What are you eating?

[Porcupine]

What are you eating and, also, what would you consider as a healthy diet?

[mizpahlouise]

I think vegies is an example of a healthy diet....

[Porcupine]

Oh! Thanks!

I don't really like to eat and I have a lot of problems with foods (indigestion, intolerences and an allergy, bloating, etc...) so I was looking for foods and diet ideas, so I won't have to think about my food too much, and the ideas on the internet seem contrary.

On the one hand there's the Paleo diets, which says that you should eat whtaever you want as long as there is nothing "unnatural" like grains and legumes and potatoes, because they have phytic acids and because starch isn't too good for you (according to the above), and that you should also avoid milk for reasons unknown to me (though I'm allergic to milk, so to me it doesn't matter). they DO say you must eat a lot of meat and eggs.

On the other hand there are the China Study fellows, saying you should eat many vegetables and whole grains, but avoid meat, milk, and eggs.

Then there's the Weston A. Price foundation

omega-3,

fiber,

fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins,

minerals,

and so on and so on...

 

I don't seem to find exact science in those things... usually it involves vague studies that might as well prove the opposite. not to mention the studies being largely conducted on mouse, so... I was thinking... maybe I should ask scientists, who tend to have the most objective views usually.

 

What are you eating?

[vordhosbn]

I am a vegetarian for four years now, and although vegetarian =/= healthy, I believe that it is an important step to healthy lifestyle.

 

I believe there is plenty of statistical and experimental evidence on healthy food habits, but I would like to just throw my personal perspective here.

Since I gave up eating meat, I have much lower occurrence of stomach discomfort, I feel much more energetic after a big meal (totally unlike the blissful apathy that followed after 6 pork stakes ), and last but not least - my monthly food budget decreased substantially (vegetables and poultry are much cheaper than meat).

Some people don't feel good when turning to no-meat diet, but then again some people don't feel good when they quit smoking. And essentially by removing meat (but not milk and eggs - this is what vegetarian means) you are not loosing anything beneficial.

 

I don't really like this obsession with calories, carbs and protein levels, that is promoted in articles on healthy lifestyle.

The thing is, if I do that, I am essentially in a constant process of food analysis, which may be fun for somebody, but not for me.

Just eat what you like (but in moderation), and do physical exercise (also in moderation). When a particular food does not go with your stomach, just try something else.

[Moontanman]

I'm on the see food diet, I see food I eat it! No really I live near the coast and seafood is a big thing to me. I fixed a small pot of scallop gumbo for lunch yesterday! I'm thinking of a seafood chowder one day this week, i have the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish for it, just a matter of cooking it now, ever notice how hard it is to make a small pot of soup? Chowder is especially difficult to make a small pot of.

[zapatos]

There is also the "Naked Mirror" diet. You can eat whatever you want, but you have to do it while standing naked in front of a mirror. Very effective for weight loss!

 

(And I do notice how it is hard to make a small pot of soup! Happens to me everytime I make chicken vegetable.)

 

I also think a healthy diet varies depending upon the physical condition of the person on the diet.

Edited November 9, 2010 by zapatos

[Green Xenon]

What are you eating and, also, what would you consider as a healthy diet?

 

While I'm not eating the following [because it isn't available yet], the following would be the healthiest diet possible:

 

I’m currently thinking of a hypothetical diet product that is vegan-friendly and has all the nutrients of vegetables, fruits, herbs, algae, seaweed, mushrooms and other non-animal organisms that are necessary/beneficial for human health. It also contains beneficial and essential microbes [such as probiotics]. All the aforementioned are in amounts optimum for human health.

 

This product is completely organic and free of any pesticides, synthetic ethylene and other man-made substances that compromise the health of organisms and their human consumers. In addition, no organisms used in the product are genetically-engineered or irradiated to any extent. Equally important is the soil and other conditions used to grow these organisms is healthy, organic, and free of pollutants.

 

Prior to the making of this product, all proteins & fats are pre-digested completely, and the following substances are completely removed from the organisms:

 

1. Any carbohydrate that raises blood sugar. Soluble fibers [such as inulin] are not removed at all as they don’t count as net carbs and actually benefit health. Simple sugars and digestible starches are completely removed. Insoluble fibers [such as cellulose] are also completely removed as they don’t offer much benefit. Non-fermentable carbohydrates not classified as vitamins or fibers are also removed completely.

2. Glycerol [which is unnecessary calories and can be produced by the body]

3. Saturated fatty acids [which contribute to atherosclerosis]

4. Trans fatty acids [which are far worse for health than saturated fatty acids]

5. Any other substance that is scientifically-proven not to be beneficial to – or necessary for – health.

 

All organisms used in this product – excluding tomatoes – are raw. Tomatoes are boiled to bring out the lycopenes.

 

To make the product healthier, bad minerals [such as lead and thallium] are completely removed [assuming any of them happen to somehow be in the organisms]. To decrease blood pressure, sodium and chloride are decreased [but not completely removed]. The sodium is decreased as much as can be without leading to symptoms of sodium deficiency. The chloride is decreased as much as possible without causing any serious symptoms of chloride deficiency – the consumer should still be able to safely perform tasks taken for granted – such as driving or operating machinery. The decrease in chloride will help balance out the acidity caused by ketosis. To help prevent kidney stones during ketosis, extra potassium ions are added to the product. The potassium is also alkaline and will further assist the body in keeping itself non-acidic during ketosis. In addition, the extra potassium is added because the body responds to chlorine deficiency by making the kidneys excrete potassium. So more potassium must be consumed to make up for this loss.

 

The removal of the aforementioned substances does not require the addition of any chemicals or substances. This removal relies on a nanotechnological device that recognizes all known chemicals by their molecular structure. This hypothetical device is programmed to remove the undesirables by capturing molecules analyzing their structure and then separating them from the product. If the captured molecule is desired for the product it is then mixed back into the product. None of the desired chemicals in this product are altered in any way, shape or form.

 

The product has drinking water added to it to make it easier to drink.

 

This product is in small health-friendly, eco-friendly bottles. Five bottles per day should be consumed. The bottles are in a package and are of different sizes. The biggest bottle should be consumed in the morning. The smallest should be consumed in the evening. In between, are bottles of different sizes. Earlier in the day, the bigger bottles should be consumed and as the day progresses the smaller bottles should be consumed. This routine follows the saying “eat breakfast link a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper” – except the food is divided into 5 smaller meals instead of 3 bigger meals. This is an extra benefit to diabetes patients who are following this hypothetical diet.

 

It is important to understand that this product will initially not satiate it’s users. However, once ketosis kicks in, appetite will decrease and consumers will no longer feel the urge to eat.

 

To summarize, the organisms in the product are chopped to the molecular level. Second, the proteins/fats are pre-digested all the way down to their monomers [amino acids in the case of proteins, fatty acids & glycerol in the case of fats]. Third, the undesirable substances are removed. Finally, good microbes, potassium ions, and drinking water are added.

 

There still will be fat in this product, it's just that they will be broken down to fatty acids [and the glycerol portions removed] prior to bottling. Many fatty acids are necessary and/or beneficial for health. They also assist in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. However, the bad fatty acids will be removed completely.

 

If this product did exist it would greatly benefit obese patients. I just wish someone would start a company, get the company to make this theoretical product, and sell it to the general public at a reasonable price. I am overweight with hypertension and at risk for stroke. I don't want to end up paralyzed, blind, heart-attacked or otherwise handicapped. That is why I want this product so badly. As said before, I'd like to live off this entirely so I am completely non-disabled for the rest of my life.

 

It is also extremely important to note that *physical exercise* significantly contributes to health. So a combination of aerobic, anaerobic, and stretch exercises -- when followed with this diet -- will really increase the quality of one's life.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Green Xenon

[zapatos]

So a combination of aerobic, anaerobic, and stretch exercises -- when followed with this diet -- will really increase the quality of one's life.

Depends upon how you define "the quality of one's life". I'm pretty sure the quality of my life would decrease if I followed this plan. The quality of my health may go up, but again, maybe not if I'm depressed because I can't eat home grown tomatos with salt on them anymore.

[Green Xenon]

Depends upon how you define "the quality of one's life". I'm pretty sure the quality of my life would decrease if I followed this plan. The quality of my health may go up, but again, maybe not if I'm depressed because I can't eat home grown tomatos with salt on them anymore.

 

Quality of life for me means being energetic during the day, calm at night [when it's time for bed], and most importantly not suffering from any handicap -- be it a heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc.

 

I must mention my cardiac CRP levels are high enough to indicate a significant risk for heart disease.

 

Lord please convince someone to make this product and sell it at a reasonable price to the public.

 

For as long as I'm alive, I want to be completely able to move, see, speak, hear, and perform other tasks one would normally take for granted.

[Moontanman]

Sounds like an old joke,

 

A patient tells his doctor...

 

"I don't eat meat, run around with loose women, drink alcohol, drive fast cars, smoke, or use drugs, will I live 15 more years?"

 

the doc says, "why do you care?"

 

Red tomato! I want to kill something and drag it across an open flame and consume it while enjoying a baked potato and a good beer. that diet would gag anyone who tried to drink it more than a week or two...

 

I once tried a liquid diet, several flavors, the first few bottles went down really well, tasted great, 8 days latter my throat would no longer open up and allow me to swallow the stuff, i gag at the thought of it to this day...

Edited November 9, 2010 by Moontanman

[Fuzzwood]

I am a vegetarian for four years now, and although vegetarian =/= healthy, I believe that it is an important step to healthy lifestyle.

 

I believe there is plenty of statistical and experimental evidence on healthy food habits, but I would like to just throw my personal perspective here.

Since I gave up eating meat, I have much lower occurrence of stomach discomfort, I feel much more energetic after a big meal (totally unlike the blissful apathy that followed after 6 pork stakes ), and last but not least - my monthly food budget decreased substantially (vegetables and poultry are much cheaper than meat).

Some people don't feel good when turning to no-meat diet, but then again some people don't feel good when they quit smoking. And essentially by removing meat (but not milk and eggs - this is what vegetarian means) you are not loosing anything beneficial.

 

I don't really like this obsession with calories, carbs and protein levels, that is promoted in articles on healthy lifestyle.

The thing is, if I do that, I am essentially in a constant process of food analysis, which may be fun for somebody, but not for me.

Just eat what you like (but in moderation), and do physical exercise (also in moderation). When a particular food does not go with your stomach, just try something else.

 

You DO realize that poultry is meat, right? It was an animal before you could buy it in a shop.

 

Quality of life for me means being energetic during the day, calm at night [when it's time for bed], and most importantly not suffering from any handicap -- be it a heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc.

 

I must mention my cardiac CRP levels are high enough to indicate a significant risk for heart disease.

 

Lord please convince someone to make this product and sell it at a reasonable price to the public.

 

For as long as I'm alive, I want to be completely able to move, see, speak, hear, and perform other tasks one would normally take for granted.

 

And you ARE aware that you actually need to burn calories in order to do anything right? With all the carbohydrates you kick out, you leave NOTHING for ATP synthesis.

[Green Xenon]

With all the carbohydrates you kick out, you leave NOTHING for ATP synthesis.

 

Wrong. When carbs are not available for energy, the body switches to fat for calories.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Green Xenon

[HerpetologyFangirl]

My sister is a pescatarian, the only meat she eats is fish. She can't even eat jelly-sweets anymore, because most of them have bovine gelatin in them. I'm planning on surprising her by buying some agar and making turkish delight, which used to be her favourite, as part of her gift for Christmas this year.

 

I live in res, so I have to make an effort if I want to eat healthily. I've always hated most fruit and vegetables, unless they're cooked in a certain way, or mashed, or something like that. I buy lettuce, tinned peas, and tinned curried mixed vegetables, as well as tinned baked beans. I usually use soy mince for protein, or tuna, or frozen chicken nuggets, or pork sausages. I can't remember the last time I ate red meat, excluding biltong. (Which is the equivalent of American beef jerky) The only time I ever eat eggs is if I go home for the weekend, and my mom cooks eggs for me. I use bread for carbs and fibre, dehydrated potato powder, rice, and pasta. Just to make sure I'm getting enough nutrients, I take a Centrum multivitamin every night with my supper. I'm a regular blood donor, and a female, so I recently started taking extra iron supplements as well. I drink LOTS of milk, I love it, especially full cream. To me, anything else tastes like water which is pretending to be milk. I eat lots of cheese. I often have a few biscuits with hot chocolate for Afternoon Tea around 5pm, especially on cold days. That's my one indulgence. I'll admit though, I'm terrible about breakfast. During winter I'll usually make the effort to make a bowl of instant oats, but most of the year I just couldn't be bothered, and don't eat breakfast. I buy heart-mark approved margarine. I eat a 'snackbox' every day, which contains precisely 10 cashews, 10 almonds, 5 pecans, 30 raisins, and 5 pieces of glazed fruit. The nuts are all natural, raw, and unsalted. I find it does wonders for my digestion. I think that's about it. I get a decent amount of exercise running around campus every day, but I plan on hitting the gym this summer. I seem to have put on some weight around my middle which I need to burn.

 

Does that sound healthy?

[Rhiaden]

 

Does that sound healthy?

 

 

Sounds healthy and very tasty to me.

 

My diet at present is very restricted (Anxiety based eating disorders suck), however, prior to this I generally ate lots of nuts, fruit and green vegetables, along with wholemeal bread, eggs, potatoes, and a little bit of meat once in a while. I am / was not fully vegetarian, however, I do not like the taste or texture of meat, and along with ethical views, just prefer not to eat it.

 

At present, due to my extremely annoying eating disorder (You have no idea how frustrated I am by wanting to eat something, then having to deal with anxiety after eating it, not bulimia or anorexia nervosa btw, just a "Omg I might have an allergic reaction/get food poisoning" reaction to any food that has a strong taste/texture, or isn't on my "safe" list.), my diet consists of cereal (Only porridge or cornflakes), bananas, cheese (one brand of cheddar), one or two brands of bread, vegetables (again, only certain ones...although trying to expand it sneakily). I make my own shepherds pie type things as well, and have managed to slowly expand the variety of foods I eat.

 

I am extremely aware that this is unhealthy, and yes, I am getting treatment for this, hopefully in another 8 months or so it should be all back to normal.

[HerpetologyFangirl]

Sounds healthy and very tasty to me.

 

My diet at present is very restricted (Anxiety based eating disorders suck), however, prior to this I generally ate lots of nuts, fruit and green vegetables, along with wholemeal bread, eggs, potatoes, and a little bit of meat once in a while. I am / was not fully vegetarian, however, I do not like the taste or texture of meat, and along with ethical views, just prefer not to eat it.

 

At present, due to my extremely annoying eating disorder (You have no idea how frustrated I am by wanting to eat something, then having to deal with anxiety after eating it, not bulimia or anorexia nervosa btw, just a "Omg I might have an allergic reaction/get food poisoning" reaction to any food that has a strong taste/texture, or isn't on my "safe" list.), my diet consists of cereal (Only porridge or cornflakes), bananas, cheese (one brand of cheddar), one or two brands of bread, vegetables (again, only certain ones...although trying to expand it sneakily). I make my own shepherds pie type things as well, and have managed to slowly expand the variety of foods I eat.

 

I am extremely aware that this is unhealthy, and yes, I am getting treatment for this, hopefully in another 8 months or so it should be all back to normal.

 

 

Wow, I've never heard of anything like that before. When did it start? Do you know what caused it? It sounds like a very annoying disorder to have. :-/

[Rhiaden]

Wow, I've never heard of anything like that before. When did it start? Do you know what caused it? It sounds like a very annoying disorder to have. :-/

 

It is really annoying, basically, whenever I eat something I am not familiar with, or has a strong taste/texture, I think I am having an allergic reaction, and have to control panicking, or in the case of meat/eggs, I am convinced I have food poisoning, and feel really scared for 4 hours. It doesnt matter how many times I eat the food, I still cannot convince myself that I am not allergic, even if I used to eat it daily.

 

It started because I had PTSD, which came out as a severe anxiety disorder (I got diagnosed after I had psychosomatic bleeding from my kidneys on and off for a year, along with random panic attacks (not hyperventilating, but I would go into complete shock, shivering, getting nerve twitches all over my body, feeling like I was passing out, for about 4 hours at a time), I got this under control, then suddenly I got scared of eating eggs after someone made a comment about "Oh, did you know, people die from salmonella cos they dont wash their hands after touching eggs"

 

After that it just grew and grew, been trying to work on this (first chemically, through SSRIs for 2 years), and now through weekly therapy and outpatient treatment at an eating disorder clinic. Initially the food wasnt the main issue, I was hardly eating because I was constantly having adrenaline rushes from anxiety.

 

We have found that the underlying issue is that for some reason, I do not get hungry, I get signals of hunger as feelings of panic, they say this is because I do not notice hunger, until my blood sugar drops, then I get panicky feelings, and the classic low blood sugar shakes etc, and when I eat something, I associate that with the panicky feelings as I cannot find any other reason for the panic.

 

We are working on this by getting me to eat every 2 hours, just a banana or a slice of bread, this has made a huge difference, now, if I am having a day when I have managed to eat small quantities regularly, I decide to have a proper meal, unfortunately, usually at some point in it, I suddenly think "How do you know you are not allergic", which can trigger the whole thing off again.

 

I am not sure if the disorder has a name, but the hospital say it is a combination of PTSD and a severe anxiety disorder which has transferred to eating, so they are treating all three at once. Social eating is a major trigger, which really messes up eating at university, or going away on residential field courses.

[HerpetologyFangirl]

It is really annoying, basically, whenever I eat something I am not familiar with, or has a strong taste/texture, I think I am having an allergic reaction, and have to control panicking, or in the case of meat/eggs, I am convinced I have food poisoning, and feel really scared for 4 hours. It doesnt matter how many times I eat the food, I still cannot convince myself that I am not allergic, even if I used to eat it daily.

 

It started because I had PTSD, which came out as a severe anxiety disorder (I got diagnosed after I had psychosomatic bleeding from my kidneys on and off for a year, along with random panic attacks (not hyperventilating, but I would go into complete shock, shivering, getting nerve twitches all over my body, feeling like I was passing out, for about 4 hours at a time), I got this under control, then suddenly I got scared of eating eggs after someone made a comment about "Oh, did you know, people die from salmonella cos they dont wash their hands after touching eggs"

 

After that it just grew and grew, been trying to work on this (first chemically, through SSRIs for 2 years), and now through weekly therapy and outpatient treatment at an eating disorder clinic. Initially the food wasnt the main issue, I was hardly eating because I was constantly having adrenaline rushes from anxiety.

 

We have found that the underlying issue is that for some reason, I do not get hungry, I get signals of hunger as feelings of panic, they say this is because I do not notice hunger, until my blood sugar drops, then I get panicky feelings, and the classic low blood sugar shakes etc, and when I eat something, I associate that with the panicky feelings as I cannot find any other reason for the panic.

 

We are working on this by getting me to eat every 2 hours, just a banana or a slice of bread, this has made a huge difference, now, if I am having a day when I have managed to eat small quantities regularly, I decide to have a proper meal, unfortunately, usually at some point in it, I suddenly think "How do you know you are not allergic", which can trigger the whole thing off again.

 

I am not sure if the disorder has a name, but the hospital say it is a combination of PTSD and a severe anxiety disorder which has transferred to eating, so they are treating all three at once. Social eating is a major trigger, which really messes up eating at university, or going away on residential field courses.

 

 

Wow, that really sucks. Sometimes I start taking for granted how fortunate I am in life, and then I'll meet someone like you and think, 'Damn! I'm one lucky booger'. If you don't mind me asking, I'm just curious... What caused your PTSD? Were you a soldier? Were you in an accident?

[Rhiaden]

Wow, that really sucks. Sometimes I start taking for granted how fortunate I am in life, and then I'll meet someone like you and think, 'Damn! I'm one lucky booger'. If you don't mind me asking, I'm just curious... What caused your PTSD? Were you a soldier? Were you in an accident?

 

Hmmm...my PTSD was triggered because when I lived in the UK, a friend of mine came round one evening, started an argument with me, and tried to put a hammer into my head.

 

Not a nice event, however, as a result of that, and his turning up again at my house 2 weeks later hiding in the bushes, I made a random move to Denmark, and, due to being unable to work after the anxiety/PTSD started up, I decided that rather than sit in my house being bored and lonely, I would do something I always wanted to, and go to university, so now in my second year of a degree in physics and geography.

 

Mostly its an irritation when my anxiety hits while on the way to uni (usually due to getting up late and having no breakfast...my own fault), luckily none of my classes have an attendance requirement, so I can study from home, and as its a 50% classes, 50% research, I spend a lot of time working from home anyway.

 

 

PS Sorry for the thread derail.

[vordhosbn]

You DO realize that poultry is meat, right? It was an animal before you could buy it in a shop.

(facepalm)

Excuse my poor English. I meant diary.

[HerpetologyFangirl]

Same here, sorry for the thread de-rail. It's just not every day you here about something so unusual or interesting.

[Guest Emma]

What are you eating and, also, what would you consider as a healthy diet?

have some soya products for every meal