Foods that you feel benefits from?

[bell1986]

I've noticed as I've got older that certain foods can really impact my overall mood and day to day tasks.

This is both positive and negative.

I've always been a huge fan of vegetables. I eat them in mass amounts but. Recently it's really took a toll on my digestive system. I was eating like 1kg+ of veggies every single day. I took my daily diet and put it into chronometer and seen I was getting like 100g+ of fibre. Just too much for my digestive system to handle. I've had to lower this amount of vegetables. I'm getting around 60g of fibre now and that's just about ok.

I seem to react poorly to anything choline based. Alpha gpc/cdp choline/choline bitartrate etc. I thought. Surely food sources will work different to a large blast of choline in a supplement. I started eating large amounts of eggs. Like 6 eggs everyday. After a few days I got the same impact as too much choline. Which for me is a dark depression. I stopped the eggs and a few days later I was good again. I still eat eggs but it's like 1-2 a day at most. I have my own hens and get 6 fresh eggs everyday so I have access to the best eggs you can get.

Another thing I also react poorly to is. Omega 3's. Gives the exact same effect as choline for me. If I take a high dose epa/dha supplement I get depression also. For omega 3's I will intake some flaxseed/chia mix and I will eat salmon now and again. Even too much salmon doesn't agree with me after a period. Shame because I know it's a great food to be consuming.

Foods that really give me huge positives is.

Liver (It's disgusting but I cook it and make small portions that I just quickly chew and swallow before a main meal). Liver really does make a huge impact on my energy and mood. Those high B vitamins seem to be great.

Nutritional yeast. Another B vitamin bomb. I notice some mild improvements using nutritional yeast. Also it's a great addition to sauces and a flavouring enhancer. I throw around 20g onto my meal at night's.

Black pudding (This might be a Scottish thing). Black pudding is basically dried pigs blood + some grains and spices. I was Anemic for a while (Due to blood donations. My ferritin level was 11. Yes I felt dreadful). I used liver + black pudding to get my iron levels up. I was originally using iron bisglycinate and after 3 months my ferritin was at 17. Barely moved. Added in liver + black pudding and got it up to 72! I felt incredible once I got my levels up.

I suffer some mild histamine issues so I limit certain foods. Tomato's' Strawberries' Fermented foods' Vinegar etc. I still do use them in smaller doses. One I eat almost daily is. Kefir. I believe kefir to be the best probiotic you can ingest. I don't think any probiotic supplement can match Kefir. It's a very unique taste but a few flavour drops and it's very nice.

I eat around 4000 calories a day and need to eat foods that don't destroy my gut. The high fibre was pretty bad on my digestion. Man those farts were deadly....

What foods do you eat that you think to yourself. That meal always makes me feel good.

I think food is very powerful and not respected by some people. I believe alot of issues that people suffer these days are from the foods they eat. In my workplace the guys I work with have dreadful diets. It's ultra processed garbage. Microwave meals. Cakes. Biscuits. Which having now and again is completely fine but if it's your actual diet. Your gonna get issues. They all live on coffee and energy drinks because they feel sh*tty all the time. Their constantly sick with some virus. One guy is on t3/t4 because his thyroid just crashed. Instead of the doctor saying to change his diet and try recover his thyroid. Just take t3/t4. They all are overweight and constantly moan that they need to start losing weight. If they bring in a chicken salad one day they will then binge the next 3 days because they had a 'Healthy' day.

So what foods do you feel is a huge benefit to your life? What do you notice once you eat these? Any foods that make you feel bad also and that you need to avoid?

 

[GreenMachineX]

I’ve had lots of experience with positive and negative side effects from foods, but I don’t have time to write it all out. I’ll post when I have time.

Preview: veggies are my worst offenders

 

[bell1986]

I’ve had lots of experience with positive and negative side effects from foods, but I don’t have time to write it all out. I’ll post when I have time.

Preview: veggies are my worst offenders

Veggie farts? Lol

I was eating 1-1.5kg of veggies a day. I felt great at first but after a few days. Damn. My partner was giving me the most foul of looks.

I've been trying to add apple cider vinegar to my veggies in a hope they would digest better but still the same. Just an insane amount of fibre.

 

[Hyde]

Food is everything. What you eat, how you eat it, when, and quantities and relationship to what else you have been eating all affect how it’s used & the impact. It’s powerful.

I know these won’t be useful to you, but 2 foods I consume most days that I value over many others are Sauerkraut and Greek yogurt. The positive impact they make on gut health is so profound for me. I also am a big fan of blueberries, and all berries, as well as oranges.

Keeping an egg or two in the diet certainly covers a lot of bases, and I often eat 3-4 every few days for that reason. Quality nutrition, and I do well with lots of supplemented choline. Individuals with bipolar disorder can suffer worse episodes with choline supplementation, just FYI.

I take a 2oz shot of pure, unsweetened cranberry juice about eod, in the morning so it doesn’t impact my sleep. This gives me all the iodine I need for the week for a healthy thyroid, so I use a non-iodized salt for my sodium intake. Sufficient salt to maintain hydration is also extremely important.

Avocado is a very undervalued food I believe - nutritionally, it’s sort of like the egg of the vegan food sources. Not magic, but it offers a lot of nutrition for the calories and goes with a lot of things well. It can be very satiating eating chopped, or squeezed in for extra calories when blended or mashed/smeared into dishes.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Veggie farts? Lol

I was eating 1-1.5kg of veggies a day. I felt great at first but after a few days. Damn. My partner was giving me the most foul of looks.

I've been trying to add apple cider vinegar to my veggies in a hope they would digest better but still the same. Just an insane amount of fibre.

No, not digestive effects, but actually messing with my brain function and sleep.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I can vouch for watermelon as a natural viagra.

I understand how bad processed foods are for the body but I still believe that evolution created our digestive system to handle the worst of junk so that we could survive the harshest of times (i.e. food deprivation). I agree it's not meant to be taxed long term and eventually processed/chemically altered food will take a toll on our bodies.

 

[bell1986]

No, not digestive effects, but actually messing with my brain function and sleep.

Impacts your mood?

I wonder if the fibre content is upsetting your gut microbiome and causing neurotransmitter issues?

I get the same effect from high choline foods. Eggs make me feel dreadful (If I eat alot of them). Sunflower lecithin also made me feel very depressed. I now avoid choline rich foods.

 

[bell1986]

I can vouch for watermelon as a natural viagra.

I understand how bad processed foods are for the body but I still believe that evolution created our digestive system to handle the worst of junk so that we could survive the harshest of times (i.e. food deprivation). I agree it's not meant to be taxed long term and eventually processed/chemically altered food will take a toll on our bodies.

Yeh ultra processed in moderation I see no issues with.

In my original post I mentioned about the guys in my work place. They eat 90% processed garbage. Everything is a 5 minute microwave job or a pour hot water on and eat. They are always sick. One guy has a crashed thyroid. They constantly complain about joint pains. Lethargy. Skin conditions. Weight gain etc. I brought up the diet scenario one day and they genuinely thought they ate 'balanced' lol. I was like. Guys not to sound nasty here but that diet is absolutely garbage. Just because your microwave dish has 12 peas and 20g of broccoli doesn't make it healthy. I says read that ingredient panel. It's a science experiment. All the added sugars' gums' preservatives etc. I reckon their protein intake is about 30-40g a day. One guy hates vegetables so much that he hasn't eaten a single vegetable in over 10 years (This is the guy with the crashed thyroid). He says. I'm fine though. My doctor fixed me! So a bunch of pills is a fix?

I still eat processed food now and again. I just limit it. I have these foods as treats. Not part of my diet.

 

[Hyde]

Yeh ultra processed in moderation I see no issues with.

In my original post I mentioned about the guys in my work place. They eat 90% processed garbage. Everything is a 5 minute microwave job or a pour hot water on and eat. They are always sick. One guy has a crashed thyroid. They constantly complain about joint pains. Lethargy. Skin conditions. Weight gain etc. I brought up the diet scenario one day and they genuinely thought they ate 'balanced' lol. I was like. Guys not to sound nasty here but that diet is absolutely garbage. Just because your microwave dish has 12 peas and 20g of broccoli doesn't make it healthy. I says read that ingredient panel. It's a science experiment. All the added sugars' gums' preservatives etc. I reckon their protein intake is about 30-40g a day. One guy hates vegetables so much that he hasn't eaten a single vegetable in over 10 years (This is the guy with the crashed thyroid). He says. I'm fine though. My doctor fixed me! So a bunch of pills is a fix?

I still eat processed food now and again. I just limit it. I have these foods as treats. Not part of my diet.

I have worked with plenty of people like that - it’s common in America. The information is out there for the general public; the government and schools actually now teach & recommend pretty sensible whole-food-based diets, limiting added sugars, getting sufficient fiber, prioritizing vegetables and avoiding processed food.

But money talks. The school lunches are crap, the advertising is allowed to play out and convenience & hyper-palatability inevitably win overall with the general public. In the Midwest states at least, more people are overweight than not. Even though it is actually cheaper to cook and eat your own whole food, people spring for processed, pre-packaged, and eating out.

If I am in a powerbulk and go to a buffet, I am often the leanest person there (at over 25% bodyfat at 260+ lbs in that phase). I am sweating and struggling trying to manage a final small 4th plate, and there are old fat people just casually outpacing me. It’s mind-boggling.

 

[GreenMachineX]

I have worked with plenty of people like that - it’s common in America. The information is out there for the general public; the government and schools actually now teach & recommend pretty sensible whole-food-based diets, limiting added sugars, getting sufficient fiber, prioritizing vegetables and avoiding processed food.

But money talks. The school lunches are crap, the advertising is allowed to play out and convenience & hyper-palatability inevitably win overall with the general public. In the Midwest states at least, more people are overweight than not. Even though it is actually cheaper to cook and eat your own whole food, people spring for processed, pre-packaged, and eating out.

If I am in a powerbulk and go to a buffet, I am often the leanest person there (at over 25% bodyfat at 260+ lbs in that phase). I am sweating and struggling trying to manage a final small 4th plate, and there are old fat people just casually outpacing me. It’s mind-boggling.

Is a powerbulk similar to a dreamer bulk?

 

[Hyde]

Is a powerbulk similar to a dreamer bulk?

It’s where you find yourself having to eat so many calories to gain further weight that it becomes difficult to consume enough.

Last one ended at ~5,700-5,800 every day the final week to hit 270lbs. Where I typically maintain more like ~3,400.

The problem isn’t the extra 2,000 calories as much as it is that appetite downregulates a lot within a few weeks of overeating, AND your gut is always jammed up working overtime. Even hyper palatable food becomes tough to eat when you’re never hungry. You spend at least twice as much time on cooking, eating, and sh*tting. It becomes like a part-time job. And the more trash you eat to fill those calories, the worse you’ll feel. Try to avoid vegetable seed oils, and all the restaurant & processed food cooked in it.

 

[bell1986]

It’s where you find yourself having to eat so many calories to gain further weight that it becomes difficult to consume enough.

Last one ended at ~5,700-5,800 every day the final week to hit 270lbs. Where I typically maintain more like ~3,400.

The problem isn’t the extra 2,000 calories as much as it is that appetite downregulates a lot within a few weeks of overeating, AND your gut is always jammed up working overtime. Even hyper palatable food becomes tough to eat when you’re never hungry. You spend at least twice as much time on cooking, eating, and sh*tting. It becomes like a part-time job. And the more trash you eat to fill those calories, the worse you’ll feel. Try to avoid vegetable seed oils, and all the restaurant & processed food cooked in it.

Damn 5800 calories. That's alot of eating!

4000 for me is similar. I feel like I'm just digesting all day long. I hate it if I've had such a busy day that I then need to go on a rampage of food in the evening. I manage it but it's a chore. It's crazy how quick your metabolism starts to catch up though. On 4000 calories. Within a couple weeks my weight just sits steady. I will sit at those calories for atleast a month and if nothing moves then I add 200 to it. It's the only way to make progress. Well for me it is.

Are you on any anabolics? Trt?

 

[Resolve10]

I don’t really feel any food is individually special, but there are probably plenty with various benefits.

I really just try to get the right balance of macronutrients for my current goals, make sure to eat adequate fiber, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to try and get adequate micronutrients filled in, and vary my sources depending on a variety of factors.

If there is any overly specific benefit I’m looking for I’m more likely to just supplement with it rather than just through food, although dietary intakes may help with them (for example while you could get maybe get adequate nitrates, betaine, etc from beets I’d rather supplement with them in conjunction with a more normal amount of that in my diet just maybe adjusting depending on everything I’m eating or I regularly take fish oil yet may lower or not take the dose if it’s during periods I am eating lots of fish, etc).

 

[Hyde]

Damn 5800 calories. That's alot of eating!

4000 for me is similar. I feel like I'm just digesting all day long. I hate it if I've had such a busy day that I then need to go on a rampage of food in the evening. I manage it but it's a chore. It's crazy how quick your metabolism starts to catch up though. On 4000 calories. Within a couple weeks my weight just sits steady. I will sit at those calories for atleast a month and if nothing moves then I add 200 to it. It's the only way to make progress. Well for me it is.

Are you on any anabolics? Trt?

Yes, blast and cruise. Usually do 180 test/wk when off, and that bulk was ~900mg/wk of stronger compounds at peak in conjunction with those calories as I recall.

It was ~6 weeks, basically a TRT overlaid with Trest Ace & injectable Dbol 5 days a week, then Test Suspension & an Anadrol 50 instead on bench days. With a Primo frontload the first 4 weeks, before switching to the Dbol.

 

[bell1986]

Yes, blast and cruise. Usually do 180 test/wk when off, and that bulk was ~900mg/wk of stronger compounds at peak in conjunction with those calories as I recall.

It was ~6 weeks, basically a TRT overlaid with Trest Ace & injectable Dbol 5 days a week, then Test Suspension & an Anadrol 50 instead on bench days. With a Primo frontload the first 4 weeks, before switching to the Dbol.

How do you feel on all of that?

I'm currently using 160mg test e + 30mg of Epistane. Put on about 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Nothing drastic but I've been stalled for a while so nice to see the scale move again.

I'm gonna try just higher dose test after this epistane break. I don't do too well with very high doses. I seem to convert to estrogen very easily. Drives me crazy. I have primo though and hopefully can dial in a dose that keeps estrogen in check.

 

[Hyde]

How do you feel on all of that?

I'm currently using 160mg test e + 30mg of Epistane. Put on about 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Nothing drastic but I've been stalled for a while so nice to see the scale move again.

I'm gonna try just higher dose test after this epistane break. I don't do too well with very high doses. I seem to convert to estrogen very easily. Drives me crazy. I have primo though and hopefully can dial in a dose that keeps estrogen in check.

How do you think a man eating 5,700 calories of processed food & taking a gram of androgens would feel?

I set to a goal full throttle, and relentlessly pursued it to completion, then backed off right away.

I would not advocate that at all for most people/scenarios. Sustainable progressive increase in food and gear you tolerate for longer periods, like having training that progressively increases over time, is the normal ideal to actually increase base strength and/or muscle mass.

 

[Dustin07]

The only two things that really stand out to me are:

1. greens <- I know when I'm not eating enough and crave them frequently. I have a salad pretty much every day. 2 yesterday.
2. donuts/all high sugary foods, but donuts are the worst <- leaves me feeling gross and lethargic

But after I went paleo like 12 years ago I just kinda got into a food groove. My wife and I estimate we are "accidentally" paleo still about 80% of the time just out of habit to be honest.