Stay Away from Low Carb Diets

Low Carbs

When there isn’t enough readily available glucose from the breakdown of carbohydrates, the body first turns to stored carbohydrate reserves (glycogen). If there is still no new intake of carbs, and the reserves are depleted, it will be forced to turn to alternative sources (fat and protein) for energy.

It is not a good idea to force your body to go into these states by drastically lowering your carbohydrate intake over long periods of time. The idea of forcing your body to burn fat for fuel by consuming high amounts of protein and low amounts of carbs will backfire, and most of the time will produce the opposite results than the dieter actually expects!

In extreme cases, such as when a person is on a zero-carb, or a very-low carb diet, the body will break down your muscle and convert it into glucose to use it as an energy source. It will also do this when you are following a low calorie diet, and the starvation response is triggered.

Since your muscle is a metabolically active tissue, your body needs to expand energy (calories) in order to maintain it, and by burning up your muscle as an energy source and lowering your metabolism, you body is simply conserving its energy to allow you to survive longer.

Whenever you try to manipulate your body to burn fat as the main energy source, by drastically lowering your carbohydrate intake, it is only a matter of time until your organism will trigger its defense mechanisms and you will be forced to go off your diet.

As soon as you start consuming normal amounts of carbohydrates, after going off your diet, you will regain all the weight back, and will keep gaining weight, because your body will not burn carbohydrates as efficiently as it did before you started using the low carb diet approach.

Consuming moderate amounts of carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat, on a regular basis is the only way to create permanent fat loss. Your major objective is to choose the best sources of carbohydrates, and to make sure that this macronutrient is present in every meal during the day.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (4)
  • Interesting (1)
  • Useful (2)
  • Boring (0)
  • Sucks (0)

Myths of the Food Pyramid

Do You Want the Government or Big Business Choosing What You Eat?

or

Government Pyramid

Big Biz Pyramid

Or would you like to make healthy choices?

Mazzeo Pyramid

“Click on any pyramid for a larger image, then hit your back button to return here”

DEATH BY NUTRITION

THESE ARE THE” FRANKEN FOODS” CREATED BY THE FOOD “MANUFACTURERS” – THEY ARE GUARANTEED TO LEAD TO AN EARLY AND PAINFUL DEATH

Enriched refined grains – white bread, bagels, pasta, pretzels, chips, cakes, pastries, cereals, white and pre-cooked rice, and all cereals. Read all labels – enriched means refined, the only people getting enriched are the food manufacturers. Avoid supermarket breads. Avoid puffed foods. NO CEREALS. Take note that all white flour is bleached with the same bleach used for your laundry – yum.

Sugar in all forms – candies, cookies, cakes, ice cream, table sugar etc. Read food labels for not so obvious sources of sugar: sucrose, fructose, beet juice, corn syrup, caramel, honey, natural cane juice. Anything ending in “ose” is a sugar. Sugar is one of the main culprits in heart disease. Sugar displaces potassium which leads to heart problems. This was first written about in the 1950’s by Dr. Royal Lee, but no one bothered to listen. You can’t make money telling the masses not to eat sugar. Big Pharma would lose out really big if everyone got healthy.

High-Fructose corn syrup – a synthetic sugar derived from corn starch. This type of sugar converts straight to triglycerides and abdominal fat. Found in all types of food because it is cheaper than sugar.

SODA – made with High Fructose Corn Syrup and loaded with phosphoric acid, try pouring that on your Ferrari.

Artificial sweeteners – Sweet n’ Low, and Nutrasweet [aspartame]. All diet products, sodas, sugar-free products. Artificial sweeteners actually increase sugar and carbohydrate cravings and inhibit fat loss. They are stored in fat cells and promote weight gain. Nutra-Sweet accelerates the rate of retinopathy and therefore is one of the worst things for diabetics to consume. Splenda [Sucralose], don’t be fooled again. Splenda shrinks the thymus gland, a KEY component of the Immune system. Splenda causes weight gain because it contains 3 molecules of chlorine, which inhibit absorption of iodine in the thyroid gland. Not so natural after all, now is it?

Franken fats [hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated/Trans fats] – margarine, Benachol, I can’t believe it’s not butter and all fake butter substitutes, Crisco, butter cream etc. Read ingredients. These fats are plastic-like, and have an endless shelf life [long shelf life=short life]. Thus are used in all baked products and prepackaged food items: cookies, cakes, TV dinners, hot chocolate, crackers, soups, breads, salad dressings, etc.

Vegetables oils – processed at high temperature, using solvents such as hexane, derived from gasoline: corn, safflower, sunflower, canola, peanut, and [cottonseed oil which is not really oil, but a fiber, loaded with pesticides]. Because they are rancid they are treated with deodorizers. Fast food-industry uses and reuses these toxic oils to fry your French fries so you end up with more oxidative damage. Vegetable oils: increase cancer, heart disease, promote immune system dysfunction, depress learning abilities, cause digestive disorder, liver, reproductive organs, and lung damage, impair growth and increase uric acid levels.

Low fat and fat free products – Skim milk and 1 and 2 % milks all contain powder milk, which creates oxidized cholesterol leading to arterial damage. These processed “foods” all contain slime [known as mucopolysaccharides in industry terms], which you, the consumer, will never know about.

Mass-produced fruit juices – i.e. orange, apple juice etc. These juices are derived from rotten fruits that cannot be sold and mixed with industrial water. We were NEVER designed to drink our fruits, but to eat them. Drinking juices is the equivalent of eating 5-8 fruits at a time, putting a great stress on the pancreas and ultimately leading to diabetes.

MSG – Monosodium glutamate – it is everywhere under many different names. Processed “foods” would taste like cardboard without this flavor “enhancer”. MSG has been linked to weight gain, poor vision and it fries your brain cells. In studies on non-obese mice, MSG produced fat mice. It is addictive and makes you want to eat more and more of that fake “food”.

GMO [genetically modified organisms] foods – 99.9 percent of all the corn and soy produced in this country is genetically modified. So you can rest assured that you are getting your daily dose of GMO foods. These “franken foods” are bound to negatively alter life on planet earth for ALL species. Let’s thank Monsanto for that.

SOY AND SOY PRODUCTS – Soy depresses immune function and thyroid function. It binds thyroid hormones and thyroid medication. Avoid all soy if you are on thyroid medications. Soy contains trypsin inhibitors that can lead to pancreatic disease. High levels of manganese accumulate in the brain and kidneys causing disease. Giving soy formula to babies is the equivalent of giving them five [5] birth control pills. Babies need whole milk to thrive and survive not a low fat diet! [This country produces so much soy that they need to do something with it. Don’t be fooled, most studies are funded by Archer Daniel Midland, the biggest producers of soy].

Fake eggs [egg beaters] – known as plastic eggs, that cause death in experimental animals. Made from vegetable oils, the very oils that cause the diseases we are trying to avoid.

Cheese products – i.e. prepackaged American “cheese” or “cheese” that comes out of a can. These are not made from dairy; they are cheese products which contain at least 60% vegetable oils, the very oils that cause all diseases.

Pasteurized milk – a dead food. 1 glass of regular milk contains over 100 pesticides residues. Not to mention the [rBGH] recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone injected in these poor animals to mass produce milk.

Processed meats – cold cuts which are not really meats and are loaded with MSG. These “foods” contain nitrates and nitrites which convert into nitrosamines which are carcinogens.

Turkey, chicken burgers – This “fake” meat is a mixture of skin, bones, water and other animal by-products. [My patient in the meat industry gave me this scoop ]. Don’t be fooled by the low fat content. Low fat = poor health. [It’s the type of fat you eat, not how much you eat- Greenland Eskimos consume 80% of their calories from fat, and they have NO heart disease, so much for the “fat causes heart disease lie”].

Battery raised eggs, poultry and meats – In addition to the horrible inhumane treatment of these poor animals, you need to be concerned about the massive amounts of antibiotics injected in these animals that end up on your plate. The hormones to fatten them up which end up in your body, and the pesticides which end up in your fat tissues creating havoc on your biochemistry.

Bottom Line:

If you want to live a long life, eat foods with a short-shelf life

What ever “they” tell you to eat, do the opposite

When you see a heart on a food label, don’t waste your money. That company paid the fraudulent Heart Association a fortune to have their “heart healthy” label on their products. There is NOTHING healthy about corn flakes or any of the “fake foods” they promote. Save your money to buy real health promoting foods

Vote with your pocket book. If you are really interested in your health, consume real foods, support the small farmers and not the food conglomerates who will never stop finding ways to poison us.

SO WHAT CAN YOU EAT? THERE ARE ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS.

Keep grain intake to a minimum. Most people eat too many grains which contribute to weight gain and eventually diabetes. If you are not overweight or diabetic, experiment with non-wheat alternatives such as brown rice bread/pasta, spelt bread, quinoa pasta, amaranth, millet, and kamut. Chances are you never heard of these grains, but they exist and are better for you.

For grain allergies, avoid all grains including wheat and especially corn. Purchase gluten-free bread, or yeast free bread. Avoid all yeast products including anything that reads hydrolyzed yeast, carageenan etc. Try spelt, amaranth, quinoa, teff, brown rice and other non-wheat grains.

If you need to use sweeteners, use Stevia which is safe for diabetics and will not cause sugar spikes. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol which is one of the better ones on the market. Can be used in baking and tastes like sugar. If weight and diabetes is not an issue, sparingly use raw honey, raw brown sugar, formaldehyde free maple syrup, and Succanat to name a few. A word to the wise: supermarket brown sugar is white sugar colored with molasses and with an extra price premium.

Drink plenty of pure water – your body is 60-70% water [water, not coffee, not soda, not juice, but water (H2O)]. Water flushes out toxins, speeds up fat loss, assists in the assimilation of nutrients and, hydrates your body. Inadequate water intake causes brain shrinkage – that is a fact! For non-diabetics and if weight is not an issue, try concentrated pomegranate, blueberry, grape or cranberry juices from the health food store. Mix a small amount with water or seltzer and may be sweetened with Stevia.

Use only extra virgin olive oil, or cold-pressed walnut oil, sesame, flax etc. which can be purchased, at health food stores. Quality of fats/oils consumed can literally bring on disease, or promote health. Unrefined coconut oil [is a medium chain triglyceride, used extensively in burn units, and for preemie feedings as a source of energy] is excellent for cooking, frying and baking. It is one of the most stable fats, along with palm oil. It has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic properties. Coconut oil improves metabolism, thyroid health and it assists in weight loss.

Use organic butter only. Butter contains vitamin A, D, E, and butyric acid which has anti-bacterial properties. Diabetics need to get their vitamin A from animal products. Beta-Carotene is NOT vitamin A. GOD MADE BUTTER NOT MARGARINE.

If you are going to eat dairy, eat regular full fat products such as cheese, Stonyfield full fat yogurts and organic milk. For quality dairy check out Realmilk.com for sources of real milk from cows that have been grass fed. Cows were meant to eat grass, not other cows. Also check out imported cheeses which are usually made from raw milk and are much healthier.

Apple Gate is a brand of cold cuts that is free of MSG, nitrites and nitrates. Can be found at Whole Foods markets where it is sliced fresh. Do not purchase the packaged version, it is processed. Otherwise, make them yourself.

How do you avoid GMO foods? A great start is to get rid of all the corn and soy in your diet. There are products that contain non-GMO corn. Eat organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible. Unfortunately GMO is going to be in most foods due to cross pollination of these Franken seeds.

Consume real organic and pastured eggs. Eggs are an excellent source of choline which converts into acetyl-choline, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, learning and cognition. If your memory is failing maybe it’s because you threw out all those egg yolks. Eggs contain lecithin which emulsifies cholesterol, and eggs DO NOT cause heart disease – that is a lie so you can eat their plastic eggs. Eggs are the best source of protein and in some cultures pregnant women are given up to 10 eggs per day to ensure healthy off springs.

Purchase meats and poultry that are free of hormones, antibiotics and pesticides in their feeds. The best source of meat is from grass-fed cows. Contact your local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation at Westonaprice.org to find quality meat/poultry/dairy and eggs in your area.

Last but not least, don’t forget to eat plenty of vegetables on a daily basis. Vegetables are a daily event, and French Fries are not a vegetable. Get lots of greens, yellows, reds, and oranges on your plate. Organic is preferable.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (2)
  • Interesting (1)
  • Useful (2)
  • Boring (0)
  • Sucks (0)

Common Diet Myths

No-carbs-diet

Dropping carbohydrates is a good way to lose weight

Many people who try protein-heavy, carbohydrate-limiting diet myths report dramatic weight loss, but at what expense? By focusing your diet on high-protein foods like meat, cheese, eggs, and pork rinds (all foods that are high in cholesterol) you could be risking a heart attack, and buying right into this diet myth. By cutting out carbohydrates, which the body craves for a reason, you can become irritable, nauseous and weak. Lack of fruits and vegetables, a key source of dietary fiber, can lead to constipation. And eating too few carbohydrates puts you at risk of developing ketosis, a condition in which fats in your blood (ketones) build up, leading to gout and kidney stones.

Low-fat food is healthy

The diet myth behind low-fat food’s popularity is simple: Less fat equals fewer calories, which equals a healthier alternative to the full-fat version, right? Not necessarily. Low-fat versions are often full of added ingredients, like sugar and flour, there to improve the flavor of the newly fat-deficient food. However, extra doses of refined carbohydrates like sugar and flour can just cause you to become hungry again much faster. Sometimes, low-fat foods even contain more calories than their full-fat cousins, in which case you’d be better off indulging in the regular version. To be sure that a low-fat version is really healthier for you, you’ll need to do some grunt work. Compare ingredients and nutritional information in both varieties. If the low-fat food beats this diet myth, then feel free to stock up.

Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Skipping meals is not only unhealthy, but you’ll also often ingest more when you eventually do eat because you’ve been starving yourself all day. Besides, scads of studies prove that people who eat a wholesome breakfast and small meals throughout the day weigh less than those who buy into this diet myth and skip meals and eat fewer times throughout the day. The reason? Inconsistent eating makes it hard for your body to regulate its metabolism. By going hungry, you’re making your body believe that it’s time to enter starvation mode, and it does this by conserving calories and storing any extra calories as fat. Even if you aren’t giving it any more of either, it’s going to store what it currently has and not burn the extra you want burned during the day.

Don’t eat after 7 p.m.

This has been a long-standing piece of diet myth weight-loss advice: any food you eat in the evening will automatically be stored as fat. The truth is that calories can’t tell time. Your calorie count over a 24-hour period matters more than that bucket of popcorn you had at 10:30 p.m. What might be more important to note is not to eat just before you’re about to hit the sack. Once asleep, your body functioning is much leaner than it is during the day; while sleeping, you just don’t burn the same amount of sugar/fat/calories that you would if you were awake. So, a big bowl of pasta with cheese might not be the best midnight snack.

Cholesterol is bad for me

Without good cholesterol in our blood, our bodies wouldn’t be able to create new cells or make new supplies of crucial hormones — that’s what high density lipoprotein (HDL) is responsible for. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) (aka “bad cholesterol,” this is the notorious artery-clogging cholesterol) we could do without. Most LDL cholesterol comes from saturated fats like butter, meat and pastries, while HDL (the good stuff) can be derived from unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds and vegetable oils.

I can lose weight quickly by cutting out calories

When you drastically cut calories, your body won’t lose weight in a healthy way. As with people who regularly skip meals, your body will go into starvation mode. Your metabolism will slow down as your body holds on to the fat it would need if you really were starving. Any fat you lose will take muscle with it, which causes your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body needs to support its functions) to decline. That’s why healthy weight loss is a slow process and requires muscle-building exercise to go with it.

Fat is bad for me

As in the case of cholesterol, there are good kinds of fat and bad kinds of fat. Fat is a key player in the overall health of the body, and it has a diverse resume. Fat helps clot blood, cushion organs and build cell membranes. Just make sure your diet is rich in unsaturated fats like olive oil, flaxseed oil, trout, salmon, and avocado.

If I exercise I can eat what I want

Thirty minutes of bike riding doesn’t give you a guilt-free pass to the buffet. While exercise does burn calories, you’re still susceptible to weight gain if you’re eating large portions of unhealthy food. A half-hour on the treadmill doesn’t come close to balancing the calories contained in the average super bacon cheeseburger meal with onion rings and a strawberry milkshake. That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge every once in a while — just don’t make it a pound-packing habit, and don’t expect your normal exercise routine to pick up all your slack.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (1)
  • Interesting (0)
  • Useful (0)
  • Boring (0)
  • Sucks (0)