Who decides what's "healthy?"

I just had a random couple of thoughts while shuffling through this site:

1) why do we listen to scientists and nutritionists when it comes to what is "healthy" to eat? It can't because they're always right, because that's certainly not the case (trans-fats, anyone?). So why do we listen to them then?

2) With the ever shifting winds of nutrition, does anyone else find it hard to find some stable set of rules to hold on to? A couple examples: Is milk good for you? I personally have no idea. What about eggs, are those good for you? People used to be scared crapless of eggs due to the cholesteral, and many still chuck the yolks out. Are carbs good or bad? What about sodium? That seems to be the next nutrient that's going to be demonized, just like fat was. But what about diet soda,cheese, yogurt, cereal, wine, butter, or red meat?  

Anyway, anyone else ever find themselves thinking this? Are these reasonable questions, or am I completely crazy?

If you`re that worried, best thing to do is get most of your nutrition from foods that are "obviously" healthy. And by that I mean it hasn`t been contested so far. Most of the stuff that`s been given a bad rep is not essential to fulfill your dietary needs anyhow.

It's true that science is not always right.  They've changed agriculture to the point that we need to put nutrients back into our foods.  We're told not to eat processed foods, but even our fruits and vegetables are processed now.  It's no wonder we are all a bit confused. 

Sorry for the rant...

I'm going to opt for eating in moderation and staying away from processed food to the extent possible. 

well the very nature of science calls upon each scientist to discover and test, & retest (using method 1) & retest (using method 2) & retest (method 1 again), get community analysis then retest (using method 5,121), etc. it IS enough to make one dizzy. look at all the hypotheses there were before we discovered that the sun uses nuclear fusion to maintain its energy.

yes food scientists have come up with some crazy things, things that we shouldn't always eat, but they've also managed to make most of our foods safe for mass consumption, but not always.

so i guess the best advice is to just eat things in moderation so as to not drive yourself crazy. for me i would love to be able to just grow my own food, yet even that i would have rely on some sort of scientific method of exploring, testing & so forth.

I suppose moderation is always a good option to go with

I wasn't trying to say that our scientific advances in food have not had any good effects. It does provide alot of food in such a fashion that we as consumers have way more variety to choose from at a reasonable cost.

It just seems to me that we let our food supply get tinkered with before we truly understood what the consequences were. 

For example, scientists and nutritionists are all currently excited about the Omega fats. They're saying that we aren't getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids in out diets, and that this is a problem. However, this is an artificial deprivation, as most foods have some degree of Omega 3's in them before they are processed. The food companies opted to remove these healthy fats, because they are oxidizing, and would therefore lesson the shelf-life of their products. However, now that we know about them, companies are putting the Omega 3's back into their products. This is a good step, but it seems like a solution to a problem that never should have existed.

Original Post by captainuber:

I suppose moderation is always a good option to go with

I wasn't trying to say that our scientific advances in food have not had any good effects. It does provide alot of food in such a fashion that we as consumers have way more variety to choose from at a reasonable cost.

It just seems to me that we let our food supply get tinkered with before we truly understood what the consequences were. 

For example, scientists and nutritionists are all currently excited about the Omega fats. They're saying that we aren't getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids in out diets, and that this is a problem. However, this is an artificial deprivation, as most foods have some degree of Omega 3's in them before they are processed. The food companies opted to remove these healthy fats, because they are oxidizing, and would therefore lesson the shelf-life of their products. However, now that we know about them, companies are putting the Omega 3's back into their products. This is a good step, but it seems like a solution to a problem that never should have existed.

yeah i get what you are saying. i believe for safety reasons of mass consumption they thought it best to take away the fat, but then its something we need.

if it can run, swim, fly, or grow in the ground i eat it....

Original Post by ching12:

if it can run, swim, fly, or grow in the ground i eat it....

i did try ground baked grubs once in mexico. interesting...

We listen to scientists and nutritionists largely because we've completely lost touch with food...  Knowing what's good to eat is why human beings have survived and thrived for millennia.  We're still programmed to be wary of things with a bitter flavour because, in nature, 'bitter' often = 'poisonous'.  But now that we no longer grow stuff, hunt or fish and now that many of or foods turn up in sanitised packets, any prospective poisons disguised with colours and flavours, we often lose confidence and turn to experts.

I say revert to judging for yourself and get to know your food a bit better..   If the apple looks good and worm-free, chances it's nice to eat and very healthy.  If the egg/pork/milk is from a healthy-looking hen/pig/cow that's been eating a good diet and been well looked-after, chances are it'll do you good.  Requires a little leg-work and maybe some research.  You'll probably have to cook the food yourself rather than slide it straight out of a packet but you won't go far wrong.

If you stay away from processed, frozen - as in frozen dinners - et al, canned, boxed, etc... regardless of the new 'trend' of healthy eating, you will be fine.

i don't think science ever tells us what's "healthy," although the so-called journalists who interpret the science may.

it's not rocket science.  the closer food is to it's natural state, the better it is.  variety is good; the alternative is not.  if it's "instant" and comes out of a box, it's probably not great; likewise if it has a shelf life of several weeks or months.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

if it's "instant" and comes out of a box

don't know if you ever tried kraft macaroni & cheese stuff, the cheese is all powdery. it's so artifically tasting, you know its bad for you, the paradox... it even taste bad but that's what makes it taste so good. what evil food scientist(s) came up with that one?

ever tried it?  seriously?  it's a staple.  only now i cook half the noodles, use all the cheese, and call that "portion control."

Original Post by pgeorgian:

ever tried it?  seriously?  it's a staple.  only now i cook half the noodles, use all the cheese, and call that "portion control."

they sell it over here in a fancy market, they have an american section. the only thing is they charge 6 euro for it. i can get it in the us for like 1 dollar, ok maybe not that little but i just can't justify spending that much on it.

yeah portion control is key.

Yeah, I think that a lot of people have begun to confuse scientists with Oprah. Oprah, her fad diets, the Daily News, USA Today.. These people are not scientists. They're morons and they're trolling for money and readers.

First off, nutrition is a very, very, very, very difficult science. Let me pose this to any of you: try to design a simple experiment that shows a positive effect of food. Now, do so on a statistically significant sample of people - about 100 or more. Now, beg for grant money.. Ok, I'm sure some of you get the picture.

Nutrition is a new science, but it sure as hell isn't a dumb one, merely a difficult one. If more people respected and listened closely to the advice of nutritionists, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today. You have a large population of uneducated and easily misled people to thank for that.

Original Post by octo-luv:

Original Post by pgeorgian:

if it's "instant" and comes out of a box

don't know if you ever tried kraft macaroni & cheese stuff, the cheese is all powdery. it's so artifically tasting, you know its bad for you, the paradox... it even taste bad but that's what makes it taste so good. what evil food scientist(s) came up with that one?

I sometimes have those quick 3 min microwaveable mac n cheese things with my dinner. They taste awesome. :3

personally i dont listen to the latest health craze BS. I'm still trying to explain to my mother that carb's aren't the devil -.- i i know whats healthy by how it makes me feel and look. i eat a good balanced meal i feed good. i go eat a piece of cake and i feel horrible, the sugar rush then the laziness setting in. it may just be me sensitive to food but i can feel what i eat.

Original Post by octo-luv:

don't know if you ever tried kraft macaroni & cheese stuff, the cheese is all powdery. it's so artifically tasting, you know its bad for you, the paradox... it even taste bad but that's what makes it taste so good. what evil food scientist(s) came up with that one?

I've never tried it. I like to cook so I've never seen the point of buying something that's so easy to make yourself. American cheese always looks so orange as well, which looks foul to me.

A big mistake people make is thinking diet foods = healthier. I'm with the unprocessed club. Natural foods are almost always going to be more nutritious than processed. And I'll take real sugar over diet substitutes any day (except for diet coke, which I think tastes better... that's a habit I'm trying to kick anyway). But for coffee and tea - whole milk; real, raw sugar if I use any.

I've done my time with diet foods but I finally realised that full-fat products are healthier, taste better and keep me fuller for longer. Since then I haven't looked back.

Original Post by octo-luv:

yeah portion control is key.

i was being ironic.  even the way i do it, it's probably 400 calories, and any nutritional value comes from the milk i add :)

but six euros is absolutely ridiculous.  i only buy it on sale, and never pay more than $1CDN.

meryl, pm me your address and i'll send you a box.  it's yummeh!  especially with a little freshly-ground pepper.