Which is Better for Me -- Low Fat or Low Carb?
After completing the last part of my journey and returning to Long Island last Friday night, I checked my Inbox and discovered a large amount of emails containing questions about low-carb, no-fat, and low-fat diets.
No-fat diets do not present any advantages as far as I can tell -- in fact, they can be dangerous to your health. They should not be undertaken unless you are under the care of a doctor, and even under medical care, I truly cannot think of a reason why such a strict regimen would be required.
Fat is very important for the body to function optimally, but the question remains: how much fat is enough? For almost the last forty years, the medical community has been recommending a low amount.
The same thing is true about carbohydrates. For decades, the prevailing wisdom was high carbs and low fat. You can see where that theory has gotten us.
Truly, the most essential factor in a successful diet is BALANCE.
When we speak of balance, we are speaking of the balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
As I've said before, and will repeat again, what you eat needs to be close to its natural state. A baked apple is close to its natural state. Fruit Loops are not. Grilled fish with grilled vegetables is close to its natural state. Kraft Microwavable Macaroni and Cheese is not.
If it comes in a package, it probably has ingredients in it that aren't good for you. (Like trans fats and high fructose corn syrup - otherwise known as "the kiss of death")
The majority of low-fat foods contain a high level of sugar. They are manufactured to be excessively sweet so that the consumer finds them tasty. No-fat foods are the same. They always contain either sugar, or a sugar substitute.
Low carb almost always involves a sugar substitute too, and personally, I think it always tastes terrible. You have to convince yourself that it tastes good in order to eat it. No, thanks.
Generally, it's healthy for you to eat almost any food that is not packaged with other ingredients. Plain frozen vegetables are just fine, but frozen vegetables covered in sauce are not a good option. The sauce contains ingredients that keep the sauce in a stable state, and those ingredients will cause weight gain. Typically, the sauce contains more calories than the vegetables.
Even though vegetarianism is considered to be a healthy way of life, there are many problems with that type of dietary restriction. Vegetarians often end up with a serious case of under-nourishment and are vulnerable to many other health risks -- all stemming from the fact that they do not eat a balanced diet.
The best way to gain control of your diet is to start slowly, one meal at a time. My friend Nate has some words of wisdom on the subject: "Practice push ups instead of doing sit downs." His message is that when you are full you should push up from the table, not sit down in order to eat more.
You should also start taking an ultra pure, enteric coated pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This will insure that you get your daily dose of of omega 3 essential fatty acids, which keep your system running at an optimum level.
The other day someone referred me to a bodybuilding web site, where the genius bodybuilder who took fish oil was cutting back his dose, because he didn't want to get too much fat in his diet. I guess that's why he's a bodybuilder, because he doesn't even know why he's taking it in the first place. All brawn, no brain.
He needs MORE fish oil, not less. Athletes who train hours every day have every reason to be upping their intake of fish oil, not worrying about a few fat grams. What he doesn't seem to realize is that with the proper amount of fat in his diet, he would look better, and he might even win a competition. But I'm laying 100 to 1 odds he won't listen. - 17269
No-fat diets do not present any advantages as far as I can tell -- in fact, they can be dangerous to your health. They should not be undertaken unless you are under the care of a doctor, and even under medical care, I truly cannot think of a reason why such a strict regimen would be required.
Fat is very important for the body to function optimally, but the question remains: how much fat is enough? For almost the last forty years, the medical community has been recommending a low amount.
The same thing is true about carbohydrates. For decades, the prevailing wisdom was high carbs and low fat. You can see where that theory has gotten us.
Truly, the most essential factor in a successful diet is BALANCE.
When we speak of balance, we are speaking of the balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
As I've said before, and will repeat again, what you eat needs to be close to its natural state. A baked apple is close to its natural state. Fruit Loops are not. Grilled fish with grilled vegetables is close to its natural state. Kraft Microwavable Macaroni and Cheese is not.
If it comes in a package, it probably has ingredients in it that aren't good for you. (Like trans fats and high fructose corn syrup - otherwise known as "the kiss of death")
The majority of low-fat foods contain a high level of sugar. They are manufactured to be excessively sweet so that the consumer finds them tasty. No-fat foods are the same. They always contain either sugar, or a sugar substitute.
Low carb almost always involves a sugar substitute too, and personally, I think it always tastes terrible. You have to convince yourself that it tastes good in order to eat it. No, thanks.
Generally, it's healthy for you to eat almost any food that is not packaged with other ingredients. Plain frozen vegetables are just fine, but frozen vegetables covered in sauce are not a good option. The sauce contains ingredients that keep the sauce in a stable state, and those ingredients will cause weight gain. Typically, the sauce contains more calories than the vegetables.
Even though vegetarianism is considered to be a healthy way of life, there are many problems with that type of dietary restriction. Vegetarians often end up with a serious case of under-nourishment and are vulnerable to many other health risks -- all stemming from the fact that they do not eat a balanced diet.
The best way to gain control of your diet is to start slowly, one meal at a time. My friend Nate has some words of wisdom on the subject: "Practice push ups instead of doing sit downs." His message is that when you are full you should push up from the table, not sit down in order to eat more.
You should also start taking an ultra pure, enteric coated pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This will insure that you get your daily dose of of omega 3 essential fatty acids, which keep your system running at an optimum level.
The other day someone referred me to a bodybuilding web site, where the genius bodybuilder who took fish oil was cutting back his dose, because he didn't want to get too much fat in his diet. I guess that's why he's a bodybuilder, because he doesn't even know why he's taking it in the first place. All brawn, no brain.
He needs MORE fish oil, not less. Athletes who train hours every day have every reason to be upping their intake of fish oil, not worrying about a few fat grams. What he doesn't seem to realize is that with the proper amount of fat in his diet, he would look better, and he might even win a competition. But I'm laying 100 to 1 odds he won't listen. - 17269
About the Author:
If you want assistance with weight loss efforts, Dr. Bill recommends an enteric coated fish oil If you want longevity and wellness.
posted by X - Men at
3:50 AM
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