Diet
- Q&A: The Ethics of Care for the Body: 12 Apr 2015, Question 3
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Question: What is the moral status of actions aimed at tending to one's body? In an egoistic ethics, the ultimate end of moral action is the growth and continuation of one's own life. Ayn Rand discussed many of the kinds of actions required to achieve this goal, but she didn't discuss matters of "bodily care," such as cleaning your teeth, eating well, exercising regularly, tending to a wound, and seeking necessary medical care. These constitute a whole universe of actions necessary for the maintenance of one's body and, hence, one's life. Are such actions moral and virtuous? Should bodily care itself be considered a virtue? Or are these actions already subsumed under the virtues? (If so, I would love to know how to brush my teeth with integrity and pride!)
Tags: Ambition, Body, Character, Diet, Fitness, Health, Integrity, Mind-Body Connection, Mindsets, Pride, Rationalism, Values, Virtue
- Q&A: The Moral Arguments for Veganism and Vegetarianism: 23 Nov 2014, Question 1
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Question: Are the moral arguments for veganism (and vegetarianism) rational? People often argue for vegetarianism on the grounds that a person can (and perhaps should) regard the lives of animals to be a higher value than the advantages to eating meat such as taste or nutrition. Is this a rational moral outlook, consistent with rational egoism?
Tags: Animals, Diet, Environment, Ethics, Health, Nutrition, Paleo, Science, Veganism, Vegetarianism
- Interview: Christian Wernstedt on Your Health Versus Stress: 4 Sep 2013
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Summary: What are some of the common ways that stress impairs a person's health? What can a person do to resolve those problems? Personal health coach Christian Wernstedt helped me recover from adrenal insufficiency, leaky gut, and other problems stemming from my 2009 crash into hypothyroidism. In this interview, he shared his basic approach and insights with us.
- Interview: Nell Stephenson on Paleo for the Endurance Athlete: 27 Feb 2013
- Interview: Dr. Doug McGuff on Strength Training Using Body by Science: 5 Dec 2012
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Summary: Most people suppose that fitness requires long "cardio" sessions of running, biking, stair-climbing, or the like. In contrast, Dr. Doug McGuff advocates brief, infrequent, and high-intensity weight training using slow movements. Does this approach work? What are its benefits and costs compared to other fitness regimens?
Tags: Diet, Evolution, Fitness, Health, Paleo, Science, Sports
- Interview: Robb Wolf on The Paleo Solution: 14 Nov 2012
- Q&A: Deliberately Unhealthy Choices: 10 Jun 2012, Question 2
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Question: Is it moral to smoke, drink, or eat unhealthy foods if one recognizes the costs of doing so? Suppose a friend makes a deliberate decision to eat foods he know to be unhealthy (such as frequent sugary desserts). He knows that it might harm his health, but he says that the personal enjoyment and satisfaction outweigh the risk of shortened lifespan and possible future harmful health effects. In other words, he claims he is making a rational choice to maximize his overall happiness. Is that moral?
Tags: Diet, Ethics, Health, Nutrition, Nutrition, Paleo, Pleasure, Risk
- Q&A: Spousal Sabotage: 27 May 2012, Question 3
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Question: How can I stop my spouse from sabotaging my self-improvement? Over the course of my 15 years of marriage, I'd gained over 100 pounds. After feeling disgusted with myself for too long, I decided to change my habits. So I switched to a paleo-type diet and started lifting weights. So far, I've lost 40 pounds, as well as shed some health problems. My husband still eats what he pleases, and I don't pester him about that, although he needs to eat better too. However, he's constantly attempting to undermine my efforts – for example, by bringing home and encouraging me to eat doughnuts. I want him to celebrate and support my new-found success, but he seems to want me to be fat, unhealthy, and miserable. What should I do?
Tags: Communication, Diet, Ethics, Food, Habits, Health, Marriage, Nutrition, Paleo, Psychology
- Chat: Guilty Pleasures: 16 May 2012
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Summary: Do you struggle with the temptation of "guilty pleasures"? How can you overcome them – or should you indulge them?
Tags: Christianity, Diet, Egoism, Emotions, Ethics, Food, Guilt, Mind-Body Connection, Nutrition, Paleo, Parenting, Pleasure, Religion, Self-Control, Self-Interest, Temptation, Willpower
- Q&A: Giving Away Unhealthy Food: 6 Nov 2011, Question 2
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Question: Is it immoral to give away food that you regard as unhealthy? Assuming that one believes (as I do) that candy and sweets are harmful to health (especially in quantity), is it immoral to participate in trick-or-treat by giving children candy when they come to your door? Or, is it immoral to "dispose" of an unwanted gift of, say, a rich chocolate cake by leaving it by the coffee machine at work to be quickly scarfed up by one's co-workers (as an alternative to simply discarding it)? Is the morality of these two cases different because in one case the recipients are children while in the other case they are adults?
Tags: Diet, Ethics, Health, Integrity, Nutrition, Paleo, Responsibility
- Q&A: The Validity of Sustainable Agriculture: 9 Oct 2011, Question 2
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Question: Is "sustainable agriculture" a legitimate concept? Many advocates of a paleo diet also advocate "sustainable agriculture," including Robb Wolf and Mat Lelonde. Is sustainable agriculture a valid concept? What does (or should) it entail? Should consumers be concerned that their food producers practice "sustainable agriculture"?
Tags: Diet, Egalitarianism, Environmentalism, Ethics, Nutrition, Paleo, Philosophy, Politics
- Q&A: The Morality of Eating Bread: 6 Feb 2011, Question 6
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Question: Since eating wheat is purported to be unhealthy due to gluten (and other stuff), is it immoral to eat bread? (Analogous to smoking being purportedly bad for you.) Since one has to eat something, it would be better to ask, "Is eating bread immoral when other food sources are available?"
Tags: Diet, Ethics, Evasion, Health, Honesty, Integrity, Nutrition, Paleo
- Q&A: Conflicts over Diet: 21 Nov 2010, Question 1
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Question: I have a friend who is pretty hardcore paleo and is often very critical of other people's diets. Food is really important to her and I don't think she means to sound so disparaging. How do I kindly tell her to butt out of mine and my friends' eating habits?
Tags: Conflict, Diet, Friendship, Health, Nutrition, Paleo, Relationships