Food is Fuel
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Bump for lols
Comment to be added later0 -
*reads all replies...continues to munch on sweet potato fries and then a mini chocolate truffle bomb (that folks, is a puddingy cake deliciousness type of thing.. yum)*0
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food is also my emotions...
my chocolate, caramel drizzled, whipped cream topped emotions
(with wet walnuts)
that's what she said.0 -
Your body has a set of requirements. It needs water, the proper amount of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and a level of nutrient that allows it to break down, rebuild, and repair itself. Getting this balance right means being very aware of your body.
It is very important that you eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain itself.
I don't believe in getting my needed nutrients from pills, so this may seem like a radical idea to some: try getting your nutrition from your food. And not just any food either; you want to look for the best stuff, because this is your body you're caring for, and who wouldn't want the best for their body?
Eat more vegetables and fruit. Look for organic brands, or shop from farmers markets. The fresher the better. If you have the time, try growing your own. The quality of home grown vegetables is very noticeable, in flavor and nutrient content.
Buy grass-fed/pasture raised meats, wild caught fish, and free range chicken/eggs. Do not be afraid to eat the fat, and don't leave out the egg yolks: they have the most basic nutrients your body needs. Avoid farmed fish, for they are fed many antibiotics and colorants. Avoid barn-laid, cage-free, and cage eggs, and do not eat grain fed meat or factory raised meat. If feasible, try to locate a farmer or a co-op that can provide you these things.
Buy grass-fed butter, whole, UN-homogenized milk (or raw if you can get it), use clean animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, beef or lamb tallow) or cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes. Do not use hydrogenated oils, margarine, blended butters, vegetable oil, or anything with trans fats. Do not use milk powders, or drink ultra-pasteurized or UHT milks (they are over cooked, with damaged proteins and fats, and are from much lower quality milk overall). Do not drink skim milk: there is hardly anything useful left in it for you, and they use titanium dioxide to make it white (without the pigment, the skim milk would be bluish in color).
Enjoy nuts, seeds, avocados, naturally fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, beet kvass, kimchi, etc) to encourage good gut bacteria. Use home made yogurt and kefir. Use raw honey and pure maple syrup.
Try to avoid things with ingredients lists. Avoid refined sugar and flours, and anything that says "enriched", "fortified", "with _____ added", anything insisting it's "healthy", "low fat", "no fat", "low carb", "low sugar", "sugar-free", "lean" or "skinny". Avoid the majority of wheat, avoid soy at all costs, avoid corn (aside, perhaps, from a bit of fresh, organic sweet corn) and all of it's derivatives. (Cutting out processed foods, breads, etc will help knock a lot of these out of the game.) Avoid soda pop and most juices.
Remove all GMOs from your diet. They raise the risk of cancer and food allergies, are soaked with pesticides and herbicides, they destroy the environment, plant and animal life, and are run by morally corrupt companies who have their fingers in many pies.
Get plenty of sunshine. If you live in a place with a short winter day (as I do) you may use fermented cod liver oil to supplement yourself until summer rolls around. You need the Vitamin D. (If you want to know what your Vit D levels look like, they can run a blood test for it.)
Drink plenty of water. It's what allows your body to function at it's best. It helps with the transfer of nutrients, it keeps your blood flowing, and assist in the removal of toxins from your tissues. Don't drink too much on hot days, though, as that may dilute your electrolyte balance. If drinking a lot on hot days, have something with a little sea salt added, like broth, or look up a recipe for a natural electrolyte drink.
Listen to your body. Are you hungry? Feed it a meal, or a snack. Eat several small meals through the day and keep whole, healthy foods on hand. Cook more meals from scratch. Do you wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night? You might be thirsty. Keep a glass of water by the bed. Do you feel tired or restless or unsettled during the day? Go for a walk/run to wake your body up and get its cells and fluids moving, and to help aid digestion and sleep. Get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Find a hobby that you like doing. Please your mind with reading or craft projects, or gardening.
I like to call this common sense living. If you can do these things, you're well on your way to good health, both physical and mental.
Remember: You are beautiful and so is your body. It doesn't matter what others think. Your body is a finely tuned machine, and it knows exactly what it needs, so do your best to give it the best.
While I don't doubt that doing all of that can be heatlhy, there really is no evidence that it has health advantages over simply eating a diet consisting mostly of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean meats and getting regular exercise.
How is your description different from mine (other than that you seem to subscribe to the conventional "Eat grains and no fat!" ideology which, I might add, ruins a lot of people)? It's not just about eating healthy, you know. It's eating healthy, while buying local, organic, GMO free, humane food. Everything is connected. Quality of the food is what's important, because the better the food, the more nutrition you're going to get out of it. This is why I grow my own vegetables. Hell, this is partly why I live in Tasmania. The food here is so much better in quality overall than anything the conventional US can provide. By growing my own from heirloom seed, that's money going to a local business, not into a cooperation's pockets. By buying the local grass fed beef, that's going to the local farmer, not some big business factory farm.
I'm watching the world go to hell in a hand basket health and food wise. But while I do so, I will eat good, clean, whole foods, continue my exercise, and continue to lose weight to become healthier. It's just a shame that so few people are on board with this, and that the rest subscribe to the mindless insanity of the media and conventional medicine.
Do your own thinking. Don't let society think for you.0 -
I try to eat clean as possible but sometimes find it hard with the everyday. How do you get enough protein? I am trying my best and I feel like I never get there. Everyone around me is recommending protein supplements but I don't know how I feel about putting them in my body. Many aren't regulated and are potentially dangerous for that reason.
Clean meats, fish, beans and eggs are starters. You do need some protein but not too much. There are too many protein pushers on this site. Unless you are a serious body builder, you don't need too terribly much protein. I am a pretty clean eater myself and the base of my diet is fruits and veggies. All the rest comes second and my body loves me for it.0 -
Just noticed that you ate at Perkins, one of the unhealthiest restaurants in America, as well as had some Mayonaisse. Those are much better than Special K bars.0
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Your body has a set of requirements. It needs water, the proper amount of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and a level of nutrient that allows it to break down, rebuild, and repair itself. Getting this balance right means being very aware of your body.
It is very important that you eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain itself.
I don't believe in getting my needed nutrients from pills, so this may seem like a radical idea to some: try getting your nutrition from your food. And not just any food either; you want to look for the best stuff, because this is your body you're caring for, and who wouldn't want the best for their body?
Eat more vegetables and fruit. Look for organic brands, or shop from farmers markets. The fresher the better. If you have the time, try growing your own. The quality of home grown vegetables is very noticeable, in flavor and nutrient content.
Buy grass-fed/pasture raised meats, wild caught fish, and free range chicken/eggs. Do not be afraid to eat the fat, and don't leave out the egg yolks: they have the most basic nutrients your body needs. Avoid farmed fish, for they are fed many antibiotics and colorants. Avoid barn-laid, cage-free, and cage eggs, and do not eat grain fed meat or factory raised meat. If feasible, try to locate a farmer or a co-op that can provide you these things.
Buy grass-fed butter, whole, UN-homogenized milk (or raw if you can get it), use clean animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, beef or lamb tallow) or cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes. Do not use hydrogenated oils, margarine, blended butters, vegetable oil, or anything with trans fats. Do not use milk powders, or drink ultra-pasteurized or UHT milks (they are over cooked, with damaged proteins and fats, and are from much lower quality milk overall). Do not drink skim milk: there is hardly anything useful left in it for you, and they use titanium dioxide to make it white (without the pigment, the skim milk would be bluish in color).
Enjoy nuts, seeds, avocados, naturally fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, beet kvass, kimchi, etc) to encourage good gut bacteria. Use home made yogurt and kefir. Use raw honey and pure maple syrup.
Try to avoid things with ingredients lists. Avoid refined sugar and flours, and anything that says "enriched", "fortified", "with _____ added", anything insisting it's "healthy", "low fat", "no fat", "low carb", "low sugar", "sugar-free", "lean" or "skinny". Avoid the majority of wheat, avoid soy at all costs, avoid corn (aside, perhaps, from a bit of fresh, organic sweet corn) and all of it's derivatives. (Cutting out processed foods, breads, etc will help knock a lot of these out of the game.) Avoid soda pop and most juices.
Remove all GMOs from your diet. They raise the risk of cancer and food allergies, are soaked with pesticides and herbicides, they destroy the environment, plant and animal life, and are run by morally corrupt companies who have their fingers in many pies.
Get plenty of sunshine. If you live in a place with a short winter day (as I do) you may use fermented cod liver oil to supplement yourself until summer rolls around. You need the Vitamin D. (If you want to know what your Vit D levels look like, they can run a blood test for it.)
Drink plenty of water. It's what allows your body to function at it's best. It helps with the transfer of nutrients, it keeps your blood flowing, and assist in the removal of toxins from your tissues. Don't drink too much on hot days, though, as that may dilute your electrolyte balance. If drinking a lot on hot days, have something with a little sea salt added, like broth, or look up a recipe for a natural electrolyte drink.
Listen to your body. Are you hungry? Feed it a meal, or a snack. Eat several small meals through the day and keep whole, healthy foods on hand. Cook more meals from scratch. Do you wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night? You might be thirsty. Keep a glass of water by the bed. Do you feel tired or restless or unsettled during the day? Go for a walk/run to wake your body up and get its cells and fluids moving, and to help aid digestion and sleep. Get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Find a hobby that you like doing. Please your mind with reading or craft projects, or gardening.
I like to call this common sense living. If you can do these things, you're well on your way to good health, both physical and mental.
Remember: You are beautiful and so is your body. It doesn't matter what others think. Your body is a finely tuned machine, and it knows exactly what it needs, so do your best to give it the best.
While I don't doubt that doing all of that can be heatlhy, there really is no evidence that it has health advantages over simply eating a diet consisting mostly of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean meats and getting regular exercise.
How is your description different from mine (other than that you seem to subscribe to the conventional "Eat grains and no fat!" ideology which, I might add, ruins a lot of people)? It's not just about eating healthy, you know. It's eating healthy, while buying local, organic, GMO free, humane food. Everything is connected. Quality of the food is what's important, because the better the food, the more nutrition you're going to get out of it. This is why I grow my own vegetables. Hell, this is partly why I live in Tasmania. The food here is so much better in quality overall than anything the conventional US can provide. By growing my own from heirloom seed, that's money going to a local business, not into a cooperation's pockets. By buying the local grass fed beef, that's going to the local farmer, not some big business factory farm.
I'm watching the world go to hell in a hand basket health and food wise. But while I do so, I will eat good, clean, whole foods, continue my exercise, and continue to lose weight to become healthier. It's just a shame that so few people are on board with this, and that the rest subscribe to the mindless insanity of the media and conventional medicine.
Do your own thinking. Don't let society think for you.
Can you detail why organic foods are more nutritious than non organic?
Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review.
"The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. "
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22944875
Also GMOs link to cancer0 -
I get into these arguments all the time on here, esp when it comes to fast food. lol.. and all that ends up happening is people find one or two bad things in my diary and rip it apart. I don't claim perfection. If I was I'd be healthy and happy, instead of working on healthy, although I'm still happy. lol.
I have a girl on my friend list who eats meal replacement bars and subway all the time. WIth her personal struggle this might be a good step, but it's not necessarily a healthy one. She'll lose weight sure.. but from a health and substainability perspective? mm not sure they are good choices. I want to make the choices that will make this a life long change. Not a temporary one.
I guess it depends more on your goals. Wanna lose 10 pounds period? Yep.. eat less it'll work. If your goal is a lifestyle change, you need to make more radical changes and more permanent ones. That means eating real food, and learning how to make the choices that will keep me healthy because seriuosly.. I'm not gonna eat protein shakes and bars for the rest of my life..
Not necessarily. I've worked with a few co-workers who eat bars and frozen diet meals every day for lunch and have for years. They are neither fat nor unhealthy. Obviously, that diet is sustainable for them.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner? As the girl I was talking about does? For everything someone says, there will be someone who does it or does the opposite and that will be proof. Unless you know them very well you do not know how healthy they really are. One of my co-workers a few years ago hit the gym all the time, could out run me, was happy all the time, always seemed to be eating healthy. She had such bad cholestrol and diabetes.. she passed away at 32 from not being healthy, learned about her health stuff at her funeral. I've learned a lot from that. Yes.. a million reasons that could have led to that outcome. Also.. I was talking about me and my views primarily. I can't imagine living off protein shakes and bars for the rest of my lfie. I course I grew up eating real food and have always eaten real food. In a pinch they are ok, but for the long term no.
I do know them quite well, and we work in health care so get free health screenings at work, which we always share. So, yes. I know they are healthy. Some only eat the frozen stuff or bars for lunch, some say they eat them for dinner too. And yes, that is "proof" that it's sustainable for some people (if some people it regularly for years, isn't that the definition of sustainable??)
I wasn't discussing your personal preferences or imagination.0 -
I get into these arguments all the time on here, esp when it comes to fast food. lol.. and all that ends up happening is people find one or two bad things in my diary and rip it apart. I don't claim perfection. If I was I'd be healthy and happy, instead of working on healthy, although I'm still happy. lol.
I have a girl on my friend list who eats meal replacement bars and subway all the time. WIth her personal struggle this might be a good step, but it's not necessarily a healthy one. She'll lose weight sure.. but from a health and substainability perspective? mm not sure they are good choices. I want to make the choices that will make this a life long change. Not a temporary one.
I guess it depends more on your goals. Wanna lose 10 pounds period? Yep.. eat less it'll work. If your goal is a lifestyle change, you need to make more radical changes and more permanent ones. That means eating real food, and learning how to make the choices that will keep me healthy because seriuosly.. I'm not gonna eat protein shakes and bars for the rest of my life..
Not necessarily. I've worked with a few co-workers who eat bars and frozen diet meals every day for lunch and have for years. They are neither fat nor unhealthy. Obviously, that diet is sustainable for them.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner? As the girl I was talking about does? For everything someone says, there will be someone who does it or does the opposite and that will be proof. Unless you know them very well you do not know how healthy they really are. One of my co-workers a few years ago hit the gym all the time, could out run me, was happy all the time, always seemed to be eating healthy. She had such bad cholestrol and diabetes.. she passed away at 32 from not being healthy, learned about her health stuff at her funeral. I've learned a lot from that. Yes.. a million reasons that could have led to that outcome. Also.. I was talking about me and my views primarily. I can't imagine living off protein shakes and bars for the rest of my lfie. I course I grew up eating real food and have always eaten real food. In a pinch they are ok, but for the long term no.
I do know them quite well, and we work in health care so get free health screenings at work, which we always share. So, yes. I know they are healthy. Some only eat the frozen stuff or bars for lunch, some say they eat them for dinner too. And yes, that is "proof" that it's sustainable for some people (if some people it regularly for years, isn't that the definition of sustainable??)
I wasn't discussing your personal preferences or imagination.
*sigh* works for you, doesn't work for me. Can we play nice now?0 -
Your body has a set of requirements. It needs water, the proper amount of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and a level of nutrient that allows it to break down, rebuild, and repair itself. Getting this balance right means being very aware of your body.
It is very important that you eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain itself.
I don't believe in getting my needed nutrients from pills, so this may seem like a radical idea to some: try getting your nutrition from your food. And not just any food either; you want to look for the best stuff, because this is your body you're caring for, and who wouldn't want the best for their body?
Eat more vegetables and fruit. Look for organic brands, or shop from farmers markets. The fresher the better. If you have the time, try growing your own. The quality of home grown vegetables is very noticeable, in flavor and nutrient content.
Buy grass-fed/pasture raised meats, wild caught fish, and free range chicken/eggs. Do not be afraid to eat the fat, and don't leave out the egg yolks: they have the most basic nutrients your body needs. Avoid farmed fish, for they are fed many antibiotics and colorants. Avoid barn-laid, cage-free, and cage eggs, and do not eat grain fed meat or factory raised meat. If feasible, try to locate a farmer or a co-op that can provide you these things.
Buy grass-fed butter, whole, UN-homogenized milk (or raw if you can get it), use clean animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, beef or lamb tallow) or cold-pressed coconut oil for cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes. Do not use hydrogenated oils, margarine, blended butters, vegetable oil, or anything with trans fats. Do not use milk powders, or drink ultra-pasteurized or UHT milks (they are over cooked, with damaged proteins and fats, and are from much lower quality milk overall). Do not drink skim milk: there is hardly anything useful left in it for you, and they use titanium dioxide to make it white (without the pigment, the skim milk would be bluish in color).
Enjoy nuts, seeds, avocados, naturally fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, beet kvass, kimchi, etc) to encourage good gut bacteria. Use home made yogurt and kefir. Use raw honey and pure maple syrup.
Try to avoid things with ingredients lists. Avoid refined sugar and flours, and anything that says "enriched", "fortified", "with _____ added", anything insisting it's "healthy", "low fat", "no fat", "low carb", "low sugar", "sugar-free", "lean" or "skinny". Avoid the majority of wheat, avoid soy at all costs, avoid corn (aside, perhaps, from a bit of fresh, organic sweet corn) and all of it's derivatives. (Cutting out processed foods, breads, etc will help knock a lot of these out of the game.) Avoid soda pop and most juices.
Remove all GMOs from your diet. They raise the risk of cancer and food allergies, are soaked with pesticides and herbicides, they destroy the environment, plant and animal life, and are run by morally corrupt companies who have their fingers in many pies.
Get plenty of sunshine. If you live in a place with a short winter day (as I do) you may use fermented cod liver oil to supplement yourself until summer rolls around. You need the Vitamin D. (If you want to know what your Vit D levels look like, they can run a blood test for it.)
Drink plenty of water. It's what allows your body to function at it's best. It helps with the transfer of nutrients, it keeps your blood flowing, and assist in the removal of toxins from your tissues. Don't drink too much on hot days, though, as that may dilute your electrolyte balance. If drinking a lot on hot days, have something with a little sea salt added, like broth, or look up a recipe for a natural electrolyte drink.
Listen to your body. Are you hungry? Feed it a meal, or a snack. Eat several small meals through the day and keep whole, healthy foods on hand. Cook more meals from scratch. Do you wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night? You might be thirsty. Keep a glass of water by the bed. Do you feel tired or restless or unsettled during the day? Go for a walk/run to wake your body up and get its cells and fluids moving, and to help aid digestion and sleep. Get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep at night. Find a hobby that you like doing. Please your mind with reading or craft projects, or gardening.
I like to call this common sense living. If you can do these things, you're well on your way to good health, both physical and mental.
Remember: You are beautiful and so is your body. It doesn't matter what others think. Your body is a finely tuned machine, and it knows exactly what it needs, so do your best to give it the best.
While I don't doubt that doing all of that can be heatlhy, there really is no evidence that it has health advantages over simply eating a diet consisting mostly of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean meats and getting regular exercise.
How is your description different from mine (other than that you seem to subscribe to the conventional "Eat grains and no fat!" ideology which, I might add, ruins a lot of people)? It's not just about eating healthy, you know. It's eating healthy, while buying local, organic, GMO free, humane food. Everything is connected. Quality of the food is what's important, because the better the food, the more nutrition you're going to get out of it. This is why I grow my own vegetables. Hell, this is partly why I live in Tasmania. The food here is so much better in quality overall than anything the conventional US can provide. By growing my own from heirloom seed, that's money going to a local business, not into a cooperation's pockets. By buying the local grass fed beef, that's going to the local farmer, not some big business factory farm.
I'm watching the world go to hell in a hand basket health and food wise. But while I do so, I will eat good, clean, whole foods, continue my exercise, and continue to lose weight to become healthier. It's just a shame that so few people are on board with this, and that the rest subscribe to the mindless insanity of the media and conventional medicine.
Do your own thinking. Don't let society think for you.
No need to get p*ssy! My definition differs in that I don't believe the food has to be all organic or non-GMO. And I don't believe all that crap about raw milk or several small meals throughout the day. I don't believe drinking a lot of water has much advantage over drinking a lot of tea. I don't believe all enriched, fat-free, sugar-free, etc. foods are unhealthy.
If you want to eat that way and have the money, more power to you, but it's just not necessary for health.0 -
I must say I agree with the OP. I lived outside the United States for 5 years, on a Caribbean island, where my diet and lifestyle totally changed. I walked everywhere (did not own a car) and ate fresh fruits right from the trees, fresh fish caught that day from local fisherman, and never felt better. It was a life changing experience.
I lost 20 lbs, and other health problems I had totally cleared up, such as eczema, I had acid reflux, that disappeared, and some acne I had on my back went away as well. My cholesterol and blood pressure went down as well. I realized for the first time the direct impact fresh foods have on our bodies.
I am back in the United States, and when I first returned, I tried really hard to stick to eating healthy, but here in this country it takes money to eat healthier, which is so strange. Those people over there on that island, some were dirt poor but their food choices is outstanding. Unfortunately I slipped back into bad eating habits, and gained back the weight I lost. I am now committed to exercising and eating better. I try to continue to eat as healthy as I can. Its definitely harder, but I do try. I eat out and love sweets, and notice the difference in how I feel when my diet is not the greatest.
I also try to eat organic fruits and vegetables when I can,because whether they are more nutritious or not, they most definitely taste better. Hopefully some whose diets subsist of only diet bars and shakes can take a peek in the Food and Nutrition section and get some healthy ideas.0 -
*sigh* works for you, doesn't work for me. Can we play nice now?
It doesn't actually work for me. I don't eat bars or frozen dinners. I love to cook and prefer the taste of my own cooking, plus the fact that I get twice the volume for the same calories. It wouldn't be sustainable for me, but my preferences weren't the point either.
I wasn't aware that we weren't playing nice. Does disagreeing = not playing nice?0 -
Just noticed that you ate at Perkins, one of the unhealthiest restaurants in America, as well as had some Mayonaisse. Those are much better than Special K bars.
Pretty sure I never claimed to be perfect. Yep, had brunch at perkins with friends after PRing my 5k. I do have a social life. Also, I make my own mayo. It's VERY healthy
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I must say I agree with the OP. I lived outside the United States for 5 years, on a Caribbean island, where my diet and lifestyle totally changed. I walked everywhere (did not own a car) and ate fresh fruits right from the trees, fresh fish caught that day from local fisherman, and never felt better. It was a life changing experience.
I lost 20 lbs, and other health problems I had totally cleared up, such as eczema, I had acid reflux, that disappeared, and some acne I had on my back went away as well. My cholesterol and blood pressure went down as well. I realized for the first time the direct impact fresh foods have on our bodies.
I am back in the United States, and when I first returned, I tried really hard to stick to eating healthy, but here in this country it takes money to eat healthier, which is so strange. Those people over there on that island, some were dirt poor but their food choices is outstanding. Unfortunately I slipped back into bad eating habits, and gained back the weight I lost. I am now committed to exercising and eating better. I try to continue to eat as healthy as I can. Its definitely harder, but I do try. I eat out and love sweets, and notice the difference in how I feel when my diet is not the greatest.
I also try to eat organic fruits and vegetables when I can,because whether they are more nutritious or not, they most definitely taste better. Hopefully some whose diets subsist of only diet bars and shakes can take a peek in the Food and Nutrition section and get some healthy ideas.
I don't think anyone is saying that overeating on junk is more healthy than eating fresh organic foods.
You can catch fish to eat here in the US too, ya know. And it's only more expensive to eat healthy, if you think organic foods are required for healthy eating.0 -
Sigh. Clearly I'm going to have to get technical about how food is grown. Do try to pay attention. You might actually learn something.
Conventionally grown foods tend to be an industrialized business. Vast irrigated fields of mono-crops, no biodiversity.
What people don't think about, because it's too "icky" or too below their holy notice, is that soil is alive. Soil has nutrients. Soil has living organisms, millions of types, that people don't even know about.
When you mono-crop for years (even just for ten years), you have one food type that is sapping specific sets of nutrients from the soil (just like humans, plants have nutritional needs too. Imagine that!) And then, oh no! Suddenly your mono-crop isn't growing so hot anymore. Well, we'll have to do something about that.
And there enters the synthetic fertilizer. Though it may have boosted growth for a years, it was introducing toxic heavy metals and other waste into the soil. (Bet the soil life loved that!) Like wise, they weren't providing the proper nutrients, so while the food grew, it was less nutritious overall.
http://www.turfprousa.com/health_effects_of_synthetic_fertilizer_3006a.html
Likewise, mono-crops have pest problems. When you have acres and acres of the same crop, well... those corn earworms are just gonna march right through it all. Those cabbage worms are going to have a field day with all those brassicas. And the carrot fly? Well, hopefully, you're catching the drift.
That's where the pesticides come in. Drench everything with the pesticides, and kill off all those bad bugs. And then watch it wash off into the soil, and kill those bugs as well.
Now, suddenly, you're getting bugs that are immune to the effects of pesticides. All it takes is one bug surviving long enough to lay eggs, and now you're suddenly breeding poison resistant populations of the bad bugs you don't want. Simple genetics.
http://whyfiles.org/062ag_gene_eng/4.html
That's where GMOs come in. They started breeding corn that produced the toxin created by Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), for instance. It kills by dissolving the stomachs of the bugs. It also kills the beneficial insects, because they have eaten the sickened bugs that were eating the corn. You've now wiped out the bad bugs, and the good bugs that were eating the bad bugs. Yet another ecosystem destroyed.
Still with me?
Likewise, they made several crops Round Up Ready. Like canola. Spray it all, drench it with the Round Up to get rid of the weeds, and then harvest it and process it for human consumption. Yummy. Eat that *kitten* up. And while you're at it, kill off more biodiversity.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025534_Roundup_research_toxic.html
So! Now that you have killed off all those bugs, killed off all those pesky weeds, killed off all the soil life and sapped all the usable nutrients from the soil, what are you left with?
Poison soaked, GMO crops that lack in nutrition.
Lets look at the organic method now. When I garden, for instance:
I don't use synthetic fertilizers, poisons or other additives. I don't even use sulfur, which is a natural compound, or DE (diatomaceous earth) for insect control (also a natural substance).
The fertilizer I use comes from one of two things: animal manure (composted) or kitchen compost (veggie scraps, crushed bone and eggshell, leaves, grass clippings, etc). That gets turned under. The soil life loves it. Why? Because what is soil made of? Rotting and decomposing vegetation, animals and *kitten*, essentially. Worms love it, the bacteria love it, the fungi love it. (People, however, seem to have an aversion to it. Sad people they are, too.) Hell, I'm even experimenting with no-till gardening, so I don't have to disturb the soil life much at all, just add layers throughout the year and let it all breakdown.
Why do they love it? For one, I'm not poisoning them. I'm feeding them. I'm giving them a diverse variety of foods to break down and add to the soil. And when they break those foods down, and add them back to the soil, what happens? Well, now there are nutrients there that my plants can pick up to feed themselves. And when I go to eat the plant or the fruit, well, now I'm getting more nutrients too. Nice how that works, isn't it?
I use only heirloom, open-pollinated varieties of seed. They are bred for micro-climates local to the area, and some are even resistant in their own right to disease... and without needing a massive chemical pushing cooperation inserting foreign DNA to make them so.
What about weeds? Who the hell cares? I weed if I feel like it. My garden is filled with oxalis, but I don't mind. I have a crap load of twitch, dandelions, and the occasional thistle. I pull it when I see a need, but I see no point in poisoning it. Then the weeds either go on the compost (if they haven't gone to seed and if they don't grow by bulb or root stem), and I have a special bin for those "pest" weeds like oxalis and twitch, so that they can undergo hot composting to turn them into something useful as well.
Another thing I do is rotate my crops: no one crop is in the same place every year. Since each plant has it's own nutritional needs, I move them around to keep them from sucking the same nutrients out every year. Thus, helping to keep my soil healthy.
It boils down very simply:
Good soil= Good food. Crap soil= Crap food.
And that is just about growing food, never mind what they do to it afterwards when processing it for other products.
This is a pretty simplified way of how I look at things. But hopefully you were able to keep up.0 -
I don't think anyone is saying that overeating on junk is more healthy than eating fresh organic foods.
You can catch fish to eat here in the US too, ya know. And it's only more expensive to eat healthy, if you think organic foods are required for healthy eating.
Yes, of course this is true, I grew up in Maryland, and my Dad used to go fishing and crabbing all the time!!! I loved eating fresh fish and crabs cooked in beer However, I never learned to do it, and through the years I have not always lived near the coast. But now living near the coast, I am able to go to fresh fish markets and get some, but still the price on fresh fish has gone up.
Its true that organic is very expensive, I I definitely think its better tasting, but when money is short I make do with regular fresh fruit and veg.0 -
Sigh. Clearly I'm going to have to get technical about how food is grown. Do try to pay attention. You might actually learn something.
Conventionally grown foods tend to be an industrialized business. Vast irrigated fields of mono-crops, no biodiversity.
What people don't think about, because it's too "icky" or too below their holy notice, is that soil is alive. Soil has nutrients. Soil has living organisms, millions of types, that people don't even know about.
When you mono-crop for years (even just for ten years), you have one food type that is sapping specific sets of nutrients from the soil (just like humans, plants have nutritional needs too. Imagine that!) And then, oh no! Suddenly your mono-crop isn't growing so hot anymore. Well, we'll have to do something about that.
And there enters the synthetic fertilizer. Though it may have boosted growth for a years, it was introducing toxic heavy metals and other waste into the soil. (Bet the soil life loved that!) Like wise, they weren't providing the proper nutrients, so while the food grew, it was less nutritious overall.
http://www.turfprousa.com/health_effects_of_synthetic_fertilizer_3006a.html
Likewise, mono-crops have pest problems. When you have acres and acres of the same crop, well... those corn earworms are just gonna march right through it all. Those cabbage worms are going to have a field day with all those brassicas. And the carrot fly? Well, hopefully, you're catching the drift.
That's where the pesticides come in. Drench everything with the pesticides, and kill off all those bad bugs. And then watch it wash off into the soil, and kill those bugs as well.
Now, suddenly, you're getting bugs that are immune to the effects of pesticides. All it takes is one bug surviving long enough to lay eggs, and now you're suddenly breeding poison resistant populations of the bad bugs you don't want. Simple genetics.
http://whyfiles.org/062ag_gene_eng/4.html
That's where GMOs come in. They started breeding corn that produced the toxin created by Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), for instance. It kills by dissolving the stomachs of the bugs. It also kills the beneficial insects, because they have eaten the sickened bugs that were eating the corn. You've now wiped out the bad bugs, and the good bugs that were eating the bad bugs. Yet another ecosystem destroyed.
Still with me?
Likewise, they made several crops Round Up Ready. Like canola. Spray it all, drench it with the Round Up to get rid of the weeds, and then harvest it and process it for human consumption. Yummy. Eat that *kitten* up. And while you're at it, kill off more biodiversity.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025534_Roundup_research_toxic.html
So! Now that you have killed off all those bugs, killed off all those pesky weeds, killed off all the soil life and sapped all the usable nutrients from the soil, what are you left with?
Poison soaked, GMO crops that lack in nutrition.
Lets look at the organic method now. When I garden, for instance:
I don't use synthetic fertilizers, poisons or other additives. I don't even use sulfur, which is a natural compound, or DE (diatomaceous earth) for insect control (also a natural substance).
The fertilizer I use comes from one of two things: animal manure (composted) or kitchen compost (veggie scraps, crushed bone and eggshell, leaves, grass clippings, etc). That gets turned under. The soil life loves it. Why? Because what is soil made of? Rotting and decomposing vegetation, animals and *kitten*, essentially. Worms love it, the bacteria love it, the fungi love it. (People, however, seem to have an aversion to it. Sad people they are, too.) Hell, I'm even experimenting with no-till gardening, so I don't have to disturb the soil life much at all, just add layers throughout the year and let it all breakdown.
Why do they love it? For one, I'm not poisoning them. I'm feeding them. I'm giving them a diverse variety of foods to break down and add to the soil. And when they break those foods down, and add them back to the soil, what happens? Well, now there are nutrients there that my plants can pick up to feed themselves. And when I go to eat the plant or the fruit, well, now I'm getting more nutrients too. Nice how that works, isn't it?
I use only heirloom, open-pollinated varieties of seed. They are bred for micro-climates local to the area, and some are even resistant in their own right to disease... and without needing a massive chemical pushing cooperation inserting foreign DNA to make them so.
What about weeds? Who the hell cares? I weed if I feel like it. My garden is filled with oxalis, but I don't mind. I have a crap load of twitch, dandelions, and the occasional thistle. I pull it when I see a need, but I see no point in poisoning it. Then the weeds either go on the compost (if they haven't gone to seed and if they don't grow by bulb or root stem), and I have a special bin for those "pest" weeds like oxalis and twitch, so that they can undergo hot composting to turn them into something useful as well.
Another thing I do is rotate my crops: no one crop is in the same place every year. Since each plant has it's own nutritional needs, I move them around to keep them from sucking the same nutrients out every year. Thus, helping to keep my soil healthy.
It boils down very simply:
Good soil= Good food. Crap soil= Crap food.
And that is just about growing food, never mind what they do to it afterwards when processing it for other products.
This is a pretty simplified way of how I look at things. But hopefully you were able to keep up.
Um, nice story. But how does this prove that organic is more nutritious exactly? Or that GMO produce makes us unhealthy?0 -
Poison soaked, GMO crops that lack in nutrition.
Nothing you just posted substantiated they lack in nutrition, nice wall of text though0 -
This is why I prefer to keep my journal closed.
It is NONE of your business what others choose to eat, especially (but not limited to) perfect strangers.
I enjoy a diet that is a good mix of healthy and not-so-healthy and perform very well while eating a 50/50 mixture of whole foods and not-so-whole foods.
I respect those who go for a completely "clean" way of eating, but no more than I respect people who are even "dirtier" than I am.
I don't like posts like this. I find them discouraging. :ohwell:0 -
This is why I prefer to keep my journal closed.
It is NONE of your business what others choose to eat, especially (but not limited to) perfect strangers.
I enjoy a diet that is a good mix of healthy and not-so-healthy and perform very well while eating a 50/50 mixture of whole foods and not-so-whole foods.
I respect those who go for a completely "clean" way of eating, but no more than I respect people who are even "dirtier" than I am.
I don't like posts like this. I find them discouraging. :ohwell:
That's too bad. I don't mean to be discouraging. Just trying to open up an honest conversation. There are a lot of ppl on MFP that can't understand why they aren't losing weight (or meeting other health goals) because they think they are eating "healthy" when they are only eating manufactured crap food that is marketed to make them think it's "healthy". You can stay within your calories and still only eat candy bars and coke. The quality of what you put in your body is important.0
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