Older Bolder Life

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diet

Seminal Fat Article: Is Dietary Fat Foe or Friend?

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Now and again a truly seminal article pops up in the literature; we’ll be posting citations of particular interest to we in the Older Bolder crowd as they come across our radar.

This one – Dietary Fat: From Foe to Friend? – published last month in Science (Science 16 Nov 2018:Vol. 362, Issue 6416, pp. 764-770), authored by David S. Ludwig, Walter C. Willett, Jeff S. Volek, and Marian L Neuhouser is one of those seminal pieces worth your time.

The authors take a concise look at the origins of the “reduce fats and increase carbohydrates” recommendations from purported authorities (dating in the piece back to 1977), and the resultant impacts on American health, while recognizing that correlation versus causation is open for debate, particularly given the plethora of factors impacting outcome and the lack of controlled, large human studies.

It’s most interesting to read their contrasting “The case for a low-fat, high-carbohydrate” and “The case for a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet” sections, as well as the detailed arguments for dietary fat quality.

Their opening paragraph in the conclusion is worth noting (emphasis mine) –

The optimal proportion of carbohydrate to fat in the diet for obesity treatment and chronic disease prevention has been a topic of debate for decades, often generating more heat than light (101). Of course, any meaningful assessment of a diet’s impact on health must extend far beyond macronutrient quantity, to include the myriad qualitative aspects of food and food combinations that influence hormonal response, gene expression, and metabolic pathways. Further complicating this issue is the likelihood that inherent or acquired biological differences among individuals or populations, especially related to glucose homeostasis, affect response to specific diets.

The authors take care to note nine current controversies surrounding dietary fat, and appropriately call for further well-designed, thoughtfully controlled research in these arenas.

They also go on to list seven points of consensus, again from the article –

1. With a focus on nutrient quality, good health and low chronic disease risk can be achieved for many people on diets with a broad range of carbohydrate-to-fat ratios.
2. Replacement of saturated fat with naturally occurring unsaturated fats provides health benefits for the general population. Industrially produced trans fats are harmful and should be eliminated. The metabolism of saturated fat may differ on carbohydrate-restricted diets, an issue that requires study.
3. Replacement of highly processed carbohydrates (including refined grains, potato products, and free sugars) with unprocessed carbohydrates (nonstarchy vegetables, whole fruits, legumes, and whole or minimally processed grains) provides health benefits.
4. Biological factors appear to influence responses to diets of differing macronutrient composition. People with relatively normal insulin sensitivity and β cell function may do well on diets with a wide range of carbohydrate-to-fat ratios; those with insulin resistance, hypersecretion of insulin, or glucose intolerance may benefit from a lower-carbohydrate, higher-fat diet.
5. A ketogenic diet may confer particular metabolic benefits for some people with abnormal carbohydrate metabolism, a possibility that requires long-term study.
6. Well-formulated low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets do not require high intakes of protein or animal products. Reduced carbohydrate consumption can be achieved by substituting grains, starchy vegetables, and sugars with nonhydrogenated plant oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, and other high-fat plant foods.
7. There is broad agreement regarding the fundamental components of a healthful diet that can serve to inform policy, clinical management, and individual dietary choice. Nonetheless, important questions relevant to the epidemics of diet-related chronic disease remain. Greater investment in nutrition research should assume a high priority.

Well worth a read, and we’ll be diving into several of these key points in much greater detail in the upcoming months.

Carbs: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Part 2 – The Good)

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From yesterday’s post about The Bad and Ugly Carbs –

Of all the questions about a healthier lifestyle I typically field from curious potential clients, friends, and family, by far and away the most common one has to do with carbohydrate consumption, and most specifically, “what are the good carbs I can still eat?”

Of note, this isn’t a discussion of the science underpinning the (common-sense) rationale for choosing a lower carb, moderate protein, higher fat lifestyle – it really is a lifestyle, not a “diet”; this discussion is meant to lay out a practical, fairly concise (maybe not) roadmap for those who’ve made the decision to give this concept a spin.

Yesterday we talked about unhealthy carbs, the bad and ugly carbs if we’re going to hold to that metaphor, that need to be swept out of your life, and for those of you pondering jumping onto this healthy bandwagon, probably swept out all at once.

A Word About Carb-Phobia

As has happened to many of us in the Primal/Paleo/Ancestral health worlds, at some point you might be accused of being “Carb-phobic” by someone touting a high-carb, low-fat approach to food, or by someone mired in the muck of a SAD diet.

Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth.

This isn’t a carb-phobic approach, it’s actually the polar opposite. This approach leverages all the best nutrient-dense, fiber-packed, texture and flavor-rich carbs available with little if any of the excessive, insulin-spiking, glucose floods that highly-processed carbs bring to the table.

This isn’t a carb-phobic approach, it’s a smart carb/intuitive carb approach.

So What “Good Carbs” Are We Talking About…

Let’s start with the easy one, the carbs I’d typically argue that you eat with abandon until sated, and the first on the list won’t surprise you – the green leafy vegetables:

  • Lettuce, all types
  • Chard
  • Greens – beet, collard, dandelion, mustard, turnip
  • Broccoli Rabe
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Purslane
  • Watercress
  • Sea vegetables – kombu, nori

Now throw in colorful and cruciferous vegetable all-stars:

  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Avocados (actually a fruit…)
  • Beets in moderation
  • Bell Peppers
  • Bok Choy
  • Broccoli
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots in moderation
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Endive
  • Fennel
  • Garlic
  • Kohlrabi
  • Leeks
  • Mushrooms (most varieties)
  • Olives
  • Onions
  • Parsnips in moderation
  • Peppers
  • Purslane
  • Radish
  • Rutabaga in moderation
  • Tomatoes

The best fruits are those lower in fructose (read Dr. Gundry’s pitch on fructose if you haven’t yet); the top choices include:

  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Boysenberries
  • Cranberries
  • Gooseberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries

I’d like to cover other fruits in more detail in another post, given the complexities of fructose processing and the nuances of using fruit to best accomplish your goals, whether those goals be simply optimizing your nutrition, further weight loss, physical performance enhancement, or accommodating a unique metabolic or functional quirk of your own.

If you haven’t yet, it’s time to jump on the Good Carb train and get moving toward your health and wellness goals.

Carbs: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Part 1 – The Bad and Ugly)

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Of all the questions about a healthier lifestyle I typically field from curious potential clients, friends, and family, by far and away the most common one has to do with carbohydrate consumption, and most specifically, “… so what are the good carbs I can still eat?”

Of note, this ISN’T a discussion of the science underpinning the (common-sense) rationale for choosing a lower carb, moderate protein, higher fat lifestyle – it really is a lifestyle by the way, not a “diet”; this discussion is meant to lay out a practical, fairly concise (maybe not) roadmap for those who’ve made the decision to give this concept a spin.

That said, let’s first tackle The Bad and The Ugly carbs that need to be left in the proverbial dust as you turn the page on the SAD (standard American diet) days of the past and take a very intentional first step toward a healthier approach to food.

An Over-Simplified Overview of the Carbohydrate Problem

I often explain to friends and clients that problematic foods in the SAD way of eating can be thought of as the legs of a three-legged stool: those problematic legs are grains, sugars in their various forms, and heavily processed, chemically-altered, often hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Oils we’ll tackle on another day, but today let’s talk about grains and sugars.

Of note, it simply isn’t possible to explain a topic this complex in a matter of a few paragraphs; there are entire books (take Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD as a prime example) that have detailed grains’ egregious impacts on human physiology in detail. We’ll delve into more of the nitty gritty at a later time, but here we’ll run through the highlights (or lowlights) of the grain and sugar problem.

Granted, for the last 10,000 years or so of human history, grains have been the cornerstone of human consumption. The challenge for our human physiology with regard to grain is quite simple however, that being that grains delivered insanely excessive levels of carbs to our systems, along with a bevy of anti-nutrients (i.e. gluten, among a host of other lectins, and phytates in excess).

Ingested and absorbed carbs that aren’t immediately burned are converted into triglycerides in the liver and stored in fat cells. Chronic pattern of high-carb consumption triggers excess insulin production, which then triggers hormonal responses (for example cortisol and adrenaline responses) that trigger, among other things, excessive systemic inflammation.

Often overlooked is the simple concept, detailed by many over the years, that as humans we do not have a documented, essential need for any processed carbohydrate to run our bodies at peak efficiency. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

So What Grain and High-Carb Products Get the Boot?

All bread and flour products. The list is long and distinguished – all breads, donuts, scones, crackers, tortillas and tortilla products, pizza, sandwiches, etc.

Sweets and desserts – cookies, brownies, pies, cupcakes, cake, etc. (all baked treats), candy and all confections, frozen desserts (damn), and all sweeteners.

Grains you cook with – barley, bulgar, couscous, millet, rye, amaranth, grits and polenta.

Pastas – yep, even the special versions enhanced with other legume or vegetables.

All rice, though note that wild rice can be an exception as it’s actually a grass, not a grain, though still has a fairly high high net carb content.

All chips and puffed/puffy snacks – think things like Cheetos, goldfish, popcorn, and the infamous rice cake.

Baking ingredients – all flours, corn meal, corn starch, typical baking powders (milk, bread gluten, maltodextrin), sweeteners like corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, lactose, malitol, and xylitol; baking mixes are out the window too. Chocolate (and other sweet baking chips) are to be avoided, though choc chips with >70% cocoa or unsweetened 100% cocoa powder can be used judiciously for a treat!)

Oatmeal and other grain-based cereals.

Syrups, especially HFCS or agave-based, are to be avoided.

Beware these beverages: designer coffee drinks, fruit juice and fruit-flavored drinks, energy drinks, milk and non-dairy milks (almond, rice, soy, etc), sports drinks, sodas, sweet tea, sweet cocktails.

Condiments to ditch: standard ketchup, jams, jellies, and preserves, honey mustard, mayonnaise (unless you’re making your own with acceptable oils), salad dressings with PUFA oils, low-fat salad dressings. Watch condiments carefully, many contain shocking amounts of HFCS.

Fast foods, prepared-ahead/highly-processed foods and food products (read those labels).

Legumes’ role in a Primal-type food plan might be debated by some, though particularly for those not yet at their ideal body weight with weight to lose, legumes bring a high-carb burden for the nutrients they typically bring to the table, and should be avoided or certainly minimized. Legumes to avoid include alfalfa, beans, peanuts (and PNB), peas, lentils, soybeans (that means tofu too).

Starchy vegetables, to consume in moderation or avoid, pending your goals and current status, include potatoes (white-fleshed potatoes certainly, sweet potatoes and yams in moderation), cassava, taro, squash (including pumpkin), and some would put beets, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, and rutabaga on this list as well.

Tomorrow let’s talk about Good Carbohydrates…

The Simple Power of NEXT

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This time of year, for obvious good reasons, tends to get a bit hectic and (for many) more than a little stressful.

At least for some of us, some of the most tempting, and most egregiously bad, Standard American Diet fare shows up at work, on the family table, at your favorite coffee shop, holiday parties and gatherings, and just about anywhere else you care to venture.

For those of us working to maintain a healthier, active lifestyle, the challenges are oft compounded by the time demands of the season, shortening hours of daylight, and the arrival of late fall and winter weather all conspiring together to cut into your valuable exercise and workout windows.

There’s a simple principle you’ve no doubt heard before, but it’s worth mentioning again, and in fact, I’ve been sharing repeatedly it with clients for the past ten days in particular…

The Simple Power of Next

Get off track with your food plan this week? It happens. And will likely happen again before we see another New Years Day pass. Don’t waste time beating yourself up.

It doesn’t matter, at least in the long term, bigger picture IF you simply exercise the simple power of choosing to get back on track for your NEXT meal.

Get off track with your exercise or workout plan this week? It happens. And will likely happen again before we see another New Years Day pass. Don’t waste time beating yourself up.

It doesn’t matter, at least in the long term, bigger picture IF you simply exercise the simple power of choosing to get back on track for your NEXT walk, run, yoga session, or workout.

The Simple Power of Next Works Wonders Over the Long Haul Too

One of the most common concerns I’ve heard over the years from people who are morbidly obese as they consider lifestyle changes to restore their health is that it just seems too overwhelming to actually visualize themselves dropping what in some cases might actually half their body weight. (Count me among that unique crowd at one point years ago…)

Granted, setting a long term goal to drop 80, 100, even 200 pounds is a daunting challenge, though what I chose to do, and what I encourage clients to do continually, is simply reduce that challenge to making the best choices possible for their very next meal (or the day’s food plan) and their very next workout.

The old adage that success begets success is certainly true in this case, and it’s much easier to summon the willpower and momentum to make a single meal or single workout ‘best choice’.

Git ‘er done today, and leverage the simple power of next.