Re: Consensus diet

From: I William Wiser (will@wiserlife.com)
Date: Mon May 05 2003 - 17:43:08 MDT

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    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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