Ranking of current popular diets in terms of health and ease of following

[magomago]

I don't know how much I agree with Calories In < Calories Out anymore.

They ranked Vegan as #18; I can understand the negative mark that it is restrictive compared to what most people eat, therefore, a social support network is going to be limited (and probably, in most cases, family and friends aghast at such a decision) but what kinds of multiple nutrients is it missing?
Is the reference of 'some nutrients' simply B12? For something that even our animals supposedly require supplementation for, and the fact that supplementing B12 is as simple as a pill...I'm surpised the diet got negative remarks about the lack of nutrients!

 

[surfsatwerk]

Keto is neato.

 

[SP33Demon]

100% true IMO. Just simply wanting to be at a certain weight, all you need to worry about is cal in vs cal out.

Having high muscle mass, strength or other factors though, one will need to take macro's into account.

Is there even any legit scientific study out there between processed foods vs "clean" foods? One where one group eats "clean" for a period of time and another eats whatever fits their diet for the same period and things like body fat, weight, strength, hormone levels, etc are taken?

What does negative (if any) effects does the "processing" of food effect have on the body? Do people get fat off Big Macs simply because they over eat, or are Big Macs actually causing more weight gain due to this "processing"?

Starchy processed foods will usually spike the insulin faster due to refined sugar content. Like the bun from McD's. Also, your nutrition is going to suffer immensely in ways that you may not see such as bone density (Vit D/Calcium) and hormone levels (T/Estrogen). Immune function may suffer as well without a certain baseline of nutrients (like Vitamin C). Many of these "fast food aren't bad" documentaries only focus on weight to hide the big picture. Weight is only one indicator of health and even then it doesn't necessarily indicate holistic health if it isn't at extremes.

 

[z1ggy]

Starchy processed foods will usually spike the insulin faster due to refined sugar content. Like the bun from McD's. Also, your nutrition is going to suffer immensely in ways that you may not see such as bone density (Vit D/Calcium) and hormone levels (T/Estrogen). Immune function may suffer as well without a certain baseline of nutrients (like Vitamin C). Many of these "fast food aren't bad" documentaries only focus on weight to hide the big picture. Weight is only one indicator of health and even then it doesn't necessarily indicate holistic health if it isn't at extremes.

That's true, good points. I'm not and would never be advising anyone to eat a crap food diet as long as it's meeting their cal needs... but I just can't see why it would be very bad for you. I agree with you on all those accounts, but I'd want to know how much and to what degree this would be detrimental to one's health.

Like I said, I'd want to see studies/reports/data. If one gets a higher insulin spike via McD vs brown rice, chick & broc after a lift, I'd want to see how much more weight McD guy would gain/have trouble loosing compared to the clean eater. I'm sure there would be a difference in favor of the clean eater, I just want to know how much (assuming calories and macro's were very similar).

I'll be checking Google today for some stuff, but can you link me to anything of merit?

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Starchy processed foods will usually spike the insulin faster due to refined sugar content. Like the bun from McD's. Also, your nutrition is going to suffer immensely in ways that you may not see such as bone density (Vit D/Calcium) and hormone levels (T/Estrogen). Immune function may suffer as well without a certain baseline of nutrients (like Vitamin C). Many of these "fast food aren't bad" documentaries only focus on weight to hide the big picture. Weight is only one indicator of health and even then it doesn't necessarily indicate holistic health if it isn't at extremes.

No they don't. The one's I've seen all included full health checkups, including blood tests, liver function tests, and the whole suite of health checkups. They were perfectly fine, and even got healthier on a McD only diet.

 

[ewdotson]

I don't know how much I agree with Calories In < Calories Out anymore.

In my house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!

(The tricksy parts are that calculating calories out isn't necessarily straightforward and that weight is only one componenet of health.)

 

[Maximilian]

One of the core reasons fast food is bad is because it tastes so damn good and dosent fill you up enough. I havent had a big mac in years but I remember the taste, I could probably eat two or three of them in one go, they're not that big tbh.

Because its tasty you'll want more, and you will get used to that level of flavor, things like veg and fruit will seem bland and uninteresting by comparison and you will just want the tasty junk all the time.

That was my experience with junk food anyways, zero scientific backing for that theory

 

[z1ggy]

So far I found the article about the professor who mainly only ate junkfood for 10 weeks and lost over 20lbs. He was pretty fat to begin with at over 30% body fat. I'm still searching around online but I honestly don't think a ton of research has been done to determine if as long as you maintain the right calorie levels, that you can be "healthy".

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

 

[magomago]

In my house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!

(The tricksy parts are that calculating calories out isn't necessarily straightforward and that weight is only one component of health.)

studies consistently show that, for example, extra consumption of nuts to a diet does not statistically increase weight when weight gain is expected, and when it does, its a small fraction of what would have been expected using a simple 'calories in < calories out = weight loss' estimate.
NutritionFacts has a lengthy series about this, I recommend reading this paper, which went to some great lengths trying to control for factors and was referenced in one of their videos. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/9/2275.long.

That isn't to say that the laws of thermodynamics are not holding true, but that our understanding of cal in< cal out = weight loss isn't always true.

 

[Zivic]

I love the rush to defend paleo...

you know what diet works?
one where you eat the appropriate amount of food and do so over a long period (your life) of time. Your diet shouldn't be restrictive, cutting out entire groups of food (dairy, meat, etc)

 

[ewdotson]

studies consistently show that, for example, extra consumption of nuts to a diet does not statistically increase weight when weight gain is expected, and when it does, its a small fraction of what would have been expected using a simple 'calories in < calories out = weight loss' estimate.
NutritionFacts has a lengthy series about this, I recommend reading this paper, which went to some great lengths trying to control for factors and was referenced in one of their videos. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/9/2275.long.

That isn't to say that the laws of thermodynamics are not holding true, but that our understanding of cal in< cal out = weight loss isn't always true.

Err....

Pecans did not replace a given food or fat in the Step I diet, but a portion of the entire diet. This was accomplished by reducing the portion size of all items on the menu of the Step I diet by one fifth (i.e., total energy was reduced by 20%) to accommodate the pecans, which were served plain, in salads, gravies, shakes and as toppings.

In short, I really don't see what that study has to do with your claim.

Look, all I'm saying is that the matter has to go *somewhere*. I readily admit that calories in/calories out is a more complicated matter than looking up height and weight in a table. But unless one is counting things like water retention, unprocessed bulk matter or mineral accumulation, it *has* to boil down to that.

 

[MrCassdin]

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets

#1: DASH Diet
Last (#31): Paleo Diet

hm.. never heard of the Dash diet b4.
Paleo is like akins.. lots of protein, no carbs

Paleo is not like Atkins. You get lots of carbohydrates from fiber, but almost none from starch. Paleo is more of a lifestyle eating change than a fad diet.

 

[MrCassdin]

No they don't. The one's I've seen all included full health checkups, including blood tests, liver function tests, and the whole suite of health checkups. They were perfectly fine, and even got healthier on a McD only diet.

Yes, they most certainly do. I am diabetic and I know.

There is a reason the ADA (American Diabetic Association) recommends 150 grams of carbohydrates from starches per day OR LESS. Most doctors these days think it should really be around 100 or less.

 

[Zivic]

Paleo is not like Atkins. You get lots of carbohydrates from fiber, but almost none from starch. Paleo is more of a lifestyle eating change than a fad diet.

This paleo diet sounds awesome. I just started Crossfit and everyone is saying that paleo is the perfect combo

 

[z1ggy]

This paleo diet sounds awesome. I just started Crossfit and everyone is saying that paleo is the perfect combo

This gave me a small chuckle.

After you eat your paleo meal, do you go do handstands against a wall to work your delts?

 

[smackababy]

This paleo diet sounds awesome. I just started Crossfit and everyone is saying that paleo is the perfect combo

I could just imagine Zivic doing Crossfit. That would be a sight.

 

[Kaido]

This paleo diet sounds awesome. I just started Crossfit and everyone is saying that paleo is the perfect combo

Must...not...sig...this :biggrin:

 

[Zivic]

I could just imagine Zivic doing Crossfit. That would be a sight.

A guy I went to hs with opened a Crossfit gym in the next city from me. I went to check it out. No way could I train there. Only Like 1 mirror in the training area

 

[smackababy]

A guy I went to hs with opened a Crossfit gym in the next city from me. I went to check it out. No way could I train there. Only Like 1 mirror in the training area

How are you supposed to even lift if there are no mirrors?

 

[Zivic]

How are you supposed to even lift if there are no mirrors?

technically I guess it is possible.

 

[smackababy]

technically I guess it is possible.

No thanks.

 

[MrCassdin]

This paleo diet sounds awesome. I just started Crossfit and everyone is saying that paleo is the perfect combo

Love the sarcasm. Some people do go crazy for paleo, I know. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm diabetic. Paleo, or keto, or whatever you want to call it, is very similar to the ADA's diet for diabetics so it works for me. I don't do crossfit, in fact, I don't exercise much at all. That said, it works for me and is the easiest way to keep my blood sugar under control without meds.

 

[Kaido]

How are you supposed to even lift if there are no mirrors?

"How can mirrors be real if our muscles aren't real" - Jaden Smith, probably