Weight-Loss, Joe Cooks, Wheat and Garlic....

Ok!  I lost 6 pounds last week and the craving for bread and pasta (and cake and donuts and....) !  I have managed to keep it off this week and am continuing with the "transform" phase--meaning 2 shakes a day and a low glycemic dinner.  10 pounds to go!

I just have to add this--last night when Joe came home I was painting the office... and he made this incredible dinner of salad and fish.  It was incredibly good and just goes to show you--you can teach an old dog new tricks!  (Joe was eating TV dinners when I first met him!) 

I find that if I keep my diet low in wheat products, I feel better and weigh less... hmmmm...I wonder if I could be wheat sensitive?  I don't like that idea at all--as I love to bake bread--but the truth is... I feel somewhat bloated when I eat wheat these days.... I will have to do some more research on this... anyone have any thoughts???

And finally, as Joe and I have this ongoing discussion of the benefits, or not, of garlic.... here is the latest stuff I have read about it... (Joe, this is for you!)

• Allicin, the phytonutrient responsible for garlic’s strong odor, is a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent. To get the best cancer-protective benefits from garlic, wait at least five minutes after chopping or crushing before eating, cooking or adding acidic foods to it. That will help stimulate the enzymatic process that converts garlic’s alliin (a sulfoxide) into allicin (a thiosulfinate).
• Researchers are beginning to view obesity as a chronic state of low-grade inflammation. Early research indicates that consuming garlic, which has anti-inflammatory properties, may help regulate the number of fat cells formed in the body.  Several nutrients in garlic help protect the heart. Its polysulfides are used by red blood cells to produce hydrogen sulfide gas, which can help blood vessels expand, keeping blood pressure in check.  Garlic’s sulfur-containing compounds also support the liver by bolstering its detoxification enzymes.
• Several nutrients in garlic help protect the heart. Its polysulfides are used by red blood cells to produce hydrogen sulfide gas, which can help blood vessels expand, keeping blood pressure in check.
• Garlic’s sulfur-containing compounds also support the liver by bolstering its detoxification enzymes.

So I think I will continue to start every dinner with several cloves of garlic, skip the wheat , mostly anyway, and be busy when Joe comes home to encourage him to cook more often!!!