"Healthy" Diet?
Discussion
I've always been of the view that eating a variety of food, including meat, fish, eggs, fruit and veg, and not eating too much of any of them is fine.
There are all kinds of contradictory 'reports' about what is good and what is bad for you, but it often seems that it all heads back to what I said in the first paragraph.
Are there genuinely any reasons why we should "avoid carbs", "avoid grains", "avoid saturated fat" etc?
Fad diets often seem ridiculous and, from a weight point of view, exercising a lot, eating big portions, but not eating lots of processed food and not chomping on snacks between meals seems to be fine for me.
Do I have an over-simplistic view?
There are all kinds of contradictory 'reports' about what is good and what is bad for you, but it often seems that it all heads back to what I said in the first paragraph.
Are there genuinely any reasons why we should "avoid carbs", "avoid grains", "avoid saturated fat" etc?
Fad diets often seem ridiculous and, from a weight point of view, exercising a lot, eating big portions, but not eating lots of processed food and not chomping on snacks between meals seems to be fine for me.
Do I have an over-simplistic view?
I'd personally say your first paragraph rings true. Most people are on 'diets' to lose weight, rather than be healthy. If you can eat from most food groups, have a nutritional diet with a few portions of fruit and veg plus whatever else you fancy, and not put on weight, then you're doing fine.
Yep. If we're talking about health rather than losing weight, then it's two separate issues. I ought to eat more healthily but I certainly don't want to lose weight. I do eat chocolate bars and crisps, have about 3 units a week.
Grains aren't bad for you unless you fall in a silo or a bag of it lands on you. Not all fat is bad for you (stick to fat from nuts, seeds and fish). Not all meat is bad for you - grilled or boiled chicken, for instance. Eat more fruit and veg. Try not to eat so much sugar and salt or stuff with ingredients you struggle to pronounce.
NHS's website on "balanced diet" is a good enough guide, even if some things might be out of date. (For instance, there's a hint that they're referring to the food triangle.)
Grains aren't bad for you unless you fall in a silo or a bag of it lands on you. Not all fat is bad for you (stick to fat from nuts, seeds and fish). Not all meat is bad for you - grilled or boiled chicken, for instance. Eat more fruit and veg. Try not to eat so much sugar and salt or stuff with ingredients you struggle to pronounce.
NHS's website on "balanced diet" is a good enough guide, even if some things might be out of date. (For instance, there's a hint that they're referring to the food triangle.)
If you discovered a perfect diet tomorrow, one that could specify the correct proportions of the correct foods to give ideal health, you would be forever shouted down by the vested interests on both sides. Your death, even if run over by a bus, would be blamed on your diet. And it would be claimed that you were obese when you died.
This has probably already happened.
For myself, I believe we are constantly encouraged to eat cheap crap that only looks like real food, and I try to avoid the worst of it. Alcohol is a toxin. Sugar is addictive empty calories. Cereals are for fattening food animals. Your digestive system is that of a carnivore - protein and saturated fats from animals are fine. Green vegetables are at worst not very nutritious. Other, newer, foodstuffs are at best unproven.
This has probably already happened.
For myself, I believe we are constantly encouraged to eat cheap crap that only looks like real food, and I try to avoid the worst of it. Alcohol is a toxin. Sugar is addictive empty calories. Cereals are for fattening food animals. Your digestive system is that of a carnivore - protein and saturated fats from animals are fine. Green vegetables are at worst not very nutritious. Other, newer, foodstuffs are at best unproven.
Edited by grumbledoak on Sunday 19th April 02:35
Leaving aside alcohol....
I work on a similar basis, I (mainly) avoid processed foods, I don't drink fizzy drinks. I've been intolerant to corn (corn syrup, maize starch etc) for over 20 years which meant I had to learn to cook proper food, with hindsight, it's been a good thing as it changed the way I ate early in life. I'm also intolerant to aspartame, so that's kept me away from lots of processed food.
In January I moved to eating more whole grains rather than refined and I seem to feel better for that and it's been an easy change, plus I've tried to focus on keeping meat portions down to 4 to 6 oz day to day.
I think I've now lived long enough to see a whole range of food scares and fad diets, I'll stick with eating foods as close to their natural state as possible and a broad range of foods.
Some of the 'new' unlabelled food treatments scare me, my next diet improvement will be to more locally sourced, natural foods.
I work on a similar basis, I (mainly) avoid processed foods, I don't drink fizzy drinks. I've been intolerant to corn (corn syrup, maize starch etc) for over 20 years which meant I had to learn to cook proper food, with hindsight, it's been a good thing as it changed the way I ate early in life. I'm also intolerant to aspartame, so that's kept me away from lots of processed food.
In January I moved to eating more whole grains rather than refined and I seem to feel better for that and it's been an easy change, plus I've tried to focus on keeping meat portions down to 4 to 6 oz day to day.
I think I've now lived long enough to see a whole range of food scares and fad diets, I'll stick with eating foods as close to their natural state as possible and a broad range of foods.
Some of the 'new' unlabelled food treatments scare me, my next diet improvement will be to more locally sourced, natural foods.
As you said a good mix of the food groups over your week will be healthy.
Portion control is key. There are plenty of overweight people who have good diets, but just eat too much.
Treats (chocolate, crisps, sweats, cakes....ect) are all fine as treats, but not as every day staples of your meals.
When all is said a done, no two people are the same, and there us no one size fits all solution.
Also don't confuse dieting ( to lose weight) with nutrition ( to maintain weight but improve health).
Portion control is key. There are plenty of overweight people who have good diets, but just eat too much.
Treats (chocolate, crisps, sweats, cakes....ect) are all fine as treats, but not as every day staples of your meals.
When all is said a done, no two people are the same, and there us no one size fits all solution.
Also don't confuse dieting ( to lose weight) with nutrition ( to maintain weight but improve health).
I know there is a difference between losing weight and nutrition, but the two things are related.
Strange diets for weight loss appear to be a punishing chore as does total prohibition of certain 'bad' foods. Not conducive to the long-term.
It is interesting to note that people who are overweight do often seem to eat calorific snacks between meals, even if they don't eat large meals.
-People who do make the effort to "diet" sometimes seem to treat themselves" to a big cake or chocolate as a reward eating less for a few days.
Humans are omnivores and benefit from being to survive on eating most things. Is there actually any basis for Grain=bad? I eat a fair bit of brown bread. I eat noodles and used to eat quite a bit of pasta, although try to eat it less frequently and now prefer the brown stuff (likewise with rice).
I have cut down on the amount of red and processed meat I eat. I don't believe that I need to eat meat twice every day.
Strange diets for weight loss appear to be a punishing chore as does total prohibition of certain 'bad' foods. Not conducive to the long-term.
KrazyIvan said:
Portion control is key. There are plenty of overweight people who have good diets, but just eat too much.
Treats (chocolate, crisps, sweats, cakes....ect) are all fine as treats, but not as every day staples of your meals.
I have always had a fairly large appetite for savoury food in the morning and evening , but have a light lunch and don't snack or crave "treats" and don't see confectionary as a reward.Treats (chocolate, crisps, sweats, cakes....ect) are all fine as treats, but not as every day staples of your meals.
It is interesting to note that people who are overweight do often seem to eat calorific snacks between meals, even if they don't eat large meals.
-People who do make the effort to "diet" sometimes seem to treat themselves" to a big cake or chocolate as a reward eating less for a few days.
Humans are omnivores and benefit from being to survive on eating most things. Is there actually any basis for Grain=bad? I eat a fair bit of brown bread. I eat noodles and used to eat quite a bit of pasta, although try to eat it less frequently and now prefer the brown stuff (likewise with rice).
I have cut down on the amount of red and processed meat I eat. I don't believe that I need to eat meat twice every day.
Edited by MC Bodge on Sunday 19th April 09:44
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