Friday, October 21, 2011

What's All The Hype About Saturated Fat?

I am constantly being cautioned by people about eating saturated fat on my low carb diet or  I hear people say to me that they are afraid to go low carb because they were told that it isn't healthy to eat meat and cheese, eggs and butter.  Yet for most of those who do change diet and eat more meat, butter, cheese AND stop eating "fake" foods and processed carbohydrates as I did, in just about every case that I am aware of all important health related markers get better not worse.

I have often said to those who lecture me on the danger of my eating plan; "show me the studies that prove that saturated fat causes heart disease?"  Funny how no one ever comes back to me with anything to prove it.

So, I decided to do a google search on this which was very simple and any one of you can do just like I did today.  If you look at the search you will easily see that I put in the search box "saturated fat heart disease studies".  Pretty specific language spelling out what I was looking for, right?   So, where are all the studies PROVING that saturated fat causes heart disease.  
The following link will show you what I found on page one of my google search.  Page 2 of the search was nearly the same as page one.    I could not find one single study linking saturated fat to heart disease!  As a matter of fact I saw things like this:  "Studies finds no clear link between people's intake of saturated fat and their risk of developing heart disease." or this one  "For decades, Americans have been told that saturated fat clogs arteries and causes heart disease. But there's just one problem: No one's ever proved it."     
Try this search for yourself if you don't believe it.

Interestingly, when I read one or two of the articles,  they had interviewed past AHA president  Dr. Robert H. Eckel about the results.  Dr. Eckel is a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver.  Dr Eckel cautioned against "over interpreting" the results.  "No one is saying that some saturated fat is going to harm you...people should enjoy their food".   Dr. Eckel maintained that we still want people to stay away from saturated fat.  

My question now is Why?  Why continue to insist that saturated fat is bad?   Is it because they feel that we've gone so far with the idea that we can't turn back?   I don't get it!   I say bring on the T-Bone steak with butter and onions!   My blood sugar, A1C, LDL and  triglycerides  have all come down and my HDL has gone up since I went low carb and higher fat.  Is this an accident?   Just about everyone who has changed their diet in this respect has better numbers as I do.    All I have to say to the naysayers for now on is show me the evidence, otherwise leave me alone!
                         For the results of my google search Click Here

Sunday, October 16, 2011

My Critique of Sugar Nation By Jeff O'connell

I mentioned Sugar Nation in my last post when I was about half way through the book. Now that I've finished it, I have some thoughts. My first thought is that I want to give the book to everyone I know because it is eye opening and perhaps life changing. My second thought is that if you don't want to reverse your diabetes and you don't want to get well, don't read this book, because it will compel you to change your life. You can't possibly read this "Sugar Nation" and not be shocked by the reality of our western dietary habits and how those habits are making all of us sick. You will understand that diabetes begins years, even decades before diagnosis. You will question why the tests that could save us from this fate are not ordered years before so that we'd have a fighting chance.

So far, every diabetes study done has shown without any dispute that changing diet and exercise ALWAYS lowers blood sugar and insulin resistance more than diabetes drugs for type 2 patients. A study in Finland showed that regular exercise reduced diabetes in subjects by nearly 70%. A follow up study three years later showed that 36% of the study members remained healthy due to continuing the diet and exercise program. The main reason for the decline from 70% down to 36%? Participants not sticking with the diet and exercise program over time.

The author points out that even when patients are able to reverse their blood sugar and insulin spikes by low carb diet and exercise, their doctors are still hesitant to take their patients off of medication. Even though the medication may not have been all that helpful to begin with the doctors seem to consider it kind of as an insurance policy just in case the patient stops their healthy ways. Another study mentioned in the book, done by the University of MA, showed that regular exercise was less effective in controlling blood sugar and insulin for those taking metformin. No one seems to know exactly why metformin makes exercise less effective but they are studying this further.

For me some of the most disturbing portions of the book was where Mr. O'Connell wrote about how the drug companies, the hospitals, the ADA, the entire medical community benefits from Diabetes and the eventual complications of it down the road. Doctors have no training in educating patients and there is virtually no focus on prevention or reversal in the early stages.

There is so much more in this book that it is impossible to discuss it all here. I urge everyone, including non-diabetics to read Sugar Nation. Not only do I urge you. I challenge you! In my opinion, not reading this book would be similar to sticking your head in the sand or covering your ears while you scream "Nany, nany nany" to block out the sound of something you do not wish to hear!

I am not telling you to go out and purchase this book if you can't afford to do so. I always suggest your local library as an alternative. I read this book by getting it from the library myself. I now intend to purchase it so that I can let my friends, family and co-workers read it as well.