New Dietary Guidelines: Cut Sugar, Eat More Veggies

[Suzanimal]

And what's wrong with that?!

I get the shits.:o I ate a whole watermelon once and it was a disaster.

 

[Schifference]

Live case study of myself:

54 Year old 5'7" male. Ate varying diets throughout life and have been physically fit and overweight. 6 months ago ate lots of pizza, processed foods, and carbs. At previous times in my life I had been low fat mostly vegetarian.
In July I was mostly sedentary and did not exercise and was the heaviest I had ever been in my life 224#.
I decided to continue not exercising and only change my diet. I did not take to any particular diet plan. I simply limited my carbohydrates.
After a short while I read somewhere that fat was important and noted that the previous theory of saturated fats clogging arteries was under scrutiny.
I added fat to my diet.
I continued to not do any kind of exercise. I like to say I am on a high fat low carb diet.
I didn't count any calories or monitor how much food I ate. I was only concerned with staying away from carbs.
I introduced heavy whipping cream to my coffee and butter. If there was a piece of fat on my meat I ate it.
I have chickens and eat as many eggs as I want.

People would ask, "what impact do you think that high fat diet is having on your cholesterol?" I was obviously curios myself.
Jan 2016 I had a physical and lab work done.

Now down to 162#. Lost more than 60# in 6 months. No exercise. Dr asked me if I eat a healthy diet. I said, "a healthy diet depends on who you ask". He said, "low fat with plenty of fruits and vegetables." I said, "I have heard that saturated fat is not bad for you and that many fruits tend to have lots of carbohydrates." He smiled and didn't engage too much because I am sure he wanted to just get to the next patient.

Lab work came in a day later.
Lipid Profile:
Cholesterol 221 high
Triglycerides 70
HDL 81 high
LDL 126 high

I thought hmm I wonder if the cholesterol is really high and if I should be concerned with my heart health.
Research led me to the think that Triglycerides are the real enemy in heart health and that rather than worry about cholesterol we need to worry about the ratio of Triglycerides to HDL.
From my research it appears that a person wants their Triglycerides below 150 and the lower the better. HDL we want at 45 or above the higher the better. My Triglycerides are at 70 and HDL at 81.
There is a formla to take T/HDL Good level of Triglycerides 150/45 good level HDL =3.33. That is a good number and a level of 2 would be great. 100 Tri/ 50HDL =2. The lower the number the better. My Tri 70/81 HDL = .864.
Another thing I read about heart health is that all LDL is not the same. There are large fluffy LDL and small binding LDL. Fluffy not bad, binding bad. People with Low Triglycerides and High HDL tend to have fluffy people with High Tri and low HDL have binding.
According to my interpretation of the lab work it seems that I have an extremely low risk for heart disease.

 

[Yieu]

I have some anecdata too. I ate too much because I enjoy food and gained weight. Then I ate fewer calories without altering my vegetarian diet much otherwise, and lost weight without exercise. Calories in, calories out -- it works.

Also, when I switched to a vegetarian diet, I felt much healthier -- fewer stomach pains, felt less lethargic, and it's hard to describe exactly, but it felt like there were fewer oils in my limbs and blood, which felt better.

Not everyone is likely to have the same experience, but I do think that there is no necessity for meat, and that grains (gluten), beans (lectin), fruit (fructose), and complex carbs are healthy, and that we have had agriculture and farmed grains for longer than 10,000 years. I think some of the low-carb/paleo stuff can sometimes be an emotional reaction to thinking that vegetarians judge others or feel superior in some way, but generally, that is not how vegetarians feel or act. At least, I have seen some people that appeared to be mostly into paleo ideology because they seemed offended that there were vegetarians out there, possibly due to assuming vegetarians judge or feel superior, and were calling all vegetarians gaunt and unhealthy. That may not be the case for all who follow the paleo diet, though.

I will say that I do think that someone can eat based on the paleo diet and be healthy, but that cured and red meat consumption increases risk for cancer, and ketoacidosis may be a danger with long term low carb diets. But the points that seem to be made specifically to debunk the healthiness of vegetarianism, I think, are not accurate -- that being the claims that grains, beans, fruit, and complex carbs are bad for you, and those things also imply that you should therefore eat meat instead due to limiting those items from the diet. Based on the claims against those foods, and the implied conclusion to therefore eat meat, it almost seems like the paleo diet is a reactionary ideology designed to be against vegetarianism. I say, you eat what you want, and I'll eat what I want. I think it is a good thing though for people to be aware that you can be healthy without meat, without extra effort.

But lets admit some other big reasons why these low carb diets have become very popular, especially amongst Republicans and Libertarians. Eating meat has always been traditionally seen as a macho thing as it used to be the strong warrior types who went out to hunt and kill big game and got all the glory coming back to their communities with the impressive big kills and they probably got to eat bigger portions of the kills for all their hard and dangerous work and this allowed them to grow bigger than the other guys in the village because they were getting more calories than the rest and both of these reasons helped them get the hot chicks in their villages. Look how obsessed guys get with body building and how much meat and dairy they think they need to eat to get "big and strong" to impress the ladies when really the reason eating all those foods helps them get bigger is because they are higher in calories. Vegetarians and vegans have always been seen as wimpy and weak by the average guy.

And another big reason is small government people see vegetarians and vegans as big govt leftists trying to tell them what to eat and how to live their lives, so eating lots of meat is seen as defiance and a symbol of their freedom. Too bad eating all that meat and dairy is going to wreck their health and impede on other people's freedoms by wrecking the planet.

Those misconceptions are simply misconceptions and largely do not apply at all. Just because someone bases their diet on religious morals or the non-aggression principle does not in any way mean they are a big government leftist or that they want to force or judge others into eating like they do, and there is nothing manly about eating an innocent animal. It is manly to protect the innocent -- but that isn't meant as an dig on meat eaters. It is manly to kill when being attacked, though.

 

[Schifference]

I eat all meat but my favorite has become rabbit. I raise them myself and slaughter them at 10-12 weeks. They feed on mothers milk for up to 6 weeks. I feed them sprouted fodder and hay. No antibiotics. Very tasty meat. It has been said that rabbit is too lean. Caged meat rabbits have plenty of fat and I eat it all. I have introduced some moderate fruit. I find that keeping the carbs down is the huge factor. I like to say that it is not about eating the right food but rather not eating the wrong food. I am very pleased with my diet. I eat as much as I want with no need to cut down. I enjoy my food. Today I like to say that I am a conscientious eater. Suppose I am eating some nuts, I will eat one at a time and keep my hands free until the one nut I just ate has been swallowed. Habitually I have always taken a handful of something and thrown it in my mouth and probably swallowed it poorly masticated while already preparing the next handful to throw in my mouth. I don't eat spaghetti any more but I can imagine that in the past while I was eating one forkful I was preparing the next to shove down. I eat pretty much everything except processed food and grain. I believe that I could eat that way the rest of my life. I feel much better than I did eating all that processed food and carbohydrates. I never have a problem if I go out to eat either. I can always get a meat dish and a salad and vegetable.

I don't think it is possible to eat too much and gain weight if you don't eat processed food and don't eat too many carbohydrates. You get full and satisfied.

 

[Suzanimal]

I eat all meat but my favorite has become rabbit. I raise them myself and slaughter them at 10-12 weeks. They feed on mothers milk for up to 6 weeks. I feed them sprouted fodder and hay. No antibiotics. Very tasty meat. It has been said that rabbit is too lean. Caged meat rabbits have plenty of fat and I eat it all. I have introduced some moderate fruit. I find that keeping the carbs down is the huge factor. I like to say that it is not about eating the right food but rather not eating the wrong food. I am very pleased with my diet. I eat as much as I want with no need to cut down. I enjoy my food. Today I like to say that I am a conscientious eater. Suppose I am eating some nuts, I will eat one at a time and keep my hands free until the one nut I just ate has been swallowed. Habitually I have always taken a handful of something and thrown it in my mouth and probably swallowed it poorly masticated while already preparing the next handful to throw in my mouth. I don't eat spaghetti any more but I can imagine that in the past while I was eating one forkful I was preparing the next to shove down. I eat pretty much everything except processed food and grain. I believe that I could eat that way the rest of my life. I feel much better than I did eating all that processed food and carbohydrates. I never have a problem if I go out to eat either. I can always get a meat dish and a salad and vegetable.

I don't think it is possible to eat too much and gain weight if you don't eat processed food and don't eat too many carbohydrates. You get full and satisfied.

Get a sprializer. I love to have spaghetti made with zucchini "noodles".

 

[Ender]

Why? Grains are better for you than sugars. But even with sugars there are differences. Sugars in candy and sodas are bad (at least they offer nothing good). Sugars in fruits come with vitamins and nutrients you need like vitamin C which your body cannot store.

They also added that the average American consumes too much meat which can be harmful for the body.

The key is moderation in all things and variety (don't focus on eating or not eating any single group or category of foods).

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/...-for-all-and-less-meat-for-boys-and-men/?_r=0



I know you are big on the meat- eating thing but that has health issues too if you consume too much of it as well. Again- moderation.

Grains are NOT better for me than natural sugars. I never eat the refined sugars. And meat is very necessary for a Blood Type O.

Also- saturated fats and salt are not bad, either. These have gotten a really bad rap from faulty gov "science".

 

[Yieu]

Meat is not nutritionally necessary for any humans, so whether someone has it is based on taste preference. I think it tastes and smells quite bad, but other people enjoy the flavor.

"The blood type diets are fad diets[1]", and "The consensus among dietitians, physicians, and scientists is that these diets are unsupported by scientific evidence.[2][3][4][5][6]".

Grains and natural sugars are both good and serve their purposes, in the right quantity. I think that it is better to have a larger amount of whole grains and a smaller amount of natural sugars.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

Get a sprializer. I love to have spaghetti made with zucchini "noodles".

ive thought about getting a 'vegetti' which i imagine is the same thing.. making noodles out of vegetables but i didnt know anybody who had something... can you tell me about your experience with it and what veggies work best and how they compare to pasta etc?

 

[Chester Copperpot]

i think a vegetable based diet is probably best for me. but there are definitely areas where meat is beneficial and thats to repair damaged parts of our bodies. So if you have a damaged thyroid you eat animal thyroid to repair it, if you have a damaged liver you eat animal liver etc.. basically just eat the animal parts that you need to fix in your own body and you cant get that from plants. Also real cod liver oil is fantastic. only 2 places in the world actually make and sell it tho.

i dont have any problem with grains other than the fact that our food supply is so twisted and f'ed up so grains i eat tend to be only sprouted or sourdough (naturally fermented) to jack up the nutrients and tone down the anti-nutrients or einkhorn wheat which is a real ancient grain unaffected by todays genetic engineering...

i used to be a real sugar maven... turned out its a symptom of hypothyroidism that i had most of my life without realizing it.. once i corrected that the cravings all went away. but i would let myself eat as much fruits and vegetables as i wanted.

 

[Schifference]

I think some of the problem with spaghetti is the sauce and might even be the meat. I don't think even if spaghetti squash or a vegetable based noodle were used that the dish would be low in carbs. Tomato's are not low in carbs. Meatballs definitely have additives like bread crumbs and who know what else. I don't know what goes into sausage. I like to know what I am eating. I have seen sauce sweetened to minimize the acid. I do remember making a homemade tomato soup a few years ago that I might look into again. I think I took chopped or diced tomato's and spread them on a cookie sheet and put olive oil on them put onions, peppers, and garlic also. Put in the oven for a while to caramelize the veggies then put it all in the blender. I don't think it was necessary to put in the blender. I remember using that recipe to make seafood stew/soup also. It was very good.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

I think some of the problem with spaghetti is the sauce and might even be the meat. I don't think even if spaghetti squash or a vegetable based noodle were used that the dish would be low in carbs. Tomato's are not low in carbs. Meatballs definitely have additives like bread crumbs and who know what else. I don't know what goes into sausage. I like to know what I am eating. I have seen sauce sweetened to minimize the acid. I do remember making a homemade tomato soup a few years ago that I might look into again. I think I took chopped or diced tomato's and spread them on a cookie sheet and put olive oil on them put onions, peppers, and garlic also. Put in the oven for a while to caramelize the veggies then put it all in the blender. I don't think it was necessary to put in the blender. I remember using that recipe to make seafood stew/soup also. It was very good.

on youtube they have people using raw tomatoes on a grater and making sauce instantly.... havent tried it yet but am gonna next time i make spaghetti...

 

[Weston White]

They also added that the average American consumes too much meat which can be harmful for the body.

SMH! So, you buy that meat is harmful and should be avoided as much as possible, yet taking chemical cocktails and eating GMO' is jimdandy?

 

[Chester Copperpot]

I think some of the problem with spaghetti is the sauce and might even be the meat. I don't think even if spaghetti squash or a vegetable based noodle were used that the dish would be low in carbs. Tomato's are not low in carbs. Meatballs definitely have additives like bread crumbs and who know what else. I don't know what goes into sausage. I like to know what I am eating. I have seen sauce sweetened to minimize the acid. I do remember making a homemade tomato soup a few years ago that I might look into again. I think I took chopped or diced tomato's and spread them on a cookie sheet and put olive oil on them put onions, peppers, and garlic also. Put in the oven for a while to caramelize the veggies then put it all in the blender. I don't think it was necessary to put in the blender. I remember using that recipe to make seafood stew/soup also. It was very good.

Heres the video.. my post by itself doesnt do it justice:

 

[specsaregood]

//

 

[angelatc]

My question is - does anybody actually pay attention to the government's advice on how to eat? Based on the posts above, every single person here with an opinion about diet disagrees with some aspect of the advice.

And people like me, whose main criteria is only that it must taste somewhat not disgusting, don't care enough to even think about it. So why do these guidelines exist? Does anybody, anywhere change their diet because Uncle Sam said so?

And if not, why are we paying for this silliness?

 

[Weston White]

I only maintain that it is healthy to be vegetarian, and there is no health-based need to have meat.

Well, meat and seafood are necessary to maintaining healthy brain function and developing muscles.

E.g., http://www.livescience.com/7044-fishy-humans-smart.html and http://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=more-from-livescience

 

[angelatc]

SMH! So, you buy that meat is harmful and should be avoided as much as possible, yet taking chemical cocktails and eating GMO' is jimdandy?

 

[Suzanimal]

ive thought about getting a 'vegetti' which i imagine is the same thing.. making noodles out of vegetables but i didnt know anybody who had something... can you tell me about your experience with it and what veggies work best and how they compare to pasta etc?

That's what I have - I have the cheapest one but I love it so much I just bought the sprializer attachment for my Kitchen Aid. I have teenage boys and they love veggetti - my wrists were worn out by the time I cranked out enough for all of us. The main tip is not to let it get mushy - don't cook them too long and only use a little bit of olive oil. I saw a recipe where a woman did zucchini, carrots, and sweet potatoes - sprayed them with OO, seasoned them and baked them in her oven. The reviews on that recipe were very good. I can't find it right now but I'll post it when I do.

We also like shrimp Alfredo vegetti.

If you're trying to expand your veggie horizons, pick up The Thug Cookbook or just check out their website - lots of recipes there for free. We made the braised radishes and roasted tomato soup and meat loving Mr Animal loved them both. http://www.thugkitchen.com/

 

[luctor-et-emergo]

That's what I have - I have the cheapest one but I love it so much I just bought the sprializer attachment for my Kitchen Aid. I have teenage boys and they love veggetti - my wrists were worn out by the time I cranked out enough for all of us. The main tip is not to let it get mushy - don't cook them too long and only use a little bit of olive oil. I saw a recipe where a woman did zucchini, carrots, and sweet potatoes - sprayed them with OO, seasoned them and baked them in her oven. The reviews on that recipe were very good. I can't find it right now but I'll post it when I do.

We also like shrimp Alfredo vegetti.

If you're trying to expand your veggie horizons, pick up The Thug Cookbook or just check out their website - lots of recipes there for free. We made the braised radishes and roasted tomato soup and meat loving Mr Animal loved them both. http://www.thugkitchen.com/

I've got 10lbs of fresh organic tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter. Waiting to be de-skinned and boiled up into a nice soup. Small amounts of onion, leek and garlic, some herbs. Then I'm going to dip some sourdough bread into it..

Oh and Suz, something you could try as well, which we did a lot in winter.. Big oven tray, cut up onions, mushrooms, leeks, fennel, carrot or any other veggie you think will do well. Sprinkle with some thyme/oregano and maybe some chili flakes/powder. Put some olive oil in there, mix it around a bit and let the whole aromatic thing sit in the oven until it starts to color. Pretty nice to serve with meatballs&mashed potatoes.

 

[Suzanimal]

I've got 10lbs of fresh organic tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter. Waiting to be de-skinned and boiled up into a nice soup. Small amounts of onion, leek and garlic, some herbs. Then I'm going to dip some sourdough bread into it..

Ten pounds? Sounds like Luc doesn't have to worry about dick cancer.

Oh and Suz, something you could try as well, which we did a lot in winter.. Big oven tray, cut up onions, mushrooms, leeks, fennel, carrot or any other veggie you think will do well. Sprinkle with some thyme/oregano and maybe some chili flakes/powder. Put some olive oil in there, mix it around a bit and let the whole aromatic thing sit in the oven until it starts to color. Pretty nice to serve with meatballs&mashed potatoes.

Sounds yummy, I'll try that.