Lots of Americans have extra junk in their trunk these days. For that matter, the whole world is getting fatter. If you have too much junk in your trunk, you may what to blame junk science.
Definition for Junk science from Wikimedia:
Junk science is a term used in U.S. political and legal disputes that brands an advocate's claims about scientific data, research, or analyses as spurious. The term may convey a pejorative connotation that the advocate is driven by political, ideological, financial, or other unscientific motives. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_science
Junk science is rampant in the American zeitgeist. Most of us believe nutritional and medical myths, like a low fat diet is heart healthy, because we've heard this nonsense repeated over and over. So it must be based on solid science, right? Wrong. The low fat diet myth is just one junk science myth we intend to cover here. Another will be the high carbohydrate diet pushed by the US government and agriculture. We'll explain why this nutrition advice train wreck is the main reason why we're seeing a sharp rise in obesity and diabetes.
Junk science is fueled by a gullible media machine that rarely looks at the science behind the medical and nutrition studies they report on. Almost all of the mainstream media, nutrition "experts" and the medical community blindly accept health and diet myths. And when the proven science catches up to their beliefs, they stand fast.
Even Dr. Mehmet Oz, dubbed "America's Doctor" by his popular daytime talk show "The Dr. Oz Show" recently (February 24, 2010) said he was not a fan of low carbohydrate diets. This blanket statement on "all" low carbohydrate diets wasn't exactly a fair assessment of low carbohydrate eating. And it ignored a great deal of scientific studies showing the benefits of low carbohydrate diets. And he said this despite the fact he claimed to approve of low carbohydrate diets on an episode of "Larry King Live" also featuring Dr. Andrew Weil, an advocate of low carb.
The Metabolic Society has weighed in on the latest nonsense about the "dangers" of a low carbohydrate diet. Mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to heart disease were used in a small study to "prove" carbohydrate restricted diets may harm arteries. Low-Carb Lifestyle Examiner Jimmy Moore showed in a recent article how the study was faulty. Click below to get the link.
This is the Press Release in which The Metabolic Society reported on this study:
Researchers use mutant mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to heart disease to 'prove' carbohydrate restricted diets may harm arteries.
Defects in ApoE -/- result in defects in processing blood cholesterol. As human studies continue to show the benefits of low carbohydrate diets and the general failure of low-fat diets, it is necessary for the nutritional establishment to find more and more obscure methods of attacking dietary carbohydrate restriction.
One method is to prepare mutant animal models, to use odd diet that humans would never consume, call them low carbohydrate diets and then show some deficit. Because mice are not generally susceptible to atherosclerosis, it was necessary for Foo and coworkers to use an ApoE-/- mutant and a ridiculously high protein diet to vilify low carbohydrate diets which have been a useful alternative for many people suffering from obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Read more and watch the video.
Can you eat too few carbohydrates? Can you eat too many carbohydrates? Ask different people and you get different answers. What are the facts on carbohydrates? Let's look at the science versus the cultural zeitgeist.
Low carbohydrate diets have been much maligned by the media and many people believe they're unhealthy. The misinformed will readily tell you low carb diets limit fruits and vegetables, lack fiber and vitamins, have too much fat, and that you'll only lose water weight. They warn of harmful side effects like the dangers of ketosis and weakened kidneys and bones. They'll tell you you'll lose only water weight, and you'll starve your brain. All of the above are myths. Read more.
The government touts a diet high in carbohydrates, while many weight loss experts and low carb advocates swear by low carbohydrate diets. So, what exactly are carbohydrates? What happens when you eat carbohydrates?
Vegetables are versatile, nutritious, and plantiful this time of year.
A recent study revealed that overweight people who ate a low calorie vegetarian diet, that was also low in carbohydrates, for a mere month lost weight. This test diet was chiefly plant based. Proteins eaten were also made up of plant based foods like beans and legumes.
Not only did subjects lose weight, they experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and lowered other heart disease risk factors like blood prssure. The report was published in the June 8th 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
I pretty much took Monday off after a busy weekend. I did do two 10 Minute Trainer workouts – click the link to read my review at Healthy New Age. You might want to check out the HNA "Meet Our Authors" page. I'm now an ongoing contributor.
And I took a two hour nap yesterday. Delicious and refreshing, and nice to wake up to a recharged stock market.
I also ran across some cool reading. Hey, it's research. Yeah, that's it, research. Here are the links: Hope you "DIGG" them too.
"Here's a few recipes appropriate for entertaining guests who aren't on a low carbohydrate diet or other diet or nutrition plan. They're delicious, taste tested, and no one will even know you stuck to your diet. All recipes are from my cookbook 'The Protein Edge Cookbook' by Carol Bardelli, available soon in re-released ebook format through my websites (see sidebar at my Examiner page for links)."
No matter what your dieting style - low carb, low fat, low calorie, special dietary needs - dining out can present problems that make staying on program difficult. If you have several dietary issues like I do and must avoid multiple foods the logistics are a nightmare. Asking questions helps ("Does the cook add milk to the eggs?" "Is there corn in the Mexican rice?" "Do they use wheat flour in the breading?")
Personally, I've chosen to rarely eat out and when I do order steak and potatoes. Those two items are usually safe and chef proof. They can't screw them up colitis-wise.
Below are some links to help you make the best dining out choices for your unique situation:
By Amber J. Tresca, About.com About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD Eating out at restaurants or at social functions can be a tricky situation for people with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis [IBD]). It is especially difficult when you are dining with people you have a professional or casual relationship with, since they are not likely to know about your health problems. (Nor would you necessarily want them to know.) How can you handle a high-powered business lunch or romantic dinner without bringing attention to your problem? Read more.
How do you stay on your diet when someone else is doing the cooking? Here you'll find handy tips to use when dining out, what to eat at specific types of eateries, and links to low-carb menus at popular chain restaurants. Low Carb Eating Out
Today’s Stats: 120 pounds, 22.6 percent body fat. Down -2 pounds and - 1.6 percent body fat from yesterday. The loss is likely mostly water loss due to the low carb diet and exercise. Less bloat, hey, I’ll take it. (Body fat monitor readings can vary due to changes in body fluid, time of day, etc. What's important is to watch for a downward trend).
Bruno and I videotaped our swimming pool workout yesterday. It's an hour long and I'm having trouble getting it uploaded onto my laptop. I'll post part of it as soon as possible.
Eating fats on a carb cycling diet vary by phase – no carb, low carb, high carb. But it’s vital to get your fats and the right kinds fats at that. Generally eating lean meats and a variety of fish including fatty fish like salmon can provide most of the saturated fats you need for healthy skin and hair, not to mention production of enough healthy hormones. Olive, flax, walnut, grapeseed, and other omega rich oils make great complimentary foods on salads, vegetables, and in shakes. The key is keeping your fat portions in line with your goals. A cup of oil a day and you’ll likely never get lean.
Supplementing with fish oil has shown promise for fat loss and I’m trying it this time around. Why? The article excerpt below explains it better than I could. Bottom line, if I can increase my leptin sensitivity I can burn more body fat.
“As for fats, this diet does not worry too much about them. Nor will we discuss them much, save for this brief discussion here. While this is not a high fat (or Ketogenic) diet, it certainly is not a low fat diet. When I first started cycling carbs, I kept fats to probably less than twenty grams a day. Here, I recommend keeping dietary fats on the low side, with the majority of fats coming from supplemented EFAs (essential fatty acids)-specifically fish oil (high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids -- EPA/DHA).
Why fish oil? There are so many good reasons that a detailed discussion can be an article unto itself. For our purposes, it is sufficient to know that it has all the benefits of other EFA sources (such as flax and hemp oil) and in addition, has been shown to increase leptin sensitivity and exert positive effects on body composition much more efficiently than other EFAs (this is one of the important nutrient partitioning "tricks" one must employ for a successful recomposition).
Now, on to the practicality of it. First, you will be getting some fats in your lean protein sources (probably between 10 and 20 grams of fat) and a few grams from the carb sources (another 10 to 20 grams on high carb day). Second, at least two meals per day will include protein of the higher-fat variety. And if not, then you should add a fat source from the list below.
Fat Sources (an amount equal to 10 to 15 grams of fat). (Natural) Peanut Butter Flax Oil Heavy Whipping Cream Mayonnaise Hemp Seed Oil Olive Oil
Third, you will be supplementing with fish oil at 10 to 20 grams a day -- the more the better. This assumes you are using a standard fish oil supplement which, on average, contains one gram of oil and is 30% EPA/DHA. Should you choose the superior version, you may consume a bit less. I recommend you either split it up equally across all meals, or split it in half, and consume it with two meals. If you absolutely refuse to take fish oil, despite my pleas that you should (and the evidence that will be provided in the third installment), add in one to two servings of flaxseed or hempseed oil daily. – From “What You Need To Know About Carb Cycling”
Supplements - 10 grams fish oil softgels, multi-vitamin, 2000 mg calcium, 3000 mg cranberry, Max CLA 1000 mg.
Beverages 2 cups coffee, 1 gallon water with lime, 4 ounces vodka (counted in my carb allowance and drank post-workouts when muscle glycogen is depleted).
Morning Leg Day – 5 sets x 25 reps each of front lunges, side lunges, wall squats, regular squats, and three angles of calf raises, most performed on the ProForm BioVibe.
My recipe for Spicy Tequila Lime Chicken - Marinating & Grilled
Ingredients
6 – 4 ounce chicken breasts
Marinade:
¼ cup lime juice 1/8 cup water 2 tablespoons Tequila 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon liquid smoke 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ginger (ground) 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
Place chicken breasts in a large glass cooking dish. Mix together all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate at least two hours, turning chicken once. Drain and grill (or bake, broil, fry). Serves 6.
Calories 209, 4 fat grams, 0 carb grams, 24 protein grams, trace alcohol gram (alcohol burns off during cooking).
Tip: I’m a bit of a chili-head. If you’re not into spicy or like it really hot adjust the spices accordingly.
I found the low carbohydrate week of the Priming Phase on “The Cheat To Lose Diet” by Joel Marion (the book) (the website)easy enough to stick to (okay, I really didn’t), but too low in calories. Eating nothing but lean protein, green vegetables, and some fats had me under 1400 calories and 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates a day for days. My RMR is 1260 so this is really a low calorie phase if anything. My endurance slumped a little at the end of my circuit training aerobics workouts. I don’t see how that can be good. Need to burn the fat you know. Thank goodness I’ve switched to the Low GI/GL week of priming. At least I’m getting plenty of protein. And now toast at breakfast!
Here’s a review of the Priming Phase of the diet which I’ve discussed previously: the priming phase lasts 22 Days - 7 days of low carbohydrate, 7 days of lower glycemic index / glycemic load, 7 days of higher GI/GL - before you have a cheat day on day 22. (And believe me, on day 9 good old day 22 looks years away particularly when you're cooking French fries for the rugrat. No wonder no one can stick on crazy crash diets for long!)
Foods allowed on the low carb phase include green vegetables, most other non-starchy vegetables, lean meats including beef, chicken, fish, turkey, dairy with no stipulation on fat content, fats like oils and butter, nuts, and nut butters including peanut butter (I found myself eating it with a spoon, almost better than chocolate or sex. Not).
The lower GI/GL week allows you to add whole grains like whole wheat bread, oats, beans, lentils, and fruits like berries, apple, citrus, and starchier veggies like carrots. Yippee. (Yes, that’s sarcasm you hear in my writing voice).
Eleven days until cheat day. Will I hold out that long? Do I really need to in order to enjoy results? Stay tuned.
