Tuesday, February 28, 2012

100 Diet Myths, Part 2

Continued from yesterday:
Whenever you see a quote that says “studies show” remember that the studies do not matter; what matters is your own study of what works for you.  If you have found that, then you don’t need my advice or anyone else’s.

Even when right, they get it wrong:
Research shows that getting plenty of protein can boost your metabolism, causing you to burn an extra 150 to 200 calories a day, says Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. “Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to break down [than fat and carbs], so you burn more calories getting rid of them,” he explains.
Proteins are the easiest of all foods to fully digest; it is fat and fiber that is difficult to break down fully.  If you doubt this, test by eating and measuring your stool volume; yes, there are some potential confounders like your current adaptation to (or lack thereof) eating proteins, and the possibility that your gut bacteria is not optimized for food (but can handle bird food like whole grains) – but my bet is your stool volume will approach zero on a lean protein diet, because the body takes a huge percent into itself, whilst leaving many parts of high fiber foods undigested.  That said, they are right.  Because protein is used for many purposes in the body other than fuel (like building muscle and other tissues), you can eat more of it while losing fat mass.

Again, right but wrong:
“Aim to have a serving of protein, such as nuts, a small can of tuna, or a piece of low-fat string cheese, at every meal and snack,” says Hampl. 
Nuts are to protein intake what O’Reilly is to economic literacy – only the starving could think it’s a good thing.  As for low fat string cheese, if you like it, go for it.  If you like real cheese, eat it, your taste buds and your body, which thrives on the fat and protein, will thank you.

The advice that follows is like Sasquatch, often cited but never seen or proven (I’ve never actually met someone that succeeded by doing this):
Nibble all day.  It sounds counter intuitive; why would you eat continually if you wanted to lose weight?  But eating five to six mini meals rather than three larger meals every day keeps your metabolism humming 24/7 .
Better yet, get fat adapted and eat two really healthy meals a day, with snacking as needed on good high fat, high protein snacks.  With fat adaptation and low carb intake, your body burns mostly fat and builds the exact amount of glucose you need, no more and no less.

The following, however is true for those who are not fat adapted, because if those unfortunates miss a meal and their glucose drops, they will in fact get hungry and initiate a “see food” diet.
"It will also prevent you from going without food so long that you become so hungry you overeat," says Peeke. Try not to let more than four hours elapse between meals and make sure each meal includes protein, for an extra metabolic boost.
Better yet, get off the crack (sugar and high carb foods) and get the metabolism you were born to run on – a body fat fueled, food independent hybrid motor driven, lean mean fighting machine.  How's this for a blinding flash of the obvious - you store fat because you are supposed to be able to use it when food isn't always at hand.  I wonder why the article didn't mention that bit of practical wisdom.

At least they recommend a nice supper, which actually has something akin to nutrition in it:
…a light dinner (think four to six ounces of turkey, salmon, or another lean source of protein with steamed veggies).
But you could improve that by mixing in fatty meats when ever you like them.

Hey, if you lose weight, feel great and control your appetite eating like the linked article describes, rock on!!  Most of us need something different, and unfortunately most of us try a diet like one cited and become sick, old, fat, tired, and frustrated after we try extra hard to eat like the experts and the government recommends.  I’m glad that so many folks are now finding a rational, workable alternative: eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, little fruit or starch, no sugar/wheat.

No comments:

Post a Comment