Question about food combinations
Hi everyone,
I remember hearing and/or reading somewhere that beans and rice are one of those perfect food combinations as far as digestion and complete.....nutrients, or make a complete protein or something like that. I'm having a hard time remembering how exactly how it was phrased.
Anyway, I have been lacto ovo for 3 or 4 years at least, with vegan aspirations. However, it is becoming all too clear to me that I don't know what I'm doing.
I have been getting quite a few more veggies from the farmer's market this year but the fact is that I still eat a lot of crap. I'm still living off of too much processed food.
I have no energy, insomnia, depression that is getting worse (although I've had that for years). I don't eat enough (one meal that is basically a snack) but I'm afraid to eat because I'm already overweight, joint pain PLUS I lead a sedentary lifestyle (mainly due to the anxiety and depression).
I can't afford to go to the doctor to see if there is something really wrong with me right now but sometimes the joint pain is really scary.
So I guess what I'm finally asking is what foods I can bring to my diet right now that could help me at least raise my energy level. Some other sort of simple combination of foods maybe? Also ones that might help my joint pain or help me sleep? I know I'm not getting enough vitamins or nutrients in general. I know I have been going about this all wrong. I'm still trying to live like an omni with the meat and potatoes mentality and my energy is so low right now I'm afraid it's killing me.
Thanks for any insight!! I'm really desperate!! I just want to be able to get out of the house again!! And I don't want to live off of drugs and pills.
Thank you!
Viv
really I just do this I avoid sugar as much as possible in everything though. If it's called a cookie, cake a pie then it's okay and sometimes in coffee to.
And then just make tofu dishes, pastas, seitan dishes, rice dishes, main dish salads, soups. I consume a ton of bread I don't know if you want to do that. I like it though.
Bread/carbs have been linked to diabetes and depression. Because of the way our bodies process carbohydrates, eating them to excess (especially refined ingredients) can be just the same as eating tons of sugar.
I think everyone is different, but when I have the most energy it's when I rearrange the food pyramid. LOTS of Fruits & veggies (Like the base of the pyramid) then smaller amounts from the bean and soy group and even less than that of WHOLE grains ( like oats, borwn rice, corn & quinoa, not bread). Then smaller amounts of nuts seeds and oils. The "use sparingly" top part is for sweets & alcohol.
If you eat a varied diet during the day you do not need to worry about combining foods at each meal. Vary your fruits & veg for different nutrients
I thought the need to combine foods myth was debunked. Basically, if you eat enough of a variety over a couple of days, your body will get the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Lisaanddini's suggestion is what works for me... I feel best eating mainly fruits and vegetables, then beans, fewer grains, etc.
Hope you get to feeling better... and as soon as possible, see your doctor!
Thank you everyone. :)
I don't eat much sugar....well, I guess that isn't true if I live off of Boca, MSF and the like. But I almost never eat sweets, drink my coffee black and (despite much griping from my southern S/O) don't sweeten my tea either. :)
Is combining foods a myth?? I guess I didn't know. Obviously I'm not well informed on how to be well rounded...except in shape, I guess. :P
I am a bit of a carb junkie. I am just now getting to like rice (hopefully switching to brown rice) But I do love my bagels. Does anyone know if Japanese sticky rice is more or less nutritious than standard rice? What about basmati? I know brown is preferable and I'm working on it.
I will try that rearranged food pyramid! I love that idea! :)
Thank you!
Just eat everything . A vegan diet is always good.
I thought the need to combine foods myth was debunked.
I'm pretty sure you're right.
One thing that made me feel so much better was to stop eating late at night. I usually go to bed between 1 and 2, so I try not to eat anything after 8. I can drink a little juice before 10 or so, but after that it's just water. I have so much more energy in the morning than I did before.
Other things that work for me:
quinoa! (I like it with lemon)
raw fruit and veg
carrot-orange juice
drinking tons of ice water
What is quinoa? Jeez I feel like a total newbie here! :'( I guess the animal rights aspect is the only thing I learned about while doing this. But that's me I guess.....impulsive even if it kills me. However, if it kills me, I won't be able to save any animals anymore.
Carrot orange juice sounds scary. LOL but I love carrots. Unfortunately my ex got the juicer. I need to get another one.
I drink loads of water at night. Not so much during the day. My only meal tends to be around 4 or 5 pm and I go to bed at 10:30 or so (and then I lay there tossing turning and awake till 3-5 am!)
I can't wait to try some of this. :) Thank you!
The combining foods thing isn't a myth, per se. You just don't need to eat them in the same meal. Instead, you could have something with rice for lunch and something with beans for dinner, for example, rather than having rice and beans at dinner. The original thought was that they HAD to be in the same meal, but that part has been debunked. This is why the whole "eat a wide variety of foods" thing makes sense.
Also, about the energy level thing...I find that when I haven't been to the store for a while (and therefore don't have fresh produce), I'm really tired. As soon as I incorporate lots of fresh fruits and veggies again, my energy level goes up a bunch.
Oh, and quinoa is a grain. Kind of looks like bird seed, but is quite yummy and has a fun texture. Also, it's pretty high in protein and calcium (I think?).
Hope this helps!
Is your blood sugar okay?
vivianne, I think your one meal a day could really be hurting you energy wise as well. Spread your calories out over the course of the day.
Is your blood sugar okay?
Well...I can't say for sure but from what I know about blood sugar crashes, probably not. I don't feel as crappy as I used to when I was omni but I still will get the occasional crash where I get dizzy, feel faint and want to eat anything sweet that comes my way. From what I know that is a blood sugar thing? Also sort of lost my eyesight too during those episodes.
Ive only had a couple in the last few years, though. I used to get them all the time. So, that's a good thing, right? LOL Better anyway.
Thank you for telling me about quinoa and the carrot juice. All of a sudden I am craving veggie sushi (brown rice) and carrot juice from Whole Foods. LOL I didn't even know they sold carrot juice. I'm going to be all over that when S/O gets back from China. :D
vivianne, I think your one meal a day could really be hurting you energy wise as well. Spread your calories out over the course of the day.
I agree that isn't a good thing. The only thing is that when I started trying to eat more, not a big breakfast or anything, I would just get tired. Deepak Chopra (sp) said, and probably others, that if you got tired after eating a meal then you ate too much. However, I found that if I ate ANYTHING it was too much. So, I stopped eating breakfast.....then lunch.....then had a snack...then went to bed.
I know it's not helping me. Not eating screws up the metabolism almost more than anything and I am looking to get more energy. Just not sure how to go about it and what to eat that will help at the right times. Gotta get back on track.
tofutti has some great ideas. heed her advice! :)
keep up your fluids and try to eat more often, even if its not a big meal, to increase your cals.
dried fruits and nuts, trail mix, granola bars, 1/2 or whole sandwich... pb and jelly even.
you are in a catch 22 right now, feeling crappy (mentally and physically) and then not eating as well, then not have the energy to eat well or do things... etc.
ive been there myself.
dont worry about the weight thing now, just work on getting your cals up... you'll get to a point where your body will have more energy, then you can start w/ some yoga or walking, etc.
try one thing each week. a new food, a new exercise...even if its 15 mins a day, do something...clean, dance, pushups, stretching, whatever.
sushi rice is extremely high in glycemic index (meaning it raises your bs and insulin high/ quickly). if you are having a hard time switching to brown rice, add a little to your white until you are used to it. if you cook it w/ a little extra water/broth and stir it for awhile at the end, it will come out really creamy! and sooo good.
quinoa is awesome too! a complete protein. a total superfood.
try each day to add a piece of fruit. make sure you are eating breakfast...force yourself to eat something to get into the habit... you'll have more energy in the day, and will be less likely to eat late...which can lead to insomnia and digestion issues.
i hope you start feeling better soon. im sorta in the same boat as you, though ive got some other "issues" that im dealing with, but i understand the mental/ physical cycle and not leaving the house. its frustrating, eh?
one day at a time. :)
I wish you all the best of luck - it's really really hard to break out of old habits. I get it and my heart goes out to you.
I'll echo some of the comments made here. fresh fruits and veg is a must, if I do say so myself. if I'm feeling tired, a crisp apple is all I need to give me that burst of energy.
again, good luck ;D
You could go into the Vegancoach website - Sassy carries some really good nutritional information in it. In any event, I think you do need to do some reading up about this. Ohterwise I agree with everyone else - you must spread your nutrition out over the day. As for the weight thing - worry about that once you're healthy. At the moment your body is in 'starvation' mode because it's only being fed such a little and so seldom. This lowers your metabolism which is one of the reasons you're feeling so crappy. It also causes chemical imbalances in the brain which won't be helping your depression. You sound like you really need some B vitamins, so wholegrains with lots of fruit and veggies is definitely the way to go. Refined carbs/wheat products just react like sugarin causing spikes and lows in your blood sugar..