[Wellbeing] Get in shape 2009! - Page 4

*LesMTS* · 12th January 2009, 1:27pm

I've often wondered where the five a day advice comes from.
Why five? What's the reasoning behind it? Can it be five of the same fruit?
My wonder has never wandered sufficiently into the territory of "care" that I've bothered looking it up, though. So if anyone knows or can link me to good, succinct explanations, I'd be interested.

MarkMono · 12th January 2009, 1:29pm

And if its for vitamins, why not just take multivits?

(There is almost definitely a sensible reason, I just thought I'd ask while we were on the subject.)

Bunnylingus · 12th January 2009, 1:31pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by broken

I should maybe try to do my "five a day." Does anyone manage this?

Its pretty easy when you consciously try to do it.

Chuck a handful of berries in your breakfast, have an apple and a satsuma with your lunch/as snacks, then have 2 bits of veg with your dinner, like carrots or broccoli. You can put veg with pretty much anything. Or have it raw with dips, peppers and carrots with houmous are ace.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOLIDBOB

we do have a few healthy options!

I know, I'm just addicted to macaroni cheese.

Elspeth · 12th January 2009, 1:36pm

Sports bra purchased

*LesMTS* · 12th January 2009, 1:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMono

And if its for vitamins, why not just take multivits?

(There is almost definitely a sensible reason, I just thought I'd ask while we were on the subject.)

I think there must be reasoning other than just vitamin content (roughage and stuff, I don't know) but I really don't know what their reasoning is, so I can only wildly speculate. Someone might have just made it up, for all I know. It sounds like a catchy wee rule of thumb.

There was a study recently showing that the average person in the UK gets more than enough vitamins, even through their shitty diets, and hypothesised that health problems in the UK were not to do with lack of good stuff, as seems to be the popular opinion, but too much bad stuff.

MarkMono · 12th January 2009, 1:43pm

I'd be awfully dubious about that study (I'm dubious about any study which mentions that most elusive of creatures, the average Briton.) purely going on how many people I've had to tell to start getting more vitamin content into their diet as their nails have started going greyish yellow and they've been sleeping for 13 hrs a day.

I started taking multivitamins because I was consuming so much speed/coke/eccies and even now, years after I've basically stopped that stuff, I still suffer from zinc deficiency occasionally. And my diets not bad, I might eat a bit too much, but I generally eat good food.

Jushin Liger · 12th January 2009, 1:51pm

Basically it's for vitamins and other essential nutrients, things like iron, potassium etc. that aren't common in other foods as well as dietary fibre. You could do it with multi-vitamins and a greens supplement but it leaves your diet a bit boring without them. Then again it's an easy way to do it on a budget. The website says this "Nutrients should come primarily from foods. Foods such as fruits and vegetables contain not only the vitamins and minerals that are often found in supplements, but also other naturally occurring substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases." But that's mostly a fudge to encourage healthy eating rather than a reliance on supplements. You'd get far more fibre from a grain cereal than from eating fruit or veg.

As for 5 of the same thing, no that doesn't count as the idea is to get all the vitamins, mineralsdifferent fruit/veg are high in different things. Handy rule of thumb is colours, try and eat a variety of colours of fruit and veg.

5 a day is a reccomendation assuming a reasonable spread of furit and veg for the average fairly inactive person. Athletes are reccomended closer to 11 portions of fruit and veg mostly green veg. It's a catchy slogan and an achievable goal for most.

*LesMTS* · 12th January 2009, 1:51pm

Right, five a day, I actually went and looked it up.

The reasoning is thus:
Diets low in fruit and vegetable correspond with higher risk of cancer and heart disease.
The lowest risks of cancer and heart disease in Europe are in "Southern Europe".
In "Southern Europe" average fruit and vegetable intake is 415grams/day.
That is more or less five portions of fruit and vegetables.

And that's about it.

Pretty spurious reasoning for arriving at "five a day". Still, it's probably sensible advice to eat more fruit and veg, and if it gets people to do so, fair enough.

Source: http://journals.cambridge.org/action...ine&aid=572004
(may need subscription)

Rowsbette · 12th January 2009, 2:01pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Today I almost bought a sports bra to strap my chebs down whilst I go to the gym. £26 though, and I kinda like my squidgy bits....
And plus, there are some folk out there far squidgier than me and don't seem to care

You really should wear a sports bra when you're doing running or aerobic exercise though, apparently the muscles around your breasts get slack much more quickly if you don't strap your ladies down. Ebay have some decent ShockAbsorber ones for around £15. (Actually scratch that, as I see you've bought one, but my point still stands!)

I'm pretty comfortable with my current weight (8st 4lbs at 5"5) but I'd like to get my fitness levels back up. Back in October I was doing an intense 90min workout daily, but slacked off when I hurt my foot, then was ill etc... tried it t'other day and it's ridiculous how I can only do half of what I used to do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by L@ur@

i need to get rid of the boy. he's a bad food influence.

then i will start eating properly

Weirdly I'm in the opposite boat. Even though my boyfriend's introduced me to a lot of "bad" food I didn't used to eat (like steak and various red meat concoctions) I'm doing more cooking, eating bigger dinners and not snacking on junk *quite* as much as I used to.

Elspeth · 12th January 2009, 2:05pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowsbette

You really should wear a sports bra when you're doing running or aerobic exercise though, apparently the muscles around your breasts get slack much more quickly if you don't strap your ladies down. Ebay have some decent ShockAbsorber ones for around £15. (Actually scratch that, as I see you've bought one, but my point still stands!)

I'm avoiding the gym until it arrives. Ebaytastic!
There is no way I'm doing exercise until they're strapped down. I refuse to have saggy boobs

Rowsbette · 12th January 2009, 2:07pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesMTS

Right, five a day, I actually went and looked it up...

Also because populations whose diets consist primarily of plant food (with not much meat) have the longest life expectancy and lowest disease rate, have a swatch at the China Study.

sjonit · 12th January 2009, 2:10pm

5 a day is easy, and imo very tasty, much better than eating fat filled fast food snacks.

There is almost 3 times as many calories in a can of coke, than an apple. So even kicking fizzy juice and eating fruit instead of a sugar rush is a winner!!!

Mwezzi · 12th January 2009, 2:12pm

Four things.

1) Improve my upper body strength.
2) Get my stamina up to the point where I can run at least a mile without stopping or dropping the pace to a crawl.
3) Clear up the skin on my shoulders, upper arms and upper torso. It's a bit spotty and oily, like. This may be helped by...
4) Eat a bit more fruit and veg, drinking a wee bit less tea. I'm fairly healthy already but it couldn't do any harm.

sjonit · 12th January 2009, 2:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowsbette

Also because populations whose diets consist primarily of plant food (with not much meat) have the longest life expectancy and lowest disease rate, have a swatch at the China Study.

PPl who eat such diets are small skinny ppl, mon the meat eaters,!!

*LesMTS* · 12th January 2009, 2:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowsbette

Also because populations whose diets consist primarily of plant food (with not much meat) have the longest life expectancy and lowest disease rate, have a swatch at the China Study.

Just looked it up. I wouldn't take this as a source.
It's a personal publication, not published in a peer-reviewed academic journal (as far as I can tell) which immediately sets off alarm bells.
The author also claims that western governments are suppressing the information, which sets off even more alarm bells.

I don't think it's anywhere near as simple as "eating mostly plants increases your life expectancy". Although getting plenty of fruit and veg is definitely important.