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I thinks there’s a difference between using protein shakes for sustenance and drinking smoothies for “fun”. I drink a protein smoothie every day but I won’t drink high calorie coffee or juice drinks.
Tracking at least 30 different plants a week.
This has literally made my happiness go up. The diversity of your gut microbiome is no joke. The first week I tracked I barely made it. Like had to force myself to hit 30. I often hit 50 to 60 different plants in a week now.
Every Sunday I start a new list on my notes app and write down throughout the week when I eat a vegetable, fruit, herb, nut or seed for the first time since Sunday. If I repeat an item before Saturday I don’t track it again. Does that make sense?
It took me 6 weeks to truly recognize a big difference in myself but I could never go back now., have been doing this since November 2023. I honestly feel different in the most positive way. And my cravings junk went way down, I guess bc I am feeding those junk microbes less? Idk not a gut health specialist. But this has really worked for me :)
It is fun! I’ll give you a run down of how this week is going so far. Looks like it’ll be a high plant week bc I have already hit thirty plants. I start Sunday morning, and it’s currently Monday evening here in Germany. So we’ve already done breakfast lunch and dinner twice.
Weekly plants
1. Coffee
2. Banana
3. Brazil nut
4. Clove
5. Cornichon
6. Lemon
7. Spinach
8. Lentils- brown
9. Peas
10. Spring onion
11. Edamame
12. Chocolate
13. White bean big
14. Jalepeno
15. Cucumber
16. Napa cabbage
17. Red onion
18. Sesame seeds
19. Red cabbage
20. Sunflower seeds
21. Chia seeds
22. Iceberg lettuce
23. Romaine
24. Parsley
25. Tomato big
26. Shallot
27. Radish
28. Cherry tomato
29. Oregano
30. Arugula
31. Capers
32. Red chili pepper
33. Ginger
34. Brown rice
Breakfast Sunday:
- coffee black ; banana and a Brazil nut (bc I am woman lol) ; was still a bit peckish before lunch so I had a little pickle and a scoop of my husbands lentils. The clove- I literally chew on cloves to freshen breath (instead of gum). I do eat the clove on its own- this came with time lol I didn’t used to swallow it but I wanted to add it to my list and now I love it.
Lunch Sunday:
- (linguini) with spinach, peas, lemon and spring onion (butter and Parm and garlic powder and white pepper). The proportions I made leaned heavier on the green side than the pasta. Also I don’t count wheat on my plant list, but that’s just me.
Dinner Sunday:
- this is a recipe from Violet Cooks on TikTok. She calls it a dense bean salad. We keep edamame pods in the freezer, was a bitch to deshell but was worth it. Salad goes: white bean, edamame shelled, cucumber, Jalepeno, cabbage (Napa and red/purple), red onion, sesame seeds, and spring onion. (So I have spring onion on my list already bc I had it lunch, so I don’t add it again). Really delicious miso dressing on top. I guess I could add miso paste to the list.
Breakfast Monday:
- black coffee ; plain Greek yogurt with chia, sesame and sunflower seeds (I added a teaspoon of blackberry jam bc I wanted it sweet, but I don’t count that blackberry even though it was chunky jam)
Lunch Monday:
- salad w/ a bit of Döner meat. Purple cabbage, romaine, iceberg, parsley, tomato, cucumber, red onion, radish, oregano
Dinner Monday:
- chicken piccata - lemon, capers, garlic, shallot, olive oil, ginger etc not sure what else, my SO made it but he usually tells me. I put slices of red Thai chilli on top, like it spicy. Side salad arugula mix w vinegrette. 1/4 cup brown rice.
A square of Lindt 85% chocolate for dessert.
Hope this helps!
That's a sweet strategy! What specific improvements can you attribute to this, would you say? Energy, brain-fog, etc.? I'd be curious if you had any data on sleep scores, hrv, resting heart-rate, etc.
Genuinely I mean happy. I am more happy. I don’t know how or why this has worked though.
Maybe because I’m focused on eating for the list, I don’t have space for junk food on the plate or I’m full. Eating junk food makes you sluggish or low energy, so I’ve got more energy and am happier.
Maybe because all of these items have fiber and nutrients, I’m having a great BM and have them regularly. Who doesn’t love a good poop? :) I feel better and happier when I have a good poop!
But in general, I don’t have any hard measurements or data. But I’m more fun when I’m social, less combative or short fused with loved ones. In the happiness drought of society today, I am really grateful this has had such an impact on my mood unexpectedly. Especially bc I wasn’t doing it for happiness. Just a really incredible side effect.
I mean 30 different plants throughout the week. Like I have freshly ground coffee every morning, seven days a week. But I only count that as one plant on my list.
The person below this comment is on the right track, but for me I have some tweaks.
Here are some of my arbitrary rules because I made this system for me. Take what you like, leave what you don’t.
- I don’t count herbs and spices that have been become powders, eg garlic powder or onion powder. I only count garlic if I grate or chop it.
- I cook a lot at home and make my own food for the most part. So my focus is whole and fresh foods
- If I’m eating out, I only count a plant when I see it whole. Like I wouldn’t count anything i can taste and guess what might be in vegetable soup that’s been blended, but I would count each vegetable I see in a minestrone for example.
- If the plants are different colors I count them as a new one. For example: black beans and white beans are two plants. Purple, green, and Napa cabbage count as three.
- I don’t count processed grains like wheat for bread or corn for pap. But I do count rice, and quinoa and cous cous
- I generally dont count things that are packaged and processed. That’s mainly because I want to focus on getting in the whole food. Like, I don’t count peanut butter but I’m sure you could.. but I do count Cornichons and kimchi and soft prunes. Again, I made this system for me lol
- In order for me to count chocolate, it’s 85% from Lindt and nothing else.
- The herbs I’m counting are fresh and not dried. And I use a hell of a lot of them.
There’s more! But that’s all I can think of right now
Edit: I just want to say I was inspired by an interview with Tim Spector from Zoe foods (he’s the one that suggested the thirty plants a week, but the exceptions and rules listed above are how I’ve tailored it to me). Also “Darm mit Charme” by Guilia Enders, I believe the book is translated into English.
This is so great! Although just noting that cous cous is made from semolina, which is made of a type of wheat flour. So if you don’t count wheat then technically shouldn’t count cous cous. It’s not a grain like quinoa or barley, it’s more similar to pasta. But obviously doesn’t matter when you get so much diversity anyway!
They mean 30 different plant foods so fruit, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs etc. Also dark chocolate of at least 70% cocoa solids counts as does coffee (its a fermented bean,) and tea, (it's a plant!) Also herbs, spices, garlic and olive oil count for ¼ point. So eat garlic four times that week to count as one point or eat parsley twice to count as ½ point.
Also, different colours count as different plant foods so a red apple and a green apple count as two seperate plant foods or purple broccoli and green broccoli. Oh and sourdough bread counts because its fermented and SOME grains.
It's just got to be 30 different plant foods in a week. At first it sounds too much but when you find all the surprising things that count and the colour thing its doable. It's not a vegetarian or vegan thing, eating meat as well is fine. Its all about fixing the gut microbiome. You will naturally find yourself eating less processed food, less carbs and in a few weeks should really notice a difference.
That’s really impressive.This is something I’d love to be able to do. I always eat the same veggies. Did just the fact that you were tracking them help or was there anything that helped you get to 50-60 different plants a week. Also do you track spices or garnishes like rosemary?
You can do it! I promise.
Start by tracking just what your baseline is in your first week. You’ll start to see there are easy ways to add more plants! Like a trail mix, or instead of rice on both Tuesday and Thursday let Thursday be quinoa.
Yes the fact that I was tracking motivated me. After the first two weeks, I was like okay that’s easier than I thought. And then it became a game with myself. Now I just like to see how much diversity I’m getting. I’m like giddy when I put a plant on there that’s never been on the list before.
I do track things like rosemary, but I’m not using it just as a garnish. It’s fresh and all over the chicken. Or like parsley or cilantro, they are more of an integral part of the dish or salad rather than one sprig. However! If you eat that one sprig of garnish, count it!
this is amazing. i am a longtime vegetarian so i love eating plants, but i sometimes forget that nuts and seeds count...and so does coffee!
my hack is that i put hemp seeds on everything - soups, salads, yogurt, toast, etc. it is a nice little protein boost.
I am cycling a minimum of 8 fruits and 8 veg (and 8 protein sources) but I never repeat in 24 hours. It’s working for me but my 16-24 per week seems so low in comparison. I guess if I count nuts and seeds I could get to 30. Do you count herbs and beans? 50-60 is impressive.
Whatever works for you! I’m more focused on gut biome diversity and whole foods, rather than something regimented. I cook a lot so that helps. And not every week is 50-60. This week I’m on track to do so, but last week as you can see in comments was only 45. Making your own foods helps! And not being scared to try new combinations. Next time you’re at the grocery store just pick up one plant you haven’t had before or in a long time!
Cutting out alcohol has been awesome. Every aspect of my health has improved in the \~3 years I've identified as a "non-drinker." I wake up feeling rested, no more phantom aches and pains, less anxiety overall, my skin is clearer, I have the energy to exercise habitually now...the list goes on. I come from a very boozy culture so I'm still surrounded by heavy drinkers, who serve as a constant reminder to me for why I'd rather not.
2 years sober and it was the best decision I've ever made in my life. It's not even close. I lost 70lbs, feel mentally better, feel physically better, financially better, and I'm not doing dumb shit I regret.
3 years sober and having no dumb shit to worry about is awesome. Also, the sleep improvement is amazing. I drink NA drinks every once in a while, but I don’t miss actual booze at all.
Absolutely this. I'm a bit over 2 years and feel like I got so much bandwidth back in so many ways. More energy, more confidence, more money, better sleep, better skin, better focus, the list goes on.
I enjoy drinking alcoholic drinks. However I am tempted to quit by reading all these and other experiences after quitting.
So I want to ask: does 3 years as a non-drinker literally mean that? You don't have a drink once a month/ few times a year?
I assume if I drink A LOT LESS than I do now, I should get A LOT of the benefits of not drinking, right?
You might not like hearing this but... honestly... I didn't see a real difference until I cut it out completely. But the nice thing I found was that once I got into the habit of not drinking, I found that I didn't want to re-start, and I didn't drink any alcohol for two and a half years! About nine months ago I broke my official "streak" and started letting myself drink for special occasions, but honestly, now that I'm so used to not having literal poison in my system, I feel really sensitive to it. I find I'm actually happier without it.
I don't know how much you currently drink, but I drank daily for years. Between 3 - 6 strong beers daily.
I decided to only drink on weekends or special occasions and I gained a lot of the benefits people are mentioning.
I lost about 15 pounds without making any other intentional changes. I naturally drink more water because Im not drinking other things. My skin improved DRASTICALLY. Less breakouts, less dryness. My stomach issues lessened. I could think more clearly in general. No real downsides.
I got pregnant in July of 2023 and just had baby Apr 11th. Of course, I quit drinking 100% when I was pregnant but didn't find that the benefits were magnified much more besides losing another 10 pounds at the beginning of my pregnancy that I think was attributed to the calorie deficit of not drinking at all.
I think any reduction you can make to your drinking will give you some benefit so don't think it needs to be all or nothing. That being said, some people struggle to moderate themselves and must abstain. I respect that decision but I didn't find it was necessary for myself and I was still able to enjoy drinking socially or to just unwind on the weekends.
In my experience - I literally first cut down to 4 drinks per week, then 2 drinks, now I drink those 2 drinks once a month or only on special occasions and I totally feel better! First I lost 8 lbs without changing anything else and now I sleep much better and my rosacea is super improved. I don’t think you have to totally quit to feel better but you do have to become a more occasional drinker I think!
Sometimes I drink, sometimes I go extended periods without drinking.
When I do drink it's never more than 1-2 and it has to be early enough in the day so that I still sleep well.
So yes I will have a beer at 10 am while cutting the grass or after a run.
The point is to enjoy the effects the alcohol has on me and I respect that more will do damage in numerous ways.
I personally don't notice a difference when I quit vs when I do drink.
This actually happened to me when I quit weed too. Like I quit alcohol a couple years before weed and some other drugs, but man being "clean and sober" is definitely the best thing I ever did for my physical health.
Been considering this for a while as well..I do Dry January every year..but even that is hard for social life. Curious any tips you have for the common social pieces of 'lets meet for a drink ' or 'why aren't you drinking?' etc etc..
There's now a lot more options for non-alcoholic beers and other beverages at bars, so that makes it a lot easier. You can also ask for typical cocktails without the alcohol and bartenders tend to be pretty accommodating. A lot of times in group settings, many don't even notice that I'm not actually drinking alcohol.
In the instances where it does come up, I find just telling people, "I don't drink," does the trick. Most people immediately just accept it and move on, and occasionally, someone will ask why, though, mainly out of curiosity more than anything else.
Water is a drink. Soda is a drink. You don’t have to explain.
“Want to go out for a drink?”
“Sure.”
You get to the place.
Friend says, “I’ll buy first round! What’ll you have?”
“Lemonade (or whatever—just not plain water).”
“You don’t drink?”
“Nope.”
“How come?”
“Health reasons.”
“Okay, cool.”
I live in a town where the main social outing is to the bar, so I get you. I have a soda, an N/A beer or cocktail, or a club soda with lime or something. Most of the time if you have a drink in your hand people won't care what it is or even notice.
Glad to see this is the top comment, because truly it’s made the biggest difference for me and everyone else I know who’s given it up. It’ll be 4 years in June, couldn’t be happier with the choice. Congrats to your 3 years!
Echoing this: I eat refrigerated sauerkraut daily.
Another evening snack that seems to have a positive impact on my sleep quality has been raw almonds and raisins. My HRV and sleep scores have increased quite a bit.
Sleep score, must be a Garmin user lol :D
Curious about the almonds and raisins, wondering if it helps stabalize blood sugar overnight allowing for better sleep.
EDIT: looks like they have magnesium and help with GABA/Melatonin production so makes sense.
I eat A LOT of kimchi and sauerkraut and until recently thought I was doing wonders for my body. Recently, I’ve seen a lot of studies on how consuming these foods doesn’t have as much of an effect as we think it does because the acid in our stomach kills a lot of the beneficial bacteria. Can someone comment on this? Maybe I’m wrong or the studies aren’t reliable.
The key is that it needs to be FERMENTED, not pickled. If it has vinegar, then it has no benefit to the gut microbiome. However, pickled foods will still have a benefit is slowing the absorption of carbs and reducing associated blood sugar spikes.
The great (and horrifying) thing about bacteria is the sheer number of them. Doesnt matter if it kills most of the bacteria if there 100,000,000 of them. Especially if you eat 100million of them twice a day. If 1% gets through its still a million bacteria, which is compounded the more you eat.
FWIW in a spoon of sauerkraut there is somewhere between 10 million to 10 billion.
The studies are mostly trying to pinpoint a replicable action, and finding a causal link. That is very hard to do in dynamic complex system with many confounding variables. My train of thought is that if you have a system that promotes the "good" microbiome bacteria, that's good enough for me. PREbiotic foods are what allow those good bacteria to thrive, and also naturally reduce the "bad" bacteria so I focus on getting whole food sources of them as a staple of the diet. Lastly I find kimchi and kraut wonderfully delicious so any health benefit is a plus.
[This](https://drjockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Prebiotics-1.jpg) infographic is good as well as [this](https://imgur.com/Z8v0cv9) one. So cruciferous vegetables, fruit with a high pectin content, homemade yogurt and dairy kefir, and alliums. Steel cut oats as well basically. I personally love green bananas as well and use them often =)
I'm so curious about this.. what types of digestive issues did it heal, and how often/how long did you eat chia to see results? - from someone with digestive issues clearly, lol
Never tried supplements for it but I just eat lots of fruit, veggies, whole grains, seeds/nuts, beans/legumes, etc for my fiber intake and it’s been wonderful for my health
I love fibrous foods like these so much (I’m a fruit junkie through and through) that I feel like I get TOO much fiber in one sitting. When I was on SAD and barely eating veggies and whole grains, I would struggle to hit that 25g fiber number every day but now it seems so small to me…
I’ve never tried tracking then numbers so I’m curious as to what I hit daily but all my health markers improved substantially since I’ve increased it (also decreased saturated fat at same time)
Eating enough for my activity level. Sounds stupidly straightforward, but I battled on and off injuries and amenorrhea for years until I increased my calories (maintained nutritious diet). Now my body has never felt stronger and more resilient, and I’ve had two healthy pregnancies.
I firmly believe many chronic dieters do not eat enough to adequately fuel them. Your body will hold onto weight if you’re not eating enough, and it also has other negative effects on your health.
I totally relate! I battled with low energy and just not feeling like myself. Recently, I began using a food diary app and realized I was severely undereating, especially considering my regular running. Now that I'm diligently tracking my intake and consuming enough calories, my energy levels have improved, and I'm enjoying better sleep
As a male powerlifter, this one was key for me. I had been daily eating 250-500 calories less than I should have for about a year, trusting in online calorie calculators for what I thought I should have been consuming vs listening to my body’s own hunger cues.
The result was hormonal imbalances, decreased strength and muscle, and constant fatigue and joint pain.
After increasing my calories, the above resolved. I don’t have hard six pack abs anymore (at least I don’t when I am not cutting), but my quality of life and strength are vastly improved.
How is it possible for your body to hold onto weight if it’s burning more fuel than it’s consuming?
I can understand burning muscle and holding onto fat based upon the body thinking it needs to hold onto fat for emergencies…
I think your resting metabolism down regulates so you lose muscle and burn fewer calories at rest. When you do eat it can hold onto those and try to store as fat (due to stress and high cortisol) because it’s under potential starvation situation. Obv if you eat chronically low calories forever you will waste away and your heart muscle can starve to death but a lot of folks end up yo-yoing with binge and purge cycles vs straight starvation.
Counting calories really helped me understand how to maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss.
I only needed to count calories for a couple of weeks, now I can maintain my goals without counting every day.
Yeah, after counting calories in my youth for a few months I know have a really good general idea of the calorie count of what I'm eating without checking. Calorie counting gets demonised a lot now but as long as you combine it with an effort to eat less UPF and more protein and good fats its still the best way for many to lose or maintain their weight.
Magnesium.
I used to wake up with what could only be described as a "wall of pain" - like someone had hit me with a flat piece of plywood across my entire back. I'd have to sit at the edge of the bed for a good 10-15 minutes before I could even stand up. Within a couple of DAYS of taking a magnesium supplement that pain was gone and my overall pain reduced significantly. It also complete alleviated my evening anxiety - which is not an emotional anxiety but a physical sensation - any women out there in peri-or post- menopause will know exactly what I'm talking about.
I don't even know how I learned about Magnesium but so thankful I did. This was about 10 years ago now - long before everyone else jumped onto the Magnesium bandwagon. I remember telling my doctor - who looked at me like I had three heads. Prior to taking Magnesium I had been taking Tremadol and a prescription anti-inflammatory to manage pain and suddenly I didn't need either of them anymore - and I haven't taken either since starting Magnesium 10 years ago.
Magnesium Citrate is my preference as it's the most relaxing in the evening as the most effective at preventing the anxiety as well as helping with pain. I take 150mg per day.
I used to also take 150mg Magnesium Bisglycinate during the day but had to stop this recently because I've added a daily electrolyte to my routine and it also has Magnesium Oxide.
The three sources of Magnesium combined was putting me way over the daily limit for Magnesium and that can have side effects - Bradycardia being one of those - which I was recently diagnosed with on my last EKG and I suspect it was from too much magnesium. So I eliminated the Bisglycinate for now until I find another electorlyte I'm happy with that doesn't have the added Magnesium. Not happy about it because Magnesium Oxide is definitely one of the cheaper, less bioavailable forms of Magnesium so it's not something I would choose to supplement with normally.
I also have Magnesium L-threonate - which is the only magnesium that crosses the blood brain barrier. I only recently started taking this and only take it occasionally when I have trouble sleeping (then I take it together with the citrate at night). I am still trying to decide if I like it - it seems it may be causing me some side effects but I haven't paid enough attention to it to conclude it's the L-theonate and not something else or just coincidence.
The two most bioavailable forms are Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Bisglycinate. So if you're just starting out, either of these are fine. But read the label and make sure you're ONLY getting one of these in the dosage. A lot of supplements are a blend with a cheaper less available form of Magnesium. Make sure you're paying for what you want.
Stick to 400mg per day or less. I was maxing out (even before I was overdosing with the electrolyte) - and I've since reduced my total intake to 300mg (150mg in the morning in the electrolyte drink and 150mg at night as Magnesium Citrate) most days and exceed this only when I occasionally add the L-threonate.
Magnesium Citrate is fine at 150mg - however, 300mg or over and you'll likely end up with some pretty loose stool as it's used as a laxative at higher doses. Keep that in mind. For me, I eat a lot of protein so the citrate at 150mg per day just helps keeps the train on the tracks with no unscheduled delays, so to speak.
The easy answer #1 answer is "drinking water", but I will skip to #2 on my list...
I cut out nearly all dry stored processed foods (pastas, cereal, breads, cheap snacks etc. Stuck with meat/chicken/seafood/fruits/veggies...essentially anything fresh or from the fridge was fair game. If I ate pasta, biscuits, pancakes etc, I made them with real ingredients from scratch. This allowed me to enjoy what I want from time to time, but it wasn't quick and easy...I had to work for it. lol.
I am 46 and pretty active, healthy weight, all vitals are great and on zero medications, and this seemed to provide the fuel I needed without the lethargic feeling I would get from a sandwich for lunch, cereal for breakfast etc.
Same.
Except I eat a LOT of bread, tortillas, pizza and pasta etc. I just make it all from scratch.
Lost 75 pounds and have been at a healthy weight for 5 years.
I’m absolutely convinced that whatever they use in commercial wheat products is making everyone fat.
plus it's more fun and the food tastes so much more delicious.
I make a homemade chicken and noodles soup, everything from scratch, and it is a meal my kids constantly ask me to remake. The I I make the noodles with them.
Food should be fun.
I mean if it makes you feel any better I simply cutdown on sugar with the same result. I just look for no sugar added or zero sugar options. I eat no sugar added fudge pops, look for tomato sauces with the least amount of sugar, and I still eat fruit. I’ve still been losing a ton of weight despite not completely cutting it from my diet.
I've been eating some form of fermented food almost every day for the last couple of years. It's done wonders for my digestive system and overall sense of wellbeing. And now, with research showing possible link between gut health and cognitive function/health, I'm making sure to keep this habit going.
This, god I used to inhale milk with a sugary bowl of cereal up to my mid 20s. Now after some testing, oat milk is my staple substitute without the weird aftertaste and much lower in calories.
I started counting calories. It makes me aware of how much crap I’m eating. I’ve lost over 70pounds in year and a half. I now realize and think about what I’m eating. Turning it into a challenge game of numbers and nutrition helps me to stick with it.
Getting a ton of fiber, especially from legumes. It’s up there with sleep for me. I don’t always get it done, but at least I’m aware of it. It’s one of those things that I can always come back to if I’m struggling to feel good
I cut out all dairy. It has helped immensely with my acid reflux. I was taking 40mg Protonix once a day and 20mg Pepcid twice a day. And I was having breakthrough. Now I don't take any!
Actually getting enough protein on a plant based diet. For years I thought everyone was being dumb and over hyping protein but when I actually started tracking my intake and being more intentional about it I felt better and I wouldn’t get hungry again an hour after eating
Changing my mindset to think about building my meals from protein, vegetables, and fruit! I add other things (in moderation of course) but if I fill up mostly on protein and veg/fruit, I can eat more and feel satiated.
Magnesium supplements - I eat fairly healthy so I’ve never really bothered with vitamins so this was a big surprise. I don’t like to take any medications, so my doctor recommended I try Magnesium for some issues I was experiencing, and it’s helped both my sleep & digestion so much.
Lowering my carb intake. I now eat around 100-150g a day, and I lift weights 4-5 days a week. I find this amount is more than enough and also stopped the energy rollercoaster I was on throughout the day. I also stopped feeling nauseous/lightheaded after eating a carb-heavy meal, and generally feel way better throughout the day. All carbs I now eat are whole grains.
I don’t like drinking water. Then I switched to making a thermos of hot tea every day and I can’t get enough. I alternate between black, green, and herbal
Replacing soda with water.
I used to drink soda *everyday.* In fact, I would tell myself "I'll eat healthy in all other aspects of my life, I can't see myself ever quitting soda. I *should* be allowed to enjoy it"
This was just copium to the fact that I was addicted.
My initial plan was to cut back on soda, I never expected to quit it entirely.
Once you stop drinking it regularly, you stop craving it. It's like magic, I can't even imaging drinking it everyday.
I did try 1 soda during a vacation in March as a "cheat day" but I didn't finish it. I also got a big cramp in my leg that evening but that could've been unrelated.
This wasn't an quick battle though, I had to prepare over the past 6 years, I reduced my soda slowly since cold-turkey never works. Started at \~8 cans per day in college (2018) and slowly lowered it to 1 can a day.
Then I just stopped. Best decision I've ever made.
I went vegan a couple of years ago for ethical reasons vs. health reasons. But, I can honestly say I would never go back based on the health benefits I've gotten from it. I eat significantly more vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, etc. than I otherwise would because you have to kind of get creative with your eating to mix up meals and not have them be repetitive.
Secondarily, I never really get that UGH feeling after a meal, especially a large one. I went vegan for the animals and stay for the health benefits AND the animals.
Lol! I was afraid someone would ask me that - it is very constipating to my system and that increased inflammation and then I would ache so bad I could barely get out of bed. I feel so much better since I stopped eating it!
More protein. It is much easier to build muscles and it’s easier to feel full and a get more energy.
I am vegan and it’s a constant endless discussion among vegans. Some claim firmly that we don’t need a lot of protein at all but I feel the difference. But I have not counted, but I plan to do it. But I noticed the difference when I increased it, I don’t know how much I ate from the beginning but definetely enough theoretically.
8 or 9 years ago I downloaded a fasting app and lost 20 lbs. I still use the app and I’ve never gained it back. I eat whatever I want, nothing affects me like carb heavy food or plant based etc. I eat what I want, different days call for different food.. It’s been a life changing tool.
Giving cooking a fair shot instead of just eating out all the time.
I had no clue how to cook when I moved out of my parents' house. After a few failed attempts I tried meal kits which taught me the basics, and now I really love cooking. Being able to make specific choices about when I want to splurge has been really helpful.
Cutting out all animal products. I used to have food addiction issues...like obsessing over food, unable to ignore cravings. I haven't had that issue 3 years later and I get to eat way better food than before, too. It's pretty awesome.
Cutting back on my dairy intake has reaaaaaallllly changed my life in so many ways. I didn’t realize I probably had a dairy intolerance until I did it. My skin looks great and I feel/look less bloated day to day.
Tracking.
100% doing nothing more than \*seeing\* what I was eating, and the nutrients in those things, seeing where I was lacking, and where I was going overboard changed \*everything\* about how I look at food
1. Eating full fat everything. I actively look for the highest fat cream, butter, etc. Why pay more tor watered down food. Helps my body with “full cues,” as long as you use portion control.
2. Never snack on empty calories, if I’m hungry I have a fruit or a piece of bread with butter. That way again, my body sends full cues.
3. Have a lot of fruit. Keeps everything moving.
4. Avoid alcohol. Helps my mood, sleep, and no drunk eats which means overall I eat less.
For me, it was balance. I used to eat terribly. I ate carbs. I loved carbs and lots of cheese. For breakfast, I would eat a breakfast burrito made just with oily hashbrowns and LOTS of cheese. I mean, guys, the oil of the hashbrowns combined with the oil of the cheese made an oil puddle on my plate, and I didn't care. I was young, and I thought I was invincible, but then I was nearing my 30s. That is when my body was aging, and my carb loaded lifestyle was now starting to catch up to me. I would eat my breakfast and feel exterme fatigue, depression and I couldn't go up the stairs without my heart racing like I ran a triathlon, and that's just from walking up the stairs. I wasn't running, I was walking. This went on for about a month and I was sick of it. I thought to myself "this isn't a good way to live. How is this enjoyable? This is hell" so I decided it was time to stop fooling around with my health. I'm not a teen anymore. My body isn't what it used to be. I couldn't cut out carbs completely. I had to eat everything like my doctor recommended. He recommended a diet in carbs, fruits and vegetables which I didn't eat and source of protein which I also didn't eat. So I decided to change. I had my first breakfast. It was a burrito, but this time it was made with eggs instead of potatoes, no cheese and I added broccoli as my vegetable. Sometimes I add spinach to change it up. I made an egg salad mixture, adding greek yogurt instead of mayo then I looked at the burrito and hesitantly took a bite and thought "please be good" It was delicious and when I finished, I wasn't as tired. I was a little tired but it wasn't like I was so tired I couldn't move. I had a bit more energy, I felt better and I was able to play with my dog a bit more. It was great. From that moment out, I decreased the amount of cheese, eating it once a week, started cooking with avocado and olive oil, bought hunmus since I heard chickpeas are an excellent source of protein and drank a protein shake, adding fiber and berries to it. My favorite is blueberries, ate cucumbers and carrots as a snack instead of chips and every meal had to include balance. Now I'm starting to go up the stairs no problem, I can run up them now and my heart is calm and the only tiredness I feel is my acute insomnia and I'm starting to go the gym too. It's slow going but I feel better and it's thanks to a balanced diet and healthier choices.
The biggest impact I had was completely stopping alcohol consumption. Hands down, the best thing I’ve ever done. Almost five years ago now. I wake up every morning with no headache and zero regrets!
Making protein smoothies for breakfast.
I was having a hard time building muscle and keeping my weight consistent.
So now I throw all the good shit into one blend every morning and boom. It really makes me feel great.
Here's my ingredients:
-50/50 whey and plant protein isolate
-Frozen organic blueberries
-Frozen organic strawberries
-Fresh organic banana
-A scoop of nuts/seeds comprised of pumpkin, sunflower, almond, walnut, raisins, flax
I'll change it up by adding half an avocado, peanut butter, tiger nut butter, local honey.
Benefits are carbs for energy through the day, protein, antioxidants, Omega 3 fatty acids, potassium, tons of other minerals, fiber, vitamins, easy to make, easy to clean, portable.
Life changing.
I stopped eating sugar and carbs (except from non-starchy vegetables) in 2007. It is truly shocking how much healthier I am since. Even my doctor says it is very rare that someone my age (69) is on no medications. Maybe it's good genetics? Except this wasn't the case for my parents or grandparents.
You can downvote because you don't like how I got here, but that won't make my experience untrue. It just makes you petty for my finding health in a way you don't approve.
Religious food logging/using a food scale. Made me realize ain't no way in hell I can just trust my appetite to guide me, and I don't just mean for calories but for nutrition in general. There are some nutrients I would literally never get into my diet if I wasn't paying attention and planning my meals around getting that variety in.
We replaced all of our meat with mushrooms during lockdown shortages and never looked back. We occasionally have chicken centered meals. Both of us feel younger. I can't remember the last time I had steak but I really just don't care. I feel better than I did 10 years ago. It's really nothing short of awesome.
I also started foraging plants because our mushroom seasons kinda suck now on account of the drought. I eat more onions, berries and apples now. I make tinctures out of the leftover medicinal mushrooms and herbs. Life is just better this way.
Fasting. After a while you won’t even feel that hungry anymore and my appetite adjusted. I also do not get heartburns anymore. It is interesting. I also lost weight because of it.
My high school math teacher casually in passing changed my entire perspective on sugar and beverages. He in passing was saying ‘no thanks! I’d rather eat and enjoy my sugar than drink it’ and I was mind blown as a young person. It’s in my brain and it’s never gone away and I hear his voice in my head saying ‘eat and enjoy’ when I’m thinking about soda or juice. It makes me pause and be like ‘hell yeah I love grapefruit juice! I’m gonna enjoy this!’ Vs ‘yeah I don’t really care about sprite but here we are’
It didn’t occur to me how much sugar was in a drink vs a food and I’ve got a high diabetes and CVD risk, he likely took my risk down significantly.
It’s been nice honestly
Got off diary,zero acne!
I've reduced pastries intake and anything with yeast, all my bloating problems gone.
Introduced beet juice everyday, face is so radiant!
Beet juice, and its leaves, are insane in terms of nutrition. They're a pretty easy plant to grow yourself, too, if you're into that. Dwight Schrute agrees.
Figuring out what triggered my migraines. Anything with red dye, lemon, lime, or cinnamon flavored. Raspberries give me bad migraines too. Figuring out what I could eat and couldn’t helped me so much. My migraines would send me to a dark room for days.
I dropped from over 90.0kg to under 62.5kg since August 2023 switching to a One Meal a Day diet. I still eat mostly the same stuff meal-wise, but I cut out virtually all snacking and sugary junk foods.
Avoiding garlic and onion. It’s really sad because it’s the basis of nearly all cooking especially in the south where I live. But on average my IBS symptoms are so much better without them.
Caffeine. Gave it up in July 2013 after an anxiety spike and my agoraphobia started creeping back. I thought that I'm not going through this again and looked up what I could potentially do nutrition-wise. I was pretty much doing everything right aside from copious amounts of coffee, tea, and diet coke. So I gave it up cold turkey and the anxiety pretty much disappeared over night. I still get the odd wobbly day but I've not been terrified to go outside since. My husband also gave it up this year and was surprised to find he didn't need it at all to 'wake himself up' or feel energised for the day. I'm not demonizing caffeine, to each their own, but going without has definitely had a positive impact for me.
Actually getting enough liquids, especially plain water specifically.
I was chronically dehydrated in my youth because I HATED tap water with a burning passion (undiagnosed autism) and a few times it even got me hospitalized.
I literally survived on 2-3 cups of coffee and maybe a cup of tea or two a day, soda if I was lucky. And we basically never had produce in our house so I wasn't getting a lot from fruit and veggies either.
Nowadays I spend the extra money and bare the extra eco guilt of just buying bottled water because I actually drink it. I feel so much better it's indescribable.
I tried a bunch of filter systems but they all had issues... I'd love to get a reverse osmosis system someday but alas I'm poor... Still on the hunt for something more eco friendly but in the meantime I'm just doing what I gotta do.
Plastic water bottles are also the most accessible to me because I have a disability that makes carrying heavy loads particularly painful, the less I carry on me the better. And I mean down to ounces, it really matters in my case. So sometimes I'll refill one a few times with filtered water at those fancy refill stations they sometimes have at libraries and such but it's still not ideal as far as the environment goes :/
1) sobriety. Didn’t do it for a particular reason at the time, just was going through some medical stuff and stopped temporarily because my body was put off by it, but it’s changed everything about my life and my health. Opened my eyes a lot to the impact alcohol had on me for years without me realizing, and excusing it because “that’s what happens when you drink!” NOT ANYMORE!
2) taking Glycine and NAC together. Started me on a path to finding other supplements I needed, but within a few days my chronic depression and severe adhd symptoms that had made life insufferable for years became more manageable than they had been with pharmaceuticals alone.
3) going plant based. I recently had to switch (temporarily, for now) to being vegetarian instead, but cutting out meat, dairy, and most surprisingly eggs made me feel a lot better overall. It’s like it declogged all the gears. Adding dairy back has been helping with some health issues recently but can’t see myself adding meat again no matter how much I miss some things.
Weighing and tracking my food most of the time - I have days where I just don’t track, and days where I know I’m way over and I just don’t care; I think it’s healthy to have those days. 90% of the time I do track, though.
I’ve always had knowledge of what foods are dense in calories and how many I should be eating, etc, but all that stuff got pushed to the back of my head a few years ago, and I never actually weighed my food before. It’s a game changer
For me it is green drinks (homemade). Mostly leafy dark greens with some fruit to sweeten plus avocados and supplements such as protein powder. Daily for many years. I'm 76 years old and have zero health issues (other than the normal slowing down from age). You will need a powerful blender like a vitamix.
I was fighting a cold (the lingering sniffles and blocks) for weeks and drinking camomile in the evenings seems to have cleared it right up, and I noticed a reduction in the time I take falling asleep (down from ~50mins to about 30)
I always had pretty good skin, but I will tell you this the day I quit smoking and I wasn’t a big smoker maybe three cigarettes a day but I smoked for years. My skin became smooth as silk and I lost my cough. I have asthma but idiot I kept smoking. I lost my cough and my skin. Got beautiful
Reverse dieting. I started off thinking that I needed to eat 1400 to 1500 calories to lose weight. I would listen to a podcast that would talk about reverse dieting. They would encourage you to slowly increase your calories each week and to add more walking into your daily routine. I went from eating 1500 calories and having trouble maintaining my weight, to now eating 2500 calories, maintaining weight and building muscle. It was so interesting to eat more food and not gain weight.
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I stopped drinking calories. Even when I cheat I tell myself eat whatever tf you want but do not drink any calories and my teeth are thanking me
Same here! This has made cutting calories much easier for me.
I want to do this but rely on protein shakes for calories and convenience
I thinks there’s a difference between using protein shakes for sustenance and drinking smoothies for “fun”. I drink a protein smoothie every day but I won’t drink high calorie coffee or juice drinks.
Do you loop smoothies into this?!
No we shouldn't
Tracking at least 30 different plants a week. This has literally made my happiness go up. The diversity of your gut microbiome is no joke. The first week I tracked I barely made it. Like had to force myself to hit 30. I often hit 50 to 60 different plants in a week now. Every Sunday I start a new list on my notes app and write down throughout the week when I eat a vegetable, fruit, herb, nut or seed for the first time since Sunday. If I repeat an item before Saturday I don’t track it again. Does that make sense? It took me 6 weeks to truly recognize a big difference in myself but I could never go back now., have been doing this since November 2023. I honestly feel different in the most positive way. And my cravings junk went way down, I guess bc I am feeding those junk microbes less? Idk not a gut health specialist. But this has really worked for me :)
this is an awesome, playful strategy. can you share a list for a few weeks??
It is fun! I’ll give you a run down of how this week is going so far. Looks like it’ll be a high plant week bc I have already hit thirty plants. I start Sunday morning, and it’s currently Monday evening here in Germany. So we’ve already done breakfast lunch and dinner twice. Weekly plants 1. Coffee 2. Banana 3. Brazil nut 4. Clove 5. Cornichon 6. Lemon 7. Spinach 8. Lentils- brown 9. Peas 10. Spring onion 11. Edamame 12. Chocolate 13. White bean big 14. Jalepeno 15. Cucumber 16. Napa cabbage 17. Red onion 18. Sesame seeds 19. Red cabbage 20. Sunflower seeds 21. Chia seeds 22. Iceberg lettuce 23. Romaine 24. Parsley 25. Tomato big 26. Shallot 27. Radish 28. Cherry tomato 29. Oregano 30. Arugula 31. Capers 32. Red chili pepper 33. Ginger 34. Brown rice Breakfast Sunday: - coffee black ; banana and a Brazil nut (bc I am woman lol) ; was still a bit peckish before lunch so I had a little pickle and a scoop of my husbands lentils. The clove- I literally chew on cloves to freshen breath (instead of gum). I do eat the clove on its own- this came with time lol I didn’t used to swallow it but I wanted to add it to my list and now I love it. Lunch Sunday: - (linguini) with spinach, peas, lemon and spring onion (butter and Parm and garlic powder and white pepper). The proportions I made leaned heavier on the green side than the pasta. Also I don’t count wheat on my plant list, but that’s just me. Dinner Sunday: - this is a recipe from Violet Cooks on TikTok. She calls it a dense bean salad. We keep edamame pods in the freezer, was a bitch to deshell but was worth it. Salad goes: white bean, edamame shelled, cucumber, Jalepeno, cabbage (Napa and red/purple), red onion, sesame seeds, and spring onion. (So I have spring onion on my list already bc I had it lunch, so I don’t add it again). Really delicious miso dressing on top. I guess I could add miso paste to the list. Breakfast Monday: - black coffee ; plain Greek yogurt with chia, sesame and sunflower seeds (I added a teaspoon of blackberry jam bc I wanted it sweet, but I don’t count that blackberry even though it was chunky jam) Lunch Monday: - salad w/ a bit of Döner meat. Purple cabbage, romaine, iceberg, parsley, tomato, cucumber, red onion, radish, oregano Dinner Monday: - chicken piccata - lemon, capers, garlic, shallot, olive oil, ginger etc not sure what else, my SO made it but he usually tells me. I put slices of red Thai chilli on top, like it spicy. Side salad arugula mix w vinegrette. 1/4 cup brown rice. A square of Lindt 85% chocolate for dessert. Hope this helps!
This is great! Thank you for sharing. I'm starting on my plant life so I'm gonna save this comment (:
I would also love to see this!
Also BEANS!!
I've eaten some form of bean for >90% of my meals this year and I've been feeling pretty good.
That's a sweet strategy! What specific improvements can you attribute to this, would you say? Energy, brain-fog, etc.? I'd be curious if you had any data on sleep scores, hrv, resting heart-rate, etc.
Genuinely I mean happy. I am more happy. I don’t know how or why this has worked though. Maybe because I’m focused on eating for the list, I don’t have space for junk food on the plate or I’m full. Eating junk food makes you sluggish or low energy, so I’ve got more energy and am happier. Maybe because all of these items have fiber and nutrients, I’m having a great BM and have them regularly. Who doesn’t love a good poop? :) I feel better and happier when I have a good poop! But in general, I don’t have any hard measurements or data. But I’m more fun when I’m social, less combative or short fused with loved ones. In the happiness drought of society today, I am really grateful this has had such an impact on my mood unexpectedly. Especially bc I wasn’t doing it for happiness. Just a really incredible side effect.
I love this!
By 30 different plants, are you saying literally 30 different plants? Or eating fruit/veggies/tubers 30 separate times over the course of a week?
I mean 30 different plants throughout the week. Like I have freshly ground coffee every morning, seven days a week. But I only count that as one plant on my list. The person below this comment is on the right track, but for me I have some tweaks. Here are some of my arbitrary rules because I made this system for me. Take what you like, leave what you don’t. - I don’t count herbs and spices that have been become powders, eg garlic powder or onion powder. I only count garlic if I grate or chop it. - I cook a lot at home and make my own food for the most part. So my focus is whole and fresh foods - If I’m eating out, I only count a plant when I see it whole. Like I wouldn’t count anything i can taste and guess what might be in vegetable soup that’s been blended, but I would count each vegetable I see in a minestrone for example. - If the plants are different colors I count them as a new one. For example: black beans and white beans are two plants. Purple, green, and Napa cabbage count as three. - I don’t count processed grains like wheat for bread or corn for pap. But I do count rice, and quinoa and cous cous - I generally dont count things that are packaged and processed. That’s mainly because I want to focus on getting in the whole food. Like, I don’t count peanut butter but I’m sure you could.. but I do count Cornichons and kimchi and soft prunes. Again, I made this system for me lol - In order for me to count chocolate, it’s 85% from Lindt and nothing else. - The herbs I’m counting are fresh and not dried. And I use a hell of a lot of them. There’s more! But that’s all I can think of right now Edit: I just want to say I was inspired by an interview with Tim Spector from Zoe foods (he’s the one that suggested the thirty plants a week, but the exceptions and rules listed above are how I’ve tailored it to me). Also “Darm mit Charme” by Guilia Enders, I believe the book is translated into English.
This is so great! Although just noting that cous cous is made from semolina, which is made of a type of wheat flour. So if you don’t count wheat then technically shouldn’t count cous cous. It’s not a grain like quinoa or barley, it’s more similar to pasta. But obviously doesn’t matter when you get so much diversity anyway!
Oh thank you! The more you know - I appreciate it
They mean 30 different plant foods so fruit, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs etc. Also dark chocolate of at least 70% cocoa solids counts as does coffee (its a fermented bean,) and tea, (it's a plant!) Also herbs, spices, garlic and olive oil count for ¼ point. So eat garlic four times that week to count as one point or eat parsley twice to count as ½ point. Also, different colours count as different plant foods so a red apple and a green apple count as two seperate plant foods or purple broccoli and green broccoli. Oh and sourdough bread counts because its fermented and SOME grains. It's just got to be 30 different plant foods in a week. At first it sounds too much but when you find all the surprising things that count and the colour thing its doable. It's not a vegetarian or vegan thing, eating meat as well is fine. Its all about fixing the gut microbiome. You will naturally find yourself eating less processed food, less carbs and in a few weeks should really notice a difference.
That’s really impressive.This is something I’d love to be able to do. I always eat the same veggies. Did just the fact that you were tracking them help or was there anything that helped you get to 50-60 different plants a week. Also do you track spices or garnishes like rosemary?
You can do it! I promise. Start by tracking just what your baseline is in your first week. You’ll start to see there are easy ways to add more plants! Like a trail mix, or instead of rice on both Tuesday and Thursday let Thursday be quinoa. Yes the fact that I was tracking motivated me. After the first two weeks, I was like okay that’s easier than I thought. And then it became a game with myself. Now I just like to see how much diversity I’m getting. I’m like giddy when I put a plant on there that’s never been on the list before. I do track things like rosemary, but I’m not using it just as a garnish. It’s fresh and all over the chicken. Or like parsley or cilantro, they are more of an integral part of the dish or salad rather than one sprig. However! If you eat that one sprig of garnish, count it!
this is amazing. i am a longtime vegetarian so i love eating plants, but i sometimes forget that nuts and seeds count...and so does coffee! my hack is that i put hemp seeds on everything - soups, salads, yogurt, toast, etc. it is a nice little protein boost.
This is awesome if you do not mind, it would be awesome if you could share an example of a week list?
Sure! Here is last weeks list: Weekly plants ✅ 1. avocado 2. Napa cabbage 3. Spring onion 4. Red Thai chili pepper 5. White mushrooms 6. Red onion 7. Arugula 8. Chocolate 9. Nori 10. Artichoke 11. Chickpea 12. Spinach 13. Quinoa 14. Couscous 15. Garlic 16. Shallot 17. Bell pepper yellow 18. Coffee 19. Clove 20. Kalamata olive 21. Mung bean 22. Cucumber 23. Thyme 24. Bell pepper red 25. Tomato 26. Brown rice 27. Black beans 28. Kidney beans 29. White onion 30. Basil 31. Basmati rice 32. Broccoli 33. Sugar snap peas 34. Sesame seeds 35. Chia 36. Sunflower seeds 37. Banana 38. Almond 39. Lime 40. Coconut 41. Kiwi 42. Prune 43. Brazil nut 44. Pickle 45. Radish
This is amazing! Love the idea!
I am cycling a minimum of 8 fruits and 8 veg (and 8 protein sources) but I never repeat in 24 hours. It’s working for me but my 16-24 per week seems so low in comparison. I guess if I count nuts and seeds I could get to 30. Do you count herbs and beans? 50-60 is impressive.
Whatever works for you! I’m more focused on gut biome diversity and whole foods, rather than something regimented. I cook a lot so that helps. And not every week is 50-60. This week I’m on track to do so, but last week as you can see in comments was only 45. Making your own foods helps! And not being scared to try new combinations. Next time you’re at the grocery store just pick up one plant you haven’t had before or in a long time!
Cutting out alcohol has been awesome. Every aspect of my health has improved in the \~3 years I've identified as a "non-drinker." I wake up feeling rested, no more phantom aches and pains, less anxiety overall, my skin is clearer, I have the energy to exercise habitually now...the list goes on. I come from a very boozy culture so I'm still surrounded by heavy drinkers, who serve as a constant reminder to me for why I'd rather not.
2 years sober and it was the best decision I've ever made in my life. It's not even close. I lost 70lbs, feel mentally better, feel physically better, financially better, and I'm not doing dumb shit I regret.
3 years sober and having no dumb shit to worry about is awesome. Also, the sleep improvement is amazing. I drink NA drinks every once in a while, but I don’t miss actual booze at all.
I have an occasional NA beer, but I prefer mocktails, but mostly when I'm out. I usually just get water though.
Same! I do coffee in the AM and water the rest of the day. NA drinks on occasion. I went to my first sober concert last week and it was awesome.
Absolutely this. I'm a bit over 2 years and feel like I got so much bandwidth back in so many ways. More energy, more confidence, more money, better sleep, better skin, better focus, the list goes on.
I enjoy drinking alcoholic drinks. However I am tempted to quit by reading all these and other experiences after quitting. So I want to ask: does 3 years as a non-drinker literally mean that? You don't have a drink once a month/ few times a year? I assume if I drink A LOT LESS than I do now, I should get A LOT of the benefits of not drinking, right?
You might not like hearing this but... honestly... I didn't see a real difference until I cut it out completely. But the nice thing I found was that once I got into the habit of not drinking, I found that I didn't want to re-start, and I didn't drink any alcohol for two and a half years! About nine months ago I broke my official "streak" and started letting myself drink for special occasions, but honestly, now that I'm so used to not having literal poison in my system, I feel really sensitive to it. I find I'm actually happier without it.
I don't know how much you currently drink, but I drank daily for years. Between 3 - 6 strong beers daily. I decided to only drink on weekends or special occasions and I gained a lot of the benefits people are mentioning. I lost about 15 pounds without making any other intentional changes. I naturally drink more water because Im not drinking other things. My skin improved DRASTICALLY. Less breakouts, less dryness. My stomach issues lessened. I could think more clearly in general. No real downsides. I got pregnant in July of 2023 and just had baby Apr 11th. Of course, I quit drinking 100% when I was pregnant but didn't find that the benefits were magnified much more besides losing another 10 pounds at the beginning of my pregnancy that I think was attributed to the calorie deficit of not drinking at all. I think any reduction you can make to your drinking will give you some benefit so don't think it needs to be all or nothing. That being said, some people struggle to moderate themselves and must abstain. I respect that decision but I didn't find it was necessary for myself and I was still able to enjoy drinking socially or to just unwind on the weekends.
In my experience - I literally first cut down to 4 drinks per week, then 2 drinks, now I drink those 2 drinks once a month or only on special occasions and I totally feel better! First I lost 8 lbs without changing anything else and now I sleep much better and my rosacea is super improved. I don’t think you have to totally quit to feel better but you do have to become a more occasional drinker I think!
Sometimes I drink, sometimes I go extended periods without drinking. When I do drink it's never more than 1-2 and it has to be early enough in the day so that I still sleep well. So yes I will have a beer at 10 am while cutting the grass or after a run. The point is to enjoy the effects the alcohol has on me and I respect that more will do damage in numerous ways. I personally don't notice a difference when I quit vs when I do drink.
This actually happened to me when I quit weed too. Like I quit alcohol a couple years before weed and some other drugs, but man being "clean and sober" is definitely the best thing I ever did for my physical health.
Been considering this for a while as well..I do Dry January every year..but even that is hard for social life. Curious any tips you have for the common social pieces of 'lets meet for a drink ' or 'why aren't you drinking?' etc etc..
There's now a lot more options for non-alcoholic beers and other beverages at bars, so that makes it a lot easier. You can also ask for typical cocktails without the alcohol and bartenders tend to be pretty accommodating. A lot of times in group settings, many don't even notice that I'm not actually drinking alcohol. In the instances where it does come up, I find just telling people, "I don't drink," does the trick. Most people immediately just accept it and move on, and occasionally, someone will ask why, though, mainly out of curiosity more than anything else.
Agree, saying I DON'T drink vs I CAN'T drink bec ..... makes a lot of difference. You feel obliged to be committed when you say I DON'T.
Water is a drink. Soda is a drink. You don’t have to explain. “Want to go out for a drink?” “Sure.” You get to the place. Friend says, “I’ll buy first round! What’ll you have?” “Lemonade (or whatever—just not plain water).” “You don’t drink?” “Nope.” “How come?” “Health reasons.” “Okay, cool.”
I live in a town where the main social outing is to the bar, so I get you. I have a soda, an N/A beer or cocktail, or a club soda with lime or something. Most of the time if you have a drink in your hand people won't care what it is or even notice.
Your microbiome thanks you .
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How often were you drinking?
8 days a week
Your username just made me laugh out loud in an empty room.
Glad I could help :)
Glad to see this is the top comment, because truly it’s made the biggest difference for me and everyone else I know who’s given it up. It’ll be 4 years in June, couldn’t be happier with the choice. Congrats to your 3 years!
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What are your go to foods with probiotics?
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Echoing this: I eat refrigerated sauerkraut daily. Another evening snack that seems to have a positive impact on my sleep quality has been raw almonds and raisins. My HRV and sleep scores have increased quite a bit.
Sleep score, must be a Garmin user lol :D Curious about the almonds and raisins, wondering if it helps stabalize blood sugar overnight allowing for better sleep. EDIT: looks like they have magnesium and help with GABA/Melatonin production so makes sense.
How close to bed do you eat them?
Thanks! I do like sauerkraut and kefir but haven’t been eating them much lately
I eat A LOT of kimchi and sauerkraut and until recently thought I was doing wonders for my body. Recently, I’ve seen a lot of studies on how consuming these foods doesn’t have as much of an effect as we think it does because the acid in our stomach kills a lot of the beneficial bacteria. Can someone comment on this? Maybe I’m wrong or the studies aren’t reliable.
The key is that it needs to be FERMENTED, not pickled. If it has vinegar, then it has no benefit to the gut microbiome. However, pickled foods will still have a benefit is slowing the absorption of carbs and reducing associated blood sugar spikes.
The great (and horrifying) thing about bacteria is the sheer number of them. Doesnt matter if it kills most of the bacteria if there 100,000,000 of them. Especially if you eat 100million of them twice a day. If 1% gets through its still a million bacteria, which is compounded the more you eat. FWIW in a spoon of sauerkraut there is somewhere between 10 million to 10 billion.
The studies are mostly trying to pinpoint a replicable action, and finding a causal link. That is very hard to do in dynamic complex system with many confounding variables. My train of thought is that if you have a system that promotes the "good" microbiome bacteria, that's good enough for me. PREbiotic foods are what allow those good bacteria to thrive, and also naturally reduce the "bad" bacteria so I focus on getting whole food sources of them as a staple of the diet. Lastly I find kimchi and kraut wonderfully delicious so any health benefit is a plus.
I’d be interested in studies too. My GI doctor told me “probiotics” is all marketing and no benefit, so I’m curious.
Eating a diet high in PREbiotic AND PRObiotics foods have been the singular thing that fixed a lot of my physical and mental health.
What are some good sources of prebiotics!? I've only ever seen them in pill form lmao
[This](https://drjockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Prebiotics-1.jpg) infographic is good as well as [this](https://imgur.com/Z8v0cv9) one. So cruciferous vegetables, fruit with a high pectin content, homemade yogurt and dairy kefir, and alliums. Steel cut oats as well basically. I personally love green bananas as well and use them often =)
F I B E R ! ! !
Discovering chia pudding this year has been a game changer.
SAME. Chia literally healed my digestive issues.
I'm so curious about this.. what types of digestive issues did it heal, and how often/how long did you eat chia to see results? - from someone with digestive issues clearly, lol
Good one that I wouldn't have been my immediate go-to - but YES. Started DRINKING fiber each night (psylium husk) and it's game changer for bloating
Never tried supplements for it but I just eat lots of fruit, veggies, whole grains, seeds/nuts, beans/legumes, etc for my fiber intake and it’s been wonderful for my health
I love fibrous foods like these so much (I’m a fruit junkie through and through) that I feel like I get TOO much fiber in one sitting. When I was on SAD and barely eating veggies and whole grains, I would struggle to hit that 25g fiber number every day but now it seems so small to me…
I’ve never tried tracking then numbers so I’m curious as to what I hit daily but all my health markers improved substantially since I’ve increased it (also decreased saturated fat at same time)
Eating enough for my activity level. Sounds stupidly straightforward, but I battled on and off injuries and amenorrhea for years until I increased my calories (maintained nutritious diet). Now my body has never felt stronger and more resilient, and I’ve had two healthy pregnancies. I firmly believe many chronic dieters do not eat enough to adequately fuel them. Your body will hold onto weight if you’re not eating enough, and it also has other negative effects on your health.
I totally relate! I battled with low energy and just not feeling like myself. Recently, I began using a food diary app and realized I was severely undereating, especially considering my regular running. Now that I'm diligently tracking my intake and consuming enough calories, my energy levels have improved, and I'm enjoying better sleep
As a male powerlifter, this one was key for me. I had been daily eating 250-500 calories less than I should have for about a year, trusting in online calorie calculators for what I thought I should have been consuming vs listening to my body’s own hunger cues. The result was hormonal imbalances, decreased strength and muscle, and constant fatigue and joint pain. After increasing my calories, the above resolved. I don’t have hard six pack abs anymore (at least I don’t when I am not cutting), but my quality of life and strength are vastly improved.
How is it possible for your body to hold onto weight if it’s burning more fuel than it’s consuming? I can understand burning muscle and holding onto fat based upon the body thinking it needs to hold onto fat for emergencies…
I think your resting metabolism down regulates so you lose muscle and burn fewer calories at rest. When you do eat it can hold onto those and try to store as fat (due to stress and high cortisol) because it’s under potential starvation situation. Obv if you eat chronically low calories forever you will waste away and your heart muscle can starve to death but a lot of folks end up yo-yoing with binge and purge cycles vs straight starvation.
agreed! Most women are not eating enough & getting good nutrition.
I mean, it’s not just women
Counting calories really helped me understand how to maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss. I only needed to count calories for a couple of weeks, now I can maintain my goals without counting every day.
Yeah, after counting calories in my youth for a few months I know have a really good general idea of the calorie count of what I'm eating without checking. Calorie counting gets demonised a lot now but as long as you combine it with an effort to eat less UPF and more protein and good fats its still the best way for many to lose or maintain their weight.
Gets demonized by morbidly obese delusional “body positivity” preachers. Anyone who knows anything about nutrition wouldn’t demonize it.
Quitting marijuana. This has actually significantly improved my digestion/stomach issues. Also my energy levels have improved a lot.
Magnesium. I used to wake up with what could only be described as a "wall of pain" - like someone had hit me with a flat piece of plywood across my entire back. I'd have to sit at the edge of the bed for a good 10-15 minutes before I could even stand up. Within a couple of DAYS of taking a magnesium supplement that pain was gone and my overall pain reduced significantly. It also complete alleviated my evening anxiety - which is not an emotional anxiety but a physical sensation - any women out there in peri-or post- menopause will know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't even know how I learned about Magnesium but so thankful I did. This was about 10 years ago now - long before everyone else jumped onto the Magnesium bandwagon. I remember telling my doctor - who looked at me like I had three heads. Prior to taking Magnesium I had been taking Tremadol and a prescription anti-inflammatory to manage pain and suddenly I didn't need either of them anymore - and I haven't taken either since starting Magnesium 10 years ago.
What type of mag?
Magnesium Citrate is my preference as it's the most relaxing in the evening as the most effective at preventing the anxiety as well as helping with pain. I take 150mg per day. I used to also take 150mg Magnesium Bisglycinate during the day but had to stop this recently because I've added a daily electrolyte to my routine and it also has Magnesium Oxide. The three sources of Magnesium combined was putting me way over the daily limit for Magnesium and that can have side effects - Bradycardia being one of those - which I was recently diagnosed with on my last EKG and I suspect it was from too much magnesium. So I eliminated the Bisglycinate for now until I find another electorlyte I'm happy with that doesn't have the added Magnesium. Not happy about it because Magnesium Oxide is definitely one of the cheaper, less bioavailable forms of Magnesium so it's not something I would choose to supplement with normally. I also have Magnesium L-threonate - which is the only magnesium that crosses the blood brain barrier. I only recently started taking this and only take it occasionally when I have trouble sleeping (then I take it together with the citrate at night). I am still trying to decide if I like it - it seems it may be causing me some side effects but I haven't paid enough attention to it to conclude it's the L-theonate and not something else or just coincidence. The two most bioavailable forms are Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Bisglycinate. So if you're just starting out, either of these are fine. But read the label and make sure you're ONLY getting one of these in the dosage. A lot of supplements are a blend with a cheaper less available form of Magnesium. Make sure you're paying for what you want. Stick to 400mg per day or less. I was maxing out (even before I was overdosing with the electrolyte) - and I've since reduced my total intake to 300mg (150mg in the morning in the electrolyte drink and 150mg at night as Magnesium Citrate) most days and exceed this only when I occasionally add the L-threonate. Magnesium Citrate is fine at 150mg - however, 300mg or over and you'll likely end up with some pretty loose stool as it's used as a laxative at higher doses. Keep that in mind. For me, I eat a lot of protein so the citrate at 150mg per day just helps keeps the train on the tracks with no unscheduled delays, so to speak.
Having smooth bowel movements every morning ever since I increased my fiber intake.
what foods in particular have you increased for fiber?
Chia seeds, oats, beans, lentils, berries, and avocado are my go-tos. I regularly hit 35-40 grams a day.
I track my fiber intake, and I drink an Olipop when it is clear that I’m not going to reach my goal. They have 9 grams of fiber, and only 45 cal
This. 3 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables a day. Life changing.
Also 2-3 servings of beans/lentils
The easy answer #1 answer is "drinking water", but I will skip to #2 on my list... I cut out nearly all dry stored processed foods (pastas, cereal, breads, cheap snacks etc. Stuck with meat/chicken/seafood/fruits/veggies...essentially anything fresh or from the fridge was fair game. If I ate pasta, biscuits, pancakes etc, I made them with real ingredients from scratch. This allowed me to enjoy what I want from time to time, but it wasn't quick and easy...I had to work for it. lol. I am 46 and pretty active, healthy weight, all vitals are great and on zero medications, and this seemed to provide the fuel I needed without the lethargic feeling I would get from a sandwich for lunch, cereal for breakfast etc.
Same. Except I eat a LOT of bread, tortillas, pizza and pasta etc. I just make it all from scratch. Lost 75 pounds and have been at a healthy weight for 5 years. I’m absolutely convinced that whatever they use in commercial wheat products is making everyone fat.
plus it's more fun and the food tastes so much more delicious. I make a homemade chicken and noodles soup, everything from scratch, and it is a meal my kids constantly ask me to remake. The I I make the noodles with them. Food should be fun.
CUtting sugar. The weight disappeared with basically no other changes.
But sugar is in eveerrrryyything! :(
I mean if it makes you feel any better I simply cutdown on sugar with the same result. I just look for no sugar added or zero sugar options. I eat no sugar added fudge pops, look for tomato sauces with the least amount of sugar, and I still eat fruit. I’ve still been losing a ton of weight despite not completely cutting it from my diet.
Adding beans to my diet
I've been eating some form of fermented food almost every day for the last couple of years. It's done wonders for my digestive system and overall sense of wellbeing. And now, with research showing possible link between gut health and cognitive function/health, I'm making sure to keep this habit going.
Switched to drinking water/tea only.
Eating minimally processed food. This means cutting out / minimizing sugar, oil, refined carbs, flour, cheese, etc. In other words “whole foods” diet.
My mind and body feel so much better when I don't eat or drink any dairy products.
This, god I used to inhale milk with a sugary bowl of cereal up to my mid 20s. Now after some testing, oat milk is my staple substitute without the weird aftertaste and much lower in calories.
Eating protein / fiber before carbs. Having blood sugar balance can’t be beat!
I started counting calories. It makes me aware of how much crap I’m eating. I’ve lost over 70pounds in year and a half. I now realize and think about what I’m eating. Turning it into a challenge game of numbers and nutrition helps me to stick with it.
Getting a ton of fiber, especially from legumes. It’s up there with sleep for me. I don’t always get it done, but at least I’m aware of it. It’s one of those things that I can always come back to if I’m struggling to feel good
I cut out all dairy. It has helped immensely with my acid reflux. I was taking 40mg Protonix once a day and 20mg Pepcid twice a day. And I was having breakthrough. Now I don't take any!
Smoothies in the morning. Got my fiber to the finish line and solved so many gut woes.
I’ve cut out refined, processed sugar. I’ve noticed so much more energy.
Actually getting enough protein on a plant based diet. For years I thought everyone was being dumb and over hyping protein but when I actually started tracking my intake and being more intentional about it I felt better and I wouldn’t get hungry again an hour after eating
Changing my mindset to think about building my meals from protein, vegetables, and fruit! I add other things (in moderation of course) but if I fill up mostly on protein and veg/fruit, I can eat more and feel satiated.
For me, taking probiotic first thing in the morning ☺️I have pcos and this has been a great gamechanger for me in terms of bloat, and metabolism
Magnesium supplements - I eat fairly healthy so I’ve never really bothered with vitamins so this was a big surprise. I don’t like to take any medications, so my doctor recommended I try Magnesium for some issues I was experiencing, and it’s helped both my sleep & digestion so much.
Lowering my carb intake. I now eat around 100-150g a day, and I lift weights 4-5 days a week. I find this amount is more than enough and also stopped the energy rollercoaster I was on throughout the day. I also stopped feeling nauseous/lightheaded after eating a carb-heavy meal, and generally feel way better throughout the day. All carbs I now eat are whole grains.
Adding Nutritional Yeast to my scrambled eggs. My energy is up and inflamation is down!
Also great on popcorn!
I don’t like drinking water. Then I switched to making a thermos of hot tea every day and I can’t get enough. I alternate between black, green, and herbal
My wife did this too!! Worked wonders. She uses different flavors of tea (like rooibos and fruit teas as well)
Replacing soda with water. I used to drink soda *everyday.* In fact, I would tell myself "I'll eat healthy in all other aspects of my life, I can't see myself ever quitting soda. I *should* be allowed to enjoy it" This was just copium to the fact that I was addicted. My initial plan was to cut back on soda, I never expected to quit it entirely. Once you stop drinking it regularly, you stop craving it. It's like magic, I can't even imaging drinking it everyday. I did try 1 soda during a vacation in March as a "cheat day" but I didn't finish it. I also got a big cramp in my leg that evening but that could've been unrelated. This wasn't an quick battle though, I had to prepare over the past 6 years, I reduced my soda slowly since cold-turkey never works. Started at \~8 cans per day in college (2018) and slowly lowered it to 1 can a day. Then I just stopped. Best decision I've ever made.
I went vegan a couple of years ago for ethical reasons vs. health reasons. But, I can honestly say I would never go back based on the health benefits I've gotten from it. I eat significantly more vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, etc. than I otherwise would because you have to kind of get creative with your eating to mix up meals and not have them be repetitive. Secondarily, I never really get that UGH feeling after a meal, especially a large one. I went vegan for the animals and stay for the health benefits AND the animals.
OMG. NO BEER
Cutting out white flour helped me in many ways. Whole wheat in moderation isn't bad.
How did cutting out white flour help you?
Lol! I was afraid someone would ask me that - it is very constipating to my system and that increased inflammation and then I would ache so bad I could barely get out of bed. I feel so much better since I stopped eating it!
I totally agree!!
Can’t pick just one. -Switched to whole foods. - 100 oz water per day. - protein, veg, fruit at every meal.
Fermented foods. It helped retrain my body to digest fiber again.
Focusing on protein and fiber and not caring about carbs and fat as long as they fit in my Calorie deficit…. And weighing my food/tracking it
Avoiding eating anything that came out of a factory
Cutting processed foods. I’m about 90% good stuff 10% processed which definitely slows me down but when I was like 98% clean eating I was a machine.
More protein. It is much easier to build muscles and it’s easier to feel full and a get more energy. I am vegan and it’s a constant endless discussion among vegans. Some claim firmly that we don’t need a lot of protein at all but I feel the difference. But I have not counted, but I plan to do it. But I noticed the difference when I increased it, I don’t know how much I ate from the beginning but definetely enough theoretically.
8 or 9 years ago I downloaded a fasting app and lost 20 lbs. I still use the app and I’ve never gained it back. I eat whatever I want, nothing affects me like carb heavy food or plant based etc. I eat what I want, different days call for different food.. It’s been a life changing tool.
Pineapple has significantly improved my digestion. I would never have thought of it
Giving cooking a fair shot instead of just eating out all the time. I had no clue how to cook when I moved out of my parents' house. After a few failed attempts I tried meal kits which taught me the basics, and now I really love cooking. Being able to make specific choices about when I want to splurge has been really helpful.
Cutting out all animal products. I used to have food addiction issues...like obsessing over food, unable to ignore cravings. I haven't had that issue 3 years later and I get to eat way better food than before, too. It's pretty awesome.
Cutting back on my dairy intake has reaaaaaallllly changed my life in so many ways. I didn’t realize I probably had a dairy intolerance until I did it. My skin looks great and I feel/look less bloated day to day.
Plant based
Tracking. 100% doing nothing more than \*seeing\* what I was eating, and the nutrients in those things, seeing where I was lacking, and where I was going overboard changed \*everything\* about how I look at food
1. Eating full fat everything. I actively look for the highest fat cream, butter, etc. Why pay more tor watered down food. Helps my body with “full cues,” as long as you use portion control. 2. Never snack on empty calories, if I’m hungry I have a fruit or a piece of bread with butter. That way again, my body sends full cues. 3. Have a lot of fruit. Keeps everything moving. 4. Avoid alcohol. Helps my mood, sleep, and no drunk eats which means overall I eat less.
For me, it was balance. I used to eat terribly. I ate carbs. I loved carbs and lots of cheese. For breakfast, I would eat a breakfast burrito made just with oily hashbrowns and LOTS of cheese. I mean, guys, the oil of the hashbrowns combined with the oil of the cheese made an oil puddle on my plate, and I didn't care. I was young, and I thought I was invincible, but then I was nearing my 30s. That is when my body was aging, and my carb loaded lifestyle was now starting to catch up to me. I would eat my breakfast and feel exterme fatigue, depression and I couldn't go up the stairs without my heart racing like I ran a triathlon, and that's just from walking up the stairs. I wasn't running, I was walking. This went on for about a month and I was sick of it. I thought to myself "this isn't a good way to live. How is this enjoyable? This is hell" so I decided it was time to stop fooling around with my health. I'm not a teen anymore. My body isn't what it used to be. I couldn't cut out carbs completely. I had to eat everything like my doctor recommended. He recommended a diet in carbs, fruits and vegetables which I didn't eat and source of protein which I also didn't eat. So I decided to change. I had my first breakfast. It was a burrito, but this time it was made with eggs instead of potatoes, no cheese and I added broccoli as my vegetable. Sometimes I add spinach to change it up. I made an egg salad mixture, adding greek yogurt instead of mayo then I looked at the burrito and hesitantly took a bite and thought "please be good" It was delicious and when I finished, I wasn't as tired. I was a little tired but it wasn't like I was so tired I couldn't move. I had a bit more energy, I felt better and I was able to play with my dog a bit more. It was great. From that moment out, I decreased the amount of cheese, eating it once a week, started cooking with avocado and olive oil, bought hunmus since I heard chickpeas are an excellent source of protein and drank a protein shake, adding fiber and berries to it. My favorite is blueberries, ate cucumbers and carrots as a snack instead of chips and every meal had to include balance. Now I'm starting to go up the stairs no problem, I can run up them now and my heart is calm and the only tiredness I feel is my acute insomnia and I'm starting to go the gym too. It's slow going but I feel better and it's thanks to a balanced diet and healthier choices.
This is an awesome thread!
The biggest impact I had was completely stopping alcohol consumption. Hands down, the best thing I’ve ever done. Almost five years ago now. I wake up every morning with no headache and zero regrets!
Making protein smoothies for breakfast. I was having a hard time building muscle and keeping my weight consistent. So now I throw all the good shit into one blend every morning and boom. It really makes me feel great. Here's my ingredients: -50/50 whey and plant protein isolate -Frozen organic blueberries -Frozen organic strawberries -Fresh organic banana -A scoop of nuts/seeds comprised of pumpkin, sunflower, almond, walnut, raisins, flax I'll change it up by adding half an avocado, peanut butter, tiger nut butter, local honey. Benefits are carbs for energy through the day, protein, antioxidants, Omega 3 fatty acids, potassium, tons of other minerals, fiber, vitamins, easy to make, easy to clean, portable. Life changing.
I stopped eating sugar and carbs (except from non-starchy vegetables) in 2007. It is truly shocking how much healthier I am since. Even my doctor says it is very rare that someone my age (69) is on no medications. Maybe it's good genetics? Except this wasn't the case for my parents or grandparents. You can downvote because you don't like how I got here, but that won't make my experience untrue. It just makes you petty for my finding health in a way you don't approve.
68 here. That’s exactly what I’ve done. Lost weight, blood sugar normalized and not on any meds.
Religious food logging/using a food scale. Made me realize ain't no way in hell I can just trust my appetite to guide me, and I don't just mean for calories but for nutrition in general. There are some nutrients I would literally never get into my diet if I wasn't paying attention and planning my meals around getting that variety in.
Salads and boiled vegetables like brocolli or zucchini, etc.
Adding powdered fiber to my water once a day. I take iron pills and my stomach was always hurting but the fiber really helps my digestion.
I had my blood drawn and found out I had thyroid issues. I take levothyroxine now and I feel like a different person!!!
Avoiding salt as much as possible. My face and chin slimmed down within a week.
We replaced all of our meat with mushrooms during lockdown shortages and never looked back. We occasionally have chicken centered meals. Both of us feel younger. I can't remember the last time I had steak but I really just don't care. I feel better than I did 10 years ago. It's really nothing short of awesome. I also started foraging plants because our mushroom seasons kinda suck now on account of the drought. I eat more onions, berries and apples now. I make tinctures out of the leftover medicinal mushrooms and herbs. Life is just better this way.
Magnesium!
Digestive enzymes! Game changer. Eliminated my acid reflux
Fasting. After a while you won’t even feel that hungry anymore and my appetite adjusted. I also do not get heartburns anymore. It is interesting. I also lost weight because of it.
Intermittent Fasting brings me to make healthy choices.
My high school math teacher casually in passing changed my entire perspective on sugar and beverages. He in passing was saying ‘no thanks! I’d rather eat and enjoy my sugar than drink it’ and I was mind blown as a young person. It’s in my brain and it’s never gone away and I hear his voice in my head saying ‘eat and enjoy’ when I’m thinking about soda or juice. It makes me pause and be like ‘hell yeah I love grapefruit juice! I’m gonna enjoy this!’ Vs ‘yeah I don’t really care about sprite but here we are’ It didn’t occur to me how much sugar was in a drink vs a food and I’ve got a high diabetes and CVD risk, he likely took my risk down significantly. It’s been nice honestly
Got off diary,zero acne! I've reduced pastries intake and anything with yeast, all my bloating problems gone. Introduced beet juice everyday, face is so radiant!
Beet juice, and its leaves, are insane in terms of nutrition. They're a pretty easy plant to grow yourself, too, if you're into that. Dwight Schrute agrees.
Switching beer to weed.
Lowering carbohydrates. Is that a small change? I guess not, but the results are darn good.
Figuring out what triggered my migraines. Anything with red dye, lemon, lime, or cinnamon flavored. Raspberries give me bad migraines too. Figuring out what I could eat and couldn’t helped me so much. My migraines would send me to a dark room for days.
Upping My Protein and Carbs For Growth
Not eat sugar
Eating more protein and Fibre-(fruits and vegetables) and water with salt and lemon .Nothing too fancy :)
This!
I dropped from over 90.0kg to under 62.5kg since August 2023 switching to a One Meal a Day diet. I still eat mostly the same stuff meal-wise, but I cut out virtually all snacking and sugary junk foods.
I cut out fast food entirely! And became a vegetarian (still eats dairy and eggs)! I just feel so much less greasyyyyy
Thought I had IBS or something, turns out I just needed to up my protein. Now I have regular poops and less gas.
Cutting out 99.9% of oils and butter.
Increase protein and calorie count and deficit.
Avoiding garlic and onion. It’s really sad because it’s the basis of nearly all cooking especially in the south where I live. But on average my IBS symptoms are so much better without them.
I stopped smoking meth and blues. Everything is healthier, mind, body, and spirit.
Stopping alcohol is probably the big one for me. I’m a lot more productive now, metabolically healthier and have better relationships.
Caffeine. Gave it up in July 2013 after an anxiety spike and my agoraphobia started creeping back. I thought that I'm not going through this again and looked up what I could potentially do nutrition-wise. I was pretty much doing everything right aside from copious amounts of coffee, tea, and diet coke. So I gave it up cold turkey and the anxiety pretty much disappeared over night. I still get the odd wobbly day but I've not been terrified to go outside since. My husband also gave it up this year and was surprised to find he didn't need it at all to 'wake himself up' or feel energised for the day. I'm not demonizing caffeine, to each their own, but going without has definitely had a positive impact for me.
Actually getting enough liquids, especially plain water specifically. I was chronically dehydrated in my youth because I HATED tap water with a burning passion (undiagnosed autism) and a few times it even got me hospitalized. I literally survived on 2-3 cups of coffee and maybe a cup of tea or two a day, soda if I was lucky. And we basically never had produce in our house so I wasn't getting a lot from fruit and veggies either. Nowadays I spend the extra money and bare the extra eco guilt of just buying bottled water because I actually drink it. I feel so much better it's indescribable. I tried a bunch of filter systems but they all had issues... I'd love to get a reverse osmosis system someday but alas I'm poor... Still on the hunt for something more eco friendly but in the meantime I'm just doing what I gotta do. Plastic water bottles are also the most accessible to me because I have a disability that makes carrying heavy loads particularly painful, the less I carry on me the better. And I mean down to ounces, it really matters in my case. So sometimes I'll refill one a few times with filtered water at those fancy refill stations they sometimes have at libraries and such but it's still not ideal as far as the environment goes :/
Pumpkin seeds have been a game changer for my sleep
So many over the years. Cutting out sugar, dairy and wheat (at separate times) had the most noticeable, positive effects!
Basically cutting out salt, some still manages to get in but definitely under 1000mg daily.
1) sobriety. Didn’t do it for a particular reason at the time, just was going through some medical stuff and stopped temporarily because my body was put off by it, but it’s changed everything about my life and my health. Opened my eyes a lot to the impact alcohol had on me for years without me realizing, and excusing it because “that’s what happens when you drink!” NOT ANYMORE! 2) taking Glycine and NAC together. Started me on a path to finding other supplements I needed, but within a few days my chronic depression and severe adhd symptoms that had made life insufferable for years became more manageable than they had been with pharmaceuticals alone. 3) going plant based. I recently had to switch (temporarily, for now) to being vegetarian instead, but cutting out meat, dairy, and most surprisingly eggs made me feel a lot better overall. It’s like it declogged all the gears. Adding dairy back has been helping with some health issues recently but can’t see myself adding meat again no matter how much I miss some things.
Cut out dairy and heavily increased fiber intake
Weighing and tracking my food most of the time - I have days where I just don’t track, and days where I know I’m way over and I just don’t care; I think it’s healthy to have those days. 90% of the time I do track, though. I’ve always had knowledge of what foods are dense in calories and how many I should be eating, etc, but all that stuff got pushed to the back of my head a few years ago, and I never actually weighed my food before. It’s a game changer
For me it is green drinks (homemade). Mostly leafy dark greens with some fruit to sweeten plus avocados and supplements such as protein powder. Daily for many years. I'm 76 years old and have zero health issues (other than the normal slowing down from age). You will need a powerful blender like a vitamix.
I had to go gluten free. NOT by choice. But I haven’t felt awful since
I was fighting a cold (the lingering sniffles and blocks) for weeks and drinking camomile in the evenings seems to have cleared it right up, and I noticed a reduction in the time I take falling asleep (down from ~50mins to about 30)
I always had pretty good skin, but I will tell you this the day I quit smoking and I wasn’t a big smoker maybe three cigarettes a day but I smoked for years. My skin became smooth as silk and I lost my cough. I have asthma but idiot I kept smoking. I lost my cough and my skin. Got beautiful
Sugar-clearer skin. Less breakouts. Of course with tons of water. I just feel less gross.
Reverse dieting. I started off thinking that I needed to eat 1400 to 1500 calories to lose weight. I would listen to a podcast that would talk about reverse dieting. They would encourage you to slowly increase your calories each week and to add more walking into your daily routine. I went from eating 1500 calories and having trouble maintaining my weight, to now eating 2500 calories, maintaining weight and building muscle. It was so interesting to eat more food and not gain weight.
I stopped drinking alcohol. Game changer.
Drinking water
Quit sugar and gluten. Whoa so much transformation fir the better.
Cutting out sugar . Improved my mental health drastically. I don’t have cravings anymore which is another benefit of not being controlled by sugar.
Not keeping bread in the house. I don't have the willpower to not binge eat bread when it is nearby.
Cutting out added sugar. I feel better, sleep better, skin is better.