What is the ideal diet...?

Sandor Clegane

Is there an ideal diet for humans? for health, wellness, longevity etc...

You hear about so many diets, Vegan, Keto, Mediterranean, starch based, Plant based the list goes on and on.

At the moment it seems a plant based diet is all the rage, I suppose it makes sense, eating more vegetables is pretty much universally accepted as being good for you, but most of the advocates for a plant based diet want you to eliminate all animal foods, essentially going vegan...are animal foods really that bad?

I suppose the results can't be argued, some doctors have claimed to reverse heart disease and diabetes using this approach, getting them to come off most if not all medication, they claim it's all the animal products that are destroying our health and making us sicker.

You hear so many conflicting reports about nutrition from people with obvious bias views and agendas but what does the science actually say? Is there an ideal diet for humans?

igCorcaigh

I'm no expert. But what I can glean...

Properly controlled studies in this are are complex and expensive, so only limited population studies have been analysed, e.g. The Mediterranean diet.

Also, individual responses may vary. Even the topic of which oils are healthy and which aren't still provokes controversy.

My take on it is to stick to widely agreed healthy foods and avoid the extreme diets fir the most part.

And using diet as a therapy to treat preexisting disease is another topic. Some people may benefit, for example, from low carb to treat obesity or diabetes, but that doesn't necessarily mean the diet can be recommend for others.

igCorcaigh

I don't think it's the animal foods per set, more likely the junk processed foods that they are usually eaten as. But what do I know. Just a guess.

DontThankMe

No such thing as good or bad foods only good and bad diets. I'd like to think whatever diet makes you feel good both physically & mentally is what I would consider "an ideal" diet. I've tried keto while it was great for weight loss I couldn't sustain it long-term. I now just track nearly all of my daily food intake on MFP. It helps me stay on track and stick to a certain calorie goal. I don't really restrict any foods but I am eating a lot less fast food & junk food. Everything in moderation is fine but when I do eat fast food or junk food I don't feel as guilty anymore because I've put the hard work in already and I know it's a once in a while treat instead of eating it two or more times a week.

igCorcaigh

My personal approach to diet would be mainly vegetarian; or perhaps I should say I eat vegetarian type foods, so legumes and vegetables feature a lot. Some grains too, but nearly always wholegrain and I've learned to reduce portion size.

On top of that I eat quite a lot of oily fish, mostly canned mackerel and sardines. Cheap, tasty and convenient.

Nuts also go with most things, just a small few as a garnish, and I don't use seed oils. EVOO for salads and sautéing, if I do use hight heat like stir frying, it's coconut oil, but that's not often.

I'm not afraid of full fat dairy, and I like salty foods; life's too short, eh?

igCorcaigh

Anyway, these are the foods I enjoy eating.

Food for me is a major part of life's pleasures; it should be enjoyable and nourishing. Not to be over analysed.

Learning to listen to your body is also a part of finding your ideal diet.

silverharp

There wont be a single answer, less processed rather than more is probably useful rule, fresh over something that can live in your cupboard for a year also. Then people have wildly different tolerances where people may only have vague inclinations as to what they are, and you would need a battery of tests to get a handle on.
Not a fan of vegan or vegetarianism as its more an ideological position rather than a best attempt of what’s best for people. Seasonality it another angle, back in human history no one had access to fruit or nuts even 12 months a year so tipping the hat to eating more seasonally would have benefits.

Tar.Aldarion

Plenty of wholefoods really, vegetables, greens, legumes, nuts, seeds and so on. I didn't become vegan for health reasons but of health was the only concern I'd be wary of eating a lot of animal products, particularly in regards to the carcinogen processed meat and the likely carcinogenic red meat. Along with that, being concerned with living longer seems to point towards calorific restriction and perhaps reasonable methionine restriction, both easier on a fully or nearly fully plant based diet as they tend to be lower in calories and have less of the aforementioned amino acid.