Health Matters

[rayvonn]

It seems many of us, including me, either discuss or post images about this subject, so I though why not create a thread? Pictorial or discussion, be our guest.

This will inevitably cover a range of issues but as a first post (which probably should have been started with my post about my hay fever), I'll post a picture taken this week of a list written down in the family household after some advice given out on BBC Radio 4. It won't rid us of all of our ailments and the list seems lengthy but it's likely most of us would consume most of the things written down in our every day diets without realising it.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[John King]

Tim, I don't think that any diet will actually compensate for the removal of almost all my large intestine in 2001. Severe diverticular disease.

I'm amazed that my GI tract still works after the butchery of a total colectomy!

On a daily basis, I need full pulp orange juice, full cream icecream and nuts.

 

[John King]

Of course, taking Warfarin every day since 2003, I need to keep my intake of vitamin K relatively constant at around 80 micrograms a day.

Vitamin K is the specific antidote for Warfarin, but also essential for blood clotting.

 

[rayvonn]

There's a few people I know on this Keto diet. I could maybe understand cutting down on bread and pasta but banishing them altogeher? Not for me, you only live once (but respect to anyone here who is diligently on it).

 

[John King]

There's a few people I know on this Keto diet. I could maybe understand cutting down on bread and pasta but banishing them altogeher? Not for me, you only live once (but respect to anyone here who is diligently on it).

A great number of these diets are just the latest, greatest fad, Tim.

What with being on Warfarin, the colectomy mentioned above and lifelong food and other allergies, I walk a tightrope.

However, I've lost over 8 Kgs since last Christmas by the simple expedients of cutting out the obvious - sweet things, anything with chocolate in/on it, biscuits, and all manner of "treats" - and decreasing my normal daily food intake by around one third. Difficult as it was to adhere to this regimen at first, it's now fairly easy.

It's both the quantity and type of food we put in our mouths that causes overweight/obesity problems. As a surgeon friend remarked "There were no fat people in Changi."

My stomach has shrunk, so I feel full after my considerably smaller meals.

I am now nearly at my target weight, 76 Kgs. This is what I weighed in my mid twenties, 50 years ago. It has taken about 8 months to get here, and it's been hard at times.

Once I get to my target range of 75-76 Kgs, I will occasionally allow myself to indulge, but for the last 8 months, they have been an absolute no-no. Dieting is hard enough to start with, without having binges where one falls off the wagon. Those just serve to keep the craving for those sorts of food alive.

However, with my miscellaneous health problems, the last thing I needed was to be 10% overweight.

 

[Herbert Hound]

I'm glad to see coffee on there!

 

[rayvonn]

I'm glad to see coffee on there!

It's a once a day policy with the wife. Probably sensible. My problem is that about 25 years ago I had these Italian neighbours....

 

[MountainMan79]

You missed your Monday beer “plant”.

 

[Herman]

@John King how tall are you John?

 

[John King]

@John King how tall are you John?

Short, Herman. 5'8+" or 172 cm.

There is 8 inches between the top of my head and the headliner of the SH. That's with the driver's seat at its highest position. I just measured it. This is including a moderately thick sheepskin seat cover.

 

[Herman]

@John King you're a famous man whose height is 172 cm @Cameraderie

 

[John King]

@John King you're a famous man whose height is 172 cm @Cameraderie

Why? Pray tell, Herman?
I'm actually 173 cm tall. Or should I say, short?

 

[rloewy]

There's a few people I know on this Keto diet. I could maybe understand cutting down on bread and pasta but banishing them altogeher? Not for me, you only live once (but respect to anyone here who is diligently on it).

I have been trying to avoid carbs for a while now and it seems to be helping with me still being in decent shape. I am not religious about it, but I think I read somewhere that it is often good to give your system a shock - that's why the intermittent fasting thing is happening. I never did it, but maybe once a year I go on a month of really avoiding carbs - and it always make me feel good after that. (When I do that I use fresh collard greens as my "bread/tortilla/wrap" alternative, because it can hold stuff and does not fall apart. A little tip for you that might consider this).

So, I would not completely cut down carbs either, but trying to minimize them sure seems to make me feel good. (I try to walk a lot as much as work allows me - and it is certainly much easier to do so when I am on very low carb regime).

 

[rayvonn]

I have been trying to avoid carbs for a while now and it seems to be helping with me still being in decent shape. I am not religious about it, but I think I read somewhere that it is often good to give your system a shock - that's why the intermittent fasting thing is happening. I never did it, but maybe once a year I go on a month of really avoiding carbs - and it always make me feel good after that. (When I do that I use fresh collard greens as my "bread/tortilla/wrap" alternative, because it can hold stuff and does not fall apart. A little tip for you that might consider this).

So, I would not completely cut down carbs either, but trying to minimize them sure seems to make me feel good. (I try to walk a lot as much as work allows me - and it is certainly much easier to do so when I am on very low carb regime).

Quite a few of my mates do that but for longer than a month. I don't know why but the things that always gets them sinning is biscuits.

 

[John King]

Quite a few of my mates do that but for longer than a month. I don't know why but the things that always gets them sinning is biscuits.

I have now eaten just two biscuits in the last 8 months. They are definitely on my banned list.

I have been known to eat half a packet in one go in the past!

 

[drd1135]

Cupcakes count as plants, right?

 

[MountainMan79]

I need to get back to my keto and intermittent fasting routine. I did it for some time, and felt great. But pastries are the death of me, danishes in particular, and I’ve fallen off the bandwagon about a year ago. I’m now 20 pounds heavier than I was a year ago, and feel like crap. Also, being technically overweight is not helpful for the gerd issues.

 

[doobs]

LOML and I are both "enjoying" the effects of inflammation issues at present.

We've discussed diet changes in the past to see if some relief would be available, but never gotten motivated enough to actually do anything.

I'm certain as we age and the issues continue to mount we will revisit this.

Good luck with your quest.

 

[rayvonn]

But pastries are the death of me, danishes in particular, and I’ve fallen off the bandwagon about a year ago.

Let's drill down further. It's butter really isn't it. One of the top top ingredients there is and there's no way I'm ever going to stop consuming that at any time. My policy is to enjoy it in (that dreaded word) moderation. Seems to be working for me at the moment. Psychologically I manage to deal with it by knowing I'm having some each day at least once, so I enjoy it when I have it. No bingeing.

 

[Charzes44]

Current thinking is that raw milk, butter, and cheese are all actually good for you (well, for most people that is).