What is the Ideal Diet?

Last year I read the China Study and was thoroughly convinced by the arguments.  Since then spouse Gail and I have been on a fairly strict Whole Food Plant Based diet.  A particular problem for me is my morning cappuccino.  I've tried a lot of different soy milks, rice milk, etc. and finally settled on a brand of oat milk called Oatly  that I can find in our local supermarket.  This produces a good foam and tastes great.  Better than the original!

We are almost completely vegan, though we might slip in a lamb chop on very special occasions.  I'm not sure it is necessary to go the whole way to veganism though, if you have no major health issues. 

I was supported in this more moderate approach by the recent dietary targets contained in the report Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems

My take-away from the report:

  • Most food you eat should be Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) consisting of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, consistent with the China Study.
  • There is no evidence presented in the report that a strict vegan diet is any better than a diet with very small amounts of fish, chicken, dairy products, in fact a diet containing a small amount of fish may be the most healthy of all.
  • Red meat of any kind is definitely harmful and should be avoided.
  • Eat Less!

I would qualify this.  For anyone with cancer or cardiovascular disease there is a lot of evidence supporting a strict WFPB diet with no animal protein. This has been shown to stop and even reverse the progress of these diseases in some cases.

The table below is a summary of the Lancet 2019 recommendations for the balance of nutrients for an ideal diet (30 grams is approximately 1 ounce). 


About the Author

Dermod is the principal instructor for the Buteyko Breathing Method. He has been using Buteyko for his own asthma for more than 20 years and teaching it for fifteen, as well as researching and investigating the other factors that contribute to a long, healthy and happy life.

dermod@dwoodassociates.com

Related posts

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Subscribe to our newsletter now!

>