Low-Carb Living

Lesson 5: Syndrome X

Obesity

Many characteristics of our modern, carbohydrate-based diet are linked to excess weight gain. Among these characteristics are inadequate intake of protein and excessive intake of high-glycemic carbohydrates. Obesity can lead to many of the diseases of Syndrome X.

Consuming adequate protein gives us energy, reduces our appetites, lowers our cholesterol levels, and helps us burn off extra calories by speeding up our metabolisms. Lean meats contain the highest percentage of protein for the calories. Consuming protein from lean meats at every meal is probably the best way to prevent obesity because it helps us burn calories more effectively.

High-glycemic carbohydrate foods such as grains and refined sugars provide calories without significant nutritional value. They displace nutritious carbohydrate sources such as fruits and vegetables, and they cause insulin resistance which promotes obesity and other chronic diseases. When combining plant protein sources as an alternative to animal protein sources, one’s diet can become quite high in carbohydrates.

In addition to the low protein and high carbohydrate characteristics of our modern diet, our Western lifestyle is much more sedentary than that of our paleolithic ancestors and modern hunter-gatherers. We often consume many more calories than we need for fuel because our food choices leave us needing nutrients.

Obesity has become such an issue for Americans (adults and children), who have experienced a dramatic increase in obesity over the past twenty years, that the United States government has begun a public health campaign with the purpose of educating people about nutrition and exercise. Unfortunately, the campaign promotes the ineffective, low-fat, high-carb diet based on The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid, and the campaign appears to focus on calories consumed vs. physical activity as the imbalance at the root of the problem. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are published jointly every five years by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. This may explain the emphasis on grains and the assumption that dairy products are essential.

It is important to note that the serving sizes recommended by the Food Guide Pyramid are smaller than what most people actually consume. For example, a serving from the bread group is one slice of bread, one cup of cereal, or one-half cup of rice or pasta. A serving of fruit of vegetable juice is three-fourths cup. A serving from the protein group is one-half cup of beans, one-third cup of nuts, or two ounces of lean meat, poultry, or fish.

It is also important to note that the upper limits of the serving recommendations are intended to refer to teen boys and active men who require 2,800 calories per day to support their lifestyles.

Glycemic value is not taken into consideration when recommending that our diet be based on grain products. Whether or not a protein group item contains complete protein is not taken into consideration when recommending a choice of meats, eggs, beans, or nuts. Our need for healthy fats is not taken into consideration when recommending that fats be eaten sparingly. Obesity can easily result when our food guidelines are vague and misleading.

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