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Welcome to our new Forums. Please post your tasks for Unit 5, Advanced level, in this Forum.

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Net Languages

[Ega]

In favour // Out of favour

Well there is a lot of food that had very bad press on the past and nowadays is considered as good for health. Here there is a short list:

Coffee was considered painful. I remember I read articles saying that coffee was bad for nervous, for teeth, for skin and had a long list of bad consecuences to our health. Nou is in, in small quantities it looks like you can drink witout worring about
Wine was out and now is in. They say that Wine and beer drunk responsabily is good for heart and probably cancer, etc. Before any knind of alcohol was considered almost a terrible thing
Milk was in and now is out. There is a strange theory that nowadays everyone repeat as a mantra. It sais that there isn't any aadult animal whom is ready to process I don't know what ingredient contained on milk so for this reason they advice you not to drink milk

I must say that I like milk, coffee, wine and I will follow drinking without any problem wathever they say. I think that scientist know almost same that us and it may be a kind of fashion to classify food and any other aspect in our lives.

[Ega]

There are several kinds of diets, except those ones which are not involved to healthy requirements on people who have any knind of intolerance or whatever, most of them have to see with any particular way of life. Maybe the most known outsider, we could day, diet is the vegan, it consists on strictily vegetarian and it's forbiden on that diet to eat any kind of animal food, fruitarian must be more or less the same but with fruits.
The philosophy is more or less the same in all the diets, it is supposed that we will be happier following these diets because we will be more ecologycal, more paceful, free protein, etc
The supposed benefits are a healthier life I think that this is because of meat gives an extra dose of proteins and these are highly oxidants. In fact we consume more fat and more proteins that our body really expend, so we supply by far all our basic needs.
The main critics for these diets come from people who say that our nature is done to eat everything, meat as well. I we don't we could beeing supplying not too much about the right elements we need.
There are a lot of artists who follow these diets, mainly vegans.

[Laura]

I don't read much about healthy food because it usually changes with the times.
A few years before it was believed that eggs were very rich in iron and healthy, nor they're out due to the high colesterol .

And like eggs, is wine, red meat, coffee, salt, and so on and so forth.

So I try to do my best cooking and eating vegetables, fish and fruit.

[mkorhone]

It is hard to know what is good for us

That is so true. If we read articles about food we would become very anxious. On one day butter has very unhealthy reputation and on another day it is good for you. It is the same situation with red meat, milk, coffee, chocolate, eggs, wines, bread and so on.

However I have not seen very often articles which protest on vegetables or fruits. Not only are they healthy for you, they also consist of much vitamins and fibre. Also I believe that fish and seafood are necessary to many people because they include D-vitamins and other good nutrients.

I think if you did not got dragged into McDonalds, Pizzeria or Kebab bar and end up eating a big portion in every week, it would not be too unhealthy for you. All is OK in moderation. Also I think lunch and dinner have a very important social meaning with members of family or with friends. Sometimes it is nice to enjoy and feast - at least at the Day of New Year (1 st January).

Happy New Year

Best regards Maarit

[Admin]

Great discussion everybody! Thanks for writing. Here are a couple of corrections for you all:

Coffee was considered painful. = Here you need to say "Coffee was considered harmful". Painful means "it hurts".
Wine was out and now is in = .. now IT is in. Don't forget the pronoun!
I have not seen articles which protest on vegetables or fruits= Protest doesn't make sense here. Maybe you can say "..articles that question the healthiness of vegetables.."
All is OK in moderation= Everything is OK in moderation
A few years before = "A few years ago" is better in this situation.

[Lerire]

Hello,

I'm a bit confused about what "healthy food" means, because I think that at this moment there is a tendency to connect natural with low calories with healthy. I think that everything depends on the amount of energy you need during the day, but only if we are speaking about fat. Because there are other nourishment we need in the food we eat. And sometimes I think that we forget.
So in general, it has been said before. The more variety, the better it will be.
Therefore if you avoid eating ssome ingredients, try to supply the nutrient they have eating others and enjoy your meal!

[Admin]

Yes this sounds like common sense Lerire. Anyway, the nutritionists are constantly changing their minds about what is or isn't healthy. You can't really listen to them..
See you,
Pieter

[Berta]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I'm going to introduce myself. My name is Berta and I'm a nutritionist, that's why I'm going to put some common sense in this forum and I must admit that I'm really surprised for your last comment Pieter: "You can't really listen to them.."

The first thing everyone must take into account is that Nutrition degree has the same level as any other degree such as nursing or biology so I feel really upset when I read that you can't really listen to one healthcare professional as us. I can't understand it. I know that there are good nutritionists and bad nutritionists too, but as in all professions. Another important thing is that there are a lot of people that after reading a book they called themselves nutritionists. Everyone must be really careful with intrusion (in nutrition there’s a lot).

In relation to the food that is now “in” or “out” I must agree with you that is kind of a chaos, but even for us. Do you know what it means? I must be highly updated if I want to be a really good professional, give a good service, helping people and going to sleep in peace. And that’s what I do. Our job is a constant recycling.

Why don’t you listen to nutritionists and you do keep listening to doctors (and we all must do it) if they are constantly removing drugs from the market? Because being a doctor is a respected and valued job, it is well known that they are doing an incredible research for our health and also because if they remove a drug their reasons they will have. Theoretically it should be like this in our field, but one of the differences is that everyone understands on food because you can talk about lettuce, bread, meat and fish and not about Paclitaxel, Ultramicine or Levodopa. It’s easier and lots of people dare.

One more thing (and I finish). Food industry creates a lot of pressure investing an incredible amount of money in order to make us believe that cookies or cereals are healthy options for breakfast and they are succeeding because the vast majority of population believes it. Food industry is only looking for the way to earn more and more and does not take into account our health or even our little kids. In 2030 half of the population is going to be obese so there’s a lot of multidisciplinary work to do and nutritionists have an important role in it.

If you let me give you a dietary advice, this would be: base your diet in plant foods shortly processed. Try to eat real food without label (as less ingredients better) and obviously try to be active and do exercise.

Sorry for the length, for the mistakes (I would be grateful it I get some corrections) and see you,

Berta

[Admin]

Thank your for your fabulous message Berta!!! I am REALLY sorry about my comment, I totally take it back. I wrote it without thinking. Actually, I have no contact with nutritionists, my only nutritional information comes from articles in the press. And you must admit, the information we get is constantly changing. So you can't rely on the press for serious information about what we should and shouldn't eat.
You make a very good point: everybody thinks they can be a specialist in food, and broadcast their theories about nutrition without having any background in science. But really, I think the same thing happens in medicine - there are hundreds of alternative therapies that have no basis in science at all. Humans believe what they want to believe I guess. But I think it is good that you protested - I for one have learned something today!
Can I help with something?
surprised for your last comment = surprised about something
to one healthcare professional as us.= In this case we are speaking in general, so no article: to health care professionals LIKE us. (not "as")
a lot of people that after reading a book they called themselves nutritionists. = Better: a lot of people who call themselves nutritionists after reading a book or two.
that they are doing an incredible research for our health = Mm, here you can say: They are always doing research and developing new drugs that can improve our health
if they remove a drug their reasons they will have= If they take a drug off the market, they will have their reasons.

All the best!
Pieter

[Berta]

Wow Peter, thank you for your great answer. I thought you wouldn't replay me. I really appreciate it, thank you.

I know what you mean and it's true... most of the information that all of us recive is from the press and it's a terrible information without any scientific evidence... (Not all, but most). I guess it's perfect that population receive information but it should be regulated. I'm from Catalunya and we only are represented from the Nutritional Association, who regulates it, since ONLY one year... The first question of some of my patients is "How should I call you? Dietician, nutritionist, endocrine?" people don't know us, even our roll so I don't blame you. But it's a constant fight every day and when I got in this Forum (to disconnect) and read that I couldn't believe it LOL.

Yes, I totally agree with you in relation to the alternative therapies, they are really dangerous and we shouldn't rely on them.

Pieter thank you for the message and for all the corrections!! I'm going to take them into account. Thank you again!

Best regards,

Berta

[Admin]

Hi Berta, yes I can totally imagine how annoying it is to go into an English Language forum and find a stupid comment like that! Anyway, it was interesting talking to you.
Thanks and see you soon!
Pieter

[Josep Oriol Mallol]

Hi everybody,

I remember that some years ago olive oil was out of favour and a lot of people thought that sunflower oil was much better than olive oil. However, nowadays olive oil is considered the healthiest oil for most people.

In the past century, most people prefered white sugar because it's more refined and it's better for cooking. Today white sugar is out of favour because some people say that it contains chemical subtances that are not healthy, and raw cane sugar is considered the best option to consume sugar because it's more natural.

Searching information in Internet I realised that there is so much information about this matter that it's very difficult learning nutrition on my own.

See you,

[Admin]

That is what we were talking with Berta about - you can't rely on information from the press, because it is so contradictory..
See you,
Pieter