Red Meat Dilemma 2 – Hormonal Obesity XXVII
Devotees of the low carb approach faced the red meat dilemma. Meat was supposed to be non fattening because it was not a carbohydrate. However, some large studies questioned this assumption. The fascinating study “Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long- Term Weight Gain in Women and Men” demonstrated a rather large correlation between red...
Red Meat Dilemma – Hormonal Obesity XXVI
Our dilemma here is that there are really two opposing effects of meat and other animal proteins. One is to raise insulin which tends to cause weight gain, The other is to slow gastric emptying, increase satiety and tends to cause weight loss. Which is the stronger effect? One of the largest association studies of...
Replace, don’t Add Fruit – Hormonal Obesity XXI
One of the greatest barriers to weight loss is conventional dietary advice to eat more to lose weight. This was covered in a previous post "Time Dependence". This advice sounds completely contradictory because it is. Nevertheless, the media is full of unhelpful advice to eat more to lose weight. The reason, I believe, is that...
The Atkins Decline – Hormonal Obesity Part XX
The Atkins revolution was well and truly underway by the mid 2000s. Millions of people around the world were following the Low-Carbohydrate lifestyle. Burger King introduced lettuce wrapped burgers to reduce the carb content. Everybody seemed to know somebody who was on the diet and had lost a lot of weight. The possibility of permanently...
The Atkins Revolution – Hormonal Obesity part XIX
Short term studies of the Atkins low carbohydrate diet were very encouraging. Not only were patients losing more weight, but their metabolic profiles were improved compared to the low fat diets of years past. Millions of people were taking a low carbohydrate lifestyle, and seeming to enjoy the benefits. By the mid 2000's, Dr. Atkins...
The Atkins Onslaught – Hormonal Obesity XVIII
The low carbohydrate diet long preceded the infamous Dr. Atkins. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755 -1826) wrote the influential textbook “The Physiology of Taste” in 1825. Sometimes considered the father of the low carbohydrate diet, he wrote: “The second of the chief causes of obesity is the floury and starchy substances which man makes the prime...
The Role of Fibre II – Hormonal Obesity XVII
The main role of fibre is that of an anti-nutrient. By various mechanisms such as bulking and viscosity the absorption of nutrient may be slowed in the GI tract. This is especially beneficial in the absorption of glucose which tends to cause insulin to spike with meals. This study illustrates the effect of fibre. Thirteen...
The Role of Fibre I – Hormonal Obesity XVI
Fibre is the non digestible part of food, usually a carbohydrate that our bodies cannot break down and absorb. They pass through our system largely unchanged. There are 2 types of fiber - soluble and insoluble based on whether it can be dissolved in water. Plant foods often contain varying amounts of both types of...
Good Carbohydrates, Bad Carbohydrates – Hormonal Obesity XV
There is controversy surrounding whether carbohydrates are good or bad. The low-carb movement (the Atkins onslaught) of the late 1990s and 2000s did much to focus attention on the role of carbohydrates in obesity. Are carbohydrates good or bad? Opinions are all over the place. Many low carb advocates suggest to avoid all carbohydrates altogether....
Having the Right Dietary Fats in Your Diet – IDM V
Sorry everyone, you have been misinformed! This has most likely led us to consume artificially made fats and diets high in carbohydrates. We now have skyrocketing rates of cardiovascular disease across North America. If you want to protect yourself against heart disease you better consume a moderate intake of natural dietary fats and limit your...
The Diet Soda Delusion – The Epiphenomenon of Obesity V
Replacing a regular sugared drink with diet sodas seems like a good way to lose weight. Diet drinks have zero calories and no sugar. Since this will lower sugar intake, it seems like a good idea. Both the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association in 2012 endorsed the use of diet drinks as...
The Pima, Sumo and Canine Diets – The Epiphenomenon of Obesity IV
The Pima Indians of the American SouthWest have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in North America. An estimated 50% of adult Pima are obese and of those, 95% have diabetes. How did this occur? There are many hypotheses. The Thrifty Gene Hypothesis became popular in the 1970s and some people still believe it. According...
