Why We Shouldn’t Fear Dietary Fat!
Yay — It’s above 50 degrees here on Long Island! The snow is melting, I can walk outside without being bundled up, and life is good!!
Earlier today, I did a live video for my Permanent Weight Loss Community on Facebook. Every Thursday at noon EST, I take about 30 minutes to answer the community member’s questions about all things health, fitness, nutrition, and (you guessed it!) Permanent Weight Loss! Despite an influx of new members (to join, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/pwl50plus/) this past week, this was the first time since I opened the group that I didn’t get one question. That was OK, because if you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been on a bit of a roll on my soap box lately…
This past Tuesday, I got my blood work back. Everything checked out OK by conventional means. The only things that stood out were both my LDL and Total Cholesterol levels, which you can view here:
Most cardiologists and general physicians would say that I’d need to reduce my consumption of red meat and other foods high in saturated fat. The rationale would be that my high LDL allegedly puts me at an increased risk of developing heart disease. Fortunately, I’ve done a great deal of research on this, and have found that there are two types of LDL particles: 1) A large, ‘fluffy’ type that’s not harmful, and 2) A small, dense type that can constrict your arteries and put you at this increased risk.
The non-harmful variety of LDL is often increased due to regular ingestion of saturated fat (which I do), while the harmful variety of LDL is often increased due to regular ingestion of Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, and trans fats. You know, the margarines and vegetable oils of the world that you’ll find in just about every processed food! These are the fats that, when heated during processing, can hydrogenate and become trans fat, which is very bad to consume if you want to both lose weight and prevent deadly disorders like heart disease…
If I wanted to be safe, I could get a more comprehensive blood test called an NMR Lipoprofile to determine which type of LDL is most prevalent in my blood, but I’m good! I know I’m doing the right things nutritionally, and coupled with my regular exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits, we’re in good shape ;-)
Getting back, the Dietary Guidelines here in the US are inherently DANGEROUS to human health, as evidenced by the stark increases in obesity, Type-2 Diabetes, heart disease, and various forms of cancer throughout the country. I defy you to go to a public place in this country and find a collective populace that appears to be healthy and in good physical shape!
The reasons for this are two-fold:
1) When heart disease rates skyrocketed in the 1940s, both the medical and the scientific communities vowed to find out why. Early studies showed correlations between increased corn, grain, and sugar consumption among the populace, but there was also some speculation about dietary fat. A prominent researcher by the name of Ancel Keys (founder of the Mediterranean Diet) had a theory about how eating foods high in ALL types of cholesterol and dietary fat were the culprit, and he was hellbent on proving his theory correct. This goes against the ethos of the Scientific Method, wherein you should do everything in your power to DISPROVE your hypothesis before presenting it as the law of the land.
More and more has come out in recent years in the forms of articles, books, and studies, showing that while Keys knew there were many researchers and studies worldwide that had contrary evidence to his hypothesis, he had both the financial and the governmental backing to screw his opposition out of coming to the limelight.
2) When the preliminary research back in the 1940s and 50s showed the correlations of increased corn, grain, and sugar consumption with an increased risk for heart disease, these industry lobbyists flocked to Washington to demonize dietary fat. With Keys’ hypothesis, it was a win-win for all parties involved — Minus the many millions of members of the US population that have either died or have suffered from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, neurological conditions, and stroke.
To see the video I alluded to earlier, and to hear about this in further detail, click on the video below:
Why We Shouldn’t Be Scared of Dietary Fat!
I hope this opened your eyes up a bit to not blindly believe what you hear from the government, the media, or the medical community about what does and what doesn’t promote both good health and healthy weight loss practices. Until tomorrow!
Sincerely,
Pete Weintraub
pete@weightlossbypete.com
P.S. If you’re READY to take that first step on your health and weight loss journey, and you have 50 or more lbs to lose, then let’s chat!
With 10 years of experience, SEVEN different fitness and nutrition certifications, and a sustained weight loss of 100 lbs., I think I know a thing or two about this Permanent Weight Loss thing ;-)
To set up a FREE strategy call with me, please go to www.weightlossbypete.com/strategy, and select a date and time that works for you.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT I HAVE ONLINE PROGRAMS, AND THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO LIVE CLOSE BY TO ME TO WORK WITH ME!!! I’ve worked with people of all ages all over the world, so as long as you have an internet connection, the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can do together :-)
That link again is www.weightlossbypete.com/strategy. I look forward to speaking with you soon!
