We also did a two-part series on insulin, episodes 58 and 59. If you’d rather read, I did a blog post on insulin too: http://healthymindfitbody.com/2010/12/25/does-insulin-really-deserve-a-bad-reputation/

Best wishes,
W

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/carbohydrate-hypothesis-of-obesity.html?m=1

It is a blog but it makes a good point. Not sure if I am sold either way.

I didn’t catch which ethnicity we’re talking about here, but there are plenty of Asian foods which would fit well into that dietary approach. I would recommend curries with coconut milk, lettuce wraps, stir fries with lots of vegetables and some protein, fermented foods like Kim-Chi and others.

You don’t even have to call it ‘low carb’ or ‘Paleo’. Most mothers would be thrilled if their daughter was to do a lot of their own cooking. If you stir fry some bok choy and Napa cabbage and some mushrooms and bean sprouts with some protein and add some coconut milk and spices, who’s going to object?

If you’re going to adopt a non-standard diet, you’re going to have to learn to make your own food eventually anyway, if only so you know what to order in a restaurant.

If your mom doesn’t want you to ‘diet like a Westerner’, maybe you could ask her for some tips on how to diet like an Easterner. For instance, I know of Zen Buddhists who eat all of their meals out of a single bowl, with chopsticks, and don’t get seconds. It would be hard to overload on carbs using that technique, even if the bowl was entirely filled with rice.

I’m a middle-aged American male, and I’ve lost over 50 pounds. My favorite figure-friendly fast food restaurant is Panda Express. I get a Panda Bowl, which is usually a bowl of rice with an entree on top. But I swap out the rice for steamed vegetables and it’s a very healthy, low carb, high fiber meal with just enough fat and protein to make it satisfying.

I didn’t catch what kind of food your mom is serving, but all you really have to do is swap out half the rice / noodles / other starchy carbs for a pile of vegetables and you’re good to go. If you can also manage to make a decent sauce with some coconut milk and some anti-inflammatory spices (turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili peppers), that’s a bonus. Good luck!

Erythritol is even in Organic foods and drinks, plus its naturally in: grapes, melons, mushrooms, and fermented foods such as wine, beer, cheese, and soy sauce.
(So now you’re not going to eat any of these foods or drink Wine and eat Cheese, even though both have been PROVED healthy?)

Plus it does NOT absorb into your body, you pee it out so therefore I don’t see how it would be harmful.
****FACTS: “Erythritol is classed as a sugar alcohol, but it is neither a sugar nor an alcohol. It is well absorbed in the small intestine and removed by the kidneys unchanged and is excreted in the urine.”

People going a little to nuts with being “healthy”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m eating organically and naturally, but I myself approve this Zoda (see what I did there?)

Do your research before spouting out it might not be OK for you, because it’s unfamilier with it. DUH, research it’s out there.

1. Good ol bacon & eggs.
2. Smoothie with berries, coconut milk, egg protein.
3. Take some flax seed meal, add a scoop of egg protein powder, slice a half a banana and pour some full fat coconut milk on it.

Get creative, and you can make it healthy and tasty every morning!

As you heard on our show, Kevin and I side with the evidence that Gary (et al.) has been presenting, which leads to the ineluctable conclusion that the insulin factor is what’s ~primarily~ responsible for fat accumulation and then later metabolic derangement (as we’ve also noted, more insulin secretion can lead to a host of other problems too, such as heart disease and cancer).

Circulating metabolite levels (such as your much-discussed non-esterified fatty acids) do indeed vary in the relative presence or absence of insulin. As you’ve noted, with increasing insulin resistance, more problems in this realm happen with NEFAs.

We also of course don’t believe CICO (calories in calories out) has much to do with people’s weight problems, because the hormonal effects of differing macronutrients are not being taken into account. Most people have no idea exactly how many calories they’re ingesting, let alone expending, but they can sufficiently guesstimate the amount of carbs they’re consuming–and it turns out that our food supply is loaded with them!

It’s tragic that so many people are overweight and obese, and if there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that the traditional dietary “wisdom” is not helpful for most people to achieve their ideal weight. Many things need to change, and hopefully more people will question the presumed “authorities” so that they will be more scientifically rigorous. We’re all for civil discussions of contrarian opinions, yet given the history of your disagreements with Taubes’ discussions of the insulin factor, I’m not sure we’d be able to find enough common ground to do a show justice. Thanks for the inquiry, nevertheless.

It’s the insulin RESISTANCE guys, not the insulin levels with respect to health factors. Insulin does not regulat fat mass levels, it regulates circulating metabolite levels — or tries to. Gary Taubes does not present physiology and endocrinology accurately, plain and simple. (Oh and when did Taubes go paleo?)

I would love to come on your show and discuss the science on insulin as well as the straw man arguments about CICO.

If you’re interested in a civil discussion of contrarian opinions, without the 30 bananas a day thing, feel free to email me at carbsane at gmail dot com.

In the free market of the future, your proposal for custom-tailored insurance plans would be the order of the day, at very reasonable prices. Because there will be a high demand for such plans in an economy that doesn’t coerce customers into one-size-fits-all programs (the ultimate manifestation being governmental or “single payer” so-called health care), entrepreneurs will cater to this accordingly. In the meantime, a “catastrophic” insurance plan might be most cost effective.

A helpful rule of thumb for measuring carbs is to benchmark your amount with something you know. For instance, a big apple and an orange each have around 20 grams, so a handful of berries will have maybe about half that. There are charts online to help you makes guestimates. Veggies typically have much fewer carbs, so you really don’t have to worry about overconsumption there. Here’s an example chart that contains lists of fruits and vegetables (amidst not so healthy foods): http://www.atkins-diet-advisor.com/carbohydrate-chart.html

Some places for relatively inexpensive online ordering of blood tests…
http://directlabs.com/
http://medlabusa.com/
http://personalabs.com/
http://privatemdlabs.com/
http://healthcheckusa.com/
https://results-direct.com/

Maybe there are some similar sites offering the litany of tests Down Under, though they might be slightly more expensive, or maybe they have a law against such commerce (wouldn’t put it past them). I think at a bare minimum, you’ll want to know your HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and perhaps vitamin D (25 hydroxy test), since it’s so key to long-term health and optimal immune function. The AA/EPA ratio test, measuring your “Silent Inflammation Profile” is also a good one for determining the amount of omega 3 fatty acids you should be taking.

Cheers, mate,
W

be prepared for James himself to deign you with his presence.

He will mention the phrase ‘straw man’ a lot and will micro analyse most individual sentences out of context.

Veg*ism ignores human physiology and nutritional needs, as well as being morally and politically idiotic.

Just the other day, I was approached by someone asking me to pledge to not eat meat for 30 days. I asked her what it was for, and she mentioned saving animals and helping the planet.

I believe humans were meant to eat animals, and I don’t see how a vegan diet is good for the planet, when you look at all the grains that we would need to farm in order to sustain it for billions of people.

I think it’s an interesting debate and would love to hear others chime in.

Cheers,
Kevin

I am a vegan and I have met many vegans and none of them have ever said either of those things (although ‘save the planet’ is a pretty ambiguous idea and I would say that many things help save the planet including veganism). Definitely straw-man arguments. Veganism is a doctrine of reducing animal suffering, not absolute avoidance of death of living things.

I originally found the article searching for confirmation bias in vegans, I think its sorta ironic though that you use it in terms of a vegan using confirmation bias as an argument to stop being vegan? I was looking for the opposite.

By the way I like the Paleo cookbook you sent, though I’m using it more for lunch ideas for myself. I have found that I NEED to eat low-carb lunches, otherwise I crash in the afternoons.

I guess my question to you would be why does everyone have to eat perfectly at all times? Whats wrong with trying your best most of the time but, as you yourself said “living a little” and having fun with food you know isn’t healthy on occasion? Does that really hurt your health so much?

Thanks for your comment. I’m unsure why arranging a schedule like that is stressful in itself. I prefer to exercise late in the day. Some days I may eat lunch around noon (not every day), and can’t get away until 6 to exercise. I’m not stressed out about it, it just is. In that case I see nothing wrong with grabbing a snack sometime in between, to have enough energy for a workout.

Cheers,
Kevin

Dogmatism doesn’t help.

I’d also like to react to a line in your post:

“But let’s say you eat lunch around noon most days, and let’s say that you like to exercise around 6pm.”

My response is that you shouldn’t arrange your schedule such that are in this situation. If you routinely have to supplement your busy schedule with snacks so that you are able to wedge in a workout, I’d say you are too stressed. Choosing to be overly stressed makes no difference on the deliterious effects it will have on your health. What’s more, eating more frequently has not panned out as an effective way to boost metabolism and goes against the Ayurvedic and TCM guidelines for propper eating. Stress I feel is not minutia and deserves equal attention to diet in this battle against obesity.

Cheers,
Kevin

I was watching a few seminars online that they gave and found the information to be very sensible based on evolution – as the Paleo Diet is.

I also highly recommend learning the process of nonviolent communication as devised by psychologist Marshall Rosenberg: http://cnvc.org . Another site with a wealth of resources concerning this is http://nvcworld.com

Ultimately, everyone’s needs can get met in the family, so that potential disagreements won’t become conflicts.

Let us know how it’s going, ok.
Best wishes,
W

I still think the idea of treating it as a binge day is problematic (I’ve had multiple comments from folks not happy with the swings in weight around the cheat day), both physically and psychologically. But in looking more into food reward, I think it’s possible that for some, eating off-plan food occasionally can work in terms of longer-term compliance. Perhaps it’s possible that the cheat concept can work essentially as training wheels for a time.

Re metabolism confusion, I’m not familiar with the term, but I do think there’s something to be said about using the cheat (or cheat meal) as a carb/calorie refeed strategy (see Mark’s Daily Apple).

In any event, Kev, psychologist Albert Ellis called this mental phenomenon “MUSTerbation,” also known as “tyranny of the shoulds.” Imposing emotional straight jackets on ourselves doesn’t help matters, and it’s likely contributed to the various not-so-healthy habits in the first place. Dealing with things in a self-empathetic and manageable way enables specific, life-enriching actions.

Keep spreading the anti-breakfast cereal memes, Primal Toad. :)

In any event, teas are indeed a much better way to go.

In refutation of the calorie camp’s claim that fat gain/insulin resistance is just a caloric issue, the following isocaloric studies that Atkins (and others) have referenced ought to be considered:

Young, C. M., et al. “Effect on body composition and other parameters in young men of carbohydrate level of reduction diet.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 24 (1971), pp. 290-296.

Rabast, U., et al. “Comparative studies in obese subjects fed carbohydrate-restricted and high carbohydrate 1,000 calorie formula diets.” Nutrition and Metabolism. 22 (1978), pp. 269-277.

Kasper, H. et al. “Response of body weight to a low carbohydrate, high fat diet in normal and obese subjects.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 26 (1973), pp. 197-204.

Rabast, U., et al. “Loss of weight, sodium, and water in obese persons consuming a high or low carbohydrate diet.” Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 26(6) (1981), pp. 341-349.

You’ll find that the above studies incorporate sound methods, monitoring water and electrolyte loss (and even fecal fat excretion)–things typically given as the reason for weight loss on a ketogenic diet. The high fat groups consistently lost significantly more weight than the high carb groups (p<.05 and p<.01). The two Rabast et al. studies are particularly convincing due to having 45 and 21 matched subjects strictly monitored for a full month.

Rob, perhaps you might find chocolate with a higher amount of cacao to be more fulfilling (at least 70%), as well as healthy. We certainly don’t consider consuming dark chocolate to be part of the “cheating” process. Counting calories indeed leads to being in an antagonistic relationship with food, and this can lead to various addictive behaviors, which are also tied to shame and self-blame. Btw, we’re going to be offering a new bonus to our book package that will help individuals better deal with their cravings and defeat the cheat-day process.

As far as Graham’s 80/10/10 diet goes, well, let’s just say that it doesn’t take into account a lot of scientific research (the above included) and thus we of course wouldn’t recommend eating so many carbs and so little fat. It’s possible to have one’s health markers improve by shifting from the standard American diet to this one, but it’s by no means the healthiest way to go.

Stay tuned for our new addition to our book package, which will be dealing with this issue in much more depth and offering ways to beneficially come to terms with and overcome the cheat-day mindset.

http://gettingstronger.org/2011/02/does-insulin-make-you-fat/

the calorie camp says:
positive caloric balance > obesity > insulin resistance > hyerinsulinemia

the low-carb camp says:
carbohydrates > insulin spikes > hyperinsulinemia > insulin resistance > obesity

and when you think about it’s kind of simple to test the caloric balance theory: you take thin people and you try to make them fat. High carb VS low carb, which one makes people gain fat faster? A fat gain experiment in a controlled environment would settle the calorie debate for good.

After I graduated college and stopped swimming competitively, I started running a lot more to keep my weight down. But I ran too much and incurred stress fractures in both my tibias, which sidelined me from any real exercise for 5 months.

During this time, I gained close to 20 pounds because no one every told me how to eat properly. I had always been able to eat what I wanted since I was swimming several hours everyday. Once I could start working out again, a friend and I decided to lose some weight. I started with swapping processed food for more fruits & veggies and then worked on portion control. I ended up losing about 25lbs.

Unfortunately, I have just moved to London to study and have had a hard time finding healthy food to eat on a student budget. So, I am now back to trying to incorporate more fruits & veggies.

Wes and Kevin, I would like to suggest a guest ON HMFB. Her name is Shan Larter and she is a eating disorder coach in Vancouver. You may have trouble getting hold of her, because she hasn’t posted anything on her youtube channel or her twitter since the beginning of the year, but I think she would be an excellent guest on your show. I think she is a vegetarian because I don’t think I’ve seen her eat meat on any of her videos, but she isn’t against eating meat as long as it’s grass-fed. I think the best way to contact her is through her facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/shanlarterfans?ref=ts

To borrow some P90X terminology, Cheat Day is a form of metabolism confusion. By pressing the reset button once a week, you actually enhance your body’s ability to burn fat compared to more restrictive low-carb approaches like South Beach, Atkins, etc. More importantly, it allows you to incorporate carbs back into your diet at a later date without the famine-to-feast post-diet weight gain of all those gimmicky ultra-protein diets.

For me, the Four-Hour Body isn’t even about a “diet,” but rather re-defining what I think “healthy” food actually is. Pastas, breads, starches, etc. are largely garbage that your body just doesn’t need. Calories-in/calories-out is a total BS formula, and the food pyramid is essentially crap. If you put three people on calorie-restriction diets, with one diet being fat-based, one diet being protein-based, and one diet being carb-based, the first two lose weight and see their cholesterol numbers go down, while the carb-based dieter gains weight and cholesterol. For the better part of 30 years the diet food industry has programmed us to believe that replacing fat with empty carb calories helps people lose weight. If that were the case, then the US wouldn’t have record levels of obesity and diabetes. People need to watch their blood sugar, not their calories.

Of course, eating “bad food” once in awhile is pretty harmless. It’s the mindset that counts, as you’re palpably aware. Oftentimes, “logical tools” are no match for emotions and engrained habits formulated from years ago. So, the way out is through, i.e., through those emotions and coming to terms with those non-life-enriching habits.

Since you’ve done the stems, you’re no doubt aware of the thoughts and feelings you’re having in the process of “cheating.” It’s important to identify and name those feelings in the moments that you are eating things that are not-so-healthy. Really own those feelings, and realize that they are indicators of some vital needs not being met within you. The ways you’re presently trying to meet your needs for comfort and self-appreciation, for example, have come at the expense of your overall health and a positive mindset. It might be helpful to write down what paradoxical “benefits”–the psychological payoffs–you’re getting out of your situation, as in:
The good thing about having cheat days is… (and provide 8-10 endings to this stem and the following ones)
As I imagine myself being able to use life-enriching strategies to meet ALL my needs, I feel…
As I explore my feeling of being overwhelmed in the moment on certain days…
One key way to bring my behavior under more conscious control might be to…
I am becoming aware…

Let us know how your journey is going, ok. Best wishes :)

I have your ebook and did the sentence completion. I know that a lot of my sweet cravings are emotional and stress-related, but despite being armed with the logical tools, I have not yet been able to control this behavior. I have succeeded in limiting my feelings of guilt/self-hatred, but I’m tired of it keeping me from reaching my goals. Help! I can do “sweet detoxes” and all sorts of interventions to work on physiological stuff, but I think where I really need work is the behavioral/psychological stuff. Thanks for addressing these things.

Welcome to Oz. I really enjoy your podcast but I did actually LOL in your latest when you talked about farming kangaroos. Kangaroos are totally wild and breed like rabbits in good seasons. There are more ‘roos than people in Oz and every year about 7 million are officially culled – so farming is definitely not required. The meat is great paleo food; really high in CLA and zinc. I recommend getting as much as you can while you’re here!

Well, meat is cheaper in NZ than in america and guaranteed to be grass fed throughout its life and growth hormone free. Antibiotics added only when the animal needs them. We don’t have to feel guilty about supporting wars we don’t believe in and of course theere are no ge crops grown here.

I’d reckon that roo meat was shot on the farm, eating grass (or maybe jumping the fence and high grading wheat or barley).

I live in a small village and pay NZ$400/annum at a gym with enough weights to keep competitive rugby players happy. That’s 30 hours at minimum wage.

Cheers,
Kevin

I hope that makes sense.

Cheers,
Kevin

Yeah, it’s easier to implement a quick fix in terms of losing weight, rather than a change in mindset and lifestyle. Right now, we don’t have the audiobook for sale by itself, but since you already have the ebook, you’re welcome to make a one-time donation of the balance for the package ($17), we’ll send you the audiobook and the rest!

Regarding the gym ball exercise for back, here are a couple vids that are pretty instructive, the first dealing with lower back muscles and the second dealing with upper back muscles (with weights):
http://www.ehow.com/video_2357226_working-lower-back-using-exercise.html
O’Fit Stability Ball back exercises; dumbbell Reverse flys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Bi33BGDqo

Cheers,
W

I will miss the more regular podcasts from you guys but I like to listen to each one more than once anyway to make sure I remember all the good info. I have your ebook which I keep on my iPhone but I’d like to get the audio version of it too. I don’t think you have an option for just purchasing the audiobook without the ebook combined?

I’m thinking of buying a Swiss ball/gym ball. I’ve seen the exercises you have in your ebook, do you know of any good back toning exercises I could do on one with weights or something?

Great run down! I will still be doing my own version but will surely link to this post this weekend or the next.

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Kevin

I say shame on you. Go read the book. Then write a review. You won’t be a convert (that’s your right) but several of the statements you made are directly addressed in his book.

Go read the book. And avoid becoming part of the knee jerk epidemic.

I need to get a bigger rifle. All the hares I shoot on the property go to the dogs (they love ‘em). But its a big ask for the 22 or the 12ga. to leave the farm. I’d like to bring home a deer once in my life. I do like venison.

Yeah, the grub there ain’t no picnic, that’s for sure. And I noticed that the non-chewable/digestible fare is no better…at least 250 grams of dextrose a day! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parenteral_nutrition#Total_parenteral_nutrition

Not sure about the long-term detrimental effects of consuming those particular legumes, but in the grand scheme of things, they sound like a tasty addition to your already great meal plan (our free range eggs here in Idaho are excellent–as are our elk and deer).

I rely enjoy your podcasts. Thanks very much.

I kind of like hospitals. A very capable surgeon removed some very nasty madly reproducing cells from my head and a pantheon of lovely nurses got me through the recovery and then a very amazong team of girls at the linear accelerator put me through hell in the kindest of ways. And after five years, they kicked me out of the system… hooray.

Hospital food is probably the worst part of the visit… but there is somrthing even worse… not beiling allowed to eat it. You can get fed with a noso-gastric tube and watch others eat.

But years later, its home grown organic vegies every night (fuck those paleo wimps that are too scared to eat green beans and peas!) and home killed beef, our own free range eggs and sunshine when Huey doles it out.

I rather fancy a winter in Idaho, but I don’t know what she would think.

Cheers,
Kevin

Deviled eggs and egg salad in lettuce wraps is also yummy!

I like eggs “over easy”, scrambled, in omelets, and even raw yolks only. But I only eat them two or three times a week.

Happy Holidays!
Kevin

My trick in weaning off of sugar and allowing myself an indulgence is very dark chocolate (at least 85%). If I get a sugar craving, a piece or two satisfies. It’s just sweet enough to meet the craving, but bitter enough to not cause more craving (if that makes any sense). I hope to restrict this, or even better no longer desire this treat as I expose myself to less and less sugar/carbs.

Cheating is a slippery slope and I think the only ones who can get away with it are those who have strong willpower (ironically, those with a strong will probably don’t need or want to cheat).

Again, great workout! There’s definitely a creep effect to the soreness but the appetite is immediate.

Since you’re linking out to blogs, mine is over at http://www.skylertanner.com

Best,
Skyler

Thanks for your continued work in the world of health and fitness!

Kyle

PaleoFoodList.com

It’s really good!

If you like it please share it with others.

Thanks,

Carl

I hope this helps! Good luck on your journey, let us know if you have any other questions.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/

As we’ve noted on the show before, it doesn’t matter much how your body responds to carbs in terms of fat storage or fat burning; what matters is your blood insulin levels (of which TG/HDL ratio is a surrogate marker). Dr. Sears of the Zone Diet fame noted that he too used to eat lots of breakfast cereal, such as Grape Nuts (one of my old personal favorites, btw), and he was still pretty skinny. However, he knew that he was damaging his body and was on a collision course with heart disease, among other things (I think his dad and brother had died of heart attacks in their 40s). So, he charted a new course to consume fat for energy, rather than carbs.

Regarding turkey day, it’s definitely easy to overdo it. What I’ve found helpful is to make my portions of the carb-rich foods smaller (potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberries, etc.) and get fat from the turkey (especially dark meat) and maybe some olive oil in a green salad. Even if one over-does it with pie, the next day one can get back on track. I suppose we should be thankful that Thanksgiving feasts tend to come only once a year. :)

Healthy Mind Fit Body is very informational. I enjoy listening to it. It’s good to hear the other side of the nutrition spectrum.

I definitely have a long love with carbs because I have been eating tasty breakfast cereals since I can remember. Recently, I not been eating cereal, but I still eat unnecessary carbs, like hush puppies. I do read labels and try to consume products that have lower carbs especially with lower sugar content. I usually drink water only or the occasional beer.

The Thanksgiving holiday which means lots of delicious food will be readily available. Much of it will be carb laden. Many people are going to be a constant danger zone trying to avoid eating too much. I know I will.

Of course, I’d also have to recommend people check out my own blog “Confessions of a Would Be Superman”. I try to cover fitness, nutrition and martial arts. It’s more martial arts than anything at the moment, but I’m also a Personal Trainer and paleo-plus-dairy guy myself.

Of course, I’m pretty new at blogging and wouldn’t really rate myself on the same level with the guys you mention. You have got a lot of my favorites in that list, though, so I’d like to think people who enjoy that list will also find some common ground with what I do.

The song will be stuck in your head for days.

http://www.paleonu.com/

The other most important paleo site:

http://paleohacks.com/

The go to guy on biochemistry and nutrition (Peter@Hyperlipid):

http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/

Vern Gambetta
http://www.gambetta.com/blog.html

http://www.marksdailyapple.com

I’d also add
- http://www.health-bent.com for recipes
- http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike for an MD’s perspective on eating healthy.

There’s a start! Let me know if this helps after you give each a try.

Kevin

Hi Tracy,
Well, it is difficult to cast aside all bloggers as if they are all operating with false information. Many people write books and are also way off base and get things completely wrong. Just because they have a book by no means makes them an expert, or even that they are supplying the truth.

Rather than cast aside a blog post simply because it is a blog post, or because the person writing it happens to be a certain age, a better way to get to the truth here would be to read the post, and take all the information into consideration. Even better would be to compare this info to some of the counter-arguments out there, and then read the rebuttals.

What I am saying is it’s not the medium or the messenger here that we should be concerned with if we are after the truth- it’s the scientifically proven facts that matter.

Cheers,
Kevin

There’s a great site with a calculator where you can enter your weight and the type of fish and it will tell you how close you would be to the EPA’s maximum set levels of mercury: http://gotmercury.org/article.php?id=1034 (I’m suspicious of the EPA or any other governmental agency’s numbers, but this gives you some idea).

Cheers,
Kevin

Paleo just allows for carbs that were consumed by paleolithic humans, and this includes sweet potatoes (and yams), instead of modern (and neolithic) potato varieties. Paleo trainers often recommend yams and sweet potatoes to athletes for getting extra carbs.

In the show Sweet Potatoes was talked about as an example of a starchy food, but one that has fiber. I know on a low/no-carb diet, you can’t eat sweet potatoes, but what about on the paleo diet?

(Sorry, I’m not terribly familiar with the differences between paleo and low/no-carb)

Thanks!
Ben

Cooking is something that can indeed be time-consuming. Having a little person to attend to can definitely add to the challenge. I appreciate your whole-foods perspective. Fruits and veggies are always handy, and I’ve found that nuts are a good source of fat and nutrients when you’re on the go (though I’ve also been known to take swigs of olive oil when I’m in a real hurry;). So, probably the most difficult macronutrient to prepare is protein; lately I’ve been using the microwave, which works ok with the proper seasoning.

Prior to going full-on paleo, I used dairy, such as cheese and cottage cheese, and of course whey protein powder in the mornings. It was much quicker than cooking something, so you might give them a try while your child is still so young–though if you’re going paleo, you’ll have to order some egg protein powder instead, as I noted with Mike above. Best wishes!

So, the main question is not so much “Why are you giving into your cravings?” (which is what a strict disciplinarian might say) as it is “Why are you craving not-so-healthy stuff instead of things that are actually good for you?” It’s key to explore the emotional roots of those cravings. Feeling good on account of doing unhealthy things evidences that there are some subconscious premises that need to be examined and modified. Perhaps give the stems I wrote in response to Shannon’s comment a try. Also, here are a few more:

Being strict on myself means…

When I’m strict on myself, I feel…

If I’m not strict on myself regarding my food choices, I tend to…

As I pay attention to my cravings, I notice that…

As I learn to do what’s good for me, so that I feel good about my choices…

If any of what I’ve written here is true, it might be helpful if I…

I’m a 34 year old new mother (my son is almost 10 months). I gained quite a bit of weight during pregnancy (nearly 60 lbs.) and have been working to get the excess weight off. I lost an initial 30 lbs. easily right after my son was born, but had a tough few months of no weight loss following this. I started a low carb, whole foods diet in the Spring, and have lost 20 lbs. so far. I have about another 10-15 to get to my pre-pregnancy weight and an additional 10-15 to get to a really healthy weight. I have no doubt I’ll get there, so long as I continue to make good choices.

I think my major difficulty in my weight loss journey is finding time to cook. With a little one, it’s hard to find the time I would like to devote to making whole foods from scratch. I cut corners where I can (eating easy to prepare salads, making stock/soups/sauces on weekends that make the week easier), but it’s still a challenge.

I like what you had to say about cravings and how our tastes and priorities change. I work at a school and there’s A LOT of temptation as far as treats go. I no longer indulge in sweet treats though. It’s become easy to turn them down. Instead, I enjoy the simple pleasure of eating an apple or having some tea with honey and coconut oil (my daily grind).

Thanks for the podcasts, gentlemen. I greatly enjoy listening.

To add to Wes’s great advice in the comments, I use Stevia powder, which is a natural non-caloric sweetener. One trick I have found that satisfies sugar cravings while still being healthy is hot cocoa sweetened with stevia instead of sugar. It’s also packed with antioxidants so you are actually doing something good for yourself in the process!
But ultimately, as Wes said, the best way to “overcome the overwhelm” is with the written sentence completion exercises.

Also, as we discussed in the podcast, it’s important to keep patience in mind. Losing carb addictions is very tough at first, I can attest to that! 2 or 3 weeks may be difficult, but it does get easier after that.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Kevin

The first thing to do, of course, is not stock up on any of these things. Then, at least they won’t be staring you in the face at home. As far as satisfying the cravings goes, I’ve found that a serving of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) with a handful of almonds is a very tasty (and quite healthy) replacement. Of course, not eating this in excess relates to the psychological side of eating.

Here are a few sentence completion exercises (like we have in the back of our book) that might assist in getting at the root of your self-conflict (provide 8-10 endings to each one, off the top of your head, without censorship)-

At the thought of going more than a week without (fill in the blank with your craving of choice)…

As I’m eating such things as ice cream and cookies, I feel…

After I eat such things as ice cream and cookies, I feel…

One of the good things about criticizing myself about my food choices is…

One of the bad things about criticizing myself about my food choices is…

As I learn to listen to what I’m really feeling in the moment…

A better way to deal with my self-conflict about what I’m eating might be to…

I am becoming aware…

Cheers,
W

This relates to a quite widespread phenomenon in general: happiness anxiety. Of course, the more aware we are of our potential to sabotage our own achievements, on account of thoughts such as “I’m not deserving of this” or “This won’t last long” or “I can’t do this indefinitely and this isn’t me,” the more effective we can be at remedying such negative assessments of self-concept. Self-concept is indeed destiny for humans. Have a listen to HMFB podcast episodes 27 through 32, which address this issue in more detail (self-esteem is the evaluative component of self-concept). Keep pressing on, indeed!

My issue is pure sugar. Every day I get cravings for chocolate, ice cream, cookies. I am not particular.

I know if I can keep away from that stuff for a week I’ll be OK, I have done it before. But, I need some tricks to get through that week.

I tried eating fruit, brushing my teeth, having hot tea, going for a walk/trying to distract myself. Sometimes it works but often I end up giving in anyway.

Any other tips you guys can throw at me to add to my arsenal would be appreciated.

Love the podcast, thanks for all you do!

I’m actually at the end of my weight loss phase of my journey. After losing > 40 lbs over the course of the last year, I am 3 lbs away from my end goal of 190. At that point, I move to the ‘Make my body look f’n awesome phase.’

At the end of this podcast you asked about what my biggest challenge is. Well, my challenge is something I haven’t gotten to yet, but I have a lot of “anxiety” about (I’m not really anxious about it, but calmly concerned): Weight loss maintenance. For the last 11 years I have been in either a pure weight gain mode, or a weight roller coaster. I’m excited to get to my lowest weight (and best health) yet, but I’ve never been at a point where I’ve sustained this quality of life and wellness. I feel like I have really transformed my overall lifestyle this time, more so in the past, so I feel very confident, but we all know maintaining one’s health is harder than it seems.

I know this challenge has a simple solution: continue being healthy. Simple…. right.

This probably isn’t the type of challenge you were requesting since it is not something that can be concretely discussed (at least within a short form podcast), but you asked and it is #1 on my mind now.

Exciting times ahead.

Keep pressing on!

However, I’m quite used to eating cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt, as well as whey protein powder, so I’ve had to switch to more eggs and meats (side pork, sausage, ham, chicken, turkey, and especially venison) to replace those familiar sources of protein. I’ve yet to buy some egg protein powder to make things easier at times, and it looks like the online rate is about $25/2 lbs, which isn’t bad (although not as cheap as whey).

Again, it’s practically impossible to mimic the eating regimen of humans during paleolithic times, and I’m not sure you’d want to. So, do what you think is best, given your present situation.

Best wishes,
W

Cheers,
Kevin

That said, as you say, it is important to offer rational guidance in the realm of food and nutritional information. The more adults understand how to achieve a healthy mind and fit body for themselves, the easier it will be for children to do likewise.

Have either of you heard of the Beck Diet Solution? It’s designed to work with any type of diet, and gives you a 6-week plan for changing the way you view living a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Judith Beck, who wrote the book(s), would be someone I’d definitely like to hear on your podcast show if possible…

I really think it is the parents responsibility to encourage (require?) the growing child to do a lot of things. If you don’t learn to speak a second language by 10, it will be much more difficult later. If you are forced to sit at the piano for several dozen lessons as a child, you will not regret it (you might become the next John Lennon). If you don’t learn your “times table” by heart before 10, you won’t and you WILL be taken advantage of in later life. If your child is exposed to a variety vigourous exercise play schemes (especially outdoors!) like hiking, skiing, bicycles and even climbing, they will love you till they die.

If your child acquires millions of extra fat cells early in life that is what they will have to live with till they die. And it is the parent’s fault. CHildren are not completely rational beings.

kj

I like the message in Kev’s post here too: be the best you can be (given your nutritional knowledge and motivation and increased self-knowledge) and the great results will show in turn. An excellent process will yield a fine outcome eventually, so it’s important to accept one’s fretful feelings when they arise, breathing into them (“owning” them) and allow them to dissipate…

Cheers,
W

I love the podcast and listen faithfully every week. Can you address the relationship between gluten intolerance and diabetes at some point on the podcast or blog?

I keep hearing about how changing your environment/diet can really affect how your genes are expressed. I have a very rare form of diabetes (MODY-2) which is a genetic defect and I wonder if taking those last few hidden sources of gluten out of my diet will help.

Thanks for all you do

Thanks.
~Cheryl

Archie L. Tucker
Certified in:
Biology, anatomy, health, and astronomy

I pick wild blueberries & blackberries in season and eat them out of hand (not seeds I know), and it doesn’t take very many to feel sated and to have had enough of the picking.

And the two rebuttals to Campbell’s rebuttal:
http://westonaprice.org/blogs/denise-mingers-refutation-of-campbells-china-study-generates-continued-debate.html
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/16/the-china-study-my-response-to-campbell/

Melanie- I have no doubt that people have seen results from switching from a more traditional American diet to a China Study-type diet, and that your daughter did indeed improve her health just like you said. But, there are ways to get even healthier- much healthier, through a diet that is not vegetarian. I’m happy to debate these truths you speak of. What was it in my blog post, Minger’s post or the various counter-posts to Campbell’s hypothesis that you disagree with specifically?

What exactly are you calling “baloney”?

And to respond to your comment accusing me of simply wanting to eat animals- I am not married to any nutritional idea. If I thought that giving up meat would be better for my health, I’d do so at the drop of a hat.

Cheers,
Kevin

And good points, Jamie. While conventional understanding of sodium intake indicates that as long as you drink enough water, your body will find a proper equilibrium, paleo humans didn’t have nearly as much access to salt (if any, in raw form). However in terms of full-on paleo priorities, I’d say avoid grains, legumes, and dairy first, then steer clear of excess salt consumption.

Cheers,
Kevin

Cheers,
Kevin

Otherwise, my low carb diet looks closely like the Paleo.

You don’t need to believe Dr. Campbell. Just read The China Study, slowly and completely, and figure out the truth for yourself. Facts speak for themselves.

I, and a few of my acquaintances, tried a whole-foods plant-based diet (coupled with biweekly exposure to sunlight in noon and some physical activity) for a year (strict compliance), and it had been working wonders for us after the first few months itself, so we continue to be on it. Some of my friends failed, because they were mostly eating junk (plant-based) foods.

The China Study book is not just about Dr. Campbell’s work, but more than that it describes the work and results of numerous other research studies, independent and unbiased, that point to the undeniable benefits of a whole-foods plant-based diet.

Denise has adopted a detailed but very narrow view that is insufficient to relate to the larger context. This approach will only add to confusion and misleading conclusions.

Warm Regards,
Parag.

I think these thoroughly refute Campbell’s rebuttal. If we stick to science and the facts, and stay away from ad hominem attacks such as “Minger is only 23!”, we will be more likely to reach the correct conclusion here.

Cheers,
Kevin

W

Thanks.

I am glad you critique everything and want the facts. So do I. Open minded people get the best results, especially when it comes to nutrition. Nutrition is such an emotional subject because it goes against what our mothers taught us and that is hard to swallow…no pun intended.
Be back to you soon.

I like you.
Linda

If you check out the findings on Mindy’s blog post, it’s possible that there are some areas you have overlooked- and can continue on your path of health improvement by cutting out grains and adding in some healthy meats and fish.

Good luck!
Kevin

Kevin

What’s your opinion about dairy? Specifically things like cottage cheese and other cheeses (cheddar, swiss, colby jack, etc.).

Also, do you have any good resources for recipes and other food ideas? Preferably free? I’ve been eating a lot of meat, nuts, veggies, etc. and a few recipes from the South Beach Diet book but need some more ideas so that I don’t get bored and start eating junk food again.

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Btw, I was at Costco today and they have almond butter (nothing but almonds in the ingredients) so I grabbed some to try. I also got some baby spinach and open water salmon, along with a bottle of balsamic vinegar to make a variation of the “HMFB” salad mentioned in this episode. :)

In addition, soup usually doesn’t have much fat (a lot of the manufacturers boast about their products being “low fat”), so you’ll have to add for example some olive oil or nuts on the side to fulfill your energy needs.

Cheers,
Wes

I try to stay away from numbers when it comes to diet. I used to be of the “40-30-30″ mindset, where around 40% of my calories would come from carbohydrates. But I found that this was too many carbs. A general rule of thumb is to build your meals around fat & protein, and use mainly fruits and vegetables as your carbohydrate source. Granted, we are all in a bind sometimes and need to eat the prepared foods. Just try to stick with the ones that have a lower percentage of carbs than protein and fat, and you should be good to go.

Wes may be able to give you specific numbers to shoot for, but for me, using the above methods tends to work very well in staying healthy & fit!

Good luck with everything and thanks for listening!
Kevin

Second, and to be honest, I haven’t listened to this episode yet, so forgive me if it’s covered, but what is a good guideline for carbs in a meal? For example, yesterday I ate a can of Progresso Beef Pot Roast soup for lunch (yeah, I know it’s prepared, but it’s what I had handy). Total for the can is only 240 calories, so it’s presumably not packed with carbs, but it did have some potatoes and carrots in it, which aren’t the best for carbs. So, would something like this can of soup be considered “low carb”? How many grams of carbs on the label would be good to stay under for a meal if I’m going to eat prepared stuff from time to time?

Thanks!
Mike

So, if you are using cheat days, you are still looking at food that is bad for you as “good” and food that is good for you as “necessary”. You can actually train your taste buds to look forward to eating the healthy stuff, and associate the items that are doing your body harm with a negative outcome- and therefore reducing and eventually eliminating your desire for them.

Having said that, by no means am I saying you must eat perfectly all the time. But by eating mostly healthy foods most of the time, you will lose your temptation to “pig out” for a day (or more) at a time!

I hope this helps. You may want to check out our free audio for more on this- http://freefitnessaudio.com

Cheers,
Kevin

In this last podcast you touched on the subject of the “cheat day” where people eat whatever they want including high carb junk food items and so on. I have been incorporating a cheat day into my own dietary plans. I find that by giving myself a day where I can eat what i choose including McDonalds and all that garbage I can make it through the week. Also, I find that it makes me despise those foods a little bit more.

With that said I do plan to one day cut the cheat day entirely. Wouldn’t you say that a cheat day can be an effective tool for transitioning to a healthier lifestyle from a less ideal one? It’s not a permanent fix of course but couldn’t it be a way to curb the cravings someone such as myself might have?

Do you recommend reading the book that is the image for this post?

I would be interested in seeing the evidence you mentioned that eating often could be destructive. I’m not sure how insulin levels would be elevated if your meals and snacks are low carb.

Cheers,
Kevin

My friend that I mentioned in the article says she had problems with dairy. The paleo diet is very anti-dairy, while the primal diet (Mark Sisson) says that some dairy is okay, and Atkins doesn’t put any limits on dairy at all. This is much more of an individual call.

BTW, if you’re going to use artificial sweeteners, I’d advise sticking with stevia and xylitol, both natural and healthy.

Cheers,
Kevin

BTW, I know you guys were talking about your quest for the “low-carb doughnut”, and while these aren’t dougnuts, they apparently come close:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breads/r/doughnutmuffins.htm

Tina, you know I just ordered some ginkgo biloba for my boyfriend who has trouble focusing sometimes- we’ll have to see if it helps him at all! But I’ve read that it does.

In addition, I ordered some Chromium supplements for myself because I have read that they help to regulate insulin and possibly even help curb sugar/carb cravings. I figure I might as well try it!

Thanks,
tina.

April- I, like Tina, eat a little bit of dark chocolate most days. Shoot for anything above 72% cacao. Another treat I like is making unsweetened hot cocoa (Ghiradelli brand), and adding stevia powder and a little coconut milk. Yum! Not many carbs at all and lots of healthy anti-oxidants.

Kelly- I hope you got a good amount of macadamia nuts when you were in Hawaii in addition to the almonds! They’re not only very healthy but delicious (and in my case a bit addictive!)

I agree that snacking is one of the hardest hurdles to jump over when it comes to changing the way you eat. It’s the evening/night that is the hardest for me, and most people I think. I seem to be programmed to want something sweet. Do you have any ideas to help combat the night-time cravings, especially for something sweet?

Sunflower oil is high in the essential vitamin E and low in saturated fat. The two most common types of sunflower oil are linoleic and high oleic. Linoleic sunflower oil is a common cooking oil that has high levels of the essential fatty acids called polyunsaturated fat. It is also known for having a clean taste and low levels of trans fat. High oleic sunflower oils are classified as having monounsaturated levels of 80% and above. Newer versions of sunflower oil have been developed as a hybrid containing linoleic acid. They have monounsaturated levels lower than other oleic sunflower oils. The hybrid oil also has lower saturated fat levels than linoleic sunflower oil.[4] Sunflower oil of any kind has been shown to have cardiovascular benefits as well. Diets combined with a low fat content and high levels of oleic acid have been suggested to lower cholesterol which, in turn, results in a smaller risk of heart disease.[5] Sunflower oils fit this criteria. Studies of adults suggested that a balanced diet in which small quantities of saturated fats are replaced with sunflower oil has detectable cholesterol-reducing benefits. Research suggests that lower cholesterol levels can be caused by balances of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Sunflower oil may help with this balance.[6]

Restaurant and food industry uses

Restaurants and food manufacturers are becoming aware of the health benefits of sunflower oil. The oil can be used in conditions with extremely high cooking temperatures. It may also help food stay fresher and healthier for longer periods of time [5]. Food manufacturers are starting to use sunflower oil in an effort to lower the levels of trans fat in mass produced foods. A number of common snack foods currently contain sunflower oil, including NewYork Fries French fries, Majans BHUJA Mix healthy snacks, the Sri Lankan style Bombay Mix – Rani Mix, Kettle Chips, Sun Chips, Sunflower Chips, Ruffles, Walkers and Lay’s potato chips; the recipe of the latter was modified in late 2006 in order to include the oil.[7]

Sunflower oil as skin protection

Sunflower oil, like other oils, can retain moisture in the skin. It may also provide a protective barrier that resists infection in pre-term infants. Studies using sunflower oil have been conducted involving low birth weight pre-term infants that are often susceptible to infection due to their underdeveloped skin. The study determined that infants receiving a daily skin treatment of sunflower oil were 41% less likely to develop infections in hospital.[8]

? Jump Back A Section
Hide Negative health effects

A high consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in most types of vegetable oil including sunflower oil, may increase the likelihood that postmenopausal women may develop breast cancer.[9] A similar effect was observed on prostate cancer.[10] Other analysis suggested an inverse association between total polyunsaturated fatty acids and breast cancer risk.[11]

Take care,
W

This is the April who was working 11 hour days… fortunately I am no longer working them! It only happens 4 times a year (at the end of the quarter) where I’ll have to do that for a couple weeks. It was just very stressful because I was also in the process of moving to my first house, which is in the process of getting done too.

Planning ahead is key for snacks, especially in an office loaded with candy and chips like mine. I bring in hard-boiled eggs and almonds for snacking. We have a store downstairs who sells mini packs of beef jerkey so I will get that in a pinch sometimes. Thanks for reading my comment!

And Kevin I see that you quoted Dan Millman earlier- I love his book Way of the Peaceful Warrior- you should have him on your podcast show!

April

I have been super busy too, working 11 hour days on a bunch of stuff that’s due. I have also missed workouts, but I have resisted the temptation to get carry-out, and even though I’m so tired when I get home, I still make dinner. And I find that I still have energy to work the next 11 hour day! :-)

Thanks for coming by, hope you stick around!

Kevin

While I was reading this post, I was thinking that I wrote it! I have a similar history as you, although I don’t enjoy the swimming unless it is in the ocean but that is a long way away from Edmonton Alberta. I too have ditched the 4-5 days of strength training per week, and cycling to an from work to be happy with 2 or 3 strength workouts a week which are similar to Crossfit and only 30 minutes max. I walk a lot more than in the past, and I include my activities such as trail running (which I usually do as a mix of sprints, push ups, pull ups, and whatever comes to mind) or games which occur here and there.

Since the change from lots of structured exercise to a bit of fun unstructured activity I am having much more fun while feeling energetic all day long.

By the way, I learned about your site from your recent interview with Jimmy Moore.

As predominantly a vegetarian that eats a lot of raw vegan foods, I can say that vegan does not equal healthy. It’s ALL relative. I do feel that RAW vegan is healthier than cooked vegan IN GENERAL. This is only based on MY measured results. That said, it is easier for me to “go out of nutritional whack” eating 100% vegan.

Soy
I’m not convinced that eating soy meat alternatives is healthy when so much attention is given to making it smell and taste like meat. Not for me! I just plain don’t like meat and have no interest in ANYTHING smelling or tasting like it. If I wanted it, I’d eat meat.

Vegan diets overloaded with soy? hmmm, well she hasn’t met me and friends I know that are not into soy. When has any processed food been “healthier” than the real thing?

I get the majority of protein and many fats from hemp seed, hemp protein, nuts, seeds, dark leafy green juices, etc… Trust me, I get plenty!

Thanks for letting me share a perspective and always Kevin, appreciate your posts!

We emphasize, however, that this hypothesis on injury has yet to be tested and that there have been no direct studies on the efficacy of forefoot strike running or barefoot running on injury.

from Lieberman’s website,
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

It’s also important, in my opinion, to “recalibrate” the soles of the feet with some barefoot walking outdoors or, better yet, barefoot hiking on well-maintained trails before trying barefoot running.

Click on the words “barefoot hiking” above for an article on the benefits of strengthening our feet through walking barefoot in nature.

Cheers,
W

Kris

Cheers,
W

Old stuff but true.

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/fat/index.htm

I picked this from the information which is good.

The diet was made up almost entirely of protein, fat, alcohol and roughage, with, of course, the vitamins and mineral salts contained in these foods. Mr. Harvey, who designed it, had realised that it is carbohydrate (starch and sugar) which fattens fat people.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers and look forward to your continued comments!

Kevin

I’m curious about your hesitation regarding the carbohydrate count, though. Don’t most carb-counters exclude the grams of fiber from the carbohydrate count of a particular food since fiber is not processed in the same crash-and-burn fashion? Since most of the carbohydrate in the hemp powder is powerful, satiating fiber, I would think that would reduce the total carbohydrate count significantly: (17g total carbohydrate) – (11g fiber) = 6g carbohydrates, which come from the fact that Trader Joe’s adds sugar to its flavored powders.

(Note: there’s plain hemp protein powder out there–Living Harvest seems to be the most popular brand, which would allow you to get all the great benefits of hemp with a carb content that is 99.999% fiber).

Great blog you have here, I like the look and feel, you have invested some time putting it all together. really nice.

I wrote a post about your post on my blog, and have also bookmarked your website/blog. You can view my blog post here:
http://www.weightlosscoach-alexandri.com/healthy-mind-fit-body/

Alexandri
Your nr1 Weight Loss Coach

Rahim Samuel
Publisher, Wellnessbymanymeans.com

Nice Reviews of Weight Loss Supplements

In a nutshell, typically any plateau that you hit is not the result of lack of exercise, but rather of eating too many carbohydrate-based foods (and too little fat for energy in place of the carbs you cut). And don’t forget adequate protein. So, instead of counting calories, consider lowering the percentage of carbs in your meals and replacing that lost energy with fats, such as nuts and nut butters. Feel free to comment more either here or after the show notes of episode 13, for instance, in order to ensure that you’re on the right track. Plateaus can be overcome!

So what is the answer then to this myth? Help!

If they would do such a documentary, I could see it being used as a required course in ethics for scientists as well as just the general college student.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to watch it from across the pond, Tina. Those region codes are ridiculous, imo.

W

W

It’s obvious that your co-workers are projecting their own unresolved issues onto you, by conveying that you are the abnormal one—needing to be “fixed” or even force fed! (that really speaks volumes about their unresolved issues). So, if you talk about your way of eating and exercising, they respond in a negative fashion…hmm. Yet, it seems that regardless of whether or not you talk about that, they still want you to do what they are doing, that is, eating unhealthily and treating their bodies like crap. There seems to be intense psychological pressure to make you feel like an outcast, like you’re doing something wrong that offends them.

Clearly, they know that their habits are unhealthy, and your way of life basically stands as an affront to them. So, they are seeking a way to get you to change in order to minimize their own self-conflict, or cognitive dissonance. I’m a big fan of self-assertiveness (it’s one of the six pillars of self-esteem), so whenever someone criticizes me about doing something they don’t like, I really try to explore the nature of that criticism. I commend you for sticking to what you know is best, in the face of your close crowd of opposition. Being independent takes courage. Given this, you might address expllicitly the psychology of being independent and emotional understanding whenever they bring up the eating or “you’re so skinny” subject.

For instance, you could say:

“I understand that you feel distressed or anxious over my own good health, but I want you to know that while it doesn’t come easy at first, I wouldn’t trade it for my old ways of doing things. And personally, because I value all of you [or whomever you're addressing] I think you would find it equally beneficial and satisfying! What drawbacks do you see in it?”

Or:

“I’m really interested to know why you don’t seek to treat your own body like a temple…since I know you wouldn’t want your patients to do unhealthy things to themselves. How do you feel about the fact that you also deserve to be in great shape and be healthy? Do you feel like you don’t deserve this? [or, if you want to go deeper, you could ask: Did your parents send the preposterous message to you that you don't deserve to be healthy?]”

Or:

“I know it must be tough to see me being concerned about what to eat and what not to eat (and exercise), but I believe that you too can join the “skinny” club! :) How do you feel about that?”

Or:

“I can tell that what I’m doing, even though it’s healthy, somewhat bothers you. Why do you suppose that is? Surely, you’re not against being healthy and living optimally? There’s no need to settle for anything less, after all! Now, this kind of makes me wonder why I haven’t been letting you know how I feel about what isn’t good for you, especially since I care about you?”

All of these statements will probably provoke some very interesting interactions. ;) I’m my experience when I’ve asserted myself in this direct way (on other issues as well), the other person has tempered their tone and become respectful, maybe even inquisitive. The point is to make them consciously aware of their motivations for wanting you to conform, even though they are aware of them implicitly (otherwise they wouldn’t be doing it).

I think a lot of obese people take poor self-image issues as the given, and then they spend their lives eating in accordance with that. So, the bad eating stems from a fundamental conflict they have within themselves. Fortunately, these conflicts can be overcome! A person just needs the motivation to change, which entails understanding that change is in the realm of possibility.

Knowledge is power, and it’s probably the case that many of your co-workers don’t grasp the role that carbohydrates and insulin play in their high body fat levels. They probably don’t realize that just by changing what they eat, they can achieve their perfect weight; exercise is just an added bonus to one’s health. Of course, they may still resist coming to terms with their issues, seeing various psychological “payoffs” for staying overweight. But making things explicit can only help matters.

Best wishes, and feel free to report back,
W

I’ll contact you through your site, so we can fine-tune the program.

Cheers,
Wes

Amy let me know she mentioned my film “Fat Head” during the podcast. Perhaps we should talk about doing an interview sometime … ? Thanks for the tweets.

Best,
Tom Naughton

I believe Kevin has tweeted lots of lower carb (and thus higher fat) meal ideas. Any recipe can actually be modified to be healthy, or at least healthier. Epicurious.com has lots of recipe ideas to work with, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The key is to make sure that you’re not overdoing the carbs (and the ones you are consuming are nutritious, fruits and veggies mostly), make sure you’re getting adequate protein, and that most of your energy needs are coming from fat.

Cheers,
W

This is very inspiring,

Keep up the good work,

Thanks

Don’t worry! Peanuts contain plenty of healthy monounsaturated fat and can be a good snack, and are also a good source of niacin. But they are often mistakenly grouped with nuts when they are actually legumes.

The downside to peanuts is that some people are highly allergic to them, and that they may contain aflatoxins- but this appears to be much less of a concern than it used to be:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut
“Peanuts and aflatoxin

Peanuts may be contaminated with the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces a carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin. Lower quality specimens, particularly where mold is evident, are more likely to be contaminated.[30] USDA tests every truckload of raw peanuts for aflatoxin, any containing aflatoxin levels of more than 20 parts per billion are destroyed. The Peanut Industry has manufacturing steps in place to ensure all peanuts are inspected for aflatoxin. Peanuts are also processed at a high temperature to ensure any microorganisms are killed.”

Cheers,
Kevin

This post was mentioned on Twitter by wesHMFB: Just posted Healthy Mind Fit Body Podcast Episode 7 – Cookie diet and other fads http://tinyurl.com/yf8k3qr...

1. Keep fat and fiber to a minimum.
2. Eat low glycemic carbohydrates like bananas, melons, and peaches combined with protein (like eggs or protein powder.
3. Eat 2-3 hours before exercise

The amount you eat will depend on your weight, and what feels right to you.

Some examples of pre-workout meals include:

Fruit with eggs, unsweetened apple sauce with protein powder, liquid meals, or a sports bar with protein.

Good luck with your training and let us know how it goes!

Indeed this is one of those rare times when pop culture or the mainstream has it right on trans or partially hydrogenated fats. For the most part, they are something to be avoided. We delve into this in the Healthy Mind Fit Body book in depth. Having said that, there are such a thing as naturally occurring trans fats (such as in some meats) that are not harmful to one’s health. Also, although the notion that trans fats are bad is now mainstream, it hasn’t always been this way. 10 years ago and beyond, many fitness and health professionals were warning people about eating trans fats, and it gradually was accepted by the public at large. Food producers began to see this trend and many started taking out trans fats and advertising this (then the government tried, as it usually does, to jump out ahead of the trend with laws forcing companies to print nutrition info).

Anyway, feel free to comment here as much as you’d like, and we promise not to call you a loser!

Cheers,
Kevin

What an bold/interesting topic! Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about how bad trans fats are for you from the media. Do you think that also has a bad reputation, similar to saturated fats, or did pop culture get it right and is it actually bad for you?

I promise I’m not a loser that needs to comment on every new podcast, I’m just curious!

W

I just wanted to comment on the remark you guys made while reiterating ideas in the book, Why French Women Don’t Get Fat, on why the French limiting the work week to 35 hours per week. It has been my understanding that it is for economic reasons, not health or trying to limit their citizen’s sense of self motivation. The idea being that the bottom line is that the work needs to get done, and by limiting each person to 35 hours per week, a greater number of people can become employed, and that will, in turn, benefit the French society as a whole. I love the show, keep making more of these, please!

W