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Murphy’s Law, written by Barbara Murphy, appears monthly in The Golden Times. The column represents the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.
Fat Chance: It Is Time To Stop Digging Our Graves With Our Teeth
With the holidays over, most of us now face the grim reality that we’ve put on way too many pounds celebrating Christmas, New Year’s and whatever else we could find to celebrate.
Resolving to lose weight in the New Year is an American tradition. But few, if any of us, make good on that resolution. Americans get fatter and fatter, digging their graves with their teeth.
We joke about our national girth and broken New Year’s resolutions, but it’s not a laughing matter.
Obesity is epidemic in this country. A recent survey showed 36% of Americans were overweight and 23% are obese, many morbidly obese. Too much fat on our bones is not only ugly, but it’s deadly. Two-thirds of overweight people have high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Obesity also is a factor in many types of cancer and it is a major cause of early death in this country.
I am one of those too-fat Americans who has made a New Year’s resolution to lose the extra blubber. When I had hip replacement surgery a couple of years ago, the doctor who discharged me from the hospital gave me three instructions — stay active, eat yogurt and don’t gain weight.
I’ve been very good about following the first two instructions, but not good at all about the third. On the contrary, I have developed a voracious craving for sweets, which I know I must conquer or it will conquer and kill me.
I haven’t tried any of the highly publicized diet plans because studies show that in the long run they are ineffective. Most people who try these plans gain back the weight they lost and more after stopping the diet.
However, I am impressed by and have decided to follow the nutrient-rich program advanced by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, whose work has been praised by heart surgeon and TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz.
In his latest book, “Eat to Live,” Dr. Fuhrman says whether you’re trying to lose weight and/or extend your life, you’ve got to kick the fat and sugar-laden American diet and primarily live on the kind of food that other primates live on — fruits and vegetables. And if you can eat them raw, so much the better.
In making his case for what is essentially a vegan diet, Dr. Fuhrman said a lot of astonishing things. One is give up fruit juice and eat the fresh fruit instead. He explains that in the juice-making process, “too much fiber and too many nutrients are lost through processing, heat and storage time.” Always be aware that “there is no substitute for natural whole foods.”
Another of Dr. Fuhrman’s suggestions is to give up all white breads, white rice and white pasta. He says: “These starchy (white-flour) foods are no longer real food. The fiber and majority of minerals have been removed, so such foods are absorbed too rapidly, resulting in a sharp glucose surge into the blood stream. The pancreas is then forced to pump out insulin faster to keep up. Over time, it is the excessive demand for insulin placed on the pancreas from both refined foods and increased body fats that leads to Type 2 diabetes.”
Dr. Fuhrman insists that just eating “fat-free foods” will not help you lose weight. He says what you must really cut out are refined carbohydrates such as bagels, pasta and white bread. He states that as far as the human body is concerned, low-fiber carbohydrates such as pasta are almost as damaging as white sugar. “Pasta is not health food, it is hurt food,” he said.
Also, Dr. Fuhrman said don’t be fooled by the label “whole wheat.” He contends that 99% of pastas, breads, cookies, pretzels and other grain products are made from white flour that is given a “fake tan.”
There are many other pitfalls on the way to achieving a nutrient-rich diet for instance, he says that extractive oils — including olive oil — are to be avoided or to be used very sparingly because they are high in calories and low in nutrients. Despite that fact, Americans, he said, consume more than 500 calories per day in such oils.
As you might have guessed by now, Dr. Fuhrman is no fan of the much touted Mediterranean diet. It is too rich in white pasta, oils, cheese and fish. He contends that fish are the most polluted foods eaten by human beings and that cheese is deadly for another reason. He says “cheese has more saturated fat and more hormone-containing and promoting substances than any other foods...(and because of that) the incidences of hormonally sensitive cancers has skyrocketed.”
According to Dr. Fuhrman, animal-product consumption in general is associated with multiple types of cancer. On the other hand, he said, raw fruits and vegetables offer powerful protection against cancer — leafy greens are the most protective.
He says studies show that people who eat meat are twice as likely to develop dementia as vegetarians and chicken is no better than beef.
Dr. Fuhrman says we should try to eat one pound of raw vegetables a day, along with one pound of cooked/steamed green or non-green nutrient-rich vegetables.
Also be sure to include nuts in your diet, he said. But he warns to eat nuts in moderation because although they are high in protein they are also high in calories.
Dr. Fuhrman is a world recognized expect on nutrition. He is also a fierce critic of the American food processing industry, and he is saddened by the fact that millions of Americans are shortening their lives by consuming foods full of fats and empty of real nutrients.
In deciding to pursue Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient rich program, I can’t promise to be a purist. I can’t vow that I will not eat another chocolate covered pretzel or another piece of Key Lime pie. But I am already starting to increase the number of fruit, vegetables and other fiber rich foods in my diet.
Dr. Fuhrman goads me on with his pronouncement that the only people who live to a very old age are “thin.” I’ve got a ways to go to qualify for that description. So, bring on the broccoli and kale.
*
Barbara Murphy, 79, writes about controversial issues each month.
With the holidays over, most of us now face the grim reality that we’ve put on way too many pounds celebrating Christmas, New Year’s and whatever else we could find to celebrate.
Resolving to lose weight in the New Year is an American tradition. But few, if any of us, make good on that resolution. Americans get fatter and fatter, digging their graves with their teeth.
We joke about our national girth and broken New Year’s resolutions, but it’s not a laughing matter.
Obesity is epidemic in this country. A recent survey showed 36% of Americans were overweight and 23% are obese, many morbidly obese. Too much fat on our bones is not only ugly, but it’s deadly. Two-thirds of overweight people have high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Obesity also is a factor in many types of cancer and it is a major cause of early death in this country.
I am one of those too-fat Americans who has made a New Year’s resolution to lose the extra blubber. When I had hip replacement surgery a couple of years ago, the doctor who discharged me from the hospital gave me three instructions — stay active, eat yogurt and don’t gain weight.
I’ve been very good about following the first two instructions, but not good at all about the third. On the contrary, I have developed a voracious craving for sweets, which I know I must conquer or it will conquer and kill me.
I haven’t tried any of the highly publicized diet plans because studies show that in the long run they are ineffective. Most people who try these plans gain back the weight they lost and more after stopping the diet.
However, I am impressed by and have decided to follow the nutrient-rich program advanced by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, whose work has been praised by heart surgeon and TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz.
In his latest book, “Eat to Live,” Dr. Fuhrman says whether you’re trying to lose weight and/or extend your life, you’ve got to kick the fat and sugar-laden American diet and primarily live on the kind of food that other primates live on — fruits and vegetables. And if you can eat them raw, so much the better.
In making his case for what is essentially a vegan diet, Dr. Fuhrman said a lot of astonishing things. One is give up fruit juice and eat the fresh fruit instead. He explains that in the juice-making process, “too much fiber and too many nutrients are lost through processing, heat and storage time.” Always be aware that “there is no substitute for natural whole foods.”
Another of Dr. Fuhrman’s suggestions is to give up all white breads, white rice and white pasta. He says: “These starchy (white-flour) foods are no longer real food. The fiber and majority of minerals have been removed, so such foods are absorbed too rapidly, resulting in a sharp glucose surge into the blood stream. The pancreas is then forced to pump out insulin faster to keep up. Over time, it is the excessive demand for insulin placed on the pancreas from both refined foods and increased body fats that leads to Type 2 diabetes.”
Dr. Fuhrman insists that just eating “fat-free foods” will not help you lose weight. He says what you must really cut out are refined carbohydrates such as bagels, pasta and white bread. He states that as far as the human body is concerned, low-fiber carbohydrates such as pasta are almost as damaging as white sugar. “Pasta is not health food, it is hurt food,” he said.
Also, Dr. Fuhrman said don’t be fooled by the label “whole wheat.” He contends that 99% of pastas, breads, cookies, pretzels and other grain products are made from white flour that is given a “fake tan.”
There are many other pitfalls on the way to achieving a nutrient-rich diet for instance, he says that extractive oils — including olive oil — are to be avoided or to be used very sparingly because they are high in calories and low in nutrients. Despite that fact, Americans, he said, consume more than 500 calories per day in such oils.
As you might have guessed by now, Dr. Fuhrman is no fan of the much touted Mediterranean diet. It is too rich in white pasta, oils, cheese and fish. He contends that fish are the most polluted foods eaten by human beings and that cheese is deadly for another reason. He says “cheese has more saturated fat and more hormone-containing and promoting substances than any other foods...(and because of that) the incidences of hormonally sensitive cancers has skyrocketed.”
According to Dr. Fuhrman, animal-product consumption in general is associated with multiple types of cancer. On the other hand, he said, raw fruits and vegetables offer powerful protection against cancer — leafy greens are the most protective.
He says studies show that people who eat meat are twice as likely to develop dementia as vegetarians and chicken is no better than beef.
Dr. Fuhrman says we should try to eat one pound of raw vegetables a day, along with one pound of cooked/steamed green or non-green nutrient-rich vegetables.
Also be sure to include nuts in your diet, he said. But he warns to eat nuts in moderation because although they are high in protein they are also high in calories.
Dr. Fuhrman is a world recognized expect on nutrition. He is also a fierce critic of the American food processing industry, and he is saddened by the fact that millions of Americans are shortening their lives by consuming foods full of fats and empty of real nutrients.
In deciding to pursue Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient rich program, I can’t promise to be a purist. I can’t vow that I will not eat another chocolate covered pretzel or another piece of Key Lime pie. But I am already starting to increase the number of fruit, vegetables and other fiber rich foods in my diet.
Dr. Fuhrman goads me on with his pronouncement that the only people who live to a very old age are “thin.” I’ve got a ways to go to qualify for that description. So, bring on the broccoli and kale.
*
Barbara Murphy, 79, writes about controversial issues each month.