Fat to lower obesity

On the 14th April 2016 I wrote a post called "Don't Fear the Fat" which if you read it, you'll know is all about how fat isn't as dangerous as we have been told it is for the past few decades.

Today (23rd May 2016 at the time of writing), the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration in the UK, have released a report which pretty much shows that most of what we have been told about how to eat a healthy balanced diet is basically... wrong.

The authors of the report say that the obesity epidemic is not only very real, but that it's roots lie in the belief that low fat diets are good for us.  The report states that:

"Eating a diet rich in full-fat dairy - such as cheese, milk and yoghurt - can actually lower the chance of obesity."

It goes on to say:

"The most natural and nutritious foods available - meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados - all contain saturated fat."

Ok, now I am NOT an advocate of dairy produce.  No other mammals need milk or milk products after weaning, so why do we?  Or the link dairy produce has with cáncer and osteoporosis... but don't get me started on this one, otherwise this post will go on for way too long.

However, low fat or even no fat products, to me are deceiving.  When you remove fat from a food, it becomes tasteless and therefore unappetizing.  So manufacturers replace the fat with sugar, salt or both.  We now know that what makes us gain the most weight is sugar and other forms of carbohydrates, so which would you prefer a yummy something with its natural fat, or a processed salt
and/or sugar ridden substance?

Anyway, getting back to the point at hand.  A summary of this (in my point of view - wonderful report) is:

1.  Processed foods labelled "low fat", "lite", "low cholesterol" or "proven to lower cholesterol" should be avoided at all costs.

2.  People with type 2 diabetes should eat a fat-rich diet rather than a carbohydrate based diet.

3.  Everyone should avoid sugar and we should stop counting calories and focus on fresh, whole foods.

4.  Exercise does not reverse the negative effects of a bad diet.  You need to change your diet and do the exercise to improve health.

5.  "An effective and safe approach for preventing weight gain and aiding weight loss" is a diet low in refined carbohydrates but high in healthy fats.

6.  "The continued demonization of omnipresent natural fat drives people away from highly nourishing, wholesome and health promoting foods."

The amount of times I have to convince my clients that it's OK to eat avocados is unbelievable.  Avocados have had such bad press for so long that most people believe they are extremely fattening, when in fact, they aren't.  They are packed full of healthy fats that our bodies need.  The same goes for nuts.  People gasp in horror when they are told to eat nuts, this is mainly because everyone thinks of nuts are the salted, roasted variety.

Raw almonds are packed full of amazingly nutritious properties, and clinical studies have proven that people who eat a handful of nuts 3-5 times a week live longer than those who don't.

Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum said,

"As a clinician, treating patients all day every day, I quickly realized guidelines from on high, suggesting high carbohydrate, low fat diets were the universal panacea, were deeply flawed.

"Current efforts have failed - the proof being that obesity levels are higher than they have ever been, and show no chance of reducing despite the best efforts of the Government and scientists."

Other people such as Tim Noakes, a marathon runner, author, scientist and emeritus professor in the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at the University of Cape Town,  says that low carb, high fat diets are much better for us and for professional athletes than high carb diets.

One of the main problems I feel that exists when contemplating a low carb, high fat diet is that when you say the word "fat" to people, they instantly think of fry-ups; processed bacon, fried eggs, fish and chips, greasy burgers... and that isn't what a high fat diet consists of.

The real deal on fats:

Omega-3 fatty acids are basically super fats for the heart and brain.  Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fat which play a vital role in cognitive function (memory, problem-solving, etc.) as well as emotional wellbeing.  Omega-3s have been shown to prevent and reduce the symptoms of depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder.  They can protect against memory loss and dementia, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.  They can erase arthritis, joint pain and inflammatory skin conditions.

Good fats include: Avocados, olives, nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews), natural peanut butter with no added oils or sugars, just some salt.  This is actually really easy to make, you just need organic peanuts some salt and a high powered blender.  Just blend away.  Walnuts, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout and
sardines, Brussels Sprouts, kale, spinach, parsley and olive oil.

If you feel you would benefit from and Omega-3 supplement then I prefer krill oil as it is a fish oil that is soluble in water so better assimilated by the human body.

Fats gone bad:

A good fat can become damaged by light, heat or oxygen.  Oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats (such as flaxseed oil) must be refrigerated and kept in an opaque container.  Throw out all oils, seeds or nuts once they begin to smell or taste rancid or bitter.  Heating oil to high temperatures damages their quality and beneficial properties.  Coconut oil is a great oil to cook with as it can withstand high temperatures.  Olive oil becomes damaged quickly at cooking temperatures, so be careful and never reuse oil.

So, what we are really looking at is a healthy diet of whole, natural and unprocessed foods - just like our parents or grandparents used to make for us.  A source of protein, with lots of vegetables - this is what the human body needs.  Carbohydrates?  Few and whole, no refined carbs.

For example, my lunch today was a large salad made from one whole avocado, 1 diced tomato, a large chunk of cucumber and some red onion, dressed with olive oil and lime juice.  I also had a handful of raw almonds that I heated first to release their natural oils.


I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

What are you hungry for?

Apparently we make over 200 decisions about food every day.  I spend all day talking about food - or cooking it!  But listening to my patients means I have a great understanding of how hungry they are.

When you change your eating habits or your diet, you may find that you are more hungry than you used to be.  Or are you really?  

Lots of people say they are constantly hungry and are forever rummaging through the kitchen cupboards for something - anything, to munch on.

This means that there is something wrong with our diet or you mindset about food.  Humans are complex machines made up of many things including hormones... yes, those things that play havoc with your mood, your skin, your hair and yes, how hungry you are.

Ghrelin, a hormone made in the stomach, increases appetite and is high before you eat telling your brain you are hungry and need to eat.  Once you have eaten the level of Ghrelin decreases.

Leptin, another hormone, but this time made by fat cells, decreases appetite telling your brain you don't need any more food and you can stop eating.

However, studies have shown that in people with weight problems and obesity, this brain signaling mechanism doesn't work properly and they have become resistant to the leptin signal and so don't know when to stop eating.  Leptin resistance perpetuates a vicious cycle as the more you eat the more weight you put on and the hungrier you become and so you continue to eat.

But all is not lost.  You can eat properly to stop this happening by analyzing why you are hungry to start with.

Eating too many carbohydrates.  

The governing bodies of many countries would have us all eating huge amounts of carbohydrates, they are after all, the base of the government approved food pyramid.  But what most people consider carbs are actually refined carbs; pasta, bread, rice - all white.  This means they have been stripped of all nutritional properties and are basically just another form of sugar. 

Physiologically, carbs make you more hungry than full.  Yes, they may fill you up longer than other foods, but what actually happens internally means you are hungry again quickly.  When you eat refined carbs, your blood sugar spikes, and the pancreas releases insulin to return your blood sugar level to normal.  This means your brain says "Hey I liked that sugar spike!  Give me more!" and creates a sensation of false hunger so that you will eat more of whatever it was that gave you the sugar spike to start off with.  So, in the end you are eating more than you probably realize.

Whole grains release the sugar over a longer and more sustained period of time which means you don't get the sugar spike, even so, keeping carbs to a minimum is the best option.

None of us eat enough fiber.

Fiber is so important, you really need to get your fiber fix every day - several times!  There are two types of fiber; insoluble fiber, which bulks up your stools and ensures a healthy elimination of waste product, and soluble fiber which dissolves into a gel-like consistency and makes you feel fuller for longer.

Your main source of fiber is vegetables... eat as many as you like and make sure they are what make up most of the food you eat on a daily basis.  Raw vegetables are easy to snack on between meals too making snacking healthy and gut happy.

Also high in fiber are raw nuts and obviously fruit, but you should choose low sugar content fruits.  Apples are an excellent choice as their skin contains pectin which controls blood sugar spikes.

Legumes are also very high in fiber so add some chickpeas to a salad or indulge in a lentil dahl with other veggies.

Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, protein and Omega-3 fats, but they also absorb 10-12 times their weight in water, this means they swell in the stomach and make you feel full.  Add some to your breakfast oatmeal or greek yogurt.

You need more fat.

Everyone is so scared of fat.  It doesn't surprise me, we have been told for years that saturated fat is bad for us and we should keep all fat intake to a minimum.  But this has been disproved.  Fat is a very necessary part of our diet and we need to bring it back for good health.

Fat, like protein, is a very complex nutrient.  It takes longer to break down in your digestive system so it makes you feel fuller for longer, but it can also be used as fuel for the body, so if you lower your carbs and up your fat you'll have enough energy.

Avocados are my personal favorite.  Full of healthy fats you can basically do anything you like with them.  Mash them up on wholegrain toast for breakfast, add them to a salad... you can even make chocolate mousse out of them!

The protein question.

Lots of health personnel say you should eat protein at every meal.  This is where we all think of bacon and eggs at breakfast, chicken and chips for lunch and fish for dinner.   Whereas animal protein is a great source of amino acids which are the building blocks for our bodies, there are other vegetable forms of protein that you can also rely on.  Raw nuts, greek yogurt (not greek STYLE), legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc...

So yes, by all means eat protein at every meal, but mix and match.

Take it easy on the fruit.

As I said before, fruit is a good source of fiber, but some fruits are very high in sugar so take it easy on the fruit and if you don't eat fruit every day then don't worry.  Aim for 1-2 pieces per day if you can.

Drink more water.

One of the first symptoms of dehydration is feeling hungry.  So, if you feel hungry at an odd time of day, drink a glass of water before raiding the cookie jar, it might just save you a few extra pounds.

Sleep.

Having a good sleep habit is also important.  Studies have shown that people who work night shifts are often more overweight than those with day jobs.  Being over tired means your brain craves sugar to keep going and you end up eating junk food and sweets.

Obsession.

You might be obsessing over food.  People who change the way they eat for a medical issue or just because they would like to eat more healthily, often become obsessed with what they can and can't eat or how much.  Think 3 meals a day is a good place to start, some people are ok on that, others need 2 snacks a day.  Just make sure what ever you are eating is healthy and nutritious and most of all - ENJOY IT!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Going vegetarian for Athletes (and anyone)

Nowadays being a vegetarian or a vegan is pretty normal.  Lots of people are changing their diets to exclude meat and whether it is for health issues or ethical reasons it really doesn't matter - what does matter, is doing it properly so you will be healthy.

It is a decision that should not be taken lightly and needs careful consideration, especially if you are an athlete.  Good nutrition is vitally important to all humans, but if you are an athlete with a serious training schedule, nutrition is even more important.

So, first off ask yourself one basic but vitally important question:

Are you going vegan which means not eating ANY form of animal produce or vegetarian where milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs are still in your diet?

Lots of people who decide to give up animal produce believe that "going vegan or vegetarian" means just that... not eating animal products.  In part this is true, but making sure you have the right amounts and the right types of foods (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) is essential.  After all, Oreos are vegan - it doesn't mean they are good for you!

For athletes, carbohydrates are the quickest form of obtaining energy.  However, in most people carbs are the easiest way to put weight on.  Sports people need lots of energy for training so should consume carbs during and after exercise, and then for the rest of the day eat just protein, fruits and vegetables.

Optimal carb foods are; whole grain bread and whole grain pasta, wild rice, oats, quinoa, etc... NOT refined carbs such as white bread and white rice, white pasta, soft drinks, white flour, etc..

Protein is needed to carry out "repairs" in the body; small muscle tears that happen during intense exercise.  If you are still including eggs and dairy produce in your diet then these are high in protein, especially eggs which are considered the purest form of protein.

However, if you would prefer not to eat these then wonderful forms of vegetarian protein are:

Legumes: chick peas, lentils, mung beans, kidney beans, etc..
Soy products (tofu)
Quorn
Peanut Butter
Nuts and Seeds

So include these as much as possible in your diet to keep your body up to scratch.

Fat is the other form of energy for the body.  Healthy fats are vitally important to health so stock up on avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds - although high in protein these are also packed with healthy fats.  Avocados have had a lot of bad press as they were believed to be very fattening, this is simply not true, they are full of fiber and healthy fats and provide lots of energy.

Fruit and vegetables are the base to being vegetarian or vegan.  They are packed full of vitamins and minerals.  Eat as many vegetables as you like.  Fruit is packed with fiber and sugar (fructose), so consider these more carb based and always eat the whole fruit never as juice.  Juicing basically turns healthy fruits into sugar water.  The fiber has been stripped from the fruit when juiced, and it is this fiber that protects the body against the typical sugar spike which causes an energy drop shortly after.  The fiber slows the sugar release avoiding the spike.

Lots of vegetarians/vegans are deficient in the following vitamins and minerals:

Calcium
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Zinc
Iron
Vitamin D
Vitamin B12

B Vitamins as a group are essential so regularly eating legumes and whole grains is a must.  Low fat dairy and eggs are good sources of this vitamin but if you are vegan then it would be a good idea to take a Vitamin B12 supplement.

Calcium is needed for healthy bones and can be found in fortified soy or rice milk, calcium-set tofu, collards, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and dried figs.  Many healthcare professionals will tell you that milk produce is a good source of calcium (milk, yogurts and cheese), however this is not strictly true for a physiological reason.  When you consume milk produce, our bodies become very acidic, however the human body prefers to be alkaline.  So, when faced with a high level of acidity, the body leaches calcium from the bones to reduce the acid level.  Therefore, obtaining calcium from milk produce is extremely difficult.

Zinc can be found in: dark chocolate, watermelon, pumpkin and sesame seeds, peanut butter, spinach, mushrooms and wheatgerm.

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and a healthy immune system.  In order to make vitamin D we need regular sun exposure but this isn't always enough.  Getting Vitamin D from a vegan diet is very difficult so a supplement would be a good idea.  You can have your Vitamin D levels checked and ask your doctor for a supplement that's right for you.

Iron - this mineral carries oxygen in the blood to the muscles - so vitally important.  Vegetarians need to choose plant foods high in iron such as; legumes, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and chard.  However, you must combine these with other foods high in Vitamin C: tomatoes, citrus fruits, melon, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli which all help the body to assimilate the iron in the other foods.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Low Fat or Low Carb?

For years and years and years we have been told that fats are deadly.  They apparently cause heart attacks and obesity, especially animal fats.  In 1977 the McGovern report stated that animal fats were not recommended and that vegetable oils and margarines should be used instead.  Well, we all know what that caused... a huge increase in heart disease and obesity.

We now know today, that margarines for instance, are full of deadly trans fats and that eating animal fat doesn't actually do much harm at all.  Also our supermarkets are packed full with products screaming LOW FAT or NO FAT, from the packaging.  These products are usually packed full of sugar instead.  The dietary guidelines (the food pyramid or my plate) recommend basing your diet on grains... this is meant to be interpreted as whole grains, however, most people tend to interpret white bread, pasta, etc.. But which ever way you interpret that information, basing the diet on carbs is just wrong.  However, having said that carbohydrates seem to be getting a raw deal lately with a gluten free diet being in fashion - especially in Hollywood.

So, here I want to specify what a GOOD carbohydrate is - we all know which are the bad ones; white bread, pasta, anything with refined flour in it...  But there are many naturally occurring carbohydrates in healthy foods which are good for you.  But first you have to understand is that carbohydrates are not an essential part of your diet.  If you never ate carbohydrates ever again, you would be healthy.  Unlike fats... there are essential fats such as Omega-3 and essential proteins (amino acids), if you didn't get enough of these then you would not be feeling at all well.

Good Carbohydrates are found almost exclusively in plant foods such as vegetables, beans, whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds.  This type of carb are important, they include high levels of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and plant compounds that have healing properties called phytonutrients, or phytochemicals.  These are medicinal molecules such as curcumin in turmeric, glucosinolates in broccoli, anthocyanidins in berries and black rice, for example.  However, the focus should be on slow carbs.  Slow carbs are the ones that release their glycemic load slowly into the bloodstream and do not cause spikes in glucose levels which in turn cause insulin to be released by the pancreas.

So, which plants are the best?

Eat as much as you like:

Slow burning, low glycemic vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach, chard, kale, cabbage, bok choy, etc..  You can eat as much of these as you like, in fact your whole diet should be based on them.  Sea weed is another one that is great for you.  Try Kombu, nori, hijiki, and wakame, they are all very high in minerals, protein and healing compounds.

Eat a moderate amount:

Whole grains, and I mean whole; black, brown and red rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, and teff are all delicious and all gluten free.  Legumes are fiber-rich, phytonutrient-rich and are not used enough.  You all know what they are, lentils, chickpeas, yellow split peas, soybeans - especially edamame, pinto beans, navy beans, adzuki beans, etc..

Dark berries such as blueberries, cherries, blackberries and raspberries are packed full of phytonutrients.  The richer in color the better they are for you.  Fruits with stones in their center such as peaches, nectarines, plums, etc., these are fiber rich.  Apples and pears are also great.

Fiber stabilizes blood sugar by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates, this is why you should always eat the whole fruit and not just the juice.  The fibre in fruit helps slow the absorption of the sugar.

Limit these carbs:

Starchy, high-glycemic cooked vegetables including winter squashes, peas, potatoes, corn, and all other root vegetables.  These vegetables raise blood sugar quickly and have a high-glycemic load, eat only occasionally.

There are also fruits that are high in sugar such as melons, grapes and pineapple.

All other PROCESSED CARBS should be avoided at all times.

As I said before; fat is essential to our bodies.  Fats make up our cell walls, if you don't get enough or you eat too much of the wrong type, you will not have the right building materials for healthy cell membranes.  Omega-3 fats are perfect for cell regeneration.

Good Fats:

Wild cold-water fish or sustainably raised cold-water fish such as wild salmon, sardines, herring,
halibut, etc.,  Eat avocados and olives these are great sources of monounsaturated fats.  Use extra virgin olive oil, rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytochemicals.  However, olive oil should not be used for high temperature cooking.  Walnut oil is another good one for salad dressings.  Coconut oil is one of my personal favorites, it can be used in high temperature cooking and contains lauric acid, a
powerful anti-inflammatory fat.

Grass-fed animals having been raised on a diet of foods natural to their breed have healthier fat profiles than factory farmed animals.

So, eat the right carbs and base your diet on plants and make sure your animal protein is the best type in order to get top quality nutrition.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

We are still getting fatter and sicker...

We are what we eat.  This is a fact.  And on the whole, the western world is fatter and sicker than it has ever been.  Even with the amount of free information available to us about what a healthy diet really is, we are still eating all the wrong foods.  A lot of this is just that people don't want to make the effort of cooking healthy meals at home and tend to rely on take aways and fast food options.  Governments are also to blame with food pyramids that encourage us to base our diets on starchy foods (carbohydrates) which only adds to weight problems and doesn't make us healthy at all.  If you add to that the vast amount of marketing by the food industry which tells us that we should all be eating McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC and if you are cool and hip you drink CocaCola, Pepsi, Monster, and Red Bull.

Kris Gunnars, a nutrition researcher, medical student and personal trainer at AurthorityNutrition.com, has compiled a series of graphs that appear to show a direct correlation between changes in the Western Diet and the current, seemingly uncontrollable, obesity epidemic.

Kris Gunnars says, as many others such as Zoe Harcombe and myself have, that sugar intake has increased drastically in the past 160 years and our diets have changed the type of fat we eat and we are consuming more processed food than ever before.

Gunnars also believes that there are other contributing factors such as eating fewer eggs and changing butter for margarine.

On his website he says:

"There is an immense amount of evidence I've found that runs completely contradictory to what the governments and dietitians around the world are recommending.  The modern diet is the main reason why people all over the world are fatter and sicker than ever before.

"Everywhere modern processed foods go, chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease soon follow.

"The studies are clear con this... when people abandon their traditional foods in favor of modern processed foods high in sugar, refined flour and vegetable oils, they get sick."

First dietary guidelines for Americans were published in 1977, almost at the same time the obesity epidemic started.

 "Of course, there are many things that can contribute to these health problems, but changes in the diet are the most important factor."

"The first dietary guidelines for Americans were published in 1977, almost at the exact same time the obesity epidemic started." (1983 in the UK)

 "Of course, this doesn't prove anything (correlation does not equal causation), but it makes sense that this could be more than just a mere coincidence.

"The anti-fat message essentially put the blame on saturated fat and cholesterol (harmless), while giving sugar and refined carbs (very unhealthy) a free pass.

"Since the guidelines were published, many massive studies have been conducted on the low-fat diet.  It is no better at preventing heart disease, obesity or cancer than the standard Western Diet, which is as unhealthy as a diet can get.

"For some very strange reason, we are still being advised to follow this type of diet, despite the studies showing it to be completely ineffective."

SUGAR

 "People in Western countries are consuming massive amounts of refined sugars, reaching about 150 lbs (67kg) per year in some countries.  This amounts to over 500 calories of sugar per day.

"The sources vary on the exact figures, but it is very clear that we are consuming way more sugar than our bodies are equipped to handle.

 "Controlled human studies show that large amounts of sugar can lead to severe metabolic problems, including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides - to name a few.

"Added sugar is believed to be one of the main drivers of diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer."

According to Zoe Harcombe, author of The Obesity Epidemic: What Caused it? How Can We Stop it? agrees with Kris Gunnars, she says:

"The UK chart looks very similar to this chart.  Just over 200 years ago we used to take 4-5lbs of sugar a year; by the middle of the 19th century, this had increased five-fold to about 25lbs a year; we now take about 100lbs per year."

FRUIT JUICE CONSUMPTION

"Of all the sugar sources in the diet, sugar-sweetened beverages are the worst.  Fruit juice is actually no better - it contains a similar amount of sugar as most soft drinks." Gunnar explains.

"Getting sugar in liquid form is particularly harmful.  The studies show that the brain doesn't "register" liquid sugar calories in the same way as calories from solid foods, which dramatically increases total calorie intake.

"One study found that in children, each daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to a 60% increased risk of obesity."

Zoe Harcombe adds that: "It's a similar picture in the UK.  Figures show that sugar-sweetened beverages have increased in consumption from 512ml per person per week in 1975 to 1.142ml per person per week in 2005."

CALORIE INTAKE

"Although sources vary on the exact figures, it is clear that calorie intake has increased dramatically in the past few decades.

"There are many complicated reasons for this, including increased processed food and sugar consumption, increased food availability, more aggressive marketing towards children, etc.."

In fact, according to Zoe Harcombe things were different in the UK; "In 1975 we were eating 2,290 calories per person per day- but by 1999, this had fallen to 1,690 calories per person per day.  Yet there are an increasing number of people who are overweight or obese."

My opinion on this is that it depends on the type of calories you are eating.  Not all calories are used by the body in the same way so fewer calories of the wrong type of food could do more damage than lots of calories of the right foods.

ADDED FATS

The type of fat eaten has also changed, with oils being favored over butter.

"When health professionals started blaming saturated fat for heart disease, people abandoned traditional fats like butter, lard and coconut oil in favor of processed vegetable oils.

"These oils are very high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which can contribute to inflammation and various problems when consumed in excess.

"These oils are often hydrogenated, which makes them high in trans fats.  Many studies have shown that these fats and oils actually increase the risk of heart disease, even if they aren't hydrogenated.

"Therefore, the misguided advice to avoid saturated fat and choose vegetable oils instead may have actually fueled the heart disease epidemic."

BUTTER AND MARGARINE CONSUMPTION

Gunnars says that saturated fat has been "demonized", resulting in many people switching to unhealthy margarines containing trans fats which have been linked to heart disease

"Another side effect of the "war" on saturated fat was an increase in margarine consumption.

"Margarine was traditionally made with hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats.  Many studies show that trans fats increase the risk of heart disease.

"Grass-fed butter actually contains nutrients that are protective against heart disease (like Vitamin K2), therefore the advice to replace heart-healthy butter with trans-fat laden margarine may have done a lot of damage."

SOYBEAN IS A BIGGER SOURCE OF CALORIES THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE

Soybean oil is often used in cheap, processed foods

"The most commonly consumed vegetable oil in the U.S. is soybean oil.  Soybean oil actually provided 7% of calories in the U.S. diet in the year 1999, which is huge.

"However, most people don't have a clue they're eating this much soybean oil.  They're actually getting most of it from processed foods, which often have soybean oil added to them because it is cheap.

"The best way to avoid soybean oil (and other nasty ingredients) is to avoid processed foods."

EGGS

Eggs have been falsely accused of increasing the risk of heart disease, this has now been disproved.

"Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.  Despite being high in cholesterol, eggs don't raise the bad cholesterol in the blood.

"For some reason, the health authorities have recommended that we cut back on eggs, even though there is no evidence that they contribute to heart disease.

"Since the year 1950, we have decreased our consumption of this highly nutritious food from 375 to 250 eggs per year, a decrease of 33%.

"This has contributed to a deficiency in important nutrients like Choline, which about 90% of Americans aren't getting enough of."

LINOLEIC ACID

Too much linoleic acid

"Most of the Omega-6 fats that people are eating is a fatty acid called linoleic acid.

"Studies show that this fatty acid actually gets incorporated into our cell membranes and body fat stores.  These fats are prone to oxidation, which damages molecules (like DNA) in the body and may be increasing our risk of cancer.

"In other words, the increased consumption of processed vegetable oils has lead to actual harmful structural changes in our bodies.  That's a scary thought."

Sources:
Authority Nutrition
Zoe Harcombe

Social Nutrition:  You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

NOT all calories are the same.

For as long as I can remember I have been hearing the age old theory that all calories are equal and that the only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more.  For as long as I can remember I have been saying that this isn't so.

Not all calories are equal.  It all depends on where you get your calories from e.g: protein, fat or carbs, and how your body uses those calories.  The body does not use protein in the same way it uses carbs, etc.  I am pleased to say I am not alone in my struggle to get people to understand that a low-fat high-carb diet is NOT THE WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT!  Yes, I have to admit I sometimes feel like screaming when I read yet another article in the medical or general press about the benefits of eating carbs or the food pyramid that governments in the Western world seem hell bent on stuffing down our throats!  Zoë Harcombe, an Obesity Researcher has been saying it for years too!  I highly recommend any of her books and once you've read one you'll be hooked for life - and at your natural weight should you choose to follow her advice!  Click on her name and it will take you to her books, I can honestly recommend The Obesity Epidemic and Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight.

However, today I had one of those HALLELUJAH! moments today when I read about a personal trainer from East London, Sam Feltham, who has done is own diet experiment on himself.  This brought the results I would expect, and I am sure that Zoë Harcombe would also expect, but from the tone of the article the journalist seemed to be amazed.  Sam Feltham's doctor was also amazed at the negative effects the high-carb diet had on his health in just 21 days, remember this guy is a personal trainer and was fit to start off with.

What Sam did:

Sam decided that the only way to prove the theory that all calories are equal was to try out two different diets over a 21 day period each.  He ate a high-fat, low-carb diet for 21 days and followed a moderate exercise plan.  For the next 21 days he ate a high-carb, low-fat diet and carried out the same moderate exercise plan.  In both diets he ate a staggering 5000 calories a day.  Now, according to what we are told, if all calories are equal, the weight gain would be the same on both diets.  However, that was not what Sam discovered.

On the low-fat, high-carb diet Sam packed the weight on and gained more than a stone (7.25kg) and added 9.5 cm to his waist measurement.

However, on the high-fat, low-carb diet he gained just 2.5 lbs (1.33kg) and LOST 2.5 cm from his waist.

For the low-carb, high-fat diet Sam ate 5000 calories per day by eating the following foods: eggs, mackerel, steak, green vegetables, coconut oil, and snacked on three rounds of nuts - walnuts, pecans or almonds - all naturally high in fat.  Total daily intake: 72% from fats, 22% from protein and just 5.9% from carbs.  All meals were the same everyday.

For the high-carb, low-fat diet he ate 5000 calories from: garlic bread, low-fat lasagne, crumpets, low-fat yoghurts and rice pudding, chocolate muffins and wholemeal bread.  Total daily intake: 63% from carbs, 13% from protein and 22% from fat.

Sam says: "It was an experiment to test the idea that different foods affect your body's biochemistry differently.  If it is true that cutting calories is the key to weight loss, then excess calories should put on the same amount of weight whether they come from a healthy diet full of fat or a poor diet full of carbs."

As I said before, Sam's doctor was even more surprised.  His low-fat, high-carb diet had potentially devastating effects on his system even after only 21 days.  Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London said:

"The diet effectively gave him metabolic syndrome."

Metabolic syndrome is a precursor to heart disease and diabetes.  He then went on to explain that:

"Particularly worrying was that his triglycerides (fats in the blood) had gone up four times, while his so-called good cholesterol (HDL) had dropped.  That is not a good combination.  Add to that the increase in his waist measurement, and he was looking a lot less healthy than he had been.  What's more, the level of inflammation in his liver had doubled, which is also linked with diabetes and heart disease...

"...It is alarming to think that if a high-carb diet can have that effect on him in three weeks, what is it doing to people who don't exercise and eat like that for years?"

One country seems to be getting the message:

Swedish dietary experts have recently made a dramatic U-turn and are now recommending a low-carb, rather than low-fat diet for weight loss.  This came about thanks to the Council on Health Technology Assessment, advisor to the Swedish Government.  The Council reviewed 16,000 studies and came up with the theory that the best types of foods for losing weight were the likes of olive oil, double cream and bacon!

Why?

As I said previously it all depends on WHAT your body does with the different types of food it gets.  For example protein is used for growth and repair.  Carbohydrates are used for quickly accessible energy.

However, there is another important point to cover... hormones have a lot to do with weight loss or at least one crucial one... insulin.  Yes, I know, I have rattled on about insulin before but it is important.

Insulin is the hormone that controls FAT STORAGE.  A high-carb diet increases the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, which in turn means you produce more insulin.  The more insulin your body produces, the more fat gets stored, it really is that simple!  A low-carb diet means less insulin, making weight loss easier to achieve because the body uses the fat for energy and doesn't need to store as much.


Dr. Malhotra goes on to confirm that standard dietary advice is WRONG:

"This (Sam Feltham's experiment) is a vivid illustration of the fact that the conventional idea of what causes weight gain is back to front.  We've been told for years that eating fat will make you fat because it contains twice the calories that are in carbohydrates.  That is to misunderstand how fat storage works.

"Research has already shown that if you are eating a high-carb diet, and so have high levels of insulin, you are likely to have more fat in your blood than someone on a high-fat diet.  This is what happened to Sam." 

So, if you are looking to lose weight, and become healthier you know what you have to do.  Less carbs, more protein and fat and lots of vegetables!  It really is that simple!

Social Nutrition:
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