Sugar and processed food good or bad?

_HeartsOnFire_

Seriously OP, you haven't learned this yet?

It came about from another thread. I've found a shocking amount of people, on a fitness website nonetheless, who talk about how everything is fine. It's all the same. There are no differences with processed food, added sugar, chemicals, etc. Just eat in moderation.

Although I agree with the moderation approach as being a good rule of thumb for many, I've been just shocked by some folks that say it's all the same. I'm starting to agree with some other users that such people are not true MFP users, but paid food corp. reps as I can't imagine how such outlandish claims otherwise make any sense.

I don't think anyone at all says that everything is fine or that it's all the same. Literally no one says that.

Are you serious?? People say everything is fine a LOT. They even say that if you don't think everything is fine then you have an unhealthy relationship with food.

I haven't seen anyone say "it's all the same" but I have seen people say sugar and an apple are the same. I once had someone tell me that a McD hamburger was healthy becuase there studies showing carbs, protein and fat were healthy.

People say all kinds of crazy things on these forums.

First yes I pulled this from page 1. The reason was the comment about an Apple vs sugar, this remeinded me of the time my daughter's pediatrician explained to me that for a toddler Apple juice 100% and koolaid were the same nutritionally, he said the only difference was the color additives because nutritionally speaking Apple juice is sugar water, the same as koolaid. When told this I was confused, I never gave my kids anything but juice...never koolaid. So I asked my doctor, she then said that he was right.

Now for the main topic, when it comes to units of energy a calorie is a calorie, calories are units of energy and with regards to weight loss a calorie is a calorie. I have never seen anyone on mfp say all calories are nutritionally equal. And Jonnythan on my fl. Nutrition and the math of energy expenditure are completely different. The key to all of life is moderation, denying oneself simple pleasures sets one up for failure and it actually shows the opposite of will power, real will power would be able to handle moderation. Just for knowledge, I am not a big packaged food eater...but there are no BAD food.

Pffffft. Logic. Is that all you got? :laugh:

_HeartsOnFire_

Seriously OP, you haven't learned this yet?

It came about from another thread. I've found a shocking amount of people, on a fitness website nonetheless, who talk about how everything is fine. It's all the same. There are no differences with processed food, added sugar, chemicals, etc. Just eat in moderation.

Although I agree with the moderation approach as being a good rule of thumb for many, I've been just shocked by some folks that say it's all the same. I'm starting to agree with some other users that such people are not true MFP users, but paid food corp. reps as I can't imagine how such outlandish claims otherwise make any sense.

Yep, just got my check from General Mills today. The check from Frito-lays comes on the 1st of the month. BTW, I'm trying to get on with Coca-Cola - I hear they pay the big bucks.

you got your checks already??? Those *kitten* shorted me again!

I just did direct deposit. It's great.

I get paid based on number of posts. For every 100 posts, I get $0. So far I've gotten a total of $0 for 9,900 posts.

I know you guys are lying because Big Foodz Corp only hires soulless narcissists.

ndj1979

Seriously OP, you haven't learned this yet?

It came about from another thread. I've found a shocking amount of people, on a fitness website nonetheless, who talk about how everything is fine. It's all the same. There are no differences with processed food, added sugar, chemicals, etc. Just eat in moderation.

Although I agree with the moderation approach as being a good rule of thumb for many, I've been just shocked by some folks that say it's all the same. I'm starting to agree with some other users that such people are not true MFP users, but paid food corp. reps as I can't imagine how such outlandish claims otherwise make any sense.

Yep, just got my check from General Mills today. The check from Frito-lays comes on the 1st of the month. BTW, I'm trying to get on with Coca-Cola - I hear they pay the big bucks.

you got your checks already??? Those *kitten* shorted me again!

I just did direct deposit. It's great.

I get paid based on number of posts. For every 100 posts, I get $0. So far I've gotten a total of $0 for 9,900 posts.

I know you guys are lying because Big Foodz Corp only hires soulless narcissists.

hey, those are my homies!

ndj1979

oh, and becuae I am late:

QueenBishOTUniverse

What I find bad is the human propensity for trying to fit all conditions of life in to only two categories. Dichotomies only exist in your head.

And I started with the best of intentions, how the hell did I get dragged in again?!

Ang108

The less processed foods in your diet, the healthier you will be. Eat your food as close to the way God made it as possible. When food is cut up, nutrients at the surface deteriorate. The more it's processed, the more nutrients you lose, making foods that have been pulverized (like flour and sugar) pretty dead, especially if it's been sitting in a warehouse, a truck and then a store for who knows how long before you actually eat it. To counteract this, companies replace the nutrients that were lost with synthetic versions that your body does not know what to do with because they're not real food.

Sometimes our bodies don't know what to do with "real food".
Like my best friend, for example.
She is trying out "clean eating" and ate I don't know how many raw vegetables yesterday.

Last night, I had a serving of chicken and broccoli Chinese take-out. Followed it up with 1/2 a Ben & Jerry's ice cream bar.

My friend spent the night on the toilet with volcanic diarrhea.
Me? Nope. Not one rumble in my tummy.

But hey, whatever floats your ark.

Well, we'll have to sink that ark...lol.
Your friend did not get diarrhea because she ate raw vegetables, she got diarrhea because she was not used to them. You did not get diarrhea from Chinese take-out and ice cream, because you most likely are ( used to it ).
If I were to eat Chinese take-out from just any place and top it off with an ice cream bar, I would most likely also get diarrhea and indigestion. Not because I think those foods are bad and therefore don't eat them, but because just like your friend is not used to raw veggies, I am not used to food I do not cook myself. You were comparing apples and bananas.....

jonnythan

The less processed foods in your diet, the healthier you will be. Eat your food as close to the way God made it as possible. When food is cut up, nutrients at the surface deteriorate. The more it's processed, the more nutrients you lose, making foods that have been pulverized (like flour and sugar) pretty dead, especially if it's been sitting in a warehouse, a truck and then a store for who knows how long before you actually eat it. To counteract this, companies replace the nutrients that were lost with synthetic versions that your body does not know what to do with because they're not real food.

Sometimes our bodies don't know what to do with "real food".
Like my best friend, for example.
She is trying out "clean eating" and ate I don't know how many raw vegetables yesterday.

Last night, I had a serving of chicken and broccoli Chinese take-out. Followed it up with 1/2 a Ben & Jerry's ice cream bar.

My friend spent the night on the toilet with volcanic diarrhea.
Me? Nope. Not one rumble in my tummy.

But hey, whatever floats your ark.

Well, we'll have to sink that ark...lol.
Your friend did not get diarrhea because she ate raw vegetables, she got diarrhea because she was not used to them. You did not get diarrhea from Chinese take-out and ice cream, because you most likely are ( used to it ).
If I were to eat Chinese take-out from just any place and top it off with an ice cream bar, I would most likely also get diarrhea and indigestion. Not because I think those foods are bad and therefore don't eat them, but because just like your friend is not used to raw veggies, I am not used to food I do not cook myself. You were comparing apples and bananas.....

That was the point. None of this stuff is inherently good and bad, and one person having a bad reaction to a given type of food is evidence of nothing.

Confuzzled4ever

Processed food is generally speaking high calorie low nutrition. Foods with sugar added create cravings for some people and make it extremely difficult to eat in moderation.

There's nothing wrong with having sugar or processed food occasionally it won't kill you. The problem comes into play where you can't stop at 1 piece. I am right now literally staring at my son Easter candy and it's taking all my will power to not eat it. If I do eat it I know my headache will go away only to come back even worse in a day or two. If I don't eat it it will go away tomorrow or maybe the next day and be gone for good. the only processed foods I eat regularly, when I'm being good with my food anyway, is protein bar and protein powder. the bars are bad but I get the low/no sugar protein powder.

Besides all that sugar is wholly unnecessary in many of the things it is added too. Sugar is completely unnecessary in diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, canned beans and that's just what I can think of off the top of my head. All it does is slightly sweeten the taste to make it more appealing to most Americans. Because we all have a sweet tooth to one degree or another.

jonnythan

If I do eat it I know my headache will go away.

.... Then I would suggest you eat it. That's a no-brainer right?

Confuzzled4ever

If I do eat it I know my headache will go away.

.... Then I would suggest you eat it. That's a no-brainer right?

I edited my statement since I left half the sentence out...

"only to come back worse tomorrow"

jonnythan

If I do eat it I know my headache will go away.

.... Then I would suggest you eat it. That's a no-brainer right?

I edited my statement since I left half the sentence out...

"only to come back worse tomorrow"

Ahh. That makes a difference. :laugh:

likitisplit

Anyway I wasn't actually looking for arguments from this thread but to get a clearer picture of people's view if eating processed or added sugar was okay in their opinion.

Still waiting for clarification of 'processed' and of 'added sugar', so we all know exactly what is being discussed .

My strawberry cake starts out with a pint of organic, hand picked strawberries and simmers them with half a cup of sugar while the kids take their baths. Processed? Check. Sugar? Check

Confuzzled4ever

If I do eat it I know my headache will go away.

.... Then I would suggest you eat it. That's a no-brainer right?

I edited my statement since I left half the sentence out...

"only to come back worse tomorrow"

Ahh. That makes a difference. :laugh:

haha yea.. lesson is do not try to watch an epic battle scene in Lord of the Rings while typing. LOL