The Barrage of Media
Submitted by David Weaver on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 10:28am
This weekend, my wife and I were at the book store. Since we are obviously interested in health, we headed over to the health, nutrition and exercise section to see what the latest books were. I can't really say that I'm surprised at what I saw, but it still pains me to see what is there. The nutrition section in particular was very painful.
It's time for some education. Let's start with this one:
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The title alone for this book is a problem. The focus in general for this book is towards type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is chronically high insulin levels. What types of food cause high insulin? Carbohydrates. In particular, high density forms of carbs such as whole grains, pasta, rice, and sugar to name a few. Now don't get me wrong, all carbohydrates are not bad, BUT when you have type 2 diabetes, the type and amount GREATLY matter. So if someone is making a cookbook consisting of low-fat meals, obviously those calories need to be replaced by something else. Since most books (including this one) discount the incredible power of protein, that leaves only one macronutrient to make up the bulk of the meals. Carbohydrates.
Here is an excerpt I was particularly appalled by:
There's alot here to discuss, but let's stick with the basics of the blood sugar issue. The problem is that this is a very all encompassing statement that leads us to believe that all whole grains are good for us. While some whole grains do enter the blood stream slower that refined sugar, did you know that pizza dough enters the blood stream FASTER than refined sugar? Also, we still have the problem of recommending a very high carbohydrate food for someone who's problem is too many carbohydrates to begin with.
Here is a food pyramid from another book: (sorry for the blurriness)
The title of this book is, "The Cancer Prevention Diet." On the left it has daily, weekly and monthly categories. Under the daily section we can see a recommendation of about 90% carbohydrates. Under weekly we've got a pretty good mix of foods, but we're only to eat them once a week or so. Finally at the top we've got most of our protein recommendations that we are to consume monthly. Sweets are priority over seafood, eggs and beef (according to this).
This is a big, big problem. It is also a pretty good way to possibily develope type 2 diabetes and/or cancer. Eating like this will turn our insulin on overdrive. High insulin means storage and growth promotion. If we have our bodies constantly turned on to growth, it inhibits our ability to destroy BAD cells. In addition, the lack of protein will cause other problems. Protein is ESSENTIAL for the body to function. (essential amino acids anyone?)
So beyond the science of it, let's look at one more example. This one comes from msnbc.com in today's news. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35107271/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/
An active, 14 year old, girl named Paris went on a 20 month program to help take control of her weight. Her parents had to also take part in it since they too, were overweight. The program did not require that they go on any particular diet, but recommends "healthy grains, fruits and vegetables and avoiding unhealthy fats." The family decided to go vegetarian. She has some early successes from eating less and getting plenty of exercise. By the end of the program, the results were that she ended up GAINING 12 pounds from when she started almost 2 years ago! (I'd also be really curious to see how her biomarkers changed.)
So she ate less protein and more carbohydrates. She could not stick with the diet and things actually got worse. She believes that all she needs to do is try harder. What do you think? Is just trying harder really what this girl needs?
It's time for some education. Let's start with this one:
The title alone for this book is a problem. The focus in general for this book is towards type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is chronically high insulin levels. What types of food cause high insulin? Carbohydrates. In particular, high density forms of carbs such as whole grains, pasta, rice, and sugar to name a few. Now don't get me wrong, all carbohydrates are not bad, BUT when you have type 2 diabetes, the type and amount GREATLY matter. So if someone is making a cookbook consisting of low-fat meals, obviously those calories need to be replaced by something else. Since most books (including this one) discount the incredible power of protein, that leaves only one macronutrient to make up the bulk of the meals. Carbohydrates.
Here is an excerpt I was particularly appalled by:
There's alot here to discuss, but let's stick with the basics of the blood sugar issue. The problem is that this is a very all encompassing statement that leads us to believe that all whole grains are good for us. While some whole grains do enter the blood stream slower that refined sugar, did you know that pizza dough enters the blood stream FASTER than refined sugar? Also, we still have the problem of recommending a very high carbohydrate food for someone who's problem is too many carbohydrates to begin with.
Here is a food pyramid from another book: (sorry for the blurriness)
The title of this book is, "The Cancer Prevention Diet." On the left it has daily, weekly and monthly categories. Under the daily section we can see a recommendation of about 90% carbohydrates. Under weekly we've got a pretty good mix of foods, but we're only to eat them once a week or so. Finally at the top we've got most of our protein recommendations that we are to consume monthly. Sweets are priority over seafood, eggs and beef (according to this).
This is a big, big problem. It is also a pretty good way to possibily develope type 2 diabetes and/or cancer. Eating like this will turn our insulin on overdrive. High insulin means storage and growth promotion. If we have our bodies constantly turned on to growth, it inhibits our ability to destroy BAD cells. In addition, the lack of protein will cause other problems. Protein is ESSENTIAL for the body to function. (essential amino acids anyone?)
So beyond the science of it, let's look at one more example. This one comes from msnbc.com in today's news. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35107271/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/
An active, 14 year old, girl named Paris went on a 20 month program to help take control of her weight. Her parents had to also take part in it since they too, were overweight. The program did not require that they go on any particular diet, but recommends "healthy grains, fruits and vegetables and avoiding unhealthy fats." The family decided to go vegetarian. She has some early successes from eating less and getting plenty of exercise. By the end of the program, the results were that she ended up GAINING 12 pounds from when she started almost 2 years ago! (I'd also be really curious to see how her biomarkers changed.)
So she ate less protein and more carbohydrates. She could not stick with the diet and things actually got worse. She believes that all she needs to do is try harder. What do you think? Is just trying harder really what this girl needs?
So what is the take away from all of this?
- - Controlling your insulin really, really matters.
- - It DOES in fact matter the TYPE of food you eat.
- - Type 2 diabetes is reversible and avoidable.
- - Books and media can be very misleading and even false.
- - Education of PROPER nutrition is extremely important.
Recipes
Pork Tenderloin with Orange Glaze
Olive Oil
2 Cloves garlic
1 Cup orange juice
1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 sprig rosemary
1 spring oregano
1 sprig parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop garlic and mix with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, then coat pork tenderloin in the garlic/oil mixture and let stand for 30-60 mintues. Heat a large oven-proof skillet and brown the meat on all sides with an additional 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (about 5-6 minutes total) while seasoning with salt and pepper. Next, add the remainder of the ingredients to the pan and bring to a boil. Then, place the pan in the upper rack of your oven, and bake for 30+ minutes or until the meat reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven, set meat aside, and strain the pan drippings into a small saucepan. Stir in some chopped parsley and add salt/pepper to taste. If necessary, cook down the liquid until you have about 1/2 cup remaining. In the meantime, cut the pork into 1/4-1/2 inch medallions. Arrange the medallions on a plate, pour the orange glaze over the meat, and serve with roasted root vegetables (diced sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and garlic tossed in olive oil and roasted in the oven at the same time as the meat).
Health Tips
Interview with World Class Volleyball Player - Courtney Thompson
I had the incredible opportunity to talk with my friend and incredible athlete, Courtney Thompson. She took time out of her busy schedule while playing in Puerto Rico to talk about sport, fitness, and the mental aspect of it all. Courtney has gotten to where she is by good old fashioned hard work. She talks about things that can be applied to whatever stage of life you're at. I learned some good stuff while talking to her, and I hope you will too!
Go here to listen: Courtney Interview
