I know no one on this forum can tell me definitively what diet I should be following but I'd like some advice on my current situation, since this is all new terrain for me and I'm not really sure who else I should talk to about this. I'm a 21 year old male athlete and since finding out I am an APOE3/4 a couple months ago I transitioned from my SAD to a healthier diet. At first I followed a diet similar to the MIND diet, which was definitely a major improvement over my previous eating habits but I'm starting to wonder if there is anything else I should change. I read the newbie PRIMER that Stavia wrote and she mentioned that not having insulin resistance is critical for AD prevention. I honestly have no idea what my glucose or insulin levels should look like. I don't have any of the major symptoms I found from google, and after reading about foods with a high glycemic index I've limited my rice and starchy vegetable portions to 2-3 times a week. I still manage to get a lot of carbs (usually around 100 a day) from other sources however, I get around 4-6 servings of veggies a day and 2-3 servings of fruits. I also frequently consume skim milk, legumes, and nuts since they are good sources of protein and I require a high protein intake since I'm trying to build muscle mass, they are also very cheap and I try to minimize my food spending.
Should I be worried about consuming this many carbs? I know there are some blood test I can do to determine if I have abnormal insulin or glucose level. I'm not sure about how I would be able to get one, because I don't have any insurance and I'm not sure what I qualify for. I'm providing for myself and am also a college student, so I'm not sure if I can afford the cost even if I can figure out how to get insurance. I would appreciate any advice on this. I've been getting very anxious about my health ever since receiving my APOE3/4 status especially since my diet as a child and teenager was very poor. Thank you!
Diet for 21 year old male athelete
Diet for 21 year old male athelete
21 year old college student. 3/4
Re: Diet for 21 year old male athelete
Welcome ethans!
First - kudos for being proactive!!
Here are some thoughts. Avoiding ultra processed foods will go a long way at your age.
You mention being an athlete. Can you elaborate. What you do, how much?
Fat around your organs is something you want to avoid. Excess weight around your middle can be associated with this, though the subcutaneous fat really isn't the issue. You can also be thin on the outside and fat on the inside. This is fairly prevalent with those of Asian ancestry. For example a BMI of 25 is OK for a caucasian, but it'd be more like 22 for an Asian.
As to inexpensive testing. Would your student health center test blood glucose for you, if available? If so, going in say an hour after a carby meal and seeing what it is. If it was say 120 mg/dL (assuming in US), then you are golden! Other options could include purchasing a glucometer yourself and doing some testing on your own. If you want to pursue this, let us know and we can have more suggestions. I'd have to look for the lowest cost, but reliable option.
One thing you can do that costs nothing is time restricted feeding (aka intermittent fasting), perhaps with a periodic extended fast of a couple of days. This can really help you reset your system.
Attacking this at your age, even a little bit of prevention will pay big dividends in the future!.
100g carbs a day is not a big number for someone who is young and healthy.
If you prepare your rice the day before and then put it into the fridge, it will convert some of the starch to a resistant starch, so good for your gut bugs and a lower glucose hit. This can also be true for other starches.
First - kudos for being proactive!!
Here are some thoughts. Avoiding ultra processed foods will go a long way at your age.
You mention being an athlete. Can you elaborate. What you do, how much?
Fat around your organs is something you want to avoid. Excess weight around your middle can be associated with this, though the subcutaneous fat really isn't the issue. You can also be thin on the outside and fat on the inside. This is fairly prevalent with those of Asian ancestry. For example a BMI of 25 is OK for a caucasian, but it'd be more like 22 for an Asian.
As to inexpensive testing. Would your student health center test blood glucose for you, if available? If so, going in say an hour after a carby meal and seeing what it is. If it was say 120 mg/dL (assuming in US), then you are golden! Other options could include purchasing a glucometer yourself and doing some testing on your own. If you want to pursue this, let us know and we can have more suggestions. I'd have to look for the lowest cost, but reliable option.
One thing you can do that costs nothing is time restricted feeding (aka intermittent fasting), perhaps with a periodic extended fast of a couple of days. This can really help you reset your system.
Attacking this at your age, even a little bit of prevention will pay big dividends in the future!.
100g carbs a day is not a big number for someone who is young and healthy.
If you prepare your rice the day before and then put it into the fridge, it will convert some of the starch to a resistant starch, so good for your gut bugs and a lower glucose hit. This can also be true for other starches.
Tincup
E3,E4
E3,E4
