Health and Diet

[spankamber]

I did a search but could find nothing related to thi subject so please advise if I missed.

I'm totally confused and frustrated. I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and vegan for a couple out of those. I'm trying to lose some weight and be healthy. I've recently lost 11 lbs from calorie counting with my fitness pal. I have hit a plateau and want to lose more weight and be healthy and cook good foods for myself and my family. I've been reading about the alkaline diet, the glycemic index, msg, and gluten. Basically besides a couple of fruits and vegetables there's nothing to eat, it's all bad and causes cancer etc? What the hell am i supposed to eat? All the morningstar products have MSG in it and even my soy butter by earth balance I love. I'm trying to create a new healthy grocery list and meal plan and am totally stuck. If I find something that is vegan and msg free it's on the high GI side etc or doesn't fit into all categories. Any help would be appreciated. I've been having a lot of headaches and always fought with allergies (sinus relate) and would like more energy.

 

[NoelleBright]

:hello2:
I can help you big time! I've eaten extremely cleanly (besides a little cheat here and there) for years and study this kind of thing for fun. If you're interested I can PM you my skype info or something so it's easier for me to help you.

 

[Jobs4Adults.com]

my advice: eat vegetable, fruits, milk, eggs, cheese.........and also as meat, use fish & sea food!!!

Fish and sea food are extremelly important and can't be replaced with other aliments!

drink water and make sport!

:thumbleft:

 

[NoelleBright]

If she's vegan though, that automatically cuts out about half of the things listed.
No milk (which isn't that great for you anyway), cheese, eggs, or seafood/meat.
I'm not saying a diet should never contain these things in general, but she's choosing not to eat them and there are alternatives.

Fish is generally important because it's a great source of omega-3s, but you can get that from other foods as well, so it is indeed replaceable. Walnuts, flaxseeds and some soy products all contain a good amount of it. You can also get vegan omega-3 capsules to supplement with, where the omega-3s are derived from algae.

 

[spankamber]

Yes this is my exact problem, ive gone to nutritionists who tell me they dont believe you can be healthy without eating fish or meat which leaves me for frustrated and helpless. After 17 years of no meat or fish I l honestly can say I doubt I ever will. I also don't like eggs or milk and although occasionally o will eat Parmesan mozzarella or blue cheese I try to resist because I'm trying to lose weight and it tends to upset my tummy. I currently take b12 flaxseed oil capsules d3 and acidophilus. I only drink water or green tea as is nothing added or occasional pellegrino with a lemon or lime

 

[LuckySmiles]

I tried to be vegan a couple years ago... (more for health reasons than anything else) But I have a history of migraines as well. I liked it and started to have more energy at times but I gave up on it because I figured out Soy and MSG both can give me MONSTER headaches. And without soy you can't have a lot of meat alternatives which gets really frustrating. And I can only eat so many beans and stuff...so I understand where your coming from. If I eat edamame I swear my head hurts in like 3 seconds.

And I do believe dairy causes more harm then good and try to avoid it. I eat regular meat now because I like it, I don't have enough alternatives and it's cheaper and I get lazy.. but that's just me.

What I HAVE found is this gluten stuff...could cause headaches and problems too. I'm not jumping on any bandwagon. I fucking love food and I'm not even trying to lose weight at the moment( I feel I have to say all this because think I'm crazy) I fucking love pasta, and bagels and pizza and am very scared to have to not eat these things anymore...

I generally eat very healthy. Lots of fruit and vegetables, avoid processed food fairly balanced etc.
BUT recently after having a few months of real stomach problems, and severe headaches and general lack of energy, I started trial and error trying to see what gives me a reaction. The last thing I tried 3 weeks ago was to cut out gluten. I realized right when my symptoms started to get bad last year I WAS eating more whole wheat products. I had a friend with a costco membership and we'd get the 8lb packages of whole wheat pasta and I ate that at least 3 times a week probably more, once I started eating more meals at home. So point being I cut out all processed foods, breads, pastas, and have been on a strict gluten free thing for 3 weeks now and have NO headaches less stomach problems More energy, and even when I don't get enough sleep I'm more awake never groggy or have that foggy feeling when I'm tired.
The first two days though I had a monster headache, which told me I was doing something right maybe? Like a withdrawal?
I still eat plenty of carbs or whatever for me I just eat more rice, I like that Quinoia stuff too that's pretty good... and higher in protein than other grains.
I do eat meat but cutting gluten out was not that hard(so far) if you eat fairly healthy to start, and it might be the source of problems. I noticed a difference so quickly that I'm not even playing with trying a stuff again yet because I felt so terrible before. I was just with my friend today who had to stop at McDonald's (I'm a healthy person but I'll still eat garbage once in awhile and enjoy it) and I had no problem being like whatever it's cool I don't need anything. Because it's THAT important to me right now.

the wheat we have today is not what our grandparents were eating, and whole wheat is considered to be healthier than white pastas and breads, but I think if you are having a gluten sensitivity whole wheat can aggravate it faster than the refined stuff. Good luck.. this is something though I'm finding to definitely help me right now.

 

[southsamurai]

going full began is risky because its hard to get the full run of amino acids that you need. not that it cant be done, you just have to really watch your protein intake, and make sure it comes from a variety of sources. even the wonderous soy bean doesn't cover everything, and if you cut it out, then its next to impossible to stay balanced. the whole wheat/whole grain thing has already been covered, and those are the next best sources for the right proteins after legumes. ( by best i mean most easily obtained in the average town)

if going vegan is purely a health motivated idea, then the occasional bit of meat is probably going to help you out overall, just avoid the more complex and difficult to digest ones.it doesn't take much meat to provide the stuff you need, you can do a single day of the week where meat is included.

if its more of an ethical choice then you're up against a wall. you just have to really study the components of food and become an expert so that you stay healthy. rickets is no joke, and i've run into more than a few vegans who got to that point.

overall, for optimal health a varied diet is best anyway, a small amount of meat will not harm you,and provides more than just protein. fruit and veg in quantity provide more calories than people think, and are very nutrient dense. just remember that cutting weight is great, but it should be done in stages rather than rapidly. any of the more common weight loss diets are inherently imbalanced in some respect (other than going by glycemic index as that just has you picking different types of food rather than cutting out types entirely)

 

[NoelleBright]

I hardly ever post my opinions on food on public forums because I feel as though it comes across as super douchebaggy, but, simplified:
Most of these things aren't inherently bad for you. Meat, cheese, milk, etc can all be REALLY good for you. The problem is all of the things that we do in order to mass produce it and lengthen it's shelf-life. We feed livestock the cheapest possible food, put it in the worst living conditions, pump it full of artificial hormones and give mega doses of antibiotics, and then we ultra-pasteurize and over process everything. The benefit is that all of these things become cheap and widely available, but we do pay a price.
Everything is less nutrient dense, less flavorful, and contains whatever drugs the animal was pumped full of while it was alive.

It's becoming easier to find other options, but you also have to pay an arm and a leg for it.

 

[NoelleBright]

going full began is risky because its hard to get the full run of amino acids that you need. not that it cant be done, you just have to really watch your protein intake, and make sure it comes from a variety of sources. even the wonderous soy bean doesn't cover everything, and if you cut it out, then its next to impossible to stay balanced. the whole wheat/whole grain thing has already been covered, and those are the next best sources for the right proteins after legumes. ( by best i mean most easily obtained in the average town)

Don't forget quinoa! It's considered a complete protein and it contains all of the essential amino acids.

 

[spankamber]

going full began is risky because its hard to get the full run of amino acids that you need. not that it cant be done, you just have to really watch your protein intake, and make sure it comes from a variety of sources. even the wonderous soy bean doesn't cover everything, and if you cut it out, then its next to impossible to stay balanced. the whole wheat/whole grain thing has already been covered, and those are the next best sources for the right proteins after legumes. ( by best i mean most easily obtained in the average town)

if going vegan is purely a health motivated idea, then the occasional bit of meat is probably going to help you out overall, just avoid the more complex and difficult to digest ones.it doesn't take much meat to provide the stuff you need, you can do a single day of the week where meat is included.

if its more of an ethical choice then you're up against a wall. you just have to really study the components of food and become an expert so that you stay healthy. rickets is no joke, and i've run into more than a few vegans who got to that point.

overall, for optimal health a varied diet is best anyway, a small amount of meat will not harm you,and provides more than just protein. fruit and veg in quantity provide more calories than people think, and are very nutrient dense. just remember that cutting weight is great, but it should be done in stages rather than rapidly. any of the more common weight loss diets are inherently imbalanced in some respect (other than going by glycemic index as that just has you picking different types of food rather than cutting out types entirely)

Any type of animal flesh or fish or eggs or eggy things I am almost certian I will never eat again and it's because the thought makes me ill. I am open to food that has egg in it as long as doesn't taste eggy and small amounts of cheese. If is healthy. I read the skinny bitch book and read about all the infected pus udders and pus in cheese and the things Noelle mentioned and hard to get out of my head!

 

[Keithy]

Your body needs fats, so don't forget to keep those in your diet. Nuts and things like avocado are kings here. If you're lacking these you'll feel lethargic and such as they really power your brain.
Make sure you're aiming at about 100g of carbs a day. Again, your body needs them, but too much means it'll be stored as fat. Too little, and you're essentially becoming malnourished (no energy), too much and you'll get fat.
Whole Wheat/Whole Grain means jack shit once it's been pulverized too, which is why Quinoa is good (it's not actually a grain, but very close, plus it's a good protein).
You also need to keep your Calorie count above 1200. I recommend the app Noom (on Android) for estimating Cal intake and exercise. Reviews and Alternatives or if you have an iPhone, check these. Again, too little and your body will lose energy as it goes into starvation mode.
Exercise is important too, not really for calorie burning though. It builds lean muscle which helps your body burn calories more efficiently. Cardio and walking are good. Wii Fit Plus is great fun for indoor cardio and yoga. Plus it helps track calorie burn. Again, this will actually give you more energy.

The body plateaus naturally from diet. So work on it for a little while (I THINK it's 12 weeks) then drop it (don't binge or anything though) and pick up a new or similar diet plan after resting for the same amount of time. Keep this up and your body should avoid adjusting to the change in your diet (which is what you want).

 

[spankamber]

I walk fast 3-4 x a week for 45 minutes or longer and do a Pilates yoga combination 60 minutes a day 4-5 days a week. I just got my bike fixed am thinking adding that and maybe some other high cardio. Myfitnesspal says 1200 calories is fine for my height weight and adds the caldies back if I exercise so technically I'm eating like 1350 calories when I exercise which is everyday

 

[NoelleBright]

Buckwheat is also awesome and actually not related at all to wheat. It's gluten free as well and full of things that are good for you.

 

[Delta]

going full began is risky because its hard to get the full run of amino acids that you need. not that it cant be done, you just have to really watch your protein intake, and make sure it comes from a variety of sources. even the wonderous soy bean doesn't cover everything, and if you cut it out, then its next to impossible to stay balanced. the whole wheat/whole grain thing has already been covered, and those are the next best sources for the right proteins after legumes. ( by best i mean most easily obtained in the average town)

if going vegan is purely a health motivated idea, then the occasional bit of meat is probably going to help you out overall, just avoid the more complex and difficult to digest ones.it doesn't take much meat to provide the stuff you need, you can do a single day of the week where meat is included.

if its more of an ethical choice then you're up against a wall. you just have to really study the components of food and become an expert so that you stay healthy. rickets is no joke, and i've run into more than a few vegans who got to that point.

overall, for optimal health a varied diet is best anyway, a small amount of meat will not harm you,and provides more than just protein. fruit and veg in quantity provide more calories than people think, and are very nutrient dense. just remember that cutting weight is great, but it should be done in stages rather than rapidly. any of the more common weight loss diets are inherently imbalanced in some respect (other than going by glycemic index as that just has you picking different types of food rather than cutting out types entirely)

Any type of animal flesh or fish or eggs or eggy things I am almost certian I will never eat again and it's because the thought makes me ill. I am open to food that has egg in it as long as doesn't taste eggy and small amounts of cheese. If is healthy. I read the skinny bitch book and read about all the infected pus udders and pus in cheese and the things Noelle mentioned and hard to get out of my head!

You could try going the local/organic route for the animal products you do eat. All food is unsanitary in the sense that there will be a bit of pus, mold or bacteria in plant and animal products. Generally it's the antibiotics and pesticides that are the most harmful.
If I buy meat I make sure it's wild, organic or at least antibiotic free. Same goes for eggs, cheese, yogurt and milk. Since I buy from my local farmers market most of these things are 'unofficially organic' (are not certified, but still follow the rules) and the prices are relatively low.
I find there is a major difference between organic and non in both animal products and vegetables in how they taste and how they make my body feel.

 

[spankamber]

Thank you I do akready eat everything organic fruits vegetables cheeses etc and use almond or cocunut milk. My bf and his son love near and fish so I do cook for them and try to get to whole foods for the grassfed meats . I think my main problem besides when I was drinking a bottle of red wine a night is carbs. I'm a carbiwhore love pasta brown rice bread etc and was eating alot of Morningstar products and all the starch hi gi level veggies corn potatoes carrots

 

[Delta]

Thank you I do akready eat everything organic fruits vegetables cheeses etc and use almond or cocunut milk. My bf and his son love near and fish so I do cook for them and try to get to whole foods for the grassfed meats . I think my main problem besides when I was drinking a bottle of red wine a night is carbs. I'm a carbiwhore love pasta brown rice bread etc and was eating alot of Morningstar products and all the starch hi gi level veggies corn potatoes carrots

I find my body feels best when I eat a moderate amount of fat (avocados, nuts, oils). I think its a digestion thing. When I was eating mostly protein and carbs I didn't feel too good, but everyone's body is different. Eating more fat also helped me control my carb cravings.

But when the cravings are nagging me I make a big vat of soup. I don't skimp on the potatoes and other starchy vegetables since there is a much smaller serving of those in each bowl.

 

[sweetiebatman]

I have treat my body like a trash can for most of my adult life but after a bit of a health scare I have started to eat better, with a clean(ish) diet and it is genuinely unbelievable the difference it makes. As well as my skin looking better than it ever has, I feel sharper and on top of my game, and ive lost a noticeable (apparently, not to me haha) amount of weight

I'm now in bed at a reasonable (GMT) time instead of on MFC at 4am on my days off haha :mrgreen:

 

[Rose]

Thank you for starting this thread Amber!! Seriously! I've been reading the ideas posted here since my diet is so limited right now and I've got a pretty strict list of things I'm absolutely not allowed to eat anymore to see what I can use to fill in the gaps.

I do miss my milk, cheese and meats though but at least I can find tasty alternatives so I don't feel like I'm missing out too much.

 

[spankamber]

I wouldn't mind sharing some recipe ideas grocery lists etc if anyone's up for it

 

[Rose]

I wouldn't mind sharing some recipe ideas grocery lists etc if anyone's up for it

I don't have anything to share (unless you like only apples :? ) but I'm totally down for reading and sponging up any ideas that are posted.

 

[Jessi]

Amber Ive lost about 7% body fat and went from a size 5 to a size two. I was around 130 pounds and now I fluctuate between 19-125 but Im quite a bit more muscular and my body fat stays low. Ive been vegetarian for 4 years, and vegan since summer.
Im happy to say I maintain my macros, and have no trouble at all with getting enough protein and a complete amino acid profile. I don't do any food avoidances like gluten, msg, etc. I DO use a lot of artificial sweetener and things for day-to-day uses and am happy to report no negative side effects. If you want to talk to me about what I eat and what my meals and workout routines are like Id be happy to IM on skype. Just PM me if you want of course