Foraging (Diet)

Changing your bad consumption habits is perhaps the most obvious thing that can help your health and weight loss, yet it is the hardest one to break.

That’s because eating is something we do every day, constantly. It’s the easiest loop to get stuck in, and if you’ve made unhealthy choices in the past, chances are you will continue them with little to no thought. Looking for a way to destroy the hunger-inducing monsters once and for all? Have no fear, adventurer, there are brighter days ahead.

Break. Your. Habits. Do it cold turkey if you can so that you can shock your body a bit and remember to keep it up. It’s much easier to keep up your lifestyle changes if you don’t have to let go of it slowly. If that’s too hard for you or you can’t seem to function properly, then start lowering your portions and unwise foods and beverages until you can reach a level to quit your bad intake altogether.

Your first step to healthier foraging? Cut out the sodas. The pops. The soda pops. Whatever you call it in your region, strike it down as fast as possible. There’s absolutely no excuse for any of you to drink soda constantly as a replacement for water, and stopping pop altogether often gives immediate results. I myself drank cans upon cans of Dr. Pepper a day. In less than three months after drinking only one can on a rare occasion, I dropped thirty pounds, had far less headaches, and slept way better. The rest of my diet and exercise hadn’t changed much, it’s just that soda was killing me.

Soda used to be a cure for stomach aches and other ailments when it was first introduced decades ago. Then when the tastiness was valued a little more, people starting having one every few days or so socially. Later on, maybe once a day with dinner or for a pick-me-up. Now fast forward to the insane land we live in today where none of us stop to think that we have replaced water as our leading hydrater with a liquid that has negative nutritional value, loads of pointless calories, increased diabetes risk, direct dental damage, bone weakening, and caffeine that can destroy your body’s ability to rest correctly and ruin your calcium absorption. All of this because we’d rather have a sweet tasting drink than boring, old, water.

Well, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that quitting sodas will revive the taste-reporting part of your brain to it’s original “setting,” and cold, fresh water slowly starts to become not only acceptable, but delicious. You’ve just forgotten about that because you’ve been pumped full of soda since you were a child. It’s awesome when water tastes good and is refreshing, and it’s guiltless as well. The bad news? If your body, brain, and schedule has become dictated by caffeine, some of you may experience incredibly bad headaches when you don’t get the fix you are used to anymore. I myself had about two weeks of straight migraines, but I’m more prone to them than normal. Caffeine is a very addictive thing, and it’s going to be hard for some of you to shake it. Just be strong, be strong. If I stopped drinking a 12 pack of soda a day and started thinking water is the bomb, then you can too, trust me.

As for you boozers out there, you’ve probably heard both sides of the fence – that alcohol either makes you gain weight, or lose weight. Everyone’s heard of the “beer belly,” and most pro-drinkers are quick to tell others that alcohol increases your metabolism. The truth is, it’s a bit of both.

Yes, alcohol increases your metabolism a bit. However, at the same time, it suppresses your body’s ability to burn fat calories down into energy and increases your appetite. After drinking, a small portion (around 5%) is converted directly to fat, and the rest is broken down and converted to acetate by your liver. This acetate is then pumped into your blood stream and is used by your body as a fuel instead of your fat reserves, so that fat just stays where it’s at. It also weakens your testosterone levels, which is a bad cut mostly for you male adventurers. The cut is less for females because testosterone levels aren’t as high, but it’s still important.

The short explanation is this: While alcohol itself won’t make you fat, it will put a stop on your overall weight loss and decrease your muscle mass.

Now, on to food, of course. While foraging out in treacherous forests or attempting to find fresh, healing foods in dungeons (WTF?!), it is important to know how different foods affect your body.

There are thousands of diets out there all claiming to be the best for people, but the truth of the matter is that humans come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, metabolic rates, and genetic differences. There is no true best diet for everyone. Because of that, I will not recommend any one diet. However, what I will recommend is that you do something universal – cut down on your calories and ingest as much natural food as possible. Also, to eat more of certain types of foods rather than others with some tips on how to better your consumption.

First up, you’re probably wondering how many calories the average hero should try to stay under per day. It’s pretty common to hear people think that it’s generally 2,000 calories. This is a pretty bad assumption, seeing that things like age, height, waist size, current weight, daily activity, and even your gender can change this factor radically. What’s worse is a fact that not a lot of people realize – If you don’t get enough calories, your metabolism actually slows down rapidly. So what in the hell is a good template to follow?

Decent calorie calculators are out there all over the web and in mobile apps. A great one for the web can be found here at FreeDieting.com. After entering your age, gender, current weight, height, and daily exercise level, click on “advanced options” and set the results to “Lean Mass.” Enter your body fat percentage right beside that (if you don’t know yours, you can get an estimation by clicking here as well). This will give you three important numbers. “Maintenence” means this is the amount of calories to intake if you plan on staying the same weight (no thanks, right?). “Fat Loss” means your average run-of-the-mill dieting plan, and is a pretty safe route for you to take in order to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week. “Extreme Fat Loss” means exactly what it sounds like – you should expect to possibly lose up to 5 pounds or more per week, but it’s going to be a BIG change in your eating habits that won’t be easy.

Don’t forget, this is just calorie intake. Beyond this, your exercise will burn away some of these calories and help convert your food into better, cleaner energy. Just think – if you eat 250 calories of something and burn 500 calories in a 45 minute workout… You are kicking serious ass! It’s eating and then fighting back against it twice as hard, and then some. It’s like power-leveling!

Now that you have a good idea on how many calories you should stick around (or a little less, of course), you’re ready to know what kind of food and eating / drinking practices are the healthiest. Again, there are different results out there based on the individual. But here’s some basics that apply to everyone:

• Eat more natural foods rather than synthetic crap. Yes, most of it is more expensive. This is because it’s “real” food, not “really easy and cheap-to-mass-produce” food

• Watch your calories, but you don’t have to be obsessive. Just know that a 300 calorie sandwich is better than a 5,000 calorie pizza. Check the nutrition labels on food and while out at fast food restaurants, you may be surprised by what’s better and what’s worse for you to eat

• Fat is bad. Duh. “Low-fat” is generally a better choice

• Sodium is also something you should avoid. It’s in damn near everything, but you want the lower amounts

• Trans Fat is a fucking archdemon. The unhealthiest of the fat family. Avoid at all costs. Even at tiny amounts, consider your character being poisoned

• Everything that isn’t water isn’t as healthy as water

• Protein is awesome. Not only is it good for the body, but it “fills you up” a lot faster and for a lot longer. Try for a good amount of protein with every meal and snack

• Vegetables and fruits are the best snacks. Cupcakes and buffalo wings are not

• “Diet” soda is bullshit. If you want to be healthier, just stop drinking soda altogether. Diet soda is full of not-so-natural ingredients that aren’t good for you and can also increase your hunger

There are fantastic resources online about good foods with fewer calories and guidelines, but let me tell you one thing that everyone should check out - “Eat This, Not That.” This started as a popular book series, which I definitely recommend picking up for ease of use, but is now an online hub of information. What it’s mostly known for is comparing two items to have you pick which you think is the healthier choice, and then completely flipping your wig when you find out it’s not what you picked. They get really detailed in the calories as well as the ingredients and it’s a great source of information whether you’re eating at home, going to a restaurant, or god forbid – having some fast food. Also, there’s a free iPod / iPhone app they’ve made that is a simple game of guessing the healthier option with additional facts and trivia, and you can nab it by clicking here or searching for it in the app store.

Of course, there are other mobile apps out there that are awesome for keeping track of your calories and helping you set realistic goals. Read up on them, and give one a try if that’s your bag.

Be in control of your actions! Remember, it should be you choosing what you eat, not your cravings. In other words, stop being such a pussy. Pay attention to what you’re doing while in the presence of food – it’s easy to overeat while zoning out and watching tv, or working in an office that has donuts or other treats in plain view at all times. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Take control! Damn!

Make sure to slow down while you eat. Unfortunately, American school systems pretty much forced us to eat at a fast-paced rate in order to get to recess on time and then forced us to eat quick to make it to our high school classes on time. And in most households, if you ate quick, then you could leave the table earlier and head back to your video games or dice rolling funtime. Eating slower is better on the body and it takes a good 15 minutes for your brain to completely register the fact that you’ve eaten. Also, eating on a day-by-day time schedule without much variation will also help regulate your hunger and weight loss, and your body will appreciate it.

Finally, don’t reward weight loss by having a pig-out meal. It can just lead back to temptation. Do something awesome for yourself instead like grab a new video game, bury yourself in a new comic, or go see a movie with your favorite people (YOU THERE! STEP AWAY FROM THE SNACK BAR).

 

I’ll now leave you with some random, yet very important tips on what to eat and when to eat while you’re out there foraging for yourself or your adventuring party.

• Drink lots and lots of water. Sometimes you can think you’re hungry when really, all you need is some water. Before meals, drink some water and see how much less you’ll have to eat to feel full. Also, it will help flush the bad stuff out of your body much quicker than other liquids

• Salads are healthy, but only when you don’t drown them in dressing. Come on, you know this! Try some reduced fat, reduced calorie, light, or non-fat dressings. The healthiest, clear Italian dressings are barely noticeable in taste compared to the more fattening selections, and some other flavors are in the same boat. Over time, you can get used to not putting on so much dressing and instead savor the flavor and freshness of the salad overall

• There is some fast food you don’t have to feel too guilty about. There are quite a few delicious Quiznos sandwiches that fall below 350 calories, a trove of Sub Way sandwiches from 250 to 350 calories that are very low-fat, and Taco Bell / Taco Bueno’s fresco-type menus (in normal people amounts) are also pretty good choices if you need a quick fix. When at a fast food joint, take a quick look at the nutritional information charts. Don’t let anything surprise you later

• Stop chowing down on potato chips and snack cakes! Instead, have some veggies with flavorful dips like mustards, fat free bean or french onion dip, salsas, or hummus. Have some apples and healthy cheese slices or a very filling and healthy banana. When you have to snack, don’t add on unnecessary pounds with no nutritional value

• If you crave dessert, go for a fudgesicle or light ice cream sandwiches / cones under 150 calories per serving – Yes, they do exist! Pretty nom-nommy, too.

• To calm your desire of sweet stuff, instead of eating a bag of cookies or a few donuts, pop in a hard candy or sugar-free gum to calm yourself down. If you really, really feel the need to divulge, the 100 calorie snack packs found in your grocer’s snack cake section are okay, but ONLY EAT ONE PACK. Don’t cheat with more, or else you’re being just as bad as before. You should know, however, that these won’t give you a “full” feeling, and will leave you craving more eventually. Go for a healthier, more filling substitute instead

• Breakfast. Eat it every day. You may think you’d lose weight by cutting an entire meal from your day, but breakfast actually kick starts your metabolism and helps it speed along all day. Just make sure to have something that will be good for your body like cereals with less sugar and more protein and fiber. I’m not talking Captain Crunch here, I’m speaking more about whole grain cereal, un-coated shredded wheat, Kashi, or a bowl of oatmeal. If you need some flavor, toss in some fresh fruit

• Try to replace one or more servings of pasta, bread, or other carbs with vegetables. A simple switch in the amount you eat of each at a meal can save you a few hundred calories

• Eat several mini meals a day rather than two or three huge meals. This helps keep your appetite under control as well as keeps your metabolism running without slowing down. Remember – Snacking is totally okay, as long as it’s healthy snacking

• Try to avoid eating or exercising during the three hour period before you go to sleep for maximum relaxation and nighttime calorie burning

• Make sure to only buy, drink, and use skim milk to cook with. Anything else has more fat in it. 2% and even “reduced fat” milk sounds like a healthier deal, but skim is always the healthiest out of them all

• Don’t be fooled – “multi grain” isn’t always a good thing. In fact, it usually isn’t. Often times, it’s just a slew of refined grains made mostly with plain white flour, erasing most of the nutrients and fiber content. Instead, what you want to get is “100% whole grain,” and hopefully in the first slot of the list of ingredients

• Sweetened iced tea, in several cases, is worse than a soda for you. Instead, get unsweetened. By that time, though, your grumpy non-sugar-having-ass will probably just want to stick with water

• Yogurt, even the low-fat kind, sometimes contains a ton of sugar. Don’t get the kind with chunks of sugary fruit mixed in, and aim for the ones with less than 130 calories and no more than 15 grams of sugar

• That giant chicken burrito, although heavenly and full of protein, is still the size of a Volkswagen bus and contains way too much cheese and sour cream. We’re talking well over 1,000 calories, here, people

• Energy bars can be good in moderation, but only if they’re under 200 calories or less (some are completely ridiculous in calorie content). Shoot for the ones with the most fiber and especially protein if you’re looking for the bar to fill you up for a decent amount of time

• Portions. Do not shoot for American-sized portions. There’s another good reason we’re so god damned fat as a country. Instead, order from the kid’s menu or simply don’t add two more items to an already human-sized combo. You’re not just over-eating, you’re killing yourself. Hopefully the rest of this guide will get your appetite to a normal level. You might as well start now with eating less, because your body will soon require less food

• “Natural” smoothies are often not actually healthy for you. You could easily get 100 grams of sugar (holy shit), 350 or more calories, no protein whatsoever, and fruit made from concentrate at your average smoothie shop

• “Enhanced” or “Sports” water may have extra vitamins in it, but also gives you up to 150 calories or more and sugar, both of which are not found in regular water. Also, the vitamin contents are far too small to be beneficial when weighed against the sugar and calories

• Popcorn is far worse than you could imagine, sometimes packing 5 or more grams of trans fat into every serving, let alone the rest of the included fat! Try to get low-fat popcorn with NO trans fat, and then mix the bowl with some low-salt spices or Parmesan cheese for flavoring, it will make a humongous difference

• When you can, spice up your more ordinary, boring food. Adding low-calorie flavor will stimulate your taste buds and satisfy your appetite

• Cole slaw is not the healthiest choice on the sides menu. It contains lots of fat from the mayonnaise

• Don’t eat directly out of a bag or box of food. This makes it easy to over-eat

• Banana chips, like the kind you see in trail mix, are silent assassins. They are actually deep fried and contain hundreds of calories and can pack as much fat and saturated fat as cheeseburgers

• Trans Fat, your worst little enemy. Some packages can claim to have no trans fat, but check the nutrition label – Anything under a half a gram of trans fat per serving can be labeled trans fat free. Too bad there’s more than one serving per snack or meal, right? And it adds up quick – anything beyond 3 total grams of trans fat a day is a travesty. Evil advertising, eh?

• Low fat cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese may not always taste as good as the fatty kind, but it is much better for you. Also, if you’re using it to cook rather than eating it out of the container, no one will probably notice

• If you insist on frozen dinners, please go for Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine. But make sure to compare nutrition labels – Not all of these meals are exactly wonderful just because of the names “healthy” and “lean.” Look for under 300 calories and the least amount of fat and sodium listed

• Fresh vegetables > frozen vegetables > canned vegetables in order of healthiest