Most health articles and books assume human beings are all the same. Not so. We are unique. And yet we all get the same advice to load up on vegetables and fruits and keep away from fat.
Fat gets the blame for everything these days. Cancer. Heart Disease. Obesity. Rising fuel prices. Whatever. We should cut the fat and switch to carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Fat Is A Good Guy
Well let me tell you about a medically approved diet for some children. 90% of the calories on this diet come from fat. The kids are normal weight and their cholesterol levels only a tad higher than usual. These children have epilepsy and this diet controls their seizures.
A typical meal of chicken, carrots, double cream and butter might turn your stomach. But to these kids and their families, it's just what the doctor ordered.
I can see you're not convinced. You think that case is special. For everyone else we can state that fruits and vegetables are beneficial and that fats should be avoided.
No, it's not as simple as that. The number one dietary deficiency, according to some nutritionists, is.....fat.
Saturated fat from meat and dairy is not the enemy it's often portrayed as. It may not be particularly desirable, but our bodies are well adapted to eating it. The real problem is that we're eating far too much of the omega 6 and trans fats from vegetable oils and far too little omega 3 from oily fish.
Vegetable Can Be Bad
A Glasgow university professor warns us that the fastest growing cancer in the UK could be caused by eating vegetables. Professor McColl and his colleagues at Glasgow University believe that nitrate fertilisers may be responsible for seeing the incidence of throat cancer treble over the last 2 decades.
Buying organic is not the answer. They are also loaded with nitrate.
I could mention all the naturally occurring toxins, carcinogens and mutagens found in fruits and vegetables. But I won't. At least not for this article.
I could even mention those that are especially sensitive to carbohydrates. They must limit their intake of vegetables and fruits because they cause their blood sugar levels to swing wildly. But we'll leave that alone.
I might even mention the many people who have a toxic reaction to certain foods. Even 'healthy' foods, like grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes, onions.
I could also mention those that are allergic to aspirin. The chemical which is contained within this drug is also high in vegetables and fruits.
Am I seriously telling you to avoid fruits and vegetables and eat fatty foods instead? No, certainly not. For most people this is excellent advice. The point I'm making is that you are an individual. You have your own dietary requirements and needs. There is nobody on earth like you, so don't let anybody else tell you what to eat. Get to know your own body's needs. Listen to what it is trying to tell you.
Listen to your own body, not to the nutrition gurus.
Fat gets the blame for everything these days. Cancer. Heart Disease. Obesity. Rising fuel prices. Whatever. We should cut the fat and switch to carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Fat Is A Good Guy
Well let me tell you about a medically approved diet for some children. 90% of the calories on this diet come from fat. The kids are normal weight and their cholesterol levels only a tad higher than usual. These children have epilepsy and this diet controls their seizures.
A typical meal of chicken, carrots, double cream and butter might turn your stomach. But to these kids and their families, it's just what the doctor ordered.
I can see you're not convinced. You think that case is special. For everyone else we can state that fruits and vegetables are beneficial and that fats should be avoided.
No, it's not as simple as that. The number one dietary deficiency, according to some nutritionists, is.....fat.
Saturated fat from meat and dairy is not the enemy it's often portrayed as. It may not be particularly desirable, but our bodies are well adapted to eating it. The real problem is that we're eating far too much of the omega 6 and trans fats from vegetable oils and far too little omega 3 from oily fish.
Vegetable Can Be Bad
A Glasgow university professor warns us that the fastest growing cancer in the UK could be caused by eating vegetables. Professor McColl and his colleagues at Glasgow University believe that nitrate fertilisers may be responsible for seeing the incidence of throat cancer treble over the last 2 decades.
Buying organic is not the answer. They are also loaded with nitrate.
I could mention all the naturally occurring toxins, carcinogens and mutagens found in fruits and vegetables. But I won't. At least not for this article.
I could even mention those that are especially sensitive to carbohydrates. They must limit their intake of vegetables and fruits because they cause their blood sugar levels to swing wildly. But we'll leave that alone.
I might even mention the many people who have a toxic reaction to certain foods. Even 'healthy' foods, like grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes, onions.
I could also mention those that are allergic to aspirin. The chemical which is contained within this drug is also high in vegetables and fruits.
Am I seriously telling you to avoid fruits and vegetables and eat fatty foods instead? No, certainly not. For most people this is excellent advice. The point I'm making is that you are an individual. You have your own dietary requirements and needs. There is nobody on earth like you, so don't let anybody else tell you what to eat. Get to know your own body's needs. Listen to what it is trying to tell you.
Listen to your own body, not to the nutrition gurus.
About the Author:
Michael Sellar is a UK health writer and the editor of Enzyme Digest, a newsletter for health professionals. His website london complementary health includes a fuller version of this piece as well as lots of other pieces on nutrition and holistic medicine.
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