Diet is Really Important

[Spitfire]

When I wake up in the mornings I drink my coffee before anything but after about two hours of being awake I eat breakfast. This has been such a helpful thing to do for my overall well-being. I made sure for the first few weeks to always eat a lunch and a dinner each day before I started eating breakfast. I will forget to eat if I do not remember to remind myself and I just substituted my third cup of coffee for breakfast so I remember to eat something in the morning.

I had mango halves with pure local honey drizzled on them with two breakfast biscuits covered in natural local peanut butter with some honey on those too.

Before lunch, I have a mandarin orange and some king salmon jerky to snack on before making a wrap of beef brisket and the fixings.

I just like to say how important diet has been for me this past month or so, to keep up with a diet consisting of mostly healthy and tasty food. This has been most helpful thing for me to do...

Thanks

 

[timf]

You bring up a very good point. Many people do not appreciate the influence nutrition can have on how we feel. A physician friend once chided me for taking vitamins which he said were not necessary if one ate a balanced diet. I asked him who he knew that ate a balanced diet.

In addition to eating a balanced diet, one may consider that many of the vegetables we are told to eat come from factory farms in California where trace minerals have been depleted decades ago. Some have suggested higher crime and hospitalizations in areas deficient in soil lithium.

One explanation for the higher incidence of Covid among minorities are diets deficient in vegetables and excessive in processed foods.

It might not be a bad idea to occasionally take a multi-vitamin with minerals in addition to finding an eating routine that works for you.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Diet is, to me, useless without enough exercise. I don't mean that obvious deficiencies won't affect someone but rather that the standard western diet of death will feel the same as clean eating if you don't exercise. Whilst when you exercise you notice very quickly if you're eating right.

 

[Spitfire]

It seems locally sourced whole foods and if you like to eat meat try to get quality cuts to eat.

I have some venison packaged away in bites, sausage, and jerky from a family member who gave it to me. I also like to eat whole grains for the breads group, and nothing enriched.

 

[DocNo]

i agree. for me who has migraine headaches since age ten my diet became over the years more and more important. first of all some things like cacao or cheese or noodles made of wheat are like poison for me. it gives me severe headaches and partly increases my heartbeat.

i avoid processed food as much as possible. i also think that here the food industry acts more like a drug dealer and the food is more about pleasure and less about nutrition. but that's another topic i won't get deeper into now.

i also noticed that the kind of food i eat and also the amount has an impact of how i experience heat. so in summer i now started to eat less and also more in the first half of the day and also mainly raw vegetable stuff. so i feel less hot which makes it easier to sleep for me. and it's not a bit it's about two degrees this subjective feeling has moved up with a better diet.

i also noticed that lots of smaller meals are far better and have more an energizing effect and don't take the energy away like a too big portion does. but i guess this is pretty common knowledge but often hard for me to be disciplined about it.

and some time ago i found a list where somebody explained what your body is lacking when you have ravenous appetite for example for chocolate and with what it can be replaced.
and cause i can't eat chocolate cause of the migraines from cacao i started to eat a lot of nuts (mainly peanuts and cashews) and since then i never missed chocolate.

and cause i don't do any sports i always controlled my weight with my diet. but i guess i also have a good metabolism cause i never had weight issues.

and one of the most energizing things are fresh juiced vegetable or fruit juices. this is like an energy drink for me. with that i balanced my acid-base balance and now have less problems with painkillers or coffee which made feel my stomach sometimes strange before i started with the juices.

 

[Spitfire]

I got myself a nice juicer a long time ago and used it all of the time. Carrot juice is incredibly good. Grapes, blueberries, strawberries, with some watermelon and kale is a great drink I liked a lot. I will have to invest in another juicer now to use for healthy drinks next.

 

[DocNo]

I got myself a nice juicer a long time ago and used it all of the time. Carrot juice is incredibly good. Grapes, blueberries, strawberries, with some watermelon and kale is a great drink I liked a lot. I will have to invest in another juicer now to use for healthy drinks next.

my favorites are apple-carrot, apple-carrot-cucumber. another one i like a lot and which is very good for the acid-base balance is carrot-celery-parsley-spinach.

and i also learned that it's a lot about the juicer. this quick rotating juicers are shit. the quick rotation oxidates the juice too much. so you have more foam and also the nutrition value is lower than with a good juicer.

so i have a juicer with a very slow rotating screw. it really makes a difference.
it is also easy to clean and you can rebuy the small parts separately which makes the investment in the long term worth it. and it's also not that expensive (300 euros).

the image is more or less the one i have. mine is a bit older but the concept is the same.
an important thing is the slow rotation (about 80 rotations per minute) if you search for it.

 

[Spitfire]

my favorites are apple-carrot, apple-carrot-cucumber. another one i like a lot and which is very good for the acid-base balance is carrot-celery-parsley-spinach.

and i also learned that it's a lot about the juicer. this quick rotating juicers are shit. the quick rotation oxidates the juice too much. so you have more foam and also the nutrition value is lower than with a good juicer.

so i have a juicer with a very slow rotating screw. it really makes a difference.
it is also easy to clean and you can rebuy the small parts separately which makes the investment in the long term worth it. and it's also not that expensive (300 euros).

the image is more or less the one i have. mine is a bit older but the concept is the same.
an important thing is the slow rotation (about 80 rotations per minute) if you search for it.

That one looks like a really nice one and thanks for the slow rotating ones tip too. My old one was the faster spinning ones but it was a higher end model, and it would still foam and waste too much I thought.

 

[DocNo]

That one looks like a really nice one and thanks for the slow rotating ones tip too. My old one was the faster spinning ones but it was a higher end model, and it would still foam and waste too much I thought.

exactly.

the faster spinning has four downsides. foam, less output, lower nutrition and it deteriorates quicker if you for example store it for some time in the fridge.
and if you store it in the fridge take something like jam jars cause then nearly no air gets into it and also fill it very full to not have too much air in it.

but in general i advice to drink it pretty fresh.

 

[Rustysoupcan]

I totally agree that diet is important, maybe the most important, but it's the hardest thing to do when depressed and it's such a shame. I wish I could just have a normal diet, but I can barely get myself to eat anything, let alone balanced meals. Even when I'm doing okay, I despise cooking, and I dont enjoy eating healthy food. I've pretty much succumbed to my illness and figured my even try to eat healthy when it wont last and I wont enjoy it. I'll at least try to enjoy one thing in this world

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

No matter how important diet is I don't think I can survive on anything people consider healthy. I only feel full when I've eaten massive quantities of unhealthy food. Every night my stomach grumbles in agony if I haven't had an extra bag of chips or bowl of ice cream after dinner. I've already lost some weight during the pandemic because I used to eat even more beforehand. I would go out and get some McDonald's or whatever.

Food also tastes worse to me if I realize it's healthy. Unhealthy food is the only thing that will go down and fill me up. I don't know if it's a weird placebo effect because even being aware of it didn't make it stop happening.

 

[Fehler]

I had mango halves with pure local honey drizzled on them with two breakfast biscuits covered in natural local peanut butter with some honey on those too.

That sounds very appetizing. I'm glad you're doing well
Although I could, I'm too lazy to cook and I like pre-cooked food too much.

 

[stygal]

I also think diet is very important. It always affected my mood and overall well-being (sleep, digestion, skin) greatly when I only ate processed foods over a long period of time (got really sick and sluggish in the end).
Though I do include some treats everyday (because otherwise it's too restrictive) I try to mainly stick to legumes, vegetables and fruits (and some other unprocessed stuff).
I definitely feel my best eating those.

 

[Spitfire]

It is actually amazing because I was using drive through instant food for a while a little while back, and after a while I started feeling horrible. I was only eating like once a day etc... There were other factors involved but the extremely poor nutritional intake happening makes me wonder a little too.

I am eating healthy and have been since the last week of January on my own. Prior to that my sister cooked and fed me for three months and she focused on high Kcal content nutrition.

This is one of the first times when I would have choosen and prepared the food making it in a healthier way now this time.

The thing that is amazing is how the healthy food starts tasting really good, and then the junk food begins to take on a bad taste to me.

 

[Meditation guide]

It is actually amazing because I was using drive through instant food for a while a little while back, and after a while I started feeling horrible. I was only eating like once a day etc... There were other factors involved but the extremely poor nutritional intake happening makes me wonder a little too.

I am eating healthy and have been since the last week of January on my own. Prior to that my sister cooked and fed me for three months and she focused on high Kcal content nutrition.

This is one of the first times when I would have choosen and prepared the food making it in a healthier way now this time.

The thing that is amazing is how the healthy food starts tasting really good, and then the junk food begins to take on a bad taste to me.

I've been eating really healthy for a couple of months with zero junk or sugar and I feel so much better and also notice my skin and energy levels being much better. It just came naturally to me to eat this way after I finally told about some of the old traumas I have had but had never talked about. I kept everything bottled up. So then suddenly I noticed I had no desire to eat bad food or sugar. I can't look at sugar foods now.

Anyway what you are saying about the importance of diet is very true.

 

[Spitfire]

I ate a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit made by a locally owned breakfast diner this morning after drinking my coffee. And I have a third cup of coffee at the same time this morning with my food. It is kind of funny but this always happens to me wherever I go it seems.

I show up and suddenly all of these people whom I have literally just met are bringing me all sorts of food and always coffee's every time.

I work closely with a lot of people right now, and everyone has just started bringing me tons of food to give to me for some reason? I never ask for this but it always happens...

It is cool though, except sometimes when the people do not coordinate this activity, I will sometimes end up having two or three extra large coffees and several sandwiches and too much stuff, Lol, hahahaha

 

[140 bpm]

Diet is number one thing for me now.

I've never thought how "what you eat" and "when you eat" really influence your mood, brain activity and how you feel in general. Last year, I've got the job, where I always had meal schedule. Every day breakfast 5:30, launch 11:30 dinner 6:30.
I've completely stopped eat meat and found out that fish and vegetables can be really Delicious.
Plus I've started to keep an attention on sugar. They put it everywhere, anyway. So the more sweets you eat - more hard for you body deal with it.
Food - just a resource to survive. It's main mission for stuff which goes inside your mouth.
You'll get in shape if start doing it right even without excises. You body will start burn fats and assign calories the right way by itself.

So I can relate 100%.

 

[ohhgeeitsme]

It makes a huge difference, but also isn't a complete fix for me personally. Luckily, most of my favorite foods are healthy so it's not difficult for me. I love a good avocado.

 

[Shadowrider]

Yeah it is very true! Your eating habits do correlate with how you feel - both physically and psychically.
I assume we all know that one should develop healthy eating habits - vegs, fruits, whole grains, pulses, nuts blah blah blah, artificial things and empty calories should be consumed only once or twice a week blah blah blah... I think there are very few people who are unaware of this in 2021.

The hardest part is the apathy. When you are bored with your life, you could not care less about your not-so-optimal nutrition. When you suffer from self-hatred, you simply don't think you deserve something good to eat.

The ugly A-word makes it even worse. Call me difficult or superstitious but I don't even want to pronounce or write it down.
You know, the thing that forces you to follow insane diets - anyone w/o the ugly A-word in their lives would ask "and... is this diet supposed to be taken before meals, or after 'em?" -; the thing that makes you happy in a morbid way when you begin to look quite scary; the thing that is supposed to be only an angsty, trendy teenage girls' thing (but in reality, both women and men and nonbinary persons are involved, not only trendy people, and one doesn't just grow out of it after reaching a certain age); the thing that gives you the illusion of being safe when you control your calories (while in reality, it's your control controlling you).
You know what this ugly A-word is, I suppose.

But eating right should be important, yes.

For me, brown rice and miso soup are life-savers. (They say these are the very things that even cancer patients after chemo can endure w/o getting sick! Cannot know for sure but this is what I heard.)
The same goes for apples. Sometimes I think I would be long dead without them.

 

[Meditation guide]

I get bags of very small Honeycrisp apples. I'm hooked on them. And grapefruit every day. I actually crave these.

 

[feast or famine]

I wish I had the willpower to incorporate and stick to a healthy diet. I've found that eating is a crutch for me and something that makes me feel better. Convenience and boredom are the two biggest factors as to why I'm pouring hot cheetos and kitkats down my throat like they're going out of style.

I should really work on this, lol. Diet plays a huge role in the quality of our mental health.

 

[DocNo]

For me, brown rice and miso soup are life-savers. (They say these are the very things that even cancer patients after chemo can endure w/o getting sick! Cannot know for sure but this is what I heard.)
The same goes for apples. Sometimes I think I would be long dead without them.

i also was for some time deep into miso soup. but cause i am a lazy ass it always was the instant miso which is nice but can't compete with a real miso soup.

apples i also like but i got more and more picky. they have to be hard and fresh. if they are too mushy i don't like them.

and since my suicidal phase 2,5 years ago i am crazy about carrots. my breakfast the last 2,5 years was nearly exclusive 4-5 raw carrots. helped a lot with my digestion and since them it seems that i can digest gluten food better than before. before that gluten food gave me a lot of flatulence.

 

[waived]

Learning to prepare and cook food means access to a more diverse diet (nutrients), possibly enjoying the time set aside for it, and self confidence in a skillset you can work on at home.

 

[Spitfire]

I get bags of very small Honeycrisp apples. I'm hooked on them. And grapefruit every day. I actually crave these.

I love grapefruits too. You just have to slice them in half, and then eat them piece by piece right out of their own supplied bowl.

 

[Meditation guide]

Apples have micronutrients. And I get huge navel oranges that for me are better than any candy. One orange is a meal.

 

[Spitfire]

Everything will be coming back in season again soon to get fresh fruits and vegetables, and that should be cool to get some and make something to eat!

 

[waived]

Recovery could use a cooking megathread.

 

[Throwawaysoul]

I wish I knew how to eat healthy. The rare times I don't panic in the grocery store..
I have no idea what to get in the produce section, when I do get something half of it gets wasted. I look at recipes that need dozens of ingredients that put the cost of a single meal over $20 and chances are I'll mess it up so I always need a backup meal. I would get subscription meals if they didn't come in ridiculous boxes covered in logos so all my neighbors know I'm a lazy stupid bastard. That being said, I'm sure my diet is 60% of my problem or one of the only things I haven't properly tried.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

I wish I knew how to eat healthy. The rare times I don't panic in the grocery store..
I have no idea what to get in the produce section, when I do get something half of it gets wasted. I look at recipes that need dozens of ingredients that put the cost of a single meal over $20 and chances are I'll mess it up so I always need a backup meal. I would get subscription meals if they didn't come in ridiculous boxes covered in logos so all my neighbors know I'm a lazy stupid bastard. That being said, I'm sure my diet is 60% of my problem or one of the only things I haven't properly tried.

If you want to keep it simple then ignore the fruits and go for the vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, that kind of thing (pick what you like eating the most, duh).

 

[stygal]

If you want to keep it simple then ignore the fruits and go for the vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, that kind of thing (pick what you like eating the most, duh).

Broccoli is very high in vitamin c so it definitely counts as a "fruit replacement".
I've been eating lots of broccoli, kale and spinach to get get most of my micronutrients in in the last 3 months and I already feel a bit better vs. a diet based on mostly bread, cheese, yogurt, crisps and candy (like the two years before that).