It is always interesting to read these kinds of articles ("debunking the myths" articles) and "see where the author stands."
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/the-lowfat-food-myth-and-other-fictions-20110711-1h9kl.html
Long time readers could probably read this and see which elements I would agree with.
The nit I'll pick today is that, while I like fresh vegetables and eat them frequently due to my wife's happy determination to include them in our dinner every night, there's virtually no evidence that we need 'more nutrients' of the kinds vegetables provide. In fact, the nutrient deficiency model which we see bandied about as folks discuss 'healthy eating' is a result of widespread population nutrient deficiencies all based on excessive grain consumption. In other words, there's no evidence that getting more than just enough micronutrients results in better health outcomes. Perhaps if you eat raw veggies, you are ingesting more micro nutrients - but who knows if they will be digested and pass through the gut into your blood stream? Humans are not really built to fully digest veggies, which is why raw foods have an estimated 30% lower caloric value than when cooked. Further, raw foodists have such a struggle getting adequate nutrition, that many (I've seen estimates as high as 30%) cannot get pregnant.
In short, don't sweat the cooking. I buy the argument that humans are designed for eating cooked food - we've been eating cooked food for so long we have small and frail teeth relative to our raw food eating ancestors. Eat veggies the way that they taste good to you, and if you avoid consumption of most grains, and follow the paleolithic prescription with moderate fidelity, you can be confident in being well nourished insofar as what vegetables provide.
NOTE: you still have to think about the fat soluble vitamins, K2 and D, as our neo lifestyles often leave us short on them.
*There's a note in the article which references CoQ10's ability to "reduce the risk of cholesterol". I hope that was a typo. That "cholesterol" is a risk is the biggest myth ever - but I'll skip beating that dead horse for now.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/the-lowfat-food-myth-and-other-fictions-20110711-1h9kl.html
Long time readers could probably read this and see which elements I would agree with.
The nit I'll pick today is that, while I like fresh vegetables and eat them frequently due to my wife's happy determination to include them in our dinner every night, there's virtually no evidence that we need 'more nutrients' of the kinds vegetables provide. In fact, the nutrient deficiency model which we see bandied about as folks discuss 'healthy eating' is a result of widespread population nutrient deficiencies all based on excessive grain consumption. In other words, there's no evidence that getting more than just enough micronutrients results in better health outcomes. Perhaps if you eat raw veggies, you are ingesting more micro nutrients - but who knows if they will be digested and pass through the gut into your blood stream? Humans are not really built to fully digest veggies, which is why raw foods have an estimated 30% lower caloric value than when cooked. Further, raw foodists have such a struggle getting adequate nutrition, that many (I've seen estimates as high as 30%) cannot get pregnant.
In short, don't sweat the cooking. I buy the argument that humans are designed for eating cooked food - we've been eating cooked food for so long we have small and frail teeth relative to our raw food eating ancestors. Eat veggies the way that they taste good to you, and if you avoid consumption of most grains, and follow the paleolithic prescription with moderate fidelity, you can be confident in being well nourished insofar as what vegetables provide.
NOTE: you still have to think about the fat soluble vitamins, K2 and D, as our neo lifestyles often leave us short on them.
*There's a note in the article which references CoQ10's ability to "reduce the risk of cholesterol". I hope that was a typo. That "cholesterol" is a risk is the biggest myth ever - but I'll skip beating that dead horse for now.
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