Post: #1

I am from California and have spent the last few months in Eastern Europe. I noticed the local vegetables here taste significantly better and are far more filling than in the US. I spoke to an American chef who moved from the US to Eastern Europe and said the soil in California/Mexico has been over-farmed, draining it of nutrients and making the vegetables far less nutritious. He also mentioned the seasons affect the crops as most of the growing regions in the US/Mexico do not have real seasons so the crops do not have time to rest in the snowy winter. Finally, I understand the US has very low crop diversity because most farmers are forced to use a specific type of crop from a BigAg company like Monsanto which are engineered to produce high-volume, low-value vegetables.

I believe this is a major reason why Eastern European ladies are slim and Americans are so fat. In America, you can keep eating and eating and not be filled because the food has very low nutritional value.

Does anybody on the forum know anything about this? I am wondering if this is a major health risk associated with living in the West which is not talked about very much.

Post: #2

(07-03-2018 10:59 AM)marcusdivincenzo Wrote:  I am wondering if this is a major health risk associated with living in the West which is not talked about very much.

I'm not sure why you say this is 'not talked about much'. In medical circles, the problem of high-calorie poor-nutrition food is regularly discussed as a driver of obesity; also we see in industrialized economies the problem of 'food deserts' occurring - places where it simply is not economically viable to sell fresh produce, so consumers are forced to only eat junk.

It's maybe not talked about much in public discourse, but it is a recognized public health problem.

Post: #3

(07-04-2018 01:12 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(07-03-2018 10:59 AM)marcusdivincenzo Wrote:  I am wondering if this is a major health risk associated with living in the West which is not talked about very much.

I'm not sure why you say this is 'not talked about much'. In medical circles, the problem of high-calorie poor-nutrition food is regularly discussed as a driver of obesity

I think he's saying that even the vegetables grown in the USA are nutrient-poor. I'm not sure if it's the case or not, but it's a different issue than people just eating too many burgers and fries.

Post: #4

(07-03-2018 10:59 AM)marcusdivincenzo Wrote:  I am from California and have spent the last few months in Eastern Europe. I noticed the local vegetables here taste significantly better and are far more filling than in the US.

Did you perform a double-blind study with two statistically valid sample groups to eliminate bias in your findings?

Post: #5

Its all that Chernobyl radiation in the apples and whatnot. Makes them big and juicy.

Aloha!

Post: #6

Anyone here have an opinion on GMOs and whether their widespread use has led to either nutritional degradation in food or increased inflammation reactions?

Post: #7

I'd actually argue that the reason Eastern European girls are so thin is actually because the foods produced in those regions are not that nutrient dense. Bottomline: if you're not eating, you're going to be thinner.

If their veggies were so good I'm sure we'd be able to get Ukrainian squash in the markets in USA. Americans spare no expense when they think they can get quality foods from the international market.

I've been living in Asia for example for 3 years and I'd say that the veggies and food here pale in comparison to food back home. Whenever I visit home I gain a few pounds and my energy skyrockets simply because of the high variety of readily-available nutritious, protein-rich food options.

Also, don't Westerners live longer than their EE counterparts by the tune of about 10 years?

Post: #8

The problem is per vegetables and fruit so the next level in health is beyond eating fruits and veggies. You have to know about how they grow ,respond to pesticides,etc.

I'm not an expert but it's worth knowing if anyone wants to learn.

I know bananas and advocados don't need pesticides and absorb nutrients well so I stick with those.
Then kale and spinach buy organic because it's leafy.

Other than that I'll admit I'm lost and should do research.
My parents used to scource stuff for a living so that's why I know all these vegetables and fruits nutritional value will vary. This isn't a general thing.


One relevant thing I noticed wild blue berries frozen are cheaper no clue why. Any word on wild vs normal blue berries? I'd assume wild would be healther.

Another thing is watch out for cheap shrimp and tilapia. Alot of times it's Chinese farmed stuff and I don't trust Chinese farmed sea food.

If someone busted out a data sheet thatd be dope.

Post: #9

(07-05-2018 12:23 PM)Fortis Wrote:  I've been living in Asia for example for 3 years and I'd say that the veggies and food here pale in comparison to food back home. Whenever I visit home I gain a few pounds and my energy skyrockets simply because of the high variety of readily-available nutritious, protein-rich food options.

Agree 100%. The choice, quality & value of food available back in the west (UK) is many times better than what's available in Asia. Usually spend a few months a year in Thailand and between import tax, farang tax and other 3rd world bullshit, you're easily paying twice as much to eat reasonable quality. And even then you can't trust anything that says organic not to have been drenched in pesticide.


@op - some vegetables probably do have lower nutritional content due to over farming than less developed countries.

But I think it's pretty safe to say obesity rates in America is far more influenced by the abundance of cheap fast food/soda than the fact your carrots might have a few % less vitamin A

Find me an EE country with the same number of McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King & Taco Bell per person as the USA, and I'll show you one with a fucking lot of fat people

Post: #10

People in EE are thinner because they don't worship food. You eat when you're hungry and then you go about your day. In America, food is religion. Just look at how excited people get whenever some shitty fast-food joint pops up in their neighborhood

Post: #11

(07-05-2018 12:23 PM)Fortis Wrote:  I'd actually argue that the reason Eastern European girls are so thin is actually because the foods produced in those regions are not that nutrient dense. Bottomline: if you're not eating, you're going to be thinner.

If their veggies were so good I'm sure we'd be able to get Ukrainian squash in the markets in USA. Americans spare no expense when they think they can get quality foods from the international market.

I've been living in Asia for example for 3 years and I'd say that the veggies and food here pale in comparison to food back home. Whenever I visit home I gain a few pounds and my energy skyrockets simply because of the high variety of readily-available nutritious, protein-rich food options.

Also, don't Westerners live longer than their EE counterparts by the tune of about 10 years?

Not comparable data-set since EE-countries were malnourished up until the mid 1990s. When meat and a banana were a rarity, then you cannot compare anything since longevity data is not a thing that can just be chosen to overview the last 10-20 years. Starving your population for 50-60 years will do that to you.

Most people now will easily outlive Westerners due to more home-cooked meals, local superior food and less reliance on pre-fabricated fast-food and highly toxic supermarket products. There are also a huge number of food ingredients that are outright banned in the EU as cancer-causing toxins while it's all legit in the US.

All vegetable nutrient density went down - at times over 90% compared to the 1930s.

Supplements are more important than ever. Eating clean food as well. Asians have more varied food, though it depends - Japan is not rural China or Thailand.



Even that data-set is faulty.



A slightly better metric nowadays is something called the HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY DATA:

http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.HALE?lang=en

It shows at which age people are moderately healthy - not just bed-bound vegetables.

Quote:Japanese have the longest healthy life expectancy of 74.5 years among 191 countries, versus less than 26 years for the lowest-ranking country of Sierra Leone, based on a new way to calculate healthy life expectancy developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In terms of DALE, the rest of the top 10 nations are Australia, 73.2 years; France, 73.1; Sweden, 73.0; Spain 72.8; Italy, 72.7; Greece, 72.5; Switzerland, 72.5; Monaco, 72.4; and Andorra, 72.3.

The factors are usually - relative wealth, good food, proper local cuisine, adequate medical care. Though you should take note that Spain or Greece have inferior medical service, but still come out on top due to their better diet.

The healthy life expectancy is where it really lies. US is at 68. And I seriously doubt that number for the majority of the obese population.

Post: #12

(07-05-2018 12:38 PM)SteezeySteve Wrote:  The problem is per vegetables and fruit so the next level in health is beyond eating fruits and veggies. You have to know about how they grow ,respond to pesticides,etc.

I'm not an expert but it's worth knowing if anyone wants to learn.

I know bananas and advocados don't need pesticides and absorb nutrients well so I stick with those.
Then kale and spinach buy organic because it's leafy.

Other than that I'll admit I'm lost and should do research.
My parents used to scource stuff for a living so that's why I know all these vegetables and fruits nutritional value will vary. This isn't a general thing.


One relevant thing I noticed wild blue berries frozen are cheaper no clue why. Any word on wild vs normal blue berries? I'd assume wild would be healther.

Another thing is watch out for cheap shrimp and tilapia. Alot of times it's Chinese farmed stuff and I don't trust Chinese farmed sea food.

If someone busted out a data sheet thatd be dope.

Wild blueberries are an explosion of taste. Farmed blueberries taste like water with added flavor.

I imagine this is the case with most foods. Small organic is the way to go, but expensive.

Post: #13

(07-05-2018 07:15 PM)Simeon_Strangelight Wrote:  

Quote:Japanese have the longest healthy life expectancy of 74.5 years among 191 countries, versus less than 26 years for the lowest-ranking country of Sierra Leone, based on a new way to calculate healthy life expectancy developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In terms of DALE, the rest of the top 10 nations are Australia, 73.2 years; France, 73.1; Sweden, 73.0; Spain 72.8; Italy, 72.7; Greece, 72.5; Switzerland, 72.5; Monaco, 72.4; and Andorra, 72.3.

The factors are usually - relative wealth, good food, proper local cuisine, adequate medical care. Though you should take note that Spain or Greece have inferior medical service, but still come out on top due to their better diet.

The healthy life expectancy is where it really lies. US is at 68. And I seriously doubt that number for the majority of the obese population.

I'm still trying to figure out why Northeast Asia has such good health outcomes despite the large amount of carbs they consume.

Post: #14

I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

Post: #15

Genetics.

Post: #16

(07-05-2018 10:07 PM)Eugenics Wrote:  I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

It is bigger, it's a massive problem.

Post: #17

(07-05-2018 10:07 PM)Eugenics Wrote:  I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

If you start to eat a shit-ton of unprocessed carbs like rice or potatoes, then your body changes of how you process those carbs. You can then eat thousands of calories per day, but still lose weight. Many poor Asians have barely any meat in their diet, so it works.

I have seen this replicated with a person in my life.

The people doing the 80-10-10 diet with lots of fruit experience the same thing.

I would call it a rather extreme form of diet - depending on what staple food you eat - not even that unhealthy (if it's not soaked in pesticides, because you eat huge proportions and that will add up fast).

Post: #18

I can't stand the way that man says "puhtāta".

Do you have any sources you could send my way?

Post: #19

Dr. McDougall isn't so bad. You can also check out the potato diet for some people who practiced it.

The 80-10-10 diet is also a rather extreme form of raw vegan food, but it works better if you have up to 10.000$/month available for organic raw food and you are a professional athlete (since you consume thousands of calories while having a crazy metabolism).

But I would not call those diets "normal" or overly compatible with a conventional lifestyle, traveling etc.

My personal choice is daily intermittent fasting (4-hour food window per day), high dosage supplements and only 200g of meats/fish, healthy fats and veggies as staple foods. I also like to eat unhealthy foods occasionally and thus the intermittent fasting lifestyle is more desirable to me.

Post: #20

(07-05-2018 10:07 PM)Eugenics Wrote:  I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

White rice, not supplemented with high fructose corn syrup products, can be eaten everyday. If you add vegetables and white meat with that nothing less harmful.
And one more thing that is advantageous: They move, walk, bike, work in fields everyday!

Post: #21

(07-06-2018 01:38 AM)Simeon_Strangelight Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 10:07 PM)Eugenics Wrote:  I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

If you start to eat a shit-ton of unprocessed carbs like rice or potatoes, then your body changes of how you process those carbs. You can then eat thousands of calories per day, but still lose weight. Many poor All Asians, rich or poor, have barely any meat in their diet, so it works.

Fixed.

It's honestly infuriating living here in China and seeing what people eat. They'll throw three of the tiniest scraps of meat on top of a boatload of rice, a tiny portion of vegetables and call it a well-balanced meal.

Post: #22

(07-05-2018 12:23 PM)Fortis Wrote:  I've been living in Asia for example for 3 years and I'd say that the veggies and food here pale in comparison to food back home. Whenever I visit home I gain a few pounds and my energy skyrockets simply because of the high variety of readily-available nutritious, protein-rich food options.

Also, don't Westerners live longer than their EE counterparts by the tune of about 10 years?

Got a story to add to my man Fortis' here. This April I went back to visit Vietnam after 3 years, so I was expecting to do some heavy luxury shopping. Y'all niggas know how Asians are with Louis Vuitton and stuff.

So I call da crib and my mom said "bring back apples". Fuck you mean bring back apples like Vietnam ain't one of the biggest remaining fruit-growing tropical ex-colonies and shit? But knowing my ma I ain't bout to argue with her and it'll be light on my wallet. So I'm out to the supermarket looking retarded buying 10 kg of Pink Lady apples like I'm doing some kind of Snow White conspiracy and shit.

So I'm home in my parents' big ass apartment and they all look happy eating my France-imported apples and I just gotta ask why. So they took me to the local equivalent of Walgreen showing me dem apples.

Niggas I gotta swear I was looking at the most weird-assery in my life. Dem Pink Lady apples front of me shoulda been name Pink Mirror Apple-lookalike. They look so fucking perfect and round you would think you are staring right at the ass of Kate Upton while God was making her and decides "lets just make this shit so unreal so niggas wouldn't want it". Dem apples so fucking shiny I could swear I could see myself in there. Apples be more shiny than a French general's taxbuyer-funded boots on 14th July Parade Ground. Apples be so shiny I pick one up and I was bout to drop the "mirror mirror on the wall" line and turn gay.

Suddenly I realize this shit be as legit as a HB 10 light skin babe in Las Vegas casinos asking you to have some fun for low fees. Brought it closer and sniff and this perfect-looking apples has no smell whatsoever. This apple right here looking perfect actually is the furthest thing from natural next to D-cup boobs on a 5"1' Asian girls.

I'm done thinking about what kind of unnatural heretical shit they injected into these apples. This right here on the same level as transgender technology. Fuck niggas doing fucking around with God's creation like that just sacrilege. I dropped some tears thinking about all those Viet funerals I went to because of cancer and shit. You be eating these alien apples that's like downing full boxes of Tide chemicals, the average Viet's stomach has more chems than an Alabama' drug dealer storage. I'll never complain about seeing worm in my apples again.

Post: #23

(07-06-2018 04:07 AM)blck Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 10:07 PM)Eugenics Wrote:  I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

White rice, not supplemented with high fructose corn syrup products, can be eaten everyday. If you add vegetables and white meat with that nothing less harmful.
And one more thing that is advantageous: They move, walk, bike, work in fields everyday!

Where is rice in the West supplemented with high fructose corn syrup? They also eat tons of noodles, but no one there is complaining of gluten intolerance. Is it because of the GMO wheat in the US?

Post: #24

(07-06-2018 09:40 AM)Arado Wrote:  

(07-06-2018 04:07 AM)blck Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 10:07 PM)Eugenics Wrote:  I still don't understand how diabetes isn't bigger in Asia since almost everywhere they consume a fuckton of white rice which has an extraordinarily high glycemic index.

White rice, not supplemented with high fructose corn syrup products, can be eaten everyday. If you add vegetables and white meat with that nothing less harmful.
And one more thing that is advantageous: They move, walk, bike, work in fields everyday!

Where is rice in the West supplemented with high fructose corn syrup? They also eat tons of noodles, but no one there is complaining of gluten intolerance. Is it because of the GMO wheat in the US?

In the west everything is refined, I just found HFCS in my sugar ! How could you refined sugar with corn ?!
And the portions are so thin that I used to eat two plates for each meal in thailand !

Post: #25

No.

Tons of great, healthy options.

You just have to live in a major urban area with a decent amount of Yuppies.