Question on Nutrients

foolforcarbos
foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am not going to lie, I do not like veggies. Sorry. I don't eat broccoli, cauliflower, squash, sprouts, or really anything besides: romaine and spinach lettuce, and green beans. LOL For fruits, it seems I like apples.

So, looking at my nutrients since logging my food here, I notice the following, and am curious what suggestions this group may have to help raise the level of the following:

Fiber. I eat, on average, 20 grams a day. That's it.

Vitamin C is around 20% daily, and Vitamin A is usually about nil.

Iron. Unless I am consuming red meat, I don't get much iron. Same with calcium. I really get that from drinking organic whole milk, but not a whole lot more.

Potassium. I am usually around 500-600 mg and no where close to 3,500 mg a day. I know some will say eat avocados, but I am not really into that, and they are hard right now to find in my area. San Antonio is buying them off the back of the truck it appears.

So I guess I am asking, is there a supplement or food choice that I am missing to get more Vitamin C (and A), iron, potassium, and a bit more fiber?

My confusion is if we are counting calories, along with what foods we eat, how can we get these things into our diet without sacrificing our calorie intake? Or how can we incorporate foods that provide both, our calories (at a reasonable level) and more of our nutritional levels for these things?

Thank for answering if you have suggestions.
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Replies

  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    I'll try to go in order here, to those kind enough to respond.

    Dear psychod787, I am not sure why but I always see your profile pic as washed out white, and anything you post is just blank. I do not know why. I have never set your profile to Ignore or Block and can't imagine why I have never seen anything you have said, to anyone. It's weird.

    Janejellyroll, thanks for the warning about some of the supplements. Some friends were telling me to just go get some iron supplements but I was holding off for better information.

    Lemurcat2, I am sorry if you feel I was slamming anyone for my keto and processed foods. I still am stating I am not eating processed foods and am still trying to hit the macros for a typical keto diet. So while you find this amusing, nothing has changed on my end. I am still pushing forward and have stated all along that I may not hit or rarely hit ketosis, and that I am not making that an issue or a big deal.

    That said, Lemurcat2, I can also see you are way more advanced with your knowledge of your diet and what vitamins that is providing, with B12 and D as possibly deficient, as an example. I am finding the only way to really get my seeds, like I have stated, eating Dave's Killer Bread Good Seed, from time to time, and have yet to try to find a way to incorporate, for example, chia seeds into my menu. I agree that beans have tons of fiber, but during the weight loss of my journey, have decided to keep beans off the menu for now, and am hoping to find more suitable ways to eat veggies, or fruits, and thus apples are okay, limited, and yet I never was one for oranges, and still off my menu (high in calories), so that is why I am asking what ways people use to get these things into their diets. I am still not ready to just abandon what is working for me, the keto principles tailored to my needs.

    Barbara, thank you for the information that even MFP may not be accurately reporting my micronutrients. I hadn't thought of that. And while I knew everyone would say the best approach is to eat more varieties with veggies and fruits, even my mom gave up on that years and years ago.

    I guess I am also asking what are good supplements. I agree with janejellyroll there could be some bad choices to make when one has never taken a supplement in their life, and doesn't want to go down the whole HerbalLife (?) varieties on the market.

    So the question comes down to where do people, like me, supplement their micros with healthy alternatives.

    For example, you can take Omega 3 fish oil caplets for those who don't want to eat fish. Can you take some supplement that I am unaware of that is like eating a bunch of chia seeds? Or some kind of capsule? Or something that ups your Vitamin C, or is just getting the tried and true Vitamin C tablets best?

    How do you get potassium levels up, or does one need to?

    And again, phycho787, sorry this is all I see from your posts, and I do not know why.

    m4sq58rwexvx.png
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    foolforcarbos wrote: »
    I'll try to go in order here, to those kind enough to respond.

    Dear psychod787, I am not sure why but I always see your profile pic as washed out white, and anything you post is just blank. I do not know why. I have never set your profile to Ignore or Block and can't imagine why I have never seen anything you have said, to anyone. It's weird.

    Janejellyroll, thanks for the warning about some of the supplements. Some friends were telling me to just go get some iron supplements but I was holding off for better information.

    Lemurcat2, I am sorry if you feel I was slamming anyone for my keto and processed foods. I still am stating I am not eating processed foods and am still trying to hit the macros for a typical keto diet. So while you find this amusing, nothing has changed on my end. I am still pushing forward and have stated all along that I may not hit or rarely hit ketosis, and that I am not making that an issue or a big deal.

    That said, Lemurcat2, I can also see you are way more advanced with your knowledge of your diet and what vitamins that is providing, with B12 and D as possibly deficient, as an example. I am finding the only way to really get my seeds, like I have stated, eating Dave's Killer Bread Good Seed, from time to time, and have yet to try to find a way to incorporate, for example, chia seeds into my menu. I agree that beans have tons of fiber, but during the weight loss of my journey, have decided to keep beans off the menu for now, and am hoping to find more suitable ways to eat veggies, or fruits, and thus apples are okay, limited, and yet I never was one for oranges, and still off my menu (high in calories), so that is why I am asking what ways people use to get these things into their diets. I am still not ready to just abandon what is working for me, the keto principles tailored to my needs.

    Barbara, thank you for the information that even MFP may not be accurately reporting my micronutrients. I hadn't thought of that. And while I knew everyone would say the best approach is to eat more varieties with veggies and fruits, even my mom gave up on that years and years ago.

    I guess I am also asking what are good supplements. I agree with janejellyroll there could be some bad choices to make when one has never taken a supplement in their life, and doesn't want to go down the whole HerbalLife (?) varieties on the market.

    So the question comes down to where do people, like me, supplement their micros with healthy alternatives.

    For example, you can take Omega 3 fish oil caplets for those who don't want to eat fish. Can you take some supplement that I am unaware of that is like eating a bunch of chia seeds? Or some kind of capsule? Or something that ups your Vitamin C, or is just getting the tried and true Vitamin C tablets best?

    How do you get potassium levels up, or does one need to?

    And again, phycho787, sorry this is all I see from your posts, and I do not know why.

    m4sq58rwexvx.png

    You can take foods to supplement individual nutrients. It's hard to replicate with a pill the impact of eating specific foods, as these foods are a variety of macro- and micronutrients. Chia seeds are fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus, along with some other nutrients that I'm probably not aware of.

    This is why you'll so often hear the advice to eat a variety of foods, because they're packaged in combinations that give us a bunch of things at once.

    If you're choosing a diet that limits your food choices and you're layering additional dislikes of large groups of food on top of that, it's going to take some attention to your remaining food choices to ensure you're getting what you need . . . . or some diligent supplementation.

    If you do decide to supplement, you don't need to pay a bunch for a fancy powder or pill. Most grocery and drug stores have a vitamin section where you can locate simple supplements for things like vitamin C. I supplement iron (on medical advice) and I think I pay $6 for a bottle that lasts for a month. It shouldn't be expensive to supplement (assuming you're in an area that has regular access to supplies, etc).

    One suggestion: you can Google a term like "Good sources of potassium" and easily find lists of foods that contain the nutrient you're curious about. Before deciding you dislike all good sources of iron or potassium or whatever, it may be worth finding out exactly what vitamins are in what foods. For example, vitamin C (which you're concerned about) is in spinach, which you say you like. So you could potentially increase the serving sizes/frequency of the foods you already like in order to get what you need.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    foolforcarbos wrote: »
    I'll try to go in order here, to those kind enough to respond.

    Dear psychod787, I am not sure why but I always see your profile pic as washed out white, and anything you post is just blank. I do not know why. I have never set your profile to Ignore or Block and can't imagine why I have never seen anything you have said, to anyone. It's weird.

    Janejellyroll, thanks for the warning about some of the supplements. Some friends were telling me to just go get some iron supplements but I was holding off for better information.

    Lemurcat2, I am sorry if you feel I was slamming anyone for my keto and processed foods. I still am stating I am not eating processed foods and am still trying to hit the macros for a typical keto diet. So while you find this amusing, nothing has changed on my end. I am still pushing forward and have stated all along that I may not hit or rarely hit ketosis, and that I am not making that an issue or a big deal.

    That said, Lemurcat2, I can also see you are way more advanced with your knowledge of your diet and what vitamins that is providing, with B12 and D as possibly deficient, as an example. I am finding the only way to really get my seeds, like I have stated, eating Dave's Killer Bread Good Seed, from time to time, and have yet to try to find a way to incorporate, for example, chia seeds into my menu. I agree that beans have tons of fiber, but during the weight loss of my journey, have decided to keep beans off the menu for now, and am hoping to find more suitable ways to eat veggies, or fruits, and thus apples are okay, limited, and yet I never was one for oranges, and still off my menu (high in calories), so that is why I am asking what ways people use to get these things into their diets. I am still not ready to just abandon what is working for me, the keto principles tailored to my needs.

    Barbara, thank you for the information that even MFP may not be accurately reporting my micronutrients. I hadn't thought of that. And while I knew everyone would say the best approach is to eat more varieties with veggies and fruits, even my mom gave up on that years and years ago.

    I guess I am also asking what are good supplements. I agree with janejellyroll there could be some bad choices to make when one has never taken a supplement in their life, and doesn't want to go down the whole HerbalLife (?) varieties on the market.

    So the question comes down to where do people, like me, supplement their micros with healthy alternatives.

    For example, you can take Omega 3 fish oil caplets for those who don't want to eat fish. Can you take some supplement that I am unaware of that is like eating a bunch of chia seeds? Or some kind of capsule? Or something that ups your Vitamin C, or is just getting the tried and true Vitamin C tablets best?

    How do you get potassium levels up, or does one need to?

    And again, phycho787, sorry this is all I see from your posts, and I do not know why.

    m4sq58rwexvx.png

    I dont think I am in MFP jail! Lol repost...
    Avocados ,kale and sweet potatoes for k+ and fiber. I suggest learning to like veggies. If you have to add a little fat I.E. a teaspoon per cup of non starchy, then do so. Slowly reduce added oil over time.
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Hey, psychod787, I can see you now. Personally, I love sweet potatoes, or yams, with butter and not all the maple syrup. So when I am ready to add that to my diet, that 's something to look forward to! Kale, not so much LOL, but can you get the same nutrients from kale chips? May try those. Avocados. Guacamole. One would think growing up in Texas I would love these things. Hm. I have added avocado to my ranch dressing. I will try to add guacamole to more of my meals. Once it can stay on the shelves long enough for me to buy it. With this C-19 virus, in my area, all the tortillas, fajitas, and guacamole is gone before the truck drives away :) But thanks.

    Let me know if kale chips are just as good as eating kale cooked :) Thanks.
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    edited March 2020
    Thank you janejellyroll for the time with your response. I will look into simple supplements and maybe ask my local pharmacist about recommendations. And I will google some more, as you suggest. Thanks. And yes, I do like raw spinach leaves. I guess one thing to do first is go back and look at what I ate on the days I hit recommended levels to see what the heck I ate that day :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    foolforcarbos wrote: »
    Thank you janejellyroll for the time with your response. I will look into simple supplements and maybe ask my local pharmacist about recommendations. And I will google some more, as you suggest. Thanks. And yes, I do like raw spinach leaves. I guess one thing to do first is go back and look at what I ate on the days I hit recommended levels to see what the heck I ate that day :)

    That was a very useful practice for me when I started logging -- I would look at the days when I was at or close to my goals to see what I could learn for future meal planning. Good luck!
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks just_Tomek. I am enjoying learning new recipes and not just opening a box and placing in the microwave and eating 4-5 minutes later. I will look into some recipes that can hide some of the taste and yet provide some of the micros.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited March 2020
    foolforcarbos wrote: »
    Lemurcat2, I am sorry if you feel I was slamming anyone for my keto and processed foods. I still am stating I am not eating processed foods and am still trying to hit the macros for a typical keto diet.

    But of course you stated before that you were eating processed foods and well above the carbs of a keto diet (which is fine, I'm not keto). You also have indicated interest in sweet potatoes which are not really consistent with keto.
    So while you find this amusing, nothing has changed on my end. I am still pushing forward and have stated all along that I may not hit or rarely hit ketosis, and that I am not making that an issue or a big deal.

    Point is just that what causes you to hit potassium goals and what is consistent with a healthy diet are similar -- lots of veg, some fruit, some nuts or seeds, some beans. Not wanting to eat those is the issue, not carb amounts ( a diet with those could be high in carbs).
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    edited March 2020
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    There are green shakes you can drink that are pretty good and will give you few serving of veggies a day and all the nutrients. But most of us prefer to eat the actual veg. You just have to learn to prepare them correctly.

    I agree with this.... The more varied your fruit and vegetable intake, the greater amount of "micros" you will get. Humans love variety. One of the reasons we seeking might be to increase our intake of vitamins and minerals. A sweet potato roasted correctly, really does not need butter. I do not suggest adding much fat to STARCHY vegetables. Non starchy, adding "some" fat is in line with making them more palatable and only slightly increasing their caloric density. Young Padawan, I think you have much to learn about nutrition. I was once very naive about it. Take some time to learn is MHO...
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Thank you psychod787. I never really even worried about what I ate till I re-introduced Coke products back into my life 3 years ago, after an absence of 14 years or so. I started mixing 2/3rd Coke with 1/2 black cherry cranberry juice. Got hooked.

    Lemurcat2 - I do want to learn, contrary to what you may feel. And again, I am not lecturing you. Why do certain people get to discuss how they feel and yet the rest of us can't enjoy our time here, asking some questions, and giving thoughts on our experiences. And this isn't, for me, just the last 25 days, but also I refer to other times in life when I had a measurable diet with results. I've gone down this road before.

    So just please, hit the ignore button if you need, and you feel I am lecturing people. Or get your facts straight if you are going to try to quote what I said, then go get the quote. I do not feel any one person, program, or diet would not need some modifications to work for others. There is no pat answer. The questions and answers here are resources/opinions - and things to consider. If anyone is coming here and thinking they need to follow one person's advice, I do not know of anyone here who is a paid consultant with all the answers - especially when they aren't providing a one on one service. So, I will kindly ask others who have more information to provide, their thoughts. This is a collective experience by many.

    Again, yes... in any given diet, chances are one is going to be eating some processed foods. Mine are from mostly whole ingredients. Not corn syrups, processed artificial ingredients one cannot pronounce. I don't get why you and janejellyroll keep harping on the fact that I was willing to admit even my keto plan has some process foods. But not the junk most packaged foods carry.

    My carb amounts has nothing to do with trying to hit potassium levels. Correct. And yes, my admitting that I don't like broccoli, cauliflowers, sprouts, and a lot of veggies is to provide information to the responders, of what won't be found in my diet. If that means I may have to go to a supplement for some things, and lack in others, then that's what I have done all my life. I also stated I was not going to ever be a Zone, Paleo, or Mediterranean diet candidate. Too many veggies.

    So I do appreciate what psyschod787 has to say. Or you, lemurcat2, when you aren't accusing me of lecturing, when I am simply giving opinions that obviously are in conflict with yours. No one here is right 100% of the time for everyone coming here. We are sharing our experiences. We can be open to being corrected. We may decide we like our beliefs on certain things no matter who disagrees. I don't know anyone here. But I have always been up front with what I am doing. If that is a lecture, then sorry. It's giving as much information to where I am, what is working, what questions linger in my mind, and enough background so when I ask questions, that person answering may know me better, to answer that question.

    I am not offended for someone saying, :Young Padawan, I think you have much to learn about nutrition. I was once very naive about it. Take some time to learn is MHO... " and get where that comment is coming from. I agree, I don't know what micronutrients are in what foods I am consuming, and now, at least, am finding out even then MFP may not be accurate on some things. That, too, was good to know. But if I am eating mostly whole foods and avoiding processed foods, or what processed foods I am consuming that have whole ingredients, then I am trying to learn.

    So don't speak to me about lectures. I wasn't lecturing anyone. But you just keep seeing it that way. Fine. You do just as well with that, too. The lecturing.

    From what was in my freezer to what is now the food I consume, a huge difference. Gone are all those frozen dinners. The jellies in the refrig, just simply haven't been tossed yet. But I have made huge strides in changing what I eat.

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  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    I applaud your venture into nutrition. The amount of cumulative knowledge here is massive. While everyone has their "angles", most are just trying to help. I am very familiar with @lemurcat2 and @just_Tomek ,not so much with @janejellyroll , I know the first two are very well versed. I suggest you find your easiest point of entry. If that is keto, learn everything about keto you can. I suggest dr. Dom D' Agostino. Not people like Mat delower. Ask yourself, is keto sustainable for you? If not, think about different strategies. Best of luck.
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks. Keto was a diet plan I could understand, then hijack, and tailor to my needs. I watched lots of videos, of which some parts I could agree with, and other parts I was like that's not me, or that can't be right, or that's too fanatical. But I do love the way you give advice. Pick a path, learn - learn - learn, then decided if you need to take a new tact.

    As for the long term of Keto, lord no I don't want this to be sustainable. I want to lose the weight, and then come back and say hey, okay guys.. when you get to your weight and want that to be your set point and want to maintain, what's the best way to do that.

    I haven't even gotten to thinking about set points and maintaining. I am working on losing. But staying even on my pseudo keto for now is working. But calling that sustainable? I have proved to myself what calories I need to feel satiated or full, to feel energy, or lazy, or to feel healthy or run down. I am learning which food groups I will never go back to and which I really enjoy. I can only say I plan on staying off processed foods for good, though. Oh, and I love cooking new things. So that's good. Not just opening a box and hitting some buttons. But can I slowly add pasta, in moderation, or sweet potatoes, or something else I have given up for now, hope so. That's what living is all about. Just don't want to go back to living large ;)

    Thanks for the time you have spent here with me. I, again, do appreciate. Never heard of Mat DeLower, by the way. But if you meant Thomas DeLauer, yea... I'm not in agreement with him most of the time. Some. But not most. But again, he is just another resource. Whether I buy into his whole train of thoughts is my decision, in the end. Take care.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    edited March 2020
    Hey, there are so many different veggies, and so many ways to prepare them. You don't need to eat single florettes of broccoli or sprouts. Why not make a chili con carne with corn, bell pepper, fresh chili, green beans and potatoes next to the normal ingredients. Look up recipes for curries, and add various veggies. What about baking veggies, like aubergine? Frying in a wok to make Asian noodle dishes? Make a cottage pie with potatoes, peas and carrots,etc.
    edit: look up recipes for pea soups, goulash soups, lentil soups, etc. There are so many things you can use veggies without biting on a single piece of veggy, and so many ways to prepare them.
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Thank you ylrara, those are nice ideas. I don't know why, when I think about veggies, I automatically go to the ones I really hate. LOL
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    So it does seem like you've changed your diet very dramatically over a short period of time, so this is pretty new for you. Many of us already cooked and ate veg and fruit and so on before deciding to lose weight, so I think were much less focused on things like processed vs. not and probably started with a better sense of how to create a healthful diet.

    I will echo what BarbaraHelen said that the nutritional information in the MFP entries is not always complete, however, if I were trying to eat a healthful keto diet that was as nutritionally complete as possible (which I did do briefly), I'd focus on building meals around a source of protein, healthy sources of fat, and as many veg as possible.

    For example, something like a vegetable omelet (using veg you like, greens like spinach and swiss chard cook really well into an omelet, and then something like mushrooms, broccoli (or if that's an absolute no go, something like asparagus or zucchini) plus a little cheese if you like it, and then maybe some avocado on the side. Also, one tip -- you don't need to wait to find premade guac, it's super easy to make.

    Re nuts and seeds, you can just eat them on their own or sprinkle them on a salad or some other meal. Pine nuts are great on pasta, for example, and would likely be just as good on some topping for spaghetti squash. I know chia, flax, and hemp seeds get all the press, but you can also just eat some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, and don't forget about nut butters (including peanut butter). Also think about foods like tahini sauce which will add some healthy fats and fit in well with a keto diet, I'd imagine. (Baba ganoush also.)

    I think of meals as made up of protein, a starch, and vegetables for the most part. With keto (if you stick to it), the starch would often be replaced by just larger portions of the other two.

    I think fruit is a great thing to add to a diet, but with keto as the goal you won't be able to fit in much more than small servings of higher fiber berries (like raspberries) or, of course, the avocado.

    If you haven't tried a vegetable cooked in a variety of ways maybe try new ones or new ways of cooking them. There are lots of great websites available (101cookbooks is one I like, you can search by ingredient).

    I agree with the prior poster than thinking in terms of incorporating them into dishes is a way to go, like in a soup or chili or pasta sauce (even if you don't eat it on pasta) or a stirfry (on cauliflower rice, perhaps, or just without the rice part).

    IMO too often people approach creating a healthy diet as more about NOT eating certain foods, whereas I think a healthier approach is to focus on the foods you do want to eat (and need for a healthful diet, like vegetables, sufficient protein, healthy fats, fiber). If you do that and have a calorie deficit, you aren't going to have room for excessive amounts of low nutrition foods anyway (processed or not, since I see nothing wrong with processed food options which can certainly have good amounts of nutrients depending on what you choose).

    That's what I was reacting to before,
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks lemurcat2. I do incorporate green and red bellpeppers and green beans, and yes, fruit. Not only blueberries, raspberries, but apples. I read about your body processing apples differently if you are eating low glycemic foods vs if you eat apples with high glycemic foods. So, as you know, following Keto - one tends to stay on low glycemic foods for the insulin production, and a way to keep that down. Turns out the apple consumption during that time is also processed by the body differently.

    So, I am trying to also find if there are studies on any other fruits or veggies that are processed differently when eating low glycemic foods. Eventually, I will be down at the weight I want, and then can decide how to maintain and add things to my diet. It's just for now, this is working and I am sticking to it.

    Right now avocados are not available in my area, fresh, and so I am going to have to wait on that. In fact, today at the the grocery store, the fruits and veggies looked like a hurricane went through. There wasn't much left and what was there was well handled and bruised.

    The image I am posting is from that 1915 prescription diet for a diabetic. But it's kind of nice info for me, as I am learning to expand my menu. I plan on listing the items by carbs and sugar and fiber as some point, but its a start.

    I'll look into that 101cookbooks and a few others. I have already decided, even though its not keto, carrots are sounding good about now. I've gone from 177 lbs to today, 156 lbs. So if I keep logging my food, and my weight goes up, then I can at least look at what I ate and maybe see why. But I think the way I am working the consumption and the kayaking and my regular work - cabinet maker, that I am burning enough calories a day.

    I did buy some veggie hashbrowns. Cauliflower. My first attempt. Sure, has a bit of soybean oil, but hey. What's a little keto taboo when you have nutrition to worry about. ;) Before we suggest to eat it in another form, let me see if I like cauliflower at least as a hash. That or drown in with melted cheese.

    I also need a lot more info on seeds. But this will be easier when I up my calories from 1,400 to around 2,000 when I go from losing to maintaining. I actually haven't hit 1,400 and most of the time my net calories are around 350-400. I just want to play with foods now, when you can isolate their effects before the maintenance where you may not be able to determine what set off the scale, and where those pounds can from. I hope, in the end, to be really just a balanced diet - mainly whole foods. Lots of cooking small meals. No overly processed stuff. But day by day.

    Thanks.

    This link has a link to research about low glycemic foods and apples, from a source I research a lot.m325io1784yn.png


    https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/can-fruit-make-you-fat/

    This article had some links, as well, to things that I may agree with, as far as sources.

    https://fivesec.co/blog/does-fruit-sugar-make-you-fat

    There are other things I am reading as well, but baby steps.
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks guys. Yes, I understand there are a lot of sources stating one can eat over 7 servings of fruits/veggies a day, and that is even pushed by a lot of the keto youtubers.

    I read about people trying to live off of apples, in some circumstances. One, a model, didn't fare well after trying to eat and live off of just three apples a day, and ended up malnourished, in short order, while the homeless lady, also living off apples, passed away. It's not that too many apples were bad, but that you can't live off of a couple of apples a day. So my thought was - obviously, one could either eat apples every day and not count them, really, or add a lot more fruits and veggies. If people eating only a couple, say 1-3, apples a day can starve to death, in the end, eating apples anytime you want can't be a bad thing.

    And if not apples, then other fruits. Grapes, melons, oranges, most fruits have a lot of water, fiber, and fructose. And are whole foods. I have stated I would rather in my calories equivalent in spinach than drink a Coke. I think it would be easier to drop any weight gained by eating lettuce than over drinking too much Coke. That's why I do not believe a calorie is a calorie. But if everyone else wants to believe k=K that's fine. I think the fiber in the food changes how it gets processed and stored in the body. And that yes, fruits are included.

    I agree, after lots of reading medical journals, with Men's Journal:

    Traditionally, poor-quality carbs urge your body to release a surplus of insulin so your blood sugar surges, then drops really low so the next response is a starvation measure: Your body dumps fat into your blood stream. But if you eat, say, white bread, with low-glycemic fruits like blueberries or strawberries, that spike will be subdued. Yes, you’re adding more sugar into the mix. But the phytonutrients in those fruits are able to slow down the transportation of sugar through your intestines and thus your bloodstream, blocking some of the absorption. So, if you’re going to have a muffin, bread, pancakes, or French toast, make sure they’re loaded with berries.
  • Priasmama416
    Priasmama416 Posts: 103 Member
    Use centrum complete multivitamins and protein shakes
  • foolforcarbos
    foolforcarbos Posts: 70 Member
    Again, thanks for the replies.

    phychod787 - I guess when one is eating only 1,400 calories a day, and only 450 calories a meal, it's easy to isolate foods and not be the mixed media meal. A salad, meat, and something with fat added, doesn't leave a lot of room for all the extras that meals may have included, not that long ago. Not if you want to add a veggie and leave room for a snack later. No room when counting calories. So yes, in a small way, part of what I am doing is trying to match certain foods with certain foods to keep a low glycemic food matched with a higher carb but more fibrous food. As an example. It's how I am learning what kind of menu to create, and learn about food - in general.

    I have pretty well established I can lose weight, with my program, and not count apples I eat, for example. Now, they are small green grannysmith, but I can snack on them without worry, it appears. Which is great. I can't see eating an apple a day and not putting that down on my caloric intake (but for now I still do) slowing down the weight loss. I just want to expand from apples. LOL

    Lemurcat2 - truthfully, most youtubers advocate eating lots of fruits and veggies. Not just apples. I am the one hung up on apples for now. The youtubers want people to eat 7-10 cups of fruits and veggies at every sitting. They want you to eat a variety. It's me who is learning what I want to add to my menu/diet and what I don't care to, as I don't like things. I know I am picky. Grew up that way. Now I am paying the price for being so selective and not just meat and potatoes.

    And I guess I am looking at what can I eat that makes me feel full and avoid things that make me feel I just ate empty calories and am still hungry. I am notating what I can snack on that makes me feel full. I don't want to go back to grazing through food like I once did. I want my food to be practical. At least, that's one of my goals.

    Have a great week guys. Go kayaking. Raining out, but that's where I am heading. Get some time on the water. Cooler and wet out or not.

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