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>that can be solved with very simple things like diet and exercise. "Very simple", applied to diet? Try very controversial. There are tons of different "good

>that can be solved with very simple things like diet and exercise. "Very simple", applied to diet? Try very controversial. There are tons of different "good diet" theories, and many of them are mutually contradictory. I've tried several, and done a lot of research. I've settled on "low carb" as sustainable, healthy, and actually effective -- and it doesn't need to be terribly expensive (though it's likely more expensive than subsisting on grains). But getting people to change their diet -- really change -- is really hard. For low carb, it means no possibility of fast food (except the occasional burger or grilled chicken patty sans bun -- no fries with that!), so you have to plan more carefully. And if you don't want to be eating all-meat, you have to cook low carb vegetables and eat salads. When I tell people how I eat, they generally tell me they couldn't eat that way, and the reason is that they have their own food habits/rituals that involve carbs. And it typically ends there. If there were more places that were low-carb-friendly, it would be much easier. But aside from the occasional BBQ joint that offers non-sweet sauces, it's really hard. [By the way: when you say "sugar diets", are you including all simple carbs in that? Because eating cooked potatoes gives you a faster "sugar rush" than eating sugar; to really fight metabolic syndrome, you need to get rid of high glycemic index foods as well, and ideally just eliminate carbs entirely. Natural fats, on the other hand, are fine if you eliminate carbs. I refer to my diet as the "bacon and dark chocolate" diet, because I can pretty much eat as much of both as I feel like -- and yet I've lost more than 30 pounds.]

orbifold 12y ago
I think with "sugar diets" he specifically refers to diets that contain a lot of Fructose, cooked potatoes contain starch, the liver and muscles convert an excess of that in glycogen and a relatively small amount of fat. Glycogen is actually really useful. Getting a rush afer having eaten an energy rich meal is what is supposed to happen. It's Fructose which is dangerous in large quantities and is linked to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Among other things it also blocks Leptin signalling to the brain, so the brain does not properly register how much energy it just gained, leading to overeating and no desire for physical activity.
3pt14159 12y ago
I didn't really want to get into the weeds with the comment, but every single diet starts with the same thing: Eliminate artificial sources or additions of fructose / sucrose. I'm not advocating cutting glucose or even the elimination of starch. I'm saying cutting out the Coca Cola and the sugar we add to yogurt / chocolate milk / pies / ice cream / sauces / candy / cake / muffins / donuts / pizza (sugary tomato sauce) / glazed meats / etc. is step one in stopping metabolic disorder. Basically anywhere you have sugar in the absence of water soluble fibre. Even if everyone went to eating potatoes and steak every day, that would be a vast improvement. Obviously there is more that can be done, and this is where people start to disagree (dairy good vs dairy bad, meat focussed vs vege focussed, fruit good vs fruit bad, nuts good vs nuts bad) but all that stuff is secondary. Eating bacon will definitely lead to weight loss, but it's high in cholesterol and saturated fats, usually high in sodium, and devoid of many nutrients that are good for long term health and exercise (like potassium, fibre, vitamin k). But sure, you are already doing better than 70% of North Americans if you're staying away from fructose / sucrose.
- SomeCallMeTim 12y ago
  >high in cholesterol and saturated fats, usually high in sodium ...which are not bad for you. That's part of the controversy. Eating cholesterol doesn't raise your cholesterol. Piles of studies show this. Eating carbs raises your cholesterol. There are basically no studies that show eating saturated fat is bad for you. The one study that was pushed by industry (and a SINGLE nutrition researcher who happened to be leading the FDA) back in the 50's was using hydrogenated coconut oil. Even the recent FDA guidelines admit there's no research-based reason to avoid saturated fats. And salt turns out to be fine for you unless you've already got high blood pressure. >devoid of many nutrients that are good for long term health and exercise I do eat vegetables. I eat almost zero fructose (what you'd find in a small handful of blueberries, once a day or so), and less than a couple of teaspoons-worth of sucrose in a typical day. And I get about 6-8 hours of intense exercise in a typical week. But all of that was true before I went low-carb, and I was stuck around 200 lbs unless I effectively starved myself. With no other lifestyle changes, switching to a low-carb (and high fat) diet caused me to drop 30 pounds in six months; my memory improved, my thinking is more clear, and I've been healthier (and lighter) than I've been since high school. No other diets I've tried have worked (including going nearly vegan at one point, and trying to go low-fat caused me to sink into depression, which is a known side-effect). This one works and is awesome. I don't see ever going back.

orbifold 12y ago

I think with "sugar diets" he specifically refers to diets that contain a lot of Fructose, cooked potatoes contain starch, the liver and muscles convert an excess of that in glycogen and a relatively small amount of fat. Glycogen is actually really useful. Getting a rush afer having eaten an energy rich meal is what is supposed to happen. It's Fructose which is dangerous in large quantities and is linked to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Among other things it also blocks Leptin signalling to the brain, so the brain does not properly register how much energy it just gained, leading to overeating and no desire for physical activity.

3pt14159 12y ago

I didn't really want to get into the weeds with the comment, but every single diet starts with the same thing: Eliminate artificial sources or additions of fructose / sucrose. I'm not advocating cutting glucose or even the elimination of starch. I'm saying cutting out the Coca Cola and the sugar we add to yogurt / chocolate milk / pies / ice cream / sauces / candy / cake / muffins / donuts / pizza (sugary tomato sauce) / glazed meats / etc. is step one in stopping metabolic disorder. Basically anywhere you have sugar in the absence of water soluble fibre. Even if everyone went to eating potatoes and steak every day, that would be a vast improvement. Obviously there is more that can be done, and this is where people start to disagree (dairy good vs dairy bad, meat focussed vs vege focussed, fruit good vs fruit bad, nuts good vs nuts bad) but all that stuff is secondary. Eating bacon will definitely lead to weight loss, but it's high in cholesterol and saturated fats, usually high in sodium, and devoid of many nutrients that are good for long term health and exercise (like potassium, fibre, vitamin k). But sure, you are already doing better than 70% of North Americans if you're staying away from fructose / sucrose.

SomeCallMeTim 12y ago
>high in cholesterol and saturated fats, usually high in sodium ...which are not bad for you. That's part of the controversy. Eating cholesterol doesn't raise your cholesterol. Piles of studies show this. Eating carbs raises your cholesterol. There are basically no studies that show eating saturated fat is bad for you. The one study that was pushed by industry (and a SINGLE nutrition researcher who happened to be leading the FDA) back in the 50's was using hydrogenated coconut oil. Even the recent FDA guidelines admit there's no research-based reason to avoid saturated fats. And salt turns out to be fine for you unless you've already got high blood pressure. >devoid of many nutrients that are good for long term health and exercise I do eat vegetables. I eat almost zero fructose (what you'd find in a small handful of blueberries, once a day or so), and less than a couple of teaspoons-worth of sucrose in a typical day. And I get about 6-8 hours of intense exercise in a typical week. But all of that was true before I went low-carb, and I was stuck around 200 lbs unless I effectively starved myself. With no other lifestyle changes, switching to a low-carb (and high fat) diet caused me to drop 30 pounds in six months; my memory improved, my thinking is more clear, and I've been healthier (and lighter) than I've been since high school. No other diets I've tried have worked (including going nearly vegan at one point, and trying to go low-fat caused me to sink into depression, which is a known side-effect). This one works and is awesome. I don't see ever going back.