Wahhh! I'm so confused about diets :(

[DogwoodMama]

I'm looking for some particular nutrition guidelines to follow, and I'm getting so confused... my ultimate goal is to establish a "diet" that I can maintain long-term, but just "eat healthy" isn't working for me. I feel like I *need* some rules, and also need to get in touch with my own hunger signals, because even with the best choices in foods if I eat too much it's still a problem.

So, we are not vegetarian, but I limit my meat consumption. I want to have a diet full of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables that also allows for some dairy and lean meats, fish, and shell-fish. I recently became intrigued by "The Abs Diet (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1579549985/qid=1112465967/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-1943672-8567316)" which I was thinking of using to "jump-start" my diet, but I have a problem with a couple of his recommendations (adding whey powder to eerything & instant oatmeal) but I could modify those things... but The Abs Diet emphasizes low-fat dairy which seems to go against Nourishing Traditions, which brings me to my dairy confusion. No dairy intolerance here, but I keep going around & around on whether I should limit dairy, go low-fat with dairy, or do it the NT way (which would be hard, I don't think dh would like it), or just do dairy in moderation (I'm leaning toward this). I just don't know what is "right", generally or for me specifically. :/ The South Beach diet is intriguing to me, but my LLL leaders say low-carb diets are not recommended for nusing moms, and dd still nurses a TON now, so I'm scared to do that!

So I'm feeling sort of confused and paralyzed right now, but need to do something positive... I lost some weight, but think I gained it back over the winter. :( But more than that, I'm really struggling with deciding how I want to eat "for life" and making a committment to that... Any thoughts, suggestions encouragement? I'm strongly considering doing a modified version of The Abs diet (he lists 12 Superfoods, and says eat at least 2 at every meal, and recommends 6 smaller meals a day essentially) that I have from Prevention Mag, b/c I think it is a pretty good, healthy plan... at least I'll be doing something positive while I research things further and talk with dh about it.

[Leslie]

It seems like more and more people are thinking that too many grains isn't the best thing, that the healthiest diet is based on fruits and vegetables, not grains. In other words, on a food pyramid (like this one http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/fitness/vegpyramid.html ), the grain level and produce level should be reversed so that produce rather than starchy grains forms the foundation of the diet. As far as dairy, my personal feeling is that it's okay in limited amounts if it's organic. The price of organic dairy sort of acts as a natural limit-setting device. :lol Seriously, I think that the worst thing about dairy is all the hormones and pesticides in it. If you have no intolerance with it and you want to use it, then I'd think you'd do fine with organic.

I like the Superfoods idea. I think you could try your modified version of the diet and see what you think after a couple of months. You can continue to tweak it as you go, as you find out more about food and figure out what works for your body.

I'm doing an all-raw diet, I'm in my third month and I'm still playing around with it since I plan to do this, more or less, for the rest of my life.

[lmgeenw]

Hi Elizabeth,

It sounds like you have read a lot about diets, but I might recommend another book that I read recently that I think it great. It is called The Makers Diet. I lent it out and don't have right now, but I bet some people on here might be familiar with it. I think it is just an excellent book and the diet is biblical and not the hard to follow once you grasp the concept. It is a whole food diet with some organic meat, lots of fruits and vegatables, and limited sprouted grains. The book encourages fermented foods and foods with lots of good bacteria. It is a bit along the lines of Nourishing Traditions, (I think he actually quotes the book) but not as extreme. I have lent this book to 3 friends all of which went out and bought it. It has changed our lives a lot, definitely for the better.

Leah

[2sunshines]

I second reading "The Maker's Diet" That book has transformed my family's diet dramatically!

[ArmsOfLove]

I wonder if it has a lot of info in line with Fit For Life by the Diamonds. I learned a lot from that book about how food digests in the body and how the body works. It didn't offer a diet plan per se, but rather educates you on how you interact with food so that you can decide what to eat and when to eat it and feel better.

[cobluegirl]

I like the maker's diet too. I just started reading Potatoes Not Prozac and it looks go be promising as well.

[UltraMother]

I'm doing an all-raw diet, I'm in my third month and I'm still playing around with it since I plan to do this, more or less, for the rest of my life.

I was intrigued by the raw diet for awhile, but was confused by all the different "sects" out there. Are you following any certain one? And how is it going?

[Leslie]

<<confused by all the different "sects" out there. Are you following any certain one? And how is it going?>>

I know what you mean about all the different 'sects.' I'm trying to focus on making sure I include lots of greens and variety when I can. Since I have candida issues, I can't do tons of fruit. Since I'm nursing, I can't do ultra-lowfat. I'm not juicing or dehydrating. I can't bring myself to ingest raw eggs or meat (although I could probably manage sushi!) I'm eating a lot of oranges and making a lot of green smoothies and raw chili and soups.

I'm doing well, I feel like I'm very slowly getting back to the kind of health I want. I did a lowfat/high carb diet for years and was happy with that, but then I was stressed about a move, and I got pregnant and started eating lots of sugar and I think that threw my system out of whack. I had gestational diabetes during that pregnancy and never felt like I recovered from the pregnancy (my third pregnancy, he's 8 years old now!) I haven't felt the same since then, I've been so lethargic and drained, and I'm trying to get my energy back.

My plan is to not be so strict about it that I can't include other foods if I feel like my body needs them. If I start craving salmon later, I'm going to have it (just in case my body may be signalling that it needs protein). I'm not adverse to supplementing, but I thought I'd wait to figure out whether I need to supplement. I want to start by trying three months all raw and then assess my next move after that. The site that I've been visiting for support is www.alissacohen.com - there are some other family-oriented people there, so I feel comfortable there.

[Soliloquy]

I third The Maker's Diet! It's written by Jordan Rubin, a Messianic Jew who's had an amazing journey in his path to wellness. It's inspiring and quite easy to follow. You can start on it gradually. There's some of us who are sharing tips, recipes, etc. in another thread.

God created the world to sustain us. He gave us food to eat. We need to eat the food He created for us, not the food that Kraft and friends makes, lol! Seriously, so much of the food you find in supermarkets is so far removed from they way God made it. I love the slogan for Wild Oats supermarket, "Food that remembers it's roots." How true!

[iplsmama]

I "fourth" the Maker's diet. I am reading it and following it as well right now. I am hoping to lose wt on it but it also is eating for your life kinda stuff. It's very simple to follow and has a lot of Nourishing Traditions stuff in it, probably half the recipes in the back are from her. I can't manage a lot of the diet stuff as it is very expensive to buy raw goat milk etc. but I am subbing real life stuff for me and my family and it is working well and I feel great.

[DogwoodMama]

:laughtears I just had to bump this thread, I just found it. I wish I had read Nourishing Traditions or Maker's Diet a year ago when it was recommended since that is where I've ended up! :O It's been an interesting "research" journey for me this past year. :grin

[Kailie]

I feel right where you are. I know I have the worst eating habits and I really need to do something about it but I just keep thinking about it. I really need to get my life in order right now, but it seems just too overwhelming! I have no idea where to start. I hope that you find something that works for you and please share when you do.

[tempus vernum]

:hug2 I felt like that too when I started using Nourishing Traditions/Maker's diet :giggle Now, we still do a lot of stuff but dairy free until we can return to raw milk product :heart

I am glad it's working for you!

[new generation]

I will umpteenth the Maker's Diet. I really like the common sense, biblical approach in the book. I also like the nourishing traditions approach (they are very similar). It makes sense to me that we should eat in a manner consistent with how people have eaten for millenia. I don't follow the book 100%, but use it as a guideline. We have access to pretty much unlimited raw dairy (milk, cream, butter, yogurt, kefir), so that's a staple in our diet. Same for pastured beef and eggs. Broths, some grains (mostly sourdough), and limited sweets also part of what we enjoy. We eat tons of fruits and veggies, as it's available locally or in our garden. It is more work to eat this way than using packaged stuff, but the benefits are definitely worth it!

I was (a very healthy, cook-from-scratch, limited sweets/junk/processed food) veg. for 8 years, thinking I was eating the best way possible. After problems following my third birth, I researched the maker's diet and NT, and decided that it was worth a good try. I've been following it now for almost 2 years with very good success. I don't know that I'll ever get out all the sugar in my diet, and I still love to eat my grains (properly prepared, of course!), but I feel SO MUCH better, it's hard to even compare! Plus, I see how well my children are doing on this diet (hate that word, as it's really more of a lifestyle!). I really think that it is a good approach to food.

HTH!

[Kailie]

Would someone tell me more about this Markers Diet??

[MamatoBiz]

Raw chili? Wow! How do you make it? That's one raw thing I've never come across.

[Maggie]

What does The Maker's Diet say about dairy? I have heard raw is best. I really think dairy is meant to be limited or occasional, though, not using milk as a daily beverage. I mean, cow's milk is intended to grow baby cows, KWIM?

[new generation]

Raw dairy (cow, goat, or sheep) is the only dairy you should consume. Raw milk has all the enzymes intact to make digestion easier. Raw milk has the friendly bacteria needed to prevent spoilage (it will sour, making it easier to digest). Raw milk has an abundance of healthy, useable, easily broken down fats. Traditionally, people consumed dairy in a cultured or fermented state (cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc.). Milk, cheese, curds are all mentioned in the Bible as healthy foods; when consumed in a proper manner, dairy is very healthful. Pasteurized, homogenized, low-fat dairy is extremely hard to digest, and should be avoided. As long as your body can tolerate it with no problems, there is no reason to avoid raw dairy. JMO.

[DogwoodMama]

:grin I guess I should fill in a bit more detail... in the end, I did decide to try raw milk. So now I can get raw milk from a local co-op, and I'm trying to join a raw cheese co-op. It's on my to-do list to start making yogurt, but right now I'm actually focusing on my bread-making skills (two-stage or sponge process.) :tu

[new generation]

That's cool! Yogurt is really easy, if you need help, I can tell you how I make it. I make it just about every week. I'm making sourdough, it's been my project of the summer. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it!

[cobluegirl]

maggie..it isn't just for baby cows....

newgenerations is correct in her above post...it is really good for you raw...

[tempus vernum]

maggie..it isn't just for baby cows....

newgenerations is correct in her above post...it is really good for you raw...


I have been thinking bout the baby cow thing off and on this summer :giggle Partially when I think that we no longer have milk for our animals cuz we don't do raw. We aren't actually the only species to drink another species milk. Animals traditionally have drank milk - dogs, cats, and I have heard wild animals do too! But my cat NEVER touched anything but raw. SHe would turn up her nose and ignore the bowl if it was pasturized :jawdrop It's kind of crazy to me but she knew somehow!