Will Diets Helped My Overall Being?

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If I change my diet, can I feel better? I feel tired, groggy, and depressed all the time. My head feels if I have heavy weights. I am lousy worker, and I would like to improve now.

My diet is not good. I eat a lot of ethnic food, but there's also processed foods as well.

Will being vegan help? What about vegetarianism?

Just cut down on highly processed and junk foods to start. Fewer pop-it-in-the-oven meals, less soda, etc. Choices like vegetarianism or veganism are a big adjustment.

A change in diet won't get rid of your autism, but it can make you feel a lot better. try exercising as well.

^^ Getting aerobically fit can change everything.

If you are wanting to improve your health I would NOT recommend a vegetarian diet! For animal rights reasons sure, but because you think the diet is healthier? NO!! !! !! !!

Try the paleo diet instead. It is based on the diet were are adapated to via our evolution as a species. Meat, Fish, Poultry, Healthy fats (not vegetable oils (with the exception of olive oil)..the omega 6:omega 3 balance is very very unhealthy and nothing like the balance of omega fats our ancestors ate in those oils, we avoid them like they are the plague), nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

No:

Grains, legumes, dairy (if you are strict paleo..pn some people are adapted to the consumption of dairy and consume it in limited quantities...), processed foods.

There are a number of books available by people such as Loren Cordain, John Durant, Mark Sissans and Chris Kresser

They also have websites: Chriskresser.com, Marks daily apple etc.

Vegetarian diets won't improve your health especially if you have any issues with gluten (one of the worst foods I can eat are gluten grains), diary and you want to avoid the inflammation caused by excessive omega 6 fats without balancing them out with Omega 3. Vegan diets are low in bioavailable sources of omega 3 (found mostly in fish, eggs if they are free range and organic, and to a lesser degree red meat from game meats or grass fed ruminants). The Omega 3 found in nuts is not as useful to the body and very little of it is used or converted by the body.

Also vegans and vegetarians can become b12 deficient (this vitamin occurs in animal products) and may also suffer from a number of other nutrient deficiencies as a result. You can take supplements but 1 any diet you need to supplement is not likely to be healthy for the body and 2 there is growing evidence to suggest that supplements are not absorbed well by the body (basically you are wasting your money and are better off getting the vitamins your body needs from food).

For health, try paleo.

The mean age span of our ancestors is misleading. If you factor out child mortality, death during child birth, death from infection, death from the elements and death from being attacked by a predator, they were capable of living as long as we are, if not longer but without all the chronic illnesses seen in society today. Contemporary hunter gatherer groups that still eat their traditional diet also do not suffer from Disease of civilisation such as metabolic syndrome which includes things like diabetes and heart disease and high blood pressure. In fact their fitness level is equivalent of that to our Olympic athletes.

Our ancestors were also taller, lived longer than their farmer descendents, had stronger bones, straighter teeth with very few cavities (unless they were from that rare tribe that lived on acorns lol...they had bad teeth lol) and ate a diet that was higher in vitamins and minerals than we do. Vitamin deficiencies were not seen in hunter gatherer populations but became common place when we started eating a diet based on grains which have a low level of bioavailble nutrients combined with a high level of pytates that stop you from absorbing the nutrients they do contain. Compared to foods such as meats and vegetables you get very little nutrition from grains, gluten or otherwise.

Many people also have issues with the gluten in grains, or more specifically, Gliadin in Wheat, Secalin in rye and Hordein in Barley. They can cause irritation and inflammation in the gut and in people will celiac disease can also cause an autoimmune reaction that can cause the body to damage the villi in the small intestine resulting an inability to digest food properly. This can result in a number of nasty symptoms ranging from diarrhea to nervous system problems and has even been linked to the schizophrenia (some schizophrenics have experienced a reversal of their symptoms from embarking on a gluten free diet).

People can also have similar problem with the protein in milk (casein) as that has a similar structure. Recent studies also suggest that bovine insulin (sometimes present in milk) may be responsible for diabetes type 1 as antibodies to it have been found in the blood with people who have diabetes. Lactose intolerence is the most common problem found in people when it comes to dairy though.

For those who are ok with gluten (and I most certainly am not) and dairy though they can be added into the diet provided the grains are prepared using traditional methods such as soaking and fermenting but they should not replace meats and vegetables as a main source of nutrients. Some people find they get along better with raw dairy or goat dairy instead.

There is more but I am rambling so I shall just sum up by saying for health try paleo diet. It worked wonders for me, it reversed the severe digestive issues and chronic migraines and fatigue I was suffering from. I have also lost 14lbs in 4 weeks without needing to calorie count or restrict my eating (as long as I eat from my paleo foods I eat what I want). This is a good thing because at the moment I am obese (from when I stuck in bed ill unable to cook for myself and was left living on takeaway foods and unable to exercise. The paleo diet reversed that and I am now able to prepare my own food, go to the gym, hike for miles, dance for hours etc).

Paleo gets the ultimate thumbs up from me!

Oh for the love of god don't take too much notice of this notion that saturated fat or red meat is bad for you. Man is well adapted to both of these foods and the studies that indicated they were bad for you have now been discredited.

Firstly one study on saturated fat was done on rabbits...a herbivore. Herbivores are not adapted to the digestion of animal fats...of course it was going to make the rabbits ill and result in heart problems.

There is a book being released by john durant called 'the paleo manifesto'. In this book he did a study on gorillas in captivity. The one single biggest killer of captive gorillas is heart disease (very similar statistics for modern man also). In captivity these animals were kept in an environment and fed on a diet that was very different to the ones they would have experienced in the wild. They developed heat disease and symptoms that resembled depression in humans. When put back into an environment and fed on a diet that was closer to the diet that wild gorillas ate their health problems stopped developing or went away and their health improved significantly.

If rabbits are not adapted to eating meat fat, it will make them ill. However an animal (such as a human) that is able to the consumption of saturates after many many generations of genetic adaptation via the process of evolution is unlikely to become sick from it.

In another study the person ignored data from 16 countries where saturated fat was consumed at high levels on a regular basis but where incidence of heart disease was low because it did not support his hypothesis. This study is well and truly discredited on that basis!! !! !! !

Also studies suggesting that those who eat red meat are also questionable based on their being a health bias present. Red meat has been given an unhealthy image by the media and society in general, ergo those who eat red meat are also more likely to:

Eat higher levels of processed meats and food (with lots of sugar and additivites and preservatives, and msg and hfcs and so on)
Are less likely to exercise
Are more likely to smoke
Are more likely to consume more alcohol

These are risk factors for heart disease and were not factored into the studies...

Recent studies suggest that heart disease, and many of the diseases of civilisation, have an underlying cause that is related to chronic inflammation in the body. Inflammatory responses are often experienced in response to excessive omega 6 consumption (found in vegie oils and processed foods cotaining them), trans fats found in processed foods (and hydrogenated vegetable oils), gluten grains and other foods that can be a digestive irritant for those who are sensitive to them (nightshades, dairy etc) and so on.

Conditions such as insulin resistance (pre diabetes) is often caused by excessive consumption of carbohydrates, particularly processed sugars.

Also consuming fat does not make you fat. I eat meat fat and coconut oil regularly and I am losing weight, not gaining it. I do eat carbs but only in the form of fruit and vegetables (parsnip, butternut squash, sweet potato etc). I eat or cook in the following fats freely:

Animal fats from grass fed or outdoor raised animals (lard, beef dripping/tallow, goose fat)
Olive oil (usually use that for salad dressing or just eat olives themselves)
Coconut oil (very very good for you...can cook in it or just eat it. I make my own home made chocolate with honey instead of sugar with it...it contains saturated fat but they are medium chain saturates as opposed to long chain and are absorbed more quickly for energy. It also has a number of other health benefits due to its lauric acid content).

I'd worry more about processed sugars and trans fats (processed not naturally occurring such the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in meat, CLA can actually be beneficial for you) than meat fats and red meat.

If you want to go vegetarian though to save the planet. feel free to do so but it probably won't work....

I personally have concerns about the way the vegetarians kill natural habitats and send entire species extinct so they can have the land to farm grains that are making the human populations that eat them nutritionally deficient and sick.

As to animal farming, if you can get wild meats for paleo that is better. Second to that are organically raised animals that are fed a diet that is natural to them, kept in an environment that is as close to what is natural for them as they can get and not pumped full of antibiotics and s**t.

If you must eat conventionally farmed/mass produced meats...do but, but it's best to avoid these.

Sorry for the wall of text....favourite subject....paleo diet.

Paleo diet FTW! Cured my chronic GI issues, and I lost 75 pounds because my body rediscovered proper blood sugar control.

Seriously though, before making any big changes, I would try making small changes, like cutting down on processed food. Try to cut stuff like soda (pure sugar and chemicals) out entirely.

There are various links between poor metal health due to gluten, dairy, processed food and yeast intolerance depending on who you believe.

My opinion: Avoid MSG and other synthetic crap like it's the plague. Eat more fruit and veg, grow your own if you have the space. Save your money for nicer cuts of meat, we don't need meat every day even twice a week is acceptable. If money is really tight then make stews with enough to last a few days, you can always add more herbs, spices or sauces to change the flavour. Personally I avoid uncooked dairy but can't give up nice cheese.

Keep trying different things, don't give up.

Exercise is good too as mentioned above.

In short, yes, it is highly likely that a better diet will help you feel better too.

My mood and overall well-being depends highly on what I eat. Some years ago I was diagnosed as borderline hypoglycemic and adjusted my eating according, with very good results. In general, it is: high protein, moderate complex carbs, and no sugars (of any type). I find this can be easily accomplished.

I suggest Alcat testing if you can get it. It helped me so much. When I found out I had the food sensitivities my GERD cleared up and I couldn't have imagined how good I feel. Food sensitivities can cause tons of problems. If organic food isn't enough this is definitely the next step. Plus I've found lots of aspie friends alternative(Easy the senses) for wheat, milk, and eggs...etc.

The paleo diet is junk. There is a very good book by Marlene Zuk which explains this. A good summary can be found here: http://scepticalnutritionist.com.au/?p=873

Ignore all "tricks" for good health. Essentially, the important things are avoiding anything that is poisonous (if you live in the Western world, anything marketed as a food should be fine), practice good hygiene, get at least the minimum requirement of the nutrients your body cannot synthesise, and consume roughly as many calories as you use. Then you need to be aware of any specific dietary requirements you have - for example, if you are a coeliac as 1% of the population are, you need to avoid gluten.

There is a LOT of made up rubbish about diets out there. Avoid it. Eating healthily is really simple. If anyone tells you to follow complicated or specific rules, they are not speaking in your best interests.

Eat real food as much as possible. Whatever you decide to eat, if you choose to follow a certain diet or just eat better generally, do your best to eat real food. Lots of fruits and veggies, as fresh and organic as you can get them and a good variety. Also raw nuts, stay away from roasted and seeds are great to add as well. And if you choose to eat meat, we do, go for grass fed only meats and grass fed only cow dairy products if you choose to eat dairy. If you eat poultry and eggs get some that come from healthy animals that get to spend their days running around enjoying the sunshine and who are able to eat the bugs and grasses that they choose as well as being supplemented with healthy diets for them and of course who are raised and killed humanely and with respect and dignity. Happy animals who are treated well are much healthier and even if we end up eating them I would rather eat a happy healthy animal who only had one bad day and ended his life humanely than the alternative. And if you eat fish, try to get it as fresh as possible. But yes, diet and regular exercise are huge in your overall well being. You may need supplements also. Always buy the best quality supplements that you can get. I use some Dr. Christopher supps and they help me a lot.

And be careful of what you drink. Try to drink a lot of healthy water and teas. If you like juice get a juicer and make your own as much as you can. I love my juicer. The juice tastes great.

Coffeebean, your avatar is adorable!! Too cute!! !!

That is rubbish...the paleo diet did for me what medical science couldn't. At one point I was so ill I couldn't get out of bed due to severe fatigue and was suffering from a number of other symptoms (digestive disturbances, numb patches of skin, vertigo, migraines, loss of bowel control and so on) and the paleo diet reversed the lot of it.

I am not only physically well enough to get out of bed every day but I also regularly weight lift, swim, walk, dance and so on.

And there are a lot of other people who have had their chronic illness reversed by the paleo diet.

The paleo diet is the diet man at for hundreds of thousands of years before the food industry took over. Anyone advising people to live on modern day processed food as opposed to fresh meats, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables is talking rubbish.

Ps not all paleo people take dairy out of their diet. I limit it as cows dairy gives me wind and diarrhea and if I over do it (some people have problems with both grains and dairy..I know this, I had relatives with celiac disease which I was tested for myself but the test said negative. All the same I benefit hugely from removing all grains, limiting dairy, and staying away from msg, artificial sweeteners, High Fructose Corn syrup and processed sugars).

Also some people do indeed include potatoes. They can be a form of resistant starch which is good for the microbiota of your gut. Other sources are cooled white rice and green bananas.

Also some eat other starchy veg such as sweet potatoes (I do), parsnip, butternut squash and so on.

Lactose intolerance is no the only problem with milk consumption. There is also the issue of casein the protein in milk and bovine insulin which studies suggest can result in diabetes type 1. So there are those issues to consider as well.

Who said that paleo people don't eat plants....we eat lots and lots and lots of plants and if you're me, fruit too.

I stay away from the grains unless I want to get really sick really fast again.

We are not meant to be trying to replicate what our ancestors ate exactly, that would be impossible. We try to eat as close to natural as we can get in the modern world though.

Grains have very few bioavailable nutrients and grain based diets are lower in nutrition than the paleo diet is. Grains are not only lower in nutrients, vitamins and minerals than meats, fish, nuts, fruits, seeds and vegetables but they also contain phytates that stop you from absorbing the nutrients they do contain.

The paleo diet does not have to be expensive. It is possible to buy cheaper cuts of meat and make stews for example and in season vegetables can also be cheap as well.

The debunking is designed to sell grains to keep the economy going as the food industry is fairly reliant on them for profit these days.

As to legumes...I don't know about those. I just don't eat them because I don't like them much and some of them make my jaw seize up when I am chewing them (such as peanuts) which is not very pleasant.

People tend to make their own version of paleo based on what they feel is best for their bodies.

So essentially you're arguing that grains are bad (perhaps unless one thinks that their body needs them)?

Could you clarify the difference between a "grain" and a "seed"?