Hello Kat & Others,
You asked for it and now your going to get it(only kidding), my wife just said, Oh my goodness, now you did it. Personally, I don't really believe in a top ten list, but the percentage of what you eat(Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats) can be important. If you are extremely active(long term endurance type exercise, you probably require more of the good type Carbohydrates). If you lift weights like I do in a High Intensity fashion, like advocated by the late Arthur Jones, the inventor of the Nautilus exercise Machines, mixed with some minor amounts of Aerobic exercise, a good balance of all major Macro-nutrients; Proteins, carbohydrates and yes Fats are necessary. Fats are much maligned by many Nutritionists, yet we need a balance of Saturated and Unsaturated fatty acids, 50/50 ratio. The so-called good Fats, Olive Oil, safflower Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Fish Oils,etc, will help to breakdown or emulsify the Saturated fats, also foods that contain Fats in them provide a satiating effect, in other words, curtail hunger pangs in the long run. In my opinion, for the average person who's somewhat active, neither deciding to lose or gain weight, 20 to 30 pounds within their so-called ideal weight, I say so-called, because muscle tissue weighs much more than fat weight, so obviously a person can function at a much higher weight, providing its' not too much weight for the joints to handle. Don't even try to compare yourself with the Bodybuilders and the Elite Athelites, most if not all of them are on steroids, diurectics and HGH, which drastically enhances recover from training, increases testosterone levels and burns body fat and reduces water retention, also those mentioned above are Genetic Superiors(physically speaking), 1/10 of 1% of the Worlds population. Now you are probably waiting for my suggested top ten, very shortly.
Firstly my wife and I believe in supplementation, Multi-Vitamin(A,E,D,B's,C;etc); Multi-Mineral Pill(Calsium,Magnesium,Manganese,Iron,Potassium,Boron,Silicon,Kelp,Phosphorus;etc.); extra C(3,000mg daily, more when getting a cold); BComplex(all the B's, most of which have 25 mg, 3Xdaily), Glucosamine/Chondroitin with hyal joint(for the joints). The reason I mention this is because no one can be certain that in the soil things are grown in, their stil is the proper nutrients(Acid/Alkaline balance, Nitrogen,etc), certainly not as good as the Garden in Eden. However, as others have mentioned in response to this post, the more natural a food is, the better, ie-your garden vs. store bought, Scratch Chicken eggs vs store bought, Raw Milk is superior to Pasteurized/Homogenized Milk, In Raw Milk, the enzymes haven't been destroyed. Of course, cost is always are consideration in this discussion.
I will give you my top Proteins and Carbohydrates and other considerations.
1)EGGS(most complete biologically complete source of protein, don't worry about yolks, the lecithin in the yolk helps to emusify the cholesterol, unless you have a genetic predisposition towards cholesterol problems, by the way the cholesterol contained in fats are not a fat, but a natural steroid hormone.)
2)WATER ( I know its not a food, but people don't drink enough of it, try to drink 1to1 1/2 gallons per day, preferably chilled, because whenever your body has to raise of temperature of it, it causes the body to burn calories, a sorta freebie, water also helps to flush the system of toxins and improves bowel control. Don't gulp it, like I do
3) ALL GREEN VEGETABLES(Brocoli,Green Beans, Spinach(loaded with iron,I don't personally like spinach, but its' great for you, remember popeye, I like it raw, not cooked)
4) Vegetable Salads( you already know what goes in that, lettuce tomatoe,red onion, green pepper, cucumbers, carrots, etc; make sure you put the dressing that you like on, I prefer Blue Cheese, Olive Oil with red Vinegar and a variety of seasonings is good, no fat-free dressings please, alot of fiber in your diet will help breakdown and digest Proteins and Fats.
5) FISH( all kinds, especially white types, We prefer white tuna, depending on where you live, it can be very expensive, it is around here, I forgot to mention, we take Omega 3 & 6 fish Oils, so we don't need much of it.)
6) LEAN BEEF( don't overcook those steaks, it will destroy the protein and other nutrients, no you don't have to eat it bloody rare, pink in middle, ok. Beef is loaded with B Vitamins, Iron and creatine(the stuff they make that supplement for weight lifters out of).
7) LIVER( Beef, chicken or whatever, loaded with Bvitamins, gives great energy and loaded with Iron, Vitamin D) I know you don't like it, then skip it
CHICKEN( Loaded with protein, Tryptophane)
9) DAIRY PRODUCTS( too much milk isn't really good for adults, better for children and teenagers, a Cow has four stomachs and its milk is meant for calves, raw milk is preferable, mothers milk is probably best for babies, also milk is loaded with Trytophane, Lysine, these are amino acids, the first helps sleep and the second aids in growth.) I love cheese, its good for you, keep it in moderation, great in a chefs' salad.)
10) NUTS AND LEGUMES( Don't forget these, loaded with good fats, protein, fiber, vitamin E, Calsium and very filling, great for those that don't like animal protein)
11)FRUITS( I know, where's the fruit, fruits are good for you, however if you desire to lose weight, some fruits can be fattening, based on their sugar content and how its' released in the system) the best choices are, the berry family, apples, cheeries, plums, Figs, Avocado's(don't like them),grapes, if your trying to lose weight, avoid bananas,glycemic index of 88, I know, they have potassium, but not that much, oranges, ok, but no they don't really have that much Vitamin C, green peppers have more. The best thing about fruit is their water content and Fiber, for overall benefit, I rate vegetables over fruit anyday.
The Following is a List of Foods to Avoid( but have them sparingly for variety sake, pick a junk food meal per week or if your thin(lucky you-fast metabolism) have a junk food day.
1) All processed snacks(potatoe chips, corn chips, Doritoes;etc.)
2) Cakes, pies, cookies, doughnuts, etc( I know, some of these items can be made more naturally)
3) Soda( Its' garbage, reg or diet, the reg is loaded with sugar and the diet is loaded with chemicals, both cause water retention and the one with sugar has empty calories, I have an occasional Soda, once every two weeks, if you must drink soda, choose diet ginger ale, has some value, the ginger root.
4) Fruit Juices and other Juices( loaded with sugar, we occasionally drink crystal light or Diet Green tea. Eat the Apple, Pineapple or Orange instead, juices are too concentrated.
The above List of Foods to avoid are foods that are considered Concentated Carbohydrates with chemicals, preservatives, too much sodium, too much sugar(Maltose,Dextrose,fructose(fruit sugar),lactose(milk sugar),High fructose corn syrup, sucrose(table sugar) and even Honey is fattening(glycemic index of 92, hardly any iron in it to affect much value) and a list of ingredients that most people can't even pronounce, if you can't pronounce it, watch out, its' probably not good for you.
Be carefull what you wish for Kat, you might get it(only joking), My wife warned you of what I might do and now you know, I could continue this subject alot more, but don't want to overwhelm you any further, enough for now.
Your Brother in Christ, Samson.
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Topic: Food for one week around the world (Read 12407 times)