I’m trying to eat better. Well, I guess I’ve got eating down pretty well…now I just need to eat better things. Baby steps…baby steps.
Yesterday I was exhausted after subbing…and I think it was mostly due to the fact that I didn’t eat well. I need more energy…I’ve got to have some energy when I get home or I’m going to grow plump while my feeble artistic and musical skills atrophy. Also, there the whole marriage thing…that takes a little time and effort. Not to mention the eventual kid.
I said EVENTUAL kid.
Don’t go spreadin’ rumors.
So how to eat better stuff? I know I need more fruits and vegetables. Less sweets. Nutrition is a subject I am woefully ignorant of. And the internet has too much info to weed through. I mean, yeah, I don’t need to know how many molecules of fat my body needs. I just need to know generally what I should be eating and how often. That’s all.
Tips? Tricks?
Cheats?
Sarah’s pregnant?!?
K.A. Kari
December 7th, 2004
NOOOOO!
gossip.
brian
December 7th, 2004
I know what has helped me, but I think you should get Dr. Susan to answer this for you.
Kari
December 7th, 2004
i don’t know if she reads this
brian
December 7th, 2004
the general rules are to eat a variety of foods and try to stay away from fried foods to keep your fat and cholesterol count down - or when you do eat fried chicken, for example, take the skin off and maybe only eat a little for taste at the end. (have you seen the movie “supersize me?” too much high-fat fast food can definitely have a negative impact on your emotional state.)
i’m terrible about eating veggies so i take a dr-recommended daily multivitamin as a supplement. i think you only need a little fruit juice to get your daily fix there (as most fruit is high in sugar.) diet drinks are better than regular soft drinks but if you can find a way to drink more water, that’s ideal.
don’t skip breakfast and maybe even carry around some bananas/granola/oatmeal snacks for something more healthy to munch if you need a quick bite in between meals.
the really difficult thing is making a point to exercise regularly…you can get away with a few bad habits at the table if you work out consistently…
anyway, these are a few of the things i’ve picked up as i’ve hurtled 30 on the way to decrepitude and death.
but i’d be interested to see if dr. suz has any comments…
chalee
December 8th, 2004
You people are demanding!
(But I do read Brian’s blog regularly). OK, what chalee said is good. Here are my big “healty eating things:
1) Water. Drink lots of it. No calories, no fat, and your body NEEDS it (literally!) to make energy. That old 8 glasses (8 oz each) of water a day isn’t a bad one. Carry a water bottle around if you can. It’s REALLY HARD to drink too much water.
2) Fiber! NO ONE gets enough fiber these days — you need 25-30 g per day. Look for high fiber cereals, whole grain breads, wheat pasta — even some fruits have high fiber content (oranges, peaches). One of my rules (when I’m behaving) is that I don’t buy any carbs, especially breads and crackers, if they don’t have at least 2 g of fiber per serving.
3) Fresh fruits and veggies! Charles is right, fruit juice isn’t that great for you, better to stick with the raw stuff. Especially things like blueberries, carrots, cantaloupe, spinach, bananas, oranges — pretty much anything brightly colored all the way through has a lot of nutritional benefit. Apples are good, they just don’t carry as much nutritional value as some other stuff. Aim for 5 servings of fresh fruits and/or veggies a day (it’s not as much as you think).
4) Protein. One thing that all the low carb diets ARE right about is that Americans don’t get nearly enough protein in their diets, and we overload on sugary carbs. Eat some nuts, cheese, plain turkey, eggs, yogurt — it will give you more long-lasting energy.
5) Calcium! This is really more for women (tell Sarah!), but I’m sure men need some too. Plus, stuff like skim milk is healthy AND filling, which is always a good combination. Got milk?
6) Exercise. Charles is right. Everyone should be getting a half hour of exercise 5 days a week. Period.
Not to say I’m currently doing ANY of these things… but those are all my favorite nutritional guidelines
Susan
December 8th, 2004
thanks Dr Suz!
brian
December 8th, 2004
i just wanted to add that i went to a chinese buffet for lunch today…so just do as i say and not as i do…
(at least i’m pretty sure there were some green beans in there among the 3 or 4 plates of food…)
“it seems my hypocrisy knows no bounds.”
chalee
December 8th, 2004
charles….you’re getting sleepy…..very…sleepy.
brian
December 8th, 2004