My confusion continued on in terms of what constitutes a "healthy diet" ever since watching this video:
I'm sure many of you have heard of the famous Matt Monarch, the raw foodist. Well he made a video that talks about why eating 100% raw might not be the healthiest diet. Really? Of course this video had many video replies to this that said the opposite. To me a raw vegan diet sounds way to extreme and difficult to adhere to. As Matt says, you will lose your present social life. There is very little research done on raw veganism, so is it really worth it when you'd have to lose touch with a lot of your friends/ some family.
Sometimes I just don't know what to believe!!! Eating red meat is bad for you... ok that's actually been pretty well shown in epidemiological studies. I remember reading just 2 days ago from eCancer (a bunch of European Cancer Research Centres) that eating only a small amount of red meat will decrease 3% of cancers (not all are related to diet). So I actually believe the claim that too much red meat is unhealthy. On the other hand there're Paleo people who keep saying that grains cause too much inflammation or that they make us fat. Like seriously... I have read a study saying that a Paleo diet is good for those with diabetes (no duh it's a low carb diet) but nothing related to longevity or chronic diseases. Well the problem is it's almost impossible to follow the true Paleo diet because most animals are fed on grains and soy and it's not the same "wild game" that is high protein/ low fat.
The vegetarian diet is ok but the problem comes in with replacing meat proteins with dairy proteins. Big no no! The other thing is that some people are "carbatarians" which isn't exactly healthy either. Vegans can be pretty unhealthy because there're tonnes of vegan "junk food" options available now. Hey, french fries are technically vegan! However, if done properly I think a vegetarian/ vegan diet is very healthy.
 |
| My Food Pyramid |
Where do I stand? I think I've mentioned a gazillion times that I follow the Mediterranean Diet. I've actually put together what a typical food day for me looks like (FINALLY!) and will post it on Friday. It's really just a Whole Food diet that is somewhat of a pescetarian. Very flexible! Basically, it's A LOT of fruits and veggies, some whole grains, lean sources of proteins, and some healthy fats. For proteins I predominantly eat legumes, fish, and some cottage cheese or eggs. As you may have noticed by my blog I never put up meat recipes. That's because I never cook meat! I still eat it but on the more rare occasions like family dinners. I think we shouldn't restrict ourselves to any particular food and I'm sure a tiny bit of red meat is healthy (but just a tiny bit). Plus, eating this way prevents those annoying arguments over nutrition and people telling you how unhealthy you are because you don't eat meat every single day. As for fats I mainly get mine from extra virgin olive oil (the holy grail of the Mediterranean Diet), avocados, fish, and NUTS! Blah! You'll see what I mean on Friday!
Does your family question you about your eating habits? Has it ever gotten in the way?
PS: I found this video on youtube and I think it's the coolest thing ever. I don't play Assassin's Creed or anything but parkour is so cool! I see people doing it at my university and it's just so amazing what people can do with their bodies!!!
All the different dietary theories can be overwhelming. That's what my entire year at IIN was about--we studied over 100 of them! There were some weeks I was so confused about what I *should* be eating, but at the end of the day (and the entire premise of the program) was to teach you that you have to experiments a bit, listen to your body, and figure out what works best for YOU. Not someone else, but you. And it can be challenging. But I think the experimentation is a bit fun! :)
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? 100s of dietary theories 0.0 Well that's the scary part they're all theories... how many of them have actually been scientifically proven and I'm talking proper randomized controlled trials published in reputable journals. That's what I've noticed with things like paleolithic diet or raw vegan diet, there just isn't enough proper science done and people are making a lot of health claims.
DeleteWell said. I personally try to go for a balance of foods. The logic being that balanced nutrition comes from a variety of foods. Some "unhealthy" foods are actually good for us -like you said, red meat. I also believe the quality counts. Eat a fresh, lean cut of steak (grass fed if you can find it) Frozen, processed, genetically modified and artificially flavored "beef"patties should not count as your red meat serving!
ReplyDeleteI am hypoglycemic and cannot tell you how many articles i have read that suggest low/no carbs. If i don't have carbs my sugar crashes and i feel like crap. After years of experimentation i have found that a balance of whole grain carbs, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, lean protein, and nuts are what works for me. I think everyone needs to research and experiment to find their own balance, instead of trying to eat how someone else thinks they should.
Agreed! I honestly don't think that red meat is horrible for you, it's just that we over consume it (and overproccess it) too much now adays.
DeleteOmg! I think I'm a bit hypoglycemic too because I do horrible with low carb. My head goes spinning whenever I get a bit hungry, like I literally feel faint :S
Gah, all these crazy diets/lifestyles--and they all seem to say completely opposite things while also saying the same thing. Whole foods and some worthwhile treats on the side--the rest is just details :)
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly! I just love hearing vegans debating with paleo people- so amusing!
DeleteI think that people just need to be more in tune with their own bodies in general. I love Michael Pollan's little catch phrase: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants" I think the way to go is whole, REAL foods for sure and then just paying attention to what makes you feel the best. I know that for me personally I feel best without grains daily. I'm a three meals a day person, eat full fat dairy in moderation, poultry and sometimes fish, tons of fruits and veggies. My daughter, on the other hand, is a grazer (really hard for me to get my head around!), refuses to eat "living creatures" (she's 4... so cute:) but loves lots of fruits and veggies and some dairy (mainly yogurt). I give my kids whole grains even thpugh I don't eat them. I make sure to give them healthy CHOICES so that they can figure out what feels best for them. I truly believe that when we really listen closely to our bodies, we find the answers to many of our questions about what to eat :)
ReplyDeleteIt's actually Hippocrates who said "eat food. not too much. mostly plants" Crazy that the Greeks knew this over two thousand years ago!
DeleteAww! You're setting up your kids for a healthy relationship with food :) I was at Whole Foods one time and I overheard one women teaching her kid about nutrition. Love that people are passing it on to their kids :D
I really don't get paleo, why pick that era? Why not go back even further while you're at it?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe harnessing the power of fire was an important step in evolution. Yeah, some foods are better raw, but not all of them!
I think the "healthiest diet" is what is healthy for the individual. I was watching a special about nomads in Tibet-try telling them, largely dependent on the sheep they herd for sustenance (not just as meat but also dairy) that they should be vegan!
Interesting point about the Tibet nomads. I think as cultures we have also adapted to eating certain foods. I remember learning that specific populations are more lactose intolerant then others. We're all different and have different enzymes so I guess we should eat differently. It's just annoying that the way that social media is developed people can spread all of these ideas that often times have absolutely no scientific bases to it.
DeleteI love this post!! It is all confusing and contradictory and I Agee not enough real Science. I have moved more to a vegan diet, with no dairy or wheat. I need carbs but I find wheat and dairy seem to make some of my ongoing skin issues much worse. I eat meat occasionally though and lots of eggs. I can't go completely vegan without being crazy. It has taken me ages to figure out what works and I still havent completely got there.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard with my kids because I want them to eat well and have a healthy relationship with food. I don't want anything to be off limits. They eat meat, but one in particular doesnt care for it and only eats it cooked in things.
Yeah! It's kid of crazy when parents push their kids to be "vegan" or "paleo", it's kind of like making them follow a particular religion. Also, our needs change with time and age :)
DeleteAmazing how little we really know! The question may be, is there really a perfect diet? I don't know if there is, and it may even be different from person to person! I think the key is to try and use a lot of common sense when making dietary choices.
ReplyDeleteI was talking to a breast cancer pathologist yesterday (regarding a lab position, I'm fine) and he told me that there're so many different types of breast cancer with the only thing them having in common being that they originate from the breast. There's just so much variability between humans. Remember my nutrigenomix post? I think some people push things to the extreme though where it becomes like an obsession and affects their social life. That's not healthy!
DeleteIt is SO overwhelming. My approach has been to read as much as I can handle, then make my own best calls. I figure that our bodies are all slightly different and that I am (hopefully) the best judge of what works for me. I still have no idea, though :-/
ReplyDeleteI'm on the same boat :) What I'm doing right now seems to be working but it still isn't 100% perfect. Be really careful about what you read. A lot of books/ websites about diets have no scientific proof to them. I know you don't have access to all journals but always check things with http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ or Google Scholar to get read scientific information.
DeleteAgreed- it can definitely be confusing!!
ReplyDeleteI know! It can be really frustrating too when people argue about these things too. There's this constant argument in my house around pork because I think that pigs are disgusting animals and don't want to put them into my body. My grandma always says that it's what my ancestors ate so I should too. Aah, there have been way to many fights about something so stupid.
Delete