# Changing the way you eat



## jar546

OK, I know I will get my nuts busted but here it goes.

Almost 2 years ago, I gave up eating any form or meat, fish, dairy or eggs.  Zero, zilch, nada, nothing that even contains any of those products.  Some of you may call me a vegan which would fit but I don't like labels.  

To set the record straight, I did it for my health and eat a very nutrient dense, extremely nutritious diet, even though this is a lifestyle as I found out.  I'm not on a "diet", I just live a healthier lifestyle.  After all, you can be aa college student living on beer and french fries and call yourself a vegan.  A lot of people try to be vegetarians or vegans and do it wrong, end up with other problems and make us look bad when they were just eating like ****.  Again, I don't like labels and here I am using one.  I did not do it because I am an animal lover, which I am but simply put again, for my health.

I was on simvastatin, a cholesterol lowering pill for years and thought I was eating healthy.  Little did I know what healthy really was.  My total cholesterol was in check, under 200 but my triglycerides were still too high, even with the simvastatin.  Taking meds gives you other side effects and I was not happy about how I felt.  I am very technical and left brain dominant so me buying into the whole "plant based diet" thing did not come easy or without a fight.  In the end I let scientific facts and thousands of studies performed over decades prevail and sway me.  I wish I had done this 20 years ago.  

I think the last time I felt this good I was in my twenties.  I have more energy, less aches and pains, more strength, I am more alert and overall, feel way, way, way better than I did when I was eating those foods that cause so much damage to our bodies.

My doctor said my triglycerides could not be helped because it was "hereditary."  I gotta say that I just love hearing that word out of a physician's mouth.  On medication, they could not get my triglycerides under 200 and the hereditary word was used to say way.  I thought I was eating pretty good, I had already cut out a lot of red meat and was exercising regularly, especially during hockey season when I ref.  Only 5 months into a plant based diet and 7 months from the time I stopped taking my medication, my triglycerides were 98.  Yes, 98.  Less than half of what they were when I was on a prescription medication.  That is just one example.

The longer I do it, the easier it is and the better I feel.  Yes, I take a b12 vitamin supplement just to be safe.  In the end, I lost about 20 pounds as I was never heavy to begin with and feel great.

The most often asked question is "Where do you get your protein from?" and my answer is always the same, from everything that I eat, just not from meat, fish, dairy or eggs.  It is completely unnecessary to eat those things, completely.  I am living proof and I feel better for it.


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## ICE

I did kinda wonder what was wrong with you....thanks for sharing.  So that's no bread, Cheerios or doughnuts.  Not even yogurt....well that's probably a good thing.  Potatoes with no butter or sour cream....oh my goodness- no root beer floats.

And the contractors don't like me now.  I can only imagine what I would be like after giving up food.  And by food I mean almost all of it.

All kidding aside, I have two sisters and a brother that did the same as you and they swear by it.  Come to think of it I have nieces and nephews in the same boat.

How about a glimpse of the foods that you do eat.


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## cda

Yea I wish I could to at least half your diet

Just can't figure out what to eat??


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## chris kennedy

It's Friday, lets order a pizza and some wings.


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## jar546

chris kennedy said:


> It's Friday, lets order a pizza and some wings.


Those days are over, although I found a great pizza place in Boca called Blaze Pizza that has an awesome vegan pizza.


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## jar546

Lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, repeat.


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## ICE

jar546 said:


> Lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, repeat.


Well I don't know how much you Photo-shopped your picture but you don't look all that bad for 25.  I mean look at me at 32.  Could it be the cow I ate for dinner?


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## steveray

I could probably do it if I had a nutritionist, but it is way too easy to order a pizza and I would miss steak on the grill, although a nice portabella does make a decent substitute..


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## cda

steveray said:


> I could probably do it if I had a nutritionist, but it is way too easy to order a pizza and I would miss steak on the grill, although a nice portabella does make a decent substitute..




portabella  Rib eye or

portabella  T-Bone?


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## JBI

Glad the lifestyle change is working for you!
As far as the triglycerides, why am I *not* surprised that tossing the big pharm 'solution' did the trick?
I've opined for some time that the goal of big pharm is to keep people sick as long as possible (healthy people are simply not profitable...). Your story bolsters my position.
For the record (regarding protein) there are some grains that do provide complete amino acids, resulting in complete proteins for the human body, Quinoa for example. If you haven't tried it yet, I'd recommend it.


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## jar546

JBI said:


> Glad the lifestyle change is working for you!
> As far as the triglycerides, why am I *not* surprised that tossing the big pharm 'solution' did the trick?
> I've opined for some time that the goal of big pharm is to keep people sick as long as possible (healthy people are simply not profitable...). Your story bolsters my position.
> For the record (regarding protein) there are some grains that do provide complete amino acids, resulting in complete proteins for the human body, Quinoa for example. If you haven't tried it yet, I'd recommend it.



I do eat a lot of quinoa!  Good stuff.  Protein is not even an issue.  Here's why...


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## JPohling

I would love to cut out a lot of those bad food choices and replace with what you are now eating.  Any simple suggestions to get started?  recipe books?  stuff that you just always have on stock and eat daily?


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## jar546

JPohling said:


> I would love to cut out a lot of those bad food choices and replace with what you are now eating.  Any simple suggestions to get started?  recipe books?  stuff that you just always have on stock and eat daily?



http://www.realsimple.com/food-reci...tes/healthy-meals/easy-vegan-recipes/view-all

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/vegan/


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## tmurray

I was born with a heart condition that went undiagnosed until I was 11. I was faced with two choices, open heart surgery or a significant change to my lifestyle. I chose the lifestyle change since there was a very high chance of dying during surgery. At 11 and 12 years old I took anger management (really just stress management), Buddhist meditation and other courses to manage the stress in my life. Most people think I'm crazy for my career choice after hearing that, but to be honest, I really don't find this stressful. I have to be very careful about what I eat. Last week I had a can of Sprite for two days in a row and trouble with my heart for a day. Not bad enough to go to the hospital, but bad enough to remind me that I can't do that. The worst thing is work functions. I basically can't eat at pot lucks and lunch and learns. While I do consume meat, milk and cheese, I have to be very careful about proportions. Not only do I believe that diet can change your life, I'm living proof that it saves them.


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## FM William Burns

I commend anyone who strives to improve their health, body, life, mood and physical well being.  Being an ex college football player, I too have found it necessary to improve my condition.  I do eat healthier but will always eat animals however (less non-self processed though).  My wife eats nothing processed and I strive to get there.  I make veg/fruit juice every morning for my breakfast, I eat close to a pound of raw spinach and carrots with Tuna (in water) or fresh caught by me.  Now when dinner comes it's flesh.  I work out twice a day for a year and a half now with cardio before work in the morning and weights in the afternoon after work.  I have lost 52 pounds so far but can still bench 300 at 56 and have a good routine.  I will never meet the BMI simply due to my frame but the key is to keep moving (if possible) or you surely will stop!


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## cda

FM William Burns said:


> I commend anyone who strives to improve their health, body, life, mood and physical well being.  Being an ex college football player, I too have found it necessary to improve my condition.  I do eat healthier but will always eat animals however (less self processed though).  My wife eats nothing processed and I strive to get there.  I make veg/fruit juice every morning for my breakfast, I eat close to a pound of raw spinach and carrots with Tuna (in water) or fresh caught by me.  Now when dinner comes it's flesh.  I work out twice a day for a year and a half now with cardio before work in the morning and weights in the afternoon after work.  I have lost 52 pounds so far but can still bench 300 at 56 and have a good routine.  I will never meet the BMI simply due to my frame but the key is to keep moving (if possible) or you surely will stop!




Fantastic!

What is your normal veg fruit drink?

A pound of spinach/carrots a day?


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## MASSDRIVER

I got fat about 2 years ago. About 240. Tried to rationalize I was lifting heavy, lots of muscle. Nope. Just fat.
Had bad sleep apnia, sleeping like a zombie at lunch, etc. Then one day a couple years back my arms went numb, my eyesight went from damn near perfect, to almost blind, pi55ing every 30 minutes. Normally I drink a lot of water. A gallon a day no matter what. But then I started drinking A LOT OF WATER. Felt like crap. Go to the doctor, and yep...diabetes. Blood sugar over 400, bad cholesterol at a whopping 1,600. Look that up. Almost pancreatic failure.
So I dropped weight, hit the weights, and lots of body weight core strength stuff. Very, VERY modified diet. I'll never be vagan, Or even vagitarian, but Meat becomes very non-centric. The trick is to stuff your gullet with lettuce, with a few goodys on top. Lettuce takes more energy to eat than it gives back, so as long as there is a couple ounces of fat and protien on it your golden.
So yea, pretty easy for me to go from larda55 to to the 190 in my avatar. Doctor said I just can't be fat.
Brent.


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## Keystone

Early last year I started Obstacle Course Runs, Spartan and similar cause I had fallen out of shape, yearly physical with doc wasn't pleasant as my doc is straight to the point, get off your butt and do something... Trained my a$$ off twice a day, am run and pm gym, my cardio and strength increased but not to a level where my training became any easier. It wasn't until half way thru the year I decided on a run in Vermont later in the season I decided to cut out all sugar drinks, limit alcohol and any unnecessary breads and ice cream, boom lost 20 pounds within a very short period and physically felt better but naps where my new best friend. 

This years goal is one longgggg trail run, I have taken my eating habits a bit more serious and eat for fuel which includes a significant amount of greenery but by doing so my bodies recovery time and energy has excelled beyond what I assumed was my norm of typical training ache, pains and daily naps.  Food especially processed has a tremendous negative impact, it hadn't truly affected me until what I assume is the middle of my life. How I remember the days of eating 5 for $5 Arby's roast beef sandwiches or downing a half dozen box of doughnuts and quart of chocolate milk with no negative results.


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## cda

Ok draw the line at chocolate milk

What is wrong with chocolate milk, besides I guess sugar??


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## jar546

cda said:


> Ok draw the line at chocolate milk
> 
> What is wrong with chocolate milk, besides I guess sugar??


Did you try almond chocolate milk instead?


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## jar546

MIlk info.  Just one issue with it.


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## cda

No did not know there was a problem with chocolate milk!!!

I do not drink it except around once or twice a month?

Will try some almond, just has to be chocolaty

Just have not seen to many unhealthy cows?


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## FM William Burns

cda said:


> Fantastic!
> 
> What is your normal veg fruit drink?
> 
> A pound of spinach/carrots a day?



Breakfast:
8 Baby Carrots
1 Large handful of raw spinach
2 cut sections of natural pineapple
handful of barriers (blue and black)
8-10 raw almonds
1 small banana
Tablespoon of Flax or Chia seed
Water to max line on the nutri-bullet at 40 seconds

Lunch:
(3) full handfuls of raw spinach
(8) chopped carrots
(2 oz.) vinegar/olive oil salad dressing
(1) can of solid Albacore in water (or) natural caught Crappie, Gills or Perch

I was 350 lbs @ 6' 2" and now 290 heading to 260.  Just got measured for new bunker gear and found out I've lost seven inches off waist and heading to 36 or 38" waist......I'll never be a 32...lol

P.S. I always thought sleep apina or CPAP was a hack.......I am a firm believer in it and you can have it even if you are not over-weight.  I love mine and sleep like a big baby


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## MASSDRIVER

Go to Netflix and watch the movie "Sugar Coated".
We all know it. Just cements my opinion. 
Brent.


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## Keystone

jar546 said:


> Did you try almond chocolate milk instead?



Yup, it's not the same but close enough.


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## jar546

Definitely close enough.  I love it but don't drink it since it has so much sugar.


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## mp25

The movie that got me to change my dietary habits was 'fat sick and nearly dead' also on netflix... i got a chance to meet the movie maker/author a few weeks ago when  he was in the area. Also doing the daily fruit/veggie juices that were mentioned earlier.


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## cda

mp25 said:


> The movie that got me to change my dietary habits was 'fat sick and nearly dead' also on netflix... i got a chance to meet the movie maker/author a few weeks ago when  he was in the area. Also doing the daily fruit/veggie juices that were mentioned earlier.




Welcome to the code and health forum.

You need to stay healthy, because these codes will make you sick.


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## JBI

For milk, I've switched to a locally produced, low temperature pasteurized milk (Tonjes Farms Cream on Top). It is NOT standardized garbage... I had forgotten how good real milk tastes.


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## cda

JBI said:


> For milk, I've switched to a locally produced, low temperature pasteurized milk (Tonjes Farms Cream on Top). It is NOT standardized garbage... I had forgotten how good real milk tastes.




And butter fresh from the cow!!

Many moons ago my uncles wife's mother churned butter for us, best butter I ever tasted!!


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