no definitive diet

I've been reading Thoreau's Walden and it turns out that he is another supporter of the vegetarian movement. We tried vegetarianism for about a year, and eventually returned to eating meat. Although we're not the biggest steak eaters, I can't seem to live without seafood and chicken. Part of that is my Southern upbringing. I grew up on lots and lots of seafood, so you could say that it is part of my heritage.

Even if you don't believe in vegetarianism for ethical reasons, there are lots of arguments that have been presented on the case of meat being very unhealthy for us. Let's face it - it is probably the largest source of fat intake for us. What's strange is that most of the dietary information that has been presented is often debated. In this day and age, you would think that there would be scientific evidence by now that could inform us of the best diet possible for longevity and fitness.

Sure, there's always the four food groups, or what is now the food pyramid. But if these are the best cases of nutritional guidance, how do we explain the cases of old age in other countries? I have heard of numerous accounts of 100+ year-old women from Mongolia or China, for example, who claim that their secret is a cigar and a glass of vodka each day. How do we explain these seemingly contradictory examples? The Asian culture is not only known for their longevity, but also for their age-defying appearance. Marketers have been attempting to tap into these secrets of Oriental youth preservation for years. From green tea to anti wrinkle cream, the Western world is obsessed with looking their best, while we fill the insides of our bodies with fast food, junk food, and fat food.

So we do we continually try to invent and mass-market health band-aids, instead of pinpointing the best diet that will lead to both longevity and our best looks? My guess is that the answer to that riddle lies within natural moderated food intake, which doesn't jive with our American lifestyle and doesn't offer as much profit as the steroid-infused produce and supplements that form the bulk of our current diet.