Opinions and ideas on my diet

ActorSeeksJob

I was hoping to get some feedback on my general food diet. I've been getting more into nutrition over the past few months, mainly because I decided to really start hitting the gym and to revamp my diet to help get in shape. Could do with some other opinions of my list, and if you have any suggestions for other things to add that would be of use, would be a great help


I have pretty much cut out all junk food/fast food, salt, sugars, soft drinks/alcohol from my diet. I also drink around 2 litres of water a day and around 5 small meals a day. Here is what I generally eat (not in any order).

Porridge with flaxseeds+goji berries, or hemp seeds
Banana, orange, blueberries
Low fat probiotic yoghurt
A mixture of seeds and nuts : walnuts, macadmia, brazil, cashews, pecans, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, almonds, linseeds

Scrambled eggs around twice a week
Broccoli, mange touts, carrots
Turkey slices
Main meals would be along the lines of a steak, fish, lamb, pork, chicken ( no skin )
Green tea, use leaves not bags
Fish oil supplements


I think that is my core diet above, a mixture ( if not all ) of those things comprise my daily food intake. I eat a good amount of fruit and veg generally.


Few other things I have been thinking of adding to my diet, or that I eat a little of already are

grapefruit, tomatoes, strawberries, 85% cocoa content chocolate, kidney beans, avocado, smoked salmon.


I don't eat a huge amount of carbs, but there would be things like potatoes, pasta, bread in my diet. My aim is pretty much to get my body fat down and add more muscle, which I'm having some success with so far, and to have a healthy diet. From what I eat, there wouldn't be many periods of when I would be hungry/starving, and I tend to have a good amount of energy.


I hope this isn't a mess to read, there are some things I have no doubt forgot to mention, but I think they are pretty much the main things I eat. Anything stick out as bad or worth adding ? Also are there any good books worth getting about nutrition, I do a lot of reading online, but I was wondering if there are any "bibles" on this subject that everybody should have


Cheers

Sapsorrow

Looks very good already. Only thing is you need a big ass serving of proper leafy greens a day and preferably not just iceberg lettuce but cabbage, kale, spinach etc..
Maybe increase your intake of oily fish instead of having pork and some of the other meats. Unprocessed meats are better so maybe replace the turkey slices with proper turkey bits (don't know what the proper term is I'm a veggie )
You could introduce some fresh fruit if you like it.
You could try introducing some beans and legumes into your diet as an alternative source of protein, fibre and minerals instead of always having meat or fish.
Mix it up a bit and don't get stuck in a rut make sure you always have a good variety of grains, fruit and veg to make sure you're getting the complete compliment of micronutrients.
Otherwise it's excellent.

brianthebard

you mention building some muscle so I think more protein would be important, otherwise more greens as mentioned, but that's about it, its pretty good, congrats.

Pembily

Turkey wise what I do is buy a block of it in Lidl (1kg is about 7euro), cook it (I tend to steam or boil it in stock), cut is thinly and freeze it and take out when needed - great for salads and for sandwiches!!!

Lidls smoked salmon is only 3 euro and is very tasty, its cooked first and then smoked so not as slimy as normal :)

ActorSeeksJob

Thanks for the advice, I have implemented some new things to my diet already.

I really could not stomach eating cabbage, kale, spinach. Am finding it tough enough eating prunes and apricots which I bought today, definitely will be eating those two in small quantities.

The turkey I tend to eat would be freshly cut off the bone from the deli, rather than pre-packaged slices pumped with water.


Have a few more questions

Is smoked salmon a good thing to eat ? Would that be covering some fish oil for me ? I read that wild salmon was a good thing to consume.

Beans, legumes, and grains are something that are of a great interest to me after reading up on them. What would be the best types of those ? I was thinking of kidney beans/chickpeas/lentils/edamame. Can these be eaten raw from the packet like nuts/seeds, or do they need to be prepared ?

I was finding it tough to find these type of beans in my supermarket. All I could find were Epicurean chickpeas. They are in a can and pre-ready, all you do is drain and let them dry. I ideally would want fresh ones that you need to prepare yourself, but do you have any opinion on these Epicurean ones ?


I've been reading up on complex carbohydrates, definitely something else I want to implement into my food diet. I was thinking of brown rice, wheatgerm, a 100% whole wheat product ( any thoughts on this, are they tough to find ? ), wholemeal bread.

Any suggestions for buckwheat, barley, cornmeal products ?


Complex carbs and legumes are new to me, and I am not sure what the best products for the above 3 items would be. Lot of questions sorry :P


One more thing, I am currently eating 85% cocoa chocolate, not a huge amount, would it be better to get 100% cocoa content ? Or not to eat any of this at all ?

Piste

You can't really eat beans like nuts, they have to be soaked and then simmered and really it's just a load of hassle, the canned ones are really the best way to go- much less hassle.

Sapsorrow

ActorSeeksJob wrote: »

Is smoked salmon a good thing to eat ? Would that be covering some fish oil for me ? I read that wild salmon was a good thing to consume.

Beans, legumes, and grains are something that are of a great interest to me after reading up on them. What would be the best types of those ? I was thinking of kidney beans/chickpeas/lentils/edamame. Can these be eaten raw from the packet like nuts/seeds, or do they need to be prepared ?

I was finding it tough to find these type of beans in my supermarket. All I could find were Epicurean chickpeas. They are in a can and pre-ready, all you do is drain and let them dry. I ideally would want fresh ones that you need to prepare yourself, but do you have any opinion on these Epicurean ones ?


I've been reading up on complex carbohydrates, definitely something else I want to implement into my food diet. I was thinking of brown rice, wheatgerm, a 100% whole wheat product ( any thoughts on this, are they tough to find ? ), wholemeal bread.

Any suggestions for buckwheat, barley, cornmeal products ?


Complex carbs and legumes are new to me, and I am not sure what the best products for the above 3 items would be. Lot of questions sorry :P


One more thing, I am currently eating 85% cocoa chocolate, not a huge amount, would it be better to get 100% cocoa content ? Or not to eat any of this at all ?

Fish is great but you should only have it twice as week to avoid over exposure to mercury. Also I personally wouldn't go near farmed salmon they pump them full of crap to make the meat the right colour etc.. it's basically fabricated food (same for farmed prawns to actually). I'd reccomend wild mackeral for oily fish (smoked mackeral is good for salads cold too)

All beans rock imo, my fave's are chickpeas, butterbeans, lentils and kidney beans.
Tinned is ok, just check theres no sugar or salt in the water. To get dried you're best off going to a health food shop (much cheaper than tesco dried beans etc..) and you need to soak them overnight and then boil them until soft. The exception being split red lentils (handiest legume ever) as you can just chuck it into soups, stew, sauces etc and it cooks in 5 or 10 mins without soaking and makes everything much creamier and bulkier in a similar way adding mashed potato would (they dissolve).
Only way to eeat beeans raw is when theyre sprouted, I've only heard of doing this with chickpeas though and I don't like them personally.
Soaked seeds and nuts make an infenitly nicer protein snack.

Don't bother with the wheatgerm unless you're into baking. Try different types of brown rice, buckwheat, spelt, rye, quinoa, oats and barley.
For bread find yourself a good local baker where you can get a full list of ingredients (if it's fluffy, light and porous at all it's got white flour ad sugar in it) 100% whoolegrain is dense, heavy and chewy. Mccambridges is a good wholewheat one.
I buy vacuum packed whole rye bread that never goes off in the cupboard until you open it. I get whole spelt from a bakers. Mix it up and don't get stuck ina rut of only eating wheat and rice so you get a weider spectrum of minerals in your diet.
Maybe look into learnin to make some bread on the weekends if you're interested? Spelt is easy, flours can be gotten from the health food shop.

Buckwheat wise buy the flour and make pancakes (best pancakes ever!) just add water and a pinch of baking powder to make the batter. I'm not a fan of whole buckwheat as a side dish like rice.
Not a corn meal fan but google it and you'll find plenty of recipes, it's not something you'd tend to eat as a grain really though, maybe try millet instead!
Barley is great boiled and added to any stew esp tomato based ones, also makes a great tabouleh (is that spelt right? ) salad.

To get started I'd say get some chickpeas, split red lentils (for thickening soups etc), a few type of brown rice (the health food shop types are way nicer than anything from a supermarket: short grain browns my personal fave) and the buckwheat pancakes. Try having porridge or oat pancakes for breakfast the odd time too.
Google any of them for recipes.

Your health food shop is where you'll find everything you need. Generally the staff in them are clued up and very helpful so just ask and they'll help you compile a shop.

I'd reccoment this book to get started:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Whole-Foods-Encyclopedia-Comprehensive/dp/0140250328/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263295614&sr=8-2

The choc is fine in moderation, jsut be aware that theres caffeine in it.

Justr ask if you have any more questions, the wholefoods thing is quite perplexing when you're new to it!

*edit:* should've mentioned too for general ideas about how to use wholegrains, beans and the likes you can check out my food diary to see what sort of things they work well in combination with:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=63951938#post63951938

ActorSeeksJob

Thanks for all the help khrystyna100, this would be a lot tougher without the help from yourself and boards, I have a few more questions and could do with some more of your opinions. I bought the following items today, can I get your thoughts on them ?

I got them in Nourish health shop, and most of them are from a brand called "Biona"

buckwheat pasta
spelt fusili
millet flakes
canned chick peas, red kidney beans, green lentils ( no salt or sugar )
rye flakes
brown rice short grain


Could you explain the best way to use millet and rye flakes too, the girl in the shop recommended I prepare them like I would for porridge. Can they be added the way they are, to things like porridge or low fat yoghurt or should I be preparing them ?


Just wondering about the above items, if they should be officially added to my general food list.



I definitely am going to be getting more into consuming beans. Should I get a diverse mixture of beans, or just settle on one or two ( if there are any that are considered the best to consume ) ?



Another question about the 85% chocolate I eat that I mentioned before. I don't particularly want caffeine or sugar in my diet, the only reason I eat some is cause I read that high cocoa content contains anti-oxidants which is good for you. I could survive quite easily without it so its not like a treat or anything. Would it be worth finding some healthy chocolate with high cocoa content and low/no caffeine or sugar ?

I only want to eat it if its helpful towards my diet, am trying to get in tip top shape so don't want caffeine or sugar. Am thinking I may just ditch it.



Also do you know how I could calculate my daily calorie intake, I tried googling for some sites that may have some calculator but had no luck finding one.


And one more small question, I saw quite a few coconut related products in the shop. Worth investigating more ?


PS : I saw the other thread you made in this forum, was something I was going to ask about as well, so will be keeping an eye on that.


Thanks

Sapsorrow

All those are great the pastas are very good I love the spelt ones myself. I don't use millet so maybe try googling it, rye flakes are good for making your own muesli or granola and just eating sprinkled on top of yoghurt.

Yup those are all excellent, add them to the list!
I'd also reccomend you try quinoa (grain or flakes or both!) and see if you like it as its an incredily nutritious grain and is packed full of protein.

Beanwise is the same as any other food group the bigger the variety the better because each type will have its own unique spectrum of nutrients and that way you are exposing yourself to as many different types as possilbe and will more easily meet your daily requirements.

If you dont miss the chocolate just ditch it (if you want to), antioxidant wise you'll get plenty if you make vegetables the focus of every meal and get 2 big servings of greens leafys a day and a few peices of fruit if you like it.

Coconut is an excellent food, I use the fat for cooking/frying as it's a saturated fat its not as heat liable as vegetable oils generally are.
Coconut milk make a fabulous addition to curries, tagines, sauces, soups and stews (I can't eat a curry without it anymore)
If you are trying to lose weight go easy enough on it though its a fat non the less, but I have heard mention that it stimulates the metabolism but I haven't really looked into it tbh.

Was the other thread the supplements one?
I can tell you straight off if you are female that without a doubt you need a good calcium and vitamin D supplement.
If you are vegan (or very nearly so save the fish) then Iron *may* be appropriate and a B complex most definately would be.
Do you eat much oily fish a week?

ApeXaviour

ActorSeeksJob wrote: »

Am finding it tough enough eating prunes and apricots which I bought today, definitely will be eating those two in small quantities.

That's fine... it would be inadvisable to go mad on them anyway.

ActorSeeksJob wrote: »

Complex carbs and legumes are new to me, and I am not sure what the best products for the above 3 items would be. Lot of questions sorry :P

Aww but your diet is so good! Why add all this starch? Both of the above contain phytates and other anti-nutrients. Phytates can inhibit mineral absorption.

How is your bodyfat? Are you pretty lean? If so then you're likely one of the people who can tolerate carbohydrates well. If not then best keep them moderate to low. If you must eat grain try stick to the gluten free ones like buckwheat. Almost everyone is gluten intolerant to some degree.

ActorSeeksJob wrote: »

One more thing, I am currently eating 85% cocoa chocolate, not a huge amount, would it be better to get 100% cocoa content ? Or not to eat any of this at all ?

Are you enjoying it? If so then don't worry about it.


You gave us good examples of what you eat but no idea of ratios or quantity. I agree with brianthebard, upping your protein intake (more meat/eggs etc more frequently) will help with maintaining/increasing lean body mass (muscle).

ActorSeeksJob

I saw quinoa and was going to get it, but wasn't sure how to prepare it, so decided to play it safe, do a bit of googling, and if its easy, will get it next time I'm there.

Regarding the supplements, I'm a male in my early 20's, and not a vegan or vegetarian or anything like that. I don't eat much oily fish, maybe once a week, its something I would like to have twice a week but I rarely do.


@ApeXaviour

You lost me a little I think I would only take 1 of those 3 starch foods a day. I thought buckwheat, barley, cornmeal would be good for me ? I clearly need to read up on starch as well. I want to lose half a stone, are starchy products going to make that tough to do ? Even if they are healthy starch foods ?

I have no idea what my body fat is, but I think its quite decent ( as in low ). My build isn't skinny or fat, I don't know if I'm one of those people who can tolerate carbohydrates well. I'm not a big carb eater anyway, I thought that complex carbs wouldn't have an adverse effect in losing some weight...


Like I've said, I want to lose half a stone, then I think I will be in pretty fine shape, if the general consensus is that things like grains/barley/complex carbs are hindering that, I'd be fine removing a few things.


I missed the question about my quantity of food eaten, here is what I ate today ( not in any particular order)

a bowl of millet flake porridge
1 banana, 1 orange, a cup of blueberries
2 slices of fresh turkey and 2 of chicken
250G of low fat probiotic yoghurt, mixed with around 2 dessert spoonfuls of a mixture of seeds ( sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, linseeds, )
1.25 cups of a nut mixture ( walnuts, cashews, almonds, brazil, pecans, macadamia)
3 prunes and 3 apricots
scrambled egg ( used 3 ) with low fat butter and milk
fish oil supplements
3 cups of green tea ( made too much by accident, usually have 1.5 )
half a bowl of kidney beans
2 litres of water

I think that's it. Has covered me pretty well today, haven't been hungry, and had plenty of energy for the gym. Anything there that should be removed to help me lose weight ?

Sapsorrow

You'll find the active members here are very divided with regards how they feel about carbs and in particular grains in the diet some think they're fine some think they're the devil.
My advice to you is to research it for yourself and see how you feel about it, either way it is easy to lose weight with or without carbs esp considering you've so little to lose anyway.
Theres a tendancy for threads here to turn into full blown debates verging on rows when it gets brought up so prob best to just check it out yerself again just google it or check our the paleo diet thread!

ActorSeeksJob

Ah ok, don't want to open up a can of worms

I try research everything before I consider adding them to my diet, the paleo diet has some interesting points, will read up on that a little bit more tomorrow.


Do you have any thoughts on my food intake that I listed above khrystyna ? I know already that you are going to say "more vegetables" that's something I need to stock up on tomorrow. I would be curious about how much calories all those things would add up to as well.


Two more questions, would things like clams/mussels/prawns be worth adding to my diet ? I occasionally have these anyway, but if they were worth including in the list, I would have them more regularly.


These Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements I got from Nourish say "Take one softgel up to six times daily, divided among meals". Does that sound about right ? Just seems like a lot of fish oil to have per day, but I really don't know any better.


One more actually, I like to eat some vegetables raw, like broccoli and mange touts, I assume this is fine, and is it healthier this way ?

Sapsorrow

ActorSeeksJob wrote: »

Ah ok, don't want to open up a can of worms

Two more questions, would things like clams/mussels/prawns be worth adding to my diet ? I occasionally have these anyway, but if they were worth including in the list, I would have them more regularly.


These Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements I got from Nourish say "Take one softgel up to six times daily, divided among meals". Does that sound about right ? Just seems like a lot of fish oil to have per day, but I really don't know any better.


One more actually, I like to eat some vegetables raw, like broccoli and mange touts, I assume this is fine, and is it healthier this way ?

Lol a can of worms it would be we've had a few heated discussions on the matter in the past (I personally really enjoy them but I think peoples nerves are a bit frayed over the subject at this stage! )
Have a good look around online, try and find arguements for and against and try and reserve judgement until you've really clued yourself up about it.
I would say however and I really don't mean this to come across in any way insulting but it might be worth spending a bit more time learning about nutrition in general before looking into specific diet styles as making a sensible judgement would require a fairly good knowledge of the fundamentals of nutrition and it gets quite biochemistry'y! Still friends?

The other important thing to remember is that there isn't one prescriptive diet that suits everyone, humans are highly individual biologically and one thing may work for them and another altogether for you so always remember to listen to your body to see how it reacts to any changes you make in your diet or lifestyle.

Yup more veggies esp the green ones

If you like shell fish work away, they're a great source of iodine, just try get good quality ones caught or reared in clean water.

What is the omega 3 content of a capsule? Home many you need would depend on that, otherwise eat oily fish twice a week.

Raw is fine as is boiled (if you consume the boiling water as is the case with soup and stew) and steamed.
You'll preserve the vitamin C if you eat them raw so work away on that one! People are often under the impression that the enzymes in raw foods are helpful to the digestion but thats a myth, doesn't mean it's not a good idea for other reasons though.