Food and our relationship with it.

AussieGran 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Right on the button! As far as we know we only get one life, why make ourselves miserable?
Eat normal size portions of healthy food with some treats along the way and a glass of vino or two.

all the friends I have lost, in their 50s and 60s, were all very slim and even thin, and constantly obsessed with not having any fat, etc. And currently the same with several friends who are, as said above, just crumbling due to osteoporosis, and without any cure.

But none of these people were fit and healthy were they? They had disordered eating patterns and were underweight. and suffered the medical problems associated with people with these problems.

Franbern. I'm sorry about your best friend. I'm not trying to say that people are wrong to try to be healthy. Of course they are not. It's the luck of the draw really isn't it?

Most of us do know what a healthy diet is Aussiegran but are tempted by the sugary, fatty foods that are being promoted all around us by unscrupulous retailers.
Why are the so called ‘naughty foods’ addictive? Why do they taste so good?

No food is bad. There are only people who make bad choices.

Over the years I have gently retrained my eating choices. I now do not have a sweet tooth. There is a packet of biscuits in my kitchen that has been there for months, I just do not want to eat them and if I did I would not enjoy them. The less sugary stuff I eat the less I want to eat it. If you really do not want to eat something don't.

I have learnt that my eyes are bigger than my stomach, so I have taught myself to eat less, and now I have done it, Christmas and, possibly holidays, apart I rarely vary much in weight - even then, I eat less at Christmas and on holiday. so a week or so of watchful eating, soon gets me back on track.

Keeping to weight and keeping healthy is entirely in our own hands, if it matters enough we will succeed.

So many good points being made. Another problem is eg you buy a packet of biscuits you know you’re going to be able to eat them all. You buy a bag of potatoes and how many might be okay? This week I’ve had to cut away so much before I could start boiling them and even then some turned black. I bought a bag of frozen broccoli and more than half turned black upon cooking. I opened the packet of biscuits

An interesting and very important discussion.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Yes, you are right. I am talking about friends born in the late 40s and 50s.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Indeed AussieGran. Being obese is another story. But being strong, healthy, active and 'chubby' seems not to be a bad recipe. I am NOT excusing my excess weight- but thinking about it today, all the friends I have lost, in their 50s and 60s, were all very slim and even thin, and constantly obsessed with not having any fat, etc. And currently the same with several friends who are, as said above, just crumbling due to osteoporosis, and without any cure.

That was one thing that was alien when I moved to China. The nearest big supermarket to me had the ground floor full of only 'real' food. They did sell junk/processed, but that was upstairs. Even canned foods were up there. Downstairs was fruit, veg, fresh meat, fish, piles of rice, different types of tofu, noodles, the bread they sold was made there (although I'm sure arrived pre-frozen).

It took me a while to work out how to shop there. Fruit and veg downstairs, then upstairs for tins (tomatoes etc - not used there), cereal, juice etc.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

....'eat rubbish'....

I've never been on a diet in my life. I love food. I chose mostly simple food, foods which aren't processed without a long list of additives and preservatives or artificial sweeteners. I avoid anything with palm oil in [protest at losing the rain forests as well as for health reasons]. I usually cook each evening from scratch. I avoid ready meals but have the odd one now and then.

I love, love vegetables, and fruit....also chocolate and cake, pasta and fish and chips! So I do have treats too - in moderation. I believe in balance and moderation. I also believe in movement throughout the day not inactivity so I walk a lot and balance the eating the food with burning it off. I'm lucky I can do so.

Not a drinker of alcohol though, nor a smoker [not now]. I listen to my body too...so I don't like things too sweet and have cut down a lot on meat as I age, fancy more fish etc.

I've had an interest in nutrition from a teenager though so that helps I think. I'm nearly 74, fit and well, no real problems at all. I realise I'm lucky to be able to say this...and it could all change tomorrow. But I've tried to take responsibility for my health so I can be around for those I care about. So far it's worked.

On the other hand I know a few people my age close to me who drink/smoke/each rubbish whose health is seriously failing them now. And it's tragic to witness.

TillyTrotter

Most of us do know what a healthy diet is Aussiegran but are tempted by the sugary, fatty foods that are being promoted all around us by unscrupulous retailers.
Why are the so called ‘naughty foods’ addictive? Why do they taste so good?

Spot on.

And yet the lobbies are so strong, and the financial rewards so maasive- that most attempts to do something about it are thwarthed.

Kate1949

I think just try to be sensible. It's not easy I know. I had a friend who was a health fanatic. I used to take my breakfast cereal to eat at work and she'd say 'Try some seeds on that. Try almond milk'. She was very slim. She even brought her own food to office parties - a small salad and some fruit while we all tucked in to party food. She died of cancer at 53 poor soul.

I can relate to this post. My best friend was always a total health freak. Never had butter in her house, no salt allowed in cooking anything, would not use deodorant, went to gym four five times a week. Was so...so...healthy -ran a marathon in her mid-60's. even if she stayed with me (which meant no going to gym) she went for run in the morning. She was totally obsessed with not eating any thing NOT healthy!!! I was always the overweight, un-fit one. We were born inthe same year. She has now been dead for twelve years (Cancer)- me I am going on in my overweight, un-fit way.

I know that if I eat as I would like I would get very overweight. Have managed to put on half a stone since November - as I rlaxed to enjoy the festive season food. So, you could say that I have 'on diet' all my adult life. Not fad diets, never tried any of those, just straight forward boring old calorie controlled - do not need to keep records of these I know what most foods contain. Yes, I will be strict now and take off those 7 lbs slowly over next several weeks. However, if I go out for a meal or away for a weekend I eat as I like rather what I should.

Ro60* retailers have to supply what the customer wants. If the shop supplies things that they do not want, they will go elsewhere.

It does not follow that if options are different choices will be different, well, they will, be, but the options include not buying anything and going elsewhere.

There is a well known saving that you can take a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink

Monica That is just my point.
If the options were different, the choices would be too.

But cornershops are for those extra little things and impulse buys, not the main shopping, that is done in supermarkets.

I live in a large village with a small Co-op self service shop. For many of the elderly in the village and for mothers with small children and with their partner using the one car to get to work. They do all their shopping in it and it has a signficant fruit and veg section, plus frozen meat and fish, dairy products. All the basics from flour to tinned tomatoes. It also has good sales of confectionary, sandwiches. pastry products, and canned drinks because it is on a through road and, first thing in the morning and at lunch time has a big clientele of van and lorry drivers who drop in for their lunches on the move.

The manufacturers & retailers have a lot to answer for. If they got together with the NHS just imagine what a difference they could make.

Our local convenience store:
Aisle 1: Alcohol, sweets
Aisle 2: Large fizzy drinks + 1 foot on the bottom shelf with squash.
Crisps
Aisle 3: cleaning/household, sugar filled cereals, biscuits, tea/coffee, sugar, etc. desserts, custard, jams
Aisle 4: Cakes, bread, chilled desserts, ready meals, a few fresh fruit & veg, meat, cheese.
Aisle 5: Small fizzy drinks & energy drinks, small section milk.
The small freezers: One all icecream, the other, pizzas, chips & ready prepped food in batter etc.
Tbf, there is a row of peas & one of mixed veg. too!
By the till: More fizzy drinks & energy drinks and 'Healthy' - but still sugary snacks.

Well, yes, BlondieScot, that’s a possibility, but when it all consists of cakes, biscuits, crisps, mega bottles of Coke, pies and pizzas etc….

Though I have to admit that anyone behind me at the checkout shortly before Christmas might well have wondered about my diet - besides a few toiletries, a fairly full trolley full of tins and packets, nothing fresh at all. However it was all for the food bank - dh’s ‘present’ to me, at my request. (No use getting him to do it, not without the detailed list I’d have had to give him.)

I am starting the Zoe programme in February. It is designed to help you understand how your body processes different foods and is a guide to having a healthy diet. Generally, I think I eat sensibly, I'm a little overweight and I am finding it difficult to shed those extra pounds not that I obsess about them. There are free podcasts to listen to. In the programme they analyse your gut biome as research suggests this is influential in overall physical and mental health. It's a properly researched programme, nothing weird or wacky about it. Please feel free to message me but you can look up the programme on the internet.

AussieGran You friend seems to have an eating disorder called Orthorexia neatly defined as^ an unhealthy focus on eating in a healthy way^

Some years ago I got interested in the work of an American food writer called Michael Pollan. He came up with the maxim Eat well, not too much, most of it plants Simple and uncomplicated. Later he said, of food choice ^If it is made FROM a plant eat it. If it is made IN a plant don't

What further food advice is needed?

Witzend You will rarely see fruit and veg in my supermarket trolley, neither you will not see fresh fish or meat. I buy my fruit and veg at my local town market and meat and fish from specialist suppliers. You will not see any ready meals or biscuits either. My trolley is full of food that comes in tins, packets and dairy products.

Knowing how I shop, I do not make any deductions from looking at other peoples trolleys, either.

Moderation in all and take it slow and steady and it will stay off.
I came home after staying Christmas week with relations, 2 pounds lighter than when I went. I had eaten well, good balanced tasty food and in a portion big enough to keep me going until the next meal.
I did not like to go rummaging in cupboards for pringles or sugary snacks. Not many coffee shops open for a cappuccino and a slice of cake.
Back home I have put it back on and some. All the chocolates and Christmas treats that would be a shame to waste are gradually getting consumed and my waist is expanding again.
I have learned a lesson and from now on I always leave what I don't want on my plate. I am the post-war eat-it-all-up and clean-your-plate generation.

Witzend

Lucca

most people now have no idea what a healthy diet is, hence two thirds are overweight a

How can anyone not know what a healthy diet is these days ? Or rather what an unhealthy diet is ?

I agree, surely the vast majority of people know perfectly well - they just prefer a diet consisting very largely - or even wholly - of unhealthy food.

Before anyone jumps on me for being judgemental, please NB I don’t make a habit of looking, not at all - but now and then when I’m waiting right behind the person at the checkout, I can’t help seeing that the only non-processed food in a full trolley is maybe eggs, and/or a few bananas. Not even a bag of frozen peas.

Looking at someone's trolley could be very misleading though. I might shop at one supermarket and not have a single piece of fruit or veg in my trolley because I don't rate the freshness of it in that particular store and prefer to buy it elsewhere.