7 Unhealthy Diet Foods

[Pattypans]

If it takes adding an apple to the drinkable green stuff to get it down then I do it.

Right, and apple's not citrus.

[Islander]

I do the same. Lots of green stuff and an apple or carrot to make it more palatable. Ginger root's not bad either.

[Aaltrude]

Mmmm banana does it for me.

[bmc65]

Make sure it's a yellow banana with spots on it. ::tee hee::

[Katee]

I understand that food combining doesn't seem to make sense.

However, i have 3 or 4 aunts who follow the diet and have been able to ditch their meds for diabetes and heart conditions and have lost weight.

Now, i don't know them well (i only get back there for a couple of days every 4 years or so), so i don't know the whole story. It is possible that their diets were simply crap before, and following this diet mean they are getting more whole food and better quality, etc. In fact, given that they live in the South and based on what i saw available the last time we were back there (and the huge amount of obesity in most of the region), it is very likely they had horrendous diets.

But they swear by it. So much so that my mother is talking about giving it a try, after watching their success for 2 years or so now. My mother is entirely uninfluenced by Dr. Davis' Wheat Belly book that i sent her. ("But how can we get B vitamins without grain?" and "The Bible recommends eating wheat.") I've been telling her for several years now that her pain would probably be less if she were to go gluten free. ("I don't take that much pain medication" and "We don't eat that much bread.") She totally disregards any suggestions i might make, but she's been impressed with the results my aunts have gotten.

I'm with Mellowsong - i think this would drive me stark raving mad, especially given the other restrictions i have. But if it would help my family eat a healthier diet and live healthier, i'm all for it. Also, while this might not make sense given the history of food, maybe we have done so much damage to our bodies with the bad diets of recent years that some people need such an extreme diet to help them heal?

[Julieanne]

Sounds like I have to ditch the orange juice. But I will continue to add a splash of lime or lemon juice and a dash of salt - it makes all the difference. After all, you have lemon and oil dressing on salads. Today's juice was carrot, cucumber, celery, tomato and parsley. Delicious, like drinking cold veggie soup. Yesterday was carrot, apple and beetroot, really nice.

My kale and spinach etc isn't ready yet, so no green leaves.

[Islander]

Katee says,

However, i have 3 or 4 aunts who follow the diet

What diet are you referring to, Katee? I'm confused. The OP was about foods to avoid; is that what you meant?

[Katee]

Katee says,

What diet are you referring to, Katee? I'm confused. The OP was about foods to avoid; is that what you meant?

Food combining. You've seen the ad, with the banana that darkens and says "Try this strange trick to lose weight." Food combining means that you can't eat fruit with any other food, your stomach needs to be empty. Carbs (bread/pasta) can be eaten with meat OR with veggies, but not all three together. Those are the basic concept.

[Islander]

Thank you! No, have not seen the ad (no TV). I have seen variations on the food-combining diets, been skeptical of every one. We evolved as omnivores, ate what was available whenever we could get it. But if your family has made healthy changes in their diet, that alone could result in weight loss.

[Katee]

Thank you! No, have not seen the ad (no TV).

The only place i've seen the ad is on the internet.

I'm sure eating healthier in general is a big part of it - although, many of my mother's family have raised their own gardens, so they were probably already eating a little healthier than the rest of the country. But if they cook them the way is typical in the South, they might not have gotten much out of them.

Visiting the South a couple of years ago was a big culture shock for me. I've not spent much time back there since '81. California certainly has its hang ups and soft spots and problems, but there is a lot to be said about it, too. I think, in general, people out here are a bit more concerned with living a "healthier lifestyle" - although most people i know personally don't make the choices i think are healthy. We have lots of overweight people here (myself included), but i was shocked at the number of morbidly obese people we saw in KY. I had also forgotten how much they cook those veggies until they are dead, dead, dead, and i'm sure all the nutrition is gone.

[highlander]

but i was shocked at the number of morbidly obese people we saw in KY. I had also forgotten how much they cook those veggies until they are dead, dead, dead, and i'm sure all the nutrition is gone.

Sounds like Louisiana. I thought I didn't like most vegetables that are normally cooked because of the way I grew up. My mom would cook what she called "smothered squash." She would cook these innocent, fresh-from-grandma's-garden yellow squash to death with loads of margarine. Can you imagine what happens to squash when you cook it for about 45 minutes in a skillet? I thought I hated squash until I had some lightly sauteed as an adult. Derp.

[mellowsong]

I thought I hated squash until I had some lightly sauteed as an adult. Derp.

I can't remember how my mom actually cooked it but I do remember avoiding squash because of memories of a slimy mess. When I started buying at the Farmer's Market in 2007, I was talking into trying zucchini, pattypan squash and yellow squash along with tips how to cook. Amazingly, I like squash, lol. I've also developed quite a liking for spaghetti squash.

[highlander]

"Slimy mess" pretty much sums it up, Mellow. My mom tried to force me to eat some once ("can't leave the table until you eat it" nonsense). I sat there playing with the mess untill Johnny Carson came on (10:30 p.m-ish?). I was then ordered to bed. Victorious! Oh, yeah.

[Julieanne]

Switching to a frozen diet meal from the freezer seems like a good choice when trying to lose weight

Actually, it doesn't sound like a good choice to me. Better to cook your own food from scratch.

[Pattypans]

Actually, it doesn't sound like a good choice to me. Better to cook your own food from scratch.

I agree. Losing weight healthfully and keeping it off usually requires just that--preparing your own--as well as changing your habits long-term.