⭐️ a conversation with a 68-years-old man who worked in the food industry
On a boat trip in La Paz, BCS, I sat next to a 68-years old man from Vancouver; as we shared stories of our travels, he told me he drove all the way down here, alone, and previously he spent month in Loreto. He also revealed that he previously worked in the food industry, for companies such as Coca-Cola (which he was not proud of) and a couple others.
I've been curious about foods and health in general for a long time: I've done some research on my own and gathered some thoughts, but there are a lot of contradicting (mis)information online, and oftentimes I wasn't sure what to trust. I asked him if I could ask him a few questions, and he told me this is one of his passions. Below I summarize the conversation we had (note that, however, that the boat trip happened on the 24th December, which is now more than a week ago, and my memory is neither prefect nor unbiased; moreover, the conversation merely represents some of his opinions and my opinions).
Supplements (vitamins, protein, etc.): I started by asking about supplements. There are advertisements for "doctor recommended" supplements everywhere, but which ones, if any, are actually helpful? He said that if you have a balanced diet already, then no supplements are needed, otherwise simply take what you're missing (this is obvious). He recommended K2 (and K in general) as a vitamin that most people were missing, and D for those without consistent sunlight.
Proteins of all sorts are healthy. He even went far to claim that he believes an important contribution to our evolution as a species was that we started eating more meat. Ideally, we eat proteins in their natural form, but protein powders will do no harm as a replacement.
Organic food: Are they healthier? Do they help the environment? I learned a bit about organic foods through this wonderful Kurzgesagt video. He agreed in large with the video. Whether or not organic is healthier depends on the food: for foods like banana, which you have to peel before you eat, organic does not make a difference; for other foods (e.g. chicken), it might a difference, but the difference is not as huge as you think. In addition, companies also might play word games or find other ways to (legally) label their foods "organic." If you have the money, you can buy organic; otherwise just stick with the normal ones, and they'll work just fine.
A balanced diet might just be the key to solve a lot of things. For instance, reducing carb intake is the easiest way to reduce diabetes, but this isn't what doctors would tell you - they would recommend pills and tablets, which cost.
Processed foods are terrible and should be avoided; this includes things like ice-creams, bacon, carbonated drinks, chips, etc., some of which I admittedly enjoy. He says that he only buys food in their natural form.
Fasting: a controversial topic. There's been a rising amount of content online about fasting (eating only in an 8-hour window, etc.), which contradicts with what I learned when I grew up (always getting 3 meals a day with a full breakfast). He said that he actively practices fasting, and he would go on a week without eating (the longest being 1-2 weeks); he claims that it does wonders to your body. He also justified it: evolutionarily speaking, if we had less food, we would be more alert. I've (kinda) experienced this: while working on huge problem sets with close deadlines, I had to skip lunch and dinner sometimes, and eat protein bars - to my surprise, I did feel that my brain was faster. Actively choosing to fast, though, will take a bit more determination and grit (he commented that the first three days are often the hardest). And of course, the effects on fasting varies for each person.
Masturbation: rumor has it that over-stimulation of your organs may lead to permanent dysfunction or similar issues, but there is no scientific proof for any of this. Many studies also show that porn has detrimental effects on our neural circuits (the dopamine system). He seemed to agree that we should avoid porn, but went on to state that every organ in the body is there for a reason, and for teenager or even young adults it was normal to abuse it sometimes (due to high testosterone levels).
Drugs & alcohol: There seems to be a lot of stigma around drugs and alcohol, and perhaps rightly so. However, he claimed that at the end of the day, these were products made my nature (going back to the "processed foods are bad" argument), and can be consumed adequately. Of course, alcohol and marijuana damages the teenage brain (which has a rapidly developing prefrontal cortex); but as adults, occasional indulgences in drugs and/or alcohol with friends won't hurt you too much.
As we spoke, he loaded the pipe and lit it. He seemed adept at this.
TL;DR: don't eat processed food, cut carbs, have a balanced diet ;)