Clean Eating

[navane]

I'm not one to follow fitness and diet fads; but, I did realize the need to stop eating so much junk. So, I looked into clean eating and decided to give it a try.


I'm not so much following a super strict clean eating diet; rather, it's a "cleaner eating" diet. That said, I'm not scarfing down chips, sodas and fast food anymore. I eat things such as steel-cut oatmeal, baked chicken, brown rice, steamed or roasted vegetables, fresh fruit, spring mix salads, almonds, Greek yogurt, etc. I try and eat smaller meals every 2-3 hours. I would say I've been eating like this for the past month or so.


Though, in recent days, I have been feeling tired and sluggish. I tried to read up to get some ideas on what's happening and I've not been successful in getting solid answers. Am I not eating enough? Perhaps my body is reacting to the newer diet and is struggling to adjust?


Any ideas?

[FSUZeta]

Have you cut out caffeine? That might cause a feeling of tiredness.

[ThetaPrincess24]

Are you getting enough protein? By saying that I mean at each one of your meals?

I do the same lifestyle of exercise and diet. I only notice tiredness due to one of these reasons: not eating enough protein, not being on a regular sleeping schedule, getting off my regular eating schedule, that time of the month, and forgetting myself and having a meal or two of carbs I should not have--high in sugars like desserts and alcohol.

[navane]

I have not cut out caffeine all the way. I used to drink coffee all day everyday. However, over the past 3-4 months, I have significantly reduced my coffee intake to 1-2 cups in the morning. Just last night, I even bought some decaf green tea to drink in the evenings if I feel a hankering for a warm beverage.


No, I do not eat protein with every meal. I considered that maybe I am getting to be too low on iron; but, I'm not about to eat chicken giblets or oysters. LOL Also, iron supplements make me feel ill.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by ThetaPrincess24

Are you getting enough protein? By saying that I mean at each one of your meals?

I do the same lifestyle of exercise and diet. I only notice tiredness due to one of these reasons: not eating enough protein, not being on a regular sleeping schedule, getting off my regular eating schedule, that time of the month, and forgetting myself and having a meal or two of carbs I should not have--high in sugars like desserts and alcohol.

Same here, except for the menstruation. It is almost always a sleep issue for me, then protein.

[Titchou]

The protein, I think. You've cut out so many carbs and lowered the caffeine but haven't replaced the energy from them. Try adding a protein - legumes if you don't want a meat or fish.

[ASTalumna06]

Try eating more fruits. Some of them can wake you up. Bananas and apples are good for this.

Eggs and a lot of different nuts and seeds - peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds - contain a bunch of protein.

Of course meat contains protein, but if you need a healthy pick-me-up in the middle of the day, fruits, nuts, and seeds would be my suggestion.

ETA: And drink water! Staying hydrated throughout the day can help immensely.

[AGDee]

I agree- it's a lack of protein. You need some with every meal. And your iron might be getting low. This web site has a list of good iron sources for vegans that you might find helpful. Make sure there is a good amount of spinach in each of those salads you eat and try to get some of these other things into your diet too.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-...n-sources.html

[aephi alum]

It does sound like you're not getting enough protein. You may want to try adding tofu and/or legumes to your diet. If you like fish, add some into your diet. There are a lot of good Indian vegetarian recipes with dhal and/or eggs and/or fish available online.

Also, hydrate hydrate hydrate - especially now that we're approaching summer and getting some hot weather. Your urine should be clear, or close to it. Any non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverage will help, but the best choice is good old fashioned H2O.

If you're cutting down on the caffeine (even if you haven't cut it out completely) that could account for some of the sluggishness. Take it slowly. As you know, caffeine contributes to dehydration, so drink more water to compensate.

[JodyYellowRibbn]

YES! Congrats on the choice to eat cleaner!!! Just remember to drink lots of water throughout the day. If you need reminders, there are a few apps to help you. The 'Water Your Self' app is recommended by Dr. Oz and can be found for both iPhone/iPad and Android.

Hope this helps!

Good Luck on your success!!

[navane]

Thanks everyone! I decided to eat an extra helping of red meat, chicken and quinoa. I also like lentils; so, that will help add some protein to the mix. I'm also going to try harder to get into a proper sleep pattern. Let's see if this helps!


Say, did you all hear that Robert Kennedy Publishing has just filed for bankruptcy? I guess this means that MuscleMag, Oxygen and Clean Eating magazines have gone out of business. I wonder if subscribers will be receiving a refund.


.....Kelly