Yep, we’re still talking about my health, so you might find someone else to stand next to at the cocktail party for a while. Getting healthy is on my life list, so here’s Part I: Ow My Everything Hurts, and Part II: Acupuncture is Not Scary, Part III: Dentists Are Kind of Scary, and Part IV: I Should Get Off the Couch. Please join us for this installment of “Oh, My Aching Back,” where we give up doughnuts, french fries, and hope.
I was blessed with a mother who told me my body was gorgeous until I believed her, plus a nutzo metabolism that kept my weight in check until I was about 19. So when I say my diet was poor until I was 25, I mean potato chips for breakfast, Top Ramen for lunch, and a sensible shake (plus Bacon Cheddar Burger with fries) for dinner.
When my metabolism finally wised up and started storing fat when I used heavy cream on my cereal, I was at a loss. I had to re-learn how to cook, but I had no grasp of nutrition. My first bit of education came before I knew I had health issues, when I finally went on a diet.
Understanding Nutritional Value
I gained about 15 pounds in college, which was no big deal because I looked like a pre-pubescent boy before that, and it was nice to finally have boobs. After college, I gained another ten pounds, cringed when I saw my upper arms in a photo from a friend’s wedding, and decided it was time to apply the brakes.
I tell you all this because Weight Watchers Online was my first education in eating well. If you’re not familiar with the program, they assign a point value to every item of food based on a formula that involves fiber, nutritional value, and so on.
At the time I knew things like donuts were bad for me, but I had no concept of how bad. I mean, it’s not like they were dusted with rat poison. But a filling, healthy meal on Weight Watchers at the time was about five points. A Dunkin’ Donuts doughnut? Eight Points. Starbucks doughnut? Twelve. As I logged my food for the day, it was a passive nutritional education. I now have a basic understanding of what’s bad for me, and what’s reprehensible.
I still use Weight Watchers whenever I need to lose weight, which is often because I need to stay slim to avoid taxing my joints unnecessarily. Yet another reason to overhaul my diet.
Eating Well
After dieting, I had a basic idea of how food worked, but I didn’t apply that knowledge except when I was trying to lose weight. As I mentioned, when my health tanked, I realized how bad things were because I tried the Quantum Wellness cleanse and felt amazing. Because I found that diet too restrictive to maintain, I needed a simpler way to eat better.
Everything I know about how my body interacts with food is from Dr. Oz’s You on Diet, which has specific recommendations for how to adopt a healthier diet overall.
Key points that stuck with me:
-I try not to keep food in my house if I know it’s hurting my body. If I want some potato chips, I can put on my sneakers and walk to the damn store.
-I avoid foods with any of the following in the first five ingredients of the label: 1. simple sugars 2. syrups 3. white flours 4. saturated fats 5. trans fat. Friends, unless you’re shopping at a seriously hippie store, this pretty much eliminates packaged food, which I found shocking. I won’t buy anything at all with high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, but after about a year with brown rice pasta, I just found it too difficult to give up regular pasta. Still, I eat maybe a quarter of the packaged food I used to. I just do the best I can.
–Standardize one or more of my meals. I pick a healthy breakfast (smoothie) or lunch (salad, turkey sandwich) and eat the same thing every day. Bam! Half my day is healthy by default.
-Trans fats are terrible for you not only because they’re extremely caloric. Your system doesn’t actually register them as food. So no matter how much you eat, your body never releases the chemicals that tell you you’re full. Yikes.
-I keep water in front of me all day long, and have a small dishes of nuts around so I can eat a few about twenty minutes before a meal. It triggers your body to release satiety chemicals, and most nuts are crazy good for you.
If you want a starting point, here’s Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet, which closely mirrors the book’s tenets on healthful eating. (If weight is your main health challenge, you’ll find specific weight management tips here.)
Vitamins and Supplements
By the time I started acupuncture, I was already taking a enough supplements and vitamins to stock a co-op. I’d been reading Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Life site, and I adopted lots of her recommendations (which I can’t find anywhere now, grr). As symptoms pop up, my acupuncturist suggests foods and supplements that can help, and they do.
My general rule for supplements is that I want my body to recognize them as food. I try not to swallow anything synthetic that my immune system may try to attack, so I look for vitamins made of whole foods. They’re more expensive, but I think of it like filling prescriptions.
Every morning I take a:
Women’s One Multivitamin
B-Complex – to battle stress hormones and boost immune function
Grape seed extract – to build artery walls and help with bruising, which works
Algae – recommended by my acupuncturist to “build blood”
L-Lysine – to keep cold sores at bay, and it’s incredibly effective
Calcium – suck it, osteoperosis
Vitamin E – for the heart and skin
Glucosamine Chondroitin – to build cartilidge
I also take acupuncture herb capsules for chronic knee and ankle pain. I take three at a time, three times a day in conjunction with the Glucosamine for my joints.
The herbs and Glucosamine have really worked miracles for me when I take them correctly. You’re supposed to take Glucosamine three times a day with food, which seemed so arduous. Then a few weeks ago I was having trouble walking and worried I might need another knee surgery. So I set three alarms on my phone and put some pills in my purse so I always had them with me. Such an easy solution, I feel stupid for waiting so long to just do it, and after just a week of taking my supplements the way I’m supposed to, my joints are functional again.
Three or four mornings a week, I also make a smoothie and add Flax Seed Oil for heart and brain function, a little ground flax seed for the same thing, and sometimes a little Psyllium Husk for fiber.
If you’re wondering what you should be taking, Dr. Oz’s vitamins and supplements chart is a useful resource. It’s comprehensive, so don’t let it overwhelm you; put together a routine based on where your health needs boosting.
At first, I felt weird about taking so many “pills.” I’m the kind of person who resists taking a Tylenol when i have a headache. But I’ve come to think of vitamins as food in condensed form. I’d rather take a handful of condensed food than have kale at every meal.
I bruise less easily, get fewer cold sores, have more energy, don’t really have issues with eczema any more, and have had surprising healing in my joints.
Questions
That’s about it. I’ve also been drinking only decaf coffee and tea aside from green tea, and I’m considering cutting out wheat again to see if it would dramatically effect my energy, but I’m taking it slowly. I also bought Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals, which I’ve been avoiding reading because of the moral quandry I know will ensue.
In general, I’m trying to give my body better building materials, and if you’ve read this far, you probably are too. So here’s what I want to know from you:
– How have you come by the knowledge you have about food? Reading suggestions?
– Would you consider making a non-temporary change in how you eat? Have you already?
– Do you take supplements or do they freak you out? Do you believe they work?
Oof. This has been a long haul, no? Thanks for sticking with me.
Mighty Girl 
I had to learn to eat as an adult, too. I’m designed to be slim, so I don’t really put on weight, but after a couple of decades of surgary, fried, packaged everything, I just felt so old. Sore, achy, grouchy, moody, tired, etc., etc., etc. Two things saved me: The duodenal ulcer that perforated and had me puking blood in my office (at age 26), and my kids’ food allergies. We have to serve whole, healthy foods because just about everything else makes them sick. So, I cook. A lot. My kids get to learn about where food comes from, and how it’s prepared, and we all get to feel a lot better.
Thank you for sharing this series with us. It’s been a really interesting read!
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Nourishing Traditions cookbook/nutritional guide was life changing. No boxed, processed food. Period.
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I changed my eating habits after having a baby. I wanted to set a better example. B/f him I would seriously grocery shop at Target. I love Michael Pollan’s guidance in Food Rules b/c he says having an eating plan shouldn’t be complicated. Unprocessed, as close to nature as I can get it is what I go by. I did cut out wheat and dairy with a finicky nurser then added yogurt and cheese back. When I go back to wheat I feel so tired and moody. I feel great, more energy at 37 than ever b/f – no afternoon fatigue. I take a multi, fish oil, vitamin d, probiotics daily, then whatever I need for whatever comes up.
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I went decaf to prevent having continuous needle biopsies on breast lumps. My Mom suffered from fibroid cysts. After going through the stress and cost of having one biopsy I knew I needed a solution. The breast specialist, said well I’ve heard anecdotal stories that caffeine increases the frequency of fibroid cysts. That’s all I needed. Been fine for 3 years so far, plus I sleep better!
Great series Maggie.
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I would recommend keeping a food diary, it has really helped me get my eating habits back on track. I used to think that my diet was not that bad overall, but seeing everything written down in black and white made me realise that “occasional” treats had become a daily habit, and it showed me the woeful lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in my diet. Now I review what I have eaten over the past few days and if I want to go all out one day and eat nothing but pizza and muffins then I make sure the next few days are straight back to the good stuff. It has worked wonders for me in terms of energy levels and general wellbeing, without having to feel restricted in any way.
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I’m reading The China Study now and it’s unbelievable. There is significant scientific proof that animal proteins make us sick. Why don’t we all know about this? Who knows. Lobbyists for powerful livestock and dairy industries, I suppose. I’d highly recommend reading it. It will change the way you look at food. I’m still mulling it all over and trying to decide how I can make it work for my family but believe me, you can’t go back once you read it.
As for supplements, I take Vitamin D, magnesium, and fish oil. I was taking calcium until I heard about the studies linking calcium supplements to a 31% increase in heart attacks. I was just posting this on facebook earlier today, in fact. I’d missed the story and just came upon it by accident.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/29/eveningnews/main6726042.shtml
Thanks for sharing your journey to health!
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Animal Vegetable Miracle changed my life. I just became more in touch with the seasons of foods and stopped eating anything processed. I shop mostly at Farmer’s Markets and Rainbow Market. I try to walk as much as I can instead of drive- not easy with 3 kids in SF, but they are getting older (2 5 year olds and a 16 month old) and better at walking with me. I take a multivitamin and an omega 3 supplement and when I feel a little down I take Vitamin B complex and Vitamin D and try to sweat and also make time to be lazy and snuggle with my kids. I drink water like it’s going out of style. My goal is to have a massage once a quarter and to try accupuncture this year. Thank you for your blog. It has literally picked me up and made me skip and grin more times than I can count.
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Great article! Last year my husband took off 30 lbs and kept it off due to our diet change. We started eating alkaline. Most of the food we eat are too acidic. Our bodies are meant to be at a ph level that is a bit alkaline, but with the normal diet, most of us are acidic.
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I have found acupuncture to be incredibly helpful in terms of getting my health headed in a – dare I say it – healthy direction.
I am also an avid label reader. My biggest concerns are sodium and sugar. I hate corn syrup and I am uncomfortable buying food with a long list of ingredients made up of indecipherable scientific-sounding words.
We eat a lot of whole foods – foods that do not have a lot of ingredients. I cook dinner almost every night, from scratch. I do not buy frozen prepared foods, or shelf stable prepared foods, and rarely do I buy regrigerated prepared foods – the exception being items like salsa and tomato sauce and salad dressings and the like. Condiments, mostly. Every meal is “balanced” to a certain extent. For example, the kids will have a bread, a dairy, and a fruit for breakfast. They have protein, fruit, veg, and maybe a carb for lunch. For dinner we have a protein and a veg, and maybe a carb. And we always have something for dessert, within reason.
As much as I love my Yodels and Ring Dings, I don’t eat them anymore. (*sob*) We don’t buy soda or candy. I rarely fry things. But I don’t think I take “healthy” to an unpleasant extreme. We eat crap, but when we do I always make sure we are all aware of it, and that we follow up a bad choice with a better one.
In the same way that you pick one healthy thing to eat every day, I pick my poison. I will knowingly select 1 item that has little to no nutritional value, but that I think I really want.
Then I eat it, for days on end, when I feel that I need a treat. Until I am disgusted with myself or sick of it. Bye Bye Funyuns! (it took a few days, but I managed to say so long to my old fried friend).
I guess I just try to be realistic, and not make food a huge issue. I have enough issues, I think.
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It’s already been said several times, but seriously- read In Defense of Food. He just makes so much sense.
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I’ve taken B12 and zinc in the past to help with PMT. I would recommend always reading about supplements before taking them though. I bought some starflower oil capsules to help me chill a bit and then read about them online, the first point being practically “Don’t take these, Sarah” – they’re no good for those with epilepsy.
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I, for one, would like to thank you for sharing this hard won information. I’ve had joint issues, including 2 non-injury related knee surgeries, and once I pop out this baby I think I’ll try some of the supplements you’ve written about.
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I’m going to chime in with several others and say: In Defense of Food. It will make you seriously rethink what we’ve always been told about food and nutrition. It’s well-written, well-researched, and a really terrific read.
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I learn more about food and what’s good for people by listening to the people I trust. They tell me what they eat and how they feel and what they’ve learned and I incorporate that along with my common sense about food. I’m no where near perfect, but getting better.
I want to get rid of JUNK, permanently. It’s a challenge…
I take supplements because though I’m not 100% convinced that they work, I find it likely that they do more good than harm. I hope that’s right because they’re expensive 🙂
Good luck! And thank you for sharing the stories of what’s going on with you. I hope it will help others address their health concerns!
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I don’t have a reading suggestion, but how about a watching one? I like “Good Eats” with Alton Brown. He talks a lot about the science of food and cooking and is really into natural and non-processed ingredients. He also has a couple of really good cookbooks out.
I have made a permanent change in the way that I eat/shop. I haven’t bought bread at the store in almost 3 years. My husband and I make all of our bread, rolls, hamburger buns, etc etc at home. Having a breadmaker really helps with this one.
Also, we don’t buy soda. Haven’t for years. We make our own (water, yeast, extract, honey) and it is dead easy. Of course, the husband and myself were already brewing our own beer, so it was just a small step from beer brewing to making root beer, birch beer, and ginger beer.
I do take supplements – women’s multivitamin, calcium, and iron. I do feel that they make a difference, especially the iron, since I tend to have lots of problems with anemia and feel really low and sluggish if I don’t get enough iron.
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Great series.
– How have you come by the knowledge you have about food? Reading suggestions? Harold McGee, Michael Pollan’s first food book, Alton Brown. I’ve always worked from the premise that knowing where my food comes from is ideal which also cuts out a lot of processed food. I also like reading EatingWell magazine b/c their nutrition stuff tends to be more sane their fad driven. We also belong to a CSA and buy meat from local farmers. Belonging to a CSA has helped up discover well really forced us to discover new veggies and what to do with them.
– Would you consider making a non-temporary change in how you eat? Have you already? – No. I sort of feel that everything in moderation and eating sensibly is a lifelong goal. I don’t believe in detox or cleanses b/c our bodies already organs devoted to that that are doing it all the time. And a nutritionist told me any diet change where you are suddenly eating more fruits and vegetables is going to make you feel better. So that’s why it appear cleanses or diet fads work so quickly. I have long term diet goals that I work at every day in creating meals for me and my family.
– Do you take supplements or do they freak you out? Do you believe they work? I do take a multi vitamin but I don’t really believe they work. I don’t think your body processes supplements well or absorbs them well. I also think how food and nutrients work in our bodies is far too complex of a process to be able to isolate individual supplements that we can say our body needs in supplement form. Take huge Vitamin D craze now science is saying the research was bad and we actually don’t need as much vitamin D was woo doctors or even regular doctors were worrying we needed.
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– How have you come by the knowledge you have about food? Reading suggestions?
I went to a consultation with a doctor in NJ who has an MD and a PhD in biochemistry. He runs The Institute For Natural Health and Wellness, and it is a good place. He explained how metabolic pathways work and how refined food mucks them up. A year and a half of therapy previous to the appointment made me feel like it was actually a good idea to take care of myself.
– Would you consider making a non-temporary change in how you eat? Have you already?
Yes. No artificial sweetners/HFCS, much more veggies, much less meat. I do the gluten-free vegan thing as much as I can stand it, then take a week off and eat bread, glorious bread.
– Do you take supplements or do they freak you out? Do you believe they work?
They freak me out (neon yellow pee!) but I take them. Vitamin D3 makes me feel like a superhero. I take about a dozen supplements.
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I’m terrible with food, but have always been in good shape and exercised regularly (until my 11 week old was born, I’ve really been slacking lately). I take what seems like a ton of supplements because I’m breastfeeding and want her to get all the nutrition I can give her: Prenatal vitamins, probiotics several times a day (at least three – my little one got thrush and I contribute its quick healing to these entirely), vitamin C, and calcium.
Love this post.
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Maggie, thanks for sharing all this. I have no doubt it will help a lot of people address their health. I think there is a divide between people who really want to do the right thing for their bodies and people who want to be too cool to care about such things. I don’t think the latter is a healthy attitude.
As for your questions, I have been taking supplements for over a decade, maybe longer than that, which is weird because I am 37. So that is nothing new to me. Also I like veggies and generally healthy foods, so that is not new to me either. My issues were alcohol, overeating (which had always been rewarded because I was so skinny as a child!), and exercise, all of which I tackled in 2010.
I had been on a steady 1-2 beer a day diet for years (plus more on the weekend – 3-4). Nothing extreme, not enough to concern me as a “problem”, but it was a problem! I needed it when I got home in the evening and always thought about having another drink. I could still logic myself out of it and avoid hangovers and real “problems” but it was an issue that I needed to deal with. Also I just had an unhealthy attitude about it.
So that plus overeating (2nds at every meal!) had me gaining 3-5 lbs a year. Do the math – that’s a lot of weight over time. Since my ultra-super-skinny HS days, I gained 65 lbs. The first 20-30 or so made me look healthy, but the rest (much as in your case) were excessive.
What changed all this? My doctor told me my weight gain amounted to 100 calories a day. When he broke it down into a daily recognizable quantity, I could deal with it. So I stopped drinking during the week and stopped having 2nds. I drank fizzy water (San Pellegrino, Perrier, or just club soda!) to make it feel like I was actually drinking something (more exciting than water!), and I fixed my plate with reasonable amounts of food and just forebode myself to go back for seconds. I went to bed hungry a few times. After 2 weeks it normalized.
I also decided to teach myself to swim. I went to swim laps one day and realized I really did not know how. I borrowed a video from the library and watched it. I practiced 1-2 times a week and within 3 months I had it. I am still learning, still getting the breathing and turning right, but I can call myself a swimmer now. Most of the time, though, I just brainlessly take myself to the pool – I don’t want to go. I find myself in the water thinking “what am I doing?” but I do it anyway. And I reward myself after (hot tub at the gym!). And I just keep going.
So in 6 months I had lost 35 lbs. and now I have been doing this for a whole year. Yay me!
Ah, but your questions were specifically about food. A good book is Michael Pollan’s Food Rules and if you want something more in depth, read his Omnivore’s Dilemma. It is about eating real food, pure and simple. “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Bingo!
As for the supplements, you bet they do work! I ran out of vitamin E and decided to wing it and started noticing a rapid decline in my skin. Take your vitamins, people!
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Oh, yes. Oh yes do I take supplements. I have been battling surgery-induced hypothyroid for the past 4 years now (I had graves disease and they took my thyroid out…ugh, still pissed about that). So after many years of bad doctors,terrible fatigue, weight gain, etc I finally found one who is a nut about supplements (among other things). And now, so am I. I’ve lost weight, my hair stopped falling out and I’m not a complete and utter be-atch to be around. So yeah. Supplements. I like them. I feel like a walking medicine cabinet but it is so worth it.
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Excellent timing… maybe this will help some folks think about their food choices:
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket
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My husband is a true convert with the glucosomine supplements – he swears by them. Definitely cured the everyday aching in his knees. It’s the only supplement he panics about if we run out! 😉
I sound like some lunatic, but I really like Dr. Oz. All of his solutions and answers – just. make. sense. He’s not extreme about anything, and his ideas are ones that can easily be worked into your everyday routines. Thanks for the reminder to check in with him (and myself!) again!
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Wow…this was incredibly helpful. I too am having all sorts of health issues. My dental records are embarrassing and just recently my body has decided it doesn’t want to digest anything I eat. I just requested the books you recommended and am optimistic that I can get my body in check. Thank you for sharing…..I feel so much better knowing I’m not the only person with weird health issues.
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This series is really interesting. I have, like you, sort of come about this gradually. I was a skinny kid, then curvy once puberty really hit (16-18), then I went to college and walked everywhere and lost 15 pounds in 6 months, then I got really stressed and started subsisting on popcorn, ramen and frozen veggies and soda and dropped to 105 pounds, where I stayed until I met my husband, who inspired me to take up home cooking, with butter, which boosted my weight by 15-20 pounds almost overnight (by this time I was 25, so there’s no coincidence to the weight/metabolism changes; also once I was 25, I stopped being at all tolerant of hangovers). Then I rented Supersize Me. And watched it twice in one day. Then I saw Food, Inc. Then my friend, who had terrible digestive issues, started giving up things like coffee and sugar. Then I read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. Now I try to stick to organic milk, am incorporating more organic fruits and veggies, stick to whole grains when possible, try to avoid gluten when possible, and for New Year’s I gave up refined sugars for January and am thinking about making that permanent. But man-oh-man I miss bread. It’s really hard to find good sugar-free bread.
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I am obsessed with fish oil supplements, more specifically the Omega 3-6-9 by Nordic Naturals. When I started taking them about four years ago, I noticed an IMMEDIATE difference in my memory and mood/energy levels (ie – fewer dips throughout the day). I now will never go without them.
I recently started taking Vitamin D, because studies have shown that 1) the current recommended daily allowance is probably on the low side, and 2) only a few spots in the country can get Vitamin D from the sun during the winter months (Chicago is not one of them).
All in all, I take a multi (plant/food based) and an Omega 3-6-9 in the morning, and Vitamin D, B-complex, and sometimes biotin at lunch. I reference Dr. Oz’s supplement chart ages ago and that’s what I decided upon. I can’t take Glucosamine because it is derived from shellfish and I have a slight allergy.
Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for this series Maggie- I have loved it. You are my internet Oprah.
I have done many of the items suggested here and one thing we have in common is eating the same thing every day for lunch and dinner. It keeps things simple and allows me to not be as strict about dinner. I also use a juicer to get a lot of my nutrients.
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The only thing I recommend with fanatic exuberance is taking your multivitamin in liquid form. Particularly good ones out there also have minerals and antioxidants in them. And it goes without saying that these vitamins and minerals all come from foods/plants that have been condensed and liquified. I happen to buy Organic Life brand – so its organic to boot. A bottle costs around $30 and if you take it 2x a day, it lasts about 2 weeks so it’s not cheap, but I can say without reservation that I saw marked improvements in my energy and immune system (no random rashes! hey look my skin cleared up!). I will also tell you it’s mega nasty flavored, so chase it with some kinda strong fruit juice!
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Hi Maggie, boy do I have suggestions for you. A few years ago my husband was having major digestive issues and finally went to a naturalpathic doctor who also specialized in nutrition. She recommended a book titled “The Body Ecology Diet” we found out my husband had an extreme candidia problem from years and years of antibiotics and poor eating habits and basically needed to overhaul his digestive system and reintroduce digestive enzymes and basically give the rest of his body some rest. Over a 6 month period we were forced to watch what we ate due to immediate response to sugar, vinegar, proteins and carbs. It took over our lives, but slowly we moved into more manageable eating habits and took away some very basic, but life altering realizations about food. One, is to watch combinations of food. The Japanese are incredible at this. Balancing the flavors of a meal to provide the salt, sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy will ultimately leave you not wanting to satiate – think spicy, salty pizza and balanced with a sweet and tart soda. The concept means providing a balanced meal that gives your tastebuds all so you don’t physically crave sweet after sour or salty after bitter, it’s all balanced in a healthy way in the overall meal. Another concept we took away also deals with food combinations. BED (Body Ecology Diet) meals are always 80% vegetables and 20% Protein or grains. So that meant most of our meals had two vegetable dishes AND a salad and a small piece of protein or grain. So if there are two bites worth of chicken left you would have to eat vegetables 4x as much as the chicken if you want to have that piece of chicken. As you can imagine it fills you up quickly. Corn, potatoes, grains, and protein are never eaten in combo. Think a steak, mashed potatoes and corn bread. Filling, but a horrible combination for your body to digest. It taxes your organs to digests those things at one time and you’re usually hungry before that meal was completely digested. And removing sugar from your diet is hard, but a huge difference when you bite into a tomato and realize how incredibly sweet it is. The other piece of nutritional knowledge we have gained is a Japanese inspired macrobiotic diet. I’d suggest Mayumi Nishimura’s Macrocooking for body & soul. Yes, some cultures like the one I grew up in did not ever eat processed food. Every meal started with a raw ingredients. Mayumi’s book is simple, the cooking techniques are basic and the food is incredibly filling and balancing to the palate so you never crave something to balance your palate after eating, you are completely satiated after each meal. Try a snack of sliced fuji apple and toasted pumpkins seeds. The apple is sweet and filling, the pumpkin seeds when toasted are spicy and savory. Leaving you not wanting something else after and your body recognizes it as real food (it’s one step away from it’s original appearance) and quickly triggers your brain and body that you have eaten. She has tips on eating mostly grains in the afternoon and light proteins in the evening. All her meals are umami balanced and eating whole foods is filling. Another piece of advice – turn off the tv. Half the commercials are about food and bad ones. Notice how there are no commercials from the American Carrot Association or the United Mushroom foundation.
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I read Eating Animals right before heading home for Christmas. Needless to say, it caused a few hiccups with my carnivorous family. Yeah it’s gruesome, but you come away with a new perspective on factory farming (90-something percent of all farming is factory farming). And if you’re going to take the time and cut out your intake of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, shouldn’t that extend to cutting out meat from animals that are fed the same shit? It’s a good book and god knows I love a good steak, but meat in America has become such a staple of every meal that we don’t even appreciate it anymore. That’s the main thing I took away from that book; Meat is a luxury and treating it as such makes you appreciate it more, eat it less often, and become a better cook in my opinion.
Oh that and I’ll never touch a fucking chicken again! Happy reading! 🙂
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Your blog has been one of my favorites for so many years and I have never commented before today. This series has been extremely informative and it came at a time when I needed it most. I feel like I needed a wake up call about my health and the way I take care of my body and this was it. Thank you so much. Seriously.
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I had to make a big change in how I ate about two years ago. I had zero energy, I was screaming at the kids all the time, and my digestive system had gone haywire. After reading some food blogs, I stumbled upon the words “celiac disease”. All the associated diseases–colon cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis–occur in my family by spades. As a trial run, I went off gluten. Suddenly I was waking up at a reasonable hour (“reasonable” being “before my husband has to leave for work”), instead of lying in bed until 9 am and feeling tired afer dinner. My moods smoothed out. I was suddenly going to the bathroom like a normal person—and yes, I actually asked my husband, “Is this how normal people poop? Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
I still eat fewer veggies and fruits than I should. I blame this on the fact that I am also allergic to green beans, apples, and bananas–three of the easiest to find and cheapest veggies and fruits. But I’m working on it.
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I definitely second the suggestion to take a vitamin D supplement. Here in SF some days we don’t have 15 minutes of sunshine.
I haven’t read “Eating Animals” because it would be too, too painful. Plus, it’d be preaching to the choir. I gave up eating meat and fowl 22 years ago. I decided I didn’t want to be complicit in any form of suffering of which I was aware. I haven’t been able to give up fish (so I haven’t fully achieved my goal) and sometimes will eat black licorice or jelly beans (gelatin … made from animal connective tissue).
I reduced my intake my intake of wheat in December and immediately lost about 5 pounds. In the past 6 weeks I’ve lost 10. I also feel a bit more energetic and clear headed.
I do take supplements. I credit adding Omega 3 fish oil to my diet with finally being able to tolerate contacts. I’ve been trying for 33 years … every type from the hard to the filmy. The problem was dry eyes (and, no, drops did not work) and the oil, as well as improvements in lenses, have alleviated the problem. My optometrist said he had heard that it could make a difference.
And, whenever the pants are feeling a little tight, I quit drinking until they fit properly again. It’s relatively easy and I see results pretty quickly.
Thanks, again, for this series. A good example of the positive side of the Internet.
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And, as to how I came to my knowledge regarding food? Both my parents are children of immigrants (Sicilian and Azorean) so I grew up eating a Mediterranean diet. My father had a huge vegetable garden and fruit trees. At dinner there was ALWAYS a salad. Always. Our wine was homemade and we were allowed to drink it as children. In fact, my dad would make us wine spritzers in those hot, hot Sacramento Valley summer. We may have issues but alcoholism is not one of them, thank Buddha!
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My acupuncturist said I need to “build blood,” too! He suggested spinach, which I like but dude, I can only eat but so much. I might have to look into the algae.
To answer your questions:
– My family always ate pretty healthy (my mom did Weight Watchers a few times). But I didn’t really know much beyond “calories bad, fat bad.” Seriously, I thought as long as something was low-fat (even if it was loaded with carbs) that it was OK because it wouldn’t make me fat. What? Anyway, after my metabolism tanked (around the same time yours did) I was up to a really gross weight for me and decided my fiancee – now husband – needed to go on a diet. We used sparkpeople.com, which was great because it explained *how* we needed to be eating: more protein, lots of fruits, veggies, and water, whole grains, healthy fats. No more empty carbs (bye, Skittles!). It also gave me a meal plan if I wanted it, and a way to track calories, which was key. I dropped about 20 pounds and I’ve kept it off.
– Yes, see above. I don’t know how much more I’d be willing to go. I know I should be better about taking vitamins, though.
– I took fish oil for a long time and it did make me feel a little better, more energetic. It was great during pregnancy. But I somehow got away from it (and from regular vitamins) – I think I got out of the routine when I stopped taking prenatals after I weaned. The last time I tried to take a vitamin, a few months ago, I promptly puked, and haven’t tried one since.
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Really and truly have loved this series. I recommend Micahel Pollan’s Food Rules (http://michaelpollan.com/books/food-rules/). I found it to be a breezy read with simple, straight-forward information about what foods you should avoid and what foods you need to be stuffing yourself with, and why. If you’re looking for recipes, I like Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook (http://content.markbittman.com/node/174). His dishes are simple, flavorful, with a de-emphasis on meat.
We are around the same age and share similar health issues (teeth, joints), but I was not graced with a rocking metabolism and weight has been nearly a lifelong struggle. But this past year as I caught four colds, and battle recurring bouts of vertigo, I realized that my body was no longer asking, it was begging for me to change.
I’ve started moving my body, more days than not, for at least 45 minutes. I bore easily, so exercise DVD’s only hold my interest for a few weeks. I prefer going to classes, even though I feel more exposed than in my living room. When others are around I am less likely to back off on an exercise or quit. And though it has only been two weeks, I have (shockingly) found myself looking forward to my chance to see what else my body is capable of each day.
Because that is how I see it. Giving birth showed me a strength I always wanted to believe I had, but didn’t actually *know* I had. My recovery from that experience has taught me plenty, and I am drawing on it as I struggle through simple yoga poses and talk myself into running for a full minute on the treadmill. I have 90 pounds to lose to reach a sustainable, healthy weight. But, more than that, I am looking to make taking care of myself and my health fall out of the optional category and smack dab into the essential.
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Oh, and Spark also taught me *portion control*. It’s so important! That, and a food scale, helped a lot.
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– How have you come by the knowledge you have about food? Reading suggestions?
My parents have always taken a holistic approach when it comes to my health and food. This means I was forced to eat a lot of things I didn’t like when I was a kid, but also left me with a lot of memories of mini speeches about apples and iron and garlic and it’s antiseptic properties and how a varied diet is good for you etc etc
More recently however I have taken a greater interest in diet and exercise when I realized that going up a flight of stairs made me tired. I started reading about how different foods contribute to your overall health and I found the main problem to be lack of inspiration on how to cook with foods I didn’t know about. I picked up a copy of Clean Eating off the counter at a superstore once and have been getting it ever since. I like it because it has great suggestions on different meals/why they’re good, how to change unhealthy meals into healthier ones, and also keeps price in mind.
– Would you consider making a non-temporary change in how you eat? Have you already?
I have made several non-temporary changes, partly due to taste, partly due to health. I have started buying grass fed , free range, no antibiotic or hormone meat. And if you’re not convinced when it comes to health reasons then I’m sure the taste will win you over. I have also started cooking with wayyy less starch/carbs and more vegetables as I feel it provides me with longer lasting energy.
– Do you take supplements or do they freak you out? Do you believe they work?
I used to take Iron supplements, but generally I aim to have a varied and healthy diet, and only take them when I’m stressed/busy/don’t feel like I’m eating healthy enough.
Great post!
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The algae is bullshit. Just google Klamath Blue Green Algae.
I the case of the Klamath algae it was harvested from farm ponds basically. So among a slew of other contaminates it had copious amounts of cow shit in it.
Algae is also a sign of an unhealthy waterway.
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Also, (rantrantrant) we have several lakes around here that are shut down nearly every year because of toxic algae blooms. If I shouldn’t even swim in it or let my dog drink it then why in Gods name would I swallow large amounts of it.
I say stay away from “herbal supplements/remedies” especially considering the fact that the industry in totally unregulated.
About the Blue-green Algae Blooms
When conditions are optimal, including light and temperature, levels of nutrients (i.e., phosphorous and nitrogen, and the ratio of the two), and lack of water turbulence, blue-green algae can quickly multiply into a bloom.
Blue-green algae blooms are likely to occur more often in warmer months
When some blooms occur in water bodies, exposure to the blue-green algae and their toxins can pose risks to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. Exposure may occur by ingestion, dermal contact, and aspiration or inhalation
Risks to people may occur when recreating in water in which a blue-green algae bloom is present, or from the use of drinking water that uses a surface water source in which a blue-green algae bloom is present
Exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and other effects. At high levels, exposure can result in serious illness or death Depending on the particular cyanobacterium, and the amount to which one is exposed, blue-green algae have the potential to cause a variety of adverse health effects, including liver toxicity (e.g., Microcystis aeruginosa) and neurotoxicity (e.g., Anabaena circinalis). Microcystin toxins may also promote tumor growth Destruction of Cyanobacteria cells may release the toxins into surrounding waters, so care must be taken in dealing with blue-green algae blooms
These threats are not just theoretical. Several dog deaths have been reported following the dogs’ exposure to blue-green algae in water bodies.
Worldwide animal poisonings and adverse human health effects have been reported.
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(I ate three peanut butter cookies while reading this…)
I’ve been wanting to do a dietary cleanse for a while now. But I keep making excuses: I don’t know how to do it or which product to buy, I don’t want to potentially be feeling off when I have too much to do, I don’t want to stop eating cookies, etc. But I think I NEED to do it, if only so that I can have a clue what it feels like to be functioning on the most beneficial nutritional input I can manage for a while.
When my daughter weaned my hormones had a hell of a time getting back to normal so I started taking a bunch of vitamins, which did the trick. Now I just take one women’s multivitamin, but I think I should look into other things to help with my terrible skin on my back or the inflammation that causes my heel and shoulder pain.
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So at some point I’m supposed to stop putting cream on my cereal? (It’s my one indulgence, I swear. *sigh*)
I was having some severe memory problems at one point, so I went to my neurologist (I have a neurologist, doesn’t everyone?), and we ran a series of blood panels over a six-week period. Turns out I was severely deficient in vitamin B. The memory problems faded, and so did my migraines, which I’d been plagued with my entire adult life (I’m 41–I can say “entire”). I’ve had about five headaches in the last year, and zero migraines. It’s one of the first things I suggest to anyone when they complain of migraines.
Great series! You’re reminding me why I take all the pills I take and why I need to go back to acupuncture.
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May I just add that accurate information on a healthy, nutritious lifestlye can always be found be consulting a Registered Dietitian. Registered Dietitians are the food and nutrition experts who can translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living. You can find an RD near you at http://www.eatright.org.
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I’m pregnant right now, and I develop gestational diabetes everytime I get pregnant. So I am forced to adopt a sugar-free whole grain diet. I also take prenatal vitamins, and have to limit my caffeine intake. I ALWAYS lose weight when I’m pregnant, and am in general much more healthy. I wonder why I am willing to change the way I treat my body only when I am playing host to someone else? Your story has given me a lot to think about Maggie, and I am inspired to make better choices even after my little one is born.
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I don’t have anything to add to the discussion in terms of information, but I wanted to say thank you, Maggie, for writing about your health, how bad it got, and what’s helped you improve it.
I promised myself years ago that I’d be the healthiest I’d ever been by the age of 30. I turned 29 in September, and I’ve had NO idea where to start, and the judgement and scolding one receives for not already knowing and doing it all perfectly has been off-putting.
In your story I’ve found some suggestions that I think may help me make a substantial change for the better. More importantly, it’s an unbelievable relief to read that someone else has found this business of taking care of one’s body as confusing, arduous, and occasionally absurd as I do–and has found things to do that have really, genuinely helped. THANK YOU for sharing all of this.
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I took a nutrition class in college, but I don’t think I really started to ‘get it’ until looking into healthy food and snacks after my kids were born…suddenly I began remembering things like… oh yeah, eating citrus with iron-rich foods helps your body uptake that iron. Tomato + Burger = better iron 4U!
The most eye-opening read as far as the food industry is concerned has been The Unhealthy Truth by Robin O’Bryan http://www.robinobryan.com after my youngest daughter was diagnosed with a peanut allergy. I’ve since been gradually changing our diet for the better…sadly, it’s not been reflected in my weight!
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just my 2 cents, my knee surgeon told me that Glucosamine is bullshit. (My words, not his.)
good luck with your worthwhile endeavor. I wish you and all your readers good health!
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I can’t remember all the places I’ve read and researched, but 2 books that have helped me have been Jillian Michael’s Master Your Metabolism and Foods that Harm, Foods That Heal. I did a serious overhaul of my diet almost 2 years ago when my doctor announced I had high cholesterol. About 7 months ago my knees blew out and I couldn’t exercise anymore so I’ve gained back, but your diet changes sound similar to mine.
Good luck.
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To Courtney, comment #84 above –
Try either kids chewables – much easier on the stomach – or there are some adult chewables out there. Or, the route I go is the powdered vitamins, like Emergen-C – they make a multivitamin as well, also ones w/glucosomine, etc. Mix with water, so much easier on the stomach. My stomach got destroyed while I was pregnant (both times I lost tons of weight because I threw up endlessly!), and this is the only way I can take vitamins now!
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I too had to learn to eat as an adult. I was an athlete in college and I really could eat a waffle sundae, sugar cereal, bagel, and an omlette every morning. After college at my first office job, I realized the daily twix + chips at 3 pm were not only beyond the budget of an editorial assistant but also beyond the stretch of the pants that I sat on all day. I tried Weight Watchers online to little effect. It seemed the more space in my head I devoted to food, the more difficult it was for me to make consistently good choices. The only diet that ever worked for me was moving across the country by myself. I was too terrified to eat much and lost twenty pounds in a few weeks. To coax my appetite back and calm my nerves, I started running again. Around the same time, because I felt like I had a fresh start, I stopped eating most meat (except fish and eggs). Reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Pollan) supported this choice for me. Four years later I’ve gained back five healthy pounds and I’ve never felt better (turning 30 next week)! So I really learned how to feed myself when I was living alone in a strange place. I needed some routine and structure so I started eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday (grains with fruit, plain Greek yogurt with fruit, light salad, and fruit). I still do this and not only do I not get bored, I look forward to it every day! It’s a comfort to me. For the first few months I was my own dining companion and without anyone else to cater to, I discovered I don’t need very much protein or many carbs and a satisfying dinner for me meant something like a plate of kale with an egg and sriracha sauce. I also started ritualizing meals a bit more as a way to treat myself better. If I want a snack, I’ll put some tea on first and put it on a plate – the same way I would offer it to a friend. I am very proud of myself for learning how to enjoy food more and building a more positive daily life from my food habits while at the same time devoting less energy to it in my head. If I do that thing where I try to project my regrets on my death bed, I really don’t want to list among them hours spent fretting about food while living a privileged life of abundant, easy access to it. I often hear about the importance of listening to your body and while I find that it’s true that my body’s wants are often in line with its needs (like when I get cravings for green vegetables when my iron is low), I also remind myself about a study (mentioned here: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21020) about how your body lies to your brain. Fascinating and kind of hilarious. It’s about how in an endurance test, participants who drank gatorade performed the same as those who only swished it in their mouth without swallowing. I think this is line with Maggie’s trick to eat some nuts 20 minutes before a meal. Your body will try to trick you so you have to learn how to trick your body. I try to remember that it sends me both good messages that I’ve learned how to hear and trust and bad messages that I should wag my finger at but occasionally indulge.
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You can’t build cartiledge with a supplement. I have degenerative cartiledge in my knees and trust me, if it was possible, I would be eating a bottle od glucosamine a day.
Stopped reading the resy of this post at that point. Please talk to an orthopaedic surgeon about how cartilege works.
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