Eat this, Dont Eat That

[Pilot]

I saw that book in the bookstore recent, and thought it was great reading. I just saw that Mens Health has it summarized on their website, its definitely educational and worth reading

http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/

[JeepNude]

That's not bad. Thanks for the link!

Being a vegetarian myself, I almost never eat at any of the places they mention. Well, except Burger King, the BK Veggie burger isn't bad. Odd that they did not mention the BK Veggie in their Burger King report.

True, eating habbits are the worst ever. Nutritionists are always trying to figure out why people gravitate to unhealthy fast foods over salads and fruit baskets. Simple, it's CHEAP! Heck, if I ate fast food off of value menus, I would cut my food bill into a small fraction of what it is now! I might die from it, but so what? I would have more money to spend on stupid stuff.

If I didn't earn the kind of salary that I do, I don't think I would be able to maintain the nutritious diet I do. Being a vegetarian (the healthy way) is NOT cheap and requires a lot of driving to places with fresh produce. That takes time and money. For the average American on a budget with little time to spare, the Taco Bell value menu looks pretty good.

[Pilot]

A lot of those foods I would not have eaten anyways, but then there were some surprises, like the Ruby Tuesday turkey burger, and the fish tacos from on the border, are so high in calories and fat. I figured nachos and fried onion strips were not good, but didnt realize how bad.

I think one of the biggest surprises though, was with yogurt that has fruit in the bottom, and how is has the same sugar as a can of pop. Sure enough, this morning I looked on the label, and yep, it was full of high fructose corn syrup. Far better to have plain yogurt and add fruit to it on your own, or even just add granola on top.

I had read that Quiznos does not make their nutritional data easy to find, and could see why with that sandwich of theirs.

I dont think one has to make drastic changes in diet to be healthier, unless one is just eating horribly. For most people, cutting out the very worse stuff, along with less soft drinks, can really make a big difference.

[baregreg]

Thanks for the link Pilot.

@JeepNude

As that you are a vegetarian, how do you get your protein?

Thanks

[Midwest Buck]

Like everything else, moderation is the key. Not that I do it, there is nothing wrong with getting a Carl's Jr. Double $6 burger or the Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries once in a while - just not every day. Make up for it by eating healthier the rest of the week. It doesn't take a genius to figure out something that is deep fried with creamy ranch or lots of mayo may be a high calorie item.

By the way, I gravitate towards the "unhealthy" foods because I like the taste. I get cravings for some good french fries, never peas.

[Ken Palmer]

This book sounds interesting.

Ken Palmer





I saw that book in the bookstore recent, and thought it was great reading. I just saw that Mens Health has it summarized on their website, its definitely educational and worth reading

http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/

[Fitz1980]

Good article but I've gotta say that some of it should be followed by the phrase "well duh." I work at one of the restaurants that gets a pretty low grade in that article. We are also the home of the worst starter. A few months ago we got some new items on the menu, including some new burgers with triple thick bacon and one with three different slices of cheese. At the employee meeting where we were introduced to the new items I made some comment to the effect of "what health food craze, not at this restaurant." And sure enough I was right. The new burgers with their extra thick bacon, ranch dressing and all kinds of cheese sell like crazy. We've got a guiltless menu with several low-fat/low-carb items but lots of people want the tasty stuff.

[JeepNude]

@JeepNude

As that you are a vegetarian, how do you get your protein?

Thanks

Glad you asked!!!

First of all, protein is easy to come by in the vegetarian world through various forms. For instance, beans and rice together make up a complete protein. Corn and beans also make a complete protein (sounds weird alone, but when you make chili and cornbread, they sound better together). Also, some dairy products contain protein. Eggs are a great source of protein. We have lots of chickens so we get PLENTY of eggs! I steer clear of the yolks most of the time, the dogs eat those. I usually just consume the whites (no cholesterol).

Also, about once, sometimes twice a month, I eat some fish. But, I only eat kosher foods, so my fish choices are usually salmon or trout. I simply LOVE salmon! If my mom went deep sea fishing more foten, I would be eating it more often. I got a little excited this year when I found out that they are opening a salmon fish hatchery a few miles from my home. Goody! I can't wait for some super fresh fish from there this year!!!

The vegetarian thing wasn't because I went all political or became a PETA supporter. I went vegetarian years ago because I wanted to only eat fresh, mostly raw foods. At first, I was a vegan, but after about 6 months of that, and finally becoming physically healthy, I started mixing in some dairy and fish because my nutritionist (who is a militant PETA member!) said I needed it. Even though she is a big PETA type, she even admits that I am a lot better off with the occasional fish and the dairy products.

[country nude]

True, eating habbits are the worst ever. Nutritionists are always trying to figure out why people gravitate to unhealthy fast foods over salads and fruit baskets. Simple, it's CHEAP! Heck, if I ate fast food off of value menus, I would cut my food bill into a small fraction of what it is now! I might die from it, but so what? I would have more money to spend on stupid stuff.



Don't forget, it tastes better.:laugh: I think it might be somewhat the instinct of self-preservation. You can live longer off a high-fat burger than a salad.:p It becomes a problem when we eat too much. So if you like being a vegetarian, enjoy. Obviously you know what you're doing.

[JeepNude]

It tastes better, ha ha!! I forgot about that!!

Well, this might sound odd, but since I have been eating this way for so long, I actually can't stand the taste of red meat anymore. Keep in mind, I used to BBQ a tri-tip every weekend and eat off of it the rest of the week. Also, used to go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse a lot too.

My major turning point was when I had a stroke. I found out that my cholesterol was way too high and it had plugged some of the blood vessels in my body and brain. I went through some therapy to cleanse my heart and blood vessels (a cholesterol scrubbbing) and was on meds for it. I changed my diet to keep my cholesterol down, and evetually was able to stop taking the chemicals (prescription meds) to fight cholesterol. Years later, here I am still healthy, and still not taking cholesterol meds of any kind. If I went back to my old diet, I would be in trouble again real quick.

Having a stroke sucks. Although, thank God, mine was very minor- I still don't want another. I lost my pilot's license and suffered greatly from it. Now that I am healthy and active again, I don't want to go back to the old diet. Maybe my brain has told me that meat tastes bad, maybe it is all in my head.

Either way, I just can't go back.

[Croydon]

I pretty much have a sensible eating habit. I basically try to eat something every 3-4hrs. My current trainer has gotten me on a food cycle that has worked well for me.

What I have learned is that I can eat anything I want as long as I don't go over the amount of calories someone my age, weight, and height needs. I try to keep each meal under 300 calories. I also don't deprive myself of things I really want. For ex: yesterday I cooked pasta with ground turkey and tomato sauce along with garlic bread. I know that the meal alone is high in calories and carbs. In order to enjoy it guilt free, I limited my meals throughout the day. I had egg white omelette, baked potato and toast in the morning. I had a light lunch of sandwich, and then had my delicious dinner. I cut the calories early in the day to have my pasta. A few years ago I eliminated two things from my diet: soda (I never ever drink them) and I check the label of foods to ensure no high fructose corn syrup.

In addition to food, I work out at the gym. I workout 5 days/wk. My workout consist of weight training 4x/wk and 45 min of cardio 5 days/wk

Thanks to all the work, I manage to keep myself in shape and not gain any weight.

[SilentJ]

I caught part of an interview on CBC's "The Hour" with the author of "In Defense of Food". He said that healthy eating basically boils down to eating more food that goes bad. In other words, eat more fresh food and not the overly processed stuff that can sit on shelves for ages. He also recommended buying more food from the perimeter of the store and less from the aisles. I had never thought of it that way before, but the food on the edge of the store is generally pretty healthy.

In regards to the extra expense of buying good food, you also have to consider that your medical bills will likely go down as a result of eating well. And you'll feel much better, which is hard to put a price tag on.

[Pilot]

Having a stroke sucks. Although, thank God, mine was very minor- I still don't want another. I lost my pilot's license and suffered greatly from it. Now that I am healthy and active again, I don't want to go back to the old diet. Maybe my brain has told me that meat tastes bad, maybe it is all in my head.

Either way, I just can't go back.

I would rather keep my pilots license too, since it is my profession.

Sounds like you made some permanent changes, instead of how people do some temporary change or fad, then go right back to how they were before.

One of my friend was doing Adkins pretty hardcore, and he lost about 40 lbs. I just cut out the worst offenders (white bread, colas, no buffets), and lost about 25 lbs. As soon as he went back off adkins, he regained much of his loss, whereas I kept that weight off, since mine was not a temporary change.

I think another point just made about eating healthy may be more expensive but can forestall later medical bills is valid. Overly processed foods arent entirely good for you, and are often high in sodium. Whole grains, vegetables and other unprocessed foods are probably much healthier.

[nacktman]

I have always lived by the axiom:"Don't eat the yellow snow!" and I have led a healthy life and continue to lead a healthy life.
My advise/advice is for everyone to follow that axiom!;)

[JeepNude]

I would rather keep my pilots license too, since it is my profession.

I just flew for fun, no major loss. If it were you, it would have been devastating!! I pray it never happens to you!

Sounds like you made some permanent changes, instead of how people do some temporary change or fad, then go right back to how they were before.

Yes, these changes were permanent! My life depends on it!

One of my friend was doing Adkins pretty hardcore, and he lost about 40 lbs. I just cut out the worst offenders (white bread, colas, no buffets), and lost about 25 lbs. As soon as he went back off adkins, he regained much of his loss, whereas I kept that weight off, since mine was not a temporary change.

I have a few friends that were on Atkins. They all lost weight. However, they all also developed medical problems because of it. One had kidneys shut down, another had his gums and teeth start falling out of his head. His wife developed migraines. The premis of the diet sounds O.K.- Your body will burn its internal carbs for energy if you stop taking in carbs, which results in weight loss through internal consumtion of stored tissue. But, the implementation sounds very scary for a long-term solution.

I think another point just made about eating healthy may be more expensive but can forestall later medical bills is valid. Overly processed foods arent entirely good for you, and are often high in sodium. Whole grains, vegetables and other unprocessed foods are probably much healthier.


Agree 100%!!!

[natravellers]

Hi, longtime lurker and seldom poster here. This is a very interesting thread to me as my wife and I started being primarily vegetarian with trying to be mostly vegan. Not easy, but we're doing it.
After us both reading a book titled The China Study, our views on nutrition and how it affects our health are changed forever. Also, it exposes how the agricultural conglomerates and the US government are responsible for promoting the "healthy" foods that are killing us.
The author is T Colin Campbell Phd, published in 2006 by BenBella Books of Dallas Tx.
Jeep Nude, glad to hear your health has improved through diet changes. A fellow pilot here also.
NT

[JeepNude]

natravellers, Thank you for the post! No, going vegan isn't easy at first, but I applaud you for making the effort. If you do go all vegan, make sure you supplement your diet with vitamin B-12!! If not, you will get those dark, sunk in eyes and other vegan malnoruishment physical traits like dry cracking skin, etc.

I will look into the book youmentioned. I thirst for knowledge! Sounds like there will be some really good info in it. Thank you so much for the suggestion!

The book that was the big turning point for me is called "What would Jesus eat?". Examining the diet that our Lord followed really made a lot of sense to me and opened my eyes to not only what is unhealthy for us but WHY it is unhealthy. After the stroke, I knew I needed to make diet changes if I wanted to extend my lifespan beyond my 40's. I was searching for the right diet to follow and that book landed in my hands at just the right time. Divine intervention???

Although I never ate unclean meats or unkosher foods, now I know WHY it is a bad idea to eat them. That book made a big difference in the way I look at food. I lost a ton of weight when I started eating the way Jesus ate. And, I got a lot healthier too. Then, I gradually worked out all meats and other animal products for a while, as I mentioned. After 6 months, I worked some fish and dairy back into my diet and I have been very healthy ever since! I feel better now than I did when I was 20.