If anyone knows anything about fitness, it's that a low fat diet is the healthiest way to avoid serious diseases, right? Maybe wrong.
In many instances quality research has shown just the opposite?that a low fat diet, sometimes even a vegetarian diet, can be harmful to your health. Although vegetarian and low-fat diets have been proven to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, they have not demonstrated significant reductions in deaths from any disease.
The Low-Fat Approach
Popular diets of today encouraging low-fat approaches, such as the diets of Dr. Pritkin, Dr. Ornish, Macrobiotics, and Weight Watchers, are generally effective with weight-loss and reduction in blood fats. The low-fat approach has even been proven to overcome serious illness successfully.
But the majority of dieters find these plans difficult to stick with. And most research trials have not shown these diets effective in decreasing death rates from diseases in general, long-term.
Fats in a meal make you feel more 'full'. They slow the time it takes for your stomach to empty, thus ensuring you will not feel hungry too soon.
Generally, high-carb, low-fat meals have the opposite effect. The stomach empties quicker and insulin levels increase following the meal. This means you may be hungry sooner than you'd like.
Research shows the higher insulin levels of a low-fat, high-carb diet may predispose you to adult onset diabetes, hypoglycemia, and even heart disease.
The Low-Carb Approach
These diets claim that limiting carbs, like sugars, grains, fruits, and some vegetables, is the solution. The Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, and even the Zone Diet all suggest if you cut out the carbs or have a balance of fat/carbs/protein in every meal, you will experience weight loss and better health. Many dedicated dieters find this to be true.
Although a low-carb diet can cause weight loss, the goal of any program should be life long radiant health. It is still up for debate if this approach leads to any significant health advantages. It is possible to hasten heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and aging with a diet too high in the wrong fats and too low in essential nutrients from various fruits and veggies.
Many health care professionals find it difficult to prescribe to either of the above theories. If there is no definitive answer in either direction that is indisputable, then there must be a middle ground.
A Healthy Solution for Everyone
It is difficult to imagine that reducing intake of the wonderful fruits and vegetables that keep people well is the way to a healthy future. Research will back this up. The average American already ingests too little fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other factors present in whole, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.
In much of our history, it was rare to have many of the diseases we live with today. Most people in native cultures eating diets dictated by availability experienced vibrant health. Their death was caused by accidents, bacterial or viral diseases, or by old age. Very few died of our number one killers: cardiovascular disease and cancer.
People did not begin to experience heart disease and cancer in such great numbers until the advent of our more modern diet and lifestyle customs.
These "advances" included:
With the human tampering of food overall health took an undeniable turn for the worse.
Almost exclusively we now eat, even in so called 'healthy' or 'organic' foods, the following: refined products, products with added sugar, preservatives, additives, petroleum products, animal products laden with antibiotics and hormones, and animals that are fed diets that they would never eat in the wild (wild cattle do not eat other cattle, poultry by-products, or even grains; cattle eat grass).
Native cultures worldwide, before being indoctrinated with more westernized food choices, eat remarkably similar diets.
Since many food products spoil without refrigeration or freezing, most people fermented their foods. This supplies necessary probiotic bacteria, which many people supplement with today since we eat natural fermented foods so infrequently.
Whether or not they inhabited the same regions, most people ate a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and animal products in season. Very few societies tip the scales by eating mostly animal products (Inuit cultures) or mostly vegetarian (a few tribes in Africa and South America).
The similarities that bind the historical human diet together are:
Wisdom passed down through the ages says that a varied diet with foods found abundant in nature is best. In almost all cultures this means a diet, as available, of fresh or dried wild meats and fish, fermented cheeses, fresh whole or fermented milk, butter, eggs, fresh, dried, or fermented fruits, fresh or fermented vegetables, whole grains (these were fermented normally, even if dried), some beans, and water or fermented beverages to drink.
It is interesting to note that instead of eating fresh foods or those naturally fermented, we chose to cook or destroy what could spoil in our foods then add additives and preservatives. Are these 'foods' as digestible? Do they supply the same nutrients? Does the magic number of carbohydrates versus fats or proteins really matter? What if the answer lies in ancient wisdom and thousands of years of knowledge?
Something to think about.
About The Author
For more information or questions on related topics, please visit www.mywebnd.com. Get all your health questions answered from a licensed Naturopathic physician without the wait for an office visit. Well-researched, reliable information is now available and easy to find.
recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
With the number of people suffering from obesity rising so... Read More
The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals... Read More
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
Weight loss plans come in all shapes and sizes. Some... Read More
You could try one of the many sexual enhancement drugs... Read More
The confusion about eating healthy and dieting will now be... Read More
Congratulations on waking up each morning and greeting the day... Read More
We all have an image of "fit" - lean, even... Read More
If you're on a weight loss program you're under constant... Read More
As an employee of famous fitness star Kathy Smith, personal... Read More
One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that there... Read More
Here are a few free tips on losing weight that... Read More
There are those that walk amongst us who have followed... Read More
The vast majority of postpartum women will not return to... Read More
The Liver The function of your kidneys is to filter... Read More
Eighteen or twenty years ago, I was into high protein,... Read More
Everybody knows that 98% of dieters fail. But do you... Read More
What is the best form of physical activity?The best form... Read More
How many calories you consume has a big impact on... Read More
1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS.It's unfortunate that the majority of... Read More
Is it easy to lose weight? Yes. Losing weight is... Read More
I can't do that Until I Lose This Weight! If... Read More
WAHOO!!! for YOU!! You are the most AWESOME person alive!!... Read More
premium house cleaning Glenview ..Let's take a look at how your attitudes and perceptions... Read More
Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!*... Read More
Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More
At the beginning of December, WeightWatchers.com announced the release of... Read More
What's a Low Carb Diet Really Mean?When I hear low... Read More
In the old West tricksters sold a snake oil to... Read More
It's the American Dream: "If I could just lose a... Read More
It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan,... Read More
Over two thirds of Americans are over weight, and half... Read More
The Review Diaries She Unlimited MagazineThere are masses of carbohydrate... Read More
Lose Weight - Get A Break ---------------------------------------- The American Obesity... Read More
Choosing the right diet type is the most important decision... Read More
In today's bustling world we are constantly surrounded by media... Read More
Living a powerful, healthy, fit and trim life is a... Read More
The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too muchRestriction.... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight,... Read More
Low Carb, Low Fat, More protein, Eat all the fat... Read More
We all know it's hard to begin losing weight, no... Read More
It's one thing to stick with your diet regimen when... Read More
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is... Read More
Wanna know the truth? If you're going to... Read More
When you have started a diet in the past, how... Read More
Yes Virginia, the fail-safe weight loss formula exists.It's so simple,... Read More
A question from one of our readers:Dr. Mericle,With respect to... Read More
Weight Loss |