What's the Best Diet?

Hey doc, what’s the best diet?
 
Here’s my answer:

1. Long term changes require lifestyle changes. A “diet” is a short-term intervention. Use a “diet” to determine your lifestyle preferences.

1. One size fits one. There is no perfect diet for everyone.

1. Humans are opportunists. Our ancestors survived by exploiting a wide range of environments and climates. We can get by on whatever we happen to find in our environment.

1. Food is life. Fear of food is unhealthy. Love your food. Be grateful for it. Gratitude keeps us healthy.

1. The gut matters. More importantly, the bacteria in the gut plays a major, if not central role in processing the nutrition you get from your food.

1. Processed food is everywhere. If that grass-fed beef on your plate was shipped in from Australia, it’s still processed food.

1. “Organic” doesn’t mean fresh just like “cage free” doesn’t mean the chicken you ate had a good life. None of these catchy marketing phrases guarantee that your food will be free from industrial processes, antibiotics, genetic manipulation, herbicides, pesticides and artificial ripening agents. 

1. High carb equals high crimes and misdemeanors. The current high carbohydrate/low fat diet recommended by the USDA and its co-conspirators (by this I mean the AMA, AHA, ADA and a host of other so-called health associations) came about through a highly political process involving inept and often unethical scientists, big money, deceptive marketing campaigns and outright fraud. 

 
If you want to know more about the history of the American (and therefore western) food guidelines, dig into the reporting of Nina Teicholz, Gary Taubes, and an Australian orthopedic surgeon named Dr. Gary Fetke.

1. Excess sugar makes us hungry, fat and sick. The rise of the high carb/low fat diet correlates directly with the increased incidence of obesity, type-2 diabetes and a host of previously rare of conditions like chronic hives, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and depression. Notice I said correlates. There are other factors at play.

1. Not all calories are created equal. The digestion and absorption of carbohydrates leads to a significant rise in insulin which signals the cells of the body to store excess energy as fat. Diets high in carbohydrates result in a higher total insulin load which, if continued indefinitely, can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes.

1. Processed foods are designed to be addictive. Fructose, the simple sugar found in fruit and refined sugars, has been converted into a wide range of tasty food additives which bypass the normal metabolic pathways and cause inflammation and fatty liver disease. Fructose also triggers the pleasure centers in the brain which can lead to cravings, excess food consumption and impulsive eating behavior. Eliminating fructose in all its forms is the first step to reversing the damage it can cause.

1. Seed oils trigger inflammation. Industrial seed oils such as canola oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and vegetable oils are not food. They are modified industrial lubricants dressed up in fancy bottles. Consumption of industrial gear grease leads to a host of autoimmune problems and physical and emotional pain. Stick with olive oil, algae oil, and avocado oil to name a few.

1. Low fat diets lead to obesity. Replacing fat with carbohydrates leads to elevated insulin levels which ultimately leads to excess fat storage. Alternatively, eating fat triggers the hormones that cause satiety, ultimately helping us regulate our food consumption naturally. 

1. Fats are good for you and cholesterol keeps you healthy. Healthy cells are made from healthy fats (saturated and monounsaturated fats). Cholesterol is a necessary precursor for many hormones and an important part of the immune system. Avoiding fat and medically lowering cholesterol leads to disease, impaired metabolism and disrupted hormonal control. 

 
Please note: Cholesterol-lowering drugs such as “statins” have had minimal impact on heart attack rates and significantly increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. A review of the scientific literature reveals a stunning truth - there are no studies that provide a conclusive link between cholesterol, saturated fats and heart disease.

1. Everything changes. Most people go through phases. They eat different foods at different times for a variety of different reasons. The best diet includes flexibility to allow for changes in food preferences, health status, and personal goals.

1. Diets make money. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that diet books and diet supplements are big money. Beware of anyone who says their stuff is the best and everyone else is stupid. No one has a corner on nutrition. 

1. Go hungry. Intermittent fasting works if you’re looking to heal your body. Allowing the gut to rest and the insulin levels to drop allows the liver to heal and the cells to burn fat. Many people have noticed significant health benefits from scheduling their meals during a specific part of the day and avoiding food the rest of the time. The simplest method is to eat two or three well planned meals during the day and avoid all food at night.   

 
 
Okay doc, you’ve made your points but what should I eat?
 
Eat whatever you want. You’re a grown up. You decide. As for simple suggestions, cut the sugar, cook with butter, eat fatty meats, the occasional wild caught fish, lots of leafy greens and as many peppers, mushrooms and broccoli as you want.  As long as your body feels good eating it.


For those with food sensitivities and anyone looking to reverse a chronic medical condition, consider going on an elimination diet for a few months. There are several to choose from including juice fasts, vegan diets and my personal favorite – The Carnivore Diet. I’ve tried several of these myself over the years with varying results. My most recent personal experiment includes intermittent fasting and a carnivore diet. So far, I’ve started to heal my gut, drop unwanted fat, grow some lean muscle and improve my overall sense of well-being. 
 
For those with type-2 diabetes, I’ve witnessed impressive results from combining intermittent fasting with a ketogenic diet. A quick search of the internet will provide an abundance of resources for this approach.  
 
There. Those are my two cents. As for questions about our industrial food system, big pharma, and corrupt politicians, I’ll leave them alone for another day. 
 
Doc Evenhouse