If I don't put myself on a structured eating plan, I tend to eat badly. In "dieting" I'm actually allowing myself to be more mindful of what I'm eating rather than going on a food free-for-all. Since graduating college, I have put on a few pounds. Nothing outrageous, mind you, but just enough to make me realize that I'm probably better off following a plan, and preferably one I could stick to for a long time. I didn't want any fad or crash diets aiming to knock off a ton of weight. I wanted something that would be healthy and enjoyable. So I started doing some research.
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| ($24.95 on Amazon) |
Their book is extensively researched and includes references to current, peer-reviewed articles from scientific journals and is peer-reviewed itself. I did my research and looked into reviews of the diet and could find few hits against them. I figured I'd give it a try. Besides, I just love sciencey things. :)
The primary focus of the diet is to reduce the amount of toxins you ingest. Makes sense; who wants to eat toxic stuff? The diet is considered 'low carb' but not low enough that I would miss having carbs. It is reminiscent of a Paleo diet (which are actually quite popular now) in which you eat foods that your body has evolved with but it is much lower in protein. Perhaps the most striking thing about this diet is that it requires that about 65% of your daily calories come from fat! Saturated plant and animal fats at that.
The macronutirent ratios for this diet by calories is 20% carbs, 65% fat, and 15% protein.
The only snag-up I had with this diet is, of course, fat phobia.
Fat phobia, they claim, is very misplaced and they offer many scientifically-supported reasons why humans should be receiving the majority of their calories from fat (and why the other ratios are the way they are). (From pages 8-10 of the PHD book).
Why the heck are these nutrient ratios ideal for "perfect health"??
*Evidence of nutrient breakdowns of ancestral hunter-gatherers-humans evolved on macronutrient ratios such as the one offered by the Perfect Health Diet. The authors take into consideration the fact that ratios were different based on latitude and placed their ratio in the middle of the spectrum.
*The nutrient ratio in human breast milk (as well as the milk of other mammals) is ideal for babies- therefore, it must also be (with slight adjustment) ideal for adult humans. They're just larger babies you know. The breakdown in breast milk is 39% carbs, 52% fat and 19% protein. The higher percentage of carbs in breast milk is to fuel the baby's growing brain. The consumption of carbs by the adult brain is less than half that of infants.
*You are what you eat- The lean human body (when you exclude water and minerals) is made up of 74% fat and 26% protein by calories. Food should be eaten in a similar ratio to support this breakdown.
*Omnivorous animals instinctively eat low-carb, high-fat diets-Instinct is the best reference for what your body needs. When you crave certain foods, it is your body's way of telling you that you're deficient in specific nutrients.
The types of fat you eat are very important though!
There are 4 types of fats you should know about: Saturated (SaFA), Monounsaturated (MUFA), Omega-6 and Omega-3 (both are Polyunsaturated--PUFA).
*Saturated and monounsaturated fats are long-chain fats and are the ideal source of fat on this diet. You can eat them in high quantities because your body can always use them.
-"They are the core structural fats of the human body, making up 75-80% of the fatty acids in most cells"(p.76)
-"They are the primary energy source for most of the body and a healthier form of energy than glucose" (p.76)
*As their chains are burned by your body, there are no toxic byproducts. Only carbon dioxide and water are left; the chains are chemically stable.
Why are saturated and monounsaturated fats healthier for you than carbs? The authors do not support a zero-carb diet because the glucose derived from carbs are very important to the function of the brain. Your body could also have a glucose deprivation from too much restriction (p. 32).
The reason SaFAs and MUFAs are healthier is because:
*In quantities over 600 calories of carbs per day (the maximum level needed by your body), your body will just slowly convert those calories into fat anyway with an increase in blood glucose levels (p.43-4).
*Glucose toxicity is possible on a high-carb diet, and the body does not have any healthy ways to dispose of excess glucose (p. 44).
*As your body converts glucose to fat, it creates toxic byproducts--not an issue with saturated fats
*Glucose feeds bacteria that can run rampant
Don't be afraid of fat--
"Summer [food abundance] is not meant to make people fat; it is meant to make people strong" (p. 80).
*Your muscles are the preferred storage for excess SaFA and MUFA. Your muscles alone store tens of thousands of calories from these fats; adipose cells will store further amounts (p.78). You can see increased muscle mass from high fat diets. In times of food scarcity, your body eats away at your muscles to obtain its macronutrient ratios of 74% fat and 26% protien (glucose can be synthesized from protein). Adipose tissues (the 'flab') stores little protein and is an unbalanced way to obtain nutrients in times of starvation--you wouldn't survive long on your fat stores alone (p. 80).
But what about all that cholesterol??
*Saturated fats improve lipid profiles: (p.79)
-They increase levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol (lots of references to studies and journal articles cited in book)
-"Makes 'bad' LDL particles larger and more buoyant, protecting them from glycation and oxidation...the healthful pattern of LDL cholesterol-carrying particles" (p.79).
What you really want to avoid are Omega-6 fats!
These fats are found in processed seed oils like canola, safflower, soybean, corn etc. These are the bad guys. You should avoid them at all costs (especially soy...) Sadly, these fats are found in almost all processed food.
They must be balanced by Omega-3's but both of these PUFAs can be toxic in high quantities
*Omega-6 causes obesity in rodents and humans, impairs immune function, causes allergies and increases likelihood of intracellular infections and diseases associated with aging (p. 59).
Short Chain Saturated Fats
These are our friends.
*Coconut oil is highly touted in this diet and is 54% short chain fat. (2 tablespoons is recommended per day). Short chain fats "strongly promote weight loss" (p. 90).
*Butter is another source of short-chain fat
*Short chain fats produce ketones which protect neurons, improve mitochondrial function, protect against cancer. Ketogenic diets are therapeutic for disorders caused by neurological glucose deprivation.
This is just a little ditty to help take another look at fat phobia. Granted, you can't increase the amount of (healthy) fat and still keep to your old eating habits... Perhaps this could be enough to help you think about trying out this diet.
Here's a few resources to help you get started:
Reviews on the Jaminet's blog, positive and negative, see if you're convinced!
*http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=1742
The Perfect Health Diet blog--includes recipes, advice and new scientific articles relevant to the diet:
*http://perfecthealthdiet.com/
A helpful summary of the eating guidelines:
*http://samsnyder.com/2011/07/20/perfect-health-diet-blog/
Now, I've done quite a bit of research (and math) and have started compiling a "cheat sheet" of snacks, carbs, protein, fats and recipes with their macronutrient ratios. The trouble with the diet is that they don't have an eating plan or recipe book so it can feel kind of overwhelming to get started. It gets easier as you go though! I'll post my research/eating plans later.
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