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Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

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Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#151
I've been slowly trying to make myself eat healthier (ok, I lied, my wife is)...

Some of the things I've started eating regularly (and craving) that aren't all that bad: - carrots and hummus. super cheap, filling, hummus makes it a little more exciting than plain carrots, but not as unhealthy as ranch. - a jar of nuts. I prefer the lower-salt dry roasted peanuts to help satisfy my salty cravings. - goldfish crackers. this is my splurge item. I usually get the whole grain ones to feel better about myself. - i've also snacked on grapes, bananas, and other fruit as well. - for "chocolate" cravings sometimes I'll have a fiber one/fiber plus bar. nutrition-wise, they're not all that good for you, but its better than a candy bar. and the repercussions of the fiber will at least make you think twice before eating it in the office...

Bottom line: Figure out what you actually _need_ and not just what you're craving. Your body is smarter than you think about knowing what you need. I can typically classify my cravings as either "protein" (hummus/nuts), "salty" (nuts/goldfish), "sweet" (fruit), or just empty (ie lunchtime and/or carrots/fruit). I don't need a whole lot of variety, so as you can see, my short list of regulars double-covers most of these which is just fine for me (and easy to keep handy at work).

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#152

I've been slowly trying to make myself eat healthier (ok, I lied, my wife is)... Some of the things I've started eating regularly (and craving) that aren't all that bad: - carrots and hummus. super cheap, filling, hummus makes it a little more exciting than plain carrots, but not as unhealthy as ranch. - a jar of nuts. I prefer the lower-salt dry roasted peanuts to help satisfy my salty cravings. - goldfish crackers.…

Carrots + Hummus = Awesome. I discovered that a few weeks ago.

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#153
I've sought out healthier substitutes so that I can 'bait-and-switch' my cravings.

My best switches: - PBJ with sliced strawberries instead of jelly and on wheat bread (I actually like it better this way) - Diet Dr. Pepper (best Diet soda I've found)

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#154
post #36
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10 minutes of jogging burns an apple.

Okay, then you've done the equivalent of 20 minutes of jogging better. You know what I mean.

Downvoted? I honestly don't understand - what was jules' observation supposed to mean? I wasn't being snarky - I was trying to make sense of it!

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#155
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this advice is it doesn't take onto count the Glycemic index of the fruit. Case in point - Watermelon and Pineapple. While it seems reasonable to say eat as much fruit as you want, both these items very high glycemic values - above 85 out of a 100 point scale. Why does this matter? High glycemic foods cause a spike in your blood sugar - this causes hunger, among other things. The best 'hack' to contr…

Best comment I've read the entire thread - people don't realize that the GI of carbs is the most important factor to weight loss. Managing blood sugar and keeping a steady, non-spiking blood sugar level will result in pretty much automatic weight loss, without even having to diet. My snacks are usually a small handful of almonds and a piece of fruit. Also, you can combine a somewhat high GI fruit like an apple with a…

True, but separate from GL in this case... so while watermelon has a high glycemic index, it has SO much water : sugar ratio that it's a very different animal from Pineapple.

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#156
post #80
post #40

Your cravings are a signal from your body that something is wrong. You need to address the cause (whatever it is) and not the effect (the cravings). Unfortunately, the cause may be difficult to determine. Fortunately, there is a great hack that probably addresses the cause: fruit. Lots of fruit. Always raw. Preferably on an empty stomach. Not too much variety. Fruit is loaded with just about every nutrient your body…

The problem with this advice is it doesn't take onto count the Glycemic index of the fruit. Case in point - Watermelon and Pineapple. While it seems reasonable to say eat as much fruit as you want, both these items very high glycemic values - above 85 out of a 100 point scale. Why does this matter? High glycemic foods cause a spike in your blood sugar - this causes hunger, among other things. The best 'hack' to contr…

I completely agree with you regarding the fruits (and vegetables!) and GI.

But I also want to really stress that it is VERY important to consume enough foods that come from animals.

Why?

Vitamin B12 http://www.amazon.com/Could-Be-B12-Epidemic-Misdiagnoses/dp/...

It's vital for your health and it burns up especially when stressed.

Took me a long time to find/learn about this.. at that point I was not feeling my limbs really well anymore, started running into walls, could not concentrate, find words, blurred speech, etc.

It's truly a silent crippler, hence my focus on this particular vitamin in this reply.

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#157
The best thing you can start with is to always have simple-to-prepare, healthy snacks on hand. See this excellent, free minimalist "cookbook" - http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/a-free-e-cookbook/

Eat lots of vegetables. If you don't like them, there are ways to teach your body to like them, with calorie signalling - if you persistently eat something, along with a high calorie load, your body will be conditioned to like it. (As a reward system.)

Also, seriously, try the Shangri-La diet. Despite the redonkulous name, it's based on scientific research that really strongly suggests that the body's hunger/craving systems are controlled like a thermostat, that you can reset by giving the body the right kind of "food cue" as to the environment around it/food available. Research paper:

http://www.sethroberts.net/science/

You're not craving chocolate, nachos & soda because your body needs something - you're craving them because sugar creates an addictive cycle in some people. (Not all - SOME.)

You should also see a doctor and get your fasting blood sugar checked because it's entirely possible that you have a blood sugar-related disorder, aka Syndrome X, insulinimia/insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and so on.

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#159
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Three words you need to remember at Starbucks: "Tall coffee, please" Tastes better than any of their espresso drinks, too (though that's not difficult.)

I recommend "short americano." Espresso+hot water, and as a short it's about the same price as a tall coffee for the same kick. Their espresso beans and pulls are pretty reliable; their coffee, not so much. Except for Tully's, I've never experienced a coffee chain with such a habit of failing to put in the drip filter correctly and handing out cups of sludge. And their light roasts are overly acidic, but that's just…

Last I heard, there was significantly less caffeine in a shot of espresso than in a cup of drip coffee.

Besides, then you wind up in the Espresso queue, which takes longer. But hey, whatever floats your turnip.

Re: Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Best comment I've read the entire thread - people don't realize that the GI of carbs is the most important factor to weight loss. Managing blood sugar and keeping a steady, non-spiking blood sugar level will result in pretty much automatic weight loss, without even having to diet. My snacks are usually a small handful of almonds and a piece of fruit. Also, you can combine a somewhat high GI fruit like an apple with a…

Managing blood sugar and keeping a steady, non-spiking blood sugar level will result in pretty much automatic weight loss Keeping a steady, non-spiking blood sugar level will result in no hunger pangs. The best way I've found to lose weight is to remove sugar, refined flour, processed foods, and grains from my diet. I've replaced them with fruits and veggies. When you reduce your carb intake to under 100 grams per da…

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