mail from mi hermana-in-law (and current winner of our weight loss "competition") featuring lots of positive thoughts for Dee, and a crap-load of awesome healthy recipes, which will be tested (and probably blogged) very soon.

Looking forward to the continued "challenge"...
--Jay

Can you overdose on sweet potatoes?

Mmm... Sweet Potatoes



I do love sweet potatoes, but after trying to work them into our "diaita" three times a week, we're already experimenting with nifty new ways to cook them. We decided to try sweet potato fries again tonight, after I failed miserably at making some several months ago. Dee came across a Paula Deen recipe today, and we decided to adapt it and give it another go.

They actually turned out great, and Dee claims they're now her second-favorite food of all time, second only to shrimp! Here's how they went down... super-easy...

I took one nice sized sweet potato for each of us, and cut it into strips like steak fries. Toss them in a bowl with just enough oil (we did canola) to barely coat, along with a pinch of salt, pepper, and (believe it or not) garlic powder! Bake for about 20 minutes at 450, turning at least once. Our thinner fries started to burn and had to be removed before the rest were done, due to my uneven knife skills. :) Anyway, the garlic powder gave them a savory spin, and they almost tasted like regular potatoes with just a hint of sweetness. A great alternative for when you get a little burnt out on the "sweet potato" taste.

--Jay

"It starts." --Timon, The Lion King (1994)

diaita [noun] -- Greek: "way of life"

Welcome to our blog!

Why are we here? In late 2004, my wife Dee and I hit the peak of our unhealthy lifestyle. I had migrated to wearing loose-fitting size 5X (that's XXXXXL) Hawaiian shirts and size 58 jeans, topping out at 446 pounds. Dee was up to 296 pounds, and wearing a size 24 pants and a 3X top. When I started threatening to pop out of my shirts yet again, we decided it was time to act.

Over the course of the next couple of years, through a stint at eDiets.com, a little bit of the Subway diet, and a healthy dose of Nutrisystem, we dropped a ton of weight. At our lowest, around May 2008, I found myself at 289 pounds (a 157 pound drop) wearing size 42 jeans and mostly XXL shirts, with a few XL sprinkled in. Dee was down 96 pounds to an even 200 pounds, sporting size large tops and a pants size of 14. Amazingly, this was all accomplished through healthy eating with no regular exercise regimen. A few mile-long walks here and there and some time on a Gazelle, but nothing crazy, and it was definitely few and far between.

And now... the rest of the story. Through too many relaxing family trips, grabbing fast food on the way to and from community theatre play practices, Chinese buffets, fancy coffee drinks, pastries, and too many other things to mention... we backslid a bit. (I backslid quite a bit more than Dee, which she'll be quick to remind me... ha!)

Start of the year 2010, she's at 231 pounds (a 31 pound gain) while still maintaining a size 14 somehow. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here like a lump at 371 pounds after gaining back 82 pounds. That's just over HALF of what I'd worked so hard to accomplish in the first place.

So, here we are. Motivated partially by a "bet" with Dee's brother to see who could lose the most weight in 8 months, and partially by a need to prove it to myself again, we're back on track. So many people (both now and then) asked us what we're doing... what do we eat... how does it work... Sounds like it's time for a blog, so all the world can live along with us, and participate if you so choose.

We hope to share details about our lifestyle... what we're eating, weight updates, new recipes we're discovering, ways to sneak healthy stuff and make it taste good... and maybe we can motivate someone out there to grab onto a new "way of life" along with us. Remember... it's not a DIET... it's not a bunch of restrictions... it's developing a new way of living that you can LIVE WITH.

We welcome comments, suggestions, and anything constructive. Life is a journey, so let's see how far we can go together.

--Jay