I think a good health blog is an honest blog. Self discovery and health is not an easy road to take. I am and will never be one of those people who tries once at something and succeeds the first time. I also loathe these people. It can be a tough and ugly road and a different experience for many. One becomes unhealthy in body most likely because one is unhealthy in mind. I don't think people become unhealthy intentionally and I'd like to break the stigma that if one wants to lose weight just stop eating. If it were that simple our nation would be in better shape. Food is not meth, food is worse than meth because you can obtain it anywhere in the greater U.S of A. And one does not need meth to live, but one does need food and that's where the problem begins. What kind of food are you eating and what does that food represent to you? Notice how I say healthy and not thin. Thin does not equal healthy. :)
Our first video is an interview between a low carb radio host and a raw vegan cyclist activist DurianRider who I guess is also a youtube personality though I have not seen his other videos. DurianRider says he eats a ton bananas a day and blends dates into a drink he calls, "daterade" and he cycles for half of his day. The Primal radio host questions him about his diet and asks him what he really thinks makes people fat. Both DurianRider and the Host mostly agree that processed foods most pointedly processed starch is what is making Americans fat. The conversation focused mainly on how some people do well on fat foods than they do on sugar which even though DurianRider does not consume actual starch he does eat a lot of sugar via fruit. The Primal host also questioned DurianRiders method of persuasion from a meat eating diet to a vegan diet, calling all omnivores "morons" "stupid" and "sick". Whenever anyone talks about their diet, no matter what that diet consists of I exit the conversation. At that point you are informing no one but just practicing the fine art of self congratulations and guilt tripping. DurianRider half heartedly apologizes for the insults and says its just an image he feels he has to uphold. Obviously neither party is swayed to switch diets however, both come to the conclusion that regardless of what your diet consists of if you are healthy and happy then that is what matters the most.
Now our next video is super long. I admit I skipped around a lot but made sure I watched each of the health officials give their statements on nutrition. The host of this show is an extremely annoying woman with full house humor. I skipped a lot of her. I am just going to highlight some key points that stood out to me.
This debate starts with the pro meat side. I am going to call them the Meat Heads. The Plant Based group I will dub the Lettuce Brigade.
At 48 minutes one of the doctors of the Meat Heads discusses the effects of pasta eating. According to him after eating pasta about 75 percent of the population will feel sluggish and hungry again shortly. This is a response to a persons body making too much insulin. I speak from personal experience...this guy is spot on. Too much insulin = diabetes. However, I do not feel hungry if that pasta had meat and veggies in it. There is a difference between just pasta and butter and a seafood pasta with tons of veggies. Seafood pasta...drooling commence...
One hour and 28 minutes later a doctor notes "You don't supplement a bad diet, you correct a bad diet." Taking a stab at the diet pill/diet drink industry that is a multi billion dollar business that does not teach one how to be healthy but just tries quick gimmicks that make the public sicker. Being fat is not the main problem here being unhealthy and sick is OUR MAIN PROBLEM.
Now introducing the Lettuce Brigade:
One hour and 46 minutes into the debate: One man says the "Japanese society looks great and is not fat." Okay dude you're obvious fetish aside let me set you straight. The original Japanese diet the one they have been subsiding on for thousands of years prior to Americanization of their inner cities was, white rice, fruits, veggies, egg and seafood. Oh yes of course tofu. Seafood is a huge staple in their diets because hello, they are by water. The Japanese also took a long time eating their food and ate in smaller portions. Until recently though their population has noticed weight gain, heart disease and yes diabetes. This is due to as stated above the Americanization of their food. KFC and fast food is consistently on the rise in popularity and instead of preparing their food a lot of families bring home KFC. They also are not as physically active as their ancestors (same with us) and have noticed a rise in obesity. I also blame pollution for disease of course. I don't really understand this persons reasoning for mentioning the Japanese, as their original diet and diet of today does have meat as a staple.
I'd rewatch this at work but am unable to but I did love one of the Lettuce Brigade members said in regards to a low carb diet, "Make yourself sick diet. "Semi starvation." I speak from personal experience, this is exactly how I would describe it.
One hour and 55 minutes later Dr. John Mcdougall a huge speaker for the Lettuce Brigade and is often quoted by a lot of vegans for his medical knowledge. In fact now that I think about it I think he was the one who quoted the above statement about low carb dieting. Here is where the history nerd comes out. Read over if you do not want a history lesson. At an hour and 55 minutes into it he says, "If you look at the food royalty ate in the middle ages you don't have to wonder why they were fat." Sigh....the only "fat" monarch was Henry VIII before that sure Kings and Queens could be larger but not on the obese side that you see today. Queens and ladies of the court were shunned from being too athletic as they felt it was too masculine. They would take walks in gardens and maybe ride side saddled on a horse but it was not for sport. Also, women were pregnant every year because no birth control so they just grew fat because there was never time to lose the baby weight. And a large part of them being unhealthy was their excess in alcohol which bloats you. So....you were saying about how cheese and meat made them fat?
At two hours and thirty two minutes someone finally points out what everyone needs to be aware of. Thin people can get heart attacks. I have known two cases of heart attacks in healthy people. One was a 16 year old swimmer in high school. Anyway point being made was, thin people can get heart attacks, its not just being overweight that is a factor we need to look at what people are consuming. Too much unhealthy food for too long can put you at risk. Calories, fat, ect is not the issue here. The doctor quoted, " I can put you on a twinkie diet and so long as its restrictive enough you will lose weight." What is important is what you do in the long run to improve your health.
Two hours and 48 minutes later though lines are clearly drawn on which is the superior lifestyle they all agree that a problem in our country is "Too much processed sugar and too much processed grains in our diet."
Now for my official opinion. A plant based diet is undoubtedly better for the planet. Waste from factory farms contributes to a lot of greenhouse gases which is terrible for our atmosphere and contribute to global warming. A planet based diet also gives you the opportunity to double your vegetables and fruit intake which hey more people need to eat.
Now in defense of low carb dieting I will say I notice a significant amount of weight loss immediately. It is a no brainer, you cut out a significant part of your diet and you will lose weight. If you are just looking to lose weight for an event; wedding, birthday, reunion, booty call with an ex boyfriend then by all means do a low carb diet. If you are looking for something you can stick with for life don't do this. The many times I have tried to cut out all starch and eat meat, veggies and some fruit I FELT LIKE KILLING EVERYTHING I ENCOUNTERED. I was a killing machine....think Joffrey from Game of Thrones but worse.
I dreamed about bread and pasta and donuts. I was losing weight super quickly and tried to use my shrinking waistline as a motivator but I would have traded my beloved pugs for a plate of french fries. I knew quickly that this was not normal and despite Kate Moss's anthem of "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I knew she was full of shit. So I gained the weight back times 3. Three times the weight I lost I gained back and my body is still fucked from it. Worth it? No.
Reeling back from my hatred, I'll say that sometimes people don't have a choice in the matter. I am insulin resistant which means my body and starch are not the best of friends. So my body should respond well to a lower carb lifestyle. This does not mean for those who are that they have to avoid all starch but they need to be careful of the type of starch they consume and how often. Not all carbs are created equal. I think for those who want to explore a low carb life they need to gradually cut back on starch rather than wake up one morning and saying "Hey I don't need you donut, bring on the egg whites and broccoli." Only do that if you are a sadist.
I don't think paleo like diets of low carb/ high protein are sustainable and are not affordable to those who are of limited funds. I once spent 180 dollars at a grocery store on my purely organic grass fed local meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts food oh yeah and almond flour which is 12 dollars for one pound. I've had paleo enthusiasts argue that they reduced their grocery bill and when i asked how they said they did not purchase organic fruits and veggies or organic meats and ate factory farmed processed meats. Doesn't that defeat the purpose then?
I also tried to follow the Wheat Belly diet approach which is no starch but lots of meat and dairy. I am somewhat lactose intolerant. You do not want to be around me when I eat too much of it. In fact I have sworn to my friends that when I begin dating again I won't be eating dairy on the first few dates because my fart bombs will scare them away. After date three.. time to let them know who I am. Point being, doubling my dairy intake while trying to low carb it is not an option for me.
Now do I think one is better or worse? Yes and no. The low carb movement is effective and you do in fact lose weight. If you are perhaps stronger than myself and you think you can truly stick to that lifestyle then great. The vegan movement is however beneficial to our planet and is sustainable. My only reservation with veganism is it is just not for everyone. Everyone's body is different. I know personally in the future when I am traveling to Italy I will not turn down the pasta or the gelato.
