What are your principles in eating?

[Anelia]

Do you follow some long term diets? Like Paleo or The Zone or Intermittent Fasting or do you avoid some food combinations (separate diet)? Maybe some of you are vegetarians, vegans or even raw eaters.

I am omnivorous but my principles are not to eat carbs in the evening if I am not going to race in the morning. I also eat cottage cheese with some raw nuts before going to bed. I try (and most of the time succeed) not to eat sugar and also not to drink calories. I drink only milk or protein shakes but I do not drink juices or any other sweetened drinks. I avoid alcohol but I enjoy an occasional beer. I don't fry food: I boil, bake, grill or eat raw. I use only good fats: virgin olive oil, nuts and of course fat from animal products: fat meat (I like pork and lamb), whole milk, butter, eggs, cheese and sour cream. I eat bread once in a blue moon but when I eat it, it doesn't have to be whole grain.

[tealtreak]

Do you follow some long term diets? Like Paleo or The Zone or Intermittent Fasting or do you avoid some food combinations (separate diet)? Maybe some of you are vegetarians, vegans or even raw eaters.

I am omnivorous but my principles are not to eat carbs in the evening if I am not going to race in the morning. I also eat cottage cheese with some raw nuts before going to bed. I try (and most of the time succeed) not to eat sugar and also not to drink calories. I drink only milk or protein shakes but I do not drink juices or any other sweetened drinks. I avoid alcohol but I enjoy an occasional beer. I don't fry food: I boil, bake, grill or eat raw. I use only good fats: virgin olive oil, nuts and of course fat from animal products: fat meat (I like pork and lamb), whole milk, butter, eggs, cheese and sour cream. I eat bread once in a blue moon but when I eat it, it doesn't have to be whole grain.

I have been a vegetarian for 11 years, eat tons of fruits and veggies, most from my gardens and fruit trees/brambles. I would easily do vegan, but can't convert my family. Interesting note on that- one of my triathlete teen sons tried to eat what i do for a month and lost too much weight and couldn't train full speed. I think the best diet must be what makes you feel good and works for you (age/gender/health issues)

[shootingstar]

We don't deep fry food at all.

I stir fry/sautee 2-3 times per week (which is not the same in technique at times)....which if I can say: a huge % of the population outside of Western world can be healthy on this technique for life, if it's whole foods, unprocessed and oil used (not butter) sparingly, no sugar and know how to use this technique in multiple ways.

After all, salads are not widespread or a very frequent dish in traditional Asian cuisine. And boiled can be punishing to killing flavour of some veggies.
Steaming and preserving tasty flavour works for some veggies..but then there's a need to overlay with sauces....

So sautee with right recipes/combinations makes a vegetable dish more dynamic.

I don't have white rice anymore nor alot of bread, because I get sugar crashes /tip towards diabetes 2.

So it's light noodles. I have egg replacement 2-3 times per month in omelet, whatever. I eat lean meat about 2-4 times per month. I will have skim milk products, I have heavier European strong cheeses (3-6 times per month). I haven't bought butter for home in past few years but will have it at a restaurant, sparingly.

Over 40% of our home cooking is Asian in taste/technique/veggies. (I do get a hankering for boy choy, choi sum, nappa, gai lan, Chinese eggplant, lotus root, water chestnuts,,..etc.) any of these, over time. So I buy and prepare. Then other stuff integrates his techniques/dishes ..salads, some German/whatever dishes, ie. koh rabi with a white sauce, pureed soups (I tend to make consomme veggie/noodle soups), etc.

I don't race-cycle/run. So have no idea how these foods are like..but I have sisters who have a diet similar to mine and they jog regularily/run 1/2 and full marathons.

They are fine. One of them is in great shape and she's had 3 children.

Maybe you can visit us and join us in this mixed up way of eating.
Oh yea, I gotta cut out my sweet tooth. Hanging around with someone originally from Germany has helped me develop discerning taste for fine pastries...the real quality stuff and artisanal bread.

Does Bulgaria have alot of Asians living there?

[Blueberry]

No beef. No pork. No bell peppers.

Whole (non-processed) foods as much as possible. Limit carbs and high fat foods. Rarely drink juice. Usually drink tea and water.

Try to live by the mantra: eat food. mostly plants. not too much.

[Anelia]

It's very interesting about Asian cousine. I'd love to try some of the food. We have Chinese reastaurants in my town but I guess it's only the rice with veggies and soya sauce added and this makes them Asian. Well, there are different restaurants (like Thai) in the capital - Sofia but it's far away so I don't go often.
And on the whole, we don't have many Asian people living here. I know only some Vietnamese boys who study in the Naval Academy and some of them come to the school where I teach but I personally don't teach them. We took them sightseeing and these are my pictures with them.
Also when I was in Canada, I tried sushi, made by a Vietnamese friend. Someday I will try to find original products (the rice and the seaweed) and I'll try to cook sushi.
To be honest, I wouldn't be able to perform at my best at your type of food. We eat a lot of fat, especially in winter. Every people has their own traditional food which is connected with the area they live. It will be unnatural to the Eskimos for examle to eat more bananas or oranges.
In Bulgaria we have a tradition to slaughter a pig at Christmas I know that this may sound a little barbarian but it's a really nice tradition with family gatherings and parties. We melt the fat, taken from the pig and we boil it to get pure white fat which people use for cooking. Well, not the contemporary people, but older people, living in villages.

[Owlie]

The only things I won't eat are peas, raisins, veal, and invertebrates.
Animal protein (meat or eggs--milk doesn't cut it) at least twice a day.

Everything (except the above) in moderation. Yes, I eat deep-fried things, giant hamburgers (by TE standards, anyway ) , cheesecake, mac and cheese, etc. I'm trying to add more veggies to my diet, but I've been finding out that I seem to have higher than average protein requirements, especially in winter. I experimented with partial chicken breasts (not the huge mutant ones) with brown rice and lots of veggies for dinner. I was ravenous afterward. I could not survive as a vegetarian.

[Pax]

Mostly whole foods, lots of veggies and fruit, a little meat now and then.

[lph]

I experimented with partial chicken breasts (not the huge mutant ones) with brown rice and lots of veggies for dinner. I was ravenous afterward. I could not survive as a vegetarian.

Hey Owlie, are you sure it's the protein and not the fat or total calories you're missing? This sounds like a typical dinner for me, but when it's lean chicken or fish I have to compensate with a "lot" of fat, like oil dressings. I don't worry about it much as long as it's healthy fat and I can burn it off.

I don't have any absolute rules, but try to eat somewhat ethically and eco-friendly, without going vegetarian. I don't like mushrooms or fungi, and would prefer to not eat anything with an exoskeleton or anything that looks at me off the plate but in polite company I'll eat just about anything I'm served.

[Owlie]

Hey Owlie, are you sure it's the protein and not the fat or total calories you're missing? This sounds like a typical dinner for me, but when it's lean chicken or fish I have to compensate with a "lot" of fat, like oil dressings. I don't worry about it much as long as it's healthy fat and I can burn it off.

I don't have any absolute rules, but try to eat somewhat ethically and eco-friendly, without going vegetarian. I don't like mushrooms or fungi, and would prefer to not eat anything with an exoskeleton or anything that looks at me off the plate but in polite company I'll eat just about anything I'm served.

I get "low protein" headaches, even if the calorie content is about the same.:/

[soprano]

I try to eat a wide variety of foods. The more colorful the better. Nothing is out of bounds, but everything in moderation.

I'm trending towards vegetarian, not necessarily due to health or ethical concerns, but because I enjoy the cuisine. I would go vegetarian but my husband is not on board, so we have a few nights a week with meat and a few nights without. When I buy meat I buy good, high-quality, lean meat. It is more expensive so I buy less. I would rather have 3 oz of something really good than 6 oz of something that is mediocre. I love fish and shellfish; again, quality over quantity here. I have stopped eating fish species that are known to have high mercury levels.

I keep a loose tab on calories long term, because I want to maintain my current weight long term. I can watch my waistline now or lose 50 pounds a few years down the road: it's my choice.

[spazzdog]

In the animal/vegetable category I eat what ever won't bite back... as long as it's not cauliflower, brussel sprouts or canned veggies (and sometimes there's an exception to that).

I don't seem to have the "gotta have chocolate" gene, but I'll fight you for gummi bears

spazz

[GLC1968]

I don't seem to have the "gotta have chocolate" gene, but I'll fight you for gummi bears

Mmm, I'll take that fight! (I'm not a chocoholic either but I love me some gummi bears!).

My diet is now paleo. I include full fat raw goats milk and raw cheese, but I do subscribe to the rest of the paleo principles. I've been eating this way since August and I love how it makes me feel.

[jessmarimba]

I eat whatever. Unfortunately, as of late "whatever" hasn't been particularly healthy because money has been pretty tight. Lots of pasta w/red sauce. Soup. Yogurt w/granola & frozen fruit for breakfast. Frozen veggies & frozen chicken that I stir fry. The occasional stop at taco bell after one of my 14-hour days. And one 6-pack of beer (my vice) every two weeks.

Obviously I don't really avoid carbs. I need more iron and protein but can't really afford good meat (I don't eat beef with hormones, I have enough acne problems as it is). And I decided to stop buying fresh fruit bc I never seem to eat it before it goes bad.

[indysteel]

In the animal/vegetable category I eat what ever won't bite back... as long as it's not cauliflower, brussel sprouts or canned veggies (and sometimes there's an exception to that).

I don't seem to have the "gotta have chocolate" gene, but I'll fight you for gummi bears

spazz

This sums me up pretty well. I do like brussel sprouts though. I could do without chocolate and gummy bears, but don't stand between me and ice cream.

I like most foods in moderation. We try to eat local and seasonal. We usually make one veg dish and one meat dish each week. This week it was a bean and tomato pasta sauce and grilled flank steak fajitas. We otherwise try to eat in moderation. I don't drink much juice, soda or alcohol.

[Reesha]

My general principal is whole foods, local foods and organic foods. That's it, which has been problematic. Sometimes I overeat, sometimes I eat too much of one macronutrient. My health is great, but my weight is about 20 lbs too high. Thus I've given myself over to the powers of a personal trainer who is also a nationally competitive cyclist. Here's the plan I'll be sticking to until cycling season in the spring to lose the 20 lbs:

100-150 g lean protein per day (fish, chicken, tofu, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, turkey)
Under 150 g carbohydrate (25 g of carb per meal)
Fats should come primarily from nuts, extra virgin oils, oily fish, seeds
5 300-400 calorie (kcal) meals or 3 400-500 calorie meals with 2 200-300 calorie snacks
NO JUNK. No refined sugars.
Minimal alcoholic beverages.
Tons of fresh vegetables and fruit.
No starchy carbohydrates after lunchtime if I can help it.

It's pretty tight, but I'm really committed to reaching my goal. 20 lbs lighter by April. The workout program is intense too!