What type of diet do you follow and why?

[Shadow38]

Just curious what type of diet/intake you all use. Not trying to stir any pots, but I'm genuinely curious.

I'm pretty much just a general healthy eater. Try to avoid processed things and am trying avoiding wheat lately, just to see if I feel any differently.

What about you?

[merigayle]

Pretty much vegan. Vegetarian primarily for ethical/moral reasons, vegan for health reasons. We eat almost no packaged food, make most things from scratch.

[RioG]

I have no idea,  other than usually a high calorie one.  I've started using my fitness pal to rectify this and make better choices.  Though I will say I don't eat fast food or much processed stuff at all.

[Run Amok]

I bought this book in 2008 when it first came out. I gave it a quick try and then set it aside. In december of 2011, I picked up and gave it an earnest try. 35lbs, and over a year later, it's a great resource for me. http://www.amazon.com/The-Diet-Instincts-Weight---Off--Without/dp/076115874X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359396042&sr=8-1&keywords=instinct+diet

The basic principles are high fiber, limited calories, frequent small meals, and (during the losing phase) controlled/limited sweets/booze/refined carbs. In practice, it's eating LOTS of veggies, modest portions of low-calorie protein, and high quality fats.

[crazypants]

I eat when I'm hungry. I overeat/overindulge on occasion, but it's rare and keep a cap on the sugar, processed foods and carbs. I eat a shit ton of veggies and keep veggies and meats as the central pieces to my meals, as opposed to starches which I use mostly as beds.

[witchypoo]

i avoid hfcs.  and the foods to which i'm allergic.

i eat everything else.

[crazypants]

Oh and I forgot- I only eat food that is delicious.
If the food I'm eating tastes like shit- I immediately stop eating it.

[Ice Cream]

I do not avoid anything in particular.  I only eat what I like to eat, and that excludes a lot of high fat foods.  I naturally like what is often branded as healthy, I love veggies.  I do not particularly like red meat, but don't dislike it either. 

[Mom of Scooby]

I have no idea,  other than usually a high calorie one.  I've started using my fitness pal to rectify this and make better choices.  Though I will say I don't eat fast food or much processed stuff at all.

Hey. friend me on my fitness pal..

[The Turtle Whisperer]

I basically follow a heart healthy Mediterranean diet.  Except recently I'm not doing the exercise portion... 

[Natasha]

Just generally healthy.

Try to limit:
I limit caffeine to two cups a day.
Limit sugar as much as I can, none in coffee and very little in tea.
Minimize white foods.
2-3 alcoholic drinks per week.
Try to keep beef to under 3 servings per week.

Try to increase:
At least one fruit smoothie or big salad per day.
Eat some arugula from the garden every time I go outside.
Fruit or vegetables for snacks.
Eggs... they're easy protein.
Wild salmon, canned anchovies, tuna and oysters.
Beans.

I fix most of my own food. It's usually boring easy stuff but it's from scratch, and I try to do mostly healthy. All bets are off when I go out to eat, though.

[LizardMixture]

Well I realized that I really stink at eating veggies, so I bought a juicer. I am now increasing the amount of veggie/fruit juice and decreasing stuff like chocolate. I was trying to quit drinking coffee, mostly because it was bothering my stomach, but someone in the "if you drink coffee" thread mentioned cleaning the coffee maker with vinegar so I just had a cup for the first time in a couple of days.

I am in a rut with cooking. DH and i are pretty tired of the usual suspects and I can't seem to come up with anything better. I need inspiration. Also there are not many restaurants around us, mostly just fast food. 

[witchypoo]

lm,
go to the supermarket and buy something you have never tried/cooked before.  just 1 thing.  look for an appetizing recipe online.  prepare/eat.

do that once a week.

[LizardMixture]

lm,
go to the supermarket and buy something you have never tried/cooked before.  just 1 thing.  look for an appetizing recipe online.  prepare/eat.

do that once a week.

That sounds like fun, but DH doesn't usually like new stuff. Yup it makes it hard to be sick of same old stuff and not want to try new stuff. Sigh. I still hear about the great parsnip debacle of 2010.

[Run Amok]

Sometimes I will plug an ingredient into epicurious or myrecipes.com and just browse what comes up. Lots of good inspiration that way, without having to try an unknown. Also, cooking magazines can be a good source of inspiration. My local library carries them, so if DD is there for some reason I'll flip through them there and then look the recipe up when I get home.

[merigayle]

That sounds like fun, but DH doesn't usually like new stuff. Yup it makes it hard to be sick of same old stuff and not want to try new stuff. Sigh. I still hear about the great parsnip debacle of 2010.

meh, you are too nice. DH eats what i makes or fends for himself. I am not running a diner.

[radial]

I guess you could call my eating habits paleoesque in the sense that I get most of my calories from meat and non-starchy vegetables.  I stay pretty far away from starchy stuff, sugary stuff, and the bad fats, but don't get too concerned about little lapses in those areas.  The only thing I'm really strict about is avoiding everthing with gluten in it. 

I drink more wine than the average caveman, and eat some beans here and there, so you couldn't really call my diet paleo.  All the same, I'm pretty happy with the general pattern of my eating.  When I want to lose weight, I just eat less food and crank up the exercise rather than messing around with the basic formula.  It seems to work okay. 

[Shadow38]

I guess you could call my eating habits paleoesque in the sense that I get most of my calories from meat and non-starchy vegetables.  I stay pretty far away from starchy stuff, sugary stuff, and the bad fats, but don't get too concerned about little lapses in those areas.  The only thing I'm really strict about is avoiding everthing with gluten in it. 

I drink more wine than the average caveman, and eat some beans here and there, so you couldn't really call my diet paleo.  All the same, I'm pretty happy with the general pattern of my eating.  When I want to lose weight, I just eat less food and crank up the exercise rather than messing around with the basic formula.  It seems to work okay. 

Interesting. My diet is evolving closely to yours, minus the wine. I do drink occasionally though (once a month or so). I will also eat a regular potato occasionally or a Clif Bar or Lara Bar. I've pretty much cut out wheat and now I'm eliminating dairy to see if that does anything as I've been having some issues with inflammation.

[Ice Cream]

lm,
go to the supermarket and buy something you have never tried/cooked before.  just 1 thing.  look for an appetizing recipe online.  prepare/eat.

do that once a week.

I do this when I go to the Asian supermarket.  Usually a new vegetable or so. I posted this here recently, and I was surprised at the number of people who would not buy an unknown...  How can you get to know new things if you are not willing to buy anything you never had before?

[merigayle]

I do this when I go to the Asian supermarket.  Usually a new vegetable or so. I posted this here recently, and I was surprised at the number of people who would not buy an unknown...  How can you get to know new things if you are not willing to buy anything you never had before?

about 5 years ago i made an effort to try every vegetable at Wegmans. I think I got thru them all. Most were fine, only a couple i did not like. Some i was neutral about (celery root, kohlrabi).

[diablita]

I  kohlrabi, one of my favorite vegetables.  We just wash, slice and crunch.

[Magic Microbe]

I  kohlrabi, one of my favorite vegetables.  We just wash, slice and crunch.

I agree!

[radial]

What do you do with a big fat Fennel bulb?

[Magic Microbe]

What do you do with a big fat Fennel bulb?

Throw it away. Yuck!

[diablita]

Throw it away. Yuck!

agree

[Ice Cream]

What do you do with a big fat Fennel bulb?

That is probably the only vegetable I do not care for.

[teetime]

What do you do with a big fat Fennel bulb?

Slice very thin and dress with olive oil salt pepper orange zest and some balsamic. Add thin slices of orange and avocado and serve as is or over greens.

Or roast if you do not like the licorice flavor.

[Ice Cream]

Slice very thin and dress with olive oil salt pepper orange zest and some balsamic. Add thin slices of orange and avocado and serve as is or over greens.

Or roast if you do not like the licorice flavor.

What's the point of getting rid of a vegetable's most distinctive feature?

[merigayle]

That is probably the only vegetable I do not care for.

agreed! it is probably #1 least favorite, then burdock.

[Ice Cream]

agreed! it is probably #1 least favorite, then burdock.

Never had burdock.  I will google image and web.

[witchypoo]

What's the point of getting rid of a vegetable's most distinctive feature?

i like raw fennel only in certain recipes; my husband will only eat it if it is roasted within an inch of its life.

so, we roast.

[teetime]

What's the point of getting rid of a vegetable's most distinctive feature?

What are you talking about, what's the point? Why eat beets raw sometimes and cooked others? Because food is interesting and different cooking techniques bring out one flavor profile over another and variety is the spice of life and all that. 

[radial]

What are you talking about, what's the point? Why eat beets raw sometimes and cooked others? Because food is interesting and different cooking techniques bring out one flavor profile over another and variety is the spice of life and all that.

Also, sometimes, the most distinctive feature of a food is the very one you want to tone down a bit.  Jalapeno poppers go from scorching in the raw state to pleasantly piquant when you cook them a bit. 

[Alf Tupper]

Never had burdock.  I will google image and web.

We used to get dandelion and burdock as a drink when I was a kid. It was nice. I might try and make it myself.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/598356

[merigayle]

We used to get dandelion and burdock as a drink when I was a kid. It was nice. I might try and make it myself.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/598356

[witchypoo]

We used to get dandelion and burdock as a drink when I was a kid. It was nice. I might try and make it myself.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/598356

that seems like it would taste very nice.

[Courtney]

I do this when I go to the Asian supermarket.  Usually a new vegetable or so. I posted this here recently, and I was surprised at the number of people who would not buy an unknown...  How can you get to know new things if you are not willing to buy anything you never had before?

I'm cheap.  I hate buying something I'm not sure what to do with, because truth be told, I will never end up doing anything with it then. 

[triciaflower]

I feel best when I'm following the blood type diet. It's definitely not for everyone. I know many people poopoo it as being malarky. But it works for me. Not necessarily as a weight loss tool, but it just makes me feel better all around. I feel like my mood, hormones, everything is just stabilized. Could it be the "no wheat" part of it? Maybe.

But I notice a huge difference for me. There. It's out there. Judge me.

[rocketgirl]

What do you do with a big fat Fennel bulb?

I'm sure it's been eaten or gone bad already....

I've had a pizza that had fennel sausage on it, so I'm sure you could use some with some other kind of sausage. 

I've had a tarragon chicken salad that was interesting, so maybe you can do something similar with fennel since both have that licorice kind of taste.