60 replies to this topic

[CobaltThoriumG]

I think I eat pretty healthy. But the more I learn about foods regarded as healthy, the more it seems that even they are double-edged swords. I'd like to know about a food that is as close to perfect as possible that I could make a significant percentage of my total daily caloric intake. I don't think there is one.

Fruit? No. Too much fructose. Milk, cheese, butter? No, casein and lactose, and high in AGEs as to the latter two. And the organic pastured cream I've been using of late, while low in lactose and apparently void of casein, is ultra-pasteurized with carageenan added. Vegetable oils, nuts, avocados? No, high in AGEs. Nuts are high in phytates. Beef? No, high in AGEs, iron and probably oxidized PUFA. Vegetables? Not a gorilla. Like I'm going to sit down and eat 500 calories of a leafy vegetable. I have other things to do in a day than eat and crap. Eggs? High in methionine and possibly dioxins. Starchy tubers or white rice? Maybe if you're into carbs, but I'm not.

The closest I can come up with is whey protein isolate, but it may be too quick-absorbing and is not available organic for a reasonable price, and coconut oil, both of which seem to lack any AGE data. Unless I'm missing something, I guess it just comes down to balancing out foods listed above and some others and taking your chances.

So, does anybody have a food that could be a significant portion of a day's calories that has no drawbacks?

Edited by CobaltThoriumG, 05 April 2009 - 07:04 PM.

[rwac]

Um, eggs are low in methionine.
Since when does beef have PUFA ?

[4eva]

Water? Filtered of course, with a good balance of minerals at a neutral ph.

I think whey isolate is good. It is an alkalizing protein source. The high glut content helps increase gluthionine levels which helps detox the body.

Eggs have a good compliment of nutrients. The yolk is the part the ovum/chick fetus feeds on so it is mother natures ideal food source for chickens. But it is also good for humans. You can ingest yolks raw to avoid AGEs.

Man can not live on bread alone. There are lots of excellent, nutrient dense foods. Variety is the spice of life.

[CobaltThoriumG]

Um, eggs are low in methionine.
Since when does beef have PUFA ?

Um, no they're not: http://www.dietandfi...d.php?nutid=506

See table 5 here for what one study found for fatty acid composition of beef, PUFAs were in the area of 10%, if I'm reading this right: http://www.ans.iasta...08pdf/R2273.pdf.

[Gerald W. Gaston]

Um, eggs are low in methionine.

Since when?

http://www.dietandfi...d.php?nutid=506

Methionine calculator

[Gerald W. Gaston]

Holy crap Cobalt... looks like we were of the same mind. I guess I should have refreshed before posting as I was away eating my methionine rich, but poached egg.

[CobaltThoriumG]

Holy crap Cobalt... looks like we were of the same mind. I guess I should have refreshed before posting as I was away eating my methionine rich, but poached egg.

Works for me. I enjoyed my boiled, methionine-laden, whole omega-3 egg last night.

[rwac]

Um, no they're not: http://www.dietandfi...d.php?nutid=506

See table 5 here for what one study found for fatty acid composition of beef, PUFAs were in the area of 10%, if I'm reading this right: http://www.ans.iasta...08pdf/R2273.pdf.

CRON-O-METER says .3 g of methionine/100g of egg
Whey is .2 g
Beef is .7 g
Chicken is .8 g

I guess it's low methionine compared to meat. I must have shortened that to low methionine in my mind.
No such thing as a perfect food, I'm thinking.

Cheers

[rwac]

Works for me. I enjoyed my boiled, methionine-laden, whole omega-3 egg last night.

Do omega-3 eggs taste different ?
Because I hated the taste of the omega-3 eggs i got.

[CobaltThoriumG]

Works for me. I enjoyed my boiled, methionine-laden, whole omega-3 egg last night.

Do omega-3 eggs taste different ?
Because I hated the taste of the omega-3 eggs i got.

I noticed a funny taste to the yolk when I started eating them, Organic Valley brand. But I guess I got used to it. Also, the closer to hard-boiled, the less I think I notice a difference.

[JLL]

Salmon?

Phytates could be useful too, if they prevent iron from being absorbed. So I'm going to suggest almonds.

EDIT: Oh, and what about cold pressed olive oil? Not a lot of AGEs there, I assume.

Edited by JLL, 05 April 2009 - 08:49 PM.

[CobaltThoriumG]

Salmon?

Phytates could be useful too, if they prevent iron from being absorbed. So I'm going to suggest almonds.

EDIT: Oh, and what about cold pressed olive oil? Not a lot of AGEs there, I assume.

Salmon is on my preferred list. I eat it most days, which may be too often. It should be wild not farmed and from smaller fish. Cooking method is important for reduced AGEs. I'm not much of a cooker and go with canned, which may be pretty good as far as AGEs because they cook it in the can, which I take to mean boiled. On the other hand, the cans, like just about all cans, are made with BPA. I plan to switch soon (see http://www.vitalchoi...ed-pouched-fish) but I got too good a deal on what I have now at $1.50/14.75oz can.

I drink reduced phytate (soaked) almond butter in my meal drinks.

I use Spectrum cold-pressed olive oil, about 1.33 tbs daily, again in my meal drinks. I suspect this olive oil that is not pressed would be even better: http://www.livingtre.../...=8&catid=16 and may try it soon (warning: explicit content pertaining to "life force").

Edited by CobaltThoriumG, 05 April 2009 - 09:45 PM.

[tunt01]

the brains of a vegan human

[CobaltThoriumG]

the brains of a vegan human

Yes, perhaps if boiled or slow-cooked and certified prion-free. Not really.

[VespeneGas]

raw liver

[JLL]

raw liver

Too much vitamin A.

[Kutta]

So, does anybody have a food that could be a significant portion of a day's calories that has no drawbacks?

No question. Coconut oil.

[RighteousReason]

Berries. I've been wondering which berries have the highest nutrition to sugar ratio, as they would be near perfect foods.

Vegetables? Not a gorilla. Like I'm going to sit down and eat 500 calories of a leafy vegetable. I have other things to do in a day than eat and crap

C'mon, that's a pretty weak objection

I've been thinking about taking a bunch of different vegetables and blending them together into a drink. It will taste like crap, but hey, that would be a near perfect food, and you wouldn't have to sit down and eat so many veggies.

Edited by advancdaltruist, 06 April 2009 - 11:43 AM.

[chilp]

Quinoa.

[buck1s]

Chilp, I was about to say the same thing. Now we'll wait and see what's wrong with quinoa.

[tunt01]

i was at a restaurant once where a man choked to death on a dish of quinoa. seems like a very dangerous food to me...

Edited by prophets, 06 April 2009 - 02:08 PM.

[nootropolis]

Low sodium cottage cheese is a good source for some nutrition.

but really, the nice thing about life, is that we don't have to rely
on just one food to keep us healthy, we get to explore many
flavors and fine-tuned health

[CobaltThoriumG]

Low sodium cottage cheese is a good source for some nutrition.

but really, the nice thing about life, is that we don't have to rely
on just one food to keep us healthy, we get to explore many
flavors and fine-tuned health

I understand this point of view and concede it's probably the healthiest way to look at things and build one's diet. But I tend to be a minimalist. I've said here before that if I didn't need to survive and maintain my body weight, I probably would not eat or would eat only rarely, probably just for social purposes. I'd rather spend the time spent preparing and eating food doing other things. That's one of the reasons I drink 4.5 of my 6 daily meals. Just like I'd rather not have to sleep and would likely choose not to most nights if it were not required for maintaining good health.

Perhaps another way of phrasing the question I meant to ask with the thread is: how few foods could one consume, with moderate supplementation, and maintain reasonably robust health? And might such an approach be better, the foods being carefully selected, than exposing oneself to the other edge of the sword possessed by most all foods? Of course, for purposes of this question, I'm ignoring questions of taste, food preferences, social custom, and the community function of eating.

[CobaltThoriumG]

Chilp, I was about to say the same thing. Now we'll wait and see what's wrong with quinoa.

I guess provided the saponins are removed and you don't mind carbs, it's good. Do you know if you soak it for 4 hours or so whether it is soft enough to eat without cooking, say mixed into a drink in the blender?

[buck1s]

I'm not sure Cobalt. But I don't see why you can't slow cook it at a very low temperature if you're trying to stay close to raw. I'm no raw food expert, though.

[JLL]

Perhaps another way of phrasing the question I meant to ask with the thread is: how few foods could one consume, with moderate supplementation, and maintain reasonably robust health?

Considering that the eskimo do pretty well even when they eat only fish, I'd say very few. The only problem with fish that I can think of is mercury, but if you combined things low in mercury, such as salmon and shrimp, with chelating agents, I'm not sure that'd be a huge issue.

Fish/crustaceans + supplements, anyone wanna top that?

[VictorBjoerk]

avocado is very good from all nutritional aspects.... fat, some protein and carbohydrates, lots of nutrients...

[CobaltThoriumG]

avocado is very good from all nutritional aspects.... fat, some protein and carbohydrates, lots of nutrients...

I'm an avocado fan. Now that they're in season, I've started eating half an avocado most days. But they are relatively high in AGEs compared to other fruits: http://andersonclan....umeric_list.htm. And now that I look at the AGE list again, and see raw olives are high for a plant product, I'm convinced that even cold-pressed olive oil is probably high in AGEs.

[CobaltThoriumG]

Perhaps another way of phrasing the question I meant to ask with the thread is: how few foods could one consume, with moderate supplementation, and maintain reasonably robust health?

Considering that the eskimo do pretty well even when they eat only fish, I'd say very few. The only problem with fish that I can think of is mercury, but if you combined things low in mercury, such as salmon and shrimp, with chelating agents, I'm not sure that'd be a huge issue.

Fish/crustaceans + supplements, anyone wanna top that?

Don't know that it tops it but maybe whey isolate + coconut oil + supplements. Raw wild, smaller salmon + supplements also sounds nice.

[lunarsolarpower]

i was at a restaurant once where a man choked to death on a dish of quinoa. seems like a very dangerous food to me...

Since that could apply to anything ingested orally I think we're left with TPN. Better break out your wallet though. I hear it runs $2000 a day.