On Nutrition
Oct. 24th, 2017 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebSo, these kinds of conversations have been happening in my head.
World: Sugar is bad for you, not just for your teeth; it's pretty much the worst way to get your calories.
Mouth: Mmmm, sugar.
World: And white flour is just as bad as sugar. Your white bread may as well be cake.
Mouth: Bring on the cake, then!
Brain: Yeah, okay, but we need complex carbs.
World: It's a lot healthier if no more than 1/3 of your calories come from carbs.
Brain: But that means all the rest has to come from protein and fat.
World: That's okay; the idea that fat is bad was basically made up by evil supporters of the sugar industry.
Brain: But fat, but, um, my brain hurts.
Mouth: Mmm, time to start eating more fried things.
World: Wrong! Frying is carcinogenic.
Mouth: I have to start putting more butter on everything?
World: No, not butter.
Brain: I didn't think so. But, we're not supposed to have margarine and other hydrogenated fats.
World: No, that's much worse than butter. Some people think butter is good.
Mouth: Fat plus protein = bacon!
World: Nitrates and nitrites kill!
Mouth: What do I get to have?
World: Olive oil.
Brain: One-third of my calories are supposed to come from olive oil?
World: Which cannot be heated because it loses all its good properties.
Brain: Um.
World: I guess you can have walnut oil. Oh, and coconut oil! Oh, and avocado oil!
Store: I have corn oil. And vegetable oil. And canola oil (previously known as rapeseed oil). And my olive oil is probably mostly fake.
World: No, those are all bad. Also, a bunch of the profits from those go to GMO companies, which are known for doing anything, no matter how unethical, to make a profit.
Mouth: Protein plus fat = cheese!
World: No. Cheese bad. Milk is for babies, not you.
Brain: No, I need calcium! I have all of the risk factors for osteoporosis except old age, and I'm planning to acquire that too.
World: You can get calcium from plants.
Brain: I think I need fifty-pound bags of spinach to get enough calcium. My house isn't big enough, let alone my stomach. Screw you world; I'm having dairy.
Mouth: It is mean of you to tell me that both of my favorite food groups from my youth (grains and dairy) are bad and so I can only eat from my least favorite (protein and produce).
World: It's even meaner to just let you get sick out of ignorance. You need stuff from plants.
Mouth: Nuts!
World: Yes, nuts are good. Three Brazil nuts per day is the right amount. And other nuts are good, too.
Mouth: I am a genius! I could totally eat nuts!
Brain: But nuts are highly caloric, yet not very filling.
Mouth: Whatever. Peanuts are my favorite!
Brain: And so affordable.
World: Peanuts are not nuts. They are called "ground nuts" in England. Real nuts come from trees. And before you get too excited, cashews are not nuts either.
Brain: Yeah, but peanuts and cashews are very similar to tree nuts nutritionally.
World: Maybe. Walnuts are better. And almonds.
Mouth: Mmm, chocolate-covered.
World: Wrong.
Brain: Research shows chocolate is good for you. Dark chocolate anyway.
World: In tiny doses. Milk cancels out all its goodness, too, so no milk with your chocolate chip cookies, which have too many carbs anyway.
Brain: Tired now.
World: Sugar is bad for you, not just for your teeth; it's pretty much the worst way to get your calories.
Mouth: Mmmm, sugar.
World: And white flour is just as bad as sugar. Your white bread may as well be cake.
Mouth: Bring on the cake, then!
Brain: Yeah, okay, but we need complex carbs.
World: It's a lot healthier if no more than 1/3 of your calories come from carbs.
Brain: But that means all the rest has to come from protein and fat.
World: That's okay; the idea that fat is bad was basically made up by evil supporters of the sugar industry.
Brain: But fat, but, um, my brain hurts.
Mouth: Mmm, time to start eating more fried things.
World: Wrong! Frying is carcinogenic.
Mouth: I have to start putting more butter on everything?
World: No, not butter.
Brain: I didn't think so. But, we're not supposed to have margarine and other hydrogenated fats.
World: No, that's much worse than butter. Some people think butter is good.
Mouth: Fat plus protein = bacon!
World: Nitrates and nitrites kill!
Mouth: What do I get to have?
World: Olive oil.
Brain: One-third of my calories are supposed to come from olive oil?
World: Which cannot be heated because it loses all its good properties.
Brain: Um.
World: I guess you can have walnut oil. Oh, and coconut oil! Oh, and avocado oil!
Store: I have corn oil. And vegetable oil. And canola oil (previously known as rapeseed oil). And my olive oil is probably mostly fake.
World: No, those are all bad. Also, a bunch of the profits from those go to GMO companies, which are known for doing anything, no matter how unethical, to make a profit.
Mouth: Protein plus fat = cheese!
World: No. Cheese bad. Milk is for babies, not you.
Brain: No, I need calcium! I have all of the risk factors for osteoporosis except old age, and I'm planning to acquire that too.
World: You can get calcium from plants.
Brain: I think I need fifty-pound bags of spinach to get enough calcium. My house isn't big enough, let alone my stomach. Screw you world; I'm having dairy.
Mouth: It is mean of you to tell me that both of my favorite food groups from my youth (grains and dairy) are bad and so I can only eat from my least favorite (protein and produce).
World: It's even meaner to just let you get sick out of ignorance. You need stuff from plants.
Mouth: Nuts!
World: Yes, nuts are good. Three Brazil nuts per day is the right amount. And other nuts are good, too.
Mouth: I am a genius! I could totally eat nuts!
Brain: But nuts are highly caloric, yet not very filling.
Mouth: Whatever. Peanuts are my favorite!
Brain: And so affordable.
World: Peanuts are not nuts. They are called "ground nuts" in England. Real nuts come from trees. And before you get too excited, cashews are not nuts either.
Brain: Yeah, but peanuts and cashews are very similar to tree nuts nutritionally.
World: Maybe. Walnuts are better. And almonds.
Mouth: Mmm, chocolate-covered.
World: Wrong.
Brain: Research shows chocolate is good for you. Dark chocolate anyway.
World: In tiny doses. Milk cancels out all its goodness, too, so no milk with your chocolate chip cookies, which have too many carbs anyway.
Brain: Tired now.
no subject
on 2017-10-25 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2017-10-25 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2017-10-25 04:43 pm (UTC)And frankly, I don't see how a substance that has everything babies need can't also be good for grown-ups. Milk sugar just cannot be that overpowering (unless you're lactose intolerant or maybe diabetic).
And cooking does destroy some nutrients, but it also kills bad things, so that's good to remember.
Moderation
on 2017-10-26 10:15 pm (UTC)Ideally, reading about new research inspires us to try out new things and see how that works out. More nuts!