Ketogenic diets have become popular and are actually the choice diet for many functional health practitioners. They have many documented benefits for neurological conditions such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's and can be used successfully to address weight issues in some people. I am sure there are people out there who have improved their glucose tolerance and lost weight by significantly reducing carb intake and increasing fat intake to 60-70% of their diet. However this has not been my personal experience or that of my clients.
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Paleo has got a lot of press- most of it negative. It has even reached mainstream TV (thanks to Pete Evans:). Paleo has come under a lot of criticism in the media recently and much misinformation is being spread both by popular media as well as conventional doctors and researchers.
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This question is so pervasive today and seems to be almost un-answerable. There are many diverse philosophies when it comes to a dietary strategy and each one claims to be the best. From paleo to vegan, low carb high fat, vegetarian, fodmaps, weight watchers, blood type, ketogenic, gluten free, the list goes on and on.
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I've recently heard an interview with Denise Minger, the author of what is no-doubt going to be a controversial book called 'Death by Food Pyramid'. She was discussing the myriad of health issues we are facing as a society today and the numerous mistakes that we have and are making by following the standard food pyramid. Amongst these is which meats we eat and to use her words, 'we don't get our meat right!' I think she is quite spot on and in all the years of research I've done on the subject, I can say I totally agree. Here are the key 'issues' I believe that surround our meat consumption and what to do about it. Issue 1: We eat meat from animals that are fed
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We all know that dairy (full fat, raw and grass fed is the best) contains large quantities of calcium. The dairy industry has ensured over the last few decades that dairy is pretty much perceived as the ONLY sources of calcium, which is far from the truth. It's also firmly drummed in the message that calcium is the most important mineral for bone health It is not. Many other factors are vital to ensure bone health is optimal in both children and adults: adequate magnesium intake (richest sources are vegetables, fruit, nuts & seeds) adequate vitamin D and K levels Without vitamin D, calcium doesn't properly mineralise bones. We also want our calcium to actually go to our bones and teeth, not soft tissues like breasts (calcification), kidneys (stones)
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When I explain to friends what a Paleo way of eating is about, I only have to wait for about a minute until the penny drops and they get that look on their face (as if I’m from Venus) and they predictably exclaim ‘You mean you don’t eat bread??’ I always find this amusing, as if the human race can’t possibly survive without this staple, and to avoid eating it is like a heresy equivalent to witchcraft! It’s important to know that despite the fact that in today’s world bread is everywhere and grain products are not only a part of almost every meal, but are an ingredient in the vast majority of processed products, this wasn’t always so! Humans only started cultivating grains around 10,000 years
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The world of sweeteners can be a confusing place! We’ve learnt to manufacture such a variety of fake sugars and industrial low fat foods that many people’s sweet taste has become so elevated we don’t think fruit is sweet any more. Sweetened home- made treats are a source of pleasure, especially for kids (and chocoholics like me!), provided they are used as a special treat and very much in moderation. We just need to choose the right sweeteners. When I guide my clients through the process of giving up sugar, some are ready to go cold turkey, but many are much better at coping with a step by step process where different sweeteners are used to replace sugar. This list is what I recommend in the sweetener
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