11 things people think are terrible for your diet that actually aren't

[Thesauron]

Carbonated drinks

Gluten

Caffeine

Eggs

Artificial sweeteners

Cheese

GMOs

Fatty foods

All carbs

Fish

Salt

 

11 things people think are terrible for your diet that actually aren't (Business Insider is a news media site owned by Axel Springer SE)

 

 

Johan

[Josho]

Terrible is a subjective term, but anyway although I agree with some of the stuff, I'm going to have to disagree with a few things here. This info is based off school research projects I have done.

 

Fish is generally good for you, however, if you have to much it can be harmful. For example if you had tuna every day within a year or two the mercury levels in your body would be above safe limits. If you continues consuming a tuna sandwich each day it would inevitably lead to mercury poisoning. But even if you're not a tuna fanatic, elevated levels of mercury over time could lead to health issues. Of course the exact timing would depend on body weight, amount consumed and other factors.

 

Certain GMO crops are designed to withstand higher levels of pesticides than traditional crops, allowing farmers to spray stronger pesticides without the crops dying. Then gradually the weeds adapt to the pesticides becoming immune. Often the way to counter this is to put even more pesticides on the crops, then the weeds get stronger and the cycle continues. The result is increased pesticides on the produce without significant gains in production over time. Eat one GMO product and it will likely do almost no harm, but consume chemicals over a lifetime and who knows what kind of damage it could do. I'm speaking in generalisations here, the amount of pesticide and effects vary depending on the company and type of produce. For example, pineapples even if sprayed with a lot of pesticide contain almost none when you eat it because of the amount of skin removed before eating.

 

For fatty foods it does depend on the type of fat. I once heard that the Maasai tribe live off only meat and some lived past 90 and therefore eating animal fat shouldn't cause increased cholesterol. Well I experimented with this and ate as much animal meat and fat as I wanted for about a year. When I took a blood test later my cholesterol level had significantly increased. Maybe the Maasai people bodies have adapted after generations of the diet, I am not sure, but if I continued with that died it probably would have lead to heart issues.

[hatcheckgirl]

I agree, it is quite subjective.  Moderation, and if possible staying away from processed food and eating fresh food is the better way to go.  Our bodies are amazing, and can tolerate occasional breakouts of "junk".  I think the problem is that "sometimes food" is more common than it should be.

 

For me, having type-2 diabetes, it's been a interesting learning curve finding out how to eat healthier for my situation.  I always thought I was a healthy eater, and yes I did like my sweets too.  But I was skipping carbs in the middle of the day.  BAD.  If you have diabetes, you need a steady amount of energy throughout the day, so not eating some carbs at lunch lowered the blood sugar dramatically, causing much pressure on my pancreas resulting a very lethargic feeling and a sugar craving.  

 

Lesson learnt from dietitian:  You need low GI carbs at every meal, they have to be small meals, but 5 times a day.  More vegetables, less high sugar fruits.

 

So, reading the article does qualify some of the statements, but in the end if you have a medical condition it's best to check with a dietitian to fine-tune your diet.  Things like fats and carbs are necessary for our diets.  Blanket elimination is not the best option without investigation.

 

BTW, with regular exercise and diet, I am not diabetic anymore - at least for now.

[vern]

carbonation isn't the issue its the fake sugar /  highly processed sugars/ flavor technology and chemicals.

Gluten isn't the issue its GMO and pesticides

caffeine......... not sure why....lets just say some have alterior motives....others say coffee is good for antioxidants---- if your conscerned choose lighter roasts over darker ones.

eggs.....not sure......its animal proteins and some have suggested 5% of diet of animal protein doesn't kick in cancer statistics......  scriptures says not to be a "glutton of meat";  how you define that is your meditation. (please don't negate the scripture using meat because that's what the scripture said specifically in comparison to wine...same issue moderation)

Artificial sweeteners ---  nuff said....

Cheese........   this is where the over processing comes in.  If you have to cook the life out of something to make it not hurt you then something is wrong.  organics  and not made in America.... and not every day ---  have a diary fasting period to clear it from your system;  your sinuses will thank you.

GMO's..........  the plant knows something is wrong and those DNA fragments do not stay in the genetic make up of the plant and the DNA moves around knowing its not suppose to be there.........from what I've read.......lots of other stuff has been said...........me i don't want it... thank you.. label it....

Fatty foods......  not sure what to think....... maby its a processing issue like some of the other things that shouldn't hurt you:  what i can say is that my grandmother whom i took care of for three years with diabetes improved with eating less or no refined oils.    nothing else helped her sugar levels more then lessoning the fat load.....  blocks up the cells from being able to let surger in; thus the over production of insulin.   type 2 diabetes; and womens issues with insulin resistance and hormone issues...... imagine men have some kind of hormone issues too....

carbs..........   all plants are carbs.......... its a misunderstanding of how diabetes works:  the issues to complicated; but again;  over processed carbs like white flour/  table surgar/ etc etc  / white rice/ ; carbs without the natural fibers....  overmilled.  scripture says "bread that makes the heart of mortal man rejoice"  so i doubt carbs is an issue in themselfes.... 

 

 

Fish........ problem with fish is the toxins/radiation/mercury/metals/   they are absorbing from the unclean oceans... I'm not sure the protein make up of it; if its an animal type of protein that should be in the 5% range of diet...

Salt:  again its a processing issue; table salt is fake Lab produced "salt"  ;  what you want is sea salt; preferably sun dried....



 

[dove]

Gluten is bad for anyone sensitive to it, GMO's and artificial sweeteners are Always bad in MHO. Also, refined table salt. Your body doesn't know what to do with it.

[hatcheckgirl]

Gluten isn't bad if you don't have coeliac disease. I was told not to avoid gluten as it is a fad gimmick used by marketers.  What gives that bloating feeling is not the gluten but the refined processing of the flour itself.  Avoid white bread, eat multigrain bread instead, in moderation.  Bloating is gone.  You have to have a doctor establish whether you have coeliac disease, though many jump on the bandwagon thinking avoiding gluten will make them healthier.

[Thesauron]

Terrible is a subjective term, but anyway although I agree with some of the stuff, I'm going to have to disagree with a few things here. This info is based off school research projects I have done.
 
Fish is generally good for you, however, if you have to much it can be harmful. For example if you had tuna every day within a year or two the mercury levels in your body would be above safe limits. If you continues consuming a tuna sandwich each day it would inevitably lead to mercury poisoning. But even if you're not a tuna fanatic, elevated levels of mercury over time could lead to health issues. Of course the exact timing would depend on body weight, amount consumed and other factors.

Too much of anything, even water, is bad for you. The problem starts when people put a blanket no on these foods because they think they are particularly bad for them, or worse than other food items. (Of course, if you have a health condition, it's a whole different matter.)


Johan

[Thesauron]

 
Certain GMO crops are designed to withstand higher levels of pesticides than traditional crops, allowing farmers to spray stronger pesticides without the crops dying. Then gradually the weeds adapt to the pesticides becoming immune. Often the way to counter this is to put even more pesticides on the crops, then the weeds get stronger and the cycle continues. The result is increased pesticides on the produce without significant gains in production over time. Eat one GMO product and it will likely do almost no harm, but consume chemicals over a lifetime and who knows what kind of damage it could do. I'm speaking in generalisations here, the amount of pesticide and effects vary depending on the company and type of produce. For example, pineapples even if sprayed with a lot of pesticide contain almost none when you eat it because of the amount of skin removed before eating.
 

The goal with many GMOs is that you won't need any pesticides. They can also be modified for other reason, such as making tomatoes more red to sell better or not become disfigured as quick.



Johan

[Thesauron]

Gluten isn't bad if you don't have coeliac disease. I was told not to avoid gluten as it is a fad gimmick used by marketers.  What gives that bloating feeling is not the gluten but the refined processing of the flour itself.  Avoid white bread, eat multigrain bread instead, in moderation.  Bloating is gone.  You have to have a doctor establish whether you have coeliac disease, though many jump on the bandwagon thinking avoiding gluten will make them healthier.

Eat bread that has been fermented in the right manner with proper flour, I'm sure you won't have any problems either.


Johan

[Thesauron]

Gluten is bad for anyone sensitive to it, GMO's and artificial sweeteners are Always bad in MHO. Also, refined table salt. Your body doesn't know what to do with it.

Not true, of course, and a slightly baseless thing to say. Avoiding gluten seems to be like avoiding lactose, these days. They do it because they think that is what's causing their problems, and miss the real, perhaps more serious issues.

GMOs and artificial sweeteners are certainly not always bad. According to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there's no sound scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U.S. cause cancer or other serious health problems. And numerous research studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are generally safe in limited quantities, even for pregnant women.

Why refined table salt would be bad for you I don't really get. Of course, as with anything, it should be used in moderation.


Johan

[Thesauron]

Cheese........   this is where the over processing comes in.  If you have to cook the life out of something to make it not hurt you then something is wrong.  organics  and not made in America.... and not every day ---  have a diary fasting period to clear it from your system;  your sinuses will thank you.

When, in the process of making cheese, do you 'cook the life out of it to make it not hurt you'?



Johan

[Thesauron]

Fish........ problem with fish is the toxins/radiation/mercury/metals/   they are absorbing from the unclean oceans... I'm not sure the protein make up of it; if its an animal type of protein that should be in the 5% range of diet...

Salt:  again its a processing issue; table salt is fake Lab produced "salt"  ;  what you want is sea salt; preferably sun dried....



 

Table salt and sea salt have the same nutritional value, though.

As for fish, as with anything, eat it in moderation. Check the article "Fish: Friend or Foe?" from Harvard School of Public Health.


Johan

[vern]

1 hour ago, Thesauron said:

GMOs and artificial sweeteners are certainly not always bad. According to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there's no sound scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U.S. cause cancer or other serious health problems. And numerous research studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are generally safe in limited quantities, even for pregnant women.

brother...........  You've just contradicted; what;  three persons?   You my friend sound like a lobbyist for the commercial industry of the world.
Guess opinions develop depending on where you read what you read.

The new system will clear up all these controversies.

[Josho]

On 01/07/2017 at 4:07 AM, Thesauron said:

The goal with many GMOs is that you won't need any pesticides. They can also be modified for other reason, such as making tomatoes more red to sell better or not become disfigured as quick.



Johan

That's true, but the goal with other ones is to develop pesticide resistance allowing the farmers to freely spray without worrying about harming crops. For example, check out Monsanto's roundup ready product line, and Monsanto is the largest seed supplier in the world.

[Thesauron]

brother...........  You've just contradicted; what;  three persons?   You my friend sound like a lobbyist for the commercial industry of the world.
Guess opinions develop depending on where you read what you read.

The new system will clear up all these controversies.

Of course, as always you need to be careful with sources. The problem is that people rather listen to what is tickling their ears. A lobbyist I am not, I'm just poking people's preconceived ideas in the eye a bit, if you like. What I wrote has firm scientific basis, I believe.


Johan

[Thesauron]

That's true, but the goal with other ones is to develop pesticide resistance allowing the farmers to freely spray without worrying about harming crops. For example, check out Monsanto's roundup ready product line, and Monsanto is the largest seed supplier in the world.

That is true. It happens, unfortunately. It has been highlighted by the UCS, for instance.


Johan

[EccentricM]

I don't have caffeine or sugar if I can. I have decaff teas or green teas. I mean if you tell anyone to give up tea or coffee, anyone, they 'will' get headaches. That to me just seems wrong.  It's like a secret addiction you were not even aware of. I wanted to drink tea because I wanted to, not because of a drug craving I never knew about. 

 

The fact that it gives people headaches if they don't have it just stinks of "unhealthy" to me. That's not normal, you should be able to stop having something without such a negative impact. (With the exception of our natural health needs, starvation and dehydration of course hah, but you get what I mean).

 

I replaced sugar in my drinks for honey. It's just as sweet, and has more health benefits.  

Edited July 5, 2017 by EccentricM

[Thesauron]

I don't have caffeine or sugar if I can. I have decaff teas or green teas. I mean if you tell anyone to give up tea or coffee, anyone, they 'will' get headaches. That to me just seems wrong.  It's like a secret addiction you were not even aware of. I wanted to drink tea because I wanted to, not because of a drug craving I never knew about. 
 
The fact that it gives people headaches if they don't have it just stinks of "unhealthy" to me. That's not normal, you should be able to stop having something without such a negative impact. (With the exception of our natural health needs, starvation and dehydration of course hah, but you get what I mean).
 
I replaced sugar in my drinks for honey. It's just as sweet, and has more health benefits.  

True. If you are otherwise healthy, and you get a headache by abstaining from a food item, such as coffee or tea, then you should probably stop. Just like you would with alcohol if you noticed you couldn't have a good day without it. Same goes for sugar, probably.


Johan

[Hope]

Having a headache is worse than having my one cup of coffee per day.  And I enjoy it.

 

No harm in it, imo... y'all do whatcha want!

[Thesauron]

Having a headache is worse than having my one cup of coffee per day.  And I enjoy it.
 
No harm in it, imo... y'all do whatcha want!

It's a withdrawal symptom. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant drug. You need an intake of about 500mg of caffeine regularly to have these effects. But the good thing is that you'll only have to cope with it a few days while you cut down your coffee intake to a level that will not give these effects.


Johan

[Hope]

Since I only drink one cup in the morning, I don't think i want to give up crucial service break time sipping..   Cutting down would leave me with no coffee at all.  And that is very sad.  

[Raven]

On 7/1/2017 at 8:16 AM, Thesauron said:

 

Carbonated drinks

Gluten

Caffeine

Eggs

Artificial sweeteners

Cheese

GMOs

Fatty foods

All carbs

Fish

Salt

 

11 things people think are terrible for your diet that actually aren't (Business Insider is a news media site owned by Axel Springer SE)

 

 

Johan

 

Unless you're allergic/intolerant.

 

Why are artificial sweeteners on that list? 

 

Also of interest, shark meat is very unhealthy.

[Thesauron]

Unless you're allergic/intolerant.
 
Why are artificial sweeteners on that list? 
 
Also of interest, shark meat is very unhealthy.

If you are allergic some food stuff could kill you or make you very ill. If you are intolerant some food stuff might make you uncomfortable. (Please note that some people think they are intolerant, while the problem is really something else entirely.)

Artificial sweeteners are on the list because they should be according to research.

Shark meat is could be unhealthy when fresh because of the natural toxins (urea and trimethylamine oxide), in particular the hákarl, which is why it's fermented (cured) before consumption.


Johan

Unless you're allergic/intolerant.
 
Why are artificial sweeteners on that list? 
 
Also of interest, shark meat is very unhealthy.

If you are allergic some food stuff could kill you or make you very ill. If you are intolerant some food stuff might make you uncomfortable. (Please note that some people think they are intolerant, while the problem is really something else entirely.)

Artificial sweeteners are on the list because they should be according to research.

Shark meat is could be unhealthy when fresh because of the natural toxins (urea and trimethylamine oxide), in particular the hákarl, which is why it's fermented (cured) before consumption.


Johan

Unless you're allergic/intolerant.
 
Why are artificial sweeteners on that list? 
 
Also of interest, shark meat is very unhealthy.

If you are allergic some food stuff could kill you or make you very ill. If you are intolerant some food stuff might make you uncomfortable. (Please note that some people think they are intolerant, while the problem is really something else entirely.)

Artificial sweeteners are on the list because they should be according to research.

Shark meat is could be unhealthy when fresh because of the natural toxins (urea and trimethylamine oxide), in particular the hákarl, which is why it's fermented (cured) before consumption.


Johan

[Raven]

1 hour ago, Thesauron said:

If you are allergic some food stuff could kill you or make you very ill. If you are intolerant some food stuff might make you uncomfortable. (Please note that some people think they are intolerant, while the problem is really something else entirely.)

Artificial sweeteners are on the list because they should be according to research.

Shark meat is could be unhealthy when fresh because of the natural toxins (urea and trimethylamine oxide), in particular the hákarl, which is why it's fermented (cured) before consumption.


Johan

Shark also contains especially high levels of mercury and arsenic. There's a reason why it isn't kosher.

[Thesauron]

Shark also contains especially high levels of mercury and arsenic. There's a reason why it isn't kosher.

Most Orthodox Jews would not consider shark meat kosher, but not because of mercury or arsenic levels, but because they are not counted among fish with scales, and are therefore forbidden according to the Torah. (This despite the fact that they do have minuscular placoid scales.)


Johan