5 things I QUIT forever apart from PROCESSED FOODS for my Fitness 2.0
This post is a part of the Get Fit, Stay Fit initiative with the Bon Happetee blog chain & I thank Anupriya for warmly mentioning & inspiring me to share about quitting some big things (other than processed foods) in life for my fitness. She is an HR professional who writes about fantastic aspects of parenting, wellness & lifestyle.
Since my first ever post on the blog closely 10 months ago, I’ve often been gabbling about my takes on gaining & maintaining fitness. Well, frankly, I’m not that person who necessarily equates a weight loss anecdote to ‘being fit’. Like I shared in that very first post, I’ve tried many kinds of indiscriminate diets in the past to only end up with a worsened immunity & scoops of lethargy.
Of course, with mindful eating, Yoga & significant physical activity, I had a sustainable weight loss of 13 kilos in 4 months. In less or more time, I really don’t care. But to sustain the much craved fitness, here are 5 things I quit FOREVER from my life, apart from – PROCESSED FOODS!
1. Carbonated Drinks
I feel rattled looking back when I realize that I must have had more glasses of carbonated beverages than those of water until I was 16 or 17.
It’s said that when your body gets addicted to something, quitting it cold turkey can backfire with withdrawal issues. So, I kept trying hard to get rid of the damn liquid slowly, which is more toxic than processed foods & even alcohol. However, I could never hold my temptations back. I even remember guzzling down 3 bottles of soft drinks while having my wedding meal followed by the customary ice cream. So, quitting carbonated drinks abruptly was the only way out.
Hence, at 24, I promised to myself that even if I were to get stranded on a dreaded island & the only ‘drink’ available other than sea water were a can of some fizz, I’d choose to starve & die!
Carbonated/ aerated drinks contain ridiculous amounts of sugar & other harmful chemicals that put their consumers at the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, obesity, hormonal problems & many more life-threatening diseases.
What’s more? The acidity of these drinks is great enough to clean the toilet! Heard, but don’t believe it? Read here then. 🙂
How did I replace it?
My refreshment drinks are now usually:
Lime juice,
Orange/Mango juice,
Ragi (Finger millet) Malt,
Sol Kadi,
Spiced Buttermilk,
Dates shake
Tender Coconut water
Barring the coconut water (that I can, of course, not make :-)), all of the above are homemade.
2. Unnecessary Bakery
Yes, not just white bread.
It’s been almost 2 years that I had any bread (no, not even in sandwiches! I make my own ‘rolls’ instead), cookies, biscuits, or croissants.
Look, I’m not an anti-gluten person. Because gluten is an integral constituent of a large variety of daily food. For instance, in the rotis that we make. And I don’t acknowledge any real side-effect with gluten on our body.
However, the above processed foods in the form of bakery, for at least 90% of the time, are made with refined flour, which only contains empty calories, contributing to spikes in blood sugar & thus an evident weight gain. I’m not surprised why I always felt bloated before dinner whenever I had any of the above items for my tea snack before quitting them.
Not to forget, how addictive the cream-laden biscuits make you for their irresistible sweetness. I must admit that while trying to quit biscuits initially, I tried to limit myself to eating just 1 from the pack.
Nevertheless, some things only go with the cold turkey way. You either eat or you DON’T.
How did I replace it?
Instead of the usual bakery snacks, I now have fresh fruits, a fistful of dry fruits, homemade pasta or a simple Murmura (puffed rice) Chaat, homemade Macaroni (of semolina/rava) or Sweetcorn Chaat.
And for now, the birthday & anniversary cakes at home are usually made by me with whole wheat flour. Believe me! They taste as good as the shop brought ones.
Occasionally, I make my own whole wheat/jowar/ragi cookies at home.
3. Ready-made Accompaniments
It’s been quite a while that I said good-bye to READY-MADE jams, mayonnaise & butter from shops.
These, again, I categorize into a different class of processed foods which come across as quick fixes with our daily meals; be it with a roti / parantha / bread, specially in the breakfast jiffy.
Commercial jams, mayonnaise, peanut butter, butter etc are made using unhealthy fats, preservatives & artificial color to increase shelf-life & look appealing. And these can pose various kinds of threats to our health over regular consumption.
Even the branded jams available in the market do NOT contain any fruit(s). On a note of reasoning, owing to the color-changing property of fruits, proper jams should change color after a few days of their preparation. Nevertheless, the adding of artificial color & sweeteners render these jams the characteristic red, yellow, orange & purple colors that remain so till you scrape the bottle out completely of the jam.
Well, I recently have given these up & I must say, it was pretty challenging to let go years of loving.
How did I replace it?
Now, I make my own homemade mayonnaise, jam & butter. I also prefer using molasses instead of jam with my rotis/dosas when I don’t have the time to cook up a sabzi or chutney.
4. Reheating & Eating Leftovers
I seriously hate & condemn wastage of food no matter what the situation.
And that precisely made me gobble up leftover stuff from my then toddler’s plate everyday & lose track of how much I have been eating. Also the ones that we couldn’t finish that very day, went straight into the fridge to be reheated & relished the next day.
Upon refrigeration & reheating, food loses its nutritive values & the reheating can make it even dangerous with certain dishes. I shall write a post on this very soon sharing my BEFORE-AND-AFTER experiences of giving up reheating.
How did I correct it?
So, now I usually don’t cook that extra bit of food in case somebody asks for another generous serving. After all, years later, I can assess our capacities best & that works pretty well.
5. All-Nighters & Late Night Binging
The habit of pulling on all-nighters happened quite later in my life with watching movies, chit-chatting & completing some pending work, specially on the laptop.
You stay up longer at night or even forego sleep to see the next day’s dawn right from your window. 🙂 Sadly, however exciting it sounds, it spikes your blood sugar, tampering with your hormones, putting you at a risk of developing heart diseases, obesity, hypertension & poor immunity. Not to forget poor memory & lethargy 24/7!
Is that worser than what processed foods do to you?
All the more, when you delay sleep time by staying up, the body tries maximum to maintain the blood sugar level sane (that you don’t do by sleeping on time) by making you crave some tempting food/snacks. And these ‘midnight snacks’ are mostly some freaking chips, sweets, ice-cream, chocolates or even donuts! Or any random stuff under the sun (Oops! Moon ;-)) Needless to say, this damages your metabolism & often results in abnormal weight gain.
Remember, sleep deprivation is way more dangerous for you than processed foods or even lack of exercise.
How did I correct it?
I don’t pull off all-nighters anymore now.
With very, very rare exceptions, I never put off any work or errands to complete late at night. And I ALWAYS ensure that I’ve slept sound for at least 6 hours every night.
Oh yeah, it’s been more than half a decade that I had quit these notorious processed foods, such as instant noodles, corn flakes & packaged juices as well.
You may want to read my take on PACKAGED FRUIT JUICES here.
Is there something that you also quit for the sake of your health & fitness? I’d really want to know about your story! Oh, please go ahead in the comments.
I am participating in the ‘Get Fit, Stay Fit’ blog party with Bon Happetee!
Hosted by
First Time Mommy
Aesha’s Musings
Kreative Mommy
Sirimiri
I’d now want to introduce Charu Gujjal of the Mom Sagas, who is an educationist & has a beautiful Parenting blog.
Of course, with mindful eating, Yoga & significant physical activity, I had a sustainable weight loss of 13 kilos in 4 months. In less or more time, I really don’t care. But to sustain the much craved fitness, here are 5 things I quit FOREVER from my life, apart from – PROCESSED FOODS!
1. Carbonated Drinks
I feel rattled looking back when I realize that I must have had more glasses of carbonated beverages than those of water until I was 16 or 17.
It’s said that when your body gets addicted to something, quitting it cold turkey can backfire with withdrawal issues. So, I kept trying hard to get rid of the damn liquid slowly, which is more toxic than processed foods & even alcohol. However, I could never hold my temptations back. I even remember guzzling down 3 bottles of soft drinks while having my wedding meal followed by the customary ice cream. So, quitting carbonated drinks abruptly was the only way out.
Hence, at 24, I promised to myself that even if I were to get stranded on a dreaded island & the only ‘drink’ available other than sea water were a can of some fizz, I’d choose to starve & die!
Carbonated/ aerated drinks contain ridiculous amounts of sugar & other harmful chemicals that put their consumers at the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, obesity, hormonal problems & many more life-threatening diseases.
What’s more? The acidity of these drinks is great enough to clean the toilet! Heard, but don’t believe it? Read here then. 🙂
How did I replace it?
My refreshment drinks are now usually:
Yes, not just white bread.
It’s been almost 2 years that I had any bread (no, not even in sandwiches! I make my own ‘rolls’ instead), cookies, biscuits, or croissants.
Look, I’m not an anti-gluten person. Because gluten is an integral constituent of a large variety of daily food. For instance, in the rotis that we make. And I don’t acknowledge any real side-effect with gluten on our body.
However, the above processed foods in the form of bakery, for at least 90% of the time, are made with refined flour, which only contains empty calories, contributing to spikes in blood sugar & thus an evident weight gain. I’m not surprised why I always felt bloated before dinner whenever I had any of the above items for my tea snack before quitting them.
Not to forget, how addictive the cream-laden biscuits make you for their irresistible sweetness. I must admit that while trying to quit biscuits initially, I tried to limit myself to eating just 1 from the pack.
Nevertheless, some things only go with the cold turkey way. You either eat or you DON’T.
How did I replace it?
It’s been quite a while that I said good-bye to READY-MADE jams, mayonnaise & butter from shops.
These, again, I categorize into a different class of processed foods which come across as quick fixes with our daily meals; be it with a roti / parantha / bread, specially in the breakfast jiffy.
Commercial jams, mayonnaise, peanut butter, butter etc are made using unhealthy fats, preservatives & artificial color to increase shelf-life & look appealing. And these can pose various kinds of threats to our health over regular consumption.
Even the branded jams available in the market do NOT contain any fruit(s). On a note of reasoning, owing to the color-changing property of fruits, proper jams should change color after a few days of their preparation. Nevertheless, the adding of artificial color & sweeteners render these jams the characteristic red, yellow, orange & purple colors that remain so till you scrape the bottle out completely of the jam.
Well, I recently have given these up & I must say, it was pretty challenging to let go years of loving.
How did I replace it?
Now, I make my own homemade mayonnaise, jam & butter. I also prefer using molasses instead of jam with my rotis/dosas when I don’t have the time to cook up a sabzi or chutney.
4. Reheating & Eating Leftovers
I seriously hate & condemn wastage of food no matter what the situation.
And that precisely made me gobble up leftover stuff from my then toddler’s plate everyday & lose track of how much I have been eating. Also the ones that we couldn’t finish that very day, went straight into the fridge to be reheated & relished the next day.
Upon refrigeration & reheating, food loses its nutritive values & the reheating can make it even dangerous with certain dishes. I shall write a post on this very soon sharing my BEFORE-AND-AFTER experiences of giving up reheating.
How did I correct it?
So, now I usually don’t cook that extra bit of food in case somebody asks for another generous serving. After all, years later, I can assess our capacities best & that works pretty well.
5. All-Nighters & Late Night Binging
The habit of pulling on all-nighters happened quite later in my life with watching movies, chit-chatting & completing some pending work, specially on the laptop.
You stay up longer at night or even forego sleep to see the next day’s dawn right from your window. 🙂 Sadly, however exciting it sounds, it spikes your blood sugar, tampering with your hormones, putting you at a risk of developing heart diseases, obesity, hypertension & poor immunity. Not to forget poor memory & lethargy 24/7!
Is that worser than what processed foods do to you?
All the more, when you delay sleep time by staying up, the body tries maximum to maintain the blood sugar level sane (that you don’t do by sleeping on time) by making you crave some tempting food/snacks. And these ‘midnight snacks’ are mostly some freaking chips, sweets, ice-cream, chocolates or even donuts! Or any random stuff under the sun (Oops! Moon ;-)) Needless to say, this damages your metabolism & often results in abnormal weight gain.
Remember, sleep deprivation is way more dangerous for you than processed foods or even lack of exercise.
How did I correct it?
I don’t pull off all-nighters anymore now.
With very, very rare exceptions, I never put off any work or errands to complete late at night. And I ALWAYS ensure that I’ve slept sound for at least 6 hours every night.
Oh yeah, it’s been more than half a decade that I had quit these notorious processed foods, such as instant noodles, corn flakes & packaged juices as well.
You may want to read my take on PACKAGED FRUIT JUICES here.
Is there something that you also quit for the sake of your health & fitness? I’d really want to know about your story! Oh, please go ahead in the comments.
I am participating in the ‘Get Fit, Stay Fit’ blog party with Bon Happetee!
Hosted by
First Time Mommy
Aesha’s Musings
Kreative Mommy
Sirimiri
I’d now want to introduce Charu Gujjal of the Mom Sagas, who is an educationist & has a beautiful Parenting blog.
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What an inspiring journey, ashvini. When your body is used to certain kind of diet, leaving it all of a sudden can be very difficult. Kudos to you for igniting that fire in you. And you know what once you go the healthy way its very difficult to turn back, that’s the best part. I wish you all the best ashvini.
Very true, Anshu. Just like addiction, when practised sincerely, discipline too is hard to quit. Thanks to all 4 of you, beautiful women, for lending me an opportunity & spill my heart out & share my experience on trying to live healthy.
Late w binging us sometigng that’s been my enemy from day 1. Now I’m at a better place though. And, no sandwiches? Really kudos!
Very relevant post! Wow, hats off to you for losing 13 kilos in 4 months!! That’s amazing, Ashvini! Packaged juices, late nighters and processed foods are also a no-no for me! Best wishes and good luck on your journey to health and fitness. Glad you inspire us.
Thanks for your sweet words of encouragement, Esha.
I think everyone should be able to quit drinking carbonated drinks. It’s easy to do and they can be replaced by some of the substitutes you mentioned. When I played football in high school the coach said to quit drinking soft drinks. I immediately stopped and never looked back. Some people can’t do it immediately so it’s always recommended to do it gradually. Start by drinking 1 less glass a week until it’s replaced by a healthier alternative drink.
That’s absolutely great, Keeon.
This is such an inspiring post. I have started eating cleaner, but haven’t quit any food group as such. I know my poison is those packaged chips. Over the past few months, I have drastically reduced my intake, but haven’t gone cold turkey yet. Thank you for sharing the alternatives for those food/drink groups. I am definitely going to explore them.
I have more or less let go of most of the things in this list, except for the eating of left over food. HAve this crazy thing about not wanting food to be wasted. Sigh! need to work on that now
Thank you so much, Ramya & Shantala. And glad that the post inspired you a bit.
I have stopped buying carbonated drinks as that’s probably the worst thing you can have. No microwave in my house – in my view it is one of the world’s most dangerous inventions. But other than that my mantra is all things in moderation as I think moderation is the only truly sustainable way.
Your weight loss has been stupendous and you didn’t even mention sweating out long hours on the treadmill or in gym. Going by your list, I have lived clean of carbonated drinks, packaged juices, jams and butter. I go on and off with respect to processed food like chips, instant noodles, chocolates and other savouries. Cooking pains me. I do not like to spend more time in the kitchen so I do make food in larger quantity in the morning, refrigerate it, take out smaller proportions, reheat and eat throughout the day. Making my own pasta, macaroni, cakes, cookies etc is out of question for me.
Processed foods and packed juices are just so unhealthy. I try to avoid as much possible. So good you are able to eliminate these.
Thanks Kinshoo.
Simple things can bring changes. All points you shared can be practiced with little willpower. I quit carbonated drinks a decade ago. Also, trying to stop reheating food. All tips are realistic and would really be helpful to all readers.
It’s only when we say , ‘No’ to certain habits, can we say Yes to good health. You walk the talk Ashvini, and your changes and efforts are so visible.
I am guilty of depending on the microwave often, something I must try and change.
An inspiring post every reader could benefit from.
Oh thanks a lot, Mayuri. Oh yes, now I use the microwave only to bake cakes & cookies with the convection mode on. That too, I’m on a sincere lookout for pressure cooker recipes for the same.
These are some really great tips, glad to know your journey, would like to know more about your experience of before and after Reheating
Wow, Ashvini! You do have a good control of the things you like to eat which is simply amazing. I usually avoid aerated drinks, but almost have the rest occasionally. Now with your post as my guide, let me see how I can change my eating habits.
I liked the way you not only explained what all you left but also what you replaced it with. These are all great ways to replace unhealthy and junk with healthy food items.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Deepa
i liked this compilation, and of all the things, i like to replace my drinks completely with simple water. I like some flavored chilled teas, which have zero sugar but thats about it.