From: I William Wiser (will@wiserlife.com)
Date: Mon May 05 2003 - 17:43:08 MDT
Summary: It's good to eat a lot of low calorie vegetables and
a wide variety of low calorie vegetables. Anyone disagree?
I am continuing my nutritional studies (when not distracted
by other stuff). Lots of questions and not so many answers
so far but I do see two nutritional improvement that it seems
to me, almost no one disagrees with.
First is to eat a wide variety of whatever food types are included
in one's idea of a healthy diet. Variety will make it more likely that
you get some of everything you need. Variety will make it less likely
that you will get a lot of any given toxin. Variety makes it more
likely that the nutritional information you have for foods is correct
because any given data error will have less of an impact and
unbiased errors will tend to cancel.
On the other side I could argue that if there is anything really
nasty in the food supply you will be more likely to expose yourself
to it, if you eat a wide variety of foods. Variety may make your
system work harder to deal with so many food components
and toxins. Variety may add unnesseacry complications to your
life. I am bringing up these other ideas but I have not heard
experts argue against variety.
The second recommendation is to eat a lot of low calorie
vegetables. Vegetables have lots of vitamins. Vegetables
seem to have many protective substances. Vegetables are
filling and low calorie so you can eat a lot of them and not
gain weight. There are lots of studies correlating vegetable
consumption to health.
Can one get to much vegitable fiber? (I know it's possible
to not get enough other foods and I'm not suggesting eatting
only low calorie vegitables but is it likely a normal person
will ever eat to many vegitables without forceing themselves).
Are vegetables especially full of natural or added toxins so
that one ought to moderate vegitable consumption to avoid
getting to many toxins? Is it bad for the human digestive
system to process so much food? Can one wear out a
digestive system the way one can wear out knees by running
to much? Even if the system is self repairing might so much
activity speed up aging?
I would guess lots of low calorie vegetables are good. I suspect
all of the good stuff in vegetables outweighs the toxins.
I would guess the ease of weight management and positive
effects on the digestive system would outweigh wear and tear
problems (assuming a gradual change in diet and a healthy
system to start with). I would guess it is possible to overdo
vegitables but that lots is a good idea. I imagine that if one
eats low calorie vegitables when hungry or bored and does
not force them down that the net effect would be good.
Certainly better than any other food. My biggest concern
would be toxins so I would favor vegetables with lower
levels of know toxins.
I am still studying nutrition but I am planning to buy a chest
freezer so I can keep lots of frozen vegitables on hand and
add some regular trips to farmers markets for fresh vegitables.
I'll also keep canned vegetables on hand if they add variety,
to eat when traveling, and for use in possible disasters. I
already eat about five servings of vegetables a day but
I think I will start eatting more like a dozen servings daily.
I don't need to do this to loose weight or avoid hunger. I
just think it sounds enjoyable and healthy.
My idea would be to choose vegetables at the start of my
meals as often as I can comfortably do so and eat vegetables
in preferance to other foods. I'll of course add anything else
I think important for a healthy diet. Basically eat vegetables
till almost full and add other foods only to meet needs or
satisfy desires (in moderation). If I start loosing weight to
quickly (more than a few pounds a week or some negative
effect) I will add more higher calorie foods.
Does anyone think lots of low calorie vegetables or eatting
a variety of healthy food types is a bad idea? Any suggestion
for improvements?
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