Lesser evil : what should I prefer from food I should avoid ?

[blade]

Hi all!

I've read diet and health topics and tried keto and elimination diets.

But it seems that I can't follow it always : sometimes it's just me willing to eat forbidden fruit, sometimes there are circumstances that force me to take the wrong path, like having dinner with friends, who don't care that much about diet (or prefer another one).

And there are also situations like somebody saying he's got some health issues, and reducing his options to ultimate solutions like small piece of meat and half pound lard just won't work. (Because he won't accept it).

So question is - what will be less harmful for body of the foods everyone should avoid/control ?

I wonder what are relative ratings of harm, say eating 200g bread (or spaghetti, or corn, etc) is ? times worse than eating 200g potatoes (or tomatoes or eggplants, etc solanaceae), which is ? times worse than extra 20g carb equivalent of non-autoimmune answer veggies, which is ? times worse than bake egg instead of boil it, which is ? times worse than drinking bottle of beer, which is ? times worse than drinking extra glass of wine. (maybe not in that order). (and there is cheese/milk/curd and probably something else I've missed)
(extra means over 70g carbs/day).

I understand, that it's rather complicating issue, but it would be nice to get at least some crude division like - avoid gluten and solanaceae at all costs, and try to keep carbs and alcohol low.

I have some health issues, like chronic back pain (I think it's linked to chronic inflammation) , which I treat with diet and other methods, but I'd like to have some understanding in consuming harmful food, since sometimes it just happens.

And I'd like to provide this rating for my wife, since she does not care that much about her diet.

 

[obyvatel]

Hi all!

I've read diet and health topics and tried keto and elimination diets.

But it seems that I can't follow it always : sometimes it's just me willing to eat forbidden fruit, sometimes there are circumstances that force me to take the wrong path, like having dinner with friends, who don't care that much about diet (or prefer another one).

Hi blade,
When you tried the elimination and keto diets, did you experience benefits? Specially the elimination diet would have provided data regarding what food your body tolerates better than others. If so, then that data could come useful when making decisions in the situations you described above.

[quote author=blade]
And there are also situations like somebody saying he's got some health issues, and reducing his options to ultimate solutions like small piece of meat and half pound lard just won't work. (Because he won't accept it).
[/quote]

I doubt anyone following the diet here relies on a "small piece of meat and half pound lard" as food. There are many recipes discussed in the diet and health thread. Have a look.

 

[herondancer]

So question is - what will be less harmful for body of the foods everyone should avoid/control ?

I wonder what are relative ratings of harm, say eating 200g bread (or spaghetti, or corn, etc) is ? times worse than eating 200g potatoes (or tomatoes or eggplants, etc solanaceae), which is ? times worse than extra 20g carb equivalent of non-autoimmune answer veggies, which is ? times worse than bake egg instead of boil it, which is ? times worse than drinking bottle of beer, which is ? times worse than drinking extra glass of wine. (maybe not in that order). (and there is cheese/milk/curd and probably something else I've missed)
(extra means over 70g carbs/day).

I understand, that it's rather complicating issue, but it would be nice to get at least some crude division like - avoid gluten and solanaceae at all costs, and try to keep carbs and alcohol low.

Yeah, it's a tricky issue when the majority of the people you interact with don't know about evil stuff, or don't care.

Your 'crude division' is a good way to approach things if you are just starting out with changing the way you eat. Sugar is evil, gluten is evil, dairy is evil (except for butter if you tolerate it; make sure to test). Most people will get cutting sugar. It's a classic maxim in weight-loss programs and there's enough mainstream news out there about how bad sugar is. So that one shouldn't be too hard for people to understand. As far as dairy and gluten, you could try saying you think you have an allergy to both. That you've experimented and when you leave those things out of your diet, your back feels better. End of story. It's easiest to just not open the subject. In social situations, stick to protein and low-carb veggies. Try to quietly avoid alcohol. If someone asks you can plead back pain again.

I have some health issues, like chronic back pain (I think it's linked to chronic inflammation) , which I treat with diet and other methods, but I'd like to have some understanding in consuming harmful food, since sometimes it just happens.

And I'd like to provide this rating for my wife, since she does not care that much about her diet.

Bottom line, no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, and since you feel you're inflamed, no nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant). I wouldn't stress so much for now about carb-counting (that can come later), just get into the basics. There are many helpful threads on the Diet and Health Board. the best ones being collected here. Given the inflammation issues you might want to do some elimination testing on the common food culprits, like eggs.

As far as your wife goes, I know it's hard not to want to help those you love. But the best thing you can do is to educate yourself and follow the diet. Ask her to help you with shopping and cooking (or be prepared to cook for yourself if you need to), but don't insist she follow it too. As your health improves, that will say more than any conversation you might have.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[SeekinTruth]

Yeah, herondancer boiled it down to the most essential things to avoid quite well. I'd just add that it might be a good idea to avoid egg whites for most people (although some people seem to react to the yokes, but that might go away after healing the gut by avoiding the most damaging foods). Egg whites don't seem to me to be worth much nutritionally, and can cause lots of problems, so that might be one more to be wary of. FWIW.

 

[blade]

Well, I noticed benefits from keto-diet like improved stress resistance, cold tolerance and increased endurance, but then I moved from country to town, I failed to continue it.

And now I want to use it again.

And, yes, I've quite forgotten to test eggs for compatibility with my gut (so used to eating them)...

So thank you for replies, I'll start following these rules.

 

[blade]

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

So far I got comfortable with following ration : Salo (pieces of pork fat, like bacon with no meat in it) for energy, some meat (I cook it in oven, or make billtong), liver pate, some veggies like sauerkraut, cucumbers and onion.

It's easy to cook, can be stored at refrigerator for week or more - don't have to spend time cooking when I'm hungry and cheap.

 

[Keit]

So far I got comfortable with following ration : Salo (pieces of pork fat, like bacon with no meat in it) for energy, some meat (I cook it in oven, or make billtong), liver pate, some veggies like sauerkraut, cucumbers and onion.

It's easy to cook, can be stored at refrigerator for week or more - don't have to spend time cooking when I'm hungry and cheap.

Sounds like a good combination to me. :)

Salo is really good as an addition to any kind of main course, be it beef, chicken, or fish. Especially if the other meat isn't fatty enough. Today, for example, I had a craving for some sardines. By itself a can of sardines isn't satisfying enough. But after mixing it with salo cut into small cubicles (and with a salad + onion + a bit of lemon juice as a side dish) it was filling and tasty. :)