http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57440950-10391704/understanding-epilepsy-miracle-diet-may-lead-to-better-treatments-scientists-say/
Children with epilepsy who don't respond well to anti-seizure medications are
sometimes treated with a strict "ketogenic diet" that's high in fats and low in
carbohydrates, including foods like bacon, hot dogs, butter and eggs.
According to the
Epilepsy Foundation, the diet is so effective for some kids that they can go
off "keto" for a few years and remain seizure-free. In 2010, the New York Times
profiled the diet as "Epilepsy's
Big Fat Miracle" and despite being prescribed at more than 100 hospitals
around the country, researchers weren't exactly sure how it worked - until
now.
In a new study of mice, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and
Harvard Medical School in Boston have found that a child's ability to stave off
seizures is tied to a protein that affects metabolism in the brain. The protein,
so-called BCL-2-associated Agonist of Cell Death, or BAD, also regulates
metabolism of glucose.
The researchers discovered that by modifying this this, they switched
metabolism in brain cells from glucose to ketone bodies, which are fat
byproducts.
"It was then that we realized we had come upon a metabolic switch to do what
the ketogenic diet does to the brain without any actual dietary therapy," study
author Dr. Alfredo Gimenez-Cassinam a research fellow at Dana-Farber, said in a
news
release.
The researchers used genetically modified mice to alter the BAD protein to
increase ketone metabolism in the brain, and seizures in mice decreased. The
findings suggest the BAD Protein could be a promising target for future epilepsy
drugs. The study is published in the May 24th issue of the journal Neuron.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by repeated seizures,
likened to electrical storms in the brain, that can appear as convulsions, loss
of motor control, or loss of consciousness.
"I've met a lot of kids whose lives are completely changed by this diet,"
study co-author Dr. Gary Yellen, professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical
School, said in a university news release. Yellen was introduced to the
ketogenic diet through his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Thiele, who directs the Pediatric
Epilepsy Program at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. "Diets in general are
hard, and this diet is really hard," said Yellen, "So finding a pharmacological
substitute for this would make lots of people really happy."
About two in 100 people will experience a seizure at some point in their
lives, according to the Mayo Clinic, and at least two unprovoked seizures often
are required to diagnose epilepsy. Anti-seizure medications such are often
prescribed and brain surgery is a possibility for some people whose seizures
originate in a small, well-defined area of the brain not involved with vital
processes. Some children may even outgrow the condition with age.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Obesity Factors
The New Scientist published an article about losing weight that has some relatively new factors that contribute to obesity. Eight lazy ways to lose weight points to infection, circadian rhythm, cold exposure, and a host of other things.Actually, I think almost all of these factors work through inflammatory processes and tend to support the model in The New Evolution Diet and in my Evolutionary Fitness lectures.
Air pollution and bacterial infections induce inflammation. Poor sleep is probably more a covariate with weight than a cause of weight gain. The things that stress people and promote weight gain do so through an inflammatory mechanism and the same factors cause poor sleep. Sleep apnea, a condition often suffered by diabetics, results in fatigue and confusion and induces brain inflammation by elevating the free oxygen in the brain. Naturally, this depletes glutathione and inflammation becomes poorly controlled.
Diabetes is a systemic inflammatory condition. So is obesity. Obesity induces inflammation, as though the fat is a foreign body being attacked by the immune system. The inflammation reduces insulin sensitivity, which, in turn promotes diabetes and further inflammation. At some point, the immune system, which is chronically "turned on", becomes the primary vector of disease and the loss of function and health.
As to the reference in the article to food intake, the article refers only to packaging and the toxic chemicals they contain. We EFers don't eat much of that stuff and so are taking fewer inflammatory substances in our diets and consuming a lot more plant-based antioxidants. Some of us also take Guardian to tame down the inflammatory substances and stresses of modern life. Most flavor "enhancers" and emulsifiers are highly inflammatory; glutamate, a primary ingredient is toxic to brain and other nerve cells.
The part on cold exposure reminds me of my theme "Cold is Exercise" and of Jack Kruse's work on deep aspects of cold exposure and circadian rhythms.
Personally, I never worry about sleep. I do not strive to get a certain amount of it. Animals and more primal living humans do not have the luxury of choosing their optimal level of sleep. Nor do they worry about getting enough of it. Primal humans do so much day time sleeping it is almost embarrassing. I think lack of sleep is caused by stress and obesity and sleep apnea. Causality seems not to flow the other way from lack of sleep to obesity and inflammation.
Since I consider obesity to be an inflammatory condition or process my model would be one where inflammation is the central nexus of virtually all chronic diseases.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
High-fat diet lowered blood sugar and improved blood lipids in diabetics
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-high-fat-diet-lowered-blood-sugar.html
In both groups, the participants lost approximately 4 kg on average. In addition, a clear improvement in the glycaemic control was seen in the low-carbohydrate group after six months. Their average blood sugar level dropped from 58.5 to 53.7 mmol/mol (the unit for average blood glucose). This means that the intensity of the treatment for diabetes could also be reduced, and the amounts of insulin were lowered by 30%.
Despite the increased fat intake with a larger portion of saturated fatty acids, their lipoproteins did not get worse. Quite the contrary – the HDL, or 'good' cholesterol, content increased on the high fat diet.
No statistically certain improvements, either of the glycaemic controls or the lipoproteins, were seen in the low-fat group, despite the weight loss.
"You could ask yourself if it really is good to recommend a low-fat diet to patients with diabetes, if despite their weight loss they get neither better lipoproteins nor blood glucose levels," Nyström says.
In the low-carbohydrate diet, 50% of the energy came from fat, 20% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein. For the low-fat group the distribution was 30% from fat, 55-60% from carbohydrates, and 10-15% from protein, which corresponds to the diet recommended by the Swedish National Food Agency.
The participants were recruited from two primary health care centres and met for four group meetings during the first year of the study. All 61 participants remained in the study for the follow-up.
"In contrast to most other studies of this type, we lost no patients at all, which vouches for the good quality of our data," Guldbrand says.
More information: In type 2 diabetes, randomisation to advice to follow a low-carbohydrate diet transiently improves glycaemic control compared with advice to follow a low-fat diet producing a similar weight loss by H. Guldbrand, B. Dizdar, B. Bunjaku, T. Lindström, M. Bachrach-Lindström, M. Fredriksson, C. J. Östgren and F. H. Nyström. Diabetologia online first 9 May 2012.
High-fat diet lowered blood sugar and improved blood lipids in diabetics
May 11, 2012 in Diabetes
People with Type 2 diabetes are usually advised to keep a low-fat diet. Now, a study at Linköping University shows that food with a lot of fat and few carbohydrates could have a better effect on blood sugar levels and blood lipids.
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The results of a two-year dietary study led by Hans Guldbrand, general practitioner, and Fredrik Nyström, professor of Internal Medicine, are being published in the prestigious journal Diabetologia. 61 patients were included in the study of Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes. They were randomized into two groups, where they followed either a low-carbohydrate (high fat) diet or a low-fat diet.Tubeless Insulin Pump - Make Insulin Pump Therapy Easier Get your OmniPod Demo Kit Today! - www.MyOmniPod.com
In both groups, the participants lost approximately 4 kg on average. In addition, a clear improvement in the glycaemic control was seen in the low-carbohydrate group after six months. Their average blood sugar level dropped from 58.5 to 53.7 mmol/mol (the unit for average blood glucose). This means that the intensity of the treatment for diabetes could also be reduced, and the amounts of insulin were lowered by 30%.
Despite the increased fat intake with a larger portion of saturated fatty acids, their lipoproteins did not get worse. Quite the contrary – the HDL, or 'good' cholesterol, content increased on the high fat diet.
No statistically certain improvements, either of the glycaemic controls or the lipoproteins, were seen in the low-fat group, despite the weight loss.
"You could ask yourself if it really is good to recommend a low-fat diet to patients with diabetes, if despite their weight loss they get neither better lipoproteins nor blood glucose levels," Nyström says.
In the low-carbohydrate diet, 50% of the energy came from fat, 20% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein. For the low-fat group the distribution was 30% from fat, 55-60% from carbohydrates, and 10-15% from protein, which corresponds to the diet recommended by the Swedish National Food Agency.
The participants were recruited from two primary health care centres and met for four group meetings during the first year of the study. All 61 participants remained in the study for the follow-up.
"In contrast to most other studies of this type, we lost no patients at all, which vouches for the good quality of our data," Guldbrand says.
More information: In type 2 diabetes, randomisation to advice to follow a low-carbohydrate diet transiently improves glycaemic control compared with advice to follow a low-fat diet producing a similar weight loss by H. Guldbrand, B. Dizdar, B. Bunjaku, T. Lindström, M. Bachrach-Lindström, M. Fredriksson, C. J. Östgren and F. H. Nyström. Diabetologia online first 9 May 2012.
Provided by Linköping University
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Paleo Video Interview with Professor Cordain
http://www.dietdoctor.com/paleo-interview-with-professor-cordain
Watch this video!!!
What is the Paleo diet and why should you care? Well, as you know it’s the original human diet and it’s probably still the healthiest way you could eat (unless you have a health reason to reduce your carb intake even more).
Here the world’s #1 expert, professor Loren Cordain, explains what you need to know and answers common questions. For example: Is Paleo always low carb? What’s wrong with vegan diets? And what single dairy product is ok to eat?
This is the interview we did at the ASBP obesity conference in Denver last month. If you like it feel free to share it!
Watch this video!!!
What is the Paleo diet and why should you care? Well, as you know it’s the original human diet and it’s probably still the healthiest way you could eat (unless you have a health reason to reduce your carb intake even more).
Here the world’s #1 expert, professor Loren Cordain, explains what you need to know and answers common questions. For example: Is Paleo always low carb? What’s wrong with vegan diets? And what single dairy product is ok to eat?
This is the interview we did at the ASBP obesity conference in Denver last month. If you like it feel free to share it!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Paleo for Auto Immune Conditions
http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/05/modifying-paleo-for-autoimmune.html
Autoimmune
conditions and a leaky
gut go hand in hand. In fact, in every autoimmune condition that has been
tested, a leaky gut is present and is a contributing factor to the illness (not
all autoimmune conditions have been tested, but many in the paleo community
assume that leaky gut is a factor in all autoimmune conditions). For
individuals with suspected or diagnosed autoimmune disease, additional dietary
guidelines exist to help address the disease. In many cases, autoimmune
conditions can be put into full remission by following these guidelines. There
is some variability to these guidelines depending on who you ask, so I have
reviewed them and compiled a comprehensive list of not only dietary restrictions
but also food recommendations using information from The
Paleo Solution
, The
Paleo Answer
, and various podcast and YouTube interviews with Robb Wolf, Prof. Mat Lalonde and Dr. Terry Wahls (author of Food
As Medicine
and Minding
My Mitochondria
). These are all great sources for more
information.
, The
Paleo Answer, and various podcast and YouTube interviews with Robb Wolf, Prof. Mat Lalonde and Dr. Terry Wahls (author of Food
As Medicine and Minding
My Mitochondria ). These are all great sources for more
information.
It is vitally important to adhere to a
strict paleo diet with no cheating. While other people may be able to
enjoy the occasional bowl of rice, if you suffer from an autoimmune condition
you are not one of these people. Grains, legumes and dairy of any kind (even
grass-fed ghee!) should never be consumed. This will be true for the rest of
your life. In addition, if you have an autoimmune condition, you should
completely avoid:
Eggs
Nuts
Seeds
(including cocoa)
Nightshades
(potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet and hot peppers and spices derived from
peppers)
Alcohol
NSAIDS (like
aspirin or ibuprofen)
The reason is
that each of these causes gut irritation and/or increased gut permeability (and
in the super sensitive gut of those with autoimmune conditions, they just aren’t
tolerated). There is also some evidence that hormonal birth control can
contribute to hunger and digestive hormone disregulation, leading to
inflammation. However, you may wish to address the other elements in this post
before going off birth control, depending on your personal
circumstances.
Dr. Terry Wahls lays out a very convincing
argument for increased vegetable intake. Her focus is on eating vegetables from
four main groups: green veggies (for the vitamin B, A, C and K content and the
mineral content), colorful veggies (for the flavonoids and polyphenols; at least
3 colors per day but this includes brightly colored fruit like berries),
sulfur-rich veggies (cruciferous veggies, veggies from the onion family,
mushrooms and asparagus), and iodine-rich foods (seaweed). Dr. Wahls recommends
eating 3 cups per day of each of green veggies, colorful veggies and sulfur-rich
veggies as well as at least once serving per week of seaweed. Note: If you
have Grave’s Disease or Hashimotos Thyroiditis, you must also avoid goitrogenic
foods, which include cruciferous veggies, radishes, spinach, peaches, and
strawberries. This does make it a bit trickier to also get your sulfur-rich
veggies, but it’s doable. I also recommend an extra serving of seaweed each
week to support thyroid function.
Meat quality is very
important as this
profoundly impacts the types of fat
that you consume. It is extremely important to be mindful of your omega-3 to
omega-6 fatty acid intake ratio, aiming for between 1:1 and 1:3, as this is
essential for regulating inflammation in your body. The best way to do this is
to ensure that all of your meat, poultry and fish comes from grass-fed, pastured
or wild sources. Grass-fed meat also contains Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA),
known to reduce inflammation, promote healing and even fight cancer. The
nutrient profile of pastured/wild meat and fish is superior as well. My post on
the importance of grass-fed
meat contains some suggestions for incorporating it into your diet in a
budget-conscious way. It is also more
important to eat organic produce as much as possible. Whole9Life has a wonderful
chart on when fruits and vegetables are in season including which fruits and
vegetables are important to buy organic and which aren’t, if budget is an
important concern.
Autoimmune
conditions are also typically associated with disruption of normal gut
microflora, often including Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. For
individuals with suspected or confirmed SIBO, avoidance of starches and sugars
other than monosaccharides (like glucose and fructose) is very important (read
my post Fruits
and Starchy Vegetables with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth for a list
of which starchy vegetables are okay and which to avoid). It also becomes
important to help repopulate the gut microflora by eating raw fermented foods
(like sauerkraut, coconut milk kefir, or kombucha) or taking a dairy-free
probiotic supplement.
Healing the gut
becomes very important. I highly recommend consuming bone
broth, organ
meat, and coconut
oil on a fairly routine basis as well as making sure that you are getting
adequate vitamin D, whether you are taking a supplement or spending lots
of time outside. Stress
management is very important and I highly recommend doing at least one
of the following: go for daily walks, take up yoga or tai chi, take a class on
meditation, or make time for an activity/hobby that you absolutely love. And I
cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting lots of good quality
sleep. Aim for 8-10 hours of sleep in a cool, pitch-black room,
preferably waking up without the use of an alarm. It may help both stress
hormone regulation and improve sleep quality to drastically reduce your caffeine
intake. Aim for no caffeine if you can. I personally limit my caffeine
consumption to one single shot of espresso in the morning (made into an
americano with extra
virgin coconut oil whipped into it) and a second shot of decaf espresso
(similarly prepared) a couple of hours later.
I know from
experience that this is a very challenging task. I also know from experience
that 90% is not good enough (and the more serious your condition, the more
important compliance is). I know from experience that this increases your food
budget (although perhaps this can be negated by decreasing your medical
expenses). I try and focus on the delicious foods that I do get to eat. I try and focus on the fact that I have a
strategy for improving my health that is far more powerful than any prescription
medication (Note that in many cases you will still need to be on
prescription medications although you may be able to reduce your dose. Please
work with your doctor on this one!). And, compliance gets easier once you start
to see improvement.
Paleo Auto Immune Protocol
http://paleononpaleo.com/paleo-autoimmune-protocol/
Paleo Autoimmune Protocol
What is the autoimmune paleo protocol is a question I often get asked so here is some information and links to help you.
Below is a table of foods you must delete from your diet and those that should be removed for 30-60 days as advised by Robb Wolf. Please know that spices (for example, cayenne, paprika, chili powder) that are part of the nightshade family are also removed in the first 1-2 months. You can add them back in to see how you react after that time.
You can also read more about it on these pages (you’ll need to scroll down a bit):
What is the Paleo Diet
Meal Plans
I regularly read these articles to keep the notion of the autoimmune protocol front and center.
Guest Post: Robb Wolff Answers Your Paleo Diet Questions
Modifying Paleo for Autoimmune Conditions
The Paleo Diet Variation to Treat Autoimmune Disease
Below is a table of foods you must delete from your diet and those that should be removed for 30-60 days as advised by Robb Wolf. Please know that spices (for example, cayenne, paprika, chili powder) that are part of the nightshade family are also removed in the first 1-2 months. You can add them back in to see how you react after that time.
You can also read more about it on these pages (you’ll need to scroll down a bit):
What is the Paleo Diet
Meal Plans
I regularly read these articles to keep the notion of the autoimmune protocol front and center.
Guest Post: Robb Wolff Answers Your Paleo Diet Questions
Modifying Paleo for Autoimmune Conditions
The Paleo Diet Variation to Treat Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Diet
| ||
Permanently Delete
|
Test After 30 Days
|
Consider
|
Grains
|
Eggs
|
Superenzymes
|
Breads
|
Tomatoes
|
HCL
|
Beans
|
Eggplant
| |
Peanuts
|
Bell Peppers
| |
Processed Foods
|
Spices
| |
Sugar
|
Potatoes
| |
Dairy
| ||
Nuts
| ||
Seeds
| ||
Fruit
| ||
Guar Gum
| ||
Soy Lecithin
| ||
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Thursday, May 17, 2012
Modern humans in North America co-existed with large extinct mammals about 13,000 years ago, including mammoths, mastodons and giant ground sloths.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120503153929.htm
A new University of Florida study that determined the age of skeletal remains provides evidence humans reached the Western Hemisphere during the last ice age and lived alongside giant extinct mammals.
The study published online May 3 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology addresses the century-long debate among scientists about whether human and mammal remains found at Vero Beach in the early 1900s date to the same time period. Using rare earth element analysis to measure the concentration of naturally occurring metals absorbed during fossilization, researchers show modern humans in North America co-existed with large extinct mammals about 13,000 years ago, including mammoths, mastodons and giant ground sloths.
"The Vero site is still the only site where there was an abundance of actual human bones, not just artifacts, associated with the animals," said co-author Barbara Purdy, UF anthropology professor emeritus and archaeology curator emeritus at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. "Scientists who disputed the age of the human remains in the early 20th century just did not want to believe that people were in the Western Hemisphere that early. And 100 years later, every single book written about the prehistory of North America includes this site and the controversy that still exists."
Following discovery of the fossils in South Florida between 1913 and 1916, some prominent scientists convinced researchers the human skeletons were from more recent burials and not as old as the animals, a question that remained unanswered because no dating methods existed.
"The uptake of rare earth elements is time-dependent, so an old fossil is going to have very different concentrations of rare earth elements than bones from a more recent human burial," said lead author Bruce MacFadden, Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology curator. "We found the human remains have statistically the same concentrations of rare earth elements as the fossils."
The little information known about the first humans to appear in North America is primarily based on bone fragments and artifacts, such as stone points used for hunting. Other sites in California, Montana and Texas show human presence around the same time period based on artifacts, but two nearly complete human skeletons were discovered at the Vero Beach site.
As bones begin to fossilize they absorb elements from the surrounding sediment, and analysis is effective in distinguishing different-aged fossils deposited in the same locality. Instead of radiocarbon dating, which requires the presence of collagen in bones, researchers used mass spectrometry to compare rare earth elements in the specimens because a lack of collagen in the Vero Beach specimens made radiocarbon dating impossible, Purdy said.
Researchers analyzed samples from 24 human bones and 48 animal fossils in the Florida Museum's collections and determined the specimens were all from the late Pleistocene epoch about 13,000 years ago. While rare earth element analysis method is not as precise as radiocarbon dating, Purdy said the significance of human skeletons found in Vero Beach is unquestionable in terms of their presence in the Western Hemisphere.
"It is important to note that they [the authors] did not provide an absolute or chronometric date, rather the geochemistry shows that the trace elemental geochemistry is the same, thus the bones must be of the same age," said Kenneth Tankersley, an assistant professor in the University of Cincinnati anthropology and geology departments.
Native fauna during the last ice age ranged from extinct jaguars and saber-toothed cats to shrews, mice and squirrels still present in Florida. Researchers speculate humans would have been wanderers much like the animals because there was less fresh water than in later years, Purdy said.
"Humans would have been following the animals for a food supply, but that's about all we know," Purdy said. "We know what some of their tools looked like and we know they were hunting the extinct animals but we know practically nothing about their family life, such as how these ancient people raised their children and grieved for their dead."
Study co-authors include Krista Church of UF and the University of Texas, and Thomas Stafford Jr., of Stafford Research in Colorado and the University of Copenhagen.
"Vero is a historical context for the development of archaeology -- these are the beginnings of the people of America," MacFadden said. "The site is well-known in the literature but has been discounted, so we're sort of reviving an understanding of this important locality and using newer techniques to revive the question about the antiquity of the humans."
A new University of Florida study that determined the age of skeletal remains provides evidence humans reached the Western Hemisphere during the last ice age and lived alongside giant extinct mammals.
"The Vero site is still the only site where there was an abundance of actual human bones, not just artifacts, associated with the animals," said co-author Barbara Purdy, UF anthropology professor emeritus and archaeology curator emeritus at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. "Scientists who disputed the age of the human remains in the early 20th century just did not want to believe that people were in the Western Hemisphere that early. And 100 years later, every single book written about the prehistory of North America includes this site and the controversy that still exists."
Following discovery of the fossils in South Florida between 1913 and 1916, some prominent scientists convinced researchers the human skeletons were from more recent burials and not as old as the animals, a question that remained unanswered because no dating methods existed.
"The uptake of rare earth elements is time-dependent, so an old fossil is going to have very different concentrations of rare earth elements than bones from a more recent human burial," said lead author Bruce MacFadden, Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology curator. "We found the human remains have statistically the same concentrations of rare earth elements as the fossils."
The little information known about the first humans to appear in North America is primarily based on bone fragments and artifacts, such as stone points used for hunting. Other sites in California, Montana and Texas show human presence around the same time period based on artifacts, but two nearly complete human skeletons were discovered at the Vero Beach site.
As bones begin to fossilize they absorb elements from the surrounding sediment, and analysis is effective in distinguishing different-aged fossils deposited in the same locality. Instead of radiocarbon dating, which requires the presence of collagen in bones, researchers used mass spectrometry to compare rare earth elements in the specimens because a lack of collagen in the Vero Beach specimens made radiocarbon dating impossible, Purdy said.
Researchers analyzed samples from 24 human bones and 48 animal fossils in the Florida Museum's collections and determined the specimens were all from the late Pleistocene epoch about 13,000 years ago. While rare earth element analysis method is not as precise as radiocarbon dating, Purdy said the significance of human skeletons found in Vero Beach is unquestionable in terms of their presence in the Western Hemisphere.
"It is important to note that they [the authors] did not provide an absolute or chronometric date, rather the geochemistry shows that the trace elemental geochemistry is the same, thus the bones must be of the same age," said Kenneth Tankersley, an assistant professor in the University of Cincinnati anthropology and geology departments.
Native fauna during the last ice age ranged from extinct jaguars and saber-toothed cats to shrews, mice and squirrels still present in Florida. Researchers speculate humans would have been wanderers much like the animals because there was less fresh water than in later years, Purdy said.
"Humans would have been following the animals for a food supply, but that's about all we know," Purdy said. "We know what some of their tools looked like and we know they were hunting the extinct animals but we know practically nothing about their family life, such as how these ancient people raised their children and grieved for their dead."
Study co-authors include Krista Church of UF and the University of Texas, and Thomas Stafford Jr., of Stafford Research in Colorado and the University of Copenhagen.
"Vero is a historical context for the development of archaeology -- these are the beginnings of the people of America," MacFadden said. "The site is well-known in the literature but has been discounted, so we're sort of reviving an understanding of this important locality and using newer techniques to revive the question about the antiquity of the humans."
"Mongolia's low breast cancer incidence is of particular interest because of their unusual diet (primarily red meat and dairy) compared with other Asian countries."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22543542
Breast cancer incidence in Mongolia.
Troisi R, Altantsetseg D, Davaasambuu G, Rich-Edwards J, Davaalkham D, Tretli S, Hoover RN, Frazier AL.
Source
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA, troisir@mail.nih.gov.Abstract
PURPOSE:
Data on international variation in breast cancer incidence may help to identify additional risk factors. Substantially lower breast cancer rates in Asia than in North America and Western Europe are established, but differences within Asia have been largely ignored despite heterogeneity in lifestyles and environments. Mongolia's breast cancer experience is of interest because of its shared genetics but vastly different diet compared with other parts of Asia.METHODS:
Age-standardized breast cancer incidence and mortality rates obtained from the International Association of Cancer Registries are presented for several Asian countries. Mongolian incidence rates obtained from its cancer registry describe incidence within the country.RESULTS:
Breast cancer incidence in Mongolia (age standardized 8.0/100,000) is almost a third of rates in China (21.6/100,000), and over five times that of Japan (42.7/100,000) and Russia (43.2/100,000). Rates within Mongolia appear to have increased slightly over the last decade and are higher in urban than rural areas (annual percentage increase of age-standardized rates from 1998 to 2005 was 3.60 and 2.57 %, respectively). The increase in breast cancer incidence with age plateaus at menopause, as in other Asian populations.CONCLUSIONS:
Mongolia's low breast cancer incidence is of particular interest because of their unusual diet (primarily red meat and dairy) compared with other Asian countries. More intensive study of potential dietary, reproductive and lifestyle factors in Mongolia with comparison to other Asian populations may provide more clarity in what drives the international breast cancer rate differences.Wednesday, May 16, 2012
10 Habits of Passionate People
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/the-ten-habits-of-passionate-people/
When you find your passion, you’ll have a boost of motivation to get started and change your life.
However, this motivation won’t last if you don’t turn it into habits.
We are creatures of habits. Our human nature always looks for ways to create patterns and do things on autopilot.
Habits are what differentiate successful people from others.
The habits that you’ve developed in the LOST phase – where you used to wander aimlessly without a clear passion or purpose – won’t help you build a life of passion.
That’s why you need to develop a new set of habits to serve you in your newly passionate pursuit.
These are 10 habits of passionate people that you can start cultivating today:
1. Wake Up Early:
The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years. ~Thomas Jefferson
Passionate people are usually early risers. There is something magical in rising early, and preferably at dawn. This peaceful period before the rest of the world wake up can be the most productive period of your day.
When I started the habit of waking up early at 4:30 am everyday, I felt like I was not living before. The amount of progress, inner peace, and joy that I experienced all the day made me regret the years in which the sun always caught me in bed!
2. Read Vigorously
I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book. ~Groucho Marx
If you replace some TV time by reading a good book, you’ll be the most educated person among your friends and associates. And you’ll be a high achiever too.
My mentor Jim Cathcart changed his life after he listened to Earl Nightingale on the radio saying that if you studied a certain topic for one hour every day, you’ll become a national expert in 5 years!
There is an amazing quote attributed to Mark Twain that says, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
If you don’t like reading, you can do with audio books. You’ve to find a way to READ, there are no workarounds.
3. Simplify
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~Hans Hofmann
Simplify everything is your work and life. Start by eliminating the unnecessary. Everything that has nothing to do with your passion and purpose should be eliminated. They shouldn’t occupy any space in your daily life, because they are just a waste of time, energy and money.
When you have less needs, and you learn to enjoy more with less, you’ll increase your financial independence too.
4. Slow Down
For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~Lily Tomlin
You can never embrace a life of passion in the middle of a busy, stressful, and chaotic environment.
You must find some quiet time for yourself. Slow down and listen to your inner voice. Slow down and evaluate your progress. Slow down and maintain your focus on what matters most.
If you could develop the habit of waking up early, you’ll find it easier to develop this habit. You can easily find time to breathe, reflect and meditate.
Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. ~John De Paola
5. Workout
Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato
Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley
Health care is very important. So many people follow their passion with great enthusiasm, but they put too much pressure on their body and ignore their overall health and well being. They think they are supposed to work really hard to fulfill their purpose and grow their passion.
These are good intentions, but you should be aware that if you don’t take care of your body, it will soon collapse and this will not serve your passion well.
Health care should be on top of your priorities to maintain a good, prosperous and passionate lifestyle.
One of the best books I’ve read on the topic of health and well-being is 8 Weeks To Optimum Health by Dr. Weil.
6. Practice Daily
The more I practice, the luckier I get. ~Jerry Barber
It has been said that luck is where preparation meets opportunity.
You’ve to practice your passion daily. If you failed to do so, your passion will soon fade away and you’ll be drifted away from the right path by the busyness of life.
Talent can’t survive without or can’t compensate practice.
You don’t even need talent if you exert enough effort in practicing and sharpening your skills.
Practice and be always prepared, so that when the right opportunity presents itself, you are ready to seize it.
7. Network
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~Herman Melville
Surround yourself with passionate people. That’s the most important habit of all. It can accelerate your success like no other habit.
Connecting with passionate people forms the best support system for your passion. You’ll find the good advice, the necessary push, and the continuous encouragement.
What is the point of connecting with people who are still stuck in jobs they hate and not following their passion. What are your going to get from them except discouragement and trying hard to pull you down?
I believe the level you can reach in life is directly proportional to the level where the people you hang the most with exist.
It’s been said that your net-worth is determined by your network.
8. Keep a Gratitude Journal
If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. ~Robert Quillen
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus
Gratitude is the best attitude. ~Author Unknown
This one habit does wonders. Be grateful for what you already have and at the same time aim for the better. Rest assured that when you’re clear about your purpose in life, you’ll recognize better opportunities much easier. Just be patient and grateful.
Remember, when gratitude grows up, more joy shows up.
I urge you to develop the habit of having a “Gratitude Journal”. Every night before you go to sleep, write down just one thing you’re grateful for in the day. Then expect miracles to happen!
My life purpose coaching clients experience amazing results in the first week of doing this exercise.
9. Be Prolific
Over 300 banks refused and the 303rd bank agreed to give Walt Disney a fund to build Disney Land.
Over 1000 restaurants refused and the 1010th restaurant agreed to use Colonel Sanders’s chicken recipe that changed the eating habits of the whole world with KFC.
It took him over a million images spanning 35 years, before Steve McCurry’s photo of Sharbat Gula (The Afgan Girl) was globally recognized and linked to Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa.
134 publishers rejected Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s Chicken Soup for the Soul before it turns into a mega all-time bestseller.
Edison made 1,000 (or 10,000) unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
During his life time, Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting for a very small amount of money. Today, his over 800 known works bring in hundreds of millions.
Mozart died with little to his name. Today, his over 600 pieces of music are considered some of the best ever created!
Can you see a pattern here?
If you want to turn your passion into a worldwide sensation, you got to be prolific and never give up. Keep producing great work, and one may take the world by surprise and make you a globally recognized star.
Produce more work than anyone could think humanly possible. I consider this the secret habit of champions (or legends).
10. Have a Blog
“Blogs are much more powerful than most realize. They’re a simple way to explore and share the thoughts and beliefs you’re excited about and for people to immediately see and provide feedback.” - Scott Dinsmore of Live Your Legend
A blog is a multimedia platform through which you can share your passion with the world in text, audio or video formats. People can come read, listen or watch you delivering your value. And if they like what you do, they will share it with their friends and the community will grow.
It is also a perfect way to practice and share your passion with the world on a daily basis. It ensures a constant strong bond between you and your passion.
These 10 habits will make a huge difference for you. They form a strong foundation to build and grow your passion. Like any habit, it takes time to develop and make them work. But once they are there, you’ll be on the fast track to achieve remarkable success.
Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them. ~Confucius
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim RyunWhen you find your passion, you’ll have a boost of motivation to get started and change your life.
However, this motivation won’t last if you don’t turn it into habits.
We are creatures of habits. Our human nature always looks for ways to create patterns and do things on autopilot.
Habits are what differentiate successful people from others.
The habits that you’ve developed in the LOST phase – where you used to wander aimlessly without a clear passion or purpose – won’t help you build a life of passion.
That’s why you need to develop a new set of habits to serve you in your newly passionate pursuit.
These are 10 habits of passionate people that you can start cultivating today:
1. Wake Up Early:
The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years. ~Thomas Jefferson
Passionate people are usually early risers. There is something magical in rising early, and preferably at dawn. This peaceful period before the rest of the world wake up can be the most productive period of your day.
When I started the habit of waking up early at 4:30 am everyday, I felt like I was not living before. The amount of progress, inner peace, and joy that I experienced all the day made me regret the years in which the sun always caught me in bed!
2. Read Vigorously
I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book. ~Groucho Marx
If you replace some TV time by reading a good book, you’ll be the most educated person among your friends and associates. And you’ll be a high achiever too.
My mentor Jim Cathcart changed his life after he listened to Earl Nightingale on the radio saying that if you studied a certain topic for one hour every day, you’ll become a national expert in 5 years!
There is an amazing quote attributed to Mark Twain that says, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
If you don’t like reading, you can do with audio books. You’ve to find a way to READ, there are no workarounds.
3. Simplify
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~Hans Hofmann
Simplify everything is your work and life. Start by eliminating the unnecessary. Everything that has nothing to do with your passion and purpose should be eliminated. They shouldn’t occupy any space in your daily life, because they are just a waste of time, energy and money.
When you have less needs, and you learn to enjoy more with less, you’ll increase your financial independence too.
4. Slow Down
For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~Lily Tomlin
You can never embrace a life of passion in the middle of a busy, stressful, and chaotic environment.
You must find some quiet time for yourself. Slow down and listen to your inner voice. Slow down and evaluate your progress. Slow down and maintain your focus on what matters most.
If you could develop the habit of waking up early, you’ll find it easier to develop this habit. You can easily find time to breathe, reflect and meditate.
Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. ~John De Paola
5. Workout
Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato
Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley
Health care is very important. So many people follow their passion with great enthusiasm, but they put too much pressure on their body and ignore their overall health and well being. They think they are supposed to work really hard to fulfill their purpose and grow their passion.
These are good intentions, but you should be aware that if you don’t take care of your body, it will soon collapse and this will not serve your passion well.
Health care should be on top of your priorities to maintain a good, prosperous and passionate lifestyle.
One of the best books I’ve read on the topic of health and well-being is 8 Weeks To Optimum Health by Dr. Weil.
6. Practice Daily
The more I practice, the luckier I get. ~Jerry Barber
It has been said that luck is where preparation meets opportunity.
You’ve to practice your passion daily. If you failed to do so, your passion will soon fade away and you’ll be drifted away from the right path by the busyness of life.
Talent can’t survive without or can’t compensate practice.
You don’t even need talent if you exert enough effort in practicing and sharpening your skills.
Practice and be always prepared, so that when the right opportunity presents itself, you are ready to seize it.
7. Network
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~Herman Melville
Surround yourself with passionate people. That’s the most important habit of all. It can accelerate your success like no other habit.
Connecting with passionate people forms the best support system for your passion. You’ll find the good advice, the necessary push, and the continuous encouragement.
What is the point of connecting with people who are still stuck in jobs they hate and not following their passion. What are your going to get from them except discouragement and trying hard to pull you down?
I believe the level you can reach in life is directly proportional to the level where the people you hang the most with exist.
It’s been said that your net-worth is determined by your network.
8. Keep a Gratitude Journal
If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. ~Robert Quillen
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus
Gratitude is the best attitude. ~Author Unknown
This one habit does wonders. Be grateful for what you already have and at the same time aim for the better. Rest assured that when you’re clear about your purpose in life, you’ll recognize better opportunities much easier. Just be patient and grateful.
Remember, when gratitude grows up, more joy shows up.
I urge you to develop the habit of having a “Gratitude Journal”. Every night before you go to sleep, write down just one thing you’re grateful for in the day. Then expect miracles to happen!
My life purpose coaching clients experience amazing results in the first week of doing this exercise.
9. Be Prolific
Over 300 banks refused and the 303rd bank agreed to give Walt Disney a fund to build Disney Land.
Over 1000 restaurants refused and the 1010th restaurant agreed to use Colonel Sanders’s chicken recipe that changed the eating habits of the whole world with KFC.
It took him over a million images spanning 35 years, before Steve McCurry’s photo of Sharbat Gula (The Afgan Girl) was globally recognized and linked to Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa.
134 publishers rejected Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s Chicken Soup for the Soul before it turns into a mega all-time bestseller.
Edison made 1,000 (or 10,000) unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
During his life time, Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting for a very small amount of money. Today, his over 800 known works bring in hundreds of millions.
Mozart died with little to his name. Today, his over 600 pieces of music are considered some of the best ever created!
Can you see a pattern here?
If you want to turn your passion into a worldwide sensation, you got to be prolific and never give up. Keep producing great work, and one may take the world by surprise and make you a globally recognized star.
Produce more work than anyone could think humanly possible. I consider this the secret habit of champions (or legends).
10. Have a Blog
“Blogs are much more powerful than most realize. They’re a simple way to explore and share the thoughts and beliefs you’re excited about and for people to immediately see and provide feedback.” - Scott Dinsmore of Live Your Legend
A blog is a multimedia platform through which you can share your passion with the world in text, audio or video formats. People can come read, listen or watch you delivering your value. And if they like what you do, they will share it with their friends and the community will grow.
It is also a perfect way to practice and share your passion with the world on a daily basis. It ensures a constant strong bond between you and your passion.
These 10 habits will make a huge difference for you. They form a strong foundation to build and grow your passion. Like any habit, it takes time to develop and make them work. But once they are there, you’ll be on the fast track to achieve remarkable success.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
High Fat Diet Better For Diabetes
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-high-fat-diet-lowered-blood-sugar.html
The results of a two-year dietary study led by Hans Guldbrand, general practitioner, and Fredrik Nyström, professor of Internal Medicine, are being published in the prestigious journal Diabetologia. 61 patients were included in the study of Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes. They were randomized into two groups, where they followed either a low-carbohydrate (high fat) diet or a low-fat diet.
In both groups, the participants lost approximately 4 kg on average. In addition, a clear improvement in the glycaemic control was seen in the low-carbohydrate group after six months. Their average blood sugar level dropped from 58.5 to 53.7 mmol/mol (the unit for average blood glucose). This means that the intensity of the treatment for diabetes could also be reduced, and the amounts of insulin were lowered by 30%.
Despite the increased fat intake with a larger portion of saturated fatty acids, their lipoproteins did not get worse. Quite the contrary – the HDL, or 'good' cholesterol, content increased on the high fat diet.
No statistically certain improvements, either of the glycaemic controls or the lipoproteins, were seen in the low-fat group, despite the weight loss.
"You could ask yourself if it really is good to recommend a low-fat diet to patients with diabetes, if despite their weight loss they get neither better lipoproteins nor blood glucose levels," Nyström says.
In the low-carbohydrate diet, 50% of the energy came from fat, 20% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein. For the low-fat group the distribution was 30% from fat, 55-60% from carbohydrates, and 10-15% from protein, which corresponds to the diet recommended by the Swedish National Food Agency.
The participants were recruited from two primary health care centres and met for four group meetings during the first year of the study. All 61 participants remained in the study for the follow-up.
"In contrast to most other studies of this type, we lost no patients at all, which vouches for the good quality of our data," Guldbrand says.
More information: In type 2 diabetes, randomisation to advice to follow a low-carbohydrate diet transiently improves glycaemic control compared with advice to follow a low-fat diet producing a similar weight loss by H. Guldbrand, B. Dizdar, B. Bunjaku, T. Lindström, M. Bachrach-Lindström, M. Fredriksson, C. J. Östgren and F. H. Nyström. Diabetologia online first 9 May 2012.
Provided by Linköping University
High-fat diet lowered blood sugar and improved blood lipids in diabetics
May 11, 2012 in Diabetes
People with Type 2 diabetes are usually advised to keep a low-fat diet. Now, a study at Linköping University shows that food with a lot of fat and few carbohydrates could have a better effect on blood sugar levels and blood lipids.
5 Foods you must not eat: - Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating these 5 foods. - Beyonddiet.com
In both groups, the participants lost approximately 4 kg on average. In addition, a clear improvement in the glycaemic control was seen in the low-carbohydrate group after six months. Their average blood sugar level dropped from 58.5 to 53.7 mmol/mol (the unit for average blood glucose). This means that the intensity of the treatment for diabetes could also be reduced, and the amounts of insulin were lowered by 30%.
Despite the increased fat intake with a larger portion of saturated fatty acids, their lipoproteins did not get worse. Quite the contrary – the HDL, or 'good' cholesterol, content increased on the high fat diet.
No statistically certain improvements, either of the glycaemic controls or the lipoproteins, were seen in the low-fat group, despite the weight loss.
"You could ask yourself if it really is good to recommend a low-fat diet to patients with diabetes, if despite their weight loss they get neither better lipoproteins nor blood glucose levels," Nyström says.
In the low-carbohydrate diet, 50% of the energy came from fat, 20% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein. For the low-fat group the distribution was 30% from fat, 55-60% from carbohydrates, and 10-15% from protein, which corresponds to the diet recommended by the Swedish National Food Agency.
The participants were recruited from two primary health care centres and met for four group meetings during the first year of the study. All 61 participants remained in the study for the follow-up.
"In contrast to most other studies of this type, we lost no patients at all, which vouches for the good quality of our data," Guldbrand says.
More information: In type 2 diabetes, randomisation to advice to follow a low-carbohydrate diet transiently improves glycaemic control compared with advice to follow a low-fat diet producing a similar weight loss by H. Guldbrand, B. Dizdar, B. Bunjaku, T. Lindström, M. Bachrach-Lindström, M. Fredriksson, C. J. Östgren and F. H. Nyström. Diabetologia online first 9 May 2012.
Provided by Linköping University
Monday, May 14, 2012
New Documentary Highlights Health Benefits of Paleo Diet
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/05/14/healthwatch-new-documentary-highlights-health-benefits-of-paleo-diet/
LOS ANGELES (CBS 5) – A new documentary film looks at how one man’s near-death experience caused him to reexamine his diet, and return to ancestral eating habits.
In 1978, at the age of 24, CJ Hunt suffered a cardiac arrest while running on Memorial Day at Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles.
“I went a lap and a half and dropped dead,” said Hunt. He spent 10 days in the cardiac care unit at UCLA and learned he had a heart birth defect known as IHSS, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. “I was given predictions of greater than a 50% chance of dying in the next 2 years.”
The experience started him on a quest for good health. He changed what he ate and experimented with a variety of traditional and non-traditional diets. He followed the standard U.S. Dietary guidelines, he was vegetarian, and even was a raw food vegan for 5 years.
Then a radical about face – Hunt turned carnivore. He started eating meat, fish, and poultry. And, it wasn’t just meat. Hunt, a former reporter, landed on the diet of our ancient ancestors – meat, fish, fowl, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, while staying away from sugars, grains, and dairy. He said he felt great.
Hunt’s dietary conversion led him, in turn, to an around-the-world investigation of the “caveman diet.” His journey is chronicled in the new documentary film, “In Search of the Perfect Human Diet.”
For the film, Hunt interviewed anthropologists, archeologists, authors, and top scientists to piece together a cohesive explanation of the science behind this way of eating.
He went to a dig site in the south of France to see what has been learned from the bones. Hunt found that, while our caveman ancestors were big and strong, once humans began to cultivate grains there was a change for the worse.
“This is when we dropped 4-6 inches in height,” he said. “This is when we got weak and brittle bones. This is when we got rotting around the orbits of our eyes and dental caries.”
Hunt said the introduction of grains fueled brand new diseases, adding “it was not good for our bodies. Tt was the wrong fuel and we paid a big price.”
Science writer Gary Taubes, author of “Why We Get Fat,” said grains and processed foods are fueling our current obesity epidemic.
“The fundamental argument is we didn’t evolve to eat certain foods, and those are refined grains and sugars, foremost. So you remove those from the diet and you see pretty dramatic results pretty quickly.”
Robb Wolf, author of “The Paleo Solution,” agreed.
“What’s the definition of insanity?” asked Wolf. “It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Our medical approach to managing obesity (and) Type 2 diabetes is broken.”
Hunt’s film ends up in a grocery store for a simple “How To Paleo’ lesson with another physician, Dr. Lane Sebring, who said skip the biomolecular nutrition and the evolutionary nutrition—just keep it simple.
“(Sebring) creates these distinctions between human foods and non-human foods,” said Hunt. “You can’t get any simpler than that.”
LOS ANGELES (CBS 5) – A new documentary film looks at how one man’s near-death experience caused him to reexamine his diet, and return to ancestral eating habits.
In 1978, at the age of 24, CJ Hunt suffered a cardiac arrest while running on Memorial Day at Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles.
“I went a lap and a half and dropped dead,” said Hunt. He spent 10 days in the cardiac care unit at UCLA and learned he had a heart birth defect known as IHSS, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. “I was given predictions of greater than a 50% chance of dying in the next 2 years.”
The experience started him on a quest for good health. He changed what he ate and experimented with a variety of traditional and non-traditional diets. He followed the standard U.S. Dietary guidelines, he was vegetarian, and even was a raw food vegan for 5 years.
Then a radical about face – Hunt turned carnivore. He started eating meat, fish, and poultry. And, it wasn’t just meat. Hunt, a former reporter, landed on the diet of our ancient ancestors – meat, fish, fowl, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, while staying away from sugars, grains, and dairy. He said he felt great.
Hunt’s dietary conversion led him, in turn, to an around-the-world investigation of the “caveman diet.” His journey is chronicled in the new documentary film, “In Search of the Perfect Human Diet.”
For the film, Hunt interviewed anthropologists, archeologists, authors, and top scientists to piece together a cohesive explanation of the science behind this way of eating.
He went to a dig site in the south of France to see what has been learned from the bones. Hunt found that, while our caveman ancestors were big and strong, once humans began to cultivate grains there was a change for the worse.
“This is when we dropped 4-6 inches in height,” he said. “This is when we got weak and brittle bones. This is when we got rotting around the orbits of our eyes and dental caries.”
Hunt said the introduction of grains fueled brand new diseases, adding “it was not good for our bodies. Tt was the wrong fuel and we paid a big price.”
Science writer Gary Taubes, author of “Why We Get Fat,” said grains and processed foods are fueling our current obesity epidemic.
“The fundamental argument is we didn’t evolve to eat certain foods, and those are refined grains and sugars, foremost. So you remove those from the diet and you see pretty dramatic results pretty quickly.”
Robb Wolf, author of “The Paleo Solution,” agreed.
“What’s the definition of insanity?” asked Wolf. “It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Our medical approach to managing obesity (and) Type 2 diabetes is broken.”
Hunt’s film ends up in a grocery store for a simple “How To Paleo’ lesson with another physician, Dr. Lane Sebring, who said skip the biomolecular nutrition and the evolutionary nutrition—just keep it simple.
“(Sebring) creates these distinctions between human foods and non-human foods,” said Hunt. “You can’t get any simpler than that.”
4 Essential Anti-Cancer Foods
http://www.trueactivist.com/4-essential-anti-cancer-foods-to-add-to-your-diet/
Could it be that cancer rates are so rampant because people are simply not eating the right foods? While there are many factors that play into the development of cancer, diet and smoking habits make up nearly 60 percent of cancer cases. The good news is that with dietary and lifestyle changes, cancer rates can drop dramatically. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against cancer is to consume many cancer fighting foods – here are 4 of them you should never forget about.
Turmeric (Curcumin): Among the most currently researched of cancer fighting foods, turmeric has repeatedly been shown to be an effective cancer fighter, and can even block cancer growth. Previously found to reduce tumors by an astounding 81%, the naturally occurring compound found in turmeric, curcumin, exhibits numerous anti-cancer properties. Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin is the component harnessing the ability to actually block cancer growth. Not surprisingly, the cancer-fighting ability that turmeric makes up only a single facet of the many benefits of turmeric.
Papaya Leaf Extract: A study conducted by University of Florida researchers Dr. Nam Dang and colleagues in Japan has documented papaya’s powerful anti-cancer properties and impact against numerous lab-grown tumors – and without the negative consequences of chemotherapy. The researchers used papaya leaf extract for the study conduction, with the anti-cancer effects being even stronger with a larger dose of the extract. What’s more, the extract can be taken for an extended time without side effects. Another study also shows how papaya leaf extract is able to fight various cancers including cervical, breast, liver, lung, and pancreatic, while aiding the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems.
Ginger: Adding another to the list of cancer fighting foods, ginger, a cousin spice of super anti-cancer substance turmeric, is known for its ability to shrink tumors. The subject of one study based out of Georgia State University, whole ginger extract was revealed to shrink prostate tumor size by 56% in mice. The anti-cancer properties were observed in addition to ginger’s role in reducing inflammation, as well as being a rich source of life-enhancing antioxidants. You definitely won’t want to disregard the health benefits of ginger.
Garlic: For centuries, the benefits of garlic have been experienced by many cultures for the treatment and prevention of disease; garlic’s status as one of the cancer-fighting foods is perhaps one of the most well known. Scientists believe that the anti-cancer properties may be due to the production of something known as hydrogen sulfide. Also known to protect the heart, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that damage to the heart muscle as a result of heart attack is halted by directly injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice. Researchers believe that the production of hydrogen sulfide is responsible for garlic’s ability to prevent various cancers including, prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
Beating cancer with nutrition is possible, you simply must recognize which foods to consume.
Could it be that cancer rates are so rampant because people are simply not eating the right foods? While there are many factors that play into the development of cancer, diet and smoking habits make up nearly 60 percent of cancer cases. The good news is that with dietary and lifestyle changes, cancer rates can drop dramatically. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against cancer is to consume many cancer fighting foods – here are 4 of them you should never forget about.
Turmeric (Curcumin): Among the most currently researched of cancer fighting foods, turmeric has repeatedly been shown to be an effective cancer fighter, and can even block cancer growth. Previously found to reduce tumors by an astounding 81%, the naturally occurring compound found in turmeric, curcumin, exhibits numerous anti-cancer properties. Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin is the component harnessing the ability to actually block cancer growth. Not surprisingly, the cancer-fighting ability that turmeric makes up only a single facet of the many benefits of turmeric.
Papaya Leaf Extract: A study conducted by University of Florida researchers Dr. Nam Dang and colleagues in Japan has documented papaya’s powerful anti-cancer properties and impact against numerous lab-grown tumors – and without the negative consequences of chemotherapy. The researchers used papaya leaf extract for the study conduction, with the anti-cancer effects being even stronger with a larger dose of the extract. What’s more, the extract can be taken for an extended time without side effects. Another study also shows how papaya leaf extract is able to fight various cancers including cervical, breast, liver, lung, and pancreatic, while aiding the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems.
Ginger: Adding another to the list of cancer fighting foods, ginger, a cousin spice of super anti-cancer substance turmeric, is known for its ability to shrink tumors. The subject of one study based out of Georgia State University, whole ginger extract was revealed to shrink prostate tumor size by 56% in mice. The anti-cancer properties were observed in addition to ginger’s role in reducing inflammation, as well as being a rich source of life-enhancing antioxidants. You definitely won’t want to disregard the health benefits of ginger.
Garlic: For centuries, the benefits of garlic have been experienced by many cultures for the treatment and prevention of disease; garlic’s status as one of the cancer-fighting foods is perhaps one of the most well known. Scientists believe that the anti-cancer properties may be due to the production of something known as hydrogen sulfide. Also known to protect the heart, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that damage to the heart muscle as a result of heart attack is halted by directly injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice. Researchers believe that the production of hydrogen sulfide is responsible for garlic’s ability to prevent various cancers including, prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
Beating cancer with nutrition is possible, you simply must recognize which foods to consume.
39 Ways to Improve Your Life
http://jasonferruggia.com/39-ways-to-not-be-like-everyone-else/
Here are 39 ways that would be a good start.
1) Eat only organic produce and organic, grass fed meat. Avoid any factory farmed meat like the plague and try your best to avoid conventionally grown produce when possible.
2) Eliminate sugar from your diet completely. Fruit doesn’t count.
3) Cut out all processed foods.
4) Dairy, soy, wheat, sugar, white flour and legumes are inflammatory for the majority of people. Get rid of them.
5) Don’t piss away all your money on bogus, bullshit supplements.
6) Drink a gallon of water per day.
7) Cut out all other beverages. Except for green tea, a limited amount of coffee and some vodka now and then.
8) Practice intermittent fasting on a daily or weekly basis or at least go longer between meals.
9) Get to bed by 10:30 or 11pm every night.
10) Have a routine that helps you wind down each night. Lower the lights, read, etc.
11) Get off of the computer at least two hours before bed. The screen over stimulates your pineal gland and messes with your ability to sleep.
12) Buy the most expensive mattress and sheets you can afford. It’s where you spend a third of your life.
13) Use big compound barbell lifts, gymnastics and strongman exercises to create a well rounded, functional, strong, muscular physique.
14) Focus on a handful of exercises from each category and stick with them until you are really good at them and can no longer make progress. This will probably be years.
15) Train heavy (but in a safe manner). I can never say this often enough.
16) Stick with programs for more than a few weeks. Months or years might be more appropriate in some cases. This also bears repeating. Too many people are program jumpers and get nowhere.
17) Put all of your efforts into a few things that actually make a difference, instead of trying a million options that all do next to nothing.
18) Find a way to get focused. Somehow, some way. Most people have zero focus and thus zero control of their lives. Don’t be another multitasking, confused, out of control, getting nowhere fast member of society. We have more than enough of those.
19) Don’t replace real strength training with some clown like “metabolic conditioning” workout because you think it will help you lose fat faster. It won’t. You lift weights to get bigger, stronger and more explosive. Remember that.
20) Keep a training journal. Record everything. Always try to improve, slowly, over time. Not necessarily workout to workout but over months and years.
21) Train outside more often. Fresh air and natural Vitamin D production are very underrated.
22) Do hill sprints.
23) Pick up and carry or drag heavy shit.
24) Get at least 20 minutes of sunlight per day without sunscreen.
25) Floss daily.
26) Eliminate excess clutter and bullshit from your life. Minimalism…
27) Have sex three times per week, minimum. Preferably with hot chicks.
28) Never allow yourself to get too fat.
29) Never allow your conditioning to slip too much. Always stay in shape.
30) Meditate.
31) Play a sport or perform some type of fun physical activity once in a while, even if just on weekends with friends. Hike, surf, play volleyball, tennis, flag football, swim, whatever…
32) Read a book. In fact, read lots of books. Aim for at least two per month.
33) Never hang out or associate with negative people. Cut them out of your life permanently.
34) Reduce stress in your life.
35) Check email far less often than you do right now.
36) Watch less TV than you do right now.
37) Never hate or be jealous of anyone. It takes too much energy; energy that could be used to better your life.
38) Listen to Public Enemy.
39) Read this site daily.
Here are 39 ways that would be a good start.
1) Eat only organic produce and organic, grass fed meat. Avoid any factory farmed meat like the plague and try your best to avoid conventionally grown produce when possible.
2) Eliminate sugar from your diet completely. Fruit doesn’t count.
3) Cut out all processed foods.
4) Dairy, soy, wheat, sugar, white flour and legumes are inflammatory for the majority of people. Get rid of them.
5) Don’t piss away all your money on bogus, bullshit supplements.
6) Drink a gallon of water per day.
7) Cut out all other beverages. Except for green tea, a limited amount of coffee and some vodka now and then.
8) Practice intermittent fasting on a daily or weekly basis or at least go longer between meals.
9) Get to bed by 10:30 or 11pm every night.
10) Have a routine that helps you wind down each night. Lower the lights, read, etc.
11) Get off of the computer at least two hours before bed. The screen over stimulates your pineal gland and messes with your ability to sleep.
12) Buy the most expensive mattress and sheets you can afford. It’s where you spend a third of your life.
13) Use big compound barbell lifts, gymnastics and strongman exercises to create a well rounded, functional, strong, muscular physique.
14) Focus on a handful of exercises from each category and stick with them until you are really good at them and can no longer make progress. This will probably be years.
15) Train heavy (but in a safe manner). I can never say this often enough.
16) Stick with programs for more than a few weeks. Months or years might be more appropriate in some cases. This also bears repeating. Too many people are program jumpers and get nowhere.
17) Put all of your efforts into a few things that actually make a difference, instead of trying a million options that all do next to nothing.
18) Find a way to get focused. Somehow, some way. Most people have zero focus and thus zero control of their lives. Don’t be another multitasking, confused, out of control, getting nowhere fast member of society. We have more than enough of those.
19) Don’t replace real strength training with some clown like “metabolic conditioning” workout because you think it will help you lose fat faster. It won’t. You lift weights to get bigger, stronger and more explosive. Remember that.
20) Keep a training journal. Record everything. Always try to improve, slowly, over time. Not necessarily workout to workout but over months and years.
21) Train outside more often. Fresh air and natural Vitamin D production are very underrated.
22) Do hill sprints.
23) Pick up and carry or drag heavy shit.
24) Get at least 20 minutes of sunlight per day without sunscreen.
25) Floss daily.
26) Eliminate excess clutter and bullshit from your life. Minimalism…
27) Have sex three times per week, minimum. Preferably with hot chicks.
28) Never allow yourself to get too fat.
29) Never allow your conditioning to slip too much. Always stay in shape.
30) Meditate.
31) Play a sport or perform some type of fun physical activity once in a while, even if just on weekends with friends. Hike, surf, play volleyball, tennis, flag football, swim, whatever…
32) Read a book. In fact, read lots of books. Aim for at least two per month.
33) Never hang out or associate with negative people. Cut them out of your life permanently.
34) Reduce stress in your life.
35) Check email far less often than you do right now.
36) Watch less TV than you do right now.
37) Never hate or be jealous of anyone. It takes too much energy; energy that could be used to better your life.
38) Listen to Public Enemy.
39) Read this site daily.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Why the Campaign to Stop America's Obesity Crisis Keeps Failing
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/06/why-the-campaign-to-stop-america-s-obesity-crisis-keeps-failing.html
If the latest research is any indication, sugar may have been the primary problem all along. Back in the 1980s, the FDA gave sugar a free pass based on the idea that the evidence wasn’t conclusive. While the government spent hundreds of millions trying to prove that salt and saturated fat are bad for our health, it spent virtually nothing on sugar. Had it targeted sugar then, instead of waiting for an obesity and diabetes epidemic for motivation, our entire food culture and the options that go with it might have changed as they did with low-fat and low-salt foods.
If the latest research is any indication, sugar may have been the primary problem all along. Back in the 1980s, the FDA gave sugar a free pass based on the idea that the evidence wasn’t conclusive. While the government spent hundreds of millions trying to prove that salt and saturated fat are bad for our health, it spent virtually nothing on sugar. Had it targeted sugar then, instead of waiting for an obesity and diabetes epidemic for motivation, our entire food culture and the options that go with it might have changed as they did with low-fat and low-salt foods.
So what should we eat? The latest clinical trials suggest that all of us would benefit from fewer (if any) sugars and fewer refined grains (bread, pasta) and starchy vegetables (potatoes). This was the conventional wisdom through the mid-1960s, and then we turned the grains and starches into heart-healthy diet foods and the USDA enshrined them in the base of its famous Food Guide Pyramid as the staples of our diet. That this shift coincides with the obesity epidemic is probably not a coincidence. As for those of us who are overweight, experimental trials, the gold standard of medical evidence, suggest that diets that are severely restricted in fattening carbohydrates and rich in animal products—meat, eggs, cheese—and green leafy vegetables are arguably the best approach, if not the healthiest diet to eat. Not only does weight go down when people eat like this, but heart disease and diabetes risk factors are reduced. Ethical arguments against meat-eating are always valid; health arguments against it can no longer be defended.
If The Weight of the Nation accomplishes anything, it’s communicating the desperation of obese Americans trying to understand their condition and, even more, of lean (or relatively lean) parents trying to cope with the obesity of their offspring. Lack of will isn’t their problem. It’s the absence of advice that might actually work. If our authorities on this subject could accept that maybe their fundamental understanding of the problem needs to be rethought, we and they might begin to make progress. Clearly the conventional wisdom has failed so far. We can hold onto it only so long.
In Defense of Fat
http://www.indefenseoffat.com/
The more we try to fix the obesity epidemic, the bigger we become.
"In Defense of Fat" clarifies the complex relationship between human evolutionary history and the science - and politics - of nutrition and health. The film is firmly rooted in current scientific research on Ancestral Health, a theory which proposes that the human body is not adapted to an agricultural diet, and especially not to the many processed foods in our daily lives. As a result, 'healthy' low fat diets and "essential" carbohydrates may actually increase rates of diabetes and obesity, and dietary fat may not be to blame for our expanding waistlines.
Despite cultural beliefs to the contrary, current metabolic research has proven that obesity is not the result of poor self-care, ignorance, or a lack of self-control. This issue warrants a more nuanced look, taking government policy, agribusiness and current theories on nutrition into consideration. "In Defense of Fat" turns the microscope on media and medical research, deconstructing the "diet talk" that informs and misinforms while shaping our understanding of bodies, size, health.
The sensational language and divisive attitude that characterizes discussions about obesity has made it difficult to make informed decisions about our health, bodies, and weight. Understanding the political, cultural, historical, and evolutionary context that has brought us to our current state is crucial if we want to improve health on a culture-wide scale. This film allows people of all sizes an introduction to a new way of thinking about food, metabolism, diet, weight, fitness and, of course, fat.
The more we try to fix the obesity epidemic, the bigger we become.
"In Defense of Fat" clarifies the complex relationship between human evolutionary history and the science - and politics - of nutrition and health. The film is firmly rooted in current scientific research on Ancestral Health, a theory which proposes that the human body is not adapted to an agricultural diet, and especially not to the many processed foods in our daily lives. As a result, 'healthy' low fat diets and "essential" carbohydrates may actually increase rates of diabetes and obesity, and dietary fat may not be to blame for our expanding waistlines.
Despite cultural beliefs to the contrary, current metabolic research has proven that obesity is not the result of poor self-care, ignorance, or a lack of self-control. This issue warrants a more nuanced look, taking government policy, agribusiness and current theories on nutrition into consideration. "In Defense of Fat" turns the microscope on media and medical research, deconstructing the "diet talk" that informs and misinforms while shaping our understanding of bodies, size, health.
The sensational language and divisive attitude that characterizes discussions about obesity has made it difficult to make informed decisions about our health, bodies, and weight. Understanding the political, cultural, historical, and evolutionary context that has brought us to our current state is crucial if we want to improve health on a culture-wide scale. This film allows people of all sizes an introduction to a new way of thinking about food, metabolism, diet, weight, fitness and, of course, fat.
Bring Back the Butter
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2143477/Bring-butter--cheese-red-meat-milk-How-low-fat-obsession-harm-health-says-nutritionist.html
By Zoe Harcombe
|
I love butter. Smothered on vegetables or, best of all, melted over a juicy sirloin steak.
And I eat masses of red meat – lamb chops or my favourite, pork belly.
Sometimes we’ll put a piece in the oven at lunchtime, and slow cook it to make the crackling really crunchy by evening.
My only two rules are that the meat has to be good quality and that all the fat is left on.
As a food expert, I spend my working life imploring the public to eat a nutritious diet – so I know these may sound like odd admissions.
What I am suggesting flies in the face of everything you have heard about healthy eating.
But I firmly believe that we all need to eat more fat – including the much-demonised saturated fat. I’m not talking about junk foods but fresh meats and dairy.
There should be a shift back to butter, full-fat milk and red meat – all often labelled high sat-fat foods – as they are nutritional gold mines.
All food containing fat contains all three types of it: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. You cannot separate them. So a food naturally high in saturated fat will also contain the other two.
In simple terms, fats are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. We eat fat, it is digested and enters the bloodstream where it transports the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K round the body.
This is partly why I find the idea of removing fat from natural food ludicrous. Take full-fat milk – this contains all four fat-soluble vitamins. If you take out the fat, you remove the delivery system.
I believe our misguided choice of man-made, low-fat versions of natural products – cheese, yoghurts, spreads rather than butter, and the like – is one of the reasons we are low in Vitamin A.
According to the most recent Family Food Survey from 2010, the average person’s daily intake of a type of Vitamin A, retinol – vital for the health of the skin, hair, eyes and the immune system, is little over half of what is recommended.
The same survey also shows that we are consuming just two-thirds of our Vitamin E requirement – essential for immune health. Many of these fatty foods also contain vital calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron.
Fat also supplies energy – eating a nice piece of bacon, fat and all, will keep you feeling fuller for longer than the supposedly slow-burning carbs in porridge.
Fat also has a key role in creating the outer layer of all our cells. So put butter on your vegetables – spinach, carrots and kale may contain Vitamin A in the form of betacarotene, but without fat to help it digest, it won’t necessarily be properly absorbed.
The Department of Health bases its daily dietary recommendations – for men and women that’s no more than 30g and 20g of saturated fat respectively and about 95g and 70g of total fat – on a report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA).
This 1984 booklet’s sub-section on fat intake claimed that comparisons between countries had shown those with lower national fat intakes had lower rates of death from heart disease.
This was based on the findings of the Seven Countries Study, published in 1970. It has been criticised for looking only at nations that proved the theory – including the USA, Finland, Japan and former Yugoslavia.
France, Austria and Switzerland were left out, and many argued that was because their fat intakes were high but heart disease deaths were lower than America.
The COMA report admits: ‘There has been no controlled clinical trial of the effect of decreasing dietary intake of saturated fatty acids on the incidence of coronary heart disease.’
Nor is there likely to ever be – it is extremely difficult to measure the effect on the body of fat eaten in isolation, without any other environmental factors or previous health history. It seems bizarre that we are following rules based on such shaky evidence.
In my opinion, there shouldn’t be any limit for fat consumption. But won’t we get fat? Not at all. There is little evidence that eating fat makes you put on weight.
A 1956 study gave patients alternating diets of high fat and high carbohydrate. On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet based on carbohydrates, they all gained weight and on a 2,600-calories-a-day diet based on fat, they all lost weight.
The body absorbs the fat it needs and excretes the excess. I’m not saying don’t eat carbs – glucose is needed to supply the brain with energy.
But we don’t need to eat bread, which causes blood sugar levels to rise and leads to weight gain unless a person is very active soon after.
And low-fat food can contain a ridiculous amounts of added sugars. A 2006 Which report looked at 275 different types of cereals from a range of retailers and manufacturers.
More than three-quarters of the cereals had high levels of sugar, which will make you put on weight.
Back in the Seventies, we consumed more than 50g of saturated fat a day. Now we eat about half that, consuming half the eggs, and one-fifth of the butter and whole milk.
Yet as our fat consumption dropped, a strange thing happened and it defies our dietary assumptions.
By 1999 obesity levels had risen from 2.7 per cent in both sexes to 22.6 per cent in men and 25.8 per cent in women. We are the biggest we have ever been, and yet we have never consumed less fat.
What nobody should do is rush out and stock up on ice cream and cake. Pure cream is about 35 per cent fat while Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream contains 15g of fat per 100g.
But the sugar content of the former is almost zero, while the latter has a whopping 25g of sugar per 100g.
Any fat left in the ice cream is probably the most nutritious part. It is the carbohydrates and sugar in junk foods that are to blame for massive weight gain.
Red meat has been linked to colon cancer. But these studies didn’t eliminate people with unhealthy lifestyles or high junk-food intake, so no real direct causal link between meat and cancer has been proven.
As a nutrition expert, people come to me complaining of bloating, digestive problems, lack of energy and weight problems.
I tell them to stop eating processed foods and stop basing their diet on starches – bread, potatoes and rice are poor sources of vitamins – and to eat only what I call real foods: meat, fish, dairy and vegetables.
More often than not, they lose weight and feel better. My message is clear: it’s time to return to the old ways and stop treating fat like our worst enemy.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2143477/Bring-butter--cheese-red-meat-milk-How-low-fat-obsession-harm-health-says-nutritionist.html#ixzz1ukc9cTlJ
Bring back butter... and cheese, red meat and whole milk! How our low-fat obsession may harm our health, says nutritionist
By Zoe Harcombe
|
I love butter. Smothered on vegetables or, best of all, melted over a juicy sirloin steak.
And I eat masses of red meat – lamb chops or my favourite, pork belly.
Sometimes we’ll put a piece in the oven at lunchtime, and slow cook it to make the crackling really crunchy by evening.
Spread the word: Butter is a nutritional goldmine says our
expert
My only two rules are that the meat has to be good quality and that all the fat is left on.
As a food expert, I spend my working life imploring the public to eat a nutritious diet – so I know these may sound like odd admissions.
What I am suggesting flies in the face of everything you have heard about healthy eating.
But I firmly believe that we all need to eat more fat – including the much-demonised saturated fat. I’m not talking about junk foods but fresh meats and dairy.
There should be a shift back to butter, full-fat milk and red meat – all often labelled high sat-fat foods – as they are nutritional gold mines.
Fat helps you absorb vitamins
All food containing fat contains all three types of it: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. You cannot separate them. So a food naturally high in saturated fat will also contain the other two.
In simple terms, fats are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. We eat fat, it is digested and enters the bloodstream where it transports the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K round the body.
This is partly why I find the idea of removing fat from natural food ludicrous. Take full-fat milk – this contains all four fat-soluble vitamins. If you take out the fat, you remove the delivery system.
I believe our misguided choice of man-made, low-fat versions of natural products – cheese, yoghurts, spreads rather than butter, and the like – is one of the reasons we are low in Vitamin A.
Delicious: The two key rules about meat is that it has to
be good quality and that all the fat is left on
According to the most recent Family Food Survey from 2010, the average person’s daily intake of a type of Vitamin A, retinol – vital for the health of the skin, hair, eyes and the immune system, is little over half of what is recommended.
The same survey also shows that we are consuming just two-thirds of our Vitamin E requirement – essential for immune health. Many of these fatty foods also contain vital calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron.
Fat also supplies energy – eating a nice piece of bacon, fat and all, will keep you feeling fuller for longer than the supposedly slow-burning carbs in porridge.
Fat also has a key role in creating the outer layer of all our cells. So put butter on your vegetables – spinach, carrots and kale may contain Vitamin A in the form of betacarotene, but without fat to help it digest, it won’t necessarily be properly absorbed.
The mystery of diet regulations
The Department of Health bases its daily dietary recommendations – for men and women that’s no more than 30g and 20g of saturated fat respectively and about 95g and 70g of total fat – on a report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA).
This 1984 booklet’s sub-section on fat intake claimed that comparisons between countries had shown those with lower national fat intakes had lower rates of death from heart disease.
This was based on the findings of the Seven Countries Study, published in 1970. It has been criticised for looking only at nations that proved the theory – including the USA, Finland, Japan and former Yugoslavia.
France, Austria and Switzerland were left out, and many argued that was because their fat intakes were high but heart disease deaths were lower than America.
The COMA report admits: ‘There has been no controlled clinical trial of the effect of decreasing dietary intake of saturated fatty acids on the incidence of coronary heart disease.’
Nor is there likely to ever be – it is extremely difficult to measure the effect on the body of fat eaten in isolation, without any other environmental factors or previous health history. It seems bizarre that we are following rules based on such shaky evidence.
Eating fat won't make you fat
In my opinion, there shouldn’t be any limit for fat consumption. But won’t we get fat? Not at all. There is little evidence that eating fat makes you put on weight.
A 1956 study gave patients alternating diets of high fat and high carbohydrate. On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet based on carbohydrates, they all gained weight and on a 2,600-calories-a-day diet based on fat, they all lost weight.
The body absorbs the fat it needs and excretes the excess. I’m not saying don’t eat carbs – glucose is needed to supply the brain with energy.
But we don’t need to eat bread, which causes blood sugar levels to rise and leads to weight gain unless a person is very active soon after.
Junk: Good quality fat is a nutritional goldmine - but
junk food lacks vital vitamins and minerals
And low-fat food can contain a ridiculous amounts of added sugars. A 2006 Which report looked at 275 different types of cereals from a range of retailers and manufacturers.
More than three-quarters of the cereals had high levels of sugar, which will make you put on weight.
Back in the Seventies, we consumed more than 50g of saturated fat a day. Now we eat about half that, consuming half the eggs, and one-fifth of the butter and whole milk.
Yet as our fat consumption dropped, a strange thing happened and it defies our dietary assumptions.
By 1999 obesity levels had risen from 2.7 per cent in both sexes to 22.6 per cent in men and 25.8 per cent in women. We are the biggest we have ever been, and yet we have never consumed less fat.
Choose real foods not junk
What nobody should do is rush out and stock up on ice cream and cake. Pure cream is about 35 per cent fat while Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream contains 15g of fat per 100g.
But the sugar content of the former is almost zero, while the latter has a whopping 25g of sugar per 100g.
Any fat left in the ice cream is probably the most nutritious part. It is the carbohydrates and sugar in junk foods that are to blame for massive weight gain.
Red meat has been linked to colon cancer. But these studies didn’t eliminate people with unhealthy lifestyles or high junk-food intake, so no real direct causal link between meat and cancer has been proven.
As a nutrition expert, people come to me complaining of bloating, digestive problems, lack of energy and weight problems.
I tell them to stop eating processed foods and stop basing their diet on starches – bread, potatoes and rice are poor sources of vitamins – and to eat only what I call real foods: meat, fish, dairy and vegetables.
More often than not, they lose weight and feel better. My message is clear: it’s time to return to the old ways and stop treating fat like our worst enemy.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2143477/Bring-butter--cheese-red-meat-milk-How-low-fat-obsession-harm-health-says-nutritionist.html#ixzz1ukc9cTlJ
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