Vitamins/Healthy Food/Drink Strut
behemoth
2,189 Posts
I'm about to head on tour for a little over 2 months. I've decided it's a great time to quit smoking (again haha) and ultimately improve my life.
any thoughts as to the following things??
I want to generally feel better. healthier. more light on my feet. less sluggish.
what are some good things to snack on/drink during the day? long drives?
since fast food is going to be a necessity sometimes what from where should I be eating if there aren't any other options?
been also thinking of taking vitamins. what vitamins/drinks will improve the way I feel? be less tired? more alert? less depressed by the day in day out?
surrounded by non smokers and healthier people will definitely help but I'd love other opinions as well.
Thanks.
Chris
any thoughts as to the following things??
I want to generally feel better. healthier. more light on my feet. less sluggish.
what are some good things to snack on/drink during the day? long drives?
since fast food is going to be a necessity sometimes what from where should I be eating if there aren't any other options?
been also thinking of taking vitamins. what vitamins/drinks will improve the way I feel? be less tired? more alert? less depressed by the day in day out?
surrounded by non smokers and healthier people will definitely help but I'd love other opinions as well.
Thanks.
Chris
Comments
Fresh Fruit. Most convenience stores now have bananas. Remember, black spots are likely to be caused by refrigeration, not bruising.
Stock up best you can when you can get to a grocery store. NW apples and pears will be ready in a few weeks.
Also from grocery, string cheese/moz, carrots, granola and yogurt/milk.
I have been living on salads this summer and loving it. On the road it's harder, they are on the menu, but often not worth eating.
Late summer salad (maybe not road food)
Cucumber, cubed
Bell Pepper, cubed
tomatoes, chopped
scallions, chopped
feta, crumbled
cilantro, chopped
salt
pepper
olive oil
vinegarorlemonorlime
bacon, crumbled
To feed more people, or make it more of a meal, add pasta or quinoa.
You can also add chopped spinach and eggs.
I ocassionally carry boxes of records to and from the car. does that count?
I jist don't wanna die young
this is pretty much it. and do cardio/lift weights.
So poppin pills is needed to supplement whats lacking....so she said.
Diets are an illusion. Eat when your hungry at whatever time.
Exercise and stay away from Processed Sugar which is the devil.
I eat everthing, i dont give a fuck, but sweets and all that fat folks pastry shit aint me.
Fuck a dessert. I gets all my sugar from alchohol and the juices i mix that shit with.
Exercise and H20.
The fish oil is pretty nasty but it's packed with vitamins and omega-3 healthy fatty acids so after a few weeks you get used to it. I take the liquid type but you can get capsules as well. Tofu also takes a bit of getting used to but I found that topping it with ground sesame seeds and then putting on a little soy sauce makes it pretty tasty.
I also try to drink fresh fruit juice, not 100% fruit juice in cartons. Making your own juice with with dark berries and citrus fruits for instance both tastes much better than the processed kind, but you also feel the effects immediately.
a daily half hour walk at a good clip will help drastically drop your metabolism. and taking thirty one minute walks does NOT count. for smoking? baby carrots for the oral fixation and i used push ups to curb my mental cravings. in just over three weeks ive pretty much jumped a shirt size, built muscle without looking like a dickhead, and have this weird feeling of energy, accomplishment, and overall health that makes me feel like i could pick up a house while punching a tornado.
variety in meals is the necessity.... red meat two or three meals a week, sushi two or three meals, salad 2-3, pasta 2-3.... etc. you don't have to change your life, but if you want the pieces to fall into place all you really need is a minutia of organization and a grip of discipline. in my personal experience, no vitamins necessary.... i thought it to be a little too placebo-ish for my mind set.
bottom line is, if you want to do it.... it's really f'n easy to do... and you don't even have to start shopping at whole foods and wearing seaweed infused bicycle shorts. just pick a program thats healthy, active and full if variety that works with your lifestyle and stick with it.
(ive written work out plans for friends in touring bands that could be done in a hotel room 3-4 times a week, that have managed to keep the rider food and jack Daniels weight off for them, holler if you need something like that.)
just make sure to eat the right stuff. you'll find most vitamins in the 'good' food.
my current research projects deals with vitamin d. MYTHICAL stuff!!!
i drink tap water most of the time. and i try to eat 'healthy' stuff: less meat. more fish. in general a balanced diet. fresh vegetables and fruits. i wouldn't worry too much about super special diets.
get walnuts and dried berries.
get some acai juice if possible.
I take whole food (not Whole Foods brand) vitamins, which are also plant-based. Instead of chemical salts, they're made with raw plant matter and contain the native plant enzymes and corollary chemicals that allow your body to process the nutrients. I don't think they're bullshit. Regular chemical salt vitamins aren't really absorbed by the body well, though, and will pass unused or accumulate in the liver.
I take the liquid ones for pretty much the same reason. traditional vitamins are not absorbed as easily (from what I've read)
b/w
And don't you ever dare to eat anything past 4pm. That would make you worse than an idiot.
This contradicts the Academy of Old Grumpy Dude School of Broscience Medicine Institute.
from wikipedia:
"As of August 2011, there are no scientifically controlled studies supporting any health benefits from consuming a??a??."
Also, any premade juice product just isn't that good for you anyway
While i dont like vitamin supplements, a vitamin B-complex vitamin can do wonders for putting a hop in yr step and fightin lethargy and stress
Don't exercise either. Just call people idiots until you are in perfect health.
The flaw in the idea of buying the cheapest mass produced crap groceries and then spending a ton of money on vitamins should be more than obvious. Just make an effort to buy organic, local produce and you'll be more than fine.
The "don't eat past 4pm" bit is targeted towards people who feel they should change their diet in order to feel better. That's how I understood the innitial post. If you feel great the way you are and get a deep, sound and healthy sleep then munch away what you want and when you want it. If you don't sleep too well and feel like you could lose a few pounds then not eating anything after 4pm will most likely make a huge difference. It did for me.
I don't get the whole juicer thing. Unless you're old and without teeth, why not eat your berries, apples, citrus etc the way they are? If you drink too much orange juice, you'll get fat from the natural sugar by the way. Peppers contain about 10x the vitamin C of an orange.
I'm not at all a health food fanatic. I watch my diet weekdays and eat and drink whatever and whenever I want on weekends.
For long drives pack up a cooler of food to eat. That will make it easier because you don't have to stop for food and you'll be less tempted to eat donuts and hamburgers the whole time. I buy roasted unsalted almonds bulk for snacks. Apples, bananas are easy snacks too. As for healthier drinks, I drink mineral water like Topo Chico and lately I've started drinking flavored sparking water. Coconut juice is another healthier option. I like Amy & Brian brand coconut juice with pulp.
Yeah, I enjoy juice a lot. But its just fruit / vegetables without the fiber. It does make it easier to consume a lot of fruit / nutrients at once and consume stuff like ginger or garlic that you wouldn't otherwise eat raw out of hand, but it can't be better than just eating the fruit.
As for multi vitamins, study after study has shown they do pretty much nothing in terms of decreasing mortality, cancers, etc. If you are deficient in something (B complex, iron, etc) or pregnant, then it might make sense to take take targeted supplements. But taking a general multi-vitamin for "general health" is probably not doing anything (http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/173/8/906.abstract). In fact, one pretty famous study showed that taking anti-oxidant supplements may actually SLIGHTLY significantly INCREASE mortality risk (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070227171026.htm).
I personally take Red Yeast Rice to help with my cholesterol. Doc gave me 3 months to get it down or he would put me on a statin. I already ate well and exercised some, but this just runs in my family. So, to avoid meds for life, I figured I would try the Red Yeast Rice. And it worked. My cholesterol is still slightly high, but my total cholesterol dropped about 20% since taking it.
I might give this a try, send me those recipes when you have a chance.
I grill a lot of steaks, salmon, chicken breasts and veggies. Grocery shopping is actually much easier now because I just grab produce, meat, fish, and nuts. The rest of the grocery store is pretty much off limits with a few exceptions.
I make burgers with tomato, avocado, onion, and mustard. No bun, no ketchup (because it has sugar), no mayo or cheese (soy/dairy).
When I have time I'll make bacon and eggs for breakfast. You can't cook with butter on the Whole30 so I've started using coconut oil, or I use the bacon fat. Dirty eggs FTW!
When I don't make bacon and eggs I usually have organic strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, and bananas for breakfast. For many years I was eating oatmeal for breakfast in the morning. I miss that some but eating fruit is just as good. The Paleo Apple Crisp linked below is good alternative to apples and cinnamon oatmeal.
I used to drink a couple lattes with turbinado in the morning and have switched to either black coffee or coffee with unsweetened coconut milk.
Typically I try to make a meal plan for the week and double the recipes below so that I have enough leftovers for lunch for both my wife and I. If I don't have good food on hand and ready eat I am more likely to eat junk food. Fresh almond butter has helped me curb my cravings for carbs. Check the labels if you buy almond butter in a jar, most will have added sugar. Fresh is better anyway.
Most people that have trouble with the Whole30 diet focus too much on what they can't eat. You have to focus more on enjoying what you can eat. If all I have to do is eat stuff like bacon, steak, and veggies to lose weight, it really seems like a no brainer.
My energy levels have come up and now that I have finished one round of Whole30 I am much more aware of what is going into my body. Ultimately the goal is to reduce the inflammatory foods in your diet. My wife and I are transitioning into an 80/20 plan where we are going to eat Whole30/Paleo foods 80% of the time and go out and enjoy ourselves with a nice dinner and/or have some beer the other 20% of the time. That way we don't feel like we are constantly denying ourselves indulgences.
Whole30 recipes:
http://www.paleoplan.com/recipes/
http://www.napclan.com/napclan/mumblings/the-whole-30-menu/
http://www.icookfree.com/cook/recipes/paleo-apple-crisp
http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-29/paleo-meat-loaf/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-31/chipotle-lime-salmon/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-31/baked-eggs-in-bacon-rings/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-03/satay-chicken-skewers-with-peanut-sauce/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2010/07-20/gingery-broccoli-beef/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-31/grilled-chicken-mediterranean/
http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/07/07/server-problem-solved-and-paleo-apple-muffins/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/07-26/grilled-chicken-kebabs-with-garlic-and-cumin/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/02-02/cilantro-turkey-burgers/
http://crankingkitchen.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/cajun-stew/
http://robbwolf.com/2011/09/07/cooking-in-the-woods-cast-iron-pork-stew-over-fire/
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TURKEY ???TACOS???
Super tasty. I threw this together in about 10 minutes. The kids ate it with beans and were pleased. I thought I would miss the real taco shell, but honestly, the flavor is so good that you don???t even miss it. Definitely a new regular in our house.
Romaine leaves (qty is depending on how many tacos you want), stems intact, washed and dried.
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided (you could also use coconut oil)
~ 1 lb ground Turkey (chicken and beef will work just as well)
Scratch Taco Seasoning (see recipe below)
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the Olive Oil at medium-high, and then add the ground turkey. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until done. Drain excess juice from the pan. Turn the heat down to low, and add just less than 1/4 cup of water to the turkey. Add your taco seasoning and mix well.
Scoop meat onto your romaine shell and add your condiments. We just added avocado and hot sauce this time around.
Taco Seasoning
1 tbs chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
11/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I just eyeballed the ingredient portions and it seemed to come out well.
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
Coconut Oil
Almond Milk
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Cinammon (optional)
Boil or steam sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and place back in pot or mixing bowl. Using hand mixer, break up potatoes, then drizzle about a teaspoon of coconut oil and a little almond milk to emulsify. Again, I didn't use exact measurements but just add almond milk little by little until you get your desired consistency. Season with a dash of cinnamon and a little extra salt and pepper to taste.
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Spinach and Scrambled Eggs
yummy and quick!
2 eggs
Fresh baby spinach, chopped (as little or as much as you want - I used a good handful)
Dash of Nutmeg
Dash of onion powder
Pepper to taste and a teeny bit of salt
Whisk ingredients together in a bowl and prepare scrambled (I used coconut oil for a greaser). Would probably taste great with some chopped grilled onions or other veggies, but it was a super quick breakfast I could throw in a container and take to work.
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I used to be able to eat anything and stay thin, but not true in my 40's now. I cut out most carbs and that was enough to keep my weight where it should be.
I agree.....but lets be real. Local and Organic is 'more costly' on the regular and not easy to cop in every hood.
Now I do shop at Whole Foods occasionally, Fairway, my local green market ,and my two supermarkets, but coppin all organic and then local takes way more effort.
Im not going to not stop at my supermarket for regular veggies so i can ONLY eat O/L food.
Anyway, I strongly recommend Omnivores Dilemma to anyone interested in eating better, and understanding the underlying causes and issues associated with the western diet.