I really want to learn to eat healthy

amother

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 10:42 am

I have a family history of heart disease and high BP, and high cholesterol. I am about 35/40 lbs overweight and I really want to change my eating. Can anyone help guide me to free resources? I can't just eat veggies and protein. I need some form of carbs. How do I know which types of carbs are better? How do I know how much to limit carbs per day?

mha3484

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 11:02 am

I keep seeing these videos on Youtube from a woman who lost 100 lbs. I am sure she is trying to sell something that I am not buying lol but two things that I liked that she said were

1) Drink 16 oz of water before you eat and 2) She shows a plate that is half veggies, quarter carbs and quarter protein. To me that's extremely reasonable and not depriving yourself.

amother

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 11:15 am

mha3484 wrote:

16 oz. Wow thats a lot. I like the plate idea for portions.

amother

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 11:15 am

amother Steelblue wrote:

Read the south beach diet. The book clearly explains which carbs are good and which are bad. There are clear lists. (Phase 1 is pretty extreme, focus only on phase 2 if you’re looking for something realistic and comfortable)

Interesting. Thanks

mha3484

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 11:18 am

I think our brains do confuse thirst and hunger. I tell my kids when they want their 3rd snack to first have a big glass of water and wait 15 minutes to see if they are still hungry and at least 50% of the time they are not really hungry. So I like the idea of drinking water before eating.

amother

Forestgreen

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 11:48 am

I lost a lot of weight and kept it off by weighing and/or measuring all portions and eliminating the worst offenders such as cheesecake and chocolate. I eat nearly everything and I'm never hungry. My blood sugar and cholesterol are good.
It's probably not for everybody, but it works for me.

amother

Oak

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 12:08 pm

There are a million and one versions of healthy eating. But the first and most basic one is sugar. Cut that out of your life as much as possible. There are no benefits your body gets from cane sugar.

The next thing to know is that carbs should be eaten in moderation and whole grain and brown, is always preferable.

Frying is never good for you. Try to bake instead.

Swap out canola oil for a variety of extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil.

Nuts are good for you, but in moderation because they have fat. Best to plain raw. Almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts. Seeds are good as well. Sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax, eat them as garnish or snack on their own. Don’t buy salted nuts because the sodium outweighs the benefits.

Low-fat - sugar free Greek yogurt is a filling superfood when you want to fill up at lunch time. Garnish with nuts and fruits.

Fruits are good for you, but in moderation because they contain sugar.

Water is the best drink for you, better than all the sugar free flavored drinks.

Lentils are a cheap and easy way to add protein and healthy benefits to your meals. I always add lentils to my soups. Not to be mistaken with split peas which look similar yet contain a lot of sugar.

Eggs are healthy, but should be eaten with a limit, especially yolks.

Eating in the evening is a killer. Train yourself to stop eating after 7pm. I personally rarely eat at Simchas, maybe I nibble to be polite. This has been a challenge to enforce but once you get used to this, you feel so much better.

amother

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 12:19 pm

amother Oak wrote:

Thank you. This is very helpful.

amother

Maple

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 12:22 pm

Exploring podcasts, like by Gin Stephens, Cynthia Thurlow (theyre authors if you prefer books)

Dr. Andrew Weil has wonderful books & info online on diet & nutrition, he's a world reknown physician of integrative medicine

I lost patience with calorie counting & watching macros, & have benefited from eating high protein with lots of wholesome carbs like legumes, winter squashes & fruit.
I signed up for weight watchers, just because I have a large appetite & can very, very easily way overeat beyond what my body needs, so it helps me, even if I'm not so strict with it, (without any calorie counting) to more easily keep within a balanced range with gentle boundaries of how much food I'm consuming, & also helps me to mindfully/strategically eat more on Shabbos & Sunday too

Exercise , especially strength training, is really important for many reasons, including the goal people seek with lower carb diets, because good muscle mass helps lower insulin/benefits insulin resistance issues

amother

Black

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 12:32 pm

Stick to foods our ancestors ate, as minimally processed as possible.

Stay away from refined sugar, refined grains, seed oils, hydrogenated fats and all chemical additives.

Starches from vegetables are preferable to grains. Soaking grains and legumes is extremely helpful for gut health if you're going to eat them.

Pair carbs with fats and proteins to avoid blood sugar spikes.

If you tolerate dairy, grass fed and raw is best. Goat and sheep dairy is even better than cow.

Gluten, conventional dairy, soy and corn are the most inflammatory foods out there. They are highly hybridized, gmo'd to be glyphosate ready, and contain proteins that are extremely difficult to break down, which leads to an inflammatory cascade.

Incorporate fermented foods if you can tolerate them.

Fat is your friend, the good kind obviously.

Organic when possible, pesticides mess with your microbiome.

amother

Outerspace

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 2:01 pm

amother OP wrote:

All kinds of opinions about which way of eating is most healthy but one thing I think everyone would agree on is that less processed is always preferable. Fresh simple food is healthy and can certainly include carbs. The more you stay away from packaged foods with lots of unrecognizable ingredients, the better.

amother

Black

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 2:08 pm

amother Mintgreen wrote:

Brown rice isn't healthy at all. Contains more arsenic than white. Wild rice (not really rice) is very healthy.

Lundbergh organic brown rice is tested for arsenic levels
https://info.lundberg.com/arse.....w_wcB

I agree that wild rice is a better choice.

amother

Azure

Fri, Dec 15 2023, 3:22 pm

Don’t start with diets! Start with information
I love the book “food over medicine” and “forks over knives”
She is sometimes extreme, but she discusses what you want to know in detail
Information is power
Otherwise you’re dieting with no knowledge of what’s actually healthy or good and how different foods affect you

#BestBubby

Sat, Dec 16 2023, 11:51 pm

I second Oak.

Per top health guru, Dr. Mercola:

1. Eliminate seed oils, vegetable oils, canola.

Replace with unrefined coconut oil or Avocado oil or olive oil.

2. Cut down sugar.

3.very low carb.

4. Intermittent fasting, try to extend your overnight fast as long as possible.

If you stop eating at 7 pm and don't eat until 10 am that is a 15 hour fast.

You can drink water.

5. Exercise, walking is good. Even a little exercise a few times a week helps.