Death by the Modern Diet By Mrs Vera West
The modern Western diet is killing people, but it was not always so. Previous generations, who ate red meat, vegetables, and much less carbohydrates, did fine and did not have the metabolic diseases of modern sheeple. In fact, probably eating grass would be healthier than most of the so-called food people force down their throats!
“People are getting sicker and fatter. And according to BYU professor and metabolic scientist Benjamin Bikman, Ph.D., it's really not their fault.
From the time that the U.S. government first set dietary guidelines in 1977, the food industry has completely shifted the types of foods they produce, mostly to our overall detriment. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the weight of the average adult American has skyrocketed since that time - a weight increase of nearly 30 pounds.
"For the first time in history, we had a government telling us what to eat," said Bikman. "And our weight and health have only suffered for it."
The truth about the Standard American Diet (SAD)
For a variety of reasons, the government had been on the search for a way to "fix" diet for some time. With the support of one dubious study, they determined that the culprit was dietary fat and later introduced the infamous "food pyramid" that vilified natural healthy fats in favor of an increase in the consumption of refined unhealthy carbs. The results on the nation's health and weight couldn't have been worse.
"Of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the least necessary for the average adult and the most problematic for those struggling with metabolic problems," said Bikman. "The health and weight challenges we're seeing today are mostly because of that misguided shift in diet."
The 'fat' secret
In fact, Bikman says that increasing the consumption of healthy fats may be the most important change you can make, supporting metabolic health, brain health and more.
"Our ancestors knew that fats were the most nutrient-dense substances they could eat," said Bikman. "They provide you with needed nutrition, help you feel satisfied, curb your desire for sweets, and even help train your body to burn excess body fat."
Bikman emphasizes that not all fats are created equal. Processed seed oils from soy, corn and canola are particularly harmful, while fats from olives, coconuts, cocoa butter, ghee and more are uniquely beneficial.
"It's important to get a wide spectrum of healthy fats, from short-, medium- and long-chain sources," said Bikman. "It's not about taking a shot of MCT oil or a big pat of butter and calling it a day."
Power of protein
Bikman is also surprised at the confusion over protein. Some people advocate for very little, others consume it to excess, while others simply make poor protein choices.
"You have competing mindsets on protein, with very little legitimate science behind the arguments," said Bikman. "Protein is essential, especially as you age, but it needs to be consumed in conjunction with fat, just as is found in nature."
Bikman is equally concerned with the plant-based protein trend, which he emphasizes is not based on good science, but clever marketing.
"This isn't meant to be provocative, but unless you have a real allergy, you should NOT be consuming plant protein," said Bikman. "You get very little nutritional benefit from plant protein due to the anti-nutrients and incomplete amino acid profile, plus concentrating the incredible amount of plant matter to isolate the small amounts of protein also concentrates unhealthy levels of heavy metals, which can devastate your health."
The best types of protein, according to Bikman, are whey, egg whites and collagen. He emphasizes that those have the highest biological value, offer the most complete essential amino acid profile, and support lean and toned muscle, healthy joints, cartilage and bone health.
The essential boost to your diet
Even with all of the information that Bikman shares in his speeches and interviews, he is constantly asked by people around the world what they should do for their health.
"Ideally, we all would have the knowledge, time, discipline and budget to plan, purchase and prepare perfect meals," said Bikman. "But it simply doesn't happen; people get busy, they get stressed and they make unhealthy choices that derail their health goals."
Bikman has his own meals, but I am sure that a return to old ways of eating, whole foods, meats, vegetables, fruit, healthy fats, is the way to go. It is probably less expensive than the junk food route, anyway.
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