There is a lot of conflicting information about what optimal nutrition really is. I'll try to put down some of my theories and am curious what other have to say. This is just a starter thread and I've
left a *lot* out. I'll write more later.
Veggies: Almost all experts agree that veggies are healthy. They are high in fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins, and low in calories, carbs and fat. Low carbers often
recommend staying away from the starchy veggies.
My thoughts: Eat a ton of veggies, especially the superveggies such as leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, etc.
Fruits: Fruits are high in fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins but have a significant amount of sugar. Low carbers will recommend eating fruit in moderation because of the sugar
content. Mainstream nutrition recommends eating plenty of fruits.
My thoughts: Eat a the especially phytonutrient dense fruits such as berries, grapes, citrus, etc. The carbs are worth the phytonutrient benefits. I would rather cut down on grains to reduce carbs
than fruits.
Processed carbs. Almost all experts agree that processed carbs are evil.
My thoughts: Minimize as much a possible.
Whole grains: Whole grains are high in fiber, have some phytonutrients (but not as high as fruits and veggies), and are high in carbohydrates.
Mainstream nutrition recommends eating lots of whole grains. Low carbers will recommend mimizing them. Extreme low carbers see whole grains just as bad as
processed foods.
My thoughts: Whole grains are pretty good. Much much better than processed grains. However, for optimal nutrition I would rather get my carbs from fruits and veggies, because the phytonutrient to carb
ratio is higher. Some prefer whole grains to fruits because starches have a lower glycemic impact than fruits. However, this glycemic impact difference is negligible when the fruit is consumed with a meal. The
other fiber (from veggies), protein, and fat from the meal will lower the glycemic impact.
Juice: Juice is low in fiber, high in suger, and high in phytonutrients. Mainstream experts will tell you juice is healthy, while low carbers will tell you it is a bad a full sugar soda.
My thoughts: Avoid most juices because the sugar to phytonutrient ratio is high (eat the fruit instead). Exceptions are juices that are very high in important phytonutients (especially when the fruit is not readily available).
Examples are pomegranate juice, blueberry juice, acai juice, etc. Drink with meals and don't drink to much in one sitting to lower the glycemic impact
Fat: Mainstream experts will tell you to get a low to moderate amount of fat. Low carbers will tell you to eat as much as you want.
Trans fats: Raise LDL, lower HDL. Everyone agrees they are evil. Avoid like the plague.
Saturated fats: Least easily oxidized
Monosaturated: Oxidizes in between saturated and polysaturated.
Polysaturated: Most easily oxided. May lower HDL (Consistes of omega 3's and omega 6's). The optimal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 varies among experts
My thoughts: Fat is good to lower the glycemic impact of meals. Most saturated fat raises cholesterol which is a risk factor for heart disease (some vegetarian sources of saturated fats such as cocoa butter do not raise cholestrol). Monosaturated fat is heart healthy. Omega 6 to 3 ratio should be minimized. I avoid omega 6's and get a decent amount of omega 3's.
