# Nutrition: Where can I find good information? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2007, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962 "2007-04-06T10:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/1 "2007-04-06T10:08:02Z")
What’s a reliable source of nutritional information these days? For the first time in my life, I’m trying to “eat right”, only to find that it’s not at all easy to learn exactly what “right” is. I assumed that something as basic as food would be well-understood by now, but there’s apparently so much controversial/contradictory advice available both online and off that I don’t know who to trust. For the last year or so, I’ve been steadily adjusting my diet from ultra-unhealthy (burgers & ice cream, basically) to one that I thought would be healthier. As I kept going, however, I found more info that only muddied my understanding. First I thought that the good ol’ nutrition facts would be enough; then I learned that the Food Pyramid has been updated recently; then I hear that even the new one is unhealthy and that the FDA isn’t to be trusted; then I hear contradicting advice regarding supplements and vitamins and such from different people… blah blah blah. What I want to know is: **Are there any “basic” nutritional guidelines that have been well-researched/scrutinized/proven and accepted by the medical/nutritional communities, and if so, where can I learn about them?** Should I ask a medical doctor? A nutritionist (does such a profession even exist?)? Read a book? Take a college nutrition class? Or is it really as confusing as it appears, so much so that nobody really knows? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/2 "2007-04-06T10:14:37Z")
Quoted from [here](http://www.slashfood.com/): > [@Bob Sassone](#): > > I’ve done an extensive survey of all of the information about weight loss that you can find on the shelves of Border’s and Barnes & Noble, and here are the results. > > It seems as if the best way to lose weight and get in shape is a combo of the following: eating a lot of carbs, eating a lot of fat, cutting carbs out completely, drinking a lot of water, not eating any “white” foods at night like bread, rice, and pasta, eating just grapefruit, eating your meals in a mixed-up fashion (lunch for dinner, breakfast for lunch, etc), not eating after 8pm, eating a lot of soups, cutting out all candy, cakes, and processed foods, avoiding diet drinks, eating a Subway sub a couple of times a week, eating foods according to your blood type, eating foods according to color, eating a lot of fiber, training your brain to think like a thin person, eating like they do in France, eating like they do in China, not counting calories, making sure you count calories, taking vitamins and supplements, become a vegan, eating more meat, eat a lot of apples, eating only raw foods, and joining one of the weight loss organizations such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. > > If you follow the above rules, you should get in shape very quickly. You’re welcome. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/3 "2007-04-06T10:27:36Z")
Heh. That’s exactly what I was afraid of. Is there nothing even _remotely_ resembling a well-proven, well-accepted rule in the entire field of nutrition? ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/4 "2007-04-06T13:33:25Z")
Yes, there is!!! Eat fewer calories or burn 'em off with exercise. A good diet should include a variety of foods that you like to eat. What you need to do to lose weight is simply a deficit of calories. No confusion at all. Once you lose the weight, you need to keep it off. There is recent evidence that you don’t need “diet AND exercise”, you just need one of the two. However many people find that to have a “normal” diet, they need to exercise as well. By all means, see a professional. Lots of info here: > **[Weight Control: MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/weightcontrol.html)** > > About two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. A weight control strategy can help you keep a healthy weight. ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/5 "2007-04-06T13:40:34Z")
Scratch that last message and substitute with this one, as I can’t edit fast enough! Yes, there is!!! Eat fewer calories or burn 'em off with exercise. A good diet should include a variety of foods that you like to eat. If you need to lose weight, you need a deficit of calories. Once you lose the weight, you need to keep it off. There is recent evidence that you don’t need “diet AND exercise”, you just need one of the two. However many people find that to have a “normal” diet, they need to exercise as well. Common sense approach is just to eat more veggies. By all means, see a professional. Lots of info here: > **[Weight Control: MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/weightcontrol.html)** > > About two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. A weight control strategy can help you keep a healthy weight. > **[Nutrition: MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/nutrition.html)** > > Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. It is important to eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Read more. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/6 "2007-04-06T15:53:32Z")
I would consider [this](http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Drink-Be-Healthy-Harvard/dp/0743266420/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-3418618-4477630?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175874650&sr=8-2) book to be as informative, helpful, authoritative, and factual as anything else out there. I highly recommend it. It starts off with explaining why the food pyramid is so wrong, and does so from the basis of established research. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/7 "2007-04-06T15:59:59Z")
[QUOTE=Snowcarpet] Scratch that last message and substitute with this one, as I can’t edit fast enough! Yes, there is!!! Eat fewer calories or burn 'em off with exercise. A good diet should include a variety of foods that you like to eat. If you need to lose weight, you need a deficit of calories. Once you lose the weight, you need to keep it off. There is recent evidence that you don’t need “diet AND exercise”, you just need one of the two. However many people find that to have a “normal” diet, they need to exercise as well. Common sense approach is just to eat more veggies. By all means, see a professional. Lots of info here: > **[Weight Control: MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/weightcontrol.html)** > > About two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. A weight control strategy can help you keep a healthy weight. > **[Nutrition: MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/nutrition.html)** > > Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. It is important to eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Learn more. [/QUOTE] I don’t think the OP is talking about dieting. ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/8 "2007-04-06T18:08:45Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] I don’t think the OP is talking about dieting. [/QUOTE] Kinda gathered that later, but I meant that more in the sense of diet as-what-you-eat… I’d say that eating too many calories is the number one problem that people have with nutrition. Although if that’s NOT your problem, the other main things to watch would be to eat more veggies and get more exercise. I know, no glamour, but true. ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/9 "2007-04-06T18:26:29Z")
If you create an account here (free): [http://www.fitday.com/](http://www.fitday.com/) You can enter in what you eat each day and it will give you a nutrition report based on the RDA. I know this isn’t what you were asking really, but it might be helpful to see how close or far away you are from at least the federal guidelines. I think that the federal guidelines are good to work towards if you’re used to burgers and ice cream, and am inclined to believe them over the latest bestseller. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/10 "2007-04-06T18:30:30Z")
Harvard’s nutrition people recommend this guide [http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/](http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/) eta a link from that page brought me [here](http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/healthieryou/contents.htm) with chapters readable in html or pdf ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/11 "2007-04-06T19:31:47Z")
[QUOTE=_bec_] I think that the federal guidelines are good to work towards if you’re used to burgers and ice cream, and am inclined to believe them over the latest bestseller. [/QUOTE] I would normally agree with you, but the “latest bestseller” that I touted was written by a doctor who designed much of the research that went into his book. And he rightly points out that the food pyramid (the latest version if which is totally ambiguous) was made by the US Department of Agriculture, whose interests align with the financial health of farmers and not with our health. When we are told to eat 6-11 servings of wheat products daily, whose interests are being served? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/12 "2007-04-06T19:34:31Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Harvard’s nutrition people recommend this guide [/QUOTE] The book I recommend was written by one of Harvard’s nutrition people, I might add. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/13 "2007-04-06T19:39:36Z")
Most sane people agree - eat less, eat lots of colors, eat things that look like what they came from and that you can look at the box of and identify most ingredients. Exercise more. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/14 "2007-04-06T19:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] eat lots of colors [/QUOTE] Avoid white foods. Especially starches. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/15 "2007-04-06T19:57:19Z")
Here’s my basic take on it: Proteins- Good for you. Don’t go out of your way to eat a ton of them or go out of your way to minimize how much of them you eat. Your body will use what it needs and pass the rest. Carbs- You need them but don’t overeat them. Also be selective of what types. Carbs from veggies and whole grains = good. Carbs from refined sugar, corn syrup, and refined grains (white bread, pasta) = avoid or don’t overdo it. Fats- You need some but not much. Some are better than others. Fats from nuts are good. Animal fats, saturated fats, and trans fats are bad. If your a fan of dairy opt for lowfat or nofat cheeses/milk/icecream. Sodium- Doesn’t effect you in ways of weight gain/loss but excess is not too healthy. Water- Good for the digestive system, flushing out toxins, keeping you hydrated, sweating out toxins, etc. Drink it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/16 "2007-04-06T20:08:39Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Fats- You need some but not much. Some are better than others. Fats from nuts are good. Animal fats, saturated fats, and trans fats are bad. If your a fan of dairy opt for lowfat or nofat cheeses/milk/icecream. [/QUOTE] Except that fat-free cheese tastes like ass. All vegetable oils (including peanut, canola, olive) are good for cholesterol. If they become hydrogenated, they go to the bottom of the list, health wise. The best fats come from fatty fish. Halibut, mackeral, salmon, swordfish, mussels. You can also buy it in pill form. An ideal meal is 3 ounces of lean protein (size of a deck of cards), 1/2 to 1 cup of whole grain starch, and about 2 cups of vegetables. A little alcohol is good for you. A lot is not. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/17 "2007-04-06T21:06:38Z")
[World’s healthiest foods](http://www.whfoods.com/eathealthy.php) has a list of foods with information on how to handle them, nutritional information, and in some cases information on scientific studies done on them. ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/18 "2007-04-06T21:53:15Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] I would normally agree with you, but the “latest bestseller” that I touted was written by a doctor who designed much of the research that went into his book. And he rightly points out that the food pyramid (the latest version if which is totally ambiguous) was made by the US Department of Agriculture, whose interests align with the financial health of farmers and not with our health. When we are told to eat 6-11 servings of wheat products daily, whose interests are being served? [/QUOTE] Oh, I wasn’t referring to your recommendation when I said, “latest bestseller”. I was specifically thinking of things like Atkins stuff, or fad stuff, which I think is probably quite bad for you in the long run. I think picking one eating strategy that makes good sense health-wise to you is better than worrying about the latest thing and trying to make sense of the huge amount of information available. I was thinking that the government information had less of an agenda than someone selling books, but from what tdn said this may not be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutrition-where-can-i-find-good-information/398962/19 "2007-04-08T04:05:52Z")
Actually, heh, **tdn** ’s book is exactly what got me all confused. From what little of it I’ve read (a few chapters), his suggestions seem so revolutionary and contradictory to “traditional wisdom” (which he considers the result of decades of FDA/agriculture industry brainwashing) that it almost seems like he has an agenda himself. But I’m not going to judge it until I finish reading it. I guess, in my infinite laziness, I was just hoping for other, simpler rules (preferably in outline form :P) that I could blindly follow before resorting to actually having to use my brain and digest a book. I’ve been eating relatively well (covering most of the bases mentioned on this page), exercising regularly, etc. and I just wanted to see if there’s anything I’m missing or if this really is the best track to continue on. Thanks for the replies, y’all 🙂