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Thread: I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

  1. #1

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    Default I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

    Sorry if this is long, I just need some reassurance and all the people on here seem so nice...
    I've had a few issues with food over the past year or so, not an eating disorder as such, I've just been over concerned with healthy eating to the point where it was beginning to damage my health.
    I used to weigh 7.5-8 stone (I'm 5 foot tall) which I think is healthy, I had quite a nice figure, needed to tone up a bit but apart from that it was good. Last year when I was travelling adn walking loads and probably eating less due to the lack of vegan things around I lost a bit went down to 7 stone and thought my body was absolutely perfect, I was really happy with it.
    Anyway then I started reading more about raw food and healthy eating in general and it really became important to me to be careful with what I put into my body, not overeat, do all I can to put good things into me. And I really jumed into the raw thing and was high raw from January until a few weeks back. Half the time I felt pretty good, but I also had digestive issues, energy ups and downs, and I just became obsessed with what I was eating. I think it was partly that I was eating so little, i would have a smoothie and a couple of salads most days but really didnt have the appetite for anything more. I read so many contradictions on nutrition, high/low fruit/fat and was so overwhelmed with the amount of things that were bad for me I was scared to eat anything. This, mixed with my bad digestion, gas and stomachaches, brought me to a point a couple of weeks back where I felt so miserable, I felt like it couldnt be after such a short amount of time that my body had adjusted so much it couldnt tolerate anything. I wanted to know that if I wanted to have a veggie burger and chips (not that I actually have any desire to) it wouldnt make me feel like I was dying. Also cooked food was really appealing to me, not junk food but nice wholesome things like warming soups and rice and baked potatoes. My weight since January has gone down to 6 stone, at times I looked emaciated at other times just skinny (I'm not sure if that was my perception or just dependent on how much I was eating at the time)
    So (and this took a lot of wrestling with my mind) I bought some cold pressed olive oil (I'd been avoiding oils because theyre not 'natural') and oats, and made some salads that were more than just lettuce and tomatoes, and had afew cooked meals like baked potatoes and a raw curry with rice. When I ate heavier food my digestion actually felt a lot smoother and I felt better.
    Anyway i went to a naturopath who said I needed to eat warming and cooked foods to ground me and help my digestion (aparantly you need a strong digestive system to eat so much raw veggies), and to cut down on the fruits and get lots of healthy fats and proteins. So now I'm eating a diet of whole grains, nuts, seeds, veggies, a little bit of fruit (mainly bananas at the moment), and...was going to add cooked legumes but I've had stomach cramps the 2 times I've eaten lentils and the time I had chick peas this year so think I might have an intolerance or something. But anyway I make almost everythign I eat from scratch, don't fry anything or cook oils, use hardly any processed ingredients (I have tamari, tahini and miso all of which I was a bit wary about buying but LOVE, and some rice noodles to put in noodle soup which actually dont do much for me so I'm sticking to the whole grains in their natural state from now on). I really like eating this way, knowing exactly what goes into my body and I don't actually believe cooked food is poisonous anymore because of how much more grounded and happy I feel since bringing some of it back into my life.
    The problem is even though I *know* this food is all nutritious and good for me I still worry I'm somehow doing it wrong and would be better off eating a different way. I worry I'm eating too many grains, too much fat, too little fat, too much, too little...I just worry that I'm not eating right in general. I made myself some chocolate treats to take to work this week, they're made from ground up nuts and seeds, cacao butter and powder, and a banana mashed up with cacao powder for icing. Theyre in the freezer right now and look wonderful and full of nutritious healthy fats but I'm already thinking maybe they're too fatty or high calorie and I shouldnt really eat them. I made potato chips with cold pressed olive oil in my dehydrator, so there was nothing bad about them but I still felt like I was eating something junky when I had them and felt guilty.
    When I think about all the processed things people eat it makes me realise how healthy my diet is (and restricted lol) but anything will make me think I'm getting it wrong. I think I'm partly getting used to eating so much more denser and heavier foods, it makes me think I'll get really fat, but no one got fat from eating nuts seeds and brown rice, right?
    I just need some reassurance that there is nothing wrong with my diet and I should just eat and enjoy it and my body will regulate itself to a nice healthy weight and image because I'm filling it with nice wholesome things.
    Oh yeah since about 2 weeks ago I've put on a pound and my boobs have got a bit rounder (I think) but my stomach is still really flat which I'm happy about...that has to be a good sign right?
    Anyway sorry for rambling on, I really want a healthy relationship with food and eating and just need someone to tell me how well I'm doing...

  2. #2
    whalespace's Avatar
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    Default Re: I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

    Hello maidenofthewell .

    Sounds to me like you are able to focus your attention very strongly when you want to make decisions, or get hold your actions.
    You have been, and still are trying to do the best for your self, and you don't mind asking for some one else's opinion. All admirable.

    I wouldn't worry about the cooking too much. You could say that plants should be in their natural state when you eat them, but you can also say that plants did not intend for parts of themselves to be eaten by humans, so why should we expect everything to be suitable for us?

    Crushing or squeezing something is much like chewing it; warming something up in order to break down a starch [or a belly ache] could be like evolving a special "mind stomach" in which you, as an intelligent organism, try new ways of keeping your loved ones healthy.

    Their are many people whom are so sure that what they have heard or read or learned, is true beyond question. Well done for having such a good look around regarding what you eat. Bodies can take a while to adapt to things, maybe not toooo long though eh?.... who knows? maybe you do?

    Sometimes I imagine that the food that I have, is all that there was... and that tomorrow I will find enough of what I need.
    Problematic is waking someone whom pretends to sleep.

  3. #3

    Default Re: I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

    I am glad that you are building a healthier relationship with food. It is not good to get too focussed and obsessed with eating *the perfect diet* or getting it *just right*, when in reality there is a range of ways one can eat and still be pretty healthy. Flexibility is good to allow yourself, and as long as you aren't sick, or underweight, or such, then probably things are working better for you now.

    If you're still not sure how you're doing, you might want to consult with a nutritionist, and maybe ask a good friend to let you know when it seems you're getting too thin or hung up on food.

    Also, one thing in regards to oil and naturalness - keep in mind that the Internet and surgery aren't natural, yet cyanide and death are.

  4. #4
    [LMNOP] ellaminnowpea's Avatar
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    Default Re: I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

    Hi! I just really wanted to help you a bit with some of your questions and concerns, because I've been there, too. Firstly, do you have an ED? Secondly, I'll try to just give you some advice based on experience and dietetics knowledge.

    Quote maidenofthewell View Post
    Half the time I felt pretty good, but I also had digestive issues, energy ups and downs, and I just became obsessed with what I was eating. I think it was partly that I was eating so little, i would have a smoothie and a couple of salads most days but really didnt have the appetite for anything more.
    I think this type of thinking obsessively about what's dietarily "right" can really mess with your head. I have tried different "diets", including high-raw diet, and I had terrible energy highs and lows. I actually had worse digestion when I was eating raw.

    Quote maidenofthewell View Post
    I read so many contradictions on nutrition, high/low fruit/fat and was so overwhelmed with the amount of things that were bad for me I was scared to eat anything. This, mixed with my bad digestion, gas and stomachaches, brought me to a point a couple of weeks back where I felt so miserable, I felt like it couldnt be after such a short amount of time that my body had adjusted so much it couldnt tolerate anything.

    So now I'm eating a diet of whole grains, nuts, seeds, veggies, a little bit of fruit (mainly bananas at the moment), and...was going to add cooked legumes but I've had stomach cramps the 2 times I've eaten lentils and the time I had chick peas this year so think I might have an intolerance or something.
    This scares me; it sounds like an eating disorder. The more you limit your diet, the more "intolerant" your digestion can be when you start to eat more diverse foods. I can ensure you that your body will adjust to eating more foods if you continue to introduce them into your diet. I had the hardest time introducing legumes!! I'm now able to eat them without issues...

    Quote maidenofthewell View Post
    I just worry that I'm not eating right in general.

    When I think about all the processed things people eat it makes me realise how healthy my diet is (and restricted lol) but anything will make me think I'm getting it wrong. I think I'm partly getting used to eating so much more denser and heavier foods, it makes me think I'll get really fat, but no one got fat from eating nuts seeds and brown rice, right?

    I just need some reassurance that there is nothing wrong with my diet and I should just eat and enjoy it and my body will regulate itself to a nice healthy weight and image because I'm filling it with nice wholesome things.
    I think the psychological side of eating and weight is HUGE. And I would really love to see you have strength and confidence in the fact that you can eat a variety of foods. From experience, when you're gaining weight, you'll most likely freak out at first, but then start "normalizing". You'll likely feel more emotionally and psychologically stable. Your weight will stabilize, too. Theres a "set point" for everyone's body. This set point is when your body maintains its weight easily (with a relatively healthy diet and lifestyle) and your body tries to keep your weight from deviating too much from the set point.

    Quote maidenofthewell View Post
    My weight since January has gone down to 6 stone, at times I looked emaciated at other times just skinny (I'm not sure if that was my perception or just dependent on how much I was eating at the time).
    If I translate that into pounds (for US measurements), you're about 84 lbs, which is 16 lbs (about a stone) underweight. If you're having trouble gaining weight, please see a nutritionist. Gaining weight from a low weight can be hard, both psychologically and physically. The physical changes will be hard, so you might want to have a professional following you and your progress. There can be serious health issues (re-feeding syndrome) if you gain weight too quickly. But a profressional can often help you with both the nutritional issues that you've brought up, but also the psychological issues you're dealing with.

    Good luck! Looks like you're doing well, keep up the progress!
    “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” ~ Alcott

  5. #5

    Default Re: I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

    Good advice, ellaminnowpea. I didn't even see where she mentioned her weight. I know that when I was losing a lot of weight at the start of the school year (which was before dietary changes and probably has to do with an IBD like Crohn's, as yet to be determined precisely), even though I've not gotten underweight, I did lose about 16% of my weight in four months without trying (indeed, I ate more and even when I changed to a vegan diet, I ate a piece of cake or a brownie every day), and yet even when I was at what is considered a healthy weight and everyone around me agreed I looked good, I thought I looked terribly fat, as I've been made fun of for being overweight most of my life.

    Fortunately, after enough time looking at the numbers and thinking about the situation, I am much more realistic about my weight and body image, however my stomach suddenly gaining two and a half inches overnight even though I haven't gained any more than two pounds in the last three months, even though I figure it must be bloating or something, I still started thinking of myself as fat again.

    Some people are obsessed with how fat they are. Others get fixed on how healthy or pure their diet is. These distortions can cause mild distress or major health problems, or lots of places in between, but definitely they are things we need to reconcile with the world around us in order to ensure our psychological and physical well being. Sometimes, the best way to ensure health is to not focus on it too much. Even though I've had some health problems and have had to make sure I know when I'm experiencing some warning signs that I need to go to the emergency, if I were to overly focus on, say, the dry skin on my ankle or the floating things I see in my eyes (that are already confirmed not to be a retinal detachment), the joint pain that has just recurred in my knees and fingers, the probable UTI (confirmatory lab work re-test pending), etc. but if I spent a lot of time trying to do the exact right thing (such as trying to come up with the "perfect diet" for my GI condition - and believe me, there are a variety of recommendations online, many not evidence-based, and people with IBDs tend to vary a lot in what one can tolerate), but quality of life is a big factor, and sometimes focusing too much on health can lead to a deterioration in either/both health and quality of life.

  6. #6

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    Default Re: I need reassurance on my healthy diet...

    Thanks for your comments and advice everyone! I'm definitely feeling better and more confident about what I eat lately, especially as my digestion improves and I'm beginning to listen to my body and learn what it actually wants to digest rather than what my mind is telling it.
    I wouldn't worry about the cooking too much. You could say that plants should be in their natural state when you eat them, but you can also say that plants did not intend for parts of themselves to be eaten by humans, so why should we expect everything to be suitable for us?
    I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately, about how as human beings we've had to adapt things so much for survival (like making tools) and we have discovered so many things by changing the properties of things...Somewhere I read something (along the traditional chinese medicine line of thinking which is what I'm really drawn to now) where someone had said regarding the idea that all raw is best for us, which would you trust more 5000 years of ancient wisdom or 40 years or so of pseudo-science. I've also been thinking about the energy that goes into food preparation and how changing its properties isn't 'killing' it because things don't die, everything works in cycles. I don't see how a bunch of fruit flown halfway accross the world and chemically treated to keep it rip can be better for you than a healthy, cooked, organic, vegan meal thats been prepared with love.

    I actually had worse digestion when I was eating raw
    I've actually noticed from going on raw message boards there are a LOT of people with bad digestion who say 'i can no longer digest....', and part of me thinks it can't be healthy to be that 'clean' inside that you can't tolerate a lot of things, because in a situation where there was nothing to survive but beans/grains/cooked food/whatever, the person winning would be the supposedly unhealthy eater with a stronger digestive system.

    This scares me; it sounds like an eating disorder...I had the hardest time introducing legumes!! I'm now able to eat them without issues...
    I do sometimes worry I've got an eating disorder, but sometimes I feel like I 'm just getting overwhelmed with things. I think my problem is that I worry about consuming more than I need, which I associate with weight gain, which is what makes gaining weight seem scary, but I do love food and eating, I just need to keep telling myself its ok to eat lots its not taking too much. Each day lately I do feel better about it though,and seem to have more appetite which is good! How did you go about introducing legumes? I reallly miss chick peas and hummus! I was thinking of making hummus for my boyfriend and just trying a little bit, also aduki beans were reccommended for strengthening digestion, I don't know whether to just try them and hope, or to maybe make a tiny amount and have them with something else and gradually increase it?

    I've eaten so many things lately that would have been a big no no a month ago, like a veggie bake today (the first meal I've had in ages which I didn't even notice my stomach/digestive system react to after I'd eaten it) and am just making myself things for the love of eating them. I find that brown rice and steamed or water-fried veggies is the nicest meal ever and so easy to digest!

    I keep reminding myself that I have to be nice to my body, if I feel tired after eating something or if I get a tummy ache it really upsets me but I keep telling myself I've added so much into my diet lately its bound to cause changes. At least I'm actually getting the food in me now

    And thank you so much for your support, there are such lovely people on this board and you've really helped me feel secure in what I'm eating.

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