How much vegetables should I be eating?


#66

I take tryptophan a couple hours before I want to sleep, it works really well. I eat spinach and greens for the potassium, a mineral I’m always looking for. Heard Dr Berg say if you can hear your heartbeat in your ears you are prob low on potassium so I get the lite salt or eat spinach or other food sources. I do love brussel sprouts, broc and caul but one serving a day is good for me. Lost 76# since July’16.
This is my first day on the website and I am loving all the spirited posts here, lol, lots of opinions!!


(Tsering M) #67

Thanks👌


(Jessica) #68

When I learned about ZC, it all made sense. With the Massai and Inuit doing this forever.
I was relieved to know, that I could leave out the veggies, so I played around with it a bit. Turned out I actually like vegetables and I feel good, when I have it.

Ironic, how I only discovered this, because I stopped eating it for the sake of weight loss.

Take away for me is, that whole listen to your body thing is way way more important than I thought it would be.

If you don’t feel well with veggies, leave em out. If you crave them, get some. But don’t eat them because someone said so or you think you have to.


(Tsering M) #69

My sister says she sleeps exceptionally well during the no food, no water part of our annual Buddhist communal fasting practice - eating till noon on day 1, no food no liquid on day 2, alternating like this for 16 days, while vigorously prostrating from dawn till dusk. Also no talking on the complete fast days.

I tried once & got a massive headache on day 2. That was the last time I fasted like that.

About where I initially heard about this - I attempted keto in 2015 (had to stop due to earthquakes & other disasters); I found this info among my notes.


(Tsering M) #70

I have onset insomnia - difficulty falling asleep. It is chronic. I can trace its root to childhood traumas, esp., during my boarding school years, which started at age 6!

When I haven’t eaten enough I either cannot fall asleep at all or if I have eaten slightly more, wake up prematurely.

When I have eaten adequately I have more success both with falling asleep & staying asleep.

I wake up tired - thyroid & adrenal issues, plus chronic sleep debt.

Thank you for asking.


(Tsering M) #71

Hello,

The Dr. Berg comment - bc that video appeared in my YouTube feed. It was on losing belly fat where he advised on eating 7+ cups of veg per day (so that the liver does not get overstressed).

EDIT: i recall better now what Dr. Berg said in that video re:veg intake. That, while losing fat (such as belly fat), the liver has to process all that fat. Vegetables would aid the liver with that or least lessen the load, due to their high potassium content. Without the veg/potassium, while losing fat, one could develop fatty liver, he said. Hence he recommends 7+ cups of veg daily while trying to lose fat.

I am not very familiar with his work but so far each video title i have seen of his on YouTube comes with the addition of MUST WATCH in the title, every single one of them.

Most of the advice in that video seems sound.

This thread started with the OP asking about how much vegetables to eat per day. I assume she is a newbie like me.

I am figuring out my macros currently. Because of my chronic insomnia & my recent acute severe sleep issues (I think it’s partly due to my nephew’s impending wedding - sudden bc gf is pregnant), I legitimately have trepidation about how my sleep will be affected (esp., since my low thyroid affects sleep too + circadian rhythm is messed up - bc of insomnia. But if I corrected my circadian I would sleep better. However for that to happen I would need to correct my insomnia issues🙂 I am taking measures though, chiefly among them, restricting blue light near bed time - orange bulbs are not available in Nepal).

Tim ferriss saying he doesn’t sleep well on keto (I understand he goes on & off keto - his main diet seems to be his trade marked “slow carb”) was on a podcast I heard couple yrs ago when I started researching keto for the first time. It might’ve been on a podcast with Abel James (I forget the name of Abel James’ podcast) - the host agreed too that he doesn’t sleep well on keto.


(Tsering M) #72

Neither🙂 Trying to figure out how much veg to eat per day - my only (major) source of carbs since I don’t eat dairy & nuts.


(Tsering M) #73

Agreed about the n=1 thing🙂


#74

@Arumaya, I’m sorry you suffer like this. Traumas can certainly be problematic.

Maybe @Donna can provide some direction in strategies to try to develop a better sleep pattern and overcome the trauma?


(Tsering M) #75

:slightly_smiling_face: aww thanks!

I’ve done a bit of research on sleep issues (but not trauma or ptsd, yet) - sometimes I make a step forward in progress, followed by several steps back😁


(Meeping up the Science!) #76

I was summoned!

We all need what we call good sleep hygeine. This basically refers to our sleep quality. Trauma is known for disrupting all mental functions, and not just sleep. It severely impacts brain function. PTSD is a result of trauma, which can even be witnessing events. Even political actions can cause trauma or PTSD, just witnessing them, and not even experiencing them. Here are some tips.

One of the biggest ways to overcome insomnia is to adhere to a schedule. Sleep at the same time every evening is vital, as is waking up daily. Additionally, do not view electronic screens 30-60 minutes before bed, including phones. These stimulate the brain and excite it, as well as interfering with the circadian rhythm.

If insomnia is due to anxiety, relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation can assist.


(Tsering M) #77

Thanks a bunch - very useful tips👌


#78

You can find example meal plans at 20g net carbs on line, but when you are trying to manage 20g net carbs for the day, it becomes much more difficult.

The original Atkins plan was for about 2 cups of leafy green vegetables and one cup of salad vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. Add 4 oz of cheese, 2 oz nuts, 3 eggs, and 2 cups broth or commercial bullion and that takes up most of the 20g net carbs. The next higher level seems to include more selective foods like cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, more or different nuts, protein powder, and more vegetables.


(Tsering M) #79

Thanks!

The 2 cups of greens & 1 cup of salad veg would be in the raw form, I suppose, before they are coooked down (& occupy less space).

I don’t use bullion cubes but make my own, I add ginger (but it gets strained out) & salt - these types of broth would have carbs?


(Connie) #80

When I first started keto I actually didn’t know it was “keto”! I had three rules: no sugar, no grains, no legumes. Also even though potatoes and other starchys don’t fall under my 3 rules I don’t eat them. I hate counting things. It triggers obsessive behavior in me. So I thought these three rules would enable me to not have to worry about counting carbs. I just have a general idea each day of carbs, trusting that by eliminating the highest carb foods what’s left should be fairly negligible. So I regard any non-starchy veggie as freebie food. In terms of fruit, I’m not a big fruit person to begin with so when I get the blue moon urge I stick to berries. This is just what has worked for me. I use hospital-grade urine dipsticks to keep tabs on my ketones and I have not had any problems with slipping out of ketosis in the past 10 months, that I know of. (I don’t test every day, just randomly once in awhile). Hope this helps!


(Tina Hunter Pierce) #81

Great news david vincent i syatyed atvsame weight u did, glad to hear yoit successes…i FiNALLY made it to 195, been losing 2to3lbs per wk since feb with very little excersize and now stalled. Thrilled with small amounts it takes to fill me up and not be hungry. Ive got renewed energy and started pumping weights pretty hard but only 2x wk and recently super constipated and stalled for 2wks. Everyone said rat more salt…easier said…how? Started taking magnesium citrate but need more tips. This is 3rd time and laxatives even slow to work. Very odd


#82

What is a whoosh?


(Oriana Mae) #83

Omg this is great! I love you’re mind set. You’ve got great success principle and remember the only people that get offended at stuff like that isn’t when that can’t face the fact that it’s true about them. They can’t just look at it, be honest with themselves and make a change. It’s called a fixed mindset and your a growth mindset meaning you are always willing to learn and try new things to se what works because you know you’ll have success. Get offended is a great way to show the world that what your offended about it true about you.


(Full Metal KETO AF) #84

I weigh out 3 grams of Himalayan pink rock salt and swallow the whole thing at once with a bit glass of water to wash it down. Better than drinking a glass of salty water, yuck! But I haven’t had to do that since I started and was suffering from keto flue for several days from sugar and carb withdrawal.

I consume large amounts of fermented vegetables and that has helped my digestion big time. Search fermentation on this site to several good threads. I think ZC is ok for some people but I really enjoy the vegetables in my diet. Just meat and fat would be very monotonous for me.

I am sleeping better all the time improving since I have up the carbs and sugar restless limb syndrome is gone.