By Joan McDaniel July 31, 2019
This is a simple article on nutrition. Written in 2012, Even though It is dated (for example Mayor Bloomberg was still mayor of New York City), the information in the article is basic and doesn’t change. It was one of the first articles I wrote. I wanted to approach the subject with as much basic knowledge as I could. This was in answer to my question on how to get started getting well from the food I eat?
A New Look at Nutrition
By Joan McDaniel August 1, 2012
Three Types of Nutrients in the Human Diet
https://coconutcreamcare.com/2012/08/01/a-new-look-at-nutrition/
Back to basics for a moment, to make sure we are in the same ball park or at the same ball game. Many items contained in this post have been discussed before, but I feel that they are all spread out in different places. So let us review basic nutrient, basic nutrition types and how the body digests them to produce healthy energy.
I am not recommending a count calories diet or recommend a daily calorie intake. I agree with what I have read and learned mostly by Dr. Mercola who doesn’t pass on daily intake suggestions. He approaches individual natural food and its value to diet.
Each person needs to work out their own dietary intake and to understand their own body. An attempt to understand the known principles of the body’s complex digestive system should help.
The body’s digestive system is extremely complex and I haven’t found anyone or anywhere it is fully explained, at least to where I can understand it. For I believe — If something is knowable, then it has a simple explanation.
I can only conclude no one completely understands it. That includes all the Food Police and Nanny’s in all the countries around the world including the USDA, World Health Organization (WHO), Mayor Bloomberg, and other meddlers.
The basic principles presented should provide an understanding allowing people the knowledge to make their own decisions and get the most energy from their food intake.
Nutrition
The story of food is the story of energy, whether we are looking at the process by which solar energy provides nutrients for the body, or how that energy, in the form of fossil fuels, is used to bring energy, in the form of food, to our tables.
Nutritional Intake
As every school kid should know; The three major types of nutrients in the human diet are;
Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats.
They provide the body with burnable energy in the form of a nutrient.
Nutrient
A nutrient is a chemical an organism needs to live and grow and must be taken from the environment. These nutrients are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted and used as energy. Our body digests foods by an internal digestive system.
Matter from the earth or organic matter includes carbohydrates, fats and proteins or their building blocks, amino acids and vitamins.
1. Carbohydrate
One of the three major types of nutrients in the human diet. A Carbohydrate is a group of organic compounds, the most important of which are cellulose, glycogen, saccharine, and starch. Cereals, fruits, flour products, legumes (beans) potatoes, rice, and vegetables, are the major sources of carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates get burned rapidly and the body gets hungry shortly after eating. Refined white sugar and white flour
products, as well as alcohol, are carbohydrates.
In the diagram GI stands for Glucose Index. High consumption of refined carbohydrates creates an insulin resistant response in the body which can then develop into Diabetes Type 2. It is a Diabetic precondition.
Carbohydrates produce energy for the cells via Glucose. Carbohydrates are constructed out of sugar. All plants plus milk are carbohydrates; in fact most everything is sugar and water.
When you eat more refined carbohydrates than your body can use, the excess carbohydrate energy is converted to fat by your liver. This process occurs to help your body maintain blood sugar control in the short-term, however it will likely increase triglyceride concentrations, which will increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
“A low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet may be dangerous to your health. Eating fat does not make you fat, your body‘s response to excess carbohydrates in your diet makes you fat.
White flour and white rice have undergone refinement where most of the nutritious part of the grain has been removed, so the flour essentially becomes a form of sugar. Whole wheat, whole bran or rice is unrefined. It consists of non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin, when digested it is called fiber
.
The Endosperm and Bran are intrinsic and intact in plants and remains in the finished product. The body does not produce enzymes that break down this fiber and it passes through the body. Food consisting of unrefined carbohydrates, mixed with fat, fiberand/or proteinslow down digestion and absorption of glucose into the blood stream, eliminating that sugar rush and demand for insulin shown in the blood glucose chart above.
“Daily intake of carbohydrates should be limited and to about 40% of the diet.” Dr. Mercola.
The Hazards of Bleached Flour
Homicidal Corporate Fascism?
The Food Channel Video
http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/the-food-industry/the-hazards-of-bleached-flour.html
In Europe, it’s illegal to use chemicals such as chlorine and bromine to bleach flour. In the US, it’s standard. If you eat anything made from white flour in the US, including baked goods from grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries, you can assume the flour
is chemically bleached.
It’s another highly processed food, and here’s why it matters to your health…
Video (7:08):
http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/page/10294.html
http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/the-food-industry/the-hazards-of-bleached-flour.html
2.5M subscribers
The FDA Conspiracy & Bleached Flour, Austin Nutrition
2. Fat
Fat is the next food energy source. Since the 1930’s, fat has received a bad reputation . We both agree there are good fats and there are bad fats. The USDA’S food pyramid and its supporters suggest most fats are bad especially saturated fat. Unsaturated fats are good but must be limited they indicate.
I have taken the advice of Dr. Mercola, Dr. Fife and others who have carefully illustrated the extreme benefits of Saturated Fats especially in the form of Coconut Oil. I consider Saturated Fat is one of the most important lessons I learned.
I have learned, Saturated and monounsaturated fats are good for you. Artificially (man-made) oxidized fat such as; polyunsaturated hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarine, and shortening are bad.
Fats include dairy, meats, oils, avocado, nuts, olives, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil, fish oil, flaxseed, flaxseed oil, etc.
Daily dietary intake of natural fats like saturated fats are unlimited, any amount and all natural fats are good.
Fat like fiber also slows down the movement of food in the digestive system allowing food more time to be digested and more nutrients especially minerals are absorbed. Low-fat diets prevent the complete digestion of food promoting mineral deficiencies. Fat gives at least twice as much energy, as an equal weight of the other energy foods – protein and carbohydrates.
There are three kinds of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. They are differentiated by their molecular structure. The best fats are those that contain the essential fatty acids so named because without them we die. Essential fatty acidsare polyunsaturated and grouped into two families, the omega-6EFAs and the omega-3EFAs. Although we do need both omega-3s and omega-6s it is becoming increasingly clear that an excess of omega-6 can have dire consequences.
When stored glucose is depleted the body will convert fat and protein to energy via molecular units called keytones.
Vegetables, Fruits which contain Fat-Soluble vitamins or minerals cannot be absorbed by the body unless they are eaten with fat such as oil or butter. A vitamin tablet will not help for they too need fat to be absorbed by the body.
3. Protein
Of the major types of nutrients in the human diet, Protein is built out of a large combination of twenty-two Amino Acids. Your protein needs vary according to activity level. Of all the twenty-two amino acids, there are eight, which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through the diet.
Laboratory measurements show that daily protein requirements increase for active individuals. Protein requirements for active people can be up to 100 percent higher than those for sedentary individuals (1.6-1.8 g/kg of body weight vs. 0.8 g/kg).
Fat and Protein can be used to produce energy, their primary function is to provide building blocks for tissues, hormones, enzymes, and other structures for the human body.
See my post of Some High-quality Protein Sources. on for food sources of Protein.
Nutrition Label
The Nutrition label is now required on most packaged food in many countries. The label pictured below is the USDA Food recommendation. In Food Police Nanny language that means rules. If you disobey their “recommendations” you become a fat misfit and should be ignored by society. (My interpretation)
Nutrition suggestions (rules ) have been marked. This Nutrition Label represents the Standard American Diet. I covered the history of the fat-free diet and the food police food pyramid in the post Is Your Cooking Oil Healthy? on June 27, 2012
I do not have such a fancy display to illustrate the new Holistic and Naturopathic Nutrition I found but here are the suggested changes.
These are recommendations are from Dr. Mecola and others. I have read so many articles and books I simply don’t remember who said what when. So let’s just say — I put this stuff together from all stuff I have read. These suggestions are based on scientific research, studies and understanding of the human body.
Search Dr. Mecola site and you will find a wealth of recommendations. But generally this is what I have put found;
The Intake of saturated fat is not limited. Eat as much as you want. Dr. Mercola
Intake of sodium is restricted but the limit is like 8,000mg. Way above the Food Pyramid recommended (ruled) limit. The type of salt recommended is Sea Salt.
Point 5 of the Nutrition Label says get plenty of these. They are talking about carbohydrates, sugars and Dietary Fiber.
If you are insulin resistive, have a border line high A1c blood test, or have full blown Diabetes, your intake of carbohydrates and sugar should be very limited. About 80% of American’s are either insulin resistive or getting close to it. You should consume no more than 25% of your total dietary intake in carbohydrates or less. For myself my normal morning fasting glucose blood sugar reading is less than 90mg/dl so my daily intake should be no more than 100mg of carbohydrates. In other words Carbohydrates and sugar should be limited yet saturated fats and recommended sea salt is not limited.
The only agreement we have with the Pyramid people’s recommendations (rules) seems to be with a large intake of Dietary Fiber and Vitamins. When it comes to Dietary Fiber try to get the highest fiber content number you can. You can then subtract that number from the total carbohydrates.
We do not count calories. Everyone’s body is different. You have to get to know your body and how much you can eat on your own. It is your body, not mine. I have found what I can consume and not gain weight or increase my glucose blood sugar and what I can’t. I hope I have given you enough information to work on your own intake diet.
Updated January 19, 2013
I found this article in my files. Dr. Lee Hieb has an impressive list of achievements and has done some wonderful research into the Standard American Diet. I am providing a link to her article it is “Right On”. Joan
What government tells you to eat is all wrong
Exclusive: Dr. Lee Hieb gives real skinny on ‘low-fat’ malarkey
by Dr. Lee Hieb
Dr Lee Hieb
https://vaccineimpact.com/2015/dr-lee-hieb-m-d-vaccine-hysteria-could-spark-totalitarian-nightmare/
is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in spinal surgery. She is past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a free market medical organization.
“I have a hobby. When I see a healthy patient over 90 years old, I always ask them about their diet, and the answer is almost always the same: They lean over and, sounding a little guilty like the kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, say something like, “Well, I hate to tell you this, but I have eaten butter, eggs and bacon all my life.”
This is WND printer-friendly version of the complete article.
To view this item online, visit http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/what-government-tells-you-to-eat-is-all-wrong/
Till Next time