"Healthy" isn't just about what you eat

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  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,068 Member
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    I agree OP.

    Another thing to consider - as well as health not just being about eating, eating isn't just about health.

    By that I mean, yes, we should try to eat wholesome nutritious food most of the time but there is room in life for eating things just because we enjoy them.

    A piece of chocolate cake or a maccas lunch is fine, in moderation of course, just because we want to, regardless of the nutrition value, or lack thereof.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    Yup :)
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.

    Somebody missed the point... he didn't sayyou don't need to eat well he said that shouldn't be the only thing to your overall health
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.

    Somebody missed the point... he didn't sayyou don't need to eat well he said that shouldn't be the only thing to your overall health

    Yes, it appears so. Or somebody just likes to use threads as launching points for their orthorexia rants. BTW, have you ever seen a heart surgeon, nutritionist etc. publish a universally accepted scientific definition of "clean eating". Yeah, me neither.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Agreed! I would add, though, that exposure to pollutants and chemicals etc. can come in many forms...including what we eat.
    As well as unwanted bacteria like salmonella and e coli, but I doubt we'll ever be truly free from any type of exposure to things like this. I was emphasizing more on say living in L.A. vs say Honolulu.
    I also wonder if it's a matter of viewpoint. If some are thinking about their 20% when they post, and others are thinking about their 80% when they post.
    Possibly. Personally I eat whole food 80% of the time and junk food 20% the rest.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    I was actually referring to the pollutants manufacturers add.
    And yes, I think MANY of us eat whole foods, or nutritious foods, or foods we believe fuel out bodies 80% or so of the time. Myself included.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.

    Somebody missed the point... he didn't sayyou don't need to eat well he said that shouldn't be the only thing to your overall health

    Yes, it appears so. Or somebody just likes to use threads as launching points for their orthorexia rants. BTW, have you ever seen a heart surgeon, nutritionist etc. publish a universally accepted scientific definition of "clean eating". Yeah, me neither.
    Me neither. I have seen all of the above lay out what they believe to be the basis for a healthy diet (which is often also decried as "unnecessary" on here).
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
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    I believe one of the biggest contributors to 'health' is leading a happy, stress free life.

    Or at least that's my excuse for the wine and pizza :)
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.

    Somebody missed the point... he didn't sayyou don't need to eat well he said that shouldn't be the only thing to your overall health

    Yes, it appears so. Or somebody just likes to use threads as launching points for their orthorexia rants. BTW, have you ever seen a heart surgeon, nutritionist etc. publish a universally accepted scientific definition of "clean eating". Yeah, me neither.
    Me neither. I have seen all of the above lay out what they believe to be the basis for a healthy diet (which is often also decried as "unnecessary" on here).

    True, but these authorities rarely even agree on that. I think you and I agree (based on previous discussions) that a nutrient dense diet for most of you food intake makes sense and then what ever you like for the small discretionary portion.
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
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    I'm in complete agreement with this. Health isn't just about what you eat and how much you exercise--it is also about mental and emotional health. Food has strong social, cultural, and emotional elements, and participating in those parts of eating are just as important for one's mental well-being as nutrition, in my opinion.

    Ellyn Satter, who is a well-known nutritionist who specializes in helping families to have a healthy relationship with food, (ie, making sure you raise healthy kids who don't have eating disorders) says it really well: "Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life." If so much of your time and efforts are focused on getting 100% perfect nutrition, the rest of your life is going to suffer--and that surely isn't healthy.

    Same goes for exercise. Sure, I say "no" to happy hour sometimes so I can fit my runs in when I'm training for something. But if your workout schedule is taking so much time away from other parts of your life that they are starting to suffer--your family, your career, your intellectual pursuits, your social life--that can't be mentally healthy in the long term.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.

    Somebody missed the point... he didn't sayyou don't need to eat well he said that shouldn't be the only thing to your overall health

    Yes, it appears so. Or somebody just likes to use threads as launching points for their orthorexia rants. BTW, have you ever seen a heart surgeon, nutritionist etc. publish a universally accepted scientific definition of "clean eating". Yeah, me neither.
    Me neither. I have seen all of the above lay out what they believe to be the basis for a healthy diet (which is often also decried as "unnecessary" on here).

    True, but these authorities rarely even agree on that. I think you and I agree (based on previous discussions) that a nutrient dense diet for most of you food intake makes sense and then what ever you like for the small discretionary portion.
    We do. And how we each "build" that nutrition dense diet, and how we choose the foods that make up those discretionary calories is up to the individual, as far as I'm concerned.
    I do think most mainstream folks would agree on a lot of the basis of a nutrient rich, healthy diet though.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    We have absolutely no idea the long term impacts of many of the chemicals and genetic modifications in our food because they haven't been around for generations. Most of the food we eat isn't even food. It's food-like products. Have you ever thought that many who would like to eat clean are also trying to preserve the diversity and integrity of the food system? While I'm not saying it's cause and effect, many of us who eat clean can be found at farmer's markets, learning animal husbandry, growing our own food, and buying local. All of these things are beneficial to a sustainable food system. I hope that the U.S. will adopt GMO food labeling like many other countries are adopting, as an aside.

    I agree with you that it's important to focus on a variety of factors, not just nutrition. However, I'd sure rather see some heart surgeons, nutritionists, sustainable food systems experts, etc. come on here and bash clean eaters like you "trainers" do. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Personally, I like to try to be healthier in all aspects of my life.

    You don't get extra credit for getting more nutrition, but you can't convince me we know enough to say you don't get negative points for ingesting a bunch of extra fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. We don't know. We can't know. We have not seen how they trickle down the food stream and through generations.
    Some "clean" eaters seem to feel that they are being "bashed" (and not to kid you I eat about 80% of the time "clean") when in turn it's not bashing at all, but a disagreement in approach and many seem to take it personally. Like religion, some clean eaters are so faithful to the cause, they look at others who aren't "saints" at eating as someone who'll never achieve heaven. So I do believe that sometimes it's the other way around. Working with the public on this for years, I have the insight to know that people don't want to absolutely restrict their lives to achieve weight loss, which is why many who embark on an overnight transformation of switching eating habits end up failing.
    And while we don't have all the answers yet, a lot of science has addressed the information on a lot of what we've consume today.
    But as mentioned, this isn't just about what's being eaten, but what attributes are part of overall health.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition