Ep 8. Food control and do you JERF?

Sam (: 00:16

Hey guys, it's Sam and I'm back with episode eight of Not Pasta Again. And I actually can't believe that we're at episode eight already. I did step right out of my comfort zone when I decided to do this podcast. So the fact that I am getting such amazing feedback from you all and that what I'm doing seems to be relatable to so many of you is just amazing. So please do keep me accountable on this. Drop me messages to make sure that I do continue to cover off things that are relevant to you. So just a little reminder of how you can get in touch. The best and easiest way is probably to email me on notpastaagain@hotmail.com. But don't forget, I'm also on Instagram and I've got an amazing Facebook group.

The handles for these two are in my show notes. The Facebook group, even though it's called Let's Thermomix, is amazing. It is a group of very, very lovely and lively people sharing recipes, ideas, asking questions of each other. And even though it is called Let's Thermomix, you really don't need to own one to enjoy the support that comes in the group.

So here's to more episodes and that you continue to enjoy listening to it because I have to say that I'm absolutely loving doing it too. So I wonder, we're now back into the swing of things, we're into January and I wonder how the last few weeks have been for you. I really hope that getting back into the swing of normality hasn't been too difficult and really not a massive shock to the system. I know when I worked full time,

I always, always struggled with this time of year. I absolutely loved the Christmas and New Year break. And even though everyone told me that the days were getting longer, it just felt like January and February lasted forever. Anyway, I really hope you're easing your way back into life, that you're being kind to yourself. And remember, we are not aiming for perfection. And I've been dying to ask this question. Have you taken my quiz? What did you think?

Was it a true reflection of who you are in the kitchen? Like I said in the last episode, I developed it just as a little bit of fun. I hoped that it would help people have a little bit of insight into who they are when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. If you're not actually sure what I'm referring to at this point, go back to episode seven where I introduced you to my quiz and it was just a little bit of fun, a lighthearted way to help people understand their style in the kitchen. So go back.

have a listen to the episode and maybe even take the quiz yourself. You'll find the link in the show notes. And like I said, whilst I think it's quite accurate, it is just a bit of fun. Okay, episode eight, here we are. What are we gonna talk about today? Well, I'm gonna tackle something that is really, really close to my heart. And that is all about having control in the kitchen. You will have heard me reference in earlier episodes that this is something that I am.

I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to the kitchen and the food that I will eat. I absolutely have no shame in admitting this, but don't get me wrong, it hasn't always been easy to say that I am a control freak in this way. I just think that the word control doesn't have great connotations. It's really quite loaded. And I would say that most people veer away from it and would prefer not to admit that it is something that they are.

Actually though, I think control isn't a bad thing. Personally for me, I have found that by having control, or maybe I should phrase that as saying I have taken control of what I eat, this actually gives me freedom in so many ways. Before I expand on that a little bit more, just a little bit of a heads up of what else I'll be touching on today. I think control in the kitchen can come in many different forms. It can, of course, be a necessity.

thinking allergies and intolerances in particular. For other people, it's a lifestyle choice. So such things as veganism, vegetarianism, or maybe even for religious beliefs. Control can also cover that real need to know everything about what is being eaten, or it could be due to a specific diet that someone chooses to follow. For example, keto, low carb, weight watchers, those sorts of things.

And then there's that really hot topic of ultra processed foods and the desire by many to avoid them as much as possible.

Generally though, I think people are becoming a lot more mindful about the food that they want to eat and put into their body. I think it's just another way, perhaps a softer way of saying that people are getting more in control of what they're eating. I'd be really interested to know if this is something you are more mindful of. Have you noticed the conversation about ultra processed foods? Have you made changes? Drop me a message, let me know.

On a slightly different level, being in control of my kitchen also extends to planning what we're going to eat. See, I've done it again. Just brought us back to a fundamental that I believe in. By planning your meals for the week, you are far more likely to eat in a way that you want to and not feel out of control by, for example, buying a pre-made version of something you know

you probably could have made yourself if you'd had some time and put it aside. The most recent example that I think I can tell you about from my perspective in this is when I bought some pinwheels from my local very good butcher. I was in there, I was getting some chicken, I think it was for a curry, I was tired and I spotted them. And you know what, I was like, they'll be okay, I'll get those for dinner, I'll make some chopped salad, that would be great. Now, don't get me wrong, they were good.

The boys absolutely loved them and wolfed them down. However, I couldn't finish mine because there was a sweetness to them that I just couldn't get out of my head. What that said to me was that there was sugar, added sugar into the pinwheel. This then got me thinking about the probable preservatives that were used, which meant they weren't clean. And I am all about clean eating. So in my head, I started to feel guilty. I just felt bad. And ultimately I felt out of control.

In my head, I'd chosen an easy way out and I felt so bad for it that I just couldn't eat my dinner. Now you might think that that is a little bit extreme, but I have to say I felt so much better when I went back to the butcher a couple of days later and I chose to buy some lamb mince and I made myself a pie, which actually didn't take too much time.

I felt so much better about the fact that I had bought everything and that it was all going to be made from scratch with clean ingredients that I was aware of. So I knew that everything in it was what I wanted it to be. I wonder if this actually relates. I wonder if you have conversations with yourself in your head about the choices that you're making. I know for me that in order to avoid them, I have to plan and I have to cook from scratch. I need to feel like I'm in that control.

So I don't actually get caught out that often like this anymore because I've actually learned that I don't like how it makes me feel. I would rather feel good about making things from scratch than have that feeling of guilt when I don't. So like I said, I plan, I'm a planner. It just helps my head not spiral out of control into that feeling of guilt.

Don't get me wrong, I am not perfect. And I have learned to let go a little bit when it comes to the occasional shortcut or meal that isn't homemade. And honestly, I've learned that flexibility can also be freeing too. So there's one meal a week when I give myself permission to give the boys something like egg and chips. They love it. I need it. It's a night off. I'm hoping I'm not alone. Maybe I am.

But maybe you could let me know if you have these sorts of feelings as well. Do you feel that guilt when you don't make things in the way that you wish you had? But here's the thing, whilst planning and control can be empowering, it's not about being rigid or perfect all the time. Sometimes life happens and you just have to roll with it, whether that means grabbing a quick meal or giving yourself a break from cooking altogether.

It's okay to do that and I have learned that this is okay. Right, let's dig a little bit deeper into some of those other factors around control in the kitchen. And I'm going to start with allergies and intolerances.

So I wonder if you've ever had to adjust your cooking for someone who has an allergy or an intolerance.

it. Interestingly, in May of: 2024

It found that over 30 % of adults actually reported some kind of adverse reaction when eating certain foods. That means they experienced illness or discomfort after eating a particular food. After further clinical assessment, it was actually found that around 6 % of the population of the UK, roughly 2.4 million adults, are estimated to have a clinically confirmed food allergy.

I think that's a lot of adults. And in these circumstances, like I've said, precise cooking is imperative, it's crucial. But again, I would say that that's not always easy to achieve. It takes time, it takes effort to make sure that every ingredient used and every step in the recipe actually aligns with the dietary needs that you're cooking for.

And let's face it, buying ingredients that actually cater to specific intolerances like gluten-free can actually be expensive as well. Couple that with perhaps not being confident in the kitchen, perhaps not being that savvy in the kitchen and knowing how to adapt recipes can lead to a restricted meal repertoire. Personally, I can relate to this.

Before I had my Thermomix, I did struggle to find ways to easily adapt recipes for the ingredients that I know my body doesn't like. In fact, if I'm honest, there was no adapting going on at all. I just chose to cook the few things that I knew how to cook that I knew my body could tolerate and I would avoid anything too tricky. However, now, now that I've got my Thermomix, I'm able to easily adapt any recipe to suit the needs that I have.

It has honestly been a game changer. It allows me to make everything from scratch with the ingredients I want to use. So for example, when I talk to people I meet or when I'm doing demonstrations, I will always reference that I can now make my own mayonnaise and curry pastes, things that I had started to have to stop eating because I'm able to use oils that my body can tolerate. So I can use avocado or light olive oil, for example. So for me, it's a win-win.

I get the control I need over ingredients and I've got a huge variety of different foods that I can now eat without negatively impacting on my health.

So if you're like me and you've got a few dietary restrictions that you need to cater for, maybe consider tools or methods that will give you more control over what you're cooking because that's ultimately gonna give you control over your health. Like I've said, for me, I got a Thermomix.

It's allowed me to expand my meal repertoire. can avoid problem ingredients and I absolutely love cooking and food again.

So another factor that comes under control are lifestyle choices that we can make with regards to how we eat. Some of us might choose a diet that actually aligns with some of our personal values or our health needs or maybe lifestyle preferences. So in this area, I'm thinking of things like keto, vegetarianism, vegan, that sort of thing. Here, I would say that the control is really thoughtful and very intentional in its nature.

It's definitely still control, but it doesn't have that restrictive feeling to it. It feels empowering. You're making decisions based on what you want to do and how you feel.

So when I think about myself in this area, for a very long time, almost 10 years, I'd say, I followed a low carb diet. I felt brilliant doing it. My body, my mind, it functioned really well on it. However, I suddenly started to realize probably when perimenopause hit,

and about 10 years of eating this way, that my body didn't feel nourished anymore. I felt tired, I felt heavy, and there was this recognition that I probably needed to make a change. However, as somebody who loves control, this felt pretty scary because I didn't know where to start. So what I needed to do was do something that gave me fact. And I chose therefore to do the Zoe Project because without any fact, I wasn't gonna make any changes.

So you can't take that researcher out of me. Anyway, with the feedback that I did receive from the Zoey project, I have now adjusted my diet and I now eat some carbohydrate. Don't get me wrong, I don't eat a lot of it, but I am absolutely loving incorporating more pulses, for example, into my diet. And you know what? I will eat a biscuit that I've made for the boys because it's that flexibility and knowing that I don't feel too bad on it.

So I have a little bit more freedom in the way I eat and I can honestly say I feel better for it, body and mind.

I'm not gonna lie, it was hard at first. I'd eaten a low carb diet for so long, it felt difficult or I felt I might lose face if I was then going to be telling everyone that I was eating carbohydrate after telling everyone that maybe they shouldn't for so long. However, I made a change that was right for me, for my body and my mind.

And that's the power of choosing to eat in a way that aligns with your values and health needs. It was empowering. It was self-control. And I think it was about being strong enough to do what felt right for my body. And I feel proud that I actually did it and I was strong enough to admit that I do eat carbohydrate after for so long saying people shouldn't. Finally, on lifestyle choices, I'm definitely, definitely not an active vegan or vegetarian.

But over the past year, I again consciously reduced the amount of meat I was eating as I felt better for not eating it. It wasn't about giving up something I enjoyed. It was about intentionally making choices that again felt better for me, my body and my lifestyle. So I would say that was all about balance and being in control of what I was eating in a way that felt right for me.

things. And interestingly, in: 2024

that I've, when I've got full control over what I'm cooking. So finally today, I'm going to talk about that hot topic, ultra processed food. think this is a massive one and I'm never going to do it justice in a 20 minute podcast episode, but safe to say, I think it links to food control really nicely. Okay. So since I can remember, I've tried to follow a really simple philosophy. I like to jerk.

and you're probably sitting there going, what on earth is jerfing? Well, I can promise you it's not some new take on an old favourite of, you know, the surf and turf that the Aussies like to eat. So I'll try and explain to you what I am on about. So, jerfing is an acronym. It's really simple. It's a really simple process to allow somebody to eat in a healthy way. It stands for just eat real food. Simple, right?

my best friend, Vicky in Australia, who happens to be a dietician as well, came up with the phrase probably about a, I don't know, a decade ago. And for me, it was a game changer, a very simple philosophy of how I would pick what I was going to eat. Basically, you go into a shop, you might pick up something, it's got a label on it. If there is something on that label that you can't pronounce, that you can't read, that you just don't recognize, then Vicky and I would say to you,

don't eat it, it's probably not real, it's probably ultra processed. And that is absolutely how I've eaten and will continue to eat because it means that I'm eating very clean food. So what I end up trying to do is just buying everything in a raw format, something that hasn't been altered or definitely hasn't had something added to it.

So I wouldn't say that jerfing is the same as avoiding ultra-processed foods, but I think it sits really nicely alongside it. So just if you're not aware, ultra-processed foods are foods that have been significantly altered from their original form through the use of industrial processing methods. They will typically contain ingredients that you just wouldn't find in your own kitchen. I'm talking artificial preservatives, flavourings, colourings, emulsifiers, and sweeteners.

probably things that your body doesn't know what to do with. Again, another reason to not eat them.

So ultra processed foods are getting a huge amount of attention at the moment. And it wouldn't surprise me if you are aware of this. You know, it's in the press, it's on television, books have been written about it as well, because they do have a negative impact on our health. And that negative impact can be in relation to our gut, to our brain, and they are very, very addictive as well. So like I said, definitely not good for us. And they do represent something that isn't what I am about. And that is...

not controlling what you're eating. So there you go. I am a jerfer. I just eat real food and I love it. And I wonder if you would like to jerk with me, let me know. So I guess you could say I'm lucky because I have my thermomix. I keep referencing it. I keep saying how it has made my life easier in this area. But I would argue that actually I consciously chose to take control of the food I eat by investing in it.

It is my primary reason for getting the Thermomix. I will tell people that I got it to be in control of the food that I eat. So for me, the cost of the Thermomix has been worth it on so many levels. I guess mainly though, it is that control that I love the most. I pretty much eat everything from scratch and that could be from the almond milk that's in my fridge through to the mayonnaise that I will eat with a burger. So our household, the diet is 99 % clean.

It is nowhere near being ultra processed. And again, this belief in that, you know, real homemade food goes even further. think it was last summer, I got myself an allotment and that was all about the next step, being able to grow my own produce. And I think I have to give my dad a lot of credit at this point. He is the one that drives what we do there. And I just go along as and when I can.

but it is amazing to be able to grow my own food, harvest my own tomatoes, see everything come to life, and then actually see it on the plate. It tastes really good, and it hasn't got any pesticides in it either. So that control, that beautiful thing of eating amazing tasting food that is natural, is really extended into that area as well.

if I'm completely honest, the other thing I love about my allotment is I actually do get to spend some really good quality time with my dad. It's brilliant. So there are probably other positive expressions of food control that I might not have touched on today. And if you think I've actually missed anything, something that maybe you do, then please do let me know again.

and I can hopefully look to cover it in a future episode. So I guess in conclusion, having control in the kitchen works for me 100%. But what I've also learned is that over time, it's about finding the right balance. You know, there have been moments where I've definitely been too rigid. And if I'm honest, it can take the joy out of cooking and eating if I am too rigid. For example, when I couldn't finish those lamb pinwheels,

It wasn't just about the sweetness or preservatives. It was also about the pressure I'd put on myself to always stick to what I consider clean eating. And I guess you could argue that that's not always helpful. I've come to realize that control doesn't mean perfection. It's more about having a thoughtful approach that works for your life. And for me, it's about planning ahead so I can feel good about what I'm eating without driving myself mad over every little thing.

And yes, that means I also need to give myself permission to take shortcuts sometimes, like those egg and chip nights that I've told you about that I do with the boys. I think the key is knowing what feels right for you, because food is so much more than just fuel. It's about enjoyment, connection, and maybe even a little bit of flexibility. I'd also say, don't fear control.

Remember, it's actually really liberating and can be really, really empowering knowing that you are making choices that actually benefit you. So until next time, I hope you take control of something you want to in your kitchen that really helps you flourish rather than flounder with food.

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