Thursday, September 10, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Oh no, the government is making us sick
If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the United States Department of Agriculture is an asphalt factory.
The USDA is responsible for providing Americans with dietary recommendations. Unfortunately, they’re also responsible for creating national and international markets for American crops, a money-driven mission that makes a mockery of diet and health.
The United States’ primary agricultural products—wheat, corn, and milk—are all carbohydrate-rich. This is not a problem in and of itself, were the USDA to recommend their consumption in moderation. They do not. The USDA asks Americans to consume over of 70% of their calories from these sources.
Carbohydrate consumption, in the form of wheat, milk, and high fructose corn syrup, subsidizes American crops and keeps the USDA in business.The financial incentive for this request, embodied by the Food Pyramid, is easy to ascertain. More carbohydrate consumption, in the form of wheat, milk, and high fructose corn syrup, subsidizes American crops and keeps the USDA in business. It benefits the economy and the American farmer, a worthy endpoint.
Regrettably, it also prescribes hyperinsulinemia to 300 million trusting souls.
Hyperinsulinemia is a state of chronically elevated blood sugar, brought about by the incessant overconsumption of carbohydrates. It is linked to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity through a very simple and undeniable causal chain.
Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, removes sugar from the bloodstream, putting it into cellular storage for later energy production. When blood sugar is chronically elevated, insulin is unable to remove the bulk, and the pancreas ramps production back, recognizing the futility of rampant insulin release. Sugar remains in the blood stream, where it oxidizes with LDL cholesterol and creates arterial plaques.
Artery walls harden, and people die.
Clearly, money and health are at odds at the USDA, yet the conflict of interest goes unaddressed. As their mission statement illustrates, the organization is more interested in the economic benefits of high carbohydrate consumption than they are in health of the American people:
“USDA has created a strategic plan to implement its vision. The framework of this plan depends on these key activities: expanding markets for agricultural products and support(ing) international economic development, further developing alternative markets for agricultural products and activities, providing financing needed to help expand job opportunities and improve housing, utilities and infrastructure in rural America, enhancing food safety by taking steps to reduce the prevalence of foodborne hazards from farm to table, improving nutrition and health by providing food assistance and nutrition education and promotion, and managing and protecting America's public and private lands working cooperatively with other levels of government and the private sector.”
Nutrition warrants a brief mention, but actions speak louder than words. Visiting mypyramid.gov, I plugged in my statistics to get a dietary recommendation. As a 5’9”, 170-pound male with less than a half-hour of physical activity per day, the site recommended I eat 2600 calories per day, including a whopping 9 ounces of grains and 24 ounces of milk, while consuming only 6.5 ounces of meat.
Per the Zone Diet, my recommendations amounted to 27 blocks of carbohydrates, 9.5 blocks of protein, and 24 blocks of fat, a short path to hyperinsulinemia and more than enough to induce obesity.
Seemingly unaware that they’d just doomed me to poor health, the USDA left me this little gem:
“The weight you entered is above the healthy range for your height. This may increase your risk for health problems. Some people who are overweight should consider weight loss. Click here for more information about health risks and whether you should try to lose weight, or talk with your health care provider.”
The irony is palpable.
Given the USDA’s (colossally laughable) position as America’s foremost authority on nutrition, this ignorance is unforgivable, and worth fighting. The power to dictate diet needs to be removed from the hands of an organization with so much skin in the game, and transferred to individuals with the knowledge and freedom to act in the best interests of the American people.
This will not happen at the top level. Billions of dollars and an extraordinarily powerful farming lobby dictate that grassroots education and individual change are the only tenable way to affect a diet revolution in America.
American farmer or no, this will not stand. We will bring the USDA’s elemental flaw to light, one person at a time. The road to hell is still under construction, but we’re bringing the jackhammers, and the asphalt will crumble.
The USDA is responsible for providing Americans with dietary recommendations. Unfortunately, they’re also responsible for creating national and international markets for American crops, a money-driven mission that makes a mockery of diet and health.
The United States’ primary agricultural products—wheat, corn, and milk—are all carbohydrate-rich. This is not a problem in and of itself, were the USDA to recommend their consumption in moderation. They do not. The USDA asks Americans to consume over of 70% of their calories from these sources.
Carbohydrate consumption, in the form of wheat, milk, and high fructose corn syrup, subsidizes American crops and keeps the USDA in business.The financial incentive for this request, embodied by the Food Pyramid, is easy to ascertain. More carbohydrate consumption, in the form of wheat, milk, and high fructose corn syrup, subsidizes American crops and keeps the USDA in business. It benefits the economy and the American farmer, a worthy endpoint.
Regrettably, it also prescribes hyperinsulinemia to 300 million trusting souls.
Hyperinsulinemia is a state of chronically elevated blood sugar, brought about by the incessant overconsumption of carbohydrates. It is linked to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity through a very simple and undeniable causal chain.
Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, removes sugar from the bloodstream, putting it into cellular storage for later energy production. When blood sugar is chronically elevated, insulin is unable to remove the bulk, and the pancreas ramps production back, recognizing the futility of rampant insulin release. Sugar remains in the blood stream, where it oxidizes with LDL cholesterol and creates arterial plaques.
Artery walls harden, and people die.
Clearly, money and health are at odds at the USDA, yet the conflict of interest goes unaddressed. As their mission statement illustrates, the organization is more interested in the economic benefits of high carbohydrate consumption than they are in health of the American people:
“USDA has created a strategic plan to implement its vision. The framework of this plan depends on these key activities: expanding markets for agricultural products and support(ing) international economic development, further developing alternative markets for agricultural products and activities, providing financing needed to help expand job opportunities and improve housing, utilities and infrastructure in rural America, enhancing food safety by taking steps to reduce the prevalence of foodborne hazards from farm to table, improving nutrition and health by providing food assistance and nutrition education and promotion, and managing and protecting America's public and private lands working cooperatively with other levels of government and the private sector.”
Nutrition warrants a brief mention, but actions speak louder than words. Visiting mypyramid.gov, I plugged in my statistics to get a dietary recommendation. As a 5’9”, 170-pound male with less than a half-hour of physical activity per day, the site recommended I eat 2600 calories per day, including a whopping 9 ounces of grains and 24 ounces of milk, while consuming only 6.5 ounces of meat.
Per the Zone Diet, my recommendations amounted to 27 blocks of carbohydrates, 9.5 blocks of protein, and 24 blocks of fat, a short path to hyperinsulinemia and more than enough to induce obesity.
Seemingly unaware that they’d just doomed me to poor health, the USDA left me this little gem:
“The weight you entered is above the healthy range for your height. This may increase your risk for health problems. Some people who are overweight should consider weight loss. Click here for more information about health risks and whether you should try to lose weight, or talk with your health care provider.”
The irony is palpable.
Given the USDA’s (colossally laughable) position as America’s foremost authority on nutrition, this ignorance is unforgivable, and worth fighting. The power to dictate diet needs to be removed from the hands of an organization with so much skin in the game, and transferred to individuals with the knowledge and freedom to act in the best interests of the American people.
This will not happen at the top level. Billions of dollars and an extraordinarily powerful farming lobby dictate that grassroots education and individual change are the only tenable way to affect a diet revolution in America.
American farmer or no, this will not stand. We will bring the USDA’s elemental flaw to light, one person at a time. The road to hell is still under construction, but we’re bringing the jackhammers, and the asphalt will crumble.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A quote from Mark Rippetoe
We have not spent the last 65 million or so years finely honing our physiology to watch Oprah. Like it or not, we are the product of a very long process of adaptation to a harsh physical existence, and the past couple centuries of comparative ease and plenty are not enough time to change our genome.
We humans are at our best when our existence mirrors, or at least simulates, the one we are still genetically adapted to live. And that is the purpose of exercise.
We humans are at our best when our existence mirrors, or at least simulates, the one we are still genetically adapted to live. And that is the purpose of exercise.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
What is a Fat? by Nell Stephenson
By definition, a fat is various compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, a major class of energy rich food. Fat functions not only as an energy source, but also as an integral part of hormone regulation, neurological impulses and our immune system!We all know, more or less, that certain foods are fattening, while others are not. Many people find themselves confused with regard to which fats are part of a healthy diet. To make matters worse, with the different trends that we've seen in the multi-million dollar diet industry, some are confused as to whether to eat any fat at all! Remember the low-fat craze of the early 90's? Many fell prey to the industry's message that fat was bad, and processed carbs were good, so people ate more fat-free (processed) products then ever. The unfortunate thing about this was that the fat in their diet could have come from more natural sources like oils and nuts, rather than processed, white-sugary, floury foods! Even worse, because these foods were fat free, people thought that meant they could eat as much as they wanted without consequences.
WRONG! To keep it simple, one needn't worry about understanding the biochemistry of how a fat acts in the body (I'd be telling a huge fib if I claimed to be a chemist! : ) At any rate, stick with the Paleo recommendations and DO include healthy fat in your diet. You'll find yourself more satisfied and fueled for longer periods of time if you've included some avocado, or olive oil or raw walnuts along with your meal than if you'd opted for something with only carbohydrates.AVOID artificial or altered types of fat, especially hydrogenated oils (that are more and more prevalent in processed food these days, which is great from the manufacturer's point of view because it increases shelf life!). As always, on the odd occasion that you might have to choose a packaged food item, be diligent about reading the label to ensure there's nothing in it that you cannot identify (and therefore shouldn't put in your body!). Keep it natural and simple, and don't be afraid to eat some fat - your body needs it!
By definition, a fat is various compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, a major class of energy rich food. Fat functions not only as an energy source, but also as an integral part of hormone regulation, neurological impulses and our immune system!We all know, more or less, that certain foods are fattening, while others are not. Many people find themselves confused with regard to which fats are part of a healthy diet. To make matters worse, with the different trends that we've seen in the multi-million dollar diet industry, some are confused as to whether to eat any fat at all! Remember the low-fat craze of the early 90's? Many fell prey to the industry's message that fat was bad, and processed carbs were good, so people ate more fat-free (processed) products then ever. The unfortunate thing about this was that the fat in their diet could have come from more natural sources like oils and nuts, rather than processed, white-sugary, floury foods! Even worse, because these foods were fat free, people thought that meant they could eat as much as they wanted without consequences.
WRONG! To keep it simple, one needn't worry about understanding the biochemistry of how a fat acts in the body (I'd be telling a huge fib if I claimed to be a chemist! : ) At any rate, stick with the Paleo recommendations and DO include healthy fat in your diet. You'll find yourself more satisfied and fueled for longer periods of time if you've included some avocado, or olive oil or raw walnuts along with your meal than if you'd opted for something with only carbohydrates.AVOID artificial or altered types of fat, especially hydrogenated oils (that are more and more prevalent in processed food these days, which is great from the manufacturer's point of view because it increases shelf life!). As always, on the odd occasion that you might have to choose a packaged food item, be diligent about reading the label to ensure there's nothing in it that you cannot identify (and therefore shouldn't put in your body!). Keep it natural and simple, and don't be afraid to eat some fat - your body needs it!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Food for thought, keep it simple
Perhaps the worst dietary craze belongs to the 1980s, which heralded the age of the no-fat diet. Supermarket shelves were flooded with high-glycemic carbohydrate foods, offering little in the way of nutrients, but plenty in the way of empty calories. These foods became dietary mainstays for many people, especially women, who found themselves indulging in snack foods such as reduced-fat “baked” potato and corn chips, and fat-free rice and corn cakes, cookies, pretzels, and crackers. Suddenly millions of Americans were placing themselves in a chronic inflammatory condition. Why? Because eating these foods provokes a pro-inflammatory rapid rise in blood sugar, resulting in elevated insulin levels.
Insulin is an important hormone that helps the body utilize blood sugar for energy or store it as glycogen or fat. But if the insulin is released too quickly, it has a pro-inflammatory effect. After a rapid rise, there will be a precipitous drop in blood sugar, resulting in feelings of hunger, which can lead to a vicious cycle of overeating. This is why a diet centered on breads, baked goods, snack foods, sweets, and other sugary, starchy foods results in unwanted weight gain and great difficulty in losing weight. Ironically, in this instance, it is not the caloric value of the foods causing the weight gain. In fact, a rice cake only has around 40 calories. However, because it is rapidly converted to sugar in the bloodstream, resulting in the insulin release, it will cause you to store body fat. An insulin release can result in the storage of body fat.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Some scientists and researchers believe that many of the health problems of today are caused by our departure from the hunter-gatherer diet, which consisted of nuts, seeds, berries, wild greens, roots, fruits, fish, fowl, and game. This is a fascinating theory and I do agree with the premise that natural, unprocessed foods are always the best choices.
To be healthy and maintain normal weight, we need all of the food groups—but not those that come from the laboratory. Our protein source needs to be pure, fresh (when possible) wild fish and other seafood, and free-range chicken and turkey that are hormone and antibiotic free. Our carbohydrates need to be fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. And we need good fats, such as those found in salmon, sardines, and other cold-water fish, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and açaí (a Brazilian berry whose fatty-acid ratio resembles that of olive oil). These “good” fats will help us absorb nutrients from our vegetables and fruits, keep our cells supple, our skin glowing and wrinkle-free, our brains sharp, and our mood upbeat. We also need dietary fat to burn fat.
Insulin is an important hormone that helps the body utilize blood sugar for energy or store it as glycogen or fat. But if the insulin is released too quickly, it has a pro-inflammatory effect. After a rapid rise, there will be a precipitous drop in blood sugar, resulting in feelings of hunger, which can lead to a vicious cycle of overeating. This is why a diet centered on breads, baked goods, snack foods, sweets, and other sugary, starchy foods results in unwanted weight gain and great difficulty in losing weight. Ironically, in this instance, it is not the caloric value of the foods causing the weight gain. In fact, a rice cake only has around 40 calories. However, because it is rapidly converted to sugar in the bloodstream, resulting in the insulin release, it will cause you to store body fat. An insulin release can result in the storage of body fat.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Some scientists and researchers believe that many of the health problems of today are caused by our departure from the hunter-gatherer diet, which consisted of nuts, seeds, berries, wild greens, roots, fruits, fish, fowl, and game. This is a fascinating theory and I do agree with the premise that natural, unprocessed foods are always the best choices.
To be healthy and maintain normal weight, we need all of the food groups—but not those that come from the laboratory. Our protein source needs to be pure, fresh (when possible) wild fish and other seafood, and free-range chicken and turkey that are hormone and antibiotic free. Our carbohydrates need to be fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. And we need good fats, such as those found in salmon, sardines, and other cold-water fish, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and açaí (a Brazilian berry whose fatty-acid ratio resembles that of olive oil). These “good” fats will help us absorb nutrients from our vegetables and fruits, keep our cells supple, our skin glowing and wrinkle-free, our brains sharp, and our mood upbeat. We also need dietary fat to burn fat.
Friday, August 22, 2008
About me
As a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Counselor and Running Coach I'm committed to teaching my clients how to successfully set and reach their health and fitness goals.
- One-on One personal training
- Partner training
- Walking and running groups
- Outdoor and home workouts
- Active 8 Program
My Gym Has Blue Walls specializes in Eco-Fitness, (outdoor workouts) no need for gym fees and machines, your body is your machine.
Learn to use your own body weight and the natural surroundings to strengthen your mind, body and soul.
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Women's Retreat - tug of war
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