Lately I`ve been having cereal for every meal, is that bad for me ?

Question

I`ve been really depressed and don`t feel like messing around with cooking and then all the cleaning, and I hate all that microwave junk.

thanks to all, i wish i could give everyone the points. you people have been a blessing to me thanks so much.

Answer 1

Everything in moderation is definetly a good maxim in the case of healthy eating.
Dietary recommendations usually say the daily intake of food should be 30% fat,40% carbohydrates and 30% proteins.

Fats are not only obvious things like butter and oil but are hidden in foods like cakes,eggs and cream.Fats provide energy,vitamins and help keep the body warm.You should never cut out all the fat in your diet.

Carbohydrates are slow release energy providers such as pasta and bread.They also provide fibre.

Proteins are for growth and are used as a secondary sourse of energy.They come from meats,eggs and soya.

All thats very well,but how do you put it into practise?

*Eat Fruit and Vegetables:
The recommended amount of fruit and vegetables to be eaten daily is 5 portions.This may seem like a lot but in actual fact its easy to put into practise;
A glass of pure fruit juice at breakfast,
A piece of fruit(eg.apple or banana) midmorning.
A piece of fruit with lunch or salad,or perhaps carrot sticks,
Two servings of vegetables with your evening meal.
Fruit provides fibre,is great as an energy booster as it contains natural sugars and has a huge array of vitamins which may help to reduce the risk of cancer.There are hundered of different types of fruit and vegetables available,so its impossible to get bored,and theres room for experimentation;-)
*More Wholegrains
Dietary targets recommend increased intake of wholegrain products for example wholemeal bread,wholemeal pasta and cereals.
Again it is easy to include this in your diet and is very beneficial.
Advantages of eating wholegrains are that they are very filling due to the high fibre content.This can help to stop snacking which means in the longrun you may lose weight.
The fibre also helps to keep your bowels healthy.

*Less fat?
Eating less fat is very easy to incorporate into your daily life.
Simple things such as trimming visible fat off meat and choosing to cook in low fat method such as stir frying or grilling help out loads.Choose white meat rather than red meat as it is usually lower fat.Fish is also a good option.
Be aware of hidden fats in creams and butters and choose low fat alternatives.Opt for semi skimmed rather than full fat milk.
All of these tips can help cut down your chance of coronary heart disease and artery problems.

*Less salt
Salt use should be minimal in a healthy diet as it can lead to hypertension(thats high blood pressure) and other problems.
Don't add salt during cooking and try low salt alternatives.I don't like to use low salt alternatives as they always seem to have a funny taste,and prefer to add flavour with herbs and spices.

*Less Sugar
Sugar should be cut down on as it can contribute to obesity and tooth decay.
Wean yourself off fizzy drinks and sweets especially between meals.
Try eating fruit when you crave something sweet!

>>>> Hope you'll be okay soon. Hope someone would come your way who would make you in the mood to cook.

Answer 2

Cereal is basically pure carbohydrates and in that sense it is a comfort food.

It doesn't represent a balanced meal though. You should be taking vitamins now.

You also need some protein in your diet. Yogurt requires no clean up. Cheese, milk, chicken all do the trick.

But your root cause of depression remains. Yahoo answers can only do so much. I hate to suggest a therapist but even a regular MD might help. You should probably consider asking for blood tests. If depression doesn't run in your family and if you haven't been hit by some major bad life event, you could have a low thyroid or something else causing your body to be "depressed".

Don't have a stigma about it. Get some help. There have been a lot of famous people that suffer from depression and lots of us normal folks as well. For me it's seasonal. Every winter it gets bad. I up my exercise and that seems to work for me.

But, please do something to help yourself.

Answer 3

well technically it can be bad for you because you are not getting the nutrition you need from other things like fruits and vegtables. I think one diet though was like if you eat this one cereal for two meals and have a regular meal for like one of them you would loose weight, but I think its only ok if you do it a short amount of time. Really you need to eat regular meals so you body gets the nutrition it needs. You get you fiber and vitamins and minerals from what you eat so unless you have vegi o's and fruit o's and meat o's cereal isnt' cutting it. You also can buy pre perpared foods at the grocery store or do something like www.dinnersready.com kinda thing where you help assemble some foods and pick what you want then take it all home and freeze it and heat up when wanted.

Answer 4

I lived on Trader Joe's in college. If there's one by you I highly suggest you check it out. They have a great selection of frozen, make-it-yourself meals and other selections of pieces to well-balanced meals. They make it really easy to have a home cooked meal ready in 10 minutes or less. Try to go for less processed foods and more natural ingredients - that's an easy way to make things healthier. Also, I really dig Food Network for looking up fast, easy, healthy meals. You can search by that criteria or they even have a health eating section....or Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals - personally, I can't stand watching the show but, love the recipes. Just as a point of reference, Alfredo is NOT healthy no matter how you spin it.

Answer 5

It's better than skipping meals, but you're not getting all the vitamins and minerals and 'stuff' that you would from a more balanced diet...at least try to add a good multivitamin in there (which you should probably do anyway, because few of us eat REALLY well)...

Hopefully it's a whole grain "healthy" cereal and not something like Fruit Loops or Cap'n Crunch...

Answer 6

You should try that crazy cereal that has vitamins and junk. Umm,, Vector I think it's called. It's like a whole meal, but in a bowl of cereal. Sounds right up your alley. You'll start eating real food again once the cereal starts to make you feel sick. I'd sure get sick of it!

Answer 7

nope, is actually a great way to loose wieght. Use 2% milk, you need some fat in your diet. And take a vitamin pill a day. I use this diet when I need to loose about 20 pounds..happens within 3 weeks..I can eat all the Raisin Bran I want, just nothing else but raisin bran with 2% milk...works great.

Answer 8

You really do need to have something more than cereal.You can't always get everything you need, I don't care what they say on T.V. And don't let depression keep you from enjoying some Meat every now and then! Good luck!

Answer 9

well i hate to break it to you but things like wheat should rarely be eaten for too much of it can fatten the human body. instead of that buy some fish healthy types of sushi with no cream,souce or anything and eat 1bowls of cerial that is ment for dieters in the morning have 2-4 frutis or veggies for lunch and for dinner have sushi, healthy type

Answer 10

Its best to fix quick easy things when you are depressed, cereal is a good choice.