I originally posted this blog post back in December 2023. I took it down after learning and researching the whole foods, plant-based diet which led to our family experimenting with it for almost a year! Well, I changed my mind, it’s absolutely worth sharing! So here it is again with a few tweaks!
The audiobook The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz is excellent and an eye opener for sure. I highly recommend you listening to it. Her research has been confirmed in several other books I’ve read, all written by esteemed physicians. Nina was extremely thorough and did not recommend one diet over another, but she just stated unbiased facts. I like facts and true scientific evidence.
Another good read is Sugar Crush by Richard P. Jacoby, MD. His book focuses on the detriments of a high sugar, high refined carbohydrate diet and how sugar compresses your nerves resulting in a plethora of diseases. His book is very well researched and will absolutely change your mind on sugar. He, too, mentions a lot of the same research as Nina Teicholz presented. One line in particular stands out, he says, “Fat doesn’t make you fat. Sugar does.”
While I absolutely believe in exercise and fitness and feel people need to stay active for longevity and happiness, these are not the main culprits of the current public health crisis we’re experiencing, which is not just in the United States but worldwide. So, let’s dig in (pun intended!)
Contrary to what was most people think, or have thought since the late 70’s with the establishment of our food pyramid, saturated fats are not the problem – meat, eggs, dairy. Studies have confirmed that saturated fats don’t actually cause heart disease! Shocker, right? Can you guess what does cause heart disease, diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders? Did you guess sugar and carbohydrates? Our poor health has come about because of Big Food and the ultra-processed foods that are laden with sugar.
If you shop in the middle of the grocery store, you will fall victim to sugar overload. Sugar is hidden in everything – the food manufacturers, while attempting to make things low in fat, had to add sugar to make the food taste good. There are lots of different names for sugar, but sugar is sugar, even if it is organic, turbinado, coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, oat syrup, maple syrup, and even honey. “Low fat” cookies, potato chips, cereal and whatever else manufacturers have slapped a “low fat” sticker on does not make them healthy. If you consider the cheap seed oils and preservatives added to make the foods last forever on the shelf, no wonder we are sick!
It has taken us half a century to figure out that “low fat” is not best, and such a diet has actually caused heart attacks and death. Not to mention, the production of these foods is also killing our planet. We need to strike “low fat” from our vocabulary. Let’s start paying attention to not the fat or calorie content of food, but rather the carbohydrates, sugars and oils on the label of the package. Become a label detective!!
Full-fat dairy, meat and eggs should be part of a well-rounded, plant-rich diet. Choosing dairy, meat and eggs that are organic, free-range, and grass-fed and finished is important in saving our planet. Choosing the best meat is important, not meat from commercial feed lots, but from farms practicing regenerative farming. Several friends of ours are practicing regenerative farming and you can get their meat directly from them on their farms and at the farmers’ markets. I’ll post their contact information at the end of this article.
So, what is the absolute best thing you can do for your diet? My advice is to take it a meal at a time – focus on less carbohydrates and watch your added sugars. Ideally, you should consume less than 10gm of added sugar a day. [As a side note: 4 grams of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon - teaspoons are easier to visualize!] Eat the whole fruit when eating fruit to get the fiber! Absolutely avoid fruit juice, it’s as bad as a sugary soda. Focus on a plant-rich diet supplemented by good quality meat, eggs and dairy and cook at home as often as possible to ensure you know what's in your food, but more importantly what's not in your food.
We have to do better not just for our health, but the health of our children and the health of our planet. I’ll go into more detail in other blog posts highlighting regenerative agriculture, the need for biodiversity and sustainability and healing our soil. Definitely check out the meat and eggs from either of the farms below if you’re local. They are in this fight with us to fix our food system. If you aren’t local, check out www.localharvest.org to find farms near you.
Until next time.
Love, Dr. Amanda
Green-Eyed Farms – veteran and family-owned and operated.
Their contact information: green-eyedsfarms.com, or on Facebook and Instagram @greeneyedfarms.
Purpose Driven Family Farms – woman-owned and family-owned and operated. www.purposedrivenfamilyfarm.com or find them on Facebook.