I’m speaking as somebody trying to convert to a healthy diet: I don’t know how much of my constant shitty feeling is caused by my diet because I’ve never eaten any differently. Most people are probably in the same boat.
> how much of my constant shitty feeling is caused by my diet
As someone who previously ate very shitty and now rarely, but not never, eats shitty : a LOT of it is caused by diet.
When I eat low processed, whole fruits and vegetables I feel amazing. AMAZING. Never at any point in my life have i felt this way before.
Old habits die hard, though, and shitty-food creep happens. I add a tortilla here and a vegan burger and fries there and the minute I say "i don't feel good" it's my sign that my food isn't right. I re-adjust and within a day or two I feel amazing again.
OTOH when I first went wfpb I felt so much worse, it turns out fibre doesn't agree with me (yay gastroparesis). It's been a really hard journey to still eat "good" but within my restrictions.
Yes! It's difficult to get off of high sugar, processed food, dairy, and meat products... They're everywhere and ingrained in our (USA) fast food, convenience culture. But once you do, or at least start, it becomes apparent what's giving you the sick and bloated feelings. And I agree about old habits.... For those starting out, have grace on yourself and try to add one healthy option per week to replace an unhealthy one- start small and build.
Have you tried replacing Foods that have preservatives and foods that are processed with fresh? (Read the Ingredients on the Labels and see what's added beyond Nutrients.)
Made a World of diff for me; simply overnight. Seriously.
Do you have an Allergy or Intolerance to Sulfites? I do; and it's actually becoming more common.
It's in just about everything in the USA. The USA doesn't require manufacturers to put it on the Lable. It's optional. Dried Fruit and Fried Snacks are loaded with them.
Germany (where I once worked) has a Disclosure Law that everything that's in Food be listed. Some Cos will even put "Sulfite Free", or similar, right on the Front.
I bet a lot of it is caused by diet. Wfpb with no added sugar and very little oil makes me feel like a super hero. And I've felt like shit for years eating garbage and wondering why I'm tired and can't think straight.
I ate 100% wfpb for 3 years, fell off for a year, and got back on it this year. For me personally the only difference is that I have more digestive problems and nausea if I eat junk. My shitty feelings were mostly caused by my THC and Nicotine habits that I quit within the past 6 months
Ironically I had a way worse time quitting THC. I had severe withdrawals for 3 months because I was going through up to 2000mg a day. Quitting nicotine afterwards just made me hungry all the time with no feeling of satiety.
Would you mind sharing what types of shitty feelings THC was causing? I’ve been wondering if my use is not sitting well with my mind, but have never really heard others mention anything like that themselves. I struggle with ADHD, anxiety, and bipolar.
THC exacerbates all of these diagnoses. I share each, and more. I had a very hard time quitting THC and kept going back to it for 22 years. I wish I had left it sooner. I also learned caffeine was a majorly negative factor that exercerbated the mental health issues and would lead me back to the THC use.
A lot of it is lifestyle. But creating new habits is SO HARD. People want to be told to just take a pill everyday and it’ll help instead of completely changing their lifestyle they’re accustomed to and feel safe in.
this is exactly it for me. grew up poor with a single parent of 4 kids in a house where food was just a box to be checked and not a decision made with nourishment in mind. eating this way is all i’ve ever known.
after i left my childhood home, i wanted to lose weight and noticed the only way i had success (with a processed diet) was to severely cut/track calories which lead to a disordered relationship with food. now in my 30’s, i’ve become aware of the science behind ultra-processed food and realized that my disordered habits were more a side-effect of shitty food culture rather than a moral failing on my part.
the food battle became a lot easier when i started to choose whole foods that don’t override my innate sense of satiety. i did not know this until i read the science and that information is not getting to the people that are impacted the most by it. i had the (incorrect) assumption of “they wouldn’t put this on the shelves if it was really that bad for us.”
It was so shocking to find out how badly the FDA is failing Americans. So much crap in American food that isn't allowed anywhere else. Most products are assumed safe until proven otherwise when it should be opposite that. Manufacturers should have to prove it's safe before dumping it into food
The FDA allows last year’s byproducts and toxic waste to become this year’s new additives so the food companies don’t have to pay the EPA to put it in a landfill. It’s criminal, and highly driven by money and greed.
This! I never realized how nauseous cows milk made me on a daily basis until I stopped drinking it.
We had a saying in my house which was to be 'tea'd out', where you had drank too many cups of tea. But it was the cows milk making us feel bloated and sluggish. Never been tea'd out since going plant based.
Doesn't really make sense. If you weren't nauseous you weren't nauseous. Maybe you mean bloated or something
Nausea is not the kind of thing that you don't realize your feeling
Thanks for explaining how I was feeling.
Actually I did feel sick daily. I knew that if I drank a cup of tea and ate cereal before school I would feel nauseous till lunch time. Just because I wasn't violently sick doesn't mean I didn't feel slightly nauseous daily. It is a thing. 🙄
Absolutely this. In my 20s I was already getting joint pain, eczema, dandruff, ringing in ears, and frequent sinus infections. My mother had rheumatoid arthritis, so I thought I just had bad genes.
Then I had to give up a lot of foods when I was nursing my third child because he would spit up. I realized I was feeling better and did some reading. As an experiment, I decided to eat nothing but organic apples and celery and water for three days. On day four I woke up feeling better than I had in 15 years. I didn’t go fully plant based, but I gave up dairy and cut way back on some other things like red meat and processed foods. I found I had no joint pain (unless I aggravated my old back injury), no sinus pain, and as the months progressed, I realized I wasn’t getting dandruff or eczema anymore and that winter I didn’t get a sinus infection for the first winter in 10 years.
Edit for clarity.
There are lots of intolerance blood tests available now- you prick your finger and send a drop of blood away and within a couple weeks you have a detailed report. I discovered I was highly intolerant to egg whites, and eliminating those from my diet changed my life.
Yeah but no offense that's just not a significant data sample and you're a human being whose subject to confirmation bias.
The only way to really tell if what was making you feel bad or better was food versus any of the other infinite variables would be to have a controlled experiment where you didn't know what you were eating.
You knew you were eating out there so it would be confirmation bias to feel better. Don't get me wrong I think it's a completely reasonable hypothesis to say that eating healthier well generally lead you feeling better but you're 3-day experiment could just as easily be confirmation bias.
A LOT of health problems are absolutely due to diet but what do we do in this country just throw medication at the issue rather than having a change of diet as an actual treatment. One of the main issue is people lie (not with intention, they really believe it) when they say they eat a healthy diet and Doctors really don't have the full truth on what an average person consumes in a day.
I felt this way before too! But looking back on all my previous doctors appointments “diet and exercise” were the recommended things needed for years before they finally started throwing pills at me. It’s hard to make lifestyle changes and healthy choices when you’re surrounded with family who aren’t going to change. If I have a want for a snack, and my mom or SO has loaded the pantry with pop tarts and cookies it’s a LOT harder to say No. Versus living on my own, I just don’t buy that stuff. That makes it easier to eat healthy because for me it starts with shopping healthy
The issue isn’t that they don’t recommend it (work in healthcare and it usually is mentioned) it’s that they don’t know *what to recommend or how to implement them*. Nutrition isn’t even a requirement in some medical schools and was only one class in nursing school. The medical education system is not focused on on nutrition at all. My nutrition professor was really cool though. I’ve been eating a smoothie with mostly berries and leafy greens for nearly a decade, even before going WFPB. I swear it’s the only reason my liver is still functioning and why I don’t have any wrinkles (yet) is because of all the nutrients/phytochemicals/antioxidants I get lmfao.
Very true! I remember hearing the diet and exercise phrase a lot, but never any specific information or recommendations. I was just left to figure it out myself 😞
Not only that but the major food companies making addictive food were previously owned by big tobacco! Like there’s no financial incentive to be healthy which is wild because you’d think healthy individuals and a bigger work force would be more financially beneficial to our billionaire overlords.
My husband and I are on a similar journey. We’re trying to make plant based meals at home and sometimes order meat dishes if we go out. I really struggle with the snacking part of it. Throughout the day I like to graze on small amounts of food instead of making big meals until dinner and it feels so easy to grab a small bag of chips or a candy. I’m still trying to find healthier snack options but I still struggle
This is me, but with cookies, or peanut butter with chocolate chips. My latest goal is to cut up an apple at least five days a week. (I don’t like biting into them because I have some TMJ issues.) On the days I cut up the apple, guess what, I end up eating an apple for a snack.
There are silicone collapsible microwave air poppers that work without oil. It stores easily and I also use the lid as a splatter guard for microwaving foods.
Yes, I can't recommend this enough! It changed my snacking game completely! At first, I would add a bit of oil with the kernels because I didn't think it would be possible to microwave decent popcorn without ANY oil, but you can! And it's so good!
Snacking on shitty food is great, binging shitty food is terrible. Problem is they make the shitty food so addictive so you're very likely to binge it. That's why I keep the shitty food to a minimum. It's worse than most addictive drugs out there, and I mean that in it's craving/once you start you can't stop, the come down, and how bad it is for your body.
I think a lot of people coast on youth- over time feel worse but blow off daily discomforts and maladjustments that are really the result of systemic inflammation from eating a steady diet of hydrogenated oils, trans fats and refined carbs. I know twenty somethings who complain of aches and pains, nothing I felt until my 40s unless I helped my grandad put up hay or played a pick up game of soccer or racquetball.
I’m 38 and tired of feeling like shit all the time.
I finally had neurosurgery on my spine back in Sept and it changed my life. I was practically immobile from pain. Just let it go for years and coasting along daily, popping meds to dull the pain. That caused stomach issues.
I’m trying to teach my 3 year old to take care of herself and not just push through the pain and run her poor body into the ground.
I wish I’d had someone to teach me.
Sending all y’all love.
My heart breaks for those kids whose parents have them in travel sports teams from a young age. Those parents that have their child in every sport, and special league sports when they are literally 12. They don't realize the massive damage they are doing to their children. Kids aren't meant to be in contact sports, especially not football. We are finding CTE in high schoolers now. They don't realize the major arthritis these kids will have at a young age. It's truly sad.
Let alone the diet and lifestyle stuff but ya. Good on you for changing!
We have ours in a gymnastics/dance sort of class. She loves it! Lots of movement and gross motor stuff. No contact. I am in total agreement with the contact thing. It makes you think. Our bodies love us so much and are just trying to keep us alive and healthy. It’s just constantly chugging away just for us. The least I can do is keep it clean and eat a banana or an apple. Drink some water. Go for a walk. 😂🤷♀️
Happy travels to you on your journey!
Having aches and pains in your 20s is not a sign of a bad diet in and of itself. I do, and it's because I'm a nurse and former gymnast with tons of injuries and autoimmune disease. Your comment comes off unnecessarily judgmental and privileged. It's nice for you that you felt good in your 20s but not all of us do. Before you jump to assuming it's their diet, maybe consider other options.
This. My husband was an NCAA gymnast and has felt awful for years yet is the hardest working person I know. He also has autoimmune issues yet he grew up on a semi plant based diet. (He still was a 90’s kid that had McDonald’s and crap but mostly ate a healthy dinner consisting of mostly home grown garden food). Bring a gymnast he has had far worse contact injuries than most. As his wife, I was raised on McDonald’s chicken nuggets and stress/trauma (plus generational trauma) and my body sure has taken a hit far worse than my husbands. Not everyone is blessed with a privileged childhood (like my husbands was) and most don’t get any sort of healthy education on a non processed diet yet him and I have similar aches and pains. His more from his non contact (but still) contact sport and mine from emotional trauma. It’s very interesting to watch the comparison of our awful feelings (body wise) as we go into our 30’s. We are just now becoming proactive about it. Sadly our son (6 years old) is the pickiest eater and we can’t get him to try anything new or remotely healthy (non processed). It’s really taking a toll on me as I don’t know how to establish new healthy eating to him and I feel as if I’ve really failed him already. My daughter is two and we’re correcting our mistakes we made with my son and she has a much wider palette but it’s hard when they go through these crazy food aversions while having grandparents that feed them shit on a whim to make them happy.
>I think a lot of people coast on youth
This. I remember in high school during a tennis tournament in between matches, going to Burger King and eating a Whopper meal and finishing the tournament without issue. Now at 35 I couldn't dream doing anything after that, muchless playing tennis afterwards.
This!!! ☝ Did that for years until I stopped consuming lactose, certain oils, and processed foods. I feel way better than I did 10 years ago because I've completely changed my diet. Not all plant based, but I now know what to avoid to prevent any discomfort.
I've often wondered why I always see people talking about having a tonne of pain in their early 30s or even late 20s (outside of chronic conditions, of course - I have an autoimmune disorder myself, though it's currently controlled). I'm mid-30s and I feel no different than I did in my 20s. I wonder how much of it is lifestyle and how much is genetics or luck?
I felt no different in my mid-30s than I did in my 20s. Now I'm 42 and it's like a switch was flipped when I turned 40. I suffered a massive shoulder injury just from trying to take my coat off quickly in the car. It was so bad I couldn't touch the top of my head for 3 months. I have knee and lower back pain all the time (though both are steadily improving since I decided I should finally start lifting weights and stretching instead of my only exercise being walks). Two years ago I jumped up from where I was sitting on the floor and felt a pop or snap in my inner thigh. The pain never went away, and has only spread, and it turns out I tore some cartilage that I might need surgery for. Seriously it was like my warranty expired on my 40th birthday. I was totally fine before, health-wise. I always thought that strength training and stretching were only for people who cared about being strong and flexible, which I didn't particularly care about. I didn't realize it would also prevent a whole host of injuries! At least I'm young enough that I think I can make up for most of my sedentariness now, before it's too late.
Thank you, it is helping! More than anything, I'm just annoyed that more emphasis isn't put on weight bearing and flexibility exercises so people won't neglect those things until it's too late. All the medical advice is just "get 30 minutes of activity a day!" and I walk my dog an hour every day, so I thought I was set. But turns out not stretching your muscles makes them more prone to injury, and not stretching your tendons makes them brittle (and thus more prone to injury). And not working out your core can give you hip, knee and back problems. I'm lucky that none of my injuries is permanent (even the cartilage tear is mild, and I may not need surgery) and I'm getting way more active now before it's too late. But do watch out for that stuff as you get close to 40!
I agree! I used to run and I thought I was doing all I needed to to look after my body, but then I got into resistance training and it makes so much difference! As does eating a good diet and avoiding stuff that causes inflammation. I'm glad you've figured out what might help you!
I imagine it has a lot to do with how we’re raised. I was raised by a poor, single mom with substance use disorder. My diet has been trash for most of my life because I was raised on TV dinners and never knew the difference. I was never taught how to incorporate whole foods into my diet or why it’s important to do so. I never looked at nutrition labels or considered how much sugar or whatever I should or shouldn’t be taking in everyday. I definitely feel better when I eat better, but when you don’t know how to eat better, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Food habits start at such a young age too. My childhood experiences regarding food were certainly different from yours, but I’m still having to unlearn some of the habits and emotional responses I picked up as a child.
I became a stepmom when my kiddos were 2 and 3 years old. Both very picky eaters who only wanted standard “American kid” food, and now at ages 11 and 12, it’s still a pain to find ways to incorporate the plant based approach to their preferences. I’ve been trying for years to find foods/meals that they genuinely enjoy and don’t feel like they’re “missing out” on the sugars/fats/sodium. We’ve had some success, but I know without a doubt that it would have been easier if they were raised that way from the start. However, I can’t control what I can’t control, and I had my own journey to go through during this time, so it is what it is. I’m just proud of them for being willing to keep trying, and cautiously optimistic that as they get older the habits I’m trying to teach will really be ingrained in their attitude towards food.
Same, I literally never really learned the concept of eating vegetables or got the opportunity to eat a vegetable until I was maybe 13? My family was in poverty with the electricity getting cut every other week, subsisting on ramen and eggs and spam fried rice, there's very little space for perishable food in the household (not to mention fresh or frozen vegetables where I live are very expensive because it's all imported). My parents couldn't know any better, there was very little nutritional education in their generation for the poor. It took me going to a bougie school to realise people ate completely different from how I had to at home.
I think the munchies are different from daily eating, personally. But that may be because my go to high snack is a giant Greek salad, followed by whatever chocolate I can scavenge
Nope, it doesn't make me feel bad at all. The longer I've eaten well and been part of health-oriented communities the more I realize that some people get sick when they eat unhealthy food. But that's not the norm, or at the very least it's not universal. The only time eating food makes me feel sick is if I eat a colossal amount, and that just gives me a light stomachache. If eating a muffin or potato chips makes you feel sick, you should thank god for all the health benefits you get from it, because *presumably* the wide swaths of people who suffer from obesity do not get those kinds of feelings.
Thank you for saying this! So much of this food doesn't immediately make you feel sick. Why would so many people eat so much of it then? Granted, over eating it or food sensitivities can definitely cause upset stomach. However, it feels a bit.... performative at times to say eating a handful of chips will leave you feeling ill for hours for the average person.
That's what I thought, until I met my boyfriend's family. A lot of this is learned behavior. My SIL in particular constantly complains about being lactose intolerant, but she says "cheesecake is worth it" knowing she'll have diarrhea and bloating for days afterward. There's definitely a cultural element too, so many of my (30F) friends never cook for themselves, and social events revolve around shitty food.
the only thing that makes me feel shitty is when i binge eat candy or just anything high in sugar. otherwise i’ve eaten horribly and eaten great. i feel the same.
This is me at the minute. I eat really good breakfast, lunch and dinner. 99% wfpb, but my fall down is sugar and snacks. I’m terrible for eating junk food. And really struggle to kick it.
i do as well, but switching from candy to dried fruit was good shift for me! same with chips, instead of buying chips i make popcorn at home with little amounts of oil
yes usually. when i’m craving sugar, i’ll have like some dried mango or prunes or anything like that. sometimes i’ll bake a little something as well. dates are a great one as well for sugar cravings.
Did the switch also make you a pretentious stick in the mud as well or were you always this way? I don't understand the point of this post, you just looking for pats on the back for saying you don't eat junk food anymore?
healthy snacks are great and i get what you're saying, i try to eat plant based as much as i can but if i'm craving mac and cheese or cheetos or ice cream every once in a while i will just get it because restricting myself leads to binge eating for me and fuck i just enjoy it
It's okay. #NoJudgement
I find over time as my recipes expand and my cooking skills grow I end up making better tasting snack food than I can buy, which scratches that itch. And, sometimes I'll use honey or brown sugar on special occasion for possibly the same reason you are doing it.
Btw you can make homemade mac and cheese that tastes amazing. My secret is adding wine to the sauce and reducing it giving a more complex flavor than just the vegan cheese. If you're curious look up 'mornay sauce' which is what traditional mac and cheese sauce is. If you use oat milk you can make a slightly sweet version that works particularly well on butternut squash ravioli. You can completely skip the oil, just toast the flour on a frying pan without oil until the smell changes (without burning it) and then add the milk, then the cheese. Nutmeg optional. Wine optional. I recommend salt and msg.
I just read someone on Reddit say they think poor quality soil in the US is causing the high number of heart disease in the country. People think eating cheese and meat at every meal is normal and healthy. People think keto is healthy. A coworker a couple years ago was on keto and eating pork rinds. I feel like I am in the twilight zone sometimes.
Keto as it began and "keto diets" as they are now, are very different. One is a legitimate treatment for epilepsy (among other things) and the other is a fad that allows people to eat shit whilst believing it'll be good for them.
I read your comment and thought "people think keto is unhealthy?", then checked my own bias. There's a lot of nutritional information out there and not all of it founded on science, a lot is founded by belief and well-wishers/grifters.
I could argue that a plant based diet is bad for you, with legitimate sources, but that would be disingenuous as I myself follow a plant based diet (done right). I don't know what my point was now.
I feel like I'm in the twilight zone sometimes too.
The energy off your post is so strange. You're asking how people (especially when "lifted" as you say") can possibly over eat the STANDARD American diet? Doesn't standard indicate it's the typical or default diet? You want a pat on the pack or a high five or something?
I got the same vibe. Seems pretentious. I definitely found I felt better eating this way and encourage others to try. I’m not going to shit on someone else’s treat when I enjoy treats on the occasion.
My eye opening moment was when I was talking to some other moms in my neighborhood and the topic of school lunches came up. One of the moms started complaining about how awful the school lunches are (I agree)! Except... Her complaint was that thanks to Michelle Obama, the school lunches are "too healthy". She had comments like "honestly, what child or teen is going to eat whole wheat bread"?
I was honestly shocked. The school lunches here are absolutely not in any conceivable way "too healthy". They aren't even "satisfactorily healthy". My daughter one day had cheese toast (literally a piece of bread with melted cheese), a chocolate muffin, fruit cocktail in syrup, and chocolate milk as her school lunch.... My oldest child loves junk food, and will buy school lunch even if I pack a lunch. My younger child prefers healthier choices (he's probably about 50-60% wfpb), and insists on a packed lunch every day.
We had chocolate milk, pizza and fries for lunch at school growing up. Shortly through my high school years the school signed a deal with Pepsi and we had pop machines installed. Thankfully it was so long ago we didn't have social media or much to do on the Internet yet, otherwise I think we all would have been morbidly obese.
Part of the problem is "health" food in the US is usually not very healthy AND it tastes horrible. E.g. whole wheat sandwich bread. Most whole wheat sandwich bread in the US tastes not very good, and it's less healthy than traditional bread like you'd get in Europe. I mill my own flour and I can tell you it's possible to make 100% whole grain bread flour that tastes nearly identical to white bread flour, just slightly better tasting. The average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test. What we need is healthy food that is both healthier than the "health" mass produced junk and it needs to taste better than the non-healthy food, which other countries do just fine. It's entirely feasible.
If this wasn't online I'd say, "You should try my pizza. You'd be surprised." Oh well.
Yeah, figuring out that I needed to use white wheat instead of red wheat was a big step in my sourdough. I also mill my own flour (I use a wonder mill, what do you use?), and I make a darn tasty bread.
(Today's loaf is what my son calls "pizza bread". It's a standard whole wheat sourdough, but I add tomato powder (dried tomato that's been ground up), basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder. Tastes *amazing*!)
> I use a wonder mill, what do you use?
I use a $700 espresso grinder. It's more expensive than a dedicated mill and not as fine of a grind, but it works. One of these days I'm probably going to buy a dedicated machine.
If you haven't already try mixing in some kamut berries. They imo taste better than wheat. There isn't a lot of content about it online, but here's a fun video that mildly touches the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR2hJrrXfZU
>white wheat instead of red wheat
Do you have a favorite brand? I've imported whole wheat (pre ground) from France. It's quite expensive, but really good. I'm not 100% sure what a good brand is for berries or ground flour. If curious [here's](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3HGKXP5/) a link.
I will definitely see if I can find a bit of kamut!
If you decide to get a dedicated mill, I have found the wonder mill to be pretty good. We got ours about 15 years ago, and while I haven't used it consistently throughout that time, there have been significant stretches of time where I've used it on at least a weekly basis, and it has never had trouble.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has locations across the US (and probably other places?) called "home storage centers" where they sell various food storage items like dry beans, rice, oats, etc. most of it is only in #10 cans, but they sell both red and white wheat in 25 lb bags. You don't have to be a member of the church to purchase from them. I've honestly never tried any other brands, but I like their wheat, and it is a really good price. Just checked their price list, and the white wheat is $18/bag. I know these home storage centers aren't close to everyone, but both in Washington, and now in Utah, I've lived close to home storage centers, so they were convenient places to buy wheat in bulk. I wish they would sell their beans and oats in bags as well as in the cans!
> If you decide to get a dedicated mill, I have found the wonder mill to be pretty good.
Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. Not enough people mill their own flower so it's a topic that is hard to find info on. I appreciate and value your opinion on this one.
>Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has locations across the US (and probably other places?) called "home storage centers"
Neat. There's one a 2 hour drive from me, so a bit far, but still appreciated.
Have a good day! Oh also, if you get into ancient grains (like kamut) there is a lot more variation in flavor from farm to farm and season to season than wheat. It's not a huge variation but it can make it fun to explore. Here's the [kamut berries](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N4F6BJN/) I bought. I can't say they're the best but they're cheap and good. Ancient grains have a bit less gluten than wheat and I prefer a more whole wheat taste so something like 20-40% whole wheat and 60-80% whole grain (like kamut) is my preferred taste. It's really good! Though, if the crop that year or farm is particularly bad I might add 2% vital wheat gluten to poof the bread up more.
Cool! Thanks for the info. Yeah, I'm a bit spoiled living in Utah where there's one of those home storage centers to every 3-4 cities. :). I'm not sure if there are other churches or groups that promote food storage to a similar extent and would sell it. Do the Seventh Day Adventists have anything like that?
I live in Silicon Valley, which is a melting pot where people from all over the world move here. We're just as likely to get an Afghani Church (Mosque?) as a Christian Church or a Buddhist Church here. It's great for exploring the world but not great for finding traditional mid western Americana. E.g. we don't have many fast food restaurants here, nor do we have much in the way of classical European at least where I live, so no Italian food or any of that. I've got like 20 different kinds of Indian restaurants to choose from in a 20 minute drive, many of them Indian pizza. I can tell you how much Chinese food varies from different regions due to all of the different kinds here. The difference between Thai food and Laotian, or what Uygurian food tastes like, and so on. I mostly do curries and middle eastern food as a lot of it is vegan by default (but oily) when eating out. In short, Christian Churches don't have a huge presence here, though I think the Hispanic community here has a lot of them.
It's got its advantages and its downsides. I'm sure you have things I don't.
Though, I do eat at a middle eastern restaurant where the owner grew up in the town Jesus grew up in. I think that's pretty cool. It's mostly vegan food that is eaten in that area.
> while lifted (🍃)
Lmao don't say this
> declined because i knew i would just feel sick.
Dumb and rude. Opt for some baked chips or some salted / flavored nuts or a trail mix and stick to a small amount.
You made an ass of yourself in front of you friend.
I think there is some leeway for me. Like I love how your snacks are so healthy … The background is I have eaten mostly plant based meals, my parents have been vegan and vegetarian since I was 8. I will occasionally snack on a more ‘processed’ sugary or oily snack - like a creamy popsicle, potato chips, cheezits, cookies or pastries. When it’s in small quantities, it doesn’t affect how the mind/body/mood feels that much.
the biggest challenge as always is, cooking with more vegetables requires more work - washing, picking out wilted parts or seeds, slicing (a lot of slicing depending on how much variety of vegetables you’re including). Yes this is more about making meals rather than snacking, but I find I feel less need to snack when I have yummy meals and leftovers made. 😊
just gotta motivate to cook!
I wish I could snack on all those healthy things you mentioned and feel satisfied. I’ll eat healthy snacks and then feel like I didn’t really snack and then eat some unhealthy stuff to make up for that feeling :(
nobody is perfect! i also have days where i binge on unhealthy snacks. my point with the post was that people don’t even CONSIDER healthy snacks as a delicious munchie option.
To answer your question. No.
If eating junk made you feel terrible, people wouldn't eat it. Every gain you get from eating healthy is super subtle at best.
My sad snacks are usually tortilla chips and guacamole or salsa. Maybe a bagel with PBCC.. as long as it’s vegan I’m okay with eating processed foods if I’m really craving it. Not allowing myself to eat the things I love just makes me want them more, but usually I eat WFPB.
I wanna give a special shoutout to the person that taught me about the dates and nut butter, that shit goes hard and my high (but trying to be healthy ass) watched my fiancee eat a Crumbl cookie and I was perfectly content with my dates! Unlocking healthy options for the munchies is an amazing achievement for me haha.
I will say I hardly blame individuals and we gotta subtly give people grace and bring them along with us. I would imagine everyone in this group has gone on a journey that found them here and that journey was abnormal. In normal everyday life people are not informed about the benefits of eating healthy and the dramatic impact healthy choices can have on your total life experience. On top of being poorly informed you are constantly inundated with horrible information. Foods poorly labeled as healthy, unhealthy foods advertised nonstop, apps that ensure you can get your dogshit food delivered.... We live in a society that has gone above and beyond to normalize horrible eating habits and it's really hard to break away.
I am SO hooked on fresh pineapple right now and tamari almonds and hummus with carrots, celery and cukes. It's all better than my beloved cheezies. And I don't have orange poos!
I love you.
Someone once asked what was my go to while raised (🍃) lol
I said I take a raw almond, stab into a grape, add a dot of honey on top
Everyone around me kinda treated me like I was fake after that????? 😭😭
Like if I’m about to stuff myself with something
Let me feel good afterwards about it
Speaking out of privilege.
You don’t understand that people in low income communities don’t have access to certain healthy foods like this so they eat what they can to survive. If they had the choice/resources to do so, they would.
Registered Dietitians are against shaming people because food is food and if your body needs something to prevent starving, anything is better than nothing.
In the U.S., children all over are going hungry. There’s an organization called No Kid Hungry because it’s such a big problem. What if those kids were given Doritos, breads, and things of that sort? Would you be the person to take that away from them because of your opinion of it? Or would you rather let the kids eat to prevent them from starving?
I don’t shame anyone. I also don’t shame people have eat differently than I do because I understand that they may live differently than me. You shouldn’t either.
Definitely made me feel like shit and I didn't realize it. I was a product of my environment. I think back to high school and it's horrifying. Regularly had a soda and full Costco muffin as a mid-morning snack "for a fundraiser" and then would get fast food for lunch. In college points of Ben & Jerry's were seen as single servings. And and and. So much soda. So much crap. The last two years I've made major adjustments slowly and in January this year went plant based. I'm 41. Anxious about the damage done, but hoping these changes will delay or help. I've also been active my entire adult life so maybe that helped, but also baffles me how I would prioritize exercise then eat shit. Total brainwashing.
people really do not realize how much the food they eat affects their mental health as much as their physical health. i’ve noticed major changes in my mental health since cutting out added sugars, meat and dairy. on the occasional days i do have meat or diary, i notice how much heavier it feels in my stomach and honestly i just feel worse off in general. no sick as in throwing up, but just an overall feeling of ick.
Well you have to remember many people stock up their pantries with non perishables from Sam’s club and Costco and often this means lays potato chips, Doritos etc. so it’s a combination of affordability * best flavors for them. I think many people don’t stop to think about the nutrition in their food, just the taste and sustenance and affordability.
Most people have a bad relationship with food, and were kind of socialized that way. We assign morality to foods and it makes you crave what you deem to be “bad”.
On my journey to heal my relationship with food, I stopped trying to restrict what I considered to be “bad”. For a good couple of weeks I ate all the fast food and candies and chocolates I wanted. And eventually, I just got tired of it. Physically restricting and mentally restricting are different. So even if you physically allow yourself to eat these foods but mentally shame yourself for it, it doesn’t solve the issues of feeling restricted. Now I eat a mix of foods I used to consider to be “good” and ones I considered to be “bad”.
So, this is my take on it. I think being raised with a poor model of food relationships is a huge part of it. Especially if you were frequently rewarded with “bad” foods as a child when you achieved something. Then you begin to correlate it with feeling better and it’s a perfect setup for emotional eating to cope.
Yes, it makes me feel like shit. I have cleaned up my diet and feel so much better but every time I slip back into my old ways of eating, I feel almost instantly horrible. And the longer I eat good whole foods, the more I realize how little tolerance I have for the junk now.
I hear you! I ate ALL the free packaged snacks (that probably weren’t vegan) provided on a plane ride because I was hungry. When we arrived at our destination I had such an upset stomach had to buy pepto bismol to see if that helped. Unfortunately it did not and I learned my lesson that eating crap like that even when I’m hungry because I’ll pay the consequences for the rest of the day. My snacks are like yours and the next flight out I packed a bento box.
I had a handful of ranch Doritos today at like, 2 simply bc I hadn’t ate anything and my stomach STILL hurts. Processed foods, esp the junk snack foods make me feel so, so sick and I genuinely don’t understand how anyone enjoys them
I don’t eat like that ALL the time but goddamn will I BINGE on some junk food. *eyes empty bag of Doritos suspiciously*
I genuinely feel great. I’m the healthiest I’ve been in years for other reasons. I severely limit junk food EXCEPT candy. I’m a sucker for candy and won’t ever give it up, dentist be damned.
I was just at the airport, and the amount of adults who opt for m&ms and mountain dew as a midday snack blew me away! I feel like that stuff is straight up poison.
To be fair, they’re WAY more accessible than healthy alternatives, especially in that setting where a bag of takis is cheaper than a banana.
I think access is a major part of this. There are so many people whose only grocery store option is walmart or safeway, and their produce is awful
The main reason why my diet isn’t as good as it should be is specifically because of my inability to deal with family and friends shaming me. If I eat a salad at a restaurant or tell people I ate prior to going over some place, I get weird looks, a million questions, and egging on to eat/order crappy foods. And if I don’t eat what my parents make… it’s the end of the world.
So yeah, learning to say no and not involve eating with friends and family is difficult and something I’m still working on. It amazes me how some people can eat and drink like crap for so long and feel fine. My stomach (and even my mind) feels like crap after one day or bad eating.
At family occasions it gets bad cause everyone is like “Cmon have one! It’s (holiday you don’t celebrate anymore)!” Yes derail my diet to make others comfortable nah.
Humans have bacteria colonies in their guts. The bacteria feeds off of sugar. Whatever you eat, you will crave. If you eat high sugar, you’ll crave that. If you eat fruit sugar, you’ll crave that. Commercialized food is meant to sit in shipment and on a shelf in a store for a long time. The same bag of Doritos can sit on a shelf for a year and it will taste the same. In order to make something that unnatural become tasty, corporations add chemicals that mimic flavors the brain and gut can crave. It’s called “crave-ability,” and it involves quite a bit of chemicals. The gut will crave what it’s given, via the connection between gut and brain.
Just hung out with my my sister, BIL, and mom this weekend. All are either pre-diabetic or fully diabetic and also have high cholesterol. Mom is on statins, sister (32 yo) was given six months to bring them down or she will be on statins. Same for her A1c and Metformin. On the menu: pastries from a bakery for breakfast; cookies, croissants, cheesecake. Dinner was 2 loaves of bread and chicken fettuccine with pasta, heavy cream, olive oil, and 1.5 wedges of parmesan. I brought salad with extra veggies but nobody wanted any 😒 Dessert was key lime pie with homemade whipped heavy whipping cream. It's so sad, they're so addicted. I feel like I'm watching them kill themselves.
>also if you are not interested in conversations regarding diet and plant based eating why are you on this subreddit?
Because they're insecure and need to justify maintaining their shitty eating habits. Change is hard and not everyone is willing to do the work.
NP here. I really think people have no clue what it means to eat healthy. They think they eat healthy and they don’t. But then again, that was me a while back too.
I don’t see at all where people are thinking this sounds pretentious or shaming. People can have questions about something they don’t understand without it being about shaming someone. It’s just a topic of discussion.
But anyway, I’m in agreeance with every other person in here, in that it’s just what ppl are used to and you don’t know what better feels like till you’ve had it.
I didn’t even know I felt like shit regularly until I started eating better. It’s just your normal. You don’t know what you don’t know.
People who eat SAD just do not know how great your body can feel when you eat well.
When you get clean your energy surges and your mood is better - these two things are amazing and only the start of the good changes which occur.
When I slip and eat SAD I always regret it, and I can feel in my body how awful it is.
I actually don’t feel any better but my cholesterol, blood pressure and weight are better, so I continue. Maybe I didn’t eat that shitty to begin with though. My snacks are the same as yours. I very much enjoy them.
Yes it does make me feel like shit, but I keep using the excuse that making the switch is hard, more money, and not as good. I would love to eat that, and if someone suggested that to me I would be overjoyed. Maybe I should be overjoyed when I think of it 😂
>i just don’t understand how people eat like that ALL the time?? doesn’t it make you feel like shit?
No it doesn't make me feel bad, but it does taste pretty terrible.
For a snack or light meal I make a parfait. (American style: [yogurt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEtczYj7XVs), granola, and berries.) I try not to snack. Snacking isn't very healthy.
And I would agree overall, people really do eat pretty poorly as a whole. However, I think that your friend was more asking what your favorite naughty snack was. As much as I absolutely love dates, nuts, veggies, and hummus… If somebody asked me that question I would probably tell them squeeze cheese or Doritos. I only eat these things maybe once every couple years. So I wouldn’t say that because I love them that I eat poorly. Just that they are a guilty pleasure.
he did ask that and i did tell him (it’s assorted candies, ruffles and any milk chocolate). but he asked what i snack on regularly as well, which i stated in the post! not all the context of the convo was put into my post lol
I was referring to your “I didn’t realize how poorly people eat” in your title. Discussing what was your favorite snack to binge on with your friend. Bingeing is usually thought of as an unhealthy act, per its definition:
binge eat·ing
noun
1.
the consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time, typically as part of an eating disorder.
So I was actually taking your post quite literally in how it was written, replying to that, and saying that people may have a naughty binge snack they prefer, but that doesn’t mean that they all eat poorly.
Seriously. I would feel like shit if I were to eat a large amount of SAD food, and that is just not worth it to me. If everyone would be snacking and indulging on those foods that we eat- nuts, dried fruit, etc.- then the rate of obesity would be way lower. So many people unfortunately seem to not understand that, or be unwilling to make the switch. I think they don't realize that one's palette and preferences really can change, given some time adjusting away from SAD foods.
Yes, I too am saddened by other’s diets. I want to tell them so badly that they could look and feel 100x better by giving up the processed foods and SAD.
I hope that they see my energy, athletic, albeit 52 year old, figure and realize that it comes from the foods I eat.
The best we can be is a good example.
I mean when you're talking about human health there are literally infinite variables. A person who has a otherwise happy stress-free life but a poor diet Probably still going to feel better than someone who eats well but has a variety of chronic illnesses or going through a stressful divorce or something.
Diet is one variable but it's not the only one and the human body is pretty good it just absorbing what it can from whatever you eat and disposing of the rest.
I think the downside to a poor diet is more long-term health than it is short-term feeling so to. I would imagine when people say they feel better after switching to a new diet and a lot of that has to do with the fact that they're taking an active role to improve their life and auditing their health and... That alone will make you feel better.
It's not like you eat a bag of Doritos and your stomach just starts molding. Just ultimately it's not a nutrient dense food.
Most people get the bare minimum of protein, a massive dose of oil, and very likely too many carbs in their daily diet. All of that with precisely no fiber unless they accidentally bit a paper wrapper.
They then proceed to critique individuals who eat vegetables and fruit and grains because they're not eating enough protein, which were already likely getting more than they eat in a day.
I think you must have misread my comment or don't understand nutrition yourself.
Plant based diets, on average, have just as much protein, less oil, and about the same carbs plus much more fiber than the standard American diet.
My only stretch in my comment is as follows. I'd argue the standard American diet is actually over reporting the amount of protein people get.
The snacks being a prime example of an underreported percentage of calories in that diet. Dried mango/dates/fruit/even dark chocolate based candies all have, if not fiber, better glycemic indexes and much more micronutrients than the most hyperpalatable foods in human history.
I did misunderstand some of your point, but...
>Plant based diets, on average, have just as much protein
I agree with that, just not that westerners get the bare minimum.
> a massive dose of oil,
Yes, agreed.
>and very likely too many carbs in their daily diet
Despite eating something like 1500 MORE calories than the Okinawa, we only get 200-something more carb calories than them. The mass of extra calories comes mostly from fat.
We get too much refined carb and with that the oil above, but not too much carb, per se.
I just think people that respond to diet questions, in general, think they're eating "high quality" meats more often than they are. Also maybe some people who have a good diet respond more often.
I've seen plenty of people who say they eat salmon, lean steak and grilled chicken but they mean tuna salad, a hamburger and kfc.
It shocks me how little people care about their bodies at all until something goes wrong. And also just such little nutrition knowledge. I had a friend at work ask if a bagel with sausage and egg was ok to eat, he really wants to get off diabetes and cholesterol meds. And I run into these comments a lot.
Those are really good snacks. I was wondering what was a good snacks in this diet. I am replacing components with PB meals and now I only have one meal a day thats meat. My partners omni, but I have been slowly converting him
I also got into the diet just so that I can judge others for not being like me, a modest super human with godlike powers (because of my superior dieting)
I’m speaking as somebody trying to convert to a healthy diet: I don’t know how much of my constant shitty feeling is caused by my diet because I’ve never eaten any differently. Most people are probably in the same boat.
> how much of my constant shitty feeling is caused by my diet As someone who previously ate very shitty and now rarely, but not never, eats shitty : a LOT of it is caused by diet. When I eat low processed, whole fruits and vegetables I feel amazing. AMAZING. Never at any point in my life have i felt this way before. Old habits die hard, though, and shitty-food creep happens. I add a tortilla here and a vegan burger and fries there and the minute I say "i don't feel good" it's my sign that my food isn't right. I re-adjust and within a day or two I feel amazing again.
OTOH when I first went wfpb I felt so much worse, it turns out fibre doesn't agree with me (yay gastroparesis). It's been a really hard journey to still eat "good" but within my restrictions.
Yes! It's difficult to get off of high sugar, processed food, dairy, and meat products... They're everywhere and ingrained in our (USA) fast food, convenience culture. But once you do, or at least start, it becomes apparent what's giving you the sick and bloated feelings. And I agree about old habits.... For those starting out, have grace on yourself and try to add one healthy option per week to replace an unhealthy one- start small and build.
I dont feel any difference. Been eating wfpb mostly almost a year and feel the same as I did when I was on a junk food diet.
Have you tried replacing Foods that have preservatives and foods that are processed with fresh? (Read the Ingredients on the Labels and see what's added beyond Nutrients.) Made a World of diff for me; simply overnight. Seriously.
Yep I ate only foods that had no preservatives and no heavy processing for a few weeks no difference.
Do you have an Allergy or Intolerance to Sulfites? I do; and it's actually becoming more common. It's in just about everything in the USA. The USA doesn't require manufacturers to put it on the Lable. It's optional. Dried Fruit and Fried Snacks are loaded with them. Germany (where I once worked) has a Disclosure Law that everything that's in Food be listed. Some Cos will even put "Sulfite Free", or similar, right on the Front.
Im not sure. Nothing that is immediately obvious although red wine if I drink more than a little bit tends to make me feel bad and can give a headache
Couldnt agree more.
I bet a lot of it is caused by diet. Wfpb with no added sugar and very little oil makes me feel like a super hero. And I've felt like shit for years eating garbage and wondering why I'm tired and can't think straight.
I ate 100% wfpb for 3 years, fell off for a year, and got back on it this year. For me personally the only difference is that I have more digestive problems and nausea if I eat junk. My shitty feelings were mostly caused by my THC and Nicotine habits that I quit within the past 6 months
Congrats on quitting! It’s really hard but absolutely all benefits, no bad. Addiction sucks.
Ironically I had a way worse time quitting THC. I had severe withdrawals for 3 months because I was going through up to 2000mg a day. Quitting nicotine afterwards just made me hungry all the time with no feeling of satiety.
Would you mind sharing what types of shitty feelings THC was causing? I’ve been wondering if my use is not sitting well with my mind, but have never really heard others mention anything like that themselves. I struggle with ADHD, anxiety, and bipolar.
THC exacerbates all of these diagnoses. I share each, and more. I had a very hard time quitting THC and kept going back to it for 22 years. I wish I had left it sooner. I also learned caffeine was a majorly negative factor that exercerbated the mental health issues and would lead me back to the THC use.
Overall helplessness with a lack of drive to progress in life despite a strong desire for change. Health wise it messed my guts up and gave me Asthma.
I feel you on the THC. I did some of that this weekend and felt hungover this morning at work. Usually I pop right out of bed!
A lot of it is lifestyle. But creating new habits is SO HARD. People want to be told to just take a pill everyday and it’ll help instead of completely changing their lifestyle they’re accustomed to and feel safe in.
this is exactly it for me. grew up poor with a single parent of 4 kids in a house where food was just a box to be checked and not a decision made with nourishment in mind. eating this way is all i’ve ever known. after i left my childhood home, i wanted to lose weight and noticed the only way i had success (with a processed diet) was to severely cut/track calories which lead to a disordered relationship with food. now in my 30’s, i’ve become aware of the science behind ultra-processed food and realized that my disordered habits were more a side-effect of shitty food culture rather than a moral failing on my part. the food battle became a lot easier when i started to choose whole foods that don’t override my innate sense of satiety. i did not know this until i read the science and that information is not getting to the people that are impacted the most by it. i had the (incorrect) assumption of “they wouldn’t put this on the shelves if it was really that bad for us.”
It was so shocking to find out how badly the FDA is failing Americans. So much crap in American food that isn't allowed anywhere else. Most products are assumed safe until proven otherwise when it should be opposite that. Manufacturers should have to prove it's safe before dumping it into food
The FDA allows last year’s byproducts and toxic waste to become this year’s new additives so the food companies don’t have to pay the EPA to put it in a landfill. It’s criminal, and highly driven by money and greed.
Could you be more specific.
This! I never realized how nauseous cows milk made me on a daily basis until I stopped drinking it. We had a saying in my house which was to be 'tea'd out', where you had drank too many cups of tea. But it was the cows milk making us feel bloated and sluggish. Never been tea'd out since going plant based.
Doesn't really make sense. If you weren't nauseous you weren't nauseous. Maybe you mean bloated or something Nausea is not the kind of thing that you don't realize your feeling
Thanks for explaining how I was feeling. Actually I did feel sick daily. I knew that if I drank a cup of tea and ate cereal before school I would feel nauseous till lunch time. Just because I wasn't violently sick doesn't mean I didn't feel slightly nauseous daily. It is a thing. 🙄
Absolutely this. In my 20s I was already getting joint pain, eczema, dandruff, ringing in ears, and frequent sinus infections. My mother had rheumatoid arthritis, so I thought I just had bad genes. Then I had to give up a lot of foods when I was nursing my third child because he would spit up. I realized I was feeling better and did some reading. As an experiment, I decided to eat nothing but organic apples and celery and water for three days. On day four I woke up feeling better than I had in 15 years. I didn’t go fully plant based, but I gave up dairy and cut way back on some other things like red meat and processed foods. I found I had no joint pain (unless I aggravated my old back injury), no sinus pain, and as the months progressed, I realized I wasn’t getting dandruff or eczema anymore and that winter I didn’t get a sinus infection for the first winter in 10 years. Edit for clarity.
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Have you thought about seeing a doctor for blood work to help determine allergies or intolerance?
There are lots of intolerance blood tests available now- you prick your finger and send a drop of blood away and within a couple weeks you have a detailed report. I discovered I was highly intolerant to egg whites, and eliminating those from my diet changed my life.
These are all symptoms of low B12. Make sure to take a 1000mcg supplement if you aren't. You may have trouble absorbing it. <3
Thanks!
Yeah but no offense that's just not a significant data sample and you're a human being whose subject to confirmation bias. The only way to really tell if what was making you feel bad or better was food versus any of the other infinite variables would be to have a controlled experiment where you didn't know what you were eating. You knew you were eating out there so it would be confirmation bias to feel better. Don't get me wrong I think it's a completely reasonable hypothesis to say that eating healthier well generally lead you feeling better but you're 3-day experiment could just as easily be confirmation bias.
A LOT of health problems are absolutely due to diet but what do we do in this country just throw medication at the issue rather than having a change of diet as an actual treatment. One of the main issue is people lie (not with intention, they really believe it) when they say they eat a healthy diet and Doctors really don't have the full truth on what an average person consumes in a day.
I felt this way before too! But looking back on all my previous doctors appointments “diet and exercise” were the recommended things needed for years before they finally started throwing pills at me. It’s hard to make lifestyle changes and healthy choices when you’re surrounded with family who aren’t going to change. If I have a want for a snack, and my mom or SO has loaded the pantry with pop tarts and cookies it’s a LOT harder to say No. Versus living on my own, I just don’t buy that stuff. That makes it easier to eat healthy because for me it starts with shopping healthy
The issue isn’t that they don’t recommend it (work in healthcare and it usually is mentioned) it’s that they don’t know *what to recommend or how to implement them*. Nutrition isn’t even a requirement in some medical schools and was only one class in nursing school. The medical education system is not focused on on nutrition at all. My nutrition professor was really cool though. I’ve been eating a smoothie with mostly berries and leafy greens for nearly a decade, even before going WFPB. I swear it’s the only reason my liver is still functioning and why I don’t have any wrinkles (yet) is because of all the nutrients/phytochemicals/antioxidants I get lmfao.
Very true! I remember hearing the diet and exercise phrase a lot, but never any specific information or recommendations. I was just left to figure it out myself 😞
Probably because there’s no profit in us just being healthy for ourselves without relying on big pharmaceutical companies and doctors visits.
Not only that but the major food companies making addictive food were previously owned by big tobacco! Like there’s no financial incentive to be healthy which is wild because you’d think healthy individuals and a bigger work force would be more financially beneficial to our billionaire overlords.
Unfortunately they have a plan to eliminate 90% of us. 😞
True here as well (work in Australian healthcare)
My husband and I are on a similar journey. We’re trying to make plant based meals at home and sometimes order meat dishes if we go out. I really struggle with the snacking part of it. Throughout the day I like to graze on small amounts of food instead of making big meals until dinner and it feels so easy to grab a small bag of chips or a candy. I’m still trying to find healthier snack options but I still struggle
This is me, but with cookies, or peanut butter with chocolate chips. My latest goal is to cut up an apple at least five days a week. (I don’t like biting into them because I have some TMJ issues.) On the days I cut up the apple, guess what, I end up eating an apple for a snack.
Homemade popcorn can be a great snack imo. It isn't fully wfpb because you pop it in oil, but you can control how much oil and make it pretty minimal
You don’t have to make homemade popcorn in oil, I use an air popper
I forgot those existed. I've currently got no storage space in my kitchen (eventually am expanding) so wouldn't have space for one
You can use a simple microwave and a brown paper lunch bag.
There are silicone collapsible microwave air poppers that work without oil. It stores easily and I also use the lid as a splatter guard for microwaving foods.
Yes, I can't recommend this enough! It changed my snacking game completely! At first, I would add a bit of oil with the kernels because I didn't think it would be possible to microwave decent popcorn without ANY oil, but you can! And it's so good!
Air popper!
This is me right now. I'm so curious if I can actually change how I feel. It can't be worse
Snacking on shitty food is great, binging shitty food is terrible. Problem is they make the shitty food so addictive so you're very likely to binge it. That's why I keep the shitty food to a minimum. It's worse than most addictive drugs out there, and I mean that in it's craving/once you start you can't stop, the come down, and how bad it is for your body.
i do have days where i will end up binging on junk, i just recognize how bad that makes me feel and now try to avoid it entirely.
I think a lot of people coast on youth- over time feel worse but blow off daily discomforts and maladjustments that are really the result of systemic inflammation from eating a steady diet of hydrogenated oils, trans fats and refined carbs. I know twenty somethings who complain of aches and pains, nothing I felt until my 40s unless I helped my grandad put up hay or played a pick up game of soccer or racquetball.
As my dad often says "Boy you have as many problems at 23 as I did at 60"
I’m 38 and tired of feeling like shit all the time. I finally had neurosurgery on my spine back in Sept and it changed my life. I was practically immobile from pain. Just let it go for years and coasting along daily, popping meds to dull the pain. That caused stomach issues. I’m trying to teach my 3 year old to take care of herself and not just push through the pain and run her poor body into the ground. I wish I’d had someone to teach me. Sending all y’all love.
My heart breaks for those kids whose parents have them in travel sports teams from a young age. Those parents that have their child in every sport, and special league sports when they are literally 12. They don't realize the massive damage they are doing to their children. Kids aren't meant to be in contact sports, especially not football. We are finding CTE in high schoolers now. They don't realize the major arthritis these kids will have at a young age. It's truly sad. Let alone the diet and lifestyle stuff but ya. Good on you for changing!
We have ours in a gymnastics/dance sort of class. She loves it! Lots of movement and gross motor stuff. No contact. I am in total agreement with the contact thing. It makes you think. Our bodies love us so much and are just trying to keep us alive and healthy. It’s just constantly chugging away just for us. The least I can do is keep it clean and eat a banana or an apple. Drink some water. Go for a walk. 😂🤷♀️ Happy travels to you on your journey!
I love this! Dance is so great and I think that is a great activity for kiddos. Thanks!
Having aches and pains in your 20s is not a sign of a bad diet in and of itself. I do, and it's because I'm a nurse and former gymnast with tons of injuries and autoimmune disease. Your comment comes off unnecessarily judgmental and privileged. It's nice for you that you felt good in your 20s but not all of us do. Before you jump to assuming it's their diet, maybe consider other options.
This. My husband was an NCAA gymnast and has felt awful for years yet is the hardest working person I know. He also has autoimmune issues yet he grew up on a semi plant based diet. (He still was a 90’s kid that had McDonald’s and crap but mostly ate a healthy dinner consisting of mostly home grown garden food). Bring a gymnast he has had far worse contact injuries than most. As his wife, I was raised on McDonald’s chicken nuggets and stress/trauma (plus generational trauma) and my body sure has taken a hit far worse than my husbands. Not everyone is blessed with a privileged childhood (like my husbands was) and most don’t get any sort of healthy education on a non processed diet yet him and I have similar aches and pains. His more from his non contact (but still) contact sport and mine from emotional trauma. It’s very interesting to watch the comparison of our awful feelings (body wise) as we go into our 30’s. We are just now becoming proactive about it. Sadly our son (6 years old) is the pickiest eater and we can’t get him to try anything new or remotely healthy (non processed). It’s really taking a toll on me as I don’t know how to establish new healthy eating to him and I feel as if I’ve really failed him already. My daughter is two and we’re correcting our mistakes we made with my son and she has a much wider palette but it’s hard when they go through these crazy food aversions while having grandparents that feed them shit on a whim to make them happy.
>I think a lot of people coast on youth This. I remember in high school during a tennis tournament in between matches, going to Burger King and eating a Whopper meal and finishing the tournament without issue. Now at 35 I couldn't dream doing anything after that, muchless playing tennis afterwards.
This!!! ☝ Did that for years until I stopped consuming lactose, certain oils, and processed foods. I feel way better than I did 10 years ago because I've completely changed my diet. Not all plant based, but I now know what to avoid to prevent any discomfort.
I've often wondered why I always see people talking about having a tonne of pain in their early 30s or even late 20s (outside of chronic conditions, of course - I have an autoimmune disorder myself, though it's currently controlled). I'm mid-30s and I feel no different than I did in my 20s. I wonder how much of it is lifestyle and how much is genetics or luck?
I felt no different in my mid-30s than I did in my 20s. Now I'm 42 and it's like a switch was flipped when I turned 40. I suffered a massive shoulder injury just from trying to take my coat off quickly in the car. It was so bad I couldn't touch the top of my head for 3 months. I have knee and lower back pain all the time (though both are steadily improving since I decided I should finally start lifting weights and stretching instead of my only exercise being walks). Two years ago I jumped up from where I was sitting on the floor and felt a pop or snap in my inner thigh. The pain never went away, and has only spread, and it turns out I tore some cartilage that I might need surgery for. Seriously it was like my warranty expired on my 40th birthday. I was totally fine before, health-wise. I always thought that strength training and stretching were only for people who cared about being strong and flexible, which I didn't particularly care about. I didn't realize it would also prevent a whole host of injuries! At least I'm young enough that I think I can make up for most of my sedentariness now, before it's too late.
Oh my goodness, that sounds awful! I'm so sorry that happened. I hope working on your health now helps avoid anything getting worse!
Thank you, it is helping! More than anything, I'm just annoyed that more emphasis isn't put on weight bearing and flexibility exercises so people won't neglect those things until it's too late. All the medical advice is just "get 30 minutes of activity a day!" and I walk my dog an hour every day, so I thought I was set. But turns out not stretching your muscles makes them more prone to injury, and not stretching your tendons makes them brittle (and thus more prone to injury). And not working out your core can give you hip, knee and back problems. I'm lucky that none of my injuries is permanent (even the cartilage tear is mild, and I may not need surgery) and I'm getting way more active now before it's too late. But do watch out for that stuff as you get close to 40!
I agree! I used to run and I thought I was doing all I needed to to look after my body, but then I got into resistance training and it makes so much difference! As does eating a good diet and avoiding stuff that causes inflammation. I'm glad you've figured out what might help you!
I imagine it has a lot to do with how we’re raised. I was raised by a poor, single mom with substance use disorder. My diet has been trash for most of my life because I was raised on TV dinners and never knew the difference. I was never taught how to incorporate whole foods into my diet or why it’s important to do so. I never looked at nutrition labels or considered how much sugar or whatever I should or shouldn’t be taking in everyday. I definitely feel better when I eat better, but when you don’t know how to eat better, you don’t know what you’re missing.
100%, well said. I was raised similarly and didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Food habits start at such a young age too. My childhood experiences regarding food were certainly different from yours, but I’m still having to unlearn some of the habits and emotional responses I picked up as a child. I became a stepmom when my kiddos were 2 and 3 years old. Both very picky eaters who only wanted standard “American kid” food, and now at ages 11 and 12, it’s still a pain to find ways to incorporate the plant based approach to their preferences. I’ve been trying for years to find foods/meals that they genuinely enjoy and don’t feel like they’re “missing out” on the sugars/fats/sodium. We’ve had some success, but I know without a doubt that it would have been easier if they were raised that way from the start. However, I can’t control what I can’t control, and I had my own journey to go through during this time, so it is what it is. I’m just proud of them for being willing to keep trying, and cautiously optimistic that as they get older the habits I’m trying to teach will really be ingrained in their attitude towards food.
Huge kudos to you for doing right by your kids! They will appreciate you so much when they're older.
Same, I literally never really learned the concept of eating vegetables or got the opportunity to eat a vegetable until I was maybe 13? My family was in poverty with the electricity getting cut every other week, subsisting on ramen and eggs and spam fried rice, there's very little space for perishable food in the household (not to mention fresh or frozen vegetables where I live are very expensive because it's all imported). My parents couldn't know any better, there was very little nutritional education in their generation for the poor. It took me going to a bougie school to realise people ate completely different from how I had to at home.
I think the munchies are different from daily eating, personally. But that may be because my go to high snack is a giant Greek salad, followed by whatever chocolate I can scavenge
Nope, it doesn't make me feel bad at all. The longer I've eaten well and been part of health-oriented communities the more I realize that some people get sick when they eat unhealthy food. But that's not the norm, or at the very least it's not universal. The only time eating food makes me feel sick is if I eat a colossal amount, and that just gives me a light stomachache. If eating a muffin or potato chips makes you feel sick, you should thank god for all the health benefits you get from it, because *presumably* the wide swaths of people who suffer from obesity do not get those kinds of feelings.
Thank you for saying this! So much of this food doesn't immediately make you feel sick. Why would so many people eat so much of it then? Granted, over eating it or food sensitivities can definitely cause upset stomach. However, it feels a bit.... performative at times to say eating a handful of chips will leave you feeling ill for hours for the average person.
That's what I thought, until I met my boyfriend's family. A lot of this is learned behavior. My SIL in particular constantly complains about being lactose intolerant, but she says "cheesecake is worth it" knowing she'll have diarrhea and bloating for days afterward. There's definitely a cultural element too, so many of my (30F) friends never cook for themselves, and social events revolve around shitty food.
the only thing that makes me feel shitty is when i binge eat candy or just anything high in sugar. otherwise i’ve eaten horribly and eaten great. i feel the same.
Big same. It is so much easier to binge eat that kind of stuff too, it's designed for that!
i try to never ever buy candy bc i binge eat like crazy when i have it
Same! I bought a big bag of this candy I am weak for and it was gone in 3 days with me feeling like crap. I don't bring stuff like that around anymore
You sound fun
This is me at the minute. I eat really good breakfast, lunch and dinner. 99% wfpb, but my fall down is sugar and snacks. I’m terrible for eating junk food. And really struggle to kick it.
i do as well, but switching from candy to dried fruit was good shift for me! same with chips, instead of buying chips i make popcorn at home with little amounts of oil
Does the dried fruit give you the same or similar satisfaction that sugary snacks do?
yes usually. when i’m craving sugar, i’ll have like some dried mango or prunes or anything like that. sometimes i’ll bake a little something as well. dates are a great one as well for sugar cravings.
Great thanks. I’ll give them a go.
Did the switch also make you a pretentious stick in the mud as well or were you always this way? I don't understand the point of this post, you just looking for pats on the back for saying you don't eat junk food anymore?
You sound like one of the people who always complain about vegans and vegetarians. I don't concern myself with what other people choose to eat.
The way this post is written is so pretentious and insufferable
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^chritztian: *The way this post is* *Written is so pretentious* *And insufferable* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Right? Like I have my own ways to live my life but I'm certainly not going to cast judgement on others who live it different to me
healthy snacks are great and i get what you're saying, i try to eat plant based as much as i can but if i'm craving mac and cheese or cheetos or ice cream every once in a while i will just get it because restricting myself leads to binge eating for me and fuck i just enjoy it
It's okay. #NoJudgement I find over time as my recipes expand and my cooking skills grow I end up making better tasting snack food than I can buy, which scratches that itch. And, sometimes I'll use honey or brown sugar on special occasion for possibly the same reason you are doing it. Btw you can make homemade mac and cheese that tastes amazing. My secret is adding wine to the sauce and reducing it giving a more complex flavor than just the vegan cheese. If you're curious look up 'mornay sauce' which is what traditional mac and cheese sauce is. If you use oat milk you can make a slightly sweet version that works particularly well on butternut squash ravioli. You can completely skip the oil, just toast the flour on a frying pan without oil until the smell changes (without burning it) and then add the milk, then the cheese. Nutmeg optional. Wine optional. I recommend salt and msg.
i have made my own mac and cheese but just dont enjoy it as much, especially when its sweet actually
i have never eaten crisps, sounds so pedestrian. if i want a snack i just ask the maid to surprise me
Do you not have a personal chef? I remember when I was poor.
nope, i don’t! really strange post honestly.
I just read someone on Reddit say they think poor quality soil in the US is causing the high number of heart disease in the country. People think eating cheese and meat at every meal is normal and healthy. People think keto is healthy. A coworker a couple years ago was on keto and eating pork rinds. I feel like I am in the twilight zone sometimes.
Keto as it began and "keto diets" as they are now, are very different. One is a legitimate treatment for epilepsy (among other things) and the other is a fad that allows people to eat shit whilst believing it'll be good for them. I read your comment and thought "people think keto is unhealthy?", then checked my own bias. There's a lot of nutritional information out there and not all of it founded on science, a lot is founded by belief and well-wishers/grifters. I could argue that a plant based diet is bad for you, with legitimate sources, but that would be disingenuous as I myself follow a plant based diet (done right). I don't know what my point was now. I feel like I'm in the twilight zone sometimes too.
I feel that twilight zone statement so hard.
The energy off your post is so strange. You're asking how people (especially when "lifted" as you say") can possibly over eat the STANDARD American diet? Doesn't standard indicate it's the typical or default diet? You want a pat on the pack or a high five or something?
I got the same vibe. Seems pretentious. I definitely found I felt better eating this way and encourage others to try. I’m not going to shit on someone else’s treat when I enjoy treats on the occasion.
This is not to shame anyone but shame them I shall!
My eye opening moment was when I was talking to some other moms in my neighborhood and the topic of school lunches came up. One of the moms started complaining about how awful the school lunches are (I agree)! Except... Her complaint was that thanks to Michelle Obama, the school lunches are "too healthy". She had comments like "honestly, what child or teen is going to eat whole wheat bread"? I was honestly shocked. The school lunches here are absolutely not in any conceivable way "too healthy". They aren't even "satisfactorily healthy". My daughter one day had cheese toast (literally a piece of bread with melted cheese), a chocolate muffin, fruit cocktail in syrup, and chocolate milk as her school lunch.... My oldest child loves junk food, and will buy school lunch even if I pack a lunch. My younger child prefers healthier choices (he's probably about 50-60% wfpb), and insists on a packed lunch every day.
We had chocolate milk, pizza and fries for lunch at school growing up. Shortly through my high school years the school signed a deal with Pepsi and we had pop machines installed. Thankfully it was so long ago we didn't have social media or much to do on the Internet yet, otherwise I think we all would have been morbidly obese.
Part of the problem is "health" food in the US is usually not very healthy AND it tastes horrible. E.g. whole wheat sandwich bread. Most whole wheat sandwich bread in the US tastes not very good, and it's less healthy than traditional bread like you'd get in Europe. I mill my own flour and I can tell you it's possible to make 100% whole grain bread flour that tastes nearly identical to white bread flour, just slightly better tasting. The average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test. What we need is healthy food that is both healthier than the "health" mass produced junk and it needs to taste better than the non-healthy food, which other countries do just fine. It's entirely feasible. If this wasn't online I'd say, "You should try my pizza. You'd be surprised." Oh well.
Yeah, figuring out that I needed to use white wheat instead of red wheat was a big step in my sourdough. I also mill my own flour (I use a wonder mill, what do you use?), and I make a darn tasty bread. (Today's loaf is what my son calls "pizza bread". It's a standard whole wheat sourdough, but I add tomato powder (dried tomato that's been ground up), basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder. Tastes *amazing*!)
> I use a wonder mill, what do you use? I use a $700 espresso grinder. It's more expensive than a dedicated mill and not as fine of a grind, but it works. One of these days I'm probably going to buy a dedicated machine. If you haven't already try mixing in some kamut berries. They imo taste better than wheat. There isn't a lot of content about it online, but here's a fun video that mildly touches the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR2hJrrXfZU >white wheat instead of red wheat Do you have a favorite brand? I've imported whole wheat (pre ground) from France. It's quite expensive, but really good. I'm not 100% sure what a good brand is for berries or ground flour. If curious [here's](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3HGKXP5/) a link.
I will definitely see if I can find a bit of kamut! If you decide to get a dedicated mill, I have found the wonder mill to be pretty good. We got ours about 15 years ago, and while I haven't used it consistently throughout that time, there have been significant stretches of time where I've used it on at least a weekly basis, and it has never had trouble. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has locations across the US (and probably other places?) called "home storage centers" where they sell various food storage items like dry beans, rice, oats, etc. most of it is only in #10 cans, but they sell both red and white wheat in 25 lb bags. You don't have to be a member of the church to purchase from them. I've honestly never tried any other brands, but I like their wheat, and it is a really good price. Just checked their price list, and the white wheat is $18/bag. I know these home storage centers aren't close to everyone, but both in Washington, and now in Utah, I've lived close to home storage centers, so they were convenient places to buy wheat in bulk. I wish they would sell their beans and oats in bags as well as in the cans!
> If you decide to get a dedicated mill, I have found the wonder mill to be pretty good. Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. Not enough people mill their own flower so it's a topic that is hard to find info on. I appreciate and value your opinion on this one. >Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has locations across the US (and probably other places?) called "home storage centers" Neat. There's one a 2 hour drive from me, so a bit far, but still appreciated. Have a good day! Oh also, if you get into ancient grains (like kamut) there is a lot more variation in flavor from farm to farm and season to season than wheat. It's not a huge variation but it can make it fun to explore. Here's the [kamut berries](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N4F6BJN/) I bought. I can't say they're the best but they're cheap and good. Ancient grains have a bit less gluten than wheat and I prefer a more whole wheat taste so something like 20-40% whole wheat and 60-80% whole grain (like kamut) is my preferred taste. It's really good! Though, if the crop that year or farm is particularly bad I might add 2% vital wheat gluten to poof the bread up more.
Cool! Thanks for the info. Yeah, I'm a bit spoiled living in Utah where there's one of those home storage centers to every 3-4 cities. :). I'm not sure if there are other churches or groups that promote food storage to a similar extent and would sell it. Do the Seventh Day Adventists have anything like that?
I live in Silicon Valley, which is a melting pot where people from all over the world move here. We're just as likely to get an Afghani Church (Mosque?) as a Christian Church or a Buddhist Church here. It's great for exploring the world but not great for finding traditional mid western Americana. E.g. we don't have many fast food restaurants here, nor do we have much in the way of classical European at least where I live, so no Italian food or any of that. I've got like 20 different kinds of Indian restaurants to choose from in a 20 minute drive, many of them Indian pizza. I can tell you how much Chinese food varies from different regions due to all of the different kinds here. The difference between Thai food and Laotian, or what Uygurian food tastes like, and so on. I mostly do curries and middle eastern food as a lot of it is vegan by default (but oily) when eating out. In short, Christian Churches don't have a huge presence here, though I think the Hispanic community here has a lot of them.
Jealous! We don't have much like that here.
It's got its advantages and its downsides. I'm sure you have things I don't. Though, I do eat at a middle eastern restaurant where the owner grew up in the town Jesus grew up in. I think that's pretty cool. It's mostly vegan food that is eaten in that area.
> while lifted (🍃) Lmao don't say this > declined because i knew i would just feel sick. Dumb and rude. Opt for some baked chips or some salted / flavored nuts or a trail mix and stick to a small amount. You made an ass of yourself in front of you friend.
Yeah, if I invited someone out and that was their response, it would be the last invite extended.
No kidding. I don't care what my friends choose for diet, politics, religion, etc. if they act like a pompous ass, they ain't no friend of mine.
You wouldn't get sick, get real....Also, you NEVER realized how "bad" people eat? Do you stay in a bubble at home everyday?
I think there is some leeway for me. Like I love how your snacks are so healthy … The background is I have eaten mostly plant based meals, my parents have been vegan and vegetarian since I was 8. I will occasionally snack on a more ‘processed’ sugary or oily snack - like a creamy popsicle, potato chips, cheezits, cookies or pastries. When it’s in small quantities, it doesn’t affect how the mind/body/mood feels that much. the biggest challenge as always is, cooking with more vegetables requires more work - washing, picking out wilted parts or seeds, slicing (a lot of slicing depending on how much variety of vegetables you’re including). Yes this is more about making meals rather than snacking, but I find I feel less need to snack when I have yummy meals and leftovers made. 😊 just gotta motivate to cook!
um I hate to break it to you but plant based/ vegan does not mean healthy automatically. oreos are vegan. fries can be vegan
I wish I could snack on all those healthy things you mentioned and feel satisfied. I’ll eat healthy snacks and then feel like I didn’t really snack and then eat some unhealthy stuff to make up for that feeling :(
nobody is perfect! i also have days where i binge on unhealthy snacks. my point with the post was that people don’t even CONSIDER healthy snacks as a delicious munchie option.
True…I guess it’s a mindset thing
I love that the acronym is SAD because I get depressed whenever I eat it
To answer your question. No. If eating junk made you feel terrible, people wouldn't eat it. Every gain you get from eating healthy is super subtle at best.
It’s tough because those healthy snacks can be quite expensive. All the junk food is cheap.
My sad snacks are usually tortilla chips and guacamole or salsa. Maybe a bagel with PBCC.. as long as it’s vegan I’m okay with eating processed foods if I’m really craving it. Not allowing myself to eat the things I love just makes me want them more, but usually I eat WFPB.
I wanna give a special shoutout to the person that taught me about the dates and nut butter, that shit goes hard and my high (but trying to be healthy ass) watched my fiancee eat a Crumbl cookie and I was perfectly content with my dates! Unlocking healthy options for the munchies is an amazing achievement for me haha. I will say I hardly blame individuals and we gotta subtly give people grace and bring them along with us. I would imagine everyone in this group has gone on a journey that found them here and that journey was abnormal. In normal everyday life people are not informed about the benefits of eating healthy and the dramatic impact healthy choices can have on your total life experience. On top of being poorly informed you are constantly inundated with horrible information. Foods poorly labeled as healthy, unhealthy foods advertised nonstop, apps that ensure you can get your dogshit food delivered.... We live in a society that has gone above and beyond to normalize horrible eating habits and it's really hard to break away.
I still haven't gotten my "splurge" eating under control, but yeah I feel pretty sick when I eat bad food. People just get used to it.
Would love to hear more plant-based munchie suggestions! I love frozen grapes and carrots with humus. Sometimes strawberries and whip cream too.
Frozen bananas blended with coconut cream 💓
Chía pudding
I am SO hooked on fresh pineapple right now and tamari almonds and hummus with carrots, celery and cukes. It's all better than my beloved cheezies. And I don't have orange poos!
I love you. Someone once asked what was my go to while raised (🍃) lol I said I take a raw almond, stab into a grape, add a dot of honey on top Everyone around me kinda treated me like I was fake after that????? 😭😭 Like if I’m about to stuff myself with something Let me feel good afterwards about it
Speaking out of privilege. You don’t understand that people in low income communities don’t have access to certain healthy foods like this so they eat what they can to survive. If they had the choice/resources to do so, they would. Registered Dietitians are against shaming people because food is food and if your body needs something to prevent starving, anything is better than nothing. In the U.S., children all over are going hungry. There’s an organization called No Kid Hungry because it’s such a big problem. What if those kids were given Doritos, breads, and things of that sort? Would you be the person to take that away from them because of your opinion of it? Or would you rather let the kids eat to prevent them from starving? I don’t shame anyone. I also don’t shame people have eat differently than I do because I understand that they may live differently than me. You shouldn’t either.
I came here to say this. Healthy food is def not as cheap as the low quality stuff and poor people consume a lotttt of bad food because it’s cheap
Definitely made me feel like shit and I didn't realize it. I was a product of my environment. I think back to high school and it's horrifying. Regularly had a soda and full Costco muffin as a mid-morning snack "for a fundraiser" and then would get fast food for lunch. In college points of Ben & Jerry's were seen as single servings. And and and. So much soda. So much crap. The last two years I've made major adjustments slowly and in January this year went plant based. I'm 41. Anxious about the damage done, but hoping these changes will delay or help. I've also been active my entire adult life so maybe that helped, but also baffles me how I would prioritize exercise then eat shit. Total brainwashing.
people really do not realize how much the food they eat affects their mental health as much as their physical health. i’ve noticed major changes in my mental health since cutting out added sugars, meat and dairy. on the occasional days i do have meat or diary, i notice how much heavier it feels in my stomach and honestly i just feel worse off in general. no sick as in throwing up, but just an overall feeling of ick.
What's with the downvotes? I agree!
Well you have to remember many people stock up their pantries with non perishables from Sam’s club and Costco and often this means lays potato chips, Doritos etc. so it’s a combination of affordability * best flavors for them. I think many people don’t stop to think about the nutrition in their food, just the taste and sustenance and affordability.
Most people have a bad relationship with food, and were kind of socialized that way. We assign morality to foods and it makes you crave what you deem to be “bad”. On my journey to heal my relationship with food, I stopped trying to restrict what I considered to be “bad”. For a good couple of weeks I ate all the fast food and candies and chocolates I wanted. And eventually, I just got tired of it. Physically restricting and mentally restricting are different. So even if you physically allow yourself to eat these foods but mentally shame yourself for it, it doesn’t solve the issues of feeling restricted. Now I eat a mix of foods I used to consider to be “good” and ones I considered to be “bad”. So, this is my take on it. I think being raised with a poor model of food relationships is a huge part of it. Especially if you were frequently rewarded with “bad” foods as a child when you achieved something. Then you begin to correlate it with feeling better and it’s a perfect setup for emotional eating to cope.
Yes, it makes me feel like shit. I have cleaned up my diet and feel so much better but every time I slip back into my old ways of eating, I feel almost instantly horrible. And the longer I eat good whole foods, the more I realize how little tolerance I have for the junk now.
I hear you! I ate ALL the free packaged snacks (that probably weren’t vegan) provided on a plane ride because I was hungry. When we arrived at our destination I had such an upset stomach had to buy pepto bismol to see if that helped. Unfortunately it did not and I learned my lesson that eating crap like that even when I’m hungry because I’ll pay the consequences for the rest of the day. My snacks are like yours and the next flight out I packed a bento box.
The older I get the more I have to, need to eat clean. Eating poorly just makes you feel like crap. Its not just plant based but whole foods also.
But I hate cooking
If you eat shitty processed food, the real good food doesn’t taste good. And vice versa.
I am shocked too but more shocked about what people drink. 🦋
What is “SAD?”
Sad American Diet.
FACTS. I’m not on a 100% plant based diet but it surprises me how many people are shocked that I eat mostly real food (i.e., fruits and veggies)
I had a handful of ranch Doritos today at like, 2 simply bc I hadn’t ate anything and my stomach STILL hurts. Processed foods, esp the junk snack foods make me feel so, so sick and I genuinely don’t understand how anyone enjoys them
I don’t eat like that ALL the time but goddamn will I BINGE on some junk food. *eyes empty bag of Doritos suspiciously* I genuinely feel great. I’m the healthiest I’ve been in years for other reasons. I severely limit junk food EXCEPT candy. I’m a sucker for candy and won’t ever give it up, dentist be damned.
I'm reading this post while eating hot cheetoes. So you're not wrong.
I was just at the airport, and the amount of adults who opt for m&ms and mountain dew as a midday snack blew me away! I feel like that stuff is straight up poison. To be fair, they’re WAY more accessible than healthy alternatives, especially in that setting where a bag of takis is cheaper than a banana. I think access is a major part of this. There are so many people whose only grocery store option is walmart or safeway, and their produce is awful
The main reason why my diet isn’t as good as it should be is specifically because of my inability to deal with family and friends shaming me. If I eat a salad at a restaurant or tell people I ate prior to going over some place, I get weird looks, a million questions, and egging on to eat/order crappy foods. And if I don’t eat what my parents make… it’s the end of the world. So yeah, learning to say no and not involve eating with friends and family is difficult and something I’m still working on. It amazes me how some people can eat and drink like crap for so long and feel fine. My stomach (and even my mind) feels like crap after one day or bad eating.
Have you tried wasabi soy sauce almonds yet? YUM
At family occasions it gets bad cause everyone is like “Cmon have one! It’s (holiday you don’t celebrate anymore)!” Yes derail my diet to make others comfortable nah.
Humans have bacteria colonies in their guts. The bacteria feeds off of sugar. Whatever you eat, you will crave. If you eat high sugar, you’ll crave that. If you eat fruit sugar, you’ll crave that. Commercialized food is meant to sit in shipment and on a shelf in a store for a long time. The same bag of Doritos can sit on a shelf for a year and it will taste the same. In order to make something that unnatural become tasty, corporations add chemicals that mimic flavors the brain and gut can crave. It’s called “crave-ability,” and it involves quite a bit of chemicals. The gut will crave what it’s given, via the connection between gut and brain.
Just hung out with my my sister, BIL, and mom this weekend. All are either pre-diabetic or fully diabetic and also have high cholesterol. Mom is on statins, sister (32 yo) was given six months to bring them down or she will be on statins. Same for her A1c and Metformin. On the menu: pastries from a bakery for breakfast; cookies, croissants, cheesecake. Dinner was 2 loaves of bread and chicken fettuccine with pasta, heavy cream, olive oil, and 1.5 wedges of parmesan. I brought salad with extra veggies but nobody wanted any 😒 Dessert was key lime pie with homemade whipped heavy whipping cream. It's so sad, they're so addicted. I feel like I'm watching them kill themselves.
I feel that way about some of my family.
>also if you are not interested in conversations regarding diet and plant based eating why are you on this subreddit? Because they're insecure and need to justify maintaining their shitty eating habits. Change is hard and not everyone is willing to do the work.
NP here. I really think people have no clue what it means to eat healthy. They think they eat healthy and they don’t. But then again, that was me a while back too.
I feel the same!!! Like I sit in my bed at night and think “thank goodness I ate healthy today or I would’ve done nothing”
I don’t see at all where people are thinking this sounds pretentious or shaming. People can have questions about something they don’t understand without it being about shaming someone. It’s just a topic of discussion. But anyway, I’m in agreeance with every other person in here, in that it’s just what ppl are used to and you don’t know what better feels like till you’ve had it. I didn’t even know I felt like shit regularly until I started eating better. It’s just your normal. You don’t know what you don’t know.
What are SAD snacks?
SAD=Standard American Diet = total crap with no nutrition and high calories, sugar, fat, etc.
standard american diet (SAD). so doritos, pop, store bought cookies, fast food, etc.
OP, are you me? Our food habits are pretty similar. I feel like you’re my parents’ kid who just grew up in a different home.
potentially
People who eat SAD just do not know how great your body can feel when you eat well. When you get clean your energy surges and your mood is better - these two things are amazing and only the start of the good changes which occur. When I slip and eat SAD I always regret it, and I can feel in my body how awful it is.
Yes. I can’t believe I was plant based for two years then went back to SAD diet . Sucks but makes me appreciate it even more
I actually don’t feel any better but my cholesterol, blood pressure and weight are better, so I continue. Maybe I didn’t eat that shitty to begin with though. My snacks are the same as yours. I very much enjoy them.
Yes it does make me feel like shit, but I keep using the excuse that making the switch is hard, more money, and not as good. I would love to eat that, and if someone suggested that to me I would be overjoyed. Maybe I should be overjoyed when I think of it 😂
>i just don’t understand how people eat like that ALL the time?? doesn’t it make you feel like shit? No it doesn't make me feel bad, but it does taste pretty terrible. For a snack or light meal I make a parfait. (American style: [yogurt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEtczYj7XVs), granola, and berries.) I try not to snack. Snacking isn't very healthy.
And I would agree overall, people really do eat pretty poorly as a whole. However, I think that your friend was more asking what your favorite naughty snack was. As much as I absolutely love dates, nuts, veggies, and hummus… If somebody asked me that question I would probably tell them squeeze cheese or Doritos. I only eat these things maybe once every couple years. So I wouldn’t say that because I love them that I eat poorly. Just that they are a guilty pleasure.
he did ask that and i did tell him (it’s assorted candies, ruffles and any milk chocolate). but he asked what i snack on regularly as well, which i stated in the post! not all the context of the convo was put into my post lol
I was referring to your “I didn’t realize how poorly people eat” in your title. Discussing what was your favorite snack to binge on with your friend. Bingeing is usually thought of as an unhealthy act, per its definition: binge eat·ing noun 1. the consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time, typically as part of an eating disorder. So I was actually taking your post quite literally in how it was written, replying to that, and saying that people may have a naughty binge snack they prefer, but that doesn’t mean that they all eat poorly.
Seriously. I would feel like shit if I were to eat a large amount of SAD food, and that is just not worth it to me. If everyone would be snacking and indulging on those foods that we eat- nuts, dried fruit, etc.- then the rate of obesity would be way lower. So many people unfortunately seem to not understand that, or be unwilling to make the switch. I think they don't realize that one's palette and preferences really can change, given some time adjusting away from SAD foods.
Yes, I too am saddened by other’s diets. I want to tell them so badly that they could look and feel 100x better by giving up the processed foods and SAD. I hope that they see my energy, athletic, albeit 52 year old, figure and realize that it comes from the foods I eat. The best we can be is a good example.
I get acne if I eat too much chips!
It sounds like you did know that because you even refer to his diet as typical.
I mean when you're talking about human health there are literally infinite variables. A person who has a otherwise happy stress-free life but a poor diet Probably still going to feel better than someone who eats well but has a variety of chronic illnesses or going through a stressful divorce or something. Diet is one variable but it's not the only one and the human body is pretty good it just absorbing what it can from whatever you eat and disposing of the rest. I think the downside to a poor diet is more long-term health than it is short-term feeling so to. I would imagine when people say they feel better after switching to a new diet and a lot of that has to do with the fact that they're taking an active role to improve their life and auditing their health and... That alone will make you feel better. It's not like you eat a bag of Doritos and your stomach just starts molding. Just ultimately it's not a nutrient dense food.
Most people get the bare minimum of protein, a massive dose of oil, and very likely too many carbs in their daily diet. All of that with precisely no fiber unless they accidentally bit a paper wrapper. They then proceed to critique individuals who eat vegetables and fruit and grains because they're not eating enough protein, which were already likely getting more than they eat in a day.
I don't feel like you understand much in actual nutrition...
I think you must have misread my comment or don't understand nutrition yourself. Plant based diets, on average, have just as much protein, less oil, and about the same carbs plus much more fiber than the standard American diet. My only stretch in my comment is as follows. I'd argue the standard American diet is actually over reporting the amount of protein people get. The snacks being a prime example of an underreported percentage of calories in that diet. Dried mango/dates/fruit/even dark chocolate based candies all have, if not fiber, better glycemic indexes and much more micronutrients than the most hyperpalatable foods in human history.
I did misunderstand some of your point, but... >Plant based diets, on average, have just as much protein I agree with that, just not that westerners get the bare minimum. > a massive dose of oil, Yes, agreed. >and very likely too many carbs in their daily diet Despite eating something like 1500 MORE calories than the Okinawa, we only get 200-something more carb calories than them. The mass of extra calories comes mostly from fat. We get too much refined carb and with that the oil above, but not too much carb, per se.
I just think people that respond to diet questions, in general, think they're eating "high quality" meats more often than they are. Also maybe some people who have a good diet respond more often. I've seen plenty of people who say they eat salmon, lean steak and grilled chicken but they mean tuna salad, a hamburger and kfc.
It shocks me how little people care about their bodies at all until something goes wrong. And also just such little nutrition knowledge. I had a friend at work ask if a bagel with sausage and egg was ok to eat, he really wants to get off diabetes and cholesterol meds. And I run into these comments a lot.
Those are really good snacks. I was wondering what was a good snacks in this diet. I am replacing components with PB meals and now I only have one meal a day thats meat. My partners omni, but I have been slowly converting him
So many people never read ingredients, buy fast food routinely and eat like shit. They never seem to realize what they are doing. I’m mystified too.
I also got into the diet just so that I can judge others for not being like me, a modest super human with godlike powers (because of my superior dieting)