Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Nutrition

How to lose weight when veggies are mostly off limits?

gilsonal — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:13:36 -0800

Looking for dieting help given several dietary restrictions. I have Crohn's disease and cannot comfortably eat most veggies and fruits. Also, does dieting automatically mean I need to be hungry all the time? I'm 25, female and approximately 75-100 pounds overweight. My weight gain happened over the course of about eight years, due in combination to antidepressant medication, a love of pepsi, low motivation to work out, extreme fatigue due to my illness and difficulty tolerating "healthy foods." Following a recent surgery I've lost about 20 pounds and feel much better, to the point that I have the energy to start working out again. So that's one tactic to get to weight loss. I'm also almost 100% soda and caffeine free, and drink way more than my 8 glasses of water a day. I've considered Meridia for weight loss but I'd like to do it without a pill and the accompanying risk of serotonin syndrome.

I'd also like to implement some diet changes, but I'm affected by residual digestive problems. I love tomatoes and broccoli but lots of veggies are hard to digest, even cooked. I'm not too excited about fruit, so I couldn't really say how well those fair with my gut. Safe bets are simple starches and carbs like pasta but that's not particularly healthy.

I'd love some recommendations for easily digestible healthy food, or perhaps foods that are good for you but not traditionally "diet" foods and perhaps I haven't considered them. I'm sure there are people out there with similar problems that might have some tips.

Also, am I naive to think that dieting has to mean being hungry all the time? I don't mind restricting myself from extra calories so long as I'm not constantly on the verge of starvation. I want to lose this weight responsibly, and in a sustainable manner. Bonus points for foods that are relatively easy to make, but I do enjoy cooking when I have the time.

[ Nutrition-Filter ] Evaluate this 24 year-old guy's current diet!

platosadvocate — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:00:38 -0800

[ Nutrition-Filter ] Evaluate this 24 year-old guy's current diet! Hey Hive! I've been thinking about nutrition lately, and I wanted to get your feedback about my diet. I eat the same, generally healthy foods all the time. I approach food more as fuel than fun, although I do enjoy eating specific kinds of foods only for pleasure at times.

Here's what this 24 year old guy eats all the time:

- Baked / Grilled Chicken Breasts
- lean deli meats (I focus primarily on turkey breast with the smallest amount of saturated fats)
- 2% milk Cheese
- Nature's Own Double-Fiber Wheat Bread (This stuff rocks)
- Original plain oatmeal with a tablespoon of sugar-free jam
- Omelets (3-4 egg whites and one yolk)
- Broccoli and cheese steamers (you pop em' in the microwave for 10 minutes, and voila!)
- Optimum Protein Shakes

... and that's it.

So, do you see anything I might be missing out on, in terms of nutrition? I should mention that I do take a daily GNC sport-grade multivitamin, and a fish oil supplement as well. I've been searching Ask Metafilter, and the internet as a whole, but I have yet to find some kind of guide or consensus about the issue.

Your advice and experience is greatly appreciated AskMeFi!

Why do I always get so hungry late at night?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:32:35 -0800

Why do I always get so hungry late at night? I tend to go to bed around 12:30-1 am, though it usually takes me a long time to fall asleep. I always get hungry around 11-12, and if I stay up later than usual I get especially hungry. I usually eat something, but even then I don't feel full. I've been this way for several years, if not forever; I don't remember ever not being like this.

Maybe-relevant info: I'm 23 and male. I don't have any relevant health problems except a tendency to fall asleep late and wake up late (for which I take melatonin). I eat pretty nutritiously, mostly vegetarian. (I may lack some protein, but I try to get it from legumes; I might also lack some kind of vitamin, but I'd have no idea how to tell). I don't exercise much, though I think I had the same problem back when I did exercise more. I tend to consume a lot of caffeine, mostly tea (which I usually avoid drinking after 8 pm unless it's decaf).

Does this happen to anyone else? It seems like everyone else I know eats dinner somewhere between 6 and 8 and then doesn't eat anything after that until falling asleep, so it seems pretty weird! It's supposedly unhealthy to eat late at night, so is there anything I can do about it?

Anonymous just because I included a lot of identifying information.

Am I considered a stoner if I eat hemp seed?

torquemaniac — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:02:31 -0800

If I consume dietary hemp seed, will the THC show up on a drug test? I bought some Canadian hemp seed on Amazon.com to add to the mash diet I prepare for my parrots. I've been dipping into the mash occasionally as it is an excellent source of nutrition (and complete protein) & is quite delicious to boot. Is there a chance that I could fail a drug test the same way poppy seeds on a bagel could fail you? If so, is there any rational response to a failed drug test that would convince an employer that it's a fluke (I have a five pound bag of the stuff I could use for proof)?

Can I fuel my human body off just SPIZ (nutrition drink), water, and the occasional "recreational" meal?

mikee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:26:56 -0800

Has anyone ever attempted or documented using a "nutritionally complete" drink such as SPIZ that has all your daily values over a long period of time? I've read some other threads here, but not finding much. It is nearly impossible to Google anything diet related these days, too much spam and nutjobs. My goal here is to think of food merely as fuel, and just scrap the whole eating what I crave thing.

Going to talk to my family MD and ask for a referral to a nutritionist, too. But before I do, and because I know I'll be met with some criticism to my desires, I wanted to get some more info.

Where is the food pill already?!?

poor quality goji berries?

skjønn — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:59:09 -0800

I bought some dried goji berries from my local asian market. They taste/look/smell similar to every other dried goji berry I've tried. However, according to the nutrition information on the package, they are different from other goji berries... According to the package, for 50 grams of dried berries, there are 30 calories, less than one gram of protein, 0% RDA of Vitamin A/C & Iron, and 1% RDA of calcium.

That is very different from the stats given on this site:
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-eatraw-tibetan-goji-berries-i119927

My goji berries are packed by the "Xin Chang Trrading Company"

So what's more likely- did I buy really poor quality goji berries that are nutritionally inferior to others, or are the nutrition stats on the package wrong?

These berries were about 1/2 the price of what I would have payed for the same amount at my local fancy health food store, but everything at this asian market is loads cheaper, which is why I love to shop there.

Help me recover from an intense workout!

corey flood — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:13:14 -0800

What do you eat/drink (in addition to water) after a workout to help you recover more quickly? I keep reading suggestions that chocolate milk is the perfect recovery beverage, but I'm lactose intolerant and the idea of drinking straight milk makes my blood run cold. Other dairy options, like yogurt, are fine. I'm open to non-dairy milks (soy, rice, etc.), but are they going to provide the same benefits?

What do you eat after a workout? I don't have any particular concerns about keeping calories or carbs low.

Oh, and extra points for portability--it's a 45 minute drive from my dance classes to my house. (Will a 45 minute waiting period make a difference?)

Better nutrition ideas while in Mexico.

ebesan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:08:12 -0800

Better nutrition ideas while in Mexico. Have been here a month, on work. May stay another. Problem is, I tend to eat little, cook less; (male, 58, thin) and the heat and difficulty of getting fresh food compounds the situation. Is there a supplement or vitamin I could find in the health stores here that would help w/ weight and energy? and what should I be looking for?

Help me design a simple nutrition calculator for a restaurant website.

einarorn — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:59:33 -0800

How do I create a simple nutrition calculator for a restaurant website? I'm working on a website for a restaurant chain. What we would like to do is allow the customer to choose the ingredients he gets (it's a burrito place) and then he will get the nutritional value, preferably updated instantly as he picks new items.

Preferably it would work similar to the calculator on this page (I tried to email them about asking if we could use it, but got no answer).

I imagine this could be done with simple JavaScript, but I don't have the knowledge to write it myself. Are there any standard scripts out there I could use?

Researching African-American nutrition

AceRock — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:17:47 -0800

Good resources for researching African-American attitudes towards and perceptions of nutrition? I'm writing an article and I'm having trouble finding good secondary sources before I start the primary research. Do black people in the US think about food and health in different ways than other parts of the population? What are the differences within the African-American population? Where do these differences come from?

Any suggestions on where to start looking to answer these and related questions would be greatly appreciated. Also, any anecdotal information or personal observations are welcome as well. Thank!

Which would make me fatter 10lb of fat, or 10lb of celery.

zeoslap — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:57:51 -0800

If I ate 1lb of fat each day for a week would I gain more weight than if I'd eaten 1lb of celery each day for a week, and if so why.

need more fewd

WeekendJen — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:05:18 -0800

Help me eat better / more often... I have problems with anxiety (diagnosed) and adult ADD (not diagnosed officially - yet) and sometimes this causes me to not eat.

I do not have a classical eating disorder, I love to eat and savor all kinds of food.

My problem is that sometimes (err...often) I get really worked up and anxious and feel overwhelmed and too busy with whatever I need to accomplish in a day. I end up putting off getting something to eat until I calm down, which usually isn't until I clear most of the tasks from my to-do list. This is especially bad with lunch at work. I almost never eat lunch because of this.

When I get home, I am usually too exhausted to really cook or eat anything (and also to prepare any lunch food for the next day). Sometimes I fall asleep on my couch before I even eat anything. Other times, I'll have something super quick like a microwave personal pizza or burrito.

I do not get feelings of hunger when I am anxious or exhausted, but I do, obviously, feel like crap. I just seem to be missing the brain trigger to remind me that if I ate something, I would feel a little better.

The only time I consistantly eat every day is breakfast. I love breakfast and I am a cranky crab if I don't eat something within an hour of waking up.

I was recently hospitalized and told that I need to up my caloric intake and eat more nutritious food. My question is how can I chill out and remind myself to eat? What are some techniques you use to make food prep not feel like more work after a day of work? Any general advice pertaining to adequate nutrition with budget and time constraints? What kinds of foods keep well and are easy to carry around all day (with my comute factored in, I'm usually away from home about 12 hours a day). Thanks.

How to help someone who won't help themself

yawper — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:58:03 -0800

How do I deal with a spouse who is overweight and unhappy about it? He has been in this situation for 10 years. I’ve tried to be supportive, but I’m getting tired of hearing him complain and not seeing him do anything concrete to get results. I love my husband. He’s an amazing guy, and we have a very good relationship. But in some ways, we are very different:

- I’m very logical and tend to make decisions with my head, he’s more emotional and goes with his heart
- I like to follow processes; he prefers to “wing it”
- I learn by reading; he learns by watching/doing
- I’m very even-keeled and don’t get flustered easily; he is more sensitive and moody and has many more highs and lows

For the most part, these differences serve us very well; we balance each other out. But there is one area in which it is becoming very frustrating for me. Over the past 10 years he has gained about 25 lbs and he’s extremely unhappy about it. He hates the way he looks, he hates that his clothes don’t fit, he hates that he doesn’t have the energy to do things he wants. It affects him physically because he had knee surgery a few years ago and the extra weight exacerbates his knee pain.

He’s tried to lose weight on his own by cutting calories and exercising, but nothing sticks for the long term and the weight always comes back. It seems like he’s always “on a diet” and always unhappy about that aspect of his life. He is an emotional eater and finds it very hard to resist food. He also tends to latch onto bits and pieces of research without fully investigating them, or devises his own diet based on what he thinks his body needs – but he has never read a proper book on nutrition (or watched a video, or a presentation, or anything). He’s not a scientific person; he feels he can conquer this on his own. But the proof is in the pudding – after 10 years, he’s not succeeded in losing the weight and keeping it off. I feel it’s partly because he’s not properly educated on the topic. I’ve brought home library books, showed him some articles, and tried to teach him the basics of nutrition (I’m not an expert, but I have a good handle on the basics and have no weight issues). But he doesn’t take an active interest in any of it. I also support him by keeping a healthy environment in the house; we cook healthy meals from scratch and don’t buy a lot of snack or junk food. His problem is mainly quantity. The other day I encouraged him to sign up for a 12-week weightloss challenge; it was a series of seminars that would have covered many important topics and provided the foundation he needs. I thought this would be much better for him than a book because of his learning style. But he refused to go, saying he could do it himself.

He complains about his weight a lot, and I lend a supportive ear. But to be honest, after 10 years, I’m getting tired of it. I feel for his situation, but I’m also starting to get resentful. I feel like I shouldn’t have to keep supporting someone who doesn’t want to help himself. Is this wrong of me? What else can I be doing? I do NOT nag him about his weight or make him feel unattractive; we have a loving relationship and no problems in the bedroom. But I do offer advice when he vents. He’s unhappy, and I want to help him be happy.

If you have any suggestions for him or for me, please share. But please don’t suggest something like WeightWatchers – structured “systems” like that don’t work for him (he would very quickly tire of counting and keep track of points). Thanks Hivemind.

Nutrition books for my favorite ballerina?

corey flood — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:12:42 -0800

What books/websites about nutrition would you recommend for a serious ballet student in her teens? My beautiful and talented niece dances anywhere from 6-25 hours a week, depending on the season. In addition, she's 15 years old and still growing. Can you recommend any dance-specific resources for helping her maximize her food choices? (I say 'dance-specific' because if it's not, she will dismiss it outright.)

The family is looking around for nutritionists, but in the meantime, I'd like to try and find some kind of book/website/etc. for dancers that doesn't try to pass off a stalk of celery and a glass of water as lunch.

Bean and rice diet healthy?

branvan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:05:22 -0800

I was thinking of going on a strictly bean and rice diet. Is this healthy for me?

How do you practice moderation when it comes to fatty or sugary foods?

cranberrymonger — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:06:15 -0800

How do you practice moderation when it comes to fatty or sugary foods? I'm learning to eat better by using the Canada Food Guide . It's a great tool to learn how to control portions, eat a balanced diet and choose healthy options but it doesn't really take into account "treats!"

I would be miserable without the occasional dessert and I think that moderation (rather than banning certain foods) is key to my success. However, I'm not sure how often/how much is appropriate.

How often do you indulge? What do you eat when you do? How do you ensure you stick to your limits?

How to travel and volunteer for a very first timer?

pixxie — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:49:17 -0800

My current volunteering gig is standing still, how do I search for a new one and be able to travel? I am a 26 year-old female living in Canada throughout much of my life. I have never traveled anywhere except moving from one province to another. In 2007, I obtained my BSci in Chemistry, then I decided to pursue something I truly want which is Nutrition and Physiology. Since last year, I have been volunteering @ this NGO with the hope that I would be “shipped off” somewhere to do humanitarian work. However, this NGO will NOT send any volunteers oversea and being a French (especially) and/or Spanish speaker is a plus for this fairly big organization. At the office, I perform mostly secretarial tasks such as being a webmaster for its website, using Illustrator CS3 to design icons for training modules, etc. In spite of meeting some wonderful people in the office and doing something I enjoy on the side, I get very very bumped out every now and then. Why? Because what I wish to do is to volunteer with regard to global nutrition, not doing clerical tasks that are identical to my job @ school. In addition, it is also a personal reason. I have spent the past 8 years always worrying/stressing about money and student loans (I receive zero contribution from my parents), such that I never get to enjoy much of my summer or life rather. Instead of just moping around, I really want to make some changes NOW. Therefore, I really need some step-by-step advice as to where to start:

1) Is everyone volunteering for NGOs always multilingual? What other organizations can you recommend to me that will emphasize more on my education background (I don’t want to teach English or get some random jobs just for the sake of “seeing the world”, I want to help the underprivileged), rather strictly based on what languages I can speak?

2) Starting in September, I plan on taking some Spanish classes @ the YMCA. In the meantime, I want to get a head-start in the next few weeks before school starts so that I can become more familiar with the language. I honestly don’t expect to grasp a new language overnight, but if I keep this up, do you believe I will have the adequate background to converse semi-fluently by the end of April?

3) Like I mentioned earlier, I am a total noob when it comes to traveling, thus I don’t want to shop around and try to learn everything any person can possibly know about cheap airfares, restaurants, etc. I decided Argentina is where I want to go. With this focus in mind, where can I find the best site (e.g. blogs?) that is not only there to discuss about the country’s hot destinations, but is also informative as to HOW to travel for a clueless person like me?

4) Money is a major issue for me. Trying to support myself throughout the school terms and saving for the trip can be challenging. Hence, I need to set some sort of a goal to get myself motivated. How much money do you think I need to save prior the trip? Is $4000 CDN enough?

4) Is anyone here familiar with Idealist.org or has had participated for this organization? What are some of your thoughts about it? Pros and cons?

Help me satisfy a sweet tooth on a low sugar/low carb diet!

mattholomew — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:21 -0800

Help me satisfy a sweet tooth on a low sugar/low carb diet! I have been put on a low carb/low-to-no sugar diet because of high blood glucose. I will be meeting with a nutritionist, but my biggest concern is my ravenous sweet tooth. I love me some ice cream and cookies, and chocolate. I'd like to hear what y'all recommend - recipes would be fabulous, any prepackaged food suggestions would also be great, and anything at restaurants that's good is also, um, good.

I have no other dietary restrictions, but if you have a tasty vegan recipe, I'm open to it.

(I realize this type of question has been asked before, but there are always new recipes and products coming out)

Help me find graphs of nutrition and health/height

peter_meta_kbd — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:31:53 -0800

Where can I find visuals (graphs or ?) that show the relationship between height and nutrition? I would like to be able to help people in Asia who are short and eat primarily white rice understand that these are correlated. Also, visuals of disease and nutrition would be nice, but the main number one would be graphs (for instance U.S. from 1600 - present) of heights and nutrition. I thought I was good at using search engines until I just spent some time and failed miserably. Thanks!

Are there any safe workout supplements?

ascetic — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:01:47 -0800

Are there any *safe* supplements I can take for added muscle gain/weight loss/etc? I'm only 20 years old... Perhaps I don't "need" supplements but I sure would like to get more out of my workouts without comprimising my health and wellbeing.

I eat clean 90% of the time - fresh fruits, veggies, home cooked meals, etc. I RARELY eat McDonalds or any other kinds of junk food. Currently I make a protein shake after working out... Two scoops protein powder, nonfat milk, and 1 tbps of flax seed oil... Sometimes some berries and banana.

How can I change my diet to reduce acne?

deern the headlice — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:14:36 -0800

Can you personally recommend a nutrition regimen that reduces acne breakouts? I've had acne off and on for about 10 years and the only oral medication that has ever helped is Bactrim. But now that I'm back on it, I seem to have built up a tolerance to it and am still breaking out.

Both patients and doctors seem wildly at odds about whether or not diet affects acne. Studies say sugars and salts exacerbate it, other studies say food doesn't affect skin whatsoever.

Still, if I can make changes in my diet that positively affect my skin, I'm willing to try. That includes stuff like Brewer's Yeast or vitamins.

I would really like to hear specifically from people who have had the experience of improving their skin by changing their diet, and what the experience was like.

Thanks!

Why is there no protein-fortified beer?

dame — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:19:46 -0800

Looking for vegetarian high-protein food ideas. More restrictions inside, but in summary: everything that has lots of protein is gross! I need to eat more protein. I work out a lot and based on the recommendations of gram per bodyweight (~100g per day for me according to a few sources), I am not meeting my requirements. I am noticing what I consider undue fatigue and would like to test whether upping my protein will fix it. (As much as I do work out; it isn't enough to be overtrained, so I don't believe that is my issue.)

Restrictions: No meat; no nuts; black beans gross me out & I can take others in moderation. I already eat eggs and dairy (but I don't drink milk because it also grosses me out). The idea of a shake would be okay except I don't have a blender, which seems to limit me to liquid milk as a mixer and as we've established: ick!

I would also like to keep the calories down as much as possible because I like using them on delicious "bad" things, like cake, but that is the most fungible requirement.

You Are What You Eat. I Eat Diplomas.

26.2 — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:00:34 -0800

I'd like to get a certification in nutrition. Is Registered Dietitian (RD) the only well accepted credential? I'm not planning a career change, but I'd like to study nutrition and get a certification/degree in it. I already read quite a bit of literature on the topic, but I'd like to have the formal structure of a certification or degree program. An RD is out of the question because I don't have an undergraduate degree in science and an 1200 internship isn't realistic for me. (If I wanted to change careers, it would be fine.)

I know I could just study and not get a degree or cert, but I like having structured goals. Are there any such programs?

One potato, Two potato, Three potato, Four!

latch24 — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:27:02 -0800

If I had ½ cup of sweet potato and ½ cup of potato, boiled and mashed (w/ 1 tablespoon of full cream/fat milk) with 1 cup of frozen vegetable (peas, corn, carrot) for dinner what type of nutritional value would it hold? So, if I had this for dinner each night for a week would this be a really, really BAD thing? What should I be adding if it is (even if only 2 out of 5 work nights)?

I just ask because cooking food for myself at the end of a very long day is getting hard, yo. I seem to end up doing this dinner a lot and I don't want to have limbs suddenly fall off* because I'm eating too much sweet potato / not getting enough of something.

*Or just general unhealthiness

My desk at work needs a hammock.

zennoshinjou — Sat, 02 May 2009 05:22:20 -0800

Energy.. I need it. How do I keep my energy levels high while keeping calories low and working out hard? My trainer has me working out pretty aggressively in the gym. It's been going fine for 3 months but the past week I have hit a wall with my energy levels. I feel tired all the time. Currently I am eating ~1800 calories a day and working out 6 days a week with 3 days of cardio and 3 days of weights/strength training. If it matters, I'm 5'8" and currently weigh 226.

What can I do to get my energy levels back up? should I be eating more? Sleeping more/less? I don't really ingest caffeine frequently and would prefer to continue avoiding it.

My training goal is the ever elusive lose fat/gain muscle balance until I get rid of the blubber. I'm aware I am less efficient at both by doing them at the same time but that's fine.