9 ms·

The real issue is that not everyone has 7 hours a day to think about their diet (or someone else to do that for them). I tried this and after a month or two, I

The real issue is that not everyone has 7 hours a day to think about their diet (or someone else to do that for them). I tried this and after a month or two, I was burnt out and achieved much less of what I wanted to achieve outside of my diet. So yeah for me with my particular set of goals in life (ie: work, have a life, etc...) it's pretty impossible. I know some people who eat the same healthy foods every day to simplify this, but this is a) not something a lot of people can tolerate, and b) not actually good for you in the long run. Edit: "7 hours???" No it's not literally 7 hours every single day. The point is that it takes a long time to find recipes, cook, clean, shop, etc. But go ahead and miss the point to fixate on a little detail if you want I guess Edit 2: Another thing to consider is that even 'fresh natural healthy non-GMO' ingredients are selectively bred to taste better, resulting in a higher sugar content. This has gotten to the point where it causes issues in zoos [1] [1] https://www.smh.com.au/national/zoo-won-t-panda-to-taste-says-fruit-s-too-sweet-for-its-monkey-menu-20180928-p506lb.html https://www.smh.com.au/national/zoo-won-t-panda-to-taste-say...

zepto 5y ago
You tried spending 7 hours a day thinking about your diet? Also what do you mean by ‘have a life’? Doesn’t that just mean diet is a lower priority than other things? If you really don’t have much time, one approach is to improve your diet incrementally. Switch out cereal for oatmeal and fruit. Make another improvement next month. Keep doing this and in a year or so you’ll have a great diet.
- surfpel 5y ago
  Have a life means different things to different people, but in the end the point is the same. Make friends, do hobbies... things that make life actually enjoyable. Is cooking enjoyable? Sure, but spending so much time on it every single day can be a serious burden
  - alisonatwork 5y ago
    You don't need to spend "so much time" cooking to eat low in sugar. Plenty of vegetables can be eaten raw, notably all the "standard" salad vegetables in the west like cucumber, carrot, tomato, avocado, celery, bell pepper and so on. You can eat them in a salad by themselves, or you can make some noodles (thin Asian noodles just require stirring for a few seconds in boiling water) and toss the raw veges in with some seasoning of your choice. Nuts and seeds are easy to add too, and don't require cooking. Tofu doesn't need cooking. If you don't mind eating bread, you can make a sandwich instead of a salad or a noodle bowl. If you are making a breakfast or don't mind oats for dinner, just buy quick oats and add some water, stir it up and eat. Frying an egg doesn't take long, or stir-frying some meat, if you eat those things. No need to put a pot on the stove or chuck something in the oven. Think about how people eat when they are camping, or how short order cooks make food in diners, or how street vendors cook stuff up for you on-the-spot. I would say most meals you should be able to make within 15 minutes of chopping/prep, plus 5 minutes if it needs to be fried. It's really not that big of an investment.
    - surfpel 5y ago
      > Plenty of vegetables can be eaten raw And this is what I do, but it doesn't meet my caloric needs unfortunately. I really wish I could sustain myself off of just that. Same with some of your other suggestions. I know because I've tried for a while :) > Think about how people eat when they are camping People eat like that because they're camping > I would say most meals you should be able to make within 15 minutes of chopping/prep, plus 5 minutes if it needs to be fried Yeah that's just not true
      - alisonatwork 5y ago
        I'm not sure what you mean by your "caloric needs" being so high that you cannot possibly meet them with a meal made in 20 minutes. You could eat a stick of butter in 5 minutes. No sugar. Plenty of calories. In fact, that's exactly what some thru hikers do. If you really require a vast amount of calories, this is solved by eating fat, which you could get in oils, nuts, seeds, butter, cheese and processed meats - all of which require zero cooking time. If you don't like the taste of any vegetables, or noodles, or porridge/oatmeal, or bread, or fruit, or stir-fried meat, or anything that does not require being stewed or baked or smoked for several hours... then just say so. But then that's a personal preference for the type of food you choose to eat - it doesn't mean that it takes "so much time" to cook nutritional, varied and delicious food. It's fine if you only enjoy a very limited set of foods, but I suspect most people have a broader palate.
  - zepto 5y ago
    > Sure, but every spending so much time on it every single day can be a serious burden Yes, but that simply isn’t necessary.
- throwaway81523 5y ago
  > oatmeal and fruit Hate to break it to you but fruit is not far removed from sugar. Oatmeal is further but it's still carbs.
  - zepto 5y ago
    > Hate to break it to you but fruit is not far removed from sugar. Hate to break it to you, but you don’t need a lot. Also my point is that you can incrementally improve your diet. Oatmeal and fruit is way better than most packaged cereal. If you know of something better still why not share it, so people can make another incremental improvement?
  - ncmncm 5y ago
    There is nothing wrong with "carbs" that are not sugar. Starch is made out of glucose, which is generally harmless. Oatmeal has lots of fiber. The problem with sucrose is the fructose that makes up half of it. Fruit almost always has plenty of fiber in it to modulate sugar absorption long enough that your gut bacteria get most of it. So, fruit is harmless, except grapes, which apparently have had the fiber bred out of them.
    - AstralStorm 5y ago
      That's an interesting assumption, but do we have sufficient sources to back it? I'd assume at least certain fruit would still be dangerous, like grapes, figs, maybe dates. And of course candied fruit too.
      - ncmncm 5y ago
        I have been unable to find out whether wild ancestors of grapes (if there are any left) have more fiber than domestic varieties. And, I don't know about dates. But I am assured by numerous online sources that domesticated grapes have vanishingly little fiber, however that came about. I have encountered a claim that sugar in mango is, uniquely, mostly fructose. But I have been unable to confirm that.
      - slacka 5y ago
bloqs 5y ago
7 hours a day? Why strawman so hard
derac 5y ago
I cook up some meat and vegetables in 20-30 minutes and they last a few days. It's not that hard to do. It just takes a bit of learning what vegetables you like and how you like them cooked. I mix it up with some less healthy foods, but as long as that isn't the majority of your diet, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
- surfpel 5y ago
  What I do now is to meal prep when I can and eat 'unhealthy sugary foods' when I can't > as long as that isn't the majority of your diet, I wouldn't worry too much about it Exactly. For me this is the only practical approach.
pier25 5y ago
It doesn't take any time. We barely eat any sugar at home and don't spend that much time thinking about what to eat. Breakfast: Cortado (espresso with a bit of milk), eggs with some sauteed vegetables, maybe an avocado on the side. Lunch: Meat or fish with vegetables. Dinner: Quesadillas or a sandwich with low glycemic index bread (we buy one called Ezekiel but you probably can find other brands).
- surfpel 5y ago
  > We ... Perhaps this is the key point here. It's not 'We' for me. I don't have anyone else to rely on for this, like many others who can't afford the time.
- simmerup 5y ago
  What veg do you sauté with your eggs? Any spices? Asking for breakfast ideas
  - pier25 5y ago
    I said sauteed to simplify, but what we do is a kind of ratatouille. We do it once every 2-3 weeks and use a bit on every breakfast. We freeze it in batches, and every couple of days we defrost a new batch in the fridge. Our version of ratatouille has tomato, eggplant, onion, zucchini, and carrot. Typically we do scrambled eggs, preheat the ratatouille, and then serve it on top of the eggs with sprinkled goat cheese. It's super easy and fast to do for any number of people. Another preparation we absolutely love is: a toast of low glycemic Ezekiel bread[1] with the pre heated ratatouille on it, some sprinkled goat cheese, and a fried egg on top of everything with sprinkled hot salsa (I guess some Sriracha would work too if you're into that). It's delicious. We also typically add half avocado on the side of those dishes. Since we live in Mexico these are plentiful and very cheap. We've measured our blood glucose before and after eating either of those breakfasts and it barely changes. [1] https://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49 https://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49
    - simmerup 5y ago
tayo42 5y ago
> not actually good for you in the long run. So you would rather eat a sugar filled diet of processed food then eat the same healthy things because you think its not good for you? not good for you based on what?
- surfpel 5y ago
  Nope you misunderstood. Having low variability in a diet is not good for you because you a good diet is also a diverse diet
  - tayo42 5y ago
    Based off what? these are ambiguous terms. You can have a varied diet of mcdonalds, taco bell, arbys and wings or eat chicken, eggs and broccoli everyday, the second will be healthier without question. I think the only thing you might be thinking of is missing out on some nutrients if you really just eat the same things but that is pretty extreme situation. eating meat will get you almost everything you need to function. unless you have some sources that say otherwise or explain your point better

zepto 5y ago

You tried spending 7 hours a day thinking about your diet? Also what do you mean by ‘have a life’? Doesn’t that just mean diet is a lower priority than other things? If you really don’t have much time, one approach is to improve your diet incrementally. Switch out cereal for oatmeal and fruit. Make another improvement next month. Keep doing this and in a year or so you’ll have a great diet.

surfpel 5y ago
Have a life means different things to different people, but in the end the point is the same. Make friends, do hobbies... things that make life actually enjoyable. Is cooking enjoyable? Sure, but spending so much time on it every single day can be a serious burden
- alisonatwork 5y ago
  You don't need to spend "so much time" cooking to eat low in sugar. Plenty of vegetables can be eaten raw, notably all the "standard" salad vegetables in the west like cucumber, carrot, tomato, avocado, celery, bell pepper and so on. You can eat them in a salad by themselves, or you can make some noodles (thin Asian noodles just require stirring for a few seconds in boiling water) and toss the raw veges in with some seasoning of your choice. Nuts and seeds are easy to add too, and don't require cooking. Tofu doesn't need cooking. If you don't mind eating bread, you can make a sandwich instead of a salad or a noodle bowl. If you are making a breakfast or don't mind oats for dinner, just buy quick oats and add some water, stir it up and eat. Frying an egg doesn't take long, or stir-frying some meat, if you eat those things. No need to put a pot on the stove or chuck something in the oven. Think about how people eat when they are camping, or how short order cooks make food in diners, or how street vendors cook stuff up for you on-the-spot. I would say most meals you should be able to make within 15 minutes of chopping/prep, plus 5 minutes if it needs to be fried. It's really not that big of an investment.
  - surfpel 5y ago
    > Plenty of vegetables can be eaten raw And this is what I do, but it doesn't meet my caloric needs unfortunately. I really wish I could sustain myself off of just that. Same with some of your other suggestions. I know because I've tried for a while :) > Think about how people eat when they are camping People eat like that because they're camping > I would say most meals you should be able to make within 15 minutes of chopping/prep, plus 5 minutes if it needs to be fried Yeah that's just not true
    - alisonatwork 5y ago
      I'm not sure what you mean by your "caloric needs" being so high that you cannot possibly meet them with a meal made in 20 minutes. You could eat a stick of butter in 5 minutes. No sugar. Plenty of calories. In fact, that's exactly what some thru hikers do. If you really require a vast amount of calories, this is solved by eating fat, which you could get in oils, nuts, seeds, butter, cheese and processed meats - all of which require zero cooking time. If you don't like the taste of any vegetables, or noodles, or porridge/oatmeal, or bread, or fruit, or stir-fried meat, or anything that does not require being stewed or baked or smoked for several hours... then just say so. But then that's a personal preference for the type of food you choose to eat - it doesn't mean that it takes "so much time" to cook nutritional, varied and delicious food. It's fine if you only enjoy a very limited set of foods, but I suspect most people have a broader palate.
- zepto 5y ago
  > Sure, but every spending so much time on it every single day can be a serious burden Yes, but that simply isn’t necessary.
throwaway81523 5y ago
> oatmeal and fruit Hate to break it to you but fruit is not far removed from sugar. Oatmeal is further but it's still carbs.
- zepto 5y ago
  > Hate to break it to you but fruit is not far removed from sugar. Hate to break it to you, but you don’t need a lot. Also my point is that you can incrementally improve your diet. Oatmeal and fruit is way better than most packaged cereal. If you know of something better still why not share it, so people can make another incremental improvement?
- ncmncm 5y ago
  There is nothing wrong with "carbs" that are not sugar. Starch is made out of glucose, which is generally harmless. Oatmeal has lots of fiber. The problem with sucrose is the fructose that makes up half of it. Fruit almost always has plenty of fiber in it to modulate sugar absorption long enough that your gut bacteria get most of it. So, fruit is harmless, except grapes, which apparently have had the fiber bred out of them.
  - AstralStorm 5y ago
    That's an interesting assumption, but do we have sufficient sources to back it? I'd assume at least certain fruit would still be dangerous, like grapes, figs, maybe dates. And of course candied fruit too.
    - ncmncm 5y ago
      I have been unable to find out whether wild ancestors of grapes (if there are any left) have more fiber than domestic varieties. And, I don't know about dates. But I am assured by numerous online sources that domesticated grapes have vanishingly little fiber, however that came about. I have encountered a claim that sugar in mango is, uniquely, mostly fructose. But I have been unable to confirm that.
    - slacka 5y ago

bloqs 5y ago

7 hours a day? Why strawman so hard

derac 5y ago

I cook up some meat and vegetables in 20-30 minutes and they last a few days. It's not that hard to do. It just takes a bit of learning what vegetables you like and how you like them cooked. I mix it up with some less healthy foods, but as long as that isn't the majority of your diet, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

surfpel 5y ago
What I do now is to meal prep when I can and eat 'unhealthy sugary foods' when I can't > as long as that isn't the majority of your diet, I wouldn't worry too much about it Exactly. For me this is the only practical approach.

pier25 5y ago

It doesn't take any time. We barely eat any sugar at home and don't spend that much time thinking about what to eat. Breakfast: Cortado (espresso with a bit of milk), eggs with some sauteed vegetables, maybe an avocado on the side. Lunch: Meat or fish with vegetables. Dinner: Quesadillas or a sandwich with low glycemic index bread (we buy one called Ezekiel but you probably can find other brands).

surfpel 5y ago
> We ... Perhaps this is the key point here. It's not 'We' for me. I don't have anyone else to rely on for this, like many others who can't afford the time.
simmerup 5y ago
What veg do you sauté with your eggs? Any spices? Asking for breakfast ideas
- pier25 5y ago
  I said sauteed to simplify, but what we do is a kind of ratatouille. We do it once every 2-3 weeks and use a bit on every breakfast. We freeze it in batches, and every couple of days we defrost a new batch in the fridge. Our version of ratatouille has tomato, eggplant, onion, zucchini, and carrot. Typically we do scrambled eggs, preheat the ratatouille, and then serve it on top of the eggs with sprinkled goat cheese. It's super easy and fast to do for any number of people. Another preparation we absolutely love is: a toast of low glycemic Ezekiel bread[1] with the pre heated ratatouille on it, some sprinkled goat cheese, and a fried egg on top of everything with sprinkled hot salsa (I guess some Sriracha would work too if you're into that). It's delicious. We also typically add half avocado on the side of those dishes. Since we live in Mexico these are plentiful and very cheap. We've measured our blood glucose before and after eating either of those breakfasts and it barely changes. [1] https://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49 https://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49
  - simmerup 5y ago

tayo42 5y ago

> not actually good for you in the long run. So you would rather eat a sugar filled diet of processed food then eat the same healthy things because you think its not good for you? not good for you based on what?

surfpel 5y ago
Nope you misunderstood. Having low variability in a diet is not good for you because you a good diet is also a diverse diet
- tayo42 5y ago
  Based off what? these are ambiguous terms. You can have a varied diet of mcdonalds, taco bell, arbys and wings or eat chicken, eggs and broccoli everyday, the second will be healthier without question. I think the only thing you might be thinking of is missing out on some nutrients if you really just eat the same things but that is pretty extreme situation. eating meat will get you almost everything you need to function. unless you have some sources that say otherwise or explain your point better