We are what we eat

[silkishuge]

Hi
I thought it would be appropriate to have a food thread since we are what we eat. A bit of background on myself. The heaviest I had ever measured myself was 109 kg. Although my wife estimated that my maximum was about 115kg because we initially had a dodgy scale, or perhaps I broke it because I was too heavy. My cholesterol was 7.7m which is considered quite high and my liver enzymes were all out by heaps. I did blood test every two weeks to monitor my liver function which was partly because I was over weight and also partly because I was on some pretty bad medication. By the way, I am only 174cm tall. This is what I used to eat:
-chips
-KFC at least once a week
-Pizza at least once a week
-rice was my staple (which is actually the only healthy food I ate)
-Instant noodle for lunch each day
-Home cook food every other meal but it was typically oily and consisted of the poorer cut of meats (eg mince and chicken wings)
- Excessive use of oil for cooking was also an issue.

My diet was mainly cost and convenience. It was affordable for us and easy to cook. I might also add that I never did did exercise and snacked quite a bit. I did not really indulge in cakes or sweet drinks but my diet was already enough to kill me.

Now almost 3 years later and change in diet and an understanding wife, I weight 68 kg, still 174 cm tall and my waist size has dropped to 28". Cholesterol is 4.8 which is normal. Liver enzymes are still not good, but the damage done to the liver will take much longer and as I said, I am on some pretty nasty medication.

What I eat now:
BREAKFAST
Same breakfast each morning. A variety of fruits consisting of what ever is in season but always 3 x bananas and 1 wheatbix.
Nutrition value
mainly carbohydrates and sugars to replace energy lost from commute to work (~28km and ~550 Cal)

LUNCH
Lunch is typical for me each work day. A matter of convenience but after some research, I was able to come up with some thing that is healthy and affordable. Not as cheap as instant noodles but affordable.

Lunch menu:
A mash of tuna, peas, avocardo, wasabi and a bit of soya. You will be surprised, it taste pretty good. With this, I eat 2 slices of home made gluten free sourdough (tricky) and some salad leaves.
Nutrition value
Cal: 600 Cal (97.7Cal/100g)
Fat: 9g (1.45g/100g)
Protein: 35g (5.65g/100g)
Carb: 56.8g (9.2g/100g)

Fruit after lunch 1 x banana and what ever else is in season and cheap.

My commute home is about 34km and I burn about 700 Cals.

DINNER
Dinner is different each day. Our staple is sourdough and rice. Sometimes brown sometimes white. We typically have two veg dishes and one meat dish. Cooking technique is key and we don't cook anything by adding additional oil. We use manly natural oils from the food we cook for flavour. We buy lean meet, chicken thighs (breast tends to be dry when cooked this way), fish, pork neck and shoulder and beef fillet (on special occasions) and some prawn when we can find specials.
Cooking techniques we use are usually steamed, the george foreman grill, oven roast and pan fries but all done with no additional oils.
Cooking styles we use are Japanese (Mrs S is Japanese) who grew up in Thailand so we get quite alot of Thai flavours as well.
I feel that we can get the healthiest meals from Japanese and Thai cooking and still have alot of flavour.

After dinner, we have a sweet, which is usually a slice of cake and some fruit. Cake is just flour and sugar.

So, We are what we eat.

So what are you planning to have for lunch today?

In this thread, I hope we can encourage healthy foods in our lives because it can be life changing as it was for me.

Cheers,
J

[simonn]

So what are you planning to have for lunch today?

Vegetable and pearl barley soup, made by my wife.

Anything that freezes quite well we make loads of instead of just the servings required for that night and put the rest in the freezer for lunches. Much cheaper (because we are vegetarian more than anything else), healthier and more variety than buying lunch everyday. We both like cooking so not a problem for us.

Used to eat out almost every night. I have lost almost 20kgs since those days.

[hannos]

Today I'm a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Usually I'm a honey or peanut butter and honey sandwich

[velocopedant]

I think my boss must have eaten a complete a' hole.

[silkishuge]

Today I'm a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Usually I'm a honey or peanut butter and honey sandwich

When I am on the go, i go with a banana sandwich with jam. Easy to eat on the move and no need to prepare. It will have all the energy I need to get home from work too.

J

[The Womble]

I hope thats not why my wife calls me certain things from time to time

[Marty Moose]

I had left overs for Lunch mashed potato with onions cooked with the spud No fat and Hi/low milk. Also had some cabbage, pumpkin, beans and a piece of grilled rump steak about 1/2 the size of my palm and a Bananna. I can't eat any gluten so often have left overs or some form of basmati rice. Yesterday I had a 440 grm tin of baked beans an apple and a bananna.

MM

[pagey]

Breakfast - porridge with maple syrup most days or poached eggs on brown toast

Lunch - cup of quinoa (cooked in vege stock) mixed with mixed veges and either 440gm can Baked beans or can tuna

Dinner - lean meat & veges or pasta dish or stir fry

Ride food - mostly liquid (maltodextrin/endura mix) add pancakes with jam or PB&H sambos or Lim's rice cakes depending on ride length

Post ride - protein/maltodextrin/milo/banana smoothy

ALWAYS have pizza night on Friday with the kids (why the hell not)

[flammer]

Breakfast - muesli, orange juice, long macchiato

Morning tea - nut bar, banana, tea

Lunch - feta, olives, tomato and lettuce on wholegrain. Apple and orange

Dinner - Pork spareribs, grilled potatoes, carrots and salad.

84 kg. 187 cm. This diet requires two 20 km sprints/training rides and a 60 to 90 km weekend ride. Burns it off.

[one_damo]

I heard that processed sugars (cakes, lollies, biscuits, chocolates etc) are bad. Is it a big benefit to cut these out of our diet completely?

[r2160]

I am not a dietician but I would think that any processed foods cant be that good.

I think that eating as much natural food as possible has to be a good thing.

Breakfast: 1 bowl oats (really like Uncle Tobys temptations)
Morning tea: 1 piece of fruit, orange or apple or banana
Lunch: 1 sandwich, whole grain or wholemeal bread, cheese and salami or ham or what ever is going
Afternoon tea: 1 piece of fruit
Dinner: meat/chicken, vegetables (peas, beans, corn or whatever is going)
Sometimes some icecream as a treat. I REALLY LIKE apple pies or strudel or danish or for that matter, anything with apple in it

As soon as we finish fixing the yard up out the back, we are going to put a vegetable garden in, about 6x3m. I cant think of anything better than growing my own vegetables and possibly fruit to put on the dinner table, and the important thing I believe is what I am teaching my children.

cheers
Glenn

PS silkishuge you should be super-pleased losing 40kg or there abouts. An outstanding achievement!!!

[silkishuge]

I heard that processed sugars (cakes, lollies, biscuits, chocolates etc) are bad. Is it a big benefit to cut these out of our diet completely?

Hi, I agree with R2160 and I am against eating processed food. Without understanding what sort of processing is used to "refine" the food, I find that I can't really trust it.
I like to know where my food comes from as much as possible. Even "natural" foods these day undergo some form of "processing" or another. Don't get to caught up with it. Just avoid it if it can but don't let it run your life. I would eat organic if I could afford it, although I often get a good laugh from places that serve "Organic Water" No idea what that is, but I rather my water be organic free, well at least of coliforms etc..... It probably refers to the type of water purification that is used on the water using biological filtration rather than chemicals that enhance filtration. That would be my guess.

J

[casual_cyclist]

I thought it would be appropriate to have a food thread since we are what we eat.

That's funny coz I am pretty sure I am meat but I don't eat any!

For lunch I will probably have a scandanvian rye salad sandwich, a nut bar and an apple or veggie stir fry with rice, a nut bar and an apple.

Actually, you might have a point about us being what we eat coz I might be a bit of a nut bar!

[brentono]

I heard that processed sugars (cakes, lollies, biscuits, chocolates etc) are bad. Is it a big benefit to cut these out of our diet completely?

Processed sugar is straight out "Poison"
Processed sugar is the cheapest filler in foods in the World.
Go check the amounts in the many foods we buy, and you will see how much we are being ripped off by.
I have seen foods and drinks that you would expect have no sugar, have up to 8-10%
(the average taste buds are immune)
Just my take, go check for yourselves.
Cheers,
BrentonO

[silkishuge]

I heard that processed sugars (cakes, lollies, biscuits, chocolates etc) are bad. Is it a big benefit to cut these out of our diet completely?

Processed sugar is straight out "Poison"
Processed sugar is the cheapest filler in foods in the World.
Go check the amounts in the many foods we buy, and you will see how much we are being ripped off by.
I have seen foods and drinks that you would expect have no sugar, have up to 8-10%
(the average taste buds are immune)
Just my take, go check for yourselves.
Cheers,
BrentonO

Well, it is a good thing I can't eat cakes, biscuits, chocolates. Well I do eat lollies, it is instant energy for me on longer rides. I carry around 5 Snakes in a zip bag.

J

[brentono]

I carry around 5 Snakes in a zip bag.

J

Those snakes are full of "poison"
Cheers,
BrentonO

[casual_cyclist]

I heard that processed sugars (cakes, lollies, biscuits, chocolates etc) are bad. Is it a big benefit to cut these out of our diet completely?

Processed sugar is straight out "Poison"
Processed sugar is the cheapest filler in foods in the World.
Go check the amounts in the many foods we buy, and you will see how much we are being ripped off by.
I have seen foods and drinks that you would expect have no sugar, have up to 8-10%
(the average taste buds are immune)
Just my take, go check for yourselves.
Cheers,
BrentonO

haha! yeah, they pack sugar in everything! Have a look at pasta sauce, sugar and then salt to balance out the sweetness. Satay sauce? Sugar and/or honey and a wack of salt to balance out the sweetness. I make my own satay sauce and don't add sugar or honey to it. It's supposed to be savoury not sweet. Some breakfast cereals are over 30% sugar!

I am pretty picky though. If I buy something I want the product I am buying, not sugar, thickners, artificial colours, flavours or other added junk. So, if I buy corn chips the ingredients panel will read "corn, oil, salt", coconut milk ingredients panel will read: "coconut milk", pasta sauce will have 2 ingredients: "tomatoes, salt".

If you don't already, have a look at some of the stuff they put in what we are eating. Also watch out for packages that claim "no artificial flavours or colours" because I have seen some with artificial sweeteners and also artificial "flavour enhancers" which are not counted as "artificial flavours"

To give you some idea, here is the ingredient list of corn chips that I would not buy, I mean sugar... really?
Corn
Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Palmolein)
Milk Solids (Cheese Powder)
Food Acids (270, 330, 331)
Flavour Enhancers (621, 627, 631)
Starch (Wheat, Maize)
Vegetable Powders (Onion, Tomato, Garlic)
Salt
Sugar
Yeast Extract
Herb
Spice (Cumin)
Flavour (Natural & Nature Identical)
Yeast Extract
Vegetable Extract (Soy, Wheat)
Antioxidants (304, 306).

[Sweeper59]

Silkishuge, in your former life, what sort of guidance did you have in regard to food and nutrition? Were your family poor eaters, or was it a rebellion thing?
I was lucky enough that my Mum was a great cook and tried all sorts of new things, although looking back, we ate lots of desserts, fried and processed foods. One rule I grew up with, and then instilled in my kids, was that you had to at least TRY everything on your plate. The other rule, and it was STRICTLY enforced, was no dessert if you didn't finish your main meal.
Even so, I eat far better now than I did as a kid. I got interested in nutrition when I was playing football (soccer) in Sydney, then learnt more when I went into coaching. Level 2 & 3 coaching qualifications include plenty of study into player management, injury treatment etc. and includes plenty of discussion on diet and nutrition.
I was watching a show recently where Jamie Oliver was trying to change the diets of American school kids. However, the poor diets stemmed from parents who had no idea, and schools that served easy, low-maintenance meals such as pizza. There is really no excuse for

[rpmspinman]

Breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs on wholemeal muffin, coffee

Mid morning - piece of fruit

Lunch - 2 x Multigrain roll with roast chicken or Suimin noodles

Afternoon - nuts (cashews, macadamias, almonds)

Dinner - Usually something reasonably healthy from what the mrs cooks up. Can vary from week to week.

Starting weight was 90kg. Not sure, but possibly down to 85kg?

Been doing this for about 6 months. Spin classes twice a week for the past 3 months.

I havent been as strict as some here, but slow progress is better than none.

[silkishuge]

Silkishuge, in your former life, what sort of guidance did you have in regard to food and nutrition? Were your family poor eaters, or was it a rebellion thing?
I was lucky enough that my Mum was a great cook and tried all sorts of new things, although looking back, we ate lots of desserts, fried and processed foods. One rule I grew up with, and then instilled in my kids, was that you had to at least TRY everything on your plate. The other rule, and it was STRICTLY enforced, was no dessert if you didn't finish your main meal.

Mum was..... I mean is a great cook and I did eat everything on my plate. I always ate home cooked food and was not permitted to eat out very much. She controlled my diet and fed me with wholesome foods.

Typical routine for me between the ages of 5/6 years old to 16 years old.
Wake up 4.15am: First breakfast were toast, hard boiled egg
head to the pool for 5.30am training, 5-6km later or 7.00am, I have second breakfast, brown rice and chicken
head to school...... lunch was pasta, sauce varied but always home cooked
Leave school and head to the pool for more training, 6.5-7km later, head home for dinner. Dinner was usually rice with meat and veg dishes.

After 18yr, I was out on my own and ate what ever I could fine. Stopped swimming but kept reasonably fit with water polo and gym

Turned 21, Uni and stuff...... busy busy busy, always broke and ate cheap and often probably ate more than I should. No exercise

After Uni, still broke and busy busy busy and ate cheaper. I was in uni for quite a number if years so I was poor for a long time.

So, my experience from those uni years and post early uni years taught me something: eating home cook meals with cheap fatty ingredients will not help you maintain a good healthy body. Eating out in KFC and McDonalds and HungryJacks is even worse. Takeaway food isn't much better.

Got married and things started to change. Went for a medical examination and that said it all. Started learning more about what I eat and what I should and should not eat.

Even so, I eat far better now than I did as a kid. I got interested in nutrition when I was playing football (soccer) in Sydney, then learnt more when I went into coaching. Level 2 & 3 coaching qualifications include plenty of study into player management, injury treatment etc. and includes plenty of discussion on diet and nutrition.
I was watching a show recently where Jamie Oliver was trying to change the diets of American school kids. However, the poor diets stemmed from parents who had no idea, and schools that served easy, low-maintenance meals such as pizza. There is really no excuse for

I eat now a more healthy meal than when I was a kid because of my age. I am more careful because I am not 100%. My mum learned about nutrition and fed me well but there was fat content in that food I now cannot consume. She learned about nutrition because I was training competitively in a sport,~15km in the water each day 7 days a week and she was committed to me.

My poor diet stems from myself. My own self neglect and ignorance and thinking that I would never be this way. I knew I was tubby, but I never thought myself as gravely overweight until my doctor explained it to me.

J

[Alistair]

I have become really interested in this stuff recently, mainly through an interest in cooking (and unhealthy obsession with lifestyle food - in particular River Cottage).

Poor diet is a massive factor in poor health but is so easy to address. Usually it is cheaper to cook good stuff than eat processed/pre-prepared stuf, but it does require effort.

I know that i get lazy during the week, especially as it is dark and cold when i get home. We have taken to making large quantities of soup/pasta sauce/various slow cooked things to keep in the fridge to go to when we can't be bothered cooking. Taking them for lunches is cheap too, and i prefer it on every level (take away is pretty crap where i work).

My eating and lifestyle patterns changed dramatically last year as i started my first full-time job. At uni i was always doing different things so had very little routine. We ate pretty well, but had time to make an effort. Once work started my routine became a series of quick and easy choices.

I'm fortunate that i don't put on weight from eating badly, but i do feel better since improving my diet and riding a bit. I find if i'm cooking that i use the best produce i can get, but i think that is just my hippie streak coming out. Organic produce generally has a lot more flavour too - the difference between a free range and cage egg is obvious, and i can't handle knowing that the animals are being treated badly. Pesticides just seem nasty too, so i prefer to go organic or grow things myself. It is more of a hobby than anything else, and i just like to grow the basics. I think we have become far too disconnected from what we are eating and thinking about it a bit has had a massive impact on my decisions.

Realising that pre-packaged and take away food generally uses the cheapest ingredients to maximise profit inspires me to make the effort too. While you may buy free range eggs and chicken, you can be sure that the bakery/take away/cheap restaurants don't. It is more complicated and expensive considering this stuff, but i think it is important. My generation in particular seems to take either extreme - either not give a !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! (majority), or be a total hippie vegan. I think most people are unaware of how bad most produce is though, so i'm all for education (Jamie Oliver style). Australia has become very unhealthy so needs a shake up.

[silkishuge]

I think most people are unaware of how bad most produce is though, so i'm all for education (Jamie Oliver style). Australia has become very unhealthy so needs a shake up.

Although I agree that Jamie Oliver is putting in alot of effort to improve the quality of food and educating people on healthier food options, I would still not be able to eat the food he cooks. His idea of a "little oil" or "some butter" is far too much for me. I am more particular about my cooking although his choice of ingredients aren't too bad. I prefer to use the natural oils from food to cook rather than add additional oils. for example.

J

[casual_cyclist]

I think most people are unaware of how bad most produce is though, so i'm all for education (Jamie Oliver style). Australia has become very unhealthy so needs a shake up.

Although I agree that Jamie Oliver is putting in alot of effort to improve the quality of food and educating people on healthier food options, I would still not be able to eat the food he cooks. His idea of a "little oil" or "some butter" is far too much for me. I am more particular about my cooking although his choice of ingredients aren't too bad. I prefer to use the natural oils from food to cook rather than add additional oils. for example.

J

That is the beauty of cooking your own food. Where Jamie adds a "splash" of oil, you can add none and cook in a non-stick pan. When I am cooking I never add salt to food because I like the flavour of food cooked without salt. The food he cooks is better than what the people were eating before but most of the recipes could be improved for personal use. It is a step in the right direction though. Something that really surprised me was how quick some healthy meals are to prepare from scratch. There are some meals I do that are quicker to do from scratch than dial a pizza, drive to the pizza shop, pick up the pizza and drive home. Oh, and the food I cook myself is tastier than a local franchise pizza and doesn't make me feel sick like a number of franchise pizzas have. The other thing is that you know what you are eating if you prepare the food yourself.

I like to make a pizza with pasta sauce, fresh mushrooms, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fetta cheese, pineapple and broccoli. It's pretty fatty though so to be eaten occasionally in small does only.

[Alistair]

I agree on the excessive butter/cream, but good quality extra virgin oil it isn't bad for you. I find it is a base in a lot of the cooking i/we do, due to the Greek/Italian influence. Food is about flavour for me too - i try to be healthy, but i don't obsess about salt and ultra lean meat if it will compromise the final product. I am fortunate that i don't put on weight easily though!

I think that even without strict avoidance of salt/fat/sugar etc home cooked stuff will usually be a step in the right direction. The preservatives, colours and artificial crap in processed food scares me.

The treatment of animals troubles me too. I love meat and couldn't live without it, but am definately eating more vegetarian stuff now. Even just to allow me to justify the more expensive organic meat when i do feel like it. I can't handle the thought of eating a six to eight week old chicken that has been loaded up with growth hormones so it can be slaughtered sooner. That is not ok and can't be healthy.

[Sweeper59]

I wouldn't recommend this menu (unless you have a death wish and like long naps)

Breakfast (battered bacon)

Lunch

Dinner