When I was growing up in America in the 1980’s there was a full-on war against fat, especially the saturated variety. This shaped my idea of what a healthy diet should be. I remember trimming even the most miniscule piece of fat off of the meat on my plate as a child.
It was only decades later that I discovered the organizations that waged this war against fat did so, primarily, to take the spotlight off of how toxic sugar was to the human body. There’s quite a bit of research that suggests the low fat diets of the 1980’s contributed significantly to the decline in mental and physical health of an entire generation. Many of these mainstream dietary recommendations still haven’t changed to this day despite evidence they're causing us harm. This mainstream diet created both the need and the normalization of a plethora of pharmaceutical drugs being prescribed for everything imaginable.
Since 2021, as I’ve made it a point to explore outside of the mainstream to educate myself about nutrition. My dietary philosophy has changed as a result. I’ve incorporated much more grass-fed beef and dairy products into my diet as well as olive oil, nuts, and avocados. There’s usually a pile of either sauerkraut or kimchi on my plate as well at least once a day. I’ve cut out nearly all of the bad fats (hydrogenated/seed oils), processed foods, GMO foods, refined carbohydrates and sweeteners (cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) I still drink caffeine, drink a glass of wine or beer every day, and occasionally eat things that aren’t the healthiest. I mean I’m not a monk for Godsake, I have to allow myself some wiggle room.
Since doing this I’ve noticed some drastic changes in my fifty-two year old body and mind. Muscle mass has increased, body fat has decreased, and I’ve noticed substantially sharper mental acuity and improved mood. Despite all of these positive changes in my body I’ve directly experienced, in the back of my mind, I was still worried that this new diet was harming me internally in some way. I guess those dietary “facts” drilled into our little brains during Saturday morning cartoon hour have an incredibly long shelf life.
"The wish for healing has always been half of health." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca
I recently had my first physical since 2021 and was pretty taken aback by the results.
Each and every metric has improved since my last physical three years ago.
The improvement to my total cholesterol was the most dramatic, at a full thirty points lower. I feel better than I did twenty years ago.
The term “health is wealth” has always resonated deeply with me. This recent experience served as a reminder to me about how important it is for all of us to take responsibility for our own health and our own education. After all, the health of our minds, bodies, and spirits are inextricably intertwined and improving one of these things improves our entire life experience.
Unfortunately, we live in a society today where the governments of the world are fully married to incomprehensibly powerful corporations. So much so that, at this point, the two are indistinguishable. The powers that be are great at creating problems then selling us the solutions, which often aren't really solutions at all. It’s so important for everyone to commit this to memory.
As the old Arabian Proverb says, "He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” If there's one thing we need more of in this world today it's a little hope.
Enjoy the day. Thank you for reading!
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That's great Eric, they say we are what we eat, and it is so very true! Your results are proof indeed!
I had to chuckle though:
I agree, no need to go overboard.
Ever since the doc diagnosed my excruciating stomach pain as IBS, which I did not believe at first, I've been more careful with what I eat. After the hernia surgery, I could not allow myself any 'wiggle room' at all because it was too darn sore to cough which happens with my Reflux issue.
So I became like a
monknun? For a while at least!I checked all these chronic meds the doctors put me on over the years, and have been cutting some out, not irresponsibly.
One thing I highly recommend for anyone who is well into their silver years and suffers from joint pain is MSM. It's a natural anti-inflammatory and pain killer, and since taking it regularly, all my aches and pains have gone unless I overdid the 'wiggling'!
But I agree, we need to take responsibility for our well-being.
Nothing wrong with having a treat every so often though, right? There are many less 'sinful' treats available as well.
Keep on keeping well Eric!
That's the beauty of having good habits, you can afford to splurge on the occasional unhealthy indulgence. : ) Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your IBS. I know someone who has a similar condition and they found relief studying remedies for conditions of the "brain- gut axis". Supposedly IBS, fibromyalgia and a whole list of other conditions are related to dysfunction of the brain-gut axis. Modern medicine is just learning about it now. I'll keep MSM in mind! My Mom suffers from terrible arthritis...I'll have to check to see if MSM can help that. Thank you, Lizelle! I hope you're having a good week.
This, yes! We have been sold so many lies about nutrition and health and we never really took the time to look into the whys, nor the direction of money flow that prompted our involuntary re-education. Real butter is bad for you so here, eat this
cheaperhealthier option. We are being poisoned and don't even know it. Eat real food...real food!The food the body needs isn’t that even expensive and yet we always go for the expensive ones. Glad people are getting that now
True!
Agreed!
We absolutely have been sold so many lies, mostly for the sake of profit/greed. I, honestly, think it's best to consume the things that our bodies have become accustomed through the generations. The more natural the better. Even natural foods like butter have been adulterated through factory farming and this throws off the lipid profile of the product. This is where it gets tricky and requires more work. You're 100% right...real food, close to the source is always best!
I am pretty sure I probably eat way more processed sugars than I should. My wife and I actually eat pretty decent and we have started to add back full fat items like Greek yogurt mostly because those low fat foods ahve so many sugars in them. I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners, so those are off the table for me. I can tell instantly if something has aspertame or stevia in it. It's weird because I feel healthier and I don't feel like I go super crazy food wise, but my cholesterol is still a bit high as well as my metabolic panel numbers.
Cutting down on sugar is such an important step! It's hidden in almost all processed food. It's one of the most inflammatory things we can consume and can cause brain fog. I had to switch to grass-fed meats and dairy before I saw much of a change in my metabolic profile. I guess the diets the animals are fed in conventional farming changes the lipid profile of the meat/milk and makes it a lot less healthy.
Very interesting. I have always had a bit of sweet tooth, so cutting the sugars will be difficult for me to say the least.
I believe this is at least as important ( aside from healthier choices, overall ), to treat yourself, regularly. I am following a similar path.
Happy to hear you are in better shape than 3 years ago. I too aim to get healthier with the years (42 now).
Thank you. It's pretty amazing how healthy and mobile we can remain in older age with the right choices. When I was growing up in the 1970s/80s most people my age were already fairly sedentary. My father was a great example for me because he was still going on lengthy bike rides and walking long distances well into his 60's. Today I see people weightlifting into their 90's, a lifetime of good habits really makes a difference.
Wow!! There was a time like this? I think I need to read further on this.
Thanks for sharing, this was enlightening.
Oh yes, "low fat foods" were flooding the market in the 80's here in the US. Many of these foods were jacked with sugar, salt, and other things that were very unhealthy. You're welcome!
Crazy times, whole c19 was stinking from kilometers, almost whole world react the same there was said one version in many languages. I was very confused.
There are so many stories about what is healthy what is against, few years later version is changing, i think it depends who pay more for american scientist reports.
My favourite is one with plant hydrated oil in my country called margarine. 50s or 60s was campagin against butter pro plant version that is more healthy. After years we know that americans was set on war industry and suplemented butter with hydrated plant oil.
Now there is so many artificial ingredients in our food.
I wonder what will be next poison on our plate tomorrow wheat, chicken meat or green onion? Stay calm eat what was your grandpas, mine is eating same things for 95 years meat,fat, coffe(for low blood presure) always same time and and same quantities.
You're so right. It's important to identify the "fads" and health trends that aren't based in facts. So often these are created by the companies that stand to profit by them. Olive oil, for example, was touted as a miracle for our health. In its pure form it is but most of the olive oil available to us in the US is counterfeit (seed oils) or rancid and actually is dangerous to consume. There are only a handful of olive oil brands that sell the genuine thing that are available to us here in America (surprisingly, Costco's Kirkland brand is one of them). Multiply this scenario by one hundred different dietary products and you can imagine how difficult it is to make good choices. I think eating as natural, pure and close to the source is always best. Stress plays a huge role too.
I've been following Dr Weil since at least the 90s, and he was an early voice questioning the "saturated fat bad, sugar good" crowd. To my knowledge he was one of the first doctors to come out against trans fat as well, declaring that it and not saturated fat was the source of much of the heath disease we see in America, back at a time when that was considered a loony view. I still like him. He's an old man now, but he's still very sensible in his ideas.
These days I eat mostly veggies, brown rice, and plenty of fermented foods like kimchi, natto, or miso. Sometimes fish. I don't miss highly sweetened stuff at all. (the only time I miss salty snacks is when drinking a beer).
I really like Dr. Weil. I read a few of his books in the early 2000's and I don't think you can go wrong with his advice. I think it's safe to say that any "fad diets" like the carnivore and keto diets typically have a money-making angle behind them. Given enough time that's usually revealed.
You're so lucky to live where you do and have access to all of that good food! I've incorporated kimchi into my diet every day. I'd love to try natto, I've heard great things about it but have never tasted it. I'm with you on the sweet foods, I never crave them. My palate is tuned more towards savory/salty.
Do you have any Japanese grocery stores near you? I know there are at least two in Indianapolis and at least one in Chicago. Both those places are a bit far from you, but maybe it's a common thing in big cities? Any Japanese grocery will have nattō. It might take a few tries to build up a taste, but once you do, you'll love it. Wonderful taste and healthy—what more do we need!
We have lots of Asian grocery stores here in the Twin Cities, I'm certain I'll be able to find it. I think Whole Foods might even carry it. Is it customary for it to be eaten for breakfast in Japan? I'll be sure to report back when I try it. I've read this stuff can even help cleanse the spike proteins produced from Covid from your blood.
Yeah, breakfast is probably the most common time for it. Nattō on rice and a bowl of miso soup. If at home, they might eat it for lunch too. Let me know if you can find it and try it. If the taste is too much for you, it might help to mix in some mustard, horseradish, or soy sauce (but just a drop or two). When you open the package, mix it until it is very sticky and the sticky stuff thickens to a white color.
I found it online. It's enroute from NYC of all places.
Oh wow, that's awesome! A little expensive, but that's not unexpected buying Japanese food in the states. I can't wait to see what you think of it!
I was just at Whole Foods yesterday and I was sure I could find Nattō there but they don't carry it. I'll continue my search. I'm on a mission! : )
I never followed diets or asked for advice with this purpose but only did my research and tried all kinds of stuff. But food does have a lot of impact on ourselves other than being no more hungry lol
Doing your own research is best because all of our bodies react to things differently. So true...if we ate properly food is the only medicine any of us would ever need.
Congrats on your good results! Giving the body the proper nutrition to run smoothly is crucial.
A pretty good rule of thumb is "eat what's not being advertised". Have you seen adverts for apples or avocados? I doubt it. I spent more than a decade in the corporate world namely the FMCG market. Look at the shelves and the sizes certain categories occupy. That tells you a lot of what's going on behind the scenes. A handful of companies decide what you eat once you enter a supermarket. More so, private labels are more often than not produced by the same big corps ;)
Thank you Krisz! I was a little worried after starting to consume more red meat, butter, and cheese that it would skew my metrics in the wrong direct but it had the opposite effect. Product placement and marketing are huge! Also, especially here in the U.S., they include ingredients that change our gut microbiome and get us addicted to certain things like sugar, salt, and refined carbs. It's not much different than Big Tobacco using science to make cigarettes more addictive. It's all about the bottom line and one industry (Food) eventually feeds another (Big Pharma). What saddens me is how many small organic brands are getting gobbled up by mega corps, and they're doing it so quietly and sneakily. I just recently discovered a brand I've been buying for years, Annie's, was gobbled up by General Mills in 2014. I had no idea!
Pay the farmer now, or pay pharma later ...
I love that!
So pleased to hear - I found very similar.
I try not be too geeky about it, but it worries me when I see that staple diet of some youngsters and infuriates me that the government in the UK is so intent on undermining the NHS while creating, as you say, the problem.
That app sounds amazing! It's very cool that you're using technology in this way. I have a similar tool I use here in the US called "Bobby Approved". It allows you to scan bar codes in the grocery store and it quickly tells you how healthy it is. That is indispensable here as our FDA guidelines and rules are about as crappy as you can even imagine.
Health will always be wealth. One thing I have come to discover about that phase is because a lot of people have been familiar with that statement so much that they don't really take proper attention to it
This article related to health awareness is like an eye opener. But if this has to work we have to stick on to this.
The most sought and valuable person is not the person who always detect the problems but people who can provide solutions to those problems
It is necessary and important to know what we consume in our body to maintain good health because not every out there is nutritious especially when being excessive.
Excellent to hear you are knocking it out of the park compared to the last one.
We really do have to think and research for ourselves and just not take anything that is pushed upon us in the name of health when so often it has been proved that everything is done in the name of profit. Fat bad, sugar... Oh don't worry about that natural stuff. Lol
Thanks, I was happy and will just continue doing what I'm doing at this point.
So true. I'm beginning to think eating local and staying away from conventional medicine might be the key to longevity. Hope your weekend was a good one!
Another part of this content caught my attention. When I always noticed and read it sometimes on articles, websites, and quotes, it gives me an inspiration not only to care of my own health but also to eat a foods that were considered my balanced diet. To share this, I eat few meal three times a day but I always added it some fruits and vegetables like orange, apple and cucumber to always make my tummy full.
Fruits/veggies are a great way to fill up!
I will agree to this. 😊
Nowhere is this more evident than in the medical field. Allowing governments, or other bodies, dictate medical choices puts us in grave danger, especially when we live under facsist regimes, which we do here in the US today.
This story that your markers are excellent, while eating a diet that has not been touted as healthy in any way by the medical industry, is anecdotal evidence that we are being deliberately mislead. I find it interesting that you were worried your diet might not have been good.
So, did the doctor find nothing wrong with you that he or she or they could poison you for? Were vaccines pushed on you, even though you enjoy the kind of health that would easily recover from just about any virus known to man?
Our medical system here in the U.S. is just so extremely broken. Once you get "into the pipeline" with that first appointment it seems like they're entire goal is to extract as much as they can out of the insurance company and your pockets. I went in for an annual physical and the metabolic panel was excellent but it was recommended that I get four vaccinations (one of which was THE jab) and a referral to an audiologist. I can't even imagine what I'd be facing if the metabolic panel wasn't good.
I'm a believer in the lifestyle I live now. Organic fruits/veg, grass fed beef/dairy, pasture raised eggs, and everything else as natural and as local as possible. I'm reading The Real Anthony Fauci now and, Lord, is this enlightening.
I'm into The Creature From Jekyll Island, also enlightening. Those blokes stole all of our money! Currency must belong to the people, just like medical modalities, schooling, and charity. I no longer think we need government at all. We'd be better off, living more naturally, heathily and peacefully, if we would just govern ourselves. 7 billion governments.
I really agree with your opinion that health is wealth. We cannot enjoy life if we are always sick. I think you really take care of your health now. Have a nice day, Eric.
So true, Eliana! Thank you and I wish you a great week!
I think those who prioritize unprocessed foods tend to be more conscious of their food choices, making informed decisions about the quality and source of their ingredients .The foods often they adopt a long-term perspective on their health. They really recognize the role of nutrition in preventing chronic diseases and promoting overall well-being, motivating them to make choices that support a sustain health.
People also sell wrong things in the market to earn money, they don't care about the health of other people, they only care about money
Nailed it! This is 99.9% of the problem here in the US.
Oh
#hive #posh
One might think that they created the pandemic and sold the vaccines then.
There are people who believe that!
I am doubtful in fact.
Buy this emoji for 1 HBD right now other wise you will die 🩻, perfect example
This is how these big companies are making/growing their business. First they create a problem and then they start to create a solution for the problem and sell it.
Exactly!