The Poor Man's Diet

[FDG]

Avoid dairy products. Not only are they expensive, but you're body with thank you for cutting them out (substitute: spinach, black beans, navy beans and almonds for sources of calcium). I don't touch dairy and I'm not deficient in calcium so no worries.

Buy Millet (you will find it only in health food stores); Many nutritionists believe it's the one grain that can actually sustain life. Brown rice is also very nutritious and has the added benefit in being high in protein.

Stick to eggs, poultry and fish.

Try to follow the Okinawa diet. These people live past 100 on average, without any healthy issues (still jogging, riding bikes, active sex life... yes even at 100 etc.). The average citizen of Okinawa consumes at least seven servings of vegetables daily, and an equal number of grains. Two to four servings of fruit, and fish (three times weekly). Vegetables, grains, and fruits make up 72% of the diet by weight. Soy and seaweed provide another 14%. Meat, poultry, and eggs account for just 3% of the diet, fish about 11%. The Okinawa people, like the Japanese, do not eat much dairy. So there is an emphasis on dark green vegetables which are rich in calcium. Only nix the soy, since most of our soy in North America is highly processed.

Hope that was helpful.

I honestly hope that we're not linking lack of dairy products in the diet to longevity. Let's also take into account that Okinawa has a perfect climate, for example. I would be very, very careful before counseling so strongly a particular approach. So many vegetables, for example, are not necessarily a good choice for somebody with a physique which is not similar to the one of japanese people.

Let's also remember that one of the reasons why Chinese and Japanese people do not eat dairy is because they are less capable of digesting them. Basically, the whole post above is wrong.

 

[mlittrell]

ya i would always add dairy/meat (protein and yummm) daily but it is a good thing to aim for nonetheless considering your average american doesn't even get close to the required fruits and veggies.

most asians are lactose intolerant. which was mentioned above. the post isn't wrong, just taken out of context in some way. the diet is still good.

 

[lane777]

I honestly hope that we're not linking lack of dairy products in the diet to longevity. Let's also take into account that Okinawa has a perfect climate, for example. I would be very, very careful before counseling so strongly a particular approach. So many vegetables, for example, are not necessarily a good choice for somebody with a physique which is not similar to the one of japanese people.

Let's also remember that one of the reasons why Chinese and Japanese people do not eat dairy is because they are less capable of digesting them. Basically, the whole post above is wrong.

I'm not advocating the exact vegetables they eat. I only wanted to point out their ratio of foods.

The Milk Letter

What's so bad about a strong approach if it's a good approach? I've been researching health for years, and work in a health food store where I constantly hear of how people are cutting out dairy and experiencing the benefits. If this gent decides to try no dairy for 6 weeks and notices no improvements, then he can choose to reintroduce dairy into the diet.

The reason why people never consider that dairy is harmful is because the body learns to cope with whatever harmful substances we give it. The symptoms we experience are so mild and so common, that they're deemed as "normal." But I don't form a belief around stats or so called facts. If the research makes sense, I apply what I've learned to test it's validity; I've experienced life with dairy and life without it. Have you?

 

[mlittrell]

2 words. lactaid milk. good approach nonetheless.