Key Points
- Too much insulin goes hand in
hand with some combination of overweight, hypertension, high cholesterol,
high triglycerides and/or heart disease. This has been called "the
deadly quartet" and "syndrome X."
Paradoxically, diabetics have too much insulin (because of insulin
resistance). Add high blood sugars to too much insulin and diabetic
complications are inevitable.
- The scientifically
discredited low fat, high
carbohydrate diet worsens syndrome X (unless accompanied by
improbable levels of exercise) because this diet raises insulin, the fat
storage hormone. Check it out: The research is organized in Dean Esmay's Worlds Biggest Fad Diet, and
in Chuck Fosberg's Adiposity 101.
- Obesity, hypertension and
heart disease are epidemic in America
because 50% or more of America's
calories come from refined products of agriculture such as pasta, bread,
corn chips, potatoes and sugar that cause excessive insulin secretion and
fail to provide the vitamins and minerals necessary for their metabolism.
Consider that hogs are fattened for slaughter with low fat, high
carbohydrate diets, and that Sumo wrestlers use such a diet intentionally to
become enormously fat. This is
so obvious once you actually try it and prove it works in the laboratory
of your body that it beggars the imagination that there’s a “controversy”
about it at all – but then it’s not really a controversy, it’s
confusion caused by the junk food manufacturers – or, in other
words, advertising.
- The remedy is to reduce
carbohydrates until insulin falls. This allows the kidneys to release
sodium and water, lowering blood pressure, and cause insulin's antagonist
glucagon to be secreted which breaks down fat into ketones which are burnt
for energy.
- This is not some bizarre
health fad but rather a return to the pattern of eating which prevailed
during evolution. Fat from
eating fruit in the summer enabled survival in winter when only fish and
game remained to eat. The
refined carbohydrates of agriculture have created a kind of endless summer
which few of us are genetically equipped to survive. There is much food for thought about
this at the Paleolithic Diet page, and in
Ray Audette's well-referenced book Neanderthin.
- The usual suspects (animal
fat, cholesterol-containing foods) have very little to do with it. However, refined food manufacturers
fund a massive nutrition research effort to divert attention from their
most profitable food lines. The
tobacco industry employed such tactics, but food manufacturers are better
at it - hence the USDA Food Pyramid. Whatever happened to the USDA of the
1930s which advocated a high protein breakfast because this maintained the
blood sugar for many hours longer than a donut?
- The establishment take on
Atkins basically acknowledges the above but condemns his diet anyway! Check out the American
Medical Association Atkins smear.
Books: buy them online at amazon.com
Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, Richard Bernstein MD, Little
Brown, 1997. Get this book.
Protein Power, Michael Eades MD and Mary Eades MD, Bantam, 1996.
Good stuff on the health problems of mummified Egyptians which reveal that they
had more syndrome X health problems the richer they were.
Sugar Busters, Leighton Steward et al, Ballantine, 1998. Best
overview: clear, concise, short.
Nutrition
and Physical Degeneration, Weston A. Price DDS, Price-Pottenger Nutrition
Foundation, PO Box 2614, La Mesa CA 91943-2614, (619) 574-7763, ppnf@aol.com. Become a member of this
organization because they stand almost alone against the forces of ignorance
and the promoters of degenerative diseases, and they are worthy of your
support.
Your Body is your Best Doctor, Melvin Page DDS,
Keats, 1972. Strong on observation of the causes of, and strategies for the
elimination of dental caries
Lick the Sugar Habit, Nancy Appleton PhD,
Avery, 1996; hypoglycemia and its remedies by a hypoglycemic; use the form in
this book to order a test kit for salivary pH and urinary calcium.
Your Body Knows Best, Ann Gittleman, Pocket, 1997. Chronicles
Nathan Pritikin's former Director of Nutritions journey from rabid low fat, high
carbohydrate towards more protein, olive oil and unrefined, low-glycemic index
carbs. An entertaining and
informative read.
The Type II Diabetes Diet Book, Calvin Ezrin MD and Robert
Kowalski, Lowell House, 1997. This book is worth buying for Ezrin's Chapter
14, Doctor to Doctor. This guy's on the cutting edge.
The Carbohydrate Craver's Diet, Dr & Dr Heller, Signet, 1991. Interesting slant on carbo craving.
Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Robert Atkins MD, ?, 1997. Robert Atkins' Diet Revolution was
published in 1972 and rapidly became the most successful book in the history of
publishing. The American Medical
Association trashed him and ketogenic diets in 1974, but he came back with with
Dr Atkins' Health Revolution in which he refuted the AMA point by
point. Read anything by Atkins, he
wrote the book (so to speak) on ketogenic diets; however, he liked his
soy-flour pancakes and so forth and I believe they did him in.
The Saccharine Disease, TL Cleave, Keats, 1974. Out of print, but
gives an epidemiological background consistent with evolutionary principles.
Highly recommended if you can find it.
Pure, White and Deadly, John Yudkin, Viking, 1986. Could be hard to
find, but this English pioneer researcher persisted in trashing sugar in spite
of dirty tricks from the sugar industry, which he lays out in this book.
Dr Richard Bernstein, Diabetes
Center, 1160 Greacen
Point Road, Mamaroneck, NY
10453-4696 Tel (914) 698-7500. Bernstein started life as an engineer,
solved his diabetic complications with a low-carb diet, couldn't convince the
doctors so he went to medical school at age 44 and qualified as an MD! He also single-handedly sold the concept
of glucometers to industry. Without
him, diabeteics would be in a far bigger mess than they are now. An awesome dude. Specializes in diabetes - if he can't
get you on track, it's probably hopeless.
Dr Robert Atkins, dead now, but The Atkins Center for
Complementary Medicine is alive and kicking, 152 East
55th St, New York NY
10022. Tel (888) ATKINS8, Fax
(212) 754-4284.
Michael Eades MD, Mary Eades MD, Colorado Center for Metabolic Medicine,
7490 Clubhouse road, #103, Boulder CO 80301
Calvin Ezrin MD, The Ezrin Metabolic Center, 18372 Clark Street, #226,
Tarzana, CA 91356. Tel (818) 996-3655
Dr David Allen, Longevity
Center, 2211
Corinth Avenue, Suite 204, Los Angeles, CA
90064, Phone: 310-966-9194 –
my doc.
Low Carbo Foods
The Atkins
Center Online Catalog has quite a selection, including low carbo bars
(vital for snacks, traveling etc), truly delicious cheesecake, and soy flour
with recipes; also sells Atkins' books and supplements. I believe that too much of this carp will
probably kill you like it did Dr Atkins.
The Paleodiet
site has sources for wild game meats.