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So, I'm trying to make some healthier lifestyle changes. I want to lose weight, eat healthier, and just feel better! The problem is that I grew up on a processed, horrible junk food diet and that is all I really know. This is a big change for me at 26!

Right now, I'm trying to cut out most processed foods. No more (non-natural) sugar, cheese, butter, soda, preservatives, etc. I have a severe carb addiction, so I'm trying to cut carbs out entirely for now, until I don't have major cravings for them anymore. So grains, pasta, potatoes, etc. are out for me right now.

This week, I've been doing pretty good. I generally have 2 scrambled eggs and a banana for breakfast. I take a smoothie (frozen fruit, low fat plain yogurt, juice, and some kale) to work with me in the mornings to sip on. Lunch has been mixed green salad (mostly baby spinach and arugula) with almonds and sunflower seeds, followed by some nuts, yogurt, or fruit. Dinners have been healthy meat recipes with some sauteed or steamed veggies.

Really I'm looking for more dinner ideas. It's difficult to find recipes that don't include carbs or cheese. I'm also having trouble finding things I like, since my palate has been pretty limited to junk food.

Any advice or recipes?
My advice? Don't cut out carbs. They're good for you in small amounts. We just tend to eat too much. Eat your whole grains, like whole grain bread with nuts, and eat whole grain pasta instead of plain.

Cheese is also fine in small amounts; it's when we drip melted cheese over vegetables, nachos, and when it's also in pasta sauces. Just be aware of how much you're eating.
You should be fine with just lowering your carb intake.

Do a search for "low carb" recipes.

Mega Entrepreneur

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Cutting out grains is dangerous to your health. With grains (when prepared in a healthy way) you get vital nutrients such a fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium)

Sure, grains are carbs, but their healthy carbs. In fact, your body requires carbohydrates to perform its daily functions of all the bodily systems. But there's a huge difference between eating whole grains (ex Rice, oatmeal, quinoa) and eating empty carbs (breads, pastas, cakes & pastries)

Empty carbs are foods cooked with refined grains (like white flour) where the flour/grains have had chemical processes done to them that stripped out all those essential nutrients. (Same goes for refined sugars)

You want to be eating grains, but you want to be preparing them in a healthy way. I recommend buying your grains as whole grains from bulk food stores and introducing them to your diet that way. There are a lot of recipes online that use whole grains as a raw ingredient. (I even like to add whole flax seeds and cooked quinoa to my salads)

Sparkly Fatcat

Eat quinoa. It's a seed that is kind of like a grain but it is gluten free.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/whatisquinoa.htm
Great source of nutrition.
I'd suggest a veggie and fruit shake every morning for breakfast.
also dark chocolate helps you loose weight! So don't cut chocolate out completely ;3 It's a natural laxative amongst other things.
Try to stay away from anything with high fructose corn syrup.
http://tv.greenmedinfo.com/
This place helped a lot with my dietary decisions. happy eating!
I also grew up on processed foods and things that shouldn't be considered food at all, and by 22 I'm now a gluten-free vegan. The biggest struggle was the cravings, and those are fairly easy to curb with dedication. The best way to a healthy lifestyle (as I have found, may not apply to everyone) is knowing why the food is bad for you and wanting to change the habit.
If you keep at being healthy, you'll see more positive changes and won't want to go back. Your body derives energy and replaces cells from the food that you eat, so as much as it's a struggle to break the habit, your body will repay you in the long run.
I found the best way to start is to eat more fruits in the morning, vegetables throughout the day, and make sure to get enough healthy fats (nuts, avocado, coconut, etc). Take your time and the change will come easily biggrin

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isnt that yogurt that you're stilll eating processed?

i am doing something like this too bc i've been told to by the neurologist. we got a grill which makes cooking fresh foods easy and tasty.

GltchdCodex's Honey Bun

Anxious Bunny

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The Zero Carb Tuna Melt is a very easy dish that can be done in less than five minutes. All you need is a can of tuna, some mayo and a little bit of cheese. The size of the ingredients used will depend on how many you plan on serving. Start by draining the can of tuna. Then place the tuna in a small oven proof bowl. Squeeze some mayo into the bowl and mix it up with the tuna. Then top the bowl with some cheese. You can use any cheese that you prefer. Place the bowl in the oven and broil on high for three minutes. You do not need experience cooking to whip up this no-carb meal. You can also ad relish and lemon juice if you please.

This has a low carb count ( sorry I know you said NO Carbs! But this is what I can remember from the top of my head.)

Low Carb Lemon-Mint Shrimp

12-25 Medium Shrimp
Lemon Flavor no-stick spray
Mint Sauce (Black & Crosswell brand)

1) Devain the shrimp with a small knife ( or jut cut them open and use a sppon to take them out)

2) Coat the top of your non-stick pan in Mint Sauce and lemon no-stick spray

3) Saute shrimp Until they are evenly cooked and pink in color. Enjoy! Approx: 1-2 Carbs and 21G of protein and virtually no fat smile

Excitable Strawberry

Making your own yogurt is not difficult and yogurt makers are CHEAP for the results you get. To me yogurt you buy in the store tastes spoiled and not even like real yogurt. It tastes like some weird dairy blend.
rocket and kale are disgusting.

eat more fruit.

starch is the carb that makes you fat.

you need glucose to live

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