Carbohydrates, Proteins, and
Hidden Fats
Recent TV news showed that various food
brands are offering low carbohydrate foods due to
public demand. That just shows how poorly informed
the public can be.
The Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/) tells
us that "Every day your body requires certain
nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats and protein,
to function properly. Too much of one nutrient or
not enough of another can influence your health."
Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.britannica.com)
tells how carbohydrates can be classified, but they
are all described as molecules of Carbon, Hydrogen,
and Oxygen. "Carbohydrates are the most abundant
molecules in all biology."
Carbohydrates and oils are the means that plants
store energy. Few plant fats are saturated.
Fats are also compounds of Carbon, Hydrogen, and
Oxygen, but in more complex structures than carbohydrates.
The more structural bonds, the less liquid is the
fat at room temperature. Such liquid fats are called
oils. Hydrogenating oils creates more hydrogen bonds
to make liquids into soft or hard fats. These trans-fats
are bad for cardiovascular health. The "essential
fatty acids" are the ones that the human body
cannot create from other foods, such as proteins.
Proteins have many structures, but are mostly composed
of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen plus Nitrogen. The essential
amino acids are those proteins which the human body
cannot create from other foods.
Of course, foods also contain essential vitamins
and minerals. Supplements of these can be beneficial,
if not overdone.
High / Low Carbohydrate / Protein diets really miss
the target. Once minimal needs of each food type are
met, the real issue is high or low calories compared
to those used. If you eat more than your exercise
can burn, you gain weight, and vice versa.
Carbohydrates as sugars are fine as nature provides
them, but not as refined and concentrated by humans.
Like any source of calories, excess consumption leads
to body fat. The details will vary, but a five pound
bag of fresh fruit contains fewer calories than a
typical candy bar.
Supposed high protein diets are often filled with
hidden fats. For example, consider ground beef.
Center for Science in the Public Interest, with reports
on-line at www.cspinet.org, tells us "USDA allows
ground beef labels to make claims that would be illegal
on other foods." "Ground beef accounts for
45 percent of the beef sold in the U.S. and it adds
more fat -- and more artery- clogging saturated fat
-- to the average American's diet than any other single
food." "The USDA allows no more than 10
percent fat by weight in most foods that are labeled
'lean.' But the USDA allows ground beef that is up
to 22.5 percent fat to be called 'lean.'" Of
course, that fat is "saturated".
In contrast, protein from plants, such as grains
and legumes, has much less fat than ground beef and
none of it is saturated. Tempeh, an Asian food made
from whole soy beans with careful fermentation, has
more protein than an equal amount (volume or weight)
of ground beef, and also contains all the essential
amino acids.
So try this for healthy diet rules. Eat all the vegetables
and fruits you can stand, but without sauces, dressings,
added sugar, butter, margarine, or cheese. The same
applies to grain foods, such as whole grain breads
and pastas. Get at least some of your proteins from
plant sources. Avoid all foods fried in fat or oil.
I lost weight and one third of my blood cholesterol
by reducing my beef and pork consumption, increasing
my use of broiled and baked fish and chicken, and
learning about soy foods that are now available in
North America.
Even Ph.D. scientists can mis-lead themselves with
wishful thinking. A former colleague of mine was often
heard to describe his high protein, low carb diet
in terms of complex biochemical theories, yet he was
always at least 100 pounds overweight. He also ate
and drank about three times as much as I did at shared
meals. Get Real!
** Diet with FACTS, not MYTHS. **
About the Author
Dr. Donald A. Miller is author of "Easy Health
Diet" http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm,
"Easy Exercise All Ages" http://easyhealthdiet.com/eeaa.htm,
and numerous free articles on health http://easyhealthdiet.com/articles/.
Seven of ten deaths are caused by preventable diseases.
