Health & Nutrition

[NoBonus]

Without getting on a pro/anti meat tangent or anything; my advice for losing weight/general health is to make the food you eat; eat out rarely and eat packaged/prepared foods at a minimum. By cooking what you are eating from scratch, you can control ingredients (especially oil, butter and salt). Also, you can make healthier choices when cooking, like using chicken stock instead of gravy when cooking a pot pie, etc.
I know that this takes time to cook from scratch that no one seems to have, but I have found that by making large batches of food and freezing servings, I can have healthy, homemade food for many months; soups are great for this... and here is my frozen chicken soup tip:
1. Use the whole chicken (the connective tissues and marrow are really good for you) in a cheesecloth and remove the chicken (I cut up the meat and return it to the pot).
2. Do not add noodles or rice (they tend to turn to mush when frozen), just freeze the broth/chicken/vegetable mixture in serving size bags; when you want chicken soup, thaw a bag of soup, cook some noodles/rice/extra veggies/whatever and throw them in your soup bowl.

Make the food you eat, this will help immensely on not only weight, but many other things.

Bonus tip: replace soda with antioxident-rich unsweetened iced tea

 

[kingsboi]

You want a whey-based protein for quick absorption, but then a casein-based protein for when you're not working out, although some have disagreed about casein's benefits. Breads are pretty non-existent for me. I made a pizza crust out of almond meal.

I've tried numerous whey's all ready. I've failed with some and had one success but it was just too sugary. Now I'm on a conquest again to find that perfect whey powder. Could you make a pizza crust with flax seed meal?

 

[kingsboi]

Without getting on a pro/anti meat tangent or anything; my advice for losing weight/general health is to make the food you eat; eat out rarely and eat packaged/prepared foods at a minimum. By cooking what you are eating from scratch, you can control ingredients (especially oil, butter and salt). Also, you can make healthier choices when cooking, like using chicken stock instead of gravy when cooking a pot pie, etc.
I know that this takes time to cook from scratch that no one seems to have, but I have found that by making large batches of food and freezing servings, I can have healthy, homemade food for many months; soups are great for this... and here is my frozen chicken soup tip:
1. Use the whole chicken (the connective tissues and marrow are really good for you) in a cheesecloth and remove the chicken (I cut up the meat and return it to the pot).
2. Do not add noodles or rice (they tend to turn to mush when frozen), just freeze the broth/chicken/vegetable mixture in serving size bags; when you want chicken soup, thaw a bag of soup, cook some noodles/rice/extra veggies/whatever and throw them in your soup bowl.

Make the food you eat, this will help immensely on not only weight, but many other things.

Bonus tip: replace soda with antioxident-rich unsweetened iced tea

or 100% Pomegranate juice is a good way to go. Antioxidants all around.

 

[spudfan]

This might go well with your burritos:

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 onion, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, seeded & chopped
12-15 sprigs of cilantro, leaves only, chopped

5 limes, juiced
1/8 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Whisk together lime juice, olive & salt. Mix everything else in a large bowl, pour the dressing over and toss.

Voila! This is my go-to side for tacos, burritos, etc. I also use it as bed for grilled chicken, or in a taco.

Going to try this out, thanks!

 

[Spike]

I've tried numerous whey's all ready. I've failed with some and had one success but it was just too sugary. Now I'm on a conquest again to find that perfect whey powder. Could you make a pizza crust with flax seed meal?

Sorry - you're looking for a specific whey brand? I guess it depends on what different people prefer. I use Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey. As for flax seed meal, I haven't tried. Don't know what it would taste like.

 

[kingsboi]

Sorry - you're looking for a specific whey brand? I guess it depends on what different people prefer. I use Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey. As for flax seed meal, I haven't tried. Don't know what it would taste like.

I read good reviews about Myofusion so I might give that one a try. How do you exactly make the pizza crust with almond meal? What did you add to your pizza?

 

[NoBonus]

 

[est.1999]

Try Intrapro whey protein

 

[est.1999]

Or if you wanna go really healthy you can try Jay Robb's protein. Pretty all natural. The egg-white based one is good and the whey one doesn't taste too great.

 

[kingsboi]

I'm actually looking to try Myofusion. I read good, positive reviews for it. You familiar with myofusion?

 

[spudfan]

Just go for raw eggs!!

 

[kingsboi]

Anyone here use Virgin Coconut Oil in their foods or cooking?

 

[Spike]

I do. Coconut oil is slick - great for baking. For other foods, it kinda depends. If you have the right kind of seasonings, then you'll be fine. If not, you're going to get eau d' coconut in the things you cook. If you're OK with that, then go for it.

Edit: As for protein, you could also look here - http://www.trueprotein.com
It's a little on the pricey side, but you'll get exactly what you want in your protein. I'd recommend some of their pre-mixed varieties until you get a really good sense of what you're looking for long term.

 

[kingsboi]

So is it healthy to have a little bit of coconut oil in your system everyday or as often as possible? I usually cook eggs with them and pancakes. Sometimes evenuse it to cook peppers.

Regarding the protein. That site def. has some on the pricey side, but I appreciate your help. I am sure I will find something that's suitable for me.

 

[cuad]

About whether we're herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.

What about me?

...
In conclusion, we see that human beings have the gastrointestinal
tract structure of a “committed” herbivore.
Humankind does not show the mixed structural features
one expects and finds in anatomical omnivores such as
bears and raccoons. Thus, from comparing the gastrointestinal
tract of humans to that of carnivores, herbivores and
omnivores we must conclude that humankind’s GI tract is
designed for a purely plant-food diet.

read more...

I would stop eating dairy. Its health benefits are bogus, siince calcium is readily available in collard greens--probably for a lower price and without cholesterol. The US Government says that calcium is an essential nutrient in all plants. On the other hand, lactose intolerance is widespread and this M.D. from The Huffington Post says that it, along with sugar, is responsible for a spike in zitty adults.

I don't eat meat except for some fast food burgers every now and then.

Also,

Several sources of information suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of approximately 1 whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15/1-16.7/1.

says the US Government... I'm sure this has something to do with why coconut oil is better for you than corn oil. The obvious difference between both is that coconut oil is all saturated fat, while corn oil is mostly polyunsaturated fat.

Someone posted this video in another thread. It should be here too.

 

[spudfan]

The Mills article you are citing has been picked apart over and over again since it was published and shown to be a rather silly way to evaluate whether humans are omnivores. Since you have found the article I will assume you have read the dialog on it but chose to dismiss it.

Curious how you feel about barefoot running?

I wouldn't over think the protein choice too much, I use ON 100% whey myself when trying to gain a few pounds.

 

[kingsboi]

I keep seeing things that dairy is bad for you as well. Then I hear it's good to consume because it kills off bacteria. I don't really know what to believe anymore.

Also this is a question for whoever can help me out. Is it okay to eat at night? I mean let's say I eat half an hour after I just got done working out, which I'm doing right now actually. Is that okay to do rather than just eating something out of the blue without having worked out prior?

 

[spudfan]

I keep seeing things that dairy is bad for you as well. Then I hear it's good to consume because it kills off bacteria. I don't really know what to believe anymore.

Also this is a question for whoever can help me out. Is it okay to eat at night? I mean let's say I eat half an hour after I just got done working out, which I'm doing right now actually. Is that okay to do rather than just eating something out of the blue without having worked out prior?

I hear ya on not knowing what to believe. Your question is another one of those areas people disagree. It is ok to eat at night, it isn't going to make you fat. The dont eat after 8 o'clock or whatever is another myth. Getting food in you within 20-30 minutes after exercise is generally agreed upon as being as important as the excise itself too. Gotta have the energy to repair everything. Anything can be bad for you, generalizing an entire food category and saying it is all bad for you is suspect to me.

There's a couple issues with health/fitness questions. As far as diet you normally have those who believe in the science which has been studied and can be reproduced. Then you have the more vocal crowd who uses more of a historical approach of what they believe works and is the way things are meant to be. Sometimes they overlap, most times they don't. Science vs belief, age old argument good luck!

 

[kingsboi]

^^ Tell me about it. I guess the best way to go is figure out what is fact and what is fiction and only then you can inform yourself for sure. I was never sure about the whole night eating, I mean I eat at night pretty often anyways cause I can't stop eating after 8 or 9 PM.

Another thing I saw that had me confused was the consumption of Olive Oil. How healthy is it actually?

One more thing, tuna...I used to eat it all the time. I stopped because the mercury content in it. I read it's best to get the tuna's that are wild caught. As far as the actual tuna steak is concerned, I would like to try it sometime. How is the taste?

 

[spudfan]

^^ Tell me about it. I guess the best way to go is figure out what is fact and what is fiction and only then you can inform yourself for sure. I was never sure about the whole night eating, I mean I eat at night pretty often anyways cause I can't stop eating after 8 or 9 PM.

Another thing I saw that had me confused was the consumption of Olive Oil. How healthy is it actually?

One more thing, tuna...I used to eat it all the time. I stopped because the mercury content in it. I read it's best to get the tuna's that are wild caught. As far as the actual tuna steak is concerned, I would like to try it sometime. How is the taste?

Not sure how the tuna steak tastes, let me know! I remember back in college I used to eat tuna alll the time and cant stand it anymore haha. Pretty sure Olive Oil is fine (even good for you) in small amounts. It just has a lot of calories and fat so not something you wan't to be sucking down. There is chicken in little packets like tuna too if you are looking for a quick snack.

 

[Spike]

I keep seeing things that dairy is bad for you as well. Then I hear it's good to consume because it kills off bacteria.

The short version is that yogurt and other fermentables (Kefir, etc.) are full of good bacteria. The good bacteria keep your stomach in a happy state. Raw cheeses and aged cheeses are in the same boat (not the nacho blend you get at Raley's.) There's too much pasteurization that goes on with milk to be able to keep any of the good bacteria. Find some good quality yogurt, low in sugar like skyr or greek yogurt (but stay away from the Dannon crap).

 

[kingsboi]

The short version is that yogurt and other fermentables (Kefir, etc.) are full of good bacteria. The good bacteria keep your stomach in a happy state. Raw cheeses and aged cheeses are in the same boat (not the nacho blend you get at Raley's.) There's too much pasteurization that goes on with milk to be able to keep any of the good bacteria. Find some good quality yogurt, low in sugar like skyr or greek yogurt (but stay away from the Dannon crap).

Would you happen to have a source you can show me stating what you said?

 

[kingsboi]

For the first time today, or should I say yesterday...I tried Bok Choy. Sliced some garlic cloves, red onion, tomatoes and Bok Choy together to make for a yummy dish! Along with some cooked Pinto Beans and chopped chicken breast =].

 

[spudfan]

Would you happen to have a source you can show me stating what you said?

If you look into what he says further about the bacteria (prebiotics and probiotics stuff) and find anything interesting post it up here. I've been seeing tons of talk about it recently and am curious if I have been missing out on something up until now or if it's mainly a marketing scheme to push more product.

 

[Spike]

It's not a marketing scheme, unless you go by what Dannon says. The wikipedia is pretty comprehensive with regards to a primer on bacteria (especially if you click on the link about acidophilus.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic

However, I am not one to go by wikipedia as a primary source.

Here's a source that links to multiple studies:
http://www.lycos.com/info/probiotics--studies.html

There's a lot of anecdotal evidence to support the theory behind probiotics, but the science behind it is just getting warmed up.

 

[spudfan]

Read that over. As someone who doesn't have GI issues I guess there really isn't much known benefit yet for a person like me. Maybe some new information will popup in the future that will cause me to seek out "good bacteria" products. Hope I didn't jinx myself with a case of diarrhea.

 

[Spike]

Read that over. As someone who doesn't have GI issues I guess there really isn't much known benefit yet for a person like me. Maybe some new information will popup in the future that will cause me to seek out "good bacteria" products. Hope I didn't jinx myself with a case of diarrhea.

No one enjoys a case of the runs.


Seriously though, the only two "products" I enjoy are yogurt and kombucha. I don't buy extras (pills and what not) because I feel as though that's enough to keep my system in check. I guess that's a discussion for another time, but I think if we all eat healthy enough we shouldn't have to rely on vitamins for extras. Oh, I guess I should point out that I am not a doctor and my opinions should not be constituted as medical advice. Or something like that.

Nutrition is a little more than a hobby of mine, but not a profession.

 

[kingsboi]

There's just so much research information out there to consume, it's tough to begin. But anyways, I stopped using milk and substituted coconut milk with it. Much better taste to, there's no comparison. As for yogurt, I love yogurt...I don't consume it often but I like to use it in my shakes and oatmeal, maybe throw it on some fruit too.

 

[kingsboi]

Anyone here ever make homemade pudding? I'm looking to make some homemade pudding and I'm curious if anyone knows any good recipes.

 

[cuad]

You know what I'd like to try? Hemp milk. Hemp is a miracle plant.

Curious how you feel about barefoot running?

I am more comfortable with a jump rope, but barefoot running/walking/standing/jumping has to be better up to some level of shoe quality, since we didn't evolve with shoes on.