What “Diet” is the Healthiest?

So, what’s the best diet to be on? If you ask 10 different people, or doctors, there is a very good chance you just might get 10 different answers. Let me ask you this….. What diet have we used for the majority of our human existence?

• Did we go to the stores and buy diet this… and diet that?
• Or maybe we went to the store and bought low fat everything?
• Maybe we ordered our food from a food service that claims their meals are portioned perfectly, and have the right ratios of carbs, fats, and proteins (as well as vitamins and minerals)?
• I bet everyone was so busy thousands of years ago so they just pulled through a drive through window to get their food?

It makes perfect since, if you just take a minute to think about it. The human race (and our taste buds), is one of the biggest “cash cow” opportunities to dip into. Let me tell you something…. If it tastes really good….. and makes people happy….. and has at least a somewhat reasonable price tag….. you can bet a lot of people are going to buy it.

Now, while these people are gobbling down their microwave breakfast squares, sugar cube cereals, donuts, candy bars, sodas, drive through meals, and everything else; the other side is lining their pockets. While providing a service to someone, and getting paid in return is a reasonable concept, the quality is what I am drawing attention to here.

The majority of these products out there are terrible for your body. They are somewhat “cheap” to manufacture and produce, but they taste awesome! That is the catch here…. As long as it tastes good, a lot of people will buy it.

You might be asking yourself… What is so bad with our modern diet that I will from here on out refer to as the Standard American Diet (SAD)? Well, I am going to give you a few good pieces of information that changed my life after I learned about them.

There is a very complicated process that goes on inside of our bodies after we ingest something. I am not a doctor, or a chemist, but I now have a solid understanding due to years of reading research on these topics via expert analysis. I am going to give you a “in a nut shell” explanation of my viewpoint on why we were not meant to live and eat a SAD diet, and why it is literally killing us!

Carbs

These guys are one of the main culprits! Our bodies tend to get excited when we feed ourselves carbs, or carbohydrates. What do I mean by excited? Well, our bodies release certain hormones (our feel good hormones more so) when we eat them. These hormones are sending signals to eat more of them. As we eat carbs, our body transforms these carbs into energy and glucose. Now you might think that’s good, we need energy, but wait… This form of energy can actually be deadly to us. When glucose enters our bloodstream, and does not get removed, we can become ill, and die. This is how diabetics are. A normal functioning body, has a way to get glucose out of the bloodstream. Our pancreas will release hormones (specifically insulin) to go in and remove the glucose from our blood stream. This glucose then gets stored in our muscles and a few other places for later use as energy. Now, keep in mind that thousands of years ago, we were not eating carbs all day long. Most likely we were eating animals (meat, fat, connective tissues, organs), as well as nuts, berries, fruit, and other things like that when available and in season. Also, we were having to exert energy in order to obtain all of these versions of energy, they were not just handed to us in a drive through, in exchange for money.

Now, for some reason, our bodies tend to prefer burning carbs for energy over fat and protein. So, if you continuously feed your body carbs (I will refer to you as having a carb engine), then you will have a body “trained” to burn carbs for the majority of your energy needs. Carbs are notorious for being very inefficient at providing energy needs. They do not last very long. It would be like tossing tiny sticks on a fire, they would burn hot for a very short period of time, and then you would have to toss more on. In addition to the inefficient energy carbs provide, every time you feed your body carbs, you are putting your pancreas to work trying to get that glucose out of your bloodstream so you will not become ill, or die. Your pancreas was not meant to have the “main” job of continuously releasing insulin to remove glucose from your bloodstream. This repeated process is what can cause your body to become insulin resistant (not good). This means that your body/pancreas/hormones have become tired and worn out (unresponsive) from the constant bombardment of glucose (from high amounts of carb intake). Each person is a little different though. This process can go on for several years before it starts causing problems. Other people could have complications sooner than others. Research has shown that inflammation, and insulin resistance that are caused from eating a SAD (high in grains, sugars, and processed foods) are the main culprits for many illnesses and diseases (arthritis, acne, autoimmune disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and many more).

So What Should We Do……

Just understanding and being aware that this continuous intake of carbs is detrimental to our bodies is your first line of defense. Our bodies become accustomed to how we feed it year after year. If you drastically make a change, and try to convert your body to a “fat burning” machine, instead of a “carb burning” machine, you are likely to experience some unpleasant effects. Several years ago, when I decided I was going to make a lifestyle change and start cleaning up my diet, I experienced a few weird effects.

Now, if you are thinking about making a change, that’s GREAT!! If you are already on your way, or here just wanting to learn more, that’s GREAT as well. I will be making more posts in the future that will expose more details and experiences. I highly recommend subscribing to my newsletter. In this newsletter you will receive additional information that will help your journey. You can subscribe HERE, and also receive a FREE Wild and Primal biscuit recipe. This is my favorite “bread” type go to when I want that sandwich eating feeling. It’s just like a regular “flour” biscuit, but harnesses very few carbs since it is made with almond flour.