What is 'good health'?

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  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    jodidari wrote: »
    There was a huge argument in the comments, especially over dairy stating that it isn't to be ingested after the age of 3 and it is found to fuel cancerous cells . I just wanted to know how many people believed it was unhealthy to consume dairy.
    Another was saying regular table salt is very unhealthy and seaweed salt, kosher salt or some other form of salt should be used.

    The whole thing began with one person saying she lost 50 lbs in 4.5 months and I found that so unbelievable to do healthily since I can barely lose 4lbs a month

    Wow.

    Ok, then. My best suggestion is to ignore whatever argument is going on in the comments if these are the kinds of responses that are being posted.

    Dairy doesn't fuel cancerous cells except that it provides nutrition like every other food you eat. Bothered by the thought that added hormones might be a problem? There's hormone-free dairy out there.

    I have no idea what the problem with table salt was (other than some people really pile it on) but it's mostly NaCl plus some other trace minerals. Some table salts are fortified with iodine and/or iron - to address some of the more common deficiencies, and an anti-caking additive may be added. All of the above is safe to eat unless you eat too much.

    Seaweed salt is NaCl plus iodine, iron, and other trace minerals derived from the seaweed. If you're mineral deficient I could see that this might be a better choice, but just like any other salt, it's not safe if you eat it to excess.

    Kosher salt is essentially a larger grain of table salt sans iodine and/or iron additives. Less healthy if you don't get enough of either in your diet. Otherwise, no real difference health-wise.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Brain aneurysms are like lightening. No one knows when and where they'll strike. :(

    50 in 4.5 months? Sure, it can be done, but not safely by any means. My friend lost 50 pounds in three months while hospitalized with intestinal herniations following an auto accident that required multiple surgeries. She weighed 89 pounds and looked like she was 90 (at 34). I guess if you really want to slam into a seat-belt and airbag going 65 MPH and spend the next three months hospitalized, it could work...

    Dairy: Unless you have some reason why you can't eat it- lactose intolerant/allergies/very high cholesterol, etc- it's YUMMY!

    Supplements? Not really equivalent to getting nutrition from food, but if you have deficiencies, like Vitamin D or Vit B 12, they can really be helpful.

    Vegan: I know some people live vegan and love it, and swear by it (and try mightily to convince others to be Vegan, too). I tried to go vegan for a few months, and ended up very sick. It turns out that I can't digest soy at all, and am allergic to coconut, which are prime ingredients for veganism. I think that for some people, it can work, but for many of us, it's a dangerous road to go down.

    Good health? Good health is, or rather should be, being normal. Normal BMI, normal blood pressure, normal breathing rate, normal levels of blood sugar, normal endocrine, etc. But as noted above, injury, accident, brain-aneurysm, breast cancer- all kinds of things can strip your good health from you in a heartbeat, and that may or may not have anything to do with how healthy you are at the moment it strikes.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    edited February 2016
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    1. Do you think you can healthily lose 50lbs in 4.5 months (from a starting point of 179lbs and 5ft 8 inches)? no
    2. How do you feel about dairy? Should it or should it not be consumed? if you like it eat it and make it work with your macros. im not a huge dairy person but when i want it, i have it
    3. How do you feel about table salt? most things do not need added salt. i never add salt to something after ive cooked it
    3. Do you feel supplements are equal to getting nutrients and minerals from actual food and beverages? no
    4. Do you believe in the existence of 'bad' foods? no
    5. Is the vegan life 'better'? that might be one of the stupidest things ive heard. if you want to follow a specific eating plan (ie: vegan/ veggie) then do so because of your 'morals' - not because you think it might help you lose weight. i know a 300 pound vegan. and she aint no competitive weightlifter..... ;)


    good health is good bp, sugar, cholesterol, other nutrient levels, etc.
  • tosi1312
    tosi1312 Posts: 78 Member
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    1. If one is very active & eats rather clean I can't imagine it being detrimental to ones health.
    2. I personally haven't consumed dairy for several months now. I think it's far from ideal to consume it.
    3. I don't have anything against it, but I do try to minimize my total salt intake.
    4. Calory dense & low nutruition foods are most certainly bad, and it will lead to obesity. A calorie is not a calorie.
    5. I'm certain that the human diet will in a matter of few generations evolve to consist solely of plants. As far as I'm aware there is no rationality in modern day consumption of animal products, expecially in first-world countries.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    1. Do you think you can healthily lose 50lbs in 4.5 months (from a starting point of 179lbs and 5ft 8 inches)? No, it seems a bit too aggressive. Trying to lose too fast can be bad for a number of physiological and psychological reasons IMHO.

    2. How do you feel about dairy? Should it or should it not be consumed? Yes, in moderation by people who can tolerate it well. I love dairy

    3. How do you feel about table salt? I feel that it gets demonised a bit and people can take things too far. The recommendation to cut down added salt comes from the fact that in an average western diet most people get more than enough from processed foods. If you don't eat a lot of processed foods I see no problem (and it could actually be necessary) with adding to your meals. I put salt on pretty much everything and am very healthy

    4. Do you feel supplements are equal to getting nutrients and minerals from actual food and beverages?

    No, the answer is in the word itself. They should be used to supplement a healthy diet where deemed necessary (hopefully with some kind of blood work or testing involved to confirm).

    4. Do you believe in the existence of 'bad' foods? Only those that are rotten, spoiled, poisonous, can't be tolerated by your body or will make you sick in some way. If you look at foods in isolation you can say that some probably have a higher nutritional value but in the context of a well-balanced diet no food is inherently bad.

    5. Is the vegan life 'better'? Better in what way? It's a personal preference but definitely not for me.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    jodidari wrote: »
    1. Do you think you can healthily lose 50lbs in 4.5 months (from a starting point of 179lbs and 5ft 8 inches)?

    Some people seem to be answering this without reference to the stats given. Is it possible for some people? Sure, for someone with a great deal of weight to lose. Is it possible to do healthfully and go from 179 to 129 at 5'8 (BMI of 27 to BMI of 19.6)? -- no, I do not believe so.
    2. How do you feel about dairy? Should it or should it not be consumed?

    Many people have issues with dairy and find it makes them feel bad (lactose intolerance or allergies). If it makes you feel bad, it should not be consumed. Also, if you have ethical objections it should not. It agrees with me and is a good source of protein, so I think I should consume it.
    3. How do you feel about table salt?

    I don't use it -- I use kosher salt when cooking instead, and am trying to accustom myself to using a bit less just because the palate gets used to whatever amount of salt you use. However, for most people I think it's fine if you like it. Some have risk factors that would require lowering sodium, but often the majority of sodium people get is from packaged food, so cutting down on that can be a bigger deal.
    3. Do you feel supplements are equal to getting nutrients and minerals from actual food and beverages?

    Depends on the supplements, but on the whole I think there is more good stuff in food than the specific things we've identified, so I tend to prefer whole foods as my source of nutrients. I will add protein powder to oatmeal (although I don't really rely on it to hit my protein goals very often) and am currently supplementing Vit D, because I live in a northern climate.
    4. Do you believe in the existence of 'bad' foods?

    Not exactly, but there are things I avoid, like transfats, because I don't think they are good for me. Mostly I think what matters is diet, not individual foods. I do believe there are unhealthful diets. (I prefer not using bad or good just because I think they can take on moralistic tones, although I do on occasion myself without thinking about it.)
    5. Is the vegan life 'better'?

    No, but it can be an excellent choice if you feel ethically called to it and I think everyone should probably give it some thought even though I have concluded (so far) that I don't think it's wrong to eat meat or use animal products, although some aspects of large industrial farming bother me. I also think there's a benefit environmentally to eating less meat and I am a little bothered that I eat more than I used to and would like to cut back again.
    My main question is what is good health?

    That's a broad question. Not being ill, being fit and of an appropriate weight and not abusing your body through the excessive use of drugs or alcohol, being mentally healthy.

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