Nutrition and eating well group

My relative lack of hair.

Also, fig season is over here.

This seems relevant:

clover wrote:

Oooh, maybe I'll get some dates today. The dried apricots are a good idea too... I already eat a lot of avocado and almonds so this should keep me in business.

Thanks!

Just be careful with those dates.

IMAGE(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SulA8o87m_M/TzqsAlPm2_I/AAAAAAAABvc/1Ne80buvM3U/s1600/BadDates.jpg)

So apparently I really need to try lentils. I get the bulk of my protein from lean chicken breast and eggs (and semi-regular servings of low-sodium turkey bacon), but I would welcome a cheaper supplement to my diet.

Workings nights, I'm forced to cook and bag my lunch, dinner, and any snacks I'd need. At first, I thought this would be a huge inconvenience; over the years, however, I've found it's been one of the biggest motivators to keeping my diet clean. Tonight, for example, I have baked chicken breast with a slice of cheese, baked kale, some turkey bacon, a banana, and a small can of low-sodium V8.

Lentils would be a good substitute for a serving of egg in your diet. You'd have to eat a hell of a lot of lentils to get sufficient protein if you were going to try swapping out chicken for lentils.

DanB wrote:

Lentils would be a good substitute for a serving of egg in your diet. You'd have to eat a hell of a lot of lentils to get sufficient protein if you were going to try swapping out chicken for lentils.

Not full-on swapping, just supplementing. So as you say, rotate in some lentil soup or whatever in place of eggs a few days a week.

I am going to start eating well again starting tomorrow. My personal fitness plans have really been derailed for the last half-year, but no more!

94% yesterday. Missed on water, B12, Fe, Mg, K, and fiber.

So today I went out to lunch with a group and wanted to order something with lots of B12, since I've not been getting enough lately and I don't take a multivitamin for various reasons. I got a full order of mussels, about 40, and ate the whole thing (it was in a green coconut curry base, yum). This is like 5500% RDA of B12.

About 30 minutes later? I feel SO GREAT. Seriously, amazing.

And I felt extra sharp for the rest of the afternoon- I was in a fairly technical workshop that would have been a drag otherwise. So, hmm, picked up a B12 supplement on the way home, yeah.

clover wrote:

94% yesterday. Missed on water, B12, Fe, Mg, K, and fiber.

So today I went out to lunch with a group and wanted to order something with lots of B12, since I've not been getting enough lately and I don't take a multivitamin for various reasons. I got a full order of mussels, about 40, and ate the whole thing (it was in a green coconut curry base, yum). This is like 5500% RDA of B12.

About 30 minutes later? I feel SO GREAT. Seriously, amazing.

(snip)

And I felt extra sharp for the rest of the afternoon- I was in a fairly technical workshop that would have been a drag otherwise. So, hmm, picked up a B12 supplement on the way home, yeah.

Hmm....that 5 hour energy stuff (that I assume must be selling really well because of the ridiculous number of ads on tv) has 8333% RDA of B12.

And what's the % score you're referring to?

Cod wrote:

And what's the % score you're referring to?

I use CRON-O-Meter to track my stuff. I'm less into the CR (calorie restriction) and more into the ON (optimal nutrition) part, but it breaks everything down by vitamins and amino acids and whatnot, instead of just calories/fat/carbs/protein.

So the percentage is my overall "nutritional targets achieved".

You can make a free account and try it out here. The mobile apps sync to the web app, which is nice.

This from a friend of mine:
http://morebroccolilesschips.tumblr....

IMAGE(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/404086_10101071535351578_1532454414_n.jpg)

My Fiancee made a flow chart.

KingGorilla wrote:

IMAGE(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/404086_10101071535351578_1532454414_n.jpg)

My Fiancee made a flow chart.

I love it. I'm taping that the outside of the snack-cupboard, where all the naughtiness lives.

KingGorilla wrote:

IMAGE(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/404086_10101071535351578_1532454414_n.jpg)

My Fiancee made a flow chart.

That's incredible.

Jonman wrote:

I love it. I'm taping that the outside of the snack-cupboard, where all the naughtiness lives. :)

Protip: Don't have a snack cupboard

I'm sorry, but I keep seeing that spot where the lines cross without proper bridges and it breaks my head.

Would she doesn't mind if I steal her base idea, though?

ZaneRockfist wrote:

I am going to start eating well again starting tomorrow. My personal fitness plans have really been derailed for the last half-year, but no more!

Well, did you?

Dinner for tonight was baked chicken breast with a slice of melted cheese on top. That took up about a quarter of my plate. The other 75 percent was comprised of a heaping pile of kale, baked in EVOO, and garnished with garlic powder. I washed it down with a glass of lowfat milk (with Ovaltine).

I've since learned that garlic salt (not powder), is the only thing in the world that makes kale palatable for me. Eating it hot helps, but without that garlic, each forkful is a struggle.

For kale try shredding it fairly finely and sweating it in a saucepan with a couple of table spoons of water (as you might with spinach). When nearly cooked through turn through a little butter or EVOO and some fresh chilli and keep stirring until finished.

That's the only kale/cavoo Nero recipe that I can stomach.

DanB wrote:

For kale try shredding it fairly finely and sweating it in a saucepan with a couple of table spoons of water (as you might with spinach). When nearly cooked through turn through a little butter or EVOO and some fresh chilli and keep stirring until finished.

That's the only kale/cavoo Nero recipe that I can stomach.

That's basically what I do with it... swap in a little cayenne when there's no chilis.

Wow. I love the stuff just steamed, with a bit of butter and a little lemon salt. It also makes awesome colcannon in place of the cabbage.

Great protein bar recipe KG, tasty stuff, thanks!

Steaming veggies is a really great way to handle them in general, most of the people I know who "don't like vegetables" were raised, much as I was, only ever having them boiled to death. Steaming and raw are all good tools to help get over that gustatory trama and discover that they're actually rather tasty and need not be a mushy mess.

I like that recipe too Krev. You need to fiddle with the water and PB on drier days I discovered. Fr us, making our own saves a ton of money. Even going to Sams Club or CostCo, the bars are like 3 bucks a pop.

You can also jazz up the veggies.

Grilling Zucchini, Asparagus, Broccoli adds an entirely new flavor dynamic. Zucchini, Squash, Carrot made into kebabs are wonderful.

You can flavor them up without butter and salt-Parmesian cheese is nice on most green veggies, lemon juice is also good.

This actually reminds me, I need to get a new fan style basket for veggies.

One thing I've always struggled with when weight lifting is getting enough daily calories (2000-2500) without eating a ton of fat in the process. Most foods that are high in calories are also high in fat, and vice versa for low calorie foods. Anyone have any go to foods to get those extra calories without the fat?

For muscle mass maintenance most people need about between 0.8 and 1g of protein per day for every kilo of lean body mass. If you want to put on muscle mass you'll typically want to increase that intake to around 1-1.4g (per kg of lean body mass).

Also my understanding is that you should have something carby prior to training and hit the protein soon after the weights session. That certainly appears to be the normal pattern in my gym.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/26...

http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/sa/fil...

These apply to anyone wanting to build muscle, really. I think a lot of men and women are keen to get more muscle/toning and lose fat. Adding in more protein rich foods, cutting processed carbs is good for just about anyone. At the extreme end-like adding ice cream to protein shakes you are at full on body building stuff.

You may want to look into a properly monitored high protein diet. My greatest muscle building progress was on Atkins.

What you want are not so much high calorie foods, but the calorie dense foods. Your stomach can only handle so much volume in each meal, each snack.

You still want to avoid highly processed carbs and sugars. These will help turn the surplus calories into fat, not muscle.

Some quick tips-chug a protein shake on your way to the gym to lift weights. You MUST lift 7 days a week if you are coupling a high calorie diet for this purpose. Do not skip breakfast; point of fact you need to eat 2-3 eggs or an omlette or a cup of yogurt, etc. the moment you get out of bed. Increase your intake of Fish. These are pure protein, with valuable fats.

EDIT: Also, as this is a serious diet and exercise endeavor, go to your doctor.

KingGorilla wrote:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/26...

http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/sa/fil...

These apply to anyone wanting to build muscle, really. I think a lot of men and women are keen to get more muscle/toning and lose fat. Adding in more protein rich foods, cutting processed carbs is good for just about anyone. At the extreme end-like adding ice cream to protein shakes you are at full on body building stuff.

You may want to look into a properly monitored high protein diet. My greatest muscle building progress was on Atkins.

What you want are not so much high calorie foods, but the calorie dense foods. Your stomach can only handle so much volume in each meal, each snack.

You still want to avoid highly processed carbs and sugars. These will help turn the surplus calories into fat, not muscle.

Some quick tips-chug a protein shake on your way to the gym to lift weights. You MUST lift 7 days a week if you are coupling a high calorie diet for this purpose. Do not skip breakfast; point of fact you need to eat 2-3 eggs or an omlette or a cup of yogurt, etc. the moment you get out of bed. Increase your intake of Fish. These are pure protein, with valuable fats.

EDIT: Also, as this is a serious diet and exercise endeavor, go to your doctor.

Forgot to mention I'm taking in between 200-220 grams of protein a day.

Interesting documentary on probable health benefits of Calorie Restriction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfna...

I currently need a morning 'pick me up' that isn't too high in calories, and isn't considered a 'non food'.

I'm currently not getting enough sleep, but there is no way around that for the next month or so. I tend to be a little grumpy on caffeinated drinks, but I can handle that if I know I am going to commit to something 'healthy' in that regard.

At present, Pepsi Next is not the best breakfast drink, but it does the job, and only carries 60 calories.

'Doing the job' parameters:
It is cheap, easy to grab out of the fridge while trying to get the kids ready in the morning, it tastes 'OK'.

If I was to make a batch of coffee to keep in the fridge, do I make it like I would normally? ie, if I make a liter of it, do I make it using 4 cups (250ml) worth of ingredients and would that be a much better alternative?

m0nk3yboy wrote:

I currently need a morning 'pick me up' that isn't too high in calories, and isn't considered a 'non food'.

A big glass of water, and then another big glass of water. Leave it in a jug in the fridge with a halved lime in it.

Great point Maq, you may find, as I have in reducing my caffiene intake, that quite a few of those 'cravings' were actually just thirst. Plus it's kind of a double win since caffiene is also a diuretic.

krev82 wrote:

artificial sweeteners.

Although there isn't any real evidence that dietary levels of artificial sweeteners are anything other than benign.

krev82 wrote:

As a suggestion consider trying other replacements, grabbing an apple or other piece of fruit instead may have slightly more calories than the Pepsi's 60 but they're not the 'empty calories' of sugar loaded coffee or pepsi.

Except most fruit are just a chunk of fibre and a bunch of simple sugars. If you're trying to do any kind of calorie restriction stick to berries.

Maq wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

I currently need a morning 'pick me up' that isn't too high in calories, and isn't considered a 'non food'.

A big glass of water, and then another big glass of water. Leave it in a jug in the fridge with a halved lime in it.

+1

Nothing stops you needing a morning pick me up quite like not having a caffeine addiction.