PH: 0417 632 464
Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath
  • About
  • Contact
  • Treatments
  • Seminars
  • Programs
  • Articles
  • Resources
  • Members
  • Partners
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • Pathology
  • Bookings

What is a low carb diet? How can a low carb diet reverse chronic health conditions?

30/7/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
There is a growing trend and following of "low carb" type diets for improving health! But there seems to be some confusion or misunderstandings about what "low carb" is, how it is to be implemented, and the benefits! So what does "low carb" actually mean?! Does it benefit everyone? And for which health conditions can it help? Most excellent questions, I'm glad you asked!

The macronutrients we need to eat in a balanced diet (whatever that means!) are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. While most foods contain all of these macronutrients, the definition of carbohydrates is less clear, but generally includes all vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, pulses, starches and sugars.

At first glance most of these foods would seem to be health, so why do we want to do "low carb"?!

In my clinical practice I analyse peoples' diets and I see most people eating far too many "processed carbohydrates", which includes sugary foods and drinks, breads, grains, bakery foods, cereals, pasta, and alcohol. These products are all high in carbohydrates, but very low in real nutrients! Carbohydrates are NOT an "essential" nutrient, as our bodies can make them from other foods we eat. We have "essential" proteins (amino acids), and "essential" fats (the omega-3 and omega-6 fats) which we MUST have in our diets regularly, because our bodies cannot make them! But there are no essential carbohydrates!

Diets high in these processed carbohydrates can not only reduce the overall amount of nutrients you eat, but cause high blood sugar levels and a lot of inflammation in your body. It is the high blood sugar which causes most of the inflammation response, but also other "nutrients" and "anti-nutrients" in these high carb foods, such as gluten, lectins, phytates, preservatives, additives, agricultural chemicals, moulds and toxins, and more.

High levels of inflammation (which can be confirmed with pathology testing) are what causes most chronic health conditions we see today - weight gain and obesity, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer.

I also see people not getting enough protein in their diet, and not enough healthy fats! We need proteins for growth and repair, and for many other metabolic functions every day. We also need healthy fats to make our hormones, neurotransmitters, new cells, for energy, and much more! Processed carbohydrates seems to be in excess in most people, and this causes health issues... so a lower processed carb intake, with the reduced amount of processed carbs being replaced by quality protein and healthy fats, can reduce symptoms and bring around a return to health!

There are many implementations of low carb diets, such as Paleo, keto/ketosis/ketogenic, low inflammation diet, primal, LCHF (usually meaning Low Carb High Fat, but that causes bad implementations, so I prefer Low processed-Carb Healthy Fat instead!), and others.

Not all of these nutrition plans may be beneficial for everyone, as there are a lot of interpretations of them, and some can be too extreme for my liking. The main problems are often seen in LCHF, Paleo, or ketogenic diets, which some people can have too much of a percentage of one macronutrient, at the expense of others, which can cause deficiencies and negate any benefits to your health. When these plans are done well, the benefits to your health can be incredible!

With the "good" carbohydrates of whole, fresh, and organic vegetables and fruits being packed with nutrients, I still recommend you eat plenty of these types of carbs! So a "low carb" diet really means a "low processed-carb, low inflammation, but high in nutrients" food plan!

A low carb nutrition plan can have many benefits to your health, by increasing your nutrient intake, reducing inflammation, reducing symptoms of chronic diseases, and helping you to feel much better!

1 Comment

Does the paleo diet cause weight gain and diabetes?

25/2/2016

0 Comments

 
I have previously written about the Paleo diet in an article below. The Paleo diet copped another battering in the media this week when an Australian study was made public that this diet can lead to rapid weight gain and insulin levels (ie, type 2 diabetes) in the body.

I have read the study and some of the facts hidden from the media articles are:
1) The study believes incorrectly that the Paleo diet is Low Carbohydrate and High Fat (LCHF) and was configured as such.
2) The study was done on just 9 mice, over an 8-week period. Mice don't have the same metabolism or biochemistry, the number of them isn't anywhere near enough for scientific relevance, and an 8-week period is not really long enough.
3) The mice used were a genetically modified (GM) breed, which have altered metabolism so they develop severe obesity, type 2 diabetes and autoimmune conditions - hence they are already diseased, and aren't suitable test subjects or likely to produce any valid conclusions relevant to humans.
4) The Paleo diet is NOT low carb! It is high in vegetables and fruits, which contain mostly carbs! However the Paleo diet is very low in processed carbs, meaning no sugar, milk, breads, or any other grain products. This is a lot different to the study where the only carbs (6% of their diet) came from simple sugar, which is NOT a healthy carbohydrate!
5) The Paleo diet is NOT high fat! It has a higher fat content, but healthy fats found in eggs, avocadoes, fish, grass-fed meats, nuts and seeds. These healthy fats do not contribute to weight gain in body fat! In the study, a whopping 81% of the diets for the GM mice was fat! This isn't a valid representation of the Paleo diet either.

And I could go on... with such a biased study design, the conclusions just defy logic and contradict all independent research studies on nutrition and the causes of diabetes.

This is the problem with modern science that is dominated by limited research funding being provided by corporates wanting a positive spin in research studies so they can maintain their profits. As a result, studies like this one can be biased from the beginning and deliberately setup to get the results they want. Only by looking into the real facts of such studies with a critical eye can issues like this be found. Unfortunately the media don't check this and they just feed you what the biased press release tells them! It's corporate profits trumping over your health, sadly.

So what does cause weight gain and diabetes? Your diet certainly plays a part, with excessive sugar and processed carbohydrates causing high blood sugar levels and high insulin levels, with insulin converting the excess blood sugar into body fat. A diet higher in healthy fats does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels, and does not contribute to body fat!

There are many other factors that lead to weight gain and diabetes too - stress, lifestyle factors, environmental factors, poor sleep quality/quantity, and various nutritional deficiencies, and more. This is what I can help you with - finding the causes and resolving them, to bring you back to health!

Picture
0 Comments

Is the paleo diet all it's cracked up to be?

24/12/2015

0 Comments

 
The Paleo diet seems to be all the rage these days, if you watch or hear the media. So is it really that good?! Or is it unhealthy, as some health and media commentators suggest?

Firstly, paleo is a really bad name for this "lifestyle". It is NOT a diet! It is a way of life, a lifestyle. Diets are too hard to stick to, restrictive in nutrients, very unhealthy, and the body will adapt and change to the lack of nutrients and actually start putting ON weight! But that's another topic...

Critics of the paleo lifestyle get carried away with the name, saying that our paleolithic ancestors were lucky if they lived for 30 years, and this shows that paleo is useless and just another dangerous fad diet.

So what really is paleo all about? The main ideas behind this lifestyle are:
1) Eat organic foods (uncontaminated by toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers etc)
2) Buy or get foods locally, fresh from your own garden, or farmers markets - so you know they have not been in storage for 2 years or lacking in nutrients, and don't have a high "carbon footprint" by needing to be transported long distances
3) Eat seasonal foods - they are cheaper and fresher, again not likely to have been in storage
4) your money goes direct to farmers, not a pitiful percentage that the supermarkets pay them
5) sustainable production of foods.


That all sounds good right?! Yes!

What is confusing is that there's no one paleo diet either! There are many variations on this theme. The is also a misconception that paleo is high in protein (ie, meat), or low in carbs - which is also incorrect. Generally, however, what is true is that the foods allowed in this lifestyle include:
1) grass-fed meats
2) organic and fresh vegetables and fruits

3) eggs
4) nuts and seeds (except peanuts which are actually a legume!)
5) healthy fats and oils.


This is a "whole food" lifestyle!


Foods that are not recommended include the following:

1) grain-fed meats
2) whole grains and any grain products (breakfast cereals, breads, bakery products, pasta etc)
3) legumes (beans, lentils, soy, peanuts)
4) dairy products
5) sugar 
6) potatoes
7) processed foods (and packaged foods)
8) refined vegetable oils (canola, margarine, and other nut/seed-based oils).


There are no set rules about this lifestyle, as it is flexible, and you can occasionally have other foods without feeling guilty about it! Critics of the paleo lifestyle (ie dietitians in particular) jump up and down that you can't remove a whole food group (such as grains) from their unhealthy, corrupt and industry-funded food pyramid model! With paleo, you don't miss out on any nutrients, as the lifestyle allows for substitution of common foods with healthier alternatives, such as nut milks instead of dairy, and healthier nuts and seeds instead of grains. There's nothing in grains that you can't get from other foods or food groups! Actually I don't necessarily recommend cutting all grains as some are better than others. It's mainly wheat and corn that I recommend avoiding.

There are very good reasons why paleo is a good nutrition lifestyle to follow, but it does depend on which variation you look at. Paleo can improve your health, help you to lose weight and reduce various symptoms that you may be experiencing.

The reasons for the exclusion of certain foods will take too long to explain but some are found in my blogs or articles here. More information on the paleo lifestyle will be coming in early 2016 as I am putting together a paleo seminar and workshop where you can find out more! Please let me know if you are interested in learning more about the paleo lifestyle in my upcoming seminar or workshop!

Picture
0 Comments

    COPYRIGHT

    All articles here are Copyright (c) to Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath (2015-2020). You are welcome to share these articles in your personal or business marketing, in full and referencing this website.
    If you wish to have specific health articles written for your business, please ask via email to ross@rosswalter.com.au  

    Archives

    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All
    5:2 Diet
    Acidity
    Acne
    Acrylamide
    AIDS
    Alcohol
    Alkaline Food
    Allergies
    Aluminium
    Alzheimer's
    Antibacterial
    Antibiotics
    Anti Inflammatories
    Anti-inflammatories
    Anxiety
    Aromatherapy
    Arsenic
    Artificial Sweeteners
    Atherosclerosis
    Autism
    Autoimmune Conditions
    Baby Powder
    Baking Soda
    Bipolar Disorder
    Blending
    Blood Glucose
    Blood Sugar
    Bone Density
    Bowel Movement
    Bowels
    BPA Free Plastic
    BPA-free Plastic
    BPA Plastic
    BPS Plastic
    Burns
    Cacao
    Calcium
    Calories
    Cancer
    Cancer In Children
    Cannabis
    Carb Adapted
    Carbohydrates
    Carcinogens
    Causes
    Celebrity
    Cervical Cancer
    Chemicals
    Children's Health
    Chocolate
    Cholesterol
    Chronic Disease
    Chronic Inflammation
    Climate Change
    Codeine
    Coeliac Disease
    Coffee
    Cold And Flu Prevention
    Common Cold
    Constipation
    Contraception
    Cooking
    Cookware
    Coronavirus
    Corporate Sponsorship
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cravings
    DAA
    Dairy
    Dental Health
    Depression
    Detox
    Diabetes
    Dieting
    Dietitian
    Dietitians
    Digestive System
    Documentary Review
    EAT Lancet Diet
    EAT-Lancet Diet
    EBV
    Eczema
    Eggs
    E Health
    E-health
    Endocrine Disruptors
    Endometriosis
    Endorsements
    Enlarged Prostate
    Environmental Health
    Environmental Toxins
    Epstein-Barr Virus
    Essential Nutrients
    Essential Oils
    Evidence Based
    Exercise
    Farming
    Fast Food
    Fasting
    Fat Adapted
    Fatigue
    Fats
    Female Health
    Female Hormones
    Fermented Foods
    Fertility
    Fibre
    Fibroids
    Film Review
    Fish Oil
    Fitness
    Flu
    Fluoride
    Flu Vaccine
    Folate
    Folic Acid
    Food Additives
    Food Allergies
    Food Containters
    Food Guidelines
    Food Industry
    Food Ingredients
    Food Intake
    Food Intolerances
    Food Labelling
    Food Labels
    Food Production
    Food Pyramid
    Food Sensitivities
    Food Star Rating
    Fracking
    Fructose
    Gardasil Vaccine
    Genetically Modified Foods
    Genetic Modification
    Genetics
    Germ Theory
    Glandular Fever
    Global Warming
    Glucose
    Gluten
    Gluten Free Food
    Gluten-free Food
    Glyphosate
    GMO
    Goals
    Government
    Grains
    Gut Bacteria
    Gut-brain Connection
    Gut Health
    Hand Washing
    Health Funds
    Health Information
    Health Insurance
    Health Policy
    Health Star Ratings
    Health Statistics
    Healthy Fats
    Heartburn
    Heart Disease
    Heart Health
    Heavy Metals
    Herd Immunity
    High Blood Pressure
    HIV
    Hormonal Issues
    Hormone Disrupting
    Hormones
    HPV
    HPV Vaccine
    Hydroxychloroquine HCQ
    IBS
    Immune Suppressives
    Immune System
    Indigestion
    Infections
    Infertility
    Inflammation
    Influenza
    Insomnia
    Insulin
    Irritable Bowel
    Juicing
    Ketogenic Diet
    LCHF
    Leaky Gut
    Liver
    Low Carb Diet
    Low Fat Diets
    Low GI
    Lung Disease
    Man Flu
    Manuka Honey
    Margarine
    Marketing
    Masks
    Meal Replacements
    Measles
    Meat
    Medical Privacy
    Medical Records
    Medical Science
    Medications
    Medicinal Cannabis
    Melanoma
    Melatonin
    Men's Health
    Mental Health
    Mental Illness
    Microbiome
    Microwave Meals
    Microwaves
    Miscarriage
    MMR Vaccine
    Moderation
    Modern Diets
    Motivation
    MTHFR
    My Health Record
    Natural Therapies
    Naturopathy
    New Years Resolutions
    NSAIDs
    Nutrient Deficiencies
    Nutrients
    Nutrigenomics
    Nutrition
    Nutritional Medicine
    Nutrition Guidelines
    Nutritionist
    Nutrition Research
    Obesity
    Oestrogen
    Oil
    Omega-3
    Osteoporosis
    Pain
    Painkillers
    Paleo
    Pandemic
    Pap Smears
    Pathology Testing
    PCOS
    PCR Testing
    Personalised Consultations
    Pet Foods
    Pets
    Pharmaceuticals
    PH Of Food
    Plastic
    Plastic Bottles
    PMDD
    PMS
    Polyunsaturated Fats
    Poo
    Population Growth
    POTS
    PPI
    Preconception
    Pregnancy
    Primal
    Privacy
    Probiotics
    Processed Foods
    Psoriasis
    Pyrrole Disorder
    Red Meat
    Red Wine
    Reflux
    Research
    Respiratory Infections
    Resveratrol
    Reviews
    Rice
    Root Causes
    Roundup
    Salt
    SARS
    Saturated Fat
    Schizophrenia
    Scientific Evidence
    Scientific Research
    SIBO
    Skin
    Skin Cancer
    Skin Conditions
    Sleep
    Sore Throat
    Soy
    Soy Products
    Sports
    Sports Nutrition
    Spring
    Statistics
    Stevia
    Stress
    Sugar
    Sunburn
    Sunglasses
    Sunlight
    Sun Safe
    Sunscreens
    Talcum Powder
    TGA
    Thyroid
    Tonsillitis
    Tooth Decay
    Toxicity
    Toxins And Chemicals
    Type 1 Diabetes
    Type 2 Diabetes
    Ulcers
    Vaccination
    Vaccines
    Vegan
    Vegetables
    Virus
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D
    Water
    Water Fluoridation
    Weight Gain
    Weight Loss
    Wheat
    Whole Grains
    Winter
    Winter Health
    Womens Health
    Would Healing
    Xenoestrogens
    Xeno-oestrogens
    Zinc

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly