Could This Be the Worst Nutrition Mistake? by Joan Kent, PhD

 

So many mistakes were in the running for this category, it was tough to narrow down the choice to one. But my final decision was “a calorie is a calorie.” This short post touches briefly on that mistake.

 

Consider this:  Fats yield 9 calories per gram, while carbs (all of them) yield only 4 per gram.

 

Fact:  The current U.S. obesity epidemic started during the low-fat craze. That craze spanned roughly 15 years – from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s.

 

Of course, we now know that the Sugar Industry’s Lies were behind the nefarious plot to get Americans off fats and on sugar in a huge way. I’ve written 2 articles on those lies: “Why Sugar Hacked Science (And Your Health)” [6/15/15] and “My Sugar Industry Article Scooped the NY Times!” [9/19/16].

 

But I digress….

 

The onset of obesity while everyone was eating low-fat and/or nonfat foods makes no sense — unless you factor in the hormonal effects of foods.

 

Different Foods Trigger Different Hormonal Reactions

 

Insulin is only one hormone in this calorie mistake – and insulin’s fat-storage effect was only one reason that cutting down on fats resulted in obesity.

 

The shift in food intake from fats to carbs – especially sugar – led people to highly insulin-triggering diets.

 

Many even cut out protein to avoid the fats that protein foods typically contain. That changed the hormonal effects of the American diet even more.

 

Researchers were unable to explain the national rise in weight during this period of low-fat eating.

 

But they were looking at calories.

 

Fats have value in terms of both health and satiety – the feeling we’ve had enough food and don’t need to resume eating for a while. Most people are aware of that now, as the current keto diet trend shows. But that’s a separate topic, and I’m keeping this simple and short.

 

Anyway, sugar and other carbs don’t have health and satiety value. Thinking — eating — only in terms of calories is a big mistake. Instead, choose healthful foods – including fats and proteins.

 

Not all calories are equal. And they never have been.

 

If you’d like some simple food tips, perfect! That’s what I do. Just visit www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Empowered Eating Consult. Discover how easy it is to make small shifts that bring big results!

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar:  7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.