Define "healthy" food...

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Replies

  • JoyeII
    JoyeII Posts: 240 Member
    Calcium, iron, Vitamins A, D, K, E, etc. are naturally occurring parts of nutrition in whole, unprocessed foods. You aren't going to find those quality micronutrients in pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, candy bars, soda, etc. And, even if you do get some micronutrients in the ingredients used to make those foods, you will also get a huge dose of sodium (implicated in high blood pressure), saturated fats (implicated in cardiovascular diseases) and sugar (which has a whole slew of diet related health issues attributed with it).

    A bonus: what sort of education or research do you have to assert this position? I'd love to know.

    You need to do some research on salt and blood pressure (myth) and saturated fats and heart disease (myth).

    Sugar isn't the devil. You need to get over that too...unless, of course, you are pre-diabetic or diabetic.

    1/2 cup of Breyers vanilla ice cream is a great snack, fairly low cal, nice dose of calcium, and some protein. What's the difference between eating some ice cream or having a yogurt?





  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    Actually, I did. But you amuse me and this might help somebody who is actually serious.
    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=sugar+linked+to+death+from+CVD+study+CDC

    awww look it took me to a google search ..how cool ..

    still is not a link to specific study you referenced...
    That's what google is for!!! They have made BILLIONS helping people look up information on the Internet. Oh well, I posted it in the other thread...you snooze, you lose! :)

    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that some foods are not healthier than others.

    It would be similarly ludicrous to suggest that someone cannot be HEALTHY and eat UNHEALTHY foods sometimes.

    However, a person cannot be HEALTHY and eat ONLY EXCLUSIVELY UNHEALTHY foods. (capitals for emphasis, not sass.)

    Here is my simplified example:

    Op said something along the lines of "I've hit my macros/micros for the day, why can't I have a donut?" No one is saying you can't. Go right ahead. Enjoy.

    But if donuts were ALL you ate, you'd get pretty sick pretty quickly even if you ate them within a calorie limit. Now, in the context of WEIGHT LOSS, you would still lose weight eating 1000 calories of donuts per day and nothing else. But you would also be hungry, iron deficient, calcium deficient, protein deficient, etc.

    If you eat a relatively balanced diet there is absolutely no reason you can't indulge in unhealthy treats. But suggesting that in the abstract a can of coke is as healthy as a bowl of raw kale is downright silly. I think most of the people suggesting this are trying to use semantics to make a controversial argument and fluff some feathers.

    Someone a while back brought up the recommend diet for women during pregnancy, and it was dismissed as "well that's one of the only times it is reasonable to consider those things." I understand pregnant women need a greater amount of certain nutrients, like folic acid, etc, but I don't understand the logic of dismissing the implications of eating a better diet during pregnancy. Think about it this way- if you wouldn't want it going into the body of your growing child, why would you want it going into your own body? My personal answer? I don't, but I'm still going to have treats occasionally when I want to.

    Also, and this is an aside to the main point, given that this is a weight loss website I think it is important to note that it is MUCH easier to overeat on UNHEALTHY foods for most people. Most (not all, but most) people to not become obese by eating a diet comprised solely of HEALTHY foods. That is something that I think deserves consideration in this debate.

    This whole debate is a little like saying the following: Is smoking healthy? NO. Can a smoker BE a healthy person? YES. What determines whether or not that individual ends up dying at a young age of cancer? Who knows, it is a toss up. Some smokers will live to be 100. But many of us feel like we'd rather not take the risk.

    why is the healthy eating crews immediate fall back to ALWAYS build a straw man argument about having 100% of your diet from donuts. No one is advocating that.

    so if I eat kale, and ice cream and I have fulfilled micro/macro/calorie goals does that convert the ice cream from unhealthy to healthy?

    No, that is absurd. Ice cream is still an unhealthy FOOD, but if it is part of an OVERALL HEALTHY DIET then it is not at all a problem to have it. I'm not sure how you are not getting that, I am not the first person to explain it.

    Name something in it that is inherently detrimental to health.

    Arsenic, but that's what I add for people that make me grumpy.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    So if I get 500 to 600 calories from ice cream and cookies to fill in my diet, does that make me less healthy than the person that is getting 75% of their calories from fish, rice, and vegetables?

    Yes. Just look at the ingredient list.

    Where your nutrients, fat, carbs, etc. are coming from do matter.

    you do realize you don't get bonus points for hitting macros right?

    also good luck trying to bulk one day on that type of food.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    a month of broccoli?

    good lord- i would hate to be the plumber for THAT house!!! OIY
    Because it is extremely high calorie, high sugar, and high fat for little volume and not a great deal of nutritional value. To be honest I didn't choose the ice cream metaphor, and don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as, say, a can of coke, but in comparison to a bunch of kale YES ice cream offers less nutritional value.

    so much sadness and wrongess here.

    also this: kale vs ice cream?
    seriously?

    no questions- the kales' in the trash- it's rubbish awful food. You want to talk about 'unhealthy' anything that tastes that bad before you put int your pie hole should never be considered healthy- much less a "super food"

    PS Eff you women's health for making kale a thing.

    seriously. die.

    I really like kale....*ducks*

    get out.

    we can't be friends any more

    <cries>

    I had a raw kale salad at the brasilian place last night.

    I guess db and I will have to go sit in a corner.

    But, hey, I hear there's beer over here. And peanut butter. You won't be able to resist us for long.

    peanut butter oreos, and FR squat plans.

    I hate kale but I'll join you in the corner

    You are always welcome in my corner. You AND your headband.

    It's a pretty headband.

    Well I am a pretty man - couldn't wear an ugly headband could I?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    a month of broccoli?

    good lord- i would hate to be the plumber for THAT house!!! OIY
    Because it is extremely high calorie, high sugar, and high fat for little volume and not a great deal of nutritional value. To be honest I didn't choose the ice cream metaphor, and don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as, say, a can of coke, but in comparison to a bunch of kale YES ice cream offers less nutritional value.

    so much sadness and wrongess here.

    also this: kale vs ice cream?
    seriously?

    no questions- the kales' in the trash- it's rubbish awful food. You want to talk about 'unhealthy' anything that tastes that bad before you put int your pie hole should never be considered healthy- much less a "super food"

    PS Eff you women's health for making kale a thing.

    seriously. die.

    I really like kale....*ducks*

    get out.

    we can't be friends any more

    <cries>

    I had a raw kale salad at the brasilian place last night.

    I guess db and I will have to go sit in a corner.

    But, hey, I hear there's beer over here. And peanut butter. You won't be able to resist us for long.

    peanut butter oreos, and FR squat plans.

    I hate kale but I'll join you in the corner

    You are always welcome in my corner. You AND your headband.

    It's a pretty headband.

    It is, especially the flower!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    a month of broccoli?

    good lord- i would hate to be the plumber for THAT house!!! OIY
    Because it is extremely high calorie, high sugar, and high fat for little volume and not a great deal of nutritional value. To be honest I didn't choose the ice cream metaphor, and don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as, say, a can of coke, but in comparison to a bunch of kale YES ice cream offers less nutritional value.

    so much sadness and wrongess here.

    also this: kale vs ice cream?
    seriously?

    no questions- the kales' in the trash- it's rubbish awful food. You want to talk about 'unhealthy' anything that tastes that bad before you put int your pie hole should never be considered healthy- much less a "super food"

    PS Eff you women's health for making kale a thing.

    seriously. die.

    I really like kale....*ducks*

    get out.

    we can't be friends any more

    <cries>

    I had a raw kale salad at the brasilian place last night.

    I guess db and I will have to go sit in a corner.

    But, hey, I hear there's beer over here. And peanut butter. You won't be able to resist us for long.

    peanut butter oreos, and FR squat plans.

    I hate kale but I'll join you in the corner

    You are always welcome in my corner. You AND your headband.

    It's a pretty headband.

    Well I am a pretty man - couldn't wear an ugly headband could I?

    NEVER.

    gotta be fabulous- not fugly!
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited January 2015
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    <-google queen. I googled red dye which took me to a wiki article, which led me to Red No. 3 and other Colourful Controversies.

    Did you find this illusive Red Dye #5 while you were about it?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    PRMinx wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »

    More than one person has told me that seasoned kale chips were a tasty alternative to potato chips. I guess I am naive, because I went out, bought some kale, rubbed it with oil, added my seasonings, etc., baked it for however long the recipe said (I don't remember), and you know what? It didn't taste like potato chips. It tasted like %$#^ kale!

    I don't know if I can ever learn to trust again.
    That was one of the first way's I tried kale- and my friend is a very good cook. I was so crushed- and I just . I felt violated.
    PRMinx wrote: »
    Anyone who compares kale to potato chips needs to GTFO. And I like kale. But they ain't no chip.
    yeah nope- not at all.
    I had a raw kale salad at the brasilian place last night.

    WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY AWESOME FRIEND.

    <grump>

    I'd also like to weigh in on broccoli vs Doritos at this time.

    What's the drink of choice with this?

    Because really I only drink Doritos with pepsi- so I mean if we are doing Doritos + pepsi for a month vs broccoli and OJ- I mean- I think I'd lean toward Pepsi/Doritos combo Honestly.

    Who am I kidding- with out butter/bacon grease broccoli is nothing to me.

    That's where I was at, too. This whole broccoli scenario can be changed with a good dose of Plugra.
    heh.

    cheese goes a long way!!!
    God I couldn't even imagine that much fiber with no fat content. seriously.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    a month of broccoli?

    good lord- i would hate to be the plumber for THAT house!!! OIY
    Because it is extremely high calorie, high sugar, and high fat for little volume and not a great deal of nutritional value. To be honest I didn't choose the ice cream metaphor, and don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as, say, a can of coke, but in comparison to a bunch of kale YES ice cream offers less nutritional value.

    so much sadness and wrongess here.

    also this: kale vs ice cream?
    seriously?

    no questions- the kales' in the trash- it's rubbish awful food. You want to talk about 'unhealthy' anything that tastes that bad before you put int your pie hole should never be considered healthy- much less a "super food"

    PS Eff you women's health for making kale a thing.

    seriously. die.

    I really like kale....*ducks*

    get out.

    we can't be friends any more

    <cries>

    I had a raw kale salad at the brasilian place last night.

    I guess db and I will have to go sit in a corner.

    But, hey, I hear there's beer over here. And peanut butter. You won't be able to resist us for long.

    peanut butter oreos, and FR squat plans.

    I hate kale but I'll join you in the corner

    You are always welcome in my corner. You AND your headband.

    It's a pretty headband.

    Well I am a pretty man - couldn't wear an ugly headband could I?

    I particular like the blinged out center.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    adowe wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    a month of broccoli?

    good lord- i would hate to be the plumber for THAT house!!! OIY
    Because it is extremely high calorie, high sugar, and high fat for little volume and not a great deal of nutritional value. To be honest I didn't choose the ice cream metaphor, and don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as, say, a can of coke, but in comparison to a bunch of kale YES ice cream offers less nutritional value.

    so much sadness and wrongess here.

    also this: kale vs ice cream?
    seriously?

    no questions- the kales' in the trash- it's rubbish awful food. You want to talk about 'unhealthy' anything that tastes that bad before you put int your pie hole should never be considered healthy- much less a "super food"

    PS Eff you women's health for making kale a thing.

    seriously. die.

    I really like kale....*ducks*

    get out.

    we can't be friends any more

    <cries>

    I had a raw kale salad at the brasilian place last night.

    I guess db and I will have to go sit in a corner.

    But, hey, I hear there's beer over here. And peanut butter. You won't be able to resist us for long.

    peanut butter oreos, and FR squat plans.

    I hate kale but I'll join you in the corner

    You are always welcome in my corner. You AND your headband.

    It's a pretty headband.

    Well I am a pretty man - couldn't wear an ugly headband could I?

    Well, you could. Call it ironic... lol.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?

    When spouting off on the internet, you have the burden of proof.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    TR0berts wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    BigT555 wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    550 comments or so. I will never catch up.

    So my opinion...

    No one food is healthy or unhealthy. A complete diet can be healthy or unhealthy, but not one food. If you think otherwise, you are just plain wrong.
    i just want to point out the irony here...

    I get it. Opinion, to fact....took me a second..;) No sarcasm meant, I just screwed up.

    Well, darn. I guess I'll shut up, then. o:)
    I'll take someone defending me anytime :) but I buck up when I f___ up, too.


    You're doing it wrong right.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    JoyeII wrote: »
    Calcium, iron, Vitamins A, D, K, E, etc. are naturally occurring parts of nutrition in whole, unprocessed foods. You aren't going to find those quality micronutrients in pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, candy bars, soda, etc. And, even if you do get some micronutrients in the ingredients used to make those foods, you will also get a huge dose of sodium (implicated in high blood pressure), saturated fats (implicated in cardiovascular diseases) and sugar (which has a whole slew of diet related health issues attributed with it).

    A bonus: what sort of education or research do you have to assert this position? I'd love to know.

    What's the difference between eating some ice cream or having a yogurt?

    Depending on the situation, it can be significant IMO. Comparing some commercial brands of ice-cream with homemade yogurt would yield a good bit of differences, IMO. Homemade yogurt can be loaded with probiotics, added sugar does not have to be as high as in commercial ice-cream, and it is also lower in lactose.

  • This content has been removed.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?

    When spouting off on the internet, you have the burden of proof.
    Not the way I see it. What have you proven?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    JoyeII wrote: »
    Calcium, iron, Vitamins A, D, K, E, etc. are naturally occurring parts of nutrition in whole, unprocessed foods. You aren't going to find those quality micronutrients in pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, candy bars, soda, etc. And, even if you do get some micronutrients in the ingredients used to make those foods, you will also get a huge dose of sodium (implicated in high blood pressure), saturated fats (implicated in cardiovascular diseases) and sugar (which has a whole slew of diet related health issues attributed with it).

    A bonus: what sort of education or research do you have to assert this position? I'd love to know.

    What's the difference between eating some ice cream or having a yogurt?

    Depending on the situation, it can be significant IMO. Comparing some commercial brands of ice-cream with homemade yogurt would yield a good bit of differences, IMO. Homemade yogurt can be loaded with probiotics, added sugar does not have to be as high as in commercial ice-cream, and it is also lower in lactose.
    homemade ice cream can have the same as well.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?

    Where do people come up with this kind of stuff^^^^ You want to reference studies but we have to go read the studies for ourselves? Lol
    It's because STEM education is in the crapper.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    JoyeII wrote: »
    Calcium, iron, Vitamins A, D, K, E, etc. are naturally occurring parts of nutrition in whole, unprocessed foods. You aren't going to find those quality micronutrients in pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, candy bars, soda, etc. And, even if you do get some micronutrients in the ingredients used to make those foods, you will also get a huge dose of sodium (implicated in high blood pressure), saturated fats (implicated in cardiovascular diseases) and sugar (which has a whole slew of diet related health issues attributed with it).

    A bonus: what sort of education or research do you have to assert this position? I'd love to know.

    What's the difference between eating some ice cream or having a yogurt?

    Depending on the situation, it can be significant IMO. Comparing some commercial brands of ice-cream with homemade yogurt would yield a good bit of differences, IMO. Homemade yogurt can be loaded with probiotics, added sugar does not have to be as high as in commercial ice-cream, and it is also lower in lactose.

    ^ this my friend, is why you will never be able to bulk....
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?

    because if you are going to make outrageous claims you should have something to back them up with ..its not my job to prove a negative.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that some foods are not healthier than others.

    It would be similarly ludicrous to suggest that someone cannot be HEALTHY and eat UNHEALTHY foods sometimes.

    However, a person cannot be HEALTHY and eat ONLY EXCLUSIVELY UNHEALTHY foods. (capitals for emphasis, not sass.)

    Here is my simplified example:

    Op said something along the lines of "I've hit my macros/micros for the day, why can't I have a donut?" No one is saying you can't. Go right ahead. Enjoy.

    But if donuts were ALL you ate, you'd get pretty sick pretty quickly even if you ate them within a calorie limit. Now, in the context of WEIGHT LOSS, you would still lose weight eating 1000 calories of donuts per day and nothing else. But you would also be hungry, iron deficient, calcium deficient, protein deficient, etc.

    If you eat a relatively balanced diet there is absolutely no reason you can't indulge in unhealthy treats. But suggesting that in the abstract a can of coke is as healthy as a bowl of raw kale is downright silly. I think most of the people suggesting this are trying to use semantics to make a controversial argument and fluff some feathers.

    Someone a while back brought up the recommend diet for women during pregnancy, and it was dismissed as "well that's one of the only times it is reasonable to consider those things." I understand pregnant women need a greater amount of certain nutrients, like folic acid, etc, but I don't understand the logic of dismissing the implications of eating a better diet during pregnancy. Think about it this way- if you wouldn't want it going into the body of your growing child, why would you want it going into your own body? My personal answer? I don't, but I'm still going to have treats occasionally when I want to.

    Also, and this is an aside to the main point, given that this is a weight loss website I think it is important to note that it is MUCH easier to overeat on UNHEALTHY foods for most people. Most (not all, but most) people to not become obese by eating a diet comprised solely of HEALTHY foods. That is something that I think deserves consideration in this debate.

    This whole debate is a little like saying the following: Is smoking healthy? NO. Can a smoker BE a healthy person? YES. What determines whether or not that individual ends up dying at a young age of cancer? Who knows, it is a toss up. Some smokers will live to be 100. But many of us feel like we'd rather not take the risk.

    why is the healthy eating crews immediate fall back to ALWAYS build a straw man argument about having 100% of your diet from donuts. No one is advocating that.

    so if I eat kale, and ice cream and I have fulfilled micro/macro/calorie goals does that convert the ice cream from unhealthy to healthy?

    No, that is absurd. Ice cream is still an unhealthy FOOD, but if it is part of an OVERALL HEALTHY DIET then it is not at all a problem to have it. I'm not sure how you are not getting that, I am not the first person to explain it.

    Name something in it that is inherently detrimental to health.

    trans fat
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?

    Where do people come up with this kind of stuff^^^^ You want to reference studies but we have to go read the studies for ourselves? Lol
    You can either take my word for it or read the study yourself...that's how it works!!! LOL!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that some foods are not healthier than others.

    It would be similarly ludicrous to suggest that someone cannot be HEALTHY and eat UNHEALTHY foods sometimes.

    However, a person cannot be HEALTHY and eat ONLY EXCLUSIVELY UNHEALTHY foods. (capitals for emphasis, not sass.)

    Here is my simplified example:

    Op said something along the lines of "I've hit my macros/micros for the day, why can't I have a donut?" No one is saying you can't. Go right ahead. Enjoy.

    But if donuts were ALL you ate, you'd get pretty sick pretty quickly even if you ate them within a calorie limit. Now, in the context of WEIGHT LOSS, you would still lose weight eating 1000 calories of donuts per day and nothing else. But you would also be hungry, iron deficient, calcium deficient, protein deficient, etc.

    If you eat a relatively balanced diet there is absolutely no reason you can't indulge in unhealthy treats. But suggesting that in the abstract a can of coke is as healthy as a bowl of raw kale is downright silly. I think most of the people suggesting this are trying to use semantics to make a controversial argument and fluff some feathers.

    Someone a while back brought up the recommend diet for women during pregnancy, and it was dismissed as "well that's one of the only times it is reasonable to consider those things." I understand pregnant women need a greater amount of certain nutrients, like folic acid, etc, but I don't understand the logic of dismissing the implications of eating a better diet during pregnancy. Think about it this way- if you wouldn't want it going into the body of your growing child, why would you want it going into your own body? My personal answer? I don't, but I'm still going to have treats occasionally when I want to.

    Also, and this is an aside to the main point, given that this is a weight loss website I think it is important to note that it is MUCH easier to overeat on UNHEALTHY foods for most people. Most (not all, but most) people to not become obese by eating a diet comprised solely of HEALTHY foods. That is something that I think deserves consideration in this debate.

    This whole debate is a little like saying the following: Is smoking healthy? NO. Can a smoker BE a healthy person? YES. What determines whether or not that individual ends up dying at a young age of cancer? Who knows, it is a toss up. Some smokers will live to be 100. But many of us feel like we'd rather not take the risk.

    why is the healthy eating crews immediate fall back to ALWAYS build a straw man argument about having 100% of your diet from donuts. No one is advocating that.

    so if I eat kale, and ice cream and I have fulfilled micro/macro/calorie goals does that convert the ice cream from unhealthy to healthy?

    No, that is absurd. Ice cream is still an unhealthy FOOD, but if it is part of an OVERALL HEALTHY DIET then it is not at all a problem to have it. I'm not sure how you are not getting that, I am not the first person to explain it.

    Why is ice cream unhealthy?

    Because it is extremely high calorie, high sugar, and high fat for little volume and not a great deal of nutritional value. To be honest I didn't choose the ice cream metaphor, and don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as, say, a can of coke, but in comparison to a bunch of kale YES ice cream offers less nutritional value.

    But my point is not to demonize ice cream (I like ice cream) but to highlight how absurd it is to ask if kale will magically turn the ice cream into something healthy....if you read my post I suggested nothing of the sort. I started that treats are fine in moderation in a diet that is otherwise healthy. I also brought up the fact that for many people seeking to lose weight (not all, but many) moderating a treat like ice cream is incredibly difficult to do, which is a factor I believe is worth mentioning in this debate.

    Edited to add: PLEASE actually read my post before you respond and I think you will see why the response makes no sense, and you will also see that HE chose ice cream as the metaphor when I had mentioned donuts and coke. Maybe you guys will think of that as the same, personally I don't find ice cream to be nearly as unhealthy as the things I ACTUALLY mentioned, which I think is why he changed it in his response. But my general point is still the same.


    Still does not make something unhealthy. Unhealthy implies a detrimental effect. None of those things you listed automatically create one.
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    if you reference a study that you have read then you should be able to readily access it...

    Why? If I already know what it says, how does it benefit me to keep it handy at all times?

    because if you are going to make outrageous claims you should have something to back them up with ..its not my job to prove a negative.

    Apparently one is supposed to claim "logic" then you don't have to back up your claims
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I think that my definition (and Kalikel's) are more of a general guideline from which to build a menu plan. I don't try to rank bananas vs spinach, I just know that fruits and veggies have been associated with good health in several studies, so I eat both. I don't go out of my way to eat candy, though, as there is no evidence that it improves human health in general. Sure, in certain situations it can be helpful (I used to eat jelly beans in the middle of my workouts to keep my blood sugar up), but on a broader scale, it isn't associated with any benefits that most people can't get elsewhere with many additional benefits. I do eat low nutrient density stuff for the taste as well, I just limit it to a small amount of my calories to make sure I am getting all my nutrients in. Which is probably the same thing that most people on this thread do, they just approach it from a different angle.

    Agreed. I guess I just don't think of that as about healthy vs. unhealthy foods, but about foods serving a particular purpose or function in the meal. Some add lots of nutrients and should be sought out. Others might add to the overall pleasure of the meal or day (plus a few misc nutrients or macro content).
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    JoyeII wrote: »
    Calcium, iron, Vitamins A, D, K, E, etc. are naturally occurring parts of nutrition in whole, unprocessed foods. You aren't going to find those quality micronutrients in pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, candy bars, soda, etc. And, even if you do get some micronutrients in the ingredients used to make those foods, you will also get a huge dose of sodium (implicated in high blood pressure), saturated fats (implicated in cardiovascular diseases) and sugar (which has a whole slew of diet related health issues attributed with it).

    A bonus: what sort of education or research do you have to assert this position? I'd love to know.

    What's the difference between eating some ice cream or having a yogurt?

    Depending on the situation, it can be significant IMO. Comparing some commercial brands of ice-cream with homemade yogurt would yield a good bit of differences, IMO. Homemade yogurt can be loaded with probiotics, added sugar does not have to be as high as in commercial ice-cream, and it is also lower in lactose.

    I have frozen yogurt and forzen ice cream in my freezer.

    Calorie counts are higher on the yogurt than some of my ice cream- guess which one I reach for?

    the lower calorie count.

    doesn't taste good enough for me to bite the bullet on the frozen yogurt- big fat why bother.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    JoyeII wrote: »
    Calcium, iron, Vitamins A, D, K, E, etc. are naturally occurring parts of nutrition in whole, unprocessed foods. You aren't going to find those quality micronutrients in pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, candy bars, soda, etc. And, even if you do get some micronutrients in the ingredients used to make those foods, you will also get a huge dose of sodium (implicated in high blood pressure), saturated fats (implicated in cardiovascular diseases) and sugar (which has a whole slew of diet related health issues attributed with it).

    A bonus: what sort of education or research do you have to assert this position? I'd love to know.

    What's the difference between eating some ice cream or having a yogurt?

    Depending on the situation, it can be significant IMO. Comparing some commercial brands of ice-cream with homemade yogurt would yield a good bit of differences, IMO. Homemade yogurt can be loaded with probiotics, added sugar does not have to be as high as in commercial ice-cream, and it is also lower in lactose.
    homemade ice cream can have the same as well.
    True.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that some foods are not healthier than others.

    It would be similarly ludicrous to suggest that someone cannot be HEALTHY and eat UNHEALTHY foods sometimes.

    However, a person cannot be HEALTHY and eat ONLY EXCLUSIVELY UNHEALTHY foods. (capitals for emphasis, not sass.)

    Here is my simplified example:

    Op said something along the lines of "I've hit my macros/micros for the day, why can't I have a donut?" No one is saying you can't. Go right ahead. Enjoy.

    But if donuts were ALL you ate, you'd get pretty sick pretty quickly even if you ate them within a calorie limit. Now, in the context of WEIGHT LOSS, you would still lose weight eating 1000 calories of donuts per day and nothing else. But you would also be hungry, iron deficient, calcium deficient, protein deficient, etc.

    If you eat a relatively balanced diet there is absolutely no reason you can't indulge in unhealthy treats. But suggesting that in the abstract a can of coke is as healthy as a bowl of raw kale is downright silly. I think most of the people suggesting this are trying to use semantics to make a controversial argument and fluff some feathers.

    Someone a while back brought up the recommend diet for women during pregnancy, and it was dismissed as "well that's one of the only times it is reasonable to consider those things." I understand pregnant women need a greater amount of certain nutrients, like folic acid, etc, but I don't understand the logic of dismissing the implications of eating a better diet during pregnancy. Think about it this way- if you wouldn't want it going into the body of your growing child, why would you want it going into your own body? My personal answer? I don't, but I'm still going to have treats occasionally when I want to.

    Also, and this is an aside to the main point, given that this is a weight loss website I think it is important to note that it is MUCH easier to overeat on UNHEALTHY foods for most people. Most (not all, but most) people to not become obese by eating a diet comprised solely of HEALTHY foods. That is something that I think deserves consideration in this debate.

    This whole debate is a little like saying the following: Is smoking healthy? NO. Can a smoker BE a healthy person? YES. What determines whether or not that individual ends up dying at a young age of cancer? Who knows, it is a toss up. Some smokers will live to be 100. But many of us feel like we'd rather not take the risk.

    why is the healthy eating crews immediate fall back to ALWAYS build a straw man argument about having 100% of your diet from donuts. No one is advocating that.

    so if I eat kale, and ice cream and I have fulfilled micro/macro/calorie goals does that convert the ice cream from unhealthy to healthy?

    No, that is absurd. Ice cream is still an unhealthy FOOD, but if it is part of an OVERALL HEALTHY DIET then it is not at all a problem to have it. I'm not sure how you are not getting that, I am not the first person to explain it.

    Name something in it that is inherently detrimental to health.

    trans fat

    At what dosage though?
  • sweetdixie92
    sweetdixie92 Posts: 655 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    So if I get 500 to 600 calories from ice cream and cookies to fill in my diet, does that make me less healthy than the person that is getting 75% of their calories from fish, rice, and vegetables?

    Yes. Just look at the ingredient list.

    Where your nutrients, fat, carbs, etc. are coming from do matter.

    oh really??? care to elaborate?

    so if my macors are 35p/35c/30 fats and I hit them all with eggs, chicken, rice, bread, etc and then filled in rest of day with ice cream and some cookies, you are saying that is an unhealthy day just because I got 500 - 600 from ice cream and cookies...really?

    As I said, look at the ingredients. That is, unless you're going with organic or natural. It's not necessarily the food itself that's the problem. Food colorings and artificial flavors? Preservatives and other chemicals they put in a lot of foods? No thank you.
This discussion has been closed.