Hows the US "healthy" food going?

[overclocked]

As always there is tons of MEDIA in the forms of diets,training blabla etz...
One thing that i noticed later besides that documentry with the guy eating on McDonalds for a month is this HUGE burgers and other food like XXXL pizzas to name a few that gotten quite many notices in pappers here in Europe.

So how does it loke in the States and how are people seem to think about this. Im intressed because getting it from you that live there is somewhat of a "uniqe" thing with todays Internet-community.

To divide it upp more is there any "special" states that live healthier and viceverse? I am not talking about the Hollywood "ideal" here just so you know.

 

[jvd]

Well . Mc donalds got ride of the super size . But the large is still a decent size . Mostly its not really the portions of the food . There are times when I would go to mc donalds and get a super sized number 2 , which is 2 hand burgers a super sized fry and a super sized soda and give a burger and some of the fries to my gf and split the soda and once in a blue moon i'd have the meal to myself . Its the people who eat them every day that have the problems .

 

[overclocked]

Ok, Are people really that big in US, i mean seen one or another Ricki Lake Show makes you think

 

[Monty]

Well . Mc donalds got ride of the super size . But the large is still a decent size . Mostly its not really the portions of the food . There are times when I would go to mc donalds and get a super sized number 2 , which is 2 hand burgers a super sized fry and a super sized soda and give a burger and some of the fries to my gf and split the soda and once in a blue moon i'd have the meal to myself . Its the people who eat them every day that have the problems .

try eating a mcdonalds after not doing so for like a year, because i did it a few months back and felt like crap - i could just feel all that crap going through my system. had a few friends with me as well, 2 of which eat mcdonalds quite a bit and one other who is like me, and even he felt like crap afterwards, but the other 2 felt alright - looks like they got use to it.



as for americans being big......every american i have met has been quite slim, infact quite a few were health freaks, no beer or meat. Though i suppose the big ones dont really come to the UK.

 

[jvd]

Ok, Are people really that big in US, i mean seen one or another Ricki Lake Show makes you think

6'4 280lbs

try eating a mcdonalds after not doing so for like a year, because i did it a few months back and felt like crap - i could just feel all that crap going through my system. had a few friends with me as well, 2 of which eat mcdonalds quite a bit and one other who is like me, and even he felt like crap afterwards, but the other 2 felt alright - looks like they got use to it.

The longest i've gone with out eating mc donalds is about 6 months (remember me am in college and live on junk ) but never felt sick after that . I got really sick when a girl i was seeing insisted i go on her raw food diet with her though. I was sick all the time

 

[Sonic]

Raw food diets aren't the best.

The obesity problem in the US is quite big. It is easy to go the movies, or a bowling area, or a bar and see big people. I think fast food is part to blame but we even have all these restaurants around that have tremendously big portions. It's the lack of exercise and proper nutrition that hurts many Americans.

A lot of people in the US are quite ignorant to the facts about nutrition. They think that meat is the main food group with veggies and fruits being secondary. When a family sits down to have ribs one day, then steak the next, then hot dogs and burgers.

People need education about nutrition and exercise if they want to stay healthy. You can be a little big but still have a healthy heart and muscles. But the laziness that is out there right now is really crazy.

 

[Squeak]

Meat is very important. You get lots of proteins you can never get through vegetable food.
In fact, being a vegetarian is not at all healthy. Many vegs. need to take pills to get their needed amount of protein.
Forcing you children to be vegetarians just because you are one yourself, shouldn't be allowed IMO.
Our whole digestion system, teeth, stomach and bowels have developed too be able to handle both animal and vegetable food.
There are certain kinds of very fat meat and meat cooked in special ways that is not good for your general health. But other than that, meat is a very important part of a healthy diet.

 

[Sonic]

Meat is important and should be eaten. I wouldn't be able to do a vegetarian diet for many reasons. With meat you do get a complete protein but there are also a lot of risks with eating red meat.

A diet based off of meat, such as many Americans' diets, is not healthy. It should come in a variety of foods from all the food groups. There are plenty of minerals and vitamines that simply cannot be gotten from meat. Understand what i'm saying? Most people need a balanced diet, but many Americans do not. Meat should not be a primary food group where veggies and fruits are seen as secondary.

Those who eat high amounts of protein should also be educated on it. If you're a bodybuilder sustaining or growing your muscles then you most likely know more about nutrition than the average Joe.

 

[PARANOiA]

In fact, being a vegetarian is not at all healthy.

That is just plain false. I am a vegetarian and I can tell you that since I've stopped eating meat (nearly three years ago), I feel healthier than ever. I don't take any supplements. Everything my body needs can be obtained through vegetables, legumes and other natural sources.

]Meat is important and should be eaten.

That's an opinion, not a fact.

I'm the least preachy vegetarian I've ever met - I will happily sit down to a roast with my family (well, not happily, but that's more cos of my family ) and have a salad or something else. But to hear that by not eating another animal's flesh I'm unhealthy and I'm not doing what I should do is just 100% plain wrong. That's fact.

 

[Sonic]

I didn't say it was unhealthy. I should have went further on the comments about protein and meat. It is very possible to get complete protein without meat but it just takes a little bit of extra effort.

Our bodies are designed to be omnivorous so it makes sense that an easy, and yet very healthy diet consits of a balance of all food groups. And yes, let's go ahead and substitute protein for meat in such a good group. Please tell me you do not take the easy route and use soy based products for your primary source of protein. Nuts, legumes, and beans (I have it mixed up huh) are a better source of protein.

 

[PARANOiA]

I didn't say it was unhealthy.

I know you didn't. Squeak did

Please tell me you do not take the easy route and use soy based products for your primary source of protein. Nuts, legumes, and beans (I have it mixed up huh) are a better source of protein.

Actually, I don't! I prefer taste thank you very much

There is a popular misconception that meat is the only real source of protein, and thus that a vegetarian diet is inherently unhealthy due to a lack of protein. It is impossible to stress how untrue this is.

http://veggietable.allinfo-about.com/articles/protein.html

I get protein from a variety of sources, depending on what I feel like eating. Spinach is a "magic food". I'm a pasta-nut, and eat heaps of breads, etc. I also eat various types of legumes and beans a few times a week at least. As I'm not vegan, dairy sources of protien aren't uncommon in my diet either.

I think a fair comment would be that "people should eat meat if they don't know anything about what they eat". Which is reasonable for a big portion of the population. But there's no reason that a vegetarian (or even vegan) diet isn't healthy.[/quote]

 

[Sonic]

Yes, I think a vegan or vegetarian diet can be very healthy. It does do away with a lot of risks such as illnesses that can come from meat based products. It can also help the digestive system if meat is untolerable.

I wouldn't be able to give up poultry though. It is a very lean and healthy source of protein if prepared right. And sometimes it can be quite complicated to get the perfect balance out of it.

I'm not big on dairy due to personal preference. Milk has a lot of bad qualities that I simply do not like.

 

[PARANOiA]

I wouldn't be able to give up poultry though. It is a very lean and healthy source of protein if prepared right. And sometimes it can be quite complicated to get the perfect balance out of it.

I think I'd be comfortable eating poultry if it weren't for "factory-farms" and other ickyness to do with drugs and hygiene. They pump a lot of gross shit into chickens and chicken-food. My man-boobs are big enough

 

[Sonic]

This is true. There are a lot of famrs (especially here in little old DE) that pump hormones in these animals. The same can be said for many veggies also. A lot of those have chemicals that aid in the growing process. Don't know how harmful those are.

There are pros and cons to everything, good thing us humans havea wide variety of choice. And those of us who do watch our nutrition can make the intelligent decisions.

 

[ZoinKs!]

Ok, Are people really that big in US, i mean seen one or another Ricki Lake Show makes you think

If you saw it on TV, it must be true!!!1!!one!11

Especially if its on a daytime talk show, the bottom feeders of the televised zombie wasteland.

 

[Diplo]

Meat is very important. You get lots of proteins you can never get through vegetable food.
In fact, being a vegetarian is not at all healthy. Many vegs. need to take pills to get their needed amount of protein.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Please don't embarass yourself further with such unfounded and inane comments.

 

[jvd]

I eat a lot of fish actually , more so than meat . For example , today i'm having some salmon grilled with lemon and some baked squid that i will start preparing later tonight

 

[Monty]

I think a fair comment would be that "people should eat meat if they don't know anything about what they eat". Which is reasonable for a big portion of the population. But there's no reason that a vegetarian (or even vegan) diet isn't healthy.

people who dont know anything about what they eat, eat mcdonalds and processed foods, rarely do they eat and cook themselves proper meat.

as for people who do eat meat (like me), eat it for one reason only, and that is because it tastes bloody nice - theres not much what can beat a nice steak or well cooked chicken (making me drool thinking about it ).

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Meat is very important. You get lots of proteins you can never get through vegetable food.
In fact, being a vegetarian is not at all healthy. Many vegs. need to take pills to get their needed amount of protein.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Please don't embarass yourself further with such unfounded and inane comments.

Basically, squeak is right.

Although you don't "need pills" / supplements....the point is, if you are a vegetarian, you must do some carful planning and eat the right combinations of foods in order to get all the essential amino acids.

In short, you run a significantly higher risk of health problems if you aren't careful with a strict vegetarian diet.

 

[Mariner]

Nothing wrong with being a Veggie. Wouldn't fancy it myself though.

What I do find ridiculous are the fanatical veggies who keep dogs/cats and feed them on vegetarian foods even though they are obviously carnivorous animals. Just crackers. :?