Eating For Health

At the gym this week a friend shared that their A1c was 8.7 and that he was now reading food labels and was cutting back on sugar.   So many Americans are finding their fasting blood glucose levels are higher than normal and their A1c level is high.   Many Americans have either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.   How many Americans have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes?   Prediabetes is becoming increasingly common with 97.6 million Americans (38%) with prediabetes meaning they have blood sugar levels above normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.   Those with higher levels have type 2 diabetes.   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) an estimated 34.2 million Americans (10.5%) have type 2 diabetes as of 2020.   Can prediabetes be reversed?   Prediabetes can be thought of as a warning sign for type 2 diabetes.   The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed with lifestyle changes su...

So much confusion and misunderstanding about carbs.   This week my dentist said he had a patient trying to eat 3,000 calories of protein a day and skipping the carbs. My dentist told him his kidneys wouldn’t like all that protein.   I just heard a commentator on TV say they are eating a lot of protein and skipping the bread.   What is the truth about carbs ?   Do carbs really make you gain weight, make you fat?   Should you go on a low carb diet to lose weight?   In 2017 researchers reviewed 32 clinical trials of patients eating the same calories and protein but on high or low carb diets.   Those on a low carb diet lost the same amount of weight as those on a high carb diet.   Other researchers looked at weight loss differences in those on a high protein diet or a high-carbohydrate diet.   Surprise, surprise, there was no difference in pounds lost.   Marilyn Holmes, a registered dietitian at Vanderbilt University says, “Weight gain...

Carbs – so many myths about carbs.   Come January, you hear about people going on diets and many people say they are “cutting my carbs”.   Are there carbs you should cut back on?   Yes, but there are also carbs you should be adding to your diet, not cutting.   Healthy carbs add important nutrients to your diet.   And carbs are your body’s fuel.   Low carb diets can mean low energy diets.   I love carbs and we aren’t cutting carbs in our family.   Recently, I was out eating lunch with my two daughters.   The waiter asked, “would you like a bread basket?”    We all responded in unison, “YES!”   And we enjoyed every piece of bread in that bread basket. So, what are the “healthy carbs” and what are the carbs we actually should be cutting back on? What are carbs? I showed a video in the nutrition class I teach that asked people on the street, “What are carbs?”   Most people really couldn’t answer that question. ...

So many myths about carbs.    Are carbs good or bad for your health?   A student in my class, Nicole Hamby, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.   Her paper on Good vs Bad Carbs is below.        Carbohydrates have been given a very bad reputation. However, it is not the actual carbohydrate that is bad, but what we have created them into with all of our processing. Instead of eating brown rice or whole wheat bread, Americans have chosen to consume the refined processed versions. Not only do these processed foods now lack essential nutrients but some of them can contribute to obesity and type II diabetes. Perhaps instead of grabbing a handful of jelly beans, which contains refined simple sugars, a piece of fruit would be much more beneficial to help prevent some of these diseases. While fruit may contain some simple sugars, it is natural, unrefined, and packed with vitamins your body needs. Whole grains, which are comp...