Fed Up with Food Fear-Mongering

lilacinfinity

IN because someone actually recently claimed to me that gluten caused both autism and schizophrenia.

And because these always get to be so much fun to read.

I once had an assessing psychologist tell me to take gluten and dairy out of my ASD son's diet to "fix" him

I took my son elsewhere

cassiepv

While I agree with the overall opinion of the original post - that eating anything in moderate amounts with an overall healthy diet and lifestyle won't be a problem - I don't agree that recognizing a food as being less healthy somehow equates to food fear-mongering. Some of the examples used are not, to my mind, inherently problematic for the reasons stated. For example, the person choosing to not make legumes a primary sources of carbs and proteins because lectins could potentially cause problems with leaky gut syndrome, etc. is not making an unhealthy or problematic choice. He recognizes there are other healthy sources of these nutrients, so why choose a potentially problematic one over ones that are generally agreed upon to be healthy? Same with the person avoiding consuming much fruit because of the high sugar content - if you're worried about your sugar intake then this is an entirely logical approach to your diet.

Just because you realize some foods are healthier or less healthy than other foods doesn't mean you're necessarily afraid of that food or are taking it to the extremes that the original post describes (things like bread will KILL YOU!). While I can't deny this exists, I think people have taken reactions against this behavior too far as well, to the point that any recognition that a food is less healthy than other alternatives suddenly becomes fear mongering.

For example, choosing to make grains a minimal part of your diet because you've read about the potential health issues and would rather choose other foods doesn't make you somehow a blind slave to fad diets and the media. It might be the case, but blindly labeling everyone who acknowledges some foods are inherently less healthy than others doesn't necessarily mean that either.

This article comes as a reaction to one extreme, and goes to the opposite extreme.

^^^ this

mustgetmuscles1

While I agree with the overall opinion of the original post - that eating anything in moderate amounts with an overall healthy diet and lifestyle won't be a problem - I don't agree that recognizing a food as being less healthy somehow equates to food fear-mongering. Some of the examples used are not, to my mind, inherently problematic for the reasons stated. For example, the person choosing to not make legumes a primary sources of carbs and proteins because lectins could potentially cause problems with leaky gut syndrome, etc. is not making an unhealthy or problematic choice. He recognizes there are other healthy sources of these nutrients, so why choose a potentially problematic one over ones that are generally agreed upon to be healthy? Same with the person avoiding consuming much fruit because of the high sugar content - if you're worried about your sugar intake then this is an entirely logical approach to your diet.

Just because you realize some foods are healthier or less healthy than other foods doesn't mean you're necessarily afraid of that food or are taking it to the extremes that the original post describes (things like bread will KILL YOU!). While I can't deny this exists, I think people have taken reactions against this behavior too far as well, to the point that any recognition that a food is less healthy than other alternatives suddenly becomes fear mongering.

For example, choosing to make grains a minimal part of your diet because you've read about the potential health issues and would rather choose other foods doesn't make you somehow a blind slave to fad diets and the media. It might be the case, but blindly labeling everyone who acknowledges some foods are inherently less healthy than others doesn't necessarily mean that either.

This article comes as a reaction to one extreme, and goes to the opposite extreme.

^^^ this

:huh: Not sure we read the same article.

nomeejerome

in to read later

bookworm_847

Protein, we've already demonized fat and carbs/sugar

I think your assessment is spot on. Soon I'll be stopped at the gym and told how unhealthy I'll be due to my protein intake (and my eyes will glaze over again)

My sister has a co-worker who is working out (I think to get bigger, but I'm not positive), and my sister wanted to pass on a little of what I've learned to her co-worker. She asked about her protein intake. The co-worker's response? "Oh, you have to stay away from protein. It's bad for you."

RivenV

I know that most people can fit these foods into their life and not feel guilt for it or be afraid. I had ice cream last night and i'm beating myself up for it. I've been told all my life that certain foods are "good" and "bad" and that eating the "bad" foods will make you fat. So I did get fat but not by eating the bad foods, but the quantity I ate them in ( I know that now, but it still doesn't clear my neurosis). Even after realizing this, i'm still afraid of food and I don't have a normal relationship. I just want to throw it out there that it's not easy trying to over come a fear of food and that no food is good or bad.

I understand exactly where you're coming from. I spent years trying to get my weight under control by eating "good" foods and shunning "bad" foods. But as I started to spend more time looking for those good foods, it seemed like more and more foods were being constantly added to the "bad" list. It was really frustrating. Can't have this, can't have that, can't, can't can't.... There were a couple weeks where I was deeply upset about all of the conflicting information about foods being good and bad. "Nuts are good for you!" "Nuts are inflammatory and full of fat!" "Soy is a good source of protein!" "Soy can mess with your hormones!" I was afraid to even eat. What if I eat the wrong things? I already wasn't making any progress losing weight or "getting healthy," what if I ate some bad food and it only made things worse? I was pretty torn up about it, and I would say it brought me to tears on more than one occasion. I don't mean to say I was bawling my eyes out in the street, but I would have quiet meltdowns while I was logging my food. I felt so stupid because I obviously just didn't get it.

This is the kind of mindset you create when you say that some foods are bad. Think about it.

darkangel45422

Well personally I think of health as a sliding scale (like 0-100, with 0 meaning it has absolutely no health benefits whatsoever (so no positives) and a host of worrisome negatives, and 100 being that is has a whole host of health benefits and absolutely no negatives whatsoever. Obviously just about no food will fit into one of these poles since almost everything has upsides and downsides, but foods that are lower on the scale are ones I'd classify as unhealthy and foods on the upper part of the scale are ones I'd call healthy.

There's your problem right there.

It's a person's overall DIET that's appropriate or not appropriate. No individual food can be placed on some linear bad to good" scale. It's nonsensical and completely ignores the realities of the human organism.

Really? You're going to argue philosophy as being right or wrong? This ^^ is your belief about food; doesn't make my belief any worse or better. I think it's entirely possible to assess foods based on their negatives and positives and to find one has a more positive ratio than the other - which is exactly what my scale means. To say it's impossible to do so is actually what's nonsensical; that's like saying you can't take 100 academic papers and place them on a linear scale from best to worst.

Not a belief. It's just reality.

...You really don't know what the difference between a belief/opinion and fact is do you?

mustgetmuscles1

They have been going after red meat for years. Now it seems to be L-carnitine in red meat. LOL News flash, L-carnitine is found in other meats like fish and chicken.

jayrudq

"I Eat Pizza, Pop Tarts, Ice Cream, Potato chips now - And I also eat chicken breasts, broccoli, egg whites, apples, grapes, and oatmeal. No food is off limits! (OK.. maybe Liver, Pâté de Foie Gras, and Brussel Sprouts). I have figured out my TDEE and My BMR and and as long as these foods fit in the mid range on a weekly averaged basic it is fine! The results are happening and I feel great! "

Hmph. I eat Liver, Pate de Foie Gras and Brussel Sprouts. Love them. I also love whole eggs. Think pop tarts may be the biggest waste of calories ever (give me a donut please), potato chips are CRACK and ice cream - meh. No food is off limits, but there are quite a few I choose not to eat. No binge, no recrimination, no crazy. I can have them whenever I want them. Cue "I got the Power"

The best diet is the diet you can stick with. Period.

quiltlovinlisa

In to read later. Like what I saw so far.

margiea7

Actually lilacinfinity does know the difference between opinion and fact. It's pure opinion to label foods as good or bad.
If you're underfed and NEED the calories, a Mars bar is infinitely better for you than a bowl of spinach.So is a good thick "not missing its gluten" sandwich.
If you're big and fat (like me), the spinach may be better - or at least less Mars bar and more spinach!

Lleldiranne

So... who decides which foods are healthy and unhealthy? Someone once told me that "Well, of course everyone KNOWS that a handful of carrot sticks are better for you than a burger." I would say the healthy/unhealthy status of the food depends on the consumer's nutrition requirements and should be decided in context with the rest of the food in their diet. I'm willing to agree that certain trans fats (those created from partially hydrogenated oils) ought to be limited. I'd like to see a representative sample of foods that are inherently unhealthy and should be avoided, in your opinion, and why you consider them unhealthy.

Well personally I think of health as a sliding scale (like 0-100, with 0 meaning it has absolutely no health benefits whatsoever (so no positives) and a host of worrisome negatives, and 100 being that is has a whole host of health benefits and absolutely no negatives whatsoever. Obviously just about no food will fit into one of these poles since almost everything has upsides and downsides, but foods that are lower on the scale are ones I'd classify as unhealthy and foods on the upper part of the scale are ones I'd call healthy.

I think what effect a food will have on a person depends on their overall diet - obviously eating a single candy bar, despite it being less healthy, won't make a big deal if you otherwise eat well, but if you eat nothing but candy bars that's a different story.

I don't advocate complete avoidance/elimination of any food, healthy or not, because even bad things in small amounts likely won't have much impact on your overall health, and for me the goal is not to eat only perfectly healthy foods but to live an overall healthy and happy life.

For me foods that I'd classify as unhealthy would include things like most mainstream chocolate bars (Mars, Snickers, Smarties, etc.), deep fried Twinkies, etc. etc. Things that have little to no nutritional benefit and a whole host of downsides (tons of added sugars, added chemicals, etc.). That isn't to say they can never be eaten; I like me a chocolate bar once in a while when I feel like it, and I'll eat it without guilt - I just recognize it's not healthy food. For me, healthy food will make up the bulk of my diet, but if I feel like eating something unhealthy I will - I obviously try to keep it to once in a while because my goal is overall health, and those foods don't help me progress to that goal.

Some foods are going to affect different people different ways, but I still believe food has an inherent healthiness to it (based on what it brings to the table). If for example you were allergic to carrots, you'd obviously avoid them for your own health, but that doesn't, in my opinion/way of thinking, make carrots themselves unhealthy.

And you pretty much just summed up the article quoted by the OP.


(Also want to add, don't forget emotional health. There are a lot of people who will say never ever ever eat for emotional reasons … But if that fudge brownie, fit into my calories and maybe even macros (or sometimes not), keeps me off the xanax this week, what's the harm? No, not every day, no, not all I eat that day, but sometimes I just gotta have it!)


Edited to fix quotes

ironanimal

I'm actually in, but waiting for someone to seriously try to convince us that cauliflower will kill us all.

If there's one food that is genuinely evil, it's cauliflower.

Cauliflower got no reason to live.

I disagree. It's kale.

I raise your kale with celery.

samhradh

will read in the morning

ThickMcRunFast

I hate the phrase 'empty calories'. A snickers bar can be a waste of calories for someone sitting in front of a computer all day. A snickers bar is an excellent food choice for someone running a trail marathon (all that fat and salt and easily available sugar energy!). The food is not good or bad. The calories are not good or bad, they are just calories. The lifestyle of the person consuming them makes it a good or bad choice.

I_Will_End_You

Great article! I thought there would be much more drama in this thread, though. Not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed. I'll post the article on Facebook and see if I can get the Wheat Belly crowd all fired up on there.

paygep

bump

Cindyinpg

Great article! I thought there would be much more drama in this thread, though. Not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed. I'll post the article on Facebook and see if I can get the Wheat Belly crowd all fired up on there.

I posted it on my page a couple of hours ago. So far, stony silence. Had a posted a link to raspberry ketones and a fat flush cleanse, I would've had twenty likes and a dozen shares by now.

aliciagetshealthy

Yes!

Mr_Knight

Sounds like the MFP boards in a nutshell

I've given up. People are going to believe what they want to believe. And if there's one thing the internet has shown us, it's that people will happily turn just about anything into a religious war.