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I should add that I was somewhat on the fence after reading Gary Taubes ("Good Calories, Bad Calories"), but I was impressed enough by his research, etc., to seriously question the standard view on nutrition (thus my suggestion not to buy "low fat" etc. in my previous posts). The book by David Perlmutter ("Grain Brain"), however, has convinced me to jump off the fence. I really don't think the low-carb/anti-gluten approach is just a fad. From what I can tell, the science seems far more supportive of low-carb/low-gluten than for the traditional view. I already know that various people will claim that Perlmutter (like Taubes) is "cherry picking" the data, but I don't think this accusation is appropriate. I'm still open to contrary evidence, but at this point it seems to me that the old paradigm (the war against meat/animal fat/etc.) is, to say the least, deeply flawed.
The war isn't against meat/animal fat, *except* from that very minor minority of dietary zealots known as vegans.
For everyone else, the motto is "everything in moderation." Don't eat TOO MUCH meat/animal fats. Don't eat TOO MUCH carb/starch. Don't eat TOO MUCH dessert. Don't eat TOO MANY Big Macs. Don't drink TOO MUCH soda, or diet soda.
It's a matter of self-control and not letting some internet diet guru with no actual education in dietetics or nutrition dictate the things you can or cannot consume.
AnonChick says: "the motto is "everything in moderation."
I agree. I've never actually been on any particular sort of diet in my life, and I have no intentions of starting one. I seem to have no allergies or intolerances, and I have a naturally high metabolism, so I generally eat whatever I want - in moderation (except when sometimes I'm a piggy). For various tangential reasons, however, I've been looking at a bunch of the research that has been done over the past 80 years or so, and it seems to me that there are some fairly pronounced patterns. What I find fascinating is that these patterns are mostly contrary to the standard views on nutrition. The grocery stores are full of "low fat" products, for example, but this is totally opposite of what most people should be trying to do. In most cases the "low fat" lable is achieved by adding carbs and/or chemicals that are downright bad for you relative to the fat that would have otherwise been there. In other words, picking a "low fat" product in order to "eat healthy" often amounts to substituting a relatively nutritious food with stuff that is likely to do more harm than good. There is a sad sort of irony here that I find fascinating and disturbing. People point to science in order to defend the low fat/low cholesterol diets, but science never really supported any such thing, and thus "eating healthy" ends up making people sick.
Moderation is the key in most cases, but one also needs to be aware that "too much" is a relative term. It does not take very many refined carbs to be "too much" whereas it takes a lot of vegetables to be "too much." And, as long as you eat a good portion of vegetables, you probably won't eat "too much" meat. In other words, it is relatively easy to be moderate with meat or eggs, whereas it is extremely difficult to be moderate with carbs - especially given the nature of the modern food industry. In fact, when it comes to grains - even the supposedly health "whole grains" - it is extremely easy to eat too much. So, yes, moderation is key, but what counts as "moderate" varies radically from one food group to another. Bottom line: I think the paleo diet is the best baseline approach. Most people can throw in some grains without much worry (but fewer the better), and a occasional sugary treat won't be a major problem for most people, but on average I would say that the best advice for most people is "think paleo" then add non-paleo foods with caution.
Guess we can argue til the cows come home about our pet diets and personal way of eating.
From my own observations, it seems to me the Asian populations in their home countries, eating a non-Western-style diet must be doing something right: They are slender with a low incidence of obesity. Lovely clear skin, nice teeth. Healthy hair. Much less heart disease and high blood pressure and diabetes.
We Americans lead the world pack in obesity--is it because of our way of eating? It's gotta be, yes? Despite our many flavors of diets. Who here has always been slim and has stayed slim all their lives without dieting or surgery???
So here's my own new diet plan: Little Dolphin's Eat Like An Asian Diet.
Make your meals with small amounts of animal or plant protein: fish, poultry, beef, pork, tofu. Mix with large amounts of nice chopped vegetables--green, orange, white such as onion and garlic, and red...maybe some purple like eggplant.
Make a simple sauce using some reduced sodium soy sauce, sesame oil and some five spice.
Serve all over a moderate amount of white or brown rice. Or soba buckwheat noodles (no gluten).
Eliminate all dairy (except eggs), and all white baked goods. No wheat. Eliminate most sugar. Forget the sodas, diet or otherwise. Drink green tea or water.
There you have it. Soon you'll have a new slender you. A healthier you. Trust me.
And for the OP...is it possible to seek another doctor for your knee?? Yours sounds a bit..sadistic. I understand his desire for you to shed weight to relieve pressure on your joints, but in the meantime, must you suffer?
The war isn't against meat/animal fat, *except* from that very minor minority of dietary zealots known as vegans.
For everyone else, the motto is "everything in moderation." Don't eat TOO MUCH meat/animal fats. Don't eat TOO MUCH carb/starch. Don't eat TOO MUCH dessert. Don't eat TOO MANY Big Macs. Don't drink TOO MUCH soda, or diet soda.
It's a matter of self-control and not letting some internet diet guru with no actual education in dietetics or nutrition dictate the things you can or cannot consume.
So now you speak for everyone except vegans? Aren't we presumptuous.
From my own observations, it seems to me the Asian populations in their home countries, eating a non-Western-style diet must be doing something right: They are slender with a low incidence of obesity. Lovely clear skin, nice teeth. Healthy hair. Much less heart disease and high blood pressure and diabetes.
Asians living in Asian countries have notoriously bad teeth and are at great risk for periodontal disease, including rotting teeth and gum disease. Asian-Americans tend to have pretty good teeth, compared to non-Asian Americans. The Chinese are especially prone.
In India, heart disease and diabetes are common.
Heart disease is a pretty significant problem in most of Asia, but especially the Pacific Islands and South Asia.
Liver cancer is particularly high in East Asia.
Asians are no more immune to bad health than anyone else in the world. Their diets don't really have all that much to do with it either. And most Asians eat omnivorous diets with plenty of fish, seeds and nuts, vegetables, fruits, and grain, most of which are supposedly not paleo-centric.
So now you speak for everyone except vegans? Aren't we presumptuous.
Because vegans don't say don't eat too much meat or dairy. They say don't eat any meat or dairy at all. Has nothing to do with being presumptuous. It has just a teeny tiny bit to do with reading, a little bitty bit to do with understanding human biology basics, a smidge of common sense, a pinch of logic, and a palmful of "stepping away from the internet once in awhile to actually observe life rather than just reading about it on teh intrawebz"
Asians living in Asian countries have notoriously bad teeth and are at great risk for periodontal disease, including rotting teeth and gum disease. Asian-Americans tend to have pretty good teeth, compared to non-Asian Americans. The Chinese are especially prone.
In India, heart disease and diabetes are common.
Heart disease is a pretty significant problem in most of Asia, but especially the Pacific Islands and South Asia.
Liver cancer is particularly high in East Asia.
Asians are no more immune to bad health than anyone else in the world. Their diets don't really have all that much to do with it either. And most Asians eat omnivorous diets with plenty of fish, seeds and nuts, vegetables, fruits, and grain, most of which are supposedly not paleo-centric.
some of the healthiest cultures in the world (inuits/eskimos) ate very high saturated animal fat diets, were talking 80%+ all saturated animal fat, whale blubber dipped in seal oil anyone?
carbs are linked to many health issues, and the science exists to support this. doesnt matter if its brown rice, or whole wheat, carbs spike your insulin which triggers inflammation, weight gain, and disease.
some of the healthiest cultures in the world (inuits/eskimos) ate very high saturated animal fat diets, were talking 80%+ all saturated animal fat, whale blubber dipped in seal oil anyone?
carbs are linked to many health issues, and the science exists to support this. doesnt matter if its brown rice, or whole wheat, carbs spike your insulin which triggers inflammation, weight gain, and disease.
Inuit also live in the Arctic, hunt for their meals, build their own fires, skin and butcher their own kills, have no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no plumbing at all actually. The nutrients that they need from plants, they get from the *raw or uncooked frozen* livers of caribou and whale skin and seal brain, in addition to kelp (which they'd need to eat several pounds of in order to get the daily amount they need).
That's right - they eat raw animal organs, in order to maintain their health.
If you want to eat that way, and live that lifestyle, just to prove that you can be healthy by eating that way, go ahead.
I'll watch the video on youtube in my nice warm safe comfortable home with central heating, while I enjoy my grilled chicken over salad greens with a chunk of garlic bread on the side.
Just remember - whenever you want to use a cultural phenomenon to prove a point - you have to include the entire culture in your consideration. Otherwise - there is no point.
I think it is impractical to compare monocultures such as Eskimos, Asians, Africans and their diets and health to Americans which come from such a diverse gene pool. Many of these mono cultures have adapted for thousands of years to a particular diet, and their biology tolerates and even thrives on a diet many of us could not tolerate well.
We have to find out which way of eating is healthy for us personally and fits our individual biology best. There is a big margin of difference in the best type of eating habits for various Americans.
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