Time and time again we are told we must adopt a healthy diet. Good idea! Then it all goes to hell in a hand cart when we view the bewildering array of foods available. That, together with the conflicting advice pumped out by the media, is enough to get many of us giving up and phoning for a pizza!
There are many opinions on what a healthy diet should comprise of – unfortunately, the only common denominator is food. Precisely what we should eat and in what proportions is the bit that nobody can agree on.
Does Going Vegetarian Mean a Healthy diet?
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: there may be moral and ethical reasons for becoming a vegetarian, but that is a matter for individuals to decide. The fact is that humans are carnivores and meat or fish is what we have evolved to eat. Many argue against this, but they are simply ignoring the facts to suit their beliefs.
So, is it a Healthy Diet if I Eat Five a Day?
We are told to eat five or more a day, but 5 what? In the UK for example, you may find banana plants growing for decorative purposes but it’s rare for them to produce edible fruit – this is not their natural home. We have imported bananas for centuries and, apart from their high sugar content, they are a useful food in terms of vitamins and trace elements. They are not indigenous to the UK and therefore it’s doubtful we actually need them in our diet. They are very likely to cause a surge in blood glucose in diabeteics.
Other everyday food items are not indigenous. For example, the Romans introduced celery, cabbages, radishes, carrots, cucumbers, broad beans and walnuts to the UK. Prior to this, a whole population thrived without them The whole point of this is to indicate that we survived without these comparatively new foods before their introduction. Just try to work out where primitive man would have obtained oranges etc.
So, if we ignore the comparatively recent introductions, what are we supposed to eat? Firstly, don’t think for one moment we are saying ‘you shouldn’t eat fruit and veg’, far from it. What we are saying is if you ignore the advertising and food giant backed hype about “wonder foods”, you’ll be in a better position to choose wisely. Armed with a little knowledge you can avoid spending money on foods where the claims of health benefits are not matched by their performance.
There’s a mountain of “scientific” research indicating we must eat this and that, whilst avoiding, at all costs, this, that and the other. To add to the fun, you”ll find foods that are on the “must eat” list also appear on the “this will kill you” list. So what does the average person do?
The Media is Always Going on about Healthy Eating, Can we believe Them?
Firstly, ignore the media headlines. These are usually reports generated by scientific studies funded by food or drug companies. If you read that pomegranates are a lifesaver, you can bet the research was funded by some association of pomegranate growers. Yes, it seems the research budget is part of the marketing budget.
If a particular fruit or vegetable is being lauded as the panacea for all ills, you can bet your life big business is behind it. The media, of course, love a good headline. Let’s face it, selling papers or advertising slots is of more importance to them than supplying helpful facts to the public. What they term a healthy diet is often the sell more papers diet!
It has been said many times we should eat only what our Grandmother would have eaten. Time has slipped by and perhaps we should substitute Great Grandmother, or even cavemen. Although perhaps debatable, there are elements of truth in it. Particularly when it comes to fats such as butter and other animal fats. The increase in the diseases that concern us is in inverse proportion to the decrease in animal fats – yes, saturated fat consumption went down and the disease incidence went up!! Conversely, the increase in the consumption of low fat spreads follows almost exactly the increase in ill health. Regarding the caveman, he/she didn’t wake up and say “What shall I have today to maintain my healthy diet?”. The family were hungry and grabbed what was available! Homo Sapiens of course continued to evolve, survive and, indeed thrive, on the food that was available.
So, What Should we eat on a Healthy Diet?
A healthy diet requires some thought about what we have evolved to eat. Obviously protein foods such as meat, offal, fish and dairy fit the bill here. We need fat in the diet and this can be supplied by the meat we eat – provided the “low fat police” haven’t cut it all off: an increasing impediment to true healthy eating. We need to supplement our fat intake with healthy oils such as olive and coconut. Vegetables should have a role, but mainly those grown above ground such as leafy green veg, broccoli, cauliflower etc. But not sweetcorn. Healthy fruits are berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc.
Whilst, in principle, apples are a healthy choice, you must bear in mind the sugar content. Apples have been developed to have a far higher sugar content than they used to. Try to develop a liking for the sharper varieties
In spite of the hectoring we receive from all quarters about whole grains, these are not
required in the diet. All too many well meaning voices will scream “the body needs
carbohydrate!” This is true, but these people don’t, or won’t, accept that any carb requirement is manufactured by the liver from protein. To prove the point, many people, especially diabetics, keep their blood glucose under control by cutting out carb consumption entirely, or at least, keeping it extremely low. That is apart from the minuscule quantities found in green vegetables. In this way they manage to maintain normal blood sugar readings. If it was essential to consume carbs then it stands to reason these individuals would lapse into unconsciousness through low blood sugar. This does not happen as the liver helpfully supplies all that’s required.
It is clear from the increase in coronary heart disease, cancer and diabetes that far too many of us are not having a truly healthy diet. The problem is, due to vested interests and ignorance, we are not being given all the facts needed to make a healthy lifestyle choice.