How do You know what is healthy?

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Replies

  • hazelsmrf
    hazelsmrf Posts: 96 Member
    None of those diets promise to be "healthy".
    Their main objective and promise: to reduce your weight.

    Actually "Paleo" (again, encompasses a whole lot of different stuff) is usually done for health and not just for weight loss, so it does in fact promise to be healthy. Atkins does say it's healthy as well. South Beach does say it's healthy. I don't know of too many diets that say "This is a really really bad way to eat and will make you sick, but you will lose weight!". If you can stick with any of those healthy diets, why not? It's just that a lot of people can't stick with them and that's what makes them less ideal for weight loss, not that they aren't healthy.
  • jackpotclown
    jackpotclown Posts: 3,291 Member
    diet= fad. You go on a "diet" once you get off what happens? You gain all the weight back.

    My advice- eat food in moderation aka by portion size, try and stick with lots of veggies, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, but allow yourself to eat whatever it is you like. Depriving yourself of things makes you want them more, and encourages binging behaviors because once you get it, you tend to over indulge.

    I eat ice cream at least once a day. I stick to serving size, but fit it into my cals for the day.

    Do what works best for you, but a life style change, will help you keep the weight off, in a healthy manner- continuing on a "diet" fad will only lead to a yo-yoing effect and not really learning how to eat properly.

    Also adopt some form of physical exercise- try for 3 days a week and do something you like, running, zumba, elliptical. I personally mix in weights and cardio but being physically active combined with a healthy diet will change your life in a good way. Better than any "diet" out there!
    This^^^ \m/
  • shimmer_glo
    shimmer_glo Posts: 103 Member
    - Fresh or frozen (not canned) fruits and vegetables
    - Lean protein (beans, chicken/turkey breast, fish, tofu, very lean beef)
    - If you eat grains, they should be 100% whole grains (I think gluten intolerant people can have brown rice?)
    - Calcium, whether low fat dairy or vegetarian sources like soy/almond milk or calcium-rich produce
    - Olive oil or canola oil instead of butter
    - Avoid packaged foods whenever possible.
    - Avoid sugar and try to use all-natural sugar substitutes (like stevia)
    - Look for foods high in fiber and low in sugar and saturated fat.

    You can skip the fad diets, be healthy and energetic, and lose weight eating these foods. It will take a little longer, though. Fad diets promise quick weight loss, and making permanent, healthy lifestyle adjustments takes more work and perseverance. Just make sure your calorie intake is appropriate for weight loss, because it's possible to eat too much healthy food and still gain weight.
  • ChristiH4000
    ChristiH4000 Posts: 531 Member
    I agree with the consensus here, find a way to make healthy eating your normal diet and stop "dieting". I still eat every kind of food, even the really really BAD stuff, but I don't eat that bad stuff all the time or to excess. The key is moderation and balance.
  • hazelsmrf
    hazelsmrf Posts: 96 Member
    - Fresh or frozen (not canned) fruits and vegetables
    - Lean protein (beans, chicken/turkey breast, fish, tofu, very lean beef)
    - If you eat grains, they should be 100% whole grains (I think gluten intolerant people can have brown rice?)
    - Some source of calcium, whether low fat dairy or vegetarian sources like soy/almond milk or calcium-rich produce
    - Olive oil or canola oil instead of butter
    - Avoid packaged foods whenever possible.

    Look for foods high in fiber and low in saturated fat.

    You can skip the fad diets, be healthy and energetic, and lose weight eating these foods. Just make sure your calorie intake is appropriate for weight loss, because it's possible to eat too much healthy food and still gain weight.

    You can also skip the fad diets, be healthy and energetic while eating butter and saturated fats and full fat dairy. Mmmm butter. Some of the fatty cuts of meat are just way more flavorful than the less fatty cuts too.
  • shimmer_glo
    shimmer_glo Posts: 103 Member
    You can also skip the fad diets, be healthy and energetic while eating butter and saturated fats and full fat dairy. Mmmm butter. Some of the fatty cuts of meat are just way more flavorful than the less fatty cuts too.

    Losing weight is going to help your heart and body overall, probably no matter how you lose it, but according to what I understand, a diet low in saturated fat is better for heart health.
  • cbenzerga
    cbenzerga Posts: 65 Member
    I am doing everything in moderation. I do a lot of "this or that" meaning I do a little critical thinking about what I choose to eat everyday. If I need to eat out (because i'm always on the go) I say to myself "this or that" It's usually very obvious: Get the salad instead of the burger and fries. Sometimes it's: get a side salad and eat half the burger and no fries. Sometimes its Half a burger and a baked potatoe. I know this isn't as good as cooking at home, but when your running around all the time you have to just try to make the right choice. So if you aren't sure, check the web sites of restuarants for calories, its usually right here on MFP. Just make the healthest choice based on a few options. I like options and having to deside whats best and making the right choice make me feel good too, like I did something good for myself that day. Ofcourse I like to cook at home and eat a lot fresh veggies and lean meats but thats not always an option for me. I say eat fresh as much as possible and when you eat out, make a good choice for something healthy and you know a salad with grilled chicken is better than a loaded burger and fries.
  • hazelsmrf
    hazelsmrf Posts: 96 Member
    Losing weight is going to help your heart and body overall, probably no matter how you lose it, but according to what I understand, a diet low in saturated fat is better for heart health.

    I know that's the common opinion, but I've read many studies that showed that saturated fat was fine. My cholesterol improved a lot eating pretty much nothing but beef, butter, veggies and full fat cheese, which is contrary to everything you'd read. I realize that I'm only N=1

    http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract
    Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.

    Anyways I'm sure someone could produce an article that said the opposite so everyone needs to draw their own conclusions, I can only say that for ME, full fat foods are a LOT more palatable than low fat foods, and the studies I read lead ME to believe that they are healthy foods, and so I'm ok with MY choice to eat a diet that's high in saturated fat because I don't feel the science shows that it's bad.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I have been on so many diets, and have heard so much conflicting information.... I do NOT know what is truly healthy for me anymore? I have tried:

    South Beach
    Atkins
    Paleo
    Sparkpeople
    Skinny Biotch
    French Diet
    etc etc etc and on top of all this I am also gluten free!

    HELP I feel like and IDIOT!

    I'm not someone who usually follows a diet and I'm not familiar with all the diets you listed, but many of them have healthy elements -- even Atkins, which I went on for two weeks a few years ago. I read the book and even the most extreme form called for eating vegetables, and I ate as many I do normally. I also understood that I had to stop when I was satisfied; The diet did not give me license to stuff myself with bacon, regardless of the hype usually circulated about it.

    Some people like formal diets because they signal a new approach to food and their lifestyle in general. The healthier diets also usually are formulated to meet certain nutrient macros and calorie levels so the dieter doesn't have to do much work (the work is in buying and and preparing the food).

    Others do better with normal eating. But the truth is that if you need to lose weight, you have to create a significant calorie deficit consistently which means eliminating a number of high-calorie, nutrient-thin foods. So to me, it's still a diet.


    If you're going to follow a diet, I would stay away from anything that is universally considered a fad diet, and choose one with healthy foods you enjoy.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    Healthy is a subjective term.

    How so? Healthy would mean a body and mind in good health. Health means freedom from disease and ailment.

    There are many ways to achieve healthy, and sometimes no way to achieve it, but the meaning is always the same.

    What I mean is that what people define as healthy food is subjective. Some people say cheeseburgers are unhealthy and should be avoided. I say they have protein, calcium, and iron. Some people insist anything but organic and raw is unhealthy. I say that's bull.

    My point is: don't complicate things. Eat what you like, make sure you get nutrients. You don't need a book to tell you what you should and shouldn't eat.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    It's funny I don't really eat processed...I just have an issue where I decide certain foods are off limits!

    NONE. It's as simple as that.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    OP, every diet you listed runs on the same underlying principle - you eat less cals on them so you lose weight. The diets just shuffle around what they consider "healthy" for you, but it's always the calorie deficit that makes them work. Stick a name tag and brand on it and market it as a wonder diet - voila, cash cow.

    The debate over what is "healthy" is endless. After reading countless books and studies I've come to the conclusion that there are only a few 'definites' when it comes to healthy nutrition. And by 'definite' I mean that the majority of the scientific research agrees with it.

    They are:

    - Eat mostly fruit and veg
    - Avoid trans fats
    - Natural (non-processed) food is better than processed (i.e. fruit, veg, raw nuts, lean meat and fish over anything in a box, tin, or packet)

    That's pretty much it.

    On the next level down there are some 'guidelines' that are generally well accepted but there is a little bit of contension still surrounding them so you'll have to do the research and decide for yourself if you want to apply them. They are:

    - Eat less carbs
    - Eat less red meat (originally this was thought to be related to saturated fat content, but I suspect it is more complicated than that)
    - Eat more Omega 3s and less Omega 6s

    That's pretty much all the solid guidelines I've been able to identify. There are a million others but there's so much argument over them there's no way of really telling.

    When it comes down to it, I really think Michael Pollan summed it up best: Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants.
  • shimmer_glo
    shimmer_glo Posts: 103 Member
    Another thing I think Weight Watchers recommends is filling each plate with 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 protein and 1/4 carbohydrates. That seems to work pretty well for some people who want to eat healthy and don't like to count calories.
  • allisonrozsa
    allisonrozsa Posts: 178 Member
    Eat normal foods... cut out most processed foods... get some exercise.

    Ya! I've changed a few habits (trying to pull out a lot of processed foods), but I still like to eat normal things, just learning not to overdo it.
  • shimmer_glo
    shimmer_glo Posts: 103 Member
    Losing weight is going to help your heart and body overall, probably no matter how you lose it, but according to what I understand, a diet low in saturated fat is better for heart health.

    I know that's the common opinion, but I've read many studies that showed that saturated fat was fine. My cholesterol improved a lot eating pretty much nothing but beef, butter, veggies and full fat cheese, which is contrary to everything you'd read. I realize that I'm only N=1

    http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract
    Conclusions: A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.

    Anyways I'm sure someone could produce an article that said the opposite so everyone needs to draw their own conclusions, I can only say that for ME, full fat foods are a LOT more palatable than low fat foods, and the studies I read lead ME to believe that they are healthy foods, and so I'm ok with MY choice to eat a diet that's high in saturated fat because I don't feel the science shows that it's bad.

    Just to reply to your post, thanks for the information. I will definitely read more about it when I have the time. My personal take on this type of thing is to go with the conventionally & widely accepted opinions of experts until I have heard/read more information about multiple studies over a period of time, as I am not a nutritionist and have seen plenty of fast fading health fads and quacks over the years. This topic is interesting, though, so again, thank you for posting the above information.
  • hazelsmrf
    hazelsmrf Posts: 96 Member
    Just to reply to your post, thanks for the information. I will definitely read more about it when I have the time. My personal take on this type of thing is to go with the conventionally & widely accepted opinions of experts until I have heard/read more information about multiple studies over a period of time, as I am not a nutritionist and have seen plenty of fast fading health fads and quacks over the years. This topic is interesting, though, so again, thank you for posting the above information.

    And I think that's a very SMART way to look at it... read up on things and draw your own conclusions... I am not a nutritionist either but over the years I've read a lot and it's led me to look at things from this perspective, but honestly you could probably also find medical journals that showed something opposite. That's why you need to not form an opinion on just one study but over several. I've read a lot that had me question the low fat mantra, and over the years the further reading I've done has just reinforced that.

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