Tag: Diet and Health

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Our Diets are Making us Sicker

 

The good news: fewer hungry people around the world. The bad news: Increased consumption of processed foods is pushing up global rates of overweight and obesity.

Source: Across The Globe, Our Diets Are Making Us Sicker, Report Finds : The Salt : NPR

So fast food and sugary soda makes you fat?  Seriously?

At my personal peak of adiposity I tipped the scale at 370 pounds.  Over the years I’ve done the classic weight loss and gain yo-yo from a low of 163 after my initial weight loss to a current  weight of 195.  I taught myself how to lose weight and the diet strategies to keep the weight off.

I should write a book.

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Eat More Plants

 

The authors indicated that despite the robust numbers, readers should keep in mind that the associations with mortality risk were most apparent among individuals suffering from other unhealthy habits.  Song and colleagues also pointed out that that the decrease in mortality risk caused by swapping out animal protein for plant protein had the most influence on those who were swapping out processed red meat as opposed to poultry and/or fish.  In terms of the individual effects of different types of animal protein sources, it was apparent that those who led unhealthy lifestyles were more likely to eat red meat, and those who led healthy lifestyles were more likely to eat fish or poultry.

Source: Study: For Long Life, Choose Beans Over Burgers | Medpage Today

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Swapping Rice for Burgers

Source: China obesity ‘explosion’ blamed on swapping rice for burgers

Over 40 years ago I lost 200 pounds.  With age I found 35 of those lost pounds but remain extremely pleased the other 165 stayed off.  I loved this article about obesity in China.  This article could have been written about my childhood.  I swapped burgers for rice and got fat.

Real fat.

I’ve been part of a weight loss study for decades.  I answer a couple of questionnaires every year.  Most people don’t believe I used to be fat.  I need to find some old childhood pictures and post them as proof.

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Your Healthy Lifestyle Won’t Necessarily Make You Healthier

Public health researchers are beginning to see that changes in how you live are no guarantee of changes in your health.

Source: Your Healthy Lifestyle Won’t Necessarily Make You Healthier | WIRED

Understand there are limits.  Kale, quinoa, and the latest antioxidant, anti-aging diet, exercise routine, hot sweaty yoga, mindfulness meditation, whatever only helps your health.  There is no perfect diet.  There is no perfect exercise regimen.  There is no magic bullet.

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Beans May Help With Weight Loss

 ‘Pulses’ like these may help dieters feel fuller and reduce food cravings, new analysis shows

Source: Beans, Chickpeas May Help With Weight Loss

I have two bean stories.  I’ll start with my second favorite memory of beans.

I moved from NJ to Texas at the age of 25.  Talk about culture shock.  It was a big brand new world to explore.  And if you enjoy ethnic cuisine you try to eat whatever the locals ate.  I wasn’t quite sure what Texas cuisine was besides smoked brisket.  On one day of exploration I passed a rather cheap and gaudy looking fast food joint that probably no longer exists.

“I wonder what this is?”

So I stopped, went in, stared at the menu and had absolutely no idea what anything was.  So I ordered a bean burrito.  It was your typical fast food burrito, thick brown paste, a little cheese, a little chili sauce, all wrapped up in a flour tortilla.  This happened so long ago the only remaining memory was that I liked it.  A lot.

So ends my second favorite bean story.