Food Choices

What foods have a positive influence on BP recovery for you? Does it matter what kind of multi-vitamin supplement I use? I am not having any health issues other than BP. Maybe I'm simply having a hard time believing that support for the swiss-cheese brain of mine is as simple as eating broccoli, spinach and good fats.....

Slowly adapting a healthy diet has been a part of improving my moods. I look forward every morning to drinking a green smoothie because after breaking my sugar and fat addictions I actually enjow healthy food now. Having a well nourished body and brain then helps me want to be physically active which also contributes to a healthy body and mind. Instead of being stuck in a vicious cycle that was destroying my body, after several months of effort I am in a good cycle and really enjoying life.

But no it is not simple. It takes patience, effort and a real desire to be healthy.

K

On a related note, how long does it take for the veggies to quit causing digestion upset? I've been trying to eat more veggies for almost a year now, but they usually upset my stomach (not throwing up upset, but further down the "line" upset).

How long did it take you to start enjoying them? I still have to puree mine most of the time to eat them because of how much I hate the taste and texture. I'm hoping it won't be this difficult to stomach them forever, I mean, some people like veggies, right?

So far, I haven't experienced any mood changes as a result of diet. I also really miss eating cake and cookies (I only indulge once in a blue moon now). Please tell me it gets better!

I once put on 35 lbs in about 5 months from living to close to a Dairy Queen. About a month ago I gave into a desire to have my favorite DQ treat. I thought every bite of it was disgusting and I have no idea why I ate the whole thing. I felt miserable afterward and I hope I never eat DQ ice cream ever again.

I just finished eating corn on the cob with no butter or salt and it was delicious! Once you retrain your taste buds it does get better. And my green smoothie is worth getting out of bed for!

K

Polarisld33,

Sorry for the distant reply, but what you're describing sounds familiar. I've been on a vegan diet for nearly two years now, and my digestion issues were caused by drinking soy milk. Once I cut out the soy milk and went with rice milk instead I did much better. It was like a night and day difference. Also, make sure you're getting enough fiber. Find a fresh mex restaurant like Chipotle and get a veggie fajita burrito with yummy black beans.

HoosierK,

What's your green smoothie? Mind sharing your recipe? Thanks!

2 cups organic kale and/or spinach, 1 banana, 1 cup greek yogurt WITH fat, 1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger root, 1 teaspoon fresh minced lemon with peel, 1 apple and/or 1/2 cup cranberry, enough water to achieve desired thickness

HK That's NASTY!

You've done a REALLY good job of retraining your taste buds. By the way I totally agree w/you on that one. I've retrained my taste buds so that sugar & too much salt IS overwhelming. Depakote & Seroquel are killing my attempts to lose weight. I guess its only been 2wks though.

I've been working out, eating a lot of raw foods & always less than 2,000cals a day & a few lbs have fallen off (probably water) BUT they are only one bacon, avocado, cheeseburger OR 1pt of Ben & Jerry's away from coming right back!

Seroquel munchies are super hardcore! & I've smoked way more weed than most having lived on farms in No. Ca. & I'm telling you that Seroquel puts anytime I can remember to shame! It says on the Med-Guide Cover Sheet NOT to exercise hard while on it as well. Geez! Can't win on this 1!

ITS like I have to settle for being fat(ter) & more stable OR manic & thinner. It does something to my blood sugar levels & has slowed my metabolism to a halt SO it would probably take a year to lose the 30lbs I want to EVEN if I quit the Dep & Ser combo. Ive gained an incredible 50lbs although I was probably 15 to 20 under my normal when I started 1.5yrs ago.

They should remarket it as an incredible wt gain drug. Other people I've talked to that are on it have said that Seroquel has also lessened if not taken away completely their allergies. Interesting.

I used to work hard everyday building houses BUT now I'm a full time student w/an internship @ this point I'm motivated b/c the sun has finally come out where I live now in Utah. We'll see what happens after 2mos of my sticking w/it.

I'll take ANY suggestions ~ I'm very open to advice OR experience of fellow mt's on this matter/topic...THANKS. Good to hear from you HoosierK ~ Keep in touch.

-kby-

I had INSANE binging with Seroquel too and put on about 50 lbs. Even though the binging continued somehow I leveled off and didn't continue to put on weight. In the 3 years I've been off it, I've only lost 20 lbs although I consume way less and get more exercise. But at least I feel better and don't fear choking because I've fallen asleep with food in my mouth.

"I feel better and don't fear choking because I've fallen asleep with food in my mouth."

Heheh. I also had insane munchies where i'd find myself in the pantry in the middle of the night just gobbling nonstop until i'd snap out of it the next morning with crumbs all over the bed. I'm going to try your recipe! By the way, if you like dark chocolate and want to indulge a little, i suggest it. It's really high in antioxidants and a ton of other things. All in moderation though. ha. Isn't that hard for us to do?

I've mostly been eating a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet with very little dairy. I guess i've been a pescetarian for the past two years or so. I can honestly say it feels so much better than all the excess sugar-fatty diets we can get so accustomed here. And I really do feel sick whenever i eat junk food. I get indigestion, i feel heavy (kinda bloated and out of breath) and generally sluggish and disgusted afterward. It's pretty amazing how training your taste buds really changes your cravings! Anyway, I feel that trying to eat healthier and making sure i get enough of not only the basics like the right amount of vitams protein and amino acids from vegetables and whole but also omegas, antioxidants, b-12, etc. So i use supplements like fish-oil tablets and b-12 complex for that when i know my diet doesn't include much of it. FYI both are said to have a positive effect for bp. I honestly believe the mind-body connection plays a key role in lessening vulnerability and helping improve mood stability.

@ Kumbaya, none of my weed experience compared either. That Seroquel is potent! It's one reason i got off of it quick even though it helped in some ways. I was only on it for three months, so fortunately the gain was very minimal for me. Anyway, I wish i had something good to suggest so maybe i'll get back to you on that. But it does seem like you're on a good start!

Oh actually, i've been looking at this site, maybe you can benefit from it
http://nutritiondata.self.com/

Kudos