I haven't seen the documentary Fat Head yet, and I really want to. The dude behind the film – Tom Naughton – has a pretty kickass blog that's a mix of science and smart-assery. Love it! His recent dissection of the problems with Weight Watchers was particularly interesting to me because he raises many excellent points that also broke my heart. I have received and continue to get much value from my Weight Watchers lifetime membership... while also ignoring many of the Weight Watchers nutritional guidelines.
Anyway... the movie. Some points Fat Head
covers:- nearly everything we’ve been told about obesity and healthy eating is wrong
- lowfat diets can lead to depression and type II diabetes
- saturated fat doesn’t cause heart disease — but sugars, starches and processed vegetable oils do
I hadn't heard of this guy---I'll definitely be checking out his blog.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm getting my Paleo book later today, but in the meantime I have a question for you: Isn't Paleo guy against saturated fat (for example, real butter), and pro vegetable oils and such? How do you figure out which Paleo principles to follow and which to ignore? I think I'm confusing myself.
Nutrition makes my brain hurt but it's so interesting, at the same time.
I don't really call what I do paleo because I do deviate from Cordain's guidelines in some respects. Honestly, I started working with Melissa Urban (http://whole9life.com/9-blog) on my daily diet this summer and have been following her advice.
ReplyDeleteI eat 50% fat, 25% protein, 25% carbs, and I'm at about 1700-1750 calories a day. After workouts, I eat protein and carbs with no added fat -- usually sweet potatoes -- to refuel my glycogen stores.
I don't eat any dairy or grains or sugar -- and I eat lots of coconut oil, olives, olive oil, avocados... some nuts... about one piece of fruit a day, tons of vegetables... and the meat I eat is moderately fatty. I don't like to eat a lot of visible fat, just 'cause it kinda grosses me out. I prefer skinless chicken thighs to chicken breasts, I like 90/10 ground beef and lamb, I like pork loin and pork shoulder, and I love eggs.
It's easy to get confused, so my personal rules are:
1. If Melissa Urban says it's a good idea, it probably is. She's smart and she surrounds herself with smart people.
2. I don't eat dairy or grains or sugar (aside from what occurs naturally and the little bit in my Sunbutter).
3. I eat a balance... so if I have delicious, glistening, kinda fatty pork carnitas at lunch, I have grilled shrimp or lean beef for dinner.
4. Every meal should have more vegetables than anything else.
5. If every ingredient in something is REAL (like Larabars), they're OK. But treats are still treats. Paleo pancakes, paleo pizza, Larabars... those are all treats for me. My everyday food is veggies, fruit, fats, and meat.
But I think everyone needs to decide what works for them after consulting and listening to lots of experts... or people with a big mouth like me ;-)
Thank you for being so generous with your nutrition info! I'm going to check out Melissa Urban's site when I get a moment. The guidelines you list here seem very healthy and sensible. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteooooh I must see this!
ReplyDelete