Fear of Food
By Chris Walker Fitness Professional
100% Hardcore Truth
Ok I’m getting fed up of people who are afraid of food. Well, where do I begin….mmmm, please note this ladies and gentlemen, NO ONE FOOD IS GOOD OR BAD it’s the variety or combinations of food that count. You know people tend to blow things out of proportion, spread false rumors and word of mouth spreads so quickly. Ok, for example the big thing on the news right now is the recall for carrot juice, it’s been contaminated and therefore should not be consumed. So what people do is obtain a portion of information and then go and tell their friends…”guess what I heard carrot juice is bad for you it can give you cancer”. It’s kind of like playing broken telephone, you know that game we use to play in pre-school where you start off with a message and pass it around and by the time it gets to the end of the line it’s an absolute all together different message. I think that’s what’s happening to a lot of foods….they’re ending up on the do not eat list!
No one food is good or bad
So, what do we do? What do we eat? Eat food in moderation. Eat a variety of foods., and you’ll be fine. I mean, I know some people I really wonder what they eat? They say things like “ I can’t eat fish because of the mercury, I can’t eat potatoes because it makes you fat, I can’t eat bread, I can’t eat pasta...I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. Is their valid concern at times, sure, but what we need is education not fear. Speaking of mercury in fish there has been a recent study you may have saw it on the news…...the findings were the health benefits of fish far out weigh the mercury content that may possibly be in there. So I think people are really just scared, confused and unfortunately pass on their confusion.
I think we’re ok with carrot juice
I think the carrot juice thing is ok, I don’t think we’ll turn that into a big scare, it was really just contaminated carrot juice and not all carrot juice is bad but I’d like to shed some light on fish here’s a recent medical abstract I’d like to share.
Mozaffarian D,
Rimm EB.
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass 02115, USA. dmozaffa@hsph.harvard.edu
CONTEXT: Fish (finfish or shellfish) may have health benefits and also contain contaminants, resulting in confusion over the role of fish consumption in a healthy diet. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We searched MEDLINE, governmental reports, and meta-analyses, supplemented by hand reviews of references and direct investigator contacts, to identify reports published through April 2006 evaluating (1) intake of fish or fish oil and cardiovascular risk, (2) effects of methylmercury and fish oil on early neurodevelopment, (3) risks of methylmercury for cardiovascular and neurologic outcomes in adults, and (4) health risks of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish. We concentrated on studies evaluating risk in humans, focusing on evidence, when available, from randomized trials and large prospective studies. When possible, meta-analyses were performed to characterize benefits and risks most precisely. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Modest consumption of fish (eg, 1-2 servings/wk), especially species higher in the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduces risk of coronary death by 36% (95% confidence interval, 20%-50%; P<.001) and total mortality by 17% (95% confidence interval, 0%-32%; P = .046) and may favorably affect other clinical outcomes. Intake of 250 mg/d of EPA and DHA appears sufficient for primary prevention. DHA appears beneficial for, and low-level methylmercury may adversely affect, early neurodevelopment. Women of childbearing age and nursing mothers should consume 2 seafood servings/wk, limiting intake of selected species. Health effects of low-level methylmercury in adults are not clearly established; methylmercury may modestly decrease the cardiovascular benefits of fish intake. A variety of seafood should be consumed; individuals with very high consumption (> or =5 servings/wk) should limit intake of species highest in mercury levels. Levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish are low, and potential carcinogenic and other effects are outweighed by potential benefits of fish intake and should have little impact on choices or consumption of seafood (women of childbearing age should consult regional advisories for locally caught freshwater fish). CONCLUSIONS: For major health outcomes among adults, based on both the strength of the evidence and the potential magnitudes of effect, the benefits of fish intake exceed the potential risks. For women of childbearing age, benefits of modest fish intake, excepting a few selected species, also outweigh risks.
I shared this so we could understand that we need the facts before we run off and spread information, just because we read some magazine or saw some hyped up media report get the facts first. So, next time your in question of what food to eat do some research, contact your nearest dietician, contact me, read my articles don’t just believe everything you hear.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid of food what we really need is variety: protein, starchy carbohydrate and fibrous carbohydrate at every meal. When we have complete meals everything balances out. Food is here to be enjoyed not feared.
Chris Walker is the founder of fitnesstrainingformenandwomen.com located in Kitchener, Ontario. Chris is a certified fitness trainer, (CFT) and actively works with medical doctors and health care professionals in helping their patients to reduce bodyfat restore musculoskeletal strength and gain control over their blood sugar readings, good and bad blood fats and blood pressure readings, among other critical fitness issues. Chris is a member of International Sports Sciences Association, (ISSA) and Canfitpro Organization. Chris has made TV appearances on Global Television and is a published author. Chris produces a book that he gives to all readers titled, "New Body", everything you need to transform your body.
Thanks for reading.
Fear of Food
Back (Members)
