Micro-Managing Our Health

[Over43]

I watched the last two days of the Dr. Oz show. I don't mind the guy, he's obviously intelligent, amiable, and I kind of enjoyed the show.

The thing I noticed most yesterday was his micro-managment of his/our health.

I take a daily multi-vitamin. That's all. If I put all the coconut oil on my skin, ate all the salmon, and downed all of the supplements he suggests I'd have to mortgage my house.

Granted I always love the smell of coconut tanning oil on my wife, I just can see me having a cabinet full of this and that that I would never use.

[NoelFigart]

I think we forget in many ways how very healthy we really are.

So Big and Healthy Even Grandpa Wouldn't Know You

[Nicest of the Damned]

I take a daily multi-vitamin. That's all. If I put all the coconut oil on my skin, ate all the salmon, and downed all of the supplements he suggests I'd have to mortgage my house.

That's probably what he wants you to do. He probably gets a cut of the money you spend, at least if you buy the supplements he endorses. He would probably like it very much if you mortgaged your house to give money to him.

[Over43]

Noel,

That was/is an excellent article, thank you. I think the only "exception" to this was ancient Rome. If you could get out of childhood alive in the Roman Empire you could expect to live to be 78.

[Kevin]

Noel,

That was/is an excellent article, thank you. I think the only "exception" to this was ancient Rome. If you could get out of childhood alive in the Roman Empire you could expect to live to be 78.

If you weren't a slave.

[gettheweightoff]

I'm glad someone addressed this. He's a nice guy and all but I can't stand that every day he's pushing some other diet. They all contradict one another though he stays true to the salmon, almonds and coconut oil.

I'm tired of hearing all about these "super foods" too. They all cost a fortune and you know what most of them taste like shit!

[wosnes]

I'm tired of hearing all about these "super foods" too. They all cost a fortune and you know what most of them taste like shit!

I'm also tired of hearing about the Super Foods, but don't agree that they all cost a fortune or taste like shit (though I think that most soy products and whole grains do!). Although salmon, which should be wild-caught is expensive enough to fall into the "treat" category, as are pasture-raised meats and free-range chicken and eggs.

My real problem with them is that he/they want you to eat these things daily, or a couple of times weekly, when populations that eat seasonally eat them only when they're in season. Many out of season fruits and vegetables are pricey and not at their prime when we see them in the grocery.

Blame it on nutritionism.

[Over43]

Noel,

That was/is an excellent article, thank you. I think the only "exception" to this was ancient Rome. If you could get out of childhood alive in the Roman Empire you could expect to live to be 78.

If you weren't a slave.

How true that is.

[marygrace]

I'm tired of hearing all about these "super foods" too. They all cost a fortune and you know what most of them taste like shit!

I'm also tired of hearing about the Super Foods, but don't agree that they all cost a fortune or taste like shit (though I think that most soy products and whole grains do!). Although salmon, which should be wild-caught is expensive enough to fall into the "treat" category, as are pasture-raised meats and free-range chicken and eggs.

My real problem with them is that he/they want you to eat these things daily, or a couple of times weekly, when populations that eat seasonally eat them only when they're in season. Many out of season fruits and vegetables are pricey and not at their prime when we see them in the grocery.

Blame it on nutritionism.

AGREED! Nothing irks me more than seeing descriptions of "superfood diets" that call for you to eat blueberries in January (unless they're frozen), apples in May, and broccoli in August.

What's more, most of the so-called "superfoods" are just real foods. There's nothing super about them--they get a super reputation when put alongside all of the processed, packaged junk most people it. It's just real food, and real food is what we're all supposed so it. It's a no brainer, really.

[wosnes]

What's more, most of the so-called "superfoods" are just real foods. There's nothing super about them--they get a super reputation when put alongside all of the processed, packaged junk most people it. It's just real food, and real food is what we're all supposed so it. It's a no brainer, really.

I agree. Eat real food. If we eat real food and avoid the packaged, processed stuff, we'll be in much better shape.

One of the other things that annoys me about the Super Foods is that the "experts" are cherry-picking one food from one culture (soy, for instance) and that one from another culture (olive oil, as another example) and saying that we need to include these in our diets regularly. However, the Asians aren't using olive oil and those in the Mediterranean don't generally use soy products. They eat what's available locally and seasonally -- and have for many, many generations.

[amake616]

When I was living in Gainesville, acai berries were the latest and greatest superfood (they still might be for all I know, I hate most berries so it's irrelevant to me lol) and since it was a college town there were smoothie shops everywhere and they all sold a variation of the super magical nutritious amazing Acai Berry "Smoothie" complete with two thousand calories worth of added sugar. Because it's so "healthy and good for you."

[Nicest of the Damned]

Noel,

That was/is an excellent article, thank you. I think the only "exception" to this was ancient Rome. If you could get out of childhood alive in the Roman Empire you could expect to live to be 78.

If you weren't a slave.

It helped to not be a woman, too. Childbirth without modern medicine is a risky proposition, and something I'm very glad I'm unlikely to ever have to do.

Not being female helped you get out of childhood alive, too. We have a surviving letter from a Roman to his pregnant wife, matter-of-factly telling her to expose the baby and leave it to die if it is a girl.