To think a healthy diet does not ward off illness?

[LoveRedShoes]

Reading about all of this swine flu, having two otherwise healthy DCs on their second round of heavy colds, having cold myself after a sickness bug.....is this healthy diet thing a big con?
I know it is fairly impossible to know, but I seem to put so much work into providing a very healthy diet for my kids: lots of colourful fruit and veg, exercise, home cooked food, supplements now and again, clean and happy living. Good, organic, varied food is, lets face it, quite expensive. Homecooking every meal from scratch is time consuming (and I love cooking!).
My DS, bless his heart, after a coughing fit and with his yicky runny nose, asked me in his sad little boy voice, 'mummy, you said if I ate my boccoli and blueberries I would be healthy and not poorly. I will not never ever eat boccoli again mummy. It doesn't work.'

I know I can't stop them from getting bugs, but can't help wondering what the difference would be if I just let them eat much easier and junkier food. Am I really supposed to believe that I can hold back flu and other viruses with a good diet, when they will be in direct contact with other children at school?
Quavers for breakfast then????

Also, how you look physically in terms of facial things isn't necessarily how healthy you are, anyway.

Nigella may look fresher, but (botox and fillers aside) we dont know she's healthier - she might spend more days ill than McKeith, regardless of how she looks.

Things like dark circles are not always indicative of health, but race, pigmentation, genes, yet can make you look rough as.

Suntan is the ultimate paradox, when I have a bit of a tan people ALWAYS tell me how well I look, when really I've just given my skin a dose of ageing and exposed it to cancer. The holiday itself may have relaxed me, but I also probably imbibed too much wine and food yet my tan makes me look like I've been in a Zen Spa for 2 weeks. I haven't.

If you look at their arteries, McKeith's are probably clearer than Lawsons. They'd pretty much have to be, really, wouldn't they?

In terms of looks, Nigella is always going to look 'better' than McKeith simply because she's prettier.

That's got nothing to do with how she eats or whether she exercises or not - she was born to be a beautiful person and McKeith has her own set of genes that are the main cause of the way she looks.

Not fair to compare the two IMO.

Precisely

Its nowt to do with health, looks, though if you are really unhealthy, your looks will suffer.

Correlation and causation, as ususal, easy to confuse things.

You can always always spot the face of a smoker over 40 though.

I was listening to a programme on radio 4 a while ago that said eating healthily only added an average of 2 years onto your lifespan. I did however once listen to a programme about this amazing guy who followed the paleo diet. He was about 94 on the programme yet had the voice and physical and mental health of a twenty year old. My sister who has type 1 diabetes swears byt his diet too. I reckon it's the way to go.

I agree re knowing a smoker or heavy drinker by their face. I used to work with alcoholics and can spot them a mile off.

I'm convinced a healthy diet fends off disease in the long run and medical science backs this up. Small children have not yet developed as much immunity as adults so get more colds etc.

Martina Navratilova (sp?). In peak physical condition and followed the perfect diet - still developed breast cancer. You can't rely on diet but I suppose it will hedge your bets so to speak. I also think stress can play a major role ilness.