Hacker News Reader

Comment by std_throwawayay | Hacker News Reader

Both sides have convincing arguments and research to back it up. They have good answers to the seemingly contradictory research that the other side uses. They both provide a consistent picture.

One or both of the theories has to be wrong but I cannot decide. I can learn and read all about it and take both viewpoints into account but I still cannot decide. I could do my own research but I would come up with one or the other answer depending on what data I look at but it's not better than what I have already.

What should I do?

This is a real problem because science cannot provide the correct answer. It is more about choosing a side and sticking with it than about finding the truth.

View on HN

For me it’s simple ... I ask myself what did my grandparents used to eat?

I’m not from the US and in our country the industrialization of the food supply happened much later, along with obesity and diabetes, which back in my grandparents’ time were very rare. My grandparents lived on the countryside, working on their farm, raising their own crops and animals.

Grandpa died at 99 years old and worked his land until 95.

He ate 6 to 8 eggs per day (they had a lot of chickens). Meat was more expensive, sacrificing an animal about once per week, but they were cooking with lard and butter all the time. They also had plenty of milk and cheese from their own goat or cow. You know, the kind of really fat milk that you can’t find in stores. They also drank their own wine, daily.

They were not eating sugar. Or vegetable oils.

If only it were that simple. Consider the lifestyles. If you're willing to live the same lifestyle and same environmental conditions, the same diet variables could potentially lead to similar lifespan.

But in lieu of the same conditions, the logic to consume same diet isn't that sound.

I think the inspiration one should take from their grandparents and further back, is to avoid over-processed foods and highly refined foods.

They didn't eat ready-made processed meals loaded with salt and sugar, they didn't drink soda except on rare occasions, they didn't eat nearly the same amount of candy that we do today.

I'm only 33 and from my childhood I remember soda as a rare treat that was saved for birthdays and other special occasions, or if my dad and I had been working in the garden or on a DIY project. Very few things are more satisfying than a well-deserved ice-cold sugary fizzy drink while taking a break from hard work.

Soda was a luxury we didn't get every day, and 25cl was the standard serving size. Anything smaller than a 33cl can seems to be exceedingly rare now, and usually people go for the 50+cl bottles.

Our habits are completely out of whack.

This is absolutely the right approach to nutrition in my opinion.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com