This is an anecdote from about 10 years ago when I was living in Beijing.
In the local supermarket they had two types of sliced pre-packaged bread. I wasn't buying bread as I spent most days too full of rice or noodles. However, they caught my eye because they looked identical apart from one having the Union Jack on it and one the American Flag. Intrigued I had a look at them both.
The only difference was that the American style one had sugar much, much higher in the ingredients list. I don't remember the numbers now, but they gae the percentage figure and it was surprisingly high.
Now, of course, this is just what some Chinese company thought foreign bread was like, but I'm sure they did some research before branding them such.
Once the buyer has a taste of the American sweet and delicious bread, they are hooked. It is the same for sugary drinks, soda, and the like.
Indeed, though even butter at least is better than all the processed fats that are used in the US. Thinking canola and corn oil etc. though also animal fats are really heavily processed as well depending on the product.
Yes, butter is better than the US processed fats. Most of the Canola oil contain GMO corn. There is nothing wrong with lean beef specially if you can control the amount a fat you add to it. For example, a ground beef to use for hamburgers and such may need 5% to 15% or more fat added to it. Bison, elk, and moose have a lean meat, so if you precess it yourself (grind it) you have to decide haw much non-processed animal fat you need to add to it.
It's all about balance.
I still eat butter, animal proteins, and sugar. However I mostly try to avoid heavily processed foods.
Despite me eating more fats, I have lost a bunch of weight, and my cholesterol numbers have never been better.
Bread for me is always a treat, not a everyday thing.
That's true. But when it comes to sugar it can get a little complicated, since the liver is involved in
converting glycogen to glucose and also in storing extra glucose. There is not a way for one to tell the daily amount (two much or too little) of sugar that is consumed each day, and how the liver is reacting to it unless you can have a blood analysis.
You are correct in that "balance is the key."..as long one eats nutritious non-over processed foods, and does not become fat. My mother used to tell me, "eat a little of food, don't eat too much red meat, don't overeat, and stay trimmed." I am an old man, and my grandfather-even long ago when most people didn't live very long-died in his late 90's. He was always working and slim (not skinny). My wife's grandmother is 97 years old. She has always been in good shape (not overweight) and is always working around her house (gardening, and so on). She does volunteer work at a museum in front of a computer (research, writing announcements, and so on). Her husband, my father in law died at the age of almost 96 (2 months shot of it). He always had bacon and eggs for breakfast, plus a large cup pf coffee with lots of sugar. He stayed slim all his life
In reality, a balanced diet that results in one becoming strong (healthy) and
lean may be one of the keys for prolonging one's life.
