Vegetarianism was recently the fashion of the day… then most endeavoured to become vegans. Thereafter it was the blood group diet, followed by a desire to eat everything raw! Then there were those who ventured back to the cave-days with the Paleo diet…. Today, everyone is jumping on the banting bandwagon a la ketogenic diet… eating an ox!
Why can’t we stick to balance……? And why can’t common sense prevail….? It’s simple: for optimum health, we need to live close to God and nature – we need to eat God-made unprocessed wholefood, as opposed to man-made over-processed and refined food, in the right proportion. Basta! It makes sense to eat according to our body composition1 – see figure 1. We consist of 60 to 70% water, therefore salads and vegetables should comprise the bulk of our diet. They have high water content, and supply all the necessary micronutrients and fibre to sustain health. Complex carbohydrates (wholegrains, starchy vegetables) should not make up more than 20% of the diet, which could include one or two fruits per day. They, too, supply water, essential nutrients and fibre. Our protein intake should be 20%, while fat and unrefined oil intake should not exceed 10%.
Figure 1: Dietary proportions according to body composition (Source 1)
Why do diets work?
Because we are sheep…. and seek quick fixes? If it’s working for my friend, it will work for me… A fad diet is fashionable! If one or two mechanistic and reductionistic scientific studies offered proof and any validity and some big shot preached it as the gospel, then we follow… It took us 50 years to realize the damage that has been done by placing (‘refined’) grains at the centre of our diet….. it might take another 50 years to realize the potential damage of totally excluding all grains…. It is a no-brainer… or no-grainer…?
Any diet will ‘work’ while ‘on’ the diet, because one applies ‘conscious’ eating…. You’ll think twice what you put into your mouth and therefore generally choose healthier options. But essentially one will ultimately come ‘off’ the diet, since most of them are not sustainable, nor long-term health promoting. Once off the diet, we swing back to the other side of the pendulum of imbalanced eating.
The only recommended diets are therapeutic diets designed with a specific outcome to treat a specific condition, overseen by a qualified practitioner. There is no one diet to suit all! We must respect the unique biochemical make-up of each individual as well as take into account many socio-economic and lifestyle factors. No matter which eating regimen one follows, for optimum health we should consume unprocessed wholefood in the proportions of our ideal body composition. It’s simple! But, we seek the answers in complexity… “it can’t be too easy!” A fad diet appeals, but is not a common sense, balanced approach…
Why do diets NOT work?
Most of the diets out there are focused on weight-loss, not health! You can be skinny, but still extremely unhealthy. Any ‘diet’ is a shortcut to achieve a quick fix. Once on a diet, you’ll eventually come ‘off’ the diet… no ‘diet’ is sustainable long-term, unless it is a balanced way of eating unprocessed wholefoods. Most diets are too restrictive. Excluding an entire food group, such as carbohydrates, fats or protein, does not sustain health. Generally, diets focus on exotic and expensive ingredients, not affordable to everyone, thereby bringing financial and other stress factors into the equation. Note that there is a huge correlation between unresolved emotional issues and inability to lose weight. With the focus on weight loss, many other factors should be considered, such as lack of exercise, sun-light exposure2, genetic make-up, gut dysbiosis, hypothyroidism and dehydration. The true and only answer to healthy sustainable weight loss might not be in that pork chop after all….
The fad of today
If we take a closer look at the ‘eat-all-the-cheese-fat-meat-and-bacon’ diet everyone is raving about, we’ll discover the following:
- Acid and alkaline balance: In short, salads and vegetables are alkaline-forming foods, while carbohydrates, protein, fats and oils are acid-forming. It is therefore extremely important to correctly balance the acid- and alkaline-forming foods in our diet as per the meal proportions in figure 1, above.
- Dieters place too much emphasis on high-fat and protein intake, plus the total avoidance of carbohydrates – while generally not consuming enough salads and vegetables.
- High protein diets lead to acidosis (an acidic body), setting the stage for osteoporosis, hormonal imbalances, allergies, gut dysbiosis, cardiovascular disease and various other conditions.
- A high protein diet will increase the absorption of oxalates, potentially leading to kidney stones, arthritis and gout.
- Because of the lack of fibre due to the insufficient consumption of wholegrains, fruits and root vegetables in the diet, we’re becoming a very constipated nation…. with the risk of colorectal cancer levels rising dramatically in the near future!
- Dieters are losing weight, but they are also losing their hair due to vitamin deficiencies. Wholegrains are an especially good source of B-vitamins—essential for vibrant healthy hair. Being slender and bald does not appeal to me!
- High protein diets will increase homocysteine levels, which cause and advance arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The very nutrients that we need to help reduce homocysteine levels, are those that we are excluding with a no-carb diet. They are vitamin B6, biotin, folic acid and vitamin B12 – found in wholegrains!
- Toxins are mainly stored in fat cells. By increasing our consumption of animal fat, we thereby potentially increase the intake of toxins like xenoestrogens (chemicals mimicking estrogen), pesticides and herbicides, antibiotics and growth hormones. Organic grass-fed and free-range animals are the best source of protein, but not affordable or accessible to all. Even venison is not totally organic anymore, being fed and also given antibiotics and growth hormones.
- As a Food Scientist I was taught that bacon is one of the most carcinogenic (cancer-causing) foods available, due to the nitrosamines that are formed during frying3. In the past, the distinction between processed and unprocessed meat was not made in research studies, which gave meat overall a bad name. Today, the same studies are being repeated, differentiating between unprocessed meat and processed meat, with the blame for poor health falling on processed meat4. That bacon-and-eggs-and-more-bacon-for-dessert breakfast might not be the most health-promoting option after all!
- ‘Eat as much cheese as you like on this diet’… is a very cheesy statement! However, on low-carbohydrate diets high cheese consumption is promoted. Cheese is one of your most constipating, acidic, mucous-forming and high in sodium foods available! Low potassium, high sodium5 and low magnesium levels underlies most chronic illnesses and high cheese consumption will only exacerbate these imbalances. Furthermore, unless from an organic source, dairy products are generally high in growth hormones, antibiotics and processing chemicals (food additives).
- Any diet favouring red wine, coffee and chocolates above bananas leaves much room for doubt! Bananas contain complex carbohydrates, are high in fibre, potassium and magnesium, among other nutrients – maybe monkeys are cleverer than we thought!
- We tend to place value on that which is measureable, such as our weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. However, we don’t take into account the imbalances we create on a biochemical cellular level, which are not easily measurable, but no less important.
- Any diet fad does not take biochemical individuality into account. Someone with Hemochromatosis or kidney disease should not even dream of devouring T-bone steaks three times a day! The ketogenic diet is also contra-indicated for those with pyruvate carboxylase deficiency, porphyria and other rare genetic disorders of fat metabolism.
- The ketogenic diet was initially formulated to treat children with epilepsy. Even this therapeutic application of the diet is very controversial. In a study, evaluating the exact limitations of the ketogenic diet, various complications were observed6,7.
Positive outcome?
Yes, for sure! Everyone is “banting” off the refined grain train. Those on the ketogenic diet are simply feeling good since cutting out refined carbohydrates – a man-made food that should never have been on the menu in the first place! Further, the no-fat, low-fat myth has been busted! But, hey, what happened to modest moderation….? Although refined carbohydrates are extremely bad for us, it does not mean we should totally exclude all complex carbohydrates. The Chinese, following a traditional diet with rice as their staple, are not fat! Many survived World War II on potatoes alone!
Focus on health, not weight loss; as a consequence you’ll achieve your ideal weight! Implement a few simple dietary rules, practise moderation and lead a balanced lifestyle – this way you’ll never have to follow another fad diet again!
References:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body
- http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2014/04/morning-rays-keep-off-the-pounds.html
- http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w00/nitrosamine.html
- http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/121/21/2271.short
- du Preez, H. Salt of the Earth. The South African Journal of Natural Medicine. January 2014. Issue 103: 68-72.
- Kang HC, Chung da E, Kim DW & Kim HD. Early- and late-Onset Complications of the Ketogenic Diet for Intractable Epilepsy. Epilepsia 2004. 45:1116-1123.
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1198735/
by Heidi du Preez, Pr.Sci.Nat.
Heidi du Preez is a Professional Natural Scientist, who obtained her master’s degree in Food Science. She is currently specialising in Nutritional Medicine. Heidi consults as a Wellness Consultant. She uses a holistic, biomedical approach, incorporating diet, supplementation, detoxification and spiritual well-being into her treatment regimen. Her focus is on the prevention and cure of chronic, metabolic and degenerative diseases. She is the author of the health recipe book Naturally Nutritious Wholefood Cookbook.
Email: info@naturalnutrition.co.za website: www.naturalnutrition.co.za
This article was published in The South African Journal of Natural Medicine July 2014, Issue 109: 49-52 under the title: A sober look at the new fad diet.
