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Nutrition is very complex, and also nutrition scientists don't understand everything, and how it relates to health and well-being. Therefore, I try to keep to a
by shafyy 1y ago
Nutrition is very complex, and also nutrition scientists don't understand everything, and how it relates to health and well-being. Therefore, I try to keep to a few basic rules of thumbs:
- Eat as much unprocessed food as possible
- Eat mostly vegetables, ideally a wide variety (i.e. don't only eat cauliflower)
- Eat a lot of fiber
- Choose unsaturated fats like olive oil over saturated ones like butter
- Limit your caloric intake
https://nutritionfacts.org https://nutritionfacts.org is a very good source. Dr. Michael Greger and his team review a huge number of studies, and explain them with all the caveats.
- Pooge 1y agoI do all of those except the last one. I don't understand the obsession to calculate calories if you're eating healthily. I lost some considerable weight that I did not intend to lose by just eating less red and more green. Don't think I can ever get it back.
- purple_turtle 1y agoFor typical person reading it, it is a good advise to eat less calories. More and more people are obese or at least fat. There are some starving people, but with exception of some anorexics they are definitely not reading hn.
- Pooge 1y ago> For typical person reading it, it is a good advise to eat less calories. Why should they care about calories if they are eating healthily? It is a far better advice to eat more vegetables and less meat/processed than counting calories.
- purple_turtle 1y agoTypical person reading this is overly fat or outright obese or on way to do this. There are people starving but they are not reading hn or are anorexics.
- Pooge 1y agoTypical person reading this is ordering over-salted and sweet instant food from the comfort of their couch and waiting for the delivery to arrive. People like convenience and laziness and it doesn't help you when trying to eat correctly.
- geoka9 1y agoPossibly because quitting comfort food cold-turkey rarely works for most people. Being aware of calories allows you to maintain the deficit while having cheat days (or meals). The goal is to find a lifestyle that works because relying purely on your willpower is not sustainable long term.
- shafyy 1y agoObviously, if you have a good weight and low body fat, you don't need to limit your caloric intake. In this PDF nutritionfacts.org cites several studies that seem to show that caloric restriction might have health benefits outside of pure energy intake: https://app.box.com/file/1421942387675 https://app.box.com/file/1421942387675 But yes, I also don't count calories or whatever =)
- Pooge 1y agoI just think, and so does Dr Giles Yeo—author of Why Calories Don't Count—if you've heard of him, that advising people to eat more healthily would be more productive than telling them to start counting calories. Even if we're talking about losing weight. Quoting from his book: "If you focus on health, your weight will take care of itself".
- shafyy 1y agoYeah, I don't disagree.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 1y agoSome of us have unlimited hunger, so tracking calories help me realize that if I'm still hungry, it's time to make a big salad or start eating celery sticks (and I'm not joking, that's what I do)
- prmph 1y agoHere's a salad recipe that is very tasty to me that I never tire of eating. I'm happy to pass it on, since it makes not feel like I'm missing out on anything. Ingredients: - Fresh Kale (shredded) or Aragula/Rocket leaves - Fresh onions (or better still the greens of leeks, since onions were making my reflux worse), sliced - Cherry or Roma tomatoes (sliced if necessary) - Canned chunky tuna in vegetable oil (preferably olive oil) with a bit of salt - Red apples (sliced). Could sub Clementines or a bit of dried mangoes (shredded) instead. - Pecan or Cashew nuts (toasted) Method: Just toss together the veggies and fruit, spoon the tuna on top, and sprinkle the nuts on top, that's all. Very crunchy, tasty, and healthy.
- geoka9 1y agoNice! I have a variation that's a bit lower end in terms of ingredients, preparation and calories, but I also never get tired of it: - Fresh greens (I find Whole Foods prewashed green mixes kind of cheap and convenient for the purpose) - Cherry tomatoes - Avocado - Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper Quick and filling (avocado does the trick) and OK to eat a ton if you're in the mood for a large meal.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 1y agoWe have a version of it, avocado is just incredible with tomatoes, oil and salt. I do love lemon or lime instead of vinegar when there is avocado, it gives a really nice kick
- geoka9 1y agoSo true; and avocado also has the added benefit of filling you up "on the cheap" :) I find balsamic makes all the difference with greens and cherry tomatoes (white vinegar doesn't work as well).
- KetoManx64 1y agoI do the opposite of all of these except that first one on the carnivore diet. And I'm in the best shape, mental clarity, and energy levels that I've ever had. Bloodwork is all within normal levels and my thyroid issue has been completely solved. Nutrition is really not that complex. Our ancestors were eating primarily meat for 10's of thousands of years and we are here today because it provided them enough nutrients to have healthy children that then did the same thing. A lot of the vegetables that you are recommended to consume have anti-nutrients that are doing more harm than good. Eg: oxilates (Spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens), Phytates (Whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds), Lectins (Beans, lentils, and some vegetables like potatoes and tomatoes), etc.
- willmarch 1y agoOur ancestors were primarily vegetarian (as in getting most of their calories from vegetables)
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 1y agoThis seems to go against anything I heard about food, I'm confused now. We also have to account for the goal difference, meat was needed to survive in a very active environment with a lifespan of maybe 30 years per individual, if you were lucky, while now we have a very inactive environment with target about 100 years.
- KetoManx64 1y agoBut the reason for the shorter lifespans was not the red meat or cholesterol or fats. It was due to injuries, disease, sanitation and infections.
- geoka9 1y agoI mean, this is not scientific and all, but for the sake of the argument: your argument is not contrary to the grandparent's. I.e. a keto diet may be beneficial for a hunter-gatherer who only lives 30 years while bad for someone who lives well beyond that (because evolution never got to sort out that case due to injuries, disease, etc.).