Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

weezl74

twinkle_star wrote: »

I'd definitely be interested in hearing more Weezl.

I wasn't totally sad about the use of supplemented foods as I know it's ridiculously hard to get all the necessary nutrients for so little money, especially for vegans. Also, I know I use some (soya milk, cereal, etc) as a short cut when I'm not feeling as though I've been very healthy.

But I do feel that there shouldn't be too many used because the efficacy of vitamin tablets (and by extension of added vitamins) has been questioned on several occasions so personally I try and get as much as possible from food sources.

So, anyway, tell us more please - am most intrigued!

right ho, I'll give it my best shot.

The remit of the 5 a day campaign was to increase the vitamin and mineral profile of the diets of Britains. This needed to be a very broad brush stroke approach, catering to the lowest common denominator on each axis andensuring that everyone's health improved.

So think about it from their point of view. They have nil control over which fruit and veg people will pick so they have to take a conservative view. Thus when they are looking at vitamin C, they must ask people to purchase enough vegetables such that even if they pick the least nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit, they will still get their RDA. This is also the RDA of the largest most active person, just to be on the safe-side. Further, they needed everyone to have 3-4 portions a day, so aimed at 5 so that hopefully people would hit 4.

So back to the hardcore planner. Here we do have 'control' (with someone's full consent and buy-in of course). So when answering the question what is required to meet the full RDA of vitamin C per person per day? Well most people probably think, because of the 5 a day campaign, that's it's roughly 5ish right? Well no if you do it with lemons and include their skin and pith as kitty's lemon cordial does, or shirley's orange flim-flam then it is half a normal sized fruit.

So what I'm saying is we are choosing veg anyway, so lets pick the ones that deliver 105% of shirl's RDA of everything, but for the least spend. And so if it doesn't have to be 5, but can be 2 due to picking the superfoods, then why not?

We are of course doing this because she is in a huge amount of debt, and therefore we are serving her best by choosing the least expensive way of delivering all she needs to keep her healthy.

Is that the sort of extra detail about my thinking that is helpful, or was it something different that might be useful/interesting twinkle?

artybear

weezl74 wrote: »

5 a day good

9 a day excellent

2 a day bad.

Thats exactly how I thought until I joined this thread-if you can convince a student who likes to drink and is not a great cook about this new 'healthy' way to eat.

Why cant you convince everyone else?

weezl74

howlin.:(

Hugs.

My friend who's done a food hygeine course feels that only meat shouldn't be thawed and then refrozen and that non-meat stuff will be fine.

So I'd say insulate all the meat stuff and prioritise that.

weezl74

murrell,

my neighbour popped round with your parcel today :j:j:j:j:j

postie had left it with her while I was out and then she'd gone away so I only just got it.

YAY I'm going to very much enjoy reading it

Ambersuccubus

Weezl, I would just like to say that i think your presentation of the "never say never" (no non-negotiable) plan would be a great thing, especially if on a seperate link through with the text that (damn, didn't check who, but that really well written introduction several posts ago) was suggested.

I've also realised that at least some of my problem with the dieting stuff was that i saw THAT as a ridiculous thing to have as a non-negotiable, and felt that you were trying to incorporate it when you already had your hands tied!

I would be intrigued by the nutritional analysis of the lower fruit/veg meals, and what the most economical/nutritional powerhouse choices were (as we know, it ain't goji berries)

And you're right in saying that the "ooh, 9 a day is better" is a middle class mindset. Whether people then interpret that as an insult is up to them - I don't know many people who have to raise families on the breadline that consider it though!

weezl74

thank you amber nice to see you.

I'll certainly be doing my research about powerhouse fruit and veg

System

Ambersuccubus wrote: »

And you're right in saying that the "ooh, 9 a day is better" is a middle class mindset.

We used to hear about "muesli belt malnutrition", relating to the ill-informed application of health advice by the wealthy. I'm afraid that a lot of what people believe is gleaned from poorly researched newspaper and magazine articles, and has more to do with glib recitation of accepted truths or of funding-conscious PR campaigns from academic institutions than with actual science. I speak as someone who once earned £20 from publication of a tip so ridiculous (and so made-up) that I'm too ashamed to repeat it here.

twinkle_star_2

weezl74 wrote: »

Is that the sort of extra detail about my thinking that is helpful, or was it something different that might be useful/interesting twinkle?

That was pretty much what I needed. I do totally agree. I think I said something similar about the five a day a while ago. It's like beans can be 1 of your 5 a day if they don't also count as your main source of protein. But it's not like the beans or your body know that. Your body is going to take what it needs and damn well use it whether or not it counts as part of the five a day.

So, yes, I'm interested and support the super frugal weezl month plan. Yay! :j

I'm very intrigued to find out what sort of foods provide all the nutrients as I love discovering things about nutrition. You are a dedicated helper of people and most excellent human being madam Weezl. :beer:

Edit: but if we could hear less about class stereotyping I'd be happier. Lets not go putting thoughts into people's heads.

weezl74

Avocet wrote: »

We used to hear about "muesli belt malnutrition", relating to the ill-informed application of health advice by the wealthy. I'm afraid that a lot of what people believe is gleaned from poorly researched newspaper and magazine articles, and has more to do with glib recitation of accepted truths or of funding-conscious PR campaigns from academic institutions than with actual science. I speak as someone who once earned £20 from publication of a tip so ridiculous (and so made-up) that I'm too ashamed to repeat it here.

I UTTERLY agree with you avocet, and whilst mindful (very) of twinkle's warning below, I do want to give another illustration:

Gwenneth Paltrow, actress and famous pursuer of the macrobiotic diet. Almost entirely veg, raw and fruit based diet. Definately more than her 5 a day, most macrobiotic diet followers have upwards of 20 portions a day.

Fabulously healthy right?

Nope, recently fractured her leg and the bone scans reveal she has osteopenia due to having leeched a huge amount of the calcium in her bones.

That's very sad, and for me another example of why some non-negotiables, should for health reasons, become, well negotiable really! :rotfl:

weezl74

ps Avocet please do pop up again, I know you are busy but I missed your wisdom