Organic or none processed (but no energy)

[outlier]

organic or none processed (but no energy)

Hi,
I keep say I should eat better, less processed food and the like. But I have no energy to cook (or do much else).
I make lunch for work, which is usually a cup of canned soup and half a sandwich with cold cuts.
when i get home I have a frozen diet dinner. (not cause i am on a diet but they fit best with in my eating and stomach issues).

i know cold cuts and frozen dinners are awful, but I don't have the energy to cook or the enjoyment out of food, anymore. I am single and live with room mates, so it's not like i can have someone else cook for or motivate me to cook.

How do you deal with this? How do you eat good, even when you have no energy? or are angry with food?
Thank you!

 

[Domsmom]

I think that it's one of those things that you need to be truly motivated to do, or you will fall off the wagon. Try going to a health food store or the health section of the supermarket. There are some good prepared foods that are healthy for you too. Usually there are very helpful people there. Try to get some advice from them.

 

[sawdust]

The energy part is the tough one. If you're flaring and are wiped out, I know that I just can't do what I want or need to to do. Nut at least for me, it does seem to come in waves, where I crash hard one day, but maybe can pick up the slack the next. If your lack of energy is motivation, well, I can certainly understand that as well. In either case, some planning for when you are motivated or have the get-up-and-go might do the trick. If that sentence cheesed you, don't read further.

My great-grandmother had 9 kids, which I can't even imagine what kind of zoo that would have been like. Just to keep up with all that happened at home, she would cook all weekend so she could get everything else she needed to do during the week. I wish I remembered all the numbers, but she baked something like 14 loaves of bread and got every dinner ready to the point where it would take minimal effort to prepare to eat it. Some food lends itself to this, and others don't, but I know she used to make vegetables at dinner. Compared to dinner, breakfast must have been an on-the-fly endeavor, and lunches were mostly leftovers I think.

Anyway, I'm not suggesting that. But, that idea has been adapted a bit here in my household, where a big chicken dinner from the weekend becomes chicken sandwiches, chicken fajitas, and chicken salad. Meatloaf, turkey, fish, you name it, it can have life again. Larger meals are prepared with leftovers in mind - especially lunches. It's easiest just to reheat leftovers, but you do tire of having the same meal two or three times a week, so a little thought up front keeps things fresh.

I knew a guy in college who was on a very tight budget and was a pretty serious fitness kind of guy. He bought rice, beans, and starches in bulk and prepared enough for him to have "his" regimen for lunch and dinner all week long. Reheat the portion, maybe add a piece of chicken or fish with a vegetable, and that guy was happy. I would go mad, but it certainly worked for him, and I used to joke with him that grabbing a bottled water from the vending machine increased the cost of his meal by about 2500%.

 

[mikeyarmo]

I usually batch my cooking and prepare large portions on a Sunday that I use throughout the week. Examples include making a big salad, mashed potatoes, boiling half a dozen/a dozen eggs,cooking several pounds of ground beef, a big batch of beans/lentils, etc.

I usually take a very similar lunch to work everyday that includes salad, beans/lentils or mashed potatoes and ground beef. You can change it up a bit by using different spcies/vegetables but truthfully I dont mind the consistency as it saves me so much time each week.

Obviously the foods I eat may not agree with you or you may not enjoy them either, but I think the idea of batch cooking once a week will help you out during the week when you are too tired to cook. If you enjoy taking sandwiches for work, you might want to try batch cooking a few chicken breasts and using those for your sandwiches instead of cold cuts.

 

[Entchen]

Hiya: I resolved the "too tired to cook" issue by using a meal prep company. I used to cook from scratch and made all my own bread and cereal, and then all of a sudden I barely had the energy to microwave a bagel. So now, I go to a meal prep company where you measure out the ingredients, put them in freezer bags, and cook up the meals at home with little prep time needed. These companies vary in quality, but if you find one that focuses on fresh, quality ingredients and recipes written by a chef, you'll have a winner! Cost is on par or sometimes cheaper than buying ingredients from a grocery store, because the company can buy all that fresh salmon and top grade chicken in bulk. You have control over the ingredients that go into your meals, too.

Or as a start, perhaps consider swapping some of your deli meats for fresh meat? You can cook up 4 chicken breasts in about 20 minutes, and then you'll have enough chicken for 4-8 sandwiches. Same for pork (pork chop sandwich? Yum!), except it cooks even faster.
*Edit: just noticed MikeY already suggested this!

 

[Cog]

Keep a log of your food in case you are allergic to a food - that will drain your energy quickly


If you drink alcohol (in moderation) and feel even more drained this is big sign of a food allergy

If I eat wheat it drains me, potatoes the same

I think you can still eat healthy with little effort micro-wave vegetables/ rice are wonderful - no additives (in some of them)

Try and find things you crave/like and try and get some interest back in food - I understand it can be hard

Good luck

 

[PeninsulaLil]

A quick healthy dinner for me is to poach fish in the microwave. Put thin slices of lemon and/or onions on the bottom, put the fish--salmon is easy--on top, sprinkle with basil, add a bit of water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cooks in 3 minutes, more or less depending on thickness. Good omega-3. Leftovers reheat well or can be mashed up cold into a sandwich for lunch.

Lilly

 

[kenny]

I try to take Salmon or Tuna sandwiches to work instead of cold cuts. I take the soup too. I read about the whole omega3 vs omega6 thing and that switch does more for my O3 balance than a supplement does because it cuts out a big chunk of O6 at the same time. Even the fake crab(pollock) would be better than cold cuts.

I also try and batch cook on Sat/Sun with a stir fry and rice. That packages up easy and keeps well in the fridge for a few days. A stirfy only takes 15 mins or so including the rice. Just have to get the routine down and you can fly through it. I am using a parboiled/wild rice combo atm. Not quite as healthy as full brown but close and a lot faster.

Also the stirfries are great because you can switch-up flavors to help avoid flavor fatigue. Bit of ginger one week, bit of curry the next, Soy sauce, plum sauce, whatever. Also yo ucan jump between a couple types of noodles and rice types. Plenty of variety. Took a little while for my system to adapt to food but I think if you go a bit at a time it works out.

 

[rygon]

Stir fries are really good, longest part of making them is cutting the food. Put anything in veg wise, bit of meat maybe and soy sauce and/or oyster sauce then have with noodles or rice.

pasta dishes are relatively simple and quick to make as well. This is what i always go for is feeling tired (tinned toms/beans bit of cooked sausage, onion, chilli and red pepper mixed together with a bit of cheese on top)

May be worth buying some cook books (one pot, or 30min meals etc) to give you ideas

 

[outlier]

sawdust: thanks, that does put life in perspective. (14 loafs those were some hungry kids)

You know it didn't occur to me to cook a whole lot of chicken and use in everyday sandwiches. I am so glad I asked now. Sometimes the most obvious things are so hard to see.
Since I still am under the delusional that I will have children one day. I mainly save my tuna and salmon for sushi and the like.

Me and beans don't get along. That is actually whats killed my motivation. Is i have bad gastritis type deal and so, so food has become both enjoyably and equated to pain in my mind. My stomach is getting better. Before i got sick I was a vegetarian and tried to stay with in a hundred miles diet. But since veggies and me don't get along and I became severely anemic, I just gave up on that and then did the opposite extreme.

My mother pointed out that using aluminum disposable cooking sheets (for a few freeze able dishes), while not great for the environment is actually a lot less trash then my current meals cause.

Thank you!

 

[Miss Spencer]

How do you deal with this? How do you eat good, even when you have no energy?

Do you have enough energy for something that takes 2 - 3 minutes?

1) Crack open a drinking / young coconut and pour its liquid into a blender.

If you can't get coconuts, then use filtered water instead. Do NOT use coconut water from a bottle or tin. Must be fresh only.

2) Add the flesh of one ripe papaya or ripe pawpaw

3) Add one ripe banana

4) Buzz up until all blended and smooth - takes around 60 seconds depending on the power of your blender.

5) Drink

Coconut water and ripe sweet fruit (i.e.) papaya or pawpaw and banana are all very soothing for UC & C. And one thousand times better than a diet frozen dinner. Even if you can't handle raw fruit, you "should" be able to handle a soothing smoothie like this, especially if you start off slowly.

I had 1 litre of the above for dinner last night and dinner today and will possibly have it for dinner tomorrow night too. Fills you up without flaring you up.

Start off slow with a cup and build up your tolerance. If you try drinking 1 litre on your first go, you may get gas. I built up my tolerance over a few weeks.

I will find some more ideas for you, as your current diet is shocking, no wonder you are so low on energy.

Also, are you taking any probotic supplements?

 

[outlier]

sounds good, but I can't stand Coconut.
I eat yogurt (yes it's alive). Thanks for the suggestion.

This weekend I actually made some Shepard pies and frozen then and some extra mash potato for another day. yeah!
and bought some ingredient to make burritos at some point.

 

[Miss Spencer]

sounds good, but I can't stand Coconut.

Use filtered water instead then.

Coconut water doesn’t really taste strongly of coconut anyway. I don't like the taste of coconut flesh, but the coconut water is fine.

Plus you can’t even taste the coconut water in the smoothie once the sweet ripe fruit has been added.

Coconut water is only suggested because it is exceptionally good for UC & C, as it replaces lost electrolytes and helps to improve energy levels.

 

[Miss Spencer]

I eat yogurt. This weekend I actually made some Shepard pies and frozen then and some extra mash potato for another day. and bought some ingredient to make burritos at some point.

Wow - you have stronger guts than I have.

Yogurt, mince meat from shepard pies, potato and ingredients to make burritos, would have me rolling around in pain.

And would leave me exhausted from constant loo trips.

You might want to add a bit more nutritional food to your daily diet, it really will help with your lack of energy.

 

[outlier]

My guts are not my issues. Dispite any and all inflammation in my bowls. I don't have any issues with my bowls. My eating issues have to do with heart burn and what i call Irritable stomach syndrome (a made up cousin to IBS).
Oh fruit how i miss it but currently that is a no because of it's sugar.
Sorry. I don't mean to drive other people crazy too.

 

[ameslouise]

Yep, big cooking when you have the energy would be my recommendation. Freeze stuff and use it later when you don't have the energy to cook. Soups are good because you can make a huge batch at one time!

If there is one thing you should probably do it's give up the processed lunch meat. That stuff'll kill ya!

Hope you start feeling better soon. I'm on Metho also and it has kicked my butt. How long have you been on? Are you getting your iron and b12 tested regularly? It can really screw up both.

-Amy

 

[outlier]

I have been on it about a month, but have sort of stopped taking it. It because i seem to go to a lot of happy hours. and they don't mix. Humira is actually the one that's causing problem giving me headaches but i blame everything on the MTX.
I have been getting better which is why i think this has even considered food issues now. I think iron might be an issue because i've been brusing very easily. I am theoretically crohn's free after a CAT scan.
Thanks good luck to you too.

 

[fromthegut]

I have been feeling very tired. I am certain it's this bad flare or well being out of remission.I ened to eat healthier again. I'd like to amke the chicken soup recipe I found in the Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Just chicken leg, carrots, celery, onion for flavour salt and pepper and cook. I can cook as much chicken as iI like the chicken falls off the bone and it tastes good. It is even better when my stomach doesn't bother me.
Some times when I really lack energy I buy a whole chicken already cooked. It works better than the fastest food. I have the chicken on rye bread.. I am still trying to figure out which condiments are good beside mustard.

 

[Miss Spencer]

My guts are not my issues.

Guts means bowel too.

 

[Miss Spencer]

My eating issues have to do with heart burn

I use to have terrible heartburn too in the beginning, and I was on tablets for it. But a change of diet soon stopped it. Not had an attack of heartburn in over 2 years now.

Oh fruit how i miss it but currently that is a no because of it's sugar.

Fruit sugar is treated & utilised differently by the body, not the same as sugar on a doughnut.

I have to be careful with some fruit. But recently I have been practically living on ripe papaya and ripe banana, both very soothing for C & UC sufferers.

 

[Miss Spencer]

Some times when I really lack energy I buy a whole chicken already cooked. I have the chicken on rye bread. I am still trying to figure out which condiments are good beside mustard.

Meat and grains are hard to digest, they would be adding to your lack of energy.

If all your spare energy is being directed to digesting, that will leave you lacking elsewhere.

 

[outlier]

disagree about the fruit. Apples can be just as bad as doughnuts. Cutting out my lunch time fruit and non cooked vegetables did a lot of good for me. I know longer want to cry after lunch.

 

[dreamintwilight]

Is there a Trader Joe's near you? They are an organic/natural foods chain that offers a lot of pre-packaged dinner options. I'm sure they would be better for you than your typical frozen dinners anyway. Just a though.

 

[Crohns08]

You could also learn recipes that don't take a lot of time. Like tacos really don't. All you have to do is cook up some meat which would take 5-10 minutes at the most and while that happens you could chop up whatever ingredients you need or buy pre shredded cheese or lettuce. I bet you could benefit a lot from Sandra Lee's semi homemade show. You should check it out