21 replies to this topic

[Ben]

I'd appreciate it if someone with more knowledge than me on nutrition rated my daily meals. I'm aiming for a low saturated fat, low carb and high protein diet.

 

Breakfast:

 

Var 1: Macadeimia nuts (handful)

 

Var 2: Two eggs fried in 30 ml of olive oil eaten with chilli sauce.

 

 

Lunch:

 

Tuna Salad: tuna, rocket, spinach, red leaf lettuce, red onion and jalenpenos.

 

 

Dinner:

 

- Var 1 (weight lifting day): Sweet potato, red onion, fenugreek, brocoli and curry powder mash.

 

- Var 2: Four boiled eggs.

 

 

In addition to this I have three 30g protein shakes with whole milk throughout the day and take the following supplements:

- Fish oil (1g)

 

- 2 x Kyolic garlic tablets

 

- 2 x Ginger extract

 

- 2 x AOR Ortho-core

 

- Astaxanthin 4mg

 

- Lycopene 10mg

 

- Lutein 2mg

 

- Glucosamine 1g

 

- Magnesium Citrate 500mg.

 

 

What do you think? Healthy? More saturated fat? Too few carbs?

Edited by Ben, 09 April 2014 - 10:10 AM.

[lourdaud]

What do you wish to achieve with this diet, if I may ask?

[TheFountain]

I think you need to add some whale blubber. 

[LaViidaLocaa]

Some comments:

1) you're aiming for a low saturated fat diet, yet you eat a lot of eggs and drink 3 shakes with whole milk. This is a little contradicting.

2) daily tuna may not be healthy. Tuna contains a lot of mercury, so try limiting tuna and substitute it with other types of fish (no swordfish)/meat.

3) Carbs are not necessary for life. Some people thrive on ketogenic diets (which are also very effective for cancer prevention and treatment of neurological disorders such as epilepsy), though your diet is not ketogenic (if you leave out the sweet potato, you might achieve ketosis, though that's your choice if you want reach that state).

 

Hope this helps!

[Ben]

Some comments:

1) you're aiming for a low saturated fat diet, yet you eat a lot of eggs and drink 3 shakes with whole milk. This is a little contradicting.

2) daily tuna may not be healthy. Tuna contains a lot of mercury, so try limiting tuna and substitute it with other types of fish (no swordfish)/meat.

3) Carbs are not necessary for life. Some people thrive on ketogenic diets (which are also very effective for cancer prevention and treatment of neurological disorders such as epilepsy), though your diet is not ketogenic (if you leave out the sweet potato, you might achieve ketosis, though that's your choice if you want reach that state).

 

Hope this helps!

 

I'm trying to keep a low sat fat diet by reducing unnecessary sources of it (takeaway food, processed food.)
 

Does tuna contain a lot of mercury? The tuna brand and type I use uses Skipjack tuna. It is moderately contaminated with mercury (vs elevated) according to the environmental defense fund: http://seafood.edf.org/tuna. According to the NRDC I should be eating 6 or less per month: http://www.nrdc.org/...cury/guide.asp. Given this, I think I will alternate with salmon and eat fish only three times a week. Quite an eye opener, thanks.

 

I do well on this lowish carb diet. I get fat and lethargic quickly on a higher carb diet.

[LaViidaLocaa]

 

Some comments:

1) you're aiming for a low saturated fat diet, yet you eat a lot of eggs and drink 3 shakes with whole milk. This is a little contradicting.

2) daily tuna may not be healthy. Tuna contains a lot of mercury, so try limiting tuna and substitute it with other types of fish (no swordfish)/meat.

3) Carbs are not necessary for life. Some people thrive on ketogenic diets (which are also very effective for cancer prevention and treatment of neurological disorders such as epilepsy), though your diet is not ketogenic (if you leave out the sweet potato, you might achieve ketosis, though that's your choice if you want reach that state).

 

Hope this helps!

 

I'm trying to keep a low sat fat diet by reducing unnecessary sources of it (takeaway food, processed food.)
 

Does tuna contain a lot of mercury? The tuna brand and type I use uses Skipjack tuna. It is moderately contaminated with mercury (vs elevated) according to the environmental defense fund: http://seafood.edf.org/tuna. According to the NRDC I should be eating 6 or less per month: http://www.nrdc.org/...cury/guide.asp. Given this, I think I will alternate with salmon and eat fish only three times a week. Quite an eye opener, thanks.

 

I do well on this lowish carb diet. I get fat and lethargic quickly on a higher carb diet.

 

 

This is mainly due to the fact that tuna is a large predatory fish (high on the food chain), hence eating fish that eat fish that eat fish … that eat mercury-containing algae. This way mercury accumulates up each chain, being very high in tuna.
Smaller (and thus better) fish to eat is salmon, sardines, mackerel, … conveniently my favorite types of fish! No need to limit fish if choosing types lower on the food chain.

 

Some people don't handle carbs well. For this, you might think about maybe supplementing with cinnamon and/or chromium picolinate, which stabilize blood sugar levels.

[lemonhead]

Smaller (and thus better) fish to eat is salmon, sardines, mackerel, … conveniently my favorite types of fish! No need to limit fish if choosing types lower on the food chain.

Herring is good, also. I love smoked herring, but don't eat it that much since the smoking process introduces some nasty chemicals. I have some canned smoked herring with black pepper; when I open the tin my cat smells it and pesters me, but then when I give him a sample he won't eat it. He does scarf up the sardine guts I give him, though.

 

 

Edited by lemonhead, 11 April 2014 - 01:55 PM.

[Ben]

I can't stand the fishyness of the smaller fish. I like tuna because the flesh is very neutral tasting and will take up the flavour of the salad dressing I use.

 

Can anyone suggest another lunch that's low carb, low AGE, quick to prepare and high in protein?

[lemonhead]

I can't stand the fishyness of the smaller fish. I like tuna because the flesh is very neutral tasting and will take up the flavour of the salad dressing I use.

 

Can anyone suggest another lunch that's low carb, low AGE, quick to prepare and high in protein?

 

You and my family. I have to eat that stuff when they are out of the house,and it's just me and the cat.

 

Your salad paired with poached pork tenderloin might be an option. Pork has the advantage of being relatively low methionine, compared to egg whites, fish and poultry. I have an aversion to eating mammals so I don't eat much pork.

 

How do you feel about soy?

 

Can you prepare things ahead of time?
 

Edited by lemonhead, 11 April 2014 - 02:07 PM.

[LaViidaLocaa]

I can't stand the fishyness of the smaller fish. I like tuna because the flesh is very neutral tasting and will take up the flavour of the salad dressing I use.

 

Can anyone suggest another lunch that's low carb, low AGE, quick to prepare and high in protein?

 

You can eat whatever you want to at that moment. Just take some lean meat/poultry or fish (if you want to) and add some vegetables and fats.

 

If you want some recipe ideas, here are some of my go-to sources:

 

www.proteinpow.com

www.dhftns.com

www.rippedrecipes.com

 

They have lots and lots of types of recipes going from quickly made to slow cooker recipes. All high in protein, most low in carbs, high in fiber and pretty much all healthy!

[Ben]

 

I can't stand the fishyness of the smaller fish. I like tuna because the flesh is very neutral tasting and will take up the flavour of the salad dressing I use.

 

Can anyone suggest another lunch that's low carb, low AGE, quick to prepare and high in protein?

 

You can eat whatever you want to at that moment. Just take some lean meat/poultry or fish (if you want to) and add some vegetables and fats.

 

If you want some recipe ideas, here are some of my go-to sources:

 

www.proteinpow.com

www.dhftns.com

www.rippedrecipes.com

 

They have lots and lots of types of recipes going from quickly made to slow cooker recipes. All high in protein, most low in carbs, high in fiber and pretty much all healthy!

 

 

I'll have a look at those sites, thanks. I think I'll replace it with a slow cooked stew of lamb with high fiber vegetables. This is fufills my requirements best I think. Lean Australian lamb doesn't appear to be too high in Methionine

 

 

 

How do you feel about soy?

 

 

 

I'm a bit worried about the oestrogen factor (though, probably unnecesarily.)

Edited by Ben, 11 April 2014 - 02:21 PM.

[Brett Black]

Edited by Brett Black, 12 April 2014 - 05:46 AM.

[TheFountain]

Why eat Tuna when you can get fresh Tilapia really cheap at the asian market?

[LaViidaLocaa]

Why eat Tuna when you can get fresh Tilapia really cheap at the asian market?

 

I wouldn't go for tilapia or pangasius. Those are farmed fish that are usually contaminated.

Try to opt for wild-caught, a bit more expensive, but so worth it!

[TheFountain]

 

Why eat Tuna when you can get fresh Tilapia really cheap at the asian market?

 

I wouldn't go for tilapia or pangasius. Those are farmed fish that are usually contaminated.

Try to opt for wild-caught, a bit more expensive, but so worth it!

 

I eat Tilapia regularly and have never felt better. It is also extremely low in mercury.

 

I would opt for Tilapia over canned Tuna any day. 

Edited by TheFountain, 12 April 2014 - 08:37 PM.

[timar]

To put it short: way too many eggs and too much protein.

 

If you are a bodybuilder on a muscle building phase, such a diet may be appropriate. For optimum health and longevity, though, it is way off-track. You should reduce your intake of animal protein to no more than one ounce a day on avarage. See the recent topics on the adverse-effects of too much dietary protein.

 

To give you an example: yesterday I had muesli for breakfast (250 g yogurt) plus some milk (50 g) in my coffee (= 10 g animal protein). For lunch I had a vegan, Indian lentil soup (masor dal) and a small, yogurt-based dessert (100 g yogurt = 4 g). For dinner I had chili with beans and beef (100 g ground beef = 14 g) and lots of vegetables on whole-grain pita. This adds up to about one ounce of animal protein, which is more than my avarage intake, because I have meat or fish only every other day. I got plenty of plant-based protein from the legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables I had that day, for a total of at least two ounces of protein (= 230 kcal).

Edited by timar, 13 April 2014 - 09:09 AM.

[blood]

I'm trying to keep a low sat fat diet by reducing unnecessary sources of it (takeaway food, processed food.)

 

 

What was your diet like before?

 

 

Edited by blood, 14 April 2014 - 09:56 AM.

[Ben]

To put it short: way too many eggs and too much protein.

 

If you are a bodybuilder on a muscle building phase, such a diet may be appropriate. For optimum health and longevity, though, it is way off-track. You should reduce your intake of animal protein to no more than one ounce a day on avarage. See the recent topics on the adverse-effects of too much dietary protein.

 

To give you an example: yesterday I had muesli for breakfast (250 g yogurt) plus some milk (50 g) in my coffee (= 10 g animal protein). For lunch I had a vegan, Indian lentil soup (masor dal) and a small, yogurt-based dessert (100 g yogurt = 4 g). For dinner I had chili with beans and beef (100 g ground beef = 14 g) and lots of vegetables on whole-grain pita. This adds up to about one ounce of animal protein, which is more than my avarage intake, because I have meat or fish only every other day. I got plenty of plant-based protein from the legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables I had that day, for a total of at least two ounces of protein (= 230 kcal).

 

I've cut back on the eggs. I'm having them once a week now--if that. I am training and the protein shakes are temporary while I'm in this particular phase. For lunch I'm having a Salmon salad and for dinner I'm going to alternate a vegan and lamb stew in the slow cooker. Not sure about breakfast though. Subjectively, I feel good when I have the macadeimias, and they keep me going well until lunch. I tend to get fat quick on musli and any other cereals in the morning. Apart from the macadeimias, it's hard to think of better breakfast. Any suggestions?

 

Edit: One concern I have about the slow cooker is about the AGEs that are created when I microwave frozen containers of stew that I've stored in the freezer.

 

 

Edited by Ben, 15 April 2014 - 10:12 AM.

[blood]

 

Edit: One concern I have about the slow cooker is about the AGEs that are created when I microwave frozen containers of stew that I've stored in the freezer.

 

 

AGEs tend to be formed where there is heat + absence of moisture.

 

E.g., meat on a grill, or in a fry pan with oil.

 

Cooking with moisture (poaching, stewing, steaming, boiling) leads to much reduced AGE formation.

 

Therefore, I'd guess that reheating a soup/ stew would be safe.

 

Not sure if microwaves themselves (as opposed to other heating methods) have an impact in AGE formation.

[lemonhead]

from:

Advanced Glycation End Products in Foods and a
Practical Guide to Their Reduction in the Diet [PMID: 20497781]

 

 

Effect of Cooking Procedures on AGE Formation in Foods
Preparation of common foods under varying conditions of
water and heat had a different effect on dAGE content.
For example, scrambled eggs prepared in an open pan
over medium-low heat had about one half the dAGEs of
eggs prepared in the same way but over high heat.
Poached or steamed chicken had less than one fourth the
dAGEs of roasted or broiled chicken. In all food categories,
exposure to higher temperatures and lower moisture
levels coincided with higher dAGE levels for equal weight
of food as compared to foods prepared at lower temperatures
or with more moisture. Thus, frying, broiling, grilling,
and roasting yielded more dAGEs compared to boiling,
poaching, stewing, and steaming. Microwaving did
not raise dAGE content to the same extent as other dry
heat cooking methods for the relatively short cooking
times (6 minutes or less) that were tested.
 

[timar]

As long as you haven't radically changed your diet recently I think you can handle your protein requirement pretty much intuitively, simply by adhering to your appetite. When I have done some heavy, muscle building exercise, I always tend to crave protein. So I give in to that craving and have e.g. a heaping of scrambled eggs with cottage cheese (a protein shake should do the same, but I'm not used to it so my appetite doesn't relate it's taste to the protein content). That usually makes me feel fully satisfied, the craving subsides and I proceed with my usual low-animal protein diet.

 

I think this intuitive approach works actually pretty well, as long as you generally follow a decent and varied diet. It may not work so well for someone following a vegan diet (because that excludes all the animal protein sources we have evolved with) or for a professionol athlete or die-hard bodybuilder, because in this case one absolutely has to make sure to get the maximum amount of lean muscle mass buildup.

 

Howewer, despite of what many bro-science and paleo bloggers want you (and themselves) to believe, extreme bodybuilding and longevity don't agree very well. By pumping up your muscles and skyrocketing your testosteron levels, you may actually do what primal evolution likes you to do: maximizing your strength and reproductive capacity. But that comes at a cost later in life, once your offspring would have been raised and, as an individual, you fall from Nature's grace.

 

That said, some sensible, fitness-oriented bodybuilding is liekely benefical and it is OK to temporarily increase your protein intake to support muscle building phases. Just don't carry it to the extremes and don't eat a high protein diet for most of the time.

 

I've cut back on the eggs. I'm having them once a week now--if that. I am training and the protein shakes are temporary while I'm in this particular phase. For lunch I'm having a Salmon salad and for dinner I'm going to alternate a vegan and lamb stew in the slow cooker. Not sure about breakfast though. Subjectively, I feel good when I have the macadeimias, and they keep me going well until lunch. I tend to get fat quick on musli and any other cereals in the morning. Apart from the macadeimias, it's hard to think of better breakfast. Any suggestions?

 

Sounds good. Nuts for breakfast are great, too. Note that with muesli I don't mean processed and high GI breakfast cereals, but rolled whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds. This is what my muesli looks like.
 

[timar]

from:

Advanced Glycation End Products in Foods and a
Practical Guide to Their Reduction in the Diet [PMID: 20497781]

 

That's interesting. I would have thought that microwaving is inherently safe when it comes to AGE formation, compared to other cooking methods (except for boiling of course). This is because microwaves only directly heat the water within the foods, and water inhibits AGE formation. The less water, the less effective are the microwaves.

 

Generally you can say:

 

- The higher the heat, the more AGEs

- The more fat and protein, the more AGEs

- The higher the moisture content, the less AGEs

- The lower the pH (the more acidity), the less AGEs

 

Perfect scenario for getting the maximum amount AGEs: broiling a piece of fatty, dry meat, like bacon.

In contrast, a stew, especially if it contains some acidity and antioxidants (vegetables, herbs, spices, wine or vinegar) is likely to be relatively low in AGEs, which shouldn't change significantly by reheating it in the microwave.

Edited by timar, 15 April 2014 - 04:05 PM.