Diet in Med School

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muhali3

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I'm wondering, how many of you guys take a multivitamin? I've read the study recently saying they don't help prevent chronic disease. But absence of disease doesn't really equate to good health does it. My diet is pretty crappy and I figure a lot of other med students also have a crap diet.
 
muhali3 said:
I'm wondering, how many of you guys take a multivitamin? I've read the study recently saying they don't help prevent chronic disease. But absence of disease doesn't really equate to good health does it. My diet is pretty crappy and I figure a lot of other med students also have a crap diet.
Click to expand...
I'll be honest: I take a multi. Sure there are many theories and studies that most of what you take in multivitamins you just urinate out and there might not be any benefits to it, but there is no consensus in the medical or scientific fields that there is sufficient quality evidence to support this claim or not. But I would rather spend a little money to ensure that I am healthy and getting everything I need than not.

Caveat: multivitamins are just supplements. That is they SUPPLEMENT a healthy, well-balanced diet and lifestyle.
 
I took a multivitamin + vitamin D for a bit, since I was getting almost zero sunlight, eating poorly, and sitting so long my bones ached in my 4th semester.
 
Taking a pill from an unregulated industry isn't going to "ensure" your good health.

Eat vegetables and go on a jog a few times a week. That will do a lot more for you than a "supplement".

It isn't hard or expensive to eat healthy. Look into slow cookers, rice cookers, farmers markets, etc. 8 bucks for a meal from McDonalds isn't "cheap", cooking for yourself will yield most of your meals being under 3 bucks if not cheaper.
 
Ugh now I want bk

Normally I eat healthy, and I've actually lost weight since starting school. I eat salad for lunch all the time because it's cheap and easy and I work out 3 times a week.

It's really not that difficult
 
HopefulSpartan said:
I will add a disclaimer to my above post..it isn't hard to eat well but it's also easy to screw up and get Del Taco only hours after writing a post about being healthy... :facepalm:
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Yup. Eating out is my weakness. It's just so easy
 
Its really hard to eat healthy, at least for me. You put in long hours of studying and get hungry and the only thing that's open is the McDonalds and Taco Bell down the street from your house. Although, I've been very good at drastically decreasing the amount of fast food I eat, sometimes McDonalds fries are just too damn good and I deserve a little deliciously unhealthy meal after anatomy lab.
 
The problem for me is not eating healthy. I can eat salad for lunch and dinner every day and not get bored. I get into trouble when I hit a stressful couple of days....then its all downhill from there. The holidays also don't help.. went from eating salads every day to having a **** ton of sweets every day since winter break started haha.. I guess I know what my new years resolution will be :nod:
 
I eat well in med school. Learn to cook. You'll save yourself a good chunk of money not having to eat out all the time. Hit the gym 3 days/week if you can. If you eat a well-balanced diet, exercise, and walk outside for 15 minutes, you likely won't need multivitamins. Stop peeing away your money.
 
HopefulSpartan said:
Taking a pill from an unregulated industry isn't going to "ensure" your good health.

Eat vegetables and go on a jog a few times a week. That will do a lot more for you than a "supplement".

It isn't hard or expensive to eat healthy. Look into slow cookers, rice cookers, farmers markets, etc. 8 bucks for a meal from McDonalds isn't "cheap", cooking for yourself will yield most of your meals being under 3 bucks if not cheaper.
Click to expand...

there's a difference between taking a vitamin from centrum than some random sketchy supp made by some random company that makes no sense biochemically. the potential benefits of taking a vitamin seem to be worth the cost to me. I agree with what you're saying, but let's not compare a daily multi to a test booster or some other BS you'd see at a GNC
 
SilentSoldier said:
Its really hard to eat healthy, at least for me. You put in long hours of studying and get hungry and the only thing that's open is the McDonalds and Taco Bell down the street from your house. Although, I've been very good at drastically decreasing the amount of fast food I eat, sometimes McDonalds fries are just too damn good and I deserve a little deliciously unhealthy meal after anatomy lab.
Click to expand...

It's really quite easy if you just plan ahead. And by that, I don't even necessarily mean cooking meals in advance. You just have to make sure you go to the grocery store and buy the basics, and keep them well in stock. You wouldn't have to worry about what's open in the middle of the night when you're done studying if you had a decent supply of healthy foods in your apartment/house to begin with.
 
Quick meals (<5 min):
Tuna can + bread
Toaster oven a frozen meat patty + bread
Protein + spoonful peanut butter + frozen strawberries = Nutrient rich/calorie high shake
Microwave mom's ziplock bag of frozen rice+meat
frozen shrimp
eggs
All of this stuff is pretty healthy, doesn't really expire so you dont have to shop often, and takes literally less than 5 mins
 
My roommate lives off basically 3 food items: i) milk & cereal, ii) frozen pizzas (he buys like 10 at a time), and iii) random drinks + snack bars.
 
Green Smoothies

Get a good blender
Add several handfuls of collard greens, spinach (the power mix at costco is my fav)
Add frozen fruit
Add soymilk
Add protein powder if you want to be full for awhile

Blend to a pulp, put in thermos, drink (don't languish--it's very cariogenic).

Bam--veggie and fruit servings for the day, quick, drinkable

Your poops will be amazing. Sometimes I leave in the stems of fruit or vines of grapes for extra fiber.
 
EventualMD said:
Green Smoothies

Get a good blender
Add several handfuls of collard greens, spinach (the power mix at costco is my fav)
Add frozen fruit
Add soymilk
Add protein powder if you want to be full for awhile

Blend to a pulp, put in thermos, drink (don't languish--it's very cariogenic).

Bam--veggie and fruit servings for the day, quick, drinkable

Your poops will be amazing. Sometimes I leave in the stems of fruit or vines of grapes for extra fiber.
Click to expand...

I got a better recipe for Green Smoothies.

Get a good blender.
Add Soylent Green
Add milk.

Blend and drink.
 
Reduce drag to make healthy eating a viable option. Go to the store q.wk to get your week's worth of food. Same breakfast every day. Have dinners that are quick to prepare and quick to clean up, eg easy salad, grilled [insert protein], and grilled [insert vegetable].

If you have a plan for every night, you also cut the temptation to eat out. You also reduce drag at the grocery store: surgical strike.
 
GuyWhoDoesStuff said:
It's really quite easy if you just plan ahead. And by that, I don't even necessarily mean cooking meals in advance. You just have to make sure you go to the grocery store and buy the basics, and keep them well in stock. You wouldn't have to worry about what's open in the middle of the night when you're done studying if you had a decent supply of healthy foods in your apartment/house to begin with.
Click to expand...
Oh I know, I've gotten much better at eating healthy. I just miss my McDonald's fries.
 
Yadster101 said:
Quick meals (<5 min):
Tuna can + bread
Toaster oven a frozen meat patty + bread
Protein + spoonful peanut butter + frozen strawberries = Nutrient rich/calorie high shake
Microwave mom's ziplock bag of frozen rice+meat
frozen shrimp
eggs
All of this stuff is pretty healthy, doesn't really expire so you dont have to shop often, and takes literally less than 5 mins
Click to expand...

EventualMD said:
Green Smoothies

Get a good blender
Add several handfuls of collard greens, spinach (the power mix at costco is my fav)
Add frozen fruit
Add soymilk
Add protein powder if you want to be full for awhile

Blend to a pulp, put in thermos, drink (don't languish--it's very cariogenic).

Bam--veggie and fruit servings for the day, quick, drinkable

Your poops will be amazing. Sometimes I leave in the stems of fruit or vines of grapes for extra fiber.
Click to expand...

Nice practical advice.

masaraksh said:
My roommate lives off basically 3 food items: i) milk & cereal, ii) frozen pizzas (he buys like 10 at a time), and iii) random drinks + snack bars.
Click to expand...

Lol that doesn't sound too great.
 
GuyWhoDoesStuff said:
It's really quite easy if you just plan ahead. And by that, I don't even necessarily mean cooking meals in advance. You just have to make sure you go to the grocery store and buy the basics, and keep them well in stock. You wouldn't have to worry about what's open in the middle of the night when you're done studying if you had a decent supply of healthy foods in your apartment/house to begin with.
Click to expand...

Yo quiero Taco Bell
 
Yadster101 said:
Quick meals (<5 min):
Tuna can + bread
Toaster oven a frozen meat patty + bread
Protein + spoonful peanut butter + frozen strawberries = Nutrient rich/calorie high shake
Microwave mom's ziplock bag of frozen rice+meat
frozen shrimp
eggs
All of this stuff is pretty healthy, doesn't really expire so you dont have to shop often, and takes literally less than 5 mins
Click to expand...

Don't forget ramen + butter
 
The thing with me, is taste. A lot of veggies are icky to me, lol. I am a picky eater 😳
 
muhali3 said:
I'm wondering, how many of you guys take a multivitamin? I've read the study recently saying they don't help prevent chronic disease. But absence of disease doesn't really equate to good health does it. My diet is pretty crappy and I figure a lot of other med students also have a crap diet.
Click to expand...
I drink vitamin powder packets in water with other liquid supplements (vitamin D, folate, green tea extract, B vitamins -- all depending on my food intake that day). I also eat insanely healthfully, but I have 11 food allergies so it makes it a bit easier for me to manage considering I can't eat fast food, ramen, or other quick meals. Eating better gives me more energy and gives me a clearer mind. It can't hurt!
 
KnuxNole said:
The thing with me, is taste. A lot of veggies are icky to me, lol. I am a picky eater 😳
Click to expand...
I'd say you haven't had them prepared well then! I used to hate veggies til I learned how to cook pretty well.
 
fancymylotus said:
Roasted vegetables are your friend. Douse in olive oil and salt and pepper. (And a ton of hot sauce because I'm brown and that's what we do to all our foods) = yum
Click to expand...
Totally agree. Roasting veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper is all you really need. I also put hot sauce on everything. The roasting method even got me to enjoy *gasp* CAULIFLOWER!
 
My trick to make any veggie taste good:

Put veggie in pan
Add olive oil, garlic salt, lawrys seasonal salt, a little bit of butter
Heat until delicious.
works great for frozen veggies too, I eat this as a meal all the time it's filling and cheap af
 
touchpause13 said:
My trick to make any veggie taste good:

Put veggie in pan
Add olive oil, garlic salt, lawrys seasonal salt, a little bit of butter
Heat until delicious.
works great for frozen veggies too, I eat this as a meal all the time it's filling and cheap af
Click to expand...
I do steamfresh veggies, some Olivio, salt, pepper. Fast, easy, delicious (and less fat/calories than oil and butter in a pan!)
 
PL198 said:
you know somewhere out there is a med student who weighs like 100 lbs and eats nothing besides fruits and veggies and thinks they are eating healthy
Click to expand...
I prefer the term nutritionally balanced 🙂
 
hmm....intriguing....

I need y'all to send some roasted veggies this way for a taste test 🙂
 
PL198 said:
there's a difference between taking a vitamin from centrum than some random sketchy supp made by some random company that makes no sense biochemically. the potential benefits of taking a vitamin seem to be worth the cost to me. I agree with what you're saying, but let's not compare a daily multi to a test booster or some other BS you'd see at a GNC
Click to expand...

The difference is more money spent on advertising.

Whoops, I didn't read what you said carefully. The GNC brands spend money on marketing too.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/more-evidence-that-routine-multivitamin-use-should-be-avoided/
 
uhh a little more than that. a company like centrum or ON has just a little more $$$ for research than some random dude hand-filling capsules in his basement.

taking the " natural" approach isn't the end all be all either. the FDA can be lobbied just like any other regulatory body. there are products like creatine which aren't FDA regulated, yet research shows their supplementation is beneficial.(much to the dismay of the media)

the vegetables you're saying are so good are loaded with stuff that you assume is ok just because the FDA says so. you're taking the opposite extreme of the spectrum and like most things, the answer lies in the middle. are there junk supplements out there? of course. are there some that are physiologically beneficial that people should take? absolutely.

PS jogging is about the worst form of chronic exercise someone can have for life long health. increases body fat, lowers muscle mass, high impact on joints, anatomically unfavorable (humans are made to sprint and walk, not run for long periods of time). walking at an incline is a much more efficient and less catabolic way of exercising. not hating on running, if its your thing, do it, just saying don't do it for health claims.
 
any veggie tastes good if you chop it real good and stir fry it. Use good oil sparsingly dont burn them, i think it is not that bad for your health.
 
PL198 said:
you know somewhere out there is a med student who weighs like 100 lbs and eats nothing besides fruits and veggies and thinks they are eating healthy
Click to expand...
yup food disorders are more common in med school for some reason.
 
PL198 said:
uhh a little more than that. a company like centrum or ON has just a little more $$$ for research than some random dude hand-filling capsules in his basement.

taking the " natural" approach isn't the end all be all either. the FDA can be lobbied just like any other regulatory body. there are products like creatine which aren't FDA regulated, yet research shows their supplementation is beneficial.(much to the dismay of the media)

the vegetables you're saying are so good are loaded with stuff that you assume is ok just because the FDA says so. you're taking the opposite extreme of the spectrum and like most things, the answer lies in the middle. are there junk supplements out there? of course. are there some that are physiologically beneficial that people should take? absolutely.

PS jogging is about the worst form of chronic exercise someone can have for life long health. increases body fat, lowers muscle mass, high impact on joints, anatomically unfavorable (humans are made to sprint and walk, not run for long periods of time). walking at an incline is a much more efficient and less catabolic way of exercising. not hating on running, if its your thing, do it, just saying don't do it for health claims.
Click to expand...
damn running is awesome, problem is many people find a ridiculous jogging slow pace and do it ad infinitum, it will burn little fat and burn muscle with much time invested. All runners should do interval training, and should aim to be faster not just running longer.
 
HopefulSpartan said:
Taking a pill from an unregulated industry isn't going to "ensure" your good health.
Click to expand...

That reminds me of this John Oliver skit. It's about 12 minutes long and worth watching. As far as diet in medical school, eating healthy is definitely time-consuming. Eating pre-packaged raw veggies and fruits such as carrots and strawberries are a good way to start.
 
Kahreek said:
damn running is awesome, problem is many people find a ridiculous jogging slow pace and do it ad infinitum, it will burn little fat and burn muscle with much time invested. All runners should do interval training, and should aim to be faster not just running longer.
Click to expand...

in the 60s when medicine switched to only advising " cardio" exercise, that was a huge failure on the part of health care providers, no idea how it still exists today. anaerobic high intensity exercise is without a doubt superior for both general health and athletic performance, yet the modern culture of continuing to give people the resources to sit in limbo without eliciting any real change is just too hard to pass up. I know tons of people that go to the gym and sit on a cardio machine for 45 min and they look the exact same now as they did 10 years ago. Conversely I know a lot of people that do anaerobic activities of all kinds and few of them look the same. hmm

It's always striking to me that medical professions are so poorly educated on diet and exercise. Literally the 2 most important controllable things for someone's overall health and modern medical school teaches absolutely nothing about them. I've had probably 1 hour on nutrition, which was complete pseudoscience such as eating less fat for lowering cholesterol, which has been proven to only been effective in minorities of the population. it seems strange that everyone is pushing for a wellness model, when the physicians themselves aren't even educated on the principal components of wellness.
 
You can also have fresh carrot sticks and celery by making a healthful dip. Roast an eggplant after cutting it in half. once its out of the oven peel most of the skin off but you can leave some on or all if you want I guess. Put it in a blender with some EVOO, a little fresh lemon juice, garlic powder and salt/pepper. Its a delicious and healthy dip that makes celery easier to enjoy. Here is my meal plan I did for myself and started following a while ago. I used to be vegetarian so there is not a lot of meat but I do take hemp protein supps

protein
green smoothie(1/3 avacado, frozen mango/peach, grapes, 1/2 orange, apple juice, almond milk or yogurt)
veg juice-cucumber/carrot
cereal w/banana honey & coconut flakes or cinnamon
salad w/egg and tomato/ slice sprouted bread w/almond butter
veg sticks (celelry,carrot) w/eggplant dip
fruit (Apple,pear,berries,oranges) -pick 2 w/ cheese
salmon squash yam rice beans asparagus string beans broccoli cabbage greens-pick 3 (protein green veg and starch)
And of course LOTS of water!

oh but I'm not in med school...tee hee (not yet anyway). I just wanted to share my diet stuff. I am obsessed with trying to eat healthy and have a naturally healthy lifestyle. But yea I feel for you. I don't know how easy it would be to keep this up once undergrad is done
 
That is what dietary referrals are for...since I don't know **** about that other than the barebones...
 
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