To ask whether “just” eating healthily made you feel better?

A decent seeded wholemeal loaf - in sensible quantities, does, in my opinion, more good than harm. A rye or something similar has lots of good stuff in too.

So eggs on wholemeal with a bit of millennial avocado and some seeds sounds pretty filling to me and provides a bit of fibre. I sometimes have home made saukraut with mine...(sounds worthy but it's tasty and very easy)

Do not feel pressured to eat meat or fish because of supposed protein goals. As other posters have said, fibre and plants are way more important.

If you were going to do either, choose fish. Pescetarian is the healthiest diet on a population level (in terms of observed outcomes) and there are still some sustainable fish and seafood sources to be found (mussels!!!!)

@Rootsmaneouvring I completely understand your hesitancy about reintroducing fish or meat after such a long time. It was over 25 years for me and chicken still feels a bit weird. I buy high welfare meat and eat chicken/fish once or twice a week. Didn't realise how much my older body needed it until I stopped being vegetarian so it was the right decision in my case. Good luck!

I get mine from the co-op, the seeded stuff or the slow roasted tomato, I'm actually addicted. Every morning I have it with poached egg, avacado and prosciutto ham.

You’ll feel worse initially, almost like you’re coming down with something. But persevere and after a week or 10 days things suddenly shift and the fog lifts. You start to feel much better.

Less sugar. Cottage cheese is an easy way of adding protein.

Regular exercise and losing weight have made me feel much better. Don't underestimate the effects of peri/meno on how you feel. Magnesium supplements are a good sleep aid.

Its a one part of a three pronged approach which for me all worked together to make me feel like a new woman in my 50s. The other two are daily excercise - a 30 minutes brisk walk outdoors preferably somewhere green; and enough sleep (8-9 hours) and rest without guilt whenever possible. Together with a squeaky clean diet (whole food, vegan, no alcohol) I honestly feel better than I did in my 30s.

Yes, definitely.

I ditched white pasta, white bread, white couscous and moved to wholemeal. I make my own wholemeal bread that has no additives, using a very rough (Doves Farm) wholemeal flour. I switched to eating 30+ fruit & veg a week and cut out UPFs. I cook from scratch.

It has made a huge difference. All the bloating and abdo discomfort has gone. All headaches have gone. Lots more energy and generally feeling less sluggish. I don't get little colds or sore throats now.

It took a cancer diagnosis for me to take my diet seriously. I wish I'd done it sooner, I feel much much better.

Quite. We all have more than enough protein but most of us only eat the recommended daily amount of fibre for a 4yo. No wonder bowel cancer is through the roof.

OP, your new way of eating looks great. Add some eggs in if you like but you don't need to otherwise. Plenty of olive oil. It might take a few weeks to show in how you feel but it will show.

I don't get that lunch time slump like I used to when I'd eat sandwiches, crisps etc for lunch.
I'm still pretty tired the rest of the time but eating light and health focused has definitely helped.

Simple answer for me is yes, eating healthily makes makes me feel better.

I've spent years working out what works and what doesn't - for eg. if I have milk on my (25g) oats, it hinders any weight loss efforts, even if 125ml with no other milk during the day in teas and I'm in a deficit. It's better mixed with yogurt or with water and berries (just highlighting my experience).

I've spent so many of my years dieting/restricting in order to lose weight, that my poor body doesn't know what it's doing anymore. I have a lot of food noise. I focus on good healthy, not UPF, balanced and tasty foods, and I feel good/healthy at the moment (weight a whole different issue though).

The new foods look great, OP. Good luck with the feeling better, I hope it happens!

You're tired because you work long hours.

I work long days and on those days I cam barely keep my eyes open. I have a really good diet fwiw and on the other days I'm fine.

On the long days, I'm so shattered that I'm practically asleep at 7pm then wide awake at 1030. Be honest, how are your bedtimes on those days?

I would want double confirmation that my b12 and folate was ok. Ask for the numbers and check them yourself.
My son was deficient in folate and low in b12 and told he was ok.

At any rate I think we need a multi pronged approach that includes gut health so that we assimilate the nutrition from our food, good food and a few supplements where our nutrition is not likely to provide it.
Plus the usual plenty of sleep, exercise etc.

There's nothing wrong with shop bought sourdough.

I am a fan of the idea of eating fewer UHP foods but it annoys me intensely how so many of the UHP food people you reference have caused such confusion and demonised perfectly healthy food.

From a preference point - I love the Jason's sourdough - the ciabattini or whate it's called makes an amazing slice of toast! and it's definitely not UHP!

It's perfectly possible to eat a lot of protein while vegetarian but it just takes a bit of effort. Greek yoghurt, legumes and pulses, eggs, tofu, green vegetables etc will all help you get there.

In erms of bread - unless you're gluten free, good quality bread in relatively small volumes wont' do any harm. A good quality sourdough, rye bread, wholewheat etc - not UPF - and a single slice at a time alongside eggs or nuts or whatever, is a good choice.

Everyone will push protein - but most of us in the western world are lacking in fibre.
Healthy poos - healthy yous (sorry, that's awful, and the worst catchphrase in the world).

To an extent..

Over Christmas I ate too much in general and drank too much which did leave me feeling a bit rubbish.

Before that I was eating better, drinking less so I felt better but it's the excess that makes me feel worse. My diet will never be perfect (if we go by the anti UPF people and the don't touch carbs people) I eat shop bought sourdough and sometimes I enjoy a few slices of white. I will never give up wine completely and I supplement my diet with protein powder and energy gels because it's the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to fuel my weight lifting and long distance running.

I think exercise makes a difference too, I walk a lot as well as running and weight lifting and I always feel better after a walk/run even if I didn't want to go.

Yes and it's instant, well after the first day. Feel clearer and less bloated, and then skin gets less hot, stomach not churning.

Honestly, if that was me I would be hungry a couple of hours after your breakfast. If I have a fat and protein in the morning + fibre I am golden until lunch. Think scrambled egg on toast plus some fruit/or greens. Granola is sugary and I don't feel satisfied, I'd swap for porridge with peanut butter and some berries.
If you like yogurt fage 0% is a good way to get more protein

Your meals sound nice but not enough protein for me. (Your salad is missing tuna or chicken or egg).

OP I'm close to mid 50s & this time last year I was v close to burn out for a variety of external factors plus neglecting myself.

I was 3 stone over weight which was in itself a shock as I'd always been v slim up to late 40s.

I decided in Jan 24 to get a better handle on things. I actually had a super stressful year as it turns out but I stuck my promise to myself to eat better, stop the convenience & junk food & to cut out drinking as much as possible

Without factoring in anything extra in terms of exercise I lost 31lbs & managed to do this around various trips / holidays & events.

I have 1 stone to go to my ideal weight & i aim to be there by the start of the summer which is realistic for me.

I feel & look a million times better already.

I also upped my skincare etc & reorganised my wardrobe as I lost the weight & could fit back into lovely things.

I ate v sensibly with a focus on unprocessed where ever I could. Lots of home made soup for lunch & really increased fruit, veg, pulses & nuts.

Good luck OP you can do it!

Do you drink alcohol? Cutting that out made the most difference in my health and how I felt. But it did have a knock-on effect on how I ate.

Two things looking at what you’ve written: (1) Take iron and high dose vitamin D replacement doses. It has to me much higher than you think and than what tablets come in from high street shops. Something like 20,000-50,000 IU per week. I was vitamin D deficient and I literally thought I was going to die, I felt so ill. I truly thought I must certainly have cancer. I actually DO have stage 3 cancer now and I still feel better than when I had a vitamin D deficiency! 😂

(2) Yes, absolutely add in more healthy fat and protein. I was a vegetarian for 20 years and am not one anymore because I found my body just couldn’t cope with all the white carbs. I felt much better eating a paleo style diet (even though I didn’t really like it). But I would focus on more protein and fat: avocado on toast for breakfast or Greek yoghurt, eggs in your salad, nuts for snacks along with fruit and veg, more tofu and tempeh.

Yes protein was the game changer for me about two years ago, along with dropping processed food and boring things like going to bed earlier. Also stopped being veggie, started eating chicken and fish and (sorry to say) it really helped.

I was surprised at how soon these changes made a difference, especially given middle age and a slower metabolism! Maybe a few weeks.

You might want to get your iron levels, B12 and vitamin D checked.