Can I eat my way to happiness and fufillment?

June 30, 2009 10:57 AM

What constitutes a healthy diet when excess weight is not an issue and reasonably high calorie intake is necessary?

Late 30's male, going through a bit of a midlife crisis and thinking about aspects of my life that might need adjustment. Though I can't say exactly why, I've been wondering whether my diet couldn't stand some improvement.

I'm 6' tall and have been 160#, give or take a pound or two, ever since high school. I think I'm more physically active than average, but I seem to be able to burn through no end of calories whether I'm moving around a lot or not. I have no major health problems that I'm aware of.

I taught myself to cook, cutting my teeth on the butter- and cream-laden fare of James Beard. Over time, my cooking habits have continued leaning towards what I think of as decadent and restaurantish cuisine -- a bit heavy on meat and fat -- largely because this is an easy way to get calories and avoid feeling hungry again half an hour after a meal. Last night it was penne with a Bolognese sauce. The night before it was ribs and succotash with a rich dessert (dinner party). Before that, a chicken and vegetable curry with coconut milk. In the fridge are ingredients for a risotto with sausage. I like vegetables and fruit, but they are generally accessories to the meal rather than the main event. This is all very tasty, but I sometimes have the sense that I've consumed more grease than is good for me.

I have a drink on as many evenings as I refrain (typically only one) which is pleasantly relaxing but muddies my thinking for the rest of the day. I'm not sure it's worth the tradeoff.

I also have a moderate caffeine addiction. If I don't have a couple mugs of strong coffee every morning, I get irritable and can't think straight by mid-afternoon. If I have coffee after noon, I don't sleep well and the diuretic effect wakes me up at 3 in the morning.

I'm wondering if I can do better, but I've been living this way for so long that my imagination is constricted by habit. What are my options for tasty foods and good eating habits that can deliver calories and general well-being without the long-term health implications of the animal-based fats? Should I consider cutting out caffeine and/or alcohol entirely? If I were to make such changes, what benefits might I experience?

posted by jon1270 to food & drink (15 comments total)

What does your doc say about your glucose, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc?
posted by txvtchick at 11:12 AM on June 30

I think Dr. Andrew Weil's Eating Well for Optimum Health can be a useful resource when trying to create a health-focused eating plan.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:19 AM on June 30

What does your doc say about your glucose, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc?

Blood pressure has always been on the low side. Never had a glucose issue, but mom was diagnosed w/type II diabetes in her mid-60's. Never had my cholesterol checked -- probably getting to be time for that.
posted by jon1270 at 11:20 AM on June 30

Nuts to you and your enviable metabolism. Really, eat nuts for lots of taste, lots of nutrition, lots of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids (especially almonds and walnuts) and lots of calories to keep you going. And don't freak out over dietary cholesterol (lean meats and eggs are great for you), but as long as you're going to be consuming a typical mixed North American diet, carbs plus saturated fat and sugar equals a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. Even skinny guys who exercise drop dead of heart attacks because their arteries were narrowed to nothing.

You like French food: how about classic Mediterranean food? Could you be happy taking it easy on meat -- not cutting it out, but eating lean cuts more often and keeping the rich stuff for a weekly treat -- and eating more pasta and beans, olive oil, nuts and as much veggies and fruit as you can take?

Some Mediterranean recipes here. This MediterrAsian fusion site looks quite interesting, but I haven't tried any of those recipes yet.

If you feel muddled on alcohol, you don't have to drink it, or drink it only when you don't need to be sharp.

One more thing: even if your blood pressure is low, you may still be salt-sensitive. Don't assume you can eat salty food with abandon, either, especially if anyone in your family has had a stroke.
posted by maudlin at 11:29 AM on June 30

Are you in the position to see a nutritionist? Since you aren't going for weight loss or gain, a nutritionist who also knows your health background and full blood test results (because you should get a comprehensive blood test before trying to figure out what your body does and does not need) will be able to give you a good diet plan and guidelines for healthy eating according to your body's specific needs.

I don't mean to just toss out the "go see a [insert professional]" answer that usually comes up in various questions. I just think that without knowing your cholesterol and glucose levels, in addition to other things, and in the absence of any obvious health problem (like obesity, being underweight, recent decline in energy levels, etc.), it's impossible to know what's healthiest for you. Even a simple calculation of the amount of calories needed for someone of your weight/height might not be accurate.
posted by necessitas at 11:29 AM on June 30

Cutting the caffeine would be a really good idea, especially for your sleep. That said, it sounds like it's going to be a big of a rough detox for you. Once you're off it for a few weeks, though, you'll probably feel a lot better. And, you can sleep through the night.

I've found (as a bit of a gastronome myself) that it's actually nice to have a vegetarian or vegan meal once a week or so. Cooking under constraints helps with creativity, and it can be a fun challenge coming up with really tasty stuff that meets all the rules. Besides tilting your diet towards healthier, it can save you a few dollars in groceries.
posted by Citrus at 11:34 AM on June 30

Check out Food Matters by Mark Bittman. It provides lots of options for meals based on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (with meat as an accompaniment, rather than a base).

I have a similar build and metabolism, and I make up for the low levels of meat in my diet by drinking a ton of milk.
posted by diogenes at 11:51 AM on June 30

Cutting the caffeine would be a really good idea, especially for your sleep. That said, it sounds like it's going to be a big of a rough detox for you.

Not necessarily. I cut down on significantly on mine a few weeks ago after being a HEAVY Diet Coke consumer for years (a 2-liter if not every day, at least every other day). It has been surprisingly easy. I'm not abstaining completely; I do still allow myself one 20 oz. bottle per day, always in the morning. After that I've been switching to Aquafina FlavorSplash (love it!). I think the hydration helps.

I've always suffered from sinus headaches from allergies and weather changes, so I think my allergy medicine is taking the edge off any caffeine-withdrawal headaches (I have to be really careful to take it, especially if I feel a headache creeping up, but I seriously can't tell what I'm attributing to the lack of Coke or what is coming as a matter of course, especially with the weather and pressure changes being what they've been lately in New England). If you don't already take allergy meds, take some ibuprofen or naproxen as a preventative.

The sleep difference is phenomenal. I never thought it affected my sleep that much. Have been proven wrong.
posted by dlugoczaj at 12:01 PM on June 30

I wouldn't worry about the fat content of your diet - if you need a lot of calories, you either need to consume a lot of fat, or eat a LOT of food. I would aim for more of a balance between animal and plant foods. I've done a lot of research, and my interpretation of various books and studies is that natural animal foods are healthy, but the healthiest diet balances both animal and plant foods, emphasizing the plant foods.

Good choices for calorie-dense plant foods are nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocado, coconut milk, and oils. You could snack on nuts and nut butters (fruit plus nut butter is a great, filling snack), and eat meals with nut based sauces (peanut sauce, there are also a lot of Indian curries that use ground cashews to enrich the sauces). When you cook vegetables, use plenty of olive oil. Hummus can be relatively high calorie, and goes well with lots of things. Tempeh and tofu have lots of protein, and can be cooked in oil for additional calories, if necessary - they probably have more calories than chicken breast, but less than ground hamburger on their own.

I personally feel better and have more energy when I don't consume too much caffeine - problem being, I LOVE coffee. I compromise by slowly cutting it out (replacing with black tea, then green tea, and/or increasing the amount of decaf I drink), then maintaining no-caffeine for a while, then it tends to gradually ramp back up. I don't have any particular schedule - I cut down on coffee when it starts to make me feel crappy, and I start drinking it again whenever I feel like it. I never deliberately increase over one cup/day, but I seem to accidentally increase it every time. That's okay with me though, because as soon as it starts feeling bad, I cut down again.
posted by insectosaurus at 12:16 PM on June 30

As long as you drink coffee that's been passed through a water filter, there are myriad of health benefits. The last psychiatrist has a good overview.

What long term implications of animal based fats? There are plenty of cultures with high intakes of saturated fat from animals that have much lower incidence of heart disease than Americans do (French, Spanish and Japanese to name a few). Whole health source has two thought provoking posts on this issue.

I second maudlin on increasing omega-3 fatty acids, the evidence is overwhelming that having an appropriate omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (between 1:2 and 4:1) has a dramatic reduction in all cause mortality.
posted by zentrification at 1:12 PM on June 30

I am an early thirties male and re-evaluated my eating habits about a year ago. I found Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook to be a valuable resource for figuring out what to eat based on reasonably recent research and recommendations. Although aimed at the athlete, it works for anyone interested in improving their diet. And since athletes generally need lots of calories, it has plenty of information about how to healthfully get lots of calories. It includes a collection of healthy, yet tasty, recipes. I have made at least two or three recipes out of the book per week since I bought it. These recipes will not be as tasty as your current fare, but they're still pretty good. At the least, they will give you some ideas for healthy, high-calorie dishes.
posted by crLLC at 1:37 PM on June 30

Cutting the caffeine would be a really good idea, especially for your sleep. That said, it sounds like it's going to be a big of a rough detox for you. Once you're off it for a few weeks, though, you'll probably feel a lot better. And, you can sleep through the night.

Really? Two cups a day is really a moderate amount, and the OP says as long as he has it before noon his sleep is fine. I don't think there's a need to cut it out, but then I've never figured out why people point to caffeine as something to be concerned about. Moderation is generally a good idea, as with most things.

As to the rest of the question, I agree it's a good idea to incorporate more fruits and vegetables. Try having salads for a couple of meals per week. It can be really easy and filling: mixed lettuce plus kidney beans, chopped tomato, avocado, bell pepper, mushrooms, maybe cheese if you want. Add a good vinaigrette dressing or whatever you like (not cream-based, ideally). Have fruit for breakfast. Stick to whole grains instead of refined. Have more legumes and nuts in your diet. You can still cook the things you like, just try not to do it daily, and experiment using less butter and high fat meat.
posted by JenMarie at 2:06 PM on June 30

Blood pressure has always been on the low side. Never had a glucose issue, but mom was diagnosed w/type II diabetes in her mid-60's. Never had my cholesterol checked -- probably getting to be time for that.

When you get a physical, the doc will probably order a Basic Metabolic Panel and a Lipid Profile. A few days later someone will call and tell you if everything looks okay or not.

You can ask them to mail you the results and you'll get a sheet with your result and the expected range for each test. The point to doing this is that it allows you to track your results over time. Since you're changing your diet now, a year from now you can see the quantifiable impact your diet changes had on your health. And as you turn 40, then 45, you can see whether your glucose, for example, is creeping up.

The doc will certainly tell you if anything is out of whack and what to do about it. But many of the patients they see are overweight, diabetic, high blood pressure, etc. So they may be less focused on tweaking someone who is already in fairly good health. (And it can be tough for them to do so - people tend to be defensive about their diets.) But if you show interest in your results and ask him/her about it, they'll tell you, in some detail, what to eat and how it'll affect you.
posted by txvtchick at 2:10 PM on June 30

I ate a similar diet for a long time and have since phased out all refined carbs and most processed meats. I now eat more fish, coconut, tempeh, greens, and nuts and less sausage, cheese, white bread and pasta.

In terms of keeping calorie content high while substituting out foods that have big downsides, I recommend looking at some of these books:
The Healthy Hedonist: More Than 200 Delectable Flexitarian Recipes for Relaxed Daily Feasts by Myra Kornfeld and Sheila Hamanaka- delicious food, lots of cool ideas for making the most of alternative protein and fat sources.

The Jungle Effect by Daphne Miller: lots at indigenous diets from around the world and how you can improve your own diet using lessons from these cultures.

The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain: you don't have to follow this diet to the letter to receive all the benefits. It has good advice for upping quality food consumption and ditching things that can hold you back. Thanks to him my red meat is lean buffalo meat, which I don't eat too often anyway.

These books are pretty diverse and should give you good food for thought.

Look up any book about Flexitarianism that your library has.
posted by melissam at 6:13 PM on June 30

I appreciate everyone's suggestions. It makes sense that no one prescription fits everyone, and that some basic medical data about myself might be worth getting -- how else to sort amongst all the contradictory ideas that are out there? My local library has some of the books mentioned, so I'll probably head that way next. Meanwhile, a pecan butter sandwich is sounding pretty good.

Thanks!
posted by jon1270 at 7:18 AM on July 1