Dr. Jonny Bowden

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  • Coffee Could Reduce Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

    A nine-year study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed your daily Starbucks habit could reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes.

    “There have been conflicting results from previous studies regarding coffee’s effect on chronic disease risk depending on the type of disease,” said Anna Floegel, the study’s lead author. “That is why we decided to look at different diseases at the same time to estimate the overall health effect of coffee consumption.”

    Floegel and her team looked at diet, exercise, and other health factors from over 42,000 German adults without any chronic conditions. Among these numerous factors including how much coffee they drank.

    The nine-year study followed up on participants every two or three years to see if they developed any health problems, including heart disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and cancer.

    Researchers found coffee and non-coffee drinkers equally likely to develop one of these diseases. About one of every 10 people developed a chronic disease, whether or not they drank coffee.

    Except for diabetes.

    The study found coffee drinkers were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who skipped the java.

    Now, granted, the numbers weren’t that significant. While 3.6% of non-coffee drinkers developed diabetes, that number went down to 3.2% for people who drank about four cups of coffee every day.

    But once researchers accounted for other factors that contribute to diabetes, including obesity, they found frequent coffee drinkers were an impressive 23% less likely to develop diabetes.

    If you love coffee as much as I do, you’re thrilled about these studies. (Okay, maybe not thrilled. But at least satisfied.)

    For too long, coffee got a bad rep. You might have heard the debate about whether it raises blood sugar and insulin levels, and you’re no doubt familiar with urban legends about how coffee contributes to some disease or other.

    If you’re guzzling enough coffee to give new meaning to the term “bottomless cup,” you could very well be raising your blood sugar and lots of other bad things. Coffee, like red wine, is not one of those more-is-better healthy drinks.

    But a cup or two of organic, freshly ground coffee every morning can provide numerous health benefits, including raising your antioxidant levels and, as this study shows, reducing your risk for diabetes.

    This isn’t the first study to prove that. A study in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine for instance, also found that long-term coffee consumption could significantly lower your risk for type 2 diabetes.

    Keep in mind that coffee doesn’t prevent diabetes. You can’t just guzzle four cups of sugar-loaded coffee along with your chocolate chip scone and expect not to get diabetes. But then, you knew that.

    Coffee, however, can lower your risk for diabetes, though we’re not exactly sure how. It’s probably not caffeine, since researchers in this study found decaf drinkers also lowered their risk.

    It could be cholorogenic acid, one of the most prevalent antioxidants in coffee, which a study in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism showed reduces absorption of new glucose and slows sugar release into your bloodstream after you eat.

    Now, if you’re not a coffee drinker, I’m not suggesting you start. Green tea also provides antioxidants and other benefits without the caffeine jitters too much coffee can create.

    But if a cup of java jumpstarts your day, and you can’t imagine your morning without it, you can take comfort that you’re not doing your health any harm and are probably getting numerous benefits from coffee.

  • Red Meat for Mental Health?

    Red Meat for Mental Health?

    A just-published study from Australia found that women consuming less than the “recommended” amount of red meat were twice as likely to have a diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorder.

    How is this possible? Read on.

    A couple of weeks ago I reported on the now-famous (or infamous) study out of Harvard which was widely reported in the media as “proving” that red meat causes early death.

    The executive summary of that article was this:

    • It was an observational study, not a clinical one.
    • It showed an association, not a causal relationship.
    • The data was based on notoriously unreliable food questionnaires.
    • And the association- which was kind of weak to begin with—could have been due to countless factors– for example, sodium/nitrates in processed meat, high heat cooking (known to create carcinogenic toxins), or extraneous variables (those in the study who reported eating the most meat also smoked more, weighed more and exercised less).

    I also pointed out that there has never been a study- ever– that compared health outcomes of those eating grass-fed meat (a whole different animal, if you’ll pardon the pun) with those eating pink-slime-filled meat of the kind you get at fast food restaurants, or sodium and nitrate-drenched processed meat like you get at deli counters.

    And I maintained that if such a study were ever to be done, it would probably show health benefits for meat eating as opposed to health risks. (Those benefits would probably be even more dramatic for those who make grass-fed meat a part of a wholesome diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits, and excluded  sugar, grains, trans fats and processed foods.)

    The new study seems to back up my hypothesis.

    Not surprisingly, you haven’t heard a thing about it in the mainstream media.

    Researchers from Deakin University in Australia studied 1000 Australian women and uncovered the statistically significant link between low consumption of red meat and lamb and higher levels of depression and anxiety.

    “Even when we took into account the overall healthiness of the women’s diets, as well as other factors such as their socioeconomic status, physical activity levels, smoking, weight and age, the relationship between low red meat intake and mental health remained”, said lead researcher Professor Felice Jacka in an interview with England’s The Telegraph.

    Wait—did Dr. Jonny just say “recommended amount of meat”?

    Yes. He did. The Australian government recommends eating 65-100 grams (roughly 2 ½ to 4 ounces) three to four times a week.

    Surprised by the results? Don’t be. In Australia, nearly all beef and lamb is pasture raised (grass-fed). That means the meat is high in omega-3’s, relatively low in inflammatory omega-6’s, and virtually absent of the hormones, antibiotics and steroids routinely given to factory farmed meat in America.

    Meat in Australia is a health food. Meat in America? Not so much.

    “We had originally thought that red meat might not be good for mental health but it turns out that it actually may be quite important”, said Professor Jacka.

    Interestingly, the benefit wasn’t just from eating protein, since there was exactly zero relationship between mental health benefits and chicken, pork, plant-based proteins or even, surprisingly, fish.

    “We know that red meat in Australia is a healthy product as it contains high levels of nutrients, including the Omega-3 fatty acids that are important to mental and physical health”, commented Jacka.

    The “meat-scare” article I wrote about a couple of issues ago is a perfect example of “confirmation bias”—that is, seeing what you expect to see. The general belief in this country- even among researchers—is that meat is “bad”. So when an association like the one found in the Harvard study shows up, no one questions it too closely.

    But that’s exactly what we should be doing.

    In my article on “The Red Meat Scare”, I wrote that until someone shows me a causal relationship between grass-fed meat and any negative health outcome, I’m going to continue the diet that’s kept me strong, healthy and prescription-medicine free for sixty-some years: Wild salmon, grass-fed meat, tons of berries, nuts, coconut, vegetables, fruits and omega-3’s.

    The Australian study confirms my own belief that a diet rich in grass-fed meat is anything but a health risk. And such a diet may well turn out to have substantial health benefits beyond even those unearthed by the Australian study.

    I’m betting my health on it.

    And it’s a bet I plan to win.

  • How to Get Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

    A new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found kids will usually eat vegetables if they’re disguised in other foods.

    If you grew up eating soggy spinach and limp broccoli, you at some point likely developed a strong distaste for vegetables. That’s the only reason I can imagine kids have such a hatred for this nutrient-dense food group that, when correctly prepared, can be amazingly delicious.

    Regardless, parents and school lunchrooms have invented all kind of clever disguises to slip leafy greens into a kid-friendly palate.

    You’ve no doubt seen – maybe even tried – the cookbooks, for instance, which show how to hide vegetables in other foods so your kids will eat them.

    Manufacturers, likewise, concoct clandestine methods to slip vegetables into otherwise less-than-healthy foods, which kids then beg mom to put in the grocery cart.

    My point, as this study shows, is that we’ll do nearly anything to get kids to eat their vegetables.

    Researchers at Columbia University enrolled 68 elementary and middle school children. They developed three foods for these kids: zucchini chocolate chip bread, broccoli gingerbread spice cake, and chickpea chocolate chip cookies.

    Here’s how it worked. Researchers presented students two foods. One listed the food’s vegetable; the other didn’t.

    So for instance, one label might read “zucchini chocolate chip bread” and the other simply “gingerbread spice cake,” even though the gingerbread spice (unbeknownst to the kids, because it wasn’t on the label) also contained broccoli.

    The kids loved the bread and cake regardless of whether it had the vegetable label. In other words, even though they knew that bread had zucchini, they enjoyed it just as much as the unlabeled bread.

    The chickpea-labeled cookies, on the other hand, got huge thumbs down, although the unlabeled chickpea cookies proved a big hit.

    Seems there’s a bit of bias against chickpeas.

    Either that, or these kids had no idea what chickpeas were. (Although that didn’t stop them from devouring the unlabeled cookies.) While zucchini and broccoli were vegetable staples, only 19% of the kids had chickpeas within the past year.

    These findings show that if you hide vegetables into dessert, the sweetness will overpower any vegetable-y taste and kids will probably eat it. The study also shows kids are less likely to choose unfamiliar foods.

    It’s little wonder, then, that many adults also appear squeamish about trying a new healthy food like quinoa and kohlrabi. Take a look at my book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. How many of the more arcane foods have you tried? (Kimchi, anyone?)

    I’m all for kids getting their vegetables any way they can, but I’m not sure if loading spinach into a chocolate chip cookie proves the healthiest way.

    What if we just made vegetables taste better and even fun?

    For one, serve vegetables fresh. There’s a world of difference between frozen packaged and fresh spinach, for instance, and kids pick up on it right away.

    Two, add some good fats like butter or olive oil to the vegetables. They’ll taste much better, and the fat will help your kids absorb the fat-soluble nutrients like beta-carotene and vitamin D.

    I’ll leave you with some vegetable ideas I practically guarantee your kids will love, no disguising required:

    • Fresh broccoli with butter
    • Spinach sautéed in coconut oil and garlic
    • Baked sweet potato fries
    • Brussels sprouts with nitrate-free bacon and olive oil
    • Sliced zucchini and squash fries
    • Spaghetti squash with pesto
    • Sliced zucchini and squash “breaded” with almond flour

  • Low Carb Beats Low Fat for Fat Loss & More

    A study that Johns Hopkins researchers presented at a recent American Heart Association meeting showed the more belly fat you lose, the better your arteries can expand, which allows more blood to flow to your heart, brain, and other areas.

    The six-month study divided 60 men and women into two groups that combined either a low-fat or low-carb diet with moderate exercise. Both groups ate the same number of calories.

    Researchers used a blood flow test to evaluate participants’ vascular health. They measured how much blood reached their fingertips before, during, and after a blood pressure cuff restricted arterial flow.

    Measuring blood flow to your fingertips, by the way, provides an indication about your overall vascular health.

    The more belly fat these people lost, the more blood flowed to their fingertips, indicating better arterial function.

    “Our study demonstrated that the amount of improvement in the vessels was directly linked to how much central, or belly fat, the individuals lost, regardless of which diet they were on,” said lead researcher and John Hopkins professor Kerry J. Stewart.

    “This is important since there have been concerns that a low-carb diet, which means eating more fat, may have a harmful effect on cardiovascular health. These results showed no harmful effects from the low-carb diet.”

    If you’ve seen firsthand how powerfully a low-carb diet helps burn fat and boost health, you’re thrilled with these kinds of studies. Finally, researchers admit a low-carb diet trumps low-fat diets for fat loss as well as vascular (and other) health measures.

    Better late than never.

    But the news gets even better: participants on a low-carb diet in this study lost an average of 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet.

    “After six months, those who were on the low-carb diet lost an average of 28.9 pounds versus 18.7 pounds among those on the low-fat diet,” Kerry said.

    If you follow these studies, you know researchers allow a wide margin for what they consider a low-carb diet. Some studies severely limit carb intake to Atkins Induction levels (20 grams or less). Others are a little more, shall we say, lenient.

    This was one of the more lenient studies.

    Researchers here restricted carbs to 30% of the low-carb group’s diet, coming from foods like bread, pasta, and fruit.

    Which, as you know, isn’t exactly low carb.

    I wonder what would have happened if researchers put these participants an even more restricted low-carb diet that focused on lean protein, good fats, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, and berries.

    In other words, the same kind of diet our Paleo ancestors thrived on, and the one I think we’re most adapted to today.

    I’m betting that their fat loss and vascular health would have improved even more.

    That’s what I find so impressive. Even though the low-carb group devoured up to 30% of their carbs as bread and pasta, they still lost an average of 10 more pounds than the low-fat group.

    Even reducing your carbs a little bit can provide health benefits and fat loss.

    But why do it halfway? After all, eating a low-carb (say, around 50 grams a day), moderate-protein, higher-fat whole foods diet allows you to eat the most nutrient-rich, satisfying, fat-burning foods on the planet.

    Check out my new low-carb weight loss program Unleash Your Thin if you want more details.

  • Daily Habit Increases Heart Disease Risk By 20%

    Daily Habit Increases Heart Disease Risk By 20%

    A new study in the journal Circulation found men who consumed a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened drink every day had a 20% higher risk of heart disease compared to men who didn’t drink them.

    The study tracked primarily Caucasian middle-aged men, all in healthcare professions, for 22 years. Every two years, these participants completed questionnaires that inquired about diet and other lifestyle factors.

    Participants also gave a blood sample, which measured various lipids and proteins that provide markers for heart disease:

    • the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP)
    • triglycerides
    • high-density lipoproteins (HDL cholesterol)

    No surprise in the findings…

    The men who daily gulped a sugary drink had higher triglyceride and CRP levels, as well as lower HDL levels, compared to non-sugar beverage drinkers.

    Researchers found that neither men who only occasionally drink these sugary beverages (maybe every few weeks), nor those who consume artificially sweetened drinks, increase their risk for heart disease.

    The American Heart Association recommends no more than about 150 calories for men and 100 for women every day to come from sugary drinks.

    My advice would be not to touch these drinks, period. They provide little if any nutrients and empty calories.

    I’m not just talking about soda here. I see people who know Coke is bad buy fruit juice or an energy drink that manufacturers market as healthy.

    Reality check: some of these juices and energy drinks pack more sugar than a Coke.

    Same deal with tea. I’m all for drinking green tea, but not when it’s loaded with sugar and other preservatives like many bottled teas are.

    And don’t be misled by “healthy” sugars. You might think you’re making a healthier choice with organic cane sugar or whatever, but your pancreas doesn’t know the difference.

    Whether it’s high-fructose corn syrup or organic whatever, you’re going to raise your blood sugar, which means you raise insulin. Insulin stores fat and creates all sorts of metabolic havoc that leads to diabetes, heart disease, and other complications.

    And while we’re talking sugars that are marketed as healthy…

    Can we please put this agave nonsense to rest?

    Health food stores are stocked with agave-sweetened drinks and foods, and it’s the biggest marketing scam of the past few years.

    Agave is about 90% fructose, which doesn’t raise insulin levels but creates even worse damage. Your liver poorly metabolizes fructose, which eventually can lead to fatty liver and inflammation. Fructose eventually gets repackaged as triglycerides, which store quite nicely around your waist.

    So nix the agave, okay?

    I also don’t recommend artificially sweetened drinks. Many contain aspartame, a potential neurotoxin that creates a lot of trouble for people.

    My point is, read your labels. Manufacturers hide sugar and artificial sweeteners under innocuous names. Learn them, and learn to put anything that doesn’t meet your standards back on the shelf.

    If you’re at a gas station or wherever and need a cold drink, look for one sweetened with stevia or xylitol. These are both beneficial natural sweeteners that don’t raise blood sugar levels or stress the liver.

    Lemon or lime flavored seltzer waters and mineral waters are also a great idea.

    Of course, if you’re at a Starbucks or your favorite coffee place, you can order green tea or coffee, either iced or hot. Just specify unsweetened, since some of the iced drinks come pre-made with sugar.

    Your best bet would be to brew your own tea at home. Make a gallon pitcher of green tea, sweeten it with stevia or xylitol, and carry it in a Sigg bottle when you’re out. You’ll save money and improve your health.

     

  • Miracle Mineral Reduces Blood Pressure… and Much More

    Miracle Mineral Reduces Blood Pressure… and Much More

    A recent meta-analysis in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that magnesium could help reduce blood pressure.

    Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire analyzed 22 studies that involved 1,173 people total to understand how magnesium affects blood pressure. Each of these studies supplemented anywhere from 120 mg to nearly a gram of magnesium, and lasted anywhere from three to 24 weeks.

    Researchers concluded that while not all the studies found significant blood pressure reduction, the studies combined showed magnesium reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

    What’s more, people in these studies got the best results when they veered towards higher magnesium doses.

    Hypertension, or high blood pressure, proves a major risk factor for heart and renal diseases. I don’t have to remind you that cardiovascular disease is the number-one natural killer for Americans.

    Here’s the deal with magnesium:

    Over 300 enzymes in your body require this important mineral.

    Every time you detox, your body requires magnesium. In other words, with insufficient magnesium levels, your body’s not detoxing. And keep in mind detoxification is a daily process, not something you do twice a year.

    Among its many other benefits, magnesium regulates blood sugar levels, reduces brain-related issues like insomnia and anxiety, and lowers your risk for heart disease and stroke.

    I could go on, but here’s the short of it: I can’t think of a more beneficial mineral than magnesium.

    My friends Dr. Michael and Mary Dan Eades wrote a whole chapter in their classic The Protein Power Lifeplan called “The Magnesium Miracle.” Trust me, the Drs. Eades are not prone to hyperbole. Magnesium is that important.

    Researchers have found up to 80% of Americans don’t get enough magnesium. A study in The Journal of Nutrition, for instance, concluded that “[s]ubstantial numbers of U.S. adults fail to consume adequate magnesium in their diets.”

    A huge factor for hypertension is low magnesium levels. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Americans are largely deficient in this mineral and suffer such high amounts of high blood pressure and heart disease.

    Good dietary magnesium sources include nuts and seeds as well as leafy green vegetables.

    And you’re going to love this one: dark chocolate contains magnesium. When I hear friends complain they crave chocolate, I remind them they might be magnesium deficient.

    But getting therapeutic amounts of this mineral, like in these studies, requires supplementation.

    Magnesium absorbs poorly. Chances are, if you buy a cheap store brand, you’re getting magnesium oxide, the most poorly absorbable form of magnesium. Your body absorbs and utilizes very little magnesium oxide. As usual, you get what you pay for.

    I want you to upgrade immediately to my favorite magnesium supplement, Magnesium Malate Chelate from Designs for Health, to get this mineral’s numerous benefits.

    Magnesium Malate Chelate, as the name implies, is fully chelated to glycine and malic acid. It combines two of the most health promoting and most absorbable forms of magnesium. Your body absorbs these magnesium salts and retains them in body tissue (like bone) much better than other forms of this mineral.

    If all that means nothing to you, rest assured you’re getting the highest quality, most absorbable magnesium supplement you can buy.

    Each tablet offers an effective 250 mg of magnesium. Two tablets daily provides a good maintenance dose, although to reduce hypertension and other issues, you’ll want to get up to one gram in divided doses.

    One warning. Slowly taper up your dose, since magnesium can provide upset stomach if you take too much at once.

    And one other suggestion: I like to take Magnesium Malate Chelate before bed. Magnesium promotes relaxation and calm, making it the ideal supplement to help you unwind after a long, hectic day.

    Sources:

    • Ford ES, et al. Dietary magnesium intake in a national sample of US adults. J Nutr. 2003 Sep;133(9):2879-82.
    • http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ejcn20124a.html
  • Ditching Dairy & Gluten Found Effective for Autism

    Ditching Dairy & Gluten Found Effective for Autism

    A new study in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience found a diet without gluten and casein could improve behavior and physiological symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

    The Penn State researchers asked 387 parents and caregivers of kids with ASD to fill out an online survey about GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, food sensitivities, and how well the kids adhered to their gluten-free, casein-free diet.

    If you’re not aware, much debate exists within the ASD community about how effective – and realistic – a gluten-free, casein-free diet can be for ASD. The Autism Research Institute, for instance, recommends completely ditching casein and gluten to treat autism.

    Studies, however, show mixed results. The most recent systematic review, which appears in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, argues “limited and weak” evidence that casein and gluten exacerbate problems with ALD, despite that seven of the 14 studies they reviewed concluded eliminating gluten and casein could be incredibly beneficial.

    So what’s the big deal about casein and gluten anyway?

    Casein is the primary protein in cow’s milk and cheese. Casein breaks downs to casomorphin, an opioid that has a morphine-like effect in your brain. A study in the journal Autism found that casomorphin exacerbates some symptoms of autism. Gluten, the protein in wheat and certain other grains, triggers similar morphine-like effects.

    But according to study researcher Laura Cousino Klein, autism may not just be a neurological disease. It may also involve the GI tract and the immune system.

    “There are strong connections between the immune system and the brain, which are mediated through multiple physiological symptoms,” Klein said. “A majority of the pain receptors in the body are located in the gut, so by adhering to a gluten-free, casein-free diet, you’re reducing inflammation and discomfort that may alter brain processing, making the body more receptive to ASD therapies.”

    The study found when kids went entirely gluten- and casein-free, things dramatically improved. These kids weren’t suffering as many GI problems, for instance, and exhibited better social behavior and attention span.

    But here’s the deal. Parents who completely removed casein and gluten from their kids’ diets got the best results, as opposed to parents who only eliminated one or the other, or parents who didn’t completely remove them.

    In other words, you can’t halfway ditch these foods and call it a day. You’ve got to remove every last morsel of Kraft singles and wheat crackers from your kids’ diet.

    If you’ve got a child with ASD, it’s definitely worth removing all casein- and gluten-containing foods to see if things improve. But you’ve got to give it time (at least six months) and do it right. There are no shortcuts, and you can’t let an occasional glass of milk or wheat bread slip in and get optimal results.

    And heads up: gluten can slip in the strangest places. Sandwich meats often contain gluten, as do mustard and pickles. Same deal with casein. You’ve got to read labels and monitor everything your kid eats.

    You can see what a challenge this can become, since so many school lunchroom options, for instance, contain gluten and dairy. The point is, you can do it, and the results often prove worth the effort.

    I also don’t think it’s a bad idea to remove gluten and casein from any child’s diet, particularly if they have trouble concentrating or gut-related problems.

    You might be asking at this point, Then what the heck do I feed my child?

    I’ve seen lots of kids go Paleo with amazing results. Lean protein, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds… There are unlimited varieties of satisfying gluten- and dairy-free foods your child will learn to love.

    I’ll get the ball rolling with these five delicious, kid-friendly Paleo snacks:

    • Organic apples with almond butter
    • Sliced turkey and avocado in a corn or rice wrap
    • Deviled eggs with gluten-free mustard
    • Trail mix with mixed nuts and berries
    • Coconut milk yogurt with frozen grapes and cherries

    References:

  • Build Muscle and Burn Fat? Choose Protein!

    A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found eating a low-protein diet makes your body more likely to store fat around your liver, kidneys, and other organs.

    You might not think any type of body fat could be good, but trust me: fat hanging around these organs is especially bad.

    On the other hand, researchers here found a higher-protein diet increases muscle and boosts your metabolism.

    The study recorded everything 25 people ate over 12 weeks. And I mean everything: these people were confined to a hospital ward and closely monitored. None of them were smuggling in Little Debbies or anything else not on the well-regulated menu.

    Researchers gave these participants about a thousand extra calories every day. One group got those extra calories as protein, the other from carbs.

    Not surprisingly, both groups gained weight…

    • The low-protein group lost muscle and gained fat eating those thousand extra calories as carbs.
    • The higher-protein group gained about the same amount of muscle as the carb group gained fat.
    • So while both groups gained weight, the protein group gained less fat and more muscle than the carb group.

    Now, imagine you didn’t eat those extra thousand calories like participants did in this study.

    The reality is, eating the right amount of carbs or protein can help you lose weight. But you don’t want to lose weight. You want to lose fat and gain muscle.

    No contest: you want to eat a higher-protein diet.

    But this study also reveals something more profound, which cutting-edge nutritionists like myself have argued for decades:

    A calorie is not a calorie.

    Protein has completely different metabolic effects than carbohydrate.

    Let’s take a look at 2 different dinner scenarios with the same amount of calories:

    1. Let’s say you eat 500 calories of pasta and ice cream. For one, that’s not a lot of food: a small bowl of pasta and a couple scoops of ice cream. This meal would raise blood sugar, which would trigger the hormone insulin. Insulin’s job is to get sugar into your cells. But insulin does something else very well: it stores fat. Guaranteed too that a few hours later, you’ll be hungry again. And it won’t be for Brussels sprouts.
    2. But let’s say you instead decide to eat 500 calories of wild salmon and spinach. The omega-3 fatty acids in the salmon will have zero effect on insulin. Protein, however, does trigger insulin (though not to the degree carbs do), but it also signals insulin’s sister hormone glucagon, which performs the opposite feat: it releases fat from fat cells. Overall, these hormones balance each other out. The protein and good fats in the salmon, coupled with the fiber in spinach, will keep you full far longer, while performing all the amazing physiological feats protein and fat do in your body.

    Both meals have the same amount of calories. But they have completely different effects in your body.

    I could trot out dozens of studies that prove protein is far superior to carbs to curb appetite, build muscle, spike metabolism, and burn fat.

    A study in The American Journal of Nutrition, for instance, concluded a high-protein breakfast keeps you fuller longer than whatever low-fat/ high-carb concoction passes as breakfast food these days.

    And a study in The New England Journal of Medicine that looked at 1,209 adults over six months concluded a protein-rich diet helps you burn fat and maintain fat loss much more effectively than carbohydrates.

    You get it. Protein is that important. It burns fat and aids in about a zillion other things in your body, from building hormones and antibodies to preventing muscle breakdown.

    Want to lose weight? You could choose any number of diets, from lowering calories to eating a high-carb, lower-fat diet.

    But want to lose fat? No contest: higher-protein, reduced-carb eating is your most effective fat burning, muscle-building option.

     

    Sources:

    • Blom WA, et al. Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Feb;83(2):211-20.
    • Larsen TM, et al. Diets with High or Low Protein Content and Glycemic Index for Weight-Loss Maintenance. N Engl J Med. 2010 Nov 25;363(22):2102-13.
  • Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes (Maybe Not)

    Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes (Maybe Not)

    A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that processed canned meat – more affectionately known as spam – could double your risk for diabetes.

    The study involved 2,000 Native Americans, a high-risk demographic for type 2 diabetes. Statistics show, in fact, that almost one in two Native Americans will have diabetes by age 55. So it makes sense to conduct studies and figure out what’s triggering this chronic disease.

    According to Amanda Fretts, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine, spam has become a staple on reservations due to its long shelf life, particularly since many Native Americans have limited access to grocery stores.

    I should also mention the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food assistance program provides this spam. That it’s free might be another reason to stock up on it.

    Back to the study: when it began, none of the participants had diabetes. A five-year follow-up survey, however, revealed 243 of the 2,000 Native Americans had developed diabetes.

    Of the 500 people in the original study who ate the most canned meats, 85 had developed diabetes.

    On the other hand, among the 500 people who ate the least amount of spam, 44 developed diabetes.

    Researchers noted that people who feasted on spam more often also tended to be overweight.

    Despite these statistics, Fretts said the study could not prove that eating processed meats contributed to the increased risk of diabetes. “I think there needs to be more follow-up,” she said.

    I’m not a fan of spam and other processed meats. They’re often filled with gluten, sugar, and God knows what else. If you’ve ever eaten a hot dog or sausage and wondered what was in it, chances are you don’t want to know. Particularly not while you’re eating it.

    That said, I want to know exactly what else these people ate for five years besides the spam that potentially contributed to diabetes.

    My guess is, with limited funds and access to grocery stores, the spam eaters weren’t eating organic broccoli and sipping green tea. Instead, they likely consumed all sorts of processed crap and guzzled sugary sodas that, like spam, have a shelf life of forever.

    In other words, I’m not a fan of spam, but neither am I convinced it was the culprit in these Native Americans’ diabetes surge.

    I also want to point out researchers did not find that unprocessed meat also triggers diabetes. I’m happy they said that, because I believe meat gets unfairly stigmatized regardless of its source.

    As you know, a world of difference exists between spam and healthy meats like grass-fed beef, wild salmon, and free-range poultry. In other words, a McDonald’s cheeseburger is a whole different ballgame than a grass-fed steak.

    Red meat in particular has been unfairly criticized for potentially creating diabetes. Again, let’s go back to the drawing board: what else were these people eating besides the meat in these studies?

    If the standard American diet is any indication: lots of carbs. And you know what carbs do well. They raise insulin. Eventually your cells get burned out from insulin overload. Insulin resistance and subsequently diabetes are often the result.

    Now, let’s say you have a grass-fed steak with spinach and a salad. You guessed it: you don’t have that insulin surge and all its subsequent metabolic problems.

    My point is, I don’t think meat – processed or not – is the problem. It’s all the other crap people eat combined with that meat that leads to diabetes.

    One more thing: many of these studies that indict red meat for diabetes use conventional meat, not the far healthier grass-fed beef that’s richer in omega 3s, conjugated linoleic acid, and other nutrients.

    My verdict: skip the sugar and processed carbs, choose the highest-quality meats, eat plenty of leafy green vegetables and low-glycemic fruits, and you’ll dramatically reduce your diabetes risk.

  • Are You Eating Candy Disguised as Breakfast?

    Are You Eating Candy Disguised as Breakfast?

    A British study looked at popular breakfast cereals and concluded most of them were so loaded with sugar, they belong in the candy aisle.

    Of the 50 cereals the study examined, 32 were high in sugar. That included 12 of the 14 cereals aimed at kids.

    Before you dismiss this as an irrelevant study because it occurred on the other side of the pond, I want to point out American breakfast cereals are just as bad and probably worse.

    Don’t believe me? Take a stroll down the cereal aisle at your local supermarket and check out a few labels.

    The study winner for added sugar was Kellogg’s Frosties, which packed an astounding 37% sugar. Store-brand chocolate rice cereals pulled a close second with 36% sugar. And several store-brand honey nut cornflakes had nearly 34% sugar.

    Even so-called healthy cereals in this study, such as Kellogg’s All-Bran Flakes and Special K, had 17 – 22% sugar.

    This study also found inconsistent nutrition labeling and serving size among cereals.

    What particularly drives me nuts (other than the high sugar) is that researchers neatly concluded since these cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, they could play a part in a “healthy balanced diet.”

    I want you to define the term “healthy balanced diet” for me. And while you’re at it, explain to me the “everything in moderation” theory.

    Chances are, I’ll get as many definitions as I have readers.

    Dieticians and other professionals like to throw these terms around like they actually mean something. Sorry, but they’re useless phrases that sound good on paper.

    But back to breakfast cereals.

    Despite whatever nutrients and even protein manufacturers add, cereal is predominantly a carbohydrate. Whether that cereal is chocolate nutty fruity pellets or Special K, it converts to mostly glucose in your body.

    So here’s a particular scenario. (When I say “you,” I mean hypothetically, since I know you’re smarter than to fall into this trap.)

    You see an ad that Special K can help you lose a certain amount of weight in two weeks. So your mornings start with a big bowl of this cereal in skim milk with a banana and a tall glass of orange juice.

    All in all, about 300 calories with almost zero fat. And probably some nonsense about whole grains too. What’s not to love about this breakfast?

    Plenty.

    For one, you’ve raised your blood sugar levels. That triggers your pancreas to release insulin, which among its other duties, stores fat.

    Around mid-morning, your blood sugar levels will crash, leaving you cranky and hungry.

    Chances are, you’ll visit the snack machine for low-fat chips or whatever. Maybe you’ll head to Starbucks for a 600-calorie low-fat muffin with a skim-milk latte. Or you’ll pull out a 100-Calorie pack, which again spikes and crashes your blood sugar and releases insulin. You might be so ravenous that you cave to those jelly donuts your receptionist brought in.

    Can you see the vicious cycle that’s playing out?

    There’s more. Your body can’t store protein. Let’s say you got sufficient protein for dinner the night before. You’re looking at about 12 hours your body has gone without fuel.  Guess where your body’s going to get that protein? From the precious muscle you worked so hard to build at the gym.

    To put things succinctly: when you eat cereal for breakfast, you’re setting yourself up for metabolic disaster all day. Fat burning is the last thing happening in your body.

    I think most people habitually eat cereal because it’s a fast, easy breakfast. So I want to propose some healthy, fat-burning alternatives that take about the same amount of time as breakfast cereal:

    1. PaleoMeal – this fantastic meal-replacement powder from Designs for Health comes loaded with 17 grams of high-quality whey protein plus fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to keep you full and focused for hours.
    2. Eggs – keep some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge and you have instant breakfast.
    3. Nuts and seeds
    4. Leftovers – warm up last night’s salmon and spinach (or whatever you had) for a filling, delicious breakfast.
    5. Cottage cheese with walnuts
    6. Unsweetened Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries – particularly wonderful for summer mornings when it’s too humid to cook or do much else.
    7. Organic apple slices with almond butter