Nutrition advice

iDad74
iDad74 Posts: 61 Member
edited December 15 in Food and Nutrition
I have the workout thing down. I'm a beast in the gym. Nutrition....ehhh, different story. I need help. I do know I'm not looking for a diet; I need a total change in how I view and consume food. I eat like a teenager and I'm 44. Anyone have any advice... anything that has worked for you...a good book to read, video to watch, etc.?

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    What does it mean to "eat like a teenager"?

    When you think about eating like an adult, what would look different than what you're currently doing?

    Do you want to cook more of your own meals? Eat more vegetables? Eat fewer calories? Get more nutrients?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited December 2018
    iDad74 wrote: »
    I have the workout thing down. I'm a beast in the gym. Nutrition....ehhh, different story. I need help. I do know I'm not looking for a diet; I need a total change in how I view and consume food. I eat like a teenager and I'm 44. Anyone have any advice... anything that has worked for you...a good book to read, video to watch, etc.?

    Eat some fruit and veg, get adequate protein, eat food you like...

    That's eating like a grown up to me?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    For me, I started trying to eat more veggies. I also learned from my food log that I was low on protein and fiber, so I started focusing on that too. I still eat either Oreos, ice cream, or cereal in milk pretty much every day though, no reason to be perfect :smile:

    You might need to be more specific to get more targeted answers.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    iDad74 wrote: »
    I have the workout thing down. I'm a beast in the gym. Nutrition....ehhh, different story. I need help. I do know I'm not looking for a diet; I need a total change in how I view and consume food. I eat like a teenager and I'm 44. Anyone have any advice... anything that has worked for you...a good book to read, video to watch, etc.?

    I made several permanent dietary changes after reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and watching "Food, Inc."

    "Omnivore's Dilemma" is available in my library system so perhaps yours as well.

    Library systems are also a great resource for cookbooks - you can try them, and only buy them after knowing you like them.

    Another way to get recipe ideas is to subscribe to sites like allrecipes.com, who will email you recipes periodically.

    And if one of your goals is to eat more vegetables, I was always "meh" about cauliflower before I had Buffalo cauliflower at a restaurant. Now I make it with this recipe - https://www.franksredhot.com/recipes/Buffalo-Cauliflower-Bites or if I want a smaller batch just fry it in a little butter and oil and then add Frank's when it is cooked.

    Lots of people here grew up on canned vegetables and have since discovered a love for roasting veggies.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    A good step is basing meals around protein and some vegetables, and then filling out the meal/calories with other foods. It also can make it easier to have some standard go-tos, like a standard breakfast you know fits your goals, or a pattern for what a dinner should look like (common one would be meat, vegetables, some kind of starch, cook with olive oil or add a dressing with some fat to a salad).

    The Harvard Nutrition site isn't bad: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

    My Plate gets flak, but really isn't bad either: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlate
  • iDad74
    iDad74 Posts: 61 Member
    Thanks for the advice and the literature referals. Half of my issue is that I'm just ignorant about nutrition in general which is why I'm not just interested in a diet, but learning more so I can understand my food choices. appreciate it folks.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited December 2018
    To me my diet is pretty healthy. I cook at home most of the time, I get plenty of protein and fruits and vegetables, and I limit my "junk" as in chips and fast food and things like that. I think the choosemyplate.gov is a good place for general nutrition info.
  • macrob73
    macrob73 Posts: 4 Member
    edited December 2018
    I felt the same way for a long time. There is SO much conflicting information out there about what you should and shouldn’t eat. I finally started paying attention to what was IN our foods. I did more and more research and I didn’t like what I was learning. I decided based off of what I learned that I wanted to move to plant based eating. When you say you’re not looking for a “diet”, I think that’s a great start! Most of the diets out there (keto, low carb, low fat, Atkins, etc.) are not sustainable. I slowly made the switch to a plant based (vegan) diet in January. I immediately started feeling better! I no longer get sick, I don’t have the aches and pains that I used to (because of low to no inflammation) and I have maintained my weight. I do supplement things like amino acids that our bodies don’t produce, as well as taking vitamins daily. You have to find what works for you, your body and your life style. Good luck!! 😊
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    macrob73 wrote: »
    I felt the same way for a long time. There is SO much conflicting information out there about what you should and shouldn’t eat. I finally started paying attention to what was IN our foods. I did more and more research and I didn’t like what I was learning. I decided based off of what I learned that I wanted to move to plant based eating. When you say you’re not looking for a “diet”, I think that’s a great start! Most of the diets out there (keto, low carb, low fat, Atkins, etc.) are not sustainable. I slowly made the switch to a plant based (vegan) diet in January. I immediately started feeling better! I no longer get sick, I don’t have the aches and pains that I used to (because of low to no inflammation) and I have maintained my weight. I do supplement things like amino acids that our bodies don’t produce, as well as taking vitamins daily. You have to find what works for you, your body and your life style. Good luck!! 😊

    All essential amino acids (AKA, those our bodies don't produce) can be found in plant foods.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Seems like every diet today claims that it prevents inflammation. This idea that we are all inflamed seems to be one of the current things diet gurus tell you. And you can find people on every special diet (which most certainly includes WFPB) insisting all ills are cured just by their new way of eating.

    Since this is true for all diets, and people who push their own way of eating often have drastically different ways and will say all other ways are bad, that is precisely why I was saying it was not helpful for someone just wanting a basic understanding of healthy eating.

    (That said, I respect ethical veganism as an expression of an ethical POV, and will second the point that all essentially amino acids can be found in plant foods. Personally I'd supplement B12 and DHA/EPA, although the only thing that is necessary is probably B12.)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Seems like every diet today claims that it prevents inflammation. This idea that we are all inflamed seems to be one of the current things diet gurus tell you. And you can find people on every special diet (which most certainly includes WFPB) insisting all ills are cured just by their new way of eating.

    Since this is true for all diets, and people who push their own way of eating often have drastically different ways and will say all other ways are bad, that is precisely why I was saying it was not helpful for someone just wanting a basic understanding of healthy eating.

    (That said, I respect ethical veganism as an expression of an ethical POV, and will second the point that all essentially amino acids can be found in plant foods. Personally I'd supplement B12 and DHA/EPA, although the only thing that is necessary is probably B12.)

    I completely agree on B12, it's vital for plant-based people (defined as people who eat only plants) to supplement this (or eat foods that are fortified with it). I personally supplement DHA/EPA. While the science isn't yet conclusive on it, I've seen enough to convince me that it's probably a good idea for me to supplement it (and there is no downside that I can see, other than the cost of the supplement).
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    funkycamper wrote: »
    NutritionFacts presents the results of scientific studies. That's all. For people who have specific health issues, the information is extremely helpful. I don't understand how science can be extremist.

    In addition to what kimny said, which I agree with, the OP asked for basic nutrition information to get him started in adjusting his overall diet. I think a basic, non controversial, comprehensive site about what an overall healthy diet involves and with some tips to improving yours is what's called for (and what I tried to give).

    Getting a site that focusing on specific foods and suggests possible benefits and harms (even Greger will admit that in some cases it's very unproven and later studies change his mind) doesn't actually help someone needing the basics, and Greger also is involved in the diet wars and takes positions that are extremely controversial even among other vegans.

    I think if someone wants help in figuring out a healthy diet as a beginner, staying far, far away from the diet wars, which can be confusing even for people who have been thinking about this for a long time, is a good idea.

    What actually constitutes a good diet is pretty simple: get enough protein, have a good amount of vegetables and ideally some fruit if you like it, figure out a way to not overeat, moderate/limit high cal/low nutrition foods. There's a bit more to it, but nothing too controversial or complicated. (Which reminds me, this is a decent article, OP: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/science-compared-every-diet-and-the-winner-is-real-food/284595/)

    Greger will go into things like this fruit is better than this other fruit or this vegetable is better than this other vegetable or why you should include flax seed or super foods, blah, blah, which just makes things SO MUCH MORE complicated than the reality. Eat vegetables, a variety. Don't worry if kale has more nutrients than chard or vice versa. If you prefer spinach and will eat it with enjoyment, no need to eat kale (if you don't like it) instead. Eat fruits you like and which are convenient, don't think you need acai berries. So on.

    And the "meat will kill you, fat will kill you, carbs are evil and will kill you" fights are even worse and so, so, so irrelevant to most people.

    Right, my mom is currently refusing to plant and eat curly parsley in favor of flat parsley because of minutia like this.
  • iDad74
    iDad74 Posts: 61 Member
    macrob73 wrote: »
    I felt the same way for a long time. There is SO much conflicting information out there about what you should and shouldn’t eat. I finally started paying attention to what was IN our foods. I did more and more research and I didn’t like what I was learning. I decided based off of what I learned that I wanted to move to plant based eating. When you say you’re not looking for a “diet”, I think that’s a great start! Most of the diets out there (keto, low carb, low fat, Atkins, etc.) are not sustainable. I slowly made the switch to a plant based (vegan) diet in January. I immediately started feeling better! I no longer get sick, I don’t have the aches and pains that I used to (because of low to no inflammation) and I have maintained my weight. I do supplement things like amino acids that our bodies don’t produce, as well as taking vitamins daily. You have to find what works for you, your body and your life style. Good luck!! 😊

    Vegan is pretty hard core but sounds like you've found what works for you. That's awesome!
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    edited December 2018
    Honestly, I am with the people who say that most folks overcomplicate nutrition.

    If you are trying to do something specific with your weight (lose, maintain, or gain), then your calorie goal is the top concern.

    Next are macros, which depend a lot on your goals. First, make sure you’re meeting your protein goal. Baseline protein goal is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, but as you are working out a lot, you may wish to increase that to 1 gram/kg. Some people in the strength training community advocate even more protein than that, and some say that is enough, so I would head over to the “Gaining weight” board and check out what they have to say if you’re actively trying to build muscle.

    After protein, take a look at fats. Recommended fat range for the general population is 20-35% of your daily calories, but this also varies depending on your preferences and goals. For example, people who choose a keto diet routinely get a much higher percentage of their calories from fat.

    Carbs generally fill in the rest of your diet. If you find that your energy level is low, you might try increasing carbs and decreasing fat. Also, if you are doing a lot of cardio or are an endurance athlete, you may prefer a higher carb diet. You do not have to eat a low carb diet unless you want to or your doctor prescribed it to treat a medical condition.

    Most people can meet their micronutrient goals by eating a varied diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, since these foods are rich in vitamins and minerals. If there are foods you exclude from your diet, then make sure you’re getting the relevant micronutrients from other sources. For example, people who don’t eat meat will need to get iron from plant sources, fortified foods, and/or supplements. In addition, if you have a diagnosed deficiency, you should focus on getting those nutrients. If you are concerned about potential micronutrient deficiencies, see your doctor for testing.
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