How do we determine if a food is healthy?

[edser]

How do we determine if a food is healthy? If it is low in carbgs but high in cholesterol. High in caloried and fats but rich in nutrients. WHat in the end determoines if a food is healthy, unghealthy or somewhere n between and where do most foods lay?

[CynMari]

My (personal) belief is that it is "healthy" to have a balanced diet and therefore a single food cannot be defined *by itself* to be healthy.

[baikuza]

yo...
that right!
every body has its own portion of calories releated by him/her work.

_______________
I wake up on the day
saw U and others talking together
I just want to join it to.

[victor]

For me, healthy food is:
balanced carbs and fats that is adjusted with our activities.
rich in proteins and fibers.
contains vitamins..(mysterious thing that called as a miracle bringer)

[biostudent203]

I agree with CynMari one type of food by itself cannot be defined as healthy or unhealthy. A balanced diet is as healthy as you can get.

[victor]

But nowadays, it's hard to make sure whether healthy-called foods are really healthy for us..for example like this, if we take a look at cow milk which is said to be a healthy drink, now I'm not sure that it's healty. The reason, on the fats that contained in cow milk. is it still HDL? or already exchanged with LDL because of the foods that the cows've eaten?

Another case is, we (in my country) are suggested to consume non-fats food to avoid obesity and another health problems (seems like all fats are bad). But, recent studies proved that not all fats are bad for health and do you believe that some companies have converted those fats with more carbohydrates that results a higher calories compared to the same food product before converted...

I think, if we want a really healthy diet....just make a calory measurement, fats & oil testing, sugar testing, etc. before you start eating..

[MrMistery]

It is true that you need to have a healthy diet and don't overeat anything. vegetarians, for example, don't have a healthy diet because they lack certain aminoacids, like lysine. But there are certain foods that are deffinetly not good for you. If you are wondering what, just go to your local McDonald's and order. Doesn't really matter what Take it from me, i am McDonald's anonymus

[Winter]

You're right about McDonald's; have you heard about all the lawsuits against it? People actually try to sue McDonald's for selling unhealthy food and blame them for their own obesity problems.
It was their own choice to eat from there though... it's not like McDonald's was stuffing cheeseburgers down their throats with a shovel...!

[mith]

Keyword is moderation, I'm sure a couple of cheeseburgers wouldn't sound bad to people in starving 3rd world countries.

The fat and sugar rich diets was never intended for the couch potatoes.

[victor]

@Andrew
Since I moved to Yogyakarta to continue my study, I almost being a vegetarian..just imagine..for more than 2 weeks I only eat meat for 2 times..

For some information, in Indonesia, McDonalds is one of the most favorite fast-junk food restaurant.. ironic huh?that's my people, consumtive but not selective..
From article that I've read, some junk food restaurant only sell LDL fatted food (they also often use hydrogenated frying oil which is bad to people's health)

[MrMistery]

@victor
McDonald's is the favourite here as well.. You are right about the oil. I read in a magazine that eating 3 McDonal's french fries portions/week increases the chances of getting cancer by something like 8%
I used to be McDonald's addict, but i decided i like living better than that food...
@KaylethGrey
i have heard of this as well. It is such a large scale phenomenon that McDonald's actually writes the calories inside every product on the trey...
And of course Dave is right...

[victor]

Yeah..yeah..after all, being selective in consuming foods is better than only see the foods from their popularity and tastes..