Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Some insight into my life -- it's all about the FOOD

Baraka_Guru · 05-21-2010, 05:21 AM

Ruling out thyroid problems or other disorders, you could look at your distribution of nutrients in your diet.

For example, both fat and fibre help make you feel fuller for longer than carbs and proteins alone.

Dietary fat does not necessarily equal body fat, so get that out of your head. It's just like sugar is not the total sum of your blood sugar, as protein is converted to glucose as well as starches, and all of it can be converted to body fat. This is why balancing our diet is key. Dietary fat (preferably vegetable sources) plays a number of roles in the diet beyond satiety. It helps control and maintain healthy cholesterol levels, as well as keeping the heart healthy. It also plays a role in hormonal balance, namely, your testosterone production. Based on what is likely your recommended daily caloric intake, you should probably be consuming 60 to 80 grams of fat per day. If you eat three square meals a day, that's as much as 20 or 30 grams or so per meal. Ultra low-fat diets are the wrong way to go in most cases, as are low-carb diets.

Most North Americans eat no where near as much fibre as they should. Men should consume over 30 grams of fibre a day. That may seem like a lot to you if you aren't already choosing whole grain products over refined products such as white bread and Minute Rice. The first thing most people should do to improve their diet is to cut out all the refined crap and go for the whole grain stuff. And read the label, some products are tricksy. Look for whole grain ingredients and look at the fibre value, it doesn't lie. You can easily get 4 grams of fibre in two slices of bread if it's a good enough product. Also realize the fruits and vegetables contain a lot of fibre, but only if you eat the whole thing. If your fruit & veggie intake is mainly juices and sauces, you need to start eating more whole foods.

Also consider eating nut and seed products: they contain both fat and fibre, not to mention protein. Eat more seed and nut butters, eat them raw as handy snacks, but just watch out for the salty versions. Learn to appreciate the unsalted foods. Almonds are a great choice, as are walnuts, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. Consider adding these to salads. I grind up flax seeds in a coffee grinder to add to protein shakes.

So the question is, are you eating enough dietary fat from vegetable sources? Are you eating enough fibre?

I don't think there is one overall solution to your issue. I think this is a sum of a number of factors. I wouldn't be surprised if you found out that most of it is psychological rather than physiological. Many people have psychological problems with food. Though it does sound like both could be the problem.

Would it be too much to ask you to let us know what your weight routine is?

05-21-2010, 05:21 AM	#12 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Ruling out thyroid problems or other disorders, you could look at your distribution of nutrients in your diet. For example, both fat and fibre help make you feel fuller for longer than carbs and proteins alone. Dietary fat does not necessarily equal body fat, so get that out of your head. It's just like sugar is not the total sum of your blood sugar, as protein is converted to glucose as well as starches, and all of it can be converted to body fat. This is why balancing our diet is key. Dietary fat (preferably vegetable sources) plays a number of roles in the diet beyond satiety. It helps control and maintain healthy cholesterol levels, as well as keeping the heart healthy. It also plays a role in hormonal balance, namely, your testosterone production. Based on what is likely your recommended daily caloric intake, you should probably be consuming 60 to 80 grams of fat per day. If you eat three square meals a day, that's as much as 20 or 30 grams or so per meal. Ultra low-fat diets are the wrong way to go in most cases, as are low-carb diets. Most North Americans eat no where near as much fibre as they should. Men should consume over 30 grams of fibre a day. That may seem like a lot to you if you aren't already choosing whole grain products over refined products such as white bread and Minute Rice. The first thing most people should do to improve their diet is to cut out all the refined crap and go for the whole grain stuff. And read the label, some products are tricksy. Look for whole grain ingredients and look at the fibre value, it doesn't lie. You can easily get 4 grams of fibre in two slices of bread if it's a good enough product. Also realize the fruits and vegetables contain a lot of fibre, but only if you eat the whole thing. If your fruit & veggie intake is mainly juices and sauces, you need to start eating more whole foods. Also consider eating nut and seed products: they contain both fat and fibre, not to mention protein. Eat more seed and nut butters, eat them raw as handy snacks, but just watch out for the salty versions. Learn to appreciate the unsalted foods. Almonds are a great choice, as are walnuts, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. Consider adding these to salads. I grind up flax seeds in a coffee grinder to add to protein shakes. So the question is, are you eating enough dietary fat from vegetable sources? Are you eating enough fibre? I don't think there is one overall solution to your issue. I think this is a sum of a number of factors. I wouldn't be surprised if you found out that most of it is psychological rather than physiological. Many people have psychological problems with food. Though it does sound like both could be the problem. Would it be too much to ask you to let us know what your weight routine is? __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 05-21-2010 at 05:32 AM..