Nutrition Myths

[Dreamliner]

Okay, I'll go first.

First up: "CARBS MAKE YOU FAT."

False: it is eating more calories than we burn that is making us fat. Yes, carb intake has, I believe, doubled since 1980. But is it the carbs that made us fat or is it all those extra calories that made us fat ? Remember that when the government told us to stop eating fat and start eating low-fat foods, we kept eating the fat while ADDING low-fat foods.

Kitavan tribesmen get more than two-thirds their calories from carbs and are FAR leaner than we are:

http://www.anthonycolpo.com/?p=2006

There is nothing insidious about carbs, even 'refined carbs' (what does that even mean ?). Now, eating lots of carbs can lead to weight gain because they are typically calorie-dense and because, for many, they do not afford much in the way of satiety and so people are inclined to eat more.

Irony: the extremely high-carb Kitavans who are ripped. It is low-carb fanatics who tend to be tubby.

[Dreamliner]

"THE PALEO DIET REPLICATES OUR PRIMAL ANCESTORS' DIET."

False: it is virtually impossible to replicate our primal ancestors' diet. To do that, we'd have to hunt and kill our own game and root for berries and wild greens.

For all their insistence that it is cultivated foods that are killing us today, that's precisely what the Paleo proponent is eating!

[ATL_Gator]

One myth, one pet peeve. (not sure if it's a myth, more a way to make a point)

Myth: Eggs, especially the yolk are bad for you.

I think the roots of this stems from people, even scientists in the 70's, drawing a connection between dietary terms and bodily function terms... cholesterol and fat. The incorrect linking of these terms have lead to the extraction of the nutritional power of the egg and bastardizing a great food source with products like "egg beaters"

Dietary cholesterol is NOT and does not lead to body cholesterol. In fact, saturated fat leads to bodily cholesterol production, and not the good kind (LDL), from what I have read.

Anyway, step away from the egg-white omlette, and step up to the full power of the incredible, edible egg, in all of it's golden glory!

Pet peeve: The argument of "no other species in the animal kingdom does ______, therefore, we (humans) shouldn't." I see this most when people discuss milk.

Don't give me that crap! No other animal cooks food by fire either, so I suppose we should quit doing that too! If you are going to follow the "animal kingdom", then do so in all it's glory. Don't cherry pick the aspects you want and ignore the others.

[oI2ange]

for the eggs argument, is there a limit as to how much are good for you? i've always thought that eggs were healthy, but only in certain amounts. one of my friends probably eats 6-7 eggs a day...is that ok for you?

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by oI2ange

for the eggs argument, is there a limit as to how much are good for you? i've always thought that eggs were healthy, but only in certain amounts. one of my friends probably eats 6-7 eggs a day...is that ok for you?

I would guess it's okay. But then I'm a Blood Lipid Hypothesis skeptic.

[oI2ange]

Another myth: Fats are bad for you. From what I've read, many fats in food are perfectly fine and it's the other stuff (sodium, sugar, etc) that aren't so hot. Thoughts?

[ATL_Gator]

Isn't moderation the key to everything? I would imagine it is difficult to find anyone who thinks drinking water is bad for you.. yet there is a condition called "water intoxication"... which is drinking too much water, and it can be fatal (saw something one time about it).

6 eggs too much in a day? No idea, not a nutritionist. I think that if your friend is consuming that many and his various blood tests and what not all remain unchanged and in a healthy range, then I would argue that he is perfectly fine eating that many.

On some weight lifting forums, I have heard people eating that many per day for long periods of time with no health issues.

Personally, I have eaten 12-16 per week for many months in a row (2-3 per day most mornings) and I have never had cholesterol problems. During that time I was tested often, as I was on blood pressure medicine and my doctor was keeping an eye on my liver functions.

[ATL_Gator]

Originally Posted by oI2ange

Another myth: Fats are bad for you. From what I've read, many fats in food are perfectly fine and it's the other stuff (sodium, sugar, etc) that aren't so hot. Thoughts?

agree agree agree.

I have read that good dietary fats are essential in body functions and the body absorbing vitimins and minerals. And that "diets" that are low to no fat can cause more harm than good.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by oI2ange

Another myth: Fats are bad for you. From what I've read, many fats in food are perfectly fine and it's the other stuff (sodium, sugar, etc) that aren't so hot. Thoughts?

See my 'In Defense of Sugar' thread.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by ATL_Gator

Isn't moderation the key to everything? I would imagine it is difficult to find anyone who thinks drinking water is bad for you.. yet there is a condition called "water intoxication"... which is drinking too much water, and it can be fatal (saw something one time about it).

6 eggs too much in a day? No idea, not a nutritionist. I think that if your friend is consuming that many and his various blood tests and what not all remain unchanged and in a healthy range, then I would argue that he is perfectly fine eating that many.

On some weight lifting forums, I have heard people eating that many per day for long periods of time with no health issues.

Personally, I have eaten 12-16 per week for many months in a row (2-3 per day most mornings) and I have never had cholesterol problems. During that time I was tested often, as I was on blood pressure medicine and my doctor was keeping an eye on my liver functions.

that's a fair point. Not that eggs are bad for you, but why would anyone need to eat 6-7 eggs in a sitting ?

[ATL_Gator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

that's a fair point. Not that eggs are bad for you, but why would anyone need to eat 6-7 eggs in a sitting ?

One big *** omlette!

[oI2ange]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

that's a fair point. Not that eggs are bad for you, but why would anyone need to eat 6-7 eggs in a sitting ?

who knows, the guy loves his eggs, though...lol.

[enviroGator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

First up: "CARBS MAKE YOU FAT."

I'm an engineer, so I totally agree about the calories in - calories out = change in storage, what I think is different about carbs, and I have experienced it, is that they are "addictive".

I have gone on low-carb diets before where I restricted the carbs I ate to a very low level, and they have worked to some extent.

But at some point or another, a bag of chips would find itself in my hands and it would be like I was in a daze... stuffing chips in as fast as I could... almost subconsciously.

The difference between me and the tribesman you mention is that tribesmen doesn't have an unlimited supply of carbs to eat, and probably has to do some work to harvest and prepare the carbs he does eat. Where as thanks to our modern conveniences and relative wealth, I could eat 24-7 if I wanted to.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by enviroGator

I'm an engineer, so I totally agree about the calories in - calories out = change in storage, what I think is different about carbs, and I have experienced it, is that they are "addictive".

I have gone on low-carb diets before where I restricted the carbs I ate to a very low level, and they have worked to some extent.

But at some point or another, a bag of chips would find itself in my hands and it would be like I was in a daze... stuffing chips in as fast as I could... almost subconsciously.

The difference between me and the tribesman you mention is that tribesmen doesn't have an unlimited supply of carbs to eat, and probably has to do some work to harvest and prepare the carbs he does eat. Where as thanks to our modern conveniences and relative wealth, I could eat 24-7 if I wanted to.

Now you do make a valid point. Carbs are yummy and it's hard to eat just one. So, it might be more accurate to argue that carbs are an indirect cause of obesity. On the other hand, I've seen people gain weight on Atkins.

But since, as your own experience would seem to suggest, that the cravings for carbs remain, I'm always asking people why they just can't make peace with carbs ? In other words, neither demonize them nor eat excessive amounts of them.

[LeafUF]

Not to demonize carbs, I still eat them, but I can see why people are afraid of them. For whatever reason they seem a little harder to eat in moderate quantities. And in their tastiest forms usually involve added fats. I love my carbs but do try to limit how much or how often I eat them when trying to lose weight.

[ATL_Gator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

... nor eat excessive amounts of them.

Killjoy

:-)

[enviroGator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

Now you do make a valid point. Carbs are yummy and it's hard to eat just one. So, it might be more accurate to argue that carbs are an indirect cause of obesity. On the other hand, I've seen people gain weight on Atkins.

But since, as your own experience would seem to suggest, that the cravings for carbs remain, I'm always asking people why they just can't make peace with carbs ? In other words, neither demonize them nor eat excessive amounts of them.

My take on this phenom is that we evolved in a time when carbs were sporadically available in great portions.

We as nomadic people would wander around eating what ever we could. My belief is we probably ate a lot of bugs, leaves, and roots. We also went through hard times where it was difficult to find enough to survive.

But every once and a while, we ran across an apple tree or some such, and our bodies (through evolution) were trained to stay there and eat as much as we could, storing as much as we could in fat to help us through the hard times that were sure to come.

That worked great for most of mans existence, but now most of us in the US don't see periods of hard times and have a constant source of carbs. So the system doesn't shut off without us consciously deciding we need to operate contrary to our evolutionary programming.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by enviroGator

My take on this phenom is that we evolved in a time when carbs were sporadically available in great portions.

We as nomadic people would wander around eating what ever we could. My belief is we probably ate a lot of bugs, leaves, and roots. We also went through hard times where it was difficult to find enough to survive.

But every once and a while, we ran across an apple tree or some such, and our bodies (through evolution) were trained to stay there and eat as much as we could, storing as much as we could in fat to help us through the hard times that were sure to come.

That worked great for most of mans existence, but now most of us in the US don't see periods of hard times and have a constant source of carbs. So the system doesn't shut off without us consciously deciding we need to operate contrary to our evolutionary programming.

I'm in the camp that would argue that our digestive tracts are probably more adaptable than the Paleo types like to contend. I have seen people get fat on 'healthy foods' and get lean and improve their health-markers on 'unhealthy foods.'

It is entirely understandable why the primal would stuff himself with whatever food he could get his hands on, literally not knowing when he'd get to eat again. Unfortunately, we've carried over that practice, even though we know that the next meal is in the pantry and it's microwaveable.

[enviroGator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

I'm in the camp that would argue that our digestive tracts are probably more adaptable than the Paleo types like to contend. I have seen people get fat on 'healthy foods' and get lean and improve their health-markers on 'unhealthy foods.'

It is entirely understandable why the primal would stuff himself with whatever food he could get his hands on, literally not knowing when he'd get to eat again. Unfortunately, we've carried over that practice, even though we know that the next meal is in the pantry and it's microwaveable.

I totally agree with what your saying. My point was more that there are powerful instincts built into us that we need to consciously overcome if we want to get healthy and stay healthy.

Also, it doesn't help that the nutritionests keep changing their mind on what is "healthy" and what is "unhealthy".

[LeafUF]

Sounds an awful lot like the popsci article I posted in another thread.