What is the perfect human diet?

[Elta]

holy F tell me that was a typo! I guess you are like me, easy to put on a moderate amount of fat when drinking /eating unhealthily but able to put that into muscle mass when stringent and exercising regularly (oddly enough muscle mass that was "lost" is in my experience at least 5 times easier to rebuild than to build from scratch and some stored fat seems to facilitate this even more.

But 15 pounds? I repeat myself when I say: holy F! In 3 months? <insert profanity>

It's not!
- I try to eat six times a day (if you count the protein shakes it's 6)
I hit up the gym for 25 minutes In the morning ( not counting the warm ups to get my heart rate to 135)

6 hours later

and 6 hours after that.

I do one muscle a day and 30 sets of 10 reps on that one muscle.
.... You gotta remember thou putting muscle on for me is easy because my I have the exact same body type as my dad but, I've never really hit the gym the way he told me too. He squats 390 easy and I can barley do 200. I reckon if I can put on another 20 lbs of muscle I will level off into my "ideal size"

 

[LightFang]

Jesus Christ... That's so incredibly true... I always feel more hungry after eating tasty food than bland food, even though I always eat more of tasty food than of bland food!

:O!!

Well, you know what to do now, right? Start a diet of bland food! You'll be as healthy as a horse. But you won't enjoy your meals.

I'm glad this stuff actually makes sense to you all though. I might try it, one of these days.

 

[Tee Kay]

I can't go on bland food. That'd kill me.

You can be healthy and enjoy tasty food at the same time you know.

 

[Ecofarm]

and I voted that organic and produced with love are a positive factor, though that might just be personal preference.

Organic eggs have 70% less cholesteral.

Organic production reduces cultural eutrophication, pesticide poisoning, the use of anti-biotics (in the US, 70-80% of antibiotics administered are used on industrial farms), the use of hormones that appear in trace amounts in final product, and shifts fertilizer focus from fossil fuels (synthetic, overseas dependant) to farm "leftovers" (organic, local).

If anyone seriously does not think that organic matters to one's health personally, socially, and ecologically... they are just being intentionally ignorant to maintain an agnsty attitude with political rivals.

Whether or not it is economically viable for an entire nation of 300million+ people is a different argument entirely. But if you can afford it - it is healthier for you, your community, and the world. There's no debating that. I applaud Sweden for iniatives to make all food given to children in school cafeterias organic, in several cities. When Helsingborg did it, every parent I talked to was very happy about it.


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As far as "food pyramids" go, the 1981 Encyclopedia Britannica (yes, I own it) has "Butter and Fortified Margarine" - as a food group - number 6 out of 7, under 'Nutrition' (N-O, 468a).

When it comes to nutrition, I think it best to follow the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) policy.

There are only 4 types of food:

Protein
Fat
Carb
Sugar (being merely a shorter carb chain)

Eat some of each with every meal, every 3-4 hours (for maximum metabolic rate). Vary specific types as required by mineral, essential amino acid, and vitamin needs.

One might consider "raw" as a fifth group, to be included in each meal - due to enzyme and fiber considerations (and to mitigate the fossil fuel use).

 

[.Shane.]

Why no red meat choices?

The answer is simpler than most can believe. "Everything in moderation". End of story.

 

[Ecofarm]

I agree with "everything in moderation"; however, I mean that within the context of my previous post - the 4 (or 5) food groups.

Red meat is just an inefficient source of protein, fat, minerals, and essential amino acids. There are ways to get those things that are healthier, less cruel, and more efficient. Of course, if you can't afford the alternatives economically or just don't know what they are or are too lazy for a varied diet... Then by all means, get some protein, fat, minerals and essential aminos from a carcass. You can always evolve later.

 

[Grisu]

Red meat is just an inefficient source of protein, fat, minerals, and essential amino acids. There are ways to get those things that are healthier, less cruel, and more efficient. Of course, if you can't afford the alternatives economically or just don't know what they are or are too lazy for a varied diet... Then by all means, get some protein, fat, minerals and essential aminos from a carcass.

maybe, but none of the alternatives is as tasty as red meat

 

[MobBoss]

I am with fifty on this one. There is no 'perfect' human diet and it differs from person to person.

One thing that should be a standard among all the diets however, is a modicum of exercise. Simply just taking an hour to walk a few miles every day will add to your overall health and add years to your life.

 

[Ecofarm]

maybe, but none of the alternatives is as tasty as red meat

We like what is familiar to us. Some Koreans like Kimchi (yuck!). Kenyans love white ugali, but hate yellow ugali.

All tastes are acquired.

Let's say that you don't like eating grubs, but some African tells you "they're so tasty!". Does this mean people should eat grubs? Does this mean grubs are healthy? Look, there was a time (before refrigeration, local supermarkets with tremendous variety, and an overabundance of food in general) when eating meat was necessary, and we have the teeth to prove it. You couldn't live somewhere that the ground was frozen for a major portion of the year and not eat meat - it was simply impossible. But that time has passed.

Failing to change tastes in times of need is a sure sign of being evolutionarily backwards.


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One thing that should be a standard among all the diets however, is a modicum of exercise. Simply just taking an hour to walk a few miles every day will add to your overall health and add years to your life.

I agree. Exercise should be a food group (one serving per day minimum). Perhaps it could replace "butter and fortified margarine".

 

[Dann]

Voted "Mix it up" (I can and will eat anything! ) and "What my mom/SO cooked up".

 

[aaglo]

Anything goes, as long as it ends with a single malt scotch whisky

 

[Ciceronian]

Anything goes, as long as it ends with a single malt scotch whisky

Indeed, I just bought myself a bottle of Ardbeg yesterday!

 

[StarWorms]

A balanced one, simple as that. You can have too much of a good thing. It's not possible to say "Eat all this veg and you will be healthy", because they miss out so many other foods that are also important.

Everyone is searching around like headless chickens (although wouldn't headless chickens just be dead on the floor?) when the answer is staring in front of their face (even if it has been chopped off, and is kicking around the floor somewhere).

I'm fed up of this "organic" craze. All food is organic for a start. Secondly, I'm fed up with the way they present it at a shop; people go nuts for some mud on their food these days. The whole point in washing them is to get rid of organisms on the surface. They have a shorter shelf-life. There's no evidence that it's any better for us.

 

[Mise]

:O!!

Well, you know what to do now, right? Start a diet of bland food! You'll be as healthy as a horse. But you won't enjoy your meals.

I'm glad this stuff actually makes sense to you all though. I might try it, one of these days.

Well, ya see, I can't cook. Everything I eat turns out bland. I lost a lot of weight just by living away from my parents for the past year. What surprised me was that even though I ate less, and lost weight, I was never hungry after a meal, and felt like I had far more energy than I ever had done whilst getting meals cooked by mummy and daddy.

I still enjoyed the meals I made though

 

[Narz]

One thing that should be a standard among all the diets however, is a modicum of exercise. Simply just taking an hour to walk a few miles every day will add to your overall health and add years to your life.

Good advice. Movement of the body is a critical need (if only I could have an electronic headset so I could read & speak-post while walking ).

All tastes are acquired.

Hmm, nature vs. nurture, eh? I'm not convinced. I'll get back to you after I'm raised a kid (probably should be two to compare & contrast but I'm not sure having two is a wise decision given the state of the world). Keep in mind also many within the same culture have differing tastes and many eat what is convenient not necessarily what they would most enjoy.