Apologies @Count.d if you have double called my bluff about smoking ham. Not meant literally.
Also, my sincerest congratulations to those who have posted on this thread - along with the OP - whom have been getting positive results from changing their diet.
Well done you.
I last ate meat in 2001. Easiest change ever for me. Still eat fish, but I try to make that as ethical as I reasonably can.
Quorn makes me feel ill within a couple of mouthfuls, so I’ve not bothered.
Unfortunately, my blood sugar level has started to creep up, so spuds are off the edible list now, and I’m struggling with that.
Little to no alcohol, rarely eat fast food, so I’m hoping I’ll live as long as I can, whether that’s til I’m 60 in December or 110 in 2073! Eek.
This is an excellent thread, particularly for those of us of mature years. Advancing age seems to focus the mind!
In the last ten years, I have been able to pay much more attention to my diet, primarly because of the knowledge and skills of my partner. Unfortunately, we are no longer together, but the move to a very healthy diet and vegetarianism in particular, has remained and I have never felt so healthy. I also take a lot of exercise and keep a track of what I do.
There has been some discussion, on the thread, of the need for balance in a healthy diet, but actually, balance as a stand-alone exercise (see what I did there?) is something worth developing. There is lots of research (see Google) which shows that poor balance can indicate some health issues, but also that developing better balance can improve hip bone density and can reduce the likelihood of falls in later life. Many readers will know that falls in later life can have a severe impact on quality and quantity of life.
Improving one’s balance is relatively easy to do and many, including me, practice it when cleaning our teeth! That’s two work-outs per day - simples!
There is a lot of good advice above, but I have two weaknesses: bread and alcohol.
I have cut out red meat, reduced it to weekends only, then tend to cook venison or chicken.
I like the idea of 30 different items a week but I’m not keen on fermented foods, although I have a dose of kefir every day ( but made from pasteurised organic milk).
To address my weaknesses I used to make my own bread but gave up after I found a good sourdough (malted flour), and I try to drink only at weekends - I wish I could give up beer. In short I’m a few kilos overweight despite walking the dog a lot at a fast pace rather than a leisurely stroll.
That’s an excellent video Jim Dog, thanks for posting.
The big corporations I’m sure would say they’re producing relatively cheap, fairly nutritious/calorific foods but the unnatural ingredients are the problem. Glad it mentioned emulsifiers which are a hot topic.
Several factors I think have made so many accept these products:
1 - The food is relatively cheap but mostly the convenience aspects are huge for busy families
2 - Societal changes - it’s not that long ago one partner worked and a single wage could support the other partner staying at home supporting a whole family. Very hard these days for most with the main knock on of reduced time to prepare food from raw ingredients every day with young children etc.
3 - Advertising/familiarity of brands
4 - Poor science from the likes of Ancel Keys (though he looks as though he lived to 100) rejecting data which didn’t fit his hypotheses
5 - Sedentary lifestyles/work which are more the norm these days
I mostly cook my own food from scratch, but even so I do tend to eat too much, alcohol probably doesn’t help in terms of overall calories despite lots of exercise
Not much fun being metabolically under par despite effort and good intentions.
We live in a small rural town and there’s not a lot of choice when it comes to eating out which is a good thing really as I love to cook. Unfortunately most recipes are generally based on 4 which means I more often than not over cater. We moved towards a keto diet earlier this year but found it was causing problems for Mrs Pete. We’ve now modified the keto plan to something a little more accommodating but still no (or very little) carbs and no sweet treats.
Maintaining a steady weight has been a problem for me ever since giving up manual work and moving into administration. Long lunches and little physical activity is a recipe for a disaster.
15 years ago I struggled to boil water but my wife started a job with a large investment bank in Sydney. Long hours (great pay) which meant we had to make some changes as I worked from home it was easier for both of us if I cooked dinner. We’re both retired and I’m still doing most of the cooking.
My wife and I also went more low carb (although not to a keto level) and cut out most bread, cakes made with flour, no biscuits or cookies in the house but we still wanted the odd sweet treat now and again. My wife now bakes with almond and coconut flour and makes all sorts of muffins and cakes with those. Low carb, higher fat and to be honest much more satisfying.
I don’t know where in the world you are, but, at 84, you are already well beyond life expectancy for most - so you must be doing something right! I’m sure that you are correct to have a fairly relaxed attitude to diet, etc., provided that you relatively moderate in most things. The research seems to show that genetics contributes 20%-30% towards longevity, but that this figure increases with age.
We don’t know what your “… so many problems …” are and it’s none of our business, but I hope that you can manage them to maintain a good quality of life. Admonishing us young 'uns for our trendy enthusiasms is evidence of an active and engaged mind, which is obviously a good thing. However, I must point out that vegetarianism and veganism are not “… eating fads …”!
I’m a yogi too - for about 20 years now. I do two or three 45 minute sessions a week along with a five to ten minute morning mobilising session to keep my lower back moving. The weights and the aerobic exercise have very, very important long-term benefits, but the yoga also seems to have an immediate refreshing, energising and mood-enhancing effect.