For the past 6 months I have been subscribing to weekly bulletins from Dr Al Sears. Some he calls
his "House Call" and others "Health confidential". I have pasted below his House call for this week.
You'll note the paleo touch. I also bought his e-book on exercise - which is also paleo flavoured.
He does have a tendency to hype and wordiness and he's far from pure paleo, but there is much in
his bulletins that many Paleofood members will find useful. Nice thing for me is that he seems to
be writing for baby-boomers like me :-). The URL for his site is:
http://www.alsearsmd.com/content/index.php?id=59
Keith
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February 5, 2007
Dear Reader,
In your last Doctor’s House Call, I told you about the first government food pyramid and why
eating more carbs is NOT the way to lose fat.
Today, I’ll:
Show you why the new food pyramid is not much better.
Give you some new strategies for building your own food pyramid – one that works.
Show you how to choose foods that build muscle and burn fat.
And you may be surprised that you don’t have to give up the foods that you really love!)
After much debate, our government has revised the food pyramid. Unfortunately, grains once
again form the base of the pyramid. To make matters worse, they suggested that fifty percent of
these grains should come from breads, pastas and breakfast cereals!
Surprisingly, the new pyramid mentions nothing about the dangers of sugar. Even so-called
“healthy” whole grain breakfast cereals are 38% sugar. And this is a big problem for Americans.
Another omission – Sodas. You could pack on the pounds just by drinking sodas. Remember what
you learned about the glycemic index. Sodas raise your blood sugar almost immediately. Your
body interprets this in the same way as high glycemic foods.
The new food pyramid, just like the old one, will make you fat. It will also dramatically increase
your risk of developing fatal diseases.
The real basis should be rebalancing the natural proportions of the three macronutrients:
proteins, carbohydrates and fats. And remember…
High Protein + Low Carbs + Right Fats + Regular Exercise = Weight Loss
This simple formula will boost your energy and strength. It will also help you to burn fat and lose
weight.
But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid sweetness altogether. Simply choose foods that are
naturally sweet and your total grams of carbs will most likely be low. The sweetness you taste
from berries is a guilt-free pleasure because the total load of carbs will be low and they rank very
low on the glycemic index.
Increase Protein: Quality protein is the key to good nutrition. Protein promotes muscle growth and
over all health. Eating more protein than you need for daily metabolism signals to your body that
“the hunting is good” and liberalizes the burning of carbs and fat for energy. Fish, lean meats,
eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are all good sources of protein.
Supplementing with protein powder is another way to boost your protein intake. I often prepare a
protein shake and add a few raw eggs. (Eating the eggs raw allows you to absorb the protein faster
and preserves nutrients that may be lost when you cook them…)
Decrease Carbohydrates: Processed carbs make you fat and diseased. Starches in particular are
the main cause of obesity. Limit consumption of anything made from grains or potatoes. Get your
carbs from unprocessed vegetables that grow above ground.
Eat Natural Fats: Most modern fat is a health nightmare, but getting enough omega-3 fats is
essential to good health. Eat unprocessed vegetable fats like avocados, nuts and virgin olive oil.
Avoid corn oil and all hydrogenated oils. Get your animal fat from grass fed red meat, wild fish or
eggs.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
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