Positive Health Online

Current Modern Diet Mythology

First of all let's debunk a few of the myths, not only in the media but also in mainstream science, medicine, nutrition and even in your local doctor's office or in your local natural health centre!

In an earlier article we debunked the myth that we can easily achieve a well-balanced diet.[1] We outlined why 'empty food' lies at the heart of the reasons for much of modern illness – it is lacking the essential sugars (also known as glyconutrients) that our bodies need. That is just the beginning of the problem.

There are several other factors that we need to understand before we can proceed to offer a solution.

Fact 1

Americans spend $30 billion per year on weight loss programmes and products and yet 64% of the US population are still overweight, and the numbers are crawling up inexorably. The fad diets, raw stimulants, carbohydrate and fat blockers, and countless miracle 'Fat-Be-Gone' in-a-bottle products all offer many false promises and few long-lasting results.

More importantly, the question is: are these fad diets and products putting your health at risk? You may be getting lean for a short time, but most of us then 'plateau' and put the original weight right back on – and a lot more, in many cases. But, are you really healthy, as a result? The answer is probably no.

Fact 2

The UK is the second fattest country in the world, hot on the heels of the USA.

Most adults in the UK are overweight and one in five, around 8 million, is obese. Currently, 30,000 deaths annually are linked to obesity. Although the prevalence in the UK is marginally lower than that in the United States, there has been a big increase that parallels the US trend. In fact, if the trend continues, by 2005 a quarter of women and a fifth of men could be obese.[2]

According to the UK's Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, 'the increase in obesity reflects changes in lifestyle, the increasing mechanization of modern life, people being more sedentary, and a diet richer in energy dense foods."[2]

Just as our lifestyles have moved to a faster pace, so have our food choices. Junk food has become a way of life for many of us. The result is that we are paying a deadly price for super-sized cheeseburgers and chips.

The number of people in the UK who are grossly
overweight tripled in the last 20 years.
Currently the figures stand at approximately 60%.
Source: The UK National Audit Office

Fact 3

US studies show that obesity is linked to more than a two-fold increase in premature death. The top three killers in America – heart disease, diabetes and cancer – are related to obesity and poor nutrition. (See boxes opposite).

What is the answer to this international epidemic? The search for the 'Perfect Diet'?

What is an optimal diet that is capable of decreasing body fat while at the same time improving overall health and reducing the risk of chronic illness?

Unfortunately, in our search for the answer we all too often turn to the media, popular lay publications and the hottest bestseller to answer this question. From Atkins to Ornish, we are confronted with conflicting recommendations and misconceptions.

One fact is indisputable: what we have been doing is not working.

In the early 1980s, Americans jumped on the low-fat craze – we saw sales of 'Low-Fat This' and 'Low-Fat That', etc., soar as our waistlines expanded! The most common of all nutritional mantras is the relationship between saturated fats and heart disease.

Unfortunately, this has led to widespread fear of fat and vast misunderstanding.

Good Fats vs Bad Fats

Fat is a source of energy that supplies the fatty acids necessary for proper functioning. In fact there are essential fatty acids that must be obtained from the diet. Fats are also required for transport of the fat-soluble vitamins into the body. Low fat is NOT the answer.

Although the work of Dean Ornish[3] is often cited in support of low-fat diets, the participants in his study underwent vigorous lifestyle changes, which included smoking cessation, stress management, exercise and a low-fat (nearly vegan) diet (the only animal products allowed were egg whites and non-fat milk or yoghurt). At the end of one year, the group did show an overall regression of atherosclerotic plaques. While the study was instrumental in demonstrating that lifestyle changes could be a powerful tool in the management of heart disease, to extrapolate that this study proves the value of a low-fat diet is fallacious.

Additionally, a factor often overlooked is the effect that a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet has on lipid profiles. The experimental groups did have an overall reduction in cholesterol, but there was a concomitant reduction in high- density lipoprotein (HDL) and an increase in triglycerides.

Cholesterol Crazy

Still, cholesterol-mania continued to spur on the low-fat craze. For years, people were taught that low fat meant low cholesterol. The reality is that any diet – low fat or high fat – that promotes an imbalance in fatty acid profiles is unhealthy.

A detailed explanation of the delicate balance of fatty acids is beyond the scope of this article. However, an understanding that there are 'good fats' and 'bad fats' is essential. A healthy diet should avoid not only saturated fats but should include moderate amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats actually reduce total blood cholesterol by lowering the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) fraction while keeping the HDL stable.[4]

The Atkins Diet and Ketosis?

Only glucose can provide the energy for brain cells, other nerve cells, and developing red blood cells. Ketosis (fat-burning) was likely an important survival mechanism for early man. This back-up process allowed him to survive periods of starvation and severe carbohydrate restriction. Traditional cultures that survived on largely animal-based diets consumed the organs, eyes, glands and gonads of their prey and thus derived significant nutrients.

Modern ketogenic diets are based on common American foods (red meats, eggs and cheeses). They do not qualify the source of animal proteins (e.g. salmon vs bacon). In general, today's diets are primarily concerned with limiting carbohydrate intake without regard to overall food quality. The modern ketogenic diets with their unbalanced, nutrient-poor, and often absurd dietary recommendations are difficult to support.

Ketosis occurs during states of severe caloric or carbohydrate restriction (less than 20-30g per day). Aside from the ketogenic diets, most of the low- carbohydrate diets are not nearly this restrictive. However, proponents of the low-carbohydrate diets are missing part of the picture. All carbohydrates are not created equal. Carbohydrates can be classified in terms of their glycaemic index (GI).

The Glycaemic Index

The glycaemic index (GI) is a measure of the effect of food on blood glucose levels. It is the ratio of the blood glucose value after eating a particular food to the value after eating the same amount of whole bread or glucose.

To quote Insel et al:

"The Glycaemic Effect refers to the way blood glucose responds to foods: how quickly glucose is absorbed after a person eats, how high the blood glucose level rises, and how quickly it returns to normal. Slow absorption, a modest rise in blood glucose, and a smooth return to normal are desirable (a low glycaemic effect); fast absorption, a surge in blood glucose, and an overreaction that plunges glucose below normal are undesirable (a high glycaemic effect).

"Proponents of the low glycaemic diets attribute the rise in obesity to an over-consumption of high glycaemic carbohydrates. Perhaps more importantly, those in favor of using the glycaemic index in Meal Planning state that lowering the GI of diet reduces insulin secretion and improves glucose and lipid metabolism. Consequently, a low glycaemic diet may help prevent heart disease and diabetes. It may also help prevent obesity.

"Fibres and other slowly digested carbohydrates prolong the presence of foods in the digestive tract, thus providing greater satiety and diminishing the insulin response, which can help with weight control. In contrast, the rapid absorption of glucose from a high glycaemic diet seems to promote overeating in overweight people".[5]

Why Follow Low GI?

Health benefits can be significant. "[Meals] that emphasize low-GI foods decrease risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve blood sugar control in people who are already afflicted. Such diets also reduce the risk of colon cancer and may help reduce heart disease risk as well. They lower blood lipid levels and improve insulin sensitivity, two important factors in the development of heart disease."[4]

Why does following a high-glycaemic diet cause such problems? Dr Steve Nugent, a prominent US naturopath, considers that this is a complex issue, but to simplify matters puts it this way:

"…if your blood sugar rises sharply enough after eating it causes an insulin reaction that shuts off the body's normal mechanism of converting carbohydrate foods into energy and instead causes that carbohydrate food to become fat deposits on your body or in your arteries. A diet, which is low in fat and cholesterol but high glycaemic, can still result in weight gain and heart disease.

"This points out the major flaw with the old adage – to lose weight is simply a matter of calories in vs calories out. It is interesting that a 1000-calorie piece of steak will not trigger an insulin response, whereas a 1000-calorie baked potato will. Although this is recognized in four western nations most doctors in the US haven't gotten this message yet. Harvard Medical School has recognized it and published on it the Harvard Women's Health Watch."

What about the USDA Food Pyramid? Following a low-GI diet is so different from the current USDA recommendations that many experts are hesitant to go against this 'sacred cow' of nutrition guidelines. However, this traditional nutrition dogma is starting to change. As noted above, a proposed new food pyramid, as was recently published by Harvard University, encourages greater consumption of low-glycaemic foods. (See figure below.)

Harvared dared to turn the current food pyramid upside-down. In October 2001, Harvard University Medical School published an article that cited research that linked an increased risk to heart health with diets that have high glycaemic loads. They studied 75,521 women for 10 years and found that women who ate a high-glycaemic diet were nearly three times more likely to develop heart disease than those on a low-glycaemic diet. Women who ate a low-glycaemic diet maintained healthier hearts.
Harvard University. The Harvard Women's Health Letter. 6 (3). October 2001

At first glance, the low-glycaemic diet is very attractive. However, stating that the final answer is simply to consume a diet rich in low-glycaemic foods may be an oversimplification. Different foods have different effects on blood glucose depending on a number of factors working together, and the effect is not always what one might expect. For example, if one was to follow this concept blindly then potato chips with a GI of 50-59% would be a better choice than carrots at a GI of 90-99%. Added to this is the fact that there are many factors that affect the GI of foods: fat, fibre, acidity and cooking time.

In fact, while the health benefits of a low-glycaemic diet are significant and well documented, some researchers state that the GI is too complicated and difficult to teach and therefore has little clinical usefulness. We believe that this is not truly the case.

What is the Answer to the Diet Dilemma?

Earlier we stated that sometimes the answer is there all along.

Consider this: if all the grocery stores in the world closed tomorrow, what would you eat? Could you go out and pick some pasta from a vine, or a loaf of bread out of the tree? No. But, you could gather some nuts and seeds, berries and fruits, roots, vegetables and other plants. You could grab a bow and chase down a squirrel (stay with us here, you vegetarians!) or a bird, take a fishing pole out and catch a fish – things that grow, run, fly or swim.

You would go out and find the things that nature provides; that is how our bodies were designed to work; that is how we were created and our systems have evolved around this. In fact, the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors was very low GI.

Dr Loren Cordain[6] has studied early man's nutritional patterns and estimates that 65% of calories were derived from animal products. Man lived on essentially a high-protein/fat diet for thousands of years. Although we live in a complex world of hand-held computers and convenience foods, each of us has a Stone Age genetic make-up. DNA studies confirm that the human genome in the year 2002 is virtually identical to that of our ancestors living 40,000 years ago.

A mere 10,000 years ago, the agricultural revolution emerged and introduced starches and grains to the human diet. Today, cereal grains provide almost 50% of the protein consumed on the planet – a stark contrast to our ancestral diet of bison and buffalo.

The diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors had a considerably lower carbohydrate content. More importantly, it was made up of almost entirely wild fruits and vegetables. The diet of Stone Age man was very low GI and comprised natural and whole foods. Since 99% of our genes were formed before the agricultural revolution, from a biological perspective, we are still hunter-gatherers. Thus, shouldn't our diets reflect these patterns? The answer to the 'diet dilemma' is simple – stop dieting once and for all. Go back to the natural and whole foods that Mother Nature intended for us.

Three Problems Encountered by Dieters

Here are three reasons why people 'plateau' or become stuck at a certain weight when they are dieting:

1. Adaptation to raw herbal stimulants – you can use stimulants to try to speed up the metabolism, but Mother Nature hates a cheat; she will compensate for any such attempts to trick the body and will in fact eventually block them via the hypothalamus. Any short-term gains will result in a long-term resistance to future attempts to speed up the metabolism;

2. Toxins – most toxins that we ingest are fat soluble, and are therefore stored in your fat cells. This is fine, up to a point – until you want to lose the fat, when they become a danger once again. If your antioxidant reserves are too low, the body will block your ability to burn the fat in a self-protective response. No amount of exercise or calorie reduction will make you lose weight, because the hypothalamus will prevent it. There are over 400 toxins in our bodies that were not present even 40 years ago. The Centre for Disease Control discovered in a survey published in 2001 that 100% of people drawn from all over the USA tested positive for 100% of the toxins being tested for;

3. Hunger (for nutrients) – most commercial 'diets' make the mistake of starving people of adequate nutrition, which results in terrible cravings. These often result in an uncontrollable binge, which leads to guilt, remorse and a feeling of failure; the 'diet' is then abandoned and the would-be dieter is demoralized. Additionally, your body knows that it needs certain micronutrients for optimal health. It is doubtful that your brain could trigger a strong enough craving for Brussels sprouts to get you off the couch. But how many of you would get up for a chocolate bar right now? No, you are probably not chocolate deficient. However, chocolate does contain magnesium and B vitamins such as B6. Unfortunately, chocolate has a relatively small amount of these vital nutrients and thus you have to eat a large amount of chocolate to meet the body's need. But, you say, I take multivitamins every day, that's okay, isn't it? Unhappily, most commercial vitamin products may not be sufficient. The body is not craving man-made vitamins, it is craving the nutrients that it should be getting from its food; synthetic vitamins and the like are not food, nor recognized as such.

Three Solutions

1. Provide the natural metabolism with adequate nutritional support and it will do the job itself, naturally. Japanese Green Tea Leaf extract, containing thermogenic ingredients, is supportive of your energy system because it is good for the relief of stress and helps your body to convert fat into energy; it is also a powerful antioxidant. Citrus aurantium is also thermogenic, as is Guarana, which contains a caffeine-like substance called guaranine, but which has none of the ill effects of caffeine;

2. Provide superlative, food-matrix antioxidants that can grab or chelate toxins and ferry them safely and effectively out of the body before they can do damage;

3. Begin a quality food-matrix vitamin and mineral supplement to (a) ensure the absorption of vital nutrients and (b) curb the hunger for missing nutrients.

Result – steady and effective fat loss (as opposed to weight loss), an increase in lean muscle tissue, increased energy and above all sustainability for the rest of your (healthier and happier) life!

How Do We Put it all Together?

The health benefits of low-GI eating are undisputed. However, low GI when followed literally, dogmatically and without consideration could lead to people consuming unlimited amounts of 'low-glycaemic' ice cream and potato chips. That would be to miss the point.

Cordain[6] refers to the work of Robert Crayhon, author of the Paleolithic Diet, who suggests a better way of looking at carbohydrates. Crayhon divides carbohydrates into two groups, paleocarbs and neocarbs. If we choose diets rich in paleocarbs we will be providing our bodies with foods rich in fibre that are nutrient dense and low GI – literally the best that nature has to offer.

* Paleocarbs include the fruits and vegetables present in the diets of our ancestors;

* Neocarbs (carbohydrates introduced in the past 10,000 years or less) include grains, legumes, and especially flour products.

User-friendly Solutions

Why do some 'diets' work for some and others fail miserably? When it comes to the complexity of the human body, we are not all created equal.

Few of us have the time and certainly lack the nutritional knowledge to scour the shops in an attempt to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, and to create a well-balanced, nutritional and effective system that supports all the different metabolic/nutritional demands and provides the correct balance for all the different metabolic types.

Neither can we afford to guess the correct vitamin, protein and carbohydrate levels to maximize our ability to return to our desired and normal weight. For that we have to rely on people with a far deeper knowledge of these things and whose track record in fat reduction speaks for itself.

Eating correctly is only a piece of the equation that brings us closer to the solution to optimal health. We need to ensure adequate water intake – preferably spring water. Though most of us conceptually realize the importance of water, about 66% of people are chronically dehydrated, so perhaps it is not yet that obvious. The benefits to the human body of artificial colourings, flavourings and sweeteners have yet to be established, however most readers of this magazine will probably avoid them all most of the time. One thing that most of us fail to do, though, is to exercise adequately.

Activity

The word exercise has so many negative connotations for some, but it does not have to mean hours in the gym pumping iron or running endless miles on the treadmill. Any increase in daily activity is beneficial, not only to help you achieve a firm, slim body but to enhance your mood and overall well-being as well.

Lifestyle Choice

Do you watch the morning news over coffee and a doughnut? Try watching and doing stretching or push-ups/sit-ups, or put on a set of headphones and listen to the news on a light morning run. Do you take a midday break to snack? Instead, call a friend to meet you for a brisk ten-minute walk. Need more quality time with the kids? Instead of picking them up and going to McDonald's or spending hours in front of the TV, meet them at school with bikes or skates and take the long way home together.

Think 'Fit' instead of 'Sit'

Start slowly: tonight, walk around the block, and add five minutes every day until you are walking 20-30 minutes at least three times a week. Alternatively, you can participate in short spurts of activity throughout the day. Studies show that ten minutes of activity two to three times daily may keep the metabolic furnace running longer and stronger. 'Rebounders' (mini-trampolines) are great – every home and office should have one!

Summary

Obtaining a lean and healthy body, for life, is within the reach of most of us.

We must:

• Eat properly – that is low-glycaemically, sensibly and moderately;
• Drink adequate supplies of good spring water;
• Ensure that our antioxidant levels are more than adequate;
• Exercise sensibly and adequately;
• Ensure that we are receiving the optimum nutrition available;
• Avoid toxins, artificial colourings and flavourings;
• Eat organically wherever possible;
• Continue to do all of this – because it feels great – for the rest of our lives!

Acknowledgement

The authors are indebted for the help of one such expert in the preparation of this article – US Naturopath Dr Steve Nugent – who is regarded as a leader in this field.

He is responsible for the nutritional design and formulation of arguably the world's finest fat-loss system. He is credited for the reduction and transformation of literally tons of people's fat into lean and healthy muscle, and for the subsequent transformation and prolongation of many thousands of lives and for the improvement in quality of life that results after impressive degrees of fat loss.

References

1. Smith Peter and Ramsey Kelly D. Glyconutrients – the missing link? Positive Health. 73: 36-41. 2002.
2. Vass Alex. Obesity causes 30,000 deaths a year, report says. British Medical Journal. 324: 192. 26 Jan 2002. (Quoting report of Public Accounts Committee. Tackling Obesity in England. Parliamentary Report. 2002.
3. Ornish D. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet. 336: 129-33. 1990.
4. Whitney Eleanor and Rolfes Sharon. Understanding Nutrition. 9th ed. Wadsworth Group. ISBN 0-534-59004-7. 2001.
5. Insel Paul, Turner Elaine and Ross Don. Nutrition: 2002 Update. Jones and Bartlett. Sudbury, Massachusetts. ISBN 0-7637-0893-3. 2002.
6. Cordain L. Cereal grains: humanity's double edged sword. World Rev Nutr Diet. 84: 20-73. 1999.