Eating Well vs. Eating Healthy

[Hopleaf]

Having just recently started to eliminate unnecessary animal fats and saturated fats from my diet in an effort to finally lower my cholesterol, I'm often struggling with finding a balance between eating what I want and eating what I should. So I thought I'd start a thread about, and not just to vent, but rather to find out from anyone else what works for them.

Are there certain things that you just absolutely have to have, MUST HAVE PATÉ? or perhaps it's that Gotta-Have-Gorgonzola.

Or do you see it more along the lines that in order to succeed with a healthy approach to eating it has to be all or nothing?

Myself, I've eliminated beer for the time being and am experimenting with red wine, something I've never been into, but that was when I smoked...have quit cigarettes too now for 4 months and am wowed by my abilty to taste and smell! wine tastes so different and I'm finding I really, really like it...Zinfandels and Beaujolais in particular.

Also, I'm cautiously trying non-dairy cheeses and am slowly finding that they're not so bad either. But this part is really a struggle. I still have to allow myself some freshly grated Asiago on my pasta. figure if I can eat the fake cheese most of the time, it's ok that I eat the good stuff once in awhile.

Red meat? Oh man, that's a tough one. I do love a good steak. Not sure what to do there. One thing that I'm gonna try is just eating more seafood, fish in particular.

So, any thoughts from fellow eGulleters that might have or are experiencing a similar struggle?

[tryska]

you could always go the keto-diet route (proven to affect blood lipid levels in a positive way) but then you miss out on all the good sugar-based foods.

did your doctor suggest a low-fat diet?

[Hopleaf]

you could always go the keto-diet route (proven to affect blood lipid levels in a positive way) but then you miss out on all the good sugar-based foods.

did your doctor suggest a low-fat diet?

yes, doctor recommended lowering intake of cholesterol (thus low-fat diet).

keto-diet? I'll do a search, but if you have a moment, could you explain what this is? Is it just a matter of eliminating sugars?

[Hopleaf]

I can't possible be the only person on eGullet who's trying to eat healthy while still eating well. Can I?

[tryska]

a ketogenic diet (keto-diet) is a low-carb diet. atkins is a keto-diet (altho imo too low in calories)

low-carb diets have been show to have positive effect on blood-lipid levels.

imo it's insulin that is the true culprit behind high cholesterol levels and arterial blockage, but that's a science discussion for another day.

the diet that has worked well for me, that i've gotten the most benefit from is closer to a paleolithic (one step up from a ketogenic - which disallows carbs from any source)

mine just disallows carbs that are high in sugar (grains, breads, pastas, juices, candy that sort of thing)

basically it's meat, vegetables and fruit, fat be damned (except transfats - those aren't allowed) i prefer fats to come either naturally occuring in meat and fish, or from olive oil, nuts, and seeds. butter is cool too.

it's as close to low-carb as i get, without sacrificing fiber.

when i'm, working out consistently i allow myself one serving of "sugar" a day whether it be bread, rice, pasta, cereal, juice, candy whatever. but the trick is that it is a SERVING - usually meaning half a cup.

[gus_tatory]

Hopleaf--

no, you are not the only eGullet person trying to eat healthily, but still well.

in the last few years--no doctors involved--i've become aware that i simply can't eat the way i always have (with abandon, heedlessly).

what changes have i made?

--i was never a 'carb craving' person; i never got the urge to binge on rice, pasta, bread, etc. more to the point, refined carbs. so i reduced these, but i'm not eating Atkins by any means. still, i subtracted pizza (never much of a fan anyway), made sure i was far away from bags of Fritos (fat and salt delivery systems, mmm...), i quit coffee, i quit sugar for the most part (we're unable to avoid it in a lot of packaged stuff, still), and quit soft drinks.

--i tried to *add* stuff like firm tofu, which i love fried (canola or olive oil) in little blocks with soy. i added couscous, bulgur in salads like tabbouleh, falafel (tasty!), more salads.

--i started reading about and cooking more middle-eastern and asian cuisines.

--i added low- or no-calorie snacks all over the place. i have about 2-3 cups of green tea, and 1-2 servings of miso soup every day. these are lovely foods, as well as little breaks in the day.

hope this helps... good luck, and happy eating!

[Hest88]

Well, the main way I've been doing it is eliminating processed foods as much as possible and "empty calories." That means white rice and French bread, except during the occasional meal out. I haven't been eliminating fats that much, but they have to be "natural" fats, so I've been ruthlessly reading labels when I do eat processed foods to make sure I'm not ingesting trans-fatty acids.

I still eat my fill of meat and veggies (stir-fried, never steamed), but when I snack I also try to make sure I'm packing as much nutritional value into the snacks as possible. And, I try not to eat just because I'm bored--which I used to do quite often.

[slbunge]

The thing that scares me about the Atkins diet is the same thing that scares me about the South Beach diet or the sauerkraut soup diet: maintainability. My feeling is that we all need to focus more on coming up with a maintainable diet that includes compromise and variability. Buying into a prepackaged diet can lead to boredom, the tediousness of counting all sorts of calorie/fat/carb intake, or needing to purchase from the marketing geniuses that came up the with how to package the diet food.

To me, I see two main difficulties in trying to come up with out own maintainable diets. The first is the training of the body to understand how to deal with choices. A maintainable diet will not include huge numbers of totally off-limits foods. Rather, it will include balance so that if you ate the butter-pecan frozen custard yesterday, you might want to lighten up today. My mother has struggled with her cholesterol and her weight for as long as I can remember and when I talk to her I know for certain that her body is trained that what she wants she gets to eat and afterward, she justifies everything as a splurge.

Another difficult thing for a lot of people is that a reasonably healthy diet involves a willingness to cook and experiement and many folks claim not to have the time. I secretly suspect that often, we have the time but rank cooking below other activities where we are willing to make time. If you have an interest in food and cooking, explore a bit. Investigate some vegetarian cooking information to get some ideas about cooking with strong flavors rather than letting a slab of meat take center stage.

One last thing I keep in mind is keeping activity level up to help lower cholesterol. Though it may be difficult to jog or lift weights, there are some simple things to do to increase activity level: avoid escalators and take the stairs; don't use moving sidewalks in airports; use a push mower; rake leaves and sweep grass-clippings with a broom rather than use a leaf blower; ride a bike to the local grocery store; etc.

[hannahcooks]

I think you can eat healthy AND eat well very easily, actually. Just cutting out processed and packaged foods from your diet lowers your sodium intake enormously- and the high fructose corn syrup, which is in everything packaged, it seems, but is not metabolized like real sugar is. Using a small amount of butter or olive oil for flavor instead of loads of margarine is actually better tasting and lower in calories, not to mention the dangers of partially hydrogenated oils.

I eat small snacks throughout the day- a small green salad (with just a tbsp of homemade salad dressing), a serving of carrots, celery, edamame, a banana, an apple, etc. and a small sandwich on homemade bread with homemade mayonnaise- which gives me my five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, keeps me sated, and allows me to have just about whatever I want (in moderate portions) for dinner.

[=Mark]

Isn't dairy free cheese an oxymoron?

[badthings]

I do most of my cooking for someone on Weight Watchers, which is the exact opposite of how how I like to eat -- heedlessly. Of course, WW is all about calories -- they don't really care what kind of fat you eat, as long as it's in negligible (useless) quantities. So it presents a different set of problems than low-cholesterol. I've discovered a couple things that may be useful to you:

1. portion control. duh, I know, but if you can figure out a way to only serve yourself a couple slices of pork loin unstead of a giant chop, you'll be much happier.

2. For weight watchers, lean meats are the key. Flank steak instead of ribeye, etc. This may not be so useful to you. Also, I have learned that many "preserved meats" (i.e., jamon serrano from iberian pigs) have significantly lower cholesterol than "normal" american pork, which has been bred to be "lean" whatever the consequences. Goose fat and lard have much lower cholesterol than butter. It pays to do some research into the nutritional composition of various animal products before you give up on them entirely.

3. veggies and EVOO. Get a couple good Italian cookbooks and make lots of veggies. Particularly if you're concerned with cholesterol specifically and not calories in general. Personally, I would be happy to eat chard, chickpeas, rapini, etc. (almost) every night if I can soak 'em in lots of olive oil, but this doesn't work for WW unfortunately.

Finally, I'd bet that substituting red wine for beer is going to make a big difference, especially if you drink alot.

Good luck, I hope this was helpful.

[Hopleaf]

yes, dairy free cheese seems like it's an oxymoron. But when you really need to eat it, it's a blessed alternative to not eating it.

thanks to everyone who's contributed so far and I look forward to continuing to read about what new things people find work for them.

the balance that sblunge brings up is exactly how I'm approaching this. Like I said, I want to occasionally have that Asiago, that's why I eat the Veggie Slices (really, not too bad, try them!). I've been eating tofu since I was twelve or so and my older sister introduced it to us, way back when Barry Manilow was on the radio singing about making it through the rain.

Miso sounds like a great suggestion to work into my diet. I've already been on the green tea kick. good stuff.

And tryska's suggestion of a paleolithic diet is something I want to look into more. I'm more of a meat eater anyway, and I love veggies and fruits. Carbs always seem to just weigh me down (pun intended!), but having been on my own low-carb diet (the Zone) I agree that they can be frustrating and often very (dangerously) low in calories. You put anyone on and 800 K/day diet and of course they'll lose weight!

Activity levels, now there's a great suggestion to all. I'm right there with you and do own a push mower. yard work is a great way to work exercise into a routine...that and taking the bus!

Thanks again all, and I look forward to more ideas.

[tryska]

i found that the paleolithic style works best for me, as i'm the same way as you - carbs wreck havoc on my system.

it's been fairly easy to maintain too - if i can't eat it raw, i won't eat it cooked. like i said i do give myself that one "cheat" meal a day, but i try to schedule it for just before i workout. that way i get that little "sugar-high" to use as energy.

btw - my roommate is lactose intolerant and she swears by veggie slices.

[vox]

i find that i'm able to eat EXTREMELY well by following a few guidelines:

1. i don't drink or smoke, the only thing i do drink is water (approx 3 L a day) and soya milk

2. i eat breakfast every morning (consisting of something fibre heavy...a bran muffin, or steel-cut oatmeal, or homemade granola, etc.)

3. i don't eat white flour (so all pastas, grains, etc. are whole wheat)

4. i avoid processed and fast foods

5. i eat meat twice a week, fish twice and week, and the remainder of the time, i eat vegetarian

6. i make sure i eat at least 5 servings of fruit and/or vegetables a day

7. i exercise moderately (biking/yoga) for 30 minutes, about 4 times a week.

the biggest danger is eating processed/refined foods. as long as you're cooking healthy, homemade meals, i think for the most part, the challenge of eating healthy is halfway done. i don't think animal fats are satan, but that being said...i'm not polishing off lobes of foie gras or tarte tatins every single night.

just be sensible about it. putting a tablespoon of butter to finish a risotto or to mount a sauce isn't the worst thing in the world...

[JAZ]

I'm not sure about the cholesterol element, so this may not be of much help. But the best advice I've read actually came from Dean Edell (yeah, I know) in his book Eat, Drink and Be Merry. And it's simple.

Eat whatever you want, just cut your portions (total calories, in other words) down. Cut the portions of high calorie foods down considerably. So you can have your Asiago, just not a lot of it.

Eat a couple of extra servings of vegetables a day. (Chop up some broccoli or asparagus into your pasta with Asiago, and you're set.)

Drink a glass of wine or beer a day.

What I've been working on is just thinking about -- I mean, really pondering -- what I want to eat. If I have a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich, for example, I don't just make it. I think about it. I know the calories involved, I know the nutritional value. Often, I'll decide to pass. Sometimes, though, I decide it's worth it. And then I make the best damned grilled cheese sandwich I possibly can, and savor every single bite, slowly.

[Mottmott]

I've recently been told (MD) to control cholesterol and salt and NOT to use Atkins.

As suggested, explore cuisines and recipes that do not depend on saturated fats to the extent that Anglo-American and French food does. (Italian and Asian spring to mind)

My suggestions for low cholesterol:

1. Try to eat only what you cook yourself. No processed foods, few restaurant meals. There's no requirement for mfgrs to indicate trans fats at present, though anything that says “hydrogenated” will include trans fat, the absence of that word does not guarantee the absence of trans fat.

2. Read up on fat. Yes, I know it's annoying that the info keeps changing as the research continues, but it gives you something to make your choices on.

3. Get a scale. Get a book that gives you a good breakdown of the fat content of different foods, including a breakdown of the different kinds of fat.

4. Use the scale. Use the book (or website - if you can find a good one, let me know).

The best way to control what happens in your body is to know what goes into your body. Do you know how many grams of fat is in a Tbs oil, butter, etc? Do you know which ones are the better, worse choices for those times you eat fat? Some, such as olive oil are said to improve the hdl/ldl ratio (the hdl’s are the “good” cholesterol). Even among cheeses, some have more fat than others. One oz Parmesan, alas, has 30g total fat (19.1g sat fat), compared to 1 oz of Roquefort (8.69g total fat & 5.46g sat fat.

5. Ask your doctor to give you a target of so many grams (or less) of fat per day. I HATE that vague stuff, “reduce your fats,” etc.

6. Perhaps get a consult with a nutritionist who will tailor a program for you.

(edited by my 1 1/2 yr granddaughter who decided to interrupt the post )

Edited October 4, 2003 by Mottmott (log)

[corvus]

Having just recently started to eliminate unnecessary animal fats and saturated fats from my diet in an effort to finally lower my cholesterol, I'm often struggling with finding a balance between eating what I want and eating what I should.

Luckily for me, I've been liberated from the notion that saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for you. In fact, I firmly believe they are good for you. This is one less thing I need to feel stress over, and eliminating stress is great in terms of health.

Read The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov. The book's web page is:

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

Also check into his organization, The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics here:

http://thincs.org/

One skeptic I particularily like is Dr. Malcom Kendrick. You can find his articles here:

http://redflagsweekly.com/kendrick.html

They are all worth reading, but I recommend you start with 'So, What Does Cause Heart Disease?' here:

http://redflagsweekly.com/kendrick/2003_aug01.html

I did great on a paleo-diet, and I mostly stick to it for day to day eating. I lost weight, eliminated my hypertension, and cured my migranes. Since I don't worry about cholesterol, I can't give you my recent numbers, but before I learned to stop worrying and love saturated fat, I did get a blood test and found that my numbers had improved considerably (HDL way up, Triglycerides way down) And that was after being on my mostly red meat paleo-diet. My doctor's advice on seeing the numbers: start cholesterol lowering drugs immediately. Of course, I refused.

Best of luck, and please pass the bacon (and steak, and butter, ...)

[tommy]

Read The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov.

this guy seems to have some very extreme viewpoints. i'm always tempted to take any extreme opinion with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to my health!

[tryska]

I did get a blood test and found that my numbers had improved considerably (HDL way up, Triglycerides way down) And that was after being on my mostly red meat paleo-diet. My doctor's advice on seeing the numbers: start cholesterol lowering drugs immediately.

he wanted to put you on cholesterol-reducing drugs, even tho your HDL/LDL ratios were favorable? that's doesn't inspire confidence. (in the doctor i mean)

also always remember to have cholesterol checked when you are in a fasting state - if your numbers are high, and you ate prior to the test, take the results with a grain of salt, and get re-tested when you are fasting.

[formerly grueldelux]

Five or so days a week make a meal of a huge amount of colorful vegetables, as much as you want. Eat them with as little refined carbs (bread, potatoes etc.) as possible, and maybe a little protein. This usually means salads and soups. The rest of the time eat whatever you want and take pleasure in it, keeping an eye on total calories and refined sugar, and including some fatty fish and nuts and maybe red wine and green tea.

[fresco]

Hopleaf,

First, congratulations.

Second, exercise. Get enough of it and some of the dietary considerations take care of themselves. (Not that I ever get enough myself )

Edited October 4, 2003 by fresco (log)

[Jinmyo]

Hopleaf, what do you do with the faux cheeses? Are they from soy or from nuts?

[Nick]

Beans and rice. Bean soup, chili, refrieds - all with a little meat. Brown rice boiled in a little water so it doesn't get soggy and sticky. A little gomasio on the rice after it's on the plate. With the left-over rice, fry it with some vegetables or fish. Some miso or tamari goes good at the end of the cooking. Neither should be allowed to get too hot as it destroys the little whatever they call them - "enzymes". The little living things that are present in especially good miso.

Main thing is to have some beans and/or rice with your meat. Then some good veggies on the side. Brocolli, Brussels Sprouts, Winter Squash, etc.

But, who am I to recommend anything? Tonight I'm having a baked potato, broccoli boiled in just a bit of water, AND a short cut rump steak that I've been marinating in some evoo, red wine vinegar, thin sliced onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Gonna try out my new gas range with infrared broiler on the steak

If I don't start drinking beer the first thing in the morning tomorrow, breakfast will be miso soup and vegetables along with some Italian breadsticks and a plum. We'll see how that turns out. The Saki sure tastes good tonight.

[Mottmott]

But, who am I to recommend anything? Tonight I'm having a baked potato, broccoli boiled in just a bit of water, AND a short cut rump steak that I've been marinating in some evoo, red wine vinegar, thin sliced onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Gonna try out my new gas range with infrared broiler on the steak

Is your kitchen finished? Did you post pics? Did I miss it?

[Nick]

Is your kitchen finished? Did you post pics?  Did I miss it?

It's pretty much finished. Still got to do window casings, baseboards, etc. But that will have to wait until next year. Got to dig out some pine boards we cut and milled over in NH back around '51. I'll post some pics as soon as I get a new camera battery.

Tried to find one at Walmart today. They used to have them. Don't go to Walmart that much and hadn't been there (in Rockland, Maine) for maybe six months. It was all changed around, not much of a battery selection, and I saw a lot of open spaces in the aisles. Looked like economic disfuntion to me.