[ale] OT: OT OT OT and very long! Anybody sick today?

[rhiannen]

Many cancers attack the very young (leukemia, anyone?)

We have much better protection against exposure than we used to.

We understand the problems with hygiene and sewage control in overcrowded and
overpopulated urban centers much better than we used to (BTW, checked out the
death rate in the severely poor and congested inner city centers of India or the
South American or African countries lately?)

The idea that everyone ate lots of fruits and vegetables 100 years ago is an
easily idsproven fallacy. Most people did _not_ primarily eat fresh fruits and
veggies before refrigeration. Mostly, only the rich or country people ate such a
wide variety of foods. The majority of people ate mostly grains and breads and
other long storing and relatively cheap foods (like potatos or winter squash)
supplemented mainly with and salted or otherwise preserved meats. Fruits were
considered special occasion treats. Not exactly a balanced diet.  

Since refrigeration and coast to coast shipping (trucks/trains/planes) fruits
and vegetables have become more available and much cheaper for the average
person.

I look at it this way, what harm is there is NOT eating a bunch of chemically
laden over processed stuff?  Besides, to my taste buds, organic bananas just
taste so much better than those fake banana flavored sweetbreads and powerbars
they sell at the convenience stores. ;)

---- 
rhia
Excuse me, please.  What universe is this?




Charles Shapiro wrote:
> 
> Uh, as suggested, I did a little bit of googling.
> 
> Human life expectancy at birth in the United States in 1901 was about
> 50.
> A baby born in 2003 will probably live into his or her 70s. Late 70s if
> it's a she.
> 
> Before about 1950, most people ate primarily fresh fruits, vegetables,
> and natural grains. Meat was a luxury item until quite recently.
> 
> Cancer is a disease of late life. So is heart disease.
> 
> Off hand, those artificial flavors, colors, and other chemicals seem to
> be doing most people more good than harm.
> 
> -- CHS
> 
> On Tue, 2003-12-30 at 13:20, Eichler, Paula J. wrote:
> > Rhiannon, thanks for all of the information. Agreed that most of the
> > "carbs" of today are crap, however, Atkins, et. al. aren't really "high
> > protein" but are "low carb".
> >
> > Another misconception is that you can't eat fruits and veggies.  Not so.
> > White sugar and flour are no-no's, but lettuce is a freebie, and after
> > the first weeks, adding raw veggies is allowed.  Later you can add most
> > fruits, especially the berries.  Nuts are allowed. Starchy vegetables
> > are reduced, but allowed in very small quantities.  Whole grains are OK
> > in moderation, but it can be difficult to find breads that you would
> > actually want to eat.  Nature's Own has come out with a pretty good
> > low-carb wheat bread.
> >
> > After awhile on it, I would guess that the maintenance Atkins diet is
> > more like a caveman diet than the "food pyramid".  Meats, nuts and
> > berries are about all that hunting and gathering will provide. Well, yea
> > and insects, which I am sure would be allowed under Atkins ;) ..pj
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