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Do you agree with the statement you are what you eat

(82 Posts)
TrendyNannie6 Sat 18-Jan-20 13:51:58

To a certain extent I do. But there will always be the lucky few that seem to be able to eat just what they want without putting on much weight, sadly I’m not one of them

Callistemon Sun 19-Jan-20 18:15:59

Yes, love0c, true.

Try telling a small child with cancer where they have gone wrong, JenniferE
Or someone who has led a healthy life that they brought it on themselves and should not burden the NHS.

3dognight Sun 19-Jan-20 18:16:08

I think that saying is true.
I would hope that someone who ate three healthy meals a day with no snacking would be in a better state of health than someone who give little thought to what they consumed, if given a range of medical tests by their GP.

I know if I have a day where I don't think I've eaten very healthily, for example if I've had something like tinned macaroni cheese on toast for dinner, and then fish fingers chips and beans for tea, the next day then I will cook from scratch healthy food for us next day.

Chestnut Sun 19-Jan-20 18:26:26

Apparently if you want a warm, healthy, glowing complexion you should eat plenty of colourful foods like peppers and tomatoes. A Mediterranean diet is the healthiest. There's no doubt that eating plenty of fruit and veg will keep you healthier than not eating them. Oats are better than wheat and a few nuts better than crisps!
Chocolate.....that's another story.

Chestnut Sun 19-Jan-20 18:30:42

3dognight: ......tinned macaroni cheese on toast for dinner, and then fish fingers chips and beans for tea
You confused me there, and then I realised the meals are round the wrong way (for me). I would say the macaroni cheese for lunch (not dinner) and the fish fingers for dinner (not tea). For me 'tea' is something you have in the middle of the afternoon with a piece of cake. grin

JenniferEccles Sun 19-Jan-20 18:57:02

That’s quite true loveOc. I agree with you.

Sadly some folk do get cancer despite their best efforts to stay fit and healthy, and that is dreadful for them.

All I was saying is that being seriously overweight does increase the chances of developing any one of a number of serious illnesses, so for that reason I would agree that we are what we eat.

BlueSky Sun 19-Jan-20 19:10:52

When I was younger I was quite naive and I too thought that if you ate the right food, didn't smoke or drink and kept physically active then you wouldn't get any nasty diseases. And yet a vegan friend got breast cancer, when they made us believe it would be highly unlikely, and another non smoker, non drinker, 'clean living' lady got lung cancer! This shattered the theory I had read about.

pinkquartz Sun 19-Jan-20 19:20:03

Bluesky

I also used to think that as long as you eat healthy foods and don't smoke or drink you stay healthy

Sadly I know now it is not the case. However I still eat healthy and do not smoke or drink.

But I no longer judge other people for their habits and preferences. Well I try not to.
Though I have now come to to believe that being a vegan is a minus......I have been vegan and veggie and was pushed back into eating organic meat for the sake of my health.
It is not as cut and dried as people want to think.
Some of us need meat, some have to avoid dairy and wheat.

Though eating processed foods is probably never the right thing to do.

3dognight Sun 19-Jan-20 19:49:54

Haha Chestnut, dinner is one pm, tea is eight pm.
My schedule is abit skewwift I suppose, we are all different aren't we?

annep1 Sun 19-Jan-20 22:49:37

I agree loveOc. I was making the point that my friend followed all the advice but it made no difference. We can take care of our bodies but often illness is beyond our control.

For this reason I think those who are ill should be treated better in the workplace. People don't actually want to be ill, but I am off topic....

timetogo2016 Wed 22-Jan-20 08:58:56

Me neither Trendy.
My sister could eat for England and not put an ounce on and I put it on just looking at it.
If you are what you eat I`m officially a vegetable .

sarahanew Wed 22-Jan-20 09:46:10

Yes, you are what you eat and it's not all about weight. It's what you ingest and how your body is able to deal with it. When you have a healthy diet and exercise you sleep better and feel more awake during the day. All sensible things we knew growing up, but with all the snacky food tempting us these days we've lost sight of this a bit

AllTheLs Wed 22-Jan-20 09:47:23

There's lots of advice given on foods that are carcinogenic and which foods help to protect.

No food 'protects' against cancer. I did the healthy eating lark - five+ portions of fruit and veg per day for years. Then got cancer. One of the plus sides was giving up so-called 'healthy food'. Cancer has no rules - I can't emphasize this enough.

AllTheLs Wed 22-Jan-20 09:52:01

Back on to the original topic. Two women went on holiday. One - the larger one - protested that she hardly ever ate. The other, smaller, lady watched with horror as her friend ate a large breakfast, one or two 'elevenses', a substantial lunch, a snack for 'tea' and a very substantial evening meal. And the larger woman still insisted she didn't eat much!

grandMattie Wed 22-Jan-20 09:59:20

I agree, cancer is no respector of diet or age. But surely the availability of snacks and cheapness of “junk” food is the reason the population as a whole is overweight and diabetic. That and lack of exercise.
Having said that, in my 70s and overweight, I try very hard not to put more weight on...
moderation, moderation, etc.

Callistemon Wed 22-Jan-20 10:02:07

you are what you eat

I just ate prunes.
Dried and wrinkly.

Phloembundle Wed 22-Jan-20 10:06:56

According to a documentary I saw a while ago, weight can be affected by gut bacteria, which is why some people can eat for England and stay thin. But there is no doubt that the older you get, the harder it is to keep the weight off, and lack of hormones means it tends to redistribute itself.

dirgni Wed 22-Jan-20 10:08:27

Unfortunately I got rid of the Christmas chocolates by eating them! Am regretting that now but oh it was nice!!!

4allweknow Wed 22-Jan-20 10:14:06

I am constantly analysing where I am going wrong with food and I think it's portion control mainly. I thought back to being younger - a lot younger - and my mum used to buy half a pound of mince to feed 4. Potatoes were 7lbs and they lasted for days. I am sure with all the packaging basically standardised in large amounts we eat more then we need at one sitting hence the weight gain at least for me.

crimpedhalo Wed 22-Jan-20 10:15:35

@BBbevan
How long did it take you to reverse your T2? I'm at the point of seeing a diabetic nurse after my sugar levels showed 9.6.
Since before Xmas I've concentrated on healthier foods and have lost 13lbs. I need to lose another 4st..I'm 71. I'd rather not take medication. I think my numbers were a blip. I'd been feeling fatigued and my blood test shows too many red blood cells which causes the tiredness. In my fatigued state I didn't eat very healthily and grabbed quick snacks. I'm on a mission now!

annep1 Wed 22-Jan-20 10:48:26

4allweknow my mum did the same. I think we have got used to bigger portions.

When I was told I had high blood sugar I cut down on carbs and had a tiny portion of potatoes. My husband who always had a huge plate of potatoes cut his too and now we have 1 large potato between us and he couldn't actually eat more.

annep1 Wed 22-Jan-20 10:49:24

Callistemon ?

Poppyred Wed 22-Jan-20 10:50:26

If there was a famine, I would live longer than most.....hardly need any calories to survive....very depressing.

Theoddbird Wed 22-Jan-20 10:50:34

I have been veggie 40 years and became plant based in my eating 18 months ago. I am healthy...never even have a cold. A few years ago I lost 21 lb and was taken off of diabetic medication. I don't have a sweet tooth...can't remember last time I ate a biscuit. I still have to watch my weight...still need to loose a stone. I just can't do it though. So am I what I eat. My good health is, I think, due to my veggie diet. My meals are red, yellow and green...rarely eat a meal that does not include these colours. I will say that bread is my downfall...love a piece of toast and peanut butter.

icanhandthemback Wed 22-Jan-20 11:01:31

It's probably why I'm so sweet! grin

Kim19 Wed 22-Jan-20 11:07:00

Very good C! I eat a few prunes daily and now I plan to pinch your wit. Hope that's ok?! Incidentally, I have one meal every day (read of a famous man doing this) and it works wonderfully for me both in out of kitchen time and feel good. Lost a lot of weight eight years ago by simply eating less of everything (no exemptions) and have managed to keep it off. Only sorry it took me so long to apply what I always really knew in my head/heart.