My in-laws said something to me last night...

originally posted by: IAMTAT
We do 'Clean' eating.
No fast food, sugar, salt...Measured/weighed portions of protein/carbs/veggies for each meal...ALL fresh and Organic.

I don't feel I'm missing out on anything.

If I ever do drive through fast food for something my guts hurt for a day. We’re mostly a meats and greens family. The wife does love her cheese though.

originally posted by: Assassin82

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: toms54


An actual Italian diet doesn't involve shoving 'endless breadsticks' into your pie hole. Neither does it have a plethora of pastas drenched in cream sauces or meat/chicken slathered in cheese.


Gross ass food is gross.

Amen to that! Another thing that drives me nuts is they have a meal where you order a pasta and get a take-home pasta for “free”. So, you know, enough garbage to keep you’re cholesterol high for the week!

Next you'll tell me Italians don't eat pizza which I'm sure is also on your list of banned foods. I respect your education but I don't believe these foods are all that poisonous in reasonable quantity.

a reply to: Skorpiogurl

I ACTUALLY went to school, paid for it, studied and passed to earn my degree! And that's one of MY pet peeves... people being Google-Nutritionists.

I think it's actually encouraging and heartening that people are learning/understanding the importance of nutrition and trying to educate themselves. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

But I also know it's tough to separate the wheat from the chaff so-to-speak.

Are there any myths or disinformation you see popping more than others? Do you have any thoughts on how we can better educate and inform the public to better take care of themselves?

originally posted by: toms54

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: toms54


An actual Italian diet doesn't involve shoving 'endless breadsticks' into your pie hole. Neither does it have a plethora of pastas drenched in cream sauces or meat/chicken slathered in cheese.


Gross ass food is gross.

Don't know anything about Maggotano's but I grew up around Italian people and I know they do eat pasta.

As I understand it, and I could be wrong, in Europe food isn’t processed or genetically modified the way it is here. I can’t recall exactly but there’s something about the composition of the wheat here I think that takes any health benefit away and replaces it with garbage. I’m uncertain of the exact science at the moment so please forgive the crude explanation.

Anyway, I’ve read and heard that in Europe people can eat pasta and bread much more without being fat and bloated like we get here in the states. There are probably other cultural factors involved as well, like how people in Europe aren’t as sedentary as they are here in the US and don’t over indulge in a meal 3 times a day with snacks in between.

My best friends' Italian family is not skinny.

originally posted by: Assassin82

originally posted by: IAMTAT
We do 'Clean' eating.
No fast food, sugar, salt...Measured/weighed portions of protein/carbs/veggies for each meal...ALL fresh and Organic.

I don't feel I'm missing out on anything.

If I ever do drive through fast food for something my guts hurt for a day. We’re mostly a meats and greens family. The wife does love her cheese though.

Yeah. I haven't had drive-thru fare in many years.
It was hard at first...but, now, I have zero interest in it.

I will say, however, BK must pump their grill vents outside at 500%...the smell of Whoppers grilling still makes me salivate.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: Skorpiogurl

I ACTUALLY went to school, paid for it, studied and passed to earn my degree! And that's one of MY pet peeves... people being Google-Nutritionists.

I think it's actually encouraging and heartening that people are learning/understanding the importance of nutrition and trying to educate themselves. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

But I also know it's tough to separate the wheat from the chaff so-to-speak.

Are there any myths or disinformation you see popping more than others? Do you have any thoughts on how we can better educate and inform the public to better take care of themselves?

Oh don't get me wrong. I love that people are taking the time to learn and self advocate for sure! What I don't like is someone jumping on the Atkins band-wagon, losing a bunch of water weight and then making recommendations or setting up pay-programs. Just because a diet plan worked for someone it does NOT qualify them as a nutritionist. I am all for people sharing information, as long as it's scientifically proven and peer reviewed from a legitimate source. But please don't copy/paste an article from a body building site and tell people they need eat more protein or eliminate carbs. Just doesn't make sense!

a reply to: Assassin82

Maybe that's true. Sorry I got on you, it's really my own problem.

Years ago, I had a landlady that would just walk into my apartment at dinnertime without knocking. She then started railing at me, "That red meat is going to kill you! Do you know what rotten meat smells like? That's what it does in your stomach, etc., etc., etc.." I can still hear her shrill voice ringing in my ears. It was so annoying, I hate dietary advice even today.

originally posted by: toms54
Don't know anything about Maggotano's but I grew up around Italian people and I know they do eat pasta.

And? The food at Maggiano's is not Italian, you would be hard pressed to find any of their menu offerings at an actual restaurant in Italy. I'm also a former chef, Italian, I trained in this and know it inside and out.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus


The last time I was in a Maggianos...was for the bar.
I seem to remember a good martini.

I was just thinking the other day that heart disease and other health issues are gonna go through the roof in the coming generation.

Kids play video games 24/7 and live on Fortnite. Getting a kid out to exercise is like pulling teeth this day and age it seems. When I go on vacation just about everyone i see is overweight or obese. It really is a problem here and is only gonna get worse in my estimates.

I see all these young people slim and trim but they don't realize once they get age on them and continue those bad habits their body composition isnt gonna be pretty. Im a genxer, I have seen what used to be hot girls in my HS on Facebook and im like WTF happened? People just let themselves go.

If you have kids I encourage you to balance out their time between gaming and some type of exercise.

a reply to: Assassin82

Well, the only thing you can do is enjoy your life to the fullest, eating healthy foods. I've found that healthy foods generally taste better to me anyways...And I got others to join me by preparing healthy, flavorful meals. That's not the case with everyone. Not every family or every person is open to the idea that they are eating poorly and are victims of malnutrition...even by being overweight and supposedly "happy."

a reply to: Skorpiogurl

Oh don't get me wrong. I love that people are taking the time to learn and self advocate for sure!

Not at all!

Years ago, I helped start a garden at my kids' elementary school, and I researched and wrote up some info sheets about the nutritional content of the produce being grown, and the health benefits of the various vitamins and minerals, then sent that out with a PTA newsletter that included news about the garden. I was very pleasantly surprised at how many parents appreciated the nutritional information and thanked us for it.

When the school was rebuilt, the garden was not replaced, but the community center next door started a community garden, and they provide nutritional info with the produce, as well as cooking instructions and recipes.

I just wish there were more such programs for people to learn and understand how their food can nourish and nurture their health.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
The last time I was in a Maggianos...was for the bar.
I seem to remember a good martini.

Hard to screw up booze.

I get that. When I was a vegetarian I got harassed by my family all the time.

A lot of people aren’t educated on nutrition, or just don’t care.

At the same time a lot of dieters have erroneous info. My dad had heart problems so he and my mom have gone on this low fat light everything diet. They’ve lost weight but they avoid all kinds of healthy fats and eat a lot of processed diet foods.

A lot of people don’t know you need healthy fats to absorb certain vitamins and iron.

Similarly, many of the low fat alternatives, from margarine to low fat milk to low fat yogurt, are worse for people than natural, full fat versions.

You are right about carbs, when they are excessive, not whole foods , or heavily processed. At the same time the no carb movement is unhealthy. We need some.


a reply to: Assassin82

a reply to: Assassin82

They may be your family but it is obvious at this point they don't want your help.
I find it is better to keep the family peace.
If they want to eat themselves to death, let them. There really isn't much you can say that will change that.
Everyone in my family is pretty skinny and very healthy eaters, but we had smokers. You couldn't say anything to them
that would make them stop. At some point you just have to accept that they get to choose how they live/die.

When I was asked that question, where do I draw the line between quality of life and enjoyment of life I wanted to scream.

I'm sure they were somewhat picking on you when they asked this question. Instead of getting upset, you should have told the truth. That a healthy quality life is your enjoyment.

a reply to: Assassin82

The worst nations in the world these days are Western Samoa and American Samoa (around 80%). Go back 40 plus years and they had very healthy diets.

The difference between now and then? They have adopted a US diet over the last 40 years. There is a ton of empirical data regarding this and for anyone truly interested, i suggest they check it out - it is genuinely scary information. This is fact now in those countries.

a reply to: Flavian

I’ve seen a short documentary about the aborigines somewhere in the South Pacific near Australia who are in a medical crisis brought on by dietary standards left over from western influence. It really is a sad thing.

originally posted by: toms54

originally posted by: Assassin82

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: toms54


An actual Italian diet doesn't involve shoving 'endless breadsticks' into your pie hole. Neither does it have a plethora of pastas drenched in cream sauces or meat/chicken slathered in cheese.


Gross ass food is gross.

Amen to that! Another thing that drives me nuts is they have a meal where you order a pasta and get a take-home pasta for “free”. So, you know, enough garbage to keep you’re cholesterol high for the week!

Next you'll tell me Italians don't eat pizza which I'm sure is also on your list of banned foods. I respect your education but I don't believe these foods are all that poisonous in reasonable quantity.

Italians do eat pasta (and pizza) but in Italy itself they don't eat loads (like you'd imagine). Instead it is simply another meal during the week. A true Italian diet is far more meat / fish / veg than pasta / pizza - in other words, healthy and in moderation.

originally posted by: Assassin82
The question they posed to me was...”where do you draw the line between quality of life and enjoying life”. This really pissed me off. Here’s why:

It "pissed you off"? You poor baby. They would never have said that had you not been obvious with your disdain of their eating habits. There's nothing I detest more than people who are self-righteous about food. What an insufferable prig you must be at dinners. It's just like vegans. You don't have to ask if they are because they'll tell you. Nobody likes people with a superior judgmental attitude. I'm quite sure they are rolling their eyes as much as you are.