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What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?

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  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    I know I'm late, and most everything I've listed here has been covered, but I'll list my unpopular opinions.

    1. While I do believe in moderation of most foods, I do still think that there are healthy foods and unhealthy foods. It's just that the unhealthy foods are what should make up the minority of what we eat.

    2. While some food ingredients and additives may be shown to be harmless in typical dosages, it does not mean that consuming significant quantities of foods with this additional "stuff" over the course of many, many years will not lead to any consequences.

    3. Not all routine blood tests done at annual checkups can offer a complete picture of one's health. In other words, I think in some cases there are tests that are not always done that could give clues to some issues that may be going on underneath the surface.

    5. Going against the grain with regards to Western medicine can have benefits in some cases. This doesn't necessarily mean going to the extreme, but whenever this is brought up in other threads people shoot it down just because it doesn't align with peer-reviewed scientific studies.

    5. This is basically an extension of 4, but really applicable to more than just that. I don't believe that because (in some cases) there are plenty of anecdotal accounts of something working means that it should be automatically tossed out as being applicable to someone else because there isn't "scientific proof".
    That being said, I do agree with most others here that when it comes to weight loss supplements, metabolism boosters, etc., much of that stuff is unnecessary and useless.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    I know I'm late, and most everything I've listed here has been covered, but I'll list my unpopular opinions.

    1. While I do believe in moderation of most foods, I do still think that there are healthy foods and unhealthy foods. It's just that the unhealthy foods are what should make up the minority of what we eat.

    2. While some food ingredients and additives may be shown to be harmless in typical dosages, it does not mean that consuming significant quantities of foods with this additional "stuff" over the course of many, many years will not lead to any consequences.

    3. Not all routine blood tests done at annual checkups can offer a complete picture of one's health. In other words, I think in some cases there are tests that are not always done that could give clues to some issues that may be going on underneath the surface.

    5. Going against the grain with regards to Western medicine can have benefits in some cases. This doesn't necessarily mean going to the extreme, but whenever this is brought up in other threads people shoot it down just because it doesn't align with peer-reviewed scientific studies.

    5. This is basically an extension of 4, but really applicable to more than just that. I don't believe that because (in some cases) there are plenty of anecdotal accounts of something working means that it should be automatically tossed out as being applicable to someone else because there isn't "scientific proof".
    That being said, I do agree with most others here that when it comes to weight loss supplements, metabolism boosters, etc., much of that stuff is unnecessary and useless.

    1. Unhealthy would mean it's bad at any amount, the fact you can have a moderate amount and be totally fine is in direct opposition to it being unhealthy.

    I agree with this but feel it's simply misuse of a word.

    I too believe in healthy foods and foods that are not healthy, which is not the same as being unhealthy (despite what some on these forums insist). Some foods promote health, and some do not (except perhaps mental health).

    This is why I typically use 'good' and 'bad' for foods instead of healthy and unhealthy except on an individual basis. There are unhealthy foods on an individual basis, of course.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    @WinoGelato I will admit that my first thought when i see diaries over run with packet/convenience/take away meals is they are either lazy and/or cant cook :blushing:

    Awesome. Let me tell you about my typical weekday. Wake at 5:30 am. Spend about 30 minutes with morning routine. 6-6:15 am I check emails that came in overnight from Europe and Asia for work and answer any which are critical. Work out from 6;15 -7:15 am. 7:15-7:30 get my kids (6 and 8 year old boys) up and get them ready for the day (breakfast, make sure they got dressed, brushed teeth, etc, pack lunches for them). 7:30-8am I get ready for work. 8-8:30 I gather everything up for myself (computer, breakfast, lunch) and the kids (backpacks, water bottles, lunches, and the stuff they need for evening activities as well), drive to drop them off at school and then get myself to work by 8:30 or 8:45. I heat my breakfast up (if hot breakfast like a breakfast sandwich or bowl) or eat the yogurt, granola, and fruit I brought from home while I am getting situated in the office. I am in meetings most of the day, and when I do break for lunch, I either have leftovers from a meal that I cooked myself the night before, or I have a frozen meal that I can heat up. I eat at my desk and go for a 30 minute walk at lunch. I work till 5:30 and leave to get my kids by 5:45 or 6pm, then take them to soccer or baseball practice, tutoring, scouts. Sometimes multiple activities in the same night. The whole time I am trying to walk, as well as check more emails on my phone, sometimes calls with Asia while I am at the ball field. We usually get home from the activities by 7:30, at which point I help them with homework (15-30 min) and then have to figure out dinner. Yes, I like to cook and am not bad at it - but on nights like this often hamburger helper with a salad, or a skillet meal, or grilled cheese and tomato soup wins. I get that together while the kids are in the bath, we try to eat around 8pm, and then I spend about an hour putting them to bed and reading to them. By the time I get them in bed it is after 9pm and I have to clean up the kitchen, lay out clothes for the next day, - sometimes if I do want to cook myself a nice meal I do it after they have gone to bed and I eat around 9:30 pm. I spend about an hour just vegging out, watching TV, before getting ready for bed around 10:30, reading for a half hour or so, and finally go to sleep around 11 pm so I can get up and do it all over again.

    I can see how that makes me sound lazy.

    But thank you for making the point about why my opinion that these foods are a helpful addition to my life is unpopular.

    BRA-*kitten*-VO.

    Perhaps before assuming someone is lazy, you may consider they may have less time on their hands than you perhaps do.

    I don't tend to think people lazy for choosing convenience foods except for cases where I know it's true. But I do think they are often using lack of time as an excuse to eat convenience foods instead of something that might be a little healthier. It doesn't take any longer to bake frozen fish and precut broccoli in the oven than it does a frozen pizza. It doesn't take any longer to make an omelet or stir fry using precut vegetables than it does to make Hamburger Helper.

    I'm not suggesting anyone shouldn't eat whatever they want, just saying I rarely buy the "I don't have time" excuse.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member

    Everyone's balance is going to look a little different. I personally don't think there is a wrong way to do it as long as you're liking what you eat, meeting your goals, and have enough time for the things you need to do and want to do.

    I love cooking, I make time for it virtually every day. But as a result, I do less of some other things that other people might find important. It would be easy for someone to look at my life and say that I'm lazy because I'm spending "too much" time on a fun hobby that just happens to result in cooked food.

    I hope to come to be more comfortable with cooking over time. That would be an awesome. If not (or until then), then I will be glad I know how to pace/portion myself with convenience foods when we (inevitably) have them.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member

    Everyone's balance is going to look a little different. I personally don't think there is a wrong way to do it as long as you're liking what you eat, meeting your goals, and have enough time for the things you need to do and want to do.

    I love cooking, I make time for it virtually every day. But as a result, I do less of some other things that other people might find important. It would be easy for someone to look at my life and say that I'm lazy because I'm spending "too much" time on a fun hobby that just happens to result in cooked food.

    I hope to come to be more comfortable with cooking over time. That would be an awesome. If not (or until then), then I will be glad I know how to pace/portion myself with convenience foods when we (inevitably) have them.

    There are some great options to help you explore cooking as well. One of my favorites right now is a three tier steamer, where you can cook rice, meat, and vegetables all at the same time. Throw them in, set the time, and walk away until it beeps. Another favorite is my slow cooker. Again, throw everything in, set it and walk away. Great for cooking something overnight, or throughout the day and it's ready for supper.

    There are also lots of great online supports. I like myfridgefood.com. Tell it what you have available in the house and it will give you recipes from that, there is even a slow cooker option!

    Sorry, I love cooking, but don't feel that I have enough time for it because other things take priority as they need to. These are some things that I've found helpful.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »

    Everyone's balance is going to look a little different. I personally don't think there is a wrong way to do it as long as you're liking what you eat, meeting your goals, and have enough time for the things you need to do and want to do.

    I love cooking, I make time for it virtually every day. But as a result, I do less of some other things that other people might find important. It would be easy for someone to look at my life and say that I'm lazy because I'm spending "too much" time on a fun hobby that just happens to result in cooked food.

    I hope to come to be more comfortable with cooking over time. That would be an awesome. If not (or until then), then I will be glad I know how to pace/portion myself with convenience foods when we (inevitably) have them.

    There are some great options to help you explore cooking as well. One of my favorites right now is a three tier steamer, where you can cook rice, meat, and vegetables all at the same time. Throw them in, set the time, and walk away until it beeps. Another favorite is my slow cooker. Again, throw everything in, set it and walk away. Great for cooking something overnight, or throughout the day and it's ready for supper.

    There are also lots of great online supports. I like myfridgefood.com. Tell it what you have available in the house and it will give you recipes from that, there is even a slow cooker option!

    Sorry, I love cooking, but don't feel that I have enough time for it because other things take priority as they need to. These are some things that I've found helpful.

    I always love to learn more! Thanks for the tips- that steamer sounds pretty awesome.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    @WinoGelato I will admit that my first thought when i see diaries over run with packet/convenience/take away meals is they are either lazy and/or cant cook :blushing:

    Awesome. Let me tell you about my typical weekday. Wake at 5:30 am. Spend about 30 minutes with morning routine. 6-6:15 am I check emails that came in overnight from Europe and Asia for work and answer any which are critical. Work out from 6;15 -7:15 am. 7:15-7:30 get my kids (6 and 8 year old boys) up and get them ready for the day (breakfast, make sure they got dressed, brushed teeth, etc, pack lunches for them). 7:30-8am I get ready for work. 8-8:30 I gather everything up for myself (computer, breakfast, lunch) and the kids (backpacks, water bottles, lunches, and the stuff they need for evening activities as well), drive to drop them off at school and then get myself to work by 8:30 or 8:45. I heat my breakfast up (if hot breakfast like a breakfast sandwich or bowl) or eat the yogurt, granola, and fruit I brought from home while I am getting situated in the office. I am in meetings most of the day, and when I do break for lunch, I either have leftovers from a meal that I cooked myself the night before, or I have a frozen meal that I can heat up. I eat at my desk and go for a 30 minute walk at lunch. I work till 5:30 and leave to get my kids by 5:45 or 6pm, then take them to soccer or baseball practice, tutoring, scouts. Sometimes multiple activities in the same night. The whole time I am trying to walk, as well as check more emails on my phone, sometimes calls with Asia while I am at the ball field. We usually get home from the activities by 7:30, at which point I help them with homework (15-30 min) and then have to figure out dinner. Yes, I like to cook and am not bad at it - but on nights like this often hamburger helper with a salad, or a skillet meal, or grilled cheese and tomato soup wins. I get that together while the kids are in the bath, we try to eat around 8pm, and then I spend about an hour putting them to bed and reading to them. By the time I get them in bed it is after 9pm and I have to clean up the kitchen, lay out clothes for the next day, - sometimes if I do want to cook myself a nice meal I do it after they have gone to bed and I eat around 9:30 pm. I spend about an hour just vegging out, watching TV, before getting ready for bed around 10:30, reading for a half hour or so, and finally go to sleep around 11 pm so I can get up and do it all over again.

    I can see how that makes me sound lazy.

    But thank you for making the point about why my opinion that these foods are a helpful addition to my life is unpopular.

    BRA-*kitten*-VO.

    Perhaps before assuming someone is lazy, you may consider they may have less time on their hands than you perhaps do.

    I don't tend to think people lazy for choosing convenience foods except for cases where I know it's true. But I do think they are often using lack of time as an excuse to eat convenience foods instead of something that might be a little healthier. It doesn't take any longer to bake frozen fish and precut broccoli in the oven than it does a frozen pizza. It doesn't take any longer to make an omelet or stir fry using precut vegetables than it does to make Hamburger Helper.

    I'm not suggesting anyone shouldn't eat whatever they want, just saying I rarely buy the "I don't have time" excuse.

    Or people have different priorities.

    Not sure what priorities has to do with it. Feeding the family seems the priority, but certainly people have different preferences. And nothing wrong with that, as I noted in the last sentence of my post.
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