It's ridiculous!

Cloud · 05-13-2009, 08:00 PM

I've got about 20 diet and nutrition books, with helpful guidelines, charts of various combinations of foods/eating schemes, recipes, food lists, supplement lists . . .

But to do any of them, you have to be buying and cooking food constantly, not to mention eating it! "Variety is key" -- "eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily" -- "3 servings of whole grains" --

Nobody eats like that. You sure can't tell me that primitive man had that much variety in their diet or ate all those food groups, let alone the minimum daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. How can this represent a human being's optimum health?

Alluvial · 05-13-2009, 08:10 PM

I agree with you that it's difficult to fit all those servings in without doing a lot of grocery buying (and eating). I'd like to gently point out, however, that primitive man didn't have a long life expectancy. Those guidelines are for people who want to live a long time.

BTW, are you feeling better these days?

lumberjim · 05-13-2009, 08:11 PM

eat the books

Alluvial · 05-13-2009, 08:15 PM

That would certainly fulfill her roughage quotient.

lumberjim · 05-13-2009, 08:17 PM

It'll make her shit like a Bison

Cloud · 05-13-2009, 08:20 PM

That's a good point, Alluvial. But some of that has to be from accidents and disease rather than nutrition. Surely it would make sense that man has evolved to thrive on a more limited selection of food choices, based on local environments, not a supermarket with ingredients from all over the world.

And Jim . . . maybe I'll eat you! At least I'd get some protein out of it . . .

SteveDallas · 05-13-2009, 08:22 PM

Watch your sodium intake.

Alluvial · 05-13-2009, 08:27 PM

I agree with you Cloud, especially about the primitive people being limited to certain things depending upon geography. I think that as long as a person limits their intake of Bad Things and gets as much of the veggies & fiber as they can, it's ok. That's what I do anyway, and I'm not dead yet.

Cloud · 05-13-2009, 08:28 PM

eat food. not too much. mostly plants.

better, and more succinct, words of wisdom than in all those books.

Aliantha · 05-13-2009, 08:28 PM

If you have a mixed grain cereal for breakfast, a salad sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch and a basic dinner of 3 - 5 veges and some kind of lean meat, then snack on fruit and nuts during the day, it's pretty easy to have a nutritious diet, and I don't think it requires much effort really.

monster · 05-13-2009, 09:20 PM

Variety is better, but 5 portions is 5 portions, even if they're all the same...

my kids are currently into at least 3 portions of peas a day.

Pie · 05-13-2009, 09:30 PM

Actually, our cave-dwelling ancestors ate a much wider array of foods than we do. Consider that they had no agriculture, so no large harvests of any one food. Grains were especially hard to come by. They scatter-shot most meals, a little of this, a little of that.

I easily eat "5 a day", probably much more. I was raised in a vegetarian household, and I'm trying to eat less carbs -- that pretty much leaves me with veggies. Good thing I like them!

We signed up for a half-share in a CSA farm this year. I can't wait to get my first shipment. It's scheduled to start on June 4th. It'll be a bit like Iron Chef, looking at the "secret ingredients" every week! I'm going to enjoy the challenge, I think. I can also get grass-pastured beef, eggs, butter and honey from them.

Maybe I should start a picture thread for it?

DanaC · 05-14-2009, 03:49 AM

Also, add the fact that their diet would have been completely seasonal. So they'd have had variety through the year as well.

I am trying a similar thing Cloud. I've been aiming at 5 portions of fruit and veg (5 different portions) and it's not so easy. I am managing to average about 4 different portions a day at the moment. Some days only 2-3 others maybe 5-6. What I have noticed is that since I started this new regime, I seem to spend an inordinate amount of my time thinking about, planning, and buying food, let alone the actual cooking!

My usual strategy is to make sure I always have tinned fruit in the house (I can rarely persuade myself to eat fresh fruit but tinned fruit goes down easy and counts to 5 a day), so that usually takes care of at least 1 portion a day. A glass of frut jiuce is a 2nd.

Then I try to plan a meal with at least 2-3 portions included in it. So, for instance the other day I roasted half a courgette (in sticks) quarter of a pepper and a couple of florets of broccoli, which I stirred through cooked pasta along with a spoon of creme fraiche, some whloegrain mustard and a couple of dessertspoons of sweetcorn. Was very nice and took care of 3 portions of veg (pepper and sweetcorn were each half a portion)

I also try to have bags of mixed fruit, seeds and nuts in the house as well. Whlst they haven't completely replaced the processed high-cal and heavily sugared sweets, they've certainly reduced them.

On days I can't be arsed cooking, I try to at the very least make sure that if I am having a ready meal or somesuch, I add some veg to it. Last time I had tinned soup, I threw in half a tin of peas to bulk it up.

Bit by bit, I am migrating to more fresh and less tinned/processed food. Though sweetcorn, peas and various kind sof beans are good to have in. Kidney beans are great because a couple of spoons of those go with so many things.

But it is hard,. When you actually see how much each portion is supposed to be. Three tablespoons of kidney beans? That's a lot of beans! half a pepper? What all in one go? These are quantities I don't usually cope well with...but I realised if I reduce the amount of bread/pasta and meat (I only eat meat maybe twice a week now), I am able to eat more of the veg and pulses.

I am becomng slightly obsessed tho :P

Sundae · 05-14-2009, 06:34 AM

Also, Cloud, remember that primitive man had no job. His job was finding enough food to eat. And eating it.

And he would have been hungry a reasonable amount of the time - binge and purge doncha know.

The books/ diet plans can only work on what it healthy for us now, given that we do not exert ourselves for 12 hours a day looking for food. He would have been able to burn off so much more fat, but have had access to so much less for example. No pastries for him!

Not knocking you for your question - I find it very hard to stick to Govt healthy eating guidelines. And it bugs me that I am both the fattest person and yet have the healthiest basket every time I go to the supermarket. Yes I know I am losing weight, but when I look at the shite other people are buying it seem so unfair!

If you ever decide to repair to the woods for a stab at living like out ancestors, invite me along. I know I'd come out of it far healthier. And slimmer.

Cloud · 05-14-2009, 09:04 AM

I'm not sure I actually buy that our ancestors ate more variety--I'll have to research, but my main point is that modern man (woman) is faced with too many food choices! Too much conflicting information! and just plain too much food. On my account, anyway.

If I followed all (some) of the guidelines, I have to think about food constantly. Seems counter-productive when I'm trying to de-emphasize it.

05-13-2009, 08:00 PM	#1
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	It's ridiculous! I've got about 20 diet and nutrition books, with helpful guidelines, charts of various combinations of foods/eating schemes, recipes, food lists, supplement lists . . . But to do any of them, you have to be buying and cooking food constantly, not to mention eating it! "Variety is key" -- "eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily" -- "3 servings of whole grains" -- Nobody eats like that. You sure can't tell me that primitive man had that much variety in their diet or ate all those food groups, let alone the minimum daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. How can this represent a human being's optimum health? __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

05-13-2009, 08:10 PM	#2
Alluvial Phenomenologist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Central Mississippi Posts: 270	I agree with you that it's difficult to fit all those servings in without doing a lot of grocery buying (and eating). I'd like to gently point out, however, that primitive man didn't have a long life expectancy. Those guidelines are for people who want to live a long time. BTW, are you feeling better these days? __________________ “My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn.” - Louis Adamic

05-13-2009, 08:11 PM	#3
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	eat the books __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

05-13-2009, 08:15 PM	#4
Alluvial Phenomenologist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Central Mississippi Posts: 270	That would certainly fulfill her roughage quotient. __________________ “My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn.” - Louis Adamic

05-13-2009, 08:17 PM	#5
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	It'll make her shit like a Bison __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

05-13-2009, 08:20 PM	#6
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	That's a good point, Alluvial. But some of that has to be from accidents and disease rather than nutrition. Surely it would make sense that man has evolved to thrive on a more limited selection of food choices, based on local environments, not a supermarket with ingredients from all over the world. And Jim . . . maybe I'll eat you! At least I'd get some protein out of it . . . __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

05-13-2009, 08:22 PM	#7
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Watch your sodium intake.

05-13-2009, 08:27 PM	#8
Alluvial Phenomenologist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Central Mississippi Posts: 270	I agree with you Cloud, especially about the primitive people being limited to certain things depending upon geography. I think that as long as a person limits their intake of Bad Things and gets as much of the veggies & fiber as they can, it's ok. That's what I do anyway, and I'm not dead yet.

05-13-2009, 08:28 PM	#9
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	eat food. not too much. mostly plants. better, and more succinct, words of wisdom than in all those books. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

05-13-2009, 08:28 PM	#10
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	If you have a mixed grain cereal for breakfast, a salad sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch and a basic dinner of 3 - 5 veges and some kind of lean meat, then snack on fruit and nuts during the day, it's pretty easy to have a nutritious diet, and I don't think it requires much effort really. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

05-13-2009, 09:20 PM	#11
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Variety is better, but 5 portions is 5 portions, even if they're all the same... my kids are currently into at least 3 portions of peas a day. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

05-13-2009, 09:30 PM	#12
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Actually, our cave-dwelling ancestors ate a much wider array of foods than we do. Consider that they had no agriculture, so no large harvests of any one food. Grains were especially hard to come by. They scatter-shot most meals, a little of this, a little of that. I easily eat "5 a day", probably much more. I was raised in a vegetarian household, and I'm trying to eat less carbs -- that pretty much leaves me with veggies. Good thing I like them! We signed up for a half-share in a CSA farm this year. I can't wait to get my first shipment. It's scheduled to start on June 4th. It'll be a bit like Iron Chef, looking at the "secret ingredients" every week! I'm going to enjoy the challenge, I think. I can also get grass-pastured beef, eggs, butter and honey from them. Maybe I should start a picture thread for it? __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

05-14-2009, 06:34 AM	#14
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Also, Cloud, remember that primitive man had no job. His job was finding enough food to eat. And eating it. And he would have been hungry a reasonable amount of the time - binge and purge doncha know. The books/ diet plans can only work on what it healthy for us now, given that we do not exert ourselves for 12 hours a day looking for food. He would have been able to burn off so much more fat, but have had access to so much less for example. No pastries for him! Not knocking you for your question - I find it very hard to stick to Govt healthy eating guidelines. And it bugs me that I am both the fattest person and yet have the healthiest basket every time I go to the supermarket. Yes I know I am losing weight, but when I look at the shite other people are buying it seem so unfair! If you ever decide to repair to the woods for a stab at living like out ancestors, invite me along. I know I'd come out of it far healthier. And slimmer. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

05-14-2009, 09:04 AM	#15
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	I'm not sure I actually buy that our ancestors ate more variety--I'll have to research, but my main point is that modern man (woman) is faced with too many food choices! Too much conflicting information! and just plain too much food. On my account, anyway. If I followed all (some) of the guidelines, I have to think about food constantly. Seems counter-productive when I'm trying to de-emphasize it. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)