andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2004-03-07 10:10 am

(no subject)

Fantastic article reprinted from the New York Times on diets and what's currently known about them.

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[identity profile] bibliofile.livejournal.com 2004-03-07 12:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"Restricts proteins" sounds like a phrase that could only come from the Atkins folks. Most real (as opposed to fad) diets aim to provide a balanced diet, which means careful proportioning of all food groups. Yes, the diet may result in limiting protein, but only incidentally, as part of a larger plan.

Nte that "protein" itself is not a food group. You can get protein from vegetables/legumes, grains, and dairy as well as from animals (incl. fish).

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[identity profile] catamorphism.livejournal.com 2004-03-07 12:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, absolutely. (Though I note that dairy is "from animals".) I get lots of protein from lentils, beans, tofu, gluten/seitan, brown rice, and other whole grains and legumes, but whenever I'm in a restaurant that lists "Atkins specials" it's all eggs and bacon.

I mean, do you really trust someone who's in the business of writing diet books to come up with the healthiest possible diet? If they're trying to sell books, the most profitable thing to do is to tell people what they want to hear. And that means saying things that always get interpreted as "it's ok to eat lots of meat!" even if strictly speaking, it means "eat meat or fish or milk or nuts or beans or tofu or brown rice".

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[identity profile] yonmei.livejournal.com 2004-03-09 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
do you really trust someone who's in the business of writing diet books to come up with the healthiest possible diet?

You can safely omit the last 8 words of that sentence.

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[identity profile] catamorphism.livejournal.com 2004-03-09 09:38 am (UTC)(link)
True, true. I wouldn't trust such a person to feed my bunnies or fix my car, either.