new research debunks trad views on nutrition

[Sally PB]

Many years ago I read a book that suggested only buy things to eat that have 5 ingredients or less and avoid anything with crazy long names that are hard to pronounce.

Title? Author?

 

[NatJ]

Many years ago I read a book that suggested only buy things to eat that have 5 ingredients or less and avoid anything with crazy long names that are hard to pronounce. And, while that's over simplified and can miss thigs that should be avoided, it really is a decent mind frame / place to start for people who want to eat healthier.

It might be a good starting place, but I can think of a bunch of recipes that should be fairly healthy that would fail that test. For example, if I make a soup or salad that contains a bunch of different vegetables, I go over the "5 ingredients" count very quickly.

And if you count spices as individual ingredients, it get ridiculous very fast indeed (basil, oregano, garlic, and onion-- that's 4 things and I'm not even done seasoning it, let alone having something to put those seasonings on!) I recognize that some lists of ingredients just say "spices," but that does not actually reduce the number of ingredients, just shortens the list by clumping some of them together.

As regards the "crazy long names that are hard to pronounce," I do see the point being made, but phrasing it that way is making big assumptions about the reading skills of the person involved. I've seen plenty of cases where one person reads a word easily and another does not, but that does not make the ingredient healthy for one and not for the other.

 

[Krugerrand]

Title? Author?

Well, I didn't list it as I would not want that to come across as an endorsement or recommendation. But, since you asked ...

The New Arthritis Cure: Eliminate Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Pain Permanently
by Dr. Bruce Fife ND

He's a big proponent of coconut oil. (And I have largely switched to coconut oil for many things.) I found that the book has some good bits of information. It can be found on ebay for less than $6. I don't think I'd pay more than that for it. It's a good read .... helpful from a mind-frame perspective. I think a functional medicine doctor would be a better approach for getting advice and guidance.

 

[Krugerrand]

It might be a good starting place, but I can think of a bunch of recipes that should be fairly healthy that would fail that test. For example, if I make a soup or salad that contains a bunch of different vegetables, I go over the "5 ingredients" count very quickly.

And if you count spices as individual ingredients, it get ridiculous very fast indeed (basil, oregano, garlic, and onion-- that's 4 things and I'm not even done seasoning it, let alone having something to put those seasonings on!) I recognize that some lists of ingredients just say "spices," but that does not actually reduce the number of ingredients, just shortens the list by clumping some of them together.

As regards the "crazy long names that are hard to pronounce," I do see the point being made, but phrasing it that way is making big assumptions about the reading skills of the person involved. I've seen plenty of cases where one person reads a word easily and another does not, but that does not make the ingredient healthy for one and not for the other.

Sorry, I hoped 5 ingredient didn't come across that way. Cook with as much as you want, but the advice was that when you BUY something already packaged , the ingredient list on the package should have no more than 5 ingredients.

Plus, you'd want to apply come common sense. If you buy dried beans for 10-bean soup ... that's no different than buy 10 packs on 1-ingredient beans.

 

[NatJ]

Sorry, I hoped 5 ingredient didn't come across that way. Cook with as much as you want, but the advice was that when you BUY something already packaged , the ingredient list on the package should have no more than 5 ingredients.

I see no reason why the same ingredients would be safer in home-cooked food than in a purchased food. So if I want to buy a spaghetti sauce, it is welcome to have as many different herbs as it likes, along with the tomatoes and such.

Plus, you'd want to apply come common sense. If you buy dried beans for 10-bean soup ... that's no different than buy 10 packs on 1-ingredient beans.

And that is exactly my point. Simple guidelines tend to miss points like that. Yes, 10-bean soup is a perfect example.

 

[Sally PB]

I start getting suspicious about ingredients that I can't identify as being something I'd want to eat.

From the back of the bottle of Italian dressing, for example: "Calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)."

Yes, I know they add stuff like this for shelf life. But what is it? What does your body do with it, as it goes through your digestive tract?

Anything GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") makes me suspicious. Who thinks it's safe? Who told them that it was safe? And, who is going to profit by this designation?

 

[Perris]

I start getting suspicious about ingredients that I can't identify as being something I'd want to eat.

that's why another rule of thumb is to beware any ingredient that you wouldn't find in a domestic kitchen, and they are generally things whose names are chemicals rather than foodstuffs.

 

[Penpal]

I think the part about the long names in a packaged food product is good to watch out for. It suggests that the product is processed in a weird way, needs a chemical to give it a longer shelf life, etc. It is right to be suspicious. Sometimes it's just the scientific name of something simple. At least look it up before eating the product.

Helianthus annuus is the common sunflower.

 

[Krugerrand]

that's why another rule of thumb is to beware any ingredient that you wouldn't find in a domestic kitchen, and they are generally things whose names are chemicals rather than foodstuffs.

I think the part about the long names in a packaged food product is good to watch out for. It suggests that the product is processed in a weird way, needs a chemical to give it a longer shelf life, etc. It is right to be suspicious. Sometimes it's just the scientific name of something simple. At least look it up before eating the product.

Helianthus annuus is the common sunflower.

Unfortunately, in many cases you can't even trust the labels. Your cheese may show "rennet" as an ingredient but is really Fermentation-Produced Chymosin (FPC).

FPC was created by Pfizer using CRISPR gene editing technology where the genomes of living organisms are modified. The “safety” of FPC was evaluated by a 90 day trial in rats.
This bioengineered chymosin (FPC) was granted Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) status, which exempted Pfizer from the pre-approved requirements that apply to other new food additives. (some parts of quote are shortened - see attached if interested)

 

[saysfaa]

cheese may show "rennet"

No.
No.
No.
I don't even know how many noes to put after reading that

Sigh.

I'm not opposed to the GRAS concept when it is used for things people ate before oleo was devised. Using it for this is just wrong.

But thank you. Unwelcome as this is, I'd rather know about it than not know.

Edit to fix auto fill for "even". Or clumsy fingers.