Our diet plays a big role in how our bodies function so we should eat as healthy as possible. Since being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I have found more and more ways to eat healthily!
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Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!
My mornings usually consist of a glass of lemon water first thing after I wake up. Then, within an hour of waking up, I eat a healthy breakfast which usually consists of two boiled eggs and a grapefruit with chai and flax seeds. At times, I absolutely need some variety so I pick from the following for my breakfast meals:
- 2 boiled eggs and a grapefruit with chai and flax seeds (mentioned above).
- Half of a banana and oatmeal cooked in hot water (not milk) & sweetened with 1 teaspoon of organic honey.
- Greek yogurt, half a banana, and one piece of bread with peanut butter.
Most importantly, I have learned to make my breakfast a filling one so that I avoid snacking prior to lunchtime.
COFFEE – My cappuccinos, and /or coffee with cream or milk, is now a black coffee with ground cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, ground turmeric, and organic honey.
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Lunch must be eaten!
Lunches are usually in a bit of a hurry for me so I try to keep them as simple as possible, a protein with a green side. Keeping in mind that I often switch the sides and proteins listed for variety, below are the meals I chose from:
- Grilled chicken breast with a side salad.
- Baked chicken breast with a baked sweet potato.
- Baked fish with a side salad.
- A bowl of soup.
As of late, I have finally distinguished between eating a healthy lunch and skipping lunch. Lunches are the last meal prior dinner so skipping lunch will only make dinner heavier which is worse than eating a balanced meal for both lunch and dinner.
Green Tea– I enjoy a cup of this daily! I boil it with fresh ginger and 2 or 3 lemon wedges. Occasionally, I add 1 teaspoon of organic honey when my sweet tooth kicks in.
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Dinner should be light and early!
Given that I cook during the day for a nightly “family meal”, I try to at least taste the items I cook. I succeed at this by eating a small portion of whatever I cook, along with a salad.
In my last post, I enclosed two new recipes that I have learned here in Romania. Today’s NEW recipe is Momaliga, which is a Romanian favorite! It is also healthy so I do try to have this as a dinner side at least twice a week!
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Mamaliga (Polenta)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot with salt, then simmer and pour with a steady stream the cornmeal.
- Stir constantly for about 20 minutes with a wooden spoon, until you notice that the mamaliga breaks away easily from the sides of the pot.
- The cooked mamaliga should be thick enough to stay in place on a plate.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you have any questions please let me know and I will gladfully help!
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“If Only” I had always eaten healthy while I was young!
During my childhood, my diet wasn’t a concern to me at all. I drank “southern sweet tea” without any limitations. It was common to have a pitcher of this sugar killer sitting in the frig. I also drank soda, with unlimited refills, from fountain machines. I often enjoyed a wide variety of candy; ring pops, bubble yum gum, blow pops, snickers, M&Ms, and so much more! For cookies, I had to have the double stuffed Oreos! I would even make them quadruple-creamed by taking off the back from two of the cookies, sandwiching them together, to give myself enough “extra” cream! Loaded hotdogs were also my thing! Just like today, there were mixed messages about what was healthy. Honey-nut-roasted peanuts were quoted as the “healthy snack” of my childhood, so we ate plenty of them! Our saving grace to this diet massacre was the watermelon we ate on hot summer days.
After years and years of sugar-filled drinks and foods, I began to care more about what I drank and ate when I joined the military. Drinking plenty of water (without sugar) is the most important lesson during my time in the service. It is so important to drink water first thing in the morning, and enough throughout the day, to help our bodies to stay strong and function properly. Salad, vegetables, and fruits should make up more of our diets than meats and other items that we consume. Although I tried to ignore the following, I was also reminded that desserts, sugary drinks, and snack items should be limited and avoided as much as possible. I was, of course, taught this prior to this time in my life BUT this is when I began to care.
I had a true diet wake-up call when I was diagnosed with MS! I was told that if I didn’t eat healthily I could lose my ability to walk. This scared me! I listened, researched and connected with those who already had MS at the time. I learned some more helpful ways to keep myself on track.
After being diagnosed with MS I adapted the following items into my diet:
- Lemon Water & Tons of Water
- Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar instead of dressing
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Kale Shakes
- Apples and Grapefruit
- Occasional dark chocolate for my sweet tooth
- Green tea with lemon, ginger, and organic honey… (most days I drink without the honey)
- Baked or Grilled Chicken and fish (without sauce)
- Salmon with lemon, salt, and pepper only! (no sauce)
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In an effort to give this subject a funny ending, here is a corny joke; I ate an MS during my younger years, so now I have MS. It may sound a little funny this way, but it is true, I put bad food into my body and it caused me to have a lifelong disease. How I manage it best is by eating as healthy as possible so that I can continue to keep up a miraculous smile!
I would love to hear any diet secrets you have… so please share! Thank-you and I hope to hear from you soon… Christy 😊
We had some Fragutele, which are small-sized berry, that resembles a mix between strawberry and raspberry. They had a very sweet taste. 🙂
