Diet Suggestions/Views

Potential-Monke

Right, to start off, lets say i'm an extremely bad eater. I'm (according to that weight/obesity chart) Obese. I'm Male, 28, 5'7" and 15 1/2 st.

My problems are obviously an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. The exercise is something i'll have to work on, and intend to start this week by walking (not fit enough for anything else). The diet is a problem.

I used to drink 4 or 5 cans of coke a day, and anything up to 24 cans in a weekend depending on what i'm doing. I've given that up today, and am replacing it with Sparkling Water. First question is, is sparkling water bad in any way? It seems to be doing the job of coke replacement, but is there something in it which should limit the amount i drink?

I don't like much all else, fluid-wise, cordials get mank after a few glasses, and i don't do smoothies (horrible) or fruit juices. Years of bad habits.

But i've hit the limit, have to do something. Gave up smoking start of last September, and giving up the coke now, so getting there!

But, i get gastro reflux with most foods, especially healthy foods, ie: veg and fruits (no, it's not all in my head). Eat some carrots, cabbage and the odd apple.

Any suggestions? Like making home made veg soup but putting in curry powder (still have to try that).

Red Cortina

Giving up the cans of coke is a big step to a healthier diet so if you can keep up with that then I would imagine you will see some benefits to it. I haven't read anything bad about drinking sparkling water.

With regard to your diet, try and eat real food as much as possible ie meat, fish, eggs, veg, potatoes, etc

Basic guidelines that you could follow would be ones like:
-If it comes in box OR
-If it has more that 4 ingredients OR
-If I don't recognise an ingredient OR
-If my great-grandmother wouldn't recognise it
Then I won't eat it are some good rules of thumb.

I don't suffer from GERD and so I have read little about it. But I would not just accept that it is something that I have to live with for the rest of my life. The health blogger Chris Kresser, who seems to be acknowledged as someone who gives decent advice, has written extensively about GERD here: http://thehealthyskeptic.org/heartburn. I would take the time to read what he has to say on it and see if there are any strategies that you could use.

Potential-Monke

Cheers for the advice, i'll give that article a good read. As i said, i've hit my limit and want to do something about it now!

Cheers again.

Bottle_of_Smoke

If you're actually drinking that much coke you should lose almost 2lb a week alone by cutting it out.

It also may be the cause of your gastro reflux. Do you smoke? thats a killer for heartburn

Ouchette

Red Cortina wrote: »

Basic guidelines that you could follow would be ones like:
-If it comes in box OR
-If it has more that 4 ingredients OR
-If I don't recognise an ingredient OR
-If my great-grandmother wouldn't recognise it
Then I won't eat it are some good rules of thumb.

My healthy snacks selection box fails all of those


It's only dried fruit, nuts and seeds though. :cool:

Red Cortina

Ouchette wrote: »

My healthy snacks selection box fails all of those

It's only dried fruit, nuts and seeds though. :cool:

I think in fairness that they are pretty good rules of thumb to start with though and that the intent behind following something like that is pretty clear, ie eat real food:D

Ouchette

Red Cortina wrote: »

I think in fairness that they are pretty good rules of thumb to start with though and that the intent behind following something like that is pretty clear, ie eat real food:D

Oh, definitely agree with the sentiment (though maybe not the box bit- my eggs and my porridge oats come in boxes). Just made me grin.

TommyKnocker

Ouchette wrote: »

My healthy snacks selection box fails all of those


It's only dried fruit, nuts and seeds though. :cool:

Think you would find that your great grandmother would easily recognise the dired fruit and nuts if not the seeds , so you don't fail all the posted criteria

Ouchette

TommyKnocker wrote: »

Think you would find that your great grandmother would easily recognise the dired fruit and nuts if not the seeds , so you don't fail all the posted criteria

Dried fruit in my box that none of my great-grandmothers would be likely to ever have eaten, given that I don't think they were common in pre-1970s Ireland/England/Poland:

Goji berries
Cranberries
Dried physalis
Dried mango

What do I win?

Anyway, I think I've dragged this thread far enough of topic now.

Edit: I forgot the nuts. Not sure they'd have recognised macadamias or pecans either, since neither are traditional in this part of the world.