Two rules for a good diet

Luddly Neddite

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2011
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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/o...=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."
 
My old Papa lived to be 94,he ate fried foods at least twice a day...smoked, chewed tobacco and drank a little whiskey when grandma was out of town...
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."

Yup, and on #2, wheat shouldn't be one of those plants. Add more fruit too.
Just striking processed foods alone should do wonders.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/o...=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."

Rules for healthy diet are worthless. Genes define longevity, not diet or even lifestyle factors. Pleanty of those over 100 years of age smoke, drink alcohol, and eat crap. What works well for some doesn't work well for all.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."

Rules for healthy diet are worthless. Genes define longevity, not diet or even lifestyle factors. Pleanty of those over 100 years of age smoke, drink alcohol, and eat crap. What works well for some doesn't work well for all.

This post is so true, so packed with fact and devoid of bull shit, it's almost as if I wrote it.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."

Rules for healthy diet are worthless. Genes define longevity, not diet or even lifestyle factors. Pleanty of those over 100 years of age smoke, drink alcohol, and eat crap. What works well for some doesn't work well for all.

Bullshit.

Processed foods are killing us, and giving the masses obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It has everything to do with that. We don't have an obesity epidemic specific to the last quarter-century because Martians came down and corrupted the gene pool. Our sterling food industry did that for us.

Genes can help or hinder but the institutionalized food supply is poison.
 
Last edited:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."

Yup, and on #2, wheat shouldn't be one of those plants. Add more fruit too.
Just striking processed foods alone should do wonders.

Right Pogo. Wheat contains the fattening protein, gluten. Have pasta or wheat bread, in moderation if at all. And fruit is good too, but only in moderation as it has lots of sugar, especially in fruit juices.

I have found, the bottom line for stabilizing weight is to expend more calories than I consume ( age old wisdom ) and weigh myself every morning at the same time and place. My habit of this is, right after awakening every morning and emptying my bladder, hop onto the scale in my only bed clothing, pajama top, and weigh. I have been UP a pound the past few days, so I will be forgoing bread and sugar and it will be gone by Friday. :thup:

I pay no attention to the "it could be only water weight." You still need to do what it takes to drop it, or it will continue to grow and it is much harder to lose five pounds, than one. :thup:

 
Ain't it da troof.
Right now I'm eating broccoli. Unfortunately, cooked and sitting in a cheesy roux (which means wheat).

Also in the meal: cheese-saturated romaine (with croutons -- wheat), a chicken in some kind of breading (wheat), mashed potatoes (no wheat!?) and for dessert --- cake (wheat). It's a free meal from the client; I eat around what I can. It's all you can do.

They're doing everything they can to exterminate us :ack-1:
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."
I'm unclear on what exactly "processed" means. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be cynical or obnoxious. I'm fairly analytical and take terms literally most of the time.

As I understand it, the only way a food could not be "processed" is if I picked it off the tree myself and ate it right there. Even if I kill a deer, I still have to 'process' it before I even bring it home (it has to be field stripped of organs...that's "processing"). So basically every food ever sold in any grocery store ever is has undergone some kind of collection and distribution process and is therefore "processed" food. Telling me not to eat processed food is telling me to go start a farm.

I know that's not what you mean, but that's how I take it, so I would like to bridge the gap. An obligatory Google search says "The definition of what constitutes a processed food can vary slightly, but it usually refers to foods that are packaged in boxes, cans or bags. These foods need to be processed extensively to be edible and are not found as is in nature." Cereal is in a box, are you saying I shouldn't eat cereal? V8 = bad? No canned tuna-fish?
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."
I'm unclear on what exactly "processed" means. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be cynical or obnoxious. I'm fairly analytical and take terms literally most of the time.

As I understand it, the only way a food could not be "processed" is if I picked it off the tree myself and ate it right there. Even if I kill a deer, I still have to 'process' it before I even bring it home (it has to be field stripped of organs...that's "processing"). So basically every food ever sold in any grocery store ever is has undergone some kind of collection and distribution process and is therefore "processed" food. Telling me not to eat processed food is telling me to go start a farm.

I know that's not what you mean, but that's how I take it, so I would like to bridge the gap. An obligatory Google search says "The definition of what constitutes a processed food can vary slightly, but it usually refers to foods that are packaged in boxes, cans or bags. These foods need to be processed extensively to be edible and are not found as is in nature." Cereal is in a box, are you saying I shouldn't eat cereal? V8 = bad? No canned tuna-fish?

"Processed" basically means frozen, dehydrated, instified, reconstituted, whatever it takes to put it in a package on your shelf that can sit there until it's needed. More or less, it's either processed, or it's perishable.

I don't think your deer example qualifies as "processed". That's just cleaning what you're going to eat. The meat will spoil quickly if you don't consume it.
 
"Processed" basically means frozen, dehydrated, instified, reconstituted, whatever it takes to put it in a package on your shelf that can sit there until it's needed. More or less, it's either processed, or it's perishable.

I don't think your deer example qualifies as "processed". That's just cleaning what you're going to eat. The meat will spoil quickly if you don't consume it.
Ahh I see.

It's unfortunate that perishable foods cost more. Those of us combating financial challenges lean towards non-perishable foods more, especially when we can buy in bulk and save $$$. I look forward to any suggestions OP might have for those of us on a tight budget.

And just for the record, I would happily increase my 'carbon footprint' and assist corporate greed if doing so lead to better personal health. I say that just to clarify that my health is my top priority, not what some CEO is making this year.
 
Last edited:
"Processed" basically means frozen, dehydrated, instified, reconstituted, whatever it takes to put it in a package on your shelf that can sit there until it's needed. More or less, it's either processed, or it's perishable.

I don't think your deer example qualifies as "processed". That's just cleaning what you're going to eat. The meat will spoil quickly if you don't consume it.
Ahh I see.

It's unfortunate that perishable foods cost more. Those of us combating financial challenges lean towards non-perishable foods more, especially when we can buy in bulk and save $$$.


Yeah I hear ya. And I'm a notorious cereal killer myself :D

Some processed foods are worse than others. I try to avoid frozen stuff, or at least use it sparingly.

Part of the problem with processing is that in order to give it both a longer shelf life and a cheap price from mass production, the nutrients often have to be stripped out. Hence we get "enriched" flour, which means "we stripped out so much good stuff from this bread that we had to reinsert chemical clones of it". And of course there's all the additives.

And back to the theme of the thread, wheat isn't the only evil one among some of those processing ingredients. Especially corn and HFCS. Adding sugar where none is needed, just to sell a product. You've probably never sat down to a spaghetti dinner and said "please pass the sugar" ---- but just try to find commercial tomato sauce that isn't laced with it.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/opinion/only-two-rules-for-a-good-diet.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion & Style&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

As always, worth reading but here are the two rules from the end of the piece.

"Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyperprocessed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”


2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

All without relying on corporate benevolence or the government getting things right. The power lies with you."

Rules for healthy diet are worthless. Genes define longevity, not diet or even lifestyle factors. Pleanty of those over 100 years of age smoke, drink alcohol, and eat crap. What works well for some doesn't work well for all.

Bullshit.

Processed foods are killing us, and giving the masses obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It has everything to do with that. We don't have an obesity epidemic specific to the last quarter-century because Martians came down and corrupted the gene pool. Our sterling food industry did that for us.

Genes can help or hinder but the institutionalized food supply is poison.

I absolutely agree. Genes are only one factor and not nearly as important as previously thought because we can make huge changes in our lives.

I've said this before but - my whole family eats the traditional meat and potatoes diet. They're all fat and diabetic and yes, I really do mean all. They all have heart disease and yes, I really do mean ALL. I'm the oldest surviving sibling. My parents, aunts, uncles and siblings have almost all died of heart disease and were type II diabetic when they died. The only one who did not die of diet related illness died in an accident but had already had one heart attack was type II diabetic.

You don't have to just live with the genes you were born with. Your lifestyle choices can and do change your health.

Our diet choices are killing us but they're making us damn sick before we finally kick off.
 
"Processed" basically means frozen, dehydrated, instified, reconstituted, whatever it takes to put it in a package on your shelf that can sit there until it's needed. More or less, it's either processed, or it's perishable.

I don't think your deer example qualifies as "processed". That's just cleaning what you're going to eat. The meat will spoil quickly if you don't consume it.
Ahh I see.

It's unfortunate that perishable foods cost more. Those of us combating financial challenges lean towards non-perishable foods more, especially when we can buy in bulk and save $$$. I look forward to any suggestions OP might have for those of us on a tight budget.

And just for the record, I would happily increase my 'carbon footprint' and assist corporate greed if doing so lead to better personal health. I say that just to clarify that my health is my top priority, not what some CEO is making this year.

Pezz Welcome to the board and I'm happy to oblige ...

Its really hard to eat fresh on a limited income. I get that, I really do. I've read that canned/frozen is as healthful as fresh. I also think eating non-perishable can be very healthy. Beans, legumes are an excellent source of nutrients.


Edited to add - I just saw your post where you say you hunt.
 

I eat right to look good and perform good. I could care less about experiencing old age.
 
My old Papa lived to be 94,he ate fried foods at least twice a day...smoked, chewed tobacco and drank a little whiskey when grandma was out of town...

Good for him. For the other 99 out of 100 who lived like him and died before the age of 70 with the last 20 years of their life being miserable, I'm sure they would have been better off making some positive changes in their life. Why is it that everyone has a one in a hundred story about how they know someone who lived like an idiot but still lived to be 120? Why don't they talk about all the people they know who bit the dust early because they ate shit and never exercised?
 
I think this is a far more complex issue than the two OP suggestions indicate. Cost is obviously an issue, taste is an important one as well (is eating 'healthy' worthwhile if it requires you to forgo pleasure while eating?), shelf life matters unless one expects to shop for groceries on a very frequent basis, even allergies can come into play.

Most people, myself completely included, could probably eat healthier. I think that eating healthier can and should be done very individually, however.
 

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