Truckers Health Diet during a Covid pandemic, and at any other time. What you really need to know!

[quillcom]

As we've heard by now experts say that those with underlying health conditions are really at risk.

Sodium: (salt) The average American consumes over 3400 mg each day. The CDC recommends no more than 2300 milligrams (mg) which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon. (Consuming potassium counteracts sodium’s harmful effects)

Sodium and High blood pressure (hypertension): CDC estimates 90% of Americans consume too much sodium and 30% have hypertension. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases, which makes your heart work harder and increases pressure in your arteries.

Saturated Fats: primary sources include: Red meat (beef, lamb, pork) Chicken skin. Whole-fat dairy products (milk, cream, cheese) Butter. Ice cream. Lard. Tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil.

Too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries (blood vessels). Saturated fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Trans Fats: Most trans fat is formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. Its found in: Baked goods, such as cakes, cookies and pies. Shortening. Microwave popcorn. Frozen pizza. Refrigerated dough, such as biscuits and rolls .Fried foods, including french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken. Nondairy coffee creamer. Stick margarine. Avoid Partially hydrogenated oils.

Your body does not need or benefit from any amount of trans fatty acid (trans fat).

A diet laden with trans-fat increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of adults. The more trans-fat you eat, the greater your risk of heart and blood vessel disease. It may also increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.

Monosaturated and Polyunsaturated fats: are good for you. Both help lower bad cholesterol. Mono: Nuts. Avocado. Canola oil. Olive oil. Safflower oil (high oleic) Sunflower oil. Peanut oil and butter. Sesame oil. Omega 3 & 6.
Poly: Walnuts. Sunflower seeds. Flax seeds or flax oil. Fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, albacore tuna, and trout. Corn oil .Soybean oil. Safflower oil.

Sugar (added to foods): The AHA suggests an added-sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar) for most women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.

The average American eats (or drinks) 34 teaspoons of sugars a day

A 12-ounce can of regular soda has about 160 calories — about 10 teaspoons or 40 grams of sugar.

Sugar stimulates the production of free fatty acids in the liver. When the body digests these free fatty acids, the resulting compounds can trigger inflammatory processes. Different kinds of sugar may contribute more or less to inflammation.

Triglycerides are a type of fat in the bloodstream and fat tissue. Eating an excessive amount of added sugar can increase triglyceride levels, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

A large number of studies have found that people who regularly drink sugar-sweetened beverages have a roughly 25% greater risk of type 2 diabetes
Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs immune system cells that fights viruses and bacteria.

While many whole foods contain naturally-occurring sugars (e.g., sucrose, glucose or fructose in fruit and lactose in milk), these are not considered added sugars when found in whole foods.

Sources:Trans fat: Double trouble for your heart

Facts about polyunsaturated fats: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Polyunsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the healthy fats, along with monounsaturated fat.

medlineplus.gov

The Question of Sugar : USDA ARS

 

[Mike]

Too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries (blood vessels)

This is going to make my head explode.

Inflammation in your body is what causes cholesterol.

9 Myths About Dietary Fat and Cholesterol

Recent research has mostly disproven the notion that eating foods rich in cholesterol and fat may increase your risk of various diseases. Here are 9 common myths about dietary fat and cholesterol that should be put to rest.

www.healthline.com

 

[Mike]

To take it further, the instances where eating fats does enhance the risk of heart disease is when you eat all the high carb food to go along with it.

The quality of the fat you eat matters, too. The fat from good grass fed beef is different and far healthier than the fat from grain fed beef.

Wild caught Salmon is very healthy, farm raised (which is mostly what you see in a store) is actually pretty unhealthy.

you are what your food eats.....

Far too many doctors still preach the low fat diet, even though loads of modern science has disproven the lies that were told to us for decades.

 

[mndriver]

Right now, I’m just trying to limit the amount of prepackaged meals, stouvers, frozen TV dinners etc I eat.

Even restaurant food that is really just reheated prepackaged industrial sized tv dinners

 

[mndriver]

Aging happens. You can’t stop it. One of the items that happens is out tissue looses elasticity.

One thing that means is out blood vessels harden and as a result, you blood pressures go up.

No change or form of diet can change that genetic factor.

 

[Sinister]

Right now, I’m just trying to limit the amount of prepackaged meals, stouvers, frozen TV dinners etc I eat.

Even restaurant food that is really just reheated prepackaged industrial sized tv dinners

I've been grabbing those a lot too the last year or so because I dont want to go through the effort of cooking meals to package and take for the week.

My Marie Callender Turkey Meal I was going to eat tonight had 1380 mg of sodium so I parked it and grabbed a Healthy Choice (eye roll) chicken and rice thing that only had 580 mg of sodium.

 

[quillcom]

Right now, I’m just trying to limit the amount of prepackaged meals, stouvers, frozen TV dinners etc I eat.

Just made that mistake a few days ago.

It looked all good and healthy in the store so I quickly grabbed it.

At home I glanced at the nutrition label and the sodium was a whopping 1000 milligrams.

Stopped buying those and found another tv dinner with only 500 mg of sodium.

 

[quillcom]

Inflammation in your body is what causes cholesterol

I did a pretty good studyof cholesterol a few times over the years.

When your arteries get stretched there is damage involved inside he arteries tand his damage is patched up like a band-aid by the cholesterol.

But we can form our own beliefs from different sources.

"A small number of contemporary reviews have challenged these conclusions, [that saturated fat leads to heart disease] though predominant medical opinion is that saturated fat and cardiovascular disease are closely related."

Saturated fat - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[quillcom]

Far too many doctors still preach the low fat diet, even though loads of modern science has disproven the lies that were told to us for decades

Yeah I think the confusion comes from the types of fats.

So I would suggest those who are undecided on what to believe to educate
themselves a bit more so as to make an intelligent decision for themselves.

True, fats in the diet is necessary it acts as a protection layer among other.

But I think just lik we need salt Doctors are stressing that we are taking I'm way too much fats.

 

[mndriver]

They aren’t wrong about limiting salt, fats or sugar.

They are all needed.

It’s the moderation part that makes things difficult.

I’ve gotten to the point I physically measure portion size to avoid eating too much. When I go out to eat, I order off the senior menu.

My plates at home vs the restaurant are 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of food served .

 

[ironpony]

Yeah I think the confusion comes from the types of fats.

So I would suggest those who are undecided on what to believe to educate
themselves a bit more so as to make an intelligent decision for themselves.

True, fats in the diet is necessary it acts as a protection layer among other.

But I think just lik we need salt Doctors are stressing that we are taking I'm way too much fats.

Maybe you should consider that medical doctors are not nutritionists. Its a one semester required checkoff block in med school for them. That makes them, in general, unqualified to tell you what is a good diet is composed of.

While you're looking at those prepackaged meals you nuke, check out how much sugar is in them as well.

 

[quillcom]

580 mg of sodium.

Lol

I did not realize you posted basically what I did.

 

[quillcom]

It’s the moderation part that makes things difficult.

Yup

I thought about adding a Serving size section but did not want it to be too lengthy.

Again with the wealth of information out there regarding this those who choose to be in the know to make intelligent decisions can.

 

[mndriver]

Gluttony is a first world reality

 

[Mike]

They aren’t wrong about limiting salt, fats or sugar.

They are all needed.

It’s the moderation part that makes things difficult.

I’ve gotten to the point I physically measure portion size to avoid eating too much. When I go out to eat, I order off the senior menu.

My plates at home vs the restaurant are 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of food served .

What's funny is once processed food is removed from the diet completely, especially if you are doing something low carb such as Keto, the opposite happens. You begin having to add salt to your diet because you are suddenly deficient.

 

[mndriver]

What's funny is once processed food is removed from the diet completely, especially if you are doing something low carb such as Keto, the opposite happens. You begin having to add salt to your diet because you are suddenly deficient.

My sodium is high normal and my daily intake is still under 1500 mg daily.

There’s so much more that goes on than just saying low sodium/fat/sugar.

Even the four food groups isn’t being preached anymore.

 

[Mike]

My sodium is high normal and my daily intake is still under 1500 mg daily.

There’s so much more that goes on than just saying low sodium/fat/sugar.

Even the four food groups isn’t being preached anymore.

For me, when I am disciplined enough to stick to a keto diet, my daily sodium intake is below 600. The bulk of that comes from a can of tuna. Take that out and my intake falls to very low levels because that one can of tuna is 380mg itself. Take out the tuna and add a different piece of meat and I'm below 400 for the day.

It's the processed food where the numbers start shooting up. That can of tuna I mentioned, though healthy, 380mg. I try to cheat on my veggie intake by drinking a v8, and that adds over 900mg.

Once I remove all processed foods, I have to make sure to add good sea salt into the cooking process.

 

[Duck]

My sodium is high normal and my daily intake is still under 1500 mg daily.

Drink more water.

That's easier said than done when driving though.

 

[mndriver]

Drink more water.

That's easier said than done when driving though.

2 gallons a day isn’t enough?

 

[Duck]

2 gallons a day isn’t enough?

2 gallons a day and you're still high on salt?

Do you just hook up a catheter into an empty 5 gallon gas can so you can go down the road?