Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Myths

I hear these myths embedded in smart folks' beliefs all the time -
"I can't eat eggs every day because that will increase my cholesterol levels."
"I've been trying to eat healthy and staying away from red meat."
"I've changed my diet, I'm getting protein every morning using protein powders and lots of fresh fruit. But still no weight loss."
"I eat greek yogurt and orange juice and a banana for breakfast, why am I sleepy mid-morning?"
"But I have all this fat on my belly, I have to do more cardio."

My blog is full of the reasons why these beliefs are not real - so for this post, I'll simply speak my best truth about what to do.

1. Eating foods that are high in cholesterol won't raise your cholesterol levels. Even if they did, what really matters is the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol, which will improve if you eat quality cuts of meat. Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar.
2. The Mormons and Argentines eat as much or more red meat than anyone on the planet, and their health equals or exceeds the health of the Swedes. In other words, the conjecture about red meat being bad for you is not proved nor likely. Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar.
3. Protein in powders is a product of the industrial food chain which can only be considered a food by a loose interpretation of the term. People who need to lose weight, who have in other words been eating the wrong foods, do better when they eat real food - protein that once had a face and a soul. At best, powders serve to augment the protein consumption of an otherwise healthy person. Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar.
4. Fruit has enough sugar - fructose and glucose - that it makes weight loss a challenge for most. Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar.
5. Carbohydrate sources produce the same result, nearly regardless of the form - that banana/yogurt/orange juice breakfast is bombing you with 40+ grams of sugar (about 8 times more than is needed to saturate the body with sugar). Your blood sugar will spike, then crash ... and your brain will crash with the sugars since your body converted all of that sugar into fat. Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar.
6. The evidence indicates that exercise is of minimal effectiveness in helping reduce body fat, but of all the types of exercise, 'cardio' is the least effective. Train in short, intense bursts of whatever flavor of exercise you like best, to develop as many physical capacities as you can - the ability to lift, to run, to climb, to jump, to hit/punch/kick. Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar.

Exercise to create a fit, useful, capable body. Eat for wellness, leanness, and to support high mental and physical performance. Be fit for sport, combat, life.

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