A whole section dedicated to diet books telling you exactly what to eat to get shredded, lose 10 lbs in 10 days!, and become healthier. Why are we still relatively unhealthy and overweight? (mostly, because a lot of books are based on fads, and there is no one-size fits-all diet).

Do you have celiac disease? peanut allergy? lactose intolerance? kidney disease? glycogen storage disease? a competitive athlete? etc, etc, etc.
If YES, then you probably need very specific dietary instructions. For those instructions, you should seek specific attention from an expert who deals in that area (or click the contact link at the top of the page for my help).

Otherwise, the collective whole who generally do not have specific dietary needs can probably be given a set of guidelines to live by when shopping, purchasing, and eating food and drink. I aim to shed some light on my take of just what those "guidelines" to go by are. This is only my expert opinion, and I am sure others, both expert and non-expert, will agree and disagree with some, none, or maybe all of it. Oh well...they are entitled to their opinion, which is exactly why I write this.

#1 Rule: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (Exclusively)...and you will likely become healthy/healthier. Likely this consists of the produce, bakery, meat, seafood, egg/dairy, and deli sections. There are of course choices to go for organic, free-range, grass-fed, pasture raised, etc., but that discussion is for another time. I do advocate to shop ethically humane first, and locally second, with organic and the other stuff next. Regardless, the concept of eating whole, unprocessed foods is paramount to a simple and practical diet that will likely embody positive health.
(Of course, there are the frozen veggies, the herbs, spices, sauces that would also be included; the easiest way to tell is the list of ingredients should be ~1,2, or 3 ingredients long. These definitely can have a place in your kitchen. The general rest   include your pasta, rice, beans and other "complex type carb". I suggest them to make up a small side of your plate, if they are on your plate at all (this depends on your "carb tolerance, current health status, and desired outcome goals). All the other stuff is likely processed sugary and fatty combo food like products. Stick to the perimeter.

If you say, Dr. D., I work like crazy, hate/can't cook, and eat out almost all of the time.
Simple...you probably eat at the same or similar eating establishment most of the time. Find out what healthy choices are available and choose them when you go there. Healthy eating habits are hard to break too. If you do randomly go to eat somewhere else, then that would be the equivalent of eating out for you, so you might say to yourself "I can get whatever I am in the mood for because I rarely come here". If there are no healthy choices at your daily eatery....than change your daily eatery! On top of that you can try to pack some snacks that are simple and found in the perimeter (veggies, fruits, nuts, plain yogurt, etc.)

#2 Rule: Don't have cheat days. The last time I checked, the term cheat refers to a negative connotation and is essentially bad. Why would you want to enjoy cheating. I love homemade chocolate chip cookies, but when I eat one I do not say "oh, its alright..today is my cheat day". Bollucks. You are supposed to enjoy that food and because I rarely get to enjoy a homemade chocolate chip cookie I am not that worried about it's impact on my OVERALL health (To understand more of my take on this topic, please read the last blog on Easter Candy)

#3: Consistency: Understanding that things happen and things change on a day-to-day basis is important. The concept of a "detour" is something that deviates from the original path, but still brings you back toward it. That is what eating out, getting a certain dessert you absolutely love, or changing where you eat on a random day is all about. Don't let it re-route your entire path or change your destination, but merely be a detour that is still part of your healthy dietary path. Remember, we are looking to establish lifestyle habits. You know, one's you'll have for life.

#4: Eat a little bit slower. I won't go into this in detail, but a lot of the literature tells us that it does take some time (~20 min) for hormones, receptors, etc. to signal that you have filled the nutrient quota for the moment. 

#5: Sit down and try to eat with people (for meals that is). Food is a great social network, plus a great "bonding" practice.

#6: Keep it simple, stupid: Hey, if you see a recipe on a cooking show that is fancy and you want to try and make it...have at it Haus. But on a daily basis (I) do not try and make elaborate and complex meals with a wide variety of ingredients. I typically eat very simple, and so does my family. If I want those bacon wrapped scallops that have been pan seared to perfection and combined with asparagus and topped with a Hollandaise sauce that is just heavenly...I will go to a nice/specific restaurant, with a chef who has essentially dedicated their life to making this meal absolutely perfect, and enjoy the heck out of it there.

Now when it comes to the proportions of what you should eat, I am slowly forming strong opinions about this. I am slightly biased, because my postdoctoral training is in a lab that studies low carbohydrate dieting and also, my eyes have been opened to the general truth behind carbs and fats.

As you can see from above, I generally recommend fruits/veggies, eggs, seafood, meat (if you consume it), dairy (same as last food). Yes, the bakery has bread, and (most likely) that bread is made fresh daily, from a few ingredients. Sure, eat some of it, but again...it is a small side or compliment to the whole of your meal. The concept behind putting a percentage or ratio to macronutrients (fat,carbs,protein) seems to be so important to people. These rules can get complicated because they have to consider the context of all the different foods you are eating. Anyway.

Without getting complicated here (as I would love to get complicated, and probably will in another post):

Eat vegetables and fruits whenever you can, as much as you want (typically more veggies than fruits...but as my good friend Dr. William Lagakos said, "Nobody gets fat from eating too many apples". 

Eat seafood: (Salmon tends to reign king, but seafood is great so just include it as much as you can). Again, EAT SEAFOOD

Eat meats/eggs: Fresh, pasture raised/grass fed, and local is what you SHOULD probably buy and what I DO recommend. Don't be afraid of the fattier cuts of meat. In fact, I support them. After all, If you buy 80% ground beef (as I just did from Trader Joes at a SUPER cheap price of $2.69/lb) per serving there are 23g of total fat, with only 9g of saturated fat....That means the rest is unsaturated fat, primarily monounsaturated?? Yes, meat has a great fatty acid ratio and one that you should generally strive to consume (again, another topic/post). If you don't eat meat (and even if you do), yes Soy is a great source of protein and has adequate amounts of leucine (a very important amino acid for protein synthesis).

Consume dairy: I shoot for plain and 2% or whole milk varieties. The "slandered" saturated fat consumed in 5-8g amounts, as is present in 2% and whole is very filling, will only help with your HDL-cholesterol, and is happily burned by your body, IF....I say, I do say IF you are not consuming a ton of carbohydrate, primarily simple based, but complex carbs as well.

Carbs: My favorite go to are beans. Use pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, yada, yada, yada as a great side to each meal.
My typical lunch is either a badass salad (with meat, cheese, olives, avocados, etc.) or a ground beef/turkey, kidney/black/cannellini bean, salsa, and spinach/greens mix. My snacks are cashews/walnuts/almonds. 

Drink: water/tea are again what you SHOULD be consuming (unless you consider some type of milk as well), with (IMO) diet soda being better than regular soda, if you actually enjoy the taste of diet soda [I do, but can't stand sweeteners in my coffee, yogurt, and even some protein powders (yet, another post talking about sweeteners and sugar)]. I'm totally down with coffee, but avoid the coffee "drinks" that contain a ton of sugar. Alcohol tends to be very beneficial when consumed in moderation (1-2 drinks every day/other day). 

In the end, I could write a whole book on this topic alone, especially with the details that would make up several other blogposts (and in fact I am writing such book).
Anyway, most people probably know what to eat (in general) and what to avoid (in general), but rarely follow what they know and believe to be healthy. Who knows why...will power might play a part of this. So easier instructions....follow RULE #1.

Each person is different, and individualized diets are the way of the future....but for now, I hope some of these tips can at least help guide you to making healthier choices. 

This specific post is not intended, nor claiming, to be a cure for health or obesity, but rather a set of guidelines that I believe to be easy to follow, and in favor of promoting health and weight maintenance.

-Pd

Wikipedia has almost 100 different diets listed.

If you polled the average person, they will tell you whatever they want, but are they deep down thinking "My ideal diet is one in which I get to eat pretty much exactly the same way as I do now, but with fat loss". Whether or not you are thinking this will result in the same conclusion...Ain't gonna happen. The concept of a diet is CHANGE. If you voted for Obama, that was his campaign slogan, but are you asking him to make things better for this country, but without impacting your everyday life...so make changes in your life by not changing your life. That my friends is a paradox.

As mentioned above, Wikipedia has close to 100 different diets listed, so do you think that the next diet that hits the book shelf is the Lord of All Diets? (hint: the answer is No). Most diets will probably cause you to lose weight, if you stick to them long enough, but that does not mean they will all affect your health the same. Most people will try a diet out, see some benefit or not see some benefit, and then go back to their typical daily routine. 

There are 2 general replies to the question, "Why are you going on a diet?" 1) to get rid of some extra weight, aka fat 2) to be healthier or improve my health

The theme if this blog will include both of those statements but will try to convince you why they are not always the same thing and how the diet or foods you eat will impact your health differently. It is in the view of health that all Calories are not equal. That specific discussion is for another blog post...or several. For now, let's focus on the concept of dieting and what I have to say on the matter. 

People focus on the wrong thing and what is worse is that they know they are not doing what they think they should be doing and what the right thing to do is. (that is a tongue twister of a sentence). Take The Master Cleanse "juice fast". People do it wanting it to detoxify their body and get rid of excess fat (not all fat, but just the excess ;) All that cayenne pepper isn't removing fat from your body or detoxifying it...the extreme lack of Calories, removal of processed food, cigarettes, and whatever other crap you probably were eating is what caused weight loss and saw any shred of detoxification of your body.(But cayenne pepper boosts metabolism and burns fat...so does chewing gum, but we don't run around telling people to chew gum for fat loss...sadly, there was a gum chewing study that actually used money to provide a result which I just took 10 seconds to give....gum chewing doesn't cause weight loss! They even showed that a printout with good nutrition didn't even result in weight loss over 8 weeks.) Overall foolishness, and not the kind of message I want to promote here. Yet, there are 21,000 facebook likes on the Master Cleanse web page. Why do people do these type of things? I don't really have an answer, but I think it might be some sort of false hope..or a fad gone viral. By wanting to have a transformation of your body and your health you graciously accept fads that will definitely cause a substantial change to your body, but not an improvement in your health (the diet includes laxatives people...laxatives), and will not cause a substantial change to your everyday lifestyle. Make no mistake, you will gain that weight back, so why do you have to go through all the misery of failure, when all it takes is pointing yourself in the right direction and just keep on keeping on. As the famous quote by Lucius Annaeus Seneca states, "No man has ever become wise by chance", so too is health not achieved by chance. It takes time and effort, and for some people more effort than others. This is what people refer to when they try and get you to make "lifestyle" changes. These tend to stick and should make you much happier and consistently healthy in the long run. 

Quit the fad diets, assess your daily diet, and address your problems. I am sure you know what they are or can easily figure it out if you simply wrote things down. If you need any help, just click that contact button up at the top of the page. I promote health through getting you to change your lifestyle and habits through consistent behavior and both dietary understanding and practice. 

Of all the diets and food recommendations, no one diet will rule them all (this isn't Lord of the Rings), but there will be general recommendations that have common overlaps in what will help you be healthy/healthier and what will fall under "All things Nutritious". Stay tuned for the next blog on basic guidelines of eating yourself to health.

At the end of the day, you have to want to change and have the will to do so. (Hence my Shakespeare quote on the first blog)

-Pd

The age old question in its simplest form: 1) If I overeat fat or carbohydrate do they effect changes in total fat mass differently?
2) On the flip side - Will a low or high carbohydrate diet cause different amounts of fat loss? 

The answer to both of those questions is NO. That is what good research has told us...Let me explain (regarding fat gain...fat loss will be another post).

There are many things that go into this but most studies that have properly been done, in a true controlled setting show no difference in fat mass changes whether the person was overfed or underfed with varying amounts of fat and carbohydrate.

(This post and others to come will tell you that Calories seem to determine fat mass, increased or decreased, but the type of Calories are what determine HEALTH!) Therefore, fat mass does not always determine health.

Example 1. (Horton, 1995;62.AJCN)

The Horton, 1995 study was incredible and showed exactly what I need to justify my answer above.

Randomized crossover design (meaning they used the same subjects for both interventions and randomized which intervention was given first).
9 lean and 7 obese men (18-46yr) completed 1 week of controlled weight maintenance (they were fed a stable diet that resulted in stable weight; ~35% Calories from fat...so normal diet). Next they added an additional 50% of extra Calories (50% more than total Calorie intake) in the form of either ALL fat or ALL carbohydrate for 14 days. On day 1, 7, and 14 they measured 24hr total energy expenditure and RQ (ratio of fat or carbohydrate being burned), which gave them total amount of fat and carbohydrate burned. After 14 days they had a 4 week washout to lower subject weight back towards starting weight (Kudos to the researchers). During week 4 of the washout they controlled the diet again to maintain weight stability. Then another 14 days of 50% extra Calories but with the opposite type used in phase 1 (if ALL fat before than ALL carb now, and vice versus). 

RESULTS: Fat mass change was the SAME no matter where the extra Calories came from. (This was seen in both lean and obese subjects!). On average the overfed Carb group gained 1.48 kg (~3.3lb) of fat mass, and the overfed Fat group gained 1.51 (~3.3lb) of fat mass. 

What happened to general metabolism?

Total daily energy expenditure INCREASED significantly more in the overfed carb group on days 7 and 14 but no in the overfed fat group. Why did energy expenditure go up in the carb group? To burn off the extra carbs of course. There was literally no change in the total carb or fat burning after overfeeding of fat (fat did go up slightly and carb down). 
If the overfed carb group was burning more total energy and the overfed fat group was eating more fat then why didn't we see a difference in total fat mass changes between the groups? Fat mass balance.

In the overfed carb group as carb burning dramatically increased, fat burning dramatically decreased! 

What does all this mean? Both trials were hypercaloric (by definition they had to be to gain weight) and regardless of the change in carbohydrate oxidation because of the difference in total fat and carb consumed there was no difference in fat mass change, because the total Calories consumed were equal.

Even though fat mass changes were equal, does this mean health outcomes were equal? NOPE.

With the very limited provided regarding any plasma variables they indicate in both lean and obese subjects the CHO overfeeding significantly increased fasting plasma insulin concentrations (LEAN- carb overfed = Day 0, 132 pmol/L; Day 15, 207 pmol/L) (LEAN-fat overfed = Day 0, 228 pmol/L; Day 15, 108 pmol/L). All of these values indicate insulin resistance, as a normal fasted insulin value is < 60 pmol/L. Either way the extra carb increased whereas the extra fat decreased insulin in Lean subjects. My thoughts are the Carb overfeeding caused so much insulin resistance that it spiked the Day 0 values for the lean men. Regardless, extra carbs caused insulin raising and  extra fat caused insulin lowering. (OBESE-carb overfed = Day 0, 199 pmol/L; Day 15, 332 pmol/L) (OBESE-fat overfed = Day 0, 172 pmol/L; Day 15, 278 pmol/L). Obese subjects had a rise in fasting insulin no matter what, probably because they were somewhat insulin resistant to begin with. This gets at the concept of "metabolic flexibility", which relates to the muscles being able to use fat when carbs are low and use carbs when carbs are high. Hint: this will also be a topic of another blog post. 

The conclusion of this study? Calories are what seem to matter when it comes to fat mass, but not necessarily with regards to carbohydrate metabolism or potentially health. While not super conclusive, with regards to differences in health it does appear that fasting insulin levels will be significantly higher after overfeeding on carbohydrate. This would suggest that if you are overeating to overeat more on fat than carbohydrate, if insulin is a major concern. 



-Pd. 


Side note: 
Not all people will gain the same amount of fat if they overeat the same Calories. Genetics (and Epigenetics) do play a role in things as does the general phenotype (characteristics and traits based on genetics PLUS environmental and behavioral differences). The type of Calories you eat may alter your propensity to gain or lose fat more or less easily, but when you do gain or lose fat it tends to be from a Calorie surplus or deficit and not the type of Calories.

See: Bouchard, 1990; 322, NEJM. (The Response to Long-Term Overfeeding in Identical Twins).