What are your principles in eating?

[ehirsch83]

My food is pretty similar most days- focus similar to you though- on good fats.

breakfast: coffee with whole milk and raw sugar (or agave or honey) and 2 eggs with Ezekiel bread with either nut butter spread, or I create an egg sandwich.

lunch: soup

dinner: either salad (which has to have spinach, carrots, dried cherries, sunflower seeds walnuts and then whatever else wanted to add-avocado, cheese, other veggies,etc.+ protein)

salad dressings are all home made and include good for you fats- olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, mayo that has omega 3+6s,etc.

or for dinner steamed veggies with a homemade peanut sauce(includes amino acids and fish sauce).

I am big on my body working off of good fats and I have an extremely low carb intake.. I do eat out once or so a week, but end up sticking to protein and veggies- my body doesn't handle other food as well(I get really tired after I eat if it is carby,greasy,etc.)

[westtexas]

I eat Paleo too. Since mid-October. Never going back (well, that and I found out I actually have celiac disease). I follow it pretty closely, with a few exceptions for (very occasional) cheese, good red wine and 90% chocolate (can't eat anything else, I find 90% to be almost too sweet at this point). I eat a lot of pasture raised eggs, grass-fed meats, veggies and a few apples now and then (oh, and berries). On the days I eat too many carbs, I can definitely feel it. I also fast a lot - mostly on weekends. I have never felt better in my life. It's a bit more expensive this way but I feel like the money I invest in my health now will pay off later.

It's amazing how nutrition affects your health.

[Reesha]

Do you fast for full days? I used to do it when I could take loooonnng leisurely walks into the mountains in upstate NY, but in the city it's torture. I really need to find a way to fast. I used to do it at the first sign of illness and it always made me feel better.

[westtexas]

Do you fast for full days? I used to do it when I could take loooonnng leisurely walks into the mountains in upstate NY, but in the city it's torture. I really need to find a way to fast. I used to do it at the first sign of illness and it always made me feel better.

Typically I can't. I am always starving when I wake up in the morning, so I always eat breakfast. And since I work 6 days a week, I have to eat before I go to work or I just can't focus and get anything done. Usually on weekends (those I don't work), I skip lunch and often dinner. I just try to eat when I'm hungry. If I am not hungry, I don't eat. During the week I don't always have dinner because I'm not usually hungry after work. Seems to be working out well so far.

[shootingstar]

I have never thought of the word "fasting" as a means to cope with feeling ill.
I don't think of "fasting" in that way at all.

I just think of it as just eating less later, if I've eaten a large, nice lunch.

[westtexas]

I have never thought of the word "fasting" as a means to cope with feeling ill.
I don't think of "fasting" in that way at all.

I just think of it as just eating less later, if I've eaten a large, nice lunch.

I'm not sure if there is any research behind it, but Mark Sisson, the guy behind the Primal Blueprint (one of the major Paleo books) recommends fasting if you feel you are getting ill. It's supposed to increase your body's fat burn and is supposed to help ramp up defenses. I have found it to be very useful in this regard, actually. I guess the saying, "feed a cold, starve a fever" has some merit.

[Reesha]

I have never thought of the word "fasting" as a means to cope with feeling ill.
I don't think of "fasting" in that way at all.

I just think of it as just eating less later, if I've eaten a large, nice lunch.

A number of my students fast for religious reasons for full days or for 12 hours at a time. That's usually the first thing I think of when I think of fasting. I would drink water and tea and rest on the days I would fast. There's no real science behind what I did, other than that it worked for me. I would lay down, give my GI tract a rest, take nice slow walks, and feel better the next day. Working with children, there were a lot of weekends where I could feel something coming on that I was able to nip in the bud this way.

[bmccasland]

This has been an interesting read.

I'm an omnivore, with a weakness for bakery items, and dark chocolate. Much to my waistline's dismay.
But in general I try to eat whole grains, a reasonable amount of fruits and vegetables, leaner cuts of meat. I'll eat fried food out, but don't do it at home - too messy. I happen to dislike mushrooms (the texture) and eggs, so will avoid eating them if I'm out to the best that I can without looking like a spoiled picky eater. The only foods I must avoid eating is squid and octopus, don't need another ride to a hosipital by ambulance - anaphalytic shock.

Am borderline hypoglycemic, so I don't fast. I've learned that I have to have protein if I indulge myself in pancakes or waffles for breakfast, and go light on the syrup. Now I'm thinking about pecan waffles with a side of applesauce, and a piece of breakfast ham from Waffle House...