Health Eating More Fruits, Vegetables, & Legumes

[Chase]

Diet's a really tough thing to maintain in our present civilization.

There are a lot of guys I know whom I respect quite a bit, and very few of them have totally excellent diets.

My diet historically has been pretty awful. I grew up eating too many sweets, which ruined fruits and vegetables for me, and I never ate them. In college I completely subsisted on potato chips, frozen pizzas, breakfast cereal, burger joints, protein shakes, and peanut butter. That's not an exaggeration; that was literally my college diet. I had this belief that since breakfast cereal was fortified, it gave me whatever I was lacking from fruits & vegetables, and that I was fine.

I did not actually eat anything with vegetables in it until my late 20s, when I started eating sandwiches and tacos.

I've found since then that so long as I'm getting a good serving of vegetables at least 3x a week, I get sick a lot less often, and my illnesses are less severe and I recover much faster when I do get ill.

Not getting ill is fairly key to everything else in life. If you want a routine for going out to socialize, or for getting to the gym like clockwork, you do not want a nasty long illness knocking you out and breaking your routine. If you want to progress in your career or business, you do not want multiple stretches of illness knocking you out throughout the year. I've never been a guy who was overly health focused -- but if you don't at least keep a baseline of decent health, everything else in your life suffers.

Therefore, if you're like me, and you don't naturally like vegetables or fruit, here are some ways you can add these to your diet for better health without making it disagreeable to yourself:

1. If you need fast food, find some good sandwich shops. Instead of McDonald's or Burger King, get in the habit of going to Subway or Au Bon Pain. Or find some other sandwich shops around you if those are too pedestrian for you (I'm very fine with the chains; however, I have also found some great standalone sandwich shops over the years in various cities as well). At burger joints, often all you're getting is a leaf of lettuce and a slice of tomato (if that), and then you're cramming down French fries, the single worst (but also... most delicious?) food in the world. At a sandwich shop you're getting all kinds of things: pickles, onions, cucumber, olives, lettuce, tomatoes. And generally because the sandwich is the whole meal, it is larger, and there's a lot more volume of vegetables in there too. This shouldn't be suffering... just keep trying different shops and sandwiches until you find some you really enjoy. Then it becomes fun eating vegetables.
   
   
2. Also, look for Mexican restaurants that sell good tacos. Don't go if you can't stop yourself from eating chimichangas, of course, but if you can go and get a few good tacos with a lot of vegetables in them, Mexican restaurants can be another awesome, tasty way to get a lot of vegetables too. Don't forget the guacamole and beans.
   
   
3. You can prepare tacos at home with minimal prep time. Buy some tortillas at the store, buy some mayonnaise and yogurt (which you can mix together in equal proportions for a nice white sauce), get lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, cheese, and guacamole, and take 15 minutes to chop the lettuce, tomato, and chicken, and pan fry the chicken. Voila, you now have something very close to a Rubio's chicken taco, from the comfort of home. Tacos are quick to make, and you can make them with whatever ingredients you want (search online for recipes). Easy way to get your vegetables at home if you aren't into eating vegetables by themselves.
   
   
4. Buy a sandwich maker for home. There are various kinds of sandwich makers you can buy. Every single guy should have a panini press, in my opinion When you buy bread, make sure it's whole wheat (much, much healthier than white bread, which nobody should ever eat if he can help it; whole bread = all the nutrients, and good to eat; white bread = nutrient-deprived, basically stomach filler / empty calories). And get thick bread that won't flatten in your sandwich maker. Then put all the ingredients you want inside (make sure there are plenty of vegetables) and make your sandwich. Optional: a bread machine to make your own bread, and a small grill to grill your meat on, which is much healthier than pan-frying as well as quicker than oven roasting.
   
   
5. If you have more time to cook, find vegetable dishes you enjoy. Potatoes are an easy one to start with, since most people like them, and they're easy to prepare. Baked potatoes, rosemary potatoes, etc. Potatoes are healthy, so long as they're not fried (like French fries or potato chips).
   
   
6. Finish (or throw out) your unhealthy snacks and don't buy more, but always have a bowl of apples. Or other fruit, if you like them -- grapes, bananas, etc. I find when I have other snacks in the house, I can't motivate myself to eat apples. But when there's no junk food there, and I want something sweet after a meal, or I'm hungry between meal times, suddenly that apple doesn't seem so bad. You have to control your environment a little bit to do so -- just don't have the unhealthy snacks there, but do have healthy snacks. And look for snacks you enjoy that are healthy... yogurt, apples, peanuts, cashews, all are good, very healthy snacks. Trail mix is nice to keep on-hand, too (and if you want, you can cheat a bit by mixing some chocolate chips in there. A bowl of peanuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, and chocolate chips is still way, way healthier than a Snickers bar).

I personally don't have much time for food prep. And not every girl you meet is going to be a great cook (many of the girlfriends I've had will just cook me a slab of meat for dinner, because they've given up trying to find a vegetable I'll enjoy). But there are plenty of ways you can add vegetables, fruits, and other healthy snacks like legumes to your life without taking a lot of time or forcing yourself to eat something you dislike.

Once you do, you will generally find you feel a little healthier and more energetic. You will notice it's easier to keep fat weight off, and your weight fluctuates less. You will also get sick less, and the sicknesses you do come down with will be less severe, and last not as long. And that benefits you in everything else you do in your life, from girls to money to being able to enjoy your hobbies without as much downtime.

Weight problems are getting insane in the Western world, largely because no one has time for food prep anymore, and most of the food people are eating is nutrient-poor, satiety poor, and loaded with addictive chemicals. Look for ways to get yourself eating stuff that is tasty, and that you enjoy, that also comes loaded with nutrients and leaves you feeling satisfied so you are not craving more and more food to shovel down your gullet after. It's not a sacrifice -- there is plenty of food you will enjoy that's like this, even if you're super picky, but you have to look for it. And it's worth looking for it, and finding it, and adding it into your life.

More stuff on diet and staying slim here:

The Girls Chase Guide to Getting & Staying Slim

If you want to slim down for good, lose the fad diet. Don't even exercise (not for this anyway). Instead, do this: cut your portions, and cut bad foods. We were talking over on the forum about how people in general have gotten a lot fatter. In fact it is to the point that people often do not...

www.girlschase.com

Chase

 

[Roundy]

Great, actionable advice Chase.

 

[M_Ronin]

Also, oven is your friend. Just chop some shit, lay em out and slide them into the oven for 25 minutes. Use cheese if suitable.

 

[Velasco]

Great post Chase.

Finish (or throw out) your unhealthy snacks and don't buy more, but always have a bowl of apples. Or other fruit, if you like them -- grapes, bananas, etc. I find when I have other snacks in the house, I can't motivate myself to eat apples. But when there's no junk food there, and I want something sweet after a meal, or I'm hungry between meal times, suddenly that apple doesn't seem so bad. You have to control your environment a little bit to do so -- just don't have the unhealthy snacks there, but do have healthy snacks. And look for snacks you enjoy that are healthy... yogurt, apples, peanuts, cashews, all are good, very healthy snacks. Trail mix is nice to keep on-hand, too (and if you want, you can cheat a bit by mixing some chocolate chips in there. A bowl of peanuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, and chocolate chips is still way, way healthier than a Snickers bar).

A bit controversial, but as someone whose lost a ton of fat since reading the GOAT diet book, Deep Nutrition, I wouldn't recommend snacking at all. "Snacking damages your natural appetite regulation system. Disrupting your ability to enjoy high quality goods. Even trail mixes are loaded with unnatural fats/excess sugar" Whenever you feel that urge to snack on something, just drink a big glass of water. and find some excuse to bend over. sweep the floor, taking off your shoes. "Bending forward actives the stretch receptors, jolting a sluggish stomach to action and convincing it to send an overdue “I’m full” message to your brain".

The snacks you listed tho (apples, yogurt, assortment of nuts) I use them in my meals. Apples and other fruits, I'll use as a sweeteners for my post- work out smoothies. And I'll combine yogurt with nuts for tasty breakfast parfaits. There's a whole list of super easy tasty meals (and recommended brands) that'll leave you full, that don't really take that much time to make in the last chapters of Deep Nutrition. Good for those who hate cooking.

most of the food people are eating is nutrient-poor, satiety poor, and loaded with addictive chemicals.

Avoid all foods containing vegetable oils. Whenever you find yourself at the supermarket/gas station, and get tempted to pick up a snack, turn the package around, and once you see the words "vegetable oil" in the ingredients section, put it down. I've conditioned myself that vegetable oil = poison.

 

[MarkA]

I completely agree with Chase on this.

My experience in my 20's was to eat a lot of junk. I also found I was ending up ill more often than during my teen years. I never put the link together between diet and illness until one time when I felt lethargic for several weeks and then ate lots of oranges to boost my vitamin C count and recovered.

I would also say that lots of regular exercise is not possible without good diet and quality rest and sleep.

Bad diet and sleep knocks you back on everything so I would recommend people fix this first with their lifestyle

 

[trashKENNUT]

One additional note.

Apple Cider Vinegar versus Milk.

Apple Cider Vinegar is one end of the spectrum. Milk is the other end of the spectrum. Need to maintain that ph balance.

It took me a doctor who inject me and make my condition worse to then personally google my condition. Then i bought apple cider vinegar and don't sleep flat after eating, wait for 2 hours. Then my condition skyrocket to a better place..

 

[COCPORN]

Only a retard would engage in a discussion about nutrition, but I am feeling particularly retarded today. This isn't an argument, perhaps just a different point-of-view from OP.

These are my takes from having researched this quite extensively (without being a nutritionist in any capacity):

• Stay away from stuff with a high glycemic index (GI) as it will make you insulin resistant. Translation: This is what will make you fat in the long run.
• Bread has an extremely high GI. So stay away from bread (white or whole, although one is worse than the other by a some margin), tortillas (which is often mostly wheat), fruit juices (mostly sugar), normal beer (liquid bread), candy (this was perhaps a given), white rice (empty calories), etc.
• Eat as seldom as possible. Ideally, you eat once a day or less, and you allow yourself to actually be a little hungry. This will fire up autophagy in the body and make you age slower. It will also make you lose weight.
• If you eat over 9000 calories in a 24hr window, it makes a difference if you eat them all in a single sitting (good) or spread it out during the day (bad). The reason for this is that eating just about anything will spike insulin in the body, and when you have insulin spiked in the body it is unable to turn body-fat into energy. Do not snack. Also, it is good to let the digestive system rest.
• Diet fat is good for you. Even saturated fat. Stay away from trans-fat. Never ever use vegetable oil for high-temperature cooking unless you know what you are doing. Never eat margarine. The body has no idea what to do with that stuff.
• Eat high-calorie food. Every time you trade a high-calorie item for a low-calorie item you are going to have to eat more by volume. If you eat more by volume you spend more time eating (bad for insulin) and your physical being needs to compensate for said volume (bad for the belly).
• Fat is high-calorie and keeps you satiated for a long time. Get enough fat. You cannot get too much fat in your diet unless you factor in that US meat has a high degree of estrogen in fat, so get grass-fed/finished.
• Get enough proteins, but be wary of them, because they can cause inflammation if you get too much.
• Counting calories is an odd pursuit because while it is fully possible to starve yourself slim it is not possible to starve yourself healthy. The body will regulate itself when it comes to calorie intake as long as you practice intermittent fasting. Which could mean you can eat as much as you want once a day, for example.
• Worse: The body will remember if you are on a calorie deficit and adjust. The damage you are doing from going on a calorie deficit is hard to put into words. Do not do this.
• Working out to burn calories and lose weight is mostly bogus. The idea of a calorie surplus making you fat seems to be dubious. If you have a calorie surplus and healthy metabolism and lifestyle, it should make you restless, not fat. The body has a hard time storing fat without insulin spiking.
• Vegetables are good nutritional sources, but what the vegetarians are not telling you is that while a cow doesn't want to be killed and eaten, vegetables actually don't want that either. A lot of people are hypersensitive to a lot of plants, and the carnivore diet (just eating meat and nothing else) is an effective elimination diet for people with inflammation problems or allergies. Inflammation is the main reason why people are unhealthy in the first place.
• The stuff you buy at the store could be good but look at supplementation, because it might not be feasible to get it good enough. We are looking for ideal conditions, so you're allowed to cheat a little.
• And obviously: If you eat processed food you have no real idea what you're getting into. Chances are you are being screwed.

(BTW, over 9000 is obviously a reference to the meme.)

 

[Rakkum]

I used to overlook the importance of a good diet (and sleep) for years and paid a hefty price for doing so.

I used to be merciless when it comes to mind over body, finding solutions yourself etc. I think it has taken me where I am now and I can be comfortable in situations where a lot of other people wouldn't like to put themselves. Once walked approx 120 km from one town to another, just to do it. Tried to do it in one go without sleeping, failed in that. Yesterday, I did am half an hour run wearing only shorts.. it was snowing. (it's not something super crazy, it's normal adaption as I understand)

I've also done fasts and such. But boy, my body is super sensitive to simple carbs. I get devastated if I eat a big bowl of pasta or anything of the like. I'll end up in a depressive coma for half an hour at least. It's bad. Really bad.

The fix for me has been to eat veggies and some meat on the side. The difference in energy levels for me proved to be very significant.

Pro tip: to bring dull salads to life, make a simple vinaigrette!
Pro tip II: If yout want to understand the fundamental principles of good cooking, check out this book by Samin Nosrat "Salt, fat, acid, heat". That is, if you are interested in cooking.

Nipernaadi

 

[DarkKnight]

I wanted to contribute here since this has been through my mind for some time. In the past I could have gone without snacking, sweets, chocolate and everything hazardous for entire years. However my motivation and willpower died out because of other aspects in my life which was really hard and needed my perserverance and willpower. Excess stress led me to eating more hazardous food than I would ever have. Luckily those things went very well for me and I can relax now a bit (only a bit).

At the moment I am rebuilding myself by again starting with no more junkfood, candy, chocolate in other words bad food. Your skin will thank you for it and you will look much younger. I recall how young I looked when I was 25 because of a combination of lots of sports and good food. These last years it has been predominantly sports instead of the combination and when I look at the mirror I can tell. Sure I don't look like a chump but it's not the gold standard I had for myself years ago. I want to give myself a hard reset. Weight control has also been much harder since eating sweets. These are things which have to be taken care off. An all or nothing mentality helps me more instead of allowing myself to have a cheat day.

 

[Seppuku]

Only a retard would engage in a discussion about nutrition, but I am feeling particularly retarded today. This isn't an argument, perhaps just a different point-of-view from OP.

These are my takes from having researched this quite extensively (without being a nutritionist in any capacity):

• Stay away from stuff with a high glycemic index (GI) as it will make you insulin resistant. Translation: This is what will make you fat in the long run.
• Bread has an extremely high GI. So stay away from bread (white or whole, although one is worse than the other by a some margin), tortillas (which is often mostly wheat), fruit juices (mostly sugar), normal beer (liquid bread), candy (this was perhaps a given), white rice (empty calories), etc.
• Eat as seldom as possible. Ideally, you eat once a day or less, and you allow yourself to actually be a little hungry. This will fire up autophagy in the body and make you age slower. It will also make you lose weight.
• If you eat over 9000 calories in a 24hr window, it makes a difference if you eat them all in a single sitting (good) or spread it out during the day (bad). The reason for this is that eating just about anything will spike insulin in the body, and when you have insulin spiked in the body it is unable to turn body-fat into energy. Do not snack. Also, it is good to let the digestive system rest.
• Diet fat is good for you. Even saturated fat. Stay away from trans-fat. Never ever use vegetable oil for high-temperature cooking unless you know what you are doing. Never eat margarine. The body has no idea what to do with that stuff.
• Eat high-calorie food. Every time you trade a high-calorie item for a low-calorie item you are going to have to eat more by volume. If you eat more by volume you spend more time eating (bad for insulin) and your physical being needs to compensate for said volume (bad for the belly).
• Fat is high-calorie and keeps you satiated for a long time. Get enough fat. You cannot get too much fat in your diet unless you factor in that US meat has a high degree of estrogen in fat, so get grass-fed/finished.
• Get enough proteins, but be wary of them, because they can cause inflammation if you get too much.
• Counting calories is an odd pursuit because while it is fully possible to starve yourself slim it is not possible to starve yourself healthy. The body will regulate itself when it comes to calorie intake as long as you practice intermittent fasting. Which could mean you can eat as much as you want once a day, for example.
• Worse: The body will remember if you are on a calorie deficit and adjust. The damage you are doing from going on a calorie deficit is hard to put into words. Do not do this.
• Working out to burn calories and lose weight is mostly bogus. The idea of a calorie surplus making you fat seems to be dubious. If you have a calorie surplus and healthy metabolism and lifestyle, it should make you restless, not fat. The body has a hard time storing fat without insulin spiking.
• Vegetables are good nutritional sources, but what the vegetarians are not telling you is that while a cow doesn't want to be killed and eaten, vegetables actually don't want that either. A lot of people are hypersensitive to a lot of plants, and the carnivore diet (just eating meat and nothing else) is an effective elimination diet for people with inflammation problems or allergies. Inflammation is the main reason why people are unhealthy in the first place.
• The stuff you buy at the store could be good but look at supplementation, because it might not be feasible to get it good enough. We are looking for ideal conditions, so you're allowed to cheat a little.
• And obviously: If you eat processed food you have no real idea what you're getting into. Chances are you are being screwed.

(BTW, over 9000 is obviously a reference to the meme.)

Excellent post.

I am applying exactly that in my own life. Same exact principles. Low GI food. Good dietary fats, including saturated fats. Avoid bread, pizza and pasta etc... No snacking. Eat two meals a day, or even one if you can. Stay away from processed foods and take away foods. Better to cook yourself from fresh ingredients.

I would add: avoid anything high in omega 6 fatty acids - because the western diet is already sky high in these inflammatory fats. This includes all vegetable "seeds" oils such as sunflower or canola oils.

Also: our diets usually do not have nearly enough potassium. It's an essential electrolyte for all the cells in the body. This is in foods like sweet potatoes, spinach and avocados. Which means: overall, eat more green vegetables.

When you're in your 20s, you do not worry much about being healthy, because you take it for granted.
When you reach your 40s, you take these things much more seriously. But unfortunately it is impossible to erase the stupid stuff you have done before.

So younger guys pay careful attention here . You may not care now, but later you will. The sooner you care, the better.

 

[Rakkum]

I partially solved this problem with by sort of automating my breakfasts.


Each morning I have a smoothie which consists of

• 100g of vegetables (e.g. pureed spinach, broccoli, rutabaga.)
• 20-50g of fruits
• 5-15 grams of some seeds (flax, chia, sesame)
• some oat brans for fibre
• a few raw eggs
• 10 g or so of whey powder for a bit of extra economical protein

Everything except the raw eggs and whey I make once or so per week. Get the ingredients, cook the veggies, weigh the quantities, put them in those little plastic boxes and pop them in the freezer.


It’s not a silver bullet but works fine for me for the time being.


The ups:

• Dramatically cuts the the time and effort spent on preparing breakfast
• Even if other meals of the day aren’t as healthy, there is a baseline of fiber, micronutrients and protein
• It’s economical

The downs:

• Tastes okay but not great
• Raw eggs could potentially get you sick, hasn’t happened to me, though
• Social breakfast could stop being a thing