Ted, I am in complete agreement with you on all points. The reasonable dietary recommendations from the USDA are "DUH", absolutely. I am amazed that these new guidelines took years to assemble, but I'm not amazed over the amount of recycled hogwash these guidelines are floating in. Disgusting and inexcusable.
Due to some serious health issues I have made many, many changes in my diet as well as my lifestyle, and all of them were made after I put forth the effort to find out for myself what is truly good or bad for my own body. We cannot depend on the monster agencies out there to do the thinking for us, and more people desperately need to realize that.
Three major changes I made to my diet, apart from a list of others, was the elimination of HFCS, artificial sweeteners, any foods that are "re-manufactured" as "light" and "non-fat", and staying away from all but truly healthy, natural oils . The results speak for themselves. My triglyceride level has dropped from a horrifying 215 to 98 and I have lost 75 pounds. The weight loss was gradual, but I believe this is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.
I've traveled around a lot in my life and I live in the USA, what I noticed in most countries is eating out that the portions are more appropriate instead of stuffing ourselves. I think we have become accustomed that when we eat out that we want big portions at a cheap price and if a restaurant brings out a normal size plate, then we think we didn't get a good value.
I can't tell you how many friends will go on and on about a new restaurant and one of the descriptions if it's good restaurant are the portions.
I grew up that what's on your plate you finish and the portions are enough at times are enough for three meals.
What surprised me was when I was in Okinawa Japan for a period of time that everybody there pretty small and thin, so I just expected that the portions would be so tiny, yet their portions seemed to just fill me up just fine. I was never stuffed when eating there, but I always felt like I ate enough.
When people visit me from south america and asia they are also always shocked at our portions and the Europeans that come over are a little less shocked with our portions, but I still hear the comments when eating out with them in the USA.
Of course I don't think it's just portions, it's junk we're eating and we're all now sitting at a desk most of the day and typing on a computer. So over eating, eat junk and not moving can really make a difference.
I think we have become accustomed that when we eat out that we want big portions at a cheap price and if a restaurant brings out a normal size plate, then we think we didn't get a good value.
I can't tell you how many friends will go on and on about a new restaurant and one of the descriptions if it's good restaurant are the portions.
But restaurants serve that size portion to suit the appetite of the buyer. The answer is NOT to reduce portion size but to reduce appetite.
The difference between my appetite now and when I was obese has nothing to do with the AMOUNT of food in the pantry nor the AMOUNT of food on my plate. I don't count calories or carbs.
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I grew up that what's on your plate you finish and the portions are enough at times are enough for three meals.
I still eat all that is on my plate and if no one is looking I lick the coconut oil I fried my bacon in off the plate with the egg yolk.
What drives us to eat more than before?
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What surprised me was when I was in Okinawa Japan for a period of time that everybody there pretty small and thin, so I just expected that the portions would be so tiny, yet their portions seemed to just fill me up just fine. I was never stuffed when eating there, but I always felt like I ate enough.
But the nature of the food supplied in Japan is less inflammatory, more fish more seaweed. If you stayed there long enough you would acquire a lean type anti inflammatory gut flora that don't acquire so many calories from the food you consume, don't make you lethargic, don't direct your body to store fat but are better at enabling uptake of copper, iron, magnesium and zinc and also allow your body to make a better job of converting ALA to the omega 3 EPA.
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When people visit me from south america and asia they are also always shocked at our portions and the Europeans that come over are a little less shocked with our portions, but I still hear the comments when eating out with them in the USA.
Indeed but the question is what makes people consume that much food or want to? It's the addictive nature of the food they are consuming.
If you eat food that contain opiates you become addicted. It's not the beef in the burger it's the bun and the additives that are added to both.
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Of course I don't think it's just portions, it's junk we're eating and we're all now sitting at a desk most of the day and typing on a computer. So over eating, eat junk and not moving can really make a difference.
If you take germ free mice and keep them germ free and record how much the run about, how much time they spend in the light, how much time they spend exploring the most dangerous/risky parts of a 3 d maze and compare that with the amount and nature of the activity of mice with normal gut flora on normal mouse chow what do you find.?
It's the NATURE of the bacteria in the gut that determines the amount of activity and the behaviour of those mice.
What you have to understand is that you have 100 times more bacteria DNA in your body than human DNA, if you just count cells then for every human cell there are ten times the amount of bacteria.
The first rule for perfect health is Don’t Eat Toxins
As patricia has discovered if it's commercial, industrially made such as industrial omega 6 seed oils such as corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower and cottonseed oil and every food that contains them they have to be avoided. They cause inflammation, Pathogenic obese type gut flora thrive in and create inflammatory environments. You need bifido type bacteria that prefer less inflammation and promote higher omega 3 levels.
Same goes for refined flours and caloric sweeteners.
If they promote bacteria growth in the mouth they inevitably lead to a build up of inflammation in the digestive system and the right environment for those bacteria that make you store fat, eat more, move less.
I agree. Our (American) servings are way too big and our food is calorie dense and we drive 1 km instead of walk. I also have friends who rate a restaurant on the portion size. IMO, nothing like a sushi dinner, but in the US it is quite expensive.
TRUE STORY: Someone received a china cabinet from a grandma and the plates would not fit. Dinner plates in the US has become larger since the 50s.
I agree. Our (American) servings are way too big and our food is calorie dense and we drive 1 km instead of walk. I also have friends who rate a restaurant on the portion size. IMO, nothing like a sushi dinner, but in the US it is quite expensive.
TRUE STORY: Someone received a china cabinet from a grandma and the plates would not fit. Dinner plates in the US has become larger since the 50s.
But the fact remains the number one source of calories in all age groups is "grain-based desserts" followed in order of calories bread, chicken dishes, soda/sports drinks, alcohol and pizza.
Can't you see it's NOT the size of the meat portion that is causing the trouble, it's the inflammatory and addictive nature of the foods you consume. get rid of the soda/sports drinks by taxing them, prevent cheap/below cost alcohol sales and stop subsidizing grain production so HFCS and refined grains become more realistically priced.
The first thing you need to to to improve health is stop consuming toxins. You'll never cure a drug addict by saying just use smaller amounts throughout the day so why do you think just eating less at mealtimes is going to prevent/reduce the continual grazing that eating addictive foods creates?
But the fact remains the number one source of calories in all age groups is "grain-based desserts" followed in order of calories bread, chicken dishes, soda/sports drinks, alcohol and pizza.
Can't you see it's NOT the size of the meat portion that is causing the trouble, it's the inflammatory and addictive nature of the foods you consume. get rid of the soda/sports drinks by taxing them, prevent cheap/below cost alcohol sales and stop subsidizing grain production so HFCS and refined grains become more realistically priced.
The first thing you need to to to improve health is stop consuming toxins. You'll never cure a drug addict by saying just use smaller amounts throughout the day so why do you think just eating less at mealtimes is going to prevent/reduce the continual grazing that eating addictive foods creates?
Its the size of the pasta portions and yanks eat too much sodas, grain based desserts etc. I need to lose 20 pounds and I drink about 4-5 sodas a year at most. beer is another story.
Ted, in the US it is also movement and exercise. Also, this high carb low carb argument does not take into account a lot of issues.
The main thing is serving sizes. In 1960 the avg mcdonalds meal was 600 calories, now its 1500 calories. Also, look at the shit on american TV: Man Vs Food????????????????????????????????
Hi, I am Adam Richmond and today in Deliverence Virginia I am going to attempt to eat the Lipitor Buster Sandwhich. That's 2 whole pounds of ground beef topped with a pound of pulled pork.
Also, look at food TV. Paula Deen????????????? Are you kidding me? In any other country she would be considered an obese hick and sex with her would be considered beastiality. But not in the US. They glamorize her!
Ted, in the US it is also movement and exercise. Also, this high carb low carb argument does not take into account a lot of issues.
But there are studies showing that when you change the NATURE of the calorie you also change the type of gut flora simply by changing the type gut flora and you change activity levels. I can't see why anyone chooses an obese type pro inflammatory gut flora when you can reduce inflammatory status and allow the lean type flora to flourish.
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The main thing is serving sizes. In 1960 the avg mcdonalds meal was 600 calories, now its 1500 calories. Also, look at the shit on american TV: Man Vs Food????????????????????????????????
BUT it's the consumption of those foods that matter.
If you aren't hungry you won't want to go into those places. I have a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, veggies all fried in coconut oil and I won't eat again maybe till my evening meal. Before I was grazing all day. It's the addictive properties of refined grains that cause the addictive behaviours and keep people eating/drinking calories all day.
So long as you keep eating addictive foods you sustain that addiction.
But there are studies showing that when you change the NATURE of the calorie you also change the type of gut flora simply by changing the type gut flora and you change activity levels. I can't see why anyone chooses an obese type pro inflammatory gut flora when you can reduce inflammatory status and allow the lean type flora to flourish.
BUT it's the consumption of those foods that matter.
If you aren't hungry you won't want to go into those places. I have a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, veggies all fried in coconut oil and I won't eat again maybe till my evening meal. Before I was grazing all day. It's the addictive properties of refined grains that cause the addictive behaviours and keep people eating/drinking calories all day.
So long as you keep eating addictive foods you sustain that addiction.
That is the other BIG issue. Yanks snack, where the rest of the world does not. Also, for lunch I will be taking a can of organic green beans, and putiing some other veggies with it in a casserole dish for 1 hr. Plus 1 tablespoon olive oil. I am switching to more veggies (good carbs)
[QUOTE=Ted_Hutchinson;176284]But there are studies showing that when you change the NATURE of the calorie you also change the type of gut flora simply by changing the type gut flora and you change activity levels. I can't see why anyone chooses an obese type pro inflammatory gut flora when you can reduce inflammatory status and allow the lean type flora to flourish. QUOTE]
What foods feed the lean type gut flora? Assuming we have them in our gut.
That is the other BIG issue. Yanks snack, where the rest of the world does not. Also, for lunch I will be taking a can of organic green beans, and putiing some other veggies with it in a casserole dish for 1 hr. Plus 1 tablespoon olive oil. I am switching to more veggies (good carbs)
Funny thing is that I lost more weight when I started to force myself to snack. Before I would never snack at all, so I felt I would eat more. Now I have a small handful of either walnuts or almonds in between meals and I feel I'm less hungry and eat less for lunch and dinner.
10% fat
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