A reversal on carbs

[cswake]

Does anyone know of a source that can attribute the attack on fat to the FDA?

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-...,5464425.story

It's a confusing message. For years we've been fed the line that eating fat would make us fat and lead to chronic illnesses. "Dietary fat used to be public enemy No. 1," says Dr. Edward Saltzman, associate professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University. "Now a growing and convincing body of science is pointing the finger at carbs, especially those containing refined flour and sugar."

Americans, on average, eat 250 to 300 grams of carbs a day, accounting for about 55% of their caloric intake. The most conservative recommendations say they should eat half that amount. Consumption of carbohydrates has increased over the years with the help of a 30-year-old, government-mandated message to cut fat.

And the nation's levels of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease have risen. "The country's big low-fat message backfired," says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "The overemphasis on reducing fat caused the consumption of carbohydrates and sugar in our diets to soar. That shift may be linked to the biggest health problems in America today."

[angelatc]

They cycle through the same messages every 30 years.

[pcosmar]

The "experts" are often full of $#@!.
But they make lots of money from Government grants to come up with contradictory conclusions.

[undergroundrr]

Gary Taubes' fantastic book "Good Calories Bad Calories" comprehensively outlines the federal government's official endorsement of low-fat diets, despite overwhelming scientific evidence exonerating fat and pointing to refined carbohydrates as the overwhelming culprit in the "diseases of civilization" - diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, etc. This is a must-read for libertarians interested in health and nutrition.

[heavenlyboy34]

OP: just research the FDA's food pyramid. It's exactly backwards of what the human body is designed for. The reason for this is that by over-emphasizing grains and other carbs in the diet, farmers get a kickback for growing things like wheat and corn. IOW, the food pyramid and government "health" information is almost entirely BS and propaganda.

[heavenlyboy34]

Gary Taubes' fantastic book "Good Calories Bad Calories" comprehensively outlines the federal government's official endorsement of low-fat diets, despite overwhelming scientific evidence exonerating fat and pointing to refined carbohydrates as the overwhelming culprit in the "diseases of civilization" - diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, etc. This is a must-read for libertarians interested in health and nutrition.

I would also recommend the Paleo Diet book.

[heavenlyboy34]

The "experts" are often full of $#@!.
But they make lots of money from Government grants to come up with contradictory conclusions.

qft!!

[axiomata]

I would also recommend the Paleo Diet book.

If I had to pick a diet that was not a fad it would be that one. EconTalk had a podcast with Arthur De Vany that introduced me to it. His book is coming out in a few days.

[forsmant]

eating more calories than you burn is the cause of gaining weight.

[agitator]

eating more calories than you burn is the cause of gaining weight.

You're making that up.

[forsmant]

maybe.

[romacox]

Coming from a family of Ranchers...Many years ago large corporate ranchers began giving cattle growth hormones to fatten them up. Small ranchers (to compete) began doing the same (exception is the organic rancher). The hormone is a small capsule injected into the fatty tissue of the ear. Mind you, the hormone is estrogen.

The government is saying excess estrogen was found in our water supplies is from women taking estrogen pills. But what they don't tell you is that it is injected into our cattle (and perhaps other livestock) so it ends up in our beef, milk, cheese, ext.

If it is used to fatten cattle, what do you think it is doing to our children? Why do you think we are having obesity in the U.S.? Some Countries ban our beef because of this practice.
http://www.beefmyths.org/beefmyths/c...rowthhormones/

[forsmant]

Eating Beef = man titties?!?!

[virgil47]

Coming from a family of Ranchers...Many years ago large corporate ranchers began giving cattle growth hormones to fatten them up. Small ranchers (to compete) began doing the same (exception is the organic rancher). The hormone is a small capsule injected into the fatty tissue of the ear. Mind you, the hormone is estrogen.

The government is saying excess estrogen was found in our water supplies is from women taking estrogen pills. But what they don't tell you is that it is injected into our cattle (and perhaps other livestock) so it ends up in our beef, milk, cheese, ext.

If it is used to fatten cattle, what do you think it is doing to our children? Why do you think we are having obesity in the U.S.? Some Countries ban our beef because of this practice.
http://www.beefmyths.org/beefmyths/c...rowthhormones/

I am of the firm belief that carbs are much worse than fats. Also I am of the opinion that the obesity epidemic that we are seeing in the U.S. is primarily caused by stress and the bodies natural reaction to stress. In times of uncertainty as to food supplies and social unrest the lower income and therefore less secure tend to try to store up fat. I believe this is primarily an unconscious reaction. Look at the wealthy and secure all over the world and you will find that they are not suffering from obesity.

[axiomata]

eating more calories than you burn is the cause of gaining weight.

Here's what the aforementioned De Vany says about that:

health experts use oversimplified analogies to predict how metabolism manages nutrition and weight. All you have to do is burn more fuel than you take in, we were instructed, and you will reliably lose weight. Burn precisely as much as you consume and you will maintain. Burn less and you’ll gain. Simple arithmetic that doesn’t add up.

We tend to simplify what otherwise seems overwhelmingly complicated. But as we now know, our metabolic function is infinitely complex. I found myself using concepts from other scientific disciplines to help me understand and explain the human body’s inner workings.

According to chaos theory, certain systems that seem to be random in fact are not–it’s just difficult for us to perceive, at the outset, all the subtle factors that set the course and determine the outcome. One landmark of chaos theory is the “butterfly effect.” This says that even a very small, unseen occurrence in a far-off place can have a large eventual impact–that if a butterfly flaps its wings in Hong Kong, the resulting breeze can trigger a cascade of atmospheric events and cause a hurricane in Brazil.

This can be used to explain many of our bodies’ inner workings. Here’s a simple one: If you go to the gym several hours after your last meal (so that you’re on a relatively empty stomach), your body will quickly burn through whatever glycogen is in your muscles and then move on to burning fat, which is the desirable state. But if on your way to the gym you have a sports drink, one with lots of carbs, you’ll need to burn off the glucose first. And depending on your workout, you might never get around to burning fat at all. Same exact exercise routine, very different outcomes, all because of your choice of pre-exercise beverage.

Another scientific concept, the power law, also comes up often in my discussions of health and fitness. It is based on the Pareto principle, named for Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. In essence, it describes the relationship between how common a factor is and how much influence it exerts. It says that the most unusual events will have the greatest impact. Pareto’s study determined that 80 percent of privately held land in Italy was owned by 20 percent of the population.

Similar power laws exist all around us. This relationship between low frequency and high impact is found again and again, in various fields of science, business, and elsewhere.

There is a power law of exercise, too: Your least frequent, most extreme exertions will have the greatest influence on your fitness. The peak moments of a workout count far more than the amount of time you spend working out. This is why a series of 40-yard sprints at full speed benefits you more than half an hour of jogging. It’s also the reason why lifting a weight heavy enough to make your heart pound and your muscles burn counts more than spending hours at the gym. When a work-out becomes an unvarying, monotonous routine, it loses its effectiveness.

Bonus points for De Vany for being a Hayekian economist.

[romacox]

I do not disagree with you. I think it all contributes. In fact it was found that the processed carbs we eat today is very hard on our bodies, and can cause all sorts of problems...see this article http://educatorssite.com/?p=145

[MelissaWV]

Eh. Eggs are bad. Eggs are good. Egg whites are good (ditch the yolks). Egg yolks are an important part of your diet (ditch the whites; they have no value). Eggs are poison. Eggs are the perfect food.

Chocolate is bad. Chocolate is good. Chocolate is fattening. Chocolate has special enzymes that make you feel orgasmic. Chocolate is good but only if you eat one teeny square per day. Chocolate is only good when it's the snooty, expensive kind.

Beef is bad. Beef is good. Beef is fattening. Beef makes you grow boobies (not the stuff we feed to the cows; pay no attention to that). Milk: it does a body good. Milk: it's fattening; don't drink it! Milk: You can't get it raw, or the cops will get you.

I wonder what people would say if we could talk to them, those that lived so many centuries ago, and let them know that people would forget how to eat.

[heavenlyboy34]

Eh. Eggs are bad. Eggs are good. Egg whites are good (ditch the yolks). Egg yolks are an important part of your diet (ditch the whites; they have no value). Eggs are poison. Eggs are the perfect food.

Chocolate is bad. Chocolate is good. Chocolate is fattening. Chocolate has special enzymes that make you feel orgasmic. Chocolate is good but only if you eat one teeny square per day. Chocolate is only good when it's the snooty, expensive kind.

Beef is bad. Beef is good. Beef is fattening. Beef makes you grow boobies (not the stuff we feed to the cows; pay no attention to that). Milk: it does a body good. Milk: it's fattening; don't drink it! Milk: You can't get it raw, or the cops will get you.

I wonder what people would say if we could talk to them, those that lived so many centuries ago, and let them know that people would forget how to eat.

There's some truth to that. However, it's only relatively recently that humans have had the luxury of choosing what and when to eat. Prior to industrialization and food handling techniques, humans were mostly on a subsistence diet. They basically had little to no choice in their diets. Now that we have choices and free time, we have the extra burden of having to manage our lifestyles.

[Yieu]

Simple/refined carbs can be bad, but complex carbs are a good energy source, often provide soluble and unsoluble fiber, and are often quite nutritious.

[muzzled dogg]

youll be able to find the answer to your question on marksdailyapple.com

[Corydoras]

The reason that dietary advice cycles around is because it takes a few decades for a bright medical student to think "Hey, that's stupid!" then go into research and take years to get grants and become established enough to prove the opposite and slowly build up enough pull to be able to call the press and tell them "Look what we found!" Seriously, that's how it works.

[Natalie]

//

[Son of Detroit]

I'm living off of complex carbs and protein at the moment.

Bulking is awesome. Not looking forward to my eventual cut though. Not fun.

[muzzled dogg]

White flour, white pasta, and white rice are what give all carbs a bad rep. Complex carbohydrates are great. Potatoes, brown rice, hummus, lentils, and whole wheat are examples of good carbs. The stupidest thing about the low carb craze is its resistance to fruit. Fruit is the most perfect food in existence.

The truth about the Adkins diet is that most of the weight you lose is water weight. You cannot eat cheeseburgers and bacon all day and avoid fresh fruit and lose real weight.

yeah i'd throw potatoes and rice in with the bad carbs

and i disagree with your statement about atkins. i've never done it but i've done something very similar and it wasn't water weight that i lost

[heavenlyboy34]

Low Carb diets are ridiculous. Simple carbohydrates are mostly made up of sugar and are nutritionally useless. White flour, white pasta, and white rice are what give all carbs a bad rep. Complex carbohydrates are great. Potatoes, brown rice, hummus, lentils, and whole wheat are examples of good carbs. The stupidest thing about the low carb craze is its resistance to fruit. Fruit is the most perfect food in existence.

The truth about the Adkins diet is that most of the weight you lose is water weight. You cannot eat cheeseburgers and bacon all day and avoid fresh fruit and lose real weight.

Low carb is not the same as no carb. Carbs like vegetables, fruits, and certain tubers are very healthy. You're right about Atkins though. As I understand it, most people do better on a "modified Atkins" diet. I'm not a big meat eater (more fruits and veggies than meat), and I stay pretty slim this way.

[Uriel999]

I eat WHATEVER I want, but in moderation. Lost 35-40 lbs in 2010 on that "diet" plan. I found the biggest thing that helped was to get drinks out of my diet. Now I only drink water, coffee (say its bad all you want, but I love the stuff!), and drink beer only on weekends and moderately at that. Also, simply drinking a lot of water can help a person lose weight. Really I think the most important thing is not so much what you consume but that you workout for around an hour 4 days a week. 4 hours a week is all it really takes! Anybody who says "they don't have time" is just making excuses.

[Zippyjuan]

Any eating plan which emphasizes any group of foods over another is going to fail. "High carb" diets were interpreted by some people to be able to incude a lot of sugars. Then the "low carb" diet people tended to up the quantity of fats. You really need moderation in both. Low fats, lean proteins, complex carbs and more fresher fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Folks didn't really notice when Atkins emphasized the "lean" proteins over fatty ones- they thought a cheeseburger was as good as a tofu salad even though they were actually consuming a lot more fats in the process.

People buy low carb juices figuring they are better. Tropicana has their "50" juice line with half the sugars. How do they do that- reduce the sugars in the juice? They don't. They just water it down- check the label, it is ony 42% juice while their regular juice is 100%. That is how you got less sugar. Other products get lower sugar counts by using artificial sweetners- which I don't think are that good for you either. Lite butter or margarine? They are litterally watered down too. Not that bad really- you do consume less fats using the same amount as the regular one there. I see people stressing at the grocery store when one yogurt has 13 grams of sugars and the other has 15. Not really any significant difference. But they get confused, put the yogurt down and go buy something else- missing out on the nutrition of the yogurt.

If you want to eat healthy, you don't have to obsess. Just be rational and don't over do things. Consume a variety of foods. And get rid of the sodas- even the "diet" ones. That alone can make a huge difference (regular sodas have a ton of simple sugars and the diet ones can actually stimulate your appetite).

Just some of my thoughts on the topic.

[sratiug]

Whole wheat and fiber are not good for you. Humans cannot digest cellulose. Read Brian Peskin. Carbs are unnecessary, fat and protein are essential. I'm not saying I don't eat any carbs, I eat bread and lots of onions (highly alkalizing) on my double cheeseburgers, I drink milk, I eat natural peanut butter, and sometimes put a banana (alkalizing) in my milk/protein/rawegg shakes.

A human that increases protein and fat while decreasing carbs becomes more stable and calm and has more even energy. Carbs make people stressed as their energy fluctuates wildly through the day as their blood attempts to dump the acidity out before it kills you. Water is by far the main power system of the body. Fat and protein burn to provide steady energy and can be used to repair body systems.

Your bodies cell membranes are 40% fat and 60% protein and I'm pretty sure that is mostly saturated fat or else you'd melt.

[Acala]

youll be able to find the answer to your question on marksdailyapple.com

Yup. Just finished his book. I'm sold.

Your body evolved to eat certain foods. Eat those foods. Our ancient ancestors ate lots of vegetables, lots of meat, eggs, and fruit when they could get it. Hardly any grain or legumes or dairy products. Certainly nothing processed. It is a diet naturally low in carbs and high in HEALTHY fats.

Natalie, you are wrong about Atkins. Initially the weight loss is from water because of the way your liver and muscles store glycogen, but after a few days the weight loss is due to fat metabolism.

Whole wheat really isn't good for you. It contains some rather toxic compounds. Some people tolerate it better than others, but nobody evolved to eat it and IT evolved to try and not be eaten.

Turns out that brown rice is LESS healthy for you than white because most of the anti-nutrients in rice are in the bran.

Get your fiber from fruit and vegetables, not grain.

[Yieu]

Grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and dairy are healthy, and have all the nutrition the body needs; beyond that, it is up to personal preference and flavor.