# Healthy eating



## banderson7474 (Jul 10, 2018)

Al and Braz touched on this today which I've been meaning to ask but didn't want to get banned forever haha!

So I was wondering how much do you smoke in a typical week and how or what do you do to fight the unhealthy effects of eating meat/cheese etc.

I have found that I've needed to adjust my eating habits especially as of late.  Part of it was my portion sizes which is soooo hard to control when things turn out so tasty.  I've also found that I tend to smoke a lot more meat at one time which means I have a ton of leftovers.  Well this makes me eat throughout the week.  This is a problem b/c we try to eat healthier during the week.  Of course, I should do more exercising during the week which I have been but I think that helps combat the effects also. 

I was very surprise to just have read that Al might eat meat once a week.  Right now I'm trying to limit meat to once a day although I try to throw in some fish.  Anyway, I'm rambling.  Just wondering what people here do or want to do to get healthy.


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## bregent (Jul 10, 2018)

I'm not sure what 'eating healthier' means, as I don''t believe meat and cheese are inherently unhealthy. The only thing I do try to limit is carbs - but I don't avoid them. I'm in my 60's, eat meat and cheese almost every day, have good weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. Just eat everything in moderation and get some exercise.


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## browneyesvictim (Jul 10, 2018)

I'm in training for competition BBQ eating.

… but seriously, for me I think you nailed it with "portion control"! We also eat a LOT of fruits and vegetables and "try" to cut down on a lot of carbs. It is rare that we ever go out to eat, so meal planning ahead of time is a big deal and very important.

I stay pretty active doing a lot of manual labor around the property. The couch is evil! So is the TV for that matter.


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## oldsmokerdude (Jul 10, 2018)

All things in moderation :)
I think we here in the states don't have a good idea of what a "healthy" portion looks like. Ordering food at a restaurant always brings portions that are double or more what one "should" eat. I'm with Bregent in that I don't think meat and cheese are inherently unhealthy. I personally eat a small portion of meat with most every lunch and dinner (less than 4 ounces). Balance that with the healthy foods (you know, the ones that don't taste good) and I think everything will be okay. Worked so far for me.


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## banderson7474 (Jul 10, 2018)

I think there is a big debate out there on how much blood pressure and cholesterol is related to diet vs dna but like you two have mentioned, exercising and weight is a big part of it.  Now that I'm in my 40s, I can't just eat anything and any amount anymore. I retired out of the Army and got a desk job so that surely hasn't helped either. 

Plus every time I log in, I see Jeff's butter mop sauce picture and I drool all over the place.


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## chilerelleno (Jul 10, 2018)

Moderation is the key.
It's not meats and cheeses that are unhealthy, it's the over indulgence.
Combine that with too many carbs, processed sugars, bad eating habits and lack of exercise.
Smaller meals with in between snacks, no huge meals followed by a nap/sleep.

All easier said than done.


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## GaryHibbert (Jul 10, 2018)

I'm 5 months shy of 70.  My family (me included) have always been big meat eaters.  A meal without meat, cheese, or eggs just doesn't cut it.   But--and this is, I believe, a big but--none of us eat the fat that comes with meat.  Fat is the killer, not meat.
And ss said, get off your butt and do something or pretty soon you're gonna have a reall big butt.  Just take a look at todays younger generation--lotta excess fat there.
Gary


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## The Butt Man (Jul 10, 2018)

We call ourselves trying to eat healthy in my family, however we do eat meat everyday. I also agree in moderation when it comes to the portion size. I also believe the way you cook the meat plays a big part in it. I’m from Alabama, so fried meat is very popular to us. However, we have gotten away from frying everything. Now I smoke, grill, or bake our meat. We also try to stay away from processed food as much as we can. If I do fry or blacken anything I use coconut oil now instead of vegetable oil. We also always try to include fresh vegetables to go with that meat.


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## noboundaries (Jul 10, 2018)

Last year I started using a free app on my phone called "My Fitness Pal." It is somewhat user friendly, then as you get familiar with it, you learn how to hit one key and automatically input a repeat meal.

My phone's in the other room, but today was like the 470th straight day I've recorded everything I've eaten and drank (drunk?). I've lost 22 lbs and really didn't change anything about how I was fueling my body, except recording everything. The app breaks down what you've eaten into proteins, fats, and carbs. You can even get nutritional information, especially fiber, which gets more and more important as you get older. And yeah, you start eating more veggies and fruits because veggies feel like free calories and fruit satisfies my sweet tooth.  

Sure, there's days I say screw it, I'm eatin' and drinkin' everything I want. But I record it. Doing so makes you think twice about wolfing down a huge bowl of ice cream instead of a cup or less. My dad passed recently and he loved donuts. So far I haven't eaten one in his memory, because I love donuts too, and won't stop at one. I'm saving that memorial for some special future time. In the past, a dozen Crispy Crèmes would not have survived the day.  

I usually put on ten pounds over the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years period. This past holiday season I put on two, which came off in a week.

I still smoke and BBQ meat, then I record what I eat.


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## The Butt Man (Jul 10, 2018)

noboundaries said:


> Last year I started using a free app on my phone called "My Fitness Pal." It is somewhat user friendly, then as you get familiar with it, you learn how to hit one key and automatically input a repeat meal.
> 
> My phone's in the other room, but today was like the 470th straight day I've recorded everything I've eaten and drank (drunk?). I've lost 22 lbs and really didn't change anything about how I was fueling my body, except recording everything. The app breaks down what you've eaten into proteins, fats, and carbs. You can even get nutritional information, especially fiber, which gets more and more important as you get older. And yeah, you start eating more veggies and fruits because veggies feel like free calories and fruit satisfies my sweet tooth.
> 
> ...


Congrats on the weight loss. That is no easy task. I have actually had that same app but usually get stuck on that screw it moment for a long time.  Lol.


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## mike5051 (Jul 10, 2018)

Great thread banderson!  I just had my 2nd bout with gout in less then a year and am in the process of seriously revising my diet!  The foods to avoid with gout are the best foods there are, and I am really bummed.  I love red meat, organ meat, shellfish, scallops, and beer to wash everything down.  Now it's  4 oz of not red meat with one meal per day, adding fresh veggies and fruits as well as dairy(yuck) to my daily menu.  Anybody else here dealling with gout? I wasn't until Thanksgiving last year.  I made a turkey heart and gizzard stew with a dark roux and I was the only one gonna eat it. I had my first gout attack the next day.  I grilled 6 scallops last week, they weighed 3/4 of a pound and I ate them all myself.  Another attack the next day.  Somethings gotta give!

Mike


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## SmokinAl (Jul 11, 2018)

Judy & I are like Ray, we use my fitness pal & record everything we eat, good or bad.
I keep my weight in a narrow range & find that eating meat once or twice a week is plenty for us.
We were total vegetarians for much of our adult lives & only in the last 15 years have we begun to eat meat.
We don't limit carbs, but eat some protein with every meal.
I also exercise about 3 1/2 hours a day, seven days a week.
Cardio & weights.
I'm 72 years old & have a resting heart rate of 42.
My Doctor says I'm in excellent health!
But I do love my ribs!!!
Al


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## banderson7474 (Jul 11, 2018)

mike5051 said:


> Great thread banderson!  I just had my 2nd bout with gout in less then a year and am in the process of seriously revising my diet!  The foods to avoid with gout are the best foods there are, and I am really bummed.  I love red meat, organ meat, shellfish, scallops, and beer to wash everything down.  Now it's  4 oz of not red meat with one meal per day, adding fresh veggies and fruits as well as dairy(yuck) to my daily menu.  Anybody else here dealling with gout? I wasn't until Thanksgiving last year.  I made a turkey heart and gizzard stew with a dark roux and I was the only one gonna eat it. I had my first gout attack the next day.  I grilled 6 scallops last week, they weighed 3/4 of a pound and I ate them all myself.  Another attack the next day.  Somethings gotta give!
> 
> Mike


I hear gout is pretty painful.  I'm surprised they told you to add dairy.  Seems like every diet says no to dairy these days. I guess that's something directly related to gout.  Good luck in changing things up. I don't know if the diet I'm on but if you are interested, look up Dr. Gundry.  He has a youtube video that is about an hour long.  It's a pre-biotic heavy veggie diet and he's obviously selling the product but I have been on it for a little over 2 months.  The diet is focused on anti-lectins and the good/bad microbes in our digestion track.  One could go crazy trying to remove all lectins from daily intake so I keep it simple and focus on a handful of things.  I still drink beer but I try to limit how many (that's not part of the diet but I'm sure you know that every diet says to limit that lol) I've lost about 25lbsIf you are interested in hearing more, message me. 

SmokinAL - 3.5hrs a day every day??!! you are a machine my friend!  That sebring weather makes it very easy to get a sweat on I know too!  I think you could eat anything while exercising that much.  Very impressive.  I think as I start my rebirth in smoking this weekend (learning how to burn clean fire) I'm also going to try and smoke less at a time.  I find that I probably smoke once a month but when I do, I load up on stuff and have way too many leftovers.  Like this weekend, I wanted to try the hot injection wings and the chuck for tacos.  I think I'm going to do the chuck and maybe cut it in half and freeze it and use the other half for tacos.  It's so difficult when the meat is really delicious!


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## MeatSkull (Jul 11, 2018)

I had triple cabbage in January, no more fatty meats for me, no cheese, whole milk.....the list goes on and on. Life aint over I just adjust.


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