Slowtwitch Forums: The Womens: strict natural foods diet...worth it?

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Slowtwitch Forums: The Womens:
strict natural foods diet...worth it?

flyer521

Jul 31, 08 15:54

Post #1 of 12 (442 views)

strict natural foods diet...worth it?	Can't Post

I have always been a healthy eater, but not super obsessive. Big spinach salads, chicken breasts, almonds, whole grains and fruits and veggies are staples of my diet, but i do enjoy dark chocolate, coffee in the morning, cheddar cheese sometimes and a bowl of pasta. Those are my vices, i never have mcdonalds, cheetos, soda or any of that really bad crap. I am just over 5'9" and am 139 lbs, pretty good weight but could lose a few lbs without an issue. I am considering going on a strict healthy foods diet, getting rid of processed food, white grains, sugar etc. I am wondering if i would really feel better overall and in training, or frankly it won't make much of a difference. A nutritionist once put me on a "detox diet" when i was struggling with stomach problems, and i was starving and was more miserable than i have ever been in my life. Has anyone tried this kind of natural foods, get-rid-of-the-crap diet? opinions?
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LovePugs

Jul 31, 08 16:15

Post #2 of 12 (430 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [flyer521] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Sounds like you have a pretty good diet.

You'll get a lot of different feedback on this topic, but I for one am of the opinion that the cleaner the diet, the better overall health. Of course moderation is key.

I'm a fan of The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brasier. We've talked about this book before in the women's forum- some love it, some hate it.

Not sure about a detox diet, but whenever I'm super anal about my diet I feel better all over.

Just my .02

PirateGirl

Jul 31, 08 17:30

Post #3 of 12 (411 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [flyer521] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I eat very little of the processed food anymore. No processed sugar, no white grains etc. I think it made a huge difference to me.

I have looked at the thrive diet and even went to a talk he gave. It's a LOT of work, and probably too much work for me. I talked to a dietician about it and she said it's great if you get everything in the right amounts, but that is very hard to do. We were talking about fish oil and other supplements that he doesn't take any more and he explains why he doesn't need them, but if you miss one key ingredient in your diet then you need the supplement.

Rachel and I were planning on making some of the recipes in his book and giving it a go for a bit, but then she's on an endless summer vacation so we haven't had a chance.

What Am I Up To? Pirate

Pirate

shelly

Aug 1, 08 6:20

Post #4 of 12 (355 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [GhiaGirl] [In reply to]	Can't Post

It might not increase your performance but would be a healthy choice. I saw Laird Hamilton on tv last night,one of the fittest men in the US. He began talking about his diet (natural). He referred to milk,white flour, and sugar as "white death". I thought that was a very good analogy......

140pt6

Aug 1, 08 6:59

Post #5 of 12 (344 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [shelly] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Milk? My one kinda sorta bad thing is a bowl of cereal drowned in skim milk.

Drats.

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ride 'em

Aug 1, 08 7:43

Post #6 of 12 (332 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [flyer521] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I think it is a difficult choice. I did the no sugar and no white flour thing for a while. On the one hand, I did feel terrific. On the other hand, I felt like I was missing out on things like birthday cakes and some good meals, etc. One thing that made me decide to ease up on things was reading the story of a guy who was really obsessive about his food and eventually decided he'd rather eat pizza with friends than eat "perfect" food alone.

Now, I try to find that balance. I never choose fast foods and avoid most processed foods. However, I do eat sweets (and definitely too many) but make sure they are made of high quality ingredients.

It sounds like you are already eating fairly well and to go the next step is going to involve a LOT more sacrifice.

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Suffering on the the bike is always more fun than suffering on the run.

Oleander

Aug 1, 08 8:36

Post #7 of 12 (313 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [flyer521] [In reply to]	Can't Post

How about: strictER - rather than strict?

Sugar and white flour (in my experience) are the easiest to reduce. How hard is it to buy or cook whole-grain stuff anymore? I will not leave the bakery with anything that is not whole-grain.

BIG difference in daily energy for me! No more energy crashes.

I do make exceptions, especially on the sugar part. I also cook my own dinner food but every so often there is just no freaking time and I will whip out a frozen dinner (that has no trans fats, MSG, etc.).

The problem with 100% is that you are almost guaranteed to fall off the wagon, feel guilty and regress.

AndyPants

Aug 1, 08 8:41

Post #8 of 12 (308 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [Oleander] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Exactly! I still have a weakness for cheese and chocolate and beer and wine. I do love a well cooked meal, with good ingredients, but I find that if I eat a healthy breakfast and lunch, a little sin at dinner is OK. I also find that the more I train, the less junk I crave, esp fatty/fast foods. But avoiding most refined carbs (sugar, flour, etc.) is a HUGE first step.
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AndyPantsRacing
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Co-founder of FoodSluts (TM) - where training is a warm-up to eating.

determination

Aug 1, 08 8:44

Post #9 of 12 (307 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [Oleander] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Agreed. I have tried to be super strict and it just doesn't work for me. I think I'm like the guy who'd rather eat pizza with friends than eat super healthy alone. At any rate, I do try to focus on lean meats, fruit, whole grains, and veggies. The only dairy I consume is cheese. Can't possibly give up the cheese. I don't like milk, so that's easy. If I have cereal (I really like Optimum Rebound) I put just enough on to get the cereal wet, and there's no milk left over in the bowl.
If I want pizza, I go get some pizza. It isn't more than once every week or two weeks.

dupeetriclub

Aug 1, 08 9:11

Post #10 of 12 (300 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [AndyPants] [In reply to]	Can't Post

x2

But I also like to splurge once in a while on the "bad" things... I have a husband who LOVES to eat, and he pretty much gobbles up whatever he wants, whenever he wants.... so I join him once in a while. When I am going off track, I still try to be somewhat healthful- dark chocolate, corn chips/salsa/guac, etc. As long as I'm not grabbing a bag of Cheetos or a Krispy Kreme, I feel alright about it!

I did have a friend who was cutting out wheat/wheat gluten and sugar altogether and she was feeling really good... but that is a lot of work. I tried it for about a week. There is wheat/wheat gluten is just about EVERYTHING. The only thing I really came away with was Stevia, a natural sugar substitute- I put that in my coffee instead of the real thing.

Steve-oH!

Aug 1, 08 13:46

Post #11 of 12 (275 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [flyer521] [In reply to]	Can't Post

....you dont want my opinion....LOL!

kittycat

Aug 1, 08 17:54

Post #12 of 12 (258 views)

Re: strict natural foods diet...worth it? [flyer521] [In reply to]	Can't Post

hell no, it's not worth it.