Photo courtesy of Joshua Davis A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before
“If I’d known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” - Leon Eldred
As I mentioned recently, I was a junk-food addict in my not-too-distant past, and ballooning alarmingly around the waistline. I was addicted to burgers and sodas and fries and pizzas and sweets and all the fast food you can think of and most especially chocolate.
Today, while I can’t say I only eat wheat germ and fresh veggies picked right from my home garden, I generally eat healthier than I have ever done in my life.
How did I get from Point A (junk food junkie) to Point B (much healthier diet)? I’ll let you in on my secret (and it’s not a secret if you’re one of the many people who discovered this already): I didn’t go from Point A to Point B. It’s more like Point A to Point Z, with lots of points in between.
Actually, that’s the secret to any meaningful improvement, in my experience, but we’ll just talk about eating healthy for now.
Today I’m a vegetarian (mostly vegan) and I try to eat lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains and nuts and beans. I’ll admit that I still have burgers, though they’re veggie burgers instead of fatty meat burgers, and I usually have them with whole grain bread or buns and lots of fresh veggies on them. And I don’t use fatty mayo anymore, but Veganaise, which helps.
I also eat pizza, but it’s not covered in sausages or pepperoni, but veggies. I still eat burritos, but I try to fill them with low-fat beans, veggies, salsa, instead of fatty stuff. I really really enjoy soy yogurt and fresh berries, whole-grain cereal with soy milk, oatmeal with berries and nuts. Mmmmm.
My point is that I don’t deprive myself, but have learned to love foods that are at least a little bit healthier, and in some cases much healthier. I also don’t miss meat at all, but the secret to that is the baby steps we’ll talk about in this post.
The Problem With Most Diet Plans
New fad diets in books and magazines and the Internet are a dime a dozen. Some of them are actually pretty decent, but almost all of them have one single flaw that will make it very difficult for anyone to stick to them.
The flaw? They try to get you to change your entire diet at once.
That just doesn’t work for most people. I’ve tried lots of diets, and for the first week, I’m extremely enthusiastic and determined. But such a drastic change in diet is hard to sustain, and soon you give in to temptation and then it falls apart. We’ve all been there.
The Power of Small Changes
The title of this post is misleading, and I’ll admit that. Most people associate a “12-step program” with alcoholics anonymous or similar program, but this post isn’t about those programs at all.
That it is about is making changes to your diet one small step at a time. Baby steps. The miracle of this is that we adjust to these small changes after a couple weeks, until they seem normal and we don’t feel like we’re depriving ourselves of anything.
Take meat for example. Let’s say you wanted to become a vegetarian, and you cut out all meat from your diet completely. You’d feel very deprived, and you might have a very hard time. Most people wouldn’t last very long — maybe a week or two at most — before caving in and eating meat and feeling guilty.
But let’s say instead that you just started with beef. Well, at dinner tonight, you probably wouldn’t notice much because you could have chicken or fish or turkey or pork — all the stuff you might normally eat. After a few weeks, going without beef would seem normal, and you probably wouldn’t miss it much.
Repeat that process for pork, and soon you’ve cut red meat from your diet (assuming you don’t eat much venison or buffalo or otter or whatnot). Then do chicken — this might be a difficult stage for many — and just eat seafood for awhile. After a few weeks of that, though, you’d get used to it. Next step is dropping seafood, and soon you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t miss meat one bit.
I’m not saying you need to become a vegetarian. I’m saying that small steps, taken a few weeks at a time, makes the process much easier. I’ve done it with meat, with fried foods, with sweets, with eating more fruits and whole grains, and many other food changes, and it’s worked every time.
You get used to it, if you do it a bit at a time.
The 12-Step Program
Actually, what follows is just an example. You can use as many steps as you want, making whatever changes you want. This is just a sample of what can be done, to give you some ideas.
The rules:
- Apply these changes, one at a time, until you get used to them. This will probably be 3-4 weeks per step. But in a year’s time, you’ll be eating as healthy as possible.
- Focus as much energy as possible on each change for at least a couple weeks. Don’t deviate if you can. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
- If it seems too difficult, make a smaller step instead. For example, instead of cutting out sweets, just cut out cakes and donuts. Smaller steps make things much easier.
- Always replace bad food with healthy food that you enjoy. What I’ve given are just examples — everyone has different tastes.
OK, so here’s an example of how this step-by-step process could work:
- Eat fruits for snacks. If you snack on junk food during the day, have some fruits by your side at all times. When you’re feeling hungry for a snack, eat a fruit. One of those bags of small apples is a handy thing — you can’t go wrong with apples.
- Drink water instead of soda. The only thing I drink (besides an occasional beer) is water. I’m not saying you need to do that, but try to cut out sugary drinks a bit at a time, replacing them with water.
- Eat whole grain bread. If you eat white bread or bagels or whatever, replace them with whole-grain versions. Be sure to look at the ingredients — it shouldn’t say enriched wheat flour, but whole grain. Also try to avoid breads with high-fructose corn syrup (actually, avoid that ingredient in anything).
- Add fresh veggies to dinner. If you don’t already, have some steamed greens with dinner. Cut out a less healthy side dish if you usually eat something else.
- Cut out red meat. You can still eat poultry and seafood for now. You can later cut those out too if you want.
- Make pizza instead of ordering. Homemade pizza is the best, and if you haven’t made it yet, you should. The simple way is to get a ready-made whole-wheat crust, although making your own tastes even better. Start with the simple version, though, as you don’t want to make things too difficult. For the simple version, just add some gourmet spaghetti sauce (not Ragu), cut up some veggies (I like tomatoes and mushrooms and spinach and olives, but you can use anything, even potatoes). Brush the veggies with some olive oil. You can add grated cheese or soy cheese if you want, though it’s not necessary. Bake till it looks cooked. Mmmm.
- Nuts instead of chips. If you normally snack on chips, try unsalted peanuts or raw almonds.
- Soymilk instead of whole milk. Whole milk is fatty (not to mention the suffering done by the cows in modern dairy factories). Soymilk is much healthier. You get used to it after awhile, like all the changes on this list, but if soymilk is a problem at least drink 1% milk.
- Whole grain cereal. If you eat sugary cereal, try a whole-grain cereal instead.
- Berries instead of candy. This is a recent change of mine, and it’s actually been much easier than I thought. I used to snack on chocolate candy all the time, but now I try to eat berries to satisfy my sweet cravings and it works!
- Scrambled tofu instead of fried eggs. Scrambled tofu is a secret vegan wonder. Try this recipe.
- Try some great veggie dinners. There are so many good ones out there if you haven’t tried them. Try my soup or chili.
If you implement 12 changes, you’ll probably be eating healthier than you ever have before. A great thing is that once you’ve done this, you’ll probably keep going, to 20 steps and beyond.
“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” - Mark Twain
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us or on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)
Elsewhere: Check out this new social media site for health stories by Israel, a reader and fellow blogger: Health Ranker. Join, and make this new health community even stronger.
- Posted on 20 February 2008 in Health Tip Day |
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Comments (146)
Clay Collins | The Growing Life Says:
February 20th, 2008, 22:37 pm
I quit junk-food like a lot of people quit cigarettes: cold turkey. I think that if I had “just one more puff” of junk food it would have caused a relapse. But there are different ways of doing things, and lots of individual differences. Thanks for the great list of specifics.
~Clay
Clay Collins | The Growing Life Says:
February 20th, 2008, 22:39 pm
Just to clarify, it’s not that I don’t eat junk food anymore, but it was very important — at first — for me to cut out sugar at least 6 days/week. That’s all.
~Clay
Crystal from www.jewelfaerie.com Says:
February 20th, 2008, 22:47 pm
If you’re someone who just doesn’t have time to cook, there are some great vegetarian (and vegan) frozen dinners out there, too! Not as economical perhaps, but if you’re a singleton it’s a good option. Just supplement with fresh fruits and veggies. I like Amy’s organic brands. I also like the Silk Soy Creamer products for my coffee (still have to have my coffee in the morning :-) My favorite fruit snack: Bananas-because the sport that fabulous biodegradable wrapper.
Israel Says:
February 20th, 2008, 22:48 pm
@Clay - I understand totally. It’s important to replace, not just remove. Thats why folks find it hard to stop things. Some folks are stronger willed than others and cant manage quitting cold turkey, but some need that replacement.
Kaitlin Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:03 pm
thanks for posting this. i was just trying to figure out a plan today to start eating healthier. you’re so right that changing your whole diet never works! That’s been my downfall.
thanks,
kaitlin.
Clay Collins | The Growing Life Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:04 pm
@ Israel — Great point. There are all kinds of approaches to this sort of thing. And food’s a tough one because the line between junk food and healthy food can be very blurry (not so with tobacco–you’re either taking in nicotine or you’re not).
banji - LessonInLife.com Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:06 pm
Nice list… some attractive pictures of the food will help convince :)
Personally, I truly believe that the secret to all diet is moderation. As long as you control the amount, you can eat almost anything your heart desire
Of course, you have to know your food. Little dosage of ONLY junk food for a year is a bad application of the concept
Israel Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:37 pm
@Leo - Thanks for the mention of HealthRanker. It is very much appreciated. Thanks for the very good post on healthy eating. I Ranked it for ya.
Chris Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:37 pm
Good advice! I’ve recently started eating healthier by cutting junk food out of my diet and replacing it with apples (YUM!).
Ryan Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:48 pm
Definitely some good points made. Although I don’t agree with every point I do agree with the general tone of the post.
One thing of note to remember is that above all else a balanced diet is necessary for a healthy body. So if say you remove red meat from your diet, make sure that you are replacing the protein you would have received from that portion with another suitable replacement.
One way to make sure you are getting a balanced diet is to write out what you eat for a week and then look it over to see if you need more variety in one area, are lacking in another, or over-indulging in a third.
Again, the goal is balance and total coverage. Healthy eating includes covering the whole food pyramid as recommended by health professionals.
Teresa Says:
February 20th, 2008, 23:59 pm
@Leo - great minds think alike. :-)
I wrote a post about a healthy diet earlier this week: A Simple Diet Makes It Easier to Have a Healthier Diet
I actually found it easier to go cold turkey. I treated it like an experiment to see how I would feel. This helped me a lot, because if I cheated it would have been a lousy experiment. For me, that was enough motivation to get through the first couple of weeks. After that, feeling great from eating well, was more than enough motivation to keep going.
However, I will say that if you don’t eat a lot of fruit now and start snacking on it, you might go through an uncomfortable period where your body adjusts to the increase in fiber. Push through it. It goes away in a couple of weeks and the long-term benefits are more than worth it.
MB Says:
February 21st, 2008, 0:03 am
I used to be a bit of a junk food junkie as well, and then I became vegetarian three years ago, lost a bunch of weight, and haven’t looked back. I feel that making that decision was one of the best I have ever made.
One of the best ways that being a vegetarian has helped me to lose weight and eat healthier is that eating “junk” just isn’t an option sometimes. There is nothing I would want to eat at a place like McDonalds, so I never feel the urge to go in there.
Kelly Rigby Says:
February 21st, 2008, 0:06 am
Practical post Leo, thanks. I’m a big believer in baby steps to make changes in any area of your life, and as a confirmed sugarholic, I found the only way I could cut out my daily chocolate biscuit (or 3) at night with a cup of tea was to replace it with something else sweet, but not so laden with calories. For me that’s been low-cal jelly and fruit (super sweet), sultanas or diet tonic water mixed 50/50 with juice. Yum yum.
And a question if you don’t mind. Why did you choose to become a vegetarian, and a vegan at that?
Huge change for an ex burger man. I was raised a vegetarian, but I could never go back to it now. I do try to mix up red meat, white meat, fish and vegetarian dishes in my family’s meal planning, but I like meat too much to eliminate it. It tends to take more effort to have a balanced diet too, I find.
:) Kelly
Helen Says:
February 21st, 2008, 0:54 am
Don’t get on the low-fat bandwagon. Whole milk is only 4% fat, only two percent more than low-fat. Recent studies have shown that the fat in milk carries nutrients and slows its progression through the digestive system for better absorbtion. Here’s just one article on it
http://www.ninaplanck.com/index.php?article=Whole_Milk
If you’re going to reduce out meat, skip the chicken and opt for a lean cut of red meat so that you get the zinc and iron your mostly-vegetarian diet lacks. The other health benefits are marginal and you can get more meals from a cow than a chicken. Do include fish but be aware of its origin.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_8_18/ai_55587249
Amir Ahmad | PassionBasedLearning.com Says:
February 21st, 2008, 0:57 am
Very nice! Four years in university and living on campus can screw you up. Good thing I graduate soon. Looking forward to fixing my diet. This is certainly going to be a useful reference.
metroknow - AlmostFit.com Says:
February 21st, 2008, 1:10 am
Leo, I have to say that its posts like this one and some of the work that the guys at GetFitSlowly are doing have really inspired me to start writing about my current weight loss experiment, which mirrors your suggestions here in a lot of ways. My approach to this problem is Real Food in Moderation - meaning that eating high quality “real food” - not processed, manufactured food - in moderation will ultimately lead to habits that I can maintain, and lifelong health corrections.
In fact, I just wrote this article on my experience so far with this (http://almostfit.com/2008/02/15/33-tips-on-how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting/)– I’ve lost 13 lbs in the last month and a half, and I’m still eating pizza. Just not as much of it.
Thank you for the inspiration and the high standard that you set for other writers!
Kyle Says:
February 21st, 2008, 1:24 am
Leo:
Have you read the book Eat to Live? It’s an interesting read and it outlines much of what you say. I’ve started adopting and wholeheartedly agree with you on the fact that it’s little stops in between.
If you do end up picking up ETL, I’d love to hear your thoughts about whether you think it’s a fad diet or it fits into your mind as a pretty valid one.
Brock Tice Says:
February 21st, 2008, 1:25 am
I’m a big fan of this swiss breakfast recipe that I got from The Simple Dollar months ago. It’s cheap, tasty, healthy, and has served me well.
I already eat mostly like you (although less vegan), except that I eat fish. I suggest you look into the current research on getting omega-3 fatty acids from fish. It turns out that it’s much better than getting them from other sources.
If you have objections to eating fish for non-health reasons, that’s fine, but if you’re just looking for optimum health, I suggest you add it back in.
Kyle Says:
February 21st, 2008, 1:28 am
Also, I think you meant to link your recipe for the tofu…
Or I hope you did because I have some I have yet to make (I’ve never had tofu before)
Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:
February 21st, 2008, 1:36 am
Mmmm indeed! I love healthy living!
The best way to get motivated is to remember why you want to be healthy in the first place. It’s about looking good, feeling good, and living a long life to watch your kids grow up. That should get you going!
One other piece of advice would be for you to set up your environment to make success more likely. If you know you eat when you get anxious, don’t keep snacks lying around when a deadline is looming. And if you crave carbs right after gym (like me) try to avoid the grocery store when your workout is done. I learned that the hard way…one bag of cookies later!
Leo Says:
February 21st, 2008, 2:02 am
Wow, great discussion guys. A couple of things:
1. @Kyle: Thanks for pointing that out! I’ve linked to the scrambled tofu recipe now. It’s very good.
2. @Kelly Rigby: Why did I become vegetarian? Tough question, because there are lots of reasons, from better health to less of an impact on the environment. But the main reason is that animals in factory farms suffer incredibly, and I find it so unnecessary, especially as we really don’t need to kill them to survive. I’m going for veganism (not there yet) because milk cows and egg chickens also suffer a lot more than most of us realize.
It might sound difficult to change to vegetarianism, but if you take the gradual approach here, it’s not really that hard. And it actually makes you feel much better.
3. Regarding gradual changes vs. cold turkey: Both approaches are valid. I think if you make one change at a time (say, quitting sweets) and go cold turkey with that, it’s workable. But if you try to change everything in your diet at once, cold turkey, it’s much harder. Not impossible, but for most people it will be very difficult to sustain.
Jason Says:
February 21st, 2008, 2:44 am
I can agree that doing this in steps is best. I tried the cold turkey method and quit eating sweets for a whole year. It was tough at first, but now I can’t go back. I’ll have them on occasion now, but eating too much makes me feel sick.
CB Says:
February 21st, 2008, 2:57 am
Another point that is probably obvious is if one does eat meat to use it as a condiment, for example, in small slices in a stir fry. Better for one’s health and better for the environment.
As for getting enough protein, that is rarely an issue for Americans, even vegetarians. Most of use eat too much protein. Vitamin B12 is not found in significant amounts in plant foods and needs to be considered in the vegetarian diet.
Leo Says:
February 21st, 2008, 3:20 am
@CB: Excellent points! Regarding B12, it’s not an issue unless you’re a vegan. Vegetarians who eat dairy or eggs will get more than enough B12. Vegans can get it in fortified foods (soymilk, for example), so if they stay aware of it then it shouldn’t be difficult.
Tejvan Pettinger Says:
February 21st, 2008, 3:53 am
My experience is that you develop a ‘taste’ for the food you eat. - Eat a lot of junk food and that is what you start to crave. Eat healthy and that is what you want.
Good article. Thanks
Tejvan
Thomas (twofatbrothers.com) Says:
February 21st, 2008, 4:39 am
What a great article! I am in the process of making the transition away from crap food and over to healthy food. My goal isn’t vegetarianism, but I do want to have a good healthy diet. Not just for myself, but also for my son to emulate when he gets older.
llyra Says:
February 21st, 2008, 4:57 am
Thanks for the advice!:)
I’m seriously thinking about taking the challenge.
David / Homeopathy Zone Says:
February 21st, 2008, 6:44 am
Just a note about soy milk (as a substitute for cow’s milk):
Although soy has been much hyped as a health food in recent years, it has recently become apparent that it is unhealthy except in very small amounts.
Soy products that are not fermented (miso and tempeh are fermented) have strong hormonal effects that cause an imbalance in the body if consumed regularly or in large quantities (drinking even one cup of soy milk has more than the equivalent quantity of tofu that might be encountered in a traditional oriental dish).
An excellent alternative to cow’s milk is goat’s milk. Get it organic if you can, but even regular goat’s milk is superior due to the following factors:
1. It gets digested far more quickly than cow’s milk.
2. It contains significantly fewer chemicals that cow’s millk because goats are low-maintenance creature that are usually allowed out to pasture. (I suspect that they are generlaly treated much better than cows, too).
3. Goat’s milk is usually sold non-homogenized, since it doesn’t separate as readily as cow’s milk. Homogenization is known to decrease the digestibility of milk, which is partly responsible for milk’s known health risks.
Finally, another excellent way of benefiting from milk products is through consuming yogurt rather than milk.
Zeca Says:
February 21st, 2008, 7:26 am
@Leo
“Vegans can get it [b12] in fortified foods (soymilk, for example), so if they stay aware of it then it shouldn’t be difficult”.
But then it is not natural B12, but synthetic. In my opinion, this is the proof that veganism is not, and can never be, a natural diet.
As to the “cut red meat” advice, this isn’t really scientific. LDL cholesterol is reduced only 10% with a vegetarian diet compared to a regular, natural diet. If you have high LDL, a decrease in 10% isn’t enough, you must take medicines, so why live in deprivation?
The problem is not eating animal fat but eating too much. If you don’t eat meat, you might eat a lot carbohydrates instead. With meat, satiation comes easily. The possibility of eating too much decreases.
ThomasLB Says:
February 21st, 2008, 7:44 am
I would add “buy a cookbook” to the list. It’s hard to come up with good vegetarian meals on your own, but it’s easy to follow a recipe.
aijgfkeauyf Says:
February 21st, 2008, 7:53 am
Soy is bad, wheat is bad. Red meat in moderation is fine. Biggest problem with the American diet is too much everything, mostly highly processed corn syrup and soy.
Healthiest diet is fresh fruits and vegetables, supplemented with small amounts of nuts, olive oil, and animal protein.
Don’t believe what the USDA or some hippie at the health food store tells you. Educate yourself. I used to be a vegetarian, but recognized the logical fallacy that most food fascists fall victim to: “too much is bad, therefore none at all is best.”
Ryan Says:
February 21st, 2008, 7:55 am
I actually went cold turkey vegetarian at the New Year, and I have not had a single problem not eating meat whatsoever. I do like the idea of your approach to cutting out other things in your diet, but I feel that cutting out meat it is just best to completely stop and never look back!
Nalle Rooth Says:
February 21st, 2008, 8:06 am
I became a vegetarian about 6 months ago. I simply replaced meat with beans and soy-products. It was actually much easier than I thought it’d be.
After about one week, I began noticing how much more energy I had, and how good I felt about myself.
I do however eat white fish from time to time, but that’s because some restaurants don’t have very good alternatives to meat.
I can honestly say that becoming a vegetarian is one of the best things I’ve done in my life. :)
Leo Says:
February 21st, 2008, 8:10 am
@David: Actually, there have been no real scientific studies showing harm from soy products. I’ve read websites claiming there have been, but the studies they claim are funded by the dairy industry and have not been peer reviewed. This discussion has popped up on Zen Habits numerous times. No one has offered a peer-review study showing harm from soy.
@Zeca: Actually, vegan B12 is not synthetic. It’s from plants. It’s just not found in plants in high concentrations normally, so they have to distill it into higher concentrations. It’s perfectly natural and healthy.
Okrim Al Qasal Says:
February 21st, 2008, 8:40 am
I was wondering why you gringos are so obsessed with making everything vegetarians.
Every guide you write is disguised to eliminate everything related to animal produce.
I am going ot eat a big bloody red steak at lunch tonight and I will send you a picture of it. Yummy!
Alastair Says:
February 21st, 2008, 8:50 am
Hi Leo,
Great advice here.
The thing that I found worked for me was allowing myself to have whatever I wanted on the weekend. If I really wanted a sugary cake I told myself that on the weekend I could have it if I still wanted. Often by the time the weekend arrived the craving had gone.
Worked for me!
Stephan Miller Says:
February 21st, 2008, 8:55 am
We are gradually doing this at our house. We are cutting out red meat after the latest FDA scare and we are getting milk without any growth hormones. It takes a while especially in certain areas of the country. We have to drive 30 minutes to get to an affordable natural foods store. But I can’t quite make the vegetarian cut. I just think that meat is a natural part of our diet and the reason for our canine teeth and I have met enough unhealthy looking vegetarians in my life to not go that way. My parents were part of a few cultish type vegetarian groups when I was younger.
Chris K Says:
February 21st, 2008, 8:56 am
@Zeca: “In my opinion, this is the proof that veganism is not, and can never be, a natural diet.”
I recommend that you look at this page: http://www.vegetarianaction.org.au/Living/VLB12.htm
No animal can produce its own B12, it comes from bacteria animals do not produce on their own. It is mainly obtained by eating animal flesh or fluids for carnivores.
For herbivores….
“Humans, as plant eaters, would naturally ingest B12-producing micro-organisms by eating unwashed and naturally grown fruits and vegetables. However, in the sanitised modern world where vegetables are sprayed, washed, sterilised, transported, stored etc, the poor little mites are all gone by the time we eat it. Therefore the lack of B12 is not caused by the plant-based diet, but rather, by modern methods of prdoucing food.”
There is more on that page, and other places if you want to find more sources.
Hopefully learning a little more about B12 will help dispel the myth of veganism being “not natural,” since no herbivore makes its own B12, but there are thousands of thriving species of herbivores in nature :)
aijgfkeauyf Says:
February 21st, 2008, 9:07 am
Bacteria make B12 in your gut. unfortunatley, you can’t absorb B12 in the gut. so if you want to be vegan and “natural”, you are left with one particularly unappetizing option - eating shit. I’m not kidding. Scientists were surprised when they found a community of vegans who didn’t take supplements and didn’t have B12 deficiency. Then they found that they fertilized their vegetable gardens with their own feces.
Don’t believe me, look it up.
Evan Says:
February 21st, 2008, 9:31 am
While I was reading this article, I scanned through point 3 and realized by looking at the label of the breakfast bar I was eating that sure enough - it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup. I’m going to try to eliminate this from my diet completely.
Israel Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:00 am
Another option is go organic. I have not gone that route, but the people I know that have, tell me that they will never go back. Once organic, always organic.
Mikey Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:18 am
A while ago I cut out fizzy drinks from my diet (something I thought was going to be very difficult as I LOVE Dr.Pepper). Instead I would take a bottle of water wherever I went. Surprising how much I don’t miss coke etc To be honest, I would much rather have some fruit juice or water now, don’t find these sugary drinks tempting at all now!
Hillarack Clintbama Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:21 am
It’s good that you’re eating healthier, but vegan is not as healthy as you might think. There’s no way you can get enough protein without overdosing on calories. A healthier diet would include better protein sources. Man is meant to be a meat-eater.
Lily Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:31 am
I second Israel about organic (rather than about giving up meat, to each their own) - I often buy some processed foods at the organic shop and the taste and quality of the ingredients is amazing.
Marc Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:44 am
One comment about drinking diet drinks caught my eye: I’m still of the opinion that anything diet, where sugar has been replaced with artificial sweeteners is worse that drinking the sweetened version.
Best thing with sugared drinks is to replace them with water, herbal tea or unsweetened fruit juice (preferably freshly pressed at home from fresh organic fruit).
I’ve seen too many parents buying diet sodas for their young children (I’m talking about 5-10 years old) without realizing what their children are ingesting in the form of chemicals.
Landlocked one Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:47 am
Soy is bad, wheat is bad. Red meat in moderation is fine. Biggest problem with the American diet is too much everything, mostly highly processed corn syrup and soy.
Healthiest diet is fresh fruits and vegetables, supplemented with small amounts of nuts, olive oil, and animal protein.
Don’t believe what the USDA or some hippie at the health food store tells you. Educate yourself. I used to be a vegetarian, but recognized the logical fallacy that most food fascists fall victim to: “too much is bad, therefore none at all is best.”
I agree with this post. I can’t digest soy easily, get Crohn’s-like symptoms when I eat whole grains, get anemic and feel horrible when I don’t eat a little red meat. I agree with cutting out refined sugar and substituting fruit and adding more fresh vegetables. I feel best when I eat what is probably closest to a Japanese diet: a little of everything in moderation, low in sugar. A true Mediterranean diet is similar, although it’s easy to eat too many carbs if you’re not careful.
I agree with the 12-step method–baby steps, baby steps! I like your approach, but I don’t think you need to be a vegetarian to be healthy.
Josh Says:
February 21st, 2008, 10:53 am
Small changes is a great idea that would work for most. I think the baby steps would start turning into adult steps after results started coming in. Like someone switching from coke to water would lose several pounds in the first month which would push them to clean up the rest of their diet.
I’m not in the opinion everyone is looking for little steps. If someone is really convinced their way of eating is bad and addictive I think drastic changes are easy. I did it in early January and I think it was easier than doing little things here and there. I think the fundamental problem is that people don’t care enough about themselves to pick the right food choice at least the majority of the time. So they have to resort to small hacks to trick themselves into eating healthy (even though they don’t REALLY want to, otherwise they would be doing it already!).
/rant-off
Will Says:
February 21st, 2008, 11:41 am
Some great pointers, Leo. This is my first comment on your blog, so expect many more to come :)
This article is right up the alley with respect to my life situation right now. I’ve cut out junk foods completely, cut out coffee completely a la the Steve Pavlina articles, moved over to snacks like nuts, grape tomatoes, fruits, etc, and I drink a TON of water, and I’m training for a marathon.
The end result? My energy level has shot right through the roof!
I’ve been watching the amount and type of protein I’ve been consuming, but it’s difficult to be that picky especially when you don’t prepare your meals by yourself (I still live at home).
I’ve tried to become a vegetarian before, but I did it for reasons that weren’t true to myself at the time (long story). I’m still considering it.
Refreshing article, Leo :)
Jill Says:
February 21st, 2008, 11:48 am
Great tips! One step at a time is really the key, I think. One thing I would revise though is to not focus on HFCS but to watch full sugar intake. There is sugar in things you don’t expect and it can add up. Focusing on just one kind may not be as effective. It’s all okay in moderation but you have to check labels to be sure you are staying within your limits.
Never the Same River Twice Says:
February 21st, 2008, 11:54 am
Leo, I went vegetarian EXTREMELY gradually. I quit one meat per year for 3 years. This wasn’t so much for my benefit, but for the benefit of my family and friends.
For some people the rapid approach is best. Others find that they can eat super healthy the rest of the week as long as they get one cheat day per week.
It’s all about finding what works for you.
Atomic Bombshell Says:
February 21st, 2008, 11:58 am
This is excellent advice, and I’m willing to say so because the “baby steps” method you describe here is how I’ve achieved any and all of my personal successes toward a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise. I hope that people who really need to hear this message somehow stumble across this article.
Stephanie Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:01 pm
There are other health problems with red meat aside from the effects it has on your cholesterol. The animals are kept in insanely cramped environments, most never seeing the light of day. To keep so many animals all together in a tight space, they need to feed them increasingly high doses of antibiotics. The animals are still prone to disease, as their environments and diets are so artificial, in order to keep costs down.
The true cost of well-raised meat should be much, much higher than what we pay in grocery stores. People balk at the price of organic, outdoor-raised meat (small farm free-range, not so-called free range factory farms). But really, this is what meat used to cost. People just used to eat less of it. It’s the modern factory farming that has given us tonnes of cheap meat. But there’s a hidden health cost of digesting so many hormones and antibiotics and who knows what else.
It’s a myth that we can’t feed our populations with safer, smaller-scale farming practices. But we WILL have to give up eating meat every day, if we are to survive. The current methods of industrial farming and mass meat consumption are simply not sustainable — to our health, or the planet’s.
Someone mentioned the word ‘deprivation’ when it comes to giving up meat. If you enjoy it, then don’t give it up completely. But it doesn’t hurt anyone to eat less of it, or at the very least, buy if from small, local farmers who don’t use chemicals or animal fats in their feed.
A great book on this subject is Peter Singer’s “The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter.”
Thanks for the great post Leo!
Ibrahim Husain Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:07 pm
you’ve made some excellent points here Leo. People want to change. If they are made aware of the reality of healthy eating, it will be a much easier transition from “junk food junkie.”
I really enjoyed this one. I’m going to link to this at ZenCollegeLife.com !!!
peach Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:09 pm
Hey there, I wonder if you’d be up for submitting to this:
http://peacharse.blogspot.com/2008/02/youre-not-only-one_10.html
a blog book for charity ?
Becky Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:13 pm
I think that Americans in general think *way* too much about what we eat. Vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free, Atkins … whatever. Honestly friends, it doesn’t have to be so hard! Human beings are omnivores; we can survive eating almost anything. That’s one reason we’ve managed to live almost everywhere on this planet.
To be healthy, we do best on foods that are only moderately processed. (Because face it, even cooked whole wheat berries are processed - we have to take off the hulls, wash them, and cook them before we can digest them at all. They are “whole” only in comparison to a box of Stove Top stuffing. And any gardener will tell you that about 70% of garden vegetables get thrown on the compost pile - we only eat part of most plants - the fruit, or the root, or the leaves, or whatever.)
We have no idea what long-term effects most new food additives (”chemicals” as many people like to call them, as though *everything in the universe* isn’t made out of chemicals!) might have. And they’re not in there for our benefit - they’re in there to increase shelf life, or mouth feel, or color, or whaver. So really, the prudent thing to do is to avoid them. But they’re not the devil. They’re just stuff.
As far as whether to eat meat, or dairy, or wheat, or whatever, the sensible thing to do is pay attention to how you feel, find a way of eating that makes you feel good, healthy, and energetic, and then quit worrying about it. My husband feels great on a low-fat vegetarian diet, I feel awful on the same diet so I eat meat and more fat than he does. Neither of us has the more “healthy” or “natural” diet. We do what works for us and it’s just not a big deal.
I have lived in Scandinavia where people mostly seemed to eat rye bread, goose fat, preserved meats, pickled herrings in mayonnaise sauce, and dairy products, with maybe the occasional thin slice of cucumber “for the vitamins.” These people were mostly slim and energetic and perfectly healthy. I have lived near a macrobiotic community where people ate whole grains, vegetables, seaweed, fermented veggies, and whole cooked beans. They were mostly slim, energetic, and perfectly healthy.
My conclusion has been: don’t eat weird processed crap; eat moderate portions of simple identifiable foods; and don’t worry, obsess, or tell other people how they ought to eat. Food is something we need to live, but no diet will make you spiritual, or live forever, or be more loved, or provide any other path to your heart’s desire. If your spiritual path leads you to vegetarianism, that’s cool. But if you find yourself obsessing about food and feeling jittery and miserable - eat some freakin’ fish, say a prayer and be grateful you’re alive. If the vegetarian diet makes you feel energetic and you don’t think about food much - you go brother. But whichever it is, don’t worry or expect other people to have the exact same experience as you!
Kudos to Leo and everybody who is making efforts to make their diet more healthful, environmentally sustainable, and compassionate. These are great things.
But too many people get into the junk-science of demonizing some foods and calling others a panacea, taking vitamin pills and other supplements, getting superstitious ideas about combining or not combining foods, eating for their blood type, eating only raw foods, and so on. I think these are basically eating disorders, especially when people go around “evangelizing” their particular food obsession.
Enjoy your lunch, try to find something that helps you feel alert and energetic … and then forget about it and go do some good in the world!
peace & love,
Becky
Charles Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:19 pm
A great book to read on our industrial food chain and alternatives is The Omivores Dilemna” by Michael Pollan. I think I learned more about our “modern” and almost completely unnatural food being sold in our grocery stores. The prevalence of unnatural sweeteners from corn and its omnipresence in most manufactured food is astounding…and disturbing. It has changed the way I eat.
jim Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:20 pm
I agree with Becky, the problem isn’t as much the “what” as it is the “how much.” Portion size is the killer in most meals, not what (though if you live off fried foods, you probably want to change the “what” also).
Stephanie Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:24 pm
That’s a great point Becky. Re-learning how to eat (as we can easily get off track, following culture or getting in a rut of unhealthy habits) is a delicate thing. If you become too dogmatic, or get into good vs. bad foods, you set yourself up for feeling deprived and then binging. But if we can learn how to listen to our bodies, then the ‘right’ foods just become naturally more appealing.
Becky Says:
February 21st, 2008, 12:27 pm
On the subject of becoming vegetarian / vegan: A good alternative is to switch to all organic, pasture-raised meats, dairy, and eggs from local farmers. Meat from pasture-rasied (grass-fed / cows live in fields as they should) beef actually has a significantly different fat profile than commercial beef. Same with the chicken and eggs. And if you know how an animal lived and died, you can know that you’re no longer part of the animal-cruelty industry.
These items are (often) significantly more expensive than their commercial counterparts, but they are a way to continue to eat animal products in moderation, more healthfully and with less cruelty.
Praveen Says:
February 21st, 2008, 13:12 pm
thanks for the great list. I will try and cut out sugar first.
Lynn Says:
February 21st, 2008, 13:24 pm
excellent, post, as usual. i always look forward to your columns!
one small detail - isn’t pork “the other white meat?” :)
Ryne McKenna Says:
February 21st, 2008, 13:27 pm
I agree with small steps, they seem to create momentum and excitement….and experimenting like …. have you ever tried Spaghetti Squash? just add sauce and who knows what else?…it is a delicious way to eat squash. Or homemade pumpkin bread made from an acutal pumpkin (not dried, canned but your halloween jack-o-lantern? So many delicious things to try.
I’ve heard of a study where toddlers who have never had white sugar were given a variety of foods to choose from … and they chose the particular food their body needed. One child ate a lot of bananas..and they found that he was lacking in potassium…however once white sugar is introduced their cravings no longer reflect their body’s needs.
walt Says:
February 21st, 2008, 14:36 pm
I eat locally produced meat, eggs, and dairy products. No “industrial” farms, no confinement operations, etc.
But then, I live in the middle of Kansas. You know, I’ve searched and searched for these “industrial” farms, but haven’t, to date, found any. Maybe that’s something you coasties have.
One thing to remember on the sustainability front: meat is far more energy dense than grains. It takes about 3-5 acres to graze a cow on. That cow will produce about 700lbs of meat. Wheat yeilds about 35-40 bushels/acre (typically) so we’re talking 200 bushels of wheat on an average year. There’s a lot more food energy in 700lbs of meat than 200 bushels of wheat.
Colleen Says:
February 21st, 2008, 14:52 pm
Hi Leo,
Great post. Eating healthy is something I struggle with much as I hate to admit it as an ethical and sustainable farm business owner. I create that good food you talk about. Eating it should be a no-brainer, right?
I admit that I have been reading your blog for a month or so but have yet to read a lot about you specifically so I don’t know if you live somewhere deeply urban.
I mention this because there are very few places (in the U.S. especially) where you have to go very far to find a farm that produces milk and eggs in a way that allows their animals to be naturally healthy. Meat is in another category obviously but there are farmers out there whose sole purpose is to provide food that meets the animal welfare standards to conscious consumers like yourself.
Just a thought! (Nothing like getting on my soapbox for my first ever comment, eh?)
Beth Partin Says:
February 21st, 2008, 15:00 pm
Great post, but I would like to take issue with the advice about soy milk versus cow milk.
I get my cow’s milk from a local farm whose owners treat their cows very well.
Soy milk, however, may be made from soybeans grown in South America. Many of those soy farms are carved out of the rainforest, so soy milk in and of itself is not necessarily environmentally friendly. You can, of course, find soymilk that doesn’t harm the environment.
Mucus Says:
February 21st, 2008, 15:03 pm
read “Omnivore’s Dilema”
RIchard Says:
February 21st, 2008, 15:10 pm
Kudos on replace vs. remove. When I went vegetarian, my wife and I discovered worlds of new foods and I learned how to cook. Learning to cook was my meat-eating yet very supportive wife’s one demand on the new diet. We now cook together instead of her cooking and me cleaning. In the end, we’re healthier in our marriage.
healthy non-guilty red meat eater Says:
February 21st, 2008, 15:27 pm
Red meat is NOT unhealthy unless it is factory farmed. There are alternative sources of meat. Grass fed meat is very healthy, certainly more so that grains. Many people can’t even digest grains.Pleases stop perpetuating the same old myths and propaganda. Update your info. Thanks.
michael Says:
February 21st, 2008, 15:52 pm
I’m surprised at how many of these I can check off as done, and yet, I still feel I have further to go. Much further than even the suggestions here…
The process of self-improvement is unending.
dlab Says:
February 21st, 2008, 15:57 pm
Good article Leo… lots of good common sense tips for eating well.
One thing to point out though is that the jury is still out on the dangers that unfermented soy products pose to men. While traditional fermented soy products like miso, tempeh, etc do not contain phytoestrogens (which can mess with your body’s hormone balance), there are several documented cases of heavy soy milk consumption leading to “man boobs.” No conclusive scientific evidence either way, but personally, I would not let my kids (particularly male) drink soymilk on a regular basis.
Anton Says:
February 21st, 2008, 16:08 pm
I agree. Small steps make sense.
Me, I gradually eliminated all grains and tubers from my diet, then all vegetables and fruits. And I feel dramatically better. I eat purely meat of all kinds, fish, eggs, seafood.
I lost flab, gained muscle, dental problems disappeared. I have more energy, sleep better. It has been 10 years now and I will never go back.
I know it is more politically correct and fashionable to be vegetarian nowadays. And more widely hallowed. But the veggie life didn’t work for me, no matter how ‘healthy’ it was claimed to be. I felt righteous enough, but always weak and pudgy.
So I went with my instincts. I embrace fat and red meat, and game, and fish of all kinds. The naysayers keep predicting all manner of ill health for me — and have been for a decade — but I just keep feeling good. Sorry about that.
I
Gabs Says:
February 21st, 2008, 16:46 pm
These are awesome steps to follow and some of them will definitely work for me. I’m probably not going to cut out all sugar and I’m a big fan of whole milk…. but I will try to drink more water and switch to fruit snacks instead of something like pretzels. And no more candy! Also, I love the idea of making your own pizza. It’s one of my favorites and making my own is such a good way to ensure that it’s healthy!
Cindy @ LifeLovesMe Says:
February 21st, 2008, 16:59 pm
This is exactly the stuff I was planning to write a post about!! You seem to have read my mind. ^_^
These are all really great tips. I’ve implemented a ton of these (1,2,3,5,8) in the past few months and I feel more healthy than I’ve ever been. All of these are small enough changes to not feel like you’re giving up anything, yet they really do make a big impact.
Great post! Next time, though, I’m going to beat YOU to the punch. :D
Jack Says:
February 21st, 2008, 17:25 pm
Good point, just making small changes from time to time. I’m down to small amounts of meat once a day and eggs several times a week. I need a good amount of protein so i also include quinoa ( a high protein grain) and lots of veggies and fruit. I like to very my diet to include as many healthy foods as possible. Just added green tea to take the place of some coffee during the day.
I’m not so concerned with the type of food, burgers, meat, as with the portions and quality. Tofu is ok in the right portion but can not take the place of all other proteins. Well this is my experience, everyone is different.
carolina Says:
February 21st, 2008, 17:29 pm
leo,
i’m new to your blog. and quite frankly, i’m HOOKED. thank you for motivating me to stop eating a donut every morning for breakfast 490 calories, to be exact. As of today, I’m done wit donuts.
I’m training to run a marathon in April and I ALSO want to be a writer. I have a personal blog - which hasn’t been quite successful, so I’ve been thinking of ideas and of being useful and i think i came up with one. i have a name, shefinds. and i’m going to try to conquer the issues that women today face: juggling work, relationships, money, health, shopping, and the pursuit of hapyness. I think I’m launching officially in march.
I’m hoping and praying and ACTING.
oakling Says:
February 21st, 2008, 17:55 pm
Tip of the hat to “aijgfkeauyf”. You need to add a step in here - research and learn about nutrition! Different people have different needs and it’s important to do the research and apply critical thinking to see what your personal “healthiest possible diet” would be.
Personally, the actual 12 steps from food-based (and other) 12-step programs worked better for me. I tried controlling my eating with various rules about what to eat, and found that it didn’t stick until I dealt with the core beliefs and feelings that led me to the unhealthy choices in the first place. With those out of the way, it’s become incredibly easy to learn, for example, that wheat does not work for me personally, or that I personally need about 20 grams of protein per meal, or that I don’t digest chicken well, and go “Oh - that doesn’t make me feel good so I won’t do it; that does make me feel good, so I’ll choose that.” No more tiny steps and figuring out how to ease myself into things, just healthy choices that become easier for me the more that I work on my stuff.
Stephen Martile Says:
February 21st, 2008, 18:05 pm
Hi Leo
I was shocked to see that I eat alot of the food you recommend. I think my wife has helped with these changes. She influences what I eat because she does most of the cooking. Go figure.
Now I know why everyone is always calling me the skinny guy.
Great work Leo!
Lucky Says:
February 21st, 2008, 19:12 pm
I went from Omnivore–> Vegan in two steps, though they were placed months apart. At the beginning of last summer, I stopped eating all meat. I still drank milk, ate eggs, had honey, etc. I spent about three days craving meat, then got over it and was perfectly fine with eating veggies. I didn’t actually eat any type of fake meat until three months or so into it, and even then, I don’t eat it too often.
Three weeks ago, I decided it was time to go all the way. I’ve been ‘playing’ with soymilk and similar before, but I finally dropped all the eggs and milk.
It has helped, a lot, to go out there and get all the things I need. Instead of settling for eggs or milk, I’d be sure I had rice milk and at least egg replacer at all times. I have a few vegan cookbooks, with a lot of basic recipes, so there’s always something I can whip up. I always have something to satiate a craving - seitan, veggie milk, etc.
sandspiral Says:
February 21st, 2008, 19:38 pm
Great post as usual, Leo! A question for you and/or anyone else who cares to comment . . . I could be the poster child for Carboholics Anonymous, and I haven’t found a good way to stop. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 years with no problem, but I can’t seem to shake the craving for starches (bread, potatoes, legumes, etc.), chips, etc. My friend calls me a “starchetarian.” :-) Willpower isn’t enough, or I would have succeeded long ago in minimizing the carbs and maximizing healthier things. Any thoughts would be welcome.
Also, for anyone thinking about (or in the process of) switching to vegetarianism, two thoughts:
–It does NOT necessarily mean a healthier diet! Chocolate fudge is vegetarian, potato chips are vegetarian, gobs of butter are vegetarian . . . ;-) Just because you decide to go veggie doesn’t mean you don’t have to watch your diet.
–These days there are quite a few really tasty meat substitutes out there. I know, many people will say, “But it doesn’t taste like REAL chicken, REAL steak, etc. . . .” But you really do get used to it more quickly than you think.
All the best!
blarney Says:
February 22nd, 2008, 0:29 am
#8: how about skim milk? isn’t that fat free?
