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The Typical American Diet

Eat, Drink & Be FAT

 

Fats and your Health: Questions & Answers

    (or ‘Why not just eat real food?’)  - by Marilyn Sidwell (with help from John Jones, MD)
Blog - "You just need to eat right". What does it mean?
Eating right means (among other things) getting enough of the right kind of protein.

The answers to these questions plus other facts will help you understand the importance of having Fat and Essential Fatty Acids, Protein and Low Carbohydrate foods in your life!

What is 'The typical American Diet?

It has been pointed out by many health care professionals that our rampaging increase in diseases is due to our American Diet.  But do you know why that is?   In a nutshell (pun intended) we eat too many milk products, like cheese, yogurt & ice cream, drink too much milk, eat too much sugar (much of the sugar is delivered by food choices that are high in carbohydrates), and too much red meat.  These  choices are not bad of themselves, but they are not balanced by food from the ocean,  or fresh fruits & vegetables. 

Dr. Jones has promoted the Low Carbohydrate lifestyle for many years. His interest began in 1960 when he was a flight surgeon in the Air Force working to keep bomber pilots fit for duty.  

Problems with the typical Western diet.

Typical American dietary choices often result in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more.  In addition there are problems with many of our possible food choices.
  • GMO foods have been shown to contain less nourishment than organic foods 
  • I am not discounting problems arising from exposure to glyphosate and other herbicides and pesticides
  • Nationwide food consumption studies conducted by the USDA have found that individuals surveyed were consuming only a percentage of the daily minimum requirements of several essential nutrients. Those surveyed were people who made an effort to eat (and thought they were eating) a balanced diet. The nutrients that are most often deficient are: vitamin B6, folacin, zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium.  With these facts in mind, it is not likely that anyone is consuming an optimal supply of nutrients... without supplementation. 
  • Most people NEVER or very seldom eat fish - and consumption of deep water cold water fish is rare. It is likely that our brains developed as the result of eating food from the ocean or creatures that ate food from the ocean.
  • Most meat has been 'enhanced' with hormones and antibiotics
  • Some vegetables, such as potatoes and celery, are heavily contaminated with pesticide residue.
  • Many people never eat fruit - they drink juice which is high in sugar
  • Many people never eat raw vegetables or freshly ground grain
  • Many foods are picked before they are ripe, shipped halfway around the world and then artificially ripened.
As you can see, the list of problems with our food is long - and this list is not complete.

I know, it is difficult, to change.  We are creatures of habit and eat the same 10 to 15 foods all the time.  These foods tend to be processed or manufactured and high in carbs, not to mention sweets like candy and cake - and pop or juice.  I love this quote (don't know where i heard it)  'Were you born with an extra sweet tooth?'

Essential Fatty Acid Terms
Essential Fatty Acids - the body absolutely MUST have them and they cannot be made from anything else you eat. These oils are the common sources of EFAs. These are also known as LCPUFAs. Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosapentaenoic Acid (DHA) provide these LCPUFAs in a form that is readily available to you.

Is it true that fats are bad for you?  NO!

In fact, many Health problems arise from the 'Fat is Bad' Dietary Approach.  90% of of the dietary food choices come from Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat.  If we stop eating fats and fatty foods we eliminate many of our food choices.  The foods we choose to eat instead are heavily weighted towards carbohydrates.  

Carbohydrate (not fat) is increasingly recognized as THE MAJOR problem stemming from our American diet.  The reason carbohydrates are a problem is that the body easily converts carbohydrate into sugar.

Is Carbohydrate REALLY Bad?

That leads me to the next thought: in America sugar consumption is WAY up.  Calorie intake is WAY up.  Did you know that eating sugar makes you hungry?  Fat, on the other hand, satisfies your hunger - and you remain satisfied for a long time.  Hint: a tablespoon of Coconut oil satisfies hunger very well.  Americans are eating more processed foods and less 'real' food - the source of most of the sugar intake.  

PS if you stop to read the label on that manufactured food you have in your hand can you recognize everything that is on the label?   Were you were planning to eat it, anyway?

Doesn't Eating Fat Make You Fat?  NO!

Fat you eat does not convert to fat in the body - it converts to energy, although at a slower rate than carbohydrates and sugar.  In fact, fats are necessary for many metabolic processes in the body. Fats are also necessary for the body's production of hormones.  If you consider that normal hormone production decreases with age, that decrease is accelerated for people who avoid fats in their diets.  (You were wondering about that low testosterone?)  60% of the brain is fat.  EFAs are necessary for both brain structure and function. In fact they are essential for all neurologic function. There seems to be a link to an increased rate of suicide for people who avoid fat.

Make no mistake - it is the increased carbohydrate and sugar in our diets that has led to an increased number of people who are obese or who have Diabetes or who have Heart Disease. This is one reason that fad diets and exercise programs to lose weight are at the top of the list of popular promotions. Except fad diets tend to be low fat or fat free, thus perpetuating the problem. And as soon as the diet ends the weight goes back up. It’s the carbohydrate, not the fat and protein, that is THE PROBLEM!

Regardless of your personal eating choices, you need to know that some fats are ESSENTIAL. This means that the body MUST have them, and cannot make them from anything else you eat or any other supplements you take. They ultimately affect every cell in your body - including (but not limited to) the brain, the eyes, neurons, skin and hair. From what you eat EFAs eventually become prostaglandins (you've heard that word, right?)

What kinds of fats should we have in our diets?

Some fats, like coconut oil and olive oil are very beneficial.  Coconut oil, for instance, converts to keytones which the body uses preferentially over glucose for energy.  Other fats (fatty acids), like fish oil, contribute necessary 'essential' metabolites to the body.  These fatty acids produce prostaglandins, which work at the cellular level to help the body function on a daily basis.  Fish oil is often recommended  by doctors for heart conditions and arthritis. 

What are PUFAs?

Ultra Omega-Linic is a special Omega blend.  We have combined two ingredients - Black Currant seed oil and Wild Alaskan Salmon fish oil.  Ultra Omega-Linic delivers both the omega 6 GLA and omega 3 EPA & DHA LCPUFAs.  All of these EFAs are deficient in the American diet.  GLA contributes anti-inflammatory benefits which enhance the effects of Wild Alaskan Fish Oil. 

Ultra Omega-Linic has 
-    a high level of EPA for body and brain function,
-    a high level of DHA for body and brain structure, and
-    a high level of GLA for powerful anti inflammation results.

During pregnancy and lactation, mothers need these PREformed Essential Fatty Acids in order to provide them to the baby for the development of its brain and retina.  The baby will take them from the mother, which could lead to problems for her, such as post partum depression.

Is there a difference (as far as the body is concerned) between flax seed oil and fish oil?

Yes!  Flax seed oil, a favorite of vegetarians and those who avoid fish and fish oil supplements,  does not provide the body with the essential EPA or DHA or GLA PUFAs.


Ultra Omega-Linic is the Best Omega Blend because
-    It provides the most complete fast response for the pain of inflammation and arthritis
-    It contains pure Wild Alaskan Salmon oil and Black Currant Seed oil
-    Formulated by John W Jones, MD, MPH

Benefits of Ultra Omega-Linic
    1.    Amazing and Fast anit-inflammatory relief with GLA
    2.    Superior protection from joint destruction with DHA
    3.    Keep your body moving with EPA
    4.    Vitamin E:  the universal anti oxidant

To Recap:
There are two groups of Fats (Fatty Acids) which are 'Essential'. We call them EFAs, and more correctly they are Long Chain PreFormed Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids or LCPUFAs.

One group is called w6 (Omega or n6). The other is w3 or n-3. (Just a few technical terms for you)   A little recognized fact about these two groups of EFAs is that they are not interchangeable.  An intake of one will NEVER lead to a prostaglandin from the other. Besides the broad grouping of fatty acids there are 4 specific ones that are discussed here.  These fatty acids are defined as pre formed LC-PUFAs, or pre formed, long chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids.  They are the ones that produce magic-like health benefits:
  • w6 fatty acids - gamma linolenic acid (GLA), and arachidonic acid (AA)
  • w3 fatty acids - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Many articles you read about essential fatty acids reference the fact that we have too much omega 6 fatty acid in the diet. They emphasize that you need fish oil for the w3 fatty acids.  

This information is only partly true.
AA is an EFA and must be consumed for health.  It is also true that the typical Western diet provides WAY too much AA, which is an omega 6.   Meat, milk and eggs are the most common rich sources of AA. Diets high in AA, such as the usual American diet,  and lacking in the other EFAs can lead to (or aggravate) problems such as angina, arthritis, asthma, IBS, diabetes, depression, cancer, food allergies, menstrual cramps, MS and thrombosis - very common problems doctors deal with every day.

EFA "POOFA" Mystery Solved...
GLA, the other w6, is also essential, and most fish oil supplements do not include it (except for Ultra Omega-Linic and its predecessor, Samolinic)  The common sources for the GLA LCPUFA are Borage, Black Currant seed and Oil of Evening Primrose.

  • Many people who are taking only fish oil (or krill or one of the other marine-only products) show a marked lessening of pain and inflammation when they include GLA in their daily supplementation.  Studies show that GLA enhances the effectiveness of EPA and DHA.

  • Most of us do not eat the beneficial deep water, cold water oily fish daily - or weekly - if ever.

  • Many people think that eating foods which are high in LA will suffice.  However, the large amount of  AA in our Western diet will actively prevent the conversion which would ultimately provide the PG1  Prostaglandins.  You must use one of the above GLA supplements to get PreFormed GLA and actively work to reduce the amount of AA in food choices.  

Conclusion:

The rise in carbohydrate and sugar consumption began when the 'Fat is Bad for You' myth was promulgated.  This has triggered a parallel rise in many of our 'modern' diseases.  One of the major problems is obesity - which holds hands with diabetes, blood sugar non-control, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and a host of other health problems. 

It seems a new diet appears every week or so promissing to solve our weight problems, and by association solving the other problems as well, so we know that there is much concern over our typical American diet

Your doctor may tell you that you would be healthy if only you would eat right.  The problem with this statement is - how do you know what is the right way to eat?   Consider the Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle Modification - and end the dietary yo-yo game.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Recommendations are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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