# Dietary question



## Donkey D Kong (Feb 14, 2011)

This may turn out to be a wall of text, so I apologize ahead of time for it.

Basically, I've spent most of my life mostly eating red meat and drinking soda, not caring about my health. However, I've recently come to realize that I need to live a healthier lifestyle. This realization came after checking my BMI online to learn that I am nearly 100lbs overweight.

Anyway, back to the topic. I am looking for foods that both taste good and will give me the nutrients I need, while avoiding red meats as much as possible. I'm asking in a new thread because I'm having trouble finding foods that I like. I have a very hard time eating salad or any "green" foods. However, I enjoy most fruits. Are there any dietary plans I could follow while avoiding foods like lettuce, broccoli, spinach, etc...?


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## Cetanu (Jan 20, 2012)

Red meat (Why would you ever avoid this?)
Game meat (venison, etc)
Birds (Turkey, chicken, quail, etc)
Fish
Shellfish, Crab, Mussells, Oysters
Eggs
Pork, Ham, Bacon
Bone Marrow
Organ meat (brain, heart, liver, intestine, kidney)

Green leafy vegetables
Tuber vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables

Herbs
Spices

Coconut oil
Macadamias (whole and oil, never for cooking)
Avocados (whole and oil, never for cooking)
Olive Oil (never for cooking)
Rendered animal fat
clarified butter from a grass fed animal


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## Diogenes (Jun 30, 2011)

Cetanu said:


> Red meat (Why would you ever avoid this?)
> Game meat (venison, etc)
> Birds (Turkey, chicken, quail, etc)
> Fish
> ...


If you want him to reach triglyceride and cholosterol levels as high as those of a bull, you're doing it right.


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## Cetanu (Jan 20, 2012)

Diogenes said:


> If you want him to reach triglyceride and cholosterol levels as high as those of a bull, you're doing it right.


Says he who has never tried it himself


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## Jwing24 (Aug 2, 2010)

I don't have many suggestions, but one I do have. If you are trying to lose weight, cut out the soda. Sugar sugar bad bad.


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

Endless Sorcerer said:


> I am looking for foods that both taste good and will give me the nutrients I need, while avoiding red meats as much as possible.


As a Food Science major, with educational experience in Nutrition, I can say that taste is acquired. Those do not taste good because you have not been eating them, and your body is used to caloric dense things such as soda, instead of nutritional dense food and drink. There is no "diet" you have to go on, just adjust how you eat, slowly. Avoid foods that have a significant amount of calories in relation to actual nutrition. Counting calories is retarded in most cases, IMO, so I am glad you did not mention that. Red meat could easily be avoided for other reasons than diet (imminent global water crisis), but for some, it should not be completely cut out. If you do remove meats, be sure to get iron from veggies that provide them, and lots of it.

As far as selecting foods that taste good, never rule out spices and herbs. Salt is necessary for proper muscle function, but too much and too little can be very dangerous. Vegetable oils for cooking is a great option, maybe using butter occasionally, but in small amounts. If cooking with oils, ensure that they have a high smoke-point, better yet, blend different oils together for a more dynamic culinary experience in your meals. Despite the rumors, you can use olive oil to cook if it is PURE and not Virgin or Extra Virgin. Again, blend it with some canola and you will be fine.

When I want something bland, like many veggies to my taste, to contain more flavor, I make them spicy. Onion and garlic ALWAYS adds wonderful flavors IMO, and provide many healthful benefits. Herbs and spices are definitely your friend here, and may even have hidden medicinal benefits as well (though unclear, believing will support if its true, so why not?)

I must call out what Cetanu states: bone marrow is horrifically calorie dense (as is clarified butter), so let your dog enjoy it and he will be an even better best friend. (do not feed the dog butter, just to make that clear). Meats are good in small portions. Just to relate, a serving of meat is about 3oz (roughly the size of a deck of cards). I know that sounds whack, but think of the damage you are doing by scarfing down a steak dinner, where the minimal you can usually get is 8oz! I personally would avoid poultry and shellfish, if any meat. The shit they load those chickens up with is disturbing... just look at how huge a "standard" chicken breast is. The damn things have trouble standing properly thanks to consumer demand (and no, I am not an animal activist or humanitarian).

Also, if your wife is preggo, by enjoying a wide range of nutritious flavor varieties, she will be doing her offspring a HUGE favor for their diet selection when they grow. Join her on the food-venture too, and you will indeed become closer!

I recommend Indian food (my favorite cuisine!). Despite the judgment towards the "smelly curries" (not all Indian food is fucking curry, dumbasses), the incorporation of many spices, in my conceptualization, may contribute to their food being pretty healthy, if prepared correctly. They do use ghee (clarified butter) sometimes, but keep your oils in moderation and you should be fine. 

I need to criticize Cetanu again... OP suggested giving up or reducing meat intake, and yet Cetanu suggests mostly meat options (DERP). Consider his credibility invalid since he specifically claimed "Olive Oil (never for cooking).


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

Yeah, and eliminate sodas. Any reduction is good, but trust me, you will be much happier if you eliminate. You do not need refined sugar at all. If any advice is worthwhile, I suggest you try your best to adjust to healthy sugar sources (fruits) if you absolutely cannot bear to eliminate sweets. Make yourself like them if you must .


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

One more thing... and this seems like the obvious "exercise" suggestion:

Match your output to your input. Think about it conceptually. If you are not physically tired in at least the most minute manner when you go to bed, adding a simple walk to your routine may help. Feel your body has done something at the end of the day. It doesnt need to be crashed and burnt out, but getting a little bit sweaty is good for you, and helps remove toxins from your body, especially since you have more need for water which you hopefully abide by .

Done! thats all


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## Diogenes (Jun 30, 2011)

Cetanu said:


> Says he who has never tried it himself


I don't think anecdotal evidence (personal, by the way, which is even worse) has a lot to do with scientific inquiry.
I'm not saying that he will not lose weight, not at all. But if we are to trust long term studies with large groups that is what the paleo diet does in long terms.
You could raise the objection that he's just going to use it to lose weight and then change diet again but it's very difficult to change diet if you are having a positive experiences with your current one, both in terms of taste and results.


@Premium G

You're so right. The "I must do a specific diet with contains only certain foods" idea is neurosis. In a diet there's space for almost everything if you eat it in moderation and you balance your nutrients intake.
Same thing for exercise, as you say, you don't have to kill yourself, simply doing 20 minutes of cardio everyday with a good diet can do miracle.
It seems strange to most because people usually fail diets for three reasons: unrealistic expectations, they try too hard and end up "cheating" or they don't try enough.


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## Cetanu (Jan 20, 2012)

BBC News - High cholesterol diet helps mice with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease

lolwut cholesterolz


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## android654 (Jan 19, 2010)

Cetanu said:


> BBC News - High cholesterol diet helps mice with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease
> 
> lolwut cholesterolz


Seriously, one semester in organic chemistry can show you how essential fats are to homeostasis in any mammal. Starches and carbs are what we should limit, not our protein and fat intake.


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## Death Persuades (Feb 17, 2012)

I would say to just eat lots of things that are found in nature (except most animals). Fruits and veggies you like, nuts, seeds, water... Stay away from refined sugars, red meats, eggs and pork. People say pork is "white" meat, but pork messes you up. Did you know pig meat is so similar to human meat that pig skin has been used in burn victims, successfully? Yeah.. Your body would not react very well to something it thinks might be human flesh. I would suggest turkey over chicken and shellfish over fish, but that's just me. Also, take a multivitamin and some omega3 pills.


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## Donkey D Kong (Feb 14, 2011)

Alright, thanks for the suggestions everyone!


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

You are not overweight. You are morbidly obese. It is a very dangerous condition that will kill you at an early age so your child will grow up never having known you. I'm glad you posted here because it appears to show you are serious. Taking action is great, but you need commitment and follow-through to make your changes stick.

You prefer fruits over vegetables because they are sweet and you have conditioned yourself to sweets by drinking so much soda pop. If you are serious about making changes for your health, you need to quit refined sugar cold turkey immediately. At the same time, you need to start conditioning yourself to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables by eating them. Go to the supermarket and buy the prewashed mixed greens. Buy kales and spinach and arugula and leafy lettuce. Get a blender. Chop some carrots, celery, a lot of those greens, some yogurt, orange juice, and a banana and blend it all up into a smoothie. This is your breakfast.

Do not snack on junk food... ever.

Count how many different ingredients you eat in every meal. Ingredients means food items. Garlic and onions count. Spices, condiments, and other seasonings do not. You can continue to eat meat, but make your portions very small--like 3-4 ounces at most--and try to eat vegan once or twice a week. Eat whole grains, nuts, vegetables (especially greens), legumes, seeds, and yes, fruit. But don't make the mistake of thinking that just eating lots of fruit will be sufficient. It's mostly carbs and fructose with some good vitamins and minerals along for the ride.

Make friends with quinoa. It is the only complete source of protein in a single vegetable item. It cooks easily and is delicious. 

My former co-worker, a tall and broad shouldered dude, weighed more than 400 pounds. He lost over 200 and has become an endurance athlete at the age of 50. H has maintained a constant 190 pounds by eating as I describe above and by riding his bike to work and home every day. His doctors told him he was going to die soon if he didn't do something serious about his lifestyle. If he can do it, I am sure you can do it too.


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

telepariah said:


> You are not overweight. You are morbidly obese. It is a very dangerous condition that will kill you at an early age so your child will grow up never having known you. I'm glad you posted here because it appears to show you are serious. Taking action is great, but you need commitment and follow-through to make your changes stick.
> 
> You prefer fruits over vegetables because they are sweet and you have conditioned yourself to sweets by drinking so much soda pop. If you are serious about making changes for your health, you need to quit refined sugar cold turkey immediately. At the same time, you need to start conditioning yourself to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables by eating them. Go to the supermarket and buy the prewashed mixed greens. Buy kales and spinach and arugula and leafy lettuce. Get a blender. Chop some carrots, celery, a lot of those greens, some yogurt, orange juice, and a banana and blend it all up into a smoothie. This is your breakfast.
> 
> ...


Where many of your statements contain fact, I would just like to point a few things out. Condiments are definitely a huge part in overconsumption... perhaps not spices, but do you know how many people skew the effectiveness of a salad just by adding unhealthy dressing? Also, quinoa may be completue, but also lets not forget beans and rice, which together make an effective complete protein, while providing better flavor options, which I guess is about preference. I have not looked it up yet, but I know hemp seed is one of the best vegetable protein sources for vegetarians.


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## Shahada (Apr 26, 2010)

Premium G said:


> I recommend Indian food (my favorite cuisine!). Despite the judgment towards the "smelly curries" (not all Indian food is fucking curry, dumbasses), the incorporation of many spices, in my conceptualization, may contribute to their food being pretty healthy, if prepared correctly. They do use ghee (clarified butter) sometimes, but keep your oils in moderation and you should be fine.


I second this, especially if you're not used to eating vegetables. If you like spicy stuff there's all kinds of traditional South Asian stuff you can make that really makes your veggies pop. You can also make some daal for an easy, healthy, cheap and delicious soup. Like he says though, watch the butter (you can usually substitute an oil). Another thing I'd recommend if you're not used to eating a lot of vegetables is roasting them in the oven with some olive oil and spices (depends on the veggie, but salt, pepper and garlic are usually staples for me) rather than steaming them, the texture is often more "crunchy" and satisfying and the flavor is richer.


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

Just to be clear. I am not recommending condiments or salad dressings. I'm just saying don't congratulate yourself by counting them as an ingredient. I dress my salads with either basamic vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lime.

Beans and rice yes! As long as the rice is whole grain brown rice. No white rice.


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## Philosophaser Song Boy (Jan 16, 2011)

Well, while in comparrison white vs brown, brown rice is much healthier. This does not mean that white rice is not healthy, as it is. Sure, conceptually, it is questionable the point of removing nutrients only to add them back, but that does not make it unhealthy. Beware the misconception that processed food is not healthy.


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## Biracial (Sep 8, 2010)

Endless Sorcerer said:


> This may turn out to be a wall of text, so I apologize ahead of time for it.
> 
> Basically, I've spent most of my life mostly eating red meat and drinking soda, not caring about my health. However, I've recently come to realize that I need to live a healthier lifestyle. This realization came after checking my BMI online to learn that I am nearly 100lbs overweight.



Congratz on your realization. More info please.

Hi.

Were you drinking the soda because you liked the fizz, the caffeine, or the sugar? 
Are you going to get a physical + bloodwork done soon? 
Have you picked your meal plan? If so, post it. 
Do have any food allergies?


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