Paula said (July 12, 2018):

I totally disagree with this article and side with "G". I have been a vegetarian for almost thirty years, and I have gone virtually vegan in the last two years. When I stopped eating dairy, I lost 25 pounds. I stopped eating meat because the factory farming industry is inherently cruel. There are no "happy cows" or chickens - "free-range" is a myth devised to ease the minds of consumers.

Our society's demand for meat, eggs and dairy has turned agriculture into a torture chamber for God's most defenseless creatures. Farm animals suffer more than any animals on earth. Fat and carbs should be eaten in moderation, but plant-based protein is the healthiest.

There are many people, including athletes, who embrace the vegetarian lifestyle, and they do not look like they are suffering for it. A thought: The Bible says "What you do to the least of these, you do unto me". I take that to mean the defenseless among us, including children and animals. I feel much better about myself knowing that I do not contribute to suffering. I humbly suggest we all do some research before we believe any "expert".

CR said (July 12, 2018):

All these people claiming that carbs are the source of all health problems are either confused or trying to sell something. As far as weight management, the number one factor is caloric intake, whether in the form of fat, carbs, or protein. The difference is that fat and protein digest slower than carbohydrates and when eaten together with carbs also result in the carbs being digested more slowly, therefore you won't feel hungry as soon after eating. Think of drinking a bottle of coca cola or eating some sugary candies - they won't make you feel full for long (if at all) but they will give you a lot of calories, and it's likely that your body will store some of them as fat since it can't use them all immediately.

However, all the anti-fat and anti-saturated fat propaganda is wrong as well, and largely based on bad science and corporate lobbyists. We are advised to avoid saturated fat at all cost, despite the fact that it is necessary for hormone production. Insufficient saturated fat intake can result in hormonal issues such as low testosterone and hypothyroidism. We are advised to use vegetable oils instead, but the problem is that they are high in linoleic acids which can cause systemic inflammation, which in turn leads to all sorts of health problems. The corn, soy, and canola industries are huge lobbies and have funded many of the studies that support polyunsaturated vegetable oils over saturated fats, just like how the other day the US was fighting against the promotion of breastfeeding of behalf of baby formula manufacturers.

This isn't to say that vegetable oils should be avoided like the plague, in moderate quantities there appear to be no adverse health effects. A high fat/low carb diet can work for someone who prefers that sort of eating, but recommending it across the board is simply bad advice. For many people, especially physically active people, low carbs means low energy.

Another recent craze that is complete garbage is the "gluten-free" fad. Unless you actually have celiac disease, there is no reason to avoid gluten. There are lots of people who cut gluten out of their diet and were relieved of symptoms such as digestive problems, allergies, and asthma. Most of them aren't lying, but it wasn't the gluten either. Wheat is hard to digest for many people and causes systemic inflammation, on top of digestive issues. Again, this doesn't mean that wheat is bad and nobody should eat it, rather people who have such problems could potentially benefit from cutting out wheat - NOT gluten unless they actually have celiac disease. If you don't have asthma, allergies, or digestive problems then there is nothing to worry about one way or another.

Tony B said (July 11, 2018):

Although animal fat is the natural fuel for every cell in the human body, when it comes to food, like most else in our lives, the general rule is "all things to moderation." But today that needs a modifier. Nothing that man has manipulated for the bottom line, especially in the way of pretended food, should be eaten at all. Margarine for instance, is one molecule away from being plastic. You will never find an insect trying to eat it.

Tons of chemicals are added to commercial "food" for two main purposes: to "stabilize" the incomplete product and to extend its shelf life practically forever. The products are incomplete usually because they are broken down into individual components, each being sold off to the highest bidding industry. The remainder is cobbled back together with additives and sold as the original product. Take a close look at what passes for milk these days. Think Elmer's glue among many other products.

One must always be wary of "foods" that are hyped to a vulgar degree. I will attach to this email an article I have been distributing here where I live on the lies of the canola industry. The stuff is basically poison, as are almost all vegetable oils apart from some tree oils such as olive oil. If people knew what has to be done to a plant in order to extract enough oil from it to make a profit, they would never touch ANYTHING labeled as "vegetable oil." Canola is a major cause of obesity as well as memory loss, both now "western" epidemics.

Soybeans and soybean oil are now universal in "food." This is another industry which never stops lying in order to keep the money rolling in at the expense of people's health. It's a direct cause of goiter, especially in women. The industry has even cornered the "health food stores" ruining people's health in the name of saving it. Soy is poison to all animals UNLESS FERMENTED. This poison has been largely sold on the deliberate lie that all Asians have always eaten gross amounts of soybean products and they are healthy. The truth is that Asians use only a tiny bit of soy as a condiment AFTER THEY FERMENT IT.

Worse, all deep-fried foods in eateries today are deep fried in soy oil. A huge dose of poison in every such "food." But much more criminal than is the researched FACT that close to 90% of the olive oil sold in the U.S. today is fraudulently labeled soy oil. Enough olive oil is in the bottle to give it that odor. Some of these criminals actually send soy oil in bulk to the olive growing countries, have it bottled there with native Italian, Spanish, etc. labels affixed and have it transported back to the U.S. This includes oil labeled "Extra Virgin," which used to mean hand pressed.

The FDA keeps itself totally blind to anything the food INDUSTRY decides to do.

Then there is the wonderful world of Monsanto/Bayer.

Nicholas G said (July 11, 2018):

I do not usually write in response to something you post, even when I don't agree with certain religious convictions that you hold. That being said, I admire all the hard work you have done over the years in exposing evil and corruption, while at the same time telling people that God is the only source of light in this dark world.

I do however have to disagree with your stance on nutrition. As a man, I have struggled with weight issues and ate the standard American diet for years. About 5 years ago, I began to practice Orthodox Christianity, which calls for extended periods of fasting and prayer. One part of fasting involves abstaining from animal products for a period of 40 days. I noticed during these periods I had increased brain function, as well as weight loss and more energy. I started to slowly adopt a plant based diet and found lots of research supporting this type of diet. In fact, who wouldn't think eating more fruits and veggies would be healthier for someone. The industries of egg, meat and dairy all have monopolies and large lobbying firms in Washington, and in fact, around the world.

The whole vegan hype is just a distraction. The truth is a whole-food plant based diet is healthy and most doctors who support this type of research become social pariahs. I would suggest studying Dr. John McDougall. He has been a mogul and persecuted doctor most of his life. He has been working with this diet for 30 plus years and is about as educated in nutrition as anyone could be at his age.

Just like the ecology movement, they make you choose a side, when in fact, corporations are destroying the environment, but that doesn't mean I have to support anti-hunting and global warming conspirators

I would suggest you look into nutritional studies as I have. Perhaps I missed the point you were making, but health of body is not health of soul. We believe as a society we are progressing, but regressing is much closer to the truth.

--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuOa3avtdNA&t=1368s

Sandra M said (July 11, 2018):

The high protein, high saturated fat way of eating is a healing diet, not a forever diet. However, this is not explicitly said in the article, nor even implied. You can name any restricted diet (in this case, low or no carb) and find people who do very well on it - their symptoms are gone, they feel wonderful. There are some people who go on all raw foods, others who try vegan, others the high-complex carb, low-fat diet. And on and on and on.

I follow all this. The proponents of these diets eventually find themselves developing cravings they will kill for, because the body has flipped over to the other extreme once again after a period of wonderful health. But they are embarrassed (I guess) about their public enthusiasm for their unnatural, restricted diets so they keep trudging on for awhile - and then get sick again. And round and round it goes. We were designed to consume a diet that we can live with, enjoy, and not rigidly restrict this way or that, and it's going to be a bit different for everyone. Proponents of therapeutic diets in the guise of "this is the only way for everybody to eat!" are a dime a dozen.

The only folks who seem to be able to avoid meat for a lifetime, like your commenter "G", are those with a deep moral or perhaps religious motivation. Persons whose motivation for any regimen are beauty and health alone are eventually going to hit a brick wall. Yes, God cares what's in our heart. He knows all & sees all.

John G said (July 11, 2018):

That's the whole problem with the American economy today. Everything has a profit motive.
This is all going to come to an end here when the stock market crashes and it WILL happen sooner than later. All these industries will have no one left with wealth to fleece. It's slowly happening already.
The pharmaceutical industry is a group of pathetic dope pushers who got way too rich for their services along with a lot of the medical field.
The American economy and corporate strategy today ISN'T run by Capitalism, it's Marxist economics where "all is money".
It will soon fall apart because when "all is money" all is corrupted. And, when all is corrupted, everything will eventually collapse because it's only held together by lies and deceit.

G said (July 11, 2018):

I've been a vegetarian for 50 years. When I first started I knew nothing about the health aspects of diet. I just loved the critters and didn't want to eat them or contribute to the suffering they had to endure just to satisfy our palates. I really don't care that much about the health stats that the so-called experts espouse because each individual is unique and has different nutritional needs. But this author goes to a whole other place that upsets me. At just past the 3:30 mark she spews how delicious foie gras is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaezPMf6FRQ

You may already be aware of what a duck's life becomes in order to manufacture foie gras, but if not, here is a two-minute piece by PETA (yes, I know PETA has its problems, too) narrated by actress Kate Winslet that shines a light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyOu-GVtgPQ

I share this Henry, because it has been laid on my heart to expose this cruelty and help to end it.