Nutritional advice needed

Factual Questions
1

I’ve changed my diet recently, and the main thing I know about nutrition is that I don’t know much about nutrition. A little help, please.

My current diet is limited to:

Fruits (breakfast):

Nectarines, pears, plums

Meat:

Steaks, pork chops, bacon, chicken, shrimp (grilled, boiled or broiled, if at all possible)

Green stuff:

Lettuce, peas, broccoli, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers (usually uncooked)

Other:

Tomatos, carrots, beans, olives, onions

This is not an effort to lose weight; I’m trying to avoid the stuff that knocks me out. That has meant completely cutting out bread, cheese, condiments (well, I’ve allowed myself Cajun Chef - a cayenne based hot sauce), butter, salad dressings, potatos, sugar, etc. It’s been about five weeks now that I’ve been basically true to this diet (I had to learn the hard way about a few things, like brisket is fine, but brisket with barbecue sauce means I’m going down), and I feel a lot better. And, I’m not losing weight, so at least I’m getting enough nourishment in the short term.

So, I’m not looking for menu enhancements. I’m an eat-to-live sort and a chicken breast and a tomato for lunch for six weeks in a row won’t bother me at all. And I’m not seeking medical advice - I get that from my doctor. I just want to know if I’m missing anything that I really do need. I’ve thought about perhaps adding something like a One A Day vitamin supplement to my routine.

Thoughts?

2

I am glad to see you are improving your diet. The one a day in not necessary if you have a balanced diet. You’ll just pee it out. I am sure some people will have diff advice one the one a day but if we needed that it would grow on a tree somewhere right?

3

Sounds pretty sound to me, as far as overall health. I’d take a multivitamin every day even if you thought you had perfectly good nutrition. It can’t hurt, and it’ll fill in the gaps in case you’re missing anything.

4

What do you mean, “knocks you out”?

5

Calcium is missing from your diet. If you don’t drink milk, you might want to consider calcium pills. Get the kind with Vitamin D.

6

How about Vitamin C? Will that do the calcium trick?

Telemark, I think it’s a blood sugar thing. If I consume any of the offending foods, I enter a state my co-workers describe as “comatose.” Really, it’s beyond sleepy. My eyes cross and I can’t uncross 'em. I can’t think a thought through. They tell me I appear quite drugged, although I’m not.

Not good. But it is amazing what freedom I’ve found from that grindingly oppressive state by altering my diet.

7

Vitamin C is not calcium. To get calcium, you need calcium. You can get it from pills or from foods other than dairy.

Here are some calcium links:

http://www.indiadiets.com/foods/food_nutrients/Minerals/Calcium.htm

http://www.soyfoods.com/symposium97/calcium.html

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/ext_f&n/_timely/calcium.htm

8

In addition to milk, there is also calcium in certain vegetables and fish.

It might be worthwhile to consult with a professonal nutritionist. This will probably involve keeping a “food diary” - a list of everything you eat, and how much, for several days to a week. After that, you’ll get a report on what you’re doing right, what you’re lacking, and ways to go about getting it (which might include supplements in pill form).

Try to find a nutritionist that specializes in blood sugar problems, or else has worked with vegetarians if you have problems with dairy.

9
  1. do some research on the following: glycemic index, hypo/hyperglycemia. Carbohydrate heavy meals make you sleepy so don’t eat carbs in refined form (white sugar, white flour)
  2. you are not getting enough minerals and vitamins from the foods listed unless you are eating truckloads. Get a multi that is not in a tablet (dry and pressed) and you won’t “pee it out”
  3. If you are concerned about calcium intake get a suppliment that is in citrate form and has added magnesium, D. One that has added zinc, potassium, silica is even better.
    The nutritionist is a gravy idea.
  4. Edumacate yr’self- health food store, library, dietition…
  5. Where are your good fats coming from (sorry, not the meat!) Try some different nuts and seeds- sunflower, flax, sesame, almonds, walnut, hazelnuts, hemp seeds… very beneficial to control blood sugar and to make your noggin’ run smoother (nd keeps yr coat shiny-don’t want to be like the Sahara do ya?
10

Just thought another thought- ever heard of candidiasis albicans? This is an overgrowth of the yeast fungii in the body. I just saw Dr. Daniel Crisafi at a lecture and he mentioned that he had to testify in court for a woman who was charged with driving while drunk- even though she swore that she never had a drink. He an a collegue had her food monitored for a three day period by police while in custody (no sugars or carbs allowed). After her three day period was up they gave her a teaspoon of sugar and her blood alcohol levels read that she was hammered- equal to a person who drank two litres of wine. Just thought I’d share- if you get really wierd after eating sugar maybe candida is the culprit. Check it out.
That is it, no more I promise.

11

** sydphus**, thanks pal, I don’t know where I’ll go with that, but it ranks as timely information.