I shouldn't have read that book!

skinnysushicat

Oh, and - in terms of non-meat options, there are veggie groups here on MFP where people will have loads of ideas, and there are some great cookbooks out there is you want to experiment with some vegetarian meals (whether or not you go completely veggie). I recommend 'River Cottage Veg' but Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, but it's a UK book so there may be better options as you're based in the US (he makes a lot of eating seasonal veg, which might be different in your location). But take a look at the Amazon bestseller lists of veggie cookbooks if you want inspiration.

CTRLplusZ

It's true that there is "research" that can back any way of eating as healthy and as someone who's already done it several times unsucessfully i don't recommend changing your way of eating out of fear of disease alone. If you are interested in trying a whole food plant based diet to seeif you enjoy it, if it makes you feel better or function better than give it a go and you don't have to make your little one do it just because you are.

Try incorporating naturally plant based meals for example most people do not put meat or animal products in their oatmeal. Also there are some good replacement products in stores to help bridge the gap if you are not comfortable eating meals without a meat like substance.

I'm a boring eater meaning i will eat the same meal day after day happily for a month or more. Rice and veggies, bean and mushroom chili, veggie pizza (no cheese), baked or mashed potato, yams, plantains, noodle soups, chickpea or lentil curries, and oatmeal are all plant based staple foods I enjoy eating frequently.

Hope that helps

monicaw44

just follow the basic rules of weight loss, if you try to use everything you read you will be paralyzed bc they contradict each other. each book is probably legit by itself. youre not a doctor, they could all be meaningful together if you had more knowledge about bio science.

shadowfax_c11

If you get past being afraid to die you won't have books like this causing you so much angst. Every living thing eventually dies.

Humans are omnivorous animals. Animal products are both healthy and delicious, as are plants. Eat them all. Be reasonable about how much.

ReaderGirl3

beth0277 wrote: »

I have "analysis paralysis". I have read too much and now I'm just totally confused. I know that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eat. Simple (but hard). But I read a book (backed by a lot of medical research) that talked about how badly animal products contribute to diseases such as heart disease, cancer, dementia, etc., even when individuals are at a healthy weight. There are a lot of similar books/documentaries, such as "Forks over Knives" that talk about the benefits of eating a plant based diet. Now, the problem. I like meat. I don't want to give it up. I can cut back, sure, but I feel like now that I "know" this stuff, I shouldn't do it. I've been reading about the Mediterranean diet and how they limit meats and sweets and have been considered following it, loosely, but it has me so stressed out. I have a 6 year old and I want him to be healthy but radically changing his diet will not happen. Moreover, if I cut meat from all but maybe dinner each day, I don't know a lot of non-meat options. I like some veggies but not a ton. So, MFP'ers, how do you deal with learning this type of info? I wish I never read that book, to be honest. It was so on point with the studies showing how much diseases are related to meat products that it has me overwhelmed.

By last count I've read over 50 books on dieting and nutrition (as my profile name implies-I'm a book nerd lol), and the bottom line is most of them are written by slick salespeople who are trying to make money. Before I read one of these books I check and see what else they're selling. Most times they're also selling expensive supplement lines, 'special' equipment, video series, retreats, paid memberships and the list goes on. These 'experts' make money by feeding off of people's fears and frustrations. Always read these kinds of books with a healthy dose of skepticism and make sure to also read the opposing view (and there will always be one lol), to balance things out. And if you smell woo, most likely there's someone trying to peddle cow....

QuietBloom

veganbaum wrote: »

But regardless of whether the soil argument does or does not have merit, the fact remains that in this day and age, we can choose to not eat animals and be very healthy our whole lives.

No, you don't have to eat animals themselves. But we can never get beyond needing to eat certain animal products because of our biology.

Best.

cbihatt

beth0277 wrote: »

I have "analysis paralysis". I have read too much and now I'm just totally confused. I know that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eat. Simple (but hard). But I read a book (backed by a lot of medical research) that talked about how badly animal products contribute to diseases such as heart disease, cancer, dementia, etc., even when individuals are at a healthy weight. There are a lot of similar books/documentaries, such as "Forks over Knives" that talk about the benefits of eating a plant based diet. Now, the problem. I like meat. I don't want to give it up. I can cut back, sure, but I feel like now that I "know" this stuff, I shouldn't do it. I've been reading about the Mediterranean diet and how they limit meats and sweets and have been considered following it, loosely, but it has me so stressed out. I have a 6 year old and I want him to be healthy but radically changing his diet will not happen. Moreover, if I cut meat from all but maybe dinner each day, I don't know a lot of non-meat options. I like some veggies but not a ton. So, MFP'ers, how do you deal with learning this type of info? I wish I never read that book, to be honest. It was so on point with the studies showing how much diseases are related to meat products that it has me overwhelmed.

Read what you wrote. You like meat, and not many veggies. If you try to eat in a manner than limits meat and emphasizes veggies, you will most likely fail to stick with it and go back to your old habits. Then, you will become one of the many people who claim to have tried everything, but are unable to lose weight.

Eat what you like, within your calorie limit. That is how you lose weight successfully.

As for dealing with learning this kind of stuff, I don't buy into any of it in the first place. As someone else pointed out, everyone will die at some point. And, studies are constantly being done that contradict each other. At one point, people were discouraged from eating eggs because of cholesterol, then it was decided that egg whites were ok. Then, it was determined that whole eggs are actually good for you. If you try to keep up with all the so-called science, you will only succeed in driving yourself crazy.