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Comment by M_Grey | Hacker News Reader

The people saying it isn't hard are right... it really isn't. What's hard is leaving everything you should be doing for the end of the day, then trying to cram in a whole head of broccoli with dinner. That said, fruit is delicious and nutritious... very nutritious. You have to think about any family risk of diabetes, and frankly think about the long-term health of your teeth.

That said, 10 portions seems like moderation to me, assuming good dental hygiene.

Edit: Oh, and if you're eating that kind of thing, it helps not to eat too much high-salt, high-sugar foods along with them. It's like... trying to look for a rainbow under a floodlight.

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Yudkin mentioned about dental hygiene in his book Pure, White and Deadly: The Problem of Sugar (1972)

it's the form of sugar that matters.

the sticky (think twinkie) sugar does more damage because it sticks to cavities, fueling bacteria producing acid.

the stickiest, the sweetest fruit i can think of is fried dates. banana comes close.

but fruits don't even compare to twinkie, so don't worry too much about it. chewing fibrous non-sweet veg should be enough to 'brush' teeth naturally. of course brushing your teeth won't hurt

> chewing fibrous non-sweet veg should be enough to 'brush' teeth naturally

Side-to-side, maybe.

Check out Miswak, it's an alternative to the toothbrush + toothpaste combo.

Check out Miswak

Hey wow that looks pretty cool, I tried some Indian neem toothpaste before which wasn't bad, but I've never heard of this and am curious to try. Should be a fun shopping mission in Soi Arab on my next trip to Bangkok...

A Kuwaiti friend introduced me to miswak... amazing stuff. Hands down, it's the best portable toothbrush I've ever had. At home, in the mornings and at night I still use a Sonicare, but instead of picking my teeth or some other healthy, but unsightly activity, I take a minute out of side to use a miswak.

My dentist can't believe how healthy my gums are. The single best thing you can do for oral hygiene, however you go about it, is to clear food out of teeth as soon as possible. Miswak really makes that possible and practical.

I've tried it, and it does clean your teeth effectively, but it's harder to use because the bristles point in the same direction as the handle instead of to the side. It doesn't work any better than a normal toothbrush so unless you're using it for religious reasons I don't see any reason to use it.

Few people I've met really worry about their dental hygiene beyond their daily brushing. In that regard, carrying around anything that keeps you engaged in that, is a good thing. In the morning and at night though... it's hard to beat a good modern electric brush.

> then trying to cram in a whole head of broccoli with dinner

Two broccoli spears would be one portion.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Portionsizes.aspx

I think you missed my point, which was that it's hard when you have to leave all of your portions for one meal, and of only one thing. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8e/9b/d3/8e9bd3ee1...

I don't want 10 of those with dinner, do you?

No one is suggesting you eat 10 portions of the same thing for one meal, or even in one day.

That would be fucking stupid.

What on earth makes you think that's what's being suggested?

All the 5 a day / 10 a day guidance is very very clear: eat a wide range of different things.

You're right that no one is suggesting that, including me. "That would be fucking stupid."

Yes, and I'm sorry that you've seemingly come to expect that level of stupidity from others, but in my world that moment is a cue to re-read the context.

Help me out. Your first post doesn't seem to be saying what I think it's saying. What did you mean? Specifically, why mention cramming a whole head of broccali into a meal?

"The people saying it isn't hard are right... it really isn't. What's hard is leaving everything you should be doing for the end of the day, then trying to cram in a whole head of broccoli with dinner."

I'm saying it isn't hard to eat 10 servings a day, what's hard (and by implication what people who think it's hard are often doing in some form) is cramming their servings in at the end of the day, and from one source. I was marveling at how that would throw anyone off.

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