Medical Forum / General / Nutrition / May 2007
What to do about low energy?
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tiizii@gmail.com - 28 May 2007 05:19 GMT I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to know what I can do to help correct this. So a few things about me:
I sleep 7-8 hours a day, I work 8-9 hours a day behind a desk in a non- physical, but very mentally draining environment. I eat breakfast about twice a week, usually fast food drive through on the way to work. For lunch I typically eat out, can range anywhere from sushi to a hamburger to seafood to fried chicken. For dinner I typically eat rice with some form of meat or shrimp. Every day I drink maybe 4-5 soft drinks.
I'm not looking to do a 180 lifestyle change over night with respect to what I eat. I've grown accustomed to my eating habits, and while I'm open to suggestions about dietary changes that I can introduce into my lifestyle more gradually, I'm particularly interested in what I can do to get the biggest bang from my buck, including multivitamins, dietary supplements, and other types of similar products.
Thanks
Szczepan Bialek - 28 May 2007 08:29 GMT > I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to > know what I can do to help correct this. The main source of energy for carnivores (you are like the dog not like the cow) are animal fats. You can substitute them by carbs or alcohol but it is not healthy.
So a few things about me:
> I sleep 7-8 hours a day, I work 8-9 hours a day behind a desk in a non- > physical, but very mentally draining environment. I eat breakfast [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > multivitamins, dietary supplements, and other types of similar > products. Your new eating habits should folow the principle that nutrition should be complete. The most complete for people are eggs and cream. S*
> Thanks victo@seanet.com - 28 May 2007 15:56 GMT > <tii...@gmail.com>news:1180325954.906474.143180@q69g2000hsb.googlegroups.com... > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > > Thanks Check out westonaprice.org Click on "site map" and read, read, read! This has changed my life. Read the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Also, for the proper supplements to take go to: drlwilson.com and read the articles about Nutritional Balancing, etc. you will find an article there about energy and what to do about it!!
TC - 28 May 2007 14:49 GMT On May 27, 11:19 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to > know what I can do to help correct this. So a few things about me: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Thanks 1) Cut out all the refined grains and sugars that you can manage.
2) Eat more real food and less processed and refined crap.
3) Educate yourself as to what real food is as opposed to manufactured, processed and refined crap. Start here: http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm
4) Get some exercise, even if you just go for a walk whenever you can. Move.
Ron Peterson - 28 May 2007 15:05 GMT On May 27, 11:19 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to > know what I can do to help correct this. So a few things about me:
> I sleep 7-8 hours a day, I work 8-9 hours a day behind a desk in a non- > physical, but very mentally draining environment. I eat breakfast [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > rice with some form of meat or shrimp. Every day I drink maybe 4-5 > soft drinks. Eat breakfast every day with skim milk and some meat. Cut out the sugar soft drinks.
> I'm not looking to do a 180 lifestyle change over night with respect > to what I eat. I've grown accustomed to my eating habits, and while [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > multivitamins, dietary supplements, and other types of similar > products. Don't eat out, pack a sandwich or have a low calorie TV dinner.
Start exercising.
-- Ron
tiizii@gmail.com - 28 May 2007 18:16 GMT > On May 27, 11:19 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote: > Eat breakfast every day with skim milk and some meat. Cut out the > sugar soft drinks. Is it the sugar, or the soft drink part that's the worst? I mean if I just replace them with other drinks that have equal amounts of sugar, is that going to be just as bad? Honestly though, I know you're probably right on the money there, but I also know myself. These types of drinks can become something of an addiction, especially after you've been drinking them for 15+ years. Unfortunately I don't see me cutting them out anytime soon, although I can certainly try. As for the breakfast, I've grown accustomed to whole milk. I always justified it to myself by saying that since I'm unusually thin, there's no compelling reason for me to use anything other than whole milk. Is there a specific reason why I should choose skim?
> Don't eat out, pack a sandwich or have a low calorie TV dinner. > > Start exercising. It may be possible to cut down on eating out, and can possibly bring a sandwich or other type of TV dinner for lunch. I think exercise may be out of the question however, at least at this early of a stage of me trying to do something about my nutrition.
In terms of vitamins and dietary supplements, what kind of things should I look for and why? Let's assume that my diet consists of about 85% meats and starches, and low on fruits and vegetables. The easiest remedy is to simply eat more fruits and vegetables, but I'm more looking for what I'm missing out on by not eating them, and what are the typical symptoms of a diet that lacks these types of foods?
TC - 28 May 2007 18:57 GMT On May 28, 12:16 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Eat breakfast every day with skim milk and some meat. Cut out the > > sugar soft drinks. > > Is it the sugar, or the soft drink part that's the worst? I mean if I > just replace them with other drinks that have equal amounts of sugar, > is that going to be just as bad? Honestly though, I know you're My father in law drinks Sunny Dee and thinks it is a better choice, it's orange, and contains traces of vit C and says 1/2 the sugar as regular, but it's is still way too much friggin' sugar.
You are right. Cut out all sugary beverages. Even regular orange juice will have as much as nearly 40 grams of carbs in one glass.
> probably right on the money there, but I also know myself. These > types of drinks can become something of an addiction, especially after [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > there's no compelling reason for me to use anything other than whole > milk. Is there a specific reason why I should choose skim? My take on milk is that todays milk is not your grandfathers milk. We used to drink fresh whole milk and were healthier because of it. now our milk is low fat, highly processed, high temp pasteurized, homogenized and generally badly beat up. It is no longer a whole food and has lost in inherent "wholesomeness".
If you can get real milk, great, but the white sh.t that sits on the grocers shelf for a month is crap food.
> > Don't eat out, pack a sandwich or have a low calorie TV dinner. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > be out of the question however, at least at this early of a stage of > me trying to do something about my nutrition. Best bet. Learn how to cook. Even simple foods made from scratch is better than fancy foods out of a box. Unfortunately, being healthy and eating real foods requires effort.
> In terms of vitamins and dietary supplements, what kind of things > should I look for and why? Let's assume that my diet consists of > about 85% meats and starches, and low on fruits and vegetables. The > easiest remedy is to simply eat more fruits and vegetables, but I'm > more looking for what I'm missing out on by not eating them, and what > are the typical symptoms of a diet that lacks these types of foods? I supplement with 3 to 4 thousand mgs of vit C spread out thruout the day. I also take 2 stress formula vitamin B complexes in the morning with food. I also take L-Lysine once in a while.
I also eat real food prepped from scratch as much as possible, and I avoid sugar and grains. Sounds harsh, but I don't miss the sugar at all and BBQ season rocks in my house. Real fresh meats and fish with real whole-food fresh produce, amazing. I eat like a king. The result is easy weight control, more energy and not a single prescription for anything in over 6 years. But it does take a bit of an effort and ot does cost more than cheap manufactured crap food.
Szczepan Bialek - 29 May 2007 08:51 GMT "TC"
> I supplement with 3 to 4 thousand mgs of vit C spread out thruout the > day. 3 to 4 grams per day all year long? I have read about "megadoses". Did you try a smaller doses?
>I also take 2 stress formula vitamin B complexes in the morning > with food. I also take L-Lysine once in a while. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > all and BBQ season rocks in my house. Real fresh meats and fish with > real whole-food fresh produce, amazing. I eat like a king. Are that meats and fish fat? How % of calories from fats is in your dishes? You did not mention about eggs or yolks. What is your opinion about them?
>The result is easy weight control, more energy and not a single >prescription for > anything in over 6 years. But it does take a bit of an effort and ot > does cost more than cheap manufactured crap food. The high suplement with vit C may be essential here. Everywhere is reccomended one glass of orange juice per day. Could you throw some light on it? S*
Szczepan Bialek - 28 May 2007 19:20 GMT >> On May 27, 11:19 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote: >> Eat breakfast every day with skim milk and some meat. Cut out the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > there's no compelling reason for me to use anything other than whole > milk. Is there a specific reason why I should choose skim? The whole milk is the best for kids. Such milk contain about the same percent of proteins and fats. But kids take the energy (heat) from the mother's body. Adult needs much more fats. So the cream is better (above 9% of fats). The best breakfast is the English one: eggs, bacon and tee with cream. The next dishes according to French cooking.
>> Don't eat out, pack a sandwich or have a low calorie TV dinner. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > be out of the question however, at least at this early of a stage of > me trying to do something about my nutrition. At this stage you need about 2500 kcal. All should be from the animals products and semi-animals. I am thinking about mushrooms, alga and yeast - they contain the glycogen (animal starch). The addidtional calories (for exercise or dance) may be from carbs and/or alcohol.
> In terms of vitamins and dietary supplements, what kind of things > should I look for and why? Let's assume that my diet consists of > about 85% meats and starches, and low on fruits and vegetables. The > easiest remedy is to simply eat more fruits and vegetables, but I'm > more looking for what I'm missing out on by not eating them, and what > are the typical symptoms of a diet that lacks these types of foods? See: http://homodiet.netfirms.com/ S*
Ron Peterson - 29 May 2007 04:59 GMT On May 28, 12:16 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Eat breakfast every day with skim milk and some meat. Cut out the > > sugar soft drinks.
> Is it the sugar, or the soft drink part that's the worst? I mean if I > just replace them with other drinks that have equal amounts of sugar, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > there's no compelling reason for me to use anything other than whole > milk. Is there a specific reason why I should choose skim? It's the sugar (HFCS) that is the main culprit in softdrinks. The carbonation only causes gas. And the caffeine is only one fifth that of coffee.
The purpose of choosing skim milk is to reduce the calories consumed and to reduce the amount of saturated fat. I went from whole milk to skim in stages, but others can make the switch immediately.
> > Don't eat out, pack a sandwich or have a low calorie TV dinner.
> > Start exercising.
> It may be possible to cut down on eating out, and can possibly bring a > sandwich or other type of TV dinner for lunch. I think exercise may > be out of the question however, at least at this early of a stage of > me trying to do something about my nutrition. Just do a little exercise such as walking to work, use the stairs instead of the elevator, and a few situps or pushups in the morning don't take long.
> In terms of vitamins and dietary supplements, what kind of things > should I look for and why? Let's assume that my diet consists of > about 85% meats and starches, and low on fruits and vegetables. The > easiest remedy is to simply eat more fruits and vegetables, but I'm > more looking for what I'm missing out on by not eating them, and what > are the typical symptoms of a diet that lacks these types of foods? Fruits, dry beans, and vegetables have a range of nutrients along with fiber.
Omega 3, vitamin D, vitamin C, and a B complex supplements would be a good starting point for you.
-- Ron
djensen36@cox.net - 28 May 2007 21:09 GMT On May 27, 9:19 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to > know what I can do to help correct this. So a few things about me: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Thanks I would strongly consider adding some adaptogenic herbs to your mix of vitamins and supplements.
The two products that have worked best for me, as far as energy goes are Arctic Root, or Rhodiola rosea, and NADH, a co-enzyme.
There are also energy related herbs such as Eleutherococcus and Schizandra, and you can find these in combination with Rhodiola in a product such as Adapt 232. You'll have to Google these things, and read more about the topic of Adaptogens in general.
There is a huge difference between adaptogenic energy, and the phoney energy from cans of Red Bull or other stimulants.
D.
Mr. Zed - 29 May 2007 03:19 GMT On May 28, 5:19 am, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to > know what I can do to help correct this. So a few things about me: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Thanks A lot of spam and stupid people around here as usual I see. Soda drinks are good for your energy short term, but maybe you're drinking a little too much. Definitely do not listen to the rubbish that "you should cut out those foods altogether".... if you did gain energy by doing that then nobody would ever use them to begin with. Foods like that may be bad for you in a number of ways, but the foods that give you energy are those foods. If you like eating it and it makes you feel good afterwards, then it's safe to say it gives you energy, especially in the short-term. Multivitamins and nutritious foods are good as well of course.
honeybunch - 29 May 2007 03:20 GMT If you don't cut out the soft drinks you will be tired forever. That's the price you have to pay for drinking any carbonated drink fueled by corn syrup. You could drink herb tea or just bottled water. "Oh no, I couldnt possibly do that. That's yucky" Processed food of any sort with its attendent high fructose corn syrup will also nail you to the cross of exhaustion. "But I love fast food. Its so American" Unless you change your eating habits youre dead in the water. There are no supplements, pills or powders that will help you. So sad to be 28 years old aND living in America today. You are hopeless. There is no hope for you. You are powerless to change your eating habits. Read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" for a clue. Maybe Andrew Chung will pray for you. That's your only hope.
On May 28, 12:19 am, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm 28, male, and in general have very low energy and would like to > know what I can do to help correct this. So a few things about me: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Thanks ""
tiizii@gmail.com - 29 May 2007 03:59 GMT > If you don't cut out the soft drinks you will be tired forever. > That's the price you have to pay for drinking any carbonated drink > fueled by corn syrup. You could drink herb tea or just bottled > water. "Oh no, I couldnt possibly do that. That's yucky" I didn't say it was yucky, I said I've been drinking them for 15 years and it's hard to cut an addiction overnight.
> Processed food of any sort with its attendent high fructose corn syrup > will also nail you to the cross of exhaustion. "But I love fast [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > for a clue. Maybe Andrew Chung will pray for you. That's your only > hope. With all due respect, you sound like one of those people who claim that the end of the world is coming tomorrow and we need to repent or burn in hell for eternity. There are no supplements, pills, or powders that will help? So you mean to tell me that I'm getting every possible vitamin and mineral I need? Well in that case, why bother even attempting to change my diet in the first place? I'm clearly doing everything right yo. I do realize that that isn't your point, but there's lots of extremist people in the world, and guess what? People don't respond well to extremism.
If you expect everyone in the world who wants to do something about their diet to do it overnight then I don't think I'm the one with the most serious problem here. At least I'm not delusional about how humans work. Now, if you have anything productive to say, then I'm all ears.
Thanks for understanding
honeybunch - 29 May 2007 15:48 GMT I understand perfectly well. I expect you to continue eating and drinking the same stuff you have been eating and drinking for 28 years. I meant it when I said there is no hope for you. I expect you to find some vitamin pills and energy bars to consume, believing they will energize you. When your exhaustion becomes too great you will find drugs or alcohol to pep you up and then will become addicted to them as well as to Pepsi or is it Coke?
On May 28, 10:59 pm, tii...@gmail.com wrote:
> On May 28, 9:20 pm, honeybunch <doro_i...@yahoo.com> wrote:> If you don't cut out the soft drinks you will be tired forever. > > That's the price you have to pay for drinking any carbonated drink [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Thanks for understanding Zachary Turner - 29 May 2007 17:15 GMT > I understand perfectly well. I expect you to continue eating and > drinking the same stuff you have been eating and drinking for 28 [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > find drugs or alcohol to pep you up and then will become addicted to > them as well as to Pepsi or is it Coke? Apparently you don't understand very well, since for starters I'm staunchly opposed to drugs AND alcohol, and over the course of my entire life have had alcohol maybe 5 times, and drugs 0. If I planned to continue eating and drinking the same stuff I've been eating for 28 years (although lets be honest, who here can honestly say they were eating Filet Mignons fresh out of their mothers' wombs), would I even be posting here?
You're the type of person that only sees two types of people: Purists and losers. Not too different than the members of the Westboro Baptist Church, now that I think about it. It's a shame you are blind to the fact that you've unintentionally fallen into the latter category.
WaCoder - 30 May 2007 02:50 GMT First off I don't have the original msg in front of me so I can't quote it. You were saying you don't have a lot of energy and need to figure out a way to get more. Understandable.
First off, there are a few things that you can do that are small changes that you can do to help yourself feel better. One would be to eat breakfast at the beginning of the day. Now before you say you don't have time, trust me, this'll take about ten minutes in the morning before going to work. A few suggestions: Oatmeal (keeps your blood sugar on an even keel for a long time), Kashi cereal (any of them, they are very good for you and have a lot of protein and fiber as well as good, complex carbs), a cup of yogurt (delicious, especially with granola), etc. You get the idea.
Lunch, I would suggest a sandwich either from home (turkey, chicken, roast beef) or from a deli in your local area. It would probably be cheaper to take your own lunch a couple days a week and then eat out at your fave deli the rest of the time, seeing as how this is sort of a routine for you. Also recommend perhaps getting some sort of veggie or fruit in at this time of the day (anything goes on this one, you can't go wrong on this one), seeing as how it'll give you vitamins in their best format, thru food. Possible exception would be french fries, seeing as how there is a lot of fat in them, and tends to make one feel sluggish.
Dinner, again make sure that your choices are reasonable and healthy. Pick your favorite fruit as your dessert and eat it a la carte. Peaches, strawberries, even blueberries (frozen or fresh) are excellent choices. (Okay, if you're a total ice-creamaholic, try frozen yogurt or custard, and you can put the fruit on top of it too. =)
Drinks: If you hate the taste of plain water, you can go with water w/ lemon in it, or you can get FruitWater at your local health food place. Has no fake sweeteners, has a slight taste of fruit in the water and still pretty decent. Also try teas (favorites of mine are Tazo's Passion tea, and the green and mint tea, both of which you can get at your local starbucks; can be purchased in boxes too.)
Later on, you can try exercising through your day by just walking farther to your car (that's an easy one), walking to your lunch spot instead of driving, using stairs when you can, and so forth.) You don't have to be Mr. Obsessive-About-Exercise to get what you need.
These will probably have a positive impact on your health and help you feel much better. If after all that, you still don't feel energized, you should probably see a doctor to see if there is any underlying medical condition causing this to happen in your body.
Change is possible, and if done in small increments, can become lifelong habits. So be encouraged, all is not lost, you can do it. :)
Best, WaCoder
tiizii@gmail.com - 29 May 2007 17:21 GMT > I understand perfectly well. I expect you to continue eating and > drinking the same stuff you have been eating and drinking for 28 [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > find drugs or alcohol to pep you up and then will become addicted to > them as well as to Pepsi or is it Coke? Apparently you don't understand very well, since for starters I'm staunchly opposed to both drugs and alcohol, and have had alcohol maybe 5 times in my entire life. And if you think I intended to continue eating and drinking the same stuff I've been eating and drinking for 28 years (although let's be honest, who here can honestly say they were eating filet mignons fresh out of their mothers' wombs) then do you think I would even be posting here?
You're the type of person that only sees two types of people: purists and scum. I can think of a few other people that only see this type of black and white as well - the Westboro Baptist Church. It's a shame that you, like them, dont' realize that you've fallen into the second category yourself.
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