But its like a shot. A few moments of discomfort for a lifetime of health!
And big 25g is the recommended dose. If you ingest higher amounts protein I would recommend a slightly higher dose. Nothing drastic but enough to where your not straining to use the bathroom.
Ducy, the orange flavor depends each brand. I have those by Ratiopharm. They come in handy take-with-you paper sachets. I've checked; no laxatives in it. I even get them covered by insurance. Anyways, I think they taste pretty good :) And either way; you gulp it down so quickly, it's not like enjoying a good glass of wine ;)
Big; the amount of fibers depends on how much you eat. If you eat more, you should eat more fibers. Each 1000 kcal should contain about 14 g of fibers. Since men generally eat a more than women, they generally also need more fibers. The MLDS (Dutch stomach-liver-intestine-association) says your digestive systems would even be very happy with about 40 g of fibers a day, but nobody makes it to that nowadays. O, and to anyone reading this; if you eat very little fibers at the moment, don't suddenly shift to heavy fiber-diet. Not that it's harmful, but you need to gradually add or the system gets upset. Start first with adding more gentle fibers, like more fruits and vegetables, before the wholegrain stuff and such.
Brandye; I'm going to give this a shot! Each morning starting today I'll take a yakult, psylliumfibres, glass of water and a banana. One banana in the morning also seems to settle my system, I discovered some time back. We'll see how this goes! Thank you very much for the advice :)
Thanks for the additional information. I usually start the day with steel cut oats with some blueberries, walnuts, almonds, a couple tablespoons of flax seed meal and a couple brazil nuts to cover the the fibre and other things. Mixed together they're not bad, but it does get old.
The flaxseed meal is almost a direct trade-off for the psyllium but costs a bit more. Glad to see another "steel cut" fan; that is my morning routine. The psyllium is about as cheap and convenient way there is to get the firbre and, then, you can vary your breakfast without giving up the benefits and feeling guilty. A nice slice of haggis and a side of black pudding?
I'll probably try the psyllium husk soon. I also like the flax seed for the omega-3 content and yesterday thought I'd try it like you do with the psyllium - quickly downed with a glass of water. Unfortunately it was a new bag and I didn't notice that the seal had broken and it had spoiled. It was not a good day!
Indugling? I'll see your haggis and raise you some poi pancakes with fresh baby coconut!
As a retired Physical Educationalist, the message is loud and clear - diet and exercise is the surefire way of losing weight. Cut back on sugars and fats. You can still have your butter and your chocolate, but don't spread the butter on with a builder's trowel and limit your choccy to maybe a square on very rare occasions.
However, regarding the exercise, please ensure you enjoy it. It may be sufficient to walk before you can won. You cannot expect to do the Tour de France straightaway. Just try to enjoy your exercise. be patient and coupled with your sensible eating, your weight should reduce steadily.
I wish I had a pound for every guy (or gal) who had come to my gym, attacked the entire training circuit like a maniac and vomited over my lovely gym floor or maybe passed out. They would never ever come back!! (Such events never happened under my supervision I must add)
So, good luck to you all. Well done for at least having a go!!
Hey guys just gonna bump this thread. I've been studying up on nutrition quite a bit and have learned a quite a bit. Currently testing out my knowledge before actually posting about it.
In the meantime though if you guys could do me a favor I posted a link to my friends facebook page. But this one is a little different. It pertains to dieting and exercise and its my way of giving back to society. Its called "Lift To Be Lifted". Its a page designed to reach out to teens and young adults who suffer depression, low sense of self and lack of motivation/self respect. I'm trying to spread it around. If you can like my page and share it with people that would be amazing. I know that there are tons of people out there who are depressed and struggling. if not I won't hold it against you but the link is in my sig.
Ill be back in a few weeks to update this page with some new tips and tricks to achieving your goal.
Just wanted to share: I'm now officially down 12 pounds!!! :D
Which means I've achieved my first goal: a healthy BMI of 25! :)
So, on to my second goal; getting back to the former weight at which I look my best!
This weightloss means so much more to me than just physically. Because so to speak: it means that both my body and soul are healing :) I've always been a big girl, but am also blessed with a great metabolism that keeps me at a rather steady weight. Because of a lot of stress, followed by a depressive period of coping with loss, I had gained. As contradictory as it may sound; when I don't eat because I feel down, I'm not losing any weight. Even worse: I gain. Ironically: you could almost say that the things I was so desperately holding on to -the things that in the real world had slipped away from me- that those were weighing me down from the inside. In the first few months of coping, it was so heavy it literally was crushing my breathing. There were times I was walking but my legs would move as if I was dragging feetweights like a prisoner. My back and shoulders got cramped up and stuck as if I had been carrying the world like the giant Atlas. My physical therapist called it broken-wings-symptoms. Meaning you carry too much on the place where your wings are supposed to be, making it impossible to fly... to run, to walk, to move, even to breath.
I feel like I'm learning to cope. I feel like I'm learning to give all those things I evidentially still miss a safe and peaceful place inside myself. And that the weight that's become so heavy to cary on my shoulders, is now sliding down of my back. I still have a road to take to free myself; babysteps at a time. I already feel so much lighter; both physically and spiritually true! At the end of this road; I'm sure I will fly again! :)
[QUOTE=Brandye;269708]Unnecessary enemas? Useless. Nothing is accomplished but, recent studies on placebo are encouraging. If you think an enema will make you feel better, by god, it does.[/quote]
So after considerable doubt and in consultation with my physician, I've started on using enema's. The first time it was administered by an alternative health practitioner. She chose special herbs and oils specifically based on my physique and complaints. They're supposed to cleanse, sooth and nurture. But despite the nice music, heated pillows and her calm voice, I could hardly relax and didn't even make it all the way to the required 1 liter intake, because of crampings that caused me to break a terrible sweat. Not much else than the herbal water came running out after. Still, I apparently did good, according to her ;)
But the second time, done by myself in the privacy of my own home, I was able to completely relax. I could feel the fluid going far deeper, even past that terrible corner that's always bugging me in the left lower abdomen. I could hold it in longer too. And OMG, the mess that came out of me after was just... there are no proper words for it :rolleyes: Particularly funny, my belly is more flat on the left at that notorious spot now. It used to make a little bulge, now a little dip, which causes no pain or discomfort what-so-ever. It's been such a long-long time since it felt this good and comfortable :D
I'm half way down this "cure"-treatment now and the effects look very promising. Placebo-effect or not: by god it does help! :)
If anyone would like to know more on enema's, do ask! I now know exactly what should be done.
A quick question on food; I've recently ate my first avocado (well ok, I've had guacamole before, but I didn't have the slightest clue of the ingredients ;)). I find them yummie-yummie-delicious! :) But while keeping up my food-diary -as I do with great care- I also found out it's rather high in fat... :( Though; also high in fibres, potassium and some other minerals/vitamins.
So avocado, good or bad?
PS; as an update on my prior post, I've finished the cure a week ago and my tummy still feels amazingly great :D
avocados are one of the foods that provides your body with healthy fats. it has both monounsaturated and and polyunsaturated fats. the potassium helps in lowering blood pressure. olives are another food that contain healthy fats.
every food in the right portion is good. avocados or guacamole are healthy for you when you eat a proper portion for yourself. eating a whole container/two whole avocados bad, putting a table spoon or two on a mexican dish good. i can give a better post later on today RR.
to add i would like to share a olive spread that i recreated at home. you can get your healthy fats from this spread with the olives and oil. here is how i make it and you will need a food processor.
2 cans of pitted olives(1 green and 1 black)
1 jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil(jar is about 3-4inches tall)
1 large Tbsp of garlic
olive oil
salt
drain the water out of the olive cans first then combine sun dried tomatoes, olives, garlic and process until there are you big chunks of olives. then grind a little salt or pour if it is processed salt. turn the processor on and pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in the mixture.
add there you have it a tasty spread for sandwiches, use it for a dip and get some heart healthy fats instead of cream based products. store in the refrigerator or freeze some for later.
Big, please do! :)
And while at it, perhaps you could give me some advice on how to keep half (or more) an avocado properly stored once cut in half?
I had eaten one half as part of my lunch, covered the other half in foil-plastic and put it in the refrigerator. Only to find it was starting to get gray-ish in the evening, instead of the green-ish color it was. So; I ate the other half as part of my dinner to not let it go to waste. Yes, I know; I'm undereducated when it comes to fresh food! ;) But believe me; I try hard to make up for it :)
Heart Health
Knowing which fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol.
Mono and polyunsaturated fats, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease. Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide "good" fats Avocados contribute good fats to one's diet, providing 3g of mono and 0.5g polyunsaturated fat per 1 oz. serving. A 1-oz. serving of avocado contains 0.5 grams saturated fat and is trans fat- and cholesterol-free. Plus, avocados are also sodium-free.
Other Fats
Avocados are relatively low in calories and fat when compared to others. Butter being the worst because it is has 4 times the amount of calories and fat. 2 Tbsp which is 2-3 thin slices of avocado is 50cal with 4.5g of fat, where butter is 200cal with 23g of fat. here is a good site i found on describing fats - Understanding fats
Helpful Tips
avocados can be used in many recipes as a replacement or an addition. here is a great link by the California avocados farmers that gives tons of recipes to try out. click on healthy living and they also provide all of nutrient facts and how each vitamin or mineral helps your body. CA Avocados
Storing avocados once opened - RR i have squeezed lime juice over the avocado/guacamole to keep it fresh, others have put chopped onions over it. Avocados are sensitive to air, heat, and light. i would recommend you squeeze the lime juice on the left overs, put the avocado in a plastic bag and squeeze out the air before zipping, and store it in a dark spot in your fridge. if it is guacamole then put it in a bowl deep enough where you can push down some plastic wrap over it to air out. after doing all of this the left over must be used within 2-3 days or you chuck it in the trash. it doesn't stay fresh like other preserved fats and is more expensive. when going to my favorite fast food place chipotle mexican grill they charge and extra $1.50 for guacamole because they only keep it for a day.
Bold statement. But not always true. You can have a terrible diet and still have great workouts. In fact, Dave Tate, a famous powerlifter and owner of Elite FTS eats an absurdly terrible diet. Yes he isn't "healthy" but at the same time, for the number of calories he needed to MAINTAIN his weight, he couldnt possibly eat enough "clean" food.
Yes a spot on nutrition plan will make you cut lbs and turn you into a ripped, shredded, and "healthy" person. A dirty bulk can generally be a godsend to those trying to put on weight in the fastest time possible. In fact after 6 weeks of crap (i.e. fast food, hot pockets etc) food and a high volume workout routine, I gained 13lbs with a DECREASE in bodyfat. The nice thing was that it fit into my schedule (working 6 days a week) since I couldnt sit and eat 6 "clean" meals per day, let alone cook them.
Now my diet is cleaned up a good deal more (although not "healthy" since time constraints leaves most of my protein from shakes) and Im seeing a reduction in bodyfat and a maintanence of lean body mass.
It really comes down to what your goals, wants, and needs are. You want to be the next zyzz. Then you either have to eat and immaculate diet, or you need to juice like a science experiment. If you want to put on as much weight in the least time possible, then hello fast food and twinkies.
Oh and to add on to the thing about healthy fats...
RR eat mayonaisse...its actually full of healthy fats. Most people dont realize it though
I've astonished my doctors by the fact that when my entire digestive system is a mess, the first solid food I'll be able to eat without it causing crampings and other problems, are these chunks of a sort of frozen mashed potato that you bake in the oven. I'll eat about 3-5 pieces with a (heaped) teaspoon of mayonnaise :) That's my first dinner after not being able to eat for a while and only living of vitamin-juices. The next day I'll add microwave-heated vegetables from glass jars; specifically green beans (if I'll eat fresh vegetables, all gets messy again). And if that goes well; the next day I'll add a small piece of pre-seasoned and marinated chicken to my dinner. They don't know why, I don't know why, but it works. And they're all happy when I start eating again, as am I.
Recently I've lost close to 50 lbs (285 to 238) through a very simple diet and running/weightlifting. The diet I use was given to me by my physician father in-law, and basically I just eat 1/2 of what I would "normally" have eaten. I don't count calories, track anything, or fret about omega whatever's nor free radical whatnots. Instead of a full sandwich, it's 1/2 sandwich. It's 1/2 a steak, or 1/2 a McDonalds meal. I drink only water now instead of soda.
I think too many diets fail because they wear you out. You forget to go to the store and buy all the fancy new things, and you resort to your old ways to survive the day, then another day.
No offense but I listen to about 1/2 of what any doctor ever says about nutrition. Yea portion control helps but does that mean its right? No. Half a line of cocaine is still snorting cocaine. Half of a crap fast food meal is still crap food...just half as much. You may have lost 50lbs but is it 50lbs of fat or 5lbs of fat and a bunch of water/muscle/glycogen?
For example. I recently weighed in one day at 202lbs. This was after a day of hyper hydration, high carb intake and a high volume workout. 2 days later, after drinking 2 gallons of water and eating virtually 0 carbs while doing 2 high volume days, I wound up down to 187...15lbs in 2 days and most of it was due to a loss of water weight, and glycogen. Was it "healthy"? Eh. I also lost 40lbs using portion control a a running/weightlifting program as well. Weighing in at 157 at 19% bodyfat was actually worse than the 197 at 15% bodyfat that I weighed into prior.
Its funny that you seem to so absent mindedly dismiss omega 3 fatty acids and anti oxidants (which I'm sure you mean because you don't count the cancer causing, cell damaging free radicals...you count the anti oxidants that fight them off). Did you know that omega 3's are crucial for eye, brain, joint, skin, hair, nervous system, cellular function, fat metabolism and several other things. Anti oxidants keep your skin healthy, it helps prevent stress hormones such as cortisol from locking fat into your gut and increasing your blood pressure and such.
And while there is merrit to not counting calories or tracking macros. There is importance to it. I mean if your not getting enough fats, (and healthy fats at that) your body starts to fall apart. Not enough carbs, or too many carbs and you won't gain/lose weight. Not enough protein your muscles go bye bye. And that's not good because muscle keeps you healthy and allows for an easier life.
Most diets fail because people don't know how to. There's nothing fancy to buy. Tuna, mayo, chicken, turkey, fish, vegetables (fresh) rice, potatoes, yams, fruits, maybe some red meats, a multi vitamin and perhaps a protein powder for days you can't get a whole food meal. Please tell me where its fancy. Buying twinkies, fast food, junk food, sodas...that's all fancy. Nothing basic in the human diet about that. Its all processed and manufactured.
Its also funny that you mentioned eating fast food. Dr. Oz mentioned a "fast food diet" which was a portion control diet that allowed people to eat fast food all week. And as all of you know from my thread about him. Dr. Oz is an idiot.
I don't think my post illustrates what I was intending, and now that I'm reading it again it was way too thin on detail. I'll go ahead and say that unless I specify I'm 100% serious, you have to take me with a grain of salt. :)
I totally agree and do what you described as a shopping experience. As a matter of fact we're actually arguing the same side. My posts are usually filled with sarcasm, and most of what I had posted were the typical excuses I hear as to why they don't perform like I have. What I was referring to were the "complicated" diets like Weight Watchers and whatnot, where you have to have books, points, meetings, and take all these notes and track and cry and whatnot. There's a reason they specify in their own literature a ~97% failure rate when leaving their programs. People don't learn anything. The only issue I personally had was portions. I was already a healthy food eater, just too much of it. :)
By the fast food comment I was giving I'll give this as an example. Went out to work-lunch today with a few friends (all women, being the only guy in the office) and we just go to Wendy's for lack of time and options. While they were busy studying the handouts for calories, carbs, etc, and looking on their phones for what they were "allowed" to still have for the day, I walked up and ordered the plain baked potato, cup of chili, and water. That's what I was wanting to begin with, and I didn't have to "settle" like they all did when their phones scolded them. I wasn't intending to mean that's all I ate in that one sentence, was just an example.
Also, I was just being a smartass on the omegas and the free radical parts. I know what they are and what they do, but unfortunately the marketing world has gone apeshit with catchphrases like that so that now there's things like omega-3 candies. They've created markets for people that are willing to spend $45 for a dozen eggs from a special Australian free-range chicken, that happens to live in Indianapolis. Right now I'm looking out my office door at a lady that eats (3) Three Muskateers a day, because they have 45% less fat than an unspecified competitor. I had a vacant stare when she told me that factoid. I really don't think she understood that 1/2 a cocaine habit is still a cocaine habit. :)
And that's why all my coworkers have burned out on losing weight, and platitude themselves that "well he's a man, and they lose weight easier" while drinking a Dr. Pepper. They just burn themselves out "trying so hard" (their words not mine).
I tell people, eat as much as you want. Eat whatever you want, but out training a bad diet is harder work than choking down a "budget" low carb diet. People wonder why I eat hot pockets and crap while on my graveyard shifts at work while still getting leaner
They don't see me training almost 12 times a week. 45 minutes of fasted cardio in the AM everyday. 2 powerlifting sessions, 2 bodybuilding session, 2 olympic lifting sessions, 2 Sport specific (sprint work) sessions, 2 strongman sessions, as well as yoga and hours of foam rolling and stretching. I could probably switch to much less work if I wanted to go back to my "budget keto" diet which is 2oz of cheese, 2 oz of pepperoni, 3 protein shakes per day (nasty ones, not the delicious carb and fat filled kind) 3 cans of tuna and 6 tbsps peanut butter (natural) and enough fiber to keep me regular. I mean may not seem like a big deal but after 7 days of the exact same thing the tuna is like plywood and the peanut butter is glue. The cheese and pepperoni...might as well be dog turd.
Whereas I, who doesn't do all of this exercising, eat a varied diet which consists of one meal - dinner of small to moderate proportions as in one piece of grilled or roasted chicken/meat/fish, 1/2 C green veges plain or a salad, 1/2 C some starchy vege or grain also plain, 16oz. of 2% cow's milk and maybe 4oz. of red wine. More or less, you understand.
But, it may be I can do this and remain healthy for such an old woman because of genetic and metabolic gift.
I've recently been thriving on boiled eggs. I feel it digests easily and helps me keep my energy-levels up, while I'm recovering from month-long illness. Which means I've been eating one boiled egg a day for the past weeks as part of my lunch (to be exact: 1 egg distributed over 4 slices of bread, along with 2 tomato's sliced up, about 35 grams of low-fat-cheese, diet margarine and a small dash of honey). The digital food-diary I keep does not complain about it one bit :) But now I've been told by a friend this habit would contribute to blocking your arteries and that I should cut down to a maximum of 3 eggs a week... :confused:
So I went searching. Found out that an egg contains appr 200 mg cholesterol and this is only in the yoke. This cholesterol is the reason why they say eating too many eggs would elevate your cholesterol-levels in your blood and thus be bad for your heart and vascular system. Indeed: the 3 eggs a week guideline is suggested.
But: several websites debate on whether this cholesterol is that meaningful, since they claim the body can hardly absorb cholesterol from food. It's the saturated fats in foods people should worry about, threatening high cholesterol in their blood. They claim one egg a day is a perfectly reasonable guideline. It's only 70-90 kcal, high in vitamins, low in fat and it keeps your body busy longer when digesting/absorbing than (for example) foods with the same kcal that are high in sugar. Thus eating an egg also prevents the typical sugar-rush/dips people go through after/between meals. Making it perfect for a healthy diet.
I am not a dietician but likely do more than most here to control my own diet and leave something for a pint when I cycle over twenty miles. A way to say that anything can be healthy or unhealthy.
Your diet margarine (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or trans fatty acid) would be doing more harm than the egg. Eggs have been through the down time of bad-for-you and their image has generally been rehabilitated for the reasons you point out. There is nothing wrong with one egg a day. The next point is that we now believe that margarine is actually worse than an equivalent amount of butter. Neither one is "good" so we are looking at less bad. My breakfast each day includes multi-grain toast with BUTTER.
Eggs, butter and even lard are all better for you than margarine.
If it is hydrolized or trans-fatted, it is EVIL.
At least, that's the latest info.
In my "not so humble opinion" if it is man-made, it is UNhealthy. By man-made I mean taking rape seeds and making margarine out of them, not taking milk and making cheese which is what milk can do on its own.
I've been doing a little more jogging and walking lately, mostly because my job will require a fair amount of hiking for the next few months and I have to admit to letting myself get out of field shape. I don't really diet so much as I have a tendency to believe that dieting causes more issues than it creates largely from stress or annoyances or feeling deprived, that well, it can at times be easier to simply do an up-tic in activity than to do a scheduled diet. Plus I enjoy eating a nice hearty midwestern meal with potatos and pork chops and corn etc etc...
ACtually that's not entirely true. I don't have pop/soda/caffineited beverages in my house, though that hasn't stopped me from getting some from external sources. I do however drink lots of water, OJ, and fruit juice. Which I guess is technically a diet of sorts.
Thanks for the input, ladies! And for inspiring me to review butter/margarine.
Now I feel silly. Although I knew how butter is made (Mother Goose telling the fairytale of the spider and the girl churning, being one of my favorites when I was a little girl :)), I had never given margarine a second thought! :o Reading around; margarine is indeed a typical man-made product, even the vitamins get added, whereas they occure naturally in butter. And I had never even guessed butter and margarine are actually about the same in calories and fat! I actually dislike the taste of margarine -have so all my life- but had never considered butter a good alternative even worthwhile to investigate. O my misconceptions... :rolleyes:
Just to see if I understand this correctly: Margarine contains transfats and those are bad, because the body can't digest them. Thus they get absorbed and stored as fat and cause a high cholesterol in the blood. Butter contains cholesterol, but that would make the same story as with the eggs (the body can hardly absorb cholesterol anyways). Correct?
Perhaps asking the obvious; but I used to eat my bread without any fatty substances for quite some time. Until a few years ago I was told by both the internist and an Ayurveda-specialist that it would actually be good for me to put some on it. So what's the "goodness" about it?
@Masked Ermine, yes isn't it funny how diet can get a new meaning? The popularity of people (crash-)dieting would almost make us think it's a word used only for those trying to lose weight. And perhaps for a few who are bound to certain foods by health-issues and allergies. Whereas a diet also just stands for the the food we eat. Sometimes consciously chosen, learned by "la mama" or simply culturally inspired :)
My story in brief I started gym back in Oct2011 then in Nov I was overcome by a bad septocemic infection in my leg soon after few weeks recovery I was back in the gym inspired to lose weight more than anything ten I was 105 kg today I am fitter with 84.5 kg still some way to go but I am exercising to gain strenght and stamina I do not want to bulk up just putting on more muscle at my age muscles can quickly turn into fat.
I walk a lot and I always walked so cardio is not for me.
I do regret having to dispell your ideas re: muscles turning into fat, kievan but WRONG! Muscle fibers do not become transformed into fat they remain muscle.
No, what happens is that you become less active and yet continue to eat as if you were and therefore you lay on fat as fat.
The trick, in the absence of medical conditions, is the same as it has always been - to gain weight: eat more and do less; to lose weight: eat less and do more and to stay the same weight: balance intake with outgo.
Dear RR,
We, our species of human, evolved to eat meats, fruits, vegetables and fats. It is only much later in our evolution that we gained the ability to digest grains. Those are the facts of the case. Now I take this to mean that as long as we stick to adequate amounts of those primordial foodstuffs, we'll be fine - assuming no medical conditions, of course. In discussions with doctors over the years: fats are required esp for women as too low a body fat and her system goes into starvation mode and her reproductive system is shut down - witness those teenage Olympic gymnasts who do not menstruate; also the brain uses sugars to power function and it doesn't matter if it is sucrose or glucose, sugar is sugar as far as the brain is concerned. Therefore: modest amounts of sugars and of fats are entirely proper to eat.
It is also a fact that once we began farming grains (wheat,corn etc) our health worsened and we did not regain our previous health for several centuries afterward. I take this to mean that perhaps our farming and husbandry practices require further investigation hence my reluctance of man-made foods esp in light of our somewhat inadequate medical knowledge even now. The recent BSE scare is a case in point.
Cholesterol is required: "It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes and is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. In addition, cholesterol is an important component for the manufacture of bile acids, steroid hormones, and vitamin D." -wikipedia.
I won't quote the entire article since you can read it for yourself. The question, once again, comes down to amounts and types and your own physiology.
Red,
"Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils" are unnatural fatty substances that result from chemically treating vegetable oil to make it solid, as opposed to liquid, at room temperature. This process prevents them from becoming rancid and yields a longer shelf life for manufacturers and sellers. It also gives us trans-fats which are the worst kind of fat for the body. They are stored in the body but difficult to burn and stay with us a long time and can contribute to plaque in the blood vessels. Bad stuff.
Butter is less bad (as opposed to better) for us because the resulting fat is easier to burn. Butter and other fatty dairy products should be limited but, as Evil points, needed in small quantities. Other oils are similarly less bad with the exception of GOOD Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is a key the success of "the Mediterranean Diet." Note: the Med Diet is not some crash or fad diet but was discovered accidentally when trying to find out why people around the Med have lower incidence of heart disease. What was determined was that the natural diet of this region is based upon fish, nuts, fruits, grains, vegetables, legumes and, especially, olive oil - lots of olive oil. These people consume limited meat, no animal fats such as lard, and little or no other vegetable oils. Olive oil, naturally processed and unfiltered, has many other good things that prevent the development of plaque in blood vessels.
I do have a bit of butter once per day because I like it on toast. Otherwise, olive oil is what I use for cooking and dressing for salads, some flavor on vegetables or, even, fish. The exception to this is Chinese cooking because the olive oil will not withstand the heat, so peanut oil is used in China.
The "goodness about it" is that the body does require some cholesterol to function properly. Do not slab on the butter, add an egg and gammon and dress with Hollandaise sauce (Eggs Benedict)! The bit on the toast is good for you; the rest settles to your butt - or wherever - and your blood vessels.
Grains, especially rice, corn, barley and wheat, depending on the part of the world, were the first grasses to be "domesticated" and are responsible for nomadic lifestyles changing to an agricultural based society. This did take some proteins and vitamins out of the daily diet that were not reintroduced into Northern Europe until the Conquistadores brought potatoes home from Brazil. This replaced wheat flour of Northern Europe as the principal starch in diets and people became healthier. Skeletal remains indicate that there was an increase of average heights indicating better nutrition after the potato. The Mediterraneans kept with their same old diet and evidently have since the area was settled.
I too am trying to diet and eat healthier.I use margarine over butter,but one with canola oil in it because I have heard that it is a better alternative to vegetable oil.I too love my eggs (poached,boiled,scrambled and even fried).These I tend to combine with bacon which is probably worse than the eggs and margarine.I have cut back on the fatty,high cholesterol take away food,and am going to give myself the bacon and fried eggs as a special treat every now and then.I'll stick to the poached or scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast from now on.And more salads and skinned chicken over red meat and carbohydrates.
I see. Thanks for explaining. My butt isn't getting all the movement I'd like it to have. But while my body is working really hard to keep me healthy and since I'm able to do a session of yoga&pilates every morning, I can't really complain :)
A quick question in between; does anyone happen to know a vegetable or fruit that's as high in fiber as blue berries?
I love eating those and since I've discovered them, I've been able to increase my fiber intake to about 35 grams a day :) Do like a bit of variation every now and then, though ;)
[QUOTE=RedRoses;279274]I see. Thanks for explaining. My butt isn't getting all the movement I'd like it to have. But while my body is working really hard to keep me healthy and since I'm able to do a session of yoga&pilates every morning, I can't really complain :)
A quick question in between; does anyone happen to know a vegetable or fruit that's as high in fiber as blue berries?
I love eating those and since I've discovered them, I've been able to increase my fiber intake to about 35 grams a day :) Do like a bit of variation every now and then, though ;)[/QUOTE]
Two that come to mind are beets and sweet potatoes.
But the surprisingly amazing thing about blue berries -that I only recently found out about too- is that 12,5 grams of blue berries contains 1 g of fiber.
By comparison; that equals either of the following:
50 g cranberries
65 g spinach
100 g banana
100 g mandarins
100 g mango
100 g beets
150 g strawberries
200 g cherries
Etc.
It seems to me that of other fruits and veggies I regularly eat, they contain half or less the fibers than blue berries. Knowing that there's other good attributes to those off course! :) It just made me wonder...
[QUOTE=RedRoses;279274]I see. Thanks for explaining. My butt isn't getting all the movement I'd like it to have. But while my body is working really hard to keep me healthy and since I'm able to do a session of yoga&pilates every morning, I can't really complain :)
A quick question in between; does anyone happen to know a vegetable or fruit that's as high in fiber as blue berries?
I love eating those and since I've discovered them, I've been able to increase my fiber intake to about 35 grams a day :) Do like a bit of variation every now and then, though ;)[/QUOTE]
I don't know of any, which is why my breakfast is steel cut oats with walnuts, almonds, blueberries, pistachios, cherries, figs, and ground flax seed.
Did some more research and found that dried figs and plums are a good substitute for blue berries when it comes to fibers :) Dried figs contain about 20% more fibers and dried plums twice as much as blue berries. Off course they're cheating their natural state a bit by being dried and all, but still... ;) Added to the earlier posted list that's:
10 g dried figs
5 g dried plums
Downside: they are higher in calories. Whereas 100g of blueberries is only 65 kCal, 100g of dried plums and figs respectively are 220 and 259 kCal. Putting it in perspective; since you'd have to eat half the amount of dried plums to get the same amount of fibers, that makes it 110 versus 65 kcal.
Upside: while eating the same amount of dried plums you're getting 10 times as much potassium as in blue berries!
100g= 860 vs 85 mg and fyi: for dried figs it's 680 mg, aka: 8 times as much.
Off course there are more differences, but these I considered particularly striking to mention.
Anyways; seems like a good way to have a bit of variation every now and then to me :)
I do use the orange. Its still horrible. Hahaha.
But its like a shot. A few moments of discomfort for a lifetime of health!
And big 25g is the recommended dose. If you ingest higher amounts protein I would recommend a slightly higher dose. Nothing drastic but enough to where your not straining to use the bathroom.
Ducy, the orange flavor depends each brand. I have those by Ratiopharm. They come in handy take-with-you paper sachets. I've checked; no laxatives in it. I even get them covered by insurance. Anyways, I think they taste pretty good :) And either way; you gulp it down so quickly, it's not like enjoying a good glass of wine ;)
Big; the amount of fibers depends on how much you eat. If you eat more, you should eat more fibers. Each 1000 kcal should contain about 14 g of fibers. Since men generally eat a more than women, they generally also need more fibers. The MLDS (Dutch stomach-liver-intestine-association) says your digestive systems would even be very happy with about 40 g of fibers a day, but nobody makes it to that nowadays. O, and to anyone reading this; if you eat very little fibers at the moment, don't suddenly shift to heavy fiber-diet. Not that it's harmful, but you need to gradually add or the system gets upset. Start first with adding more gentle fibers, like more fruits and vegetables, before the wholegrain stuff and such.
Brandye; I'm going to give this a shot! Each morning starting today I'll take a yakult, psylliumfibres, glass of water and a banana. One banana in the morning also seems to settle my system, I discovered some time back. We'll see how this goes! Thank you very much for the advice :)
Thanks for the additional information. I usually start the day with steel cut oats with some blueberries, walnuts, almonds, a couple tablespoons of flax seed meal and a couple brazil nuts to cover the the fibre and other things. Mixed together they're not bad, but it does get old.
Actually, you should get your fiber from vegetables and fruits NOT from grains including bran as the grains & bran block the absorption of nutrients.
Fun,
The flaxseed meal is almost a direct trade-off for the psyllium but costs a bit more. Glad to see another "steel cut" fan; that is my morning routine. The psyllium is about as cheap and convenient way there is to get the firbre and, then, you can vary your breakfast without giving up the benefits and feeling guilty. A nice slice of haggis and a side of black pudding?
I'll probably try the psyllium husk soon. I also like the flax seed for the omega-3 content and yesterday thought I'd try it like you do with the psyllium - quickly downed with a glass of water. Unfortunately it was a new bag and I didn't notice that the seal had broken and it had spoiled. It was not a good day!
Indugling? I'll see your haggis and raise you some poi pancakes with fresh baby coconut!
Ill raise you a ham steak and 4 whole eggs
Pfft - neophytes!
Chocolate covered bananas for breakfast with a drizzle of red wine sauce eaten off the naked tummy of my favorite male.
Why stop at one "indulgence"?
Sounded pretty good...but the naked male ruined it
So go with a naked female tummy then - Ducy - you're soo literal sometimes.
I usually find naked males improve things.
As a retired Physical Educationalist, the message is loud and clear - diet and exercise is the surefire way of losing weight. Cut back on sugars and fats. You can still have your butter and your chocolate, but don't spread the butter on with a builder's trowel and limit your choccy to maybe a square on very rare occasions.
However, regarding the exercise, please ensure you enjoy it. It may be sufficient to walk before you can won. You cannot expect to do the Tour de France straightaway. Just try to enjoy your exercise. be patient and coupled with your sensible eating, your weight should reduce steadily.
I wish I had a pound for every guy (or gal) who had come to my gym, attacked the entire training circuit like a maniac and vomited over my lovely gym floor or maybe passed out. They would never ever come back!! (Such events never happened under my supervision I must add)
So, good luck to you all. Well done for at least having a go!!
Goodonya, girl, keep it up (or down).
Hey guys just gonna bump this thread. I've been studying up on nutrition quite a bit and have learned a quite a bit. Currently testing out my knowledge before actually posting about it.
In the meantime though if you guys could do me a favor I posted a link to my friends facebook page. But this one is a little different. It pertains to dieting and exercise and its my way of giving back to society. Its called "Lift To Be Lifted". Its a page designed to reach out to teens and young adults who suffer depression, low sense of self and lack of motivation/self respect. I'm trying to spread it around. If you can like my page and share it with people that would be amazing. I know that there are tons of people out there who are depressed and struggling. if not I won't hold it against you but the link is in my sig.
Ill be back in a few weeks to update this page with some new tips and tricks to achieving your goal.
Just wanted to share: I'm now officially down 12 pounds!!! :D
Which means I've achieved my first goal: a healthy BMI of 25! :)
So, on to my second goal; getting back to the former weight at which I look my best!
This weightloss means so much more to me than just physically. Because so to speak: it means that both my body and soul are healing :) I've always been a big girl, but am also blessed with a great metabolism that keeps me at a rather steady weight. Because of a lot of stress, followed by a depressive period of coping with loss, I had gained. As contradictory as it may sound; when I don't eat because I feel down, I'm not losing any weight. Even worse: I gain. Ironically: you could almost say that the things I was so desperately holding on to -the things that in the real world had slipped away from me- that those were weighing me down from the inside. In the first few months of coping, it was so heavy it literally was crushing my breathing. There were times I was walking but my legs would move as if I was dragging feetweights like a prisoner. My back and shoulders got cramped up and stuck as if I had been carrying the world like the giant Atlas. My physical therapist called it broken-wings-symptoms. Meaning you carry too much on the place where your wings are supposed to be, making it impossible to fly... to run, to walk, to move, even to breath.
I feel like I'm learning to cope. I feel like I'm learning to give all those things I evidentially still miss a safe and peaceful place inside myself. And that the weight that's become so heavy to cary on my shoulders, is now sliding down of my back. I still have a road to take to free myself; babysteps at a time. I already feel so much lighter; both physically and spiritually true! At the end of this road; I'm sure I will fly again! :)
[QUOTE=Brandye;269708]Unnecessary enemas? Useless. Nothing is accomplished but, recent studies on placebo are encouraging. If you think an enema will make you feel better, by god, it does.[/quote]
So after considerable doubt and in consultation with my physician, I've started on using enema's. The first time it was administered by an alternative health practitioner. She chose special herbs and oils specifically based on my physique and complaints. They're supposed to cleanse, sooth and nurture. But despite the nice music, heated pillows and her calm voice, I could hardly relax and didn't even make it all the way to the required 1 liter intake, because of crampings that caused me to break a terrible sweat. Not much else than the herbal water came running out after. Still, I apparently did good, according to her ;)
But the second time, done by myself in the privacy of my own home, I was able to completely relax. I could feel the fluid going far deeper, even past that terrible corner that's always bugging me in the left lower abdomen. I could hold it in longer too. And OMG, the mess that came out of me after was just... there are no proper words for it :rolleyes: Particularly funny, my belly is more flat on the left at that notorious spot now. It used to make a little bulge, now a little dip, which causes no pain or discomfort what-so-ever. It's been such a long-long time since it felt this good and comfortable :D
I'm half way down this "cure"-treatment now and the effects look very promising. Placebo-effect or not: by god it does help! :)
If anyone would like to know more on enema's, do ask! I now know exactly what should be done.
A quick question on food; I've recently ate my first avocado (well ok, I've had guacamole before, but I didn't have the slightest clue of the ingredients ;)). I find them yummie-yummie-delicious! :) But while keeping up my food-diary -as I do with great care- I also found out it's rather high in fat... :( Though; also high in fibres, potassium and some other minerals/vitamins.
So avocado, good or bad?
PS; as an update on my prior post, I've finished the cure a week ago and my tummy still feels amazingly great :D
avocados are one of the foods that provides your body with healthy fats. it has both monounsaturated and and polyunsaturated fats. the potassium helps in lowering blood pressure. olives are another food that contain healthy fats.
every food in the right portion is good. avocados or guacamole are healthy for you when you eat a proper portion for yourself. eating a whole container/two whole avocados bad, putting a table spoon or two on a mexican dish good. i can give a better post later on today RR.
to add i would like to share a olive spread that i recreated at home. you can get your healthy fats from this spread with the olives and oil. here is how i make it and you will need a food processor.
2 cans of pitted olives(1 green and 1 black)
1 jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil(jar is about 3-4inches tall)
1 large Tbsp of garlic
olive oil
salt
drain the water out of the olive cans first then combine sun dried tomatoes, olives, garlic and process until there are you big chunks of olives. then grind a little salt or pour if it is processed salt. turn the processor on and pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in the mixture.
add there you have it a tasty spread for sandwiches, use it for a dip and get some heart healthy fats instead of cream based products. store in the refrigerator or freeze some for later.
Big, please do! :)
And while at it, perhaps you could give me some advice on how to keep half (or more) an avocado properly stored once cut in half?
I had eaten one half as part of my lunch, covered the other half in foil-plastic and put it in the refrigerator. Only to find it was starting to get gray-ish in the evening, instead of the green-ish color it was. So; I ate the other half as part of my dinner to not let it go to waste. Yes, I know; I'm undereducated when it comes to fresh food! ;) But believe me; I try hard to make up for it :)
Heart Health
Knowing which fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol.
Mono and polyunsaturated fats, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease. Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide "good" fats Avocados contribute good fats to one's diet, providing 3g of mono and 0.5g polyunsaturated fat per 1 oz. serving. A 1-oz. serving of avocado contains 0.5 grams saturated fat and is trans fat- and cholesterol-free. Plus, avocados are also sodium-free.
Other Fats
Avocados are relatively low in calories and fat when compared to others. Butter being the worst because it is has 4 times the amount of calories and fat. 2 Tbsp which is 2-3 thin slices of avocado is 50cal with 4.5g of fat, where butter is 200cal with 23g of fat. here is a good site i found on describing fats - Understanding fats
Helpful Tips
avocados can be used in many recipes as a replacement or an addition. here is a great link by the California avocados farmers that gives tons of recipes to try out. click on healthy living and they also provide all of nutrient facts and how each vitamin or mineral helps your body. CA Avocados
Storing avocados once opened - RR i have squeezed lime juice over the avocado/guacamole to keep it fresh, others have put chopped onions over it. Avocados are sensitive to air, heat, and light. i would recommend you squeeze the lime juice on the left overs, put the avocado in a plastic bag and squeeze out the air before zipping, and store it in a dark spot in your fridge. if it is guacamole then put it in a bowl deep enough where you can push down some plastic wrap over it to air out. after doing all of this the left over must be used within 2-3 days or you chuck it in the trash. it doesn't stay fresh like other preserved fats and is more expensive. when going to my favorite fast food place chipotle mexican grill they charge and extra $1.50 for guacamole because they only keep it for a day.
Exercise without diet is waste.
EDITED: REMOVED SIGNATURE LINK.
MODERATOR 3
Bold statement. But not always true. You can have a terrible diet and still have great workouts. In fact, Dave Tate, a famous powerlifter and owner of Elite FTS eats an absurdly terrible diet. Yes he isn't "healthy" but at the same time, for the number of calories he needed to MAINTAIN his weight, he couldnt possibly eat enough "clean" food.
Yes a spot on nutrition plan will make you cut lbs and turn you into a ripped, shredded, and "healthy" person. A dirty bulk can generally be a godsend to those trying to put on weight in the fastest time possible. In fact after 6 weeks of crap (i.e. fast food, hot pockets etc) food and a high volume workout routine, I gained 13lbs with a DECREASE in bodyfat. The nice thing was that it fit into my schedule (working 6 days a week) since I couldnt sit and eat 6 "clean" meals per day, let alone cook them.
Now my diet is cleaned up a good deal more (although not "healthy" since time constraints leaves most of my protein from shakes) and Im seeing a reduction in bodyfat and a maintanence of lean body mass.
It really comes down to what your goals, wants, and needs are. You want to be the next zyzz. Then you either have to eat and immaculate diet, or you need to juice like a science experiment. If you want to put on as much weight in the least time possible, then hello fast food and twinkies.
Oh and to add on to the thing about healthy fats...
RR eat mayonaisse...its actually full of healthy fats. Most people dont realize it though
I knew something had to be good about mayo ;)
I've astonished my doctors by the fact that when my entire digestive system is a mess, the first solid food I'll be able to eat without it causing crampings and other problems, are these chunks of a sort of frozen mashed potato that you bake in the oven. I'll eat about 3-5 pieces with a (heaped) teaspoon of mayonnaise :) That's my first dinner after not being able to eat for a while and only living of vitamin-juices. The next day I'll add microwave-heated vegetables from glass jars; specifically green beans (if I'll eat fresh vegetables, all gets messy again). And if that goes well; the next day I'll add a small piece of pre-seasoned and marinated chicken to my dinner. They don't know why, I don't know why, but it works. And they're all happy when I start eating again, as am I.
Recently I've lost close to 50 lbs (285 to 238) through a very simple diet and running/weightlifting. The diet I use was given to me by my physician father in-law, and basically I just eat 1/2 of what I would "normally" have eaten. I don't count calories, track anything, or fret about omega whatever's nor free radical whatnots. Instead of a full sandwich, it's 1/2 sandwich. It's 1/2 a steak, or 1/2 a McDonalds meal. I drink only water now instead of soda.
I think too many diets fail because they wear you out. You forget to go to the store and buy all the fancy new things, and you resort to your old ways to survive the day, then another day.
No offense but I listen to about 1/2 of what any doctor ever says about nutrition. Yea portion control helps but does that mean its right? No. Half a line of cocaine is still snorting cocaine. Half of a crap fast food meal is still crap food...just half as much. You may have lost 50lbs but is it 50lbs of fat or 5lbs of fat and a bunch of water/muscle/glycogen?
For example. I recently weighed in one day at 202lbs. This was after a day of hyper hydration, high carb intake and a high volume workout. 2 days later, after drinking 2 gallons of water and eating virtually 0 carbs while doing 2 high volume days, I wound up down to 187...15lbs in 2 days and most of it was due to a loss of water weight, and glycogen. Was it "healthy"? Eh. I also lost 40lbs using portion control a a running/weightlifting program as well. Weighing in at 157 at 19% bodyfat was actually worse than the 197 at 15% bodyfat that I weighed into prior.
Its funny that you seem to so absent mindedly dismiss omega 3 fatty acids and anti oxidants (which I'm sure you mean because you don't count the cancer causing, cell damaging free radicals...you count the anti oxidants that fight them off). Did you know that omega 3's are crucial for eye, brain, joint, skin, hair, nervous system, cellular function, fat metabolism and several other things. Anti oxidants keep your skin healthy, it helps prevent stress hormones such as cortisol from locking fat into your gut and increasing your blood pressure and such.
And while there is merrit to not counting calories or tracking macros. There is importance to it. I mean if your not getting enough fats, (and healthy fats at that) your body starts to fall apart. Not enough carbs, or too many carbs and you won't gain/lose weight. Not enough protein your muscles go bye bye. And that's not good because muscle keeps you healthy and allows for an easier life.
Most diets fail because people don't know how to. There's nothing fancy to buy. Tuna, mayo, chicken, turkey, fish, vegetables (fresh) rice, potatoes, yams, fruits, maybe some red meats, a multi vitamin and perhaps a protein powder for days you can't get a whole food meal. Please tell me where its fancy. Buying twinkies, fast food, junk food, sodas...that's all fancy. Nothing basic in the human diet about that. Its all processed and manufactured.
Its also funny that you mentioned eating fast food. Dr. Oz mentioned a "fast food diet" which was a portion control diet that allowed people to eat fast food all week. And as all of you know from my thread about him. Dr. Oz is an idiot.
Hi,
I don't think my post illustrates what I was intending, and now that I'm reading it again it was way too thin on detail. I'll go ahead and say that unless I specify I'm 100% serious, you have to take me with a grain of salt. :)
I totally agree and do what you described as a shopping experience. As a matter of fact we're actually arguing the same side. My posts are usually filled with sarcasm, and most of what I had posted were the typical excuses I hear as to why they don't perform like I have. What I was referring to were the "complicated" diets like Weight Watchers and whatnot, where you have to have books, points, meetings, and take all these notes and track and cry and whatnot. There's a reason they specify in their own literature a ~97% failure rate when leaving their programs. People don't learn anything. The only issue I personally had was portions. I was already a healthy food eater, just too much of it. :)
By the fast food comment I was giving I'll give this as an example. Went out to work-lunch today with a few friends (all women, being the only guy in the office) and we just go to Wendy's for lack of time and options. While they were busy studying the handouts for calories, carbs, etc, and looking on their phones for what they were "allowed" to still have for the day, I walked up and ordered the plain baked potato, cup of chili, and water. That's what I was wanting to begin with, and I didn't have to "settle" like they all did when their phones scolded them. I wasn't intending to mean that's all I ate in that one sentence, was just an example.
Also, I was just being a smartass on the omegas and the free radical parts. I know what they are and what they do, but unfortunately the marketing world has gone apeshit with catchphrases like that so that now there's things like omega-3 candies. They've created markets for people that are willing to spend $45 for a dozen eggs from a special Australian free-range chicken, that happens to live in Indianapolis. Right now I'm looking out my office door at a lady that eats (3) Three Muskateers a day, because they have 45% less fat than an unspecified competitor. I had a vacant stare when she told me that factoid. I really don't think she understood that 1/2 a cocaine habit is still a cocaine habit. :)
And that's why all my coworkers have burned out on losing weight, and platitude themselves that "well he's a man, and they lose weight easier" while drinking a Dr. Pepper. They just burn themselves out "trying so hard" (their words not mine).
I tell people, eat as much as you want. Eat whatever you want, but out training a bad diet is harder work than choking down a "budget" low carb diet. People wonder why I eat hot pockets and crap while on my graveyard shifts at work while still getting leaner
They don't see me training almost 12 times a week. 45 minutes of fasted cardio in the AM everyday. 2 powerlifting sessions, 2 bodybuilding session, 2 olympic lifting sessions, 2 Sport specific (sprint work) sessions, 2 strongman sessions, as well as yoga and hours of foam rolling and stretching. I could probably switch to much less work if I wanted to go back to my "budget keto" diet which is 2oz of cheese, 2 oz of pepperoni, 3 protein shakes per day (nasty ones, not the delicious carb and fat filled kind) 3 cans of tuna and 6 tbsps peanut butter (natural) and enough fiber to keep me regular. I mean may not seem like a big deal but after 7 days of the exact same thing the tuna is like plywood and the peanut butter is glue. The cheese and pepperoni...might as well be dog turd.
Whereas I, who doesn't do all of this exercising, eat a varied diet which consists of one meal - dinner of small to moderate proportions as in one piece of grilled or roasted chicken/meat/fish, 1/2 C green veges plain or a salad, 1/2 C some starchy vege or grain also plain, 16oz. of 2% cow's milk and maybe 4oz. of red wine. More or less, you understand.
But, it may be I can do this and remain healthy for such an old woman because of genetic and metabolic gift.
A question for the food-experts here :)
I've recently been thriving on boiled eggs. I feel it digests easily and helps me keep my energy-levels up, while I'm recovering from month-long illness. Which means I've been eating one boiled egg a day for the past weeks as part of my lunch (to be exact: 1 egg distributed over 4 slices of bread, along with 2 tomato's sliced up, about 35 grams of low-fat-cheese, diet margarine and a small dash of honey). The digital food-diary I keep does not complain about it one bit :) But now I've been told by a friend this habit would contribute to blocking your arteries and that I should cut down to a maximum of 3 eggs a week... :confused:
So I went searching. Found out that an egg contains appr 200 mg cholesterol and this is only in the yoke. This cholesterol is the reason why they say eating too many eggs would elevate your cholesterol-levels in your blood and thus be bad for your heart and vascular system. Indeed: the 3 eggs a week guideline is suggested.
But: several websites debate on whether this cholesterol is that meaningful, since they claim the body can hardly absorb cholesterol from food. It's the saturated fats in foods people should worry about, threatening high cholesterol in their blood. They claim one egg a day is a perfectly reasonable guideline. It's only 70-90 kcal, high in vitamins, low in fat and it keeps your body busy longer when digesting/absorbing than (for example) foods with the same kcal that are high in sugar. Thus eating an egg also prevents the typical sugar-rush/dips people go through after/between meals. Making it perfect for a healthy diet.
So; what do you say? One egg a day yay or nay?
I am not a dietician but likely do more than most here to control my own diet and leave something for a pint when I cycle over twenty miles. A way to say that anything can be healthy or unhealthy.
Your diet margarine (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or trans fatty acid) would be doing more harm than the egg. Eggs have been through the down time of bad-for-you and their image has generally been rehabilitated for the reasons you point out. There is nothing wrong with one egg a day. The next point is that we now believe that margarine is actually worse than an equivalent amount of butter. Neither one is "good" so we are looking at less bad. My breakfast each day includes multi-grain toast with BUTTER.
Eggs, butter and even lard are all better for you than margarine.
If it is hydrolized or trans-fatted, it is EVIL.
At least, that's the latest info.
In my "not so humble opinion" if it is man-made, it is UNhealthy. By man-made I mean taking rape seeds and making margarine out of them, not taking milk and making cheese which is what milk can do on its own.
I've been doing a little more jogging and walking lately, mostly because my job will require a fair amount of hiking for the next few months and I have to admit to letting myself get out of field shape. I don't really diet so much as I have a tendency to believe that dieting causes more issues than it creates largely from stress or annoyances or feeling deprived, that well, it can at times be easier to simply do an up-tic in activity than to do a scheduled diet. Plus I enjoy eating a nice hearty midwestern meal with potatos and pork chops and corn etc etc...
ACtually that's not entirely true. I don't have pop/soda/caffineited beverages in my house, though that hasn't stopped me from getting some from external sources. I do however drink lots of water, OJ, and fruit juice. Which I guess is technically a diet of sorts.
Thanks for the input, ladies! And for inspiring me to review butter/margarine.
Now I feel silly. Although I knew how butter is made (Mother Goose telling the fairytale of the spider and the girl churning, being one of my favorites when I was a little girl :)), I had never given margarine a second thought! :o Reading around; margarine is indeed a typical man-made product, even the vitamins get added, whereas they occure naturally in butter. And I had never even guessed butter and margarine are actually about the same in calories and fat! I actually dislike the taste of margarine -have so all my life- but had never considered butter a good alternative even worthwhile to investigate. O my misconceptions... :rolleyes:
Just to see if I understand this correctly: Margarine contains transfats and those are bad, because the body can't digest them. Thus they get absorbed and stored as fat and cause a high cholesterol in the blood. Butter contains cholesterol, but that would make the same story as with the eggs (the body can hardly absorb cholesterol anyways). Correct?
Perhaps asking the obvious; but I used to eat my bread without any fatty substances for quite some time. Until a few years ago I was told by both the internist and an Ayurveda-specialist that it would actually be good for me to put some on it. So what's the "goodness" about it?
@Masked Ermine, yes isn't it funny how diet can get a new meaning? The popularity of people (crash-)dieting would almost make us think it's a word used only for those trying to lose weight. And perhaps for a few who are bound to certain foods by health-issues and allergies. Whereas a diet also just stands for the the food we eat. Sometimes consciously chosen, learned by "la mama" or simply culturally inspired :)
My story in brief I started gym back in Oct2011 then in Nov I was overcome by a bad septocemic infection in my leg soon after few weeks recovery I was back in the gym inspired to lose weight more than anything ten I was 105 kg today I am fitter with 84.5 kg still some way to go but I am exercising to gain strenght and stamina I do not want to bulk up just putting on more muscle at my age muscles can quickly turn into fat.
I walk a lot and I always walked so cardio is not for me.
I do regret having to dispell your ideas re: muscles turning into fat, kievan but WRONG! Muscle fibers do not become transformed into fat they remain muscle.
No, what happens is that you become less active and yet continue to eat as if you were and therefore you lay on fat as fat.
The trick, in the absence of medical conditions, is the same as it has always been - to gain weight: eat more and do less; to lose weight: eat less and do more and to stay the same weight: balance intake with outgo.
Dear RR,
We, our species of human, evolved to eat meats, fruits, vegetables and fats. It is only much later in our evolution that we gained the ability to digest grains. Those are the facts of the case. Now I take this to mean that as long as we stick to adequate amounts of those primordial foodstuffs, we'll be fine - assuming no medical conditions, of course. In discussions with doctors over the years: fats are required esp for women as too low a body fat and her system goes into starvation mode and her reproductive system is shut down - witness those teenage Olympic gymnasts who do not menstruate; also the brain uses sugars to power function and it doesn't matter if it is sucrose or glucose, sugar is sugar as far as the brain is concerned. Therefore: modest amounts of sugars and of fats are entirely proper to eat.
It is also a fact that once we began farming grains (wheat,corn etc) our health worsened and we did not regain our previous health for several centuries afterward. I take this to mean that perhaps our farming and husbandry practices require further investigation hence my reluctance of man-made foods esp in light of our somewhat inadequate medical knowledge even now. The recent BSE scare is a case in point.
Cholesterol is required: "It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes and is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. In addition, cholesterol is an important component for the manufacture of bile acids, steroid hormones, and vitamin D." -wikipedia.
I won't quote the entire article since you can read it for yourself. The question, once again, comes down to amounts and types and your own physiology.
Hope this helps!
Red,
"Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils" are unnatural fatty substances that result from chemically treating vegetable oil to make it solid, as opposed to liquid, at room temperature. This process prevents them from becoming rancid and yields a longer shelf life for manufacturers and sellers. It also gives us trans-fats which are the worst kind of fat for the body. They are stored in the body but difficult to burn and stay with us a long time and can contribute to plaque in the blood vessels. Bad stuff.
Butter is less bad (as opposed to better) for us because the resulting fat is easier to burn. Butter and other fatty dairy products should be limited but, as Evil points, needed in small quantities. Other oils are similarly less bad with the exception of GOOD Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is a key the success of "the Mediterranean Diet." Note: the Med Diet is not some crash or fad diet but was discovered accidentally when trying to find out why people around the Med have lower incidence of heart disease. What was determined was that the natural diet of this region is based upon fish, nuts, fruits, grains, vegetables, legumes and, especially, olive oil - lots of olive oil. These people consume limited meat, no animal fats such as lard, and little or no other vegetable oils. Olive oil, naturally processed and unfiltered, has many other good things that prevent the development of plaque in blood vessels.
I do have a bit of butter once per day because I like it on toast. Otherwise, olive oil is what I use for cooking and dressing for salads, some flavor on vegetables or, even, fish. The exception to this is Chinese cooking because the olive oil will not withstand the heat, so peanut oil is used in China.
The "goodness about it" is that the body does require some cholesterol to function properly. Do not slab on the butter, add an egg and gammon and dress with Hollandaise sauce (Eggs Benedict)! The bit on the toast is good for you; the rest settles to your butt - or wherever - and your blood vessels.
Grains, especially rice, corn, barley and wheat, depending on the part of the world, were the first grasses to be "domesticated" and are responsible for nomadic lifestyles changing to an agricultural based society. This did take some proteins and vitamins out of the daily diet that were not reintroduced into Northern Europe until the Conquistadores brought potatoes home from Brazil. This replaced wheat flour of Northern Europe as the principal starch in diets and people became healthier. Skeletal remains indicate that there was an increase of average heights indicating better nutrition after the potato. The Mediterraneans kept with their same old diet and evidently have since the area was settled.
It only settles in your butt if you don't MOVE your butt.
I too am trying to diet and eat healthier.I use margarine over butter,but one with canola oil in it because I have heard that it is a better alternative to vegetable oil.I too love my eggs (poached,boiled,scrambled and even fried).These I tend to combine with bacon which is probably worse than the eggs and margarine.I have cut back on the fatty,high cholesterol take away food,and am going to give myself the bacon and fried eggs as a special treat every now and then.I'll stick to the poached or scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast from now on.And more salads and skinned chicken over red meat and carbohydrates.
I see. Thanks for explaining. My butt isn't getting all the movement I'd like it to have. But while my body is working really hard to keep me healthy and since I'm able to do a session of yoga&pilates every morning, I can't really complain :)
A quick question in between; does anyone happen to know a vegetable or fruit that's as high in fiber as blue berries?
I love eating those and since I've discovered them, I've been able to increase my fiber intake to about 35 grams a day :) Do like a bit of variation every now and then, though ;)
This site doesn't specify which is "as high" but lists plenty of fruits.
[url=http://www.highfiberfoodslists.org/high-fiber-fruits-list.html]Fruits High In Fiber - High Fiber Fruits List
[QUOTE=RedRoses;279274]I see. Thanks for explaining. My butt isn't getting all the movement I'd like it to have. But while my body is working really hard to keep me healthy and since I'm able to do a session of yoga&pilates every morning, I can't really complain :)
A quick question in between; does anyone happen to know a vegetable or fruit that's as high in fiber as blue berries?
I love eating those and since I've discovered them, I've been able to increase my fiber intake to about 35 grams a day :) Do like a bit of variation every now and then, though ;)[/QUOTE]
Two that come to mind are beets and sweet potatoes.
Thanks for the replies :)
But the surprisingly amazing thing about blue berries -that I only recently found out about too- is that 12,5 grams of blue berries contains 1 g of fiber.
By comparison; that equals either of the following:
50 g cranberries
65 g spinach
100 g banana
100 g mandarins
100 g mango
100 g beets
150 g strawberries
200 g cherries
Etc.
It seems to me that of other fruits and veggies I regularly eat, they contain half or less the fibers than blue berries. Knowing that there's other good attributes to those off course! :) It just made me wonder...
Ah! But one banana can easily equal 100 grams in weight.
Yes bananas are good for athletes but not for dieters too much energy
[QUOTE=RedRoses;279274]I see. Thanks for explaining. My butt isn't getting all the movement I'd like it to have. But while my body is working really hard to keep me healthy and since I'm able to do a session of yoga&pilates every morning, I can't really complain :)
A quick question in between; does anyone happen to know a vegetable or fruit that's as high in fiber as blue berries?
I love eating those and since I've discovered them, I've been able to increase my fiber intake to about 35 grams a day :) Do like a bit of variation every now and then, though ;)[/QUOTE]
I don't know of any, which is why my breakfast is steel cut oats with walnuts, almonds, blueberries, pistachios, cherries, figs, and ground flax seed.
Thanks, fun.
Did some more research and found that dried figs and plums are a good substitute for blue berries when it comes to fibers :) Dried figs contain about 20% more fibers and dried plums twice as much as blue berries. Off course they're cheating their natural state a bit by being dried and all, but still... ;) Added to the earlier posted list that's:
10 g dried figs
5 g dried plums
Downside: they are higher in calories. Whereas 100g of blueberries is only 65 kCal, 100g of dried plums and figs respectively are 220 and 259 kCal. Putting it in perspective; since you'd have to eat half the amount of dried plums to get the same amount of fibers, that makes it 110 versus 65 kcal.
Upside: while eating the same amount of dried plums you're getting 10 times as much potassium as in blue berries!
100g= 860 vs 85 mg and fyi: for dried figs it's 680 mg, aka: 8 times as much.
Off course there are more differences, but these I considered particularly striking to mention.
Anyways; seems like a good way to have a bit of variation every now and then to me :)
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