Whole plant food diet

[katharina]

I always wonder how people define a balanced diet -- and how do they know they are really getting one? I used to know people at work who thought they were getting a balanced diet but then they ate donuts all morning and went to a burger place for lunch. Figure they must have had to really catch up for dinner to make up for the rest of the day.

Well now! I can actually answer this! For me a balanced diet is moderation in all the food groups including fats. It's *not* freaking out over not having carbs or not having meat. I have carbs and meat and fruits and
veggies and grains and dairy. I limit fats (i.e. spray butter with 0 calories instead of globs of it) and bad things but nothing is totally cut out.

I feel that any time something is limited, it's usually setting ourselves up for failure.

 

[katharina]

ate donuts all morning and went to a burger place for lunch. Figure they must have had to really catch up for dinner to make up for the rest of the day.

Maybe a whole platefull of green beans... EEEEEEWWWW! Or maybe they were "balancing" a Big Mac with a diet drink?

 

[Frankie]

For most people a balanced diet means that they can sort of function and not die......or gain weight.

I have a balanced diet but it's not my fault. I have someone who does most of the cooking for me and doesn't let me have much junk food.

 

[katharina]

I've been a vegetarian for well over twenty years, but I eat dairy products and eggs so I'm not as strict as vegans or fruitarians are. I'm mindful of my protein combinations and I take my vitamins so I stay pretty healthy, but everyone is different and have different nutritional needs.

This is how I'd have to do it... I might be able to do vegetarian but I couldn't do vegan. Dairy and eggs are important to me.

 

[SageMother]

As far as I know, any drastic change in diet will leave someone feeling better, for a while, as their body runs through a few sub routines to find a new balance. People tend to continue to say they feel better and their body is working better, based on the memory of that little shock.

I'd check with a physician if I had altered my diet drastically, after that first year to see if I need supplements.

Humans have thrived eating all sorts of meats and plants, so I don't think there is any reason to believe that one type of food is inherently better than another. as long as your blood chemistry remains viable.

 

[katharina]

Humans have thrived eating all sorts of meats and plants, so I don't think there is any reason to believe that one type of food is inherently better than another. as long as your blood chemistry remains viable.

That's a good bottom line for all this, I think. I have witnessed some pretty horrid health problems in friends when they thought they were doing something good by cutting out [fill in the culprit food group] completely.