Apr 13, 2012 | The Fat Revolution
Interesting question. Currently, we again have a big push to switch tasty, natural butter for artificial spreads or margarine, because, we are told, they are better for our heart health, and better for our waistline. The spreads look harmless enough. When I opened a carton recently, it looked inviting, smooth, pale yellow, soft, and spreadable. I am not sure about the taste though. Even the health organisations pushing margarine admit that our taste buds will have to adjust in time, and it is about our priorities.
But is margarine really better for our health?
I recently offered the choice of butter or margarine to some ants, to see what they thought. Ants are simple creatures. They ignore non-food items, and swarm on food items. And, they favour some food over others. Their favourite food is proteins, which we observe daily if our cats leave a few strands of raw meat behind on their dinner plate. As a young child, I grew up without a television, so I spent a lot more time in nature than most. One of my favoured activities was sitting in the gutter feeding ants. I found them fascinating, watching the trails they made, and observing which items they would pick up and take to their nest, and which they ignored.
This is hardly a controlled, scientific study, but it is a very interesting observation, which speaks volumes. I left a plate wit one knob of butter, and two knobs of margarine (one was cholesterol-lowering) for the entire day, and took pictures at intermittent times.
The results? Interesting. The ants would not touch the margarine. I don’t know how you feel, but if we know ants won’t go near margarine, what are these artificial substances doing to our bodies? We are gobbling them down at an alarming rate. As I observed the ants, I frequently saw a lone ant approach the margarine, and once they hit a certain point, they would abruptly turn around and walk the other way. Meanwhile, they swarmed on the butter all day long.
In addition, hundreds of scientific studies have come to the same conclusion; the evidence that margarine is damaging, and NOT food, is undeniable.
Would we substitute petrol in our car for ‘fake petrol’ and expect it to run? No? Why then, do we think we can use fake butter and expect our body to function?
What is margarine?
We are continually reassured that margarine is just as natural as butter, but is it?
Once saturated fat had become the new ‘demon’ of health, we needed a substitute with similar properties to saturated fats like butter and lard. We needed solid fats for quality baking and for spreading on bread.
Because saturated fat has more hydrogen atoms than unsaturated, manufacturers add more hydrogen atoms using a process called hydrogenation; the chemists call the process ‘plasticisation’. The process starts with a very cheap vegetable oil, which is already damaged. The oil is heated to extremely high temperatures again (which damages the oil and creates free radicals), strong pressure is applied, and the hydrogen is forced into the structure of the oil to make it solid. This might not sound too bad, but they need to use toxic chemicals, for example, nickel oxide, to force the change in molecular structure.
And, the process isn’t finished yet. At this point, this chemically altered substance isn’t a replica of butter at all; it is actually grey and smelly. They bleach and deodorise it by using chemicals and more high temperatures. And, to make it resemble butter, they add artificial flavours and colours.
The hydrogenation process creates a different, unnatural molecule (a trans bond), which doesn’t occur anywhere in nature. ‘Health’ organisations love to say that trans fats occur in natural foods, including butter. Small amounts of trans fats exist in natural foods, but they aren’t dangerous. The man-made trans fats are a completely different story; they disrupt our natural bodily processes because our body doesn’t recognise their structure.
I remember my mother telling me that when she was young, the margarine came home from the store white, accompanied by a container of yellow colouring to mix through. At that time, it was illegal for companies to sell it yellow so people couldn’t mistake it for butter. The colour had to be mixed in at home.
The problem with margarine isn’t just the trans fats, it is a whole host of other things, including free radicals, synthetic vitamins, emulsifiers and preservatives, hexane and other solvents, bleach, artificial flavours, and sterols (added to lower cholesterol, but have been shown to inhibit sexual function). They also contain mono-and di-glycerides, which contain trans fats that don’t have to be declared on the label, and are used liberally in the spreads that are classified as ‘low-trans’.
But wait? Surely we would see all that stuff on the label? Not so. A lot of it doesn’t have to be on the label because it is part of the manufacturing process, not an ingredient.
The margarine companies and conventional health organisations like to tell us that margarine is very natural and isn’t processed any more than butter. One health organisation says, ‘Just as milk is taken from the cow to make butter, oil is extracted from plant seeds to make margarine.’ This statement is blatantly false, and anyone who has ever worked in a plant processing oils into margarine could attest to that.
One of the popular brands is ‘proud’ to show their ingredients:
- Seed oils
- Water
- Salt
- Milk
- Less than 1% preservatives
- Less than 0.5% colour and flavour
The ingredients are advertised with a rosy picture to make it look all pretty and natural. Even though it is a pretty picture, they have admitted to adding the preservatives, colours and flavours. And the seed oils have gone through the process I described above; all the nasties used to process the oils don’t need to be on the label—remember they are part of the process, not ingredients.
How does that sound? And this is the healthy alternative to protect us from heart disease? And, the ironic thing is, research shows that one of the biggest side effects to consuming these rancid, toxic, damaged fats is heart disease.
Butter has been falsely accused and replaced by the very substance that does contribute to heart disease. Actually, that pretty much sums up conventional ‘heart healthy’ advice. If we do the opposite of just about everything we are told, we may get it right. One day people will look back at the history books and shake their heads in disbelief.
And it gets worse. Not only does the research show that these damaged fats increase risk for heart disease, they also increase risk for cancer, bone issues, hormonal problems, skin disease, infertility, problems with pregnancy and lactation, low birth weight, growth problems, learning disabilities and disruption of satiety signals (causing people to overeat). In addition, they have been proven to cause weight gain and damage our immune system.
These toxic oils can also contribute to skin cancer. It seems logical that the sun would be the cause of any skin cancer, but trans fats can interfere with the enzyme system that helps our body to repair damage from ultraviolet light, to detoxify and to eliminate carcinogens. And, most of us are now vitamin D deficient because we now fear the sun; the ironic thing here is that studies show that the vitamin D produced by sunlight protects us against skin cancer. I write a lot more about this in The Fat Revolution.
These damaged fats aren’t just in margarine; they are in a whole host of processed food products because they are cheap. They are normally identified on the label as hydrogenated vegetable oil, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil/fat.
Because margarines and spreads are SO damaging, and have been directly linked to serious health problems like heart disease, cancer and much more, I believe that those who continue to assert that margarine is a healthier choice could be putting themselves at risk for future litigation. Especially since we have known, without a doubt, about the damaging side effects since the 1980s, and have chosen to completely ignore the evidence.
Bots. D.M.L. and Katan, M.B. (2001). ‘Replacement of dietary saturated fatty acids by trans fatty acids lowers serum HDL cholesterol and impairs endothelial function in healthy men and women.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 21(7) pp1233–7.
Enig, M. (2012). ‘A Response to the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers.’ Available at: https://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/margarine-manufactures Accessed January 2012.
Gillman, M.W. et al. (1997). ‘Margarine intake and subsequent coronary heart disease in men.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 8(2) pp144–9.
Griguol Chulich, V.I., León-Camacho, M. and Vicario Romero, I.M. (2005). ‘Margarine’s trans-fatty acid composition: modifications during the last decades and new trends’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 55(4) pp367–73.
Karbowska, J. and Kochan, Z. (2011). ‘Trans-fatty acids–effects on coronary heart disease.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 31(181) pp56–9.
Kummerow, F.A. (2009). ‘The negative effects of hydrogenated trans fats and what to do about them.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 205(2):458–65.
Mozaffarian, D. et al. (2007). ‘Consumption of trans fats and estimated effects on coronary heart disease in Iran.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 61(8) pp1004–10.
Stop Trans Fats (2007). ‘Join the campaign to Stop Trans Fats!’ Available at: https://www.stop-trans-fat.com Accessed January 2012.
Tavani, A., Negri, E., D’Avanzo, B. and La Vecchia, C. (1997). ‘Margarine intake and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction in Italian women.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 51(1) pp30–2.
Willett, W.C. et al. (1993). ‘Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 6:341(8845) pp581–5.
Yanagi, S., Yamashita, M., Ogoshi, K. and Imai, S. (1994). ‘Comparative effects of milk, yogurt, butter, and margarine on mammary tumorigenesis induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in rats.’ National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 18(6) pp415–20.
Sep 15, 2011 | The Fat Revolution
Why a revolution?
Diet and Fat: The Biggest Health Blunder in History!
…the biggest con in history….the biggest lie in history… and the biggest mistake in history…
And, it makes us fat. It makes us sick. It dulls our children’s intelligence. In 50 years, we will look back and wonder what in the world we were thinking. Now is a crucial time to expose the truth. I think we all know deep down that something is wrong, even if we don’t quite know what it is.
I want people to know the facts so they can make informed decisions. Much to my publicist’s dismay, I often refer to other authors and books, like Gary Taubes or Professor Noakes. I also make sure my books are stocked in libraries. That’s because I don’t care where people get the information; I just want them to have it. I want this food craziness to stop. I want people to know there is an easier way.
Why do I care so much? Why do I put my time and energy into this movement?
Because I’m tired of watching the MAJORITY of women (and a lot of men) struggle with weight, eating the wrong foods. When I know we are all being fattened like livestock. How do they fatten livestock? With loads of fatty foods? No! With grain. We have the wrong information and it means we are always fighting a losing battle.
Because I’m tired of watching people diagnosed with heart disease receive advice that could do more harm than good. Many of our loved ones are dying because of misinformation. Isn’t this worth an investigation?
Because I’m tired of watching people suffer from man-made disease, chronic illnesses that are completely preventable. In Australia, 1 in 2 will get cancer, 1 in 4 currently has diabetes, and someone dies from heart disease every 10 minutes. Not to mention all the other man-made ailments cropping up like sports injuries (from connective tissue breakdown), chronic fatigue, and auto-immune diseases just to name a few. This is crazy. Is current dietary advice working? Despite medical advances, disease is growing at an alarming rate.
Because I’m tired of watching children’s natural brilliance dimmed. Even 10 years ago, a much smaller percentage of children suffered from learning disabilities, behaviour issues, and other problems. Today, en masse, children struggle with gross motor skill, focus, and energy. And, I’m just going to say it; IQ is often a fraction of what it could be. And, we now have the first generation expected to die before their parents. That means, 5 to 10 years before we die, we have to watch our children die?
Our looks are changing too! Our natural human blueprint is beautiful (we are all meant to be attractive). Because of major changes in western nutrition, our faces are changing. Foreheads protrude, eyes develop closer together, teeth are crooked (yes, because of nutrition), jaws protrude, etc. Adele Davis, a nutrition writer back in the 50s was the first to recognise this problem, and it isn’t getting any better. Our children should be a picture of health, but many don’t look well, and most seem to have blue circles under their eyes. The answer may be simple.
What’s the problem? We all are misinformed. In many cases, it’s simply a matter of mistaken consensus. We’ve all been told fat makes us fat. We’ve all been told that fat causes heart disease and stroke. What if this theory was never based on fact, but has been accepted because it’s the consensus of the majority? What if, like Gary Taubes says, “it has all been a big fat lie?”
How did this happen?
Humans have been eating fat for thousands of years, prior to it becoming taboo in the 1950s. In the 1800s, we ate plenty of fat, and heart disease was practically non-existent; the first documented case of a heart attack was in 1926. And this was after a massive change in diet (in the late 1800s, we started producing convenience food (breakfast cereal was first) and massively increased our sugar consumption.
The history of the biggest health mistake
By the 1950s, heart disease was an epidemic. In 1953, Ancel Keys came up with a theory that saturated fat intake increased risk for heart disease. His theory was never proven (with a complete, scientific study), but it started a snowball, and became the newest big thing. Documentation has shown since that Harvard Scientists were paid by the sugar industry to take the blame away from sugar and place it onto fat. There were actually many scientists at the time who disagreed, but as the idea gained more and more momentum, and was taken on board by government; those who opposed were disregarded.
We now have loads of evidence discrediting the theory, however, it’s very slow for people to take it on. I’m sure nobody wants to admit to such a blunder. It’s so ingrained in our society; it would take a lot of guts to say, ‘Hey, we were wrong; let’s change our entire diet.’
In fact, many studies have been conducted over the years that show that saturated fat isn’t the culprit behind heart disease, but the results have been swept under the rug. The Minnesota Coronary Study was done as early as 1972 and showed that people on a cholesterol-lowering diet had significantly greater mortality than those on a regular diet. Did we hear about it? No. The results were finally published in 1989. 17 years later! When lead investigator Ivan Frantz Jr was asked why the results weren’t published, his response was “We didn’t like the results.” Ancel Keys was a collaborator for the study.
In 1988, the surgeon general’s office (responsible for health mandates in the U.S.) decided to gather all the evidence linking saturated fat to heart disease, to prove the low-fat theory once and for all (probably to quieten people like me). In 1999, after 11 years of research, they were unable to prove it, and killed the project.
No report was ever released, but I spoke to Gary Taubes personally, who interviewed the responsible parties. The comment from Bill Harlan was “The report was initiated with a preconceived opinion of the conclusions, but the science behind those opinions was clearly not holding up. Clearly the thoughts of yesterday were not going to serve us very well.” In other words, the entire idea that fat caused heart disease was flawed, and in fact, completely incorrect.
Another recent study, published in 2010, was done at the Oakland Research Institute in California. The researchers pooled the data from 21 studies, including 348,000 subjects, and found no difference in the risks of heart disease and stroke between people with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated fat.
Sixty years later and there is STILL NO evidence supporting the original theory presented by Ancel Keys, and loads of evidence telling us it is wrong. But, because it is so ingrained, many people don’t even want to consider it.
Many well-known doctors, naturopaths, and nutritionists are now re-educating people that fat never was the issue, and is actually an essential nutrient. Like I said before, studies show the real culprit behind heart disease is sugar, and anything that turns to sugar in our blood (excess carbohydrates, like grain).
We must get over this crazy idea that fat is bad for us
Saturated fat is healthy and a natural part of our diet. In addition to other fats, our family eats over 2 kilos of butter per week, and we are all fit and healthy. At 41, people often ask me for my secrets. Eating fat is one of them. When we remove it from our diet, we get fat, we get sick, and we age much faster than we should.
And, we don’t have to exercise hard to burn it off. I love exercise, but when it comes to weight loss, it is completely unnecessary! For those who think you have to work hard to get results, think again. It is mostly about the food we eat, not how much we do. When we constantly fatten ourselves with grains and sugars, then weight loss is hard. The secret to weight loss is definitely in the fridge, not the gym.
Aug 9, 2011 | The Fat Revolution
It is becoming well known that sugar is damaging to our health. And, the danger of fructose is also now on people’s radar, which is great news for our health and wellbeing. Fructose in itself is not unhealthy (it is naturally occurring in fruits). The fructose overload in our western diets is the problem.
We all naturally seek out sweet food, and there is still a lot of confusion about which alternatives are healthiest. And, there is also a lot of misinformation, which I would like to clear up to make it easier.
I find the easiest way to achieve vibrant health and wellbeing is to emulate our hunter-gatherer ancestors. If a food can be grown, and was naturally accessed (albeit irregularly in the case of sweets), then I consider it a healthy alternative. But, here is some specific information to help navigate the maze of choice.
Stevia
I sometimes see stevia listed with artificial sweeteners, but it is actually very natural. It is a small green herb, and its leaves are 1,000 times sweeter than sugar. If you can find a plant (try an organic nursery), you can grow it in the back yard, and grind the leaves in a mortar and pestle. It doesn’t spike blood sugar and has no fructose, so it is my favourite sweetener. However, you do need to be careful to avoid stevia-based sweeteners that have been mixed with other ingredients (usually sugar alcohols). Use a pure, natural stevia. My favourite brand is Nirvana.
Some people insist that stevia has a bitter aftertaste, but if you use a quality brand, it just tastes sweet; no aftertaste. It can, however, start tasting artificial if you use too much. It comes in a powder, drops, or tablets (easy to add to hot drinks); my preferred form is the extract powder. Nirvana comes with a tiny scoop that is equivalent to 1 tsp of sugar, so it makes it easier to measure. ½ a tsp is equivalent to 1 cup of sugar.
Raw Honey
Honey is starting to get a bad rap now that everyone is more aware of the dangers of fructose. However, there are a few facts about honey that many people aren’t aware of. Even though it is quite high in fructose (around 50%), raw honey contains compounds that reduce the insulin response, so the fructose doesn’t have the same impact. Studies also show that raw honey stabilises blood sugar levels.
In addition, raw honey is full of antioxidants, and is also loaded with minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins. Raw honey also contains nutraceuticals, which are nutrients found to neutralise free radicals and improve the immune system. It is a wholesome food that has been eaten for centuries, before we started loading our diets with sugar.
Having said all that, because raw honey is a natural sugar, its use does need to be limited. If there is any insulin resistance, I recommend avoiding and being strict keto (use the Easy Keto Cookbook).
For people who don’t need to be as strict with carbohydrate, I recommend no more than 1 tsp in a day, which equates to about 4 g of fructose. When I use raw honey in a recipe, I use one or two tablespoons in the entire recipe, which means each serve contains less than a tsp of honey. If you see a recipe asking for 1 cup of honey, consider using stevia instead. Keep in mind that once you are sugar-free, your taste buds will change, and you will no longer want your desserts to be super sweet.
Notice that I keep saying ‘raw honey’. Commercial honey has been super-heated, and no longer contains any beneficial compounds, and you may as well be consuming high fructose corn syrup. Honey also becomes toxic when overheated.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is also around 50% fructose. I won’t get too technical here, but the monosaccharide fructose form of fructose (the type in high fructose corn syrup) is the most harmful. Raw honey has around 42g of monosaccharide fructose per 100g, while maple syrup only has around 4g per 100g, so it is very low in the dangerous kind of fructose. However, while we know that raw honey is beneficial to health, and has properties mitigating its high fructose content, maple syrup isn’t generally a whole food because it needs to be boiled extensively to reduce the maple tree sap into thick syrup. As a result, its nutritious value and enzymes are usually destroyed. It would be lovely to think the syrup simply pours out of the tree, but that generally isn’t the case.
Agave Syrup
The blue agave plant is a succulent, traditionally grown in Mexico, but also found the U.S. and South America, and is the source for Tequila.
Agave syrup has been marketed as a healthy alternative to sugar, and many raw desserts sold in health food shops are loaded with it. It is advertised as healthy because of the Glycemic Index. The GI measures the glycemic response in the body, and ‘low GI’ foods have been deemed healthier by many health professionals. Using GI does actually work in a lot of cases, but there was one huge problem with the entire theory. Fructose has a very low GI, and we now know that high levels of fructose cause major health issues.
Even though agave syrup is ‘low GI’, it is 90% fructose, so is actually quite unhealthy. In addition, it is not a natural, whole food with enzymes. The agave syrup is not made from the sap, but from the bulb. Heat and chemicals are used to convert the bulb into syrup. Some syrups are processed under 50°C, so are marketed as ‘raw’, but they are generally not raw or wholesome.
In addition, natural enzymes are physically removed to prevent the mixture from fermenting (and becoming tequila). Once agave syrup is processed, it becomes a condensed fructose-syrup, with no nutritional value; far higher in fructose than any other commercial sweetener, including sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Sugar Alcohols
The term ‘sugar alcohol’ sounds pretty natural, but the name comes from the chemical structure, which is similar to sugar and alcohol. Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates; some are extracted from plants, but most are manufactured from sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols are popular because they have half the calories of sugar. I personally don’t believe calories have anything to do with maintaining a healthy weight, but the reason they have less calories is because the body doesn’t absorb them. As a result of the malabsorption, they often cause bloating, gas, and diarrhoea. The common sugar alcohols are:
- Erythritol
- Isomalt
- Lactitol
- Maltitol
- Mannitol
- Sorbitol
- Xylitol
Are they natural? Sugar alcohols do occur in nature in tiny amounts. But we can’t go out into nature to collect sugar alcohols to use as a sweetener. They are manufactured products, and I recommend avoiding them. Xylitol will also kill a dog if it accidentally ingests something made with xylitol and isn’t treated quickly.
Dextrose
Dextrose (the commercial form of glucose) is now quite commonly being used as a sugar alternative. Extensive research has shown that fructose is the more dangerous part of any sugar.
However, that being said, glucose is still an issue for many people, especially now that more and more people are becoming insulin resistant (many people who have insulin resistance are unaware they have it, and it is the number one reason why people fail to lose weight initially on LCHF or keto).
Also, dextrose is not a whole food. It is generally made from highly processed corn, sugar cane or sugar beets.
Artificial Sweeteners
There is much evidence out there showing detrimental effects of artificial sweeteners, so I will just give you a brief synopsis. There are over 10,000 documented reports of reactions to artificial sweeteners. Aspartame and sucralose have been shown to cause bloating, depression, migraines, anaemia, kidney dysfunction, and more. They also can harm healthy gut bacteria. Aspartame is also an excitotoxin, which can cause overactive brain cells, which can damage the cells. The ester bond in aspartame is broken down into formaldehyde and methanol, toxic substances that have been shown to increase risk for cancer. Again, to achieve optimal health and weight, it is better to look for something naturally occurring in the environment. In addition, one of the documented side effects of artificial sweeteners is hunger and weight gain!
The Best Alternatives
My favourites are stevia and small amounts of raw honey. If nothing else, it does make it simple.
Note: If you want to go keto, avoid raw honey.
Jun 6, 2011 | The Fat Revolution
A new study (2011) shows just how much poor nutrition choices can impact your child’s IQ. The study showed that children who ate mostly processed food when they were younger had lower IQ scores as they got older. The more processed food they ate, the lower the IQ score.
The opposite was also true. The healthier the diet, the higher the IQ.
The study also showed that feeding children poorly when they are younger increases the likelihood that they continue to make poor food choices as they grow up, and will continue eating food with little or no nutritional value.
Woodland Hall Academy in the U.S. has also done research showing that the intake of sugar lowered IQ for a few days. One boy was tested at 140, but later tested at 100, which is a dramatic reduction. The day he tested 100, he had a visit from Grandma, who made him pancakes with sugary syrup. Three days later, he tested at 140 again.
I believe that children who are eating sugar every day, are working at a distinct disadvantage, because their IQ could be permanently lowered. I also believe we can almost certainly boost our children’s energy, gross motor development, concentration, focus, and their intelligence by feeding them well.
And we don’t need to deprive them to do it. We can offer them healthy alternatives to all their favourite sweets, desserts, and snacks, including cupcakes, muffins, chocolate mousse, chocolate, cake, ice cream, and more.
And, kids love the food. They usually don’t even realise it is healthy.
The above picture is from The Fat Revolution Cookbook, which is a LCHF (low carb, high fat) cookbook, perfect for families and for those who don’t need to be super low in carbs. If you are looking for strict keto recipes (no root vegetables, fruit, nuts etc), use the Easy Keto Cookbook.
Apr 23, 2011 | The Fat Revolution
While it is true that many people aren’t moving enough, and a sedentary lifestyle isn’t recommended, those who are moving are often working too hard. We were designed to have balance. Our ancestors were active and moved regularly; however, much of their movement was slow, unless they happened to be chasing prey.
Life was slow-paced for our ancestors. There was no TV or other electronic devices, no jobs to rush off to, no commuting, and no fast-paced exercise classes. If you think about what a person would have witnessed during his or her day of work back then, they could have easily described every detail of their day within a few minutes. If you compare that to the life we live today with the hundreds of events we experience in a day, it is a very different lifestyle.
The best way to describe natural balance is with the eastern philosophy of Yin and Yang. Yin helps us build energy (recharge our energy stores). Yang is a strong output of energy. We are designed to have an equal balance of both, but these days, many people have a strong domination of yang.
Examples of yin activities include:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Meditation
- Slow breathing
- Resting
- Massage
- Internal martial arts like Tai Qi or Qi Gong
- Stretching
Examples of yang activities include:
- Running
- Cycling
- Fast-paced exercise classes like RPM, Body combat, aerobics, or zumba
- External martial arts like Tae Kwon Do, Karate, or Kung Ku
- Rushing in the mornings
- Rushing throughout the day
- Stress
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Fast-paced jobs
- Eating food on the run
- Mind-chatter (thinking about what you need to do, when, and what could go wrong, and what did go wrong, and who really pissed you off, etc)
As you can see, most people are too yang. Does it matter? Yes. Too much yang energy means we are likely too much on the go and we could be burning out our adrenal glands. It is like using a battery over and over again, without recharging it. Eventually, it runs low, and is trying to power something with very little energy. And then, it runs out completely. We need to re-charge, just like a battery, so that we can keep living with energy and vitality. Most people don’t realise just how burnt out they are, and just how hard their adrenals are overworked. This can cause many issues later in life. One obvious symptom is chronic fatigue, but there are many others, including hormone imbalance. Women make the appropriate level of hormones to help them function well, and once their own natural hormones decrease, the adrenals kick in and take over hormone production. What happens if you have burnt out adrenals? Peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms can be a lot more uncomfortable if we no longer have adequate hormone production. Some of the major symptoms of hormone imbalance during this crucial time are depression, complete lack of energy, and no lustre for life. What an awful way to go through your prime years; your 40’s and beyond.
What is the answer? There is nothing wrong with yang exercise, and in fact, it is meant to be part of our lives. But we do need a balance, and time to recharge. Replacing some of our yang activities with some yin activities is a great start. The best way to do that is to eliminate stress, and rushing around. We can still achieve an enormous amount, and in fact, often a lot more, if we are calm, and move slowly through life. Regular meditation is a great way to slow down. As you move through the day, become more conscious of what you are doing moment to moment, and enjoy it; stop thinking about what happened previously and what will happen. Then some yang exercise is a great way to release energy, emotion, and get fit.
We don’t need to exercise hard and make it a slog to get fit. For example, I like doing weights to keep my bones strong and maintain my muscle mass as I get older. But, I do them slightly differently than most people. I used to train twice a week, but now I only lift weights once a week to maintain my strength. I know many people who train 5 or 6 days in the gym, and we are fairly comparable in how we look, even though, I am in the gym only a fraction of the time. That being said, being keto helps me burn more fat and build more muscle, so that is a definite advantage.
The other thing to remember is that while exercise is healthy, it can be counter-productive if we are not well. Once we change our diet and start feeling better, then exercise is a fantastic addition to a healthy lifestyle.
Apr 17, 2011 | The Fat Revolution
Do you think cholesterol is bad for you? Do you carefully watch your fat intake? Especially saturated fat? Understandable because that is what we have all been told. But the latest research shows that the world’s most hated substance is actually good for you.
Don’t take my word for it. Here are some of the experts who kindly granted me permission to reprint their quotes in The Fat Revolution Cookbook:
The much-maligned saturated fats—which Americans are trying to avoid—are not the cause of modern diseases. If they were, and if the saturated fat or cholesterol myth were true, none of us would be alive today because saturated fat was the primary energy source for most of our ancestors. Studies of North American Indians, Eskimos, and other tribes suggest that as much as 80% of their daily caloric intake was from fat, most of which was saturated animal fat. Paul Chek, How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy!
So what is it about [saturated fat] that is so deadly? Frankly, I’m the wrong person to ask, because I don’t happen to think that saturated fats are in any way damaging or dangerous. If they were, they wouldn’t taste so damn delicious. Nature tends to warn us off dangerous foods by making them taste bitter or icky. Or giving them a bright-red colour. Dr Malcolm Kendrick, The Great Cholesterol Con
Based on information [supplied by the mainstream health industry], most people naturally think of cholesterol as something damaging, something to be avoided. But cholesterol is absolutely essential for life. It is not some alien chemical that we can remove from our diets, or our bodies…I sometimes remark to those who think my ideas on heart disease are entirely batty, “Why do you think that an egg yolk is full of cholesterol?” Because it takes one hell of a lot of cholesterol to build a healthy chicken. It also takes a hell of a lot of cholesterol to build, and maintain, a healthy human being. In fact, cholesterol is so vital that all cells, apart from neurones, can manufacture cholesterol, and one of the key functions of the liver is to synthesize cholesterol. We also have an entire transportation system dedicated to moving cholesterol around the body. Dr Malcolm Kendrick, The Great Cholesterol Con
It is nigh impossible to eat enough cholesterol to meet your daily cholesterol needs. In order to meet this gap, the liver has to produce four or five times as much cholesterol as you ingest. In fact, you would need to eat about six to eight egg yolks each and every day to meet your daily requirement. As most of us never do that, the liver fills the gap. Dr Malcolm Kendrick, The Great Cholesterol Con
Fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in the diet; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats, as part of a meal, slow down nutrient absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Dietary fats are needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes…Most people, especially infants and growing children, benefit from more fat in the diet rather than less. But the fats we eat must be chosen with care. Avoid all newfangled hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated oils. Instead, use traditional vegetable oils like extra-virgin olive oil. Acquaint yourself with the merits of coconut oil for baking and with animal fats for occasional frying. Eat egg yolks and other animal fats with the proteins to which they are attached. And, finally, use as much good quality butter as you like, with the happy assurance that it is a wholesome—indeed, an essential—food for you and your whole family. Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions
And here is one of my quotes:
One of the best-kept secrets for radiant skin is eating fat. That’s right. One of the most hated substances actually keeps us looking younger, and helps us feel energised. Fats provide energy and are essential for cell rejuvenation and hormone production. They also help us assimilate vitamins A, D, E, and K, so serving vegetables with butter is a perfect combination. Fat is also essential in converting carotene to vitamin A, and is vital for many other processes within a healthy body.
