Diet. Not necessarily to lose weight, but I use the term to describe how and what we choose to eat. There is so much bull being passed around that the average person has not a clue what to do.

We have “whole food diets”, organic, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, and a slew of others. If I listed them all, this blog would be several pages long.

Yesterday (when this post was composed; now a few weeks ago), one of my friends (since I am going to be less than charitable, I won’t cite the author) was extolling a  “whole food diet”. Actually, what was said was: “A whole food diet is plant-based, focused on eating unrefined and unprocessed foods. You enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, tubers and legumes, and cut back on or eliminate any type of processed food.” It was not clear that fish and, perhaps, meat were allowed to be part of his described diet.

Which brings up the concept of vegan diets. Oh, sure, they are great for religious reasons. (OK, some folks consider this an ethical issue, and I won’t quibble.) The problem with eradicating fish and beef from our diet is that vital nutrients are not provided our bodies. And, taking vitamin supplements – if they work at all- are never as good as affording our bodies with what we need as part of our food intake. And, if we remove fish and beef, we will immediately find that we have a shortage of cobalamin (vitamin B12) at the very least.

Which may explain why the Mediterranean diets (which are based, logically enough, on how folks eat in that neck of the woods) don’t skip out on these vital sources of protein and nutrients. OK- meat is limited to a few times a month (say once a week or less frequently).

And, this is the only version of the “whole foods diet” that has substantial data demonstrating its benefits. It does promote heart health, reduced cancer incidence- as well as reduced incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as well as lower cholesterol levels.

(Yes, we need fats in our diet.  That doesn’t mean we are supposed to be fat- but that’s different than obtaining fats via our diets.  One of the biggest proponents of this concept is Dr. Mark Hyman, Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine.)

And, then we have “organic”. Or, whatever the farmer (or the marketer) wants to claim is “organic”, because the standards are a little loose. (I, for one, would much rather have fertilizer applied to the farms that supply my food, than being tempted to eat food that was “nurtured” with untreated manure.

Oh, sure, you can find a study here or there that says there are more antioxidants in organic foods. Statistically significant changes? Not really. I admit that may be related to the fact that “Johnny Appleseed’s” organic farm may follow completely different protocols than “Susie Overall’s” farm. And, if we are talking about meat and poultry processing, I am not mitigating the concept of how free range may benefit the lifestyle of the animals- but that doesn’t mean we humans derive a health benefit. (The generally accepted terminology is the evidence “does not suggest marked health benefits from consuming organic versus conventional foods…”)

So, if you want to promote animal health and opt to buy organic- go ahead. (You will be paying significantly more for your food, however.) But, you should opt to minimize the meat in your diet, add in some fish (wild salmon, cod, etc.)- and still keep to unprocessed foods, supplemented with fruits and vegetables.

And, we still won’t live forever.

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