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How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

eatingacademy.com

21–30 of 189 posts

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#22
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are looking at things from a "nutrionism" point of view http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.... The answer is simple: Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.

I don't really like that simplification. Potatoes and wheat are both plants and people eat far too much of both.

Exactly. Some plants are simply poison, too. And many people have allergies that can make even a small amount of some plants deadly.

Nothing gets me ranting like the old "everything in moderation" line.

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#23
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are looking at things from a "nutrionism" point of view http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.... The answer is simple: Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.

I don't really like that simplification. Potatoes and wheat are both plants and people eat far too much of both.

citation needed?

When you say wheat, do you mean processed and refined flour? And by potatoes, do you mean chips and fries?

Potatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Some of the starch isn't easily digestible and acts similarly to fiber (in addition to the fiber found in the skin).

The fact that they are little bombs of nutrition aside (along with sweet potatoes, yummm!), they will also keep fresh for months.

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#24

I've always wondered if the saturated fat in coconuts is bad for you..

Most likely good for you, along the lines of olive oil and avocado. Assuming a good balance of foods.

And certainly better for you than rapeseed (canola) and soy oils.

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#26
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are looking at things from a "nutrionism" point of view http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.... The answer is simple: Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.

I don't really like that simplification. Potatoes and wheat are both plants and people eat far too much of both.

Yea I think you should add 'Eat foods that can be eaten raw' and you'll probably be pretty close to optimal. Potatoes and wheat can't be eaten raw. Although sugar can be eaten raw and most of us will agree that lots of sugar is bad.

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#27
post #26
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really like that simplification. Potatoes and wheat are both plants and people eat far too much of both.

Yea I think you should add 'Eat foods that can be eaten raw' and you'll probably be pretty close to optimal. Potatoes and wheat can't be eaten raw. Although sugar can be eaten raw and most of us will agree that lots of sugar is bad.

Just try chewing on raw sugar cane. That'll slow down your sugar consumption.

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#28
post #23
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really like that simplification. Potatoes and wheat are both plants and people eat far too much of both.

citation needed? When you say wheat, do you mean processed and refined flour? And by potatoes, do you mean chips and fries? Potatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Some of the starch isn't easily digestible and acts similarly to fiber (in addition to the fiber found in the skin). The fact that they are little bombs of nutrition aside (along with sweet potatoes, yummm!), they will also keep fresh for months.

Any wheat and any potatoes according to people like Gary Taubes. Sweet potatoes are probably better than regular spuds. Wheat and potatoes are mostly just carbohydrates which, as explained in the video we're discussing, should be reduced. There's no such thing as an 'essential carbohydrate' and all other vitamins and minerals in potatoes and wheat can also be found in more than sufficient quantities in 'good' foods like meat and leafy veggies.

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#29
post #6
post #4

Summary: bad science led to low fat diet craze. Reduce carbohydrates instead.

Taubes was right

Low-carb diets work for plenty of people (including me), but this is a must-read refutation of Taubes' carbohydrate hypothesis:

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2011/08/carbohydrate-h...

Re: How did we come to believe saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us?

#30
post #23
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really like that simplification. Potatoes and wheat are both plants and people eat far too much of both.

citation needed? When you say wheat, do you mean processed and refined flour? And by potatoes, do you mean chips and fries? Potatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Some of the starch isn't easily digestible and acts similarly to fiber (in addition to the fiber found in the skin). The fact that they are little bombs of nutrition aside (along with sweet potatoes, yummm!), they will also keep fresh for months.

Most of the food we eat is derived from potatoes and corn. Actually, either directly or indirectly, mostly corn.

source: Most meat is corn http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=that-burger...

most everything we eat is from corn http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/we-are-what-we-eat

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