Be honest, how is your diet?

[DaisySmith]

So although my CPAP therapy is helping I'm still tired. It occurred to me that my diet may be playing a large part in this. I am over 40 and I eat somewhat healthy (some days more than others) but I know I could be doing so much better. Im not eating enough greens and protein. I fully admit I'm not getting as much exercise as I should either. I'm going through some major major stress right now and I haven't been as good as I should.

So for those who are still tired...how is your diet?
Is anyone still tired but has a great healthy diet?
How does working out affect your sleep?

I think my apnea has robbed me of years of sleep but I also think diet and fitness are playing a part and I need to improve those things along with the CPAP. Thoughts?

[ChicagoGranny]

The foundations of health are,

- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Activity

[Huh?]

greens

Way overrated. A few colorful vegetables and a limited amount of fruit daily are all that is needed.

[IDontSnoreISwear]

So although my CPAP therapy is helping I'm still tired. It occurred to me that my diet may be playing a large part in this. I am over 40 and I eat somewhat healthy (some days more than others) but I know I could be doing so much better. Im not eating enough greens and protein. I fully admit I'm not getting as much exercise as I should either. I'm going through some major major stress right now and I haven't been as good as I should.

So for those who are still tired...how is your diet?
Is anyone still tired but has a great healthy diet?
How does working out affect your sleep?

I think my apnea has robbed me of years of sleep but I also think diet and fitness are playing a part and I need to improve those things along with the CPAP. Thoughts?

Quality of food is important but on a day-to-day basis I find that when I eat is almost as important as what I eat. If I eat dinner too late at night, it affects the quality of my sleep (ugh, the weird dreams!) and makes me feel tired the next day.

[ChicagoGranny]

Be honest, how is your diet?

I prefer to lie, thank you.

[marnne108]

The foundations of health are,

- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Activity

+1

[Violet West]

terrible. I don't know why I have the discipline to take all my meds every day, use the machine every day, and not have the discipline to eat right. Can't seem to do it.

[BlackSpinner]

During the day I keep to a low carb diet, after 8 -9 pm I fall off it completely.

[Goofproof]

greens

Way overrated. A few colorful vegetables and a limited amount of fruit daily are all that is needed.

Cows eat the Greens, I eat the Cows. Jim

[kteague]

I would try to lie, but since my avatar is right here, it would betray me. No words of wisdom here.

[zoocrewphoto]

I dislike most fruits and veggies. Can't eat spicy, and I hate certain textures.

So, if you take away what I should not eat as well as what I won't eat, there wouldn't be much left to live on.

So, I eat a lot of meat, dairy, and carbs. Not many veggies. I do wish that healthy food tasted good to me.

[chunkyfrog]

I am having some luck with restricted carbs keeping my blood sugars down.
I know I need more veggies, but one gets tired of frozen stir-fry.
The grocery produce counter is full of half-rotten puke, rather than fresh--as promised.
My garden still lies fallow, because of all the hail. Dying for broccolini.
My new electric pressure cooker seems to help with my inability to properly cook cheap meat.

[Janknitz]

I'm battling a few pounds that have crept back on in the past year--a bit of carb creep and stress for sure.

I generally eat pretty well--low carb, high fat, paleo style. But I've been indulging a little here and there--a small potato, a bit of rice or quinoa or legumes that are doing me no good. Time to tighten things up again.

Mostly though, it's eggs, fish, meat, and lots of veggies, a small amount of fruit (mostly berries), fermented foods. I try to keep the foundation solid.

[Julie]

I think it's important to remember that processed carbs, sweets, etc. are a problem, but we need carbs for energy otherwise, and just vegetables may not be enough if we haven't studied vegetarian recipes to find tasty ones. Protein isn't enough... it strengthens muscles, but carbs are fuel.

[Janknitz]

Hey Julie, we could get into the big debate, but I'm not going there, we can agree to disagree. Suffice to say, fat and protein are also fuel. Protein and fatty acids are essential to life. Those of us who choose to eat very low carb where most of our carbs come from vegetables do just fine because our energy is supplied by moderate protein and a good amount of fat. I'm 6 years into this way of life and healthier than ever--far more energy than I ever had before.

There are some people who choose to do zero carb. Personally, I don't think that's healthy in the long term, not because they need carbs, but because there are vitamins, minerals, microbes, and micronutrients we probably cannot even understand at this point that you simply cannot get from just meat and offal. Even the Inuit, who are held up as a traditional culture that thrived on a diet of meat and fat much of the year would pursue vegetables when they could get them.

And we do agree that vegetables alone are not the answer. Some people follow diets like McDougall--all vegetables and starch, no fat at all (not even avocado or nuts are permitted) and no animal products at all (no fish, eggs, meat, dairy, not even fish oil supplements). I live in the town where he practices and runs his seminars--the people I know who have tried have not found it sustainable and they looked pretty bad when following this diet. They got skinny, but they look like cancer survivors, not exactly the picture of health. And nobody I know managed to stick with it even for a year, despite the fact that it's somewhat easy to do around here--abundant farmers markets and restaurants that serve "McDougall entrees."