Food and Wellness

This thread is all about how certain foods actually mess with our bodies—for better or for worse.

We all know the drill: some stuff is straight-up cancer-causing or spikes your cholesterol, while other things actually help drop blood sugar levels and boost your immune system...

So, spill everything you know! Let's get the facts out there and bust some myths once and for all!...
🙂 🙂

Did you guys even know...
Yeah, like, strawberries actually have insane antibacterial properties. They're great for soothing a sore throat and are loaded with useful minerals... For skin, they're a total game changer: just smash a strawberry and smear it on your face like a mask for a bit. You'll see the difference instantly!

Walter Wilson said:I’m starting this thread to look at how specific foods actually impact our health—both the good stuff and the bad.

We all know some foods are linked to cancer or spiked cholesterol, while others help manage blood Sugar levels or give your immune system a boost.

Feel free to drop whatever you know here so we can share insights and maybe debunk a few myths along the way.
🙂 🙂

Honestly, most of this sounds like total nonsense; I don't know who still falls for these claims... 😁 😁 😁

I’m starting to feel like HOW we eat matters way more than just WHAT we eat.
I’ve always been all about that big-picture, holistic vibe with everything... including food.

What we put in our bodies definitely matters, though I suppose certain foods just don't sit right with one person's biology while working fine for someone else. As for all that talk about pesticides, ultra-processed junk, and unnecessary additives... honestly, that kind of stuff shouldn't be anyone's lifestyle mantra. We can pretend otherwise if we want, but unfortunately for us, nobody can argue their way out of the laws of physics and chemistry—it’s just how the world works.

What we eat—and how we prepare it—is everything. Essentially, you should consume anything nutritious, though "healthy" is a pretty broad term. The reality is you need to cut out the sugar, white flour, and all that processed junk found in grocery stores.
I stick to cooking everything fresh. I don't mess with additives, nor do I touch pre-packaged meals, frozen stuff, or canned goods.
I steer clear of heavy fats like hard cheeses, and there isn't an air fryer in my house. I avoid frying altogether, as well as those dishes that are boiled first and then baked under a layer of shredded cheese.

Eat everything, just in moderation. It's better to eat smaller portions more frequently. When I get hungry, I grab fruit. I don't make sandwiches, I don't buy snacks, and I don't make puddings or chocolate treats. If others want to live that way, fine, but in my opinion, those habits aren't healthy at all.

Walter Wilson said:Now this part is actually legit: just mash up a strawberry, smear it all over your face, and let it sit there like a mask for a bit. You'll see the results immediately!

Works for which skin type though?

granitesailor33 said:It’s all about what you eat and how you prep it. Basically, you just gotta stick to stuff that's actually good for you—though "healthy" is a pretty broad term if you ask me. Realistically, you need to cut out the Sugar, white flour, and all that processed junk you find at the local grocery store.
I mostly cook everything fresh from scratch. No weird supplements, no pre-packaged meals, nothing frozen, no canned stuff. Just real food.
I steer clear of heavy fats, like hard cheeses, and I don't even own an air fryer. So, I stay away from anything fried or those dishes that get boiled and then smothered in shredded cheese in the oven.

You can eat anything, really, as long as you're moderate. I prefer eating smaller amounts more frequently. When I get hungry, I grab some fruit instead of making a sandwich or reaching for chips, pudding, or chocolate. Hey, if people want to live like that, more power to them, but I don't think those habits are doing anyone any favors.

woow! 😁 bravo! are you actually being for real right now? Like, seriously, is that your actual routine? If so, mad respect! 🙏 honestly, I'm kind of jealous. Do you still eat chocolate, or did you ditch that too?

I’ll admit I was poking a bit of fun at the start because whenever I try to talk about the link between diet and wellness, I seem to run into a wall of misunderstanding... but let me just jump back into the conversation properly:

It’s obvious that what we eat and how we feel are tied together; even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used to say:

"We are what we eat; everything we consume builds and changes us. Our strength, our health, and our very lives depend on our food. Let food be your medicine, rather than making medicine your food."

And if you look at modern science today, they're saying that about 70% of illnesses are driven by poor nutrition and lifestyle choices—though, honestly, our lifestyle is usually what dictates our diet in the first place. 😢

"The truth is you have to cut out the Sugar, white flour, and all that processed junk found in supermarkets. I stick to cooking everything fresh; I don't mess with additives, frozen meals, or canned goods.
You can eat almost anything, provided you're moderate. It’s better to eat smaller amounts more frequently. When I get hungry, I reach for fruit instead of grabbing a sandwich, snacking on chips, or making puddings and chocolate treats. If other people want to live like that, fine, but I don't think those habits are healthy at all."

granitesailor33 hit the nail on the head there, and following that logic could be a solid way to maintain your health and vitality.. 🙂

I gotta say, granitesailor33 totally nailed it (assuming you actually have the time to be some kind of gourmet chef)...

But honestly, I saw this thread as a way to swap tips on specific ingredients. Like, what they’re actually good for, what’s inside them, the best ways to cook with them, stuff like that...

Take strawberries—they're a huge allergen for some, but if you aren't allergic, they're pure heaven.

I read somewhere that it works for all skin types, though most tests were done on fair skin... basically the gold standard. 😉

Later👋

By the way, speaking of Sugar (since everyone claims it's poison)...
Some herbalist told me it’s especially bad for me specifically (and I am a total sucker for sweets... mistybear4, don't you dare start preaching to me now🙂)... but they said I can actually have it (besides just fruit and honey) if it's been cooked down for at least 40 minutes, like in jams or preserves... Does anyone actually know what the science is behind that? ☕

The joke's on the herbalist—probably spent more time studying mechanical engineering than biology ☕

Look, Sugar is Sugar. Doesn't matter if you cook it or leave it raw, it’s the exact same thing... one molecule of glucose plus one molecule of fructose, end of story.

Same deal with pure glucose (you get that just from eating fruit) or lactose (which breaks down into glucose and galactose).

I'm guessing when he mentioned risks for women, he was talking about how the body handles insulin spikes after hitting the sweets. Women tend to synthesize fat way faster than men do, and let's face it—more sugar means more insulin, which basically means more bacon.

Or, to put it the way my old biochemistry professor used to tell us—and I always told my female students this—if you eat the sweets, you're gonna get fat... but if you eat the fats, you aren't exactly going to turn sweet. 😁

Michael Jones23 said:Wow. 😁 Bravo. Are you actually being serious right now? Is this really how you're doing it? If so, hats off to you. 🙏 I’m actually jealous. Do you still eat chocolate, or did you cut that out too?

It is exactly as I described. I am still struggling to eliminate Sugar entirely. Perhaps I'll have 20 grams a week, or nothing at all.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be a total drag or taste like cardboard. If you actually want to stick to a better diet, you shouldn't have to sacrifice everything that makes food worth eating. Here are a few ways to upgrade your meals without losing all the flavor.

1. Instead of frying everything in heavy grease, try sautéing or steaming veggies like onions, carrots, squash, or bell peppers. A quick drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice along with some decent spices goes a long way.
2. Stick to lean chicken, beef, or just extra veggies as the base for your soups, stews, and sauces.
3. If you need to thicken up a sauce, skip the flour and try using mashed cooked vegetables instead. It works surprisingly well.
4. Toss some fresh herbs into your soups rather than reaching for the sour cream or cheese to add flavor.
5. You'll often find that leaner cuts of meat—and even pasture-raised poultry—actually taste better and aren't loaded with unnecessary fat compared to those overpriced "prime" cuts.
6. To keep the calories down, stick to pan-searing, baking, or grilling.
7. Try using an egg substitute or just the egg whites if you're trying to watch your intake.
8. Low-fat cottage cheese, once blended smooth, can act as a great substitute for fats in recipes like dough or bread.
9. You can swap out oil for applesauce when you're baking something sweet.
10. Most canned vegetables are packed with salt, which isn't ideal. When things are in season, grab the fresh stuff from the farmer's market; it’s cheaper and tastes much better.

🙂

rustymoose54 said:The joke is in the herbalist—he probably studied mechanical engineering in college. ☕

😂

rustymoose54 said:Sugar is sugar. Whether it’s cooked or raw, it doesn't matter—it's still just one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose.

🤔 Maybe Sugar isn't quite the same thing as Sugar. 🤣

He’s a doctor by trade, not an engineer... You don't need to act like a know-it-all, there's always gonna be something you don't get...

As for mistybear4's advice, half of it is common sense and the other half is just plain stupid! Since when was processed food considered "healthy"?! And using cheese to leaven dough??? Is that what people are doing for pie crusts now?!🙂

Seriously, if you actually know what you're talking about, please start posting about specific foods (fruits, veggies, meat) and what they actually do for you (+/-)!

Later👋

Here’s a little marketing trick to lure in all those milk fanatics from the other thread! 😂

Look, the calcium in milk is basically useless for 70-80% of people because it's "trapped" inside casein, which most folks can't even digest... so you're way better off sticking to sesame, soy, poppy seeds, hazelnuts, almonds, or root veggies... they've got plenty of calcium too!

Man, I am seriously craving some smoked soy cheese and sesame bagels right nowmmm! 🙂

Walter Wilson said:Can I use this for dough? Like, does the same rule apply when you're baking pie crusts or something?🙂

Best,👋

I mean, have you never heard of cheesecake?

🙂

Walter Wilson said:Can I use this for dough? Does the same logic apply when you're making pie crusts or cake layers?🙂

Once again, I’m asking anyone who actually knows their stuff to please stick to discussing specific ingredients—you know, the produce, the meats, the actual food items—and what they actually do for you.

Best,👋

I have to agree, Taylor seems a bit out of the loop here... I've been swapping out eggs in my sponge cakes for cream cheese or a mash of bananas and raisins for years now.

It isn't really about whether she knows what she's doing or not; at the end of the day, it's just about whether the meal hits the spot for me... 😁

"To cut down on calories: try frying, baking, or grilling"

That’s actually solid advice, since grilling or charbroiling meat allows a lot of that heavy exterior fat to just melt away instead of soaking everything in oil or lard... though I suppose some people still have a weakness for fried food. 😁

I’ll be the first to admit I’m no gourmet chef, but I certainly have an appreciation for a decent meal when it comes along. 🙂

👋