The World Health Organization's (WHO)
definition of health is, "A state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease".
To have a healthy life is to be at “optimal†health for the
entire life span. In this case “Optimal†implies there is no or
limited degradation of physical, metal or social well-being over an
individual's entire life span.
KAB Global Enterprises, LLP through
this WEB site, Superior Trading Performance,
will bring you products
and information to help you stay healthy. We are not nutritionist,
doctors or otherwise health care professionals. We are highly
knowledgeable in the field due to our own studies necessitated by
personal health concerns. Because we care we will make every effort to
be
accurate and precise. Health care is complicated, even if we are
accurate their are so many variances in individuals our best advice
is that anyone wanting to use the information obtained here consult a
health care professional before starting any treatment program.
The human body is a complex organism
that even to this day is not well understood. Because of the lack of
understanding of the body experiments are sometimes performed that do
not control all the pertinent parameters. Whether the correct
parameters have been controlled may not be apparent when the
experimental results are presented. Therefore, the results of these
experiments can be misinterpreted, leading to false information.
Worse yet, for those who want to
maintain good health, large corporations have a vested interest in
promoting their own view of an experiments results. Such biased
viewpoints are often taken as legitimate because of the tremendous
publicity campaigns launched to promote the misleading experimental
results. Where we can look through this bias ourselves we will provide
scientific, not emotional, interpretation of the data.
Since no one today seems to know the
right answer on what to eat, as more precise information becomes
available this page will change. The good news in health care is that
new tools such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-Rays,
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) scan and others will eventually
provide the data required to make correct evaluations of health care
concepts. Improved data from these tools is beginning to flow in. So
stay tuned to the Diet Blog to read about the changes in health care.
Registration is required to read the Diet Blog so please register if
you have not already done so. Registration will allow you to browse the blogs on Superior Trading Performance.
To start off the road to better health
listed in the following paragraphs are assumptions that will be made for the Diet Blog.
These assumptions are being laid out here to help expedite
communication between registered individuals on the Diet Blog.
The human body is not made to be
completely vegan. Why might this be true? Because the human
intestine is to short to properly digest plant material. Due to the
relatively short intestine as compared to other herbivores the human
intestine may not have time to remove the amino acids present in the
plant. On the other hand, the human intestine as compared to purely
carnivores is to long to be purely for digesting meat.
The intermediate size of the human
intestine is most likely what allows for a diversity of eating
habits from vegan to complete carnivore. Also because the human
intestine does digest some food, whether the source is plant or
animal based, over a period of time sufficient nutrients may be
digested to permit slow changes in body composition. The slowly
changing body is not readily noticeable by the individual. The
individual therefore does not recognize the damage being done to the
body due to the specific diet.
For some diseases years of bad habits
are required before onset of symptoms. The long time required for
the diseases to become noticeable makes determination of the correct
diet or exercise difficult. As an example vitamin deficiencies can
haunt people for a long time after a new diet is started if the
deficiency has not been completely rectified. The new medical tools
will help eliminate the diet by hearsay. We will move to a diet by
fact.
A proper diet is required to be
healthy. What type of diet to make an individual healthy is of
considerable debate largely because of the bodies ability to store
nutrients then use them over an extended period of time. What I am
personally sure of is:
The more colors of fruit and
vegetables the better the diet.
Fresh fruit is important. Real
organic fruit would be best. Make sure the fruit is washed no matter what
fruit is used. Fruit that is not organic may need to have the peel
removed depending upon the insecticide used and the type of fruit.
In the case where the peel has been removed from a fruit such as an
apple a large part of the benefit has been removed.
Vegetables should be organic if
possible. When eating vegetables like fruit use what is available making sure to take the
proper precautions to clean the vegetables before use.
If animal meat is desired it too
should be organic. Lean meat is best. To the greatest extent
possible the growth process of the animal should be known. Hormones,
antibiotics, and other compounds may have been used on the animal.
These compounds may still be in the meat at the time of serving
where they can be ingested exposing the individual to an undue
health risk.
The best diet must maintain a
reasonable BMI, 18.5 to 24.9. To do this the body needs protein and fats. There is
no requirement for carbohydrates in the diet as is evident by the
cultures where they have no access to carbohydrates. One such
culture is the Eskimo. There are studies which support this theory
and others that try to refute it. So what do we do?
The fat content of a diet should be
approximately 20% of the total caloric intake according to the American
Dietetic Association. The high protein diet experts seem to confirm
this figure. The total vegan experts are saying 4 – 15 % fats with the
emphasis on the low side. Perhaps there is room for compromise here. If
we restrict the fats to those good fats listed later in the article.
Then I am confident both sides of the argument would be satisfied with
20% fats based on percent calories in the diet.
Protein must be of sufficient
quantity in the blood stream at all times to prevent muscle
breakdown. The type of protein for this discussion is as
important as the quantity. The protein must be a complete protein
containing all required amino acids. All required amino acids do
not need to be taken at once. A food supply that provides all the
amino acids over the course of a day should be sufficient.
The amount of protein should be based upon body weight and exercise. The amount of protein should be between
0.6 and 0.9 gram per pound of body weight. The lower the intensity of
exercise the lower the need for protein. Weight lifters should eat more
protein.
Protein does convert to body fat if
there is an excess. Because protein is required in the blood stream at
all times to prevent muscle break down I personally tend to error on
the high side of protein intake.
Protein should be taken in
increments so that there is no time when the body does not have protein
in the blood stream. This would also include insuring there is protein
in the blood stream over night.
Animal products such as meat and
dairy, seem to be the highest quality protein. Animal products are
complete proteins. Plant based foods must be blended to obtain a
complete protein source. However, there are some distinct
disadvantages to eating a high animal product diet. The
disadvantages will be covered in the Health Blog as they are way to
numerous to be covered here. Let's just say that plant protein seems
to bring about better long term health. Not that the diet must be
completely vegan but that best health seems to come to those who eat
a low animal product diet. A low animal product diet is one where
the individual eats a disproportionate amount of plant protein,
plant fiber and plant based fats to animal products. Please see the
note later in this article on vegan vs. carnivore diets.
Carbohydrates as such are not
required in the human diet. The Eskimo population lives on fish and
whale meat for months at a time with no apparent harmful affects.
The lack of a requirement for carbohydrates does not mean they can
not be healthy. There are studies which indicate a high carbohydrate
diet is better than a high protein diet. There are some major flaws
with the studies of both types of diets so let's focus on what
has the highest probability of being accepted.
Refined sugars, carbohydrates,
are not good in any form. Any diet where the individual eliminates
all refined sugars will be more healthy regardless of the type of
diet.
Carbohydrate replacements,
artificial sugars, are now suspected to be the driving force behind
the increase in obesity in the USA. A diet where all artificial
sugars are avoided will be better than one where there is usage of
artificial sugars.
Carbohydrates from some plants
are not as good as others. For example white potatoes, rice and corn
are good sources of carbohydrates but provide little in the way of
protein. Whenever possible avoid them in favor of lintels, spinach,
and sweet potatoes. In other words when eating select foods with a
good glycemic index, low value. A value of 100 represents the affects of glucose.
Not everyone's carbohydrate
requirements are going to be the same. Olympic athletes require more
carbohydrates than a desk worker. Workers who perform manual labor
may require the same or slightly less carbohydrates than the Olympic
athlete but more than the office worker. The office worker should
exercise to stay in shape. But would require the least amount of
carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are known to
increase the body's ability to process protein. So some carbohydrates are actually good.
Carbohydrates also are required
after a workout to prevent disease. The body looses so much glycogen
during workouts that without immediate carbohydrate loading the body
looses some of its ability to fight infection.
Carbohydrates in the form of
refined sugars or short chain carbohydrates taken before exercise
prevent the body form generating HGH.
Be careful in the source of carbohydrates and fats. There is reason to believe that any food source such as corn or soybeans used to fatten animals would also be fatten to humans.
Vitamins and minerals at one time
were present in our food supply. Today there is no doubt that
supplementation is required. To what extent an individual requires
supplementation is up to the individual. No one without a
nutritionist's guidance can determine what amount of supplementation
is required. The reason for this is multi-fold.
The best way to receive vitamins
and minerals is through natural foods.
Natural foods vary widely in their
vitamin and mineral content from location to location.
No one person eats the same diet as
another.
Each person's digestive processes
are different.
Each person's calorie requirements
are different due to difference in body chemistry, health and
exercise program.
Foods should be spread out over
the day. Depending upon how an individual eats and the calorie
requirements various types of foods and supplements may be required
throughout the day.
Foods and herbs are
powerful medicine. What a person eats will affect their mood, health
and ability to work. Take what is eaten very seriously. Eat the best
meals possible for you body type.
Fiber is critical to the digestive system. Be sure to eat plenty of nutrient dense foods that contain fiber. Fruits, beans and lintels are examples of nutrient dense foods that contain fiber. supplementation with fiber does not seem to be as good as insuring the food eaten has fiber.
Water is important for good health. The recommendation is to drink 8 8 ounce glasses of water each day. Drink more if you exercise hard or take supplements as both take extra water. Sports drinks are one potential source of fluid but water is by far and away the best liquid.
Note on diet – Protein, fat and
carbohydrate balance:
The reason there is so much misunderstanding on
the proper ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is due to the
different lifestyles the researchers are trying to compare. To try to
unravel some of the mystery here is my own personal guide line.
Consult with a doctor before making your own guide line. The
guidelines are based upon percent calories derived from protein, fat
or carbohydrate.
Low amount of exercise to moderate
exercise >>> 10% carbohydrate, 20% fat, 70% protein.
Low intensity to medium high intensity
exercise >>> 40% carbohydrate, 20% fat, 40% protein.
High intensity exercise to Olympic rate
exercise >>> 70% carbohydrate, 20% fat, 10% protein.
Notice how the carbohydrate level goes
up. At the top end of the scale is the carbohydrate requirement set
fourth by some of the largest studies of human health. These studies
were performed on individuals who performed large amounts of physical
activity daily. The high amounts of exercise helped put off some
forms of disease common in the USA where there is little manual labor
for much of the population. The high activity level also demanded
larger proportions of calories from carbohydrates than protein due
the more immediate need for energy in the body.
Note on vegan vs. carnivore diets:
I am personally comfortable with the
numbers shown previously for the ratio of carbohydrate, fat to
protein at this time. If a person is working hard and eating lots of
calories in carbohydrates from nutrient dense foods then they are also eating more protein. The
ratio based upon calories may not be what some considered as good but if the amount of protein
vs. an individuals body weight is kept in proportion then the person should be able to maintain a healthy life.
I have seen many vegans
during my lifetime. They, to a person, have had problems with bone
density, general health, BMI, and other diseases related to diet.
All of them developed diabetes by 60 years of age. I am therefore not
convinced that a high carbohydrate diet as eaten in the USA is healthy.
Short List of Good Fat Sources:
Walnut,
safflower, sunflower, peanut, soy beans, avocado, olives, flaxseed,
Chia, fish (limited amounts due to mercury in the fish). Of course
there are many more good fat sources. Just be prudent in the
selection. These fats can go rancid quickly. They must therefore be protected. Some papers seem to refute the American Dietetic Association claim that these fats are good. Stating they actually go rancid in the body. Their claim is that coconut oil is better.
, New York, New York, USA. Three Rivers Press, 2001
, New York, New York, USA. St. Martin's Press. 2003
