Fat good, carbs bad: Special Holiday Season Edition

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Friday, December 28. 2012

Fat good, carbs bad: Special Holiday Season Edition

I've been preaching this since long before Gary Taubes' books came out. That's because I have a colleague who studies the physiology of insulin. From what I know, Taubes is right. A quote re Dietary Incorrectness at Powerline:

Taubes disputes the connection between dietary fat and high cholesterol. He challenges the thesis that dietary fat is detrimental to our health. He rejects a balanced diet. He advocates a high-fat diet. He opposes dieting. He doesn’t object to exercise, but he asserts that it makes you hungry. It’s almost funny. He is the dietary equivalent of politically incorrect.

Taubes is a serious science reporter, not a crank. As I say here ad nauseum, and as Taubes explains, if you want to get trim, quit the carbs. None. That includes fruit, which isn't any good for you anyway. It's just sugar. As the man says, after 14 days off all carbs they will not appeal to you so much anymore. (There is an addiction-like quality to carbs.) And if you want to be fit, youthful, sexy, intelligent, and vigorous, then exercise or do physical work too. If you want to lower your triglycerides, get better genes or take Lipitor.

It's not complicated. It's a free country, food is cheap and exercise is free. Do what you want to achieve the goals you desire. Don't tell me it's hard to do, because everything in life is hard to do except eating, surfing the net, and watching TV.

Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Medical, Our Essays, Psychology, and Dr. Bliss at 13:28 | Comments (19) | Trackbacks (0)

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If you want to be fit, youthful, sexy, intelligent, and vigorous

1 - Fit? Check - well, as fit as somebody with two types of severe arthritis and can be I guess. I do walk a couple of miles a day and I'm on my boat constantly doing one thing or another - so yeah, I'm fit.

2 - Youthful? Check. I mean, I'm going to be 67, but I think I'm twenty five, I act like I'm twenty five, my wife says that if I don't grow up soon and act like an adult, she'll divorce me after 35 years of marriage so yeah, youthful works for me.

3 - Sexy? Pffffhhhttt....you have to ask? As the song says, I'm sexy and I know it.

4 - Intelligent? I'm so intelligent I can out smart myself that's how intelligent I am.

5 - Vigorous? Hmmm - well, if we use the standard definition from the Oxford Dictionary of English (not to be confused with the Oxford English Dictionary - while the two are published by the same company, the ODoE is a completely different dictionary which first published in 1998 which defines, as much as it can, current usage of the English language as opposed to the OED's "correct" usage), I'm lacking a little in a couple of areas.

I mean I am active and robust is pretty much covered, but strength is not something that I possess a ton of. I admit I find it hard to open a jar of pickles for instance or the bottle cap off a one liter jug of Diet Pepsi, but that's mostly the arthritis talking there.

So I guess I'm covered.

Thanks for asking. :>)

#1 Tom Francis on 2012-12-28 15:09 (Reply)

Some of us cannot do low carb. I have a problem with low blood sugar. It's not hypoglycemia, but something very common with women, as my doctor told me. I did a low carb diet years ago when it was all the rage and never felt so ill in all my life. I discovered that I had to eat at least a minimal amount of sugar...typically fruit. Like raisins in trail mix.

So can I put out again that just watching caloric intake is all you need to do. So easy nowadays. Lots of phone apps you can download and track calories. If you reduce caloric intake, and don't seem to be losing, reduce by another couple hundred a day. Did this 9 months ago. Lost 15 pounds quite easily. No need to increase exercise. Plus, it is MUCH easier to be able to eat all the same foods you want (in moderation) than have to cut out a whole bunch of foods you are never supposed to eat again (never eat fruit again? really????)

Low carb is so much easier for men, since they naturally crave more protein.

#2 KJB on 2012-12-28 15:29 (Reply)

Atkins discovered the evils of carbs, especially fruit and most especially bananas. Correctly described the insulin mechanism and developed the glycemic index. Everyone steals from him, no one cites him.

A few years ago, before I lost a lot of weight, I consulted with a young dietician about the diabetes diet. It was Atkins' diet, but she had never heard of him.

Nutritionists and climatologists are proof that we live in a Lysenkoist era of superstition and delusion and scientism. The serfs of the Medieval Era were more enlightened. My former colleagues in environmental engineering and science are offended when I point this out.

#3 bob sykes on 2012-12-28 16:44 (Reply)

I have been living the reduced carb lifestyle for about a year and am doing great. I've lost about 25 pounds - look better - feel better - physically fitter - better blood pressure, etc. I could probably drop weight faster if I was stricter about eating. I have eliminated almost all sugar, but still eat some starches like potatoes, whole grains, and such.

It is easy to follow a low carb diet at home, and dining out - but almost impossible when going to parties, or even worse - church potlucks. Still, I'm dropping about half a pound a week.

#4 Sam on 2012-12-28 18:29 (Reply)

There are no absolutes in diets, because different people have different metabolic makeups or specific conditions that require the consumption or avoidance of particular foods.

Dr Joy's advice is bunkum in some respects. No fruit? That's crazy, as many fruits and berries provide serious nutrients including vitamins, minerals, fiber, and vital chemicals. No resveratrol if you don't consume grapes, figs are packed with beneficial nutrients, tomatoes provide lycopene, cranberries and blueberries and apricots and numerous other fruits are great contributors to a balanced diet.

Moderation and consistent exercise permits most people to consume complex carbohydrates including fruits without excessive weight gains. Refined grains and sugars contribute far more to weight gain than judicious amounts of fruits and even such things as sweet potatoes.

Some people have metabolic and insulin/hormonal issues that magnify the effects of carbs, others do not. A blanket statement that all carbs are bad simply does not conform to reality.

#5 Dan D on 2012-12-28 21:17 (Reply)

This is about weight loss and weight control, not routine eating.

#5.1 Bird Dog on 2012-12-29 10:00 (Reply)

There's some growing body of work that when you eat carbs is also important. Your insulin sensitivity is highest in the morning so the worst things to eat are the carb loaded fruit, cereal, pastry type of breakfast first thing in the morning. If you're going to eat some carbs, eat them at night when your insulin sensitivity is lower and will be less active in shuttling those high glycemic carbs directly to your fat cells.

Fruit is not a cecessity. You can get all the necessary vitamins from much lower glycemic vegetable sources.

From my experience managing high glycemic cards is the single most effective thing you can do to manage weight or more specifically body fat.

#6 phil g on 2012-12-29 08:26 (Reply)

where to find a simple list of high glycemic foods? most of the books are so complicated, I can't understand?

#6.1 post*tenebras*lux on 2012-12-29 09:13 (Reply)

I've found lots of good info online by imply googling 'low glycemic food'.

#6.1.1 JorgXMcKie on 2012-12-29 10:28 (Reply)

thank you for your time.

#6.1.1.1 post*tenebras*lux on 2012-12-29 13:02 (Reply)

It's pretty simple really:
High Glycemic think sugar, sucrose, refined flour...dessert, fruit, juices, sodas, pastries, white bread, cereal

Medium Glycemic think starches like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, whole wheat bread

Low Glycemic are your vegetables

#6.1.1.2 phil g on 2012-12-31 06:36 (Reply)

I went on a 'diet' back in April or so. I never ate much processed sugar, and I don't eat many processed foods in general. I cut out "white stuff'.

I used to eat potatoes and rice, but now only infrequently. No white bread and very little bread in general. No pasta to speak of. Very little fruit.

I drink 8-12 cups of black coffee every morning, and don't eat until a single meal in the evening [usually]. I don't recommend this for most people, but I'm rarely hungry, and except for a 'slightly elevated' [like 5 points] of the 'bad' cholesterol at my last physical 2 months ago all my blood work is in the green. Blood pressure always fine [115/70 last time].

I've gone from 245 to 198. I don't feel any different. I'm almost 66, have a bad back [may face surgery this summer] and a service-connected bad knee.

Otherwise I'm fine. Oh, and until my back acted up I was 'riding' a FitDesk about 30 minutes twice a day at level 7 and doing about 25-30 miles per day. I'm now back to a bit more than half that.

This works for me and has been incredibly I have no cravings. I allow myself one 'free' day per week to eat anything I want, and about once a month I will use it to eat a baked potato or pasta. Mostly my 'free' days go unused.

#7 JorgXMcKie on 2012-12-29 10:49 (Reply)

This is actually a very good way to eat as you've programmed your metabolism to burn fat for energy throughout the day and provide nutrients at night when your insulin sensitivity is at its lowest and thus fat accumulation is minimized.

There's a chemical component in caffeine that is a good appetite suppressant.

This type of diet, periodic fasting/no breakfast, is tough at first but once your body reprograms to burn fat instead of glucose you'll find your energy levels to be much more constant and your mind clearer. This is a great way to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce rested blood sugar levels.

#7.1 phil g on 2012-12-31 06:42 (Reply)

I was always amazed at how many WWII vets who saw extended service (particularly those in the Battle of the Bulge or Huertgen) remained slim through the years. I was also impressed to read some articles about German survivors of Stalingrad. In each case, not only did large numbers of them keep weight off, but they lived long lives.

It seems restricted calories plays a role in extending life and maintaining weight. This makes considerable sense to me, I lost the most weight of my life when I counted calories and worked out regularly. I almost had a six pack, I had tons of energy, and I was eating carbs. As a friend of mine told me "Ever see a fat cowboy? They ate crap, they didn't eat a lot, but they worked hard all day long."

I'm sure for the vets, many factors come into play. But it seems reasonable that the restricted calories they experienced during one of the most stressful periods of their lives altered the management of their nutritional needs in a beneficial way.

People find various ways to manage their weight, and I don't believe everyone's metabolism is exactly the same, so I can't believe there is a one-size-fits-all diet.

Reduced carbs? I know plenty of people who use it and lose weight. I know plenty who don't and lose weight. I guess you just need to find what works for you.

I've made a conscious effort to eat better this year (until the holidays rolled around), and I've lost weight. Not as much as I planned to, but enough to know I can lose more. I still need to improve my diet more, but I think calorie restriction is more likely to work for me.

#8 Bulldog on 2012-12-29 11:24 (Reply)

I've lost around 120 to 130 pounds off my all time high, 100 of which were lost in the last seven months, by counting calories. I've never counted carbs during that time, but a quick look at my journal leads me to believe I eat over 100 grams of it on most days.

Now that I've hit my weight goal I'm shifting my attention to a goal of around 7% body fat. Lean mass is not a concern to me, so if I get heavier it'll be okay. As it is though, people keep telling me not to get too skinny; my current weight is still high on the BMI, but I don't subscribe to the notion of that index. Anyway, I might just drop another 5 to 10 pounds for grins, but will likely pick it back up in muscle this summer.

I'm burning off the last of my stomach fat now. My approach to fat loss is to eat a few calories under my basal metabolic rate number plus output, or hit that number and add to my workouts to increase output, which loses fat slowly in a trade-off with lean muscle.

I'm off now to do some lifting. I ate a serving of Chef Boyardee Beefaroni w/ 28g of carbs while I was writing this and I probably should get some muscle burn to turn up the metabolism for the next 24 to 36 hours. Or something like that...whatever. It works.

#9 Jephnol (Link) on 2012-12-29 14:03 (Reply)

I have misty hazy memories of adult family members, back in the '60s, losing weight by cutting down on sweets and breads. This was before the fad diet culture developed. It was well established community wisdom: if you want to lose weight, cut down on sweets and breads. Truly nothing on earth is new.

#10 lethargic on 2012-12-29 14:27 (Reply)

That's exactly right and lots of the new information that's out there simply supports this with some research.

The reason cutting sweets and breads from your diet work is that sweets and breads are high glycemic carbs. High glycemic cars are the second most calorie dense foods behind fat and have the most hormonal impact with there relationship to insulin and insulin's role in fat storage.

So yes the simplest way to lost weight is to simply cut the totally unnecessary calories like desserts, bread with meals and I'll add juices and sodas.

#10.1 phil g on 2012-12-31 06:51 (Reply)

Two years ago I stopped eating grains, legumes, and refined sugars. That's all I did. I didn't exercise any more than usual. I didn't count calories, measure portions, overexert myself with endless cardio, or any of that other conventional wisdom nonsense. I simply stopped eating "simple" carbohydrates.

The weight came off effortlessly. I lost 60 pounds in less than a year, and I've keep it off for over a year. I feel better at 40 than I did at 30. I'm off all my medications. My blood sugar is normal and healthy, as is my blood pressure and cholesterol.

If conventional wisdom has failed you over and over and over again, give this a try.

#11 Red Shift on 2012-12-29 17:45 (Reply)

It really is as simple as that...not much need to complicate it further.

Many people would benefit from dropping all forms of wheat products including pasta.

Everyone would benefit from eliminating juices, cereals and sugar.

#11.1 phil g on 2012-12-31 07:27 (Reply)

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Friday, December 28. 2012

Fat good, carbs bad: Special Holiday Season Edition