Healthy eating. What are your secrets?

[I Have A Dream]

votesomemore and I were discussing our eating habits in another thread, and she recommended that we create a thread that will allow us to discuss what we do to eat in a way that honors our bodies.

I personally don't eat really well (especially when I'm "watching" my weight as I currently am), but I'm always trying to do better. My husband is really health conscious, so, luckily, he's around to inspire me to do better, and since he does the cooking in our home, at least dinner is nutritious and balanced.

I'm a vegetarian, and I don't get enough protein. I'm trying to find other sources besides dairy and eggs, even though I do eat them.

I think that one of the most important things that we can do is get lots of fiber. The standard American diet doesn't have nearly enough in it. (I can't speak in reference to Canadian, European, etc. diets.) Therefore, I try to eat a high fiber cereal every day, and I try to eat lots of berries, which are really high in fiber. Luckily, I don't mind if much of my daily diet is the same from day to day. (I know that this would disturb some people.)

My biggest downfall is that I must have snacks. When dieting (vsm hates that word), empty-calorie snacking takes calories away from "real" food which feeds our bodies. I try to eat healthy snacks, but I'm not always successful.

What are your secrets and downfalls in reference to eating in a healthy manner?

[Celebration]

1. different things

I try to listen to my body. I can't eat many carbs in the afternoon or it makes me sleepy, particularly grains. I also often muscle test my foods, or even what I order at a restaurant. I just cannot eat institutional food (like at my mother in law's retirement home). I try not to go out to eat too often because the food is too salty. I never add extra salt to things I cook, but always add oregano and turmeric.

When I am doing my best I have a lot of fruit around for snacks. I do best when I eat a lot of fruit. Celery would be good for my blood pressure but I generally use herbs for that instead.

I remember when I was eating an apple a day I never got sick. I need to try that again.

I love berries too!! I am mostly northern European in background (though dark complexion) That type does very well on berries and not so great with grains. I love sandwiches but rarely eat them.

For some reason I am not wild about salads. I love kale, fortunately. For awhile I was eating wakame, but I ran out. Oh, I do the chips thing at times and end up regretting it.

[I Have A Dream]

10. I have 0+ blood, and if what they say about blood types is true...

I should be eating meat. However, I didn't notice any difference in either my weight or my energy level when I stopped eating meat. Wouldn't you think that I'd feel some difference by making such a drastic change in my diet? However, I didn't become a vegetarian for health reasons, so it really doesn't matter.

Thanks for your input, itsjustme.

[Celebration]

14. the blood type thing is a guideline

No more, no less. Most people would notice a change of some sort with a really big change in diet. I will say that when I was younger I was much better able to tolerate a diet or food that wasn't good for me. I could eat grains all day long and do fine. Younger people generally have enough chi to just power past some insults to the physical body. I can eat grains now. I just can't overeat them.

Other food habits that I have are eating organic chicken only, and eating wild salmon at least once a week. I also take supplements and try to drink "charged" water (I use a radionics program but one could do this with a pendulum 1. Remove negative energy. 2. Scramble the remaining energies. 3. Put positive energy into it--using a geometric pattern of some sort or an Emoto diagram).

[Ilsa]

47. I'm an O- and veg and I felt a huge boost of energy

when I went vegetarian almost two years ago. It took about a week though. Most of my desire for meat is gone now, but sometimes the smell related to cooking method entices me, like the look and smell of bread fried chicken, grilling, etc. But I don't want the meat.

I lost weight also, but mostly because my system cleaned itself out.

I'm trying to get a variety of foods, variety of colors, and mostly raw, or barely cooked. I do well in getting fiber, grains, and I like fruit, but I haven't experimented enough yet with tofu. I love many vegetables and am always looking for recipes that combine a vegetable that I already love with one I don't know very well. I think that is a good way to learn about the vegetable, how to select it, cook it, etc.

[u4ic]

2. Food sensitivites that were affecting my health

demanded that I change my eating habits about 8 years ago.

It's been so long I can't remember how difficult it was to change.

Here's a few tips that I can think of:

1. Water. Lots and lots of water. Make it your primary fluid intake. If you say you don't like water....try a few kinds. I don't like tap, nor Brita filtered, but like reverse osmosis, and a few spring waters.

I do have some internal issues with this...I don't like the commodification of water, nor all the water bottles; however, the latter is more of an issue with 500 ml, 1 and 2 litre bottles, rather than large ones that you would refill time and time again. It doesn't resolve the former...but I couldn't drink a lot of tap water. I really dislike the taste.

2. Try to stay as unprocessed as possible. Limit or totally eliminate processed, fast or commercially prepared frozen foods.

3. I know my body doesn't like grains very much. I am gluten free, but even grains like amaranth, quinoa and even rice don't agree with me if I eat too much of them, so they are limited. Dairy was a problem for me, so I switched to goat's products and am fine with that. Listening to your body...or even going on an elimination diet, could highlight any food sensitivities, if you do have them.

I also rarely have potatoes. Again, found that I did better off them.

4. Drastically cut down sugar. For me it was not that difficult - because being gluten free means you get hit in the pocketbook hard with sweet stuff. I allow myself chocolate once in a while (once or twice a week); or, GF cookies or muffin or a cake slice; but the vast majority of my sugar comes from fruit. I believe it is handled much differently in the body, and don't limit my fruit intake. I try different fruits as well; there are so many types of apples, for example; or even exotic fruits. I bought Dragon Fruit a week or so ago when it was on sale.

I buy organic fruit...I eat most of it with the peel on and want to make sure I'm not ingesting lots of pesticides in the process.

5. I make the salad the bulk of my meals. I have a large salad at most meals (I have a huge bowl I use for it) - sometimes even breakfast, if I'm having an omelette or frittata. I vary it with what veggies I put in, and the dressing - but usually use the organic baby greens mix as the base.

I then have my protein source with it (chicken or fish), and some other steamed, sauteed or raw veggie.

6. I take vitamin/mineral supplements, and a few others, including essential fatty acids. I feel they are very important. I found what works for me (I take fish oil, evening primrose oil and cod liver oil with EFA) - but a good omega 3-6-9 should be sufficient, and there are vegetarian formulas.


My diet at home is pretty basic. Part of it is I can't be bothered cooking anything fancy for myself - only as a treat - but a huge factor is I feel much better on it.

Chocolate is always my downfall. :( I really have to watch it - I can get horrible cravings for it if I eat it too much; then it takes a while to wean myself off it. Once I have done that and don't crave it any more, then I'll slowly introduce it back into my diet.


I don't know if my advice will help you at all, Dream. However, I still congratulate you on 1. wanting to make changes and 2. losing 10 lbs!! :bounce: :toast: :bounce:


Way to go! :yourock:

[I Have A Dream]

13. Hi, u4ic! I appreciate the details of what you do. I'm sure that...

many besides me will benefit from what you have relayed to us here.

I also drink lots of water.

We try to buy only organic food. Probably 90% of what we buy is organic. I don't feel a difference physically, but I feel better just knowing that I'm not bringing all of the poisons into my body. My husband has always done this, and I was happy to jump on the bandwagon when we got married.

I also take a good vitamin/mineral supplement, and I take flax seed oil.

I think that what I need to do most is to get more sleep. (Not food-related, but it's my real downfall. 5-1/2 to 6 hours a night is just not enough.)

Thanks again, my friend. :hug:

[yellowdawgdem]

3. Ihad,

I really want to compliment you on your wonderful topics that you start here. Never an uninteresting one, and oftentimes some links that are great.
Regarding diet, I seem to continually change things as new information comes in. Right now the thing that is most helpful- I buy distilled water, and put drops into that of trace minerals and electrolytes. This is supposed to alkalize the water, and give you tiny bits of trace minerals that you might be short on throughout the day. I was surprised at how this helped me- both to feel healthier, and to lessen my food intake. Would be interested if anybody else has been doing this, and what their thoughts are.
Regarding food, I've been cutting back on dairy, but haven't completely stopped eating it. I feel so much better though, that I eat less and less of it. I try, in the evening, to drink soy milk, as that seems to encourage sleep.
I eat alot of eggs, which could be good or bad, I suppose. I feel the most satisfied when I make crockpot soups such as split pea, or borscht, or vegetable beef/chicken. I'm not vegetarian, have tried many times to go that way, but my body says no. However, I'm sensitive to foods, have lots of allergies, so I have to be really careful about diet.

[Why Syzygy]

8. Fascinating.

What kind of minerals and electrolytes?

[yellowdawgdem]

24. There are several kinds

available, and you can probably find one at your local health food store. One kind is called concentrace trace mineral drops. Another is colloidalLife trace minerals and electroytes. Most mail order vitamin catalogs have something usable, either a trace min or a supplemental mineral drops. They should contain tiny amounts of all the different elements- are there 72 of them? Not sure, but something like that. The directions are not all the same, but I have found that in general it is ok to just put a few drops in a glass of water, or juice. And for me it is effective, and not too hard to do. But it is kinda easy to forget about it- I try and remember it though, lol.

[Why Syzygy]

4. Goodie!

Thanks for starting this thread!

Something about chocolate. I eat as much as I want. I buy the real imported stuff, not snickers or nestle's. That tastes like plastic. Of course that isn't my main diet. Just something to feed the urge. Perhaps if I had sex ... nuther thread.

Good ideas so far. I'm probalby gluten intolerant. Creams are my faves.
Glad water was mentioned. When I'm fully hydrated, I drink 6-16 ozs a day of spring water. Dannon is my favorite. It's an expense. I used to own a Shaklee reverse osmosis purifier. Here is what turned my mother onto purified water.. she is a skeptic. My youngest sister has had bladder cancer for more than 10 years. I had to get off nutrisweet a long time ago due to headaches. She still drank it! When she asked me to buy some to bring to family eatings, I cringed. Finally she asked her doctor who said it would not hurt to not drink it. Duh and double duh. So, she had these injections of cancer killing stuff into her bladder. The instructions were after you void, do not flush for an hour. That's supposed to 'deactitivate' the killer stuff. If you believe that ..
SO THEN my mom decided that purified water was preferable to tap. Plus fish get reverse sex organs, etc. Don't drink it if you can at all avoid it. Water is our essence.

My blood type is O+. I need red meat. Sometimes I get a hunger for it and if it is not satisfied I go on a sugar binge that does nothing to address the real issue. That's me.

I love vegies and fruits. Do not believe they can do any harm.
Fiber comes from legumes and mostly rice. Kefir is very healing. Yogurt or kefir. One of my breakfasts of choice is plain yogurt with peanuts.

Dream, I don't mind eating the same thing day after either. For years I had tuna, on a rice cake (which you also mentioned in another thread) with alfalfa sprouts and swiss cheese and a few potato chips. And sweet pickles. I almost met my soul mate, except he believed in WofMD and killing wild game, big not for me signal, when he saw my rice cakes in the drawer at work. He said, where's the tuna? Sounds like a match? Except aforementioned killing of innocent animals, etc.

I tried a bit of the food combining. Allowing carbs only at night. That works well for me.

Right now, I am catch as catch can and not on any plan. Ergo, my forcing dear Dream to start this thread to (ps) inspire me.

When I grab a snack, it's carrots and cheese. Some fast energy for me.

So. Do we now talk about what food means to us?
I love to cook. For others. Single, not so much.
When my mother makes salad, there is always avacado. I put that on my plate as a special treat.
It is rich is essential oils.

I take supplements off and on too. I hate taking pills so would rather get needed things in my diet. Avacados are GOOD. Beware the fat watchers who say otherwise.

I have to include a lot of protein. Rice and beans will take care of it. Salsa too. I make an awesome scramble egg with jalepenos and a bit of cheese. They have this stuff in Austin called . m . something . where they crumble taco shells on the eggs! eGADS. Local cooks have to remove my eggs before the chips are added. That is just so, not what I eat.

I can't eat waffles or donuts for breakfast. I don't drink coffee, except on a rare occassion.
If I could get going on coffee and do's in the am, I might be up to speed.
Take that anyway you want.

Let me do my usual Leo (sorry :sun sign warning:). My kid, little bull, did not know what it was like to eat at McD's. We went to the cafeteriea. He ALWAYS had salad. His choice. And a 'little' ice cream for desert if he wanted.

If 'god' made it, ie, the earth produced it, we can eat it. Otherwise. I dunno.
The earth makes chocolate. You know?
Smoke it if it feels good.

[DemExpat]

5. This is ongoing at our house as well,

Trying to focus on organic fruits and vegetables, but I must say that I don't really love eating fruits and feel that they don't often "agree" with my digestion.

I am looking for the perfect diet for me - a lower-carb generally vegetarian menu with some fish and very occasional organic poultry and beef! (I want to eat decreasing amounts of animal proteins, but not 100% without, as I do feel healthier, stronger and more energetic with some).

Good sources of low carb proteins are tempeh, which we love, tofu, and a couple of excellent vegetarian "snitzels" that have come out on the market lately, a few raw nuts. I have discovered that a good whey protein powder without artifical sweetener is also a good, digestible way for me to get good protein in my diet - I make a shake of it with soy milk or regular milk/yogurt.

My downfall is that I generally love fatty foods - avocado, eggs, mayo, butter, raw nuts, peanut butter, etc. and feel hungry and very agitated if I try to go low-fat.
As I get older I also do not digest grains as well as I used to. And I find it difficult to go to bed without having a little snack - can't sleep on an empty tummy, and I know that eating in the evening isn't good for hoped for weight loss!

Now that the children are out of the house my husband and I eat more very simple meals based on veggies, a little protein, and a good grain like brown rice, pasta, etc. I guess I try to go low-carb during the day and have my carbohydrate included meal for dinner.

DemEx

[Why Syzygy]

11. Prepare for my mini rant

the oils you mention< avocado, eggs, mayo, butter, raw nuts, peanut butter < are all made by planet earth/god/goddess....

Avocado is very good. Olive oil, we know is GOOD. I don't touch margarine, and I have never had cellulite. I eat much more junk now than I did when I was in my 20s. But I do believe that the eating habit I had then allowed me to live longer (?) and healthier than many.

We go back to nature and that means we eat locally grown produce and dairy. Very easy here in Austin. Allergies are not nearly such a problem when we even take honey (in small doses) from locally grown hives. Etc. I've never done extensive research, but it just makes sense, to me, that the closer we eat to home, the better.

My grandad was a master gardener and had chickens and home fed cattle. Every thing we ate at his table was grown on his property. And great peaches!

His downfall was he liked to eat the big fat off the meat and spent too much time in the sun with no shirt sleeves. Mostly the fat. Don't eat that.

[DemExpat]

20. Well, yes, votesomemore,

the oils I love are the healthy oils, but, they are still the highest in calories of food groups, so not so good for my waistline....:-)

Eating these fats, along with fatty fish, help me feel healthy and balanced, also mentally, while eating trans-fats, processed grains and sugars, etc., knock me out and have me feeling very labile.

:hi:

DemEx

[crikkett]

38. my husband is a nutritionist. He likes fat and oil.

Fat and Oil (I just say 'fat') sustains you. We need it. That's why it tastes so good.

Carbohydrates are stored away (when they're not being burned by strenuous activity) as fat because they're easy to manipulate. They also affect insulin very easily.

Fats are complex. Fats can take up to 9x longer to digest than carbohydrates and sugars so they stay in your stomach and keep you from feeling hungry.

That doesn't mean you want greasy food, because too much fat makes you ill. But it does mean that you shouldn't feel guilty about fat. A modest amount could help you lose weight while you are more comfortable.

-0- end infomercial -0-

:hi:

[DemExpat]

42. Thanks for the info from your hubby.

I have definitely discovered that low-fat eating for me is unsustainable :-), what I need to do is to consequently eat less carbohydrates in the form of grains.

I do fine with this when my husband and I are eating on our own, but when I have my 2 children over for dinner a couple of times a week I cook their favorite meals of course.....lasagna, pastas, Mexican with tortillas, etc. ...pretty much high carb as well as fat, and along with their requested chocolate chip cookies......:D

As long as I watch my carbs during the day and use them as Davsand mentioned in one of her posts as a condiment and not the main attraction, I think that this is the best diet for me.

:hi:

DemEx

[LaurenG]

6. Dream

I used to think I wasn't getting enough protein too but you get more than you think out of fruits and vegetables. I'm vegetarian and don't eat eggs or dairy and I was really getting worried about nutrition. I headed over to the veggie forum and they gave me many places to read up on protein in the diet. Also, Elad posted that taking flax seeds (or oil) would do a body a lot of good. He was right, it seems to do wonders, at least for me. I also started taking an L carnitine supplement along with a multi vitamin to make sure I was getting b12 as that is not present in diets without animal proteins.

As far as snacks, yes I'm a snack food queen and I'm sure I eat too many. I've started eating popcorn and pie. Yes, pie fills some need in me right now and I choose apple or blueberry for that sweet tooth that pops up. I'm a long way from eating right but I started to feel much better after just slightly altering what I eat.

edited to add: today is Great American Meat out day
http://www.meatout.org/home.htm

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=231x15671

[NMDemDist2]

7. I'd like to second the essential micro minerals

we find we crave sugar and carbs much less when we are taking micro mineral supplements

the farm land in the US was depleted before WWII and the only thing they add back are NPK and it just doesn't cut it.....

as for cooking, I avoid everything with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it which is a major challenge. If you read labels you'll find that stuff in EVERYTHING and usually listed in the first 3 ingredients :banghead:

so I'm growing some of my own food this year, I buy organic meats from a local producer and cook from scratch more often than not. I even make 80% of our bread from organic flour

we really notice the difference when I get lazy and use convenience foods which make me lazy and the cycle continues.....

some days we do better than others :shrug:

[Why Syzygy]

9. Range free eggs

and chickens are much more satisfying.

Your stuff sounds good.

[Beaverhausen]

12. Take a look at the recipes in the Vegetarian Forum

there are tons of great recipes there - there is a sticky on the top of the page.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=231x497


One more thing real quick- peanut butter. yes, it's high in fat but it's a great source of protein.

I'm on Weight Watchers now so I'm eating pretty healthy. I usually eat a fuji apple for my mid-morning snack. They are really sweet and satisfying and of course, a good source of fiber.

[Shine]

15. Sometimes NOT eating at all is a good thing to do once in a while.

For example, I like to do the Master Cleanse twice a year, in the spring and autumn. It's a 10 day cleansing juice fast and it's a wonderful way to detox and clean out the system...with the added fringe benefit of dropping a few pounds along the way. Fasting has been around for centuries. The Master Cleanse, in particular, has been around since the 70's and involves fresh squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. I LOVE the way it makes my body feel! :thumbsup:

:hi:

[I Have A Dream]

18. Oh, my!! I can't imagine doing that!

:scared: :scared: :scared:

Nobody would want to be around me. I'd be totally miserable and would make everyone that I meet miserable also! :( When I get grumpy, my husband knows right away that I need to eat.

Kudos to you for being able to do this, Shine.

[Shine]

19. Admitedly, the first 72 hrs are the most challenging, but it's totally do-able

I basically am pumping the fluids all the time and hitting the bathroom every 1/2 hr. LOL.

Thanks for the kudos, though. Yes, I'm proud of myself b/c it's a big accomplishment, but sooooo worth it, in my book.

:hi:

[Why Syzygy]

21. I have that book..

My homeopathist told me that is the best cleansing fast.
One of these days..

good on you for doing it.

[Sweet Freedom]

16. Couple things

I don't drink soft drinks or alcohol ever. (I know that's a lot for some to give up, but it makes a huge difference in how I feel, look and hold my weight)

I eat a small lunch, etiher soup or a salad (more often soup)

I try to eat berries for a "dessert" and nuts for snacks.

Recently, I've been trying to learn to savor every bite (tip from The Secret) and also, to put my utensil down in between bites to help identify when I am full. These two things are a little harder to do than I expected. In fact, yesterday I was eating and halfway through remembered that I forgot to savor!

[BluePatriot]

17. Smaller plates...

...and exploiting laziness to my advantage. For example, I will eat what's in my house to avoid shopping, so why not shop for better food? I also eat Healthy Choice meals at lunch vs. going "out" or fast food which over 4-5 months has made me lose around 7 pounds gradually and painlessly (just avoid the tasteless alfredo ones)

[davsand]

22. Fat is not the problem and whatever you eat, eat it unprocessed

Sounds simple--eh?

Over the last couple of years I've dropped about 40 pounds and kept it off. The main change for me came when I stopped eating white stuff. Yeah, that sounds strange, but I'm serious here--no white bread, no white rice no potatoes If it is white it is probably a carb and probably not too full of vitamins or minerals. Start thinking of grains as more of a condiment than a staple and you are off to a good start.

Proteins and fats will not cause the blood sugar spikes and lows like carbs will. If you are tired in the afternoon or if you start craving that bit of candy there is a reason for it--your blood sugar is dropping and you are looking for a quick fix. I lived it, and never had any idea what was happening to my body when I'd get SO tired a few hours after a meal...

Fats have been demonized in the last 20 years, and I think that has, in part, contributed to our growing obesity rate. Dietary fats register fullness sooner and for a longer period of time than a carb will. I'm not advocating chowing down on a pound of beef or a pound of bacon--I'm talking about things like fish oils and olive oils.

If you are gonna eat veggies or a fruit eat it in the condition that is as close to how it grew as possible. If you cook it or chop it you are rendering it more bio-available. You WANT it to have the fiber you WANT it to be work to digest. Juice is an issue because you get all the sugars and none of the fiber...

Think raw, think whole grain and think fats that are Omega 3 or Omega 6 based.


Regards!


Laura

edited for spelling

[Why Syzygy]

23. Hallelujah sister!

That's what I read eons ago .. fats are not the issue. You said it perfectly.

I had not thought of the white like you state it.
I like potatoes. Don't eat white rice or processed grains.
But I can have my potatoes? Okay, thanks.

I am convinced that carbs have their purpose. They slow us down and make us drowsy.
That's why whole wheat spaghetti for dinner, with a big salad, is a good thing. You may disagree.

I suffer with insomnia at times and believe that the carb laden is better than a pill.

I have a lovely bottle of fresh orange juice in the fridge. No. It is not exactly like eating the whole fruit. But it isn't processed. Squeezed. It is so yummy. A little goes a long way.

Now, I'm hungry.

[conning]

25. I'm in the eleventh year

of following the zone diet, developed by Dr. Barry Sears. A truly balanced diet, it affords great flexibility in food choice.

I think of it as my primary health care system.

[davsand]

26. I like Sears a lot.

He makes a LOT of sense dietarily, and he's advocating foods that real people can and will eat. At times I used to get a little annoyed with his constant pushing of fish oil, but as more studies come out--by golly--Sears is being proved right.

I had the experience recently of sitting down with a biochemist of some international repute from the local university. He is well into his 80's, still doing his research into diet and the impact of specific oils, and still active. Because of what I'd learned in reading Sears' books, I was able to not only follow what this biochemist was saying, but I was able to ask questions that he wasn't expecting. Amazing stuff--and it totally supports what Sears says. Anyhow, I asked Fred about Sears and the Zone and Fred says he thinks Soybean Oil is every bit as acceptable therapeutically as Fish oil is, and it is more palatable (and less expensive.) Food for thought for the Vegans on here...

I can't get all the way into the Zone but we do take a pretty hefty dose of fish oil every day. I do work also at meals to try and regulate glucose. We work out at least four days a week and are way more physically active than we used to be--so we have made some pretty big life changes that take us a little closer to his plan. Maybe one day we'll manage to get all the way into the Zone...


Laura

[conning]

27. Soybean oil

is the only part of soybeans that Sears recommends against, primarily because of the high concentration of omega 6 fatty acids. The body's production of eicosanoids can be overwhelmed by too much Omega 6, consequently producing more "bad" than "good" eicosanoids.

The theoretical basis of the diet is very fascinating, isn't it? Not only do I feel good, but I understand why I feel good.

Regarding the diet's difficulty, I think the most challenging part is realizing the enormous variability in the amount of effective carbohydrate in various fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. Four cups of broccoli is equivalent to two teaspoons of sugar.

Of course, I've been doing this now for eleven years, and so it has become second nature. In the beginning, alot of rethinking was required. As a part of the rethinking, my diet is much more varied than it was before. You may be alot closer to being in the Zone than you think.

[Matariki]

28. I've been reading about Omega 3 & Omega 6 fatty acids

and how the body needs a 1:1 ratio of each, but the typical diet is far heavier on the Omega 6 side. Fish oil would help achieve that balance, as would Flax seed or Flax seed oil.

[Why Syzygy]

29. The best oil supplement I have found

is Fisol. It takes the oil to the lower intestine rather than it being burned up in the stomach.

I started taking it as a natural method to treat depression, and find it works very well for me.
When I went to the store, the woman there told me I was the second or third person who had been in THAT DAY to ask about the product for mood stablization. She had never heard of that connection.
I didn't read any splashy headlines. Just internet research.

It took a couple of months, but then I felt a huge difference in mood. I'm just not very disciplined about taking supplements or pills. A doctor's worse nightmare patient.

It works.

[Matariki]

31. cool. thanks for the info.

[davsand]

30. I questioned Fred about Omega 6.

That threw me too. His opinion was that the soybean oil was ok as long as you didn't take too much of it (certainly less than you would of the Omega Threes.) I do not pretend to be an expert on it, but I do know I feel better for having made the life change that I have.

I started down this road by going on the South Beach Diet. I chose it at the time because heart disease is a prominent thing in my family and I figured I better be worrying about it now rather than later. Dr. Agatson is a Cardio Doc and I figured he probably wasn't gonna kill me with his advice. His book did an excellent job of education on the metabolic syndrome and how food impacts on how we feel plus I lost weight with the diet. I call that a winner!

While I was on "The Beach" I lost a lot of weight and felt really good doing it. Physically I had a lot of energy. I never felt deprived--I was never hungry. I will admit I didn't take my weight off quickly--it was about a pound per week--but I was actually kind of happy about that because I distrust fad diets that take off too much too fast--you just KNOW it isn't good for your body.

While I was dieting I also decided to learn a bit more about the whole impact of diet on our bodies and how food really is a medicine. THAT is when I picked up the Zone and began to read seriously about food and health. Funny thing--the more I learned, the easier it was to not "break" the diet (even if it is pretty flexible!) I've heard people say that SBD is Atkins the first two weeks and then becomes the Zone Diet for Phase Two and for maintenance. Maybe so--but I do think the Zone allows for more carbs than I currently consume--and that is MY choice not something dictated by the SBD.

I think everyone has a "limit" of how many carbs they personally can use per day. It isn't so much about weight loss, per se, as it is about what makes me feel best when I eat it. I feel all bloated and loggy if I over eat on carbs. I LOVE pasta. I cant eat paste too often any more because it really makes me feel like crap the next day when I'm all puffy and groggy. I can eat reduced carb pasta and not feel bad (Dreamfield is the brand I buy) so I do that. I can eat that pasta get my "fix" (so I don't feel deprived) and not do any real harm to myself.

I'm not "in the Zone" but I'd guess I'm probably not too far off--Yeah--I'd agree.

Regards!


Laura

[Why Syzygy]

32. lol..

you said eat 'paste'. (pasta/paste)

I had this strange thing when I was a teen that I liked to eat cement or chalk. Mostly little cement chips from the rock fences we had in west Texas. Very flaky and it tasted something like rain water.

There's a homeopathic remedy for that very thing. It was nutrionally complete for whatever reason I ate it.

What we crave is very instrumental in homeopathic diagonosis.

I think DemExPat has extensive knowledge of homeopathy. It isn't something you have to keep up.
But curing for eating cement is probably not a bad idea.

[davsand]

33. ONE vowel and it becomes a typo!!

Jeepers! Good thing I wasn't talking about eating anything really disgusting! I thought all kids ate paste at some point or another. I guess I just expected they did, anyhow--in fact--didn't it used to have a mint sort of flavor added to it? Does anyone else remember that?

Hmm...

Anyhow, as for eating stuff that is ordinarily not a food item, that is called Pica if it goes on for a while. I think I remember hearing in one of my teacher ed classes it is mostly seen in kids and is usually associated with a nutritional deficiency of some sort.

Can't say I've eaten anything too odd for a while now. Just don't trot any of these past me, however:


:donut:



Laura

[Why Syzygy]

34. Yesterday

Martha, a real sparkler gave me this.

She said, in her spitfire way, I AM A SHIT!
Spirutal Human In Transition.

Convinced me. I never want to let her go.

[bliss_eternal]

36. davsand...

I hope you see this. May I pm you about South Beach? I've been thinking a lot about this one of late and it's kind of synchronicity to see your post here. If not, no worries.

:hi:

Thanks,
bliss :)

[davsand]

43. Check your in box!

Glad to help!

:hi:


Laura

[judaspriestess]

35. I was recently reading the benefits of pure coconut oil

and how it helps your thyroid and metabolism. you can cook with it or I just eat it by the spoonful or two. It taste like coconut, not like oil. Its sold at the health food stores for about 8.00 a jar. thats one thing I started doing recently. I have very recently started eating primaraly vegetarian. I still eat a little bit of meat but I have really started to get away from eating meat all together and I am so much happier. so has my fiance, it took me a long time to convince him but now that he has stopped eating as much meat as I, he feels alot better. One thing important though for vegetarians is to take an aloe based laxative as being regular can be a problem. it helps keep your system in check. A colonic doesn't hurt either every few months as gross as that sounds, they have amazing benefits. :)

[I Have A Dream]

37. Yes, colonics are great.

Thanks for the tip about pure coconut oil. I'm going to check into it. :)

[crikkett]

39. My husband the nutritionist's menu planning secret:

Make your plate a pie chart w/ 3 or 4 items on it.
1 part meat (or veg. protein sorry)
2 or 3 (or 4, however energetic you are) parts vegetables. One can be starchy.

Make them all different colors!
Vitamins and minerals are indicated in plants by different colors. Vibrant color is better. So mixing colors is a way to ensure you're getting a variety of nutrients in your meal.

[Rock_Garden]

40. What about nuts?

They have good fiber, good protein, good fats (and lots of calories). I keep reading that it's ok to eat a handful every day.

[DemExpat]

41. Yes, I think that raw nuts are excellent

sources of protein, good fat and lots of good minerals.

Great nibbles (in small quantities) in a more lower carb vegetarian diet too IMO.

DemEx

[judaspriestess]

44. oh another benefit I have learned about is

Woolong or oolong tea its way, way stronger than green tea. so the calorie burning benefits are far more greater. Oprah talked about it, nuff said, lol

[rumpel]

45. I may be boring but

I love good food and like to cook.
The cost these days won't permit me to do much as we are in survival mode - I do not buy pre-made stuff, most of the time. make my own dressing etc.
Can't afford organic right now either.
The kids buy the pre-made stuff these days..

I use lot's of garlic - don't have sweets normally in the home - personally I rarely use sugar -Mom does - I cook only with olive oil.
Until in my 20's I could not eat meat - the taste just did not agree with me, aside from the fact, that as a child, I could not believe how people can kill animals and eat them. :)
I cook, European, Chinese, Mexican and Japanese dishes - tofu for me is good food, seaweed, too. The family right now has an aversion to fish - so I am deprived of fish :(

My simple principle - everything in moderation...

[villager]

46. I've reinstituted doing 3-day juice fasts, every 4-6 weeks

They seem to help with energy, general "hay fever" type issues, and "weight creep" (not really overweight, but could see I needed to do something to start *heading things off at the pass...!*)

[NJCher]

48. apples, apples, and more apples!

I buy bags of small Macintoshes and I have one with about every meal. I love their cold, juicy taste.

I read that apples are very effective in warding off breast cancer because they deliver flavonoids and phenolics. Rats were given a substance known to cause breast cancer. The rats that had one apple a day had 17 per cent fewer tumors; three apples a day, 39 per cent; equivalent of 6 apples a day? 41%!

Another wonderful benefit of having an apple with every meal is that they will solve any indigestion problem you might have. No Rolaids or other type of antacides will ever be necessary if you have a bag of apples in your refrigerator!

Anyone who ever complains of stomach problems to me gets my little speech on apples. It is amazing that everyone I've told about this comes back to me and says this is the most successful tactic they've ever tried.

I credit my dad with this info: he's the one who told me about it. He's on in years but healthy as a horse and he chalks it up to...apples!



Cher

[rumpel]

50. our dogs

steal the apples from our tree...every day...all the bottom branches are stripped free every year
they even take the ones from our own stash on the counter...

I hope the health benefits apply to them, too. :rofl:

previous generations were wise: "an apple a day...."

[Cha]

49. Our body Our Temple~

My diet has evolved over the years through necessity..I wouldn't have chosen this but this is what it is.

Vegan~All Organic~Grains(Basmanti Brown Rice, Millet, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Corn Tortillas)~

Beans~All Organic~Red Lentil, French Lentil, Black Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Pintos~

Nuts & Seeds~All Organic~Almonds, Walnuts, Sunflower, Sesame~

Vegetables~All Organic~In season~

Fruits~All Organic~In season~

Summer~ I do juicing when it's warm..wheatgrass is the best and I'll be growing it when it warms up here in New York.

The perk of Having to eat healthy is feeling like you're getting younger~ B-)