Pork (bacon)

by | Jan 10, 2013 | Food Choices, High Protein Diet, Low carb diet | 0 comments

This a recent post on forum.lowcrber.org that I have commented on about meat products

StuartB Wrote:

I was reading the site “Perfect Health Diet,” which is a title to be loathed, where the author, Paul Jaminet, said that eating pork causes cancer, MS, fatty liver disease, and obsessive reading of Animal Farm. Because I’m impressionable, even at my age, I immediately thought I should give up bacon, because I have a fatty liver. This depresses me somewhat, as there are few things I love more in this world now than eating my morning bacon.  He said that studies show that regular pork is worse than cured pork. Apparently, because of the way pigs are kept in industrial farming (not able to move around) and what they are fed (grains) that these hogs are swimming with Omega 6, which I found out only yesterday are bad!  We eat the pig and lots of this Omega 6 is transferred into us, unless of course you have a free-range source. What do you other carnivores think about this pork bashing?

My Response:

In respect to factory farmed meat, I’m quite inclined, unusually, to agree with Mr. Jaminet. From many of the studies I have read, the type and quality of the food given to factory reared animals is appalling. When you add in to that the fact that they are almost daily marinated in hormones, plus there is a high proportion of GMO in their food. It probably is no surprise to you that I never now eat anything other than naturally reared meat. 

More specifically, onto the subject of bacon, one of the things that many people overlook is that bacon from pastured pigs contains a healthy amount of saturated, as well as mono saturated fat. Now, most of these fats consist of oleic acid which is the type so valued in olive oil, but also, it contains a healthy amount of palmitoleic acid which as you may, or may not know, has antimicrobial properties. It also contains so very healthy fat soluble vitamin D and a superior type of vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant. Now, I spend a lot of my time in France which means that I have easy access to traditionally reared and cured pork, bacon and other meats from the countryside around me. The good thing is these traditional ways of growing or producing pork and other meats have also transferred across the pond and you can find them in the States, in Australia, in New Zealand and in the UK. In fact, anywhere where good, old- fashioned animal husbandry and dedication to quality still remain impart of the farming population.

One thing I have found, though through eating naturally-reared meat products, is not only do they taste better, but it’s almost as if your body acknowledges their high and nutritional value and you find, you don’t need as much of it to be satisfied. So, while it may be a little bit more expensive, in the long run, it can work out to be the same cost or maybe even a bit cheaper to enjoy naturally grown, nutritious and delicious food.

Hope that helps,

Mark

Lifetime of dieting is the new weight loss plan

by | Jan 9, 2013 | Fat Loss | 0 comments

Here is a copy of my comment on a recent post on Jimmy Moore’s about low carb diet

Jimmy Moore Wrote:

The sooner people seek out and find the lifestyle change that is right for them, the sooner they will shed the pounds, get healthy and stay that way forever. That’s not to say there won’t be bumps along the way, but you can put yourself in a much better position when you’re educated and aware of what is happening to YOU!

My Response:

I would, not unusually of course, agree with Jimmy on this. You can indeed put yourself in a much better position when you’re educated, aware and take responsibility for what is happening to you. So many times, people put the responsibility for what goes on with their physical bodies in the hands of other people; oftentimes using the excuse that “they’re the professionals, they should know what’s best for me”, whilst it may be nice to think that, that is unfortunately, not the reality. While they may be professionals, most of the time, the people that we see about our health are generalists and many of them don’t have the time or even the information to find out about the specialized things that we are actually seeing them about, on a day to day basis. They won’t have the time to research such things as low carb diet, a low carb way of eating or even a low carb lifestyle. They won’t be aware of the changes that go on in the body and the way the body works when we eat a low carb type of diet. They will only, really, be aware that a low carb diet is so different from what is considered to be a normal diet that it must be wrong.

As LLL has said, everybody does indeed need to figure out what works for them but in order to figure that out, people need to be educated. Now, obviously, the responsibility of being educated or to become educated rests with those people but the responsibility to make sure that good knowledge, good understanding about a sustainable way of eating is available, rest entirely upon our shoulders.  It’s beholden to us to make sure that we ourselves continue to educate ourselves so that we in turn can give a consistent and sound, helpful amount of education to those who are just starting out along the path that we are already a fairway along.

After over a decade of being fit and healthy, and once I was a big blob, it still takes me off when people I’ve known for a long time say to me, “Oh you’re still on that diet? Still, it must be doing you good?” I respond with restrained note in my voice, “No, I’m not on a diet. I’ve never been on a diet. I just found out how to eat properly and look after my body in a responsible manner.”

Mark

Free Fatty Acids and Low Carb

by | Jan 9, 2013 | Low carb diet | 0 comments

Below is a copy of the post which I have responded to at forum.lowcarber.org about Fatty Acids and Low Carb

Jrh22’s query:

So I went to a primary care doc who was the first I’ve ever met that was a borderline genius on cardiac issues and diet and overall health. After losing 50 pounds on Atkins, my lipids skyrocketed, and I’ve been searching for a primary care doc who didn’t do the typical knee jerk reaction…statins, quit Atkins, etc.

And by and large, he blew me away with his expertise, demonstrating his dismay at the medical community’s ignorance at their dietary recommendations. 

But my point of divergence was when it came to low carb diets, which he admitted he preferred over the standard diet, but he still had issues with because of the heavy free fatty acids and the liver’s role in processing them for people like me, who have high LDL particle counts. 

His contention is that low carb diets tend to be high in fat (true for me), which results in high free fatty acids, which results in higher production of cholesterol packets. This isn’t a bad thing for people with normal cholesterol profiles, but for people like me with high LDL particle counts (>2000), it can be dangerous.

I’ve seen limited commentary online supporting his claim, but ultimately he prefers to recommend a diet that is very low sugar (and substitutes) and processed foods, as opposed to dedicated low carb. He’s okay with carbs, because he’s not as comfortable with the impact of free fatty acids. He’s fine with fruits and vegetables, even potatoes, as long as the carbs aren’t sugar.

Normally I’d nod and move on, because low carb works for me and I have 20-30 pounds more to lose. But my LDL particle count is too high, he’s proactively treating a potential thyroid issue, and he embraces the foolery of the modern diet. 

Anyone else have any insight on the issue of free fatty acids and how they impact cholesterol and LDL issues? 

He’s the only doc I’ve ever met who has impressed me with his research and knowledge, and the only doc I’ve ever met who has made me question – albeit slightly – the low carb diet for someone with an LDL problem.

Here was my answer:

Hi Jrh22,

I think you’re discovering what a lot of us have discovered over the years that we simply can’t rely on the expertise of anyone doctor. More to the point, we can’t put the responsibility for our health on anyone else’s shoulders but our own. As you have found out, they typically do, well, the good ones anyway, go as far as they dare in following what to the medical profession seems contrary to everything they know,. Yet, I suppose, understandably, won’t stick their necks on the line when it comes to going the last mile and adapting or at least admitting that diets like Atkins and so on do work even though they run contrary to what is unfortunately the considered norm.

I am actually impressed that you are continuing to research, that you’re continuing to read around the subject. By doing that, your understanding will obviously increase and your confidence to take charge of your own health with insensible limits will carry you forward to achieve the level of health that you really want.

Hope that helps,

Mark

Questions Concerning The Zone Diet – So Confused

by | Jan 9, 2013 | Fat Loss, Low carb diet, Weight Loss | 0 comments

This is a copy of a certain post on forum.lowcarber.org  that I have replied to about Zone Diet

Rick said:

First, I know you do not have to count calories on The Zone as long as you follow the blocks. But, I checked for how many blocks I am supposed to have and it is 19 blocks. I am a male 5’11” and weigh 441.2. So, according to the block calculation (since the calculator won’t do it for me), I am to assume 50% body fat and 50% lean which means that I have 220.6 lean body mass. I multiply that by .6 which gives me 132.36 grams of protein. When I divide that by 7, I end up with 18.9 blocks. So, 19 blocks. 

Here is my concern. When I did low carb a few years back, I had trouble losing weight. I found out that I wasn’t eating enough. I was eating around 1500 calories and I needed to be eating close to 3000 calories. I have also heard this even after I quit low carbing. So, that got me to calculating. 19 blocks of protein is 7 grams per block (133 grams). Since each gram of protein is 4 calories, then that means the calories for protein is approx. 532. Carbs are 9 grams per block making 19 blocks 171 grams. Since each gram is 4 calories, that calculates to 684 calories. Fat contains 19 blocks with 1.5 grams per block making the total grams 28.5 grams. Since fat is 9 calories per gram, this equals 256.5 calories.

When I add the calories for each, I get a total of 1,472.5 calories. This is less than half of what I was told before I needed and what I am being told that I need now. On top of that, I am being told (and was told when I was on low carb before) that I at least need to eat my BMR which is 2550. But, it is recommended I eat 20% less than my TDEE which would be 3,775 calories. I know the story about the I think it was 1700 pancakes and that your body gets its extra calories from the excess fat. I agree it will do that. But, I also have experienced my body stalling because I wasn’t eating enough.

What also concerns me is the protein amount. Even all the other low carb programs tell me I need at least 1 gram per pound of lean body mass which would be around 221 grams. That is 60% more than The Zone is telling me I need. I am being told that if I don’t each enough protein, that I will lose muscle mass which I don’t want to do. 

So, here is what my question boils down to. Has anyone who was morbidly obese and had to lose over 100 pounds ever monitored your lean body mass while on The Zone? Did you follow the guidelines provided or did you increase your intake? Did you lose lean body mass while doing this? 

I need something that is going to sustain me for life and I am concerned that this may not be sustainable for me since the calories are so low and I may not be able to keep up with it. In other words, I am so confused because I really don’t know what the truth is.

I replied:

Hi Rick,

Yeah, I do know where you’re coming from. I was quite a big lad before I decided to lose weight. The thing that most people tend to forget is that, the bigger we are, the more our body needs to keep going. As Seejay had said below, the Zone diet was developed for people, who are in no way, is as big as you and I are, or were in my case.

The other thing I’ve discovered about the Zone diet is that it’s very complicated when compared to other diets such as Atkins. Having lost weight myself, a considerable amount of weight, I should add, with a much simpler diet, I can unreservedly recommend that you change the diet that you’re on now. As Nancy LC had said below, that the Zone diet is, at heart, a low calorie diet, I think you’d b pleasantly surprised if you do change. Not just that you will feel more satisfied by what you eat, but also, you will feel what you’re body feels as the pleasure of being a slim and  fit person becomes more and more a reality.

Hope that helps,

Mark

Get Started

by | Jan 9, 2013 | Low carb diet, Portion Sizes, Sensible Eating, Weight Loss | 0 comments

Here is a copy of the post on about.com that I have commented on regarding low carb diet

sunnydesertday posted:

It’s a wonderful way to start losing weight and eventually changing a lifestyle. Adjusting to Atkins may be a challenge, but the results are worth every struggle. Eventually, lower carbs can become a way of life and no longer a challenge. And carbs are returned, to a certain point.  Atkins does not necessarily mean high fat. I prefer lower fat, as well. I don’t have to have bacon with my eggs or on my hamburger. Also crucial is portion control, no matter how or what one eats. Many of us would be better off with smaller portions and small snacks.

My comment:

There is no doubt that the low carb diet is a wonderful way to start losing weight and as that weight is lost, obviously, our lifestyle would change because there are so many things that we can start doing our excess weight stopped us from doing it in the first place. So, I would agree totally with sunnydesertday, Atkins, or any low carb diet for that matter, is really a wonderful way to start losing weight. Adjusting to any low carb diet is a challenge but we can minimize that in so many ways.

One thing I’ve noticed that many people concentrate on when they start any diet, but particularly a low carb diet, is that they start concentrating on all the thing they can’t eat and instead of enriching their diet or taking the challenge, they actually start to limit the amount or the types of food that they eat…. “Because you can’t eat anything but potatoes and you can’t eat anything with rice and you can’t eat anything with bread”, and all those sort of things. However, if we were to take a step back, and accept what so may regard as a challenge, then quite frankly, what we can eat is far  more likely to become varied in so many, many ways. Let’s face it,  when was the last time you decided to buy a different cut of meat from the one you always buy, or buy a different  type of fish to the one that you buy most of the time? When was the last time you walked pass a vegetable counter in your supermarket or hypermarket and thought “Oh that looks different, I think I’ll try that!”

I’m sure you see where I’m coming from. The simple fact is that, yes, any new diet can be a challenge if we allow it to be so but it can also become a wonderful opportunity to try new things and simply dare to taste things that we’ve never tasted before.

Hope that helps,

Mark