Anyone else *not* notice any effect of diet on well-being?

[mambera]

I am kind of amazed to see all the beneficial effects other posters are attributing to their diets.  Like cures for acne, eczema, depression, lethargy, etc.

I don't notice any effect at all really.  I prefer the taste of healthy food but there have been times in my life when I ate terribly for reasons of convenience (eg a doughnut for breakfast and another for dinner on a regular basis) and I felt just fine, my weight was the same as ever, no change in hair/skin/etc.  FWIW I think I automatically self-regulate my caloric intake so it's pretty constant regardless of the quality of what I'm eating.

Is this completely oddball? 

[GardenStream]

grains vs. grain-free or meat vs. vegetarian - No, I don't notice many differences.  I notice changes in bowel movements, but nothing that changed my overall well-being.

I am susceptible to migraines and I know that a couple things are triggers for me.  I cannot have any artificial sweeteners.  One sip of a diet soda and I'll be assured of migraine later that day.  I think of them as poison and won't allow my children to consume them.

[sapphire_chan]

I notice a difference, but it's soooo much more subtle than other posters have noticed in themselves.

However, the ill effects from the foods I avoid have gotten worse over time.

It's funny, I was vegetarian for 19 years and starting to eat meat did nothing to me. A few weeks of not eating grains and I can really feel it when I have them.

[happysmileylady]

I voted no, but I should have voted other.

I do notice occasional reactions to specific foods, like cabbage or dried apricots can cause digetstive/bowel upsets within a few hours.  I think everyone can have some issues with specific foods, though I don't really consider something like that an intolerance or allergic reaction or anything like that.

I also think that some symptoms can be a result of specific deficiencies in diet.  For example, the OP mentioned lethargy.  When I was pg, I was about half way through when I noticed a sudden large drop in my energy level.  I am alway tired while pg, but this was much worse, it took hours just to wake up and get going.  I happened to have an appointment with my OB, and as it turns out, I was borderline anemic, my iron levels were low.  They recommended some iron suppliments, and within 2 days, I did notice that my energy levels had increased. 

However, I don't really think that any one specific diet has huge overriding effects on my overall health.  I just strive for a good balance in my diet, eat healthy for the most part, eat a wide variety of things. 

[Llyra]

Yes, my health and well-being are very affected by my dietary choices. I don't think I'm a typical case, though, because I have moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, an incurable and potentially life-threatening disease. When I am adhering very closely to my dietary needs, my disease stays in remission with only mild medication. But when I was eating a standard American diet, I needed several strong medications, with potentially serious side effects to worry about, and even then my disease was never solidly controlled.

I can let it slip for a few days, here and there, and it's no big deal, but if I start eating too much sugar, or start to get into other "forbidden" stuff like soy, white flour, or beer, then my gut starts to get restless and I start to see symptoms emerge. I start to need the bathroom much too frequently, and I get crampy and bloated. I start to feel lethargic. My eyes get red and irritated-looking, and I get achy soreness in my joints. I'm sure if I kept it up, I'd be out-and-out sick again very quickly-- I've never pushed it that far, so I don't know for sure.

I think that if you're in solid good health to begin with, you may not see much variation in how you feel if you eat junk sometimes. I was that way when I was in my 20s-- I could eat pretty much anything I wanted, whenever I felt like it, and I basically felt fine. It may that you are just blessed with resilient good health.

[onlyzombiecat]

Certain foods like artificial sweeteners give me really bad headaches. I didn't realize this was the cause until I eliminated foods and noticed every time I had an artificial sweetener I would get a headache.

Drinking coffee or caffienated pop makes have to pee all the time.

Eating more vegetables helps my skin to stay noticeably clearer.

I feel more energetic when I eat healthier foods and a balanced diet.

My stomach feels bad if I eat a lot of greasy or processed foods.

If I eat certain foods it seems to trigger more unhealthy eating.

I've lost 11 pounds changing the food I eat to whole grains, vegetables and lean meats.

My diet isn't perfect every day but I do think it makes a difference to my health if I am eating junk food every day vs. eating it only occasionally.

[jldumm]

I thought maybe this was a joke.  I totally use food as a curative and can tell if i am not eating well.  i also watch my kids behavior and stools and try to modify their diet accordingly. 

[oiseau]

I voted Other. On a macro scale, I've found that my diet has very little effect on my well-being. By this, I mean that I've tried various different elimination diets and regardless of what I eliminate, I still feel pretty crappy. None of it has lessened my depression or fatigue or made me feel awesome. None of the changes have ever resulted in weight loss either. Switching from a standard american diet to a nearly veggie diet to a more traditional food diet hasn't ever resulted in any change.

There are certain specific foods I avoid because they are migraine triggers, but that's the only major way my diet affects my health. In the same vein, I have to be careful to not skip meals and eat an adequate amount of food at each meal to avoid a migraine. I couldn't just eat a lunch of donuts and not end up with a migraine.

[mambera]

Originally Posted by jldumm 

I thought maybe this was a joke.  I totally use food as a curative and can tell if i am not eating well.  i also watch my kids behavior and stools and try to modify their diet accordingly. 

Not a joke, actually it was a spinoff from the 'what's so bad about grains' thread where people were saying it made sense to 'listen to your body' and eat the diet that made you feel best.  I thought to myself, gee, my body doesn't seem to know kale from Coco Puffs. :)

I see I'm not such a freak though, as about half the people who voted on the poll feel the same way.

[sublimeliving]

Eczema is a reaction to food and environmental allergies. Many dermatologist will say it is genetic, and incurable (they obviously want you to keep coming back). My child had eczema, and after many trips to the dermatologist and prescriptions to creams, she still had eczema. After one trip to the allergist, and many prick tests, she stopped eating foods that she is allergic to (soy was one, which is in practically everything). Obviously, her eczema is now cured; it was a skin reaction to an allergy.

[GoGoGirl]

I thought I felt fine when I was eating a pretty healthy, mostly from scratch, vegetarian diet.  But then I switched to the Eat to Live way of eating (vegan, 2 lbs of vegetables a day, very low fat, very few whole grains, no sugar or processed food, lots of legumes and some nuts) and the difference was like night and day.  I lost the rest of my baby weight really quickly (35 lbs).  The difference in the way I felt was amazing.  I went from feeling sluggish after every meal to feeling like I could go for a run whenever, no matter how long ago I ate.  I felt so light and clear.  I had so much energy!  Now I've added back some sugary stuff and grains and I don't feel as great.  I've also noticed that when I have dairy now I feel horrible, even though I never thought it bothered me when I was eating it daily.

[chezlyryan]

I haven't noticed much of a change between now when I am cooking  and trying to be healthy and before when I was in University and living off of canned soup and frozen dinners.  Maybe I'm not eating as healthy as I'd like to think I am. 

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by chezlyryan 

I haven't noticed much of a change between now when I am cooking  and trying to be healthy and before when I was in University and living off of canned soup and frozen dinners.  Maybe I'm not eating as healthy as I'd like to think I am. 

So what you're saying is that even though you've got similar levels of stress and are getting about as much sleep (or even less), you feel as good as you did when you were 18? Sounds like your diet is superb!

[bri276]

The only time I can tell a difference in how I feel is if I have a bunch of sugar or caffeine.  Otherwise no.  At one point I was pretty strict TF, no white flour.  I still eat a healthy diet but don't stress about it too much and feel fine. 

I have never noticed a difference in DD1, and she had virtually zero sugar (other than a reasonable amount of fruit) for her first 2 years.  She ate all sorts of crap at Halloween that I never let her have with no effect whatsoever.