s/o What's your take on food?

[mothergooseof4]

After reading the Paula Dean threads I was thinking about how some seem to think fat is bad. Cream? I use it as I wish. Butter? Use in most things I cook. I have been of the mind that meat and fat are not our enemies for years. Carbs are the problem, specifically processed carbs. And sugar is just a special treat.

 

I have recently been reading up on Paleo/primal eating. I cut out grains/gluten at the beginning of the year and feel better plus have lost my slight love handles while eating tons of fat. I am not convinced grains or legumes are bad for everyone if eaten in moderation, but I don't think we prepare either in a way that our body needs for proper digestion. I am also not convinced dairy is all bad. I don't drink milk because of its glycemic index, but cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and cream are staples here ad don't seem to bother our tummies. Maybe if I went completely Paleo for a while I might notice a difference though.

 

I don't eat perfectly, but what I don't get is when people I know IRL ask me how I lost weight a few years ago and I tell them they need to give up their low fat, high carb, out-of-a-box diet, they will not even consider that my way might work. They are brainwashed to believe that fat is what makes them fat and won't even do the research to check our another theory. Of course when they want to know how I stay so little (their words) they also don't want to hear the word "exercise."

 

So, what's your food philosophy?

Edited January 21, 2012 by mothergooseofthree

[Bluegoat]

I'm with you to a large extent. I also don't think fat is a big deal - I think foods made in a lab and processed fats are bad, and too much refined sugar is really bad, and just eating way to much and sitting on our but is bad.

 

I have not totally bought into the paleo thing - I think like a lot of these things, it has some sense and some of it is gimmicky. Whenever a diet tells me i need to cut out a whole food group, I am suspicious, for one thing. I also find the huge emphasis some of those diets put on dairy is weird given that many cultures don't really eat it and in fact can't.

[Parrothead]

I think our conventional food supply is slowly poisoning us.

 

I have no problem with full fat foods such as butter, yogurt and milk.

 

I think our portion sizes are outrageous.

[frugalmama]

I'm with you to a large extent. I also don't think fat is a big deal - I think foods made in a lab and processed fats are bad, and too much refined sugar is really bad, and just eating way to much and sitting on our but is bad.

 

I have not totally bought into the paleo thing - I think like a lot of these things, it has some sense and some of it is gimmicky. Whenever a diet tells me i need to cut out a whole food group, I am suspicious, for one thing. I also find the huge emphasis some of those diets put on dairy is weird given that many cultures don't really eat it and in fact can't.

 

:iagree: Fat is not bad unless you have a medical reason for eating a low fat diet. I have to due to gallbladder issues, but otherwise I'd be eating just like this.

[justamouse]

I think our conventional food supply is slowly poisoning us.

 

I have no problem with full fat foods such as butter, yogurt and milk.

 

I think our portion sizes are outrageous.

:iagree:

[GingerPoppy]

Real food only.

 

A little bit of everything, including butter, cream, meat, sugar. Lots of veggies. A variety of grains, some of them whole. In fact, lots of variety in general.

 

Avoid artificial sugars, artificial colours/flavours, MSG.

 

The 80/20 rule: Eat well 80% of the time. Enjoy indulgences. Moderation.

 

Most importantly: Enjoy food! Life is not a diet.

[regentrude]

My food philosophy?

Anything in moderation, as natural as possible. No non-fat stuff, no artificial sweeteners.

Butter, full-fat cheese, sugar, meat, chocolate, baked goods - everything has its place as part of a balanced diet. I try to eat like my grandmothers did.

I eat when I am hungry, and I stop when I am full.

I eat seated at a table with real plates and silverware - never in the car or on my desk. Food should be honored by making time for it and eating quality food and enjoying it, not by wolfing down low-quality junk on the go and then feeling guilty.

[myfunnybunch]

I like Michael Pollan's guidelines:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

 

When he says "Eat food" he means real food, as unprocessed as possible.

 

I like Chucki's post too.

 

We cook with butter. We use cream. We eat grains. But we all started feeling healthier when we cut out processed foods and started eating lots more veggies, and tried to go organic whenever ossible/affordable.

 

Cat

[Daisy]

I like Michael Pollan's guidelines:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

 

When he says "Eat food" he means real food, as unprocessed as possible.

 

I like Chucki's post too.

 

We cook with butter. We use cream. We eat grains. But we all started feeling healthier when we cut out processed foods and started eating lots more veggies, and tried to go organic whenever ossible/affordable.

 

Cat

 

This is us. Eat REAL food.

[Jen in PA]

I aim for most of my food choices to be heavy on protein or produce. I don't worry about fat, but go grain-free for long stretches (I can't have wheat, so dropping the other grains isn't a big deal). I think the whole thing is much more dependent on genetics than any diet book would lead you to believe -- I can eat potatoes till the cows come home and not gain an ounce, but adding one serving of grains per day into my diet is what I do when I feel like I want to gain weight. This doesn't mesh well with any of the low-carb stuff out there, but it is what happens to me. I eat a lot of full-fat dairy, tons of veggies and eggs, a bit of fish and meat, insane quantities of olive oil and butter, and some fruit and nuts. I also eat legumes, although I know they are a problem for some. I don't know if it's good genes or my digestive tract has adapted in some way, but I eat them as a side dish where others might have a grain.

[Tigger]

I think our conventional food supply is slowly poisoning us.

 

I have no problem with full fat foods such as butter, yogurt and milk.

 

I think our portion sizes are outrageous.

 

:iagree:

 

Interestingly, the data bears out that when you reduce (especially refined) carbohydrate, calorie intake spontaneously goes down, naturally, without trying, even if you're eating all the meat and fat you want and sticking with low-GL non-starchy fruits and vegetables, nuts, cheese, butter, etc.

[Parrothead]

I like Michael Pollan's guidelines:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

 

When he says "Eat food" he means real food, as unprocessed as possible.

 

I like Chucki's post too.

 

We cook with butter. We use cream. We eat grains. But we all started feeling healthier when we cut out processed foods and started eating lots more veggies, and tried to go organic whenever ossible/affordable.

 

Cat

The bolded is what I was trying to think of. I only remembered "mostly plants."

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I think our conventional food supply is slowly poisoning us.

 

I have no problem with full fat foods such as butter, yogurt and milk.

 

I think our portion sizes are outrageous.

 

My food philosophy?

Anything in moderation, as natural as possible. No non-fat stuff, no artificial sweeteners.

Butter, full-fat cheese, sugar, meat, chocolate, baked goods - everything has its place as part of a balanced diet. I try to eat like my grandmothers did.

I eat when I am hungry, and I stop when I am full.

I eat seated at a table with real plates and silverware - never in the car or on my desk. Food should be honored by making time for it and eating quality food and enjoying it, not by wolfing down low-quality junk on the go and then feeling guilty.

 

I agree with these posts.

 

I'm going to be perfectly honest: I don't think Paula Deen is peddling Southern Cooking or old-fashioned home dinners. I think she is selling gluttony, which according to my faith is a deadly sin.

 

I think cooking and eating a lasagna sandwich is gluttony. I think eating a doughnut hamburger with bacon and egg is gluttony. I think food orgies on TV with everybody wallowing in greasy fatty sugary gigantic portions of "food," shoving them down and making orgasmic noises, are an abomination before the Lord.

 

I might get flamed for this but if there is such a thing as gluttony surely it is a lasagna sandwich on half a loaf of french bread.

[Jenny in Florida]

So, what's your food philosophy?

 

Well, mine is pretty far from yours.

 

I agree that fat isn't necessarily bad, depending on the kind of fat and how much one eats.

 

However, we're vegans, for ethical/spiritual reasons. Our diet is based on plants and grains. I, too, lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago and got lots of questions about how I did it.

 

We're not "health food" vegans, just people who choose not to eat animal products because we believe exploiting and killing other creatures for our convenience and pleasure is wrong. Therefore, we eat our share of junk food, as long as it has no animal products. In the long run, though, we eat more healthfully than most, more or less by default.

 

It works for us.

[JustGin]

After reading the Paula Dean threads I was thinking about how some seem to think fat is bad. Cream? I use it as I wish. Butter? Use in most things I cook. I have been of the mind that meat and fat are not our enemies for years. Carbs are the problem, specifically processed carbs. And sugar is just a special treat.

 

I have recently been reading up on Paleo/primal eating. I cut out grains/gluten at the beginning of the year and feel better plus have lost my slight love handles while eating tons of fat. I am not convinced grains or legumes are bad for everyone if eaten in moderation, but I don't think we prepare either in a way that our body needs for proper digestion. I am also not convinced dairy is all bad. I don't drink milk because of its glycemic index, but cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and cream are staples here ad don't seem to bother our tummies. Maybe if I went completely Paleo for a while I might notice a difference though.

 

I don't eat perfectly, but what I don't get is when people I know IRL ask me how I lost weight a few years ago and I tell them they need to give up their low fat, high carb, out-of-a-box diet, they will not even consider that my way might work. They are brainwashed to believe that fat is what makes them fat and won't even do the research to check our another theory. Of course when they want to know how I stay so little (their words) they also don't want to hear the word "exercise."

 

So, what's your food philosophy?

 

My food philosophy is this: The best food for my family starts with what grows, veggies and fruits, whole grains, etc, followed by what eat's stuff that grows, followed by what the eaters produce, eggs and dairy. :)

Everything else is a treat and all is eaten in moderation. I cook as much as possible from scratch using whole foods in as close to their natural form as I can get them. I am a firm believer that we started to gain weight as a culture when we became dependent on processed foods and especially sugar and simple carbs and that fat in it's natural form is not the evil villain it's been cast as. I think people would be a lot healthier in general if they ate the more satisfying real foods in lesser quantities, instead of eating the less satisfying fake-ish foods in greater ones :tongue_smilie:

 

In the last 8 months I have lost 16 lbs and yet I eat butter and cheese, drink whole milk and don't worry about whether my meat is lean. I'm not eating huge quantities of any of these things, so they have their place on my plate next to my pile of veggies :)

 

I eat very little sugar, and I have concentrated on making sure my carbs are as complex as possible rather than going low carb, because better carbs give me better energy.

Health wise I'm in excellent shape for 47, I have a strong immune system, low blood pressure, great cholesterol, and my heart is in excellent shape.

 

So, there it is. :001_smile:

Edited January 21, 2012 by JustGin

[angela in ohio]

I think that much about diet should be personalized to the health and lifestyle of the individual. In general, though, we each fruits and vegetables, meats, nuts/beans, and dairy (not me, though, as milk hates me.) We used to eat a LOT of whole grains a la the DASH diet, but we have been feeling great since I have cut that out. I think fat is important.

 

I also believe in the principal of eating well most of the time, but having a 5-10% gap for life. So when we go to someone's house and they serve a typical meal, we eat it and smile instead of being *those people.* :D We also splurge once in a while for special times and eat sugary things and treats. The only hard and fast rule is that we don't eat any fake sugar EVER and we avoid caffeine and alcohol.

[JustGin]

Real food only.

 

A little bit of everything, including butter, cream, meat, sugar. Lots of veggies. A variety of grains, some of them whole. In fact, lots of variety in general.

 

Avoid artificial sugars, artificial colours/flavours, MSG.

 

The 80/20 rule: Eat well 80% of the time. Enjoy indulgences. Moderation.

 

Most importantly: Enjoy food! Life is not a diet.

 

:iagree: Well said! :)

[Guest]

My take on food is most of it is too filled with junk or stuff my kids are allergic to. I hate food.

[Joker]

My take on food is that everyone is different and we each need different things. I tried vegetarian and became very sick. It turns out I have a B vitamin deficiency and need to take supplements and eat meat. My oldest dd eats very little meat and is very healthy. I think people need to listen more to their bodies and less to books/diets/celebs/etc.

[LucyStoner]

I don't think fat is bad. I think the combination of high fat and sugar (and grains basically are sugar!) is to be ideally avoided/used minimally. The real issue with Paula's food for me is the high processed content, the minimal veggie content, and the super high fat in tandem with starchy and sugary items.

 

We aim for high fruit and veggie and meats with quality grains. We use real butter and olive oil (no margarine or crisco). I do dairy in moderation only but it is a staple and fave for the kids and my husband. I do eat too much dessert/sugar stuff but I have been able to reduce it considerably.

 

I thought paleo meant no to minimal dairy?

 

My priorities for food are (in loosely ranked order)

 

High in veggie servings

Seasonal

Minimally processed - if frozen or canned just frozen or canned without preparation or lots of extra additives- canned tomatoes- yes, canned soup- not usually.

Local to my state then region then domestically produced if possible

Humanely/Ethically produced

Organic

Edited January 21, 2012 by kijipt

[Rosie_0801]

I tend to put animal products in the junk food category; things I don't think I should eat, but know I will sometimes anyway. I read somewhere that women need more fat than men, and it seems to bear out around here. I'll eat whatever avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil I fancy, the kids eat what they fancy and dh eats what he fancies, just he finds he wants less than I do. He finds he wants more animal products than I do so he has them, but nothing like the quantities he used to eat. Different bodies need different things. *shrug*

 

When we are cooking properly at home, we are eating grain-free vegan. At Christmas time we were talking about feast food, so we think we shall include grains, eggs and dairy on those occasions, so our feast food isn't exactly the same as our every day food. Anyway, the evolution of my thinking and doing on the topic is a fun hobby for me :)

 

Rosie

[Miss Peregrine]

I tend to put animal products in the junk food category; things I don't think I should eat, but know I will sometimes anyway. I read somewhere that women need more fat than men, and it seems to bear out around here. I'll eat whatever avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil I fancy, the kids eat what they fancy and dh eats what he fancies, just he finds he wants less than I do. He finds he wants more animal products than I do so he has them, but nothing like the quantities he used to eat. Different bodies need different things. *shrug*

 

When we are cooking properly at home, we are eating grain-free vegan. At Christmas time we were talking about feast food, so we think we shall include grains, eggs and dairy on those occasions, so our feast food isn't exactly the same as our every day food. Anyway, the evolution of my thinking and doing on the topic is a fun hobby for me :)

 

Rosie

 

Yes, I was looking for a copy of the South Beach Diet at my library book sale and instead found a copy of Fit for Life. Anyone remember that? DH and I followed that book about 13 years ago. And we were so convinced. Lol I laughed to my self thinking of my evolution. :lol:

[Laura Corin]

I cook from scratch, using lots of veg and fish, and limited meat. I use butter sometimes but tend to use olive oil for most things. There are sweet things around (I don't want them to be forbidden fruit) but they form a small part of our diet. We eat a lot of brown carbohydrates, but some white too.

 

ETA: we do occasionally have things like shop-bought pizza - it's not presented as a treat, just as something different for a change.

 

Laura

Edited January 21, 2012 by Laura Corin

[creekland]

We eat what we like and don't feel the least bit guilty about it.

 

Of course, we like many things... and try to keep things in moderation.

 

I will not eat margarine, artificial sweeteners or low fat unless I'm at someone's house and need to be polite. We also mostly cut out prepared lunch meats due to high nitrites and their appeared connection with Alzheimers.

 

I don't have a sweet tooth, so cakes and other such desserts are rare anyway. I don't like white bread, so only eat it when out or at fast food places where they don't give whole wheat options.

 

When I want to be healthy we go for deer (home hunted), veggies (from our garden when we have them), and fresh fruit. We also have some bean dishes, rice dishes, chicken dishes, and others I consider healthy that hit our plates fairly often, but we eat them because we like them, not because I feel guilted into doing so.

 

However, when we feel like boxed pizzas, ramens, boxed mac & cheese, pop tarts, microwave pop-corn, or fast food we eat it without any guilt whatsoever. We just don't do those all the time as I prefer other foods too much and I like variety with my food.

 

I stay off many food threads. At this point in our lives, our doctor considers us healthy (all 5 of us) and we don't need any meds for anything. My mom was diabetic well before my age, so I might have it coming, but it's not here yet. It might help there that I don't like sweets or white bread.

[*********]

I have nothing worthwhile to add to the conversation that hasn't already been said.

 

Just wanted to say that your title made me think of a line from a movie, where a teenager asks a teacher, 'What's your policy on lunch?' :D I don't even know which movie, since it's been ages since I saw it! :lol:

[Heather in Neverland]

I agree with these posts.

 

I'm going to be perfectly honest: I don't think Paula Deen is peddling Southern Cooking or old-fashioned home dinners. I think she is selling gluttony, which according to my faith is a deadly sin.

 

I think cooking and eating a lasagna sandwich is gluttony. I think eating a doughnut hamburger with bacon and egg is gluttony. I think food orgies on TV with everybody wallowing in greasy fatty sugary gigantic portions of "food," shoving them down and making orgasmic noises, are an abomination before the Lord.

 

I might get flamed for this but if there is such a thing as gluttony surely it is a lasagna sandwich on half a loaf of french bread.

 

Well said

 

 

.

[gardenmom5]

I did the same thing. I cut out sugars, most grains, but would put butter and cinnamon (and maybe some minced pecans) on my oatmeal . . .

lost a ton of weight, really fast. felt fabulous, and ate as much as I darn well pleased too (including "real" fats). My dr was impressed with my numbers as well.

 

I'm getting back to saying away from processed stuff. e.g. hydrogenated fats, high-fructose-corn syrup. etc. iow: foods that are not in a 'natural' state. our bodies do not know how to process it. I have a little one I already have had to remove nitrates from his diet, and need to remove gluten. I was glad for the soy thread and to stay away from soy flour. (if someone is sensitive to casein - the protein chain in milk - they will probably also be sensitive to yeast because the protien chains are similar.)

 

My daughter was telling me about synthesizing some drugs when she was still doing her undergrad so the "natural" bacteria would have a harder time recognizing them and become immune to them. It just reinforced my opinion synthetic food (e.g. margerine) is not something our bodies can deal with.

[PiCO]

So, what's your food philosophy?

 

I've been high-fat, low-carb for 6 months now. I started as a way to control my blood sugar. My HbA1c went from borderline diabetic (doctor wanted to medicate me,) to well within the normal range. I also lost 30 lbs.

 

I don't think everyone should eat like me, but I do think people who are insulin resistant should. I think normal people should eat real food, paleo/primal style.

[Joanne]

I've been high-fat, low-carb for 6 months now. I started as a way to control my blood sugar. My HbA1c went from borderline diabetic (doctor wanted to medicate me,) to well within the normal range. I also lost 30 lbs.

 

I don't think everyone should eat like me, but I do think people who are insulin resistant should. I think normal people should eat real food, paleo/primal style.

 

I think I agree. I don't think humans are supposed to eat copious amounts of grain, even whole grains. But I do think the capacity to "tolerate" them in terms of health, weight management, insulin response is related to genetics, blood type, and how far damaged the person's body is.

 

Mine is fairly damaged, and therefore even a "healthy" Weight Watchers approach doesn't work for me.

 

When I eat low carb (by the book, not the strictly double cheeseburger kind), I feel great. My diet then consists of meat, fat (olive oil, butter, cream, avocado, coconut), and veggies with occassional berries and nuts.

[Prairie~Phlox]

We believe everything in moderation, that fat is good and we don't do low fat/no fat. My kids are on the skinny side (genes) and hubby and I are fairly active, he cycles and I do cardio and strength training. I like the philosophy if it comes from the ground or has a mother that's what you should try and eat. We do eat some "junk", but I strive for lots of fruits & veggies too. My parents are beef farmers and we are given a quarter or beef a year that we eat, in moderation, we usually have beef 2-3 nights a week, chicken, pork and fish the rest of the time.

[Runningmom80]

We are vegan. I believe humans are biologically meant to eat mostly plants, and animal products, sugar and processed foods are what's killing us.

[Xilka]

I have a friend who is a gourmet yacht chef (for millionaires),

a health food ultra nut,

and certified yoga teacher.

 

I have followed her advice on using the good fats: butter, lard, or coconut oil instead of any of the other oils for cooking.

Olive oil becomes bad fat when cooked, but is great raw on salads and such. And we don't go near vegetable, corn, or any of those oils.

[Xilka]

We believe everything in moderation, that fat is good and we don't do low fat/no fat...

 

I like the philosophy if it comes from the ground or has a mother that's what you should try and eat. We do eat some "junk", but I strive for lots of fruits & veggies too.

 

That sounds a lot like us.

[Mommyfaithe]

We eat mostly real, unprocessed foods. We try to keep grains to a minimum....and try to keep gluten free. Otherwise, we mainly shop the perimeter of the grocery store....

 

Faithe

[butterflymommy]

I eat high carb/ low fat/low protein... I have always been thin.

 

I am 5'8" and have followed the same exact pattern with each pregnancy (I just had my 7th child), without much conscious effort:

 

Pre-pregnancy weight 135.

Gain 30 pounds by 40 weeks.

Come home from hospital 10 pounds lighter.

Lose 10-15 more pounds over the next three months.

Lose the last 5-10 over the next year while continuing to breastfeed.

 

Getting me back to 135.

 

I eat very healthy now but for babies 1-4 ate a lot of junkfood.

 

My parents, aunt, sibling, and grandmothers were all overweight, so I can't say it runs in my family.

 

I never exercised in my life except for my last pregnancy-- I started walking 1-4 miles a day. I've sort of kept this up, maybe 2 miles every other day or every three days.

 

I counted calories during my last pregnancy to make sure I was eating enough-- I've never counted calories or dieted otherwise.

 

I have no idea why I'm thin, it seems given how I eat and my family background, I should be heavy.

[Nakia]

I think I need to eat less of it so I can lose the flab. :/

 

 

 

In all seriousness, my husband and I grew up on processed junky food, and it's taken a long time to break those bad habits. We are a work in progress, but I already know my girls have much better eating habits than we did at their ages. We're trying.

[tammyw]

This is how we eat.

 

- Everything organic, free range, grass fed, etc. (unless eating out)

- Whole grains - wheat flour, wheat pasta, brown rice, cereals

- Raw veggies as a snack (chopped up peppers daily, raw carrots, etc.)

- Lots of fruits during the day (more the kids than me)

- Organic dairy - milk, cheeses, sour cream, butter, heavy cream, yogurt. We don't buy fat free ever - low fat sometimes. I really don't worry about those items. Olive oil is my fat of choice for sauteeing but when a recipe calls for butter, I use that. I love butter on fresh bread or whatever.

- Eggs - free range, cage free, omegas

 

We're all pretty healthy, and I feel comfortable with our food choices.

[Sevilla]

I would not eat full-fat non-organic food items b/c toxins concentrate in the fat - I always buy organic butter, for example, b/c that is pure fat and you're getting a lot of nasties in there if you buy conventional.

 

Now organic, naturally-fed (not grain-fed ;)) fats? Eat 'em up and enjoy them!

[*********]

I think I need to eat less of it so I can lose the flab. :/

 

 

 

In all seriousness, my husband and I grew up on processed junky food, and it's taken a long time to break those bad habits. We are a work in progress, but I already know my girls have much better eating habits than we did at their ages. We're trying.

 

 

Nakia, this is what I'm livin' as well. Even the flab. Fight the good fight for the kids. :001_smile:

[Homemama2]

if eaten in moderation

 

I think this is the key. We eat what we want, but we don't EAT AND EAT AND EAT what we want, if you know what I mean. Also, eat real food. We do very little of anything boxed.

[Prairie~Phlox]

Oh and I gotta add, it's 100% certain that we're all gonna die some day!:lol: We all do the best we can for OUR families!! What others do is THEIR business.

http://pinterest.com/pin/76701999873260925/

[Nakia]

Nakia, this is what I'm livin' as well. Even the flab. Fight the good fight for the kids. :001_smile:

 

I heart you. :D

[jplain]

I eat low carb/high fat. Honestly, I'm kinda tired of talking about food.

:lol: Yeah, me too.

[Jackie in NE]

"If it's Not Food, Don't Eat it!" by Kelly Hayford, C.N.C. I'm reading this book again to be reinforced in good food choices.

A couple things:

 

I am of French descent, and although I was born and raised in the USA, I was also taught to "live to eat". We enjoy our food, and put a lot of love and interest into meal planning and preparation. The family garden has always been a huge part of my life. The freshness of ingredients is always key.

 

We raise beef, and have never believed that animal protein is unhealthy. Just the opposite. Furthermore, if we don't get enough meat in our diet, it is difficult to get an honest day's physical work out of any of us. We just run out of energy.

 

I've done the other extreme too. Macro-biotic diet in my marathoning days. Works OK when you're goal is to be fast and light. But it didn't work well long-term. It was too blah, and didn't mesh with my "live-to-eat" mentality. :) Life is too short!

 

So we eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. We eat lots of meat. Good, finished, home-raised all-natural stuff. Yummy! We eat whole grains when we eat them, and we eat our share of full-fat dairy. We get lots of exercise... no sitting on your duff around this outfit. And that is the key. Eat foods that burn cleanly, and then burn them off with physical activity.

 

We also focus on strength and vibrancy, and not weight.

 

Yatta.

[LucyStoner]

http://pinterest.com/pin/76701999873260925/

 

Genetics, surgery, make-up, airbrushing.

Edited January 21, 2012 by kijipt

[angela in ohio]

Genetics, surgery, make-up, airbrushing.

 

Yep. And the first woman spent too much time in the garden with her organic vegetables without a hat on. :001_smile: And being too thin at that age makes you look older.

[KungFuPanda]

I agree with these posts.

 

I'm going to be perfectly honest: I don't think Paula Deen is peddling Southern Cooking or old-fashioned home dinners. I think she is selling gluttony, which according to my faith is a deadly sin.

 

I think cooking and eating a lasagna sandwich is gluttony. I think eating a doughnut hamburger with bacon and egg is gluttony. I think food orgies on TV with everybody wallowing in greasy fatty sugary gigantic portions of "food," shoving them down and making orgasmic noises, are an abomination before the Lord.

 

I might get flamed for this but if there is such a thing as gluttony surely it is a lasagna sandwich on half a loaf of french bread.

 

I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that a lasagna sandwich IS gluttony. (In the interest of full disclosure, I haven't actually seen this recipe.) I think it's dodging responsibility to blame the person who created the recipe. I mean, I've eaten lasagna with bread on the side. That doesn't make me a glutton. If I decided to make this lasagna sandwich, or even finish it in the course of a day, that doesn't make me an abomination before the Lord!

 

I consider the doughnut cheeseburger an effective publicity stunt. It was outrageous and we're all talking about it. However, you can't demonize a recipe but excuse a pattern of behavior that led you to eating that type of recipe every day. Gluttony is a specific, consistent behavior, not a TV show or a recipe.

 

I am a supporter of the "Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding" recipe. I make it about once a year, usually with plans to feed a group. I made it for my friends this summer and the tray disappeared in about 30 minutes. There were 20 women there. They were not gluttons at all. They were dancers who logged about 8 hours of rehearsals that week and deserved a sweet, decadent treat. Some of them made the noises of obvious pleasure too, but I can't imagine anyone seriously believing their eternal souls are in jeopardy because of it.

[jenangelcat]

I love food. Being able to really enjoy what your eating is a gift imo. It's a big part of why we moved to our acreage. The stuff at the grocery store was barely edible.

 

We now raise all our meat and most of our produce. We consume lots of lard, butter, heavy cream, pastured meat and organic veg. I've lost weight, my dark under eye circles have disappeared and my skin looks better than ever.

 

I huge on moderation for stuff that isn't the healthiest. I don't ban anything but we're not eating crap at every meal either.

[Word Nerd]

I don't seek out organic, free-range, or grass-finished food. I don't buy into food fads and special diets that come and go. I try to eat right and avoid processed foods, but I eat those too. Mainly my take on food is that we are very fortunate in this country to have the luxury of being so choosy about what we eat.

[HappyLady]

My family is vegan and it works well for us. We don't eat a lot of processed foods, artificial colors, etc. We're all very healthy and I know we look younger than our actual ages because we get questioned all the time. My DH is 42 and was last guessed to be 25. :glare:

 

I think whatever works for your body and whatever makes you happy is how you should eat. You only live once so enjoy it. (I just wish traditional factory farming would be done away with so the animals didn't have to suffer.)