I think irrespective of levels of motivation and negative symptoms if you are on low income,as many with schizophrenia are, then the cheaper foods are the the high fat high calorie items and budgetary necessity will push people to opt for them.
It is irresponsible to talk of poor diets without tackling the economic and social factors related to the problem.
We need more pdocs pressing for progressive economic and social change.
whilst i agree that the cheaper foods are the high fat, processed options, you can buy vegetables (frozen) for much the same price as a packet of burgers, sausages etc. yes it’s wrong the fresh meat is out of many people’s price range but i’m slowly learning that i can eat vegetarian options for much the same price as cheap processed food. spuds are cheap and you can make a meal out of a jacket spud with a cheap tin of tuna, light mayo and sweetcorn. pasta is also a good cheap option, with olive oil and crushed garlic, mince can be drained once cooked and you can make a chilli or spag bol out of it. things like lean cuts of meat are too expensive, i agree but i also agree with what was recently said about this generation…that nobody knows how to cook anymore. my mum knows how to cook because she was taught at school and her mum cooked as did her dad. i think back then the knowledge was handed down whereas now, since the advent of processed foods we don’t have that knowledge anymore. everything i can cook, i’ve learnt from my mum and hopefully i can teach my kids the same. unfortunately we live in a oven ready society where people want things now, people who work every day don’t have the time to cook from scratch and a lot of sz’s don’t have the motivation to cook either. i think there should be free classes for adultls on how to eat healthily for not a lot of money. people need to be educated on how to eat healthily i think, especially those with m.i.in all it’s forms. good post x
Little known fact about frozen veggies is it is blanched which takes some of the vitamins out. They claim it’s no big deal but you are losing vitamins. Also, anything stored loses nutritional value over time.
Much better to go with fresh veggies…I know they are more expensive at times, but worth it.
You also don’t want to overcook any fresh veggies or you will be cooking out a lot of vitamins…
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=215
About 25% of the vitamin C and a greater percentage of folate are lost during the blanching process that occurs before foods are frozen. About 10% of thiamin (vitamin B1) is also lost during blanching.
Also you need to watch out for additives…things like the nitrites in processed meats, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup…I even buy ketchup that is HFC free and no preservatives…and I don’t drink juices or sodas that have HFC or refined sugars…
Filardo recommends blanching your veggies, which is when you quickly cook vegetables in boiling water, and remove them when they’re still very crisp, to help preserve the color and nutrients.
Ok im in a western democracy , with a reasonable economy and what you say on the price point of healthy food is not accurate.
A banana in a supermarket is 19 cents. A bag of 7/8 small apples is 1.45. A bag of 7/8 carrots costs about 99 centa. A kilo of frozen veg about 1.50. Eggs are cheap.
Maybe you should go down to you local supermarket and see what healthy costs.
The reasons for consumption of unhealthy food amongst the sz populace are numerous. A few examples;
Eating sugary foods high in fat is used as emotional crutch , like smoking , etc
A lack of education , maybe because some people with sz just give up and no longer wish to seek out factual information , because they are lost to delusions , suffer chronic negative sympthoms , etc
Preparing good food can taket a bit of time and people with schiz cannot muster motivation for many reasons.
AP medication can cause cravings.
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It supposedly helps slow the degradation of vitamins after freezing, but you lose vitamins in the process itself… If there are fresh veggies available it’s far better to go with those and eat them within a few days, preferably right away as the fresher the better.
Also stuff that can be eaten raw is best eaten raw, as any cooking causes vitamin loss…Of course some nice hot sweet potatoes or broccoli with good organic butter and Himalaya salt, and maybe some fresh garlic is good!
You can also stir fry veggies. that keeps them crisp and colorful.
I use a dash of olive oil which is supposed to be unsaturated and so helps your lipids.
While I’m sure diet plays some role here, I’d think this pales in comparison to the impact that smoking has on the cardiovascular health of people with schizophrenia.
I tried a really healthy diet for about a year and got nowhere , I eliminated wheat and cheese , ate lots of vegetables and fruit and meat. No junk food minimal sugar.
Now I just eat whatever and it’s still the same except I can now eat normally again lol