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Everything I knew about food was wrong (medium.com/better-humans)
19 points by thesash on April 18, 2013 | hide | past | favorite | 8 comments



Yep, there are a few errors in there but I like the general idea. In fact I'm just starting to try the method Steve Gibson of security now described. Basically, cut down sugars and grains (most processed food), and add more healthy fats. For some reason people that go this route are highly attracted to double bacon butter cheeseburgers, etc... bad idea.

Olive, canola, avocados, and nuts are sources of fats that are much better on the heart. Tons of veggies, fruits, and lean meats will serve you well. This is what I've done in the past and have been very healthy, now focusing on bringing the sugars down and will see the results.

Another thing he mentions I'd be wary of is the coconut oil. It's full of saturated fat, and though proponets are now pointing to properties that mitigate its effects, i'd be cautious. I was not able to find much evidence of that or many studies at all on the subject. In absence of better info I'd avoid foods rich in saturated fat.


Totally agree with the gist of the article.

But it's interesting there is so much mythology in there.

Just because bees create honey, it's still just sugar by a different name. Bees aren't magical fairy's.

And similarly Preservatives, Toxins, nitrosamines , anti-biotics (Irrelevant to personal heath from eating) are not relevant.

Even nutrition is totally irrelevant except in small cases. Our issue is eating to many harmfully foods like sugar and highly processed flour. It's not lack of nutrients in the 1st world.


Another example of magical thinking;

> Nitrates are also used as fertilizers in agriculture. Now ask yourself, is that something you really want to be eating?

Water is used to irrigate in agriculture. Are you sure you want to drink that?


Dihydrogen monoxide can be dangerous depending on the quantity and how it is acquired and imbibed. Don't get it in your lungs.


"... during the clarification process all of the milk fat is burned off"

Ghee is milk fat. The clarification process removes the water and protein from the butter.


The main ideas are good, but most specifics are unscientific at best.

Nutrition is one of those fields where knowing what to do is easy, but actually doing the right thing is hard, so people tend to fall prey to promises of superfoods and silver bullets (Acai are just berries, ghee is just butter, gluten doesnt harm you unless you're allergic,...).

Also, don't micro-optimize the details (e.g. which kind of fat to eat), but get the most important big things right (e.g. don't eat too much fat). There's little agreemnt of experts about the small details of nutrition anyway.

For me, the important points about nutrition are:

- Don't eat too much

- Avoid smoking, drugs, too much alcohol

- Drink enough, mostly water

- As much fruit and vegetable as possible, as little pure fat and sugar as possible.

- As fresh and unprocessed as possible.

- As much variety as possible.

I'm sure there's plenty of rules I could add - but I won't, since the small, simple set of rules above is easy enough to remember and follow, and will get you 90% of the health benefits compared to the diet of someone who obsesses over healthy nutrition.


What do you think celery salt is? It's just sodium nitrate from a celery source! [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celery_salt]


This is too short to be worth reading. Instead, buy McGee's On Food and Cooking, and read a random page or two when you feel interested.




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