momee Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Vegan vs Paleo are completely opposite diets. Each side is ferocious about how their way of eating is better. Who to believe? I'm not posting so we can debate diets, I am stressed and need to vent I guess. Almost. Every. Single. Day. I stress over what food is healthy. What is "enough" regarding quantity? I have growing hormonal females - so soy/no soy? If I deprive them of sweets, chocolate, or carbs they go into emotional moods and eat MORE bad foods than if they'd had a cookie. Moods around here are tied very much to what they eat/don't. That makes it more confusing. They feel better eating meats, some sugar and the rest a healthy diet of veggies, no chemicals. The only thing everyone out there seems to agree upon is that more veggies are good. That was until I read the chemical increase your body encounters because of all those veggies could actually be poisoning us. What if the stress over the food is the thing that ultimately does me in? Completely off topic but I know I could just get hit by a truck whether I eat kale or brownies :) so some days I don't give a care at all. But then there are days like today. We have a friend whose daughter was deprived often of sugar. Her mom was adamant about their not eating it. However, mom occasionally admits to me about binge-ing on sweets if they're brought into the house. Now her daughter is suffering from the same thing. I'm sorry but I think it's because sweets were such a huge deal to her parents. We don't have that going on, my kids are allowed sugar and treats occasionally if they've eaten well the rest of the day. I don't have any eating issues with them that I know of but we do eat ice cream, Joe Joes and those sugary breakfast bar things from TJs every once in a while. Maybe that's a bad, bad thing? Sigh. I give up. I confess to you all. I made a very unhealthy meal of "quality" read: more expensive, beef (meatloaf) and spiced red potatoes baked with some olive oil, corn and peas. Is that an example of the SAD diet I've read about? Of course I made it worse by trying to do something nice and treat everyone to homemade brownies (but they have white flour, sugar and chocolate). Now I feel like I'm actually not "treating" them to anything but early heart disease, setting them up for diabetes, and now worried I could give them cancer! by the way I'm feeding them. My 90 year old in laws have existed off the SAD diet and canned beanie weanies and vienna sausages and are happy, well adjusted adults. One has diabetes but is off all meds since moving in here for sugar and high blood pressure (yay us!) I must for information sake say dh and I are getting heavier than ever in our lives since they've moved in and we eat breads and meats more than we ever have. But we also are very busy and aren't near as athletic as we should be. My kids are in perfect health, have healthy body weights (size 0 and 6) and healthy ideas about food. I'm the one freaking out because I feel responsible for everyone~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I've gone through this myself. I have thankfully gotten to the point where most of the time I can ignore it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Perhaps you are low in B vitamins. That causes anxiety. Maybe if you pop a couple of vitamin B pills, food will seem like food again. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Rosie, are you teasing me? :) Either way I'll take some. Heck, right now I'll buy whatever I can to keep us all healthy. See? Maybe I should stop reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 You really can't follow everyone's diet advice because it is so mutually contradictory. We're omnivores. We're able to function on a wide variety of diets. More veggies are definitely better. If restricting carbs makes your kids grumpy, I would say that restricting carbs probably isn't a good thing to do. All the "MY DIET IS THE ONLY GOOD DIET" people are nuts. Just like all of the "my homeschooling method is the only good method" people. Experiment and find a diet that works for you and your kids. Work towards a healthier diet rather than expecting it to flip a switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Perhaps you are low in B vitamins. That causes anxiety. Maybe if you pop a couple of vitamin B pills, food will seem like food again. :) LMAO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 My recommendation is to stay away from reading the "advice" for awhile. And that's the last "advice" I'll give regarding food. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 I'm not looking for a diet. I'm trying to figure out what "healthy" really means. Surely it includes not stressing over food, lol. I hate fear motivation and so much of what I've read is driven by fear tactics. I know I'm not the only one. Your analogy about homeschooling fits so well. I'm more experienced in hs'ing and therefore am immune to falling prey to those emotions. But food is different. Maybe it is because I helped a dear friend die who had cancer and it was horrible. I am now watching another dear friend battling it and I think I just need food confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Oh, I'm using diet in the sense of "the food we eat" and not in the sense of "my weight loss plan". Pretty much any specific thing you can find a study that it's bad and another study that it's good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasperstone Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Go by how you feel eating those plans. I for one was a vegetarian for 17 years, who could have never been a vegan. Now I only eat organic chicken and the occasional red meat. By the way, soy is out unless fermented. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 That's my point. :( It's not the end of the world and I'm not losing my mind...but I do think about it every day. Every time I shop. Every time I cook. Is this healthy? Shouldn't we eat lettuce instead of this sausage? Then when I'm at the lettuce - I wonder if I should triple wash because it may have residual something or other. I was much skinnier when I was twenty years younger and ate McDs and a Dr. Pepper for breakfast. Every. Single. Work morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I can relate! It can become consuming for me. I think your comment about the friends with cancer is what we have in common most. I've known three male friends who have suddenly died in the last 3 years. All were under 50 and seemingly as healthy as the next guy. All left behind fairly young kids. My best friend is dying of cancer in hospice care right now. My mom died from cancer and ate homemade foods her whole life - she was a fabulous cook. I think I am fear-driven and don't know how to let go and stop worrying. I can only do so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I disagree with Michael Pollan on a lot, but his motto "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." basically sums up exactly what the science is clear on. Someone is going to pop in here and tell me how I'm wrong or how they think it's imprecise because they just can't eat too many carbs. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Whatever their case may be, I'm not referring to them. But for a few excptions, it's pretty bang on for the vast majority of people. If you do need to make changes, then small is the way to go. Start with vegetables. If you aren't eating very much then add a serving a week, each week until you hit 5-7/day. Do just that. After that, pick something else. Whole grain instead of processed. Don't drink your calories. Along the way, some things (like an increase in fiber intake) will take care of themselves. Don't like soy? Don't eat it. It is neither miracle food nor evil. I like it so I eat it. The rest is a whole lot of noise that distracts from what we actually know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasperstone Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I was much skinnier when I was twenty years younger and ate McDs and a Dr. Pepper for breakfast. Every. Single. Work morning. ---------------------- Most of us were. ;-) Blame aging..... Just do your best with what choices you have. And stressing isn't good for you. That will impact on your health far more than a couple of wrong food choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I hear ya! I am honestly ready to just go back to my Mom's own simple country cooking meal plan for feeding the family and just let the kids feed themselves what they want once they earn grown-up buy-it-yourself status. THEN I can each shrimp and salads every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 You really can't follow everyone's diet advice because it is so mutually contradictory. :iagree: The paleo and low carb people here profess to be so much healthier and I have literally teared up just reading their posts, thinking of the miserable mess I would be if I ate that way. :lol: As far as I can tell, we all need carbs, protein and fat, but in different ratios. Everyone should eat the ratio they need, using the best quality ingredients they can scrounge. And eat more salad. :p I haven't yet heard of anyone who shouldn't eat more salad, except for women in the first trimester and some cancer patients. I think about food all the time too. I like thinking about food. Food is my love language and I don't even like to cook. Thinking about food is not the same as anxiety about food. I'm never anxious about food unless I haven't bought any yet and the shop is going to close. :laugh: Healthy v unhealthy is not going to work for you, obviously, because it is too simple a paradigm for the situation at hand. What is food for? a) nutrition/ medicine b) fun/ spirituality/ atmosphere (or whatever non-nutritional reasons you've got.) The sort of stuff that goes through my head: Q. If I eat apple pie and ice cream for dinner, is it bad? A. Yes. They are not healthy foods. Q.But what if it is home made apple pie and ice cream? A. Well, they are still not the healthiest foods, but they are obviously better quality than what I'd get out of the freezer at the supermarket. Q. What if I want to get apple pie and ice cream from the supermarket because it is Samhain and that's what I do for Samhain? A. Well obviously I should since Grandma never made apple pie. Q. What if I want to get apple pie and ice cream from the supermarket because I'm in a lousy mood? A. Well, is it going to put you in a better mood or send you into a sugar slump? A. Sugar slump. A. So maybe get a small apple pie from the bakery and have cream instead of ice cream. A. Oh, I love a compromise, I do, I do. If that is too much blathering, pay no attention. I'm grumpy and trying to cheer myself up by talking about food coz that is healthier than going down the shop for a custard tart. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Personally I feel best when I'm following a Paleo diet. That being said as long as you are eating fresh fruits, veggies and meat I don't stress about it. I think the best thing to do is to not eat processed, packaged goods. my kids are GF by need. I make them breakfast every single morning. Sometimes muffins, eggs or bacon, oatmeal or smoothies. We limit sugar but allow treats on Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit29 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I believe people should eat based on their need. For instance, I'm training for a fitness competition right now. I need lower carb and higher fat and protein. I eat according to what I need to reach my goal. When I'm not training as hard, I eat vegan with a fair amount of chocolate. Now, all diets in my opinion, should be cruelty free, and as natural as possible. But beyond that, you eat what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 My recommendation is to stay away from reading the "advice" for awhile. And that's the last "advice" I'll give regarding food. : ) One hundred thumbs up for that post! Trust your own intelligence. Read, compare, reflect, experiment. I don't agree with 99% of the food claims that I read around here and elsewhere. Why should you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 And also...there's nothing wrong with doing nothing right now. Food should not cause you anxiety and it shouldn't be a source of incredible stress for you. You can shelve this until you feel less worried/anxious/stressed by it and come back to it when you feel better equipped to handle it. At that point, maybe you might decided to make an appointment with your doctor or a registered dietician. Your doctor may even have someone they could refer you to. They can help you sort out various dietary claims and can help you evaluate your diet (not meant in the weight loss sense) as it relates to you as an individual and your own health history. Heck, you may even discover you're doing just fine. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 :iagree: The paleo and low carb people here profess to be so much healthier and I have literally teared up just reading their posts, thinking of the miserable mess I would be if I ate that way. :lol: As far as I can tell, we all need carbs, protein and fat, but in different ratios. Everyone should eat the ratio they need, using the best quality ingredients they can scrounge. And eat more salad. :p I haven't yet heard of anyone who shouldn't eat more salad, except for women in the first trimester and some cancer patients. I think about food all the time too. I like thinking about food. Food is my love language and I don't even like to cook. Thinking about food is not the same as anxiety about food. I'm never anxious about food unless I haven't bought any yet and the shop is going to close. :laugh: Healthy v unhealthy is not going to work for you, obviously, because it is too simple a paradigm for the situation at hand. What is food for? a) nutrition/ medicine b) fun/ spirituality/ atmosphere (or whatever non-nutritional reasons you've got.) The sort of stuff that goes through my head: Q. If I eat apple pie and ice cream for dinner, is it bad? A. Yes. They are not healthy foods. Q.But what if it is home made apple pie and ice cream? A. Well, they are still not the healthiest foods, but they are obviously better quality than what I'd get out of the freezer at the supermarket. Q. What if I want to get apple pie and ice cream from the supermarket because it is Samhain and that's what I do for Samhain? A. Well obviously I should since Grandma never made apple pie. Q. What if I want to get apple pie and ice cream from the supermarket because I'm in a lousy mood? A. Well, is it going to put you in a better mood or send you into a sugar slump? A. Sugar slump. A. So maybe get a small apple pie from the bakery and have cream instead of ice cream. A. Oh, I love a compromise, I do, I do. If that is too much blathering, pay no attention. I'm grumpy and trying to cheer myself up by talking about food coz that is healthier than going down the shop for a custard tart. :lol: I love you, Rosie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Is food the only thing that freaks you out like this, or is this your general personality type? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I think you should make some "special" brownies- are in you or near Colorado per chance?? It would help with the anxiety... Though might be counterproductive as it would lead to more snacking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Bam! http://www.theweedblog.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-marijuana-brownies/ Step 1: make brownies Step 2: eat brownies Step 3: plan menu free of anxiety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 An atheist, a vegan, and a cross fitter walk into a bar......... I only know because they all started talking about it within 2 minutes. (Current favorite FB chuckle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I wanted to know what healthy was so I went back to school for it, lol. I'm almost done with my program and looking forward to life as a clinical nutritionist. Sounds to me like you're doing fine. Going back to the most basic of goals - eat food, real food. And yes, more veggies is often a great way to go because most people don't get enough and they're soooo good for us. But knowing what your food is, where it came form, what is in it, and keeping to a whole foods diet as much as possible is the way to go in my book. Occasional brownies or ice cream, enjoy it! If you sometimes eat something that is processed or fairly far from a whole-food item, your body can deal with it. If you build a foundation of real food, you're probably doing just fine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I could have written this OP's post. I struggle with food issues and anxiety too. For me, I have to be very careful cause I'll relapse into eating disorder thinking that I have fought against for most of my life. It is harder with kids because you want what is best for them. I have had to let go of the 'perfect' diet in favor of "what will they eat?" diet. I agree that sometimes you just have to put your fingers in your ears and go "LALALALALA!". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbird2 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 They feel better eating meats, some sugar and the rest a healthy diet of veggies, no chemicals. So, how about just following that? Eat animal protein at every meal, a carb for the growing children, and some fruits and veggies? Have them bake/roast/boil potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, rice. You provide the meat/eggs. Throw in some veggies. Enjoy some butter and cheese. Snack on fruit and nuts. Have some dark chocolate in the fridge for everyone to enjoy when needed. Eat ice cream every once in a while. It sounds like the goal is eating a whole foods diet. You don't have to be Paleo or Vegan. It's OK to tweak to your family's needs. My poor family has been through the ringer with my stress about food. I was a vegetarian for 13 years, then vegan for a year, back to traditional foods, then Paleo. Now, I just eat a whole foods diet, meaning very few processed foods. We eat a meat and veggie for breakfast. I give the kids a carb (usually roasted potatoes or rice) with breakfast and a piece of fruit. Lunch is a salad with leftover animal protein and more carbs for the kids. Dinner is protein, green veggie, potato, lots of butter and coconut oil. They get an occasional gluten free cookie or some dark chocolate. Everyone is happy...it works for my family. Good luck to you! I'm sure your children appreciate the effort you are making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 . Moods around here are tied very much to what they eat/don't. That makes it more confusing. They feel better eating meats, some sugar and the rest a healthy diet of veggies, no chemicals. So feed them that. A small cookie is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Sigh. I give up. I confess to you all. I made a very unhealthy meal of "quality" read: more expensive, beef (meatloaf) and spiced red potatoes baked with some olive oil, corn and peas. Is that an example of the SAD diet I've read about? NO! SAD is pizza rolls, fries, and chips. Followed by a Twinkie. Of course I made it worse by trying to do something nice and treat everyone to homemade brownies (but they have white flour, sugar and chocolate). Now I feel like I'm actually not "treating" them to anything but early heart disease, setting them up for diabetes, and now worried I could give them cancer! by the way I'm feeding them. My 90 year old in laws have existed off the SAD diet and canned beanie weanies and vienna sausages and are happy, well adjusted adults. One has diabetes but is off all meds since moving in here for sugar and high blood pressure (yay us!) I must for information sake say dh and I are getting heavier than ever in our lives since they've moved in and we eat breads and meats more than we ever have. But we also are very busy and aren't near as athletic as we should be. My kids are in perfect health, have healthy body weights (size 0 and 6) and healthy ideas about food. I'm the one freaking out because I feel responsible for everyone~ STOP reading stuff that freaks you out. Just stop. I'm beginning to think that different people need different diets. Eat what makes you feel well. Not what gives you a sugar high, but what makes you feel HEALTHY. Have a weekly treat. "Tonight's brownie night!" Dessert through the rest of the week can be fruit with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a light "treat" like frozen yogurt. Food isn't supposed to be this complicated. Read the Omnivore's Dilemma. Commit to serving "treat food" that is made from scratch, so you will be less tempted to indulge. The awesome thing about this is that my kids, turn their noses up at processed food. They will usually eat a few bites, but they definitely prefer my from scratch food. Develop their palates for quality, healthy food and they will be less likely to go off the deep end with crappy processed stuff when they leave home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 You need to give the reading a break, you'll drive yourself crazy. Try this - eat what you feel like eating. Stop when you're full. Go for a walk every day. Try some new recipes. Drink water. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I really think different people do better with different foods. I can't eat gluten, because I have celiac. Other people I know can and do eat it and thrive. If you notice that something repeatedly makes you feel icky, tired, etc. stop eating it. I do best with mainly proteins (I do meat and legumes), some carbs (gluten free oats, sweet potatoes, bananas, occassional white potatoes), and veggies. I need a sweet now and then. I just try not to go overboard. And above all else, I need my coffee! :) Food info changes all the time, so you can't really base your diet decisions on it. But I don't think you can ever go wrong eating a balanced whole foods diet, but eliminate even whole foods that don't agree with you. Just my opinion based on nothing more than my own opinion. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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