As you know from my updates, I’ve lost a lot of weight and while my methods have been a little non-traditional, a few things recently have gotten me thinking about food and what it’s doing to us and what we can do about it. So, I’m starting a thread on it to talk more about things here.
Here’s an article that pushed me to starting the thread today: https://apple.news/A65StQd2xQ560MITDdujAlw
The title (since it’s coming from my Apple News) is “A Worrying Cancer Trend” and it’s about how more and more younger people are getting forms of cancer that were either rare for the longest time or generally something more common in the elderly.
My New Year’s resolution is to read 52 books in 52 weeks. I did it last year too, and I just finished Lessons in Chemistry. The other thing that got me thinking two days ago is in the book when she’s asked to add a can of soup to a recipe and she refused calling it “poison”.
Ever eaten a slice or two of delivered pizza more than you should have? How’d you feel afterwards? In addition to the “shame” I always feel when I eat overly processed, unhealthy foods, I’m more tired, I get sick more, and I just feel overall yucky.
Whenever I’ve done Keto it usually starts with super healthy foods. Over time it digresses as I get busier and get tired of how much longer it can take to eat fresh. Keto is still a very healthy diet without the processed sugars but I don’t feel as good.
So even when I’m trying to eat well, I often end up relying on processed stuff to help me save time.
When do I feel my best? When I’m eating fresh and local. We’ve had a lot of conversations about this before.
But… I’ve also had 100 bajillion tests done to me that a normal person doesn’t have done over the last 6 months and the doctors were very interested in the fact that there was very little wrong with me. And given what I’ve done to my body over time I have to believe it’s been the last decade for me where I’ve been eating much cleaner and much healthier.
My point and what I hope we can discuss and analyze here in this thread: The article lists several reasons but also talks heavily about food and how food has become one of the things scientists studying the rise in cancer and other illnesses have hypothesized is a large part of things.
Tonight when I made our “fried” (not really) chicken (Keto style) I wanted to make mashed potatoes and I started to reach for the pour and add water bag but stopped myself, electing to spend the extra time (I was on hold with ATT anyway about an account issue) peeling the potatoes and making them from scratch. Everyone loved dinner more than usual tonight and it was a simple switch - just a little more time consuming.
We’ve had predictions on this thread about eating closer to home and the earth. What pushes this change and how do we get there?
@dannyboy I saw this on my news feed as well. Interesting topic for sure. The PBS show, America's Test Kitchen, had a recipe for homemade Gnocchi- - made using instant mashed potatoes. Somehow made the process easier and results just as good. So what did I do, but buy some at the store. It sits in my pantry ...still. Now I wonder, why not make them the "real" way? I am on a journey to be better, kinder to myself in 2024. Food seems to be a good place to start.Thanks for sharing.
@dannyboy I love this. I've been paying such close attention to my food in the last 6 months or so. So many chemicals and poison in literally anything remotely processed. I've been reading and watching documentaries on the FDA and the USDA and I'm terrified, the more I read. We are not protected and we need to educate ourselves and take matters into our own hands. I've done keto but I have a heart condition and the high fat is not good for me. Now I'm just trying to only fresh food that I prepare myself and I'm cutting out animal meat. It's a struggle making the switch. Good luck in your health quest!!!
John Oliver did an excellent show on food safety on 10/16/23, it's up on YouTube.
I try to use most things I get from a local food bank but disappointed that many items have worrisome additives, like cottonseed oil in peanut butter, which I won't touch.
I cook as much as I can from scratch, even if organic items are scarce. Simple ingredients can make good-tasting concoctions that are beneficial for my head and heart.
Hi Dannyboy, congratulations on what you have achieved and best wishes for what you are hoping to do for your friend. I wish you good fortune with it.
Two of the most-mentioned culprits fuelling the global obesity crisis are high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and white sugar, due to their high fructose content.
Cop it sweet: all sugars can cause weight gain if we eat enough of them.
In addition to obesity and its associated diseases, diets that are extremely high in fructose can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
HFCS and white sugar are also known to cause inflammation in the body, which has links to a range of serious diseases, from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.
While HFCS is banned in Australia, it is used extensively overseas in products such as soft drinks, and it may be present in imported items.
https://www.delish.com/food-news/a43524170/coffee-creamer-dont-drink/
7 Reasons You Should Never Drink Coffee Creamer
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-01-17/why-is-american-food-so-unhealthy
Kind regards
Matildagirl
@matildagirl All of this is fascinating! I came across a few of these myself already but I'm going to focus in on the creamer one for a moment.
One part of Keto that will be with me forever is undoing some things that have been ingrained in us my entire life. (I'm a young GenX as a 45 year old and I can remember the steady trickle of bad advice dished out by experts my entire life)
Creamer wise we made the switch to heavy whipping cream when we both started Keto and I won't go back on the occasions I drink coffee with creamer. Not only does it give the coffee a really satisfying creamy taste, but I've also experimented with using some vanilla extract and stevia to create a sweetened version.
Keto is big on full fats and as such I've had a lot of meat these last few years. My primary care doctor has ordered lab work every year, and you can tell the year I started keto from my cholesterol levels. It seems counter-intuitive that I'm eating lots of meat, bacon, cheese, etc. but my cholesterol has gone from being on the border of troublesome to "Are you sure you're not having your daughters take your labs for you?" Same on blood glucose with the lack of sugar. (DISCLAIMER: Lots of people get these results with Keto but just as many don't see any improvement in cholesterol levels or a rise so remember I'm not a doctor I'm just speaking from my own experience.)
After my surgery the transplant team has recommended the Mediterranean diet and it's very similar to Keto in many ways, though less red meat (which is better for the planet but I'm a steak guy!). It also allows more fruits than I've been able to have. I'm looking forward to adding fruit back into my routine.
Full fats (and natural fats not processed) has the major benefit of keeping you full longer. That's how heavy whipping cream in my coffee can often times get me through to late afternoon before I'm hungry again. And I remember back in the 90s when fat was the enemy. It still sort of is in many circles.
Hi @dannyboy, great topic, and am so glad you are having such fabulous success. You are selflessly trying to save your wife's cousin, and it's saving your own life in the process.
I suspect that all the exercise you are doing is helping you eat healthy meals. When I'm exercising consistently, my body wants only healthy food.
I can't speak knowledgeably about special diets, like keto. But I did my graduate work in nutrition, while living for several years on a whole foods, local organic, no sugar, mostly veggies and fruit diet; and spent a year of my life writing about food safety.
My views mirror what I'm reading here:
1. Whole foods are best, fresh, local, and organically sourced, and also plenty of fiber from fresh whole fruits and vegetables is necessary every day.
3. Processed foods are not healthy.
4. Added sugar is not healthy. And as @matildagirl said, high fructose corn syrup has caused major obesity in America and around the world. Obesity rates are high in Italy, America, and the UK, and the rates are steadily rising all over the world.
5. Obesity isn't just from eating too much sugar and fat. It is also from sedentariness. So exercise.
6. Everywhere I've traveled in America, I've had no problem getting organic whole fresh food. It costs more but you could keep costs down by eating less meat and more legumes.
As always, please keep claims in this nutrition thread factual and science based.
A diet that has been developed here in Australia that you probably haven’t heard of in USA was researched and created by the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) which is an Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research. As more research is done it gets updated with the latest research.
How does the CSIRO diet work?
Unlike other diets that involve calorie counting, the Total Wellbeing Diet is a little different; instead, it uses a food group system to help get optimal nutrition from natural foods, including the right balance of protein and low GI carbohydrates.
Focusing on these food groups helps control kilojoule intake, which is essential for weight loss.
What can you eat?
There are seven different food groups and you’re allowed a set number of “units” from each food group a day, specially designed to meet your daily allowance.
Each day includes three meals consisting of breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks (including fruit and low GI dairy) and up to one indulgence.
The 7 different food groups:
- Meat and protein: lean meats and chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes and pulses. It is recommend you eat 200g red meat (beef or lamb) 3 times a week and 2 serves of fish.
- Bread and cereals: low GI wholegrain and high fibre varieties such as Burgen® breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, quinoa and barley.
- Vegetables: fresh and frozen including different types and colours. You’re allowed to eat as many vegetables as you like.
- Fruit: fresh, canned fruit in juice or dried fruits.
- Dairy: low-fat dairy or soy milk, cheese and yoghurt.
- Healthy fats and oils: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated spreads and oils; nut pastes, nuts and seeds, avocado.
- Indulgence Foods: foods that provide little nutrition but can be enjoyed from time-to-time, like chocolate, ice-cream, sausages, chips and muffins.
What 1 “unit’ looks like:
- Meat and protein: 100g red meat, 100g chicken or fish, 2 eggs, 100g tofu.
- Bread and cereals: 1 slice of bread (40g), ½ cup cooked rice or pasta, 2/3 cup flaked cereal or ¼ cup muesli, 1 potato (150g).
- Vegetables: 150g raw vegetables, 1 cup cooked vegetables, 1 cup salad vegetables, 2 small tomatoes.
- Fruit: 150g fruit, 1 medium piece of fruit (e.g orange, apple), 2 small pieces of fruit (e.g. apricot, kiwi, plum), 30g dried fruit.
- Dairy: 250ml low-fat milk, 50 reduced fat cheese, 200g low-fat Greek yoghurt. 165g cottage cheese.
- Healthy fats and oils: 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons unsaturated margarine, 1 tablespoon mashed avocado, 7g nuts or nut paste.
- Indulgence foods: 4 small square chocolate, 1 chocolate biscuit, 1 fun sized packet potato chips, 1 scoop ice cream, 100ml of wine, 285ml beer.
What can't you eat?
No foods are banned on the diet. Food Groups system limits how much you can eat of any one Food Group but there are no outright no-foods.
https://www.csiro.au/en/research/health-medical/diets/csiro-total-wellbeing-diet-online
https://www.csiro.au/en/about/We-are-CSIRO
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSIRO
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research
Agency overview
Formed
1916
Preceding agencies
- Advisory Council of Science and Industry (1916–1920)
- Institute of Science and Industry (1920–1926)
- CSIR (1926–1949)
Jurisdiction
Australia
Motto
We imagine. We collaborate. We innovate.
CSIRO works with leading organisations around the world. From its headquarters in Canberra, CSIRO maintains more than 50 sites across Australia and in France, Chile and the United States, employing about 5,500 people.
Federally funded scientific research in Australia began in 1916; the Advisory Council of Science and Industry was established in that year, but was hampered by insufficient available finance. In 1926, the research effort was reinvigorated by establishment of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which strengthened national science leadership and increased research funding. CSIR grew rapidly and achieved significant early successes. In 1949, further legislated changes included renaming the organisation as CSIRO.[3]
Notable developments by CSIRO have included the invention of atomic absorption spectroscopy, essential components of the early Wi-Fi technology, development of the first commercially successful polymer banknote, the invention of the insect repellent in Aerogard and the introduction of a series of biological controls into Australia, such as the introduction of myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus for the control of rabbit populations
Regards to all
Some information on the keto diet.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ketogenic-diet
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-try-the-keto-diet
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-ketogenic-diet
https://www.choice.com.au/health-and-body/diet-and-fitness/weight-loss/articles/ketogenic-diet
Is the keto diet safe?
The most common side effect of the diet is constipation as a result of cutting out vital sources of fibre in the diet – fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. Lack of fibre can also increase the risk of bowel cancer and heart disease in the long term.
Other possible side effects of long-term adherence to the diet include:
- raised cholesterol levels
- renal stones
- poor growth (in children)
- reductions in bone density
- altered immune function
- altered liver function
- nutrient deficiencies.
Although little research has been done specifically around the diet's long-term effects, some studies suggest there are health benefits in following such a strict low-carbohydrate diet, such as its ability to improve type 2 diabetes and shrink some forms of brain cancer. But more research on humans is needed and, as Professor Collins warns, this diet is used in medical nutrition therapy as a short-term test diet for specific medical conditions such as epilepsy and should only be used medically under the supervision of experts.
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, professor of human nutrition at the University of Sydney says, "There's not a lot in the scientific literature to judge [the health effects of the keto diet]. On the basis of current science, I wouldn't recommend it. Several observational studies suggest this diet [actually] increases mortality, diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
Food for thought
@matildagirl I've done a TON of research myself and I don't like it, but I had to cut down my fat consumption due to my heart issues. Lol!!! It's just not really sustainable long term. Of course, there are always outliers. Truth is there are few long term studies on what keto does in the body. I'll try to find the article I recently read in one of the first studies done between keto and other diets and while keto was great short term, they weren't living as long as those who followed a more balanced diet. So there's that. Gotta find what works for you, I suppose.
@rennie I've been enjoying his commentary on most things these past few months. I only have streaming services so I have to remind myself to check him out. Thanks for the reminder! Watching and reading about this stuff is making easier to give up the things I know I should and make better choices.
@rennie Another thing they do is give you tomato soup and black beans. They add sugar to the soup when it already has natural sugar in it. I won't eat that. Black beans? Nobody I know will eat them. Instant potatoes? I use them because I'm alone, and it's a waste to buy potatoes and watch them wrinkle up in the sack.
@elaineg I wish I could cook for you, just for, say a week! Black beans are an excellent food, high in protein, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, incredibly tasty when prepared well. My Spanish mother made us a popular Cuban dish of black beans and rice with an optional topping of onions marinated in vinegar. It was amazing. There are many delicious varieties of black bean soup which I make with tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, sweet peppers, and rice. Black beans also make a great veggie burger. Lest I forget burritos with black beans, fresh sautéed veggies, topped with leafy greens and other fresh veggies. Mouth watering good. Recipes for this superfood abound. Including, if everyone were eating plant-based diet, a lot of people would live longer healthier lives and better for the planet too.
My diet is about 3/4 plant-based, with eggs, chicken or fish about once a week and half and half with coffee that I am trying to quit. I eat a lot more than anyone I know, except for some close relatives who will not be named, who stuff themselves every change they get.
I have never had a weight problem. Although I have other issues ha ha.
I love potatoes, whole and fresh. Cook the whole thing, and put leftovers in the fridge for another meal. Add the leftovers to soup, eggs, quiches, salads. Yum.
I once saw a woman sitting on a park bench in Paris peeling a boiled potato and eating it like an apple. It looked so delicious. Just a simple potato. That was 40 years ago and I never forgot it.
@jeanne-mayell I wish I liked beans. That consistency is my mouth is a no, no, no and did I say NO? LOL!
@jeanne-mayell I think that was a Julia Child recipe on The French Chef:
Pommes de terre bouillies (dans le parc)
I guess what it comes down to is eating a varied diet of lean meats, fish, chicken, pork, eggs, pulses, lots of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates with a low GI index, some dairy probably low fat, but they can be overly processed.
Good fats, like olive oil, avocados etc. forget buying packaged overly processed stuff like cereals. Avoid your processed meats.
Getting off our bums and doing exercise, walking probably the cheapest easiest way.
See, it seems easy, shame we all struggle with it.
Start small, peel that potato rather than powdered (which I am not sure you can buy here?) Grill that bit of fish with some good fat and herbs serve with veggies, I cook mine in the microwave for a couple of minutes in a glass container, not plastic, quick and easy. Work out what suits you best, grill, bake, don’t fry if possible.
Like every thing in life, eating and cooking food is paved with good intentions. Don’t beat yourself up if that meal isn’t the best for you.
I am carrying too much weight like everyone these days so I really should be following my own advice. Said I as I sit in my chair typing this.
Good luck to us all, it seems daunting I guess but we are all in the same boat. Cheers to small victories and good changes. Good health everyone.
Regards
Matildagirl
I do enjoy canned black beans! I just made chili tonight with black beans, tomato sauce, and ground pork. The tomato sauce from the food bank is local and comes in a pouch with real-food ingredients, very tasty.
I've read that in some cultures black beans are considered a restorative food after illness or in trying times.
Here's an excerpt on healing properties of black beans from the Dr. Axe site:
"In Traditional Chinese Medicine, black beans are said to help tonify the kidneys, nourish yin/feminine energy, strengthen the heart, balance blood pressure and improve circulation. This is due to their supply of important nutrients like folate, resistant starch/fiber and anthocyanins. They are recommended for people dealing with conditions such as kidney disorder, back pain, knee pain, infertility, seminal emissions, blurry vision, ear problems and difficulty urinating."
Re anthocyanins, over the years I've noticed if I'm coming down with illness I'll get strong cravings for black or purple foods.
Just really commenting because I was surprised people are able to eat real potatoes and black beans on a keto diet. Sounds amazing. They would spike my blood sugars. I end up with a lot of eggs, fish, chicken, salad, celery, mushrooms, green veggies, greek yoghurt, cheese, avocados, avocado oil, almonds, almond flour. Chicken Caesar salad for breakfast rather than the oatmeal I would prefer. I use almond milk in my coffee. I feel that I need to eat fruits (berries) occasionally.
I recently sat at a wedding with another diabetic who also controlled his sugars with a continuous glucose meter and keto. We figured it out because we ordered the same meal and left the same foods on our plates. I think we ate the fish and green beans and left the carrots and potatoes. Of course everyone's situation is unique and I am not a medical expert. I am just interested in the keto-ish diet due to trying to figure out how to best address my own struggles with blood sugar.
Hi,
I assume you would have lots of help in America with managing diabetes, but I thought you may be interested in this website from Australia, it’s probably exactly the same as the info you already have, but who knows.
Regards Matildagirl
https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/living-with-diabetes/healthy-eating/