“Moderate replacement of dietary carbohydrate with low-fat, high-protein foods in a diet containing a conventional level of fat significantly improved… cardiovascular risk profiles in healthy…subjects.”– B.M. Wolfe, University of Western Ontario
A common assumption people have is that switching over to a healthier lifestyle means a lot more money and a lot more time in the kitchen preparing these healthy meals. That’s not true, at least not the way the eat more—smarter—program works. It focuses on enabling you to eat more SANE food while spending as little time and money as possible. While growing your own vegetables and buying organic food is great, I am going to assume that spending any more than twenty minutes and $10 on food per day is not practical. Eating more—smarter—is based on general principles that work in real life.
Also keep in mind that obesity has been linked to a long list of ailments:
| Depression
Discrimination Osteoarthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Birth Defects Breast Cancer Cancer of the Esophagus Colorectal Cancer Renal Cell Cancer Cardiovascular Disease Impaired Respiratory Function |
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Chronic Venous Insufficiency Daytime Sleepiness Deep Vein Thrombosis Type 2 Diabetes Gallbladder Disease Gout Heart Disorders Hypertension Impaired Immune Response Infections |
Infertility
Liver Disease Low Back Pain Obstetric and Gynecologic Complications Chronic Pain Pancreatitis Sleep Apnea Stroke Surgical Complications Urinary Stress Incontinence |
With excess body fat linked to such major problems, there’s no need to worry about minor dietary issues before we’ve switched from inSANE food to SANE food. As researcher John Yudkin from the University of London puts it: “There is no point in worrying about imaginary dangers. If you do, you will be likely to go on overlooking the real dangers.”
An Example of Worrying About the Wrong Things
Another example of this principle is artificial sweeteners. Has a typical intake of artificial sweeteners been proven fattening? No. Has a typical intake of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup been proven fattening? Yes. If you crave sweets, do not worry too much about replacing sugar and high-fructose corn syrup with artificial sweeteners. Of course, eliminating all sweeteners would be ideal. Or you could use natural non-caloric sweeteners such as stevia. But there is no need to worry about the possible negative effects of artificial sweeteners before you’ve freed yourself from the proven negative effects of actual sweeteners.
The Five Steps to Eating More—Smarter
These steps are designed to help you develop excellent health along with a world-class physique. If your goals are more modest, then you don’t need to follow these rules precisely. Do what works for you. The key is letting the scientific facts guide you to make sure that you accomplish your goals as efficiently as possible.
- Swap starches and sweets for non-starchy vegetables and protein
- Remember your ancestors
- Buy groceries in bulk to save money
- Drink Lots of Water And Green Tea
- Do What Works For You
Originally published at thesmarterscienceofslim.com.
About the Author
Jonathan Bailor
Jonathan Bailor is a New York Times bestselling author, nutrition and exercise expert, wellness entrepreneur, and former personal trainer who specializes in using modern science and technology to simplify wellness.
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