Many people ask me why the foods they love aren't on the list. They get very emotional about it too; people identify with the foods they bring them joy and pleasure. This is (one of the many reasons) why robot diet is so offensive to people - when science and reason run into conflicts with their emotions and identity, it causes them grief. So here's my best attempt at explaining why things aren't on the list.
Food |
Reason |
Lemon, Lime, Oranges, Grapefruit, Pineapple |
The acid is bad for your robot's teeth, and the sugar is bad for its blood. If you want to give your robot vitamin C, feed it bell peppers (200% DV) and kale (306%). Broccoli also has a boatload of C (about 220%). The hype that vitamin C comes from "C"itrus was invented by Dole to sell more oranges. |
Soy |
Avoid. It become hugely popular due to massive advertising budgets around the turn of the century. |
Fruit |
There is nothing you get from fruit that you can't get from vegetables. It's unnecessary sugary pleasure-food. Feed your robot vegetables. |
Honey, maple syrup, agave |
People crave sugar so badly that they lose all sense of reason. The degree something is sweetened is the degree that it is candy. And candy is unnecessary pleasure food. It doesn't matter that honey has trace amounts of health benefits, you're lying to yourself. |
Olives |
No bad, but also no good. Would be interested in re-visiting olives. |
Coconut / coconut oil |
Definitely keeping an eye on this one. The very recent trend that saturated fats are "heart healthy" is unfounded. It might be true, but might not. Will revisit. |
Asparagus |
Eat broccoli instead. |
Cucumber |
Eat zucchini instead. |
Tomatoes |
It's possible that we're all at least a tiny bit susceptible to nightshades. And they don't provide anything uniquely necessary. I know bell peppers are a nightshade plant that is on the robot diet list. It's difficult for me to part with peppers. I'm not a saint here, guys. |
Artichokes |
Eat broccoli and red cabbage instead. |
Celery |
Eat water instead. |
Red meat |
Meat is murder! Just kidding. Meat is iffy. It's very possible that red meat contributes to heart disease. You could claim organic grass-fed pampered cows are an exception to the studies, and it might be true, but it might not. |
Chicken |
Same with red meat, basically. Except cancer instead of heart disease |
Fish |
Can't seem to make an argument for why fish belongs on the "good" list. Mercury, PCBs, putricine, etc.. none of it is perfect. |
Dairy |
Silly robot, dairy is for calves. |