What is a Rhizome, and why should I put it in my mouth?

A rhizome is the edible root of some plants. We are very familiar with one of them in the states - Ginger.  Another one that is good and easy to obtain is Turmeric.

In recent studies, more and more good things are being discovered about these roots. For instance, it's thought that turmeric can help prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's and certain kinds of cancer, such as prostate and melanoma. Ginger is very well known for helping with nausea and digestion, as well as other stomach problems.

The beauty of these spices are that they contain almost no nutritional value as a simple food, so there's not really a need to worry about using too much. Besides, you don't need that much to flavor your food anyway.  They add some interesting flavor to what you're eating, and they have those "mysterious" health benefits.

Recently, my favorite way to use turmeric is to saute ground chicken and onions, then add plenty of turmeric, a dash of salt (I use the low sodium salt) and some red pepper. Mix that all up, and then beat some eggs and toss that in there. If you want, you can even add your daily oat bran to the batch. Scramble that all up and enjoy. I like mine really hot, so I add a ton of chili powder to it.

Ginger is one of the key ingredients in some Indian curries. A great way to use it is to mince it with garlic (ginger garlic paste is used heavily in Indian cooking). Put a little oil in a pan and add the garlic ginger paste. Cook it for a few minutes, but don't let it burn. Garlic gets really bitter when it burns. Get some chicken (whatever kind you like) and fry it up with a small amount of oil. When it gets nicely sauteed, add a good helping of turmeric and mix everything up. It will seem a bit dry, probably. That's ok. Add whatever vegetables you like (eggplant is good, or broccoli. Anything, really). The moisture from the veggies will help create a kind of sauce. If there still isn't enough, add a tiny bit of water. Add other spices (coriander, star anise, etc) or just use store bought curry powder (just be careful it doesn't contain a lot of salt. Some curry powders are filled with it).  Let it cook in the sauce for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Like I said, recently I LOVE turmeric. So if anyone out there has other good recipes, I'd love to hear about them.

THIS... IS... SPARTACUS WORKOUT!

Today, I tried out a workout routine one of my coworkers has been going on and on about. It's called the

SPARTACUS WORKOUT 2.0!!!!

You have to use the exclamation points. It's a workout that was originally created to help the star of the TV show Spartacus get into shape. Then the magazine Men's Health revamped the workout last year. It's pretty simple to do, but it will kick your but the same way Leonides kicked that messenger down the hole.

Here's a link to the workout.
THE SPARTACUS 2.0 WORKOUT

All you need are some dumbbells. That's it. You go through ten different exercises, doing each for a minute at a time. It takes about 45 minutes in total, which is awesome when you consider you can do it while you watch one episode of the Walking Dead or Glee.

I used this online timer, since it automatically restarts when it reaches the end, so you can just keep going.

ONLINE TIMER

Also, since the Men's Health website has the workout demonstrated in a blog style format, I put it all into one JPG so you can just open it on the screen and see which one you need to do next.  Just download the image and save it to your desktop (or wherever you like).

Also, I found it easier to understand exactly what I was supposed to do after I watched the following video. This guy does a great job of showing the proper movement for each exercise.

I opened up the timer, the workout poster and a movie all at once, and just went. I was dead at the end, especially my legs. So if you haven't exercised for a while, I'd highly recommend maybe only doing half the amount of exercises at once, or split the top and bottom into two days for a while. Also, keep water handy and take sips between sets.

Good luck. Just remember that before you exercise you should eat a good breakfast, for tonight...WE DINE IN HELL!

...or at a nice restaurant.

Mustard - King of condiments!

According to Dr. Dukan, mustard is a condiment you can easily use. He warns that you have to be careful about using too much because of the salt content, but as a flavoring, it's at the top of the list.

As I've stated in a previous post, I think the average sodium intake for an adult is around 1500mg.  A teaspoon of mustard has around 50mg of sodium. Looking at how much salt reduction we practice on the Dukan Diet, it's an extremely small amount of sodium considering how much flavor it adds to food.

Also, since there is such a large variety of mustard, you can get different tastes. Let's take look at some of the types and how they can be used.

DIJON MUSTARD (120mg sodium) 
This mustard originated in the Dijon region of France (duh). So of course it contains wine.  As you can see above, Dijon probably has the highest  sodium content  out of the mustards.   It's rich and creamy with a slight bite, so you don't really need very much to flavor food. I really like this mustard, just because it makes everything taste so French.  A popular brand is Gray Poupon, or the slightly spicier (and in my opinion) more delicious Maille.

YELLOW MUSTARD (56mg sodium)
The all-American favorite. Yellow mustard gets its bright yellow color from turmeric (as far as I know anyway).  Look in almost any fridge in the States and you'll find a bottle of it. It's not as spicy as Dijon mustard, bit still has a good tanginess.  I just recently started using this. Since it's so yellow and popular on things like hot dogs and hamburgers, I had always assumed it was full of artificial things. On the contrary, it's simply another type of mustard. Give a try if you want a slightly milder flavor. French's is probably the most famous, as well as Plochman's in the little barrel shaped bottle.

BROWN MUSTARD (50mg sodium)
I grew up eating "Spicy Brown Mustard" on things like bratwurst hotdogs and cold cut sandwiches (part of the reason I bulked up so nicely). I haven't actually had it for quite some time, but I can remember it being spicy, almost like horseradish, which I never really went for so much. However, if you want a little punch, try it out. It's quite low on the sodium scale. Gulden's is probably the most famous of this batch.

ENGLISH MUSTARD (42mg sodium)
My only memory of English mustard is the ridiculous spiciness of it. My family only ever seemed to have the powdered version, which I would try to mix with mayonnaise or simply with vinegar. It was always way too hot for my taste. But then again, that was when I was young. It's the lowest of the straight mustards. Why not give it a try. Maybe you'll find a use for it that is amazing.

WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD (55mg sodium)
In doing research, all I could find about whole grain mustard is that it is basically the same as regular (prepared) smooth mustard, only that the seeds haven't been ground. Because the seeds aren't crushed, the flavor isn't as powerful. However, it has a really nice texture and taste. It's a little harder to spread on things like meat or vegetables, because it's clumpy little bunches of seeds, but it makes great sauce and marinades. Maille makes a nice whole grain mustard, but the king of all mustards for me is Pommery. It comes in a big clay jar and literally, I could eat spoonfuls on food, it's so good. Try it to treat yourself.

Week 27

Last week: 94.9Kg   >>>>  Today: 95.0Kg.  (+0.1Kg)
Who would have thought half a year is only 26 weeks long? I just realized that.
Anyway, six months and one week over. And guess what? I gained 0.1kg. Why? I don't know. Here's how the week basically went down.

Half a year has passed...

Can it be that six months have already gone by? I started this on September 6th, 2011. Today, March 6th, 2012 marks half of year since I decided to change myself. I've had my great days and my extremely lazy days, but keeping my goal has always been on my mind.

I'll admittedly say that I only seriously did the diet for three months - September through November. December saw my "It's the holidays everyone" mode kick in. Then January and February had a lot of work-related parties and my birthday, etc. Basically, a big steaming plate of excuses. So it's time to kick things back into gear.

Here's a basic rundown of what has happened in the past year.

September 6, 2011
109.6kg

October 6, 2011
101.4kg

November 6, 2011
97.8kg

December 6, 2011
94.5kg

January 6, 2012
96.9kg

February 6, 2012
93.6kg

March 6, 2012
94.9kg

So you can see December was a lame month. I gained about two and a half kilos. Holy crap. Then I had some inspiration and got to the lowest I've been in probably 10 years. Then there was a meal my friend made that I couldn't turn down, and from there, February was a bust. Gained over a kilo. But, I'm back, and the half year mark is kind of motivation. It just shows that even if you fall off the wagon, you can get back on.

Where will I be six months from now? Hopefully in much smaller pants.

Simpler posts

In order to make this site easier and more enjoyable to read (and because I'm pretty lazy) I'm going to stop posting everything I eat. If you want to get an idea of what I've been eating, the previous posts pretty much sum it up.
I realized that almost everyday I was posting the same info about my meals. So, from now on I'll just be posting weight updates and the occasional story.

Another thing is that this winter has found me to be very lazy and unmotivated. I've been off and on the diet for a few months now. Luckily, I've hovered around the same weight, but I certainly haven't been losing. But my calendar is clear now and I have no excuses to not succeed again.

So here goes.

Success is it's own Motivator

Back on the diet for over a week now. Back strictly on the diet only two days really. But in those two days, what a difference. I've lost around 2kg. It's because I've been off for a while and my body is readjusting to the diet again, I'm sure. But still...

The main thing is I told myself "no more cheating". Recently I'd been getting home, munching some peanuts or on weekends eating things that are definitely not on the diet. It just doesn't work. Be focused, be strong. Also, drink tons of water. I'm drinking probably two liters of water a day now, and going to the restroom like crazy.

My motivation is back to stay on this diet. I can feel the willpower to not give up again. I'm about 8kg from the goal I received on the Dukan website, and about 15 from what I really want to be. We'll see how it goes. All I know is that right now I feel really good about it all.

Old-Man Winter is in my way.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell

I found the above quote, and wholeheartedly agree with it. Over the past winter it's come to my attention that it definitely is harder to diet when it's cold outside. The body craves food, comfort... just like old Edith said above.

I started this diet in September. September in Japan is still basically summer; it's still hot and humid.  It's easy to wake up, easy to get full, easy to go for a walk. Overall, dieting is easier in Summer.

During the winter, I want to eat warm and filling things, and I don't want to walk home in the icy cold wind. On top of all that, winter has the most holidays where it's good old fashioned comfort food is the focus. Let's say, if you're in the states, at least, starting in November, you have Thanksgiving day. Lots of good food. The wind has started to blow colder. Maybe you're even getting snow.
One month later, we have Christmas. Christmas isn't just a day of eating good food. For a lot of people the Christmas holiday starts much earlier, putting up decorations, making cookies, going out with friends. There is a lot of eating and relaxing going on.
A few days later, we have New Years. There isn't as much food, but the drink and free spirit flows easily and it is very hard to resist joining in the fun.

And even more so, in Winter we all wear heavy, baggy clothes. No need to worry about that little belly popping out. Just pop a sweater on top of it.

So, I'm going to tell everyone right now, if you want to start your diet in Winter, that's great. Try to follow it as closely as possible, but don't get discouraged if you find it difficult. It is not fun at all going for your 20 minute walk when it's cold. If you have a treadmill or indoor bike, use that. It's great.

Just remember, though, that in a few short weeks, Spring will come and bring nice weather. You'll actually want to get out of the house after the long winter. The tempting holidays will be behind us. The coming heat will reduce your appetite (a bit at least). The desire to show more skin in the sun will also motivate you to keep going. So don't give up, but don't worry too much either. Dieting isn't a quick fix. It takes time. The winter is the little speed bump. But we're almost past it now and you can put the pedal to the metal.

Week 21 - Still struggling

Weekly summary
Well, looks like I'm doing something wrong, because I'm up .1kg this week. I know it's because I've not been sticking to the diet strictly. I have to get my willpower back or else I'll be stuck around this weight for ages.

So today's results are as follows -

Keeping full

Getting back into this diet, the first few days I felt hungrier than usual. Again, that first day back on I think I was caught unprepared for the munchies. That’s why I ended up munching that piece of chicken after work. So, I’ve got some tips for fighting off the hunger pangs when they sneak up on you.

Water, coffee, whatever...

Liquids have to be one of the most effective hunger-fighting things I’ve found. I’ll be honest, I end up getting hungry again pretty quickly, and you’ll spend all day running back and forth to the restroom. When you’re craving something to fill your belly, though, and it’s just before or only a little while after you’ve eaten, it helps keep your in control.

Gum

One of the worst times for me is just after work. I have a twenty minute train ride, and then a thirty minute walk home. And I’ve usually eaten lunch over six or seven hours before. If I have some gum to chew, it can save me. For me, it has to be fruit gum though. I just don’t feel satisfied chewing mint gum (even though everyone around me is grateful). Try it out. Also, I don’t really care if gum is low sugar or not. It’s gum, for gods sake. You’re not going to eat a whole pack of it.  Are you?

Hard candy (or boiled sweets as the brits say)

I don’t usually munch on these, since they are basically just sugar. You might as well eat gummy candy if you’re going to eat it. But since you can suck on them for a while, at least you won't be putting something else in your mouth. 

Find out what works best for you and share if you have any other ideas. 

Week 20 - Getting my Groove Back (Kind of)

This week, I'm unfortunately dropping Sawa from the updates. She's pretty much stabilized around her perfect weight. She's up and down a kilo or two every once in a while, but she's done a great job of keeping where she is. So... it will just be my super exciting days I'm keeping track of here.
Also, since I actually started this diet on a Tuesday, I'm going to start the week from then.


WEEKLY SUMMARY
Total weight loss - 0.0Kg

Pretty lousy first week. Weight was up and down with the way I've been eating. I'm not so much sticking to the diet as kind of using it as an idea. WHICH DOESN'T WORK, PEOPLE! I've got to get my mind set to the way it was when I first started this whole thing.
Also, did pretty poorly with the walking this week. It's mainly because it's so freezing cold here. It actually snowed last night. Going for a walk in drizzly cold rain is not fun.
So next week, I have to stick to it harder (say no to friends more), walk more and not be so weak of will.


The breakdown is below.

What are these foods we're eating? Part 3 -Tofu Burger edition!

There aren't too many new things I've been eating, so I thought I'd talk about my favorite quick breakfast item, the amazing and delicious...

TOFU BURGER

This is the awesome tofu burger I usually eat every morning. They don't look like much, and to be honest, they're probably a bit saltier than I should be having, but for ease and considering how much salt is in some other foods, these are pretty good.


I buy them from a little tofu shop down the street. It's run by a really nice old man and woman, who have come to recognize my wife and I since we buy so many tofu burgers. We usually order ten, and they're frozen little patties. As far as I know, they're mainly tofu and ground chicken with some onions and spices.

At home in the morning I pop them into this roasting thing and grill them for about 15 minutes, until they're just getting brown. Then I let them cool a bit, usually while I'm drinking my coffee or getting dressed for work. Then I wrap them up and usually eat them after I get to the office. This way I feel full longer. And they're pretty satisfying.

I'm sorry for tempting anyone out there who can't get these. I'm just talking about them mainly as a way to show how something you like can be turned into a regular and extremely quick and easy meal. Since I can eat these things everyday, and I don't need a plate or fork to eat these with, they're one of my favorite breakfasts.

Let me know if you guys out there have any favorite easy-to-prepare things.

Get back on track, lazy bugger.

It's been ages since the last post.  I think the last post was on November 14th, actually. Over two months ago. I've become a lazy mo-fo.December came, and with it, an onset of doing whatever I wanted to do. I made a massive Christmas dinner for everyone and ate Turkey for about four days (with gravy and stuffing of course). Then the New Year came around and we ate tons of great food. Luckily I didn't drink so much beer.

But on the bright side, Sawa and I have managed to keep our weight pretty much under control. Just not losing much at the moment. One thing I noticed about writing is that keeps you focused and helps you see what you've been doing. So, it's back to being Mr. Strict. I'm going to start doing the weekly post again, because upon going back and reading through the posts, the weekly ones seemed easier to look through.

So, good luck to me (from me). Enough playing around. Time to get back into the 80's...