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Now before you guys accuse me of whining or being a pleb, hear me out. I am super prone to ear infections - always have been - and the result is that this has wiped out my taste buds and I only like food if it is really hitting me over the head with flavor (yes this actually happens). Because of this, the more healthy something is the more likely I am to dislike the taste and not enjoy eating.
Because I don't want to die when I'm 40, how can I fix this?
Fruit.
Happy to Help
Spices, condiments, peanut butter, mix it with awesome food, chop it up to the point of not noticing it.
Some fruit is okay I guess, most of it is bland and boring thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by Parker
I don't like condiments. I love peanut butter but isn't that stuff bad for you in high doses? (aka the only doses of peanut butter I eat) If it's actually good for you then this is the best day of my life.Quote:
Originally Posted by Faris
I've seen ads where people put PB on celery sticks but it doesn't turn my crank. Dip celery in steak juice, it makes it sooo much better.
Okay that actually sounds amazing
Yeah the only way I can eat apples and things is with COPIOUS amounts of peanut butter
Healthy food doesn't have to be bland, boring or tasteless. I too suffered trout loads of problems with my hearing as a child and likewise, my sense of taste is diminished as a result. Yet whilst I possibly could stand to lose a few pounds I am neither fat nor at risk of being obese at any time soon.
Finding a way to make food excite your taste buds is easily done, learning to use herbs or spice well is a good idea. learn how to prepare foods in different styles, whilst a baked chicken breast on it's own might be tasteless to you, you can always give it a coating of herbs or prepare a sauce to go with it. Stuff like salsa dipping sauce whilst primarily sold for dipping tortilla's in to is great served over chicken breasts with rice and veg. Or as a spicy compliment to fish.
Personally I found as well that eating very plain food for a week or two and then slowly introducing flavours such as steamed veg works wonders since they'll be sweet and flavoursome to your deprived tastebuds.
I suffocate it with spices. Crushed red pepper, salt (sparingly, and ONLY when you cook it), black pepper, garlic, chili powder, cinnamon...whatever floats my boat and goes with the dish.
Like that.
What do you typically eat? Sometimes you have to force yourself to eat "bland" food for a couple of weeks and wait for your palate to adjust (although this may not be possible in your case, I don't know) to the natural flavours and textures of foods that aren't saturated in sugar/salt/oil/other addictive substances.
It's all about the spices like mentioned above. Roast 'em, toss 'em in a frying pan, grill 'em, whatever works. Add them to things you already know you like after the preparation phase and you'll find yourself ingesting less meat/carbs gradually. Always get fresh vegetables and fruits but don't over pay. Hit up a farmer's market at any given opportunity and get a week's worth of food for thirty bucks.
Get some tasty healthy snacks too! Clif bars, hummus, dried fruit, snap peas, mandarin oranges, and baby carrots are just dandy.
Pizza... burgers... soup sometimes? That's about it :shifty:Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
Get a pizza shell and top with your sauce of choice, sliced cucumber, mushroom, squash, and some diced red peppers. Add a little parmesan to each slice and enjoy!
I've never actually heard of cucumbers and squash on pizza. Interesting. I usually just go for pepperoni.
My second question, which you've kind of answered already, is what do you like to eat? With a couple of substitutions, I'm pretty sure we could make suggestions on how to eat the kinds of things you like to eat, but more healthily.
I'm going for a walk, but when I get back let's talk foodz
PS - Eric why do you live so far away? We should film a cooking show for Pike~~
I'll be in bed by the time you get back :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
As for what I like to eat - I love Chinese food, Italian, seafood, sandwiches, NUTS! I love nuts. Peanut butter, ice cream... :drool: I keep trying to get into yogurt but I don't like the tang. I also don't like very many things that are particularly vinegary.
I'd say less than two hours is "reasonably close"! There's literally only three inches of space between the oven door being completely ajar and the kitchen wall so we might have to get creative.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
Fried rice is very simple to whip up. Toss in whatever and experiment with your taste buds! Heat some vegetables on the stove with some sea salt, black pepper, a bit of garlic and a splash of white wine. Add noodles and sauce and there's a satisfyingly light and filling meal. Seafood is great! Get it fresh and try and avoid flash-frozen if you can. Tuna is quick and easy protein so learn to love it! And also yogurt is extremely versatile. Add some cereal, granola, chopped fruit, whatever floats your boat. Part of a well-balanced breakfast!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
Two questions rolled into one: how does meat and salad dressings taste to you? Because the former is great for you, and the latter can be if you're getting a decent quality Caesar or something.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
Also, Parmesan cheese. Add it to everything, always. The real stuff though. If it's coming in a bag or in a can or some trout then ditch it. The real stuff is so much better in every way.
Also, what Calliope said about the palette needing time to adjust sometimes if you've been eating stuff slathered in salt and sugar is true, so giving it some time to get used to a change in diet might help a bit.
Most meat I like. Salad dressing I'm iffy on and I only really like it in small amounts if at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Okay the fried rice thing is sounding really good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jowy
Then the solution seems pretty obvious to me. Eat more meat with your food.Quote:
Originally Posted by PikeMost meat I like. Salad dressing I'm iffy on and I only really like it in small amounts if at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Copious amounts of sauces that are bad for you of course.
Attachment 43298
This is great on everything!!
1) How many times have you tried various healthy foods?
2) What kinds did you try?
3) How were they prepared?
4) What did you dislike about them? Did they taste bad to you or did you think they just tasted bland?
5) Which healthy food items are the ones that actually give your problems?
6) How much water do you drink in a day?
7) How much caffiene/alcohol/sugary drinks do you drink in a day?
8) Do you take any vitamins or digestive aids?
9) What do you normally put on your sandwiches?
10) Is this more of an "I don't like the taste of healthy food" thing, or a "I dislike cooking and spending a lot of money on food" thing?
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A lot, I keep trying to get into it and then I keep failing :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
A lot of different things people have recommended to me. Also lots of things that others have prepared for me. There's really too many to remember details right now, this has been an ongoing problem for years. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
Every way under the sun! Fresh, cooked, baked...Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
There are a few things which I actively dislike the taste of (such as carrots) but most things I just think taste terribly bland and it's a chore to eat them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
Most vegetables I won't eat unless it's mixed right the heck up with tons of cheese and chicken or something. I don't eat much fruit, either, unless it's slathered in chocolate or peanut butter. It all just tastes so boring to me :( Also I skip stuff like brown rice or wheat bread and go straight for the white stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
A lot, I love water and I'm pretty much constantly drinking it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
One or two sodas a day, I've usually been going for the Diet stuff lately. I don't drink alcohol very much, once a month maybe?Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
Yup I take a multivitamin and sometimes I take probiotics.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
Lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, cheese, and some sort of lean meat. Alternatively, peanut butter and nutella.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
It's kind of both but honestly I'd be more inclined to cook if I enjoyed the taste of what I was making.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
That was a fun survey! xD
It's harder to give specific advice without more specifics.
Could you give a list of healthy foods you don't like, versus ones you do?
Generally, I will say that research has shown that you need to eat something several times again and again in order to develop a taste for it. For children it's about 10 times. Not sure what the rate is for adults, but probably more than that. So you have to consistently keep eating something. Also, your brain actually rewires itself with every positive/negative exposure to foods, so that you really can learn to like certain things if you keep at it.
Second, I'd love to get a better sense of how exactly these healthy items were presented to you.
For instance, have you tried broccoli, roasted at a very high temperature until crispy or caramelized, drizzled with olive oil, and some lemon juice (plus salt and pepper of course). This is super delicious and super easy. Like, a child could do this.
You can of course dress up veggies with sauces and fats and cheese and whatnot. But simple preparations can help you to really learn and love the natural flavors of veggies. Roasting is a GREAT way to eat veggies because it brings out the natural sugars and also gives it a great texture. You say you hate carrots. I've hated carrots for the longest time. But I've never had them roasted. Roasted carrots are incredibly sweet.
What other veggies do you have problems with?
For cauliflower, you can chop it up, and simmer with about a half cup of chicken broth. Then add a dab of butter and salt/pepper. Blend it in a food processor and you've got something that rivals mashed potatoes.
Mushrooms. Slice them up and sautee them in some butter or olive oil. Toss in some garlic, or shallots. Finish with thyme.
Green beans. Very quickly blanch them in boiling water that has a ton of salt in it for about 2 minutes. Plunge the beans into an ice bath to stop the cooking. If you have fresh green beans, these should be ready to go with just a sprinkling of pepper. It should taste sweet and crispy. You can add in a touch of sherry vinegar and olive oil to enhance the flavors.
Kale. Sautee in some olive oil. Toss in some chili flakes for heat. Top with some lemon juice. Or soy sauce to make it asian-y. You can also bake them and get kale chips. You can also eat it raw in a kale salad.
Veggies are very easy to prepare. The biggest thing is to get fresh vegetables. If you want to keep things healthy, utilize flavor enhancers like garlic or shallots. I LOVE shallots so much. Also, always make sure to season with salt and pepper. Always. Lemon peel shavings always add a great bright acidity to green veggies.
There's so many possibilities. I'd love to know if you've ever had veggies prepared in any of the ways I mentioned and how you liked them.
As for fruits, which fruits taste boring to you? Strawberries? Pineapple? Peaches? These all have incredibly strong flavors. When you eat them, do they taste bland to you?
Nicky is right that if you change the way you eat, you'll also change the way you percieve tastes. I cut back on nearly all sugars, including fruits for the past 3 weeks. And when I have a single strawberry, the flavor is INTENSE. That's absolutely bursting. Try cutting down completely on processed foods, refined sugars, etc. And then try eating a carrot. It'll taste like candy.
Also, eating a lot of fats is NOT bad for you, unless you're eating them in conjunction with carbs and sugars. You can google it, but there's been a lot of research that shows that high fat, low carb diets are actually excellent for you health wise. I've lost 7 pounds by changing my calorie intake so that 65% of my calories come from healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, butter.
So you CAN eat broccoli smothered completely in cheese, and it will still be fine. As long as you don't also eat a slice of pizza or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A piece of steak with a side of cheese and bacon covered cauliflower is perfectly healthy meal. Very little carbs, very little sugars.
Can't agree more with this. Something to also keep in mind, if you're a fan of butter, you can smother your veggies in the stuff and it's great and great for you. And for god's sake make sure it's butter and not margarine or some crap like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
My stomach likes the way you think Miriel.
You can argue that butter is much better for you than margarine, but smothering anything in butter is not good for you - everything in moderation. Having said that, I agree with Miriel's point about fats not being inherently bad for you - I eat a lot of olives, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, nut butters and avocado, myself.
It sounds like you've been masking your vegetables completely, so I'd be interested to see if you've tried anything like Miriel has suggested above and how you may have enjoyed some simply prepared veges that allow their natural flavours to come through. Unfortunately, you do need to stick with it to get used to it.
The one thing I would advise without having more information is to do away with the sodas - If you can, I'd replace them with iced tea, coffee, or fresh fruit or vegetable juice, or if you have a jug of water in the fridge you can put some fresh fruit slices or sprigs of mint or something in there to flavour it. If you must drink soda, go for the full-sugar variety over anything with artificial sweeteners.
I think my personal sweetener hierarchy goes artificial sweeteners < white sugar < brown sugar < raw sugar < honey < maple syrup < agave nectar, but that's just me, and I have pretty bad reactions to highly sugary items (headaches, mood crashes, etc.). Sugar-free red bull remains my weakness, though, but I try not to drink the stuff very often, I swear I can feel it eroding my stomach even as it fortifies my spirit :roll2
I guess my last question is how you would define your wants/goals in this exercise - to have more energy, to decrease your cholesterol, regulate your moods, control your insulin, have more luck in concentrating and to sleep better? To be able to eat out with friends, cook for your family, have more variety in the foods you eat? I would also say that a plateful of cheese, meat and a white starchy vegetable constitutes a healthy meal depending on what else you have had to eat that day. Don't confuse weight loss and eating only the "right" foods with being healthy - they can indicate good and bad health both.
Healthy and tasty: There are brands of Hummus that tastes amazing and I really like a lot of the flavors by Sabra.
Anyway I generally agree with what some people said in here...it's not what you're eating, it's how much of you it and in conjunction with what it's topped with. I don't think it's okay to have too much condiments (especially salt) in your diet and especially not when you don't have enough water. I KNOW YOU DRINK MOSTLY MOUNTAIN DEW. Simply cut that trout out and you'll probably live to like 70 or something.
I guess you should also bear in mind that if you choose to experiment with this stuff, you don't have to make all of these changes at once! You can do this stuff gradually if it makes it seem like less of a chore or an overwhelming thing we are all expecting you to do (we're only here to attempt to make helpful suggestions).
Kinda going off topic a bit but...Quote:
You can argue that butter is much better for you than margarine, but smothering anything in butter is not good for you - everything in moderation.
Butter actually is good for you. Particularly butter from grass fed cows.
Butter contains short and medium fat chains which are metabolized differently from other fats. Instead of being stored in the body like fats from carbohydrates, the butyric acid (which is what butter is named after) is burned by the body for quick energy instead.
Butter is rich with vitamins, can help promote colon health and stave off cancer. Plus a bunch of other positive benefits.
Fat is the body's preferred form of fuel. Secondary is glucose. When you consume carbs, it raises your insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that causes you to store fat and burn glucose instead. If you are consuming BOTH fats and carbohydrates, then yes, putting fats on everything is not going to be good for you. But if you are limiting your carbohydrates and getting most of your daily allotment of calories from fats instead, then there's no reason to think that butter is going to be bad for you.
The thing is, most people tend to consume a LOT of carbs throughout the day, leading to fat storage.
I don't think any of this is really off topic in a discussion of healthy eating. In fact, if you hadn't said this, I probably would have because it's pretty damn important. Seriously, the time's I've been at my leanest are when my diet was pretty much swimming in meat and fat with some fruits and vegetables. Hell, I even experimented with going below 20g of carbs a day so I was getting the vast majority of my food energy from protein and fat, and while I probably wouldn't have been running any marathons, I was otherwise perfectly fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
I've sort of given up trying to really sort out what is healthy and what's not, because anytime I ever mention something I'm eating that I think is healthy at least one person shows up and tells me it's not, so at this point I think I just need to eat a buttload of vegetables. Those are always healthy, right?
What are some easy ways to spice up vegetables?
(Other than carrots. I hate carrots. I have ALWAYS hated carrots. :irked: )
Pike, healthy eating is this simple: meat, vegetables, and butter. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. Enjoy.
Also, smurf your name change. :colbert:
I AM INNOCENT AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY NAME CHANGE
Okay, what are some great vegetable dishes?
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Originally Posted by Shoeberto
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Originally Posted by Shoeberto
I'm gonna need more than one reaction image for this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shoeberto
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I posted like, a TON of ways to eat veggies in my post! Way to ignore. :colbert:Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm My Own MILF
hummus does taste amazing. chickpeas are basically flavorless so it tastes like whatever you want it to. for me, this is garlic.Quote:
Originally Posted by PikeQuote:
Originally Posted by Shoeberto
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Originally Posted by Shoeberto
[insert a bunch of dumb pictures]Quote:
Originally Posted by Shoeberto
hummus is pretty fatty though, so moderation. but yum omg i want now
OH SO YOU DID!Quote:
Originally Posted by MirielI posted like, a TON of ways to eat veggies in my post! Way to ignore. :colbert:Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm My Own MILF
Disregard me, I'm dumb.
What the hell, hummus is amazing.
If you hate it, you aren't eating it correctly, NERDFACE
off topic: switch all eoff couples' accounts, confuse the hell out of EVERYONE
Don't be mean Rantz, just because I don't like hummus doesn't make me a nerdface. It just means I don't like eating reprocessed vomit!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shorty
You're not the dog I once knew you as, MILF. :cry:
I don't think I have ever tried Hummus before in my life.
I like a lot of flavor in my food too, but there are a lot of options for flavorful healthy food!
Allow me to share with you a breakfast I invented myself, which I have named Apple Mess:
1) chop an apple into bite-sized pieces
2) mix it in a bowl with a spoon of peanut butter
3) drizzle with honey
4) dump on a bunch of granola
5) sprinkle with chia seeds
Another favorite:
1) toast a whole wheat English muffin (I don't know what you people call these things)
2) spread on goat cheese
3) sprinkle with bits of walnuts
4) add some bits of basil leaves
5) sprinkle with honey
I also really like jar breakfasts, which are basically uncooked oatmeal, fruit (I use frozen), yoghurt, and chia seeds dumped in a jar. Leave it in in the fridge over night and the oatmeal softens while the fruit defrosts. Before I head out I toss in a bunch of granola 'cause I love granola. :}
Hummus can be awesome or not awesome. Depends on the brand and flavor and stuff, so if you try it and don't like it don't give up immediately.
Do you like Indian food or does it give you the poops? I love putting masala on stuff.
:stare:Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm My Own MILF
Try it. Now.
I have never had Indian food before. The only kind of Indians we have here are the Native American kind so it's not like I ever get the chance to have actual Indian food.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shlup
If you like meatballs, there is a healthier alternative:
for the proportions:
1lb ground lean turkey
1tbl salt
1/2tbl pepper
1.5tbl of soy sauce
1/3 cup for parm. cheese
1/3 bread crumbs
parsley, oregano, tyme, onion powder & garlic powder to taste
you can add an egg to help hold it together or take out the yolk and after forming meatball brush some eggwhite on it.
Typically bakes 30-45mins at 350.
A nice spin is to put some mozzarella cheese in the middle of it.
How did you end up with all the Native Americans and me with all the Indians? Try Indian food. Stay near a toilet after just in case.Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm My Own MILFI have never had Indian food before. The only kind of Indians we have here are the Native American kind so it's not like I ever get the chance to have actual Indian food.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shlup
A ringing endorsement if ever I heard one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Miriel
Is there a trader joes anywhere near you? They actually have pretty good frozen Indian entrees as well as various curries. You could buy a jar of curry and then throw it on some cauliflower or chickpeas and it would be really good.
I've been keeping my carb intake under 20g for just under 4 weeks now. And I've dropped 10 pounds. I'm about 3 pounds away from the weight I was at when I was 14 years old. Nuts!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
People are generally baffled that I'm eating things like cheese and bacon and lots of eggs and the pounds are just dropping off me. I've had to explain the whole bit about carbs and fat and insulin over and over cause I get asked all the time wtf I'm doing and is it healthy and whatnot. That being said, I probably won't maintain this for much longer and I'll up my intake to about 50g-70g. Which is still far less than what most people consume in a day.
Yeah, I've been preaching the benefits of this stuff for a couple of years now myself since I gradually fell into it. I think the funniest part is reading articles and opinions from people who are supposedly experts on diet and nutrition. Listen to a lot of nutritionists who say glucose is required to fuel the body and brain and they'd probably think anyone on less than 20g of carbs a day for a month (and a lot of days I was closer to zero or at zero) was either dead or close to death. :D
Nope.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shlup
Okay so how do I do this low-carb thing? Just stop eating bread?
That would be the biggest part of it really. Though sugar is bad too, so cutting back on pop and stuff is kind of a must.
Really, just focus on meat and vegetables and you're like 90% there anyway.
Carbs come mostly from grains, starchy veggies, and sugar. So cutting out most junk foods like chips, candy bars, soda, etc. In addition to limiting your intake of bread-y items, rice and veggies like potatoes. If you're not doing it for weight loss and instead for general health, you can still eat things like bread, but just limit your portions. So if you eat a sandwich for lunch, think about going completely without carbs for dinner by having something like marinated chicken kabobs with a green salad (but watch out for salad dressing, they can be killer in terms of the amount of sugar!). Or if you ate meat/veggies/cheese during most of the day, you can still treat yourself to a slice of cake.Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm My Own MILFNope.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shlup
Okay so how do I do this low-carb thing? Just stop eating bread?
If you're doing it for weight loss, you have to be way more stringent.
The big thing is to make sure you are aware of exactly what you're eating. Most people eat without really thinking. And beyond that, a lot of people eat without comprehending WHAT they're eating. Start looking at ingredient labels on food. If you can't understand or pronounce half the ingredients, stay away. Eat more natural stuff. Eat veggies, eat greens. Eat meat.
Here's a great article that talks about a lot of myths about eating healthier: 8 Ridiculous Nutrition Myths Debunked | Popular Science
Carbs are in -literally- everything.
However, going low-carb can actually be unhealthy for you as you need the good carbs to keep your energy up. Whole grain things.
If you eat Mexican or go to a Mexican restaurant and order something like tacos or fajitas, ask for corn tortillas instead of flour - and avoid the crunchy shells.
EDIT:
Typically, a serving of tortillas is 2 and they only have around 110 cal and about 10 grams of carbs. It depends on what brands though - it can vary and the cals can be as high as 150 for 2 or as low as 75 (I -think-).
And, this goes without saying - Water. Drink lots of it. Drinking about 1 bottle before your meal can help you feel fuller faster so that you avoid over eating - regardless of the healthy content of your meal.
I really don't know how to tell you to make "healthy food" taste better. I guess it's an acquired taste for some. I'm more of a veggie person than I am fruits (people are generally one or the other). Try looking up a recipe for eggplant parmesan.
Or get some bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes, fire up the grill and make veggie skewers with sliced (& 1/2'ved into 1/2 moons) zucchini, squash, widely sliced onion pieces, whole button mushrooms, and roma tomato chunks. Season with salt & pepper & maybe brush on some low fat/low sugar Italian dressing while you grill them (make sure to spray the grill with non-stick cooking spray first). They make this at Logan's Roadhouse (where I used to work) - it's really good.
Also good? Marinate salmon steaks in Allegro's brand Spicy Soy marinade for 30 minutes, and grill with the skewers.
Otherwise, I like fresh veggies - baby spinach salads with onion, avocado, tomato, mushrooms & just plain ole lemon or lime juice squeezed on top.
The few times I can make myself eat breakfast, it's usually an egg white omelette with sauteed (in EVOO) diced -fresh- asparagus, onion, & tomato & baby swiss cheese on the inside. I like to sprinkle lemon pepper on it to give it a bit more flavor.
Oh, and 1 more thing, Peanut Butter - if you buy the All-Natural kind (the oil will separate and rise to the top if it's all-natural), 2 tblsp of it is actually a -good- fat. Peanut Butter is good on whole wheat waffles. So is cream cheese. mmmmmm...
Well as I said in another thread I slathered peanut butter all over some celery today and it was amazing. A+ would eat again. :D
I'm not looking to lose weight so much as just not die before I turn 50. I could probably stand to lose 5 or maybe 10 pounds but that would be a bonus, not the goal.
I used to be small. I mean. Aside from drug usage-small (yeah, I went there. It was ages ago. I grew up and grew out of it.).. I got down to like 115 -after- I had my behbeh (my normal weight when I got preggo was 135 - not horrible for being 5'0", but not really ideal 'cuz it's all in my stomach and.. *gulp* ... boobies.) . Sadly, stress from 2 jobs, a baby, college classes caused me to gain some of it back. Wasn't a big deal. The ex had told me I was too skinny anyway (even though I can go as low as 90 lbs and still be in my recommended BMI range). Long Story Short, I gained it all back plus some after Life went downhill. I'm slowly losing it again, though, thank goodness. I just -really- have to watch what I eat.
And, there's a sh*t ton of health problems that run in my family - strokes, heart attack, breast cancer, depression (which i call BS on), diabetes, alzheimers, dementia, and lord knows what else. Exercise is hard for me though 'cuz I have a bad back. Working all day in a restaurant - by the end of a 12 hr shift, I'm dying from so much pain.
You really don't need many carbs in the diet, least of all whole grains. They're basically devoid of any nutritional value (nutrients get added in during the process of making things like bread to make them seem like they're less of a completely useless dietary vestige). And honestly, if you saw what even just 100g of carbs looked like in the form of vegetables it would be more than you could probably eat in an entire day, and packed with a lot more nutrition than you'll find in a loaf of bread. Pretty much any living human could live on less than 100g of carbs a day unless they're planning to run a marathon or some similarly difficult athletic endeavour. And pretty much anyone's body will happily utilize fat for energy when not being inundated with more carbs than it can handle.Quote:
Originally Posted by noxious.sunshine
Wheat hasn't been in the human diet for very long. People weren't generally eating the equivalent of 300g of carbs a day and basing their diets on it until the last 50 years or so, and the types of grains we eat today didn't even exist when our grandparents were kids, and are substantially worse for us than the wheat they were fed.
I've kinda glossed over what has been said so far so I'm not sure if this has been mentioned already but I noticed people pretty much suggesting food types etc and mostly I agree, however one thing I would say to you if you are looking to eat more healthily is to cook everything you eat yourself. Like you say you love burgers, pizza, chinese etc then yeah, cool, eat it up, just make as much of it as you can yourself. Burgers for example are absolutely piss easy to make from scratch and it is undoubtedly healthier when you control exactly what goes into it and make it fresh.
In my continuing quest to eat healthy, I had some fish and a whole bunch of strawberries for dinner yesterday and it filled me up for the rest of the evening. Now it's the next morning and damn if I'm not still full.
Is this a normal thing? I had no idea a bit of fish and berries would be so filling.
Not being so hungry for the rest of the evening and even into the next morning is pretty much a combination of having a meal rich in some good fats and that didn't send your blood sugar sky rocketing so you skipped over the inevitable crash. Both of those things basically keep you feeling satiated for a long time, so yeah, pretty normal.
Pretty much any day that I'm good about having a steak and salad or something for breakfast before 8am I won't be hungry again until mid-afternoon.
Awesome, I dig it. I'm going to stick with this fish and berries thing.
I love fish; Tilapia is my favourite. But I am telling you right now--eventually you WILL get burnt out. I had Tilapia for like.........10 meals in a row. I didn't want fish for weeks. xD
I don't think you know me very well. I'll go on salmon binges where it's all I'll eat for like a month. Actual true story.
Ugh. I only like raw salmon. Cooked salmon is gross to me.
I can eat a lot of things in a row too, but I guess you have a talent. xD
I love Salmon, but damn that trout is pricey.
For some reason, the swear filter is amusing me on no end with this quote. xDQuote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Tilapia's not that bad. You can get a bag of 25 filets here for like, $12.
Salmon is expensive but worth it. When I make my monthly budget the amount of money I set aside for food is absurdly larger than the amount of money I set aside for everything else.
If you're able to hit a Farmer's Market, you can get fresh fruits and veggies for a lot cheaper! I don't know how that works in Montana, though.
I don't even know what a farmers' market is.
Pretty much what it sounds like. Usually towns and cities have a weekly event where they invite local producers to come and sell their crops in an open market. You might have to check your local newspaper/city website to see if they have a calendar of local events. They're less common in smaller towns but you could probably find one reasonably nearby. They're usually wicked cheap compared to stores and a lot fresher since there's no real shipping or processing involved.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
Oooh that sounds pretty great. And yeah food is just expensive in general. Especially if you're trying to avoid the Ramen Noodles route.
(not that Ramen isn't great, but)
Not trying to argue, but I guess it just depends on what you consider expensive. I can get like, 3 pounds of apples here for 2.50, and that's not even farmers' market business.
Avocados are highway robbery, however.
Okay well here one single tomato is a buck so
Basically food is expensive
That is fairly expensive. Are you at a supermarket? I know that here there are more than one type of tomato, and some are like, 1.50, but others are maybe .75?
Again, if you're able to go to a farmers' market, you'll be able to get those much cheaper, as it cuts out the middle man. I guess it also depends on how much of the tomato you eat. Like, do you get one or two meals out of it? I know personally, I generally eat half or a whole tomato when I eat them.
Also, do you guys have Aldi up there? If you do, you should definitely go there. The produce isn't always as great, but it's diiiiiiiiiiiiiiirt cheap. Like, if I go to a regular supermarket, an avocado costs 1.75 or more. If I go to Aldi, it costs .30. The only down-side is that they aren't ripe, but if you throw them in a paper bag for a day or two, it will ripen up. A lot of Aldi produce is like that. You can also get other healthy food (brown rice, almond milk, meat) for much cheaper. So yeah, if you have an Aldi (we all call it Aldi's with an apostrophe S here) then I'd take a gander.
It's normal. Or well. It depends on how big that portion of fish was and how it was cooked lol..
My sister & I did Dr. Joshi's Holistic Detox.. It was some pretty hardcore stuff - no wheat, gluten, or dairy, no red meats, no shellfish, no seafood except for like tuna and maybe salmon, no fruits except bananas, limes, & lemons, no condiments, only like detox tea or like San Pellegrino water, no tomatoes, potatoes, or other starchy veggies. And everything has to be organic. Oh, and -no- alcohol. For the 1st month.
It's pretty extreme, and the first few days, I felt really tired, but after that, I had tons of energy. I normally have a super slow metabolism and even 8 hrs. of sleep a night isn't enough for me, but after my sister and I got used to it, I could sleep comfortably for 4 hrs and be fine the next day. And, I ate like.. 1 Dorito chip and immediately felt the effects of the extra "chemicals" or whatever.
It's also expensive - since organic products cost more. But like for breakfast, I'd have a bowl of Puffins brand gluten free cereal with soy milk (following the serving sizes) & a banana. Lunch, I'd have a spinach salad with the vacuum packed albacore tuna, red onion, chick peas, and lime juice, Quaker Oats salt-free rice cakes or Broccoli & Carrots (both with organic hummus) for a snack and like plain grilled chicken with steamed veggies for dinner. It's also known as the "Alkaline Diet".
heh. Little O/T, but did you know that if you're -not- Lactose Intolerant, you're actually normal? People who -don't- have problems with milk are that way because of a genetic mutation in the genes. XD
Nope, never even heard of it. Alas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs
Oh, that sucks. D: It's basically a store where everything is off-brand (although it's the exact same food, honestly) and you bag your own groceries, so everything is dirt cheap.
I know you want to be healthier, but for reference, it's like, 1.00 for a pack of 6 Ramen cups.
You have Aldi in America? :eyebrow: I did not know.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs
That giant, orange A saved my family when we were too poor for food.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister AdequateYou have Aldi in America? :eyebrow: I did not know.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs
ALDI! I love Aldi! Though I really don't trust their fresh meat products, I'll buy the frozen chicken breasts.
You also have to stick a quarter in a slot in order to get a buggy, and to get your quarter back, you gotta put the buggy back and link up the chain.
Yes, you bag your own food, but you also have to pay for each bag you buy.
This grill master @ Red Lobster is from Germany, she says it originated in her country.
The downside though, is because it's so cheap, produce-wise, you pretty much have to get there like as soon as they get deliveries of fresh stuff - otherwise it's slim pickins.
That actually reminded me - I need to look for one here in Clarksville so we can save on our grocery bill.
Or you can just bring your own bags from home. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by noxious.sunshine
Yeah, wouldn't get Aldi's fresh meat. And you do have to be careful about some of their fresh produce. It's good, but you have to eat it within a few days.
Lulz yeah I don't have any bags.
I think I did buy some of their ground beef once back when I was preggo.. It wasn't that bad, but it still weirded me out a lot.
Lol what drives me nuts with their produce, though, is they almost never have the same stuff 2 weeks+ in a row. Like one week, they'll have cucumbers. The next week? No cucumbers! ... I wish they'd get into selling herbs though like cilantro & parsley and stuff like that.
My biggest problem with buying fresh food is that I am very small and eat very little overall so buying fresh things in bulk for cheap results in like 80% of it inevitably being tossed out, and I hate that.
Instead of buying fresh, buy frozen then! ^_^ I've also read that a lot of times, frozen veggies actually retain more of their nutrients than fresh because they're flash frozen as soon as they're picked. Meat-wise, I always buy -kind- of in bulk, but I separate it all into single/double servings in ziploc bags - freeze what I don't need, leave out what I'm going to use in the near future.
Milk can also be frozen and kept longer that way. Learned that trick when my kid was on WIC and they'd put like 5 gallons of leche on each check. And you have to get everything on that check, or you miss out. Kinda sucks, but whatever. Sorry. O/T a bit. heh.
She's actually right about the frozen veg, Pike.
I will say, if it's .88/lb for apples, just get one or two. You still are only be charged for what you buy!
Oh, and if you absolutely -insist- on buying fresh, it goes without saying that buying what's in season will always be cheaper and fresher, but with many veggies, you can blanch them in lightly salted water, then put them in freezer bags & freeze them. Like broccoli, carrots, spinach, onions and things like that.
Bananas are my #1 most unliked fruit. I like them. They're tasty. But let them beeshes sit out for too long and fruit flies appear out of nowhere and multiply within like 5 minutes.
Just so you know, you can technically just drop fruit and veg if you hate it so much. The human body can be a healthy powerhouse off meat and fat alone. Vegetables and fruit are just delicious, especially with Miriel's mouth-watering, pants-tightenly magnificent recipes, and provide quick and easy ways to get certain nutrients. My evidence for this claim comes in the form of various tribes from all over the globe who pretty much only eat animal stuffs, as well as the glory that is pemmican. In terms of diet, humans haven't evolved at all since the good old days, and when we were hunter-gatherers, our diet was also almost exclusively meat and fat. It's all gravy. Boring as buggery, though. :D
But yeah, my main point is to bow at the feet of low-carb diets. They are literally the best. Absolutely piss-easy to keep going, not strict in anyway (you can still eat pretty much everything, and even the bad stuff like sodas and sweets are fine in normal quantities), and they work fantastically. <3
I have a special recipe for sweet, buttery carrots. I refuse to relinquish it, but I shall make it for you one day, if we ever meet. They will change your opinion of carrots. Honest to god, 100% guaranteed.
Carrots are terrible no matter how they're cooked. My mom cooks them with butter and sugar and they're vile.
Yeah, carrots are always bad :barf: Although I'd happily try your recipe out of curiosity, Quin!
Try raw baby carrots with peanut butter, or extra steamed carrots or carrots/squash.
Okay guys about two weeks ago I went low-wheat (not no-wheat entirely, just low) and high protein (mostly lean meats), nuts, and fruits and veggies. It went pretty well at first but now I'm feeling weak as a leaf. I was at work thinking I'd just fall over any minute and lifting anything took a ton of energy.
Am I doing something wrong or is this just a fluke?
P.S. I take a multivitamin and drink of a ton of water.
Kinda late to this show but I want to make sure this part doesn't get overlooked. Two cans of soda a day is just going to balls everything up no matter what you do. Diet or not. It's just pure bad. I mean, we try to have a large bottle of lemonade available for when we're hitting the drink for whatever reason. I also love having Coke with my Chinese food for some reason... but beyond that it's something I try to avoid and save for being a 'treat' on a hot day or something. There are months I'll go without and I feel way better for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calliope
I have had way more appreciation for food since I stopped keeping soda available in my fridge all through the year. And my health has probably shot through the roof while I'm at it, despite my continuing tendency to order in takeaways far more often than I should.
EDIT: Can't comment on the feeling weak thing as I don't really get the idea of those kind of targeted diets, I just do what I can to eat healthy food and be done with it. =x
EDITRA: Quin saidand I just want to say I've heard a lot of things to the contrary regarding this and I would therefore state that it's probably pure speculation. They may not have made use of grain/potatoes and dairy products back then, but they certainly would have had an easier time gathering from plants than from animals and I suspect this would have made up a large amount of their diet. Perhaps not most, but certainly a good chunk. Fruits, berries, nuts, fungi, sweet potatoes, carrots... stuff like that. Also, back then most of the meat was eaten raw. Have fun with that. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Quin
My first guess would be you may not be eating enough. It's something that's remarkably easy to do, and that's generally how I feel when I don't eat enough. Might be something else, but even if it is, my first questions would be what does your typical meal (or days worth of meals) look like, and what sort of portion sizes are you having?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
If you are eating too little, you can try loading up on some more veggies and fruit or, since you typically have trouble enjoying those, eat more nuts for a while or snack on them between meals, add butter to everything, etc. Even just adding a glass of whole milk to a meal (whatever meal comes before your usual fatigue spells if they happen at a specific time of day) may make a noticeable difference if under eating is the problem.
Gathering fruits and vegetables would certainly make up a decent amount of food at certain times of the year. In more tropical climates humans could probably do it year round no less. But for most of us that are descended from good old fashioned Northern European white folk (not to mention people from other parts of the world such as various indigenous North American people's closer to the North Pole than otheers), until the advent of farming you wouldn't be able to base the entire diet on that stuff, and until we started farming grains and the like, getting it to store through the winter is pretty much out. Hell, if you tried to live as a hunter gatherer in most of Canada without ever eating meat it's a safe bet you would die since nothing is really growing for six months out of the year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
But what Quin said about being able to thrive on just protein and fat is pretty much true. They're the only two macro nutrients the body absolutely needs. You can cut out carbs completely and be pretty much fine in the long run (assuming your supplementing well and such. It was a bit easier for our ancestors when eating nutrient rich organ meat was considered the thing to do). Cut out protein or fat completely though and you'll die an early death. It may take a long time because our bodies hate us like that, but it will happen.
Carrots are -never- bad. Carrots are good. Very good.
raw carrots are ok. raw carrots with hummus are better. cooked carrots are awful.
Mmmmm hummus...
Carrots are good lightly steamed. Or in pot roast. XD
Carrots are always gross. This year I will be proudly celebrating my 30th year of hating carrots.
I've been eating until I am no longer hungry, but usually not until I am completely full. Most of my fruits and veggies I'm eating with peanut butter as dip. Not eating enough might be a possibility since lots of protein tends to wipe out my appetite for a while. I'll try the milk thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Carrots are great. Especially fresh from the ground with the dirt wiped off on your jeans.
And yeah, protein can kill appetite, and after switching over from eating a bunch of wheat and junk to not eating as much it can be easy to feel sated even if you're not eating enough. Tends to catch up with you eventually though. Last year I decided to measure out my food for a bit and tighten things up to make sure everything was on track. Turned out I was eating close to 1,200 calories a day without realizing. Not nearly enough given my activity level. Unless I was a 5 foot tall, 110 pound woman anyway. :)
You mean you're not :onoes:??Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Pike, you're probably having the same problem I had when I first went low carb, and it's a common mistake a LOT of people seem to make. You're probably not eating enough fat!
Add more butter and oils to whatever you're eating. Have cheese as a snack if you're feeling a bit weak. And eggs, eggs are like a super food!
If your diet is low carb AND low fat, then you're actually going to me in a malnourished starvation state. Your body doesn't need that much protein. You can actually starve yourself and have some serious medical problems if you eat too much lean meats without fats and carbs to balance it out.
Try eating fattier meats instead of the lean cuts, or add in fat by way of butter and oils.
Eat more nuts too!
I know some people who struggle with adding more fat into their diet actually start off the day by having coffee and throwing in either heavy whipping cream, a slab of butter, or a shot of coconut oil. It's enough fat to keep you going for most of the day and get rid of those weak feelings.
Fat is your friend. Your best friend. Show it how much you love it by devouring lots and lots.
Are there any sorts of fats I should be avoiding (or preferring), or is it all good?
Avoid vegetable oils. If you have any Pam or Crisco in the house pretty much just throw them right out. That's about it. Animal fat, lard, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds, it's all good.
I was referring to Quin's suggestion that you could thrive on meat and fat alone (or "almost exclusively"). I am in no way suggesting that they went without, but more suggesting that it isn't as "almost exclusively meats & fats" as he might think. And yeah, Northern Canada might not have as much fruit growing on the trees most of the year, but the population of the Inuit isn't exactly booming and their diet usually includes a number of less traditional organs from less traditional animals as well as vegetation (and have fun drinking fresh seal blood), so the idea that you could emulate that by only eating chicken, beef and pork from your local supermarket is not something I would suggest in a thread such as this one. Also, the life expectancy of the Inuit isn't great compared to the rest of Canada. Those people eating their high veg diets are perhaps getting a better deal when you look at things that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Gathering fruits and vegetables would certainly make up a decent amount of food at certain times of the year. In more tropical climates humans could probably do it year round no less. But for most of us that are descended from good old fashioned Northern European white folk (not to mention people from other parts of the world such as various indigenous North American people's closer to the North Pole than otheers), until the advent of farming you wouldn't be able to base the entire diet on that stuff, and until we started farming grains and the like, getting it to store through the winter is pretty much out. Hell, if you tried to live as a hunter gatherer in most of Canada without ever eating meat it's a safe bet you would die since nothing is really growing for six months out of the year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
But what Quin said about being able to thrive on just protein and fat is pretty much true. They're the only two macro nutrients the body absolutely needs. You can cut out carbs completely and be pretty much fine in the long run (assuming your supplementing well and such. It was a bit easier for our ancestors when eating nutrient rich organ meat was considered the thing to do). Cut out protein or fat completely though and you'll die an early death. It may take a long time because our bodies hate us like that, but it will happen.
To be fair, things like alcohol abuse are major problems among Inuit communities these days (not to mention murder and suicide. Living in the northern Territories is pretty much the worst place to live statistically in this country). They've also got the same sort of problems as many other native communities these days. Ready access to tobacco and troutty modern food compared to their ancestors, combined with all of the usual social problems that have developed purely as a result of our treatment of them since white people first landed on their shores. I'd take any stats about their life expectancy these days with a grain of salt since I can pretty much guarantee that the numbers living their traditional life style with their traditional diet would be few and far between.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
Fair enough. The general point I was making still stands, though, regarding their diet. :) Hunter-gatherers don't tend to eat cooked chicken and beef from Sainsbury's (replace with whatever your local supermarkets are called :D).
Oh absolutely. If you're trying to replicate an all fat and protein diet without either eating some good organ meats or properly supplementing then you're probably in for some issues. Not something I'd just recommend someone try without doing some homework first.
In Montana a lot of people hunt for their meat. If you don't hunt yourself, you inevitably know someone who does and thus almost everyone has access to fresh game. Elk and bison meat straight from the wild is really common around here. Bison burgers are fantastic.
Back to important things, have you cut back on your soda intake?
Moderately so. I'm not giving it up entirely if that's what you want to hear :p
What are you down to? And yeah, I don't mean giving it up, I just mean... not having soda daily.
I am at one can of diet a day and I am not going below that. :p
Considering what you use to drink, that's probably massive. xD
A 50% reduction? I'll give you a 50% grade. Which, I suppose, is a pass mark...
you guys have to understand that I was at about 3 full cans + 1 full bottle of Mountain Dew a day for like ten years before that. xD
That's some big progress. I'm proud of you Pike, even if BoB is only 50% proud. Stingy bastard.
That's why I said good for you. x)Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
When I want healthy food to taste good I just drown it in cheese.
I drown it in curry.
This.Quote:
Originally Posted by Locky
And butter.
:whimper: I'm so proud of you both. It's like you're all growded up now.Quote:
Originally Posted by shionThis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Locky
And butter.
The notion that there would be people on the Internet who advocate 'health' is a truly terrifying mark of how the network has been destroyed over the years.