Does what you eat change how you look?
Replies
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inspirationstation wrote: »In myself, I notice the whites of my eyes are brighter and my skin is softer and more even.
Quite frankly, so is mine (the skin, have never peered into the whites of my eyes), and the only thing I've changed in how I eat is the quantity. I attribute this quite obvious positive change in skin entirely to exercise.
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I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.0
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I don't recall seeing any proof, but there are plenty of articles out there saying that getting more of specific vitamins/minerals (from food, not pills) will make you look younger.....like eating veggies with lots of vitamin A, C, D, and E will help your skin look better. Here's one such article:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/expert-q-and-q-antiaging-and-diet
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It even also depnds on their bone structure...my mom and I are the same height even when I weighed 107lbs and size 4 she weighed 125lbs size 8/10 her legs were smaller than mine!0
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LaurenCheek wrote: »I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.
whhaaaattt??? If you drank gasoline you would die...
and what is "real" food?0 -
ndj1979:
The gasoline response was to get across the point that just because something contains calories [Gasoline contains about 10 calories per gram] does NOT mean it is nutritious or suitable for human consumption. It seems you may have not taken the time to read my comment carefully before responding to it. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew) was added into my comment to apologetically buffer the responses from people that only count calories (quantity) with no regard for calorie quality, and to [hopefully] dissuade ignorant comments. (Mission failed.)
Once again, I will say that this is MY opinion, but it is a heavily researched one: Refined and concentrated sources of starch and sugars like wheat, candy and high fructose-sweetened drinks are not food. Sugar, particularly fructose, is processed first in our bodies because it is TOXIC at even moderate levels in our bloodstream. Insulin must be secreted to pull excess sugar out of the blood and into our fat stores so the excess sugar will not KILL us. Insulin blocks the satiety hormone leptin from reaching our brains. This basically means that after a sugar filled meal, the body will actually feel hungrier than before in a short span of time. Try living off only sugar and carbs for a week, while maintaining a calorie deficit like the ones used here on MFP. I can almost assure you that you will be ravenous and overeat. You'll be unable to control your appetite. Willpower is futile. I rely on the biology of my hormonal system [by avoiding carbs, keeping insulin low and allowing the leptin signal to be transmitted] to keep me from overeating.
Real foods are things that can be eaten in their UNREFINED state: Leafy and non-starchy vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood, eggs, seeds, nuts and fruits. Wheat, beans, rice, sugar cane and corn need to be cooked and/or processed in order to be edible. This means (IN MY OPINION) these items are not real food and are best left unconsumed.
For reference, I have lost about 110 pounds eating this way. I read several books on this topic each month and I absorb loads of (scientifically sound and published) research articles every week. I implore anyone who is battling with binge eating and inability to lose weight by counting calories alone to do more research on low carbohydrate diets.
This is my life's passion: Getting across the message that, in order to be slim without ravenous and uncontrollable hunger, you simply have to eat REAL foods. If you put the right stuff in, your body will take care of the rest. I will not be responding to any more comments on this thread, but anyone who would like to know more is welcome to send me a PM.0 -
Getting adequate protein is important to muscle retention, recovery etc.
Getting adequate dietary fat is important for many reasons including skin, hair, nails.
Anyone saying a simple yes or no answer is providing a blanket statement. You didn't define what you consider junk food. Does that junk food provide adequate levels of macros & micros?
You ask vague questions you will get vague answers.
This.0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »I'm curious.
If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
If both ate 1200 cals a day.
But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
The other ate junk food of the same calories.
Would the look the same.
I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?
Yes, they'd both be dead. Eventually.
They're probably dead already.
RIP hypothetical people.
Oh hypothetical people, I have so many wonderful memories of you. I will miss you with all my heart. Goodbye HP.
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LaurenCheek wrote: »I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.
whhaaaattt??? If you drank gasoline you would die...
and what is "real" food?
It would definitely change how you look though.0 -
The "real" only accurate way to observe this would be with identical twins starting off at the same exact health, weight and lifestyle. Then apply it and observe. Haven't seen an experiment done like this yet or at least I'm unaware of it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I get a bloated face when I eat crap food (though the bloat does make me look younger) and acne on my face and back. So I definitely look different when I'm shoveling cookies into my face than when I'm eating veggies and/or meats. If I keep eating crap I'll be constantly horizontal or slumped in a chair, too, which is markedly different from how someone looks when out for a walk on a sunny day.
I don't know about that. My dog eats crap all the time and she's perfectly healthy and full of energy. Maybe because it's cat crap? I'm not a coprogastrologist so I don't know how all that works and I don't know what kind of crap you're eating that slumps you in a chair but maybe try cat?
No cats shall be harmed int he making of this hypothetical scenario!0 -
Oh, in for Paleo/"unprocessed" and magic low-carbing fun.0
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Calories in/calories out is for weight loss. It's science.LaurenCheek wrote: »I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.
Type of food is for nutrition, satiety, and body composition.
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LaurenCheek wrote: »ndj1979:
The gasoline response was to get across the point that just because something contains calories [Gasoline contains about 10 calories per gram] does NOT mean it is nutritious or suitable for human consumption. It seems you may have not taken the time to read my comment carefully before responding to it. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew) was added into my comment to apologetically buffer the responses from people that only count calories (quantity) with no regard for calorie quality, and to [hopefully] dissuade ignorant comments. (Mission failed.)
Once again, I will say that this is MY opinion, but it is a heavily researched one: Refined and concentrated sources of starch and sugars like wheat, candy and high fructose-sweetened drinks are not food. Sugar, particularly fructose, is processed first in our bodies because it is TOXIC at even moderate levels in our bloodstream. Insulin must be secreted to pull excess sugar out of the blood and into our fat stores so the excess sugar will not KILL us. Insulin blocks the satiety hormone leptin from reaching our brains. This basically means that after a sugar filled meal, the body will actually feel hungrier than before in a short span of time. Try living off only sugar and carbs for a week, while maintaining a calorie deficit like the ones used here on MFP. I can almost assure you that you will be ravenous and overeat. You'll be unable to control your appetite. Willpower is futile. I rely on the biology of my hormonal system [by avoiding carbs, keeping insulin low and allowing the leptin signal to be transmitted] to keep me from overeating.
Real foods are things that can be eaten in their UNREFINED state: Leafy and non-starchy vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood, eggs, seeds, nuts and fruits. Wheat, beans, rice, sugar cane and corn need to be cooked and/or processed in order to be edible. This means (IN MY OPINION) these items are not real food and are best left unconsumed.
For reference, I have lost about 110 pounds eating this way. I read several books on this topic each month and I absorb loads of (scientifically sound and published) research articles every week. I implore anyone who is battling with binge eating and inability to lose weight by counting calories alone to do more research on low carbohydrate diets.
This is my life's passion: Getting across the message that, in order to be slim without ravenous and uncontrollable hunger, you simply have to eat REAL foods. If you put the right stuff in, your body will take care of the rest. I will not be responding to any more comments on this thread, but anyone who would like to know more is welcome to send me a PM.
So you eat meat, poultry, seafood and eggs raw?0 -
Calories in/calories out is for weight loss. It's science.LaurenCheek wrote: »I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.
Type of food is for nutrition, satiety, and body composition.
And energy. All the things that make life good rather than a hellish, hungry, slothful torment.0 -
I'm sure people have a range of experiences in how their bodies react to a more balanced diet or a diet with more "junk" food. My personal experience is that when I eat a more balanced diet, I see improvements in my skin and hair. I also feel better overall.0
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I think they would look different and the one eating better quality/nutrient dense food would have an overall easier time losing weight because they are feeding thier body right.0
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LaurenCheek wrote: »ndj1979:
The gasoline response was to get across the point that just because something contains calories [Gasoline contains about 10 calories per gram] does NOT mean it is nutritious or suitable for human consumption. It seems you may have not taken the time to read my comment carefully before responding to it. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew) was added into my comment to apologetically buffer the responses from people that only count calories (quantity) with no regard for calorie quality, and to [hopefully] dissuade ignorant comments. (Mission failed.)
Once again, I will say that this is MY opinion, but it is a heavily researched one: Refined and concentrated sources of starch and sugars like wheat, candy and high fructose-sweetened drinks are not food. Sugar, particularly fructose, is processed first in our bodies because it is TOXIC at even moderate levels in our bloodstream. Insulin must be secreted to pull excess sugar out of the blood and into our fat stores so the excess sugar will not KILL us. Insulin blocks the satiety hormone leptin from reaching our brains. This basically means that after a sugar filled meal, the body will actually feel hungrier than before in a short span of time. Try living off only sugar and carbs for a week, while maintaining a calorie deficit like the ones used here on MFP. I can almost assure you that you will be ravenous and overeat. You'll be unable to control your appetite. Willpower is futile. I rely on the biology of my hormonal system [by avoiding carbs, keeping insulin low and allowing the leptin signal to be transmitted] to keep me from overeating.
Real foods are things that can be eaten in their UNREFINED state: Leafy and non-starchy vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood, eggs, seeds, nuts and fruits. Wheat, beans, rice, sugar cane and corn need to be cooked and/or processed in order to be edible. This means (IN MY OPINION) these items are not real food and are best left unconsumed.
For reference, I have lost about 110 pounds eating this way. I read several books on this topic each month and I absorb loads of (scientifically sound and published) research articles every week. I implore anyone who is battling with binge eating and inability to lose weight by counting calories alone to do more research on low carbohydrate diets.
This is my life's passion: Getting across the message that, in order to be slim without ravenous and uncontrollable hunger, you simply have to eat REAL foods. If you put the right stuff in, your body will take care of the rest. I will not be responding to any more comments on this thread, but anyone who would like to know more is welcome to send me a PM.
LOL posts a bunch of fear mongering, pseudo science and then closes discussion with "I will not respond to any comments"...
So let me get this straight, when I take some eggs and scramble them they are no longer in their natural state, so that would then be "bad" for me? This line of reasoning would also apply to chicken, meat, fish. So basically you are saying that everything should be consumed raw and never cooked, right?
Protein spikes insulin levels too, so is that toxic as well? Excess calories get stored as fat, not excess sugar. So if you eat sugar in a calorie deficit your body still has to pull energy from fat stores to perform bodily functions; therefore, I am confused how sugar would be stored as fat in a calorie deficit.
I must be doing it wrong, because I have lost 50 pounds all the while consuming sugar, and eating food in a non natural state.0 -
Calories in/calories out is for weight loss. It's science.LaurenCheek wrote: »I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.
Type of food is for nutrition, satiety, and body composition.
Yup. Calories are all that count.
The earnestness of the other poster comes through loud and clear, she had clearly read a lot on the subject. Having low-carbed a long time myself in the past, I could have written a lot of that myself. In the past.
It's great finding something that works for you, but it's not a scientific truth that "natural" means "looking better". I met someone the other day who eats "natural". I have better skin than she does. Better genes for me, I guess.
I eat well, but I eat beans and grains and occasional treats and she doesn't.
Now this is just one anecdote, but my point stands: making a claim that you'll look better and be more healthy because you avoid certain foods is just jumped up pseudo-science and nothing more than nonsense. Most of how we look is genetic. We influence our body composition and health to some extent with food, but not near as much as people would like to think we can outside of controlling our weight.
(Editing to add that of course, people who go into hard core strength training and body building can make a difference, but that is hard work, and outside of the realm of what diet alone can do.)
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For me it makes no difference what I eat so I tend to eat a fair amount of chocolate and crisps within my calories as well as meat and bread and a few vegetables. My skin has always been good. It is still good whether I eat 'junk' or a 'balanced' diet. My hair is bad because of alopecia - it falls out when it gets to a certain length so basically I cannot grow my hair. It is bad whether I eat 'junk' or a 'balanced' diet. The only thing that affects my hair is what immunosuppressants I'm on. I generally don't feel tired unless I haven't slept well and rarely get sick. I feel full on what I'm eating... so I'm not going to change it.0
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Where do they live? What level of education has each completed? What are their respective annual incomes? Are they both single? What shampoo do they use?
Yes, the shampoo is critical.
I will say that I've seen plenty of skinny, flabby women at the Y pool, and thought, you know, I'd rather be fit and firm and curvy. And I think that starts with diet.0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »
Calories in/calories out is for weight loss. It's science.LaurenCheek wrote: »I'm of the belief system that healthier (real) food equals healthier body (skin, body composition and disease risk). We are designed to eat food, yet far too many modern humans eat food-like products for the majority of their calories. Meats, vegetables and other things your ancestors would recognize as edible are food. (Saying this at the risk of seriously inflaming the strict "calories are ALL that matter" crew): I could drink gasoline and obtain ample calories each day. I wouldn't last very long, however. Calories absolutely count. There is simply no getting around that fact. However, calorie quality plays a far bigger role in health and appearance than a lot of people give credit. Eat real, naturally occurring foods and not only will you look and feel better, but you will naturally consume fewer calories, as a result of improved hormone sensitivity (insulin and leptin) and higher satiety levels. You can still count calories, but be aware that calories aren't the only factor that counts.
Type of food is for nutrition, satiety, and body composition.
Yup. Calories are all that count.
The earnestness of the other poster comes through loud and clear, she had clearly read a lot on the subject. Having low-carbed a long time myself in the past, I could have written a lot of that myself. In the past.
It's great finding something that works for you, but it's not a scientific truth that "natural" means "looking better". I met someone the other day who eats "natural". I have better skin than she does. Better genes for me, I guess.
I eat well, but I eat beans and grains and occasional treats and she doesn't.
Now this is just one anecdote, but my point stands: making a claim that you'll look better and be more healthy because you avoid certain foods is just jumped up pseudo-science and nothing more than nonsense. Most of how we look is genetic. We influence our body composition and health to some extent with food, but not near as much as people would like to think we can outside of controlling our weight.
(Editing to add that of course, people who go into hard core strength training and body building can make a difference, but that is hard work, and outside of the realm of what diet alone can do.)
So well said.
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This discussion has been closed.
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