This has been bothering me for years, you know, you hear that a research study has been conducted and they find that eggs are bad for you, and then back in the 1980s, it was highly recommended that people each more carbs and those folks started packing on pounds (probably they added too much oil to their pasta dishes, who knows), and the low-fat items which are indeed low fat, but they are loaded with chemicals and carbs to get them that way, and tonight on the news, there is now a research report that says people are passing away from vitamins and supplements. The vitamin manufacturers did report they have seen an increase in this, but don't know why. This was on the Ticker on Fox News.
So does the general population really follow these trendy research reports? I know I have always been skeptical of any report. I remember back when I was a child I saw very few overweight people; there weren't a lot of fastfood places to eat; we ate balanced meals and snacks were fruit. Not anymore it seems. And the only reason why I am large is because I put in more than I spend (well, duh).
There was a report that did get my attention several years ago and it came from the Mayo Clinic. They reported they found that sunblock caused some skin cancers. Now, this was squashed after being on the news for a few short days, but their study really went into detail and it had been conducted for over 15 years. A friend of mine who is a dermatologist in California agrees with this study in some cases. He says he is finding an alarming number of cancers that are attributed to overuse of sunblocks. His recommendation is to cover the body with lightweight clothing, stay in the sun only 2 hours a day for the vitamin benefits, and to use nothing over a 15 sunblock.
So, even though after being on this island for six years now, and having ate more fish than is probably in the sea, I am longing for enchiladas and anything beef because I haven't seen a study yet on enchiladas.
Thoughts?
Donna
One of the problems is that lots of studies are funded by people that have a product to sell. For instance after several small studies funded by companies making garlic supplements showed them to lower "bad" cholesterol a new large unbiased study showed no effect. Also it is cheaper to put things in foods(high fructose corn syrup,trans fats,preservatives,etc.) that our bodies are not designed to process.Enchiladas are a traditional food and should be fine(as well as delicious.)
Re:food I like.While I have been in Oregon 19 year I grew up in Texas and Oklahoma and that has influenced my favorite foods. Barbeque,Tex-Mex,chickenfried steak,pecan pie,etc. I also like Thai,Indian,Schezuan...and of course chocolate.
Allen, you are probably so right; many companies who produce reports are self-serving ($$$$$) so they are banking on the gullible people of the universe. And I also saw the report on garlic yesterday. I guess I am going to morph my thread, but it is health related.
Even though Honduras is primarily Spanish, at least on the mainland, it is also black caribe people and spanish here on Roatan. The foods they eat are amazingly not healthy; flour tortillas made with lard, small red beans, and chicken baked with two cups of brown sugar! Diabetes is predominant here even in children under 6. And yet there is fish in the sea, but everything they make is sickingly SWEET; sugar is put into everything. The ice tea is totally throw-away, and if I ever see another green bell pepper here, I am going to use it as target practice. Restaurants are fine here; the island people eat high sugar foods. The sugar does remind me of what we ate when training back in the 60s: steak and hershey bars--wonderful!
And since foods are important to us, what are some of your favorites? Right now, mine is obviously enchiladas. But also, let's not forget and try to remember any reports you have seen that sounded skeptical. I'll bet there are some out there I haven't heard about.
Well I don't know about the rest of you but I plan on dying one day.
For now, I eat fairly well, drink in moderation, don't abuse drugs (never have--hard to believe huh?), I'm now exercising, I don't smoke, I don't bungee jump, I don't dress in camo and go off into the woods at weekends, and I don't lap up the sun.
If I'm gonna die young...there's not much more I can do about it. I refuse to worry about every single thing when we spend our lives so unnaturally compared to the folks of 100 years ago.
Trust me, no matter what we as humans do, or how smart we get, nature will find a way to eliminate us one by one.
So enjoy life as best you can and take reasonable measures to prevent it ending too soon.
Love n peace
Rich
I have heard of the sun block cancer issue. Dont know what to think about all that. I like to get tanned but not too much. I wear a T shirt in summer in the outside pool over my suit..good for extra swim drag.
Re:food I like.While I have been in Oregon 19 year I grew up in Texas and Oklahoma and that has influenced my favorite foods. Barbeque,Tex-Mex,chickenfried steak,pecan pie,etc. I also like Thai,Indian,Schezuan...and of course chocolate.
Allen we could carb up for a meet together REAL good! hehehhe
Liquid carbs to wash it all down with though!
Donna, Fox News is your problem, not diet. ;)
I don't eat as healthy as I could but I'm trying to change that. I was just diagnosed (if that's the right word) with high cholestrol and will probably be on drugs for it for the rest of my life within the year. But back to food: LOVE IT ALL! Fries are my fav, then Mexican (so excited to go back to Texas!).
As for fad diets, I did the South Beach a few years ago and had huge sucess with it. I lost like 35 pounds and was inspired to start swimming again, which obviously was a good choice. I don't think all fads work though. And while studies may be biased, there are regulations on what they can advertise and what wording and such they can use. That's why you have to read the small print. They just say you have to have it, they don't say how big it has to be.
Now I'm hungry..............
Donna, Fox News is your problem, not diet. ;)
I don't eat as healthy as I could but I'm trying to change that. I was just diagnosed (if that's the right word) with high cholestrol and will probably be on drugs for it for the rest of my life within the year. But back to food: LOVE IT ALL! Fries are my fav, then Mexican (so excited to go back to Texas!).
Now I'm hungry..............
Kyra...promise me 2 things. In London you'll have 1) fish and chips with salt and vinegar, and 2) go to the East side of London for Pie, Mash and Liquor.
If you're very brave try jellied eels with vinegar and lots of pepper.
Kyra...promise me 2 things. In London you'll have 1) fish and chips with salt and vinegar, and 2) go to the East side of London for Pie, Mash and Liquor.
If you're very brave try jellied eels with vinegar and lots of pepper.
Eels aren't happening, but I'm down for the other two...well that depends...define pie, mash, and liquor? Fish and chips is one of my favorites though!!!!
I'm a believer in moderation and try not to get caught up in the "killer of the month" reports.
Rick Bayless, a chef/owner of Frontera Grill in Chicago, wrote his philosophy about food and eating in the intro to his cookbook "Everyday Mexican". I came to a similar conclusion independently as I worked on losing weight last year (lost 30 lbs so far; still aways from my prom weight ;), but getting there).
He had two pieces of advice. First, eat around the perimeter of a grocery store, ie don't eat prepared foods. Second, eat 'everyday' foods every day, and eat 'feast' foods once in a while. His observation is that most diets are based on deprivation, rather than sensible eating. Further, he notes, our bodies need to pig out once in a while. If we don't let them, the 'feasting' will eventually last for days.
For me that made sense. I stuck to a 1100-1700 calorie day eating very, very well (it helps that I love to cook). I made the decision before I even started that a couple hundred of those calories were going to come from cream and sugar in my morning coffee, lest I should become unspeakable. For a special occasion, I ate what ever I wanted and didn't worry about it.
I have friends (and family members), Donna, that make dining in or out an awful experience, what with comments on what's "bad for you now" or commenting on the calorie, fat content, carbs, sugars...UGH!...on everything they eat. It's like they are at war with food.
My Italian grandparents ate fresh foods, cooked with lots of olive oil and drank plenty of homemade wine. They lived, healthy and sharp-witted, into their 90s. I can only hope I'll do as well. :drink:
