Obesity is a real problem in this country, right? I mean, fat is bad. Being overweight causes all kinds of problems, like diabetes, heart disease, etc. Or does it?
Actually, the underlying cause of MANY diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, lupus, asthma, allergies, cancer, ulcerative colitis, and many more, is INFLAMMATION. This is the silent kind of inflammation, the chronic kind, that you might not see or feel on a day-to-day basis. Dr. Barry Sears, author of all the books relating to the Zone diet, has written in-depth about this concept in Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad.
So what is the cause of this silent epidemic of inflammation? It is the typical modern American diet. It is the combination of cheap calories that are easily and constantly accessible and the severe lack of healthy, whole foods. Specifically, cheap refined carbohydrates (made from grains and sugar) plus cheap vegetable oils (made mostly from soy and corn, even if they are NOT hydrogenated) and the lack of omega-3 oils (mainly from fish.) Dr. Sears calls this "the perfect nutritional storm" meaning the three factors, which when combined, created this epidemic of not just obesity, but chronic inflammation leading to disease.
You do not have to be obese to suffer from chronic inflammation. You don't even have to be overweight. You may know of many people who are thin, exercise regularly, and then suddenly drop dead from a heart attack. Why? There was an underlying condition of chronic inflammation that went undetected. Here are some questions which Dr. Sears poses in order to assess your level of current inflammation:
Are you overweight?
Are you taking cholesterol-lowering drugs?
Are you groggy upon waking?
Are you prone to stress?
Are you constantly craving carbohydrates?
Are you fatigued throughout the day?
Are you especially hungry two hours after dinner?
Are your fingernails brittle?
If you answered yes to at least three of these questions, chances are you are experiencing silent inflammation already.
What can you do? Well, it is no big surprise that the remedy suggested by Dr. Sears is the Zone diet. If you'd like to understand more about the science behind this answer, I recommend reading Toxic Fat, or any of the other Zone diet books. But even if you shy away from diving into a prescribed diet, which includes measuring your portions, you can still benefit from a few simple changes in your current eating plan:
Eliminate cheap, refined carbohydrates made from grains and sugars. These include breakfast cereals, cookies, cakes, muffins, bagels, breads, bakery products, pasta, white rice, chips, etc. Most, if not all, snack foods would fall into this category. Substitute whole foods, such as fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, etc.
Eliminate all refined vegetable oils from your diet, especially corn and soybean oil. This includes all trans-fats. Substitute olive oil, grass fed butter, or coconut oil when cooking. Check labels at the store! This stuff is hidden in many products, such as potato chips, bakery products, desserts, prepared foods, frozen foods, sauces, etc.
Add a daily dose of fish oil. You can also eat more fish, but it is unlikely you will get enough omega-3 oils just from your foods. This is a simple, quick, and easy fix that can begin to reduce your silent inflammation immediately.
Take these three steps and you will be well on your way to reversing the trend toward inflammation and disease that pervades our current society! I am making it my goal to support you here, with this blog, so please send your comments, questions, ideas, and input my way. Let's get healthier!
Actually, the underlying cause of MANY diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, lupus, asthma, allergies, cancer, ulcerative colitis, and many more, is INFLAMMATION. This is the silent kind of inflammation, the chronic kind, that you might not see or feel on a day-to-day basis. Dr. Barry Sears, author of all the books relating to the Zone diet, has written in-depth about this concept in Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad.
So what is the cause of this silent epidemic of inflammation? It is the typical modern American diet. It is the combination of cheap calories that are easily and constantly accessible and the severe lack of healthy, whole foods. Specifically, cheap refined carbohydrates (made from grains and sugar) plus cheap vegetable oils (made mostly from soy and corn, even if they are NOT hydrogenated) and the lack of omega-3 oils (mainly from fish.) Dr. Sears calls this "the perfect nutritional storm" meaning the three factors, which when combined, created this epidemic of not just obesity, but chronic inflammation leading to disease.
You do not have to be obese to suffer from chronic inflammation. You don't even have to be overweight. You may know of many people who are thin, exercise regularly, and then suddenly drop dead from a heart attack. Why? There was an underlying condition of chronic inflammation that went undetected. Here are some questions which Dr. Sears poses in order to assess your level of current inflammation:
Are you overweight?
Are you taking cholesterol-lowering drugs?
Are you groggy upon waking?
Are you prone to stress?
Are you constantly craving carbohydrates?
Are you fatigued throughout the day?
Are you especially hungry two hours after dinner?
Are your fingernails brittle?
If you answered yes to at least three of these questions, chances are you are experiencing silent inflammation already.
What can you do? Well, it is no big surprise that the remedy suggested by Dr. Sears is the Zone diet. If you'd like to understand more about the science behind this answer, I recommend reading Toxic Fat, or any of the other Zone diet books. But even if you shy away from diving into a prescribed diet, which includes measuring your portions, you can still benefit from a few simple changes in your current eating plan:
Eliminate cheap, refined carbohydrates made from grains and sugars. These include breakfast cereals, cookies, cakes, muffins, bagels, breads, bakery products, pasta, white rice, chips, etc. Most, if not all, snack foods would fall into this category. Substitute whole foods, such as fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, etc.
Eliminate all refined vegetable oils from your diet, especially corn and soybean oil. This includes all trans-fats. Substitute olive oil, grass fed butter, or coconut oil when cooking. Check labels at the store! This stuff is hidden in many products, such as potato chips, bakery products, desserts, prepared foods, frozen foods, sauces, etc.
Add a daily dose of fish oil. You can also eat more fish, but it is unlikely you will get enough omega-3 oils just from your foods. This is a simple, quick, and easy fix that can begin to reduce your silent inflammation immediately.
Take these three steps and you will be well on your way to reversing the trend toward inflammation and disease that pervades our current society! I am making it my goal to support you here, with this blog, so please send your comments, questions, ideas, and input my way. Let's get healthier!
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