One size fits all diets

[Jt]

I think we need to start looking at peoples individual
situations before recommending a diet.

The Atkins Diet is not a healthy diet period, but neither is
being obese. For these unfortunate people who can't or won't
lose weight through any other means are essentially taking the
lesser of two evils. I would not recommend this diet to anyone
but those whose life is in serious jeopardy due to their
weight. The Atkins Diet can produce serious and unwanted side
effects but so can many drugs, just as long as the cure is not
worse than the disease.

A healthy person at a healthy weight eating a diet of say 60%
carbs 25% fat & 15% protein should stay on that diet. These
people are not at the same risk in developing the
complications that occur in obese people. If a healthy person
goes on Atkins who is at a healthy weight or maybe a few
pounds overweight they will probably develop heart disease or
other side effects of eating a high fat low nutrition diet.

I think you have to look at family history when trying to find
the right diet for someone. Someone with a family history of
heart disease might have to watch their fat and cholesterol
intake more closely. Someone like me with no family history of
heart disease does not need be as concerned with fat and
cholesterol intake.

A healthy person should eat a wide range of foods and get rid
of the processed foods, bad fats/oils, refined sugars etc that
are not good for anyone.

Meats, fruits & vegetables, whole grains, fats, dairy are all
healthy in reasonable portions and part of a healthy diet. If
an obese person cuts out whole grains and substitutes meat
instead that may be the best choice for their situation but
not for someone else. A person with high cholesterol or a
history of heart disease may substitute whole grains and
vegetables for meat & dairy. Again perhaps the best diet for
their health problem but not the best diet for someone else.

On this board and elsewhere there is this need to come up with
the definitive diet that everyone should follow but that diet
does not exist. Individuals have unique needs and
circumstances that will not be served by this one size fits
all diet. We need to get away from these diets where all they
offer is eliminating entire healthy food groups from ones
diet. Whether its carbs, meat, dairy, etc they all have a
place in a healthy diet.

[Viviane Be]

Wholy agree with you. The mode here in the country where I
live was to favour vegetables, water,

no fats, no sugars and so on. I was in good health, but on a
day I decided to become a vegetarian and to drink only water.
Well, as result I got a disease! I will not go into details,
but it was enough bad a disease, one for which there seems to
be no cure. I came through it when returning to a balanced
diet including again meat and drinks with sugars! True, I eat
only bio meat now. While coping with the disease I studied a
lot and found on the Internet a site where they said the
success of becoming a vegetarian might depend upon the
boodgroup. According to my bloodgroup I belonged to the
meateaters!. Others may have a bloodgroup which may be better
suited for vegetarian food.

If you are interested in reading what I wrote myself about
nutrition while

coping with the disease, some songs are available on my site.
Have a listen to them when you've some time. (see links below)
I think my conclusion would be the same as yours: nutrition is
the key to health, but one has to find out which foods are
best suited for us.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/5/vivien.htm Songs: On
Healing:
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1722174&q=Lo
The Ear - this one is of the very important role of nutrition:
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1749324&q=Lo
The Good Time - this one is about rest, getting goot time,
habits, and so on:
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1678300&q=Lo

Vivian

jt wrote:

> I think we need to start looking at peoples individual
> situations before recommending a diet.
>
> The Atkins Diet is not a healthy diet period, but neither is
> being obese. For these unfortunate people who can't or won't
> lose weight through any other means are essentially taking
> the lesser of two evils. I would not recommend this diet to
> anyone but those whose life is in serious jeopardy due to
> their weight. The Atkins Diet can produce serious and
> unwanted side effects but so can many drugs, just as long as
> the cure is not worse than the disease.
>
> A healthy person at a healthy weight eating a diet of say
> 60% carbs 25% fat & 15% protein should stay on that diet.
> These people are not at the same risk in developing the
> complications that occur in obese people. If a healthy
> person goes on Atkins who is at a healthy weight or maybe a
> few pounds overweight they will probably develop heart
> disease or other side effects of eating a high fat low
> nutrition diet.
>
> I think you have to look at family history when trying to
> find the right diet for someone. Someone with a family
> history of heart disease might have to watch their fat and
> cholesterol intake more closely. Someone like me with no
> family history of heart disease does not need be as
> concerned with fat and cholesterol intake.
>
> A healthy person should eat a wide range of foods and get
> rid of the processed foods, bad fats/oils, refined sugars
> etc that are not good for anyone.
>
> Meats, fruits & vegetables, whole grains, fats, dairy are
> all healthy in reasonable portions and part of a healthy
> diet. If an obese person cuts out whole grains and
> substitutes meat instead that may be the best choice for
> their situation but not for someone else. A person with high
> cholesterol or a history of heart disease may substitute
> whole grains and vegetables for meat & dairy. Again perhaps
> the best diet for their health problem but not the best diet
> for someone else.
>
> On this board and elsewhere there is this need to come up
> with the definitive diet that everyone should follow but
> that diet does not exist. Individuals have unique needs and
> circumstances that will not be served by this one size fits
> all diet. We need to get away from these diets where all
> they offer is eliminating entire healthy food groups from
> ones diet. Whether its carbs, meat, dairy, etc they all have
> a place in a healthy diet.