Full Version: Healthy Eating
Recently I realized I need to get my act together when it comes to food (as do a lot of people I'm sure). So I started doing some research about healthy eating, and living in general, but mainly eating. I've been reading about Trans vs. Cis Fat, unsaturated, dehydrogenated fats, LDL cholesterol, ect. I enjoy learning the chemistry behind it because I think that is the base of it all, plus it helps me understand why something should or should not be eaten.
Ok, anyway, in a hope to change habits of myself and maybe some of yall too, I was thinking we could all exchange information on healthy eating. I feel if habits can be changed then lifestyle can be changed, which is really the root of the problem for most people.
So what do you do to eat healthy?
Do you have any tricks or tips to help you remember how or why something is healthy or help you keep on the healthy side of food?
What one change would you recommend (either that you've tried/use or have heard has worked well, and I don't mean diets)?
(ps. if you do know the chemistry behind anything go ahead and put it down, if not it doesn't matter)
Ok, anyway, in a hope to change habits of myself and maybe some of yall too, I was thinking we could all exchange information on healthy eating. I feel if habits can be changed then lifestyle can be changed, which is really the root of the problem for most people.
So what do you do to eat healthy?
Do you have any tricks or tips to help you remember how or why something is healthy or help you keep on the healthy side of food?
What one change would you recommend (either that you've tried/use or have heard has worked well, and I don't mean diets)?
(ps. if you do know the chemistry behind anything go ahead and put it down, if not it doesn't matter)
This is a topic that runs close to my heart. Thanks for thinking of it! 
I was a 300+ pound (not sure how many stone that is and am afraid to know) 14 year old kid. I ate up to six meals that would be like a dinner to a normal person, per day. I would eat a bag of Doritos (large bag of course) during the first half of Voltron after school.
I made a change to my eating in three drastic ways (and started exercising and never looked back)
1.) I stopped eating for "flavor". This is a simple concept. Use NOTHING in your food that is added solely for the "taste". I put those words in quotes because they are, you will find out, completely relative concepts. After eating naked food (unprotected by sauces, spreads and dashes of stuff) for a while I came to realize that food actually tastes GOOD on it's own! You would be amazed to know that a cold, baked potato, eaten like an apple, is very sweet. Wheat bread has subtle flavors that change as you chew and based on what part of the slice you eat.
The real point to this is psychological. People tend to eat too much for enjoyment and not so much because they need fuel. By taking some of the raw, lecherous pleasure out of the eating (until you rediscover the real taste of food) you MIGHT be able to learn to eat for energy and not for that yummy feeling in your mouth.
2.) This one everyone seems to know. Because the chemical process of digesting food has a 20 minute (or so) delayed trigger, it is impossible for us to know right when we have had enough food. Thus, we keep stuffing our faces and over-fill our stomachs. This causes a series of chemical processes to enagage that can actually become habit forming. You increase your production of stomach acids and you spike your insulin levels (which makes you feel suddenly energetic and then completely, flat-out tired). This leads to no exercise (perhaps excepting the use of fingers on a remote or keyboard) after eating. This is bad.
The easy solution to this is the have fiv eor more small meals per day instead of a couple large ones. I like to eat my carbohydrates earlier in the day and my proteins and vegetables at the end of the day. Fruits are usually mini-meals interspersed throughout the day.
3.) Drink water when you feel hungry. Often the hunger will go away with just a glass of H2O. If it does not you are really hungry. Drink LOTS of water.
I was a 300+ pound (not sure how many stone that is and am afraid to know) 14 year old kid. I ate up to six meals that would be like a dinner to a normal person, per day. I would eat a bag of Doritos (large bag of course) during the first half of Voltron after school.
I made a change to my eating in three drastic ways (and started exercising and never looked back)
1.) I stopped eating for "flavor". This is a simple concept. Use NOTHING in your food that is added solely for the "taste". I put those words in quotes because they are, you will find out, completely relative concepts. After eating naked food (unprotected by sauces, spreads and dashes of stuff) for a while I came to realize that food actually tastes GOOD on it's own! You would be amazed to know that a cold, baked potato, eaten like an apple, is very sweet. Wheat bread has subtle flavors that change as you chew and based on what part of the slice you eat.
The real point to this is psychological. People tend to eat too much for enjoyment and not so much because they need fuel. By taking some of the raw, lecherous pleasure out of the eating (until you rediscover the real taste of food) you MIGHT be able to learn to eat for energy and not for that yummy feeling in your mouth.
2.) This one everyone seems to know. Because the chemical process of digesting food has a 20 minute (or so) delayed trigger, it is impossible for us to know right when we have had enough food. Thus, we keep stuffing our faces and over-fill our stomachs. This causes a series of chemical processes to enagage that can actually become habit forming. You increase your production of stomach acids and you spike your insulin levels (which makes you feel suddenly energetic and then completely, flat-out tired). This leads to no exercise (perhaps excepting the use of fingers on a remote or keyboard) after eating. This is bad.
The easy solution to this is the have fiv eor more small meals per day instead of a couple large ones. I like to eat my carbohydrates earlier in the day and my proteins and vegetables at the end of the day. Fruits are usually mini-meals interspersed throughout the day.
3.) Drink water when you feel hungry. Often the hunger will go away with just a glass of H2O. If it does not you are really hungry. Drink LOTS of water.
Hi D.A.
Im not sure what your concerns are, whether its weight , high cholesterol, sugar or all, or just general maintenance. We all eventually get to this point, when its time to start substituting the things we (think we) love for better things, so Im happy for you that youre asking, and I hope I can help because I LOVE food, have studied it and try to live healthy but not too strictly.
Ive been a chef, which meant cooking really fattening in past times ( butter etc), but I also lived in the Mediterranean which supposedly has the best diet and I took from there some lifelong-lifesavers. Food can be great, better even, with a change to healthy, and a change of mentality. It doesnt have to be boring and I think everything tastes much better once you change (and mellow) your palate. ( From fake foods prevalent here, to real ones)
There are some truthful, time honored basics.
High quality natural foods, lean meats and fish (the best and freshest you can find), vegetables and fruit, whole grain breads and even vegetable pastas made from tomato and spinach will be delicious, sparing yourself both white pasta and the grainy whole grain (ugh) ones. I was both macrobiotic and vegetarian before and although I think both are great, its not fun for beginners and some of it is just cruel to oneself and uneccessary if you dont have moral objections. So:
The least processed foods you eat put you immediately in the right direction from day one, no matter what the mix. Define the things you like, all naturale and start to eat plenty of it, apples, oranges, avocados, tomatoes? You can eat almost anything when you stay close to the natural forms. If you love raspberries, strawberries buy them fresh or frozen and eat them in droves, with yogurt, even a little honey and cream, its better than ice cream. (All berries for example are high in fiber and antioxidents) Supplant chips with nuts, within limits and get good quality nuts.
No boxed meals (theyre full of chemicals, fat and fast carbs) and no fast foods, except perhaps Subway low fat- low carb, which is owned by doctors who have made a sort of plan, and they are only really so-so but if you HAVE to...
This means you have to cook or watch anything you eat in a restaurant and burgers and fries (with those white buns, ketchup, mayo, relish, etc) are OUT.
Deep fried foods and high fat beef HAVE to be the first thing to go. Ground beef is SO high in fat, french fries and chips of any kind are carcinogenic, but I eat them too, if only Sometimes, and that is two times a year at most. Heres the facts: A burger is 900 calories, half of your recomended daily IF you are active.
Im not sure what your economic level is but if you can pay a little more to go to places that do clean grilled meats and fish with salads or roasted veggies its going to be good. Boiled and steamed veggies can be a terrible bore but roasted and low oil stir fried veggies are really good.
Forget creamed salad dressing (trans fats). There are great oil and vinegar dressings on the market that are not the nasty old vinegars of yester-year. Or just use olive, oil salt and pepper, a bit of dijon mustard and a decent touch of balsamic mixed up. Add arugula and bitter greens to salad for flavor instead of just iceberg which seems to need creamy dressing. I like blue cheese so I add crumbles with olive oil instead of creamy dressings, reducing fat intake by at least half.
If you cook, high quality spices are something to learn about. Not only are most natural spices medicinal in quality, but they will change an eating experience from vinegar based american spices ( ketchup, yellow mustard, ranch dressing, relish, steak sauce, pickles; destructive for the palate) to a more mellow and pleasurable eating experience. You can change any chicken breast or pork tenderloin from South of France to Mexican, Indian, Greek or plain old Mom's good cooking. Buy a good European Bistro cookbook or 30 minute meals by that woman who does them on TV, shes good. It doesnt matter if its low fat or anything, it will teach how to cook with spices and simply prepare natural home meals in a short time.
High fiber, high protein cereal in the morning, maybe with some fruit instead of a breakfast burrito or donut, pastry or a sausage McMuffin. Fiber and protein allows you a longer time between hunger and reduces weight, I think Go Lean Crunch is pretty tasty or low sugar granolas and real oatmeal -if you like it is super good for you, (oat fiber, antioxidants, digestive protectors, heat, its a life food and weight reducer) or shredded wheat all help lower cholesterol and also help lose weight.
Cook with and use first cold press virgin olive oil always. Costco and Sams sell it cheaper than any grocery. Forget you ever knew regular vegetable oil, its crap. Olive oil lowers cholesterol, has a great taste, even for the occasional splurge on pancakes, french toast or popcorn. It automatically lowers your butter intake and helps clean your arteries.
High cocoa levels in chocolate. If you can stand it, and its aquired but its good, dark chocolate, maybe with orange or mint. A Milky Way or Hersheys bar should never again pass your lips. Theres nearly no chocolate in it only sugar.
Todays studies indicate that 1 oz of high pure cocoa daily can lenghthen your life. So you can eat a small amount of 85% cocoa everyday and be happier. It increases natural endorphine levels. These bars are found in any gourmet grocery, and you dont need much to feel satisfied, good all around.
I like tuna, egg salads, and potato and macaroni salads in summer. I substitute half to 2/3 low fat yogurt in anything that would normally take mayonaise. You can do this on sandwiches as well if you mix it up in a bowl, but only to eat right away as the water in yogurt will soggy your bread over time. In salads it holds with no problem. Yogurt has acidophilus which is the natural bacteria in the intestine that guards against disease.
I guess its all about substitutions, so I have to talk about drinks.
I dont reccomend nutrisweet, diet drinks, (aspartame has been considered to cause other health problems, controversially Parkinsons and MS, perhaps true, perhaps not , but dark diet drinks are known not to be good for diabetics) However you look at it, its 90% chemicals and no nutritional quality. Water is the best or 1/3 to 1/2 fruit juice mixed with water. Emergen C's are fizzy and vitamin fortified if you just cant handle water alone. $9.00 for 30, much cheaper than any drink. Just save a few water bottles and mix it up and keep it in the fridge, they have loads of flavors.
http://www.mothernature.com/shop/sections/index.cfm/s/99616
I know this has been long. I just had to pour out what I know in this field, and much luck. It may not have been 'chemistry' but it is about 'nutrients'.
I think if you have a health/food issue and you mostly fix it, you can still sometimes eat cake, which is better than not ever being able to eat cake again.
Im not sure what your concerns are, whether its weight , high cholesterol, sugar or all, or just general maintenance. We all eventually get to this point, when its time to start substituting the things we (think we) love for better things, so Im happy for you that youre asking, and I hope I can help because I LOVE food, have studied it and try to live healthy but not too strictly.
Ive been a chef, which meant cooking really fattening in past times ( butter etc), but I also lived in the Mediterranean which supposedly has the best diet and I took from there some lifelong-lifesavers. Food can be great, better even, with a change to healthy, and a change of mentality. It doesnt have to be boring and I think everything tastes much better once you change (and mellow) your palate. ( From fake foods prevalent here, to real ones)
There are some truthful, time honored basics.
High quality natural foods, lean meats and fish (the best and freshest you can find), vegetables and fruit, whole grain breads and even vegetable pastas made from tomato and spinach will be delicious, sparing yourself both white pasta and the grainy whole grain (ugh) ones. I was both macrobiotic and vegetarian before and although I think both are great, its not fun for beginners and some of it is just cruel to oneself and uneccessary if you dont have moral objections. So:
The least processed foods you eat put you immediately in the right direction from day one, no matter what the mix. Define the things you like, all naturale and start to eat plenty of it, apples, oranges, avocados, tomatoes? You can eat almost anything when you stay close to the natural forms. If you love raspberries, strawberries buy them fresh or frozen and eat them in droves, with yogurt, even a little honey and cream, its better than ice cream. (All berries for example are high in fiber and antioxidents) Supplant chips with nuts, within limits and get good quality nuts.
No boxed meals (theyre full of chemicals, fat and fast carbs) and no fast foods, except perhaps Subway low fat- low carb, which is owned by doctors who have made a sort of plan, and they are only really so-so but if you HAVE to...
This means you have to cook or watch anything you eat in a restaurant and burgers and fries (with those white buns, ketchup, mayo, relish, etc) are OUT.
Deep fried foods and high fat beef HAVE to be the first thing to go. Ground beef is SO high in fat, french fries and chips of any kind are carcinogenic, but I eat them too, if only Sometimes, and that is two times a year at most. Heres the facts: A burger is 900 calories, half of your recomended daily IF you are active.
Im not sure what your economic level is but if you can pay a little more to go to places that do clean grilled meats and fish with salads or roasted veggies its going to be good. Boiled and steamed veggies can be a terrible bore but roasted and low oil stir fried veggies are really good.
Forget creamed salad dressing (trans fats). There are great oil and vinegar dressings on the market that are not the nasty old vinegars of yester-year. Or just use olive, oil salt and pepper, a bit of dijon mustard and a decent touch of balsamic mixed up. Add arugula and bitter greens to salad for flavor instead of just iceberg which seems to need creamy dressing. I like blue cheese so I add crumbles with olive oil instead of creamy dressings, reducing fat intake by at least half.
If you cook, high quality spices are something to learn about. Not only are most natural spices medicinal in quality, but they will change an eating experience from vinegar based american spices ( ketchup, yellow mustard, ranch dressing, relish, steak sauce, pickles; destructive for the palate) to a more mellow and pleasurable eating experience. You can change any chicken breast or pork tenderloin from South of France to Mexican, Indian, Greek or plain old Mom's good cooking. Buy a good European Bistro cookbook or 30 minute meals by that woman who does them on TV, shes good. It doesnt matter if its low fat or anything, it will teach how to cook with spices and simply prepare natural home meals in a short time.
High fiber, high protein cereal in the morning, maybe with some fruit instead of a breakfast burrito or donut, pastry or a sausage McMuffin. Fiber and protein allows you a longer time between hunger and reduces weight, I think Go Lean Crunch is pretty tasty or low sugar granolas and real oatmeal -if you like it is super good for you, (oat fiber, antioxidants, digestive protectors, heat, its a life food and weight reducer) or shredded wheat all help lower cholesterol and also help lose weight.
Cook with and use first cold press virgin olive oil always. Costco and Sams sell it cheaper than any grocery. Forget you ever knew regular vegetable oil, its crap. Olive oil lowers cholesterol, has a great taste, even for the occasional splurge on pancakes, french toast or popcorn. It automatically lowers your butter intake and helps clean your arteries.
High cocoa levels in chocolate. If you can stand it, and its aquired but its good, dark chocolate, maybe with orange or mint. A Milky Way or Hersheys bar should never again pass your lips. Theres nearly no chocolate in it only sugar.
Todays studies indicate that 1 oz of high pure cocoa daily can lenghthen your life. So you can eat a small amount of 85% cocoa everyday and be happier. It increases natural endorphine levels. These bars are found in any gourmet grocery, and you dont need much to feel satisfied, good all around.
I like tuna, egg salads, and potato and macaroni salads in summer. I substitute half to 2/3 low fat yogurt in anything that would normally take mayonaise. You can do this on sandwiches as well if you mix it up in a bowl, but only to eat right away as the water in yogurt will soggy your bread over time. In salads it holds with no problem. Yogurt has acidophilus which is the natural bacteria in the intestine that guards against disease.
I guess its all about substitutions, so I have to talk about drinks.
I dont reccomend nutrisweet, diet drinks, (aspartame has been considered to cause other health problems, controversially Parkinsons and MS, perhaps true, perhaps not , but dark diet drinks are known not to be good for diabetics) However you look at it, its 90% chemicals and no nutritional quality. Water is the best or 1/3 to 1/2 fruit juice mixed with water. Emergen C's are fizzy and vitamin fortified if you just cant handle water alone. $9.00 for 30, much cheaper than any drink. Just save a few water bottles and mix it up and keep it in the fridge, they have loads of flavors.
http://www.mothernature.com/shop/sections/index.cfm/s/99616
I know this has been long. I just had to pour out what I know in this field, and much luck. It may not have been 'chemistry' but it is about 'nutrients'.
I think if you have a health/food issue and you mostly fix it, you can still sometimes eat cake, which is better than not ever being able to eat cake again.
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