Filed under: Carbohydrates, Food, Health and Wellness, Macro and Micronutrients
http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2009/08/fiber-fallacies.html
1. Fiber has no nutritive value. For this reason, of all carbohydrates, I would say that fiber perhaps most deserves the title “carbage.”
2. Fiber demonstrates antinutritive effects – blocking the absorption of essential nutrients. Another reason to put it in the junk food pile.
3. People eating high fiber diets demonstrate a greater risk of excessively long colons and a higher incidence of megacolon and volvulus (strangulated colon). This suggests that high fiber intake has a negative effect on colonic transit, actually facilitating impaction.
4. High fiber intake promotes bacterial growth and fermentation, which produces hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide, causing cramps, bloating, and distension, all of which injure the colon.
5. Contrary to the predictions of Burkitt, Trowel, and other fiber fanatics, we have no evidence that increased fiber intake reduces diverticular disease; on the contrary “the incidence of diverticulosis and complications of diverticular disease have been increasing in the West despite increase in dietary fiber intake.”
6. We have no evidence that a human must have daily bowel evacuation of feces to maintain health of any body structure, colon included.
I have this well-meaning aunt that knows I’ve struggled with my weight for some time, and has recently been forwarding me some nutrition/diet tips from this website called Hungry Girl (http://www.hungry-girl.com). It’s all the standard CW bullshit, and I cringe at all of the ‘healthy’ suggestions they list. Check out their ‘healthy’ mac ‘n’ cheese (using heart healthy whole grain pasta, of course!):
Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/3rd of the package), prepared according to classic box instructions
Calories: 410
Fat: 19g
Sodium: 710mg
Carbs: 49g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 10g
It always makes me roll my eyes when I see dieters trying to justify a sugar/carb binge as healthy when it’s low fat. Check it:
HG News You Can Use! Holey Donuts! makes really great-tasting low-fat donuts & reduced-fat cinnamon buns — and the donut co. is wrapping up a FANTASTIC contest right now. Five winners will each win three boxes of yummy low-fat donuts…
Well, shit…if the donut is LOW FAT that must mean it’s healthy, right?! No mention of the sugar content, because sugar is apparently a non-factor. Always looking for a way to deceive ourselves into thinking we’re making good choices.
And…the worst one:
Post’s Bowls of Hope Program – Want to chew for a cause? Chew on this… Until the end of ’09, Post will donate one bowl of cereal to Feeding America for every purchase of specially marked Post Shredded Wheat cereal (up to 15 million bowls!).
Great! Feed the world sugary, nutritionally-void pseudo food! Thanks, Post! Grr. So now I wonder if I should bother saying anything to my aunt. If she found out that I’m following a high-fat (saturated, even!), low-carb nutritional plan, she’d probably freak out. I haven’t told many people about it, as they tend to give me looks of disapproval and bewilderment and subtle, “Just be careful” warnings. I’ve not felt this good in a very long time, so I’m not worried about the approval of others, but it does get old feeling like you have to justify the way you eat.
I just said goodbye and good riddance to another 3 pounds this week. As a ballpark figure, my food intake consists of roughly 50% fat, 40% protein and 10% carbohydrate, but the percentages vary daily. I’ve added minimal amounts of activity to my day, which consists of using the stairs as much as possible at work, parking farther away, and taking Ellie for walks a couple times a week. I’m going to start incorporating strength training twice a week in the gym at work, which will help build lean muscle mass.
More than anything else, I’m feeling so good. I feel like a thin person, because I don’t have the constant bloating and inflammation. I’m spending less time concentrating on how I look, and more time on how I feel (energy levels, moods, etc.) I’m also taking Vitamin D3 supplements since I don’t get nearly enough sunlight (this should really help during the winter months).
Update: As for the contest, I’m the winner for the week, and am also ahead of the group, having lost a total of 7.35% of my total body weight. I have plans to get a full blood workup done once I’ve lost 10%. I’d like to see where my fasting glucose is at, as well as my HDL/LDL and triglycerides.
Modern to Primal: My Evolution to Proper Nutrition and Elite Fitness 