What I’ve Learned

The following is a summary of stuff I’ve learned over the past year about health and nutrition. Agree or disagree, I believe the science and overwhelming evidence is all out there on the web if you want to validate or disprove the below statements. My intent is to get people thinking more about this stuff because I think it’s vitally important for this information to get out there. I think people just don’t realize how many medical and nutritional hypotheses from the last half century are now being shown to be false.

Cholesterol: Since the late seventies we have been taught that high cholesterol in the blood builds up in our arteries and will eventually cause a blockage. The blockage causes a rupture leading to a cardiac event usually leading to death. Fat, specifically saturated fat from animal products, raises blood cholesterol thus leads to the above. Therefore to reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) we should reduce fat intake. This has now been shown (I’ll dare say proven) to be incorrect. Doctors will focus on LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, mainly because it’s the only lipet that there is a drug for. Statins are recommended to reduce LDL. Resent studies have shown that lowering LDL and therefore total cholesterol may led to increased mortality especially in women over 50. Because saturated fat is the villain and raises cholesterol we are told to replace it with “healthy” polyunsaturated fat ie vegetable oils which lower it. Margarine and vegetable oils are now shown to be quite an unhealthy choice as they are toxic especially when heated. Statins have been shown in studies to benefit 18 out of 1000 (2%) while leaving 15% with serious side effects. The 2% that benefited already have had a heart attack. The latest science has shown the CHD is caused by inflammation and hyperglycemia. Over consumption of refined easily digestible carbohydrates and sugar are the real villains. Think I’m wrong? Please don’t take my word for it, the truth is out there. I hope this spikes your curiosity and you do your own research. Recommended reading (RR) “Cholesterol Clarity” by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman.

Salt: I’ve spent years avoiding salt because I’ve been taught that over consumption leads to hypertension. The hypothesis is too much salt in the blood causes pressure to build in the blood vessels leading to high pressure in the system. This appears to be based not on scientific proof but opinion. Unfortunately health organizations still advise people to limit salt intake especially in those with high blood pressure. Science has shown that hypertension may actually be caused by inflammation which reduces blood vessel flexibility. I’ve discovered that to stay healthy, I needed to increase my salt intake and no longer fear it. (RR) “The Salt Fix” by Dr. James D DiNicolantonio.

Calories: A calorie is not a calorie. See an earlier article of mine on the subject “Calories”. Note: Many believe that to lose weight one needs to restrict calorie intake. While I don’t disagree with this, I believe counting calories does not work because it’s not sustainable. A diet that restricts total caloric intake but remains high in carbohydrates leads to constant hunger. No one can remain hungry for extended periods of time. They may experience some initial weight loss but will eventually gain it back plus more. Ever wonder why the show “The Biggest Loser” has never had a reunion show? 95% of contestants gained all their weight back. Check out Dr Ken Berry on YouTube.

Metabolic Syndrome: This is thought to be the precursor to hypertension, CHD, diabetes and other chronic diseases. A person is considered to have metabolic syndrome once they have 3 of the following 5 conditions; high blood sugar, high blood pressure (hypertension), central obesity (big gut), high triglycerides, and low HDL (good cholesterol). Notice that LDL is not considered. Interestingly government agencies will still recommend individuals lower LDL. Remember LDL is the only lipet that has a drug to lower it. Evidence shows that small particle low density lipoprotein, commonly referred as LDL-P or VLDL, contributes to atherosclerosis. Higher levels of small particle LDL are associated with refined carbohydrate consumption. Although saturated fat increases LDL, it does so to a different from of LDL, large particle LDL which is not considered harmful.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D): Long and still by some considered a chronic life long disease turns out to actually be reversible or curable. T2D is a disease of too much sugar in the body, period. It has historically been treated with drugs (like metformin) and insulin. Doctors have recommended these interventions without considering diet. Why would you continue to add sugar to a body already overfilled with it? Would it not make sense to try and lower blood sugar levels? Two ways to do this, burn it off or stop putting it in. While exercise is awesome and required for healthy living, it’s probably not the most economical way to burn off a large amount of excess sugar. Doesn’t it make more sense to simply stop putting it in? A ketogenic low carb diet is now being used to reverse T2D as it greatly restricts carbs and therefore sugar. Just makes sense. (RR) “The Diabetes Code” by Jason Fung.

Metabolic Flexibility: The number one reason I recommend a low carb or keto diet is metabolic flexibility. Once fat adapted (same thing) the body is able to efficiently use glucose, fat, and ketones which enhances health, wellbeing and even athletic performance. A carb-dependent person needs to constantly feed to keep glucose levels up. Low glucose in carb burners can cause energy crashes, fatigue, hunger, mental fog, and irritability. Hunger and cravings are driven by constant glucose demands throughout the day. This is why calorie restriction used by metabolic inflexible people usually fails.