Foods aren't unhealthy, diets are.
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Strokingdiction
Posts: 1,164 Member
A lot of people look at a single food and make quickly designate that food as either healthy or unhealthy. Their definitions range the gamut. Does it have a lot of sugar or better yet added sugar? Does it have a lot of fat? Is it calorically dense while simultaneously nutrient sparse? Is it processed? Does it contain more than five ingredients? The list goes on.
If those criteria define a food as unhealthy, that would mean that if you eat it, you will be unhealthy. After all, if it's unhealthy wouldn't it, by the nature of its definition, make the person that eats it unhealthy? That doesn't seem to be the case. With the exception of individuals with medical reasons to avoid certain foods, people are able to eat those foods while maintaining a clean bill of health immediately after consumption, a day after consumption, a week after consumption, a year after consumption and even a decade after consumption.
'But if they eat enough of it, they'll be unhealthy!' you say. In a sense, that's true and leads me to my final point.
If a person eats nothing but pop tarts, his diet (the sum total of foods he consumes over a period of time) will not be healthy. The same can be said for any food, even foods that are classically seen as healthy. Take broccoli for example. No one ever claims that broccoli is an unhealthy food. It's filled with vitamins and minerals that the human body can use to help it function properly. However, a diet that consisted of nothing but broccoli would be unhealthy because it alone cannot support the human body and its needs.
It's the diet as whole that matters, the sum of its parts, not parts by themselves. It's myopic to look at single foods and put a health label on it. It's the bigger picture that has to be the focus if health is goal. A diet that satisfies the bodies needs for calories (neither too far over nor too far under), protein, carbs, fats and the vital micro nutrients is healthy whether it contains the occasional processed, sugar added chocolate chip cookie or not.
Healthy diets make healthy people, not healthy foods.
If those criteria define a food as unhealthy, that would mean that if you eat it, you will be unhealthy. After all, if it's unhealthy wouldn't it, by the nature of its definition, make the person that eats it unhealthy? That doesn't seem to be the case. With the exception of individuals with medical reasons to avoid certain foods, people are able to eat those foods while maintaining a clean bill of health immediately after consumption, a day after consumption, a week after consumption, a year after consumption and even a decade after consumption.
'But if they eat enough of it, they'll be unhealthy!' you say. In a sense, that's true and leads me to my final point.
If a person eats nothing but pop tarts, his diet (the sum total of foods he consumes over a period of time) will not be healthy. The same can be said for any food, even foods that are classically seen as healthy. Take broccoli for example. No one ever claims that broccoli is an unhealthy food. It's filled with vitamins and minerals that the human body can use to help it function properly. However, a diet that consisted of nothing but broccoli would be unhealthy because it alone cannot support the human body and its needs.
It's the diet as whole that matters, the sum of its parts, not parts by themselves. It's myopic to look at single foods and put a health label on it. It's the bigger picture that has to be the focus if health is goal. A diet that satisfies the bodies needs for calories (neither too far over nor too far under), protein, carbs, fats and the vital micro nutrients is healthy whether it contains the occasional processed, sugar added chocolate chip cookie or not.
Healthy diets make healthy people, not healthy foods.
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Somebody get me my beer and my popcorn eating MJ gif whose only here for the comments! There's a party up in hur'!0
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Most (i wont say all because there are some crazy eaters out there) people dont eat a diet of just one thing, but at the end of the day if I take a box of pop tarts and put them next to the calorie equivalent of broccoli, broccoli will still be the one better for me and my body.
Dont get me wrong I had brownies last night with no regrets, but I only allow myself those foods on special occasions. I am not torturing myself, I'm not miserable because I don't eat junk food, I just would rather fill my body with food that my body will use more effectively.
This gets argued almost every day on this website. You will not change my mind, and I will not change your mind, so we can agree to disagree, but I figured I'd weight in for once on the discussion.
{edit} but yes healthy diets DO make healthy people. yea!0 -
A lot of people look at a single food and make quickly designate that food as either healthy or unhealthy. Their definitions range the gamut. Does it have a lot of sugar or better yet added sugar? Does it have a lot of fat? Is it calorically dense while simultaneously nutrient sparse? Is it processed? Does it contain more than five ingredients? The list goes on.
If those criteria define a food as unhealthy, that would mean that if you eat it, you will be unhealthy. After all, if it's unhealthy wouldn't it, by the nature of its definition, make the person that eats it unhealthy? That doesn't seem to be the case. With the exception of individuals with medical reasons to avoid certain foods, people are able to eat those foods while maintaining a clean bill of health immediately after consumption, a day after consumption, a week after consumption, a year after consumption and even a decade after consumption.
'But if they eat enough of it, they'll be unhealthy!' you say. In a sense, that's true and leads me to my final point.
If a person eats nothing but pop tarts, his diet (the sum total of foods he consumes over a period of time) will not be healthy. The same can be said for any food, even foods that are classically seen as healthy. Take broccoli for example. No one ever claims that broccoli is an unhealthy food. It's filled with vitamins and minerals that the human body can use to help it function properly. However, a diet that consisted of nothing but broccoli would be unhealthy because it alone cannot support the human body and its needs.
It's the diet as whole that matters, the sum of its parts, not parts by themselves. It's myopic to look at single foods and put a health label on it. It's the bigger picture that has to be the focus if health is goal. A diet that satisfies the bodies needs for calories (neither too far over nor too far under), protein, carbs, fats and the vital micro nutrients is healthy whether it contains the occasional processed, sugar added chocolate chip cookie or not.
Healthy diets make healthy people, not healthy foods.
So as long as it fits your calorie and macro target you are happy to eat something daily with a high man made trans fat content.
Okay - well good luck with that.
Still all foods healthy so scoff on!
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Totally depends on one's definition of "food" and "diet." lol...0
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That's a real circlejerk argument. Obviously a diet consisting of nothing but a few items isn't good for you, but arguing that positive food choices made are irrelevant is plain stupid, processed foods down the line cause health issues and packing in a couple beers and boxes of candy on top of a decent diet makes it a good diet all together just doesn't work. If you eat pizza and other crap all day your body will function on that level.0
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Can we get this stickied?0
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Can we get this stickied?
Why?( Edited wrong choice of word)
Sorry strokingdiction - but that's IMO.
Healthy diets need a larger volume of healthy foods - if we don't focus on healthy foods how will we know what to include as a majority food?0 -
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Can we get this stickied?
I agree. Would be great for those just starting off.0 -
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THANK. YOU. FINALLY SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS A HEALTHY DIET.0
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So as long as it fits your calorie and macro target you are happy to eat something daily with a high man made trans fat content.
Okay - well good luck with that.
Still all foods healthy so scoff on!
:drinker:
And micro count. Don't forget the micros. Trans fats... unless you're trying hard to eat a lot of them, if you are concentrating on fulfilling all your nutrition needs, there would likely not be many in your diet to begin with. Add to that, most food manufacturers are going out of their way to reduce or eliminate trans fats due to public and government pressure making it less of an issue everyday.That's a real circlejerk argument. Obviously a diet consisting of nothing but a few items isn't good for you, but arguing that positive food choices made are irrelevant is plain stupid, processed foods down the line cause health issues and packing in a couple beers and boxes of candy on top of a decent diet makes it a good diet all together just doesn't work. If you eat pizza and other crap all day your body will function on that level.
Circle jerk argument: That would fulfill some of your carbohydrate requirements.
Just fyi: “Circle Jerk” is a slang term referring to the positive feedback loop that can occur when ideas and beliefs are reinforced within a group or subculture’s enclosed space. The phenomenon is typically observed on websites that consists of self-contained forums for specific interests or subcultures. I only add this in case you want to use it properly in the future.
Back on topic, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you didn't read everything I wrote.
Let me TLDR shorten it for you:
If your diet consists of foods that meet all your macros, calories and micros, then you're eating a healthy diet. Eating nothing but pizza and "other crap" as you so eloquently stated, then you're likely not going to meet all those nutrition goals. It's hard to get the daily recommended fiber, calcium, iron, etc if you only ate those foods you deem as crap.
Again, it's the whole diet that has to be considered.0 -
I can't really say much on this topic that hasn't already been said by either side, but I will say that I've only been a member of this community for a month, and already I find these postings so helpful simply because I am absolutely sick of hearing about them, and hearing about them yet again makes me want to puke, which keeps me from eating anything. Thanks, guys!
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Can we get this stickied?
Why?( Edited wrong choice of word)
Sorry strokingdiction - but that's IMO.
Healthy diets need a larger volume of healthy foods - if we don't focus on healthy foods how will we know what to include as a majority food?
Why not? Demonizing food doesn't foster a good relationship with food. The OP doesn't advocate cutting out all "healthy" food, he's just saying that you don't have to forego your favorite food to be healthy. If I eat mostly fruits, veggies, lean meats, other "healthy" foods, a bag of freaking cheetos isn't going to kill me.0 -
That's a real circlejerk argument. Obviously a diet consisting of nothing but a few items isn't good for you, but arguing that positive food choices made are irrelevant is plain stupid, processed foods down the line cause health issues and packing in a couple beers and boxes of candy on top of a decent diet makes it a good diet all together just doesn't work. If you eat pizza and other crap all day your body will function on that level.
Circlejerks contribute to my daily protein goal. Just sayin'0 -
Can we get this stickied?
I agree. Would be great for those just starting off.
That's a sweet sentiment guys. I just wish I'd proof read it before my workout. The typeos are embarrassing. :blushing:
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