Monday 25 November 2019

Food Myths

Today's truth is tomorrow's myth.  I was watching an old food programme the other day and a dietician was sprouting on about how important it is to eat breakfast, you shouldn't eat too many eggs, fats are bad and all that old stuff programmed into us for decades.  She was way past her 'sell by' date.  

 Drink red wine, its good for the heart.  Latest studies show that drinking any sort of alcohol in moderation is good for you.

 Eggs are filled with unsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals.  Eat them, lots of them.  Truth.

Of course you'll possibly find, I didn't look, ten articles on the web to refute all this.  Believe what you want

Eating breakfast wasn't a commonplace thing until Kellogs and Quaker plugged the idea to sell their products.    Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day and no studies have proved it helps with weight loss.  It could have the opposite effect.  In one test people who ate breakfast ate 260 more calories than those that skipped it and weighed 1 pound more.

If you enjoy breakfast then eat breakfast. I don't. I have more energy if I leave my first meal till later

Drink 8 glasses of water a day.  I asked my doctor.  He said 'drink when you are thirsty, your body tells you what you need'.  50 years ago did everyone go around carrying a bottle of water?  No, and they were a darned healthy generation with
far less plastic pollution.

Eating fat makes you fat.  Total myth.  Increase your 'good' fat intake and reduce the refined foods!  Then you'll lose weight.  Avoid 'lite'

Brown sugar is better than white.  No. Sugar is sugar no matter  its colour and form.

Eating a lot of small meals a day will keep your metabolism revving.  Nope.  It will just give you more opportunities to overeat. Depends on the individual, your daily routine, climate and a dozen other factors as to what and when you eat.

Salt is bad for you.  The jury is still out on that one.  You need more salt in the summer when you're sweating and losing minerals 'so they say'.    

Google 'food myths' and you'll find a hundred more '.  But who really knows?  Not even my doctor.  

 Eating  5 fresh fruit and vege a day will give lots of  healthy nutrients.  That number is a bit of a myth as well but it's got be  better than eating 5 hamburgers and a couple of donuts.

Walking 10,000 steps will keep you feeling fit and happy.  The 10,000 steps  is a myth but it's a good goal to aim for.  Half that will keep you young.  My doctor says half an hour a day 3 or 4 times a week will benefit the heart.  Sounds good to me

As for super foods, eat the super foods in your own 'backyard'. What the hell are goji berries. Eat fresh cherries or blackberries, eat spinach, cook with parsley or herbs or whale blubber if you're an Eskimo.

If you keep busy with stuff that brings you joy, if you have good genes, if you avoid goji berries, if you're lucky and don't get  struck by lightening or bitten by a rabid dog then you may, possibly, live to 100 and get a telegram from the queen, only then it will be the king



25 comments:

  1. I would say eat and drink what you like but you have got to take exercise. Good genes are hard to find. A thought provoking post.

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    1. You should be healthy physically and mentally Dave with all the walking you do!

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    2. I drink too much but try to keep fit Linda.

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  2. Replies
    1. All these food fads annoy me. How many goji berries do you have to eat anyway before they make any difference to your health?

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  3. I think the world is too PC these days, too many rules and regulations, everything in moderation.

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    1. You're right of course. Moderation. Eat and exercise

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  4. a lot of the older folk around me are close to 100. Not one of them is fat.

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    1. Yes, the real oldies around here are real thin!

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  5. -giggles- Don't you love all the "should's," which have been discounted?

    I say, figure it out for yourself, with some information digging. Common sense, and all that jazzzzz.

    😊🔥😊

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  6. I could have written that Linda and bits of it I have. It amuses me how gullible so many people are and believe all these fads as gospel.

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    1. Gullible, that's the word and they get so bloody fanatical!

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  7. Romeo and I discuss these changes in "recommendations" and laugh. Although there was a time that we cut back on our eggs, ha ha. I think they keep coming up with all this stuff because they've forgotten about common sense.

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    1. Recommendations, yeah
      And a few years later they're out the window

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  8. What really makes me mad about all these food fads is that people are so gullible and believe all they are told. No one seems to question any of it.

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    1. So many so called experts on this subject. All preaching

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  9. I do think a good hearty breakfast is essential for school children, but otherwise I totally agree with you!!

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    1. School children need early nourishment. Once they get to school it will be hours before their next proper meal. And they all have so much darn energy.

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  10. I agree with every word, there has been a lot of brainwashing related to food in recent years.

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  11. Here, here!! It's the Dr. Oz effect, I think (do you know who I'm referring to?). Low fat, super foods, "most important meal of the day", it's all about money and who profits from the latest fads. I agree with your post whole-heartedly, and also agree with the previous posters who mention less body weight being healthy. As well, moving your body more is essential - but it doesn't have to happen in a place where you pay monthly fees to belong. Rake leaves, walk, dig in the dirt... it's all good. -Jenn

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    1. Is Dr Oz still around? I thought he'd been caught up in some scandal or other.
      Good basic advice.....from you lol not Dr oz

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  12. I laugh when people say oh it’s brown unrefined sugar its better for you
    Yes has a few more minerals in it. But it’s still super
    And the same as honey. Your body recognises it as sugar
    I know eat what I know my body handles
    I can’t have processed foods, or wheat, probably because it’s processed or it goes right through me
    So I stay away from it
    Fresh natural food is good for you
    And alcohol is great in moderation
    The rule of thumb is
    If your grandparents wouldn’t recognise it as food
    You probably shouldn’t eat it

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  13. Very good rule of thumb. Must remember to say that to everyone!

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