Written by K. Taylor,
L.S.E. & E. Gausepohl
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Six
Nutritional Myths That Are Cheating Your Health:
• Eating a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet is healthy.
• You get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat.
• Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are better for you than
saturated fat.
• Fish oil is a good source of Omega 3.
• You should eat six small meals a day.
• Dietary fat is converted to body fat and contributes to
heart disease.
It’s far too easy to be misled when it comes to health and nutrition.
There have been numerous opinions circulating over the years, taken
for fact and followed religiously, sometimes to the detriment of the
follower’s health. Somewhere in this melee of information, the
true science of the body has been buried under ideas that sound good
but have no basis in scientific fact. Finally, researchers and authorities
in science and medicine are speaking out, increasing awareness of how
harmful many of the misconceptions about nutrition have been.
"It
turned out that all the experts had been quoting, some second or third
hand, from one experiment. I never pay attention to 'experts.' I calculate
everything myself." Richard Feynman, Nobel
Prize-winner
Nutritional advise has led us down a path that is potentially dangerous
by drastically reducing or entirely removing foods from our diet that
are essential for our health. Because of the rush to lower cholesterol
and fat in our diet, animal-based protein and natural fats have been
replaced by highly processed protein and fat substitutes. These foods
are not natural. They have been altered from their natural state. For
instance soy, which we are led to believe is practically a "miracle"
food, has never been approved for human consumption (soy
has yet to achieve G.R.A.S. status – Generally Recognized As Safe).
The only approval soy has received is as a binder for cardboard boxes.
Animal-based protein and natural fats are vitally important nutrients
that support body structure (dietary fat does not go to body fat). Protein
and natural fat are the building blocks for our body’s regenerative
processes.They also provide energy and satisfy the appetite. Think
back to the last time you ate eggs and sausage for breakfast.
Remember how satisfied you were for 4-6 hours afterwards, compared to
eating a bowl of cereal, which left you feeling hungry in less than
2 hours?
Natural fat and protein are the preferred fuel for our bodies. Reducing
these vital nutrients has created the need to replace them in our diets,
not only with highly processed protein and fat substitutes, but an increasing
amount of carbohydrate based foods. Carbohydrates have been advertised
as healthy, but what exactly is a carbohydrate?
Carbohydrate is just a fancy name for sugar. Many foods that aren’t
sweet are converted to glucose (sugar) by the body. Our bodies don’t
know the difference between the sugar from a plain bagel and the sugar
in a candy bar. Many of us unknowingly consume the equivalent of 60
teaspoons of sugar in one day. This includes sugar in foods like pasta,
rice, potatoes, corn, bread, and other carbohydrates. This number may
not include sugar consumed when snacking. Our bodies keep approximately
one teaspoon of glucose in our bloodstream. All excess glucose is stored
as body fat unless immediately used for energy. There is no mechanism
in the body for storing dietary fat as body fat, only sugar. When we
use carbohydrates for energy, we don’t burn body fat, we store
it instead.
If you were asked: What is the most important nutrient for the body?
What would be your reply? Most people would say vitamins, but when it
comes to achieving great health the most important nutrients are Essential
Fatty Acids (EFAs) “parent” omega 3 and “parent”
omega 6. EFAs are essential because the body cannot make them, they
must come from our diet. Foods in their natural unaltered form are loaded
with these oils, but in most modern foods (even fresh fruits and vegetables),
EFAs have either been altered into dangerous hydrogenated oils and Trans
fats, or removed altogether.
EFAs are vital for healthy brain function, circulation, nerve function,
cellular health, hormonal balance, and much more. Without EFAs, the
likelihood of developing degenerative diseases increases. Half of every
cell in the body is made of EFAs. When we don’t get EFAs in our
diet, our body will use what’s available (Trans fats) in their
place. This makes for unhealthy cells, which can negatively affect our
health.
Vitamins are most commonly promoted for their importance, but what isn’t
discussed is the role of minerals. Without
the proper balance of vitamins and minerals in their natural form neither
nutrient will work properly or even be absorbed by the body. Modern
growing methods and food processing not only destroy EFAs but also reduce
the availability of essential minerals in our food. Mineral supplements
that are truly chelated (tied to amino acids) are easily absorbed and
used by the body.
Also consider the negative affects of pollution and toxins
in our environment. These toxins get stored in excess body fat When
we burn body fat for energy toxins are released and can make us feel
unwell. Eating organically grown/raised foods is a good way to avoid
these toxins. There are also herbal methods to cleanse the blood, which
can greatly improve your energy and help you feel better.
We the public need to think for ourselves when it comes to maintaining
our own health. Always second-guess any food that isn’t in its
natural form. If it’s boxed and contains a nutrition label, most
likely it’s very processed and should be avoided or at least minimized.
These foods may taste fine and look pretty, but more often than not
they contain little to no nutritional value.
We are what we eat. There is no getting around it. Taking a close look
at your eating habits and making necessary adjustments can help you
to achieve better health and possibly even avoid some health problems
in the future.
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I
have to acknowledge Brian Peskin
as my prime inspiration for this web site and my intense desire to
learn more about the science of health.
It is my ongoing work with Brian
that provided all of the information contained on this web site. I've
assisted Brian for several
years now in his research and study and what I've gained is invaluable
to me. I share it here in the hope that others will learn and gain
from it what I have!
Brian
Peskin is Brilliant! Click here to visit BrianPeskin.com
Brian Peskin is considered
by many to be one of the most trusted authorities on health and nutrition
in the world. 'Science-- not opinion' is Brian's trademark. Brian
graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in electrical
engineering in 1979. In 1995 he founded the field of Life-Systems
Engineering Science bringing engineering into the field of human physiology
and biochemistry to make astounding advances in health. His sheer
number of accomplishments during the last decade of the 20th century
and into the 21st century are unprecedented and uniquely designate
him as the #1 authority in the world of what really works and why.
Dr. James Douglas, former President, Texas Southern University had
this to say about Brian's accomplishments and his science: "We
are honored to have Professor Peskin* as a member of the faculty.
His nutritional discoveries and practical applications through Life-Systems
Engineering [Science] are unprecedented."
*
Brian Peskin received an appointment as an Adjunct Professor at Texas
Southern University in the Department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
(1998-1999)