HOW TO MAKE ANY DIET HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND HEALTHY. PART 2

Red meat is also recognized as a factor that increases potential risks. We can offset them by eating enough plant foods, which will reduce the risks, but won’t eliminate them completely.

The current guidelines say that it’s safe to consume up to 700g/1.5 lb of (raw) red meat per week if we eat enough plant foods (more than 600g/1.3 lb of veggies/fruit per day). If we eat more than 1kg/2.2 lbs of red meat per day, the risks will go up even if we bump the intake of plant foods.

It’s caused by heme iron and thermal processing, which can be reduced.

Answers to most common questions:

• consumption of processed red meat always increases health risks regardless of how much plant foods we eat. It’s caused by heme iron, preservatives and long thermal processing time.
• white meat and different kinds of fish: no risks, as they don’t contain heme iron.
• processed white meat and different kinds of fish: unknown, unclear, gray area, potential risks.

The second important nutrient is polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats from fish and plant sources. It’s highly recommended to add fatty fish to your diet whenever possible.

The consumption of Omega fish oil capsules is a controversial issue: is it as effective as eating fish? Are the benefits exaggerated? Is it just a marketing trick?

I’d put it this way: if you love fish and can afford it, go for it. If not, consider fish oil capsules as a good alternative. Speaking of capsules, I continue to side with old pal Lyle’s recommendations regarding the daily allowance for EPA+DHA, which is 1.8–3g: if we sum up all studies, they’ll prove that this range is optimal. In simpler terms it means that we need to eat roughly between 400 and 700 g (14oz and 1.5 lb) of fish per week (different species, various fat content, etc.)

I bet you’ve heard the myth about the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, that claims that this balance is totally messed up nowadays, because people use lots of vegetable oils and it creates all sorts of problems. Nope, not really.

We should rather focus on boosting the intake of Omega-3 or Omega-3 rich foods. And Omega-6 fatty acids are also very good for you.

Cheap and easily available cooking oils: corn, sunflower, soybean oils have rather neutral effect. Their effect is similar to sugar: they enhance the flavor, are full of empty calories and commonly used for cooking at home and in restaurants, so it’s easy to overindulge in foods cooked with these oils, gain weight and get disappointed.

It’s a good idea to minimize their intake and use them less often: swap for oil sprays and get yourself some silicon brushes and nonstick pans.

All other plant-based fats are very healthy: nuts, olives and olive oil, avocados.

The rule of thumb for all dieters: the fat intake should be at least 15% of the total intake. Such threshold ensures enough essential fatty acids in the diet and provides enough fats to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. There is no upper threshold, but the researchers found that if the diet includes delicious and diverse foods, these numbers can go up to 30%.

CARBS

The ground rule here: don’t be afraid of them. The body will break all carbs into simple glucose and fructose and then munch on them happily. And fructose will also be converted into glucose.

When it comes to carbs, people tend to go to extremes: some avoid them at all costs because of insulin-obesity-pain-dependence-dealth. Don’t do that. The insulin model of obesity is flawed, and the glycemic index of a healthy person isn’t that important. It matters to diabetics but even in their case it’s not so much about the glycemic index but rather the glycemic load.

Meanwhile, people who know that eating carbs is totally fine, go ahead and fill up their intake with empty carbs (candy, cookies, soft drinks), which isn’t the best choice. We should use our common sense and have a good understanding of what we eat to boost health and what we eat for pleasure and keep those two nicely balanced.

The bottomline: carbs don’t kill anyone or make people obese, we just need to limit their consumption.

The fat/carb ratio mostly depends on personal preferences and health issues. Obese people (with obesity-driven insulin resistance) often react poorly to carbs, so it’s recommended to reduce their consumption and increase the fat intake. A good indicator will be the way we feel after a high-carb meal. If it brings a sudden drop in the energy levels, we should curb the carb consumption.

Athletes generally eat more carbs: the more they train, the more carbs they need to eat. The intake varies from 100g/d to cover the basic needs to 6–8g/kg/d. For competing cyclists these numbers can go up to 12 g/kg/d!

Don’t worry too much about the sources of carbs, if these carbs “go down” nicely. So, you love bread and have no side effects? Go for some bread then. If you get bloated after eating rice, drop it. By the way, the idea that carbs mean death to diabetics is wrong. Moderate consumption of whole grains and low glycemic foods together with other nutrients is very good for health and shows excellent results. But this topic calls for a separate article.

Whenever the subject of carbs comes up, people start seeing things in black and white only.

On one hand, we have some fast/simple/bad carbs with sugar at the top, and on the other hand, complex/healthy carbs, various oats, brown rice and tough, chewy bread. Actually all high-carb foods are processed to a different degree that varies from neutral (none) to healthy. But when it comes to sugar: it contains zero vitamins or minerals, boasts a certain calorific value, enhances the flavor and has no fiber in it. What about legumes or whole-grain foods? They are very satiating, full of microelements and contain fiber…

FIBER. HIGHLY UNDERESTIMATED ELEMENT

Fiber is very important for health and general wellbeing. Nutritionists insist on the 80/20 ratio between relatively “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods in a flexible diet. Dietary fiber ensures optimal functioning of the GI tract and impacts the important health aspects: composition of the colon microflora, cholesterol and bile acids excretion, lower risks of colorectal cancer.

The minimum fiber intake is 20–30g, while the optimal intake for women is 25g+ and 40g+ for men. The fiber consumption of up to 55g reduces health risks in both men and women. There are two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble with multiple subcategories in both types.

To ensure sufficient intake of fiber, the diet should include a big variety of fruit and vegetables of all colors, as well as grains, nuts and plenty of greens. Normally fiber intake goes hand in hand with consumption of microelements, that’s why I recommend eating all kinds of fruit and veggies; the more, the better! Just think of a raw foodist’s diet and… add an amazing steak to it :) and a couple of eggs. And a yogurt…

LET’S SUM IT UP

• What does a typical Western diet look like?

Excessive intake of fats and carbs + usually minimum protein intake + insufficient consumption of fiber.

And, of course, unintentional calorie surplus or deficit. Usually surplus. Excessive consumption of fatty meat (saturated fats) with insufficient intake of protein, lots of processed meat (also primarily fats + risks of cancer due to processing), low intake of fiber, because all the carbs are mostly refined. Also keep in mind low activity, smoking, alcohol and other bad habits.

This results in related health problems, deaths and shorter lifespan. A good example of countries with this type of diet would be the USA, CIS or South-Eastern Europe.

• Which diet is the healthiest one? Mediterranean.

Protein mostly comes from poultry (lean), fish (contains fat but it’s Omega-3 fats); plenty (!) of carbs but primarily whole grains, lots of plant foods (fiber), olive oil (unsaturated fats). It’s advisable to build such eating habits while sticking to your nutritional guidelines.

• What do we mean by common sense, when it comes to dieting?

When we know exactly what we are doing.

We focus on body recomposition, losing weight, gaining weight, and improving metabolism. The quality of your body is the result of your habits. We can also say the same about health. We get the most of it when we adjust our diet to our goals. To make room for our favorite foods in the recommended intake. The next step is to gradually replace the current habits with more effective ones in the long run.

• Should you steer clear of ice cream, pastries, pizzas and burgers?

Absolutely not! Firstly, they can be a nice addition to any diet. Secondly, they ensure psychological and social comfort.

If you’ve managed to build healthy eating habits, feel free to have some dessert every day. Let’s be honest and admit that only a handful of foods can be called truly evil. If you take a burger apart, you’ll end up with a decently healthy item that does have a bit of extra fat, but it all depends on how much of it dripped out onto the grill. And no need to skip bacon in a burger. Think of it as an acceptable and delicious topping.

I totally disagree with banning any foods from the meal plan (say no to dietary fascism!), but I wholeheartedly support the idea of prioritizing healthy and satiating foods (hmmm, dietary…. segregation? :). Just use your common sense.

GO FOR HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS FOODS, REMEMBER TO ENJOY YOURSELF AND AVOID EXTREMES :)