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What Should I Eat?!

Are you ever overwhelmed by the barrage of conflicting nutrition advice out there? One day, a certain food is a must-have superfood, and the next, it's on the "avoid at all costs" list. It's enough to make anyone's head spin!

In this week's edition, we're tackling this confusion head-on. "What to Eat?" - a question that seems simple but is shrouded in layers of controversy, misinformation, and ever-changing trends. Our feature article cuts through the noise, shedding light on why there's so much discord in dietary advice and how you can make sense of it all.

We'll explore the intriguing world of food studies, the surprising rankings in the 'Food Compass' system, and even take a step back in time to revisit the infamous Ancel Keys and his influential, yet contentious, views on saturated fats. It's a journey through the complexities of nutritional science, and trust me, there are some eye-openers along the way!

But it's not all about the past. We're also geared towards empowering you with knowledge and practical steps to transform your diet. Starting from understanding what's on your plate today, we're setting the stage for healthier, more informed choices tomorrow.

So, grab your favorite healthy (or not-so-healthy – we don't judge!) snack, and let's unravel the mysteries of healthy eating together. Are you ready to challenge the status quo and take control of your nutrition? Let's dive in!

Article

It’s no wonder people are confused about what to eat. Maybe this is purposeful or maybe it’s ignorance. One thing is for sure. The people who pay for the study often get the outcome they are looking for. One great example of this is making headlines now. The study was done by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University, and published in "Nature Food" in October 2021, which introduces the "Food Compass" system. This system, based on thousands of foods and beverages, ranks them on a scale of 1-100. The ranking is determined by nine nutritional values found on dietary labels, along with factors like additives, processing, and phytochemicals. Scores range from 1-30 (limited consumption), 31-69 (moderation), to 70 and above (highly encouraged consumption).

In this ranking, General Mills’ Lucky Charms cereal scored a 56, surprisingly ranking higher than ground beef (26) and pork chop (36). Other notable rankings include tomato juice (100), Cheerios (91), apple juice (65), instant oatmeal (59), and various meats like chicken, turkey, and even game meats like opossum and raccoon. Processed snacks and sugary treats also received varied scores, with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups scoring 28 and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes at 17.

The study, funded by entities including the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations, has faced criticism from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The NCBA argues that the Food Compass is flawed and misleading, emphasizing that beef is a nutrient-dense, complete protein source. They assert that comparing candy and chips to a balanced meal including lean beef is irresponsible and confuses consumers.

Dr. Mozaffarian, who is also involved in the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, advocates for a transformative approach to address hunger, nutrition, and health, aiming for a food system that is nourishing, equitable, and sustainable.

These are the same types of studies that told people to stop eating healthy butter and eat margarine instead. In fact, you may know some people who still do this. When you go to the restaurant, ask if they use butter or margarine. You may be shocked. Most are using margarine and its not for your health. In fact, I would go as far as to say there is no safe amount of transfats (margarine) that you can eat.

These same studies told people to ditch healthy animal fats in favor of seed oils and canola oil. We already discussed the dangers of seed oils. Canola oil wasn’t always a “healthy oil.” It was an industrial lubricant. Now they are convincing people to eat it. Worse, they have convinced people to give up food, real food, and eat these damaged fats instead.

I heard of another study that said eating red meat even 1/day increases your risk of diabetes. Dr Paul Saladino highlighted this study recently. He then followed it up with his own comment “How?” As he points out, there is no mechanism for red meat to do that.

You vil eat ze bugs!

The people at the World Economic Forum have come out with their guidelines. They are employing various “studies” as well as Hollywood propaganda to convince people that red meat is bad and they should go vegan. Now they are telling us that eating cricket protein is just as good, or better than eating red meat. In fact, cricket protein may already be in the food you are consuming. Sometimes it’s listed as “cricket protein” but sometimes it’s listed under other names like “Acheta protein.” Prevention magazine ran an article talking about how much better cricket protein is for the environment (another buzzword) and that you should do the right thing and not be selfish. And… of course… eat ze bugs!

I think I mentioned Ancel Keys before. He is responsible for the modern theory of saturated fats causing heart disease. This is known. It’s “settled science” right? Well, actually it’s not. Far from it in fact. Many functional medicine doctors on both sides of the fence think that Key’s research did a monumental amount of damage to people’s health. They are still influencing health and dietary guidelines today. If you want people to think you are crazy, tell them red meat, or worse, saturated fats, don’t cause heart disease. Watch the strange responses you get.

Dr Barry Groves came to the US. He marveled at our supermarkets. He used to say that it’s ridiculous to think that fat made you fat. It would be like saying, green foods make you green. It just doesn’t work that way. He looked at the fat-free sour cream. Looked at the ingredients and marveled how they convinced people that taking out healthy fat and replacing it with a long list of unhealthy chemicals, was healthy. This goes back to Ancel Keys.

Let's talk about Ancel Keys – a name you might've heard in the halls of nutrition science. He's the guy behind the Seven Countries Study back in the '50s, which made quite a splash by linking diet and heart disease. Picture this: it's the post-WWII era, and Keys, a physiologist who's already made his mark with K-rations for soldiers, decides to tackle heart disease. He zeroes in on saturated fats, pointing fingers at them for clogging arteries in countries like the US and Finland. But here's where it gets fishy: Keys handpicked his data, conveniently ignoring countries like France and Germany, where fatty foods were the norm but heart disease didn't follow the script. Talk about cherry-picking! This move sparked a ton of backlash, with critics calling out the study's shaky ground – it was more about drawing lines between dots rather than proving a cause. Yet, despite its flaws, this study managed to steer dietary guidelines for ages, pushing the low-fat agenda.

The funding sources of the Seven Countries Study aren't clearly documented in historical records, but such research during that era often relied on a mix of government and private funding, including the food industry, which later raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Ancel Keys' work, despite its flaws, heavily influenced dietary guidelines for decades, advocating low saturated fat intake to prevent heart disease.

Keys was laughed at when he first released his study. He removed countries that didn’t fit his desired outcome. Yet today, that is still done. They even write books and make movies to push an agenda. The China Study and Forks over Knives are two examples. They pick and choose data to support their desired outcomes and push it out as if it were facts.

Ok, just one more…. High fructose corn syrup. Only a couple of years ago they ran commercials mocking people for questioning HFCS as unhealthy. I remember a couple talking. He was concerned about the health impact of HFCS and she laughed at him and said it’s just made from corn.

These are the same people who tell us what is healthy and what to eat. These are the same people who set guidelines and dietary recommendations. I am not saying to never listen to studies, but I am saying that special interests paying for studies that are used to push guidelines that benefit the people who funded the study, should be questioned.

Is it any wonder why people are confused as to what to eat? Have you ever seen the guidelines on what a diabetic should eat? It’s not good but worse, it will not help a person with diabetes.

The food pyramid is heavily influenced by food companies. It is heavy in grains. If you follow those guidelines, you almost certainly will gain weight and fat accumulation. Why is that a big deal? Well, that fat accumulation can impact your health in a number of ways:

1. Blood Sugar: Fat, especially visceral fat (the fat surrounding abdominal organs), can affect insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. When there's excessive fat, particularly in the abdominal area, the body's cells become less responsive to insulin, leading to a condition known as insulin resistance. This can cause elevated blood sugar levels and, over time, can lead to type 2 diabetes.

2. Inflammation: Adipose tissue, or body fat, is not just a passive storage of energy; it's also an active endocrine organ. It can produce and release a variety of signaling molecules, including cytokines, which are involved in inflammation. Excessive fat, especially visceral fat, can lead to an increased production of these pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. This inflammation is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

3. Hormone Levels: Adipose tissue influences the balance of various hormones. For example, it plays a role in estrogen production. Fat cells can convert androgens (a type of hormone) into estrogen, and higher levels of body fat can lead to increased estrogen levels. This can impact various bodily functions and is linked to conditions such as breast cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Additionally, fat accumulation can impact the levels of hormones like leptin and adiponectin, which are involved in regulating appetite, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.

There is more to it but I think you get the idea. As we age, health often declines, as do our body functions. When you look at the above 3 examples of how fat accumulation affects your body, you can see how controlling your fat storage and blood sugar can have a big impact on your health.

One of my teachers once told me, that the fastest way to lose a patient is to answer their question “What should I eat doc?” I didn’t agree with him when he told me that, but boy do I agree now. We all want to improve, but if you try to improve too many things at once, it becomes too difficult. A better way to understand, learn, and make small changes. So with that in mind, the next few weeks will be dedicated to that. Answering the question “What do I eat?” But I am going to answer it by teaching principles instead. Diets fail. Most people end a diet because they failed, and then they feel bad. If we make dietary changes, there is no failure. We just have days that we do better than others. If I did my job correctly, you are already actively trying to avoid seed oils, sugars, fake sugars, etc...but we are going to dive into that a bit more.

In this article, we've navigated through a myriad of studies and claims, from the controversial Food Compass rankings to the longstanding debates over saturated fats, seed oils, and even unconventional protein sources like cricket protein. We've seen how, time and again, certain studies can be influenced by those who fund them, leading to guidelines that don't always align with optimal health. This pattern raises valid concerns and underlines the importance of questioning and understanding the science behind our dietary choices.

Now, turning our attention towards practical guidance, it's clear that navigating the complex world of nutrition isn't straightforward. But the key isn't about perfection; it's about making informed, gradual changes. Over the next few weeks, we'll explore not just what to eat, but the principles behind these choices. Diets often set us up for a cycle of failure and guilt, but understanding and incremental changes pave the way for sustainable, long-term health benefits. We'll delve deeper into why avoiding certain ingredients like seed oils and sugars is beneficial, and how you can realistically incorporate these changes into your lifestyle. Stay tuned as we continue this journey towards a healthier, more informed way of eating.

More insights on healthy dietary guidelines are coming soon, but there's no need to wait to start making changes. A great first step is to begin identifying and reducing refined and denatured foods in our diets. That's exactly what we'll delve into in next week's article. For now, start by simply noticing the refined foods you currently consume. Awareness is key – it's challenging to change our eating habits if we're not fully conscious of them. Recognizing these foods in your daily diet sets the foundation for the healthier choices we'll explore together. Stay tuned, and let's embark on this journey to better health, one step at a time.

News

Here is a link to the red meat “study” and how it increases diabetes. One big problem with many studies like this. They don’t give you all the information. “Red meat” may be in the same group as processed meats like hot dogs. When the average person thinks of “red meat” they think of steak or ground beef. It’s in these details that things get muddled. Reading statistics and studies can be confusing. I know of at least one for cardiovascular health, in a commercial pushing a drug, they quoted a study. While their statistic was not a lie, it was also not the truth. There is an old saying that you can prove anything through statistics. Let’s keep it simple, in this case. I know there are patients that have improved or recovered from type 2 diabetes by adding in more meat. I know of nobody who has improved by following the food pyramid or by following the advice in the Harvard article.

Thank you for reading

Thank You for Being a Valuable Part of Our Journey

As we reach the end of this edition, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your time and engagement. Our community is the heartbeat of this endeavor, and your involvement is what makes it thrive. If you found value in what you've read today, I encourage you to share it with friends and family who might benefit as well. Your recommendation is more than just a gesture of support; it's a ripple that extends the reach of our community's knowledge and connection. Moreover, sharing on social media helps us grow and welcome more like-minded individuals into our fold. Every share, every conversation you initiate, brings us closer to a collective goal of enlightenment and empowerment. Let's continue to grow together, sharing insights and forging a community that's not just informed but also interconnected. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey, and until next time, stay curious and connected.