How To Eat

by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP

*NUTRITION GUIDE FOR HEALTHY EATING*

"People always ask me, "What's the best and healthiest way for me to eat? I hear so much conflicting information--low fat, high carbohydrate, low protein, high protein, etc. I just don't know who to believe!" If you're one of these people, this guide will help..." Powerhealth.net

Thumbs Down: The South Beach Diet

by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP

With the popularity of low-carb diets reaching a high point recently, it was only a matter of time before someone adjusted it into “nutritional correctness.” Enter The South Beach Diet by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, of Miami, Florida, which has sold millions of copies and has remained on the best-seller list for many months.

The South Beach Diet is most certainly a low-carb eating regime with the usual carbohydrate foods such as bread (even whole grain), fruit, fruit juices, and rice, potatoes, and pasta excluded (or kept to a bare minimum). Of course, white sugar is out, as well as the whole gamut of processed carbohydrate snack foods.

So far, so good. But then the book gets the dieter into trouble because the author urges high protein consumption in the form of skim milk, lean meat and other nonfat foods, and prohibits the use of animal fats, a dangerous combination that rapidly depletes vitamin A stores leading to auto-immune diseases and underactive thyroid (which can cause weight gain) and even cancer and heart disease.

Furthermore, by eliminating both saturated fats and carbohydrate foods, the body has no ready source of the saturated fats it needs to build healthy cell membranes. Many studies have indicated that a regimen like the South Beach diet, high in unsaturated oils (even the so-called monounsaturated oils) and low in saturated result in disease, including heart disease. This is what happens when weak science is allied to political correctness...

Read full article here: Weston A. Price

Low-Carb Diets

by Stephen Byrnes Ph.D., RNCP

Richard Allen knew something was very wrong. In the late 1980s, at the age of only 35, the graphic designer and father of two suffered a heart attack. Thankful that he survived, Richard followed his doctor’s instructions to the letter to avoid another heart attack and to avoid making a widow of his wife.

“I did everything they told me. I took my medication religiously. I exercised more. And I followed a low-fat, low- cholesterol diet. I stopped eating eggs (too much cholesterol). I cut back on meat and trimmed all the fat off what little meat I did allow myself. I started eating more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains and avoided butter. It was not exactly the tastiest diet, but I figured I was helping to preserve my health, so it was worth it.”

In 1995, however, something unexpected happened:

“I went in for a routine check-up and some blood was drawn for some tests. I was stunned to find out that my blood sugar levels were extremely high and I was subsequently diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes. I was dumbfounded. I had done everything they told me. I thought I was living and eating healthy and here I was a diabetic who now needed to take a new set of medication for a new disease.”

Full article: positivehealth.com

Myths and Truth about Vegetarianism

THE MYTHS OF VEGETARIANISM

by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP

Originally published in the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 2000.
This paper is posted at Power Health

Revised January 2002

"Though it appears that some people do well on little or no meat and remain healthy as lacto-vegetarians or lacto-ovo-vegetarians, the reason for this is because these diets are healthier for those people, not because they're healthier in general. However, a total absence of animal products, whether meat, fish, insects, eggs, butter or dairy, is to be avoided. Though it may take years, problems will eventually ensue under such dietary regimes and they will certainly show in future generations. Dr. Price's seminal research unequivocally demonstrated this. The reason for this is simple evolution: humanity evolved eating animal foods and fats as part of its diet, and our bodies are suited and accustomed to them. One cannot change evolution in a few years."

Full article: Weston A. Price

The Skinny on Fats & Breast Cancer

by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP

"In today’s nutritional world, fat has become a dirty word. Women in particular are encouraged to eat a low-fat diet to help prevent breast cancer, as well as other ailments, including other cancers. Animal fats such as butter have taken a terrible beating in the media over the past few decades and have been blamed for horrific crimes, including obesity, heart disease and cancer. Accordingly, Western peoples have been virtually brainwashed into thinking that butter and other predominantly saturated fats like coconut oil and tallow are unhealthy. So-called safe substitutes like margarine and various vegetable oils have been heavily promoted and advertised with the result being that the public associates these things with health and well-being.

Unfortunately for us, all of these contentions and claims are false. When it comes to breast cancer prevention, and in some cases treatment, the so-called ‘bad fats’ are actually the good guys, and the ‘safe substitutes’ are increasingly being shown up for what they really are: fabricated foods that cause disease, including breast cancer."

Full article: powerhealth.net