The FastDay Forum

Have you all noticed how many prepared items that never before had added sugar now have it--at least in the US. Since everyone is now aware of the high-fructose corn syrup scam, processors have turned to adding sugar or "pure cane sugar" to accomplish the same thing (added shelf-life and, in my opinion,some level of craving). and this is in things that didn't have sugar in the past. For example, several brands of the packaged chicken broth had "pure cane sugar" as one of the ingredients. There is no earthly reason for sugar to be added to chicken broth (or vegetable broth). Examine labels carefully. See if you don't see the same thing happening. Increased sodium and hidden sugar seem to be a growing trend.

I have also seen the same thing in recipes printed in magazines. Sugar is being added where it never was before.

In my own (non-fast) diet, I eat about 50% greens and veggies, berries and apples, 25% protein (fish, lean chicken, dairy/cheese, and occasionally beef), and 25% carbs (sweetpotatoes, corn tortillas, beans, whole grain bread or pasta). I usually cook low fat with EVOO and the have the odd pat of butter for the sheer joy of it. About 3 or 4 times a week I have Lindt dark chocolate flavored with chile (about 3/4" square and 1/8" thick). I have a few glasses of wine per month. Overall, it tends to suit me. I neither gain nor lose weight (153 1bs. at 5'4" for the last 22 months; which is about 15 to 20 lbs. less than the previous 20 yrs.)

I am fast-dieting (5:2)to get over that last hurdle (about 15 lbs) and make sure I'm not a future candidate for diabetes and cholestrol meds. My family history on both sides is not good- heart disease all over the place.

Oh,just so you don't think I'm self-righteous jerk, I also will eat a homemade delicious treat from time to time, if it is offered to me. But I never ever eat stuff like packaged cookies or cakes. It isn't very good--just not worth it!

Bordergirl, not only there is sugar added to many things but American sweets tend to be sweeter than European ones. For example, although I love Kit Kat, there is NO way for me to eat the American one. My mouth numbs!

I didn't realize that about the sweets here being sweeter. I do find myself cutting the frosting off cake, leaving half of the chocolate chips out when I make chocolate chip cookies and just generally leaving sugar out of things. My aunt used to put a nice pat of butter on cake or homemade cookies, and I find myself doing the same. Different poison, I guess.

I read somewhere that amping up the sugar/sweetness and the sodium go hand in hand. If you don't have sweetness, you really notice the saltiness of something. And, if you don't have saltiness, you really notice the sweetness. So the corporate food industry just does both, and we swallow it and think it's normal.

There is a mounting body of evidence that high carb is not good for you, see Dr. Robert Lustig (USA) and DR. Malhotra (UK). They have got it in for sugar and fructose.

The argument is: Cholesterol is implicated in heart disease, but eating fat may not be the reason. Carb is transported away from cells as cholesterol too.

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick in the Cholesterol Con re-analyses the results of medical papers proving beyond doubt that it is not the fat that we eat that is the demon.

Carbs are not essential for human life. If we never ate any we wouldn't die. Fats and proteins are essential.

All these Dr's ask: Why would essential food be poisonous for us to eat?

They suggest that the noxious effects of carbohydrate are eased by eating fibre. So eating an orange to get its juice is healthy. Not eating the orange, just drinking the juice causes the damage.

Hope that helps,
Best wishes,
Peter

I just read an article in Prevention Magazine (April 2013) that quotes Dr. Lustig. One of the things that struck me was how the consumption of sugar and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) has skyrocketed in the US along with obesity. From 136g. of sugar and 0 HFCS in the 50's to 188g of sugar and 10 tsps. of HFCS at the present. The average person gets 1/4 of their daily calories from sugar in one form or another, some of it hidden in stuff that never used to have it. It's crazy!

It may be more complicated than just sugar. In the UK sugar consumption is falling while obesity increases. See this topic especially PhilT's comments and links.

It may be more complicated than just sugar. In the UK sugar consumption is falling while obesity increases. See this topic especially PhilT's comments and links.

Thanks for the reference - it makes interesting reading

<<Why would essential food be poisonous for us to eat?>>
I believe that no food is poisonous. The quantities and the way of cooking makes them poisonous. I would never stop eating carbs or sugar or fat or anything. All in moderation.
To be honest, if I decided to remove anything from my diet it would be animal protein but I won't do it cause I love my meat once in a while.

I didn't realize that about the sweets here being sweeter. I do find myself cutting the frosting off cake, leaving half of the chocolate chips out when I make chocolate chip cookies and just generally leaving sugar out of things. My aunt used to put a nice pat of butter on cake or homemade cookies, and I find myself doing the same. Different poison, I guess.

I read somewhere that amping up the sugar/sweetness and the sodium go hand in hand. If you don't have sweetness, you really notice the saltiness of something. And, if you don't have saltiness, you really notice the sweetness. So the corporate food industry just does both, and we swallow it and think it's normal.

Tis true! Oreos made in USA -for example- are forbidden in many European countries and we have to eat the made-in-Europe ones (sob sob).
I use minimum salt and sugar. In fact, I only use sugar when I make dough or some festive desserts that "need" sugar. For the rest, I use sweeteners -mainly stevia.
There is sugar and salt in most fruit and veggies anyway and if we "train" our taste to eat them as they are we will find them tasty after a week or two.

Thank you all for this very informative thread!

I would like some input on how I could realistically and sustainably eat on a feed day.

My TDEE is about 1800.

Protein: I've found that I do best when eating .8-1g/kg ideal body weight of protein, so about 200 kcal from protein, leaving 1600.

Slow carbs: While I would love to say I eat 500g of veggies three times a day, the truth is I eat between 500g and 1kg a day, say a max of 400 kcal from slow carbs, leaving 1200.

Fast carbs: I try to limit them, but if I suppress my cravings for too long I lose control. Honestly I probably get about 500 kcal from fast carbs a day when I'm being "good", leaving 700.

What do I do to fill that gap of 700 kcal? I make sure to get some healthy fat from avocado and fish oil capsules, and I do eat nuts regularly. I like ground flax seeds, but am concerned about cyanide. Should I just load my fried vegetables with butter and coconut oil?

Cost is a consideration, so I can't just eat loads of avocado or almonds.

Even if we can survive without carbs we DO need essential vitamins and minerals found in food with carbohydrates. C-vitamin for example. We can not survive on protein and fat alone without adding essential vitamins and minerals in some form - they just don't exist in meat and oil/butter.

Just eat what you enjoy. There is no way I could sustain eating things I wasn't enjoying long term be it 'healthy' or not!

nadiaj, I agree, unless you are in a position to eat very fresh game.

If your response was to my question, rather than to the thread as a whole: Surely between 500g and 1 kg of vegetables a day will provide enough vitamins, minerals and also soluble and insoluble fiber?

[carorees]

What was wrong with getting calories from fats? From what I've been reading of late, more fat and less carbs is the way to go!