Noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer kill 41 million people each year,
equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
We know that if modifiable risk factors such as diet and inactivity were worked on that
at least 80% of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes would be prevented; over
40% of cancer would be prevented. And this is according to the World Health Organisation.
So, if we know this then why is disease prevalence and premature death so prevalent? Well one
of the biggest problems is consumer confusion. Every 2 minutes the guidelines change, and
this breads confusion.
It is up to health educators to clear up confusion and give consumers control with nutrition
messages that are realistic, positive, easy to understand, and actionable. Unfortunately,
this routinely does not happen.
So, in today’s video I am going to give you 10 foods that Dr’s, dieticians and nutritionists
routinely communicate as being healthy when they are anything but.
Now just to heavily caveat if you eat any of these foods are you going to die of a heart
attack tomorrow absolutely not. But the foods on this list have clear links to longer term
disease processes not to mention ethical and environmental problems associated with them.
As just a quick reminder before we get to the video that as always that I am now offering
the SIBO, organic acids, stool test and consult via my website. So, if you have any health
or digestive issues then consider taking these tests as they will provide a lot of very details
information upon which you can start making informed decisions and then start getting
your health back on track. And on that bombshell to the video.
Number 1 was always going to be dairy. Experts estimate that about 68 percent of the world's
population has lactose malabsorption. Symptoms associated with lactose intolerance include
diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, bloating and gas.
Now tomorrow if I produced a chocolate bar that 68 percent of those who ate it had digestive
complaints, what do you think would happen. It would probably be banned.
Now clearly, I am oversimplifying a more complex topic, but you get my point here.
Milk and other dairy products are the top source of saturated fat in the American diet
and many diets around the world, contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s
disease. Studies have also linked dairy to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and
prostate cancers.
So, if we are going to be clear with messaging so that people understand what they are eating
and drinking in terms of dairy then we need to be honest with people and Dr’s, dieticians
and nutritionists have to start communicating the facts are they are and not like some are
currently doing (Abbey Sharp clip).
Number 2 is Protein powders. Now before you race to the comments section, I am not saying
all protein powders are bad. But there are many healthcare practitioners that will advise
their patients to drink protein drinks and shakes like they are going out of fashion,
so let me clarify some of their main problems.
So, protein powders are obviously powdered forms of protein that typically comes from
egg, milk or plants. These powders also typically contain added sugars, artificial flavouring,
thickeners as well as a whole host of other unnecessary ingredients.
So, what are the known and potential risks? There are a few. Firstly, most manufacturers
around the world are evaluate the safety and labelling of their own products. So, the consumer
often has no way of knowing if the protein actually contains what manufacturers say.
Secondly, we don’t know what the long-term effects of protein powders are. As of today,
there is very little evidence or data on the longer-term side effects of high protein intake
from isolated supplements. Equally though we know that high protein diets from foods
are not healthy over the longer term its why we have protein recommendations from all health
organisations around the world.
Thirdly we know that for many people taking protein powders they run into digestive problems
such as gas and bloating. Continually causing digestive distress over the longer term is
another longer-term risk factor where the evidence is limited.
Lastly regarding protein powders is issues that I highlighted just now. Many contain
a lot of added sugars and calories. That is a generalisation obviously and there are many
that are lower in sugars etc, but some can be as high as 25 grams per scoop.
Obviously if these powders are being added to milk drinks are high fruit drinks, then
this has the potential to cause sizable spikes in blood sugar levels and also contribute
to weight gain in some people.
Number 3 is red meat. Now again there are many health professionals that strongly advocate
red meats to be included in a person’s diet. And this includes everything from beef, lamb,
pork, veal, venison and even goat.
Now the risk factors of red meats with chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer
are well established. Some of the compounds within red meat such as neu5gc, heme iron
and saturated fats are known risk factors.
Its why the world health organisation says this regarding red meats and cancer: “If
you eat red meat, limit consumption to no more than about three portions per week. Three
portions are equivalent to about 350–500g (about 12–18oz) cooked weight. Consume very
little, if any, processed meat”.
So, when you weigh this up along with the ethical and environmental aspects of red meat,
I don’t get why these types of foods are recommended in people’s diets. They cause
health issues; they cause unnecessary suffering to animals, and they contribute around 18%
of greenhouse gas emissions which is more than the combined exhaust from all transportation.
Number 4 is Processed low fat or fat free foods. So, in the advent of emerging scientific
evidence on how damaging things like saturated fats can be, many food manufacturers tried
to maintain their consumer bases by manipulating foods to become low in fat or fat free.
By doing this and in an attempt to keep the foods tasting ok many of these food manufacturers
simply loaded up on added sugars.
For example, Even the NHS in the UK says use 1% fat milk on your cereal and in hot drinks.
It has about half the saturated fat of semi-skimmed. That is true but that milk will then generally
contain around 5 grams of sugars which is only half the number of sugars that you would
find in 100ml of Coca-Cola.
Therefore, simply avoid this low fat no fat food alternatives because they are generally
loaded with sugars and also a lot of additives and preservatives.
Number 5 is vegetable oils. Now again just to caveat is putting some olive oil on your
salad going to kill you anytime soon, obviously not. But we need to get away from this notion
that many Dr’s, dieticians and nutritionists are putting out that vegetable oils provide
health benefits, or they are heart healthy is one that I often hear.
Now this is a very contentious topic. There are lots of studies showing benefits of things
like olive oil and there are many studies that show negative impacts. And to be fair
if you analyse many of the earlier studies on oils the studies were centred around Mediterranean
diets where those people were eating more fruits and vegetables and more fresh produce.
But if you look at some of the re-analysed data from some of these older studies then
the link between vegetables oils and things like heart health become very weak.
The way I look at these things is that you want to eat as close as you can to whole foods.
Any time you isolate a protein, sugar or fat and consume them at higher levels then you
have the potential to cause problems in the body.
So, my advice is avoiding vegetable oils that contain high amounts of omega-6 fats which
can be inflammatory in the body such as soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil.
Peanut oil, sesame oil and also rice bran oil.
If you are going to use olive oil every now and then, then great……but certainly don’t
believe the hype that these types of oils are somehow health promoting foods.
Number 6: Is low carb junk foods. We all saw the hype and hysteria around keto diets and
carnivore diets and look how quiet that has all become now. Unfortunately, there are still
Dr’s and dieticians, and nutritionists out there who will push these diets and also some
of low carb junk foods that just because these foods are low carb, they are somehow healthy.
You have only got to look at the grandfather of low carb diets Robert Atkins and the low
carb bars that are still sold in his name to know these are not a healthy choice for
people.
These types of bars and foods contain potentially problematic ingredients such as high intensity
sweeteners, unhealthy fats and other additives.
I personally believe from the evidence that I have seen believe for me a higher carb,
higher fibre diet over the longer term is better for health. If you believe differently
than that is fine but if you are following any forms of low carb high fat diet, then
please avoid these low carb snack options and try and make your own options at home.
Number 7 is Fruit juices. Now believe it or not I do speak to a fair few people who were
recommended by other practitioners that they should drink fruit juices to somehow cleanse
the body or liver. Or fruit juices are absolutely healthy to be consumed daily.
Now most sensible people will acknowledge that the more you concentrate the sugar and
calories in fruit juices the more it may contribute to some people eating and drinking excess
calories and contributing towards obesity and inappropriate weight gain.
Obviously, the more weight a person puts on the more a person is susceptible to higher
blood pressure, hypertension, fatty liver, strokes, diabetes and so on.
Now again can you drink fruit juices and be healthy absolutely. I love nothing more than
on a hot summers day to have a glass of apple juice. But I certainly wouldn’t regularly
be consuming this type of drink on a regular basis.
Number 8 is not a food per se its more of a food term that drives me insane, and I hear
many Dr’s, nutritionists and dieticians say it. It’s all about moderation. So, eat
what you want but it’s all about moderation.
What does that even mean. If I tell you to eat crisps in moderation, how are you even
going to know how many bags of crisps you can eat and what your limit is? And if you
are guessing what I determine as moderation maybe completely different from your moderation.
This has been demonstrated repeatedly in studies like these from the University of Georgia
and Duke University. In three separate experiments, the participants repeatedly chose moderation
to mean more than recommended levels.
The findings across all 3 studies were that: that the endorsement of moderation messages
allows for a wide range of interpretations of moderate consumption, “Thus, we conclude
that moderation messages are unlikely to be effective messages for helping people maintain
or lose weight.
So, I will give you some specific advice here to leave no ambiguity. Eat whole plant-based
foods 70-80% of the time and then you can allow a processed refined pizza at the weekend
and 20% of the time if you want.
Number 9 is eggs, now again this is one of the most controversial foods around. But the
guidelines for health organisations have been consistent for a period of time. But despite
this many health professionals choose to ignore the guidance and again tell their patients
to eat eggs like they are going out of fashion.
Now as an example this is what the American heart association says about eggs: The American
Heart Association suggests one egg (or two egg whites) per day for people who eat them,
as part of a healthy diet.
So, despite the clear guidance you still get dieticians such as Abbey Sharp choosing to
eat what they want and equally not reaffirming the what the guidance says. If people watch
these types of videos or you have practitioners say eggs are fine, then again it creates uncertainty
in a person.
Number 10 is spinach. Now again spinach is not the devil. But we have come from a period
of time where many Dr’s, nutritionists and dieticians have actively promoted people to
load up on spinach. Spinach smoothies, spinach on salad and spinach with spinach.
Yes, spinach can absolutely be a healthy food but if you have a lack of diversity of bacteria
in the colon, or you are susceptible to kidney stones, or even if you don’t then you probably
want to avoid eating too much of it because of the oxalate content.
Too much oxalate in the body can cause some serious health problems. An excess amount
of oxalate can combine with calcium in the urine and cause kidney stones. Other problems
that are routinely reported when a person consumes foods like spinach with an extremely
high level of oxalates are things like joint problems, brain fog, headaches and also more
rarely things like heart arrhythmias.
If you enjoyed this video, then be sure to check out this one up here as I’m sure you
will find it equally interesting and as always remember to look after your body because it’s
the only place you have to live, and I will see you next time.